#no worries about the reply time as I mentioned I LIVE AT THE AIRPORT

[faces-in-unexpected-places]

Oh please don’t be sorry, that was such a sweet response to receive, even if we weren’t the CLOSEST ever back in the day, it means so much. To put it briefly and simply, I’ve made a lot of IRL enemies in recent years for standing up for myself/others, so I am pretty accustomed to more than a few people being NOT super excited to see me lmao. So your response was honestly such a breath of fresh air and a reminder that maybe I’m NOT the awful person some people would like to believe I am. But enough about that - it’s mostly in the past now and I’m ready to leave it behind!

Because yeah, things are generally looking up! I’m in that transitionary phase in life where a lot of difficult times are wrapping up and (hopefully) easier/better times are ahead, but like you said, things take time and don’t happen overnight. Knowing that difficult times aren’t permanent definitely helps when trying to live happy in the moment, too.

WOW, what an awesome way to get a job, holy shit, that’s so great, Sara! And also kinda punk rock with the total honesty, and how she just went with it like “yeah yeah ur still hired tho”. I love it. Yeah I’d be down to hear more about it through DMs. Kinda silly, but sounds cool to be like “I can’t talk about it here, let’s fine a more secure line” lmao. THE WALLS HAVE EARS. (Picture yourself dressed like one of the men in black in full black suit, sunglasses and earpiece, please. Thanks).

Yeah, the work is interesting, and definitely important! I just wish that the pay vs necessary skills + amount of student debt ratio was a bit more balanced, is all. No offense taken, that is DEFINITELY a corncob with a little hat on lmao. He’s a silly looking guy.

As for what to do instead… god I don’t know. I’ve considered so many things from staying in my field and just trying to make some more strategic moves into biotech/pharma companies for salary increases all the way to leaving the field entirely in pursuit of a new one, going back to school AGAIN (ugh god) for even higher positions (optometry???) or even saying “fuck it” to spending more money on education and instead becoming my own boss with side hustles and the like. Still haven’t decided yet, obviously. But I’m keeping an open mind to hopefully give a better chance of a good outcome?

This is definitely not a pity bait just an observation but - I was a first gen college student from a broken home with a dad who wasn’t around much (and when he was, our time wasn’t very productive together) and a mom who worked two jobs to keep us from falling below the poverty line so we could afford to live in a city with nice public schools (ie she wasn’t around a lot either, but she did her absolute best to give me everything she could), so… I didn’t have a WHOLE lot of guidance about what to do once I got INTO college. Just that if I DID get in, then I was set for life (not true lmao but live and learn right?) and since my parents had never attended college at the time (mom went back and became a nurse WHILE I was in college) they couldn’t offer a lot of suggestions about how to get into a well-paying career, so the rest was kinda up to me. I could have made worse decisions for sure, but I could have made better ones too, if I had guidance from someone more experienced with navigating higher education and setting up careers.

Anyway I guess there’s my life story lmao. Just trying to figure out how to make enough money to buy a house, get married, and have a kid one day maybe, which is harder than I thought!!

Oh hell yeah, definitely going to do those ask games when I’m not LIVING AT THE AIRPORT ANYMORE. I wanna go home and take a shower 😭 oh also please enjoy this image I took

Why is he cut in half?? He looks like his torso is gonna just flop right over into the garbage can.

Some times, although they are few and far between, I feel like I'm actually making a difference with my work. Like something I do has an appreciable, positive effect on people's lives. It doesn't have to be big, just something that has an effect in practice; not just paper pushing, but an actual impact on how things are done in the industry. It always gets me when that happens, and I'm so glad I'm in a place where that is possible for me. I'm so glad I can do good in my own way.

[rafesbabygirlx]

A Lot of Time has Passed |Part 1

Series Masterlist | Masterlist

Season 4 Rafe x Maybank reader

Summary: Beginning at the time jump, the Pogues seemingly succeeded at something, Rafe is struggling with making amends and being a better person. JJs sister left the island after returning from South America. Returning after 18 months with a secret.

A/N: Writing this with inspiration from season 4 part 1. Rewriting plot lines. No mention of Y/N but is written in her perspective. Was inspired of Rafe’s new character arc which I love but thought I’d make it a bit more interesting and messy.

Also- you have to imagine that Maybank reader is intertwined in the previous seasons. And was involved with Rafe. She understands him more than Sofia. She is JJs half sister, takes after her mom, brunette brown eyes tanned skin.

Not really proofread

Word count: 2.5k

Warnings: smut (fingering) tough discussions, loss of life (Ward, Big John) Rafe can get a little mean, sorry Sofia lovers.

It’s been 18 months since you returned to the island. While you’ve stayed in touch with your half-brother JJ and the rest of the Pogues, you only saw them once in a while since you had made them travel to the mainland. You relished the escape from the chaos of the Outer Banks. Although you maintained a connection with your mother, it wasn’t until you decided to move in with her that you saw her again. You never imagined you’d come back, but hearing about the Pogues’ long-overdue success and newfound wealth drew you back to celebrate.

Once you arrived, you made an effort to keep a low profile. You headed straight to the old house you and JJ used to share. You couldn’t help but feel annoyed at how much he paid for it, but the joy of being back with your little brother overshadowed that irritation. Everything felt just as it had in the past, and you slipped seamlessly into your role as their ‘older sister.’

You found yourself speaking with Sarah down by the docks, where she asked how you were doing and how things were going—just the usual small talk. Then came the question you dreaded: “Have you seen him?” You stared out at the water, trying to push thoughts of him aside while enjoying your time with the Pogues. Subconsciously, you gripped your gold necklace by its 2 charms, one a ‘V’ initial and the other a baby rattle as you replied, “No, I haven’t, and I’m hoping to keep it that way.”

You hadn’t planned to stay long, just a week or two at most, with hopes of hanging out in the Cut, grabbing some groceries, and indulging in shopping at boutiques you never go to do before. You wanted to avoid anything that might draw attention to you. Living with your mom—who was now clean and remarried—had been a breath of fresh air. She shielded you from worry, allowing you to focus on taking care of what you needed to and building a decent savings while working a stable job, free from the burdens your father had imposed.

After chatting a bit more, you hugged Sarah and rejoined the group. They were deep in conversation about a bike race happening the next day. Glancing at JJ's bike in the yard, you felt a mix of confusion and admiration for his confidence. Although you hadn’t planned to join them for obvious reasons, he managed to convince you to come along. With such a big crowd, you thought you could easily blend in and suppress the anxious flutter in your chest at the thought of running into Rafe. Confident, yet now he’s all you can think about.

————————————

The last time you saw him was when you returned home from South America. While you were glad to see him, you dreaded the conversation about his father. After leaving the group at the airport, you headed to Tannyhill. As you entered, he greeted you with a warm hug, lifting you off your feet and showering you with kisses. He set you down, his face bright with a smile, contrasting sharply with the sadness that clouded your own.

Before you set out for South America to help John B with his dad, Rafe had stopped you just before boarding the plane. He promised he’d be a better person for you and wanted you to return from the trip to him. With that, he slipped one of his silver rings onto your finger and kissed you, giving a nod that it was okay to go.

There was always a powerful connection between you two, despite the class divide and his intense disdain for Pogues. You were the exception. Everyone adored you—both Pogues and Kooks alike—especially when you worked as the favorite bartender at the Country Club. You and Rafe bonded over the absence of your mothers and the shortcomings of your fathers. It was a match made in an unlikely paradise.

Though you were never officially together, largely due to his ego, you often went out publicly. Despite JJ and the group’s disdain, you convinced them—and yourself—that it meant nothing, even though deep down, you knew it did. The same could be said for Rafe with Topper and Kelce. No matter what happened, you both struggled to fully pull away from each other. Until that night.

You led Rate to the living room of Tannyhill and gently broke the news of his father's death. The color drained from his face, and his breathing grew rapid and heavy. In an attempt to console him, you placed your hand, adorned with his ring, on his arm, but he abruptly yanked it away and stood up, clearly overwhelmed. Before you could fully explain the circumstances surrounding the tragedy, Rafe erupted in anger. "This is what happens when people get close to someone like John B! Pogues are nothing but worthless pieces of shit, I trusted you all with him!" He lashed out, placing the blame on them as if Ward's insatiable greed hadn't played a role in his decisions. It was bewildering that he believed any of us wanted his father there in the first place. This wasn't any of ours fault.

"Rafe..." you pleaded, desperation lacing your voice. "I don't want to hear it! I can't even look at you right now. All those things I said to you, and you let this happen?! You got my father killed?!" His voice thundered with rage, his eyes dark and wild, veins bulging in his neck.

"You really think we wanted this? John B lost his dad too, you know that?! This was NEVER supposed to happen. I'm so sorry." But Rafe didn't want to hear your apology. "Get away from me! Don't come back! I never want to see you again," he shouted, the finality of his words slicing through you. You felt the tears streaming down your face, sorrow intertwined with disbelief. How could he say this after all the loving promises he had made before leaving? You sat in stunned silence for a moment, then carefully slid the ring off your finger and placed it on the coffee table. With a heavy heart, you turned and walked out of Tannyhill. Rafe didn't even glance back; he couldn't. Deep down, he knew he didn't mean any of it, but his anger always got the best of him.

————————————

As you emerged from your thoughts, everyone decided to head inside for the night, giving JJ some much-needed rest before the race the next day. You settled into your old bed, replacing the dust-covered sheets, and despite the whirlwind of emotions flooding your mind about being back, sleep quickly overtook you. Before long, JJ was shaking you awake, urging you to hurry and get ready.

When you arrived at the racecourse, you kept your distance from the group, sticking close to Cleo to avoid any potential confrontations.

JJ understood what was going on without needing to ask, and he respected your space; having you there, after all this time, was what mattered most to him. It was a relief, allowing you to watch from afar as Rafe interacted with Topper, their tension palpable from a distance.

As the race began, excitement surged through you. Ju took the lead, but then Rafe unexpectedly tapped him, sending both of them flipping over their bikes, igniting a chorus of cheers from the crowd.

Once the race concluded, you made your way towards the group. Topper walked by, not being able to help gloat saying something to Sarah. He then caught your eye, a smug smile on his face, but he chose not to say anything, merely walking away while shaking his head. You refused to let it bother you; Topper's opinions meant nothing, yet you knew that this would undoubtedly reach Rafe, and you hoped to slip away before that happened-at least, that was what you hoped.

As the crowd began to thin out, you felt exposed among the remaining Pogues and Kooks. Seeking a bit of refuge, you decided to head towards the shack that stored drinks and equipment for the track, needing a breather from the charged atmosphere. Just as you turned to leave, your eyes locked with Rafe's.

Your heart raced as a heavy silence enveloped you, and for a moment, neither of you could look away. In that instant, you noticed Sofia slip her arm through his and plant a kiss on his cheek. Another dark haired, brown eyes Pogue you knew from the cut and worked with the country club. He clearly had a type. She playfully pulled his attention back to her. Seizing the chance, you quickly resumed your path to the shack, desperate to put distance between yourself and the turmoil of emotions that Rafe always seemed to ignite within you.

You stepped into the shack, the sunlight streaming through the windows casting long shadows across the floor. Your heart raced with nervousness, and you weren't sure if you wanted to stay or leave. With your back to the door, you pressed one hand to your chest and the other to your forehead, trying to steady your breathing, when a low voice broke the silence.

"Hi."

You spun around to find Rafe's imposing silhouette framed in the doorway, his tall figure looming over you. "Rafe, please, just go. I don't need this. I'm here for my brother," you insisted, your voice unsteady. He chuckled, stepping further into the room, the warmth of his presence engulfing you.

"I've missed you, Maybank."

"Don't say that to me," you retorted, backing away as he moved closer. Soon, you found yourself pinned between him and the table, his blue eyes piercing through the dim light, sparkling with an intensity that made your pulse quicken. He studied you with an expression that was both longing and mischief, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear before gently cupping your face.

It left you bewildered, and you instinctively tried to push him away. "A year and a half ago, you couldn't stand me, and now you're all over me. You can never make up your mind."

A smile crept across Rafe's face. "I could never hate you. I never hated you. I was angry, sure, but I took it out on you-and you never gave me a chance to apologize. You vanished, changed your number, and everyone who knew where you were would never tell me."

"Rafe, please just go," you pleaded, feeling trapped. But before you could protest further, he lifted you effortlessly and set you down on the table.

"I can't stay away from you. Please, let us have this moment," he murmured, his voice low and earnest. He leaned in, inhaling your familiar scent-the coconut and mango shampoo mixed with a hint of jasmine perfume. Then, without warning, he pressed soft kisses against your cheek. You let out a slight moan, unable to suppress the spark of electricity that coursed through you at his touch.

He smiled against your skin, his face inching closer to yours. Then, before you could register the moment, he pulled back slightly to gaze into your eyes once more before crashing his lips against yours. The shock of the kiss momentarily stunned you, but as the reality of what was happening sank in, you found yourself responding, moving your lips against his as if you had been waiting for this moment all along.

His hands began to explore your soft skin, gliding down your arms to intertwine his fingers with yours. You felt the familiar weight of the ring that once adorned your finger. He released your hand, gripping the nape of your neck and pulling you closer as his right hand traced down your torso. You wore a thin, cropped strapless top and a mini skirt. His fingertips teased the upper hem, grazing the tops of your breasts while he moved lower, grasping your waist as if afraid to let you go.

Both of you fought for breath, pulling away to look at each other, laughter escaping your lips. “I’ve been waiting to do this again for so long,” he admitted.

“Do you think your girlfriend would appreciate you saying that to me, Rafe?”

“What?”

“Sofia, the girl outside who kissed you on the cheek?” You sarcastically remind him. “Do you think she’d appreciate this? I may be many things, but I won’t be an accomplice to cheating.”

He sighed, “That means nothing to me. If anything, she’s just a distraction while you were gone. It’s always been you I’m meant to be with. I ruined it and forced myself to move on. And now you’re back.”

You bit your finger, feeling conflicted. “But—” Before you could interrogate him more, he captured your lips in another kiss, drowning out your thoughts. His hands ventured lower, teasing the hem of your skirt. Looking into your eyes for confirmation, you nodded, giving him permission to explore further. He slipped his fingers beneath your clothing, pressing against your core, and groaned as he felt your wetness.

He swirled his fingers before moving to your clit, rubbing in deep, rhythmic motions. You broke the kiss to moan, your head thrown back, exposing your neck and chest. He kissed a trail from behind your ear to the tops of your breasts, and then, with a practiced ease, slid a finger inside you.

You gasped, leaning into the crook of his neck. “That’s a good girl. You can take a little more, right?”

You whimper a soft yes, and he added a second finger, igniting a fevered kiss filled with passion and frustration. Despite your anger, desire overwhelmed you. He pumped in and out quickly, his thumb working your clit, sending you into a frenzy. Your breaths quickened, and you were amazed that no one could hear your moans.

“That’s right, baby. Let me make you feel good. Let me make it up to you. Come for me.”

As waves of pleasure washed over you, your head spun, heart racing. With a gasp, you reached your peak, surrendering completely as he rode out your orgasm, his unoccupied hand brushing your cheek. After a few lingering pumps, he withdrew, licking his fingers clean before adjusting your panties and gazing into your eyes.

“You have no idea what you do to me,” he said softly. You struggled to find your voice, lost in the moment until the door slammed open, revealing JJ. Rage simmered within you at the thought of a confrontation between him and your brother, but Rafe turned to you. “We’ll talk more another time, baby.”

You smiled and nodded, but as he walked out, JJ turned to you with a look of disgust. “What the hell did he want?”

“Nothing. We were trying to talk before you interrupted,” you replied. “I didn’t know he saw me come in.”

“Are you going to talk to him about her?”

“I don’t know, J.”

---

I hope you like it. My first of many stories. I decided to break it into parts. Stretch it out over the month before part 2 of the season drops.

[woso12]

Ten times the team finds you napping

Arsenal x teen reader

I’m sooo sorry this came out so late I had my graduation and then my grad party so I got busy but I hope you enjoy - love mady💕

One

As Leah entered your room to inform you that she was going grocery shopping, she noticed your absence and began to feel anxious. She approached your bed and pulled the covers off, thinking you might be hiding as you often prank her by jumping out to scare her. Frantically, she searched for you in every corner, but you were nowhere to be found. Finally, she decided to check the last place—the closet.

Leah walked back into your room and slid open the closet door, and there you were, curled up on a pile of unfolded clothes. She couldn’t help but let out a small laugh. After shutting the closet, she sent you a text to let you know she had left, so you wouldn’t panic upon waking up.

Two

As the team headed back to the locker room, they realized the youngest member was missing. “Where’s the kiddo?” Leah inquired of Lia, who was walking next to her. “I’m not sure; I believe she mentioned something about working on school assignments in the common room,” Lia responded. Beth, who had been eavesdropping on the conversation, chimed in, “I’ll go check on her to ensure she’s okay.” “Alright, just keep us updated,” Leah replied, her tone laced with concern.

As Beth entered the common room, she noticed the light, which gave her a glimmer of hope that you might be inside. Upon stepping further in, her gaze quickly fell on your open laptop, but you were nowhere to be seen. Curious, she decided to investigate. As she approached, she realized that your head was resting on the laptop. A soft laugh escaped her lips as she made the decision not to disturb you, especially since Leah had mentioned during breakfast that you had stayed up until 3am last night

As Beth opened the locker room door, Leah stood up straight and hurried over to Beth, asking, “Is she okay?”“Yes, there’s no need to worry; she’s just having a little nap at her computer,” Beth replied, struggling to contain her laughter

Three

Traveling is a vital aspect of every professional football player's journey. Here we are, the entire Arsenal women's team, at the airport bright and early at 5 a.m. As Steph went around ensuring everyone was accounted for, she had just finished checking Katie's name off the list. When she looked at the next name, Y/N, and approached the first row of seats, she noticed a pair of blue Nikes sticking out. Realizing they belonged to Y/N, she leaned over the seat and saw you sleeping face down. Taking out her phone, she snapped a photo and sent it to the group chat, letting out a quiet laugh as she moved on to check off the next person.

Four

The last thing Katie anticipated upon returning home from training was finding you napping on her couch. You might be curious as to why this is so surprising; after all, you live with Leah, not Katie. This makes your presence on her couch quite unexpected. Katie approached the couch, removed the blanket from the back, and gently draped it over you before heading into the kitchen to call Leah, ensuring you wouldn't be disturbed.She took out her phone and navigated to Leah's contact. After a few rings, a surprised Leah answered the call.

“Hello.”

“Hi, I have something of yours.”

“And what might that be?” Leah replied, puzzled.

“Your child—she's napping on my couch,” Katie said with a playful tone.

“Oh my gosh! She told me she was going to a friend's house,” Leah said, stifling a laugh.

“Yeah, I expect $400 if you ever want to see her again,” Katie said, attempting to sound serious but failing to hold back her laughter.

“Whatever, I'm on my way to come get her.”

Five

Leah inserted the key into the lock and pushed the door open, exhaling deeply as a wave of happiness enveloped her; she was finally home after a long day of training and errands. As she strolled past the living room, she glanced inside, hoping to catch a glimpse of her adopted child. Not noticing anything unusual, she continued to the kitchen to put away the groceries. Afterward, she made her way back to the living room, where she discovered you sleeping on the floor. A soft laugh escaped her lips as she pulled out her phone to capture the moment, adding the photo to her collection of you caught sleeping in amusing places

Six

The gentle hum of the movie filled the room as Leah's eyes remained glued to the screen, which was about halfway through. Suddenly, she felt a weight on her shoulder and realized that Y/N had begun to doze off, resting her head against Leah. “You're so annoying,” Leah muttered to herself.“So are you,” Y/N replied, her voice drowsy

Seven

The final whistle blew, signaling the end of training as everyone began heading toward the tunnel to the locker room. However, Alessia noticed that the youngest player was nowhere to be found, prompting her to return to the pitch. While most of the media had left, a few remained, enough to keep the area bustling. Alessia glanced at the sideline and spotted you, peacefully sleeping on the bench right next to the water bottle station. With a soft laugh, Alessia took out her phone and snapped a picture before putting it away and approaching you. “Hey, y/n, practice is over,” she said, gently shaking your shoulder. “Oh,dang ” you replied, getting up and making your way to the locker room alongside Alessia.

Eight

As Leah cruised down the highway, the soothing hum of music filled the air. Completely absorbed in the road ahead, Leah failed to notice that Y/N was nearly dozing off in the passenger seat. A few hours later, Leah pulled into a gas station to take a short break. She turned off the car and glanced over at the passenger seat, discovering Y/N peacefully asleep. Leaning over, she gently shook Y/N awake.“What—how long was I out?” Y/N asked, their voice cracking from the sudden awakening “Come on, this is the last stop I'm making before we arrive,” Leah replied, stepping out before Y/N could respond.“Right,” Y/N said, following suit and getting out of the car.

Nine

The soft hum of the projector had unintentionally lulled Y/N to sleep as the manager's voice faded into the background, and she gradually drifted off. A little while later, as the meeting was coming to a close, some members of the team began to get up and head out. Just as Lia was about to leave, she noticed Y/N asleep in her chair. With a chuckle, she nudged Leah, and soon the news spread through the entire team, each member spotting Y/N in slumber.Lia decided to take one for the team and approached Y/N to wake her up. “WAKE UP!” Lia shouted into Y/N's ear, causing her to jolt awake in a panic. “WHAT?” Y/N exclaimed, a bit startled, but then she recognized the joke and started to laugh. “Nothing, I just need you to wake up,” Lia replied, giggling as she walked away. “You guys are so annoying,” Y/N muttered, making her way to warm up for training.

Ten

As the team began boarding the bus and finding their seats, Leah opted to sit at the front with Kim. Meanwhile, Y/N made her way to the back, joining most of the team and taking a seat next to Caitlin. She removed her backpack, pulled out a blanket, and wrapped herself in it, settling comfortably between two bus seats. Y/N then picked up her phone and started scrolling. However, the early wake-up call was starting to take its toll, causing her to drift off. Each time her phone slipped from her grasp, she would wake up, only to slip back into slumber again. Eventually, she set her phone down and closed her eyes, succumbing to a deep sleep. Caitlin, sitting closest to Y/N, was the first to notice. Kyra, seeing Y/N asleep, exclaimed, "Please don't wake her up! Leah told me she was up until 1 a.m. doing homework, so please, I beg you, DON’T!" Before Kyra could do anything bothersome, Caitlin intervened. “Whatever,” Kyra replied, moving to a seat next to Steph.

[fiastomatocheek]

SNOOPY'S SICK DAY

pair: dad!luke hughes x f!reader

genre: fluff, family, romance.

warnings: none, just pure fluff and heartwarming family moments. brief mentions of illness (cold and fever) but kept light and non-serious.

summary: after a long road trip, luke comes home feeling feverish and worn out, just in time for sunday morning. but he’s not the only one who notices. his four-year-old daughter lucy, sharp-eyed, soft-hearted, and hopelessly in love with her dad, springs into action. from porridge prep to doctor pretend-play and sleepy cuddles, lucy decides she’ll be the best nurse ever to her ‘snoopy’.

fia’s notes: not to be dramatic or anything but… i’m fully obsessed with my own story like, truly, i can’t get over how soft and adorable dad!luke is especially with baby lucy and all these peanuts (yes, snoopy & the gang!) inspired moments sprinkled in. something about luke being this gentle, goofy, patient dad just feels so right, and the way he dotes on little luce? my heart cannot handle it. this story is such a comfort fic for me, and writing it genuinely brought me so much joy. i hope reading it brings you the same kind of cozy, happy feeling like a warm blanket and your favorite cartoon on a lazy sunday. i hope you love it as much as i do!

tagging team fia ! — @iloveyoutodeathbutimdrowning @dancerbailey3 @mashmashi @hopefulsuitcasemoneyzonk @kell9rs @alwaysclassyeagle @nokiaholland @macka

fia’s masterlist | join fia’s taglist | fic discussion | fia's nav.

“Mommy, is Snoopy home yet? Like, really home-home?”

Lucy’s voice bounces through the living room, already impatient, as she kneels on the couch, clutching her stuffed pig, Pinkie, and peering out the window. Her curls are a mess now, half-falling out of the ponytail she doing herself.

You glance at your phone, checking Luke’s flight status.

“Any minute now, Luce. His plane just landed, so he’s on his way from the airport.”

She presses her nose to the glass, breath fogging it up.

“I made him a picture! It’s got a hockey stick and a heart. So he knows we missed him.”

You smile, stirring a pot of beef broth porridge on the stove.

“He’s gonna love it so so much, Luce. Maybe we’ll stick it on the fridge so Snoopy sees it every day.”

Lucy giggles at the nickname, her favorite way to call Luke.

“Snoopy’s gonna be so happy! I missed Snoopy so much.”

She stretches her arms wide, nearly toppling Pinkie off the couch.

You’re about to reply when the front door creaks open, and Luke’s hoarse voice calls out,

“I’m home.” It’s softer than usual, like he’s dragging the words through gravel.

Lucy squeals, scrambling off the couch, but you beat her to the door, heart squeezing at the sight of him. Luke looks like he’s been through a blender looking so pale, sweat-damp curls plastered to his forehead, dark circles under his eyes. His duffel hangs heavy on his shoulder, and his hoodie’s wrinkled like he slept in it.

“Hey, you,” you say, wrapping your arms around him.

He’s warm, little too warm. You pull back, pressing a hand to his cheek.

“Babe, you’re burning up.”

“Feel like garbage,” he admits, voice scratchy.

“Started on the plane. Headache, sore throat. Thought it was just the dry air, but…” He shrugs, wincing slightly.

“Go shower,” you say gently, taking his duffel.

“I’m warming up some porridge. Something light so your stomach doesn’t hate you.”

Luke’s eyes flicker to the living room, where Lucy’s hovering, clutching Pinkie and watching him with big, curious eyes.

“Hey, Luce,” he says, mustering a tired smile.

“Snoopy!” She runs to him, but instead of her usual tackle-hug, she stops short, tilting her head.

“You sound funny. Like… a frog.”

Luke chuckles, weak but warm, dropping to one knee.

“Just a little croaky, baby. Still your Snoopy.”

He kisses her forehead, and she leans into it, but her brow furrows, like she’s piecing something together.

You catch the worry in her eyes, but she doesn’t say anything. Instead, she hugs Pinkie tighter and says,

“I made you a picture. It’s on the table.”

“Can’t wait to see it,” Luke says, ruffling her curls before standing with a groan.

“Gonna clean up, then I’ll check it out.”

As he trudges upstairs, you scoop porridge into a bowl to cool and guide Lucy to her play space.

“Time to get ready for bed, baby. Daddy’s tired from his trip.”

She nods, but as you tuck her into bed later, her little voice pipes up, clutching the edge of her star-patterned blanket.

“Mommy, is Snoopy okay? He looks… not happy.”

Your heart softens. She’s only four, but she’s already picking up on things most kids her age might miss.

“He’s just a bit tired,” you say, brushing a curl off her face. “And he’s got a little cough. Nothing big. He’ll be all better soon.”

She nods, eyes heavy. “Okay. I’ll help him tomorrow.”

You kiss her forehead, smiling.

“You’re the best helper, you know that?”

When you slip back to your bedroom, Luke’s already out cold, still in his sweatpants shirtless. The porridge bowl sits untouched on the nightstand. You pull the comforter over him, deciding not to wake him. He needs the rest more than anything.

Next day, sunday morning, you’re stirred awake by the patter of tiny feet and a whispered,

“Mommy! Can we make breakfast for Snoopy?”

Lucy’s standing by your bed, her eyes are bright, but there’s a determined set to her mouth, like she’s on a mission.

“Morning, Luce,” you say, stretching.

“Of course baby, let’s make something. But we gotta be quiet okay, Snoopy’s still sleeping.”

She nods solemnly, whispering, “I’ll be super quiet. Like a ninja.”

You stifle a laugh, scooping her up and heading to the kitchen. Lucy insists on helping, dragging her step stool to the counter and pulling on her ‘Chef Luce’ apron, purple glitter sparkling. You decide to reheat last night’s porridge, light enough for Luke’s stomach and a favorite of Lucy’s anyway.

“Mommy can I stir?” she asks, gripping a wooden spoon like it’s a hockey stick.

“Go for it,” you say, guiding her hand.

“Just like Daddy taught you, slow and steady.”

She concentrates, tongue poking out, as she stirs the pot.

“This is for Snoopy. It’s gotta be perfect.”

You smile, chopping a few scallions to sprinkle on top.

“You’re doing great, Chef Luce. He’s gonna love it.”

As you set the table, you hear a faint cough from upstairs, followed by Luke’s groggy voice calling your name. You glance at the clock, it’s 8:15 a.m. Earlier than you expected, given he was up at 4 a.m., burning with a fever and barely able to talk. You’d given him medicine then, and he’d crashed again almost instantly.

“Luce, stay here and watch the porridge,”

You say, handing her a glass of milk and a few Cheerios to munch on.

“I’m gonna check on Daddy.”

You find Luke sitting on the edge of the bed, rubbing his eyes. His hair’s a mess, and his voice is still rough.

“Hey,” he croaks.

“How’re you feeling?” you ask, pressing a hand to his forehead. Still warm, but not as bad as last night.

“Like I got hit by a Zamboni,” he mutters, but he manages a small smile.

“Medicine helped, though. Think I can make it downstairs.”

“Take it slow,” you say, handing him a fresh hoodie.

“Luce is waiting to have breakfast with you. She’s been talking about her ‘Snoopy’ all morning.”

His face lights up, the way it always does when Lucy’s involved.

“Missed her so much. Let’s go.”

By the time you both reach the kitchen, Lucy’s practically vibrating with excitement, standing on her step stool and waving her spoon.

“Snoopy! You’re awake!”

