#part of it is because idk whos talking off camera so idk what color to use for them

[sandreeen]

[Sore Snow Man ni Yarasetekudasai 2024.05.24] Wherein Marin Honda and Momoiro Clover Z's Ayaka Sasaki & Reni Takagi dance to Arashi's Monster. "You did Ohno-san's solo part very well. Your Ohno-san was superb!"

[chaos0pikachu]

4 Minutes and the Cinematography of Nipples

I said before that I thought 4 Minutes was pretty instantaneously the best looking BL on the market for 2024 after one episode. Which, not gonna lie, is a pretty big fucking claim. There’s been a lot of BL that’s come out that’s looked good, and I do think there’s been a steady improvement overall in the market in the last few years. Personally I think Japanese and Korean BL have a stronger production quality over a majority of Thai BL but like, if that’s a hot take I guess I prefer my food spicy. 

The point being~ if I’m gonna make such a hyperbolic statement, well I better back it up right? 

So I’m gonna break down a few scenes from the first episode, what I liked about them, why they worked for me, and why on a technical level I think 4 Minutes has just got it going on.

For better readability you can also check out this essay here.

Sidenote: my google docs kept trying to autocorrect “Bible” to “the Bible” and idk how to teach google I mean the hot Thai actor and not the book of Jesus. 

To start, I’m going to break down this scene featuring Great and his nepo baby cat: 

I thought starting with this scene would be good because it’s such a low-key scene and honestly making these simplistic scenes visually interesting is very difficult! But if you have the basics down, the foundations of cinematography and film making, these simpler scenes can be really memorable. 

Like yeah we’re all gonna remember this scene because shirtless Bible and oh my god Akira!? - I have only recently learned who Akira is; why is this cat getting a bigger bag than me? - but beyond that, what makes it cool to watch? What makes it interesting? What information does it showcase to the audience? 

One thing I added to the video was a grid for the rule of thirds. 

Rule of thirds is a shot composition technique applied to both film and photography. It’s the grid you see if you film a homevideo and helps a Director and Cinematographer figure out where to place the subject or subjects of the shot. The idea is the gridlines show you where you “should��� place the subject(s) of said shot. 

Like everything, the rule of thirds is a guideline in filmmaking, not a hard and fast unbreakable rule. Filmmakers like Wes Anderson like to play more with central composition shots, rather than ROT. 

Anyway on to the opening shot, right after our credits and we’re moving into the shot. 

To start, the first thing I notice is the scene’s color grading. Color grading in film is the manipulation of raw film footage to create specific color tones throughout a project. Sometimes this grading is more pointed and obvious, think The Matrix, while in other films it’s not as obvious but still very prominent, think Killers of the Flower Moon. 

It’s not that the before credits scene looks entirely, jarringly different from the opening scene, but the hospital scene is surrounded by whites and blue tones, it’s darker, and only a single source of light exists. It gives the entire scene a much more frantic, uneasy aesthetic but it’s not so far off from the darker muted tones of the next scene that it feels jarring or out of place. 

The second big thing I noticed in the episode is the use of aspect ratio. I’m not 100% sure what aspect ratio the production used exactly, but the use of widescreen as opposed to full screen in my opinion, gives the episode a more cinematic feel to it in comparison to other Thai BLs. 

Example, if you look at Century of Love (2024) it appears to be filmed in the standard full screen - which I believe is 16:9? - while 4 Minutes is widescreen (thus the black bars at the top and bottom). Widescreen can give a show a more “movie like” quality to it which is part of the vibes I get from 4 Minutes. 

(source)

Onto Great’s actual introduction scene.

We’re not starting the shot with static movement, but with a camera panning right. I’ve talked about camera panning and such in BL before and it’s something I’ve found doesn’t happen as often as it should. Which is a shame! It’s such a simple technique but it adds so much. 

Imagine if we entered the frame with a static center shot, and then a cut to Great sleeping and turning off his alarm clock, and then another cut to above the bed. Think about how much more boring that could be visually. 

Instead, we enter the scene with movement, panning over and creating some interesting visual framing. 

So here’s our opening shot, do you notice anything interesting? To start, what I like about this shot other than the panning movement in, is that we don’t see Great’s face yet. In fact we don’t see his face in full until about 30 seconds into the scene. This builds anticipation, yeah we all know what Bible looks like, but for the audience who doesn’t this helps build anticipation. 

Who is this character? What does he look like? What’s his deal? 

It also engages the audience more, if you notice part of the composition of the shot has Great in the mid-ground slightly blurred out, while the foreground emphasizes the things on his desk. He’s distant from us, the audience, sleeping off his hangover not yet ready to “join” the world yet. 

Here’s another two more things I like about this shot:

Lines. 

Using lines and shapes can make a scene more visually interesting and invoke different feelings to the viewer. In this shot, I get a sense of symmetry, the camera panning right, lightly drags across the screen alongside the lines below and above Great, almost creating a frame within a frame effect. As if Great is boxed into a clock in and of itself. 

You can also see the use of balance in the scene as well, connecting back to that visual theme of symmetry as well as blocking our view of Great’s face. The lava lamb and champagne bottle are almost the same height, which helps create balance in the shot. The champagne bottle informs us Great has been drinking or does drink since it’s positioned so close to his bed, whilst also continuing to hide his face away from the viewer. 

I also like that the lava lamp is a bright spot of color. The tone of the scene is mostly muted greens, and gray, but the bright orange lava lamp and even the pink champagne bottle draw our attention but don’t overwhelm us either. It provides the scene with some warmth but doesn’t offset the overall tone of the color grading. 

And then, the last bit of this shot:

We have Great knocking over the champagne bottom, and turning off his alarm clock. Notice that the alarm clock and the champagne bottle hit those ROT dots almost exactly. There’s also the use of lines by the length of Great’s arm - I just forgot to add a line I’m a failure, a fake, fml - we see him knock over the bottle, and then we follow the line of his arm directly to the alarm clock which is also a shape, a circle. 

I like that they used a clock with a specific notable shape, since by the end of this scene the clock is relevant to the story as a whole. Using a shape makes the clock more visually noticeable and memorable to the audience. 

So in the next cut we’re above Great - just like Great’s gonna be above Tyme, fuckin hell I’m corny - in a medium-full shot and there’s a couple things I really like here. 

I really like the use of lines here with the bed going in one direction but Great’s body going another. It’s disconcerting, and off kilter a bit. 

The use of patterns plus the opposing symmetry, whereas in the previous shot the lava lamp and champagne bottle were providing balance, here one side of the bed is patterned, while the other isn’t. This creates a sense of imbalance and makes the shot more visually interesting.

This medium-full shot at a high angle makes Great smaller, and continues to showcase his dishevelment, keeping him distant from the world itself. Also notice the lack of color here as well. 

What could this say about Great as a character? Or his story? 

So this next cut is the one that actually inspired me to write this essay to begin with and know what I’ma eat some crow here. I originally said it was a great ROT shot but I was wrooooooong. It’s definitely a center composition shot. 

Notice as well, the bed itself is its own shape - rectangle - center in the frame, and yet the shot almost looks unbalanced again because of that singular patterned rug. It’s the only pattern in the entire shot, not even Great’s pillows have noticeable patterns on them. 

The above view camera angle in a full shot creates almost an omnipresent feel, as if the audience - or something else? - were looking down upon Great. Whose face we still haven’t seen! It makes him smaller, less powerful, and almost vulnerable. Shots like this are often used in horror films like James Wan’s Malignant (2021) where the horror spector will be looking down above the would-be victim. 

Another thing I like about this scene though is we have Great moving. It would be simpler and easier to have his phone just by his alarm clock, or under his pillow, but think about how much more visually interesting it is that he has to move down the bed and reach for his phone. It creates action in an actionless low stakes scene. 

And now, 30 whole seconds in and we’ve finally seen Great’s face! 

Fun fact, with the ROT grid the gridlines fall right across Bible’s nipples. That’s not a film analysis, just something I noticed entirely intentionally. Thanks Madam Director Ning Bhanbhassa Dhubthien.

The actual shot is in center composition again, as Great rolls over and reveals his face the camera begins to zoom in. 

This creates movement in the scene instead of leaving the camera to statically observe it’s now, finally, inviting the audience to meet Great. Pulling us in towards him whereas before we were kept at a distance. Great’s awake and, well as ready to meet the world as somebody with a raging hangover can be. 

I also like how Bible is moving constantly in this scene; he rubs his eyes and nose, he twitches his fingers, titles his head back and forth, etc it’s nothing revolutionary but it’s appreciated. 

When the scene cuts, we get this shot: 

I didn’t put the red dot on his nipple, it just landed there. This is all Madam Director Ning chepie. 

But you can see how Great’s body is landing on all those gridlines pretty solidly. Also in the background we see his alarm clock again, a bright blurred circle in the distance. I also like the angle of this shot, as it creates depth in the frame, with Great’s head being in the foreground his lower body in the mid-ground and the background blurred out. 

What follows is Akira appearing in frame. Which was really difficult to capture so I don’t have a screenshot. But what I really like is Akira entering the frame out of focus. They could have just cut to Akira, but instead they opted for Akira to enter the frame which is more interesting. 

When we do cut, Akira is firmly on one of those dots so we don’t miss them in the frame. I think it’s also interesting that we’ve pulled out again, into a mid-full shot, hanging above Great, and we see that clear symmetry line again between the patterned rug and the regular carpet. 

I also really love that when we got to Great sweet-talking Akira and feeding them we’re not just doing a cut, we’re panning downwards which continues to add movement to the scene. And we get that moneyed sponsor shot! 

Durex can’t pay for everything okay?

So in the final bit of this scene we get focus on Great, who’s in focus, before he gets up and leaves the frame where the camera then focuses on the clock behind him. 

See how in the first frame the background is all blurred out, but once Great walks out of the frame - again, great that he walks out, movement!! Y’all don’t understand how boring 1000 Stars was for me to watch because of the lack of this stuff okay? - and then the focus shifts to the clock. Which is round. 

God I know that sounds so dumb, but imagine the clock without that ring light bit on it, it’s just a tiny little rectangle. Not as fun or interesting to look at right? Or as noticeable especially from a distance? 

This shift in focus also tells us “this is important” whatever “this” is. The subject of the shot goes from Great to the alarm clock but they are positioned as equally important. We’re meant to pay attention to this seemingly innocuous item, which we learn later in the episode is time. We’re meant to remember and note that time will be important to the story - I know with a title like 4 Minutes you’d fucking hope time would be important but have y’all ever read Youtube comments? It’s rough out there for visual comprehension okay? 

So all in all this scene is only 1 minute and 40 seconds give or take. It’s very short, but I don’t think it was boring at all. I think it’s a really solid introduction to a main character. Think, Korn didn’t get this much time to showcase his introduction, his scene is shorter - though also well done - which showcases which character is more of a story priority. 

This scene eases the audience into the story, inviting us to wake up into the world like Great is. It uses techniques like lines, shapes, symmetry, color and focus to make what could be a very boring scene into an interesting one. 

There’s so so much I probably and certainly missed, I’m far from an expert, but I hope I was able to articulate what I liked about this scene, and why I think it looks good. 

Stay tuned for more if I can manage to focus long enough to breakdown more scenes lol

Also red dots on Bible’s nipples are just funny to me it be what it be. 

Further Reading: 

Composition in Cinematography / THE LAST OF US

Center-Framing vs Chaos-Cinema: Mad Max vs Transformers

Camera Framing: Shot Composition & Cinematography Techniques Explained [The Shot List, Ep 2]

The Ultimate Guide to Camera Shots (50+ Types of Shots and Angles in Film)

Color Grading 101 - Everything You Need to Know

Mixing Film And Digital Footage: Killers Of The Flower Moon

In Praise of Subtle Cinematography

[hellobunny044]

Yours. | One shoot

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An original Haikyuu! AU Pairing Sakusa Kiyoomi and a female oc (I haven't thought of a name, so she is all of you female readers)

short desc. just thinking of post time skip Sakusa meeting the girl of his dream who is a reporter ??? (idk that came out of nowhere) and... I'm bad at describing my work properly so um... expect yourself to find some hopeless romantic trace, cringe-worthy remarks, and a little toe-curling smut at the end - and so, i wish you all good luck bearing with my work. heh heh.

⚠️warning!! 18+ Minors DNI. NSFW content ⚠️

word counts. 13107 words, good luck :)

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

Yours

Supposedly, Sakusa couldn’t possibly remember the last time he favored gatherings, people, and things that would eventually connect him to the public. The search for the word attention had long been eliminated in his terms. If only, that day he did not stop for an interview.

It was the first interview he had ever done in his terms being someone who genuinely hates being put in the spotlight. It was nothing, Sakusa just felt that he had no place in society other than a position as an opposite hitter on a volleyball team... anyway, getting back to the talk, well, actually his first interview was not as what of a disaster as he pictured it.

His first interview was still so vivid in his memory to this day: why he agreed to one (all because of that idiot Atsumu and a particularly tangerine-haired shorty), about the questions, his answers, and most importantly, the who part.

If only he did not stop for that one interview, perhaps his mind would be a little quieter these days.

It was because of a sports reporter for a national television channel that his mind turned into somewhere too noisy for him to hide from the world.

His monotonous and comfortable world fell into a massive transition since the intersection brought them. And don’t get it wrong, Sakusa is one of the many who don’t believe in love at first sight, to tell the truth he would gladly abuse the idea. He would a thousand times rather believe in how good luck charms work than believe in such clichés, until that damned unidentified, unfamiliar oddness struck him like a bolt of lightning.

Logically speaking, she wasn’t really the prettiest girl he had ever seen. And instead of wearing a revealing outfit like some of the reporters on their flirty attempt to get an interview with him, she just wore a track jacket.  Track jacket sets, navy blue in color, white sneakers, a small black watch on the left wrist, hair tied in a ponytail and her hair wasn’t something that of a distinguishing tangerine color though she has some bangs, ideally parted just right, her eyes are the same color as her hair which was deep brown, and less make up. If he would say something, compared to most female reporters that he had ever seen, she almost looks like someone who was forced to do an interview yet there is something very bothering about her.

Something about her was just irresistible.

She was not the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, yet she knew how to carry herself. She was not the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, yet her eyes whisper of forgotten familiarity. She was not the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, yet when she laughed, it was as if there was a sprinkle of amusement in the air, and before he knew it, his smile unfolded.

From then on, his head never stopped fussing about her. And on the question “Do you have a girlfriend, Sakusa Senshu?” During his second interview with her, Sakusa’s answer came with a firm, “No.”

That was definitely not for the public. Rather, the answer was for her. To let her know that Sakusa Kiyoomi was single, and perhaps, she could consider that.

Another thing about this woman was that she was a professional at her job. Her eyes never went to check on him when the camera was off, but instead, it was Sakusa’s hobby to steal glances in her direction until one time on an off-air interview session that he voluntarily accepted, the PD suggested that they talked with each other while waiting for the set to be ready.

Her gaze then met his, for the first time, behind the wall that they were two professionally connected.

Her smile unfolded, acknowledgement. Her head bowed, politeness and formality. Her voice warm, pleasantries. Then she turns to the PD to say, “I think I know enough about Sakusa Senshu for there is more left,”

She laughed. How sweet. She has a good laugh. He likes that.

“There is though,” Sakusa said.

Her eyes were on his, before briefly glancing at the staff and returning, “You have a question?”

Sakusa didn’t bother answering that one. Purely an impulse from within him prompted by his inadequacy in small talk, his question was blunt, “Do you have a boyfriend?”

He had enough time to see the gradual change on her face just like how she had enough time to take his question in before reacting.

“Oh?” Her voice low, followed by a small nods before, “No.”

The answer came after some consideration, or perhaps confusion—he didn’t know, don’t ask him whatever. He’s never really good at this kind of stuff in the first place.

Sakusa nodded.

“Why do you ask?” She asked, her gaze on him.

“To make sure,” Sakusa said.

He saw the slight change in her eyes to his words, like something flickering, and didn’t miss it.

“That means, I can get your number without a problem, right?”

Her answer came a little too late for it to be, “Um... yeah... I’ll give you my business card later,” then her smile unfolded just as the frown in her brows, but something about it amusing to the sight, “when we’re done.”

Sakusa hummed. His gaze did not leave even though she already did. He didn’t hide the way he looked at her curiously, studying every inch of her face that wasn’t pretty but somehow wouldn’t leave his head silent every night ever since. When her eyes returned to him briefly, Sakusa hadn’t left, reluctant to.

****

The station corridor is where she gave her business card as promised. Her smile unfolded, but this time it was a little awkward when her hand gave it to Sakusa. Rather than her business card, Sakusa lingered on her eyes and everything he could capture on her face.

And perhaps feeling too much of a stare, she frowned and asked, “What is it?”

“Hm?”

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Sakusa shook his head. His eyes leaving as he felt something in his stomach reacting, uncommonly but not uncomfortable, odd yet amusing— who put some damn butterfly and asked them to flap their stupid wings there? He didn’t bother hiding his broken smile, why would he?

“Why are you smiling?”

Her eyes to him, his smile gradually leaving yet it somehow lingered in his eyes, in contrast to the seriousness he masked himself with.  

“Why? You don’t like that?”

He waited quite a while for her answer, and in that long time their eyes locked, captivating each other, and spoke to each other in a language that was easier to understand. Yet then her answer was a rejection.

“Hm.”

She got him.

****

Sakusa knew that she was lying. Obviously she lied when she said she didn’t  like it when he smiled, because otherwise she wouldn’t have been here to see him on the weekend.

To be honest, she could have refused in many ways. Immediately rejecting him outright when he proposes this whatever date, canceling the appointment at the last minute, or pretending to have forgotten about their plans. But instead, the same woman who said that she didn’t like his smile, showed up in a pretty dress, hair styled differently, smelling a little more sweeter, and some hints of makeup on her face.

It was during their first meeting behind the what-so-called professional wall that all the things that seemed to be silenced breaking free, evident through gazes. Suddenly, Sakusa was no longer a stranger to conversation. He suddenly forgets that in general, he genuinely hates conversations, especially those that are called small talk, stupid pleasantries. However, who was he to choose? Before him is a sure thing.

It was also during these encounters that he became familiar with clichés such as questions about the weather, about complimenting the taste of coffee after the first sip or also when seduction was channeled through gazes, and some new things that had never been taught to him. And the one enlightened him the most, was that when he complimented her on her looks, her eyes went to other places but his that then another smile unfolded. 

His heart pounding in joy, a long rhythm of comfort and celebration, yet desperate to jump into her hands, wanting to be held. 

It was clear that the more time passed into something old and decrepit, everything that was done was thick with every element of deliberation.

Sakusa returns to his more accustomed silent self, letting his eyes convey his feelings to each second that is left to tick on its own. His eyes on her, her eyes on him, three, six, nine seconds... isn’t it easy to fall in love? Then after enough of looking at each other as they enjoyed the ecstasy of falling in love, they left each other being even sure of what they wanted.

Sakusa’s smile unfolded when he returned to obviously watching her. The woman, intrigued by his gaze, frowned and didn’t forget to smile back at him as her hand put her cup down.

“What?” She asked, and Sakusa shook his head.

Her brow furrowed, and her gaze on him, as if demanding an answer that was obvious between the two of them. Sakusa is clearly reluctant to compromise, a man of few words yet his eyes speak a variety of languages that she can easily understand. But at times, Sakusa can also be the most vocal and outspoken person she’s probably ever known, and an example of this is when he bluntly asks:

“You don’t have a boyfriend?” he asked, incredulous. 

His words were like a spark, igniting a flame of amusement in her. She laughed, the sound spilling like a cascade over the rim of her coffee cup. 

“Are you really asking that?” she countered, still chuckling. 

His tone and eyes flat, yet flickered with amusement, “What else am I supposed to be asking, then? I’m not a reporter,”

Sakusa Kiyoomi is definitely not a sweet talker. His words would be thicker with sarcasm or teasing rather than smooth remarks which was probably something she sought from men. And amused by his sarcasm, as if all too familiar with it, the woman smiled.

“Of course,” she said. “Rather than asking questions, you’re someone more used to answering, aren’t you, Sakusa Senshu?”

Sakusa smiled, drunk in the way she played her tone and words just right. He hummed in agreement.

Her eyes returned to him just before she started, “There’s something else, like perhaps am I your type, or something like that…” 

He liked it when her eyes momentarily returned to half-heartedly trying to explain a misunderstanding. 

“Well I am clearly not your type,” she mused, her lips quirking in a smirk. He liked it more how she decided to keep  things the way it is the next second, clearly not hiding the seduction in her sarcasm. She is a quick-learner, and he loves it when she takes his remarks and plays it like she owns it. 

Sakusa didn’t miss a beat. “And what makes you think you’re not my type?” he shot back, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. 

There was a beat of silence between them, each gauging the other’s reaction. The tension was palpable but not uncomfortable. Finally, leaning his head into his palm prompting the arm of the chair, that damned question slipped out of his mouth mindlessly.

“Am I your type?” he asked, his voice soft and calm, knowing what it could cause in what was to come between them.

His eyes didn’t left any movement she made since the question came, as if anchoring her in his gaze and telling her that there was nowhere to hide from something so unspokenly obvious in the air.

But sipping her coffee was her way of hiding. Winning the silence that was Sakusa’s territory was also her way of avoiding the hand that had almost caught her. How he didn’t bother hiding his feelings from her eyes was a victory for her instead, at least to prolong this little catch-me-if-you-can until the last thread of his despair snapped.

Then after quite some log of stealing much of his time, and enough consideration to decide how much she wanted to reveal, she met Sakusa’s gaze head-on as she set the cup down. 

“No,” she said simply, her voice matter-of-fact. 

Sakusa’s lips stretched into a grin. “Liar,” he accused playfully, voice low and gentle.  

She shrugged, the motion fluid and relaxed. “It’s true, though,” she said, meeting his eyes again, this time smiling.

For a moment, they were both silent, simply regarding each other over the rims of their coffee cups.

Sakusa was the one breaking the silence, asking, “What’s your type, then?”

She locked him in her eyes, wooing him with her eyes yet rejecting him outright through a short, asserting answer, “Not you.”

Sakusa was not backing down, he took the challenge and stared right back. He hummed,  “Clearly,”

Just know that cupid did a very great job; they’re just testing their limits.

****

This time her dress was dark red, knee-length and quite covered, and her hair— oh, he didn’t know why women spent their money on stupid things like some big bow clips to wear on the back of their heads, but it gave the impression that they were lovers on their way to have brunch at a fancy restaurant— well, he would love to take her to one, it’s just, let him drink all of the moments during this stupid cringe-worthy date for a little longer, though. He wanted to know her in different ways, from different perspectives, through the traces her feet and fingers left in every corner of Shinjuku. Today it was Shinjuku, next week he could probably take her to Harajuku, then to Shibuya, then have dinner in Roppongi. Perfect.

On their way to a café, Sakusa had asked, “You mean what you say?”

She turned, “Which one?” smile lingering on her face, eyes searching.

Sakusa was silent for a while. Not considering what he wanted to say, rather, taking her in: the look in her eyes, her face, the full picture of her standing before him, halting and waiting for him to come with her, every bit of her in that moment he hung in silence. When his answer came, Sakusa hid a smile behind his flat tone, “That I’m not your type,”

Something just flickered in her eyes and he didn’t miss it.

He knew the answer. It’s just that asserting is important. Oh, and he had yet to add how lovely it was to see her trying to fool him despite the tenderness evident in her eyes.

“Am I still not your type?” Sakusa pressed, his tone laced with a hint of playfulness.

Her eyes on him, letting the silence take over, also letting Sakusa think that he was in control of the situation. Finally, she answered, a clear hum that made the stupid butterflies in his stomach go mad— seriously get the fuck out of there, he’s going to break a laugh.

A huffed laugh, amusing laugh, as he muttered, “Liar,”

She sighed, smiling, “Well, everyone needs a little distraction on weekends.”

“Oh? I’m being promoted as the little-distraction-on-weekends, I see.”

Her gaze on his and the world disappeared on their senses.

Sakusa was the first to break their eye contact as he walked ahead of her. 

“This way,” he said, as his hand opened the door and let her in.

It’s nothing, really. It’s just about two people connected in an unspoken desire, enjoying the sensation of falling into an endless abyss called love, fully aware of it, yet in terms where they are only two little fingers away from each other, they never turn to each other to express what is obvious. And just know when you see cupid with a deep frown on her brows, it’s because of these two.

“What about you, Sakusa Senshu?” she asked, sipping her coffee.

“What?”

Her eyes were everywhere but his when she asked, “your type, I mean.”

Her gaze returning, familiar with how Sakusa had waited and would remain so for some time before he answered.

“Red dress, a reporter,” he replied, immediately without hesitation.

Seconds ticked by in silence, their eyes still locked, but the silence was chased away by an amused huff of laughter. Her eyes returned to him when she finished exploring the other side of the cafe, her hand somewhere on her nose, still not recovering.

“It’s true, though,” Sakusa said, his eyes serious and sincere tracing her gaze, as far as she would allow.

She shook her head, “That’s the lie.”

“Really?” He retorted, amused.

She hummed.

“How would you know?”

Her eyes on his, and she smiled, “You like European women,”

Sakusa’s brows rose at her reply, his eyes trailing to her gaze slowly leaving his the second he decided to think about her words further.

He pulls backward in his head, traces back and quickly searches for something about European women then remembers that one time in an interview with some of the other Black Jackals players, Miya Atsumu, that muscle-brained stupid fox, blurted out a statement about how “Omi-kun likes blonde European women with sexy eyes,” when the reporter asked about their Ideal types. He remembered now.

The frown on his forehead was with a smile that spread across his face, amused. “You... Did you look for some things about me?”

Her eyes returned to him, a pause, and as if it took a lot of energy to say something, she took a deep breath, “Well, my job requires me to look for some things about some of the people I’m going to interview, like some key words and highlighted remarks for reference. And yes. Since you’re one of quite a few I’ve interviewed, I did. I did and I found out some things about you, a lot,"

Sakusa nodded, unconcerned with her overly convoluted explanation, “And if so, you also know that it wasn’t me. That was Miya,”

“Answering on your behalf,”

“Answering on my— no—”

“Since you’re mute,”

Sakusa stopped when she chuckled.

“I’m joking, okay?” She said.

“On which part?” He asked.

When she didn’t answer, Sakusa sighed. “Miya didn’t answer on my behalf,”

“I thought you were agreeing afterwards?” She retorted.

Which was true, “Yes– but,”

Meeting his gaze, her brows raised, “No buts.” She said.

Sakusa frowned, “What?”

“We don’t need buts, Sakusa Senshu,” she said, her smile sweet and thick with innuendo. “You don’t need to explain anything to me in the same way I don’t need to explain why you’re not my type."

“Well– logically speaking,” Sakusa agreed. His eyes on hers, she was sipping her coffee after shrugging playfully. 

“The last one’s incorrect,” he said. When her gaze returned, he continued, “you are my type.”

There was a missing beat before she retorted: a sigh like she was wincing as she closed her eyes and slightly scrunching her nose, “Too bad, I’m not even a European woman.” She looked him right in the eyes as she said, “and you are not my type to begin with.”

Sakusa laughed. He nodded, humming in agreement, “Keep doing that,” his words a gentle mutter of intrigue, “you’re doing a great job.”

She echoed him in a small laugh and returned to her coffee.

The silence that slipped itself between them was another face of comfort, and perhaps a distraction as she said. And in this long-lasting silence, Sakusa’sgaze doesn’t leave her. There was determination in his gaze; something about finding out more about her through the loudness of her silence, a tenderness that didn’t bother hiding, a certain amount of visible affection, and a hint of possessivity.

Shutting out the world was probably the wrong choice, and before he realized, they were being watched. And finally, someone interrupted.

Standing before him were a couple of girls, much younger than him, staring at him with heart eyes, almost drooling.

When he found out that they were Black Jackals fans as they started attacking him with questions about the clubs and the other player with familiar remarks, not to mention that they were getting closer and about to touch him, a horror threat to his privacy, Sakusa immediately went on high alert. His body was pulled away, and the frown on his forehead deepened when he had to cover his face and look away from the camera phone of one of them who was already happily taking a selfie with him.

Without thinking, he quickly grabbed her hand and led her out of the cafe. Then as they expected, the girls ran after them while shouting his name hysterically. They could still keep running, at least until the girls got tired, or Sakusa could carry her and keep running until the girls lost track of them.

Asking why Sakusa Kiyoomi is popular is like asking why romance books are so popular with girls. 

Although he wasn’t the topic of conversation as the hot player like Miya Atsumu, something about Sakusa made girls crazy about him, although perhaps one of the few girls who didn’t like him was this woman.

His senses were too busy alerting for the worst to realize that they were very close.

Later, after making sure that the hysterical screams of those girls faded, Sakusa let out a sigh of relief. As his head lowered to ease his beating heart, and their gazes locked, he realized that it probably wouldn’t be at ease for some time.

The silence that had fit itself between them now was the spokesperson for their feelings that were spilling out of each other’s eyes, and honestly their position was just perfect: her back pressed against the wall, her body locked by his arms, one near her head and the other somewhere that would probably be close to her waist. From then on, in the silence that turned into the ticking of a newly found despair, Sakusa kept highlighting the part that they were in somewhere quiet, far from the public, away from distractions, not even the sunlight could bother them here.

The narrow space created an intimate enclosure, intensifying the connection that seemed to crackle between them. Time seemed to slow to a standstill as they stood there, suspended between reality and the raw, unspoken desire that enveloped them.

Besides underlining the chance in his favor, Sakusa also didn’t stop convincing himself that she was lying when she said he’s not her type— and really, he doesn’t want to ruin anything if suddenly something more than just staring in this damn situation happens. He was willing to put up with it, as long as they could still see each other next week. 

That was a story on a different page, one where her eyes don’t look like they are calling him in.

As the tension mounted, Sakusa’s movements became slow, sensual, as he leaned in closer, his lips just mere inches away from hers. The anticipation hung heavy in the air, electrifying their senses. But just as the world around them faded into a blur, she looked away and said, “We should—”

The fuck? She even for a moment looked like she was mirroring something in his eyes, he swore she was breathless and her words were barely above whisper– damn. 

Sakusa huffed a disbelieving laugh, hiding the embarrassment, humiliation, and the fact that he was so vulnerably lost in the thought of them finally having their kiss. 

“Hotel?” he asked, returning to her. His frown deep but his gaze amused.

Her frown melted into a playful expression, her laughter restrained. “No,” she asserted with a teasing glint in her eye. “Correct yourself before joining me.”

A chuckle escaped Sakusa’s lips as he reluctantly relinquished his grip. He trailed behind her, an invisible thread connecting them. 

Catching up, Sakusa corrected himself, “there’s a good caffe three blocks from here,”

They walked the streets of Shinjuku once more, their laughs intermingling, their eyes holding a secret language that only they understood. 

They entered another cafe, one with dim lighting and comfortable couches that seemed to invite them to stay forever. They sat close to each other, their fingers almost touching, as they talked about everything and anything. 

“You still don’t like the way I laugh?” Sakusa asked, his tone light, as if he didn’t really care about the answer.

She looked at him for quite a while, her eyes taking in every part of him, from the way his hair fell over his forehead to his dark, piercing eyes. It was as if she was studying him, trying to see beneath the surface of the laughter and the smiles.

A flicker of mischief dancing in her eyes. With a subtle lie, she responded, “Hm.”

That was the lie.

Sakusa hummed in understanding, accepting her unspoken truth. His  gaze never leaving hers.

*****

“The setters are undoubtedly the favorite,”

In the bar where they met again,  what the point was of saying such a thing in front of him? Well, women— he knew where the last stop of this conversation would be. A subtle hum was his answer he took a sip of his beer.

“Kageyama Tobio from Schweiden Adlers and Miya Atsumu from your team are on the constant topic,”

Sakusa hummed.

“But Miya-san is undoubtedly the darling of the fans,” she commented.

Under his breath, Sakusa muttered about the familiar call he had just heard. There was no professionalism in that referring, and Miya-san was too much when he was plainly Sakusa Senshu.

His eyes on her, studying every inch of her face in this topic, studying every fiber of the muscles in her face in every second he braced himself as they entered this topic. He didn’t feel like competing with the hot setter or the whatever-darling of the public, but why should she talk about Miya Atsumu in the first place, though?

Another thing to underline during this conversation was that possessivity in his eyes had become thicker as time grew. And she was not unaware that there was a loud displeasure in his silence as he listened to the whole pleasant description that she delivered so neatly about the blonde idiot— oh obviously it tickled the jealousy hiding behind the possessivity in his gaze.

Amused, she asked, “What?”

His tone remaining in a collected demeanor when he asked, “You seem to be enjoying yourself,”

She cocked an eyebrow, still amused, “Excuse me?”

“Well, he is comfortable in the spotlight— he loves it, I bet,”

“I told you, he’s the darling of the public. Reporters are competing with each other to get an interview with him,”

“Which include you in it,”

“Exactly,” she said. Her eyes on his, “I make a living by who I interview, and it could be Miya-san.”

Sakusa’s possessive nature immediately surfaced, and a frown creased his brows. He almost clicked his tongue when once again he heard the referring. Taking a moment to collect his thoughts, Sakusa finally spoke up. 

“Do you really want to do an interview with him?” His eyes on hers, watching.  

“I mean, he’s a great player,” she started, taking the snack they ordered before. His eyes trailing her every movement and stopped in her eyes when she swallowed, ready for another mess she was about to make in him. 

“Miya-san is an outstanding player to begin with. I was looking at some stuff about the MSBY Black Jackals and came across something about the best high-school setter in Japan who had participated in the Youth— ah, the setter of Schweden Adlers also went there if I was correct,”

“I was in youth too,” His competitive nature fired up.

“Yeah, but you’re not a setter, Sakusa Senshu,” She replied, her tone calm and collected. Not bothered at all, purposely.

Her pointer played with the rim of her glass, tracing it as she continued, “I’ve done an interview the Adlers’ setter,” her pointer tapped gently on where she stopped, her tone smiley, and when he shifted, she was actually smiling as she said, eyes tracing the memory of that interview, “he was such an angel.” and she returned to his eyes, a moment before she took a sip of her beer and looked away.

That was the most bothering part.

When she finished, she said, “I think I might have to try harder for an interview with Miya-san.”

He did not like Miya-san, and he swore to let that damned Miya-san knows that he hated him with every fiber of his wellbeing.

“I’m telling you, he’s just an idiot, a simpleton,” he prompted his head with his hand and watched her. 

“And hot,” she added. 

He hummed in agreement and asked, “what about me?” 

Her eyes hesitating, inferior to the piercing gaze of Sakusa’s dark eyes since the last time she referred to Atsumu as Miya-san. And despite still continuing with what she believed was right for her to be doing, her fingers playing with her beer glass told him that she wanted to run from that question, knowing that this time if she wasn’t careful enough, her mouth might betray all her efforts to be in control in their little game of pushing gears.

“What?” 

“I didn't get any of those things coming from you?” he elucidated, his voice low. His stare locking, sharp yet tenderness lurking behind his dark eyes, possessivity an evident truth.

“Like... just, hey, Sakusa Senshu, not Sakusa-san obviously, is such a good guy. Or that I am good at my play, since Miya-san obviously takes all the crunchy parts for himself.”

Her eyes widened, and she burst into laughter, unable to contain her amusement. 

