#no wonder bro was crying last time I drew him

[nocofamilyau]

How is Wayne and his family?

I'd say alright

[nightswithkookmin]

Hey it's been a while, missed your blunt rants and opinions.

Today something just came into my mind when my boyfriend said I'm so bluntly flirty, upfront and bold but when it comes to it being initiated back to me, I usually back out and became shy and reserved. Then I wondered because although Jungkook is shy he can be bold and upfront flirty sometimes too so

Who do you think between him and Jimin is more dirty minded, most to get horny and that can randomly talk about sex and all?

Because I feel like Jungkook is just a small bunny you know all doe eyes and innocent baby while Jimin is more like daddy vibes😅😁

Sometimes I get confused with their dynamic roles in the relationship because at times I would say Jimin is more in the in control role, decision making kinda think but then it changes and I can't exactly tell when and how

That's because they are both flirty and dirty minded and shock the pants off eachother- which is good cos sometimes pants can get in the way of - never mind

I think you are right to assign Jm the decision making role in their dynamic- he's a natural at it being a libra and all that jazz. Then he's the hyung coupled with his high emotional IQ and life experiences especially as a hyung to his own bio bro- there's a reason women make better leaders than men ya know? It's not all about brains, heart matters too.

Fun fact, Jimin once said(drew) if he became a ruler he'd have all his hyungs bow down to him and worship him- except for Jungkook whom he'd coddle like feathery baby- which is odd cos outta the six it is Jungkook whom he had trouble bending to the knee. Couldn't even get him to treat him as a hyung and yet he's the one that gets a pass- even when he is in his ego he shows his heart, love compassion and a weakness for his Maknae( whom he drew as crying like a little bitch in his sketch💀)

On the freaky scale, honey it's a tie between those two I'd say. I love Jimin and he's my bias but sorry he's the freakiest dude I've come across on the internet 😭

And Jeon Jungkook can hold his own too😭😭😭😭

Smooth criminals🥲

There's a reason they both be shitting their pants when the other is dominating their 'fan service' moment or initiating it on stage. Jungkook had Jimin's knee wobbling with that last one

Havent seen that man so terrified of another man in his personal space the gay panic was real bless his heart🤧

Please don't let me think about them poking their tongues at eachother thinking they fast- ah shit

Now I'm going over every freaky thing they've done as if checking off items on my grocery list😭😭😭😭

The beauty about jikook is they challenge the cis heteronormative lens and the fact you feel you can't place them in a strict and set or defined box slash role makes me so happy because you shouldn't be able to put them in any set binary positions because they are a SAME SEX DUO😭

They are both complex human beings both intelligent and affectionate within their own right. Just because Jimin is the elder of the two and is predisposed to being treated as such which puts him in a position where he constantly have to call the shots don't mean he's carved out that niche for himself within their dynamic.

And just because Jungkook is the youngest of the two don't mean he can't make decisions for the two. He can and he should. He has my full support on that- Jimin can be a little dish out-can't take-dude sometimes.

And we see this play out in the little things- Jimin whispering to Jungkook asking if he wants to do something, Jungkook nodding or shaking his head at whatever it is Jimin asked just him.

Then sometimes he's not asking Jk, he's telling, he's reasoning with him, imposing on him- like grabbing him, pushing his limits, glaring at him, directing him, commanding him and Jungkook let's him.

Then JK on the other hand- he doesn't say much, you don't see him consulting or trying to reason through decisions with Jimin- he's not asking Hey JM would like my jacket you seem cold, he's just commanding him to take it because he's cold. He's not asking, do you want help with that box it looks heavy, he's taking it from him whether Jimin likes it or not because he's a gentleman.

He isnt much of a negotiator like Jimin is. And that's what makes them unique from any other ship. This dynamic they have- and its unique to Jikook and Jikook alone. I don't see Jk like this with anybody else.

And I wouldn't say that makes JM better than him or vice versa because it boils down to differences in their personalities. they express themselves in different ways because they are different.

Gosh, I wish you could see the images in my head whenever I'm writing about them like this. Its one moment after the other, It would make so much sense to yall.

Also permit me to overstep, most times I find persons who are able to flirt shamelessly but act shy when they are being treated the same do so out of one or a combination of the following reasons: self projection. They project themselves on the other person and judge themselves from that perspective. So they might be thinking damn that's so cringey, do I look this cringy when I do it etc. They shy because they self criticizing.

Then there are those who don't project necesarily but still engage in critiques and judgements of the situation especially if they think they themselves are better at flirting than their partner, or if they think their partner is doing too much, going outside their personality, faking things, copying them, or just being cringe. They shy because they embarrassed.

The opposite of that is putting your partner on a pedestal and thinking damn they hot, or they good at this, almost idolizing them in a way that inspires you to be more like them because you find whatever it is attractive and want to attract them too. They shy cos they whipped. (This is the case with Jikook I think or perhaps a mixture of both)

So in your case do you feel that's what's happening when your bf initiates? Do you feel shy because he's good at it and that gives you butterflies or do you feel shy because you think they cringe as hell? 👀

I'm asking for science.

[ryuichirou]

Replies

A couple of replies today.

Anonymous asked:

Hell yeah, I’d get a daki from you. Also, Edmund as a body pillow? I’d eat that right up! (You can take that literally or figuratively.) Also a Lilia daki would be sexy af. Hmmm, depending on my cash situation later, I’d love to get an Idia dakimakura. The thought of his over flustered face makes me positively FERAL.

Ahh thank you so much, Anon! <3 Of course, feel free to message me about an Idia dakimakura or anything else whenever you want. He is the most perfect fit when it comes to characters to be put on daki, to be honest…

I am also very happy to see you feel that way about the possibility of Edmund as a body pillow hehe I would also love to eat it up both literally and figuratively. This boy is very eatable.

eh-nonnie-mouse asked:

I am sending this ask in super late but your guys piece with mountain Jade killed me. Like seeing the canon art was so cute and handsome and then the groovy had me on my knees clutching my heart and then your interpretation just KO'd me , just like he probably KO'd the poor soul who found him. I could see that one sketch (I think it was you two) where Jade and Rook pass each other in the woods with unidentified long black bags that suspiciously look like people.

But I was revived with the latest cute fucking Octo Trio in Isle of Lamentation and ASFGKJ I am so FERAL for that group of characters. (Not me up here crying in the club at Orthos HUMAN?! cute excited face omg 😭)

Is this Idia's dream and that's why he looks so shocked or is he super concerned because EELS are going to corrupt his baby bro!

Oh and how soft Azul looks at Idia, like they are group of highly disfunctional people who are a little (a lot) crazy for each other in all sorts of ways 🫠 but they are so pretty!!!! and WHY can't Floyd keep his clothes on ahahaha. He's just waltzing around half naked like a gladiator of old and everyone else is dressed appropriately. Orthos excitement over shoes is so cute! Is he looking at Floyd showing off his cool kicks (cause that eel is a certified sneaker head(?) Shoe fanatic?)

And as a last thing. Kalim is like an Asian parent in the way they show their affection through 'You vaguely like something? Here's a lifetime supply because I don't know how else to show my feelings'. Like I know it's just how Kalim is, very open with his affections for Jamil and he probably thinks money and gifts are the best ways to display that. Especially if Kalim can't get as touchy feely and handy as he would like but it just reminded me of that behavior.

No worries, thank you for sending asks!! I am always replying after like 4 months, so “late” doesn’t exist here; time is a flat circle lol

I am very happy you liked that Jade drawing, and YES it was me who drew that doodle of Jade and Rook lol We really love a forest as a creepy setting in general, so I just keep defaulting to something spooky whenever I draw anything related to it. And Jade’s new card was the perfect opportunity!

Jade really is a cryptid from the mountains… And apparently a very charming one 😭

Igni+Octa is such a good combination, I can’t get enough of them! I’m happy you also like them together!! <3 Ortho would always get along with Floyd lol The Tweels are bad influence on him.

It isn’t necessarily Idia’s dream, it’s kind of like an AU? We just wanted to put them in a setting that has vibes similar to Ancient Greece. But you are right: Idia is terrified because while he was talking to Azul, Ortho got completely enamoured by a pair of cool sandals… what else these creeps (fellow shoe fanatics!) are going to give him??

It’s so funny that you noted that Floyd just can’t keep his clothes on, we were wondering the same thing. I drew this sketch a while ago and coloured it the day we posted it, and the entire time I was unsure if I should dress him a little… I guess nah… he really is a gladiator at heart lol

You also completely nailed it about Kalim! I do think that he would love to shower Jamil with gifts, and to him it’s just like little ways to show appreciation and affection… when you are used to your family buying a whole-ass amusement park for one day just because you wanted to hang out there once, getting your beloved Jamil a lifetime supply of chocolate doesn’t feel too crazy at all!

Thank you as always for your kind review of everything that we post <3 I’ll reply to your other ask too!

eh-nonnie-mouse asked:

PEAKED NIPPLE ALERT!

ok sorry sorry but is Deuce going to get stuck again? Because that would be hilarious. Jack can't help himself when his Athletic rival is under him. Do you think they do this frequently? Working out does increase the blood flow and those running outfits are pretttttty tight.

YES!!

Also yes, this is very likely lol It’s a bit difficult to say if it’s them getting too riled up because of them training together, or it’s because Jack would develop a Pavlovian reaction at some point… He sees Deuce in those shorts – things happen :”( <3

Anonymous asked:

If Deuce tugs on Jack's tail, will Jack-

1. Yelp

2. Growl

3. Moan

:3

Anonymous asked:

Hi, I'm the "Deuce pulling on Jack's tail" anon. I forgot to add-

He does it at a random point during the day. Like, just walking behind him and just grabbed it and pulled.

(forgive me for forgetting to add this, I feel bad for sending in two asks for one question....)

I think it depends on what is on Jack’s mind at that time. It’s not entirely impossible for him to produce a sound that is too close to moaning… that would be embarrassing…

But in all honesty, I think he would yelp. Which would also be embarrassing because this is too much of a puppy-like reaction. He isn’t a kid anymore..!

If it’s someone else or Jack doesn’t see it’s Deuce who’s touching his tail, I think he’s going to growl though. The boy’s ready to attack lol

[babybearnation]

masterlist

anons: 🍑, 💙, 🐍, 🎩, 📞, 🥐, 🃏, 🦊, C, 🥡, 🐜, 🔒, 🍬

the grid:

you got me feelin' butterflies, butterflies - asking you on a date

darling, you're the one i want - you wear a number that isn't theirs

your first and my last name would just sound better together - you call them by their full name

cause you make my heart race - they accidentally confess their feelings

i had the best day with you today - you surprise them with a pet

king of my heart, body and soul - they win a race

oh, dear, don't be discouraged - they find out you're crying

hey baby, welcome to my world - arthur, liam & mick's texts for the posts above

you drew stars around my scars - you're insecure about your surgery scars

you're the greatest thing we've lost - they confess after you get replaced mid season

you belong with me - they're jealous of your toxic ex

jealousy, jealousy - you get shipped with another driver & their jealous

silence finally in my head - you give them the silent treatment

you are in love, true love - you have a crush on their teammate

give me more than just some butterflies - you text them the lyrics to juno by sabrina carpenter

twenty stitches in a hospital room - you crash and don't tell them

this is the sound, it's our sound - you're a musician

so light me up and let me burn - you do a break up prank

on a wednesday in a cafe - you prank them with a fake date

come take a picture - you accidentally send them an explicit picture

you're everything i'm dreaming of - you accidentally confess to them

must be the good boy - you call them a good boy

you don't need no invitation - "he's gone, you can come over now"

i'm so sick (of lying) - you hide that you're sick

it was the very first night - you accidentally text them after a night together

cherish my love - you text them after your first date

hey baby, i think i wanna marry you - they overhear you call them your husband

when you lovingly call my name - you exchange contact names

just look at me baby, day and night - you ask them to come home and take care of you

you're wearing nothing but my t-shirt - you send them a spicy pic at an inconvenient time

runnin' home to your sweet nothings - cute, domestic texts

talk to you later, later - you call him bro after sex

but daddy, i love him - you call him daddy

so kiss me, kiss me, kiss me - you forget to kiss him before you go out

oh, i wonder who i'm looking for - "they're busy, bro"

i miss you, i'm sorry - they miss you when you're away

i've already lost control - you ask if you can take control in the bedroom

the pages of our relationship arc - you try and break up with them due to insecurities

i wanna know (what is love?) - you don't say i love you back

baby, so please, cheat on me - they pull the "i know you cheated" prank

good luck, baby, good luck to you - you don't wish them good luck before a race

am i still not good enough? - you ask them to save you from a bad date

i need ya focus on me - they accidentally send you an explicit picture

that pretty, pretty boy - you're dysphoric

uh oh, i'm falling in love - you share when you first fell for each other

money, money, money (must be funny) - your rent is ridiculously expensive

i'm coming out - you come out without telling them

i'm lying so i won't get caught - he hides that he's sick

can you see my feeling? (oopsy) - polyam!drivers accidentally message the wrong gc

i love it because i love you - he talks about you in his native language

privacy sign on the door - your relationship is about to be leaked

i want you to be happier - polyam!drivers - one of you isn't feeling the best

spice it up, up, up, roll up - drivers x genderfluid!reader

pull it to the side and get all up in it - "raw, next question"

you're wonderin' why half his clothes went missin' - you walk in on each other changing

i will give you all my love - polyam!drivers nearly/fully ruin their surprise

now i've read all of the books beside your bed - you're a bookworm

think i like you best when you're just with me - you're trying to quit smoking

alex albon:

nothing yet...

arthur leclerc:

baby, i don't wanna waste my time - your relationship isn't over already, is it?

charles leclerc:

ride on the highway to heaven - texts w/ biker reader

i love the light that i found in you - charles x reader x oscar

guess i'll just stumble on home to my cats - lestappen x reader - they argue over pets

take me out, and take me home - charles x reader x george - domestic texts

dino beganovic:

cause, oh, they make me feel alive - dino x reader x kimi x paul

george russell:

i'll give you the best years - george x reader x oscar (ft. bff!lando)

take me out, and take me home - george x reader x charles - domestic texts

zhou guanyu:

nothing yet...

kimi antonelli:

cause, oh, they make me feel alive - kimi x reader x dino x paul

i looked at you like the stars that shine - kimi x reader x ollie

you said "i'm a better driver" - kimi x f1 driver!reader x ollie

take me out, and take me home - kimi x reader x ollie - domestic texts

i feel so close to you right now - he's clingy, but you're not together

hey, cupid has shot my heart - ollie plays matchmaker

lance stroll:

nothing yet...

lando norris:

they don't know me like my baby - lando x reader x max

screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain - landoscar x reader - they argue due to papaya rules

he said "fuck me like i'm famous" - landoscar x reader - end of/post-season shenanigans

tell me what you want, tell me what you need - he's jealous (ft. max f, keegan & oscar)

liam lawson:

nothing yet...

logan sargeant:

long live the walls we crashed through - loscar x reader - you're the 2023 rookies

max verstappen:

they don't know me like my baby - max x reader x lando

guess i'll just stumble on home to my cats - lestappen x reader - they argue over pets

mick schumacher:

nothing yet...

ollie bearman:

i looked at you like the stars that shine - ollie x reader x kimi

you said "i'm a better driver" - ollie x f1 driver!reader x kimi

take me out, and take me home - ollie x reader x kimi - domestic texts

oscar piastri:

screaming and fighting and kissing in the rain - landoscar x reader - they argue due to papaya rules

i'll give you the best years - oscar x reader x george (ft. bff!lando)

i love the light that i found in you - oscar x reader x charles

driving home for christmas - you're spending christmas alone... or are you?

he said "fuck me like i'm famous" - landoscar x reader - end of/post-season shenanigans

long live the walls we crashed through - loscar x reader - you're the 2023 rookies

paul aron:

cause, oh, they make me feel alive - paul x reader x dino x kimi

seasons start to change, i've been daydreaming for days - you're oblivious to his feelings

the code is l-o-v-e - paul x reader

cause i've got a soft spot (i've got it for you) - you don't play favourites, but with paul...

pierre gasly:

nothing yet...

yuki tsunoda:

nothing yet...

formula e:

in the heat of your electric touch - it's his first formula e weekend (zm22)

miscellaneous:

three short hours (three long weeks) - you can't sleep without each other (fc43)

give you my love, mi corazón - josep maria martí x reader

© all rights to babybearnation 2025.

[nityarawal]

Aloha- Daniel is being racist & turned off my power after I paid him rent. I dont feel safe showering here with him screaming at me. Melody said he was violent with her. I told him it's against law to cut power. Would you tell him too? Thanks!

Nitya

Encinitasbeachhome.com

MJ is letting electric know of your hardship. Shut up & turn on electric. Edison said this is violation of law= racism. Cry to someone else faggot.

No. I don't talk to cops. Your dad's bros remember? When you called on Robbers at dead guys next door? They Forgot to look- they were so bust macking on Melody & I. Eon said they pimped us out with cameras. True? He warned Mommies of piggy Trolls. I don't speak to rapists- just witnessed him raping militia camp bros into crime. He's a creep. Sheriff Jeremy Parsons. I'm a reporter you know. Been an editor at 2 magazine and written for dozens of publications. You really should get your head out of your ass & wake up. I disclose all. Journalist of 30 years. Got an issue with my career darling?

Turn on my electric or they could come. It's True. I don't ask them to record my house. It's pitch dark now. No electric.

His attys want to address racism in my business & homes. 40% of California's were sexually discriminated against out of their homes. Tell Martin. Vegas bros get really mad when boys mistreat their little sister. Doesn't go down well with anyone being a mommy hater. Peace.

Would love to roast Parsons if you could let our attys know how gross they were Peeping on us. He's a murderer.

Elon said he'd pay! Shut up! Send Bill to America 1st Legal. He's covering all racism. Call before you get charged on foul play. Connect electric. Gabriel is trying to help you before you fuck up.

Not enough to heat?

We froze with no heat!

How many puppies died waiting for #Cybertruck ?

I'm sleeping in car waiting tonight. My Landlord got manic screaming after spending money on hookers- he forgot to pay electrical bill.

Call us.

FYI: Sent to bff Black belt:

My landlord unplugged electric yesterday. He has $1200 electric bill & paid hooker $300 (who looks like me) to clean his home! He was crying all day! Omg Melody paid $300 last month at Christmas then left him New Years! He finally turned it on after dark but I slept in car anyways. He scared me. He's acting manic screaming everyone out of here. Mikey left with Gemini. It's not mommy friendly. Dogs are freezing! It is pretty cold. Just washing and cleaning after Floods- house still leaks! No heat! He wants $100 more for utilities monthly and also suggested I upgrade to a self sufficient trailer! Does coffee pot, electric blanket, christmas lights & burner cost this much??? I want to upgrade! I need his X gf Melody'ss testimony about IEHP still for America First Legal. Could you send one too? Elon is refunding! So sick of peeps triangulating us into their dramas and lust. I wonder if Daniel Hall Is related to Molly's husband Dr. DREW HALL who treated me after Marine beating? or Chris Hall- the political hooker- whose mom Janet babysat me? He gave Molly a morning after pill SOS. He's sold out. This gaslighting is racist & I had to have my neighbors keep him in check. Melody says he has Syphilis. Wondering if we all do? She appears to be a big pharma spy/hooker from teens in 'hunger games' grooming. Like my kids- how can we hate her? I don't. How do we break chain? Daniel's Step-dad is Obese & lives in Vegas most of time. Adam's pimp contact? Melody said one tenant left because old man wanted to shower with him. I think Daniel is pimped to hookers cuz he's scared of dad. Melody said Daniel beat her out of here so obviously I'm weary. He's a big guy. Prayers! I need to move! Xo

I let my bro & Dr. Sunil know about extortion to get $1200. I'll pay it all when I get KY refunds. Tell Melody to hurry. Did you say Raj at dmv.org tried to bribe y'all? What was Rowen pedophile getaway when Meoldy said you broke her leg about? Truth will set you free. In writing. She's trying to frame you.

He just cut power again. Could you do an intervention please? Thankyou! Xo

30 days is law. Read contract. You're a racist bully. I can go. Refund me and fix this. You owe me. Call America First Legal. They want your testimony. Work.

Well I'll lyk if anyone comes through when my electric is back on!(:

HARD TO DO BUSINESS WITH 9-5 TERRORISM ISNT IT? I let whole legal team know about your tantrum & extortion with shivering puppies etc! Could you put your texts in Google docs and also post on Tumblr for them to analyze? Starving & need to cook! Please dont give them to rescues or kill them. We love puppies! MJ said your mad Charly was raped & thats why you wont let her in warm sauna room with your dogs! Grazie! NITYA

Sent to old landlord Dan:

Aloha! Do you still have my stuff? My landlord is being a dick. I need to move. My place is flooded cold. How are you? Did Danny really die? That really upset me. I hope not. I pray for y'all regardless. Always hope.

Square up for Melody Gray con. @IEHP_healthcare @America1stLegal

Our puppies shivered all week in cold.

My Landlord is cring after spending $1200 on hookers trying to keep up with you. Sheriff Parsons is circling him for pretty gay boy dolly?

@GRIMES_V1 He texted BS all day yesterday for @America1stLegal about Melody Gray.

I had to shit in garden- you are so abusive. Melody will throw your ass into a hospital bro. Karma. Walk the line. Don't F up & blame mom. What's her number? Can she get you? Test for every syphalis there is. Melody admitted you had it. Truth will get you big $$$. You want honest cash & keep dick or not? Physics.

Not sure if I can get out with mud today but I'll walk it & check this afternoon. I think I need to move. Do you have any rentals there? I was paying $300 for leaky trailer off grid here. Thanks!

Excuse me, what's your reason for today's electrical terrorism? Does your friend have her period? Is that why my towel was bloody? Truth. You shit on us everytime you & Melody get PMS & overspend too. You know I don't eat out or spend on heat because I can't afford to. It's OK. You just learn to budget. I can help you for rest of year free- both self sufficient trailers for my family and mommy respect. Your attitude will Felon you.

I am not your C word nor will I ever be. Gross. You're out of line.

Elon wants to refund me for terrorism. $$$ Send in your notes. I don't want to read your diarhea. American First Legal wants every sordid detail of your trafficking stories. You're in luck. Confessions pay commissions. Xo

I'm also sorry if I seem racist against gays. It's just been insane having them steal every man I've been with - now kids. Discrimination against breeders- like Daniel displays- has been my reality. Maybe it's my shitty destiny. Welcome to my 20th+ slumlording. Hope Daniel's kickbacks made it all worthwhile tho. He's on suicide watch around here. We all thought it was him when gunshots went off at neighbors. TG he survived thus far. I am trying to be supportive & stay out of it. He sends senseless hate texts all day to gaslight me. Why? For an electric bill because his room is a sauna for male pets only? He asked me not to sit there when hes not home after he desserted pets most of weekend and had asked for my assistance! Puppies are shivering. I wish Mikey was here still to save them too, like Gemini. Or Melody. She wanted Gemini but he plays politics w/ pets wars too. ): We're all disturbed.

Do you know how many gays tried to recruit me for politics post divorce? Military + 1000's. It's a Fidelity marriage faith I honor. Vows: word: i write. I don't judge. But a little respect from Divorce courts would've been appreciated. It's been hard. Always hoping latest atty will work fidicuary duty to moms & kids. It's an uphill battle alone. I was hoping you could help- as moms. We're all in it together. Moms are a Tribe. Xo

Your pappa came home & understands laws. You're in violation of code with landlord laws once again. Turn on electric. I'm leaving town for a bit to get work/custody done. Not into your drama. Work for your money & tell truth if you want my honest bucks. Lol Not into faggot bullies at all. Encinitasbeachhome.com not down with your BS as a national association realtor. I'll let them know. 40% raped because of spoiled brats like you making a sauna for boy pets. Ew. 30 days Martin confirmed I'm safe. Leave me alone. Grazie. NITYA

Martin was apologetic for Daniel's snotty behavior. Unfortunately this is how divorced enablers spoil children - please teach our kids better. We all agree Daniel is a shit uncle & example for our kids right now. Please protect them. I'll try to get us all refunds- if you were also prejudice against in home & work? This is unfortunately normal for me. Landlords want to f me, their gfs try & when I'm not down they rage. Gross. So unattractive!

