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sshbpodcast · 7 months ago

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Character Spotlight: Garak

By Ames

No one here but us plain, simple tailors this week on A Star to Steer Her By. We’re finally scrutinizing fan-favorite recurring character Garak, who’s definitely more complex and nuanced than even some main characters we’ve discussed before. As we assembled our classic Best and Worst Moments lists, we found that Garak has the most moments that somehow end up in both. That’s how morally (and physically) grey this guy is.

So let’s get our measurements taken as we spotlight DS9’s resident Cardassian spy, played so stunningly by Andrew Robinson (have you read his book yet? It’s amazing). Scroll on below or decode some ciphers with us on this week’s podcast discussion (jump over to 48:23). Of all the moments we’re spotlighting, which are the best and which are the worst? My dear reader, they’re all best moments. Even the worst moments? Especially the worst moments.

[Images © CBS/Paramount]

Best moments

Let us haggle Our very first introduction to Garak in “Past Prologue” sets him up as mysterious, sneaky, and downright sassy. It’s always nebulous just how far his covert information extends versus how much he’s ever just toying with Julian, but in this early episode, he helps the doctor uncover some shady dealings that the Bajoran terrorist Tahna Los has been engaging in. And it’s delightful.

Schemes within schemes Garak and Bashir team up again in the season two “Cardassians,” in which Garak sees through decades’ worth of Cardassian scheming (the best kind of scheming) to expose Dukat’s war orphan plot. The details are convoluted and Rube Goldbergy, but the tailor puts together all the pieces and concludes that Dukat is looking to undermine Gul Pa'Dar, some-freakin’-how.

Personally, I find this style a bit too radical Listening to Garak’s smoothtalking is always extra fun because he’s always saying more than is just on the surface. Even when he doesn’t have to! In his own way, he warns Quark that Natima Lang is in danger in “Profit and Loss.” By the end of the episode, he goes so far as to shoot Toran, saving Quark’s lady love and her students before they go “out of fashion.”

My best friend, Elim The first episode to appear on both lists is “The Wire” because it’s just so Garak. While he never tells Bashir the truth once, he’s at his most vulnerable when he’s telling his various Elim stories. In his own Cardassian way, he connects with his dear doctor and expresses things about himself that, though not empirically true, are him at his most real. And the shippers rejoice.

Major, I don’t think I’ve ever seen you looking so ravishing We give Major Kira major props for her role in the stunning “Second Skin,” but Garak plays a large part as well. When Kira and Ghemor’s backs are up against the wall, Garak comes through for the DS9 crew. And like when he killed Toran in “Profit and Loss,” he’s able to put his Cardassian patriotism aside to kill the hell out of Entek and quip about it at the same time.

The spy who loved me It’s no wonder people ship Bashir and Garak so much when there are episodes like “Our Man Bashir” to fan the fires. And when things go awry in the holodeck, Garak is able to quip his way through the Bond-style holoprogram that they find themselves trapped in, all the while mocking what Julian seems to think the spy world is actually like. And he pulls off a tux pretty well too!

Excuse me, my dungeon awaits So many times that Garak saved the day have seemed to just be convenient for the character, but he’s especially heroic in “By Inferno’s Light.” He fights through his fears to go into the claustrophobia closet in the Jem’Hadar prison and remote into the waiting shuttle. Without Garak doing what needed to be done, surely the Jem’Hadar would have killed them all.

I promise you I will come back While the relationship between Garak and Ziyal always seemed kind of one-sided to us, we must admit that it was good for both characters to have someone whom they could relate to on the station. We see between “In Purgatory’s Shadow” and “By Inferno’s Light” that they care about each other, though sadly Garak never understands why before her untimely death.

A very messy, very bloody business Another episode that belongs on both lists is “In the Pale Moonlight.” We already gave Sisko some guff for this one, so let’s start off by being impressed by the layers of Cardassian scheming Garak does. Sure, it’s unethical and kind of monstrous, but it’s also a thing of beauty watching all the pieces of Garak’s plan come together to trick the Romulans into getting into the war. Not only can he live with it, but he sleeps like a baby.

Alan Turing, eat your heart out Garak uses some of his Obsidian Order talents to do some code breaking for the Federation in “Afterimage.” His arc in the final season of DS9 is a hell of a journey because he knows the work he’s doing for Sisko and crew will hurt the Cardassia he loves, but he also knows it’ll be for the best in the end to rid the quadrant of the Dominion so they can start rebuilding.

We might have a revolution on our hands Speaking of the Cardassia that Garak loves, he joins Damar and Kira’s little resistance in “The Dogs of War” and goes down to the planet to incite a revolution against the Dominion. When even Damar has opened his eyes to the atrocities the Founders are commiting in the Alpha Quadrant, then you know that it’s got to be something worth fighting for.

The last Weyoun In the siege of Cardassia Prime in “What You Leave Behind,” Garak gets to be the one to shoot Weyoun 8 after the two chirp at each other first. Turns out this is the last of the Weyoun clones, which Garak has firmly put to rest as the Federation ousts the Dominion forces from Cardassia. Garak’s story finally complete, his exile has ended in time to return to the ashes.

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Worst moments

Nothing to look forward to but having lunch with you We’ll also see later in the series that Garak isn’t one to prioritize his mental health, so his abuse of his feel-good wire in the titular “The Wire” portrays how bad he is at taking care of himself or getting help when he is at his lowest points. When he attacks his friend and doctor when he’s going through withdrawal, you just wanna see him get better because this isn’t healthy, Garak.

Initiating counterinsurgency program level four Though Garak apparently has access codes that no doubt Sisko revoked after “Civil Defense,” he still utterly fails to stop the station’s counterinsurgency program from locking out the Starfleet personnel. In fact, per the “Attention Bajoran Workers” protocol, he’s made things that much worse by insisting they have to shut down life support only for a laser ball to replicate in Ops.

You can’t waterboard a goo It’s hardest for us to forgive Garak from ruthlessly torturing Odo in “The Die Is Cast” just to get back in the good graces of Daddy Tain… but we’ll probably do so anyway. We see just what Garak is capable of with these glimpses into his Obsidian Order past. We can absolutely easily picture how he could torment someone with just his unblinking stare. His eyes. HIS EYES!

But have you considered… murder? I may have found it adorable for Garak and Bashir to play spies in “Our Man Bashir,” but he has no idea how holoprograms work. Garak is so fast to jump to the conclusion that they kill everyone that it leaves one’s head spinning. This isn’t real-life spying, Garak. This is Julian’s sexy adventure, so of course the answer is seduction, not murder, and you should’ve known that.

Is this a date or an assassination? Ziyal is looking for company and invites Garak to sunbathe on rocks like the lizards they are… and Garak spends the whole of “For the Cause” caught up in highschool drama of what Ziyal’s inventions are. Does she like him or LIKE him? Or does she just want to lure him in to present his head to her father later? It’s all below Garak, frankly, when he could just, I dunno, talk to her.

Something swift and painless and preferably bloodless I gave Quark most of the stink for this one, but I can’t let Garak off the hook either. It’s a complete missed opportunity for “Body Parts” to necessitate Quark asking Garak to assassinate him when instead he could have enrolled Garak into some even more nefarious scheme. Garak himself should have suggested faking Quark’s death and it would have been excellent.

They’re dead. You’re dead. Cardassia is dead. I always found Garak’s plan in “Broken Link” to be tenuous at best and contrived at worst. He tags along to the Gamma Quadrant for seemingly no reason, then it turns out he wants to ask the Founders if any of the Cardassians from “The Die Is Cast” are still alive (a possibility never alluded to before), then he straight up tries to destroy the Founders’ planet until Worf beats him into submission. Huh?

It looks like I’ve captured your last piece, Chief The pretty decent horror episode “Empok Nor” has got a lot going for it, but every single time they made the kotra metaphor more and more blatant, I started checking out. Dear writers, your metaphor stood on its own without you announcing it twenty-five times. Have a little confidence that your themes are working because it was a good one… until it wasn’t.

Do you feel lucky? Do ya, Chief? But that is far from the worst thing Garak does in “Empok Nor.” The psychotropic drug is mostly at fault here, but that doesn’t mean Garak feels completely innocent. He straight up murders the Cardassian sleeper guards AND crewman Amaro in cold blood, and then kidnaps and threatens Nog so he can get at the Chief, taunting him like a serial killer the whole time.

Star-crossed lizards The sweet friendship Garak strikes up with Ziyal belongs on our good list for sure, but frankly the romance between them never quite gelled for us. We see in “Call to Arms” that they kiss goodbye when she flees the station before the Dominion swoops in, and it just feels… unearned? Garak admits in “Sacrifice of Angels” that he doesn’t know what that was all about, and neither do we.

When the devil asks you to dance, you say yes I may have marveled at Garak’s precarious plan in “In the Pale Moonlight,” but that doesn’t mean I condone any of it. Even the writers make it clear in Sisko’s actions that he finds it reprehensible how many casualties there were to pull it off: the cold-blooded murder of Vreenak (and his innocent guards!), the assassination of Grathon Tolar, the deaths of literally all of Garak’s contacts. This one’s on Sisko’s list too of course, but he at least knows it’s wrong.

You’re not worthy of the name Dax One final episode that’s on both lists. Classic Garak, playing both sides. In this case, it’s more evidence that Garak does not seem to value his mental health because, when he’s suffering panic attacks and more claustrophobia in “Afterimage,” the first thing he does is lash out at his therapist, Ezri Dax, who certainly doesn’t deserve it! The poor thing.

—

Well I hope we got in some cutting remarks about the good tailor of Deep Space Nine. Next week we’ve got another frequent guest star of the station to spotlight: Keiko O’Brien! Stay tuned for that while also tuning in every week as we venture through Enterprise over on SoundCloud or wherever you podcast. You can also quip with us over on Facebook and Twitter, and remember: the truth is usually just an excuse for a lack of imagination.

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aaronpaceluvbot · 2 years ago

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language exchange (aaron pace x reader)

summary : based off of the post on lovebirdgames’s tumblr about how aaron is fluent in spanish. chaos ensues when he hears a certain person speaking an extremely unfamiliar language that sounds almost like spanish. (tldr: aaron hears reader speaking tagalog - the filipino language, he’s insanely confused because it sounds a little bit like spanish // reader isn’t explicitly said to be filipino…? do with that what you will … aaron also probably already has a thing for the reader??? I doubt he’d act like this if he didn’t). there are translations in the fic itself, so there isn’t a need to like scroll back and forth. i also quote the mamma mia musical like twice, i don’t think it counts as quoting it, but i do say lines from it.

before you read- gender neutral reader, they/them pronouns are used for reader, reader is NOT cadence, i’m posting this without reading it beforehand, might be a little bit inaccurate to the timing of things ingame, VERY ABRUPT ENDING, i have tendency to rush when writing, so erm... if i missed anything lmk!!

wc - 1.5k

It was the first day of band camp, and you scurried off the bus to immediately call your mother and tell her about what happened on that fateful journey. Putting your phone on speaker, you click on her contact. After 3 rings, she immediately answered and greeted you. “Kumusta anak! Pano ba ikaw? Ano Nangyari Sa Trip Mo (Hi dear! How are you? What happened on your trip?)”.

You immediately let out a sigh and fill her in on the disastrous bus ride. “Nakakainis talaga. Gusto mak sigaw. Mainit at amoy parang inodoro. Nakakatakot talaga. (It was so annoying. I want to scream. It was so hot and it smelled like a toilet. It was really scary)”, you say, words coming out at 100 miles per hour.

“Nak, kailangang mo mak relax. Kararating mo ba lang? Kailan ba kayo dumating? (Dear, you need to relax. Did you just arrive? When did you guys arrive?).”

“Oo. Ano oras na ba? Kasi kala ko na dating kami sa alas diyes? Baka mas maaga. Yung rehearsal namin mak stastart maya maya. (Yes. What time is it now? Because I thought that we arrived at around 10. Maybe earlier. Our rehearsal is going to start soon).”

“Sige na. Mak papaalam nako. (Well go ahead, get ready. I’m going to go).” With that, your mother hung up and you were left just standing there with your phone in one hand and your instrument case in the other with your suitcases standing idly by. You turn around to get back to the lodge and unpack, but the sight of someone behind you stops you. You let out a scream.

“Oh my god, you’re fine,” Aaron says, attempting to silence your scream so it wouldn’t attract the attention of the others.

“Why were you listening to my private conversation with my mom? She was on speaker too!” You say, trying to relax from the scare he gave you. His deadpan facial expression breaks for a moment, with an eyebrow raising but it quickly goes back to normal.

“I was just trying to find my way to the bathroom when you oh-so conveniently were very loudly on the phone with your mother. Clearly the bathroom wasn’t here, so I turned around to go back and keep looking. But I was very intrigued by your conversation,” he says, putting his hands up in defense.

“But why? I doubt you’d understand it,” you say, giving him a dirty look. Why would he even eavesdrop on an innocent conversation with your mother out of all people? Nothing interesting was even said.

“Well you’re not wrong. I didn’t understand most of it. I caught some words here and there,” he says, shrugging.

“How? You don’t look like the type to study foreign languages for fun,” you quip back, crossing your arms. He mirrors your stance.

“I speak Spanish, dummy. A few of the words that you said were in Spanish.”

“Oh. Well that makes sense.” “What were you speaking? Because it didn’t sound like any of the other languages that Spanish is related to,” he says, waiting for an answer.

“Tagalog. The main dialect of the Philippines. My mother lived there all her life and she taught me it. It got colonized by Spain at one point, so that explains the Spanish,” you explain and Aaron gives a thoughtful nod.

“I see. I do have many more questions about it though.”

“Well, ask away.” “I don’t feel like doing that right now, after all I was looking for the bathroom. But you could come by my room later to tell me more? Maybe even teach me some?” He says, putting on a smirk that you wanted to wipe off his face so badly.

“Only if you teach me Spanish,” you respond, rolling your eyes. He lets out a dry laugh.

“Maybe I will. Meet me after evening practice and we can walk to my room to talk about it,” he says. He walks off without saying another word. You sigh and go the other direction, ready to finally unpack, but then realize he’s going the way you need to go. oops.