Luke drops to his knees, opening his arms.

“Morning, baby girl.”

She launches herself at him, and he catches her, wincing slightly but holding her close.

“Missed you, Luce.”

“Snoopy, you sound like a grumpy bear,” she says, pulling back to study her Daddy’s face. Her little brows knit together.

“Are you okay, Snoopy?”

Luke strokes her hair, his smile soft despite the rasp in his voice.

“I’m fine, Luce. Just a little cold. Thanks for asking, though. You’re the best.”

She beams, grabbing his hand and tugging him to the table.

“We made porridge! Me and Mommy. It’s your favorite.”

You serve up the bowls, and the three of you settle around the table, Lucy insisting on sitting right next to Luke. She watches him take his first spoonful, her eyes wide with anticipation.

“Is it good?”

“Perfect,” Luke says, winking at her.

“Best chef in the world.”

She giggles, digging into her own bowl, and you catch Luke’s eye across the table. He mouths a silent ‘thank you,’ and you feel that familiar warmth spread through your chest. Even sick, he’s the sweetest dad.

After breakfast, Luke insists he’s well enough to hang out with Lucy, so they head upstairs to her room. You follow, curious, and lean against the doorframe as they settle on the floor, surrounded by her stuffed animals and a pile of crayons. Lucy’s telling him about kindergarten, her words tumbling out in that earnest, four-year-old way.

“And then, Miss Jenny said I drew the best rocket ship, Snoopy! It had flames and everything!”

Luke’s lying on his back, one arm behind his head, listening like she’s recounting a Stanley Cup final.

“Flames, huh? You gotta show me that rocket.”

She nods, grabbing a piece of paper to start a new drawing. Then, out of nowhere, she climbs onto his stomach, sitting like it’s her personal throne. Luke grunts but doesn’t move, just rests a hand on her back to keep her steady.

“Snoopy,” she says, her voice suddenly small.

She leans down, wrapping her arms around his neck, her cheek pressed to his chest.

“I want you to get better soon. I miss skating with you. And I’m worried ‘bout you.”

Luke’s eyes soften, and he hugs her gently, careful not to squeeze too hard.

“I’m gonna be fine, Luce. Just need a couple days, then we’ll be back on the ice, okay? You and me, doing spins.”

She nods against him, her voice muffled.

“Promise?”

“Promise,” he says, kissing her hair.

“And I missed you too. Everyday on that road trip, I was thinking about my favorite girl.”

You bite your lip, trying not to tear up. Lucy’s always been perceptive, but hearing her worry so openly tugs at your heart. When they come downstairs later, Luke finds you in the kitchen, washing dishes. Lucy’s back in the living room, ‘diagnosing’ Pinkie with her toy doctor kit.

“Hey,” Luke says, sliding an arm around your waist.

“Luce told me she’s worried about her Snoopy. Said she wants me better so we can skate.”

You dry your hands, turning to face him.

“Yeah, she asked about you last night, too, right after you got home. She could tell you weren’t yourself. I didn’t want to stress her out, so I said you were just tired.”

He sighs, rubbing his jaw. “She’s too smart for her own good. I hate that she’s worried.”

“She loves you,” you say, cupping his cheek.

“And she’s four, she thinks she can fix you with hugs and porridge. Which, honestly, might work.”

Luke laughs, then coughs, wincing.

“Don’t make me laugh. It hurts my throat.”

“Sorry,” you say, but you’re grinning.

You lean up to kiss him softly, mindful of his fever. “You’re doing great, though. She’s so happy you’re home.”

He pulls you closer, resting his chin on your head.

“Couldn’t wait to get back to you two. Even if I feel like death.”

Luke’s fever is down by the evening, and he’s got a bit more color in his cheeks. You’re all in bed early, Lucy want to sleeping between you, whispering to Luke about how she’ll ‘check his temperature’ tomorrow with her toy thermometer.

“You gotta get better, Snoopy,” she mumbles, already half-asleep.

“I need you for ice time.”

“I’ll be there,” Luke whispers back, his voice still rough but full of love.

“Love you, Luce.”

“Love you, Snoopy,” she murmurs, clutching his shirt.

You reach over, squeezing Luke’s hand.

“Love you too, Snoopy.”

He chuckles softly, squeezing back.

“Love you most, ‘Fifi.’”

[joelssimp]

STILL | CHAPTER 01

CW: mention of the first year of the pandemic, consumption of alcohol

2.5K words masterlist | next chapter

01 - Start

“Are you sure you got everything you need?” My father followed me around the house as if I were a kid going out for her first sleepover. I rolled my eyes, still smiling at the feeling of being treated this way, which, although annoying, was still heart warming.

“My personal and work bags have been checked almost every day for the last week, I'm pretty sure everything is here” I threw my travel backpack on my back and turned to him “And if I forget something, I can buy it there. Calgary is not the end of the world.”

“No, but it feels like it” Mandy, with all her annoying little sister energy, said with a touch of amusement.

“Calgary is much bigger than you think” I replied protectively about my next city.

“But you won't stay there this whole year.”

“Edmonton is a big city too.”

“Oh, you get what I mean.”

“When you come to visit me, you'll bite that big tongue of yours” I stuck my own tongue out and she did the same. It was our father's turn to roll his eyes at our interaction.

I went in her direction to say goodbye and I threw myself into her arms, feeling my throat close a little, my eyes burning with the fight against the salty tears.

She was my little partner, the most annoying part of my life, and living in the same house was something I loved to do from time to time.

The pandemic was the perfect excuse for me to go back to my father's house, and we both lived together for over a year, seeing each other every day and doing everything together. It was the first time this had happened since I left London to go to college in Montreal.

My career demanded months, sometimes years of work in different places. That was the price I paid for doing something that was my passion. And I only accepted this next opportunity of almost a year of work because it was something big enough to open more doors in the future.

"You go and show’em who’s the boss, Still" she said affectionately.

"Yeah, yeah” I squeezed her body a little tighter, but had to let her go "I'll wait for you at Winter Break, okay?"

Mandy smiled through the tears that fell down her face, and just nodded. Knowing that if she were to say anything else, her voice would be choked. 

I turned to my old man and smiled at the sight of a tall Canadian, his eyes red with tears, his white beard announcing his advanced age, and his posture with both hands tucked into his pants pockets was of someone who was uncomfortable.

“If you need anything…”

“I know, dad” This time I didn't throw myself, but he grabbed me in a tender hug, holding me as if I were still a child, as if I were still his little girl. Protective as a father should be

“I'm a 4-hour flight away. If you need me, let me know and I'll come running.” I said letting those damn tears roll away.

“You don't have to worry, sweetheart” He stroked my hair, his voice thick and tearful.

“I'm going to miss you both so much” I smiled as we parted. A sincere smile, covered in emotions of sadness and excitment.

“Next time you make sure to get a production nearby. Toronto always has something in your area” He said in a complaining tone.

“I'll think about it,” I said, pulling my carry-on bag. “Help me load the Uber, it should be around the corner.”

“Don't forget your mask” Mandy pointed to the table next to the door and I thanked her, already grabbing that horrible thing that I would have to wear for the entire duration of the flight.

My dad grabbed my trunk of equipment, all well protected for the journey, and followed me out of our house. In a matter of minutes I was already in the car, heading to the city airport, my small family left behind, and a new chapter of adventure ahead of me.

Photography has always been a passion of mine, from the moment I got an analog camera on my 9th birthday, I started capturing every moment in a unique way. It was the subject in school that interested me the most and I got an A+ on all my tests. I was part of the school newspaper just to have an excuse to spend every day with a camera. I learned how to develop photos, I learned how to edit them digitally, I used my friends as guinea pigs to do some creative photoshoots. I captured birthdays, parties, everyday life and this passion only grew when I went to college in Montreal.

If I told you that the beginning of my career was easy, I would be lying. Had to swallow bad moments, a lot of insults from clients, sometimes I took pictures in exchange for little to none cash, just to build my portfolio. I had to work in restaurants to help pay for college, and even after graduating I had to keep working so I could get food on my table.

But all of this brought me here: Owner of my own photography brand, and a "must-watch young talent" into the world of on set photography.

My first experience in this field was right after I graduated, when my lighting teacher recommended me for a project for an independent film by a friend of his. It was two months of work that made me fall in love with this line of production.

Going from one project to another, and to another, no one on set really knows my real name — not the directors, not the PAs, not even the actors. I sign my work simply as Still. Clean. Final. Like the last moment before cut.

My nickname started as a joke. On a chaotic sci-fi film set full of motion and madness, there was one person who moved like a ghost — silent, focused, unnoticed. When the DP saw my portfolio, he muttered, “Everything moves, but she gets the still.”

The name stuck.

But after many productions, the artistic world came to a stop. The pandemic at the beginning of 2020 made me go back to my dad’s house, and since then I have fallen into a hole of anxiety and depression for not being able to do what I loved most.

I spent more than a year stuck at home with no plans for any production, without photographing much because the days merged into themselves as if they were just one. It was a routine that almost took away my sanity. But the light at the end of the tunnel came into vision.

A recommendation from the director of my last work was all it took for the production team at Mighty Mint to get in touch to offer me an opportunity in the next HBO series. It will be a year of production, including some pre-production and maybe post-production.

The negotiation was different, because it was the first studio that approached me to hire my services, not the other way around.

It was the first time I would be working for more than a few months with the same production, so I got them to rent an airbnb for me to share with the other photographer who would be working in shifts with me.

“Are you going far?” the driver asked pleasantly after ten minutes of silence on the trip.

“Alberta,” I replied politely.

“Oh, that’s great, I have a cousin who lives there. Where exactly are you going? If you don’t mind me asking.”

“Of course I don't mind. My first stop will be Calgary, and I'll be traveling throughout Alberta, High River and Edmonton for a few months too.”

“That's cool.” He smiled. “Are you going there for work?”

“Uh-huh.” I nodded, not wanting to get in too much detail.

I didn't necessarily need to keep it a secret, but I preferred not to compromise anything with information that I didn't know if I could reveal or not.

Two hours of waiting and a four-hour flight, the mark of the mask pressing against my nose was deep in my face, my body started to hurt in the last hour sitting in a seat where there was very little space... not that I needed a lot of course, but it would be nice to stretch my legs every now and then.

It was also the first time that someone from the production team picked me up at the airport, because I was used to dealing with all this bureaucracy and only adding the costs to the price of my service. But there I felt well taken care of when I saw a man at the national arrivals holding a sign with my name written on it. He seemed to be younger than me, dark-skinned, dressed casually and was taller than the average Canadian male.

“Hey” I waved with my available hand while the other guided the cart with my things “Still, that’s me…”

“Oh, hey, welcome” He smiled from under his mask (that famous smile with the eyes) and came towards me to help “My name is Samuel, but you can call me Sam. I'm part of the production logistics.”

“It's a pleasure to meet you, Sam.” I smiled back, but it hurt the skin on my scarred face.

“Not gonna give me your real name, aren’t ya?”

“It’s nothing personal. But if I do, it kills the mystery” I winked and got a laugh from him.

“I'll take you to your address for the next month or so. I hope you like Calgary.” He continued in his friendly and welcoming tone.

“Has it been a long time since pre-production started?” I asked, trying not to let the silence settle in.

“We started working hard a few days ago. We'll be in full swing soon” Sam replied excitedly and as soon as we crossed the airport exit door he directed me to a black SUV.

“Cool, I got an email with some information, but if you don't mind I'd like to stop by the studio to check a few things” I put my backpack on the back seat, thanking the rest for my tense back.

“I was instructed to take you straight to the Airbnb, the production director said he would send the necessary information by text” He finished loading the car while explaining and indicated for me to climb into the passenger seat.

“Oh, then that's fine. I'll wait for Mike to get in touch.”

“If you open the glove compartment of the car, you'll find an envelope. There's a grocery card, the Airbnb key, and a COVID test that needs to be done and sent today” He pointed to the space in front of me, and started the car.

“I hate those” I rolled my eyes and he laughed.

“Get used to it, for now it's mandatory to do it every time you go to the studio.”

I was the first to arrive at the building, a small flat in the city center. The decor was basic, a living room with two two-seater sofas, a medium-sized television, the kitchen in the left corner separated only by a counter, it had a tiny balcony and a hallway that led to two identical bedrooms and a bathroom.

I already knew that I would be sharing that space with the other person responsible for balancing work schedules with me on the recording sets. I just didn't know who it was, or what day it would arrive.

Sam waited for me to take the test, I handed him the envelope and said goodbye.

In two days I organized my room, separated all my equipment and took care of each one. I bought some basic online grocery that would last a week (decided to do this weekly so as not to let anything get spoiled), and when I least expected it: almost sleeping, lying down on the couch with a glass of wine in my hand, watching some documentary about a mysterious murder case in the United States, the front door made an unlocking noise and opened with a jolt revealing a woman carrying a suitcase, a trunk of equipment and a bag on her right shoulder.

She was just a little taller than me, her short black hair was straight with some waves framing her thin face with a super stylish bangs. She was wearing a sweatshirt twice her size, which really gave the impression that she was smaller than she looked.

“Hey roommie,” She smiled when she saw me.

“Welcome…” I raised my glass in her direction with a smile too, and I left the sentence hanging in the air for her to finish.

“Kate,” She introduced herself as she entered our apartment.

"Nice to meet you Kate" I nodded, relaxed due to the low percentage of alcohol in my system.

"It's a pleasure to meet the famous Still." Kate approached, leaving her bags in the middle of the room, and reached out a hand to greet me.

"Famous?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"When they hired me, Mike mentioned this super talented photographer, with a style unlike anything he had ever seen," she explained.

"No pressure then," I said, feeling my heart race with every word she said. "I can't wait to see your work, we'll need to be in sync."

"Of course, but if you don't mind, I need to shower first." Kate grimaced. "Five hours to get here left me feeling like I ran a fucking marathon."

"Where did you come from?"

"Montreal."

"Are you kidding?" I asked, surprised.

"No, why?"

"I lived there for almost four years. Went to college at LaSalle — creative professional photography course.”

“Holy shit, me too” She widened his eyes with amusement “I think we missed each other for a year or two”

“I think it was more, you look much younger than me.”

“How old are you?”

“Twenty-nine, I'll be thirty in September, and you?”

“Oh, you're right then... Damn, you look much younger” She said, scratching her head awkwardly — I'm twenty-four... I just had my birthday in May.”

“So we missed each other for five, almost six years” I laughed “And thank you very much for the compliment.”

“You're welcome” She gestured with her hand in my direction and went to get her bags back.

“The room at the end of the hall is yours” I pointed in the direction of the bedrooms “With the work schedules we'll have, we'll only see these rooms to sleep” I said as I drank the rest of my glass.

“Ha” Kate laughed “A workaholic just like me... We'll get along just fine.”

I laughed too, and sank deeper into the couch, this time relieved to know that I would be sharing my life for the next few months with someone who seemed easy to get along with, and who shared the same passion as me. 

Calgary seemed to have reserved the best for me to get some much-needed emotional recovery time.

[anon-sect]

Picture source: @spencer-kicks

PART TWO......

Tyson hadn't heard back from his friend Alex in three weeks since he went on his all paid expense trip. It was supposed to be for a few days, and he would return back. He had yat to come home. He tried texting his number, but there weren't any replies back. He tried calling his number, but they all went straight to voicemail. He was starting to get worried about his best friend. Luckily, the last text he had recieved from him had instruction on how to find him if he didn't return as planned.

Tyson read the last received text from Alex. He was to contact a populer youtuber about his whereabouts. The text also mentioned that the youtuber had invited him to his place as the contested winner. He sent the guy a quck message. Several hour later, he got a reply back. The popular youtuber told him that his buddy Alex had been left his place. And that he didn't know where he was. Tyson at first was about to believe him, yet this youtuber was the last person to see him. Three weeks of no reply told him something was suspicious.

Tyson replied back that he would go to the police about his friend's disappearance and tell them that he was the last to see him. He turneed off his computer. Ten minute later he got an email alert. The popular youtuber told him he might suspect where he went and that he would come help him look. Tyson was pleased with that answer. He gave him the home address.

Two days later, Kevin pulled up at his house as he said he would. Tyson invited him in to talk. "I think I know where your friend might be." Kevin told him.

Tyson was curious since at first he didn't have a clue where his friend was, but now knows. "You sure? At first, you didn't have a clue." He questioned Kevin.

Kevin smiled as he knew exactly where Alex was. Alex was sitting on a shoe rack back at his house. "He is at my house right now. I wore him the three days ago, actually." He informed Tyson, to see a confused look on the guy's face.

"You aren't making any sense." Tyson quickly spoke to his strange words. He saw Kevin pull out a strange cell phone looking device from his pocket. He could hear him typing something in.

"You will join him in my collection. I found that living matter makes for some good shoes." Kevin spoke and flashed at Tyson. Tyson vanished, and in his place were a new pair of sneakers. He grabbed the sneakers and placed them in his traveling bag. He put on the lock for the door and shut it. He got into his car and drove back to his hotel for his filght back in the morning.

The next day, Kevin drove back to his house. He was wearing his new shoes. They felt just as good and comfortable as his other living pair of shoes. He treated the guy like normal shoes. He didn't speak to them, just wore them.

Tyson soon understood what Kevin meant when he was put on his feet prior to leaving for the airport. His face was crushed under his feet the entire time. He mentally pleaded for help, literally for anyone to rescue him. He could hear voices of those around, but being stuck as sneakers, he had no way to reach out for help. He was alone with his own thoughts. Each step was wave after wave after wave of pain. It felt unending. He was at least grateful that the pair of socks didn't smell too bad, even though there was a slight odor to them. Yet still having that odor directly on his face was bad enough. His only motion was decided by the feet of who wore him. This new existence was a nightmare. He now realized what happened to his best friend. The guy had done this to him.

Kevin took off his shoes once he got to his bedroom. He placed them next to his other pair of living shoes. He thought about talking to his new pair, but the guy needed to learn his place just like his best friend. They both were just shoes now. He would have to do video review of his new shoes, but for now he wanted to relax.

Before heading back to the den to watch TV, Kevin turned back to his new shoes. "You can join your best friend as part of my shoe collection. Alex and Tyson. But don't worry, I take good care of all my shoes. You two will be worn on my feet for a long time." He laughed as he left the room.

Alex could not reach out to Tyson, nor could Tyson reach out to Alex even though they were side by side. They were both voiceless shoes whose only purpose now was to be worn on Kevin's feet. Both mentally contemplated their permanent fate, mentally crying for some kind of release or even death. That was a better fate than being Kevin's shoes for the rest of their lives, they thought.

[neopuppy]

i follow both your nct and enha blogs, so i saw your reply to an ask on your enha blog which also mentioned renjun and it felt wrong messaging you abt him there so i will just message you abt him here haha. hope you don’t mind!!!

have you seen renjun’s message on bbl where he exposed a sasaeng’s twt account? that was bravery right there. i hope that’ll serve as an example to idols and warning to crazy fans

I was going THROUGH it last night bc of this jcjejcjdjd I genuinely dont know if I’d be as concerned if it was anyone other than Renjun only given the circumstances(SM ent. and their long history of torturing idols- plus what was also happening with cbx/exo yesterday)

going to say this as someone who is on my 3rd SM group that I’m watching fall apart in real time once again, this is likely Dreams last run(the irony) as a properly promoted group. the only reason they even still get so much is because they are huge in Asia and have always been(PROBABLY BC SM HAS NEVER ONCE TRIED TO BREAK THEM INTO THE WESTERN MARKET THE WAY THEY DID WITH 127 BUT THATS BC 127 WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR US FANS- we know how that went). its so hard to watch your favs literally cry for help and you cant do anything when its their own company working against them.

sasaengs are kept alive by INTERNAL staff that have access to information such as private schedule locations, hotels, flights, etc. why else would the SAME people always conveniently ‘show up’ to unannounced events that were never for ‘fans’ to begin with?

Renjun is one of the handful of actual talented idols we have in the age of 2024 where all kpop idols need to do is buy an entirely new face to debut and be deemed “it boy/girl”, makes me sick to my stomach that he cant do his job peacefully bc of people who relentlessly stalk him, purposely sit by him on planes, call his phone day and night.

I’m fr just a normal person, not famous just living my life and my anxiety is BAD. way worse when I was younger and would have physical panic attacks to the point of throwing up. I got help(therapy, meds, etc) fortunately and learned how to calm my anxiety but I always think abt how idols have to deal with this especially when I’m at the airport. like INTL travel is so fucking stressful and taxing on the body, I cannot imagine camera shooting at me the second I step off a 16 hr flight where weird ass ssngs followed me to the bathroom and took pictures of me SLEEPING the entire time! only to run after me in mobs after going through customs.

like idfk why anyone would defend this animalistic behavior. if an idol feels desperate enough to share their mental health issues with us as fans- coming from a place and industry where this is very stigmatized- WE NEED TO LISTEN, AS FANS WHO RESPECT AND TRUST HIM. I wish I could do something, but I cant, and I would beat up every ssng to exists if it held no repercussion bc famous or not these are HUMAN BEINGS, and they dont deserve this.

I really worry given the kpop track record of idols choosing their exit instead of finding help. I am so proud of Renjun for putting himself first and taking this time off to heal himself. like there is just so many things and I am worried abt all of Dream, they debuted so young and have some of the worst ssngs out of all of kpop with a company who wont lift a finger to protect them. in this case they truly only have us(the actual fans)and Renjun going public with this proves that.

I hope anyone who has invaded their privacy feels ashamed, and this goes for ‘fans’ that follow them around the world/are constantly in fan calls/fan signs etc- you are weird. period. nothing normal about that one-sided parasocial relationship that you brag abt online, and instead of spending $1000’s upon $1000’s on bothering an idol who will never fuck you, maybe consider investing in a much needed grippy sock vacation.

I think these people are beyond help, and unfortunately they have the funds or limitless credit to endorse their madness. I need more idols to see this and start calling out these weirdos. NO ONE SHOULD ALLOW THIS BEHAVIOR TO BE NORMALIZED, end of story.

[collecting-stories]

Baba - Brian 'Otis' Zvonecek

Request: She meets her boyfriend’s family for the first time after dating for six months. Brian Zvonecek x fem pretty pls nobody writes for him anymore 😔

Summary: reader prepares to meet Otis' baba for the first time.

A/N: Thought about making this like...reader meeting 51 for the first time cause...family...but I feel like that's been done. And this isn't actually like meeting baba it's just, the frantic feelings of inadequacy beforehand.

One Chicago Masterlist

✰✰✰✰

Despite all efforts on your behalf to 'play it cool', you'd been internally freaking out about today since Otis mentioned it, casually, over breakfast before a shift, as if meeting the matriarch of his family was no big deal at all. 

"Baba doesn't even speak English," Otis said, reminding you for what was possibly the seventeenth time in an hour that his grandmother wouldn't even know what you were saying when she eventually met you, "you could drop the f-bomb and she'd have no idea."

"Did you just say f-bomb Brian?" You laughed, turning away from your closet to actually look at your boyfriend. "You know you're like, a grown adult who can curse, who I've heard curse, right?"

He stuck his tongue out at you once your back was to him again. He knew you had been nervous about today, and not just because you had made a point of telling him how nervous you were. He'd been filled to the brim with anxiety the first time he met your parents, separately because they were divorced. Despite your dad being the more awkward and uncomfortable of the two dinners, something you had prepared him for, as much as someone could possibly be prepared for, he'd been more nervous about your mom. So, he understood why you were so worried, you wanted to make a good impression on someone who was important to him. It'd been that way the first time you met 51. 

"Hey," Otis mentioned, having just thought about it and figuring it was worth mentioning, "you've met all of 51 and they love you. Even Herrmann's kids like you." 

"Yeah but that's different," you sighed, finally settling on a shirt and pulling it over your head. You were going with Otis to pick his baba up at the airport and then go to dinner. There was a Russian rrestaurant down the street from your work and she'd mentioned wanting to try it out when she came to town. Apparently she wanted to test 'how these Americans do with home cooking' or however she said it to Otis in Russian. He'd suggested stopping at the apartment to drop off her belongings before dinner but she insisted they could go right out. "51 didn't move into our apartment afterward."

"I know it'll be an adjustment-"

"Yeah, and if she hates me the adjustment will be me, finding a new apartment," you replied. 

"She's not gonna hate you!" Otis insisted, "besides, she loves everyone...pretty much."

"Promising Bri," you huffed. 

Otis grabbed your phone off the nightstand and held it out to you, "look, it's not like I haven't talked about you before...I mean it's been six months."

"Doesn't mean she'll like me!" You grabbed your phone and stuffed it in your pocket before heading out of the bedroom, Otis following after you. 

Joe was watching tv in the living room and he looked up when the two of you entered the room. "Ooo, is this the official 'baba meeting outfit'?" He teased. 

You nodded, gesturing to your clothing, "what do you think?" You had tried to dress conservatively, neutral colors and nothing she might find inappropriate. 

"You look great, baba will love you." Otis stressed, grabbing your hips from behind and pushing you toward the door.

"And when she doesn't?" 

"She will!" Joe called from the couch, giving you a double thumbs up. 

You didn't get an opportunity to answer because Otis had pushed you out the door and pulled it shut behind you after grabbing your sneakers. He pushed them into your hands and pointed to your feet, "put on your shoes, let's go."

"These are totally reasonable concerns Brian," you complained, pulling your shoes on and following him to the stairs. 

"I know, I know. I was totally freaked out when I met your parents and, hey, it went great...with your mom. Baba will love you, I know she will. I get that its a big ask, having her move in-"

"I don't care about that. I mean obviously, I want her to have the best care possible and if that means moving in, I'm on board. I just mean...that's not the issue. I don't want her to move in and think I'm annoying or pushy or whatever and tell you I'm a bad fit and then you think maybe she's right and then we break up-"

"Whoa, hey...none of that is going to happen," Otis promised, grabbing your upper arms to stop you from walking toward the front door of the apartment building. He gave a gentle squeeze to reassure you, "Baba has practically already met you, I talk about you all the time. She's not going to hate you, I wouldn't have proposed this if I thought she would hate you or that you wouldn't be onboard. It'll be okay, okay?"

"Yeah, okay. Okay." You nodded. 

Otis let go of you, giving your arms one more squeeze before he did, "ready to go?"

"Ready as I'll ever be." You agreed, though if you were being honest you were feeling remarkably better than you had been only moments earlier. You knew Otis was right, he'd never make you uncomfortable and, knowing him, he'd probably talked you up to his baba so much that she recite back your coffee order.  When you'd met 51 for the first time, Sylvie had even given you some contraband Starbucks pumpkin spice sauce that she found on eBay as a 'welcome to the family' gift. Though, you knew you bragged about Otis to your family just as heavily, if not more. While there was probably nothing that could truly prepare you for meeting his baba, Otis had done a good job of getting you out of your head. 

[smolwritingchick]

The Bangtan Gal Chapter 62- Protection Squad

Chapter Summary: Bam Bam gets bold on Instagram about Jennie. When an anti calls Jen a thot at the airport, the members, especially Jungkook, are quick to lose their cool. Jennie saves Jungkook from fangirls bombarding him at the airport

Words: 10,000+

Author's Note: I hope I'm not spammy with updates. This was done so I was like why not?

--------

September 1st came by quickly as today was Jungkook’s birthday. He was 19 in Korean age and the members were proud to see the Golden Maknae grow right before their eyes. The members had created a birthday V-Live for Jungkook once the clock turned 12 in honor of his birthday and presented him with a cake as he blew out the candles.

With Jennie, she, unfortunately, missed it due to traffic after a small accident occurred a few blocks down. While in the car with Seijin, she already had an Iron Man themed birthday box made specifically for him.

Starting a tradition, Jennie had decided that from now on she’ll post funny derp photos of the members on their birthdays and chose to start with Jungkook.

Posting a funny photo, she tweets, ‘Our Golden Maknae everyone! What a handsome photo ahahaha. Happy birthday, Kook! Can’t wait for those birthday punches #Jen’

She wasn’t expecting him to reply so quickly, assuming that he wouldn’t be on his phone while celebrating with the guys. She read his reply and started to laugh, ‘I am going to kill you one of these days, #JK’

With Jungkook, he had been on his phone the entire time, texting Jennie, hoping that she was safe after she told him what was going on and why she wasn’t there at the moment.

“You look like you’re waiting for someone.” Jimin teased.

“I’m not...” Jungkook lied, continuing to patiently wait for her reply.

“Don’t lie. I know you want to see Jennie. She’ll be here soon, don’t worry.”

“I-I know that!”

As time went by, the members were cooking their meat on the grill and Jimin was filming Jungkook to resume teasing him. “Jungkookie is still on his phone. Still waiting for Jennie to text back, hehehehehe!”

“Ahahahahaha.” he laughed sarcastically, eyes still on his phone.

“Yes, Tae?” they heard Jennie’s calm voice on Taehyung’s phone while they noticed him facetiming with her. 

Jungkook’s attention went away from his phone, hearing her voice, prompting a smile to come across his face.

“You sure smiled quickly,” Hobi called out with a chuckle.

“You’re missed! Where are you?” Taehyung whined on the phone.

“There was an accident and traffic backed up ‘cause people don’t know how to DRIVE!” Jen yelled on purpose out the window, making sure the drivers ahead heard her. 

The members heard Seijin laugh in the background, telling her to relax and that they were almost there.

“As long as you are safe, that is what matters. We’ll have food waiting for you.” Namjoon mentioned.

“No, we won’t. I might just eat her plate, this meat looks tastier than ever.” Jin interrupted.

“Ennie, I think Jungkookie wants to talk to you,” Jimin added with a sly smile. “He keeps staring at Tae Tae impatiently and-“

“Ahahahaha, that’s enough. Jimin.” Jungkook cut him off.

