#nate going to nursing school

[starlit-mansion]

OCtober 22: Their family

Not very little for a little sister, huh. Evie's really close to her older sister Valerie (and her son Nathan), even if they do tend to clash about some stuff. Val was really there for her during her dark times from 19 to 21, up to letting her sleep on her couch for half a year, but is consequently a little too critical of her aimless mid 20s (but certainly not as much as their parents are). Also, Evie took about a semester of nursing class during one of her stabs at college out of peer pressure from everyone else in her family working at the hospital, despite the fact that everyone involved should have known better.

(Also finally getting close to actually showing the fact that Evie's 6 ft tall, Val's not that short herself but Evie def shot right up when they were teens and Val will never forgive her lol.)

[luvangelbreak]

Deprived | Thirteen

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6 Part 7 Part 8 Part 9 Part 10 Part 11 Part 12 Part 14 Part 15 Part 16 Part 17 Part 18 Part 19 Part 20 Part 21 Part 22 Part 23 matthew sturniolo x layla venita (female!oc) summary: everyone knows the story of the bad boy and the good girl but what happens when the school's most popular boy, Matthew Sturniolo, and the girl who notoriously is never there, Layla Venita, cross paths. warnings: swearing word count: 2.8k a/n: y'all.

pov: matt

"Stay here and get rid of that. I'll go talk to her," Allie stepped in front of me when I tried to follow after Layla but I pursed my lips, letting out a huff before nodding. She ran off after Layla and I turned around looking at the hateful writing on the locker.

On a whim and poor decision-making, I stepped in front of the locker and looked around the hall of people surrounding the locker before yelling, "Whoever wrote this I will beat your fucking ass. You can all fuck off now!"

With that, a few people scattered away quickly while other's eyes lingered, pretending to talk about something else but it was clear they were still looking at me in front of the locker.

"Bit dramatic," Chris raised his eyebrows as he looked at me and I furrowed my eyebrows further, my nostrils flaring in anger.

"Do you see what they wrote Chris?" I pointed to the locker behind me angrily, "People should be glad I'm not fighting every single one of them to figure out who did this."

"People are dicks. Layla knows that," he shrugged and I rolled my eyes at his lack of empathy.

"She has to deal with people whispering shit like this about her all day every day. Now it's plastered on her fucking locker and all you have to say is 'people are dicks'?" I looked at him in disbelief and he dropped his head, "Get the fuck away from me, Chris. I don't want to talk to you right now."

"No need to be an asshole about it," he mumbled as he walked away towards his locker and I balled my fists trying to keep myself calm. I had never felt this type of anger on someone else's behalf before but I felt like I couldn't control it.

"What did you just fucking say?" I asked him loudly making him turn around and I stepped towards him. I felt eyes turn towards me again but I brushed them off.

"Matt," Nate stepped in between Chris and I, "I get that your pissed but Chris isn't the person you're mad at right now."

"It sure feels like it," I said through gritted teeth and Chris shook his head, walking further down the hallway as I bit my lip.

"Listen to me," Nate shoved me backwards to get my attention, "We're gonna get rid of this before Layla gets back and then we're gonna figure out who did this. Then, and only then, you can beat someone's ass and it's not gonna be Chris's."

I clenched my jaw, looking down at him with pure anger but I let it slowly subside, knowing that I looked like a fucking psycho getting so aggravated about this. I let out a heavy breath and suddenly Nick returned with a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a cloth.

"Where did you even get that from?" Nate asked in confusion as Nick handed me the bottle and cloth.

"Nurses office," he shrugged and I gave him a thankful nod. I began scrubbing at the letters drawn on the locker, trying not to think about it too much knowing it would send me into a fit of rage. After a couple minutes of using elbow grease and pure determination, I managed to get it all off without a trace. Just as I closed the lid on the bottle, the first bell rang for everyone to head to their classes and our peers dispersed into the classrooms.

"I'll take it back. You can go to class and make sure Layla's okay," Nick offered and I gave him a thankful smile and nod before handing him the bottle and cloth.

I quickly walked to my locker, threw my backpack inside and grabbed my book for my English class. I sped down the hallway, swinging the door open to see Mrs P staring at me with an unimpressed look.

"Matt, you're late," she said blandly, a slight shock on her face at me being late to class.

"Sorry, I was dealing with something," I answered as I closed the door behind me.

"Take a seat please," she said kindly and I nodded, walking to the back of the class where I now always sat. Layla was in her seat, hood on and head down in shame. I felt a wave of anger fall over me again seeing her upset but I didn't let it show as I looked at her, "Layla. What did I say about your hood?"

"Sorry," Layla mumbled so quietly I wasn't sure if Mrs P had even heard her before she slid the hood off of her head. Her eyes were red and her cheeks were puffy, my heart breaking inside my chest that this had gotten to her so easily. I hated seeing her sad, it made me want to wrap her in my arms and keep her safe from anything that could upset her ever again.

I ignored Chris who was to my right as he worked on his English paper and I looked over at Layla before I leaned over whispering, "You okay pretty girl?"

She nodded in response while looking ahead. To most, they would think her expression was blank and unreadable but I had spent so much time just looking at her that I knew her mouth was twitching ever so slightly because she was upset. A heavy weight fell on my chest, feeling helpless that I couldn't do anything to make her feel better.

"You wanna get McDonalds at lunch?" I asked her again quietly and she shook her head, still not speaking. I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth, falling back into my seat. I ripped a piece of paper off of a blank page in my notebook, scribbling what I wanted to say quickly and hoped she wouldn't judge my third grade hand writing.

I slid the paper over to her and I studied her reaction, my heart warming when a glimmer of a smile peaked onto her lips. She quickly wrote something beneath what I had written before handing the note back to me.

I grinned at the paper before folding it up and placing it into the pocket of my jeans, feeling like a kid in middle school handing notes to his crush. I barely did anything the whole lesson, stealing glances at Layla any chance that I could without her noticing.

She caught me one too many times but it only led me to look at her more when I saw a smile peak through her pink lips once again. She covered her face with her hand a few times and I bit my lip to hide the goofy smile that was threatening to invade my face.

I was sure to Chris I looked like a lovesick puppy, I could feel the judgement radiating off of his cold heart. I was never like him with girls, he could fuck them once and never speak to them again. He could fuck them multiple times but still act like they'd never met around other people, I never understood how he did it, how he was so detached. It wasn't that he didn't love people, he loved our family and friends so much it often scared me what he would do for the people he loved, but he'd never been in love. He never seemed to care about romance or a girlfriend, he just wanted a quick fuck and nothing more.

I couldn't do that, I tried it twice and I regretted it every day of my life. I got too attached to the people I loved, I couldn't just leave and not think about it again. I didn't like a quick fuck, I wanted it to mean something. I wanted the person to mean something to me and I wanted to mean something to them.

I hope I meant something to Layla because she sure as hell meant something to me.

+++

She had disappeared again. I didn't see her for the rest of the day, not even after wandering around the school at lunch to check if she was smoking a cigarette in the snow.

"You find her?" Nate asked when I walked back to our table at the cafeteria and I shook my head, sighing as I sat between Nick and Mia.

"She's a big girl. She'll get over it," Mia rolled her eyes and I shot her a glare, not having any patience for her bullshit today.

"I probably should've mentioned this earlier," Allie started and I turned my head to look at her as she cringed slightly, "ButImayormatnothavehernumber."

"Allie!" I yelled dramatically as I threw my hands in front of me, "You couldn't have told me that before I wandered around the school for 20 minutes?"

"I didn't think you were serious!" she defended and I closed my eyes, letting out a huff but I couldn't stay mad at her, "I'll send it to you now. I'm sorry."

"You should've seen him during English," Chris spoke up making me look at him as I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket, "Bro looked like Tom and Jerry floating towards a pie on the window with the heart eyes he was doing the whole time."

"Are you seriously gonna call her?" Mia asked, her tone annoyed and I pulled my phone out of my pocket, not sparing her a glance as I quickly clicked on the contact that Allie had sent me before it began ringing.

"Hello?" her soft voice rang through my ear and I let out a sigh of relief.

"Layls, where are you?" I asked immediately and there was a brief silence on her end of the line.

"Matt, how did you get my number?" she asked quietly and I shook my head, ignoring the fact she couldn't see me.

"Allie gave it to me. Where did you go?" I asked again and she once again fell silent, "Layls?"

"I went home," she mumbled before I heard a sniffle and my face dropped, "I just didn't wanna be at school."

"Are you okay, pretty girl?" I asked softly earning an eye roll from Mia, a gag noise from Chris and a frown from Nick in disgust. I threw up my middle finger before I got up and walked into the hallway.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she mumbled again and I sighed, throwing my head back onto the wall behind me, "You don't have to worry about me. Nothing I haven't dealt with before."

"It's fucking bullshit," I grumbled before I let out a breath, realising that my anger wouldn't help her right now, "Can I come over?"

"You should stay at school," she answered quickly and I once again shook my head.

"Layls I wanna make sure yo-"

"Pretty boy," she cut me off, the nickname making my heart swell in my chest, "I'll be fine... Can't be too bad of an influence on you and make you skip all your classes."

"What about after school?" I asked and she hummed. I knew I sounded needy and annoying but I wanted to see her, I wanted to make sure she was okay.

"Yeah," she answered in almost a whisper, "My dad's staying out tonight so you won't have to jump the fence or anything."

I chuckled to myself before I nodded, "Okay. I'll see you soon, pretty girl."

"Bye, Matthew," she said softly before she hung up.

+++

The rest of my classes were spent waiting for school to finish. I practically ran to my car, impatiently waiting for Chris and Nick to arrive. They soon jumped in the car and before either of them could even close their doors fully, I was pulling out of the parking space.

"Dude I haven't even put my bag down yet!" Chris screeched as I pulled out of the parking lot.

"Matt, what are you doing?" Nick asked from the back seat before I heard his seatbelt click into place followed by Chris doing the same.

"I'm dropping you guys at home," I answered quickly as we made our way back to our house.

"I wonder where he's going after," Chris rolled his eyes dramatically but I ignored him as I sped down the road. After 5 minutes of driving in silence, I pulled up to the house and Chris jumped out without another word.

"Let us know if she's okay," Nick said before he jumped out of the car, sliding the door closed behind him. I took off down the road once again and before I knew it, I was at Layla's house.

I grabbed my backpack, remembering that Layla said not to leave anything valuable in the car. I made sure I had my phone and keys in hand as I jumped out, locking the door behind me.

I walked up to the door, sudden nerves hitting me as I stood on the front porch. I knocked twice and fiddled with my keys before I heard the quiet thud of footsteps. The door opened to reveal a tired-looking Layla and I smiled at her.

"Hey," I said softly and she swayed on her feet in my hoodie and the shorts she had worn when I came to pick her up before the game.

"Hi," she answered in the same tone before looking around outside, "You should come in before you get kidnapped."

"Right," I answered quickly as she stepped behind the door and I walked in. She closed the door behind me before locking both locks and spinning around to look at me.

"Stop being so nervous. You're freaking me out," she said with a frown and a slight smile.

"Sorry. I just wanted to make sure you're okay," I pursed my lips before she smiled at me fully. She walked past me and down the hallway as my eyes couldn't help but travel to the small shorts she wore peaking out from under my hoodie.

God, she looked so good in my clothes.

"You gonna stand there and stare at me or follow me so I can get into bed? I'm freezing my tits off right now," she called, snapping me out of my trance and I coughed into my fist before nodding, following after her. She entered her room and I joined her, closing the door behind me.

"Do you have a heater?" I asked her and she nodded, jumping into her bed before pulling the covers over herself.

"Yeah but we can't afford to use it," she explained and I nodded understandingly, kicking off my shoes and sliding my backpack onto the floor beside them. She patted the space beside her and I smiled, sliding my jacket off before placing it over the covers on her, "Corny."

"Apologies for not wanting you to freeze to death," I answered as I rounded the mattress, sliding under the covers next to her. She took me by surprise when she wrapped her arms around my torso, pulling me closer to her as she laid her head on my chest. I smiled to myself as I wrapped a hand around her back, my left hand placing itself on her lower back.

"I hate people," she mumbled and I bit my lip, looking down at her. I looked at her rosy cheeks, the soft pale skin tinted red as her eyelashes fluttered with every blink.

"I know," I mumbled, my thumb running small circles on her back and she looked up to me, her calm expression bringing me a sense of peace.

"You make me hate people a little less," she said softly and I smiled down at her, my eyes glancing at her lips.

"I know," I whispered and she smiled up at me, my heart warming to see that she was feeling better, "You're so pretty."

"You're so corny," she giggled, still looking up at me with a light in her eyes I hadn't seen before, "But thank you."

"Look at you. Finally taking a compliment," my smile widened when she bit her lip and shook her head. I reached my hand forward, pulling her lips away from her teeth with my thumb while I held her chin with my index finger.

She looked so delicate when she was comfortable, when she didn't have her guard up. I wanted to see her like this all the time, I missed her when she put up her walls and I knew she wasn't like this with anyone else, at least for my own selfish reasons I hoped she wasn't. I left my hand under her chin, my thumb ran across her rough lips as I stared at her intently.

She had a small smile across her face, her breathing steady as her head tilted up towards me. I pushed my tongue between my lips to wet them and I caught her staring at them for a moment longer than usual. I instinctually leaned forward, my nose nudging hers as she let out a breath.

I let my eyes flutter closed for a moment as I whispered, "You don't know how beautiful you are, Layla."

A brief pause of silence filled the room and I prayed I hadn't pushed too far, scared that she would build her walls up around me again and trap me in my own mind. You could hear a pin drop, the tension was so thick I felt like I couldn't breathe.

Until she leaned forward, her lips brushing against mine and finally, I could breathe again.

tags:

@dsturniolo @chrisstankyleg @lov3bug @pinklittleflower @thatcrazybitch-69 @trinity2058 @alorsxsturn @ilovechrissturniolo1 @sturnfix @lilsstvrn @sturniololol @sturniolowhore @leprechaunbirthdaygirl

[annieqattheperipheral]

NHLPA launches a new program to help players prepare for life outside of hockey

i.e. dad yelling at u to get a real job bc ur etsy shop aint be bumpin forever

the kids are getting a high school guidance counsellor and co-op term! what colour is ur parachute nursey

no wonder sabres on the rise oko's media hits so beautifully eloquent. they got smartypants mini gm at the helm

i just find this so interesting and wonderful ...and like if a big hockey butt wants to come hit me up for improv classes i'm not complaining🫠 imma make a union actor (nate. realistic) two time emmy winner (sid. dream on u don't have that ass) outta u

full article under cut:

Early in his time in the NHL, Darnell Nurse says he did not notice a lot of players talking about what to do after hockey. Going into his ninth season, the chatter is now normal.

“People are curious as to what there is outside the game and what you can do to prepare yourself,” Nurse said.

Plenty of players have taken it upon themselves to prepare for the future, like Zdeno Chara getting his real estate license and others finishing college degrees or exploring business opportunities. The NHL Players’ Association on Thursday launched a program that gives its members the chance to do a personality analysis and delve into real estate, business or other avenues while still in the league.

The hope is to help them develop interests outside of hockey while playing and ease the transition to life afterward.

“It’s something that’s been missing a little bit,” veteran center Lars Eller told The Associated Press. “It’s kind of well known that one of the struggles for a professional athlete is the transition on to the next thing once he’s done with his professional career. And this platform helps you with that transition, and it’s something you can start even while you’re still playing so you can sort of hit the ground running once you’re done.”

New union boss Marty Walsh made helping former players one of his top priorities. His arrival in March coincided with a process two years in the making, after player feedback indicated the desire for more assistance outside of hockey.

The result is the NHLPA UNLMT program. Retired defenseman-turned-psychologist Jay Harrison is available to do an assessment, and players can get involved with companies ranging from Money Management International to The Second City comedy and improv theater and institutions like the University of Florida and Stanford’s graduate school of business.

