#my birthday stresses me out beyond anything and i want to be excited and celebrate

[banannabethchase]

Birthdays are so much pressure to Know What You Want and to Ask For Something that isn't too expensive or personal or cheap or hard to get or unnecessary and Think About Celebrating.

Like it's enough to realize "I'm turning 33 and in this year I have had to let go of the greatest hope and dream of my life" without having to also answer the question, "So how are you going to celebrate your birthday?"

[randomfoggytiger]

Collector's Edition: Unseasoned Agents-- Early Love and Miraculous Do-Overs

(Dedicated to @doctor-caparty~)

Season 1 Mulder and Scully meet, fall in love, partner, marry, or parent in a variety of different ways, be it close enough to fudge canon or far enough to redo it.

Season 1 Canon Divergence

@swinging-stars-from-satellites/bravest_person_in_Wonderland's

never learned to read your mind (Tumblr) and Part 2

She'd said he's the only one she trusts; he wants to trust her, but he can't make sense of her.

"I'm here for you, Mulder, not aliens or conspiracies," she says quietly, her voice steely. "I wouldn't put myself on the line for anyone but you."

He whips around and stares at her in shock. They aren't even partners, and she insists that's how it should be. But he sometimes wonders where they would be if she'd stuck around.

Scully leaves after the events of Deep Throat, drifting back after her father's death before eventually becoming Mulder's go-to pathologist and ride-or-die contact.

Sukie Tawdry's The Way Things Are (1) and The Way Things Are (2)

"You missed a spot," Mulder said, pointing to a smudge of tomato sauce on the back of a dish.

"Thanks." She dunked the dinner plate back into the soapy water. This was truly bizarre--washing up after dinner like an old married couple. If she didn't dwell on the details of an unwilling father, unwed pregnancy and unpleasant abduction, she and Mulder could be almost normal.

Post Miracle Man Scully and Mulder fall into bed together-- against her (and his) better judgment-- after a stressful case; and can't escape the consequences of one inebriated night: namely, an ensuing, accidental pregnancy, Mulder's enemies creating havoc and indecision, and an undeniable romance hurtling at full speed.

@agentwhalesong/sadandangstyagent’s (Ao3) In Vino Veritas

“You don’t fully trust me yet,” she lets out in a low voice.

He seems caught by surprise by her words because he immediately looks back at her.

“Of course I do.”

"Prove it, then," she dares, although smiling a little.

“Just tell me how.”

S1 Mulder and Scully celebrate her birthday after another monster case; and uncover a few things about each other during a light-hearted game of 'Two Truths'.

herewebloodygo's making this off(ish)icial

Mulder was excited.

         Too excited. It was starting to worry Scully, that expression of his: the slightly too-wide grin, teetering on the verge of goofy, tongue tucked in the corner of his cheek. She didn’t let her eyes trace that smile further. Not when it meant dealing with Fox Mulder’s dimples. That, she’d learned the hard way, was a post-ten o’clock job. In a pinch, post-caffeine at the very least.

S1 Mulder surprises Scully with an office nameplate; and she surprises him by acting on her feelings.

IStanYouStan5676's Hungry

“Anything I want?” He responds immediately with an adorable smile.

“Within reason,” she teases and she sees a hint of surprise and embarrassment flash across his face.

“Lasagna.”

She cocks her head slightly.

“That was fast.”

“It was my favorite comfort food when I was a kid.” He shrugs.

S1 Scully surprises Mulder with two facts: that she can cook, and that she is inviting him to prove it.

SailorStarDust1 's Hear The Rain Fall

After a moment passed, she spoke in a muffled daze, “I don't know why I did that.” He startled at her being awake, but she turned slightly so he could notice her smile. “But...I like you, too.”

Long car rides, late nights, and a tired post Beyond the Sea Scully lead to broken down barriers, late night confessions, and more.

Season 1 AUs

Jessica Zyvarek Taylor's Waitress

"Are you still open?" He looked as if he was having the worst day of his life. And he was cute. Even if he had a girlfriend.

Pre-S1 parttime waitress Scully briefly meets Mulder while he is still in the clutches of one Phoebe Green.

@frangipanidownunder/Frangipanidownunder's A Different Kind of Pilot

“Excuse me,” the woman snaps. Scully stops. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you there,” she says and looks beyond the glare of the agent, one Diana Fowley, according to her name badge, to see Fox Mulder skulking away, jacket over his shoulder, head down.

Pre-S1 Scully is investigating a virus strain uncovered by the X-Files team, disliking Diana and connecting with a discouraged Mulder.

Donna/donnah’s (Gossamer, mulderscreek) Short Encounters (Ao3)

They had spotted him and as always gave him as much space as possible, which meant nearly crushing the little redhead. He saw that and reached for her, moving in her direction. Might as well use his pariah status to protect her. She realized what he had done, even if she didn't understand it, and thanked him with her eyes. He nodded slightly, and a little stiffly. The elevator was unnaturally quiet, but it often was when he took it.

Pre-S1 Mulder and pathologist Scully meet after her detailed work helped break a case.

@thatgirlxf/Thatgirlxf's A Rebound Date (Tumblr)

Scully was just thinking that maybe it’s time for them to have talk and reevaluate their relationship. She is hoping Jack will show up soon as she didn’t have much time left of her lunch hour for she was due back at Quantico for an autopsy at one.

Pre-S1 Scully meets Mulder properly sometime after accidentally spilling coffee on him.

Trixie's (whispersofx, alt. whispersofx) Quissi

Containing a chuckle at the image, Mulder pulled his lower lip between his teeth, debating how much to tell her. “I’m just doing a little investigating independent of the Bureau,” he hedged, going for a half-truth....

Are we soul mates, or two people who just happen to have an above-average working relationship?

“And of me?” she countered, and he could =see= the raised eyebrow.

“Scully, you wound me. It’s not like that at all. If I didn’t want you to know about it, would I be talking to you right now?”

“Yes,” she answered, without missing a beat.

S1? Mulder and Scully work through the trauma caused by her ex-husband Jack Willis (along with her infertility and the responsibility and adoption of Willis's affair child.)

CaptainLyssa's To FBI or Not To FBI

“You own this place,” Scully stated, safe in the sudden knowledge.

Turning his back on the blond behind the bar, he requested, “Shh, don’t tell anyone. It’s a secret,” before suddenly asking, “did you drive here, Dr Scully?”

“It’s just Scully, Fox,” she tested his Christian name. It sounded…wrong somehow. In her mind Dana couldn’t get passed calling him Mulder.

“It’s just Mulder, Scully,” he returned....

Pre-S1 Scully, too short to qualify for the FBI, became an overworked ER doctor... and meets Mulder while they're both commiserating over their jobs. From a first meet at his establishment, they fall into an incredibly fast relationship that gets caught up with Melissa's sixth sense, Mulder's hospitalization, Diana's suspicious return, and Scully's unexpected pregnancy (that may or may not have to do with Mulder's mytharc genes.)

Erin M. Blair's (Ao3)

Key to My Heart

The day arrived when Mulder and Scully came to a final truth. They decided to exchange keys to their respective apartments.

S1 Mulder and Scully swap apartment keys... and more.

Trilogy 01 - The Meeting, Trilogy 02 - The Engagement, Trilogy 03 - The Announcement, Where's Mommy?, How's Katherine?, Tell Me A Story, Positively Yours, and Discovery Of A New Hope

"My brother is visiting, and he wants to meet you," Samantha replied. "Tonight."

"Really?"

"Right now, he works in the FBI but it's been slow lately," Samantha replied.

"Where at?"

"My mother's," Samantha answered.

Although Pre-S1 Scully and Mulder meet through Samantha, she is still assigned. and they still spend the next six years or so juggling an impending marriage, a growing family, a Duane Barry abduction and return, a Fight the Future adventure, and more.

Newfound Love

Samantha looked at her brother and threw herself at him in a trembling hug. "I lost her, Fox. I lost Dana." She paused. "First, I've lost you for most of my life and now I lost her. They are trying to..."0

S2 Samantha and Scully work on the files find Mulder-- who'd been abducted as a boy-- right under their noses. Or, more accurately, Mulder found them.

@mulders-boyish-enthousiasm's (Ao3)

Fox Next Door and Pool time

‘Okay… Mulder. Call me Scully, then,’ she replied tit for tat. ‘What did you say you needed?’   

‘Oh! Right,’ he tousled his hair with his fingers and put his hands in his pockets. ‘Could I borrow some butter please?�� Mulder with a slight hesitation.

She blinked twice and let him in.

Pre-S1 Mulder is Scully's new neighbor, charming his way into her heart by borrowing her butter and scaring her late at night.

JenAndrews's Skyland Mountain (AU)

They lay there in silence for some time. Scully closed her eyes, waiting patiently for her baby to let her know he or she was alright. Mulder stared up at the sky, watching the leaves of the trees sway above him. There were more clouds now then there had been this morning, but the sky was still blue. The sunlight danced through the branches and across his face. The sound of Scully’s breathing, the wind and the birds allowed him to drift away from his body and his pain. The only anchor stopping him from flying away was Scully’s fingers wrapped around him.

S2 Mulder, adrift and hopeless, turns to drugs as a self-destructive coping mechanism...but accidentally runs a very pregnant Scully off the road during his suicide attempt.

@wexleresque/hellsteeth's lost time (Tumblr)

Her hair is redder, vividly so against the chalky pallor of her face, the angles of which are sharper than they had been just yesterday. There are lines where there hadn’t been. Not many, but enough to draw her attention. She looks older.

Turning to Mulder, she sees her own shock and confusion reflected in his expression. Whatever she was going to say dies on her lips as she looks at him more closely.

It’s definitely Mulder, there is no denying it. She’s known him for only a handful of days, but the glint in his eye is unquestionably him. But gone is the springy lock of hair that has been flopping against his forehead for two days and the lankiness she’s come to associate with him invading her space to intimidate her.

Requiem Mulder and Scully return from Bellefleur with amnesia, consequently losing memories of the last seven years. While relearning their professional history from Skinner and her mother-- and, most importantly, the files-- the truth of their personal relationship (and her pregnancy) begins to become undeniable.

@ghostbustermelanieking/skuls's

AU where on a drunken night after a stressful case in season 1, M and S end up having sex and Scully gets pregnant.

He rubs a hand over his face, overwhelmed. "I just... I never expected this. I was always afraid that... if I ever had a kid... it'd just be something else they could use against me." Scully does stand now, so calm it almost scares her. She says, "You don't have to be involved, Mulder. I mean that genuinely. We don't work together anymore, this isn't your life..." She can't say she wouldn't miss him, ridiculously so, but she also can't say that she WOULD miss him out loud. "You can walk away," she adds. "I promise I won't hold it against you." He shakes his head so immediately it surprises her, if only because of the shocked, uncertain look on his face. "Or you can stay involved." She extends her hand, takes his and squeezes it. "Think about it, okay?" she offers. "Take some time."

Post Lazarus Mulder and Scully fall into an unspecified relationship... which Little Green Men Mulder and Scully have to confront when she finds out she's pregnant.

in another world - Chapter 22

it happens in vegas, of course, and it happens because of langly and melissa. mulder’s on a trip with the gunmen, following up on some tip they’d gotten, and melissa and dana are on a vacation together. it’s directly following mulder’s breakup with diana, and he’s been moping around the hotel room the entire time; dana is in the midst of stressing over a big test for medical school, and has refused to leave the hotel room so that she can study to the point of driving melissa crazy.

Mulder and Scully meet, marry, and annul in Vegas before they're partnered.

Half-Light Universe

2016

It’s not a question at this point of how many times this has happened, but a question of “is this the time that will do it”. Mulder could try and romanticize it, but there’s nothing there to romanticize. He holds Scully as she bleeds out. And then he’s shot in the back.

Revival Mulder and Scully are shot, snapped out of their hellish universe, being handed a second chance to get their lives right. The mytharc unfolds more reasonably, with the truth coming to light and Samantha making her way home-- hope, healing, and second chances for all.

Five Moments Mulder and Scully Shared (And One They Didn't) (Tumblr)

“Who needs a bed? I think the couch serves our needs perfectly fine.”

“Mulder, I'm not having this argument again. Two full grown adults cannot sleep on a couch every night.”

“Hmph.” He crosses his arms stubbornly. “I say we wait for a water bed to mysteriously appear again.”

“Mulder…”

half-light Mulder and Scully sharing moments in their new life.

miraculous (Tumblr)

When it's over, she knows. More sure than she was before. She hears the earsplitting cry, and she just knows. The doctor holds him up and it's him. Her son.

half-light Mulder and Scully are reunited with their son in a better life, a better world.

luminosity (Tumblr)

She tucks William in, reads two books and kisses him goodnight, leaves the door cracked just like always. She finds Mulder in the kitchen, strangling a Walgreens bag in his hand. “I got it,” he says abruptly, shoving it at Scully.

“Thank you.” She takes the bag and sets it on the counter. “It's okay, Mulder, really,” she says soothingly, putting a hand on his jaw.

“Are you sure?” He's apprehensive, practically bouncing.

“I'm not, but we'll know in a few minutes.” She motions to the bag on the counter. “And besides that, this feels different than when I was sick. It feels the same as it was with William.”

half-light Mulder and Scully are excited for another little miracle.

@defnotmeyo’s (Ao3) Unnamed

She can laugh at him but these punks? One more concentrated burst of laughter and hiding their faces behind their hands and she is going to put them over the bar.

Mulder and Scully overhear two people laughing over his theories... two people who turn out to be the married version of themselves.

HumphreyWrites/sure-fine-skullz/spookysadsophie/s-humphrey/sophie-writes-things/sophiewrites/SophieRobbins’s (Alt. Tumblr) Losing Nine Minutes

“We lost nine minutes, Scully!”

Scully?

She furrowed a brow in confusion and looked down at herself. She was no longer pregnant, in a strange car, and on a strange stretch of highway.

What on earth was happening?

The last thing she remembered was going to sleep with her husband and Emily sandwiched between them because she had a night terror. Fox looked confused, as she studied herself in the car mirror.

Mulder and Scully experience alternate universe versions of each other, briefly; then take their relationship to the next level when reunited (aided by the fact he got her pregnant.)

Neoxphile's (Ao3, mulderscreek) and FelineFemme's Family G-Man, The - Season 01

Instead of answering him right away, the woman reached into her coat and pulled out an envelope. Just an ordinary green one that Christmas cards came in. She thrust it into his hand.

"Here. If you really think you can help them by changing those things about their pasts, open this card when you get home, and read it. As soon as you do you'll get the chance to help them."

Mulder time travels to Season 1, working towards a happier life for Scully: a stable relationship, a family, and no abductions-- though, of course, not without new hiccups or dangers occurring along the way. (The rest of the series can be found located on both authors' pages.)

cgb's Unfamiliar (Jump to the Left Remix)

My name is Fox Mulder, I am thirty-six years old, my sister's name is Samantha, my mother's name is Teena and my father's name is Bill. I live at 2790 Vine Street, Chilmarc, Massattuchetts...

Something isn't right. There's something he's supposed to remember.

He starts again. Fox Mulder starts again:

My name is Fox Mulder, I am thirty-six years old, my sister's name is Samantha, my mother's name is Teena and my father's name is Bill...

His father's name is Bill. That was it. They told him his father wasn't his father.

Mulder is a hybrid on the run; and Scully is an innocent target the Consortium exploits for his destruction.

Thanks for reading~

Enjoy!

[jjkgyu]

Can I request a bts reaction with what they do for your birthday? It’s my birthday on the 19th and I’m so excited!!!

BOYFRIEND!BTS: HOW THEY CELEBRATE YOUR BIRTHDAY ♡

tysm for the request!! and happy birthday for the 19th i hope u have the best day!!!🤍

kim seokjin

seokjin would want to plan you the most extravagant birthday, even if you told him again and again that you weren’t expecting anything special. he would want to make up for the fact that he was working during the day, so that night he’d tell you he was taking you on a date. he’d pick you up and tell you to wear a blindfold because he had a surprise. he would carefully lead you into your favourite restaurant that he had rented out, as your family and friends inside surprised you by singing happy birthday. he would make sure the night was so special for you, and even though you told him he had done too much for you, he’d say, “you deserve it all my love.” seokjin would have all your favourite meals served and your favourite cake to celebrate and end the night.

kim namjoon

namjoon would be so organised when it came to your special day, and he’d start planning weeks in advance to make sure he’d have the day free. he managed to book a weekend getaway at a beach house for the two of you, and he’d have it set up for when you walked in with balloons and flowers and presents for you. “i don’t want you to stress for one second on your special day,” namjoon would tell you, and he’d make sure the whole trip consisted of relaxing with your boyfriend, which he knew you needed. you’d help him cook dinner in the kitchen with your favourite songs playing, and you’d eat together on the balcony overlooking the ocean as you talked about everything and anything. namjoon would even surprise you with a cake to sing happy birthday. overall, he would make sure your birthday was a very chill escape from your normally hectic lives.

min yoongi

yoongi would want to make the time he spent with you on your birthday special. although he was working all day, he would pick you up in the evening and would surprise you by booking a night at a fancy hotel for the two of you. he’d make sure to have your bags packed already, and he’d go the extra mile having a cake brought up by room service after he had taken you out to dinner at the hotel’s rooftop restaurant. your boyfriend would sing happy birthday in the cutest way and feed you the cake himself. yoongi would want you to relax the whole night, telling you the rule was, “whatever the birthday girl wants, the birthday girl gets.” he’d run a warm bath for the two of you, massage your shoulders, and get under the cozy sheets together as you watched your favourite movie until you both dozed to sleep.

jung hoseok

hoseok would want to pack your day full of fun. he’d start your day by taking you out for breakfast and would tell the cafe that it was your birthday so they would bring out a cake for you. he’d take you to an amusement park since he knew you always wanted to go, and he’d bite his tongue and say yes to whatever ride you wanted to go on, even if it was terrifying for him. the two of you would share fairy floss and hotdogs and all kinds of festival food, and the night would end with the two of you watching the fireworks together as he made sure that you had a good day. “all that matters to me is that you had a great birthday,” hoseok would tell you, planting a kiss on your lips as you assured him it was the best day ever.

park jimin

jimin would want to go above and beyond for your birthday. he’d planned a holiday for the two of you months in advance but wouldn’t tell you where you were going as it was a surprise. the two of you landed in paris the day before your birthday, so on your special day you woke up beside him in your gorgeous hotel room. jimin would press kisses to your lips as he wished you happy birthday, and then he’d order breakfast for the two of you that you shared on the balcony overlooking the city. the day would be spent with the two of you lounging in bed, sightseeing around the city together, and eating at different restaurants and cafes. you’d end the night sitting in front of the eiffel tower with your boyfriend, as he whispered in your ear, “i’m so grateful you were born, y/n.”

kim taehyung

taehyung would keep your birthday celebrations lowkey but meaningful. he’d book you spa appointments with your friends during the day so you could relax, and once you returned home that evening your boyfriend would have a three course meal ready that he had been cooking for you. “is the birthday girl surprised?” he’d smirk as he placed a kiss on your lips, proud of what he accomplished in the span of a few hours. the dinner would consist of all your favourite foods, and he’d set up the table ready for a candlelit dinner with you. taehyung would even be the type to be dressed in a suit even though you were eating in your living room. he’d make you a birthday cake and sing for you, putting on music in the background as the two of you danced and eventually fell asleep bundled together on the couch.

jeon jungkook

jungkook would want your birthday to be a really special time with your loved ones. he had gone behind your back to plan a party with your family, and picked you up on your birthday to take you to your parents house. it would be so lovely to see your boyfriend get along so well with your family, and you’d have the best time eating and dancing and opening gifts. once the party had finished, jungkook would want to go the extra mile so he could spend some alone time with you on your special day, so he’d take you back to his place so you could open his gifts for you. he’d watch you open them with the biggest smile on his face, telling you, “you deserve so much more, baby,” when you told him it was too much. you’d pull him in for a kiss to thank him, before he pulled you into his bed so you could stay the night with him.

[jinxxedwammys]

In celebration of 100 followers I present to you

Wammy boys in oddly specific AUs I found on pinterest and stuff.

Warnings: Swearing (mostly in Mello’s part as usual lol)

L

"I mistook you for my best friend and jumped on your back in public and now I'm embarrassed"

🎂🍨🍦🍭🍮🎂🍨🍦🍭🍮🎂🍨🍦🍭🍮🎂🍨🍦🍭🍮🎂🍨🍦🍭🍮🎂

It was during the Kira case when L was closely investigating Light Yagami at To-Oh University that this extremely awkward encounter occurred. The sun was high in the sky, locusts and could be heard and cherry blossom littered the wide walkway leading into the school.