It wasn’t too long later when Jennie finally came back and ate with everyone. Afterward, Jungkook had gone into his room to see an Iron Man themed box on his bed. His interest peaked once he saw the designs of his favorite superhero. He sat on the bed and examined it.

Happy Birthday to the most golden NERRRRRRD I know! From your Golden, Captain America is better than Iron Man, Best Friend

A soft chuckle escaped him as he read the front of the card. Opening the card that was sitting on top of the box, he realized it was a written note.

Okay...I have written this note so many darn times. This might be even a little corny but I shouldn’t kill any more trees like I already have. First and foremost, happy birthday Kookie! You really grew up right before my eyes. Ugh, they grow up so fast...I am so proud of you and how much you’ve grown as a person. When we met, I already knew there was going to be something special between us. You are a big inspiration to many, especially to me. I have to thank you for guiding me because when I feel like I can’t do anything here, I look up to you because you remind me of myself.

Leaving our parents at a young age, it’s a scary thing. But we went on and did it, and here we are. You turned out quite well and if you can still keep going, then I know I can too. Your hard work for this group is always appreciated. And can we talk about your voice? How sweet it is and how many people melt because of your vocals? Actually, I kinda highkey want you to sing me to sleep tonight, please, lol. 

I’ll continue to cherish you like you cherish me. And I hope for many more blessed birthdays to come. I should stop using so many ands in these sentences, haha. One year older, but still the same bunny. I wish you nothing but happiness.

Before he had a chance to open the box, he heard a knock on his door and turned to see Jennie with a small cupcake in her hands. The cupcake had a candle lit on top as she made her way over and sat with him on the bed.

“Happy birthday.” she smiled and presented it to him.

Jungkook looked at the cupcake in awe before looking into her eyes. “The box...the cupcake...all of this is for me?”

“No, it’s for Rapmon.” she teased. “Of course, this is all for you, silly.”

The Golden Maknae felt himself tear up as he quickly wiped his tears with his sleeve which caused her to look in alarm. 

“A-are you okay? Was this too much?” she asked

“N-no, no, I love this,” he responded softly with a sniff. “This is really special. I’m overwhelmed with joy.”

“I’m glad.” she watched him stare at the cupcake. “This is where you make a wish, Kook.” 

“I’m thinking.”

He looked at the candle and then back up at her.

'I wish...for us to be together soon.' he thought with a smile.

Once he blew out the candle, Jen let out a cheer. “So, what did you wish for?”

“If I tell you, it won’t come true.”

“Touche. I didn’t have time to bake so I bought this for you. But I promise to bake for you once we have more free time.” she took out the candle from the cupcake.

“Can’t wait.”

“Sorry if the note wasn’t as great. I guess writing isn’t enough to tell my golden best friend how lucky I am to know him and that I appreciate him. All the members.”

“I loved it. Don’t apologize,” 

“Good.” 

She aimed to push the cupcake in his face but his reflexes were better than she expected as he grabbed her wrists. She started laughing nervously when he took the cupcake out of her hands and set it down on the nightstand.

“Okay, I didn’t think that one through!” she yelled as she tried to escape his strong grip.

“I had a hunch you were going to try to do that.” he tried to pin her down and tickle her. 

She managed to grab a pillow and cleanly strike him with it, but his grip wouldn’t let up. After a while of struggling, she succeeded in getting him to release her and ran out of the room, with him chasing after her.

After keeping a safe distance, she announced, “Now!” as Taehyung and Jimin attacked Jungkook by spraying cans of silly string at him, halting him. 

A chorus of laughter was heard from the three of them while Jungkook stood there, chuckling as he started taking off the strings. After laughing with them, Jungkook dropped his smile. 

“You have ten seconds.” he bluntly called out.

Hearing the threat, Jen scurried away while Tae and Jimin widened their eyes. Once the 95 Liners comprehended his words after watching Jen run, they dropped their cans and dashed away to avoid their fate.

-------

School had recently started again as Jennie and Jungkook were in the car, in their uniforms on the way to SOPA. She was lowkey happy the school year was here again because she was one step closer to graduating and her brain needed some education.

Once the van pulled up to the school, she let out a sigh as she noticed the K-Pop news sites and paparazzi taking photos of the idols that were headed to school.

“Really?” she frowned.

“Yeah, we have to go through this again,” Jungkook responded. “Don’t worry, stay close to me and we’ll try to get inside quickly.”

It was a bit tiring to hear loud cameras and flashes so early in the morning but there were bound to be various photographers to capture idols. Students ask for photos and autographs. Some even film and photograph without them knowing. It was like she had to watch her every step in school and she felt a bit smothered by it.

The week was mainly an introduction to the school year and giving students a heads up of what was to come and what they would be learning for the school year. JenKook managed to snag a few classes together. One was a dance class that focused on synchronization and partner dancing. The teacher implicated that sometimes you can pick who you want to dance with and then other times you will be paired up with the teacher’s choice.

Gym was also a class they had together, and the two couldn’t stop chuckling to themselves at how much chaos they were going to deal with since they were stubborn when it came to competition. Hayoon and CLC’s Yeeun were also a part of the class. The last class they had together was a Korean literature class, which had given Jen a little bit of a culture shock.

“Finish the book by Monday and there will be a 7 page assignment due next week on Thursday after we have a discussion.” the teacher informed.

‘Well damn, already?? We just got here! I can’t quite read Korean that well. I should talk to Namjoon about this.’ Jen thought.

One teacher was so evil that he gave the class a pop quiz on what they remembered where they left off in history which drove Jen up the wall. She still was trying to remember and learn more about the history of Korea. Jen wanted to smack herself when she went to her Algebra class because she had forgotten a lot about what happened in the previous algebra class she took. It freaked her out to see her peers get started on the work but she sat there, trying to get her memory back.

‘I changed my mind, I’m not excited to be back.’ she thought to herself as she mentally prepared for the math.

She had another dance class for more up to date dances. For the first few weeks, she would learn how to dance with various props. Her mood was boosted when she found out that they would learn how to dance with a cane first, making her think about J-Lo’s Get Right choreography. As always, there were vocal classes to help improve her singing as well as singing live. She was also gifted with working with some other peers for help on rapping. Getting aid in a class for rapping and then from Yoongi, she appreciated the double help despite it being a tiring process. As she received constructive criticism on her work and guidance on what to improve, she would let Yoongi know and would work on it whenever they had their studio rap lessons. 

If J-Hope could get help from Yoongi and Rapmon on rapping and be as good as he is now, then she can do it too. 

At least she still had her guitar class at the end of the day to boost her mood if she had a rough time in the other classes.

-----

Since BTS was traveling around for various fan meetings, Jen felt a little claustrophobic from all the bodies swarming around the group as they tried to make their way through the airport safely and together. 

She heard a male voice. She didn’t think it was directed at her, so she kept her head forward, with her sunglasses on her face.

“Oh, there she is! Finally, I caught up with you. Jennie! Can you sign this?”

She heard the English speaking voice again as she turned to see a male fan, with one of many BTS posters in his hands. She would have liked to sign, but the members needed to get to their destination quickly and had no time to waste.

“No, sorry.” She responded politely.

“Are you friggin kidding me? I waited here for hours and you can’t even give a loyal fan an autograph?” the guy snapped angrily, catching the attention of the screaming fans and members around them. “This is one of many reasons why I prefer light skins. You dark skins are so undesirable. Maybe you’d act nicer and look prettier if you were a few shades lighter. And these fans were right about you, you are an entitled thot.”

That made her stop walking.

The hell just happened? 

He switched on her real quick, and what she thought was hurtful the most was that the guy was black as well.

Just because she said no to an autograph, you want to call her that?

Meanwhile, the Golden Maknae, who understood a majority of what was said, had heard the insult loud and clear as he stopped walking as well. The guy who had said the insult had taken a step back, startled by Jungkook's lethal state.

“You wanna run that by me again?” Jungkook asked with a growl. 

Yoongi and Jimin were near Jungkook when they heard the guy call Jen the disgusting comment. They both gave him dirty looks. They were offended and irritated by the guy’s poor choice of words. Yoongi even started cursing in Korean about the guy, losing his cool.

ARMY, catching on with what was going on, was surprised at the facial expressions of the members, but was angry as well at the insults thrown at their female member.

Taking off her sunglasses, Jen looked at the guy in the eyes, feeling her body shake. “You’re a black man and you really going to put down a black woman like this? Try to put women against women due to your preference for skin color? Who raised you? Cause your mother is the same color as I, and I wonder how she would react if you told that to her face. We can be so much better than this. We should support our black queens, not bring them down, like this.” her voice was unsteady as her throat tightened. 

Before she could get a chance to speak more, Seijin and security had escorted her to the car. Once the members got in the car, Yoongi informed Namjoon and everyone else about what just happened. Jennie, on the other hand, kept bouncing her leg, with her eyes closed as tears went down her cheeks. Jimin grabbed her hand for comfort while Taehyung pulled her in for a hug, sitting next to her.

Once Jennie got settled in, in the hotel room she shared with Yoongi, she invited Namjoon into her room to talk.

“I just came from speaking to Jungkook,” he said. “How are you feeling?”

She was so fixated on the guy, that she hadn’t even noticed Jungkook coming to her aid as she deeply appreciated that, as well as the rest of the members.

“Better,” she responded.

“I’m not going to sit here and say that I understand how you feel because I don’t. I am not you. I am not your ethnicity. But what I can say is that I understand the frustration when spoken negatively about. I’ve dealt with it for years and I still will. I know it’s frustrating, but we must try our best to control our emotions in public. I thought you handled it quite well. I’m glad you didn’t curse at him. There are people just waiting for one of us to screw up. To act up and have all the media on us, giving us a bad name. I don’t want that to happen to you. I don’t want that to happen to Jungkook or anyone in this group.”

“Yes. I know.”

“Keep your head up. Continue to prove those that doubt you wrong.” he lifted up her chin and smiled. “Miss Bangtan is bulletproof, remember?”

“Hahah, yeah. Always.”

After the pep talk, she went to go see Jungkook in his hotel room. Taehyung had opened the door, and when she walked in, she saw Jin and Jimin eating together. They had asked if she was feeling better and expressed their frustration over the guy. After reassuring them that she was much better, she asked where Jungkook was.

Walking out of the room, and into the balcony, she found him. His broad back to her as the late summer breeze blew past them. The members had decided to give him some space and left him alone ever since they checked in.

“Heh...like Malcolm X said...the most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is the black woman. The most neglected person in America is the black woman.” she quoted.

She watched him tense up more. He seemed angrier than her about what had happened. 

“It can be hard because no matter what we do, there’s always something or someone to bring us down.” she went on. “It’s a damn shame. We really do be going through the most. It's sad to say but I’m starting to get used to this.”

"Well, you shouldn't be!” Jungkook exclaimed, slamming his hands down on the railing. “It should never be like that! What he called you, you aren’t like that. You never will be. I hate how you’re being disrespected. There is nothing wrong with your color. There is nothing wrong with you at all. Maybe I should’ve punched him...” his grip tightened.

“Hey. No, you shouldn’t have.” she walked up and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind. 

Turning her head to the side, she rested her cheek on his back. Once he felt her arms around him, he calmed down and relaxed from her hug. 

“We are idols. Annoyingly, the smallest things can ruin an idol’s career. No matter how much we want to lash out, the media may do anything to twist it," she said. "After talking to Namjoon, we can’t let someone have that power over us. Punching him would’ve been a worse case scenario despite me feeling the same way, wanting to punch him and all. It’s hard but we have to pick and choose our battles and this battle is not worth the consequences, no matter what hurtful things he said to me.”

“Yeah. Hyung told me about that...”

Releasing him, she stood next to him, wrapping her arms around one of his arms, and leaning against his bicep. Jungkook’s eyes had softened when he looked down at her, listening to her talk as she looked on ahead at the view.

“As much crap as they give us dark skinned women, I won't be one to hate my natural self or change myself just because someone doesn’t like the way I look. Despite all this crap that happened today, thanks for having my back.” she looked up at him, meeting his gaze.

"Always..." he whispered.

Jungkook’s body started moving on its own as he slowly started leaning down as their faces inched closer.

“AHAHAHAHAH! HYUNG BUMPED INTO THE LAMP! AHAHAHA!” they heard Taehyung yell as a loud crash was heard.

“What the heck are they doing in there?” Jen pulled away, turning around. Headed back inside, she asked the guys, “What are y’all doin’!?”

Licking his lips, Jungkook exhaled sharply through his nose, gripping the railing. He pressed his lips together in annoyance because their moment was interrupted at the worst time possible. Letting out a deep sigh, he shook his head, looking up at the stars.

“Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy...” he murmured, thinking of ways to murder his hyungs.

But after thinking deeply, he didn’t want to kiss her while they were upset. He wanted to kiss her when they were both in a better mood than what they were feeling right now.

-----

Once Rapmon’s birthday came around, Jennie posted a goofy photo of him with the caption, ‘Happy birthday Nap Monster. We need to think of some remedies to make you stop snoring so loudly my friend. #Jen’

Yoongi had started a V-Live, talking to ARMY about preparing a cake for Rapmon, while Jimin and Jen sat on the floor, preparing the candles. With the cake in Jimin’s hands, Jennie lit a match to light the candles before blowing the match out. Getting up from the floor, they showed the cake on camera, next to Yoongi.

Once Rapmon had walked into the room with the other members, they started cheering as they sang happy birthday to him.

“What is this?” Rapmon happily asked with a bright smile on his face, showing off his dimples.

Yoongi had placed the camera to show off the rest of the members while they continued to sing, “Happy birthday dear Rapmon! Happy birthday to you!”

“I didn’t know about this at all,” Rapmon mentioned while Jin gestured for him to blow out the candles as they crowded around the cake.

“Yeah~!” the members cheered after he blew out the candles of the Doosan, a Korean baseball team bear mascot themed cake.

“It melted.” Jimin laughed, showing off one of the candles to the camera.

“Where’d you get the cake from?” Rapmon asked.

“I didn’t want anyone to buy a cake this time, so I decided to bake one for you,” Jen responded. “Jungkook and Tae helped decorate it.”

“Awe, really? This is great, thanks, everyone.”

“Come on, cut the cake!” she gestured excitedly.

“Cutting a bear...isn’t that a bit violent?” J-Hope giggled.

“It’s a cake. Cakes are meant to be cut,” Jen replied.

“Okay, stick it in his head.” Hobi placed a knife on top of the bear cake, prompting the members to laugh.

“Two years ago, I celebrated my birthday with fans because it was the first broadcast of N.O. But this year, since I’m not spending it with ARMYs, I feel really sad.” Rapmon spoke.

“It’s Rapmon’s birthday, what are all of you going to do for him?” J-hope asked.

“Birthday beating!” Jungkook yelled.

“You want to have a birthday beating?” J-hope laughed

“Just cut this first.” Suga pointed to the cake.

“Ahhhhhhhh~!” J-Hope made loud sound effects while Rapmon quickly cut the bear cake in half. “So cruel!”

“It looks like a cicada now that we’ve cut it. It looks like a ladybug.” Jimin pointed out.

“It reminds me of a milk dud,” Jen added.

“Thanks, guys. For this year’s birthday, let’s all be happier.” Rapmon mentioned.

“Jin, what are you going to do for Rapmon?” J-Hope asked.

“Fighting!” Jin punched the birthday boy on the chest

“What about V Hyung?” Jungkook asked

“I’ll buy him clothes,” V responded. “What about you Jennie-ah?”

“I have a Ryan themed box for you that I made.” she presented it to Rapmon with a sweet smile. 

“How come his looks bigger than mine?” Jungkook called out in jealousy, while the members laughed.

“Some of the Ryan themed items I bought were bigger than expected so I had to put it in a bigger box,” she responded while the members teased the Golden Maknae about his small birthday box.

“Ah...I was really looking forward to this.” Rapmon admitted with a soft laugh. “After seeing Jungkook’s and Suga’s, I was hoping you’d make one for me too.” 

After the V-Live video, Rapmon sat with Jennie to check out the box. Opening up the card first, was a written note.

You wanna know something? I hated those sunglasses you wore during our debut. I wanted to just see your face. I remember you talking about your insecurities and it always made me sad because what you described to me is nothing that I see. I could care less what these so-called fans say about you and your appearance. You’re not ugly. If anything, you are handsome. And I was so happy you finally took those sunglasses off so I could see you for who you are. 

Your passion for music is infectious and it’s rubbing off on me. Keep smiling, those dimples are adorable as usual. Oh, thanks for giving me all those photo creds on those KimDaily photos I have taken of you. I am a great photographer and everyone should know that, ahahaha. I developed a lot with your guidance. Those bike rides and walks around helped me appreciate the world around me like you said. Our deep conversations are always the best, too. 

I’ve become calmer thanks to you. Seriously, thank you for existing. You made my life so easy with your leadership here. Thank you for being a great leader and helping us members grow as a cohesive unit. I know how much you love Ryan so I brought you a bunch of things. Just...please...try not to break this Ryan box.

“I’ll be careful.” he chuckled.

“Let’s hope so,” she responded as she watched him open the box. 

Once they heard a loud tear, she regarded him halting his actions.

“Annnnnnd I broke it.” he chuckled nervously.

“You know what? I ain’t even mad.”

For the birthday dinner, the members sat around, eating. Deciding to film an Eat Jin special after he lost a rock, paper, scissors game to Jungkook, Jin had to eat all of the wasabi while some of the members started recording.

“Now, Eat Jin’s punishment is starting.” J-Hope happily announced.

“So glad that’s not me right now,” Jen responded, sitting next to Jin as she took a good look at the wasabi. 

It was a small portion but the smallest taste was deadly.

“Please start!” V said eagerly

“Dag, let the man prepare for his fate, first.” Miss Bangtan laughed. “You really like seeing him suffer huh?”

While Jimin, Taehyung and J-Hope MC for Jin preparing to eat the wasabi, Jin mentioned that they were MC-ing really well.

“Whoa, no way, are you really eating it?” Jimin asked while Jen cringed at Jin placing the wasabi on a big piece of meat. “It’s bigger than the meat.”

“It’s going, it’s going!” V anticipated once Jin picked up the meat with chopsticks.

“Oh!” They yelled once he placed it in his mouth.

“Oh my gosh, I know he suffering.” Jen pointed out.

“Oh man, holy shit!” Jungkook yelled out of nowhere.

Jin immediately started coughing and flopping his hands around due to the taste of the wasabi while the members started laughing. Once Jen had heard Jungkook speak, she busted out in laughter before coughing since she was eating. Jimin had to pat her back a couple of times as she finished coughing and continued laughing at what Jungkook had just said.

“What is he doing?” Rapmon called out, watching Jin fan himself with his mouth open.

Jin’s high laugh was heard while Jen pulled herself together and tried to help him calm down. 

“Spit it out and get hit by me twice!” Jungkook announced

“Have mercy on him, Kook!” Jen called out.

“He has to eat it, he has to,” Suga mentioned.

“A man has to eat it,” J-Hope added while Jin continued whining.

-----

After a fan meeting in Jakarta, the members were at the airport, planning to leave, and were swarmed with screaming fans. It was a scary sight to Jennie, watching all the cameras and various bodies surrounding her, yelling and screaming. All she wanted to do was get on the plane and relax. It didn’t help that she was constantly bumped around with security trying to keep the fans away.

An angry look was evident on her face as she tried to make her way through the crowd. Tonight was not the night for this. She didn’t feel like being surrounded by so many people, she just wanted peace and quiet. 

With Jungkook behind her, she turned around to notice fans grabbing him as security tried to stop them. 

“Don’t touch them!” she heard fans shout.

“UH! UH! No.” she quickly walked forward and grabbed a strong hold of him, pulling him away from the fans’ grasp, thanks to her strength. “Get in front of me.” she pushed the Golden Maknae forward and turned around.

“AYE YO!” her voice boomed loudly in the airport, gaining the attention of the fans. 

From the irritated look on her face, their excitement for BTS went down a bit. 

Every part of her wanted to cuss them out but she refrained and sternly replied, “Are you serious? Are you serious, right now? Why are you all up on him like that? Why? Would you want somebody to be grabbing and touching all up on you, all of a sudden? No. So don’t do it to him or anybody else. Respect our personal space. I know you’re excited to see us but you don’t need to be wildlin’ out like this. Just chill. Got damn.”

Getting grabbed by security, she was escorted out of the airport while the rest of the security managed to tame the crowd and keep them away from the members so they could get to their destination. 

Catching up with Jungkook, Jen grabbed onto him and made him walk faster. The Golden Maknae felt a pang of joy at how quickly she pulled him away from all those fans. He appreciated her getting him out of that situation. It frightened him a bit.

“Having their hands all over you like that, get the hell outta here with that. Who do they think you are? You’re a human being, not a doll.” he heard her grumble as she kept a strong grip on him.

He fought the urge to smile under his mask at how protective she was of him. If she was like this now, he pondered how she’d be when women get a little too close for comfort when they start dating. And vice versa.

When they start dating...

Always a thought on his mind.

Once ARMY posted tweets and videos on the incident, some criticized the way Jen spoke to the fans, thinking that she was mean in person, but the majority expressed their anger at the fans behaving towards Bangtan and appreciated Jen for protecting Jungkook, calling out the fans.

‘I know Jennie wanted to drag those girls like a bunch of rag dolls.’

‘JENKOOK is real!’

‘She a real one. We need a Jennie in our lives.’

‘I’m really happy that she calls out people on their BS.’

‘This all happened in a span of a week! First Jungkook protecting her, now Jennie protecting him? Please just date! This is too cute.’

‘People don’t know their boundaries...smh...”

‘Shout out to Jen protecting Kookie’

‘I love protective Jennie. 97 Liners for life’

‘Golden Best Friends protecting each other is a MOOD’

’97 Liners’ friendship is the best’

‘I’m so upset at these fans. Don’t mob him!’

‘Get the fuck off of him!’

‘How could they do that to Kookie!?’

‘I know Jennie wanted to lash out. Kudos to her for keeping her cool. She’s so protective of Jungkook’

‘Some Armys need to chill tf out;

‘Bless the fans that said don’t touch him’

‘Bless Jennie for grabbing him away from them’

‘Respect for Jennie! I would’ve cussed them out, but I like how she handled it maturely.’

‘They’re insane!’

‘So rude!’

‘Poor Jungkook’

‘If you’re a real army you should respect their privacy and personal space’

‘At least some of these girls in this world got some sense’

Once they made it onto the plane, Jungkook took off his mask and sat with Jennie. She grabbed his chin and turned his head to make him look at her. 

“Are you all right?” 

Still a little shocked at being grabbed, he nodded in response.

“You sure?” she asked

He nodded frequently.

“Speak, Kookie.”

“Yeah, I’m all right. Thank you for that.”

-------

When September 30th came, and Ailee’s album was released, Jen was quick to express her excitement on Twitter, fangirling over all the songs and music video.

Posting a screenshot of the album, she tweets, ‘SCREAMING! #Jen’

She then proceeded to post another series of tweets, expressing her fangirling.

‘YELLING #Jen’

‘IM HOLLERING #Jen’

‘STILL HOLLERING #Jen’

‘MY THROAT HURTS BUT STILL SCREAMING #Jen’

‘LOSING MY VOICE BUT STILL SCREAMING #Jen’

‘LOST MY VOICE. #Jen’

‘DEAD #Jen’

When GOT7’s If You Do comeback show came about on October 1st, she surprised them by visiting them backstage on M Countdown with a box of cupcakes she made.

“Hey, hey!” she walked into their dressing room, catching the members by surprise as big smiles appeared on their faces.

“Jennie!” they yelled, rushing up to hug her as she laughed over their yells of excitement.

“I can’t breathe!” she exclaimed and they released her.

“What are you doing here?” BamBam beamed.

“I wanted to congratulate you on a successful comeback. And I decided to bake a little something for you guys.”

“I am so happy right now.” JB happily took the box out of her hands. 

Eating cupcakes with them, Jen had brought up that she had been baking a lot lately and was starting to enjoy it as a new hobby.

“She baked for us, you do not understand how happy I am. I have heard so much about her baking from BTS and now here she is.” Youngjae said.

“Were my cupcakes good?” Jen asked.

“Of course they were! Was that even a question?” Yugyeom laughed.

“We missed you. We should plan to do something.” Mark suggested.

“We really need to. Maybe once we’re done promoting comebacks. We should all go out to eat or something instead of hanging around backstage all the time.” she responded.

“I tried to call you!” Jackson called out

“Boy, you call me early in the morning at like 2 am! I’m asleep!”

“Was it during a day off?”

“Yeah!”

“Go to bed later then so you can hang with me.”

“Wow,”

“I’m really happy that you came along to see us.” Junior smiled.

“Me too, I truly missed you guys.” 

“Guys, just know that Jennie likes me the most. Ain’t that right?” Jackson grinned.

“Who said that?” she raised a brow, causing everyone to burst out in laughter while Jackson held his heart.

After catching up, Jen took some photos with the members. Yugyeom put up a finger heart in the photo while Jen was in the background sticking her tongue out and winking with a peace sign. He posted the photo on his Instagram with the caption, ‘Thanks for everything hamster girl.’

BamBam had posted a happy photo of himself hugging her behind as they had derp expressions on their faces. ‘I missed her!’

Jackson had picked Jennie up over his shoulder, turning sideways so they could take a photo of themselves smiling goofily at the camera. ‘My great friend, Miss Bangtan is here. You were missed! Thanks for coming to support us. Next time answer my calls you munchkin!’

And with Mark, he posted a selfie of the two of them sitting down on the couch, putting a thumbs up. ‘I haven’t seen this special lady friend in a while. Surprising us today with a visit, made the day better.’

After they posted their photos, fans from both IGOT7 and ARMY commented on how people need a Jennie in their lives since she was so supportive of friends.

------

On an episode of 2 O’Clock Date with Park Kyung Lim Radio Show, BamBam mentioned her, which caused shippers to have a field day. When her name was mentioned during the show his eyes lit up and he tried not to smile when he heard, “You have a very close friendship with BTS’ Jennie. Which member is the closest to her?”

“BamBam,” JB called out.

“He always talks about her.” Jackson put him on blast.

“Really guys?” BamBam chuckled nervously.

“He always likes her Instagram posts.” Mark teased. “Isn’t she your ideal type since you always rave about her smile?”

BamBam planned to kill his friends after this because he could feel a blush beginning to appear on his face as they talked about her. 

“Y-yeah...she’s amazing,” BamBam responded. “Days before the comeback she facetimed me and encouraged me when I was feeling worried about the comeback.”

And then, when GOT7 received their first win on October 9th, BamBam mentioned her again backstage after the show when the members were filmed with their reactions over their first win. He thanked her for being there for GOT7 and encouraging them to never give up.

For Jimin’s birthday, Jen tweeted a goofy photo of him and said, ‘Happy birthday my beloved Jimin!! Stay sweet like you always do. Don’t take my smarties for posting this please #Jen’

In the practice room, the members recorded a V-Live just for Jimin’s birthday, discussing that they all weren’t wearing makeup and embraced their natural looks while pointing out growing beards and acne. 

The members sang happy birthday for Jimin, presenting him with a cake as a bright smile came across his face.

“It looks just like you, Jimin, exactly the same.” J-Hope pointed out at the cartoon looking cake that looked like Jimin from the dope era.

“Tell us how you feel,” Rapmon said

“Another year has passed. Thank you for your birthday wishes. Could you guys say something for me?” Jimin asked. “How do you feel on my birthday?”

“You got tons of birthday gifts, so I don't need to give you one,”

“Tell us your birthday wish. Do you want something from anyone?” J-Hope asked

“There’s one thing. I want to drop the honorifics with J-Hope.” he requested

“Yeah, go ahead.”

“Hoseok.”

“Yeah, it’s your birthday, so you can say it.”

“Hoseok.”

“You won’t get away with this.” he giggled with him.

“I want to drop honorifics with Yoongi, too,” Jimin added. “Cute Yoongi.”

“Time really has flown,” Yoongi replied.

The members teased him that he may be crying and that he was too overwhelmed with joy.

“Thank you so much,” Jimin said to the camera for ARMY and the members said goodbye. 

In the dorm, Jimin had noticed the Hulk-themed box from Jennie on his bed and opened up the note, holding back the tears as he felt loved and appreciated with the amount of attention he received from the birthday box.

Happy birthday Jimin! You are improving so much. Your growth here has truly shown. You are the most caring in Bangtan. Whenever I was sad or mad, you always were there to comfort me with your famous hugs. You are one of the most talented dancers I know and your vocals are on a whole ‘nother level. I get chills when I hear those high notes. No joke. Your high notes are totally higher than my grade in History class at the moment. I really need to get on that, lol. 

I can list a bunch of things that I love about you. Your eye smile, your tiny hands (Still baffled that my hands are bigger, ahaha), that habit of you flipping your hair, you just never fail to make me smile no matter how upset I may be. I hope you remain happy and continue being the cute koala bear that you are. And yes, JenMin is still going strong.

Jimin had gone straight to her room and jumped on top of her, on her bed as she let out a groan.

“Ow...Jimin...get off!” she complained, trying to play her game on her phone.

Ignoring her complaints, he wrapped his arms and legs around her, hugging her tightly as he repeatedly thanked her for the gift, making her smile.

----

When GOT7 was on Weekly Idol, BamBam brought up Jennie yet again because Doni had said, “What is it about a certain member’s fascination with Miss Bangtan? What’s the scoop on this?”

The members glanced at each other knowingly, with amused smirks as they turnedto BamBam once they heard her name.

“Your ideal type, right?” Coni asked.

“Yes, she’s very pretty when she smiles and I love watching her perform,” BamBam replied with a smile.

“What do you think of her dancing? I remember when BTS was here, she had a random dance of various boy group songs. GOT7’s A came on.”

“Oh yeah, I remember. She looked cute dancing to our song.”