It'll work out. Mother Nature wins. Hands down. I'm just an innocent catalyst for highest good. Stay safe! Peace & all love! @elonmuskdaily @elonmuskfanslounge @elonmuskfans @elonmuskparody @elon-daddy @teslamotorsblog @teslamodel3 @americafirst-blog

Xo Mom

[kitten4sannie]

hi hello tis vamp anon again ✨️ (pls tell me if i'm getting overwhelming/annoying with the asks i am so sorry;; the last thing i wanna do is invade other ppls space!!)

ok last 2 hc: for the choi boys!

starting with our lovely sannie, everyone knows he's a big romantic and loves romance! i imagine vamp!san as an "old-fashioned" lover, the embodiment of chivalry, if you will!! he wants to do things right: courting y/n with flower bouquets, sweets, handwritten letters, etc. he'd be so polite and kind i'm crying rn;; but don't be mistaken, he's quite the flirt!! he loves seeing his sweetheart all flustered from his words like, "do you all the ways a lady can be seduced? oh the things i could teach you" (bridgerton ref GOD) he can be so shameless with his duality san definitely knows the affect he can have on others bro. man is THE BIGGEST tease the bedroom, but he'll fold like a chair with the smallest amount of begging. who is he to deny his love? bro is down absolutely atrocious

now for our big strong teddy bear jongho!! he's more the innocent/first love romance type to me. so as a vampire, he'd be super nervous when around y/n. jongho knows he's strong, and with the heightened vamp skills, he'd treat them like they were made of glass. always handling them with the utmost care! he'd be so shy and smitten with y/n, fumbling with his hands and messing up a couple words here and there when he wants to get to know them on the first date. (this also includes getting intimate with each other for the first time) he just wants you to know how lovely y/n is to him, bro literally looks at them like they hung the stars up in the night sky

i'm suffering over here man

hello again 💕 you’re not annoying in the slightest, anon! you’re actually doing wonders for this current creative process like I am so grateful for these headcanons of yours! and these ones killed me in particular ahhh im such a sucker for old-timey romance 😭 i’m sorry for taking a little longer to get this out! i literally cannot stop thinking about the ateez concert i’m going to tomorrow like i actually might die🧎🏻‍♀️also, i wrote way more than i thought i would but i just couldn’t help it ;; here’s some scenarios:

You were walking around the courtyard, admiring the spacious garden that you spent a lot of your time near, noticing a small patch of white roses that had just began to bloom. “How come I never noticed these?” you murmured to yourself, reaching into the twisted bunch of vines and leaves, wanting to pull out a singular rose.

“I had the gardeners plant them a couple months ago,” you heard a soft voice coming from behind you, causing you to whip around, successfully dragging your own rose out from the bunch, but at a cost. “San, you scared me.”

“My apologies, sweetheart. Oh, you’re bleeding.” He took your hand in his own, studying the way your eyebrows drew together from the stinging pain you felt, noticing a few blood droplets leaving the small cut on your thumb. “I shouldn’t have snuck up on you. Does it hurt?” he inquired, mindlessly bringing your hand up to his mouth and pressing his lips to your thumb, so that he could stop the bleeding with a slow swipe of his tongue. Though he felt an intense urge to take more of your blood, he showed incredible restraint, refusing to give into this sort of temptation.

“N-no, not really.” Whenever San was around you, you felt like you couldn’t breathe, but maybe that was due to your corset being strung too tight. The staff was never that gentle with you when they helped you lace it up in the mornings. “I recall talking about white roses not too long ago. Did you…have them planted because of me?”

“Am I that easy to read?” he chuckled, lowering your hand, but not letting go of it, instead opting to stroke the top of it, studying the way your lips parted slightly with kind eyes. “It was a wonderful idea. They’re beautiful, aren’t they? And they represent a myriad of things that I find to be quite entrancing: harmony…eternal youth…” He brought your hand up to his lips again to plant a gentle kiss on your knuckles, his intense gaze never leaving yours. “Loyalty.” He left another lingering kiss on your skin, sending goosebumps down your forearm. “New beginnings.”

You could feel your heart aching for him, yearning for more of his touch, his love, his affection. You wanted anything and everything he could possibly offer you. “San…”

“Yes, beautiful?”

“Will you hurry up and kiss me already?”

(i was initially gonna keep this pure but the intrusive thoughts won this time 😭)

One thing led to another and the both of you ended up in the somewhat hidden gazebo, which offered you some privacy. “Is this okay, love?” San asked in a quiet voice, his hands halfway up your heavy dress and caressing the outsides of your thighs, his fingers squeezing into your supple flesh.

“Of course it is, San. Please, do whatever you want to me...”

San lowered himself to the wooden floor, so that he was on his knees in front of you. With his crimson eyes glowing at this point, he pushed your skirt up, bunching it up so that he could get better access to your sex, running the pads of his digits up and down it in a teasing manner. “May I have a taste, sweetheart?”

You leaned back against the cool wood finish of the gazebo railing, doing San a favor and holding up the folds of your skirt for him, spreading your legs open a bit more. “Yes, you may…” you replied somewhat shakily, having to bite back a moan when he pulled your panties to the side and dragged the flat of his tongue up your slit, letting out his own groan of satisfaction.

ooooof okay it’s jongho’s turn 👀🖤

(i went straight to the spicy part cuz i’m weak 🧎🏻‍♀️also shoutout to my bestie @cherryxsang for helping me flesh this part out 💗)

After climbing onto the bed , Jongho took his time undressing you, one layer at a time, pressing a kiss to your skin each time. His fingers ghosted along your body, while looking at you with a gentle love-filled gaze. “You’re so beautiful, Y/N,” he whispered near your ear in the softest voice you ever heard, filling your heart up with warmth and comfort.

“Jongho…I need you.” Once you were both fully naked, you had taken the initiative, sitting in his lap and caressing his cheeks, admiring him, as though he were a breathtaking piece of artwork.

He pressed a few kisses onto your neck and up to your jaw, stopping just barely before his lips met yours, resulting in you both breathing in the same air, leaving you almost dizzy. “Are you sure this is alright? What if I can’t hold back?”

“Of course it is. I want you more than anything, so please…don’t hold back, Jongho.”

***

Jongho held you by your waist, slowly and deliberately pulling you down onto his length, allowing you to feel the way he was pulsing against your inner walls. “Does it feel good, Y/N?”

“So good…so, so good…”

He reached up one hand and slowly ran the back of his fingers along your jaw and down your neck, treating you as if you were made of glass. “Y/N…”

Sensing what he wanted from the way his lavender irises were glimmering and his pointed canines just barely poking out past his parted lips, you offered, “Please, bite me.”

“I shouldn’t…I might-“

“Jongho, I want it. Please,” you insisted, pressing your lips onto his for a moment, then pulling away just in time for him to lower himself and sink his fangs into the soft flesh of your neck.

Taking small gulps, Jongho grabbed onto your hips and plunged himself deeper into you, slowly speeding up the longer he was able to taste you. “So…delicious…” he murmured in a somewhat shaky voice, lapping at the blood the dripped down your neck.

[kidfoundonstreets]

last post

DAY 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ashe pov lets watch him have the worst time of his life NOT THE MUSIC PLAYING RIGHT AFTER. GN. cleepy claire again ashe the worst thing you can do right now is be alone i think.,,,,,,,, these hallucinations are gonna fuck you bad

pain and agony in the world

so true charlotte honestly lime?? get a life and a grip she’d definitely see you venting and go “well at least-” that sums it up. she wont understand anybody and she wont ever be understood if shes like this all the time the world is cruel because and unfair and it was to you but its your mindset thats keeping it that way. i guess same could be said for all the haters in some sort of way as well becaquse their entire existence is to keep up their hate of humanity thats why they relieve their deaths every single day

i understand her and i feel bvad for her story she deserves so much more she really does but . gaghhhg i relaly hope one day she snaps out of it UGH SHYE IS SUCH A GOOD CHARACTER i dont wanna be too harsh on her since yea. she doesnt even know love or anything she couldve been she had no choice it was all so stupid but the cage symbolism of her still being in it.. i love “ah nothing” *proceeds to think about it* i wonder if ashe’s having a nightmare right now. probably not though since they said to give it a rest

im shocked he didnt reread all of the books more

EVERYBODY STFU SHE SINGS THATS LITERALLY SO CUTE ashe is the embodiment of the meme “the thoughts are getting louder” with the crying laughing emoji HRELP THE TYABLES HAVE TURNED SIRIUS IS THE ONE SHOCKED AT CLAIRE NOT KNOWING

AJKFGKRE OLHY HSITR THATS ADIRABLOE IS THIS THE DOODLES MENTIONED BEFORE.. I AM SO IN LOVENJKEWNHFWKEJLJR3IO2 SIRIUS LOOKS SO NAGY HELPP bro she somehow drew the hairs and collars better than i ever could CAT CA T C A T CAT CXA TC A T 

SIRIUS PRETTY PINK FLUFIFEST MOST SDPEICALIST PRICNESS INT HREW HOLE WRODLD NOOOOOOOOOO

oh my god..................................................................... that is not him at all im wheezing

TOP TIER ME AND THE SIBLINGS (REAL) WHY DOES SIRIUS LOOK LIKE A MII.. JFKSDHFKJAESHRQWIEURH332 I KEEP LAUGHING AT THISHEKEWFEW

IM TAKING SO MANY SCRENESHOTS BUT HE REALLY JUST DID THAT THATS SO MEAN THEY ARE ALL EMPTY SOIL AROUND EACH OTHER WHETHER SIRIUS LIKES IT OR NOT!1!!!! and then they were siblings.......... (one suffering) wilardo screentime gogogogogogogoogog

[hiddens-eden]

That Bitch!!

Word count: A lot

Pronouns: He/Him

Paring: Reader x Male!Avengers

Spelling checked: No

Warnings: Homophobic slurs, Homophobia, cussing, minor assult, possibly triggering (idk)

Summary: High school Au, where reader is not very popular and the senior prom comes around. Though, just because he's not popular does not mean he doesn't have admirers. Say most of the male avengers (because I'm a slut for a reverse-harem). But with admirers, there will be haters. However, (Y/N) knows how to put them in their place.

"Soooo, (Y/N) the senior prom is coming around" You lifted your head from your book to see your two best friends, Natasha Romanoff and Wanda Maximoff

"And?"

"What do you mean and? Prom is the most important part of senior year!" you saw Wanda's face turn into a pout

"Even if I wanted to go, I don't have anyone to go with. The boys here avoid me like the plague" you started to go back to your book when Natasha grabbed it, putting it on her desk

"They only do that because they like you, and they're boys. If it makes you feel better, I don't have a date"

You looked at Natasha with confusion covering your face "How? You're one of the best people I know"

"To be honest, it's because boys are skank's" She shrugged

"Hey! Not all of them are!"

"You only say that because of Vision" you saw a Natasha smirk while Wanda blushed and turned away

"Not all of us will remain single for the rest of our day's" she may have tried to mumble her response, but you heard her and chuckled

"Even so, I'm not going"

Hearing that, the boy's lost all hope. To be honest, they all were going to try and ask you to the dance

"Then go with us" Natasha more demanded than asked

"What about Wanda" you turned to her "Aren't you going with Vision?"

"Well, as we always say bro's before hoe's" (que Vision sulking in the corner) the three of you burst out into a fit of laughter

"I-I guess" you managed to choke out between laughs

"Then come on!" Natasha pulled you out of your seat

"Where are we going?"

"To get some clothes for prom, duh" as the three of you made your way out of the classroom and into the hallways you were stopped by Peggy Carter and Pepper Pots

"What do you guys want" you asked scowling

"Cut the shit (Y/N)" Pepper sneere

"What are you talking about?"

"You're trying to seduce all of the guy's in the school!" Peggy shouted

"...What?"

"You heard me!"

You looked to Natasha and Wanda "Do you know what they're talking about?

They both shrugged and shook their heads

"LIARS!!!" Pepper screamed

The commotion drew the attention of the students that were in the classroom and hallways

"What the hell is going on..."

"Don't know let's just go" Wanda tried to push you past the two girls, but before you could go anywhere Peggy grabbed your arm tightly

"STEVE WILL BE MINE!!! SO DON'T TRY AND TAKE HIM AWAY" she raised her other hand and slapped you across the face. The people watching let out a collective gasp and wondered what you would do

"THE SAME WITH TONY" Pepper raised her hand to slap you too but was stopped by a firm grip on her wrist and her body couldn't move either. It was Natasha and Wanda

"Slap him one more time I break your wrist" Natasha clutched Pepper's wrist even tighter earning a hiss from the woman

"Maybe I should break her legs for good measure" Wanda stated coldly

You put a hand on their shoulders causing them to turn to you "Stop, if Peggy's slap is anything to go by, it would not have hurt. Just release them so we can go" They let her go reluctantly, but not without giving her one last glare. As you were about to leave you hear a classroom door open and turned to see the men of the hour, Steve and Tony

Immediately the two girls ran to the guy's whining about how you 'assaulted them'

"What the actual fuck"

"Really Peggy?" Steve asked

"Yeah! I was so scared!"

Then the crowd of people started to yell about how you were the victim, you only grinned. Tony and Steve looked enraged

"Why would you lie about something like that!?" Tony shouted

"What's wrong with you two?!" Steve spat walking towards you

"(Y/N) I'm sorry they did that to you" he looked down sadly

You lifted his chin up to look down at you(unfortunately you were shorter than Steve) "It's not your fault they're crazy. Don't beat yourself up that much" You turned his head to the side and planted a kiss on his cheek "I'll see you later Steve"

You turned and started to walk away with your friends in tow. Leaving a blushing Steven and extremely jealous group of males

"He has no idea what he just did, does he?" Natasha asked Wanda

She shook her head "Not a clue"

"Well lets get this over with"

They nodded and started to search for Tux's and Dresses stores. Once you found one, you all got your own fitted and talored dress and tuxedo's. Natasha doesn't really like dresses so she got a white women's tux. Wanda got an elegant white dress that draped behind her. You got a white tux with flower-like adornments. You all like the fact that you were somewhat matching. The girls completely gushed about how good you looked, but you had a weird feeling.

"I'm going to get another outfit just in case"

"Just in case what?" Wanda asked

"In case a pair of crazy ass girls decide to pull a prom cliché and try and ruin my suit"

"Seems reasonable"

You started looking around for a suit and you found it. An outfit that made you smile happily. You turned to your friends showing them the outfit "Found it"

They just smirked and nodded

~Next Day~

The last thing you were expecting today was to get asked to prom by one of the hottest guys in your school, but here you were. Steve Rogers was infront of you with a bouquet of your favorite flowers, shyly rubbing the back of his head

"I'm sorry Steve, but I'm going with my friends" once you said that he looked like a kicked puppy and you couldn't take it! So, you sighed.

"However, even though I won't be able to go to prom with you" you took the flowers from his hand "I'm willing to go wherever you want anytime your free" you smiled softly at him. He immediately perked up and gave a fast nod, making you chuckle. He asked for your number and you gave it to him and he gave you a kiss on the cheek before running off. 'Guess that's payback' you blushed hiding your face behind the flowers.

Over the week until prom you kept getting asked to the dance by almost every guy in your school. But, again you turned them down and re-scheduled making them happy. However, with most of the boy's attention on you, some of the girls started to get jealous. They would make snide remarks hoping to hurt you, but they never did. Afterall, you had your friends and they can help you through anything.

~Prom Day~

"Are you sure we should do this?" you were REALLY nervous

"Come on! Don't puss out now!" Natasha teased

"Yeah! You came this far already!" Wanda smiled

You sighed and straightened your posture "Yeah, you guys are right. Let's get in there!" You cheered along with your friends and opened the prom room door

Narrator PoV

As the door opened, someone looked over to it letting out a gasp at what they saw. This caused most of the people in the room to follow their sight and look at the door as well. Eyes widen at the sheer beauty of the new arrivals

(Y/N);

Natasha;

Wanda;

~Out of Narrator PoV~

"Guy's they're looking at us" you wanted to perish right then and there, but your friends put a reassuring hand on your shoulder

"They're looking at us because we're the most gorgeous things they've ever seen" Wanda grinned as you all walked through the room catching everyone's eyes

"Just lean into the attention" Natasha said to you

"I'll try" you chuckled lightly

"(Y/N)!) you looked behind you to see Steve waving at you, then start blushing

"Don't you look dashing Steve" you grinned at him as he turned an even darker red

"Maybe, but not as dashing as you" you both chuckled and started talking to each other

"Wow forgotten already" Wanda wiped an imaginary tear from her eye

"Oh! I'm sorry guys!" You apologized profusely

"Don't worry about it! I'll just go and find Vision. Have fun~" Wanda winked before leaving

"I'll go find Clint too, he's sad he didn't get to go with you" she chuckled before walking off

"They're both something" you smiled before turning back to Steve

You and Steve kept chatting and joking with each other. While you were talking you noticed Tony, Peitro, Thor, Bruce, Bucky, Stephen all gather around you joining in your conversation. You didn't mind, but Steve is another story. He was giving small glares to everyone who talked to you.

You were talking to Tony and Bruce about upcoming tech when you felt a tap on your shoulder. You turned only to be met with a bucket full of red fruit punch. You wiped your eyes to see Peggy, Pepper, and some other girls smirking.

"Thats what you get you stupid slut!"

"Know your place!"

"Just leave so we don't have to see you!"

A chill ran down yourself as you turned to see the guy's glaring coldly at the girls, ready to throw the "You should never hit a girl" rule out the window

You just sighed and signaled for them to stand down. Then, you looked towards Wanda and Natasha, giving them a nod and making your way to the exit.

The boy's tried to get to you, but Wanda and Natasha stopped them while smirking

"Yeah, you better get out of here whore!"

"He's probably going to cry!"

"Pathetic!"

"Who would ever love something like that!"

"Besides, dating a guy when you are one is disgusting!"

"Yeah! They need a strong woman in their life!"

This made the boy's heated. They are ready to destroy these girls for talking shit about you, but they were stopped by Wanda and Natasha again

"Why do you keep stopping us!?" Thor boomed

"He'll deal with them, just be patient" Natasha said firmly

"And we think you'll like him even more when he gets back" Wanda's smirk grew

Needless to say, they were all confused. But they let it slide...for now. Minutes passed and the girls were still talking about you. The guys are on the edge of their seats ready to pummel every single one of them. But then the door opened making everyone's head turn and eyes widen. Their jaws were on the floor as you walked in sauntering over to the girls

(Y/N)

You wore a black crop-top shirt with a black crop-top leather jacket draped over you shoulders. Possibly the most catching thing about your new look was your dress pants with thigh-high boots. Once you reached the girls you took off your shades to reveal a beautiful make-up look

(this is all optional, you can change it if you want)

You wore a black crop-top shirt with a black crop-top leather jacket draped over your shoulders. Possibly the most catching thing about your new look was your dress pants with thigh-high boots. Once you reached the girls you took off your shades to reveal a beautiful make-up look

"Ugh! You're a guy! You shouldn't be wearing make-up you slut!"

"I may be a slut, but I'm the baddest slut out there. You're just mad because no matter how hard you try you'll never be like me and I also figured out why you obsess over guys who want nothing to do with you. Your father probably left you and your family because he said he was going to get milk, so that left you without a prominent male figure in your life"

"Wha-"

"And when you attempt to get guys you have no chance with it somehow fills that hole of longing you have. You don't love them, you see them as a tool you can use for your own wishes"

"I-"

"I'm not done. Why are you homophobic? Because you can't help it when someone can share their sexuality without being afraid and you can't? Because it's not 'natural'? Let me remind you that just because something is natural does not mean it's good. Besides, it is natural considering it's been observed across many species. Even ones who have not been in contact with humans. So, I suggest you shut up and leave because I don't allow cunts in my presence" you put your shades back on and walked to the group of males + your friends

The girls started crying and ran out of the room with their faces in their hands

"Woah, (Y/N) that was badass" Natasha gave you a high five

"Good thing I recorded it" Wanda said holding her phone

"Wait what! Delete it!"

"Too late I already posted it! :P" Wanda giggled

The boys weren't paying attention since that whole encounter got them *ahem* excited, so now they're trying to calm themselves down

As the prom slowly started to resume (Y/N) was asked by almost everyone to dance which he of course obliged. He kept getting complimented about his looks and how he told each girl off. Soon it was time to announce the prom King and Queen. (Y/N) voted for (M!Avenger Name) as prom King and (Wanda or Natasha) as prom Queen

"Now it's time to reveal the prom King and Queen!" everyone started to clap and cheer in anticipation

"This year's prom King is....(Y/N) (L/N)!!!"

You were shocked! You weren't even a candidate as far as you knew. You slowly made your way to the stage as everyone started to cheer for you. Once on the stage, you were given your crown and sash by the previous prom King who congratulated you.

"Now for this year's prom Queen!" she opened the envelope

"This year's prom Queen is...(Y/N) (L/N)?" she said with confusion, but the crowd cheered even louder

The teacher looked towards the Principle who came on the stage "It seems that the majority of you voted for (Y/N) twice. Since this has never happened before we have decided that (Y/N) will be this year's prom King AND Queen!!" The previous prom Queen put the sash on you and gave you the crown to hold. She smiled and congratulated you. You were still in shock 'Prom King and Queen?!'

"(Y/N)! As the prom King and Queen, do you have a few words for the crowd?"

You stepped up to the mic "(Y/N) (L/N) breaking gender norms since (birth year)!" everyone laughed and you chuckled "One more thing, if someone tries to hurt or degrade you, look to your loved ones for help. They will always be there for you and if not then give me a call at (***)-***-**** I'll be there for you" you winked and started walking off the stage

Once you were off the stage you were swarmed by a huge crowd

"(Y/N)! Congrats!!!"

"That was such a good speech!"

"You rock!"

"You're so amazing!!"

"Thank you everyone!" you smiled making all of them swoon

"Hey, (Y/N) guess what I did" you looked at Wanda

"What did you do?"

"I may or may not have recorded not only you confronting the girls, but the prom King and Queen ceremony and posted it online" she giggled nervously

"..."

"(Y/N)?"

"Kill me now"

"(Y/N), No!"

A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed! Pictures used are not mine! Will I do a part 2? Maybe! Bye my little otaku's!

[thatkidwholikesthunderbirds]

TAG Mini Bang 2021

Hey fam, This is mine and the amazing @katblu42′s contribution to the @tagminibang. Katblu42 wrote the story, of which I love so much, and i made a couple of doodles to go with it.

We both worked really hard on it, hope you enjoy.

***

Deep Water

The summer is drawing to an end when an almost-twelve-year-old Virgil is lumped with looking after little bro Gordon for the day. When a simple walk in the woods becomes more than they bargained for, the pair must work together to overcome their fears.

Written by @katblu42

***

“Hey, Virgil. Whatcha doin’?” Gordon bounced down the stairs and watched his brother carefully pack his brand-new artist’s set of watercolour pencils, mini easel, and sketchbook into his backpack, using one of his hoodies for padding. “I’m gonna go out on the top track and try out my new pencils. It’s gonna be a really nice day for practicing landscapes. I want to try and capture the way the light filters through the trees and . . .” As Virgil excitedly rambled on about all the things he wanted to draw, Lucy emerged from the kitchen with a lunchbox packed with sandwiches and snacks and two water bottles for Virgil to add to his bag. She ignored the eye-rolling from the younger boy, who obviously didn’t share the enthusiasm for artistic inspiration. Placing a hand on Virgil’s shoulder as she handed him the last of the supplies, Lucy smiled. “Sounds like the two of you are going to see all kinds of wonders today,” she said. Virgil opened his mouth to question, but she didn’t give him a chance to speak. “You’re going to take your brother with you.” “But . . .” was all Virgil managed to squeak out, while Gordon sported a look of surprised incredulity. “It will do you both the world of good to spend some time together, just the two of you.”