You had your heavy bag slung across your shoulders. It was filled with textbooks and papers (some of which you had forgotten to turn in) as well as a few personal items. You weren't really paying much attention to your surroundings until you spotted one of your male friends!

You hadn't seen him since the beginning of high-school. To say you were excited was an understatement. In your excitement you took a running jump onto his back knocking him to the ground. He let out a yelp and that was when you realized...

This man was NOT your friend.

"Oh my God I'm so sorry I thought you were someone else" you hurriedly said pushing yourself up and on your knees an apparent redness in your face.

He seemed to be unbothered for the most part, he turned to you, crouching in a sort of fetal position.

"It's alright I understand" He replied.

"No, no its not.. I'm an idiot I should have realized" you shoved your face into your hands covering how red your face now was.

"It is alright, I'm uninjured and it was an honest mistake" you frowned a little not entirely trusting his forgiveness, but this time, you took it.

He gave you a polite smile before standing up and helping you to your feet. He wished you a good day, and left, but not before sneaking a note containing his alias and phone number.

Mello

"I lost my little sibling Matt in Ikea and I need your help finding them"

🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫

"Fuck.... Shit... Motherfucker" You heard from the other side of the store shelf as you browsed through various decor items. This mystery person had been spewing profanities for the past five minutes. You sighed with slight annoyance placing the wooden model hand you had been staring at for God knows how long back, making your way to the neighboring isle.

"Hey, you've been cursing up a storm... what's going on?" You asked, hand on your hip awaiting a response. Mello looked up at you with a look of anger and exhaustion on his face.

"I'm looking for my idiot friend. He got hopelessly lost in the chair section and I've been trying to find him for like an hour now" He ran a hand through his hair pushing his bangs to the sides of his face.

"I can help you look for him!" You offered.

"You don't have to"

"I want to! I don't really have anything else to do, so it's fine. To be completely honest I don't know why I came here." He shrugged. "Oh my name's Y/N by the way"

"I'm Mello" He replied before setting off out of the isle leaving you to sprint a but to catch up. His pace was fast and he seemed to have some plan on how to tackle this, but you weren't exactly sure.

After what seemed like an eternity of silently weaving through the labyrinth of shelves and furniture displays, you spoke up.

"So... how old is your friend?"

"We're both 19... His name is Matt." You kept walking until he stopped directly in front of the office showroom section.

"He might be here, so keep an eye out for a tall brunette idiot with goggles." You nodded keeping close to Mello. Again you snaked through isles. Eventually your search devolved into looking into cabinets, drawers, anything that would open, but to no avail.

"Where the fuck is he?" Mello said under his breath as he slammed shut another cabinet.

That was when a tall brunette wearing goggles walked by dual wielding hotdogs... You sighed heavily before approaching Matt.

"Matt?" You called out gaining the attention of both Matt and Mello. Mello stood beside you before going on to scold his friend almost as if he were an unruly child.

"Sorry about that I hope looking for him wasn't that unbearable... would you like to meet up sometime again in the future?" Mello asked. You nodded in response.

"I'd love to! This was quite fun actually. Though let's not go to an ikea next time."

Near

"We both like walking In the park at night and I think you're a stalker so I accidentally attack you"

🤖🎲🃏🪀🤖🎲🃏🪀🤖🎲🃏🪀🤖🎲🃏🪀🤖🎲🃏🪀🤖🎲🃏🪀🤖

It was 2am, the night was calm yet you were restless nothing you tried allowed you to fall asleep. It was like this most nights. You would then go to the park near your house to get some fresh air and tire yourself out... and on a night like this, that seemed like a perfect idea. You didn't even change out of your pajamas before you left. As you entered the park, you felt... odd. As if someone was watching you and sure enough, as you turned your head to look behind you you saw a man following about two yards behind you.

Naturally your thoughts went wild with what ifs and possible escape plans. Yet you calmed your mind opting to check if this guy was really following you. With every corner you turned your heart sank. Panic started to set in and you rushed to get together an improvised weapon.... Your housekey! You gripped it tightly in your hand as if it were a knife and swiftly approached the man going to jab him in the eye, yet he caught your arm with ease, turning it behind you and pushing you to the ground, similarly to how a police officer would apprehend a resistant assailant.

"Why did you attack me" he questioned, plopping down just above your hips.

"Let me go, stalker!!!" You yelled at him thrashing around attempting to escape his grasp.

"What are you talking about? I'm not stalking you." He calmly said.

"That's exactly what a stalker would say! Let me go!" He sighed lifting himself off of you and crouching beside you. You rolled over and sat with your legs crossed.

"I swear to you, I was only out for a walk. I take nighttime walks sometimes, though this was the first time I've been in this park."

"Then how come every time I turned you followed?"

"I did? I'm sorry, I didn't even realize" He stated plainly. You sighed he seemed truthful.

"Fine... I'm sorry too, I probably shouldn't have assumed you were a stalker or something and attacked you" you admitted. He shook his head.

"It's alright, I understand... I can be scary" you snorted and laughed. The light of the nearby streetlamp lit his features. A frail, sweet looking man with long white hair who seemed to be somewhat reserved. You felt a little silly that you thought someone like him would hurt you much.

"You're not scary... In all honesty you're quite cute!" You admitted, reaching out a finger to poke his nose.

"Thanks, you're actually quite cute as well, maybe we could meet up here in the morning?" He suggested.

Matt

"I come here when I want to be alone and I didn't think anyone knew about it so where the hell did you come from"

🎮🚬🥽🎮🚬🥽🎮🚬🥽🎮🚬🥽🎮🚬🥽🎮🚬🥽🎮🚬🥽🎮🚬🥽🎮

This day was aweful. Work was extremely stressful. Your coworker put important documents in the shreader for the 10th time that week and you were the one tasked with rewriting, tracking down, requesting new copies and piecing together ones that couldn't be recovered otherwise. And of course your boss made every minute of it a nightmare. So after work, you drove to your favorite place. An abandoned warehouse off the highway about 5 minutes from your house.

It was virtually untouched by people now that the walls were covered in graffiti and the place had been ransacked for leftover valuable items. You made your way inside noticing something was off... there was a leather couch that wasn't yours, a coffee table... even a TV and game console plugged into a power supply, another handheld game on the coffee table next to an ashtray with a few cigarette butts, one of which was still smoking.

You were beyond confused. From the last time you were here someone had basically moved in... it had only been a week since you last came here. You warily approached the couch. Well... whoever left it here probably won't mind! you thought I just hope they didn't sabotage it or something. You then sat down noting that it was a perfectly normal couch and you were just paranoid.

That was when a guy came in, he was tall and lenky, had brown hair and was dressed in a striped shirt, a frankly hideous vest with fur lining, black pants and goggles atop his head. He had been holding a can of coke and a cigarette, yet those were both dropped as he saw you.

"Who are you?" He half shrieked.

"Who are YOU? You yelled back.

"I asked first!"

"My name is Y/N.. I come here all the time when I'm stressed and want to be alone I didn't think anyone else knew about it"

"S..Same but.. I come here to get away from a friend of mine... he can be quite aggressive and it's scary" He sat down beside you picking up his handheld game. "Oh and my name is Matt!"

"Hmm.. then let's share this space from now on, Matt!" He nodded in agreement.

"Yea! I hope we meet again soon"

Beyond Birthday

"We live in the same apartment complex and I accidentally leave my laundry in the washer for a minute too long and you decide to take out all my wet clothes to put yours in just as I walk in"

🔪🩸🔪🩸🔪🩸🔪🩸🔪🩸🔪🩸🔪🩸🔪🩸🔪🩸🔪🩸🔪🩸🔪

It was late night. You had been putting off laundry for the past week, but now you were down to a pair of underwear and your nightgown, so you had to do your wash.. you reluctantly gathered your clothes and made your way to the communal washer and dryer. You threw your clothes in and put a coin in the coinslot then set the washer to start.

You sighed and made your way back to your room to relax a little while your clothes were still washing. It had been about two hours and your laundry was probably done. The timer you had set went off and you gathered yourself and brought the remainder of your clothes as well as your box of dryer sheets.

The moment you walked in your eyes widened in horror. Some odd man sat frantically pulling your clothes out of the washer onto the dirty floor.

"What the hell are you doing??!!" You yelled rushing over to stop him. He peered up at you from his crouching position.

"You left your clothes in too long, its my turn now" You blinked

"Only for a few minutes... it just got done less than 5 minutes ago.. now my clothes are all dirty again.. damn it"

"Sorry" He said. His beady eyes were wide and innocent looking. "I'll let you do yours again... I'll pay" He said before shoving yours back in and starting it again.

When that was done he pulled a jam jar out of seemingly nowhere and perched on top of the washer dipping his hand inside the jar and licking his fingers clean of jam. It was disgusting... But you decided to not pay any more attention to it than you had to.

The rest of the time you spent with him was in silence, all you heard was the washer and his lip-smacking. When the washer finished you silently transferred your clothes to the dryer.. this time without your oddball fellow tenant interfering much. Though when he got his own clothes in he did crawl away which freaked you out.

[blu-joons]

His First Time Saying ‘I Love You’ ~ NCT 127 Reaction

Taeil:

You knocked gently on the door of Taeil’s hotel room, taking a step back as you waited for him to open up the door. You were halfway around the world, but as he opened the door and saw you, the surprise on his face made the long few days of travelling well worth it.

“Y/N,” he chuckled, engulfing you immediately into a tight hug, “what are you doing here?”

“I thought I’d come and see how you were getting on,” you smiled, taking a few steps further into his hotel room. “I had a little chat with Taeyong, and he told me you were struggling, so I thought I’d come and cheer you up.”

His head shook in disbelief, cupping either side of your face to make sure that you were really there. “I don’t even know what to say, I can’t believe you came all this way just for me, you must be exhausted.”

“A little, but seeing you is worth it,” you smiled, noticing the wide grin on his face. Taeil’s heart pounded, struggling to believe that someone had done something so big, just for him.

“I love you, thank you for coming to see me.”

Johnny:

You dropped the envelope in front of Johnny as he sat at his desk. His eyes looked up at you before picking up the envelope, tearing it open and pulling out two tickets. As he read the destination, his jaw hit the floor, staring at you questionably.

“Chicago?” He smiled, shaking his head, “have you really done this? Tickets to go home.”

“I thought seeing as you have a week off, we could do something good with it,” you spoke, feeling his strong arms wrap around your waist. “I know you’ve been missing home a lot recently, so it seemed like the perfect plan.”

His lips pressed gently to your cheek, “I love you,” he whispered, feeling your body tense up as you glanced back at him. “I love you,” he repeated once again, “no one has ever done something as thoughtful for me as this before.”

“You love me?” You questioned, watching as Johnny nodded his head with a chuckle. “I’ve never heard you say that before, I should arrange fancy holidays for you more often.”

“I’m being serious, I’m so in love with you.”

Taeyong:

You looked around in confusion as you walked into the apartment to see the table set and the lights dimmed in the living room. As you walked further into the room you saw Taeyong stood, waiting for your arrival with the biggest smile on your face.

“What’s going on?” You queried, looking around the place at everything he’d put together.

“I had to pull out all the stops,” he announced, hugging you tightly as you approached him, “because I can only say I love you for the first time once,” he whispered, looking away from your gaze as his cheeks turned red.

Your eyes looked back at him, taking a moment to make sure that you’d heard him correctly before leaning across and pressing a kiss to his red cheek. “I’ve never known anyone put in so much effort just to say I love you.”

“That’s because you’ve never known anyone like me before,” he smugly replied, “I wanted to make sure that tonight is an evening that you don’t forget in a worry.”

“I definitely won’t be forgetting this in a hurry.”

Yuta:

Having spent all week watching Yuta spend time with his family, you found a new love for him that you never knew you had before. Despite being distant for most of the week, he loved seeing you get to know all of his family too and begin to get to know you better.

“Have you enjoyed the week?” Yuta asked, joining you on the bench you sat on for a moment.

“Of course,” you grinned, feeling his arm wrap around your shoulders as you watched his family continue to mess around. “It’s been nice seeing you in a bit more of your own environment, and your family are great too.”

His head nodded back at you, “I’m glad you feel that way, because my family’s approval really was the last tick in the box for me. I’m relieved to see that you’ve all gotten as well as I hoped that you all would.”

“Last tick in the box for what?” You questioned, instantly feeling on edge as the corners of Yuta’s mouth turned up into a smile, tightening the grip that he had around you.

“The last tick to knowing that I love you.”

Doyoung:

Another heavy sigh came from you, pushing your laptop away from your desk in frustration. Dongyoung was quick to notice your stress building from the other side of the room, walking over and wrapping his arms around you in a bid to calm you down.

“I love you, it’ll be alright,” he whispered into your ear to try and distract you from your work.

“This essay is beyond a joke,” you vented, clueless as to what Dongyoung had just said to you. “I don’t see how they want me to write three thousand words, I’m barely able to do three hundred without having a breakdown.”

His hands held tightly onto yours, “you’re far too stressed, I can tell, because you’re not paying attention to anything else. I just told you that I loved you and you were far too busy stressing to pay any notice.”

“Did you?” You quizzed, surprised when Dongyoung nodded his head back at you. “Wow, I guess I really must be stressed, why would you tell me now though when I’m not listening?”

“To make you realise that you don’t need to stress after all.”

Jaehyun:

Your smile grew as you looked across at Yoonoh who sat opposite from you at the table, staring out at the ocean that overlooked the balcony that you sat in to enjoy your dinner on the last night of your holiday, a week that had been a complete dream for you both.

“There’s one thing I have left to say to finish this week off,” Yoonoh suddenly announced.

“I don’t think you could say anything else to make this week more perfect,” you quickly responded, but Yoonoh’s head shook, he knew that there was most definitely something that could finish your week off together.

His smile grew, taking a sip from his drink to steady himself before clearing his throat. “I reckon I could prove you wrong, because I didn’t want to end this trip without telling you that I love you, a lot, very much.”

“Well, maybe I was wrong,” you nervously smiled, “there was something that you could say that would make this the perfect trip after all, I never imagined that would quite be it though.”

“I’ve known for a while, I just wanted it to be perfect.”

Jungwoo:  

His eyes lit up as he walked back into his studio after a quick break, only to see you sat in his chair with two bags of food placed on the table. He walked straight in and over to you, wrapping his arms tightly around your frame, admiring all the things that you’d bought for him.

“I thought you could do with some company,” you laughed, “and a belly full of food as well.”

“Have I ever told you how perfect you are?” He asked. Your head shook as you thought he was joking, but Jungwoo was completely serious, and this just proved it. “I love you, for all the things you do for me, I love you.”

Your hand rested against his chest, taking a few moments to process what he’d just said. “You’ve never told me you love me before,” you laughed in surprise, hearing Jungwoo repeat it once again to make sure that you heard.

“I knew I was falling for you, but this is the final piece of the puzzle that I needed to know that I am in love with you,” he admitted, “this is exactly what I needed, and you brought it.”

“Of course, someone has to make sure you’re alright.”

Mark:

As Mark approached you with your card and presents, you quickly sat up in bed, tightening the duvet around your body. You placed the presents to one side and tore open the card, excited to see what he had bought, but as your eyes read through the card, your voice faltered.

“Happy birthday Y/N,” you began to read out, “I love you, and I can’t wait to celebrate you.”

“Surprise,” Mark anxiously chuckled beside you, noticing your body freeze, reading through the same line again and again. “I couldn’t find the words to say it, so I thought I’d write it in your card instead and tell you how I feel.”

Your head shook in slight disbelief, standing the card on your bedside table. “This is already the best present that I’ve ever received, no one’s ever told me that they’ve loved me through a card before, it’s a first.”

“I just wanted you to know how special you are on your birthday,” Mark assured you, “but that’s just the start of the day, there’s so many other things I have planned to show you I love you.”

“I’m excited to see what’s coming my way.”

Haechan:

His arm snaked around your waist, peering around to see that you were fast asleep. Donghyuck leaned across and pressed a kiss to your cheek, feeling his heartbeat quicken at how peaceful you looked. Before he had time to think, those special three words came from him.

“I can hear you,” your voice whispered as soon as he finished speaking, taking him by surprise.

“I thought you were asleep,” he chuckled, feeling his cheeks burn up as your eyes looked back at him. “I meant it though, I really do love you. I love having you around and being able to fall asleep beside you every night.”

You shifted onto your other side so you could lay face to face with Donghyuck, smiling softly back at him. “I love being around you, which is why I feel like I love you too, I’m just glad that you were the first to say it.”

“I thought I’d get away with it because you were asleep,” he chuckled, shaking his head at you, “you looked like you were gone, did you really hear every word that I’ve said tonight?”

“Every word, but I loved listening to it.”

---

Masterlist

[wickedgamesoyaoya]

⇺ ⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂⁂ ⇻

↣ Masterpost

↣ inspired by @haik-choo’s post

↣ wc: 1.7k 

↣ warnings: some self inflicted pain (nothing major!), cheating mentions, serious heartbreak. 

↣  song recommendation:  tolerate it - taylor swift 

↣  preamble (as written by haik-choo):  akaashi keiji doesn’t get that not everyone can understand how someone feels with one look. he puts an extra sugar in his coffee and expects you to know that he wants to go out to a bakery, he clicks his red pens a few extra times and expects you to know that he needs refills – he says he has a lot of work tonight and expects you to make him midnight snacks. to him, that stuff is easy. why can’t you understand him? he does it for you – he shouldn’t have to say it out loud. you should already know what he’s thinking. if you don’t, maybe you don’t love him as much as he thought you did.

The complexity of love has never been accurately represented in the media. Films present reality through the lens of a fractured mirror to provide viewers a sense of emotion they cannot find elsewhere. Fairy tales are perhaps the worst form of media to exist. They are created to be consumed by young impressionable children who develop unrealistic expectations that are later thrust upon the unfortunate souls that become their partners. You were one of those children who bought the falsities sold to you. Love was something magical, the intertwining of two hearts.

You were sixteen when you fell in love for the first time. Enthralled by how one emotion could paint new colours in the horizons, you allowed yourself to fall… it was perfect, until you found yourself crying on the bathroom floor, wondering why the fairy tales lied to you.

You were seventeen when you first experienced heart break. Even now, you can remember the shame that drenched your soul when you learned that the one you loved, had slept with someone else. Each inch of your skin was tainted by your “prince charming.”

That night, your mother had to drag you out of the bath. The pads of your toes and fingers had shriveled up, while your arms and legs burned a bright crimson from the incessant scrubbing. Yet the tingling of your skin was merely a scratch in comparison to the laceration inside of your heart, and there was no band aid that you could apply there.

That was December 3rd 2014 – the date you abandoned your foolish ideals.

You met Akaashi Keiji exactly six months later.

If you were ever asked to describe the mystery that is Keiji, where would you begin? Were there truly any words that could accurately capture the very essence of his kind soul? Or the depth of this mesmerizing eyes? How would you possibly begin to explain how a single caress by his calloused fingertips had melted away the imaginary grime that had coated your skin? If anyone was prince charming, it was him.

But little did you know that sometimes he doubted whether you were his Cinderella. His happily ever after…

The first indication of his veiled concerns occurred in your last year of high school. With the departure of his third-year friends, Akaashi was titled captain of the boy’s volleyball team. While he enjoyed volleyball, he was never obsessed with the sport like his best friend. Volleyball was his hobby, nothing more and nothing less. He was more concerned with maintaining his high academic record than securing a ticket to nationals. Last year balancing the various fragments of his life was simple. But the absence of his friends weighed on him, each day the anxiety increased until he could barely sit without jitters swarming his limbs. As his girlfriend, you should have known the stress he was battling… Sure, he was pushing you away, but you should have known why.

Yet, when you attempted to thwart his efforts to establish distance, you were chastised for your lack of understanding.

“Y/n. I am busy. Please do not disturb me during practice.” Not the slightest bit of respect was allocated to you, despite your status as his girlfriend. And while his pointed response was undoubtedly directed towards to you, his attention was on the practice commencing inside of the gym. “Listen, I need to go back. If you want to talk, consider picking a more appropriate time in the future.” Rolling the towel within his grasp, he refused to acknowledge you beyond sharing these words.

“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” To even utter an apology stole the limited resolve you had to address the situation. How much did you have to degrade yourself to fix a relationship he evidently did not want?

But the following day at lunch period, a dozen roses were delivered to you with an apology note attached to the stems. It was only natural for you to grant him the forgiveness he sought. Dismissing his actions was simple once you rationalized it as a normal reaction to an abundance of pressure. Diamonds may be created under pressure, but he was no diamond, and neither were you.

