#my FIFTH rewatch and I CRIED

[off-traveling-in-the-stars]

"come with me. I need you. we can be together."

[gh-0-st-king]

IF YOU HATE HELLUVA BOSS, HAZBIN HOTEL, AND/OR STOLITZ, DO. NOT. INTERACT. (WITH THIS POST OR MY PAGE)

Okay, I am currently rewatching Helluva Boss, and I just finished S1 Ep7: OZZIE'S, and... How do some people genuinely believe Stolitz is one-sided?

From what I've seen, Blitzø absolutely returns Stolas' feelings, even if he refuses to acknowledge/accept that he does. A lot of people, from what I've seen, have been using Blitzø' words to Stolas in OZZIE'S and his words about Stolas to Fizzarolli in OOPS as arguments for why Blitzø "clearly" doesn't love Stolas back, but my question is, do some of y'all not have basic media literacy?

Sorry if that’s rude, but seriously. There are plenty of clues to how Blitzø is actually feeling during and after these scenes.

1. Blitzø was literally holding back TEARS as he said that in the van scene.

2. He says that Stolas has made it very clear that all it is is Stolas wanting to be fucked. That wording is very distinct and, honestly, says that Blitzø does NOT want it to just be a Fuck Buddies things.

2.5. May I remind everyone that Stolas literally calls Blitzø his "Impish little plaything" in Truth Seekers? And that that likely just confirmed the insecurities we know he was already feeling? (We know he was feeling insecure about his and Stolas' relationship already because of how he reacted in S1 Ep5 to Striker goading him)

3. Literally ALL of what happens after the van scene. Including all of Episode 8. He goes home and cries himself to sleep, and then goes and self-destructs at a party. Bee said it herself that he wasn't drinking to have fun.

4. In S2 Ep6: OOPS, His face when he said it was nothing more than Stolas being horny gives away how hurt he actually is. He is desperately trying to convince Fizz and remind himself that Stolas doesn't want anything more.

Honorary mention that I'm not sure is really a fifth point is him calling Fizz and Ozzie hypocrites.

Moving on from those scenes and onto Blitzø's insecurities about love and his self-worth issues. Blitzø does not believe he deserves love. He does not believe anyone does or can love him. We can see this in how he acts with the people in his life. He pushes them away. He is obsessed with M&M's relationship because they're the only model of a healthy relationship he's ever had, and he wants that with someone. We also can tell because of how he reacts to what Fizz and Verosika say in OZZIE'S.

Blitzø hates himself. He crosses out his face in the pictures hung up in his apartment. He blames himself for an accident that caused his mother's death, his best friend to lose his limbs, and his sister to hate him.

No one was truly there for him after the accident. Fizz may have been crippled, but he had a support system. Blitzø did not, and no one was there to tell him it wasn't his fault.

Not to mention the fact that up until the accident, he was CONSTANTLY being put down and told Fizzarolli was better than him. Even his own father cared more for Fizz than him. Honestly, I'm surprised there isn't any actual animosity towards Fizz on Blitzø's part.

Speaking of the fire and Fizz, Blitzø was planning to confess romantic feelings to Fizz that night before the accident (We know this because of the letter and flower he was holding before the fire started). That likely made it difficult for him to confess his love to someone because if you think his brain wouldn't connect love confessions to the greatest trauma of his life, you're dead wrong.

Brains make weird ass connections when it comes to trauma/traumatic events.

In conclusion, Blitzø loves Stolas, Stolas loves Blitzø, and they both need to heal and get their shit together. Stolitz forever.

Kloveyoubye ❤️

[beanghostprincess]

Running in circles in my room while I rewatch One Piece Fan Letter for the fifth time because this has changed my life in a way I don't think I'll ever be able to explain with words and I need someone to get what it means to me just by hearing me scream incoherent cries of "I love Nami so much I want to keep living forever just for her"

[unpopularly-opinionated]

Beyond Barbie, I’ve watched a fair amount of movies since I last updated y’all against your wills. So many in fact that I’m not going to do a whole ass write up of each because that’s just a complete waste of time. Plus I write reviews on my Letterboxd page, but they’re not entirely fit for public consumption. But I’ll give like a one-sentence review/my thoughts of each, so here we go:

So for context, the last film I posted about in my last list was The First Omen.

Since then I’ve seen:

- The Omen: Keep that woman away from ledges, god dammit.

- Damien: Omen II: I don’t know if this movie came before or after the movie about the crows, but either way this movie did it better.

- Joker: I’d already seen this, but lately I’ve been tossing in some rewatches so I can keep a thorough log/review of them on Letterboxd. P.S. this one is still good.

- The Final Conflict: Omen III: A decent enough ending for its time, to a decent enough franchise for its time.

- Challengers: The single hottest, gayest soft core porno I’ve ever seen, fucking incredible.

- Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood: Went in with zero context, thought it was mid. Read up on the context. Now think it’s pretty OK.

- Idiocracy: Terry Crews as President of the United States, please and thank you.

- Saw I - VII: Progressively got better over time, ashamed to admit one brutal murder scene did kind of turn me on. I need help.

- The entire Pirates of the Caribbean franchise: Obviously a rewatch. First three are literally perfect. Fourth is when we start to see cracks, but it’s OK. Fifth is unwatchable.

- Ready or Not: Went in thinking it was meant to be horror, not a comedy. I was wrong. Pretty funny movie though. Neat premise. Adam Brody is hot.

- Signs: Shamalyan’s God sends aliens to kill hundreds of thousands of people because one man lost faith in him. Shit story. Liked Joaquin Phoenix and a young Kieran Culkin though.

- The Happening: Shamalyan’s God decides to make hundreds of thousands of people kill themselves because the worst romantic pairing in the universe won’t fuck.

- The Sixth Sense: Shamalyan continues to prove that he is a one hit wonder, and this is his hit. That being said, I haven’t cried that hard in a while upon rewatching this.

- Skinamarink: As someone plagued with waking nightmares, this movie spoke to me. It didn’t say much of anything at all, but it certainly spoke to me. Do not recommend.

- Slotherhouse: A dumb bad movie that knows it’s dumb and bad, and is really really good at being both, but in a good way, you know?

- Barbie: An alright cutesie movie so long as you’re willing to accept that it’s not based in reality.

Overall, I’ve been watching a fair amount of movies since my last post, and I plan to watch a whole lot more. Also a lot of rewatches as well I think.

[melina-mellow]

I love when Spidey and Stephen interact in the comics because Stephen gives off such tired, disappointed dad energy whenever he finds out that Peter almost lost his soul to a demon for the fifth time that week.

Whenever Peter fucks up and goes to Stephen for help he always has that "I'm not mad, just disappointed" attitude.

I rewatched peak fiction No Way Home and almost cried because Stephen clearly cares for and loves this kid very much, but he also simultaneously wants to strangle him and toss him into another dimension.

I love them so much. I want the MCU to get its shit together so that I can see them reconcile in the next Avengers movie.

That's my emotional support Wizard and Spider, thank you very much.