—-

Unlike the bus disaster, band camp itself goes off without a hitch and ends up going pretty well. You go to dinner and sit with Felicity and her friends, listening to her talk about some gossip involving the others in the band. “And as I was saying, he really shouldn’t have gotten with her… I mean - we all know he isn’t ready for a relationship. Well obviously we all don’t, if she’s willing to be with him,” she says, letting out a sigh and continuing to trail off. You really tried to like Felicity when she was in one of her gossiping moods, but sometimes you just weren’t in the mood to hear or care about other peoples’ lives. “So what do you think? Are you ok? Are you even listening to me?” She asks, hands beginning to gesture wildly.

“Oh I’m fine,” you say, giving her a sheepish smile. “Just tired from band camp, that’s all.” She nods in understanding and places her hands over yours.

“I so get you, but like, are you sure it isn’t a guy? Specifically one who plays snare?” Felicity asks, a devilish smile appearing on her face. Her comment causes a couple eyebrow raises from people across the table (namely Peter and Tom).

“What about a specific guy who plays snare?” Susie asks, a similar grin showing up on her face.

“Nothing! We just had a conversation earlier, that’s all,” you say, burying your head in your hands to save yourself from the teasing. Felicity and Susie both let out a giggle.

“Sure you did… He just ran after you and had a conversation with you that ended with him inviting you to his room just because he could,” Felicity says, smirking as the boy in question decided to make his way towards your table. How did she even know? Did she somehow get lost trying to find the bathroom too or was she that much of a snoop?

You let out a silent scream into your hands as Cadence clears her throat. “Let’s leave them alone, I think they’ve been through enough suffering for now,” she says, reassuringly patting your shoulder.

“Thanks Cadence,” you mutter before being rudely disturbed during your session of absolute embarrassment by a certain someone.

“Who’s been through enough suffering?” A familiar voice asks. God, why did he have to show up now out of all times? This is so inconvenient.

“Y/n!” Tom immediately says. You raise your head from your hands and give Tom the dirtiest look you can muster. He shivers at your expression. “Um, did I say y/n? Because I didn’t! I actually meant someone else!” He says, eyes widening as your eyes bore into him.

“Well, suffering or not, they can do that with me. I need to borrow them for a little bit, if that’s alright with you guys,” Aaron says, surveying the table. No one objects as you get up to throw away your trash and escape your personal hell.

“What’d you need me for again?” You ask once the two of you were out of earshot from the rest of them. He raises his eyebrows, but then quickly brings them back down.

“Did you forget about our conversation earlier? I was serious about it, but if you don’t want to that’s-” “Oh my god! I didn’t forget at all I promise! I thought you meant you needed me for something else!” You say, eyes widening as you try to defend yourself.

“I’d be worried if you did because that would mean the heat would be getting to you,” he murmurs, getting closer. “I think it’d be a good idea to check though just to make sure.” He raises his hand to your forehead and you immediately feel your face heating up at his cold hand. “That’s weird, you’re really warm. You also look pretty red, maybe I could walk you back to your room and we could do this another time-” “NO! No, I’m perfectly fine. It’s just so hot here since it’s you know, summer and summer is pretty hot and I don’t want to let you down-” you sputter, trying to explain your behavior. He lets out a laugh.

“You are so easy to fluster,” was all he could say about your measly attempt at defending yourself. You cross your arms and pout, turning away, ready to end the conversation. He grabs your arm and quickly spins you around before you can go. “Can I tell you a secret though?” He asks, with a genuine expression on his face. You nod as he clears his throat. “I just wanted an excuse to talk to you. We could still go to my room and talk about foreign languages all you want, maybe even some other stuff if you feel up to it.”

He drags you away to his room and you both talk about everything but foreign languages for what feels like forever until evening practice ruins the moment, but you wouldn’t trade that short amount of time for anything else. In fact, you feel lighter after that exchange.

#aaron pace #bcb #bandcamp boyfriend #aaron pace x reader

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hereaia · 8 months ago

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before i continue whatever i’ve been doing, i suddenly felt the need to rant out of hurt and probably disappointment as well

i’m currently at a point in my life where i no longer want to have the energy to feel tampo just because some of my closest friends refuse to invite me whenever they all hang out. i used to be very matampuhin when it comes to these things and i admit i still feel the same way even right now that’s why i’m typing this. but i no longer tell or show them cause what’s the point.

makes me remember the time my suitor (now boyfriend) saw my closest friends hanging out without telling me. he got surprised and so were they.

my friends are nice naman. they’re okay. sometimes it’s a struggle lang for me maybe because they’ve been my friends for a decade already kaya i get jealous at times and i feel like it will be hard for me to detach myself. but the disrespect towards me is difficult to ignore sometimes. when i mentioned the time when one of my friends and i had an argument, another friend posted a story of a photo of us 4 on IG and i remember seeing my face covered with an “x” on it. that never really left my mind and when i mentioned it to my current boyfriend, he told me that was definitely off. i’ve never done that to anyone, not even my ex lol i remember seeing that post and getting really hurt. i don’t know if it’s a shallow matter but i never really got an apology so ok

siguro this is just a part of growing up noh? maybe it’s us growing apart din. i feel like it’s been going on for years already and it was just a matter of time. now that i’m seeing things even more clearly, i feel sad. i’ve bonded with my friends since my teenage years but at the same time, i can’t let things slide that easily. they’re the only friends i have. i’m also saying these things because i feel hurt and tampo kasi i saw a photo of them as i was scrolling through a page of a cafe on facebook. even during the important events of their lives, they never really asked for my presence. maybe i’m the only one who considers them as my close friends and it’s such a bittersweet feeling

ok back to work :(

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moncheriez · 2 years ago

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- Girl Talkz -

I just have this thoughtz in my utak about monie likes another girl. AND THAT GIRL, SHE'S REALLY PERFECT. Yesterday, I am using monie's phone and nag c-check lang ako sa gallery niya because I saw my pictures on his gallery and ofc, kinilig hahaha. But nung pababa na ang scroll ko, monie stopped me. NO NO. HE'S TRYING TO STOP ME SA PAG SCROLL. Syempre nagtataka ako WHY. He don't usually do that eh. So yes, kinabahan na. But then again, A LOT OF THINGS CAME TO MY MIND. I'm super curious what ang nandoon and why he did that. So naglakas me ng loob to check what's on there or is he hiding something ba ?!?!?! Yup, I checked it. And I just saw a photo of monie with that GIRL. Yanyan didn't pansin na I saw it kasi I'm just chilling chilling kunwari about it. Nafeel ko ang mga things na hindi naman dapat i feel kasi nga monie told me na I am the only one. (but what if he really likes that girl?) Yanyan's friends always asking that kind of question that makes me feel like watdaef. THEY'RE ASKING MONIE IF HE MISS THAT GIRL NA. Something came up sa mind ko. Baka he really like her pero hindi lang pwede (?) I know that GIRL and she knows about me too. Nakasama ko na din siya that is why I can tell that she is really really perfect and all na boys sa mundo, ma i-in love sa kanya. Maybe girls too? HAHAHA. Uhm that GIRL din naman told me na nag c-chat daw si monie sa kanya before. The day she said those salita, nag overthink ako syempre. But the thing is, parang relatives na kasi sila. Like, yanyan really like her but hindi pwede that's why sa akin siya ngayon hahaha. Well I'm glad, pero nakakabanas kasi he likes her more than he likes me. And last thing na paulit-ulit sa utak ko ay bakit niya tinatago or ayaw pakita yon sa akin. KAYA MAS NAISIP KO NA BAKA GUSTO NIYA TALAGA. I think the picture was really matagal na, kaya lalo ko talagang naisip na gusto niya yung GIRL. Ugh, can't hold it anymore, nalulungkot ako. Everytime na mag p-picture kami naiilang na ako so much. Naaalala ko na yon and na i-insecure me about how I look. I hope may explanation about there hahahah. Hindi ko naman malalaman if meron amd nothing, kasi I'm not malakas enough to tell that to him. Feeling scared :(

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shikiswife · 3 years ago

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~Thunderbolt fantasy s3e10, Làng Wū Yáo made to feel helpless once more.

#thunderbolt fantasy #lang wu yao #rofu yo #pili #dolls #puppets #mygifs #tf s3e10 #that was a hell of an overlap they did #between Shang and this scene #I don't wanna know how horrifying it is to be made to feel the same helplessness twice #but I also wanna give kudos to Shang being the only one in Dong Li whom could have stopped that demon king sjdhfajrfore #no-one tell Lang he used the scroll for that

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xxgoblin-dumplingxx · 3 years ago

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Fireflies and Dying Stars: One

“Holy Shit,” Jason yelped

“Jason lang-” Bruce started to correct him but never got the chance to finish before Barbara joined in.

“Grayson is dating a podcaster!”

“A podcaster?” Bruce said slowly.

“And not just any podcaster,” Tim added, similarly scrolling through the twitter gossip. “Y/N Y/L/N of House of Velvet and Glass.”

“Oh I know them!” Cass squeaked, “Y/N does like- half the voices herself. Those behind the scenes are insane.”

Bruce made a soft noise, “Well. We should probably wait until we hear it directly from Dick himself,” he chuckled, “instead of a gossip rag.”

“I dunno,” Jason said passing him the phone he was holding, “This looks a lot like puppy love.”

Bruce glanced down at it and had to admit that Jason had a point. It was a picture of Dick leaning down, apparently about to kiss a very pretty looking young woman who certainly didn’t look like she minded. It may have been one date. But the body language didn’t seem like it.

“Sup?” Dick asked looking around.

“When’s the wedding?” Barbara asked, passing Dick the phone she’d been scrolling.

And when Dick’s face turned red and he coughed uncomfortably, “There’s no telling,” he said shrugging, trying to keep it casual. “She left for her tour last night.”

“Tour?” Bruce asked.

“Sure,” Dick said, “They do live shows and stuff. She and her crew are doing their first international tour- England, Ireland, and Scotland.”

“How do they do a live show of a Radio Drama?” Cass asked.

“They don’t,” Dick laughed, “They do live versions of other shows- and depending on what’s booked she does a “seance” in character.”

“That’s cool,” Cass said, “Sidequest is hilarious.”

“That still doesn’t tell us when the wedding is,” Barbara said taking her phone back.

“It’s not-” Dick huffed and took a deep breath. “Look doesn’t a crime need stopped?”

“Are you ashamed of her?” Jason asked, smelling blood. It wasn’t often any of them got to watch Dick squirm. For anything.

“A smart, pretty, creative girl who started her media company in her parent’s garage and now runs a multi million dollar company?” He helped himself to a coffee and snorted, “Appalled, yes. She’s hideous.”

Bruce shook his head, “Ambitious certainly.”

Dick nodded and sank into his spot at the table, sipping his coffee.

“So how’d you meet her?” Steph asked, leaning forward. Dick’s cheeks were still pink and he looked like he wanted to sink through the floor.

He smiled a little, “She tripped over a chair and spilled her drink on me at a nightclub.” The chorus of cutesy noise from the girls made blood rush to his face and he shook his head. He knew that they were picturing something romantic. Dick being charming and gallant- or something close to it offering you a napkin and making a joke. But. That wasn’t it at all.

You’d tripped over the chair in your haste to get away from your ex husband when he walked in flaunting the best friend he’d cheated on you with- you’d been half in tears and making a valiant effort to hold it together. But when you collided with him, your gin and tonic going down his sleeve, it had been the straw that broke the camel’s back.

Sure. He’d set you gently back on your feet but the trembling lip and shaking voice that had apologized, had him steering you towards a private table, ordering another round. And you’d poured your heart out. Drunk and heart broken. Even if you didn’t want him back, the two of them flaunting their betrayal was just too much to be borne. But- he didn’t feel like explaining all that right now. It wasn’t really his story to tell. “And that was- four months ago, I think.”

“So you managed to date a girl for this long and no one knew?” Barbara asked incredulously.

“She likes her private life to stay private,” Dick said shrugging.

“Especially after the divorce,” Cass chimed in, “That was- horrible.”

“Yes,” Dick said nodding, “Though, even before then she kept a pretty tight rein on her public image.”

“So you’re dating a 26 year old divorcee with a podcast,” Jason said, “Damn. The dating pool in Bludhaven is rough, huh?”

Dick snorted, “She’s a nice girl with a business to run. Her only vices are vintage costume jewelry for her collection and good coffee.”

“Are you going to bring her to your birthday dinner?” Steph asked, eyes glittering.

Dick shrugged again and smiled a little, “We’ll have to talk about it when she gets back from her tour. Not quite sure we’ve hit the “meet the family” part of the relationship yet.” And he was pretty sure they hadn’t. Between his work with the Titans and your business, it was hard to even schedule a proper date. Truth be told, if he could cancel his birthday dinner to spend the night with you, he probably would.

He’d spent last night with you, saying good bye, he supposed. Even if he knew you’d be back. There was some comfort in knowing that you were still in the same city. This morning, your perfume still clung to his skin. He could still feel the warmth of your body against his. And he missed you. He’d said goodbye and wanted you to hurry back. To chase you through the gate and go with you- But, at least this gave you time to plan. Spring was in the air, getting soft and warm. It was the perfect time to plan something. Anything that might make you smile at him in that little way you had that made his heart skip a beat.

“He’s ashamed of us,” Jason said nodding. “That’s what it is.”

“It seems that way,” Steph agreed, teasing.

“I don’t care if he’s ashamed or not as long as he introduces me and-” Cass started.

“You’ve met like- the entire Justice League,” Tim broke in, “what-”

“She’s amazing,” Cass gushed, “I have both the books-”

“There are three now,” Dick added.

“Why did no one tell me?” she gasped.

“It won’t drop until early next year. They just finished the first draft.”

“Oh. my. God. I need it- like now.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Hey,” Dick said smiling, leaning back on his pillows, stifling a groan, “How was the show?”

“A mess from start to finish,” you sigh, “But not quite a disaster.”

“Did you get the flowers?” he hummed.

“I did- thank you-” and he can hear you biting your lip, trying not to smile. “You didn’t have to.”

“I did have to,” he said softly. “It’s not like I could hand deliver them to your dressing room.”

“You didn’t have to do that either.”

“But if I don’t then I don’t have an excuse to come back there and help you get out of your costume.”

“Dick!” you protest, giggling.

“Corset lacing just does something for me,” he chuckled.

“And here I thought it was the bloomers.”