Former goaltender Rob Zepp, who’s spearheading the program as the union’s director of strategic initiatives, said an extensive survey provided the building blocks for something that was designed to be 1-on-1 and customized for players to figure out what might interest them.

“What we’ve seen so far it really runs the gamut: anything from enhancing one’s personal brand to starting a podcast to taking these certificate-level courses in real estate, in entrepreneurship, in business, in leadership, communication skills, networking skills,” Zepp said. “We have players that are interested in or are currently pursuing commercial real estate avenues or farming ventures or construction.”

Eller, Nurse and Buffalo captain Kyle Okposo are among the players who have tried UNLMT so far. Okposo has already graduated from Stanford’s business leadership program, while Eller has spoken with Harrison and taken some of the courses offered.

“They’re not waiting until people’s careers are over,” said Nurse, who is still in his prime at 28. “It’s something that you can dip your feet into and grab a hold of while you’re still playing and giving you resources and opportunities to kind of figure out what you want to do.”

Zepp got a degree from the University of Waterloo and an MBA from the University of Liverpool the old-school way — tapes and textbooks sent by mail and tests taken in front of a proctor — while playing mostly in the minors and Europe before before 10 games with Philadelphia in 2014-15. He felt like having something to study made him a better goalie and understood there was plenty of idle time on the road.

Eller, who is a silent partner involved with helping start-up businesses, thinks the same way.

“We, as players, we have — not a lot of freedom once the season is starting — but we do have a lot of free time,” said Eller, who scored the Stanley Cup-winning goal for Washington in 2018 and is a pending free agent at 34. “It’s a huge positive if you have something else that you can take your mind off of hockey and do something productive with that time.”

Walsh got to know several Bruins alumni when he was mayor of Boston and has since talked to other former players and come away with a mandate to protect guys beyond their time on the ice.

“When they played, they gave it their all, and a lot of them didn’t really have anything after that,” Walsh said. “They didn’t make big contracts. They really didn’t have a strong pension system. A lot of them, even going back further than that, lost stuff. We can’t let that happen again.”

[beesbeesdragons]

B/W AU set in 1920s NYC

Emmet and Ingo are subway workers by day, and run a speakeasy out of an abandoned subway station by night.

Elesa is a budding silent film star, but she mostly performs on Broadway and models for Vogue and other fashion magazines. She loves to entertain, and she and Roxie have a rotation of who's leading the music in the speakeasy.

Roxie works in a music shop by day and is a retired spy. She specialised in poisons and was hunted down ruthlessly by the Central Powers before the war ended, where she moved to New York and befriended Elesa.

Lenora is an archeologist and historian. she was a nurse with the Red Cross during the war but changed career paths after that

Skyla is a pilot and aircraft engineer; she wants to fly from the continental US to Australia without refilling the tanks and wants to design a plane to do so, but until then she's working at a private airfield just outside the city.

Burgh is their local struggling artist, he draws newspaper cartoons and paints in his spare time. He also dabbles in poetry and moved to New York shortly after the invasion of Paris, which is where he was born. He likes NYC just fine but definitely misses Paris. He runs poetry nights at the speakeasy once a week.

Cilan, Chili and Cress work at a small bakery during the day which is owned by their parents. They serve food and tend the bar at the speakeasy.

Drayden is a local politician. He is vocally supportive of unions and the working class. He's Ingo and Emmet's uncle and Iris's guardian, so he often hangs around the speakeasy to chat with them. He took in Iris as his ward after her parents both died during the war. Her mother was a nurse and died of influenza, her father was a soldier and died in combat. Drayden was close friends with them and Iris' godfather, so he took her in so she wouldn't be sent to an orphanage.

Iris is 14 and is friends with the protag gang of Hilda, Hilbert, Nate and Rosa. They all go to the same school and hang out together. Cheren, Bianca and Hugh.

Team Plasma is an organised crime syndicate that wants to get rid of the speakeasy's community because they're all very good at interfering with them. N is Ghetsis's ward and also...sort of friends with the protag gang? He goes to their school but is a couple of years above them, but they're friendly enough. It's a small enough school that everyone knows everyone.

Alder is the one who provides the speakeasy with alcohol. he's also a local police captain and is trying to get rid of team plasma.

[foxymoxynoona]

Tell Me What Changed (Part 11 A)

Banner and lines by the talented @awrkive

Summary: Alex and Jungkook have been best friends since childhood –actual best friends. She is NOT in love with him, for real, and wishes people would stop assuming that. Why does no one question if he’s in love with her? Huh? But it might have to do with his successful fuckboy status, while Alex is very much… not that. Which is fine and doesn’t matter! Until Jimin’s impending wedding leaves her eager for a date and willing to put herself out there, and Jungkook can’t believe what happens next.

Fuckboy Best Friend JK x OC

CW and tags: fuckboy behavior, jealousy, pining, heartbreak, angst, bad language, explicit sex, sexy photos, alcohol, f2l, who knows what else I'm making it up as we go

Read on AO3 here or below cut

Previous Chapter | Masterlist | Read Epilogue

Note: I did it again, the chapter is too long for tumblr so I have to split it into three parts. Make sure you read A first!!!

Jungkook wasn’t nervous for his date with Alex. Why would he be nervous? It was Alex. He knew everything Alex liked. He knew how to have a good time with her. He knew how to make her laugh until she’d yell she was going to pee herself and go waddling to the bathroom while he shouted things after her to try and make it happen. He knew what food she liked and how long she could tolerate standing in line for an attraction and that she didn’t mind the cold but she didn’t like to get wet in the rain because she didn’t like her hair and clothes sticking to her skin. 

Once he had wanted to test that, run naked through the rain with her. She had of course refused and punched him in the stomach for the suggestion. He wondered if now he had a better chance of convincing her… for science, obviously! Did she still mind the rain if her hair was in a bun and she was totally naked in it? What if he was on top of her, blocking some of it?

But in all seriousness, he might not really date other than an occasional activity preceding a good fuck but if he was ever going to go on a date, Alex was the easiest partner for it. They could have fun –and had!-- anywhere: the grocery store, a furniture store, CVS to get their flu shots, McDonald’s at 2am, urgent care that time his ears were stopped up so badly and his fever was so high he started to cry and she forced him to go and kept referring to him as “my son” to the nurses and he couldn’t stop laughing despite the pain. 

So yeah, why would he be nervous about a date? He had no doubts about success. He was going to take her to minigolf, school her ass, then tacos from the best truck in town which he had confirmed would be at Hoff Memorial Park;  they’d eat sitting in the cold on a picnic bench and then he’d take her home to his bed before the rain started around nine and he’d, you know. Spaghetti her. He’d put a lot of thought into what positions he’d use too. A lot. Needed to be sure he’d maximize her pleasure and not bend or twist her in a way that hurt her. Stroke her just right. He wanted to win a scream! Leave her a trembling melted mess in his arms. Ah, it’d be so good… she’d be all fuck, Koo, I finally get it now, you’re really fucking good at this. Make her eat her words alongside his dick, that thing she’d always said with a laugh, damn, if the insta-girls could see the real you they’d be heartbroken.

He needed to show her what’s good.

He had a plan.

And then the comments started.

Nate: “Oh damn, you actually have a date with her? Wasn’t that last guy really good at dates? Good luck, my man.”

Namjoon: “Oh. That’s the date you planned? Isn’t that just… what you guys normally do?”

Taehyung: “Yeah this is the time, you can really show her that you’re serious and mature and want to do this, so like, whole nine yards, something big and– oh. Minigolf? Um…”

Sabina: “Don’t take her to minigolf. She deserves more than minigolf.”

Anita: “Hm, I think minigolf just seems a little easy and impersonal. But you know her best! If you think that’s the kind of date she likes, then…”

Jimin: “You messaged me on my honeymoon for this? It’s fine, Alex will think it’s funny.”

Fuck. Fuck! As Jungkook paced his apartment the afternoon before the date, he realized his plan was no good. He didn’t want Alex to think their date was funny. He wanted her to think it was romantic. He wanted her to be awed by his charm and suaveness… suavity…. State of being suave. He wanted her to be swept off her feet. He wanted her to forget Hobi was ever a guy she dated and it sucked because Nate was right, Hobi was good at dates. He showed up and showed out and Alex was always all flustered and bubbly after their dates. Jungkook wanted Alex to be like that afterwards. Not just like “yep that was an ok time hanging out with my good buddy JK.” He wanted blushes and giggles and then bam, spaghetti!

This called for a fucking re-plan. And fast. 

He showered so he’d smell fresh and lotioned and not like the mall, slapping on cologne and spot-fixing his acne in between looking things up on his laptop perched precariously on the bathroom counter. A few google searches and phone calls later and he’d completely redone their plans for the night, pulling out all the stops. Was it going to hurt his bank account? Yes. Was she worth it? Also yes.

Much more at ease about the whole thing, Jungkook took one more look at himself in the mirror, snapped a selfie, and posted it to his socials for the pep talk he needed.

[TheJK.1997]: look good feel good treat her good, ready for the surf and turf. Best wine recs for Hollyoak Vineyard go

He checked himself one last time, ran over a spot he missed shaving real quick, and was out the door in plenty of time to pick her up early, just to really surprise her. Definitely not because he was getting a stomachache from nerves and needed to do something other than pace from living room to kitchen and pick at his lips.

She wasn’t ready. There he was with a fucking bouquet of flowers even though it made him feel like a fucking idiot because Hoseok gave her flowers so it would look like he was copying but obviously he couldn’t not show up with flowers –there he was with a fucking bouquet of flowers, sitting in a living room he’d been in at least one thousand times since he’d known Alex, while her dad sat in the chair and watched a Planet Earth documentary and her mom made tea in the kitchen even though he had assured her he didn’t want any. They had said hello to him and not much else, both like this was any other time that he’d come over and also like it wasn’t and they weren’t supposed to acknowledge his presence as he just sat there on the couch in slacks and a button up with fucking flowers to give their fucking daughter who was fucking late. It was mortifying. Jungkook wished he could melt into the cracks between the couch cushions. He wished Dilong would come running out and scratch his throat or piss on him or something so he had an excuse to just leave.

“How’s work?” Baba Song asked him over the sound of flamingos feeding.

“It’s good. Busy at the holidays.”

“How is your dad’s– ah, I will just ask him, I’ll see him tomorrow.”

Jungkook nodded. He wasn’t actually sure what about his father was unwell right now, so he should ask. He pulled out his phone and saw they were going to have to hurry to make their dinner reservation. 

“AHh I had better check on her–” Jungkook mumbled, starting to stand. Mama Song was just setting tea in front of him and took it upon herself to shout for Alex followed by Chinese. Alex answered in short Chinese, then came down the hall.

“I’m ready, ok? What’s the rush? I was doing my makeup– oh?” She stopped in front of him and her eyes went right to the flowers. “You brought me flowers?”

Jungkook was instantly mortified. She was probably comparing them to the ones Hoseok had bought her.

“They’re for your mom,” he quickly corrected, thrusting them towards Mama Song. 

Who let out a cackle of a laugh and said, “I will put them in water for Alex. I have a perfect vase. They are beautiful.”

“Wait, I want to see them,” Alex cried, leaping after her mother. She bent down to look close and Jungkook felt like she might as well be examining his limp dick, he was so embarrassed. They were supposed to be nice. He’d bought really nice ones at the standalone shop next to the Starbucks –not the one she worked at, not the one Hoseok worked at, a different one! He didn’t know what kinds of flowers they were but there was lots of color and some spiky looking ones because they looked fun and he thought spiky flowers made sense for her. 

“They’re really pretty,” she said.

“You’re really pretty,” he countered automatically, an old way they had of teasing each other except this time he’d accidentally been nice. Baba Song coughed on the couch and Jungkook thought it had to be related. Cool, he already felt like he was dying anyway as Alex grinned wide and looked him up and down and he was sure she was laughing at him. Baba Song laughing at him too was exactly what he didn’t need.

“You look like you’re going on a date,” Alex mused.

“Uh…” The panic was instant. “Aren’t I?”

“Koopa,” she laughed and hit him on the arm. “You’d better be! Let’s go, weren’t you in a rush a minute ago? You know it takes time to do my makeup without you to help.”

“It looks good,” he said, though the points weren’t quite even which he only noticed because sometimes it took her ten tries before she’d give up and ask him to do it. He started to offer to fix it now but she was already headed towards the door and it didn’t matter. 

“Goodbye Mr. Song. Mrs. Song,” he called. Should he promise to have her home at a certain time? Even addressing them that way felt weird but like, he was taking their daughter out on a date, he had to seem sort of respectful and responsible, right? “Thank you for the tea!” He hadn’t even touched it.

Alex’s skirt was very short, he noticed as they went to his car. She had fancy green tights on underneath it so he couldn’t see skin or anything but it did occur to him that if she bent over, he might not even need to hike it up. Not that he was just thinking about fucking! It really felt more like a nervous impulse to think about it, because he was way more nervous about the not-fucking parts right now as he hurried around and slid into the driver’s seat. He wasn’t even trying to fuck her tonight! He just wanted to hit it out of the park, this whole “date with the goal of earning another date” thing.

“So where are we going?” she asked as he started the car. It was cold and he wished he had thought to run out and start it early so she wouldn’t have to sit in it; she was wearing a new coat, not her usual bulky one that made her look like a burnt marshmallow. You know, in a cute way!

“Um… you know that steakhouse over on–”

“Steakhouse,” she repeated, eyes going wide. “You can’t afford steak!”

“You don’t know what I can’t afford. I’m taking you to a steakhouse!”

“Ok ok geez.” She wiggled in her seat to get comfortable. “I figured you’d just take me for tacos or something. Steak is fine.”

He scoffed, “Come on. I’m a better date than that.”

“All right James Bond or whatever…” she mumbled. “Didn’t know you had something you were trying to prove or whatever.”

“Yeah well…” He didn’t know what to say to that. Yeah, of course he had something to prove. “Is it warm enough for you?” He made it warmer, just in case, even though he was starting to sweat. 

They lapsed into silence. The roads were icy so he didn’t want to be too distracted but it made him nervous for her to just be sitting there staring out the window. Silence was bad on a date, that was something everyone knew. Silence was definitely not going to leave her starry-eyed and weak in the knees.

“So uh, how’s work?”

“Ugh, next question,” she snorted, and reached for the radio dial.

“No, don’t turn music on. Let’s just… talk.”

“O…k….”

He started talking just to fill the silence. He told her about his own work, and about Appa thinking he wanted to do Christmas lights and throwing one lit net over a bush and calling it a day, and about his new nephew who was still pretty useless but starting to look cuter now. He realized they had seen each other a few days ago so these life updates weren’t necessary but he wanted some sort of connection.

“Uh… well, there’s not much going on with me… well, Hobi brought a box of my stuff to work today, so that kind of sucked–”

“He brought it to your work?!”

“Well he waited in the parking lot but yeah… I mean we agreed to do that today but still that sucked in the morning and then I got home and Dilong puked on my bed and I stubbed my toe while I was getting ready… but you brought me flowers, so that’s the best part of my day so far,” she smiled. 

“They were for your mom…”

“Oh yeah? For Mrs. Song?” she teased. 

But he didn’t feel like being teased because this was a date and they were supposed to be getting to know each other and charming each other, so instead he suggested, “Ok let’s not talk about Hobi or uh, other exes or anything tonight.”

“Um… ok… Geez, sensitive much?’

“It’s my date with you.”

“You just asked me how my day was and I told you.”

“Ok so now I know and I’m just saying we can talk about other things now.”

“Ok like what?”

“Um…” Jungkook wracked his brain, but everything that came to mind wasn’t the kind of thing he wanted to talk about on their first date. Funny but inappropriate memes, friend gossip, political outrage, bemoaning the economy, a really bloody anime he’d started and thought she might like too, none of it was the way he wanted to represent himself right now as a respectable and respectful guy. Boyfriend material.