[ralibo14]

TPN season I rewatch:

This post will contain many and I mean MANY SPOILERS from season 1. Please if you're new to Promised Neverland do not read this🥺🥰. (There might be multiple parts of this but I don't care😅)

Crazy how many things you can find to the fifth rewatch. Crazy how thrilled and emotional f-ed up I can still get after this. Not my first rodeo, but oh boy... Did I ugly cried. But that's not what we're here for... So let's get into the things what the rewatch made me realise. I paused like in every 3 minutes, there will be many screenshots.

Breaking down the episodes + the fricking foreshadowings:

Crazy how many things first watchers miss. I feel myself stupid just by thinking back that I was also this clueless. (past me would call me crazy if I told her what will happen 🤣🤣🤣)

Episode 1;

Starts idillic, then slowly you start to realise that something is off. What are these overcomplicated tests? Why is there numbers on the kids neck? What is going on? These are most likely the questions first watchers ask themselves (at least I did back then). Now I start to get it how Ray might felt as he began to realise the Houses's secret.

Through this episode you can feel that something is off, then everything goes south once Emma and Norman goes to the Gate.

Now as a rewatcher I saw Little Bunny left on the table and my mind immediately thought of the manga (chapter 180.1), which made it way sadder. Also Ray's reactions makes so much more sense like this.

Not to talk about the test scores.

First picture the older kids and the second is Norman's list about the younger kids. Of course Full Score Trio on the top of the list. Norman most likely never made a mistake, not even in his first test. My personal opinion that Ray had one 'bad' test and Emma had not more than two. I find it so unfair that Gilda and Don are rarely mentioned when we are talking about the scores like... Their scores are pretty good too. But the biggest suprise for me was Phil's archivments (2nd picture). Only spotted now, but damn... Make way for the next genius. No wonder Emma decided that she tells Phil about the escape. She knew what she was doing and who to thrust with the information. After all she was raised by Isabella and just like Norman's and Ray's case, she also developed similar mannerisms as Mom. In Emma's case that would be manipulating others, only difference the she uses it for good.

Episode 2;

Is full of foreshadowing if you know what you're looking for. The tone of the series is not as intense here than it will be around episode 9 or 10, so clues can easily fly under our radar. Take this scene as an example.

Purplish lightning? Isabella and Ray on the screen during that? I wanted to bang my head into the wall when I connected these together. Lots of things hidden in this episode from Ray's and Isabella's relationship to the clues of the season's ending.

Also the Full Score Trio already deserves an Oscar for their acting. Norman and Emma for being able to change their expressions in the matter of seconds and Ray for making them believe that he only discovered the truth now.

Emma being strong enough to hug Mom after discovering the truth and being a total girlboss with the "I wonder what Connie is doing right now" line. It will always be one of the MOST ICONIC lines in this series!

While Ray in this episode being like: “Act fool. Act fool. Act fool” 😂😂😂

Episode 3 - 10;

Why did I separated ep 1 and 2 like this? Because those episodes deserve their own spotlight. They give the base tone of the whole season. I don't say that ep3 to ep10 is not important. Heck no! All episodes deserve the spotlight but I don't want to bore anyone to death😅.

In episode 3 the arrival of Carol and Sister Krone. When I first saw this episode, I just froze into my spot. Now I realise how useful it was to the team. And since Isabella requested a helper, she unintentionally (or maybe intentionally) helped the Trio's plan and helped them, so they make it to the excape.

Sister Krone was a dangerous enemy but also a useful ally. Her motivation was a bit selfish (to become a mom) but I justify them because being a Sister or Mom means that your life is always on the line. [Please check out @fullscoreshenanigans page, her posts and reblogs can explain it better than mines] Also is it just me or does someone else think that Krone had a miscarriage? I don't know why this crossed my mind. Maybe it's the way she shares everything with her old doll somehow made me think of that.

Interesting how the Sister got threatened by both Isabella and Ray in the same episode.

Isabella using the Mom position as a bait for Krone was just perfect. She has years of practice in how to manipulate people's emotions so holding this bait out for the Sister was child play for her.

That Tag where the Trio was against Krone... Oh the memories... The Sister accuratly listing their strengths and weaknesses and also hinting that she knows about their plans. That gave me the thrills when I first watched. Then she lost the game when Ray told her that her time is up (One word; FORESHADOWING!) Actually double foreshadowing at that.

Firstly Ray's pocket watch; That was a gift from Isabella, (like Connie's Little Bunny). He got that gift so he can count the time until his shipment... or at least that's what Mom told him. I think we can all agree that deep down she didn't meant it. Isabella is a good actor but she just pretended to be their enemy.

[Side note: Is it just me or does anyone else thinks, that Ray's pocket watch and Isabella's tracking device looks awfully similar?]

Second foreshadowing? Krone's death. Oh how painful it is to know that it was Ray, who unintentionally, but sentenced her to death.

Why do I think that? Well, in the later episodes, when they have to get Krone out of the picture, Ray writes down something for her. It took me a couple of rewatches to realise that he wrote down his and Isabella's biggest secret... that they are related. Now that the secret got leaked Isabella had to permanently get rid off Krone.

I think Isabella told Grandma in advance that the Sister knows her secret and let Grandma do the dirty work. (But my logic is not flawless, since I only have the tpn artbook and not the mystic code book).

There's many think I could and should talk about... Like how underappreciated Gilda, Don, Anna, Nat and the others are in this season, but I will leave that to the Character Brainrots. However there's one thing which I must talk about regarding to season 1.

Saving Norman!

This two! They only had to exchange one look to let each other know that;

“Yeah, there's no way we let that smart, stupid idiot sacrifice himself”

Oh boy, they were desperate. Emma and Ray are soulmates and right now I don't mean romantical soulmates, because friends and family also can be someone's soulmate.

What I meant to say with this is, that they would try anything in their power to get Norman safely out of the House. They are focusing on the same goal and would do anything to archive it.

So when they plan out loud between the three of them and Emma says that;

“Ray, let's break your leg too”

(Btw, For me this is the third most iconic line from Emma XD. The reactions from the boys is hilarious too🤣)

The black haired boy immediately, without zero hesitation agrees. This is how desperate Ray was. He would have gladly broke his own leg or arm just to make his version of the escape plan succeed. Which plan of course fully crumbles when Norman comes back from the wall, telling them that there's a huge Cliff and it's impossible to go through.

Their last hug in the House is so bittersweet as I rewatcher, because I know it's not the last time they see each other but still... I bawled my eyes out again.

Emma being utterly shocked, refusing to let Norman go. Which causes her to almost ruin their plans at the final goodbye. Trying to deactivate Norman's tracker when Isabella was watching was a really risky idea. But that's what makes Emma, Emma. Just like Krone said, her weakness is caring too much for the others.

Norman on the other hand already accepted the fact that he will die (Spoiler: he won't). Although his calmness is just an act, deep down he wants to escape as desperately as his friends want it. Norman keeps his calm for Emma's and Ray's sake.

And at last but not least Ray. He is clearly on the verge of a mental breakdown. First thing I noticed was his eyes. Maybe it was a conscious action, maybe it was just because of the yellowish background, but his eyes look more purple here.

Ray tries to gatekeep his emotions and fake indifference but fails miserably. I think this was the moment he decided to truly give up the whole "I escape with them" part of the plan.

