#oh my precious goalie

[comphyjost]

forever #39 in our hearts & forever a stanley cup champion 🤧❤️

[theobjectofmyobsession055]

Boothill x SingleParent!Reader: Lassos and Lullabies Chpt. 2

Previous part

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

Boothill found himself looking forward to that Sunday. He didn’t have another job lined up for another couple weeks, so miraculously he had the time to help out. He was slightly disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to flirt with Y/N, but the thought of seeing Charlotte again made up for it.

He arrived at Y/N’s apartment at around two o’clock to find her scrambling. Her hair was messy, and she had a frazzled look in her eyes when she opened the door. Instantly her shoulders dropped in relief. “Boothill, thank God you’re here. I’m so so sorry to dump this on you right when you just got here, but Lottie was not very fond of the vegetable soup I made for lunch and I’ve really gotta get going now or I’m gonna be late. I managed to clean up the table and floor, but she desperately needs a bath.”

He gave her a good-natured smile. “Easy, easy, no need to be sorry. You head on out, I’ll take care of it.”

She let out a relieved sigh, her eyes shining with gratitude. “Thank you so much. I could seriously kiss you right now.”

He grinned wolfishly and tipped his hat at her. “From a pretty lady like you? I wouldn’t say no.”

Her cheeks flushed, but she cracked a smile. “Oh stop it. But seriously, thank you. Here’s the spare key.” She reached into her purse and fetched a keychain with a bright pink pompom on it, handing it to him. “I should be home around eight or nine tomorrow morning. Good luck!” And with that, she was out the door, leaving him alone with Charlotte.

“Hoo-boy, well lookee here,” he said, taking in the sight of Charlotte absolutely drenched in soup, little vegetable pieces sticking in her hair. “Your momma worked hard on that soup, y’know. Whatcha doing spillin’ it all over yerself for?”

She bounced in her highchair, clapping her hands excitedly. “Hat! Hat!”

He chuckled, kneeling down to her level. “Is that all I am to you, little missy? Tell you what, you take a bath without fussin’, and I’ll let you wear my hat again, okay?”

“Hat! Gow-boy hat!” She seemed to get even more excited at that idea, waving her chubby hands in the air towards him.

He laughed. Oh she was just precious. “Yer right, little lady, it is a cowboy hat. Now c’mon, let’s get you cleaned up.” He picked her up out of her highchair and set her down on the floor. She started to waddle down the hallway.

He grinned. Maybe this would be easier than he thought.

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

He thought wrong.

It was one thing to draw a bath, it was another thing to get a squirmy toddler in it. He thought he was home free once he managed to wrangle her out of her clothes, but then she slipped out of his hold (still slippery with soup all over her) and made a mad dash around the apartment butt naked.

The sound of her little feet slapping against the hardwood and her delighted squeals rang through the apartment, followed by the much less endearing sound of Boothill’s metal boots clanking as he chased after her. Damn, he’d forgotten how fast little kids were. He stood with his arms and legs out like a goalie, cornering her in her bedroom. “End of the line, little lady.”

Usually when he said something like that, it struck fear into the hearts of his enemies (well, usually it was accompanied by a bullet between the eyes), but Charlotte just giggled.

He couldn’t help but crack a smile. “This a game to you, missy?”

She giggled louder. “Game!”

“Oh yeah, this is real fun for you, ain’t it?” And despite the situation, he couldn’t deny that he was having a bit of fun too.

She tried to dash around him, but he caught her right at the last second before she could get away, scooping her up in his arms to the tune of her excited little shrieks. He made sure to hold onto her tightly, so she didn’t wiggle away again. “Yer harder to catch than some ‘a my bounties, little lady.” He carried her off to the bathroom and finally, finally managed to get her in the bath. Once she was in, everything was peachy keen—she was too distracted by the bubbles and rubber duckies to try slipping away again. Water plus intricate circuitry usually didn’t mix well, but luckily he’d had his mechanic give him a waterproof coating after a job landed him on an island in the middle of an ocean, so as long as there were no exposed wires, he’d be fine.

His phone dinged right after he finished washing the shampoo out of her hair. He smiled as he saw who it was.

Hot Momma: Is everything okay? Did you get her to take her bath?

He snapped a quick photo of Charlotte in the bath putting suds on her rubber ducky’s head like a soapy crown. He sent it to Y/N with the message:

Doing fine and dandy. She ran from me a bit, but I managed to catch the little rascal.

A few seconds later she responded with nearly a dozen heart emojis. Precious! Pls send more pics when you can.

Will do. Aren’t you driving? Eyes on the road, dollface.

Haha you caught me. At a stoplight. Tell Lottie I miss her already!

He sent a thumbs up before tucking his phone back in his pocket and relating the message to Charlotte, who was far too absorbed in playing with her ducks to care.

He finished giving her her bath and helped her dry off and get dressed. She reached her arms up toward him, jumping up on her tip toes. “Gow-boy hat!”

Boothill chuckled, endeared by her pronunciation of ‘cowboy.’ “You still wanna wear my hat? I think our deal was you’d get to wear the hat if you took yer bath without fussin’.” He ruffled her still-damp hair, causing her to giggle. “Buuuut, I think I can make an exception for ya, just this once.” He took off his hat and placed it on her head, tipping the brim back so she could still see.

She jumped up and down, babbling happily. “Gow-boy, gow-boy!” She ran off out of the bathroom, laughing her little head off.

He smiled fondly, lazily following her with his hands in his pockets. “Where’re you runnin’ off to, little lady?” He peeked his head into her bedroom to find her playing with a stuffed horse, waving it up and down in the air like it was galloping.

She ran up to him with her plush horse, holding it up to him. “Pony! Gow-boy and pony!”

He kneeled down to her level, a wide grin on his face. “You like horses do ya, little missy? Yer on yer way to bein’ a bonafide cowboy already.”

“Play ponies! Ponies and gow-boys!” she chirped in her adorable little voice, waving the stuffed horse in front of him.

He chuckled, taking the pony from her. “Yes ma’am, ponies an’ cowboys it is.” He made a sound like a braying horse and shook the stuffed pony in the air, pretending it was rearing back on its hind legs.

Charlotte’s face broke out into a wide, toothy smile as she erupted into a torrent of giggles and squeals. Boothill wasn’t completely sure what a game of ponies and cowboys entailed, but Charlotte seemed to be satisfied with him just waving the pony in the air and making horse sounds.

After a while of playing, she reached her grabby hand up towards him again, the other adjusting his hat on her head that kept falling in her face. “Up! Up!”

He complied, easily hooking his hands under her legs and scooping her up into a piggyback carry. He carried her around the apartment, stomping around and neighing. The sound of her laughter in his ears made his chest feel full in a way it hadn’t since he’d lost his daughter. He could practically feel his circuits and servos thrumming with warm energy.

Even though Charlotte reminded him a lot of his daughter, he was beginning to notice a few key differences. Firstly, while his daughter had been more of the rough and tumble type of kid, Charlotte was a bit of a girly-girl. Along with playing cowboys, she wanted to play dress-up and have a tea party with all her stuffed animals (most of which were horses, he noticed). She asked him to braid her hair, though not in so many words, and he did his best to make sure her beautiful curls didn’t get caught in his mechanical joints. He was pretty proud with how it turned out, despite him being so out of practice. She seemed pleased with it too, swinging her head around and watching her two long braids swish to and fro.

Another difference was that Charlotte was picky. He supposed he got lucky with his little girl—for all her orneriness, she ate whatever you put in front of her. Charlotte not so much. He should’ve been prepared for a battle at dinnertime, what with the soup incident at lunch, but he didn’t expect to get pelted with dino nuggies.

He begged and pleaded and bargained with her, even offered to let her wear his hat again, but for the life of him he could not get her to eat her dinner. He didn’t want to bother Y/N with something that he should be able to easily handle on his own, especially not when she was at a work conference, but he was starting to run out of options.

Then he got an idea. “Hey little missy, do you wanna play a game?”

“Game! Game!” she cheered, bouncing in her highchair.

He grinned. “Yeah ya do. Here’s what we’re gonna play—we’re gonna play another cowboy game. Y’know cowboys got a lotta animals, doncha?”

She perked right up at the mention of cowboys. “Gow-boys! Naminals!”

He bit back a laugh. Gosh darn it, she was just too cute. “Yeah lotsa naminals. Well this cowboy—” He pointed a thumb towards himself. “Has got a lotta dinosaurs.” He pointed down towards the dino nuggies that were still on her plate instead of halfway across the room. “An’ yer trap right there is their pen. Can ya help me get all my dinos back in their pen?”

She clapped and squeezed, suddenly excited at the prospect of eating her dinner.

It was all smooth sailing from there. All he had to do was make some silly noises as he pretended to wrangle the dino nuggets and she ate them with no complaints. He’d always been told growing up that you shouldn’t play with your food, but surely he could make an exception for this case.

Soon after dinner it was time to put her down for bed. Boothill had to admit, he was pretty worn out from the day, and he could’ve used a nap himself. Charlotte didn’t seem to agree with him, however. He sighed, running his hand down his face in exasperation. “C’mon, Lottie, we’ve been playin’ all day. Aren’tcha even a little tired?”

She shook her head defiantly. “No! No bedtime!”

Well this was a pickle. He’d never raise his voice at a child, not in a million years, but he couldn’t deny he was starting to get frustrated. He wracked his brain, trying to think of things that helped put his little one to sleep when she was being fussy. Then it hit him. When Y/N gave him her tour of the apartment, he noticed an old acoustic guitar sitting on a stand in the back of her bedroom. Surely she wouldn’t mind if he borrowed it for a spell.

He'd given up playing long ago, but it felt like only yesterday when he started tuning the pegs. It sounded a little tinny when he plucked the strings, the sound reverberating through his metal hands, but he could live with it. He’d sworn he’d never play again on that fateful day all those years ago, but if it helped Lottie sleep… he could make another exception for her, just this once.

She looked up at him curiously as he sat down on the couch, idly stumming the guitar. Even if he didn’t have many muscles left to remember with, his hands still easily fell into place picking an old song that Nick used to play for him when he was a tot. Charlotte climbed up onto the couch and sat on his lap. She blinked up at him with big, owlish eyes as she listened to the music, and a smile formed on his lips. Well, he’d gotten her to sit still, that was an accomplishment if nothing else.

Charlotte leaned back against him, her head resting on his chest. She closed her eyes, and he continued to play.

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

The sound of the door opening and closing caused Boothill’s eyes to blink open. The guitar hung loosely from his hand, propped up against the couch, his other arm curled around Charlotte’s sleeping form. He let go of the guitar and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, finding Y/N standing in front of him with a warm smile on her face. “Y/N…?” he mumbled, voice still raspy from sleep. One quick glance out the window revealed it was still dark out. “Thought ya weren’t gonna be back till mornin’…”

“I wasn’t supposed to be,” she whispered as she set her purse down on the table, careful not to wake up Charlotte. “But I couldn’t spend the night away from her, even if I knew you were watching her.” Her eyes flicked down to where Charlotte was huddled up against him, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Her gaze softened as she looked back up at him. “I see now I shouldn’t have worried.” She approached, lightly stroking Charlotte’s hair. “Thank you for watching her, Boothill. I know it’s late, feel free to spend the rest of the night if you’d like.”

He was about to mumble out something about not wanting to impose, but the feeling of her soft lips brushing against his cheek shut him up real quick. She gently picked up Charlotte and carried her off to her room, leaving him dumbfounded, his face burning red.

Sleeping on the couch never felt quite so good.

[quinnyundertow]

About Me

Quinny F/30, She/Her

Obsessions: Jujutsu Kaisen, Genshin Impact, Pokemon, Gundam/Mecha, My Hero Academia, Yuta Okkotsu, Figure collecting, Writing.

Quinny's Masterlist

AO3 Account

My Works Below

Series

Title “Picking up the Pieces” (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Choso x Reader Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy ending, strangers to lovers.

Manga Spoilers - Battle vs Sukuna is over

Words: 12,000+

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5

Title "When I Catch You Gege " (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Summary Reader is Isekai'd into JJK with the determination to change canon and make sure she rights the wrongs of Gege. Oh and enjoy her time there...yeah that too. No manga plot spoilers. Reader x everyone. All characters 18+ unless otherwise stated.

Content Warning: Canon typical violence, torture, suicide, Non-con, extreme bullying, angst with a happy ending.

Pairings: Reader x Nanami Kento, Haibara Yu, Gojo Satoru, Geto Suguru, Junpei Yoshino, Okkotsu Yuta, Toji Fushiguro

Genre Fix It, Reverse Harem, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Angst w/ Happy Ending Status Ongoing Length 40 Chapters / 180,000 + Words Chapters Chapter 1 Chapter 2

Title Sanity's Last Stop (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Summary Forced to work after the death of her father y/n finds themselves filling a nurses role at Hillsboro Asylum for the Criminally Insane. The patients and workers alike have her questioning her own sanity in this new insular world during WWII.

Ryoumen Sukuna has become a fixture in solitary confinement for the last seven years. His sanity was barely there before but now it is frayed beyond redemption. A good will gesture brings him and y/n into a strange secret relationship

Okkotsu Yuta swears he isn’t insane he didn’t hurt anyone it was Rika who killed those people. Just because no one else can see her doesn’t mean she isn’t there. You believe him right?

Pairings: Reader x Ryoumen Sukuna, Reader x Yuta Okkotsu

Genre Horror, Angst, Eventual Smut, Angst w/ Happy Ending Status Ongoing Length 5 Chapters, 18,000 Words Chapters Chapter 1 Chapter 2+ on AO3

Title Cult Leader’s Quarry (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Summary You’re living an average non-sorcerer office workers life when you catch the eye of a certain unstable cult leader. The more you pull away the more trapped you become.

The first time Suguru Geto saw you was also the first time he wondered if the girls needed a mother figure in their lives. Not that he was considering you. No, never, his lip curled at the very notion. Even the passing thought of a monkey like you around his precious daughters was enough to make him feel ill.

Pairings Suguru Geto x Reader, Slight Gojo Satoru x Reader

Status Ongoing 14,000+ Words

Chapters Chapter 1 , Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4 Chapter 5

One Shots

Title Kick-Off - Goalies Turn (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Genre Comedy, Fluff, Smut, Soccer AU

Pairing Reader x Choso

Fic Recommendations

Jujutsu Kaisen

The Gallery (Fanart & Commissions for my Fics)

[cant-get-enough-btr-forever]

"Big Time Amnesia"

Summary: One of the boys gets amnesia. Chaos ensues.

Notes: This is my alternate episode to “Big Time Interview” (which, frankly, wasn’t much of an episode). Also, I included the song “Show Me���, because I’m outraged that they never used it in the show.

Words: 9.2K (8 chapters)

Chapter 1: Big Time Bet

WHOOSH!

The puck sliced through the balmy air, zipped past Goalie James, and hit the back of the net. He groaned loudly—if he’d just dove a microsecond earlier!

“WOO!! Eat my dust, fellas!” Carlos rejoiced, waving his hockey stick around like a victory flag.

It was a cool Tuesday morning. Big Time Rush was playing a friendly game of hockey in Palmwoods Park. They were split into two teams: Logan and Carlos, James and Kendall.

“Face it, boys—I am the reigning King of the Rink, and I always will be.” Carlos gloated merrily.

“Okay, but do you really have to say it every time you score?” Kendall complained.

Logan smirked at the glowering James and Kendall. “Now do you see why I wanted to be on his team this time?”

James retrieved the puck and gave Carlos a long look. “You know what? It’s the helmet.”

Carlos narrowed his eyes. “What does that mean?”

“Your helmet is your crutch. Without it, you wouldn’t be nearly as confident. Or nearly as good.”

Kendall stood next to James and nodded. “It’s true, man. You couldn’t take that thing off if your life depended on it.”

Carlos jutted out his bottom lip. “That’s just your jealousy talking. Admit it.”

James crossed his bulkily padded arms, the corners of his mouth curling. “No, you admit it. You couldn’t go a day without that chunk of plastic.”

Carlos folded his own arms defensively. “Oh, really?”

Kendall inhaled a heavy, exaggerated sniff. “I smell bet.”

James continued, “How about this: If you lose this round, you can’t wear your helmet for the next two days.”

Carlos sucked in a breath; this was unthinkable to him. Still, the guys knew him all too well—he had never been the kind to pass up a bet. They took full advantage of this whenever possible. “Okay...but if you lose, you can’t use your lucky comb for two days.” he countered smugly.

James shrieked, a very high, very “James” shriek. He quickly collected himself and smiled challengingly. “Fine. You’re on.” To seal the deal, they shook on it—awkwardly, as they were still wearing hockey gloves.

…..

“Agh!” Carlos yelled, throwing down his hockey stick. He couldn’t believe it—he’d actually lost.

“Uh-oh! Looks like someone’s gonna be walkin’ around bald for two whole days.” James teased. He high-fived Kendall, their gloves making a ridiculous smacking sound.

Carlos gave him a look that, if looks could kill, would’ve incinerated him. “Yeah, yeah.” He grudgingly pulled off his precious helmet and sighed. “Until next time, mi amigo.” He brushed the dirt off before setting it on the grass.

“Man, you are such a drama queen.” James laughed as he watched this sentimental parting.

“First of all: Look who’s talking.” Carlos mocked. “And second: My papi gave it to me when I was six, after my first pee-wee hockey win. It’s like a part of me already—I feel like I just ripped out one of my eyeballs or something.” He gingerly crept a hand over his head, thinking about how strange it was to feel nothing but hair.

“Extreme object attachment,” Logan stated as he made his way over. “It is a thing, guys. Not that I support it, of course.”

Kendall rolled his eyes. “Dude, it’s just two days. It’s no big deal.”

Carlos held up his hands. “Hey, all I’m saying is, I am not the same person without it.”

James sighed and took off his own headgear. “Would it make you feel better if we all took off our helmets?”

