#quite literally inseparable both on and off the track and growing up together

[mxnyxxngx]

hate how late i became an f1 girlie. like where am i supposed to find the pierre esteban lore

[ererokii]

Line without a Hook || E. Jaeger & J. Kirstein

➳ Jean Kirsten x Fem Reader x Eren Jaeger

Word count: 4,517 Warnings: angst, fluff, unrequited love, cursing ➳ note: this is based off the song Line Without a Hook by Ricky Montgomery! I’ve been thinking this for a long time and I’m super excited by how it came out! Also big thanks to @reddriot​ for betaing!

➳ Synopsis: is love really worth it? Let me say, it’s not always worth it.

You can hold my hand if no one’s home.

Do you like it when I’m away?

☽✧ ✦ ✧☾

It starts out simple really. A boy and a girl. Childhood friends, to be precise. Those two are inseparable. Nothing can tear the friends apart, besides their parents, of course. Like two peas in a pod. 

Jean says he knows you like the back of his hand. He truly means that. He knows your favorite boy bands from when you were younger, how many terrible phases you’ve gone through, favorite foods, and places. If he wrote a novel about the things you told him, he would be a renowned author. 

Since kindergarten to now, in the middle of your junior year, you and Jean have been side by side. You told him everything. From random vents and gossiping about the rude girls in your class to how horrible your period cramps were— even though Jean hated hearing about the last, he stuck through it for you.

Only you. 

The pavement that followed the street your house was on is memorable. Jean can recall the amount of times you’ve had races, chalk scribbles covering the grey that would be washed away by the angry neighbors. 

He listens to you as you talk about a kid getting in trouble in your Calculus class, watches how lively your motions are as you speak. Jean can’t help but smile when a laugh slips past your lips and you glance at him. There’s an unknown sparkle in his eyes, one filled with love. 

You haven’t changed one bit, he thinks as he faces back forward, shoving his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. His mind begins to wander as you both continue down the pavement, part of your routine when school ends. 

Your houses are right next to each other. You’ve been with him since you were in diapers. He was there when your first tooth came out, congratulating you, and you were there for him when he finally learned to ride his bike with two wheels instead of three. 

The bubbly lovable five-year-old back then is the same as you are now. 

☽✧ ✦ ✧☾

Oh all my emotions

Feel like explosions when you are around

A sigh of disappointment leaves Jean’s lips when he listens to Connie talk about something he has learned over the weekend (something completely stupid— he just doesn’t care). Currently, the students are at lunch, the cafeteria full with loud shouts and random noises. 

“Connie, shut up,” Sasha groans, placing her water bottle on the table, wiping her crumbs off. “No one cares that you finally figured out how to stick a spoon to your nose.”

“What do you mean?! You were the one who showed me!”

The brunette gasps and looks over his way, cream cheeks tinted with an adorable shade of pink, pointing a finger at him. The bickering between the two commence as Jean listens, slightly amused. 

As much as he indulges in their argument, he can't help but wonder where you are. 

It’s not like you to skip lunch, especially without at least letting him know. Did you stay behind to talk to a friend? A teacher? Maybe you went to the bathroom.

But it’s at least 15 minutes in. 

“Sasha,” he speaks up, slicking back his hair. The sound of her name catches her attention, making her look at him. “Have you seen Y/N?”

“Y/N?” she asks in a whisper before her lips curl in a grin, already knowing why he asked. “Do you miss her?”

“Just answer my goddamn question!”

“Wait, what’s going on?” Connie asks, looking between his friends before stopping his gaze on Jean. “Why do you need Y/N?”

“Oh, you know! He lik-”

“Shut up!” Jean shouts, catching the attention of nearby students, his face heating up as his cheeks turn a darker pigment. “Just answer me!”

“If you must know,” she taunts him, twirling a strand of hair from her loose ponytail. “I saw her talking to someone in the hallway. Must be important, she’s been there for quite some time. Might want to be her knight in shining armor and saving her, huh?” she cocks her head to the side, staring at one of the windows in the room, watching as the branches of trees sway from the harsh winds. 

The atmosphere outside was cold, breezes rushing down on anyone who was not inside. The sun was hidden by the thick grey blankets filled with rainwater, waiting to shower the world. The temperature recently has been dropping, mid 50’s at least. The weather was a shock, to say the least. 

“I didn’t know Jean likes her!”

“What do you mean?!” Sasha gasps, turning her body to face her small-minded friend. “It’s only obvious! You must be really stupid then!”

“Well, how could you tell?!”

Before Jean has a chance to interrupt Sasha, she begins to rant. He prefers to stay silent, clasping his hands together in his lap as he lowers his head, finding interest in the marbled tiles of the floor his feet rest on. 

The words that slip past Sasha’s lips reach his ear and out the other. 

It’s easy to tell, Connie. Have you noticed the way he looks at her? Can’t you see the love in his eyes? The way he will actually go out of his way to help her with anything? Here you guys are, two close friends, I thought you would have known about his crush. I’m surprised you didn’t catch on every time he ditched plans with us to go hang out with her. He’s whipped, and you’re too stupid to know it. 

His cheeks turn a shade of pink as his eyes squeeze shut, her words replaying in his head like a broken record player. Each sentence is like a knife stabbing away at his brain, causing the slightest ache to form in his frontal region. 

She’s right. Anything she just said five minutes ago, is completely and utterly correct. 

He can still hear her talking about it to Connie, but he can only focus on three sentences that stick to him like glue. 

Have you noticed the way he looks at her? Can’t you see the love in his eyes? The way he will actually go out of his way to help her with anything?

Memories of him helping you in any possible way come to mind. He can’t recall how many times he has entered class two minutes late because you had so much to carry. 

He stares at you like you’re the only thing worth looking at. It reminds him of those cliche animated movies with hearts in the character's eyes. He’s blinded by his love for you, that he never noticed any signs that you don’t feel the same way about him. His heart races miles per hour when you’re around. Sometimes he worries for himself that maybe, his heart might explode within him. 

“Anyway, lunch has about 20 minutes left...where is she?” Connie mutters, scratching the top of his head.

“I don’t know, but,” Sasha grows quiet, listening to the ongoing thunder from the outside. The lights flicker for a second, a couple of yelps emitting from other students, slightly afraid that the power might go off while school is in session. “The storm is almost here.”

“Y/N!” Connie suddenly yells, pointing in the direction of the door, your body jogging closer to the table. “Where have you been?!”

“Sorry!” you laugh, out of breath as you drop your things on the bench, taking a seat beside Jean. “I got caught up in a conversation with someone! I guess I lost track of time for a bit.”

“I messaged you like four times,” Jean mutters, glancing over at you before looking at the table, playing with the plastic straw that he used to drink out of.

“You did?” you ask, pulling your phone out from your pocket, lips puckering when indeed he did so. “I’m sorry, Jean. I didn’t even feel my phone vibrate.”

“Oh, whatever, who cares! Eat! Or I’ll eat your food!” Sasha yells, pointing a finger at you, a smile gracing her features. 

You laugh along with her as you converse with your peers, the conversation you had replaying in the back of your mind. Jean chooses not to intervene, instead would rather listen. 

The roaring thunder plays in the background, everyone paying no mind to it. What he doesn’t know is that the storm is much closer than Jean could have thought. 

☽✧ ✦ ✧☾

Listen close, it’s a no

The wind is a pounding on my back

And I found hope in a heart attack

Oh at last, it is past

Now I’ve got it, and you can’t have it

Another evening, another study session, another day of bottling up his feelings until he can no longer hold them inside.

The storm made its way to shore, raining pouring down and even some hail; not what anyone was expecting. 

Jean mindlessly flips through the pages of his English book, not even paying attention to the words as he checks how many pages are in chapter five. 

“This seems pointless,” he adds with a sigh, tossing the book on your bed along with his highlighter he uses to annotate with. “I should just find a summary online or something, I don’t want to read this.”

“And why is that?” you ask, looking up from your book, placing the hardcover against your thighs. “Is it boring to you?”

“No,” he mutters, rolling onto his back. “It’s stupid. This love crap.”

“Well...it is a romance story, the teacher told us when we got the book. But why do you think it’s dumb?”

“He writes letters for her, and in the end, she ends up rejecting him. I don’t think that’s romantic.”

“And? It’s beautiful on his part,” you close your eyes as you stretch your arms over your head, letting out a grunt. “It’s the fact that he wrote to her every day. It’s like he poured his soul into every word. The words he uses are..literally everything. It makes me swoon over him, and he’s not real. Makes me wonder if someone would do that for me.”

Jean’s head perks up at your words, one of his eyebrows raised in curiosity when he notices the bashful look on your face, eyes averted to the comforter on your bed. “Why do you have that dopey look on your face?”

“Huh?!” your eyes are blown open as you look over at him. “What are you talking about?!”

“I’m talking about that, idiot,” he points at your face, watching your eyes cross faintly to stare at his finger. “You’re acting about that guy in the book.”

The patter of the rain is the only noise that fills the void called silence in your room. His warm eyes don’t leave your face at all, waiting for your answer. You’ve been acting weird ever since you were late to lunch this past week. 

He watches your mouth open as if you’ll say something but close it right away, like you were concealing anything you had to hide.

“...well? Y/N? Are you there?”

“Yeah!” you cough into your elbow, running a hand down your face. “I-- you can’t tell anyone.”

“You know I never tell anyone what we talk about.”

You’re silent, a bit too quiet than usual. You fiddle with your fingers before blurting the words that have been eating away at you. 

Jean’s heart stops for a moment, eyes wide in shock when he processes it. His blood runs cold as he’s unable to move, frozen like a statue. The signals in his brain begged him to respond, but he couldn’t. He could hear the faintest sound of bells ringing in his ears; all noise surrounding him was now drowned out by his thoughts. 

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds. 

“You like someone?” he asks in a whisper, barely audible to your ears, but you heard as you nod shyly, biting down on your lip. “Well... who is it?”

“That’s...I can’t say it.”

“Why can’t you?”

“I’m afraid to say it out loud because I don’t want to ruin my friendship with him.”

Friendship? That could be anyone at this point.

I have to figure out who, he thinks as he draws random patterns into the sheets. “Well, tell me about him then. Is he in our grade?” he asks.

“Yeah, he is. He’s in four of my classes.”

Jean was in four of your classes. Math, English, Foreign Language, and Science. 

“That’s it?”

You huff, rolling your eyes. “Can I finish before you interrupt? Thank you.”

You pause momentarily before speaking again.

“He’s stubborn. I’ve noticed that his demeanor changes when it depends on who he is with. He seems like a hardass and looks like he doesn’t want to be bothered, but he seems like a total softie when he’s with people he loves. Not to mention he’s hot...and tall. He’s blunt and straight to the point. He doesn’t bullshit at all. He’s really sweet as well, to me. He always goes out of his way to make sure I’m okay and how my day was. He just..he seems to care for me, and I feel the same way about him.”

Jean takes every word you say into consideration. He’s stubborn, it seems that he doesn’t like to be around people he doesn’t know but loves those he does know. He knows he’s hot. Practically every day he looks at himself in the mirror and thinks about how good he looks.

He’s blunt and straight to the point. He doesn’t bullshit at all. He’s really sweet as well, to me. He always goes out of his way to make sure I’m okay and how my day was. He just..he really seems to care for me, and I feel the same way about him.

Jean can feel his doubt and worry turn into happiness and confidence as you keep on ranting, to which he’s not fully paying attention anymore. He knows it's him. It has always been him.

No one else.

Jean likes you.

And you like Jean, that’s all there is to it. 

“Do you want to tell him?”

“Yeah...” you trail off, scratching the nape of your neck. “I want to tell him on Friday after school. Do you think he’ll like me back?”

“I think he would. How could he not? He would be a total idiot to reject you.”

You hum at his reassurance, placing your hand on his, squeezing gently.

“Thanks, Jean.”

☽✧ ✦ ✧☾

Darling when I’m fast asleep

I've seen this person watching me

Saying, “Is it worth it? Is it worth it?”

Tell me, is it worth it?

Friday comes, and Jean can hardly wait for school to end. He’s not paying attention, his eyes constantly staring from the whiteboard in the front to the clock that tauntingly ticks slower than usual. 

He bites down on the pink end of his pencil in anticipation, tapping his foot repeatedly on the floor, the noise resonating through the classroom. 

Maybe I should just keep my eyes off the clock, he thinks, lowering his head back to the worksheet their teacher gave the class.

Econ class was a drag. He could care less about the differences in macro and microeconomics, the same with Communism and Capitalism. It’s just a bunch of words that don’t make sense to his brain. 

This was one of the classes he didn’t have with you, the last class. 

Instead of doing his worksheet (luckily, the teacher said it would be for homework if it wasn’t finished), Jean proceeded to think about ways he could tell you his feelings.

He could be old fashioned, tell you how much he adores you and how happy you make him feel when you’re around. How his heart can be heard from the outside of his body, how his hands got warm and clammy, maybe sweaty when he became too nervous.

Or

He could ask you out on a date. Take you somewhere, one of the places you’ve told him in the past that would make a great date for you. He smiles when he thinks about taking you downtown at night, looking at the soft lights that would brighten the streets; loving the sparkle in your orbs as you look around in awe. 

He hums, pleased with himself when he figures out what he’ll do, scratching the back of his ear. 

He wonders if you’re thinking the same thing.

-

You glance at your table partner, looking at his piece of paper before looking down at yours, displeased how his is able to look better than yours. You pick up your eraser, gently wiping the shadings away from your drawing, careful not to crease your paper.

“It’s not that hard you know, you just don’t know how to shade.”

“I know how to shade, Eren,” you reply with a huff, placing your eraser back down. “It’s just...this is a bit harder than usual.”

“All you have to do is follow the markings,” he presses the edge of his drawing pencil against the reference photo both of you are using, tracing the shape of it. “You could honestly just copy the photo, I doubt this woman would even notice.”

You chuckle at his choice of words, shifting in your seat to get comfortable. “I don’t think she would anyway. She just stares at it and calls it an A. I bet for our expressive project, she wouldn’t notice if we copied each other.”

He shakes his head with a smile, the loose strands of his hair swaying with his head movement. “No, she wouldn’t,” he rolls the sleeves of his hoodie to his elbows, grabbing his pencil again. “Then again, we are working on it with each other.”

“Speaking of that, what should we do?”

“Up to you, Y/N. I don’t mind. I’m just trying to pass this stupid class anyway.”

You relish in the silence between you as you gaze at him from your peripheral. You take notice how his hair frames his face effortlessly to the dip in his nose. It’s perfect how it forms to his cupid’s bow to his lips; not too big nor too small either. Just right. 

You clear your throat, scratching at the nape of your neck. “Why not do...stages of love?”

That catches his interest.

“Stages of love?” he asks, moving in his chair to face you, a hand propping his head up. “Elaborate?”

“Like you know...how we gain a crush on someone. We like how they make us feel, and soon we think about them some more. Maybe make little scenarios in our head. Then we gain the crush and want to be around them. You know what I mean, right?”

He’s silent, hues that represent the blue of rivers, boring into your own. At first, you think he hates your idea, but then the corner of his lips curls into his infamous grin. “Yeah, I like that. Did you have anything else in mind?”

“Maybe...rejection?”

“Rejection?” he repeats, a bit shocked at how romantic your words were, to something filled with sadness. “And why would you want to do rejection?”

“W-Well,” you stutter, unsure how you should put it. “Everyone always talks about the good in love but never the bad. And I think it could be done good, you know?”

He hums, scratching away at his chin before nodding. “Yeah, alright. That sounds oddly specific, but I like it. We can honestly get started soon, that way, we can finish faster and not worry about it.”

His smile throws you for a loop, your face heating up as you pick up your pencil, trying to distract yourself. 

“Say, Y/N?”

“Yes, Eren?” you reply a bit too quickly, cursing yourself out internally for sounding too desperate. 

“Can we talk?” his cheeks are a shade of pink, his eyes averted as he plays with one of the strings of his hood, reminding you how a child would distract themselves. The tips of his shoe nudge against yours, barely kicking gently.

“Aren’t we talking right now?”

“No, I mean after school.”

☽✧ ✦ ✧☾

And in my eyes, there is a tiny dancer

Watching over me, he’s singing, 

Jean storms out of his Econ class with a grin, hands gripping onto the straps of his backpack as he looks down one end of the hallway before going down the other direction. The art room was three classes down his. Usually, Jean will wait right there by the door for you since you take ages to finally leave the classroom. 

When Jean finally reaches the room, he sees that the doors are locked, and the lights inside are off.

Huh, that’s weird, you’re always one of the last to leave, nor are you ever this early. 

He stands there for a few more seconds, peering in through the small glass, and sees nothing before taking a step back and quickly continues to walk down the hall. His legs are quicker, going down the two flights of stairs. 

His eyes frantically search for the yellow shirt you wore, unable to find you anywhere. 

“Sasha!” he calls out once he reaches the end of the stairs, running towards the girl and their friend, who was at the lockers, pulling things she needed to take home for the weekend. 

The brunette looks over her shoulder, stopping her conversation with Connie as she shuts her locker. “Yeah, Jean?”

He pants, leaning on his knees before letting out a deep breath and standing straight up. “Have you seen Y/N?”

She ponders for a while before shaking her head, looking over at Connie, who shakes his head, shrugging. “We haven’t seen her since Art class.”

“You didn’t see where she went at all?”

The events before class ending play in her mind before she gasps, snapping her fingers, pointing up at Jean. “Yeah, I know where she went!”

“...are you going to tell me, or am I going to have to guess?!”

She mocks him for a second before pulling her phone out. “I could have seen her leave with Eren. I think they went to the bench in the back. You know the one I’m talking about?”

He’s taken aback for a moment before shaking his head, retaining the information. “Alright, thanks.”

Why would you even be with Eren right now? You never meet with him after-

“Are we still on for this weekend?!” Connie yells when Jean is making his way down the corridor.

“Yeah, we are!” Jean's voice travels through the air, reaching both of his friends, hands clammy as they’re shoved in the front pocket of his pants. 

The walk to the back courtyard was tiresome. His feet seemed to drag behind him, an aching feeling forming in his gut. Thoughts pounded against his skull repeatedly, trying to force him to stop. He wants to stop, but he has to go.

He has to tell you he loves you. 

He can’t help but smile when you describe the boy you like this week. In his mind and most certainly his heart, he was the king of the world sitting on his high horse as he screamed in victory, letting the whole world know that the person he likes, feels the same way about him. 

The fresh air from the outside meets his nostrils as he deeply inhales, allowing it to enter his body before exiting. The sun is the first thing he meets with as he exits the building, bringing a hand up to shield his eyes away from the harsh light. He mutters something under his breath as he looks around for a second. 

“She’s a,

She’s a lady and I’m just a boy”

His honey orbs finally stop on a bench where you and Eren are seated, that’s not too far away, but his body is hidden from your view. He lets out a sigh of relief, leaves crunching underneath his feet as he walks, not taking long strides, rather walking slow to rethink what he’ll say.

“Y/N, I’ve liked you for a long...no,” he mutters, stopping in his tracks as he looks down at the green grass and leaves, kicking away at them. “I’ve loved- no, that sounds a bit aggressive, goddammit,” he groans, tugging at the roots of his hairs. “Why is this so fucking hard?!” he growls underneath his breath, leaning against the brick wall. 

He never was anything else but honest with you. How could he say it?

What if this ruins your relationship?

...what if you liked Eren?

His breath hitches in his throat when realization dawns on him. His lips part, a soft exhale releasing from within him. His fingers curl around nothing, as if he was holding the air’s hand. The tips of his fingers shake, his whole body stiffening as he stares hard at nothing. 

How could he be so stupid?

It all made sense now. How you stayed behind during lunch that one time without saying anything; in the back of his mind that day, he knew that someone had to be a boy, maybe a girl. Even then, you would always let him know. 

Jean should have known from the beginning that you only saw him as a brother. 

His chest aches as his vision goes blurry, biting down on the inside of his lip to the point where he can taste the bitter metallic on his tongue. He squeezes his eyes shut before opening, wishing he hadn’t at that moment. 

He’s singing

“She’s a, she’s a lady and I am just a line without a hook.”

His heart breaks, stomach-dropping when he sees Eren’s hand brings you closer to his body, lips pressed up against yours; your hand placed on his cheek, cradling his face. Even from where he stands, he can sense the urgency in the kiss, how your bodies move together as one, how your fingers grip onto him like he’ll leave any moment. 

His lower lip quivers for a second, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand, clearing his throat. Jean cranes his neck upward, looking at the sky, muttering the words, “Why him?” over and over like a mantra, no other words coming to mind. 

When he closes his eyes, all he can see is you. Not Eren, just you. Those moments where you laugh, cry, or stay silent, those are the moments that flash in his head.

Did he do something to you? Was it something he said?

Did you ever like him at all?

