#now that i wear a hair net... fuck it. BYE

[carnivalcarriondiscarded]

oh today was a TREAT! makeship drop + howdy ad, no work tomorrow, got free cake, new 911 season.. Yeehaw...

[sirensea14]

SHUTANGINA ANG INIT GUSTO KO NANG GUPITIN UNG BUHOK KO TAS BIGLANG NAGPA-ASYNCHRONUS, AMPOTEK, UNG PICTORIAL NAMIN 😭😭😭

THERE IS NO FUCKING WAY ITS 11 PM RN AND ITS FUCKING 36°C (yes, im usually still awake in this hour lol)

AND THEN THEY SUSPENDED CLASSES CUZ ITD BE WAY TOO HOT OUTSIDE (it would feel like 45°C but its actually just 35°)

AND THEN I CAN ONLY DRINK COLD WATER CUZ WE AINT HAVIN ENOUGH FUCKING MONEY FOR ICE CREAMS

Ugh i cant sleep well like this. And its been like this since... The end of march? Or the start of april? Around there. Which is LATE cuz the sunny season usually starts at march.

I WANNA CUT MY HAIR SO BADLY HELP, BUT I CANT CUZ WE WONT BE HAVING A PICTORIAL TOMORROW DUE TO EXTREME HEAT😭😭😭😭 i canttttt--

Damn it ... Its so hard to live with thick heavy hair, and its only medium length yet! Imagine if it was long up to my waist, itd be a nightmare

I cant sleep, way too hot and the electric fan's in front of me, man. Its still way too damn hot. Im wearning fucking shorts and a t shirt (cant wear those a shirts tho, i have those but its way too short for my liking) And then fucking mosquito net bruh. Ive given up setting them up but my mom wont budge, she wants me to set them up all times even tho its blocking the wind from the electric fan...

No art today. Just complaints. I cant do any art for fucks sake cuz of this goddamn extreme heat and rushed schoolworks that makes me lose my motivation. Good thing watching my favorite gamers on yt still kept my sanity. I still want to cut my hair tho 😭

Damnit i need to sleep now, bye

[butwhyduh]

Jumping

Tim drake x reader

This is during the time that Dick has to fake his own death. I’m also ignoring most of canon tbh. Mentions suicide ideals.

You worried about Tim. I mean, you always had since you met him in a coffee shop and they gave him your order instead of his and all he did was ask for a shot of espresso to go with it. But tonight you were terribly concerned because Tim was so sad that he was dull. His shiny black hair hang limp and his bright blue eyes looked dull and blood shot.

You couldn’t exactly blame him. It was only 2 week before that his brother Dick had died. He hadn’t touched his computer all day but instead sat staring at various places around his apartment. You forced him to eat a very late meal and he took all of 3 bite from his food.

You washed up and went back in the living room for him to be gone.

“Tim? Tim?” You asked. You noticed the window to the fire escape was open. You walked over and shivered at the cold breeze.

He was standing on the edge of the roof and you froze. Your first thought was ‘is he going to jump?’ Your heart pounded as you gently called him and it scared you even more when he didn’t respond.

“Tim? Timothy? Tim, what are you doing?” You said with fear creeping in your voice. There was no way that you could climb the stairs up a level to stop him if he jumped right now. He looked down at you disoriented.

“What?”

“Please step back. You’re- you’re scaring me. Tim, please,” you said and he took a step back but looked bewildered. You quickly climbed the stairs.

“What’s wrong?” He asked in a daze. You pulled him into a hug and farther from the edge. Your body was shaking and he confusingly pat your back reassuringly.

“Don’t scare me like that,” you chided him before mentally kicking yourself. If he was that bad, he needed support not anger. He really didn’t seem to get it.

“What are you talking about? What’s got you so scared?” He finally said clearly.

“I thought- I thought you were going to jump,” you said burying your head in crook of his neck. Your fingers gripped the back of his shirt tightly and you listened to his heartbeat. You might never let go of him.

“Oh shit. I wasn’t- no. I just needed to think,” he said rubbing your hair gently. “Sorry I scared you.”

“It’s okay. I’m just worried. It’s a lot to lose your brother. Maybe you should talk to someone,” you said gently. He looked at you guiltily.

“I’ve been a little too lost in it, hu? Sorry. It’s just that.... I never expected this to happen. He always seemed invincible. He’d jump off the roof with no hooks or nets and swing on light poles before landing on the ground and wouldn’t hurt a thing. He’d take on metas and come out unscathed. That was just Dick, you know?” Tim said after a minute. “Nobody knew how he did it.”

Tim pulled you both to sit on a lawn chair on the roof. Your fingers played with the back of his hair and you couldn’t stop looking at him because you had never been so worried to lose Tim before. He flinched at the sight of how you looked at him. You were genuinely terrified earlier.

“I wouldn’t jump. I wouldn’t do that. Especially not to you,” Tim said and it scared you that you weren’t sure if he meant that he’d never do it or not where you’d possibly see. “Don’t worry. I’m right here.”

You let yourself believe that and you leaned into him, pressing your ear against his chest. His heartbeat calmed you and you listened to it as he rubbed your back. He stared out at the sky and Tim didn’t know how long you were both out there before he noticed that you had fallen asleep. He smiled a little.

Then his next thought was the logistics of getting you down to your bed without waking you. The fire escape wasn’t exactly built for carrying people through. Soft goosebumps were on your arms in the cold and Tim carefully picked you up and miraculously made it back into your apartment. After a few hair raising seconds where he almost smacked your head and feet on a door frame, he managed to get you in bed.

You hands had a death grip on his shirt and Tim was pulled into bed. It wasn’t the worst idea to get some sleep. And he certainly felt that he owed you some peace of mind after he scared you so bad. When was the last time he fell asleep? He laid back and you clung to him tightly.

The next morning you woke up warm. Far too warm. And arm was thrown over your face that you wiggled out from under and another held your back. You stretched your fingers that felt like they had been gripping something all night. The sun was out and Tim was still in bed. You put the pieces from the night before together and looked up at his face.

There was no scowl or wrinkle in his brow. He looked peaceful. His lips had a slight pout in sleep. His face had a light smattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks and his hair had fallen over his eyes. You gently brushed it back to get a better look at his beautiful face. You held the back of his head as light as you could while staring at him. You almost never got this view and you just watched him sleep for a few minutes.

“Isn’t it rude to stare,” he said after a while. You jumped a little and laughed.

“Did I wake you?” You asked.

“No. I think I actually got a full night sleep,” Tim said and he still hadn’t opened his eyes.

“Yeah, we should probably get breakfast,” you said moving to get up. Tim wrapped his arms around you tighter and squished you to his chest. You squeaked.

“Not yet. A few more minutes,” he mumbled almost back asleep. You chuckled and booped his nose. Tim’s eyes flew open. “What was that?”

“Waking you up,” you said and he gave you a fake glare before his arms slowly moved. Then Tim attacked your sides with a tickle. You shrieked and jumped back before he stopped. He smiled at you almost ruefully before gently kissing you chastely. His smile fell when he pulled back.

“I’ve got to go to Bludhaven today. Take care of some of his stuff that he’d want to keep,” Tim said and you frowned.

“Do you need me to go?” You were still worried about him.

“No, Jason is going. Don’t worry about me, okay,” Tim said seriously. “I need to get up because he’ll be here in 30 minutes? Maybe?”

The knock on the door said that his timing was a little off. Tim got up to go answer it. Jason stood there and he frowned as he looked Tim over.

“That’s your clothes from yesterday.”

“I’ve got to change,” Tim said, letting him in. You came out of the room with a sweater over your clothes and smiled at Jason who nodded his head at you. Tim went in the bedroom to change.

“Hey,” you whispered, barely audible. Jason looked at you confused. You hadn’t really interacted much before. “Watch out for him. He’s not okay. Alright?”

Jadon just nodded. “Anything I should know?”

“No. Not really. He scared me last night,” you admitted as you put on a pot of coffee. Jason gave you a look that clearly read ‘do I need to kick his ass?’

“What did he do?”

“He just stood on the roof edge. I thought- I thought he was going to jump,” you whispered and Jason’s face dropped. Tim hadn’t exactly had the most self preservation in his history.

“Shit, seriously?” He said with a sigh. You nodded.

“But he just seemed confused when I found him. I’m worried. Just watch out for him, okay?” You said.

“What are you two talking about?” Tim said walking in the room, throwing on a tie.

“Really? A full suit?” Jason said rolling his eyes.

“Yeah, one of us needs to look like a functional adult in case someone stops by. I can’t exactly wear sweats everywhere as WE’s CEO,” Tim said. You straightened the tie and collar.

“... and then there is you,” Tim said looking at Jason after you were done. “You look like you tattoo out of the back parking lot of a Denny’s.”

“Maybe I do,” he said dryly with a little curl to his lip. “Come on. We don’t want to be late.”

Tim nodded and gave you a kiss and Jason groaned by the door. He gave the ‘come on’ hand gesture. Tim rolled his eyes.

“I don’t know when I’m going to be back. See you later.”

“Bye.”

Half ways down the highway, with Tim as a captive audience, Jason starts to talk.

“How are you doing?”

“Fine.”

“Cut the shit. For real,” Jason said, violently passing a slow car on the highway in his truck. Tim grips the dash and is sure he’s going to die.

“I’m fine. Why do you think I’m lying?” Tim said through gritted teeth. Jason keeps driving roughly.

“Well, your girlfriend thought you were going to kill yourself last night and that isn’t exactly the first thought I’d have if I saw you on the roof. So either she’s being dramatic or you’re acting really off. Which is it, Timbo?” Jason said. Tim never missed Dick more. Jason had the subtly of a butter knife to the gut.

“I might be a little sadder, sure. I mean, my brother died,” Tim said. “Can you drive without trying to kill us?”

“I’m driving fine. Go on,” Jason said, crossing 3 lanes. The squeals of car horns behind them tell Tim he isn’t the only one that doesn’t like his driving.

“I’m gonna die in this car,” Tim muttered. Jason glared at him. “Watch the road! Okay. Fine. I feel numb. Okay? Like I don’t feel happy or sad about anything. And I’m fucking guilty because I should be over the moon because I just moved in with my girlfriend and then...”

“Then your brother died. It’s normal to feel like shit Tim. But to be numb.... you ever think you’re depressed?” Jason asked.

“I don’t know. I have anxiety,” Tim answered.

“You can have both. Is it this exit or the next?” Jason asked two second before the ramp comes up.

“This!” Tim yelped and Jason turned them off to a side road going at least 70 mph. Tim held the dash and considered praying despite being an atheist. Jason finally slowed down enough to not look like he’s driving a getaway car.

“I think you should see a therapist. I can give you mine’s number,” Jason said and Tim quickly turned to look at him.

“I didn’t know you went to therapy.”

“I was tortured, beat to death, and had to dig myself out of my own coffin. Does that seem mentally okay in anyway?”

“I mean, no. But I don’t know,” Tim said with a shrug. He just hadn’t thought about it.

“Anyways that’s not the point. The point is that she’s used to Gotham’s brand of bullshit and will help you. Okay?” Jason said driving into a parking lot and skidding into a space. “If you scare your girl like that again, I’ll knock you out.”

“Yeah. I won’t scare her again. It was an accident. And I’ll talk to your therapist,” Tim agreed. Jason nodded.

“Let’s go do something I’ve been dreading all week. Clean out golden boy’s apartment,” he said with a grimace. And they did. Anything of value was personally taken by the pair. Anything of Nightwing or Robin. Any Flying Grayson stuff. Anything that his brothers had gotten him. A moving service was moving the rest to a storage unit later that day.

Jason sat on the concrete steps outside the apartment and tossed Tim a beer. Tim barely caught it before sitting down himself. Jason pulled out his own.

“Jason, I’ll pay you ten thousand dollars to not drink that before we leave. Can we have this moment at the manor after we survive the drive home?” Tim asked and Jason sighed.

“Sure kid. Dickhead wouldn’t have liked me getting you drunk anyways. Let’s get this stuff back,” Jason said and they both went to the truck.

After dropping off the stuff and talking to Alfred, Tim and Jason were back in the truck. The beers were mercifully forgotten. Jason passed him a paper with a name and number.

“My therapist. You better call them. If not for you, for your girlfriend. You can just talk and shit,” he said not looking off the road. Jason knew better than to think that this kind of thing could be done for someone else. But he also knew it probably only took a tiny push for Tim to get help.

“Yeah, thanks.”

A few hours later Tim sat on his bed with his phone in hand. Yeah, he needed to call them.

[mizunetzu]

PART 3 OF ITS YOUR FAULT PLS !!!! I LOVE IT EKDBJSHD

Well since y’all asked so nicely-

——————

Kuroo x reader - it’s your fault (pt. 3) (final)

⚠️warnings - angst

Pronouns - male, he/him

part 1 can be found here!

part 2 can be found here!

——————

Sports sucks. That’s what Kuroo knew about (y/n), yet he still egged him on to play volleyball with him. He had a choice to say no, which was what younger him was hoping for, yet he still did it in hope of gaining his affection.

All his life he thought he was annoying. All his life he’d been in the mindset of how annoying he was, and how blissful it would’ve been for him to just disappear off the face of the earth.

So when (y/n) suddenly stopped showing up to practice, Kuroo didn’t expect himself to get worried.

He was starting to miss all the clingy touches, or the ‘good morning, Kuroo-kun!’ every single morning practice. He didn’t realize how quiet the walk was to his classes, or to and from home, when (y/n) wasn’t there to fill the noise on random things he found cool or how his day was. He didn’t know how expensive the drink (y/n) religiously bought him from the vending machine was, even though he bought him the drink with a smile plastered on his face like it was nothing.

“Oh, (y/n)? He quit the team.”

Kuroo dropped the volleyball he was holding. He’d gone up to coach nekomata to ask where (y/n) was, and why he wasn’t showing up to practice. But he was regretting asking in the first place. Nekomata gave him a sympathetic look.

Kuroo picked up his volleyball, gave him the best smile he could afford, and walked away. Why was he so devastated? Why did his heart feel like it sunk into his stomach? Why was his chest hurting like that? He should’ve been glad that (y/n) was finally gone.

So why does his heart hurt so much?

————

Kuroo figured he’d stop by his apartment to see what was going on. It’s been weeks, yet he couldn’t find him anywhere in his classrooms, and he nor Kenma could reach him on his phone.

When he walked up the stairs, looking for the ever familiar door to his apartment, he was nervous. For once in his life when going to talk to the boy, he was nervous. It wasn’t a good feeling, he never felt nervous to talk to him before.

When he noticed the door slightly ajar, he clutched the apology basket of sweets in his hand tighter. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to apologize for, though. Maybe for yelling at him, or maybe for something else.

“...hello? (Y-y/n)?” When he opened the door, he was met face to face with construction workers, and a blank apartment. Kuroos heart stopped beating. A man, who Kuroo believes was the apartment owner, looked at Kuroo, to his schools jacket, and down to his basket saying “I’m sorry (y/n) :(“

“Oh? Are you here for that (h/c)-haired kid?” Kuroo nodded vigorously.

“Sorry bud. He moved out a few days ago.” Kuroo couldn’t hide the devastated frown from tugging at his lips. He mumbled a small “sorry” and spedwalked out of the building.

He spammed (y/n’s) phone, probably texting more than he ever did his whole life combined, with “where are you’s” and “hey look I’m sorry, okay? Please answer me’s”

None of them were even read.

Kenma didn’t react well to knowing one of his best friends moved away so suddenly. Unlike Kuroo, (y/n) was good friends with him, practically attached to the hip. When Kuroo told him he couldn’t find (y/n) at his apartment, Kenma clutched his ds harder and glared at the screen like it was it’s fault for making him disappear.

But as much as Kenma blamed the ds, they both knew it was Kuroos fault.

———

Kuroo strived to be a better person. He came to terms with his feelings for (y/n), and how he could never repeat his mistake again.

He grew to love (y/n), and he messed it up so bad.

He’d be sure to never lead anyone on again, minus when he’d lead his team to victory as their new captain. He’d try and hold less grudges, tell someone when he doesn’t like them, as to let them down easy instead of blowing up in their face, and even bought his team snacks and filled up their water bottles during practice.

Kuroo walked around the unknown streets of miyagi, scanning his eyes for a mop of bleached hair. He knew Kenma got distracted on his phone, but this was excessive, even for him.

Eventually, his eyes landed on two bright figures. Kenmas usual bright blond hair, and a tuft of orange next to him.

“Kenma!”

Kenmas head whipped up, and he shut off his phone, but then a flash of (h/c) came into his peripherals. He looked a little further down and locked eyes with someone who made his throat close up.

(Y/n).

He looked older. Not in the way that he looks physically older, but he carried himself with a somewhat mature, grown stance that made Kuroo so a double take. His hair was slightly longer and he was wearing a black team jacket instead of the red Nekoma jacket he used to wear. Shocked (e/c) colored eyes morphed into an expression of pure resentment, making Kuroos shocked happiness short lived. Kenma walked up next to him, about to ask what happened when Kuroo turned his head away, walking with his head down.

Kenma waved bye to Hinata, when his eyes landed on (y/n). He was talking to a silver headed guy, with a distasteful frown directed at Kuroo. He didn’t say anything though, just ducked his head and walked beside his captain.

———

(Y/n) kept his eyes fixed on the ground, as Nekoma and Karasuno stood in a line, facing eachother. Kenma was practically standing in front of him, shocked to the core, but also averting his gaze. Not just because (y/n), but Hinata next to the boy was staring at him with his mouth agape.

Eventually everyone filed into the gym, Hinata stopping Kenma to talk, while taketora eyed him menacingly. (Y/n) side-eyed the little interaction with an unwanted jealousy. He wanted to talk to Kenma, he WAS his childhood and best friend. But it soon dissipated when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

That jealousy turned into hatred.

“Can we talk, (y/n)?”

(Y/n) slapped Kuroos hand away and stepped past him, pushing him back slightly with his shoulder.

“Don’t call me that. You have no right. It’s

(L/n).”

Kuroo watched as (y/n) stepped into the gym, his lips pressed into a fine line.

—————

(Y/n) sat on a bench in the corner with an obviously closed off aura, watching as people set up the net or the players from both schools talked to eachother. He walked as Kuroo shook hands with Daichi, not noticing the mop of bleached hair sit himself next to him. (Y/n) flinched when he felt something brush his shoulder.

He whipped his head around to find Kenma, sitting right next to him, but looking straight in front of him. He said nothing, and fiddled with his fingers. Guess he didn’t change, even after a new school year.

(Y/n) relaxed a bit and went back to stalking his team and old teammates with a somewhat less intimidating aura. They sat in heavy silence for what seemed like forever, until (y/n) coughed into his Karasuno jacket.

“S-so how you been Ke-“

“So you’re just not gonna tell me why you left?”

Kenma was looking straight at (y/n), with his normal, neutral gaze. It looked like his normal face, but (y/n) knew how hurt he was. He understood, though. He would be hurt too if his best friend moved without saying goodbye.

“I’m...I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine.”

More silence consumed them. Sounds of sneakers squeaking and the rustle of the net being hung up seemed to vanish under the cloud of quiet sheltering them. Kenma stood up.

“I’m not mad. But I know why you left. And I’m not saying it’s a stupid reason, but you should talk to him.”

Kenma walked away without another word, leaving (y/n) to trail his eyes over to his old teammate, now captain. The frown that summoned up on his face came naturally, despite taking Kenmas words to heart.

He also stood up, brushing himself off and turning his cheery attitude back on. Why play a game with a frown when you’re about to destroy your old team?

—————

(Y/n) wasn’t mad he lost. He was actually quite satisfied with ticking off some of his old teammates by receiving spikes or feints no one saw coming. He sort of felt like an inside man. A spy even. It wasn’t enough to secure a win, but (y/n) never really cared for that.

Everyone was bidding their new friends goodbye, or just idly standing by. He promised Kenma to unblock his number, but only if they never talked about Kuroo again. (Y/n) knew he was being petty, but if it meant never talking to that piece of shit again, so be it-

“Stop ignoring me.”

Speak of the fucking devil. (Y/n) didn’t turn around, choosing to clutch the edge of his black jacket instead.

“Then stop trying to fix a friendship that never existed, Kuroo.”

“Oi!” Kuroo grabbed onto (y/n’s) shoulder harshly, pulling him back and making him stumble a little. (Y/n) pried and clawed at Kuroos iron hard grip. As much as he hated to admit it, he missed Kuroos touch, a lot.

“Can we please have a civilized fucking conversation? I’m fuckin begging you here!”

“Stop fucking cursing and let go of me you fuckass scheming bitch!”

(Y/n) swung at Kuroos head, but avertedly missed. He wasn’t sure if he missed on purpose, or if Kuroo ducked. Kuroo grabbed onto (y/n’s) waist, earning a choked squeak, and hauled him over his shoulder. Kuroo looked for a secluded area, ignoring the fists digging repeatedly into his back and the confused stares he got passing by his team and (y/n’s) teammates.

Kuroo practically threw (y/n) off his back, him stumbling down and hitting the back of a wall a bit harshly, and trapped him between his body and the wall. Both of his hands were on either side of (y/n’s) head, and his legs were long enough to trap him in if he tried to escape.

(Y/n) shrunk back into the wall ever so slightly, but kept the scowl present on his face. Kuroo pursed his lips and sighed.

“(Y/n)-“

“Let me go. I don’t wanna tal-“

“GODDAMNIT (Y/N) IM BUSTING MY BALLS HERE TO TELL YOU THAT IM SORRY!” Kuroo slammed his hands against the wall again, earning a surprised flinch from the smaller boy. “FUCKING LISTEN TO ME! PLEASE!”

Kuroos eyes softened a bit when he finally met eyes with (y/n’s) petrified form, cowering against the wall with his arms tucked in shakily. (Y/n) was quick to push past Kuroo though, diving past him and turning around, free from the wall.

“You see-this is what I fucking hate about you! You act so slick and perfect to the point where you lead people on to think they mean something important to you! I wanted to be a writer, Kuroo! I gave that up to spend my time bouncing a fucking volleyball around with you, and what did I get?! Nothing! I only did it for your stupid friendship, yet I didn’t even get that!”

(Y/n) practically had steam rolling out up his ears, and his words dripped with pure hatred with each retort. Kuroo opened his mouth to speak, but (y/n) beat him to it.

“So if you really want to apologize, give me back the blood sweat and tears I wasted on this stupid volleyball shit!”

(Y/n) punched at Kuroos chest with trembling hands. He kept punching and hitting Kuroo until Kuroo gently grabbed his wrists and pulled him into a hug. Kuroo felt him balling his fists into his back, trying to push him away, but he knew he was stronger. (Y/n’s) mouth was muffled by the cloth of Kuroos shirt, yet he still kicked and screamed at the top of his lungs.

“LET ME GO! I WANT MY CHILDHOOD BACK! I WANT ALL THE YEARS I COULD’VE BEEN WRITING OR LITERALLY BE DOING SOMETHING I ACTUALLY FUCKING LIKE BACK! ITS YOUR FAULT! ITS YOUR FAULT THAT MY ARMS HURT EVERYDAY! ITS YOUR FAULT I GAVE UP ON WRITING! ITS YOUR FAULT! I HATE YOU! I HATE VOLLEYBALL! I FUCKING HATE YOU! I hate you! I-I hate...I....”

Yelling turned into incoherent sobs as (y/n’s) punches died out into love taps. Kuroo said nothing, rubbing circles onto (y/n’s) back, who finally gave up and weakly wrapped his arms around Kuroos waist. He stained Kuroo with his salty tears, choking out half assed “let me go”s in between hics and sobs like a broken record.

