#root beer guy is only where he is because I like what they did with him when he got resurrected

[mostofthingsmostofthetime]

Just finished the show a few days ago, so that's why I'm only just posting this now.

[sakur4ii]

Rooted Connections

Charles Xavier x Erik Lensherr x Reader

the gender of the reader is not specified // based on X-Men Days Of Future Past, but the scenarios are made up

Summary: You are blind, and you control the earth (you also listen to the plants) you are like a mutant version of Toph Beifong basically. Also you and Charles bullying at Erik for not noticing the obvious.

maybe part 2 in the future? let me know if there are any mistakes because English is not my first language.

Charles "I'm not good with violence" Xavier

"‘Can I know where we are going?’ Charles asks, irritated by the mystery Logan is adding to the situation.

‘You'll see,’ the man replies with a half-amused smile.

In the future, you were a legend, a myth. The original X-Men never stopped talking about you when Logan arrived at the mansion, and over time, their respect for you and your amazing deeds only grew. Something Logan struggled to learn about you was that you had a romantic relationship with both Charles and Erik. He didn’t understand it until Ororo explained that it was a polyamorous relationship, which helped him understand much more about the Professor and his nemesis.

In the horrible future from which they sent him, Erik and Charles ordered him to force a reunion between the two of them and your first meeting with them.

Part of him found the situation amusing, feeling like Cupid but with bone claws instead of a bow and arrows. Another part of him hoped that this forced encounter wouldn’t jeopardize the relationship destined to be in the future.

Once they arrived at what was supposed to be your home, Peter was the first to get out of the car, followed by Hank, Charles, and Logan.

They were in a place slightly secluded from the city, full of forests, dirt, plants, and flowers. There was only one house in sight, well-maintained and decorated on the outside; Charles gave you credit for that.

They walked up the short driveway, and Logan didn’t even need to knock for the door to open by itself. Logan smiled amusedly while the other three men glanced at each other in confusion.

‘Excuse me,’ Logan murmured, entering the house, closely followed by the others.

The house was cozy and minimalist, with the few pieces of furniture placed against the walls, giving the appearance of more space than there actually was. They entered what seemed to be the kitchen, where there you were.

You had your back to them as you did something on the kitchen counter. Judging by the sound, you were preparing coffee.

‘Coffee or tea?’ you asked disinterestedly, creating another round of confused glances.

‘Coffee,’ Peter answered with a smile. Logan sat down at the table on the side of the kitchen, which had three chairs.

‘I suppose the furry guy and the one who's supposed to have paralyzed legs are more into tea,’ you commented as you set the water to boil. You pointed to the fridge next to you. ‘There's beer in the fridge.’

Logan raised his eyebrows at the two completely confused men in the kitchen doorway as he went for the said beer, while Peter took a seat.

Hank and Charles didn’t understand anything. Were you a telepath? Hank was in his human form, and Charles was full of the serum to be able to walk, so… how?

Logan returned to his seat, and that’s when you finally turned around, leaving them all (except for Wolverine) surprised.

Although you usually wore sunglasses, you had taken them off when your plants alerted you that someone from the future was coming to see you. Your eyes were white, lost.

You put your hands in your pockets and leaned your back against the counter. ‘I suppose they want you to help them get Magneto out of the Pentagon.’

‘She’s good,’ Peter murmured in amusement.

‘Are you a telepath?’ Charles finally asked, crossing his arms.

‘No,’ you smiled at him.

‘Then?’ Hank asked this time, while Logan just watched the interaction like it was a soap opera, sipping his beer.

‘I control anything to do with the earth, I understand plants, and I see through the roots of trees, although I can also sense all your movements through the ground we’re standing on,’ you explained, serving the tea and coffee.

You heard Peter whisper ‘cool’ as you handed out the cups.

‘Your plants told you,’ the professor concluded, taking a sip of tea, which happened to be his favorite flavor. You nodded.

‘People have told me you have good reflexes; is that true?’ Wolverine’s question made you smile slyly.

‘Of course it is.’

‘Then catch this,’ he challenged, tossing the empty beer bottle at you.

Hank and Charles looked horrified as he threw the bottle, while Peter was ready to intervene if necessary.

Through your bare feet, you could feel how almost everyone’s heart skipped a beat, but you caught the bottle in mid-air as if it was nothing. The collective sigh of relief that followed made you laugh.

‘So, are we going or what?’

-------------------------------------------------------

After successfully getting Magneto out of prison, you had to sit with Charles and Erik on the plane, according to Logan’s poor excuse, ‘So they don’t kill each other.’

After a tense conversation between the two, during which you just sat in silence, Erik spoke up.

‘Why are you barefoot?’

‘So I can see you'

Erik frowned in confusion, while Charles barely suppressed an amused smile. Erik still hadn’t realized that you were blind, since you were wearing sunglasses, and you hadn’t given any indication that you were. Of course, Erik found it odd that you were always looking straight ahead and not making eye contact with anyone, but he assumed you might be shy.

‘Am I missing an inside joke?’ Erik asked again, noticing his old friend’s poorly concealed smile.

‘No, nothing, don’t think too much about it,’ Charles replied, trying to hold back a laugh but failing, causing you to smile in amusement.