In that moment when time ticked in the clear ringing of her laughter, Sakusa kept his gaze locked on her, taking in the lovely sight of her laughing. 

He was actually intent on playing a little annoyed, but all the walls he had built collapsed when her laughter broke out. And like someone had sprinkled intoxicating smiling powder, he echoed her laughter through a vulnerable smile as his eyes traced all of her.

This time, however, he did not forget to tell her, “I like your laugh,” he said, “since the first time.”

When she finally recovered from her laugh, and when her eyes were tender in silence staring into his, Sakusa is to play the annoying little jerk that he wanted. 

“Though you still hate my laugh and I am not as hot as Miya-san,” he said.

It took a while for the response to come, and for that she smiled as she said, “Well, I think you’ll have to live up with the fact that Miya-san is hotter than you,”  

Sakusa scoffed, childishly retorting with, “yeah, just like the fact that he’s just so amazingly stupid.” 

She giggled. He was ready to sip his beer when he said, “Just tell me if Miya-san is free and up for an interview. If you’re willing to lend me a hand of course,” 

He turned, almost wincing, “Seriously?”

She shrugged.

Sakusa stares at her for quite a while, only to sigh then shake his head. He then turned away, and took a sip of his beer. When his eyes returned to her, he was surprised to find her waiting for him. Her gaze was warm, and welcoming. The significant warmth that bloomed in his chest at that sight almost had him wincing, and his heart was struggling to get away, desperately begging to be released from his body to jump into her palms.

For a while they were immersed in silence, this was the part where they ran away from their egos and immediately declared what was obvious between them. Through their eyes, in the protection of the loud silence, they were free to express what they had delayed through words.

Then in a moment of vulnerability, when her eyes flickered, her hand reaching out without hesitation, as if familiar with all of him. Sakusa automatically closed his eyes and let her, betraying his ego just once would not make him die. In fact, he would probably die if he dared to stop her hand from going where she wanted of him.

He felt it somewhere in his hair, and opened his eyes to see her hand pulled back, dropping something he couldn’t catch somewhere on the floor. His eyes returned to hers, “What is it?”

Before him, the woman smiled as she said, “I already threw it down,”

Sakusa frowned.

“Just some stuff,” she said.

Sakusa immediately left to search for any trace of it. His eyes only briefly on the floor to return and conclude, “you just want to touch my hair.” 

He didn’t miss the way she smiled, and somehow she didn’t even try to hide her smile anymore. But even then, she was still the stubborn woman he knew would say, “No.”

Sakusa stares: taking her in, considering, making sure. Making sure that she was lying. Then the next second was about his hand reaching out to him, his fingers hesitating as they came into contact with her forehead, bringing his eyes back to her briefly before he brought his fingers to just lightly brush her bangs. The blush on her cheeks wasn’t of the alcohol, it was for him.

"Is there something in my hair?" she asked.

Sakusa looked up at her when she said, “No. I just want to touch you.”

Something flushed in her face, the look in her eyes wavered, probably of the alcohol. Clearly it was the alcohol because Sakusa, on the other hand, was also fighting so hard to resist the huge urge of kissing her right away. He shifted, immediately. He was about to take a sip of his beer when he said, “I’ll let you know if that stupid fox is up for an interview.”

“Hm?”

He returned, her head tilted while looking at him in confusion, innocence.

“Miya,” he said, still having enough urge to emphasize, “your Miya-san.”

His eyes did not leave her, locking onto her even as he sipped his beer.

Later when this whatever-date ended, she was drunk enough to be left home alone, so, after calling a taxi, Sakusa decided to tag along and make sure she got home in one piece.

Arriving at the apartment where she lives, Sakusa makes a little dash to open the door for her. And even though she preceded him with her hand opening the door smiling, being familiar and friendly to the taxi driver in the thanks she said, he waited for her. His hand outstretched to help her up, he leaned down. And instead of taking his hand to help herself with, both her hands were brought to cup his face and she warmly brought her face close to his, leaving a soft kiss on his cheek after tracing all the way before it with her warm breath.

“I had a great time.” Her voice was just above a whisper, and somehow fucking unrealistic. Then she pulled away, enough to stare and say, “Thank you, Sakusa-san.”

Her hands are still there on his cheeks.

The world stopped, and Sakusa froze. No, he didn’t. He didn’t freeze. Rather, his entire body was warm. He was so warm and he knew that his face was probably as red as a fuji apple.

Rather than using his hands to help herself out of the car, she helps herself out of the taxi, missing how Sakusa follows her with his gaze, everything she’s done since the moment after she said his name in a familiar calling. Don’t blame him, blame her for making him lose his cool, his composure, his damn self-control– are they something now? Like… what? Was that made her his girlfriend, no?

Sakusa immediately said, “I’ll call you later.”

The woman paused, turning to face him again. She blinked and shook her head, “Not sure If I’m sober enough not to say some incorrect things,”

“You’re correct, I promise,” he replied.

 Her smile unfolded, vulnerable.

*****

Sakusa had never considered that Miya Atsumu was his rival since she had left her trace on his cheek that night. Her kiss was definitely a sign of the new thing they were bonding over. Although no cringe-worthy words like I love you, or stupid confession session happened, they were two adults who loved each other and that was enough. Honestly, after that, Miya Atsumu’s name disappeared from his head.

But today was a different story. At an MSBY Black Jackals match, and she interviewed Miya Atsumu with a beaming face full of enthusiasm, the story took a different turn. Miya Atsumu earned his place on the top list of his rivals— and he swore, from the moment he saw how his hand touched hers as he reached for the mic for whatever he was going to do after that, something in the back of his neck snapped.

He no longer had enough good mood left to linger there, shoving Bokuto Kotaro’s hand off of his shoulder as he walked away, coldly ignoring Hinata Shoyo. Far enough away to exclude himself from the boisterous crowd filled with media, his fingers typed out a message to her, a meeting in a place away from everyone’s attention, where there was no Miya Atsumu.

After the message, he waited in a corridor at the back of the gymnasium leaning against the wall, his arms folded in front of his chest. Greeting the footsteps he heard from afar, his eyes shifted, taking in her arrival which started with how she stopped to reply to what seemed to be a very important message, until eventually their gazes met and her steps quickened towards him. No fair, she was so cute.

“Sakusa Senshu,” she should know that right now is not too good a time to call him that way.

Sakusa straightened up to meet her, seeing the smile on her face that broke out sincerely when she said all the praises for him and congratulated him on their victory. His heart warmed at the thanks for a good game, but he was defeated by the intoxicating jealousy. Then without thinking, he blurted out, “I see you finally got to do an interview with Miya,”

“Oh, yeah. Well,” She smiled, nodding. “I didn’t expect that he would stop in front of me either.”

Sakusa scoffed, “Really? Aren’t you the one who’s purposely lining up on the first row to get his attention?”

Eyebrows raised, she frowned, “Huh?”

Sakusa scoffed, “In the end you are only after Miya.”

And her answer that came had only made everything worse, “Well, everybody’s after Miya Atsumu Senshu after he serves us a good game and I was just one of many reporters looking for the star of the match and I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that he was the MVP of this match. He scored 3 aces— and, Sakusa Senshu, I don’t think I need your help to interview Miya-san—“

“You clearly don’t need my help for that,”

Sakusa didn’t care about the hint of confusion in his gaze, his words flowed like a stream of water, “Did he get your number after the interview? Oh, I bet he insisted on shaking your hand,"

“Excuse me?”

Sakusa returned to say, “Which hotel did he ask you to meet at?”

Her brow furrowed deeply, “I don’t like the direction you’re going. This is dangerous,”

“Not as dangerous as you are,” Sakusa cut in quickly, “and I don’t like how easily you go to one person after being satisfied toying with the other.”

“Toying? What are you—“

Sakusa approached, towering over her as his sharp eyes locked onto her, “Yes, toying. You seem to be really enjoying yourself, huh? Knowing you had me under your little fingers while you made your way to another man– what do you want, really? You want me, you—” Sakusa paused, his feelings churning at his dead-end words. He began again, “—you kissed me and I don’t know if you’re greedy enough for someone else or if you were just after Miya from the start,"

There was a silence that made Sakusa even more uneasy. After the answer comes, she laughs, and that’s not really not good. “We’re  just doing an interview,” she said, “After all, weren’t you the one who said that you’ll let me know if Miya-san is up for an interview?”

“No, you’re not going there right away,” Sakusa shook his head, adamant, “you missed the part where you had to tell me if you were greedy enough to want me and Miya at once,”

She  frowned, "What are you talking about?"

Something on the back of Sakusa’s neck snapped, and he was sure that was the last thread of his despair, of his patience, and of his rationality, all at once. 

“My feelings for you are so obvious—”

“No. That’s not—”

“— in fact even blind pig could tell that I stare at you like I would go crazy if I didn’t—”

“—what I mean—”

“— but you had the balls to play with it like it was nothing!”

“No—what?” Something flushed into her eyes, “Repeat yourself,”

Sakusa immediately responded, “no. You heard it.”

Her brow furrowed, “What did you say? Playing with your feelings? And what else was it- toying?" She leaned closer, her gaze challenging, “Try telling me If I wasn’t the one kissing your cheek— and what, playing with your feelings? Do you even know what you're talking about?"

“That’s where all the trouble started,” Sakusa exclaimed, almost snapping.

“What are you talking about, Sakusa?”

All formality, warmth, and respect left her words as she called him by his last name.

“You kissed me and left with Miya, which hotel he asked to meet you at, huh?"

“Sakusa, that one’s—”

“Or did he manage to touch you somewhere before you came to me?”

“Are you really up for the rest of it?”

“And here I am, getting only the scraps of the trace of his hands on you,”

“Sakusa!”

“My feelings for you are real!” He snapped, missing and not caring how she flinched, and subconsciously pulling away when he approached her closer.

“They are fucking real! Ever present, not a past tense! They’re always there to put up with all of your cooing, and tell me I’m hopeless but I sit and dream of the way my hand would traced your face and stupid me for thinking that you would have just a slightest bit of mercy towards me and my feelings but fuck you because my feelings are real for you—” 

“So are mine!”

In the seconds she let drown in silence, she gave him a chance, and his silence was too long for her to deal with. However, before it was too late he quickly pulled her  as she was about to exclude herself from him. The slightest jerk of his grip brought her back to him, into his eyes.

“Did you mean it?”

She did not answer, deliberately silent to punish him. And rather than having any intention of saying anything, she wanted to leave.

His grip tight against her will to break free. Then a little tighter than before, he pulled her, bringing her back to his eyes that were almost overflowing with all the unspoken truth that had been trying to be silenced. His tone broke as he said, “Tell me you mean it,”

Her eyes leaving him while her hands tried harder to break free but he was clearly too strong for her to handle half-heartedly. Her eyes returned after her last attempt was a repeated failure, “You know what, I didn’t. I didn’t mean any of the thing I said—”

The next second, her breath caught in her throat when he had locked her waist possessively.

“You liar,” And though his tone cold, his eyes vulnerable.

Their lips collided in a heated embrace, tongues intertwined and hands exploring every inch of each other’s bodies. In this kiss, where all the feelings that were previously taboo in words, all poured. Sakusa’s grip tightened as he pulled her closer, his breath hot against her skin. It had been a long time coming, this moment that they had both been avoiding for so long. But now, everything seemed to fade away as they lost themselves in each other. The world around them ceased to exist as they were consumed by their love for each other.

For so long, they had both fought against their feelings, denying the attraction that burned so deeply within them. But now, with every brush of their lips, every touch of skin on skin, they knew that it was all worth it.

Sakusa, melting in vulnerability under her touch, kissed her like there would be no tomorrow for them, like this was the last day that the world would exist. There was despair in every trace he left on her, but he didn’t rush her, he made sure every touch was enough and providing. Before they knew it, they had stumbled upon the wall, but his hand was quick to get behind her head.

They were fragile, succumbing to this moment.

Her hand gripped somewhere that she could grasp of his jacket, only to fail as she was too lost in their kiss, then she went to trace somewhere on his neck, squeezing on the skin which he responded to with a hum. Her other hand went somewhere on his stomach— really, he didn’t want her to stop touching him, he didn’t want her to be finished with him, he didn’t want this kiss to end. He wanted to forever drink from her scent, fight for air with her, dance with her lips against his, and feel her knuckles tracing every inch of his body. It was only after what seemed like forever, with their breath catching, that they finally let go of each other.

Panting against his mouth, she said, “I think now’s the right time for…”

Sakusa immediately connected the last word, “hotel? Yeah. Me too.”

His hands were on her waist and behind her head, caging her possessively, as he caught his breath, while hers were on the back of his neck and somewhere on his stomach. Again after that, unbidden, they went hand in hand to welcome each other into another kiss that this time was softer, unrushing, something calmer and warmer.

But then just suddenly, Sakusa abruptly pulls away from the kiss, having her whining for the sudden loss of contact. His words come quickly after that, “Now? I’ll have to go first, though,”

“Later, then,” she said, her hand slipping to the back of his neck, pulling him to meet her again at the end of her words, “when you’re done.”

Sakusa smiled before their lips collided. This time, both hands curled around his neck, reciprocating the possessivity that had only been shown one-sidedly before, not wanting to be outdone. Unfortunately, this kiss doesn’t last long, interrupted by a familiar voice out of nowhere, a calling that Sakusa will only hear from a particular party.

“Omi-kun!”

Immediately, still drunk in their feelings, they pulled away from each other, trying not to leave a trace to each other when Miya Atsumu got there for Sakusa. They’re lucky they had enough time to part and to slightly wipe the remnants of the kiss.

When Miya Atsumu got there, he immediately greeted Sakusa with his amusing calling. And he who was also familiar with the reporter also greeted her. But later, rather than listening to Sakusa’s words, the hot setter of Jackals was now preoccupied with his own search and it took him a single glance to understand what happened on the scene before he got there. Then right before he lead the way, he turned, “Omi-kun,”

Sakusa frowned, “What?”

The blonde setter’s face was convincing when he said,“you got lipstick on your mouth.”

Sakusa spontaneously touching his lips, to halt and realize when the setter giggled. When his gaze returned, he heard him, “Gotcha!”

*****

It’s funny how at the end of the day, Sakusa was the one who got her all for himself in a very hotel room. Sakusa Kiyoomi, the one’s filthy of his words, accusing her of having Atsumu taking her to a hotel, was the very man having his mouth and hands all occupied once the door to the room closed, blindly tracing over their way to the bed.

Arriving somewhere near the bed, his kisses shifting, tracing every inch of her face, then down, stopping by her lips, then down to her chin, and away down her neck, nuzzling, kissing, sucking, nipping, and licking at the vulnerable spot on her neck that enlightened him with sweet sounds that are her responses to his good work.

Sakusa gets the determination to play longer there, he loves hearing her voice. And as he continues to explore her neck with new things his lips can do to satisfy her desire, he hears her, “you know, before, when Miya Senshu came,”

Sakusa responded in a hum, not stopping. Wicked thought flashing when he heard that name mentioned. They are making out and she dared to mention that very name– no, he’s going to show her who owns her. In the next second, he had her moaning his name when he licked that sweet spot, sucking on it expertly.

Though she stretched herself even more, giving him more access to do as he please, he was wrong to think that she’s stopping,  “I didn’t use any lipstick,” 

He hummed, still nipping, kissing her neck. “Yeah,” he managed to answer before moving to the other side of her neck.

“And you fell for that one,” she tugged on his hair just enough to make him stop. His eyes on hers, vulnerable, thick with love and lust. In that short pause, he took his time to gaze into her eyes, grateful that they had finally ended up the way he had always imagined. He heard her say, “idiot,” 

Sakusa hummed and then kissed her again. His hands quickly guided her arms to lock around his neck, along with how his hands went tracing down her curves, stopping somewhere in her waist for a gentle squeeze.

His kisses continued down her neck, sucking, small bites or gentle licks that made her giggling in amusement, but when his mouth suddenly sucked hard on the crook of her neck, his name left her mouth as an exclamation.

He chuckled, satisfied with her reaction as he returned to kiss her. In between kisses, he said, “but you like it, don’t you?”

She whines and he chuckles. His hands went to undo the remaining buttons of her shirt, and by the last few remaining buttons, he pulled away her kiss.

He went on to kiss her shoulders, stopping by her chest, and the other shoulder before helping her out of her shirt. Following the shirt that he discarded somewhere on the floor, was her hands that went to undo her bra, his eyes wide with anticipation. And when it completely left her body, his face flushed in redness to the sight of the way she shyly presented herself to him. His gaze long admired her breasts, alternating with his eyes, as if studying what was going on and what he should do with it— obviously though, the hunger he had on his gaze was enough to tell that he wanted to feel them with everything.

Slowly, he brought his hand to touch her breast and watched her reaction. Her eyes were on him at first touch, and when she nodded, he immediately brought both his hands to squeeze them, slow and sensual at the first few, and gradually greedier through each attempt. When she moans, Sakusa gains new determination to repeat what he did. Then he switches to his mouth, dominating.

Sakusa is professional in his work on her breasts. 

He gives them equal attention when he plays with them. When his mouth was busy playing with one, then his hand would keep the other company. Simultaneously gently squeezing the mound as his mouth sucked on her nipple and the mound of the other, greedy for what he could take in. He was like a hungry little baby being served his last meal. But more than that, he knew what he had to do. He licks, sucks, and swirls his tongue on her breast just right the way she wants him. He puts her on cloud nine with every single thing he does to her, not to mention the sounds he makes in response to her moans.

“This isn’t your first time, right?”

On the edge of the bed where he had laid her down, Sakusa, who was about to return to her neck, halted midway at her question. He looked at her with furrowed brows, “What?”

Somehow in his gaze, there was enough dislike- disappointment. And before he could say anything, her hands cupped his face as she said, “Just asking, pretty boy,” 

His frown fading, replaced with a warm dusting on his cheeks as he welcomed her in. A kiss on his lips to soothe him, or an apology for her accusation being so sharp, which brought all over the place below his lips until he finally had to stretch his neck and give her room to go down, tracing him with her kisses.

Her name was warm on his lips, a shudder when she left light kisses in the crook of his neck, and a satisfied hum when she was softly nipping on it.

“Mark me,” he commands.

“Hm?”

She paused, pulling away just enough to ask him, “are you sure?”

He turned, greeting her as his hands tightly hugged her waist, and said,  “yeah, as yours.”

Meeting his eyes, she smiled, then leaned in to leave a vulnerable kiss on his cheek. Then her mouth descended, tracing his chin, under, and his neck, with feather kisses. A moan slipped past his mouth when he felt her sucking on a spot behind his ear, as her fingers moved sensually massaging the back of his head. Her name was in his mouth as she continued to repeat it on several other spots on his neck. His hands moved greedily grasping and squeezing her waist as she sucked his neck, just enough to leave a mark.

“Yes—ahh….” 

Again, repeating it somewhere else on his neck and he called her name in a whimper. She giggled, and went to kiss the marks she had left gently.

Her fingers went to trace the mark, “They are visible,” his eyes met hers.

“And?”

“They’re somewhere you can’t cover with your jersey, Sakusa Senshu," she said.

His hands trailed down her back, pecking them sensually. When he gave a light squeeze on her back, he said, “Just let them think that my girlfriend is a pervert.”

“Girlfriend?” She frowned, amused. 

Murmuring, Sakusa jerks her closer to him, “what are you then?”

She chuckled, “yeah, girlfriend. And clearly they don’t know that the boyfriend asked to be marked as hers,”

"What then?" He retorted. He went to kiss her shoulder and arm.

Coming back to her briefly, he heard her, “don’t make me famous, please.”

He chuckled and went to kiss her collarbone gently, tracing. But while he was so lost and determined to left more trace, she pushed him, then said, “Let me,”

Then her lips were on his chest, tracing them with soft kisses, licking it with her hot, wet tongue, and as she played with his nipples, he moaned her name, his hands tracing her back greedily, possessively.

Her kisses are brought down and her eyes open with anticipation as he gets further down. His hands in her hair, not missing a second of the moment when she goes down for him. His moans a shudder as her hand brushes over his clothed cock, rock hard for her name on his lips. His hands scratching the back of her head and press her to kiss his stomach more. At the sensation that was heating up and making his chest tight with anticipation, she pulled away almost too suddenly for him to even react. Her eyes returned to how she had held him, neck stretched to meet his gaze.

Finally, she said, sighing, “I really am hooking up with a Black Jackals member,”

They stared at each other for quite some time in silence. His hand went to reach her face, stroking it gently. His heart swelled with love and affection seeing how she closed her eyes, melting under his touch, and returned to look at him warmly, mirroring the affection and love he had for her. Finally, he said, “as long as your feelings are real,” voice barely a whisper.

“They are,” she responded immediately.

She pulled away to release her embrace, and brought her hands to start unbuckling his belt and unbuttoning his pants. His chest tight with anticipation as her hand traced his cock while looking up at him. But what makes him throbbing with desperate need is when she goes down to kiss him while locking gazes with him. He’s hot, red, and overcome with need.

Then she strips off his briefs, giving room for his hard, angry cock. In her palm, he couldn’t calm down and instead gets greedier with need. He hissed, subconsciously jerking his hips towards her hand. His moans were a series of disjointed, imperfect shrudders of pleasure, and she quickly cut it off.

Her hand on his stomach, calming him. Then when he looked down, her gaze laced with teasing.

“Relax, big guy,” she said, her voice soft. And he did calm down, completely surrendering to her mercy.

Her hands moved to start playing with his length, leaving kisses on the red tip as his hand ran through her hair, tugging them from time to time. Then other kisses went down his entire length as her hands moved to continue pumping him, and in the end, she made sure to meet his gaze as she gave him a long, hot lick on his length. His cock twitched, his greed firing. 

“Fuck,” he hissed. “That was so hot.”

She smiled, giggling. She seems to be enjoying herself as she plays with his cock. Her other help to further lower his pants down, letting him get off of it to rush back and submit himself to her hands. The remnants of his sanity leaving his body in each of her strokes, he was on cloud nine.

“Relax, it’s just my hand,” she whispered, her voice cold and evil.

“Fuck! Your hand… your hand feels… s’good…”

She increased her speed, only to turn him down as he was so close chasing his high, starting over with slower pumps—  this definitely wasn’t the first time she’d done this.

In the midst of his thoughts being solely occupied with his cock in her palm, and he let out a satisfied moan at her work, he managed to say something.

“What about you?” He hissed when he saw the way she pumped his cock in her palm, expertly destroying him.

“What?” He asked, his gaze on the innocent.

“Is this your first time?” 

Their gazes met, and she was not surprised as he was. Her hands remained focused on working him out just how he wanted.

Then her answer came at last, a, “Yes,” as she gave a nasty lick to his cock that almost had him losing his mind, “you are,” 

When her hot mouth captures the entire of his long-hardened length, aching and desperate for her touch, keening for it, his world momentarily disappears from his senses. Suddenly, she is everywhere filling him up. In his hearing, above and below the surface of his skin, lingering on his tongue, everywhere in his entire being filled with her.

Each pump, each of the ways she sucked him deeper into her mouth, taking him flying higher in pursuit of his high. She knew exactly what she was doing when she was working on him, and like someone whose senses were filled only by her every second she was destroying him with her mouth and hands, Sakusa clearly couldn’t hear how desperate his moans sounded with every minute the intensity of her touch felt less and less like enough.

He was desperate as he whines for more, closer to his high, subconsciously helping himself with small thrusts into her mouth and hands.

“Please… please… please…”

She had him going crazy, completely losing his mind in her unforgiving touch. Under her touch, there was never enough. Every time the high felt so close, it was like he had to try harder to beg to be delivered there immediately. His breathing ragging, racing with all the incoherent, uncharacteristic utterance that slipped past his mouth the further she took him. He couldn’t feel anything, just her, and the powdery bliss of her hands and mouth rubbing against his length.

He was at the end of his rise, almost arriving at the place where he could see stars, when her mouth and hands worked doubly fast and intensely in their work down there— oh god, was this heaven? He swore he moaned as loudly as that one of a porn he had once accidentally watched in high school and he now knows why that time the actor had to moan so disgustingly. His eyes rolled to the back of his head he swore he could see his skull. Her name came out of his mouth like a prayer, a mantra dominated by all sorts of begs.

One long suck, and his eyes returned to her at her mischievous hum and he was done, coming in a long, thick white rope inside her mouth. His first orgasm struck him like a tsunami. 

He braced himself towards her, hands gripping on her shoulders, eyes locking with hers. He jerked his hips deeper into her mouth as he chanted her name desperately, and she rolled her eyes whilst taking all of him in. However, he doesn’t stop yet, his first one is probably quite a lot for her to handle and she coughs.

Worried, Sakusa immediately pulls himself out of her mouth while soothing his throbbing length with short, fast pump. He grimaced, groaning, then he returned to her, with enough worry and guilt, cupping her face and asked, “are you okay?”

She was still coughing, her hand somewhere on her mouth, yet she still managed to lick the remnants of his cum on her hand and on the tip of her lips afterwards, a wicked sight that shot right to his cock. Sakusa almost whimpered as the sensation that came over him made him hard again.

“That was pretty fast,” she commented. She smiled at him, her eyes mirroring his own.

Sakusa sighed, “Yeah, you worked really hard for it.”

“It was fun,” she winked.

Sakusa’s voice was low, and his gaze dangerous when he said, “you naughty little demon.”

She laughed at his words, quickly adjusting herself to immediately releasing her bottom without being asked to. He came hard to the sight as she lay down for him, clearly under his mercy. Her face flushed with shyness as he took all of her in, trailing every inch of the full picture of her raw beauty in his gaze.

“Stop gazing,” she said.

And Sakusa immediately stopped, his gaze returning to her eyes as he descended.

“Is it wrong for me to look at you?”

“No,” she replied. Her hand went to move the pillow away, not needing it. She caught him in line with her legs, blushing when she saw him kiss them gently and attentively. Her heart swelling with love and affection at what she had just seen, and when his eyes returned to her, his hand briefly took hers.

“You are so beautiful,” he whispers.

“Because I’m naked, and at your mercy,” she retorted. 

Sakusa shakes his head, contrasting with how his hand slowly, sensually, strokes her leg, going between them.

“You know, even though I really want to fuck you right now, I want you to feel comfortable,” Sakusa said, eyes never leaving her through each strokes. 

Her brow furrowed, catching his words amusingly, “I don’t know whether to be pleased, touched, or honored of what I just heard— is that your confession?” She asked.

“Don’t try,” he warned, his dark orbs piercing through her, “I mentioned every damn word pretty clearly just now.” 

Silence falls upon them, and in the silence, the temperature in their bodies rises along with the tension that is also mounting. Within each touch, Sakusa gives the message that she is his, that no one else has the right to mark what is his and he is quite competitive and determined in this regard. One last touch and he gave her a light squeeze and gentle look in her eyes yet his tone a command, “spear your legs.” 

She spread her legs for him, shyly at first.

“More,” he said.

And more.

“More,” 

“I think that’s—“

Sakusa’s eyes are on her, sharp and coldly piercing, demanding, “More,” his low, deep voice sending shivers down her spine, and something down there throbbing with need. Her eyes narrowed in desperation as she whimpered his name, she felt a quick wetness down there.

“Sakusa-san…” 

Her breath caught in the back of her throat when his mouth cupped her pussy quickly, kissing her in the way he kissed her lips, something that made her mind go on an instant error. Her moan a naughty, reciprocated with a satisfied hum that makes her slowly tighten up. How could she not? His tongue and lips know what exactly they are doing, licking, sucking, then slightly swirling a circle that makes her breath catch in her chest.

“Don’t stop right there— ahh…. Don’t… please don’t….”

He hummed, working his tongue like an expert who never failed in his first try. For a moment, just a moment, she thought that he might be lying about this being his first.

Her hands reached for his, locking his fingers with squeezes every time he did his thing, finishing her with a pleasure that left her only craving for more. His name in her mouth a barraging of desperate whine, needy moans, and though he let her press his head deeper into her welcoming cunt, each time he denied her when she was so close to be done.

“Please… I want to cum,” she whines, eyes glossy with need, despair, lust, and love.

He hummed. 

The next time his name slips out of her mouth in a whine, he slips a finger into her hole, and his name is a satisfied cry as he pulls them out and pumps them in along with his tongue at work on her clit.

Her ragged breathing, needy moans, and words of praise, as well as his name almost a prayer in her mouth becomes music to Sakusa’s ears.

“Sakusa-san… Sakusa-san… don’t stop don’t stop….” She mindlessly muttered.

And when two of his fingers fit themselves into her holes at once, his name a pleased shuddering, begging him not to stop.

Sakusa knows better and does exactly what she wants, gladly satisfying her while pumping himself at every sound she makes on his work. He comes once again just for her voice and the sweet taste of her juices in his tongue— it sounds pathetic and exhausting, but even then, his cock was still too excited to the thought of her.

With increased speed and intensity, his fingers and mouth bring her to the star she’s been desperately wanting to see, and his name a barrage of satisfied cries interspersed with sweet moans. His fingers creamy when he pulls them out, and he licks them in her watch.

His other hand was still pumping himself lazily as their eyes locked together in silence, drowning in the love and lust thick in the air, begging for immediate repayment.

The first to break the silence, she said, “that wasn’t really the fuck part.”

Sakusa smiled, “I know right,” he said. “I’ve been pumping myself.”

She chuckled, “Oh, I bet you really want to fuck me.”

“I’m rock hard just because you call my name, is that a good enough answer to make you let me fuck you?”

Their gazes locked together.

“Or should I just keep pumping myself on my own with you watching me?” He asked.

Sakusa waits quite some time for her answer, and his hand doesn’t stop pumping his still hard and very excited length. His heart racing, and honestly, he’s at the limit.

“Why would I watch you pump yourself?” She said finally, spreading leg open for him.

Sakusa smiled. Still pumping his cock lazily, he brought his length closer, lining against her entrance.

Sakusa doesn’t immediately insert his length into her, he lets the tip in for a while, then pulls it out, kissing her awaiting cunt with the tip and repeating it a few times until she says, “don’t tease.”

Sakusa smiled, not stopping what he was doing, this time locking his gaze with hers.

“Sakusa…. Please…” she begged, face flushed red, desperate.

“Please what?” He didn’t stop, “I didn’t recall that you’re desperate to be fucked.”

He enjoyed the sight of how her breathing was ragged and her gaze was pleading. Her hands reaching for him desperately, and though he won’t stop teasing her until she begs for it, he didn’t leave her alone and catches her hand in his.

“What is it, babygirl?” He cooed, tone gentle, fingers intertwining with her own. “What do you want, hm?”

“Please… I want to feel your cock inside me…”

He groaned.

“Fuck me, Sakusa-san, please,”

Her words shot right through his hard rocking cock. He groaned as she giggled, realizing she got him again. This time, though, he let it be. 

“Fuck, I want to fuck you so bad…”

The next second was their moans coming together in satisfaction as he finally slid himself into her cunt. His hand fell down to hold the weight of his body beside her head, the other still locking with hers, squeezing each other in bliss. 

“Fuck! You’re so tight!” He hissed, having trouble going deeper with his size inside her tightness, not yet used to him.

Underneath she softly whimpered. Her hand looping on his arms, clinging to it, squeezing like her life depends on it. 

“F-fuck— Just a little more,” he peered down, then left a kiss on her forehead, “ahh... just a little more and I promise it’ll feel good.… f—shit! You’re so tight— is it hurting you? Are you okay?”

When she didn’t answer, Sakusa called her name, panic evident in his eyes. His hand went to guide her back to his eyes, “Hey,” his voice soft. “Talk to me,” he said, “are you okay?”

She smiled, chuckling, “Yes… I am okay.” 

His eyes on hers for quite some time, searching for something that spoke of doubt or fear to find nothing. His hand then went to wipe her sweaty face, his touch gentle.

“It’s… started to feel good now,” she said

Sakusa hummed, obeying with a few slow thrusts as he helped himself in. His free hand immediately sought her out, spreading their fingers together to lock back  as he brought himself in deeper with each thrust. His hand tightened against her, locking possessively and protectively.

With each thrust, he gambled with what was left of his sanity not to do this depravedly in one go, but the looser and more accustomed her walls became to him, the less he could resist turning up the intensity of each of his thrust. Their moans were in sync, something that spoke of satisfaction and blind, raw pleasure, where love and lust melted into one. He drew himself closer to her as he left her hands, leaning down, longing for her warmth and she welcomed him with a hug. He murmured her name in her ear, nuzzling further into the crook of her neck, and nipping. Her hands snaking on his back, gripping, scratching sensually.

“Oh my god you feel so good, baby…” he moaned, increasing the speed and intensity of his thrusts.

“You want my cock to thrust deeper into you, don’t you? You want it to keep filling you, don’t you? You want it to fuck you, don’t you? Should I continue fucking you?” He rasped in her ear, 

“Yes please, Sakusa…” Her head nodding mindlessly, she moans desperately, begging, almost crying with need.

“We gotta say it, baby,” he said.

“Yes please, don’t stop fucking me, Sakusa—ohhh….” She says it clearly in his ear and Sakusa completely throws his morale after that, gone brutal in the pace he sets as he manages to hit the spot that had her moaning even more desperately in a barrage of his name.

His name a barrage of prayers, greedy whimpers, pornographic moans and everything else in his hearing the entire time his cock hitting that spot perfectly on each attempt and all praises, whatever it is:

“Oh good it feels so good Sakusa… please don’t stop…. Oh yes right there… Sakusa…..!!!!!”

She came once more, creaming the tip of his still rock hard cock with her sweetness. Sakusa groaned, his cock hard. He’s about to come once again. His hands quickly flipped her over to bend, exposing her ass to him, her hands and knees on the bed. She gasped for air when he immediately inserted his length without a warning. He groaned at the familiar, welcoming sensation. Her walls were still pulsating and still warm, the imprint of his cock still there. His hands held her waist steady on the first, intense thrust and made her gasp for air in an imperfect moans.

Sakusa positions himself better before he thrusts again, this time having her perfectly moaning. Before his next thrust, he stops and kisses her back, curing his longing for the warmth of her body. Welcoming him who traces along her shoulder with a soft kiss, she reaches towards him. Her hand scratched his head as he squirmed on her shoulder, and he hummed to acknowledge her. He briefly kissed her arm. 

When he finally pulled away, their room was again filled with their colliding moans as his waist continued to help him push himself deeper and deeper into her, deep where he remembered a spot that would make her moans in contentment.

It wasn’t long enough for him to stay in that position, as he was quickly missing her warmth to him, craving her touch. He went closer, hugging her while calling her name desperately, longingly. He kissed her back and shoulders, the back of her neck while his hands went to trace her curves as his waist continued to work to bring his thrusts home, repeatedly hitting that spot that had his name slipping out of her mouth in a mindless plea, a satisfied, pornographic moan.

He began to lose his rhythm as her walls pulsed, squeezing him in. He groaned at his name as a desperate call in her mouth when she was close.

“Sakusa-san…” she called out, desperate, glancing through her shoulder.

He responded, calling her name in each of his thrusts.

Her hands reaching out, calling out to him once more. And he greet her, kissing her fingers and letting her touch him.

“Sakusa-san….” 

He called back to her name, and said, “I’m close…” voice trailing, unable to contain himself for any longer. His rhythm was messy, just a raw need of wanting to be done, to see those stars again with her walls wrapping him.