They stood like that in comfortable silence, Kuroo combing fingers through (y/n’s) hair while the smaller boys sobs turned into occasional sniffles. Kuroo rocked gently from side to side, attempting to calm him down until he was ready to talk.

“I just wanted to be your friend, stupid Kuroo...” his words were barely understandable through the cracks and sniffles of his voice-also being muffled by Kuroos chest-but the taller boy heard every word as clear as day. He rested his chin on top of (y/n’s) head, looking off to the side.

“Sorry. If it means anything, I was stupid enough to hold a childhood grudge against you. You did nothing wrong. I just...i was dumb and disliked you because I thought you were lazy and annoying even though you were anything but that and...yeah. Sorry.”

Kuroo pulled away from the hug, the cold air hitting (y/n) like a truck. He silently whined at the loss of contact, wiping away stray tears with his team jacket. Kuroo awkwardly held his hands behind his back, his tongue suddenly feeling too big to fit comfortably in his mouth.

“...I’m sorry too.”

(Y/n) averted his gaze, his eyes half lidded and puffy from crying. Kuroo looked at (y/n) with a blank expression.

“Why?”

“For um...being annoying or something. And like...bitching a lot. I’m sorr-.”

Kuroo grabbed hold of (y/n’s) shoulders and shook him violently. “Don’t apologize! You don’t have anything to be sorry for! It’s my fault! Let me take the blame!”

“God shut up you’re gonna make me cry again.”

“...sorry.”

Kuroo looked like a kicked puppy, which made (y/n) burst into a fit of laughter. Kuroos ears perked up as he was graced with the sight of (y/n) wiping happy tears off his face and clutching his stomach. It was a beautiful sight, so beautiful that it made Kuroos chest tighten.

Chuckles died out into snickers as (y/n) huffed and leaned against the wall.

“So-what are we? Friends?”

Kuroo hesitantly nodded, watching (y/n’s) face intently for any sign of protest. When (y/n) broke out into a smile, Kuroo felt like he was on cloud nine. Like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders after so long. He felt like he was flying.

“We should probably head back. I gotta go back to my schoo-“

“Yeah. Yeah that’s probably..smart...”

It was kind of bittersweet knowing you had to say goodbye to someone you just got your hands back on, but after (y/n) unblocked his number right infront of him before enveloping him in a hug, he supposed it was alright.

“Bye~! call me~” (y/n) mouthed out, stepping onto the bus. People started asking him if he was crying, or what that meltdown was about, but he just shrugged and put some earbuds in with a reserved smile.

Sports sucks. That’s the mindset (y/n) has, and probably will have forever.

But not when I’m with you.

——————

Epilogue:

“(Y/n)!” Kuroo ran up behind the boy and picked him up, twirling him around before setting him down. Tsukishima visibly gagged while Yamaguchi snickered behind him, stepping off the bus and preparing for the training camp.

“Yo! What’s up! God I missed you and your stupid hair.”

“I missed you too~”

...

“So...are we-“

“Yeah, that’s what we said on video chat right? I mean-if you meant it and all.”

“I DID!” Kuroo picked his new boyfriend up, this time placing a chaste kiss on the bridge of his nose.

“And god I love you so much.”

——————

And that’s it!! I hope you enjoyed this series!! Also thank you for 100 followers!! I’m so thankful!!

[fluffyskies]

hi friend! i was thinking maybe you could write a story about a character from both animes? bakugou meets shoyo ? one of my favs from both! just an idea ,'3

Oooh I love the idea!! X3 yes coming right up!

"Who are you?"

Lee Hinata! Ler Bakugou!

Warning ⚠️ a bit of swearing ;-;

It was almost in an instant that Bakugou was there with his classmates fighting another villain. But he somehow ended up in a portal that teleported him to who knows where. It wasn't a surprise that Bakugou himself got into to trouble.

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

"Ok let's do rock paper scissors to settle this" Daichi declared. The others nodded in agreement seeming this is the only way to stop the endless bickering.

"On three. One, two....three!" And everyone seemed to have chosen rock but there was one who chose scissors.

"Arhhhhggg!! No! Why'd I have to chose scissors! complained the tiny redhead. Kageyama chuckled "Serves you right carrot head". Hinata glared at him with daggers but all he got in return was a smug smile.

"So Hinata cleans up the equipment right?" asked Asahi.

"Yep! that's right" Suga said with a cheerful smile. Asahi nodded and went to collect his things in the locker room. Then everyone else followed all with content faces meaning that they were relieved that they didn't have to clean up.

Hinata began taking the volleyball net down and struggling to get it off the hook. Kageyama was leaving and he noticed the short spiker jumping to reach the net, so he walked over trying not to laugh at his failure.

"S-so need help?" putting a hand over his mouth to not giggle. Hinata looked over at him and squinted his eyes and made a pouty face.

"Pshh no I'm good and pleeeeaase I don't need your pity" and he turned away dramatically. The tall setter just shrugged and left with everyone else, while Hinata grumbled to himself. Though some of his teammates did ask if he needed any help like Noya and Daichi even that meanie Kageyama asked but he declined. Lost in thought he heard a loud crash in the middle of the court turning around to see what it was.

"Ouch! that hurt like hell, where the heck am I?" looking around it seemed he landed in a volleyball court room.

"Uhhh...who are you...?" asked the surprised kurasuno player.

"Huh?" the UA student looked at him. "Actually I should be asking who the fuck are you?" getting up and looking down at the short redhead. Hinata jumped and backed away a bit trying to figure out what just happened. The guy looked like he was wearing some sort of super hero suit and looked intimidating.

"Did you come out of a portal or something?"

"No I fell out of the sky, idiot! Of course I came through a damn portal!? I mean what else is more logical than that" and this is when he got a good look at who he was actually talking to. He stopped and took a step forward. "Wait a minute you kinda look like Deku why the hells that?".

"H-huh? who's Deku?"

"Eh that's not important just saying you kinda look like him but with orange hair that damn idiot" he muttered. "Anyways care to tell me where the hell I am?"

"W-wait shouldn't I be asking that? Since like it was you who came out of a portal and all"

"Heh, you wanna act smart with me?" taking more steps forward with a devilish smile.

"U-uhh what?" Hinata panicked because he looked scary and he looked like he could blast him to bits. "O-oh no of course not ehehe..." knowing this feeling all too well from Kageyama who seemed to let his anger on him alot.

"Well, if your not gonna tell me then I'll just have to force you" and with that he charged at the short redhead and knocked him over making him squeak. "Now are you gonna tell me who you are and where I am?"

"No! You answer me first!" he yelled at him

"Ok it's your choice" and he began scribbling kinda hard on his sides. And much to his surprise he was indeed ticklish.

"HahEY thahahat tihIhicKles!"

"Yeah it must tickle a whole lot, now tell me your name" he asked again but all he got where high pitch giggles coming through this mouth. So he stopped to let answer.

"Ihihi saihihid yohohohu fihihirst!!" he squawked. All Bakugou did was hum in response and he scittered his fingers on his tummy thinking that would be a good spot to target next. Hinata screeched and wiggled around like a fish out of water desperately trying to get away from those wiggling fingers. His hands were free but he couldn't seem to drag the other guys hands off of him and he was weakened from the tickles.

"Are you gonna answer?" he asked with a smug grin as his fingers dangerously got close to tickling his bellybutton and his laughter got panicky.

"Ohohok ohohok!! mihihiy nahahame ihihis HiNaTaaaahahaha!!!" he giggled hysterically.

"Hinata huh? I'm Katsuki, now where am I?"

"AhahahahAhaha!!" his eyes were squeezed shut and his nose all scrunched, and his body jolting with each ticklish touch. He seemed out if it and all he could do was laugh freely and try to struggle.

The short tempered hero sighed and stopped again to let him catch his breath listening to the titters still spilling out. Then setting his hands on his waist not moving just sitting there waiting for the next attack.

"N-nhhgg! H-hehey wahatch it!" he giggled.

"Hmm? Why?" he grinned. The smaller guy went silent squirming a bit and a nice pink hue was plastered on his cheeks. Bakugou chuckled and began lights wiggling his fingers into the sensitive flesh on his hips making the redhead toss his head back and forth trying to cope with the ticklish sensations. As he thought this was a bad spot so his kept his touches light which proved to be quiet effective.

"Ok I'm gonna ask for the last time where the heck am I?"

"Ehehe Ihihi-cahahan't!"

"Can't what?" he didn't get an answer so he just dug in and squeezed at the skin. And he was rewarded with booming laughter and alot of twisting and turning.

"W-WAIHIHIHIHIHIT!! N-NAHAHA! S-STAHAHAP IHIHIHIHIT REHEHEHHALLY TIHIHICKLES!!!" he laughed hysterically trying to push the other off but couldn't find the strength to do so.

"So are you gonna tell me?" he asked once more while digging in and squeezing every ticklish part on his hips making him go mad. Now that he thought of it this guy really does remind him of Deku the two things they have in common is that they can really piss him off and they have the same tickle spot. Pulled out of his thoughts he heard vague speech through all his laughter.

"OHOHOK OHOHOK IHIHILL TEHEHELL YOHOHOHU!! JAHAHAST P-PLEHEHEHESE STAHAP!!!" he yelled.

With that Bakugou seized his attack and climbed off sitting next to him as he calmed down from the tickle onslaught. After he seemed to regain his breath he told him where he was but didn't know how to get him back.

"Uhhhgg great now what the hell do I do" he groaned. And if was on cue a portal opened up and both of them looked up and saw a figure come out. To Bakugou's surprise is was Deku!? Hinata saw a small guy with a cool hero suit on and green curly hair.

"Ah there you are Kacchan! Come on we have to get back to the school or Aizawa is gonna get mad" he said and took a glance at who was sitting next to him. Bakugou got up and dusted himself off.

"About time you came and how the heck did you even find me?" he asked.

"Oh that! Well while we were fighting that villain I saw you fell into a portal and I had to ask Hatsume for help after they were defeated, but anyway we should get going this portal won't stay open for ever"

"Alright let's get going, and by the way Deku this guy over there reminds me of you heh" he joked giving his hip a quick squeeze.

"E-ek! w-what do you mean by reminds you of me?? he squeaked.

And they both left going into the portal with Bakugou giving a small akward wave good-bye. Then they were gone and Hinata layed down trying to process what happened in the last hour. Maybe he should of took his friends up on their offer to help...

[fallingappleshurt]

Bouncing Through The Years

Helllloooooo, this fic is set in @antarctic-bay s fd au! Please keep in mind what I write might not be canon! (Sorry for the tag)

Skeppy and Techno friendship fic!! :DD

There are no real set ages in this fic, it’s just Skeppy and Techno from a young age bonding over Skeppys trampoline and being buddies!

Swearing but you probably already knew that

Hope you enjoy! (:

Techno had just finished the dishes when someone started pounding on their front door, he would have ignored it but he heard;

“Techno! Techno! Open the door!”

Techno dried off his hands and opened the door, Skeppy standing there panting, a hand on his chest.

“Techno- I got- I got a trampoline!” He wheezed.

“Really?”

“Yes! Come on, I wanna show you!” Skeppy grabbed his arm, Techno shook him off.

“Okay hang on,” Techno started pulling on his shoes while Skeppy bounced in the doorway.

“I’m going to Skeppy’s!” He yelled.

“Don’t care!” Tommy yelled back.

“Tell Wilbur, asshole!” He turned and followed Skeppy out of their apartment building and down the street while Skeppy babbled about how he got it.

“My neighbor had it for a few years so we got it second hand.” He explained.

“And it’s a birthday gift?”

“Yeah! An early one so I can still use it before it gets cold.”

They went around the side of Skeppy’s house and tugged the huge white plastic gate open and Techno saw the trampoline. It was huge with a sagging net and ripped foam around the edges but other than that it looked brand new.

They pulled off their shoes and climbed through the opening in the net, Skeppy zipped it back up, and they started bouncing.

“Wait wait wait, I saw this on TV- I can do a flip, back up.” Skeppy nudged Techno away.

“Oh here we go-”

“Shut up and let me do this!” Skeppy shuffled from foot to foot, Techno snorted.

“Are you trying to rev up?”

“No! I’m just hyping myself up!” Skeppy took a deep breath then launched himself forwards, tucking his head close to his chest with an outstretched arm, and actually managed to do a flip.

And also punch a hole in the net.

He had flipped with his arm out and was too close to the edge. Skeppy pulled his arm out and shrieked while Techno cackled.

“Well, you did a flip.” Techno said, biting his tongue through a grin.

“Shut up!” Techno laughed harder.

“Okay, okay it’s fine, this is fine. I can patch that up later- probably.”

“Good job Skeppy.”

“You’re such a jerk!” Skeppy snapped back with no heat, he perked up a minute later. “I know a game we can play!”

“What is it?”

“It’s called popcorn, one person sits in the middle and curls up and the other people bounce around them and just to get the person in the middle to lose their grip and- like open their arms! Like a popcorn kernel!”

Techno nodded, “Sounds interesting enough, who’s going first?”

“I’ll go first,” Skeppy sat down in the middle of the trampoline and crossed his legs then wrapped his arms around them. “Now you jump around me.”

Techno started jumping, even acting like he was going to land on Skeppy a few times just to sike him out, but couldn’t get him to pop.

“You’re bad at this,” Skeppy commented as he flopped onto his side, arms still wrapped tightly around his knees.

“Shut up,” Techno jumped close to his head, Skeppy shrieked.

Techno was about to give up when the back gate cracked open.

“Techno!” Wilbur poked his head through the gate, “Phil says it’s time- what the fuck? Since when did Skeppy have a trampoline?”

“Trampoline?” Wilbur yelped in protest as Tommy squeezed past him to get a better look.

“Perfect timing- come help me pop this bitch.” Techno walked over and unzipped the opening. Tommy didn’t question it and ran over, pulling off his shoes, grabbing Techno’s outstretched hand and was hauled up.

“Tommy Techno wait, Phil sent us to come get you.” Wilbur pointed out, walking over and resting his hands on the metal rim.

“Just this one round?” Tommy asked, “Please Wil?”

Wilbur bit his lip then sighed, “Okay fine, one round.” He took off his shoes and climbed up. “How do we play?”

Techno explained the rules and they started bouncing again this time with much more success, bouncing Skeppy higher and higher until he lost this grip and flopped on the rubber.

“Can I go next?” Tommy asked, already sitting down in the middle.

“We really should be going,” Wilbur trailed off and looked between his siblings. Tommy stared up at him and Techno smiled weakly, in hopes to persuade him, “One more?”

Wilbur bit the inside of his cheek then finally nodded, “One more.” Tommy cheered and they started up again.

One more turned into several more, each person getting a turn to be the kernel. After they got bored of that they started on trying to outdo each other with tricks.

Skeppy did another front flip and managed not to punch a hole in the net and Tommy also tried to but was stopped by Wilbur who ‘didn’t want to see Tommy break his neck’. Techno did help hold up his legs while Tommy tried to do a handstand.

“I bet I could do a backflip,” Skeppy said, Techno rolled his eyes.

“If you managed too you’d probably punch another hole in the net.”

“Shut up that was one time-”

“Like an hour ago!”

“Shut up!” Skeppy shoved his shoulder playfully.

“I’d like to see Skeppy try to do it.” Wilbur said, resting his chin in his palm. Techno laughed, trying to ignore the waxy feeling the trampoline left on his skin.

“Someone believe in me!” Skeppy said, standing up. He kept trying to figure out how he would do it. After multiple attempts of twisting around and bouncing around Tommy groaned.

“Do it already!”

“I was just about to but you messed up my concentration!”

“Yeah, ‘concentration’.” Techno air quoted.

“You’re a jerk!” Skeppy shot back while Techno laughed.

“What the hell is taking you guys so long?” Techno turned and saw Phil standing at the gate, looking annoyed.

“Uh- we got distracted,” Techno offered weakly, “We were trying to watch Skeppy do a backflip but he keeps chickening out.”

“Hey!”

“Uhuh,” Phil nodded, looking exasperated.

“Phil you should do one, you’ve talked about it before.” Wilbur said.

“I can but-” He started only to be interrupted.

“I bet you can’t!” Tommy said, pushing his face against the net.

“I bet he can,” Wilbur shot back.

“He can’t, he's too old!”

“Alright that’s it,” Phil climbed onto the trampoline, “I’m gonna prove you little shits wrong.” He pushed Tommy’s head, “Then we are going home.”

Techno backed up to the edge along with everyone else and watched as Phil jumped up, arms outstretched, then pulled his knees to his chest then landed the flip perfectly.

Tommy gasped while Wilbur clapped, elbowing Tommy.

“I told you he could do it!”

“That was so cool- can you teach me how to do that?” Skeppy asked, leaning forwards on his knees, Tommy jumped up.

“Teach me too!”

“Later, now let's get going, you guys were supposed to be back like an hour ago.”

Techno got off the trampoline and pulled on his shoes, waving bye to Skeppy.

Techno had been hanging out at Skeppy’s house, laying on the basement floor watching random youtube videos with him because it was too damn hot to do anything else.

“I don’t know how those guys do it.” Skeppy commented, pressing his face into the floor.

“It’s ‘cause of the Environmental Johnson Equation.” Techno said simply, Skeppy nodded.

“Which is based off of the Equilibrium Maintenance Feature.”

“Exactly!”

The sun was setting when Skeppy dragged Techno outside since fiery light was no longer trying to melt the Earth. They bounced on his trampoline for a while, taking breaks to look at sunset as it shifted through dripping vibrant orange to soft pink and blue and an inky purple.

Skeppy laid down and Techno laid next to him. The air was humid but dry and there were more stars out then Techno had seen in a long time.

He pointed out different constellations and planets to Skeppy until Phil texted him to come home.

“I’m going to Skeppy’s!” Techno yelled, tying his shoe.

“Take Tommy with you!” Phil called back, Techno’s head snapped up.

“What? No!”

“Yes! I’m going to work soon and Wilbur is out!”

“Can’t he just stay home alone?”

“Not after last time!”

Techno groaned, dragging his hands down his face, “Tommy! Get your shoes!”

They were headed towards Skeppy’s house, kicking a rock between each other, when they were intercepted by Dream.

“Oh hey Techno, I was just coming to see if you wanted to hang out.”

“Big man Dream!” Tommy yelled, Techno slapped a hand on Tommy’s face and pushed him back.

“I gotta watch my little brother and I’m heading to Skeppy’s,” He explained.

“Oh,” Dream paused, “Mind if I come with?”

Techno shrugged, “I don’t mind, you can ask Skeppy when we get there.”

Tommy bugged Dream the rest of the way there.

“Why is your name Dream?”

“Uh-”

“Why are the tips of your hair green?”

“Well I di-”

“Why are you wearing a hoodie? Do you not have elbows?”

“Oh my god, Tommy, leave the poor guy alone,” Techno said as they reached Skeppy’s house. Techno pushed open the front door and took his shoes off.

“Hey Skeppy, I have two nerds with me.”

Skeppy was laying on the couch, “Great, who is it?”

“Tommy and Dream.”

“Oh that should be interesting.”

They argued about what to play before settling on Mario Kart. Techno took every opportunity to attack Skeppy which distracted both of them enough to the point where they were both lagging behind so Dream and Tommy were constantly neck and neck to finish the race. Dream’s whooping cheer drowned out Tommy’s playful yells as he fell back onto the couch dramatically.

“Skeppy can we get on your trampoline?” Tommy asked, rolling over, cheek against the cushion.

“You just wanna do something else cause I beat you!” Dream teased.

“No! I’m just bored with Mario Kart!”

“I mean, we can but you have to be careful because the net is gone.” Skeppy said, standing up. He didn’t bother to put his shoes on as he walked towards the backdoor.

“What do you mean the net is gone? Did you punch too many holes in it?” Techno asked.

“Shut up shut up,” Skeppy bumped Techno, “The whole net was shredded and it was easier to just take it off.”

“Yeah, sure.” Techno teased, bumping Skeppy back.

They went outside and got on the trampoline, Dream grabbed onto one of the poles and started to climb on it, wrapping his legs around.

“Dream this is pretty old, I don’t think you should climb on that,” Techno pointed out.

“It’s fine,” Dream twisted around on the pole, “probably.” He continued to twist around, pulling off his hoodie and throwing it aside. Tommy gasped loudly.

“Oh my god Dream is stripping?”

Techno snorted and Skeppy burst out laughing. Dream wheezed, he would’ve fell off the trampoline if Techno didn’t grab him.

“Tommy- Tommy- you can’t just- you can’t just yell that,” Techno covered his eyes with his hands, “Where did you even learn that?”

Skeppy ignored them, “Dream is this your new career path?”

Dream twirled around again, “Yes, this is my new goal in life!”

“I wanna be there when you tell the career counselor!” Techno butted in.

Techno was laying on the couch reading when his phone started to buzz non stop. When he checked it he found multiple texts from Skeppy.

“HELPPPPPPP”

“HOW DO U BAKE?!??!”

“TECHNNNOOOOOOO”

“PLEASE THERE IS FLOUR EVERYWHERE”

“DUDE”

“ANSWER ME PLEASE I NEED HELP”

Techno sighed and texted back “What?”

“U KNOW HOW TO BAKE RIGHT?? I NEED UR HELP!!!”

Techno texted back, “Alright” and after telling Phil where he was going he headed towards Skeppy’s.

What he didn’t realize was that he was completely unprepared to see Skeppy standing in the middle of his kitchen with batter all over his shirt and oven, broken egg shells littering the floor along with the aforementioned flour.

He stood there, trying to take everything in. “What the fuck?”

Skeppy looked at him sheepishly, “I don’t know what I’m doing, I keep spilling and dropping everything!”

Techno sighed, taking off his glasses, “That’s it, I’m not wearing my glasses anymore, I’ve seen enough.”

“Techno!”

“Alright alright,” He put his glasses back on, “What are you trying to do?”

“I’m trying to make a cake for my sister's birthday and it’s not going too well,” He trailed off, Techno nodded.

“I see. Show me the recipe.”

Skeppy texted him the recipe, it looked pretty easy, just a two layer lemon cake. Techno rolled up his sleeves and preheated the oven then turned to the mess of a kitchen, sighing.

“You’ve lost cooking rights.”

Skeppy changed and they both started to clean up the kitchen, sweeping up flour and scrubbing down counters.

“How the hell did you get flour on top of the fridge?”

“I don’t know!”

After they finished cleaning up they started on the cake.

“Why do you have brown sugar out? We don’t need it.”

“We don’t?”

“Oh my god you’re so bad,”

Skeppy measured out most of the ingredients while Techno mixed them together. They divided the mix and put in different pans then put it in the oven.

“Okay so for the frosting we need a lot of butter,” Techno said, scrolling through the recipe.

“How much butter?” Skeppy asked, opening the fridge.

“Like three sticks.”

They creamed the butter together with sugar and milk while waiting for the cakes to bake.

Once Skeppy pulled them out and tested to make sure they were cooked all the way through they went set them out to cool then watched TV while they waited.

Frosting the cake was a whole new idea.

The frosting was good but kept ripping at the cake even though it was cool. They combated this by dumping the frosting in big globs on the cake, this had the side effect of getting it all over their hands.

“Oh Technoooo,” Techno looked over to see Skeppy holding a glob of frosting, a familiar glint in his eyes.

“Is this really a fight you wanna start?”

“Nope nope nope nevermind.”

They soon finished and examined their work.