The second indication of his concealed doubts did not emerge from a set of actions, nor did it include the exchange of harsh words. Rather, it was his silence that nurtured your insecurities and provided you confirmation that while he was your happily-ever-after, you may not be his.

To celebrate Keiji’s 19th birthday, his mother had offered to host a gathering at his childhood home. When the details of the party were conveyed to you, excitement had fluttered to life inside of your stomach. It was the perfect opportunity to develop your relationship with the woman who had raised your wonderful boyfriend. Yet, not even the purest of intentions would save you from the humiliation that awaited you that night.

At one point of the evening, Keiji had vanished for a considerable amount of time. Naturally, you searched the house for your boyfriend. When you peaked inside of the kitchen, you found him engaging in a conversation with his mother. You almost called out to him instinctively, except your vocal cords denied you access when you caught the end of their conversation.  

“Has she been tending to your needs yet? Or has she remained as useless as before?” The older woman clutched the stem of her wine glass, with a scoff clawing at her throat. It seemed that the liquor coating her tongue had turned the muscular organ into a knife.

Keiji stood with his back pressed against the kitchen island, listening without a reaction. The nonchalance emanating from his demeanour indicated that this was not the first occurrence. No, this had happened before, otherwise he would have had some form of a reaction. A flinch – a twitch – anything. But he stood still, emotionless, distant. The targeting comments were equivalent to a whisper in the wind – not deserving of a response, nor a stir.

“Keiji, you are aware that you are wasting your time and yet you stay with her?” The sigh falling from her stained lips was extended to emphasize her distress, and the gentle sound was enough to weaken your knees.

No longer able to support your own weight, you leaned against the wall, allowing your eyelids to flutter shut. Your fingers tangled with the fabric of your shirt as you waited for his response.

Say something – anything. Just tell her she’s wrong.

Yet the denial never came.  

The first two indications were shoved aside, dismissed with excuses that would serve as a band-aid on your decaying relationship. But then came the third.

The third indication of his doubt occurred on an average college night when you were in the process of selecting your outfit for the night. Bokuto had arranged an unofficial Fukurodani reunion for the boy’s volleyball team. As Keiji’s girlfriend, the invite was naturally extended to you. Usually your boyfriend would be in higher spirits knowing that he would soon be in the company of his high school friends. But tonight, a frown remained etched into his features, not wavering for even a single moment.

“Which one? I don’t want to be underdressed. But on the other hand, Kou is always dressed really weird. So, I don’t know.” Two outfits were presented towards the male, a scarlet cocktail dress and a navy pantsuit with a low cut.

“Does it matter, y/n?” The sharp remark was blown out with a heavy sigh. It was as though he could not muster the energy to care for your feelings. Or perhaps, he simply chose to display his inner conflict, with no concern of the consequences of his decision.

The noise was startling enough to strip you of the excitement that once animated your movements.

“I guess not, but is it wrong that I want to look good for my boyfriend?” The counter question was voiced barely above a whisper, with each word sounding fainter than the last.

“Maybe if you knew me well enough you wouldn’t have to ask.” His eyes did not meet yours, rather they stayed fixed on the writing utensil within his grasp. “It’s not that hard, y/n. You just don’t care enough to put in the effort.”

The verbal assaults implanted daggers into your chest, but the pain would only become worse – since he was not done just yet.

“If you refuse to love me with your entire heart, what is the point? Let me go.”

“Keiji!” Pain cut along the inside of your throat from the shriek erupting from your chest. Had you ever screamed his name in quite a harsh manner? Liquid blurred your vision, and with your air-filled organs wheezing in distress, your words were stated between staggered breaths.

“I am not a fucking mind reader.” The fog of desperation encompassing you was comprised of poison, one that soon threaded throughout your system. The properties of the poison enflamed your lungs, burning the organs and halting the flow of air. Instinctively your hands were sent to your skin, clawing at the flesh as if you could simply rip out the emotions suffocating you. “Just because I don’t love you the way you think I should, doesn’t mean I don’t.” Whether the words spilling from your lips were responsible for the bitter taste in your mouth, or the tears now gracefully parading down your cheeks was unknown. Either way, the release of the steaming liquid eased the burning sensation in your lungs.

“I’m done, Keiji. I’m done.” Slowly claiming your insides was a thin layer of ice. By now, you had run out of excuses for his behaviour. There were no longer any band-aids you could use to tend to the wounds. The question of whether your boyfriend considered you “the one” was answered.

Despite the ache weaving into your muscles, your feet dragged you to the front door. A piece of you desired to catch one final glimpse of him – as your heart knew this would be the final time you would see him. But afraid you would lose your resolve to leave, you pressed the car keys against your palm, and remained fixed on the exit.

Behind you, the brunette voiced a weak apology – you were unable to catch the exact words, as they were muffled by the fabric of his sleeves. But not even the sweetest words could remedy the situation. Since, now you had accepted the truth.

Love was never a fairy-tale, and Akaashi Keiji was not a prince. Love would never be what you wanted it to be, and it would always hurt.

Love would always hurt.

A/N: I ended up finishing this today because I got into a bad mood and so I needed to channel it into something lol 

Taglist: @sayakaaaaaa @sanitisegermsfree @haikyuufairy @newfriendjen @lvoejimin @moonlightaangel @gyozaaaaa @byun-nies @thevillagehiddenintheinternet @amberalisa @graykageyama @yourstarvic @chaichai-the-weeb @chibishae34 @haikyuusimp91 @volleybloop  @rajablast @idiot-juice-enthusiast @melonmayhere @cuddlesslut  @athenarosaline @memes-and-money @coconut-dreamz  @mismatched-loves @elianetsantana @tsumume @tsukkismamagucci @the-golden-jhope @camcam1617 @prettyforpapiiwa @swoonhui​ @neobakas​ @azumane-kun @elephantloser​ @dreamstormings​ @anejuuuuoy​   

~ message me to be removed from the general taglist + bolded means I can’t tag ya 

[lawslessons]

Happy Birthday! (Sabo x Reader)

So, today is the birthday of someone very dear to my heart, @quartermera​ !! I love you so much and I wanted to make you something to celebrate you and how amazing you are! I love you! I hope your birthday is amazing! Muah! <3

Warnings: None!

Synopsis: Pies? Lights? How will Sabo get everything done in time for their birthday? Would they even like it? Among all the stress of preparing for his partner’s birthday, he learns to embrace the stressful moments and celebrate the joyful ones. 

“Are we sure that they won’t figure out what’s happening?” Sabo asked with a nervous and unsure expression on his face. He was pacing around the kitchen while Koala helped him with baking the pie. Well, she was the one who was baking while Sabo continued to stress himself out by pacing around the room with his list in his hands. Pie, lights and the banner. Only three things but he was nervous beyond belief. 

“They won’t, and why are you making me use lemons?” Koala asked as she grated some of the lemon zest into a bowl with a scrunched up expression on her face. She was acting as if the citric fruit was an onion and that it would make her eyes water. The reason she was so nervous was because she was worried the lemon juice would spray her in the eyes. 

“Because, they love lemon meringue pies,” Sabo explained as he crouched down in front of the oven so he could see how the pie was baking in the oven. “And meatloaf, i’ve never had that though. Should we try making that for them too?” Sabo asked before he heard a rather loud yell coming from his friend. 

“Ah! The lemon is in my eye!” Koala winced as she rubbed her eyes to help herself out, but that only made things worse. 

“How did you get lemon in your eye? You were supposed to zest the lemon, not squeeze it,” Sabo reminded her with a small laugh. 

“Maybe you should be the one doing this instead of me!” Koala protested as she looked at him with an angry red eye. Sabo started to laugh even louder when he saw how badly the lemon juice was affecting his friend. Koala sighed and shook her head. “If this was for anyone else, I would’ve said no, but I know how much they mean to you,” Koala softly said as she pulled the pie out of the oven and set it aside to cool. “And for the meatloaf? That is not happening,” She stated to the grinning blonde. 

~

Sabo was nervous throughout the rest of the day. He had spent his entire day making sure that the little surprise he had planned would go off without a hitch. Time was running out and his heart started to speed up, he was terrified that something would happen. What if they got attacked? What if they didn’t even show up? What if the pie tasted really, really bad? Sabo tried to not think about that too much and instead used his devil fruit abilities to get the lights around him lit and make the atmosphere more warm. 

Sabo was struggling with the placement. He managed to light them, but they were all on the ground. The more he tried to move them, the more tangled they became, this was turning into a mess. 

“Uh oh...” Sabo mumbled. He felt his transponder snail beginning to ring in his pocket, and when he pulled it out he saw that it was Koala. 

“The pie is all ready, everyone else is ready, we’re ready when you are!” Koala chirped before she ended the brief call. Sabo smiled at that, he was grateful to have someone like her in his life, he put his mini snail away in his pocket and nervously continued with getting the mini party set up. 

He hoped that moment wouldn’t be soon. He was still struggling with figuring out how to get the lights up, and don’t get him started on how messy the floor looked. He was stressed, and of course as he was balancing on a ladder, he head familiar footsteps approach the floor. 

They had spent their birthday shopping and pampering themselves. When they came back with a couple of bags in their hands, they looked a little tired but otherwise happy. 

“Happy birthday,” Sabo awkwardly smiled from the ladder before he moved towards them and gave them a soft hug. He took the bags from them and tried to act as if everything was fine. The lights totally weren’t on the floor, the ladder totally didn’t fall to the ground during their hug. Nope, it was all fine... They smiled and hugged him back before allowing him to take the bags. “Did you have fun?” Sabo asked as he put the bags off to the side to deal with later. 

“Yeah! I did, I bought some nice clothes and I even got you a new cravat,” They shared to the blushing man by their side. 

“You did? You didn’t have to,” Sabo bashfully said before they placed a finger against his warm lips. 

“But I did, it’s my birthday so I can do what I want, remember?” They chuckled, that made Sabo smile. 

“Yeah, you’re right. And speaking of birthdays...” Sabo began,

“Surprise!” Koala quickly said as she jumped out from behind a barrel. “Oh wait! Was I supposed to wait? I’m sorry I got too excited,” She admitted a bit sheepishly. They looked surprised as more people from the army popped up from behind the barrels and smiled. The party was a mess of sloppily written banners with their name on it and it even looked like there was paint on the floor. But seeing how proud everyone seemed to be of what they made for them brought a smile to their face. 

“Happy birthday,” Sabo said again as he pulled out a lemon pie for them. They looked surprised and placed their hands over their mouth in shock. “I know how much you like them, so -- “

“Oh, Sabo! I love it!” They said as they pulled Sabo in for a hug and began to laugh excitedly. “You did this all for me? Why?” They asked as they looked at all the lights and the pie. The lights around them mimicked the stars and the night sky, except they were on the ground, but nevertheless, this moment felt ethereal and unreal. While their birthday was great, this moment alone made it feel perfect for them. Just seeing the effort Sabo put in for them and their birthday made them feel special and made this birthday that much more meaningful.

“You’re important to me, so,” Sabo shrugged and let his hat cover some of his embarrassed, flustered face. “I wanted to celebrate how much you mean to me,” He admitted. 

“And you even made me a pie!”

“Oh! Well...”

“Koala made it?”

Sabo sheepishly smiled and nodded, it was obvious that Koala made it. If Sabo attempted it, the whole kitchen would’ve burned down in an instant.

“Thank you, this means a lot to me, you mean a lot to me,” They said as they bashfully fed the flustered Sabo a bite of the delicious pie.

“And you mean the world to me, happy birthday,” Sabo said as he shared a bite with them. All the stress throughout the day was worth it, he would do anything to see them smile like that. He never wanted that light to fade away, he was glad that he had that light for now and forever. 

[calypsoff]

Sixty Nine.

I think it’s taken me at least two days to recover from such an event, I have been such a mess. I can personally say that I felt terrible but also it was a good night, I am just catching up on everything. Like I can Google search my name and I have headlines about my birthday, I mean some are clowning at me crying, but jealous niggas do that, and it is annoying me. I am just looking at Dennis’ page, he posted a few pictures of the event, it’s nice what he put about me, but I think I am going to just snap on jealous niggas because I can’t be dealing thinking they can clown me, jealous motherfuckers like her ex’s like why are you checking for me, I ain’t checking for you but you there writing lines about me on social media, it’s weak. I really haven’t had the chance to actually speak to Robyn properly and actually say to her what she has done for me, I am just recovering. I know for a fact I haven’t ever drank like that in my life, I am missing hours of my life that I don’t remember. Pressing record as I stared at myself in the in the camera “I look rough, I need a shave” clearing my throat looking up at Rajad walking into the kitchen “I just want to thank everyone for the birthday wishes, as you know I had a very good night. It’s late but I just want to say thank you to everyone, I seen the birthday wishes just now because I am of course just catching up, feel rough still” I sighed out “I just thought I would do a video instead of just typing it out, I don’t do social media beef. You got an issue we can deal with it personally, just like I did before. I seen niggas clowning me, but I don’t care, I cried because I appreciate what my wife did and y’all can call me a bitch nigga, but she went above and beyond and I love her, she is my other half. Niggas don’t know what love is and it shows but a certain nigga, I see you and I ain’t scared to beat ya ass again” stopping the video just before Robyn walked in, I pressed send to put it onto my IG story.

Robyn sniggered at me “are you with us now? I can’t believe how long you been in bed for, baby two whole days?!” locking my phone and placing it on the counter, moving away from the counter “wow, I was a mess Robyn. I don’t drink like that, I don’t. Weed and booze, it was just. It took me out but man, I am just catching up with everything” shuffling towards Robyn, pecking her lips before hugging her close “oh my god, I just feel like I have missed out so much for those days. Thank you for taking care of me too” squeezing Robyn close “love you” Robyn cooed out “it’s ok, I know you was unwell but I am glad you’re with us” moving back from the hug “I have so much to thank you for, after you left everything was a blur, I do remember when I was dancing with Drake actually but then I was out” sitting on top of the counter “I am glad you’re ok, to see you in such a happy place Chris, I love to see it. I am so glad that the party was great, people keep talking about it” nodding my head “you got me so good Robyn, just thinking about it now I am emotional again. All of your family too, like Mel and Noella buying me a personal plate, like what? That is crazy, I feel like I am celebrating my twenty first again, it’s wild. It’s made up for every birthday I missed, I can’t thank you enough. I appreciate you Robyn and I got a little something, I may have been dying in bed, but I been planning, my family are coming to the home” Robyn’ eyes widened “erm, the home is a mess Chris. You didn’t say the in laws are coming” shaking my head “don’t worry about it, just that I called, and I said for them to wait another day and to come here. I appreciate you so much” Robyn stood between my legs, wrapping my arms around her “I love you so much, man. I can’t even” placing my hands over her bump “you and my daughter” Robyn gasped “you! Actually, you been talking too much when drunk, Rajad knows now. Everyone actually knows” I cringed “I am sorry, I didn’t know” she is unhappy, let me quickly start massaging her shoulders.

I am here massaging Robyn’ shoulders trying to calm her ass down, just because I know for a fact Robyn is very mad with me, I didn’t do this shit on purpose, so she needs to understand this “I just want to spend time with you, my family are leaving tomorrow too. I just think we haven’t had us time so take me away somewhere” nodding my head “I got you” kissing the back of her head “I am glad we are not having a boy, Camron kept trying to touch his dick and I was like no sir. This boy just wanted to keep touching it so honestly I am glad it isn’t” I snorted laughing “that shit don’t stop, you know how much I play with mine” I really want a son now, I need one in my life to be just like me “I think they are here” the buzzer went off “I swear I feel a mess Chris, you could have told me” Robyn moved away from me, jumping off the counter and making my way to the door. Majesty is a pest, she is always running out of the living room, these crawling babies is not it “hey, little brat” jogging over to her, picking her up and making my way to the front door Unlocking the door, oh I didn’t open the gate. Going back inside, pushing the button to open the gate. Placing my feet in the slides “hey, hey. Young lady, stop the slapping” I chuckled, shuffling outside “we were waiting for so long” my mother poked her head around and walking over to me “aww my baby boy” walking over to them “hey mom, welcome to my home” hugging my mom “son, this is amazing. Oh wow, this is very Hollywood” my dad has his glasses on, so he is really going to check every part of the home, he is in-expecting the home.

My family are so amazed by the home, this is just outside “come in, come” Majesty wrapped her arms around my neck, she is so precious “I am shocked, like this home is amazing Chris. Now I know why you love it here so much” walking back inside, Robyn side eyed me “why are you annoyed with me? You’re so annoying” I laughed at her “shut up, hey my beautiful mother in law. Look at you! The tan, you been out in the sun” I am glad I caught Robyn off guard “the family is here” Rorrey came out of the office, he has been using it, I told him to try and make his own little something for himself for my clothing line, I am open to ideas “hi boss” Rorrey shook my dad’ hand “the family is here, you never said” everyone seems annoyed I never said, maybe they wanted to make a good entrance “sis, the only person that annoys me is Chris” Robyn said to Tootie “he didn’t say anything, I have not cooked a thing. I feel so bad, your first time here and I have done nothing” I grinned “Robyn, I know your pain. He is an ass” rolling my eyes, they all mad now.

These ladies are mad “like I know y’all are mad but come on, I come in peace and honestly when you hear why, you will all love me” Robyn mean mugged me “what it is, this is the first time my mother in law has come to the home so I wanted to make an good impression but instead she has come and I look a mess, the home is a mess, I have made no food for them. It’s their first time here Chris do you not get that” I laughed a little “I do but baby my mom doesn’t mind, you’re beautiful anyways but hear me out. It’s Mother’s Day coming up so I did something nice for you all, I have the SUV coming and he taking you to a spa, all of you. I hired it out for you ladies, I will take care of Majesty and Desean, this is y’all time to have just some peace and quiet and after I am paying for the meal at Robyn’ favourite place, this is on me. Mom, Tootie, Monica, Noella and Robyn. My beautiful mother to be, Happy Mother’s Day, now can we stop the hate train” they all look pleased “really baby, oh my god. That sounds so much fun” my mom said “yeah, y’all can bitch about me there but I hired the whole place, Robyn can get the wax she needs” I snorted laughing “shut up!” she spat, her coochie need it cause she ain’t doing it “Happy Mother’s Day ladies” I grinned, Monica cooed out “he is a good man, thank you Chris” I grinned feeling so proud of myself.

I am super proud of myself “I love you” feeling a pair of arms around my torso “oh now you saying it” turning around in Robyn’ arms “you know I do, I just like to impress my guests Chris that is all. But baby that is so sweet, so you did all of that while you was in bed and I was slaving away” nodding my head “I sorted it all out for you, I want you to relax ok?” pecking Robyn’ lips “thank you and you ass, talking about wax. I want you to do it for me, how about that?” I snorted laughing “I will, if you want me too? Not in a bad way, I thought you may want to, you know. Feel fresh” wrapping my arms around Robyn “mhmm I will let you off mister thoughtful, that is the sweetest. I get to spend time with both of the momma’s too, I think I need it after the stress of someone” I chuckled “I wonder who that is” I sniggered “also I may just tell them about the gender, it’s just silly now because you ruined that part. And then Rajad will end up letting it slip so yeah, I will just tell them, or we both can later?” nodding my head “yeah for sure we can, I am so sorry about that” I feel bad that I did it “I am so excited about it, I am really you know, I didn’t mean it in a bad way” Robyn sighed out “I know, this is why I am not that mad” she is the cutest.

Placing my arm around my nephew, he is loving it being at the house “how has school been anyways? You are being good there, you know my sister will tell me if you ain’t” the home is actually so much calmer without the women here, they are always causing some type of drama over nothing “I am being good, people want to be my friend now. I told mom because they didn’t want to talk to me, but they are now, mom said they are fake. Everyone is asking me to get an autograph form Rihanna and I said no and then the boy called me a fake nigga for it, and I can’t be your nephew” frowning “Desean don’t let nobody tell you different, fuck them. They are jealous because us as a family are ok, they are haters, and you remember that. Those people that want to be friends you now and didn’t before are fake, don’t let that shit happen to you. You know I got you when you want to talk” kids are nasty as hell “I know I am just concentrating on Football and keeping myself lowkey, it doesn’t really upset me because I am winning. Rihanna is amazing” I breathed out laughing “she is” I agreed with my nephew.