“It’s pointless,” he whispers, pushing himself off the brick wall, immediately making a beeline for the doors. He swallows harshly, legs moving faster than ever, wanting to get out of this hell hole called reality. 

Like every day, you’ll walk down the same pavement you’ve been walking on for years.

Only this time, he’s walking alone. 

Oh, and if I could take it all back

I swear that I would pull you from the tide. 

☽✧ ✦ ✧☾

taglist: @sleepysnk @jaegerbomb20​ @reddriot​ @kkiimmberly​ @kingtamakimurder​ @tamasoft​ @byougen​ @spike-this-ass​ @crimsonbows-and-arrows​ @squidonmywall​ @thicmitten​ (message me to be apart of it!)

[reinerispretty]

I love your writing 🥺 Can you do a Sokka imagine where the reader is a firebender so Sokka doesnt take well to her joining the gaang at first, and they always bicker/ throw sarcastic comments at each other and the gaang is so sick of it! But one day they are forced to be alone together (they go on a mission?) and sparks fly n they kiss or something 😳 they return to camp and the gaang is like... ok why r u guys tolerating eachother and u guys r inseparable and super couply from then on!

hi!! sorry i’m just now getting to this!! i like to put lots of effort into my requests so i wanted it to be the best it could be :D hope you enjoy!!

---

(Y/N) had always been very proud of her firebending. Not everyone in the town she had grown up in were benders, so being able to bend one of the elements was a great honor. Because of her powers, she was on track to join the Fire Nation military. These plans changed of course, as soon as she met the Avatar and his friends. She had helped them escape capture and joined them on their adventures. They were all pretty hesitant about her joining, but eventually Toph vouched for her by saying that she wasn’t lying when she told them all she had ever wanted was to help people. 

(Y/N) had been traveling with their group for a few weeks and was slowly starting to build friendships with the other members of her group. Aang absolutely refused to learn firebending from her, but watched and laughed as she made little dragon puppets out of fire after dinner. She and Toph became fast friends, as they both had a similar wit and nonchalance about life. Katara took a bit to fully warm up to her, but (Y/N) was relentless and eventually they could exchange pleasant conversation as they cooked dinner. Even Appa licked her when she brought him hay, and Momo had started sharing his berries with her. The only person who didn’t like her at all was Sokka. 

“I don’t want a firebender joining us,” He had said pointedly when she first joined the group. He had been outvoted, of course, and now whenever (Y/N) did anything, he had something to say in return. If she arranged the sleeping bags, he complained about their positioning. If she made dinner that night, he complained about the taste. It seemed like he went out of his way to make her feel bad. 

Initially (Y/N) had tried to understand. The Fire Nation had hurt his people, so it was only natural that he was apprehensive toward her. But then his words started to hurt. One day, he had mentioned that she had betrayed her own people, so it would only be a matter of time until she betrayed them, too, and (Y/N) had had enough. She threw her bowl of soup to the ground and stood up. “What’s your problem?” She demanded. 

“My problem is with you,” He spat. “You’re Fire Nation, you can’t be trusted.” 

“Don’t you think that if I had even thought about turning you all in to the Fire Lord, I would have done it already?” 

“I don’t know what goes on in your little spy brain!” 

“I know what goes on in your brain: absolutely nothing!” She let out a frustrated scream and turned on her heel, marching into her tent. The rest of the group stared at Sokka awkwardly. 

“She’s such a piece of work,” He grumbled, sipping on his soup. “Can you believe her?” 

Over the next few weeks, whenever Sokka said an insult toward (Y/N) she’d shoot one right back. If he wanted to be a pain in her side, fine. She’d be one in his, too. 

“You sure your twig arms can handle that firewood?” She asked him as he brought wood for their campfire. 

“Hey, at least I’m doing something. What, are you too busy plotting how to take over the world to help?” 

Their conversations were just insults and sarcastic quips, and eventually the rest of the group started to get sick of it. One night, as they sat at dinner, (Y/N) and Sokka were bickering because they had been forced to sit beside each other. Toph drove a piece of earth between them and flung them in opposite directions. “Would you guys quit it!” The girl shouted. “I only have four out of the five senses and you guys are driving them all crazy!” 

“Sorry, Toph,” (Y/N) apologized, brushing herself off. “You know how he is.” 

“Me?” Sokka exclaimed. “Toph, you know how she is!” 

“You arrogant, good for nothing--” 

“Ow!” Aang shouted, clutching his foot. The group stopped to look at him. “Ow, ow, ow, I think I stepped on something. My foot really hurts!” Katara rushed over to take a look and furrowed her brows. 

“I don’t--” 

“Oh, Sokka,” Aang sighed. “I don’t think I can go on that mission with you tomorrow, my foot just hurts too bad!” He gave Katara a big wink. 

“Oh, of course!” She said, finally getting what Aang was trying to do. “I have to stay here and help Aang heal. I’ll need Toph’s help, too, so (Y/N) is the only one who can go on the mission with you.” 

“I’d rather go alone,” Sokka said, crossing his arms. 

“Please, how are you going to defend yourself if you don’t have a bender with you?” (Y/N) asked with a roll of her eyes. Sokka balled his fists and stormed off to his tent, mumbling angry, incoherent sentences. (Y/N) yawned and retreated back to her tent for the night. 

“I’m not really injured,” Aang said. 

“Really?” Toph deadpanned. “Couldn’t tell.” 

“I just wanted a break from the two of them. They’re always fighting!” 

“Who knows,” Katara said with a smile. “Maybe the trip will bring them closer together.” 

The next morning, (Y/N) and Sokka begrudgingly walked side-by-side to their mission. They were doing a stake out of some Fire Navy ships to see what kind of weapons they were storing on them. They climbed up to a tall hillside, where they could comfortably watch the ships. As long as they were quiet, they wouldn’t bring any attention to themselves. 

Sokka’s plan was to stay there for a full twenty-four hours. Every time (Y/N) thought about being around him that long, she nearly gagged, but she had to swallow it down because she knew this mission would be for the greater good. Hopefully, there would be more watching than talking.

They set up their tents behind some rocks so they would not look suspicious. And then, they sat. And they sat for a long time. (Y/N) was growing increasingly bored, just watching soldiers go in and out of the ships. She sighed, laying back down on the grass. 

“What exactly are we looking for?” 

“Nothing.” She propped herself up on her elbows. 

“Excuse me?” 

“We aren’t looking for anything. Well, not anything specific. I just want to know what kind of weapons they’re using so I can write to the Mechanist to create better ones for us.” 

“So...we’re just going to watch?” 

“Do you not know what a stake out is?” 

“I do! I just didn’t know it was going to be a full day of doing absolutely nothing.” 

“Look, if you don’t want to be here, fine. You can go back to the camp. I can handle myself.” (Y/N) scoffed. 

“I’m not leaving you here alone, Sokka.” 

“Then I suggest you stop complaining.” (Y/N) rolled her eyes and reached into her bag. She pulled out two sandwiches and laid them beside her. “What are those?” 

“Food,” She said, sliding a sandwich over to him. He took it suspiciously. “It’s not poisoned, you dummy. I got up early this morning and went to the market so I could make stake out snacks.” 

“Oh, thanks. I guess.” 

“You’re welcome.” 

They sat in silence for what felt like a lifetime. (Y/N) watched the soldiers intently and had even made up backstories for some of them. The smaller soldier was named Lee, and he was a fiesty little fellow, but he was a new recruit. He had good ideas, but no one really wanted to listen to him because he lacked authority. (Y/N) sighed as she watched him talk to his commanders. Poor Lee. 

“I recognize that one,” she said suddenly, pointing at one of the soldiers. “He and I went to training camp together one summer.” 

“Oh, so that’s your friend. Great.” (Y/N) furrowed her brows. 

“I never said he was my friend.” 

“I just assumed, since you were both all ‘Go Fire Nation!’“ He sarcastically pumped a fist into his air. 

“You make a lot of assumptions about me for someone who doesn’t know me.” 

“I know exactly who you are. You’re a spoiled girl from the Fire Nation who wasn’t satisfied with her life and only wanted to join us to run away from your probably mean family. You don’t want to make change, you just wanted an out.” 

“That’s not true at all, Sokka. I grew up poor. Dirt poor. And when I say that I mean it, because the floors of my house were literally dirt. No one asked me if I wanted to join the Fire Nation military, they told me I was going to. I was brought up my whole life surrounded by people who told me how great my nation was. If everyone’s telling you something and you have no reason to believe otherwise, you start to believe it. I know I’m not perfect, but I’m really tired of you thinking that you know who I am.” She pulled her knees into her chest and tucked her chin on top of them. 

Sokka sighed. The sun was setting behind them. “It’s obvious I don’t like the Fire Nation. They’ve caused a lot of pain to me and Katara and to thousands of other people. So when you joined, I guess I just projected that anger onto you.” 

“I understand. But I’m not the entire Fire Nation.” 

“I know, it’s just hard to separate the two sometimes. I can literally see the Fire Nation inside of you. You’re decisive and strong and stubborn--” 

“I’m just going to focus on the first two. You really think those things about me?” 

“I mean, yeah. I’ve seen you talk your way out of fights but also kick some major butt. As much as I hate to say it, you’re pretty cool.” (Y/N) smiled and opened her mouth to respond, but her eyes widened as a giant fireball plummeted toward them. 

“Look out!” She shouted, tackling Sokka out of the way. They both grunted in pain as they hit the ground. 

“How did they even see us?” Sokka asked. He grabbed (Y/N) by the hand and led her up the hill. They abandoned all of their camping stuff (as it was currently on fire) and ran down the backside of the hill, away from the Fire Navy ships. (Y/N) spotted a cave and pulled Sokka inside. They both leaned against the cool rock, breathing heavily. 

“Well, so much for the stake out,” (Y/N) said. Sokka laughed. 

“We’ll have to wait here for the night. The ships are supposed to leave at dawn tomorrow, so we can travel back to camp then.” (Y/N) nodded. The sun had fully set behind them and the cool chill of night was setting in. She shivered. “I can get a fire going,” Sokka said, and began to collect the debris that was scattered around the cave. (Y/N) giggled. 

“Sokka, I got it.” She kicked some leaves and sticks into a pile and kicked a flame on top of them. They sat across from each other with their backs against the cave walls. 

“So, how’d you know you were a firebender?” He asked. (Y/N) shrugged. 

“I think I started coughing fire one day. My family expected it though. My father had been a firebender.” She pursed her lips and stared at the ground. “He was sent to fight in the war. He didn’t end up coming home.” 

“I’m so sorry,” Sokka said quietly. She shrugged. 

“I feel torn about it, you know? Because he fought for hatred and injustice, but I also never got to find out if he supported the war or not. The Fire Nation doesn’t really care if you want to fight. They make you do it anyway.” 

“I always wanted to fight, ever since I was little.” Sokka said. “But now while I’m living my dream, I see how nasty it actually is and understand why my dad didn’t want me to.” 

“Well, you’re a pretty good fighter, so I’m sure he’s proud of you.” Sokka smiled. 

“I’m sure your dad is proud of you, too.” (Y/N) grinned. “Listen, I’m sorry for being so mean to you. I guess I was projecting feelings on to you that I had towards the Fire Nation, and it wasn’t fair. But in my defense, everything you did just made me mad. Like the way you cooked soup, or how pretty your eyes were, or how nice your laugh sounded...” Sokka trailed off, a blush appearing on his cheeks. “I said that all out loud, didn’t I?” 

(Y/N) nodded, trying her best to contain her smile. “Alright,” Sokka said. “You can just kill me now, I guess.” (Y/N) burst into laughter. 

“It’s really okay, Sokka. I’m sorry for being mean to you as well. Everything you did made me mad, like how you constantly teased me, or how cute your ponytail looks, or how funny your jokes were...” 

“You...you really think my jokes are funny?” (Y/N) nodded before sliding to sit at his side. “Can I try something?” (Y/N) nodded again. Their faces were just inches apart and she could tell the fire was dying by the dim glow it left on Sokka’s cheeks. He touched her own cheek with his hand, before pulling her close and slowly connecting their lips. (Y/N) felt her face grow hot, but she still let her eyes close and reveled in the feeling of his kiss. They stayed like that for a while, long after the fire went out. 

When they returned to their friends the next morning, they walked hand in hand. Aang and Katara’s mouths dropped open and Toph stamped her feet on the ground. “There must be something wrong,” She said. “Are they...touching each other?” 

“Hey, guys!” Sokka said, a bright smile on his face. “Aang, how’s the foot doing?” 

“Uh, pretty good,” Aang said, pretending to lift his foot as if it were injured. 

“What’s um...going on here?” Katara asked. 

“Sokka and I had a pretty good stake out,” (Y/N) said. She let her hand slip from his. “I’m gonna get started on lunch.” 

“Alrighty,” Sokka said before planting a kiss on her cheek. He sighed happily as he watched her walk away. “Aang, I really have to thank you for pretending to hurt your foot.” 

---

Permatag List!

@musicalkeys , @aroyaldarknessblr

[hongnanglen-arina]

The Ulzzang Project - Part 1 | Jeon Wonwoo

Read part 2  

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Genre: Fluff, crack (maybe explicit content in the next chapters)

Pairing: Jeon Wonwoo x female reader

Warnings: none

Words: 2.6k

A/N: Hello there! Here’s part 1 of my mini series of you and Wonwoo, the next ulzzang stars hahaha :3 I’d be happy to know your thoughts about it. I’m already working on part 2. I might spice it up in the upcoming chapters. If you don’t like that, scream at me and I will stop hehet. So, have fun! And as always, please remember that English isn’t my first language so excuse my grammar ♡

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You sat in Wonwoo’s apartment. It was one of those Saturday nights where you two would order greasy food, have competitive game sessions and cuddle together on his couch or in his huge bed. You’ve known each other ever since your mothers went to driving school together. Both got married to their significant other and soon you two were born, making them joke that you two should end up together when you get older. That didn’t happen obviously. Instead you grew up like siblings, spending nearly all of your free time together, fighting over stupid little things but always making up quickly after. Even studying together, entering the same university and sharing the same group of friends. You two were kind of inseparable. 

“Wait, why is the bucket of fried chicken already empty???” You shot a shocked look at the boy beside you who wasn’t paying attention to you but bobbed his head to the music of the band in the youtube video which was playing on his tv screen, licking his fingers clean to get another slice of pizza. Before taking a bite, he gave you a rather emotionless answer, his face dead ass serious. “Dunno. Maybe we ate it?”

You scoffed at his words. Oh Jeon Wonwoo.

More laughing, more jamming to music and more teasing until you were full, halfway lying on the floor while you talked about the new annoying professor at uni that scolded Dokyeom on his very first day and was on bad terms with him from that day on. 

After a while you cleaned up and started to play Dead or Alive to ‘relieve some stress’. You two had mastered this game for years now, resulting in you and Wonwoo winning and loosing the same amount of times. While you stick to one character, he switched to different ones but even though you two were always close, you would never grow tired of this game and those competitions with him. 

When he left for using the bathroom, you unlocked your phone and scrolled through Instagram, stopping at a specific post of a couple who uploaded a suggestive photo of them without revealing much of their person. You cocked your head to the side and Wonwoo noticed it when he came back. “What are you looking at, y/n?” He sat down beside you and you showed him your phone. “Look, they aren’t doing much and the photo has quite a bad quality - maybe on purpose - but it is still good that I understand why people push the like button. Effortless aesthetic.” 

Wonwoo made an annoyed grimace at your words and you raised an eyebrow. “What?” “Anyone can do that.” “Why do you think that?” Your best friend thought for a moment and pulled out his own phone, unlocking it and going through some apps until he held it in front of the two of you. Before you could ask what he was doing, he got closer to you and took a photo. You noticed that the room was silent. Only some faint noises from outside the window could be heard when he showed the photo to you. It was a photo of you two next to each other but other people wouldn’t recognize you two. The photo showed only your lips, chin, neck and a little bit of your shirt. You looked up at him and saw his grin. Wonwoo moved a little so that it seemed like he was going to kiss you. Slightly panicking, you automatically covered your face, asking him what the hell he was doing when you heard the shutter of his phone once again, signalizing that he took another photo.

The room was quiet when you removed your hands, a soft blush on your cheeks when he turned the screen, giving you a better look of the new photo. Wonwoo used a filter that gave your photo a nice vintage look. Blinking, you were kind of impressed. If you didn’t know better, you would say that it was a photo of a famous ulzzang couple from Instagram. Noticing Wonwoo’s pleased smirk, you hit his chest. “Yah, what was that all about, huh?? You can’t just-“ “I’m going to open a new account. I’m curious how many followers and likes we can get in a month.” 

You had a hard time to follow, squinting your eyes and opening your mouth like a fish without saying anything. He tapped on his phone happily, completely ignoring your confused state. “W-wait, what did you say? What do you mean? A new account? Followers? What?” You tried to have a better look on his screen but he turned around, chuckling a little so that his round glasses slid down the bridge of his nose a bit in the process. “Jeon Wonwoo! Answer!” 

Fighting you off his shoulders, he took his sweet time to do whatever he was doing on his phone and you whined, asking for answers but not getting one at all. Sighing, you gave up after a while, giving his broad back a death glare as you turned around and took your own phone, opening the previous app and pouting while scrolling through the already seen posts. You were facing the other direction, sitting back against back. Hearing Wonwoo chuckle from time to time or giving a thinking noise, he always got your attention but since he never explained what he was doing, you took some selfies, sticking out your tongue and pointing at the boy behind you. After editing it a little more, you uploaded it on your Instagram site with the single word ‘idiot’ and tagged him. Giggling to yourself, you didn’t notice the shuffling noises and the warmth behind you disappearing when Wonwoo literally shoved his phone in your face. Your groan got stuck in your throat when you finally got your answer.

Taking his phone out of his hand, you took a better look. It was a seemingly new Instagram account with one content, zero followers and zero following. Your eyes widen when you click on the only photo in this account. It was you two. The photo from before. You were covering your face while the photo was cut, only showing Wonwoo’s grin against your hands. Your eyes travel lower, silently reading through the hashtags he had added. #cutecouple #shy #ulzzangcouple #saturdaynight and 18 more. It didn’t take long until the first stranger liked your photo and you blinked in disbelief. That’s when you noticed the user icon. It was the sunflower you got Wonwoo when he moved into his apartment. The very first day. You remembered the moment when he stopped you in his door and took a photo of you. Although he cut it, you could still see your hands holding the flowers plus a part of your white dress from that day.

Another notification. Another 3 likes. You turned to Wonwoo, who was awaiting your opinion. Pointing at his phone and the still open app, you asked “Are you serious?” “Totally.” His short remark wasn’t convincing enough and the way Wonwoo continued talking showed you that he understood. “It’s like a little experiment. We take some photos together, upload it and wait. As I said, I’m curious how famous our little site can become. We can delete and close it after a month if you want.”

He watched your face patiently until you met his gaze. “Okay. Fine for me. But I have a question.”

“Go ahead.”

“Are we going to upload cute photos only or.. uhm… other photos also?”

“What do you mean with other photos?”

Oh Jeon Wonwoo don’t play dumb, you thought to yourself but lifted your arm, pulling your collar down a bit to reveal more of your neck and collarbone. “This.”

“Sexy?” Wonwoo smirked at you and you rolled your eyes, giving him a hard push so that he rolled onto his back, laughing at your reaction. 

You pouted and crossed your arms in front of your chest in an attempt to distract yourself from the blush on your face. You have seen it often enough. Accounts like that. And you would lie if you say you didn’t like them. Many of them showed their strongly edited faces but some didn’t show their faces at all and you guessed your site would be like the latter. If you are going to include more revealing or suggestive photos, you would care less if no one could see who it actually was. 

That’s how you agreed.

The whole night the two of you brainstormed. You collected ideas for your next photos and had lots of fun with it. Even lying in his bed together, giggling about the most common couple poses and making gagging noises when looking them up. At around 3 am you yawned and Wonwoo put his phone and glasses on the little night stand, opening his arms for you to crawl in as you always did. You just loved to sleep in his arms. It was some kind of habit since you were little. You loved his scent and his warmth and sometimes you even found yourself at your own home unable to fall asleep because he wasn’t there. 

The warm and bright sun woke Wonwoo up. He wanted to turn around and get some more sleep but decided to open one eye instead, noticing that you weren’t there anymore. So he stretched his limbs in all directions and put on his glasses. After grabbing his phone and getting out of bed, he waddled to the living room and found you in the small kitchen corner, humming a song he knew while preparing breakfast - or according to the time on the clock, lunch.

He was about to join you when he stopped in his tracks and unlocked his phone, quickly taking a photo before putting it away again. 

“What is my baby making?”

Facing him, you shot him your infamous death glare. “Baby? Really?”

Wonwoo laughed at your unamused voice and joined you, stopping right behind your small form and looking over your shoulder. “Do you know how I like my omelette?” Snorting loudly, you threatened him with your balled first that he quickly ran to the dining table and took his seat. Like the good and obedient boy that he could be. Sometimes. 