“Those too,” he laughed, “Those turbo granny panties are just- so sexy-” Truth be told, those undergarments did do something for him. It was like unwrapping a present getting you out of the yards of fabric- add that into the fumbling and giggling and he’d probably never be able to watch period drama movies the same way again.

“I knew you were a pervert,” you tease, stretching.

“Everyone has secrets,” Dick laughed. “Did they at least put you in a nice room this time?”

“It’s a far cry from the Red Roof Inn across from the truckstop,” you snort, “They even have room service.”

“Ooo swanky,” he snorted, “Did you order your chicken nuggets?”

“And some wine.”

“Perfect,” he chuckled. “Any particular wine?”

“I think I gave the kid an aneurysm asking for ‘Whatever pairs best with nuggets and barbeque sauce’. There was a very long pause and then just- the most irritated sigh ever.”

“But did you order as yourself?”

“This time- I might start doing voices tomorrow.”

Dick could hear you munching happily on your dinner for a second and shook his head. At least, he figured you were eating something. “So-” He broke off for a second, wondering if he should broach the subject now, or wait. But when he hears you pause, he can practically here you tense. “Pictures of us hit the internet,” he said.

“I know,” you sigh, “I’m sorry.”

He chuckled, “Why are you sorry?” It’s absurd to him that you’d apologize. You hadn’t even wanted to go out.

“I just- some of the implications-”

“Last year all the tabloids were speculating that I was fucking one of my brothers,” he snorted. “Believe me- we’ve caused worse- and weirder scandals.” When you huff a laugh, he presses on, “But- now that everyone knows about it, that means my family also knows- they want to meet you.”

“Is it so they can make sure I’m not after your trust fund?” He can hear the teasing in your voice and it makes him smile.

“Babe,” he snorted, “You’re worth more than me, even with my trust fund. No they- they want to meet you because- well. I mean.” He knows he should say something about you being beautiful, and smart, and perfect, and too good for him but- all of that feels trite. Even if it’s true. “They’re intrigued- and one of my sisters is fucking obsessed with you.”

“I’m boring in real life,” you protest.

“Y/N,” he said smiling a little, “You’re a lot of things. But you aren’t boring.” And it was true. Even that first night, at the nightclub when you’d been pouring your heart out to him. All the pain coming to a head in front of a total stranger. Someone you didn’t have to be okay for- he’d never been bored. Even with your make up ruined, old wounds torn open and weeping, you wove together a story that even if he’d wanted to, he couldn’t pull away from. You’d drawn him in, You still drew him in. Even in the quiet, on rumpled bedding, the moonlight dancing over your skin, looking up at him like he was everything you’d ever wanted. Or after a long day at the studio, swearing as you strip off shoes when you could through the door; leaving behind you an absent minded trail of bobby pins and clothing as you go to sink into a bath. Every quiet contradiction- not liking candy but loving sour gummy worms on road trips. Needing total silence but not too much silence. Eating pickles out of a jar but never not once on a burger- You were chaos in all the best ways. An antidote to relentless training and order and discipline. A reminder that there were things worth dying for but even more things to live for.

And he wished, not for the first time, that he had 1/100th of your talent with words. So that he could say it without sounding stupid.

“Besides,” he says instead, “My family is a little- chaotic.” ‘Chaotic’ was probably an understatement. Collectively they all had more baggage than an airport. “You’ll probably fit right in.”

“Whatever you decide,” you yawn, “I’m sure if someone hasn’t shown my parents by now they will tomorrow.”

“Moms love me,” Dick said confidently.

“What about Dads?”

Dick sighed, “Dads- they usually threaten to shoot me.”

“My dad would probably do it- but first he’d tell you about the time he saw bigfoot.”

“Bigfoot?”

“He grew up in bumfucknowhere Oklahoma- there’s not much to do but get lit in someone’s cousin’s uncle’s field, go to a rodeo, and look for Bigfoot.”

“Kinda like how you used to go to the movies then go to Walmart?”

“And I had to drive 30 minutes to do it,” you confirm.

“Jesus Christ-”

“Listen. Leiter’s Ford has a Dollar General and a Subway now- they’re almost entirely metropolitan. Give it like a year and they’ll get a supervillain.”

“Oh my god go to bed.”

“Dick, you called me.”

“Goodnight, beautiful,” he chuckled.

“Night.”

And When the line goes dead, all he can do is shake his head. He doesn’t understand how your ex-husband could do it. How he could walk away like he did. Because he’d love nothing more than to be where you are. He’d love to call you back and just listen to you ramble at him, sleep-deprived and grumpy until you fell asleep. Instead, he plugs in his phone and pulls up florists near where you’ll be tomorrow. Tomorrow feels like a good day for lilies.

#Dick Grayson x reader #Jason Todd #Barbara Gordon #cassandra cain #meet cute #fluff #implied smut #bruce wayne

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lezziemanville · 3 years ago

Note

Janine and Jacob notice the secret glances between Barbara and Melissa so they try to get them to admit their feelings

They’re trying a new system out at Abbott called ‘Peer Learning”. The purpose of the system is to pair older kids with younger kids to help with reading while encouraging a camaraderie within the school. Melissa’s students have paired up with Barbara’s and Janine’s with Jacobs.

It’s highly successful and towards the end of the program, the kids create a series of art to showcase their experience and invite the parents to come witness the program at work in real time.

Janine pops in and out of classrooms rotating with other teachers in order to get a feel how the other classes are operating.

She catches Jacob standing by the wall of student art. He looks like he’s examining the scene of a mystery novel and Janine steps up beside him, tries to see what he’s seeing.

“Uhh Jacob what are you doing?”

“Huh?” Jacob seems to jolt a little in surprise, “Oh, I was just looking at these picture and I noticed… I don’t know it’s probably nothing.”

“What?” Janine doesn’t see anything amiss, just piece after piece of stick figures, blobs and colors.

“Do you notice how in like a lot of these, there’s a darker woman with black hair and a lighter woman with red hair holding hands with a heart over their head?”

Janine raises a brow, studies the pieces a little more closely. He’s actually right. It’s not unusual for children to include their families in their drawings but these drawings seem very school focused and mostly include thinks like desks and school rooms, but in many of the pictures these two characters exist.

“You’re right. Huh, well what does that mean?”

“I don’t know, but the first thing that came to mind was Barbara and Melissa.”

Janine looks at a few more, notes the student’s names on the drawings. “Actually that makes sense, these students are in Melissa’s class. And that one there and this guy here - they’re Barbara’s.”

“So… I’m just a little curious by the hand holding and hearts in a bunch of these.”

“Well that could be anything. They’re best friends. I’m sure the kids know this about them by now. I know their classes are working together so it makes sense that the students would depict them, as sort of heads of the household I guess?”

“Mmm, yeah I don’t know. They’re kissing in this one.”

“Where?” Janine immediately zones in on the picture Jacob’s pointing to and is shocked to see the unmistakable depiction. That one even has Barbara’s sweater set and Melissa’s leather jacket.

“You don’t suppose…”

“The kids know things we don’t?” Jacob asks, while crossing his arms and studying a few other pictures a little further down the wall.

“Well, I don’t know about you but I want to find out.”

“How would we do that?” Janine looks towards him, dropping her voice to a whisper. “A stake out?”

Jacob seems to consider that, “but that wouldn’t tell us much, just that they walk out to their cars together. We know that much already. What about… interviewing the kids? But like harmlessly? Just casual questions?”

“We can’t ask the kids. We’re going to have to do this the old fashioned way…”

—

They’re in the staff room, the next day. Barbara and Melissa are seated together. Barbara’s reading a newspaper and Melissa is scrolling through her phone.

Janine looks at Jacob who seems at a loss so she just dives in as casually as she can, “I was listening to a KD Lang album on Spotify earlier. That girl really knows how to express her same-sex feelings so fluidly.”

Jacob winces.

“Do you ever listen to KD Lang, Barbara?” Janine asks, glancing at Jacob for reassurance.

“No.” The answer is short and to the point leaving no chance for further questioning.

“Interesting,” Janine says off-handedly, pretending to flip through a magazine she spies on the table.

“You know, I’ve always been a really big fan of Gertrude Stein. Gone too soon amirite?” She flips a few pages, finally sees something she can use “Oh wow Ellen Degeneres seems like she’s leading a fairly successful, happy life with her wife or as some people in the LGBTQ+ community prefer: life partner—“

Melissa looks up at her on that, raises an eyebrow. “Are you trying to tell us something Janine?”

“What? No!”

“Oh I get it,” Melissa claps her hands together and points at her, “You were playing us with that ‘I’ve only been with my boyfriend my entire life’ nonsense. You’re bisexual!”

“No — that’s not…”

“Now that makes more sense,” Barbara says, only now looking up from her newspaper.

“Right?” Melissa smiles, looks back at Janine. “Hey, no judgement here from us.”

Barbara nods, “Absolutely not. I’m very proud of you Janine for being honest. And I mean, we’re relieved if anything. We really thought you had been serious about the boyfriend.”

“But I —“

“Tragic!” Melissa laughs softly, then stands gathering her things.

Barbara checks her watch and stands too.

Janine looks to Jacob, tries to find a way to walk back whatever ‘coming out’ she’s just experienced, but Barbara and Melissa are gone before she can recover.

“Dang it, Jacob! What happened to the whole partner detectives thing?”

“I didn’t know you’d just start listing famous lesbians!”

“Well, I didn’t hear a better strategy out of you!”

They’re still arguing inside the staff room while Barbara and Melissa make their way down the hallway. Barbara touches Melissa’s wrist and leans in, placing a quick gentle kiss to her cheek before stepping into her classroom.

#abbott elementary #work wives #melissa x barbara #barbara howard #melissa schemmenti #my fic

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rinkrats · 4 years ago

Note

🥺 that mike lange story. But also those tags #sid loooves christmas #he loves giving presents #looks good in red #piles on the pounds fast #post hockey career as santa 😂😂👌🏽👌🏽

he loves his mementos and presents and is COMMITTED to them. scrapbooking. matching jackets. little pills with hidden motivational messages~*~ his love language is gifts and neck smooches and stalking geno. relevant right now are some anecdotes i sent a friend earlier this year for dorky sid gifts fic fodder:

1. Crosby's constant thoughtfulness would be impressive from anyone, much less someone of his stature.

"Sid always texts me happy birthday, he's always asking me like, how's Russia?" Evgeni Malkin said. "We talk and message all summer. He asks me how my skates are. He knows, like, everything. He follows my Instagram, I think (laughs)."

In addition to having a handle on those little details, Crosby is constantly providing those around him with memories and mementos. If the team is on the road and goes, say, sightseeing or to a sporting event and takes a group photo, Crosby will later send a framed copy to everyone.

When Ron Hextall and Brian Burke watched their first Penguins game in person, Crosby is the one who approached head equipment manager Dana Heinze and asked for two used game pucks to give to the new GM and president of hockey ops.

After the Penguins won in 2009, Crosby had jackets made for the three players on the team who had scored a Cup-clinching goal in Game 7: Talbot (Pittsburgh), Ruslan Fedotenko (Tampa Bay) and Mike Rupp (New Jersey).

"They were blue jackets with gold buttons, and each one had a patch on it that said 'GWG Game 7,'" Talbot said. "At one of our first team meals the next season, he presented us with the jackets and did a big ceremony with the music and stuff. We had a private room in the restaurant. I still have the jacket."

-The Consummate Teammate, Captain and Ambassador, Feb 2021

2. Merz: My first interaction with Sid was when we were on the bench, guys were talking about a teammate, and the first thing this 15-year-old says is, “Hey, guys. Let’s keep everything positive. Don’t talk about your teammates that way.”

Salcido: When we were getting ready for nationals, he found these little pills that you could put a hidden message inside. They unscrewed, and inside was a tiny scroll. He gave one to every teammate. … He had everyone fill one out. He didn’t tell anyone what to write, but he made it known that we all knew what the goal was: winning nationals. So we wrote on our scrolls, rolled them up and put them in the pill thing. We kept them with us everywhere we went.

-‘Is this real?’: Stories of Sidney Crosby’s year at a Minnesota prep school, May 2020

3. On “Butterfly Boy” Jonathan Pitre:

Though the Senators are his team, Sidney Crosby has always been Jonny’s favourite player. After the TSN documentary airs, Tina gets a call from the Penguins. Sid needs Jonny’s measurements. He wants to have a suit made for him by his personal tailor, Domenico Vacca.

“It’s the kindest, sweetest gesture,” Tina says. “Sid heard that Jonny went to a lot of games, so he wants him to look like he’s one of the guys.”

“I want him to feel like a pro,” Crosby says. “Here’s a guy who is going through something so painful, and his first thought is always, ‘How can I help others?’ When I was young, I’d watch on TV the players coming to the rink in their suits. That was a cool part of being an NHL player. I want him to feel that, to make it as real as possible for him.”

Tina tries to discreetly measure Jonny while she’s changing his dressings. But he’s way too smart for that.

“Um, Mom, why are you measuring me? Am I going for surgery again?” he asks.

“No, no!” Tina replies, trying to reassure him and come up with a good lie, all in the same breath. “The doctor needs them just to make sure they have proper dressings next time you are in.”

A few weeks later, the sharp navy blue suit shows up at their front door, along with a couple of ties, an autographed stick and a handwritten letter from Sid.

“His eyes just light up,” Tina says. “Jonny always liked to be well-dressed, and he just loves having his own suit. It fits perfectly. He looks so good in it.”

-Beauties by James Duthie (2020)

4. Pascal Dupuis inspired his Pittsburgh Penguins teammates on their run to the Stanley Cup, and Sidney Crosby found a special way of driving that message home.

Dupuis retired in December with lingering health concerns because of blood clots. Despite his NHL playing days coming to an end, the veteran forward remained an integral part of the Penguins and was in uniform to hoist the Cup after Pittsburgh's six-game win against the San Jose Sharks in the Stanley Cup Final.

On Sunday, Dupuis brought the Cup home one last time as a player to share a special day with his family, friends and hometown fans.

"Yes, it does feel bittersweet a little bit," Dupuis said. "You get the Cup, you want to celebrate. But at the same time I got a gift by the mail [Saturday]. Basically, it's a book of all the pictures of all the good stuff we went through. It came from Nova Scotia, so you guys can figure out who it came from (Crosby), but he couldn't give it to me during the season, he saw me skating a little bit.