Carlos watched as Logan and Kendall followed suit, removing their helmets as well. His moue dissolved into a smirk. “I guess that’s fair.”

James shrugged. “Gives me the chance to show off these immaculate waves, anyhow.” He produced his ever-present mirror from some unknown place, eliciting bewilderment from the others.

Kendall clapped his gloves together, wrenching James’ attention away from his reflection. “Okay! How about another helmet-less game?”

The guys cheered and got into position. Kendall dropped the puck, and there was instant pandemonium. Dirt sprayed in all directions as he, Carlos, and Logan battled for dominance—a three-person duel with wooden sticks.

In an unexpectedly wild burst of energy, Logan’s stick came back and whacked the puck—

—and sent it soaring into a tree.

“Aw, come on—really?!” Kendall exclaimed.

“Uh. My bad.” Logan said sheepishly, clutching his stick against himself.

The four looked up at where the puck was wedged between two thin branches. Kendall blew a gust of air through his lips. “Welp, who’s gonna do it?”

Carlos let his stick fall to the ground and ripped off his gloves, grinning. “Step aside, boys. This is my territory.” He clambered up the tree, demonstrating all the monkey-like skills he'd developed over the years. The guys intently watched him swing onto the branch. It had to be at least 20 feet up.

“Okay—almost got it—come here, little puck—” he grunted as he inched across, straining to touch the runaway object.

James noticed something. “Uhh—Carlos?” he called, worry growing in the pit of his stomach.

“Can’t—talk—right now—James—!” Carlos gritted through clenched teeth. His fingers were just barely skimming the puck.

James nudged his friends. “Look!” He pointed at the branch. There appeared to be a crack originating in the center, where it thinned out.

Now all of them began shouting Carlos’ name, desperately trying to warn him of the impending danger. He made a frustrated noise. “Guys! I am getting it! Be patient!” He scooted forward and risked a last, determined grab. This time, his grip closed around the puck.

“Ha-ha! Gotcha!”

Snap.

The three stared in horror as the branch finally lost its strength, taking a screaming Carlos along with it.

…..

“Carlos! Dude, are you okay?!” James cried as they gathered around their semi-conscious friend.

“Carlos, say something, buddy. Anything.” Kendall begged.

Logan stuffed his gloves under Carlos’ head and grabbed his wrist. “His pulse is weak, but he’s regaining consciousness.” He gently shook his shoulders. “Carlos. Can you hear me?”

Carlos slowly blinked. He looked curiously at the three ashen-faced boys frowning down at him.

“Eh—I say, what happened, lads?”

“Oh, thank goodness you’re talking. You fell out of the tree, and you probably have a concuss—” Logan stopped dead. “W-Wait. Did you say ‘lads’…?”

Carlos propped himself up on his elbows. “Of course. That is what you all are, is it not?”

Logan exchanged a very confused look with James and Kendall.

James gulped. “Okay, please tell me a British accent is a good sign.”

Chapter 2: Big Time Doctor

Carlos stood up, brushed dirt and grass off his jersey, and smiled.

The other Big Time Rush members gave him the once-over. Logan cleared his throat. “Um, listen...” he began, choosing his words carefully. “Do you remember your name?”

Carlos nodded. “Certainly! My name is Carlos Geraldo Garcia the Fourth.”

“The Fourth? Wow, heh, that’s impressive. Sounds very, uh, royal.” James remarked, forcing a laugh.

Carlos chortled, shrugging. “I suppose so. But enough about me. What titles do you gentlemen go by?”

Their stomachs dropped simultaneously. The severity of his condition was growing more and more apparent.

“Uh, well, I’m Kendall Knight...the...the First.” Kendall ventured.

“I’m James Diamond. And, well, I’m always the first. At everything.” James chuckled, earning hard jabs from his friends’ elbows.

Logan wore his most composed smile. “And I’m Logan Mitchell. We are your friends, and we’re in a band together.”

“A famous band.” James made sure to impart.

“Called Big Time Rush.” Kendall piped up.

Carlos frowned. “Oh...I’m a singer, then…?”

Logan gently placed his hands on his shoulders, guiding him along. “Yes, but we can talk about that later. We have more important things to think about. You hit your head pretty hard just now.”

Carlos didn’t seem flustered by this; he merely nodded. “Ah, I see...”

“So, you should just sit here...” Logan led him to a park bench, “...and try to relax, while I discuss your, er, situation with these guys.” Carlos nodded again and observed the people walking past.

Logan immediately went serious as he turned to the others. Kendall threw his hands up. “Okay, Doctor Mitchell, diagnosis? Please?”

"Doctor Mitchell" puffed out a breath. “He appears to be suffering from a certain type of retrograde amnesia. Namely, he’s experiencing a sort of dissociative fugue. He’s overwritten some of his existing memories with new, completely fictitious memories.”

Kendall and James’ faces could not have been blanker.

“Logan, could you repeat that in Lebanese? I think we’d understand it better.” James snarked.

Logan turned his eyes towards the sky. “Carlos bonked his head so hard that he thinks he’s a British dude.”

The two boys nodded, finally getting it. “So now what?” Kendall inquired.

“Well, uh, we need to tell Gustavo and Kelly. Which, by the way, I am not looking forward to.”

They turned. Carlos had plucked a small yellow flower by his feet. He gave its petals a deep sniff and sighed happily.

Kendall snorted. “And say what? Carlos fell out of a tree, and now he thinks he’s a refined English gentleman?"

…..

“Guys, Carlos fell out of a tree, and now he thinks he’s a refined English gentleman.”

Gustavo smashed a loud, obnoxiously discordant note on the piano. Beside him stood Kelly, who was holding some papers (which now fluttered to the studio’s floor).

“That was a joke, right? Please say that was a joke.” Gustavo growled.

Kendall sighed. “Believe me, I wish it were.” He gestured to Carlos, who was standing between Logan and James. Carlos stepped forward with a smile, hand extended.

“Hello there! I’m chuffed to meet you—though, according to my mates here, this wouldn’t exactly be the first time.”

“Oh, well, uh...we’re very...‘chuffed’ to meet you, too!” Kelly tittered, nervously accepting the handshake. Carlos offered his hand to Gustavo, who regarded it with a cold stare.

He awkwardly retreated and tucked his arms behind his back. “Bit of a disagreeable sort, that one.” he whispered to James and Logan.

“But, hey, at least he still remembers his name!” Kendall quickly added.

“Carlos Geraldo Garcia the Fourth.” Carlos smiled, bowing.

Everybody cringed. Gustavo slowly rose, fingers kneading his temples. “Your next tour starts in less than two months. You haven’t even begun rehearsing. And now you’re telling me that Carlos has been bodysnatched by the PRINCE OF WALES?!?!”

“Gustavo, calm down.” Kelly said firmly. “It was just an accident. A very...inconvenient accident.”

“Inconvenient? No. A zit is inconvenient. Athlete's foot is inconvenient." He flapped his hands in Carlos' direction.

"This, THIS is a catastrophe. Just wait until the public sees!” he ranted, his complexion growing ruddier by the moment. “Actually, scratch that—we cannot let any of the fans see him. We’ll be the laughingstock of the entertainment industry!

“Not to mention Griffin. Oh, that man would just love to shred me to pieces over something like this.”

Logan spoke up. “He’s hurt real bad, Gustavo. He needs to see a doctor.”

Gustavo’s eyes lasered into him, causing the boy to instantly quail. “Gustavo Rocque Rule Number One: DO NOT tell me what to do!” He rounded on his assistant. “Kelly, Carlos needs to see a doctor. Take him to Doc Hollywood, STAT.”

…..

Kelly and the boys waited on pins and needles in the pristine doctor’s office. Carlos sat on the examination table's edge, his intertwined hands resting atop crossed legs. He was glancing inquisitively at the many black-and-white celebrity headshots adorning the walls.

Doc Hollywood entered the room, sighing heavily. He was carrying a large white poster board. "I am so sorry about the wait, guys. I just finished an agonizing procedure. It's never easy, but someone has to do it."

He wore latex gloves. Everyone's eyes widened—they were smeared a dark red.

"Oh my gosh—are they alright?" Kelly gasped.

He paused in the middle of peeling off a glove. "If by 'they' you mean the letters on my new sign, then yes, they are fantastic. Much better than the old, fading sign, if I do say so myself."

He spun the poster board to face them: In dark red letters, it boasted, "DOC HOLLYWOOD: DOCTOR TO THE STARS."

"It was agonizing work for me to paint them, though!" he continued, totally oblivious to their perplexed expressions.

"Now," he announced after tossing out the gloves, "what can I do for you guys?"

Kelly rubbed Carlos' shoulder. "It's Carlos. He has a head injury."

Once again, Carlos stuck out a hand. "Pleased to meet you, Doctor. I must say, that is a smashing shirt. Custom tailor, I presume?"

Doc Hollywood gladly returned the smile and handshake. "As a matter of fact, yes! Harold's Stitches, across the street. His prices are unmatched, too." He looked at the rest of the group and shrugged. "Seems fine to me."

Logan rolled his eyes. "Fine? He's completely forgotten who he is!"

The doctor let out an understanding chuckle. "Ah, well, we all need to be reminded of who we are sometimes. You know, I was originally a doctor of philosophy..."

Kelly shook her head in exasperation. "He has amnesia." She drew out each syllable, as though speaking to a toddler.

"Oh! It is serious, then." he exclaimed. He gently cupped Carlos' head, studying it. "And how did this happen?"

"It's all my fault. I hit the puck into the tree, and he had to climb up after it." Logan said, guilt visible on his face.

James shook his head. "No, no. It was my fault. I'm the one that made him take off his helmet, remember?"

"Well, yeah, but I think it's actually my fault." Kendall insisted. "The whole stupid bet was my idea."

Somehow, this snowballed into a mini argument. Kelly squeezed the bridge of her nose. "Guys!" she shouted, ending the bickering in its tracks. "It doesn't matter whose fault it is, okay? What matters is that Carlos gets better." The guys nodded and looked dolefully at their friend.

"She's quite right." Carlos agreed. "I hate to see you lot get so wound up over a thing like this."

Doc Hollywood affectionately smiled down at him. "And are you sure you really want to change him back? I mean, he's so darn polite!"

Just like that, he became the target of four withering glares. "YES!" they yelled, scaring the grin right off his face.

"Okay, okay..." he muttered meekly, holding up his hands. "Well. I happen to watch medical dramas—very informative stuff, by the way—and they all say the same thing: Unfortunately, amnesia has no surefire cure. He'll have to regain his memory on his own."

They traded worried looks. “So there’s nothing at all that you can do?” Kelly said sadly.

The doctor replied, "You want my professional opinion? I’d suggest skydiving. That adrenaline rush should jog his mind, keep him sharp." He snapped his fingers. "Ooh, or dirt biking! Dirt biking always cheers me up."

Out of all of them, Logan looked the most flabbergasted. "Or...maybe he just needs to take it easy?" he proposed, his voice dripping with “duh.”

Doc Hollywood shrugged. "Eh, I think my opinion is better. But, hey, it's worth a shot!"

Chapter 3: Big Time Charm

Everyone (minus Carlos) was seated at breakfast the next morning. Even though they were trying to converse normally, the pink elephant loomed in the corner: Poor Carlos had amnesia, and it was up to them to heal him.

Mrs. Knight was the first to offer comfort, as usual. "Look, guys. I know you're worried about Carlos. I am, too.” She refilled glasses of orange juice. “But all we can do right now is let him rest. I told him he could sleep as late as he wanted, if it meant he would feel better.”

Katie stirred her oatmeal, deep in thought. “You know, back in Minnesota, there was a kid in school who got amnesia after a snowboarding accident.”

The guys’ ears perked up. “Really? What happened to him?” James asked.

She paused. “Last I heard, he ended up in Duluth’s best asylum, where he apparently commits arson every time it snows.”

Logan choked on his cereal. Mrs. Knight shot her a scolding look, to which she averted her eyes and gulped a big spoonful of oatmeal.

“Well, that’s not gonna happen.” Kendall declared, waving his own spoon for emphasis. "I'm sure he's better already, and life will be back to normal in no time."

Carlos emerged from his room. As if on cue, everyone's mouths fell agape. Katie's spoon landed on the table with a clatter.

He was decked out in a charcoal gray cardigan, crisp white button-down, and pressed khakis. A black tie sat neatly below his collar. To top it all off, his dark hair was perfectly coiffed, with the faintest sheen of gel.

"Good morning, all!" he greeted, as cheery as ever.

Logan’s eyes looked as though they would pop. "Is...that one of my cardigans?"

Carlos glanced down and grinned apologetically. “Ah, yeah...sorry, mate. I riffled through my entire wardrobe. Didn’t much care for it. What was I thinking?” His gaze wandered over the table. “Anyway, what’s for brekkie?”

Mrs. Knight gave everyone a look that plainly said, “stop staring.” Once they had focused their attention back on their food, she smiled at him. “Good morning, sweetie! What are you in the mood for? Just name it.”

He thought for a moment. “Have you got any baked beans? Or some roasted tomatoes, perhaps?”

Her smile faltered ever so slightly. She shared a puzzled look with the others. “Uh...sorry, honey. No beans. Or, er, tomahtoes. Just oatmeal and cereal.”

She cracked open the bread box sitting on the counter. “But, uh, we do have...um...” She presented a plastic-wrapped package to him. “...English muffins.”

He examined the little round morsels and beamed. “Oh, that’ll do just fine! Thank you, Mrs. Knight.”

She breathed a silent sigh of relief as he sat down. “I’ll make you some scrambled eggs to go with them.” She hesitated. “That is okay, right?”

He nodded as he munched on his muffin. “That’d be brilliant. Could I have a spot of Earl Grey, too, please?”

Befuddled looks once again abounded across the table. Carlos chuckled nervously. “Uh, actually, orange juice will do.” With a sympathetic smile, Mrs. Knight nodded and began tinkering in the kitchen.

Logan had a hefty medical tome splayed in front of him. “Okay, according to this, a concussion victim must spend the first couple of days avoiding any activity.”

James’ eyebrows shot up. “Any activity? Like, at all?”

“So no dancing or singing? Boy, Gustavo is really not going to like this.” Kendall noted.

Carlos scoffed around a mouthful of muffin. “Well, fortunately, I feel swell. You can tell Sir Cranky that he has nothing to fuss over. I shall not let a lump on my noggin confine me.”

…..

Carlos was mummified in blankets on the Orange Sofa.

His three friends stood over him, their arms folded. He rolled his eyes at them. “Really, lads, this is absolutely absurd! Believe me, I have never felt more fine and dandy.”

Logan shook his head. “No, man, you are not ‘fine and dandy.’ You are ‘fragile and disoriented.’”

James put in, “What you need is a good long dose of R&R. Logan’s nerdy book said so.” Logan whapped his shoulder with said book, prompting an agonized cry.

Carlos glanced at the TV remote, which sat at his immobilized feet. He shifted around, trying to dislodge his arm. “At least let me peek at the telly—”

Logan immediately swiped the remote. Carlos glared at him. “Oi! What gives?!”

“Carlos, I’m sorry, but you can’t watch TV. For the first 48 hours after your concussion, you need to avoid screen time.” Logan explained sternly. He really did look sorry, though.

“And definitely no dancing, singing, swimming, or hockey. Which is what got us into this mess to begin with.” Kendall elaborated. Carlos fell silent, but he was clearly pouting.

The boys used this moment to deliberate. They faced away from the sofa, so as not to disturb him further. “Alright. One of us needs to stay here at all times, to make sure that Carlos doesn’t overexert himself. And, also, to ensure that he’s properly hydrated.” Logan whispered.

James gave a soft snort. “No problemo! You’re talkin’ to a human surveillance camera.”

“Yeah. After babysitting Katie for three years, you become an expert at these things.” Kendall assured.

Behind them, the door slammed. The trio whipped around.

He was gone.

“Oh, no.” they moaned.

…..

The elevator opened, and out walked Carlos. He hummed as he moseyed through the lobby. Occasionally, he offered a “good day!” to a bemusedly smiling passerby.

He passed Mr. Bitters, who was listlessly clacking away on his desktop. “How are you today?” he saluted.

The hotel manager did a double take. Upon sizing up the well-dressed young man, his eyes narrowed. “Lousy as always...Carlos.” Bitters’ wary leer never left him as he continued on his way.

Carlos lingered at the pool entrance. As he surveyed the many pool-goers, his vision settled on three girls. With a little extra spring in his step, he ambled onto the damp tiles.

The other boys tumbled out of the elevator. “Carlos! Where are you, man?!” James spouted as they tore across the carpet.

"Hey, uh—did a Brit come through here?" Kendall panted to a young couple walking past.

Bitters rolled his eyes as they dogpiled in front of his desk. “He’s by the pool. At least, I think it’s him.” he told them, his voice monotone.

They made a beeline for the double doors and screeched to a halt. Sure enough, there he was.

Carlos approached the girls' table. One hand was in his pocket, while the other lightly gripped “his” cardigan, as though it were a suit jacket. “Hello, ladies.”

They lowered their magazines at the same time. “What do you want?” they asked in equally perfect (and irritated) unison.

His smile was soft as he continued, “I am terribly sorry for disturbing you, but I just...felt the need to say something to you all.”

“Then say it and leave. And drop the dumb accent.” the blonde girl snapped.

Carlos hesitated. “Alright…well, I couldn’t help noticing how positively radiant your hair looks this morning. It’s as though the angels themselves wove it from the sun’s rays.”

They froze for a barely discernible beat. The curly-haired girl was the first to regain her attitude. “Listen, Carlos, we know this is some sort of prank. You can’t fool us that easily.”

He looked confused. “A...prank?” He chuckled. “I beg your pardon, Miss, but I assure you: I treat matters of the heart quite seriously.”

The third girl, who donned bangs, stood up. “‘Serious’?” she scoffed. “There’s nothing ‘serious’ about you, Carlos. You could never be ‘romantic’ if you tried. End of discussion.” And she held her palm in his face.