He was silent while you added your finishing touches to the late breakfast but when you started to set everything on the table Wonwoo was waiting at, he took another photo, a smile plastered on his face. "What did I do to deserve you, hm?"

You were about to take the first bite of omelette when you stopped in your tracks, fork just inches away from your lips. "Okay, what's going on, Wonwoo? You are super strange today?"

"Is that a surprise to you?"

"Not really... but today you're super super strange so tell me."

He grinned at you and took a sip of the orange juice. "I'm just happy to be with my baby, that's it."

"There!" You pointed at him with your fork. "What is that all about, huh? Since when am I your baby?? Did I miss out on something last night or what??"

The dark haired boy in front of you chuckled as you tried to squeeze an answer out of him, with no success. Slowly worry crept up your spine. "Wait.. I didn't do anything to you, right? Or, I didn't say anything uh... strange, right? I know we had alcohol but... Wonwoo, tell me." 

You saw him wiggle with his eye brow at you. "What do you wish did happen between us?"

"Yah! Jeon Wonwoo, I- .... I saw you naked more than one hundred times! I know all your secrets! I know you better than you know yourself! I.... I am just not your baby!"

He leaned back, crossing his arms in front of his chest while watching you pout. "Chill. I'm just trying to get into the mood."

"For what?"

"For sexy photos."

"For what?!"

"For s-"

"I heard you!!"

"Then why are you asking?"

The piece of omelette had fallen down from your fork a long time ago and you weren't sure what was more important in this very moment. The only thing that you were sure about was the fact that your cheeks were burning like fire. "I... why the heck do you want sexy photos?!"

"You wanted sexy photos for our experiment and here I am. The bestest friend that has ever existed is willing to take some with you. Shouldn't you feel all giddy or so?"

"Says who?" You mirrored him, crossing your arms as well, trying to remember your exact words from the day before. You thought you did ask about more revealing photos but it was just a question about the content of your shared Instagram, your little experiment or how Wonwoo had called it. You just wanted to be sure. Never have you imagined to take some with him a day later, today.

"Forget it. I'm not going to do that."

"Now I'm sad."

Snorting, you rolled your eyes, sure he said it only to sound funny. 

—

You sat with your friends from uni, poking your lunch with your chopsticks in such boredom that you were more than sure nothing could grab your attention nor lighten up the mood. But you were wrong. Seungkwan hit your shoulder and you were ready to start a fight when he showed you his cellphone screen. "Y/n, what do you think? Yesterday I started a couple Instagram with my girlfriend. It was something I've been thinking about for a while but yeah. How do you find our first post? Pretty nice, huh? We already got 217 likes!"

One chopstick fell out of your hand in surprise but you quickly nodded at your friend. Your own site was a secret. There was no way you would ever tell your friends about it especially if - one day - you would really post less child friendly content. No way. Also, where was Wonwoo?

"W-wow, 217 likes after a day is pretty impressive!"

"To be exact, it's been 20 hours and..... 32 minutes."

"Whatever."

When Seungkwan turned around to the other friends to show them his site, you secretly opened your own with Wonwoo, scrolling through the amount of likes you got until now. That's when you saw the 2 new posts. A photo of you standing in front of the stove, dressed in an oversized white shirt from Wonwoo, bare legs and one from when you set down the food in front of him. Both photos from that morning. Your own face couldn't be seen but they were edited similar like the first post. 

Your eyes flew over the texts Wonwoo had added to each of them.

G'morning baby.

My baby is the best.

Looking around, you quickly made sure that your friends didn't notice what you were doing and you tried to get rid of the warm layer that was covering your cheeks. He wrote baby.

Then you remembered the real reason you opened the app. You wanted to see how many likes you got until now. The newest of the food had 7. The one of you cooking breakfast had 38. And the first one from last saturday had 305 likes. Although you had more than your friend, you wanted the gap to be bigger.

Without noticing, your competitive personality came out. You didn't want to lose to Seungkwan and his girlfriend. Opening Kakao Talk, you wrote Wonwoo a message with a lot of cute shouting emoticons you once bought.

[Y/n] We need more photos - today. I'll be at your place at 7. It's urgent.

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This gif is literally Wonwoo right before he came up with his genius idea lol

[thenovelartist]

Childhood Friends Headcanon -MLQC

I’m sorry to all the people who come to my blog for ML only to get bombarded by posts for MLQC. But I’m enjoying myself.

Premise: What if the boys and MC actually stayed together once they met?

(Note: Minor spoilers for chapters 7-13, particularly surrounding boys backstories.)

Gavin

He’ll never forget that day in the rain meeting MC.

She knew about him—his reputation preceded him—and it was clear she was leery of him.

But with a little time, she came around.

So much so that she was sad that he graduated before her.

He was kinda sad, too, to be honest. He didn’t want to leave her.

But they never lost touch. Made sure to meet up as frequently as they could.

He didn’t attend his high school graduation—he both didn’t care and thought the everyone else would appreciate him not being present—but she did watch him with pride as he graduated his cop training program.

He almost cried over the fact that he actually had someone there to support him. He didn’t have familial support, but that didn’t really matter anymore when he had his own personal cheerleader.

He surprised her by showing up at her high school graduation.

Not really a “Surprise” but she was still wildly excited to see him, nonetheless.

Though they didn’t get to see each other often—Gavin busy with his demanding job and MC busy with college—they were instantly contacting the other when they had a moment of free time.

Gavin totally tried to coordinate his days off with hers.

They were that couple that claimed they were just friends but looked to the world like they were dating while also each wishing they were actually dating but both being too chicken to confess.

But Gavin finally gets the guts one day.

No surprise MC quickly followed up with a confession of her own.

How do you date?

They’d been so close and doing couple-y things for so long. Like, what was even a date compared to what they normally did?

They decided to do something they wouldn’t normally do and have a nice, truly ‘couple-y’ dinner.

Then they chuckled all the way home because that really wasn’t their style.

Still enjoyed it.

Gavin took her home, dropping her off at her door… and totally chickened out of kissing her goodnight.

They try the “date” thing again. This time, something more casual.

And that time, it did end with a kiss.

Gavin’s little mind went “boom”.

Already positive he’s gonna marry this girl.

Waits a little longer to propose, though. Just to make it seem like he’s not rushing it.

Courthouse wedding a few months later. Her father witnesses.

Then when her father passes shortly after, leaving her with the company, she’s constantly having to ask her coworkers for new copies of documents because she’s not used to signing her new last name quite yet. Especially when everyone still calls her by her maiden name. Or sometimes addresses her like they would her late father. (It’s a change for everyone.)

She’s got it down in a couple of days and likes her new signature better than her old one.

After marriage, Gavin also has a problem of his own. Particularly with the ring on his hand.

It’s his new nervous tick to play with it when he’s stressed on a scouting mission. And when he has to take it off for an undercover one, he’s a mess without it on.

Feels like he’s being unfaithful to the love of his life. MC has had to reassure him many times he’s not but secretly is touched that he feels that way.

These two have disastrous schedules, which is why when they both have time off they can spend together, phones go on silent. Someone can literally come to their house if it’s an emergency.

Kiro

They make it out of the lab together.

Poor kids were terrified out of their mind, each only five. They never let go of each other’s hands during their escape.

And they don’t want to be separated afterwards.

These two kids are each other’s “emotional support person.”

Literally inseparable.

These kids’ guardians bend over backwards to accommodate them. MC has a killer set of puppy dog eyes, but Kiro’s pout is downright impossible to resist.

They end up in the same classes at school.

Play together on the playground at recess and spend lunches together.

They are the “class couple.” And do get teased for it.

They’re told to ignore it, but it still takes a toll on them.

Eventually, Kiro steps out of school to become home-schooled, thanks to his music career.

Oh, these two kids do not know how to handle themselves.

But they are growing up and they can be apart from each other, right?

Right?

Wrong.

They survive not being in class together, but the moment they’re each out of school, they are attached to their phones, texting or calling each other.

Get together to hang out as much as humanly possible.

Kiro has 1000% both snuck off sets to go see MC and snuck MC onto sets to have her around.

MC has also enabled Kiro’s snacking by sneaking him anything he desires.

Usually it’s chips. She’s his chip dealer. Which only leads to the nickname “Miss Chips”.

They were so close that this mutual crush thing was absolutely unavoidable and unsurprising to most people who watched them.

They were fifteen and each exploring their feelings for each other and what dating was like.

And by sixteen, these two were totally making out in closets.

Savin just deals. As long as it doesn’t get out to the public, he’s fine with it. They’re generally discrete, anyway.

Though, the poor guy has had to hunt Kiro’s hiding spot down more than once. Generally, he scopes out the building beforehand so he knows where to find Kiro and MC if the superstar disappears from set.

Kiro would totally get her a promise ring. “I can’t officially propose now, but… I don’t think I’m going to be letting my Miss Chips go anytime in the future.”

She’s in tears.

Kiro’s already planned out proposing to her as soon as they are eighteen and has scoped out the perfect wedding venue.

Though, Savin now has to do everything in his power to keep the whole thing under wraps. He thinks it’s best the public doesn’t know Kiro’s getting married so young. They’ll slowly break it later.

MC travels with him everywhere, attending school online for convenience sake.

But when her dad passes and she has to take over the company, Kiro does his best to settle down more in Loveland to be by her side and support her more.

He fights to film exclusively at her company.

They totally have a closet that they make out in there, too. One MC has the sole key to.

Victor

He doesn’t loose track of her during their escape from that hellhole disguised as a “lab”.

She saves him, and he manages to carry her to safety.

Refuses to be separated from her after that.

Victor soon becomes like her over-protective big brother.

If he’s with her, he’s got his eye on her. And he’s with her a lot.

He’s so soft with her. Yes, there’s name calling on occasion, but he’s always met with a giggle when he calls her ‘dummy.’

He doesn’t really mean it, anyways.

Totally helps her with her homework.

And she always helps him in the kitchen. Rather, she tries and just ends up being the dishwasher after an incident with the fire alarm.

But she’s just happy if pudding is involved.

And though Victor swears he’s not going to make pudding every single night… there’s pudding more nights than not.

She goes to all his graduations; high school and college.

And he’s there supporting her at hers, looking on like the proud big brother his is.

“Good job, dummy.”

He totally teaches her how to write reports and such. Makes her do them and redo them until up to his standards.

“If you can impress me, you’ll win over anyone in the business world.”

Also teaches her all the ins and outs about running a business and how to thrive in the business world.

She’s always ready to take advice he offers.

Everyone in LFG knows that unless Victor actually is in an important meeting, MC is allowed in his office any time.

Has always seen her as his little sister.

Until she takes over her father’s company.

Suddenly, there’s a warmth in his chest as he watches her handle everything with ease.

It no longer feels like he’s watching over his little sister but rather watching a strong, capable woman handle the high-intensity job of running a company with confidence and poise.

… okay, poise was too generous a word. But his point still stood.

Suddenly, he notices she’s actually on his schedule. And their meeting takes place with none of the familiarity that they’ve become accustomed to.

He won’t coddle her as the business owner. She assures him she expects that from him.

And when she leaves his office, Victor finds himself a little bit of a mess.

They slowly lose their brother/sister mentality and grow into business partners that are close enough to have dinner a couple times a week.

“Question,’ he asks her one night. “Can these be considered ‘dates’ or not?”

She drops her fork in surprise.

They date for a several months before Victor proposes. He wouldn’t have proposed so early to anyone else but MC has always been an exception.

They put the wedding together in eight months. It’s a good, large, proper wedding, and they honeymoon out of the country. Because of course they do. Victor wants to give MC the best and only the best.

Total power couple, and Victor takes pride in that.

Lucien

This tree, or their tree, as Lucien likes to refer to it as, holds a very special place in his heart.

It started off as his sanctuary, the spot where he came out to draw.

But then it became the place that he got to bond with the girl who saved him.

After his parents were killed, everything went downhill for him at a rapid pace.

But she…

“It’s going to be okay.”

He still remembers the warmth of her hands when she held his and the tightness of her hugs she engulfed him in.

This girl’s smile lit up his dark world.

She’s the sole reason he escaped the pull of Black Swan.

Being four years apart as they were put a little gap between them growing up.

People looked at them in disdain so often that Lucien constantly lied about her being his sister.

He didn’t like that kind of attention from people, though he also logically knew why they received it.

Though he did his best to act respectfully and appropriately, he couldn’t help but feel all fluttery around MC. Every single time she came around, he had a physical reaction to her proximity.

Did his best to always act the gentleman. The last thing he wanted was to make her uncomfortable.

For now, he focused on his studies, partly because he found them interesting, partly because he wanted to be the kind of man who could provide well for his family.

Because he had his heart set on making one with her.

It was irrational, if he thought of it logically, to be become romantically attached to someone simply because he was emotionally attached to. Yet he could not separate the pull of romantic notions from his emotional relationship to her.

He eventually surrendered his attempts at trying to separate the two and gave up entirely in his quest to understand it.

He was already on his track to a doctorate when she graduated high school. And suddenly, them both being adults made those four years that separated them growing up seem a little less of a hurdle.

That’s when he asked her out.

“I had to wait so long, but I think now’s finally an appropriate time.”

And that’s when she admitted she had feelings for him, too.

It warmed his cold little heart.

They did take things slowly.

But they were already discussing marriage by the time MC had to take over the company when her father suddenly passed.

Honestly, though it was a terrible tragedy, Lucien is glad he finally gets to return the favor of being there for her just as she was there for him all those years ago.

He also decides to hide the ring he’d bought in a drawer, only to open it again when things were stable.

Well… relatively. The life of a media company manager is never fully stable. Mostly, Lucien just got tired of waiting.

He takes her back to their tree to propose.

They get married there, too.

[mincamzfic]

-04-

PREVIOUSLY…

Everything went still once again. Raven was watching you. He struggled against his brothers even more, he only had you on his mind.

“Let me see her.” He gruffed lowly. “Let me see her!”

A deep breath.

A slow expiration.

                                                         //

Everything stood still for a moment. Raven’s eyes were solely on you. You had stopped convulsing. They all watched you, waiting for you to take another breath. And you did, only, after a while. The Man motionned the others to let him go, seeing as the young Alpha had calmed down. Raven rushed to you, eyeing your pale and messy face. In comparison to Jimin, whom particularly despised you for unknown reasons, Raven had a singular interest in you. You intrigued him and he was quite fond of you, to say the least. Raven would watch through Jimin’s eyes how humanitarian you were, how strong-headed you would act towards Jimin. He noticed that you had this calming aura where you would break off any tension whenever you’d walk into a room and uplift everyone’s mood. You would put the people around you at ease, make them feel calm and Raven was almost certain you weren’t even aware of it. That being said, it proved you worthy as his mate, to calm him down when he gets too hot-headed, to reason with him and he was tired to not meet you properly or show his growing affection. This was all Jimin’s fault for not seeing the treasure that was just in front of him. This is why Raven tried to take control with all his might and he plans on being in control for as long as he can.

He sighed, disappointed that you were unconscious. The back of his hand brushed your cheek delicately. At least you were alive, that’s all that mattered for the wolf.

                                                           //

You laid on your bed ever since the Ceremony. The Man would watch over you once in a while, to make sure you were still breathing and whether you had gained consciousness or not. Raven was inseparable from you. The Man and Namjoon knew all too well, it would’ve happened sooner or later. Jimin may not have any attachement towards you but his wolf does and that was definitely betraying him.

Surfacing back to reality, your body felt like a load of cement. Judging by your confused and foggy mind, you first thought was that you’ve been out for quite some time or you were gravely hungover. Either way, you had no clue of the recent happenings or even what time and date it was. To your dismay, you were unpleasantly greeted by an unwanted arm spread loosely across your body. You rolled your eyes upon seeing the man you despised so close to yours. Asleep. You groaned, trying to push his arm away. You grumbled rubbish as you fought against his heavy limb, cursing him for whatever bubble bursted into his head. You were so annoyed and out of breath. Who knew a damned arm could be so heavy? Just as you gave up, Jimin’s grip on you got unbelievably tight. Your eyes enlarged and you gasped, squirming for your life.

“My mate.” You heard him say. You twisted your head to have good look at him. Was he honestly serious?

“Hey, wake up.” You said dryly, attempting to push his arm away from you. You swore you would tear it apart some day. “ I’m serious Jimin, what the fuck is wrong with you.”

You felt his lips kiss your neck and suck on it. “ Mine. No one else’s mate.” You saw his eyes watching you with an emotion you didn’t want to see. You refrained yourself from demonstrating your disgust. He moved to your jaw, holding your face in his hand,placing a kiss.

That last move seemed to bring you out of the daze you were in, your eyes widened in shock as you gasped, insulted. “Get away from me!” You whispered yell before literally pushing his face away from you. His grip on you loosened due to his surprise towards your actions. You kicked him off the bed, yelling this time. “Have you lost your god damn mind?” You took this opportunity to run off, at least tried to since you were still weak. You limbed as fast as you could, stumbling a few times as you did so, to your own room. You didn’t know which room that was and if it were to turn out to be his room, you thought you would literally burst out in flames. You never hated Jin more than you did now. You hated him for bringing you back, hated him for making you live with someone like Jimin, hated Jimin because he thought he was the shit and gave him the right to be rude to you and others.

Even when you arrived into your bedroom, the one you were given, the one you only could enter unless given the right to, felt foreign.You stopped your mind from raging and took in the air. The room had a strong rotting stench and an intoxicatingly lavender smell, it made the hair on your arms stand up. That was no good. You learned recently the different types of smell the supernatural could have and this one fit the one of a powerful being. You had to make sure for yourself. Despite the fact you extremely mad at the world and everyone in this house for treating you like a prisoner and taking advantage of you, you knew you had to protect them if this smell belonged to what you were suspecting.

Walking down the stairs was horrible, everything hurt. You faintly saw Jin talking with Jungkook and two other guys from the house. Your main focus was on the vibe, whether you had as much chills in other places of the house but your room, whether the distance smell was as strong in other places of the house but your room. At your sight, Jin panicked and started to spit non-sense words that came out more like sounds. He finally managed to squeak out a sentence that was understandable, which you flicked him off by saying you were fine.

“Y/N, you aren’t fine. Look at you! You’re limbing!” Jin argued, hands moving dramatically to support his words.

“I just need to be outside so I can heal myself. My powers work better in nature.” You half-lied. You liked to be outside to use your powers as nature sounds calmed your mind but it wasn’t true that your powers worked better in the outdoors. Jin looked at you suspiciously. He finally nodded and that was your cue to keep moving.

“But Jungkook will stay with you. For extra precautions.”

You tensed, not wanting to bring him into your mess, because yes you thought this was specifically a threat to you, and endanger him. You felt all of their eyes burning your back. “I don’t need a babysitter, Jin. I can take care of myself.”

“Nonsense.” He ignored you, batting his hand. He looked at the younger one. “Jungkook. Go.”

As Jungkook walked your way, you made him understand by a gesture of your hand no not move any further. Jin looked at you the way a parent would give the look to their misbehaving child.

“I told  you, Jin. I don’t need a babysitter. In fact, I’d rather be alone while I do this. I am the one that’s injured, no?”

“Yes, but you’re my responsibility-”

“Responsibility? Since when? So now I am a burden to you? Do I need to remind you that you are the one that forced me to come back here? And sell my house and quit my whole life because “I am one of your pack member’s mate now and I am a Healer and prevent Jimin’s and the world’s downfall blah blah. He might as well freaking fall this wolf of yours. Cut the crap,Jin. You already treat me like a stranger when we are far from that. It’s best for you, all of you for that matter, to leave me the hell alone.” You spat, staring them all down. Poor Jungkook, he stood there, confused on what he should do. Your gaze went met Jin’s. “You at least owe me that.”

                                                        //

There was this special place you set up near the patio where the sun and the wind would hit just right. You had placed pillows, candles, string lights, cushions to sit on, plants and flowers. This was your safe haven. You watched the flowers and the grass move to the rhythm of the wind, it blew softly. The sun was going down, it was already golden hour. You took out you manifestation candles and herbs, the salt, your little grimoire that you put together in the last few weeks. You felt on top of your game as a Healer. This was your precious, it had different techniques using energy to heal and you’ve even gotten into spells and potions recently.

You lit the candle. No, you weren’t about to heal yourself, you were about to manifest answers. You suspected a demon was around. It went into your room specifically and its smell wasn’t anywhere else in the house, however, you had a feeling it would come back. You had a feeling it was near. You hadn’t even started to manifest when wolves came running back to the Pack House, howls and yaps that seemed anxious, alerted. You blew on the candle and it everything under the blanket, rushing as well in the house.

As you walked in, you looked eyes with Jimin’s intense ones. Your gaze lingers on his for a little longer than you would’ve liked. You noticed Jungkook was also studying you when you looked away from Jimin. His eyes seemed intrigued.

“What seems to be the problem?” Namjoon asked, authority clear in his voice.