"And he sent it [Saturday], before my day with the Cup, so he knew what he was doing to get me right here," Dupuis said, putting his fist over his heart.

-Pascal Dupuis shares Stanley Cup with family, friends, Aug 2016

5. In 2011, Crosby was out of the lineup with a concussion, and the Penguins made their annual visit to Children’s Hospital.

Crosby got along so well with one boy there and was so touched that he later asked Bullano to go back... just the two of them, no cameras, no attention.

When Bullano and Crosby met for the follow-up visit, Crosby appeared clutching a pair of Toys “R” Us bags, filled with a Transformer toy the two had discussed.

“He literally bought every type of this toy they make,” Bullano said. “[Crosby] had never seen it before and thought it was so cool.

“There are no pictures of this. There’s no video. He was laying in the bed with the kid. They were just playing. We were there for over two hours. I got to know the mom really well because we were just sitting there.

“The kid had no idea. Didn’t expect it. They had no idea he was coming. We got there and he said, ‘Hey buddy. hope you don’t mind that I came back.’ The kid couldn’t believe it.

“[Crosby’s] crazy cool about stuff like that.”

What’s crazy is trying to recount the many times stuff like this has happened with Crosby:

• The Little Penguins Learn to Play program has been around for nine seasons, outfitting now 1,200 kids with free head-to-toe hockey equipment. Not only does Crosby serve as the face of the program — which the NHL has now adopted — but he helps fund it, too.

“There’s an awareness of what a person in his position can bring,” Penguins vice president of communications Tom McMillan said. “I think he activates that as much as anybody I’ve seen during his playing career.”

• After a recent practice, Crosby noticed a local family in the Penguins dressing room, approached them, introduced himself, learned their story and wound up giving them a signed stick.

Nobody asked Crosby to do that, and he wanted zero credit when discussing it a couple days later.

“For people who have the opportunity to come in here, people dealing with certain things, if you can brighten their day a bit or spend some time with them, it’s something that’s special for all of us,” Crosby said.

• A few years ago, through a team charity event, Crosby befriended a 4-year-old Amish boy with cancer. Crosby remarked to Bullano how much he loved talking to the boy because of how engaging the boy was and how he wasn’t consumed with technology. Crosby even tried to visit the boy but learned he had passed away.

• He learns the first and last names of the kids who attend his hockey school in Cole Harbour, Nova Scotia.

“Two kids came from Japan its first year,” Bullano recalled. “He was so blown away by that. He couldn’t wait to meet them.”

• Earlier this season, the Penguins welcomed Grant Chupinka, 24-year-old cancer patient, into the dressing room. Crosby chatted up Grant and his parents, Steve and Kim.

He spent his usual time — about two or three times the requirement. Gave the tour. Then found out the Chupinkas didn’t have tickets for that night’s game and decided he would pay for them to go.

“I’m sure he could just give them an autographed puck or something, but he takes his time to go out and see them and talk to them and get to know them,” Brian Dumoulin said. “It speaks volumes for him and who he is as a person.”

Spend any length of time with Crosby during his visits with those less fortunate, and a few things become obvious.

One, Crosby is really good at these. Smooth but not in a slimy way. Sweet. You know how when you’re around someone talking and they go out of their way to make eye contact with everyone around? That’s Crosby.

He’s also humble, always introducing himself like those he’s meeting don’t already know. Holding a hand is no issue. And Crosby is the rare 20-something pro athlete without kids who acts every bit like he does.

“It is not an easy situation to talk to someone with terminal cancer,” McMillan said. “A lot of people couldn’t do that. He has an amazing ability to do that and make that person feel good.”

Crosby has welcomed several Make-a-Wish kids and tries, if at all possible, to schedule such events for practice days — to maximize the time he’s able to spend.

He’s developed a special friendship with Patrick McIlvain, a soldier who nearly died when he took a bullet to the head in Afghanistan. McIlvain actually does physical therapy with one of Crosby’s sticks.

A former club hockey player at Cal U, McIlvain comes by every year, and the Penguins don’t even bother to tell Crosby. Either he already knows or immediately stops what he’s doing to come say hello.

“He’s not doing it to leave a legacy,” said Terry Kalna, Penguins vice president of sales and broadcasting. “His numbers leave the legacy. He’s just a down-to-Earth, good guy.”

Before a visit, Crosby has Bullano email him what is essentially a scouting report on who he’s going to meet. He likes to learn about them, their situation and what they’ve been through. As much information as he can ingest. Crosby never just swoops in, shake a hand and leave.

“As much as anyone has ever seen, he accepts the responsibilities of being not just a professional athlete but a star professional athlete,” McMillan said. “He views it as part of the job. Like coming to the morning skate. That’s just what you do.”

Put another way, “he owns those moments,” says Kalna.

Said Bullano, “He’s just a good human being.”

-When it comes to giving, Sidney Crosby does as much as he can, Feb 2017

6. When Crosby received a generous signing bonus on his Reebok deal, he wanted to share it with everyone.

“He gave everyone on the bus gifts,” says Oceanic radio commentator Michel Germain. “Him sharing his bonus with all the people he’d been travelling with for two years, that impresses me greatly. I think the most important thing about Sidney Crosby is his personality and the kind of human being he is. What he exuded. The inner richness he’d already developed.”

-Superstitious and generous, Dec 2006

7. also this simply because it makes me ;w;

Even in defeat — no, especially in defeat — Sidney Crosby proved why he wears the "C" for the Penguins.

After the game, with his heart sinking and his season over, the Penguins’ captain bent over, sank to the ice to pick up the puck, took it to linesman Tony Sericolo and then skated to his team’s handshake line.

I immediately thought of a View from Ice Level I’d written on Crosby making sure a retiring official was sent away from PPG Paints Arena properly. I knew picking up the puck wasn’t for the same reason that was, but I also knew, in some way, it was connected to Crosby’s awareness and respect of the game.

“It was for the Islanders,” Crosby told me after the game, his eyes swollen from a first round exit – by way of a sweep to make it worse. He told me how the winning team always wanted the puck, and it was his way of providing it for the Islanders.

Crosby looked me right in the eye as he told me this, just as he did with every other member of the media to come to him after the loss.

I could tell from those swollen eyes and the way he sat at his stall, by himself with his hands folded as he stared blankly, that Sidney Crosby is much more used to being on the receiving end of a puck when a series ends than he is at retrieving it for the winning team.

That scene. His swollen eyes. Staying in the locker room until most had left – talking to anyone who needed him. Most of all, though, picking up the puck that prompted my question in the first place and making sure the right people got their piece of their own history.

It all adds up to one thing: In victory and in defeat, Crosby respects the game above all else – just as he’s always done.

-Even in defeat, Crosby shines, April 2019

#anyway this was a nice walk down memory lane after the disastrous game rip #sidney crosby #pittsburgh penguins #hockey #text

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queenshelby · 3 years ago

Text

The Singer – Part Three

Pairing: Cillian Murphy x Reader

Words: 7,970

Warning: Smut, Some Swearing, Age Gap

--------

***Raising Suspicions***

Kurt was quick to tell Amanda about his suspicions. He was sure that Cillian and you were involved after he’s seen Cillian’s watch at your apartment, lying on his study desk along with an empty condom wrapper.

He wasn’t surprised, knowing very well that you preferred older partners and that he was the exception all along. But Amanda didn’t buy into his suspicions.

‘Common Kurt, you are being ridiculous. Cillian wouldn’t be interested in Y/N’ Amanda said, but Kurt simply raised an eyebrow at Amanda’s comment.

According to Amanda, you weren’t Cillian’s type. You were too young and too outspoken. In addition, she explained to Kurt that Cillian wouldn’t like your tattoos, piercings and your involvement on social media. You were completely different to Amanda, not just physically but also mentally. You were an extrovert whereas Amanda was an introvert. She was mostly quiet and reserved whereas you were loud and direct.

Despite Amanda’s comments, Kurt didn’t back down and eventually confronted Cillian when they were on their own.

‘Are you fucking my girlfriend?’ Kurt asked Cillian out of the blue.

‘Excuse me?’ Cillian responded somewhat flustered by Kurt’s question.

‘It’s a simple question Cillian. Are you fucking my girlfriend? Yes or no?’ Kurt asked again angrily, starring at Cillian’s watch again.

‘Did someone spike your coffee this morning or something?’ Cillian asked somewhat annoyed, making Kurt sound absurd.

‘Alright, don’t fucking answer my question then but, just so you know, since you are always trying so hard to stay out of the tabloids, it would look really fucking bad if you left Amanda for a woman half your age’ Kurt went on to say, catching Cillian by surprise.

‘You have issues man’ Cillian said angrily before walking away from the conversation, getting on with the things he had to do for the arts and music festival.

Despite Cillian’s immediate reaction to Kurt’s question, Kurt’s comments didn’t leave Cillian’s mind for the remainder of the day.

Of course, it would be bad if he was involved with someone half his age, especially shortly after separating from Amanda which was something that wasn’t even public knowledge yet and it was exactly this what made Cillian think about whether he should continue seeing you.

With these thoughts on his mind, he became rather distant over the next few days, not returning your calls and messages, only engaging into conversations with you when he absolutely had to.

You were frustrated by his behaviour and the least you were expecting from him was that he would talk with you about what happened between you. If he believed it was a mistake that you slept with each other, then you wanted to know.

Eventually, a week had passed and nothing had changed.

***New Woman***

After having been upset and frustrated with Cillian and Kurt, you’ve given up on men all together and, on a Thursday evening, your closest friend Emily and her fiancée Judy took you out to a LGBT friendly bar in Dublin.

It was cocktail night and Judy introduced you to a friend of hers named Kirsten. Kirsten was a local Dublin artist and photographer and you got on with her quite well immediately.

You spent the entire evening talking and dancing and you eventually had a few too many drinks and left the bar together with Kirsten.

Sharing a taxi together, you got quite comfortable on the backseats and things eventually got heated between you and Kirsten when Kirsten leaned in and kissed you passionately while running one of her hands between your thighs.

Her lips were soft and smelled like strawberries from the lip gloss she was wearing and you couldn’t resist but give into the kiss on the backseat of the taxi.

‘Did you want to come to my place?’ Kirsten asked when your lips drifted apart.

‘I probably shouldn’t…I have been making a few mistakes lately’ you whispered, knowing that Kirsten was, in fact, in a relationship with someone else.

‘It could stay our little secret you know’ Kirsten smirked but, despite the large amount of alcohol you had to drink, you shook your head.

‘Listen, you are gorgeous but I don’t do one-night stands, I am sorry. Perhaps we will meet again under different circumstances’ you said with a tender smile before allowing Kirsten to kiss you once more just before the taxi driver pulled up in front of her apartment.

After a short final kiss, Kirsten got out of the taxi and walked into her apartment while you remained sitting, asking the taxi driver to take you home.

When you got home, you quickly undressed and let yourself fall onto your soft and large vintage style bed which is where you remained fast asleep until 8 o’clock the following morning.

At 8 o’clock, your phone beeped and it was text message from your sister with a link to one of the bar’s patron’s Twitter Accounts…

******************************

“New Relationship for Y/N L/N with sexy Dublin artist Kirsten Lang??? It looks like Kurt Spencer is finally out of the picture”

*******************************

This was a nightmare, you thought. The last thing you needed was false information being out there about you while you were still dealing with your break up from Kurt and all you could think about was Cillian.

But, there was nothing you could do about it and, after digesting the news, you had a shower and got ready for another day of organising this arts and music festival.

When you arrived at the usual meeting spot, everyone had already seen the Twitter post and Kurt immediately gave you a serving about it, asking you why he wasn’t invited for a threesome with your lesbian friend.

‘Fuck off’ was all you managed to respond with. Still hungover and angry about the Twitter post, the last thing you needed was Kurt making a comment like this.

With your coffee in your hand, you eventually sat down next to Cillian who looked at you with a half grin on his face. His eyes were full of questions but he didn’t say anything at all.

‘What?’ you asked, annoyed by the way he looked at you.

‘Are you alright?’ Cillian asked concerned.

‘No, I am not fucking alright, ok? I am sick of this shit’ you said with frustration as you scrolled through the Twitter comments.

‘You need to be more careful about who you hook up with in public. Trust me, I speak from experience’ Cillian chuckled, referring to that one night a few years ago where he was caught by cameras having a night out with one of his female co-stars. The incident caused his first major fight and break up with Amanda until it became public that Cillian and his female co-star were, in fact, accompanied by his co-star’s boyfriend and several other members of the film crew.

‘Well thanks for the advice’ you said angrily, still unsure why he cared.

‘Was it worth it at least?’ Cillian asked carefully, trying to figure out whether anything happened between you and Kirsten

‘Nothing happened. We just kissed. So no, it wasn’t fucking worth it’ you said. You couldn’t help but chuckle yourself knowing how idiotic this all was.

‘You’ve got two choices here. Either, you set the record straight or you let it go Y/N’ Cillian said calmly, feeling genuinely sorry for you.

‘What would you do in my situation?’ you asked.

‘I’ve learned not to give a shit about gossip like this over the years. Personally, I would let it slide. But I can see that it bothers you, so get your manager to make a statement on your behalf or, like you young people do, make a statement yourself on this platform with the bird on it which I think is where the rumours are coming from, right?’ Cillian recommended with a warm smile.

‘What Twitter?’ you laughed.

‘Yeah. Or you can use whatever social media platform you young artists use these days’ Cillian suggested.

‘Good idea old man. I will make a tweet’ you laughed. ‘But tell me, if you don’t use Twitter, how did you know about it in the first place?’ you went on and asked.

‘Kurt has a big mouth’ Cillian chuckled.

‘Of course’ you sighed.

After the initial Twitter drama, your day working with Cillian went exceptionally well and you felt much better after setting the record straight on Twitter, having your followers and fans interact on your post and offering their support.

You finished up after about five hours, ready to head back home in order to have a lazy evening.

‘Do you want a lift back home?’ Cillian asked after you indicated that you would be leaving and were ready to catch up on some sleep. You had told Cillian earlier that your car was still with the mechanics and he could see the tiredness on your face.

‘No thanks, I will walk’ you said despite the fact that you were tired and walking was the last thing on your mind. You were trying to spend as little time as possible with Cillian.

Cillian nodded and, just like this, you were out of the door.

‘You know, if you like her, perhaps just tell her’ Janine, the administration assistant, said to Cillian after having observed his interactions with you for the past few weeks.