The ladies came back looking refreshed, we just finished eating, I bought the boys pizza. Robyn is glowing even more “you good?” Robyn placed her hand on my shoulder and leaned down “I want a word with you” I frowned instantly, what did I do “come, we will be back” Robyn walked off, what the hell even happen “Chris, thank you so much for that. I feel so refreshed” getting up from the chair nodding my head “it’s ok” following Robyn, I am raking my brain just thinking what have I done. We just went into the corner “I seen your little video on IG, why react Chris that is what he wants, and they want” I shrugged not caring “you just want me to accept it, I will knock his ass out again. I don’t care, laughing that I cried. I am just saying that what is wrong with me crying? Because I appreciate what you have done for me, he is a pussy ass nigga!” I spat “and I just think, I am not saying what you said is wrong but don’t let him or anyone get to you, ok? So what if you cried, you appreciate me” I sighed out “I do, but if he wants to start then we can you know” I shrugged, I don’t even care who says what but it’s him that I hate.

Seeing as I ruined the secret between her family, Robyn feels like she has to say it because it’s pretty much only her mother that doesn’t know in her side so we might as well say it “we have a little announcement, well I do anyways because Chris has a big mouth” placing my arm around Robyn laughing, I can’t even front it is my fault “you already married so what next? Twins?” My dad jokes “how you know?” I said “really!?” my dad spat “see, I got you there but yeah. Robyn got this because I been just ruining her little thing” I am going to let Robyn say her thing “yeah, I am not angry at him but I feel it is unfair, but can we just keep it in this room for now, if we can try. We all are a gossips aren’t we but yeah, so we. Chris and I, we found out the gender together” Robyn lied, I put my head down because I know I didn’t, I wasn’t there “and it’s very exciting because honestly I am over the moon, so is Chris with his big mouth. We are having a baby girl!” Robyn yelped out “granddaughter!?” my dad shouted, all my dad is doing is shouting shit “yes dad” I laughed, my dad shot up smiling “I am so happy for you, oh my god!” my dad is excited as hell “awww mom don’t cry” Robyn said, the family is so emotional.

[paths-of-my-childhood-candid]

TAYLOR SWIFT: ‘I’ve always found romance in life’s small moments’

Photographs by Miller Mobley // Interview by Melody Chiu // People Magazine, Dec 16th 2019 issue

Shattering records with her euphoric new album Lover, the superstar is happier and more fearless than ever: ‘I’m always looking for a new challenge.’

It’s hard to believe Taylor Swift is turning 30. A decade ago she became the youngest person to take home the Album of the Year Grammy. Now the superstar, who celebrates her milestone birthday on Dec. 13, is breaking records - and her silence - like never before. Ahead of releasing her seventh studio album, Lover, in August, Swift took on her former record label Big Machine and its new owner Scooter Braun over the rights to her previous recordings. With the dawn of a new decade and an upcoming tour, Swift - who is happily three years into her relationship with actor Joe Alwyn - is as excited about her future as she is protective of her past. “This is the first time I’ve been able to put out music that I feel is connecting with people yet look back on everything I’ve made and feel a quiet sense of pride,” she says. “I’m proud of the things I’ve withstood, and I’ve been able to carve out a life for myself.”

You’ve had a lot of big years, but this one feels a little different. What does 2019 mean to you? This year feels more special to me than any year before it. A lot of people will tell you that when they had their breakthrough year, they weren’t able to enjoy it because they were hustling or stressed. 2009 was a breakthrough year for me in country, then 2014 was a big breakthrough year in pop. Fifteen years into doing this, being able to look around and acknowledge that it’s special, I’m really stoked this moment can happen when I’m 29. That’s one of the benefits of starting when you’re 12!

Lover comes not even two years after your prior album Reputation. Were you feeling creatively supercharged? I had this strange feeling of “I could write anything I want now.” There was so much theatricality in the darkness of Reputation. It was secretly a love story, but it was also filled with angst, rebellion and this vengeful taking back of your life. Lover ended up being the album [where I was no longer] answering to something. In the past I’ve definitely used my criticism as a jumping-off point for creativity. With Reputation I’d said everything I needed to say. I’d been tried in every possible way people could throw things at me, and I felt like now I just get to create.

You’ve been writing love songs since you were a teenager. What would 13-year-old Taylor say about Lover? This is the most I’ve ever leaned into who I really am. For this album I went through my old diaries as a kid. Looking back, I’ve always found romance in life’s small moments - tiny details that are beautiful about the human experience. Lover in a lot of ways is that.

You’re known for magnifying those little moments into a hit song, but do you feel more protective of yourself now? In this job people are constantly skeptical and evaluating whether you deserve to be there. There are tests every day, but I try to be susceptible to my feelings on it. I try to be resilient, but I don’t ever want to become closed off in a way that I can’t access sadness, loneliness, anxiety and despair. I personally feel like the best thing I have to offer is the music I write.

Your Change.org petition in support of the Equality Act (which prohibits discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity) has nearly 600,000 signatures, and your “You Need to Calm Down” music video, featuring many LGBTQ+ stars, has more than 164 million views. Is it gratifying to see these numbers after breaking your political silence? When you advocate for something, it has to be completely disconnected from what people say about you advocating for it. It should be removed from hard numbers. That being said, when numbers do come in that are promising and petitions are signed in the hundreds of thousands, it’s a good feeling. It reinforces your feeling that there is good in the world.

Has speaking out, whether about politics or owning the rights to all your songs before Lover, made you feel stronger at the end of the day? It makes me feel like my fans are able to know me more. What I believe in and what people know I believe in are aligned. That’s a great sense of relief. When Lover came out, it was this sense of being so thankful that after so long of being denied the rights to music that I made, I finally felt like I was in a place where I had aligned myself with generous people. The label that I’m at now, there’s not a single person in that sphere that wants to deny me of what I created. It’s nice to know I can say what I believe in and disconnect from if people don’t like that. And I can sleep really well at night.

How do you feel about your 30s? Really happy! There are certain parts of my brain that I don’t visit as often, like stressing out about my body, stressing out about being on trend, stressing out about people thinking I’m cool, stressing out about people thinking really anything about me. You have to toss out things that don’t serve you.

What’s the last great day off you had? Oh, yesterday was amazing. My friend Cazzie [David] came over, and we swam. My friends and their kids were staying with me, so I was playing with a 3- and a 5-year-old. Then I picked a paint color for my living room wall, which is really gonna warm up the whole vibe. My parents and my brother came over, and I cooked this whole dinner. Cooking, reading and seeing friends are things that make me feel like my life was never anything but normal, so I spend a lot of time doing those things. I just want to make sure I’m living my life in a way that makes me feel happy and fulfilled.

THE MOST INSPIRING WOMAN TO ME THIS YEAR: Whenever I feel stressy about things, I’ll just read some of Jameela Jamil’s quotes about body image and health.

WHAT I ’M LOOKING FORWARD TO MOST IN 2020: I’m really excited about customizing [my upcoming tour] Lover Fest. I’ve never really performed on that kind of stage since opening up for Tim McGraw and George Strait in 2007.

THE 2019 BOOK I DEVOURED: Demi Moore’s autobiography. I couldn’t put it down. She was punished ruthlessly for being the highest-paid actress, and I feel like finally she’s getting the last laugh.

A NEW THING I LEARNED THIS YEAR: I’m working my way through the Ottolenghi Simple cookbook. I recently made the chicken marbella.

The PEOPLE behind People

Deputy west coast news editor Melody Chiu first interviewed Taylor Swift before the release of 1989: “Sitting down with her five years later, Taylor was as generous as ever, and her unshakable confidence is inspiring.”

Dan Wakeford, People Magazine Editor in Chief: “Although she’s been a singer for more than 15 years, 2019 was arguably the year Taylor Swift found her voice. She stood up to protect her creative rights, spoke out for what she believed in and continued to produce music that showed wisdom and storytelling beyond her years - her album Lover became 2019’s bestselling record in just one week. Truly epic.”

Check out parts of the interview previously published online:

Inside Taylor Swift's Life-Changing Year: 'I'm Proud of the Things I've Withstood' - article

Taylor Swift Says She's Finally Aligned Herself with a 'Generous' Label Amid Feud with Big Machine - article

Taylor Swift Is Over 'Stressing Out' About Her Body as She Turns 30 - article

Taylor Swift Says Demi Moore Got Last Laugh After She Was 'Punished' for Being Highest-Paid Actress - article

[vortexs]

I’m usually a vivid dreamer.

I’ve had dreams where I had powers. Or dreams where I saved the world. Or dreams where I go through an apocalypse.

Sometimes it’s just going through an exaggerated day. Sometimes it’s not me at all. I find that it’s an odd mashup of my feelings, stresses, and fears coming up & encouraging me to deal with them. More often than not, if I don’t deal with the issue, I continue to have the dreams.

Dreams are a fun place for me, and I haven’t had nightmares – true nightmares – in so long. But for the last year they’ve been more apparent, and for the last month, almost every night.

I know it’s because I’m grieving, and I’m not sure /how/ to grieve.

My grandma’s death was something I always saw coming. Looming over the horizon, peeking over the fence every time I looked at her. She’d been sick my whole life. Nearly every birthday wish I had was for her. Wishing for another year. Wishing for her health. I stopped wishing when I visited her one year and she was practically bed ridden, turning black and blue in the tips of her fingers and on the soles of her feet.

My stomach would fall, and my eyes would water. I knew it pained her to live more than it would pain me to see her go. I started dealing with her death long before she passed away.

It still hurt of course. But she lived a long life. A happy one. Full of love, and family. She loved me so much. I loved her so much. Its enough for me to know she is no longer suffering.

My cousin’s death gave me the entirely other perspective. He was young, younger than me. Still, we grew up together. He was the goofy one. The positive one. Always calm. Always kind. The kindest of his brothers, & the most determined to do life Right. No gangs. No violence. No drugs.

His death didn’t make sense to anyone. Didn’t make sense to me. His death was…complicated. Complicated because it was one of those deaths that many people wouldn’t feel bad for when you told them the story. One of those deaths where people /said he deserved it/ when it hit the news.

They didn’t know him. That’s what I tell myself. That it doesn’t matter what other people say, but fuck it still hurt. He deserved everyone to miss him. He deserved everyone to give their condolences and mean it. He deserved to graduate college, and achieve his dreams. He deserved to live longer.

This one hurts because I never saw his death coming. When I looked at him I didn’t see skeletons in the closet, or tragedy in his eyes. I dealt with this by trying to be there for everyone else. For my aunt and uncle who gave him his chance, for his siblings – my cousins who grew up with him. I wanted to be there for them to lean on, for us to celebrate him the way he deserved to be celebrated. That’s how I dealt with this.

But my dad. My father passing away. I don’t know where to begin.

It’s funny that I said my cousins’s death was complicated, because my dad’s feels 100 times more so. His is the type of complicated where I was told to lie. His is the type of complicated where I have to keep track of what I say, and who I said what to.

If I thought I couldn’t tell people how my cousin died, I definitely cannot tell people how my dad died. /Why/ he died.

I wish I could. I want to. But the reasons for it create complicated feelings in myself.

My dad was a great man. He raised me with stars in his eyes, & laughter on his lips. Growing up, I’d meet his friends or talk to extended family & they’d lean back, smile at me, and say “Ah, you’re definitely his daughter.”

My dad was goofy, and positive, and tough. Always encouraging, always behind my decisions. I adored him. I was a daddy’s girl through and through.

That’s not to say he was perfect. He wasn’t, and his faults are what ended he & my mother’s marriage. But like I said, he was tough, & he pushed forward. He’d tell me that later in life. To keep pushing forward. To not let anything keep me down.

“Look at me,” he’d go. “I’ve been through a lot. But I keep going. You have to do the same.”

As I got older, I could tell things were getting to him. Whether it was because life was harder for him, or because I’d been hardened, I don’t know. I began to see the tiredness in his eyes, the stress. Instead of him asking if I was okay, I started asking him.

“I feel bad,” he’d go. “I wish I could help you more. I wish I could be there for you. I wish you called me.”

I always told him that it was okay. That he was. He was there for me when it mattered, that I never thought of him and wished he’d do more. I told him that it’s hard for me to call anyone. He never believed it. That I knew. I chalked it up to some weird, macho man thing. You know, men always want to be the providers. Be the one for everyone to depend on. Everything I said was true. Still is.

He was remarried. He had a wife, and more kids. He did great with me, & I thought he’d be even greater with them. Everything that bothered him about our relationship he could fix and improve on with them.

And he did. For awhile. I like to believe it was all the way until the end.

The last time I saw him was on Father’s Day. My sister and I spent the day with him, and I could tell he was happy I came to see him. I was happy I did, too. He was very open this visit. I’d asked him for help (with getting my license lol) & he was very adamant that we would get it as he was teaching my step-sister as well.

“Of course! Come any time. I’ll teach you, and you’ll definitely pass.”

Maybe it was because it was the first time I’d asked something of him. Maybe he felt good that we’d share this milestone together. Maybe he was just happy I wanted to spend time with him.

I never followed through. The summer was so busy, and I was too short on money to make it back to him. I didn’t tell him this. Why? Because I knew he’d send me the money. I knew he’d give me the time. Neither of which he had much to spare (he’d vented to me many times about his money issues). I didn’t want to add to that.

I thought that once my job started I’d be able to go to him in the fall, instead.

He contacted me, which he rarely does. It was a strangely emotional text, in a good way.

“Hi baby! Are you still coming to see me? I really want to help you get your license!”

It made me happy, and I felt guilty I hadn’t told him why. I was reminded of how he felt like he failed me, and that I didn’t want to depend on him. That I thought lowly of him, or something. I told him I just didn’t have the money at the moment, but that I would see him as soon as I did.

“I want to get my license with you too!!” I’d said.

“How much do you need?” He’d sent back. I didn’t respond. I didn’t want him to send me money.

He still did.

A day later: $500, and a caption that read “My baby.”

I cried. I don’t know why, but I did. I think it was because I felt the weight of his love for me in that moment. Not that I ever thought he didn’t love me, but…he always struggled with showing his emotions. To me, this showed a lot. Not the money, but the caption. My baby. My baby.

I saw a lot of my dad in me. From his interests, to his ideals, to his personality. I never realized how much of me reminded me of him until he passed away.

It was a few days after my birthday. He sent me a nice message, & I told him how excited I was to see him. “See you soon.” I’d said.

A few days before he passed, I was informed that he’d done a terrible thing, & that he’d left his house & was unreachable. No texts. No calls. No tracker.

Knowing my father, as soon as I learned of the situation, I knew it was the beginning of the end. He was a prideful man. He wouldn’t want sympathy, he’d just want justice. He would never let himself get away.

I cried that day, when he was still alive. I just knew my father was gone. The man I knew, he wasn’t there anymore. The next few days were full of anxiety. I kept checking my phone, waiting for a call or text. About him. Or from him.

I actually did text him. I was afraid that if I contacted him & he knew that /I/ knew, that it’d speed up the process. That it’d send him over the edge.

I texted him, asking him to stay. Asking him not to hurt himself. Asking him to come back. I told him I loved him, that I appreciated him, & that I needed him.

He texted me back. He told me I was the best thing that ever happened to him. He told me that he wished he could’ve done more for me. He told me he was ashamed. Of what? Of everything, I think. Of his whole life.

He told me he only wanted 3 things from me. To be a strong, independent woman. To take care of my sister. And to always be grateful to my aunts.

I texted him multiple times after that. I never heard from him again.

A couple days later his body was found in another state. A “hiking accident” the police ruled it. I knew it was a suicide. I knew his reason for it. I knew that he said he didn’t want a funeral. I knew that he said he didn’t want us to mourn him. I knew that he didn’t want to be remembered at all, as he deleted all his social media, all his pictures.

Hardly anyone will ever know the man I adored ever existed.

The police said he needed to be cremated. They were adamant about how much we should not see the body. They told us that he was unrecognizable. That they only identified him through fingerprints. Out of everything I knew, I wish I never knew that.

I’ve never seen the body, but when I go to sleep at night I see it. I see him standing on the edge of the cliff. I feel his pain, his turmoil. I feel him thinking of his family. Thinking of his life. Thinking of me. I see him make the decision. I see him take the step. I see him fall. I hear him scream. I see him become mangled beyond recognition. I see him. I see him.

In my dreams I see him clear as day. In my dreams I speak to him. I chase him. I beg him to stay. He tells me no. He runs away from me. He tries to go away, but I see him.

I wake up, and I don’t see him. I wake up, and I know he’s gone away. I know that if there is an afterlife he will not see me, he wouldn’t allow himself that. I know that the last time I saw him, on father day, is the last time.

So then the dreams. The dreams where I chase him. Where I beg him. Where I look at him & he looks at me with pain in his eyes & guilt under his skin. Still, I wake up and fall into another nightmare where I lie about how he died and why.

I’m torn then. I want the dreams to stop, but I like seeing him. I’m scared to lose this, because then I will have lost all of him, maybe. I don’t know. Grief sucks. This sucks. I know I need to deal with this, but I don’t know where to begin. Or how. Maybe this is the first step. Getting this down. Even after writing this much about it I can feel how much more needs to be said.

Like, maybe I haven’t driven home how much he meant to me. Maybe I haven’t driven home how traumatizing it all is. Maybe I haven’t explained how my childhood was filled with him teaching me all the skills I utilize today, or how all my favorite interests started with him. Maybe I haven’t made it clear how I look in the mirror, or I speak, or I do my favorite hobbies and am reminded of him.

Grief sucks, but at least in my dreams, everyone is still there.

[anywhozits]

All I Really Want Chapter 7

Rating: M

Pairing: Kristanna eventuallyyy

Verse: 90s High School AU / frozen retelling

Chapter Summary: Anna celebrates her 15th birthday.

Notes: Thank you for reading!!! Also there is some language, underage drinking, and homophobia in this chapter - be warned! (also tw emotional abuse)

Read on Ao3 here!

June twenty-fucking-first.

Another year. Fifteen, now.

And… Anna was excited, objectively, sure. At her very core, she felt excited because she knew she should be excited. But still, the very nature of this date always left her with a huge pit in her stomach.

There was just so much pressure. So much hope and want and desire for the love she craved to fill her first moments of fifteen.

Anna used to think she loved her birthday. The attention… the entire day naturally being about her—like, she knew she was supposed to enjoy it. She loved attention. She’d never deny that.

But…

In reality, her birthday stressed her out. There were all these expectations. Wanting people to acknowledge her, surprise her, and do all these special things to show they care. And yeah, this was probably way too much to ask on her 15th birthday but she wanted to feel … desired.

And yet she worried that wouldn’t happen this year.

Because her birthday was and had always been so full of disappointment.

Elsa forgot. Her parents forgot. Over the years one or two or all three of them forgot. They would ignore her the whole dumb day and then Anna would end up sobbing alone in her huge stupid room that had no reason to be so huge when it felt so lonely.

So far today, not one member of her family had acknowledged her. Her mother was definitely taking a nap or something. Who the hell knew where her dad was… and Elsa hadn’t called (yet, Anna thought, maybe too optimistically), but she was busy at this pre-college academic program at Pomona. So she had an okay excuse.

At least this year Anna got to spend her birthday with Hans. With Hans, maybe it’d be different. He already made the prom milestone so special that she had no doubt he’d do the same for her birthday.

No disappointments this year. Fingers crossed.

And how could she forget? She had Kristoff, too. And Kristoff never forgot. Kristoff always tried his best to make it special.

In fact, he’d already done something for her—he’d left her a card and a mixtape. This had to be her 37th Kristoff Bjorgman mixtape. And every new tape was better than the last.

He... well, um—that gesture alone made her feel desired.

She was officially on her third listen of the mixtape, and the sweet sweet tunes of Modest Mouse’s Dramamine filled her room.

In the past, he tended to include recordings of Pissed Off Kids, but Kristoff had made it extra special this time—the final song of the tape was instead a solo of Kristoff’s smooth tenor singing Better Man by Pearl Jam. Naturally he also hit all of the epic guitar riffs.

Anna loved it.

This lovely thought paired with the swelling sounds of Dramamine put her in a trance. Deep in her emotions, Anna swayed to the beat, instantly craving something more.

Traveling swallowing Dramamine

Look at your face like you're killed in a dream

She crawled on the floor and under her bed, pulling out a blue plastic box that housed her entire stash. The stash was once discovered by the family’s housekeeper, Anna (pronounced A-nuh not Ah-nuh), who subsequently revealed it to Agnarr and Iduna. Obviously, they did nothing about it. Duh. They gave zero shits. Zero. And it had devastated her, somehow. To not be yelled at or grounded… to not have her entire stash confiscated.

And you think you've figured out everything

I think I know my geography pretty damn well

Clearly, Anna had no reason to hide it anymore but leaving it out in the open took most of the fun away. So here it was back in the blue plastic box under her bed. Various bottles of alcohol, rolling paper, a pipe, a lighter, some weed, and an unopened bottle of Xanax with Iduna Larsen’s name on the label.

You say what you need so you'll get more

If you could just milk it for everything

Actually, come to think of it—Anna’s entire stash had been collected from her parent’s room.