“We’re here,” he announced. Saved by the drive time. He pulled into a spot near the water’s edge –just a pond, but definitely something the steakhouse capitalized on for atmosphere. Fairy lights hung above the walkway through a little windy garden to reach the front of the restaurant.

“Woah, this place is nice,” Alex murmured, bumping into him as she looked around. “Are you sure about this? It’s really fancy… I didn’t dress for something this fancy…”

“I’m sure.” He took her hand and looped it through his arm. “You deserve something like this. It’s our first date. Right?” He looked eagerly down at her, needing to hear her agree that it was in fact their first date and that was in fact a big deal to her too.

“I guess but you really didn’t have to go to so much trouble. You know me, I’m easy–”

“I don’t know you. This is our chance to get to know each other,” he corrected. “As –you know, this new way of seeing each other.” As romantic partners, he couldn’t bring himself to say.

He thought her smile looked unconvinced but at least she was smiling. They reached the front door –and now he saw a side ramp they could have taken right to the front door instead of wandering through the garden. Uh well. He opened the door for her and they walked in to easily the nicest restaurant Jungkook had ever been to in his life. The host was wearing a tux. 

Shit this place was going to be expensive.

“Good evening,” the host greeted them as Jungkook shirked his coat off.

“Hi. Um, Jungkook Jeon, table for two. I have reservations for 6:00.” 

“Ah, yes, Jeon, hm…” The host didn’t move as his gaze trailed down Jungkook and then slid to Alex. “My apologies, Mr. Jeon, but were you aware that there is a dress code for dining here?”

Jungkook glanced down at his slacks and dark blue button up and nodded, “Yeah. We dressed nicely.” He glanced at Alex and realized he hadn’t told her to dress nicely but yeah, she looked great: short red skirt, dark green legs, a fluffy white sweater with… pearls? Had she really worn a sweater with pearls all across the chest to their date– ok, but she hadn’t meant anything filthy by it, he was sure of that. Just because his mind went there didn’t mean hers did.

“I’m sorry, the dress code is formal. That means at least a tie and jacket for the gentleman and formal evening dress or pantsuit for the lady.” 

“Uh…” Jungkook glanced at their outfits again. “Well this is what we have on so…”

The host looked performatively apologetic as he said, “I’m sorry, I cannot seat you.”

“But… but I made a reservation,” Jungkook argued. “No one’s going to die because I’m not wearing a jacket.”

“Neither of you is dressed appropriately for the restaurant, I’m afraid–”

It was embarrassing, sure, but he also didn’t want Alex to hear someone insinuate she wasn’t dressed nicely, so he ignored that she was grabbing his arm and argued, “Ok but she looks like a million bucks so I don’t– you just need me to put on a jacket and a tie–”

“Jungkook, let’s just go,” she said, trying to push him back towards the door.

“But I made reservations. This isn’t the ‘50s. No one under 50 has a jacket and tie for dinner at a shitty suburban steakhouse on the swamp–”

“Koo, let’s go,” she grunted, and managed to push him back against the door. He pushed it and stepped back out into the cold and felt the anger flare up freely now.

“What the fuck kind of place– am I crazy? Who fucking cares whether I have a jacket and a tie on for–”

“Well they care, it’s their rule!”

“It’s discrimination against young people!”

“Yeah, did you see the people eating in the restaurant?” she laughed. “I don’t think they want young people eating there. They want like rich uppercrust people.”

“Those people don’t live here.”

“Well this place is kind of famous, isn’t it? Maybe they drive in…”

“Is it?”

“I think it was on a TV show,” Alex admitted, before pointing to a plaque beside the door. Apparently it had, and won a bunch of awards. No wonder they cared about the way they looked or whatever.

“Yeah well showing all that by the door is tacky,” Jungkook scowled. Waves of anger and embarrassment rolled over him. “My money is as good as the next guy’s.”

“Ok but who cares, we don’t have to eat at a place like this. Let’s just pick somewhere else,” Alex said, nudging him towards the ramp.

Ugh, Hoseok would definitely have worn the suit and tie.

“Maybe we can just run back to my place and I can grab the suit I wore to the wedding–”

“No, I’m not dressed like that either and I don’t want to change. I spent way longer than I want to admit figuring out what to wear that would be cute and comfy,” she protested.

“But I want to take you to this nice place–”

“I don’t care about the nice place!” she snapped. He really did think she snapped at him, and it shut him up. They marched in silence down the ramp back towards his car. They got into the car. They buckled their seatbelts.

Bad start to the date.

“We can go to Taco Bell for all I care,” Alex suggested.

“That’s a shitty date,” Jungkook sulked. “That’s the kind of date you think I am?”

“There’s nothing wrong with Taco Bell…”

“I’m not taking you to fucking Taco Bell,” he groaned and pulled out his phone and began scrolling again. What was close, and nice, and not a fucking Taco Bell, and not going to turn them away at the door because they weren’t dressed in some shitty elitist outdated formal dining attire. Fuck, he was so angry about it! Even if that was a rule, they couldn’t bend it? They couldn’t seat them somewhere private or something? He was trying to impress a girl here!

“We could do Italian… is that too much wine though? We’re going to a wine tasting afterwards.”

“A wine tasting?” Alex repeated. “Um…”

“You don’t like a wine tasting?”

“No no it’s fine!” Alex assured him. “That’s cute. You really… yeah, it’ll be great,” she smiled at him. “And sure, Italian is fine! Let’s do Italian. What place are you thinking?”

“Tomasso Trattoria and Enoteca,” Jungkook read, and handed her the phone as he started to drive so she could look at it.

“Woah… this place is still really nice though… I was thinking like Olive Garden–”

“Alex, can you please let me take this date seriously? I realize maybe you don’t care but–”

“I care! Care about this being our date? I care!”

“I want it to be a special date!”

“I get it! This place looks very special,” she told him, setting his phone in the cradle with the GPS up. 

He knew his frustration was a wall between them but she didn’t break it down this time. Usually she was good at that. He didn’t know what it meant, that she didn’t try. He wasn’t sure how to do it on his own, because if this was a date with someone else he wouldn’t care, he’d just change the subject and move on and vent about it to Alex later, or invent an excuse to take the girl home and go home. To Alex. Obviously she knew how he was, inside and out, but as he drove in the silence he started to feel a deeper embarrassment, like she’d seen him do something wrong. It wasn’t wrong for him to be annoyed with the restaurant for not letting them in! They had told him formal dress when he made the reservation sure but they didn’t explain that meant anything other than just looking your best! He looked his best! Alex looked her best! What, were they going to wear their wedding clothes or something?

“You know I was thinking about how crazy it is that just everything is Christmas this time of year,” Alex mused. “It’s not like I didn’t know everything is too Christmas and that there are lots of people who doesn’t celebrate who have to deal with it but I guess because we celebrate without being Christian, I didn’t really think about how fucking annoying it is for people who really don’t celebrate. Rebekah was telling me people always act like they’re sorry for her…” She continued to talk about it and he took the moment to breathe deeply. Ok. Change in plans. But Alex wasn’t demanding he take her home, so it would be ok. Even if he didn’t know why the fuck this was what she decided to ramble about, at least it was something.

The Italian place was busier, smaller, not on the water, but still nice and they didn’t get turned away at the door. The host took their coats for them. The tables had real candles, which Jungkook didn’t realize he cared about until they sat down and he saw the actual flicker from the breeze of their motions. The menus were short, which a Reddit thread had taught him meant it was a sign of a good restaurant. Their waiter had a bowtie and a black vest and offered to call over a sommelier to guide their wine selection.

“We’re going to a wine tasting after this,” Alex informed the waiter. “So I’ll wait on the wine.”

“We can have a glass or something here,” Jungkook argued.

Alex shook her head and tapped the wine menu, maybe trying to show him that the cheapest wine was $15/glass at a glance. But he had brought her to an Italian restaurant! For a fancy dinner! Wine was part of a fancy dinner!

“You don’t have to, but I’ll have a glass of something, send the sommelier over,” Jungkook insisted. 

Alex decided she’d have the glass too. They had to show their cards and mused as they always did about how old they would have to be before the stopped getting carded. The waiter brought them bread and promised their calamari appetizer would be out quickly.

“Wow, it’s so romantic here,” Alex murmured. Jungkook felt the sigh of relief radiate from his chest. The candle light danced across her skin as she studied the elaborate murals on the walls, partially obscured by heavy red curtains. Elegant music played over the low din of dining. They were towards the edge of a large room, tucked into a little booth by the window with a view of nothing but trees. A grand piano stood in the center of what looked like a dance floor, tables sparse on the wooden floor.

“I feel bad,” she continued. “I didn’t realize you wanted to do such fancy things, I would have dressed nicer.”

“I think you dressed nice.”

“I did too until I saw you,” she laughed. “I guess I forgot…”

“Forgot what?” he asked, not following.

“What you look like.”

“Whaaaat?” he grinned, warmed by the flattery. The compliments from her felt sincere in a way they hadn’t before. He was used to teasing, so he almost didn’t trust it, but she didn’t look like she was teasing him. Now he found himself hungry for more. Did she really think he was hot? Not just aware that other people thought so, but she thought so? She liked the way he looked? She liked the way he dressed?

“Oh my god,” she snickered and rolled her eyes. “Do you always take your ego on dates with you?”

“No, I left it at home tonight with my jacket and tie,” he joked. She smiled and looked so pretty in the candlelight. He draped his hand across the table, palm down, to see if she’d take the hint and put hers on it. Would they be the kind of couple that held hands at dinner? Obviously not on a first date, but someday would they sit on the same side of the booth? Well, in a more serious way than when they did that at Wendy’s so they could both put their feet up on the other bench, that was different.

“The mood lighting is so… romantic,” she said again. “I feel like I should have worn high heels.”

“Your boots have heels.”

“Yeah but you know what I mean…’

“Do you want to dance until our food gets here?” The question was impulsive. No one else was dancing. But that could mean she wouldn’t have to feel nervous or pressured about dancing on beat with him. They could just hold onto each other and sway, here by the table or over on the dance floor. Maybe other people could join. He had enjoyed dancing with her so much, it would be a nice thing to add tonight.

But her eyes went wide as she cried, “Hey, don’t make fun of me!”

“What–”

“Oh god, don’t joke about it,” she laughed and covered her face. “How fucking humiliating…”

Jungkook hadn’t meant it as a joke. He thought it would be romantic. He certainly hadn’t meant to embarrass her just by the suggestion of dancing together. Unsure what else to say, he racked his brain trying to think of topics. The problem was that the lists of things to talk about on your first date were things like ask about where they grew up and ask about their hobbies and ask them what makes them unique? And ask them where their favorite place in the world is. But Jungkook knew all of these things about her! He wanted to learn something new about her. He wanted to seem new to her.

“Uh… what’s your favorite place in the world?” he asked as she untangled the little legs of their calamari appetizer.

“Mine? I don’t know… my parents’ house? I guess it was our old apartment.”

“Oh. Really?” he frowned.

“Why are you frowning?!”

“That’s just kind of sad.”

“Ok. Ouch.”

“No! I mean because we don’t live there anymore.”

“Oh. Yeah. How annoying,” she sighed. “So what’s Namjoon like as a roommate?”

“He’s a good roommate,” Jungkook said because he didn’t want to gossip or vent or seem complainy. Namjoon was a good roommate! Sure, he had a household aesthetic and a lot of Jungkook’s stuff didn’t meet the mark so he was kind of crowded into his room. 

“That’s it? That’s all you have to say? Come on, you complained about living with me all the time.”

“Ah, yeah, sorry about that…”

“Huh?”

Embarrassed that she’d bring that up, he sipped his $15/glass wine. Yeah, he was worried about that. Alex was his best friend and he’d always treated her like a best friend but that wasn’t the same way you wanted to treat a girlfriend. He had a lot of things to undo. Actually, that was it, their first date wasn’t about learning, it was about unlearning all the things he would never have let a girl see about him. 

“You’re being so weird,” she laughed, and nudged his foot under the table. “Is something wrong?”

“Hm? No, why would something be wrong?”

“Don’t let that other place bother you. I like this place a lot better anyway, this calamari is really good! I hope you still like me when I’m bloated from too much fettuccine…”

Instantly he assured her, “Of course I do. I mean, not that you’ll be bloaty or– I mean, obviously the body naturally looks different after a big dinner but it’s not– I won’t notice that kind of– it’s just normal…”

“It was a joke,” she said. “I’m wearing a bulky sweater, you won’t be able to tell anyway. Unless you get me naked.” She arched her eyebrow. 

“We, um– tonight it’s um… were you thinking that? I thought we’d just have a nice date–”

“Oh. That’s not… nice? OK, I mean I’m half joking, I didn’t realize you had such a tight schedule for tonight!”

Jungkook had never felt so awkward and weird around Alex in his life. The only thing he knew to do was try and get the conversation back on track to Impressive Date Approved topics:

“Hey, so I was watching a really interesting show the other day. It was about the brain and all the changes it goes through from like a baby to a dead person– an old person.”

“The brain does very much still change after you die,” she pointed out. Yeah, dead people and rotting brains was definitely not on the approved list. No girl went home from a date and was like oh boy he was so handsome and charming and funny and we talked about decaying brains. I’m so in love.

She had not said that to him yet. That she loved him. There hadn’t been any real confession or labeling and he was obviously fine with that, he didn’t need labels, but still, it would be cool to get her to say something he could be sure of.

“No, don’t be like that, it was really cool to see– oh thank Christ the food is here.”

“You in a hurry or something?” she laughed. Which reminded him that they did have a scheduled start time for the wine tasting. He checked his phone as the waiter set their food down. 

“Our wine tasting is at 7:30.”

“What?! Then yeah we don’t have much time!”

“Yeah.” Hm, he hadn’t really done the math right– or well he had when he’d made reservations for six at the other place, he just hadn’t counted on needing to change restaurants. Actually they have very little time. “Uh, well, ok, let’s eat fast then…” Eating fast was not romantic. “Or we can miss it. It’s fine.”

But she waved her hand, already twirling pasta around her fork, “No way, we’ll make it. You worked so hard planning all of this! I can eat fast. Damn this is good pasta…. You want to try this?”

He did, but he already envisioned the noodles swinging down and getting on his dark shirt. And then she’d want to try his, which was spaghetti and meatballs (it was one of the cheapest things on the menu, ok?!) and he’d drop one and it would bounce onto her white sweater. It wasn’t worth the risk.

“Nah, we can just eat our own food,” he assured her. 

And promptly knocked his glass of wine to the ground, shattering it.

**

Alex had never seen Jungkook acting so weird in her life. He swung back and forth between distracted and too intense. One moment she’d think he was bored and the next he’d ignore whatever she just said and start telling her a play by play of some brain documentary he watched! He was clearly pissed about the first restaurant turning them away but then didn’t seem to care about the next place even though it was really nice; they had to leave so quickly to get to the wine tasting that they didn’t even get dessert. 

He wasn’t acting like himself at all. Honestly, she felt like another day he might have still been able to sweet talk them into that first restaurant –though she was glad he hadn’t because she wasn’t really comfortable in a place like that anyway. It was bad enough being at the Italian restaurant where Jungkook insisted on paying and the waiter gave her a menu without prices so she didn’t even know how much damage she was doing to Jungkook’s bank account. He didn’t want to talk about any of the things they normally talked about. He didn’t respond to any of her jokes. 

She couldn’t figure it out. Did he just not want to be here? But that didn’t make sense, because if he didn’t want to be here, he wouldn’t be! Jungkook had no problem peacing out of a situation he didn’t want to be in. He’d bailed on her plenty of times, that wasn’t hard for him.

They rushed across town to get to Hollyoak Vineyards for this wine tasting Jungkook had booked them for –and she was confused, because they couldn’t do a vineyard tour in the cold and dark or anything– and made it just in the nick of time. He kept saying over and over that it was fine if they missed it, which seemed to mean it wasn’t fine. 