‘Excuse me?’ Cillian asked surprised and with a slight chuckle.

‘It’s obvious that you like her. Just as it is obvious that you touched the damn printer again last week even after I told you not to’ she then went on to say.

‘I am sorry about the printer’ Cillian chuckled.

‘Sure you are’ she laughed before walking off.

***Change of Mind***

Unfortunately for you, the following day, which was also going to be the last day of working with Cillian and some others on the festival preparations, was going to be even worse than the last.

You barely made it to the office on time again, not having had much sleep again. You were on to your third cup of coffee and had been taking pain killers all night.

‘Fuck Y/N, you look awful. Are you alright?’ Cillian said as you sat down next to him and, over at the copier station, he could see Janine shake her head in disbelieve. He just told the woman he liked that she looks awful. He was a hopeless case she thought.

‘Oh, thanks Cillian. That makes me feel better’ you chuckled as you took a sip from your large cup of coffee and popped yet another two tablets of paracetamol.

‘Sorry, I didn’t mean it this way. You just look unwell’ Cillian said shyly, looking over to Janine for guidance. She nodded in approval.

‘I am fine. It’s just the time of the month’ you responded quietly and with some embarrassment.

‘What do you mean?’ Cillian asked with some confusion.

‘She means that she’s got her period Cillian’ Janine chuckled from behind before walking off.

‘Right. Of course’ Cillian said, his cheeks starting to flush. ‘Why didn’t you just stay at home if you are unwell?’ he went on to ask.

‘Because my apartment won’t have any electricity until 8pm. They are finally fixing the central heating system’ you explained.

‘Bad timing’ he responded.

‘I know. I will go to my sister’s later for dinner. Although I don’t really feel like it. She’s got two young kids who are quite a hand full and all I want to really do is chill and watch Netflix’ you whined.

‘Well, if you want to, you can come over to my place. No kids there and we could get some food, watch a movie and then I will drive you home once the electricians have left’ Cillian suggested.

‘Do you actually mean that or is this a “come up for tap water” type of situation?’ you asked causing Cillian to laugh.

‘You just said you have your period so it’s defiantly not a “come to my house for some tap water” type situation’ Cillian chuckled.

‘Believe it or not, some guys are into that. It’s just that I am not’ you giggled, causing Cillian to raise his eyebrows.

‘I can assure you that I am not one of those guys. Just a movie and some food, alright?’ Cillian laughed and you nodded, knowing that this would be a mistake but you much preferred a quiet evening with Cillian than a loud evening with your nephews while you were battling your period pains.

Just as promised, after a long day, Cillian took you home with him after you cancelled on your sister.

He dropped you at his house first, showing you how the TV works, before leaving you there on your own for half an hour so that he could organise some food for you as his fridge was usually empty now that Amanda had finally moved out.

While he was gone, you looked around the living area and you noticed that all pictures of Amanda and Cillian had gone. He clearly had moved on.

Eventually, you lied down on the lounge, watching TV and it wasn’t long until Cillian returned with two large shopping bags and it looked to you like he was going to cook for you.

‘When you said food, I expected pizza or chinese take away’ you said surprised before telling him that no man had ever cooked you dinner before and you were delighted by his efforts.

‘Nah, I enjoy cooking’ Cillian said with a warm smile as he continued to unpack the grocery bags.

Amongst ingredients for risotto, he also bought a caramel fudge ice cream, a bottle of wine, a hot water bottle and very warm ruby red socks.

‘Please explain’ you giggled as you held up the socks.

‘The last time we watched a movie together, in your bed, you had your feet wedged between my lower thighs because they were cold’ Cillian laughed before running his thumb over your cheeks and then pulling away, realising that he might have overstepped the line once again.

‘Thank you, you are very observant’ you said, feeling the want to kiss him but holding back.

‘How about you have bath while I do this’ Cillian then suggested and your eyes lid up. Your apartment didn’t have a bathtub but you also didn’t see a bathtub in the bathroom you used the last time when you came to Cillian’s house.

‘I feel bad. I should really help you’ you then said, feeling guilty that Cillian was doing all the work.

‘There is no need Y/N. Common, I will run you a bath’ Cillian said before showing you the way upstairs to his bedroom.

‘You’ve got nice taste’ you said as you looked around his bedroom and observed the quite obviously new furniture and artwork.

‘Thanks’ Cillian chuckled as he grabbed a fluffy white towel from the large cabinet inside his walk in-wardrobe.

The entire bedroom was furnished with modern wooden furniture and only a little decoration. Over the bed there was a large painting of a landscape in France and the bedside lamps were almost contemporary or vintage.

Across from the large king size bed was a spa bath and, behind a nook, there was the rest of the bathroom. The entire area could be closed by a large sliding door or could be left open if you wanted to watch TV.

You watched Cillian put some bubble bath into the tub and then turn on the water before changing the lightening and handing you the towel, a t-shirt and your brand-new fluffy socks.

‘I will be downstairs alright?’ he said with a warm smile and you nodded shyly.

You got undressed as soon as he left the room and sank into the hot water. It was delightful but you wished he would have joined you for the bath.

He was very different from Kurt, caring and romantic and you wished that he would let you in, give you chance.

After your bath, you returned downstairs wearing nothing but the t-shirt Cillian had given you, your panties and the red fluffy socks.

‘This was so nice’ you said as the pain in your stomach had decreased. ‘And this smells so good’ you added as you looked what Cillian was cooking.

‘Before I put all this chilli in there, do you like spicy food?’ Cillian asked as you stood next to him, closely watching what he was doing.

‘I love spicy food so bring it on’ you giggled, giving Cillian a big smile.

***Return of Romance***

After you both ate dinner and cleaned up the dishes, Cillian had a quick shower before sitting down next to you on the lounge in a t-shirt and trackpants.

‘Still bad?’ Cillian asked as he observed you holding your stomach.

‘Yeah, it usually lasts a day or two’ you said and, without asking, Cillian got up and boiled the kettle.

Moments later, he returned with the hot water bottle he had purchased and placed it onto your stomach before indicating to you to lie down on the lounge and pick a movie.

‘Seriously? You let me pick a movie again?’ you asked as Cillian sat down next to you.

‘I know I might regret this but yeah’ Cillian chuckled just as you put one of the small lounge pillows onto his laps and rested your head on top of it.

Cillian’s hands soon found your hair and ran his fingers through it gently while you searched through Netflix.

‘Please, no’ Cillian chuckled as you stopped at Pretty Woman and cheekily pressed play.

It was your favourite movie and Cillian already regretted giving you the remote control.

About ten minutes into the movie, you shared some ice cream and then you sat up next to him, curling up against his chest watching Julia Roberts seducing Richard Gere.

You were still in pain and Cillian noticed, his hand rubbing against your lower back gently while you held onto your hot water bottle.

‘Are you alright?’ he whispered while you took in the scent of his aftershave.

‘Hmm, yeah this is nice’ you murmured, referring to Cillian’s hand massaging your lower back gently.

‘I am glad that I am not a woman’ Cillian chuckled just before he moved some of your hair out of your face which was when you looked up at him, starring into his deep blue eyes yet again while Richard Gere was taking Julia Roberts over the piano.

‘I always wanted to do this…on a piano’ you said quietly, causing Cillian to chuckle again but then lean forward, pressing his lips onto yours gently.

You loved the feeling of his soft lips on yours and gave into the kiss which was long, gentle and passionate.

Then your lips drifted apart and you looked at each other full of questions before they met again, this time more intense than before, your tongues meeting and moving in sync.

‘I missed this’ Cillian whispered as your lips drifted apart, his hands caressing your face gently.

‘So did I’ you said quietly before wanting more, kissing Cillian again, not getting enough of his sweet lips.

You spent the remainder of the movie curled up against each other, touching each other and kissing each other until, finally, Richard Gere climbed up Julia Robert’s balcony ladder with a bunch of flowers, admitting his love to her.

‘God that is so damn romantic’ you said as your eyes began to water, Cillian looking at you somewhat confused.

‘If you say so’ he chuckled before giving you another kiss and taking the ice cream bowls to the dishwasher.

‘I should probably get home soon Cilly, I am pretty tired’ you said as you got up, following him to the kitchen but not really wanting to leave.

‘You can stay the night if you want’ Cillian said, his hands on your hips, pulling you close for another kiss.

You nodded shyly before asking him whether he would give your lower back another rub. No one had ever done this for you before and it felt amazing, taking away some of the awful pain.

‘I could give you a massage in bed’ he smirked, causing you to look at him with some confusion.

‘Are you being cheeky?’ you asked, thinking that he intends to get kinky with you which was not what you were after while on your period.

‘No, I am serious’ Cillian said before kissing you again briefly. ‘Let me show you what these hands can do’ he winked, causing you to laugh and follow him upstairs to his bedroom.

As soon as you arrived at the front of Cillian’s large bed, you were quick to take off your t-shirt and climb on the bed, wearing nothing but your cotton panties and warm socks.

Cillian momentarily disappeared, getting some sort of body lotion from beneath the sink.

‘That should work I guess’ he said before he climbed onto the bed with you, his eyes gazing over your mostly naked body for a minute before he squirted some of the cold lotion onto your back.

His hands were magic, working your upper back and then your lower back gently before he leaned down, trailing small kisses at the back of your neck.

Goosebumps were forming all over your skin and you wished that you didn’t have your period as, otherwise, you would have turned around and make him take you on his large and comfortable bed.

Eventually, after Cillian had massaged your back for almost 20 minutes, you turned around to face him, relaxed and even somewhat sleepy.

‘Fuck that felt good’ you giggled just before Cillian took off his t-shirt and tracksuit pants and lied down next to you, quickly throwing the large doona over you both in the hope that you wouldn’t notice his raging erection.

‘Feeling a little better?’ he asked and you nodded before thanking him for taking care of you.

‘You know I could help you with that?’ you smirked as you reached for his crotch, noticing how hard he was.

‘Not tonight’ Cillian said as he pushed your hand away gently, knowing that you were probably still in pain. But, none of this prevented him from pulling you closer towards him for more gentle kisses until, eventually, you curled up against his chest, listening to his heartbeat.

‘Cillian?’ you murmured, looking up into his deep blue eyes once again.

‘Hmm’ he responded with a warm smile, his fingers running through your hair gently.

‘What is this between us?’ you wanted to know.

‘I don’t know. All I know is that I can’t stay away from you no matter how hard I try’ he responded, his tone soft and warm.

‘Then stop trying. I mean, why are you trying anyway?’ you chuckled as you continued to look up at him while playing with his chest hair.

‘For so many fucking reasons Y/N’ he responded.

‘Like what?’ you asked.

‘For starters, you are twenty years younger than me’ he explained and you knew that the age gap between you had been an issue for Cillian.

‘So? You know I prefer older men’ you reassured him.

‘I’ve seen the shit you went through with your ex-girlfriend. This is going to be worse and I know much bad press bothers you’ he explained, remembering reading the tabloids when your first long term relationship broke down.

‘I am willing to take my chances. What else?’ you asked.

‘We both just came out of failed relationships. I don’t think it’s smart to start dating again so soon’ Cillian said concerned.

‘Listen Cillian, I don’t expect to be your girlfriend or us going public. At the moment, you keep pushing me away every time we get closer and I wonder if we could just give this a chance. Let’s just keep it between us and see where it goes’ you suggested.

‘I would like that’ he then said before giving you another few kisses and turning off the light.

You were still curled up against Cillian and could feel the heat radiate from his body when you drifted off to sleep. Usually, you hated sleeping in other people’s beds but, that night, you felt comfortable and safe.

No one had ever treated you so well and you were happy with where you and Cillian were at and how far you had come after all the ups and downs.

You also remembered your relationship with Kurt. Being with Cillian was all so different to what you knew. It made you realise what you had missed out on.

You slept well through the night with Cillian holding you tight but, the following morning, you were woken up by an uncomfortable feeling beneath you.

You were quite vigilant when it came to your period and when you felt something sticky on your upper thigh, you got disturbed.

Woken by the unfamiliar feeling, your eyes drifted open slowly and you looked up. It was getting light outside which was when it clicked.

You remembered that you should probably have changed your tampon again before going to sleep and your heart began to pound heavily.

Feeling you wiggle around and moving the doona to the side, Cillian was slowly waking up himself, his arm falling over to the side searching for you.

But, you had scooted up and out of the bed which is when you noticed the two small blood stains on your upper thigh.

You quickly ran to the bathroom to wash them off and change what had to be changed but you knew what this meant.

You probably had gotten some stains onto Cillian’s sheet sheets as well and you weren’t ready to face this embarrassment.

‘What’s wrong Y/N?’ Cillian murmured as you returned from the bathroom.

‘I…I think…’ was all you managed to say as you pulled aside the doona and, as you had feared, noticed a small blood stain not only on the sheets but also on Cillian’s upper thigh, which was caught up in between your legs all night when you were sleeping.

You immediately began to shake nervously, feeling embarrassed by what had just happened.

‘Hey Y/N, what’s wrong?’ Cillian asked as he held out one of his hands, indicating for you to come back to bed as he was surprised by your reaction.

‘I am sorry Cillian but I think I stained your sheets and there is some on your thigh…I am so fucking sorry’ you said almost hysterical.

Cillian looked down at his thigh and the sheets for a brief moment, unsure about what the problem was until he noticed the blood stains.

‘So? I will wash the sheets and have a shower, who cares’ Cillian said with a raised eyebrow before pulling you onto him.

‘That’s so embarrassing’ you said but Cillian disagreed.

‘No, it’s natural. Don’t worry about it’ he said before kissing you passionately and you were surprised that he wasn’t bothered in the slightest. Kurt would have made a massive scene if you had ruined his fine cotton sheets like that.

As you were making out, sharing several kisses while grinding your bodies against each other to get some traction, you suddenly heard a loud female voice coming from the doorway.

‘You are fucking kidding me’ Amanda said loudly and in disbelieved as she saw you on top of Cillian half naked by that point.

‘Holy Fuck’ you shouted before quickly scooting beneath the doona.

‘What the hell are you doing here?’ Cillian asked somewhat angrily about the fact that she had just entered his house unannounced before getting up and pulling a t-shirt over his head.

‘Getting the last of my stuff. I told you I would come by over the weekend to grab it’ Amanda explained angrily.