The three wolves shifted back. One of them stood in front of the two others. You supposed he was the Beta and the two were Omegas.

“Someone trespassed on our territory. It’s no wolf for sure, the smell is different. We tried tracking them down but we couldn’t find anything. No prints. Just an intoxicating smell.” A Beta named Taehyung informed.

At that, your face washout out. You knew exactly what they were talking about. Just as your mind was debating on what to do, Both Jimin and Jungkook looked at you. You stared at them, trying to keep a straight face on, but it was hard to hide things through your eyes. You knew that they knew you knew something.

After they’ve discussed between themselves about the issue, yes you just stood there listening, Namjoon decided to increase rounds of surveillance and watch out for clues. He decided not to hunt them down, considering it wasn’t a wolf we were being faced with. Perhaps, whatever that person was, maybe it wasn’t even on our territory anymore.

Once the impromptu meeting was over, people dissipated once after the other, some going on rounds, some going back to what hey we’re doing. You decided it would be less suspicious to go back outside and pretend to do whatever you were doing. You failed to notice the man following your tracks and grabbing your arm before you could open the patio door. You squeaked, taken aback, turning around with wide eyes and pouted lips, face distorted in interrogation.

“You have some explaining to do.” The dark-haired man told you.

“About?” You shot back, knowing what he was talking about but trying to play dumb.

“You became as white as as ghost. You know something.”

“Jungkook, stop being delusional. I got scared because there is a possible threat on us and we don’t know what we’re facing.” You shrugged. You forced your eyes to stay wide to make you look innocent. “And…” you looked at he floor. “I got flashbacks from the Ceremony…” You lied, purposely lowering your voice to make him think you were embarrassed.

He got closer to you, pulling you in with the grip he still had on your arm. You put your hand on his chest to stop him from coming any closer. “I’m going to let this slide, but don’t think I won’t keep an eye on you.” He muttered beside your ear. “I know that you know something.”

And with that he left, leaving you… perplexed. You went outside to fetch your things. You weren’t in the mood to summon demons anymore. You needed to be on top of your game so that nobody knows and so that nobody gets hurt. You felt it in your bones that this was an issue you had to take care of.

                                                          //

Reassembling your witchcraft items, there was a knock on your door. A look of disgust plastered your face at the view of Jimin. A look of hurt flashed on his but he quickly hid it.

“Y/N, we should talk about last night.” A pair of red eyes stared at you.

“What is there to talk about, JImin?” Your tone was annoyed.

“Raven.” He corrected you.

“Whatever. There’s nothing to talk about. There’s no reason why you should be talking to me right now.”

“Do you have to be such a bitch all the time?” Brown eyes looked at you this time.

You scoffed, insulted. “Yes. You deserve to be treated and talked to the same way you do to me.”

“Y/N, I apologize-” Raven’s red eyes flickered uncontrollably back and forth from his and Jimin’s eyes. You grew worried, this wasn’t supposed to happen. It was just usual bickering.

In the middle of that internal battle, you managed to ask if he was okay and out of a sudden he grabbed you by your throat. You hit his hands and chest to make him let go of you. You tried to scream for help but your voice wasn’t very audible as the only thing coming out was a pained gargle. You started banging on the wall, in hopes that someone would hear you. You had powers and all, you started doing witchcraft and all but Healer’s power didn’t do much against aggression and your spells weren’t on point yet. You were only good at summoning since it required a play with energies.

You fell to the ground, gasping for air, both hands covering your throat to soothe the pain. There was a vague vision of one figure on top of a struggling one. You couldn’t really tell who that was since your vision was blurry. JImin was a danger to others and to himself. He needed to be kept on check.

“Did you hear me?” A masculine voice said.

“Mh? Sorry what?”

“I asked you if you were okay.”

“I’m glad to heal quickly, to say the least. Please bring him to his room and refrain him from escaping.” You ordered. Jungkook looked at you questionably but complied anyway.

You grabbed the jar of mountain ash and met Jungkook in Jimin’s room. He was sitting on the floor, holding Jimin down. You made a circle around them and left an open spot so the younger male could free himself.

“Let go.” You ordered again.

He did, quickly escaping the circle so you could close it.

There was a silence. Jimin stopped struggling. He, in fact, looked at you with pure vain in his eyes. “You think you won?” He smirked at you.

You watched him, breathing heavily. “For now, yes.” You muttered a spell under your breath so that his hands would stay together, like they were attached by a rope. His eyes looked down in surprise, he gasped.

“What did you do?” Jungkook asked, looking at you? He was a little too close for your comfort.

“Just one of my tricks.” You answered quickly, avoiding his eyes.

You walked backwards, slowly. Jungkook followed track. You let him leave first. You stared at the alpha from the door frame, in both awe and wonder. He did the same, his chest heaving. You turned around and close the door.

A scream was heard from behind that door. You ignored it and walked away.

A/N:  Hello everyone! I hope you are all healthy and safe. I know in some places it is not easy. I am here to listen if you guys need to talk. Here’s part.4 that you were expecting for quite some time. Quarantine happened and transition from school to online school and my job requiring me to work full time WHILE being in school full time and writers block made it difficult for me to write. I hope you enjoyed this chapter, feel free to give me feedback. Love you all v much

[doctorhawke]

all six of my oc hawkes in one big thing, i have an au where they are all a big happy family and run amok in kirkwall

below the cut theres “brief” bios for them all (including their names because my renditions of their handwriting might not be very legible) and a little chart showing more insight into their personality makeup

all the ages are from act 1, after a year in kirkwall, relative to carver and bethany’s 20 (fyi they both survive in this au and both become grey wardens. cannot IMAGINE that any of these hawkes would let one of their littlest siblings fight an ogre 1v1 when theres literally eight of them lmfao they tag team it like they do everything)

steve hawke- he/him, age 27, adopted by the hawkes at 8. steve is a mage, a healer, and a pacifist. as such when there are fights he will focus on incapacitating enemies without harming them (force magic and mind blast comes in handy) and especially on supporting the team through healing. he’s gay and immediately takes to anders, mainly because he spends a lot of time helping in his clinic. 

he strongly believes in mage rights especially as malcolm imparted a lot of responsibility on him towards his younger mage siblings, nyx and bethany. he’s protective and a bit of a worrier, though as time goes on in kirkwall he becomes more and more exhausted, and starts to cope through making light of things. post-game, he and anders are on the run. 

—————————

kit hawke- he/him, age 24, bio kid, and a dual-wielding rogue. he’s bold, charming, and a bit of a pessimist- all of which kirkwall amplifies by virtue of being a crazy fucking city. kit is also pretty business minded and usually spearheads bone pit related shenanigans. varric (who deeply cares for all the hawkes of course) immediately takes to him and the two are inseparable. 

kit is bi, and likes to have fun, though over time he falls for both isabela and fenris, and over time the three get together and become the most impressive trio you ever saw. all kit’s siblings are kind of like “are you serious dude, we have a limited number of friends and you end up with two of them? what about the rest of us” but considering the amount of drama and heartbreak kit undergoes over the years in relation to his love life, they all kind of figure he’s earned the happy ending. post-game the three of them become pirates on isabela’s ship and free slaves in between tracking down hidden treasure or whatever it is that pirates do, and they eventually have adorable baby twins. 

—————————-

syl hawke- she/her, age 26, bio kid but only leandra’s, she actually is varric’s half sibling (though she does NOT know this and the sibling rivalry that develops upon them meeting is incomprehensible to the both of them). so syl is the shortest of the bunch, and looks a lot more like varric and bartrand than kit, carver, or bethany, despite them all being related. 

syl’s the only warrior of the group (other than carver- a dynamic duo), fights with hammers exclusively, and has a tendency to be super intense. she doesn’t really get humor at all, in the rare case that she accidentally makes a joke and people laugh she assumes they’re laughing AT her. she’s also very shoot first and ask questions later, and the only hawke more protective than steve is. her big sister energy is off the charts and she’s prepared to kill any templar that so much as looks at her family. as such she’s staunchly pro-mage.

she’s a lesbian and has massive game despite not really being any good at flirting- it’s probably her sheer intensity. she and isabela have a brief fling, tallis is very taken with her, and she has a rivalry-fueled sexual tension with aveline for ages (the long road is a VERY fun quest to play through with syl). however she was always very supportive of and close with merrill and eventually the two fall in love. once they’re together they’re insanely sweet and have mega chemistry and i love them so fucking much. post-game they’re forced to leave kirkwall but end up living in the denerim alienage.

—————————-

lith hawke- she/her, age 25, adopted by the hawkes at 9 along with her twin nyx. an archer rogue, with speed taking precedence over power or precision. lith is a lot to take in okay. she’s the only one who’s pro-templar in the group, and is a rabid andrastian. back home in lothering her chantry beliefs were instrumental in keeping her family safe, as she not only knew every templar by name (as the whole family did) but also is endlessly trustworthy to them and to all the chantry sisters and mothers. countless times a templar might have come calling to take away one of her siblings or her father, but was dissuaded by lith- after all, little lith hawke would NEVER help hide apostates, right?

she supports her siblings because she believes that in the end their souls will be saved. (the only thing that freaks her out more than nyx’s blood magic is when syl casually drops that she’s thinking about converting to merrill’s religion.) she doesn’t trust mages if they aren’t related to her, and always advocates for the circle when given the chance. she’s best friends with fenris and they hang out a lot, more and more as the years pass. since merrill and anders both move into the hawke estate (which was already a bit of a circus, can you imagine the chaos?) lith finds herself more and more outnumbered ideologically and often escapes to fenris’ mansion for some quiet. 

during the endgame, she sides against her family and the mages. she basically has a villainous breakdown. she helps them kill meredith and once it’s revealed that meredith had been influenced by the lyrium idol, lith’s whole worldview is pretty much shattered. post-game she leaves the city and seeks out her cousin, ash amell (i have eight wardens so im not going to get into this but basically my amell and my cousland (eve) are in a gay throuple with leliana and its dope as all hell). spending time with ash, eve, and leliana is very healing for her, but all her siblings assume she’s dead and she doesn’t see them for years after kirkwall. 

—————————-

nyx hawke- they/them, age 25, adopted by the hawkes at 9 along with their twin lith. nyx is the blood mage of the group, and is an absolute icon quite frankly. they’re very chaotic, and especially close with kit, merrill, and isabela. nyx has a ton of fun fighting, and they and syl make an especially good team in combat. nyx always looks up to syl and its very sweet, and syl is the only one in the family who never once messed up nyx’s pronouns (everyone is very good about this of course, and by kirkwall its a non-issue, but even lith slipped up once or twice early on). 

they have very noodly arms because they’ve never had to worry about fighting hand to hand when running out of mana, because of the blood magic. this leads to quite a bit of teasing but tbh they pull it off. nyx is bi and has a thing with isabela for a short while but in the end they’re better as best friends. 

nyx and lith are very close. they’re often perfectly in sync when doing things, especially in combat, and have that twin esp thing going on which can get spooky at times. however they also bicker a lot, and obviously clash on ideology pretty much constantly. though this is the norm nyx always assumed they would have each other’s backs no matter what when it came down to the nitty gritty, and lith’s betrayal during the endgame is really heartbreaking for them. 

over the years anders and nyx do a lot of collaborating when it comes to mage rights. they help him polish his manifesto, and smuggle mages out of the gallows. the only real reason nyx isn’t brought into the loop on the chantry explosion was a mixtures of anders’ crushing guilt and his knowledge that if he told nyx and not steve, steve would be really hurt. (however he couldn’t tell steve because he didn’t want the deaths to be on steve’s conscience- anders knows he definitely would have helped if it came down to that). post-game nyx goes on to be one of the leaders of the mage rebellion.

—————————-

lou hawke- he/him, age 22, adopted by the hawkes at 10. hes a cowboy and i love him. an archer rogue, he prioritizes powerful firing over speed or precision. he’s a massive sweetheart, terminally polite, and has massive ears that he’s self-conscious of and tries to cover with his hair. however whenever his hair gets long enough to cover them leandra starts poking and prodding him to get a trim and he’s always too soft to refuse for long, beginning the cycle again (and after leandra is murdered he always keeps his hair to her liking- he gets weepy if it grows too long). he’s the only hawke i’ve drawn without his in-game outfit because this fucking game doesn’t have cowboy hats or cute shirts with tassles and i do what i want. 

lou also plays instruments, he’s got a guitar and a harmonica and plays the piano passably. he IS the piano man in the eyes of the hanged man’s patrons. sing us a song, they tell him, etc. he manages ten minutes of harmonica in the deep roads, citing excellent acoustics, until anders tells him to stop because the darkspawn will hear. when the hawkes get rich lou buys a horse and goes for morning rides out on the wounded coast. 

lou is bi, and runs around for years with a massive crush on isabela but that doesn’t exactly work out. he ends up with jethann (theres a lot of lore here but suffice it to say its extremely tender) and post-game they leave kirkwall and end up owning a ranch not far outside denerim. lou hires lots of farmhands that end up looking to him as a father figure and its super sweet, and jethann refuses to do manual labor. 

—————————-

this got insanely long i am SO sorry flkjsdlkgjlkcxjglsfkd

feel free to send any asks relating to them because i really love this family so much and could talk about them forever dlfskjlxcjglskd if you couldnt tell from this diatribe

[trackinghallownest]

-slides into your dms- tell me about your vessel ocs!!!! Whose your favorite. Everyone has a favorite even if they don't like to admit it! And is it ok if I draw them interacting with my vessel ocs?

HHfngfh gh i’m,,, thank you for this ask i’m dying,, i will absolutely go off if you dont mind me taking this chance!! ft doodles!! because i can!! and you absolutely can draw them with yours i will probably cry and definitely draw interactions back udfkfhvdf;;

some of this i may have mentioned in other posts but i cant for the life of me keep track of what ive put here compared to the discord so! i’m just going to fact dump! and put under a cut so i don’t completely fill peoples’ dashes shkfd

first is gonna be spindle since. i love them. theyre probably my favourite. and also the first i made. theyre just babie

they really are just babey,,

kind of accidentally an endless source of lifeblood which is a long story but its not.. very fun. to be constantly covered in plants. by adulthood most of their torso and one of their limbs is almost completely replaced/encased in plant matter

they take this pretty well actually. even if it gets a lot harder to move

for a vessel they grew up to full size much quicker than others of their kind, likely due to the lifeblood’s properties, but really nobody has much of a clue. didnt have time to get used to their size and still has VERY bad spatial awareness

broke their horn tip by smacking it on a low ceiling hkfdnfbdmvdf

plants bursting out of their shell and eye have pretty badly damaged it, and they can’t see out of the broken eye

theyre trying their hardest!! always!! they can’t move around very well and sometimes get lonely sitting at home in dirtmouth but they’re friendly to just about anybody and have so much love to give

seriously they dont even eat but they like to make sure they have food and drink at home in case anyone drops in and needs it

they’ve never been able to fight, and shy away from violence or combat in all forms

very scared of the dark and carries a lantern with them at all times, usually around their neck

discharges excess lifeblood into soil and grows a garden from it - keeps it from overtaking their body any further, and it’s something to do

not the best at communicating since a wood arm makes signing stiff and tricky, but they’re not much of a talker (signer?) anyway

then we have scratch n thimble who are kinda twins but not really. yeah those are matching scarves they are Bros (sibs??)

scratch FIGHTS THINGS and USES A REAL BIG NAIL

the biggest of all my vessel ocs, just in general. a big and strong friend

made it to the palace but got tossed for starting to care too much and takin a blow for another sibling. saved thimble from dying down there too and they were absolutely inseparable since

really just the embodiment of the ‘you befriended x! x would now die for you’ meme not gonna lie

has almost literally died for Multiple siblings n friends before but they wouldn’t let them. which is, a good thing

too reckless for their own good especially in their younger years but thankfully mellows out quite a bit by adulthood

tries to keep up a strong stoic front but also doesnt hesitate to abandon it if needed. theyre big soft really (they wont admit it tho)

has The Biggest soft spot for kids do not let them tell you otherwise

fought for the sake of it in the colosseum for many years before Stuff And Things involving yet another vessel happened and they kinda trashed the place and never went back

their nail is about as big and heavy as their entire body and they’re surprisingly good at using it for something so unwieldy. could probably crush most bugs just by virtue of it being So Damn Big

spends a lot of time when grown at the howling cliffs keeping an eye on those travelling into the kingdom, and deterring those with malicious intent

they got that eye wound from their sibling… it was technically an accident. they still don’t talk about it though

contrary to their twin thimble is the smallest vessel (as a babby at least - they do end up standing taller than spin and ruth when fully grown)

they have the very unfortunate problem of their shade having fused with void tendrils from the abyss sea as a babby

as such their shade is very violent and kinda has a habit of literally bursting out their shell and lashing out at anything around them under stress

eventually they get a handle on it and learn to control the literally overflowing void inside them but until then their entire life is pretty much a big clusterfuck of trying not to kill people, which they hate

they’re very timid and shy and cling to familiar figures (especially scratch) probably too much, but strike out on their own much more growing up 

theyre very strong and capable, moreso than most magic users, but you wouldn’t guess it. the only time they’d even consider showing it is in another’s defense

uses void tendrils like extra limbs. very functional! can hold many things (or offer many hugs) at once. may be slightly slimy though.

their cloak is very long and would probably benefit from being trimmed shorter but they absolutely refuse to let anyone touch it. its kinda grimy at this point and they trip a lot but don’t do anything about it

friends with a bunch of mossflies they picked up in the gardens! they all have names

can communicate with other void-creatures by sharing some of their own void! this was discovered entirely by accident but very useful, if awkward to explain

sure they’re kinda timid and like being on their lonesome, but they’re also very level-headed and friendly, and get along very well with low-energy quieter sorts of people especially

ruth is a small vessel rn/as far as i’ve worked out a timeline for! i know what they look like big but as far as the content on this blog currently goes theyre just .. smal

actual infant. hadnt actually been wandering out of the abyss that long before being dragged up to the colosseum to fight for sport

really doesnt have much of a clue how to act at first, other than ‘stab things before they stab you’

their name comes from ‘ruthless’, a nickname they got in the colosseum because they literally did not (appear to) give two shits whether they lived or died in battle. they’d just come back, anyway

scratch was the one that found them flinging a nail around and immediately went ‘oh thats a baby. this is bad, actually’

for the first short while of freedom scratch is the only one they’ll let even get close to them, and pretty much clings to them relentlessly. not a moments rest

they were actually pretty badly infected by the time they were broken out but theyre better now (another long story)

doesn’t have a natural cloak - it was ripped out and never grew back in. they make do though! their ‘new’ one was made from part of scratch’s that they ripped off and fixed together. they love it more than anything

once they actually figured out not everyone was out to kill them they stopped fighting back, and became a lot more curious and lively in general

still has a very warped and guarded sense of trust, however

kinda iffy around weapons and reacts badly to confrontation but does eventually learn to fight again (just.. in a better way)

pretty short even when grown, and going by height alone is the shortest when they’re all big

likes picking up pretty trinkets and things and carrying them around. has a few tied to their horns (as well as many pockets)

i have just now decided that spite counts as well! they dont actually survive to adulthood in any timeline i have currently (sorry spite) so big spite is entirely a theoretical but theyre fun to draw so

now spite? spite wins the babiest baby award

has one single braincell that bounces around their shell like a windows screensaver

their name indicates they are capable of feeling any negative emotion or hatred which is entirely untrue. by the time this was figured out they already wouldn’t answer to anything else

absolutely no sense of self-preservation or common sense. they are, in most regards, a very cute and very stupid dog

got lost on their way out of the abyss the first time around, ended up in the lighthouse and met friend mori!! was almost caught but eventually smuggled out and away

spent a lot of the time on the run in city of tears with said friend who was pretty much presumed dead by then. got taken in by a family, enjoyed themselves for a while

…but were eventually caught and thrown right back into the abyss along with mori killing them both for real this time. unfortunately.

cut to MANY years later and oops! their shade fused with the corpse and for some ungodly reason theyre both alive. time for the worst buddy comedy ever ft. literal pile of goop and body parts

spite does not seem to know nor care that theyre dead however

mostly happy to sit up there on mori’s shell and nap for hours at a time or fiddle with literally anything in reach. give them a cool rock and they’ll be entertained for hours. they are but a simple creacher

they do actually eventually learn to use a nail but who’s idea was it to give a child a sword. seriously i just wanna talk

[mrreindeerface]

Character Info for When The Night Comes

I’ll be honest, this got away from me a bit. I am not entirely sure this is coherent and I had to fight myself to not info-dump because I have so many thoughts on these dorks. For @galleywinter who has been patient with my need to scream about this fantastic game

Les Full Name: Alessa Mylona – also answers to Lessa Age: 27 Height: 5’10”

Les is the Hunter General in Lunaris. She’s headstrong, composed, and very much a stickler for the rules. She can be a bit standoffish at first – but is always willing to take the time and listen if someone needs her. She’s been a bit of an overachiever since she was young, which tends to rub off on the people around her whether they want it to or not. She’ll follow the spirit of the law rather than the letter of it – she’s gotten a fair share of citations in her files from going against orders when she felt it wasn’t the right thing to do. She can be very caring when needed, but tries to hold herself apart from people to help with her work.