“Yeah, I agree. I think she looked cute, too.” Jinyoung spoke up, which caused BamBam to turn and stare at him, narrowing his eyes.

The members started laughing as Jinyoung put his hands up in defense. 

“The death glare! Ahahahaha!” Jackson laughed.

Checking out her notifications, Jennie found out that BamBam wore a Captain America costume and geeked out, commenting about it on a fan page that tagged her.

‘OMG my superhero! Love!’

A fan comments, ‘Who do you think is cuter? Captain America or Captain BamBam?'

Jen replied, making the shippers happy, ‘Captain BamBam of course.’

---------

The next day, while in his Golden Closet, Jungkook was in his own little world, with his headphones in, listening to various songs that he had been getting into. A while ago he had tweeted about a hotline bling cover by Kehlani and Charlie Puth. He loved it so much that he wanted to create a cover for it. The instrumental was recreated but now he wanted someone to sing with him.

His mind had wandered to Jennie.

He really wanted to sing with her. Especially with a song like this but would she want to sing with him?

Putting the thoughts aside, he decided to take a screenshot of the Youtube video of the cover and post it on Twitter, tweeting, ‘Hey Jennie, sing with me. You up for this? #JK’

His tweet instantly got replies from ARMY all over the world.

'DUET!'

'DO IT'

‘OMG Jennie say yes!’

'YES JENKOOK'

‘Omg do it!’

‘SAY YES JENNIE!’

‘Golden Duo duet?! DO IT!’

‘We are in for a treat if she says yes’

Jungkook noticed a new tweet from their Twitter account and a smile came across his face once he read her reply, ‘Hell yeah, I’m down! I love me some Charlie and Kehlani #Jen’

Once ARMY saw the tweet they went haywire.

‘AGAHFHFHSGSHDGSHSH’

‘AHHHHHHH’

‘QUEEN AND KING!’

‘FUCK THIS IS GONNA BE GOOD’

‘IM DEAD FINALLY THEYRE COVERING A SKNG TKGETHER ‘

‘THABK YOU THABK YOU’

‘SHE SAID YES’

‘GOALS!’

‘When will your ship ever!?’

Before he knew it, Jennie had entered the Golden Closet and expressed her excitement since she is a big Kehlani fan. The two quickly went to work, sorting out who would sing what after warming up their voices. She began to admire Jungkook as she watched him sing. The way he looked so passionate, made her feel a little giddy inside.

“Late night when you need my love. I know when that hotline bling.” Jungkook sang but stopped, shaking his head. “Ah...I know I pronounced that wrong.”

His pronunciation of the words in English still needed some work and he felt discouraged. He wanted to get this right but even though they just started working on the song, he felt like he was slowing them down.

“It’s okay, just sing, I’ll help you with the pronunciation later.” he heard her respond softly, which made him feel a little better.

Jungkook remained dedicated, singing out the first verse as she listened to him and his sound.

“Reputation.” she kindly corrected him. 

He repeated the word wrong and she repeated it for him. 

“Reputation,” he said correctly.

“There you go. You got it.” 

“You sure this isn’t too much for you? Helping me with the English?”

“Trust me, as many times as I asked Namjoon how to pronounce some Korean words, I know firsthand how it feels to mispronounce words in another language. Don’t sweat it. What other word did you have trouble with pronouncing?”

As she continued to listen carefully to his singing, she helped him with any words he had problems with.

“...started wearing less and goin' out more. Glasses of champagne out on the dance floor.” He sang softly. He sighed and shook his head again, feeling his frustration build. He didn’t think he was singing the song like he wanted to. “Sorry, Jennie.”

“Relax, Kook.” she patted his arm. “Come on, let’s take a break and eat. I’m hungry.” she gestured for him to follow her into the kitchen. 

After fixing both plates of sandwiches, they sat and ate.

“I thought this would be easy but I can’t seem to sing like I want to.”

“Jungkook, it’s okay to take breaks. It’s okay to not get things right the first time. We will get this right. Let’s take our time, have fun and enjoy this cover. We got this.”

He smiled, feeling reassured. “Thanks, Jennie.”

After their break, they got back to work, singing the chorus together,

You used to call me on my cell phone. 

Late night when you need my love. 

Call me on my cell phone. 

Late night when you need my love. 

I know when that hotline bling

“Hm...sing that again, this time by yourself,” Jen called out. She listened to him sing and then sang with him again before nodding. “Yep, I know what’s wrong. All right, you’re doing great, continue that pitch, I’m going to sing lower this time.”

They sang the verse again and this time, their voices harmonized. Jungkook turned to her with a big smile appearing on his face. 

“Wow, that sounded great,” he responded, amazed.

“That’s the sound we’re looking for. Harmony on clutch.” she high fived him.

Although Jungkook hadn’t told her yet since they were so engrossed with their singing, he appreciated how patient she was with him. Finally getting things together, they sang the song in one take while recording with Jungkook pronouncing the English words with ease thanks to her help.

“Ever since I left the city, you~! You got exactly what you asked for.” she sang. “Running out of pages in your passport. Hanging with some girls I've never seen before.”

He joined in as they sang softly,

You used to call me on my cell phone

Late night when you need~ my love

Call me on my cell phone

Late night when you need my love

I know when that hotline bling

That can only mean one thing

I know when that hotline bling

That can only mean one thing

Call me on my~

They finished in harmony.

“Outstanding! Ahhhhh, we did it! You did amazing!” she lightly shook him and placed various kisses on his cheek as he laughed.

“You really think so?”

“Yeah! You are improving a lot. I am so proud of you! Where’d you get those English skills?”

He grinned sheepishly and shrugged. “I learned from the best.”

Jennie placed a hand over her heart. “Aw, thank you.”

“I meant Namjoon Hyung.” he teased

“Wow! Really? Goodbye!” she playfully shoved him and left his room as he laughed out loud.

---------

The next day, Jennie had chilled in the living room after another early rap session with Yoongi. In just a couple of hours, she planned to prepare to visit Hyuna at CUBE Entertainment.

“Jennie, did you notice something weird in all of our toothpaste this morning?” Jin asked, walking into the room.

On her phone, she suppressed her amusement because she had pranked the entire dorm by numbing their toothpaste with tooth and gum pain relief gel.

“Yeah! My entire mouth was numb! What happened?” she played along.

“I dunno but someone pranked us. Whoever it is, they got us good. I couldn’t even taste anything because my mouth was so numb. It was horrible! But the numbing is going away slowly but surely.”

“I hope we find out who it is soon. Someone better confess because I couldn’t even eat my smarties! And you know how I feel about my smarties!”

“Yes, dear, I know.” he chuckled.

Once she walked into her room, she stood there, stunned when she found photos of Jin all over her entire room. “What the hell is this!?”

“For numbing my mouth with whatever you put in the toothpaste!” Jin responded victoriously

“It wasn’t even me!”

“Sweetie, I know when you lie to me. Enjoy my photos.” he laughed.

“Aye! Clean this up! I’m not cleaning this!” she yelled, kicking some of the scattered photos from her feet.

At CUBE Entertainment, Hyuna had offered to teach Jen methods to enhance her sex appeal on stage, as well as her charisma. They decided to spend the day dancing around in one of the practice rooms.

Wearing a red cropped hoodie and skinny white pants with her hair down, Jen rested with Hyuna, discussing her Roll Deep comeback.

“Girl, who do you think you are with that comeback? You slayed my life! I loved it.”

Hyuna giggled and felt shy, covering her face. “Thank you. You know I’ve been thinking, when I have my next solo comeback, I want you a part of it. We can be sexy together.”

“I’d love to but sexy is not me, though.”

“Come on, you have a great, healthy body, great hips, and so much more.”

“Ah, I dunno...I don’t feel sexy though.” Jen shrugged, laying her back on the dance floor to look up at the ceiling. “I just don’t think I can pull it off. I try but I never felt sexy.”

“Seriously? With the way you look?” Hyuna playfully kicked her.

“I always faked it. I never in my life felt sexy.”

“I know plenty of men and women that think you are. Even if you don’t portray yourself as it. Relax and loosen up. You’re sexy, now show that you’re the girl that people like. Go Jennie!” she cheered while watching Miss Bangtan stand to her feet.

Migrating to the sound system, Hyuna connected Jen’s phone to the speaker and scrolled through her songs.

“All right, what are we doing, now?”

“I want you to dance sexy to partition.”

“What!?” Jen exclaimed, widening her eyes.

Hyuna turned on a V-Live and when ARMY started getting on, they were surprised to see her. She waved and spoke to the fans before pointing out that she was helping Jennie with her charisma and facial expressions when performing. She panned the camera to her. “Say hello Jennie!”

“Wait you’re on V-Live!?” she stumbled back and turned away.

“Mm hm~”

After getting herself together, Jen turned back around to meet her reflection in the mirror.

‘Get it together, girl. You got this.’ she encouraged herself.

Soon as the beat dropped, she began to move her body.

Boy, this all for you, just walk my way

She strutted forward, motioning her finger to come here.

High like treble, puffin' on them mids

The man ain't ever seen a booty like this

Facing her back to the camera, she moved her hips and shook her ass, as it bounced up and down, while Hyuna cheered in the background. She was so proud to see her looking more comfortable. It looked like Jen needed that extra push because as Hyuna watched her, she noticed that the stiffness went away and Miss Bangtan believed that she truly felt sexy. Hyuna knew she was hiding that sexy side deep down. It was a force to be reckoned with and she was doing quite well.

She looked at the comments rolling in,

‘Mmpf I think she’s about to be my ultimate bias. Sorry Jimin’

‘Jennie! Sthapppp that outfit, those hips’

‘Oh my gawd Jennie’

‘I can see why Bam Bam loves her so much! The way she moves her body when she dances is unreal’

‘Okay Jennie!’

‘I’m here for her dancing like this!’

‘She can dance bruh’

‘Damn girl’

‘Bro, this is fire!’

‘This is too much to take in, why did you do this!? Ahhhhh’

‘Jennie, jennie, jennie stop, I can’t take this!’

‘Wow....wow...WOW!’

‘I love this woman’

‘Got damnnnnnn’

The beat switched and her gaze turned into an enticing expression. Hyuna nodded in approval when she noticed that Jen didn’t break eye contact as she would nervously do a few practices ago.

Drop!

She snapped her fingers to the beat and started to move again.

Now my mascara runnin', red lipstick smudged

Strutting to the front, she began to dance hard as her hair bounced.

Take all of me

I just wanna be the girl you like (girl you like)

Caressing her body, she slowly moved her hips, swaying to the beat. 

She felt so comfortable that she was having so much fun dancing to this song. The way her body rolls were, caused Hyuna to stare at her in awe.

Meanwhile, ARMY proceeded to comment relentlessly on V-Live.

‘She killin’ it!’

‘I need to drink a gallon of water after this’

‘Looking like a snack today!’

‘She’s sexy as hell’

Get it girl! Okay!’

I want her so badly, she’s too fine’

‘When she started shaking dem hips, I died’

‘Yassssss’

Over there I swear I saw them cameras flash

Handprints and footprints on my glass

Handprints and good grips all on my ass

Turning around, she placed her hands on her ass before swinging her hair to the side, dancing harder.

Take all of me

I just wanna be the girl you like (girl you like)

The kinda girl you like is right here with me

Seductively running her thumb over her bottom lip, she turned her back to the camera and walked away.

“Ahhhh that was amazing!” Hyuna shouted, pausing the song. She stood up and walked over to her while Jen laughed and covered her face.

“ARMY, how’d I do?” Jen asked, checking out the frequent comments that were coming in, and started laughing at their reactions.

‘Who said Jennie couldn’t dance?!’

‘Currently pregnant by that dance’

‘QUEEN DID THAT!’

‘All right, it’s official. I want her.’

‘WHO IS THIS GIRLLLLLL!? IM DEAD’

‘Talk to me nice!’

‘I need some holy water, I should not be watching this goddess dance like this’

‘Watch all these guys slide in her DMs after this lmfaoooo’

‘I love you’

‘DECEASED’

‘Put Jennie on timeout! This was too much to handle!’

‘Yes hunny! Represent! Snatched tf outta my edges!’

‘SHOOKED’

On Instagram, Hyuna had filmed a small portion of her dancing on Jen’s Instagram, with the caption, ‘HACKED by Hyuna! Look at you go, I knew you were hiding your sexy side. You did an amazing job! Hard work is paying off. I’ll treat you to lunch the next time we hang out.’

BamBam, who had watched the entire V-Live was freaking out as he told Jackson, and once he saw the post, he had to comment. Meanwhile, Jackson had given him a pep talk about him starting to prepare to pursue the girl he was interested in.

BamBam posted a few comments on the video. First were a series of fire and heart eyed emojis and then he said, ‘DEAD!’

Once Jen got her phone back, she posted a throwback selfie that was saved in her photos, 'Part of the Smartie Archive. I miss summer and home...I’ll be back soon America.’

BamBam was quick to comment when saying, ‘DEAD again! So beautiful. Absolutely stunning.’

With fans noticing him in her comment section again, one fan had asked, ‘BamBam are you dating Jennie?? Are you hers?’

Boldly, he decided to reply, ‘I wish...only if she wants me to be.’

After a while, he deleted the comment but fans immediately began freaking out when he posted the sudden comment,

‘OMG BAMBAM’

‘HUH!?’

‘WAIT WHAT!?’

‘Ayoooooo wait a minute! What’s going on here!?’

‘Cuffing season starting early???’

‘AWWWWW’

‘GUYS! I WAS NOT PREPARED!’

‘Lol he didn’t say kill me this time like he did with Taeyeon in the comment section’

‘NOOOO he’s supposed to be mine!’

‘GOT7 better get him!’

‘I’m mad. Everyone gotta ruin my JenKook ship these days’

‘Nooooo Jennie is supposed to be with Jimin! Where are my JenMin shippers at?’

‘Noooooooo’

‘Chill!!’

‘My heart, I’m sad now, but if she makes him happy’

‘Stop, don’t do it! Leave her be, please!’

‘Jennie, BamBam really likes you! Date him!’

‘I hate this ship! I don’t want it to be real!’

‘Date him Jennie!’

‘Ahahah you really like her’

‘Shoot your shot my boi!!’

‘I’m lowkey pissed. I want her to be with Jungkook or Taehyung. I don’t want no other idols pursuing her.’

‘We ALL knew this was coming. This is no surprise’

‘What is it about Jennie and Tinashe that idols love so much? I need one of them to tell me their secret and help a sista out cause I gots to know!’

‘Personality is key. She’s a kind spirit. BamBam has excellent taste. Black girls are winning’

‘I don’t ship it but it’s kinda cute. Not as cute as JenKook tho! Any JenKook shippers?’

‘AHHHH’

‘He wants Miss Bangtan, I told you! He ain’t slick!’

‘BamBam is about to risk it all for Miss Bangtan and I am here for it!!’

‘BamBam about to score a W.’

‘But what about the dating ban??’

‘Finally an idol speaks up publicly about liking Jennie. I bet there are other idols that lowkey feel the same.’

‘The dating ban tho!? I’m sad!’

‘Now I have another ship. BamJen!’

‘I screamed!’

‘She belongs with the golden maknae!!!’

‘BTS are going to have a field day if they find out about BamBam gunning for Jennie’

‘I love when my fav is wanted by other guys. Especially idols, considering her position as a foreigner in South Korea’

‘Who said my boi can’t shoot his shot on Miss Bangtan?’

‘I ship it’

‘Go get her Bam Bam!’

-------

The next day, in the dance studio at Big Hit, Jennie worked on a dance to perform at SOPA while Taehyung, Hobi, Jin, and Jimin tagged along. She decided to participate in an extra credit assignment which was to teach one of the freshmen classes choreography on her own with a song of her choice. She had a few weeks to prepare and prepared something short and sweet. The dance was down packed and just needed some touch-ups.

Throughout her practice, the boys would dance goofily in the background, trying to distract her. After taking a break from the assignment, she asked, “Anyone want to freestyle with me?”

“Hey, actually, for a while now I’ve been curious about some dances that you do in America. Could you show me one since you’re taking a break?” Jin asked, standing up after stretching.

“Yeah! Sure! Hold on, I have just the song.” she went on her phone and scrolled through her music.

Putting on the edited version of Lean Back by Terror Squad, Fat Joe and Remy Ma, she walked back to Jin. “You know how to do the lean back?”

“Uh...no?”

“Hahaha, I’ll show you. Come on. First, let’s loosen up.” she started moving to the beat and he followed her, hesitant at first but soon got into it.

“Go Hyung!” Taehyung giggled, filming in the background. 

Jin decided to do his traffic dance to the song, which caused Jen to giggle and she encouraged him to keep dancing.

“It’s simple. Cross your arms like this and lean back side to side but do it with a rock.” she demonstrated. “Add your flavor to it. It’s coming up, follow me.”

Said, my don't dance

We just pull up our pants and do the Roc-away

Now, lean back, lean back, lean back, lean back

Jin and Jennie start leaning back while Jen looks on impressed. 

“Look at you, Jin! I see you! Let them know!” she cheered.

I said, my don't dance

We just pull up our pants and do the Roc-away

Now lean back, lean back, lean back, lean back

Jin proudly celebrated the fact that he danced correctly.

“Ennie! What about that dance called the milly rock?” Jimin asked.

“Yeah, I heard of that dance,” Hobi spoke.

“I don’t know how to do it.”

“Wait you guys don’t know how to do the milly rock? Let me show you!” Jen beamed. “The key is all about putting your own flavor into the dance. Make it your own style.” she demonstrated slowly as they followed her.

“How do you do the dance, Ennie?” Taehyung asked

“With me, I tend to go hard and be extra with it cause I get hype to this song.”

“Hard and extra, huh? Show me. I challenge you to a Milly Rock dance-off.” Hobi declared.

She turned to him with a serious expression. “...you sure?”

“Whoa, her eyes.” he held his heart and giggled. “But yes, let’s dance together.”

“All right, you asked for it,”

Once the song began she pushed her cap down to block her face as she got ready. When it came to songs like this, she turned into a whole different person.

Milly Rock

Haa

Let's get it!

As soon as that beat drops, she went hard.

I Milly Rock on any block

I Milly Rock on any block

The guys were mesmerized by both Hobi and Jen going in.

Once the verse came on, she rapped in front of him, continuing to dance. 

I Milly Rock on any block

In my Polo T and my Polo socks

On top of cars my face hot

I Milly Rock on that Gates block

They got me on their explore page

I've been Milly Rocking for four days

She put up four fingers before milly rocking again with more attitude and speed while Hobi looked on impressed and milly rocked with her.

Let’s get it!

She started milly rocking in slow motion as Hobi followed her, mirroring her movements.

“Jen milly rocks on any block! Hope milly rocks on any block! Jen Milly rocks on any block! Hope milly rocks on any block!” the guys said over the chorus, making the dancers laugh and high five each other.

“Remind me not to challenge you in that particular dance.” Hobi teased. “You did well, munchkin.”

“I want a dance battle with you!” Taehyung got in front of her.

“I got the music!” Jin went to pick a random song.

“You sure, Tae?” Jen warned.

“Yeah, let’s do this.” He responded.

The opening beats of Hello, Good Morning by Dirty Money filled the dance room.

“Okay...but fair warning...you don’t want this work,” she mentioned, walking up to him as they faced off competitively. 

Taehyung had his hands on his hips, struggling not to smile.

Hello...

Good morning...

She watched as Taehyung danced first while his charisma came into place. Tae’s dance skills were no joke and were extremely underrated. He could move. After he was done, he booped her nose, making her chuckle

Once it was her turn, she danced while rapping to the song

'Cause I been leanin on the bar

lookin cleaner than a star

All these broads won't give me my props

Twenty-five on the bag

I be stuntin on they ass and they mad cause the bitch won't stop

She adjusted her shirt and began dancing around him in a circle as he giggled. 

"You know, you know, you know we on that!" she booped his nose to get back at him.

Back at the dorm, Jennie was in her room, gathering her things to wash her hair.

“Jennie, I need to ask you something.” Namjoon suddenly walked in.

“Yo! Oh my God, knock first! What if I was undressed?” she scolded.

“Sorry! Sorry!” he apologized. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“It’s cool, what you need?”

“I was wondering if I could use your shower. Everything else is occupied.”

“I was going to wash my hair but you know what? It’s fine. Go use it. I’ll use the sink.”

“The sink...?”

“Yeah,” she responded like it was the most obvious thing in the world. 

She grabbed her things and headed to the kitchen. Namjoon’s curiosity got the better of him and he followed her, watching her take out the few dishes from the sink and place her items on the counter.

Turning around, she noticed his confused behavior and called him out, “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You’re about to wash your hair in a sink. Why?”

“I do this back at home.”

“Really?”

“Yep.” she smiled.

“That’s...normal for you?”

“All the time. You look like you’re dealing with culture shock right now.” she teased.

“I’m intrigued. Could I watch?”

“How about I wash your hair in the sink first.”

“You serious?”

“Yeah, grab your stuff.”

Once he grabbed his shampoo and conditioner, she made him lean his head down in the sink. Running warm water on his head, she started washing his hair.

“My mom would do this to me and my sisters when we were kids,” she mentioned. “I’m so used to washing my hair in the sink, that I would sometimes prefer to do that instead of washing my hair in the shower. It just makes things go by quicker too,"

“Wow, and this is common in your culture?”

“Majority of the time, yes.”

“Fascinating.”

After she gave him a nice scalp scrub and conditioned his hair while combing it out, she rinsed his hair and dried it with a towel.

“You good, Namjoon?” she laughed at his amazed expression

“That...was exhilarating. C-can we do this again? I like this method.”

“Yes, now go shower.” she playfully pushed him away and prepared to wash her hair in the sink.

[thinkingaboutbetterdays]

miami bound. ( ricardo tubbs x reader )

gif belongs to me

Saying goodbye to Ricardo was difficult, more so now that his brother was murdered and you realized you had lost sight of his mortality - his life in danger more often due to his line of work. You knew he had to leave to find the answers and revenge he wanted and there was nothing you could say to stop him. And when you thought of his older brother who welcomed you into the family with open arms once Ricardo made it clear that it was different with you - that you weren't just another fling - you couldn't find the words to convince him not to go after his killer. 

You did not know how long he would be gone but you knew that it was something he needed to do alone and Ricardo delayed his vendetta for a night, spending it with you making sure you knew exactly how he felt about you. You weren't to mention his departure to anyone or tell them where he was, and you knew it would be difficult but if it would help him let go of his rage then you would support him however you could.

You drove him to the airport and stayed with him at the gate until the plane was ready to depart. "Be careful." You told him softly. "If they find out that you're undercover under false pretences -"

"Now, you don't worry that pretty little head, mama." He rested his hands on your arms and kissed you deeply, pulling away moments later. "I'll be back as soon as I get Calderone."

You knew there was nothing you could say to make him stay, so you sent him a smile and placed a hand on his cheek. "I love you."

"And for that, I am a very lucky man." He mirrored your smile, turning his head to kiss your palm when it was announced his plane was boarding. "I'll call you when I land."

You pressed your lips together, holding back the tears forming in your eyes as he picked up his suitcase and walked away. He looked back and you sent him the best smile you could muster. Ricardo returned it and boarded the plane. You prayed then that this wasn't the last time you would see him.

Ricardo stayed true to his word and called you when he landed and every night from his rented apartment which was the size of a cell. You knew he was starting to lose hope the longer he stayed in Miami but instead of begging him to come home you helped him find his drive again and a few weeks later he called you after meeting Sonny for the first time, informing you about their temporary partnership and eventually their failure to apprehend Calderone. Several days later he called you at work to ask you something that would change your lives forever.

"I've been offered a job here in Miami working Vice." You glanced around the diner as you held the phone to your ear before taking the telephone into the kitchen where it was more private as the chef was having his smoke break.

"A job?" You echoed, a frown forming on your lips.

"I won't be able to walk back into the station in New York and act like nothing happened," Ricardo told you. "And not a lot of people will hire a cop that disappeared at the drop of a hat."

"You want to take it, don't you?" You bit the inside of your cheek anxiously, wondering what this meant for your relationship.

"I do." Ricardo began. "But only if you come with me." Before you could reply he continued, "I know things haven't been easy with me being gone." He confirmed what you already knew; you weren't the only one who felt the strain in your relationship since he left. "You'd love it here. It's so full of life." Ricardo licked his lips, "If you say no I will book onto the next plane to New York and we'll forget all about it."

You sighed, "I can't just leave my job." You spoke quietly when the chef returned to the kitchen.

"There's plenty of restaurants here." He said in an attempt to sway your mind.

"I'll think about it."

"Baby -"

Your boss approached the kitchen and you knew you would have to call him later. "I'll think about it. But I have to go."

Ricardo sighed when you hung up and set the phone down on the nightstand, lifting his gaze to the apartment he was renting that was slowly draining away his spirit. From the bad paintwork to the bikers next door, he was missing you more and more each day he spent in Miami. He wanted a fresh start, and he wanted to give you a life you could never have in New York.

Two days passed and Ricardo tried calling you at home and at work when he could, however, he was told you weren't working that day, or you never answered the phone. When he and Sonny returned to the station he saw a message was left for him and Ricardo lifted the message off his desk, immediately interested when he saw your name written down.

"What is it?" Sonny asked, looking over at him as he leaned against their desks.

"My girl," Ricardo began as Sonny raised an eyebrow in interest as he had spoken openly about you. "she's coming to Miami."

"That's great!" Sonny smiled.

Ricardo looked at the clock on the wall, then checked his watch. "Is that the time? She's already here."

Sonny tossed him his car keys and Ricardo left the station, heading to the car. He sped through the streets to the airport and Ricardo found a parking spot before heading inside when he couldn't see you waiting outside. You were walking off the plane that had been delayed by ten minutes, and as you made your way through the crowd, you spotted your boyfriend trying to find out if your plane had landed from a stewardess.

"Ricardo!" You called out to him and he turned, a grin forming on his lips as he thanked the stewardess, before making his way through the crowd to meet you.

You placed your bags down and giggled when he wrapped his arms around you, leaning into his chest as he kissed you. Ricardo pulled away moments later and placed a hand on your cheek. "You have no idea how badly I missed that."

"I may have some idea." You smiled up at him, closing your eyes when he leaned down to kiss you one last time before bending down to pick up your bags.

You had your fears about making such a big change, taking such a big leap, but as Ricardo drove through the streets, both of you catching up properly, you looked over at him and knew that it was a chance worth taking just to be with him again.

[liaadumi]

ello! I just read your latest post, and even though I've not had experiences that similar to yours, I'd like to share my two cents, mainly because from my point of view, you have nothing to be guilty about.

as you yourself mentioned, there's a sort of grace in forgetting when comes to grief. I lost my grandma about 4 years ago, and though I don't miss her per se, if I'm zoned out or just not paying attention, I still think I can hear her footsteps in the house she used to live in. I personally chalk this up to the coping mechanism my brain seems to prefer: avoidance. death has never been something I've been able to process as Real. at one point in my life, my brain decided that the best way to deal with death is to not process it at all! I do want to say that I'm not an expert by any means so take this with a grain of research-is-needed but I think your brain might be doing a similar thing? humans are very bad at dealing with intense emotions (the most intense and unwhieldy of them all being, of course, grief) and when being conscious of the loss is too painful, we turn it off.

I'd imagine that losing a parent is not something one can just... forget, like I could with my grandparents. so the next best thing is forgetting they existed at all. I don't think this something to feel guilty about, especially if it's a recent development (by recent I mean anywhere between one to two years ago, grief really takes its time to fade. or tbh recent can be any lenght depending on how you've been processing it)

again, not a psychologist, but I think the best thing you can do in your situation is to hold on to what you do remember. write it down, if you worry you'll forget. I'm in the unfortunate situation that I tend to remember bad things more than good ones, and the good bits only when I consciously commited them to memory or wrote them down.