“It’s not the prettiest cake but as long as it tastes good,” Techno shrugged, wiping frosting from his hands.

“Yeah, thanks for helping me out with it.”

“Of course nerd.”

Skeppy rocked back and forth on his feet.

“Do you wanna go out on the trampoline?”

“Eh, why not.”

So they went out and laid on the trampoline, talking about anything and everything. Techno talked about how he didn’t want to go back to school, how everything stressed him out. Skeppy talked about how he felt like the expectations were going to crush him.

They were in the middle of their conversation when a loud crackle pierced the air. Both boys jumped, looking around Techno spotted a gold streak against the deep blue sky then an explosion of orange and yellow.

“What the-”

“What the hell is wrong with my neighbor? It isn’t even July yet!” Skeppy squinted through the trees and over the fence.

“They’re just trying to be festive!”

“Yeah- ‘festive’!”

Techno was two seconds away from ripping his hair out, he was going to lose his mind. Every teacher had decided to dump extra work on him and by third period he already had at least 2 hours worth of homework. Everything was too loud and the crowds and hallways were smearing together like paint.

He had a nervous twitch in his hand again and every noise grated against his skull. He was just trying to make it through the day and almost had when he noticed it was raining. He'd have to walk home by himself since Wilbur was taking the car to work and Tommy had practice.

It wasn’t that he didn’t like the rain he just didn’t like the rain while he was carrying all of his school supplies.

“Hey Techno,” He heard Skeppy bounce up behind him, “Wanna hang out after school today?”

“Can’t, I have too much work.”

“Do you wanna come over and work on it together?”

Techno sighed, “Sure, why not?” He let himself get dragged over to Skeppy’s house, hoping they’d actually be able to get some work done. He climbed into the front seat Skeppy’s rickety old car and watched the raindrops slide down the window.

They made it to Skeppy’s house and sat in his basement, softly playing music in the background while they worked on history questions. They divided the work and actually managed to do it faster, giving each other answers and working together before splitting off to different assignments.

After a while Skeppy poked him with his pencil, “Do you wanna go on the trampoline?”

“Isn’t it still raining?” Techno didn’t look up from his math sheet.

“Probably, but that’s what’ll make it fun!”

“Can’t, still gotta finish-”

“Shut up, we have been working for like hours, just take a little break, calm down, and have fun in the rain!” Skeppy grabbed his hand before Techno could protest “The worksheets will still be there when we get back,” Then he dragged him up the stairs.

The rain was chilly, not cold but enough to wake Techno up. They left their shoes in the kitchen then went out and on the trampoline, which looked to be skin and bones, the foam ring and net being completely gone and the metal springs rusting.

Jumping in the rain was exhilarating, the rain soaked his hair and clothes and splattered against his glasses. Skeppy would push him and Techno would grab him and drag them both down, landing on the wet, waxy mat.

His chest felt looser, his body felt cold but his heart was alive and pounding. They had started trying to jump in sync, to see if it would bounce them higher.

“You know, even though I don’t use this as much as I used too, I’m glad I still have it.” Skeppy said, Techno nodded.

“Yeah this is pretty nice especially since it hasn’t broken yet.” Techno agreed.

“Yeah it-” Skeppy was cut off when the mat ripped under his feet and both he and Techno fell through. Techno slid on the dampened ground and landed on his back.

Techno looked up at the sky through the tear, Skeppy’s shouts seemed muffled as he watched the rain fall and dot the earth. Then he started chuckling which evolved into full laughter as he laid under a broken trampoline in the rain with his best friend.

“What are you laughing at?” Skeppy asked, sitting up, grinning faintly.

“I- it’s just that-” Techno broke off laughing, he couldn’t explain why because it really wasn’t that funny, it was just the fact that they were talking about how much they liked the trampoline and how long it held out only for it to break.

Skeppy laughed along with him, shaking his head, shifting to lay next to him.

They stayed there, looking up and watching the rain fall.

[greekschist]

*slides you $10* got any.. poseidon & aphrodite headcanons to spare? ((love the new tag for them 🥺❤️))

you know what.... I have some spare time. for @godsofhumanity again for obvious reasons (ty vans ❤️)

Poseidon and Aphrodite headcanons Part 2

like vans said, chaotic drunks

it takes a LOT to get them going but when they do,, use your imagination

okay but "I AM THE SAND GUARDIAN GUARDIAN OF THE SAND" ft Hermes (okay but I actually have a video of me and my friend recreating that vine 😭)

petty snapchat selfies between Poseidon and Ares (poor dude just wants to see his gf but she's too busy making a sandcastle with her bff 😭)

"srry she's can't"

"don, this is the fourth time- fuck it I'm coming over"

and Ares thought he was joking but no, he walks in and finds Aphrodite patting at a life-sized sand tower

a dramatic rendition of "rApunzel rapUNzel let down your hair"

Poseidon is the chameleon 😭

sometimes they have sleepovers and that's bff time you know? so they don't bring servants or anything

and Aphrodite has Poseidon braid her hair and he's surprisingly good because of knots in nets and boats

but it also means that he will occasionally get distracted and leave her hair in actual fucking knots

also lettuce is like Aphrodite's favorite vegetable or something? she laid Adonis on a bed of it

so while it used to make her sad, she's moved on and now Sunday brunch always has a tray lettuce wraps

(which are actually really good)

matching "beach bitch" tote bags

okay I haven't stopped thinking about it but don't you think Ariana Grande songs give off their sort of vibe?

anyways,, they're disney hoes

"doWN wheRe it's bEttER uNDer the seA"

Poseidon laughs way too hard at The Little Mermaid Triton

you know how sometimes curse words are censored with a dolphin noise?

they ACTUALLY do that

like they'll curse in dolphin

"ehrerrrrrr" "..what did she say?"

and poor delphin, "she said 'gimme back my prada sunglasses you little bitchass motherfucking shit hole'"

siblings be like

aquarium visits though...

one of them will go feral one way or another and the other will physically hold them back

"mommy, what's that man doing over there staring at the shark" "honey don't point at people" *steers child away*

yes he's having a staring contest, what else is he doing?

Aphrodite's already at the gift shop picking out little fish erasers and stickers

they share clothing (obviously)

matching socks? check

matching tote bag? check

matching- what the fuck poseidon, i told you to wear the blue hoodie

yOU ARE WEARING MY BLUE HOODIE

this is my post for the day ty vans 😌 bye babes!

[phantomphangphucker]

Ectober Day 18: Ancient -  Adulting: But Ghostly Chap. 2: The Chronic Age Changer

Screwing up in the Fenton Lab was a pretty normal regular thing, but screwing up in such a way to botch someone’s age and humanness without actually changing said age and humanness was a weird one. The trio mess with the school, ClockWork messes with everyone, and Danny? Well, he is the mess.

Sam and Tucker are effectively ransacking Danny’s closet for clothing. Considering he was the only one that worn clothing in the triple XL size even though he was a medium on a good day. Though Sam has some fish netting to work with, shit was stretchy as Hell. So she cut out the crotch of a pair to make for a decent long sleeve fishnet crop top. Thank the Zone her bra cup size hadn’t changed. She’d also ripped up one of Danny’s older SlipKnot shirts -why did he even have this? He didn’t listen to SlipKnot?- and fashioned a nice skirt out of it with safety pins. The arm sleeves made for nice little pockets. And by nice, she means bigger that what girls' clothing usually came with.

Tucker was pretty well feeling stuck with a pinstriped green sweater and Tripp pants that were way too bloody long. Oh well, the bottoms were already torn to shit. In fact, did Danny own anything that wasn’t in questionable to piss poor condition?

The two turning to Danny, rolling their eyes at him still wearing the sweater sweats combination from yesterday. Him nodding curtly at the mirror, “this will have to do”, before turning to his friends and jabbing a thumb towards the door. Both of them walking out with him to go get breakfast.

Maddie grins at the trio of ‘teens’, “sleep well? No problems with your bodies?”.

Danny grins, “nope”, and honestly? It’s a pure miracle he wasn’t wakened up by some ghost or another. Sam and Tucker both immediately pointing at Danny and nodding. Maddie grinning at them, “good. I’d like to give you guys a very quick check over before you head out though. If that’s alright?”, while setting the pancakes down on the table.

The trio glance at each other and shrug. Looking to the Fenton Matriarch and speaking in unison, “sure”, making her smile more as everyone -mostly Tucker- starts stuffing their faces.

-

The whole getting checked over thing had been smooth sailing and show precisely zero change, which was technically good. More or less anyway. Maddie waving bye to them as they head out the doors. Danny glances between his to friends, “so, the shit you telling your folks? Because I doubt just not going home even resembles a plan”.

Sam rolls her eyes at him, “that’s literally one of your emergency plans”.

“Sam, no one is going to try murdering us over this”, Danny tilts his head, “or at least now that we don’t look like ghosts anymore”. Tucker inspects his hand, “actually I think we do but the spray stuff just cast some illusion shit”.

“Tuck, if that were the case then my hair would feel like fire. It does not feel like fire”. Both his friends grimace slightly but nod in agreement. Though Tucker hums, “I think the illusion includes feeling. Because that would be one mind fuck otherwise”. Sam just groans loudly, effectively communicating that he should shut the fuck up.

Danny rolls his eyes, “anyway, I’m going to run off and see Clocky pretty well as soon as we’re out of sight of FentonWorks. Not like school matters much for me and they can’t be bothered calling my folks any more”.

Tucker points at him, “and we still can’t decide if that’s depressing or not. Though yeah, you go do that”. Sam nodding, “and really? This ‘adult’ thing could easily be used as an excuse why you’re not there and a reasonable one at that”.

Danny blinks, genuinely looking pleasantly surprised, “huh. Who would have thought I ever would have a really good excuse to use?”.

The other two deadpanning, “no one”.

Tucker throwing his hands behind his head, “but who the heck’s going to believe this at first anyway? I’m mean I know I’ve always been good looking but this? Ho boy those poor ladies”. Sam predictably smacks him.

Danny shoves Tucker gently, “honestly man?”, pointing at Sam, “it’s her that’s gonna shock people. Ancients, just the hair alone will shock”. Sam lifting up the end of her hair and muttering, “true. This is going to annoy the heck out of me”, which everyone’s laughs at a little.

Danny glances around before saluting his friends, “whelp, I’m off. Enjoy the Hell of school!”, then switching to an almost comically singsong voice, “🎵Well I’m off to see the wizard🎵“, then promptly falls through a purple portal.

Sam blinks, “I still can’t believe they respond to that”. Tucker snickers, “eh they just like making him break out into song randomly”. Sam just snorts at that as they turn to go the little ways further before entering the school doors to death-Hell.

-

Danny stretches his arms up before dropping them and grinning wide as he spots his mentor, who looks fairly pleased with themselves. “Enjoying the view?”.

“Very much so, Daniel”, ClockWork turns to him and changes to their child form, moving to shit on his shoulder. Danny eyeing them and chuckling, “damn Clockpops, you are tiny. I mean, you usually are in this form but now it’s like, extra tiny”. ClockWork just chuckles faintly, their small smile growing ever so slightly. Which makes Danny smiles himself before gesturing his hands up and down himself, “so....about this....”.

-

Meanwhile. Sam and Tucker walk down the Casperhigh halls getting stared at by every person which was only making the pair of them smirking. None of the teachers looked to be trying to stop them, so obviously Danny’s folks went and called the school. Which was surprisingly responsible coming from them. Neither are surprised when Valerie’s the first to ask what the literal fuck is going on here.

Valerie slams her locker closed as the two come up next to her to open their lockers. She looks them up and down, managing to sigh and scowl at the same time, “okay. What did Danny’s crazy parents do know?”.

Sam points at Tucker and blocks his face off with the locker door, “actually it’s bad luck Tuck’s fault”.

“They invented the stupid spray stuff! And they’re the ones who didn’t make an undo button!”.

Sam outright ignores him. “He knocked over some spray stuff that made us look like adults. The hair’s pissing me off, wanna help me whack it off in the bathroom?”. She didn’t seem to have nerves -ghost nerves but still- in her hair now, so it should be fine.

Tucker sticks his head over, “well I think I look great”, and nods curtly. Sam muttering, “switch places and then we’ll see how you would feel”. Which makes Tucker tilt his head, “I’d be a girl then. Which could be fun”, which of course gets him immediately slapped by both girls.

Valerie grabs Sam’s arm and starts dragging her off to the bathrooms, scowling, “looks like you’re only physically adults”. Making Sam laugh as they get into the bathroom, while Valerie produces a pair of scissors from somewhere. No one bothered questioning how or where she always magically seemed to get sharp pointy things. Sam and Tucker though, are pretty sure her suit just makes them with its nanobots.

Paulina and Star glance over and watch the scene of Valerie yanking out one of the under sink stools and starting to hack at Sam’s hair. Both popular girls grimacing. Paulina eventually sighs, “okay no, machetona (tomboy) honey. You use scissors like peinabombillas (someone who combs light bulbs); are you trying to make her a complete pescada (butterface)?”, and stalks over, Star leaning against the counter.  

Valerie and Sam both turn to roll their eyes at the popular girl, “are you offering to cut my hair? You?”.

Paulina rolls her eyes and huffs, but it’s a dainty pretty huff, “well you can’t have hair longer than mine. Think of how that would make me look? Basura (garbage). And I’m in here so people will simply assume I was involved in this current hair disaster, which would be even worse to be associated with. I want to be a hair fashion hairdresser you know. After all-”, flipping her silky smooth flawless hair, “-clearly I know a thing or two”.

Sam and Valerie exchanges glances, speaking in unison, “figures”, but Valerie does push the stool over to be in front of the mirror. Paulina producing her own scissor from her purse, they’re small nail scissors though.

Paulina looking her over and humming, “pixie cut that’s a little more high fashion? That would piss that annoying mother of yours”, it was no secret, the entire student body hated Pamela Manson, though Sam has no idea how they all still didn’t know her family was stinking rich. Neither did Tucker, Valerie, or Danny. But considering the school still hadn’t figured Danny out, they were probably just supremely oblivious... or stupid.

Star taps her chin gently, “if we had clippers then an undercut would really do it”.

“Her hair is thick enough for it”.

Both popular girls blink at Valerie producing one, Sam snickering, “I’m all for this. Fuck my hair up”.

Paulina sighs but motions for Valerie to come over and starts pointing out where to shave and where -for the love of everything- not to. Star speaking up again while digging in her purse, “well could also put that red moulding paste on the tips of a spikier look”, looking at Sam and Valerie, “we brought it for the boys to look more intense at the game”.

Paulina hums, “pretty sure Dash just wants to mess Fenton’s hair up with it”, pointing at Sam and Valerie, “but you didn’t hear that from me, chica (girl)”.

Valerie tilts her head at Sam, “where is that boy anyway?”. While Sam scowls at Paulina but answers Valerie, “doing shit with his parents to fix this. Also-”, pointing at the bottle of red, “-why not”, smirking, “I wouldn’t recommend going after Danny though. I doubt Dash could even reach Danny’s hair effectively”.

Valerie blinks and laughs, almost fucking up with the clippers, “so the shortest boy in the school is now the tallest? That is hilarious”. Sam just smirks.

The clipper noises wind up attracting curious girls in which just leads to a hair party in the bathroom. None giving a damn about first block. Meanwhile, the teachers are all just very confused and annoyed. They’d heard one or two of the Defect Quartet were involved though and thusly stayed the Hell away. Especially since none of them knew where Daniel was, meaning he might be involved. Mrs. Suspensekee was the most on edge about that considering she had both male halves of the quartet in her biology class and only one was here, his feet up on Daniel’s chair and getting his facial hair ogled by all the boys around; he was clearly enjoying it very much.

Kwan looks overly excited as he speaks, “goddamn that’s so manly! You guys so have to sneak this stuff to school. I want to know adult me too!”, which predictably encourages a round of cheers.

Tucker waves everyone off like he’s calming a group of cheering fangirls, “now now, it only works around Danny and does more than just adultify you”, finger-gunning stupidly, “also ghostifies you but we fixed that, not without getting a face full of ecto-weapons though”. That absolutely makes the entire class cringe, some even experiencing flashbacks to their own unfortunate run-ins with armed Fenton’s.

Jesse waves him off right back, “dude, I’m down to see ghost me too”, which gets more cheering. Nobody questioning why this stuff only works around Danny, he was weird, that was practically expected. Jesse pointing at him, “and does Danny have facial hair too?”, because honestly? no one could imagine that.

Tucker laughs, because again with the fire hair, not that he’s going to mention that. He’s not about to Danny-dude dirty like that, “he totally took after his ‘uncle’ for that. Rocking a spikey goatee”. He’s also pretty sure he saw Danny put his hair back in a low ponytail without even realising he was kinda copying Vlad. Maybe adult Danny looking slightly Vlad-like was a sign the guy’s current trend of not being a villainous psycho constantly was going to be a long term thing. Vlad surprisingly didn’t suck at being a mayor. Guy might get re-elected without overshadowing everyone. He knows Danny’s so going to have to have a talk with him over where all the funds came from to keep up with town repairs. Vlad was an experienced bank robber after all.

Mrs. Suspensekee has to snap for the class to pay attention at this point or nothing’s going to get done.

-

Danny blinks at ClockWork, “you’re joking? Seriously?”, and bends over laughing.

“Indeed I am, they were quite upset”.

Danny laughs some more, “to be fair, Dan getting free and looking human would be pretty upsetting”, sighing, “not that I really appreciate that I look just like him”.

ClockWork doesn’t look away from their screens, “he is you, Daniel. Personalities and choices may differ but genetics and bodies seldom do. You’ll have his suit too, excluding his cape, as an adult ghost as well”, continuing over the boys groan, “it is far better than the green accented monstrosity another timeline featured”.

Danny tilts his head, “oh? That bad?”, and walks over. ClockWork changing the screens to show him and Danny instantly cringes, “okay yeah that’s bad. Why would I do that? What would make me think that looks good? What’s up with the lines all over my neck? Ancients that clashes horribly. And what’s even the point of the wrist blaster? I can shoot ecto-beams already. And the green circle over my crotch? I don’t even want to know. Ew”. ClockWork chuckles lightly and nods in agreement.

ClockWork floats around and fiddles with things some, “how your suit looks isn’t truly up to you I’m afraid. It is much like your skin, a natural part of you that will grow and develop as you do. A human can alter the appearance by tanning or dying their hair, but it never truly changes. Ghosts, however, can not truly alter their base form at all beyond putting things on”.

Danny nods, “like Ember putting clothing over top or Skulker’s suit, right?”.

“Precisely”. ClockWork turns to face him, “now for your current appearance-based predicament, unfortunately your parents are correct, Daniel. This is not something they can correct. Unless of course, you feel like being a full human again”.

Danny immediately blurting out, “Zone no”, honestly? he probably couldn’t handle being a regular human again. Having to actually open doors to go through them? The shame. Having to walk everywhere? How barbaric. ClockWork smirks, “as I thought”.

Danny sighs and slumps down into the purple plush couch, leaning his head back comfortably, “so I’m stuck with this then?”.

ClockWork hums, “think about Dan and I believe you’ll come up with something”. Which makes Danny groan and grumble about never getting straight answers. “Though to answer your friends concerns, no this hardly damages time in anyway”, floating over and wagging their finger in his face, “if it did I would have showed up before your parents saw and that spray would have mysteriously disappeared”. Danny nods and waves his hands around, acknowledging that that was probably pretty accurate and probably should have been obvious to him. ClockWork does something close to a fond sigh and pats his head.

Both turning to the sound of shots, “CLOCKWORK!”. ClockWork turning to Danny, “sounds like it’s time you head back”, holding up a finger, “and I think I might just join you”, promptly changing to their child form and unzipping Danny’s backpack.

Danny screws his face up and starts laughing at ClockWork sticking their small head out of the open top, Danny picking up the backpack, “you know, I don’t think there’s a such thing as bring your ghost to school day, but fuck it, I’m making one”, both of them smirking while Danny puts on his backpack and ClockWork spins their staff to make a portal. The two disappearing through it over the backdrop of screaming Observants.

-

Tucker knocks over his third pan in home ec, tilting his head back and sighing, “being tall is slowly becoming a pain in the ass”.

Ms. Relish sighs, “language, Tucker. Though yes, I would appreciate only having one student that damages practically everything they touch”. Tucker holds up the pan, “but I didn’t dent it?”.

“Which thank you for, but do try to be.. more...”, the teacher trails off as a freaking giant of a man walks in.

Tucker looks around at everyone with a wicked grin splitting across his face, eventually bending over and laughing his ass off at Ms. Relish muttering, “hot damn”.

Danny makes a few facial expressions before settling on a smirk, “why Ms. Relish are you hitting on a student?”, and gives a very overacted charming smile. The teacher chokes, while the rest of the class put together the context clues and scream, “FENTON!”.

Danny bows dramatically, “the one and only”. Then moves to join Tucker, swinging his backpack off his shoulder as he goes. Tucker actually has to sit down on the ground to wheeze when freaking ClockWork pokes their head and arms out, resting their arms on the top of the backpack and throwing a small subtle smirk Tucker’s way.

Practically half the class mutters, “oh yeah that is so Fenton. The fuck is that kid doing”. While Danny waves everyone off over his shoulder, “ignore the little guy, they’re helping sort out some issues in exchange for hiding them from some ghosts annoying them”. The entire class blink at him and shrug after a bit, because come on? it’s Fenton. Lily grumbling, “of course he’d strike a bargain with a ghost”.

Tucker gets up and eyes Danny, “eyeballs?”, while the rest of the class continue to eyeball Danny; and Tucker a little bit but they were at least somewhat used to the guy being tall and sporting dreads. Danny being a brick shit house was a whole different story.

Danny has a ridiculously hard time keeping a straight face as he helps Tucker make the little stir fry dish -like always he was banned from actually touching the food due to multiple ‘food coming to life’ incidences- as everyone starts whispering.

“I can’t believe that’s Fenton, I feel like I’m committing a sin by saying he looks actually good”.

“Do you think literally anyone disagrees? ‘Cause the teach is totally right, damn. Puberty is gonna full body fuck Danny. Hot damn”.

“What the heck caused him to be so.. muscly though?”.

“I honestly wouldn’t even believe this if his dad wasn’t, like, the size of a freaking double-wide door. That man’s bigger than my little buggy car”.

“His dad could also throw your car. And have you seen his mom? Saw them at the swimming pool once and she had a solid pack of abs. Nice rack too”.

“Dude, no. How many times have I told you not to go after people’s moms”.

“Fuck. He could crush my head like a watermelon”.

“I just want to know if he even can use the muscles. Or is it just a looks muscular thing?”.

“Who cares. All I care about is seeing Dash and those other jock jerks cry and go home weeping and begging into their pillows to look like that someday”.

“I’m telling you, Dash is gonna have a beer belly. Totally gonna happen. And what? You gonna climb up to their windows to watch? Break in to collect their tears?”.

“Yes”.

“Doesn't your dad work for a Modeling agency? Should totally sneak a photo and get them to snatch him up early. Age matters you know”.

“Amber... you just want photos”.

“So?”.

“Think I should ask him if he, like, has some secret workout routine he does? ‘Cause no way that all built up in two or so years”.

“Dude, he probably doesn’t even know what he did to get that. You’ve seen that skinny ass twink in gym class, he does not work out. Probably started doing it hardcore after Dash really pissed him off or something”.

“Even if he did freaking steroids he wouldn’t build up that much muscle in two years, you idiot. And the kid makes a point to never change in front of others. Maybe he’s got stuff going on under his baggy ass clothing”.