Lucy knew these two didn’t always get along, mostly due to Gordon’s talent for finding exactly the right buttons to push to try Virgil’s patience. In fact, Gordon did that with everyone, but it somehow affected Virgil the most potently. Lucy, Jeff, and the other boys had little tolerance for Gordon’s annoying antics, but the fact that Virgil usually had an abundance of patience was exactly why Gordon got under his skin so much. With Virgil, Gordon would keep on pushing, keep needling, insistently nagging until that patience wore thin and caused Virgil to react in frustration. As a result, Lucy had noticed Virgil tending to avoid spending too much time with Gordon. But today she needed to pair them up together. Grandma would be by any minute to pick up Scott, as she was helping him log extra flying hours towards his pilot license while Jeff was away for work. John had already left for the library where they had been running a special summer program in the AV centre focussing on early space exploration because today was the last day he’d be able to see it. “Aw, Mom!” Virgil whined. “If he comes, I won’t get any drawing done.” “Yeah, Mom,” Gordon joined in, wrinkling his nose, “can’t I stay with you?” “Nope!” Lucy ruffled Gordon’s unruly blond locks. “I have errands to run today.” Gordon groaned. He hated being dragged all over town when his mom was running errands, mostly because the entire day was usually spent listening to her tell him he couldn’t run off too far or do anything fun – getting up to mischief, she called it. Lucy knew her day would be difficult enough with a toddler in tow without adding a hyperactive six-and-a-half-year-old to the mix. For a moment, she felt for Virgil. In a way, he had a point. He’d have to keep Gordon occupied, which would take his focus away from his artistic endeavours, but she had faith that the two of them would find a way to make it work. She stood between the two boys and, with a hand on a shoulder of each, pulled them into a hug. “You two go out and have fun.” She placed a kiss on first Virgil’s and then Gordon’s forehead. “Be good, look after each other, and don’t get into any trouble!” She ushered them through the door and watched them head out, turning back to wave goodbye to her from the front gate before continuing westward towards the top track. She would always worry about her boys out there on their own, but they all knew the rules and had repeatedly been warned of the various dangers contained within their little patch of wilderness. Virgil was not inclined to be reckless or break the rules, but the lure of an interesting view could distract him at times. Looking after a younger brother would help keep his attention more focused. It was one of Lucy’s secret weapons. Pairing a big brother with a little one always seemed to make the big brother more inclined to obey the rules and watch for dangers.

The two boys made quick progress across the open paddock towards the trees, Virgil striding out confidently, Gordon occasionally having to run for a few steps to catch up. Once they reached the track that wound its way through the trees, the pace began to slow. Virgil’s gaze wandered as he walked, noticing in great detail the colours of the foliage and tree bark, the stark contrasts formed by shafts of sunlight filtering between the trees and highlighting this branch or those leaves. He would hear the cry of a bird and look up, searching the treetops to see if he could catch sight of the culprit. Despite the distractions, however, Virgil didn’t stop walking. He had a destination in mind, and he was keen to get there so he could start drawing. Gordon found distractions of his own along the track. He’d hear skittering noises in the dirt and leaf litter beside the track and stop to see if he could spot the creature that had scuttled away. He found spiderwebs woven between the trees and bushes, and noted with interest whether or not the spider was home and if they’d caught anything. He, too, would search the trees and sky for birds that called out their various songs. Unlike Virgil, Gordon stopped often and would have to run to catch up to his bigger brother, usually after Virgil called out to him to hurry up. After falling behind for the fourth time, Gordon decided to run ahead along the track a bit. That way Virgil would have to catch up to him! He stopped short when he came to the fork in the track. An idea struck him, and he jogged back to his brother. “Hey, Virgil?” He had a glint in his eye that the older boy knew well enough to be worried about. “We should go down to the lake!” “No.” “Oh, come on! Why not?” His voice was verging on whiny and his expression close to a pout. “We’re not supposed to go to the lake on our own, it’s –” “We’re not on our own, we have each other!” Gordon didn’t want to give Virgil a chance to argue or talk about possible dangers. “We’re not gonna do anything dangerous or anything. It’s nice by the lake. Besides, you said your pencils were watercolours. Shouldn’t you draw something with water?” “That’s not . . . Uugghh!” Virgil sighed, rolled his eyes, and rubbed a hand through his hair. He knew steering this particular brother away from water was going to be a hard sell, and if he was honest with himself, his little brother was right about the lake being a good place to draw. It would give him an opportunity to practice drawing reflections, which was something he’d been wanting to experiment with. And the view across the lake was pretty spectacular. But swimming in the lake could be dangerous. If they went to the lake, Virgil knew his entire day would be spent watching Gordon in the water. Gordon studied the expression on his brother’s face for some sign of what he was thinking. He had that look of intense concentration he used when he was figuring out how to fix something. Virgil slowed to a stop and looked down at Gordon. “If we go to the lake –” As Virgil spoke, Gordon’s face broke out in a wide gap-toothed grin as he sensed he had won. “I said if! If we go to the lake, you have to promise me you won’t go for a swim. I came here to draw, not play lifeguard.” “Aww! Virge, it’s summer! It’s a great day for a swim.” His smile was gone, and he now had to trot alongside his brother as Virgil began walking again, setting a brisk pace. He was going to have to fight hard to get his way. “Pleeeeease!” No reaction. “What if I promise not to go in any deeper than up to here?” He indicated his waist. Virgil’s eyebrows drew down into somewhat of a scowl, but he slowed his walking pace again. “You have to stay dry above the knees,” he said. “Yes! Okay, I can do that.” Gordon’s big, infectious grin was back, and he literally bounced with happiness and excitement at his victory. “I promise I won’t go in past my knees, and I’ll be good so you can just do your drawings.” Virgil tried to keep his expression serious, but his little brother’s glee was so irresistible he couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. Pretty soon he was grinning too, and they headed down the left fork in the track towards the lake. As they descended the narrow trail, weaving between trees and larger rocks, the hard-packed dirt underfoot gradually giving way to sandy soil, Gordon’s excitement was barely containable. He ran ahead down the track, calling to Virgil to hurry, ran back to his brother urging him to walk quicker, tugging at his hand, gave up, and ran ahead again before he could even see Virgil roll his eyes. The whole process was then repeated. Twice. Soon enough the trees lining the track thinned out, allowing glimpses of dark blue water. The track curved, and suddenly they emerged from the trees onto an expanse of silty sand with the lake spread out before them, rippling and glistening in the sunlight. The dark greens of the trees on the far side of the lake separated dark blue water from pale blue sky on the horizon. Gordon ran straight to the water’s edge, while Virgil took a moment to take in the entire scene. The lake itself didn’t cover a particularly large area, but it was very deep in places. Virgil estimated that it was more than half a mile from side to side, north to south, and possibly as far as three hundred metres to the trees on the other side from where Gordon now stood. The hills to the north funnelled water down into the lake via a network of creeks and streams. The surface of the lake looked relatively calm, but it hid unpredictable undercurrents as the water worked its way to the small stream that trickled away from the natural dam at the lake’s southern tip. There were a few tiny islands dotted throughout the lake, most of them closer to the far side, some large enough to have trees growing on them, others no more than large rocks with their tops protruding from the water. A short walk along the water’s edge northward took Virgil past a small wooden pier with a little dinghy tied to it, gently rocking and bumping with the lazy motion of the water. Beyond that, the flat sand gave way to a series of rocky, sloped banks. Picking his way up over some of the lower rocks, Virgil climbed up onto a large, relatively flat boulder that afforded him a good view and room to set out all his materials. He could see the beach (as Gordon called it) and his brother discarding his shoes and socks so he could explore the shallows and the little boat attached to the pier, with the water stretching away before him. Once he had carefully unpacked his easel and sketchbook and placed his pencils beside him within easy reach, Virgil began to sketch out some rough outlines. It wasn’t long before Gordon popped his head up over the edge of Virgil’s rock platform.

“Is that all you’ve done so far?” he asked with curious disbelief. “You should use more colours.” “Gordon.” Virgil’s tone was a warning. “Okay, okay,” Gordon said, raising his hands, palms outwards. “I just wondered if it’s lunchtime yet. I’m hungry.” Virgil resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he looked at his younger brother, searching for any signs of mischief and finding none. He realised Gordon was probably right, it was time for lunch. Virgil had been too caught up in what he was doing to notice how long it had been since they’d eaten breakfast. “All right, let’s see what Mom packed for us to eat.” He dug the lunchbox and water bottles out of his backpack while Gordon climbed up onto the rock and sat cross-legged beside him. Neither boy was surprised to find their mom had provided each of them with their favourite sandwich toppings, and they ate hungrily. Gordon would have polished off all the snacks too, but Virgil prudently suggested they should save those for later. They washed the sandwiches down with a hearty helping of water, making sure to save some of that too. When their little picnic was done, Gordon started to scamper back down over the rocks. “You can go back to drawing now,” he delivered a parting shot with that cheeky grin, “I’m gonna go see if I can find any fish.” “Stay out of the water,” Virgil warned. “You just ate.” “Ugh! I’m not stupid, Virgil! And besides, I’m only going in up to my knees, remember!” “I remember. I’ve just gotta make sure you do!” Virgil watched as Gordon started to clamber down the rocks. “Stay where I can see you!” he called after him. “And be careful! The rocks can get slippery.” “I’ll be fine!” Gordon yelled back, and added under his breath, “Spoilsport.” “I heard that!” Virgil didn’t see Gordon poke his tongue out before he ran off along the sand to go and get his feet wet again. He stood in the shallow water, running his hands over the slimy reeds looking for little fish. He spent some time digging his toes into the sand to see what little creatures came darting out into the water as it clouded around his feet. Virgil’s focus was split between the landscape that was rapidly developing on the paper and keeping tabs on Gordon. Every little, excited exclamation had Virgil looking along the beach, wondering what his brother had found. But his attention was inevitably pulled back to his watercolour sketch. Coming out of the water for a while, Gordon picked his way along the sand, gathering a pocketful of stones before finding a spot to stand and skip them across the surface of the lake. He was pretty proud of the one he managed to get to skip eight times before it sank. The clicky slap of the first skipped stone had Virgil’s head turning to watch, making sure his brother was still keeping out of trouble. He wondered who had taught Gordon to skip stones and fondly remembered Scott showing him how it was done. Gordon was actually pretty good at it, and he kept at it for quite a while. After that, Gordon wandered closer to the trees looking for beetles and interesting insects. He even took one or two of them over to show Virgil. He did the same with some of the smooth pebbles he’d found, especially the ones that had pretty colours or unusual patterns. Virgil liked those ones, he could tell. And every time he returned to Virgil up on his rock, while he munched on a snack or took a drink of water, he took a peek at what his brother was drawing. There was one main drawing of the view across the lake that was more and more detailed every time Gordon saw it, but there were some other smaller sketches too. Gordon wasn’t sure if they were like little practice drawings for things that Virgil wanted to add to the main one or if they were something else. It looked like some of those extra sketches included him, some were of the treasures he’d brought to show his brother, and some he couldn’t quite decipher yet. The afternoon sun beat down on them, too high in the sky for any shadows long enough to provide decent shade. Virgil barely noticed, but Gordon felt the heat. He had climbed back down from Virgil’s perch and was now sitting on the end of the little boat dock dangling his feet in the water. He kicked his feet, splashing and watching new ripples form. The water was pleasantly cool against his legs, but his head and shoulders yearned for that same refreshing feeling. He looked out across the lake, longing to jump in and immerse himself in liquid heaven. He was regretting his promise. “Gordon,” Virgil called down to him, “stop splashing around so much. I don’t want you falling in.” In response, Gordon just sighed. A gull squawked nearby, and he watched it wing its way to a large rock protruding from the water, joining other gulls and ibises sunning themselves. It was the closest island to where he sat, and it didn’t look too far to swim to. It was so hot. It would just be a quick swim. “Hey, Virgil,” Gordon called out, twisting his body around to look up at his brother, “how far do you think it is to that big rock out there?” Virgil took a moment to stand up and stretch muscles that he hadn’t really moved in nearly two hours. He looked where Gordon pointed and couldn’t help doing a rough calculation in his head to estimate the distance, but he knew where this question was leading. “Too far,” he answered. “You’re not going to swim to it. No deeper than your knees, remember?” “But, Virge . . .” “No, Gordon! It’s dangerous. We don’t swim out that far when Mom and Dad bring us down here, I’m not letting you go out there alone.” “But I’m a good swimmer, and the water’s really flat and calm, and it’s so hot . . .” “I said no!” Virgil was almost shouting now. Why wasn’t Gordon listening to him? Couldn’t he see how bad an idea this was? “It’s gotta be at least eighty metres out to that rock, and you can’t see the currents at work under the surface or the reeds or the cold spots or how deep it is. It’s not like swimming in the pool in town.” “Eighty metres is easy! I already have my two-hundred-meter freestyle achievement certificate. I’ll be out there and back in no time.” As he spoke, Gordon started removing his T-shirt. “Gordon, don’t!” Virgil’s heart was hammering at his rib cage like it was trying to break free, and he started making his way down the rocks towards the boat dock, knowing he wasn’t going to be quick enough. “Bet I’ll do it in the fastest time ever. Time me, Virgil.” And with a flash of a wicked grin, he turned and dived into the water. Virgil ran across the sand and onto the wooden dock, heart still pounding fit to burst as Gordon swam away. All he could do was stand there and watch. As scared as he was, he couldn’t help being a little bit in awe of his little brother. Even though he was little, he was a good swimmer. From his very first swimming lesson two years ago, he had been very much at home in the water. He learned fast and seemed to have the knack of skimming the surface of the water when he swam – unlike Virgil, who always felt like he was fighting the water, trying to stop it from pulling him down. He didn’t mind admitting that Gordon was a better swimmer than he was, but the little fish had no experience with open water – or getting out of trouble on his own. It wasn’t long before Gordon was halfway to the rock island, and everything seemed to be going fine. Virgil even managed to start to relax a bit. It seemed like he was going to make it out there just fine. His pace had slowed a little, but that was to be expected. Then suddenly something wasn’t right. Gordon had slowed right down, almost to a complete stop, his legs no longer breaking the surface with his kicks. He rolled onto his back and made a couple of awkward backstrokes, then he went under. Just for a millisecond. But it was enough to have Virgil scrambling to get into the dinghy. Gordon tried to shout, but the effort seemed to cause his head to bob under again. Virgil rowed as fast as he could, his head twisted to look over his shoulder, not wanting to take his eyes off his little brother, praying each time he went under that he’d see blond hair break the surface again. Swear words repeated over and over like a mantra with every stroke of the oars. Strong, long strokes propelled the little wooden boat through the water. He fought back panic. He would get there in time. He had to get there in time. He had to save his brother. Gordon seemed to be losing the battle to stay afloat, arms flailing, panicking, bobbing and spluttering. He knew Virgil was trying to get to him, and he was desperate to keep his head above water until he got there, but kicking was difficult and painful. His left leg was not obeying. He’d never experienced a cramp like this before. Virgil finally reached the spot where Gordon had just gone under again. Leaning over the side of the boat, mindful of leaning too far and capsizing, he grabbed a flailing arm with one hand and reached the other into the water to grab a handful of blond hair. He ignored the shock of the cold mere inches below the surface and hauled his brother up far enough for him to gasp for air. He adjusted his grip and dragged Gordon into the boat, where he lay coughing and spluttering, shivering and absolutely terrified. Virgil sat, boat rocking beneath them, breathing hard and equally terrified, watching his brother, grateful for the coughing because at least he knew he was still breathing. “You okay?” Virgil panted out once the coughing had died down a little. “Cramp!” Gordon gasped out in reply, indicating his left leg. “Calf muscle? Here?” Virgil was kneeling with Gordon’s left foot resting on his thigh, fingers gently kneading into his calf. Gordon responded with a nod and a little groan of pain. Virgil spent a few minutes massaging the cramped muscle. He wasn’t sure if Gordon’s tears were from the pain in his leg or fear or relief, but he suddenly felt like he’d do anything to stop them. All he could offer were words of reassurance. Words that comforted both of them. “It’s okay, Gords. You’re okay. You’re safe now.” Virgil’s fingers worked methodically, gently, gradually relaxing the muscle, relieving Gordon’s agony, and calming both of them down in the process. Gordon was soon wriggling his leg free of Virgil’s grasp to sit up on the floor of the little rowboat. He pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs, still shivering. “Hold on, Gordon.” Virgil shifted himself back onto the seat and took up the oars. “Let’s get you back to shore and then we can warm you up.” Rowing back to the wooden dock seemed to take so much longer than it had to row out into the lake. Virgil wasn’t sure if this was because there were currents working against him or if he was just a great deal more tired now. Or maybe it was the lack of terrifying urgency driving his actions on the return trip. Either way, he was grateful to make it safely to the dock and get the boat secured. Gordon was adamant he could get out of the boat on his own, but Virgil’s assistance was accepted readily when he found himself unsteady on his feet. Virgil retrieved the T-shirt Gordon had so hastily tossed aside earlier and draped it over his little brother’s back. It didn’t take much convincing for Gordon to remain sitting on the dock in the same knees-huddled-to-chest position he’d adopted in the boat while Virgil raced up to his rock platform to retrieve all his gear. He also made a quick dash across the sand to find Gordon’s discarded shoes before returning. He didn’t like how quiet and still the normally boisterous boy was. The paleness of his skin and the fact he was still shivering – or perhaps trembling – worried him even more. The now damp T-shirt had been pulled on over his head but offered little in the way of warmth. “Hey, Gordon. Arms up,” Virgil instructed, holding his own hoodie ready to slip over the blond head. Gordon did as he was told without comment or complaint, seeming to Virgil a little like some sort of robotic puppet. The hoodie was way too big, but it was soft and thick and most importantly dry. With head and arms now inserted into their correct holes, Virgil knelt in front of Gordon and pulled the hoodie down over his entire tucked-up body. Not even his feet protruded from beneath the hem. He then wrapped his arms around the whole bundle of little brother and rubbed vigorously to generate some heat. “Virgil?” Glossy brown eyes peeked out from beneath the sweater’s hood. The voice was quiet and had a quality to it that felt somehow small and uncertain. “I’m sorry.” The look in his brother’s eyes, more than the words, stung Virgil somewhere deep inside. “What?” Virgil answered. “What for?” “I didn’t listen. You told me not to and I . . .” “That doesn’t matter now.” Virgil’s arms tightened ever so slightly around him, and Gordon rested his head against his big brother’s shoulder. “All I care about right now is making sure you’re okay.” For a moment, the two boys stayed locked in the embrace, Gordon letting the feeling of safety envelop him, Virgil feeling the rise and fall of Gordon’s chest with every breath. He was relieved to find his brother relaxing into an even, steady pattern of deep breaths. There was no sign of any wheezing, and the coughs and splutters seemed long gone. “Come on. Let’s get you home,” Virgil said softly, giving Gordon’s back one final rub before releasing the hug. He slipped his backpack straps over his shoulders, held his hands out for Gordon to take so he could help him onto his feet, then lifted him up into a reverse piggyback hold. Gordon’s arms looped around his neck, and his legs wrapped around his waist without hesitation or protest, and Virgil set off for home at a slow but steady pace. The gentle but constant incline of the path back to the top track gave Virgil quite a workout with the additional weight he carried, but he took it in his stride. Gordon remained so still and quiet, hooded head resting against his left shoulder, Virgil thought he might have fallen asleep. He tried not to jostle his bundle of brother too much as he picked his way up the hill. When he reached the relative flat ground where the lake path rejoined the top track, Virgil took a moment to catch his breath, and Gordon stirred. “Hey, Virgil?” he said quietly. “When we get home . . . we don’t have to tell anyone what happened, do we?” “Gordon, we have to tell Mom. You nearly drowned!” Gordon caught his brother’s gaze and for the first time saw there was fear in those deep brown eyes. It made something in his insides feel fluttery. “But I’m okay,” he pleaded. “You saved me.” “I pulled you out of the water, but . . .” Virgil wasn’t sure how to finish that sentence and sighed. “If you got any water in your lungs, that would be bad. I’m not sure exactly how it works, but sometimes it can make a person have trouble breathing hours after they’ve been rescued from drowning.” “Oh.” The initial response was almost whispered, then Gordon’s features and tone brightened. “But –” “Did you swallow any water?” Virgil cut him off. “Because the water in the lake could make you sick if you did.” Gordon’s brow creased. “No. I don’t think so. Maybe?” Virgil sighed once more, then began walking again. “I don’t want to scare you, Gords, but what happened out there was a big deal.” “I know,” Gordon whimpered, and held on to Virgil a little tighter. “But I’m not scared now. I’m safe. I was afraid. In the water, when I thought . . . when I couldn’t . . . It was scary, but now I’m not scared because you’re here and you saved me.” Virgil remained silent. “Would it be less scary for you if you stay with me until you know I’m not going to get sick or stop breathing?” Gordon whispered. The rhythm of Virgil’s footfalls faltered for a step or two. “I promise I won’t leave your sight until you’re sure I’m okay. Then we don’t have to tell Mom unless I get sick. Okay?” For a moment, Virgil couldn’t say anything. The lump in his throat was too much of an obstacle. He blinked a few times to clear his swimming vision, huffed out a ragged sigh, and hitched his brother a little higher on his hips. “Okay, Little Fish. You got a deal. I won’t tell Mom, and you and I stick together like glue for tonight.” Not long after their deal was struck Virgil’s steady paces brought them out of the trees and into the paddock, with home in sight. It seemed they had beaten Lucy home, as her car wasn’t parked in its usual spot, but John’s bike was neatly leaned on its stand next to the others, and Virgil suspected Scott was already home too.