And then, checking in, winded by the sprint from the car, Alex made a terrible discovery: she had left her wallet and ID at the Italian restaurant. Which might have been fine if Jungkook wasn’t with her, because often she didn’t get carded on her own. But Jungkook made her look younger with that charming babyface of his. The woman asked to see their IDs before they could join the tour and tasting.

“I left it at the restaurant,” she admitted quietly, turning to Jungkook.

For a moment he just looked at her.

“You don’t have your ID?”

“It’s at the restaurant.”

“Uh…”

He froze. He looked between her and the employee and Alex knew that look: somebody fix this for me because I don’t know what to do now. Usually she didn’t see that look unless he was drunk or in emotional crisis. Neither was true now, except that he still wasn’t saying anything.

“Is there another tasting tonight?” Alex asked the employee.

“No, I’m sorry. I can reschedule you for another day?”

“Could he start the tasting now and I’ll go and come back–”

“No, you’ll miss the whole thing,” Jungkook said, reanimated. He pulled his ID off the counter and tucked it back into his wallet. “Ok, we’ll go. Thanks anyway.”

“I’m sorry, I guess it fell out of my purse under the table,” she explained as they left the place. He didn’t say anything. She couldn’t tell if he was pissed or disappointed, but she felt bad either way. “I’m really sorry, Jungkook.”

“It’s fine. It doesn’t matter,” he sighed. “Uh…” They reached the car and he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. She didn’t know what he was thinking about or if he was just trying to control his emotions or what. “You want me just to take you home? This is all kind of a bust, huh?”

“Wha? No, don’t take me home yet!”

“You sure? ‘Cause this a pretty fail date so–”

“Oh my god are you serious right now?” she laughed. “It’s fine! Things go wrong sometimes, it’s not that serious. Can’t we just find something else to do?”

He let out a deep, heavy sigh.

“Hey look, I’m sorry I fucked up the wine tasting. We can just do that on another date, I’ll book it.”

“Yeah but…”

“Let’s just go to minigolf or something–”

“I’m not taking you to minigolf,” he huffed, and crossed his arms and leaned against the car, and rolled his eyes.

And frankly, Alex had had enough.

“Why the fuck not? What’s wrong with minigolf? What’s wrong with Taco Bell? I don’t want to be a bitch because I know you put all this effort into planning all of these things but why are you acting like we’re suddenly too good to– ok, we tried this fancy stuff and things went wrong so let’s just do something else! It doesn’t have to be a big deal!”

“It does have to be a big deal, Alex! It’s our first fucking date!”

“So?!” she shouted, throwing her arms up.

“What do you mean ‘so’?! It’s our first date! The first date we ever go on!” he shouted back.

“Yeah I know that! But it doesn’t have to be like some big…” She couldn’t think of the right words. Her shouting fizzled a bit as she thought through what he’d just said, and how actually very sweet that was.

“I wanted it to be big,” he insisted. “Hoseok always took you on these big fancy dates, right? Yeah, I can do that too!”

“Oh, Jungkook,” she sighed. And walked around and grabbed his coat and headbutted his chest and let her head rest there. “You dummy.”

“What?”

“Don’t worry about what Hoseok did. Who cares?”

“You cared.”

“Past tense,” she pointed out, craning her neck to look up at him from so close. “Now I’m out on a date with you. I don’t have this like high expectation of–”

“Of a good date? You should. That’s shitty, I don’t–”

“We can do anything and it’s a good date. I just wanted to spend time with you. We already know all kinds of things we like doing together.”

“Yeah but this isn’t just hanging out, Alex. It’s a date date. I wanted it to be special.”

“It is special, you idiot.” She hit him on the arm several times to try and make him smile. “It’s us. Obviously it’s special.”

“No, we’ve always been just friends. This needs to be big so you know it’s different–”

“Do you think I’m a stupid little baby? Is that why you were telling me about baby brains? I know this is different! You brought me flowers and looked all nervous and awkward on my couch!” It was more fun to tease him than admit her own nerves as she’d dressed and redressed and then redressed again. But the excitement for her had been a thousand times louder than the nerves. Nervous-excited, not nervous-afraid.

He sounded nervous-afraid.

“Yeah but–”

“I put on sexy underwear and eyeliner! The pointy way you said looks good!”

“I know that– I mean not about the underwear but–”

“So why are you being so weird about our date? There’s no point if you don’t actually enjoy spending time with me.”

“What are you talking about?” he demanded, eyebrows furrowing into the little V she had predicted. “Of course I like spending time with you.”

“Yeah? What do you like doing with me?”

“I don’t know, just… stuff. Like… but it’s just been friend stuff before–”

“I’m no expert, but I think dating is kind of just doing the same things we always did except we say it’s a date now,” she pointed out. “You don’t think so? Or are you worried you don’t actually like me or something?”

“I like you, Alex, that’s why I’m nervous. Pretty sure I used a word stronger than ‘like’ before too.”

She let that sit for a moment. Hearing Jungkook admit he was nervous was a completely different lens to look at the whole evening. Hearing Jungkook reiterate that he liked her was like, nauseatingly unbelievable. 

Ok, now she was having a harder time not being nervous-afraid because yeah, this was pretty crazy, being on a date date with Jungkook that he was taking so seriously because he liked her and she liked him too. Oh god.

“Are you… are you just cranky because you’re worried about having a bad first date?” she fumbled out.

“Yeah! Obviously! Jesus, it’s like you– are you fucking with me right now?!”

“Oh my god, you are so high strung right now,” she sighed and pulled on his jacket. “Jungkook! Chill! Are you serious?”

“I just…”

“Baby,” she said, and reached up to grab his face in a burst of confidence fueled by all of his nonsense. “Baby Koo.”

“Shut up,” he grumbled.

“No, don’t be grumpy. Look at me.” He begrudgingly did so; he didn’t have much of a choice with her holding his head. “Thank you for a wonderful dinner and for scheduling the wine tasting I fucked up. This whole evening is really special to me. The fact you worked so hard to make it special makes me feel really special. I don’t want to say goodnight yet, so I’d really like ice cream and minigolf with you.”

“Why are you so obsessed with minigolf?” he mumbled.

“I don’t know, I just think it’s a cute date idea and I like doing dumb things like that with you,” she shrugged, letting her hands fall away. He caught hold of them though and held. His fingers were cold. “I’m still allowed to like it, even when it’s a date date.”

“Yeah, well…” His mouth twisted in thought, so cute. “My original plan was to do minigolf,” he confessed. “And the taco truck. But then everyone acted like that was really lame and low effort so I wanted to do something bigger so you would know–”

“Fuck that!” Alex cried. “And fuck them! I like minigolf and tacos!”

“I know you like that but I wanted to like… I want you to be all giddy and stuff, you know? No one gets giddy over minigolf.”

“They do when they win,” she beamed. “You wouldn’t know about that. Since you never win.” 

His eyes narrowed. “Uh, pretty sure I always beat your ass. I can’t let you win, just because it’s a date.”

“Who said anything about let?”

“Ugggh but see? I can’t beat your ass, that’ll be a bad date.”

“Then let me win.”

“You’d hate me forever.”

“I wouldn’t hate you! I’d just be shocked you were down that bad for me– I don’t think your ego could let someone–”

“Hey, I let girls win that shit all the time,” he interrupted. “I don’t let you win because I respect you so much.”

“Yeah or because you aren’t trying to get into my pants.”

“No, but I do want into your pants now.”

“Well… sounds like you know what to do then…” She grinned and wiggled her eyebrows and felt full body relief. Everything made so much more sense now. She should have figured it out sooner that Jungkook was just nervous and frustrated that things weren’t going to his plan when he was trying so hard! But how could she have guessed he was this worked up about impressing her? It was just her!

“Alex,” he whined her name. She started to walk around the car but he was still holding her wrist and pulled her back. “We can’t play minigolf. Forty years from now we’ll be talking about our first date and I’m going to say I took you to play fucking minigolf?”

Damn. Damn that sounded serious. 

“Um, well,” she stammered, distracted at the casual way in which he’d basically just been like yeah we’re going to be together forever. “Well first you’ll probably tease me about forgetting my wallet and then you’ll probably tease me about being easy or childish because I wanted to play minigolf.”

“Ah, that’s true… you asked for it. I’m just giving you what you wanted.” His voice lowered as he said it, as he pulled her closer, no secret about the innuendo.

“Giving me what I want is always the right move,” she agreed, and lifted her face so he wouldn’t have to crouch too far for the kiss she thought he was leading into. There was only a moment of hesitation during which she worried she’d read him wrong. Maybe this just wasn’t normal yet, but they wanted it. He smiled into the kiss, giving too much teeth against hers, but she tilted her face and the kiss softened and Alex forgot to breathe. You know, just Jungkook, kissing her in the parking lot, nose pressed against hers, warm breath and saliva mingling with hers.

She overbalanced on her toes and they fell back against his car but he caught his own weight and towered over her. 

“Maybe you should go back to being pissy and mean,” she breathed.

“Huh?”

“You’re making me dizzy,” she admitted with a laugh. “I know we kissed the other night but–” 

Jungkook cut her off with another kiss that made her toes curl and her heart stutter.

“Yeah?” he murmured, sounding a bit breathless himself as his nose gently nudged hers. “Am I giving you butterflies kissing you in the parking lot of the wine tasting we didn’t get to do?”

“Yeah.”

He sighed, wine-scented breath warm across her face. “Can you please be a little more high maintenance? I’m giving you permission to be demanding!”

“Oh, I will be, without your permission,” she assured him with a cheeky grin. “You seem to be forgetting– well, I won’t remind you. You just keep those rose-tinted glasses on for a while. At least until I make you cry at minigolf.”

“Ok, are you just forgetting that you’re really bad at minigolf? Because I have not forgotten it–”

“That’s not true! I’ve won before!”

“Yeah, by sabotaging me,” he pointed out.

“Mm-hm and now I can sabotage you even more, right? Like… oops I dropped my ball!” she joked and slid from his arms to bend over and pick it up. So he had a nice profile of just how high her skirt would go. She was wearing tights, it wasn’t going to show anything but look, she’d learned a few things over the years about what Jungkook liked. He liked the tease. The suggestion. Maybe he liked it more than the real thing. 

She hoped he didn’t like the idea of her more than the real thing.

Also he really liked ass, so at least that was a safe bet.

He grumbled and demanded, “How many dates do we have to go on before I’m allowed to spank when you do something like that?”

Oh god be cool she begged herself because, you know, Jungkook had basically just asked to spank her. Jungkook. Spanking her. Just… spanking her. Cool. Cool cool.

“Um… three.”

He looked unhappy about it but nodded, “Ok. So you’re just going to tease me a lot tonight then?”

“Yeah, probably. But if you cry when you lose, I’ll comfort you. I’m not totally mean.”

“Yeah, I’ll give you a hug when you lose,” he promised. “I’m a caring date.”

“You’re a nice guy.”

“Yeah, I’m a nice guy,” he laughed, then tried to tickle and poke her through her coat. “I am. Sorry if I was weird or whatever tonight.”

“Hey, why are you talking like the night is over? You are still on a date,” she argued. 

“Right right, I have to make your dreams come true. Minigolf and ice cream.”

“And you,” she added, sort of without meaning to. At least the vulnerability of it hit her after she’d said the words. She just had meant to specify he was an important part of why she would like those things on a date!

But the thing was, she didn’t really feel vulnerable tonight in a bad way. She didn’t feel as nervous or impostery as she had feared. This was Jungkook! She didn’t think there was anyone in the world she was safer with and all his efforts and overthinking seemed to prove that. He’d taken on all the nerves for her. What a great guy.

He smiled, that goofy crooked toothy grin of her best friend, and said, “Well call me a dreamboy, baby, because I’m about to make all your dreams come true–”

“Ok you did not get laid with lines like that,” Alex said with a roll of her eyes.

“Yeah, sure I did!”

“No.”

“I did! Are you saying that did not make you cream your panties? What kind of panties did you say again–”

“Oh my god, just get in the car.”

“Fine, what date can I ask about your panties? Because I thought that one was ok since we talked about it the other night.”

“My panties?”

“Yeah.”

“You mean because you’ve been hoarding my underwear at your–”

“Woah woah I did not– I told you they were just mixed in with–”

“They?! How many of my underwear do you have?!”

“Get in the car, Song.”

She giggled and continued to taunt him as the car heated up and he looked up places. There was an indoor one at the mall they were familiar with but Alex wanted the outside one which was still open through the end of the month and served ice cream.

“You sure you’re ok with outside?”

“I’ll be fine! I have a coat and sweater tights.”

“Oh is that why they look fancy?”

“Yeah, they’re textured. Want to feel them?” she teased as he drove. But he took the advantage, letting his hand slide across her thigh. She got very quiet. His hand just looked so familiar and comfortable there, like that was his thigh. 

“Yeah, I like these,” he nodded. “Your whole outfit.”

She waited, then sighed, “You noticed I couldn’t get my eyeliner straight, didn’t you?”

“Well, that’s why you have me now,” he laughed. “I can help next time.”

“Look you weren’t the only one nervous, ok?”

“Yeah? What were you nervous about, baby?” he asked, still rubbing her thigh. He might as well have been rubbing somewhere else with that firm grip. The devil part of her wanted to just ask him to let his hand run higher, maybe a sequel to the other night…

“Yeah don’t act all cocky now. I know your secret!” she retorted and adjusted her skirt.

“What’s my secret?”

“You like me.”

“You’re right, that is a very well kept secret,” he laughed. “Please don’t spread that around. There might still be a couple people in town I didn’t drunkenly blab that to in the last few months.”

She sighed happily at his expense. Maybe the craziest thing wasn’t being on a date with ex-best-turned-best-friend-again Jungkook. Maybe the craziest thing was that being on an actual date with him didn’t feel as crazy as she’d always expected it to. Would that come later? She hadn’t felt mismatched on his arm walking into either restaurant like she’d expected to. Yes, he was the hottest guy in any room. And he wanted to put his face between her legs, so what did that make her?

Ok, that part was still a little wild and crazy. Not only that he’d wanted to but she’d let him. Maybe she’d even let him do it for real next time.

“You ok?”

“Hm?”

“Is it too hot in here now?” he asked.

“Yeah, way too hot,” she agreed, reaching forward to crank the heat down. Jungkook cracked the windows. She drank the cool air in and pushed back against the warm tingling starting to build up. 

“So what did your parents say when you told them I was picking you up for a date tonight?” he asked, throat clearing. It made her suspicious in two directions.

“Why, what did they say to you?” she asked, the safer question than: why you clearing your throat, boo? Whatcha thinking about? 

“Nothing, they were just acting kind of weird…”

“I told them we were going on a date date and they were just like ‘oh really? That’s nice.’ I don’t think they believed me!”

“Well I was dressed up with flowers.”

“Plus you were acting super weird too,” Alex pointed out.

“Thanks, babe.”

His hand left her thigh as he took a sharp turn and Alex wished he’d read her mind and put it back, but he did not.

“Let’s get your wallet, dummy.”

Fifteen minutes and one returned wallet later, he pulled into the minigolf parking lot and pressed, “You sure you want to do this?”

“Why? You scared?”

“No, I meant because it’s cold–”

“You’re scared.”

“I’m not scared, Alex. You golf like a toddler.”

“It’s minigolf, that’s the point!”

“That’s not the… whatever, ice cream before or after?”

“During. I’m ready to doublefist a cone and a club.”

It really was fucking cold outside, but the course was lit and they weren’t the only ones. The snack bar served them the ice cream, the employee giving them a raised eyebrow but handing the cones over. Jungkook hit his first ball straight into a pond and Alex got a scathing look from a mom when she shouted what are you the fucking hulk? It’s minigolf! While he shouted accusations at her That was your fault! Why are you bending over like that to tie your shoe? Your boots don’t even have laces! 