“Me too…” she said.

He pulled her into a short, intense kiss. Then in the midst of their hazy thoughts of exploding lust, she asked breathlessly, “Are you mine?” hands still tangled in his hair, squeezing him. 

Sakusa replied, catching his breath, “yours… yeah… forever…”

And she asked again, “you promise you won’t leave me the next morning?”

Sakusa nodded breathlessly, “I won’t leave you, I’m yours…. I’m yours…. yours to take…”

Then she pulled him into an intense kiss and ended it with a desperate moan, “Oh…. So good— god I’m so close!!!”

“Yes…. Yes…. Have me with you, baby… I’m so close too…” Sakusa answered.

She responded with an incoherent hum, a proposal, “Inside please,” 

Sakusa’s mind was foggy but he managed to make sure, “Huh?” 

“Inside,” she asserted.

“Y-yeah?” he asked, breathless.

She nodded, “cum inside me, please,”

Sakusa doesn’t need to be told twice, he picks up the pace and lets her cream on him as his name slips out of her mouth mindlessly, and shortly after she comes, he follows, breaking into the rhythm of his thrusts as her name is the final fragment of satisfaction on his ride. He did not just see stars, heaven was all along in his every sense.

He fell, his body limping against her on the bed as exhaustion finally rippled their muscles. For some time they are silent, focused on calming themselves and catching their ragging breaths.

Sakusa is the first to recover, and is calm enough to bring himself to kiss her back, her shoulders, the back of her neck, and whispering a thank you in her ear, and was responded with a hum and a soft kiss.

After that there was only silence, and also love bubbling in the air as they became too tired to talk. However, when Sakusa slowly trailed his arm to cage her, he had enough urge to say, “I bet your hot Miya-san can’t do something like this,” 

“I will bet that he’s the type to last longer in bed though,” she retorted. 

Sakusa chuckled, “yeah, clearly. Atsumu’s a bed master. A professional playboy.” 

“And you?” She asked, hunching her shoulder slightly as she peeked on her shoulder. 

He welcomed her affectionately, nuzzling his nose into her cheek, “I’d say a dedicated lover.”

She hummed, a skeptical hum, then added, “Or you can also say, a jealous, possessive, hyper protective, high-guarded little brat.”

Sakusa hummed, finding his comfort in the crook of her neck.

Then she said, “Now get off of me.” 

Silence, then, “No,” he said, giggling against her shoulder. 

“You’re going to hurt my back, Sakusa-san,” she said.

“I’ll massage you later…” He gently muttered, a cute plea with a pout as he peered into her. 

She sighed, “I warned you. We’re not sleeping like this.” 

Sakusa hummed. 

She turned to meet him, and just like that he understands what she needs and gives it immediately. Another kiss on the lips. Tender, unrushing, a promise.

[mx-ryder]

More thoughts on Hazbin Hotel pt 2 of ??

A follow up to this post here:

just gonna jump right in here, right where I left off.

Usual disclaimer about my religious upbringing coloring my thoughts/opinions on this show, etc. etc.

blahblahblah, let's go.

He’s the “Radio Demon.” This means he has a microphone-shaped* staff and talks like an over-the-top old-timey radio host at all times, complete with a radio filter effect over his voice. The voice is already grating enough for me to dislike him based on that alone. His eyes also sometimes transform into radio dials. Again, it’s not entirely clear why a small handful of the demons like Alastor embody different concepts like they’re Chainsaw Man devils when most of the others don’t, or why a human soul would even become the embodiment of a concept after death in the Christian Hell.

Again, I'm really not sure an explanation for the powers/themes is necessary. But we do get one for Alastor, at least partially. He's the radio demon because he live broadcasted his murders of various overlords over the radio. He's from the 20s, I'm pretty sure, averse to change and technology, etc. He earned himself that moniker, and tbh I'm not sure what concept you think he's supposed to be embodying?

If you mean the Seven Sins, then . . . idk how to tell you about why there's embodiments of the catholic Seven Deadly Sins in hell. It's pretty self explanatory.

When the microphone part of the staff is facing away from the camera, as in the screenshot above, it just looks like a butt plug.

That . . . kinda seems like a you problem.

Y'wanna know the best part about him? According to christian beliefs, if he'd accepted jesus christ as his lord and savior before death? He would've ended up in heaven. Serial killings and cannibalism and all. :)

He’s a sadistic cannibal with razor sharp teeth.

In his life as a human, he was a serial killer.

He is literally always smiling menacingly and is insufferably smug.

He makes shady “deal with the Devil” type soul contracts with characters as part of his vague schemes, seemingly wanting to play all sides at all times. Lucifer, the literal Devil, does not do this in this show, but Alastor does.

Not gonna bother with the "Lucifer is not the literal devil" bit.

But like . . . you do realize the other Overlords do this, too? Angel is in this sort of contract. It's a very real and sinister way of gaining complete and total ownership over someone. Can you not see why a character like Lucifer, a fallen angel who was banished for more or less just sort of asking some questions, wouldn't do this? He doesn't even want the responsibility of ruling his portion of hell, why would he want to own another person that way??

Despite being a sinner who previously lived a normal life as a human, he somehow seems to be the most powerful entity in Hell by a wide margin, even rivaling Lucifer. Both the pilot and the full series recount how he just showed up one day and started wiping out Overlords of Hell and claiming their territory. Alastor immediately stomps just about any threat to the hotel — that is, until the finale, where he needs to randomly lose against Adam and slink away into the shadows for a bit so that the actual protagonist of the show and her dad can beat the villain.

Not EVERY LITTLE THING about a character and his backstory is explained? BAD WRITING!!!!

I rankle at media criticism that calls characters “Mary Sues” or “Gary Stus,” so I won’t take that route here,

How magnanimous of you *eyeroll*

Despite seemingly contributing so little, though, Alastor is constantly derailing the main story so that we can follow him around and meet characters he knows. Of the eight 22-minute episodes comprising this season of television, four feature lengthy tangents about new characters spurred on by Alastor. This is what elevates him above being simply an amalgamation of a bunch of tropes I find annoying and turns him into a true menace to this show’s writing. When I say that the scripts feel like a first draft, that they don’t properly know how to spend their time, and that they place emotional beats in the wrong order, so much of that comes down to these Alastor-related subplots.

Weird, this character who's been in hell for so long, is an incredibly influential person there, and who actively goes out of his way to make social/business connections knows a lot of people? And is used in the narrative to introduce those people?? LIke, okay, sure, it could be kind of lazy writing. Or. And here me out here. Or. He could be a character who is NOT the main character, but who has significant enough connections and enough of an agenda to warrant his connections/those characters being introduced via their connection to him??

This, in turn, means we have to spend a bunch of time with Vox, and meet characters he interacts with, as if I give even a single shit about this old vs. new, radio vs. TV thing they have going on, or Vox as a villain.

Waaaah, this is too many characters! I can't form an emotional connection to a main cast of seven and several side characters, boohoo!!

Even still, Carmine launches into a big emotional ballad about the hard choices she’s had to make to protect her family and about how her actions have now put her family in danger, as if these aren’t all characters we just met.

You're literally complaining about a new character giving us some insight into who she is, her motivations, etc. Like . . . would you rather she confess to the killing and then whine about how it's too painful to talk about, or mysteriously claim she "had her reasons"? Should we just never learn anything about the characters, because "We like, JUST met them."

This could have been such a good source of drama for the main cast, but instead it’s handed off to some other random character in Alastor’s orbit.

The whole, ENTIRE point of the show and Charlie's story, is that she IS NOT INVOLVED WITH THE CONFLICT BETWEEN HEAVEN AND HELL. She is actively trying to STOP the cullings, the yearly slaughter of who knows how many of her people (who are literal human souls, remember). The only reason she even decides to fight is because Adam gives her no choice. And the only reason Adam is SO damn ADAMANT (lol) about moving the timeline up is because someone killed an angel, and he wants revenge, and for that knowledge to never get out. Because HE knows they're not invincible. The fact that no one else knows is the only reason his little hobby works!

Like, I'm struggling to figure out what you think would have been accomplished, storywise, if the angel's death had been due to one of Charlie's group. It would have given them an actual, concrete reason for being in shit with Adam and heaven, therefore completely nullifying their moral superiority in the conflict. The entire reason the fight is frustrating is because Charlie did absolutely nothing to deserve it, and there's nothing she can do to stop it.

At this point, even though it feels like no time has passed and no progress has been made, it’s apparently already been four months, with only two months remaining until the next

I'm not going to argue that the small amount of episodes makes pacing a mess. But you keep acting like that's the show's fault, or that it's just bad writing.

Charlie generally hates using her position of power as the Princess of Hell to support the hotel, even though you’d think she’d pull out all the stops to try and end the genocide, but here she finally caves and decides to get help from her dad.

*heavy sobbing about how you've somehow missed the entire point of Charlie's character, her struggle with her power, authority, and privilege, and how deeply she fears the responsibility that comes with that power, and why she never dares use it before it's absolutely necessary*

Despite being set up as a mysteriously absent figure by the first episode’s opening lore, Lucifer has just been… depressed over the fact that he signed off on the exterminations, and hiding in his house to ignore his problems.

I feel like you've just literally never been in a shitty situation with zero solutions, and only horrifying options that give you the chance to protect the one person you care about, while sacrificing others in the process. Which is weird, considering the capitalistic hellscape we live in, but whatever. Considering you're always bitching about the length of the season/how the story suffers for it, where would you have liked them to examine Lucifer's participation and feelings about that, exactly?

I got zero indication that Alastor is supposed to be like a father to Charlie. 

That's because it wasn't. there. There's theories about this, about how Alastor was worried Lucifer was butting in on his hotel gig, and once he realized that wasn't the case, he backed off a bit. He's literally trying to piss him off, and claiming to have a more father/daughter dynamic than Lucifer has with his own daughter was the easiest way to do that.

Husk made a bet with Alastor and lost, meaning that Alastor now owns Husk’s soul.

Fundamentally untrue. Which you'd know, if you'd been paying attention.

Did you know that the slave owner who chains up the only Black-coded character on the main cast and threatens to torture and kill him is also supposed to be the token aromantic asexual representation on the main cast?

We don't want your virtue signaling here. Villains are allowed to be queer. We are not supposed to see this and think that Alastor is some uwu cutie innocent aroace idol to look up to. Also I'm probably just a dumbass but I didn't realize Husk was black-coded, so. That's on me, I guess?

“oh yeah btw Alastor owns Husk as a slave and threatens to tear him apart if he acts up” and then expecting you to still care about whether or not he’ll help Charlie teach Sir Pentious how to say thank you or what the fuck ever. That is the problem.

Now I'm just wondering if you've just never been around this kind of person. The others don't know about this? He is incredibly good at hiding his more insidious actions and behaviors, while simultaneously letting just enough of them show to keep the rest of the cast on edge about him. I understand the discomfort around people making excuses for him, but that isn't the show's fault? And also, like, idk if you've ever encountered an abuser, but they are CONSTANTLY surrounded by people defending them because all they've ever seen is the nice side, or because they're too cowardly or naïve to believe the worst of them. Alastor is not unique in this way, and how fandom reacts to characters isn't the fault of the media.

Despite damn near every new episode introducing new characters, none of them stay at the hotel.

Literally no one else in hell believes in what Charlie's trying to do, or believes it's even possible. Angel openly admits he's there at first because it's a rent free place to stay (when he was, apparently, previously living with Val, and oh my gods I will NOT be getting into how fucking impactful it is to have a safe place to live and sleep when you're in such a dangerous relationship/situation).

And Pen ends up there pretty much completely by accident, because he's never had friends before, and quite literally has no where else to go. The Vees are more or less done with him, and would probably kill him on a whim if he showed his face around them again.

(Also, I have a hard time believing they could’ve pulled off a longer season at all, given it took them like three or four years just to make eight episodes.

Have we heard any news about GRRM's next book, lately? Some people work slowly. Chill.

To me, the big problem with the pilot was that, when you really get down to it, the emotional core of Hazbin Hotel is about a rich girl from the upper echelons of society — a princess, even! — picking a crack-snorting gay sex worker up off the street and trying to turn him into a “proper” member of society.

Alright, this is where I came in and went "now, hold up."

See my previous Thoughts post to see why I think this is a really fucking stupid black/white view of the premise.

And like, obviously I’m not saying every romantic relationship needs to be sexual — ace people exist. 

Get my identity out of your fucking mouth.

But when you’re telling a story about a slutty gay guy who’s ruining his life by having too much sex, and how he’s being “saved” by a wholesome woman who never has impure thoughts, that… kinda sucks?

Do we even know how or why Angel came to be in the hotel? Did Charlie seek him out? Did he happen to find her place and go "oh finally, a safe place to sleep, away from my horrible abuser," and jump at the opportunity, weird ideals be damned? He's never portrayed as "ruining his life by having too much sex" and I don't know where you got that idea. He's showed, multiple times, to be a deeply hurt and traumatized individual who's self-destructing because he got into an abusive relationship that he literally cannot leave, probably tempted in by the money, the lifestyle, and/or because it was his chosen industry in the first place.

I'm pretty sure Charlie also literally claims that she's just trying to give people some love and care, some understanding. She's also working under what she thinks heaven's ideals are. She has a vague idea of what heaven considers holy/virtuous, and is idealistic enough to believe she can achieve that in her guests, somehow.

Once she realizes not even heaven knows how to get there, she drops her ideals pretty damn quickly. She stops pretending that there's some difference between Adam being a sexist, abusive asshole and being good enough for heaven, and Angel being a porn star/sex worker and not being good enough for heaven. There are no rules, and her idealistic, naive mindset isn't serving her, or her friends.

and it’s implied there’s a history of sexual abuse as well. 

A history of sexual abuse? Inflicted on Angel by the man who vindictively forces him to film sex acts he's not comfortable with, or that might hurt him physically/mentally, because he owns Angel's literal soul and enjoys hurting him this way/reminding him of his place?? *gasps and faints* No! No way. There's no way this was implied.

Cuz it was fucking explicitly shown to us. Just because Val isn't the one literally assaulting Angel on screen (sexually, physically, or emotionally), doesn't mean that their relationship as it is shown on screen isn't sexually abusive. It absolutely is. Angel is a literal sex slave.

Other episodes also can’t help but give Angel dark jokes about his abuse, such as an offhand line about how Val’s been waterboarding him lately. “I don’t know, it’s a kink,” he shrugs.)

Trauma survivors . . . and abuse victims . . . make . . . dark jokes? About their situations?? *clutches pearls*

I won’t say this song handles these heavy topics delicately— the controversial visuals depicting Angel at work are extremely sexually charged, and people absolutely have every right to find it uncomfortable

Have you experienced sexual abuse in the past? If not, shut the fuck up about how someone portrays it "not delicately" in a show like this. That scene hit me like a fucking train, in its realistic and shattering depiction of how these kinds of abusive relationships work, how horrifying it is to be broken like that, over and over again, to the point that you've gotten so fucking good at dissociating that you don't even notice yourself doing it. How desperately trapped and broken you feel, knowing you have absolutely zero say in who touches you, or when, or how, or for how long. And Angel knowing that so many of his assaults are being packaged and sold as sexual entertainment to other people?? Horrifying. Heartbreaking. And if you have never been in Angel's place, you do not get to comment on how "delicately" the show portrayed his situation.

Horrendous porn industry abuse is maybe a little much for this “life sucks, but what can you do?” mentality.

*watches the point fly so far over your head that it nearly collides with a commercial flight*

Husk is not trying to tell Angel that his suffering isn't valid, or that he needs to just get over it because hey, life sucks, etc. He's trying to show Angel that he's suffering (partially, a very, very small amount) needlessly. Because Angel has let himself believe, for who knows how long, that he's ALONE. That no one could ever possibly understand what he's going through. That even if he did tell someone, they'd tell him exactly what Val does. That he deserves it. That it's his own damn fault. He has been struggling and suffering all on his own, believing he isn't worth being listened to or helped or empathized with, for too long.

Husk is just trying to remind him that he doesn't have to suffer alone. There are people out there who will believe him. People who will understand and empathize with him. He just has to open up a tiny little bit and let them see the person he is underneath the very reasonable self-defensive persona he wears.

Yes, this show riffing on the Christian afterlife and sins and redemption does not actually have a list of what it considers a sin. They don’t even use the Ten Commandments. For that matter, God isn’t a factor at all, even though you think he’d be the guy deciding all this stuff.

Oh no! The writers forgot to figure out the criteria for getting into heaven! They didn't write out an exhaustive list of what they, personally, as story writers, consider a bad enough sin to condemn someone to hell! It couldn't possibly be that that's THE ENTIRE. FUCKING. POINT.

How many more times am I going to have to point out the point you've missed??

Also, like. Nah. If you knew anything about what most christians actually believe, they have a single guaranteed ticket to heaven (most of them, some of them believe in the good works, etc.) and that is "accepting jesus christ as your lord and savior." And that pretty much boils down to "believing that jesus died on the cross for your sins, and that you're inherently a bad, evil person who is only going to go to heaven by the infinite grace of god who . . . was going to condemn you to hell . . . by default . . . if you didn't say a little prayer about inviting jesus into your heart. . ."

This means that, quite literally, someone like Alastor could feasibly have ended up in heaven according to this doctrine, if he'd recited a prayer before dying. Serial killings and other various bad deeds aside, as long as he believes in jesus as his personal savior, he's good to go. Once you've said those words, there's literally nothing that can take that ticket to heaven away from you.

Which actually makes me a little uncomfortable and also I find it a little funny? That according to a lot of christians, I'm still guaranteed a place in their heaven based on the fact I accepted their deity into my life as a child, and that there's nothing you can do that can change that, after the fact. (I think the one exception is, like, denying god? Maybe? In which case maybe I'm good.)

What really bothers me is when Angel stands up for himself against Valentino at the bar, saying he can do what he wants outside of the studio, which Charlie treats as the example of Angel “sticking it to the man” that Adam wanted. And I just… yes, this moment is a win for Angel Dust against his abuser, but it’s gross to me to treat it as a moral win, y’know? To act like standing up against his abuser is what makes Angel Dust a good person deserving of a spot in Heaven? Come on.

*quietly sobbing into a pillow*

Again, we’re supposed to want Angel Dust to clean up his act so he can go up and live with people like this in heaven? Really??

Literally NO. Literally. No one has been rooting for that from the beginning! Anyone who is at ALL familiar with the inner workings of "the church" knew where this was going. The only reason Charlie didn't is because she's NEVER ENCOUNTERED HEAVEN OR ITS PEOPLE BEFORE MEETING ADAM. And she's just idealistic enough to hope that he's not the standard she should expect from them.

So I guess redemption and becoming an angel is still supposed to be desirable? After all that???

*more quiet sobbing*

We still don't know why he ended up there. We don't even know there isn't some greater being (a god or what have you) working behind the scenes, who knows that Pen is just the person they need in heaven to finally breach the fucking barrier between the two worlds and like, idk, be a literal bridge between the two worlds and cultures? I really don't think this show is going to end with everyone happily in the heavenly afterlife. Really.

 the series has been unable to actually say anything critical of conservative Christian values and the idea of sin.

Absolutely disagree, but I'm willing to bet you've never deconstructed before. So I forgive you.

At best, season one gives us a message about double standards and forgiving people for past sins, saying that if people can change their ways later in life then they should be able to get into Heaven after all, regardless of their past mistakes. Which, uh. Is already a thing most Christians believe? Like, hello??

It worries me that you can't see the ways Charlie is misguidedly trying to work within a system that is rigged against her, believing the other side is acting in good faith. Like . . . I'm afraid you can't see how this parallels real life social issues, and that's very, very concerning to me.

So, uh. I didn’t like this show very much.

This entire article leaves me with one very important question:

Who gives a shit??

No, seriously. Who fucking cares? So you didn't like a show that you already knew you weren't going to like?? Fucking. Move on with your life. Let people enjoy things! Let people simp for their problematic fave! Let people design "cringey, overdesigned" characters! Let people tell stories that are messy! Let people enjoy stories that are messy!

Let

People

Enjoy

Things

And stop shitting on media that you knew you weren't going to like in the first place! Stop commenting on things you don't understand! Stop trying to "advocate" for identities who don't need your condescending mentions that you use just for ally points! Just. Stop it.

Go watch something you enjoy, and leave us the fuck alone.

[hospitalterrorizer]

diary403

10/29-30/24

tuesday - wednesday

more doodling today...

nothing to show, of course. i did start drawing/painting a person today though, that's interesting to try. it's hard to figure out how to work with coloring lineart, because i end up wanting new lines kind of in the painting, but maybe those disagree with the harder lines... i dunno.

honestly i've been up for over 24 hours now so i just need to go to sleep, but today i rewatched buffalo 66, in an effort to stay awake, i can't believe that movie still. it's really really special. gallo is an idiot, when he talks about his own films, especially how he talks about that one with caveh zahedi. but it's a beautiful movie that feels like it disagrees with what he says in some ways... or maybe less intense than disagree but it goes against it. i don't know. the visual language and way it gets across pain is really insane and affecting. it feels like the sensitivity to that isn't really, it feels mostly about empathy and someone forgiving himself for being terrible, or realizing there is a way he can be that would lead to his being forgiven, that it's possible to be liked, that he never saw that before, and so he is better for those around him, or at least some of them.

here are some shots, that i really love from the film.

this is something i think about often, since first seeing the film, unlike anything else i've ever seen in a movie. it's just shocking still. it feels like such a new idea, even now. it gets so much across so quickly but it's also how it comes in, the way it is this reminiscing thing, scenes of isolation and distance. i don't know. it's a lot. i'm too tired to get it across perfectly but it's a feat of editing i think.

it's also a very funny movie in ways, until it becomes less funny and more and more painful.

she is of course maybe the thing that keeps the film together, her performance and her putting up with the asshole that is vincent gallo and doing these things she does in this film so convincingly, probably an all time performance. gallo too... i don't know. it's impossible to deny his talent for acting. he's so strange.

i like this shot quite a lot. it reminds me of lynch...i wonder if gallo would despise that comparison... there's multiple points in the film that really do actually. but maybe it's how it takes place in such old places, or idk, i do think it mostly has to do with the stillness of the camera, and the quotidian uncanny stuff, and the lighting. i feel at least decently right to point out the americana-surrealism crossover.

anyway i mentioned caveh zahedi, who is this guy who over-documents his life and tries too hard to be honest all the time, he's an extreme asshole because he wants to be understood perfectly and he seems terrible. i watched some of his tv show, or the whole first season, called the show about the show. it's very unpleasant but also i can't look away. it's essentially a recreation of events during the making of the recreation of the last episode, recursively, the first episode was, how did this even start. it spirals off into relationship difficulty, and all kinds of strange things of that nature. it's really intensely unpleasant how he treats his wife, i really really do not like it. i know that's not much to go on, it just feels like, he says over and over, she makes him miserable, he makes her miserable, he keeps sticking cameras in her face, getting her high on weed to make her more pliant, it feels like, or as he puts it, loving and on the same wavelength he is. i dunno. it'd be too far to say drugging, of course, they smoke pot together on the couch it seems, it's just that he's so unpleasant a person, constantly like, maybe i should leave her, and then it seems like they're really going to split up. he documents every part of his life that matters to the show which is all of his life, to the detriment of everybody around him. it's just so insane. so i suppose, in this way, it is 'good' reality tv. but reality tv treated as confrontational art, as in, it confronts you with him confronting you with yourself as he captured you in his camera, or, not you, those people around him. i dunno.

uhm,,, i do like drawing / painting people but clothes are hard. maybe i chose hard clothes. i dunno. i want to make it look good though. i would like to finish this drawing, and daan also. daan i'm just a little lost. i like the big daan i drew, and then the little one... idk, it's hard to make him look like him, there. and needles and stitches too... maybe it's too busy. maybe i just keep it as big daan, and then a clown face distantly behind him?? idk.

i just redrew the hair on this woman a bit.

okay but i really need to make myself go sleep, over 24 hours... i woke up yesterday at like 4:30... i think. i don't know actually. i can't recall,

so

byebye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[scattered-winter]

oh my god ACTUALLY yes tell me all about the vigilante carlos au

(@x-andro)

ok so first of all I need to say that carlos is sooooo very vigilante coded already. all I did was see truth <3 (@dauntingday shares custody of vigilante carlos btw <;333) AND SECONDLY HERE'S THE PLAYLIST <33

this au incorporates my favorite headcanon that eddie and carlos are childhood besties btw <33 but basically they grew up together and were like Brothers and they were going to Change The World together!!! but then carlos' family moved to austin, and shannon got pregnant and eddie went off to war and they kind of. grew apart. but they both wanted to Change The World still!!!! so eddie became a firefighter in LA and carlos became a cop because they wanted to help people!! they grew up wanting to help people!!!! and carlos wanted to follow in his dad's footsteps!!! but it didn't take long for carlos to realize that the police force only helps the people on top. and the people who really need the help are the ones being oppressed and abused. and he hates that he's a part of it. he tries to stick to it because maybe he can change it, maybe he can be a good cop, but in the end he realizes that no matter how good of a cop he is, the system is still broken and there's nothing he can do from the inside to fix it. he needs to tear it down from the outside and still keep his soul intact. and so vigilante carlos is born <33

he purposely is using police colors but In His Own Way because his whole thing is that he's what the cops should be. yes visual symbolism is a thing of mine however could you tell??? his primary weapon is a collapsible bo staff, but he also has the generic vigilante arsenal (grappling hooks, throwing stars, smoke bombs, etc). the suit is primarily body armor similar to the stuff batman and co. use in the comics, and the cape is fireproof.

he takes the name sentinel (soldier imagery in MY carlos and eddie fic?????? more likely than you THINK) and primarily focuses on protecting the people over protecting assets and property. and he likes to fuck with the cops because he knows their procedures inside and out so he can fuck with them in a way that nobody else can <3 also as he gains more respect and admiration among the people, they begin to adopt his symbol as their own. the symbol of the people, as it were. kids spray painting the S on the alley walls, people scratching it into their walls with chalk, etc etc. I'm a slut for the superhero protecting his people and the people accepting him as theirs, ya know????

anyway the story proceeds fairly similarly as canon, except carlos has been operating as sentinel for at least a year BEFORE tk and owen moved to austin and put the 126 together. so he helps michelle investigate to find her sister, and grace is his oracle <333 she figured out he was sentinel fairly early and insisted on helping him. thus many late nights of grace and carlos poring over cases at the ryder kitchen table while judd played video games in the other room because grace and carlos' detective teamup arc in s3 was SOOO <3333333 she's on comms, and hacks into cameras and security systems to help him find people to help or people to hurt, depending on the situation. her codename is soteria (greek goddess of salvation, safety, and deliverance <333) tk and eddie also talk shop long-distance, and there's definitely a few instances of eddie talking carlos through removing a bullet late at night. and also eddie and carlos speaking spanish to each other. I'm right <3

he meets tk and the 126, and everything proceeds about as canon dictates, except sometime after putting the firehouse together owen retires and goes to live in the fucking. bahamas or something. idk where he is but he sure as hell isn't in austin anymore <3 before, carlos didn't really have anyone outside of his family to hide his secret identity from, since grace and michelle already knew, but now he has a new family to lie to, and he doesn't want to lie to this one. he and tk hook up and get together a la canon, but then a few months into their relationship tk finds out that carlos is, in fact, the vigilante running around austin all night. and of course there's some conflict there because tk's upset that carlos didn't tell him, and carlos is upset because he wanted to, but wasn't sure how, and also didn't want to bring tk into it anyway, and it's kind of a Whole Thing. but after they both have some space and cool off, they reconcile because I like miscommunication angst but only if it isn't dragged out super long. so there's a little angst but nothing huge. they're partners in crime your honor <333

SO. PARAMEDIC TK x VIGILANTE CARLOS. YOU CAN UNDERSTAND MY VISION CAN'T YOU <33333333 I have an UNGODLY amount of scenes where tk patches carlos up after patrol while they're both discussing the current case and bouncing ideas off each other. this is my very self indulgent au after all <333 at this point, most of the firehouse still doesn't know that carlos is a vigilante, with tk being the exception, and carlos doesn't want them to know because they'd gladly throw themselves into the field to keep him safe and he doesn't want them to do that!!! the entire reason he's doing this is to keep people safe and he doesn't want his friends to put themselves in danger for him!! but ofc they find out in the worst way possible because it's ME <3

carlos' primary villain is gonna be a pyrokinetic/serial bomber for a lot of reasons first of all so that tk can use his expertise to help solve the case and also because it's a sexy sexy trope to have an entire firehouse be up against the literal embodiment of evil fire <333 but sometime during this conflict, the bomber figures out carlos' secret identity and nearly kills him in an explosion, so tk rushes him to the one place he can trust: the firehouse. which is how the rest of the 126 finds out that carlos is sentinel because he's wearing the suit bleeding out from shrapnel wounds <3333333 tommy and nancy help tk patch him up, and after carlos regains some of his strength he and tk have to figure out their next move. so he tells the 126 to leave austin. go stay with relatives, go stay with friends, whatever they have to do that gets them out of the city. they're connected to carlos, which means they aren't safe anymore. and meanwhile carlos and tk are running to ground to figure out their next move against the bomber. and they go to the only person carlos trusts with this: his childhood best friend. cue the tarlos road trip from austin to LA and the scene where they're on eddie's doorstep and eddie just pulls carlos into a hug because they're BRUTHVERS ur honor.

the next phase of this arc takes place in LA as carlos recovers from his injuries and he, tk, and eddie try to plan out what to do next. and also uncle carlos playing with chris. I'm correct about that too

meanwhile, LA's own young vigilante is running around on patrol with a suit very clearly modeled after sentinel's, so after carlos heals enough, he goes out to meet her. and may grant wasn't expecting to meet the person who inspired her but she's very much happy to!!!! before meeting carlos her primary style was to hack into the phones and talk the bad guy down and lure him outside where she's waiting to Take Him Down (like she did in the most recent episode!!!!!) but then he teaches her how to do more detective/vigilante work. carlos mentoring may is what I'm saying. and they're both vigilantes. <3

may's suit btw <3 she looked at sentinel's suit and went "what if that had STYLE" and she was right <3 she modeled her color scheme after firefighters instead of cops, because she has so many incredible role models in her life who are also firefighters!!! her superhero name is peacemaker, which she modeled after her mom!!! may's entire persona as a superhero being inspired by both her parents is SO personal to me actually

anyway. carlos and may bestieship agenda <333

and ofc the good times can't last. because the bomber follows them to LA. and now it's sentinel + peacekeeper + a handful of the most batshit insane found family to ever exist + the most batshit boyfriend to ever exist against a bomber who can shoot fire out of his hands. also carlos and may working together to take down her first real supervillain <3<3<3<3

but ofc they take the bad guy down, and tarlos go back home to austin, but not before getting roped into Dinner With The Grants where athena pulled carlos aside and says "I appreciate you keeping my daughter safe out there but please for the love of god don't fucking DIE before we see each other again" and also carlos sparring with may that is ALL <33333

[watchmegetobsessed]

TO LOVE AND BELOVED - Part Five (Harry Styles)

a/n: ahh idk why but writing this part took me forever! but its finally here and i can’t wait to see your thoughts on it! i was debating for a long time if part 5 should be the last one, but then i decided to add another part, bc there are two more things i want to include in the story and i couldn’t squeeze them into this part, it’s already the longest so far, so we have one more part left of the story! also, a little warning that part 6 might take a little longer than the prev parts bc im a little behind with my schedule but it’ll try my best!

pairing: CEO!Dad!Harry X Reader

warning: mentions of death, cheating and divorce, sexual content

word count: 12k

SERIES MASTERPOST masterlist

You’ve been feeling like a teenager sneaking around her parents these past weeks. Only that you’re an adult and the parent you are trying to keep your secret romance hidden from is a four year old little girl.

Your birthday was a turning point in your evolving relationship with Harry. Like a wall has been brought down and he finally started reaching out to you. It feels like with every passing day you’re getting closer to him and you can see the progress he’s been making thanks to his therapy sessions and how much he is trying to make a change himself as well.

Stolen kisses and tiny touches have been a usual in your every days whenever Izzy was out of sight for the shortest second. You’ve realized that Harry is an affectionate person, he likes to keep you close and he never fails to bring passion into the tiniest kisses.

With Izzy around 24/7 it’s been hard to find time when it’s just the two of you, but you’ve been waking up early in the morning just to spend that twenty minutes alone with Harry while he drinks his coffee. Sometimes you just sit in silence, trying to wake up for the day ahead of you but sometimes he talks your ears off about anything and everything. In the evening, when Izzy is already sleeping the two of you usually wind off together in the living room or watch a movie in the entertainment room, just enjoying some alone time. It’s not much, but more than nothing and you’ve grown very fond of these little moments with him.

Nothing more has happened than just kissing. Despite the progress Harry has made so far you can tell he still has quite a few conflicts buried deep inside him and you definitely don’t want to rush him into anything he is not ready for. Some cuddling on the couch or short but passionate make out sessions in a corner while Izzy is not paying attention, you haven’t gone further than this.

Now it’s the last day before Izzy leaves to Harry’s mum for the week. He is dropping her off Sunday afternoon and it will leave the two of you alone for seven full days. Well, Harry still has to work during the day, but from the moment he’ll get home, it’s just gonna be you and him.

You had to make a few phone calls so you’ve been locked in your room for a while now. When you come down you find your favorite father-daughter duo on the couch, some kind of Barbie movie playing on the TV, but Izzy is busy with something else. She’s got her water based flooring pens scattered around her, Harry’s tattooed arm laying across her lap as she is coloring the patterns as if it was her favorite coloring book. Before they could notice you, you run back to your room and grab your polaroid camera and returning you snap a picture of the adorable scene. The shutter of the camera makes Harry’s head snap in your way, a smile tugging on his lips.

“Hey,” he softly greets you. You put the camera and the photo aside to the cupboard near you before joining them on the couch.

“Hi Y/N! Look!” Izzy beams happily, pointing at Harry’s ship tattoo that is now fully colored with yellows, pinks and blues.

“It looks better this way,” you smirk down at her before your eyes meet with Harry’s over her head, smiling at you softly.

Making yourself comfortable next to them, you watch Izzy work on more of his tattoos and you find it such a heartwarming scene, you want to remember it forever. Harry Styles, such an influential, successful and serious businessman, sitting on the couch in his loungewear while his daughter is using his tattooed skin as her personal coloring book. He really is a wonderful human being and the best dad to his daughter.

“Y/N, do you have any tattoos?” Izzy asks, turning to you with curious eyes.

“I actually do,” you answer and you see Harry’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise.

“You really do?” he asks, his head resting on the back of the couch, turned to face you.

“Yeah,” you nod with a soft chuckle.

“Where?” Izzy asks perking up at the new information.

“Um, it’s right here,” you tell her pointing at the side of your hips, covered with your sweatpants.

“Can I color them?” she asks innocently, but Harry is quick to react.

“Izzy, you’re being a little too nosy,” he warns her as always, and she looks at you with a pouty look.

“It’s fine. Um, yeah, you can color it,” you nod.

Sliding lower on the couch you roll down the waistband of your pants until the tattoo is revealed on the side. You catch Harry’s eyes wander over the skin you are now showing and you can see a slight blush tinting his cheeks. He hasn’t seen this part of your body uncovered yet, he hasn’t even seen you in a bathing suit so far so it’s quite the new thing.