He was relieved to finally climb the stairs and deposit Gordon gently on his feet on the front porch. Slipping off his backpack and rolling his shoulders to ease tired muscles, Virgil followed his younger brother through the front door and into the kitchen. He might have known Gordon would gravitate towards food. At least this was a good sign – if Gordon was hungry, then he probably wasn’t feeling any ill effects from swallowing lake water. “Oh, look. It finally happened,” Scott said with a smirk and an elbow to John’s ribs. “One of Virgil’s hoodies grew legs and walked away.” “Ha-ha,” Gordon replied as he grabbed the jug of juice from the fridge. “Seriously, Gordon,” John spoke up from his seat at the kitchen table, where he and Scott had been finishing their afternoon snacks, “what’s with the hoodie? It’s gotta be ninety-six degrees outside.” “He just wanted to prove me wrong,” Virgil chimed in, walking straight to the cupboard and grabbing a couple of glasses. “I told him he would disappear completely inside one of my hoodies.” He noted the suspicious looks but ignored them as he poured juice for himself and Gordon. “How was the space thing at the library?” As John began eagerly explaining in great detail the highlights of the interactive exhibition, Virgil met Scott’s expression of curiosity with his best nothing-to-see-here shrug. He knew the innocent look he tried to project wouldn’t be enough to prevent Scott from seeing straight through the change of subject. Scott’s sapphire-blue eyes had the ability to cut like diamonds, and right at that moment Virgil felt the full weight of their scrutiny. He tried to give a reassuring smile and turn his attention to John’s increasingly fast-paced account of the space exhibit. “Actually, that sounds pretty cool,” Gordon said with an air of surprise and a warm smile at the conclusion of John’s animated description. He drained the dregs of his glass of juice and turned to Virgil. “I’m gonna go upstairs and change clothes.” “I’ll be up in a minute,” Virgil replied. Gordon left the room at a trot and bounded up the stairs. Scott and John were both back to studying Virgil intently. “What?” “Why’s Gordon so attached to you all of a sudden?” Scott asked. “He’s practically asking you for permission to leave the room.” Virgil’s gaze flicked between the blue and the turquoise, and he resisted the urge to squirm. “I don’t know. I guess we just had kind of a good day.” It was the only thing Virgil could think of to say. “You two spent the whole day together and you’re not sick of the sight of each other?” It was John’s turn to question the lack of frustrated bickering that would normally have surfaced between them. Virgil just shrugged, finished his own glass of juice, and picked up his backpack. “I’m gonna go put this stuff away.” He left the room, deliberately not hurrying but desperate to escape from the interrogation he felt was coming. As soon as he reached the top of the stairs, Gordon’s bedroom door opened. He was wearing his clownfish pyjamas, and Virgil couldn’t help but grin. “Virgil?” Gordon packed so much uncertainty into just his name Virgil was a little concerned at what might be coming. ��Do you think maybe . . . I mean could we, maybe . . . Do you wanna build a blanket fort with me?” “Actually, I think that’s a pretty great idea.” When Lucy arrived home, wrangling a grizzly Alan who had missed his afternoon nap, and exhausted from a rather frustrating day full of unnecessary delays at every stop, she found Scott and John in the kitchen getting dinner started. Neither had seen the other two boys in a while, so she settled Alan in the living room with his favourite cartoon and headed upstairs to investigate. She found them in Gordon’s and Alan’s room. At least, she found evidence that this was where they had been for some time. Half of the room was obscured by a complex construction created out of pillows, blankets, and assorted bed linen supported by various pieces of furniture and some rather ingeniously rigged clothesline string. “Well, look at you two in here together, thick as thieves!” Lucy said as her head emerged from between two blankets that served as the entrance. “Hi, Mom! We’re building a blanket fort!” Gordon explained excitedly. Virgil rolled his eyes. “She can see that, doofus.” “And it is quite an impressive feat of engineering.” She winked and smiled. “What did you boys get up to on your walk today? Lots of exciting adventures, no doubt.” A look passed between the two. “Nothing,” Gordon blurted out, just as Virgil spoke. “Not much.” Virgil added a shrug and a somewhat apologetic expression. “Just . . . boy stuff.” “Yeah, Mom. Boy stuff,” Gordon repeated emphatically. “We can’t tell you because you’re a girl.” Lucy’s head tilted slightly, an eyebrow raised, and the corners of her mouth and eyes began a slow upward quirk into a smile. She wondered what they were up to, but she was happy the two of them were getting along well. “Hmm. Does this boy stuff include any drawings I’m allowed to see?” If they wouldn’t tell her where they’d been, perhaps she could discern something from Virgil’s sketches. “Can I show you later? Tomorrow maybe?” Virgil squirmed a little under the inquisitive gaze of those soft, honey-coloured eyes. Usually he loved sharing his artworks with Mom. She always praised the bits she thought he’d done well and knew exactly how to suggest little improvements without making it seem like he’d made mistakes. Sometimes it felt like she saw more in his drawings than what he’d put in them. “Okay,” she said, changing tack. “Are you two coming out of there to join the rest of us for dinner?” Another look between the brothers. The plot thickening before her eyes. “Can we come back in here after dinner?” Gordon asked. “Could we, maybe, both sleep in here for tonight?” Virgil followed up quickly. Lucy studied the faces of her two brown-eyed boys. These two were not regular partners in shenanigans. There was something going on here that she was not quite sure she understood just yet, but there didn’t seem to be any harm in what they were asking. “I don’t see why not,” she answered, and was rewarded with two beaming smiles. “Go wash up and you can set the table while I help your brothers finish up in the kitchen.” Dinner for the most part was about as chaotic as usual. Alan was still irritable and played with more of his food than he ate, making a mess of himself and the table in front of him in the process. Scott and John both gave lengthy answers to their mom’s enquiries about how they had spent the day. There were all the usual arguments over who would get the last helpings of this or that as plates and dishes were rapidly emptied, their contents hungrily devoured. Virgil and Gordon managed to talk about the more innocent parts of their day, clinging to descriptions of what plants were flowering, the types of birds they saw, the spiders and beetles and butterflies, rather than any specific mention of the lake. As the scrape of knives and forks on plates finally died down, Lucy began clearing serving dishes off the table. “How about tomorrow we all have a day at the pool?” Standing behind her water-baby as she spoke, she gave his hair a ruffle. John and Scott were both quick to answer with excited affirmatives, Alan enthusiastically exclaimed “Swim!”, but she didn’t see the panicked look that flashed across Gordon’s face as he looked across the table at Virgil. “That sounds great, Mom,” was Virgil’s reply as he kept his eyes firmly on Gordon, trying to relay a sense of calm reassurance that he didn’t really feel. If anyone noticed Gordon’s lack of enthusiasm at the suggestion, no one made mention of it. Perhaps his reaction was lost in the flurry of activity as the table was cleared and Alan was escorted upstairs for his bath. Virgil did notice an odd expression cross Scott’s face as he watched Gordon begin loading dirty cutlery into the dishwasher, but he said nothing before leaving the kitchen. John and Scott had helped cook dinner, so Virgil and Gordon were left to load the dishwasher and tidy the kitchen. “Gordon?” Virgil caught his little brother’s attention with a gentle flick of a tea towel, and a sullen expression was his reply. “Don’t you want to go to the pool tomorrow?” Gordon shrugged. Virgil kept his voice low, not wanting anyone to hear the conversation. “You always get excited about going to the pool. You’ve been begging Mom to take us every day for the entire summer. People will ask questions if you suddenly don’t want to go.” The look in Gordon’s eyes was a complicated mixture of fear, sadness, and uncertainty that had Virgil once again wanting to do anything he could to take away the pain. He was about to say something more when he heard John’s voice carry through from the living room and thought better of it. The discussion wasn’t over, but it would have to wait. The rest of their kitchen duty was completed in awkward silence. Chores done, they headed upstairs, back to their blanket fort. They had barely begun to settle into the pile of pillows and cushions when a small hand, followed by a headful of slightly damp blond hair, poked through from beneath a blanket wall. Bright blue eyes sparkled as a giggle escaped through a cheeky grin. “Peek-a-boo!” Alan exclaimed and wriggled his way into the enclosure. “Alan!?” Lucy parted the fort’s entrance with her arms so the blankets draped like a stage curtain. As her eyes came to rest on her littlest, a wave of relief was reflected in her fond smile.  “Say good night to your brothers and I’ll read you a story.” Liberal good-night cuddles were dished out to both big brothers before Lucy ushered Alan out so she could bundle him into bed. “You two – shower or bath, teeth brushing – go!” she instructed. By the time Virgil and Gordon had washed and brushed and were attired for bed (again in Gordon’s case), Alan was asleep, the bedroom was illuminated only by Alan’s star projecting night light, and their mom was holding her finger up to her lips. “Shh. Try not to wake your little brother,” she whispered. She gave each of them a hug and a kiss on the forehead. “Don’t stay up all night!” Virgil and Gordon were soon alone and comfortably secure in their plush fortress. Their flashlights had been propped between pillows and furniture so they provided a soft glow amid the cosy gloom. “Talk to me, Fish,” Virgil said softly. “You’ve been so quiet since dinner. Are you feeling okay?” “Yeah, I’m fine.” Gordon’s slumped posture added to Virgil’s impression that his brother looked pretty miserable. “It’s just . . .” A huge sigh escaped his tiny frame. “You’re worried about tomorrow?” Virgil finished for him. “Do you think I could tell Mom I have to do some reading for school or something?” Virgil’s eyes widened and his heart dropped into his stomach. His little brother might not be physically sick or injured, but he was not okay. “You know that’s not gonna work, Gordon. You’ve been pestering her all summer to take you to the pool. If you suddenly don’t want to go, she’s going to be super suspicious. And nobody will believe that you would ditch the pool in favour of schoolwork. Especially in summer!” “I know.” Another sigh. A long silence. “It’s just, when Mom said we’d all go to the pool tomorrow I . . . Normally I’d be really excited, but this time I kind of got scared.” “What are you scared of?” Gordon thought Virgil’s question was a pretty stupid one considering what had happened at the lake, and his scowling glare communicated as much. “I mean, what exactly scares you about going to the pool? Are you afraid you might get into trouble like you did in the lake?” Gordon’s expression turned more quizzical as he considered what Virgil was trying to say. “Because the pool is going to be very different from the lake. The water is clear. You can always see the bottom. The temperature is controlled and kept fairly warm. There’s a lifeguard on duty all the time keeping everyone safe, and we’ll all be there with you. You won’t be on your own, far from shore.” “I guess.” “Gordon, you love the water. You always have, even when you were tiny. You’re always happiest when you’re in the water – even if it’s just the bath or splashing in puddles.” “Not anymore.” “You have to get back on the horse,” Virgil said absently, almost to himself. “What? What horse? What does that have to do with the pool?” “It’s a figure of speech. Something Grandpa says. If you fall off the horse, you’ve gotta get right back on. You can’t let one bad experience make you scared forever, and the sooner you get back up on the horse after falling, the easier it is to ride again.” Gordon looked uncertain. “So, you’re saying that I have to go to the pool tomorrow and get back in the water or else I might be scared of swimming forever?” “I’m saying you have to go to the pool tomorrow because swimming makes you happy. You’re good at it, and you can’t let today stop you from doing something that makes you light up like Fourth of July fireworks and grin like the Cheshire Cat.” There was another long silence. Gordon scooted a little closer to his big brother and rested his head against Virgil’s shoulder. “Will you stay with me tomorrow? At the pool?” Virgil wriggled his arm under his brother and tugged him closer. “For as long as you need me to,” he affirmed. “We’ll start off in the shallow end. Mess around for a while, just getting wet, splashing about. Pretty soon you’ll be swimming like a fish and I won’t be able to keep up. But I promise I’ll stay close and watch out for you, okay?” “Okay.” Despite how tired he sounded, there was a brightness to Gordon’s voice that caused a wave of relief to sweep over Virgil. The day’s exploits had exhausted the two boys. Their little nest was cosy and warm, and the close contact between them helped relax them both as they quickly drifted off to sleep. But Virgil’s usually sound sleep was disturbed by unpleasant dreams. Twice he woke suddenly, heart pounding and breathing hard, certain that something terrible had happened and with an unshakable need to check on Gordon, only to find him safely asleep beside him. He lay awake after each nightmare, watching the even rise and fall of his brother’s chest, noticing every little twitch and murmur made as he slept. He had a feeling it would be a while before he could completely shake these nightmares, but it was comforting to think that Gordon had been spared the same kind of disruption through the night.

*** Morning dawned bright and warm, and despite the duvet cover preventing much sunlight penetrating the sanctuary of the fort, Gordon was awake with the dawn chorus. He tried to let his brother sleep, happy to listen to the soft snores and try not to giggle, but he quickly became impatient. Virgil woke to gentle but insistent poking to the ribs and the repeated whispering of his name. When he peeled his eyes open, he was greeted with brown eyes mere inches in front of his own and a beaming smile. “We’re going to the pool today, Virgil,” Gordon whispered with a hint of excitement. “You have to get up.” “Okay, okay,” Virgil managed to somewhat grunt as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. Then he registered the expression on his little brother’s face, the gleam in the eyes and the fact that the smile still hadn’t faltered, and a smile of his own spread from the depths of his heart and across his face. The mixture of nerves and eagerness thrumming through Gordon all morning was enough to give the rest of the family the impression he was full of barely contained excitement fitting for the day of a visit to the pool. He repeatedly asked when they would be leaving and was repeatedly told they would head out after lunch. He offered to pack everyone’s towels and Alan’s floaties into a bag ready for later, and he fidgeted and bounced his way through to lunchtime. After lunch, as promised, Lucy piled all the boys into the family car and drove them to the public pool. She paid their admission, and they all tumbled through the turnstile. As usual, Scott, who had never grown out of wanting to go everywhere at top speed, and Gordon raced away to find them a spot on the grass where bags and towels could be unceremoniously dumped before they hit the water. By the time Virgil and John joined them, T-shirts had already been discarded and comments about the fate of the last person into the water were being bandied about. When Lucy was finally able to set down her load of Alan and the bagful of necessities required for their day out, her four oldest boys were already racing towards the Olympic-sized pool. Scott first, John not far behind, and Gordon practically dragging Virgil by the hand.

Lucy kept an eye on her boys happily splashing about with each other in the shallow end of the pool while she got herself and Alan stripped down to their bathing suits and slid Alan’s floaties on over his head and arms. They had started a game of Chicken Fight by the time she slid herself into the water and lifted Alan down into her arms. John, sitting on Scott’s shoulders and Gordon atop Virgil’s, were locked in grappling combat. Scott and John had the advantage of both height and reach, and it was not long before Gordon toppled into the water. A rematch produced the same result in short order, and Gordon exacted revenge by distracting Scott with an underwater pantsing, causing him to break his hold on John, who overbalanced and slid from Scott’s shoulders into the pool. Lucy and Alan laughed along with the others as Scott protested foul play. Handstand competitions and a game of Freeze Tag followed. Lucy took Alan to the toddler pool where he could splash about more freely, instructing the older boys to behave and try not to bother other pool users too much while she was gone. Virgil was pleased to see that, just as he’d predicted, Gordon was happily swimming rings around them all as they played. He’d stuck close to Virgil at first, but after the Chicken Fights, he was swimming farther and faster in his efforts to escape being tagged and spending longer underwater with every passing minute. It seemed he had slipped right back into his home environment without any lasting dramas. As the afternoon shadows grew long, one by one Lucy’s boys returned to their spot on the grass. She and Alan had grown tired of the water first, and Alan had even had a short sleep amongst the pile of towels as they waited for the others to tire themselves out. Scott was first of the older boys to tire of swimming and return to towel off and dress in dry clothes, with John quick to follow. Lucy was a little surprised at how long Virgil lasted in the water until she spotted him sitting on the edge of the pool with just his feet and lower legs in the water watching Gordon as he shot back and forth across the free-play area, dodging strangers. She gave a shrill two-finger whistle. Virgil, recognising the signal, turned his head to look back at her, and she beckoned with her hand to indicate it was time to go. It seemed to take a while to convince Gordon to get out of the pool, but Lucy was not surprised. The car ride home was a fairly quiet one, the boys having spent a great deal of energy over the course of the afternoon. They brightened at the suggestion of ordering pizza for dinner when they got home, and there was a brief buzz of conversation when she mentioned their father would be home by the weekend. He had only been away for two weeks, but the older boys had never really grown out of getting excited by his return. This latest trip wasn’t as far away as Mars or even the moon, but the prospect of having Dad home again still triggered that same feeling of welcoming someone who had been long absent. He may not visit space for work any longer, and his absences could be measured in days instead of months or years, but it was always great to have him home again. “He already has big plans for this year’s Last Day of Summer,” Lucy mentioned with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “It’s only ten days away now!” While Scott and John speculated on what their dad might have in store for the annual family day at the lake on the last weekend before they went back to school, Virgil felt a small hand slip inside his and squeeze. He looked to his left at Gordon staring silently out the car window and gave a slight hand squeeze of his own in reply. While today had helped, it was obvious his little brother was still harbouring some fear of returning to the lake. There was no chance for Virgil to talk one-on-one with Gordon when they got home from the pool. As was fairly normal in the Tracy household, there always seemed to be someone else around or something that needed doing, and before he knew it, Gordon was already tucked in bed and reading a bedtime story with Mom. Virgil took a little longer than normal in the shower, needing the time alone with his thoughts. If Gordon acted anything less than excited about going to the lake for Last Day of Summer, it wouldn’t be long before their little secret would come to light. He had to find a way to get Gordon’s confidence back, but he was starting to wonder if he could manage on his own. With something like this, he would normally talk things out with Scott. It felt wrong to be hiding something from him and even more wrong to be hiding things from Mom. He was beginning to wonder whether he should just let the cat out of the bag and tell the truth, but he really didn’t want to let his little brother down either. Unable to face revealing how close he’d come to letting his brother drown, Virgil ended up avoiding any chance of conversation for the evening and shut himself away in his room until it was time for bed. John was in and out of the shared bedroom as he began preparing to turn in for the night, but it was not unusual for the two of them to quietly do their own thing without really exchanging words. When Lucy popped her head inside the door to check on her two quietest boys and say good night, Virgil tried his best to act like everything was normal. Her gaze fell heavily on him for a moment, and he had to fight the urge to tell her everything about the day at the lake and ask her advice. “Don’t stay up too late, boys,” she playfully warned them. “Lights out by 9:30 please, Virgil, and John, no more stargazing after lights out!” “Okay, Mom,” they both answered automatically and in chorus. “Good night.” It took a while for Virgil to fall asleep that night, mind whirling with the thought of his little brother being afraid of something that had always been a source of such joy. There had to be a way to fix it – every problem had a solution, you just had to find it, that’s what Dad would say. As tired as he was, his mind kept trying to focus on finding that solution before drifting away into a sleepy fog. Gordon didn’t know exactly what time it was, but he knew it was very late. The house was quiet. The room wasn’t dark – Alan’s night-light saw to that – but he couldn’t hear any voices, any indication of anyone moving around downstairs or in the bathrooms and bedrooms. Everyone must be asleep. He had startled awake, sitting bolt upright, breathless, heart pounding, eyes prickling with oncoming tears and really wishing he wasn’t so alone. He’d been dreaming about the lake, and now he didn’t want to go back to sleep. Slipping silently from his bed, he tiptoed across the floor, careful not to disturb Alan, and crept out into the hall. He hesitated for a moment. Normally he would head for his parents’ room, but Mom would ask what the dream was about, and he didn’t want to tell her about swimming in the lake. He didn’t want to get in trouble – or get Virgil into trouble. Gordon changed direction and headed for Virgil’s and John’s room. Being very careful to open the door without a sound and close it just as silently behind him, Gordon stood in the pitch-dark bedroom for a moment and let his eyes adjust. He couldn’t understand why his bigger brothers liked it so dark, he found it a bit creepy, but he couldn’t turn on the light and risk waking John. It wasn’t long before he could make out the shape of Virgil’s bed amongst the gloom, and he stealthily padded across the carpet to stand beside his sleeping brother. Now that he was here, he wasn’t really sure how to wake him or whether he should. He stood twisting the fingers of both hands around each other, close to tears again. “Virgil?” he whispered, barely above a breath. No response. “Virge?” This time a little louder, a little more desperate, a little more whiney and accompanied by a sniff. He tried tapping Virgil’s shoulder a few times, but his brother didn’t budge from where he lay curled on his side, facing the wall. In the end, not knowing what else to do, Gordon climbed across the bottom of the bed and squeezed his way past Virgil’s knees, wriggled himself under the covers and Virgil’s arm, and curled himself into the space between his brother and the wall. It was around three a.m. when Virgil woke to find he wasn’t alone in the bed. He didn’t know how or when Gordon had come to be there, but he could hear him softly whimpering and feel him shaking with the occasional sob. “Gordon,” he whispered softly, “are you okay?” He tugged his brother a little tighter to him, feeling him struggle to get the sobbing under control and even out his breathing. “Had a bad dream,” came the ever-so-quiet response. Virgil eased his grip and shuffled over on the bed, allowing Gordon to roll over and face him, but he kept his hand resting against his brother’s back. Neither of them spoke for a moment, and the quiet darkness seemed both comforting and ominous at the same time. Gordon heaved a deep breath in and let it out in a sigh before breaking the silence. He kept his voice low, but once he started, the words tumbled out in a torrent. “I can’t go back to the lake for Last Day of Summer, Virgil. I don’t want to go back in the water and everyone will know that’s not normal and want to know why and I don’t want them to know what I did and –” “Shh,” Virgil soothed, rubbing Gordon’s back as he spoke. “We’ll work something out together. I promise.” “You mean so we don’t have to go?” “No, I mean so you won’t be afraid anymore. We have to go. It’s tradition. And I think we both have to go back to the lake and confront our fears.” “You’re scared too? Wait, what are you scared of?” It was Virgil’s turn to let out a sigh. “Gordon, as annoying as you sometimes are, you are my little brother, and if anything happened to you – anything really bad, I mean – I’d be . . .” Another sigh. “I just don’t want anything bad to happen to you. And I guess I’m scared of what might have happened. I keep having bad dreams where I couldn’t save you.” Gordon was suddenly wrapped around him like an octopus, his skinny little arms squeezing tight around Virgil like he was never going to let go and legs twining their way between bedding and body to latch on too. Despite feeling a little bit trapped within the many-limbed embrace, Virgil felt oddly comforted by it. “You don’t have to hold so tight, little octopus. I’m not going anywhere,” Virgil whispered into blond hair. “I’m not an octopus,” came the muffled reply, buried somewhere in Virgil’s neck, “I’m a squid.” “Okay then, Squid. How about we try and get some sleep and work this out tomorrow?” Gordon’s hold on his brother relaxed enough for them both to get a little more comfortable in the bed, but it was clear he wasn’t letting go. Virgil managed to get one arm disentangled enough to trace his hand back and forth across Gordon’s back, helping to lull him to sleep. Slumber quickly claimed the older brother soon after.