The truth was they were both pretty bad at minigolf tonight. Their teeth chattered and they huddled together from one hole to the next. They fucked with each other every single turn –dirty jokes, terrible impersonations, quoting memes and movies they knew would get a rise out of each other. Jungkook tried the same move she’d done in the beginning, even pulling his coat up to make sure she could see his ass, sulked when it didn’t work, and pretended like he was going to do a full on striptease –which would definitely have led to Alex’s premature death. Later she offered to suck his fingers to warm them up and he fell to the ground claiming he’d sprained his dick. 

And then it started to rain.

“Are you fucking kidding me?!” Jungkook shouted as Alex grabbed his hand and ran with him into the mountain tunnel in the center of the course. “It wasn’t supposed to rain until 9!”

“The weather does what it wants.”

“Yeah but it’s fucking with my date. You don’t like getting rained on! Unless today is the day we try the naked thing–”

She laughed and pulled him down closer to kiss his wet face. His skin was so cold. Their lips and noses were stiff. The sweetness of his mint choco ice cream lingered on his tongue. Alex stood on the railing for height and lost herself in the taste. She thought she’d be taking this dumb fantasy to her grave and yet here they were, making out in the minigolf mountain like the horny teenages they hadn’t gotten to be with each other. 

After several long, lazy, uncounted minutes had passed, they huddled together at the exit to survey the remaining distance. The rain was not letting up.

“Did you make it rain?” he demanded. “You’re that upset I’m beating you?”

“Uh… you aren’t beating me.”

“Alex, I’m totally beating you.”

“You totally aren’t.”

“Then what’s the score?”

“I don’t know but you don’t know either!”

“7-11.”

“You liar!” she laughed and tried to hit his ass. “Fine, we’ll count for real now.”

“Wait, what for real now? It’s raining!”

“It’s not raining that hard.”

“It’s hard enough!” he cried, then instantly laughed and wiggled his eyebrows, then groaned, “But I’m not, I’m freezing!”

“All right, let’s golf fast! Orrrr you could admit defeat.”

“Never,” he glared and grabbed his putter and took off.

The cheating was flagrant and largely futile. Putters were traded for kicking, rolling, and eventually just dropping the ball in the hole. They shouted numbers to make each other lose count. They were laughing so hard, doubled over at times as the rain grew heavier and colder. She really did hate the way her clothes and hair clung to her wet skin, but it was worth it to endure. This was a special night.

“We’re idiots!” Alex laughed, then shrieked as she slipped on a little bridge. Jungkook dove forward and rammed his elbow on the metal railing, didn’t help her, and sank to the ground like he’d been knocked out. “Get up! Get up! You’ll get hypothermia!”

Instead he took her putter and shouted, “Good luck winning now!” and limped forward, clutching his elbow. Alex ran ahead of him and managed to shove her ball into the final return hole just as he tried to kick his in. Instead he kicked her in the shoulder and shouted in horror. She tried to stand, he tried to crouch.

“Fuck!”

“Up up we have to get back to the car, we’re going to freeze to death!” Jungkook shouted at her, grabbing her arm. They half-limped, half-ran back to the parking lot, tossing their putters in the return rack without stopping.

“We’re such idiots, we’re going to get sick and die,” Alex wailed as they stripped their wet coats off and shoved them in the backseat. Jungkook cranked the heat up. “Fuck, I hate my bangs!” she laughed, swiping at the hair plastered to her face, poking her in the eyes. “At least I wore my contacts.”

Jungkook’s hands replaced hers, pushing them back, followed by his cold lips against her forehead, her nose and then her mouth, all one smooth motion that completely overwhelmed her. Her fingers tightened on his shoulders in surprise as he grabbed her arms and pulled her closer, like the laughter and running and cheating had turned into raw energy that he now funneled into a hard, desperate kiss. The joy in that kiss made the world spin around her. The windows were fogging up and she felt that desperation again. Touch me, taste me, take me, do anything to me, let me be the girl you want.

“Alex.”

“Koo.”

His breath warmed her frozen nose and stung her frozen cheeks. 

“Was this the worst date ever?”

She glared. “No! It was good because it was with me, right?”

“We’re both going to get the flu.”

“Stop complaining and just kiss me again,” she ordered, pulling him across the console this time. He pressed her into the seat, contorted, mouth getting hotter against hers by the second. 

“God I can’t believe this was the best date of my life,” he completely contradicted himself.

The giggles burst out of her, “Damn. Really? That’s sad–”

He shoved icy fingers under her sweater to tickle and she screamed and kicked the dashboard in her attempts to flee. He just wrapped his arms around her and pressed his frozen nose into her neck, squeezing tighter.

“You asshole, let me go!”

“Never.”

“Jungkook!”

“You said you wanted outdoor minigolf, you suffer the consequences! I’m warming my nose up.”

“I’m so uncomfortably wet!”

“Yeah baby–”

“No, in a bad way!”

“Love leaving a girl wet in a bad way on our first date–” She couldn’t hear what else he said, drowned out by her laughter. Someone was going to think they were fucking in here with the way windows had fogged up so quickly and they were shaking the car. She pushed him away and adjusted the heat and wiped at the condensation on her window. Now it was uncomfortably hot, and also her clothing really felt disgusting like this. The fluffy sweater was scratchy and gross. She pulled it away from her skin but it just clung right back.

Jungkook shook his head.

“What?”

“I tried so hard to make this date nice,” he laughed.

“Oh my god you’re so hung up on this. I’m having a great time!”

But perfectionist Jungkook. She should have known he’d have some specific idea in mind! He struggled when things didn’t go the way he planned, if he wanted them a certain way. Usually he’d insist he didn’t care and overcompensate in his frustration, make too much of a joke about things in an effort to be cool that was always obvious and annoying. He hadn’t done that! But she knew frustration lingered with him and she didn’t want that to be what overshadowed their date!

“Seriously. Please don’t remember our first date as a failure. Ok, how about this, what if we decide this was just a trial run.”

“Uh huh.”

“Our next date is our first date,” she explained, twisting in the seat. It was gross, her tights and skirt squished. “We’ll just keep having first dates until you’re happy.”

“Wait, but I’m happy. Don’t make it sound like I’m not.”

“Uh, you aren’t though, you’re the only one in this car who’s unhappy.”

“I’m happy,” he insisted, eyebrows going up, lips pouting. “It’s just not as good as I wanted to do for you, but I’m happy. Why wouldn’t I be? I’m on a date with Alex Song!”

“Oh please…”

“I meant that seriously.”

“You said it like a joke.”

“I meant it seriously,” he insisted. “I want to impress you, you know? You’ve seen the worst of me for so long, I want you to see the best of me too. Like that I can take you on a really fun, nice date, not that I’m just some lazy, sex-obsessed asshole–.”

“I see the best of you all the time too, or I wouldn’t be on a date with you in the first place. I already know we can have a great time even when things go wrong. This date was genuinely great but even if it was actually awful, I’d still have fun with you, it’s one of the things I’ve always… liked about you.” Loved about you.

She didn’t say it.

She balked.

She didn’t know why she didn’t say it. She had expected the words to just roll right off her tongue. Because she did, she knew she loved him, and not too long ago she could have said it without any hesitation.

But it meant something more now, and the words tangled up behind her cold teeth.

She hurried to add, “I know that you can be both a really sweet, thoughtful guy and a lazy, sex-obsessed–”

“Ok ok,” he huffed, pouting he’d set her up for a zinger like that. He turned on the headlights and sighed. “I’d better get you home so you can put on your jammies. I’ll feel like an asshole if I really do get you sick right before Christmas.”

“I’m the one who insisted on minigolf.”

“Ok, it’s your fault then.”

“Jungkook!”

“Hey don’t hit me, I’m driving! That’s just what we need tonight, a car wreck!”

“Fine, you’re safe for now…”

She curled up in her seat and tried not to make it obvious she was staring at him. The streetlights flickering through the rain on the windshield cast spotted shadows on his wet face but she could tell his nose was still red and sniffly. 

He was cute. And sweet. It was endearing he’d been so serious and competitive about their date. She’d known him for so long but still she had learned something new about him tonight: he was not confident on a date. She had always known he had a gooey soft interior but he was so suave with women, she had assumed he would be all confidence and charm on a date. Instead he was a grumpy sulky baby when things weren’t going the way he planned. 

Her grumpy sulky baby. Just like she’d always wanted. Hot as shit on the outside, sulky baby on the inside.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” he asked, glancing nervously her way at a red light.

“Nothing.”

“Tell me.”

“Nothing!”

He reached out and sank his fingers into her thigh like a claw.

“NO! Don’t tickle me, you’re driving!” she shrieked and tried to fend him off. Fortunately the light turned green, saving her. “Rude!”

“I just want to know what you're thinking. I’m on pins and needles here.”

She decided to tease him more. “Well… I’m thinking I’d like to see you again.”

“Oh? Yeah?”

“Yeah. Maybe at our joint family dinner on Christmas Eve?”

“Booo,” he scowled. “Before that. That’s not a date, that’s a duty.”

“You want another date before that?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow, I’m a really good date, huh?” she grinned.

“Yeah, you’re cute.”

“I was joking!”

“I’m not.”

“Fine. How about I’ll plan the next date. When are you free, is it on the calendar?”

“Yeah, it’s on the calendar. Any time I’m not working is yours.”

She didn’t comment. She couldn’t comment on any of these things. Because this was just mundane, joky conversation, but the fact they casually making more plans together hit her like a bus. Part of her brain was like yeah, making plans with Jungkook, totally normal while the other part reminded you’re dating Jungkook. 

He pulled to a stop in front of her house and started to get out.

“No don’t walk me to the door, it’s still pouring.”

“Yeah, but–”

“No, seriously. My parents might be watching the door anyway.”

“Yeah but…”

“Hey,” she said. “Save it for the first date. I’ll walk you to your front door at the end of the night.”

“Oh you’re driving?”

“Yeah, babygirl, we are equals,” she grinned.

“Did you just… just ‘babygirl’ me?”

“Yesssss,” she started to laugh before his fingers even tried to wedge under her shirt again. He kissed her before she caught her breath; she laughed and squirmed and it made their lips slide, the messiest kiss. 

“K, get out of my car, I need to get home and shower before I get sick,” he said.

“Hold on, Jesus, I’m dizzy.”

“Huh?”

“You can’t just kiss a girl like that and then kick her out of your car, I’ll trip and die–”

“Ok, I’m walking you in.”

“No, stay put.”

“You said you’re dizzy!”

She squeezed his face so full of concern, and shook her head, “Goodnight. Thanks for the amazing date, I had a lot of fun despite your whining about it.”

“Hey!”

His shouted protests were swallowed quickly by the rain as she held her coat over her head and ran into her house. She was right that Baba had been watching the door and swung it open to let her in quickly.

“Alex, you’re wet! Did you get caught in the rain?”

“Thanks, Baba, goodnight!” Alex sang as she yanked her boots off, tossed her coat, and floated to her room. 

There in the privacy of her bedroom, she covered her face and let out a silent scream.

He tried so hard!

He cared so much!

He was so handsome!

He was so awkward about their date and god, she loved him for it. Didn’t he understand how perfect it was? It was exactly what she had hoped for. The effort. The attention. All for her. 

She looked forward to teasing him about it for forty years. 

Especially the photo he posted to his Snap and Insta story of him with a towel around his shoulders, shirt clinging to his body, hair damp and tousled, giving a thumbs-up with the caption yeah everything went wrong but I got a second date so… Followed by a text only post on insta lol she ain’t on here fam she deleted insta a while ago

So he wasn’t talking about their date on insta as some kind of game or lure or to signal to her that he wasn’t still trying to hook up with women? He did it just to… share? Brag? Signal to women on instagram he wasn’t looking? Was he just excited about his date and used to sharing things on social media and didn’t think through the impact on his free sex life because that wasn’t a priority to him?

“Grrrr why are you so fucking cute,” she grumbled. “I’m supposed to be the cute one. Stay in your hot lane. ”

She DMed him a kissy face emoji in response to the story to give him a heart attack and went to shower. And afterwards had a good laugh when the stories and the pre-date photo were gone.

[AlandPals]: 😘

[TheJK.97]: 😎

[AlandPals]: take off the sunglasses

[TheJK.97]:  😵🪦

[TheJK.97]:  so uh when did you dl insta?

[AlandPals]: night bunny

[TheJK.97]:  that is NOT my petname

[TheJK.97]:  night earwig

[AlandPals]: night weevil

[TheJK.97]:  night shrimp cocktail

[AlandPals]: night nutter butter

[TheJK.97]:  night cheeto finger

[AlandPals]: night kookie crisp

[TheJK.97]:  night booberry

[TheJK.97]:  night pistachio

[TheJK.97]: night titmouse (that’s a bird look it up)

[TheJK.97]: did you fall asleep on me??

[TheJK.97]: I win 😁

Alex let him have this one. He’d earned it.

KEEP READING PARTY B

[streetkid-named-desire]

Tell me how Rat and VG met!

I actually hadn't thought about this and I'm gonna cheat and steal from how me and my long time best friend (of 20 years!) became friends.

-

VG heard people shit talking a kid in his grade. The kid was two years younger but tested out of all the 2nd and 3rd grade shit and was with the other 10 year olds in 4th grade. (This part isn't the same my bff and I are the same age).

They said the kid was weird, called her a freak, made fun of her relentlessly and made her sound like the worst, stupidest, most loser person in school. And he wanted to check it out for himself because surely no one could be more of a loser than him.

He goes to the boys bathroom during recess one day and sees a kid in there with short hair. They're washing their hands and they turn to him, startled, deer in headlights. He knew it was the kid everyone had been talking about.

"Hey, I'm Vincent." He stuck his hand out to shake. The kid lifted his hands in a sheepish gesture to show they were still dripping wet.

"Who are you?"

"Nate." V knew a couple Nates but none in his grade. He didn't question it. If Natalya liked going as Nate he'd call them Nate.

Of course V was bullied even worse for befriending the loser gender freak but he didn't care because with their brains combined they wired up all sorts of pranks to get back at them. When puberty came for Nate it got even worse for him but that just made V fight harder for his friend. They set the record for most detentions by a single student in a single year and one time a school nurse gave V a card to her plastic surgeon saying he'll want it for his nose when he's older.

Rene and I were in 4th grade I think. I remember people making fun of her but I don't remember what they'd say. All I remember is thinking that there was no way she was as bad as people said and I wanted to find out for my own damn self.

In Arizona my elementary had these bathrooms that were like outside? They weren't connected indoors and the entrance were just these like weird brick privacy walls and had no AC and metal fixtures and the soap was that powder stuff. I don't remember if I'd heard she was in there or if it was just a chance happening. But I met her in there and said hi and asked if she wanted to play with me cause it was recess I think.

And the rest is history! We are both autistic and could just be the most loud and obnoxious people together. During sleepovers my mom would yell at us to shut up because try as we might we'd still end up laughing so hard and so loud.

She was my first kiss with another girl when I was 13 I think. We have matching-ish tattoos that we got together the last time I visited Arizona in 2014. We don't talk regularly but she is my ride or die bitch.

[thebreakfastgenie]

Leverage MASH au and/or MASH Leverage au

Leverage MASH AU (Leverage characters doing MASH)

Colonel Nathan Ford doesn't like being told what to do but he loves being in control and he makes the army work for him. He can have fun and get drunk with his men but he's also terrifying, especially if you cross him. He's extremely manipulative and the people who serve under him start to figure that out. He was a rising star in the army during WWII, but his son died shortly after the war, at which point he spun out, got divorced, and stopped getting promoted. Running a MASH is his second chance at a career.

Major Eliot Spencer was a young idealist when he volunteered for WWII. Now he's haunted and more than a little jaded and he's not happy about being in another war, but he'll continue serving his country. He went to med school between WWII and Korea and he was a star resident, but he came when the army called. His history is legend in the camp and he knows many ways to kill, but now he prefers to save lives. He's surprisingly warm and fun once you get to know him, but not many people do.