She was orphaned at a young age, and was too difficult of a child to find a home anywhere until she was taken in by the Hunters. She puts a great deal of effort into appearing the ‘perfect’ Hunter, mostly out of fear she’ll lose the one family she’s ever really known. Although she worked on her own the first few years, she and Wren partnered on a difficult assignment and have been inseparable ever since. At the academy she specialized in Demonology – she fights with a weighted quarterstaff mostly but also has a few smaller silver daggers (just in case).

Les knew of the Piper Meriman before coming to Lunaris, more as the legend of a Hunter than as a real person. It was a bit of an early blow to find out the Enforcers would cast aside someone with that kind of reputation, though it did give her the chance to get being starstruck out of her system (and somewhere Piper couldn’t see her). There’s never been any hesitation on her part with letting Piper take the lead, not only because Piper is a force of nature but because Les likes having a chance to not be in charge of everything. Piper is one of the few people who can get her to shirk responsibility and just have fun.

Wren Full Name: Florian Laurent Age: 26 Height: 5’7”

Wren is the Hunter General’s right hand. They are very quiet, seeming almost shy, but they can be unyielding as steel. They are fiercely loyal to those they care about, almost to the point of absurdity. Although dedicated to their career as a Hunter, they weren’t prepared for volume of bureaucratic nonsense that came with the territory of trying to help people. Wren will flout any rule necessary to do the right thing, at least the right thing by their standards. They’re much more empathetic than their partner, and don’t bother to maintain a distance from the people in their life.

Wren grew up the oldest of three children – their father was forcibly retired as a Hunter due to a spinal injury. Hoping to carry on the family tradition of being a ‘hero,’ they studied and trained until they could be tested. Although never a truly model student, they were still one of the best. They specialized in Weapons and Combat training and spent their first few years in the field honing their tracking skills. They are unparalleled at laying traps and setting ambush locations – usually with some guidance from Les. They prefer to fight from a distance, using ranged weapons and resorting to daggers only when necessary.

They were wholly unprepared for the Lunarian double-threat of Omen and Alkar. Both of them had a unique charm, and proved to be effortlessly entertaining for the needling-inclined Wren. The two of them served as a good distraction and break from the insanity that was the investigation, and Wren was more than happy to play matchmaker in the early stages of their relationship. It can be a bit tricky for them to not get sucked into teaming up with one or the other to get the third, but in reality that’s part of the fun of their relationship.

 Les and Wren

They started working together three years before coming to Lunaris after teaming up together on a particularly tricky mission. Wren liked the convenience of having what was essentially a battering ram on their side, while Les appreciated knowing there was someone at her back to help out. Although Hunter teams are not common, and are often split up if called for, the two of them fought tooth and nail to be kept together every time they needed to be transferred.

Not only in sync in battle, the two also work well together off the field. Les is much better suited to maneuvering (read: manipulating) the Enforcers to get what they need whereas Wren has been much better at connecting to the Creatures and getting insider information. Although both have their own way of handling civilians, they ultimately have the same goal: to put on a good face for the organization, despite the recent situation.

 Alaric Full Name: Gideon Alaric Fehler Age: 31 Height: 6’2”

Alaric came to Lunaris by chance, as a Hunter on a specialty assignment. Although he holds himself proudly there’s always a mischievous glint in his eyes. He’s a sucker for having a laugh and a round of ales in the tavern, as much as he enjoys the sense of accomplishment that comes with seeing a town that fees safe because of the work the Hunters do. As he operates, to some degree, outside of the standard Hunter/Enforcer system he can come off a bit of a loose cannon, but at the end of the day his interest is protecting the people.

Originally from Thiyrus, Alaric was sent to join the Hunters by his mother who dreamed of having her son grow up to be strong and a protector for their homeland. Although she did get her wish, he always carried a hint of resentment at the pain her choice brought him. Despite this, he dedicated all his time and effort to his training and studies: he specialized in Alchemy and Demonology both. In combat training he favored short swords, enjoying the adrenaline rush that came from being in the middle of a fight and dancing around his opponents.  

Alaric fell hard and he fell fast for August – as comically “love at first sight” as can be imagined. He was immediately drawn in by their grace, composure, and the raw depth of power he could sense under their skin. Due to the nature of their work, he originally decided not to act on his feelings as he felt a workplace relationship was not the best idea. The longer their task kept him in Eskria, and by extension in Lunaris, the more he found himself wishing to court them. The delight he felt when his interest was immediately (and intensely) returned was palpable, and the two have been nigh inseparable since.

 Poppy Full Name: [Redacted] – Also answers to Pippa, Pips, and Pip (only used by Alaric) Age: 24 Height: 5’1” or 5’2”

Poppy is not a Hunter, but a Witch working under the mantle of Enforcer, though their history with the organization can be considered complicated at best. They hold themselves tightly, observing with sharp eyes rather than interacting with the world around them. There’s a sly humor to them if caught at the right moment – they are guilty of playing small tricks just to get a laugh out of a group of children more than once. They are also sharply intolerant of those who would do harm to others out of fear and misunderstanding, leaving them usually opposition with others in their order. Underneath the hard exterior is someone very afraid of being vulnerable – something they spend a lot of time trying to hide.

Protective of their origins, Poppy doesn’t talk much about who they are and where they’re from, not even to those they consider close friends. Although Alaric seems to hold many of their secrets, even he will say he knows almost nothing. They do frequently allude to being from somewhere “far away” and come from a “rather large” family – brothers and sisters of all sorts are mentioned in passing. At some stage they received both magic and combat training: their skill with barriers and forcefields is unmatched and the enchanted blade hanging at their side is not just for show. They are an alchemist on the side, mostly using the skill to brew potions and poultices for their frequently injured Hunter.

As they arrived in Lunaris several months before everything truly went to shit, they were able to catch a glimpse of Finn and Ezra together in their prime. Though instantly intrigued by both of them, Poppy was content to have their relationship stand at “enthusiastic flirting” and nothing more. After Finn’s attempt at distancing and the escalation of Lunaris’ problems, Poppy was unexpectedly caught up in their reunion – quite literally walking in on them shortly after they reconciled. Though it was uncharted territory for them they will grudgingly admit it all worked out in the end, and that they are happier for it.

 Alaric and Poppy

Having originally met on a special assignment in Aclea, the two of them complimented each other perfectly as both fighters and scholars. As both of them specialized in locating, identifying, and containing magical phenomena they were quickly organized into a specialist unit. Though this meant they were forced to travel in excess, it gave them both the opportunity they wanted to forge their own roles within their respective organizations.

Being sent to investigate the sudden spike in supernatural events across Eskria, and in Lunaris in particular, this assignment is their first “long-term” arrangement somewhere. It has provided Alaric the opportunity to train and fight beside one of his personal heroes, and has given Poppy the space to experiment with new recipes and spells. Though certainly one of their more challenging assignments, it is proving to be one of the most rewarding as well.

[strangewhitegirl321]

Cookout (11th)

{Not my gif.}

Words: 2473

Originally posted to my Wattpad account.

This is ridiculous. I’m so sorry.

   If you ever thought you had a strange day, you were sorely mistaken. Nothing could possibly be as weird as this- or so you thought, as you stared up at a strange blue box sitting on it's side, caught by the rain gutters that creaked and groaned from the weight.

   Originally, you had been on a mission to track down the toddler that had seemed to almost disappear from your family barbecue- but quickly became distracted by this strange occurrence. The little girl you had searched for was in the process of attempting to drag a lawn chair over to the side of the house, somehow believing that with the chair, their stubby little legs would allow them to scale the building.

   "(Toddler cousin's name)!" You quickly called, trotting over and scooping up the little girl. Messing with her (h/c) hair, you backed up and continued to stare at the box.

   Glancing down to the wiggling child in your arms, you quietly whispered to yourself, "Should I get help?"

   However, thinking over the situation, you were sure your family would simply laugh and ignore you, thinking you were pulling some sort of strange joke. Quickly, you walked your cousin over to the side of the house. Plopping her down on the ground and gesturing towards the backyard, you gave her a little push in the right direction.

   "Go find your mom, (t/c/n). Food's about to be served," Before leaving her to her own devices, despite knowing in the back of your head that it was probably a bad decision on your part. But your curiosity was peaked, so you walked back and continued to stare at the box, before suddenly the doors flung open, and a man tumbled out onto your roof.

   With a shriek, you fell over from surprise in an attempt to stumble back. The man on the roof bolted up, glancing down to you and immediately growing confused.

   "Are you alright?" He called, running a hand through his floppy hair. "Do you- by any chance- know where I am? What year is it, or what national day it is?"

   With wide eyes, you simply stared up at the man, your eyes flickering between the man on the roof and the blue box caught on the rain gutter. Smoke was currently pouring from the box, enough smoke to make you believe a forest fire seemed to take place within it.

   "Hello?" The man called again. "Are you in shock? I can't quite tell from up here!"

   Hesitantly, you shuffled to your feet, albeit shakily. Your eyes were now glued to the man, who was looking around, seeming to pause on every bush or tree in sight.

   "Why..." You began, drawing his attention. "How did you- why is there a Port-a potty on my roof? Why were you in it? How did you even get it there-"

   "Port-a potty?!" The man suddenly shrieked. "This- this beauty- is most definitely not a portable toilet!" He laid his hand on the blue box, jaw hanging low from shock and apparent offence.

   "Well then what in the ever loving world is it?!" You yelled, frustrated.

   The man's jaw shut tight, and even from the ground you could see his teeth grind together as he tilted his head, trying to find a way to describe it.

   Hesitantly, he replied, "It's a TARDIS-"

  "A what?"

  "A bloody TARDIS! For goodness sake you little dalek-" He stopped, reaching up to fix a bowtie he dawned and then rubbing his hands together, recomposed himself. "Why don't you just come up here and find out for yourself."

   Taken aback, you quite literally took a step farther away from the man and his strange box, "Why don't I just call the cops?" You threatened meekly.

   The man's eyes widened, before he shouted, "No! No! No reason to do that! Everything is fine-"

   "If everything is fine then why are you on my roof?!" Without a thought you interrupted him.

   "Would you quit being stubborn?" He threw his hands up into the air. "I am having a very bad day, and I would just like to move on-"

   "Then why don't you?" Once again, you interrupted.

   "Fine! I guess a will!" He haughtily replied, turning towards the box and hesitating, shuffling around on his feet. You crossed your arms, waiting to see what the man would do. Suddenly, he reached into his jacket and whipped out a strange, glowing toy and slowly began to clamber back into the box.

   "What-?" You quietly questioned to yourself. Taking a few steps forward, you gingerly stood on your tiptoes, attempting to peek into the box. You couldn't see much besides a silver glow from inside.

   A few minutes later, a giant metal plate roughly the same size as you was launched through the air out of the box and landed right beside you. With a slight scream you launched yourself away from it, staring wide eyed at it as it skidded across the ground.

   "Ha!" You could suddenly hear the man yell in triumph. "Turns out, there was a piece of the Dynatrope from the Gonds was stuck inside of my girl! I accidentally crashed her on Gonds last week- or was it yesterday-? Who knows, honestly! But I crashed it right into the ruins! Ruins I created, sure, but-"

   "What in the world are you rambling about?" Freaking out, you practically shrieked. "How the heck did that fit in there! With you!"

   You looked back up to see the man sitting, partially dangling into the blue box- a confused, worried expression upon his face.

   "Well- I-" He tried to begin, failing before clearing his throat and simply saying, "My name's the Doctor."

   With a groan, you sighed and asked, "Doctor who?"

   The man smirked, licking his lips before explaining, "Just the Doctor. And, really, you should come see her for yourself."

   Quietly, you gazed at him, utterly lost and confused, suddenly convinced you were dreaming, "'Her?'"

   A confident nod later, the Doctor scrambled out of the box and stood, brushing his pants off, "The TARDIS. C'mon. I promise I won't kidnap you or anything else even mildly ridiculous."

   Raising your head a little, you thought over the situation. There was clearly nothing sane about this man- the Doctor. You had no idea what you were supposed to do. Your brain could only draw up blanks towards any other decisions you could make. So, every move laced with hesitation, you carefully stood to your feet and slowly tottered over to the chair your baby cousin practically prepared for you.

   You could see the Doctor getting on his knees, preparing to reach his hand down and help you clamber your way up to the roof. Looking around, you moved the chair below a window sill and carefully began to climb until you were close enough for the Doctor to reach down and snatch your hand.

   Expecting to help him haul you up, you prepared to hunt down another foothold before with a strange, almost alien strength the Doctor simply hauled you up with a huff. Gingerly you gathered yourself beside him, before he stood and helped you up.

   The entire time, he had this kind, encouraging smile on his face. And, now that you could see him more closely, you noticed the twinkle of excitement in his eyes. Stepping aside, he couldn't help but puff up in pride as your eyes met the depths of the TARDIS. A gasp left your lips, and you carelessly stumbled forward to get to it, causing the Doctor to latch his hand onto your elbow to ensure you didn't fall.

   Even as he helped you climb into the giant room the TARDIS offered, you knew you wouldn't be seeing home for a long time. Then, as the Doctor revealed the brilliant machine's abilities, you knew you weren't going home until you had seen every corner of the universe.

   Managing time on the TARDIS was difficult. Every planet, every era, every person, every alien or beast- one after another, continued to suck time, time, and more time away. Free time was spent with the Doctor- until, eventually, you and he were inseparable.

   You became his companion through more than just his travels. Aiding him in times of strife and grief, as well as helping him stay on the route of a righteous man. Slowly but surely, a relationship grew between you two- affections showered on one another in privacy.

   Thinking over it all brought a smile to your face, yet a haunting thought loomed in the back of your mind. Two weeks into travelling with the Doctor, you began to regret leaving your family behind. However you buried the thought, only allowing it to rise when you could no longer fight it. But now- now you took a hit so hard it sent you writhing into the dirt.

   You didn't actually know for sure how long it had been- all you did know, was that you had thoroughly matured, changed into a nearly completely different person. You had changed your hair so many times your family wouldn't believe it- been dealt scars as big as your fist.

   The Doctor caught you in your state of contemplation. So many times he offered to bring you home, before you had changed. He knew exactly what was running through your mind, after all, he had known you so long it was difficult not to understand you at this point.

   "(Y/n)?" He called gently, fiddling with his fingers as he slowly approached you.

   With a hum of acknowledgement, you shuffled around in your seat and your eyes met his.

   A tender gaze in his eyes, he knelt down in front of you, already figuring this conversation would go south. He just wanted to know what you desired- and he wanted to explain why he couldn't give it to you.

   "What's going on in that head of yours?" Sheepishly, the Doctor asked before reaching up to tap your forehead. "It's still so foreign, so human to me. I need you to explain why you look so- down..."

   Hesitating slowly, you huffed a sigh and reached up to grab the hand that hovered near your face, "Doctor." You began, your eyes flickering between the both of his.

   "I think... I think it's time to see my family again," Your voice was meek, timid to bring up the idea. "Visit home?"

   In the back of your mind, you acknowledged what the Doctor was going to say, but when he spoke, you remained silent. You could tell it was coming, yet a foolish hope kept you adrift.

   "(Y/n)," He breathed your name, eyes softening. "I can't bring you home. Not at this point- you've aged. Not in a bad way, just- you've changed."

   "But we have a time machine," It was an invalid argument, you already knew it. He had already proven why he couldn't just take you back. You really had changed. It was for the better- yes, but improvement doesn't come without loss.

   "You could take me back- back to the exact moment we left," Even as the words left your mouth, you contemplated why you had said, 'we.' Yes, you both had left. But you were the one that left for good.

   "(Y/n)," This time he breathed your name in exasperation, near hopelessness. "You know why I can't just take you back- not right at that moment. They wouldn't be able to recognise you, you're so different. Hair, voice, personality, even your face has changed- even if it's in the most minute ways. And you've aged. It wouldn't make sense to them-"

   "Alright, then take me back to the date that matched how long I've been gone," You suddenly demanded, shoving his hand to your cheek in a silent plea and need for comfort.

   The Doctor froze, only for a fraction of a second. But you still caught it- still watched as he nervously licked his lips and sat back on the balls of his feet. His brows wrinkled- something had to be wrong.

   You knew exactly what to ask, so without hesitating you questioned: "How long have I been gone, Doctor?"

   His head tilted to the side, eyes themselves slanting in pity and brows furrowing even farther, his lips quivered slightly.

   "I've been selfish," He seemed to admit out of the blue. "I kept you for so long- made the days seem so short from excitement you didn't even pay attention-" His chin seemed to dent as he bit his bottom lip.

   "Doctor?" You questioned lightly, bringing your hand to his face, attempting to rub away the wrinkles his emotions were causing in his forehead.

   "I honestly never meant to steal you way for so long-" You cut him off

   "How long, Doctor?" You practically begged. "Doctor, how long?"

   Once again he froze slightly, before his face seemed to release all pent up emotion in defeat, seeming to relax as he whispered, "About six years, now."

   A good lover would have brushed it off, told him it was alright. He hadn't stolen you- you chose to go with him. It was then your decision to stay with him. However, you couldn't help but slump over in defeat.

   Not even a shuttered breath escaped your mouth, nor a cry of disappointment. Instead, you just felt simply drained. The Doctor practically caught you, juggling you in his arms until he had you wrapped up in them. He was shushing you as if you were making any noise, rocking you back and forth.

   Minutes passed, before you finally spoke, "That seems nearly impossible."

   The Doctor didn't reply, giving you a chance to enhance your statement, "Nearly."

   "I'm sorry, (Y/n)," He finally whispered, smoothing a hand over your hair. "I'm sorry."

   Silence enveloped the both of you, an eerie peace filling the room. Carefully, you picked through your thoughts, preferring the numb approach to any and all options for the future. Eventually, the Doctor began to rock you again, and the only sound in the TARDIS was the TARDIS herself, seeming to whine in displeasure at the situation.

   "Do they think I ran away?" Your voice was distant to every ear. "Or do they think I disappeared and died?"

   "They don't know," The Doctor admitted. "They looked for you. They really did. But the case was left open- they came up empty handed."

   A sigh left your lips, and you reached your hand into his coat, pulling yourself into him. The warmth that radiated off his body was comforting- you needed it.

   "But," The Doctor suddenly began, doubt pouring from every edge of his words. "I could take you back, six years from when I took you. I really can't say how they would react-" He cut himself off, knowing nothing more needed to be said. But a small hope seemed to sprout from inside you- a hope of seeing your family again. A hope they would accept you, and accept the decisions you've made. A hope that they would understand.

[teencorpse]

Best Friend

Sweet Pea x Reader

Requested by: @caitmcneill

Song inspo: Best Friend - Rex Orange County Summary: Sweet Pea and y/n have been best friends forever and tbh the cutest couple ever, but some people at Riverdale High could disagree.

a/n: oki doki here’s my first request yay!! I hope you like it, sorry if it’s not quite what you wanted, I had an idea and thought the simple stuff was super cute and makes a relationship strong. (p.s. requests are open, so feel free to give me something to write!)

(gif creds @always-klaus-forever-kol)

The teenage serpents were overjoyed when news that Southside High was being shut down. Aside from the prejudice that came with it, most were excited about finally getting an education. People would often think that just because they were hoodrats and gang members, that they couldn’t care less about school. It’s easy to say that my boyfriend Sweet Pea, was the most enthusiastic about the news. We’ve been friends since the beginning of our time. There’s countless pictures of us together in only diapers, covered in food, or him pulling on my hair which resulted in a very upset toddler me. Since then we’ve had our own fan club, rooting for us to end up together. From our parents, to random people on the street, to our best friends. Until one night at our very first high school dance. He had been my date since we were both going alone, and it only made sense. It wasn’t until a slow song came on, and we both had no idea what to do. It took me about thirteen years for me to realize how undeniably cute my best friend was. I wasn’t sure if he felt the same way, but there was only one way to find out. I stood up on my tippy toes to place a very quick, nervous kiss on his lips. Still avoiding his eyes, I looked literally everywhere else, until I felt him kiss me again. As two fourteen year olds, it was just as awkward as it sounds, but since then we’ve been inseparable. Our parents weren’t surprised when we announced that we were finally dating. His parents won the bet that was going on between the two pairs. Go figure.

Fangs and Sweet Pea bounded through the graffiti littered doors of Southside High. Their boyish excitement nothing but contained as they showed their eagerness. Toni and I followed behind, snickering at their antics. Sweet Pea turned around, opening his arms out wide for me. I walked into his warm embrace before he swung me around until he was holding me bridal style. I let out a string of laughter, seeing him this happy made me happy.