*** Morning crept up on them, dawning overcast and gloomy, despite being summer warm. As a result, Gordon slept later than he normally would and was woken by John’s quiet movements as he rolled out of the bed on the other side of the room and shuffled towards the bathroom. If John noticed the interloper in Virgil’s bed, he didn’t say anything, so Gordon took the opportunity to unceremoniously climb over his brother and hightail it back to his own room. Virgil woke with a start after yet another nightmare. Sitting up and trying to reacquaint himself with reality, he realised Gordon was no longer with him, and his heart rate ratcheted up a few more notches in brief panic. Catching sight of the clock and taking a few slow, deep breaths, Virgil managed to convince himself that everything was fine, Gordon had obviously just woken up earlier and was more than likely perfectly okay. But he needed to check. He tumbled out of bed and, after a brief detour to the bathroom, stumbled his way down the corridor in search of Gordon. Finding the tiny two’s bedroom deserted, he headed downstairs and found his target in the living room. Virgil stood in the doorway watching Gordon playing with Alan for a few minutes. Seeing his goofball brother being his normal, animated self and hearing the shrieks and giggles his antics prompted from Alan were enough to reassure him that yes, Gordon was just fine. Sometime after Virgil had found himself some breakfast and begun to consider himself properly awake, John found him sitting at the piano, absently staring out the window. John didn’t recall hearing Virgil play any practice exercises, and Virgil’s brow was furrowed in deep concentration, so John concluded that he was there more for the familiarity than the urge to play music. He did this sometimes – sat there just thinking, wheels turning, gears shifting, working something out in his head – and John always found it interesting to watch the thought process play out through Virgil’s expressions. But the expression wasn’t changing. “Virgil?” John prompted with some concern. “You okay?” With a jolt, Virgil tore his eyes away from the view he wasn’t really seeing out the window and focussed them on John. “Yeah.” Virgil sighed. “I just have something I need to do, something that needs fixing, and I don’t know how to do it.” “Look it up,” John answered with a shrug. “That’s what I’d do. There’s probably a book about it somewhere or a repair manual or instructional video. If I want to know how something works or how to do something, I start with research.” With that, John walked away, leaving Virgil to ponder how to research fixing a fear of swimming in a lake. And then it hit him. Research was the answer, he just had to look up the right thing – not how to fix the fear, but all the things there were to be afraid of. The more information you know about the thing you’re afraid of, the less scary it becomes. So, all he had to do was look up everything that could cause someone to get into trouble swimming in a lake – and maybe rivers, streams, and oceans too – and learn everything about them. If he knew how to spot the dangers or how to prevent them and how to get out of trouble, then maybe Gordon wouldn’t be afraid anymore. Virgil set off at a run to go and find Gordon. At first, Gordon wasn’t sure about this idea of Virgil’s. Sitting in front of a holoscreen looking up information sounded a lot like homework. But Virgil was insistent that they at least give it a try. After all, it couldn’t hurt to know more about different waterways. “Okay, so where do we start?” Gordon asked as they settled themselves at the big desk in the corner of the living room. “Well, what scares you most when you think about going swimming in the lake?” “Getting another cramp.” Gordon’s reply was quiet, and suddenly Virgil hated himself for making his little brother revisit that moment when everything had gone wrong. He put his hand on Gordon’s shoulder and offered a reassuring squeeze. “Then let’s start there. We can find out what causes cramps when you swim and learn how to prevent them or how to manage them.” Virgil found a great deal of information on muscle cramps related to swimmers, which he quickly became quite absorbed in. He had to remind himself to stick to the sites with simple wording and steer clear of the ones that crossed too far into medical jargon territory. The boys learned the importance of warming up before swimming, being careful not to overexert the muscles, and staying hydrated. They also found that cold water could increase the chance of cramping. Virgil physically shivered at the memory of plunging his arm into deceptively cold water to grab at one of the only parts of his little brother he could still see. They researched swimming in cold water, what caused cold spots in lakes and rivers and whether you could spot them, and ways you could avoid them or deal with them. They learned about different types of currents – ones you could see, and ones you wouldn’t know about until you felt them. Submerged objects, reeds and seaweed, rocks and tree roots . . . “What are you guys doing?” Scott startled them so badly Virgil jumped and Gordon squeaked. “Researching water safety.” Virgil decided honesty was the best way to go . . . to a point. “It’s for Rescue Scouts.” “But we don’t go back to Rescue Scouts until a week after school goes back.” Scott eyed both brothers suspiciously. “We know, but there’s no harm in getting in early, and Gordon really wants his Water Safety badge.” Virgil had to resist the urge to squirm under the scrutiny of his big brother’s gaze as Scott remained silent for what seemed like a whole minute. “Well, it’s time for lunch,” Scott finally said before turning his back on them and heading for the kitchen. Gordon grinned up at Virgil, who huffed out a long exhale in relief. He didn’t think Scott completely believed the Rescue Scout story, but it seemed as though they would be able to continue their research unquestioned. In fact, no one questioned the time these two spent together in snatches of an hour or two here and there over a couple of days, continuing to search out information on the best ways to stay safe in just about any body of water. Gordon had even made a scrapbook of notes and pictures so he could keep track of all the things they’d learned. Excuses aside, when Rescue Scouts resumed after the summer break, Gordon would already be well on his way to earning his Water Safety badge in earnest. As promised, Jeff was back home by the time the boys awoke on Saturday morning, and he began dropping hints about his plans for the best Last Day of Summer yet. It was to be bigger and better than ever before because, for the first time since they began making the end-of-summer vacation a celebration, it coincided with Virgil’s birthday. The first hints encouraged the boys to check their tents and sleeping bags. It wouldn’t just be a day out with a picnic lunch this year, it would be an overnight campout. There was a promise of campfire tales and s’mores and a special surprise that required the night sky as a backdrop. There were hints about guests that prompted a whole day of guessing who might be joining them at the lake. Grandma and Grandpa were the first confirmed additions to the guest list, along with “Uncle” Lee and a mysterious extra guest from England and his daughter, who was apparently around Virgil’s and John’s age. Amidst all the building excitement about the big event at the end of the week, signs of Gordon’s nervousness about returning to the lake were easily missed by the rest of the family. Only Virgil saw the signs – the slight frown at Scott’s mention that they’d all need to remember to bring their swimmers and towels, the look of horror at John wondering if he’d see more stars if he rowed out into the lake after dark. Virgil decided he’d have to take Gordon back to the lake before the weekend. They needed to return to the scene of the crime. Gordon, having come to much the same conclusion in his own way, approached Virgil after breakfast on the Wednesday. The day was clear and bright, much like it had been on the morning of that fateful day little more than a week before. It seemed like a good day to go back and face the monster that the lake had become. “Virgil,” Gordon said quietly, despite there being no one else in the living room at the time, “can we go back to the lake today? Can you take me?” “Today seems like a good day to me,” Virgil answered with a gentle smile. “We’ll have to tell Dad we’re going out for most of the day.” Now that Jeff was back from his trip and working from the home office, Lucy was spending more time at work. The boys were expected to look after each other and only interrupt their father if it was important, but Jeff would check up on them all throughout the day. “Do we have to say where we’re going?” Gordon twined his fingertips around each other, raising his eyes to meet Virgil’s from a head trying to look down at the floor. “We’ll tell him we’re going back to the place we visited last week to finish the drawing,” Virgil suggested. “It’s not exactly a lie. We are going back to the same place.” The knock on Jeff’s office door was tentative but loud enough that he heard it over the voice of the colleague on the other end of the video call. He muted his audio to tell his visitor to wait a moment before unmuting and bringing the phone conversation to a conclusion. “Come in,” he finally called towards the closed door. He was a little surprised by the request for this particular pair to spend a day out together on their own, but he remembered Lucy mentioning something about these two having been out on the top track the week before. He gave them permission to go provided they tell Scott and John where they were going and promise to be back by five. “Take something to eat and plenty of water, Virgil,” he reminded the older boy, “and look after your brother.” “I will, Dad.” Virgil gave a solemn nod, and the two boys slipped back out of the office, closing the door behind them. Bag packed with sandwiches and water bottles, art supplies for the sake of appearances, and towels, the boys were soon striding out across the paddock towards the top track. This time there were no lingering looks at the scenery as they walked – the birds, spiders, and bugs were largely ignored. Unlike the last time they had set out together, Virgil had no desire to hurry, and he let his younger brother set the pace. He noted with a small amount of pride the purposeful strides, the determination in the set of squared shoulders, and the fire in amber eyes as Gordon focused his energy on reaching their destination so he could do what needed to be done. Gordon’s determined march stuttered to a somewhat abrupt halt when they rounded the last curve and stepped onto the silty sand of the lake’s beach. With his eyes fixed on the water, shoulders drooping, it seemed Gordon’s fire had died. Without a word, Virgil placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder, the simple gesture having the desired effect – lending the younger boy enough resolve to steel himself once again, lengthen his spine, and straighten his shoulders. Virgil steered them over to a patch of sand where he could spread out a towel for them to sit on. Shoes were shed in preparation for the inevitable trip to the water’s edge, but the boys remained seated. “What do you see out there?” Virgil asked. “It’s the same. Calm. Flat. But it’s different from last time too.” Virgil waited for a moment before trying again, wanting Gordon to see past the feeling of fear. “Remember what we learned about studying the ripples?” he prompted. “Is it really flat and calm?” There was silence as Gordon’s gaze focused intently on the expanse of blue stretching before them. The embers of the fire that had previously lit his eyes seemed to ignite anew as he studied the surface, looking for telltale signs. “There are reeds just under the surface over there,” he said, pointing a little to their left, “and the ripples over here are different to that bit farther out where it looks really smooth.” Virgil could see Gordon’s confidence growing as he gestured to various parts of the lake, telling his big brother what the differences in the rippled and smooth areas were likely to mean in terms of what was going on beneath the surface. Pretty soon they were on their feet and striding into the shallows to test the waters. Gordon entered the water at a slow walk, which Virgil thought was through caution or trepidation at first, but then Gordon gently trailed fingertips through the reeds and beckoned his big brother over. “Virgil, come look,” he called, looking up at him with a grin. “There are fish that feed in the reeds.” The next half hour was spent following Gordon through the shallows exploring the aquatic life found therein. As the younger boy got more caught up in watching the fish, finding different types of reeds, discovering eels, and excitedly pondering all manner of life in the depths of the lake, they wandered deeper into the water. Virgil followed and listened, answering questions as best he could when asked, smiling fondly all the while. The Squid was in his element. “Hey Gordon,” Virgil said as he playfully splashed a well-aimed hand scoop of water into the side of his little brother’s head. “You realise you’re getting your shirt wet, right?” Gordon looked down at the water that was now up to the middle of his chest and back up at his brother with a grin. “Oops.” They briefly returned to the little beach, shed their shirts, and laid them down in the sun to dry. “You know, when we come back this weekend, we’ll mostly be swimming out here where we just were.” Virgil nodded his head back towards the little patch of lake they’d just explored. “We could go a little deeper, actually lift our feet off the bottom and swim for a while. This is the only part of the lake any of us have ever really swum in before.” Gordon’s eyes sparkled with light reflecting off the water as he pondered Virgil’s words for a moment. Mom and Dad had always suggested the boys shouldn’t swim out past where they could touch the bottom and definitely never past the end of the wooden pier. Looking at the pier and the dinghy tied securely to its mooring drew his eye to the rock island beyond, tantalisingly close, yet so terrifyingly far. Virgil watched his squid brother scanning the water, casting his gaze over the safe and familiar. He saw the moment the line was crossed and thoughts turned to the challenge just that little farther afield. Once again, he placed a hand on Gordon’s shoulder, hoping to redirect his thoughts. “Why don’t we just go back in, swim around for a while, have some fun where we know it’s safe?” “Yeah, okay,” Gordon agreed, a little half-heartedly. Virgil took his brother by the hand, and by the time they’d taken two steps, they were running towards the water. He only let go once they were in deep enough that a tug of the hand lifted Gordon’s feet off the bottom and propelled him a short distance through the water. He received a splash to the face for his efforts, but his little brother was smiling and treading water. In no time at all, Gordon was literally swimming rings around his big brother, splashing at him and darting away, taunting him, daring him to swim after him. It was hunger that drove them out of the water and back onto the dry sand sometime later. PB&J sandwiches were retrieved from the backpack and devoured. The late summer sun warmed their shoulders as they sat in content silence, listening to the lapping of the water and the cries of the birds. Virgil would have been happy to remain there soaking it all in, but Gordon soon became restless, his gaze drifting back to where water birds were drying their outstretched wings. “Virgil, I wanna swim to the rock.” The fire was back in Gordon’s eyes. Virgil studied him for a moment, seeing that same determination that had driven the march to the lake. He wasn’t asking for permission, he was making a statement. It was what he’d come here to do – the demon he needed to conquer. Virgil wasn’t feeling anywhere near as courageous as his little brother looked at that moment. “Gordon . . .” “I need to do it, Virgil.” He turned his head, those glowing embers burning straight into his big brother’s wide brown eyes. “But I need you.” “I can’t . . .” “Use the boat. I’ll swim, you row. If I get into trouble, you’ll be right there.” Virgil had to look away. The intensity in those eyes, the body language, the strength of will in his little brother were too much. But it was the faith Gordon was placing in him that was twisting his gut. He caught sight of the rock island, out there beyond the boat docked at the pier. He was suddenly very aware of his own heartbeat thumping just a little too hard and a little too fast. Gordon needed this – needed him to do this with him. He couldn’t let the Squid down. “Okay,” he agreed with a sigh. He had expected a look of triumph, a smile, a victory dance . . . something. Anything but the simple nod and determined knitting of Gordon’s brow that he received in reply. The younger boy then grabbed his water bottle and took a long draught. “Staying hydrated helps stop you getting cramps, right?” Gordon asked. Virgil nodded. “And I should do some warmup stretches before I swim out there.” “Right again.” Virgil was gladdened by the amount of thought and preparation Gordon was putting into the task ahead of him this time. “And you’ll stay close in the boat?” There it was, the uncertainty just below that confident façade. “Right beside you all the way, little brother.” Virgil tried to school his expression into one of reassurance, but he wasn’t sure he managed it. They made their way across the sand and onto the wooden planks of the pier, then stood studying the expanse of water for a moment, watching the ripples and trying to read currents. Looking for dangers. At last Virgil could put it off no longer. Gordon was warmed up and ready to go, they had assessed the risks and had plans in mind for just about any eventuality. It was time to untie the boat and take up the oars. Sitting in the gently rocking dinghy, Virgil had to take a moment to close his eyes and concentrate on a few deep breaths to quell the hammering in his ribcage before looking back up at Gordon and giving a nod. He was as ready as he’d ever be. This time when Gordon dived in, he began his swim with a measured pace rather than a burst of speed that he wouldn’t be able to maintain. Virgil didn’t have to work too hard on the oar strokes to keep up with him. Not far out there was a brief moment of panic when Gordon suddenly stopped his forward momentum and started treading water. An odd expression furrowed his brow, then he ducked his head under the water. Dropping the oars and preparing to make a grab for his brother, Virgil was sure his heart stopped beating altogether for a second before the blond head re-emerged above the surface. Seeing the panic in his big brother’s eyes, Gordon grinned and held up the weed he’d just untangled from his leg. “It’s okay, Virge, no cramps, just waterweed.” And with that, he resumed his swim with a flurry of swift kicks and smooth strokes. By the time Virgil could regather the oars – and his wits – his little brother was ten meters ahead of him. It took only a few strong pulls on the oars to catch up again, but Virgil knew his pulse rate was not going to climb down out of the stratosphere until they were both on dry land. It felt like an eternity, but in reality, it was only a few minutes before Gordon was able to lay his hands on the slippery surface of the rock. Finding a decent hold, he clambered up far enough to sit on a crag, feet still in the water, triumphant grin lighting up his features, water droplets catching the sunlight, causing his hair and skin to glisten as he caught his breath. “I knew I could do it!” he panted as Virgil drew the dinghy close beside him. “I never doubted you, Squiddo,” Virgil agreed, practically beaming with pride at his brother’s achievement. “Now, are you gonna swim back? Or do you want a lift?” Gordon’s eyes widened in surprise. He hadn’t really thought about the return trip. Virgil chuckled. “Um, I think maybe I’ll just come back with you in the boat.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair, dragging it back from where it was dripping into his eyes. “No problem, Fish. You’ve proved enough for one day.” With a bit of manoeuvring, jostling, and boat rocking, Gordon was able to climb into the dinghy and settle himself into the seat at the prow. To him, the journey back to the dock seemed to take no time at all. Virgil’s strong, steady strokes with the oars propelled them quickly and smoothly through the water as though it took no effort at all. He jumped out of the boat and onto the pier before Virgil had even finished drawing the oars into the boat, then waited for Virgil to climb out and secure the mooring. “Virgil?” It was all the warning the older boy got as he turned to face his little brother, who closed the space between them at a run and launched himself into what became a squid hug, arms and legs tightly wrapped around Virgil’s torso. It took Virgil a couple of backward steps before he could steady himself under the sudden additional weight. “Thank you. You are the best big brother.” Virgil returned the embrace, allowing a chuckle to escape as he rested his head against damp hair. “You are a pretty amazing little brother, Squid.”

*** The Last Day of Summer celebration, and Virgil’s twelfth birthday turned out to be a fantastic, fun-filled event for all involved. Nothing could hold Gordon back from spending as much time as possible in the water, and so no one knew there had ever been a problem. The nightmares had run their course too. Summer vacation came to an end, and with the start of the school term, life returned to normal. A few weeks later a chance meeting at school pickup resulted in a few puzzle pieces slotting into place for Lucy. Gordon’s class teacher spotted Lucy waiting in the Kiss & Drop zone and made a passing comment about his wonderful piece of creative writing for the obligatory “What I Did Over Summer” assignment. When they got home, with the boys all occupied with snacks or homework and various afterschool activities, Lucy dug out Gordon’s writing workbook and found the story in question titled “My Summer Vacation,” with a large A+ written in red at the top of the page. My Summer Vacation I did lots of things in summer with my big brothers and we had lots of fun but there was one scary day. I went swimming in the lake when I wasn’t supposed to and I nearly drowned but my brother was there and he saved me. After that I was scared to go swimming, but he told me it would make him sad if I didn’t swim anymore because he says swimming makes me happy. We looked up all the ways you can get into trouble swimming in lakes and rivers and oceans. We found out all the ways you can look for dangers and get out of trouble in the water and how to be safe. Now I’m not scared to go swimming anymore. Well, that explained a great deal. Lucy smiled to herself and shook her head a little. She would have words with Virgil about the kind of secrets that needed to be shared with an adult, but she was struck once again by how amazing her boys could be and just how far they would go for one another.

***

[trulivin]

All I Want

A/N: Surprise surprise! I actually finished another request yay! So here you all are my JJ people. I would like to say this is a little deep I’d say. There is mentions of rape which was a little hard to write, and it’s centered around anxiety. 

Both of those topics are serious matters of discussion and if anyone is in need of help speak up. It’s best to be heard and get help with whatever situation you find yourself in. 

AND y’all I do NOT hate Drew whatsoever. He played a great Rafe. Honestly, love that man as much as Rudy (ok maybe not that much), but just wanted to point that out. It’s just the character so don’t give me shit about hating on Drew for all you Rafe fans out there lmao. 

To the nonny who requested, I hope this is what you were looking for! As always please send feedback! Comment, like, etc. I’ll get another request done at some point so keep baring with me please.

JJ x Reader, Outer Banks

Warnings: mentions of rape and anxiety

*Credits go to original owner!*

It was a particularly warm day on the Cut when Y/N, JJ, and Pope were going to make a grocery delivery to the Figure Eight. Kie was off with John B and Sarah doing something probably more fun than delivering groceries, but Y/N had been kind enough to offer Pope some help, dragging her boyfriend along. JJ complained the entire way to Heyward’s. 

“I don’t see why we have to help,” he whined as Y/N dragged him along. “It’s a perfect day to go surfing.” “Which we can do afterwards,” she said, tugging him along by his hand. JJ groaned, but ran into Y/N as she stopped. The tan girl turned to face him, placed both hands on his chest as he wrapped his arms around her, and looked up at him through her long lashes, a hint of mischief in her eyes. 

“If you would stop complaining, we can do more than just surf later,” she drawled, standing on her toes to whisper in his ear. JJ practically melted as he felt her lips brush his ear and trace his skin. He leaned down trying to steal a kiss, but Y/N slipped out of his arms and ran down the dock with a giggle. “Seriously?” JJ called after her, jogging to catch up.

Y/N and JJ had been together for a solid two years. John B never would have thought his best friend would be able to hold down a relationship for that long, but alas, the blond proved him otherwise. Of course the crew had the no-Pogue-on-Pogue macking rule, but did it really apply to Y/N and JJ? They had been friends long before he met John B and the rest of the crew. 

Kie knew the moment Y/N’s feelings changed from friendship to romantic, and John B knew he’d never seen JJ so smitten with someone, so the rest was history. 

“Hey, what did we say about PDA?” Pope groaned as Y/N and JJ approached the boat. “That it’s perfectly okay as long as we aren’t groping each other?” Y/N offered with a smirk. Pope rolled his eyes and JJ let out a hearty laugh as the two climbed on board. 

“As long as it doesn’t stop you from making these deliveries,” Heyward commented. 

The four worked as a team, loading all the groceries on board. Finally, they got everything packed in and were off to the other side of the island. Y/N watched the homes roll by and slowly transform into huge mansions. She wrung her hands a bit at the thought of entering Kook territory, but pushed her nervousness aside. 

“You’ll be okay,” JJ said, coming up beside his girlfriend. He knew she struggled with a bit of anxiety, and it didn’t help when Kooks would mess with her. 

Y/N shot him a small smile as he wrapped an arm around her. She leaned in a bit and listened to his steady breathing, matching her breath with his. A wave of relief washed over her and she felt herself back to normal. 

Y/N absolutely hated this about herself. No matter how many times JJ would tell her that’s what made her who she is and how much he loves her because of it, Y/N would still find herself shying away from help. Of course she let JJ help whenever she was in one of her spells, but she had always been reluctant. Her anxiety made her feel weak, and the Kooks could practically smell it on her. 

That wasn’t to say she couldn’t throw a punch and handle herself in a fight. She was a Pogue after all. But, Y/N had never been a fan of small spaces and seemed to be nervous over small things such as social interactions. Somehow, some of the Kooks figured out she was never good when she was cornered either. 

The Pogues were always careful not to leave her alone when any Kooks were around despite her protests. That just made her feel even weaker when she had personal bodyguards, but they still wouldn’t listen. JJ was the most concerned. She knew he meant well, but he would lose his shit if anyone laid a hand on his girl. Especially now that he had the gun. 

Y/N really did appreciate her friends’ efforts to keep her safe, but it still annoyed her a bit. Yet, what could she do? Her friends were the closest thing to a normal family. 

Sighing a bit, Y/N and JJ went over to help Pope dock the boat. “So most of this stuff is going to the club house so Y/N can come with me,” Pope said sorting through the bags. JJ gave him a skeptical look, grabbing a few of the resident’s orders. 

“I’ll be fine JJ,” Y/N said. Pope shot the pair a glance, deciding it would be best to let the couple work out the situation. “What if we made two trips and you can go with me?” JJ suggested, failing miserably at hiding his concern. Y/N rolled her eyes, “Seriously, I can take care of myself. Besides I haven’t had an anxiety attack in like years so I’m fine.” 

“I just think it would be better if you were with me,” JJ shrugged. “Quality couple time.” 

“As if you two don’t already spend every waking moment with each other,” Pope muttered under his breath. JJ shot him a glare. 

“Pope is right,” Y/N said, starting to get irritated. “It doesn’t make sense to make two trips when there are three of us. The club is kind of far too.” JJ studied her for a moment realizing she was genuinely annoyed with him, so he let up. “Fine,” he muttered, situating the bags on his arms and hopping off the boat. “See you ladies later!” JJ called over his shoulder, his voice returned to its normal goofiness. 

Y/N grabbed the rest of the bags and followed Pope off the boat as well. “You know we are just trying to look out for you,” Pope started. Y/N rolled her eyes a bit. “Look I get it, but I’m not weak. I can take care of myself. Pogue-style, baby,” Y/N replied. 

Pope laughed a bit and nodded in agreement. “You sure can throw a punch,” he said causing the girl to smile. “And you rival JJ in the craziness a bit.” “I do not!” Y/N laughed, playfully shoving him. The two went on like this bickering back and forth as they made their way past one of the tee boxes. 

Unbeknownst to them, two Kooks watched as the Pogues made their way across their golf course. “Hey, hey,” Rafe said, smacking Topper’s chest and pointing to Y/N and Pope. “Shiiit,” Topper said watching the girl and boy. “Yo, when did Y/N get hot?” Topper commented. “Bro she’s always been pretty hot for a Pogue,” Rafe responded as he started walking towards the pair. 

“Hey!” he and Topper called. Y/N’s face paled immediately as she heard the sound of the infamous Kooks. Pope sucked in a breath and said, “It’ll be fine.” “Yeah after they caved your face in last time you were here,” Y/N hissed, turning to face the boys coming towards them. 

“What’d I say about coming back on our side of the island?” Rafe snarled, reaching Pope. “Oh so you want to go pick up your own groceries then?” Y/N stepped up in front of Pope. She may have anxiety, but she sure as hell wouldn’t let any Kooks walk all over her friends. Topper smirked and stepped forward too. 

Y/N did her best not to suck back as two Kooks towered over her, but Rafe caught her flinch a bit, a wicked smile curving up on his lips. “Where’s blondie, Y/N?” he smirked. “Not here to protect you?” 

Pope shoved him back away from Y/N who now seemed to be at a loss for words. No she told herself. “Get your nasty Pogue hands off me,” Rafe snapped, lunging at Pope. All the groceries were spilled as Y/N was knocked out of the way. She hit the ground feeling the side of her face scrape on the gravel.

Y/N groaned in pain, but pushed herself off the ground to see Rafe and Topper shoving Pope around. “Get off of him Topper!” she screamed, jumping on his back. The Kook easily shoved her off as he and Rafe kept messing with her friend. His nose was bleeding and he was covered in a can of beer that Topper thought it would be funny to dump on him. 

“Stop!” Y/N screamed again. “What, he your boyfriend now?” Topper mocked. “No wonder Sarah dumped you! Jackass,” Y/N snarled, shoving him away from Pope. Rafe stopped punching Pope in the face and stood up. Pope lay on the ground groaning in pain. 

Topper’s face went dark. “Don’t you dare,” he hissed. “When did you get a mouth on you?” Rafe smirked again slowly approaching Y/N. “It’s kinda hot.”

Y/N gulped and felt her legs subconsciously back away. She felt the walls begin to close in as the two boys stalked towards her. “Please, don’t,” her voice cracked, giving her fear away. It was like a feeding frenzy for sharks. Y/N turned to run, but Topper caught her before she could get anywhere. 

“Get off!” Y/N yelped, as she struggled with her back pressed against his chest. “You’ll pay. You Pogue’s took one of us, so we’ll just take you for an even trade. Seems fair? Right Rafe?” Topper said. “No,” Pope tried getting up but Rafe punched him in the face again before turning back to Y/N.

“That’s right Topper,” Rafe grinned, “I’m sure your boyfriend wouldn’t mind.” Y/N was still flailing as she felt the walls begin to close in every step Rafe took. 

“Please! Just let me go!” she felt tears burn in her eyes. “Now now, don’t cry,” Rafe cooed, brushing a stray tear from her face. The wall was right in front of her now, sucking her air out. Y/N began gasping.

“I haven’t got laid in awhile,” Rafe said. Y/N’s stomach dropped to the ground. Even Topper seemed to release his grip a bit. “Wait, bro--” Topper started. “Might I remind you Topper,” Rafe cut in, “Her idiotic boyfriend put a gun to your head, and that long-haired surfer friend of hers stole your girlfriend.”

Y/N let out a choked sob. “Please,” she flailed again, but Topper still didn’t let go. Y/N literally screamed as Rafe grabbed her hips, allowing her to shirt to ride up a bit, his hands grazing over her exposed skin. “Stop!” Pope jumped up, but was shoved off by Rafe. “Dude seriously. This isn’t cool,” Topper cut in, releasing Y/N. Rafe ignored him, pulling Y/N up off the ground and digging his hands into her waist. 

“Pretty hot for a Pogue,” he whispered in her ear. Y/N’s eyes were watering as she took shallow breaths. Y/N let out a blood-curdling scream as Rafe placed a chaste kiss on her neck. She fought, scratched, kicked, flailed, trying to get out of his grasp. Her lungs burned and she felt like she was being crushed. 

As she tried to let out another scream, Rafe clamped a hand over her mouth and she felt like she was drowning. “Dude!” Y/N faintly heard Topper. “Rafe, c’mon man! Let her go!” Pope yelled, struggling to get up. 

In a matter of seconds, though, Rafe was ripped off Y/N. “Get the fuck off!” a familiar voice shouted. But, it wasn’t the voice she was looking for. “Rafe, what the fuck?” a girl’s voice shouted. Sarah. Y/N was sobbing and trying to take in air, but she couldn’t stop trembling. 

“Hey hey it’s okay,” someone’s hand was on her back. Kie. 

“Bro! Bro!” there was a lot of shouting. 

“John B! Get off, you made your point man!” 

“Let’s go!” 

Y/N saw two blurred shapes running away from them. A familiar figure approached her. “JJ?” she gasped. “No, no, it’s me, John B,” he said. Y/N flinched away and started crying harder. She just wanted JJ. 

“No hey hey you’re okay,” Kie’s voice rang out in her ear. Sarah knelt down on her other side and helped her up. Y/N’s lungs were on fire and she still found herself being suffocated by the walls. “Where’s…” Y/N gasped, more sobs coming out. “I--I don’t know, but we should get back to the boat. He may be there waiting,” Sarah said rubbing her arm gently. 