For our luck Emma and Norman didn't let Ray's suicide plan succeed.

[Side note: I totally forgot Ray cried during this hug. Poor boy. I wish I could tell him that everything will turn out just fine]

Okay that's all for now, mostly because I reached the picture and video limit. I hope it was interesting, even for something this long😅😅. See you soon everyone 🥰.

[lqtraintracks]

I've kind of lost track of who's tagged me on this one in particular: @nv-md @citrusses and pretty sure @basicallyahedgehog? <3 Thank you for the tag! Or if you didn't tag me, thank you for your patience. LOL.

three ships: This is cruel. Drarry, certainly. Harry x Teddy x Draco, for sure. Then, as a total snub to my beloveds, Damen/Laurent and Ginsy, I'm going to say my own original novel characters. I love them so much. <3

first ship: In preschool, I shipped these two female clowns on my favorite TV show, The Electric Company. LOL.

last song: I Want You (She's So Heavy) by The Beatles

last movie: Dune

currently reading: Andrew Holleran's beautiful queer novel, Dancer from the Dance. After I finish it I want to reread Pacat's Dark Rise to get ready for the release of Dark Heir next month!

last thing i wrote: I could tell you but then I'd have to kill you. Technically the last thing I wrote was a text to my friend to whom I just sent my novel in three Google docs, and I was thinking to myself, I bet that jerk would read it out of order just to be a complete asshole, and was texting to tell him not to, when I receive his text to me: 'def. going to read it out of order', to which I replied, "I was JUST ABOUT TO SAY DON'T FUCKING READ IT OUT OF ORDER DOMINICK!"

currently writing: My Erised

Are you named after anyone: Just a place in Ireland.

Favorite subject in school: English

Do you have kids: I have a wonderful step-daughter who I raised and who flew the coop a few years ago and is out there adulting in her own unique way.

When was the last time you cried: Night before last when I got through my (fifth or sixth) rewatch of Sense8 and I got choked up with joy at the end, per usual.

Do you use sarcasm a lot: Not a ton, actually. Only if it's going to be really good, you know?

What sports do you play/have played: Soccer. Badly.

What's the first thing you notice about people: Their vibe, I think. Are they friendly in a genuine way? Do they have a great sense of humor? Are they kind? Do they seem approachable? Do I reserve myself and my energy around this person or are they worth taking a chance on?

Any special talents: *see the dream job question

Where were you born: a south plains state in the u.s.

What are your hobbies: writing and more writing; also reading

How tall are you: 5'9" ish (I might be shrinking)

Dream job: ballet dancer (which I was professionally for ten years); published author (which I'm working on being); choreographer (we'll see)

I'll tag: @julcheninred @capipuff @maesterchill @starquestingfordrarry @skeptiquewrites @floydig @basiatlu and @getawayfox

[bisamwilson]

15 questions, 15 friends

tagged by @roguecassians! thanks maggie :)

are you named after anyone?

i am not, but my middle name was inspired by brooklyn on general hospital (not brooklyn, but close-ish)

when was the last time you cried?

thursday night bc margaret and i rewatched two towers and sam's speech never fails to make me bawl like a baby

do you have kids?

i do not, nor do i plan to! i do have two very cute nephews tho

what sports do you play/have played?

lmao. i was a dancer as a kid/younger teen (stopped when i was 15 bc of the pre arthritis in my ankle) but other than that in high school i lettered in the great sports of academic team and orchestra lmao

do you use sarcasm?

probably too much

what is the first thing you notice about people?

this is probably gonna sound weird, but their teeth? i tend to zero in on people's smiles and their teeth bc i love the different ways that people smile! i think there's so much personality hidden in a person's smile so it's what i tend to latch onto first

what is your eye color?

blue!

scary movies or happy endings?

definitely happy endings! it's the life of a hopeless romantic who doesn't believe in love to fall for every cheesy rom com i can find

any talents?

i am very good at balancing things on my head! when i was a kid my mama made me walk up and down the stairs multiple times in heels with a bible on my head without it falling off before i was allowed to wear the little wedges i wanted to my fifth grade graduation ceremony and now i've just got a knack for balancing stuff on my head. someone once put a connect four board flat on top of it while i was sitting down and stacked all of the chips in a column on top of each other one by one on my head and i held it for like five minutes

i'm also a half decent writer when i actually write i guess

where were you born?

kentucky! bluegrass girlie

what are your hobbies?

i watch a lot of movies and go to the movie theater a ton! i haven't gone a bunch this month bc i was finishing up my oscars a thon but generally i go to the movies 3-6 times a month probably? if not more?

do you have any pets?

my beautiful rat who is not actually a rat but a 15.5 year old chihuahua who definitely served in the infantry in world war one and has zero thoughts in her head. i love her <3

how tall are you?

5'4! but i seem shorter bc my proportions are wacky

favorite subject in school?

high school? math (especially ap stats) for sure with latin as a close second. in college my favorite class was called star wars and religion and my second favorite class was and economic introduction to game theory

dream job?

a job that i enjoy and keeps me satisfied intellectually where there's a good work culture and work/life balance that allows me to like. take care of my needs and wants and be comfortable enough in life, which is what i have! i'm not want to want a specific generally unattainable career, i just like. want something to keep me fulfilled and financially stable yk?

i never actually tag the number of people i'm supposed to but no pressure tagging @firstelevens @logicheartsoul @writerkenna @apatheticjoy @livingincolorsagain and @thatmexisaurusrex

[plumcoloredblazer]

15 People, 15 Questions

tagged by @redaynia (cheers, bruv)

1. Are you named after anyone?

My naming seems to have been a nonchalant affair. Biblical. The fifth most common boy name in the US of A the year I was born.

2. When was the last time you cried?

A movie, certainly. I believe it was when I was rewatching "Nimona" while I was disconcertingly drunk.

3. Do you have kids?

No, and I don't think I will at this point.

4. What sports do you play/have you played?

I played soccer in grade school (football GoooaALLL! YELLOW CARD! for my offshore acquaintances). I've never been a "joiner" or gotten myself heavily invested into athletic institutions, so I'm a severe disappointment for this one.

5. Do you use sarcasm?

I don't know, do I? (Generally, I don't in text form, but I employ all the linguistic tools at my disposal)

6. What’s the first thing you notice about people?

How empathic they are and how well they adapt to the vibes, needs, etcetera of others.

7. What’s your eye color?

Green.

8. Scary movies or happy endings?

Scary, I suppose. But I'm always hoping for fulfilling happy endings.

9. Any talents?

Writing (to some regard). Tidiness. Deescalating situations. I don't know. I'm boring.

10. Where were you born?

KILL-ingly, Connecticut.

11. What are your hobbies?

The usuals: reading, writing, vidjagames, contemplating thematic structures...

12. Do you have any pets?

Rest in peace Basil and Briar, my darling Labradors (Especially Briar, my literal pick of the litter). Welcome, Arugula, the puppy I'll probably be getting in February.

13. How tall are you?

180-ish cm. 5'11''

14. Favorite subject in school?

English. It's the language I speak, innnit?