Magneto frowned in confusion, feeling like he was missing something, and he had to admit it made him a bit jealous. He finally reunites with Charles, the man he loves, and Charles has inside jokes with someone he’s never seen before and, as far as he knows, only met today.

‘Explain to me, what’s so funny?’ he asked, hiding his growing irritation, raising an eyebrow as he looked between the two of you, who were still stifling your laughter. Erik couldn’t help but notice that you were still looking straight ahead. ‘Is it something related to her mutation? I thought Y/N only controlled the earth and talked to plants?

‘You can do a lot with the earth, isn’t that right, Charles?’ you replied with amusement. The man in the wheelchair, who miraculously walks, rested his head on his hand, trying to hide his smile as he nodded. ‘Yes, yes, of course,’ he said.

Erik felt his irritation growing, along with his heart racing at the melodic sound of your shared, complicit laughter.

The gears in Magneto’s mind started to turn as he realized.

You were wearing sunglasses that you hadn’t taken off, even on the plane, always looking straight ahead, not having looked at either him or Charles this whole time, and you said you were barefoot so you could see him.

‘You’re blind,’ he concluded, rubbing his forehead in a mix of irritation and embarrassment, earning loud laughs from both of you that attracted curious and annoyed looks from Hank and Logan.

‘Took you long enough,’ you said, patting him on the shoulder in consolation.

‘Something I don’t understand is, how do you “see” through your feet now if we’re on a plane?’ Charles asked once his laughter had calmed down.

‘The earth has metal particles, and metal has earth particles, I suppose,’ you answered.

‘Does that mean you can control metal?’ Erik now asked with curiosity.

‘Sometimes, although it’s not easy at all, it requires a lot of effort,’ you replied, shrugging.

‘Interesting,’ they said in unison, glancing at each other and smiling as if they were thinking the same thing.

‘I sense tension… are you two going to kiss?’ you joked.

The two men rolled their eyes and smiled at each other, definitely thinking the same thing, while you felt confused because they didn’t give you any response."

Pt.2

[hemmingshouse]

you’re not my pizza / chris sturniolo

summary: chris had always felt a hatred towards you ever since you two met. little did you know that after your outburst he would finally come to his senses.

warnings: enemies to lovers (sorta?), cursing, yelling, angst, sappy!chris

pt. 2

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

“this is what i told you all about!” you exclaimed happily as you finally found the tiktok you’d been searching for ever since you stepped foot into the sturniolo house hold. you found a tiktok trend you thought the boys would love to do and made it your mission to find the video to show them. “it’s gonna be so fuckin’ funny.”

chris was sat across from you at the kitchen island whilst matt and nick were on both sides of you. you straightened your arms so the two brothers were able to see what was going on. when you three giggled it caused chris to roll his eyes, shaking his head as he internally told himself to shut up instead of making a snarky remark about how annoying you and your unhealthy tiktok obsession were. you slid your phone towards chris with some hesitation, the guy never really checking the video your tiktok played on repeat.

“nah, i feel like we could actually nail that,” matt chuckled as he watched his younger brother, nick wrapping an arm around your shoulders as he patted your head in an agreement to matt’s statement. “chris? are you in?”

the youngest of three looked up from where he was texting away on his phone, unbothered with what you all just talked about and the way the video played on a loop right in front of him. he sighed, “if this is about that stupid tiktok idea of hers, i’m not doing it.”

nick scoffed and raised his eyebrows, “excuse you?” he started as he sat up straight, “drop that attitude motherfucker, at least she’s coming up with ideas whilst you’re sitting here doing absolutely nothing.”

it had always been easy getting along with matt and nick ever since you met them. you met nick in the local park nearby your house when he struggled to get the right angle for his new pictures and asked you to help him out. when you showed him the ones you took, he swore on his life that nobody besides you or his two brothers could take his instagram pictures.

matt showed you around the neighbourhood the first time he hung out with you after nick had told him you moved down from boston to la to persue your art career and didn’t really know anybody just yet. he drove you around, loving the way you two bonded over your love for root beers and pepperoni pizza. matt always found it fascinating to hear your stories about boston because your lives were so similar yet so different. it was crazy how you only lived in the same state and only a few blocks down the road from the sturniolo household, but never crossed paths once.

chris, on the other hand, was another story. because matt and nick took so much interest in their newest friend and tried to build up a good and healthy friendship with you, they sometimes spent less time with chris. he always declined tagging along in the beginning, being satisfied with the alone time and how quiet the house was without his two brothers, but when they started to bring you to their house he switched moods instantly.

you weren’t really sure why chris despised you as much as he did. you often let the boys be and did your own thing, yet chris was always nagging about how his brothers rarely ever spent time with him anymore. you tried to bail out of today as well as the previous time, but matt was already in your driveway to pick you up when you tried to cancel.

it was times like these where you weren’t fazed with anything chris had to say. somehow and some way, that kid always tried to get under your skin and you always let him because you were scared his brothers were going to pick his side and drop you instantly.

but this time, you’ve had enough. you narrowed your eyes at chris as he looked almost proud of himself for spitting out another nasty remark. you ticked your head to the side before speaking up. “you’ve been yapping all fucking day and running your mouth, yet you fail to come up with something that actually makes sense? or something that’s gonna benefit you and your brothers. don’t fucking talk to me like that.”

matt’s mouth dropped and nick let out a yell at your comeback, slapping his hands over his mouth as he looked back and forth between you and chris. the smirk on chris’s lips turned into a thin line, his fingers creating a dent into the pepsi can he was currently holding because of how infuriated you got him by running your mouth.