“Oh fuck, wait, so you think that’s why he wears baggy ass shit? To hide it? But why the Zone would he do that?”.

“Why the Zone did he agree to bring a ghost to school? Why the Zone did he eat a screaming ghost Hot Dog? Why the Zone does he do anything. Don’t question Fenton logic, man”.

“Oh this so has to be his parents fault. Maybe started forcing him to work out to be a hunter. Not like his sisters going to take over their company or whatever”.

“His friends are all pretty fit too though, so must be some kind of group effort”.

“Goth chics always been fit af though. Tucker’s is surprising though. So maybe”.

“Oh whatever, I am so subscribing to whatever the fuck the Fenton family workout is”.

“Its ghost hunting, idiot. Wait, you don’t think-”.

Danny decides to butt in randomly at that, before people start getting ideas, “we have a helmet ghost fighting simulator thing. Makes for an okay workout on low mode”. Tucker pats his shoulder, seeing as the trio knew he never used that thing. No, all this was actual ghost fighting. Danny’s weird-ass biology probably played a part though. Danny was way more muscular than Tucker thinks a person actually can be. Someone would have to dedicate their life to being a muscle builder to achieve something close to this probably.

One of the girls hums, “they should sell that then. ‘Cause clearly it works. Mr. I Could Throw An Entire Brick Wall At Someones Face”.

“That is oddly specific”.

“Could he not?”.

“I didn’t say I was disagreeing”.

Tucker elbows Danny, “Sam got her hair cut by the way. She’s rocking the undercut again”. Danny quirks an eyebrow, “by who??? You cut like you’re drunk and Valerie is more experienced with curly hair I think”.

“Paulina”, Tucker raises and lowers his eyebrows rapidly with a smirk. While Danny raises both of his own eyebrows, “well damn, didn’t see that coming”.

ClockWork gives a cheery, “I did”. Earning chuckles and eyerolls.

ClockWork pipes up again after a while, pointing at the stove, “you're about to burn your food”. Tucker jumping a little, “what? Oh shit!”, and yanks the pan off the stove promptly burning himself and thus shoving it at Danny in a panic, “here! Mr. Cold Touch”. Though due to Tucker’s longer arms he winds up smashing the pan into Danny’s chest and dumping everything on his chest.

Danny stares down at the steaming stir fry covering his chest before dropping his arms to the side -one hand holding the hot pan and thus dropping whatever was actually left in the pan onto the floor- and gives Tucker a deadpan look, “really?”. Tucker bends over laughing immediately, though giving Danny his hand to chill; which Danny takes with an eye roll while mouthing, “you fucker”, down at ClockWork.

Ms. Relish walks over with a sigh, “put the pan in the sink before you burn yourself. And obviously I can’t mark this, but at least it’s not burnt”, that last bit sounds a bit sarcastic. So both boys shrug awkwardly at her; Danny does throw the pan in the sink though. ClockWork just smirks more, which the teacher makes a face at.

No one is surprised when Ms. Relish shoos the boys out, “I've had enough of your destructive tendencies. Out you go”. Though when Danny mumbles, “nice, now I can go change my stir fry covered shirt -fuck you Tuck”, everyone shoots up and over to the door. The teacher sighing and putting her head in her hands as the gaggle of teens poke their heads out the door and shush each other.

Danny and Tucker have their backs to the door but obviously know they’re being watched. Tucker elbowing Danny, whispering, “looks like you’ve got some adoring fans to please”. Danny blinks at him, “I feel like a stripper”, even ClockWork chuckles faintly as Danny hands off his backpack to Tucker.

Literally everyone gapes as Danny pulls off his shirt, rolls his shoulders, balls the shirt up like he’s very used to getting his shirts very messy, and looks over his shoulder to wink at them. Both Danny and Tucker bending over laughing right after while a couple girls fake faint, putting their arm over their foreheads and everything. The noise getting another teacher to stick his head out the door and sputtering in disbelief at Danny. “The Picture Of Dorian Gray! Put on a shirt Mr. Fenton!”.

Danny and Tucker exchange glances. Tucker chuckling, “I like how he doesn’t even need to question who you are”. While ClockWork pulls out a shirt from the backpack and hands it over. Mr. Lancer looking to the tiny ghost, “and for the love of Frankenstein, why do you have a pet ghost?”. The two boys absolutely laugh over that.

-

Valerie chokes in art class after checking her phone, someone having posted a photo of who was apparently Danny and with his clearly messy sweater off halfway. The sweater at least looks like something he owned. Her blurting out, “Danny what the fuck!?!? And how?!?!?”. Mrs. Remi just smiles to herself, Danny was one very interesting student to have. She likes interesting though. Oh yes she does as she watches him rush through the door, “I’m not late!”. Of course he actually was but she currently doesn’t care.

Basically the whole class sputters disbelievingly at the boy but not over his comment.

“WHAT!”.

“Oh Zone that wasn’t a photo edit”.

“Why do you have Thor’s voice? Better yet why do you get to have Thor’s voice?”.

“Holy damn”.

Mrs. Remi stands up, putting her hands on her desk and leaning towards the class, “alright, change of plans. Today we’re doing model studies”, pointing at Danny, “find a pair of shorts, a speedo, or strip”.

Danny blinks at her, “what???”.

She grins meanly, “it’s that or next month we’re having Mrs. Testlaff in here to do it”. The entire class immediately pales.

“Fenton get that sweater off now or so help me”.

“Dear Zone no”.

“For my sanity Fenton, please”.

Valerie stands up loudly, “off or I get the flamethrower. There are some things I don’t want to see”.

Danny just sighs, his life was some serious bullshit. Though Valerie might actually do that. Walking over to Valerie and dropping off his backpack, “you're watching them then, and not going murder happy”.

“What-”, Valerie cuts herself off at ClockWork popping their head out, also sticking out the end of their ghostly tail to wave. Valerie blinks, “what the fuck”. While ClockWork grins, “I’m providing the boy a little advice in exchange for some amusement. This has quite effectively infuriated some annoyances I have the slight misfortune of knowing”.

Valerie looks almost painfully slowly to Danny, “the fuck?”. Danny just smirks, finger-guns and disappears back out the door. Returning seconds later in shorts and just lets Mrs. Remi move him into poses all class.

Danny grumbles as class ends, “this was ridiculous and I feel judged”. Valerie walking over and shoving the backpack at him, “I don’t know why. Your body looks stupid good and that’s honestly freaky”, poking him after he pulls the backpack over his shoulder, “you are like a fucking rock. How, when, why”.

ClockWork pops out of the top of the backpack, “you are quite the rough one, aren’t you, Valerie Gray”. She squints at the ghost before looking to Danny’s face, “okay, and why did you tell It, them, whatever, my name?”.

Danny shrugs, “didn't need too”, glancing at ClockWork, who gives him zero sign to shut the fuck up, so he shrugs again, “they're omniscient”.

Valerie stares at him for a bit, “WHAT”. Making both boy and ghost chuckle and give slightly malicious looking smirks. Which she hits Danny over, “stop being creepy, and fuck, do you have fangs?”. Danny grins toothily over that. Her leaning up and forward, “well damn”. Making him laugh.

Danny readjusts his backpack to bring attention to ClockWork, who helps in that regard by messing up his hair, “and their all-knowingness is helping fix our ageing issues. Being all-knowing and shit, they know the fix which my parents do not”, glaring over his shoulder somewhat fondly, “not that the riddle has been all that helpful”.

Valerie blinks as they head to their last class, “so that’s why they’re with you? You’re bribing a ghost”.

“I already told you that. Less bribe, more equalish exchange of services. As for how this all happened”, gesturing his hand over himself as he skilfully avoids bumping into people, “pretty sure Sam and Tuck already explained”.

She scowls at him, “not that you idiot, the muscle. The height’s obviously your dad, but the rest? The Hell”. Danny honestly doesn’t know how to answer that, “well-”, he thankfully gets saved by Dash; which makes this probably the only time he’s happy to hear someone angrily shouting, “FENTON!”.

Danny very intentionally makes his voice noticeably deep and threatening sounding, “what?!?”, even putting a little fang into it. Even Valerie jerks a little.

Dash skids to a stop and just stares at him. So Danny quirks an eyebrow, sneering, “the fuck do you want, Dash?”. Dash blinks once, twice, and three times, “alright, I’ll bite. How?”, then scowling a little and seemingly regaining some of his lost bravado, “how’d a weak scrawny loser like you get to have this as your adult self or whatever your parents screwed up hairspray thing does”.

ClockWork leans over Danny’s shoulder, holding up a finger, “if I may, Daniel here is simply nice to you and lets you push him around. He’s been stronger than you for a while now”. Danny wants to smack ClockWork.

Dash immediately blurts out, “bullshit”. Danny rolls his eyes and points at Valerie, “Val could surplex you. It’s not that difficult. My dad can throw cars, Dash, and mom can kick a tree in half; this feels like this should have been expected”, rolling his hands, “and you’ve seen the shit Sam can do”.

Dash mutters at the ground, “that girl does scare me”, before looking back to Danny and glaring, “you ain’t no gym freak or anything, Fenton. Just a wimpy weak loser and losers don’t turn out like this. At best they wind up like the mayor, skinny suit-wearing and shit”.

Danny blinks and chuckles, “Dash? Vlad is lowkey ripped. Lean yeah, but he could whoop your ass so fast”.

Valerie gives him a funny look, “how do you know that?”.

Danny rubs his neck, “I may have been responsible for that whole incident where he got recorded on the news live naked”. ClockWork chuckles meanly while Valerie and Dash blurt out, “THAT WAS YOU!?!?”. Danny holds up a finger, “maybe. I’m not confirming or denying shit”.

Dash shakes his head and scowls, attempting to shoulder past Danny, who of course doesn’t move resulting in Dash muttering, “ow”, and very pointedly not rubbing his shoulder.

Valerie and Danny shake their heads but getting going to their class again. Valerie elbowing him as they sit down, “if your folks can’t make something to reverse this then why not something that can just make you guys able to change your physical ages at will or revert time to when you were younger”.

Danny blinks at her, “okay, how much thought did you put into that?”, that was actively creative and super out there. Ironic with ClockWork being here though.

She shrugs, “oh since Sam mentioned all this shit. Speaking of Sam”, she points at the door just as said goth strides through. Danny very pointedly looks her up and down, then whistling as she sits down. The faux hawk plus undercut did actually look good, the red tipping worked well too.

Sam rolls her eyes and shoves his head, then eyeballing ClockWork, “for the love of everything, why? Who are you trying to make suffer?”.

ClockWork looks to her and grins, waving a hand around, “everyone. I am rather Ancient, I get my kicks where I can”. Danny just chuckles.

After a while, Danny’s drumming his fingers on his desk and ignoring Mr. Trent’s constant glances. Thinking of it, Valerie had a decent idea. The time messing thing was probably a no go, somehow he doubts ClockWork would go for something like that. The age changing at will though...

Danny smacks his desk, “that’s it!”, making the entire class jump and snapping his desk in half. Him looking down at the broken desk, “shit sorry”. Mr. Trent just sighs and ClockWork pats his head. The whole class watching as he just shrugs and walks out of the class.

Sam, Valerie, and Tucker exchange looks and shrug. But Sam throws her hands up, Val chokes, and Tucker starts laughing as a little five foot four Danny saunters back in like the proudest thing ever with his clothing basically hanging off him. The rest of the class erupts into various freak-outs and descends into utter chaos. Mr. Trent is left grumbling, “I can’t wait till the lot of them get the Hell out of this entire school, please end my suffering”.

Sam scowling, “how?”. Danny smirks as he sits back down, leaning back, “modern problems, Ancient solutions”, leaning closer to Sam and Tucker, “also alternate timely ass could get up to all the age-related tomfuckery”.

They grimace a little but nod. Tucker throws his arm around Danny’s neck, suddenly noting how weird and funny it was how small he was, “guess we got to avoid your tiny ass now”.

Valerie looks at them and sighs, “do I even want to know?”.

The three exchange glances before smirking and speaking in unison, “no”; while the class continues to lose its collective shit in the background. How were they even supposed to explain that Danny’s evil older full ghost self could age shift meaning Danny just so happened to have that ability too? And that ClockWork, being a being that frequently age-shifted, was the best teacher, even if they basically did jack shit, for the ability? Plus, who would want to ruin the glorious beauty of the chaos going on around them right now with silly factual explanations? Bathe in the chaos. Accept that nothing makes sense. Regret baring witness to weirdo trio living up to their name. Worship Satan. Go nuts.

ClockWork, meanwhile, has slipped off comfortably back to their lair. Utterly unsurprised by the two Observants waiting for them with steam basically boiling off their eyes.

End

[artificialqueens]

Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor, 8 (Branjie) (and background everyone) - Ortega

a/n: ayo fam!!!! thank u so so sososo much for reading and sending love, it makes my heart HAPPY! i apologise in advance for this chapter…….a Lot goes on. wouldn’t be much of a rollercoaster if it was flat would it!! hope u will all still like me afterwards xoxo

fic summary: Strictly Come Dancing enters its 18th series and its producers, after being goaded by a rival dance show on its inclusivity, commission it to be an all-female cast. Unlike Akeria who’s just here to bone her potential dance partner, dancer Vanessa is ready to act like a professional.

And then TV presenter Brooke Lynn walks into the rehearsal room.

***

31st October 2020

“Ready, baby?”

“Always.”

Vanessa smiles at Brooke from her position on the platform she’s standing on. Brooke has an identical one beside her, a huge purple structure with a phone box drilled into it that’s strong and has definitely been checked by the health and safety experts at least six times. Looking down, the ballroom floor looks ever so slightly too far away, but Vanessa knows that’s just her eyes playing tricks on her. She knows that when the music starts and the time comes, she’ll jump off it without any problems. As the band continue to set up she picks at her skirt, all messy netting and tulle. Vanessa supposes she’s never seen a fashionable zombie.

Halloween week has crept up on her- she’s honestly been too wrapped up in her own thoughts to notice the passage of time. Instead of seconds, minutes and hours her days are now measured in dance steps, quick glugs of her water bottle in rehearsals, how many times Brooke flirts with her that day. Ever since last week they haven’t seemed to be able to stop flirting. They always seem to be laughing or smiling at each other, casually hugging or holding hands mid-rehearsal like it’s natural. It’s not, though, and Vanessa knows it’s only a matter of time before her feelings become unravelled. She can’t figure Brooke out yet, and she knows that there’s a chance she’s acting this way because she’s more comfortable with Vanessa, maybe that’s how she acts around all her friends. But still…she doesn’t know. She knows she’s not going to risk ruining anything, though, and she’s definitely not going to risk anything going wrong with their partnership after they scored 32 on Saturday for their Salsa, favourable comments pouring out of the judges’ mouths like water out of a jug. Laganja had stood up from her seat at the table and actually screamed when Michelle asked her what she’d thought, babbling about how hot and sizzling and perfect it all was.

“At one point I thought you two were gonna kiss!” she’d screeched, and the audience had all laughed. Vanessa had wanted to tell her that she hadn’t been that far from the truth.  

Their Salsa actually got higher marks than Jan and Jackie’s, which had put a spring in Vanessa’s step. The goal had been to showcase her and Brooke’s chemistry, and Vanessa feels like they definitely did that. It gets harder not to compare themselves to other couples though, especially when there’s only nine of them left now. Aja and Farrah are out of the competition after a dance-off with Willam and Phi Phi last week, so now that the strong have well and truly been separated from the weak things are coming very much down to the wire. Even Heidi and Vixen and Shea and Peppermint’s scores haven’t been all that favourable lately. Vanessa shifts on top of the platform. Dress rehearsal is usually fun but she’s overthinking things now and making herself nervous. She gives herself a little shake, looks at Brooke for a reassuring smile she knows will come. She can’t let Brooke know she’s feeling anxious. Their dance is, overall, quite an easy one- it’s their couples choice week, so naturally Vanessa has chosen Commercial as their genre, never one to shy away from the chance to behave like she’s in a music video. She knows it still needs to be sharp and synchronised, neither of them missing a beat. They’ve done similar in their Jive, so all they really need to do is transfer the same skills into this dance.

“Ready to go in three!” a producer shouts. Vanessa takes a deep breath and steadies herself, taking her position inside the phone box. From across the ballroom floor she can see Brooke doing the same.

A hush falls over the girls that are watching in the audience, the drumsticks click, and the song begins.

“Calling all the monsters, calling all the monsters…”

Vanessa pops her hip as she acts out a conversation with Brooke, putting the phone down and stepping out of the booth as soon as the beat kicks in. She puts her hands to her heart and pulses them, getting ready to launch herself off the platform the moment she hears her cue.

“Heart thumps and you jump…”

Vanessa jumps, flying through the air-

And the moment she hits the ground she knows something’s not right. She feels her leg give out, a pop, and searing pain shooting through her calf. She’s fallen to the floor and every fibre of her body is screaming at her to get up; she’s the professional, and what kind of professional is she if she can’t carry on after a small mistake? The music is still going so she drags herself onto her knees, attempts to stand up. The whole dance is thrown off now. Fuck. When she puts her foot on the floor and tries to stand it’s too painful- she can’t do it. She can see some of the girls in the audience standing up, yelling, gesturing to producers and runners.

Brooke runs over to her and the music stops. Vanessa’s on her back and she’s drawn her leg up to her chest. She can hear Brooke asking if she’s okay and the concern in her voice, can feel her stroking her hair and holding her hand, and usually this would’ve warmed her heart and made her feel all soft inside but the pain is overwhelming and it’s all she can focus on. She’s embarrassed and aware of how weak she must look in front of the other girls- she’ll have just landed on her ankle funny, there won’t be any more to it than that.  

“I’m fine…it’s fine…” Vanessa protests, embarrassed at the amount of people now surrounding her. She’s got Brooke, a runner, a producer, and now someone from first aid. She tries to stand up again and is annoyed when everyone reacts much the same as if she’s pointed a gun at them, telling her to lie back down and fussing over her. All Vanessa can do is stare up at the ceiling and look at the rigging while the woman from first aid pokes and prods and massages her calf, the filters and lights all bright and overwhelming above her. Her gaze snaps away from the ceiling to rest on Brooke’s face. She’s wearing a troubled expression, little lines deep set into her forehead and her bottom lip trapped between her teeth. Vanessa hates seeing her look this worried and she’s horrified that it’s she herself that’s made her feel this way.

“Brookie, don’t worry,” Vanessa musters up a smile for her. Brooke blinks, and when she looks at her again Vanessa can see tears in her eyes. Vanessa carries on, squeezes her hand. “They’ll stick a bit of ice on this an’ then I’ll be ready to dance with you tonight, you’ll see.”

She watches Brooke take a deep breath, nod at her supportively. Vanessa isn’t lying- she truly believes in what she’s saying. She’ll be fine. It’ll just be a rolled ankle, nothing too serious. She panics, though, when she sees two runners with the studio’s stretcher, moving through the audience seating.

“That ain’t for me. Surely not.”

The producer is telling her it’s just a precaution, but it’s a precaution that’s made Vanessa’s worry spike. They roll her onto it, and Brooke doesn’t let go of her hand. The first aid woman is telling her she can’t go with them. Vanessa scowls, feels the anger build in her gut.

“But I want her there. She’s my partner,” she snaps. She’s never mean to anyone she works with, always goes out of her way to be kind, reassuring and understanding, but all she wants is to have Brooke by her side because everything is starting to sink in now and she’s scared. First aid insists there’s no way, and Vanessa lets out a frustrated sigh that’s too close to a growl.

“What should I do?” Brooke asks her, worry etched on her face. Vanessa gives her hand one last squeeze before the stretcher is hoisted off the ground.

“Practise. Just practise. Make sure you’re ready for me,” Vanessa winks at Brooke in a vague attempt at reassurance then suddenly she’s being carried away from her, away from the ballroom and the glitter and colour and into an off-white room with strobe lights and a brown examination bed. She’s transferred onto the bed and left there for a small while, the silence in the room almost crushing her.

What the fuck has she managed to do?

It’s crazy, but her only thought is Brooke. What will happen to her? Will she get given a bye, will she be taken out of the competition? Will she get a new partner? The thought creeps into Vanessa’s brain and lodges itself there like a tick. Vanessa wants to shake it out but it won’t budge. If her first year competing with a celebrity is ruined by her stupid fucking leg…

She squeezes her eyes tight shut. Maybe this is all a dream. It wouldn’t be the first time. When she opens her eyes she is still in the same room as before. Fuck. She looks down at her calf and mutters the same word as she sees how much it has swollen up underneath the grey tights she’s got on.

Soon enough, a producer enters the room with someone Vanessa doesn’t recognise. It turns out they’ve called in a doctor. Her dance shoes and tights are peeled off and after much poking and prodding, the doctor steps away and fixes Vanessa with a sympathetic smile.

“Okay, my love, I’d usually take you in for an ultrasound but from what I can see I’m confident that what this looks like is a grade two level torn calf muscle.”

Vanessa wants to be sick.

“What that means is that you’re going to need lots of rest, lots of ice and compression. Try to elevate it wherever possible. The producers are going to make sure you get a follow-up appointment to get it looked at so you know when you’ll be able to get back to dancing.”

Vanessa frowns. She refuses to believe it. They’ve not come out and said she can’t dance. Maybe if she does the dance just once tonight she can rest it next week. “But I’m dancing tonight, I…Brooke needs me-”

The doctor is smiling at her like she’s a child and it does nothing for Vanessa’s blood pressure. “I’m really sorry, love, there’s no way you can dance on this. For at least a week, but that’s in the best case. Sometimes torn muscles can take six weeks to-”

“No. No, no, no, no,” Vanessa blurts out. She can feel the tears in her eyes; they’ve sprung up out of nowhere but all she can hear ringing in her ears is six weeks. The final is six weeks away. She needs to be better. It can’t take that long. “I need to be here, I can’t withdraw, I need to…Brooke Lynn…”

She is reduced to crying on an examination table with a doctor and one of the producers simply watching her. The doctor hands her a tissue, clearly feeling guilty. “Look, it really just depends on how well you look after it. It would probably take six weeks if you were trying to dance on it immediately again! As long as you’re sensible and take care, your recovery time will be much less.”

This does nothing to reassure her. Vanessa fixes her eyes on the producer. “What’s gonna happen?”

He scratches his neck and shrugs. “Well, we’ll offer Brooke a bye for this week. We’ll need to give her a new partner though. Just temporarily, until you’re better.”

Vanessa pouts, feels herself whine like a baby. “This is so unfair.”

“I know. I’m sorry. S’pose this comes with the territory, though, doesn’t it? Injuries…dancing,” he rambles on. Vanessa wants him to leave. Vanessa wants them both to leave. She wants to be on her own. She just wants a big, therapeutic cry with nobody there to watch her. Vanessa communicates this to the two of them and they both nod understandingly before leaving. A runner comes in with some ice for Vanessa’s leg and some pillows to elevate it, and they disappear equally rapidly.

Vanessa tries to think rationally, but no rational thought comes. All she can keep thinking is six weeks, six weeks, six weeks. It feels like her Strictly journey is over already. She knows she’s being selfish, knows that it’s Brooke’s journey. She should be happy for her- she’ll still get a partner, she’ll still get to continue and succeed.

But it should have been her.

The tears are still streaming down Vanessa’s face when there’s a shy knock at the door. It’s Brooke Lynn, and she’s still in costume but she’s had her hair and makeup done as well. There’s prosthetic chunks of blood and gore all over her and her skin is painted all grey and decaying, but Brooke still looks beautiful to her.