“This is it baby! We’re outta this place!” He shouted, walking down the stairs.

“Good riddance, you filthy cesspool!” I yelled, my head falling back, still in Pea’s arms.

We laughed and joked around for awhile with a couple other serpents. I wasn’t a part of the gang, but we were all still extremely close friends, and we all looked out for one another.

When the announcement got out which school’s Southside’s former attendees were going to, relief but also a small tinge of anxiety resided in my friends and I. Tensions were already high between the Serpents and Bulldogs. Archie had basically broken his bread with his small rivalry with the Serpents via Jughead, but the same thing couldn’t have been said for his friends. Archie and his girlfriend Veronica (according to Jughead) Had set up a registration desk for all new incoming students, but Reggie Mantle and Cheryl Blossom had other plans.

“Listen up, ragamuffins! I will not allow Riverdale High’s above average GPA to suffer because of classrooms that are over crowded with… Underachievers,” The redhead began. I stole a look at Sweet pea, seeing him already growing frustrated. “So please, do us all a favor and find some other school to deface with your hardscrapple ways.” The lovely, and welcome hello from Riverdale High’s resident popular girl did not settle with Toni, as she stepped forward.

“Why don’t you come over here and say that to my face?” Toni challenged. The crowds got closer together, ready to pull back members of their respective parties if they got too close.

“Okay guys, everyone, can we just put our Northside-Southside differences apart and start over? A new slate?” Archie suggested. He was trying to subdue the fire that was slowly building in everyone of us.

“You don't speak for the Bulldogs, Andrews,” Reggie added “And need I remind you, these greaser-snakes showed up at your place trying to kick your ass.” Reggie stepped forward, trying to intimidate the group of serpents. His tactic was working because Sweet Pea pushed through crowd ready to ignite a new flame.

“Happy to finish what was started” Pea said sarcastically before Jughead pulled him back. I grabbed his hand, pulling him back towards me. My other hand reached up and started rubbing his back slowly, calming him down.

I wasn’t sure how it worked or why, but we found the fastest way to cool him off was just by rubbing his back. He took in a few quick breaths before returning to the group, not wanting to start too much trouble on the first day.

“Seriously y/n… Just think long term” Veronica said. Over the past couple weeks we had grown more accustomed to each other, having a lot of classes together and a mutual friendship through Jughead. “All I’m saying is that the whole bad boy thing is going to be out of style pretty soon” She added. I tried to my fullest capability to keep from snorting some kind of ruthless response. Sure my boyfriend wasn’t perfect, but at least he isn't illegally buying guns to take down a serial killer.

“Veronica… I understand your concern, but I love Sweet Pea with all the love I could possibly have, and I really do not give one single shit if, and when the bad boy trend is over.” I said, restraining myself. I know she didn’t mean to be rude, but she has a really bad way of hiding it.

“I think what V is trying to say is that she doesn’t want to see you get hurt. I’ve known Jug and his dad, and I’ve seen the inconsistencies and violence they go through” Betty added.

“Not to mention word is getting around that a Serpent and Midge were… y’know” Veronica suggested, raising her eyebrows.

Is she…?

I waved my hands in front of my face, trying to dispel their accusations. “Are you accusing my boyfriend of one, cheating on me,” I numbered on my fingers “and two, murdering Midge?” I whisper yelled, obviously offended. They just looked at eachother, not wanting to confirm their suspicions.

I just gave them a disappointed and heart broken look before walking into the classroom behind me. Their accusations stung, knowing that they could believe Sweet Pea would actually cheat on his girlfriend, and then murder his side chick. Sure he looked rough, and maybe grew up on the wrong tracks but he would never, ever do something as petty and juvenile as cheating, let alone murder.

The room was filled with serpents as they crowded around the desks. Jughead was at the front of the classroom talking about ghoulies coming back and having it out for the Serpents. It wasn’t hard to find Sweet Pea. He was leaning against one of the desks, arms crossed. I made my way over to him turning around to settle in between his legs, his arms wrapping around my waist. Jug kept talking about how the Serpents needed to be careful and prepare themselves for the ghoulies, until the door burst open, revealing a pack of Bulldogs. Pea immediately stiffened up, lightly shoving me behind him.

“Which one of you reptiles was doing Midge Klump?” Reggie demanded. The feud between him and Pea was an ongoing on battle, both refusing to surrender. “I’m guessing it was you, Sweet Pea.” He moved closer to the rogue Bulldog, pulling Jughead out of the way. My ears perked up, keeping a close eye on my boyfriend. Word sure got around fast. Archie was trying to get Reggie to back down, but to no use. If I know one thing, it’s to never get in between two boys fighting. Especially with one who actually knows how to fight.

“You ass. I didn’t even know Midge” He kept inching forwarded, trying to intimidate Reggie. “But yeah, I get why she wouldn’t want fleas from you mangy Bulldogs.” Two things Pea hated was being accused of infidelity, and a crime he didn’t commit based on his background.

And Reggie just did both.

Reggie was the first to make a move, initiating the fight. But as quick as it began, it was over. Both being pulled apart from each other once again. The Bulldogs dragged Reggie out of the room, leaving Archie behind. Veronica and Betty had joined making sure their boyfriends were okay once they gained word that a fight started. Pea shrugged Jughead off of him as he made his way back to where I stood, waiting for him. Archie and Jughead argued about Archies friends actions. Jughead offended that they infiltrated the one safe space they had on campus, and immediately claiming one of his own killed Midge. Archie wasn’t defending Reggies motive, but he wasn’t fighting it either.

“You’re just going to let them talk to us like that? To me? Accuse me of killing some girl I never even knew existed until a couple days ago?” Pea questioned. I started rubbing small circles on his back while his voice rose an octave. “You know damn well I would never even think about another girl like that! To do that to y/n?” He looked down at me, hurt.

I got a couple concerned looks from Archie, Veronica, and Betty while he went off. They were worried he was going to blow his top.

“Just let him get it out” I said softly, continuing to rub his back. It was easier and safer for him to get his anger and frustration out this way. Toni and fangs flashed some supportive smiles our way, watching Sweet Pea cool down. Eventually he sat down next to me in a huff, finally over his rant. He slung an arm around my shoulder and placed a chaste kiss to my head. I rested my head on his shoulder, still silently comforting him. This was our routine whenever one of us would get riled up. It was our thing, and it’s what makes us so perfect for each other.

“Hey, y/n!” I heard someone calling my name as I exited the school doors. I turned around to see Veronica rushing towards me. “I just wanted to apologize for what I said earlier. I saw the way Sweet Pea reacted to what Reggie had to say, and how you two work so well together” She said genuinely. “I know I overstepped by accusing your boyfriend of y’know…” I let out a small chuckle.

“It’s fine V, I forgive you.” I laughed again.

“Oh thank God, I didn’t want to be responsible for breaking up Riverdale’s newest -second- most cutest couple” She joked. “Speaking of which,” She had a devilish look on her face “Double date tonight?” She asked with a hopeful smile.

I giggled a little, looking at my tree of a boyfriend goofing off with his friends in the parking lot.

“We’ll see”

[shintorikhazumi]

Late...

A/N: Yes, I should be sleeping during my day off... And I should rest my soul because I’m sick, but... this little bothersome thing is just! Warning: Badly thought out plot. Makes no sense. Avoid reading. ;) I am literally writing this as I go... Just a thought that won’t leave me atm!!!

ummm... ENjoy?

~Shintori Khazumi

--------

“You know I think the most painful thing about Realizing you’re in love is when you find out or accept it too late.”

“Hmm?” Turning to Akko questioningly, Amanda saw that her best friend wore a far off gaze, her eyes seeking something that Amanda suspected was something- no, rather, someone she knew, someone currently dancing in the midst of this party.

“Why do you say that?” She asked, deciding to humor her friend for now. These later years, Akko seemed to be more reserved and seldom opened up as they turned into adults. Amanda took this as a good chance to get to hear something she hadn’t heard from Akko in quite some time.

Emotions.

“You know those times where you... you know fall in love subtly and realize to slow? Or maybe you knew, maybe you said you loved someone and never knew you meant it in a different way from how you both thought? Ever wonder that Amanda?” Akko asked, curious, but desperate for an answer.

Humming in contemplation, the redhead nodded, though not out of agreement and more of urging Akko to continue.

“And then... you only know you love her when it’s too late and she tells you... “Hey, I’m getting married, please do come. Your presence will make the moment all the more special.”” Akko quoted in a familiar voice and accent, and Amanda chuckled mirthlessly, feeling somewhat sorry for Akko as she now fully understood what was going on.

“How long has this been-”

“I realized last year.” Akko cut off and Amanda stared dumbfounded. “But I’ve probably felt it for the last eleven...” She sighed.

“Then why-”

“Because... I thought my subtle gestures could at least get my point across... I thought I was being open.” Akko looked to the sky, and Amanda saw a few sparkles in the corners of her friend’s eyes. Reflections of light on water. “Whoever said I was an open book was a liar.” Akko laughed, smiling at the sun that tried smiling back, but clouds shrouded it before its comfort reached the saddened brunette.

“She said you were an open book. Are you calling her a liar?” Amanda asked, no offense in mind, just genuinely asking.

“I’d hate to say yes...”

“But?”

“Yes.”

“At least you knew.” Amanda whistled a sad tune, keeping watch on Akko’s variety of expressions.

“She knew too... I think she did.” Akko whispered. “But I couldn’t say anything when she was trying to get me to say it.” The brunette spoke, head hung low. Amanda’s hand reached to place it on Akko’s shoulder as a means of comfort, but found it hovering in the air, not knowing its next course of action. So she dropped it back to her side.

“Then why didn’t you tell her when she wanted you to?” Questioning this thing that was only growing more and more absurd with each answer was grating on Amanda’s nerves, but still... she listened. She had a reason to need to listen.

“They were already together-”

“They fought at that time!” Amanda reminded, exasperated, but voice not raising. Both did not need to ruin such a jovial party as what was occurring at the moment.

“She still loved her.” Akko glared into green orbs, cool yet burning in their fervor and determination to help her friend realize whatever point needed realizing. “And I refuse to be a rebound.”

The last phrase hit Amanda hard as she watched the frown on Akko’s face contort into indifference, a sign of her trying to keep her feelings under wraps, as she had been doing so often, far too often lately.

“You love Diana... Akko.”

It was the obvious and someone needed a reminder. And that someone was certainly not going to be Amanda.

“And she loves one of my dearest friends.” Observing her companion running a hand through her now tussled hair, Amanda watched as Akko downed a glass of whatever substance the waiters had been serving them this whole night, waiting for her to continue whatever words she still had. “Lotte is usually so sweet. Their fight was a mistake.”

“Was it?”

“It was.”

“Hmm...” Taking a sip from the mystery drink, Amanda played it cool, also feeling a storm of emotions stirring within her, but deciding to put Akko’s first.

“Do you regret not saying anything?”

Silent. For a moment it was silent, Akko seemingly thinking on it, but at the same time not, just staring blankly at anything and everything.

Her mouth opened and words fell out shortly after. “Both yes and no. I regret not telling her, but I do not regret it because she is so happy now... and I... I didn’t ruin anything.”

She would have been happier with you though.

But Amanda kept that to herself, not needing to rub more salty realization into Akko’s slowly recovering wound.

“You two! Let’s dance!” Hannah suddenly popped in, joy in her gaze as she tried tugging at the two, leading them to the sweaty, crowded and humid dance floor. “It’s a party! The last night for our precious Diana to be not-whipped!” She giggled as she heard a resounding “HEY!” from the back ground.

Uncomfortable but unable to say no, Akko began dancing with Hannah, twirling her around to the beat of a snappy tune. 

Amanda watched all this happen with sorrowful eyes, suddenly feeling the need to look a particular direction and meeting icy blues that she had caught secretly glancing at her friend only so few minutes ago.

Don’t tell her.

They begged Amanda... begged her not to tell of something that could have been, and deep down, Amanda felt wretched for wanting to actually comply. She did not want Akko to realize more something that was supposedly too late.

A slow song played.

Keeping her gaze to those diamonds, she stepped closer and closer to Akko, tapping her shoulder and offering a hand to dance this last soft dance.

Not one to reject, the shorter woman accepted gratefully, hands on Amanda’s shoulder and in her hand. The redhead pulled her closer, more intimate, leading them off, eyes still locked with the Cavendish.

Too late.

Everyone was just too late.

Only Amanda wasn’t.

---------

The wedding was bountiful and beautiful, elegant and sweet like the celebrants.

At the altar, vows were made, on the pews tears were shed, though one set of tears were for different reasons not to be spoken of.

‘I do’s were spoken and the priest asked the question that could turn everything around.

“Are there any objections?”

Green sought red, red met blue and both gazes wavered, Amanda watching this silent, discreet exchange, before Akko shook her head no, and a single tear slid out of Diana’s eyes as she smiled, looking as if she were crying happy tears.

Amanda clicked her tongue, but at the same time was relieved.

Though as she looked to Akko, now wiping away her tears and straining a smile, she realized something.

Everyone was late, yes.

There was no turning back now.

It was far too late.

For Diana, For Akko.

For her.

She saw love fall from Akko’s eyes. Love that would only ever belong to one person and it was far too late to try and take that spot.

As the ceremony finished and everyone said their wishes before heading to the reception hall, Akko passed by Diana, Amanda watching with eagle eyes the exchange.

“I am-”

“You are-”

“Too late.”

“Sorry.” Akko smiled. “And thank you.”

“You took the words right out of my mouth.” Diana giggled, and Amanda recalled the times she had heard that sound... and all those times were only possible because of Akko.

-------

Watching Akko leave the hall while everyone else enjoyed their dinner, Amanda found her feet giving chase to the woman.

“Akko! Wait!”

The figure stopped in her tracks, not looking back, but her shaking shoulders and audible sniffles spoke so many words to Amanda.

“W-what?” A voice pretending to be strong but truthfully so weak, spoke finally.

In the moonlight, Amanda launched herself forward, embracing Akko strongly from behind.

“What about... what about me?”

“What about you?”

“Is it too late for me?”

Eyes wide and in shock, Akko seemed to have a hard time responding.

“Amanda, you can’t, I can’t... this is like taking advantage of you- It’s wrong-”

“Just tell me if I am!” The redhead pleaded, on the verge of tears. “Tell me I can, Tell me I can’t. Yes, no... Please...”

“Sorry.” Akko whispered.

“No. No, no... I don’t want to hear that... I want an answer!”

“THEN FINE!”

“A-Akko?”

“What is going on here?” A voice joined in, and the pair looked behind them to find a worried and shocked Diana, probably coming to check on what had gone wrong. “Th-there was noise from the hall and I thought I saw you l-leave earlier so...” The heiress watched the scene unfold as the awkwardness was far too much to bear.

Akko shrugged Amanda’s arms off, stepping out of her hug as she faced her.

“Sorry, but Yes. You are too late.”

My heart will belong to no one else.

”May I ask why?”

Painfully, Amanda witnessed her constant companions, this inseparable pair share another gaze, unspoken thoughts, feelings, and an agreement.

“We’re all just far too late.”

A/N: Well that didn’t make any sense.... hmmmmmmmm... Weird... Welp! I shall sleep now! tho it’s like... 10am...

[badcowboy69]

Unexpected part 3

Finished this in a more proper time frame and hopefully it’ll continue onwards this way.  Third part of my ongoing story of Riley’s adventures in New Vegas with Travis.  Part two can be found here Unexpected 2    Sweet and tender fluff this time around...new thoughts and emotions for both fellas.  I actually quite like this one.  It let me get into Riley’s head a bit more.  @zoey-and-dakota hope I did well with that!  Enjoy the lovely chapter under the cut for length.  This one is sfw

Early mornings weren’t Riley’s thing...they never were...even before the war.  However, this particular morning he was wide awake and quite anxious to get the day started.  He was still in mild shock he actually attempted this journey and still couldn't believe he did it, but here he was.  He doesn’t know fully what provoked him to take such an insane gamble by hiring a Vertibird pilot from the Brotherhood of Steel to fly him across the country to find Travis.  It was a very risky move for many reasons.  The unknown was a huge factor, but if Travis could pull it off by driving a motorcycle across the terrain then certainly a Vertibird could fly through the skies.  

Although the travel was a big risk by itself, for Riley to actually find his cowboy lover was another chance with bad odds.  If New Vegas was truly as huge and secure as Travis had described it, Riley might have a difficult, if not impossible, time locating him.  For a stranger to roam around asking for the city’s co-owner might raise suspicions.  There was also the issue that Travis might not even be here anymore.  He did state that when his business with Mister House was over he’d be right back on his motorcycle zooming towards Boston to be with Riley.  

However the biggest worry that had lurked in the back of Riley’s mind was what if Travis didn’t even want him back?  What if the entire separation was a ploy to eliminate Riley from his life in the most painless way possible?  When Travis left Boston over two weeks ago he was obviously devastated.  Unfortunately, Riley knew all too well moments like that had high emotions and feelings could change quickly in separation.  Travis could realize it wasn’t worth the bother coming back to Boston.  Maybe in their separation he realized he didn’t even want to be with the redhead anymore.  Absence does make the heart grow fonder, but it can also make it forgetful.  Maybe Travis was so frazzled from his trip and business undertakings that he truly shoved Riley out of his thoughts.  Seeing him again would be more of a burden than a blessing and it was best to let him go before things became too serious.

Three big risks were taken on this journey out west and all paid off nicely.  Very nicely in fact.  Not only did Riley get to the New Vegas outskirts unscathed, but it was Travis that greeted him at the gates.  Even though the courier had no clue it was Riley in the unexpected craft it was still a relief to see him.  Once Travis realized none of the happenings were a dream it was quite evident that he was thrilled to see him.  From the exclamations of joy, to the tight embrace, to the kisses shoved all paranoid thoughts from Riley’s mind.  Everything Travis did in their reunion proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that he was way more than overjoyed being reunited with Riley.

After a long night of catching up with amazing sex with his amazing boyfriend, Riley finally slept peacefully for the first time in weeks.  He slept deeply and soundly for the most part, but yet his mind was still buzzing and going a million miles an hour.  Of course he did his typical squirming and kicking, but this time his restlessness was for other reasons.  This was all too exciting and he felt like a child at Christmas and was unable to stay asleep for very long.  

Finally giving in, Riley now found himself lying awake and staring at the ceiling of the Presidential Suite with Travis dozing peacefully against his chest.  Giving a contented sigh, Riley closed his eyes and snuggled down against the pillow.  The black satin sheets on Travis’ queen sized bed felt glorious against his naked skin.  Hell, Travis felt glorious against him for that matter!  Reaching over to the nightstand, Riley blindly groped for his glasses and put them on bringing clarity back to his blurry world.

Blinking a few times allowing his eyes to focus, he gave an impulsive glance to his right in hopes to see the time, but this wasn’t his home back in Diamond City.  For some reason Travis didn’t have a clock next to the bed and lifting his head to look around the room Riley saw he didn’t have one anywhere.  No matter.  Time was not important right now.  Settling against the pillow again, Riley sighed and closed his eyes in contentment.  As eager as he was to look around the large bedroom and take in all of the Mojave splendor Travis no doubt decorated it with, Riley wanted nothing more than to focus on his lover first.

Leaning forward to place a soft kiss on Travis’ head, Riley began to gently smooth Travis’ mussed up hair before sifting his fingers through the soft, black strands.  A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth as he fondly reminisced over their unusual first meeting so many months ago.  Oddly enough it all started with Travis wishing to touch Riley’s hair.  

Riley had seen the newcomer, who was always wearing a cowboy hat, drifting around Diamond City now and then, but never really paid him much mind.  People always came and went through the small town and Riley didn’t have the time nor desire to befriend all of them, if any.  However, the day came when he was approached by the lanky cowboy.  He spoke in a low, shy drawl, but made his bold request quite clear.  He wished to sift his fingers through Riley’s red hair.  At first Riley was taken aback.  Who in their right mind walks up to a complete stranger and asks something like that?

Still, the question intrigued Riley and he agreed and led Travis somewhere more private.  The cowboy went ahead and fingered through Riley’s hair, but before Riley could make any moves himself, he instead got the man’s cowboy hat shoved down on his head.  Looking up he watched in confusion as the man sprinted off.  As he wondered what he might have said or done wrong, Travis returned shortly afterward and apologized.  Apparently he simply wanted to play and be pursued.  

Figuring it was worth a shot, Riley suggested they start over and invited him to his house for a drink.  As both men drank and talked, it eventually became evident that Travis was interested in more than just that.  It didn’t take long for more heavy flirting to happen which led to hot and almost desperate kissing.  Eventually their urges could no longer be held back and they made passionate love on the couch.  Come morning, Riley awoke hearing his front door close.  To his surprise it was Travis returning as opposed to leaving like Riley has grown so used to happen with others.  Travis simply had slipped out into the morning light to seek out breakfast for them.  This was new and right then he realized that Travis was someone special and not a one time fuck.  At least that’s what he dared to hope.