15. Dream job?

Creative director of an animation studio. Novelist: my New Years resolution is to finish a book this year. To be rich and beneficent.

Don't have many people to tag, but: @thehiddenbaroness, @pmmdj, @cajolions, @combustibabe

[the-algebra-thing]

finished rewatching she ra and I have just been sitting on the couch scrolling through my old collection of she ra posts. I MUST go to bed tho I don't have any more crying in me dude.. cried a bajillion little times reading shadow scale all evening and then later for like over half an hour while I watched heart parts 1 & 2. I am not immune to groundbreaking lesbian representation despite it being three years old and the fifth time I'm watching

[funkybongos]

love doesn’t exist. there is no such thing as love. therefore, there is no sorrow.

[learn-and-accept]

I've spent the last two weeks watching movies and tv shows and it's been great

[apple-sider]

anyways i finished my depression rewatch of haikyuu so i guess we’re watching the 150 episode baseball anime again

[septic-heapass]

Season 4 Finale Thoughts

!!WARNING!! SEASON FOUR FINALE SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT

So I finally got the chance to watch the finale. And oh my god it was a wild ride.

- First of all, I was so relieved to see everyone alive and well. I don’t know what I would have done if any of them had died.

- Second, YAY CONNER IS BACK. I CRIED SO HARD SEEING HIM BACK TO NORMAL. I MISSED HIM SO MUCH. I knew by the upcoming comic that he would be okay but still

- Third, damn that fight between the Els and the Zods had me on the edge of my seat. I’m definitely going to go back and rewatch the episode just so I can see it all now that I know what happens.

- Fourth, I’m so happy to finally see M’gann and Conner married. Ten years their time, even longer our time, I’ll just say IT’S ABOUT DAMN TIME. I can’t wait to see what happens from here.

- Fifth, oh my god that end credits scene. I knew Mary would join Darkseid’s crew but KARA?!?!?! HELLO???? I WANTED TO SEE HER BUT NOT LIKE THIS :((

It was such an amazing finale. By far the most intense and exciting one to date. Everyone outdid themselves.

I really hope we get a season five. There is even more stuff now that I want to see the end results of.

Yes, I still have hopes that Wally will somehow return, and yes I know it’s far-fetched at this point but don’t burst my bubble. If you don’t think he’s coming back, fine. But I do.

I also want to see M’comm getting his ass thoroughly kicked because god I hate him so much. He very much deserves it at this point.

I’m also interested in possibly seeing Ursa with baby Lor? I was shocked that she was already pregnant but I also somehow expected it. I wanna see if we’ll get to see their story and watch Lor grow up. All the while, it was damn satisfying to see him die in the very blast he tried to use to kill Conner

I’m already hitting that post-finale depression. I hope that the show comes back. I’m also excited to read the new comics next month. I can’t wait to see how far into the future they are.

I love this show so much and I’ll never regret sitting in front of my tv all those years ago to see my favorite heroes in a new universe for the first time.

[selfignitingimagines]

Liam- Badass

A/N: This one has been in my ask box for a really long time, but I hope you guys enjoy it! I’ve been rewatching season 6, and Liam has grown on me a lot as a character!

Request:  Hi can you plz do a review where (based in season 6 episode 14 where everyone Is judging Liam and all that) and the reader is trying to be nice to him and be his friend when no one else will but Nolan has a crush on her and that is another reason he wants Liam to change so she can she the “monster” he is thx❤️❤️😘

“Find anything interesting?”

You jumped. The voice had startled you as it came from behind a library shelf. When you turned, a pair of blue eyes caught yours through an empty space between books.

“Sorry,” Nolan Holloway apologized, smiling sheepishly as he came around to your aisle. “I wasn’t trying to scare you.”

“It’s fine,” you told him. “I was just trying to find another copy of the bio textbook for Liam. He forgot his.”

Nolan glanced back toward the collection of tables in the middle of the school library. One was occupied by Liam, Mason and Corey, with a single empty seat waiting for you. 

“Study group?” he asked. 

“Sort of,” you told him. “It was kind of spontaneous.”

He nodded. “You know, I don’t really get why you hang out with those guys. Mason and Corey, I sort of understand, but Liam? He just seems like he’s hiding something.”

You raised your eyebrows. It wasn’t the first time someone had questioned your friendship with Liam because of his temper, but Nolan seemed to be talking about something else entirely.  “What do you mean?”

“You have to notice all the weird stuff that goes on around here, right?” 

“I think everyone does.”

“Yeah, so haven’t you noticed that they’re always at the center of it all?”

“Not really, no,” you told him. “You sure you’re not imagining things? The bio exam is coming up and I don’t think anyone is getting much sleep…”

You trailed off as you noticed he was still staring at your friends. You were about to just back up and leave when he turned to you. 

“I’m not sleep-deprived. I just pay attention. I pay attention to you too, you know.”

He had this strange, intense look in his eyes, and you were suddenly uncomfortable.

“Okay,” you agreed, struggling to keep a polite smile on your face. “Well, I’ve gotta get back to studying so…”

You trailed off and turned, quickly walking back to your table. 

“There aren’t any more books,” you told Liam.

“That’s fine. We can just share...hey, are you okay?”

Liam had seen Nolan getting a little too close to you over by the bookshelves. He knew he had a tendency to be a little overprotective, and, as Mason had also pointed out, a little too jealous. Maybe he didn’t have a right to be, but there were many times that he couldn’t help it. He had heard the way the other lacrosse players talked about you in the locker room. 

Nolan himself had said a few disgusting things when he didn’t think Liam had heard him. Though he couldn’t confront his teammate outright, he made sure to check him extra hard at practice. 

Maybe that was why he had been so suspicious as he watched Nolan breathe down your neck while you searched for an extra textbook. Maybe it also had something to do with how much Liam cared for you, and the fact that Nolan seemed to be up to something worse than getting into your pants. 

You nodded as you sat down at the table. “Yeah, I’m okay. It’s just...I don’t know. Do you ever get the feeling like something bad is about to happen?”

Corey and Mason shared a concerned look, but Liam tilted his head. 

“Like what? We might fail the test? Cause I don’t think I need a feeling to tell me that.”

“Shut up,” you complained, feeling the worry roll off your shoulders. “We’re going to make sure you don’t.”

You scooted your chair closer to him and opened up the textbook you had left on the table. “Let’s start with Chapter Nine.”

He leaned in to read next to you and flashed you a grateful smile. You were just about to turn the page when a couple of books slammed onto the table. You flinched at the noise, instinctively moving closer to Liam. 

Nolan was standing at the edge of the table, smiling at the four of you. “Hey guys.”

“Hey, Nolan,” Mason said politely.

“Mind if I sit?” Nolan asked. 

Liam opened his mouth to protest, but Nolan was already pulling a fifth chair up to the table.

Corey glanced over and met your eyes. He had seen you talking to Nolan in the stacks, and by the way his eyebrows were raised you knew he was wondering if you had invited him over. You shook your head.

Mason cleared his throat. “Studying for the bio test?”

“Trying,” Nolan said with a strange grin, sitting down next to you. “Trying to understand how organisms evolve and change.”