(reference for the tattoo)

The tattoo on your side is a simple yet meaningful one, dedicated to the special bond you and Trevor share. It’s a minimalistic yet beautiful piece of two koi fishes swimming in a circle, one is left blank as while the other one is black so their formation resembles the yin-yang symbol. You got it when you turned twenty, when Trevor was just in middle school, but he promised you he would get the same design when he turns eighteen that will happen in the fall.

“That looks beautiful,” Harry breathes out with a shy smile and you notice how he doesn’t ask about the meaning behind it. Not because he is not curious but because he is insanely respectful and he doesn’t want to ask something that’s too personal.

“Thanks,” you smile at him as Izzy grabs her pens and starts coloring the blank fish.

The rest of the day goes by uneventfully, Harry is clearly trying to spend as much time with Izzy as possible before her week with his mother, but you also notice that he seems to be keeping something away from you, like he is trying to bring up something but he is not entirely sure how to start the conversation.

It’s not until Izzy is put to bed that he joins you on the couch, turning to you with a serious expression on his handsome face.

“What’s up?” you ask with a soft chuckle.

“I was thinking…”

“I could see that,” you tease him, giving his knee a playful squeeze. “I’m listening.”

“Actually there are two things I wanted to talk to you about. I’m not sure which one to ask first.” He purses his lips before sighing and moving his eyes to meet your curious gaze. “So we’re gonna be alone for the next week.”

“Mhm.”

“And I thought that… if you want to, but we don’t have to, it was just an idea—so feel free to—“

“Harry,” you cut his stuttering off, moving closer with a reassuring smile. You caress the side of his face and you notice how you lean into your touch, breathing out through his nose. “Don’t be nervous, alright? Just tell me what’s been on your mind.”

“Would you go out on a date with me?” he then asks and it’s the purest thing you’ve ever seen and heard from him. The hopeful but still nervous look in his eyes makes him appear like a little boy who is asking out his first crush in middle school, afraid of rejection, when that’s the last thing he has to think about when it comes to you, but it’s still cute.

“I would love to,” you smile at him and leaning closer you peck his lips softly. “And what’s the other thing you wanted to ask?”

“Well, I’m driving Izzy over to my mum’s early in the morning and I’m staying for lunch and… if you don’t feel like it’s too much, you could… maybe come with us.”

“You want me to meet your mum?” you ask surprised.

“Well, she wants to meet you as well, but I want you to meet her, yes,” he admits with a nervous chuckle. “Gemma has told her about you and my sister likes to be nosy so she might have added a little spice into the story about us when nothing was really going on.”

“Oh my, what does she think?” you ask with wide eyes.

“Nothing bad, don’t worry,” he assures you quickly. “She just made it seem like we are… dating and all,” he adds with a nervous smile. “But I told her that it’s… I mean that we are not there… yet.”

“Oh, okay. Well, if you really want me there, I would love to go with you.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Would love to meet your mum.”

“I was afraid you’d find it a little early for this,” he admits truthfully and you can see that rationality in his thought. “We haven’t really… discussed what we are and I didn’t want to put the pressure on you.”

“Well, do you want to talk about us?” you ask softly, giving him the chance to decline if he feels like the conversation might be a little too much for him.

“I do, but I’m not sure… what to say,” he hums, knitting his eyebrows together. Last time I had this talk I was in my early twenties and I don’t even know how to start,” he chuckles shaking his head.

“Okay, then let’s just agree on some things,” you suggest and he eyes you curiously. “Neither of us is seeing anyone else, right?”

“Is that even a question in my situation?” he snorts, making a joke out of his issues clearly and you’re happy he is able to take it so lighthearted.

“Just clearing the air,” you chuckle. “So we are…exclusive.”

“Seems like it,” he nods.

“And you just asked me out on a date,” you point another detail out.

“I did. And you said yes,” he smiles, an excited shine in his eyes glimmering through his green irises.

“Yeah. So we can say we are dating? Seeing each other?” Harry chews on the terms you offered, tastes them before nodding slowly.

“I guess we could say that.”

“Okay. So… that’s what we are,” you smile at him, giving his knee another squeeze. This time, his hand finds yours and he runs his thumb across your knuckles.

“I think… I’m okay with that,” he breathes out and though it’s seemingly such an insignificant thing, you know how huge steps he has just taken forward.

“I liked the blue one better. With the white sweater,” Heather hums, watching you through the video call. You have your phone propped up on your dresser as you’re trying to figure out what to wear today.

Though you seemed completely unbothered last night when Harry invited you along with them, but now you can feel the slight panic. It’s not even because you and Harry are a thing now, you’d feel this way if you met his mother just as Izzy’s nanny. Grandmothers can be so protective over their grandchildren, you’ve met with quite a few problematic ones while you were working at the daycare and you just want Anne to like you, to trust you with Izzy as much as Harry does.

“Okay, blue it is then,” you sigh, pulling the yellow sundress off of yourself before putting the blue one back with a white sweater.

“So you guys are now official?” Heather grins at you through the screen. “Meeting his mother and all that?”

“Define being official,” you chuckle softly.

“Like, boyfriend-girlfriend?”

“Not yet. But we agreed to be exclusively dating.”

“I still can’t fucking believe that you’re scoring the hottest dad I’ve ever seen. You lucky bitch,” she sighs, sipping on her morning coffee.

“Me neither,” you scoff.

“I’m pretty sure if the mothers who got you fired knew, they would explode. Basically every woman was in love with the man and now you are the lucky woman actually getting him.”

“I guess this is karma for what they did,” you chuckle shrugging. “Alright, I gotta go, because we are leaving soon, but I’ll talk to you soon.”

“You better be! I want a detailed essay about how it went!” she grins, kissing the camera.

“Alright, bye!” you smile before ending the call.

When you get downstairs, Harry and Izzy are already down there, Harry is zipping up her bag while she is dancing around humming to herself.

“Baby, your backpack is still in your room. Can you please get it?” Harry asks her, Izzy nods and runs towards you, stopping in front of you.

“Hi Y/N! I like your dress!” she beams at you.

“Hi! Well thank you!” you smile at her before she runs past you up the stairs. “Hey,” you greet Harry and his eyes snap up to you, his pink lips stretching into a warm smile as he leans closer and kisses your cheek sweetly.

“Hi. You look beautiful.”

“Thank you. So, any tips for meeting your mum for the first time?” you ask, fidgeting with your fingers nervously. Harry reaches out and takes your hands between his so he stops the motion.

“You don’t need tips. I know my mum will like you, she is already so excited to meet you, so don’t worry.”

“If you say so,” you breathe out.

Harry puts Izzy’s stuff in the Rover and soon buckles her into her seat before the three of you hit the road. Harry has a whole playlist for Izzy’s favorite songs so you obviously listen to that along with Izzy’s performance of all the songs, filled with misheard lyrics, but that’s what makes it even better. The car ride is about three hours, which is not that horrible. You need just one bathroom break sometime in the middle and Izzy sleeps through the last hour in the car, allowing the two of you to finally listen to music that’s not from a kids’ show.

“Do you have a song request?” you smile over at him, scrolling through his phone since it’s the one connected to the car, but he has given you permission to play whatever you like.

“Not really.”

“You don’t have songs you like to listen to in the car?”

“Not specifically. Do you?”

“Oh, I have a whole playlist for songs to blast in the car,” you chuckle.

“Really? And what songs are on it?”

“Well, I can just show you.”

You search up your user on Spotify and find the playlist in talk before putting it on shuffle. As the first song starts to play, you peek over at him to see his reaction and you spot the smirk on his lips.

“Black Eyed Peas?” he asks glancing at you shortly.

“Yeah, you don’t like them?” you smirk at him.

“I do, I just didn’t think you listen to them,” he admits with a soft chuckle.

“Are you kidding me? They give me the biggest nostalgia! I listened to them so much as a teenager.”

“So teenage Y/N gave a concert in her bedroom, singing I Gotta Feeling?” he teases you grinning.

“Not just a concert, a whole world tour.”

There’s a short silence, just the two of you listening to the song, you watch the trees and fields rush by you as you drive down the country road. The song changes to another one and you’ve already forgotten about what you talked about, but apparently not Harry.

“What were you like as a teenager?” he asks. You turn to face him and your eyes meet for a second.

“Um, like a normal teenager,” you shrug, not sure what to say.

“There’s no such thing as a normal teenager,” Harry smiles. “What did you do, what were your favorite things?”

“I was… pretty plain, if I might say. I wasn’t a rebel or too much of a geek either. I had like three good friends, we used to hang out a lot by the little lake near our neighborhood, that was like our spot. I liked going on hikes and I watched a lot of documentaries,” you admit with a small smile.

“What kind?”

“I don’t know, anything that was on,” you shrug. “My mom had this phase where she was trying to act like she was just like all the other mom’s from my school, but they were all at least a decade older than her. She was trying to prove that she was this mature, very serious woman who had her shit together and all that.”

“And she didn’t?” Harry asks peeking at you shortly.

“I mean, she did. She turned thirty when I was twelve. Most women barely just got married and started their family at that age but she had been married for eight years and had a middle schooler and a baby already. She really was mature but I could tell that she felt like she lost her twenties because of… me.”

Sighing you think back to the years when you often felt like a burden to your mom. She gave up a lot of things just to give you the life she imagined for you. She worked her ass off to raise you and later Trevor as well, have a career and do all the works around the house. Your dad was working a lot of night shifts, there were entire weeks when you barely even saw him. You don’t blame him, he was trying to provide for his family, but it’s pretty clear he and your mother grew cold over the years and it had a huge part in it.

“Do you… blame yourself for it?” Harry asks softly.

“No,” you shake your head. “It’s not like I had anything to do with being born,” you chuckle. “I just didn’t like seeing my mom struggle so much. So when Trevor was born I was trying to take over a lot of tasks around the house and with him as well. I babysat him a lot, took care of him in the mornings, I picked him up from daycare and later from school… I tried to make it easier for my parents.”

“So this is why you grew so close with him?”

“I guess so,” you nod. “I mean, I surely spent the most time with him,” you add with a short chuckle.

“And do you think this is why you’re so good with kids?”

“What is this, a therapy session?” you ask arching an eyebrow at him, but he just rolls his eyes.

“Just… trying to get to know you. Is that a problem?”

“No, I just… I’m not used to talking about myself so much. It’s been quite a few years since I’ve been in this… talking stage,” you admit with a sigh. “But to answer your question, it might have had some impact on me. I mean, I loved taking care of Trevor. It’s like I had my own baby doll, only that it wasn’t just a toy, it was a real baby I could play with.”

“Did you play dress up with him?” Harry smirks at you.

“I did,” you admit laughing. “I used to dress him as a princess a lot and he seemed to like it! My dad wasn’t really a fan of it.”

For the rest of the ride you listen to your playlist and talk about not just your but Harry’s past too. He tells you about his friends, what he was like in school and the mischiefs he did growing up, that drove his mum crazy sometimes. As you get to his hometown and he points out different places he used to go to when he was younger, you feel so much closer to him, like you’ve just gotten to see another piece of him that was hidden before.

He pulls up to the driveway of a simple townhouse and as you get out of the car you see the front door open and a woman rushes out, squealing in excitement as she runs up to Harry and hugs him tightly.

“Finally! I was starting to get worried!” she breathes out, rocking the two of them to left and right.

“Mum, don’t be dramatic. I texted you when we left and we got here perfectly in time,” Harry chuckles, holding his mum tight.

“You barely just arrived and you’re already picking on me? Typical,” Anne rolls her eyes, letting go of him. You round the car, feeling nervous to meet her. When her eyes finally fall on you, her smile grows even wider as she takes a step closer to you. “And you must be Y/N! It’s so nice to meet you!” she beams, pulling you into a warm hug as well.

“Nice to meet you too,” you chuckle, hugging her back.

“I’m Anne, but I listen to all versions of mum and grandma,” she tells you chuckling.

“Alright, noted,” you nod smiling.

Harry opens the car door of the backseat and unbuckles Izzy who has already woken up from her little nap and the moment her feet are on the ground she runs up to Anne.

“Grams!” She giggles before throwing herself into Anne’s arms who picks her up happily.

“Hi baby, you grew so much! I missed you!” she sighs as the little girl cuddles into her neck.

“Missed you too, Grams. I brought my new toys, do you want to play with them?”

“Of course! We’ll have all the time to play this week,” Anne smiles down at her. “Alright, come on in. Lunch is almost ready.”

Harry grabs Izzy’s things from the car and you all head inside. The house smells good from the cooking food in the kitchen and it’s such a cozy home, you can definitely see Harry growing up here. Above the fireplace in the living room there are a bunch of photos framed on the wall, most of them are from Harry and Gemma, but there are some more of other relatives as well, cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents. It seems like Harry has a big family.

Harry unpacks Izzy’s stuff in her room that used to be Gemma’s apparently, he is telling Anne all about everything she needs to know about Izzy’s routines and she is listening patiently, though you’re sure she is more than capable of taking care of her. After all, she raised two amazing children already.

While Izzy shows Anne all her toys she’s brought with herself, Harry takes your hand and pulls you out of the room just to go into another one. Walking in you immediately realize that it must have been his once upon a time.

“You know, I can see your younger version in here, the one I saw in the photos downstairs,” you smirk at him, looking around. There are some old posters and pictures still littering the walls, stickers are covering the side of his wardrobe and dresser, some of them are partially ripped off already, he probably tried to get rid of them once he got older, but miserably failed.

“Yeah? I was pretty cute, right?” he smirks, so full of himself.

“I liked the curly Justin Bieber hairstyle,” you tease him and he gives you an “are you for real?!” look to which you just start laughing.

“Justin Bieber had nothing on me.”

“Yeah, sure,” you laugh before he grabs your hand and pulls you against his chest, wrapping his arms around you. “Your mum is in the next room,” you whisper against his lips as he leans down, teasing you with them just lingering on yours.

“So what? You never sneaked around your parents before?” he smirks down at you.

“I did,” you admit.

“Oh, nasty,” he comments before finally kissing you. However it doesn’t last long, because you hear footsteps coming from outside so you’re quick to move away from each other, just in time when Anne walks in.

“Lunch will be ready in a few, would you two mind setting the table?” she smiles, oblivious what was happening just a moment ago.

“Sure,” Harry nods, rubbing his nose as his other hand finds your waist and he ushers you out of the room.

Izzy helps Anne in the kitchen while you and Harry take care of the table. When everything is done you all sit down and start the feast Anne was so kind to make for you. It doesn’t take long to see the snickering but loving dynamic between Harry and his mother. Anne likes to pick on her son, call him out for basically anything and though Harry talks back, he mostly just lets her tear him to pieces. With love, of course.

“Izzy, please don’t get whipped cream all over the place!” Harry sighs when it’s time for dessert. Anne has made apple pie, one of Izzy’s favorites and she is going generous with the cream on top of her slice.

“You didn’t have problem getting cream all over you when we were making cupcakes, daddy!” Izzy sasses back, making both you and Harry drop your jaws while Anne starts laughing at her boldness.

“That was an entirely different situation, Izzy,” Harry shakes his head as he helps her with the scream before passing it over to you.

“Grams, you should have been there! Daddy, Y/N and I made a mess in the kitchen, but daddy started it!” Izzy giggles, digging into the pie.

“Is that so?” Anne smirks.

“We were just… playing,” Harry explains.

“Oh, I know how you can get when you’re just playing,” Anne chuckles. “Y/N, how do you put up with two kids in the house?”

“I used to deal with fifteen at the same time, so two is not a trouble,” you smirk at Harry who just rolls his eyes, but you see the hiding little smile on his lips.

After lunch Izzy insists on showing you the dollhouse Anne has set up for her in the backyard while Harry helps his mum with the cleaning up.

“We both know your sister likes to exaggerate stories, so I didn’t believe everything she said about you and Y/N,” Anne speaks up as she is washing the dishes and Harry is on drying duty.

“I’m glad you don’t fall for Gemma’s vivid imagination.”

“But there’s one thing she got right.”

“And what would that be?” Anne turns the tap off as she faces Harry, sighing in relief as she smiles at him.

“That you look happy.”

Harry opens his mouth to say something, but then just closes it. He does feel happy, even if he is still struggling to accept it. Anne dries her hands and reaching up she cups Harry’s face in her palms.

“Baby, I haven’t seen you like this for a long time. And I know you think you don’t deserve to feel this way, but you do. And Y/N makes you happy, clearly.”

“Mum…”

“No, honey, just… listen to me, okay?” she asks and he nods, giving all his attention to his mother. “It broke my heart to see you so… lost after what happened to Maggie. And I know that it was the hardest thing you ever had to go through, but you need to move on. She would want you to do the same thing.”

“How do you know, mum? You didn’t even like Maggie when I first brought her home,” Harry points out mumbling under his breath.

“That doesn’t change the way you felt about her. I know you loved her and I would have never wanted anything to happen to her. She made you happy and that’s all that mattered to me,” she smiles with a tired sigh. “And I just want you to be happy again. Whatever you two have going on… don’t let go of it, alright? She is making you happy and you deserve that.”

Harry doesn’t know what to say so he just nods before Anne pulls him into a tight, motherly hug that he returns gladly.

“I’m trying, mum. I’m trying,” he whispers into her hair, giving her a squeeze before letting go of her.

You stay a little longer, Anne makes you tea and Harry soaks in the last minutes with Izzy before he is forced to be away from her. You know he is looking forward to spending some time away from his daddy duties, but it’s clear that he’ll miss her terribly too.

“Alright, baby. Be good and I’ll call Grams to talk to you every day, okay?” Harry tells her, giving her one last hug. Izzy wraps her arms around his neck tightly, her face squished into his neck.

“Okay, daddy. I love you,” she mumbles with a pouty look.

“I love you too. Have a good time with Grams.”

“Thank you for everything, Anne,” you tell her, giving her a quick hug.

“Oh, you’re welcome. It was so nice to meet you,” she smiles, feeling a little touched by the goodbye. “Come back soon!”

“I will, thank you.” “Bye mum, call me if anything comes up,” Harry tells her, hugging her as well.

“We’ll be alright, don’t worry. Tell Mitch and Sarah that I wish them the best!” Anne smiles as you and Harry head out the door.

“I will! Bye!”

Izzy stands at the front door with Anne, waving after you as Harry backs out of the driveway and eventually, they are out of your sight.

Harry falls silent and you don’t have to be a genius to know that he is already missing Izzy. You can imagine what it feels like to not see her every day like he always does, when he is so used to having her around all the time.

“You alright?” you softly ask, giving his arm a short squeeze.

“Yeah, it’s just… It’s the third time I’m doing this, but it never gets easier. The first year we did it I ended up driving up here four times that week,” he admits with a chuckle.

“Nothing to be ashamed of. It’s normal to miss her.”

“I know, it just makes me emotional,” he admits, flashing you a short smile before he turns his gaze back at the road ahead of him.

The drive back home is a lot quieter than the way to Anne’s. You play some music again and Harry hums to it sometimes, but he is mostly just deep in his thoughts and you don’t want to bother him, knowing well he probably needs some time to settle with the thought of an entire week without Izzy.

You get some takeout for dinner before arriving home and eat together before putting on a movie to watch in the entertainment room. One movie turns into another and before you could realize it, you’re dosed off on the comfy couch, cuddled to Harry’s side near midnight.

When you wake up something entirely different is playing on the screen since the original movie has ended long ago. Harry is passed out, his head resting against the back of the couch, one arm curled around your shoulders while the other is resting on his stomach. Rubbing your eyes you check the time and decide it’s better if you both just go to bed before you end up spending the night on the couch.

“Hey… H,” you softly caress his cheek before you brush his unruly curls back from his forehead. He scrunches his nose adorably before his eyes flutter open, taking in his surroundings. “We fell asleep. Why don’t we call it a night?” you ask in a soft whisper. Harry sighs, nodding his head, squeezing you to his side before his arm falls from around your shoulders. You peck his cheek before pushing yourself up from the couch. He shuts the TV off and the two of you head upstairs. For your surprise, his hand finds yours on the way up the stairs, lacing his fingers together with yours.

You pad your way up to the second floor and walking past Izzy’s room Harry stops for just a heartbeat before he follows you down the hallway. When you’re about to let go of his hand to head into your own bedroom, Harry pulls you back gently, making you look at him with slight confusion.

“Do you… Maybe you could… sleep at mine, if you want to? Just a thought…” he breathes out, clearly nervous to speak what’s been on his mind.

“I would love to, but only if you’re sure about it.”

“I’m sure. It would be nice to… wake up next to you,” he adds with a shy smile and you notice how he didn’t say waking up next to anyone, he wants you to be there.

“Alright. Why don’t we both just go and shower separately and then I’ll come back to yours?” you offer, giving his hand a squeeze. Harry nods and leaning down he places a chaste kiss to your lips before letting go of your hand, going your separate ways.

After doing your usual nighttime routine you put on a pair of soft pajama pants and a simple shirt before heading back to Harry’s bedroom. The door is slightly open, the lights are still on. You knock on the door before pushing it open carefully. You’ve only been in here a handful of times and it’s strange to come here with the intention of staying.

Harry is standing by his dresser in a pair of sweatpants and a white shirt, his hair is slightly damp from his shower. As his eyes fall on your figure a small smile tugs on his lips before he glances towards the bed.

“Which… which side do you like sleeping on?” he asks and you can’t hold back a chuckle as you walk to the side that’s clearly not used by him usually.

Harry huffs with a smile before going to his side. You put your phone to the nightstand before getting under the covers, making yourself comfortable in Harry’s silky sheets. He sits to the edge of the bed, checks something on his phone before dropping it to his nightstand and he then joins you under the covers.

It’s a tiny bit awkward at first, neither of you really finding your place in such a new situation, so at first you just lie on your sides facing each other. Harry is clearly about to say something, he is just looking for the right words, so you give him all the time he needs.

“I’m glad you’re here,” he softly speaks up. “Not just because… I would be awfully lonely now without Izzy,” he adds with a cheeky chuckle. “I meant it generally. I’m really happy that you’re here.”

“I’m happy to be here too. Wouldn’t want to be anywhere else,” you smile at him. Breathing out through his nose he closes his eyes for a few seconds before his green irises meet yours again. Leaning closer he kisses you softly, just another way to tell you the same thing he just said with his words a moment ago. Pulling back he settles his head on the pillow and he pulls you into his arms, making you cuddle to his side similar to the way you fell asleep on the couch earlier.

“Good night, Y/N,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to the crown of your head.

“Good night, Harry,” you hum back, nuzzling your face into his shoulder, making yourself comfortable in his strong arms.

Harry grumbles lowly when his phone’s alarm goes off in the morning. He might be off from his daddy duties this week, but he is still the CEO of his company and work is calling his name. Sometime during the night the two of you got tangled up in each other. Unlike last night, now Harry is the one snuggled up to you, his heavy arm lying across your stomach, his legs mingled with yours under the sheets as you gently scratch his scalp with one hand, running the other up and down his arm across your stomach. You’re not gonna lie, waking up in a bed with Harry is far more blissful and satisfying than you imagined. Even early in the morning he has such an aura that sweeps you off your feet, the man was surely crafted by the gods.

“You’re gonna be late,” you hum, eyes still closed when he hits the snooze button and snuggles back to you.

“It’s set to when I have to get Izzy ready. We still have some time,” he mumbles against the fabric of your shirt.

You stay in bed a little longer until it really is time to get up. Harry’s morning form is so soft yet still breathtaking, even with his hair tousled and his puffy eyes, he still looks gorgeous and you find it slightly unfair how little effort the man needs to be this perfect.

Harry heads to take a shower and in the meantime you decide to start making breakfast while the coffee is brewing.

“Oh you shouldn’t have,” Harry breathes out with a thankful smile when he arrives downstairs and sees the almost ready breakfast and the smell of coffee hits his nose.

“I have all the time in the world this week,” you chuckle as you fill a plate with eggs and veggies before you slide it over to him on the kitchen island. You fix a plate for yourself as well and join him on the stool beside him.

“So… are you still up for the date?” Harry asks shyly, glancing over at you.

“Didn’t really change my mind since yesterday,” you chuckle.

“Would you be up to do it today?”

“So, eager, huh?” you tease him, nudging him with your shoulder and he just shyly shrugs, trying to push down his smile. “Today works fine for me. What do you have in mind?”

“I’m not ruining the surprise,” he smirks at you, sipping on his coffee.

“Alright, then just tell me the dress code.”

“Wear that lilac dress you wore to that birthday party the other week.”

You know exactly what dress he is talking about, but it stuns you that he actually remembers what you wore two weeks ago. He only saw you for a few minutes before you left, yet he still remembered the dress.

“Alright,” you smile to yourself before turning back to your breakfast.

Though you have a few extra sessions booked for the week, your Monday stayed empty and without Izzy roaming around the house you have to realize that you can easily get bored without her. You got so used to being with her all day long that now being home on your own is so weird.

You spend the first half of the day lounging at the pool, something you’ve been dying to do, but you were too busy with a certain little girl. Then you have a nice lunch and after reading the book you’ve been putting away for weeks, you realize that you’ve run out of things to do. So you text Trevor if he wants a ride home after school and of course he does, so after fixing yourself up you drive down to his school.

“Hi there, how was your day?” you ask when he sits into the car, throwing his backpack to the backseat before he buckles himself up as you back out of the parking spot.

“Fantastic, as always!” he fake cheers, making you laugh.

“Want to get ice-cream?”

“You know I always want ice-cream,” he snorts smirking at you.

You haven’t met Trevor ever since things become kind of… romantic between you and Harry, and you didn’t want to tell him over the phone, so now is the perfect time to break him the news. When the two of you are sitting on the terrace of your favorite ice-cream place, your paper cup filled with chocolate and strawberry ice-cream while he chose mango and cookie dough, you finally start the conversation.

“So, I have news for you.”

“Oh my God,” he breathes out, closing his eyes for a second. “Are you leaving the country?”

“What? No! Why do you think that?”

“I don’t know, but last time you said you had news for me you moved out from home. Figured it might be something similar,” he shrugs, returning to his ice-cream.

“Well, no, I’m not leaving the country.”

“Okay, then what is it?”

“I’m kind of… dating Harry. You know, my boss.” You have no idea why you felt the need to add the last part when he has already met him, but you feel a bit nervous. Trevor is like your best friend and he had a bad feeling about Keith when you started dating him, but you ignored it. If he has a similar feeling about Harry now, you are definitely considering them this time.

“Oh!” his eyebrows shoot up. “What do you mean kind of?”

“Well, we haven’t had our first date yet, it’s happening tonight, but things have… changed.”

“So you slept with him?”

“No, I haven’t,” you chuckle nervously. “We kissed. A few times and… we talked about where it’s heading and we both think it’s going to turn into something… more serious.”

“That’s great!” he smiles at you and it seems completely genuine. “See, I told you it’s gonna happen sooner or later,” he smirks coyly, before he licks his spoon off.

“You were just drawing random assumptions because of his looks and wealth, Trevor. But it’s not about that.”

“Oh, I know you’re not a gold digger,” he teases you, making you roll your eyes at him. “So your first date is tonight? What are you guys doing?”

“I don’t know, he didn’t tell me,” you shrug with a small smile.

“Mysterious,” Trevor wiggles his eyebrows at you. “So he is finally ready to get back on the dating scene, huh?”

“Um, he is working on it. It’s a little hard for him, but he’s been changing for the better.” “That’s great. I’m happy for you,” he smiles at you. “Really, you deserve it after that asshole.”

“Yeah, I hope it’ll go well,” you smile back at him with a sigh before you return to your ice-cream.

After dropping Trevor off at one of his friends you head back home. For your surprise, Harry’s car is already parked on the driveway with another one that doesn’t belong to him when you pull up and walking in you find him with Niall in the kitchen.

“Oh, hi boys!” you greet them.

“Y/N! You are stunning as always!” Niall beams, pulling you into a tight hug right away.

“Thanks,” you chuckle patting his back. “What are you guys up to?”

They share a look and it tells you right away you are not supposed to know whatever they were talking about so you just nod smiling.

“Alright, got it,” you chuckle.

“How was your day?” Harry asks, hoping to change the subject smoothly.

“Great! Met with Trevor, just dropped him off.”

“Oh, how is he doing?”

“He is fine, struggling a little with math lately, but he is doing great,” you chuckle.

“So you have a brother. Do you happen to have a sister, maybe?” Niall asks with a coy smile and while Harry just rolls his eyes at his friend, you can’t help but laugh.

“Sorry, no,” you tell him the bad news. “But… I have a good friend and I think you’d like her.”

“A friend? Do you have a picture of her?” Niall beams, already excited about it. Pulling your phone out you show him a picture of you and Heather so he can have a good look at her. You actually think that Heather and Niall would be a good match, she might even be the girl Niall would give up his bachelor life finally.

“When are we having a double date?” he simply asks, making you and Harry laugh at the same time.

“I’ll see what I can do for you.” You let the boys finish whatever they were doing before you arrived so you go to your room, unwinding a little before you have to start getting ready for the date. Around five there’s a soft knock on your door and as you call out, Harry pops his head inside.

“Hi,” he smiles nervously as the rest of his body walks into your sight.

“Hi!” you smile back, putting your book to the side.

“I just realized I never told you the time when you should be ready tonight,” he chuckles nervously. “Is six good for you?”

“Yeah, that’s great.”

“Alright. Then… see you soon, I guess,” he smiles nodding before he walks out of your room. You can’t help a small chuckle at how nervous he seems about tonight, as if he wasn’t still sure about your feelings for him, when you’ve made it clearer than daylight.

You get the best kind of jitters while getting ready for the date. It’s like you’re in high school again and your crush has finally asked you out so you want to look your best. Since Harry already suggested you what to wear, you don’t have to spend an hour standing in your closet, trying to find the right choice. For the makeup you go for a little smokey look and you do a loose bun styles for your hair, remembering the words your mother always told you when you were a teenager.

“A woman’s greatest and most secret weapon is her neck. Men go crazy if you show them your neck and they don’t even realize it!”

You spray some perfume on yourself and put on a pair of nude heels before packing your necessities into a purse that matches your outfit. You finish with everything just in time, a soft knock signaling that Harry has returned. Checking yourself one last time in the mirror you open the door and reveal him standing at the door, wearing a pair of fitted purple dress pants with a crispy shirt on, matching your dress perfectly. And the cherry on top is the bouquet of red roses in his hands.

“Hi,” he breathes out with a nervous smile and his gaze travels down your figure, a blush tinting his cheeks.

“Hi!”

“You look… beautiful,” he smiles shyly and your heart is fluttering in your chest. It’s really happening, you are going on a date with Harry!

“Thank you,” you chuckle softly.

“These are for you. I know it’s weird that I’m picking you up from your bedroom and I’m not giving you this at the front door, but…” he chuckles as he hands you the flowers.

“It’s really nice, thank you,” you smile, taking the flowers before moving into the bedroom to put them in a vase quickly. Harry takes just about two steps into the room and stops with his hands hidden in his pockets as he eyes every movement of yours before you finish with the flowers and let him know that you’re ready to do. He holds out his hand and you take it gladly as you head out of the house.

He doesn’t tell you where you’re going, not even when you try to annoy him and bully him into finally hinting something, but you should have known that he wouldn’t break. He has a four year old daughter who is constantly bugging him, he has endless patience.

When he parks down in front of a modern apartment complex you kind of get really confused, because nothing around seems like the location you’d choose for a date.

“Are you gonna kidnap me and keep me hostage in one of the apartments here?” you ask him with narrowed eyes as the two of you head inside, taking the elevator up.

“It’s not kidnapping, you came willingly,” he smirks down at you.

“That I did.”

When you’re at one of the apartments you are really lost about what he had planned and he finally breaks your suffering and tells you what’s gonna happen as he keys the two of you into the apartment.

“This is Niall’s place, he let us use it tonight. My mum always says that cooking together is a good first date, because food brings people together and you can easily get to know each other,” he explains as you walk into the modern, but definitely very manly home. “I didn’t want to do it at home, because we are always there, so… Niall was nice enough to lend us his place for our date.”

You see that there are two full grocery bags on the kitchen counter and the table is already set for two, you wonder if Harry was here earlier, or Niall did the work for him. Either way, it’s such a thoughtful gesture and a perfect first date.

“Where is he tonight?” you ask with a small smile.

“He is visiting his mother, for a change,” Harry chuckles, knowing well you thought he would be out with a woman probably. “He said he won’t be back until later tomorrow so we can even sleep here, but I thought it would be better if we went home.”

“So what are we making?” you ask curiously as you peek into one of the grocery bags.

“We are going to attempt to make gnocchi with some killer tomato sauce. And brownies for dessert,” he adds with a small smile.

“That sounds great, what can I help with?”

“Let me just quickly pack everything out and then we have to peel the potatoes, yeah?”

“Alright,” you nod, your gaze wandering over to the spacious living room. “Can I look around?”

“Sure,” he nods while he is already elbows deep in one of the bags.

Niall’s place looks like it came right off the pages of an interior design magazine, the furnishing is modern and more on the dark color range, but not too much to make it appear depressing. Right next to his huge TV there’s a floor to ceiling bookcase filled with books mostly about music and art and you realize you don’t even know what Niall does for a living. It just never came up between his heavy flirting sessions.

“I never asked, but what does Niall do?” you ask calling out to Harry.

“Oh, he is a freelancer music producer. Tried to offer him a permanent spot at my company, but he prefers his freedom, like with everything else in his life,” he chuckles. “But he is a good one, we used to make music together when we were younger.”

Just as he says that, you spot a picture of the two of them on the shelves and your lips part in a bit of a shock when you realize that Harry used to have long hair. Leaning closer you inspect the photo better and you feel like you’re looking at two entirely different people. Niall’s hair was bleached blonde which is already enough to make him like another version of himself, but Harry is definitely the biggest shocker. He was rocking some loose shirt with the top buttons left undone, his necklace with the cross pendant peeking out and though the photo ends somewhere above his knees, you can tell that he is wearing skinny jeans, something you never thought you would ever see him in.

“You had long hair?” you ask joining him in the kitchen. Harry’s eyes shoot up to him, then he looks in the direction of the living room, a smile tugging on his lips as he probably remembers what photo you must have just seen.

“Uh, yeah. Yes I did, when I was about 21 or 22.”

“I could hardly believe that was you in the picture, with the long locks and the skinny jeans,” you tease him.

“Yeah, I was a lot different then, but after all, it’s been an entire decade since then,” he sniggles.

“Why did you cut it?”

“Um, I was pretty new in the business back then and had a few assholes telling me that it’s not too masculine and all that. It was a time when I cared more about others’ opinion than I should have so I kind of gave in and cut it.”

“I’m sorry they ruined it for you. But I’m glad you don’t care about others that much now,” you smile at him softly. Harry’s eyes flicker down to his painted nails and ring-clad fingers and you just know what he is about to ask before he even speaks up.

“Does it… bother you? That I paint my nails and stuff?”

“No,” you shake your head confidently. “Not at all. I mean, I never saw you without them, but at this point I think it wouldn’t even feel right,” you add with a small laugh that brings Harry’s smile back as well. Stepping closer you kiss his shoulder softly before turning your focus on the food in front of you. “So, let’s peel these bad boys!”