Through the weeks, which eventually turned into months, both men learned a lot about one another.  They had long discussions that would literally last all night and into the wee hours of the morning.  They also explored and tended to things together in the Commonwealth.  Riley enjoyed sharing his world with the westerner and took delight in Travis’ enthusiasm for learning and seeing new things.  Of course they also had the most amazing and mind-blowing sex.  Travis could be quite shy at times, but Riley learned it didn’t take much to encourage, or even fire up the man from the Mojave.  Once enticed, Travis proved to be just as spicy as the peppers he would eat with gusto.

It eventually happened where one was found the other generally wasn’t too far behind.  They were almost inseparable.  That was until the day came when Travis got a letter from his “boss” back home.  He was being forced back immediately to New Vegas for some important business matters.  It was unclear who was crushed more by the news, Travis or Riley.  The remaining few days were dealt with best as possible, but both men were pained.  When the day came for Travis to ride off towards the west on his motorcycle, he placed his coveted cowboy hat on Riley’s head before kissing him good-bye.  The hat was Travis’ forever promise that he would always return to him.  Regardless, a sickening knot formed in the redhead’s stomach as he watched Travis ride off in a trail of dust.  He feared he saw the last of his courier.

Riley still doesn’t know what possessed him to track down Travis out in the uncharted Mojave wastes.  Seeing Vertibirds flying through the Boston sky might have unwittingly sparked the idea.  Having a few more drinks than usual while thoughts of Travis weighed heavily on his mind could have pushed it.  No matter how it was conceived, the journey wasn’t something he thought up overnight.  However, once the idea hit him it was all he could think about.  Seeing Travis again was the main issue, but there was also the bonus of seeing if New Vegas was as fantastic as Travis made it out to be.

Even though Riley was friends with the Brotherhood of Steel, convincing a pilot to do this wasn’t going to be easy.  It was no doubt forbidden and of course labeled as a suicide mission, but he had to try.  It was with extreme luck Riley was able to find a pilot willing to do this and for a few hundred extra caps was able to keep the mission secret.  It took much planning and cap saving and a few times Riley didn’t think it was going to succeed.  Still, it happened and the outcome was more than what he was expecting.  Travis was not only incredibly excited to see him, but the courier also rewarded the Vertibird pilot quite handsomely ensuring future flights back to New Vegas would certainly be guaranteed.  

Now as he lay in content comfort in the Presidential Suite of the Lucky 38 with his dear Travis in his arms, Riley felt an unfamiliar serenity flowing through him.  The feeling was foreign to him, but it was one he had felt centuries earlier at least a few times.  Pushing thoughts about it away for now and letting out a long, blissful sigh, Riley began to once again sift his fingers through Travis’ hair.  It was a true amazing turn of events that began with a random question about hair to where they are now.  Chuckling, Riley shook his head still in mild disbelief that all of this was even possible.  Had he read this kind of story in a book he would have thought the author had a high sense of creativity and imagination.  

Opening his eyes, Riley looked down at the man still dozing on his chest.  He looked so innocent and peaceful, but even Riley knew better than that.  Travis could be a handful at times.  He was extremely playful and full of energy and sometimes rather curious.  Those traits, however, were mild compared to the wicked glee the courier has in setting things on fire or blowing them up.  Riley could only hope that such a dangerous hobby wouldn’t literally blow up in his face.  

Almost as if knowing disapproving images were being thought of him, Travis squirmed and mumbled something unintelligible under his breath while his hand glided absently over Riley’s chest.  The courier flinched and mumbled again before snuggling against his partner.  Once Travis settled down, Riley continued stroking the man’s hair.  It would figure that the first time in ages for Riley to actually be awake before him, Travis was dead asleep.

Pushing the hair back on Travis’ brow, Riley took a moment to look at the barely visible scar over his right eyebrow.  Had Travis never mentioned anything Riley might not have ever noticed it.  Travis claimed it was much fainter than when he first got it over six years ago.  Although it would eventually vanish from sight the scar would always be there.  It would be a permanent reminder of Travis being shot in the head simply for doing his job.  Riley frowned and tenderly rubbed his thumb over the fading mark.  Why did people have to be so cruel?  He sighed sadly and attempted to push the horrible thoughts of cruelty that was dealt to him in his own past out of his mind.  

As Riley’s fingers absently traced over Travis’ ears, the courier slowly began to rejoin the waking world.  Blinking the sleep from his eyes, he twitched his moustache and inhaled deeply while tightening his hold on Riley.  Furrowing his brow he lifted his head and turned to look up while feeling a pleasant warmth go through him as he stared fondly into his lover’s eyes.  “Look who’s up early for a change,” he jested while pulling himself up to press his lips against Riley’s in a slow, tender kiss.  “Are you hungry?”

Riley arched an eyebrow and laughed over the sudden and random question.  “Somewhat.  I take it you are?”

“Uh-huh,” he replied, but instead of leaping out of bed and scurrying off to the kitchen as Riley expected him to, Travis settled back down against him and nuzzled against Riley’s neck.  “Last night was amazing,” he breathed against the freckled skin.  “I still can’t believe you’re here.”

“I can’t either,” Riley replied sighing wistfully while gliding his fingertips lightly back and forth over Travis’ arm.  “I’ve done a lot of impetuous things in my days, but this…” he trailed off with a soft chuckle.  

While stroking Riley’s beard, Travis gave his cheek a delicate kiss and let out a sigh of contentment.  “Glad you did.  Now then...about breakfast!”

“Fine, fine!” Riley laughed, squeezing his man against him.  “Go cook before you starve to death and before I get other ideas on how to start this morning.”

Travis gave a lascivious smile and brushed his moustache against Riley’s lips.  “Sounds good to me, but I’ll hold you to sharing those iders later.”   Giving Riley a kiss that slowly deepened, Travis suddenly pulled back right as he felt Riley’s arms tightening around him.  “Go wash up.  I got breakfast to make,” he smirked while squirming out of Riley’s hold and swung his legs over the edge of the bed to search for his boxers.

“You’re such a tease,” Riley whined and playfully gave Travis a nudge with his foot almost sending the courier off the bed.  Sitting up to search for his own undergarments Riley asked, “So, what’s the plan for today?”

“Thought we’d get that tour of Mormon Fort.  Maybe check out the Atomic Wrangler or stop by and see the Kings.  Don’t matter none to me.  I’ll take you wherever you wanna go.  Tonight we can have a good dinner, go for a swim, see a show, gamble.  Hell, Riles, there’s tons of stuff to do.  I can even show you around all day here if you want.  I know how much you liked the elevator.  We can start there if you want.”

“Very funny,” Riley dryly replied while standing and stretching.  He was stopped mid-yawn as he felt Travis suddenly embrace him and nuzzle against his neck.  Wrapping his arms around him to return the hug, Riley rested his chin on top of Travis’ head and gave a blissful hum of approval.  “It’s so intoxicating to be holding you again.”

Travis pulled back and looked up at him with half-closed eyes as the corners of his mouth lifted into a lazy grin.  “You cain’t imagine how happy I am right now.” “I have a pretty good idea,” the redhead replied simply as he bowed his head down to place a tender kiss on his cowboy’s lips.  Reaching up between them Riley began stroking the black hairs on Travis’ chin, smoothing them, before giving him another lingering kiss.

Gliding his hands over Riley’s bare back and into his hair, Travis smirked and purred, “Best be getting a move on, pard, or I might just be servin’ ya sausage in bed for breakfast.” “As tempting as that suggestion is, I’m afraid I’m going to have to turn it down at this moment,” Riley hesitantly replied while stifling the groan that was forming in his throat.  “I’m sure getting water all the way up here isn’t going to be easy and is going to take me a while.  Unless of course you have a spa or something downstairs.” Travis furrowed his brow and shook his head while pulling from Riley’s embrace.  “Naw.  Bathroom’s down the hall on the right.  Go wash up, got plenty of time to do whatever you wanna do and then some.  I’ll be in the kitchen fixing up some good belly-fillin’ grub.”  Travis gave a wink then shuffled out of the room while yawning and scratching his head.  

Stopping in the middle of the hallway, Travis changed direction and went to the elevator instead and pushed the button on the intercom.  There was a pause of static then Eli’s voice was heard.  “Mornin’, mister!  How’s things going with you and your man?”

Travis felt a wash of warmth surge through him and he looked shyly over his shoulder watching as Riley made his way down the hall towards the bathroom.  “Right as rain, Eli, thanks.  Listen, when you get the chance, send ED-E and Rex upstairs.” “Sure thing, pardner.  Y’all have a great day, ya hear?”

Clicking off the intercom, Travis continued towards the kitchen and began to set up the coffee pot.  A smile curled his lips as the strong, pleasant scent of the beverage began to fill the air while it brewed.  Opening the refrigerator, Travis’ shoulders slumped at how barren it is compared to normal.  He wasn’t expecting a guest after all.  However, he was a cowboy and a survivalist and knew he’d be able to whip up a good and hearty meal for the two of them with what meager supplies he has.  Grabbing a Brahmin steak, two gecko eggs, potatoes, onions, and a few other ingredients, Travis set up the counter in preparation to make one of his infamous omelettes.  

Riley, on the other hand, was standing perplexed in the rather large bathroom of the Presidential Suite.  To his left was a desk and a small table covered with neatly stacked papers and medical books.  The large bookcase next to it was stocked with unbelievable amounts of medicines, stimpacks, braces, and other healing items on a few of its shelves.  One shelf was dedicated to towels, shavers, and a little bowl filled with a variety of soaps.  On the bottom few shelves were large metal pots, cleaning supplies and a clothes iron.  

Grunting in approval, Riley continued further into the room.  For some reason the two toilet and bathing areas were separated by a long curtain.  It was an unusual set-up to say the least and possibly the designers cut corners by not installing a proper wall.  Looking around, Riley smiled seeing the entire room was decorated nicely with old pre-war advertisements for Nuka Cola, Sunset Sarsaparilla, and Giddyup Buttercup.  Random toys were on a small stand with a radio and more books were on the end tables next to the toilets.  Empty beer bottles were also on the tables making Riley chuckle.  Travis wasn’t as anal of a neat-freak as one might assume.  Picking up one of the books, which was a science fiction novel, Riley flipped through it and was surprised seeing how perfect the pages were with no tears or creases.  Setting the book down he made a mental note to definitely read it while he bathes.

Speaking of bathing, he thought and began looking around wondering where the bucket of water was he would need to wash up in.  Not seeing one he was about to call out to Travis when he noticed a shaver and scissors sitting on one of the sinks.  A fluffy cream colored hand towel was draped over the faucet and when Riley touched it he pulled his hand back in mild surprise that it was wet.  Taking a chance he turned the knob and after a few hisses and spits of air, water came pouring out.  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” he gasped, not expecting running water.  Shutting off the faucet he leaned over the bathtub and repeated the action.  As like the sink, water rushed out with a good surge.  Riley vaguely remembered Travis talking about baths and showers in New Vegas, but he never realized functioning indoor plumbing is what he meant.

Feeling rather giddy with these discoveries, Riley next pressed down on the handle of the toilet making it flush.  He watched with child-like fascination as the water whirled down and refilled the bowl.  Flushing it again, Riley moved on knowing he had to get washed before Travis began wondering what happened to him.  He was already teased about his amazement with the elevator.  The last thing he wanted was to be teased about the bathroom.  He could just hear Travis saying, “Gosh, Riles, you got a kink for the bathroom now?  Maybe we can start fucking in here!  It’’ll make clean-up a whole lot easier.”

Smirking to himself, Riley returned to the sink and rinsed out the little towel while lathering it up with a bar of soap.  Gritting his teeth from the combination of tepid water and cold air coming from the vent on the wall, Riley finally began to wash.  Once he got used to the chill he wondered how Travis managed to enjoy taking a bath.  There wasn’t anywhere for a fire or any sort of electrical element to warm the water.  It was then a realization hit him and he wondered if there was still one more modest secret to be discovered here in Travis’ unbelievable bathroom.  Daring to not even dream it might be possible, Riley shut the cold water off and twisted the knob for hot instead.  

He remembered from the past one had to wait a few moments for hot water to come through.  With the suite being so high up in the casino the hot water could take a bit longer to get there, that is if hot water even existed.  After a moment Riley put his finger under the water, biting his lower lip in anticipation.  However, it was no surprise to him that the water was still coming out just as tepid.  Sighing in mild disappointment he reached for the knob when he noticed a small curl of steam rising from the basin.  It vanished quickly, but he still spotted it.  Gingerly putting his finger back under the water, Riley gasped loudly feeling the pleasantly hot water wash over his skin.

He cursed himself for not trying the knob sooner, but he never would have imagined it possible.  Then again, if this place had air conditioning why wouldn’t it have hot running water?  Squeezing the cloth out, Riley resoaked it and glided it over his face and neck, enjoying the comforting warmth it provided.  His blue eyes glanced at the tub and he knew what he planned to enjoy later tonight when Travis got done showing him Mormon Fort.  Grabbing a fresh towel off the shelf, he dried himself off and began to make his way towards the kitchen.  

As Riley passed the elevator he was startled as the bell suddenly dinged indicating someone has arrived.  The doors slid open and ED-E flew out beeping rapidly before zooming down the hall towards the guest room.  Rex bounded out, spotted Riley and gave a happy bark as he jumped up on him demanding to be pet.  “Well, good morning to you too, boy,” Riley laughed as he ruffled the fur on Rex’s neck.  “Come on, let’s go see what Travis is cooking!”

Rex gave a few excited barks as he pushed away from him then bolted into the kitchen.  Riley followed and casually leaned against the doorframe while crossing his arms in front of his chest.  He watched in admiration as Travis scuttled back and forth tending to the sizzling pan of food, setting the table, fussing with the coffee pot, then back to the food again.  He knew how much Travis loves to cook and seeing him at home in his element was a pleasure to behold.  Pushing away from the door, Riley stepped into the vast kitchen and dining area.

As he was looking over the grand dining table with its seating for about twelve people, Travis caught his eye.  The courier was grinning broadly holding a hot cup of coffee.  “Hope you’re hungry,” he beamed, passing the cup to Riley.  “Sugared it for you just how you like it.”

“Thank you and yes, I’m rather hungry,” Riley replied before taking a careful sip of the coffee.  “By the way, yet again you held out on me, Travis.  The running water was amazing enough, but hot water?  All those months you were in Boston with me never once did you complain about the lack of such commodities.”

Travis shrugged as he motioned for Riley to take a seat.  “Ain’t no use in squawking about something that can’t be helped.  Y’all make due with what’s there.  Who am I to come and complain?  I was roughing it way before I got all this dropped in my lap.  Hell, I still rough it just the same when I travel around so Boston wasn’t much different.  Hell, ya don’t adapt, ya don’t survive is how I see it.”

“You’re something else, you know that?” Riley said with admiration as he took a seat at the table.  Thinking back to the time spent in Boston it was true that never once did the courier complain about anything other than the occasional dirty or lack of sheets on beds.  He took everything Boston threw at him with a smile and barely indicated how contrastingly different things were there compared to New Vegas.  All of Travis’ vague ramblings about luxuries in New Vegas were always overshadowed by his talks about his adventures and life in general.  When he did mention things it was never bragging nor said in ways to make anyone doing without feel bad or awkward.

“Dig in!”  Travis exclaimed as he set a steaming plate of food down on the table bringing Riley out of his thoughts.  “I’ll help get you set up with your unpacking after we eat then we’ll head out to the Fort if you wanna.”

“Sounds perfect to me,” he replied as he fixed his gaze on his partner who was happily playing with his cyberdog before getting himself a serving of food.  Turning his attention to the dish in front of him, Riley began to poke at the fluffy yellow omelette with his fork.  “So,” he began.  “What’s all in this glorious concoction of yours?”

Sitting heavily on the chair next to him, Travis shrugged and said almost too casually, “Brahmin steak, potatoes and onions.  Topped it all off with some shredded bighorner milk cheese, salt, pepper, and a wedge of tomato.  Was gonna put jalapenos in ‘em, but I know you ain’t a fan.”  Shoveling a forkful of food into his mouth, Travis turned to Riley with an arched eyebrow seeing he wasn’t eating.  “Somefin wrong wiff it?”

“No, not at all.  I’m simply amazed you have such a variety of fresh food,” Riley replied as he took a bite and suddenly found himself overwhelmed by the vast array of flavors.  “Holy shit, Travis, this is fantastic!”

The courier chuckled and took a sip of his coffee.  Grimacing, he poured more sugar into it and gave Riley a proud smile.  “Glad you like it, but breakfast really ain’t my speciality.  I’ll make grilled steaks with baked taters and a salad later tonight if you want.  Hell, maybe I’ll even make a mutfruit pie for dessert!” “It’s a wonder why you’re not as big as a Super Mutant if this is how you normally eat,” Riley chuckled with a shake of his head.  Travis gave Riley a playful nudge, scooped the last of the omelette in his mouth and stood to take the dish to the sink.  “I see your insanely rapid eating habits aren’t just something you did in Boston,” Riley continued.

“Ain’t got time to waste eating slow now,” he replied eagerly as he refilled his coffee mug.  “Got me a few morning tasks to take care of myself before we mosey outta here.  Gotta get you unpacked too unless...you’re...plannin’ on leaving some time soon.”  Travis said the last part almost in defeat and toed at the carpet.  As much as he hoped Riley was here for more than a few days he knew not to get high expectations.  

Fixing his gaze on the remainder of his food, Riley responded softly.  “No.  No, I’m not leaving anytime soon unless you need me to go.  I know my coming here wasn’t exactly in your plans.  I’m sure running this place probably has a lot of responsibility and I don’t want to get in your way.  You already got in mild trouble once because of me.  I don’t want to see you lose your status around here.”

Travis grunted in annoyance and in a few quick strides he was back at Riley’s side.  Flipping a chair backwards, Travis straddled it like a horse and put his hand on Riley’s shoulder.  “This place did just fine without me all those months I was with you in Boston.  Ain’t nobody here gonna dictate how long you’re gonna stay other than you.  Ain’t nothing gonna keep me from you ever again unless you will it.  You can stay here as long as you wanna, but the deal is I gotta go back with you when you leave.”  Riley looked up at him and held his gaze as if searching for some kind of jest with those words, but it was evident Travis was dead serious.  “I mean it, Riley.  These past two weeks was torture for me and I came to reckoning on a lot.  Ain’t gonna happen no more.  I ain’t gonna allow us to be apart unless that’s what you want.  We probably got lots of shit to figure out eventually, but right now you’re here and you’re gonna be showed the time of your life.”

Riley continued to stare into Travis’ crystal blue eyes both surprised and flattered to hear the courier’s compliments.  He knew how much Travis liked him and enjoyed his company, but this...he wasn’t expecting this.  Riley then diverted his gaze to a spot on the floor and began to chew at his bottom lip.  He was totally at a loss for words even though his mind was screaming at him to say something.  Anything!  Taking a slow breath Riley lifted his eyes and mustered up a nervous smile.  “I’m...I’m really glad to hear you say that, Travis.  I...I feel the same way.”  

Travis returned the smile and did his best to contain his excitement hearing Riley’s demure response.  During their two week separation Travis had come to realize that he not only loves, but is in love with Riley.  His heart breaking from having to leave Riley justified those feelings he felt he might have.  One wouldn’t be so miserable and heartbroken if love wasn’t involved.  Travis wanted so badly to stand, gather Riley into a tight embrace and kiss his freckled neck and face all while declaring his love over and over.  However, these wonderful feelings were still all technically new to Travis.  Granted he had someone in his life before he had met Riley, but those feelings were nothing like this.  The last thing Travis wanted now was to say something too soon and have it ruin things.  Deep down he knew Riley had to feel the same way.  He had to.  One simply doesn’t randomly get into a Vertibird and fly thousands of miles to find someone on a whim.  You did that either for love or revenge and Riley certainly wasn’t after the latter for any reason.

Still, as small and as insignificant as it might seem, their exchanged words spoke volumes and if nothing else reassured each man how they felt about each other.  Travis knew he would tell Riley his full feelings one day soon and no doubt say those three small, but very powerful words to him as well, but for now he was content.  After giving Riley’s shoulder a squeeze, Travis trailed his hand up into the man’s red hair.  Leaning forward he gave him a tender kiss before standing.  “I’m really looking forward to sharing my world with you.”

Feeling a flush of warmth go through him, Riley smiled to himself and finished the remainder of his breakfast.  “I look forward to it, Travis.  I can’t wait to see and do everything even if you truly want to take me for a ride up and down your elevator all day.  I already have very good memories tied into that as it is.  We can always...enhance them.”