I really hope some of that was at all helpful or comforting to you, and even though I've not been in the same boat as you, I want you to know you're not alone with your grief (and specifically the feeling of being lost and not knowing how to process said grief. there's no right or wrong way to grieve, but you should always let yourself grieve, whichever way feels natural) 🫶

oh dear this was so nice i actually started sobbing🥹🥹🥹 sorry for not responding earlier, my phone is buggy and doesn’t get notifications from a lot of apps even if they’re turned on.

when i first wrote my (vent) post, i was just having a meltdown because of said trauma (as one does), and wanted to write about it without bothering my friends (as i do every single day, they must get fed up at one point), but also while still feeling that at least a small amount of strangers will see it (because it comforted me — if i didn’t want that, i could just write in my notes app).

the thing is that i didn’t actually expect anyone to reply… but this is so deeply resonating with me!!! (i’m sorry, i have no idea how messaging works here, for example i don’t know if this is like a text or like a reply to my post, but there isn’t any “send” button here, only a “post” one, so i guess the latter). my friends often try to comfort me (i love them with my whole heart), but i know that they haven’t been through something remotely similar, and even though i shouldn’t think about that, it just makes me feel empty and alone.

i just noticed that my guilt seems really nonsensical without all the details. oops. well, pretty much what happened that day was that i woke up MUCH later than usual (it was a sunday, i woke up at like 8:30, while i usually had an alarm for 7, even on weekends), i went to the kitchen to eat breakfast (i thought my dad had already left, because before 8 he had to go to the church to get something before leaving for the airport for a business trip to china) but i kept hearing his phone alarm ringing over and over.

i thought, like a normal teenager, that he must have snoozed his alarm too much and now he would not go to the church, rather straight to the airport. there was still time, i could wake him up later. so, i took my time in making avocado toast, and then went to his room to (hopefully) wake him up.

when i opened the door to his room, he was sat up, head against the headboard, eyes closed, looking as if he was getting the sweetest sleep ever. i felt bad for even bothering him (even though he didn’t react — i should have noticed, and crept up to him to touch his arm and notice he was cold????? anyway), but i thought that maybe he just needed a little more sleep to get ready for his 3-week long business trip to another continent, which must have taken a toll on his sleep schedule. i yelled at him that i would be back in 15 minutes to properly wake him up, yet he didn’t stir, didn’t murmur anything like he normally would when this happened (and trust me, it pretty often did). i should have!!!!! fucking!!!!!!! noticed!!!!!! but i didn’t.

so i went back to my room and told my mom’s friend (who was also home) about this, and she said that she would go and wake him up herself. less of a hassle for me, i thought. wrong! she actually did observe that something was horribly wrong, noticed he was freezing, and called an ambulance (which i should have, but i didn’t bother going up to him and actually seeing he was unresponsive, cold, and without a pulse).

i had no idea what was happening when i saw paramedics from my window. i was just……studying for my entrance exams, as one does 2 weeks before them. when they actually entered my home, i was horribly terrified, and i asked what was going on, and one of the women said that “my father was just a little ill, and had to be taken to the hospital”. oh, right. no more china, then? i was actually a little happy that he would get to be with me during my exams, which normally he wouldn’t have been because he would have been thousands of kilometers away. in the back of my mind, though, i knew something was deeply wrong — i just didn’t want to entertain that thought.

i was so nauseous and stressed the whole morning that i actually went to sleep to calm myself down. when i woke up, it was the afternoon, and my mom’s friend gave me a pill (i didn’t know what it was, later i found out it was some sort of calming medication? i want moreeee😂) and told me that my dad died. actually, even worse than that — he didn’t die in the hospital, he died during the previous night, in his sleep.

oh, right! so i was talking to a corpse, then? how interesting! thanks to the pill, i actually didn’t have a reaction at all (i still want moreeeee), but afterwards the implications dawned on me. maybe if i was the one who called the ambulance in the earlier morning he could have been saved. maybe if i woke up at my usual hour, i could have saved him. but i can’t do anything anymore. he’s dead, i went to his funeral and saw his coffin be put into the ground, and i will never see him again. i still have vivid hallucinations (only auditory, though) where his phone alarm is ringing for hours, or he is calling me from his room, but every time i go there, there isn’t anything. just his bed, and tv. oh well!

the closest resemblance of my dad is actually my english teacher from the high school i’ve entered (my dream one, god bless). he’s EXACTLY like him, in terms of pretty much everything except appearance. i may be biased, but i’ve grown incredibly attached to him, going to any contest and olympiad he told me about, being the most implicated student in the class, asking him a lot of questions just to receive some attention from him — and i’m horribly embarassed to tell him that i’m not just a clingy student, but a daughter who only sees her father during english class. i hope that at least i’m making him proud, by qualifying to nationals 🥹. i hope i will qualify too, this year. anything to make him proud, honestly. i crave validation from him every day.

that’s pretty much my whole story. can you tell i love oversharing on the internet? alas, i need to end this paragraph soon, as i’m leaving for a school trip in one hour. thank you so much for your insightful reply!!!! sorry for not replying earlier!!! i feel a lot better, just thought of giving you guys the entire plot so that you would understand better. as always, have an amazing day, everyone!! <333

[tallulahneale]

Title: Who really lives their dream?

Summary: Vince as a pharma tech, alternate reality!

A/n: This is a fluffy wuffy story.

Part Five

It has been 5 weeks since Lula last saw Vince at the operations apartment and it was her best decision ever. Mind made up and her completion of one year plus at Neales Pharmacy, she informs Baptiste that she will be going to Haiti to visit family.

“Are you resigning?” Baptistse asks in shock.

“Not at all. But I overheard the others mention that Susan is looking to get back to work.”

“Don’t worry about Susan, we prefer you.”

Lula giggles.

“I am sure you don’t mean that Baptiste” She smiles “But home is calling and I need to answer before it stops.”

“Okay, okay I hear you. Stay safe out there. You’re welcome back whenever Lula”.

She smiles, waving at Baptiste. The team throw her a mini party and gift her trinkets, a bottle of champagne and a ‘best pharmacist mug’. She hugs them all, including the nosy stout man.

“I think I will miss you the most Gavin” He blushes bright red and smiles back longingly. Wait…No damn way, she thinks to herself, All this time he had a crush?!

—

Lula prepares for her trip to Haiti, making sure everything is in order; rent paid, bills paid for the next two years and perishable foods donated. She books a business class ticket before heading to see Aunty Anita. Even though Vince and her hadn’t spoken in a while, Anita still keeps in touch. She calls Lula to collect some items to drop off with relatives once she reaches Port-au-prince.

As Lula drives up Anita’s driveway, she sees Vince’s car across the street. “Really universe?” She mutters to herself. Or maybe Aunty is tryna play, she thinks, Either way we can’t avoid each other.

She steps out her car, brushes down her sundress, walking to the front door and knocks.

Vince opens the door.

“…”

“…”

“Who is it Vince?” Anita shouts from the living room. I know she’s acting right now, Lula says to herself. Vince doesn’t respond back.

“Lula… come in” He said, stepping aside.

“Thank you, Vince. Hey Aunty” Lula calls excitedly as she walks towards the living room.

“You really know your way around here huh?” Vince mutters loud enough for them all to hear. Lula laughs and rolls her eyes, focusing on the instruction from Anita.

“So the blue goes to Jerome. Don’t give it to his wife or she will give it to her brother. The light blue goes to Gregory and his wife. The purples goes to-”

“Ma why are you giving Lula a bunch of things for people in Haiti?”

“Boy don’t interrupt my process” Anita continues, telling Lula who should get what and where to drop it off. “FYI Son, she is visiting Haiti this weekend.”

Vince looks at Lula and she looks back at him.

“Well this is awkward” Anita mutters leaving the room.

“I would have told yo-”

“Do you need a ride to the airport?” Vince asks.

“Yes, please” She replies.

“Alright. Call me the morning of your flight.”

“Okay, I will. I would have told you sooner but I thought you were upset that I left.”

“I was. Obviously. But that was for 2 days. We’re cool boubout.”

Lula smiles, “I need to finish packing. I’ll call you over the weekend.”

—

As agreed, Vince picks Lula from her house and drops her off at the airport.

“Are you coming back to Cali?” He asks, almost predicting her answer.

“Maybe” she says. Giving him a gentle smile “For real bro, don’t be a stranger.” They laugh, she goes to check-in, waves goodbye to Vince and waits at her gate.

“Going to Haiti too?” Lula looks to her left, to find a tall dark man with a fade smiling at her. She nods smiling back but doesn’t respond.

As she boards the flight and settles in her seat, she sees the same man from earlier.

“I guess we are buddies for the next 10 hours” he says settling across the aisle from her.

“I guess we are” She giggles back.

“Is that man you were with at check-in your partner?”

“Nope, a work colleague.” She laughs “Nosy.”

“Hey, I’m Pierre” he chuckles charmingly.

“I’m Tallulah. Lula for short”

“Nice to meet you, Lula” Pierre grins before settling back to his seat.

—

Halfway through the flight, Pierre makes small talk with Lula. She entertains him, impressed with his craft. He’s also a native of Haiti, just visiting Cali for business and vacation.

“I’d love to show you around and get you settled in, if that’s okay with you?” Pierre insists.

Lula beams at him “Really?!”

“Yes Lula, your love for Haiti has me feeling all sorts and I want to be here to support you.” Damn, this man is laying it on thickkk, she says to herself. “If you say so… but don’t be making empty promises!”

“To you Lula, never.” She smiles looking away.

“Once we land, I’ll get you a SIM card, a second phone and you can use my chauffeur while you’re out and about. How’s that?” Lula stares blankly at him.

“Earth to Lula?”

“Lula is experiencing some technical difficulties, please try again after Lula naps” she replies nerd-like. Pierre belly laughs and nods.

Pierre keeps his promise and Lula is settled within 10 days of arrival. She calls Anita and Vince to check in, drop off the gifts to their relatives and tours Haiti with Pierre.

“It feels amazing to be home” Lula says gently.

“Your presence makes me feel amazing Lula.” Pierre replies passionately. She giggles as they head to the next store to buy furniture for her new apartment.

---------

It’s been 2 months since Lula left for Haiti and even longer since she left p-p with Vince to handle. How tf did she grow this so quickly? he asks himself. P-P had become a six figure profit business and Vince was having trouble keeping it organised. New clients came in weekly, new drop off points were made and the joining fee was more of an incentive for them.

He gets a call from his mom.

“Hey Mom”

“Hi Son. How’s everything going?”

“Not great Ma.”

Vince explains the situation to her with hopes of advice on how to manage the business.

“Son, you know what you need to do.”

“I don’t want to bother her. We spoke last week and she’s having a great time over there.”

“Who else knows how to handle it better than Lula? Y’all were partners before said she was done.”

“I know, but-“

“Vincent just speak to her. In person preferably. You remember when I told you that you’ll-”

“Ma I’m not tryna hear that righ-“. Anita cuts the call before he finishes but sends a text;

‘Just go Vince’

Time is of the essence, so Vince books his flight for the next day. Time is money and I can’t waste it, he reminds himself. He post an update on the forums to his clientele, informing them of a temporary hiatus which will be sorted out by next week earliest.

Packing light, he heads to the airport sending a text to Lula.

‘Hey boubout, I’ll be flying in tomorrow night. Need to run something by you’

She replies almost immediately.

‘Hey Vince! Omg, for real?! That’s amazing!! Aunty called me and explained everything, don’t sweat it. Also… you can’t be calling me boubout anymore 🤭’

He replies back.

‘Yes, I expect you to be my tour guide too. Y’know I’ve never been there before. And why not? You got a Haitian nigga or something?’

She responds

‘It’s a surpriseee! I’ll see you tomorrow!’

Vince laughs and puts his phone on airplane mode, No way she already has a nigga he snickers to himself before closing his eyes.

—

He lands in Port-au-Prince around 7pm. Damn Cali heat has nothing on Haiti, he said to himself. The scenery is beautiful, from the scent of the water and plantation to the smiles on the faces of citizen and the few tourist. He collects his check-in luggage, his mom had more gifts for the family, and walks to the pathway for arrivals. He gets a few stares and smiles “Women are super fine too” he said smiling back at them. He reaches the immigration border, shows his visa and keeps going till he gets to the exit where family members are waiting for their loved ones.

“VINCENT!” Lula shouts excitedly, she sees him before he sees her. Next to her is a man holding a sign board ‘Mr. Staples’, Of course her bougie ass got a chauffeur, he laughs as he waves walking down towards her.

“Hey Lula Tallulah” he smiles hugging her.

“Look at you! Have you been hitting the gym or is your grown man body just getting here? You look buff!”

“You a trip.” He says shaking his head. “You’ve put on a few pounds too, but inna good way.”

“Right! Work stress did not have me glowing this hard.”

The chauffeur takes his luggage and they follow towards the car.

“So you got a chauffeur now? You living good out here cuh.”

“Yes, I am!” She beams “Did your mum give you the snacks and froot loops that I like?”

“Wait that was for you?!” He snickers “I should have known with your sweet-tooth self. Everything’s in the checked luggage.” He reassures you.

Once they settle in the car, Lula points out a few historical facts and tourist attractions around Haiti that they were going to visit. As she reaches for a pack of chips, Vince glimpses at her left hand.

“Wait… you actually got yourself a nigga!” He does a double take.

“Huh?” Lula looks at her hand “Oh yeah! I forgot to mention” she giggles “Your girl got engaged!!!”

“That’s what’s up. Congratulations sè.”

“Thank you Vince! This was meant to be the surprise but hey.”

“I don’t think you know how surprises work” she rolls her eyes at him.

“Anyway, we’re heading to our place for the night. You can stay at the other house in the yard or my apartment if you want.”

“Whatever, I don’t mind” He shrugs “As long as we have a private place to talk. You know why am here, Lula.”

“Damn nigga take a break and enjoy the sights! You’ve been working so hard and so much.”

He nods, she’s right. He has not been on a vacation in over two years.

—

They pull up to a huge yard with three house and a security quarter round the front. A shirtless man dressed in black linen pants walks down as the car parks.

“Mon kè” He says opening the door for Lula. “And you must be Vince Staples.”

“Yeah. Hey.” Vince replies stepping out to get his luggage.

“I remember you from the airport when Lula first flew in” he says. So that’s how they met Vince thinks to himself, how convenient.

“I’m Pierre. Don’t worry about your luggage, the girls will take it.” He says inviting Vince inside the main house “Come, Lula made some food before she left.”

She giggles knowing Vince will have something to say.

“If it’s BBQ anything, I’m taking her off your hands.”

“Try and die.” Pierre laughs.

“Amou!” Lula cautions “No swinging dicks will be tolerated. Souple e Mèsi.”

Lula walks to the kitchen to make a plate for Pierre and Vince serving them, before making a plate for herself.

Once they’re done eating, Vince and Lula walk around the yard as he explains his reason for visiting.

“To put is simply Lula… I can’t run p-p alone.”

Lula freezes.

“Vince…”

“I’m not asking to you join just want you to demonstrate how I can manage it better.” She nods.

“Tomorrow. It’s already late.”

“Alright.”

She gives him a hug as she walks towards the main house, leaving Vince in his thoughts.

Next Part

~~

Translations: (n/b not fluent in Creole)

Boubout = Sweetheart

Sè = Sister

Mon kè = My heart

Amou = My love

Souple e Mèsi = Please and thanks

~~

[techycatartist]

Ever since it was announced that Walibi Holland was getting a pair of RMC Raptors, those who visited the park were eager to document its construction. By this point in time, work was right on track for the ride—now known as “YoY”— to meet its intended opening next spring.

Though the station had yet to be finished, it seemed as if the land knew where to place the coaster’s Charging Stations; two clouds of energy hovered where the ride’s operator booth would be.

The clouds appeared to be idle— but everyone knew they were hard at work, creating a Coasterdroid that would perfectly personify the coaster that they’d be attached to.

That is, until they began to tremble, lights flashing from within.

A human figure appeared in the center of each Charging Station, quickly increasing in size. While nobody was there to hear it, the sound of screaming gradually added itself to the environment.

Like a stuntman jumping through a prop wall, Shellraiser and Sandy bursted out of the Charging Stations— skidding to a stop stomach-first on the dirt below.

Shellraiser picked his head up, spitting out some dirt that had unfortunately made its way into his mouth. He shuddered, trying not to think of all the germs that could be living in it.

“Uh, Shellriser…I don’t think we’re in New Jersey”.

Sandy looked up at the track above their head�� a mass of green and blue, held up with black supports.

“We’re not even in the United States”, he replied.

“Do you even know what this park is…or who this is?”

Shellraiser began to ponder; “I know RMC mentioned something about a park overseas getting dueling Raptors, but the name of the park escapes me…”

Fortunately, someone had noticed the two standing within all the hustle-and-bustle of the construction site— and they landed right behind Sandy.

Upon realizing that another being had joined them, Sandy turned around, then turned back to motion at Shellraiser. “Hey! Someone’s here…” Snapping out of his thoughts, Shellraiser picked his head up— and immediately raised an eyebrow at who he was witnessing.

Standing in front of them was a Coasterdroid who could be best described as wearing an outfit rooted in “fairy-core”, with an added insect motif.

“Hallo, YoY! Het is met veel plezier dat we u hier verwelkomen. Dit is Walibi Holland!”, Untamed said with a smile.

“Oh, um…we don’t speak Dutch, sorry!”, Sandy apologized.

“Ah, I see! Perhaps it’s because you two were entirely manufactured in America…I used to be a Vekoma woodie, you know— but no worries, I’m sure you’ll pick up the language quickly”.

“Oh, no, you’re mistaken— we’re not YoY”, Shellraiser clarified. “I am TMNT Shellraiser, sibling of Takabisha. This is Sandy’s Blasting Bronco”. Sandy waves at Untamed. “We’re from the American Dream Meadowlands Mall in New Jersey”.

“That makes sense— Coasterdroids don’t usually appear until they are ready to open. Though I must wonder…how did you guys end up here, within a construction site, no less?”

“Well, the short answer is that Sandy got themselves trapped within their Charging Station, I went into my Charging Station to find them, and then we broke into these Charging Stations to escape— and it turns out they belong to this “YoY” coaster here”.

“Oh, wow…I didn’t even know that was possible!”

“Neither did I— and that’s the last time we’ll be trapped in there, that’s for sure!”

“Well I’m glad you found your way out— and that I’ve meet you, sir!” Untamed eagerly shakes Shellraiser’s hand, who didn’t expect that level of intensity.

“Well, I won’t be forgetting about you anytime soon. But I must ask…where is the nearest airport?”

“Oh, I can help with that! You might want to wash off before you leave, though”. Untamed gestured at the two, their clothes stained with dirt and grass. “I can even cook something up for you guys— my treat!”

“Thank you for your generosity, but that won’t be necessary— humans can’t see us even if we were clean“.

Sandy introjects; “C’mon Shellraiser, they’re just trying to help, and I was thinking…maybe we could take a ride on their coaster before we leave?”

Shellraiser looked at Untamed— who quietly chanted “RMC!”— then looked back at Sandy, who had their puppy dog eyes on. He sighs, unable to resist; “We’ll stay for the afternoon”.

Sandy (and Untamed) cheer. “Here, hold on! I can fly us to my coaster!” Sandy and Shellraiser grabbed onto their arm, Untamed reacting quickly to pull them up in the air. Shellraiser yelped in surprise, his feet leaving the ground.

Shellraiser stepped out of the vehicle, returning to the grounds of one of the largest malls in the United States. Sandy followed shortly after, standing right next to him as the NJ Transit bus drove off.

“We’re here”.

He looked up at the monolith known as the American Dream Meadowlands. Despite the valid criticisms lobbied at the property and its owners, Shellraiser couldn’t help but appreciate what he had been given.

“I’m so happy to be back here, Shellraiser”. Sandy turned to look at him. “Don’t you agree?”

Shellraiser smiled; “Yes”.

“Always”.

NSS was lying on her side, arms retracted into her sweater. “I hate it here”. Timmy sat next to her, with Shredder staying close by.

“I know, honey. We just wanted to check up on you, that’s all”, Shredder replied.

“Well, you could’ve done it at Dutch Wonderland instead of making me come back here…”

“You know they wanted to come here, right? I can see Joust riding your coaster right now”.

“I could’ve been left alone just fine…I’m a good houseguest”.

“Well, I didn’t want you to be left alone”, Timmy said firmly.

“Really? ‘Cuz it looks like you and Shredder are doing great without me...”,Slime Streak said bitterly.

“Chiquita, different types of love are expressed in different ways. Yes, I love being with Shredder— she is the light of my life. But…I also love you. You’re like a niece to me, and I haven’t stopped worrying about you since we let you leave”.

Slime Streak pulled her sweater over her head. Timmy sighed.

“You know, I miss them too. Haven’t stopped hoping that they’d come back”.

“But you stopped searching for them, right? Shredder too”.

Shredder took over for Timmy; “Slime Streak, there was only so much we could do. Trust me, I tried and thought of what to try. When everything was exhausted..all that was left to do was hope”.

“Well maybe you should TRY HARDER”. Shredder jumped a little, surprised at Slime Streak’s anger. “It’s not like they’re just going to show up out of the blue...”

“Slime Streak!”

NSS didn’t notice, as she was too distracted by her sadness— but Timmy and Shredder did.

“Shredder!…Timmy!”

“Oh my god…”, Timmy muttered.

“I can’t believe my eyes!”

Timmy smiled, grabbing her girlfriend’s hand as the two made a run for it. The sound of their footsteps got Slime Streak’s attention, pulling her sweater off her face.

“THEY’RE BACK!”, Shredder shouted from a distance.

Slime Streak turned around…and immediately got off her feet.

Running as fast as she could, Slime Streak called out to them;

“Sandy!”

“Slime Streak!”

She picked up her pace.

“SANDY!”

“SLIME STREAK!”

They were now seconds away from reuniting.

“SANDYYYYY!”

“SLIIIME STREAAK!”

Slime Streak jumped into Sandy’s arms, nearly knocking them over. Shellraiser then joins in the embrace, followed by Shredder and Timmy. A chorus of giddy shouting erupts from the group-hug, with a few “I missed you”-s and “Oh my god”-s sprinkled in.

“I know I haven’t made this clear in the past, so let it be known that I care for all of you dearly. From the moment I entered the void, I thought of returning with Sandy and making our family whole again. It’s almost unbelievable that I’m experiencing this, after everything that happened…and I am truly grateful”.

Shellraiser pauses, taking a breath.

“I’ve also realized that I haven’t been the best leader— Instead of encouraging your positive traits and individualities, I berated you for simple mistakes and quirks I deemed as “improper”. I’m sorry for any pain I have put you through, and vow to do better in the future”.

Timmy places her hand on his shoulder; “Shellraiser…I always knew you had a hidden soft side!”

He laughs; “Guess I finally came out of my shell!”

Eventually, the group-hug ends— though Shredder and Timmy remain at each other’s side.

“So, what did we miss?”, Shellraiser asked.

“Uh…a lot, actually”, Timmy replies, Shredder nodding to reaffirm her statement.

“Ah, it must’ve been an exciting few weeks for you two— though from the looks of it, you’ve handled things well”.

Timmy and Shredder look at each other, their smiles gone. Timmy nudges Shredder, pressuring her to deliver the news.

Shredder takes a breath before she finally speaks.

“Shellraiser…It’s September”.

Shellraiser’s face falls; “…what”.

“WE’VE BEEN GONE FOR NINE MONTHS?!” Sandy shouts.

“That’s not…all of it, though”.

Timmy steps in; “Yeah, uh…there’s no good way to deliver this. Shellraiser, your coaster has some major structural issues…and it hasn’t operated since a few days after you left”.

Shellraiser looked at her, stunned into silence.

“Sandy’s coaster has continued to close for weeks at a time without warning— something that even I and Slime Streak weren’t immune to. So, you know, nothing’s improved on that front…and I don’t think it ever will as long as Triple Five’s managing this place”.

“Yeah, and, Um…Fuji-Q decided to pull the plug on Do-Dodonpa. The funeral was held back in March, and their coaster has been sitting half-demolished for a while now”, Shredder mumbled, hanging her head down.

Shellraiser sinks to his knees, cusping his face in his hands. Shredder rests her head on Timmy’s shoulder, trying to hide her face.

Suddenly, Shellraiser feels something grab at him; he pulls his face out of his hands.

“Hey”.

Sandy’s arms were wrapped around him, a rarity for the touch-adverse teen.

“You’re not the only maintenance headache here. Whatever happens next, we’ll be here for you”.

Shellraiser closed his eyes, placing his hands on top of Sandy’s.

A single tear ran down his cheek.

After a few moments of silence, Shellraisee felt a light tap on his shoulder.

“…I think you should talk to Takabisha about this, and also the whole “disappearing for nine months” thing”, Shredder gently suggested.

Shellraiser looked at her, softly tapping Sandy’s arm for them to let him go. “No”. He stood back up. “I know I just said that I won’t force you guys to uphold my standards, but… he probably thinks I’m a disgrace”.

He looked away from Shredder; “It’s better that I never contact him again, lest I bring shame to the family”.

“Check your phone”.

Shellraiser turned to Timmy.

“What?”

”Go to your room, find your phone, and power it on”.

Shellraiser looks at her, a mix of confusion and suspicion in his eyes.

“You heard me. Go”.

After some hesitation, Shellraiser walks away.

Sandy looks at Timmy and Shredder, who glance at each other knowingly.

“What’s going on?”, they ask.

“Wait for it…”, Timmy replies.

Suddenly, Shellraiser runs back into frame, holding his phone.

“I can’t believe it…”

He turns his phone around, pointing at the wall of “missed call” notifications and unread texts.

“…he carries no shame”.

“Ooooh. That’s why you sent him off like that, Timmy!” Sandy remarked.

“Well, I might’ve received a few calls from Takabisha asking if Shellraiser was back, I might’ve told them about his coaster’s structural issues, and I might’ve told him to send some messages to Shellraiser’s phone to show that they still care“.

Shellraiser frantically typed up a response, his phone jittering around in his hands.

“Looks like it worked out well!”

“Hey, I like busting his chops as much as the next guy…but I still care about him, even if it’s hard to tell sometimes. Plus, now Shellraiser can’t say I’ve never done a nice thing for him!”

Shellraiser put his phone in his jacket pocket, satisfied with his message.

“Speaking of nice things…has anything good happened while we were gone?”

“Please”, Shellraiser emphasizes. “We can’t take anymore bad news!”

Shredder looked at her girlfriend, who had a smile that matched her’s.

“Well….I finally found someone who appreciates my passion…who loves me for who I am…”

Timmy and Shredder were now facing each other, their noses nearly touching.

“…and I’ve found a woman who can love me back…that I was the “right person” for someone”.

They closed their eyes, Shredder tilting her head slightly…and let their lips meet. Timmy placed her hands at the sides of Shredder’s face, bathed in the warmth of sun-rays beaming down on them from the skylight above.

Sandy clasped their hands together; “Aww, congrats you two!” They look over at Shellraiser with a smile; “I knew it!”

“She actually took my words to heart”, he said quietly. Shellraiser smiled; “Feels nice to know I’ve unambiguously helped someone…”

Timmy and Shredder stare at each other, still in post-kiss awe.

“So…was it as good as you thought it would be!”Timmy asks.

“Even better”, Shredder replies.

NSS approaches Sandy, looking up at them with hesitation on their face.

“Slime Streak….”.

“Yes?”, she mumbled, fidgeting around.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you like that. You just wanted your best friend back, and I did the worst possible thing a friend could do— reject you. I let my anguish consume me, and all it did was make things worse, for all of us. Swear on my heart, I’ll never run off like that again”.

Slime Streak slowly raises her hand up…and extends her pinky.

“Promise?”

Sandy smiles, locking their pinky with Slime Streak’s.

“When in doubt, pinky out”.

Slime Streak pulls away, quickly going in for a hug.

Sandy reciprocates, letting Slime Streak stay there as long as she needs.

“We’re still friends, right?”

“Of course”.

Slime Streak looks up at Sandy, wiping tears from her eyes.

“Well, as your friend, I have to let you know…that the Sandy movie was BAD”!

NSS resumes crying, ending their hug.

“I COULD BARELY FINISH IT!”

NSS covers their eyes with their hair-tentacles. Sandy gently rubs her back, trying to soothe her.

“Aw, it’s ok…I’m used to modern Spongebob stuff being inconsistent. Even if the movie’s bad, it’s not completely worthless to me— because it’ll make a good “fix-fic” plot!“

NSS sniffles; “Yeah, you always write good stuff…I wanna be your beta reader!”

“Like I’d choose anyone else!”

Shellraiser, who had given the pair of friends and lovers some space, re-positioned himself right in-between everyone.

He takes a breath; “The last thing I wanted to hear upon my arrival was that my coaster has been SBNO for months due to unspecified structural issues…but the fact that I, and Sandy, were able to return at all makes my coaster’s operational status a little more bearable. Though I hope that these structural issues will be resolved sooner than later, I know that I’ll be supported every step of the way by those who love me the most”.

Shellraiser finished his speech off with a smile, watching as his family did the same.

[ashtonannharper]

My Speck in Busan by Ashton Ann Harper

“I had spent a lot of my childhood studying maps. I know what you’re thinking- I must have been wildly popular. I wasn’t. But here’s the thing, my apa is a professor of astrophysics at Pusan. I literally grew up hearing about how inconceivably big the universe was, and I became obsessed with knowing all of its contents.

One day, I begged my parents to paint my bedroom wall. So, apa got a bunch of different colors of paint, and he started the painting with eight tiny, white circles. I asked, 

“Are those clouds?” He laughed, and replied, 

“If those were clouds, we would never have room for everything else we can see.”

We started with each planet. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, and then we added grey specks for all of their moons. I remember thinking how unfair it seemed that Jupiter was surrounded by ninety five grey specks, and Venus floated distant and alone with only zodiac constellations whispering by for visits. Even now, when I call my parents from Chicago, my father will ask me what constellations were clearest last night.”

“My morning begins with dial tones. Normally, eomma calls, but apa told me last time that she wasn’t feeling great. He said it like it was nothing, as if mentioning the weather: ‘She’s a bit tired these days. Don’t worry.’

She told me she got a new plant recently, though- a succulent. Eomma never says, “I miss you.” Instead, she talks about her plants, as if they’re stand-ins for her emotions. “This is stubborn, like you. It refuses to bloom, but I know it will someday.” She fell in love with how brilliantly yellow Gaenari are, but has recently been going through a succulent phase. Honestly, she would be a professional level cat lady, but apa’s allergic to cats. Instead, she names each plant. I’ve had to make apa a family tree to keep up after he messed up the plants’ bedtime routines when she was on vacation. They’re her own ninety five surrounding specks of comfort. I watered and misted them for her when I was still living with them in Korea, but when I came to the US for school, eomma didn’t cry at the airport. She just pinched my cheeks-a little too hard, Korean moms don’t do ‘soft.’ ‘Take care of yourself. Call me when you can.’ She sacrificed perfect plant care for my soon-to-be completed degree in Astrophysics with a minor in Geography. I still remember how she pinched my cheeks at the airport when I left. A little too hard, but I would have let her pinch them harder.

I know astrophysics sounds kinda bougie, but having spent my childhood falling asleep looking at a wall of the universe, I thought I was a smarty pants. In second grade, I told this boy in my class I knew the locations of everything in the whole universe. Then, he told me to point to Germany on a globe, and I crumbled. I didn’t even talk my way out of it. I just pointed to Australia. How nerdy is it if I say that was one of the most embarrassing moments ever? But, that embarrassing incident led me to one of the most important realizations of my life. How was I supposed to take pride in knowing the contents of the universe when I didn’t even have a grasp on the tiny white circle of a planet I lived on? That’s when the map thing started.