He responded by gently curling his hand around hers, a sad sigh escaping his lips. “Well, maybe you’re correct. Perhaps I truly am not good enough for an epitome of feminine beauty, such as yourselves. I only hope that we can reach a civilized compromise and...be good friends?” He brought her hand up and brushed his lips against the back of it. His eyes twinkled as he smiled into hers.

In spite of everything, all three of the Jennifers blushed. The other two rose from their chairs, smiles playing about their lips.

“I think he’s finally lost it.” Blonde Jennifer remarked. “And I never thought I’d say this, but I kind of like it.”

Kendall, James, and Logan watched in awe as the Jennifers linked arms with their friend. The four of them walked out of the pool area.

“Unbelievable!” James groaned. “He bumps his head, and now all of a sudden he’s the Palmwoods Casanova!”

“Well, look at it this way: Maybe talking to more people will help him recover?” Kendall suggested, but he sounded very unconvinced.

Logan’s face suddenly lit up. “Hold on—Kendall, that’s it!”

Kendall and James looked at each other. “Uh—what’s it?” the two asked curiously.

They could practically see the gears rotating in Logan’s mind. “This is kind of a long shot, but it might work: We could try recreating some of Carlos’ old memories! Maybe if he actually interacts with the events he’s forgotten, he’ll remember who he is.”

Kendall grinned. “The Big Time Brain always comes through! And I know just the person who can help us.”

Chapter 4: Big Time Acting

Kendall rapped on the door of 4J.

A few moments later, it opened. Camille beamed when she saw the three boys standing there. "Oh, hey, guys! What's up?"

Kendall hurriedly spoke. “Camille, we are in dire need of your acting chops once again.”

“Yeah, Carlos fell out of a tree. It really messed up his brain. Now he has amnesia, and thinks he’s someone else.” Logan explained.

Camille gasped. “Oh, no, not sweet Carlos? That’s horrible!” Her forehead creased. “But...how can I help?”

“Well, we’ve compiled a list of Carlos’ most important memories.” Logan went on, brandishing a paper filled with text.

James added, “And we want you to help us recreate them for him, so we can get our little buddy back.”

“Our non-British little buddy.” Kendall tacked on.

She nodded quickly and took the paper. After scanning it, she pointed at one of the typed sentences. “I could have a go at this one. Shouldn’t be too hard.”

They looked at her forefinger’s place. “‘First date with Abigail Jones.’” Kendall read.

James smiled wistfully. “Oh, yeah, the eighth grade. Carlos really thought it was a good idea to take her to see the blockbuster of that year.”

Camille raised a questioning brow. “What’s wrong with that?”

“It was ‘The Return of Dollareyes the Clown.’” Kendall informed her.

She flinched. “Oh. I still have nightmares about that one...”

Logan suddenly chuckled—a strange, skittery laugh. “Uh, a-are you really sure about this, Camille? I mean, I know you’re a trained actress and all, but, uh, that might be kinda hard to pull off...”

Camille waved a hand and scoffed. “Please. I’ve tackled roles way more challenging than this. Besides, I’ll do anything to help Carlos. I want him to be back to normal just as much as you do.”

The boys (except Logan, who still looked a little uncertain) smiled widely. “Now,” she said, her eyes roving across the paper once more, “I just need the character profile, and we’re in business.”

…..

Carlos skipped along the freshly mowed Palmwoods Park lawn. It was a gorgeous Wednesday—azure sky, birds twittering, sunlight pouring through the magnolias…

...and, unbeknownst to him, his every move was being watched. Under the shelter of their trusty tree hats, Kendall, James, and Logan peeked through binoculars. Their bastion of choice: the park’s hedges.

“Lilac, I repeat, Lilac! Do you read me? Over.” Kendall whispered into a walkie-talkie.

Camille sat on one of the benches. A book laid open on her crossed thighs. Her dark brown hair was in a French braid, held in place by a small lavender bow. She wore a cream-colored blouse and purple plaid skirt. As Kendall’s voice crackled by her side, she sighed and held up her own walkie-talkie.

“Yes, I ‘read’ you. But do we really have to use code names?”

Kendall pressed the device’s button again. “Affirmative, Lilac. And you’re supposed to say ‘over’! Over.”

She groaned. “Fine, ‘Emerald.’ Over.”

Kendall huddled next to Logan. “Raven, is the parabolic microphone in place?”

Logan discreetly stuck the microphone inside the dense hedge. “Aye aye, Emerald.”

James spotted Carlos first. He fumbled for his walkie-talkie. “Lilac, Oxford Blue is approaching. I repeat, Oxford B—”

“James, I can see him, okay? Just stay cool.” Camille hissed.

“Hey, that’s ‘Rose Gold’, to you—!” Logan snatched James’ walkie-talkie, cutting him off.

Carlos passed Camille and immediately backpedaled. "Pardon, Miss. I don't mean to impose, but...have we met somewhere before?"

She looked up from her book, a perfect expression of surprise written across her face. "Oh! Um, I don't think so?" She held out her hand. "My name is Abigail Jones."

He smiled and shook it. "I am Carlos Garc—" He stopped. He seemed to be considering something.

She looked at him worriedly. "Are you good?"

He shook his head and cleared his throat. "Uh, it's nothing, Miss Jones. Your name, it...rang a bell, for some reason."

As these words came through the boys' microphone, they swapped excited glances. "That's it, Carlitos...come on, ask her..." Kendall said quietly.

Carlos smoothed his hands over his khakis, a seemingly anxious gesture. "Say...would you care to join me on my morning promenade?"

She stood up and smiled sweetly. "I have an even better idea. I hear they're showing 'Dollareyes the Clown: The Last Act.' Wanna go see it?"

He froze. The bells in his head were now ringing off the hook. "Ah...uh...certainly! That—that would be lovely." He offered her his arm, which she gladly took.

“We’re relocating to the movie theater. Move out, gentlemen!” Kendall announced. The three of them tiptoed away, tree hats bobbing over the hedges.

…..

Carlos sat bolt upright in the plush maroon seat. His eyes were wide and uneasy, transfixed on the enormous screen. He grimaced as the killer clown appeared, for what seemed like the twentieth time.

Camille winced as well, but she turned to him with a brave face. “You liking it so far?”

He swallowed. “Uh, well, I’m going to be perfectly honest: I’m not partial to horror films.”

The guys’ heads popped up two rows behind. “What?!” James hissed incredulously. “He once told us that ‘Dollareyes the Clown’ is the best movie of all time!”

Logan sighed. “James, he doesn’t remember that.”

Popcorn suddenly geysered all over the theater as a jumpscare flashed onscreen, accompanied by a very Carlos-esque scream.

“Now, that was more like the Carlos we know and love.” Kendall smirked. “I’d call that progress.”

…..

Later, Carlos and “Abigail” were walking back to the Palmwoods, hand in hand. The three guys followed cautiously, with Logan clutching the parabolic microphone. They hid behind whatever structure they could find—a tree, a mailbox, a parked car—while staying as close as possible. Every so often, Camille would toss an anxious glimpse over her shoulder.

As they peeked around a corner, Logan spotted something. “Check it out!” He jabbed his finger at an umbrella-shaded food cart up ahead.

“‘Willy Dilly Dogs.’ That’s where Carlos had his very first corn dog, back in Minnesota!” he reminded, showing them the list of memories.

Kendall swiped a pebble off the pavement. He flung it at Camille’s back, causing her to shoot him a questioning (and slightly annoyed) look. They frantically motioned for her to come over.

Camille sighed, plucked the little purple ribbon out of her braid, and dropped it down her blouse. Then, she put on her own frantic act. “Oh, dang it! I lost my bow.”

Carlos smiled chivalrously. “No worries, my dear—I can go back and search for it...”

“No!” she cried, flattening her hands against his chest. She caught herself with a flighty giggle. “Ah, I mean, let me do it, Carlos.” She speed-walked in the opposite direction, disappearing around the corner.

“What now?” she asked.

“There’s a food cart back there called Willy Dilly Dogs. That’s where Carlos ate his first corn dog. If their dogs don’t hurtle him back to reality, nothing will.” Kendall explicated.

“And, just so you know, you can quit at any time.” Logan added, evoking smacks from his bandmates.

Camille winked as she pinned her bow back on. “Got it.” She turned and walked back, her Mary Janes clicking down the sidewalk.

“What’s the matter with you, dude?” James rebuked, glaring at Logan.

“Look, I’m sorry, okay? It’s just—weird, you know?” he struggled to explain. “I mean, it’s my ex-girlfriend, and my best friend, who doesn’t even remember I’m his best friend...”

Kendall held up a hand, silencing him. “If it’ll get Carlos back, it’s worth it. Besides, this was your idea, remember? Now,” he ordered, “get that parabolic microphone ready.”

Chapter 5: Big Time Corn Dogs

“Found it!” Camille announced, flaunting her “salvaged” bow. “Hey, you know something? All this walking has worked up an appetite.”

She pointed at the food cart. “What do you say we grab lunch from Willy Dilly Dogs? I hear their corn dogs are amazing.”

Carlos regarded the cart for a moment. “Corn dogs?” He hesitated. “What are those, exactly…?”

Behind the corner, the guys facepalmed.

Camille was taken aback—he really was in bad shape. “Oh, um...well, it’s like a hot dog, but it’s...on a stick. It doesn’t really have corn, though.” She grabbed his hand, dragging him towards the cart. “You know what, just try one. You’ll see.”

She smiled at the man running the mini kiosk. “Hi! Two corn dogs, please.” After paying for them, she handed one to Carlos. “My treat.” she grinned.

Carlos evaluated the funny-looking food with something between curiosity and suspicion. He took a modest little bite.

And, somewhere in his muddled head, angels began to sing.

Camille chewed hers slowly, waiting. “Well…?”

He almost didn’t hear her. All he could think about was the symphony of deep-fried, hot dog-y goodness marinating in his mouth. “That...that’s...” His face broke into a huge grin. “That’s totally rad!”

The boys winced as their microphone whined feedback. But they were smiling. Had they finally unlocked a core memory?

Carlos’ eyes fluttered. “I—I apologize, Miss Jones. I...don’t know what possessed me just now.” He glanced abashedly at his wingtip shoes. The others groaned. Back to Square One.

Camille gave him a sad smile. “Hey, um, it happens to the best of us.”

He gazed at her intently. His face gradually moved closer to hers.

“Wha—wait, what is he doin—MMF!!” Logan’s yells were cut off by his friends’ hands, which had immediately clamped over his mouth and shoved his writhing form to the ground.

Once his lips were inches away from hers, Carlos paused. “Ah...listen, Abigail...”

Camille swallowed. “Are you okay, Carlos?”

“No...I mean, yes. I’m fine. But I think it would be best if we stayed as friends.” He bit his lip, anxiety darkening his features. “Please don’t be offended, Miss Jones. I wish I could explain why I feel this way...”

She shook her head, her smile rueful. “No, Carlos, it’s okay. I understand.”

They embraced tightly. Once he was far enough down the sidewalk, she sighed and trekked back to the corner.

“Well, that didn’t work.” she said unhappily. “He still thinks he’s British, and he just wants to be friends.”

“Good!” Logan blurted out.

They all stared at him. He cleared his throat. “Uh, it’s good that he sees her as a friend, because it means that he remembers her as Camille. Not Abigail.”

James frowned. “This is just great. What are we gonna do now?”

Kendall’s cellphone began sounding off the chorus of “This Is Our Someday.” He held it to his ear.

“Hello? Oh, hey, Kelly.” A few moments of silence. “Okey-dokey, we’ll be right over.”

He stuffed the cell back into his jeans and looked at the others. “Now, we are going to meet Gustavo in his office, for reasons that I don’t even want to imagine.”

…..

“Dogs. Status report.” Gustavo demanded the minute they’d stepped over the threshold.

“Carlos still has amnesia, and so far, none of our remedies are working.” Kendall said matter-of-factly.

“And neither is my band.” Gustavo snapped. “You three need to fix your friend ASA-Immediately, because Griffin wants me and Kelly to start adding tour dates. I cannot have one of my band members babbling the Queen’s English and waving crumpets in my boss’ face!”

“We just need a little more time, Gustavo.” Logan explained despairingly. He had his medical book tucked under one arm. Now, he began thumbing through it in a frenzy. “Here! It says that the majority of amnesia cases don’t last for more than a few days.”

“I’m gonna hold you to your little book, Doctor Geek.” Gustavo snarled. “In the meantime, none of us are going to breathe a word about this new setback to Griffin.”

“What new setback?”

The four of them jumped. There, in the doorway, stood none other than Arthur Griffin. Abdul, his deadpan assistant/servant, stood off to the side.

A panting Kelly appeared behind him. “I’m sorry, Gustavo...I told him you were in a meeting, but he insisted.”

Gustavo briefly glared at her. Then, he gave his manager an extremely fake smile. “Griffin! Uh...new setback? Pshhhh,” He strained out a laugh, “who said that? What I said was, uh, ‘duet track.’”

Griffin’s knifelike gaze fell on the three boys. They nodded hastily, their smiles just as plastic.

“I was thinkin’ that, maybe, one of the songs—‘Show Me’—would sound better as a duet. Don’t know who to duet with, though!” he rambled on.

The older man’s smile was as sweet as battery acid. “Ah, yes. Because you are the one who makes the decisions, is that it?”

Gustavo’s grin slid off his face. Griffin stepped forward and continued, “We will have a duet when I say we can have a duet. And besides: Collaborations cost money. Money that could be invested in more important things, like Big Time Rush’s upcoming tour. Or Elvis Presley's secret stash of freeze-dried peanut butter bacon sandwiches."

He ignored their confusion to say, “Now. Where is Carlos?”

“C-Carlos?” Kendall squeaked. “Um, well, he’s...uh...”

“Taking care of an injured baby deer!” James blurted, a little too loudly.

Logan, Kendall, Gustavo, and Kelly threw him looks that screamed, “have you lost your mind?!”, but Griffin looked pleased.

“Oh? Well, good for him!” he praised. “We could use more Good Samaritans like that. I happen to love deer.”

Gustavo stared at the ceiling. “Let me guess: You have a pet deer?”

Griffin looked at him, brow lifted. “Oh, I didn’t mean as pets.”

Their aghast expressions also went unnoticed by the CEO. “Anyway, I just came here to get a status report. So,” His eyes drilled into the sweating record producer, “Gustavo. Status report.”

Gustavo met Kelly’s gaze, silently pleading with her to save him. She mustered her resolve and cleared her throat. “The boys will start rehearsing on Monday, Mr. Griffin. Gustavo just...needs to go over some moves with the choreographer. You know how detail-oriented he is.”

“Correction: The boys will start rehearsing tomorrow.” Griffin asserted, adjusting his striped tie. “And not a day later. Chop-chop, Gustavo! We wouldn’t want these boys to forget their responsibilities, now, would we?”

With that, he and Abdul left the office. Five pairs of horrified eyes stayed glued on their retreating forms.

Chapter 6: Big Time Call

“Okay, Carlos is listening to classical music in his room. Why did you assemble this super-important pow-wow?” Mrs. Knight asked as she entered the living room.

The “pow-wow” included the boys, Katie, and Camille. Except for Kendall, they were all gathered on the Orange Sofa.

“Because things are gettin’ desperate, Mom.” Kendall explained, pacing across the area rug. “Tour rehearsals start tomorrow, so Carlos needs to be himself again. Fast.”

“Yeah, and not his posh, scary-movie-hating, classical-music-loving self.” James chimed. He tipped his chin in the direction of Carlos’ room, where the muffled works of Bach were floating through the door. “He’s still having a diminutive fluke.”

“Dissociative fugue.” Logan corrected him with a lour.

“Well, seducing him with his old school crush failed.” Camille mused, her legs crossed Indian Style.

“So did feeding him Willy Dilly Dogs’ famous corn dogs.” Logan added, waving the sheet of memories.

“So...what are we missing? What did we forget?” Kendall griped.

Katie sat up. “Just think: What did the old Carlos treasure the most? More than anything?”

As if by a light switch, everyone’s collective brain cell shone with understanding. “His helmet,” they synced in a perfect six-part harmony.

“Of course! Remember what Carlos said yesterday, after taking it off?” Kendall said excitedly to the other two boys.

Logan’s eyes sparkled. “He said that his papi gave the helmet to him when he was six.”

“After his very first hockey win!” James nodded.

Katie smirked at her brother. “I think you know what you have to do now.”

Kendall made a finger gun at her, grinning. “Right.” He faced Mrs. Knight. “Mom. I need you to make a call.”

…..

The next morning, a black-and-white motorcycle rumbled into the Palmwoods’ parking lot.

Its stocky rider sported a shiny white helmet and black police uniform. He snapped the kickstand into place and dismounted, swinging one heavy black boot over the seat.

Kendall, Logan, and James were already waiting for him. He leisurely trod over to them, his mouth set in a rigid line. Once he reached them, he simply stood there, not uttering a word.

Without warning, his granite countenance crumbled into a sunny grin.

“Chicos! So, so good to see you again...been far too long…!” he exuberated, crushing all three of them in a fierce bear hug. When they started gasping for air, he reluctantly freed them.

“Thank you so much for coming, Mr. Garcia. I guess my mom already told you the bad news.” Kendall said sympathetically.

Mr. Garcia nodded, the grave look returning. “Yes. Flew down as soon as I heard. Mi hijo, been getting himself into trouble since he learned how to walk.” He paused, thinking. “Or crawl. So, how did it happen this time?”

Logan decided to answer. “It’s pretty silly, actually—he climbed a tree to go after our hockey puck.”

“Ah, well,” he laughed, his eyes crinkling warmly. “that’s my boy!”

…..

“That’s my boy?”

Mr. Garcia stood in 2J’s kitchen, not sure what to make of the sight before him. Carlos, looking preppier than ever in a white polo shirt (complete with a navy blue jumper tied around his neck) and tan chinos, was sitting cross-legged on the living room floor. A set of tiny metal jacks was scattered in front of him, and he held a small red ball.