I've said what I said, and you know what I mean

But I can't still focus on anything

Looking squarely at the box and its contents, Anna bit her lip. She needed this. And, why? Well, it was a combination of her baseline birthday nerves and the aftermath of the intense sob-fest she had when the oh-so-topical So Unsexy by Alanis Morrissette played on Kristoff’s mixtape. Oh, and of course the fact that her parents probably fucking forgot her birthday yet again… So, she took out the rolling paper and the Ziploc baggie that contained a few grams of weed.

Then, some weird crashing sound echoed from her window, which made her gasp and spook slightly.

Walking over to the window, drawing the curtains, and emerging onto her Juliet balcony, she noticed Hans and his goofy grin, standing in the driveway like he was a regular John Cusack.

When she saw that he had a bunch of tiny pebbles in his hand, it all made sense.

Anna’s heart fluttered. She loved it. She, like, literally loved it. So romantic.

“Can I come up?” He shouted, and Anna blushed. She was basically real-life Juliet at this point.

“Of course!” Anna called, and Hans started off in a sprint toward the rose trellis that led up the side of the house and into her window. “You don’t have to sneak in, you know!”

But he smiled devilishly and yelled, “I want to!”

Anna laughed and rolled her eyes at his definitely not-necessary efforts, but her stomach also did a few backflips. It was literally 500 times more romantic for him to climb up the trellis than it was for him to simply walk through the unlocked front door.

He pulled himself onto the balcony and Anna kissed him deeply. She couldn’t help but sigh—she was so, unbelievably happy to see him today.

“Happy birthday, babe,” he cooed in between kisses.

“Aww, thank you! I’m so happy you’re here.” After kissing a few more times, they ended up back in her bedroom where Kristoff’s singing now boomed through the room. Anna’s eyes fell to the blue plastic box—right. She had plans. “I was gonna do a little something to, uh, match the general vibe of this mixtape Kristoff made for me if you maybe wanted to join?” Anna gestured to the rolling paper and Ziploc bag.

Hans shook his head but then did a double-take. “Kristoff made you a mixtape?”

“Yep! He’s made me, like, tons of them.”

She lies and says she's in love with him, can't find a better man.

“Who’s this? Pearl Jam or some shit?”

“Yeah, but not—"

“Damn, he really thinks he’s emo, huh?”

“—because it’s Kristoff who’s singing. Pearl Jam cover, yeah, but…”

She dreams in color, she dreams in red, can't find a better man.

Hans laughed, heartily. “He’s pathetic.”

…huh?

“What?”

“You’re telling me he specifically chose this song to sing for you, recorded it, and then actually had the balls to give it to you?”

“Uh-huh.”

Another robust chuckle from Hans.

Anna furrowed her eyebrows. “What’s the big deal?”

“Are you even listening to these lyrics?”

“Um, yes, I—"

Hans laughed again. “You have no idea, do you?”

Anna pouted. She hated feeling naïve. Especially now that she was such a woman. Fifteen and a woman. Not naïve, not anywhere near naïve.

“No, I ... I know. Duh. I totally know what you’re talking about.” But she really didn’t. She had no idea what the hell he meant.

“So fucking pathetic,” Hans said, shaking his head. “But whatever. He’s not even a little bit threatening, is he?”

Threatening?

Oh.

Ohohohoh.

Hans thought… no way.

Kristoff wasn’t pathetic. He wasn’t pining after Anna or whatever. No duh he wasn’t. Absolutely no way.

They were just friends.

And, besides, Kristoff chose these songs because he knew Anna would like them. There was no connection between the themes or lyrics of the songs and how he felt about Anna. None at all… there couldn’t be a connection, because if there were, then… the whole sister thing was bullshit. But it wasn’t. No way in hell. Like, it couldn’t be.

Then why was Hans so convinced?

Before Anna could give this another thought, her bedroom door flew open.

She reflexively ran to the plastic box stash and kicked it back under her bed. For no real reason beyond wanting to keep some kind of classic-teenage air of mystery about herself.

Not that she had any earthly idea who the hell was coming barging into her room on this particular day at this particular hour.

But then when she saw the hint of blonde hair zooming past her and then engulfing her in a huge hug, she beamed. Elsa. Exactly who she wanted to come barging into her room.

“Anna!” She exclaimed as she hugged and hugged and hugged her sister. “Happy happy happy birthday! Fifteen—wow. I’m absolutely thrilled that I get to celebrate with you today.”

Anna didn’t want to pull away. So she didn’t. She held on tighter, savoring this moment she thought would never in a million years come to pass. “I’m really happy too, Els. I thought… weren’t you at school? How’d you even get here?”

“Mom and dad picked me up.”

“…really?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Why?”

“So I could be here for your birthday.”

“They should really just get you a car or something so they don’t have—” And then the pin dropped. “Wait, what?”

Anna finally pulled away from her sister and stared at her incredulously.

“Yeah—they picked me up so we could have a proper celebration.”

“But…wait. You’re saying…a proper celebration for… for my birthday? Our parents wanted to do this? For me?”

“At Hans’s insistence, actually.”

“Hans?” Anna’s eyes darted to her not-boyfriend. “You… did this?”

“Only took a couple phone calls with your parents, a few with Elsa. And then magic was made.”

“I can’t believe you did this for me.”

“Of course I did, babe. I love you.”

Anna’s heart fluttered the most it had ever fluttered. It fluttered so much she honestly worried it might fly away out of her chest and off the balcony or something totally wild like that.

Hans was perfect. She was so lucky to have Hans. The perfect not-boyfriend who made her birthday okay again. More than okay, rather. Magical, wonderful. Perfect.

She didn’t even notice as Kristoff’s next selection, All Over You, started playing in the background.

And then the door swung open again and the two essential strangers she called parents walked in to also swarm Anna with massive hugs.

It felt… strange. Uncharacteristic. Almost like… almost like seeing a teacher at the movie theater, sitting down to watch the same movie you’re seeing with friends.

That level of weird.

But at the same time, it was a type of weird that Anna embraced more than anything else.

Because her parents were hugging her… they were acknowledging her.

They hadn’t forgotten her birthday.

“I rented us a Duffy boat for the afternoon,” Agnarr explained. “Kai set it all up for us—stocked with the best Cristal and naturally Anna’s favorite charcuterie board.”

“Ooh cured meats. A birthday delight.” Shit Anna had no idea how to interact with her parents anymore. Who even was this person—cured meats? Like yeah, she loved cured meats of course but damn this felt awkward.

“Actually, we should consider heading out soon. Don’t want to find ourselves on the blacklist at the Yacht Club, you know.”

That may sound like a joke but their close family friends actually did get blacklisted from the Yacht Club. Well, it had much more to do with some kind of scandalous drug and prostitute type situation than it did with being late, but… the fear was there.

“Should we bring your stereo?”

“Oh, yeah! Yes. Great idea. Kristoff actually made me a mixtape for my birthday, so—yeah. I’d love to have that along for the celebration too!”

They brought the speaker. They brought the Cristal and the charcuterie. Anna brought her now sunny and enthused birthday disposition.

Her family. And Hans. All together. Right now. On her birthday. Like, shit.

It felt like something out of her absolute favorite dream of all time.

And, yes, this whole Duffy boat thing was the most freaking Orange County plan of all time. But that meant her dad had to have planned ahead, since Duffy boats booked up ahead of time.

She felt so loved. So loved.

Once they arranged themselves in the boat, Anna turned on the stereo. So Unsexy played again, but Alanis didn’t get to her this time. Nobody had forgotten her birthday. She wasn’t alone. She felt, like, confident for once… damn. This was nice.

Hans moved to sit next to Agnarr, looking for a lesson about driving the boat, and Iduna sat close to the two of them, smiling. It was a Good Day. Anna could already tell.

“Aww, Alanis?” Elsa asked.

“Yeah!”

“Wouldn’t’ve expected Kristoff to put this on his mixtape.”

“Well, I mean, it’s because of you.”

“What? Really?

“Mmhmm. Because he, um, he knows how much Alanis means to you and because Alanis means so much to you she means so much to me. I really—”

“That’s so sweet.”

“You mean it?”

“Yeah.” Elsa leaned in to give her sister a huge hug. “I’m happy I get to spend more time with you.”

Anna relaxed into Elsa’s hold. She would thank the stars every day for this magnificent change. “Me, too.”

“Did you know the song You Oughta Know is about Uncle Joey?”

“Shut up. Really? For real?”

“For real for real.”

“No shit,” Anna laughed. “I didn’t think he had it in him.”

“Yeah!” Hans chimed in. “No pull for Uncle Joey.”

“But, wow, yeah. Um,” Anna’s cheeks flushed red and she locked her eyes with Hans. “Guess he must’ve been pretty mind-blowing in bed.”

Hans winked at her and Anna all but shivered on the spot. Hold it together, Anna. Hold it together.

But Elsa entertained them zero, shaking her head. “He took advantage of her,” Elsa explained, crossing her arms over her chest. “He’s fifteen years older than her. And they’d already broken up when she was 21, so who knows how old she was when they started…”

Anna bit her lip, worrying this was getting a little personal. Hans was only two years older than her, so. Different story, right?

Eh. Maybe not according to Elsa.

She needed to change the subject and impulsively blurted out, “I wanna get blackout. Right now.”

Elsa shook her head again. “Anna…”

“Yeah! I mean it! You too, right? You’ll do it with me? Let’s blackout on this Cristal. Yeah?”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea…”

“Oh, come on. Ms. Boring! I didn’t ask for your judgmental-as-shit opinion. Do you wanna blackout or do you wanna blackout?”

“Uh—neither?”

Anna pouted. “Boo. Boring.” She looked to Hans for more support, but he’d turned his attention back to Agnarr and the steering wheel.

“I’ll drink with you, but I don’t want to blackout. I wanna remember you turning 15.”

Anna chewed on her bottom lip. “Oh… yeah. Well, I guess I do too. Since it’s so great and all.”

“I’m not boring,” Elsa smirked.

“Prove it.”

Elsa grabbed the bottle of champagne and twisted the cap a little hesitantly but still enthusiastically. It made a loud popping sound and a little bit of the liquid spilled from the top, but both Anna and Elsa cheered when the champagne was deemed officially free.

Elsa poured them both tall glasses, and then she poured three more, remembering there were other people on this Duffy Boat and not just the two sisters.

All five raised their glasses.

To Anna. Who was now officially fifteen. Old enough to legally drink Cristal on a Duffy Boat, right? Totally.

And then Agnarr perked up, suddenly remembering his eldest daughter was also on this boat. “So, Elsa… can you tell me again why you chose Pomona over Harvard?” The way he said both school names made it more than clear how he felt about Elsa’s decision. Pomona sounded like he smelled the sweet stench of vomit infested garbage. In contrast, Harvard sounded like a choir of angels sang at the gates of heaven.

“I needed a change of pace.”

Agnarr laughed. A literally massive guffaw. “Harvard could’ve been a change of pace.”

“I don’t really—”

“But, at the end of the day, fine, you’re majoring in what—finance? Which means that your classes at this bullshit liberal arts doohickey will be miniscule. And you’ll get more time with the professors, get better letters of rec, and then end up at the Stanford GSB like your old man. That’ll really seal that fucking deal, you know? You’ll be in tip-top shape to take over The Company. Harvard or not.”

“I’m not gonna major in finance, dad.”

“Oh? So what’s the plan, then?”

“I don’t know. I like Anthropology, or maybe something like PoliSci?”

“Politics? Really?”

“Yeah,” Elsa said, her jaw clenched. “I’d love to clean up some of the damage you’ve done to this country.”

A tense silence filled the air. Elsa crossed her arms over her chest and took a nice long sip of champagne.

Until Iduna piped up, “Well, if you want my opinion—”

“I don—" Elsa started.

“—a pretty young thing like you can’t work around Bill right now.”

Agnarr guffawed again. Profoundly. He raised his glass and cheered, “Oh ho ho!” Like he won some kind of stupid battle he wasn’t even in.

Anna was utterly lost. She’d already downed one whole glass of Cristal and poured herself an entire new one without anybody noticing. Hah. Classic.

She didn’t really want to admit she was, like, this stupid or politically unaware or whatever but she also wanted to feel like part of the conversation, so she said, “Wait, what? Has something happened?”

Hans gave Anna the benefit of the doubt. “Nah, but he’s known for being a pussy hound.”

“Okay! Enough! That’s not why I said I wanted to major in PoliSci. We don’t need to get into—"

“No, no, no. This is important, Elsa. You better watch out,” Agnarr said, ignoring her plea entirely. “Listen, I don’t know how a man like Bill gets it up for a woman like Hillary. She looks like such a dyke. Not that I respect the bastard that much, but he could have any broad he wants. Any broad like you.”

“No—” Elsa raised her voice, but Iduna chuckled.

“Since she’s got my cheekbones!”

Elsa’s entire face had turned a cherry red. She was mad. Fuming, really. “—you can’t say that.”

“I can say whatever the hell I want.”

“You can’t say that,” she repeated.

“Why not? You think you’re some holier-than-thou judge of character?”

Elsa’s jaw was still insatiably clenched. “I want to go home.”

“Els?” Anna reached out her hand to touch Elsa’s shoulder in a way she hoped brought at least a marginal amount of comfort.

“Seriously,” Elsa begged, her eyes glistening with what looked like fresh tears. “Can we turn this boat around? Please?”

A lump formed in Anna’s throat and she swallowed it down. She didn’t want today to end like this, so she tried to redirect. “Um… but—we’re having fun, aren’t we? You… how about we drink more champagne?”

Anna knew Elsa was mad. She knew that their parents had upset her beyond belief, but this was the only time she’d spent with all of them in the same place in… literally forever. She didn’t want it to end prematurely. No matter how mad Elsa was. Besides, Anna had been there, too. She’d been on the receiving end of comments like that countless times.

It stung, sure. But it wasn’t unexpected. That was just what happened when you spent time with Agnarr and Iduna. They were like parasites.

But the kind of parasite Anna still yearned to have in her life… if that made any sense at all?

Thankfully Elsa seemed to snap out of it a bit and turned back to Anna. “I’m sorry, yeah. You’re right. I…” She added in a whisper, “I shouldn’t let them get to me.”

“Yeah—no. Never!” Anna beamed. Crisis averted. “Drink more!”

Elsa took one big gulp of the champagne. “Maybe now’s as good a time as any. Um… I have something for you.”

“Oooh for me?!” Anna squealed when Elsa pulled out an envelope from her back pocket.

“Open it.”

It was the cutest handmade card ever. What Anna recognized instantly as something they would exchange as kids. Classic white printer paper, cut out into the shape of an A. And inside was the sweetest note of all time. Not long. Never long. Elsa wasn’t the most feelings-y. Or not so much that she wasn’t feelings-y, but she didn’t really have a knack for expressing all of the feelings that brewed deep inside her soul.

Inside this note of absolutely wonderfully sweet words was the fact that Elsa had decided to get her the most fun gift of all time—a night at the local roller rink. A disco roller rink night, too, which sounded five hundred million times more fun than any old roller rink night.

So, Anna squealed again. “Oh my God! Elsa! This sounds so, so, so fun! I’m so excited I can’t wait I’m, like, literally the most excited ever for real I’m, like, oh snap I’m rambling but that just means you know how excited I am!”

“I thought you’d like it.”

“Like it? I love it!”

“You can choose whenever you want to go. I can find a way to get here.”

“Okay! I can’t wait!”

Anna had always considered herself forever an experience over a material present person. And an experience present from Elsa of all people only made it all the more special. Quality time with her sister. Shit, she was so excited.

Honestly, ‘so excited’ hardly began to cover it. Anna was ecstatic. Absolutely ecstatic.

It felt almost like… everything was going perfectly. Kristoff’s music played in the background. Hans and her dad had started laughing and carrying on what seemed like meaningful conversation… Iduna was smiling to herself as she usually did on a Good Day. And here Elsa and Anna were. Together. For the first time in forever.

“I’m so happy!” Anna yelled this loud enough that everybody snapped to attention, expecting a speech or something of the like. “This has to be the best birthday I’ve ever had in my whole life. I… thank you for not forgetting. I know—that’s happened before, but—"

Iduna clicked her tongue. “What are you talking about? We’ve never forgotten your birthday. We’re your parents.”

…what?

Was Anna wrong? Had she made it up? She thought she remembered several birthdays in a row her parents had forgotten… since… probably since Elsa had been shipped off to boarding school. It happened at least every other year.

But.

Her mother seemed to think differently. And Anna knew she could be a bit dramatic sometimes.

So…

Maybe that was all a load of BS and Anna was actually absolutely bonkers.

Shit.

“Anna, dear, your mother’s right. We’d never forget your birthday,” Agnarr explained.

Okay, yeah. All right. So then she was literally bonkers. Batshit crazy. Living in some kind of crazy dream world?

“Okay,” was all Anna said, in a tiny voice. She didn’t know what to think.

Except that maybe she really was crazy after all.

But she tried to push that aside. Something to unpack a bit more later.

She needed to enjoy this moment.

And due to this decision, from that point on, the Duffy boat ride went smoothly. They drank their champagne. They finished a few bottles. More than any of them would care to admit, especially because Agnarr and Iduna served the alcohol to minors and whatever. But regardless, they had a great time. In the end.

Sure, Elsa refused to speak to their parents, but thankfully she was never put on the spot again so that really didn’t put a damper on anything.

Hans kept Agnarr company, Iduna kept to herself, and Anna and Elsa spent the entire time talking each other’s ear off about literally everything.

Anna made sure to include all of the dirty details of her own life. Her chest puffed out when she talked about Hans and everything they’d done to celebrate their not-relationship that Anna still continued to make Elsa believe was a real relationship.

But eventually, it came to an end.

The end of an era. The end of this somewhat happy family dynamic Anna wanted to have 100% of the time.

Agnarr and Iduna hugged the girls goodbye. They were getting dinner with some friends and had to dash.

Which left Elsa, Anna, and Hans to fend for themselves.

Anna was a little bit disappointed that her parents had left them alone, but after what she considered such a great afternoon, she didn’t want to dwell on it.

Focus on the positives, Anna! Keep those in mind!

So, she turned to Hans. The orchestrator. The one who made it all happen.

“Oooh, Hans!” Anna jumped up to give him a peck on the lips. “That was awesomesauce! Like, hands down the best birthday—I totally, totally loved it, thank you!”

“Hold that thought, babe,” he smiled, snaking one hand around her waist and using the other to cup her chin. “I’ve still got one more thing planned.”

“Really, really? You do?”

“To the beach house!”

Anna giggled. She loved him. She now officially loved her birthday. She couldn’t wait.

[diary-of-deadweight]

Friendship anniversary.

Pairing: Tenya Iida x reader

Summary: what started out as a idea pitched at 3am turned tradition, Iida is planning something big with the help of Deku and Uraraka.

Iida paced within the comfort of his own room, arms behind his back as he racked his brain of what to get you for friendship anniversary, which was slowly creeping nearer the longer he spent a majority of the free time pacing with no dice. It was a beyond infuriating task as your someone who values the thought put into a gift rather then the price tag; hell he could give you a notebook and you would love it as if you were gifted a car instead. Iida wanted to give you something you’d love even if the price is above the budget you agreed on way back then.

So he visited the local jewellery store at the weekend and saw something he’d think you would absolutely love as it reminded him of your beauty and how much it has blossomed over your years of friendship, not just physically but personality wise too, he bought it and kept it in his desk since then but for Iida one gift wasn’t enough as you always managed to get him two gifts he absolutely loved which is why he was currently pacing in his room.

He was trying to come up with another gift he’d knew you would like.

sad thing was that he didn’t know what to get you as he already bought you the latest movies and the latest manga of your favourite anime; one punchman which was a true tale about a bald hero and his immense strength, speed and agility along side his dream of meeting a strong enough opponent who can toss him around a bit before knocking them around abut himself with a single punch, for your birthday and previous friendship anniversaries that he was left to his own devices this time round.

A knock upon the door pulled him from out of his brainstorming session, striding over to the door to see who was in need of his assistance during this dire time. “Hey Iida.” The class rep was greeted by his dear friends, Izuku and Uraraka, “do you wanna head to the mall with us?” The Brunette asked. “I’m sorry but I’m currrntly facing a task that requires my full attention right now, so I’m gonna have to decline your offer.” Iida informed them before closing the door on them, ready to get back to his scheduled brainstorming only to find his friends sat upon his bed made him do a double take between the door and them in befuddlement that went unnoticed by the two. “What’s troubling you Iida, we are your friends and friends help each other,” Ochaco nodded her head vigorously at Midoriya’s statement, “so we shall tackle this issue together.”