“Hey, boo,” Vanessa gives her a soft smile, frantically wipes the tears away from her face. She feels silly. “Get it? ‘Cuz it’s Halloween.”

Brooke laughs a little, entering the room and coming straight over to the bed to give Vanessa a hug. Vanessa can’t describe how much better she feels in Brooke’s arms, how much easier everything suddenly is.

“How are you, baby?” Brooke asks her mid-hug, and Vanessa can feel her murmur against her neck. It’s nice.

“I tore my calf…they told me I gotta rest up, it might take six weeks to heal…fuck, Brooke, I’m so sorry…”

Vanessa feels herself start to cry again as she clings onto Brooke like a koala, and Brooke hugs her even tighter in response. “Don’t be ridiculous! It won’t take that long at all. Torn muscles are so common, think about how many people must tear things in dancing! You’ll be fine. Hey. No more crying.”

Vanessa obediently wipes the tears away from under her eyes as she pulls away and gives Brooke a smile. Brooke meets and mirrors it, then leans in and kisses Vanessa gently on the forehead. When she pulls away again she seems shy as she laces their hands together. Vanessa is gazing gently at her. She’s never been closer to telling Brooke…

And then it sinks in all over again that Brooke is in full costume. And she’s had her makeup and hair done. Why would that have happened if she had taken the bye this week?

Vanessa frowns a little, confused. “So, uh. They give you a bye?”

Brooke nods. “They offered me one. Or they said I could dance it but with one of the other pros, so I said I’d just do that.”

“Oh,” Vanessa says before she can stop herself. Brooke’s words manage to hurt her even more than her leg already is.

“What’s wrong?”

“No, nothing. Of course you wanna dance it. You need to, you worked so hard on it,” Vanessa says quickly. Of course Brooke wants to do the dance. She’s on a competitive TV dancing show, what the hell else was she going to do? Did Vanessa really think she was going to turn around and say no? She tries to squash the feeling of being slowly eaten up inside. “So, uh. You’re dancing it. Who with?”

Vanessa’s heart sinks. Please don’t be-

“Plastique. She’s in makeup now. She was literally the first pro the producers grabbed; she walked past as we were having the conversation and they just asked her if she would do it. Had to teach her the whole thing in like, 45 minutes. You would’ve been proud of me.”

Of fucking course she’s dancing with her. Of course. Vanessa can still remember the way Plastique had looked at Brooke across the room on induction day, all interested and intrigued. Vanessa doesn’t want to be dramatic but this has to be up there with one of the worst days of her life. She can see Brooke looking at her and waiting for a response, so Vanessa just smiles tightly. She doesn’t trust herself to speak; she’ll either say something she’ll regret or she’ll simply cry.

“I know you probably just want to get home, but you could stay and watch in the green room? Blair and Scarlet have come to visit to watch Toni and Yvie. You could sit with them!” Brooke encourages her. Vanessa wants to say no- there is nothing she wants less than to watch Brooke dancing with someone else, especially if that someone else is Plastique, but Brooke’s expression is so hopeful and pleading that Vanessa just quietly nods.

“Amazing! I promise I won’t let you down,” she beams at her. There’s a producer shouting for her in the corridor so with that, Brooke gives Vanessa another hug and Vanessa wishes her good luck.

She’s gone, and so is a part of Vanessa.

But she’s said she’ll stay and watch her so Vanessa takes her ice and pillows and hobbles through to the green room, finds Blair and Scarlet sitting on the big sofa in front of the TV screen. They’re equal parts excited and sad to see Vanessa, fussing over her and her leg and distracting her with stories about life post-Strictly. Blair has been contacted by some up-and-coming makeup company looking to make her the face of their brand, and Scarlet’s been filming in between meeting up with Yvie for dates. It turns out the both of them had made connections with some of the girls, as Blair’s here for Vixen who she’s been texting non-stop since she left the show. Vanessa finds it odd the amount of things that have managed to go on right under her nose only for her not to notice, but she supposes she isn’t surprised given how up in the clouds her head’s been over Brooke.

The show begins. They prerecorded the pro dance this week, and it’s weird for Vanessa to watch herself dance across the screen. The whole thing is weird, really. She shouldn’t be watching the show at all. She should be on it, she should be there, live, dancing. The pro dance ends and Michelle comes out to introduce the judges and the couples. Before they all come down the stairs, she explains why Vanessa won’t be on the show that night. Hearing her say that she won’t be dancing makes her tear up all over again. Blair pats her shoulder and Scarlet squeezes her hand in support. Vanessa thinks she might cut off Scarlet’s blood circulation the moment she sees Brooke descend the stairs with Plastique, the two of them holding hands, waving to the audience and smiling at each other gently.

Vanessa’s got ages to wait until she can see Brooke dance and she spends every second stressing and fretting and worrying. She wants to be at home, to just go to sleep and wake up when her leg’s better and she can go back to dancing with her beautiful celebrity partner. Instead she’s here in a green room with a melting bag of ice under her leg watching Willam struggle through a Paso Doble, with a girl on either side of her wittering on about the object of their affections. So when it cuts to a VT that the editors have obviously hastily scraped together of Plastique gushing about how much she’s looking forward to dancing with Brooke and Brooke talking about how she’s nervous to dance with somebody new, Vanessa sits up straight on the sofa.

“Dancing the Creepy Commercial for their couples’ choice…Brooke Lynn Bites, and Plast-eek Tiara!”

Normally she’d crack at least a small smile at the ridiculous puns that get used for Halloween week, but Vanessa can’t draw her eyes away from the screen. There’s the both of them, and Plastique on her plinth, bevelling in her phone booth, about to dance with her partner.

The dance begins and Vanessa is on tenterhooks. The pair of them spring off their plinths, land perfectly and continue with the dance. Brooke is hitting every beat so well and it makes Vanessa proud, but there’s a point where Plastique freaks out beside her, doing something that entirely wasn’t choreographed. She’s obviously forgotten the dance. Vanessa bites her nails as she watches Brooke gently guide her into the next section and they pick it up from there. When the dance finishes, the audience lets out rapturous applause. Three of the judges are on their feet.

Vanessa feels like crying all over again.

The only saving grace is that Brooke hasn’t given Plastique the same kiss she normally reserves for Vanessa. She can hear Plastique apologising to her as they hug, and Vanessa grows irritated. This doesn’t ease up when they receive their comments and the judges give the pair of them glowing praise. And then they get their scores.

“Seven!”

“Nine!”

“Nine!”

“Nine!”

They’re the highest scores Brooke’s ever received, and she got them while dancing with Plastique.

Vanessa feels like storming off home but she can’t, not with her damn leg being the way it is, so she goes to chill in makeup for a while. The team there are nice- they’ll chat to her, take her mind off things, and they certainly won’t be as loved-up as Scarlet and Blair seem to be. She needs to not be around loved-up people right now. So it’s fitting, so fitting for the day she’s having, that the moment she walks into makeup there’s Jan sitting getting her foundation re-applied after her Jive with Jackie, who’s sitting on one of the couches having already finished her touch-ups. The pair of them are singing along to the song playing softly over the speakers, and neither of them notice her at first until she gives a hiss of pain, her knee not liking all the movement.

“Oh! Vanessa!” Jackie exclaims, sympathy in her kind eyes. “How’re you doing, babe?”

Vanessa doesn’t miss the way Jan’s eyes snap open involuntarily at the pet name, the makeup artists cursing and the eyeshadow brush creating a white glitter spot against Jan’s orbital bone. The cogs turn quickly in her brain- if Plastique and Brooke have just finished their dance, it’s likely they’ll be heading to makeup soon too. Vanessa’s not petty, but she’s only human; Brooke has made her jealous, and it wouldn’t be fair if she didn’t return the favour.

“Not great,” Vanessa pouts, sitting on the sofa beside her. “It’s really fuckin’ sore. Great job out there, though. You both killed it.”    

“We did our best,” Jackie shrugs bashfully. Their Jive was a little undermarked this week- they’re all at the stage where anything under 30 is disappointing- so Vanessa knows a good tactic to get Jackie onside is to stroke her ego.

“Well, your best was amazing. Don’t beat yourself up,” she smiles at her, resting her hand on top of hers and patting it. She thinks Jackie might be blushing, but she’s honestly not sure (the green paint she’s got on in her witch costume makes it impossible to tell). Vanessa hams it up, hisses excessively in pain and grabs her calf. Jackie’s face twists into a concerned frown.

“Hey, have you ever had Reiki done before?” she asks. Vanessa shakes her head. Jackie perks up, clearly excited about whatever the fuck Reiki is. “I’m trained in it! I used to get it done so often and I loved it, so then I took a course and it’s what I did before I got into journalism. My parents said it wasn’t a real job, but…whatever, basically it’s energy healing transferred through palms. It can help with mental health or physical health. I could do some for you now, if you want! It might help things.”

Vanessa raises her eyebrows, nods a little. “Yeah, that sounds good. I’ll try anything at this point, they’re sayin’ this bitch could take up to six weeks to heal.”

Jackie tuts and motions for Vanesssa to put her leg up onto her lap. “Six weeks? No way. We’ve got to get you better for Brooke Lynn! Where’s it sore?”

Vanessa rubs the offending area on her calf and Jackie nods understandingly. She rubs her palms together to warm them up, places them both lightly against Vanessa’s bare calf. She leaves them there for a few moments before turning to Vanessa questioningly. “Any better?”

“A little, yeah!” Vanessa lies. Jan’s almost finished up in the makeup chair now and she can see her looking at the pair of them suspiciously.

“Jacks!” she calls over to her. Jackie looks up, smiles expectantly. She doesn’t take her hands off Vanessa’s leg. “Did costume not want to see you about that hem?”    

“Oh shit, of course! Thanks, baby,” Jackie beams at her, then smiles apologetically at Vanessa. “Sorry, ‘Ness. I hope that helped, anyway! If you ever want more done, just hit me up anytime!”

“I will. Thanks, Jackie,” she smiles back. She’s a little annoyed that Brooke didn’t even come into makeup when her impromptu jealousy plan was put into place. Vanessa doesn’t have too much time to think about that, though, as Jan’s approaching her from the other side of the room, a fake smile on her face.

“Hey, Jan.”

“Hey, V!” she begins, the cheer injected into her tone but not quite meeting her eyes. “Uh…what was that all about?”

“What was what? Oh, that?” Vanessa frowns, looking at the doorway Jackie’s just disappeared out of. “Yeah, Jackie does Reiki apparently. Fuck knows what it is, but she wanted to try it out on me, so…”

“Um, cool!” Jan smiles, fiddling with the hem of her fluffy white dress a little awkwardly. “Hey would you mind, um…I mean…it was just kind of weird. That’s all. I don’t really appreciate you doing all that in front of me, you know?”  

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Vanessa snorts a laugh. Then the penny well and truly drops- obviously the rumours about Jan and Jackie aren’t rumours at all. They’re facts. Jan rolls her eyes at her, laughs sardonically.

“Oh my God, have you been living under a rock? I thought me and Jackie were like, the worst kept secret of the season,” she gestures, as if everything had been so obvious. Vanessa supposes it was obvious, but she kind of has been living under a rock. Jan’s face drops in response to her blank expression. “Oh. You really didn’t know.”

“No.”

“Right.”

“Well, uh…” Vanessa begins. She shrugs. “Sorry, I guess.”

“No, it’s fine!” Jan backtracks kindly, visibly relieved. “I was just worried, you know, and obviously with you and Brooke Lynn…”

Vanessa screws her face up, confused. “Wait, what?”

Jan mirrors her facial expression. “Are you two not…?”

Vanessa puts two and two together and gets one million. She blushes furiously, can already feel her face hot. “Oh, uh…no. No we’re not…there’s nothing happening there.”

“Fuck, I am so sorry,” Jan grimaces, embarrassed. “I just assumed- you’re so close, and you’re always flirting, and near each other, and…”

Vanessa watches as Jan trails off. They’ve both managed to completely embarrass themselves, and Vanessa is about to open her mouth and mercifully end the conversation for the pair of them but Jan gets there first. “Guess I should go make sure Jackie isn’t Reiki-ing half of the damn costume department, huh?”

She gives a weak laugh which Vanessa politely joins in with. Before she leaves, she flashes her a smile.

“For the record, though-” Jan leans down to squeeze her hand, winks at her. “- you two would make an awesome couple.”

Jan’s turned her back and is leaving before Vanessa can even respond. She doesn’t even know what she’d say, truth be told. Her head is too packed, and she’s full of too many emotions. Vanessa decides she’s had enough of Elstree for one night, and she hobbles out of makeup and orders an Uber to take her home.

She’s half-asleep and tossing and turning in bed with her leg propped up on too many cushions when Brooke texts at roughly one in the morning.

B: Hey omg so sorry I didn’t text til now, tonight was just crazy! So sorry I never got to see you before you left but totally understandable, hope you’re feeling better? Idk if you got to see our dance or not but we got 34!!! Highest ever!!! Wish I could’ve been doing it with you but hope I made you proud. Sending loads of love xxx

The text should make Vanessa happy, make her feel reassured and warm and cared for, but all she can take from it is that Brooke had been too busy with Plastique to text her earlier, she hadn’t come to seek Vanessa out after her dance, and those high scores just twist the knife. Vanessa knows Brooke won’t have meant it like that but she’s still down about it, and she turns her phone over without replying and tries to get some sleep.

A new week comes after a day spent with her leg in a bucket of icy water, and Vanessa spends it sitting on the studio floor with her leg elevated and wondering why she’s there. Saturday night brought a shock of a dance-off- Yvie and Jaida against Shea and Peppermint- and in the end it had been the latter of the two couples that had to bow out when everyone was least expecting it. As a result, everyone is working even harder to make their dances perfect and stay in the competition. Vanessa watches Brooke rehearse with Plastique, watches them laugh together and hold each other and smile at each other. It’s been agreed that Plastique would choreograph their dance this week and Vanessa would attend rehearsals in case she was better and ready to dance it by Saturday. But she’s not taking any of it in, none of the steps, none of the twirls, because of course it’s their Viennese Waltz week and of course Plastique has picked the most emotional, heart-wrenching song to do it do, and as the pair of them glide across the floor with their bodies pressed together in hold Vanessa closes her eyes and listens to the lyrics and feels the tears bubble up under her eyelids with very little reason behind them.

“So it goes…one foot after the other, til black and white begins to colour in…”

But there is a reason. The reason is that Vanessa has connected with Brooke Lynn more than she’s connected with anyone else since Kameron, she knows her body without them even having so much as kissed, her heart lights up whenever Brooke smiles at her or flirts with her or even so much as texts her and she likes her, really fucking likes her, but now that’s all been thrown into a tailspin and as Brooke and Plastique gaze at each other while they dance, and as the music continues to play Vanessa feels as if her heart’s being ripped in two. She’s been distant with Brooke this week, damage limitation. Instead of laughing uproariously at her jokes she gives a small smile, instead of launching enthusiastically into conversation with her if she asks her a question she keeps her answers to a sentence and doesn’t follow up. There haven’t been any moments where it’s been just the two of them this week and she feels worse off for it. At times she can see Brooke looking at her with concern in her eyes, wondering if there’s something wrong, wondering if she’s done something to hurt or offend her.

She hasn’t, and that’s the worst part.

It gets to Saturday night again and Vanessa stays home to watch the show. She could’ve gone into the studios and sat in the audience, should’ve done so, but she couldn’t bring herself to see everything being danced out live in front of her and not be able to join in. She’s also seen Plastique and Brooke dance through their Viennese so often together that she doesn’t think she can face it live, in their dresses and full makeup and hair with the lighting and the band. She doesn’t know what she was expecting but watching them dance it on screen hurts equally as much, the camera focusing on the soft gazes they give each other and the way Brooke holds Plastique tight.

“I’ll bow out of place, to save you some space…for somebody new…”    

Vanessa would’ve laughed at the irony of it all if she wasn’t so upset. She’s only got herself to blame. The fact she’s developed feelings for Brooke is ridiculous; she’s a walking cliché, developing a crush on your partner is like the Strictly equivalent of crushing on your roommate- it’s such a massive don’t, one that’ll only end in tears. When Vanessa thinks of all the couples that’ve come from the show, though- Shea and Sasha, one of the old dancers, Roberta, and that newsreader Alexis- it makes her feel a little bit bitter that she and Brooke didn’t work out. She supposes she’s giving up before she starts. She doesn’t really know her chance with Brooke is over, she shouldn’t give up, but as the judges’ comments drift into her stream of consciousness and she hears Kennedy complimenting Brooke and Plastique on “what amazing chemistry you both have together, so obvious and heartwarming!” she nearly throws the remote through the TV. She sends a text to the group chat she shares with Akeria and Monique, even though she knows they won’t receive it til after the show. Vanessa is sure they’re both fed up of hearing her mope about Brooke Lynn (they’ve had to put up with sad texts all week), but they’re cheaper than a therapist, so Vanessa hits send anyway.

V: this is so UNFAIR why do i need to watch Kennedy telling B and Plastique that they’re basically meant to be together???? :(((((((

A reply comes back from Akeria instantly. Vanessa supposes she’s just danced, having gone before the pair of them, and has got her phone while she gets her makeup retouched.

A: stop wallowing and just tell her how you feel already xo

But there’s no way Vanessa’s going to do that, not after the week she’s had and certainly not as she watches the TV and realises that Brooke and Plastique’s Viennese Waltz has earned them a score of 35. Brooke’s scores keep improving with Plastique as her partner. Maybe she’s just a better teacher than she is. She’s about to switch the TV off and have a self-indulgent cry (even though she should really keep the TV on so she can watch Monique’s dance and be a good friend) when her name makes her shoot her eyes up from her phone to the TV screen. Brooke’s looking into the camera.

“Vanessa, babe- I know she’s watching at home- that one was for you! Get better soon so we can dance together again, okay?”

Vanessa’s heart instantly jackknifes into the air. Brooke was dancing that for her, she wants to dance with her again, she called her babe on national television and oh my God the papers will have a field day with that but Vanessa doesn’t even care. She needed that validation and reassurance so badly. Looking down at her phone again, she opens up her messages with Brooke and is typing before she knows it.

V: dedicating that dance to me was real sweet of you. you did so well, i’m so proud of you, you’re killing it. seeing doctor tomorrow so will let you know how I get on. sorry i’ve been a lil distant this week xxx

When Vanessa wakes up the next day the reply is simply a series of love heart emojis, which both lifts her spirits and disappoints her. She can’t overthink for too long, though, as she’s got two messages from Monique that’re sitting unread as well.

M: fyi- Willam and Heidi danceoff, Heidi left xx

Vanessa frowns, disappointed. She got on really well with Heidi in her time on the show, and she kept everyone in stitches in dress rehearsals by whistling through her teeth (which drove the producers mad). Vanessa will miss her. She turns her attention to the next message, which has a blue link pasted into it.

M: also ur bae’s caused quite the stir with that cute lil pet name she used last night 👀

Vanessa frowns, feels herself blush as she clicks the link. It opens up on a Daily Mail article with the title, “Strictly 2020 star Brooke Lynn Hytes causes Strictly curse speculation” and Vanessa feels her stomach give a dip. The article talks about the shoutout Brooke gave her last night, the selfies and videos they both have posted on Instagram of their rehearsals. It also recaps the entire Kameron situation, at which point Vanessa clicks off the article. She texts Monique back and tells her to shut up, but the article has done nothing to lower the hopes she’s already got raised so high.

Vanessa tries to put all that out of her mind as she makes her way to her doctor’s appointment in the late November afternoon. The weather is cold and drizzly, and it’s dark outside even though it’s only four o’clock. She’s nervous and she’s desperately hoping they’ll tell her she can dance again. Vanessa has hardly moved all week, her calf resembles a vacuum-packed piece of meat with the compression bandages she’s used, and she’s sure that her leg is still so numb from the constant ice that she could get a six-inch needle shoved into her leg and wouldn’t feel a single thing. Her heart is in her mouth as the doctor rubs gel on her leg and runs the ultrasound scanner over it. The smile she gets in return sends her pulse racing in anticipation and hope.

“Well, it’s good news! You’re healing really well. This is the quickest I’ve seen a tear like this heal in a while, you must’ve done everything by the book!”

Vanessa wants to laugh. Her doctor doesn’t know the half of it. “So am I good to dance again?”

The doctor gives her another smile. “Since these pictures are looking so promising, I’m going to say yes.”

Vanessa wants to scream and cry all at the same time. It’s the happiest she’s been all week.

“But don’t overdo it! You don’t want to go flying back to square one. Take it easy for as long as you can. Don’t go high-kicking into any splits or whatever you dancers do.”

Vanessa frantically promises her doctor that she’ll take it as easy as is physically possible, promises herself internally that she’ll just mark everything for the majority of the week because she’ll take what she can get.

Six weeks? Kiss my ass.

She would’ve skipped out of the doctor’s surgery but that would’ve broken every promise she’s just made, so instead she walks calmly as she makes her way to the pro rehearsal and texts Brooke frantically.

V: i got the all clear to dance again!!!!!! see ya Monday!!!! Xxx

A reply comes back almost instantly that makes Vanessa way too happy.

B: !!!!!!!!!!!! The BEST news!!!!! So excited to see you xxx

It’s embarrassing but Vanessa almost wants to hold her phone to her chest like a lovestruck idiot. She is a lovestruck idiot. Her good mood is made even better by the cheer she gets when she arrives at rehearsal, the dancers all running to hug her and welcome her back. As Vanessa gently warms up and joins in with learning the group dance (marking it all and resolving to only perform it properly on Saturday), she can almost feel her heart singing. The only thing she’s missed more than Brooke is the dancing, and she’s so glad she gets to do what she loves best in the world again.

She doesn’t think her day can get any better, that is until rehearsal ends.

Jan and Jaida are the first girls to leave and they open the door, greet somebody, then turn immediately back into the room, their faces scheming.

“Vanessa?” Jaida shouts over to her, a little twinkle in her eye. “You gotta visitor.”

Vanessa’s confused and she’s pulling her jumper over her head so she can’t really see. It’s only when the other girls file out of the room and it’s completely empty that the visitor in question comes in, and Vanessa’s heart stops at what she sees.

It’s Brooke, and she’s holding a huge bouquet of flowers. Vanessa doesn’t quite know how to react- she knows she’s gone shy and red, and she doesn’t even want to assume the flowers are for her because that would really Mean Something if they were and God, the way Brooke is smiling at her, all nervous and reserved, is giving her way too many butterflies.

“Hey,” Brooke greets her, her voice all quiet. Vanessa laughs out of sheer relief of just being able to have her all to herself again, and she rushes forward to hug her. Brooke accepts gladly, and the two of them stand with their arms around each other and Vanessa holds her tightly as if to convey how much she’s missed her. They break the hug but they don’t let go, and they stay in each others’ arms as they talk.

“How come you’re here?” Vanessa asks her, her smile entirely too big and too happy but she can’t in any way help it. Brooke tucks some hair behind her ear then returns her hand to her waist.

“I wanted to see you,” Brooke shrugs. Vanessa’s heart inflates so much it almost pops, an overfilled helium balloon that’s soaring up to the ceiling. Brooke removes her arms from Vanessa’s sides and holds out the flowers to her. “For a few reasons, really. The first one was to give you these- congratulations on getting better!”

Vanessa laughs, thanks her as she accepts the flowers. They’re beautiful- clusters of tiny purple flowers arranged amongst tall stems with yellow-orange petals wrapped in florist’s paper and a lilac ribbon. Brooke’s still talking to her as she’s examining them.