“I don’t think this is on the test,” Corey said hesitantly.

Nolan’s lips twitched, and he clicked the pen in his hands, over and over. He glanced around the table. “Do you think DNA changes?”

“If it’s damaged,” Mason told him. 

“I wonder if any of us have changed,” Nolan wondered aloud. “And if we did...would there be any way to tell?”

“Like a DNA test?”.

Nolan smiled as he turned the pen over in his hands. “I was thinking a different type of test.” 

Liam stood up suddenly. 

“You know what, Nolan? This is a private study group. Get lost.”

Nolan nodded, seeming to understand. He pushed himself up from the table, flashing you a warm smile. For a second, it seemed like he was going to leave. Then, looking right into your eyes, he stabbed his pen into Corey’s hand.

You let out a shriek, and Corey cried out as blood splashed onto the table. Now it was glistening on the wood and your textbook.

“What the hell is your problem?” Mason demanded, but Nolan wasn’t phased. 

He reached forward, jerking Corey’s hand up and holding it high for everyone in the library to see. The hole that should have been there was gone, like it had completely healed. 

“Look at him!” he snarled at you. “Look at him!”

The entire library was staring. Kids looked up from their textbooks and phones to find a sight that confused and terrified them. What they didn’t know, and what you didn’t know, was that this was only the beginning.

In seconds, Liam had shoved Nolan off of Corey, knocking him to the floor of the library. “Get the hell away from us. Now.”

Nolan glared at Liam, shoving himself up from the ground. He snatched his books from the table and glanced toward you. “See what I’m talking about?”

Then he stormed off, shoving the library doors open and disappearing into the darkened hallway. 

When you looked back, Corey, Liam, and Mason were all eyeing you carefully, as if you were an animal that might bite. You glanced at Corey’s completely healed hand, and you made a decision that would define everything that came after that night. 

“Nolan is nuts,” you said firmly. “Let’s go study at my house.”

Their shoulders seemed to slump in relief, and Liam reached out to squeeze your hand.

You met his baby blue eyes, and a look of understanding passed between the two of you. What you had seen didn’t matter. These were your friends, and nothing could scare you away from them.

-----

It only took a few days for things to escalate to the unthinkable. Suddenly everyone was afraid of your friends.

You didn’t understand it. There had only been about ten other people in the library that night. Word shouldn’t have traveled that fast, and even if it had, what was there to be afraid of?

If Corey could suddenly heal from his injuries, that should have been a miracle. Unfortunately, not everyone thought that. 

When the three of you had walked into school that Monday, all people had done was stare or shy away from you and your friends. You couldn’t hear the whispers, but Liam seemed to be able to. He looked pained as you stood in front of your lockers. 

“Just block it out,” Mason assured him.

“They know,” Liam whispered nervously.

“It’s just rumors. They don’t know anything.”

You looked between the two of them. You didn’t know anything either, but you could at least tell that Liam and Corey were different. For some people, that was enough to be upset about.

Before you could interject, someone else did.

“They know everything,” Corey told them, coming up from the hallway behind you. “Two sophomores on the lacrosse team were there last night.”

Mason shook his head, still trying to convince Liam, and maybe himself, that things were okay. “Yeah, but it was late. It was pitch-black out, and there was fog on the road.”

Corey frowned. “It was a clear night, a full moon, and a well lit intersection.”

“Look, I have to get out of here,” Liam hissed. 

“No,” Mason insisted. “If you leave, these rumors never stop. You gotta just convince them that you’re a regular kid.”

“I’m not a regular kid.”

You blinked, looking between them. “Wait, what happened last night?”

The three of them shared a glance. No one said anything. 

“Look, you can tell me. I already saw what happened in the library. I don’t care.”

Liam and Corey hesitated, but Mason spoke up. “Okay, I’ll tell you.”

“Mason,” Corey hissed. 

“Come on, she already has all the pieces. She just hasn’t put them together yet. It’s safer for her to know the whole story.”

Corey didn’t look convinced. He was eyeing you carefully with his arms crossed over his chest. Defensive. 

“You’re right,” Liam told Mason, but when you looked into his eyes, he looked scared.

“Can you come with us?” Mason asked you.

You nodded and they led you away from the main hallway. You followed them into a quiet chemistry lab, where they locked the door behind them. There, they explained everything. 

Finding out that Liam and Corey were both supernatural creatures was a lot to take in. If there was nothing else going on, you might have needed more time to process everything. However, the news that a group of werewolf hunters was targeting and killing your friends seemed to override the shock. 

They explained that wasn’t their only problem, because after Liam had shifted in front of half the town last night, everyone, including the kids at your high school, seemed to know that he wasn’t human. 

“So,” you finally said. “What do we do?”

“Good question,” Liam said. “Cause I have no idea.”

“Remember what Scott said?” Mason asked him. 

Scott was the assistant coach for the lacrosse team, but he was only a couple years older than you. He hung out with you guys a lot, and he always seemed like a sweet, caring guy. You guessed he was probably in on the secret too. 

“He said ‘Be like Clark Kent’.”

Liam looked exasperated. “Clark Kent turns into a guy with a red and blue outfit and a cape. I turn into a monster with claws and fangs.”

“Then just get through the day without shifting,” Corey told him.

“Liam,” Mason said softly. “People are saying that Brett and Lori died in a car accident. We know the truth. They didn’t just die.”

You sucked in a breath. “They were murdered?”

Liam’s face softened. “The people who are after us are dangerous, Y/n. They’ll kill us, and anyone else that gets in the way. That means you too.”

“I don’t care,” you insisted. “You guys are my best friends. I’m not just gonna run and hide, especially if I can help.”

You reached out to grab his hand and squeeze it. His lips turned up at the corners, if only for a moment. 

“Then you’re with us now.”

You all agreed that Liam would try to keep cool. The rest of you would try to listen out for anything that might suggest someone was coming after him. Mason and Corey left the chemistry lab to head to their first period classes, leaving you and Liam alone together. 

You were both supposed to head to your own classes, but you lingered for a moment. 

“So...you’re not afraid?” he asked sheepishly. 

You shook your head. “Liam, I know who you are. Having claws and fangs doesn’t change that, even if it’s a little weird.”

He smiled. “A little?”

“Okay, maybe a lot,” you admitted with a grin. “But that just means you can eat the people that piss me off on a full moon.”

Liam frowned. “Werewolves don’t eat people on full moons.”

“So what do they do?”

“Exactly what we’ve been doing every full moon for the past two years. Eating junk food and playing video games.”

You thought for a moment. “And you have super reflexes?”

He nodded. “Yeah, basically.

 “So why do you suck so bad at COD then?”

Liam rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling. He was relieved you were still treating him the way you always had. Telling you about the supernatural was always something he had wanted to do. You were one of his best friends, and he had always felt wrong hiding it from you.

He had thought about admitting his secret countless times before, but something had always stopped him. What you didn’t know was that Liam had always thought of you as more than a friend. He was pretty sure you felt the same way, but he had never asked you out.

Scott had questioned him about it once on the way home from a pack movie night. They had dropped you off at home, and as he pulled away from the curb in his mom’s sedan, he was looking at Liam with a smile on his face. 