Iida sighed, shaking his head in disbelief at his friends persistence of wanting to aid him and decided that three heads were ultimately better then one and he was in desperate need of an idea so what could go wrong? “It’s mine and (y/n)’s frienship anniversary coming up and I’m struggling to think of another gift to give them.” He day himself on the other side of Midoriya, leaning his back against the cold wall. “So what is the first gift you got them?” Ochaco tilted her head to the side, her bob haircut followed suit with her moment.

“An Swarovski crystal necklace.”

Izuku and Ochaco gasped in surprise, sharing a look before looking back at Iida, “Doesn’t (y/n) hate expensive gifts because a Swarovski Crystal isn’t cheap.”

“I know, I thought that if I tell them that it reminded me of how beautiful and unique our friendship is that they wanted to preserve it forever.” Iida explained, blushing slightly when Uraraka cooed at how cute it all was that the bluenette must’ve thought she misinterpreted it as something albeit romantic but waved it off as accidental. “Why don’t you show them how much they mean to you.” Izuku suggested with a shrug, Iida thought about it and sure enough took interest in the idea, “what do you mean by that Midoriya?”

“I mean that you should create a slide by slide presentation on all the great moments you’ve had together.” The curly emerald haired male expanded upon his idea, “add some videos if you have any.” Ochaco added for the hell of it, already excited to see the finished product that they both free balled ideas that Iida either shot down due to being unrealistic to pull off or liked as it was something that could be easily accomplished.

This went on well into the afternoon and they decided that the plan was ready to go and went down to celebrate with Katsuki’s cooking as they dragged their limbs that felt like they were 100 pounds heavier with each step they took.

Timeskip

When the day finally arrived Iida was practically sweating bullets and his nervousness kicked into overdrive as he couldn’t seem to hold the USB without his hand violently shaking that he decided to place it within the safety in his pocket along side the necklace so he didn’t loose and or drop it anytime soon. He looked up at the clock upon the wall, sapphire gaze setting upon the illumonesent scarlet numbers which flashed repeatedly:

‘8:30am’

It wouldn’t be long until you would wake up and head down to the common room for breakfast and your morning cup of tea/coffee, you were a grumpy little shit without it as many of the class found out first hand. So the tall male setted off out the door and down to the common room like a bolt of lightning and began setting up everything whilst leaving his friends Uraraka and Midoriya to inform the rest of his classmates why most of the common room will be sectioned off into a blanket fort, they insisted in helping him set up to which he declined but appreciated their offer as this day was primarily for you and him specifically after a 3am conversation.

So he was thankful that no one was down in the common room as a majority of them were heavy sleepers and wouldn’t get up until like 10 am whilst people like Katsuki and Kirishima were early worms and would get up the millisecond the sun rose and do some morning training which gave Iida the chance to litter the floor with wisteria petals, whip out a old theatre screen from the closets (I don’t know the fucking name to them ok.) a little projector that he could connect to the computer and did a little test run beofre giving the room a satifying nod just as a ‘ping’ noise came from his phone.

It was a text from Midoriya.

‘Hey Iida are you ready cuz (y/n) is heading towards the staircase right now, Uraraka tried to stall them a little to give you extra time but it failed badly.’

Iida smiled at how kind his friends are to stall time for him, he responded back with.

‘Thank you Midoriya I’m already set up with relatively ease but I appreciate the help.’

After he pocketed his phone a voice from the stair case he knew almost instantly.

“Oh my god...Iida,” he turns around to you with a softened look, “is this all for our special day?” He wordlessly nods, “it’s beautiful.” He watched your wide eyed expression as they wander around the decorated section as if you were walking through the snow covered streets of Musutafu as you came from a *cough* fictional *cough* country where snow is rare; unable to speak which gave Iida mixed emotions as half of him believed it was out of disgust while the other half believed that it was out of shock and amazement at his efforts of making today the best friend’s anniversary in recent memory, something he hope you both remember years from now.

He wandered over to you, resting a hand upon your shoulder that made you jump slightly, you turned to him with an almost unreadable expression, making IIda’s worry increased by a fraction.

“(Y/n), do you like it?”

“Like it? Like it? Iida I love it!” You exploded with joy as you hugged the male as tightly that he swore he couldn’t feel his lower half beofre finally deciding that it was time to show you the gifts so he tapped you on the shoulder to signify for you to release him, which you did as you watched him as he made his way over to the computer, pressing play as a video began playing from the projector that began with some emotional music whilst pictures of you and Iida flashed before your eyes while every once in a while bold lettering would spread saying the sweetest shit like:

‘Under a cherry blossom tree three years ago stood a person I had no idea would later become my best friend. Someone I couldn’t possibly live without or be away from for an extensive period of time without worrying about their well being but I know that they know I only mean well when I do so.

‘But as of this year, 2020, I had troubles trying to think of what to get them as I would spoil them rotten under the radar which’ll most definitely earn me a scolding later today. If it wasn’t for Izuku and Uraraka for giving me this idea during my time of stress, I don’t know what I would’ve done.’

Before another barrage of photos and videos of you both either inside or outside the academy, being either falsely stern at each other and laughing about it seconds after or just pulling funny faces at the camera.

‘So I decided to take their idea and make a presentation on how much (y/n) (l/n)’s frienship means to me so I’m going to summarise it on a sentence before the next section of pictures cuts in.’

You chuckled at this.

‘(Y/n)’s friendship means everything to me and I would never trade it for anything.’

So as the last load of pictures and or videos came to an end one last paragraph showed itself over an uncomfortably zoomed in picture of your face such drew a hysterical laugh from your lips, a sweet release from all the crying you’ve been doing through out it all as nostalgia swept you off your feet and carried you down memeory lane of each individual picture and or video. You truly didn’t know where you’d be without having this sapphire eyed male beside you...you truly didn’t.

‘(Y/n). Your friendship was and always will be the greatest thing I’ve ever experienced and I hope that even well into adulthood we still uphold this tradition for as long as we can, I never wish to loose the unique relationship we’ve built overtime due to the lack of communication, it’s something I’d be stupid to give up, so I hope you enjoy the next gift that, honestly costed a pretty penny but was most defiantly worth it as it symbols out frienship and how it’s so unique it had to be crystallised. Happy friend anniversary (y/n), here’s to many more’

- Tenya Iida.

Tenya then knelt next to you as he hands you a small box, gesturing you to open it with a nod of his head as he wiped away the tears that had gathered within his eyes over the presentation and the waves of nostalgia that wished over him and how even through the worst of days you both stuck together like gorilla glue.

You opened the beautifully presented box to see this:

“A Swarovski Crystal?!” You exclaimed as you dangled the necklace in front of your blurry eyes as you admired hoe it glistened under the light, “Tenya Iida, you beautiful bastard help me get this on please.” You sniffled as you unclasped the necklace, handing it to Iida who sat himself behind you, shifting hair out of the way as he clasped the necklace as you felt the center price rest upon the middle of your chest as you gazed down at it in awe, wiping away the tears that cascaded down your cheeks like a waterfall as you were riddlers with emotions that you just thought ‘fuck it’ and tackled Tenya into a hug as you cried into him; saying how you didn’t deserve such a friend as loyal as him and thanked him for being born, how blessed you were to have him in your life which made Iida collapse into a heap of tears himself, while unknownst to you, the rest of your class stood on the stair way, smiling at your sweet moment before evacuating the area to give you both some privacy.

Later down the line you and Iida may or may not have gotten married later on in life and would be spending your third anniversary underneath a familiar cherry blossom tree, the same exact one where you first met all those years back.

[rafivadafreddy]

I Wonder

A Rafael Barba and Amelia ‘Emma’ Herrera Story.

Summery: Amelia ‘Emma’ broke up with Rafael when he was 18 and she was just 16. He left for Harvard and Emma left for Italy two years later when she graduated. Fast-forward Fourteen years when Emma and Rafael run into each other again. Will there still be sparks between the two or have they both changed too much to be together again?

Not gonna be a long fic. Maybe just a few parts.

Word Count: 2,027

Warnings: Uhm. Cursing?(Is that even a warning? Who doesn’t curse.) Spanish... Italian. I don’t know

"Rafi! Don't you understand! I'm doing this because I care about you!" Emma begged the man to understand. "You got a scholarship to Harvard! I still have two years of school left. You should go and enjoy your full ride out of this place!" she cupped his cheeks with her hands and brushed her thumbs under his eyes where she could see the tears forming. Heck, Emma had to force herself not to cry. She had to break up with Rafael, what could she offer him once he ups and leaves for Harvard? She was just a silly sixteen-year-old who was madly in love with him. Yet when she heard him talking to Eddie and Alex about refusing the offer to leave and find a college closer to home... because of her. She knew she had to stop him.

"Pero cariño. it's fine..."(wait sweetie) he tried to speak, but Emma covered his lips with her own one last time.

"Please... go be somebody in this life, Rafael. You deserve it, you worked way too hard for this scholarship to throw it away." She spoke quietly. "Besides, I'm not anywhere near as smart as you are. I'll be in a local college here in two years. Probably still trying to figure out what to do with my life. Not you though, you just go and be happy." Emma nodded before taking a step back away from Rafael. Turning to see her mother calling her down the street from their apartment building. Emma sighed and squeezed her eyes shut. 

"adiós mi amor..."(Goodbye my love.) she whispered before turning around and running home. Ignoring Rafael as he called after her. 

That summer, Amelia spent every day working and doing whatever she could to avoid Rafael. She couldn't confront him. She had gone to his graduation in secrecy. Only to leave in tears when she saw Yelina throw herself in his arms and kiss his cheek repeatedly. She should have known, Yelina was Rafael's age, they were both gorgeous and smart. Why wouldn't Rafael want to be with someone like her? Why he kept trying to talk to Amelia was beyond her. Amelia only knew that she wasn't about to fall for his words.

By the time school was back, Emma focused on her schoolwork, even starting to do theater. Becoming a star student quickly, earning the leading roles, and ending up having an amazing rest of the school year. Eddie Garcia would come to each show of hers, supporting the young girl. The two, after Rafael left, became close friends. Especially when Eddie found out that Amelia's mother had a new boyfriend who paid close attention to Emma. So, Eddie would always be over and acting as he was her boyfriend. Right until her graduation came and her grandmother handed Amelia a plane ticket with a smile.

"Go see the world niña..."(Little girl) she said and when Emma saw it was a one-way ticket to Italy. She nodded and hugged her grandmother.

A week later, standing at the airport with Eddie. Her luggage already having been handed off. She hugged the man who kept her safe for the last two years. Kissing his cheek, Emma was off with a backpack over her shoulders heading to her gate. Ready for an adventure.

As she sat in the seat of the plane, watching out the small window. A tear rolling down her cheek, she softly sang under her breath. "I wonder, it's frightening... Leaving now, is that the right thing? I wonder, it scares me, but who the hell am I if I don't even try... I'm not a coward. Oh no, I'll be strong." 

✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼

For the first two years, Amelia worked night and day to learn the language and live comfortably in a neighborhood in Verona called Valdonega. A cute little place that was still a nice walking distance from the city center. Enrolling in college, doing what she needed, Emma went for her Doctors degree. Working at cafes and restaurants to pay for everything. Along with the help from her grandma now and then.

Emma loved her life. As the years passed, she graduated and soon went to medical school and got her doctors degree in pediatrics. Finding a steady job at a hospital where she could use both her English and Italian, even her Spanish every now and again for her three year pediatrics residency. Emma just enjoyed life. Going to the Theater with her friends, working or just staying home in her little apartment. Things were going amazingly for the girl who came all the way from the Bronx. When nine years slowly passed, and Emma found herself celebrating her Thirtieth birthday with a few friends. That's when she knew what she had to do. Breaking the news of her move after one stressful shift. Emma was heading back home. Back to New York. She had done everything she needed to do to complete her pediatrics training. Now was the right time to move on.

Eddie had been excited when she emailed him two days back, the two never lost contact over the years. He even joked about her getting there in time for his wedding, something she would try to do. 

It took two weeks to sort everything out. But soon enough Amelia was on a plane heading back to New York. Back to the Bronx where a room was waiting for her at her grandmother's apartment. After Twenty-Four hours of flying and making connecting flights. Emma was sure she looked like crap when finally grabbing her luggage and heading out of the airport. She only smiled when she saw a familiar face. 

"Ciao Eddie! Come te la passi?"(Hi Eddie! How are you doing?) she grinned as she spoke Italian with the man. Who didn't look one bit bothered at all. Instead of replying, Eddie hugged Emma tightly. 

During the car ride to the Bronx, the two friends chatted. About her life in Italy, how she had a slight accent. Eddie even teasing Emma on not knowing anymore Spanish. Which earned him a punch in the arm. Amelia learned about Yelina's cheating on Rafael with Alex, during the whole relationship. Then the wedding that took place a year after the breakup. Not that Emma commented on those facts very much. What could she say? It’s been over ten years since she spoke to Rafael. Emma honestly doubted he wanted anything to do with her. Not that she would blame him. His first girlfriend dumps him -even though it was for his good- and ghosts him. His next girlfriend cheats on him with his best friend four months into their relationship of almost a year and a half and then dumps him. 

Looking out the window, Emma just bit her lip. Knowing full well she couldn't stay long at the Bronx. She would find a job at a hospital, having a bachelor's degree in nursing, and experience working in a hospital from her time in Verona. Emma was certain she could do it. 

After Eddie's wedding, something she was shocked to not see Rafael at. She soon found herself working at Bellevue at the Pediatrician ward and the E.R. After her move to Manhattan, away from the Bronx. Even though it was her home, she was just not used to it anymore. Living in a cute apartment with a roommate who Emma got along with right off the bat. Life was going great. Never realizing that every now and then a certain Cuban, green-eyed man would pass her by on the streets. But one never saw the other.

✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼　 ҉ 　✼

Before Emma knew it, four years had passed since moving back to New York. One cold November morning, while standing in line at a coffee shop while texting Eddie. Waiting for the line to move, except some people just never know what they want. Causing Emma to curse and lookup. It was Seven in the morning and she had just gotten off a thirty-three-hour shift from the ER that was non-stop thanks to the huge accident that happened the night before. Amelia felt as if she would fall asleep then and there. Only ‘cause she worked an extra three hours.

"Oh, come on... " she rolled her head back and felt her neck pop. Answering her phone when it rang, the girl sighed. "Eddie Garcia! Stop calling me! I'm cranky, sleepy, and still in my scrubs, and its fucking freezing outside!" she snapped once she heard the man on the other end of the call laugh. "Tu Hijo de puta! Call me again and I won't babysit your spawn."(You son of a bitch!) Emma added, feeling a headache come on and she just sighed. Finally stepping forward and placed in her coffee order and asking for a deli sub. All while Eddie was telling her about the party for his son next and that she had to go. Emma agreed to before hanging up and waiting for her order. 

"Amelia Herrera?" a voice spoke next to her, sounding shocked. Emma already knowing that it wasn't her order being called out. Mostly because she was certain she didn't give her last name. So, turning on her heel, her eyes almost bugged out when she saw him standing there.

"Rafael Barba..." she said quietly, "Figlio di puttana..."(Son of a bitch.) she added and smiled slightly. "Ha sido un tiempo..."(It's been a while.) she frowned, thinking about how it's been around sixteen years since she’s had last seen him.

The two just stared at each other, not sure what to say. When her coffee and sandwich was handed off to her, Amelia thanked the guy and turned back to see Rafael. Taking him in. The fancy suit, briefcase in hand, hell she could practically feel the authority and sense of purpose just by the way he stood. Emma suddenly feeling very self-conscious. Knowing damn well her hair looked like a bird’s nest and her nurse’s scrubs were dirty from her shift. She had forgotten to bring a second pair of clothes when she got into work the night before.

“Yeah, it has been a while.” She heard Rafael speak after what seemed like an eternity. “You look… interesting. New look?” he said, looking her over with a smirk. Causing Emma to let out a snort.

“Oh yeah, what do you think? Think I can pull off this messy nurse look?” she said sarcastically, grinning at the man in front of her.

“I think you should maybe try another look. This one does nothing for your appearance.” He chuckled softly, “I have to get going… but we should meet for coffee... or lunch and catch up some time?” he offered and Amelia bit down on her lip before nodding.

Handing over her phone so he could add his number, Amelia watched as Rafael called his own number, so he’d have her number as well. Smiling as she was handed her phone back. Emma pocketed the device and picked up her bag and coffee. Taking a sip. She nodded.

“Right… so I’ll text you? Or… you’ll text me?” she laughed softly and ran a hand through her hair and drank more of her coffee.

After the slightly awkward goodbye, Emma dashed out of the coffee shop and walked down the sidewalk. Heading to her apartment building. As soon as she arrived, Emma ate her sub and drowned the rest of the coffee before going to shower. It was nearing Eight in the morning when Emma finally laid in her bed and slept. Waking up hours later, Emma glared at the time that read it was past Five already in the evening. Sitting up and seeing her phone notifying her she had a message. Emma grabbed it off the charger and checked out who messaged her. Smiling, she leaned against her beds headboard and messaged back. Agreeing to meet up for drinks, Emma laid back in bed and decided to sleep another hour. Setting her alarm, she closed her eyes and easily fell back asleep.

chapter two

[agentmarymargaretskitz]

Vlogger Gary, annoyance at first sight.

Happy birthday! I know I’m very badly late but I still hope you enjoy this a little!

For the rest of you, consider an AU where Zari wasn’t the only one whose timeline got changed by Heyworld.

Ao3

“John!”

Someone grabbed his am, and he spun around as Gary called his name again. The other man looked stressed out and panicked, even more so than he usually did.

“What, Gary?” he snapped. Neron and Tabitha were gone, Nate was back, and the world was safe. There was no reason for him to be this anxious.

“The timeline’s changing,” Gary babbled as everyone continued to celebrate and cheer around them. “And because of that, my timeline is changing. Rip recruited me from the future. I’m a kid right now, somewhere out in that crowd, and I’m about to disappear and I’m scared.”

It was a lot to process in a short amount of time, but John shook his head.

“You’re not gonna disappear,” he promised, grabbing Gary into a tight hug. “You’re gonna be fine, you hear? You’re going to be fine.”

“Of course, I’m fine!”

              John frowned as he was pulled back from the hug. For a moment, he drew a blank on the man in front of him. Then he remembered exactly who he was. Jeffery Green, but JJ to anyone he ever met. He worked at a museum in the future and had been picked up with the Tarazi siblings when Kuasa was after their totem.  An obscure mixture of brains and chaotic energy that had saved everyone’s lives time and time again, not to mention a close friend to John.

“You saved Nate, man!” JJ cheered, slapping him on the back.