Y/N cried harder, collapsing into Kie. John B went to help but the girl shot him a look telling him to stay back.

“All...” gasp. “I want…” gasp. “JJ…”

With the help from Sarah, the girls managed to get Y/N back to the boat with John B and Pope trailing after them. JJ was not back yet. 

Y/N collapsed onto the ground in a corner, jumping away from all of her friends who were trying to help. As they tried approaching her slowly, all the girl felt were the walls getting tighter. Sadly, none of the Pogues really knew how to help her besides JJ. They had never seen her in this particular state.

At this point, Y/N was struggling for air as if she were drowning and was on the verge of passing out. “Guys, guys, back up,” Kie said. “We’re making it worse.” 

“But how are we supposed to get her to stop?” John B snapped, running a hand through his hair. “Where the hell is JJ?” Sarah said looking around. 

The group all tried reassuring Y/N from a safe distance, but nothing seemed to work. 

“Yo! You will not believe how well these old guys tipped!” the voice they were all waiting for yelled on the dock. 

“They gave me like--whoa what happened? When did you guys get--” JJ stopped in his tracks at the sight of all of his friends circled around his beat-up girlfriend. What the hell? Why’s her pretty face damaged? He started fuming. 

JJ immediately shoved past Pope and Kie towards the girl in the corner. 

“Hey! Hey! It’s me,” he said, not hesitating as Y/N tried backing away. As if something in her mind clicked, her body went limp as JJ pulled her into his chest, leaning himself back on the wall. Her breaths were still straggled and she was still trembling but she quit fighting. 

“Hey, Y/N,” JJ said softly. “H-hey,” she tried taking a breath, but it caught in her throat. “Shhhh,” he held on to her tighter, wrapping his arm around her head and putting her ear to his chest. “Listen to my heart, and breath with me.”

The Pogues watched silently in awe as Y/N began breathing normally. 

“Good, keep going,” JJ encouraged kindly. John B had never seen JJ this way, but he really saw how close the two actually were. He pulled Sarah tight to his side. 

“You wanna tell the group what we’re gonna do when we go full Kook?” JJ asked, glancing down at Y/N before looking up at their friends. He felt Y/N flinch after he said the word Kook. His gut turned at the thought this was brought on by a Kook. 

“Never mind,” he said quickly. “Tell them about that dream you had of us. Off the island.” He knew his friends were studying him closely. They’d never really seen this side of him. He was always coping with his own problems in his own way, but this was how Y/N got to see him. JJ let his guard down with her the most. And while he loved to joke around, get stoned, wasted, and all that, he was still human. 

Y/N slowly nodded, her breaths becoming more even. “I--I had this dream,” she started with a shaky voice, “JJ and I were in a uh little house, away from here.” 

Sarah clung to John B as tears welled in her eyes as she watched the girl in JJ’s arms. She always saw Y/N as this tough Pogue who wouldn’t take shit from anyone regardless of her own problems. She never knew Y/N struggled like this, and it broke Sarah’s heart. 

Kie had a faint idea of what Y/N was really struggling with but she had never seen her friend in this state. The sight of her, curled in JJ’s arms, trying to talk about something that was for certain extremely personal between the couple, made her heart break as well. 

“W-we had a little house, and two blond headed boys running circles around us,” Y/N cracked a weak smile as the group let out a light laugh, the tension finally breaking. “And you,” she raised a more steady hand pointing at John B and Sarah, “you two would come over for dinner with your girls and we’d watch Kie and Pope on the news being superstars.” 

“That sounds wonderful,” Sarah smiled. 

Y/N, at last, took a deep strong breath. Color was already returning to her face as she slowly regained her composure. John B and Pope went to untie the boat and soon enough, they were on their way back to their side of the island. 

JJ didn’t release Y/N, but looked to Pope for answers. 

“What happened?” he tried holding in his anger for Y/N’s sake. 

“We were taking the stuff up to the club and Topper and Rafe came up,” Pope said slowly. JJ felt Y/N tense under his arms and he gave her a reassuring squeeze. 

No one dared speak a word as to what happened next. 

JJ got the hint, though. “Then?” he pressed. 

“R-Rafe,” Y/N started, and he was shocked to hear her talking about it. “No, no, you don’t…” the words died in JJ’s mouth. “He, he tried--” 

JJ knew immediately. Y/N felt his body go rigid and didn’t say the words. She didn’t even want to think about it. “I’ll kill him,” JJ hissed. 

“John B about did,” Kie said. Sarah seemed to be looking away from them. Y/N knew what she was thinking. 

“It wasn’t your fault,” Y/N said softly. Sarah turned to her with a sad look on her face. “But he’s my brother,” she whispered. Y/N shook her head, “He’s not you Sarah. Stop beating yourself up.”

“Y/N…”

“This is how it is for us Pogues. We’re all a little broken somehow. Well maybe except Kie,” Y/N chuckled a bit, leaning back on JJ who was still seething. Sarah gave her a small smile and sat down by John B’s legs. “Anyways,” John B continued, “Kie, Sarah, and I were getting ice cream by the course, and heard Y/N scream so we came and helped.” 

JJ stood up completely knocking Y/N over. She shot him a glare rather than going back to hyperventilating. “Pope! Turn around! I’m going to rip his face off,” JJ snarled. “No,” Y/N said, standing up facing him. “Just forget it. Don’t give him the satisfaction.” 

JJ stared at her in disbelief. “Are you kidding me?” he was trying not to yell at Y/N. However, the girl just stared at him with a raised brow. JJ stared back. 

“What is going on?” Sarah asked. 

“Shh, they do this all the time,” John B replied. 

Soon enough JJ broke his gaze and sat down pulling Y/N back into his arms. Y/N had a triumphant look in her eyes as they continued on. “Oh my god,” Sarah laughed. 

“Shut up,” JJ mumbled resting his head on Y/N’s shoulder. 

Later that night, in the Chateau, Y/N and JJ were curled together in the small bed of the guest room. “Are you okay?” JJ finally asked after hours. Moments like these were saved for behind closed doors and just the two of them. 

Y/N thought for a moment and then nodded. “I am now,” she said in the darkness. His arms gave her a little squeeze. “But, how,” JJ hesitated, “how can you let me hold you like this after what happened?” he asked shyly. Y/N rolled over to look at him in the darkness. 

JJ’s eyes were swimming with concern. She pressed her lips to his, savoring his warm breath and body before pulling away. His kisses were always soft and sexy at the same time. 

“Because you’re you,” Y/N answered, resting her forehead on his. “I’m still a guy,” JJ muttered. Y/N let out a laugh. “You don’t get it. You’re the only one I want. You’re the guy who knows me the best. You know how to deal with my problems. You’ve known me since we were literally babies. Sure, we’ve known John B for a long time, but he doesn’t know me like you,” Y/N said. 

“But--” JJ started but was cut off. 

“JJ, you’re the one I’m in love with and have been since as long as I can remember. I trust you with my life. Yeah, you baby me sometimes, but I’ve accepted that’s how it comes being with you.” 

“I love you too,” he whispered.

It was JJ’s turn to place a kiss on her lips. She sighed, content at how soft his were. Their lips molded together like two puzzle pieces as he pressed his body closer to hers. She let her mouth open as he ran his tongue over her lips resulting in a low moan. His hands tugged her waist and pulled her on top of him just as they did plenty of times before. 

This time, though, it wasn’t like they were going to have sex. It was more of a tender kiss. A declaration of their love for one another as cheesy as it sounds. 

Eventually, they both turned up for air, and Y/N fell back next to JJ. He wrapped his arm around her again as she rested her head on his chest. “We’ll get out of here one day,” JJ said with a promise in his voice. “I won’t doubt that,” she smiled. “But I’ll kill Rafe first,” he said. Y/N laughed a bit again. 

“No you won’t. Then you’ll go to prison, and I don’t want you to go to prison. Besides, Rafe is always tweaked. Everyone knows that,” Y/N snorted. “Well I’m always smoking weed,” JJ offered. 

“Aren’t all the Pogues though? There’s a difference between weed and cocaine too.”

JJ groaned causing Y/N to let out another laugh. “You’re always so optimistic.” 

“Yes yes I know,” Y/N giggled. “But I know you love it cause otherwise you would’ve dumped me a long time ago.” “I would never dump you. You’re too good for this place, Y/N” JJ mumbled squeezing her again. 

Slowly but surely, the couple then fell asleep, content and safe from everything the cruel world would throw at them, in each other’s arms.

_______________________________________________

Not really sure I like the ending but it is what it is I suppose. It’s more about the story in the middle. Plus I really don’t think I’m good at writing endings so yea. Enjoy m’dears!

xoxo

[bunny-wk-fanfic]

This Is Brought To You By

The door opened to a rustic cabin, the natural wood glowing amber thanks to a roaring fire. Worn dark leather seating seemed hazy thanks to said fire light, each piled with plush pillows and draped with cozy throws or blankets. A low table had been laid out with candles, a bottle of wine was being kept chilled in a classy and slightly modern ice bucket with two glasses just off to the side. The only splash of color amongst the glow of the fire, the natural wood and stone textures were a small handful of red roses, loose petals just lightly scattered about. With the help of the slow jazz playing softly in the background, it made for a very romantic atmosphere.

"Well, hello there." the male voice was a slightly low purring drawl, drawing attention to the male figure sprawled across an almost stereotypical bear rug. "Deadpool here. Hopefully, while reading this, you're hearing the voice of a certain sexy male Canadian. I'm sure you know the one. And I don't mean the short, hairy one with anger issues and kitty claws and a fondness for cigars. Unless of course said angry man is being represented by a beautiful, beautiful wild Australian man. Because if then, well, lather me in hot sauce and spank my Chimichanga. But I'm getting off track here."

Fingers drummed against a knee, drawing the attention to the missing and familiar red and black outfit, and more importantly, to the lack of proper attire.

"Yes, my current outfit has to do with the reason we are here today. It's come to my attention, that it's been some time since we last met, or that our beloved writer has written anything involving our favorite woman. And more importantly, our favorite woman when involved with me." a single white rose was plucked from behind, waved about as if a magic wand, and dragged across a scarcely clad male thigh that was pocked with fresh wounds that were instantly scaring. "As such, I decided to… encourage our beloved writer into bringing us all together once again."

With a dramatic wave of limbs, he moved from reclining on his side, that screamed 'Paint my like your French women', to leaning back on his elbows. The pale pink satin nighty, the atmosphere, and the pose would have been more than alluring were the one in said pose a woman. With the male, the nighty was rather comically stretched across his frame, though covering everything important, the sheer robe with fluffy cuffs only adding to the oddity of the entire situation. It clashed with the fact that he still wore his iconic red and black full head cowl.

"Now, our lovely writer might say otherwise about my encouragement, calling it nagging, whining or say I simply began to annoy her until she finally relented. Ignore those words and continue to read mine with the amazing drawl of a voice provided by the Canadian sex symbol; my pal, my bosom buddy, Ryan Reynolds." the white rose bobbed to the beat of the low music, tapping against a hip every so often.

"Now, back unto the reason why we're here. Honestly? I was lonely and wanted some cuddles with my lovely, lovely Kagome." noticing that it was just the male lounging in the open living space, he was quick to wave a hand. "Don't worry, don't worry! My girl is currently enjoying a much-needed hot bubble bath. One, I wish I was taking part of, but felt this little conversation was, at the time, more prudent. How could I feel that? Simple. I had the desire that everyone read this in Reynolds voice, nothing more and nothing less. Though if we are asking for more, and I know what you all want, I on the other hand, wouldn't mind lathering my girl in rich and real Canadian maple syrup and eating my midnight pancake snacks off of her, but maybe later. So while Kagome is taking this time to prepare for a very adventurous night right here on this vegan friendly-faux-bear fur rug, I'll fill that time with hanging out with you lovely little readers. Because without you, though more so my unannounced arrival and delayed departure, we wouldn't be here right now."

Happy humming could now be heard from behind a closed door just off to the side, the male giving a little jiggle in his spot in excitement. The rose momentarily used to fan himself, though just how useful it was as such, needed to be questioned at a later time.

"Now I'm sure there are a few things you all wish to talk about; my last movie with the fridge trope, which I myself can only say thanks to the writers for that one. Thanks guys, I've always wanted more trauma and torture to sprinkled in my life." a finger was wagged, tongue tisking against his teeth, though the sound was slightly muffled due to his mask.

"Or when my next film will come out, and if so, will it be part of the Marvel Universe. This is where you show your true love and devotion. I ask you, lovely readers, to go out and use the internet, haul out the trolls if need be, and ask, beg, and cry for me to be part of Marvel. Not that I want to, not really, it's just principle. What with their large budgets, CGI teams, writers, directors and a full cast. Honestly, a whole school of mutants gone save for three at a single extended time? For what purpose, 'cause I doubt they all went on some sort of field trip or vacation, but what do I know, I failed out of 5th grade. But, not really." his head tipped to the side, possibly staring in the direction of where the bathroom was, it was hard to tell with his face actually covered to know for sure.

"I mean, who wants to be part of that depressing team? All that self-sacrificing for the greater good?" he gave a few bobs of the rose in his hand as his head tipped back, almost as if in contemplation. "Though let's be honest, we all know I would survive an alien with a California Raisin on steroids for a chin, snapping their fingers. And then I'd introduce said alien to my Desert Eagles Mark XIX while recruiting Ant-Man to tickle where the sun never shines before becoming… Anti-Ant-Man? I honestly don't know what to call him in his Ultraman form, wait, does that make him a magical-boy or a science-boy? Right, Ant-Man shrinking to tickle where sun don't shine for hurting my favorite Web-Head super bro." the rose now tapped where his mouth was, though again, it was hidden by his mask. "And it would be super hot to watch Kagome kick his ass. I wonder what she would wear… Something skin tight? Revealing? Her old school uniform?"

A door opening, even though quiet, drowned out his muttering, the candles flickered as steam billowed out of the bathroom before quickly dissipating the further it billowed into the open space. "Are you talking to White and Yellow again?" a female figure left the dark bathroom, her form covered with a short semi sheer dark pink bathrobe of her own. Her hands were raised just enough to free her hair from beneath the robe, though she paused when she really took a look at the sprawled out male. "...I thought that was supposed to be a gift for me?"

Snickering, he trailed the rose down from his mouth, his neck, down his chest stopping just above his stomach. "Don't you think I look sexy in this?" it was always so amusing to tease and rile her when he wore risqué outfits, namely hers.

Finishing in freeing her hair, she eyed his form. Yes, his skin was pocked and disfigured from him constantly getting open sores and his abilities nearly immediately healing them. But beyond that, his form was all carved muscle, no doubt from years of being a mercenary. While yes, he was larger with the shoulders strong, he had a slight swimmer's build. It didn't lack-

"Ah, sorry for the intermission. Our writer took a few days to… deal with life I guess. How boring." shoulders shrugged, waving off the confused expression from his fairer companion. "Of course, it would happen when describing my awesome and amazingly sexy self." an actual pout could be seen through his mask.

"I will admit, you are sexy." the purring drawl from Kagome drew his attention again, her words and tone revealing she either decided she was going to ignore him going off tangent or just that she was used to it at this point, body freezing when her hands began with removing the sash that kept her own coverings secure. "I'm just not sure that shade of pink is quite your color. Maybe you should stick to your usual colors?"

The moment, the robe dropped and pooled around her feet, revealed a feminine figure dripping in curves with subtle musculature that showed she kept up with her own training, he froze. She wore a set of red and black satin and lace that covered pale skin. It covered a little more than what most would normally deem sexy lingerie, with slightly wider straps, but they accentuated her curves, drawing attention to them. And the thin ribbons that accompanied and mimicked, as well as help the lace that helped cover stiffening peeks, made her look more like a present just waiting to be unwrapped.

"Well, what do you think of my gift to you?" legs crossed slightly as hands once again rose to lift her hair to both reveal her neck and shoulders as well as lift her chest, she stood posed before him, basking in the golden glow of the fireplace behind him.

The white rose that had been resting near his hip instantly perked up, a white petal flying off at the somewhat harsh and sudden movement. Despite it being a mask, the white 'eyes' widened as the mask shifted to show that his jaw dropped.

"I'll take your silence as a, 'I likey'?" she giggled as she dropped her hands, they followed the curves of her body, no doubt drawing his gaze from behind the mask to follow with. Slowly, with a slight predator grace, she lowered to her knees and began to crawl up his form, leaving a trail of kisses behind her that glittered from both the fire light as well as her own abilities to help heal him.

Tossing the rose without a care, he reached forward to trace her curves for himself, not stopping as her own hands reached forward to lift and remove his mask. Lips curved up when she reached forward to kiss him. It was sweet, a simple press of her lips against his own. His smile grew when he quickly ended the sweetness by reaching for that delightful curve of her ass that shook playfully in his grasp.

The gasp that was let out was easily and eagerly swallowed, tongue dipping between lush lips to tangle with her own. With where his grip was, he pulled her closer to settle in his lap. Trailing lips away from her own to nip down her jaw and neck, he smirked against her warm skin.

Pausing, brown eyes narrowed as he turned away from the purring woman in his lap. "Oi, what are you still doing here? This ain't no peep-show! Go away. Read a book, play a game, watch a movie. I hear that new one about a guy named Guy wanting to be free or something, is worth the watch. And if my pal Ryan is in it, ya know it's good. Now," a hand reluctantly left the span of leg it had been caressing with a waving motion. "Shoo."

Turning away, leaving behind the couple and the sounds of giggles and kissing echoed loudly over the crackles and pops from the fireplace. A quick squeal that turned into laughter that was followed by a masculine whine at the sound of fabric tearing just set the pace of what was to come. And who was in charge of this nights shenanigans. A door closing muffled the sounds as the cool evening draped across the forest, leaving only the crickets in the distance and even further off cries of wolves the only sounds to echo.

Message delivered, though the exacts of what the message actually was seemed to have been lost. But it had been shared, and that seemed to be all that had been important. It did leave questions of what the future held, and if there would be any further important messages that would need to be shared. Who knows. Guess the game of 'wait and see' was going to have to be played.

AN: Don't ask. Please don't. I will say this, I was at work when I literally/figuratively heard Deadpool/Ryan Reynold's voice pop out from no where and bug me until I started writing this down. And when I lost the flow for a few days, it came back until I managed to finish it. So now I'm posting it here and cleaning my hands of it. I hope you can find some enjoyment in, I know I'm going to enjoy the peace and quiet.

As always; read, enjoy, and please review! - BunnyWK

[thekidultlife]

THE RETURN OF SUPERMAN | Kwon Soonyoung

Author’s Note: This is definitely one of my most favorite writings! Sorry I’m behind the posting schedule a little bit. Unstable internet connections are THE WORST!

Genre: I KNOW I’VE BEEN HURTING PEOPLE WITH MY TROS SPINOFFS, BUT THIS IS DIFFERENT. THIS STORY IS A HAPPY PILL. IT’S FLUFF. LITERALLY.

Word Count: 5,840

6:47 P.M.

It is nighttime and cameras are panning around a very cozy nursery. The walls are wallpapered with a pastel kind of yellow filled with clouds, ponies, fairies and more animal pets, some of which double into night lights. A dresser is pushed up to one wall, where baby pictures of the cute little room owner are found, along with her parents in what appeared to be a photoshoot. A clock and little blocks that spelled out Y-U-N-A are also on the dresser. Airplanes, more clouds and stars hang on the ceilings, reflecting the soft glow of the lamplights. The windows are hidden by billowy cream-colored curtains.

One camera is panning down from the plush, carpeted floor, up to the center of the room, on which a massive, white crib could be found. A very cute, chubby-cheeked little baby girl with a jeweled crown on top her soft curls was on the crib, her chubby hands clapping with delight. Her squeals and vibrant peals of laughter filled the whole room. But it was another kind of noise that made cameramen chuckle.

Thud. “Ow!” Kwon Soonyoung rubbed his forehead in mock agony. He made a crying face and pretended to sob loudly, kneeling on the carpeted floor. But he peered behind his hands on his face, grinning, as the baby burst out laughing again, her hands clapping as she did so. Her cheeks had gone red with her giggles.

When the laughter stopped and the baby simply sat there, her whole face waiting and expectant for the next thing about to happen to her dad, Soonyoung decided to do it one last time. He drew close to the crib and pretended to bang his head on the wood. Thud. He rolled back on the floor. “Ow!”

The baby rolled back her head, tears rolling down her cheeks as her guttural baby giggles wracked her entire body. She slumped on the soft quilt of her crib, laughing and laughing.

“Wow, Kwon Yuna,” Kwon Soonyoung muttered, tired of having done the same trick for about thirty minutes now. “You never get tired, do you? Come here.” Soonyoung reached out to take the child. “Let me put you to sleep properly.” He looked at the clock on the dresser. “It’s almost past your bedtime!” Like the pro appa that he was, he cradled Yuna in his arms, which she was already starting to outgrow. How much time do I have left to carry you like this? He thought fondly, already nostalgic of the moment that his baby would grow too heavy for his arms. Then he softly padded to one side of the room, next to the windows, where a rocking chair was. Yuna liked to be rocked to sleep.

He sat there for a long time, rocking and rocking her in his arms. Yuna reached out to touch Soonyoung’s face with her tiny hands, wondering at his face.

Soonyoung smiled and kissed her forehead. “Sleep, little one! Sleep, Kwon Yuna!” He started humming a lullaby to lull her to sleep.

After a few more minutes, Kwon Yuna’s eyes began to droop. She cooed sleepily, and as her head dropped to Soonyoung’s chest, her little crown fell on the carpet. Soonyoung hoisted her carefully on his one arm to pick up the crown, all the while singing the lullaby softly. Soon, deep breaths told him that his baby girl had fallen asleep. Soonyoung carefully stood up, peered into Yuna’s peaceful, sleeping face again, and laid her down gently on the crib.

He stood there watching her for a few minutes before he smiled and whispered, “Good night, my baby girl.” Then he slowly walked out of the nursery and into the adjoining bedroom. He left the door open just in case Yuna might wake up in the early morning hours. Cameras rolled slowly as Soonyoung laid on his bed, exhausted.

He faintly smelled of milk, baby lotion and cereal, but he could not be bothered to get up from the bed. He closed his eyes and began to doze off. It was still early, just barely past 7 p.m., but he felt drained of all energy. He smiled as he thought of Yuna giggling and reached out his hand to grab you close to him, but then he remembered: right. He’s alone, and he’s going to be for the next forty-eight hours. He reached for his phone on the bedtable and pressed the speed-dial to call you.

“My love!” He whispered excitedly when you picked up.

From the other end of the line and a continent away, you grinned. “Hey, Superdad.”

“Hey yourself. Yuna’s sleeping now.” Soonyoung touched his shirt lightly. “And I think I should change my shirt because I got soaked with milk earlier but I’m too tired to stand up.”

“Are you sure she’s asleep? Already?”

“Of course!” Soonyoung smiled at the direction of the nursery. “Our baby sleeps nicely when I rock her to sleep. I think she really likes me more than she likes you.”

You scoffed mockingly. “Don’t kid yourself.”

“Jealous, are we?” Soonyoung giggled, almost very much like Yuna. “I thought we talked about not getting jealous when our Yuna likes one of us more.”

“In your dreams, Kwon Soonyoung.”

Soonyoung took a pillow and hugged it to himself. “I miss you.”

You lay back on your bed for the night, too, a queen-sized one that was very comfortable but seemed empty without Soonyoung beside you. “I miss you, too. But don’t be such a baby! The cameras are rolling and they might think you’re too crazy about me.”

Soonyoung laughed at that. “But aren’t I?” He snuggled onto the pillow on his head, still holding the phone to his other ear. “I really am crazy about you.”

You blushed. “I love you.”

Cries from the nursery made Soonyoung sit up on the bed. “Okay! I think I have to go now.”

You smiled and closed your eyes. “Bye.”

“Hey.” Soonyoung was sliding into his slippers and shuffling on to the direction of the nursery door. “I love you, too, by the way.”

You laughed. “Good night, Yuna-appa. And change your shirt. Really!”

INTERVIEW WITH KWON SOONYOUNG, 30:

SOONYOUNG: (Bows as best he could with a baby girl on his lap.) Hello, everyone! Most people know me onscreen as Hoshi from SEVENTEEN, but right now in this show I am simply Kwon Soonyoung. (Yuna squeals on his lap, and he grins.) That’s a hello from my eight-month-old baby here, Kwon Yuna! We are both very excited to be on this show. (Reaches down as Yuna fusses and brings a bottle to Yuna’s lips.) Among my SEVENTEEN bros, I’m the youngest dad as of the moment. We often chat each other up and they always give me advice about how to do things since I’m still a bit clueless. They say baby years are the best years because you bond a lot with the baby, and you get fascinated by how they just grow up before you know it. (Kisses Yuna as she is busy with her milk bottle.) I’m really happy that I get to experience being her dad. It’s both a terrifying and beautiful experience. I just hope to be the best dad I could be for her.