“And second of all-” Brooke holds up her phone. “I was wondering if you wanted to dance with me.”

Vanessa gives Brooke a funny look, still unable to stifle her smile. “I mean, sure, but you know we got rehearsal tomorrow?”

Brooke grins, crosses over to where Vanessa’s speakers are still plugged in and connects her phone. “Yeah, but…I never got to dance the Viennese with you, and I want to.”

Vanessa can feel tiny fireworks going off in her nerve endings. Or perhaps that’s just her pulse thudding through her veins with alarming intensity. Either way it’s intoxicating.

“Alright,” Vanessa shrugs, pretending it’s the most normal thing in the world. “I guess I could dance with you. Since, y’know, you came all this way.”

She sticks her tongue out and Brooke laughs, although even though she’s acting carefree Vanessa’s stomach is fluttering with nervousness as Brooke hits play on the song and the piano introduction rings out into the echoey silence of the room. She doesn’t know why she’s nervous, it’s just dancing- scratch that, she knows exactly why she’s nervous, and when Brooke stands ready to hold her Vanessa gives her a shy smile

“Just follow my lead.”

Vanessa snorts quietly. “Hark at Miss Celebrity.”

“Shush.”

Brooke leads her effortlessly and it only makes Vanessa’s sense of complete, all-consuming longing worse. She twirls under Brooke’s arm, marvelling in the way the girl makes her feel like a princess in a pair of sweatpants and a baggy gym top. She’s so infatuated and it’s dangerous, but Vanessa doesn’t care.

“You can have Manhattan, the one we used to share…the one where we were laughing, and drunk on just being there…”

The choreography falls away and they slip into just swaying, Vanessa resting her head against Brooke’s chest. The chords of the song reverberate off the walls of the rehearsal room and Vanessa doesn’t know why, but tears start forming in her eyes. Maybe it’s the relief of everything being back to normal again, maybe it’s the sadness of the song, maybe it’s the happiness of Brooke doing all these sweet things for her. The tears roll down her face silently as she clings to Brooke, and Brooke doesn’t notice she’s even upset until presumably she feels her tears begin to seep through the black t-shirt she’s wearing. She steps out of hold and Vanessa looks to the floor, can’t bear to face her with tears in her eyes.

“Hey, hey, hey. What’s wrong?”

Brooke gently tilts Vanessa’s chin up with her fingers so that their eyes are level. Her gaze is gentle and kind and all at once the safest place Vanessa has known. Quickly and suddenly Vanessa leans in and bridges the gap between them, and before she can overthink things she’s meeting Brooke’s lips with her own just like she’s wanted to all these weeks. She’s got a hand on either side of Brooke’s face, her touch urgent just like her kiss, and as good as her lips feel it hits Vanessa with a sobering clarity that Brooke isn’t kissing back oh God why isn’t she kissing back-

And it’s just as this thought hits her that Brooke gently tugs herself away, frowns at Vanessa with concern and sweeps away a tear from under her eyelid. “Vanessa…”

Vanessa feels sick. So many thoughts are running around her mind, but in her vast panic she immediately latches onto three of them.

1: Brooke didn’t kiss her back.

2: Brooke broke away from the kiss.

3: She needs to get out of this room before she humiliates herself any further.

Brooke hasn’t stopped holding her which she supposes is a good sign but she can’t focus on that now. She wriggles out of Brooke’s arms, ignoring her protestations and blindly snatching up the flowers Brooke gave her (she’ll later realise she forgot both her speakers and her jumper). Trying to stop the tears of embarrassment that are now streaming down her face, she dashes quickly to the door.

“Fuck…V, wait-” Brooke urges, but Vanessa doesn’t. Brooke doesn’t follow her and she’s glad of it as she bursts out of the studio and down the corridor towards the exit.

The closing chords of the song that’s still playing ring in her ears in harmony with Brooke’s pleas, and it’s the worst kind of music Vanessa has ever heard.

[silly-robobabe-anon]

The Unwilling Bride, in gouache and ink

The Springtime, Pierre Auguste Cot (1873), seemed to be permanently framed in your periphery; pink limbs swung from the soft glow of sun and oil paint, a fair-haired maiden floating aloft mere silk, white and delicate in comparison to her lover’s deep burgundy robes. Tamara and the Demon, Konstantin Makovsky (1889); you wondered if Yuri thought he had wings when he held you like that, but more often you wondered if he knew the princess Tamara died at the lips of her lover.

All over his walls, down every hall in his house you had seen those paintings and postcards of couples. The women hung limp from the shoulders of the men; spoils from the hunt, subdued and to be consumed. There was something in the water this morning. It left your muscles soft as stuffing, eyes glassy, and lingered bitter on your tongue.  

Though, a bitter taste in your mouth was nothing unusual as of late.

Your teeth, however, didn’t soften. His fingers realized that quickly. Yuri didn’t mind drawing your lips over the duct tape though. Of course, only after admiring how red and slick your mouth was with his blood, pursed into an unwilling, stop-sign red heart.

Today, he kept calling you “my dove”, occasionally whispering “such a lamb” after you blink at him, slow and docile in your drugged daze. Everything he put on you was white; he even tied you strings of pearl today instead of the ropes you were used to.

It felt almost sacrificial.

He had gasped, horrified, when he saw what the ropes had done to you after wearing them for weeks; pink track marks wound around your body like the scales of a snake hiding under your skin. You only ever heard this snake hiss from the back of your throat when he tried to kiss you, but you could taste its venom. Your stomach was full of acid. 

Oh, you were so sick. So, so sick of him. You hoped dearly that it was contagious enough to infect him.

A strange coat rack stood at the altar, the only guest in attendance. Yuri gently arranged your body in its stiff, gold arms, his eyes sharp and as clear as crystal while he fussed over the wrinkles in your dress. You had given up a while ago guessing if he had actually been completely lucid this entire time. He had you propped up on a stand, like a fucking action figure in front of huge tables set with empty plates and seats. 

What a giant, make-believe tea party. For fucks sake, couldn’t he have just used an actual doll? One with perfect, plastic skin that wouldn’t melt red and hot with rope burns? Desperate pervert.

He cried when he took off your veil, gazing with sweet focus at your face, as if he wasn’t the one who dressed you up and did your makeup.

A gramophone stood solemn and mechanical at the podium where a priest would, a far-away wedding march playing from its black flower. Suddenly, funny and fuzzy voices broke through the song, laughing and speaking, syllables lost to the static. You realized, vaguely surprised and interested, that this was a recording of some long-lost real wedding, one with guests, a bride who blushed, a groom who watched her walk towards him, in-laws and their side-eyes, obnoxious toddlers, and, most importantly, love. Given, not taken.

Yuri listened excitedly to the drone of the priest, and you were coldly aware of how hollow the hall was, echoing and multiplying the minister’s murmurings in the air ‘til you felt yourself practically suffocating in vows. Yuri chimed in loudly over the real, long gone groom with his own “I do.”  

It’s your turn.

No yelling, no ripping out his hair, not even a glimmer of sweat on his temple; Yuri stood serene as you refused to complete this duet. You loved this silence.

Then she did it, that giddy bride from long ago cheered out, “I do!”, and his eyes burned so heated and impassioned over you that you understood instantly, with the surety and clarity of the diamond on your finger, that he would never believe you hadn’t married him; you would never be able to convince him that you hadn’t spoken those words. Applause looped in your ears

The wedding band was worse than iron shackles; at least those were mean to be unlocked and split in two.  

Not once did he let your toes touch the floor while the two of you danced; the glass slippers on your feet clearly weren’t meant for walking in, much less for running away in after night falls. They would shatter, and leave bloody footprints. 

Your stomach turned anxiously when The Cinderella Waltz began to play. Talk about tacky. You squirmed in your veil like a fish caught in a net, much to his annoyance. Then, he relaxed back into a smile. He decided he hadn’t seen it.

“I promise, it would be a lot more fun if our families were here... Maybe we’ll invite them to our anniversary?”

He paused, waiting for you to agree, as if he didn’t tape your mouth shut. He must not like being reminded of the fact that you have canines too.

“I’m sure you’ll be okay by then, right?”

You cringed away from his breath, soaking through the lace like sweat, full of his scent. He pulled you closer fervently and insisted;

“You’re okay.”

You wanted very badly to be okay.

Finally, seasick and sleepy after what seemed to be hours of swaying slowly to the same song, he had decided that it would be appropriate to end the party and bid goodnight to the chairs and untouched plates. He hummed as he passed Romantic Encounter, Mihály Zichy (1864), appreciating how your fingers lilted in the air behind his neck while he carried you.

You saw it.

A door, painted a sweet butter-yellow, slightly ajar amidst a stack of crisp, white doors folded tightly into the walls like strange envelopes. Right behind it, a box of bars, but not a cage. Low to the ground, and padded with a long pink cushion, as dry and puffy as your own tongue. Only a small teddy lay asleep in the crib. For now.

You almost groaned in anguish, but the tape held it in. Shh. That’s for later.

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

Hello!

With no wifi and nowhere to go, what am i to do but illustrate and write my daydreams? This dashing groom is Yuri, @love-toxin ‘s character! I actually have a copy of Cot’s The Springtime hanging in my bedroom, and i thought the image of “classic”, idealized romance would suit Yuri the best!

Also, i really wanted to draw him in bridal lingerie and jewelry bcs hes a vry pretty lad and androgyny makes my heart throb!

Okay!! I hope you liked this silliness! Love u, bye <3

[unicyclehippo]

as much as they love big pranks and chaos, artagan loves messing w beau subtlety sometimes. on one occasion they manage to put a flower crown on her without her noticing. no one points it out, beau is just wondering why everyone’s smiling at her today

not exactly the prompt but fairly similar to what i was already writing, thank u. sorry it is long, i think. follows on from the artagan post i made earlier

//

‘Beau?’

A gentle hand shakes her awake—it doesn’t deserve the way Beau comes awake all teeth and tense fear, she doesn’t deserve that, but here in the graveyard of trees, relics of the forest that used to stand here, Beau has dreamed of gleaming green eyes and ghosts, laughter and the touch of long fingers closing cold around her heart. And pain. Yasha rocks backwards, takes Beau’s attack on one shoulder, and shakes her head at the immediate apology.

‘Yash—‘

‘It’s alright,’ she says, voice low. Her eyes crease and Beau—still blurred around the edges, still pulling out of sleep—doesn’t know what that means until Yasha pulls further away and Beau can see all of her face is smiling gently down at her. ‘The others are asleep. I just - wanted to thank you.’

‘Huh?’

‘For the flowers.’ Uncurling a hand, Yasha shows her the dozen or so little bluedrops.

Beau glances at them and then quickly away. Shuffles out of her uncomfortable half-up position and sits properly, crossing her legs.

‘Not from me. Maybe Nott. Or Jester.’

‘Oh.’ Yasha’s brows lift in the faintest hint of disbelief. Her eyes lift a fraction to Beau’s hair. ‘Then you have been visited too.’

She reaches out oh so slowly and Beau doesn’t flinch, not until she sees the rusted hilt laying in Yasha’s bedroll, far on the other side of the dome. Yasha pulls away at the flinch. She nods instead, Look her eyes say, and they follow Beau’s hand as she reaches up to—ah, fuck. Her hair ribbon.

Beau pulls her hand down, examines the bluedrop with frustration.

‘I can - take out the rest? If you want.’

‘Yeah. Please.’

They both go about it with caution—Beau turns around so she can’t possibly see the sword, Yasha does her best not to touch Beau at all as she tries to remove the little flowers, and it’s tense and awful so Beau, with all the talent in her body, relaxes back into her friend’s side as though they’ve done so a hundred times before, as though they’ve done more than simply exchange a few short words since reclaiming her.

Yasha’s hand settles shakily on her shoulder. Warm. Solid. Beau leans her head back against Yasha’s and smiles up at her, looks up out from the corner of her eyes. Maybe it’s a fey thing—not power, necessarily, but the habit of looking at things from new angles—but Beau finds from this angle that the sad lines of Yasha’s face are less pronounced. She looks younger, lighter. Beau relaxes a little more, and has to reevaluate whether it’s the angle that has Yasha awash with joy or the semi-awkward hug they share.

Morning dawns hot and dry, the coolness of the hut burned away the second the spell falls. No one else is waking, so the two sit together and wait. The flowers are set aside into a small pile and Yasha has long since finished, leans back on her hands and doesn’t ask Beau to move. So she doesn’t. Uses Yasha as a back rest instead.

She feels Yasha speak before she hears the words, the buzz of them moving from Yasha’s chest to Beau’s back, and she wonders idly as she tilts her head toward the rising sun whether there’s a way of...keeping a memory. Keeping this peace, this connection.

‘Can I ask you something?’

‘Mm.’

‘Beau.’

‘’m awake. Go for it.’

She doesn’t immediately. But it isn’t very long before Yasha sighs. Says, ‘I’ve missed things. While I was...away.’

Beau snorts. ‘Away.’

Yasha bumps her shoulder into Beau’s back, fond, chiding. They resettle. ‘There are things I see that...I don’t know if I should talk about. If they’re private or new.’

‘Mm.’

‘Fjord has a new voice,’

‘Wild, right?’

‘It’s...different. He’s different,’ Yasha says, and Beau nods. ‘You all are.’

‘It’s been a lot.’ Beau scrubs a hand over her face. Dredges back in her memory with a wide net, not wanting to pull up all the details. The close calls. The fear. The running and running to catch up to Yasha, only lose her again. The scrying. Jester’s tears. She doesn’t tell her in order, just plucks their history out from the pile. ‘Uh. We went into that Happy Fun Ball again, which, turns out, is more than just those couple rooms we saw the first time—well, not you, but the rest of us. It’s like...a series of folded inter-dimensional spaces that contain not only increasingly horrific things but also is totally designed to fuck up magic users. We went in cause Yussa—remember him? He went in and disappeared for like three weeks and turns out he got got by the Ball guardians—‘ Yasha snorts. Beau grins. ‘We met this super hot wizard chick from Tal’Dorei, Yussa’s - friend? Maybe? Who helped us out with that, and with you. The blonde chick who talked to us in the King’s throne room. Let’s see, what else? I made Expositor and then almost immediately got banned from all the fuckin’ libraries—long story, it involves teleporting horses,’

‘Ah. Okay.’

‘We visited a volcano—not the Traveller Con one, a different one—and tricked a white dragon and stole from some assholes connected to - to Shady Creek. Fjord got a new sword and a new voice, got hitched to the Wildmother, we met this superhero chick who could turn into animals, we got tattoos,’

‘You changed.’

Beau stops talking. Stares out, over the barren treetops painted pink and golds in place of withered grey. ‘I guess. Happens, y’know.’

Yasha hums her agreement.

‘Good change?’

Yasha ignores the crack in her words. ‘I think so. You’re...more confident. Comfortable.’

‘You’re pretty comfortable too,’ Beau says, threading it with a familiar flirtation, and she smiles more genuinely when Yasha laughs.

‘I didnt - like to see you in Kamordah.’ Yasha has to feel the way she tenses, entire body locking up, but she ignores it. ‘It was - like looking in a mirror.’

‘Oh yeah? Shitty parents?’

‘No. My parents were good enough.’ Yasha shifts ever so slightly. Beau doesn’t know how until one finger comes to rest atop Beau’s pinkie. ‘You looked ready to die,’ she says, voice blunt like a fist to the gut. ‘Ready to leave us. I don’t care for that much.’

‘You’re one to talk.’

‘I know. But am I wrong?’

Beau doesn’t answer. Not with words, not with a shrug or a laugh. It is hard to move beneath the sudden crushing sensation of being fully in her body, a body that is not dead, that is sat amongst a nest of friends she has not fully earned, deserved. She shivers, heart feeling small and cold again.

‘Perhaps I should not have spoken to it,’ Yasha continues very softly, and she lifts a hand to run it through Beau’s braided, flowerless hair. ‘But I have.’

Beau breathes out shakily. Fights the pressure that clutches her lungs. ‘Yep. Sure have.’

Yasha waits a moment. Then, ‘There is another, ah, topic.’

‘Fuckin’—fine. Yeah, fine, go for it,’ Beau sighs, pulls away from Yasha finally. Scrubs hard at her face again. Her cheeks and eyes are dry still and her skin is warm from the morning sun, but she feels numb. The gesture helps, a little.

‘I’m sorry. I have missed so much, I don’t know who to ask. And you—tell the truth. Without...’

‘Being nice about it?’

Yasha smiles. ‘I guess. But sometimes nice is confusing and doesn’t help me much.’

‘Sometimes nice is what you deserve,’ Beau mutters.

‘Is that the truth?’

It’s not what Yasha wanted to talk about, Beau is pretty sure, but she sounds very uncertain and Beau’s heart aches with it.

‘Yash,’ she sighs. ‘Yeah. You deserve—friends. Family. You deserve good stuff.’

‘Even though...’

Her eyes dip down. Beau is wearing a shirt now, not her old vestments. She’s been wearing a shirt since that night. The scar doesn’t bother her, but it bothers others.

‘Even though.’

Yasha hums, neither agreement nor disagreement. Then, so casually as to be super obvious about it, she looks about to see if any of the others are awake. No one is—or seems to be—but still Yasha folds herself forward so there is only an inch or two between their faces.

‘You and Jester,’ Yasha says.

Beau pulls quickly back.

Yasha doesn’t try to say more. Whatever the question would have been—she sees answer enough in Beau’s escape.

‘We should wake the others. Get out of here.’

‘Okay.’

‘Good talk.’ Beau claps her hands on her knees. Pushes smoothly to standing. ‘Good talk. Bye.’

‘Bye, Beau.’

//

‘These are such pretty flowers, Yasha! Where did you find them? I haven’t seen flowers for ages!’ Jester says, braiding a handful of them into one of Yasha’s plaits. She doesn’t notice the way Yasha glances to Beau, and doesn’t seem to require an answer, because she continues on. ‘And you know it’s a forest but it’s not like any forest I’ve ever been in—no leaves, no animals, no food! You should’ve told us if you saw flowers—maybe that means something.’

‘Ah,’

‘Perhaps a space where the curse is not so prevalent,’ Caleb adds thoughtfully. ‘Was it far from here?’

‘Ah.’

This time, no fewer than all of the Nein notice the way Yasha looks to Beau. Beau pretends she hasn’t noticed, examining the torn skin around her nailbeds.

‘Beau?’ Jester drags her name out teasingly. ‘Did you find flowers and give them to Yasha?’

‘No.’

‘If you found them—I do not know how much you heard, but if you did, there is a curse upon this forest and any sign of - leniency or space where the curse did not take so virulent a hold—‘

‘I didn’t find them!’ Beau snaps. Her eyes cut to Jester—she should’ve told her earlier, she realises. And not with everyone around. Fuck the Traveller, fuck Artagan for being right. She should have told her. ‘I—got given them. Sort of. He was being an asshole.’

‘He? A gift? Some kind of apparition?’

‘No!’ Beau cuts Caleb off. ‘No, I’m not stupid! It was — it was the Traveller, okay?’ She keeps her eyes firmly on Caleb, tries not to notice the way Jester’s smile blooms and then withers almost immediately. ‘He came around last night during my watch and said some stupid fuckin’ fey shit and bounced. Turned my cloak into flowers. That’s all. That’s all,’ she says again, turning her attention to Jester who summons up a wobbly smile and a cheerful,

‘That’s great! Isn’t he the coolest!’

‘He’s somethin’, alright.’

[the-mic-drop]

Shonen Jump Rap Cypher by Rustage

Lyrics below the cut

If anyone wants to break down some lines that you think not everyone will get, please feel free!

Monkey D. Luffy- One Piece (Performed by Rustage)

Starting with the number one, hey

How’d a pirate get this long, hey

‘Cause I eat the gum-gum, see them run run

when I hit that gun, hey

Sailin’ I’m taking no breaks when my crew’s on the move as we pillage the grand line

Looting the treasure we can find

I’m blowing up like a landmine

Going gear second, I reckon that I’m a weapon

I’m wrecking up those who threaten in messing with my own brethren

Stay reppin’ look where I’m headin’

No question the Yonkos sweatin’

I’m bettin’ in words I’m yellin’

I’m the king and there’s no forgettin’, UH

Gon Freecss- Hunter x Hunter (Performed by Fabvl)

I’ll jump the competition, really there’s no contest

Channeled future Nen and most of y’all ain’t even bomb yet

It’s nonsense

Pro exams completed as a child

Hisoka, I think these clowns are living in denial

So don’t make me power up, I’ll call the thunder at my right hand

If you want the strongest Shonen, then you called the right man

They might stan

Treat you all like Pitou, it won’t take long

Name is Gon and this time, I’mma make sure that you stay gone

Naruto Uzumaki- Naruto (Performed by None Like Joshua)

Oh, better believe it’s Naruto

Who’s the best hero? All of you know

My legacy is happening, I got a type of running named after me

while you’re slow

Can’t keep up with my chakra flow

Except Hinata, I’m her Ho

Kage

All I did was call her and I told her to come over ‘cause my parents are not home

Out of these ninjas, you can watch my dub

Even all my filler is so far above

When it comes to Boruto, why y’all givin’ up

like I did with simpin’ on Sakura?

Killer B’s rapping, but I get the encore

With the power that I bring, I don’t really want yours

‘Cause I came from the swing, everybody shunned more

Now you’re looking at the king of this Jump Force

Yami Yugi- Yu-Gi-Oh! (Performed by Connor Quest!)

I’mma master, you be

practice newbies

That’s a doozy

for Yami Yugi

Puzzle did something like a hadron tunnel

‘cause now I got Atem through me

Champ of the match see fans fawn, no matter what hand’s drawn

I’m kicking up dust, metal tanks in land form

When we d-d-d-d-duel there’s sandstorms

Cards are flippin’ I need an answer quick

and I might find my Dark Magician

If I wish, and believe hard enough in the heart that’s in ‘em

(Heart of the cards)

I see Seto’s fear

Pull the fifth part of Exodia

Guess it’s all came to a head, so clear

that your deck’s gonna get X’d, oh dear!

Asta- Black Clover (Performed by Eddie Rath)

Welcome to the magic

It’s a tale that’s tragic

Filled with a pain that’s harder than plastic

especially when you discover you don’t have it

When I started I was less than amazing

But now that I’ve been chosen by the Grimoir, I’m rising to the occasion in a blazing flame of

Magic

Ain’t no Hocus Pocus and Abracadabra

Not a wizard you joke with

This is not Gandalf the Grey, but you shall not pass hopeless

Better be ferocious

Was the poorest orphan living in darkness

but now that I’m focused, I be thanking all my hardships

Ichigo Kurosaki- Bleach (Performed by IBDL)

Uh, hittin’ back with that Bankai

Got that power like I came out of the Dangai

Pops passed the torch; now I’m the fam’s Don guy

Think you Aizen, but you lookin’ like that Don guy

Y’all like Soifon, your raps barely sting

My bars are Getsuga Tensho, got that masterful swing

They say, it ain’t over til the fat lady sings

But you’ll know it’s really over when that black lady sings

Koro-sensei- Assassination Classrom (Performed by CDawgVA)

Mach speed

Blow up the moon and now I’m making these children write essays

Comin with tentacles teach you a lesson in why you don’t mess with the sensei

I amaze

Used to be the Reaper, now I run this class

I can turn a loser to assassin, do it real fast

Light Yagami- Death Note (Performed by Zach Boucher)

I think I’ve been out of my head

Gift was given, made some poor decisions, that I wish I didn’t, but I’d do it again

Feeling different, I was on a mission to achieve my vision with a page and a pen

Sit and listen to the words I’ve written

I ain’t even finished ‘til I see that they’re dead

Don’t even try to pretend

There’s no malicious intent

Stay in my thoughts, stick to the morals I’ve got,

and kill everyone who is not

Just never get caught, ‘til every criminal rots

They’ll consider me as a god

At whatever cost, that’s how I excel

Cannot be stopped, even if I fell

I’m taking them off if you couldn’t tell

I gave up a lot to give you this L

Shoyo Hinata- Haikyuu!! (Performed by Shwabadi)

Yah, here comes Hinata

When I’m on the court the enemy has got their guard up

Never gonna fall off, bet I’m gonna pop off

Way short, but I’m packing punches like a sawnoff

Hot like a sauna, this ball of fire don’t know nada

but I’m gonna chase desire to go farther

every jump will take me higher

They put walls up, so I had to learn to fly

Putting up points, spiking it, or clearing the way

Best decoy, got a little something to say

to anyone that doubts that I’m here to stay

Only got one goal, that’s to play the game

Underestimated, I’m the ace, you just wait

when I spike it past the net, you might take it to the face

Izuku “Deku” Midoriya- My Hero Academia (Performed by Divide Music)

Coming in with 100% of me

I got you all trembling

Oh just with a flick of a finger

put you back where you’re supposed to be

I’m not, holding back

I got you so calculated. I’m

one step ahead, One for All gon’ be demonstrated

Get it? Got it? Good.