John grinned, but still felt like something had been lost in all this.

~~~~

“I can’t believe you talked me into going on this with you,” John grumbled as he walked down the hallway with Behrad. “You could have gotten anyone else- Ava, Nate, JJ?”

“Dealing with the team, my sister’s ex, and refused to go as soon as I mentioned the word influencers. You’re my only available hope of sanity tonight.”

“You wanted to come to this, Behrad,” Zari reminded him from the front. “You always keep asking what the big deal with these is all about. Now I get to show you around my life and people can hear how my little brother is an awesome superhero.”

Behrad glared. “You’re not telling anyone about that.”

“Are you sure? Because people would love to-”

“I don’t want to be on display, Zari. You know this. That’s why we went on the ship-”

              John tuned out the sibling bickering as the sound of muffled music grew louder. They had been fighting a lot more since Heyworld had reignited Zari’s desire to be in the spotlight. The attention and the documentary crew that had been on the ship gave her a taste for it again. She’d been off the ship more often now to film videos or attend events like this one. JJ was even struggling to keep her aboard, and he was always the one with ideas that made her want to stay on the ship.

              Things had been different since Heyworld somehow. It wasn’t the attention or the documentary crew or Ava moving in and Mona leaving. Something had changed and John couldn’t figure out what it was. It felt as though someone was missing, but no one else seemed to notice it. Although Gideon did have a problem with some phantom data, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary besides the feeling that something wasn’t quite right.

“And here we are,” Zari waved at two doormen. “This is going to be fun.”

              The doors were opened up to the trio, who entered behind Zari. The whole room was lit up in purple and music pulsed around them. Huge banners advertising eyeshadow or something were on every wall along with a massive one from the ceiling. So many people filled the room, all standing out in some way. It nearly overwhelming just standing there without engaging.

Zari, however, was unaffected. This was her world, after all. “Come on, go mingle. I’ll find you when it’s time to go.”

“Is there a bar here?” John shouted to her over the music.

“Yeah, over there, I think.”

“Great, bye.”

              John followed in the direction that Zari had gestured, squeezing through the throngs of people clustered together or dancing. When he finally got there and asked for whiskey, the bartender looked almost relieved. Probably pleased he didn’t have to make some fancy ass drink like the ones he’d seen some people with. Who the hell needed a color-changing cocktail with a glow stick in it?

“Haven’t seen you before,” someone said as he accepted the whiskey.

              John turned and nearly rolled his eyes at the man taking a seat next to him. Clearly, he was one of these influencers JJ had been so desperate to avoid. He was wearing a turquoise suit over a gold shirt and had two studs piercing his right eyebrow. Behind the glasses with frames matching his suit, dark brown eyes loaded with eyeliner looked him up and down. This wasn’t just an appreciate glance, but one that seemed to be trying to profile him.

Something tugged in John’s gut, but he wasn’t sure what it was. Probably disgust of being cornered by an influencer or celebrity or whatever the hell this guy was. “First time. Came with a friend.”

“Anyone I might know?” the man pried as he accepted a glass of something that smelled like lavender and was the color of daffodils.

Now John rolled his eyes. “Zari Tarazi.”

“The Dragon Girl?” the man gasped. “Is she finally coming back into the spotlight? I’ve missed seeing her around. She always adds such class with events like this. And you said you were a friend? Lucky!”

John shrugged as he took a drink. He guessed they counted as friends. “I just came for the moral support. I take it you must be part of some circus with that suit?”

The man snickered. “Cute. I’m in the entertainment business too. I’m Gary. Maybe you’ve heard of my videos? Probably more of the spooky ones than the makeup tutorials. You know Beyond Our World? Exploring unsolved mysteries and other otherworldly events.”

“Definitely not,” John shook his head. “You cater to the conspiracy theorists, huh? Good for you.”

“Actually, the ‘Green Beans’, which my fans love to call themselves, have all kind of viewpoints when it comes to conspiracies,” Gary told him. “It’s the interest that brings people in, not their beliefs. Interest is what always brings people in to see the videos.”

“So how much in your videos is fake?” John asked. “You make up evidence to get people to believe in the things that go bump in the night, huh?”

Gary scowled at him. “How dare you, when you haven’t even seen anything I’ve-”

“I don’t need to see a thing,” John snapped, getting out of the seat and facing the man. “And you know why?”

Gary sat there, no emotion showing on his face.

“I know because I’ve seen it all. Ghosts, demons, villains raised from hell. I’ve walked in the shadows. They’re real, but no one ever believes in it. If they did, they’d all be panicking. There wouldn’t be a party. So I don’t need your content. You have nothing.”

Now Gary stood up. He had only an inch on John, but John was struggling to look him in the eyes when he noticed the hideous lime green loafers.

“I have enough,” Gary told him. “I don’t need you to bring me down. Sorry, Zari’s friend.”

He walked away into the crowd. John watched him go and finished the rest of the whiskey. The funny feeling he’d had before was back.

“Now is not the time for you to be standing around like some hapless idiot!”

              John clenched his head as the words, his words echoed in his ears. Something flashed in his head. Trying to hold Neron off with magic and shouting at someone. It was Gary, except looking more like he was with the government. He looked hurt and distraught.

That wasn’t right though. He’d called JJ an idiot and the other man had taken a swing that knocked him out. They’d buried the hatchet about it and moved on. But now that…didn’t feel right at all.

“Hey,” a hand slapped him on the shoulder as Behrad came up beside him. “We’re leaving.”

“Yes,” John exhaled and turned to face the other man. “Please, get me out of here. Where’s Zari?”

Behrad pointed to where his older sister was heading for the door. “She’s got a head start.”

“Then we better catch up.”

They started off in the direction Zari was headed, unaware that they had a tail.

~~~~

“You okay, man?”

John glanced over to see JJ entering the library. As he did, he flickered for a brief second, appearing as the normal version of that Gary guy. He recoiled in confusion and JJ frowned at him.

“Definitely going to take that as a not okay. Was it that influencer party?”

“Yeah, something happened there. Picked an argument with someone. At least it was an open bar.”

“Exactly why I avoid those things,” JJ snapped his fingers at John just as Zari walked by. “Not even for you, my dearest Zari!”

“You’re worse than Behrad,” Zari stuck her tongue out as she joined them. “So you got into a fight? Spill!”

“It wasn’t a fight. I just disagreed with him peddling lies and exciting conspiracy theorists.”

JJ got a funny look on his face as Zari leaned forward. “What did he look like? Did you get his name? Real or screenname, I can clap him on CatChat.”

“It’s not worth it. I just felt funny around him.”

“Ooooo,” JJ hopped up to squat on his chair. “Was he a demon? An Encore? An alien?”

Zari smirked. “Or did you have a crush on him?”

“But monsters, Zari! Look at all the fugitives we’ve met in the past year!”

“But feelings, JJ. Even John has them.”

Thunk!

              All three of them went quiet at the sound above them. John held a finger to his lips and started looking at the ceiling. JJ climbed out of his chair quietly and started examining the ceiling as well. Zari also was helping and had decided to start recording. Everything was silent, until there was a series of thumps that went across the ceiling and out the door. The trio looked at each other and then ran after the noise.

              They made their way down the halls of the ship, following the sounds into Mick’s room. He wasn’t there, which was probably a good thing. John looked around the room for anything that they could use, but JJ had already found a crowbar and was prying off the cover. As soon as it fell onto the ground, John climbed on Mick’s chair and peering into the open airduct. There was nothing one way, so he turned in other direction.

              He only saw the bottom of the shoe a moment before it smacked him in the face. John dropped out of the airduct and lost his footing on the chair. He felt himself crash downward and another body come tumbling out to land on him. It was gone after two seconds and JJ was helping him onto his feet while Zari screamed about a stowaway.

              John stumbled out the room and saw a flash of green disappear around a corner. He hurried after it until he caught sight of a familiar lime green. When he turned the corner, John stopped to see Mick holding that influencer Gary tightly as he tried to squirm away. He must have followed them back to the Waverider from the party.

“This is all real!” Gary was screaming, his hand still flailing about with a phone in it. “I found proof of…something. If I die, tell my cats I love them!”

John strode forward and grabbed the phone away from him. “This is all fake, just like him.”

Gary glared at John. “It’s not enough to insult my work to my face, but now you do it on my videos?”

“Shut up!” Mick ordered them. “Who are you?”

“Wow, really? Maybe you two are aliens if you don’t know Beyond Our World?”

“If you’re as annoying on it as you are right now, then I’m glad I’ve never heard of it, Larry,” John smirked.

“It’s Gary! Gary Green, you asshole!”

A shrill scream came from down the hallway before Zari ran up to join the crowd. “You don’t know Gary Green?!”

Gary looked up. “Zari Tarazi?”

“Mick, you can let him go,” Zari told him. “Guys, Gary Green is one of the biggest vloggers. He does the most amazing videos for true crime and supernatural stuff, plus a few make-up ones. We did a collab once. It was awesome”

“Zari?” JJ called out. “Is everything okay?”

“It’s fantastic!” Zari squealed as JJ came around the corner. “JJ, you have to see this. It’s Gary Green!”

JJ froze once he got a glimpse of the man Mick was now letting go. “Gary?”

Gary gaped up at him, his mouth opening and closing for a few moments before he finally was able to speak. “JJ?”

John turned to him. “Do you know him?”

“Nope!” JJ turned around, but Behrad had come up to join them and he ran into him. “Oh, come on!”

“What’s going on?” Behrad asked. “JJ? Zari? John?”

“He snuck on the ship,” John pointed to Gary. “He’s some celebrity or whatever.”

“I have a very successful brand and channel!” Gary pouted.

“He’s the male version of Zari,” Behrad muttered.

“I know you meant that as rude, but it’s true,” Zari nodded. “But how does he know you, JJ?”

JJ mumbled something.

“What’s that?” John asked.

“I said he’s my brother,” JJ repeated. “This is my brother, Gary.”

Everyone was silent, taking in the information. No one was really sure how to react to the new information connecting JJ to their stowaway.

Zari deciding to snap a selfie with a confused Gary was probably not the most appropriate though.

[ohshcscenerios]

FIRST KISS! Is it soft and tentative or does one of them just go for it? He wants to be respectful but he also want to show her is real feelings.

Wow, I honestly did not expect this one simple one-shot to take me all day to write. It’s almost embarrassing. I can’t explain it, once I began writing it was like I couldn’t stop. I apologize for the length (2,690 words to be exact) but this story demanded to be written in this fashion. I hope you enjoy and thank you for the lovely prompt :)

“Haruhi-kun, please accept this cake. I had our patisserie make is specifically for your tastes.” A raven haired heiress offered the small delicacy in her open palms. The petite cake glistened with strawberry glaze and thinly sliced strawberries; the halved slices arranged on top to resemble a heart. The dessert was encased in a glass container, for both hygienic and aesthetic reasons, with the finishing touch of a thin spiraled green ribbon.

Haruhi nodded gratefully with a genuine smile and accepted the gift with both hands. “Thank you so much Himari-san. You remembered I like strawberries.”

Himari giggled as a growing blush stained her cheeks, “Yes, how could I forget?”

Another guest, one sitting beside Haruhi on her hosting couch, reached into a paper bag and brought forth a slim bundle of freshly cut lavender.

“Forgive me, Haruhi-kun, but I didn’t know you liked strawberries. I had one of my father’s associates gather this lavender from France’s finest fields. I hope it brings you as much joy.”

Haruhi could only stare at the two guests sitting before her. Their gifts were extravagant, carefully considered, purchased with the highest dollar, and yet the two young heiresses were too consumed by Haruhi’s reaction to admire the treasures they offered.

A year ago Haruhi never dreamed of being offered such riches. A year ago she was an invisible commoner surviving in the shadows of her peers, completely content with avoiding any meaningful friendships or encounters to graduate Ouran Academy. A year ago she was set on a strict path towards her dream of becoming a lawyer; a path that sacrificed more than it promised. However today Haruhi felt more than content; she was living, thriving. Thanks the Host Club, six asinine young men, and a broken vase she watched her life gain color and beauty once more. She never noticed how unhappy she truly was until she laughed, smiled, and dreamed again, all thanks to the rambunctious Host Club. She had also learned to recognize the first whispers of love, thanks to one host in particular.

Their hosting hours were wrapping up and soon Kyoya stood in the room’s center and clapped his hands for everyone’s undivided attention.

“Pardon my intrusion ladies but unfortunately our time is up for the day. We thank you for today and hope to see you after the weekend break.” He jovially announced. Haruhi knew he was hiding his impatience behind a faux smile but only she – and a few others – could notice that damning detail.

On a normal day the hosts wouldn’t try to rush their guests but today wasn’t a normal day, to Haruhi’s grievance. Somehow Kyoya had remembered that it was her birthday and once word caught up to Tamaki the entire Host Club flew into disarray. Phone calls were made, orders were placed, and Haruhi’s debt balanced on a thin wire above showing appreciation for their efforts and cursing their wealthy foolishness. She knew it was best to let the Host Club shower her with fancy nonsense, if not for her then for their satisfaction.

The guests gathered their belongings and filed out of the music room, a little miffed at Kyoya’s pushy goodbyes. When the last guest entered the hallway the twins quickly closed the doors.

“Officially closed!” They unanimously cheered with identical devious grins, steering their sights on Haruhi who busied herself with collecting her birthday gifts into her satchel.

Tamaki sauntered to her couch with his arms theatrically raised to the ceiling, “Oh Haruhi, how should we commemorate the day of your birth? Fear not, we planned a wonderful evening just for you! Isn’t that right Kyoya?”

Kyoya slid his laptop into its sleeved and shook his head as he sighed, “Tamaki did most of the planning so I will not be held responsible for any mishaps or disappointments tonight.”

“What do you have planned exactly, Tamaki-senpai?” Haruhi couldn’t catch the annoyance laced in her tone before she spoke, nailing Tamaki’s optimism in the chest with her ruthless honesty.

Hikaru chuckled, “Milord, you should learn by now that Haruhi doesn’t like surprises.”

Kaoru leaned against his brother and laughed along, “Yeah don’t get too bent out of shape. It’s not like she’ll change anytime soon.”

Haruhi smiled to herself – if only they knew how much she had changed since their first encounter. The old Haruhi settled on a passive life. If only her friends understood how much they blessed her, impacted her, and taught her. They brought her back to life and saved her from the grips of normalcy. It wasn’t until after she joined the Host Club when she realized she wanted more in life. She would have never been satisfied with only a law degree. Once she graduated what would become of her? Once she got hired onto a law firm where would she press onto next? When she clocked out of work who would she return to? What would be patiently waiting behind her front door to make her daily grind worth the stress and headaches? She never thought to ask those questions before but now she yearned for the answers.

Kyoya’s voice broke her from her thoughts, “Haruhi, are you ready to go? That benevolent fool filled the next few hours to the brim with activities. I apologize but it appears your birthday is more tailored for his energy than yours.” He adjusted his glasses as he watched Tamaki boast about his careful planning, carrying on in great detail all the wonderful things he wanted Haruhi to experience. He claimed her commoner heart would be most thankful for the opportunities waiting beyond the music room. Thankfully his back was turned and didn’t see Haruhi dramatically roll her eyes.

Haruhi felt the neighboring couch cushion dip as Hunny plopped beside her. He looked at her with his bright innocent eyes, although Haruhi knew Hunny to be far from innocent, and wrapped his slim arms around her waist.

“Haru-chan! Can you stay behind for a few minutes?”  He asked sweetly.

Haruhi pointed at Kyoya, confused, “I thought we were about to leave.”

Kyoya picked up his satchel and made his way to the door. Without looking back his voice echoed off the walls, “Tamaki, Hikaru, Kaoru, come with me. It’ll take three men to set up the first surprise anyway.”

Hikaru and Kaoru marched close behind with growing scowls, “What do you mean three? You’re helping too!” They trailed Kyoya’s steps and argued over the work load until their distant voices faded in the hallway.

Tamaki also gathered his satchel and raced toward the open double doors. Before he stepped into the hallway he turned around and offered a confident smile for Haruhi; silently promising an exciting evening of celebration. Haruhi didn’t want to think about the inevitable headache Tamaki’s antic would surely create.

Haruhi stood up and joined Hunny at his designated table where he was happily finishing a piece of German chocolate cake. It was a bizarre flavor for the boy lolita but one his guests had returned from an American vacation and brought back the unique delicacy. Hunny’s broad smile proved he enjoyed it all the same.

Haruhi sat down across from him, “You wanted me to stay behind Hunny-senpai?”

Hunny swallowed another bite of caramelized coconut and pecan frosting and fluffy chocolate cake before setting his fork aside and addressing the curious host maiden.

“Actually, I don’t really have anything to say.” He confessed. He reached for a cloth napkin and dabbed the corners of his mouth clean of his sweet indulgence.

Haruhi arched an eyebrow and looked at him confused, “Then why did you-.”

“Takashi wanted to tell you something instead.” Hunny unapologetically interrupted as he leapt from his seat and landed with a soft thud. “He’s changing back into his school uniform right now but in a few minutes he’ll want to give you something for your birthday.”

“Shouldn’t we wait until this evening for gifts?” Haruhi tried to reason, feeling an awkwardness growing between them. Hunny’s dishonesty did surprise her. He made sure to be an example for his friends; noble and wise. Although he could act just as childish as the foolish trio he also kept one foot in maturity. However, what was stranger was the fact that Takashi wanted to give her a gift, especially now before the other hosts had a chance to present theirs.

Hunny grabbed his Us-chan from the neighboring chair and threw his satchel strap over his shoulder before quickly skipping out of the music room; joining his friends by the main entrance and leaving a deeply confused Haruhi leaning against the tabletop.

She heard a click from the far wall and first noticed a brass doorknob twisting. The storage marked door opened slowly, revealing a tall young man stepping from the shadowed room. Haruhi abruptly stood up, forcing the chair legs to screech against the polished tile. Watching Mori step towards her made her acutely aware of how secluded they were. It was after school hours so neither student nor teacher dared stayed longer then they needed to, especially on a Friday afternoon. With their friends waiting by the main entrance left the two completely alone – perhaps in the entire school. The thought alone made her nervous.

It wasn’t that she felt intimidated by the towering host but the opposite. She couldn’t describe her feelings in a coherent way. Her thoughts towards Mori weren’t tangible. They couldn’t be expressed by the written word or captured on canvas. The blurry emotions clouded her rationality, nearly disarming her witty defenses. Takashi stood as the only host who could make her breath hitch simply by walking into a room and there he stood now, a few feet away while unspoken questions and unaddressed feelings filled the space between them.

“Haruhi,” Takashi said. He was a little surprised she agreed to stay behind for him. While he gathered his confidence in the storage room he half-accepted the possible truth that she’d reject his gift and leave to join the others. Seeing her stand beside his cousin’s table filled him with immediate relief and strangely a second wind of courage.

Haruhi moved first and walked toward him.

“Hunny-senpai said you have a gift for me and asked that I wait for you. It’s really sweet of you to give me a gift Mori-senpai but I don’t understand why you didn’t want to wait until later.” She said almost nonchalantly which made Mori want to chuckle. He should have known she could be just as blunt even when she was nervous.

Mori nodded and offered his hand. His open palm only deepened her confusion. Why would he want her to stay behind if he had nothing to give? The most she expected from Mori was a handwritten card or a basket of fresh fruits for her to take home to share with her father. However nothing was stranger than strange.

Then a thought tickled the forefront of her mind. Perhaps he wasn’t giving her something but rather asking for something instead. She looked up to meet his steely gray eyes and saw anxious uncertainty clouding his strikingly dark irises, confirming her suspicion. She hesitantly placed her smaller hand into his and watched wide-eyed as his fingers encased her hand in his hold. Mori knelt down on one knee before her, nearly meeting her at eye level, and stared into her milk chocolate eyes. His gaze was intense as if he were speaking to her; wordlessly confessing his heart.

Haruhi’s eyes grew wider when he slowly leaned forward and pressed his soft lips into her dorsal, lingering long enough for an electric pulse to course through her arm.

“Takashi…” Haruhi barely whispered. Immediately she pulled her hand from his grasp and covered her mouth, completely embarrassed for rudely speaking his given name without the proper honorific. His unforeseen kiss had stunned her so much she stepped out of her sound mind, accidentally insulting her senpai in the end.

Mori just as quickly reached her for hands and gently pried them from her parted lips.

“Takashi.” He said with a small smile, willing her to understand that is what he hoped she’d call him at the end of their encounter. Hearing her sweet voice speak his given name was like musical ecstasy. It sparked goosebumps along his arms and dilated his pupils, proof that Haruhi Fujioka was the only young woman he knew who held such power over him.

“Haruhi… I…” Mori stammered, losing his confidence as he admired her beauty. He swore he could see galaxies churning in her eyes; the evening sunlight casting millions of stars across her chocolate irises.

Before he completely lost his footing he dared to take a chance and held her slender face within his calloused hands. He closed the space between them and grazed his lips against hers, testing her reaction. He held himself inches away, giving her plenty of time to protest, but she didn’t. She didn’t speak, she didn’t move, she didn’t turn to run. Her eyes searched his for a moment before settling on his lips. It was enough initiative. He dove back and pressed his lips against hers, this time with more passion.

Haruhi gasped and Mori took advantage of her parted lips, slipping in his hot tongue to meet hers. She curiously tasted him, merging their slick heat together in a rare form of dance; a dance for lovers. She licked his lip and grazed his tongue again, coaxing an interesting moan from his throat. His hands slid through her hair to hold her head steady as he kissed her, nipped her, licked her, and greedily captured her delicate lips for his own pleasure.

She tasted so sweet, so pure, that it almost felt like a sin to have stolen this innocence. Although she gave her first kiss to a girl many months ago she had never given away such raw emotion and fervent need before. The accidental kiss at the ball seemed like mere lip contact now that Haruhi felt the true power of a real kiss. It was electrifying. It almost breathed life into her tired lungs as they shared one breath. It was rejuvenating. She had found the fountain of youth in Mori’s lips and he willingly gave her a drink. Her thirst grew the more she savored his thick lips.

His hands abandoned her head and quickly snaked around her petite waist, anchoring her in his arms. His tight embrace was almost desperate. Now that he held her so close he couldn’t let her walk away. Their merging body heat forced their skin to glisten with sweat but neither minded the minor inconvenience. It was a tempting idea to discard the offending the clothing altogether to feel the cool air relieve their blushing bodies. Oh it was tempting… but their friends were waiting at the main entrance.

Mori changed their kiss’s speed, gradually slowing them to a sensual rhythm. Their lips danced in playful snares until Mori reluctantly pulled away. For a moment all they could do was breathe. Their arousal emitted from their quickened breathes as he rested his forehead against hers.