“Oh, hello there!” Carlos beamed. “Just having a quick game of jacks. Really sharpens the mind, it does!”

Mrs. Knight leaned close to the bug-eyed father, her face full of pity. “Um...I left out a few details over the phone. We figured you needed to see it to believe it.”

Mr. Garcia slowly approached his son. “Carlos! How’re you doing, mi muchacho?”

After catching the little bouncing ball, Carlos stood up and held out his hand. “I’m just splendid! It’s lovely to make your acquaintance. What might I call you?”

Mr. Garcia’s smile faltered. “Carlitos...I am your padre. Your father!” He hesitated. “Don’t you remember me…?”

The boy’s face was a blank, nonplussed slate. Suddenly, he brightened. “Ah, of course, Father. My sincerest apologies. Please, won’t you join me for a game? Or rummy, if you’d prefer?” Seemingly out of thin air, he flourished a deck of playing cards.

“Ay, dios mio...” Mr. Garcia moaned.

Kendall took this opportunity to intervene. “Actually, we were thinking about a nice game of hockey, in Palmwoods Park.”

Now it was Carlos’ turn to waver. “But...I thought I needed to avoid such activities? With my head being barmy, and all...”

“Yes, but, it’s been 48 hours since your concussion.” Logan explained, sliding into view. “So, you are officially free.”

“Listen to your friends, son.” Mr. Garcia urged. “Exercise is good for the mind, too, you know.”

“Well, uh...I don’t...” Carlos stammered. Before he could object further, all three boys began to practically carry him out the door.

Mr. Garcia watched them vanish down the hall. Then, he turned to look at Mrs. Knight and Katie. His eyes were quizzical and, understandably, concerned.

“Don’t worry, Mr. Garcia.” Katie reassured. “We’ve got a plan.”

“They always do.” Mrs. Knight suspired.

Chapter 7: Big Time Hockey

Carlos stood by a tree, clumsily putting on his hockey gear. Meanwhile, Kendall, Logan, and James huddled together on the grass.

“Now, remember: Carlos can’t lose. We need to play as badly as possible, so he can win. Got it?”

“Got it.” Logan and James agreed.

Their audience consisted of Mr. Garcia, Mrs. Knight, Katie, and Camille, who were seated on benches. They clapped and cheered words of encouragement as the boys got into position. Camille nudged Katie and whispered, “Do you really think this is gonna work?”

To which Katie sighed and replied, “I’d give it a fifty percent chance of success.”

As always, Kendall dropped the puck. His, Logan’s, and Carlos’ sticks fought for power once again, but Kendall and Logan were clearly playing as lazily as they could. Carlos was, too—except he wasn’t acting.

James wasn’t diving or trying to guard the goal—in fact, he was hardly moving. He simply stood there, in the center, playing the role of the World’s Worst Goalie.

Carlos finally smacked the puck, hard...it skimmed over the ground, gained speed, rocketed towards the goal…

...and bounced off James’ stomach.

“Really? Really?” James shouted, holding up his arms.

Katie sighed again. “Make that forty percent.”

…..

Things were not going well.

No matter how poorly the others played, no matter how much space James gave him, Carlos could not make a goal.

During the fifth round, Carlos did not clearly see where he was aiming. He only realized where the puck had gone when he heard the pained yelp of a Yorkie. The hapless little dog zoomed off into the distance, leaving its frazzled owner to sprint after it.

During the tenth round, he shot the puck into the path of Buddha Bob’s riding mower. The apologetic maintenance man ended up returning what was left of their useless, mutilated puck (luckily, they had a spare).

During the eighteenth round, he slipped. This somehow catapulted the puck into the net’s metal frame, which caused it to ricochet off the trunk of a tree, which sent it whizzing into Carlos’ filthy white helmet. The poor boy toppled over and landed in a vat of mud. All the spectators grimaced at the resounding squelch.

“I can’t believe it!” Mr. Garcia wailed. “He hasn’t scored a single time! Back home, my boy was the best on his team!”

Katie sadly looked on as the dejected Carlos laid there in a muddy, pathetic heap.

She took a deep breath—drastic times called for drastic measures.

She planted one foot on the bench, hoisting herself up. “What’s the matter, Carlos?” she yelled. “Are you too much of a pansy to win one game?!”

Everybody turned to stare at her, wide-eyed. As her eyes met Kendall’s, she winked. He smiled and winked back, catching wind of her plan.

“Yeah, man, I didn’t think head trauma could turn you into a loser!” he called.

From his crumpled position in the slimy dirt, Carlos blinked. What was happening? Why were they all screaming at him?

Camille decided to get in on the act, cupping her hands around her mouth. “You’re a disgrace to the jersey, Carlos! We thought you were better than this!”

Mr. Garcia’s eyes darted from this spectacle, to Mrs. Knight, and back again. “Wh—What are they doing to my son, Jennifer? Carlos does not deserve this!”

She put a gentle hand on his arm. “It’s all part of the plan, Senior. Just watch.”

Before Carlos knew what was happening, he found himself being bombarded by a cacophony of insults. How could his friends do this to him? It wasn’t fair...he couldn’t just lay there and take this…

He rose up, a fire blazing in his chest.

“I’m not a loser...” he growled, seizing his stick as though it were a sword. “I’m the KING OF THE RINK!!”

With an earth-shattering war cry, he charged at Kendall and Logan, knocking them over like giant bowling pins. He danced the stick from side to side, expertly dribbling the puck along the dew-sodden grass. His grunt was almost animalistic as he flung the black disc with all his might—

—past an unsuspecting flock of pigeons—

—over a misting sprinkler—

—between James’ padded legs—

—right into the net.

There was stunned silence. Half a second later, everybody stood up and cheered.

Carlos straightened and spun around. Kendall and Logan were still flat on the grass, mouths agape. “Kendall…? Logan…? A-Are you guys good…?” he said anxiously.

“Carlos! Your accent is gone!” Kendall exclaimed, scrambling off the ground. James trotted over to them and joined in the chum-hugging, back-patting festivities.

A small, confused smile curved Carlos’ lips. “Uh, what accent?”

The others looked at each other. “You...You hit your head, Carlos.” Logan explained slowly.

“Yeah—and it, like, rattled your brain so much that you thought you were British, dude! You were stuck in a destructive fruit for days.” James elucidated.

“Dissociative. Fugue.” Logan gritted out.

“You really don’t remember any of it?” Kendall asked, surprised.

Carlos shook his head. “Nope! But I sure do remember that epic goal I scored just now!” He unleashed a loud, triumphant hoot.

James slapped a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “Good to have you back, King!”

Shortly thereafter, a dazed but beaming Carlos was being swarmed by his friends and family. Before Mr. Garcia could smother his son in a hug, Kendall stopped him. “Here,” he whispered, handing him a small item. “give him this.”

Out of the corner of his eye, Carlos noticed his father approaching. He was holding something—something very, very familiar…

“My boy,” Mr. Garcia grinned, “I believe this is yours?”

It was his helmet. His black, shiny, beloved helmet.

He looked into his dad’s face, gaping. “Papi…?”

Mr. Garcia nodded, his eyes glittering. After ridding himself of his mud-splattered white helmet, Carlos set the spotless black helmet atop his head. The two Garcias shared a loving grin.

“RAHHHH!!” they roared, knocking their helmeted heads together. Laughing hysterically, Carlos propelled himself into his dad’s tight embrace.

Katie noticed Mrs. Knight dabbing at her eyes. “Mom...are you crying?”

Mrs. Knight tearfully smiled at her daughter. “Oh, uh...it’s just the pollen, honey...” Katie shook her head, but she too was smiling softly. It was hard not to be moved by the touching sight.

The Jennifers sashayed up to the crowd, cutting the emotional moment short. They cocked their heads and scowled at Carlos.

"Ahem." Jennifer with Bangs said curtly.

"We have a date today, Carlos. Or did you already forget?" Curly-Haired Jennifer accused, folding her arms.

Carlos fell from his father’s hold and rushed to them, his face a mixture of shock and joy. "Oh! Uh, no! Of course not!"

He cleared his throat, tugged at his soiled jersey, and rearranged himself into his idea of a "suave" pose. "So, ladies. I heard through the grapevine that 'Dollareyes the Clown: The Last Act' is in theaters. How about we check it out...from the back row?" He waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

The girls' faces scrunched up, like they suddenly had manure under their noses.

"On second thought, the date's off." Blonde Jennifer snorted. "You haven't changed one bit."

Turning briskly on their heels, the Jennifers strutted away from Carlos' very puzzled face.

Mr. Garcia clapped his back. "Never mind 'em, son. They ain't worth it." Carlos smiled sheepishly, before engulfing him in yet another hug.

"And besides," Kendall said, stepping next to them, "we've got a tour to rehearse for."

Chapter 8: Big Time All Over Again

"I blaze the night, in harbor lights," Kendall crooned into his mic. "You dressin' light, it’s fittin' right..."

Big Time Rush was finally rehearsing on a small stage, in Rocque Records' studio. Standing by the stage was Gustavo, Kelly, and of course, Griffin. Gustavo and Kelly looked proud but anxious. Griffin was critically observing every dance move and vocal lilt, his arms crossed over his suit jacket.

"I, I, I, I wanna see you, you, you, you," Carlos sang (while proudly wearing his helmet), accompanied by Logan. "Telling me that, that, that you got what I need, do, pretty girl, don’t speak..."

All four combined their voices in pitch-perfect harmony: "Baby, show me, by the way you hold me, way that you control me, speed me up or slow me.

"Oh, when I’m lonely, full of stormy weather, can you make it better? I heard what you told me...so-o, oh, show me."

They ended the song with a classic "boy band" pose, mics lowered at their sides.

Griffin turned to Gustavo and Kelly. To their immense relief, he was genuinely smiling. "Gustavo, you have created four singing and dancing machines! I have to say, I’m impressed."

He faced the band with an even brighter smile. "Boys, I think All Over Again is going to be a bigger hit than your last album—and your world tour will be a smash! Where do you want Big Time Rush's first stop to be? Just name it."

The guys contemplated this for a bit. "How about...London?" Carlos tentatively suggested. Kendall, Logan, and James traded a private little smirk.

Griffin pursed his lips. "Done." He turned again. "Gustavo, you heard them. Make their first stop London...or else." He smiled pleasantly, while Gustavo made a strangled noise. Kelly laid a hand on her boss’ arm, trying to steady him.

"Um...we'll see what we can do." she chuckled awkwardly.

The boys let loose whoops of joy. "YEAH! LONDON, HERE WE COME!" Carlos exulted, throwing his hands up. As he did so, his mic flew above their heads and crashed into one of the spotlights.

Everyone tensed as the light made its slow-motion descent, lower, lower, and lower...

...and landed on Logan.

"Logan!" the guys exclaimed, almost in unison. Gustavo and Kelly dashed onstage. Griffin, in typical Griffin fashion, calmly trailed behind them.

Carlos shook his friend's shoulders. "Dude! You okay?"

Logan sat up groggily. The gang stared with bated breath, waiting for him to speak.

Instead, he grinned—a lazy, crooked grin. "Oh...howdy, y'all." he drawled.

Their jaws went slack. “Uh...‘howdy’?” said a flummoxed James.

"Y'all...?" added Kendall.

Logan mellowly scratched his head. "Well, yeah. This is Texas, ain't it? How do y'all 'spect a cowboy to talk?"

They hung their heads and released a collective groan. Incongruously, Griffin was still smiling. "I don't know about you, but I think a little Southern charm is just what this band needs!” he remarked. "Although, I would have preferred a refined English gentleman."

Gustavo, Kelly, and the three non-concussed boys froze. After exchanging some disturbed looks, Gustavo announced, "Alright, let's take the cowboy to Doc Hollywood!"

So, off to Doc Hollywood's they went, carrying the dopily smiling Logan like a sack of potatoes.

The End

[indecisive-dizzy]

Hiiiiiiiiii pookiiweeeee :)

I’m thinking more about my whole high school DearDollops angst au, I have so many ideas for them ;v;

I’m thinking a lot about their friendship after the entire situation. It’s awkward and complicated but they’re trying their best

Eddie lets his hair grow out a bit, and Daisey pulls it back into a little high ponytail. It’s cute and Eddie appreciates it

They’re just a lot more affectionate now, mostly on Eddie’s side cause he’s nervous. Daisey tries to reassure him but they’re also nervous

They hang out a lot more, but conversations are not super easy to hold up anymore

It’s just Eddie yapping and Daisey listening, but it helps them get comfortable again

Eddie invited Daisey to hang out with him and the rest of the neighbors/his friends and they immediately called for a group huddle to talk about it

Daisey could hear everything they said but ignored it

Daisey calls him Edd. It flip flops between that and Eddie, but they mostly use Edd

I’m thinking after some really stressful and tiring after school sports practice (I still don’t know what sport I want Eddie to do), Daisey just walks to the field to wait for him and he immediately runs and tackle-hugs them

Daisey’s just walking over to the field and saying hi, and Eddie just goes “Daaaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiseeeeeeyyyyyyyyy :(“ and tackles them into a hug

They probably eat Smile-Dip behind the school and look at clouds

They’re the kind of duo to spray people with silly spray during parties together

The teasing from both their friend groups are non stop. They mention hanging out once and immediately someone starts making kissy noises

Is that the queue that I’m making them romantic? Possibly-

I need to make incorrect quotes for them they’re too precious to me once they’re at this stage :,3

Hiiii Bestieee :]

Oh yay Aftermath Friendship! let the awkward begin lol (post typing me is adding a cut bc I think this is a tad long lol 😅)

ponytail Eddie my beloved that sounds so cute

Sorry did you mean Touch Starved Best Friends Have Recently Made Up And It's Awkward But They Really Want To Cuddle?

Eddie's yapping is fun to listen to at least, bc of the topic, his accent, or his enthusiasm. Plus I think sometimes he'll mention something and Dasiey manages to respond to it before he moves on, thus triggering a more back n forth convo. still def takes a while for it feel as natural as it did before

Daisey standing next to the group huddle looking into the camera (the wall) like they're in the office lol

He may be sore as heck but that will not stop Eddie from tackling Daisey. Pain be damned it's Hug Time.

Also. Mind if I share some sport ideas for Eddie? Ahem! Weightlifting, Volleyball, Cross Country, or Soccer! Cross country and soccer are kinda funny w/ his clumsiness but I like the idea of Eddie in running type sports. Tho he could be a soccer goalie! Weightlifting needs little explanation lol he a strong boy. and volleyball is fun w/ more clumsy potential but less running lol

Points at you! That's sounds adorable but now I wanna know what they'd both be like on smile dip high or whatever it is that happens lmao

They're both hiding behind the same wall thinking they'll jump spray some rando only to spray each other in the face with silly string XD

NO DANGIT You just gave me the mental image of Howdy turning around to do the fake making out motions Thing! you know what I mean Idk what it's called! Barnaby Loses his mind and needs to lay down he's laughing too hard. Eddie's face is redder than his hair and he's yelling ajdhajdjah gah these idiots I love them sm

[starscelly]

super random prompt just for fun: if you could make a nhl ready lineup with just your mutuals, who would you put in what positions?

i have been doing english class level analysis of my thoughts on this for weeks. i keep flipping and flopping. but ive just broken my mutuals into 3 categories so i could ramble abt my analysis more easily. moots you Know what you are.

forwards - gif makers. much like forwards are usually the face of the team i feel like gif makers are representatives of what the team is. integral to the community and appropriately appreciated and beloved! like how forwards are expected to produce all the points for their team.... gif makers produce all the Important game content (bench shots and hugs) for their team.

defense - livebloggers. okay okay hear me out. defensemen usually are very underrated but if you dont have heavy defensive presence you Notice That Shit. the praises might not be sung for them for doing good defensive work the same way a forward gets praised for offense but if theyre not On and Present you really feel it. that is a liveblog to meeeee. unsung heroes of hockeyblr... funniest people alive. like a good liveblog community is sooo valuable and precious. also suffers more than jesus. both of them.

goalies - artists/creatives. this is like any creators; visual artists, editors, writers, etc. i feel like beloved people who Primarily do this are rare on hockeyblr which makes it a cute smaller community in the same way goalies are in the league. 2 me. but ALSO sometimes ur random mutual who is just silly will post the most DELICIOUS amazing piece or edit you've ever seen in your life and youre like YOU HAVE CREATING SKILLS??? and thats how it feels whenever an nhl skater is like. oh yeah i used to be a goalie/want to be one. does this make sense.

[a-reader-and-a-writer-for-all]

Hi friend!!!! I have two characters if you don’t mind! Rick Flag and Adrian Chase.

Thank you!!! 💕 I never mind doing multiples!

Rick Flag:

First impression

*saw a commercial for The Suicide Squad* Oh! I can already tell I am going to love him!!!! *watching Suicide Squad the night before the new movie came out* Um.... this character is not what I was expecting 😬

Impression now

My beloved husband who I love with my whole heart and was done dirty in the movie! 😭

Favorite moment

(if you know, you know😉)

Idea for a story

I have a Dad!Rick fic I have been working on FOREVER where he hid his past from his wife but it comes back to haunt him and he has to deal with the fallout.

Unpopular opinion

(this is more for the movie than him as a character) I love the scene where he dies. While it is heartbreaking and shouldn't have happened, the way it is filmed is fantastic! Both Joel and Cena's acting is excellent and the fact you can hear Rick's heartbeat in the background slow down then stop is such an amazing touch!!! 😍

Favorite relationship

Rick and Harley. I love their friendship and their hug with him rubbing her back with the gun is adorable! 💖

Favorite headcanon

Once Rick and June broke up, he started working out more in his free time to get over the break-up and he loosens up a bit (hence his change from the first movie to the second).

Adrian Chase:

First impression

*watching the first episode* Is that the dude from Unreal? He's adorable!!! 😍 Look at his little dance!