A text from apa, saying they’ll call in a little bit. I can’t wait to tell them about the new frame I got for my Jeju map. It was the very first map they got me after the Germany-Australia mix-up. We vacationed to Jeju Island a few times when I was young, and I loved it. Like- LOVED it. Everything from the ferry ride there to Hamdeok Beach. So, my parents got me a map of Jeju Island for my birthday and I swear, I have it memorized. I wanted to frame it in my dorm, but I couldn’t find a frame with the right dimensions until I went thrifting with-” *Ringing*

“Finally - it’s my parents… 

“Hey- apa! How’s eomma?... 

(A long silence)

What’s wrong?... What’s that beeping in- tell me what’s going on! Apa? Apaa?

(Long pause as he answers). 

“Is she going to be okay?...Well, if they can’t operate on her, can’t you find someone who can? Why didn’t you tell me when she wasn’t feeling well days ago? I could have caught a plane and been there fo-”

“What do you mean she didn’t want me to worry. Apa,..what do you mean you wanted me to stay focused? Apa, school..doesn’t matter right now… I’m ready for the exam! I could have studied on the flight! I don’t know what eomma would have wanted. But I promise you she would have wanted to see me! I’m looking up flights right now, okay, the first one leaves in 5 hours. I’ll pack a bag…. No! I’m coming! Doctors are wrong all the time, she could make it another 22 hours until I get there…. Yes, she can! Okay….. Yeah. I’ll talk to her. Can she hear me?”

“엄마, 내 목소리가 들려? 엄마…엄마… 저예요. 엄마 딸…

(pause, taking a deep breath)

I know you must be scared, but Dad and I are here, okay? 

(holding back tears) 

School is going great. It must be all the maps you got me. Remember? 엄마.. 엄마… I miss you. I’m coming home, okay? Wait for me, okay? 

(long pause)

I love you, eomma. Everything’s going to be okay. I love you.”

(pause)

“Apa, will you pinch her cheeks for me?... Apa..Apa..I’m coming home.” (They hang up)

“I go to the globe on my desk. I trace with my finger the distance between Chicago and South Korea. It’s only eight or nine finger widths between them. What a disguise for 10,675 kilometers. If I could dance over an entire ocean the way my fingers do, I would be in a hospital bed with my mother right now. And this is where I start to think that dad was wrong. As someone with a mind that wanders perpetually through space, he only knows how to Zoom out, how to see the bigger picture. But sometimes, the only place in the world that matters is the equivalent of a speck. Right now, I would trade being able to see my entire wall of universe for a clear look at my little speck in Busan.”

“In the same movement I go to unzip my suitcase, a text from apa: “It’s 9:47AM. She’s a star in the sky now. I think she just needed to hear your voice.” As I go to my window, and look up at the distant twinkling balls of fire, the sky has never felt farther away.”

[cherish--these--times]

Important information. SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE. UPDATING AS I WATCH THE MOVIE ALONG BEAR WITH ME. The film they watched at the hotel is You've Got Mail, this is Sam and Rebecca's story. When they messaged each other not knowing who the other person was. Ted said Sleepless in Seattle was far superior. This is the one where airports play a significant part and it's about a man who lost his wife and has a son finding love again with the woman he never knew until the last second would be the one. He first sees her in an airport and is knocked sideways. By all accounts the last of Ted we will see will be in an airport based on previous seasons with first and last shot being a character’s face in the same location.

Also Rebecca mentioning she has a private jet and the thing with airports; SUSP AS HELL.

Keeley assumed the moment Rebecca spent with Dutch Guy was "Magic" This is also a quote from Sleepless in Seattle. Turns out it was Gezellig instead. But this is definitely where we're going. And that'll either be Dutch Guy or Ted. Both fit the man who lost their partner and have a kid formula. Definitely not Sam. But Ted tripped over the Red String of Fate, has the matchbook, loves Kenny Rogers, bakes the biscuits who are home to her, she carries his army man everywhere she goes. She hasn't been struck by lightning yet which to me means it's not Dutch Guy; Ted is leaving which means her world is about to be turned upside down. I keep the faith. i don't care.

AND there's a tear in Meg Ryan's wedding dress and she says oh no it's a sign to which her mum says "You don't believe in signs!" And Rebecca doesn't really believe in signs either! All the signs have been pointing to different people except the obvious one! They're there so she can see something about herself she completely missed.

FUCK MY LIFE. It's about making wishes!! Tom Hanks' son in the film wishes for his father to find a new wife!! His son is worried about his dad!!!

The psychiatrist on the radio is called Dr. Fieldstone FUUUUUUCK MEEEEE. IT WAS RIGHT THERE ALL ALONG.

Sam and Annie speak the same words at the same time in two different places, soulmatism right there!

Annie thought Sam sounded "Nice" on the radio and Ted is one of the "nicest" humans Rebecca has ever met!!

Quote from a guy : "This is fate, she's divorced and you need a new wife." (not talking about Annie here, it's another woman) "What is that thing when everything intersects?" To which Sam replies: "The Bermuda TRIANGLE."

One woman who writes to Sam after he was on the radio lives in OKLAHOMA!

Dr. Fieldstone tells Sam she can tell he is a good dad just like Beard told Ted!!

One woman says on the radio: "Why do you want to be with someone who doesn't love you?" (Michelle, anyone?)

"Sam, tell me what was so special about your wife?" "It was a million tiny little things then when you added them all up it just meant we were supposed to be together. I knew it the very first time I touched her it was like coming home, only to no home I had ever known!"

Annie asking a friend: "But when you met her (his wife), did you believe she was the only person for you? That in some mystical, cosmic way, it was fated?"

Sam's friend about relationships:

"Things are different, now. First, you have to be friends. You have to like each other."

Annie talks to her best friend about the concept of DESTINY.

Annie hires a private detective to run a background check on Sam!! Ted wanted Rebecca to do it with Dr. Jacob!

Wonderful addition by @doctorbeverlycrusher : Rebecca’s mom said a couple times that when she loves something, she loves it forever. The main song from Sleepless in Seattle, When I Fall in Love, starts with the lyric “When I fall in love, it will be forever”.

ANNIE MUNCHES ON SUNFLOWER SEEDS ON THE PLANE.

Sam's son to his dad: "Jessica says you and Annie never got together in that life, and your hearts are like puzzles with parts out of them and when you get together the puzzle's complete. The reason I know this and you don't is that I'm younger and purer so I'm more in touch with cosmic forces."

There's even a mention of Horticulture!

We spotted the word Rainbow in the pub game, the romcommunism episode was called Rainbow. Let me leave you with the quote from Ted again.

"Now, it may not work out how you think it will or how you hope it does, but believe me, it will all work out. Exactly as it's supposed to."

I might be setting myself up for disappointment but the writers are building every step up to the cliff egde, baby!

Thank you for coming to my Ted Lasso Talk

[winterscaptain]

come home.

Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Fem!Reader a top gun: maverick fic

a/n: i am so excited to share this fic with you all! i started writing it as soon as i came home from my first watch and the final edits came in last night as i reviewed my notes from my third visit to the theater. as always, let me know what you think! 

words: 16k content advisories:  language, alcohol use, alcohol mention, food consumption, general shenanigans and goofy group chats acknowledgements: thank you to my beta-readers and collaborators, aimz (@ssaic-jareau) and katie (@extrakatie). shout out to red (@hurricanejjareau), my concept co-creator who helped me at every step. couldn’t do this without you!

summary: if home is where the heart is, you hate it when your home has to crash-land on an aircraft carrier. or, what happens when dagger squad comes home.

masterlist | ask 

You hear your name over your cube and stand, surprised to see one of the few admirals in the building standing by your desk. They aren’t a rarity in the Pentagon by any stretch, but they don’t usually need to see you. 

Your phone sits open, waiting for a text from Bradley. The exchange from last night stands lonely on your screen. 

4:56am On the deck! I love you.

4:57am I love you! Fly safe and come home to me in one piece.

4:59am ❤️

“Sir?”

He hands you a piece of paper. It appears to be a boarding pass for a plane headed to San Diego in a couple of hours. Your stomach drops and you have no idea what your face looks like when you meet the admiral’s gaze again. 

“Transport is due in tonight.”

You swallow. There’s part of you that always worried about Bradley dying out there in one of his fucking planes…

“Sir, is…” You clear your throat. “Is he…”

The admiral spares you. “He’s alive. And mostly fine.” There’s a funny little smile on his face. “Be sure to thank Lt. Seresin when you arrive.”

“Hangman?” You ask, your brow furrowed. “Respectfully, sir, what the hell happened out there?”

+++

You check in to the naval hospital and practically jog to Bradley’s room. You don’t find him right away, but you do see part of his team - Hangman, Phoenix, Bob, and Payback - sitting in the little plastic chairs in the waiting area. 

Without thinking about it too much, you hardly wait for Jake to get to his feet before you’re throwing your arms around his neck, burying your face in his chest or shoulder, or whatever you can reach. 

“Thank you.”

You can feel him nod and tighten his grip on you. One arm secures you around the waist, his other hand holding your head to him. 

The few details you know are enough to owe him for a lifetime, so you thank him again. You’re not sure what you say in total, but you certainly repeat yourself a few times. 

“Of course,” he replies. “It’s my job and I’d do it again.”

You hear a scoff and pull back, wiping your eyes. 

You’re met with Phoenix’s grin. “He’s being dramatic,” she says. “It wasn’t that exciting.” 

“Excuse me,” Hangman retorts. “Did you dead-eye fire at a fifth-gen fighter yesterday while it was nose to nose with Maverick and Rooster, destroying the incoming missile and the aircraft, surely and heroically saving their lives?”

Phoenix rolls her eyes. You just know this incident will give him enough ego ammunition for the rest of time. 

“That’s enough,” you tell him with a smile. “Plus, I’m pretty sure you just breached your clearance.”

Bob pulls a face. “He definitely did.”

You grin, feeling truly relaxed for the first time in seven hours. “Where’s Fanboy?”

Payback looks up. “Cafeteria. He’ll be back soon. Want anything?” 

“No, I’m good. I ate at the airport in DC.” You peer down the hallway. “Just eager to see my boy.”

“That was…” Bob says under his breath, checking his watch and looking at Phoenix, “like seven hours ago.” 

“Is that who I think it is?” A voice down the hallway has you turning over your shoulder. “Chim!” 

“Coyote!”

He grins and scoops you up, turning you around in a circle before setting you back on your feet.

“With the Rooster in the coop, the Chicken couldn’t have been too far behind, right?” Hangman quips, that shit-eating grin back on his face. 

“That’s a stupid-ass nickname and you know it,” you tell him. 

He shrugs. “It’s your call sign, now. Better get used to it.”

“Wait,” Phoenix says. “Chicken, I get, but Chims? I’m lost.” 

“It’s just a stupid thing that evolved,” Coyote says, shrugging. “Stupid way to say chicken turned into chimken, then Chicken became Chim…” He waves her off. “I mean, how do you get Bag Man from Hangman?”

Hangman rolls his eyes, ready to come back at her but something stops him. He looks past you and smiles. “Hey, Mav! How’s he doin’?” 

“Good,” a voice replies. “He’ll be ready for visitors in about fifteen minutes. They’re running a couple of cognitive tests and then they want to keep him overnight, just in case. He smacked his head pretty good on ejection and again on landing, so even with the helmet…” The voice trails off and you turn. “Who’s this?” 

Maverick Mitchell’s face is a familiar one from photos and the old home videos Carole showed you before she died, not to mention the brief glimpses you got at the funeral. 

He’s got a place of honor on Rooster’s desk at home, but you’ve always known the focal point of that picture to be Goose in the RIO seat. Maverick is, of course, a recognizable figure, but not one that inspires any degree of fondness. 

He offers a hand to you and you take it somewhat coldly, keeping a neutral expression on your face. Before you can remind him who you are, Jake gives your name and adds, “We call her Chicken though.” 

“Chicken, huh? When did that start?” Mav asks with a smile. 

You shrug, your mouth pinched. “When Bradley was in OCS, I guess.”

“I’m sure I’ll hear the story later,” he says. His smile softens. “It’s good to see you again.”

Sure.

You give him a tight pull of your mouth that could be a smile if you tried a little harder. “Yeah.”

You feel a little bad - you know Maverick had a good hand in saving Bradley’s life as well, but the hours you’ve spent drying tears over this motherfucker in the last thirteen years makes that easy to overlook. 

Turning, you check in with Bob and Phoenix, “I’m gonna head down to mess and pick something up. Need anything?” 

“I thought you -” 

Phoenix elbows Bob and answers for both of them. “We’re good. We’ll be here.” 

+++

Maverick isn’t fazed by your chilly reception. He knows who you are. 

“What was that about?” Coyote asks, finding a seat. 

Maverick shrugs. “As you might recall, Rooster and I weren’t on the best terms when we all arrived. Recent developments aside, I get it. I’m sure it’ll be alright.” He offers a firm pat on Coyote’s shoulder before sitting down himself. 

“Why’d they let you loose?” Phoenix asks. “Didn’t you also go down in enemy territory?” 

“Ah, they don’t care much about me. Rooster still has many distinguished years to offer the Navy.” 

Phoenix snorts. “C’mon.” 

“Alright,” Mav relents. “I had them check me out on the carrier and I was fine. I insisted they send Rooster for a full work-up, just in case.”

Phoenix hums, leaving it alone for now. 

“How long’s it been since they’ve seen each other?” Hangman asks. 

“The poultry?”

Hangman snorts and nods. 

Phoenix shrugs. “Unless he stopped off in Virginia on his way here, it’s been five or six months. He’d been overseas for a minute and he wasn’t due back for shore duty until the middle of spring.” She sighs. “Maybe he’ll actually pull his head out of his ass and marry her this time.” 

+++

You check in with the front desk again to confirm Bradley can take visitors again before you go upstairs. You don’t want to spend any more time than is necessary with Maverick. 

It is strange though, you figure. The only reason you know Bradley at all is because Mav pulled his papers. It makes you smile, remembering back to undergrad at UVA, more than a decade ago. 

“Excuse me!” 

You turn and smile, finding a tall and sort-of cute (mostly tall) guy jogging up to you. 

“Do you know where I can find…um…” He checks his phone. “Professor Taylor? I have office hours and I’m late.” 

You nod. “I just came from her office.” You turn and point at the building a little ways down the path. “Head over there and she’s on the third floor. The elevator’s broken, though, so you’ll have to go up the stairs on the outside of the building.” 

He heaves a breath. “Thank you. You don’t happen to be in 312 with her, do you?” 

“Yeah,” you tell him. “I sit behind you.” 

He (you suppose unconsciously) brings his hand to the back of his head. “Really?” 

“Yeah, really.” You put an earbud back in. “I’ll be there Thursday. Don’t be later than you already are!” 

“Oh, shit.” He takes off at a run and hops backward for a moment, facing you. “Thanks!” 

You step out of the elevator and make your way down the hall, bypassing the team in a hurry. A couple of them stand to greet you, but you can see Bradley through the window and that’s your sole focus. 

He’s in pajamas - well, a UVA shirt and pair of joggers - rather than a gown. That alone is enough to keep your blood pressure down. He looks fine from here…

“Christ, baby! What are you doing he-”

Your lips on his are enough to shut him up. He lets out a little breath, melting into you. His arms slide around you, stealing your breath as your hands knead into the hair at the base of his neck. He flinches a little and you pull back immediately, letting go. 

“Sorry.” 

He shakes his head, his mega-watt grin blinding you. “You’re fine. You’re perfect. Hi.” His hand pulls from your waist, coming up to rest against your cheek. “When did you get in?” 

“About an hour ago.” You slide a hand down the outside of his arm, holding his hand to your cheek. You kiss his palm. “I missed you.” 

“Missed you, too,” he says, nearly at a whisper. 

You shuffle so you can wrap your arms around him and burrow deep, holding him as tight as you can. “You’re not allowed to crash planes anymore, okay?”

He chuckles. “No promises, sweetheart.” 

You stand there for a moment, swaying a little. The nurses are kind enough to leave you alone for a second. He smells the same - something warm and sunshiny, with a touch of jet fuel, canvas, and something clean and cozy.

“You scared the fuck outta me.” 

“I’m sorry,” he says. He means it. “I’ve got some stuff I want to talk to you about, too.” 

Your stomach drops and you lean back to look at him. 

“Ah, shit. Sorry. That’s - that’s not how I wanted to phrase that.” He smiles at you and your heart unclenches. “I just wanted to fill you in on a couple of things. But I want to hear about what you’re working on, first.”

He lets you guide him to the bed, where he settles in among the pillows and pulls you with him. 

You curl into his side and start telling him about the project you’re working on at the Pentagon - at least the basic details he’s allowed to know - for a few seconds before he interrupts you. 

“Wait, how did you get here?” 

You twist around to look at him. “Do I need to send you back for more concussion screening?” 

He rolls his eyes. “No, I mean -”

“I got here in a commercial airliner. They’re significantly bigger than the planes you fly, but I think you’ve seen them before? Maybe a Boeing 777?” 

“Shut up. You know what I mean.” 

You smile and relent. “Yeah, alright. My boss said, verbatim, ‘given your highly-decorated boyfriend got blown up in enemy airspace and crash-landed an F-14 on a carrier less than twelve hours ago, you can take a couple of days off.’” 

“He sounds cool.” 

“He’s reasonable.” 

There’s quiet for a moment. You breathe deeply, letting out a long, relieved sigh. Bradley’s fingers trace patterns on your shoulder somewhat absently. 

“Hey,” he says. 

You look up. 

“Does it bug you that we’ve been together so long and I’ve never asked you to marry me?”

You swallow to cover the bolt of adrenaline shot into your system. “You’ve asked me to marry you plenty of times.”

A cup of coffee lands in his hands after a bad night of sleep. You sit beside him, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. 

“Marry me,” he says, smiling.

You laugh. “No.”

He mimes stabbing himself in the gut, twisting and pulling the invisible blade. “You wound me, my lady.”

“Call me when you’ve got a ring, honey.”

And it’s true. Except on paper and in the eyes of the Navy, for all intents and purposes, you’re married. 

“Yeah, but seriously,” he says. He almost sounds concerned. 

You sit up a little, bracing yourself on your arm so you can look at him. “What’s on your mind?”

“Well…” He looks anywhere but you, surprisingly bashful. “I just…I don’t want you to feel that I take you for granted.”

“I don’t feel that way,” you tell him, quickly. “Not at all.”

“I know. But you deserve better than just a long-time boyfriend who’s too busy to get his shit together and lock you down already.”

You huff a laugh. “Last I checked, I’m not dating Jake.”

Bradley rolls his eyes. “You know what I mean. It’s been a long time.”

“Yeah, I do, and it has.” Your free hand shakes as you run it over his collar and down his chest. “But I’m fine, baby. You know that. I’m in no rush.”

“You’ve thought about it, right? Making it official?” He asks. 

The genuine insecurity in his voice makes you smile. “Don’t be stupid. Of course I’ve thought about it. I’ve thought about it since our fourth date.”

“Fourth?” Now he just sounds offended. 

You push at his shoulder. “Fourth. You know what you did on the third.”

He tips his head. You’re right. 

There’s quiet for another moment. 

“Bradley Bradshaw,” you start. He really does have a goofy, delightful name, doesn’t he? “When we’ve got time, we’ll make it happen. I don’t need time or a ring or a wedding when I’ve got you coming home with me after the Navy’s had her way with you.”

“You make us sound like swingers.”

You laugh. “Well, the Navy isn’t your mistress and neither am I, so I’ll leave you to do the math on that one.”

“Fair enough,” he says. He pulls you down beside him and kisses your forehead, tipping your chin up for something a little more proper. It’s easy to melt into him.

“But seriously,” he continues. “I want to marry the hell out of you and I love you. Is that okay?”

“Yeah,” you tell him. “That’s definitely okay.” You pause for a second. “But when you’re actually ready to ask, you better do it for real so I know you’re not joking this time.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

+++

You run into a three-star admiral at the coffee bar later in the evening. He taps your shoulder and says your name. You throw your headphones off your ears and around your neck, looking over at him. 

“Sir?” 

“They call you Chicken, don’t they?” 

You can’t help but smile a little. “Should my ears be burning, sir?” 

“Only a little,” he says. He offers a hand. “Admiral Simpson.” 

You take it. “I’ve heard lots about you, Admiral. My supervisor at the Pentagon was class of ‘93 at Top Gun.” 

“Ah. Thunder is a friend. I’m glad to hear he’s still working his magic over there.” 

“Yes, sir.” 

“Shall we?” He gestures down the hall and you nod, walking a little ahead of him through the door. 

You walk with him in silence for a little while. At this point, you’ve grown immune to the intimidation factor of high-ranking Navy officers (especially pilots). You know they’re all, at least on the inside, little kids who love planes. Plus, anyone who willingly gets into a two-billion-dollar bomb for a day job has to be a little crazy.

“I was talking to Thunder this morning, actually.” 

Your step only falters a little bit, but you wait for him to say more. 

“I hear the work you’re doing at the Pentagon is important.” 

“Yes, sir. I think so.” You offer him a small smile and he returns it. 

He stops a little ways outside Bradley’s door. You join him, keeping your eyes affixed to the nurse schedule on the whiteboard across the way. “I also hear that you request a transfer every time Rooster is stationed somewhere new.” 

You shrug. “I make an effort. Since he’s been overseas so much the last year or so, I’ve settled in at the Pentagon a little bit more.” 

“We spoke a bit this morning about transferring your contract to NIWC Pacific. There are a couple of projects relevant to your current work that we’d like to have you lead down here, if you’re interested.” 

You blink a couple of times. “When would that transfer go into effect?” 

“Not this Monday, but the Monday after. You’d theoretically have the rest of this week off and next week would be spent facilitating the first part of the responsibility transfer among your Pentagon team. Of course, the Navy would be happy to assist with relocation, as your permanent address is also Rooster’s.” He sighs, almost sounding regretful. 

“Sir?” 

“Of course, this would be easier if you were married, but that’s neither here nor there.” He smiles at you and starts to walk away. “Just think about the transfer. Thunder will reach out soon for your official word.”

+++

“So,” Bradley says without preamble, “about Maverick.” 

You look over at him, a question in your eyes.

Bradley seems to struggle with his words for a second. “We both saved each others’ asses out there. I’d be dead without him.” 

There’s silence for a second. You know he’ll get there eventually. 

“He’s the closest thing to a father I remember and it was… weird being around him again.” 

He reaches out and you take his hand. His thumb passes back and forth over your knuckles, treating them almost like a worry stone. 

Bradley flies down the hill on his bike, going way too fast, but he can’t feel fear over the rush of the wind on his face. He pedals faster… faster… faster. 

Before he can blink, he’s upside down, tumbling over the handlebars and onto the asphalt. He lands on his arm and something doesn’t feel right. He licks his lips and wipes his nose of what he’s sure is sweat. It comes off his chin red, dripping onto the pavement. 

He’s stunned, frankly. There’s something in his nine-year-old brain that can’t grasp the concept of his own lack of invincibility. 

All at once, the pain starts and he begins to wail in earnest, yelling for his mom, or Mav, or whoever might be around. 

Maverick hears him first. He’s sitting at the Bradshaws’ kitchen table, nursing a beer in the sunshine from the window. Faster than the jet he flies daily, he rockets out of his seat, throwing the door open and hopping the porch fencing, bracing his fall with his hands before finding his feet again. He can see Bradley down the hill on the street, small and blond and covered in dirt and blood. 

“Mav!”

“I’m coming, buddy! Hold on.”

Pete isn’t even breathless when he gets to Bradley, scooping him onto his hip with one arm and rescuing his bike with the other. 

He can’t bring himself to care that his white v-neck is soaking up the blood from Bradley’s bloody forehead. He holds him tightly, tighter when Bradley burrows further into him. 

“It’s okay, bud. We’ll sort you out.”

Mav opens the door and calls out for Carole, his voice loud but calm. He kisses Bradley’s head and sets him down on the counter next to the sink. “Alright, buddy. Let’s see what we’re working with.”

Bradley’s sobs have calmed to hiccups and he refuses to let go of his arm, hugging it to his body. Mav figures ten minutes won’t matter much for that. 

Carole is admirably calm as she joins them, washing the garden off her hands before retrieving the first aid kit in the bathroom. 

With gentle hands, Mav cleans the dirt out of the cut on Bradley’s forehead and the scrapes on his chin and nose. Carole gives them space after a moment, watching Maverick talk quietly to Bradley, narrating his movement and giving him a hard time about “using the afterburner on the descent.”

It makes her smile. 

“I’m ready for him to be back in my life again, I think. Losing Ice has been…” He pauses. “It’s been hard and weird and I need what’s left of my family, I think.” He looks at you. “What do you think?”

“I think if you’re ready to move on, that’s a good thing.” You think for a moment and add, “I’m glad you and Mav had some time together. It’s been a long time.” 

You sit with Ice in the waiting room. He has a hand on your shoulder, warm and solid. The two of you get to your feet when Bradley returns, looking like he’s aged a decade in the past twenty-four hours. 

“How is she?” You ask. 

He shakes his head. “Fading fast.”

Ice’s hand slides off your shoulder as you leave him, crossing the room to take Bradley in your arms. He holds you tightly, burrowing into you, his eyes squeezing shut. 

His breath catches and you adjust your grip, holding even tighter. Tears land on your shoulder. 

“I’m so sorry, baby.”

He takes a shuddering breath. “She wants to see you if you’re up to it.” He looks over your shoulder. “You too, Uncle Ice.”

You lead the way down the hall, Ice following behind you. He’s like a looming shadow: lean, strong, and intimidating. 

Carole looks awfully small, but they’ve removed all the tubes and wires. She smiles at you, soft, before her gaze shifts to Ice. 

“Come here, you two.”

You take a seat to her left, by her head. Ice takes the one next to you. Carole holds his hand.

“I’ve asked Bradley to consider forgiving Pete, but I know he won’t for a long time.” She pauses. “You two are the only family he has left, in his mind. I know you’ll take care of him, but you need to take care of each other, too.”

“You got it, Carole,” Ice says, the side of his mouth lifting in a handsome, crooked smile. “Mav’s at our wing, too. Flying low-vis.”

She smiles at you, sharing a moment only the Navy-adjacent can truly appreciate. Her gaze grows serious and she looks at Ice. “Get Bradley back home and call Maverick, please. He’s the only one allowed to be here when I die.”

You’ll never forget the look of hollow grief on Maverick’s face when you saw him for the first time the next morning. You were left alone as Bradley brushed past him without a word and stepped into the room to see his mother’s body, to say goodbye. 

Maverick doesn’t speak and neither do you. When Bradley returns, Maverick reaches out. 

Bradley pulls away with a roll of his shoulder, taking your hand. “C’mon,” he says to you. “There’s a lot of stuff to do.” 

You don’t see Maverick, watching you go, feeling more alone than he has in his entire life. 

“Yeah. It’s nice to understand him a little bit better as an adult.” He shrugs. “I really hated him for pulling my papers but I know he was just…” He heaves a sigh. “He’s just trying to do right by me, I think. I didn’t get that before.” 

“That’s understandable.” You trace little patterns on his shirt. “He hurt you, held you back. You’d be insane not to be at least a little mad.” 

He hums again. “I guess. I did meet you, though, so it’s not all bad.” 

“No?” You ask, smiling. “Not all bad?” 

“No,” he replies. He presses a kiss to your forehead. “And I was thinking about how shitty I’ve been about that - I can’t imagine how me griping about my wasted time at UVA made you feel. I’m really sorry.” 

You shake your head. “I understood the implicit exception.” 

“It was still insensitive. Mav said something about that today and it kind of clicked. So…” He sighs. “I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like it was a mistake or a fluke that I met you.” 

“You’re the dumbest man alive, you know that?” You pat his chest. “And don’t you think I would have told you if that hurt my feelings?” 

He snorts. “Now, yeah. Ten years ago? No.” 

“Fair enough,” you reply, squeezing his hand. 

He smiles. “I guess what I’m really saying is, be nice to him. I’m sure he’ll want to get to know you.” 

“Alright. I’ll do my best.” You return his smile and kiss the back of his hand. “I love you, you know.” 

“I do know that, yes,” he replies with a smile. “And I love you.” 

+++

Bradley reaches for his phone and you hand it to him without looking up from your tablet. 

“I can get it, you know. I’m not actually injured.” 

You smile sweetly at him and he rolls his eyes. He fires off a text to Hangman. 

9:03pm I need a favor. 

Jake replies immediately. 9:03pm I just saved your life and you need another favor?

9:03pm It’s easy I promise.

Jake doesn’t reply, so Bradley sends his request anyway. 

9:04pm Can you or Mav grab Chims and take her to the hotel? She needs to sleep and I need to make a phone call before it gets too late.

The response is instant. 9:04pm Wait are you finally pulling the trigger??? 

Bradley stuffs his grin. 9:05pm If you say anything, I’ll ironically kill you. 

9:05pm I always wanted an unironic and heroic death. Just for that, you get Mav. 

9:05pm Thanks. Seriously dont say anything i swear 

He sends another text to a friend, Lt. Gavin “Stub” Alonso in Virginia - one who has keys to your shared apartment. 

9:05pm Are you still up/can you help me with something?

Stub replies promptly, thankfully. 9:05pm I’m up. All good in SD? 

9:06pm All good. Need a favor. Can you drive to the apt and call me? 9:06pm I need something shipped ASAP. 

9:07pm Easy. I’ll be there in 20 mins. 

He gets a final text from Hangman. 9:07pm I wont!! Who do you think I am? 9:07pm Don’t answer that.

Bradley puts his phone down and leans back against the pillows. “Hey, when’s the last time you slept?” 

“What?” You look over at him again looking admittedly a little dazed.