“What?” Liam had asked. 

“Why don’t you ask her out?”

Liam flushed. Scott grinned at him. “I haven’t seen you look at anyone like that since Hayden.”

“I don’t know,” Liam said. 

“What do you mean?” he asked. “She likes you too. You can’t tell?”

“I know she does. It’s just...with everything going on, I don’t want to drag her into this.”

Scott nodded. “I get it...but you can’t spend your whole life doing that.”

“Doing what?”

“Sacrificing your happiness to keep people safe. Even when you do that, they’re never really safe.”

“I don’t know,” Liam mumbled, glancing out the window into the darkness. 

“I had to learn that the hard way,” Scott had told him. “But maybe you do too.”

Now, as he stood across from you, he didn’t want to leave the chemistry lab. He wanted to hide in there with you for as long as he could and tell you everything, including how he felt about you. Before he could get the chance, you spoke. 

“Come on,” you said, nodding toward the hallway. “Let’s make sure you stay alive so I can beat your ass again this weekend.”

He had missed his moment, but he smiled at you anyway. “Can I walk you to class?”

“Duh.”

You looped your arm through his and headed out into the hall, ignoring the stares and fearful looks the entire way. 

------

You met up again in biology class, which you all had together. When you sat down at the table next to Liam, he pulled you close to whisper in your ear. 

Your heart skipped when he placed his hand on your arm, but he was too agitated to notice. 

“Nolan and Gabe are going to try to force me to shift. Corey said they’re going to block all the exits.”

You frowned. “Then we have to find a way to sneak you out.”

You glanced behind you, where Corey and Mason were sharing a table. 

“We’ve got a plan for that."

Mason explained that Corey could make himself and Liam invisible. They would sneak out down the halls and hopefully find an exit that wasn’t guarded by lacrosse players. 

When the bell finally rang, the four of you headed out of class. Corey and Liam slipped behind a pillar and disappeared into thin air. You and Mason led the way as they shuffled behind you, completely unseen. 

The four of you hurried through the school, but every exit you passed was blocked by an angry-looking lacrosse player.

“What do we do?” you muttered to Mason.

“Just keep going.”

You turned down another hallway, only to run right into Nolan. He was standing in the middle of the hallway with a few other lacrosse players. Gabe was right behind him. You and Mason stopped short at the sight.

“Hey guys,” Nolan said. His tone was casual, but there was no friendliness in his eyes.

Before you could attempt to go around him or the others, he stepped in front of you. His hands were curled tightly into fists.

“What are you doing?” you asked him.

“You should leave, Y/n. You shouldn’t get in the middle of all this. You’ll get hurt.”

You frowned. “Nolan, please.”

His gaze softened. He looked like he wanted to say something more, but then he simply opened his hand and blew a handful of white powder at you. The smell of flour drifted through the air as you and Mason were dusted. You felt terror grip you as you realized that Corey and Liam were covered too, making them suddenly visible.

You turned in horror, but before you could make a move, Gabe darted forward and threw Liam to the floor. Both Gabe and Nolan hauled him up, dragging him down the empty hall and into a deserted classroom. The other lacrosse players didn’t bother to grab you or Mason. Instead, they flooded into the classroom behind the others.

Some students passing by followed suit, eager to watch the fight they sensed was about to happen. 

“Wait here,” Mason told you, darting after them. 

He shoved his way into the classroom, ready to come to Liam’s rescue, but he was immediately grabbed by two lacrosse players. You frantically looked around for Corey, but he had disappeared again. You only hoped he was hiding somewhere safe, just in case they were planning on coming for him next. 

With Corey nowhere to be found, you shouldered your way into the classroom, but you were trapped behind the sea of kids trying to catch the action. 

You watched in horror as Nolan landed a punch to Liam’s face, causing blood to run from his nose. They shoved him to the ground, kicking and punching him. Every time Liam seemed to be close to snapping, he seemed to hold himself back. You were relieved, but you also weren’t sure how long he could keep that up.

“You’re fighting it!” you heard Nolan snap. 

Your blood boiled. You were sick to your stomach with both rage and terror. Liam was getting his ass handed to him. He couldn’t even fight back. 

You watched as Gabe snatched a tuft of Liam’s brown hair. He yanked him up from the classroom floor, only to slam his knee into Liam’s face. You flinched.

“What is going on here?!”

Suddenly the clicking of heels sounded from down the hallway. Mrs Finch was striding over, and the crowd of kids parted for her. Instead of looking angry, she just seemed scared as she realized what was happening. 

“Do something!” Mason pleaded, but Mrs. Finch just held up her hands, as if she were surrendering. 

“Sometimes it’s best to let them work things out on their own,” she told him, before turning back down the hall. 

Kids stared in shock, dumbfounded at her response. You took the opportunity to shove your way into the space she had left in the crowd. As you got closer, you saw that Liam was lying on his back. Blood was streaming from his nose, his mouth, and various other cuts on his face. 

Gabe was kneeling over him, punching him over and over. He raised his arm to land another blow, and that was when you moved forward. You had no idea what had gotten into you, but you couldn’t watch another second of Liam’s suffering. 

Gabe grunted in surprise as you knocked him to the ground. The two of you spilled onto the tiled floor, but he quickly recovered. He yanked your head back by your hair, causing you to cry out. 

Before you could register what was happening, pain was shooting through your skull. He had punched you so hard that it left you lying on the floor, dazed and seeing white for a few seconds. 

“Gabe-” Nolan began to say, but he was cut off. “Is this what’s gonna do it, Liam?” Gabe demanded, pulling you off the floor by your hair. “Maybe you won’t change if we beat your ass, but what about hers?”

Tears were streaming down your face, blurring your vision. You could still see Liam's eyes glowing yellow though. As much as it hurt, you weren’t willing to be the reason he shifted in front of everyone. 

“Liam,” you begged. “Don’t.”

You could taste your own blood on your lips. Judging by the look on Liam’s face, you probably looked terrible, even from the single punch. You knew they were going to do much worse.

Gabe balled his hand into a fist once more, and you closed your eyes, bracing for the next punch. 

“What the hell is going on?! Back off!”

Suddenly, Gabe was ripped off of you by the back of his shirt. His fingers uncurled from your hair, and you dropped to the ground on your hands and knees. 

“Get to the Principal's office now!” Coach Finstock was screaming. 

He had Gabe and Nolan by their shirts, and he practically tossed them out the door and into the hallway. He looked absolutely livid. You had never seen Coach so angry. He gazed out at the crowd of students around you.

“What the hell is this?” He demanded. “Get out, all of you! I can’t stand to look at your faces!”

The crowd dispersed, and Mason was let go. You scrambled over to Liam, who was still on his back. He was taking short, gasping breaths and his face was covered in his own blood, but he looked relieved. He coughed as the four of you, including Corey, who had reappeared, helped him off the ground. One of his arms was slung over your shoulder, and the other was slung over Mason’s.

Mason stared at him in awe. “I can’t believe you did that...and Y/n, I can’t believe you just tackled Gabe. That was insane.”

Liam nodded, looking between the three of you. “Clark Kent, right?” he muttered. 