Impression now

This character has everything I love!!! Nerdy, sweet, funny, and adorable 😊 but also can kill everyone in the room effortlessly, and he hurts so pretty 😅

Favorite moment

The whole part in the jail. From his FANTASTIC walk down the hall to the INCREDIBLE fight with Peacemaker's dad's gang. It was all perfection!

Idea for a story

Sort of an origins story where it shows a young Adrian watching Chris hang out with his brother and how he looked up to him. Then how he decided to become Vigilante and his early days of that.

Unpopular opinion

Honestly, I can't think of any 😅

Favorite relationship

He and Eagly!!! They are so precious!!!

Favorite headcanon

The first version of his Vigilante suit was a bunch of his brother's hockey pads and a goalie mask. Once he decided to continue with it, he upgraded to the suit from the show.

Send me a character and I'll answer these questions

[nylwnder]

delicious

[in-ky]

An Old Scent [1] - Negan x Reader (A/B/O AU)

Summary: During summer break, you decide to come back home to visit your dad, Rick. Over the course of your stay, you realize that your dad's friend is pretty hot.

Warnings: Eventual smut, A/B/O dynamics, cheating, age gap, Negan

A/N: yay first fic! this will have four parts! i hope everyone enjoys. this is an au where the apocalypse never happened. 3.2k words

I squinted as I stepped out into the bright Virginian sun. People swarmed all around me, creating the steady hum of airport ambience that I had grown accustomed to over the years. I had just gotten off a four-hour flight home from college and all I wanted to do was shower and curl up in bed. But I couldn't. Oh, no. First I had to endure a fun thirty-minute car ride with my best friend since second grade. I scanned the curb in front of me for her small black car and caught sight of a tall woman waving at me. I grinned and walked forward, tugging along my baggage behind me.

"Ugh, it's so good to see you, Bee." I sighed as I enveloped my friend into a large hug. She let out a laugh and swayed us gently.

"It's good to see you, too," She hummed, rustling my hair "I forgot how short you were." Bee was an alpha; tall, muscular, and very quick to remind me of our differences. Of course, it was in a 'joking with love' kind of way. I was an omega; small, rounded, and very quick to punch her gently in the abdomen.

"I forgot how much of a jerk you are." I quipped, huffing and wheeling my bag to her trunk.

"Oh, come on, babes, don't be like that," Bee laughed, opening the driver side door and waiting for me to walk back to my side. "Now get in, we've got a lot of catching up to do."

---

"How are your heats going?"

"Jesus, that's what you want to start with?" I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest. Bee shrugged.

"We don't have to if you don't want to," She clarified, turning out onto the street "I'm just saying, I know they've gotten pretty bad as we've gotten older. Did you try out those tips I sent you?"

"Yea, I did," I said quietly, looking at the trees rushing by on the side of the highway "They worked for a while but..."

"But you need an alpha," Bee sighed, finishing the sentence for me.

"That's the plan for this summer," I agreed "Might finally settle down."

"You know, I'm always here if you need me." She said with a wink. I scoffed at her.

"I'm not that desperate," I laughed, shoving her lightly "Not yet, at least."

"Anyone take your interest back in Colorado?"

"Not really," I hummed, tilting my head in consideration. "There was this one guy. We dated for a few months but towards the end he became a total knot-head. He couldn't keep his hands off me. I thought it was cute at first, but after I started to miss a few classes...well, that shit got old pretty quickly." Bee made a disgusted noise.

"Ugh, men," She grunted, wrinkling her nose "I'm glad I never went through that phase. I'm perfectly happy with chicks, thank you very much. Much less of a pain in my ass."

"Oh, they're not so bad," I smirked "I think it's just alphas in general." She glared at me momentarily and I stuck my tongue out at her. We drove in a comfortable silence for a few moments, just enjoying each other's company. That was always something I loved about Bee. We never had to fill every second with chatter, we could just exist together in the same space and be just as content. She started to hum along to the song that buzzed softly from the radio and my eyes tracked a hawk. Soon enough, we reached our exit and Bee turned the car onto a smaller road, starting the countdown to my arrival home.

"Are you excited to see your dad?" Bee asked, killing the silence.

"Yea, I am," I smiled. We hadn't always had the best of relationships, but the distance that college gave had done wonders for us. A few texts and calls had worked perfectly for us. When he invited me to stay a few weeks during summer I gladly accepted. I wanted to see just how well our relationship had strengthened. Plus I knew he really needed someone.

"How's he doing?" There was genuine concern in Bee's voice. A few months ago, my mom had revealed that she had been having an affair with one of dad's work buddies. She left with him and took my brother down to Georgia.

"I think he's okay. But you know dad, he's not really an emotions guy. He was starting to get some closure but then the divorce papers came in the mail. That really hurt him," I told her, twisting a strand of my hair around my finger. "I just don't know how Lori could do that to him, you know? She won't even let Carl up to visit. The new baby's cute, though. Looks just like Shane." Bee hummed in acknowledgement.

"Well, tell him I said hi, alright?"

"Will do." A few more seconds of silence passed. Until we stopped at a light. Bee looked up and spotted a billboard that sported a very familiar, very handsome face.

"Holy shit!" Bee shrieked, slapping my arm.

"Ow, what the hell?" I hissed, grabbing my shoulder. She pointed frantically at the sign.

"That guy! Isn't that, shit- the hell's his name?" Pulling my eyes from my lap, I let them settle on the object of her excitement. All of the color drained from my face. It was an add for a law firm. There was an old geezer posing proudly on the left, and to his right, was the man who haunted my wet dreams for the majority of high school.

"Negan." I gulped.

"Yea, your dad's hot friend you never shut up about." Bee groaned, pressing on the gas and moving us away from the sign. Negan was a lawyer/make-shift-law-professor and baseball coach at the local community college. He had a sort-of contract with my dad's department. Many times I had come home after school to the two of them puzzling out a case on the kitchen table. Negan was an alpha of alphas, something that got my little omega heart (and other things) pumping until I couldn't breath. His humor and dominating persona made me blush a deep crimson color any time I saw him. Sometimes I would spend hours sitting on the stairs just listening to him talk to my dad. His voice was something else. I had gushed to Bee about him countless times during our times at high school. But I hadn't seen him since my graduation party.

"I wonder if you'll see him again," Bee teased, nudging me again to pull me out of my trance of memories. Then, she did a dramatic gasp. "What if he's your mate?" It was my turn to slap her in the shoulder.

"He's older than my dad!" I squealed, burying my now-blushing cheeks in my hands.

"You're an adult I don't think it matters."

"I think he's engaged."

"Just 'cause there's a goalie doesn't mean you can't scoooore." Bee pulled a face at me and I returned her grimace.

"Whatever, you're lucky we're almost at my house." I huffed, falling back into my seat with my arms crossed over my chest.

"Oh, yea, omega? What are you gonna do?" I rolled my eyes as she laughed off my grumpiness. We rolled to a stop in front of my driveway and a leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek.

"Thanks so much, Bee, I really appreciate you," I grinned, popping open the door.

"No problem, babes," She winked, unlocking the trunk "But I swear to the gods, you better fucking call me and give me updates on everything, especially if you run into Mr. Hotcakes." I rolled my eyes once more and promised her I would before closing the door. I retrieved my bag and gave her a wave as she drove down the street. When she was out of view, I took a deep breath and turned around, walking up the driveway to the front door.

I knocked heavily on the dark oak door. While I waited for someone to answer, I decided to look around at the home I had left behind about a year ago. My childhood home had changed now and then over the years, but there were still some iconic pieces of memories in the front yard that could never be forgotten. My personal favorite was Eddie the garden gnome. He was a standard gnome: small and stout with a large white beard that led into a pointy red hat. His eyes were shut and his mouth was curved into a smile. However, he was missing a nose. I grinned as I recalled the unfortunate mishap that caused Eddie to become deformed. I was about twelve, and carl was five. He had gotten a kid's baseball from Negan for his birthday and had begged me to teach him how to play, since I was on the local softball team at the time. I relented and set it up in the front yard. Eddie was our outfielder. Eddie didn't have a mitt. Well, he did, but it was his face. Carl absolutely smashed the first pitch I tossed at him and hit poor Eddie right in the face, shattering his round, pink nose into pieces. Carl bursted into tears and I had to promise him that he did not in fact kill our precious protector of our house. Lori ran out frantically and comforted her son before giving me a thorough chewing out for damaging Eddie. We never used the set again. That she knew of, anyways. Negan always let us play in his yard, though. I smiled at the memory, but the clicking of the lock to the door pulled me from my train of thought. The door swung open and I was met with the smiling face of my father.

"Sweetie, I'm so glad you made it!" He laughed, pulling me in swiftly and squeezing me tight.

"It's good to see you too, dad." I croaked, letting out a small chuckle. I tapped on his shoulder as a signal for him to let go.

"How was the flight?" He asked as he stepped out to grab my bag. I told him it was good but that the screaming kids had given me a bit of a headache. He gave a small laugh and gestured for me to enter. I thanked him and he rolled my bag in behind me. We exchanged a few words but as soon as I walked through the kitchen into the doorway of the living room I was hit by a wall. Not literally, no, but rather a wall of overwhelming scent. It was a delicious swirl of campfire and whiskey, with a hint of cigarettes and leather. I paused for a moment, my eyes forced closed and my lungs taking a deep breath of the intoxicating air. Colors danced across my eyelids. My whole body was flooded with warmth and my toes tingled. I felt safe and calm, and there was something else; something deep within my stomach that I couldn't quite identify, something I never felt before. My eyes snapped open when I felt my father's hand rest firmly on my shoulder.

"I hope you don't mind, sweetie, but I invited company over while I was waiting for you to arrive," He smiled at me. I got a good look at him then. He looked the same, his hair was a bit longer, a bit greyer. But his eyes were different. They were darker, rounder, rawer. I gave a soft smile and told him it was fine. He guided me into the living room. It was then I realized where that deadly smell was coming from. Or, rather, who it was coming from. "Negan, you remember my girl." In that moment, I held my breath as I scanned Negan. He looked fucking amazing, just as he always had. Perfect dimples guarding a charming smile, all surrounded by a gorgeous salt and pepper beard. His hair was longer than it was when I had left, not slicked back, but it still framed his face perfectly. Negan's body was draped casually over the sectional couch, legs crossed at the ankle on the ottoman. His arms were on the top of the couch and his wrists were dangling. He knew he was hot. That bastard. I suddenly became aware of his eyes raking over my form and I shifted from one foot to the other.

"'course I do, Rick," Negan said, voice silky and deep. I couldn't help but let a small shudder run down my spine. All I wanted to do was kneel down in front of him and curl up at his feet. I forced my inner omega down, shaking the thought from my head. "How could I forget the little slugger?" I cringed inside at the nickname. Especially the use of the word 'little'. I begged that he didn't still see me as the kid down the street. Instead as a grown woman. A grown omega.

"Hi, Negan." I greeted with a small smile, swallowing to relieve my dry throat. Now that I was next to him, his scent was clogging all my senses. I gripped onto the couch and lowered myself onto the cushion, hoping to ground myself. It helped, just barely. My heart was pounding, my instincts telling me to submit to this man in front of me. Why, though? Why now? He had never smelled this good before. No alpha had. Was I getting close to my heat? I did have a stomach ache, but that could be from Negan alone.

"Hey, sweetheart. How's college goin'?" Negan asked, sipping on his drink. He kept eye contact with me the whole time. Rick handed me a glass of soda and I thanked him.

"It's good!" I said after taking a sip, thankful for the hydration in my coarse throat "Towards the end it got a little hectic, but I was able to stay on top of everything, thankfully."

"You're studying film, right?" He asked, leaning forward and resting his elbows on his knees.

"That's right," I grinned, crossing my legs to relieve some of the pressure the movement caused to build up in my lower abdomen "You still teaching law?" This caused him to chuckle. Literally music to my ear.

"If that's what you want to fuckin' call it." Negan sighed, falling back to his original position, hands resting in his lap "I talk, the kids kinda listen. I just do it for the coaching job, really. You remember how much I love that damn sport, right?"

"Baseball?" I asked, raising a brow "You mean the only thing you talked about at all of the Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners you were invited to?"

"Touché." Negan grinned. Goddamn that smile. Butterflies erupted in my chest, beating hard against my ribcage, begging to throw myself at his chest and bury myself in him. Rick cleared his throat and smiled at me to get my attention.

"I want to know more about your college experience!" He beamed, rubbing a hand through his beard "Any special alphas you've got your eyes on?" I heard Negan choke slightly on his whiskey. A small bubble of pride rose in my chest. I laughed at his words.

"Dad, I don't think Negan wants to hear about my love life."

"Shit, doll, I don't mind," He grumbled "I don't get to hear any drama now-a-days"

"What do you mean?" I giggled, tilting my head "You argue for a living. Your job is to literally deal with drama."

"Yea, but that's complex drama," He growled, waving his hand dismissively "I wanna hear simple, schoolgirl 'he loves me, he loves me not' kind of bullshit."

"Well sorry to disappoint," I snorted, running a hand through my hair "but no, there's no one I have an eye on." Dad's smile turned into a frown.

"Shame." I heard Negan whisper. I wasn't sure if I was supposed to hear it. It was quiet, barely above his breath, and he said it while twirling his whiskey, following the words with a large gulp.

"You really should start looking, dear." Dad said with a sigh "You know it only gets harder as you get older."

"Dad please, I don't..." I cut him off "Listen, I appreciate you trying to understand this stuff, I really do, but I don't really want to talk about it with my father." He looked at me with an understanding smile.

"Sure," He nodded "But if you ever need anything, anything at all, you just let me know, alright." I nodded.

"Well, this sure has been fun, Ricky-boy," Negan grinned, getting to his feet and stretching his arms far above his head. "We do have that big court case in the mornin', though, and I need my shut-eye."

"Big case, eh?" I asked, rising from my seat as well. Dad nodded and excitement sparked in his eyes.

"You should come! It's an open court and I would love for you to see what I do. I know you always wanted to as a kid, but your mom made you wait until you were older. Well, now's the perfect time!" He rambled, grasping my shoulders.

"W-Well, I dunno, I don't want to be a distraction," I stumbled, taken aback by my father's display of enthusiasm. I turned to Negan, as if asking for permission. He just laughed.

"Oh-o, doll, I don't get distracted. Not in there, not anywhere. Don't you worry about a goddamn thing. You should come, Rick seems like he really wants you to."

"Okay, then," I grinned, nodding in commitment "I'll see you there in the morning then." I looked up to Negan and we locked eyes for a brief moment. But in that moment, something within me quivered. He brushed up against me and smirked down at me.

"See you tomorrow, sweetheart. It was nice to see you. You're lookin' great." It took all my willpower not to let out a whimper as he walked past me, taking his glorious scent with him.

My dad said that he should also get some rest, but that I could stay up as long as I wanted to. I was pretty wiped from my flight so I opted to follow him up the narrow staircase, tugging my bag behind me. I hugged him goodnight and stepped into my room. It hadn't been touched since I left last summer. The forest green bedspread was still perfectly tucked into the mattress and two plump pillows were perched at the head of the bed. My muscles ached for the soft release of sleep. I put my suitcase down by my dresser, taking a moment to smile at some old photos of me and Bee as kids. I showered and brushed my teeth before getting into the comfortable bed. I looked up at the ceiling and giggled softly at the glow-in-the-dark stars shining overhead. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I wasn't thinking of anything in particular, but for some reason, all of my dreams were plagued by the sweet smell, sound, sight, feeling, and taste of Negan.

[princesstillyenna]

Idk what you have planned for the gc (or more accurately what the boys have planned) and I’m literally hyped for anything you want to throw at us (even when it’s sad Tyson’s and rat boys)

but would love to see more knighter even ifs it’s just him adding dialogue, low key he is my fave (but also I’m pretty sure I view him the same way you view key, he is a precious baby and must be protected) but now he gets to be in a sacred club of Matthew tkachuk goalie hugs TM.

OH MY GOD MATTHEW GETS A NEW BABY QUEER GOALIE TO ADORE AND RITTER IS GOING TO HAVE A CRISIS ABOUT IT AND MATTHEW IS REPEATEDLY GOING TO REMIND HIM OF THE "I DON'T FUCK TEAMMATES" RULE BUT RITTER IS STILL GOING TO HAVE THE CRISIS BECAUSE HE CAN COPE WITH NOT BEING MATTHEWS FAVOURITE BOYFRIEND BUT HE ABSOLUTELY NEEDS TO BE HIS FAVOURITE GOALIE

[darlingbudsofrae]

Andrew Minyard Appreciation Post

Foxes Appreciation Series : || 1 || 2 || 3 || 4 || 5 || 6  || 7 || 8 || 9 || 10 ||

I believe that even with all the overwhelming Andrew Minyard content, we can never give the love this precious soul deserves.

Andrew Joseph Minyard deserves all the love in this universe.

He is very loyal.

Like, because he was often left behind most of the times in his past, it’s kind of ironic how Andrew understands the concept of family.

How willing he is to fight for his family, keep his family- even if it doesn’t show in the most obvious ways.

Friendly reminder that Andrew Minyard strike deals with people because he thinks it’s the only way to make people stay.

Friendly reminder that he is willing to go through hell and back for his family to the point of even hurting himself.

Because he could give less shit if he gets hurt. This MF is willing to go all in in protecting “his” people even if it kills him because he just don’t see anything worth living his life all the while secretly doing the best he could because he wants his family to succeed and that’s just-

Isn’t it ironic that everything Andrew Minyard are for are also the same things that ended up hurting him?

Like this kid honors promises to a fault and ensures hope when necessary (eg Kevin and Neil) when his life consisted nothing of false hopes and broken promises.

Did you know that the second character in the book to say the word fine the most is Andrew? While Neil says fine as a defense mechanism, Andrew mostly says the word to assure others that they’re going to be okay when they’re overthinking.

He also really values consent and that first kiss with Neil, when he pushed him and said he wasn’t in the head space to give it? That scene is underrated af.