‘Yes, and I would have expected you to use the fucking doorbell when you do’ Cillian said firmly before walking downstairs with her.

‘I cannot believe that Kurt was actually right’ Amanda said almost hysterical and you could hear her and Cillian argue from the bedroom.

‘Right about what?’ Cillian asked.

‘That you are fucking her. God that’s so disgusting, you know that? She is almost half your age…trading me in for a younger model, that’s something I never expected’ Amanda said with anger.

‘I didn’t trade you in for anyone Amanda. We broke up because you couldn’t get over your fucking jealousy’ Cillian explained.

‘Well, it was warranted it seems’ Amanda said.

‘I never fucking cheated on you’ Cillian yelled and it was at this point that Amanda began to shout, calling you and Cillian names.

Eventually, Cillian kicked Amanda out of his house and immediately called a locksmith before driving you home.

***First Date***

You didn’t expect to hear from Cillian for the remainder of the day, especially in light of what happened with Amanda and the fact that he told you last night that he wasn’t sure where this was going between you. But, to your surprise, at around 2 o’clock you received a call from him.

During the call, Cillian asked whether you felt like going for dinner with him at restaurant near your house.

Was this a date, you wondered? It sure sounded like a date. If it was a date, did it mean that he no longer cared about the implications he was concerned about previously after your talk last night?

You sure wanted to find out and accepted Cillian’s offer to take you for dinner and he picked you up at 6 o’clock, nice and early so that you had enough time to watch a movie at your place afterwards.

The restaurant was rather busy and Cillian had booked a nice booth in the corner, giving you some privacy.

He ordered a bottle of wine while you looked through the menu for some tapas to share. You enjoyed the same type of food and it was easy for you to agree on the dishes.

‘So, is this a date?’ you asked Cillian after the waitress had taken your order.

‘I suppose’ he chuckled before he took your hands into his, sharing a tender moment with you.

‘Good, because I was worried that our run in with Amanda this morning put you off a little. I’ve heard what she said to you’ you said quietly, knowing about Cillian’s reluctance when it came to dating you, a woman twenty years his junior.

‘If anything, it made me care even less about the reservations I have about us’ Cillian explained.

‘Well, hopefully, those reservations will disappear completely when you realise how awesome I am’ you joked just before the waitress brought out the first dish.

You enjoyed your dinner and wine despite the fact that a group of girls on a table nearby were watching you. You tried hard not to care, but the giggling and whispering bothered you more than it would usually have when you were out with someone else.

Eventually, one of the women from the table came over just as you and Cillian were about to leave, asking Cillian for photo which he declined politely.

The restaurant was only a short stroll from your apartment and you were ready to get your comfortable clothes on and watch a movie with Cillian.

Shortly after you arrived at your apartment, you got changed into a nightie, poured two glasses of wine and asked Cillian whether he could get the lighter from the top draw of your bedside table so that you could light some candles.

As you put the two glasses of wine onto your coffee table, you heard a loud buzzing coming from besides your bed and you recognised the sound immediately.

‘Cillian!’ you shouted as you watched Cillian play with one of your vibrators, a big grin running over his face.

‘Give it here. I said top draw, not bottom draw’ you chuckled as you took the vibrator out of his hand.

‘How does it work? It clearly won’t fit inside you’ he asked curiously, his grin getting bigger.

‘It’s called a wand and it is for clitoral stimulation only. I actually never used it because it’s too intense. My sister talked me into it, saying it’s the best thing ever. But I don’t know’ you explained, your face flushing with embarrassment.

‘Sounds interesting’ Cillian chuckled, which is when you noticed that Cillian had already lid the candles on your beside table.

‘Not really’ you said before you shuffed the vibrator back into the draw and, just as you came up, Cillian crashed his lips onto yours.

‘There are other things I’ve found in your draw’ Cillian said after your lips drifted apart and before he reached for the handcuffs and satin blindfold in your bedside table and threw them onto your bed.

‘Cillian, remember, I’ve got my period’ you giggled just as Cillian pulled your nightie over your head, leaving you in nothing but your panties.

‘I am aware. Just let me make you feel good’ he said, grinning again before pushing you onto the bed and hoovering over you.

‘Cillian, I am serious’ you giggled, his teeth grazing your neck gently.

‘Don’t worry, your panties are staying on and I promise that I won’t touch you down there’ he said reassuringly and, whilst you had no idea how he would get you off without touching your most intimate body part, you agreed and reluctantly lifted your hands over your head and allowed Cillian to tie your wrists against the bedhead with your leather cuffs.

Cillian then gently placed the blindfolds over your eyes, carefully tying the knot behind your head without catching your hair in between it.

You trusted him. Yet it was difficult for you to relax especially since, all of a sudden, you heard a familiar loud bussing sound again.

‘No no no, this vibrator is too intense. I never….oh my fucking god’ you moaned as you threw your head back into the pillow and arched your back as soon as the vibrator hit your clit through your thin cotton panties.

‘Fuck that’s sexy’ Cillian observed as he watched you squirm against your restraints and moan as he moved the vibrator over your clit in circle motions.

‘Don’t move’ he then chuckled as he placed the vibrator onto your clit and resting the handle on your stomach. You felt the weight on your bed lightening and heard him get up, walking away from you momentarily.

‘Fuck Cillian…don’t leave me like this’ you protested just before you heard the door of the fridge opening. What was he doing? Getting himself a beer?

Then, finally, you could feel his weight on the mattress again, right next to you.

His hands began to roam over your breasts and stomach while he pushed the wand back against your clit more firmly after tuning it up a notch.

‘No no no….oh god’ you moaned, your legs squirming.

‘If you do not stay still on your own, I will tie your legs up too’ Cillian said cheekily before pulling on each of your nipple piercings slightly. He knew that you loved it when he did this, subjecting you to this little bit of pain.

You inhaled sharply, wanting him to pull them again, but Cillian had other ideas and it wasn’t long until you felt something extremely cold on your left nipple.

‘Fuck, Cillian’ you moaned as ice cold water began to run down your left breast while he turned up the setting of the vibrator again.

The ice cold feeling soon moved to your right nipple, running down from it over your stomach like a cold stream of water. By this time it was obvious to you that it was an ice cube which Cillian had placed into his mouth and which he was running over your breasts.

You could feel it melt slowly and the cold water ran all the way to your belly button followed by his hot breath.

Then, you could feel the entire ice cube slid down your stomach and all the way to the hem of your panties while, again, Cillian turned up the vibrator, reaching its highest setting.

‘Holy Christ’ you inhaled, trying as hard as you could to stay still.

You were close to climaxing and Cillian had to hold you down, securing your thighs so that you were unable to squirm away.

‘Oh fuck yes’ you screamed as, finally, your orgasm washed over you and you had no choice but to give into the sensation.

It was at this point that you heard a knock on the wall from the apartment beside yours, causing Cillian to chuckle as you had told him about the letter you received from your neighbour last week complaining about the noise level from your apartment when Cillian visited you the last time.

You eventually came down from your high and Cillian released his tight grip on you and turned off the vibrator before taking off your blindfolds and untying you from the bed.

‘Feeling better?’ he asked and, surprisingly, you did.

With a quick nod and thanks, you pulled Cillian on top of you for a passionate kiss before pushing him down onto the mattress beneath you.

Without words, you looked at him and suggestively bit your lips before reaching for his black Calvin Klein briefs and pulling them down.

‘You know I just love your cock…it’s fucking perfect’ you smirked as you starred at his erection before separating his legs, bending his knees up and taking your place between them.

Cillian scooted himself up in the bed so that he could watch you and you leaned forward to kiss him, loving and deep, before making your decent on his perfectly toned body.

When you finally reached his hard shaft, you kissed the tip of his cock suggestively before collecting his precum with your tongue.

Cillian’s hands knew what to do to help you now and he gathered up your hair and hold it out of the way as you lowered your head and take his cock into your mouth, moaning as your mouth is filled.

Cillian groaned as you finally took all of his length into your mouth and down your throat. You wanted to devour him and you took your time about it, pleasure slowly building, pressure teased and growing as you kept bobbing your head up and down.

Looking up at him while you wrapped your lips around his hard member turned him on incredibly and it didn’t take long for his breathing to become laboured.

By this point, his legs straighten, splayed out on either side of you while the frequency of his moans and groans increased.

You knew Cillian was getting close and you loved watching him moan with a slightly open mouth while you slowly and deliberately wrap your lips tightly on the head of his cock and take him deep into your throat again, all the way to the base.

Your eyes close on their own with the sensation and greed you feel and each time you rise you look into Cillian’s deep blue eyes, stopping to let him watch as you flick your tongue all over his frenulum and swollen pink tip.

His face suddenly changed and his mouth contorts. Cillian’s hands tighten, no longer simply holding your long hair out of the way but gripping your head with handfuls of your hair in both hands right at the scalp. He took control, pushing your head down hard, his cock filling your throat before letting go of you again.

‘Again’ you moaned, loving the way he takes charge and he complied with your request, grabbing your hair again and making you take his length all the way into your throat.

‘Fuck Y/N, I am close’ he moaned and, with him thrusting into your mouth and you bobbing your head at the same time, it wasn’t long until you felt it, the unmistakable spurt of cum into your mouth as his body is finally released.

You could taste him, feeling the slick cream on your tongue, holding it in your mouth as you milk the last drops. Then looking up, you see Cillian’s beautiful sexy smile and flushed cheeks, open your mouth and show him the cum pooled on your tongue.

Another groan escaped him as he watched you hold it, tilting your head back slightly while some drips escaped you and ran over your chin.

Looking at his face, completely turned on by what you were doing, you smiled wickedly and very deliberately closed your lips, looked at him, and swallowed.

‘God, why are you so fucking sexy?’ Cillian asked just as you moved up towards him and pressed your lips onto his.

‘I don’t know, I just am’ you winked before sharing another passionate kiss while his hands were roaming over your back.

After some pillow talk, you eventually curled up against Cillian, running your fingers through his chest hair while his right hand gently touched your cheek.

It didn’t take either of you long to fall asleep and you were still curled up against each other the next morning when you heard a loud knock on the door.

***Meeting June***

‘Will we ever be able to just wake up next to each other without being interrupted?’ Cillian growled as he turned over, ignoring the knock on the door completely. He was clearly not a morning person.

You jumped up quickly and threw on Cillian’s t-shirt which, the night before, had found it’s way to the floor besides your bed.

Wearing nothing but the t-shirt, some purple cotton panties and giant plush socks with small bunny rabbits on it, you walked to the door and opened it, thinking that, surely, it was just a delivery. Your local postman had a habit of arriving early and you were considering getting a postal box soon.

‘Good Morning Sis’ June said and it took you a few seconds to rub your eyes yawn before realising that you probably shouldn’t let her inside with Cillian lying in your bed completely naked.

But your sister didn’t ask for permission and barged inside, putting a bag of croissants and two coffees on to the kitchen counter.

‘What are you doing here?’ you asked surprised as she hung up her coat.

‘I know how shit you feel when you get your period and you didn’t come by the other night so I wanted to check on you, that’s all’ June explained just as she was walking through your loft, not having noticed Cillian yet as part of the view of the bed was covered by a large industrial style bookshelf.

‘Now is not a very good time’ you said nervously which was when she noticed clothes scattered across the floor.

‘Oh shit’ she giggled just before she bluntly looked past the large bookshelf.

‘Morning June’ Cillian chuckled just as he reached down to the floor to retrieve his briefs before pulling them beneath the doona and trying to discretely put them back on.

‘Holy fuck’ June shouted, her jaw dropping to the floor.

‘Jupp, swearing runs in the family’ Cillian chuckled before getting up from beneath the doona, wearing nothing but his black Calvin Klein briefs.

With a grin on his face, he walked over towards you and gave you a quick kiss before taking your coffee from your hand, taking a sip and telling you that he will go and have a quick shower.

He quickly retrieved his jeans from the floor and disappeared into the bathroom all while your sister’s eyes followed his every move.

‘Stop looking at him’ you demanded, giving your sister a nudge as it was obvious to you that she was checking out Cillian’s ass.

‘How the fuck did this happen? Did I just dream this?’ she asked as you were shyly drinking your coffee with some embarrassment, unsure how to answer her question.

‘Oh my god, he is the guy you were telling me about. This all makes sense now’ June said and you confirmed her suspicions and told her that you’ve resolved your differences.

You trusted your sister and told her about what you had discussed with Cillian the night before and that you were at his house, which is why you cancelled on her.

Eventually, Cillian came out of the bathroom, wearing his tight black jeans but not much else.

Your sister looked at him with some excitement, not even ashamed for drooling over the man you were involved with.

You noticed immediately, giving her another nudge just as Cillian stole the rest of your coffee.

‘Can you put your shirt on please’ you eventually said before handing Cillian one of the croissants and the jam from your fridge.

‘Well, I would, but you are wearing it’ Cillian reminded you, unbothered by the fact that your sister was in the same room.

You quickly disappeared behind the bookshelf and changed into your own clothes before handing Cillian his t-shirt and your sister sighed with some disappointment as he put it on.

Despite the fact that he had met your sister already, he felt somewhat awkward with your sister around and, after putting on his t-shirt, he left your apartment in order to get some more coffees, allowing you to update your sister on the situation.

While he was out, waiting for his coffee order at the nearby coffee shop, he received a call from his agent drawing his attention to a quite unfavourable article which had just appeared online, less than 30 minutes ago.

**************

OK! Magazine News

Cillian Murphy following the Hollywood Trend?

Rumours have emerged suggesting a developing relationship between actor Cillian Murphy (43) and singer/songwriter Y/N L/N (23). This comes after Murphy has only last month been spotted at a Dublin fundraising event with long term girlfriend Amanda Winter and L/N was rumoured to be involved with local artist Kirsten Mann after having been spotted leaving Soho Bar together as little as three nights ago.

Music producer Kurt Meskin confirmed the break up from singer and songwriter girlfriend Y/N L/N earlier yesterday and revealed that the break up was due to a romance unfolding between Y/N L/N and actor Cillian Murphy. It is unclear how Kirsten Mann is involved and Meskin wasn’t able to comment on Mann’s relationship with L/N’s.

Murphy and L/N have been working together with others, including Meskin, on the United Arts and Music Festival since earlier this year. The festival is set to take place later this year and will feature L/N as well as Murphy’s long term girlfriend Amanda Winter.