“Yeah,” Mason breathed. “Clark Kent.”

Liam glanced over at you. He felt a lump in his throat when he saw the state of your face. There was a small gash on your cheek from where Gabe had punched you. A trickle of blood was making its way down to your jaw, and your lip was split open. The worst part was the bruising. The blood could be cleaned up, but the bruise that was beginning to form would be there for a while. That side of your face was also beginning to swell.

His blood was boiling. He wanted to tear Gabe and Nolan apart. In that moment, he didn’t care who saw. Then you spoke. 

“Liam,” you said softly. “I’m okay. I promise.”

You squeezed his hand. The feel of your fingers wrapped around his seemed to ground him. The tension melted from his shoulders. 

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s get out of here.”

------

“God, I have no idea how I’m going to explain what happened to your parents.”

You looked over at Liam from the passenger seat of his Toyota. He had a white-knuckled grip on the steering wheel. You raised your eyebrows.

“Why do you have to explain?” 

“Because I’m your best friend. I’m supposed to protect you...and everything that happened is my fault anyway.”

You lifted the bag of frozen peas that Coach had given you off your cheek. He had assured you it would bring down the swelling, but you were skeptical.  You pulled down the visor in front of you and glanced at your wounded face in the mirror. 

            Mason had cleaned the blood off with the lacrosse team first aid kit, but there was a visible gash where Gabe’s knuckles had connected with your cheekbone. The bruise, now a deep blue-ish purple, spread out across your cheek. Your lip was also busted and there was no way you’d be able to hide it.

“It’s not your fault. I’ll just tell my parents the truth. Someone was getting their ass kicked and I stepped in to stop them. Well, I tried anyway.”

“Okay, now you’re kind of making me sound like a little bitch.”

You shrugged, and you and Liam both burst out laughing. The movement in your face caused you to wince and Liam’s expression darkened. 

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to keep saying that.”

“I feel like I do.”

“You don’t,” you assured him. “Liam, none of this was your fault. It’s the hunters and Nolan, and that fucking psycho Gabe. Plus, I’m the one who tackled him…”

He didn’t answer right away. He was anxiously chewing on his lip, staring out the windshield. 

“Liam?”

“I think you need to leave town.”

You balked at him. “What? No way!”

“Gabe could have done a lot worse to you. Now he knows you’re involved. Staying here could get you killed. You and Mason both.”

“So what are we supposed to do?” you demanded. “Just run away?”

“Yeah. That’s exactly what you should do. I can’t protect you, Y/n. I can’t protect anyone.”

“I can protect myself-”

“No you can’t!” he snapped. “Look at your face!”

You flinched back at his sharp tone. Wordlessly, you turned away, slouching down in your seat to stare out the window. Maybe he was right, but his words had touched a nerve.

Liam wasn’t trying to hurt you, but he was terrified. If he couldn’t even protect you from Gabe, how was he supposed to protect you from trained hunters?

“Y/n...I’m sorry. I’m not saying you’re not strong. I just…I can’t lose you.”

You felt a flutter in your chest. Taking a deep breath, you looked back over at him. 

“Even if you can’t protect me, why would I leave you? If someone’s trying to kill you, I want to help. Even if it means getting hurt...even if it means dying. I can’t just leave.”

“I can’t be the reason something happens to you,” Liam protested. 

“You wouldn’t be,” you pointed out. “If these people are coming after you, that’s them. Not you.”

He shook his head and you could tell he was trying to work something out inside his head. He was about to turn down the street to Scott’s neighborhood, but he hesitated for a moment. You were both supposed to be at a pack meeting, but now he was having second thoughts about bringing you.

“Maybe I should just take you home. I promise I’ll come and get you as soon as this is over,” he swore.

“I can’t just leave you.”

“You can,” he insisted, pulling up to the nearest curb. Scott’s house was still a few blocks away. 

“If you want me to leave you, you’re gonna have to pick me up and carry me kicking and screaming out of town,” you told him stubbornly.

“Fine,” he said with a shrug. “Then that’s what I’ll do. I’ll throw you over my shoulder. I don’t care.”

You rolled your eyes. “You’re not serious.”

“I am!” he shouted. “You don’t realize how much danger you’re in.”

“You’re Clark Kent, right?” you demanded. “What if I’m Lois Lane then? I don’t remember her ever running away.”

He opened his mouth to protest. This wasn’t a comic book. It was real life, and you could die. But as you stared at him defiantly, he realized you already knew that. 

Asking you to leave him would have been like asking him to leave Scott and the others.

“Fine,” he said.

He put the car back into drive and pulled away from the curb. You drove in silence for a couple minutes, until he pulled into a driveway you presumed was Scott’s. There were several other cars out front. You recognized Stiles’ rickety, blue jeep right away, along with Lydia’s Martin’s Toyota and Scott’s motorcycle.

“Promise me you’ll just think about leaving?” he asked. “Just think about it.”

“Fine,” you told him.

Liam eyed you. “You’re lying.”

“So you can read minds now too?” you demanded. 

“Your heart skips when you lie. I can hear it.”

He slammed the door behind him, but came around to open yours for you nonetheless. You could tell he was pissed at you for saying you wouldn’t leave, but he would do the exact same thing and you knew it. 

As you followed Liam into the house, you saw a group of people clustered around the coffee table, examining a map. You recognized Scott, his mom, Malia, Lydia and two other men you didn’t know. One was tall with dark hair, and he was wearing a suit. There was an FBI badge hanging from his neck. The other was shorter, with piercing blue eyes. 

“...no one can leave,” the taller one was saying. “Gerard’s distributed all of his weapons throughout Beacon Hills, to anyone who wants them.”

The shorter one looked grim. “He’s arming his army.”

You turned toward Liam, wanting to ask what they were talking about. Before they could, Lydia, who had been staring vacantly out the window, yelled “Get down!”

She pulled Mason to the floor just as two arrows flew through the glass windows at the front of the house, shattering them. A bright flash spread across the room, blinding you just after you saw Malia shove Scott down. Liam tackled you to the floor, covering his body with yours.

Gunfire echoed across the room, and you felt a sharp, stinging pain in your side. You cried out, and Liam pressed himself harder on top of you. You closed your eyes, terrified of what would happen next. 

Suddenly, the gunfire stopped. You glanced up, and saw the taller man, who you now realized bore a striking resemblance to Scott, stand up. He must have been his father, you realized, as he drew his weapon from a holster on his side.

Liam pushed himself up, but when he did, he realized there was blood soaking through his t-shirt. When he felt for a wound, he realized it wasn’t his blood, but yours.

You were lying below him, and a pool of dark, red blood was staining your right side, soaking into your shirt and your jeans. 

“Liam, what happened?” you whispered. Your voice was soft and scared.

“No!” he shouted, looking around frantically for the others. 

But Mason and Melissa were both unconscious on the floor, lying in their own pools of blood, which were slowly widening on the floor. Lydia was bleeding, but awake, and she was using a hand to prop herself up using the coffee table. Scott’s dad was groaning in pain, one hand holding pressure over his bloody arm.

Everyone was hurt. Everyone needed help. 