Also, for someone who got lied to all his life, Andrew is so honest. He tells the truth in all its ugly glory because better terrible truths than kind lies.

Honesty suited Andrew because he was an instigator at heart and his opinions were often unpopular.

Andrew Minyard is not a good person- doesn’t try to convince someone he’s a good person.

He threatens people, he can kill without a second thought. I think this is why most people view him as “psychotic” but if you do read the times Andrew act out on violence, they’re mostly because they’re provoked by inappropriate behavior slash words.

Like with Nicky, and the things he says about Neil and Kevin. I really like that Andrew acts on that because as violent as it is and as much as I love Nicky, he tends to oversexualize someone and say unnecessary and inappropriate things.

I love how Andrew doesn’t act like he likes people. Doesn’t feel inclined to make someone comfortable. 

And honestly, who can blame him when most of the foxes see him as a monster? Like I love the foxes but they’re judgmental assholes.

I really hate this about the books, like I can defend why the upperclassmen and even his own family sees him as such but it just gets to me.

Because for me, out of all the people there is in the world, the foxes should’ve been the first people to understand that Andrew was human with real feelings- that he didn’t have to act on a certain way.

I will never get over about how until the end of the book, the rest of the foxes still sees him that way.

As someone who went thru a lot of shit, Andrew was such a comfort character. Personally, I feel like his character arc was one of the best ones I’ve read.

He’s coping, still coping- and that’s okay.

Y’know what I love about Andrew most? He actively goes to therapy. In a way, despite seemingly giving up on everything, kid is willing to fix himself.

And maybe the results are slow or next to none but so what? He doesn’t have to recover immediately and honestly, reading AFTG back in a time when I was pressuring myself to heal fast because I was too frustrated with everything- reading Andrew was like getting washed by a cold bucket of water.

Recovery takes time. Healing is a process. And it could even take years and no matter how long it takes, it’s okay ✨

Also, another thing I like about Andrew’s character was that Nora made a point about not forgiving abusers. Most books tend to send that message (which is disgusting) but with Andrew’s character, it’s clear that you don’t have to attach yourself to your abusers.

Forgiving abusers is not a necessary part of the healing process. 

 This is getting dark so to lighten things up a bit, Andrew has a sweet tooth. He loves ice cream.

Also, he majored in criminal justice and I know Nora said he did that just to be a troll but I like to believe that deep inside, he wants to help those who are in a situation like him and actually make the world a better place.

Andrew knows what to do when someone’s breaking down. Like, with every character, his apathy aside, he always knows how to act.

Also, he’s one of those annoying even-if-I-don’t-make-an-effort-I’m-talented-af-and-can-still-perform-well-so-sue-me assholes and normally I hate those type of characters but Andrew was an exemption. 

Like, we do not talk enough about the fact that he asked Wymack to choose between numbers 1 - 5 and only let that number of goals in of the opposing team that night before shutting down the goal completely.

Or that he only let 13 of the ravens’ shots - the nation’s best team - in and that is oh my gods where do I even begin with Andrew Joseph Minyard being a superior goalie I cannot-

Also the fact that Andrew completely shut down the goal when Neil freaking asked him to- who is this man? 

What a simp. What power. 

I hope in the AFTG universe, someone out there is doing the god’s work and compiling his saves. Like, I don’t normally watch sports stuff cuz I hate sports but I would pay good money to see that yes sir I will.

We could talk about Andrew’s saves more but that just deserves its own post cuz it’s chef kisses

We do not talk enough about Andrew’s eidetic memory. Seriously, we don’t.

Also, you can say all you want that he’s an emo kid but kid has good fashion sense.

Andrew seriously has the best lines in the series. Did some of them made me choke and wheeze and cringe? Yes. But did most of them make me cry like a bitch and hit my heart right where it hurts? Also yes.

“Congratulations are in order, I suppose! Since I have none to give, I will tell the others to respond appropriately.”

Also, some of them were lowkey Shakespearean and I refuse to believe that Andrew doesn’t read Shakespeare-

Seriously, he’s so extra but he’s also so traumatized and such a gay disaster I can’t-

He’s five foot short.

[merryfortune]

Salty Onigiri

Written for the 100ships Challenge on Dreamwidth

Prompt #52 Salt

Title: Salty Onigiri

Ship: Gentlu/Yui

Fandom: Delicious Party Pretty Cure

Word Count: 1,945

Rating: T

Warnings: No Warnings Apply

Tags: Not Canon Complaint, Out of Character, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Pre-Slash, Crushes, Redemption Arc, Food as a Metaphor for Love

   Yui’s ears pricked up as she heard the beginning of that silly yet sinister chant: “Bun-bun, doru-doru, Bundo-”

   And she leapt into action. Quite literally. She was all sports girl the minute that her instincts kicked in. Yui didn’t even think twice as she crash-tackled Gentlu and pinned her to the sidewalk.

   This was before even her Heart Cure Watch could alert her that a Recipipi was in trouble. She just did it because hearing those few words propelled her to do what she thought was right: apprehend the bandit before she could even strike properly! Yui just knew she had to do the right thing, even if it very much put her - and Gentlu - in a compromising position.

   It had actually happened to Yui once or twice before on the soccer field where she, a striker, would collide with a goalie who had dived on the soccer ball before she could kick a goal. It never stopped being unfortunate. Or embarrassing. She felt her cheeks flush red as she landed atop of Gentlu, their legs entwined and Gentlu was all scuffed up by the fall.

   “Get off me!” she hissed.

   Yui just sat on top of her, blushing, not quite sure what to do but hey. At least she had Gentlu in custody and apprehended. That was good at least. And the Recipipi was safe too. That darn box that Gentlu used to kidnap the poor fairies had scattered elsewhere on the side wall and Yui looked up. They weren’t even in front of a restaurant or anything, just a convenience store.

   “Precious! Get off me!” Gentlu protested.

   Yui actually obliged the request. Not even thinking. She slowly receded off of Gentlu and Gentlu scowled a thank you. She started to get up and Yui knelt on the sidewalk, allowing. With suspicious eyes kept on Yui, Gentlu reached for her tin and then Yui realised what she had done. Again. So she grabbed Gentlu’s hand. Her grip was iron tight on Gentlu’s thin, even frail wrist and she gave Gentlu a yank. Yui then pulled Gentlu away from her capturing device, only to scramble to pick it up herself, wildly spinning and twirling Gentlu around in the process and pulling her along like a toy.

   Gentlu huffed and puffed, protested and argued, as Yui pulled her along. Yui wasn’t quite sure what she was going to do. She wasn’t even quite convinced yet that ordinary folk could even see Gentlu but she was going to do something about her. She had to. She couldn’t let the thieving bandit get away and Yui was worried that Gentlu was going to vanish through her fingertips at any moment but.

   She didn’t.

   Together, they managed to arrive back at Yui’s place. Yui sat Gentlu down at the low table in the backroom tha looked out into the yard. Gentlu politely, and stilted, sat upon one of the pillows provided and looked around, taking in her surroundings. Yui’s home was, she decided, very comfortable. It was humble and cosy, it was nothing like their base of operations as it was airy and full of light. The smell of homemade food lingered, both from the kitchen and from the diner adjoined to the house itself.

   “So,” Yui asked, she sounded cross and even put her hands on her hips, “what was the poor Recipipi that you tried to steal today? From a convenience store, no less.”

   “The Boss wanted onigiri.” Gentlu admitted in a quiet voice.

   “onigiri? Those are my favourite…” Yui gasped and then her voice trailed off. 

   It would be entirely unforgivable if the flavours of her oh so beloved onigiri were taken. Her happening to pass by at the right time, before Gentlu could steal the Recipipi, was clearly nothing less than a miracle to protect her all time favourite food. Her expression was awed, in dumbfounded disbelief, and reflected that; Gentlu disliked it and so she stood up. 

   “Now, I must be going.” she said and her gloved hand curled into a fist by her side, her face twinged. “I have to report that I was unsuccessful, that a Pretty Cure intervened and… and I will be punished.”

   “Wh-What? No way!” Yui exclaimed.

   “I have no further business in this world, let me go, Precious.” Gentlu sneered, wanting to take the slap on her wrist now rather than later.

   Yui bolted to her feet and she grabbed Gentlu’s wrist again. It felt so delicate, so fragile. Actually, Gentlu was such a tiny, wiry girl… She clearly wasn’t eating enough nor well. Yui’s heart broke for her, her clear and apparent enemy.

   “If you go, at the very least, don’t let go empty handed.” Yui begged her.

   “Pardon?” Gentlu blinked. She flinched. She felt Yui’s hands gently caress her own. She dripped with pity, with sympathy, with care. Gentlu had never been treated so kindly in physical affection and it made her skin crawl.

   “Let’s make onigiri.” Yui pled. “Together.”

   Gentlu’s pale face began to turn pink and she stammered, “I-I’ve never done any… It's no good… Food that myself and my fellow bandits make… it’s not good.”

   “You just have to keep trying, keep smiling. Food made with love always tastes good, I promise. I’ll prove it to you.” Yui said.

   Gentlu was taken further aback by Yui’s earnestness. It still made her skin crawl and though she very much wanted to vanish and disappear from this homey abode, she also didn’t want to be punished. Scolded and slapped. That was the worst part of her work, not even the famine that they faced. Maybe it would be better to bring something over nothing. Yui’s onigiri were likely not to produce a Recipipi - and even if they did, Gentlu was a gentlewoman thief, she wouldn’t take it under such dishonourable circumstances - but they were going to be better than nothing. Gentlu swallowed.

   “Okay, I accept.” she said.

   Yui gasped and her face split into the biggest, brightest smile and it dazzled Gentlu who very much wanted to slink back into the darkness. Instead, she took some rather bold, if unconfident, steps into the private kitchen of the Nagomi residence.

   Yui washed her hands and Gentlu shyly followed her lead. She, in theory, knew all the etiquette of the kitchen but it was very much a foreign world to her. Yui’s cooking especially as it was so full of heart in how she poured out the rice so excitedly and chose toppings from the depths of the refrigerator. Gentlu was astounded that something so simple could be so full of energy and enthusiasm. She had no hope of matching it but Yui encouraged her.

   Gentlu picked out what she wanted from the refrigerator and Yui’s face screwed up. Her tastes were going to be odd, it seemed. Anchovies and pickled cucumbers and other, various leftovers, Gentlu had very little idea of what would taste good together but Yui was more than willing to give it a try alongside her favourites of bonito flakes and salmon and seaweed. 

   The rice cooker went ding and this was the exciting part, Yui announced. She wet her hands again and has Gentlu do the same, only to dirty them with salt. Gentlu was mystified by the process but then she saw why, she watched how Yui rolled the cooled rice. She shaped them into perfect, precious little triangles and Gentlu attempted to copy her.

   Gentlu’s onigiri were not quite so good and their misshapen sizes embarrassed her. She tried putting more salt on her hands, hoping that would help but it was all in technique and finesse that Gentlu very much did not possess due to inexperience. Yui cooed that they were cute though. Cuter still since they were chock full of all their favourite things. The onigiri were pounded full of the things they had chosen from the refrigerator and then wrapped in seaweed and bathed in Kewpie mayo. 

   Yui wrapped the vast majority of the onigiri the two of them had made in plastic-wrap. The difference between who had made what was stark as Gentlu’s were such ugly spheres whereas Yui’s were the ideal, triangular shape but they were, indeed, made with love. That made all of them adorable and beloved in equal measure. Even Gentlu could tell, even though she had agonised the entire time whilst making them, having Yui by her side, did help. They truly glittered with the savoury magic imbued in food through Recipipi Fairies.

   “We should taste test a couple before you go home.” Yui suggested with a smug smile.

   “That would be nice.” Gentlu replied.

   So, they selected a rice ball each from what hadn’t been wrapped tightly to refrigerate in plastic-wrap. Yui chose one of the circular onigiri that Gentlu had made whereas, fighting against the feeling her hand would be smacked if she tried on, Gentlu took one of Yui’s.

   “Three, two, one, let’s dig in.” Yui chirped.

   “Thank you for this meal.” Gentlu earnestly whispered.

   Both took a bite of their respective onigiri. Gentlu was nothing less than immensely impressed with what she ate. The salmon and bonito flakes were of an umami harmony that she had never experienced before, her gloomy demeanour brightened up as she ate - and Yui couldn’t be happier.

   She, however, was not in such a well balanced harmony of flavour. Her rice ball was very, very salty. It must have been one of the ones that Gentlu was determined to make triangular but failed at, to say nothing of the pickles and anchovies that it was stuffed with. Gentlu had a very peculiar palette, she decided, but even though her tongue stung with salt, she could still very much taste the love that Gentlu had packed it with and so, enjoyed her snack. 

   “I really, really liked that.” Gentlu said. “Thank you.”

   “You're welcome, any time, especially if it gets you out of your thievery.” Yui teased.

   “I’ll think about it.” Gentlu said and she began to collect up the onigiri that Yui was willing to part with.

   She placed them - tenderly, lovingly, of all things - inside of the tin container that she used to steal away the Recipipi Fairies. Gentlu smiled as she sealed the lid on top of it and then held it protectively. She bowed her head to Yui, her floppy hat dipping low.

   “Let’s not be seeing each other.” she bade Yui.

   “O-Okay, well, I hope it's on better terms when we see each other next.” Yui protested hopefully but Gentlu had nothing to say to that.

   She disappeared. She teleported away and back from whence she had come. The quiet seeped in immediately, making Yui ache in her chest. Her heartbeat was steady and slow, oddly melancholic for the joys that she had just partaken in with Gentlu. She couldn’t explain why, she just felt as though a pickled plum had just been picked from the rice ball of her heart. 

   She sighed. A sigh which would turn into a perfect cue for Rosemary to return from his pamper day at the local salon with the Energy Fairies. They immediately made the house loud and noisy again, asking what Yui had been up to and she was glad her big eater tendencies disguised that someone else had been here. Someone who was very much not a friend but no longer a foe either, or so Yui wanted to believe. So, Yui yammered on, perking up for Rosemary and Kome-Kome’s sakes. 

   After all, it shouldn’t be known that one of the legendary Pretty Cures was fraternising with the enemy and that the gentlewoman thief in question had stolen Yui’s heart.

[moxfirefly]

So @teenage-mutant-ninja-freak wanted some Halloween headcanon’s for the lads, so let’s hop to it for one of my faves on here!

_________________

• our resident violent teddy bear is pretty neutral when it comes to old hallows eve, he does in fact enjoy the candy

• speaking of candy, will eat pretty much anything even try out that obscure shit nobody likes

• he does also LOVE when you feed him said candies

• will show up at your window and say “trick or treat” with the most cocky grin

• say Treat and he’s gonna give you the MOST SENSOUS SMOOCH

• say Trick, he’s gonna steal a kiss

• send him pics of you modeling potential costumes

• the skimpier the better

• will lowkey Windows Shutdown if you dress up as a boxer. The shorts, the sports bra, the gloves, the whole shebang. rapahael.exe has crashed.

• prefers cheesy horror movies think: Army of Darkness, Tucker and Dale vs Evil, Nightmare on Elm Street: Freddy’s Dead etc

• if he could give out candy he’d def be the guy who high fives the kids and gasses them up and addresses them by their characters

• “oh heck Batman! You better get back to Gotham!”

• oh he’s also the guy who would give out extra candy to the kids

• pumpkin carving king

• Mikey loves scaring the shit out of him

• he claims he was ‘merely startled’

• won’t dress up, will be moody while having a pair of cat ears on his head that you insist upon because Dammit Raph we are all taking this picture and you are participating somehow

• Halloween Lover™️

• honestly our resident nunchuck bean loves all things spooky

• loves watching the NYC Halloween parade

• loves watching shows, movies, videos anything regarding to it

• will dress up

• will eat ALL THE CHOCOLATE PLS HIDE IT FROM HIM

• has defenatly said that famous “they are coming to get you Barbara” line, it’s drives Raph up the wall

• decorates the lair starting September honestly

• resident scare champion, seriously he has snuck up on Leonardo

• Halloween baking goods, join him this boy will feed you well

• will o.d on sugar cookies

• dress up as his fave superhero or game character, expect heart eyes all day and lots of handsy caresses, this boy will gas you up so much (he already does on the regular)

• cheesy horror films but he’s surprisingly high key into the Based on True Events ones. Think: The Conjuring, Blair Witch Project, Exorcism of Emily Rose, etc

• boy gets extra frisky on Halloween night

• will want to try and get into a party with you

• but if case not be he will throw a rager in the lair with the bros, you and the close friends

• y’all banging while a horror movie plays in the background

• “man if we were in that lake, that pissed of goalie would so kill us”

• “Mikey focus”

• “shit my bad, babe”

• Our blue boy enjoys Halloween surprisingly enough

• has to be forced into the party tho

• will end up having fun

• but will micro manage because Virgo™️

• actually won’t complain if asked to dress up

• sour candy lover

• old school horror movie lover: White Zombie, House on Haunted Hill, Dr Jekyll/Mr. Hyde, Creature of the black lagoon

• absolutely loves when you hide against his arm, he will purposefully find the goriest movies just so you could watch it basically buried on his chest

• humors Mikey because Big Brother Duties™️ so he helps decorate no matter how absurd it gets

• speaking of brotherly love 🥺 they love Hocus Pocus and watch it together every year cause Danny and Max reminds them of their relationship

• this precious brainiac loves Halloween perhaps rivaling Mikey

• he loves ghost stories, loves reading up on crimes and crazy events that happened around the time

• spooky podcast play all month long

• spooky playlist plays as well

• from old school Monster Mash style to more modern takes like Black No. 1

• will eat everything Mikey bakes, boys got a sweet tooth

• bring him seasonal coffee and he’s forever in your debt

• send him your Halloween costume idea, this lad will even help you MAKE it like legit even better than store bought

• Sci-Fi/Horror/Suspense/Psychological lover: It Follows, Predator, Alien Resurrection, Heredetary, Event Horizon, Splice, Martyrs, Suspiria, etc

• knows little know facts about certain scenes and effects

• “Did you know how many gallons of fake blood that took to make? Speaking off did you know you can make fake blood out of-“ Cue you screaming bloody murder at a graphic kill

• Resident DJ at the party (I have this headcanon that Donnie likes to make beats, remixes on his spare time when he needs to take a break from a project) Mikey says his transitions are so satisfyingly smooth

• Happily dresses up, begrudgingly helps his brothers with their costumes. They get so diva about it to a point where he’ll just mutter about not being on fucking Project Runway stop horsing around while wearing it of course it’ll tear!