Q: Are you on an indefinite break from work just to be with your wife and baby daughter?

SOONYOUNG: (Nods and smiles brightly.) Yes! Actually, I did not want to do so immediately because I felt like I might leave them unprepared since we are also readying for a comeba—oops. (Lowers his head, laughing.) Omo. I can’t believe it. Even as a dad I say things I’m not supposed to say. Anyway. Um. The members all insisted that I take the time to go and take care of Yuna here. I do go with them every now and then, mostly on mornings, so I could catch up with practice. My body clock changed after months of being with Yuna. I wake up earlier and I sleep earlier but these days I also have to wake up in the middle of the night. Yuna is at the age where she sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night and cries for us. She knows we will come if she cries. (Ruffles Yuna’s hair playfully and Yuna smiles with her eyes at this, her toothless smile adorably seen as she stops drinking her milk to revel at her dad’s touch.) She’s pretty spoiled, I think. But who am I to complain? Looking this cute, I could not help but forgive her for waking her parents up at odd hours just so she could see us. (Grins at the camera.) Sorry. I know I’m being such a dad right now, spoiling my baby. But hey, that’s what dads do! (Laughs and takes the empty bottle from Yuna, and then bows again.) Please enjoy spending your day with us!

6:30 A.M.

NARRATOR: *Someone is having a very happy bath this morning! Let us see! The happy laughter is infectious! What lies ahead for a morning at the Kwon residence?*

“Ap-paaa!!! Wwaaaahhhbbbbiiiii!!!”

“I know! Your appa picked such a cute song! Good morning, too, Kwon Yuna!” Soonyoung happily translated as the Yuna played with the water on her bathtub. She giggled as bubbles erupted out of the water. Soonyoung scrubbed on her arms, her face.

Dad and baby are inside the bathroom next to the nursery. Both have been up for hours.

“Ggggurbbbbuuu app-paaa?” Yuna chatted with her appa, touching his cheek with a tiny hand filled with bubbles.

“Yes. The eyebags look awful, right? I had to stay up later for you!”

“Biiiii???” Yuna pressed, her eyes looking serious as Soonyoung rinsed her shampooed baby hair gently with warm water. “Bbbibbugabb???”

“Uh-huh. That late. But we’re still best friends! You slept very peacefully after I rocked you to sleep for the second time. Very good girl!” Kwon Yuna liked to wake up early and Soonyoung usually took that time to draw her a bath and get her things ready for the day. Once Yuna wakes up, the whole house wakes up, too! Who needs clocks? Yuna was one! My world literally revolves around this little person! Soonyoung thought to himself as he reached for a towel.

“Bbubbbubbbbbu,” Yuna babbled to her dad as he picked her up from the bubbly bathtub to dry her with a towel and dryer. “Gguggudduuuu!!! Ap-ppa, ap-ppa, appa!”

“Right! Your appa is so amazing, taking care of you all night and giving you a bath! He’s the best appa in the world! Isn’t he?” Soonyoung interpreted confidently as he playfully kissed his baby girl’s cheeks. “Wow. Eomma did a not-so-bad job at picking your bath soap. My love, if you’re watching this, I really dig this bath soap. Buy one for us, too!”

Yuna pinched Soonyoung’s cheeks playfully while he got placed her down the changing table. “Appa? Ggubbbuuu!!!”

“I know! You’re cute, too!” Soonyoung deftly got Yuna into her diapers and hauled her up into his arms. She squealed as they both got out of the bathroom and Soonyoung set her down on the newly vacuumed carpet, letting Yuna crawl around. Yuna gasped in delight at being let down. “Behave while appa gets out your clothes for you, okay?”

After dressing her up in a cute strawberry jumper that had green wings at the back, tying her hair rather clumsily with strawberry ponytails and securing her stray locks into another strawberry-themed hairband, Soonyoung grinned. “Cute, cute, cute!!!” He peppered Yuna with kisses. “Cute, cute, cute!!!”

Kwon Yuna did look like the cutest strawberry fairy, beaming at her dad, clapping her hands before ignoring him entirely and crawling around the nursery, gasping again as her quick little eyes found a picture book that was placed strategically by Soonyoung right where she could see it. She crawled faster with her hands and feet, straining just to get to the picture book. Upon reaching the picture book, she squealed out something like, “Gggaaaahhhhh!!!”

“Yas, girl! Like I told your eomma when we bought you stuff, that picture book is cool!” Soonyoung again translated, lying on his stomach next to his strawberry fairy, who looked like utterly amazed by the picture book, which contained different kinds of colors. Yuna stood up shakily, bouncing on her feet as she stood, before plunking down and sitting with her legs crossed, looking very much like a—yes, a strawberry. She babbled happily as she reached out to touch the book.

“Waaasss?”

“Okay. We’ve done this yesterday, remember?” Soonyoung sat up and imitated how Yuna sat. Then he pointed at the bright color on the book which Yuna was touching with her finger. “Red.” Soonyoung tapped the color again. “Red.”

“W-wed,” Yuna breathed out, her voice unabashedly wondering.

Soonyoung excitedly tapped it again and bent down to listen closer. “Red.”

“Wed!!!” Yuna giggled and clapped her hands, excited at mimicking Soonyoung’s words.

“Yaaayyy! Yuna deserves a kiss!!! Kiss!!!” Soonyoung picked her up and held her into the air, kissing her cheeks as she laughed in delight. “Good job, best friend!” Then he settled her onto his lap and took the picture book. He smiled at Yuna again before tapping another color. “Blue.”

Yuna puckered her lips and looked up at Soonyoung. “Byue?”

“Yaaayyy!!! Way to go, best friend! Yes!” Yuna giggled again as Soonyoung held her up into the air and gave her her reward: appa’s fluttery kisses. “Okay, let’s say it again!” Carefully, Soonyoung put her closer to the book balanced on his one knee so Yuna could touch it. He pointed at the color again. “Blue.”

“Byuuueeeee!!!” Yuna mouthed just like Soonyoung. “Byue!!!”

“Very good, Kwon Yuna!” Another flight up, another kiss. “What’s this color?” Soonyoung pointed back to the first color they learned about. “It starts like r—”

“—Wed,” Yuna said confidently. “Wed!”

“And this one?”

“B-byue!”

Soonyoung laughed and proceeded to educate Yuna about colors. Byue, wed, gweeen, pppink…you get the idea. The baby talk drove Soonyoung nuts but he was fascinated that Yuna was learning so quickly. She’s definitely persistent, Soonyoung noticed fondly. She would touch a color, hear him say it over ang over again, and then repeat. She loved getting kisses and she loved flying with her dad’s arms. Cameras zoomed in on the father and daughter as they forgot the picture book, doing something much more fun-filled for Yuna. She was hoisted up by her dad’s arms, flying around the room, her green wings fluttering, her ponytails whipping around as Soonyoung “flew” her around the room.

“AppaI Appa!” She giggled, loving her flight like the strawberry fairy that she is. Cameramen chuckled as her guttural giggles filled the whole room again. “Wheeeeeeeeee!!!”

Soonyoung stopped, cradling her back again into his arms and raining hugs and kisses on her. “Love you best friend!!!”

“Appa!” Yuna said in babyish delight. “Appa! Mmmnam?” Yuna gesticulated with her hands, suddenly fussing now. “Mmmm?”

“Now that,” Soonyoung murmured as he kissed Yuna again, “is Yuna talk for ‘food, appa?’ Such a bright little princess! Off to breakfast we go!”

INTERVIEW WITH KWON SOONYOUNG, 30:

Q: As asked to the other members, were you there when Kwon Yuna was born?

SOONYOUNG: (Nods happily.) Yes, I was! Unlike the other SVT dads, my wife’s labor pains came right on schedule. It was difficult for them because childbirth is very unpredictable at times. My wife used to have long phone sessions with other SVT mommies about how she might have an expected due date but that sometimes the labor comes sooner or later—we were both nervous. I asked for a break then, too, two weeks in advance, just so I could be there for her when the time comes. She got contractions as early as two weeks, so we were kinda expecting that she might give birth sooner. But Yuna came out exactly on the due date as stated by our OB/GYN. (Stares off into a distance, transported by the memory.) I remember phoning Cheol and asking him what to do. He was my closest neighbor since they live just a few blocks away from our house, and we had bonded quite a lot during the pregnancy because he was the one who gave me advice the most. (Breaks into a smile.) He offered to drive us to the hospital the moment my wife’s water broke that morning. Which was really great because I kept panicking and I was almost noisier than my wife during the whole drive to the hospital. Seungcheol-hyung was like, “Calm down, calm down, breathe” and I was like, “Does it hurt, my love? What do I do? You can punch me or slap me if you want if it helps” and I remember my wife laughing and crying at the same time because she said I was too hilarious to watch as I panicked. (Soonyoung sheepishly grins.) It was true, I was a bit too much. I remember pacing on the floor as she gave birth. She was in labor until evening. The members came to the hospital and waited with me, which became some sort of tradition whenever one of us gets to hold our kids for the first time. So all of them were there when I got to peek inside the hospital room. My wife was awake, and she was holding the baby. I remember taking the baby—(gesticulates how)—very carefully, and just staring dumbstruck at the tiny creature in my arms. I was like super amazed because there she was, my baby! I helped make this beautiful baby girl! I was also sort of terrified because I could already see my face in her. (Laughs loudly as he remembers his expression.) But all in all I was just, plain, simple happy…when her tiny fingers enclosed my thumb, I was like, in love all over again. The tears just started falling when she did that. (Shakes his head while smiling.) The members were telling me things like, “You should name her after you because you look so much like each other” but my wife objected thankfully. My wife and I named her “Yuna”.

Q: We’ve heard that there was a special reason why you named her, “Yuna.” Can we ask what it is?

SOONYOUNG: (Claps his hands together when he remembers why.) Yes, there was a reason! My wife was having these very strange cravings with food and movies and she just wanted to be with me most of the time. She even followed me around tours and fanmeets for a while. Wonu joked to me that that was probably why Yuna looked so much like me. Which is true, I think. (Laughs again.) Anyway, for about seven months, I would just lie with my wife on our bed, re-watching Kim Yuna’s figure-skating competitions. She was very much addicted to Kim Yuna. She’d never had a very keen liking for figure-skating or the Olympics before or any sport in particular, so I was really, really surprised. It was when she was already about four months pregnant, that we’d decided that if her Kim Yuna frenzy would not stop by then, we would name our baby after Kim Yuna if our baby would be a girl. (Soonyoung smiles at the camera and bows.) Kim Yuna-ssi, you were such an inspiration. Thank you very much!

7:15 A.M.

NARRATOR: *Let’s see what baby Yuna will have for breakfast! Looks like Kwon-appa is busy making something on the kitchen counter! What could it be?*

“Our Yuna, just wait patiently for your meal,” Soonyoung called out in a sing-song voice.

The strawberry fairy sat tapping her own spoon on her highchair table, making gurgling noises as she chatted with herself. She would squeal at times when she found a tapping rhythm that she liked, but every now and then, she would look up to the direction across her. “Appa?” she asked, her question understandable even by the other people watching from hidden places in the room. “Mmm, Appa?” How long are you going to make that breakfast, Appa?

Soonyoung was sterilizing the bowl that Yuna would use for eating, as well as her utensils. He put them into a saucepan and began putting in water. He waited until he had the water had already boiled for a few minutes before turning off the stove. Still humming (‘The Three Bears’ song was playing in the background) and eating his own apple—the half of the one he was going to use for Yuna’s breakfast—he poured the contents of another saucepan—chopped apples, oats, cinnamon and milk—into a blender. The sound of the whirring blender made Yuna drop the wooden spoon she was playing with.

“Ugh!” Her startled body shook, and her eyes widened.

NARRATOR: *Omo, she looked really surprised at the sound of the blender!*

“You’re still jumpy at the sound of the blender?” Soonyoung cooed as he munched his apple. “Don’t worry! Appa is here! It’s just a noise! Look!” Soonyoung pretended to bump his head on the cupboard. Thud. “Ow!”

Yuna forgot about the blender burst out laughing.

“Sometimes I wonder why we’re best friends, girl.” Soonyoung muttered. He pressed something on the blender, and it whirred again. Yuna once more looked startled. Soonyoung sighed and pretended to bump his head again. Thud. “Ow!”

Again, the little strawberry fairy doubled in laughter. She hiccuped as she did so—another sign that she was extremely happy.

The blender stopped whirring. Soonyoung finished his apple and checked to see if the mix had been pureed well. “Yes, yes, here it comes!”  A few moments later, Soonyoung gently laid before Yuna a plate of oat porridge and a sippy cup filled with unsweetened orange fruit drink.

INTERVIEW WITH KWON SOONYOUNG, 30:

SOONYOUNG: (Blushes at being complimented for being a good appa who knows how to prepare and cook baby breakfast.) I sort of cheated on that! I had to study very hard because even before we started taping for The Return of Superman series, my wife had to go on a very long trip for work. She’s a consultant for a technological company…which is kinda cliché by the way. I knew I fell in love with her when she showed me how to re-format my laptop. I just knew that moment! Anyway, she’s been away for almost a month now, but she’ll be back any day now. It’s just a matter of helping the company close that deal. (Shows a list on his phone.) See? She gave me this list of things to do with Yuna just in case I run out of ideas. But some of the ones at the top are a ‘must’. Like I really have to do it for Yuna whether I like it or not. Which involves cooking strange baby meals, crawling lessons—just kidding, of course, my love! (Blows a reconciliatory kiss at the camera.) You really researched these baby meals well! Good job!

“You are a very good girl this morning, so I took some time to find where Eomma put the recipe for your favorite porridge. She wanted you to eat something with spinach, but we’re going to have something more enjoyable!” The little girl clapped her hands, as if she really understood how her dad just disobeyed a direct order from Mommy Headquarters. “Let’s hope we don’t get in trouble, bestie! Who’s your best friend?” Soonyoung rubbed noses with Yuna, who giggled. “Who’s your best friend?”

“Appa!” Whether Yuna said that as a response or whether she just said it as some sort of reflex for her happiness. Nevertheless, these buoyant replies made Soonyoung smile even wider. His heart felt like it could burst inside him.

My baby just called me! Me! Or not. He tried not to look so happy, but the giddiness kept showing on his face. “That’s right!” Soonyoung eagerly said. “We’re best friends, girl. And we’re not gonna tell Eomma, right?”

Yuna’s eyes widened at that. Soonyoung nervously pulled the tray back a little bit. It was as if she understood! “Girl, you can’t tell on me, she’d be angry at the both of us!”

Yuna just kept looking at him.

Soonyoung stared back.

Uh-oh.

“Eomma, no-no?” Yuna looked thunderstruck that she would be asked to keep a secret from her . “Bbuggubbuubuu?”

Soonyoung stared deeply into his daughters eyes. “That’s right, bestie. This is just between you and me. Okay? Pinky-swear?” Soonyoung reached out to do a pinky-swear, but Yuna kept staring at him. Slowly, as if she was wiser than her eight-month-old self, she reached for her bowl.

“Ggaaahh.” She began spooning the cereal clumsily.

Soonyoung breathed a sigh of relief. This was probably nothing.

“Eat on, baby girl!” Soonyoung looked at his watch. We have to go for our walk soon!”

RECIPE FOR YUNA’S FAVORITE PORRIDGE (according to Kwon Soonyoung’s list on his phone):

Oats (instant) | 1.5 tblspn

Apple | ½ big apple

Cinnamon powder | ¼ tsp

Water | ½ cup or adjust depending on Yuna’s appetite

Sugar (optional, if the mix isn’t sweet enough but not too much!)

8:00 A.M.

“The walk” wasn’t actually anywhere far from the house. Using a stroller, Soonyoung would jog around the neighborhood, pointing out things that would make Yuna exclaim loudly as she curiously looked at the object of her attention. Sometimes it was a cat, sometimes it was a fellow baby being walked by a parent, sometimes it was a tree or a flowers or birds. They weren’t anywhere near a park, and Soonyoung usually had to make do with the neighborhood, which wasn’t so bad itself. It was very private and had walled, mostly traditional Korean houses. And it was a good way to get to know neighbors, too! They passed by Seungcheol’s house, which was one of the more modern-looking houses on the block and was empty. The family van was out, too, but Soonyoung saw cameras from windows. Probably at daycare, he thought to himself, before pushing Yuna’s stroller again.

After that walk with Yuna, who had gotten her much-needed Vitamin D from the sun, Soonyoung opened the back gate, where a playhouse that was connected to tunnels and assorted carpet squares, rugs and different type of surfaces were mapped out like a puzzle game on the manicured lawn. Soonyoung gently took Yuna out of the stroller and placed her on a pink carpet square.

“Let’s practice crawling, Kwon Yuna!” he said like a pro dad, already gathering different elastic balls. He then knelt, carefully watching as Yuna tried to place her hands on the carpet square. Her strawberry-green wings fluttered with the morning breeze. Soonyoung smiled broadly. “Yuna, look!” He placed a ball three squares away. “It’s a ball!”

“B-ball!!!” Yuna shrieked excitedly and began crawling on the towards as fast as her little limbs could carry her. Soonyoung excitedly bent down to help just in case she tumbles.

“Yes! A ball!”

Yuna reached for the ball with a hand and it bounced, sending her into more squeals. “Ball!” She clapped her hands as she sat up, her strawberry bottoms bouncing. “Ball!”

“Well…how about this one?” Soonyoung placed a stuffed star four squares away. “Star!”

“Tar! Tar!” Yuna excitedly clapped her hands again and began to crawl towards the star. Soonyoung was heady with excitement. Their lesson-slash-playtime session was going well for the first two tries! When Yuna reached the star, he began to put another object, this time, five squares away. It was Yuna’s favorite outdoor toy. If you know Soonyoung, then you guessed it: a stuffed tiger. “Tiger!”

“Hosh!!! Hosh!!!” Yuna screamed with delight, much happier than before, and was faster this time. The crawling took only about five seconds. She wasn’t hesitant about this particular object—she knew that toy!

Soonyoung thought of you then. “Blame yourself, my love,” you said loudly for the cameras, “our daughter is calling tigers by my stage name!”

Yuna grabbed the tiger’s nose clumsily with finger and thumb. Her face was red with excitement, and her cheeks looked very much like Soonyoung’s when he was younger. “Hoooshi! Hooooshi!” She hugged the tiger close to her, her wings fluttering with her bouncy movements again.

NARRATOR: *AWWW! Everyone’s hearts just fluttered at this show of affection! She must really love her tiger!!!*

Soonyoung smiled again, before taking the tiger from Yuna. Yuna pouted, having been deprived of Hoshi the Tiger.

“Hey, look! Hoshi wants to race!!!” Soonyoung scooted over the carpet squares and made the tiger “run” across the carpet squares and into the playhouse, with Yuna following happily as fast as she could, her giggles sending warmth into the cameramen who were filming the whole thing.

However, once father and daughter were resting on the playhouse, Soonyoung noticed a strange smell. Sniffing and looking at Yuna, who was looking up at him innocently with her mother’s eyes, Soonyoung groaned. “Okay! Playtime’s over!!! Let’s change your diaper.”

TIPS ON HOW TO CHANGE A BABY’S DIAPER (according to Kwon Soonyoung):

Make sure the diaper you are using is fit for your baby’s skin—no matter how good the brand, it still depends on your baby!

Always sanitize changing areas, whether at home or outside, and keep away stuffed tigers while changing—they might catch the smell. Not so good for stuffed tigers like Hoshi the Tiger!

Make sure you throw the used diaper in a proper waste disposal. And don’t forget to take out the trash at the end of the day!

NEVER run out of diapers. It happened once to me while we were at an ocean park—and it was a very bad experience. #NeverForget

Wash your hands before and after!!!

10:00 A.M.

The doorbell rang, and Soonyoung tiptoed out of the living room, where he was rocking Yuna to sleep. She had changed from her clothes and her diaper, and she looked extremely adorable in her new tiger jumpsuit.

INTERVIEW WITH KWON SOONYOUNG, 30:

SOONYOUNG: (Nods at the camera and smiles.) That’s right. I made my wife buy that jumpsuit. My daughter can be a tiger, too! (Does his signature roaring pose.) Horanghae!!!

“Bbbabbujji?” Yuna asked you, all traces of sleepiness vanishing from her face.

Soonyoung grinned at her. “You’re probably wondering a lot, huh? Well, let’s see…” Soonyoung walked towards the door and grinned. “Hellooooooo, playmates!!!”

Jeon Eunha stepped in and bowed. “Good morning, Hoshi-samchon!”

Jeon Wonwoo grinned at Soonyoung and pushed up his glasses. “Hello, Yuna! Hello yourself, Soonyoung.”

Soonyoung chuckled and made way for the visitors. “Come in! Come in!” He welcomed them into the spacious living room with a playpen on one side. Jeon Eunha immediately skipped away to the bookcase, studying the contents carefully.

“What’s she doing? And I’m so glad you made it, Wonwoo!”

“Let me see my goddaughter.” Jeon Wonwoo reached out like a fellow expert dad and drew Yuna to him. Yuna, who had begun to become aware of strangers just a month ago, didn’t seem to mind this handsome stranger who was now rocking her. “She’s getting even more and more beautiful!”

Soonyoung beamed like the proud dad he was. “That’s my girl right there!”

“Soonyoung-samchon,” Eunha gently tugged at Soonyoung, who bent down to ruffle her hair. The beautiful Jeon Eunha looked like an Athenian queen in the making, wisely holding a book again. “Can I read this to Yuna?”

“Of course!” Soonyoung smiled. “Yuna would love being read to!”

Eunha happily skipped again towards the playpen, where plushies were next to the bookcase. “Appa, take Yuna here! I’ll read to her!”

“Okay.” Wonwoo rubbed noses with the cute Yuna and said, “Let’s go to Eunha-unnie, Yuna!” And he went to where his daughter, who was opening the picture book she had. Yuna quickly warmed up to Eunha after a few minutes.

“Yuna loves her unnie,” Soonyoung commented, looking at the two affectionately. “Thanks for coming by, Wonu!”

Wonwoo grinned at him. “Hey, we planned this, remember? Our kids are going to play with each other. Eunha’s been asking and asking me when she saw Yuna on your Instagram while I was scrolling.”

“She’s a very wise girl.”

“She is!”

“I hope Yuna learns from her as she gets older!”

Wonwoo grinned and the two dads walked into the playpen as well, participating with Eunha’s reading session. She was reading “Peter Rabbit”, which had been translated into Korean. Yuna was paying close attention to the pictures as she sat on Eunha’s lap, touching the pictures of the rabbits and the fences and the letters.

Wonwoo and Soonyoung talked about dad stuff and SVT, zoning out of the little kids’ world as the cameras rolled.

INTERVIEW WITH KWON SOONYOUNG, 30:

Q: Does Jeon Wonwoo regularly visit your house with Eunha?

SOONYOUNG: (Beams.) Yes, and I’m very happy he keeps me company! We have always been close, but I think we got closer when we both became dads. He’s the second guy who gives advice to me about stuff. We usually talk on the phone, but as Eunha got older, she wanted to see other friends and go to places. She’s very sharp and bright for her age. (Soonyoung scratches his head.) It’s like Wonwoo carbon-copied himself on his daughter. I’m glad that Yuna has an unnie who takes care of her when they meet, someone she can learn from truly.

“Being a dad changes us, huh?” Wonwoo commented, staring at the two. Yuna has started to doze off on Eunha’s lap. “There’s a tenderness and strength to us that we never had when we were merely guys…husbands…this is different.”

Soonyoung nodded. “Yes. Really.” He sighed. “Yuna changed my life. Literally.”

Wonwoo smirked. “I bet.”

“Congratulations on the addition to the family, by the way!”

Wonwoo smiled wider. “Ah, could I get any happier?”

The two dads laughed.

Suddenly Yuna’s eyes opened and looked directly at Soonyoung. She looked like she was about to cry as her lips pursed menacingly.

Soonyoung knew exactly what to do. He leaned on the picket fence of the playpent and—you guessed it!—bumped his head on it. Thud. “Ow!”