It’s the first time you and Harry actually work together in the kitchen for more than just five minutes. He is always in control at home, taking over everything with Izzy and you know it’s a good bonding time for them, so you never even tried to push your way into it without their invitation. But now the bonding is all about you and him and so far you’ve been a great team. The cutest thing is that he brought you matching aprons to protect your clothes and you look like you are in some cooking show for sure.

You keep asking questions from each other while working on the food, Harry asks you some more about your childhood and teenage years and he shares stories from college where he had this friend group of five. Niall was part of the group as well and he said he is still in touch with the other boys, but they all do very different things now, the other three are already fathers themselves and live far away, so they don’t get to see each other that much.

You are making the little dumplings while Harry is on duty for cooking them, relentlessly fishing them out of the boiling water once they swim up to the top. When that’s done, Harry starts making the sauce while you take care of the brownies. It all works out well, everything gets done easily and while the dessert is in the oven you start eating what you just created.

“Mm, this sauce is really good!” you hum when you take the first bite.

“It’s my mum’s recipe,” he smiles proudly.

At the beginning of the evening you could tell that he felt nervous, not essentially about being with you, but probably because of the thought of going on a date in general. But as time passed by and he got more and more comfortable in the situation, you could see him loosen up and calm his nerves, so now that you are eating the dinner you made together and drinking a glass of fine wine, talking about anything and everything, you feel like he is actually enjoying something he was probably terrified from before.

When the brownies are done the two of you take advantage of the nice evening weather and Niall’s amazing balcony, moving out to the lounge chairs, munching on the dessert with the skyline of the city in front of you. At one point you start playing a game of would you rather, and after a while you ask each other the most random things, cracking each other up continuously. You don’t even realize and it’s already past ten, you completely talked the evening away, but you don’t regret any of it.

You clean up Niall’s place, leaving it just the way you got it, putting some leftovers into his fridge for him as a thank you for lending you his place before you head out.

Harry keeps a hand on you at all times on the way home, he is either holding your hand over the console, or rests his palm on your thigh above your knee, but either way, he just keeps the physical touch up always. Not that you mind, you are doing kind of the same, enjoying his closeness.

Arriving home you can feel a kind of tension growing, but not a bad kind. You want him. Your desire to go further than just kissing has grown immensely tonight, but you have no idea how he feels about taking it further and you don’t want to push him past his boundaries.

“Want to… sleep with me again?” he shyly asks when you’re going up the stairs.

“Yeah, I would love that,” you smile at him, giving him a quick peck on his cheek.

When you part ways in the hallway he probably expects you to do your night time routine, but you have other plans. Grabbing your polaroid camera you pad your way over to his room, knocking on the door, hoping he is not in the shower yet. When he calls out for you, he is standing at his dresser, the first few buttons of his shirt are already undone, but he is still dressed.

“I just thought that… we could snap a picture as a nice memento of our first date,” you shyly explain to him, holding the camera up.

“Oh, yeah! Okay, how do you... how should we…?” he looks around the room and you step to his dresser, placing the camera to the top of it.

“It’s got a timer,” you explain as you set it up and tell him where to stand so you can check if he is in the frame. When it’s all set, you glance back at him. “Ready?”

“Yeah,” he nods shyly. You push the button and step back to him. “What should we…” he starts, but you already know what you want the picture to be like.

Cupping his face in your hands you pull him down and kiss him sweetly, for the first time tonight. You’ve noticed he hasn’t tried to kiss you all night, being a gentleman, but you’ve been craving it since he showed up at your door with the roses.

He hesitates for a moment, but eventually curls his arms around you, kissing you back softly. The timer goes off and the flash indicates that the photo has been taken. Pulling back you smile at him before taking the photo from the camera, setting it to the side to develop. Harry steps behind you, his arms coming to curl around your waist and you turn in his hold to face him.

“Hi,” you smile at him giddily. “Thanks for today.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” he answers softly, making your heart flutter. You press your lips at his, kissing him hard and passionate, like you wanted all evening. He is quick to return the kiss with just as much passion as you put into it, his hands finding your waist as he slowly pulls you with him until the back of his legs hit the bed. He sits down and pulls you with him so you sit on his lap straddling him, never breaking the kiss as you settle in his arms, his hands roaming up and down your back.

Your kisses move from his delicious lips to his chiseled jawline and down his neck, your fingers working on the buttons of his dress shirt. You want him, you need him, he is all you can think about and the taste of his skin on your tongue is making you lose your mind.

His hands move up your thighs right to your bum, giving it a good squeeze, making you moan against the crook of his neck.

“Fuck,” he growls, throwing the two of you to the bed, getting on top of you before his lips attack yours, kissing you with a demand heatedly. His lips move smoothly against yours, devouring you with every suck and lick, making you dizzy in the head with such little effort.

He starts kissing down your neck, through your collarbone and whatever is showing in your dress on your chest. Your fingers lace through his messy curls, keeping him close to you as you try to control your moans and gasps. His fingers hook under the thin straps of your dress and he is about to pull them down when he stops, breathing heavily against your skin.

Harry lifts his head, his eyes meeting yours as he is panting through his parted lips and you cup his cheeks in your hands.

“Hey, what’s wrong? Talk to me,” you tell him softly, knowing well his mind is probably racing right now.

“I just…” he starts quietly. “I haven’t been with anyone since… Maggie,” he admits in a whisper and your gaze softens on him.

“And I haven’t been with anyone since Keith,” you admit truthfully. “We don’t have to do anything tonight. I’m fine with just sleeping if that’s all you want to do.”

“No, I want to… I want to do things, I just… I’m not used to it, I guess,” he breathes out as you run your fingers through his hair.

“It’s okay. We can take it slow. Whatever you feel comfortable with,” you assure him pecking his lips softly.

“Is it… Is it okay if we just… touch?” He is clearly feeling a bit embarrassed to ask, but you will not make him feel bad for asking for whatever he wants. Pulling him down for another kiss you smile up at him.

“Touching is perfect. It’s all up to you,” you tell him and see the gratitude in his eyes right away.

Removing yourself off of his lap you climb back on the bed, pulling him with you until he is holding himself up above you. Your eyes meet for a second again before leaning down he kisses you slowly, taking his time with you. He is holding himself up on one arm while his other hand finds your hip, gently squeezing it when his tongue slides into your mouth through the kiss. Your hands move down his chest and you start unbuttoning his shirt until it falls open and he shimmies it off with a soft chuckle.

“Let’s get rid of the dress too,” you breathe out, reaching down for the hem of your dress, pulling it up until it’s off, leaving you in only your underwear. You’re wearing a matching set with a strapless bra and as you lie back on the bed Harry’s eyes basically devour you, his gaze running up and down your body several times.

“You’re so beautiful, Y/N,” he breathes out before leaning down and kissing you again, his hand cupping your side before wandering over to your stomach and up to your chest. He runs his hand over your chest, gently squeezing it, making you moan into the kiss.

“And you’re wearing too much clothes,” you grin as you reach down and start undoing his purple pants you ogled him quite often tonight. Harry chuckles as he holds himself up for you to work the button and the zipper on his pants before he takes over the task and gets rid of them himself, leaving him in only his boxer briefs and you have to hold yourself back from gasping when you see the growing bulge between his legs.

You don’t get to eye him for too long, because he is back to kissing you, his body pressing up against yours as you let your hands roam his strong back, his skin burning under your touch. His lips travel down the line of your neck to your chest and his hand snakes behind your back, but he stops before he could do anything with the clasp of your bra. Glancing up at you he gives you a questioning glare, asking for your permission.

“You can take it off,” you softly tell him nodding. His fingers are quick to undo it and a moment later you’re lying with a bare chest underneath him. His hand moves to your chest again and he kneads your breast again, this time with nothing between your skin and his palm. You whimper under his touch, you’ve been so starved to be touched this way and now that it’s happening, it’s hard to control yourself, but Harry doesn’t seem to mind seeing you react to what he is doing.

His lips return to your mouth and while he kisses you with so much passion, he slowly lays himself down next to you, so you’re facing each other sideways on the bed. He pulls you closer to him until you’re flushed against his hard chest and while your hand roams around his shoulders and back, his palm slides down your spine, over your waist until he calms bum, pushing you even closer to him. His clothed erection presses against your thigh and you can’t help but whimper his name at the feeling.

His kisses slow down and his touch loosens on you until he pulls back, seemingly just for air, but you can tell his head is starting to race again, spiraling thoughts taking over his mind.

“Do you want me to take over control?” you softly ask him, pushing his unruly curls out of his forehead. His gaze softens and he nods shortly with gratefulness lacing through his look.

He watches you intently as you push yourself up into a sitting position, he rolls to his back and keeps his gaze on you as you hook your fingers into your panties, getting rid of them before doing the same for him with his boxers. He lifts his hips up as you pull down the elastic material, revealing his hard cock to your greedy eyes. You want nothing more than to taste him, but he said he just wants to touch so you don’t try to overstep his limits, leaving this desire of yours to another time. Instead, you lean down, capturing his lips in a sweet, reassuring kiss that everything is going fine to calm his nerves as much as you can, while you place your palm to his lower stomach, moving down slowly until you find his hard cock, wrapping your hand around his length and giving it a few gentle stroke.

“Fuck,” he breathes out against your parted lips and you can’t push a smile down.

You kiss his lips, his cheeks, his jawline, everywhere around his face while you keep pumping him, spreading some of his precum down his length to help your hand move smoother. Your actions awaken something in him, he grabs your face in both his hands, kissing you hard before he pushes you to your back, becoming the one on top. He parts your legs with pushing a knee between your thighs and while you keep up with your motions, he gets down to action as well. One of his large palms runs down your abdomen, stroking your lower belly gently before it moves to your inner thigh, spreading you even more for him before you feel his touch on your heated and dripping wet core. First, he just teasingly runs two fingers through your folds, testing how wet you are and when he realizes that you are more than ready to whatever he has planned, he moves his thumb to your sensitive clit, drawing circles with the pad of his finger, sending a wave of pleasure up your spine immediately.

“Harry!” you moan his name, running your thumb over the head of his cock that makes him gasp and stop his motions for a moment before he returns to pleasuring you.

He buckles his hips into your touch while his fingers move down from your clit until he is teasing your entrance, just circling around it but not pushing into you. Rolling your hips you signal him that you want the teasing to end and he luckily gets the hint, slowly sliding two fingers inside you, curling them gently and it makes your eyes roll back immediately. He rests his forehead on your shoulder as he starts moving his fingers in and out of you while you try your best to keep up your pumping motion as well, moving your other hand to his balls to give him some of that extra pleasure and he seems to be liking what you’re doing, because your name keeps falling from his lips as keeps fingering you, curling his digits just the right way inside you from time to time.

“Fuck, Y/N, I won’t last long,” he pants, his lips brushing against your neck before he kisses the soft skin above your collarbone.

“It’s alright. Just want you to feel good, H,” you assure him, though you’re getting closer to your release as well.

“Are you close?” he asks out of breath, still holding himself up above you, leaning onto his other arm next to your head.

“Yeah, don’t stop,” you nod, turning your head so your lips could meet for a kiss again.

You can tell he is trying hard to hold himself back, to stretch it out as long as he can. A torturous look tugs on his face and you kiss his temple, wanting nothing more than to see him finally reach the peak.

“Let go, H. It’s alright,” you whisper against his skin and he whines at your words before you feel his cock jerk in your hand and he cums under your touch.

You keep stroking him as he rides his high, gasping and panting your name while he spills his semen onto your naked stomach. His fingers stopped moving inside you as he found his relief, but as soon as you feel him recovering from his orgasm, he goes right back to where he left it, desperately wanting to pleasure you as well.

“Harry!” you moan when he hits a specific spot inside you, tingling your nerves just right, your hands come to clasp onto his broad shoulders.

“Cum for me, babe. Let me see you feel good,” he whispers before his lips occupy your mouth again, kissing you with so much passion and vigor, your senses are starting to overload.

“Fuck, I’m gonna cum!” you gasp feeling your toes curl and Harry picks his pace up, his thumb coming in contact with your clit as he tries to make you reach your high.

And then it finally happens. You stop breathing for a moment, the intensity of it washing over your whole body. It’s been so long since you felt this good with anyone, and just the thought of doing this with Harry probably adds a lot to the equation.

He slows his fingers down, but makes sure to curl them inside you every time he pumps them in, and you repeat his name over and over again until you finally catch your breath. Your gaze meets his, and you see a happy and satisfied shine in his green irises as he leans down and kisses you sweetly, pulling his fingers out of you gently.

“M’gonna get a towel,” he murmurs, pecking your lips one last time before he gets up from the bed and walks into the bathroom while you lie on his bed, totally gone and worn out from your orgasm. Harry comes back with a damp washcloth and cleans up the mess he made on you before gently moving to between your legs, taking such good care of you. He drops the cloth to the floor, not wanting to leave the bed again as he pulls the covers over your bodies, pulling you into his arms.

“How are you feeling?” you softly ask, pecking his toned chest.

“I’m good.”

Lifting your head you search for his eyes, wanting to make sure he didn’t regret any of it, but he seems calm and rested for a change. Smiling up at him you push yourself up a little so you can connect your lips before you snuggle back to his side and let yourself slowly drift off to sleep, listening to his steady heartbeat under your face.

Thank you for reading, please like and reblog if you enjoyed it!

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[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 305: Worst Intervention Ever

Previously on BnHA: Shinomori, whose name took me an entire week to memorize, was all, “nice to meet you Deku, I’m ten feet tall, do you want to know how I died?” and without waiting for an answer explained that he kicked it from old age at forty thanks to good ol’ OFA. Deku was all “wait a minute, then how come All Might, who’s fifty-five and is definitely dyeing his gray hair, is still alive?” First and Shino were all, “we really have no fucking clue but we think it’s cuz he’s quirkless, JUST LIKE YOU!” So basically, since quirkless people don’t exactly grow on trees these days, Deku is probably going to be the last user of OFA. The chapter ended with Nana being all, “psst, Deku, about my grandson. Uh, can you kill him?” which is sure to lead to a very interesting conversation this week.

Today on BnHA: Nana And The Gang are all “so, Deku, how can we put this delicately. The thing is, we’re pretty sure that AFO really fucked my grandson up, so on the off chance you can’t save him, how would you feel about, you know... [throat slitting gesture].” Deku is all “idk you guys, I kinda feel like he’s really just a traumatized child at heart and he’s in a lot of pain and stuff and so I should try to help him.” The Vestiges are all “BUT WHAT IF YOU CAN’T” and Deku is all “BUT I WANT TO TRY, DAMMIT” and the Vestiges are all “well when you put it that way, we, uh, were just testing you, so congrats, you passed!” The chapter ends with First being all, “ANYWAY SO WHY DON’T YOU TWO SHY BOYS STANDING OVER THERE IN THE SHADOWS COME SAY HELLO” before we CUT AWAY FOR ANOTHER WEEK, goddammit.

seriously, Nana

just... have you met Deku?? look, if you really want Tomura dead, just sic him on the U.A. first years and tell Shouto and Honenuki that it’s a training exercise

oh my god lmao

we’re too far away to see Nana’s face here so I will just assume that she turned and is staring DIRECTLY INTO THE CAMERA for this one line lmao. “I just wanted to clarify in case anyone felt inclined to take my dialogue out of context and spend an entire week complaining about it”

oh my god?! are you all purposely trying to make me sad??

someone stop me before I launch into an impromptu rant about all my Tomura feels. WHY IS NOBODY STOPPING ME. oh my god but yes, exactly. he’s just in pain all the time. this is exactly why I think Tomura has such high redemption potential even though so far he seems to lack so many of the redemption arc essentials such as feeling remorse, wanting to change, and taking responsibility for his actions. the reason why I’m willing to overlook all that in his case is because Tomura has essentially had zero agency his entire life. AFO molded him into a killer by making sure he was in constant mental agony, and making it so that the only thing that even slightly relieved that agony was killing peeps. like, please don’t think I’m making excuses for him or anything, but if you take a child and manipulate their existence to make it virtually impossible for that child to grow up as anything other than a killer, and basically never give him the chance to be anything else, then no shit he’s gonna be a killer?? he’s basically never had the choice not to be. it’s never been an option for him. anyways I feel like I am EXPLAINING MYSELF SO BADLY but nonetheless I am prepared to die on this hill

anyway so now Nana is all “that’s a rhetorical question btw because Our Hearts And Minds Are One so we can feel everything you feel bro.” so yeah, that’s interesting

now Banjou is getting started on the “let’s try and talk Deku out of wanting to save Tomura because it’s insane” part of their OFA Mystical Space Void Reunion agenda

look, Banjou, I feel you, I really do. you guys don’t think it’s realistic that Deku can defeat Tomura without killing him. so if it’s a choice between killing Tomura vs letting Deku and everyone else in the entire world die, then duh, you think Deku should kill him. I get it! and if this were a real life mass murderer I’d totally agree with you. but the problem is that this isn’t real life, this is a sympathetic shounen villain with a tragic past who might as well have FUTURE REDEMPTION ARC RECEIPIENT stamped on his forehead at this point

so First is all “look, there’s absolutely no doubt my brother has fucked this kid up good and proper by now”, which, again, fair

though, that’s kind of exactly my point though. everything that Tomura is, everything he’s done, he’s done because of AFO. AFO has so effectively shaped his personality and his worldview by this point that it’s all but impossible to penetrate that. he’s AFO’s puppet. but the problem is that rather than treating him like a victim, you all are treating him like a casualty. like he’s already a lost cause. but good luck trying to convince Deku of that

WHOA WHAT, RANDOM SUPER-IMPORTANT AND BIZARRELY UNRELATED EXPOSITION DROPPED IN JUST LIKE THAT??

way to still not reveal Sixth’s name, btw. THE PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW, DAMMIT. but also so this confirms something we basically already knew already, which is that not even AFO can steal OFA. it literally can’t be taken away by anyone unless the owner wills it. SO SUCK ON THAT AFO YOU EGG

(ETA: so I have no idea why this was omitted from this translation, but apparently the Sixth’s name was revealed as “En”, which is obviously not his full name but at least it’s something. also he most likely has a fire or smoke-related quirk based on the kanji used, 煙.)

so Banjou is saying that Deku’s “lack of an iron will” could be a disadvantage against AFO. hahaha what?? Midoriya “I’ll break all of my bones without blinking an eye just to protect someone” Izuku lacks an iron will? do tell

he says this is going to be a test of Deku’s determination. well yeah, no shit. but just not in the way you guys think

OH HELLO AGAIN

darker hair again here! but I don’t trust the contrast in these scans at all after last week. his coveralls are way darker than they looked before too, and you can clearly see he’s standing in the shadows now

(ETA: yep, once again the raw shows that his hair is considerably lighter than what’s shown in these scans here. although there’s no mistaking now that his hair is consistently being colored in this slightly darker shade, and it’s not just the lighting.)

anyways lol First was saying something about how AFO can’t steal OFA, and they’ve spent all this time cultivating it as the ultimate weapon against AFO, and blah blah blah. go on then, keep lecturing

NANA GODDAMMIT NONE OF THIS IS YOUR FAULT

girl what?? you did everything in your power to protect your family, and AFO, fucked up man that he is, targeted them anyway. there is one person and one person only to blame for what’s happened to Tomura, and that potato-faced asshole needs a good kick in the balls

NANA GODDAMMIT DON’T MAKE ME COME OVER THERE

SO HELP ME GOD!! I WILL GIVE YOU THE BIGGEST HUG YOU’VE EVER HAD!! THAT IS A THREAT

so now Nana is all “I’m just going to call my grandson a Thing to ensure that fandom has only the freshest, grass-fed no-hormones-added discourse this week”

I don’t even need to drop into the tags to know exactly which specific people are going to respond to this, and what kind of posts they are going to write lmao. everyone’s all caught up in the “that thing”, and meanwhile I’m over here completely hung up on this “nay” that’s appeared out of NOWHERE you guys. look at that. she really said “NAY”

Nana, my love, my dearest, I feel you girl I really do. but he’s not an unforgivable manifestation of pure evil, Deku is exactly right actually, he’s a boy in pain. you guys need to stop questioning Deku’s shounen protagonist instincts here and just let him work his sparkly magic. “let’s try and convince Midoriya Fucking Izuku that he can’t save someone” is a plan that is NEVER going to turn out well you guys

“DEKU GODDAMMIT WHAT IF WE CAN’T SAVE HIM” lmao it’s like an intervention

“DAMMIT DEKU JUST ADMIT YOU HAVE A SAVING PEOPLE PROBLEM!”

RED ALERT IT’S ANOTHER CLOSE-UP OF THE BACK OF MISTER TWO BON CLAY’S HEAD OMG

(ETA: I was too distracted with freaking out about Two and Three to really appreciate how ridiculously handsome First looks in this panel. but on my second readthrough it stood out so much that I had to go back and add an extra bullet point just to talk about how hot he is. look at him. wtf.)

THAT IS DEFINITELY AN UNDERCUT. THE PLOT THICKENSSSS. also those are fucking exhaust vents on Mister Three’s neck. MISTER THREE COULD YOU POSSIBLY BE RELATED TO THE IIDAS, PLEASE TELL ME YOUR SECRETS I’M DYING OVER HERE

so now Deku is launching into what will undoubtedly be a “saving people problems require SAVING PEOPLE SOLUTIONS” heroic counter-speech!

I mean, they can already feel the “lol nah I’m gonna try and save him” feelings running through him lol. ~OuR hEaRtS aNd MiNdS aRe CoNnEcTeD~ and all that. this is just a formality, but that doesn’t mean I don’t love a good shounen protag speech

oh wait hold up, do you mean to tell me that the whole “hearts and minds are connected” thing I was just mocking just a paragraph ago actually allowed Deku to feel what Tomura was feeling?? like literally feel it??

YET AGAIN these Tomura feels are pounding on my front door you guys?? they just will not quit?? people my house is already full of feels, does it look like I need you to sell me any more of them?? -- what do you mean, they’re free??

AW YISS THAT’S IT DEKU. THAT’S SOME GOOD SPEECH RIGHT THERE

I appreciate the contrast here between the Douchebag Triumvirate of Overhaul, Muscular, and Stain versus the Misguided Twosome of Gentle and La Brava. never let it be said that Deku doesn’t know the difference between a redeemable villain and an unredeemable one

OH NO -- OH MY GOD

someone please help me I need directions to the OFA Spooky Galactic Nebula Realm in this fictional Japanese manga land. it’s not on google maps. I need to give these two babies a big hug and wrap them up in a blanket and treat them to some McDonalds Happy Meals please help

other things: (1) ENDEAVOR CHILLING OUT IN DEKU’S “PEOPLE I HOLD DEAR” PANEL LMAO NEON DISCOURSE EXTRAVAGANZA, (2) “ONE FOR ALL IS A POWER TO SAVE, NOT TO KILL” I’M ABOUT TO CRY DEKU I LOVE YOU SO MUCH HOW IS IT EVEN POSSIBLE TO FEEL ALL THIS LOVE, (3) [SLAMS HANDS ON TABLE] THERE’S YOUR MOTHERFUCKING IRON WILL!!!!!!!! -- I’m sorry, please don’t call security, I’ll be good

I just randomly remembered that Deku is still saying all of this in his muffled “FMMPHHMMPHMM” voice and I’m somehow cracking up lol. so actually it’s a very good thing Their Hearts And Minds Are Connected, otherwise they’d no doubt be all, “...what?”

(ETA: so I completely missed this on account of it literally not being visible in the scan at all, but in the raw you can clearly see Baby Kacchan and Baby Shouto fanboying over All Might in two of these panels, and excuse me, ma’am??

thank you very much Deku for including them in your montage, particularly since you’ve never seen Baby Shouto before lol. amazingly accurate image you managed to conjure up, all things considered.)

SDKFJLSKHG -- AS IF ON CUE???

HE’S SO ADORABLE HELP?? Trippy Space All Might looks like he’s about to cry, and First is all “don’t crack a smile... you have to be Firm and Serious here... dammit, don’t smile” omg

anyways! YOU GO DEKU. “MY QUIRK MY RULES, BITCHES” damn, son

KLJLKKHLG TRIPPY SPACE ALL MIGHT LITERALLY ACTUALLY IS CRYING ALL MIGHT HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME

“I JUST... [CLENCHES FIST] REALLY LOVE SAVING PEOPLE” FUCKING HELL LMAO THIS IS THE WORST INTERVENTION OF ALL TIME

Deku is literally all “sure, maybe I’ll have to kill him, but have you guys also considered, MAYBE NOT??” it’s no use Nana he’s too powerful

LMAO FIRST

“like I’ve been saying this whole time, you should definitely try saving Shigaraki Tomura.” “but, uh... First, didn’t you just -- ” “shut up”

(ETA: clearly it’s not just his brother who inherited those smooth-talking genes.)

so now Deku has turned back into a sixteen year old and his clothes have gone missing again. just OFA things

dskljdlsklgk

yes... sure... “testing” you...

HEY

FIRST OF ALL, DAMN YOU HORIKOSHI YOU MADE NANA CRY. even if I’m pretty sure they’re actually tears of happiness/relief. and SECOND OF ALL, “TELL MY BOYFRIEND I SAID HI” DJSKDLKJJL ANYWAY MAYBE GRAN, NANA, AND MR. SHIMURA WERE IN A THROUPLE

[SCREAMS]

WHY WOULD YOU END IT THERE?? WHY WOULD YOU END IT THERE!!!!!

(ETA: and two-to-one odds that we cut away to some other scene once they finally start to turn around next week. I’M CALLING IT NOW. giving myself a week to brace myself for the rage.)

fucking hell. well if anyone needs me I will be adding Horikoshi fucking Kouhei to the list of irredeemable villains, peace

[yn-x-animeboy]

Jungkook x y/n (as a famous artist) Pt. 1

request: mine, my brain made me write this

pairing: reader x Jungkook

genre: fluff, romance, for entertainment purposes

BTS x Fem Reader

sinopsis: You are a popular artist in America, pretty famous, loved and well-known by the general public (actually you were one of the top 10 artists in the world but you are pretty humble and naïve to realize your popularity), one day during one of your fan meets you talk about how much you love BTS, and not only how you wish to meet them and work with them but how Jungkook is one of your celebrity crushes. During the meet you fangirled with other ARMYs in the crowd; video clips of you fangirling and talking about BTS at your meet where posted and reposted all over social media. This obviously broke the internet because you were not only a famous singer but you also were always accepted and loved by ARMY and this made a lot of people happy. Suddenly it felt like everyone wanted you to meet the seven handsome and talented idols and collaborate, but you could only wish, you believed they didn't even know who you were...or so you thought.

Pt. 1- Introduction. Your fan meet

Basically every couple of months you like to organize small get-togethers with your supporters as a way to have a closer contact with them, to get to know them, as a fanservice and to just thank them in a way. Lately you have been noticing one specific group of fan pages dedicated to you who have been really interactive and supportive on twitter; 

promoting your latest music video and the recent EPISODE of: y/n’s camera roll uploaded to your oficial platforms (your team uploaded a weekly video=episode to your channel; almost like Run BTS. Each episode had a different theme and your fans loved it)  this group of fan pages is constantly on your main page, so you decided to contact them and fly them out for a day in L.A. for one of your infamous meets so you could meet them.

You don't normally film your fan meetings, they are normally just a one on one gatherings between you and your fans,  but your team thought it could be a good idea to record today’s meet and upload parts of it for your weekly EPISODE, these were greatly appreciated by your international fans and other fans who wanted to see a little more into your personal life.

You were currently hanging out with the small group of fans you invited over. A group of around 10 boys and girls were currently sitting on the fluffy carpeted floor and some were sitting on plush chairs randomly spread in front of you. (a/n i imagine this setting like the Zach Sang Show, for the Ariana Grande interview episodes) 

You were sitting in front of them on a small white couch for two. Once everyone was comfortably settled in, you introduced yourself and invited the others to do so as well, one by one telling you their name, username, pronouns, age, and fun facts about them. You smiled wide, happy to be able to meet such amazing people and also making mental notes to remember their names and facts. 

After the personal introductions your camera crew was set up and ready to start, you told your fans sitting in front of you about how today's meet was going to be recorded and asked for their consent to upload said video; and then proceed to open for the camera; 

“Hello everyone welcome to another episode of…. f** I don't even know what we call these videos, jajajaja” 

Your fans sitting in front of you stated the name of the youtube series in a heartbeat;

“Wait what?... jajajajaja omg guys thank you, I'm so sorry, yeah you heard them, welcome back to y/n’s camera roll, I can’t believe I forgot that, anyway today’s episode is a little different……” you proceed to explain what the episode was about and thanking the future viewers for tuning in and watching the video. “Waw what a long introduction, so, before we actually go on and have the meet while you guys at home enjoy, I want to introduce you to the lovely group of people who I have invited here today….” Again proceed to introduce your fans to the camera by name, trying to not miss anyone and not butcher any name in the process.

After the introduction is done you porcede to carry out the fan meet like you normally do, you normally have scheduled sections of activities during your meets to make them fun; For today’s meet you all played games and did a couple challenges with your fans; then you recorded a couple of tik toks and instagram stories your fans asked you to be in, and casually all hung out. After a while of comfortable chatting and laughter, you wanted to hype up the mood. You turned down the lights, turned on some color  LED lights and had a dance party with everyone invited, dancing and going all out to popular music.

After being all drained from the heavy physical activities, you ordered a variety of food for your fans, like pizza and pasta, sushi, tacos, snacks, etc. and had a muckbang/eating section for the episode as well.

You were having so much fun, you looked around while eating and just by looking at their excited and happy faces you couldn help but feel complete and thankful for all of your fans.

After filling up on food, you carried out the Q&A section of the meet, allowing fans to ask you personal questions and conversing on various topics. The camera director gave you instructions to proceed with the questions, you nodded and thanked him and the staff for their hard work, turning on your heel and sitting back in your spot you tuned to the main camera: “Hi, quick update, sorry I haven't been so interactive with the camera in this episode for everyone watching at home, but I have been having so much fun and I am not used to having a camera crew for my normal fan meets, I’m sorry. Anyway now we will move on, I am going to answer some questions and hopefully this is entertaining enough  for the EPISODE hahaha” the crew and fans present chucked as you finished the small interruption.

And the questions began. A girl sitting in the back, raised her hand and spoke; “yeah um, I’m sorry I wanted to  see if I could start the questions, idk if the others are okay with that”. The rest of the group nodded sweetly at her, others replied with short “yeah’s”. She then proceeded nervously “thankyou g-guys, um I’m sorry before my question, is there anything we cannot ask you or..?

You sweetly smiled at her shyness and consideration, you tried your best to make her comfortable, “You are so cute, hahaha, thankyou for being considerate, but I really can’t think of anything that I am not allowed to answer or talk about, let me ask my manager...do I Sam?” you shifted your upper body to the side where the crew was standing, your manager Sam shook his head, you don't really have any tea to be spilled anyway so he is pretty confident and comfortable allowing you to be 100% in control. 

“Okay if Sam says it’s cool, it's okay  jajaja. You can ask me anything”

The girl then proceeded to ask her question, and waited for you to answer.

Time went by, and it was pretty cool to see what your fans were interested in learning about you, after some time the group continued asking you questions like “who is your biggest inspiration? favorite song?, favorite thing about being on tour? what would you do if you weren't a singer? etc.

One of the boys in the group spoke; “Hi, y/n, can I ask you another question?” you nodded and signaled him to proceed; 

“I saw that you liked an instagram post about BTS a while back uploaded by a fan account and I also saw that you actually follow their personal twitter account. ALSO in your behind the scenes video for your music video shoot you can be seen in the background dancing the Boy with luv choreo. So I wanted to ask if you were an ARMY and if you know them personally? and like should we be expecting a collaboration soon?”

You chucked at his talking speed, curious questions and great detective skills.

 Before you answered you mentally told yourself to hold back and not go all cRAzY fAnGirL on them, you inhaled and answered:

“OMG hahaha I love you so much, what an amazing question, Okay so first off no I don’t know them personally and sadly no plans of collaboration are on sight. Oh wow I have never been asked if I liked BTS before, I’m excited hahaha. Yeah I am an ARMY, I love them so much I am one of their biggest fans, and they are also one of my biggest inspirations when it comes to work ethic and professionalism, listening to them or watching them gives me motivation to keep doing what I love, which is this. 

anyway I am rambling I should stop; you guys can say y/n stop whenever I start rambling okay? hahaha''

The group in front of you laughed and added some extra comments on your response.

After a couple comments back and forth you realized something… and asked out loud, 

“Wait so, how many of you guys here are actually ARMYs?”, 

all of the sudden the 10 fans sitting in front of you raised their hands. 

“So you guys are telling me literally everyone of you is a fellow ARMY and didn't tell me until now?” everyone chuckled and looked around surprises at the coincidence 

You were already feeling shy after talking so much about yourself before so you redirected the activity, “Guys should we actually talk about BTS for a bit? hahaha” you asked your fans

This made a girl raise her hand and ask: “Can I ask you a BTS question then? Okay so, who is your favorite member?

You loved the new conversation topic. You answered truthfully: “Well first off, I don't have a favorite member. I really mean it when I say this. I love them all equally and I love them all as a group. I don’t prefer one over the other or like one better.  I really do support them equally. I mean there is nothing wrong with having a bias, as long as you also respect the other members, hope that all made sense lol” Everyone seemed moved by your support towards them and nodded.

“Y/n so you don’t have a favorite, but do you have a crush on any of them?, like if you could date one of them right now, which one do you pick?” A fan asked.

You looked at her and really thought about how to answer said question in the best way possible; “okay...well...Like I said just to be clear I don't have favorites amongst the group members, but I do have a type…. I consider one of them to be my celebrity crush” you answered, starting out slow and finishing by blurting out the last part.

Your fans in front of you went crazy, they leaned over their seats wanting to feel closer to you and not miss anything you were saying as you took a breath to continue speaking.

“So in that case, if I had to pick someone that I would date in real life...i would say…. Jungkook'' The room was filled with surprised remarks, small comments and squeals.

“Omg guys chill hahaha, breathe, it's just a crush I don’t know him and it's not going to happen. It's just that I find him really attractive and he is my type.”

The fans kept raising their hands to ask you various questions about BTS,

the camera director and manager signaled you to get your attention after you finished answering other questions and told you you only had time for one more question before the fan meet was over.

“Okay guys so apparently we have time for one more question, so make it a good one, it can be about anything, shoot” you said as you leaned over to reach for your water bottle, swung the bottle and pointed to someone on the corner of your eye who seemed to have one last question, as you drank some water they asked: “I have a last BTS question if you don’t mind y/n” 

Still gulping water you moved your hand indicating them that is was okay and to go on,

“okay, um I just thought about this, do you have like a specific fantasy or make up scenario about BTS that you could only dream could come true; like I wish i could walk into a café shop and suddenly meet V, realizing we were reading the same book and covering for hours”

That was such a deep and personal question, you had never once thought anyone would be interested in what your fantasies where; you thought it might be boring for your fans if you went on and on about  stupid make believe scenarios that live in your head rent free. But seeing everyones approving faces over the question and the intrigued eyes they were shooting at you, you spoke: “I love that question, and your scenario is so cute, you should write a tumblr post about it, (a/n wink wink) well yeah I obviously have created fake scenarios in my head about BTS, past crushes, fake arguments even hahaha, there are so many BTS fake scenarios in my head…. hmm oh I know which one, okay so this fantasy of mine is about how I would meet them irl and work with them, I will make it quick”

You kinda chuckled at yourself, playing with the cap on your water bottle, you felt as if you were about to say something really cringy and embarrassing. You took a deep breath and started the narration of the sinopsis of your personal fanfic created by you. 