Major Sophie Deveraux is the head nurse who served with Nate in Europe during WWII. They have an unclear history and an even less clear future. The stories Sophie tells about her past don't always seem to line up, and no one is really sure about her. She likes the finer things in life and frequently buys them in Tokyo or has things sent to her. Every general in the theater seems to owe her a favor. She's dedicated to her patients, but fairly hands-off with managing the nurses.

Captain Alec Hardison is a rebel, a trickster, and a thief (only from those who can afford to lose it), and also the best surgeon anyone in the army has ever seen. Nate takes him under his wing a bit. Hardison always goes the extra mile for his patients.

Lt. Parker is a young nurse with a mysterious past and some odd behaviors. She seems to know when things are going to happen before they do. The camp loves her for all her quirks. Sometimes she appears where no one was expecting her.

Lt. Colonel (later full Colonel, later General) James Sterling is an old friend of Nate's who's never forgiven Nate for making full colonel first. He works in intelligence and drops in occasionally. He's good at playing the system and gets promoted several times, last appearing as a general.

Colonel Tara Cole is a high ranking nurse and old friend of Sophie's. She tries to make a move on Nate when she comes to inspect the camp, but fails.

General Victor Dubenich is a corrupt nevish who insisted on Nate running a MASH, because Nate is extremely skilled at efficiency and he knew the numbers would reflect well on his command. No one in the camp likes him very much and eventually he crosses Nate one time too many and gets court-martialed.

MASH Leverage AU (MASH characters as Leverage)

Hawkeye is the mastermind, his white whale is taking down the entire US military

Mulcahy is the hitter, which surprises everyone

Radar is the hacker, mostly he hacks people

Klinger is the grifter, elaborate costumes are part of every character

Trapper is the thief, he's not actually that good at it but Hawkeye likes him so he keeps him around

[amandacastroworld]

Adult

Teen

Child (After)

Child (Before)

Monica Adult/Woman Godmother/Jorel's Sister

Feature films

Monica Adult x Miraculous

Monica Adult 2: Monica's Gang x My Little Pony

Monica Adult 3: meets Special Agent Oso

Monica Adult 4: Special Friend Pen Pal

Monica Adult 5: meets Pokémon

Monica Adult 6: Big Nate meet Pixie Girl

Monica Adult 7: Monica Adult x WALL-E

Monica Adult 8: Little Flower Save the Day

Monica Adult 9: meets Ant Man

Monica Adult x Jorel's Brother

Monica Adult: Jorel's Brother and Big Nate stay the House at Party

Monica Adult: Miraculous Heroes vs Queen Bully

Monica Adult 10: meet Papa Louie and Friends

Monica Adult vs Evil Jorel's Brother

Monica Adult: meets Sonic and his Friends

Monica Adult: The Sonic and Amy Games

Monica Adult: meets Totally Spies

Monica Adult: Disneyland Paris

Monica Adult: Miraculous Heroes saves Mothers and Fathers

Monica Adult: Spies meets Pinocchio

Short films:

Monica Adult: Jorel's Brother saves the day

Monica Adult: Little Flower and the Best Friends

Monica Adult: Wedding of Nina and Carlos

Shows:

Monica Adult the Series (Seasons 1, 2 and 3)

Monica Adult and Jorel's Brother (1, and 2)

Monica Adult: Team Godmother and Godfather

Voice

Emma Stone (Adult/speaking)

Jill Scott (singing)

America Young (Teen)

Cassidy Naber (Child)

Inspiration

Monica's Gang

Manolo Sánchez

Marc Anciel

María Posada

Pixie Girl

Elsa

Fairy Godmother

Character information

Full Name

Mônica de Sousa

Other names

Chubby

Bucktoothed Shorty (all insults by the bad boys)

Goat (by Nathaniel)

Aunt (by Toodler Marc)

Mommy (by Monique, Walter and Jimmy Six)

Miss Sousa (by Mailman)

Queen Monica (by Sabrine Chang)

Woman Godmother (by Jorel's Brother, Jorel, Lara and Nico)

Woman Rich (by Raindow Dash)

Jorel's Sister (by Betterfly)

Miss Monica (by Jorel's Brother, Lara, Betterfly and Pinocchio)

Age:

9 Years 13 Years 19 Years 24 Years 25 Years Years 26

Occupation

Student

Superhero

Babysitter

Actor

Model

Doctor

Nurse

Gamer

Godmother

Godmother Work

Worker of Cafeland

Fashion designer

Maggy/Captian Godmother's boss

Owner of Jimmy Five

Spy

Singer

Cocoplay School Adult and Teens

Home

Monica's Giga Mansion

Likes

Fighting crime, red dresses, Maggy, Jimmy Five the hero, Smudge, her friends, her powers, Nina, Marc Anciel, Miraculous Heroes, Nathaniel, Raindow Dash, Dotty, Pikachu, Pokemon, help friends healing Nina, Good Gabriel, Marinette and Adrien (Cat Noir and Ladybug), her kids, Magic Rings, Video Games, her pupil Jorel's Brother, Cafeland, Playing a Little Flower, Her Adoptive Sister, Jorel's Brother, Dreams, going to balls, dancing, singing, animals, romance, flowers, money, youtubers, games, French Miraculous superhero team, Flower Miraculous, Dance, Singing, Totally Spies, Pinocchio

Dislikes

Jimmy Five the villain, being teased, Jimmy Five stealing Samson from her Nina is died, Snakes, Monicuda, Lila Rossi, Jorel's Brother a trouble, Bullying, Wall-Monicuda, Mother and Father's Death, Haters, Her hater, Bullies, Dr. Eggman, Tails' Bullies

Powers and abilities

Super-human strength

Speed

Durability

Agility

Aging

Healing

Regeneration

Senses

Invincibility

Invulnerability

Endurance

Longevity

Intelligence

Flight

Immense strength

Immense surability Leaping Craftiness Agility

Drawing

Magic

Glow-Up

Size Manipulation

Control Size Addition Superhuman Strength Superhuman Durability

Cryokinesis Life creation Extract water memories

Communication with animals

Communication with Jorel's Brother

Superhuman Strength

Invulnerability

Elasticity Shape-shifting Metamorphosis Hand-to hand combat Density alteration

Invisibility Force field generation

See below

Cryokinesis

Depending on the character she interprets it has various powers

Paraphernalia

Samson (Bunny)

Magic Wand

Magic Pen

Potions

First Aid

Sword

Shield

Magic Rings

Gold Boots

Flower Miraculous

Tiara 

Gold

Money

Diamond

Crystal

Gold, Money, Diamond and Crystal Headband

Glow-Up Tiara

Magic Headband

Dress

Gifts

Card Gifts

Nina's Music Box

Status

Active

Family information

Parents

Mr. Sousa †  (father)

Luísa Sousa † (mother)

Partner(s)

Jimmy Five (husband)

Nina (Crush/girlfriend)

Other relatives:

Mary Angela (Sister-in-law)

Mr. Five (father-in-law)

Ms. Five (mother-in-law)

Eve-Maggy (Sister-in-law)

Alan (Co Brother-in-law)

Alice and Elena (Nieces)

Alan Jr. (Nephew)

Angel Boy (Adoptive Brother-in-law)

Emma (Niece)

Siblings

Wall-Monica (Twin Sister)

Bibi (Adoptive Sister)

Children

Monique (daughter)

Walter (adoptive son)

Jimmy Six (son)

Jimmy Five Jr. (son)

Jônica and Cenourinha (twins son and daughter)

Guardians

Jorel's Brother and Lara (Guardians)

Pets

Ditto (pet dog)

Sky (Pegasus)

Friends / Allies

Cebolinha (rival and love interest; later husband)

Cascão Magali (best friend) Doreen Jeremiah Franklin Sunny Denise Marina Milena Angel/Angelo The River Mermaid

Hazel

Matt

Mrs. Johnson

Vivo

Gabi

Vivica

Sophie

Amai

Lila

Doctor Isabel

Her Teacher

Miraculous:

Mrs. Anciel

Mr. Anciel

Nathaniel's Mother

Nathaniel's Father

Lily Anciel

Evil Monicuda

Evil Magaluda

Marinette Dupain-Cheng/Ladybug

Adrien Agreste/Cat Noir

Ivan Bruel/Minotaurox

Nino Lahiffe/Carapace

Lê Chiến Kim/King Monkey

Max Kanté/Pegasus

Zoé Lee/Vesperia

Alya Césaire/Rena Rouge

Rose Lavillant/Pigella

Mylène Haprèle/Polymouse

Juleka Couffaine/Purple Tigress

Marc Anciel/Rooster Bold

Nathaniel Kurtzberg/Caprikid

Luka Couffaine/Viperion Alix Kubdel/Bunnyx

Sabrina Raincomprix/Miss Hound

Kagami Tsurugi/Ryuko

Félix Fathom/Argos

Marinette Dupain-Cheng (Re Verse)/Ladybug

Adrien Agreste/Paw Noir

Socqueline Wang/Caterpillar

Gabriel Agreste/Re-Verse

Aurore Beauréal

Mireille Caquet

The Forgotten

Sabine Cheng

My Little Pony

Rainbow Dash

Pinkie Pie

Rarity

Sunset Shimmer

Applejack

Fluttershy

Twilight Sparkle

Starlight Glimmer

Trixie Lulamoon

Fuchsia Blush

Lavender Lace

Spike the Dragon

Special Agent Oso

Dotty

Wolfie

Marie Mouse

Nicole Sims

Nina Castro (Fan/Best Friend/Girlfriend)

Carlos de Castro Oliveira

Pikachu

Ash Ketchum

Isabelle Stone

Pixie Girl

Fuleco

Teacher Games

Suzy Willows

Nate Wright

Ellen Wright 

Francis Pope

Teddy Ortiz Jenny Jenkins Mr. Rosa Artur Pashkov (sometimes) Dee Dee Holloway Chad Applewhite Daphne Ruby Dinsmore

WALL-E

EVE M-O Captain B. McCrea Hal VN-GO VAQ-M PR-T L-T BR-LA D-FIB HAN-S WALL-A John Mary

Bibble (Helper/Maid)

Ant-Man (Scott Lang)

Jorel's Brother

Lara

Jorel

Nico

Ana Catarina

Danuza Edson 

Tosh

Rovena Fabinho Marcelinho

Marc Anciel's Aunt

Marc Anciel's Uncle

Marc Anciel's Cousins

Doctor Isadora

Sofia (Girlfriend)

Shadow the Hedgehog

Rouge the Bat

Sonic the Hedgehog

Miles "Tails" Prower

Knuckles the Echidna

Amy Rose

Cream the Rabbit

Cheese

Big the Cat

Dogday

Totally Spies

Alexandra Huang

Sam Sullivan

Clover Andersson Jerry Lewis Britney Tang

Mickey Mouse

Minnie Mouse

Donald Duck

Daisy Duck

Goofy

Pluto

Chip and Dale

Disney Heroes and Princesses

Scooter

Kenton

Mesa

Rollie

Nye

Steven

Amanda de Brown

Forgotten de Brown

Roy

Timm

Sofi/Guardian the Robot (Timm's Girlfriend/Fan/Best Friend)

Rosie's Mother (Angel)

Rosie Flower

Pinocchio 

Blue Fairy

Geppetto

Figaro

Cleo

Jiminy Cricket

Honest John (formerly)

Gideon (formerly)

Lampwick

Sabina

Sofia

Lucky the Cat

Momo the Cat

Kenny the Cat

Angela

Tom

Angelo and Julia

Vivica's Twin Sons

Queen Monique

Sophia (Nathaniel's Sister)

Barbie

Ken

Hazel's Teacher

Zizito

Enemies

Penha (archenemy)

Captain Fray Agnes Agnes's Parents Sofia Viviane, the Witch Dr. Spam Yuka Cebolinha (everytime he tries to steal her bunny) Cascão (everytime he helps Jimmy' plans)

Monicuda† 

Lila Rossi

Lila's Clones

Evil Monica† 

Angel (Tekken)

Bibble (formerly)

Evil Fuleco

Lucky the Cat (formerly)

Momo the Cat (formerly)

Kenny the Cat (formerly)

The three Rich Angel Girls

Angel's Three Sisters

Team Rocket (sometimes)

Jessie (archenemy)

James (second archenemy)

Meowth (third archenemy)

Gina Hemphill-Toms

Mrs. Godfrey (adult archenemy)

AUTO†

GO-4 † SECUR-T units

WALL-E's Rival

Queen Lady †

Monicuda's Mother†

The Witch†

Wall-Monicuda†

Evil Jorel's Brother†

Scooter's Bullies

Evil Hair Salon†

Queen Bully†

Dr. Eggman

Shelly (Shadow's Rival)

Mandy Dominique Caitlin Mindy

3 Pinocchio's Rivals

Honest John Gideon Stromboli Coachman Coachman's Minions

Piot

Monica is a genius, billionaire, rich, playboy, and philanthropist.

Jimmy Five then decides to send her away to study with the all boys in Paris (Miraculous) in order to curb her rebellious New Face and become a proper adult. When she is sent off, Jimmy Five cries and excuses himself.

Monica, and Maggy returns to Lemon Tree Street ten years later having grown into two beautiful young womans adults (24 years), Marc Anciel, Nathaniel, Mylene and Marinette's Friends becomes Teenages and Lily Anciel (Marc Anciel's Sister) becomes Hair adult

[recluselecter]

The Party (Peter Maximoff x reader)

Warnings: Underage drinking, parties, Candy Crush

Uncertainty tainted my excitement as Mason led me into the huge house containing the party he’d somehow managed to convince me to go to. Blue and red lights burst through the windows, loud music muffled by the thick walls. My stomach tightened when I found myself quickly in the midst of hundreds of drunk high school seniors and juniors. Never that fond of crowds, I clung to Mason. He apparently took notice of the terror I felt and led me to a small group of people sitting at a shitty white fold out table. One I knew, three  I didn’t. I nervously surveyed each one, not meaning to pry into their minds. Only one of them was a creep. Said creep watched me with dark eyes as Mason and I approached. His brown hair was greasy and stuck to his forehead, a very unappealing trait. He grinned at me. I shuttered. His grin disappeared quickly. Mason laughed at the short exchange, and steered me toward two girls that were smiling up at me. I smiled back as a courtesy as they introduced themselves.

By the end of the hour, I had finally met the rest of the “Notorious Four” as Mason called them. They were his friends that caused the most trouble. Lily, the one I’d already met, was the most responsible of the bunch. Henry, Lily’s boyfriend, was apparently a handful and had a habit of getting detentions for talking too much and too vulgarly. Then, we had Nate, the one that was high all the time, and ended up offering me some weed. After I politely declined, Mason introduced his last friend, Ethan. The creepy one. I had smiled awkwardly at him as he did the same to me.

I had eventually ended up in the nearest bathroom, hiding from the loud noises outside. Nursing a beer and a headache I’d gained in the last two hours I’d been there, I sat on the ground, my foot against the door to keep any excited couples out. The door had been nearly breached at least twice now. As a new song kicked up, bass beating my head to a pulp, the door tried to open once more. I groaned. A random guy managed to stick his head through the crack, desperate eyes meeting mine.

“Please–god– share your hiding spot. I’m dying out here.” I raised my eyebrows at the request. “How can I trust you won’t expose me?” I questioned. I barely kept in a laugh as he struggled to push his hand into my sight, pressing his index and middle finger together. “Scout’s honor.” I laughed and pulled my foot away from the door, letting him slip in and shut it behind him. He immediately fell to the floor beside me, his head hitting the wall with a soft thump. The dim, blue lights of the small bathroom made it hard to fully see him, and I tried hard to see if I recognized him.