• referees the games

• disqualifies Raphael almost every time

• once put on Halloween special effects noises

• splinter thought they were being attacked

• scared shitless of horror stuff? Let this adorable boyfriend of yours explain why “it’s illogical that a burned demon man in a striped sweater will invade your dreams and kill you my love....Now the monthman though-“

• “DONATELLO WE TALKED ABOUT THIS”

• “No conspiracy theories after midnight yes my apologies”

• once left a fake bug on Raph’s bed, spent the entire afternoon in a headlock

• Donnie and Raph actually spend time playing horror games though. Raph likes to play commentator. “Told ya that door was suspicious genius, but by all means get killed again” Cue Donnie rolling his eyes for the tenth time

• Loves seeing you all dressed up, especially if you dress up as a character he loves like Ripley from Alien.

[dalgikiss]

Catch-22 // h. iwaizumi

index

part 15

You don’t show up for class the next day or the day after that and the day after that. Iwaizumi wonders if you’re avoiding him, too scared to ask his friends where you might have gone. 

He wonders if you told them what happened but judging by their normal behavior and ordinary teases, it’s safe to say that you had kept your mouth quiet. 

Not even the teachers seem to question your disappearance, teaching the classes the same way they always have- quick and concise. As though it wants to test how long Iwaizumi can be patient, the universe tells your teacher to switch around the seats one more time, for the sake of feng shui, she tells you all and puts you near the windows on the other side of the classroom while Iwaizumi sits all the way in the back, closest to the back door.

The space that separates the two of you is only a few meters but it feels like it’s much more. 

x.

You know you look worse for wear, puffy eyes and red nose. 

You’re pretty sure with every moment you sit in this stuffy lecture hall, more and more people give you pitiful or strange looks. You rub your head, mussing up your hair even more so and slump far down in your seat. 

Stupid, dumb, idiot Iwaizumi 

If you fucked up your entrance exam results, you would blame it all on him 

The professor at the front of the room clears her throat, effectively silencing the room and you rearrange the writing utensils on your desk in front of you. 

“You have three hours once this exam starts. If you have finished before time is up, please come up to the front of the room with your exam paper and test ID”

The exam paper sits in front of your desk, the words HITOTSUBASHI UNIVERSITY written on the cover page, loud and bold. You swallow nervously at the sight. 

The professor glances at the clock, setting the timer so it’s been projected onto the screen in front of you. With one final look to check everything was working, she clapped her hands twice. 

“You may now begin”

x.

“Why are you following me home?” 

Iwaizumi’s eyebrow twitches when Oikawa walks next to him, swinging his arms back and forth without a care in the world as though he didn’t just walk past his block.

“I’m not following you home, Iwa-chan” The setter looks up at the sky, making motions as though he was setting a ball, “I’m going to cutie-chan’s house to water her plants and bring in their mail for the next few days”

They near your block, Iwaizumi blinking in surprise. “Where’d she go?”

“She didn’t tell you?” 

“If I have to ask, obviously not dumbass” Iwaizumi snaps, hiding his embarrassment behind rough words and Oikawa sticks his tongue out in response, dodging when Iwaizumi tries to kick him.

“Well, she always did like me more, it only makes sense that she’d tell me and not you” 

Iwaizumi raises his fist threateningly but Oikawa doesn’t bother to pretend to hide from it. “She’s taking her entrance exam for Hitotsubashi University. Her family’s in Tokyo for her brother’s judo tournament so she’s going to spend a few days with them before coming back”

Oikawa bends close to Iwaizumi’s face with a knowing grin, “Why? You miss her or something?” and Iwaizumi pushes his face away from him pretending to be annoyed but Oikawa already knows the answer and lets himself be flung far away. 

“Wanna come with? It’ll be faster if we both were there” 

When Iwaizumi hesitates, Oikawa glances at him before putting his arms around the back of his head. “She won’t mind, if that’s what you’re wondering”  

He pretends to be annoyed at his old friend, face setting into a scowl and he takes his bag to whack Oikawa in the back with it. He’ll never say it out loud, but Oikawa always did know him like the back of his hand. 

The rest of the walk is silent, Iwaizumi gripping the straps of his bag in hopes of calming himself down. You wouldn’t be there, he tells himself, you’re not there and he’s only going to make sure Oikawa doesn’t magically end up burning down your house somehow or creating a hole in your bedroom wall.

However the silence is short lived. 

“Why didn’t she tell you?” Oikawa wonders aloud, watching Iwaizumi tighten his grip from the corner of his eye, “Is it because you’re ugly? That’s never stopped her before though”

Iwaizumi wonders if Oikawa practices how to annoy people in his spare time. 

“We got into an argument a few days ago, guess that’s why she never told me”

“Ah, so it’s your fault as usual”

They stop in front of your front door and Iwaizumi resists the urge to take the skateboard your brother has left out on the porch and smack it into Oikawa’s face. Oikawa peers into your mailbox, a large hand reaching inside to grab a bundle of mail while Iwaizumi glanced around before crouching over to reach inside the bucket of beer bottle caps, sifting it around to find your spare key. 

“Man, you come here too often to know where the spare key is” Oikawa teases as Iwaizumi sticks the key into lock

“Shut up, don’t act like you didn’t know where it was”

Your house looks just the same as he remembers, albeit a bit messier since you had been rushing to pack for your miniature trip, evidence of it in forms of various jackets strewn around in random places and the mismatched pairs of shoes around the entrance. 

Oikawa set down the mail on your kitchen table, shaking his head when he saw the dishes in the sink, reprimanding you for not cleaning up and instructing Iwaizumi to begin watering the plants while he cleaned up your mess. 

“Why’d you two fight?” Oikawa asks out of the blue, startling Iwaizumi

Iwaizumi let out a wry laugh “and here i was thinking about how nice it was in our relationship that we’ve reached a point where we didn’t have to talk all the time”

“Do you wanna hear my theory about how aliens are actually observing us through pigeons? If you think about it, you never see the same pigeon twice and what does a baby pigeon look like? You don’t know because you’ve never seen one, so my theory is-”

“Alright alright, I get it, shut the fuck up”

Oikawa beams proudly, hand quivering slightly under the weight of the heavy cup he was using to water the plants

“I said some stuff to her about Ryuoko” He admits defeatedly, watching the dirt of the aloe plant take in water “Might have told her she was attention needy”

“You did what? I can’t believe you said that to our precious baby- oh man, she’s definitely really upset”

Iwaizumi stared at Oikawa, long and hard, who stared right back. 

“She definitely told you, why are you playing dumb?”

Oikawa doesn’t bother to fight back against the accusation, only turning back to water the Chinese Evergreen plant that rested by the windowsill. “She didn’t tell me a thing” He says as the last drops of water were used, “She was crying”

Oikawa headed back to the kitchen to put away the cup he had been using, a hand taking the one that Iwaizumi grasped. 

“It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why she’s upset, even when she doesn’t tell us”

x.

You feel Iwaizumi’s stare before you can see him, uncomfortably shifting in your seat as you try to copy what is in your textbook.

Moving your seat away from him was a blessing in your favor, or so you thought. You had been relieved when you first heard about your new seating arrangement, no longer needing to feel on edge when Ryuoko walked in and being able to avoid talking to Iwaizumi after your fight was just a perk. 

At least, it was until you couldn’t shake away this nagging feeling that Iwaizumi was constantly staring you down.

“He’s staring at you again” 

You looked at your new seatmate, Kumatsuka Kirin who pointed towards the back of the room with her pen. 

“I think it’s been the third time since this period started” She whispered, giving you a little grin, “I think he might liiiiiiikeee you” She drags the word out, rhythmically tapping her nose with her pen to a beat only she can hear. 

You crinkle your nose, throwing your eraser at her. “He has a girlfriend”

“Just because there’s a goalie doesn’t mean you can’t score!” 

She laughs at your expression, “I’m kidding, i’m kidding! Homewrecking is never the answer” 

She winks at you, answering the question the teacher throws at her with ease and you marvel at her casual attitude.

“By the way,” She writes something in her notebook before holding it up so you could view it. “I’ve been keeping score of how many times he’s looked at you” 

There’s a total of four tally marks from this period and a few more from the periods before. 

“This is gonna be fun” She grins and you shake your head because no this is not fun

x.

You’ve been getting better at this avoiding-Iwaizumi game, taking it one step further to even avoid the rest of the third years as well, an unintended side effect that Iwaizumi now bears the consequences of every time Oikawa decides to open his mouth and complain about your missing presence with passive aggressive words and pointed looks.

“Maaaaaaaaaaan, things have been so quiet lately” Oikawa cries out, “I wonder why that is” 

Iwaizumi pretends to not see the look that’s thrown his way, cursing under his breath when even Hanamaki and Matsukawa give him a certain look

Really guys?

“It sure feels like someone is missing, doesn’t it?” 

Another pointed look at iwaizumi’s direction

He furrows his eyebrows at his friends, turning the corner sharply after their third jab at him. “Alright! I’ll apologize tomorrow. It’s just a bit hard when she keeps avoiding me” 

His friends don’t seem the least sympathetic, Matsukawa only making use of the extra few inches he has on Iwaizumi to tower over him

“You have to atone for your sins”

‘What are you, some creepy priest? Stay away from me”

x.

[Iwaizumi] [Hajime]:

are you home?

[Iwaizumi] [Hajime]:

 i know you’re reading my messages

[Iwaizumi] [Hajime]:        

cmon please answer

When your phone rings again, your brother looks up sharply from the kotatsu on the floor and angrily throws his eraser at you. 

“If your phone goes off one more time, I’m throwing it out the window and then you’re going out after it” he threatens and you roll your eyes, sticking your tongue out at him. When he picks up your phone and makes a motion to chuck it out the window, you panic, tackling him into the ground. 

“Okay, okay! Give me- Ow! Stop digging your knee into me!”

“Move, you’re too close to my- I SAID MOVE”

You snatch your phone out of his hand, hobbling away on one foot as he curled into a ball on the floor. “I’d say sorry but you deserved it” 

Your phone lights up again with another message and you chew your lip before responding.

[Me]:

not home rn, why 

[iwaizumi] [Hajime]:

oh nvm then, im outside ur door

The bubble tea he had been holding as a peace offering is starting to sweat in his hand, water droplets dampening the welcome mat he’s standing on. Hanamaki was right, he should’ve texted you before he walked all the way over. 

[Surname] [Name]:

what why 

[Me]:

wanted to talk to you

[Surname] [Name]:

lol i dont think we need to talk about anything. u said what u needed to say & i got the message loud and clear

He couldn’t even argue with her, sighing deeply through his nose. The rustling of a curtain caught his eye, blinking twice. Was someone else home?

[Iwaizumi] [Hajime]:

is someone else home?

Shit, you cursed underneath your breath, flattening yourself against the wall when he had turned his head towards you. He definitely saw the curtains moving back into place. 

Your brother, who had finally sat up, watched you curiously, homework forgotten on the table. “You look stupid, who’s outside?”

“Haji”

“You don’t wanna let him in?” 

“No”

He shrugs, none of his business why. “Well I have practice. What’s your plan of action from here?”

You give your brother an inquisitive look before narrowing your eyes. “You’re not gonna try and do anything?”

“Do my chores for the week and I’ll do anything you ask me to for today”

You decide you’ll take him on his offer, fully knowing it was because he was too lazy to vacuum and mop the floor.

“Tell him I’m not home when you go out”

He doesn’t seem bothered, picking up his duffel bag and slinging it onto his shoulder, giving you a thumbs up sign and then he’s left and you hear the jangling of his keys and then his voice floating in through your open window. 

“Hey Iwaizumi”

Your brother closes the door behind him and Iwaizumi stares up blanky. He always forgot how big your brother was, tall and buff after years of working out accompanied with judo training. 

“Iwaizumi?” Your brother waves a calloused hand in front of his face when he doesn’t respond, too caught up in his own world, “You there?”

“What? Yeah, sorry” Iwaizumi thrusts your bubble tea into your brother’s hands, who barely catches it in time before it hits the ground. “This is for your sister” 

There’s an unreadable look in your brother’s eyes as he regards Iwaizumi, brown eyes studying him as though he’s become an opponent on the mat and if you were there, you’d tease him for thinking so hard, the vein in his forehead was beginning to pop out. 

The gears in his head are turning ridiculously fast, putting two and two together- the way you were avoiding Iwaizumi, the look of guilt on Iwaizumi’s face, you two definitely had a fight. But, your brother, even though he annoys you to the very core of Earth and back is loyal to his family and his promises and doesn’t bring it up. 

Before Iwaizumi can voice his discomfort over being scrutinized, your brother’s eyes relax and he nods, turning around to put the drink on top of the shoe closet of your entrance way. 

“You know she isn’t home right?” Your brother asks, beginning to walk towards the train station and Iwaizumi follows him quietly. “Is everything okay?”

“Huh? Yeah, everything’s fine” Iwaizumi bites on the inside of his cheek to distract himself to the growing feeling of guilt that’s settled itself nicely in the crevices of his body. The words you said to him sting like miniature paper cuts all over his body, each one amplified when he looks into your brother’s eyes, it reminded him too much of yours. 

“You sure? You seem a little on edge” 

“Nothing. We had a disagreement over something and we’ve both been busy. Haven’t seen her in a while”

The pieces click into place and your brother nods understandingly. “It’ll work out. She’s always been like that, she just needs to figure things out on her own and then come back to you” 

Yeah, Iwaizumi knows

“You should still try to apologize though, we know how stubborn she is”

He knows that too

“Try calling her or texting her. She might cry if she sees you in person”

They stop at the end of the street, your brother waving his hand before they separate. 

“Good luck Iwaizumi”

x.

[Iwaizumi Hajime]:

 I’m sorry

[iwaizumi] [Hajime]:

You probably don’t want to hear or see me rn

[iwaizumi] [Hajime]:

It’s fine tho, i just want to apologize about what I said the other day

[iwaizumi] [Hajime]:

I really don’t have an excuse for what I said and I hope you forgive me :/ 

You stare at your vibrating phone, watching the messages come in, one after another. The bubble tea he had bought you sat on the table, straw popped in and waiting to be drank. You stared longingly at the drink, battling yourself over wanting to drink it because yes, it is Jasmine milk tea with bubbles and grass jelly but no, he bought it and I’m angry at him

The petty side of you was definitely fighting a losing battle. Placing your mouth over the straw, the drink was just too good to be ignored, effectively helping you drown out the vehement shouts of anger inside your head for giving in so easily. 

Of course you were angry at Iwaizumi, fuck him for saying such horrible things to you. You let the straw pop out of your mouth with a sigh, shoulders sagging at the reminder that of all the people you knew, it was Iwaizumi that had said those things to you. 

It wasn’t your fault, you reminded yourself, not your fault

Why did you feel the need to apologize then?

Your phone rings with another message from Iwaizumi, your fingers gripping the side of your phone as you contemplated whether or not to text him back. 

[iwaizumi] [Hajime]:

talk to me soon, miss you

[Iwaizumi] [Hajime]:

I really am sorry. Please forgive me when you’re ready

You were never really good at staying angry at him

[Me]:

yeah i know. focus on getting to nationals and we can talk after

[forevercaroline]

Switching sides

Nolan does not want to do this he is nervous and scared. Not only of becoming a murderer but also if he fails Monroe will kill him.

He sneaks into the hospital and tries to hide his crossbow but its big and doesn’t hide very well luckily for him he doesn’t get questioned because no body notices him. He finds Brett’s room and sneaks in. He leans up against the door his eyes closed and takes a deep breath his body is shaking.

When he opens his eyes he is frightened by a 6’4 werewolf in sweats and sneakers. They had to cut his shirt at the animal clinic he was to weak to take it off. They did manage to take his hoodie off though. When he was sent to the hospital he did take off his hoodie so Melissa could check him out make sure everything was healing. He heard footsteps coming closer to his room but when the door opened he got ready to fight as well he could he’s still recovering but he noticed that the guy that came in his room is not a guy but a teenager who he can smell the fear coming off him in waves.

Nolan looks up at the shirtless teen looking down at him and gulps his body shaking with fear. Brett reaches out and places his hands on the other boys upper arms.

Nolan gasps by the warm touch other boy. “Are you going to kill me?”

“No.”

“Are you going to kick my ass?”

“No.”

Nolan looks up at him scared Monroe has told them all these horrible stories and he saw the bloody wolf on the lacrosse field. Monroe sent him here to kill an injuried wolf but looking at him he doesn’t look injured he looks healed and gorgeous. The other day while he was getting ready for practice he hear Liam and Mason talking about Brett, Mason called him hot Brett with the eight pack abs. He is inches away from them, Mason would be jealous.

“If your not going to kill me or kick my ass why are you holding me?’

Brett looks down at the scared teenager he can hear his heart beating really fast and he smells of fear. “Your shaking, I’m trying to get you to calm down.”

Nolan looks into the other guys eyes he can not understand how werewolves can be so murderous and evil according to Monroe but also be the captain of his lacrosse team and a very handsome guy who is still shirtless and touching him. How can they both? “Your trying to calm me down I was sent here to kill you.”

“Your not going to, now if I let go will you stop shaking?”

Nolan voice gets even more shaky when he says. “She’ll kill me if I don’t.”

“My question first.”

Nolan looks away from him and quietly says. “Maybe but not likely.”