Nothing better and you should know

Started at the bottom

but I made it to the top so

Step aside, I’m climbing to great heights

with All-Might by my side

Reppin’ U.A. with pride, oh

Yusuke Urameshi- Yu Yu Hakusho (Performed by GameBoyJones)

Giving you the finger, Spirit Gun

Send you off with Botan, then you done

Hit you with the stick, and I didn’t need a grip when I’m pulling from the hip, then click!

Because I’m, locked loaded, the clip is ready to go

Got a, shotgun in my hand that’s ‘bout to blow

Cause I’m hittin’ you quick fast

givin’ you whiplash

wearing these Spirit Cuffs

You could be human or demon, cause honestly, I just don’t give a fuck

If you’re looking for the best, just know there’s no other

‘cause I’m flexing out here like I’m the youngest Toguro brother

Gintoki Sakata- Gintama (Perfomed by Shao Dao)

They call me, Gintoki, slim not stocky

Lemme Shonen Jump on your leg and your body

Odd Job Gin, don’t mess with my possee

If you touch my hair, then you will be sorry

Ne, boge (Hey, bloke)

Nanikore, uruseena (what is this? Not good.)

Cause you’re way too sloppy

Got a silver soul, Shiroyasha

Swing my sword and Amanto scatter

Gintama, not Kintama

Tell Shinpachi we need money

If Kagura or Katsura bring more trouble, we keep running

Pay rent? That’s a waste of time

That weather girl, I will make her mine

You can beat me up and that’s fair and fine

But if you hurt my friends, then prepare to die

Tanjiro Kamado- Demon Slayer (Performed by DizzyEight)

Look, slayin’ demons that’s what we do

If you filled with evil, then my blade is highly lethal

If you comin’ at my people, pray to god I never meet you

Ever mess with Nez, you KO’d when I see you

I’ve grown stronger from that fateful day they found me

I trained hard to hone the skill, the progression so astounding

My style like breathing water, that mean you can never drown me

Whirlpool, that mean I’m slicin’ everything around me

Emma- The Promised Neverland (Performed by FrivolousShara)

E-M-M-A 63194

Listen to what I’ve gotta say

The others walked, seems now we’ve gotta run away

Don’t you talk, adults are the enemy

You can break every bone in my body, I won’t falter

and if the plan fails, the idea simply alters

Ah, these demons scheming, but they ain’t the only monsters

Our combined IQ breaks the safe, strength in numbers

Now we’ve woken from the slumber

Never ending perfect Summers

Across the farm, you can’t help but wonder

Soma Yukihira- Food Wars! (Performed by DiggzDaProphecy)

See I’m the anime Raekwon

The chef baby, stay calm

You can’t stand the heat

Stay out the kitchen, get a day job

Word, and the finale’s superb

I take a sec, put on my band, an’ I’ll be happy to serve, uh

So ma, tell me what you like and I can hook it up

Ya boy’s got them recipes the best couldn’t cook it up

And she gon’ bust from the taste of my meat

Chef, boy are these boys always cookin’ up heat

Jotaro Kujo- Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure (Performed by Dreaded Yasuke)

It’s my go, they call me Jotaro

Don’t get me mad, I’mma go fat only with jabs you go through silos

Got that drip from Cairo, girls will simp my silhouette

I know think it’s a typo fighting with a platinum psycho

None of y’all is a threat

What you gotta say in your breath

Better speak with a bigger chest

Now you lyin’ down with my pet,

while Iggy piss on your neck

All types of disrespect, what you expect?

Go against a vet, better get your techs

wanna get swept through the complex,

now who is next?

Bobobo- Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo (Performed by BassedOlaf w/ ThighHighSenpai)

Bobobo making the foes stare

Call me the master of nose hair

Look at the hair on the heads of these anime characters,

brother, it’s no fair

But I’m better than these guys, don’t you understand?

I came second place at screaming face-to-face with desk fans

Afro is full of surprises, look at my power’s immense

Leaving beauty screaming-

(Bobobo, that makes no sense!)

Hunting hair hunters, Saitama, I’m coming for you

Don Patch a better Super Saiyan God than Goku

Son Goku- Dragon Ball (Performed by DaddyPhatSnaps)

Oh they went and called Kakarot

had to be danger

Leave em flat-footed like they in the gravity chamber

I’m just looking for a challenge, can you battle me stranger?

Shonen legend in the saddle and the power is major

Level up on the track, flow Ultra Instinct

Bye bye bye fusion dance is always in sync

Wink

And they wonder why I’m last on the song

‘Cause when all of y’all were talking

I just formed a Spirit Bomb

[the--blackdahlia]

It’s So Easy (And Other Lies) Chapter 8

Title: It’s So Easy (And Other Lies) Chapter 8

Summary: Stevie Adler likes Duff McKagan. She has for a while now, but she is convinced Duff doesn’t like her that way. Duff likes Stevie, but so does their new bandmate Axl Rose.

Chapter Warnings: Language mainly

AN: Happy New Year! Here’s another chapter because I gotta go back to work tomorrow. Thank you so much for all the feedback!

Duff didn’t want to get out of bed the next day. He knew what was going to happen that night. Stevie was going to go out with Vince. And knowing the frontman’s reputation, she would go back to his hotel room for the night. It wouldn’t be because she wanted to hang out with Tommy and Nikki to annoy Mick, it would be to end up in Vince’s bed, as just another girl on his list.

And it honestly made Duff sick to his stomach.

“Duff, come on,” Izzy knocked on his door. “You can’t stay in there all day. That’s not the point of this mini vacation.” He was so tired of his idiot bandmates at this point, and he seriously was thinking about locking them both in a hotel room.

“I don’t wanna get up,” Duff grumbled. “What’s the point anyway?” Duff said under his breath, not really sure if Izzy could hear that or not.

“Well, Stevie and Slash are going shopping right now. She’s trying on clothes and…” The door flew open, and Duff stood there. “Uh, hey?”

“Where is she?” Duff asked.

“When did I become the fucking babysitter?” Izzy asked him. “I…” He was going to give another smart ass remark watched as Duff quickly pulled on some clothes, but decided to take some pity on the lovestruck bassist. “Well, if I would’ve known that would get you going. Her and Slash just headed to the elevator.”

“Fuck!” Duff grabbed his wallet and ran to the elevator. It was taking way too long and Duff needed get downstairs now. It finally got to his floor and he got down to the lobby. He looked around but didn’t see them, until he looked towards the large glass entrance. There, he could see the mass amount of fluffy hair that was Slash’s heading out the door behind Stevie. She had her hair pulled back today. A woman on a mission.

“Stevie! Slash!” Duff called out as he chased them down. He had plenty of people staring at him before he caught up to them. The two of them turned to look at the bassist running at them. Slash had an amused grin on his face. He knew that Duff couldn’t stay away.

“Duff?” Stevie asked. “What are you doing here?” She was still a little hurt by how he acted the night before, and she honestly didn’t think he’d want to go with them to the store.

“I’m sorry about last night,” He told her. “I was just tired.” Stevie looked over at Slash, who just shrugged.

“Well, okay,” She smiled at him. “I’m going to pick something out for tonight.”

“Oh, yeah,” Duff plastered a smile on his face, trying to hide the pain in his voice. He wrapped and arm around her shoulders as they walked. “Come on sweetheart. Let’s go knock Vince off his feet.”

****

Vince was awoken by a loud pounding at his door. He groaned and rolled out of bed, knocking over an empty bottle of Jack as he went. He opened the door, and through his sleepy eyes, he saw Tommy and Nikki standing there.

“What the fuck do you guys want?” Vince asked. Nikki pushed him into the room as the terror twins made their way in. Vince stared at them, trying to figure out what was going on.

“Shut the door Tommy,” Nikki told the drummer. Tommy nodded and shut the door. He turned back around and looked at Vince with his arms crossed over his chest.

“You guys aren’t here to invite me to breakfast, are you?” Vince laughed a little, but they could tell he was nervous.

“What are you doing with Stevie Adler?” Tommy asked, cutting right to the chase.

“What?” Vince asked.

“Answer the question,” Nikki matching Tommy’s stance and crossing his arms over his chest. They were both towering over the frontman, standing to their full height. Vince just looked between them.

“I’m just taking her out on a date…” Vince told them. “Nothing big.”

“Yes, very big,” Tommy told him.

“How do you not realize that Duff likes her?” Nikki asked.

“So?” Vince shrugged. “If he likes her so much, why doesn’t he just ask her out?”

“She’s his best friend you idiot!” Tommy snapped at Vince. “Even I know what’s going on Vince.”

“You have to cancel this date,” Nikki told him.

“What? No.” Vince shook his head. “I’m not putting my plans on hold because Duff has a hard on for his drummer!”

“If you don’t cancel this date, it will be the last one you ever have,” Nikki growled.

“What are you going to do, kill me?” Vince asked.

“Nope,” Tommy shook his head. “But you’ll have blue balls so bad you’ll wish you were dead.” Vince gulped and nodded. “Glad we have an understanding.” With that, Tommy and Nikki walked out, leaving Vince in his room alone.

****

“God this is so boring!” Slash called through the dressing room door at Stevie.

“I’m sorry! I could’ve done this on my own!” Stevie shot back.

“Yeah and if I would’ve said no, Axl would’ve came with you, and tried to get into the dressing room!” Slash shook his head. She had already been through about five dresses, and each one, no one could agree on, even though Slash was pretty sure Duff was saying no to all of them hoping that she would just give up and not go on the date.

But this was the last dress she had in her pile and Stevie was hoping that it would be a winner.

“Okay,” She breathed as she opened the dressing room door. “What do you guys think of this one?”

Duff looked up and stared at her. He wasn’t sure how to even make words at that point. She was wearing a black, sleeveless dress that had silver stars sewn into the netting. Across her back, straps criss crossed. The front was low cut just enough to show off some cleavage without exposing too much. She looked down right stunning.

Too bad it was all for someone else.

“I think that’s a winner,” Slash laughed, poking Duff. Duff stood from his spot, still staring at her.

“You look beautiful,” Duff told her, walking up to her. “Vince is going to love it.” Stevie looked up at the taller man, biting her lip.

“You’re not just saying that, right?” Stevie asked. Duff brushed a stray piece of hair out of her face.

“Never,” He told her with a soft smile. He stared down into her eyes and Slash was two seconds away from knocking them into each other or locking them in a closet until they just fucking admitted how they felt about each other.

“Okay,” She laughed a little. “I’m gonna go buy it.” She went back into the dressing room to change into her other clothes. When she was done, she headed to the register. Duff started to follow her, but was stopped by Slash.

“What are you doing?” Slash asked.

“Following her to the register,” Duff told him.

“No. Just fucking ask her out already man. Don’t let her go on this date tonight!”

“I’m not going to do that to her,” Duff told him. “If she wants to go out with Vince, then...then she can. She’s a grown woman, she can make her own decisions.”

“Oh my god, you are both idiots!” Slash yelled a little loud. Stevie looked over at them as she finished up paying for her dress. She came over to them with the dress placed neatly in a bag.

“What is going on over here?” She asked.

“Nothing,” Duff waved it off. “Come on. You’ve got a date to get ready for.”

****

Stevie showered, shaved, and made herself look presentable. She left her hair loose, cascading over her shoulders. She did her make up and painted her nails. Duff, Izzy, Axl, and Slash were hanging out in the lounge on the floor, not wanting to disturb her as she got ready. Stevie took a deep breath and walked up to them.

“Okay boys,” She told them, standing in front of them. “Do I look okay?” They all turned their attention away from the football game that was on to look at Stevie.

“Damn girl,” Izzy smiled. “You look great!”

“I approve,” Slash nodded, glancing over at Duff who was at a loss again. Seeing her in the dress at the store was one thing. Seeing her completely made up was something entirely different.

“I like it,” Axl admitted. Stevie looked over at Duff, who just kept staring at her.

‘I, uh, I’m gonna head out,” She told him. “I’ll see you later.” He just nodded slowly. “Bye guys.” She walked out then, leaving Duff sitting there with the words on his lips that he had wanted to say.

So he turned his attention back to the football game. But when that couldn’t keep his interest, Duff retreated to the hotel bar.

****

Nikki and Tommy walked into the hotel that Guns n’ Roses were staying at. They were going to hang out with them, hoping to cheer Stevie up for her cancelled date. Vince had agreed to cancel, so they knew that she was probably going to be down in the dumps, and they knew reigning terror onto unsuspecting hotel guests would be just the right cheer up. Nikki saw Duff sitting at the hotel bar. He nudged Tommy and they headed over there, both of them wondering why he wasn’t hanging out with Steie.

“Hey, where’s Stevie?” Tommy asked. Duff sighed and motioned for another drink.

“She’s on her fucking date with Vince,” He took a puff off his cigarette. He didn’t see the look that the terror twins shared with each other.

“Wait, what?” Nikki asked.

“Yeah. You heard him last night,” Duff sighed. “I hope he appreciates her.” He chugged his drink like it was water.

“Dude, Vince cancelled,” Tommy told him. “Did he not call her?”

“Wait...he cancelled?” Duff asked, looking at the other two. A million thoughts were starting to run through his head, one being that he was going to kick Vince’s ass.

“Yeah,” Nikki confirmed. “That’s why we’re here. To hang out with her and cheer her up if she was upset…”

“Fuck!” Duff groaned. If he had known, he would’ve been prepared or something. But Stevie apparently didn’t know, because she was wasting her evening on someone who wasn’t even going to show up.

“Go over there,” Nikki told him. “Go show up and take his spot. Tell her how you fucking feel about her already. Steal flowers from a table or some shit and be her fucking knight in shining armor!”

“Seriously. The suspense of when you two are going to get together is worse than waiting to see who fucking shot J.R.!” Tommy added.

“Shit! I gotta get over there,” Duff stood up, ready to head to the restaurant and save the day.

Forever Tags: @anathewierdo​ @dekahg​ @marvel-af-imagines​ @feelmyroarrrr​ @nanie5​ @imboredsueme​ @gemini0410​ @aiaranradnay​ @babypink224221​ @mogarukes​ @xxwarhawk​ @sandlee44​ @shatteredabby​ @caswinchester2000​ @supernaturalwincestsblog​ @lauravic​ @mrsambroserollinsacklesmgk​ @teller258316​ @horrorpxnk​ @tommyleeownsme​ @marvelismylifffe​ @mrslogansixxpixx​

Guns n Roses Tags:  @duffshairdye​ @slashscowboyboots​ @hauntedapricoteggsclam​ @bitter-13-suite​

[hockeytrashgoblin]

Take it out on me Part 3

A/N: hey guys! so I’ve been loving the feedback on this story but there’ve been a couple messages about how Auston is making you guys upset and I’d just like to give a little explanation I guess? I can’t justify cheating on a partner even in my writing and stuff but I know how tricky it gets when you’ve been threw so much shit that you’ve checked out of the relationship and just can’t figure out how to leave and that’s kind of the situation I’m trying to create. Idk if it’s working but, ya know.

Anyway trigger warning: a broken bone happens but this is pretty much the end of anymore physical abuse in the story.

With all that out of the way I hope you enjoy

I unlocked the door to the apartment and walked in quietly. I didn’t know if Auston was around or not but I didn’t want to bother him again if he was. I had just had the best afternoon with Freddie and I had been dreading coming home. I spent a little too much time in the foyer taking off my shoes and putting my keys on the right hook. Eventually there was nothing else to do in there and I ventured the rest of the way into my home. Auston was napping on the couch when I walked through so I kept going to our room where I decided to take my own nap.

When I woke up again it was because someone was touching my face. I opened my eyes to find myself staring into dark sad ones.

“You always look like an angel when you sleep..” he said quietly.

“Thanks..” we were quiet for a minute and unlike with Freddie, the quiet seemed wrong.

“I really messed up today.”

“I know.”

“I don’t know what happened, love. I got so upset and I just completely lost control.. I never wanted to hurt you.”

“Well you did Auston. The second you thought about putting your hands on me in a negative way you hurt me.”

“I didn’t mean it..” he said standing up and crawling into bed with me. “Look at me please?”

“Okay..” I rolled over to face the other way and saw that his arms were open for me. “Auston I don’t think-”

“Please come here.. I can’t stand the thought of hurting you like that and you not wanting to cuddle with me..you always want to cuddle.” tears welled up in his eyes and I scooted forward a little bit into his arms. He pulled me closer and held me tight crying into my hair.

“I’m sorry I’m never good enough Auston..”

“Don’t say that. You are good enough. You always try so hard and it might seem like I don’t appreciate it but I do. You’re good enough.”

“You’re just always mad at me..it feels like I can’t win.”

“I’m sorry you feel like that.” he said flatly making me cringe internally. “Now can we please just have a nice night before I go away on a road trip? I’d really just like to be close with you and love you..”

“Of course Auston.” his face broke out into a cute grin and I couldn’t help but giggle and melt my bad feelings away when his lips touched mine.

“I love you so so much (Y/N). I’m bad at showing it but I love you.”

“I love you too baby.” I kissed him again as I slipped my hand into his boxers.

The next morning I was woken up by Auston shouting at me to wake up from another room. I stretched and slowly got up and out of bed. I was still naked from the night before so getting ready was easy. I didn’t have a lot of time so I threw on some leggings, a big sweater, and a hat. Auston came into the room and his face dropped.

“You’re seriously going to wear that to see me off?”

“Aus, what do you want from me?”

“How about a little effort? Other wives actually try to look good when they bring their husbands to leave.”

“Well I’m not other wives Auston. You knew that when you married me. I don’t have the time or the energy to do full hair and makeup every time I leave the house with you.”

“Just wish you’d care about how you look a little more..”

“Auston. We have to leave in like 5 minutes. I’m sorry I can’t put myself together in that little of time. Let’s just go already.”

“Can you at least put jeans on? You look sloppy.”

“I’ll stay in the fucking car!” I yelled exasperated. “We have to go now or you’re going to be late and I am not being blamed for that. Let’s go.”

“Way to ruin our last morning together for the next week.” he said pushing his shoulder into me as he passed. I let out a large breath and followed him out of the house.

The drive to the arena was dead silent. I drove and just kept focusing on the road instead of the angry man sitting next to me. When we got there he got out of the car and I stayed put. He came over to my side and opened the door.

“Love what are you doing?”

“I told you I’d stay in here so I wouldn’t embarrass you.” I said looking down.

“Well here the thing is it’ll be more embarrassing if you stay in the car like a rude bitch instead of talking to the guys.”

“Fine.” I said grabbing his hand and getting out of the car. 

He took my hand in a death grip and dragged me over to the boys roughly. I was going to have a bruise for sure later. I talked to the other boys trying to be pleasant even though the pressure on my hand was unbearable. No one noticed except Freddie. I kept looking at him and every time I did he was looking at my hand. After a few more minutes and more pressure on it, he had let go. I had lost feeling in my hand and my eyes had tears in them. I started hugging the boys goodbye. When I got to Freddie he hugged me extra tight.

“Get that checked.” he whispered.

“It’s fine Frederik.” I said into his shoulder before letting go.

“It’s not. Get it taken care of, today. Please? All I ask is that you get it looked at by a doctor and let me know what he says.”

“I guess I can do that.” I said nodding at him.

“Good. I’ll talk to you later. Call me or text or whatever.”

“Okay. Bye Freddie.”

“Bye (Y/N).”

I went through the rest of the boys before getting to Auston. I hugged him tight around his neck and he lifted me up. I wrapped my legs around him before giving him a kiss.

“I’m gonna miss you Aus.”

“I’ll miss you too babe.” he pressed his lips to mine again as he put me back on the ground. 

“Good luck, although I know you definitely don’t need it.”

“Thank you baby.” he kissed me again until William interrupted.

“Okay lovebirds, break it up. We gotta go Auston.”

“Alright man I’m coming. Bye (Y/N).”

“Bye.” I smiled as I watched the boys board the bus. I waved as they were leaving and then went back to my car. I finally took a moment to assess the damage to my hand. It had already started bruising. It was yellow and purple was starting to show through. It was also swollen so I decided to listen to Freddie and go get it checked. It was a whirlwind afternoon in the hospital and when I got back home I decided to take a peaceful nap and just enjoy being completely alone.

I woke up and looked at the clock seeing that it was time for the leaf game I turned it on. The boys somehow won the game against Dallas. It was shocking to me because they were so overwhelmingly outplayed. Freddie was the only reason they were in the game at all. He was a brick wall for them all night. After the game was done I waited up to see if Auston was going to call me. I didn’t think he would considering how upset he was with me when he left that morning but I was hopeful he would. Not surprisingly though he didn’t. I was getting snuggled back in for the night when my phone rang with Freddie’s name on it.

“Hi, I’m so sorry I forgot to call. I didn’t know when you’d be back to the hotel or if you still wanted to talk and today has been so much and I’m just really sorry.”

“Hi.” he said chuckling slightly. “You don’t need to apologize. That’s why I called you.”

“I didn’t mean to.”

“You didn’t do anything.” he said with a moment of silence following it.

“That was a really good game tonight. You did so good.”

“Oh come on I was just playing the game. Doing my part, ya know?”

“You were a wall. Only reason you guys won was because of you.”

“There are more people on the team than just me.”

“Yeah but you had so many shots against while the boys didn’t have many shots on net at all. You’re the hero of the game.”

“Stooop.” he said laughing. I could tell he was blushing too and it made me smile.

“Proud of you Freddie.”

“Thank you. That really means a lot.” we were quiet again until he brought up the topic I didn’t want to discuss. “Did you go to the doctor today?”

“I went to a hospital yes. I knew I’d need an x-ray so I didn’t bother with a normal doctor.”

“What happened?” he asked quietly.

“Um..I’m broken. But it’s not really his fault I’m really breakable and-”

“Don’t you dare make excuses for him right now.”

“Freddie, my bones are weak and there’s been fractures there before from other things. If you look at my hand wrong it’ll break.”

“(Y/N)...don’t make excuses for him. He hurt you. He broke your hand. Intentional or not you’re broken.”

“It doesn’t even hurt that bad.”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Fred-”

“It doesn’t matter.” he said more firmly. “What did the doctor say?”