“Mori-senai…” Haruhi mustered.

“Takashi.” Mori quickly corrected.

Haruhi took a deep breath, hoping to regain control over herself, and spoke again, “Takashi… is that what you wanted to give me?”

Mori smiled and nodded against her forehead, “Yes. Yes it is.”

Haruhi pulled away far enough to properly face him. His cheeks were deeply blushed, his lips swollen and slick with their shared saliva, and his eyes seemed to burn with lust and caged desire. His chest heaved has he too tried to calm his charged body down. It was surely a sight to see; the Host Club’s gentle giant brought to his knees by a little tanuki and reduced to his primal instincts.

“Thank you Takashi.” Haruhi leaned forward and placed a gentle kiss on his cheek, wordlessly accepting his love. Mori could only smile – a rare genuine smile – as she pulled back.

One year in the Host Club had taught Haruhi how to love life again. The Host Club unknowingly gave her a second chance to find her happiness again. Life was never meant to be wasted behind textbooks and exams. Life wasn’t meant to waste away in a law firm cubicle. Life wasn’t meant to be lived alone. 

One year ago Haruhi was content with that loneliness. She had accepted her fate to forever chase something just beyond her reach. However today, right here in Mori’s arms, she realized she’d never have to chase happiness again. 

She now knew who she’d clock out of work for. She now knew who she’d return home to. She now knew who would be waiting beyond her apartment’s front door. 

She first heard the whispers of love in the jungle when he first carried her in his arms. Today she heard their love sing to the Heavens, cascading from the ceiling in a mighty crescendo. 

“Come on,” Haruhi cupped his face with her hand and slid her fingers down his jawline, “Let’s meet the others.”

[cilldaracailin]

Friends Will Be Friends

And I am back with the next story in the Robyn and Taron series! I always seem to say the same thing over and over and over again but there isn’t any other way to say Thank you for all the reads, likes, loves and comments! I appreciate them all.

So moving on to the next part! Hope you all enjoy :)

1

“No distance of place or lapse of time can lessen the friendship of those who are thoroughly persuaded of each other's worth.”

Taron had barely stripped himself of his jacket when his doorbell rang. He had to find his balance when he stood on the strap of his duffle and lost his footing, jumping a little to regain his poise and jogged a to the door. He opened it and a grin filled his tired features.

“Hello chicken!”

“Hey Taron.”

He pulled Robyn in for a close hug and kissed her cheek, before wrapping her up in a very tight squishy cuddle.  “Come on in.” He stepped back and let Robyn walk into his home. “The journey was ok?” He asked slipping his hand onto the handle of her case and taking it off her, wondering a little why she needed to bring her large suitcase when she was only with him for two nights especially when she had brought a much smaller one for her night’s stay at Elton’s but didn’t question it, knowing there was probably a good reason why.

“Yeah it really good thank you. I didn’t have to rush packing this time.”

Taron brought her case in to his house and closed the door. “Welcome to my bachelor pad.” He grinned.

“How are you?” Asked Robyn as she looked at Taron, taking in his handsome but weary appearance, dressed in his blue jeans and a black hoodie.

“Don’t even get me started. What a fucking mess.”

Robyn laughed. It was becoming Taron’s catchphrase and she knew there was always a great story coming after he had said those particular four words. “Right go on. Tell me about it.”

“You want a tour first?” Asked Taron as left her case by his couch beside his own bag.

“No, I want to hear about the mess.”

“At least sit down first.” Taron gestured to his couch and Robyn sat in the corner, grinning as she took her coat off. “Don’t say it.” He laughed as he sat on the opposite end. “Don’t. I am currently looking to invest in a new one. A squishier one. Not an L one. I don’t have the space like you do but one you can sink into.”

“I am saying nothing. So, tell me about the mess.”

It was the weekend of Taron’s birthday celebrations with his family and Robyn had taken a half day at work and went straight to the airport to take a flight to Birmingham before taking the train to Aberystwyth and getting a taxi to Taron’s house. Taron himself had great intentions of meeting Robyn at the train station and taking the evening to show her around his home town, bringing her for dinner, but his flight from New York was horribly delayed and he had a car pick him up at the airport to try and make up for his lost time and literally arrived a minute before Robyn did, instead of five hours earlier. He was thoroughly exhausted and frustrated beyond belief with how his perfectly planned evening had been a disaster. Robyn had been her usual understanding and practical self when he called her from the airport in New York, telling him that they had most of Sunday to stroll around Aberystwyth and when they saw each other in a few hours, there was no point in rushing to get to dinner. Instead she suggested to him that they should chill on the couch for the evening and watch some TV and relax before they met with Taron’s family the next day, Robyn sure it was what he needed more than anything else especially after she had heard that his flight had been delayed.

“You look knackered Taron.” Smiled Robyn as she looked at her friend, trying to steer him away from the subject of the mess. “Works been hard huh?”

“I thought going just into dialogue would have been easier than the stunts. I was very wrong. It has been tough. Six am starts and long days. I forgot how gruelling it was. I was so excited to get to the airport this morning knowing we got to see each other and to see my family tomorrow but then I found out my flight was delayed. Sitting in the airport waiting and then on the plane waiting again just annoyed me. Just typical when we had plans. Do you think we will ever have a successful plan executed?” He asked with clear displeasure in his voice.

“So, you are annoyed and tired.” Robyn smiled as she watched his face frown and scowl with annoyance as he re-told the tale of his travelling that afternoon. He looked completely stressed out and she could tell he was extremely bothered by the whole experience as he spoke with his hands. “You need some serious head scratching.”

“Ugh that sounds like heaven at the moment but don’t you want to see around my flat first? You are literally just in the door and we have been sitting here talking about my travel disaster. Not the way I wanted our weekend to start.”

“Please don’t start worrying or stressing Taron. I am here, you are here. That is all that matters and I know you are pissed but I am delighted to have had a smooth travel day!”

Taron groaned and ran his hands down his face. “How about a drink?”

“No, I am good.”

“Robyn. You are in my home and I need to be a gracious host. I might not have a fridge of baked goods but I can get you something to drink.” Taron started to stand up but Robyn pulled on his hand and he sat back down.

“You have been on a long flight, sat in an airport for near five hours before you even got on the plane, probably been up at an ungodly hour and were on set till all hours last night and I can see the stress building quickly in your eyes. I don’t need anything but for you to relax. It’s your birthday weekend and your mother will know immediately if you haven’t slept and have a million things on your mind when you see her tomorrow.”

“She has already been on the phone to me, telling me I need to sleep and have a fresh face for tomorrow.”

Robyn grinned at him. “I am very much looking forward to meeting your mam and your sisters and step-dad.”

“Jesus my sisters haven’t stopped calling me all week to talk about it. You had better follow through with this promise of Elsa plaits.”

“Oh, don’t worry. I came prepared with bobbins.”

“And my mam is going to feed you for the whole day.”

“And show me baby pictures.”

Taron groaned. “As much as I am delighted to see you again so quickly, I don’t think this weekend is going to end well for me. When you and my mam get together, I see some serious girl talk about to happen.”

“I look forward to it. I don’t have a sister so I need to get a lot of girl talk in this weekend.”

“So how about that drink.” Asked Taron as he got up from the couch again but Robyn took his hand once more and made him sit back down.

“You need to try and relax. Let’s do some zen. Right follow me.” Robyn moved to sit crossed legged opposite him, as he pouted while he sat at the other side of the couch and pressing her thumbs against her index fingers of each hand, moved her hands in a downward motion in front of her face towards her stomach. “Shhh. Shhh.” She said closing her eyes. She opened one and looked at her friend and he was just sitting and staring at her. “Come on Taron! Zen with me!” Robyn did it again and barely made it through another when she started to laugh, Taron soon laughing with her, belly deep laughs coming from both of them. “Right so are you relaxed now?” She asked him. “Feel better?”

“Oh Robyn, you never cease to amaze me and make me smile. Yes, so much better. What on earth is that zen thing?” He asked her.

“One of the kids in preschool does it. It is very funny. Thought you needed a laugh.”

“I am so glad you are here this weekend. I need a bit of chill out time. It’s going to be fun.”

“Yes, it is.”

“Right so that drink and tour.” He said again but Robyn shook her head.

“It can wait. I have something for you and I want you to stay sitting.”

“Another gift? Seriously? We promised each other no gifts this weekend.”

“And I agreed to that.”

“Then what are you doing giving me something?”

“You will just have to wait and see. Have some patience.”

“Okie dokie.”

Robyn stood up and knelt in front of her case. She opened it and zipped the left side. On top of the few clothes she had brought, she had a wrapped present in black wrapping paper. She lifted it out and getting to her feet, sat beside Taron on the couch and handed it to him. “Happy Birthday.” She said smiling.

“Really?”

“What do you mean really Taron? It was your birthday two days ago.”

“You got me a present?”

“Is the concept of birthdays new to you? Generally, it’s a tradition on a birthday. You get a present.” She rose her eyebrow at him.

“You already rang me and sang happy birthday to me.”

“On your actually birthday day yes, but I didn’t get you a present.” She gently patted the top of the present that sat on his lap. “This is your birthday present.”

“Seriously Robyn?”

“Seriously Taron?” She repeated making her voice low.

“We agreed no gifts.”

“I know but it is your birthday weekend and this doesn’t fall under our conversation of not getting each other presents. It is a birthday present for your birthday so be quiet and say thank you.”

“Thank you, Robyn.” He said a little smirk on his lips.

“You are very welcome.”

“This is a huge present.” He said as he looked down to the large wrapped gift on his lap.

“Not really. Are you going to open it?” Asked Robyn. “Or do you want to me to tell you what is inside?”

“Don’t you dare. I am going to open it. It’s my birthday present. It’s squishy. Is it cwtch?”

“Cwtch still doesn’t have a passport and is waiting for his hypnotherapy to get over his fear of airplanes and flying.”

Taron laughed as he started to rip the black wrapping paper from the present Robyn had given him. “You didn’t.” Taron stopped pulling the paper from the present on his knees and looked at her before he made quick work of tearing all the paper off and throwing the wrapping on the floor beside him. “Robyn!” He exclaimed as he lifted up the grey teddy bear throw with white fleece lining. “You got me a throw just like yours.”

“Nope.”

“But that is what this is.”

“This is the throw.”

Taron looked to her confused. “The throw?” He looked down to the cosy blanket in his hands and then back to Robyn. He looked to his hands again and then picked up the corner of the throw down beside his legs. A piece of it was missing. The piece she had stuck into his memory book. “Robyn…” He breathed. “This is your throw from your couch.”

“Happy birthday.” She smiled.

“You gave me your throw?” He asked incredulously. “But you love this throw.”

“I know but I also know you love it too and it’s your favourite thing to snuggle with and sleep in and seeing as how you are back on set and are going to need to get as much sleep as you can, I thought maybe this will help you when you go back to New York. Also, there was a birthday card in that wrapping paper that you threw on the floor.”

Taron sheepishly grinned and bent down and routed through the paper and picked up the birthday card from the floor. He opened the envelope and the card, reading the sweet simple message inside. “Thank you Robyn but I can’t take this.” He said with his hands on the throw.

“Yes you can. I don’t have the receipt and there is a little corner cut out of it too and also someone kept sleeping in it so even if I wanted to return it I couldn’t.”

“Robyn this is your throw.”

“No, it is yours.”

“You love this throw.”

“No, I love my new throw.” She laughed. “I am kidding! I am kidding!” She said when she saw his face turn. “I want to give it to you Taron. I don’t have a new one but this one is for you.”

“But it’s from your couch.”

“I have cwtch to keep me warm and your hoodie. I want you to have this.”

Taron looked at her and knew he was fighting a losing battle. “Thank you Robyn. I love this throw.”

She grinned. “I know. I want you to bring it back to New York with you. I know it helps you sleep and you look like you need a lot of that.”

“I will and I do and it will help a lot.” Taron reached over and gave her a hug. “Thank you.”

Rubbing his back and dipping her fingers in his hair at his neck, she gave him a squeeze. “You are very welcome. Happy Birthday.”

“Would you like a tour now?”

“Sure.”

Taron took her hand, and leaving the throw on his couch and gave Robyn a full run down of flat. “No air con or rainfall shower but it’s home.” He said once he was finished and they were sitting on the bed in the guest room.

“It’s lovely Taron. I really like it here.”

“Thanks Robyn.”

“So where are you going to sleep?” He asked looking to her for a brief moment before turning his eyes to the ground.

“Sleep?”

“Hmm.”

“Well this room I would imagine.” She answered him. “It is your guest room and I am your guest.”

“Yeah?” He asked lifting his eyes to take in hers.

She furrowed her eyebrows and looked at him confused. “Yes? It’s a guest room. Where your guests sleep.” She saw him avoid her eyes again and start to fidget with his hands and then it clicked with her. “Ahh I see. You are getting used to sharing a bed with me.” She smiled. “Our previous sleeping arrangements were because of circumstances. I have one bed, granted it is a very big one and could probably sleep five people and Elton had one bed. Your home has two. I will take one and you can take yours. Are you pouting?” She asked laughing.

“No.” He sulkily replied.

“That is such a pout!” She nudged him with her shoulder. “I will sleep here and you will sleep in your own bed with your new throw. It makes sense Taron.”

“I thought I made a good pillow.”

“Absolutely you do, but now that there are two beds, I will be taking my own.”

“This is going to be weird.”

“Why?”

“We have always shared a bed.”

Robyn laughed and placed her hand on Taron’s arm. “Oh I am sorry for laughing Taron but you have such a sad little puppy dog look right now and it is absolutely adorable. Sure, we have always shared a bed but only because we had to. Now we don’t. I will happily sleep here.” Taron still looked terribly sad. “I will tell you what. You look utterly shattered so why don’t we head to the couch and pop a movie on, wrap you up in your lovely new throw and you can get a free scratchy head massage.”

“If you hadn’t of mentioned the scratchy head massage, this would not be a deal but I missed out on a head massage at Elton’s and it has been a long day of traveling.”

Robyn smiled. “So easy to bribe you. Food and massages.” She laughed as she got up and walked out of the guest bedroom, Taron following her back toward his sitting room.

Twenty minutes later, Robyn was sitting in the corner of the couch with Taron’s head on her lap. He was curled up neatly on the rest of the couch, with his new throw laid over his legs. It had been one hell of a day for him and finally something was going right. Robyn’s fingers felt wonderful on his head and she easily kneaded his shitty day away.

“Do you have a picture of us in frame on your fireplace?” She asked him.

“Hmm.” He answered her with a hum.

“Really?”

“Well yeah Robyn.” Taron turned his head so he could look up to her. “I love that photo of us and of course I was going to have a picture of us in my home.” Taron lay his head back down and looked to the photo, the one he had taken the night before he left her home where Robyn lay against him with her hand on his chest over his heart. “It’s one of my favourites.”

“I have a picture of us on the piano.”

“Did you take down my selfies?” He asked her.

“No Taron. Your selfies are still on my wall. I have a picture of us from Elton’s on my piano.”

“From Elton’s? One of the ones I sent you?”

“No, one of the ones the media took. Of course one of the ones you sent me, you tosspot.”

“Don’t even mess about the media Robyn.”

“And you don’t get your boxers in a twist over it again. We have already had this conversation and this weekend is not going to be tarnished with that again.”

It wasn’t the picture of Robyn and Taron posing together for the paparazzi that had annoyed Taron. In fact, he had actually really liked how their chosen outfits looked incredible as they matched, teasing Robyn about the fact that she absolutely looked like she belonged in his world.

It was the picture of Robyn with her hand on Taron’s cheek and his eyes closed, his head leaned the tiniest bit into her hand and the one where his kissed her at the side her lips that got the most attention and spiralled the media and internet very quickly that had irritated him. He liked the picture but hated the reaction from it. Various headlines appeared in the newspapers on the Monday that called Taron out for being more than just friends with Robyn and that he carried a ‘look of love’ as Robyn held his face. Their co-ordinated outfits had been scrutinised by the press and they, much to Taron’s infuriation, claimed that the ‘newly star-crossed lovers’ had dressed to make a statement of their new relationship, that they had in fact knew each other before the events of the 7/11 and used it as a cover it for their affair.

Lyndsey had phoned Taron once the morning papers had been placed on the shelves to talk to him and listened to him rant and rave before she got the chance to give her take on the pictures and the stories that were wrote underneath, trying to get him to understand that if actually read the stories properly, only two papers had ran with the lover story, while the rest focused on Elton’s auction and the money raised for his foundation.

While Lyndsey eased Taron’s worries around the papers, Robyn helped him with his anxiety with the social media reaction to their pictures. He was furious as before with her for reading all of the comments and having read some himself he was close to tears with the wicked words some people had wrote about his best friend and the person who had saved his life. It hurt him so much because Robyn meant so much to him and for others to just mouth off without knowing anything was extremely hurtful to him. As before, the majority of the comments were nice but Taron was so focused on the vile ones that Robyn had to turn his attention to how once again most were so grateful that she had been there for him.

“Yeah alright.” He sighed and sighed more happily as Robyn’s fingers dug a little deeper into his head.

“We are over it.”

“We are.” He repeated. “Ugh Robyn, I need one of these every day. Are you ready to come and move you and your couch over to me? I mean I already have your throw and if cwtch is working on his fear of flying, he will be here in no time too.”

She smiled and lifted her right hand from his shoulder and added it to his head. “You are never getting cwtch. He is mine.” She said. “So what time are we meeting your family tomorrow?”

“At the crack of dawn if my sisters had their way, but I have talked them around to a ten am start instead. I hope that is not too early for you after traveling.”

“My travelling was quicker than yours and you flew across continent. You need the sleep not me.” She laughed.

“I have my new old throw. I’ll sleep.”

“Yes you will.” She agreed.

“They also want waffles.” He said really quickly, his words blurred together.

“They want what now?” She asked, her hands stalling in his hair.

“Waffles?” He said again. “For breakfast. My mam bought a waffle maker.”

“Well I think we can do that Taron. We can make waffles.”

“Oh no. They want you to make the waffles. Not me. They want Robyn’s waffles.”

Robyn chuckled and she started to rub his head again. “Is tomorrow going to be a play by play of the book I made for you? I know they love it.”

“Possibly. Actually, the girls were supposed to be going to a sleep over at their friend’s house tomorrow night, which left us adults free to have dinner together but it fell through at the last minute so they are utterly disappointed that their perfect day of meeting Robyn and having a slumber party was ruined. I think they are trying to make up for it by stuffing as much in as they can with you tomorrow. The Elsa plaits were for the benefit of their friends. I think they wanted to show off a little.”

“Ahh Taron they must be utterly disappointed about the sleep over. That is every little girls dream to sit up all night giggling and of course they wanted to show off their Elsa plaits.”

“There were a lot of tears.”

“Poor little chickens. I would love to make waffles with them and still give them Elsa plaits. I am very excited to finally meet them. Tomorrow we will make their day special.”

“I am going to be pushed to the side.”

“Taron you have had your Robyn time, two whole weeks of it actually. Now it’s time for your family to have a little fun.”

He groaned and rolled over onto his back so he could look up at her. “I know my sisters and mam adore you already but this weekend is just going to tip them over the edge. Maybe I will stay here and sleep and leave you to it.”

Robyn grinned down at him. “Yeah that’s a great idea. Let the girls play.”

“Wish you had of brought cwtch now.” He laughed. “We could have had sat in our boxers, with a beer and watch some football.”

Robyn laughed out loud, enjoying how Taron laughed with her. It had only been two weeks since she had seen him but she had missed his easy smile and laugh, even more so when their last few conversations had been strained and heated, both getting slightly frustrated with each other at the opposite reaction they had to the media. It was nice just to sit with him and have their usual easy-going conversation.

“First off, you watching football? I don’t think so and second Cwtch doesn’t own clothes.”

“That’s ok with me. I have sat on this couch with no clothes before.”

“Ugh Taron, you know I love you but that is way too much information.”

“Robyn, how do you know I haven’t sat all over your house with no clothes on. You were in work and I was home alone.”

It was Taron’s turn to squirm a little as she moved her left hand down to his side and gently tickled him. “Maybe I need to go home and sterilise my couch and bed.”

“Hmm maybe.”

“I am definitely asking your mother for all of your baby photos and there had better be one of you in a bathtub.”

She reached for his side again but his right hand caught hers and brought it back to his hair. “I am still running with the idea to stay here on my couch tomorrow.”

“Your mam will drag you home whether you are wearing clothes or not. Do you want to be walked through Aberystwyth like that?”

“So, waffles made by sisters and best friend tomorrow.”

“Sounds like a wonderful breakfast.” Smiled Robyn as she resumed her left hand in his hair while her right moved to rest on his chest over his heart.