“Okay so, my literal fantasy is to one day meet them at a talk show, you know how hosts like will surprise their guests with something/someone they like?, I believe Ellen has done it multiple times where she surprised a guest with their idol or celebrity crush, you know?” The group nodded, invested in your fake scenario “Well i would be invited to like the Jimmy Fallon Show, where he would just randomly surprise me with BTS. Then I would be given the opportunity to introduce myself and tell them how much I love and support them. I would also be able to show them my Korean speaking skills, I learned Korean and Spanish back in school and I have never been able to actually use either them, lol, anyway...well after that we would all become really good friends, and we would collaborate and put out one or multiple songs for you guys. I mean that's basically it, I wish I could meet them, and become their friend and write songs with them, even produce songs with Suga or RM if I could'' you sighed as you ended your mini narration.

You continued; “But well, that's just a fake scenario I repeat, it's not real and it's not gonna happen, EVER. For now I will keep supporting and loving them with you and the rest of ARMY. I really doubt they even know who I am, anyway” you closed the conversation at that. Your fans seemed like they wanted to say something but your camera director called you over before anyone could say something else. You excuse yourself and walk over to the cameras and lights set up where the staff is.

*your fans were really confused, and this you didn't know, but your fans knew for a fact that BTS knew very well who you were. The fans even knew which member has continuously admitted to having a platonic crush on you for years now, ever since you first blew up, back when you were 16 and he was 17. Your fans knew how you are one of BTS’s favorite artists, and this was no secret, you could literally look all this information up... 

They didn’t understand how you could have no idea how famous you actually are* They talked amongst themselves about this while you talked to your team.

Your manager and camera director indicated you to do an outro for the video’s footage and other instructions. You nodded your head and smiled, you took a step back and bowed your head towards the staff behind the cameras and thanked them for their work.

You then walked towards the group of fans and told them you had to do an outro for the camera if that was okay with them; you then sat with them on the floor while side hugging the two fans next to you, you directed yourself to the camera:  “Okay guys so sadly today’s meet is now over, I am really sad I wish we could hang out for longer, thank you so much for coming and making today so fun and special” you then turned to the camera “And for my other amazing supporters who are going to watch this on youtube, today was just a little scoop into my life like the other y/n’s camera roll EPISODES, in case you are interested in other videos like this one you can visit head to the channel where this video was uploaded and watch more! hopefully you guys had fun with us! I adore you all, thank you! Please Spread love always, y/n out” you waved as the camera director said “CUT” and the crew cut the cameras.

Your manager then stood up and directed everyone to get ready to leave, also thanking them for always supporting you and taking care of you, you smiled at your amazing manager and looked back at your fans while they picked up their stuff, smiling sadly.

You said your goodbye to everyone one-by-one as they headed out.

After lots of farewell hugs, kisses, selfies, and gifts, you went home with a smile on your face for the amazing time you had.

You went to bed, turned your phone on silent mode and looked at your ceiling,  reliving that fake scenario you talked about a few hours ago, oh how you wished it could become real (a/n hehe wink wink). Finally dozing off and resting for the work-packed day you had tomorrow unaware that your social media was currently going crazy and how they yearned for your new weekly EPISODE to come out.

Part 2- Jungkook’s POV --------> here

thank you so much, please interact with me to let me know if you like this :) Xx

[quibblesandscribbles]

Centaurworld Rewrite: A Serious Adventure AU - S1E1 Outline

I’m doing rewrite outlines, prepare for some AU. That being said, I still like several parts of Centaurworld a lot, namely Rider, Horse, Wammawink, and whatever the hell is going on with the Nowhere King, and hope there’s a second season to watch (which I will if Netflix doesn’t ruin our hopes and dreams).

Anyways, here’s like, a rewrite or whatever. I will probably post the outlines as I go, episode by episode. Will I get to them all? ADHD-willing, we’ll see. Also feel free to use these ideas/outlines? I don’t mind. 

Also assume there are songs in this even if I don’t specifically mention all of them. Also I guess this rewrite kinda chains the 1st and 2nd episodes together as a two parter? Maybe, idk.

Also I’ll preface this with this too: I ship Wammahorse, yes I SHIPSHIP it. Moving on.

Some headcanons before we start:

Warworld (*the world Rider and Horse are from) is a Low Fantasy Setting, there IS magic, but it comes in two variations, either very subtle low-powered but relatively uncommon, or Terrifyingly Powerful and so extremely rare to the point that it’s not very well known and “just myths” (usually for Big Baddies)

Ideas for Horse’s Degree of Sapience Prior to Worldhopping:

A: Horse was just a regular, non-magical horse, and their exposure to the Artifact and Centaurworld has essentially made them a Fully Uplifted Animal. - This is interesting, but ultimately a difficult idea to convey because it would require a lot more setup and wouldn’t exactly fit Horse’s characterization without some rework. This is an amazing idea, but I won’t be using it because it would slow things down too much.

B: Horse is a low-fantasy magic steed raised as warhorse/war asset, who is much smarter than your average animal steed/companion similar to a DND Ranger’s pets, or Mabari from Dragon Age, or a Ranger Horse from John Flanagan’s ‘Ranger’s Apprentice.’ The combined exposure to the Artifact and Centaurworld could account for her gaining speech and her body expressing limited physical adaptation to Centaurworld’s different physics (her body’s new extended range of motion for example) but of course I’ll be limiting this because having stakes make it more fun imho. This is my favorite, I’m using this.

Horse would’ve been considered a very valuable war asset (trained warhorses are like, historical ferraris, expensive as hell, i can only imagine what low-magical smart warhorses would be valued at), though still ultimately expendable for the war effort like anything else

Let Horse have horse behaviors (*can you tell I haven’t really left my horse phase behind lol)! Nipping and grooming behaviors as affection or warnings, ear positions to indicate mood, grazing to eat, laying down only when truly relaxed, sleeping standing up. COME ON.

Centaurworld is a High Fantasy world with an Absurdist bent but with darker undertones, similar to how Adventure Time is, with an extremely high saturation of magic, maybe you could even theorize that due to the Splitting of the Two Worlds that all the magic is being Dammed up in Centaurworld like a river or reservoir, this could be a future plot thread that could be picked up in a later season.

Basic Changes: 

Durpleton, Glendale, Ched and Zulius are supporting cast, not main

Durpleton is less stupid and more of a Kronk-expy: a little dim but ultimately kind/means well, has at least 1 life skill he’s good at buried in there though for the life of me I can’t think of one right now.

Glendale’s Narrative Framing: Glendale is amazing, but the kleptomania will be allotted ONE (or two) joke mentions but narratively isn’t treated like one after, somehow establish that her kleptomania is directly intertwined with her anxiety levels. Are there other denizens of the Valley that know the Herd? Are they mad at Glendale for stealing things? Does Wammawink have to constantly run interference to cover for Glendale? Probably.

Make Ched look like less of a pointless asshole: Have him show concern for his friends’ safety and his suspicion of outsiders, AKA Horse. If he’s going to be a jerk, at least let it serve a purpose.

Zulius can stay roughly the same - Zulius is great okay, just don’t tell me there’s backstory and then NOT TELL OR SHOW US ANY CLUES about what said backstory/history IS! (other than forcing us infer/project the headcanon[?] that him and Splendib might’ve been exes, from how they act around each other without any other context/visual/or confirming exposition we literally know nothing other than Splendib and him split/had a nasty falling out and Splendib took the glittercats and the career in the divorce.)

S1E1: Hello Rainbow Road

Opening scene in Warworld

If these episodes were allowed to be longer (shuddup it’s my AU), have the scene open with Horse sees Rider comes running out of some underground castle ruin catacombs and ominous roaring and clanging behind her as she deliberately sets off a dungeon booby trap (arrows or fire) she must’ve avoided while dungeon crawling earlier, and Horse runs towards her and circles at a canter and then Rider does a Running Mount (mounting a horse while the horse is in motion) and shoots an arrow at that flies offscreen

Smash cut to the DRAWBRIDGE door falling and Rider and Horse come galloping out while dodging some javelins and arrows and 1.5 seconds later 1-4 armored minotaurs (the lizardmen?) riding some coursers (swift horses or horselike creatures idk have fun) gallop behind in hot pursuit.

WARWORLD CHASE/FIGHT SCENE

Rider and Horse take out 2 of the pursuers on the run have Rider stay on horseback, dodge and make 1 pursuer shoot/javelin another 1 into a nasty-looking fall, and then Rider nails another 1 right through the helmet visor with an arrow. Have Rider throw a smoke bomb or something at the 2 remaining ones trying to catch up.

2 Enemies left but Horse is forced to skid to a stop as the suspension bridge approaches, then a tense moment forced to walk in order to escape safely across the suspension bridge which Rider cuts once they’re across. Maybe have 1 of the minotaur pursuers having been on the bridge somewhat behind them before Rider had to cut the line, sending the enemy hurtling down below. The remaining minotaur scout stares at them ominously from the other side before leaving.

Have Rider breath a sigh of relief

Smash cut to Horse and Rider traveling across a wartorn landscape, start Horse’s internal monologue narrative until they finally get to the hill and see the ruins of their village

Everything from this point to Horse getting transported to Centaurworld is the same as canon

Not Actually a DREAMVISION SEQUENCE: 

Shot/Animated from Horse’s 1st Person POV: Darkness, the sound of whooshing Horse falls, shimmering flash colors [if this were an actual show pls put a Epilepsy warning at the beginning of the ep], then a loud Splash as Horse falls into Dark Water. POV looks down and we see Horse’s front legs and a bottomless abyss below and a then flash of green and off-white from deep below, then look up to see blue light, see the swimming motions of Horse’s front legs and getting closer to the Blue Light

Horse wakes up, blinking, alone (no Durpleton)

Horse gets up looks around, doesn’t see Rider anywhere and starts makes Whinnying sounds (specifically, Whinnying is a social horse call, like specifically going, “Rider where are you!?” in IRL horse)

“And what are you supposed to be?” the “camera” wheels around to see Ched who has landed on Horse just within reach of her tail so Horse lets out a startled squeal (the Horse noise, not the human one) and does that thing where horses use their tails to swat away insects which sends Ched FLYING as Horse’s squealing morphs into her Talking/Yelling “what the heck is going on?!”

Horse does what panicked horses do, she runs

Horse stumbles into meeting Durpleton, who freaks her out more

Meeting kinda the same as canon but with less constant emphasis on reminding the audience that the writer’s can’t write comedy

Wammawink and Horse meet, Ched flies in and goes “hey that asshole kicked my a-I mean attacked me, but I totally beat ‘em.”

Horse tries to leave, discovers the Barrier, tries to get through, fails multiple times, but only 3-4 attempts shown with time passage show by the time of day changing, have Horse’ talking to herself a bit about how utterly weird the talking words thing is, that this is a “human” thing why is this HAPPENING she needs to get back

Waste less time on the visual gags of the Barrier repelling Horse, also get rid of the Tree Catapult scene because it doesn’t jive with Horse being a horse, why do they know how to make a catapult? Also because I hate how it basically shows us that Horse has no physical danger or chance of injury from being FLUNG around like Pokemon’s Team Rocket.

Have the rest of the centaur Herd come up to and talk to Horse while Horse is trying to get through the Barrier, and Horse talks about the outside and her world and doing things, squeeze in some convo about how there’s no (current) war in Centaurworld and how Horse thinks that that “freedom must be nice.” Anyways these conversations are what has Glendale, Zulius and Durpleton at least considering the ups of leaving.

Durpleton: Durpleton approaches Horse alone and asks about where she’s from, what’s home like, expositiony bits for Warworld and how much Horse needs to get herself and the Artifact back to Rider; Horse should say something offhand, like how she dreamed about exploring the world with Rider after the War seeing new things together, to which we’d cut to a shot of Durpleton looking thoughtful, before asking a completely unrelated question before Horse asks to be left alone. He doesn’t go originally, but gets distracted by something (butterfly?) and trots off.

Wammawink, Ched & Glendale: Atop a hill, Wammawink looks up to see stormclouds gathering off in the distance and comments that they’re going to be in for some rough weather, then goes over to offer Horse food, but gets distracted by some other Valley Denizens who are mad suspicious that Glendale is responsible for something of theirs that’s missing. Leaving Wammawink to go off and have to run interference leaving Glendale to approach Horse alone. Horse will learn that there’s no (current) war in Centaurworld but there was one historically, and Glendale will offhandedly mention that they’ve stolen everything from everyone in the Valley at least 4 times and with the unspoken implication of boredom. Ched will butt in and heckle Horse like, “could you leave any quieter?” and Horse sniping back, ears pinned back and animated horse stress behaviors. And Horse’s last failed attempt at passing the Barrier has them drop the Artifact, and we get a shot of Glendale spotting and eyes widening at seeing the Artifact unattended on the ground, then we get a smash cut of Glendale getting herded away by Ched.

Zulius: Goes over to ask about Horse’s avante garde accessories (her bridle, saddle & armor[barding]), makes comments on her style/aesthetic and asks where he could find some. Horse loses her patience, and says that she Needs to concentrate on getting back to someone they care a lot about and could you please just go away? 

Horse: (voiced as a rhetorical question) “Haven’t you ever wanted to go back to someone you loved before?”

Zulius gets a Look on his face, then he’d puff up, cover up the Armor Piercing Question’s effect on him with more bluster and then turn away as it gets later

Around sunset, Horse finally gives in to go ask Wammawink what’s up, and how can they leave.

Wammawink tries to feed them and convince them to stay, but Horse waves her off and moves away while muttering something about coming up with a plan

Speaking of plans, the Herd excluding Wammawink (& Ched) start talking about being bored, and mention Horse saying stuff about exploring the world (taken out of context, deliberately)

Wammawink, smelling the ugly head of discontent, sighs in defeat at not being able to recruit this new outcast in the Herd and approaches a grazing Horse and says she’ll help her through it with her magic(not admitting that the Barrier is her magic working in the first place because it’s not relevant right now okay) but then we get the “What’s magic?” bit from Horse and the rest of the Herd butts in with the Song. They wander off to go to bed afterwards, and Horse wants to go Now but Wammawink says that she’ll help Horse leave the Barrier but only in the morning because “you look tired”

Horse: “That doesn’t matter.” *awkward silence*

Wammawink, sadly: “Of course it does.” *Horse has already walked away*

The sun finishes setting as the wind blows the plants and through Wammawink’s fur (ominously) and she shivers, going back to the campfire

DREAM SEQUENCE: It’s dark, then we get a flashback dream of a younger Rider and Horse, idk a memory of something to showcase them either while in training or really show their Bond okay? End with them sitting around a campfire with other young soldiers and horses, someone is humming something (the first few bars of the Nowhere King’s Lullaby, no actual words yet). Then Dream!Rider turns to face Horse and asks, “how could you?”

Horse: “How could I what?”

Dream!Rider: “How could you leave me behind?” (The humming grows louder, there’s a lute being played, growing discordant)

Then Horse starts calling into the darkness/void, “I’m coming back for you, Rider! Just hang on, alright?!”

Rider: “Oh Horse, it’s already too late for me.”

“Rider!” Horse yells as they jolt awake, standing, because horses typically sleep standing up.

It’s dawn but the wind and stormy weather signs are picking up but not here yet, Wammawink walks Horse to the edge of the Valley barrier and tries to convince Horse to stay here where it’s safe, but Horse refuses to be deterred

Brief shot of Glendale hiding a bunch of things from her Tummy Hammerspace in order to simulate the feeling of stealing things again later, including the Artifact which falls on the ground

A shot of Durpleton seeing and picking up the Artifact and spotting Wammawink and Horse some distance away going toward the barrier’s edge

Wammawink hangs back on a hill, glowy hands and the magic wall flickers and disappears, and Horse immediately breaks into a gallop and disappears into the forest, Wammawink sighs and turns away

Indeterminate amount of time later, Wammawink recasts the Barrier, and Durpleton misses breakfast so Wammawink enlists Ched to help her look for him because Ched can fly

Cut to a shot of Horse dropping from a canter to a trot on the Rainbow Road, it’s grown darker and the stormclouds are in the sky. Distant thunder booms overhead, and a few scattered raindrops start to fall

“Heyyyy! You forgot your necklaceeee!” a shout from behind

Horse looks back and sees a running Durpleton holding the Artifact, and stops, he catches up to Horse and is gasping, “Wow, you run fast, hoooo, *deep breaths* you’re really *another gasp* athletic! Anyways you forgot your Necklace.”

Durpleton ties the broken string into a necklace around Horse’s neck and Horse thanks them and wishes them a safe journey back to the Valley, but as this happens the rain gradually falls harder. Then the sounds of the Rest of the Herd finally catching up happen, and Wammawink mother hens Durpleton and wants take everyone back home but then a loud BOOM of thunder and lightning overhead, and then it starts to Pour down rain, forcing Horse and co to find shelter until it lets up. Maybe have someone mention something about landslides being a possibility? Durpleton asks how they found them so fast, dim remember, then brief flashback.

FLASHBACK: Wammawink and co searching and calling out for Durpleton everywhere in the Valley, and realize that he must’ve followed Horse for some reason when Zulius FINALLY shows up and mentions that he remembers Durpleton saying he was gonna give Horse back her necklace. The recast Barrier is brought down and they leave the Valley to bring back their friend.

Back to the present where the group has taken shelter as the storm picks up more, and thunder booms overhead, Horse has some nervous horse body language going on, then we get to hear her mutter-singing or humming the “I never fear the drums of war” to calm herself down, but with more stanzas please, when asked she says it’s a battle hymn that Rider sang.

If Horse was humming, Wammawink could ask why she doesn’t sing, she’s sure that Horse has a lovely voice

Horse goes “I’m a horse, I don’t sing.”

Wammawink tries to be encouraging, Horse is resistant

Wammawink invites her to eat (AGAIN) but Horse still turns her (love and affection) down (AGAIN!) and says she’s fine with grazing and Glendale pipes in excitedly that they have decided that they want to travel with Horse (Ched pipes up that he didn’t agree to this) but pls help us convince Wammawink and Horse protests but someone points out to ask “do you even know where you’re going” and they have a point

Horse acknowledges this and relents, states some stuff about how she’s not going to slow down much however. Then Glendale, Zulius and Durpleton rejoice, Ched acts tsundere, but Wammawink looks nervous and wrings her hands together and relents that “they’ll go with Horse as far as the nearest Shaman” and Ched will go, “hey don’t you know he-” and Wammawink shushes him quickly with a gigglecake

Wammawink doubles down on the mother henning behavior

Horse doesn’t eat Wammawink’s gigglecakes but grazes by herself nearby, occasionally answering a question or two when engaged by the others (not Wammawink) and Wammawink mentions how the weather probably won’t let up for very long and they should take it slow and that Horse should bundle up

Horse disagrees but its bedtime and a bedtime song occurs in the backdrop as a restless Horse struggles to stay alert and awake but eventually falls asleep

VISION SEQUENCE: A shimmer of soft blue light, then shots of Rider ducking and weaving, her sword flashing as she tries to weave her way through a horde of enemy soldiers, blood spatters, then an enemy archer takes aim at a fleeing Rider, and Horse calls out a warning. 

Rider turns her head with a surprised look on her face suddenly just enough that the arrow buries itself into her shoulder instead the middle of her back and then she stumbles, one of her arms going limp, but everything goes dark before we can see if she fell

Everything goes dark and the din of war fades away, we get a shot of Horse’s hooves splashing and making ripples into dark water but the camera doesn’t follow her, we hear Horse’s cries for Rider fade, growing further and further away

Still dark, but in the silence we hear distant sound, drip, drip, drip, drip.

Then the episode ends and the credits roll.

[geminisholland]

i’m covered in you Tom Holland x actress!reader

a/n: whew i had fun with this!! i loved writing this so much! also, if you like star wars and want to give my other blog some love @makerkenobi i would appreciate that!! references to my fave song, ivy by miss swift

requests are open

warnings: cussing, angst, and a whole lotta fluff

word count: 2174

join my taglist!

bold and italics are text messages

italics are song lyrics

The hours spent on set between you and Tom had inevitably created a close bond for the two of you. There were many sleepless nights together, running scenes for hours on end before the director finally shot one they liked. You were each other’s rock during the whole process, Tom made a point to come over to your trailer before a particularly difficult scene, and provide support. You were newer to acting, and Tom helped guide you and give you advice during filming. It was safe to say that Tom was your best friend, and you were his. However, playing lovers on screen and having that chemistry was difficult for you to ignore. You knew that deep down, you had feelings for Tom, you just decided from the very beginning that you couldn’t pursue him. You wanted to make sure you established yourself as a professional, which you are.

You were professional for the entire filming process, never having a night where you drank too much and kissed him. Never. You were quite proud of that, because there were many opportunities where you could have. Tom was hard to read, anyways. You never knew how he was feeling, one minute he’d talk about some girl he likes, and the next he’s going on about how he just wants to stay single right now.

The press tour for this movie was coming along in just a few days, and you were doing your best to prepare. Mentally, that is. The press tour was going to have a lot of bonding time. Interviewers asking you questions every day, all day. Sitting next to Tom for hours on end just talking about each other and the movie. Being only a hotel room away from him. Celebrating the movie coming out with trips down to the hotel bar at midnight, you knew this was dangerous.

A ding from your phone made you snap out of your daze, as you picked it up to look at it.

Tom: Are you excited for the press tour or whattt

You: haha yesss i’m so excited & also kinda nervous?? idk why

Tom: I have that affect on people

You: shut up

You: it’s effect btw

Tom: No it isn’t

You: uhhh... yes it is dumbass

Tom: Shut up

Tom: I’ll see you in a few days in the best city ever

You: you’re only saying it’s the best city because it’s your city

Tom: Ya that’s why it’s the best

You: you’re so annoying i’ll see you soon

With that, you locked your phone, and resumed packing. You really only needed to pack pajamas and workout clothes, because all your outfits for the press tour were being brought in by your stylist. You really couldn’t complain about any of this, you got to play dress up for a month or so, hang out with Tom, and talk about a movie you’re really proud of. Oh, and also travel across the world. That part was pretty cool.

You flew into London a day early so you would have time to adjust to the time difference. Tom was kind enough to invite you to stay the night at his house before the two of you left for hotel rooms every night.

When you arrived, you were extremely tied, and didn’t have the energy to hang out with Tom’s entire family, and his roommates.

“Hey everyone,” You said as you walked into his house. Tom was behind you, carrying one of your bags.

“It’s so heavy,” He groaned out, and you rolled your eyes at him. He was never very subtle about what was on his mind.

“Hey y/n!” Harry called out. “We missed you!”

You looked around the room to see just about everyone that Tom knows sitting in his living room. You weren’t expecting to be met with at least ten people, right after you got off of a ten hour flight.

“Oh... hey!” You let out, your eyes were wide with shock. You were really tired, but didn’t want to be rude. “How is everyone?”

You made your way around, saying hello to everyone, as Tom put away your luggage in the guest room. He came downstairs, and you turned around to look at him. He had the biggest smile on his face, he loved seeing you with everyone. Of course, you had already met and hung out with his family and friends, but you were special to him; which means you getting along with his family and friends was really important to him.

“Hey, Tom,” You said. “Can we talk real quick?”

“Of course, darling,” He responded. You grabbed his arm, leading him out to the backyard so you could talk in private.

“That was really nice of you to have everyone here,” You acknowledged. You looked up at him as he flashed you a grin. He was overflowing with excitement, it had been a few months since you last saw each other in person.

“Everyone missed you,” He explained. “Myself included.”

“I missed you too, Tom.” You looked up at him, your arms were still interlocked together as you stood on the gravel, overlooking his backyard.

“I don’t want to be rude,” You started. He furrowed his brows as you continued, “But I’m really exhausted, and I think I need to just take a little nap. Can everyone come back for dinner?”

“Oh, of course!” He exclaimed. “I’m so sorry, I wasn’t even thinking- I was just so excited you were coming, and everyone else was too I ju-“

“Tom, it’s okay,” You smiled at him. He relaxed as your eyes met. “I’m really appreciative, Thank you for doing this. I just need some sleep right now.”

“Of course,” He nodded. The two of you went back inside, and Tom had asked everyone to come back later to give you some time to unwind. You walked into the guest room he had made for you, and laid down on the bed, not bothering to get under the covers as you drifted off to sleep.

Having dinner with everyone later was extremely fun, and you were feeling like yourself again. The entire stay at Tom’s house was incredible, the two of you messed around a lot, but at the end of the day he was really a great friend. The morning you two were getting ready to leave for the press tour, he brought up tea to your room. It was the little things, you thought.

That day consisted of driving to the hotel, getting ready for interviews, and talking a lot about the movie. The two of you ended up in the hotel bar later that night, starting off the press tour by getting drunk. There were multiple days of this; you went from England, to France, to Germany, Spain, everywhere. You and Tom were having so much fun, all you did was talk in interviews, eat good food, sightsee, and get drunk. It was magical, actually. But everything changed when you went to Italy.

“We have Y/N Y/L/N and Tom Holland here, promoting their new movie,” The interviewer spoke into the camera. You and Tom sat beside each other, smiling as they continued to talk and ask questions.

“Was this movie more difficult to film, Tom? Because of how dark it is?” She asked, and Tom nodded his head.

“Oh, definitely,” He began. “I had a hard time with scenes, but luckily I have an amazing costar who helped me out with them.” He placed his hand on your shoulder as he looked over at you.

“And you, y/n?” She started. “It was also difficult?”

You nodded your head, “It’s definitely something I’ve never done before.” All three of you laughed before you continued. “Yeah, it was very difficult, actually. I’m very lucky Tom was there, there were a lot of tears- on and off screen!”

The three of you let out a laugh again, and Tom took his hand off your shoulder, and it fell onto your lower back. You gave him a quick look before the interviewer continued to ask questions.

“Because this movie is so dark, I thought it would be fun to ask some fun, lighthearted questions!”

You and Tom nodded, and she started to begin.

“What are you favorite colors?”

“Blue,” You let out.

“Green,” Tom responded.

The questions kept coming, and you and Tom were having a lot of fun with them. It was something different, and you liked that. Then, she asked the question that changed everything.

“What song reminds you of the other person?” She asked. You and Tom looked at each other, thrown off by what was just asked.

“Uhh,” Tom started. “I think I’d have to say Mr. Blue Sky by Electric Light Orchestra.”

You laughed, knowing why he said this.

“We had a lot of dance parties in the hair and makeup trailer to this song,” Tom answered. You nodded your head.

“And you, y/n, what song reminds you of Tom?”

You hesitated, you knew what song he reminded you of, you just were scared to say it out loud.

“Umm,” You drifted off. Tom stared at you, waiting for your answer. “I don’t know why, but my brain is saying ‘Ivy’ by Taylor Swift.”

You and Tom looked at each other, he looked confused; raising an eyebrow to indicate his confusion. The interviewer cleared her throat, then changed the subject. You spent the whole interview on edge, Tom kept giving you the side eye, and you knew you were going to have a conversation about it after.

Except after wasn’t until much later, you had at least three more interviews to do that day. When this interview ended, you didn’t have any time to chat with him. Your makeup artists rushed over to do touch-ups before the next interviewer walked in.

You were in agony, you wanted so badly to talk to him about this, but the two of you had no time alone. You were doing your best to not look at him, you couldn’t make eye contact right now.

Finally, you wrapped up the interviews for the day, and you and Tom started heading to your hotel rooms.

“What was that?” He asked, breaking the awkward silence as you walked back to you rooms.

“What was what?” You played dumb, but still looked at the ground.

“Look at me,” He demanded. You looked up at him, he was taller than you, and you were already in a vulnerable position. “You told me that ‘Ivy’ was a song that made you feel like you were in love, do you not remember that? You said that when we were filming.”

“I remember.”

“Then what the fuck was that?”

You breathed in, your heart was racing and you started to sweat. You were growing anxious. You looked behind him to see your hotel room number, you were hoping you could escape this. Maybe this wasn’t healthy, you thought. Running away from your problems. You just couldn’t handle him saying anything other than that he feels the same for you. You tried to move forward, but he blocked you.

“Don’t run away from me,” He growled out.

“Fine,” You said. “What do you want me to say?”

“What you meant,” Tom responded. He started to back up, so he was against the wall right next to your hotel door. You stood across from him, on the other side of the door.

“What I meant,” You were stalling. He stared at you, waiting for you to response.

You couldn’t look away, though.

So yeah, it’s a fire, it’s a goddamn blaze in the dark and you started it. You started it.

Your eyes met each other, and you started to moved your way closer to him. He started walking towards you, your bodies inches apart.

So yeah, it’s a war, it’s the goddamn fight of my life and you started it. You started it.

You would do anything for him, anything. He breathed out, and you felt his breath on your face.

“I love you,” You whispered. You nodded your head, looking down at the ground. You couldn’t even look him in the face. He grabbed your chin, forcing you to look up at him. He had a smile on his face.

“Oh, y/n, I love you too,” He said. You laughed, but was abruptly cut off by him smashing his lips into yours. You brought one hand to his neck, the other to your back pocket, trying to find the hotel room key. You stumbled, Tom was closing in on you. There was no space left between your bodies, and you were on fire. His hands were in your hair, and he was pushing you up against the wall. You giggled, you were struggling to put the key into the slot of the door, but Tom ripped it out of your hands and shoved it in the slot. He opened the door, then picked you up, taking you into your hotel room.

Now I’m covered in you.

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[itsclydebitches]

Hi! I was just watching good omens and I came up with some questions, but I didn't know whom to ask, so I was digging around for go analysis blogs and found you. *takes a breath* So, I was wondering if you had any thoughts on why Heaven's camera angles are the way they are. I noticed that, in heaven, the camera tends to focus on the characters' heads specifically, so they fill most of the screen. Either it's a meta reason or a reference to something (like Newt with the Office) that I'm not getting. That's the main thing, but I've also wondered why exactly Aziraphale uses the verb "fraternize" in the 19th century. It seemed an odd pivot from caring about Crowley's safety to Heaven's rules. Thanks so much!

Hello! Omg yes, let's talk Good Omens cinematography.

First, the obligatory Analysis Disclaimer: I doubt there's a specific interpretation that you're just not getting, some singular, "correct" reading of the scene(s). Two years past release, I'm positive the fandom as a whole has come up with plenty of ideas (I mostly hang on the periphery. I'm far from up to date with GO meta), but any and all of it will, by nature, be subjective. Thus, all I can offer is my own, personal interpretation.

So for me? It's about intimacy.

Not intimacy in the sense of friendship, but rather the broad idea of closeness. Confidentiality. Emotion. Knowledge. Understanding by means of literally getting into the thick of these conversations. I love the camerawork in Heaven (and elsewhere) because the camera itself acts like a person — an additional party to these interactions. And, since we're the ones watching this show via the camera, it makes it feel as if we're peeking into scenes that are otherwise private. Obviously all cinematography does this to a certain extent, the camera is always watching someone or something without acknowledging that we're doing the watching (outside of documentary-esque filmmaking), but GO uses angles and closeups to mimic another person observing these scenes, someone other than the characters involved.

The easiest example I can give here is when Michael makes their call to Ligur. Here, the camera is positioned up on the next landing of the staircase, as if we're sneaking a look down at this otherwise secret call. There's even a moment when the camera pans to the right to look at them through the gap in the railing, briefly obscuring Michael from our view.

Here, a standard expectation of any scene — keep your character in focus — is done away with to instead mimic the movements of someone actually hiding in the stairwell, listening in on the conversation. It creates that feeling of intimacy, as if we're really there with Michael, not just watching Michael through a screen. The camerawork acts like a person overhearing an illicit conversation prior to falling back on mid/closeup shots. We're spying on them.

To give a non-Heaven example, the camera helps us connect with Aziraphale during Gabriel's jogging scene. It's hard to show through screenshots, but if you re-watch you'll see that the camera initially keeps them both in the frame with full body shots, allowing us to compare things like Gabriel's unadorned gray workout clothes with Aziraphale's more stylish outfit; one's good jogging form and the other's awkward shuffle. However, this distance also creates the sense that we're jogging with them, we're keeping pace.

That is, until Aziraphale begins to lag. Then the camera lags too, giving them both the chance to catch up, so to speak.

Until, finally, Aziraphale has to stop completely and the camera, of course, stops with him. We're emotionally attuned to Aziraphale, not Gabriel, and the camerawork reflects that. Even more-so when we cut to a low shot of Gabriel's annoyed huff at having to stop at all, making him appear larger and more imposing. Because to Aziraphale, he is.

This work carries over into Heaven's other scenes. The closeups are pretty much a given since, whether it's Gabriel realizing Aziraphale has been "fraternizing" with Crowley (more on that below!), or Aziraphale choosing to go back to Earth, the scenes in Heaven are incredibly important to the narrative. Closeups allow the viewer to get a good read on each character's emotional state — focusing on minute facial changes as opposed to overall body language — and that fly-on-the-wall feeling is increased as we literally get an up close and personal look at these pivotal moments.

Compare a shot like this one of Gabriel to the line of angels ready for battle. We don't get closeups on any of their faces because their emotions aren't important. Yes, that's in part because they're background characters, not main characters, but a lack of emotion — their willingness to enter this war without question — is also the point of their presence in this scene. So they remain a semi-identical, nearly faceless mass that runs off into infinity down that hallway, not any individual whose inner life we get a peek at via a closeup.

I particularly like Aziraphale's conversation with the angel... general? Idk what to call this guy. He's just gonna be Mustache Angel. But, getting back on track, his scene has a lot of over the shoulder shots which, admittedly, are pretty common. From a practical perspective they're used to help the audience situate both characters in the scene — you're here, you're there, this is how you're spaced during this conversation — but it can also help emphasize that closeness between them. Keeping both characters in the shot connects them and though Aziraphale and Mustache Angel definitely aren't on the same page here, those shots help cue us in to the unwanted intimacy of this moment. They're both angels... even though Aziraphale no longer aligns himself with them. They're both soldiers in a war... but Aziraphale will not fight. This angel has a list of Aziraphale's secrets, including that he once had a flaming sword and lost it... but Aziraphale doesn't want to admit those circumstances to him. This angel wouldn't understand, even if he did. Intimacy here, connection and closeness, is something discomforting because Aziraphale can no longer embrace those similarities. They put him (and us) out of sorts, so when we get them both in frame, that connection creates tension, not relief.

And many of those over the shoulder shots are given sharp angels, or the camera is placed too close to the "off screen" party. Compare a shot like Luke and Rey to Aziraphale and Mustache Angel. Here, Luke is a clean, solid line on the left side of the screen, just enough there to cue us in to where he is in relationship to Ray, In contrast, Mustache Angel's mustache is Too Close and proves rather distracting. Rey and Luke are connecting here over being Jedi with responsibilities to uphold (or at least, Luke will acknowledge that connection later lol); Mustache Angel is forcing a connection with Aziraphale that makes everyone uncomfortable.

We are too close to him here. He feels too close to Aziraphale too. This whole conversation is upsetting and discomforting, pushing Aziraphale to finally choose which side he's on (his own with Crowley). The shots aren't meant to subtly keep the audience from getting lost and then otherwise be unobtrusive, we're supposed to be Very Aware of this angel's body and how close he's getting to the character we've come to identify with — both literally (he's leaning in) and in terms of forcing Aziraphale to finally make his choice.