“He said cast for 6 weeks then maybe a brace after He wants to make sure they heal properly again.” he went really quiet and for a second I thought I had disconnected from him. “Freddie?”

“I wish I had said something.”

“What do you mean?”

“I should have stopped him before he hurt you. I was right there and I didn’t do anything.”

“Don’t do this to yourself. It isn’t your fault. You didn’t do this.”

“But I also didn’t stop it.”

“It wasn’t up to you to. You’re okay Frederik. Don’t put any blame on yourself. Please?”

“I can’t help it.. When I get back I’m taking you out somewhere. I have to start trying to make it up to you.”

“You don’t have to do that.”

“I let you down. I’m doing it anyway.”

“You’re the sweetest Freddie.”

“I hate to do this but I have another travel day tomorrow so I really need to get some rest.”

“That’s okay. We can talk later. Goodnight.”

“Goodnight (Y/N).”

[savannahxdolan]

Uber Driver

A/n: Hi! I'm Savannah and this is my first imagine so sorry if there's things that are wrong. Enjoy!

Warnings: dirty talk, smut

"I'll be there in a few mom. I have to call an Uber because my cars in the shop. Bye love you!" You let out an exasperated sigh. Today was your father's birthday and you were all going out for breakfast. The only mishab was that your car was in the shop for the next few days after colliding with someone at a stop sign.

You click on the app and order an Uber. Now all you have to do is wait. Not even five minutes later a message was sent through saying they have arrived.

You grab your keys off of the hook next to the front door. Coming outside you spot a white jeep rangler parked in your drive way. A door opens and out comes a boy. He had dark brown hair with gorgeous honey eyes. He wore a tight white tshirt with baby blue jeans that were rolled at the bottom. To say this boy was handsome was an understatement. He was drop dead Gorgeous.

"Are you Y/n," he questions with a thick Jersey accent seeping through his voice. You nodd and walk to the passenger side. He follows suit and gets in, pulling out and driving.

"What's your name?"

He looks at you and instantly regrets it. You have a tight black body suit on, enlarging your perky breasts. Accompanied by fish nets and a pair of blue jean cut off shorts. Oh how we would love to tear those off of you.

"Ethan," he coughs, "My name's Ethan." You peer up from your phone and look at him with a smile. You take a chance and truly look at Ethan. Taking in all of his features. His tshirt hugged his arms. Glancing down you couldn't help but tell there was a bulge in his pants. Heat coursed through your body. You shouldn't be feeling this way about someone you just met two minutes ago.

You look and catch Ethan's eyes staring back at you. Your cheeks turn a bright pink. You cough and mumble a 'sorry' before you shift in the black leather seat. The tension in the car was thick enough to cut. It shouldn't be that way though. He was your Uber driver. You shouldn't be having thoughts about his hands touching your most intimate place and moa- (Y/n), cut it out!

The car comes to a sudden stop. You glance up and tale notice that your no where near your mom's house. In fact you're the oposite way?

"Are you kidnapping me? I promise I don't taste good," you yell out frightened. Ethan chuckles and unbuckles his seat belt. "No I'm not kidnapping you! I just went the wrong way, but I bet you do taste good," he says the last part dropping his voice an octave. You clench your thighs from his choice of words. No one had this affect on you. You gulp and bite your lip. Your eyes never leave Ethan's while he slides his hand up your thigh. Your skin lights up with every touch.

"I know you seen how hard I was for you baby. These fish nets really do a number on me. Oh, how bad I just wanna tear these off of you with my teeth."

"So do it," you say, watching him close his eyes trying to hold himself back. Nothing could prepare you for what happened next.

Swinging open his door, Ethan came to your side and picked you up as if you weighed nothing. He set you in the back and climbed in behind you. He grabbed your face gently and collided your lips. He tasted like honey with a hint of mint. It was heavenly the way his plump lips molded with your own while, your tongue's fought for dominance.

You let out a soft moan. His lips left yours and moved down your neck. He gripped your hips hard enough to leave bruises tomorrow. But that didn't matter. What mattered was the want you both needed to furfill. With not knowing each other, you both ignited a fire within one another.

You began tugging on Ethans tshirt wanting to see his strong chest and abs. He pulled away and slid it off throwing it into the front. "Ah, baby I can't wait to see you in just these tights with your fast ass," Ethan groaned tugging down your shorts.

You sat up and turned your back to Ethan, giving him the perfect view of your backside. You felt thankful that you chose to not wear underwear underneath the body suit. The way the tights hugged your round flesh made Ethan's pants become more uncomfortable by the second.

"You like what you see daddy?" Seduction soaked your voice as looked back at Ethan. He couldn't form words so he just nodded frantically.

You felt hands grip your ankles as you were flipped over onto your back. When did Ethan take off his pants you thought while his strong hands pulled your tights and made a giant hole.

Ethan reached his hand forward and touched your already soaking wet pussy. Groaning at the feeling of it dripping onto his other hand as he sucked the two digits. You whimpered and closed your eyes loving the feeling. Ethan tilted forward and wrapped your thighs around his shoulders as he dove in. Sucking, licking and biting everywhere. Instantly your hands threaded through his brown curls. You were a moaning mess. The feeling of Ethan's tongue against you made you weak. You began feeling that sharp knot form inside your stomach.

"Ethan! I'm gonna cum," you moaned as you felt his fingers enter you. You bucked your hips meeting against his face trying to get your release. Just as you thought it couldn't get any better, Ethan began sucking on your clit. All collapsing at once you came. Moaning Ethan's name as you tugged on his hair eliciting groans from him.

He sat on top of his knees. "You taste so good baby." You bite your lips and pull Ethan to you to kiss him. You could taste yourself on his lips which made it even more better.

"I hope you know we're not done yet sweetheart," he says pushing into you. You groan at the big stretch of his cock inside of you. It had to be at least nine inches. Which was a new record for you. Usually, your ex's where around 6-7 inches. You didn't complain, until now.

Ethan began to thrust in and out of you. Not slowing down but not going faster. It was a steady pace. You moaned and clawed at his back surely leaving marks. While, Ethan began to leave kisses over your chest and little love bites.

"God Ethan! You're so big!"

That made him thrust faster. Soon enough that knot in your stomach came back. Ethan gave you a run for your money. The thrusting, the ass smacking, the kissing, the dirty talk all made you euphoric.

"I'm close (Y/n)," Ethan yelled just as you clenched around him and came. You arched your back and screamed. It all just felt too good for you. Soon, Ethan pulled out and came all over your stomach.

"Excuse me ma'am."

You shot up and looked around at your surroundings. You were outside of your mother's house. You looked down and you're clothes we're still on. But how? Ethan was just fucking the lights out of you seconds before.

"You fell asleep on the ride here. I'm just waking you up," He explained as he helped you out the car. You gave him a smile and hoped you didn't make any noise during, your...interesting dream.

"Yeah, I'm sorry. Thank you for the ride," you waved and watched as the White jeep rangler drives away.

[is-this-a-skam-account]

Shelter Chapter 5 (part 2) by Shawnie1718 ao3

Lucas cursed in his head, how could he stay mad at someone who looks like a puppy being left in the rain. Lucas nodded, “sure. I’ll go with you. But only if you give me my helmet back.”

Eliott smiled “of course.”

Lucas was in the middle of excusing himself and about to leave when Eliott offered to walk him down. Lucas wasn’t sure what he wanted in that moment, so he just let Eliott follow.

They got halfway down the stairs before Eliott said, “I guess you went for the more casual look today, huh?”

Lucas looked at him confused for a second before Eliott motioned to what Lucas was wearing. Lucas gazed downwards and internally groaned. “Don’t even @ me, okay? My friend didn’t tell me we were going to a party for models or anything. I just wore what I felt comfortable in.”

They walked through the main lobby, the same women behind the main desk now raising an eyebrow. Except she wasn’t looking at Lucas, she was more checking out Eliott. Lucas’s jaw tightened and he had to fight the urge to wrap an arm around Eliott’s waist to prove a point of some kind. They paused a few feet from Lucas’s motorcycle, standing side by side.

Lucas nearly yelped when Eliott suddenly spun him a whole 450° around until he came crashing into Eliott’s front. Lucas gazed up at him, eyes blown wide. The Alpha smiled down at him with the most shit eating grin. “I think your outfit makes you look-”

Lucas rolled his eyes and pushed away, cutting Eliott off. “I know, I know. I look frumpy and out of place I get it.” Lucas said and walked over to his bike.

Eliott shrugged, following after him. “I was going to go for more dangerously attractive.” The grin that would put suns to shame found its way back on Eliott’s face, and Lucas had to look away in the fear of being blinded.

Lucas managed to roll his eyes as a blush crept its way onto his cheeks. “Wow, you are just…” Lucas said as he pursed his lips and put his helmet on.

Eliott took a step closer. “Just what?”

Lucas looked up, finding the willpower to hold the gaze. He shrugged and wrapped his hands on the handlebar, revving the engine once. “Guess you’ll have to hear the rest of the sentence when you give me my helmet back.”

Lucas didn’t stay to see the expression on Eliott’s face. He did a quick turn onto the street, whizzing between cars. It wasn’t until he got home that he realized he had completely abandoned Chloe at the party.

Saturday flew by with Lucas spending most of the time with Manon on the couch. She had showed up that morning, just as Lucas was crawling out of his bed, frozen in place by the front door and crying. “We don’t have to talk about it,” Lucas offered and guided them towards the kitchen to make some coffee and something from whatever they had in the fridge. Manon seemed thankful, so he didn’t pry too much on the topic.

Once they were finally on the couch, Lucas let Manon choose what they would watch. The show was really just background noise to his swirling thoughts. He couldn’t help but think about the night before. The last place he had expected to see Eliott was at that party. Lucas also wasn’t sure how to feel about the concept that Eliott has a fuck buddy, possibly more than one. Also, now Eliott knows about Chloe. Oh yeah...Chloe. Lucas really should just break it off with her before “it” actually became something. He knows he’s just using her as his beard. But she’s like a real-life version of his safety net. And it’s so hard to let that go.

Lucas briefly closed his eyes, letting his head roll back. Eliott appeared on the back of his eyelids, almost like a movie playing from the night before. Lucas could still see the strobe lights hitting Eliott’s face and the way his shoulders and head moved.

The meer concept of Eliott felt like jumping off a cliff and Lucas wasn’t sure if he wanted to take that jump, at least not without a safety net attached.

It was nearing dinner time when Lucas got a notification on his phone. He debates on whether to continue doing the dishes or check his phone. It was an easy fight. Lucas read the notification, @srodulv started a live!

Lucas unlocked his phone quickly, heart pounding in his chest. A few seconds later the image of Eliott appeared on his phone. Lucas couldn’t help but let a fond smile take over his face. He took in everything about the live. How Eliott was laughing and enjoying a smoke in his living room, just being super chill with the fans. Lucas also took note of the cute little harmonica motion Eliott does with his fingers between questions. Lucas couldn’t help but gaze at the steel rings which were placed on multiple fingers. They suited Eliott really well. Lucas bit his lip. Bet they would look pretty good trailing their way down.

No, Lucas, focus!

Lucas smiled again as he opened up the chat, quickly typing.

@lucallemant: strip ;)

“Ahhh! Lucas! Lucas’s in the chat! Salut!” Eliott said much more excitedly than expected. He scooped up his phone and brought it closer, more intimate than before. The chat was blowing up, some people just sending Lucas’s name over and over again, others trying to connect what was happening between these two. Lucas chuckled and brought his phone a little closer as well.

“Salut,” Lucas whispered into his screen.

Eliott paused, skimming the comments before looking back at the camera. “Lucas, say something else!”

Lucas laughed aloud, immediately hoping that Manon wouldn’t hear.

@lucallemant: what should I say?

@lucallemant: I still need my helmet back.

The chat was going crazy which made Lucas laugh harder. Eliott fell into a fit of laughter as he leaned back on his couch. Lucas wished he was there next to him. He wouldn’t even have to run his hand through his hair, or tuck his hands under Eliott’s shirt. While those are two things Lucas would very much like to do, it wouldn’t be necessary. Lucas would be content just sitting beside Eliott on the couch, doing a livestream together. Maybe Lucas would cook dinner later, something domestic. And then they would-

Lucas paused, why was he thinking like a housewife? Sure, Lucas had thought about the idea of becoming an Alpha’s Omega, but Lucas would still want to be Lucas. He would still want to continue his career, either in biology or music. He wouldn’t want to be owned per say. Though, perhaps he didn’t mind the idea of being able to come home and smell a scent so familiar that it’s practically your own. Or have a mating bite that links you to the other person in a way that’s undefinable…

“Oh, Putain! I have to go. Bye, Lulu!” And with that Eliott ended the live.

Sunday morning crept by. Eliott had said that he could pick Lucas up, but only if Lucas took his motorbike. Lucas had rolled his eyes and asked: do you only like me for my motorcycle? Eliott had just laughed. Lucas agreed, though, thankful that Manon had a job interview that morning so she was out early. And Mika was still passed out on his bed.

Lucas wasn’t entirely sure what to wear to a photo shoot, he didn’t own many nice clothes if he was being honest. He settled for one of his nicer (more blouse-y) shirts and rolled up jeans. It was the best he could do.

There was a knock at the door, just a little past eleven. Lucas composed himself as he went to answer it. A part of him prayed that it wasn’t Eliott, because he hadn’t finished mentally preparing himself. However, when he opened the door, there Eliott was. In all his tall glory. He has a hand in his pocket with the other tucking something underneath his elbow. Lucas guess it was the helmet, though he didn’t look at it long because holy shit that face. A smile grew on Eliott’s face when Lucas opened the door. His scent wafted out and around Eliott. Lucas felt like he could practically taste the smell with how sweet it was.

“Salut!” Eliott said happily.

Lucas nodded, “Salut.” He stepped out of the apartment, locking the door after him. He turned back to Eliott, motioning to his clothes. “I wasn’t exactly sure what to wear to a photo shoot, so I settled for this.”

Eliott smirked and took a step closer. “I think you look perfect, babe.”

Lucas felt his legs nearly give out. Babe, babe. Babe. Babe. Holy shit. Babe. Lucas had to take a few breaths and wet his lips before saying, “of course you would say that. Let’s just get this over with.” Lucas said in a playful tone. As he passed, he grabbed hold of Eliott’s wrist, pulling him down the hallway to the stairs. Lucas tried to ignore the fact that he could feel how fast Eliott’s heart was racing.

“Can I drive?!” Eliott asked excitedly once they reached the bike.

Lucas laughed, “yeah, right, in your dreams!”

Eliott frowned, reaching the bike before Lucas. He flung his leg around the bike and placed his hands on the handlebars, looking back at Lucas. “C’mon! Just a couple blocks!” When Lucas just crossed his arms Eliott gave him his best puppy dog eyes, “pleeease.”

Lucas sighed, “fine, you win.”

Eliott laughed giddily. “Yes! Hop on!”

Lucas rolled his eyes. He put his helmet on before mounting the back of the bike. He tentatively placed his arms around Eliott, and then proceeded to wait for a good five minutes before asking, “do you need help?”

Eliott turned to him, a whine just barely audible, “yes.”

Lucas laughed and leaned forward. He watched as his hands trailed down Eliott’s arms until they rested on the handlebars, resting just next to (and slightly on) Eliott’s hands. Lucas tried to immortalize the image of Eliott watching Lucas’s hands from just moments before.

“I’m guessing you know handlebars? And I hope you know what riding a bike is like, otherwise we are in a lot of trouble. The brake lever is just to our right, a little under the speedometer. Then the break peddles are somewhat where my feet will be resting. Then, to get going you just want to slightly pull on th-whoa!” Lucas yelled as Eliott gripped the gas pedal, shooting them forward. Eliott laughed into the wind and Lucas was frantically latching onto Eliott’s middle for some stability.

Lucas would never admit it to his face, but Eliott did rather well...considering. They had a couple close calls, but nothing too major that Lucas would need them to pull over for. When they got to the establishment, and Eliott went to sign in, he called Lucas his “plus one.” Lucas couldn’t help but smile cheekily at the lady working at the desk as they walked away. Eliott guided them to the correct room, and whoa...Lucas had never seen so many people look so frantic all at once. And for what? Photos? Like literally, there were people running around holding like fifteen cups of coffee, others searching frantically in large bags, a large section of the room was just devoted to hair and makeup, and Lucas would not be surprised if he saw someone crying in the corner.

“Lulu, hey,” Eliott said, waving a hand in Lucas’s face to grab his attention. “I have to go do hair and makeup, you can either come with me or if you want you can just chill over there,” he motioned towards a section of fold out chairs, where there was a girl on her phone. “They’ll give me a ten minute break once I get ready, so I’ll see you then?”

Lucas nodded and watched Eliott walk off. He took one last look around the room, it seemed like in the movies. Like the Devil Wears Prada or...well, that’s really the only one that came to mind. Lucas decided on wasting away the next hour or so in a chair on his phone, which is exactly what he would be doing at home, just with much more comfort and not with the pressure of every person in the room staring at him.

When Lucas sat down, he immediately pulled up Instagram. He decided to respond to some fans in his direct messages. He really enjoyed doing that, giving back to his fans. Lucas tried to ignore the ones asking if Eliott and him were in a relationship.

It was about seven minutes later (Lucas was now watching dog compilations on YouTube) when Lucas got a notification on his phone.

@srodulv: someone looks bored.

Lucas looked up to the area designated to hair to find Eliott grinning at him. Lucas rolled his eyes and exited out of the messages. He saw Eliott frown and turn back to his phone from his peripheral vision.

@srodulv: awe respond!

@srodulv: Lucaaaaaas

@srodulv: I’m going to keep sending you messages until you respond.

@srodulv: L

@srodulv: U

@srodulv: C

@srodulv: A

@srodulv: S

@srodulv: you look so feckin cute today mm

@srodulv: bb don’t be like that!

Lucas’s face lit up a bright pink.

@lucallemant: don’t call me cute.

Lucas could hear Eliott’s soft laugh from across the room.

@srodulv: but my mom told me I shouldn’t lie!

@srodulv: you don’t want me to lie do you?

Lucas pursed his lips at his phone, about to type a reply when, “hey! I haven’t seen you before.” Someone said, walking up to him. Lucas dragged his attention away from his phone, leaving it on his lap. He was met with the brightest smile Lucas thinks he has ever seen. The guy was obviously a model. Muscles super tones. Hair perfectly styled. Dimples only gods should have. “Sofiane.” The guy offered his hand and Lucas gladly took it.

It was then that Lucas got another notification which he knew was from Eliott. Lucas simply smiled flicking his eyes back to Eliott as he clicked his phone off. Eliott looked absolutely betrayed. “Lucas.” He said.

“Nice to meet you,” Sofiane said. “So, I’m guessing you aren’t a model?”

Lucas gaped at him playfully, “what am I that unattractive?”

Sofiane laughed, “no, no. I’m actually making sure you aren’t a model, because we are all supposed to be getting ready. Though you could easily be one, for sure.”

Lucas laughed, “if only.”

“No! No! I’m serious.” Lucas only rolled his eyes. “Anyways, what are you doing here?”

“I came here with a friend,” Lucas said and motioned to Eliott, who was too preoccupied sulking into the mirror. Is this even an adult male? He acts like a child.

“Oh, Eliott! I love Eliott. We are really close friends actually. We went to college together and then we both got into modeling around the same time.”

Lucas frowned, “Eliott went to college?”

Sofiane nodded, “yeah! He was majoring in the arts.”

“Oh, that’s awesome!”

“Yeah, you should ask him to show you a couple drawings some time.”

“Oh, you know he actually-“ Lucas was suddenly cut off when there was a hand placed on Sofiane’s shoulder. They both turned to the person the hand belonged to, to find Eliott standing there. Lucas couldn’t help but suck in a breath. He looked amazing, breathtaking, with his hair and makeup done. Dressed to the nines in a suit. A shiver coursed through Lucas’s body.

“Salut!” Eliott said.

They both greeted him as well. Sofiane opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off when someone yelled his name. He excused himself and ran off. Eliott replaced where Sofiane had just been standing. “What were you two talking about?”

Lucas shrugged, leaning back into his chair. “Just setting up a time to go make out in the copy room.”

Eliott gaped at him, which made Lucas burst into laughter. “No, mec, we were actually talking about you.”

Eliott...blushed? Is that a hint of a blush Lucas sees? “Oh.”

Lucas cocked an eyebrow. “Oh.”

“Okay I need everyone in places now. Now, people!” Someone yelled from the center of a room. They were wearing a headset and looked relatively important in Lucas’s eyes.

Eliott cursed under his breath. “It shouldn’t take us too long to get these shots. Then I’m all yours.”

Lucas smiled as he watched Eliott walk off. “Okay,”

It took around two hours to finish the shoot. Much longer than Lucas was expecting. Towards the end he was about to fall asleep, when Eliott suddenly appeared in front him dressed in his everyday clothes once again. “Ready?” He asked.

Lucas nodded and proceeded to follow Eliott out of the building. They decided to head out the back exit, which happened to be a large area reserved for storage. Such as props models may use when shooting. The closer they got to the exit the larger the props became. There were couches and other chairs stacked upon each other, which surrounded something hiding underneath a tarp. Lucas paused in front of it. He sent a questioning look to Eliott, who stopped just a couple feet from him. Lucas preceded to peel back the tarp, revealing a shining piano. He lifted up the cover and trailed his fingers over the keys. Memories of his piano lessons come flooding back to him. As well as memories of his fathers disdain when he learned his mother had signed him up. He felt Eliott close some of the space between them, almost close enough to feel the breath he exhaled.

“I had to use this in one of my shoots before,” Eliott offered, cutting the silence covering the long corridor.

Lucas looked up briefly as he sat on the stool, “you play?”

Eliott laughed, “no, God, no. Well, I guess I do have the best cover of hot crossed buns this side of Paris.”

Lucas smiled, turning back to the piano. He cracked his fingers before letting them trail the keys once more. Lucas pressed a couple keys, making sure he remembered where they were.

“You know they probably have a triangle around here too if you want?” Eliott offered.

Lucas looked back briefly and smiled, he hadn’t really catched the whole joke. His brain was wrapped up in the melody going on inside his head. He breathed in before letting his fingers press the keys. They began flowing together the longer he played. His right hand soon joined in. His hands were shaking a tad, though he hoped Eliott didn’t realize.

Lucas closed his eyes, trying to remember the next part. It had been so long since he last played this piece. When he opened his eyes again, he looked back at Eliott who had found a place to sit on the floor a couple feet away. He had a smile on his face and his eyes were twinkling despite the low light in the room. As the song came to a close, Lucas didn’t think his heart had ever beat that fast. He turned back to Eliott to say something. But was beaten to it when someone yelled “hey! You there! What do you think you’re doing!”

A torch hit both their faces, pulling a string of curses from Eliott’s mouth. He quickly grabbed Lucas’s hand, pulling them along to the exit. The security guard was yelling after them, but of course neither of them stopped. And they didn’t stop running until they were back at Lucas’s motorcycle. Both breathing heavily, hearts pumping. Eliott laughed as they put their helmets on and climbed in the motorcycle. Lucas could feel how fast Eliott’s heart was still beating as he pressed himself against Lucas’s back.

Lucas was getting ready to pull away and drive off the curb when Eliott leaned closer and whispered, so only he could hear, “you’re surprising Lucas. I love surprising people.”

Lucas wasn’t sure what else to do, other than quickly change the subject and turn his head away to hide his blush, “should we head to your place? Maybe have some beer?”

Lucas felt Eliott chuckle before he said “sure, mec."