“Am I that pretty?” He snorted. I laughed and pushed him away. He let out a huff as he righted himself. “If you’re gonna stay in my refuge, I should know your name.” He grinned. “Your refuge? I thought I let you in.”

“Nope. This is a takeover. I’m now the owner of this fine bathroom.” More laughter came out of me around this random guy than in the last year. “Ah yes the fine “Third Floor Bathroom Number 2, led by..” I gestured for him to finish. He slung his hands out in a dramatic fashion and said, “Peter Maximoff!” I couldn’t help the smile that forced it’s way to my face. “Joined by, of course, his trusty second-in-command..” He did a similar gesture for me to continue. I let my arms fly out like his, nearly smacking him in the face. “Y/N Miller!” We both fell into a laughing fit, spilling my drink in the process.

Peter cursed loudly and  snatched the hand towel off of the sink, crouching to soak it up as I scooted away from the spill. In the cramped bathroom, that now seemed a lot smaller, I found myself dangerously close to the boy. He didn’t seem to notice the lack of space between us, or ignored it to save me from embarrassment. Once he had the crappy drugstore beer cleaned up, he slid back into the corner where he was sitting, beckoning me to join him. I sat back against the wall and leaned my head back like he did. I let my eyes close, listening as the bass-boosted music shifted into a smooth electric guitar. My hand began to tap on my thigh with the bass guitar. “I love this song.” Peter breathed next to me. I recognized it as I opened my eyes and turned to him. He had also resumed his head-back position, a smile on his lips with closed eyes. His knee swayed with the beat and his head slightly lolled to the side as he listened to the smooth music. I found myself admiring the stranger before me. He cracked one eye open, looking at me comically. I laughed at the cartoonic action. He grinned at me.

“You know you’re really pretty when you listen to music. Makes a man wanna join you and pray he’s pretty too.” Taken aback by his sudden compliment, I froze a bit. Taking my reaction as a bad one, he groaned and covered his eyes. “Who am I kidding? You’ve probably got a boyfriend, don't you?”

His assumption was wrong. “No.” I said. “I don't.” A grin appeared on those pink lips when his fingers parted to show his eye. I couldn’t help but let my own study his. In the blue light, his eyes looked black, like pupil had melded with iris. I tried to imagine him with conventionally attractive eyes, blue or green, but none fit him as perfectly as this void that made up his eyes. They reminded me of the times I’d lay on my driveway or in the bed of my dad’s truck, staring up at the starless night sky to ask for answers no one could give me. Those eyes made me feel like he could. Like if I stayed long enough with him, he could explain everything to me. He could console that long-nagging part of my soul that's been begging to die with my mother. I wanted to stay with him.

We sat there for hours, sometimes talking, sometimes just listening to the music. I learned he went to my school's rival school, and that he was 16 like me. He had a passion for old video games, like me, and even liked old rock too. I learned more about him in four hours than I had Mason in two years. I learned he didn’t know his dad, like I barely knew my mother. He couldn’t decide if he hated him for not. I told him we could share my dad, and he just smiled sadly at me. I learned he had a little sister named Wanda, and that she was all he had that mattered to him. I learned he was terrified she’d be a mutant, terrified someone would kill her for it. I told him about my powers and how I could help keep her safe. He told me about his too. He was apparently really fast, and demonstrated this by getting us snacks in under a second.

When we were both tired and unwise, Peter heaved a deep sigh, sliding down the wall to lay down, resting his head on my thigh. I raised my eyebrows at the silver-haired boy, and was returned a sleepy grin. I didn’t force myself to smile. “Y’know,” Peter started, “You’re one of the coolest and hottest and nicest people I’ve met.”

“Yeah?” I wasn’t really paying attention to his words if I’m being honest. I was watching him slowly fall asleep on my legs, making them cramp from the position they were in. My own brain was fuzzy enough with sleep to make it hard to focus on anything but the person below me. “Yeah.” He hummed back. “It’d be a shame if I left here without your number.” He gave a goofy grin, eyes crinkling with genuinity. I smiled back, grabbing his phone from where it laid on his chest, Candy Crush still open. I squinted against the bright pinks and whites of the game and pressed the home button. I quickly added my number to a contact, stopping to take a picture of myself, and adding it. I typed my name and pressed done. He took his phone from me, also taking a picture. He sent it to me and looked up at me, mouth slightly hanging open.

“Now there’s no getting rid of me.” Peter’s eyes had softened, his grin turning into a small smile. I let myself play with his hair, my fingers slipping through the silver strands. It was so soft. His eyes closed while I ran my fingers through, pushing it out of his face. A content sigh left him. 

He shot up when my phone started ringing. Barely missing my head with his own, he scrambled off of me so I could reach it. I laughed as I slipped it out of my back pocket. Looking at the screen, I felt my own sense of panic rise in my throat. Dad. I cursed, answering. 

“Y/n Miller, where are you?” My father’s voice was instant, worry and anger drenching it. Ever since my mom died, he’d been constantly worried about me. “I’m still at that party, don’t worry. I just lost track of time.”

Dad sighed. “Just get home before three a.m., please. You have work tomorrow.” I confirmed his wishes, standing up as I hung up. 

“Everything okay?” Peter stood with me, his own kind of worry on his face. I nodded. “My dad just needs me home. I forgot I have work tomorrow.” I explained. “I can run you home.” he offered. I hesitated at the door. The faster I got there, the less stressed Dad would be. I nodded, and he gently placed one hand at the back of my head and the other on my waist. The proximity was noticeable. “Address?”

I told him, and suddenly everything was moving way too fast, and then I was home. Dazed, I swayed in Peter’s arms, nausea flooding my stomach. He caught me and held me steady until I was stable. I gave a breathy laugh, a hand on his shoulder. “That really sobers a girl up.”

He laughed as I stepped away, heading toward the front door of my house. Stuffing the key in, I opened the door to a very large Joel Miller. “Hi Dad.” His eyes weren’t on me, though. They were on the sixteen year-old behind me. “Who are you?” Peter smiled nervously. “Peter Maximoff. I’m–” “I don’t care.”

“But–” “Who is this boy, Y/n?” oh jesus. “His name is Peter Maximoff. He’s a friend. He’s kind, smart and likes the same old man music you do.” I pushed past my father and moved toward the kitchen. “Did he do anything?” My face scrunched up. “God– No Dad!” I pulled the apple pie out of the fridge. “He’s just a friend.” Dad threw his hands in the air. “How should I know? I haven’t seen you all night! Mason came and got you and you've been gone for hours! How do I know you’re not lying to me?” He was panicking. “Dad, no–”

“Do you have any idea how scared I just was?” “Daddy, come here.” I grabbed his shoulders, pulling him into a hug. “I’m alright. I’m here. If Peter had done anything, you know I’d tell you.” He hugged me tightly, terrified to let me go. “I just lost track of time.” Dad nodded.

“We should both go to bed now.” I offered. He nodded again.

While Dad left to go to bed and I ate my pie, my phone buzzed.

Everything ok?

I quickly added a contact for Peter before I responded.

Yeah, Dad was just worried.

            It was rare that he panicked like that though.

Im sorry for keeping you too long. 

I sighed, putting the rest of the pie away. It’s not your fault. we both lost time.

It wasn’t until I was in bed that he texted back.

for a guy whos got superspeed, i always seem to do that

[laiqualaurelote]

first-lines-of-fic meme! I was tagged by @tiltedsyllogism​ (thank you!)

Rules: share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written fewer than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway!

Starting with the most recent and working backward (I didn’t include ficlets and snippets, which means numbers one and ten on this list make for quite a neat How It Started/How It’s Going circle):

1. all the men and women merely players (Ted Lasso, 15k and counting)

In with the wind blows the news that the Players are coming to town. Trent Crimm hears it in the pub where he is nursing a pint, his throat raw from hours of talking. It’s not much of a pint, if he’s to be honest - he’s not even sure what’s in it. Mae brews it herself - the only way you get any sort of alcohol in the post-pandemic world, if you haven’t been hoarding a cellar since the before-times. He takes another sip, winces and says: “Which players are these?”

2. The Lady With The Recorder Asks The Questions (Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries, 6k and counting)

“You took out the line about the threesomes, didn’t you?” 

3. ain't practical, a world you can't touch (The English, 5k)

Just a whole lot of aiming, he’d told Cornelia once. But it’s Martha Myers who misses.

4. maybe everything that dies someday comes back (The English, 14k)

“He don’t look like much,” said the client. “You sure he’s the chap we’re after?”

5. a song that will keep sky open in my mind (The English, 4k)

We knew Eli was back because of the baby. We could hear it crying clean across the wheat fields. By the time we all fetched up in the front yard, Cornelia was already standing at the gate, arms akimbo, watching him ride up to the house. We could not see her expression because she was wearing her veil. 

6. can't start a fire without a spark (Stranger Things, 9k)

It was a whole thing when Eddie Munson and Chrissy Cunningham blew town together and ran off to start a rock band. Or at least it was for the rest of Hawkins, who didn’t have to worry about shit like the world ending on the reg. Steve was busy that summer trying to stop the apocalypse again, so he didn’t pay the news any mind. He’d noticed Chrissy in school, of course – anyone with eyes couldn’t miss the golden girl of Hawkins High – but he had never given Munson a second thought, at least not till Dustin started wheedling him about some concert in Indianapolis.

7. A Gentleman's Guide To Love And Piracy (Our Flag Means Death, 13k)

Day seven of my return to the high seas, wrote Stede in his journal. Since Lucius was no longer around to take dictation, the journal existed only in his head. Morale is low, I will not lie. There remains tension among the crew, especially the ones who tried to eat each other. Prospects still dim on locating the whereabouts of my ship, my other crew and E - 

8. you don't have to be crazy to work here (but it helps) (The Magnus Archives, 1.5k and counting)

“We should get TikTok,” declares Tim.

9. they will see us waving from such great heists (Ted Lasso, 21k)

“You know,” says the American tourist in the Tate Modern’s Surrealism wing, “I do believe that is my favourite telephone in the whole darn exhibition.”

10. The Truth Shall Make Ye Fret (Ted Lasso, 20k)

Trent Crimm hangs up on Nate Shelley and says crisply into the darkness of his living room: “Fucking hell.”

Tagging, if they fancy it: @leupagus​, @nandalorian​, @kiraziwrites​, @themardia, @swallowtailed​, @aberfaeth, @eisoj5​, @sagiow​, @glamorouspixels​, @tovezza​ and @justplainsalty

[scottsummersevents]

For the Sexy Days of Summers Event happening right now we've invited Scott Summers (Cyclops) fans to take part in spreading more love for him out there on the internet by creating fanfiction, fanart, fan works, etc. to celebrate our favorite X-Men leader and the possibility of what if. For the duration of this challenge so far we've received some really incredible submissions with super rare pairings that are new to us. For the month of September we'd like to share some of those and also share some various fandom creations along the way in terms of content. Some might be an old favorite pairing while others might be something in terms of shipping you've never considered before.

Today's spotlight pairing is a throwback to the original X-Men exploring Scott and Warren's relationship and the possibilities that surround it!

Below under the cut you can take a look at some works for this pairing and see what it has in store for you!

Also if you have a favorite Scott pairing and a fanfic that you've written or that you love, then feel free to drop us a note and let us know so we can showcase it in the future!

Stay tuned for more duo spotlights coming soon!

If this is what we've got, then what we've got is gold by StormXPadme (Rated E) In which Warren invites Scott to a luxury trip on a family yacht for spring break. They find ways to kill the time.

drinking it in. by bibereangelum (Rated E) Warren looks at him through the mirror adjacent to the crappy hotel bed. Yellowed sheets spill off of one side, shoved haphazardly out of the way by his careless hand a mere half hour ago. Jean picked a good spot. Secluded enough so they wouldn’t draw attention yet crappy enough to irritate Warren and Bobby endlessly. Tomorrow morning, they’d fly back to Westchester and pretend none of this ever happened.

His eyes, purple to Scott, blue (so he’s been told.) Aren’t focused on his face. Warren’s gaze lowers, fixated on Scott’s bare chest. They’re both barechested. It’s too hot to even think about wearing a shirt, nevertheless staying in uniform. Scott wishes he thought far enough ahead to have slipped one on before Warren dumped him onto the bed for ‘nurse duty’. Jean could have stuck him with Hank, or Bobby, or left him by himself.

But he’s with Warren

Vertical Garden and Angels by GammaGaze What happens when a certain red-eyed mutant stands underneath a mistletoe?

Love, War and Refreshments by GammaGaze Scott's living on the Island of Krakoa and is always one step ahead of his opponents. But what happens when the war that will take place intertwines with the love he just found with Warren? Will his initial estimations save him or be his greatest downfall?

X-Drabbles by GammaGaze A series of one-shots between Scott and Warren.

Scott's X-Force by GammaGaze A series of drabbles between Scott and Warren's time at X-Force showing love and friendship.

Summer Sickness by Hirose (Rated G) After what feels like an unending torrent of work, missions, and complaints from the professor about how his work ethic is slipping (god forbid), Scott is reasonably overwhelmed. He’s tired, underfed, running on too few hours of sleep, and a small gust of wind would be more than able to push him over.

Happy Holidays by AngelGirl4212 (Rated M) Scott and Warren are left alone in the school for the Christmas holidays.

Pivot by diamondgore (Rated T) Eye Contact is a dangerous thing.

A Toast to Innocence, a Toast to Time by Duck_Life (Rated G) Jean has a talk with Warren Worthington III, Nate Grey's "Angel of Life."

going home for the holidays by mothicalcreatures (Rated G) Scott, Warren, and Pietro discuss their plans for winter break.

And for more head over to AO3 and check out their Scott/Warren section!!!

[terrainofheartfelt]

Sort of inspired by your discussion of Jenny needing to go to London alone to really grow into herself and mature as a person, in an ideal world in which none of the main characters were forcibly tethered to the UES or its more toxic inhabitants post-high school, how do you generally - like broad strokes - imagine them developing as people in college and throughout their twenties? I always wonder where everyone might have ended up had they not been constrained by the type of narrative they were living in, and I’d love to hear any headcanons you have on the subject!

I've been thinking about this on and off since i received it (an embarrassingly - for me - amount of time ago) and now finally feel like I can answer.

because, like, what if we weren't constrained by the harsh realities of making tv? what if the rules meant that they could leave new york?

well, first, let's dovetail off jen moving to london and blossoming, and send eric along with her. he can go to cambridge, or any of the other big name universities in the area, and he and jenny would be flatmates and live their own hilarious queer sitcom of being students in london.

I've already plugged nads' yale au in my answers this evening, but I still really like the idea of dan and blair attending yale, and outside of the maelstrom of manhattan drama, they settle into their own selves and learn they could actually...like each other? and then they fall in LOVE as far as careers, they are the most driven. and we've talked about novelist dan and editress blair and art historian blair and college prof dan.....but lately I've been thinking about blair working in costuming. It's not high fashion design, but I think it's a great synthesis of the things we know blair loves: literature, film, history, art history & fashion history, Evil Dictator of Good Taste, being a specialist and big boss on a niche subject...yeah...

i still enjoy the idea of vanessa being at nyu, or at another arts college in nyc, and making her own way and building her own story (without being boxed in to the secondary character of anyone else's story!) I like the idea of her attending Tisch too, and expanding her skill set into screenwriting in that way.

to plug another au by a friend, S's goodbye stranger introduced the concept of Serena attending Berkeley, and I LOVE it. I love that for her. Berserk-ley. I think that school in that part of the country would be where Serena would really thrive. She becomes a full glamorous SF queen. perhaps she opens a coffee shop. Blair is outwardly mortified but inwardly very proud.