When Mustache Angel marches forward and gets all up in Aziraphale's face, the camera positions itself behind Aziraphale in a way that makes it feel like we're hiding behind him, with Aziraphale taking up far more of the screen than Luke does. Like the scene with Michael or running with Gabriel, the camera often likes to mimic a "realistic" response to these events. This angry, shouty angel is getting closer, best take a step back and stay out of sight behind Aziraphale, holding his ground.

These closeups also serve as a nice contrast to the wide and longshots we get of Heaven. It's an imposing place with skyscrapers in the distance, lots of steel, immaculate floors, and endless white. It's overwhelming and it's cold. But then we cut to those mid-shots of Gabriel and Michael, telling us that they're in control of it all.

Aziraphale? Aziraphale is not in control. Not now, anyway. When he appears in Heaven we get a longshot to show off this endless void and he's just another, tiny speck in it. If he weren't flailing around — an acting move that likewise helps sell how out of his depth he is — it's unlikely you'd even notice him. Aziraphale's clothing and hair blends in perfectly with the background. He's forgettable. Easily overlooked. Someone to underestimate. And when he moves, he has to come to the camera. We don't cut to Aziraphale to establish control like we do with Gabriel. He's left to awkwardly shuffle up to Mustache Angel until he's finally come into view.

Yet when Aziraphale makes his decision, he aligns himself with the brightest, most colorful, most interesting thing in the room: Earth. Earth, with all its messy individuality, is the antithesis to Heaven's controlled uniformity and a bright blue orb hanging in the midst of all this white helps remind us of that. Aziraphale rejects becoming one of the identical soldiers and instead literally reaches out for the one thing in Heaven that doesn't fit in.

When he leaves, we get an extreme closeup for the first time. Mustache Angel is pissed and as such we not only get a good look at his face in the aftermath of Aziraphale's choice, but that extreme closeup on his mouth as he's shouting too. It's like he's shouting directly at us, the viewer who is currently cheering on Aziraphale's decision. There's a war, dammit... but we don't care. Not in the way he cares, anyway.

So there's a lot! And I could probably go on, but apparently I'm only allowed to add 10 images per post now (tumblr what the actual fuck if anyone knows a way around this please share!) and I've already had to merge a bunch of images like an animal. So let's awkwardly finish up with the duck pond scene.

...without a GIF because they apparently count as images too 🙃

Simply put, I don't think Aziraphale bringing up fraternizing is a pivot from one to the other — from caring about Crowley to caring about Heaven's rules. I mean yes, Aziraphale is lagging behind Crowley in terms of rebellion and a part of him is, at this point, absolutely concerned with how he'll come across to the higherups, but that worry doesn't stem solely from a (now very shaky) desire to obey for the sake of obeying. The thing is, Aziraphale's disobedience is, by default, also Crowley's disobedience. If they're friends and they're ever found out, they'll both get in trouble. Which, we know from the end of Season One, basically means being wiped from existence. That's horrifying! And it's a horror that threatens them both. I don't think Aziraphale cares about rules for the sake of rules; after all, he started off by giving away his sword, lying to God, is currently meeting with Crowley anyway... this angel has always ignored/bent the rules — established and implied — that don't suit him. Rather, he cares about the rules if he thinks they have a chance of being enforced. If there will be consequences for breaking and bending them. This is still about caring for Crowley (as well as saving his own, angelic skin). If they're found out, Crowley dies. And, as we the viewer learn, Heaven was indeed observing them that whole time. There was always legitimate risk attached to this relationship. Aziraphale's fear, hesitance, and at times forceful pleas to stop this stem as much from Aziraphale worrying about Crowley's safety as they do a learned instinct to obey the rules without question. He pushes to end the relationship because the relationship threatens the only thing Aziraphale cares about more than that: Crowley himself.

As for the term "fraternizing," that's a loaded one! I won't go into a whole history lesson here, but suffice to say it has military roots: to sympathize as brothers with an opponent. That is literally what Crowley and Aziraphale are doing. They are an angel and a demon, supposedly innate enemies, supposedly poised for an inevitable war... yet they've formed an incredibly strong kinship. They've both learned to love their enemy, the thing every army fears because, well, then your army won't fight (just as Aziraphale won't). However, beyond the enemy implications, "to fraternize" eventually took on a sexual meaning: to not merely love as a brother, but to lay with the enemy too, usually women from enemy countries (because, you know, heteronormativity). Nowadays, "to fraternize" often implies a sexual component. I've been rewatching The Good Wife lately and in one subplot, the State's Attorney cracks down on fraternization in his office. He doesn't mean his employees are forming bonds with assumed enemies, he means his employees are having sex on his office couch. So Aziraphale's phrasing here carries a LOT of weight. He's both reminding Crowley of their stations in the world — you are a demon, I am an angel, us meeting like this can have formal, irrevocable consequences for us both — as well as, given the fact that this is a love story, drawing attention to the depth of this relationship. They love one another, as more than just friends. Though whether Crowley's scathing "Fraternizing?" is a response to Aziraphale falling back on the technicalities of their positions, or acknowledging a love he's yet to overtly admit and commit to — or both! — is definitely up for debate.

[miizpah]

cₐₘₑᵣₐ wₒᵣₖ | suna rintarou

anon asks: this is a long one lol... this is a suna thirst!!! send tweet. okay we all know how suna just loves to record things, right??? so this definitely translates over to the bedroom y’know ;) and suna has like hundreds of pictures and videos of the both of you fucking or with cum on various parts of your (and his) body. okay here’s the request tho. you find his album with the vids and shit, and you try to explain to him how it bothers you (even though it doesn’t rlly bother you at all, ur more worried about someone hacking his phone) but suna is not having it ;););) and he thinks ur trying to control him and shit like that and as punishment he fucks you on camera and sends it his friends chat. hahah rip y/n. female reader, thanks!!

!post time skip!

tw. degrading, manipulation, cnc recording.

authors note: ooof, suna makes me go whoosh. anyways, i’m trying out a new theme... idk how to feel about it. make include some pictures or sum, idk idk idk...

Talk Shit Get Hit Bitch! 😎🤏🤬

four people are online...

best twin : ??? suna disappeared fast

bestest twin : where’d sunsun go? 👀

foxbutmakeitsexy : don’t call me that

foxbutmakeitsexy : n who changed my name?

jinbutwithouttheg : if we r talking abt stupid names

best twin : i think tsumu has the worst one

bestest twin : whatdja say?

jinbutwithouttheg : gorls don’t fight!!

jinbutwithouttheg : siriusly tho ... where did suna go?

foxbutmakeitsexy was online one minute ago

bestest twin : HUH?!??!

it was as if you were meant to see it. the album stored amongst the many photo albums that rintarou had, only difference was that this particular album looked like something out of a hentai manga. photos upon photos, some edited into different colors, others blurry but still noticeably you, and videos upon videos of just you, some of both of you, some of him. there hundreds of them, all staring back at you, seemingly mocking you.

you were only trying to take the phone to him, after he practically screamed from the living room that he forgot it and asked if you could take it to him. it was almost as if he wanted you to see the album, his phone’s bright light enchanting your eyes after picking the device up. it was like he knew that your curious nature would cause you to look.

“uh,” your voice was a bit soft, eyes looking everywhere but the questioning expression being sent your way. you hand the phone over, hands immediately coming together to twiddle your thumbs. “rin, those pictures of me are rather... bothersome?”

in actuality, it stroked your ego knowing that rintarou considered you beautiful enough store photos of you in your worse states. but, being the usual worrywart, you couldn’t help but think of possible hackers.

what if they hacked rintarou’s phone?

oh my god, what if they post your pictures and videos?

sell them? that was even worse, possible old perverts would be wacking to them.

you shudder.

“bothersome?” you can’t meet his eyes, knowing what his tone meant. “but you were begging me to take those pictures and videos, baby?”

“i...was not.” your face became flustered, you don’t remember that. but, you are most likely half brain dead whenever he decided to fuck you silly.

“oh?” he’s up then, standing in front you. “you’re not?” the brightness of his phone is a bit blinding, and as your eyes adjust, you can see perfectly as the video plays before you.

the lewd sounds bursting through the speakers, the way your bodies move together is nearly hypnotic, your voice begging for more, for everything.

you look away, but before you did, you see multiple notifications from a group chat coming in. you didn’t register it.

“just delete them, or, or, print them out!”

his fingers turn your jaw, causing you to gaze up into his eyes. they’re narrowed, glowering at you. “but, you can’t print out videos, those are the best.”

your teeth grit, forcibly jerking your head away from his grip. “just delete them, suna rintarou! i won’t have my nudes plastering around the internet.” and with that demand, you turn on your heels and walk away.

which was definitely not your smartest idea. you knew how rintarou was, you knew how quick his moods could change, and how quick he could have you bent and choking on his cock.

you could only freeze when you feel his fingers slither around the roots of your hair, a yelp leaving your lips when he yank harshly, sending you trembling back into his embrace. his other hand came up, wrapping around your throat in loose hold.

“watch your tone, whore.” he whispered against your ear, his warm breath sending shivers down your spine. “you wanted those videos, you wanted those pictures.”

“i-i didn’t—”

“hm, you did. you begged for them like the good little slut you are,” his hand tightened around your neck. “you wanted them, yes or no?”

you breath in heavily, eyes watering. “no.”

“wrong answer.”

“rin-rintarou!” you squeal lightly when you’re suddenly thrown over his shoulder, the tall male practically kicking the bedroom door open, dropping you onto the bed and ordering you to stay put.

you could only watch as he closed the door before stalking towards you, something deep within his eyes that you couldn’t began to understand.

you only blinked and found yourself being dragged forward by your neck, forced onto your knees on the edge of the bed, rintarou glares down into your eyes.

shuddering, you open your mouth to say something, but is cut off by rintarou. “shut your fucking mouth, bitch.” your mouth closed immediately, brows furrowing before relaxing just as quick when he slotted his mouth against yours.

the kiss becoming messy quickly, your salvia mixing with his, teeth and tongues clashing. his hand loosen around your neck, both large hands coming down on your ass with a smack, enclosing around the fleshly meat tightly. you groan in appreciation, sticking your bottom further out.

your arms circle around his neck, pulling him closer to your body, your silk clad breast pressing against his bare chest. his teeth clamp onto your bottom lip, pulling softly before his tongue slips between his teeth and entangle with yours.

his hands knead and pull at your ass, smacking them a few times before sliding up your sides, hands latching onto your breasts. you hum, leaning back and giving him room to play around with your erect nipples.

his mouth leaves yours, “fucking slut, you’re enjoying this too much.” his words are warm against your cheek. “i can change that.” you can’t, you wanted to say. he wasn’t the best at giving out punishments, not when he, himself, enjoys fucking you a bit too much.

his lips trail down your cheek and jawline, before instantly attacking your neck with a sharp bite, you gasp and try to push him away, but just as quick as he bit, he was pulling away and giving soft licks to soothe over the harsh imprint.

“r-rintarou...” you whisper brokenly, the pain and pleasure mixing.

the taller pulled back fully, eyeing the teeth mark on your neck, humming in pride at his mark against your smooth skin.

“on your back.” his tone was rough, promising actual pain if you didn’t listen. so, you could only do as told, laying on your back and keeping your legs closed. his hands came down, spreading your legs and landing sharp slaps against both of them. you yelp, trying to close them, but he quickly slotted himself between them.

his phone is presented, his eyes staring deep into yours. “record.”

“n-no,” you deny, shaking your head.

he raised a brow, “now.” he ordered.

you gulp and take the phone, clicking onto the camera icon and sliding over to record.

rintarou smirked at you, leaving you breathless at the sudden heated stare, he’s fingers were pushing your panties away, blowing onto your heated cunt, your thighs tensing.

then, he’s devouring you. and your hands shake as the pleasure crawls from your core, extending through your legs and curling around yours toes, and your thumb accidentally pressed record and the ding sounds around the room.

your whimpers are already filling the room, free hand coming down and tangling through rintarou’s messy locks. his hands are tight around your thighs, squeezing and pushing them closer around his head, locking him in.

“ngh-ah!” your toes are curling, hand gripping tighter at his hair as you could feel yourself growing closer by the second. rintarou eating you out was always a blessing and a curse, he knew which parts of your cunt to fiddle around at to make you quickly.

he pulled back then, the camera catching the glistening of your arousal, coating his mouth and his chin, and the obvious satisfaction in his hooded eyes was daunting.

he wasn’t satisfied because he had you whimpering.

he wasn’t satisfied that he could make you cum almost immediately.

no, he was satisfied because he got you to record. he’s satisfied, and he smirked so devilishly at the camera that you nearly drop the device.

in a swiftness, he has the camera pointing in your direction. and you hide your face, not wishing for the camera to catch your already winded look.

he laughed, unbuckling his belt and his pants fall to the floor, he worked around like a pro, easily moving his briefs down. he steps out of his pants and briefs, and dragging you closer to the edge of the bed.

“look at the camera, [y/n]~” he teased, but you could hear the underlying threat. you shake your head. “don’t be shy, baby.” the tone sounded loving, but you could hear the threat.

look or suffer the consequences.

you move your head, revealing your flustered expression. behind the phone, rintarou grinned almost predatory.

the phone tilted, showing your body, still clad in your silky nightgown. the silk bunched around your waist, and you try to close your legs, but a single glance around the phone and you’re spreading your legs.

he crouched then, showing the camera your wet, dripping cunt. his fingers appearing, spreading your puffy lips. “so pretty.” he muttered, then his eyes are meeting yours. “i’m going to ruin you.” he said the magic words that would always send jolts of pleasure down your spine.

your eyes flutter, and you nodded eagerly. the phone in his hands long forgotten.

the next few moments are hazy, his imposing figure looming over you, legs hiking up around his waist, and you could only snap your eyes wide when he’s fully sheathed inside you.

“hm, b-big!” you sob, a few tears slipping from your eyes. no matter how many times you’ve taken him, he sheer size and girth will always leave you crying. your sob turns into moans of pleasure when rintarou began to move his hips, the pace slow and a bit tantalizing.

“you take me so well, pup.” you keen loudly at the name, eyes rolling. you can practically hear the smirk in his voice. “you’re a good puppy, huh?”

“y-yes, ‘m good,” you whine, hands clutching the sheets beside you.

you could feel the flutters in your stomach each time rintarou slowly dragged his cock out, only to push back in roughly and repeat the process. he was teasing you now, wanting you to turn into a whining, begging mess, and more importantly, he wanted to catch all on camera.

the lewd wet sounds were only growing by the second, the burning feeling surrounding your cunt causing more arousal to gush out.

your eyes flutter open, and for a small moment, you wish you hadn’t. the camera was pointed directly were you two joined together, catching the way his cock plunged into you, the way your cunt stretched around him, and the fucking wet sounds emitting.

you whine loud in the back of your throat, throwing your head back onto the pillow. the humiliation and embarrassment slowly enclosing you in its hands, yet it only burned like fire and your body felt too incredibly hot.

you almost felt delirious, the camera, his cock, the temperature around the room, the fucking silk gown clinging to you.

“rin — ngh, f-fuck!” you could barley get any words out, eyes hooded and mouth dropping open. the pace was too slow, too hot, you wanted to say something, tell him to go faster, but the small ounce of pride you had left kept those words locked up.

you wouldn’t beg.

you look up suddenly, whining when noticing him taking a step back and crouching down. you wanted to close your legs, but his shoulders were already there and his fingers were spreading your puffy lips apart, revealing your sopping cunt.

“looks so good, pretty girl,” rintarou groaned lowly. “who’s cock got you this wet?” looking to your left, you mumbled the answer. a sharp slap sounded, the pain in your thigh sending another gush of arousal and you moan prettily. “speak up, pup.”

“yours did, rin!”

rintarou hummed, rubbing your thigh as to soothe the pain. “my cock is the only one that gets you this wet, right?”

“y-yes!” you shudder.

you can practically feel his smirk as he asked the next question. “you want my cock in you?”

“rin!” you whine, tears of frustration forming.

“answer the question.” he was full on grinning now, watching your reaction over his phone.

“yes, i want your cock in me.”

“beg for it,” you could practically mouth the words with him. he was getting a bit predictable.

you wouldn’t beg, you reminded yourself. no matter how much you wanted his — he stood up, drawing your attention to his erect cock, and suddenly your mouth was opening.

“i... rin, fuck me,” you whine. “i need your cock in me, please.” if there was one thing you hated the most, it was begging.

dumb bitch, you weren’t supposed to beg! you insulted yourself, fucking dick whipped seriously.

the phone lowered from rintarou’s face, revealing the dark look in his eyes. the satisfied smirk. he shut his phone off, grabbing his pants and disappearing into the bathroom.

your eyes widen then, he had gotten what wanted. you stand up immediately, rushing after him into the bathroom.

“rintarou!” you enter the bathroom, seeing the male standing before the glass shower. one look over his shoulder, and you only gasp in horror.

Talk Shit Get Hit Bitch 😎🤏🤬 | 200+ unread messages

foxbutmakeitsexy is online...

bestest twin : suna u little shit!

jinbutwithouttheg : not u suddenly appearing from the dead

best twin : 😎🤏🙄 and where have u been?

foxbutmakeitsexy : 😏

jinbutwithouttheg : i dont like that face

bestest twin : is that suna?

best twin : hol up smth aint right

foxbutmakeitsexy has sent a video...

jinbutwithouttheg : oh...

bestest twin : 😎🤏😌 ive been blessed ✨

best twin : 🤭 not me finna ask for a threesome

jinbutwithouttheg : miss y/n girl... whew

foxbutmakeitsexy : i was busy 🙄

note — i am disgust 😎🤏😭 i rlly left yall without an orgasm. my sincerest apologies, but miss y/n girl, u got a bad boyfriend.

[azucanela]

Hey, can I get an Bakugou/Shouto/Shinsou hcs where they have a crush on their classmate that haves an astronomic quirk? I had seen an artwork where the guy is just like an universe force full of stars on his body and I've just had this idea. I hope you having a good day✨✨✨

REACTING TO S/O WITH ASTRONOMIC QUIRK [GN HEADCANNONS]

ft. bakugo katsuki, shinsou hitoshi, todoroki shouto

SUMMARY: in which Y/N has an astronomic quirk and the boys can’t help but fall for her. 

WORD COUNT: 2.3k

WARNINGS: mentions of threats, fluff, really pg tbh

A/N: there is a total of two gifs for shinsou hitoshi that exist so for the sake of fairness we shall move away from gifs! also i hope you have a nice day too bb <3

BAKUGO KATSUKI

the volume in this bus is

astronomical.

okay but fr you have an astronomic quirk that essentially allows you to do anything in relation to the universe, so you’re out here making black holes with your hands and shooting out some cosmic energy at your opponents, your lil super weapon is a supernova

whenever you use your quirk your body literally glows, like it looks like a galaxy on your body, your skin literally looks straight out of a photo from NASA, its almost as if your hair becomes a liquid as it floats into the air, defying gravity, wisps of energy occasionally coming off, speaking of defying gravity you can fly because gravity happens to not exist in space um float float woo 

moral of the story, you are POWERFUL, scoring in the top five amongst your class, depending on your control over your quirk and creativity, you may have even outdone katsuki

he hates you for this, and despises you because you’re just so good at being a hero, and yet everyone is still a student. unlike him you hopefully have your emotions in check, and are far more capable of social interactions, which are very important as a hero! for rescues, and interviews, and team ups! collaboration is key.

as he grows as a person, he also grows out of this mentality of despising those who are better than him and instead begrudgingly seeking their assistance to improve. so congrats, you earned his respect! you are one of few that his managed this task!

he just kinda forces himself into your life, not that you mind, but it is a little random when he just kinda plops down beside you during lunch and starts eating, looking at you as though he’s daring you to say something

you just raise a brow and move on, continuing to speak with your friends who remain baffled by his sudden presence

katsuki is gonna be asking you to train 24/7, he wants to improve his skills and you are one of few he considers worthy, you don’t mind because he’s also talented and your quirks are pretty well suited for each other in combat practice

realistically you could just suck him into one of your black holes but he doesn’t need to know that

anyways during one of these training sessions, after a while of actually getting to know you and stuff it just kinda hits him that you look really ethereal when you’re using your quirk, and wow you are beautiful

and now he’s been hit in the face by one of your cosmic blasts, and he is cursing and you are apologizing, coming over to his as the stars on your skin fade and your hair returns to normal

katsuki is BLUSHING as he realizes his mistake and he is desperately hoping you did not notice why he screwed up, swatting you away as you attempt to help him up from the floor, the remnants of your quirk’s glow still in the training room

he was here to be a hero. not to have stupid crushes.

you are definitely his first crush oh god. this boy is an emotional mess, he’s never felt like this, he never had the time or the desire to feel like this, katsuki has always felt like nobody else could keep up with him so why should he like anyone?

until someone could keep up with him, that someone being you

he likes you oh no. oh no. oh no. panic is all that is katsuki bakugo and he’s going to try and storm out but you’re like omg what the hell man???

everytime he sees you, especially when you’re using your quirk, he’s gonna get all blushy, and everyone is gonna notice how flustered he is, they’ll catch on pretty quick

accidentally stares at you in class and it frustrates him to no end when he begins to focus again and realizes he allowed his gaze to fall onto you

“you’re staring again bakugo 👀”

“SHUT UP.”

when you two start dating he’s gonna want to ask you to use your quirk when you’re alone just because he wants to admire you and how pretty it looks, but it is going to take a LOT of bullying and pushing to get him to reveal this

let him touch your starry skin he’ll be freakishly calm, and his touch will be so gentle because it is just so pretty and its you and it seems really out of character for him but your quirk is just so coming because at the end of the day it is you

moral of the story is stars calm our boy baku

SHINSOU HITOSHI 

the only person who hasn’t seen your quirk in action because he doesn’t get accepted into the Hero Course until later on. but he’s probably gonna see it for the first time at the UA Sports Festival.

you two are friends already! you wormed your way into his life, initially to his dismay but now he likes you as a friend, thats about to change

you probably just started sitting down at lunch with him randomly and he got really confused and you just kinda shrugged and were like, “you have nice hair.” 

that was it.

in all honesty, the purple color of his hair lowkey reminded you of your own quirk and you kinda just wanted to meet him and that’s what you did, after a while of hyping yourself up and backing out several times

regardless, it became a daily thing and you found yourself determined to befriend him, and you did! it was lovely, he was slowly accepting you and everything was going great, he was finally talking about stuff with you during lunch and he’d wave in the halls and woo!

anyways, the UA Sports Festival, you’re like the only person he knows so he’s paying attention to the festival purely for you, even when he gets eliminated

you’re about to go up against bakugo and allow me to explain some of the other wonderful parts of the universe

a wormhole = a white hole and i think its still rather theoretical and not proven but right now in this instance they are definitively real! so you can teleport with you quirk basically! not that anyone knows this because you’ve been saving this lovely ability

there is also black holes but that is a little excessive for a festival, and cosmic blasts, but bakugo has blasts of his own so

shinsou is watching and then you begin GLOWING AND HE’S SO SHOCKED MAN, like your skin looks like a picture of the galaxy, and your hair is glowing and floating in the air, hands sparking with wisps of energy radiating off of you 

its beautiful, you’re beautiful, bye bye platonic feelings, shinsou just fell in love by accident

he probably liked you already but it took this moment for him to realize that he liked you. 

shinsou is watching in astonishment as a white hole opens up in front of you, bakugo blasting forward at an incredibly quick rate and shooting through the hole, just to end up outside the arena

that’s the story of how bakugo almost killed you on camera and you won the sports festival :D shinsou thinks you are so COOL but he’s gonna be really nonchalant about it and be lowkey when he asks you about your quirk

tbh he’s gonna be bashful, but he’ll ask for a demonstration of your abilities because he really just wants to see that again, and when you say yes he’s pretty ecstatic though he isn’t expressing it.

“hey.. why didn’t you tell me about your quirk?”

“you never asked”

“would you mind uh..”

you’re looking at him like what you want boy

“would you mind showing me your quirk?” the words come out quicker than he’d wanted but you don’t seem to notice

“sure! right now?” 

you two are in his room and he doesn’t know why but seeing your body begin to glow, beautiful stars lighting up your skin, it feels rather intimate, and he finds himself blushing

you’re giving him a demonstration of your other abilities but he can only really focus on just how pretty you look because WOW

in general, he’s gonna try to catch glimpses of you using your quirk as often as he can, though it is difficult since you are in different classes 

when you two start dating it’s probably around the time he gets accepted into the hero course, and he feels like he’s behind so naturally he asks his girlfriend and best student in the class for help training!

get’s distracted the first couple of times he sees you use your quirk in class, but he manages to get over it after a while, mostly

not ashamed to blatantly stare at you in class, because you are his girlfriend and he is VERY proud to say that

TODOROKI SHOUTO

welp

this boy

is probably an astronomy nerd, idk why but i can see it, he just knows an odd amount of things about the universe and stuff or anything astronomy related

where’s this constellation? oh ask shouto for some reason he knows

honestly though, he had a lot of tutors growing up since he spent most of his time at home “training” with his father, shouto didn’t go to school and was instead taught by these tutors, and astronomy happened to be a very prominent subject

due to his blunt personality, he’s the only person who is gonna outright say that you look really beautiful when you use your quirk, and everyone is gonna think they’re hearing things, but he has no shame repeating it when asked

you’re blushing this time around ma’am

like you’re all demonstrating quirks as Aizawa pretends to determine if you are going to get expelled or not, and you kinda just begin to glow, your skin looks like the literal galaxy and your hair is glowing a variety of colors, becoming an liquified thing as wisps of energy radiate off you and yoU’RE JUST FLYING ACROSS THE FIELD WOW

space has no gravity because people go float, this is why you also float, but it is a controlled float! you also have cosmic blasts, a funky black hole, a white hole that definitively exists in this universe, yeah astronomic quirk looking good rn

“that’s incredible.”

“im sorry what did you say?”

“her quirk is very impressive.”

later on probably after the two of you are slowly befriending each other, shouto finds you interesting and he wants to learn more about your quirk, and he thinks you would be a decent training partner seeing as the two of you are at the top of your class, so he starts associating with you

and associating with you becomes sitting with you during lunch, sharing his food, studying with you, training with you, he’s spending a lot of his time with you and the entire class notices because shouto is normally way more withdrawn what is this??

its not until one particular training day that uraraka wonders if the dekusquad should get involved, you’re using your quirk and she, todoroki and the others are on the sidelines just watching as they wait for their turn to spar

shouto is staring at you, eyes wide, mouth open with wonder and he just says, “wow. that’s beautiful.”

uraraka is like DID I HEAR YOU RIGHT HAHGAS

he likes yessir, that is a gorgeous person that i simp for look at them glowing so pretty yes yes

idk who approaches who first, either shouto is so confused by this weird feeling he gets whenever he is around you and starts avoiding you, opting to visit midoriya since he’s knowledgable and asks what is wrong with him. or uraraka insists on an intervention since homeboy is clearly in love with you and someone has to tell his deku smh

once he realizes he likes you hes probably gonna be quiet about it for a hot minute, and you find his silent behavior odd because to everyone else he’s like this, yes, but with you he tended to talk more and now you’re like??

shouto is trying to figure out what to do about this situation because this was an ACCIDENT and he does fear losing you since you are like the only person he considers a friend at this point.

you confront him and he’s kinda like, “apparently im in love with you.” he cracks pretty fast about whats going on and he is really upfront with you and you’re just like WELP

thats how you start dating icy hot :)

only one that is not ashamed to ask you to use your quirk because PRETTY SHINY WOW gorgeous just art. definitely takes time to just stare at your glowing skin, connecting the stars with his fingers in astonishment he’s gonna tell you how pretty you are 24/7 even if you don’t use your quirk because you are just that beautiful

loves telling you random astronomical facts, tries to see if the things he learns can be used by you since your quirk is based off space

accidentally finds astrology and is now lowkey obsessing over zodiac signs and nearly got his ass beat by bakugo because he had a temper tantrum and shouto was like “this is just because you are an Aries.”

power couple woo

you aren’t just his world, you’re his universe <3

[all-the-heart-you-cannot-see]

He's all that opinions no one asked for

Nobody asked for my opinion but i’m going to give it anyways cause i watched it yesterday with my best friend on a teleparty and it was an ~ experience~

So, first the things i liked about the movie

lesbians

there were some good jokes

the principal

lesbians

The part at the end where the little sister tells Cameroon that she likes him when he is with Padgett because he is more like he was before their mother died. i thought that was the best scene of the movie tbh.

Now things i didn’t like but are kind of subjective

listen, when i saw Cameroon with long hair an image popped in my head of Warren Peace at the end of Sky High in a suit and his hair pulled back and i thought he was going to kill the Prom king look. AND THEN THEY CUT HIS HAIR, and killed my fantasy, i will admit he looked younger with the hair cut, but that was a huge disappointment.

Maybe it’s because i’m not a native English speaker, but the fact that Addison was called Padgett Sawyer was extremely funny to me, what kind of name is that? Why? Padgett sounds like the name a rich Beverly Hills woman would give her Pomeranian. My best friend and i were a having a blast with that name.

Addison is not a singer, but that scene at least served a purpose in the narrative, unlike the ridiculous dance off at the end that went on for too long, i’m not on that side of Tik Tok but i’m guessing they threw in some Tik Tok dances cause Addison is a Tik Tok star, idk i’m clealy not the target audience for this film.

idk how i feel about the horse at the end, it was hillarious kind of in a bad way but also kind of not. Like if a guy came to me mounting a white horse i would laugh my ass of because its ridiculous, but at the same time if he asked for my hand in marriage as he descended from the horse i would say yes without even thinking about it.

Now onto the things i didn’t like objectively.

Addison can’t act, when she was basically playing herself she did a good job, she had good chemistry with the rest of the cast even, but her line delivery in the more emotionally heavy scenes was so awful, i truly believe this movie could’ve been better with a better actress. If she really likes acting i guess she could take some classes and get better, cause right now if she gets any more acting jobs is clearly because of her Tik Tok following not because she is a particularly good actress.

Some scenes looked like YouTube videos, the lighting and directorial choices were questionable in some parts, which i did not expect from the guy who directed Mean Girls and Freaky Friday. i distinctly remember two, the first is at the beginning when she exits her room and talks to her mother on the living room/kitchen area, I get the goal was to show the contrast between the space she had curated specifically to show to her audience and her actual home, but the quality of the lighting and stuff also dropped as that change happened, it wasn’t that her actual home was obviously not as cutesie as her room, it was that the actual quality of the production went down, seriously look at that scene it looks like a YouTube video, i think it may be the fact that it looks like they were shooting it with a hand held camera, like you can see the shaking a bit, which in my opinion makes no sense for that situation but whatever.

When he started to remove her makeup to kiss her i hollered lol, at that moment it was pretty obvious to me the movie had been written by a man, sir, i don’t wear my lipstick to hide from nobody i just like the pretty colors. I also had this same reaction when they went inside the photo booth and she was making faces and he said something along the lines of her disfiguring herself????????????????????????? it's just a duckface Cameroon (Maybe this belongs on the subjective dislikes category but i think this movie would’ve been objectively better with the female gaze)

After Quinn and Nisha became a thing i couldn’t stop thinking about how this movie could’ve been way better if they were the protagonist instead of Cameroon and Pomeranian. Has the popular/ugly duckling story been done before with lesbians? if it has please give me the name of the movie and imagine how much better this one would’ve been with that storyline. Like, if more thought would’ve gone in the making of the script it could even be about compulsory heterosexuality and stuff, like a remake of this movie could’ve actually had a purpose.

This movie is harmless, it doesn’t have kissing booth levels of problematic shit in it, it’s just sad to think it could’ve been a better movie.

[debbiechanclub]

Best Two Out of Three, Part 26

This is it: the last chapter of BTOOT 😭 

I wrote a long, sappy post about what this means to me *months* ago when I thought we would finish much sooner than we did (whoops), so I won’t get into all that again. However, I will say that this is a huge accomplishment for me because I have never finished a multi-part fic until now. But I didn’t do it on my own. I absolutely could not have completed this in the time that I did without @hotyeehawman, and BTOOT absolutely would not be the fic that it is without her. So thank you so much, Lauren. We wrote a whole ass 123,419-word, 228-page mf’in fanfiction novel in less than a year 😳

And, at the risk of sounding cheesy AF, we couldn’t have done it without you all, either. The response to this little wrasslin’ fic consistently blows us away. SO THANK YOU. It means more than words can say. So once you finish reading this last chapter, please come scream at me in your tags, in the comments, in my asks, in my DMs. Because I cannot wait to hear your thoughts.

Alright, enough of that 🤧 I’ll let you get to reading 😉

Best Two Out of Three

Part: 26/26

Pairing: Kenny Omega x OFC, Matt Jackson x OFC x Cash Wheeler, Adam Page x himself

Word count: 7.8k

Warnings: Language; MAJOR angst

Catch up on previous parts here.

Tag squad: @freshlysqueezedmox @comeasyoudar @heelchampbucks @bec0m @betsy-bradock @linziland13 @gabbynorth98 @exe-darbyallin-exe @librathepheonix13 @irish-newzealand-idian-dutch @kingswitchblade

Callie pulled her phone out of her purse to check the time again. 8:57 a.m. She put it back and glanced anxiously around the hotel lobby. She and Cash had agreed to meet there at nine to head to Orlando, and with each passing minute she worried that it would be Matt who stepped out of the elevator instead.

Their conversation had played on a nonstop loop in her head all night. This all happened way too fast. Yeah, I guess it did. Over and over again. Except, in her head, it didn’t end the way it had last night. Instead of Matt walking off she called out to him to wait. She told him that the reason she’d been avoiding him was because she felt guilty about how much she enjoyed being with him. Her brain told her it was wrong, but her heart told her otherwise, and because she didn’t know how to reconcile the two it was easier to just avoid the issue all together.

And that’s exactly what she was doing now: avoiding the issue by going to Orlando with Cash. And she wasn’t just going for the day—she was staying the night at his place.

It had been Cash’s suggestion that she spend the night. It’ll save me a round trip, he’d said via text. It made sense; they both had to be back in Jacksonville for Dynamite tomorrow, so there was no point in making Cash drive four extra hours tonight. So, Callie had agreed.

But, deep down, she knew she’d mostly agreed because it helped her avoid Matt that much more.

She pulled out her phone again, but rather than check the time she opened the camera and flipped it to face toward her. Her double black eyes had worsened from last night, turning an ugly bluish color, but thankfully some full-coverage concealer had made them barely noticeable. Even so, she pushed her oversized sunglasses onto her face. The last thing she needed was people thinking she was a battered woman.

The elevator dinged, and Callie’s chest constricted as the doors slid open. Mercifully, it was Cash.

“You ready?” he asked as he moved toward her. “Sorry I’m a little late.”

She nodded and jumped up from her seat. “Mhm,” she said as she grabbed her suitcase. She couldn’t leave the hotel fast enough.

* * * * * * * * * *

The drive to Orlando was mostly quiet. Cash had asked her if there was anything in particular she wanted to do or see, but she’d just told him she was up for whatever. She knew absolutely nothing about Orlando outside of the fact that Disney World and Universal Studios were there and the little bit she’d seen when she’d stayed with Britt. But Cash didn’t seem bothered by her apparent lack of enthusiasm; he’d just grinned and said, “I got you.” It made Callie’s stomach flutter.