“I asked when’s the last time you slept.”

“I slept last night. Why?”

“I just know you’re still on East Coast time, so I wanted to make sure that you’re able to get back to the hotel tonight.”

You clamber out of the chair, setting your tablet aside, and sit next to him on the bed. “I’m fine.” You offer a pinkie to him. “I promise.”

He smiles and links his pinkie with yours, twisting your linked fingers to kiss the back of your hand. “I believe you, but you need to get some sleep.”

“Alright, fine. I’ll walk off base and call an Uber or something.” You hop off the side of the bed and start gathering your things. 

Bradley chases after you, grabbing you around the waist and kissing your neck. “I called in a favor. Stay put.” 

“Bradley,” you ask, “who are you inconveniencing this evening?” 

He shrugs, playfully pulling you closer. “Nobody important.” 

The two of you mess around, quipping back and forth a little longer than you realized. 

“I can come back,” comes a playful chirp from the door.

The two of you freeze and look toward the door - Bradley’s holding your phone in the air with one hand while you attempt to climb him like a tree. You’ve got an elbow digging into his shoulder while your legs wrap around his waist. 

Maverick’s in the doorway, leaning with his arms crossed and a smile on his face. 

You slide down and get your feet under you while Bradley wordlessly hands your phone over. 

“Hey, Mav,” Bradley says with a rueful grin, his hand rising to needlessly run over the back of his neck. “Thanks for the ride.” 

Maverick snorts. “Ride’s not for you, kiddo. You’re stuck here until morning.” 

“What?” Bradley says, a smile on his face. “I can’t be polite?” 

You look between them, feeling more than a little out of the loop. Strangely, you’re also looking forward to getting to know Maverick a little better now. 

Grabbing your bag, you give Bradley a quick kiss before shuttling him back into bed with a few gentle shoves. He pulls you back before you can get too far, running the back of his fingers over your cheek and pulling you in for another kiss. 

“Goodnight. I love you.” 

You smile, winking at him. “I love you too. Get some sleep.” 

+++

Tonight won’t be the night you get to know Maverick, apparently. He takes your bag as soon as you’re outside, strapping it to the back of his bike and replacing the helmet that used to sit there. He hands the helmet to you and helps you get it on, tightening the strap under your chin. 

You raise the visor. “Where’s yours?” 

He smiles. “Don’t have one. This,” he says, tapping the side of your head, “is for my protection as much as yours. I just got Bradley back and I’m not about to screw it up now.” 

You smile, letting him help you onto the back of the bike. 

He mounts up and starts the engine, zipping up his bomber jacket. You study the patches for a second before tentatively placing your hands around Maverick’s waist, leaning into him as he settles the bike, kicking up the kickstand. 

“Ready?” He asks. 

You nod, but quickly realize he can’t see you. “Yep! All good.” 

He covers one of your hands with his, pulling it into his shearling-lined pocket. There’s a lump of bunched fabric where you guess 30 years of passengers have held on for dear life. You take the lining in a tight fist, matching the hold with your other hand. Maverick pats your hand, satisfied. “Hang on tight.” 

+++

Stubs calls Bradley about two minutes after you leave. 

“Hey man, perfect timing,” Bradley says with a smile. “Thanks for helping me out.”

“Hey, look. As long as you’re getting what I think you’re getting, we’re all good. I still owe you from Oahu.” Stubs doesn’t even sound tired, which isn’t a surprise. He’s always been a night owl. 

Bradley tips his head. “I think we’re on the same page. So, head up to our room and into the closet. I have a chest of drawers on the left side.” 

There’s quiet while Stubs climbs the stairs. He can hear the closet slide open and the light turn on. “Damn, is she always this tidy?” 

Bradley snorts. “No.” 

“Just checking.” There’s a brief pause. “Okay, I’m here.” 

“Alright check the bottom drawer first.” Bradley sits up, resting his elbow on his knee and his forehead settled on his hand.  

“Are you telling me you don’t know where it is?” 

Bradley rolls his eyes. “I literally put it there over a year ago and I ran two three-month assignments overseas and a special detachment recall since then. Gimme a break.” 

“Fine. Okay. Bottom drawer.” There’s silence while he looks. “Do you guys seriously have two vibrat- never mind.” 

“Sorry.” 

“Nothing in here that looks like…a velvet box? Right? That’s what I’m looking for?” 

“Yeah. Try the next drawer. Shouldn’t be anything questionable in there.” 

Another pause. “Holy shit. Is this all your dad and Maverick’s stuff?” 

Bradley nods, closing his eyes and trying to picture the box, where he’d last seen it to hide it from you. “Yeah. It should be with the patches back there, I think” 

 “Sweet. Let me put you down a second.” 

There’s a bit of shuffling and then a little triumphant sound. Another shuffle. “I got it.” 

“Please make sure the ring is in there.” 

Stubs laughs. “It’s here. Damn, man. This looks great. She’s gonna love it.” 

“Thanks.” Bradley smiles to himself. “Can you get it same-day or overnight? I’ll give you the address. It’ll be out in the Mohave so I can avoid base mixups.” 

“Consider it done.”

+++

Maverick pulls the bike up in front of the hotel and you remove your helmet, shaking your head. You take Mav’s offered hand and dismount, unclipping your bag from the storage in back. 

“Thanks, Mav.” 

He steps off the bike and relieves you of your helmet. “Of course. Can I come get you tomorrow? I’ll have one of the boys bring Rooster’s car to the hospital before he’s due to get out.” 

“Sure. Thanks.” You hike the strap of your bag a little higher on your shoulder. “Hey, um.” 

He looks at you, his eyebrows high. 

“I’m sorry I was rude earlier. Bradley told me that you guys have kind of… figured your stuff out.” 

Maverick smiles, crooked and handsome. “I’d like to think so.” He takes a breath. “I’m glad he met you at UVA. Makes me feel better.” 

“Me too.” You offer him a smile and to your own surprise, reach out for a hug. He returns it, warm and kind. “Goodnight.” 

“Goodnight. Shoot me a text in the morning.” 

“I’m not sure I -”

“Bradley put it in while you were in the bathroom.” 

You smile again, wide and bright. “Of course he did.” 

+++

You wake up earlier than expected, no doubt still stuck on Eastern time, and fire off a text to the “Dagger Squad + Chim - Mav” group chat. The name, obviously, wasn’t your idea. 

On a whim, you change it when you send your message.

6:34am Breakfast? You changed the name of the group to “Dagger Squad Jr.”

Jake Seresin changed the name of the group to “Dagger Squad but on Land”

Bob Floyd changed the name of the group to “Why are we changing it???”

You sit and watch the small notifications come in. 

Tasha Trace changed the name of the group to “Dagger Squadron OSS”

You ask a question. 6:37am OSS?

Jake Seresin 6:37am Operational Support Staff

Coyote Machado 6:38am ^^^^

Reuben Fitch 6:38am When’s breakfast? 

Fanboy Garcia 6:39am Where’s breakfast? 

You reply. 6:40am Who’s breakfast?

Jake Seresin 6:40am Why’s breakfast?

Your heart leaps a little bit when Bradley replies. 

Bradley Love ❤️ 6:41am Some of us are trying to sleep in. Bradley Love ❤️ changed the name of the group to “Dagger Fuckheads”

Jake Seresin 6:41am Too fuckin bad. 6:41am I like that one. Keep it. 

Tasha Trace sent a gif. 

Bob Floyd 6:42am Who’s that?

Coyote Machado 6:42am Kim Kardashian hitting her sister with her purse. 

Jake Seresin 6:42am You’re lucky I’m feeling nice this morning and will choose to forget that you know that. 

You fire off another reply. 6:43am Jake……….You also know who that is. 

Jake Seresin 6:43am No comment. 

Bradley Love ❤️ 6:44am I’m muting you guys. Text me if you actually need something.

You smile. 6:44am Look what you guys did omg

Tasha Trace 6:45am I’m game for breakfast. 

Reuben Fitch 6:45am Chims - have you been to the Henry? 

You shake your head, alone in your room. 6:45am Nope. A favorite? 

Tasha Trace 6:46am Oooooooh good call. 6:46am Definitely a favorite. And it’s right next to base. 

Fanboy Garcia 6:47am Are we inviting Mav? 

You reply. 6:47am He’s supposed to give me a lift to the hospital later. Who’s dropping Rooster’s car? 

Tasha Trace 6:48am Me. @Jake Seresin can you come get me from the hospital at 0750?

Jake Seresin 6:48am Yeah I can get you. Probably still beat everyone to the Henry too lmao

Bob Floyd 6:49am Better you than me, Phoenix. Hangman’s driving scares the fuck out of me. 

Jake Seresin 6:49am Everything scares the fuck out of you.

Tasha Trace 6:50am Fuck you be nice

Jake Seresin 6:50am No ❤️

You roll your eyes and reply again. 6:51am So who’s coming to get me

Reuben Fitch 6:52am I’ll come get you. Are you at the lodge? 

You reply promptly. 6:52am Yeah. 6:53am Okay y’all. Meet @ 0800 at The Henry.

Finally rolling out of bed, you give Maverick a call. 

“Good morning!” he says, answering on the third ring. “You’re up early.” 

“So are you,” you point out. “Any interest in breakfast at 0800 at The Henry?”

He makes a noise. “I’m out already. I’ll be back on land around ten. Want to head to the hospital then?”

“Sounds good to me. Thanks, Mav.” 

“Of course.” 

+++

Maverick is still out on the boat with Penny and Amelia when he gets a call from Bradley. 

“Hey, you okay?” He has to shout over the noise of the water. 

“All good. Are you going out to the desert in the next couple of days?”

Mav checks in with Penny, who smiles at him and takes the wheel. Ducking into the cabin, he closes the little door behind him and falls onto the couch. “I’m headed out there this weekend. Why?”

“I’m getting something sent over there and I was wondering if you’d be okay going to pick it up or…?” 

“Bradley Bradshaw…” Maverick starts, a smile on his face. “Now, what on earth could you be shipping to my place in the desert?”

Bradley laughs. “It could be something that looks like jewelry…but I already threatened to kill Jake if he said anything.” 

“I won’t say anything. I was planning on inviting Dagger over to the hangar this weekend for some fun, anyway. I can give it to you then and get some of your dad’s stuff to camouflage it.” 

Mav still has a bunch of Goose’s stuff from Annapolis. Carole never wanted any of it back in the interest of keeping some storage space free in the house and Bradley inherited everything she had. 

“Sounds perfect. Thanks again, Mav.” 

“Anytime, kiddo. I’ll see you later when I bring your lady over.” 

+++

“That is absolutely not what happened,” Coyote says, setting down his coffee. “I’m the only one who got the climb-out on the first try!”

Jake snorts. “Yeah…and you went into G-lock and almost burned in doing it.” 

“That was so fuckin’ scary, dude,” Fanboy says. “We really thought you were a goner.” 

You lean forward, feeling strangely settled amongst the Dagger team (a moniker they’ve taken beyond the special detachment and will probably keep for the rest of their careers - you’ve even heard mutterings about making patches for their jackets) even without Bradley by your side. “So, what did happen?” 

“I finished the course and made it into exfil but I just couldn’t swing the Gs the first time, you know?” Coyote replies. “The thing is though, my little victory was totally overshadowed by the bird strike that put Phoenix and Bob in the hospital.” 

You blink a couple of times. You must have missed that in Bradley’s daily updates. “You’re kidding.” 

“Nah,” Phoenix says. “We got ambushed by some birds, both engines went out, and we had to bail. Mav saved our ass, I swear. He was babysitting everyone in the air that day.” 

Coyote shakes his head. “It was so smart, though. He told you guys to bail at just the right time and he pulled tone on me to try and get me unlocked. I dunno how he thinks of this stuff.” 

“At least you guys will know what to do next time, though, yeah?” You ask. 

“Definitely,” Payback says. “Throwing tone on someone in G-lock went straight into my toolbox, I dunno about you guys.” 

“Same,” Jake says, his mouth full of french toast. 

Bob nods. “I’ll always recommend that if I’m in that situation again, yeah.” 

More talk about training floats around the table for a while before Jake sits back, throwing his napkin on his plate. “So Miss Not-Bradshaw, what have you been up to in the last few weeks?” 

Phoenix snorts into her glass of orange juice.

“First of all,” you reply, “take that up with Bradley, not me.” 

That gets a laugh out of the table. 

“Secondly, I’ve been working on some highly-classified white pages for SecDef and SecNav, so they’ve been keeping me busy.” 

“That sounds interesting,” Bob says, his eyes kind and intrigued behind his glasses. 

You smile. “I actually provided the one-pager for your mission. It was one of my colleagues at the NSA that found the uranium enrichment plant and figured the timeline.” 

“No way!” Payback reaches over Phoenix and gives your shoulder a shake. “That’s amazing! So did you know what Rooster was going to be doing or?” 

You shake your head. “No. That part was outside of the scope of my work, but I knew he was headed back to North Island a couple days after I submitted my analysis. I took a few guesses from there.” 

“It’s cool that you can have at least some perspective,” Payback says. “I know my girl’s been in the dark from the jump.” 

You hum once. “I can’t imagine. I mean…” You think for a second. “I know enough to be very concerned, but not enough to ease it, you know? I’d almost rather not know anything at all.” 

“I can see that,” Fanboy says. “Kind of a no-news-is-good-news-thing, yeah?” 

“Exactly.”

“So what’d they tell you to get you out here?” Jake asks.

You grin at him. “My boss handed me a boarding pass, said Bradley wasn’t dead, and told me to thank you upon arrival.” 

“Oh my god,” Phoenix says with a laugh. “I would have flipped out.” 

“I did! I didn’t even pack - I just grabbed my overnight bag for late nights at the office and hauled my ass to Dulles.”

Jake grins. “Well, we’re sure glad you’re here.” 

You throw a potato wedge at him. 

+++

The boys whoop and holler when Maverick pulls up to The Henry with his bike and tosses you the helmet. You hop on, holding tight to Mav’s jacket. You can see his smile from over his shoulder as he waves to his students, his colleagues, his team. 

You can absolutely see yourself, once again, as a member of Bradley’s extended family. 

It feels good.

+++

“What’s the prognosis?” You ask, sitting on the edge of the bed. Bradley sits beside you, tying his boots. 

The doctor smiles. “Nothing but probably terminal foolishness.” She checks his charts again before confirming. “No serious head trauma, just two small burns under his ear and on his forearm. Keep an eye on those for infection.” She flips some pages again. “If anything doesn’t feel quite right, Lt. Bradshaw, please give us a call.” 

“Thank you, Captain.” Bradley stands. He offers his hand and she shakes it. “I appreciate your work and your thoroughness to keep me in good shape, ma’am.” 

“Of course, Lieutenant.” She hands him a folder. “There are your discharge papers. You are good to go.” She looks at you. “Take some time to review that with Lt. Bradshaw as well, if he’s comfortable with that.” 

“Absolutely, ma’am.” You look at Bradley, briefly, with a smile. “I’ll keep an eye on him” 

+++

“Do you mind if we stop somewhere before going back to the hotel? It’s kind of a pain in the ass because it’s off the island, but…” You trail off.  

Bradley shakes his head, his eyes on the road behind his sunglasses. “Not at all. Where to, m’lady?” 

You almost feel back for bringing down the room. “Can we visit Ice? I haven’t gotten a chance to pay my respects yet.” 

As expected, Bradley’s expression sobers. He kisses the back of your hand, bringing it up from where he holds it over the console. “Of course.” 

He makes a couple of turns, hopping onto the bridge, then the highway before getting off to wind through the curving roads of Point Loma. 

“Want to visit the lighthouse while we’re here? It’s a nice day. We could walk it.” 

You nod. “That sounds nice.” 

Bradley checks into base and parks, walking around the car to open your door and hold your hand as you get out. You don’t let go as you step onto the grass, letting him lead you to the gravesite of a man who was effectively another father and uncle to him. 

From what he’s told you, both Iceman and Maverick stepped up after his father died, tag-teaming where they could. Maverick was around a little more, but Ice was there, unfailing, for every baseball game, piano recital, and ceremony. From what you saw, Bradley deeply admired and respected his father’s classmate, called him and his wife “Uncle Ice” and “Aunt Sarah,” and never went a week without a phone call. 

Unlike Maverick, Ice was also there through college, OCS, and flight training. While you’re privately certain that Mav, Ice, and Carole collaborated on his Naval Academy sabotage back in 2004, Bradley’s always been firmly of the mind that it was all Maverick’s doing. It wasn’t your job to manage his anger or resentment, but it might be time for another conversation about that. 

You reach the stone, easily recognizable by the new, bright, white finish. Bradley releases your hand, standing at attention when he reaches the stone, offering a crisp salute. He takes one deep breath before his hand drops from his forehead, slow and controlled. 

THOMAS KAZANSKY “ICEMAN” ADMIRAL UNITED STATES NAVY

COMMANDER OF U.S. PACIFIC FLEET FLYING CROSS BRONZE STAR NOVEMBER 13TH, 1959 - DECEMBER 9TH, 2018

The two of you stand in silence for a little while. You’d known Ice well, spending holidays with his formidably-sized family once you and Bradley were established and attending various keynote speakers in your career contracted with the Navy. Before just now, you didn’t think you knew him well enough to deeply miss him, but your chest hurts. 

“One thing about Ice,” Bradley told you, walking up the path to the big house on the hill, “is that he’s loyal. He’ll rain hell on anyone that threatens his family and always goes back for his wingman.” 

“Did the cancer come back?” 

Bradley shakes his head. “I didn’t ask. I figured though. Mav went to see him a couple of days before he died.” 

“I’m so sorry for your loss, baby.” 

“Me too.” He takes you under his arm. “He loved you, you know. He always gave me shit for keeping you on the hook without a ring.” 

“I cannot believe you have not asked that young lady to marry you, yet,” Ice says, sitting down behind his desk and steepling his fingers. 

Bradley sighs, running a hand through his hair. “I just haven’t found the right moment.” 

“I know.” Ice smiles at him. “If you keep with that attitude, you’ll never find the right one. What’s it been, now? Six, seven years?” He tips his head. “You better hope she doesn’t wise up to your bullshit.” 

“I know.” Bradley sits down on the couch under the bay window. “I just want to do it right.” 

Ice stands, crossing the room to join Bradley with a pat on the knee. “I tried to make it perfect for Sarah, but at the end of the day, it’s just for you two. It doesn’t have to be right, it doesn't have to be exactly as you or she pictured it.” 

Bradley watches him remember, the softness of his face, the fondness in his eyes. It makes him smile. 

“All that ring does,” Ice continues, “is show her you love her and want to be stuck with her until you die.” 

“It sounds so romantic when you say it like that,” Bradley laughs. 

Ice shrugs good-naturedly. “Word on the street is your dad hopped out of a plane on his first training mission, dropped to his knee, and proposed to your mother on the spot.” 

He’s right. Carole told Bradley about it. 

“Thanks, Ice.” 

“Of course, son. I’ll always be here for you. You know that.” 

You laugh, smiling at the stone. “And here you are, flaunting him even in death.” 

Bradley kisses your temple. 

+++

On your way to the lighthouse, the wind picks up, buffeting into you. Bradley releases your hand, pulling you close with an arm around your shoulders. 

There aren’t many people out, so the walk is relatively quiet. 

“Y’know, honey, I was thinking,” you start, staring at the path under your feet as you continue along. You hesitate. “I’m not sure how to say this diplomatically.” 

You can almost hear Bradley raise his eyebrows. “I thought we were past diplomacy.” 

“I know, it’s just…It’s about your mom.” 

Bradley steers you off the path and to a bench conveniently placed on the grass, facing the ocean. He sits down, angling his body toward you and his arm extended, fingers brushing against your shoulder. “What’s on your mind?” 

“I was thinking about what you said - about Maverick pulling your papers. And I know I don’t know him like you do, but -” You cut yourself off. “He doesn’t strike me as the kind of person to…take initiative like that.” 

Bradley’s eyes wander to the grass, then out to sea. He’s obviously considering what you said, but you’re not sure if he’s going where you’re leading him. 

“I just -” You take another breath. “I don’t think I would want my kid in an F-35 if I lost my husband in an F-14, you know?” 

Bradley’s brow furrows. 

“I think you should at least ask him about it. He doesn’t strike me as the type to overstep in that direction on his own, he does seem like the type who would protect your relationship with your remaining parent, especially if he still feels responsible for your dad.” 

You reach for him and he comes back to you, holding you close as you scoot over and rest your head on his chest, listening to his heart. 

“Yeah,” he says, finally. “I’ll ask him about it.” 

+++

Dagger Fuckheads Jake Seresin 2:41pm Dinner tonight? Mav’s buying.

You and Bradley look at each other, reaching for your phones. 

“Want to go?” He asks. 

You nod. “I could go. I don’t have anything better to do.” 

Bradley replies. 2:43pm Chims and I are in! Where and when?

Jake Seresin 2:43pm Mav says dinner at his place at 1800 and then drinks at Penny’s when we’re done. 

“Sounds good to me. What about you?” Bradley asks. 

You nod and reply to confirm. 2:44pm We’re there! 

+++

“So, Mav,” Phoenix says, putting down her fork. “When do we get to go out to the desert and see your P-51?” 

Maverick smiles. “You’re all welcome anytime. I’m headed out there this weekend.” 

“No way!” Fanboy says. “You have a mustang out there?” 

“Hell yeah,” Maverick says. “You can fly it if you promise to take care of her.” 

All the lieutenants share a glance. Hangman finally confirms, “We’re in.” 

+++

You sense, rather than hear, Maverick come up behind you as you stare at the photos above the sink. There’s one of Penny, tucked behind a photo of Carole and Goose. She couldn’t be more than twenty-five, smiling at you from out of the Polaroid. There’s another Polaroid of her nearby, a much-younger Maverick kissing her cheek outside one of the buildings at Miramar. 

You reach out to another photo, gently brushing over the image of Iceman grinning at the camera in his dress whites and sunglasses. Maverick stands beside him, an equally bright smile on his face. 

“That was Ice’s wedding,” Mav says. 

You hum. “I’ve seen this picture before. It’s on - or…” You pause. “At least, uh, it was on his desk at home.”

Maverick steps up beside you, pointing out photos of Bradley and Ice you’d missed before. Your favorite, by far, is one of Ice hitting a baseball and Bradley ducking on the pitcher’s mound to avoid impact. 

“After Bradley and I were firmly an item, we spent every Christmas with Ice and Sarah,” you tell him, unprompted. 

“I know,” Mav says simply. “He loved having you both there.”

You smile. “He spoke so highly of you, Mav. He would always tell stories that ended with one of you heroically saving the day.”

Maverick has to smile at that. His eyes wander to a photo taken after one of their many missions together, Ice’s hair wild from his helmet. 

“I know that he tried to honor and respect Bradley’s anger, of course, but I know cutting you off hurt him, too.” You smile a little. “I think he knew that hearing his stories about you made it a little harder to dislike you. I think he figured I needed something else to round out what Bradley told me.” 

“There was one time,” Ice recalls, “when Bradley was little, that I thought Maverick had truly gone insane.” 

“Oh?” You ask. It’s not rare to hear stories with and about Maverick, but they’re usually of the heroic-endeavors variety, rather than stories of Bradley’s childhood.

The two of you sit out on the porch, watching the sunset. Bradley, of course, is in assisting Sarah with dinner. You offered your help, as did Ice, but Sarah practically kicked you out, claiming, “While you’re both nice to look at, you’re in the way.” 

“Mav volunteered to be the coach of Bradley’s little league team.” Ice shakes his head. “I’d never seen him throw himself into something like that. Carole had to tell him to tone it down.” Ice pauses. “Bradley was a helluva ballplayer though. He’s always been patient, attentive. Good qualities for everything, but especially baseball and flying.” 

Ice looks over his shoulder, satisfied that you’re alone. “The two of them are more alike than they’d like to admit.” He looks at you. “I was about to say, I wish you could know him. However, knowing me and knowing Bradley tells you more about him than he’d ever like anyone to know, for better or worse.” 

Maverick looks at you for a second. “Can I show you something?”

You nod, dragging your eyes from the photo. Mav takes you to the corner, where a cup full of challenge coins sits on the counter. He pulls a frame from the shelf, bringing a photo down from its place. 

To your shock, it’s a photo of you and Bradley graduating from UVA. Your matching orange stoles stand out brightly against your black gowns and the green grass behind you. 

Bradley holds you close to his side, kissing your temple as you look at the camera with a smile. 

“Sarah took this one, didn’t she?” You ask, looking over at Maverick. You remember the moment well, but it’s only now you realize you’ve never seen the picture before. Your eyes fall on pictures of Bradley through the years - his high school baseball photos, his NROTC and college graduation portraits, Bradley and Ice standing together at Bradley’s OCS commencement…

He always looked out for him. All these years. 

Maverick replies, pulling you from your thoughts. “She sent me a copy. I have a couple more from Christmases, too. You landed in the New Years’ newsletter more than once.”

“Wait a second.”

You turn around, finding Jake squinting at another photo on the shelf.

He points to one “Is this you?”

You walk over, brow furrowed. Lo and behold, it’s a Kazansky Christmas card, dated 2010. You sit on the arm of the sofa next to Bradley, mirrored by Ice’s daughter on the other side. The two Kazansky boys take the other two seats on the couch, their now-wives seated on the ground in front of them, forming a cozy picture with Ice and Sarah behind you all. 

“Yep, that’s me,” you tell him. “That was when I was in my masters and Bradley was in OCS.”

It’s like you aren’t even there as Hangman calls over his shoulder. “Rooster!” 

“Yeah?” Bradley trots over, meeting your eyes with a questioning glance. You shrug. Maverick joins you, standing at your side with his arms crossed and a funny little look on his face. 

“How long have you guys been together, exactly?” Hangman asks, a grin blossoming on his face. 

Bradley knows he’s already in trouble. “Well,” he answers diplomatically. “If you ask me, we started dating in February of 2005. If you ask her,” he points at you, “we started dating in August of 2005.”

“Correct me if I’m wrong-“

He’s not going to be wrong, is he?

“- but that’s thirteen years.”

Bradley’s hand rises to his neck. “Yeah.”

Hangman turns to you. “Jesus Christ you’re either a saint or an idiot and I can’t decide which.”

“We’ve been busy!” Your voice sounds shrill and defense even to your ears. 

“For thirteen years straight?” Hangman doesn’t wait for an answer before moving on. “Hey, Siri!” There’s a series of beeps from his phone, connected to Mav’s speaker. “Play Slow Ride by Foghat.”

You bite back your laugh as Jake turns around again with a wicked grin. 

“God, I love this song.”

+++

“Ready, baby?” Rooster’s voice rumbles in your ears through the headphones. 

You turn on your mic. “Let’s go!” 

“Alright. Hang on tight.” 

The P-51 accelerates down the runway and Bradley hauls it into the air, the Gs pressing you into the seat. 

“How many Gs can this thing pull?”

You can almost see his smile from behind as he answers you with a laugh, adjusting one of the countless switches and knobs in front of him. “Not enough.”

“That doesn't answer my question!” It takes a little more effort to get the words out with the pressure on your chest, but you know it’s nothing compared to the F-18. 

As expected, Bradley’s voice is still even and cool through the mic. “It tops out around six or seven. We’re only pulling three and a half right now, but it’ll ease up in a second. Take a deep breath.”

You follow instructions, letting your head and body press into the seat as you close your eyes. You remember how he taught you to breathe years ago when you felt like you were suffocating in broad daylight in a Cessna.

The plane levels out and you already feel better, taking one more deep breath before opening your eyes. 

“Oh my god.”

You’re thousands of feet in the air, looking down on Death Valley and the surrounding desert. 

“Beautiful, right?” Bradley asks. “Ready?” 

“For what?” 

You don’t get a response, but let out a yelp as you go inverted, flying upside down a mile over the brown hills and bright orange California poppies. 

“Relax,” he says with a laugh. “Enjoy the view.” 

It’s a strange feeling, to be looking up and down at the same time. It is, however, easy to see how this feeling can be addictive. Even at relatively low speeds, you feel alive with the plane’s frame around, Bradley’s gentle hands holding you all aloft. 

Bradley glides into a loop, correcting the inversion with ease. You let yourself relax again, looking out the canopy to find where the mountains meet the sky. The plane arcs in a wide circle, headed back to the hangar. 

“I can see why you love this so much,” you tell him. 

He reaches back with one hand and you take it. He squeezes once before letting you go. “Happy you’re here with me, baby.”

When you get back to Maverick’s place, you notice Bradley looking down at the runway. You follow suit, finding Dagger Squad standing just outside the hangar. You can’t quite see details from up here, but it looks like they’re watching you. 

“Hey, babe?” You ask. 

Bradley’s head tilts a bit. “Yeah?”

“I think you should remind them why you’re Dagger Two.”

You can see him, but you’re sure he’s grinning. You can hear it. “Alright. Hang tight, honey.”

Bradley’s hand flies forward on the throttle and you’re pressed back into your seat with a laugh. He swoops down over the hills, taking a hard bank before climbing high and barrel-rolling twice. 

You can’t stop laughing, only losing your breath once or maybe three times. He pulls a few more maneuvers that have your stomach twisting and dropping. The sound of his trained, measured breath in your ears keeps you glued to time and space. 

He gets back to wings-level and checks in with you. “You still with me back there?”

You swallow, laughing a little again. “I’m good.”

“I owe Mav some fuel, but that was fun.” He banks again, gentler this time, and starts the descent down to the runway. The landing is smooth, hardly jostling you as you settle back on the ground. When the canopy opens, Bradley stands and gets out, holding his hand out to lend you an assist. 

You feel a little wobbly when you get your feet on the asphalt again, but Bradley grabs you around the waist, pulling you close. He’s somehow already removed his helmet and lends a hand with yours. 