Yuna burst out into a fit of giggles on Eunha’s lap. Eunha, too, did not look so much like the extraordinary three-and-a-half-year-old girl. She was putting her hands into her mouth, book forgotten, laughing as hard as Yuna.

Wonwoo was laughing, too. “You idiot. Stop doing that or she’ll keep asking for it! There are a lot of friendlier games.”

“What can I say?” Soonyoung stopped pretending to cry and grinned at Wonwoo. “Dads do stupid things sometimes, huh?”

Wonwoo nudged him with an elbow. “Not yet, please! I’m still not ready for the dad-jokes phase!”

“Now that I have been so ready for. But in the meantime,” Soonyoung bumped his head again. Thud. “Ow!”

Yuna, Eunha, and Wonwoo burst out laughing, along with the muffled laughter of everyone who was watching behind the cameras.

Judging from the thudding noises, it was going to be a great day for the Kwon residence.

EPISODES | Ep. 1| Ep. 2 | after-party | Ep. 3 | only us |  Ep. 4 | afterglow |  Ep. 5 | Ep. 6.1 

- Admin Leanne

[nazaandboifromthemoon]

I WROTE A FAN FIC

It’s on AO3 but if you don’t go there, here is the first chapter. There are mentions of underage drinking and hook-up culture.

As a teaser:

What happens when stylish queer misfit Catra has to work on a group project with Varsity captain Adora? Catra has a thing for jocks, Adora has a thing for girls who don't give a damn. They can't stand to be around - or away - from each other.

Again, you can find it HERE.

UNDERNEATH YOUR MASK, UNDERNEATH YOUR  CLOTHES.

CHAPTER 1.

NOW.

---

How she got here, she really couldn’t recall.

Well, that was bullshit, she remembered everything in perfect detail - all that aggravated pent up energy needed an outlet. But why she got here, pushed up against a wall with this dumb boy’s hand moving down her back, tongue on her neck, suddenly felt impossible to recollect. Jesus, I don’t even like dudes. Pretend it’s a girl, pretend it’s a girl, pretend it’s Adora--- oh shit WHAT?

Wait...she did not just have that thought. Oh god. She promised herself no more Adora fantasies - that was a commitment she managed to break since the second she made it.

Catra groaned inwardly as Jerry - no, Jared? Jasper? Ugh what is this quarterback’s name?! - started to grind his hips into her’s. Yup, she was gonna end this bullshit now. She could feel the wall pulse with the beat from speakers on the other side of the wall.  His kissing rhythm was totally off, that’s for sure. Catra was growing increasingly angry with the situation, which she obviously created out of her own self destructive impulses. The air in the room was muggy, her thin tank top was sicky, she was angrily drunk, and suddenly regretted her plan to slink off from Scorpia and Lonnie to find a random guy to use as an adrenalin rush. It seemed thrilling a mere 5 minutes ago when she lead him into the closet and threw him against the wall by the collar of his bomber jacket.

Now? Ugh. The high faded and all she had muscular man-baby getting a hard-on while pawing her ass. Dammit. Why did I do this? It wasn’t like she needed further proof she wasn’t into guys.

He pressed his whole body up against hers. Time was up. Fuck this, I didn’t sneak out of the house for a clumsy gropy hook up. Especially not with some cis-bro jock.

“Off. Now.” Catra shoved his body, and he stumbled drunkenly backward, almost tripping over a crate on the floor. She relished the rush of power she felt.

“Huh?! What the - ” Jasper gaped, his dazed eyes widening with anger.  

“Bye Jared, have a nice time jerking off.” Catra said smoothly as she sauntered out the door.

“- fucking TEASE! ” she heard Jerry bellow. She smirked as she looked over the sea of sweating bodies, bumping and grinding across the massive basement.

As Catra wound her way through the girating crowd, she could feel the stares tracing over her body. Her eyes flashed dangerously but she smiled inwardly - it wasn’t everyday that she busted out the tight leather pants, and without fail, they drew in the attention of any onlooker with a libido. It filled her with a delicious sense of power. If only the feeling lasted, she thought ruefully.

As she passed by the boys JV soccer team she could practically hear their thoughts - in fact  a few of them absentmindedly readjusted. Ew. She threw a salacious wink at the head cheerleader who was having a hard time taking her eyes off Catra’s chest, and the girl immediately blushed and (unsuccessfully) turned her attention back on her oblivious boyfriend, eyes still half on Catra. Heh. She blew a kiss as a final touch. Catra smirked at she shoved through the sweaty bodies and finally caught site of Scorpia’s white bleached hair.

“CATRA, tell me that I did not just see you drag some bro into that broom closet!” Lonnie cackled.

“Ugh...shut up dumb dyke.” Catra grumbled back. Lonnie only laughed harder.

“Like you’re one to talk!!”  Lonnie guffawed, slapping her knee. Catra mumbled in agreement. Whatever.

"Catra, you don't need to be homophobic," Scorpia looked at her earnestly, "Lonnie, are you okay?" She fixed Lonnie with her most nurturing look, and tenderly touched her shoulder.

Catra facepalmed. Lonnie was doubled over with laughter and crying.

"Scorpia," Catra said through gritted teeth "It was a term of endearment. Because, ya know, we're all a bunch of homos."

Well, the ‘bro experiment’ impulse had flared quickly and died faster, so the night was young and there was plenty of room for more mistakes. Catra was feeling rather reckless and antsy this evening. Things at home had been even worse lately, her mom was outright belligerent the past few days and -oh right - the house nearly came apart at the seams. Catra missed the entire last week of school because of Weaver’s antics, and she was looking for all the distractions she could get her hands on. She was grateful that she had Scorpia and Lonnie here to have her back, that they had sacrificed their Saturday nights to come to a party they would usually avoid at all costs. At least they could dip if nothing else happened. Catra could already feel the alcohol wearing off, her mood slowly descending into the usual pit of gloom.

She sighed, and fanned herself with her hand, looking around the poorly lit room for something (or someone?) to do, when she locked eyes with none other than Adora Gray.

Those piercing bright blue eyes she had come to admire over the past month. Yup, there was Adora, statuesque as ever. She was like a beacon - a big, sexy beacon - in this dark, musky room. Her hair glowed in the dim light. Her tight white t-shirt with red stripes on the sleeves showed off her ripped arms and broad shoulders. Sweat glistened on her brow. She was wearing fit black pants and high, chunky red sneakers with white stripes. Catra’s mouth went dry.

Tonight Adora looked tastier than usual, if that was even possible. Catra thought back to just last Friday - the last time she saw Adora was when she was hoisted on the shoulders of her teammates; when she had thrown that cocky wink right in Catra’s open-mouthed stare. Oh right, and she flexed her muscles at Catra. That was an unforgettable moment. Catra flushed thinking about it. It felt like a freakin' month ago.

Catra watched Adora drag her eyes over tonight's outfit. Her eyebrows twitched. Fuck yeah, it was a good night for the leather pants. She wished she picked a better shirt, but this one did a fine job to show off her chest. Cut just low enough for a double take. Adora visibly gulped when Catra gave her a wry smile.

Adora was still staring, and it felt like her eyes were burning holes in Catra’s face, it was starting to get a little uncomfortable. Catra was already sweating in the skin-tight leather and combat boots, and her tight red tank top was almost soaked with sweat. Adora also looked almost hungry, no...angry?

Yes, angry.

Wait, Adora was really looking at her, right? Or was it a trick of the light.

Catra felt a sense of dread building. They really didn’t know each other well, but Catra was gradually admitting that she actually might care about what Adora thought of her. Like, a lot.

Why so angry?

Catra started to wonder how long Adora had been watching her….

[kidfoundonstreets]

last post.. bc the screenshots made it too long (i am sorry)

THE FACT THIS IS A CANON LINE I AM DECEASED wilardo sirius and claire all hangout!! best time ever!11 they r arguing!! also best time ever!!!!

absolute certainty in his eyes it is sirius . let it be known

WHY DOES THAT ACTUALLY L OOK GOODOHMYG FCLAIRE AND WIALROD WHATTHHEELL YOU GOT THEM SPOT ON FOR SOMEONE WHO DOENST KNOW HIM VEYR MIUCH?? anyway real accurate portrait of the bfs love is real “far too beautified” what HELP?

YEAH THAT IS MORE ACCURATE KINDA.......... he looks like so smug and wilardo so head empty at least u guys arnet soil roots “i wouldve liked a big brother like that” SIBLINGS (in the worst way possible)?????????????????????????????????????? CONFIRMED

oh wait wilardo drew this one...........im surprised one day he didnt get super bored and get rlly talwented at random stuff like drawing  or maybe he is and just kinda lazy THOSAE BIG EYES HELPPPPP staring into your soul.. he made himslef look tired wilardo being (kinda) neutral and syaing that humans cant be split into 1 and 0 so true so true. where is the more love for you

woah theres hte line i cant believe gay people are real invented by iz THE CONCERNED HUH.;.... wonder how they’d react to the fandom but ashe does have a point with that.? wilardo and ashe do have the same goal to get the bitchs heart but. at the same time theyre totally different idk delicious as a concept but executed.. agh

oh hell no........................................... THE PANIC I JUST FELT. PLEASE PLEASE LET NOEL BE SAFE savesavesavesavesa oh. wilardos figuring out early. oh. what the hell lime yeah thats not going to be good what happened to noel??

HELPDFJWJE I LOVE HIM sirius is like “i dont care for claire” also him:  he just ends up staring at everybody...........what it looked like when he was thinking (real)

aww god oh fcuk its like those awkward famil;y meeting dinners everybody has a clue of whats going on atp “theres so much id like to talk about” HAHAHAHAHAAHAH fear imagine ashe gossiping like a mean girl AUGHHHGHH FUCKING GFDIOJFOIQJ12I what if ashe did actually have innocent intentions and just wanted to get his mind off of things?? and by avoiding him its making his sanity even worse BUT I DONT KNOIWJKJGHGH PROLLY NOT IT anyway. seeing sirius being panicked is sweet the n again if he didnt help noel tears would be on his hands and nobody can handle noel crying. and itd add to someone he knew dead sirius is just “goddmanit in order for this to work i need to say we’re besties or whatever nthe kids say these days” WHY IS ASHE USING SUCH FANCY LANGUAGE. GN. HES JUST LIKE THIS . the power of friendship.........i mean scp............................................

THIS SPRITE,,

a can somebody hug him already. bro the cg with him lady dorothy is so good i wanna redraw it one day like i saw somebody do he just keeps comparing it it hurts my heart ive said it once and ill say it again,, siblings

mario11!1 drag her around >:D

[braindeadforiwa]

Pizza and Wine

synposis :  in which Teru finds out that he isn't even on your radar. Maybe he should be content with what he's already got. Maybe he can live with just being friends. based on a prompt from this post.

pairing : terushima yuuji x reader

WC : 1371

The pouring rain was a constant rush of sound behind Terushima.  The old yellow sweatshirt he wore was soaked through, and his black joggers were in the same sorry state. By far the worst thing though was the wet socks.  The squelch he felt with every step he'd taken made him want to crawl out of his skin.

The things I do for a friend in need, Terushima thought to himself.  Ultimately he didn't really give a damn about the wet clothes.  He was more concerned about you and your emotional state.

You'd been more or less ignoring his texts since yesterday.  And he'd only bothered calling twice, but you immediately rejected those calls.  Normally he would have let you be.  After all, maybe you were just busy.

But call it a gut feeling, intuition about a close friend, or the fact the tone of your texts had changed -- Teru felt that he should go check on you regardless of your disinterest in speaking to him. 

And that's why he now stood on your doorstep, box of pizza in one hand, bottle of wine in the other.  Terushima kicked on your door again.

"I didn't get drenched walking to your apartment for you to say no to pizza," Terushima called through the closed door.  "I have wine too."

Teru waited a beat longer before saying, "C'mon, I know you're sad so let me in, _____."

Just when Terushima was about to resign himself to eating pizza alone on the concrete floor, your door opened.

Well he was certainly right to have been worried.  Even with the poor outdoor lighting Terushima could tell your eyes were red and puffy.

"Bro...you look like shit." Tact was certainly not Teru's strong suit.  "Nothing a little food and wine can't help though."

You moved out of the way, and Teru strolled into your apartment.  The place may as well have been Teru's second home.  He was over to often that you'd given him a drawer for his spare clothes and toiletries.  You'd reasoned it would be better then having to find him a ride home if both of you were drunk, not to mention most days he came over he'd be there until at least 3am.

The two of you met in college during your first semester, and for the past five years you hadn't left each others' sides.  Most people often weren't convinced that you and Teru were only friends though.  Which, understandable to a certain extent.  Both you and Teru realized that people weren't convinced two people could be so close and not be dating.  The intimacy you guys shared rivaled a handful of the relationships you'd witnessed in college. 

That's not to say the idea of dating you had never crossed Teru's mind.  Over the years, Teru had found himself wondering what it'd be like to date you.  He imagined it wouldn't be a whole lot different than what you had now.  Really the only difference he could think of was that he'd be able to kiss you.  And kissing you certainly wasn't any sort of con in his book.

"Go get changed." Your voice carried the exhaustion he could lining your shoulders.  "I'll get the food and stuff ready."

"Thanks," Teru said, ruffling your hair.

After drying off and changing, Terushima met you in the kitchen, a towel around his neck.  You'd gotten glasses for the wine and had already started munching on a slice of pizza.

"So what happened?" Teru asked.  He hopped onto the counter and you turned to face him.  God, how much had you been crying?  Face masks were definitely in your shared future.

"Always right for the throat with you."

"Well it's gonna suck talking about it no matter what, right?" When you didn't say anything Teru conceded.  "But I guess I can let you get a glass or two of wine in your system first."

And for the next couple hours Teru did what he did best: he distracted you.  He talked about his friends and a couple wild nights, he updated you on his family, and told you about some new clients he'd gotten this week. He got you talking about a new show you were both excited for and the newest chapter for a manga you both read. He'd even managed to get you to laugh a couple times.

At some point while reminiscing about college, you ended up doing face masks, and now you found yourself sat in front of the television.  You were planted between Teru's legs on the floor as he combed through your hair and played with it.

As the conversation lulled and the movie continued on screen, Teru spoke up, his voice a little more gentle than usual.  "So you wanna tell me what happened now?"

A beat, and then, "Maya broke up with me."

The pause of Teru's hand in your hair was the only form of shock he showed.  Not because he expected it, but because he knew you didn't like people getting too riled up on your behalf.  It drew too much attention to what you were feeling.  "She say why?" he asked.

"Found someone up where she is," you said.  The life had started fading out of you again.  "Guess she got tired of the long distance thing."

Teru clenched his jaw.  For the five years he'd known you, you'd dated Maya for four of them.  Hell, things had always been going so well between you two that Teru assumed you and Maya would just get married.  Even you had mentioned the possibility of marriage to Teru before. 

"When'd things start going bad?" Teru asked.

"Couple months after she moved," you said.  "Video calls just weren't cutting it anymore.  I mean, why settle for that when you find someone you could be happy with that's also in the same city? At least that's what she said on the phone."

You let out a sigh, your body sagging.  "I don't blame her though," you whispered.  "I understand where she was coming from.  Honestly....I hadn't been dong too well with the long distance thing either.  But I'm still sad, you know? And frustrated.  Like, so much time and effort is just gone now.  Plus she at least has someone new.  Meanwhile I'm just alone." You let your head fall to Teru's knee.

Though he could tell how taxing the conversation was on you, Teru was thankful to see that it seemed to be helping you.  Getting your thoughts out of your head helped you work through things.  It's something he'd noticed over the last few years.  It helped you to slowly work your way back to yourself.  And even though he knew you had a ways to go with properly healing, you were at least taking a step.

"Well, I may not be new but you still got me so you aren't actually alone." Teru grinned.

"I meant romantically, dumbass.  Romantically I'm alone."

The grin faded from Teru's face.  "I can be romantic."

"Teru, I love you, but you kinda suck at relationships," you said, turning to look at him.  "You get spooked any time you think someone might be into you and then either distance yourself or completely ghost them."

Teru was quiet.  You weren't wrong; he did get scared at the idea of being in a relationship.  It wasn't a characteristic he often consciously thought about, but yeah...you were right.  The idea of being emotionally intimate with people freaked him out when he knew that romantic feelings were involved.  But...you already knew so much about him.  You two had bared pieces of your souls to one another on multiple occasions.  You knew more about him then anyone else probably did and you accepted every part of him.  If it were you...well he didn't think he'd be as scared.  If it were you he'd be willing to give it a shot.

But it seems for you that wasn't even an option.

His voice was full of faked nonchalance as he said, "Well, If you ever change your mind you know where to find me."

"Sure," you chuckled as you turned back to face the TV.  "I'll keep it in mind."

[simplyclockwork]

I note you accept writing prompts. I have a (weird I accept) desire to read a fic where Sherlock is self conscious about something, unexpectedly, and John cottons on and is supportive. The idea in my head is Sherlock injuring his neck and having to wear a neck brace (prompted by BC’s long lovely neck I think) and not wanting to go out with it on and John being all supportive and encouraging. But it could be some other thing that Sherlock needs reassurance about. I love your work.

Hi, anon! I love this prompt, it’s so sweet. I hope I’ve done it justice :) Thank you so much for reaching out with this request, and for letting me know you enjoy my work. It means a lot ♥️  Also posted on Ao3 here. 

See below the page break for the entire fic. Can be read as pre-slash, established relationship, or really close bros. 

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Sherlock’s complaints drifted to John in the kitchen, drawing his attention away from the article he was reading. 

“Must I wear this thing?”

Setting his newspaper aside, John sighed before he rose and padded out into the hall. He glanced toward the end. Sherlock’s bedroom door stood open, the man himself framed in the doorway. He was scowling at his reflection in the wardrobe mirror, tugging futilely at the collar of one of his suits. A thick, white neck brace disrupted the line of his fitted jacket, and the button wouldn’t quite close. 

“Yes,” John said, moving to join him before the mirror. “Doctor’s orders.” 

Sherlock shot him a glare. “Your orders,” he snapped, tugging at the button without success. Taking pity on him, John reached out and carefully fastened the offending button, smoothing a gentle hand over Sherlock’s shoulder. 

“No, Doctor Connor’s orders.” He tilted his head and conceded, “Okay, and mine, too.”  Another soothing touch, this time to Sherlock’s elbow. “But it’s only for a couple of weeks. Just to be safe.”

Sherlock’s expression could have struck a man dead at fifty paces. “Safe is boring,” he snarled, long fingers scraping over the neck collar. John caught his hand and pulled it away. 

“Again, it’s just a few weeks. Now, come on. Greg’s waiting for us.”

“Who?”

John rolled his eyes. “Lestrade. Come on, he called for us an hour ago.”

“I’ll get there when I get there,” Sherlock shot back, still frowning at his reflection, two fingers tugging at his suit jacket. John paused, turned the words over in his head, and wondered at the odd timing of Sherlock’s sudden strop. Usually, such behaviour only reared its head after a case, not before it had even begun. And it was a double murder, something Sherlock usually thrilled in.

“It sounds like it’s at least an eight,” he replied, hoping to tempt Sherlock away from the edge of an impending sulk. Sherlock’s lips pursed, and he refused to look at John. 

“I’m sure Scotland Yard can handle it themselves.” 

John’s eyebrows shot up. “Alright, who are you, and what have you done with Sherlock Holmes?”

Instead of rising to the bait, Sherlock scoffed. Ripping off his suit jacket, he spun away from his reflection and brushed past John to storm down the hallway. John followed, bewildered, watching the moody detective perch carefully on the edge of the sofa. It was such a far cry from his usual dramatic flounce and sprawl that John paused. An idea was forming, what Sherlock would have called a deduction, and John studied Sherlock’s stiff posture as his mind worked over the evidence.

Sherlock never turned down a case higher than a six, and never a double homicide. He rarely, if ever, seemed insecure about his clothing, especially his snug dress shirts and tailored suit jackets. Quite the opposite, the man seemed to thrive on the ridiculously tight fabric. John, by contrast, preferred soft, comfortable clothing, much to Sherlock’s constant sneering. 

The idea that formed made him approach the irate detective with a softened voice and a cautious step. “You could borrow a jumper if you like.” 

Sherlock stiffened. Staring straight ahead, he didn’t look at John, but his eyes narrowed. “Why would I do that?”

John tried a different tact. “What about one of those nice jumpers your mother bought you last Christmas?” Sherlock made a sharp noise of negation, and John squinted, tongue flicking out to wet his lips. Sherlock glanced his way, upper body swivelling due to the inability to turn his neck.

“Stop it,” he hissed. John raised an eyebrow and sat carefully on the arm of his chair.

“Stop what?”

Sherlock’s eyes narrowed further, angry slits glittering in his flushed face. “Stop. Deducing. Me.”

An amused snort escaped John before he could stop it. “Hello, kettle.” 

Upper lip curling back, Sherlock snarled at him, “Shut up, John.” 

John subsided, watching Sherlock closely. Beneath all the bravado, the hissing, spitting ire, he saw something else. There was an obvious discomfort there, and a flash of fleeting vulnerability that lingered in Sherlock’s eyes. John thought back to the argument with the suit jacket and realized the button wasn’t the problem. 

Rising to his feet, he crossed to the sofa and sank down next to Sherlock. “Hey,” he said gently, resisting the urge to smile at Sherlock’s stubbornness when he refused to turn toward him. “It’s only a couple of weeks. I know the collar isn’t comfortable, but if you don’t wear it, you’re risking permanent damage.”

Sherlock’s lips pulled back as he bared his teeth. “I don’t need you to cite the medical brochure at me, John,” he ground out, a muscle jumping in his jaw. There was a faint, subtle waver in the growled words, and John softened. Reaching out, ignoring Sherlock’s bristle, he stroked his fingertips over the back of Sherlock’s hand. Despite his stiff, angry posture, Sherlock immediately flipped his hand over, letting John lace their fingers together. John smiled and squeezed gently. “It might be easier if you wore a jumper. Or, just. Something a little looser.”

“I am not wearing a jumper, John,” Sherlock sniffed, shooting him a sharp little glare from the corner of his eyes. He was still facing forward, his posture stiff. The position couldn’t be doing anything good for his bruised cervical muscles, and John resisted the urge to reach up and feel for tension in his shoulders. It was better to let the collar do its job, and he doubted Sherlock would welcome the gesture.

Another thought occurred, followed by understanding. “No one is going to make fun of you.”

Sherlock tensed further, and John silently thought, ah. There it was. Despite all the cases he had solved, many of the Yarders still whispered cruel things behind Sherlock’s back (and Sally always did it right to his face). Part of Sherlock’s armour was his pristine appearance, a way of presenting himself in a way that left no opening for ridicule. That way, they could only pick at his behaviour, his strange predilections for solving murders and exhilarating in what he called The Game.  The neck brace was a chink in the armour.

When Sherlock didn’t reply, John stroked his thumb lightly over the side of the hand twined with his. “We don’t have to go,” he said, and Sherlock glanced at him from the corner of his eyes. He didn’t speak, and John added, “You’re right. Greg and his team can probably figure this one out on their own.” He paused, met Sherlock’s wary eyes, and offered a small smile. “But, just so you know, I’d love to see them try to say anything with me there.” He flexed the fingers of his free hand toward his palm, the knuckles still bruised and healing from when he had socked the man who had choked Sherlock three days ago, the cause of their current conversation. “I think my fist is ready for another go.” He offered a crooked smile, the one he knew always made Sherlock grin. And, without fail, the corner of Sherlock’s lips twitched. 

“Quite right,” Sherlock murmured, and John gave his hand one last squeeze before standing. 

“So,” he said, turning with a raised brow, “Thai?”

Sherlock cleared his throat delicately and blinked down at his lap. “Actually, I…” he paused, brow furrowing before he looked up at John carefully. “Perhaps a jumper?” 

Hiding his smile, John tilted his head. “One of mine?” He chuckled at Sherlock’s grimace of distaste. “Aright, okay. One of your mum’s?” At Sherlock’s attempt at a nod, he asked, “The red one?” 

Sherlock bit his lip, and his gaze skated away. “The… blue one.” He coughed softly. “It’s the same colour as your eyes.”

This time, John couldn’t keep the smile from spreading over his face. “Mm, yeah. I knew I liked that one for a reason.” Turning toward the hall, he paused when Sherlock drew out his mobile. “Are you calling for the takeaway?” he asked, knowing the assumption was wrong, but playing dumb.

“No,” Sherlock hummed, tapping at the keys. “Letting Lestrade know we’ll be there within the hour.” 

“Very considerate,” John replied, turning away to hide his grin.