Brett is still healing from being poisoned and he just found out how long he can stand for before he needs to sit back down. He removes his hands from the other boy and goes back to the hospital bed. When he sits back down he motions for Nolan to sit in a chair near the bed.

Nolan misses Brett’s hands on him and whimpers when he removes them. He watches the taller teen walk back to the bed and put his feet on the bed and lean up against the pillow. He stumbles over his own feet to get the chair he had put the crossbow down already and has forgot about it.

“How did you know I wouldn’t kill you.”

Brett holds up two long fingers. “Two reasons, one I remember you from the other day when I helped Liam with the lacrosse players. You were the backup goalie you were scared of the ball. If your scared of a lacrosse ball coming at you can’t turn around and murder someone. Second your heart rate is racing and the fear rolling off you in waves doesn’t insure confidence that you are a killer. Also and I’m guessing here the woman who poisoned me sent you here to either kill me or be killed by me.”

Nolan nods, Monroe feed into his anxiety and manipulated him and a bunch other adults and students into thinking they need to arm themselves and kill the supernatural. The thing is when he looks at the guy sitting on the bed he doesn’t look like he could hurt a fly let alone massacre a group of people same with Liam.

“The ball is coming really fast at my head. Monroe sent me. Her and Gerald want you and your sister to die so Liam will expose everyone.”

“How would our death get Liam to out the entire supernatural community.”

Nolan knows he should not be telling Brett this stuff but he can’t help himself he feels safe talking to the other boy. “They have a theory if Liam gets angry enough he will change.”

They do have a point. Brett wants to defend him since Liam helped save his life but they have a point. He’s seen him on the lacrosse field and they’re are just playing. He has to think quick and all options.

“Does Monroe trust you?”

Nolan shakes his head no. “So there will be backup coming if not already here?”

Nolan nods. “Your helping me up and out of this hospital.”

Brett moves his legs off the the bed then looks at the other boy. “Why me, why not call Liam or Scott or your sister?”

“Your here already and can’t kill me. Liam has already helped enough, Scott has saved my life once already and I’m not making Lori more of a target.”

Brett stands up and Nolan comes up to him and grabs the black hoodie on the end of the bed he will focus so much more if Brett has a shirt on. He manages to put on the hoodie himself but when he’s done he drapes an arm around Nolan’s shoulders. “We have to go next door first then to your car.”

Nolan nods nervously he was sent here by Monroe to kill Brett and now he is helping Brett escape. He is scared of Monroe and if she finds out she will kill him. He was told supernaturals are monsters that need to eradicated and he saw the bloody wolf on the lacrosse field and he was terrified. He looks at the handsome guy who he is helping out of the hospital room and he doesn’t see a monster he sees a teen who is used to being strong and at the moment he is weakened and does not like it.

When they left Nolan did pick up the crossbow. They enter Lori’s room and she’s asleep on the bed Brett nudges her awake. She wakes up and quickly stands ready to fight then sees her brother and another teen helping him sit on the end of the bed. “ I’m going to hide until the coast is clear I need you to find Scott or Liam they will keep you safe.”

“What about you your still healing and who is this?”

“I’ll be fine, this is Nolan he is helping me.”

Nolan’s eyes widen and he looks over at Brett he didn’t know Brett knew his name. The only reason Brett knows is name is he heard Liam say it at practice the other day.

Lori looks Nolan up and down. “My brother dies in your care I’ll kill you myself.”

Nolan swallows nervously to scared to talk only nods. Brett hugs his sister and gives her a kiss on the forehead. “Be safe.”

“I will.”

Xxx

Its a straight line to the elevator Nolan has Brett leaning against him and a crossbow in the other hand. As they get halfway to the elevator there are more hunters entering the hallway Nolan looks up at Brett he is in no mood to run he looks around and there are no hiding place. He whispers up to Brett. “How fast can you move?”

Brett looks down the hallway off their side and see the three hunters with guns coming towards them. His body is hiding Nolan so they can’t see that Nolan has switched sides. “Let’s see.”

They move a little faster but it’s not a run more of a fast walk. Even though Deaton was able to stop the spread of the poison it is still working out of his body. As the elevator doors close they see the guys closing in on the elevator. When the doors close Brett leans up against the wall while he presses the ground level. “Do you know if any are waiting for us in the lobby.”

“I don’t think so Monroe likes to sends the adults out in groups of three while she sends the teens by themselves. She doesn’t care if we live or die as long as she is not being attacked. You did scratch her and left a mark.”

Brett smiles at that he is glad he left a mark on her she is a terrible human and she tried to not only kill him but his sister.

The doors open and Nolan pokes his head out first and doesn’t see anyone. As they past the desk Melissa looks up and sees them. “Oh no you don’t you are you going back upstairs and resting.”

“I need to leave hunters are here in the hospital looking for me.”

Melissa looks between the two teens and how Brett is leaning on Nolan and he has an arm around Brett’s skinny waist. She also notices the crossbow in Nolan’s hand. “A hunter is helping you escape isn’t that against their code.”

“I’m not a hunter and I’m not supernatural I’m just human.”

“I’m just human too but I have ties to the supernatural why the crossbow?”

Nolan gulps and looks up at Brett then Melissa. “ I was sent here to kill him.”

Melissa looks at Brett and he nods. “Go I’ll take care of it.”

Xxx

On the way to his car Nolan unlocks the doors and Brett slides into the passengers seat while Nolan get in the drivers seat. “Where am I taking you?”

Brett puts his hand over Nolan’s on the gear shift. “ Thank you for helping me. I know you could of just left me for the hunters but you didn’t.”

“Your different your not what I was told or seen of the supernatural.”

“I’m not a monster like some people like to believe I’m buddhist.”

Nolan pulls over on the side of the road and turns to look at Brett. “ You don’t hurt people?”

Brett shakes his head “Unless they try to kill me or my sister.”

Nolan looks down at the gear shift and Brett looks down at him, Nolan is precious in a cute way. Brett slides one finger under the other boys chin and lifts it and lays his lips on the other boys. Nolan is shocked Brett is kissing him it’s him that deepens the kiss. Brett is the one that breaks the kiss but still keeps the closeness between the two teens. “Your house take me to your house.”

Nolan’s mind is in a haze after that mind blowing kiss that he for a second forgets where he lives.

They pull into the driveway and Nolan helps Brett out and into the house. Unfortunately Nolan’s mom is in the living room and notices the two boys. “Nolan who’s your friend?”

The two boys looks at each other and Brett smiles “Brett Talbot I’m on his lacrosse team. I’m sorry it’s late we we’re doing drills and I was helping him with his goalie skills.”

“Where’s your gear then?”

“We left it in my car.”

Nolan’s mother still not really believing the story smiles and tells her son. “ Your dinner is in the fridge.”

Nolan nods and as he and Brett are halfway to the kitchen Nolan turns his head back and asks his mom. “Can Brett spent the night?”

“You have school in the morning. I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Please we won’t be up late.”

Brett interjects “My parents are out of town so it’s just me at the house.”

Nolan’s mother looks between the two boys and their closeness. “If you go to bed at a reasonable time and will have no trouble getting up for school tomorrow fine.”

Both guys smile at each other while they go into the kitchen. Nolan gets his plate out of the fridge and after he microwaves the macaroni and cheese, green beans and southern style biscuits. He gets two forks and sits next to Brett at the kitchen table and hands him one which he gets a smile. “My mom makes really good food. All you’ve had recently is the bad hospital food.”

Brett smiles down at him while he takes a bite of the macaroni and cheese. “This is really good, I was only in the hospital today I had breakfast and lunch and it was not good.”

Xxx

After they finish Nolan takes Brett up to his bedroom. Brett sits on the bed while Nolan sits next to him. “ As a wolf we can sense people’s chemo signs. When I was helping Liam the other day I picked up throughout all the excitement and nervousness desire I couldn’t pinpoint where it was coming but tonight I sensed the desire again.”

Nolan sheepishly looks up at him quickly then away. “What if I told you I think your cute, I liked kissing you and I want to do it again.”

“You want to kiss me?”

“Yeah unless you don’t want me to?”

Nolan entwines his fingers with Brett’s and smiles up at him. “I want you to kiss me and I want to kiss you too. It’s just that nobody ever wants me as a friend or more.”

Brett lifts Nolan’s chin up and gives a kiss on the lips. “I do.”

Nolan shifts to next to Brett to his lap and since Brett is still healing he gently leans backwards on the bed with Nolan still on him.

Brett arms go around the shorter boys neck while their lips are still attached.

Xxx

They are laying facing each other on the bed when Brett asks. “Do you know if my car is still in the parking lot?”

“I don’t know tomorrow I’ll drive us both to the school and you can see if your car is there.”

Xxx

They wake up the next morning their legs entangled Brett’s arm across Nolan’s chest.

“How are feeling, are you better, worse?”

Brett cups Nolan’s worried face and pecks him on the nose. “I’m feeling better I can walk without needed help, I’m not bleeding black from the eyes. I’m not weak, I’m not one hundred percent but a solid seventy percent.”

“You were bleeding black from the eyes?”

Brett nods as he sits up. As they get ready to go out the door Nolan’s mom calls from the kitchen. “Nolan is Brett spending the night again tonight?”

“I don’t know.” He looks up at Brett who is looking down at him. “Maybe.”

They are on their way to Beacon Hills high when Nolan asks. “Are your parents really out of town?”

“No they died in a fire when we were younger then Satomi took us in.”

“Who set the fire?’

Brett looks over at Nolan and raises his eyebrows.

“Oh. Sorry.”

Xxx

Nolan pulls into the parking lot and Brett sees his car still in the same spot he left it in. Before they get out Nolan leans over and gives him a kiss on the lips. “Your more confident now then when we met what changed?”

He notices Brett’s smirk and playfully shoves him before pulling him back in for another kiss.

Brett sneaks over to his car and drives off towards Davenport.

Xxx

Nolan walks into the school and immediately pulled into a classroom by Liam, Mason and Corey. “Was that Brett Talbot getting out of your car?”

“No there was nobody but me in the car.”

“Really because I saw you kiss someone but if you were alone in the car that means you were kissing yourself.”

Nolan looks around avoiding the looks of the three teens. Mason looks over at Liam and whispers. “Use a wolf ability.”

Liam nods. “Nolan I can hear your heartbeat it jumps when someone lies and your’s jumped when you said you were alone in the car.”

“Ok fine yes that was Brett, Yes he spent the night at my house, Yes I helped him escape from hunters, Yes Monroe sent me to kill him, Yes we have kissed a bunch since I helped him and yes we may be dating I’m unsure of at moment but I would enjoy that.”

Liam, Mason and Corey all look at each they weren’t expecting all of that. Liam and Mason are thrilled Brett is still alive for different reasons. Liam is thrilled because even though Brett gets on his nerves he is still a friend and for Mason Brett is really handsome hence his nickname hot Brett with the eight pack abs.

Xxx Nolan is walking past the guidance office when Monroe pops her head out and asks Nolan to come in and sit. “You didn’t come back last night some people thought that werewolf killed you.”

“No still here and I killed the werewolf here’s a souvenir.” He pulls Brett’s black hoodie out of his backpack and hands it to Monroe.

“Very good Nolan you might have promise.”

Xxx

Monroe dismisses him and he quickly walks to the boys locker room to catch his breath and take a moment for himself. After he closes the door he leans his head against it and takes a breath. He sits down on the bench to text Brett.

“She bought it, you are dead.”

A minute later he gets a reply. “Good see you tonight and I can show you just how alive I am.”

Nolan blushes as he reads the texts. He’s so focused on the text he doesn’t notice coach come out of his office. “Holloway what the hell are you doing in here?”

Nolan startled jumps up and shuffles to put his phone in his pocket. “Um free period I was going to practice my goalie skills.”

“Good between you and Bryant we haven’t had a good goalie since Danny.”

Nolan looks confused he doesn’t know who Danny is but lets it go since coach leaves.

Xxx

When Nolan gets home he goes up to his bedroom and as soon as he closes the door he is pinned to it it by Brett who is tan pants, white button up long sleeve dress shirt and a purple sweater vest on his school uniform. Nolan smiles into the kiss as his hands come up the bottom of the sweater vest and pushes it up.

They topple onto the bed Brett hovering over him. Both of them are being gentle with the other for Nolan he doesn’t want to hurt Brett he’s not at one hundred percent although the way he’s acting now you couldn’t tell. As for Brett he doesn’t want to hurt Nolan.

Brett leaves a peck on his nose. “How was your day?”

“Long as soon as I got into the school Liam, Mason and Corey pulled me into a classroom and said they noticed you. Then Monroe requested I come into her office and she was impressed that I killed you.”

“Do you regret not pulling the crossbow trigger?”

Nolan rolls them over from on their sides to Brett on his back and Nolan straddling him looking down at the werewolf he smiles as he says. “Never.”

He leans down and kisses him. “You might have to leave Beacon Hills. Yes Monroe thinks your dead but she has a bunch of other hunters what if someone sees you.”

Brett reaches up and brushes a piece of hair off Nolan’s forehead. “I can’t leave. I have too many ties here.”

“Lori.”

“Lori, Liam, Scott, Mason and you my boyfriend.”

Nolan is speechless but also excited. He’s never been anyone’s boyfriend. “Boyfriend?”

“Only if you want?”

“I do. I want you to be my boyfriend too.”

[samcrobae]

A little EZ

Gif credit: @xxrouxx

“Angel, he’s the sweetest!” You exclaim as you held Angel’s son in your arms for the first time. Adelita sat on the other side of the couch looking exhausted. “Ugh and he smells like a sweet little baby!” Angel and EZ exchange glances, Angel sporting a smirk on his face and raises his eyebrows in your direction. EZ rolls his eyes.

“Adelita are you guys sure you don’t wanna take a nap for a little? We can keep an eye on him. You guys look exhausted.” You ask.

Angel looks over at Adelita who was practically asleep in the chair. “A little sleep would be nice mi dulce, are you sure Y/N?” You roll your eyes at Angels question. “Yes! Go! Sleep. Shower. Whatever. We’ll be here.”

A few hours later you’re still laid out on the couch with the baby watching tv with EZ, your legs across his lap. You had been with EZ for 3 years. Married 1. You both had talked about the future and knew you wanted kids. Lots of them. But we’re waiting for the right time. EZ looked over at you, a smile spread across his lips. “You know... with that baby on your chest you got a whole MILF vibe going.”

You roll your eyes “stop! This is your nephew, Reyes. Isn’t he just the best? Look at him! So peaceful, he smells so good, his little sounds are precious. I can’t wait til we have our little baby one day.” “Yeah. Maybe we don’t have to wait much longer?”

“What? Like now? Like have a kid now? Really?” Your eyes on the verge of tears, your heart feeling like it could explode. “Ezekiel, are you sure?”

He chuckles, his hands on your legs. “I mean yeah, why not? We know this is what we both want, we’re married, got our own place, you’d be an incredible mother to our kids Querida. I love you more than anything. I want this with you.”

After dinner, you helped clean up and said your goodbyes, reminding Angel that if he ever needed a sitter, you’d be more than happy to come by anytime. On the drive home, EZ couldn’t keep his hands off you. His hands roamed your thighs, played with your fingers, held your hand, brought it up to kiss it occasionally. He was all smiles all the way home. As soon as you walked in the door, his hands were all over your body, kissing every piece of skin on you with an animalistic hunger in his eyes.

“EZ! What is going on!” You laugh as he showers kisses down your neck. He looks up at you, quickly removing his shirt and works on his belt buckle, “what? The baby doesn’t just make itself baby.” You let out a squeal as he quickly threw you over his shoulder and carried you to the bedroom.

—————-

A couple months later you were feeling so defeated. Taking test after test and seeing tnsg negative result in the window was enough to break you. No one knew you had been trying to get pregnant so you couldn’t talk to anyone about it. You had said you would stop trying so hard and if it happened if happened, and if not fine. Your period was late again, but you were sure you weren’t pregnant, after the last few months of having late periods and not being pregnant, but you’d decided you’d humor yourself and take a test anyway.

“Pregnant”. You stared at the test with such big eyes you felt like they’d bulge out of your face. “Oh my god!” You whisper to yourself. “Holy shit.” You felt the tears roll down your face. You were pregnant. You and EZ were going to be parents.

“Baby, you good? You’ve been in there for a while.” You hear a knock on the door and EZ calling out to you. “Yeah, just one second!” You reply. You opened the door to see EZ standing there with a towel in hand and clean clothes.

“No rush, I was just wanting to take a shower. I think you should come take one with me... I know we said we would stop trying, but it doesn’t mean we can’t practice trying right?” He leans in and wraps you into him, kissing your cheek then your lips. “EZ...” you pull away turn back to the bathroom counter. “Look...” you hold up the test and his eyes go wide. “No way... baby... seriously ?!!! Holy shit!” He lifts you up and spins you around, you laughing and crying at the same time. He showers your face with kisses and sets you down. “Oh man this ... this is amazing. I love you. I fucking love you. I can’t wait to tell everyone.”

A couple hours later you’re back at Angels house for dinner. The rest of the MC is there and everyone’s drinking and having a good time. Angel came and sat with you and EZ, bringing beers to the table.

“Oh thanks, Angel, but can I just have some water? I’m driving tonight.” Angel pushes the beer closer to you. “What? Oh come on. This is your favorite. I made Adelita run out and pick this up just for you.” You and EZ look at each other, the biggest grin flashed across his face. “What’s going on, what’s funny?” Angel asks. Suddenly he looks at both of you as if it all just clicked.

“Wait.... are you? Did my baby brother slip one past the goalie?!” EZ stood up from his chair and called for everyone’s attention. “Hey everyone! I’m gonna be a dad!!!” Everyone let’s out cheers, hugs, and “congratulations” to both of you.

“I love you, our kid is going to be so bad ass.” He places a kiss on your lips, “if he’s anything like his dad, I’m sure he will be.” You reply.