They dropped off their bags at his place and she met his English bulldog, Pawla, before they set off for their first stop of the day. Cash seemed excited as he steered his truck into a parking lot in front of a large complex. Callie, however, was more than just a little confused when she saw what it was.

“Go-karts?”

She hadn’t meant to sound so disappointed, but Cash just let out a laugh. “What? You don’t like go-karts?”

She didn’t answer, looking skeptically out the window at the building. For whatever reason, it made her think of Alex. Go-karts seemed more her speed. She frowned. I wonder if he took her here, too.

“Come on, it’ll be fun,” Cash said. “I think you could use the adrenaline boost.”

“I can think of better ways to get an adrenaline boost.”

As soon as she said it, Callie wished she could take it back. It had just slipped out, implication and all. She looked hesitantly at Cash. He was smirking.

“I’m sure you can,” he returned. Callie felt her cheeks burn hot behind her sunglasses.

“Come on,” he repeated as he unbuckled his seat belt. “I’ll let you pick where we go to lunch afterward.”

He got out of the truck, and Callie drew in a deep, calming breath through her nose as she did the same.

Maybe avoiding Matt wasn’t the only reason she’d decided to stay overnight in Orlando.

* * * * * * * * * *

Alex still hadn’t gotten over what had happened at the Labor Day party. In a word, she felt awful. She wanted to text Callie and apologize again, but between nearly breaking her nose and all but telling her to stay away from Matt, she doubted she wanted to hear from her. So, in hopes of boosting her mood, she’d decided to sit out by Kenny’s pool and soak up the last vestiges of summer while she still could.

But, so far, it hadn’t worked.

Her phone chirped next to her on the lounger, and she picked it up and unlocked the screen. She had a text from Trent.

Hey loser. You have plans today?

She rolled her eyes, but a smile tugged at her lips as she typed back. Not really. Why?

She hit “send,” but instead of setting the phone back down she opened up Instagram. She clicked on Jay White’s story and let it autoplay through a couple more people before it unexpectedly came to Cash’s story. It was a Boomerang video of an indoor go-kart track. Alex recognized it; he’d taken her there one of the first weekends she’d stayed with him in Orlando.

A banner appeared at the top of her screen with Trent’s reply. Because Sam is in town if you want to come hang out.

That caught her off-guard. Sam, the boys’ friend who she’d first met five years ago. Alex had had no idea she was going to be in Jacksonville. Had one of them told her and it’d slipped her mind? But she didn’t think too much of it as she opened the text and sent her response.

Idk. After yesterday I kind of just feel like being a hermit today.

She went back to Instagram and refreshed the page—and her eyes widened at the first picture that popped up.

Callie, a bright smile on her face as she posed in a helmet at the very same indoor go-kart track from Cash’s story.

“Are you shitting me?”

“There you are.”

Alex nearly dropped her phone on her face at the sound of Kenny’s voice. He gave her an amused look. “You alright?”

“Yeah…” she started. But she thought better of it and huffed, “No.”

Kenny cocked his head in concern as he sat down on the edge of the lounger next to her. “What’s wrong?”

Alex let out a sound that was half sigh, half groan. The last thing she wanted to do was to complain to Kenny about Callie and Cash, of all people. But if she couldn’t talk to him about it, who could she? “I’m just frustrated with the whole Callie situation,” she breathed.

She glanced at him from underneath the bill of her baseball cap. He frowned sympathetically at her. “I know, baby. But you didn’t hit her on purpose. If she doesn’t believe that it’s her problem.”

“It’s not just that,” she interjected. “According to Instagram she’s in Orlando with Cash right now.”

His brow furrowed in confusion when she said that. Alex knew exactly what he was thinking. “I don’t give two shits about Cash,” she assured him. “He can do whatever and whoever he wants. Honestly, I expect bullshit like this from him. But I don’t get where Callie’s head is at. Where the hell does she get off blaming me for ruining her relationship with Adam while she’s off driving fucking go-karts with the guy who stabbed him in the back? It hasn’t even been two weeks since she left him!”

“Because it’s what Callie does,” Kenny blithely returned. “She thinks she’s blameless in everything and doesn’t take accountability for anything. This isn’t the first time she’s shown you that’s exactly the kind of person she is.”

“But we were friends, Kenny! Somehow, we got over all the bullshit and became friends, and then fucking Adam…”

She trailed off, her voice growing thick with emotion, and looked to the ceiling. She didn’t want to get upset. But it was hard not to. She felt betrayed. That was the only word for it.

“Hey.” Kenny put a hand on her bare leg, drawing her eyes back to his. “Do you want my honest advice?”

She nodded.

“Stop wasting your energy on Callie and Adam. They’re not worth it, Alex. You’ve given them so much of your time and effort and what have you gotten in return?”

A tear rolled out of the corner of her eye and she quickly wiped it away. She didn’t need to answer him. They both knew the answer. “I know,” she softly agreed. “You’re probably right.”

A corner of his mouth quirked up. “Of course I am.” He leaned over and kissed the side of her head. “I was thinking about ordering sushi for dinner tonight. That always makes you feel better.”

She perked up a bit at that. “Can we get sake, too?”

He nodded. “Yes, I’ll get you sake, too.”

She smiled. “Okay.”

He gave her leg an affectionate squeeze and stood. “Well, I’m gonna go get a workout in. Wanna join me?”

Alex couldn’t help herself. “Is that a euphemism?”

He grinned. “No, despite how much I want to take that bikini off you right now.”

She just playfully rolled her eyes in response.

“Come on,” he said, holding out his hand. “Endorphins will make you feel better, too.”

Alex emitted a dramatic groan as she put her hand in his and let him pull her to her feet. “Not if you try to kill me like you did last time,” she argued.

“But I always take good care of you afterward,” he said. “That was a euphemism, by the way.”

She returned his smirk. “Yeah, I got it.”

* * * * * * * * * * 

To Cash’s credit, the go-karts had been fun—but Callie was more than happy to take the lead on the rest of the day. She’d picked out a restaurant on International Drive for lunch (Cash had groaned and said that was where all the tourists went, to which she’d cheekily replied that she was a tourist), and afterward he’d convinced her to ride the Ferris wheel at ICON Park, where he’d pointed out some of the different areas of the city to her (Callie, who was afraid of heights, had kept a death grip on his arm the entire time). Then, at Callie’s request, they’d driven around some of the neighborhoods so that she could get a better feel for them (“Obviously, I recommend my neighborhood,” Cash had said). Overall, it had turned out to be a good day after all, and Orlando was looking more and more like the place Callie wanted to move.

But, the more time she spent with him, the more she started to wonder how much of that feeling was due to Cash.

“What’re you craving?” he asked as they sat on the couch in his living room.

“You pick,” she returned. Pawla lounged between them, and she reached down to scratch her behind the ears. “I’m honestly still stuffed from lunch.”

“Chinese it is,” he decided, and he pulled out his phone to order. Callie did the same, but to open up Instagram—and she found that Alex was the first person in her stories queue. She stared at the little circle of her profile picture, hesitant. But she was too nosy not to look, so she angled her phone screen away from Cash and clicked.

There were only two pictures in her story. The first showed her in sweat-drenched workout gear lying face-down on a gym room floor with the caption, “@/kennyomegamanx tried to kill me again.” The second was of her smiling in satisfaction in front of a takeout container of sushi. “He made up for it,” the caption read.

“I guess Alex and Kenny aren’t hiding their relationship anymore.”

She froze and glanced at Cash out of the corner of her eye. That was the second time that day she’s put her foot in her mouth. “I’m sorry,” she apologized. “They’re probably the last two people you want to hear about.”

But Cash shook his head. “I don’t care. They can have each other.”

Callie frowned. She wasn’t sure how to respond to that, but he spoke up again before she could.

“Do you prefer beef and broccoli or chicken?”

She thought for a second. “Beef.”

A few more clicks and he finished putting in the order. “It says it’ll be here in thirty-five minutes,” he said as he stood from the couch. “You want a drink? I have a bottle of The Rock’s tequila, it’s really good.”

Callie’s nose scrunched up. “Do you have vodka?”

“Yeah. You want it on the rocks or mixed?”

“Mixed please.”

He nodded and disappeared into the kitchen. Callie occupied herself with petting Pawla until he returned with their drinks a few minutes later. “Here you go; vanilla vodka and Coke Zero.”

“Oo, that sounds good,” she said as he handed her the cocktail. She took a sip. He’d made it just right, not too much vodka, not too little.

“So, what’d you think of Orlando?” he asked as he sat back down. “Did I convince you to become my neighbor?”

His choice of words made her stomach flutter again. “I think so. There’s more to do here than in Jacksonville, and a two-hour drive to work is a lot better than a cross-country flight.”

He nodded. “Yeah, I like it. Dax is planning on moving back to Asheville, but I think I’m gonna stay here. It’s grown on me. Plus, I like Disney and Universal Studios too much.”

“Yeah, I definitely want to check those out,” she returned.

“We should plan a weekend,” he smirked. Callie took a sip of her drink to hide her blush.

They fell into silence, and they both turned their attention to the random show Cash had put on the television. But there was something hanging in the air; Callie could feel it. She was about to speak up when Cash beat her to it.

“So, we’ve avoided the topic all day, but I kind of feel like I have to ask now.”

There was no need for him to clarify what he meant. “Matt?” she guessed.

He nodded. She shifted in her seat. “What about him?”

“Well… are you two not together?”

He sounded almost hopeful. She hesitated to respond.

“That was the rumor backstage,” he added.

She rolled her eyes. “Of course it was. But I guess, yeah, at one point it was moving in that direction. But… I actually told him last night that I think we rushed into things.”

“Oh,” Cash said. It was obvious that he expected her to continue, but her confusion over Matt was the last thing Callie wanted to get into right now. So, she deflected.

“There’s something I need to ask you, too.”

Cash arched his eyebrows as he raised his glass to his lips. “That doesn’t sound good,” he joked.

But Callie wasn’t joking. “Why’d you do what you did to Adam?”

He paused to cock his head at her. “What do you mean?”

She shot him a flat look as he took a sip of his drink. “I mean when you stabbed him in the back, Cash.”

Cash made a noise as he swallowed down the tequila. “Damn, not pulling any punches, huh?”

“You didn’t with Adam.”

He looked back at her in surprise. She didn’t waiver. He breathed out again.

“Alright, look,” he started. “I don’t have anything against Adam. I’ve known him a long time. But he and Kenny had what we wanted, and we did what we had to do to get it.”

She rolled her eyes again. That was such a canned response.

“What?”

“You did not have to do what you did,” she returned. “You didn’t have to manipulate him the way you did.”

His eyebrows arched. “Manipulate him? Callie, all we did was point out that Kenny and the Bucks don’t give two shits about him. He did the rest himself.”

“What?”

“I swear.”

“So you didn’t tell him to sabotage Matt and Nick in the gauntlet match?”

“No! He did that because he was upset about you and Matt!”

Callie’s brow puckered in confusion. “What?”

“Yeah,” he confirmed. “He told us at the hotel bar that night that he found out right before the gauntlet match that you were staying with Matt in California, so he retaliated by sabotaging their title shot. Dax and I didn’t have anything to do with that, I promise you.”

The room grew silent as his words sunk in, stunning her. That was exactly what Alex had surmised when Matt had confronted her immediately after the gauntlet match. But Callie hadn’t wanted to believe it, and after FTR had turned on Adam she’d assumed that they’d been the ones to put the idea in his head.

But if Cash was telling her that they hadn’t, then it meant she really was to blame.

“Hey,” Cash softly beckoned. She looked back up at him. His eyes were earnest. “It’s not your fault. I didn’t mean to make it sound like it was. You didn’t do anything wrong.”

Callie stared down into her drink, tapping her fingernails on the glass. She appreciated the sentiment, but she didn’t agree. Not really. “Well, technically I walked out him, so…”

She trailed off and took a long drink. She felt like such a bitch. I shouldn’t be here.

“And?” Cash returned, drawing her out of her thoughts. “I’m sure you had good reason to.”

Callie didn’t answer right away, nearly draining her drink. Once she’d had enough, she looked down at Pawla and scratched her head again. “Let’s not talk about it anymore,” she said.

“Done,” he said, and she sent him a tight, grateful smile. “So what do you wanna do? Watch a movie?”

She nodded. “Yeah, that sounds good. I just have one request.”

“What’s that?” he asked.

“Anything but Mean Girls.”

* * * * * * * * * *

When Matt arrived at Daily’s Place on Wednesday, he had half a mind to go to Tony and tell him to cancel the mixed tag match. He had no desire to wrestle a match with Callie anymore. To be frank, he didn’t want much of anything to do with her at the moment.

He knew she’d been in Orlando with Cash yesterday. He’d seen her Instagram photo at the go-kart track and hadn’t thought much of it. But not long after, Kenny had texted him.

Hey, did you know Callie is in Orlando with Cash right now?

It had caught him completely off-guard. No? he’d responded. Who told you that?  

He’d been more on-edge than he cared to admit while he’d awaited Kenny’s reply. Alex. I guess they posted photos from the same place on Instagram or something.

A quick search for Cash’s Instagram profile—Matt didn’t follow that asshole—had confirmed the claim to be true. It wasn’t a photo, but a Boomerang video on his story that gave it away. It was unmistakably the same indoor go-kart track from Callie’s picture.

I just thought you should know, Kenny had followed up. Matt hadn’t responded. He’d tried to put it out of his mind ever since, but he couldn’t. He kept going back to what Callie had said to him the last time he’d seen her.

This all happened way too fast.

He didn’t disagree; they had moved fast. But what confused him was that Callie had been the one to set the pace, not him. He’d thought she’d wanted everything that had happened between them.

But the way she was acting now made him feel like nothing more than a regret.

“Matt.”

“Hm.” He looked up from his phone at Brandon. He, Nick, and Kenny all stared expectantly at him from across the EVP room.

“Do you want me to film the mixed tag match for BTE?” Brandon asked. His tone that conveyed he was repeating himself. Matt obviously hadn’t heard him the first time.

“Oh, no. Sorry,” he replied, and he looked back down at his phone. He saw the three of them exchange a wary glance out of his peripheral vision. Thankfully, they just left it alone.

“Alright, I’m starving,” Nick announced as he stood from his seat. “You guys coming?”

“Yeah,” Brandon agreed.

“No,” Kenny wearily returned. “I got that interview with JR.”

There was a pause. And then, “Matt?”

He looked up again, this time at his brother. He shook his head. “No. I’m not hungry.”

Nick let out a breath. “Alright,” he said, and he and Brandon went out the door, leaving Matt and Kenny alone. The silence in the room was deafening. But it didn’t last long.

“Have you talked to Callie at all?” Kenny asked. “About the match,” he quickly clarified.

Matt shook his head again. “No. I haven’t talked to her period. Not since Monday.”

There was another beat of uncomfortable silence. Again, Kenny was the one to break it. “Look, about yesterday. I wasn’t trying to—”

“Don’t,” Matt abruptly cut him off. He knew exactly what he was going to say, and he didn’t want to hear it. “I’m glad you told me. Let’s just leave it at that.”

He raised his palms in surrender. “Fine,” he said, and Matt hoped that really was the end of it.

But then Kenny added, “But I think you owe Alex an apology.”

“What?” Matt cut his eyes at him in disbelief. “For what?”

“Oh, come on, you know exactly for what. For the whole reason the mixed tag match is happening in the first place.”

That confused him even more. “The mixed tag match is happening because Trent can’t mind his fucking business.”

Kenny rolled his eyes. “Oh, okay,” he sarcastically returned.

“What?”

“You called Alex a slut, Matt!” Kenny burst. “That’s what led to the mixed tag match! You accused her of putting Hangman up to sabotaging your title shot and you called her a slut for being involved with both me and Cash. But where was Callie yesterday? In Orlando with Cash, even though she’s apparently with you. So yeah, I think you owe Alex an apology.”

Matt sat back, physically stung by Kenny’s words. They hurt because there was more than just a grain of truth in them. But, at the moment, he was too stubborn to hear it. “Oh, so Callie’s the slut now? Is that what you’re saying?”

Kenny expelled an exasperated breath. “No, that’s not what I’m saying.”

“It sure fucking sounds like it is.”

“I’m saying she’s making you look like a fucking idiot.”

They were thrown into silence again, their arguing replaced with quiet, palpable hostility as they sat opposed on either end of the room. Matt’s eyes turned dark. He didn’t need this. Not now. Not from his best friend.

“Fuck you, Kenny,” he spat. He stood and stalked toward the door, and as he gripped the handle he turned back, a cutting remark on the tip of his tongue. But in a moment of clarity, he decided it was better left unsaid. The shoe was on the other foot now. So he just went out the door, suddenly glad that he did have a match. He needed to hit something.

* * * * * * * * * *

“Are you guys going out for Jim’s match?”

Alex glanced across the locker room at Trent, looking for him to answer Chuck’s question. He met her gaze before responding.

“I don’t think so,” he said. “We’ll probably stay back here and focus on our match.”

Chuck nodded. “Yeah. I wish it wasn’t mixed tag rules. I’d like to see Alex hand Matt his ass.”

“Oh, she doesn’t even need to touch him to do that,” Trent returned. “Didn’t he train Callie?”

Alex knew he was asking her, but she didn’t look up as she rummaged through her suitcase. “I think so.”

Trent smirked. “So then kicking Callie’s ass will be kicking Matt’s by proxy,” he said. Chuck blinked at him.

“Wow, you actually used that correctly.”

He sucked his teeth. “Fuck off. I know big words.”

“‘Proxy’ is a five-letter word.”

“You know what I meant.”

“Spell it.”

“Are you serious?”

Alex smirked to herself and let them continue to argue while she grabbed the top to her gear and a pair of joggers and went into the bathroom to change. Truth be told, she didn’t want to talk or even think about the match against Callie and Matt. It was a complete one-eighty from a week ago—she’d been aching to kick Matt’s ass then. But now, she just wished the entire situation would go away.

She finished changing and returned to the main area of the locker room. Chuck was still challenging Trent to spell different words. “I’m going to hair and makeup,” she announced over them.

“What gear are you wearing?” Trent asked.

She turned to face him as she pulled on her zip-up hoodie. Her top was a sparkly dark silver-purple with black trim. “This gear. Why?”

“Because we should try to match. I knew I should have brought the gear from Fyter Fest…” he trailed off as he dug through his things and pulled out his dark gray tights with the blue and pink designs. “Do these work?”

Alex gave him a soft smile. “Yeah, those work. I’ll ask Stella to do a blue and pink eye look,” she said, and she went out the door.

Unfortunately, she didn’t get ten steps before she ran into Adam.

He slowed to a stop when he saw her. “Hey.”

“Hey,” she returned, and her brow puckered with concern as she looked him over. He had his ubiquitous glass of whiskey in hand, but he at least looked better than he had when she’d seen him at the hotel on Sunday. “Going somewhere?”

He looked confused at that. “No… why?”

She awkwardly fidgeted with the sleeve of her hoodie. “Well, you just look dressed for TV and I didn’t see you on the card tonight. I wasn’t even sure you were here.”

Adam hadn’t said a single word to her since she’d texted him to ask if he was going to the Labor Day party. But she hadn’t said a single word to him since then, either. Because the more she’d thought about it, the more she’d realized how right Kenny was. It was exhausting putting so much effort into a friendship where she wasn’t getting the same effort in return.

“Oh,” Adam regretfully said as he looked down at his pale blue button-up. “Yeah, I just had an interview with Schiavone.”

“Oh,” Alex repeated. “About—”

“Where I go from here,” he interjected. “I said I was still open to tagging with Kenny if he was.”

He laughed wryly to himself and took a sip of his drink. Alex frowned and looked away. Kenny was not open to tagging with him again; she knew that for a fact. But judging by the look on Adam’s face, deep down he knew that, too.

“Where are you headed?”

She looked back up at him. “Oh, hair and makeup. For the match tonight.”

Realization dawned in his eyes. And then, sadness and hurt. “Oh, right. You have the mixed tag against Matt and Callie.”

“Yeah.” Alex fidgeted and glanced away again. She couldn’t bear the look on his face. But then she wondered: did he know that Callie had been in Orlando with Cash yesterday? Should she tell him?

No, she quickly decided. It’s not your place or responsibility.

“Well, I should get over there,” she said, gesturing in the direction of hair and makeup.

“Oh, yeah,” he nodded as she started walking. “Good luck tonight.”

“Thanks,” she said, and she turned and hurried off as quickly as she could.

* * * * * * * * * *

In the years since she’d started wrestling, Callie had never felt as much of an outcast as she did now. As soon as she’d arrived at the arena with Cash, she’d realized she had nowhere to go. The EVP room was out of the question, and she didn’t want to go back to sharing a dressing room with Britt—she was the one who’d blabbed her business all over Daily’s Place to begin with. Cash had offered for her to share with him and Dax, but she’d turned him down; she could only imagine the rumors that would start if people noticed her sharing a locker room with FTR. No, she needed to keep a low-profile, and so she’d found an empty room away from everyone else. Now, she sat in one of the lounges watching the show as she awaited her match, alone.

Orange Cassidy had just beaten Angelico with the Orange Punch. Callie had expected Best Friends and Alex to be at ringside for the match, but they weren’t. She looked away from the TV and down at her phone as Bryce Remsburg raised Orange’s arm in victory, but a commotion a moment later redrew her attention. Santana and Ortiz had attacked Orange from behind. The assault didn’t last long, however, as Chuck and Trent ran out and chased them off like a pair of guard dogs. Callie couldn’t help but roll her eyes as Trent angrily paced the ring, shirtless in his skinny jeans. She sincerely hoped Matt would get a quick pin on him in their match.

Chuck grabbed a mike to speak, but Callie’s phone buzzed in her hands and she looked down at the screen. It was a text from Cash.

Are you free? I need a favor.

Her pulse picked up a bit as she unlocked her phone to respond. Yeah… what’s up? she typed back and hit “send.” She watched as the typing bubble appeared and, soon after, his answer.

Don’t laugh. I can’t decide on a shirt.

Despite his request, Callie couldn’t help but let out a little laugh. But she couldn’t blame him too much; FTR was having an in-ring celebration in honor of their championship victory at All Out that night. He probably wanted to look his best.

Usual room? she asked as she stood to leave.

Usual room, he replied, and she headed off in the direction of FTR’s dressing room.

The door was slightly open when she arrived, and she knocked to announce herself before she let herself in. Cash stood alone in the middle of the room in a pair of dark navy slacks and socks, shirtless. Callie’s mouth went suddenly dry as he looked over at her.

“Okay, I can’t decide between these two.” He motioned to a pair of dress shirts hung up in the cubby behind him—one white with tiny blue dots, the other with a subtle blue and white checkered pattern. She walked over and pulled them both out of the cubby so that she could hold them up next to him. He smirked at her as she studied them. She did her best to ignore it.

“This one,” she decided, handing him the checkered shirt. But she frowned as she returned the white shirt to its place. “Are those the only dress shoes you have?” she asked, nodding at the pair of black square-toed loafers on the floor.

“Yeah…” Cash slowly returned. “Why? Is something wrong with them?”

It took every fiber of Callie’s being not to blurt out with, “Yes, they’re hideous.” Instead, she said, “Just brown would look better with navy, is all.”    

“Oh,” he realized. “I guess I should have asked your advice before we left this morning.”

She smirked. “Is that all you needed?”

“Yeah, thanks,” he answered as he pulled on the shirt. Callie watched as he fastened the buttons, and she realized she was staring. She fidgeted and looked awkwardly away, but Cash didn’t seem to notice. “Are you ready for your match?”

She drew in a deep breath. “Physically, yes. Mentally… not at all.”

He snorted. “Make Matt do all the work. He’s the one who dragged you into this.”

Callie anxiously bit her lip. He wasn’t wrong; of the four of them in the mixed tag, she was the only one who hadn’t been present when the match was made. But even so, she couldn’t do that to Matt. “No, I don’t want to do that. And besides, Matt didn’t ask for the match, either—Trent did. All because he didn’t like Matt mouthing off about Alex.”

Cash rolled his eyes as he tucked his shirt into his pants. “That doesn’t surprise me. I think he has a thing for her.”

She scoffed. “You think he does? Please, it’s obvious he does,” she said. And then she muttered, “It seems like everyone has a thing for her.”

“Not me,” Cash abruptly announced. “I’ve moved on.”

Callie looked up at him, but he turned away to grab his suit jacket. She wondered if he had more to say—it felt like he had more to say—but before she could ask the door to the locker room opened and Dax walked in. He halted when he saw her.

“Oh, hey, Callie. I’m not interrupting anything, am I?”

He glanced between her and Cash. They both quickly shook their heads. “No, I just asked her to come help me pick out a shirt,” Cash said.

“Ah,” Dax nodded. Callie didn’t miss the little smirk on his face. It was her cue to go.

“Well, I’ll go so you can get dressed,” she said to Dax as she started to leave.

“Good luck if I don’t see you before your match,” Cash returned, and she gave him a tight smile and went out the door.

* * * * * * * * * *

Alex’s hands were clammy as she stood at Gorilla with Trent. The mixed tag match was next. Unfortunately, it was right after FTR’s joke of a tag team championship celebration. She did her best to tune out Dax’s egotistical blathering as she rolled her neck and loosened up. She needed to focus. A match was a match, and even though she wasn’t looking forward to this one, she still wanted to do her best.

“You ready for this?” Trent asked.

She looked up at him and nodded. “Yeah. Are you?” she meaningfully returned. She still couldn’t believe that he and Chuck had challenged Santana and Ortiz to a parking lot brawl next week. On top of worrying that they’d murder each other, she was concerned that Trent’s focus was no longer on their match.

“Yes,” he assured her. “Don’t worry about me.”

Alex smirked. “Man, have I got bad news for you next week.”

He gave her a crooked smile; but then his eye was drawn to a spot just past her shoulder. She turned to look. Matt and Callie had arrived.

Trent scoffed. “They don’t match at all. Losers.”

Normally, Alex would have laughed. But it was obvious even in the dim lighting of Gorilla that Matt and Callie’s gear wasn’t the only thing off about them. Callie in particular seemed unsure of herself. Her eyes met Alex’s. She turned away without a second glance.

Back in the ring, the “celebration” came to a screeching halt when Jurassic Express dumped a cooler full of beer cans over Cash, Dax, and Tully’s heads. Thankfully, they returned backstage a different way than through the entrance tunnels.

Alex drew in a breath and shook out her arms and legs as the show went to commercial. But it seemed like no time had passed at all when she heard the distinctive beat of the Best Friends theme song sound throughout the arena.

“Let’s do this,” Trent said as he held out his fist to her. She bumped it confidently with her own, and they walked into the tunnel together.

* * * * * * * * * *

A boulder settled in the pit of Callie’s stomach as she watched Alex and Trent disappear down the entrance tunnel. She didn’t know why she’d expected Alex to be just as nervous as her. On the contrary, she’d looked laser-focused; her and Trent both had. It was glaringly obvious that they were ten times more prepared for this match than she and Matt were. The two of them hadn’t even walked to Gorilla together—they’d just happened to get there at the same time.

“I’ll start the match,” Matt said. “I’ll try to keep your ring time to a minimum.”

Callie looked at him in hurt and confusion. “Why would you say that?”

“Because it’s obvious you don’t want to do this,” he breathed. “So I’ll just make quick work of Trent and get it over with, alright?”

“SUPERKICK PARTAYYYYYY!”

The opening of the Young Bucks theme interrupted before Callie could say anything. Matt didn’t so much as glance at her before he walked into the tunnel, and she had no choice but to follow him out.

The crowd offered a mixture of boos and cheers as they walked out onto the stage, but Callie couldn’t hear them over the music. She stood awkwardly next to Matt and waited for him to do his signature pose, but he never did. He just glared into the ring at Trent, who glared right back.

BOOM!

The cannons on the side of the stage shot fake $100 bills high into the air, making Callie flinch. She looked back into the ring as the paper money floated down around them. Alex rolled her eyes in annoyance and turned to say something to Trent.  

She stood stiffly at the top of the stage until Matt moved, and they made their way down the entrance ramp. Trent started jaw-jacking, but Callie tuned him out as she took her place on the ring apron. Matt, however, took the bait; Aubrey had to push him back as they yelled at each other. Eventually, Trent scoffed and turned back to Alex.

“You wanna start?” Callie heard him ask.  

But Alex didn’t even get the chance to open her mouth before Matt yelled, “No, we’re starting the match!”

Alex and Trent exchanged a look, but she stepped through the ropes and out onto the apron next to the turnbuckle. Matt removed his leather jacket and tossed it to the floor. Aubrey called for the bell, and the match started.

* * * * * * * * * *

Alex didn’t know if Matt was ignoring Callie, if Trent just wanted to beat the shit out of Matt, or if it was some combination of both. But whatever the case, the match had been going on for nearly ten minutes now, and neither of them had even tried to tag in her or Callie. It was aggravating, but at least it worked in her team’s favor. The match had effectively become a singles contest, and Trent had far more experience wrestling on his own than Matt did. That, and his cardio was better. If it continued like this, it would only be a matter of time before they won.

Matt tried to whip Trent toward the ropes, but he reversed it and pulled him into a side headlock. He pivoted toward a corner and charged, running up the turnbuckle to hit a float-over DDT. He went for the pin—but Matt kicked out at two. Afterward, both men remained still on the mat, taking what chance they could to catch their breath. Alex eagerly stepped up onto the bottom rope and banged on the turnbuckle. She wanted in.

“Trent! Tag me in!”

She leaned into the ring, reaching as far as she could, and he looked over at her. But just as he pushed himself up onto his hands and knees, Matt hit him with a clubbing blow to the back. He grabbed him by the hair and jerked him into a chinlock. It wasn’t a move that Matt typically did. Alex knew it meant he was getting tired.

The crowd started clapping in rhythm for Trent, and Alex stomped her boot on the ring apron in time. Trent wrenched at Matt’s fingers, prying them away from his face. In response, Matt pulled him to his feet and swiftly maneuvered to hit a float-over DDT of his own. Alex bit down on her jaw as she watched him hook his leg. Trent got his shoulder up at two.

Alex stepped back up onto the ropes. She was tired of this. “Why don’t you tag in your partner, huh, Matt?” she taunted. “Worried she can’t beat me?”

Matt glared daggers at her as he climbed to his feet. “I don’t want to subject everyone to having to watch you wrestle,” he spat.

But Alex’s wit was just as quick. “Oh really? You look awfully lost without your little brother out here doing all the work.”

That needled him. She knew it would. But what she didn’t expect was his response.

“Please, you wouldn’t even have a contract if you weren’t on your knees for Kenny every night.”

For a second, Alex was stunned into silence. But then a white-hot rage bubbled up inside her. She ducked through the ropes and charged toward him.

“What’d you say to me?”

“You heard me.”

“Why don’t you say it again.”

“Get out of the ring, Alex!” Aubrey ordered.

“Matt!”

At Callie’s warning cry, Matt instinctively whirled around and dodged—and what happened next seemed to unfold in slow motion.

Trent flew toward Alex like a bullet. He crashed into her and knocked the wind from her lungs, sending her violently back into the turnbuckle. She felt a pop in her right shoulder, and then nothing but searing hot pain.

* * * * * * * * * *

When Trent realized what he’d done, he felt sick.

He hadn’t known Alex was in the ring. That DDT had left him dazed, and he’d been oblivious to his surroundings until he’d spotted Matt with his back turned to him. So he went for a spear. But Matt dodged at the last second. Trent had absolutely no chance to stop himself or correct course, and he rammed full speed into Alex.

He watched in stunned horror as she writhed against the turnbuckle. She clenched her right arm, her face screwed up in pain. She was hurt. He’d hurt her.

“Alex—”

Smack!

He was abruptly cut off by a superkick to the jaw. He crumpled to the mat. Matt dragged him by the ankle further into the ring and pinned him. The count sounded distant and faint.

One.

Two.

Three.

The bell rung. Trent felt Matt throw down his leg as the music started, ringing in his ears. He stared up into the lights, unblinking, while Matt’s arm was raised in victory. He’d hurt her. He’d hurt her and then lost the match.

“Alex,” he said again as he rolled over onto his hands and knees. She was still huddled against the turnbuckle, clutching her arm as Aubrey checked on her. He felt sick all over again.

“Alex.” He crawled over to her and put a hand on her knee. She looked up at him. Unshed tears shined in her eyes. It broke him. “I’m sorry.”

She shook her head. “It was an accident—”

“Alex!”

Suddenly, Kenny was in the ring. He practically pushed Trent out of the way as he knelt in front of Alex. “What’s wrong?” he asked her.

“I think it’s dislocated,” she winced.

Trent looked at her right shoulder. It hung visibly lower than her left. His heart dropped into his stomach.

“Let’s get you to Doc,” he said as he tried to move toward her again.

But Kenny blocked him. “I got it,” he bit. Trent didn’t have it in him to argue.  

He watched as Kenny helped her to her feet and ushered her to the ropes; he held them open for her so she could gingerly duck through. As she stepped to the other side, Alex looked back. For a brief second their eyes met. But then Kenny put his arm around her, and she turned away and disappeared into the back.

* * * * * * * * * *

Callie couldn’t stay out there a second longer. She was horrified by what she’d witnessed. The way Matt had taken advantage of Trent’s awful mistake, how he hadn’t hesitated to kick him in the jaw—there’d been a viciousness in his eyes that she’d never seen before. And she didn’t want any part of it.

She stormed off before Aubrey could even raise his arm in victory, marching quickly up the ramp. Kenny nearly bowled her over on his way down to the ring, and she turned to watch as he ran to Alex’s aid. But then she saw Matt coming after her, and she turned back around and hurried through the entrance tunnel.

“Callie!”

She didn’t stop or even glance his way. She just kept walking.

“Callie! What the fuck?”

That got her stop and face him. “Me what the fuck? You what the fuck, Matt? What the fuck was that out there?”

If looks could kill, she was certain she would have been dead on the spot. “Are you serious?” he spat. “I won the match and you just ran off!”

Her eyes darkened. “Well, I didn’t want to be a part of it anyway, right?”

Matt bit down on his jaw. There was nothing he could say to that. She gave him one last glare and turned her back on him again, praying that was the end of it. She just wanted to leave. Alone.

“I want your shit out of my house by the weekend.”

Callie halted. His words were like a knife in the back. They hurt. And suddenly, she wanted him to hurt, too.

She turned around again, her head held high. “That’s fine, because I don’t want to move back to California anymore.”

She held his gaze in defiance. But Matt just laughed, cruel and low. “Let me guess, Orlando with Cash?”

She faltered. He knew about yesterday. But she steeled herself again. “No. I want to move to Orlando for me.”

He scoffed and rolled his eyes. “Okay.”

“That’s the truth!”

“Was all this just a rebound to you?”

If his previous words had been a knife to the back, those were a blow to the gut. Tears sprung to the back of Callie’s eyes. Her voice came out strained. Apologetic. “No. I care about you, Matt. So much that it scares me.”

He laughed again and looked away. “Coulda fooled me.”

She took a step toward him. “Matt—”

“Have fun in Orlando,” he cut her off, and that time it was him who stormed off and left her behind. Alone.