Meskin said that he was saddened by L/N’s actions but has accepted her decision.

‘There is not much I can do. Unfortunately, these things happen but it’s simply sad to know that not only one, but two relationships have been destroyed by her actions’ Meskin said when referring to what sounds like an affair between L/N and Murphy.

It is not clear whether Murphy and Winter have since separated but it appears to be likely as L/N and Murphy were spotted in front of Le Maison Restaurant in Dublin late yesterday evening.

The picture appeared on Twitter shortly after the date night between Murphy and L/N and has since received a large number of comments as fans question what happened with Amanda Winter and criticise the twenty year ago gap between Murphy and L/N.

“Perhaps he’s following into the footsteps of other Hollywood actors like DiCaprio who like their girlfriends much younger” one person commented on Twitter.

Neither L/N or Murphy have commented on the rumours but, with L/N’s social media presence, it is probably just a matter of time until a statement is received.

Tag List (Cillian):

@lilymurphy03 @deefigs @theflamecrystal @desperate-and-broken @weepingstudentfishhorse @livinginfantaxy @rosey1981 @atomicsoulcollecto @peakyboyslover @nerdy4itall @elenavampire21 @hanster1998 @mariapaiva13 @fairypitou @harry-is-my-sunflower @zozeebo @lauren-raines-x @kasaikawa @littlewierdalien @sad-huffle-nerd @theflamecrystal @peakymalfoyscullymulder @themissthang @0ghostwriter0 @stylescanbeatmyback @1-800-peakyblinders @datewithgianni @momoneymolife @ntmynouis @lilymurphy03 @mcntsee@cloudofdisney @missymurphy1985 @peakymalfoyscullymulder @otterly-fey janelongxox @uchihacumdump

Cannot Tag (please check your settings):

@l0tsofpennies @margoo0 @trolleydolly @avonlady1985 @chrisevanshoeee @daydreamingnymph @fookingshelby @chocolatehalo

#cillian murphy #cillian murphy smut #Cillian Murphy x Reader #cillian murphy imagine #cillian murphy x you #cillian murphy x y/n

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thespectralvision · 2 years ago

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Avengers: The Children’s Crusade (Part 1)

So after a number of discussions about where Wanda (and Vision) are likely to appear post Multiverse of Madness in the MCU, a lot of rumors and ‘leaks’ are pointing to a likely Young Avengers Children’s Crusade adaptation. I’ve not read the run in some time, and decided to refresh myself and do a breakdown of it for those not familiar with the story. I’ll be including my commentary about how I think they could adapt this for the MCU.

This series of posts WILL HAVE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS SPOILERS. If you have seen MoM or don’t mind, feel free to keep scrolling. It will also obviously have spoilers for the comic stories Avengers Disassembled, House of M, and Children’s Crusade.

You can find a complete listing of my Comic Breakdown posts HERE

Background:

Ok, first off I’m going to be honest - I have not read a lot of Young Avengers stories. I like the team well enough with one exception - I hate Vision 2.0. The fact that he’s treated like normal Vision and the stuff with Cassie Lang is a big squick for me, even though I am aware he is technically a different entity than the original Vision. For those who don’t know, Vision was killed by Wanda during her breakdown in the Avengers Disassembled story arc. Vision’s operating system back ups were uploaded into Iron Lad’s (Nathanial Richards) Neurokinetic armor and became sentient. He retained memories and has a similar personality to the original Vision, but it is very clear he is NOT the same entity, as his brain patterns are based on Iron Lad’s where the original Vision’s were based on Simon William’s (Wonder Man). He’s essentially a ‘teenage’ Vision, and does not retain any feelings for The Scarlet Witch and falls in love with Cassie Lang (Stature). This story arc is not appealing to me since I love the orignal Vision so much, and as such I have not gone and read a lot of stories featuring Vision 2.0. If I get details wrong, please let me know - I try to research context if I don’t have it but there are a lot of comic books out there and sometimes things are missed.

I am familiar with Scarlet Witch stories, however. There is quite a bit of background leading to where we find Wanda, and I would like to do a breakdown of those stories eventually too, but I’ll summarize the important bits below.

Pre-Avengers Dissassembled/House of M:

Wanda Maximoff, aka The Scarlet Witch, fell in love with and married her fellow Avenger The Vision. They decide they want to start a family, but due to Vision’s biology as a synthezoid that is not a possibility - unless you are The Scarlet Witch. In The Vision and The Scarlet Witch (1985) #3, a vision of Agatha Harkness tells Wanda to channel magical energies through herself to fight off the coven of New Salem.

It works, and Wanda uses her abilities to use this power and impregnates herself. Dr. Strange confirms this, and then 9 months later in The Vision and The Scarlet Witch (1985) #12 Thomas and William are born.

There isn’t much to say after this until the Vision Quest arc beings a few years later, in 1989. I’ve done a detailed break down on Vision Quest in my White Vision series (Links found HERE), but the important part is the reveal that William and Thomas were never real. While Wanda’s powers are great, she is not able to create life from nothing. To make the boys, she stole pieces of Mephisto’s soul. In order to defeat Mephisto, Agatha Harkness removed Wanda’s memories of the boys to break the link between her and the demon.

Avengers Dissassembled (Avengers #500-503, Avengers Finale):

About 15 years later (real-world years, it’s a little ambiguous in comic timelines), Wanda finds out about her boys and what happened to them. Until that point she had been oblivious to their existence after the spell Agatha cast, and when she learns that all of the Avengers have been hiding the fact that she was a mother from her she seeks revenge. She attacks the team in a series of seemingly unrelated events, including turning Vision into an army of Ultron-bots, leading to She-Hulk rampaging and tearing Vision in half (hence his death and the eventual creation of Vision 2.0).

Spectral’s Commentary: Wandaattacking the Illuminati in Multiverse of Madness feels like the MCU take on this particular storyline, with Wanda attacking the ‘heroes’ because she wants her children back. Not an exact adaptation obviously, but I enjoyed the nods to the comics.

Doctor Strange confirms the attacks all have a magical origin and asks about Wanda and her children, suspecting she or one of them may be the one behind the attacks.

Spectral’s Commentary: So not going to lie, the fact that Doctor Strange somehow missed the memo regarding everything that happened with Vision Quest is hilarious to me. Isn’t keeping track of witch-android babies created with magic and monitoring hell dimensions his job as Sorcerer Supreme?

Steve Rogers even tries to speak with Wanda, finding her creating illusions of her happy family and attempting to convince her it isn’t real. It doesn’t end well for him.

After this, Wanda joins the fight and attacks the gathered heroes. Strange manages to defeat her using the Eye of Agamotto to show her the truth, which ‘snaps’ Wanda’s ‘fragile mind’ (I never said this was good writing for our beloved Scarlet Witch). Meanwhile another team who went to find Agatha for help find the witch dead, murdered by Wanda. The story ends with Magneto arriving and asking that Wanda be put in his care. The list of casualties from this run is Vision, Hawkeye, and Ant-Man, which will come into play in the Young Avengers.

House of M (House of M #1-8):

Avengers Disassembled is followed up with the often discussed House of M arc. Now, I’m going to be honest - I don’t love House of M either (I liked how the MCU handled the concept more, where she created the reality to get Vision AND her kids, but I’m also biased because Vision is my favorite character. That said, I understand that in context it had been a long time since Wanda and Vision were together in the comics which is likely why he was not involved in her false-world.)

House of M is an 8 issue series, and I’m going to skip over the non-Wanda relevant parts. I recommend reading it just because it is one of those Marvel stories anyone wanting to get familiar with the comic-verse should be aware of.

The run starts with a recap of Wanda giving birth to the twins, but Charles Xavier shows up and tells her they aren’t real.

It works to pull Wanda back into reality for a moment, and she realizes what she’s done and is distraught.

Spectral’s Commentary: I find it interesting that she says she killed her “husband” here, since she and Vision have not been together since Vision Quest. There were pushes that they may get back together in the 1998 Avengers run, but Avengers Dissassembled happened before it ever actually happened.

We then move to Charles and Erik (Magneto) discussing the conversation with Wanda. They are keeping her sedated as her mental state continues to fracture. We also get a nice little monologue from Magneto, talking about how he regrets what he did to his children (this is before retcons that Wanda and Pietro are not his) and how he’s lost both his fight against the humans and his family.

The Avengers have a fancy new tower since the Mansion blew up a few months ago, and they call in the X-Men. Turns out everyone is going to decide what Wanda’s fate will be. The scene changes to Quicksilver watching Wanda sleep, and Magneto asks him what is wrong. He tells his ‘father’ that the X-Men and Avengers are discussing what they are going to do, and that he believes they plan to kill Wanda. Magneto tells him that may be the right thing to do.

Sure enough that’s the main plan. Some want to save Wanda, namely Wonder Man and Captain America, and the others want to put her down. Both sides have good reasons for their feelings. Xavier and Dr. Strange say they have done everything they can for now, and Strange is looking into further ways to help her but needs more time. A group of them decide they want to speak with Wanda for themselves before making a decision, and a Quinjet heads to Genosha. Only when they arrive, Wanda and Magneto are gone. They go looking, and we follow Spider Man as he encounters a glowing white light - then wakes up back at home.

The next several issues I won’t get into too much detail because they don’t directly involve Wanda, and instead focus on the characters who start to realize something is wrong. Peter Parker is married to Gwen Stacy, Steve Rogers is an old man who never became Captain America, Wolverine is part of SHIELD’s special Red Guard team, etc. They have weird partial memories of their former lives however, which leads Wolverine to remember Genosha. He starts piecing things together, finding out that in this reality Mutants run all existing countries, and the world has been united under the House of M, by Magneto.

Wolverine ends up with a group of enhanced humans running an underground resistance movement including Hawkeye (no longer dead), Luke Cage, Cloak, and a few other familiar faces. Wolverine starts explaining he remembers a world where Magneto and his children were a problem, specifically Wanda - and the others tell him she’s “the human one.”

Logan fills them in on what Wanda in his world was like, and a rundown of the events in Avengers Disassembled. The resistance movement are skeptacle at first, but Luke Cage believes Logan, because a little girl (Layla) showed up the day before and told him the same thing, which triggered his memories from before too. After talking with her, everyone realizes they have gotten everything they ever wanted. They realize Magneto in the original reality had Wanda give everyone what they always wanted, so he could get what he always wanted.

They all go to find Emma Frost, and Layla uses her power to unlock memories on her. She remembers Genosha, and decides they are going to go back and kill Magneto for what he has done. Logan agrees, but reminds Emma they need more people to pull this off.

They put together a team, using Layla’s powers to unlock memories of heroes to help them including Scott Summers (Cyclops), Peter Parker (Spider Man), Kitty Pryde, Dr. Strange, Carol Danvers (Captain Marvel), Tony Stark, Matt Murdock (Daredevil), and Jennifer Walters (She-Hulk). While they are deciding what to do, the team is attacked by SHIELD’s Red Guard team, but Layla’s powers remind them who they were in the real world too. They decide they all need to go to Genosha, to try and find Charles Xavier. Only...the final panels of Issue #5 reveal he sacrificed himself so Genosha could survive.

We move to Genosha, and the House of M Gala. The X-Men and Avengers who have had their memories restored attack, creativing a diversion so Emma Frost and Layla can find Xavier. They find his memorial and nearly give up - but Cloak arrives and tells them there is no coffin.

Doctor Strange finds Wanda by Astral Projecting, playing with her children. He tells her he knows she created Layla to help them come here and stop Magneto. Wanda denies this, saying she doesn’t know who Layla is. Strange pushes her and Wanda continues to deny knowing what is happening. Strange manages to get her to explain what happened, leading to the creation of this reality.

The story returns to where it begins, with Pietro comforting Wanda as she tells him she won’t fight the Avengers and X-Men coming to kill her, before she created this world. She and Pietro discuss her being too cowardly to end things herself, and how they both liked being Avengers.

Spectral’s Commentary: You know, rereading this run to write this post, I can’t help but wonder if Vision isn’t included - because Wanda thought he would be happier without her. Ouch...something I’ll have to think about. I just always find it strange that she creates this perfect world where everyone is happy, and she has her boys, but NO ONE mentions Vision at all. Yes in the real world he was killed in the previous Avengers Disassembled arc, but when Wanda created this reality surely she would have brought him back in some way? She brought back Hawkeye after all - as we see in the next few pages.

Strange realizes Magneto did not cause this, it was Quicksilver, and Emma asks him to find out where Xavier is. Before Strange can ask Wanda however, she falls over, shot by Hawkeye. This upsets one of the boys, and Clint is taken apart again - by the child. Wanda realizese how far things have gone out of control.

Magneto finds out Pietro is behind all of this, and confronts his ‘son.’ Wanda senses the attack on her twin, and leaves her room at last to find him.

She brings Pietro back with her powers, and lashes out at Magneto for what he’s done to her and her twin. The others are still unsure what to do about Wanda, and by the time they realize what she’s about to do - she says the now infamous words “No more mutants.”

There is another white explosion and Wanda once again rewrites reality.

The final issue (#8) shows our heros back in their old lives. Layla is a girl going to school, Peter Parker wakes up with MJ. The Avengers discuss how things are back to normal - but then we cut to Xavier’s school to find out the mutant students seem to have lost their powers. Emma Frost rushes to use Cerebro, and confirms the worst - that nearly all of the mutant population is simply gone.

The only people who know what happened are those who’s memories were unlocked in the other reality. The arc ends with the remaining X-Men locating Magneto in the ruins of Genosha, asking him where Wanda is. Magneto tells them he doesn’t know.We then see Wanda in what appears to be a small market town, going about her day.

Spectral’s Commentary: Alright, so if you’ve read up to this point, thank you! While this isn’t everything the MCU has thrown at Wanda, it’s pretty clear that WandaVision and Multiverse of Madness have handled the primary plot points of these two big Scarlet Witch stories. They sort of reversed them - WandaVision has more in line with House of M, and MoM has more in common with Avengers Disassembled, but right now our MCU Wanda has done some big, bad stuff. MoM also pulls in a number of the C’Thon stories as well, which I want to explore in a different series. The important thing here is - Where will Wanda go next? I’m going to go into the issues following House of M and into the Children’s Crusade, which was the next big arc featuring Wanda in the 616 Comics in the next post.