As for Nate, I think he is the character who really should take a gap year. It's never questioned, but the way he is yanked around by the collar those first two seasons, the more I think about it, the more it makes sense that nate would decide that he needs some time to figure out what it is he wants. sidebar: bc the serena gap year felt disingenuous in many ways, yk? serena was so eager to leave new york and go to school and study. she likes learning, we see it, and the opportunity to reinvent herself that college would provide....why would she walk away from it? except for TV Reasons. so, I like the thought of nate taking at least a year. traveling, volunteering, maybe he takes a community college course or two. he falls off the grid for a while and he realizes how healthy and how happy he feels without the constant eyes and pressure of his family & gossip girl. and after that time, he's found what he actually wants to do, and goes to school to do it. -- as always, I'm fond of nate working in health care, as a nurse or pt or something, but it could really be anything. teacher? chef? social worker? children's librarian? (actually culinary student nate has come up in convos with ivy & cherry before and I am into it.)

and uhhhhhh i guess chip wiskers can crash his inherited business and money into the ground bc lets be real that fucko would try to launch his own cryptocurrency and since he seems to hold such disdain for education and self-betterment, he stagnates and falls off the face of the earth byeeee

[harlowhockeystick]

Maybe the kid (in my head it’s a girl and her name is daisy or Lily) has some event like a “donuts with dad” thing during the week and Nate knows about it so he shows up and when he makes eye contact with his kid and they realize he’s there they just get up from their desk and go to the nurse’s office claiming they feel sick lol. Nate just stands there alone while all the other parents sit with their kids and finally just walks out and leaves

THIS IS SO FUCKING SAD???????? Like claire didn’t even think about Nate showing up- so when she saw him walk into the cafeteria she was like. Almost scared. Cause he’s never showed up to anything at school. Not the thanksgiving dinners, christmas parties, nothing. And he’s like??? Here???? It’s so hard for her 7 year old brain to comprehend.

[natehackett]

joe keery he/him/cis man “ watch out , NATHAN 'NATE' HACKETT has crash-landed into roswell !! they look thirty years old and celebrate their birthday on march fifteenth. they are from reno, nevada, reside in the GREYSTONE COMPLEX and are currently working as an attendant at the lunar laundromat. one thing you should know about them is back in reno, his parents’ garage has his collection of comics and fan memorabilia – combined, they’re worth over $500,000. ” ( guppy, mst, she/her, 21 )

PINTEREST // SPOTIFY HEY, EVERYONE ! my name is guppy (or leila, but you can call me either) and i am twenty-one. i am about to study abroad in australia, but for the current time being i am in mst (mountain standard timezone). i will be playing nate hackett, who is a lover of all things comic books and punk/grunge music. keep reading for a bit more about him and his past!

–* THE PAST / PRESENT

nate is the second youngest of five children (two older brothers – brian & james, one older sister – heather, and a younger sister – beth) and was born/raised in reno, nevada. his dad has retired but owned his own appliance repair business. nate's mother was an emergency room nurse, but she has also retired. his parents now both live in a retirement community in north carolina so they can visit the beaches in the summer season. his eldest sibling inherited the hackett home back in reno, where nate's comic and fan memorabilia collection is stored.

since there were five kids in the hackett house, it was always kind of a whirlwind. there were always birthdays happening, friends tromping through the house, holidays with extended family, and fights over room/toy/clothes sharing. the one thing that nate had to himself was his love of all things geeky.

none of his other siblings shared his interest in various comic books, card/tabletop games, and movies. he was free to explore those interests all on his own.

every week, nate would use his lunch money to buy new issues of comics being serialized. he would draw, at first, by tracing the panels in comics that he found the most intriguing. he branched off to drawing his own heroes and villains, writing storylines for them, and stapling together stacks of printer paper he had turning them into "comics."

the same store where he bought his comics in reno also held various tabletop gaming nights where nate met many friends who shared his interests.

nate got his first job as a sophomore in high school at the comic shop, it was where he spent most of his time anyways so he might as well get paid to be there.

when it came time to decide on after high school plans, nate's dad was urging him to take on the family trade of appliance repair. already, nate's two eldest siblings were working on the family business. one had gone to technical school to become an electrician and the other had done training in general appliance repair while apprenticing with nate's dad.

his third eldest sibling had disappointed nate's mom and dad by leaving nevada and going out of state to study communications. they wanted to be a journalist, not work for the family's appliance repair business.

nate was about to disappoint them just as much, he applied not only for technical schools but out-of-state colleges as well. the university of new mexico gave him a hefty scholarship, and the opportunity to study visual art, but to appease his parents he chose instead to go to central new mexico community college to study heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and refrigeration (HVACR).

he loved new mexico so much, though, that he made the decision not to return home after completing his associates. his parents were upset at his decision, but were still proud of the fact that he had chosen to pursue the family's trade with appliance repair. he made the move to roswell after living in albuquerque from the time he was 18 to the time he was 24. while in albuquerque he was working as an appliance repairman but he honestly hated having to constantly zip around from house to house everyday just to do his job. he made the decision that he wanted to work somewhere stable.

when he saw the lunar laundromat in roswell was hiring, he thought it was the perfect fit. he had the skills to fix the washers and dryers when they went down, but he was also could sit at the counter and read comic books during the downtime he had. he could also work on drawing his own comic.

currently his paycheck goes to four things: rent/bills, groceries, comics, and art supplies.

he still does some freelance repair work for extra cash on the side. but, you'll mainly find him at either the lunar landromat, forbidden planet, or at home.

personality wise: nate is real geeky, he appreciates a good pun and rarely takes anything seriously. he will gladly ramble on and on about anything and everything that is related to his favorite subjects (art, comics, magic: the gathering, pokemon cards, the star wars franchise, the warner bros monsterverse, and other weird old movies)

his favorite color is a red-orange, he frequently wears his red-orange windbreaker and a las vegas 51s baseball cap. he prefers dc to marvel, especially because his favorite series is swamp thing. he is most proud of the fact he owns swamp thing #1 with a 9.6 certified guaranty company (cgc) rating. this means it is in near mint condition and alone is worth approx. $1k. he also has a personalized autograph from len wein (the original writer of the series).

he frequently drives to comic cons in the western states (primarily CO, NM, AZ, NV, and CA). for his 18th birthday, his parents bought him VIP passes for san diego comic con which was like his dream come true.

–* POSSIBLE CONNECTIONS

since i know it can be difficult to find some connections off the bat here are some possible suggestions to get ideas flowing. i am also a fan of just starting threads and seeing where muse's chemistry goes.

D&D PARTY MEMBERS / we already know what a huge nerd nate is, but if your muse is also a nerd i am sure nate would love some party members for a d&d group in roswell. rather than an actual dining table, nate's apartment has a board game table. he just eats on his couch instead and uses the board game table for get togethers with the party. this doesn't have to be exclusive to D&D, but could extend to MTG and/or pokemon

FREQUENT FREELANCE CLIENT / is your muse prone to accidents? constantly blaming mercury in retrograde for their fridge breaking or their AC unit leaking? nate is happy to help, for a small price or a gift card to the forbidden planet so he can buy the latest issue of that one comic he's reading.

LAUNDROMAT PALS / since it takes at least forty-five minutes to get a small load of laundry washed and dried, nate is happy to entertain and talk to customers as they wait for their clothes to finish up. if you're real nice to him, he may even give you a detergent pod for free so you don't have to risk a couple of quarters at the janky dispenser.

EMERGENCY CONTACT / since nate's family is all out of state, it could be useful to have a ride-or-die who he can call at any time for anything. he definitely has broken a couple of fingers or slipped while jamming out too hard to the chats while in the shower. who you gonna call? nate's emergency contact!

[vanyapatel]

Good Girls Go Bad

Chapter four: Deception

By the time they got there, L and N's little secret had spread around the school like the plague. Only this time, I wasn't the one to leak their secret.

"Dan! Hey!" Nate said, grabbing the boy, Dan, by the shoulder and turning him to face him. "Have you seen Chuck?"

"Chuck? Uh...I think he's in the bathroom. Probably admiring himself in the mirror." Dan replies.

"Thanks!" Nate replies, running to the bathroom. He pauses outside the door to catch his breath before heading in.

Just like Dan said, Chuck stands at the mirror, running his fingers through his already perfect hair.

"Chuck Bass I'm gonna kill you!" Nate yells. Chuck glances at him through the mirror.

"Why so mad, Nathaniel?"

"You know why. You told everyone about me and Luce."

Before Chuck could respond, he was on the ground with a bloody nose. His best friend had punched him...and is still punching him.

Spotted: a bleeding C, a furious N, and a feud between best friends just beginning in the men's room.

Thankfully, Dan came in at the right moment. "Nate! Nate get off him!" He yells, grabbing Nate and using all his strength (which isn't much) to pull Nate off of Chuck. The last thing Chuck saw before his vision went black was Dan, holding back a sobbing Nate.

Blair saw Nate as he ran out of the school, still sobbing. She drops her books and goes after him. "Nate! Hey...what's wrong?"

Nate sniffles, tears still rolling down his cheeks. "I-I think I killed Chuck...or- or seriously injured him at least..."

The worry in Blair's eyes turns to concern. "What? What happened? Was he the one that..?"

"Told everyone about me and Luce? Yeah...and I got really mad so I punched him...and then I punched him again. And again...by the time Dan pulled me off of him, Chuck had already gone unconscious...I hurt my best friend and it's all my fault!"

"No, Nate, it was his fault. He probably deserved it. A good best friend wouldn't leak a secret like that." Blair replies. She pulls Nate into a hug, letting him cry into her shirt. "He'll be okay. I'm sure it wasn't that bad."

"You- you didn't see it. There...there was blood everywhere. On him, on me..." Nate pulls back, looking at his shaking hands. They're still stained red from Chuck's blood. There's little spots of blood on his white shirt as well.

"Is he in the nurse's office?" Blair asks.

"Um...n-no...Dan was on the phone with the hospital when I left.."

"Well come on, let's go pay him a visit. He might be awake."

"How...how bad is it?" Nate hesitates to ask.

"Well, Mr. Bass has a broken nose, a busted lip, and a very small head wound. Nothing too serious. But he was in enough pain to make him pass out. Just be glad your friend here knew what to do." The doctor replies.

"Thank you, Dan." Nate says.

"Of course. Chuck and I may not be...the best of friends, but I couldn't just leave him there..." Dan trails off.

For the next few hours, Nate paced outside Chuck's room, not daring to go in, while Blair sat inside with Chuck, waiting for him to wake up. After what feels like forever, Blair comes out of the room. "He's awake...and he immediately asked where you were."

"He...he did? He wants to see me?"

"Of course. You're his best friend."

Nate nervously went into the room.

"Nathaniel..?" Chuck muttered. He sounded a little awkward because of the bandage on his nose, but for once, he didn't care.

"Yeah...yeah it's me. Chuck, I am so sorry. I-I never meant for this to happen..." Nate had almost started crying again.

"It's okay, Nathaniel. I'm not mad. It was my fault anyway, I...should've never been spying on you and Luce. I should've never told anyone and started that rumor about you two...I'm sorry."

"It's okay...I forgive you."

"Friends?" Chuck asks after a pause.

"Best friends." Nate smiles.

"Hey, Nathaniel. One thing." Chuck says as Nate is about to leave.

"Yeah?"

"I know you don't want to, but I think you're gonna have to choose."

"Choose?" Nate asks.

"Yeah. You know, between your girlfriend and the girl you cheated on said girlfriend with? Who will it be, Nathaniel?"

Golden Boy has to make the hardest choice of his entire life. Who will it be, N? B or L? I'm sure C will take the one he doesn't want, regardless.

XOXO

Gossip Girl.

[benefits1986]

unbalanced equation

Chemistry is one subject that I love and hate.

Powering through an incoming bad case of flu since the start of this week has been very curious. You know, forda greater good. EMS. LUL. Glad to have my ex-geriatric nurse soul sis on deck. LOL. She gave me "permission" to take my self-curated anti-flu "cocktails" which reminded me of our then days in no less than the chem lab. Ohhhh, child! While I love balancing chem equations, seeing them come to life is a totally different experience.

So, the wiwi and the laway had to be prioritized with your chosen chem partners. LUH. Hahahahahaha. Huy. Syempre, I don't like spitting and sadly I don't pee standing up so our shooting range sa tiny test tube is not giving, kaya ang chosen chem partner ang gumawa ng mga ayaw kong gawain. Ganern. No choice ang chosen partner or else, maghanap na lang ibang willing tribute. LUH.

Ahhh, nursing school. That one year is still one forda books because of so many zany things. I was super grade-conscious back then, honestly. KADIRE. However, my goal was to be a scholar because the tuition fees, lab fees, and even the uniforms were not joking. Chem labs are actually labs where relational dialectics may take place. Why so? Bodily fluids tested under controlled fires in the lab allow you to profile your chosen partner better. The smell and optics of the wiwi and the laway are variables you can zoom out and zoom in on effortlessly. HUY. Co-ed life is waving so early in the morning!

I remember working my thicccc ass off in non-organic chem class and lab because I firmly believe that organic chem is way better and easier to maneuver. Getting A- is generally a breeze with deep focus and dasal because the smart people in class who came from science high schools I shall not name are slaying it. Anyhow, we powered through. I powered through even when I have to friggin' study and apply the theories as a tamad and innately bored ferson in life.

So, what? Find a chem lab partner who is willing to go with your crazy shit and crazier plot twists. It ain't easy peasy, but it's worthwhile... to a fault. Hahahahahahaha. Also, be the chem lab partner who has something to offer that's unique and authentic. Opak. Boogsh. However, to balance the unbalanced equation with one too many variables like among kinain before mag-experiment, consistency is the key. It's one thing to have chemistry, and it's a whole new world when you and your chosen chem lab partner hit roadblocks and detours. Sample include:

-Breaking test tubes -Breaking Erlenmeyer flasks -Breaking Florence flasks -Too cold or too hot flame -Not having enough space in your test tube rack -Tampering the infamous microscope slides -Not being able to focus the antiquated microscope under X minutes, especially during crunch time -Providing specimen like wiwi and laway that are considered BAD SAMPLES (Hahaahahahahahaaha)

HUY.

Bakit ba na naman napunta tayo sa ganitong usapan? Ang aga-aga. Or baka dulot 'to ng bagyong bumababayo na naman sa patuloy nating pinipiling Pilipinas kaya naman, sakay na.

I just wish that this incoming bad case of flu passes. UGH. While I can definitely take things a bit more easily, my adrenaline is kinda back. Naubos e. Hahahaha. Mejj nasaid. Kaya naman, mag-nursing na ba ako ulit with feelings? CHOZ. Ambobo ng realization natin noh? Actually, what hits me hard is nursing school is more manageable compared with marketing. LUH. Or baka kasi sobrang oks ng nursing circle ko na mga purple people with cuties pang XY and XX? LELS. Joke lungs.

Kidding aside, balancing chem equation makes more sense to me than balancing sheets. Shet. I barely passed my accounting classes because juskolorde. I even had this deja vu (lucid dream) wherein I was failing a "balance this sheet" exam even before I exited from Kalaw. Iyak-tawa talaga ako when I woke up. However, looking back, these two balancing acts make more sense now. Though, may AI naman na to create complex financial statements, so, we good. Thank u. Next. PS1: Andami na namang wrong grammar ditey, atey. Pero, let them be. Para magtanda ang noona n'yong dsyelxic levels 1000000000x to the point na pati dyslexic 'di ko sure anong spelling rn. Toodles! PS2: Gumalaw at gumagalaw pa unti-unti ang sliding door with SFX pa rn. Nanay kong dragon ba 'to? Mabait na ako ma. Promise. You have trained your baby dragon well. PS3: Naka-move on na ba ako sa "awesome" chosen chem lab partner ko noon? Kahit pa isa 'to sa manok ng nanay kong magaling... magkampihan sila. Hahahahaha. Solid, liquid, and gas YASUSSS JEZZZAZZZ. Matagal na matagal because TMI na naman. Good fellow, however, 'di kami forda long run. The sprints were really great, but I'm all out for an ultramarathon e. Periodddddtzzz.