Dagger Squad rushes the two of you and Jake claps you on the shoulder. “I thought for sure you were gonna puke.”

“Thanks for your overwhelming vote of confidence.”

Bradley’s still grinning from ear to ear. Mav saunters out of the hangar with a smile on his face and hands in his pockets. “Not too bad for a rookie,” he says. 

“Pretty sure they’ll revoke that thing once you get your AARP card. Flying’s dangerous, you know.” 

Maverick frowns and checks over his shoulder, looking left, then right. 

“What’re you lookin’ at, Mav?” Bob asks. 

Mav looks at Bradley. “I’m trying to find who the hell Rooster thinks he’s talking to.” 

Bradley grins and throws his helmet at Mav, who catches it easily. “It is a sweet ride, though.” 

+++

“Hey Bradley, let me get your help with this,” Maverick calls from across the hangar. 

Bradley stands, setting his beer down on the little coffee table. “‘Scuse me, folks. I’ve been summoned.”

“Hey, excuse me, sir, there’s a tax for that,” you remind him, looking up from your seat in the armchair. 

With a smile, he gives you a quick kiss and jets off to find Mav in the back. 

Jake scoffs. 

You look at him. “Can I help you?” 

“Y’all are gross.”

With a sigh, you shift in your seat, leaning forward to condescendingly place a hand on his knee. “One day, Jake, you will love someone who misses you when you’re gone and you, too, will be gross.” 

Bradley looks over his shoulder before he reaches the archway to Mav’s back “office.” The image of you sitting with his team, chatting like you’ve known each other all your lives, warms his heart. 

“Bradley?” Mav calls quieter than before. 

Bradley finally rounds the corner, grabbing the arch and swinging wide through the turn. “Yessir.” 

Mav holds up a first-class box and grins. “I think it’s here.” 

The two of them open the box, trying to keep the noise of the bubble wrap to a dull roar. Inside, the small, navy-blue velvet box smiles up at them, nestled deep in the packaging. 

“Can I see?” Mav asks. 

Bradley nods. 

With similar care to a father holding his newborn for the first time, Maverick takes the box into his hand and opens it with the smallest of worn pops. 

There’s silence for a moment, followed by a swell of laughter from the hangar. 

“It’s beautiful, Brad. She’s going to love it.” 

Bradley tips his head. “I hope so.” He pauses. “Can I ask you something?” 

“Of course.” Maverick meets his eyes, open and receptive. 

“Was it your idea to pull my papers?” 

Maverick sighs, looking down for a second before returning Bradley’s steady gaze. That’s pretty much all the answer Bradley needs, but still Maverick says, “Yes. It was my idea.” 

He’s always been a shit liar. 

“My mom asked you to do it, didn’t she?” 

Mav’s jaw flexes. 

“Pete,” Carole says, looking at him from the couch. She leans forward and Maverick mirrors her, the use of his first name somewhat unsettling. He glances at the clock. Bradley’s at baseball practice for another hour or so, at least. 

“Yeah?” 

“I got some bad news today.” 

Maverick’s heart drops to his stomach and he immediately stands to cross the room, sitting next to her on the couch. 

She continues, taking his hand. “I’m sick. They’re sure it’s some kind of cancer but they’re doing some more tests. I have to go back tomorrow for a PET scan. They do know it’s serious.” 

Tears, unbidden, jump into Maverick’s eyes. He can’t speak. 

“Oh, Mav.” Carole cups his face with her ever-gentle hands. “Mav, it’ll be okay.” 

He clears his throat. “Do they have any ideas about… treatments, or…?” 

She shrugs, looking off somewhere across the room. “They’ll know more after this week. The doctor told me it could be months, maybe years, but he determined that it is terminal.” 

A set of tears fall down Maverick’s cheeks, dripping gracelessly off his chin. 

With a sigh, she adds, “I would really like to see Bradley graduate from college, but... Speaking of…” She trails off. 

The muscle in Mav’s jaw jumps several times before he speaks again. “What can I do?” 

“Bradley applied to the Naval Academy,” she replies, shaking her head. “I can’t - I can’t have him in a jet, Maverick. I won’t do it.” 

“Carole, he’s an -” 

“Don’t tell me he’s an adult, Pete. Look at him.” She throws a hand to the most recent school portrait on the mantle. “He’s not ready and I’ll never be ready.” 

Again, Mav asks, “What can I do.” 

She’s quiet for a moment. “Can you talk to admissions?” 

“Carole, I -” 

“Promise me, Mav. I know Ice can do it if you can’t, and I’ll ask him next.” 

Something cold settles into Maverick’s veins. He’s fairly certain it’s fear. “Fine. I’ll see what I can do.” 

Carole surprises him, throwing her arms around his shoulders. “I might be dying, but he - I won’t let him kill himself.” 

“Do you think I’m killing myself?” Mav asks, only half-joking. He holds her tight as if she’ll break apart if he lets go. Maybe it’s him who needs to be held together. 

She takes him seriously. “Every goddamn day. And I hate you for it.” She leans back. “But as much as I love you, he’s my son. I need you to take care of him when I’m gone.” 

Maverick realizes he’s been quiet for too long. He thinks of Penny, what she would do if Amelia asked him a question like this. 

She’d tell the truth. 

“Carole, she…” Mav sighs, looking over his shoulder at a photo of the three of them at some function or another. “She made me promise. The same time she told me she was sick.” 

Bradley takes a deep breath before asking, “Why didn’t you tell me?” 

“I didn’t - I couldn’t have you hate her, too.” 

Strangely, that pulls a smile from him. You were right.

“What?” Mav asks. 

Bradley shakes his head. He looks over his shoulder for a second, finding only a wall but knowing you’re beyond it. “Someone who’s only known you a sum total of ten hours knows you better than I do, apparently.” 

Maverick smiles, clapping Bradley on the shoulder. “They’re all smarter than us, you know. Sooner you figure that out, the easier it’ll be.” 

+++

Penny sits at the bar, working through the inventory and accounting for the week by hand. It’s easier this way, she tends to rationalize, but really it’s just a good excuse to get her away from her laptop. 

Checking over her shoulder, she finds the ocean rough, white caps popping on the top of the waves. The sky is thick with clouds, giving the entire world a greyish-blue cast. As much as she loves the sunshine, a winter Southern California storm feels good to the bones. 

Before she can get up to either close the back door or find a jacket, there’s a hand on her waist. 

“Chilly?” 

She turns, finding Maverick behind her. He drapes his soft, warm bomber jacket around her shoulders, kissing the side of her head. 

“I’ll be in the back. Just wanted to check on you.” 

She hums, leaning into him. “I’ll be here.” 

He gives her one final kiss before he disappears again, probably fixing a leak or patching a hole she failed to notice. 

He sees everything . 

It’s alarming, sometimes. 

She checks her watch but it’s pointless. She’s not sure when you and Bradley are due in from your afternoon out in La Jolla, but she’s sure she’ll get an ETA when you’re good and ready to share. 

The front door opens and closes. Penny doesn’t bother to look up - there are only five people who walk in casually like that and two of them work here. 

“Penny?” 

That’s not one of the four . 

She looks up, finding the eyes of her ex-husband. “What are you doing here?” She pulls the jacket closer to her, almost like armor. 

“Can’t I just stop by and say hello?” He asks.

“...It’s a five-hour flight from Hawaii,” she says. “And dropping in unexpectedly kind of defeats the purpose of a divorce, if I’m remembering correctly. Where’s your wife?” 

“I like what you’ve done with the place,” he says as if she didn’t say a word. That was half of the problem when they were married. Penny’s not sure why she thought it would change now. 

“Penny, sweetheart?” 

Mav’s voice almost startles her, but a wave of relief follows close behind the bolt of adrenaline. 

“Bradley’s due in anytime now. They just called from the -” Mav finally steps out of the back room and spots the visitor in the bar. “Hi.” 

Penny hastily stands and introduces them to each other. 

“Wait,” the unwelcome guest says, “you’re Pete Mitchell? Maverick Mitchell?” 

Mav smiles, but only friends would know it's not a real one. This is the one he wears for show. “That’s me.” 

“Huh. I’ve heard a lot about you.” The way he says it doesn’t sound like a compliment. “I thought you’d be taller.” He shakes off another thought and asks, “Where’s Amelia?”

Your daughter, the afterthought , Penny thinks sourly. “She’s -” 

“Anybody home?” Bradley crows, interrupting from the doorway, a grin on his face. You’re right behind him, trying to get in as he purposefully blocks the door. 

Through your laughter, you cry, “Penny, help! I’ve been taken hostage.” 

Despite the stress of the moment, that gets a smile out of her. “Let her in Rooster.” 

The two of you shove your way through the door, landing with your arm around Bradley’s neck as he half-carries, half-drags you across the plank flooring. The smile falls from Bradley’s face when he sees the unfamiliar person in the room, putting you down behind him. “Who’s this?”

“Sam Longbourn,” comes the introduction. Sam extends a hand 

“Rooster,” Bradley replies. You shoot him a look. He hardly ever introduces himself with his callsign alone. 

Men. 

You shake Sam’s hand as well, but he doesn’t ask your name. You don’t offer it. 

Bradley’s chin lifts a touch. “Longbourn? Isn’t that -”

“Amelia’s last name?” Penny finishes. “Yes.” 

Bradley hums once, staccato. “Imagine that.” He slips past Maverick, placing a hand over the big patch between Penny’s shoulder, pressing a quick, chaste kiss to her cheek by way of greeting. “Want me to take a look at those books?” 

“Sure,” she says, trying to be casual. 

You just think it’s funny that all three men in the room have immediately started preening upon recognition. Only two are succeeding. 

There’s an awkward pause. You offer a tight, polite smile and join Bradley at the bar, leaning on him. 

“And Bradley is…?” Sam asks. 

Mav answers promptly. “My son. He’s a naval aviator as well. One of the best we’ve got.” 

The pencil in Bradley’s hand stops moving for the briefest of seconds. You glance at his profile without moving your head too much to see him blinking a few times in quick succession.  

You lean into him a little more purposefully and he leans back. Taking a quick look over at the uncomfortable little triad, you catch Penny’s eyes. 

Was that okay? She seems to ask. 

You take a deep breath. I dunno. 

Amelia’s father ends up taking a seat at the bar, absolutely overstaying his welcome. You stand, grabbing a rag from behind the bar and attempting to make yourself useful. 

“Can I get you anything?” You ask.

He raises his eyebrows. “You work here?” 

“Nope. Just like to help Penny when I can. And she’s busy, so…” You shrug. 

He takes a second. “I’ll do a Miller Lite, if she’s got it.” 

Bradley covers his snort with a cough into his elbow. You can’t help but agree. 

Fly five hours from Hawaii only to come to a bar and order a Miller Lite. Shameful. 

You find one under the bar and open it, setting the bottle down in front of him. Penny comes back, squeezing your upper arms fondly as she slides in behind you. She approaches her ex, leaning against the bar on the heels of her hands.

“Look, we’re about to open up and it’s gonna get crowded. You better say what you want to say.” 

You sneak back around to Bradley, helping him organize the binder the way Penny likes it, packing up and getting ready for opening. You’re all gonna have backup here in a moment - Dagger’s due in anytime now. In the weeks they’ve been here, they’ve all grown particularly fond of Penny and Amelia. Jake, especially with his two-year shore duty at North Island after Annapolis, is more at home here than anywhere else. You can’t imagine them taking too kindly to an interloper. 

You and Bradley head to the back while Penny and Sam talk. Mav’s there, already straightening up from his project along the south wall. 

“I’m so sorry, Bradley. I didn’t mean to overst-” 

Bradley waves him off and pulls him in for a hug. “All good. I get it.” He says something else, but you can’t quite catch it. 

Doesn’t matter, anyway. You heard enough to know that Carole was right. 

“They’ll figure it out,” she used to say. “Bradshaws and Mitchells always find a way, especially together.” 

“Ladies and gentlemen,” comes a booming voice from the great room, “the party has arrived.” 

With a roll of your eyes, you jump out of the back room with a grin. “Damn, they let just about anyone in here, huh?” 

“Well, yeah,” Jake says. “You’re here, aren’t you?” 

“Uh uh. No,” Penny scolds, pointing at Jake. “Behave.” 

Jake grins at her, wide and toothy. With a roll of her eyes, she throws a bottle opener on the bar, followed by a bottle of his usual brew. “Thank you, Miss Penny m’dear.” 

“Yeah,” she says. “Keep that up and I’ll ring the bell on you.” 

He chuffs. “You love me.” 

“I don’t,” she insists, laughter in her eyes. 

Bradley and Maverick join you, headed to the pool table to rack up. You find a seat at one of the tables, ready to watch whatever masculine posturing bullshit the boys have up their sleeve. 

Jake, as if noticing the unfamiliar face for the first time, looks over and raises his eyebrows. It’s all for show - you know he clocked Sam the second he saw him. He doesn’t break eye contact when he asks, “Who’s this?” 

Penny gestures between them. “Sam Longbourn, Hangman. Hangman, Sam.” 

Jake squints. “Hm. I’d say it's nice to meet you, Sam, but I’m not sure it is.” He grins, softening the blow, before turning to Penny. “Wait, lemme see that patch.” 

Penny turns, pulling the jacket so Jake can see the patch that’s always been there. 

“Mav,” Jake asks, raising his voice. “Is this a new patch?” 

Smooth . 

“Nope. It’s been there for a minute. I’m having a patch made for Dagger, though. Should be in before they scatter us again.”

“Sweet. Guess I never noticed it before.” Jake’s smile grows sly. “I guess it just looks better on Penny than it does on you.”

Maverick snorts and says something that has Bradley laughing out loud. 

Sam, for the first time, looks a little self-conscious. Jake doesn’t seem to notice, pointing out the rest of the team, hovering around the pool table. “That’s Phoenix, Bob, and Payback. Mav’s a legend of course, and Rooster’s just been named Wingman of the Year.” 

“Yeah, and you’re what, our Lord and Savior?” Bradley says. 

“You said it, not me,” Jake says, that grin back on his face.

Poor Sam has turned into a ghost at this point, looking between everyone present with increasing confusion and awe. 

Rooster rolls his eyes, leaning over the pool table, his break shot sinking two. He beckons you over. “C’mon baby, we’ve got stripes.” 

Mav straightens and looks across the bar, watching Penny idly organize glasses. She turns, meets Maverick’s eyes, and leaves the bar with a shake of her head. “Shall we show them how it’s done, Mav?” 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

+++

“Hey, Mav!” Bradley calls, later that night. “C’mere.” 

Mav obliges, making his way around to Bradley’s side and leaning against the piano. Penny’s ex seems to have disappeared as quickly as he arrived. You didn’t even see him leave, but between Jake and Mav, you’re sure he had enough.  

Good riddance.

“Take a look over there.” Bradley points with the neck of his bottle to you and Penny, sitting on a pair of barstools, chatting amongst the evening rush. “What do you see?” 

Mav thinks for a second. “...People we care about?” 

“Yeah. See anything wrong with them?” 

There’s a creeping sense of deja-vu, but Maverick can’t quite place it. He looks again. You have Bradley’s sunglasses stuck into the front of your shirt and you’re babysitting a small pile of coats in your lap - Payback, Fanboy, and Hangman’s, to be specific - but nothing looks out of the ordinary. Penny looks great, of course, Maverick’s leather jacket still slung casually over her shoulders. 

Bradley’s definitely up to something. Mav, after his assessment, says, “...I’m not seeing anything.” 

“I think…I think they’ve lost that loving feeling, Mav.” 

Mav laughs, his chin falling to his chest. “I’m too old for this shit, Rooster.” 

“What are you too old for?” Jake asks, arriving seemingly out of nowhere. 

“Hangman, I think the girls have lost that lovin’ feeling.” 

Jake shakes his head, a confused little smile on his face. “What?” 

“C’mon, Mav. Back me up here. They definitely have lost that loving feeling.” 

Mav sighs. “I hate it when they do that.” He pushes off the piano and throws two quarters in the jukebox. “You’re gonna have to help them find it after this song, you know. Patience is a virtue.” 

As promised, as soon as the song comes on over the bar, Penny’s head shoots up, her eyes wide. If you had to name it, you would call the look repeat trauma . 

“What?” You ask, but you already hear it. 

“You never close your eyes anymore when I kiss your lips…” 

Her only reply? An exhausted, “Oh, God.” 

“And there’s no tenderness like before in your fingertips.” 

The crowd parts and your jaw drops. Bradley is serenading you at the top of his lungs, his hand extended dramatically toward you.  

“ You’re trying hard not to show it, but baby, baby I know it,” He sings. “ You’ve lost that lovin’ feeling. Whoa, that lovin’ feeling.”

You cover your face with your hands as he continues, the rest of the crowd joining in. Penny’s laughing in earnest, happy for once she’s not the victim of this stupid charade.

The chorus ends and you look at Bradley, gesturing to the empty seat beside you. “Sit down, you idiot.” 

The entire bar cheers. 

Penny looks up, finding Mav still at his place near the piano. He meets her eyes and smiles. 

+++

“Is that mine?” 

You’ve just stepped out of the bathroom when Bradley looks over at you skeptically, his eyes running across your shoulders and down to your waist. 

You are, in fact, wearing one of his Hawaiian shirts. However, in your defense, he has way too many (you’d approximate three dozen) and he’s never bothered to ask about any that have gone mysteriously missing (of which there are about eight). 

You hesitate just a second too long. “…No.” It sounds an awful lot like a question. 

“I think it is,” he says, leaving his bag and sauntering over to you from across the room.

You shake your head. “Nope. I got this one in Hawaii while I was visiting you a few years back, remember?” You double down, knowing your efforts are futile.

“I think,” he says, finally reaching you and dipping down to kiss your neck, “this is my shirt. I also think,” he adds, his lips trailing to your collarbone and his hands wandering over your back pockets, “that you stole it from me in Hawaii while you were visiting a few years back.” 

“That’s ridiculous.” Your assertion is breathless at best. 

He shakes his head. “You’re a thief.” 

“Am not.” 

“Are too,” he whispers, kissing you under your ear. “And before you can continue to argue with me, I have a question for you.” 

“Oh?” you ask with a laugh. “Is it shirt-related?”

“No.” 

He kisses your cheek and gracefully slides to a knee at your feet. He pulls the small box out of his back pocket and you’re pretty sure you can’t breathe. 

“It’s past time, beautiful, and there’s a lot I could say but…” He opens it and the image of the ring nestled in navy blue velvet steals your breath. “Will you marry me?” 

You definitely can’t breathe, so you settle for a nod, finally able to pull a breath after a second. “Yes. Absolutely, yes.” 

He stands and wraps you in his arms, the box still in his hands.

+++

The wood plank flooring feels cool under your feet, despite the San Diego summer waiting for you just outside the door. Penny picks up the hem of your dress, letting it flutter loosely to the floor so you don’t trip. 

“You’re still good barefoot? I’ve got your sandals here if you need them.” 

You nod. “It shouldn’t be too hot.” 

“Okay,” she says. “I’ll have Mav take them out when he goes back.”

There’s an awful lot of movement for the final moments before a wedding. The boys are goofing around outside in their summer whites while Penny and Maverick fuss between you, Bradley, and the bar. 

Penny picks up the sandals in question, snagging Mav by the sleeve as he passes her. “Take these out and put them under your seat.” 

He looks confused and almost makes the mistake of asking a question but shakes his head, taking the sandals and kissing Penny’s cheek without another word. He hops out the back door and down the steps, hastily making his way to his seat to drop off the shoes. 

The little lattice arch sits on the sand about thirty feet from the back patio of The Hard Deck. You peer out the window from where you stand by the piano, seeing Bradley approach Mav with a concerned little pinch in his eyebrows. You know you’re running late, but after all this time he knows better than to really worry. 

Mav clasps his shoulder briefly with a wide smile before dusting imaginary debris from his uniform. Bradley returns the favor, straightening the ribbons on his chest. You step back as Mav looks through the back door, staying out of sight. 

With a deep breath, you nod at Penny. She hands you the bouquet and heads outside, calling in your wedding party from their shenanigans and giving the rest of the assembled company the cue to take their seats. 

Phoenix reaches you first, giving you a hug. “You excited?”

You nod. “Very.” 

“It’s gonna be so fun.” 

Jake winks at you as he offers Phoenix his arm, taking his cover under his other elbow. “He’s freaking out.” 

“No, he isn’t. He’s ecstatic,” Payback says, smiling at Amelia in her blue bridesmaid dress. “May I, miss?” 

You’re sure she’s blushing when she nods and tucks her hand into his elbow. Penny smiles, kissing your cheek before giving the same treatment to Amelia’s head. She gives Payback a quick pat on the shoulder for good measure and then she’s gone - jogging barefoot to her seat. 

Everyone else gets settled and you’re ready. 

+++

You look up from the sand, finally, to see Rooster standing before the water in his summer dress whites. His uniform and his smile are equally blinding. You almost have to squint to look at him directly. The smile on your face, though, could give him a run for his money. 

The wind off the water whips around your face and pulls at the skirt of your dress. You let your eyes wander down the short line of crisply-dressed aviators that just left you in the bar. Hangman, Bob, Coyote, and Payback grin back at you behind their sunglasses when you smile at all of them in turn. 

Maverick and Penny, of course, stand in the front row beside the empty seats reserved for Bradley’s parents and Iceman. Sarah and Ice’s oldest son stand on the far side. Your closest friends and family fill the remaining seats. There’s not a person out of place and everything is just as you pictured it when you sketched out the quick plans in Maverick’s desert hanger five months ago. 

After what feels like an hour, you finally reach Bradley at the end of the aisle. He take your hand and you walk the final few steps to the officiant together, passing your bouquet to Phoenix. 

“You look beautiful,” he says.

“You don’t look so bad yourself, Lieutenant.” 

He squeezes your hand. 

+++

You practically wilt into the bar when the jukebox falls silent. With a laugh, you look up and see Penny’s rueful smile. The inside of the place has gone wild, most of the respectable family out on the patio enjoying some degree of peace and quiet while the “kids” have fun inside. 

“They’re predictable, aren’t they?” Penny asks. 

You nod. “Terminally, I’m afraid.” 

She grins at you. “Go play. I’ve got your drink.” 

A path opens for you as you make your way to the piano. Bradley’s warming up with a few riffs, but you know what he’s going to play before he even starts. 

“ You shake my nerves and you rattle my brain…” 

The entire bar eggs him on, some starting to sing along already. You let out a loud laugh, almost warning him you’re there before he can look. 

“… You broke my will, oh what a thrill. Goodness, gracious, great balls of fire!” 

He opens an arm so you can settle into his lap without a break in the music. You lean into him, giving him more room to play. You catch Mav’s eye as he settles next to Penny at the bar, a pint in his hand. 

“ Goodness gracious, great balls of fire!” 

You know exactly what he sees - how strange and difficult it must be. You smile at him before turning, sliding an arm around Bradley’s shoulder. 

“ Kiss me baby -” 

On cue, you wrap your other arm around Bradley's neck and plant a downright filthy kiss that has the entire crowd whooping and hollering. 

“ Woo, that feels good, baby. Hold me, baby… ” 

You stay tucked up against him, singing along, crowing the lyrics to the ceiling, and losing your breath to laughter. 

At the bar, Maverick is indeed seeing double. He sees what’s in front of him - his nephew playing an old song on the piano with the love of his life in his lap - and what’s behind him - Carole and Goose, laughing through their own wedding reception over 35 years ago. 

“You okay there, Captain?” 

Mav looks over at Penny with raised eyebrows as she leaves her place behind the bar. “Hm?”

She reaches him, raking her fingers through the graying hair at his temples. “Just asking if you’re alright.” 

Pete catches her hand and kisses the back of it. “Fine. Just, ah…” 

“Remembering?” She offers. 

He hums. “That, and I’m… getting old, I guess.” His eyes wander back to you and Rooster at the piano. 

Penny nods, checking on Amelia over her shoulder. She and Phoenix are at the pool table, actively hustling Coyote out of a hundred bucks. “We all are, Pete. You’re not special.” There’s no heat in her teasing - only affection. 

“You know I love it when you tell me I’m just like everyone else,” Mav replies playfully. 

Penny hums facetiously. “You are in fact, the most average man I’ve ever met.”

“Hmm…” Maverick wets his lips and studies her from top to toe. “That’s definitely not what you said last ni-”

“Mom?”

Penny smacks her hand over Maverick’s mouth and leans over his shoulder. “Yes?” 

“Coyote says there’s house rules to pool.” 

With an affectionate brush of her thumb over his lips, Penny releases Maverick. “Oh, no. Absolutely not. Not in this house.” She raises her voice over the crowd noise. “We play by the book here, Machado.” 

“Yes ma’am!” Comes the reply. 

“Is that really true, though?” Mav asks. 

Penny scoffs. “If it were, would you listen?” 

He just grins at her. It’s all the answer she needs. 

+++

Something slow and sweet plays on the speakers. Your head rests heavily on Bradley, whose hand covers yours on his chest. Your eyes are closed, swaying to the barest suggestion of the actual beat. 

“When will you be back?” 

Bradley sighs into the phone. “I don’t know. Sweetheart, this…This might be one of those missions where someone isn’t coming home.” 

You sink to the floor, legs crossed. “Bradley, I -” You swallow heavily. “You better come home.” 

“I’ll do my best.”

“You always do,” you tell him. “I need you to do better.” 

There’s silence. 

Eventually, Bradley says, “I love you.” 

“I love you, too. So much.” It doesn’t, surprisingly, sound like goodbye. 

“I’ll text you when I’m on deck and I’ll see you when I get home, okay?”

Your voice is a whisper when it leaves you. “Okay. Fly safe.”  

Having him back never loses its novelty. 

Mav and Penny look much the same on the other side of the floor, speaking quietly and giggling like a pair of teenagers. 

Amelia is fast asleep on one of the chairs, Maverick’s leather jacket serving dutifully as her blanket. She crashed against Reuben about an hour ago and he found a place for her to rest somewhat peacefully after a little while. She is, after all, no stranger to falling asleep at The Hard Deck; it’s become her second home. 

The remaining members of Dagger Squad - Jake, Natasha, Reuben, and Bob - sit sprawled out in chairs, watching the two couples left standing on the dance floor. 

“Figure we should tell ‘em the party’s over?” Payback says. 

Tasha shakes her head. “Leave them alone. Look at them.” 

Their eyes bounce from you and Bradley to Penny and Maverick, varying degrees of small smiles on their faces. 

“Hey, Phoenix, you think -” Jake doesn’t get to finish.

“I’m gonna stop you there,” Tasha says. 

He scoffs. “You didn’t even know what I was going to say.” 

“I do, in fact.” 

“Alright, enlighten me.” 

Reuben and Bob roll their eyes, both suddenly and violently reminded that this bullshit will make up at least a quarter of their careers, at this rate. 

“You were either going to make a joke about dancing with me or reference someone’s sex life. Neither one of those options are ones I’m interested in.” 

“You flatter yourself.” 

“Am I wrong?” She raises her eyebrows. 

Jake rolls his eyes and takes a sip of his beer, muttering into it, “No.” 

+++

“Can you see him?” Amelia asks, standing on her toes to see around the people in front of her. 

Penny snorts. “They’re all in their whites. You won’t be able to tell who’s who until they’re off the carrier, love.” 

She humphs. Mav places a hand on Amelia’s shoulder. 

“It won’t be long now,” he says. “

You take a deep breath, enjoying the sunshine on your face and the breeze of the water. Thousands of families surround you, including the Fitches, Traces, and Seresins. Jake’s mom, you’ve recently learned, is a total sweetheart. 

“Your son,” you told her upon meeting, “is a huge pain in my ass and I love him so much.” 

She’d only laughed. “Tell me about it.”

Now, you’re all standing together waiting for the carrier to finally dock. It’s been six months, all of them long. You can’t wait to have Bradley back. 

Turning, you ask Mav, “When are Fanboy and Bob due back?”

“They’re due into Ft. Lauderdale in a couple of months. I think they got stuck in the Med again.”

You pull a face. “That sucks.”

He shrugs. “It is what it is.”

That should be the tagline for all US Armed Forces. 

The final minutes seem to last forever before a bunch of sailors seems to tumble out of the carrier, walking briskly to the assembled families. Like a dam breaking, they start to run as people rush forward into the arms of their loved ones. 

You use Mav’s shoulder for leverage, trying to see. Your eyes land on a small group and four smiles greet you. 

“I’ve got them!” You call. “They’re on their way.” 

It takes everything you have to stay still, knowing you’ll likely lose them if you try to seek them out. After a minute or so, you can’t help it. You break from the line, artfully dodging families and sailors and everyone in between. 

You crash into Bradley at full speed, wrapping around him like a koala. He hikes you higher, finding a place for your legs around his waist and holding you tight. 

“Damn, Rooster!” Comes a familiar voice. “Save some for the rest of us!” 

You get your feet under you again, pressing a hard kiss to Bradley’s mouth. Immediately upon letting him go, you turn and hug the life out of Jake. 

“Aw,” he says. “I knew you missed me.” 

“Don’t ruin it,” you tell him. The laughter in your voice and the tears in your eyes cut the harshness of your tone. You pull back just far enough to grin at him, moving on to Reuben, then Natasha in turn. You point out their families to them, but Reuben’s wife has her own ideas and they’re embracing before you can blink. 

Bradley pulls you back, his arms around your waist, to press kiss upon kiss upon kiss to your temple. You turn, taking his face in your hands. 

“I missed you,” you tell him, both belated and redundant. 

He grins. “I missed you too.” He kisses you once, twice. “I love you. I think I love you more than when I left.” 

You grin at him. 

The two of you separate enough to walk, Bradley’s arm around your shoulders and yours around his waist. Your family greets you with kisses, and smiles, and hugs. Mav looks between you. 

“Let’s go home.”