Travis swallowed hard hearing that as he took Riley’s dish to the sink.  “Y-yes we can.  Got lots of other places we can make those kinda memories in though.  Like you said we got two weeks of fucking to catch up on.”  He turned to look at his partner and felt a shudder surge down his spine at the recollection of what they did in the elevator last night as well as everything else afterwards.  “Ahhh...anyways, let’s get you unpacked.  The faster we get things situated in here the faster we can head out.  I’d like to get to the Fort before lunch and it gets too busy there.  We won’t be able to socialize with a few of the people I want you to meet if that’s the case.”

“Sounds perfect to me, Travis.”

“Great!” Travis exclaimed, barely able to contain the excitement in his voice this time.  “C’mon, Rex, let’s get ready to go bye-bye!” he called to his cyberdog and the pair bolted out of the room leaving Riley behind, amused at Travis’ sudden surge of energy.

As Riley slowly followed Travis to the bedroom he couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.  He was still thinking about what Travis had exclaimed about not wanting to be apart from him ever again.  He did wonder what shit needed figuring out that Travis mentioned, but for now Riley took things as they were.  He had his own shit that needed figuring out as well.  One thing for sure, taking the bold and very risky trip to New Vegas proved to be well worth all the fears and anxieties that came with it.  Although he didn’t want to admit it just yet, the odds were certainly in his favor in regards to having someone in his life who would always be with him.

To be continued....

[compohapm]

Love

This section is dedicated to the few who still hold a piece of my heart. With each person I've conjured a memory, so that I may always remember how it feels to love and be loved. Katie K:        First love is true and beautiful. When that person takes the first steps into the undisturbed snowfield of your heart the prints they leave behind are deep and unmarred by time or circumstance. Such is how it is with Katie. We were young, so young, when we met in the forests of Paradise Park to perform in Orpheus and Eurydice. So many of my memories with Katie are caught up in the theater, as we both were avid actors in our time.        There were horror movies together on her parents couch, just two kids sharing a hawaiian pizza with black olives and the occasional quick kiss. There were long nights burning minutes on a Nokia track phone. It takes awhile to learn to be sincere and romantic when using the dial pad to text your love. Youthful love leads to many silly things said when looking back in hindsight: “I would walk through flames for you.” or something to that effect comes to mind.

      The memory I'm thinking of breaks the rules of this compendium, which is fine because I'm the author of this story here: This isn't a particularly happy memory, nor is it particularly sad; what it is is the first goodbye I made to someone I love. My last day of High School was a whirlwind of farewells, but for her I needed something special. We stood alone on the stage we had shared so many times before, and the silence of the room was palpable and the empty seats stared at us as we held each other.

      Her eyes welled with tears as she prepared for me to go and though I wanted to cry I could not because I was excited about my future, even if it meant saying goodbye for now. The thing about that love that still strikes me today is how I hadn't a fear at all of not spending the rest of my life with her. First love will do that to you: When you've let someone into your heart so deeply you cannot think of wrenching them out.

      As we were sharing our parting words I remember the distinct bang of a door in the theater opening. It was a custodian coming to sweep the stage and when he saw us he let us continue to be alone and I always thought that was considerate of him. Before we ended I knew my exit well. There was a door backstage left that opened to outdoors behind the school. Anyone who knows me well enough knows that I lived and breathed acting in my four years at Windsor High School and so I thought it was fitting that I would be quite literally exiting stage left.

        When I think on this memory, I see her cool blue-gray eyes and feel the coolness of her small hands in mine. I can see the loveliness of her high cheeks and her ears, which I've always loved for their shape, and her thin pursed lips. When we'd kiss it wasn't so much passionate as gentle—more compassionate than anything else. When I think of truly innocent and pure love, she is what I think of. Sarah S:          Sarah was my first friend at Bennington College and even before we arrived I had already messaged her after seeing her name in a Facebook group for Bennington class of 2013. We shared our excitement, though I believe I was a bit more excited due to the fact I had never left Windsor, VT at that point in my life. The first time I saw her in person was at the Student Center on Campus the very first day I arrived for orientation. She was with her roommate Montana, a bubbly girl with striking red hair, and they were getting snacks or something to take back to their dorm which was on the other side of Bennington's small campus from my own dorm. I think that night I went to their room and got stoned and then got lost on my way back to my dorm that night.        Sarah is shortish, and she had long brunette hair and the subtlest freckles flecking her nose and cheeks around her coastal blue eyes. We had in common one crucial detail to our friendship: We both came to Bennington with significant others waiting for us back home. This lead me to feel secure in becoming inseparable from Sarah for my first year and a half at school. When I say inseparable, I mean just that: We did everything together, went everywhere together, ate dinner together, did laundry together, signed up for classes together, even lived together at one point as roommates. That time spent with her as my best friend are precious to me still and I smile often when I think of the hell we raised together.        The memory I'm thinking of didn't take place in Bennington. Instead, it takes place in Provincetown, Massachusetts. I was visiting Sarah over the summer after our Freshmen year. We both had the same sense that summer that Bennington felt like a distant dream and that we missed each other after growing so close. She lived on Cape Cod and invited me to stay for a weekend. With each mile drawing me closer to her, I smiled foolishly to myself on the long bus ride to the Cape.        We did many things that trip. Fishing with her father, driving to the beach, and eating what is still in my mind the best burrito I've ever had from the Cornerstore in Chatham. This trip must have been in July because it was near her birthday. Both of us at this time being avid pot smoking college kids, I had brought some edibles with me as a birthday present. We decided to take them before we went to Provincetown for dinner.         P-Town is wonderful place with lots of shops and restaurants, great views of the ocean, and lots of gay pride. As we walked together on the cobblestone street we were bemoaning the lack of potency of the edibles I'd brought. We were hoping to have them kick in before dinner, but with that seemingly out of the question we stopped at a restaurant called Bayside Betty's. As we stood and waited to be sat at a table, the edibles kicked in. They kicked in hard. Potency was not a problem.         Seated at the table we were all smiles and giggles. I felt like everyone was staring at these two crazy college kids clearly a breeze away from hysterical laughter. My body was warm and tingly and I could feel a hazy heaviness on my eyes. That dinner is, to this day, one of the best meals I've ever had. It wasn't necessarily the food because I can't remember anything we ate past the appetizer, which was escargot and I thought that eating snails was hilarious because at that moment everything was hilarious, but the meal was great because of the situation and the company. She looked lovely in the candlelight of the table. This girl sitting across the table gets me. We're so damn good together. I wish we were together, I thought. I wish.         After a nice gay couple sat at the table next to us and chatted us up for a bit (they must have known we were blitzed) about the man at the table behind us who looked like a modern day gay Lincoln (he did), we finally went over the edge and were cackling like hyenas. We had to leave and we knew it. When we paid and got up to leave I tripped over a wood carving of a goose and nearly hit the floor. I can still see her wide-eyed expression as she suppressed a laugh and started to leave ahead of me. Outside in the cold sea air of the night we hugged and walked back to her car, laughing all-the-while.        Six years later, I still smile when I think about it. Breya L:        There have been countless stories written about the one who got away. If I were to be Gatsby, I think that Breya will forever be my Daisy. She was my first serious and adult relationship. She had the most adorable heart-shaped face—everything about her was adorable to me. Her voice, her mannerisms, her dainty body, and her wide smile. She was always energetic, like lightning in a bottle, and when she talked of her dreams I believed she would achieve them based on her attitude and skill. I met her in the ceramics shop at Bennington, clay in my beard and on my clothes as I wrestled with a four inch pot destined to become an ashtray. I was amazed to watch her form these huge yet delicate pots as she was up to her elbows in wet white porcelain.         There are almost too many happy memories to think of with her. In our time we traveled from Vermont, to Maine, to a happy little island, to the big happy island of Hawaii, and back. Even subtle memories come bubbling to the surface when I close my eyes, something along the lines of watching “Vikings” or “Marble Hornets”--a silly mystery thriller series on Youtube that we both got caught up in. The memory I'm thinking of makes me smile because of just how aloof I was.         I was visiting her over the summer at her mother's house on Cliff Island, Maine. I watched the tiny island grow closer as the ferry I took from Portland inched forwards. I knew that I would have a little time to kill before I could see her, as she was working at the Cliff Island Historical Society and would have to come meet me from there. When the ferry landed I realized I was hungry. I found a little shop close to the dock and headed there to get a bite to eat. I saw on the menu “Maine Lobster Rolls” and thought, hell, when in Rome. I devoured the entire thing in a couple minutes as I waited a little impatiently for my love to come into view.

       Not much later I saw her, and she saw me. She was somewhere between a skip and a run as she moved towards me, brilliantly radiating her wide smile to me. I picked her up in a huge embrace and swung her 'round in a circle before setting her back on her feet again. She asked how I was, how was the ferry, and if I had to wait long. I told her I was better now that I was with her and had some food in my belly.

      But when I told her about my delicious lobster roll I had polished off just moments before, her face changed. The smile didn't completely disappear but became withdrawn and anxious. She may have made an audible “Oh.” or something, but didn't at once tell me what had caused this sudden change. As my brain was firing on all cylinders trying to solve this riddle, a random nueron fired off and hit the target true: Along with being lactose intolerant, Breya was allergic to shellfish—that includes the lobster meat stuck in the crags of my teeth. I definitely made an audible “Oh shit” at this realization, followed by effusive apologies and cursing my own stupidity.

       Not one to have a happy moment ruined, she shrugged it off with a laugh and told me it was okay, but that I wouldn't get to kiss her until I brushed my teeth at her house. I was devastated. Sure, I wanted to kiss her before, but now that I couldn't I was utterly defeated. As she was able to do on countless occasions, she clasped her hand in mine and pulled me and my sullenness along to her house, lifting my spirits with every step and every word. That was the power she had: She always made me happy, even when I didn't want to be.

      As I'm writing this, she's done it again. Kerry B:       She came out of nowhere. One day she appeared in my life, and I remember saying her name to myself as I texted her one night. “Kerry B____. Wow.” She had been a friend of my good friend Jake while they were in college. They were R.A.'s together and had remained close after school had ended, despite her living in Wareham, Massachusetts. I forget the occasion but the first night I met her she was wearing a blue dress. I remember thinking how pretty she was. I didn't talk to her too much that night, but we exchanged social media information and in time we grew closer. I was, and am, amazed by her intelligence. She has read so many books, watched so many documentaries, and yet didn't act like a know-it-all like I would, and do.        Her hair was in constant flow and I loved to watch her change the colors. Brown with pink, full fuschia, magenta, blue, teal, and at one point she was blonde, but that was before I met her. I liked her nose. It was rounded at the tip, the same roundness mirrored in her cheeks, and when she smiled sometimes she'd keep her mouth closed and close her eyes and I thought that was just the bee's knees. It cannot go without saying either that she had fantastic taste in dresses, and I particularly loved the Starry Night dress.

     Soon she moved to Windsor to be closer to Jake, move away from home, and I think at least partially to be closer to me. A few months went by and we started living together. I was living with my mother and desperately looking for an affordable apartment. After my main option fell through, she quite generously offered to have me move in with her. Sure, her apartment was small and she had a lot of things, but we would make it work. She was determined to make us fit. She is to this day the only person I've loved and lived with full time. I used to love to watch her sew. It was amazing to watch her operate her fairly successful Etsy store, making bags of all sizes and selling them all over. She could sit and sew and watch documentaries on WWII all day, and I would love to sit behind her on the couch while she worked, me playing video games at the end of a long day and her still working steadily.

      The memory I'm thinking of took place at a little karaoke bar/Chinese place. We were there with her friends for a few drinks and to hear some bad karaoke. This was still early in our relationship so I was nervous as hell around her. I held her hand under the table and attempted to make conversation with everyone at the table, but it was hard given the guy screaming his way through Megadeth's “Peace Sells...But Whose Buying?” At some point her friend suggested we dance, and me being a few drinks in and not shy at all agreed. I could sense Kerry's hesitation, but she relented and joined us. We danced silly and like no one was watching and it was fun. It was so fun. Her friend pulled me aside later and told me that since I got her to dance in front of strangers that she must really like me.

      Before we even got to the car to go home she was yelling that she wanted to listen to Tom Petty. I learned pretty quickly that after three Budweisers (Her beer of choice, bottle only) that she goes from being fairly reserved to being loud and rambunctious. When we got in the car and the Tom Petty started playing she sang along to all the words. I loved to hear her sing, and I never told her that and I should have, but watching her eyes closed and head thrown back as she sang “Don't do me like that!” made my heart flutter wildly. She was beautiful in that moment, and every moment after.

Elizabeth O:

      If love was ever in a cup of tea, it was in Lizzy's Earl Grey. She herself was as soothing and restorative as that hot afternoon tea. She and I met in the summer I worked at Ohana Family Camp in Fairlee. She came from Scotland, was a photographer and boating instructor, and potentially the biggest Disney fan I'd ever met. Our time was altogether too short, but still brings me great happiness to remember.

      She had long perfumed brown hair that I used to like to see tucked behind her smallish ears. Her chestnut eyes shined brightly on those sunny days by the lake, and she always looked too cool wearing her sunglasses standing on a boat. Her voice was soft and lightly infused with her Scottish accent, and I could talk with her for hours about nothing and be happy for it. We did little things for each other that meant so much. As I mentioned previously, seeing her in the afternoon and her asking if I wanted a cup of tea was something I always looked forward to. In the handful of times I left camp with a few friends to get pizza and beer at Ramunto's, I'd always remember to bring her back a dessert—Red velvet cake, if they had it. She never asked me too, but I felt compelled to because I even away from her she was still on my mind.

      The memory I'm thinking of was of our first date. I had the feeling (and some small bit of intel) that she might be interested in me and I felt emboldened enough to ask her if she'd like to accompany me to the waterfront on our next day off for a picnic. I loved watching her smile as she said yes, and I could have floated away carried off by nothing but the butterflies in my stomach. I asked around until I could borrow a picnic basket from someone and went straight to work with planning.

     Wine, chocolates, fruit, cheese, chicken salads, and a blanket to sprawl on were all packed away and ready, and after a bit of chiding from my friends watching me pack I set off to meet her. When we got to the waterfront we looked for some shady and secluded spot near the shore. We ended up climbing over, near hiking through, thistles and weeds and branches until we found a lovely flat spot for our picnic. I remember thinking that a lesser person would have complained about the difficulty of finding a spot for what was supposed to be our relaxing picnic, but she remained content and was a perfect companion.

     We talked politics for awhile, I asked about Scotland and she about Vermont. We both enjoyed traveling and I listened to her stories as I we sipped a bold red wine that in hindsight should have been reserved for a heavy dinner and replaced by a Rose or Pink Moscato. No matter, because nothing including the ants assailing the fruits we'd brought could ruin that moment or spoil our picnic.

     In every memory of her, whether star gazing, swimming, picnicking, or just watching Treasure Planet for the first time, I was always amazed at how effortless loving her was. She made it seem easy to be so good. There will always be a spot in my heart for those long summer nights that never seemed to end until they did. Natalie O:      Eat diamonds for breakfast and shine all day was what the picture on her wall said. And she did shine all day, every day. Her energy was only outweighed by her intelligence and savvy and I admired her greatly for her focus. Though she was very beautiful, with brownish-green hazel eyes and gorgeous auburn-brown hair, I found her determination even more attractive. She could go from carefree whimsy to professional and business like in an instant. She could kill me with a look, knock me over with a feather.

     I used to love to watch her make breakfast. She moved so much like a dancer, full of grace and poise with every little bounce. She'd sing when she cooked, too. Her mellifluous voice filling the morning air and lifting the mood with her dulcet tones. I loved to hear her sing in French, speak in French. Those morning breakfasts with her were worth well more than diamonds. She would often give me advise about things, including one critical piece I still live by: “You have to advocate for yourself because no one else will.” She taught me to know I have worth by literally writing on a whiteboard “Cody Has Worth Because __________” with probably twenty different examples. When I didn't have the will to eat after a long day, she was there waiting for me with something she made at home, or would make me something as simple as a sandwich that would be panacea to my aching bones. At a time when I felt lower than I'd ever been, she saved me with these things. I don't know that I've ever thanked her properly.

     The memory I'm thinking of was in a brook near where she lived at the time. She pulled the car over to the side of a windy dirt road and we got out with our towels in our hands. After climbing over an embankment and onto the large sun-warmed boulders that sprawled throughout the length of the brook, I watched her slip coolly into the clear rushing waters. We swam together, though I swear she made everything look more graceful than me, and even sat beneath a small waterfall. I loved the feeling of the cold water pounding against my head and neck, and with her beside me feeling the same. We were one with each other and the brook in that moment. There is my own piece of Rivendell.

     We pulled our soaking bodies from the brook to dry on some warm rocks. I could see her from a small distance and was reminded of the stories in Greek myths about men watching Nymphs bathing in cool waters from afar. Lots of things about her seemed mythical to me. The wings of Hermes tattooed on her heels made it easy to believe she was a no mortal, but a goddess from days of old.

     If there is magic, it can be found in her. Giovanna Z:

     I only had to introduce myself a few times before I could get my name to stick in her head, but I was happy when it did. I knew her name after the first introduction because I remember her sticking out to me wherever she was. In a room filled with people and noise the only thing I'd see is her. In the beginning, when I wanted nothing more than to talk to her, I found myself scared to approach her. She was too pretty, I was surely gonna make a fool of myself, particularly when I've only just gotten out of work and was still covered in food and kitchen grime.

     The contrast of her nearly black hair and luminous blue eyes made my knees weak. When she smiled her teeth were small and pointy, and I loved them and the way her smile made her eyes squint. When I finally worked up the courage to talk to her it was because she approached me, and I was amazed at how down-to-earth she was despite her fine appearance. She was drinking a Narragansett because it was cheap—I loved that. When I told her I was drinking Miller Lite, I noticed that was the next beer she got—I loved that, too. When I introduced her to my friends Dominick and Carrie, she took to them immediately too.

     No memory of Giovanna would be complete without including her steady companion Domo—a brindle English bulldog. I liked him very much, and when I'd see him his tail would wag so quickly it made his whole butt shake and I'd say, “You're crazy!” and he would go crazy. She loved animals, studied biology, and previously had worked for the parks department. Though she was from Rhode Island, I felt like she fit in well here in Vermont because of her relatively solitary nature and polite disposition. It's hard to think of just one memory considering there are many happy memories to choose from. When we visited her family in Rhode Island, we shot some big handguns, drove a golf cart like Mario Andretti, ate pizza past midnight watching “Forensic Files,” and even went to a hookah bar that was terribly overpriced. I loved the way she talked her way out of getting her car towed in a bank parking lot, and I really liked the long drive there and back with her.

      The memory I'm thinking of contains simultaneously the worst and best camping experience I've ever had. As summer was coming to a close, and colder nights approaching, I wanted to go camping with Giovanna as that was something that we both enjoyed doing and we could bring Domo, who also probably enjoys camping. I wanted everything to be perfect, especially considering the newness of or relationship and my own insecurities that come with that territory. I had thought that I'd been camping at this one campsite, Running Bear, as a kid—unfortunately I had mixed that up with Ascutney State Park down the road from Running Bear.

     With her car packed and loaded with tents, beer, and food, we arrived at Running Bear and pulled up to the main lodge. Inside we talked to the man behind the counter and explained to him we were looking to camp in a tent for the night. I seemed to shrug it off like it was no problem, and said it was going to $40. Now, I know that's pricey for a tent site, but I wanted this to be perfect and maybe this would be a really nice spot. He told us as we were leaving that there were water and electricity hook-ups at our tent site. Huh. The crossed muskets adorned with Confederate flags that hung above the entrance to the grounds should have clued us in to what we were getting ourselves into. As we drove through the grounds it became clear that this was not so much a campground as a trailer community or long term RV lots—this was evident by the gardens outside of some of the trailers as well as the large collections of ATV's, cars, and lawnmowers strewn about. Children were chasing clucking chickens in the twilight of the evening and as we parked at our tent site, which was oddly at the center of the grounds surrounded by campers, I felt like people were staring at us when we got out of the car.      I should mention that I don't believe that there is anything wrong with staying in trailer community. But all too suddenly we both realized that this was not the camping experience we were envisioning. When I asked Giovanna what she wanted to do, she was content and smiled. She was willing to camp here regardless of the situation. I always admired her willingness to stay there as a testament to her good nature. As I stared at the Giants game that the camper next to us was watching from the futon that faced his porch, I made the call that this was unacceptable. I knew a place we could go.

     A short drive down the road and we were at the entrance to Paradise Park. We needed to hurry because daylight was waning and we hastily pitched our tent in a large clearing by the fire pit. She was all smiles once camp was established, saying that this place was perfect with our tent being the only one around for miles and the beautiful view of the stars overhead in the clearing. This was what we were looking for. Just a small piece of land for two people and a big dog. That night I watched the light from the fire illuminate her the beauty of her face, and we talked for hours into the night. We drank cheap beers and ate fire-roasted hot dogs and sausages. It was so simple and so perfect.      Lying on the hard earth next to her with Domo wedged in there somewhere was soothing, and I slept peacefully.