When Liam looked back down at you, your eyes were closed. Your breathing was growing shallow, and he resisted the urge to scream. He reached down, frantically pressing both hands over your bleeding side. 

“Scott!” he cried. “What do we do?”

The alpha, riddled with bullet holes himself, struggled to his feet. 

“I don’t know.”

------

“You doing okay?”

Liam looked up at the sound of Scott’s voice. The older boy was looking down at him sympathetically, and Liam felt a twinge of annoyance. 

“Not really.”

“Mind if I sit?” Scott asked. 

“Sure,” Liam said, looking back down at the floor. 

The flimsy chair next to him groaned as Scott sat down. He had two plastic-wrapped breakfast bagels in his hands, one of which he held out to Liam. 

“No thanks.”

“Come on, you haven’t eaten since last night.”

“I’m not hungry.”

“Okay.” He set the bagels on the side table next to them. “You know the nurse said she was awake. You don’t wanna go see her?”

Liam was silent. His mouth was pressed into a grim line.

“Liam,” Scott said softly. “What happened wasn’t your fault.”

“I brought her to your house,” he grumbled. “I was trying to get her to leave town, but she wouldn’t. So I agreed that I wouldn’t make her.”

He shook his head in disbelief. “God, I should have just dragged her out of town myself.”

“She’ll be okay,” Scott reminded him. “The bullet didn’t hit anything important.”

“Yeah, and it’s a miracle it didn’t. I could have gotten her killed, Scott.”

Scott reached out, putting a hand on his shoulder. “Liam, look at me.”

Finally, he did. His blue eyes met Scott’s brown ones, and he felt himself tearing up, though he hated himself for it. He had forced himself not to cry all night, afraid that once he did, he would completely break down. 

But now, as the tears slipped down his cheeks, he couldn’t stop them. “It’s my fault she got hurt, Scott. This is what I was afraid of, and it happened.”

“None of this is your fault.”

Scott leaned over and brought Liam into a tight hug. “Remember when I told you that sacrificing your happiness doesn’t always keep people safe?”

Liam nodded. 

“You couldn’t have stopped this. Whoever was shooting at us was going to do it regardless. Who’s to say they wouldn’t have gone after her when you weren’t with her?”

“I could have made her leave town though.”

“No you couldn’t have. Making her leave you would have been like making you leave us. You never would have done it.”

“Maybe you’re right.”

Scott smiled and pulled away from the younger boy. “I know I’m right. I’ve been doing this for a while, remember? I know you feel like you’re responsible, but you’re not. She made her choice, and it was the exact same one you would have made.”

Liam nodded. 

“I think you’re perfect for each other, actually,” Scott continued. “You’re both stubborn as hell.”

“Yeah,” Liam said with a soft laugh. “We are.”

“Go see her. I’m sure you guys have a lot to talk about.”

Liam nodded and rose to his feet. “Thanks.”

Scott smiled in response, and Liam headed down the hall to your room. The nurse had given him the number a few hours ago, but he was afraid to visit you. He knew you wouldn’t be mad at him, but it was his own guilt he hadn’t been able to get past. Now he knew he couldn’t control what happened to you, and it wasn’t fair to punish you by staying away. 

He knocked on the wooden door, and heard your soft voice say “Come in.”

When he pushed it open, you were lying there, propped up against the pillows. You smiled when he entered, and he felt relief rush through him. Even in a hospital gown, you still looked beautiful.

He strode forward and leaned in, wrapping his arms around you. You buried your face in his shoulder, hugging him back. 

“I was worried you weren’t going to show,” you admitted. 

Liam flushed. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t sure if I should come.”

“It wasn’t your fault,” you told him. “I knew you’d feel like it was. That’s why I told Scott to go talk to you.”

He balked at you. “You...you told Scott to come talk to me?”

You nodded. “He came in to check on me once my parents left to eat. When you weren’t with him, I figured you’d be beating yourself up about it.”

Scott had been right. You really were perfect for each other. 

“You’re still in this mess because of me.”

“Yeah, but I made the choice to stay. And I’d do it again in a heartbeat. You’re telling me you wouldn’t do the exact same thing?”

He sighed and lowered himself down into the chair next to your bed. “No, I would’ve.”

“Look, there’s something I need to tell you,” you admitted. “I could never have left you, Liam. I know you wanted me to go, but if I’m gonna die, I’d rather do it with you. I love you too much to run away.”

He reached out, placing his hand over yours. “It wasn’t like I wanted to be away from you. I just thought that you would be safer. I was afraid of...well, this.”

He gestured to you, lying in the hospital bed. 

“Oh come on,” you said with a roll of your eyes. “I’m fine. Plus, I’m gonna have a kickass scar. It’ll be just like a video game.”

You reached down and pulled up your hospital gown, revealing the gauze over your side. “I’m gonna look like a total badass.”

Liam grinned. “You already are a total badass.”

You smiled up at him, and he felt his heart skip. Without hesitating any longer, he leaned in, cupping your face with his hands and pressing a soft kiss to your lips. Being gentle wasn’t exactly his strong suit, but your bottom lip was still busted from when Gabe had punched you. 

“I love you,” he murmured, pulling back to look down at your face. “And whatever happens, I want you by my side.”

You nodded. “Me too.”

He pressed a gentle kiss to your forehead, and you shifted to the other side of the hospital bed. You patted the space beside you. 

“Are we allowed to do that?” he asked. 

“I just got shot,” you complained. “I should be able to do whatever I want.”

Without another thought, Liam crawled up beside you. He wrapped an arm around your shoulders and pulled you close so that your side was pressed against his. You snuggled into him, and for the first time in months, he felt like everything would be okay.

[robins-treasure]

For the character ask, the obligatory Barbossa mention

Go wild fren

First impression: I've watched Pirates of the Caribbean since I was a kid. I wasn't obsessed with the franchise back then. My first impression of Barbossa was that he was the typical Disney villain. (He kidnaps the girl, he has henchmen, he fights the hero, and then he dies) I knew that the characters were named Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, and Elizabeth Swann. But I could never get Barbossa's name right, so I called him "Big Hat."

Impression now: Moving on to the story, I was five when Dead Man's Chest was released. I remember seeing it at the theater with my uncle and when Barbossa came down those stairs, my jaw dropped. I was thinking "How is he still alive?!" Moving forward to 2017, Dead Men Tell No Tales was getting ready to be released, so I started to rewatch the franchise. Little did I know that Barbossa would become my favorite character. I felt bad for him when he was cursed. I love that on 3 and 4, he wanted to be the master of his own fate. As soon as I saw the fifth movie, I was emotional. I loved Barbossa's story so much. He had excellent character growth and Geoffrey Rush was amazing in every scene he was in. I cried at the theater when he sacrificed his life to save Carina. It was a good conclusion to his story.

Favorite moment: There's so many to choose from. If I had to pick one, it would be this scene.

Idea for a story: I would say a love story between him and Margaret Smyth.

Unpopular opinion: Disney should make a spin-off series about Barbossa. I feel like there's more we need to know.

Favorite relationship: These two. XD

Favorite headcanon: He knitted that outfit for Jack the monkey.