#marvel #MCU #multiverse of madness #wandavision #the scarlet witch #wanda maximoff #marvel comics #marvel 616 #house of m #avengers disassembled #The Vision #children's crusade #Spectral's Comic Breakdowns

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hualianff · 3 years ago

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More Than This VI 《V》

It’s no surprise XL gains his own taste of fame after walking the red carpet with one of the most sought-after actors in the country. He doesn’t mind it, going as far as to create a few social media accounts to interact with fans and scroll through their photos and edits of him. He has a few fan sites too, but only for fancy events where he chooses to be recognized in public.

XL and HC agreed before sharing their relationship with the public that they would maintain a strong sense of privacy when it came to their personal lives. They only share what they want to. The paparazzi who manage to take photos without permission are immediately disciplined so it doesn’t happen again.

(“I can’t believe you did it.”

“Hmm, Gege said he was okay with it.”

“I know! But I didn’t expect you to actually....” XL stares at a recent selfie of them HC had posted on his Twitter, taken the night HC won his award. “We look like we just had sex.”

“Nobody’s gonna know.”

XL raises an unimpressed eyebrow at his boyfriend. HC insists again.

“Nobody’s gonna know-”

“They’re gonna know,” XL says with a sigh, pointing to the hickey marks clearly visible on the photo. HC rolls over closer to XL in their bed, scrutinizing the image on XL’s phone.

“Oh, I didn’t see those when I posted the photo.”

“San Laaang!” XL cries, pushing at the taller man’s shoulder before burying his face into his pillow. HC makes XL breakfast in bed as an apology and promises to not drunk-post anything again.)

Eight months after officially dating–which is over two years since they met–HC asks XL to move in with him. XL doesn’t even need to think about his answer, a simple “Yes! Yes please!” escaping his lips. Both HC and XL’s faces light up with overjoyed smiles.

They seem to have had the same idea about where to live, purchasing a home they’ve been eyeing for months! The best aspects include a massive yard (front, side, and back) for XL to tend to, a hot tub, and a spacious living and dining room area to entertain guests. It’s not the grandest or most impressive residence by size or feature. In fact, the first months have them living in a half-finished, rusty house with the prettiest garden you’ve ever seen.

It gradually gets better. HC and XL knew they would have to do a lot of work to improve the shape of their home. Over the next year, they repair and remodel the house themselves, simultaneously adding value to the property and curating the style to fit their dream home. XL makes sure to post progress photos on his social media. His most recent selfie of HC and himself in hardware glasses got over 500k likes! He pinned HC’s comment that said, “Gege is my own very handyman!”

(HC, in a sleeveless tee, shorts that show off his ass, hair pulled back into a high bun: “Gege, you’re the boss now. Tell me what to do.”

XL, struggling not to gawk at HC’s side boobs: “O-okay, first, can you smash those cabinets-”

Cue them making out against the counter when it’s the only part of the kitchen that is fully done.)

***

Having a partner who considers the outdoors as a second home is a special experience. XL often takes HC on dates to national parks and plant nurseries. They go on weekend camping trips where XL teaches HC how to properly filter water, summit long stretches of terrain, and stay warm during cold nights with below-freezing temperatures.

(HC, trying to fit into XL’s sleeping bag: “Hi, gege-”

XL: “San Lang, you have your own sleeping bag that you can actually fit in.”

HC: ‘But I’m cold. Gege helps keep me warm.”

XL: “Fine. But let’s use yours because it’s bigger.”

HC, kissing XL’s forehead: “Thank you, my love.”)

On their hikes, XL points to different plants, explaining their origins and why he finds each one particularly beautiful. At first, HC picks up random flowers on the way home and then he asks XL about what flower fate gave him that day to gift his beloved. (“San Lang, that’s not allowed!”) HC eventually stores all the random facts in his mind, always eager to listen to XL talking about his passion. He also learns to keep his hands from digging up “poor, helpless plants from their home soil.”

However, this unfortunately doesn't prevent HC from accidentally squishing some plants in their yard that he thought were just weeds.

(HC, thinking he’s a good partner: “Get out, stupid weeds. CHOP CHOP!”

XL: “SAN LANG STOP, WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?”

HC: “Gege always works so hard. I just wanted to help you in the yard today because you deserve it.” 🥺

XL: *sigh* “I appreciate the gesture, San Lang. But those particular grasses took months to grow, and you just killed them-“)

***

Countless media outlets try to stir up trouble like they typically do with celebrities. Especially when HC has roles that involve romance, articles claiming HC and XL are on the brink of breaking up receive lots of attention. However, what gains more attention are the videos the couple posts on Youtube or Instagram live of their reactions to their “scandals.”

(XL, reading a headline: “Actor bachelor Hua Cheng and co-star Yushi Huang seem to be cozying up after a late-night shoot.’”

HC: “I’m not a bachelor, the fuck?”

XL, smiling: “You could be. Me as well. We can be bachelors together.”

HC, chuckling: “All right. If gege is, then so am I.”

The comments: “That doesn’t make any sense!?”

HC, reading another headline: “HC’s lover found with a mysterious third party??”

XL, exclaiming: “Oh, that’s Shi Qingxuan! You know, the designer for all our red carpet outfits!” 🥰🥰

HC: *nodding along*

XL, cheekily: “-and my secret second-lover”

HC: *blanches* “What.”

XL: “Kidding!!!! San Lang is the only one for me, hehe.” *kisses HC’s cheek* “Okay, next one!”)

Everyone watching the videos is 50% confused and 50% entertained as HC and XL make light of any drama the media portrays them in. Viewers accept that of course, the rumors aren’t true; HC and XL are still very much in love.

They’re in love with each other and will continue falling for many years to come.

***

HC doesn’t like watching himself on screen. However, he does enjoy previewing his own movies for the first time with his boyfriend.

While XL watches the new movie, HC observes XL’s reactions. It helps that XL is a conversational movie watcher too. XL’s narrations consist of horny comments during the sexual scenes (“Ooh, that’s hot. Nice tongue.” “Thank you?”), side remarks about the plot and characters (“San Lang, your character is very rude.” “...”), and dramatic reactions to the huge reveal scenes where HC becomes a human punch bag. (“Oh my goooosh, San Lang!! It was him all along- AHH!!”)

As a perfectionist, something you have to be in HC’s field of work, HC is incredibly self-critical of his performance. Which is another reason why it’s nice to have XL watch alongside with, who never has a shortage of praises for his boyfriend.

(HC: “Fuck, why did they leave this shot in the final? I’m supposed to be mourning for my dead lover but instead, I look like I’m crying out of daddy issues. Why did no one tell me!? It looks so bad-” *pointing to himself on the screen* “-stop looking so constipated-!”

XL, squeezing HC’s nape and massaging his shoulders: “San Lang, no one thinks that except for you. You did everything perfectly. Please acknowledge your hard work and just enjoy the movie.”

HC: *sigh* “You’re right. Okay. Thanks, gege.”

A beat of silence. HC cuddles closer to XL.

HC: “Love you.”

XL: “Love you too.”)

***

XL now knows HC’s movies well enough to quote HC’s lines in his movies to make him laugh. HC happily indulges him, questioning after breaking character, “Gege, are you sure I’m the actor out of the two of us?”

One time, HC and XL are in their kitchen re-enacting a scene with HC as the investigator going to a bartender for more information on his suspect. HC has XL caged against the counter, asking in a teasing manner, “How can I repay you for your help tonight?”

XL lowers his eyelids, looking up through his lashes, flawlessly depicting his character. “Any restrictions on your offer?”

“No, darling. Name a price, a brand, a desire. Right now, anything is on the table,” HC says huskily. XL slyly bites his lip.

“Anything?”

“Anything.”

XL brings a hand up to cup HC’s jaw, then smooths it down his neck, traveling down his bare chest. XL tilts his head to expose his neck, wanting to build up his boyfriend’s anticipation. But before he can say his next line, HC effortlessly throws XL over his shoulder like a bag of rice.

“San Lang, wait, this is not how it went in the movie!” XL shouts, a little dizzy from the sudden lift turning him upside down. HC takes long strides to their bedroom, plopping XL on their mattress and blanketing him with his larger frame.

HC only utters a husky “we’re improvising” before diving down to devour XL’s lips. XL’s arms hook around HC’s neck, holding him impossibly close.

***

After a filming shoot where HC’s character gets beaten up–HC performing his own stunts–he heads home beyond exhausted. He just wants to take a relaxing shower and cuddle his boyfriend in their warm bed.

HC arrives at their house a little past midnight. He opens the door and finds XL’s back facing him, quietly humming a song as he takes care of the vase in the living room. The sight makes HC smile.

However, as XL turns around, the vase slips from his hands and explodes into pieces on the ground.

“San Lang! What happened to you!?” XL cries out, the panic in his voice only comparable to the day he had confessed. HC stands in the doorway confused. Was something wrong with his appearance?

XL is on him in an instant, his pupils shaking as he frantically asks, “Does it hurt a lot? What happened!?”

HC blinks, expression blank as he still doesn't understand what has freaked XL out. But as the shorter man gently caresses HC’s face, it suddenly hits him.

The make up!

HC urgently starts rubbing the fake bruises off his face. “Gege, I’m okay! It’s just make up, none of this is real. See?” He holds his hands out for XL to see as the pigment stains HC’s palms. “I’m so sorry! San Lang is dumb, he didn’t mean to make you worry,” HC murmurs as he takes XL between his arms. He really loves this man too much.

XL’s teary eyes shine glimmer as HC embraces him. “Y-you’re sure you’re okay?”

HC nods, leaning into the slender hand that cups his cheek.

“Thank goodness,” XL breaths out as he buries his face into HC’s neck. His next words are slightly muffled. “It looks…so realistic.”

“Yeah, the make up artists are all quite talented, aren’t they?”

XL clings tighter to HC.

“Very much so. Let’s shower so we can properly wash it off.”

“All right,” HC says. “Wait, we?”

XL tugs HC toward the master bathroom.

“Hush, let’s go.”

***

They lay in bed together after four long months of separation. Both of them had been in different parts of the country; HC filmed a drama series while XL traveled for several high-profile projects. Their respective busy work schedules limited communication to brief video chats and text messages, which never seemed enough.

Now, with his head resting on HC’s chest, their legs overlapping comfortably, XL finally feels like he’s where he belongs.

“Why did you choose me?”

Tactical fingers massage XL’s scalp, lulling him into a serene state of bliss. XL nuzzles further into his boyfriend-sized pillow.

“It’s not like I can choose who I fall in love with, Gege,” HC states with a light chuckle. “But if you want an answer, it’s because you are everything I’ve ever wanted in a partner.”

XL looks up at his boyfriend, mouth forming a shape of an O.

“That simple? Even when we made a deal to have no strings attached?” XL asks. HC groans at the reminder of their initial agreement.

“Yes, which was a dumb decision on my part.”

“I agreed to it too. We were both dumb.”

They are silent for a moment. It’s not the first time they’ve talked about or referenced their insecurities when it came to confessing their feelings. XL’s luck when it came to dating someone who could love him for every part of him was practically nonexistent. HC’s constant grappling for his self-identity and worth rendered most of his relationships superficial. And temporary.

Always temporary.

“I can’t believe you thought I didn’t like your plants though. They’re so pretty. And fascinating.” HC says, breaking the silence.

“They take up half our living room space.”

“So? You work with plants all day. They’re bound to be a part of your personal life as well.”

XL’s heart bursts with a sudden fondness. It’s a wonderful thing to be appreciated for the little things.

“I’m glad you think so,” he says happily. HC hums in response, sending vibrations to where XL’s cheek lays on his chest. “I can’t believe I didn’t know you were a famous actor for the first three months we…”

“Met up for sex?” HC finishes with an impish grin.

“Yes,” XL laughs.

“It was nice not to be recognized for once. With you, I could just be myself,” HC says with ease he never thought he would be able to do. He’s struggled with letting himself be vulnerable his whole life. It turns out, HC just had to find the right person. And thank god he did. XL is more than HC’s outlet from his career. He’s become HC’s closest friend who knows him the best; he is HC’s number one supporter in any endeavor he pursues; he makes HC feel important. XL sees and loves HC for who he is. No amount of fame or wealth could come close to comparison.

“Gege?”

“Hmm?”

“Does it ever bother you that my life is always everyone else’s business?” HC softly asks.

“Well, the fame can be a bit…uncomfortable,” XL admits. “But you’re an amazing actor. And a remarkable person. I can’t blame your fans for loving you so much, you know? I also got to ride in a limo-“

“Which you rode very well-”

XL flicks his boyfriend’s forehead.

“You’re so predictable.”

“You would’ve said the same thing given the chance. Don’t lie, gege.”

They go back and forth a little longer, never once creating unnecessary distance between each other as they roll around until they’re on their sides. Facing each other in their bed that’s been vacant for months, HC and XL are inseparable.

“As I was saying, fame is something that comes with your job–your passion. You can’t control it, nor does it solely characterize who you are. Besides, I get to be a part of your life! That’s all that really matters,” XL continues. He shifts forward so their bodies are closely pressed together. XL plants a kiss on HC’s chin, then whispers a confession that tilts HC’s entire world on its axis.

“I’ve been waiting my whole life for someone like you.”

HC’s world spins and spins until all that he sees is his beloved, gleaming brighter than all the galaxies without the power to disrupt their orbit. He wraps his arms around XL and kisses the top of his head.

“Me too, Gege.”

Bonus:

HC watches wearily as XL salivates at a showering scene where HC’s bare ass flashes in the frame. XL turns to HC with a serious look in his eyes.

“San Lang! Hiking has done your ass wonders.”

XL sneaks a grope to a meaty cheek. HC chokes.

***

“You can’t be late to your own premiere!” XL cries incredulously.

“Try me,” HC purrs into XL’s ear, delicately kissing the lobe.

XL gasps as teasing hands roam around his torso, one of them slipping down to cup his behind. He vaguely thinks about how SQX is expecting them in the next hour to help with their red carpet outfits. But when hungry lips attach to the sensitive column of his neck, XL is a goner.

“Gege doesn’t have to do any work. Just lay back and look pretty.”

(Brainchild with @no-one-says-hi!)

#tgcf #heavenly official's blessing #hualian #hualian au #cerdrabbles #fluff #Actor HC #Landscaper XL #fine.

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