“what the fuck was that?” he spoke up, eyebrows raised cockily as he leaned forward onto the marble kitchen island. “didn’t you learn to be quiet when it’s not your turn to talk?”

nick was gonna shut his brother’s behaviour down by stepping in and getting a word in, but you shot him a quick look not to. you turned your head back to meet a cold gaze, grin dancing on chris’s lips. “didn’t you learn to say thank you when someone tries to sort out your shit? you’re a fucking asshole and quite frankly, i’m fucking done with how you’re treating me.”

you stepped down from the high bar stool and grabbed your phone off the counter from where matt placed it back in front of you after saving the tiktok video you spent ages searching for after chris didn’t take a single look at it.

“y/n..” matt spoke up quietly, grasping your hand in his when you tried to reach for your house keys. “i’m sorry he’s such a shitface. please stay?”

“he can never help but be an egocentric little shithead when he doesn’t get his way,” nick spoke up disappointingly, running a hand through his hair as he took a look at their youngest brother. “i can’t believe your pathetic ass.”

you shook your head and sent matt an apologetic smile, squeezing his hand quickly before reaching for your purse that hugh from the bar stool. “i was never gonna get through his thick skull to begin with.”

“oh look, she’s walking away from confrontation again!” chris exclaimed as he shook his head in disbelief and sat back in his chair. he earned a smack on the back of the head from nick and a middle finger and deep, disappointed sigh from matt.

“luckily for you, i won’t ever step a foot into this house when you’re in it. you fucking win, christopher. i can’t be fucked with your bullshit anymore.”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

it must’ve been a week and a few days since you left the sturniolo household in a rush to get to your uber before anyone noticed you were sobbing your eyes sore on the way out. matt offered to drive you home, but you didn’t want him to get into a fight with chris for choosing your side.

you hated the way chris put you down every time, the way his face would scrunch up in pure disgust whenever you’d say or do something he wasn’t a fan off. you couldn’t brush it off anymore, it had gotten too much.

you just submitted an essay for your art course and decided you’d order yourself a pizza and watch a few episodes of your favourite show to try and relax a little. his words were glued inside your brain and it was hard to not think about them, they truly broke your heart. finding comfort in your favourite food and show seemed like a good thing right now.

matt and nick profusely apologised for their brother’s behaviour. matt had told you they both wouldn’t speak to him until chris came to his senses and would apologise to you. both of you were aware that was a big thing because he despised your guts - why would he ever apologise?

nick was on another level. he had ditched every single plan he and chris made the past few days, just so his brother was able to feel what it felt like to be downgraded the way he did with you. nick’s stubbornness surely made you feel a bit better, but it made you feel a bit torn. even if chris was a major asshole to you, you didn’t want the bond he had with his brothers to get abandoned because of you.

a knock on the stoor caused you to slip out of the trance you were in. you sighed softly and put yourself together before walking towards your front door to collect your doughy pepperoni pizza.

you swung the door open and plastered the smallest smile on your face, one that immediately fell when you saw him standing in the door frame. a sigh fell from your mouth, not wanting to deal with his shit right now. “you’re not my pizza.”

chris bit the inside of his cheek, knowing you were going to get grumpy when he interrupted your peaceful evening. “uhm- no- i’m not no,” he coughed, shaking his head. “hey uhm- i felt the need to apologise.”

you narrowed your eyes, “is that because you’re actually sorry or because you want your brothers to treat you normally again?” you asked him sternly, noticing how his hands slid into the pockets of his black joggers as he rocked back and forth onto his feet.

“i acted like an asshole,” he stated with a nod, “i’ve- like always been an asshole towards you and i’m truly sorry for making you feel the way i always did,” chris spoke softly, “look y/n- we’re so similiar in too many ways and i- i don’t know, it’s just scary to think i’m replaceable.”

“have you been practicing this in the mirror or something? it’s coming out a lil’ too rehearsed,” you yold him seriously, although there was the slightest teasing hint in your voice. “what do you mean by too similar?”

chris was surprised when you stepped out of the way to let him into your apartment, clearing his throat as he took off his converse near the front door. “we share the same interests, have the same fucked up sense of humour and we always yap everyone’s ears off,” he rambled on as you lead him towards the living room, “whenever- i’m- when you’d be at our place i’d always feel a bit left out,” he scratched the back of his neck, “you’re such a fun person to be around and- i don’t know, it felt like matt and nick chose you over me sometimes. i know that’s not your fault at all now, but i took it out on you because that- fuck- that was just the easiest way to deal with it.”

his words caused your heart to break a little. the frown on his face, scrunched up eyebrows and a hurtful look in his eyes made you feel so guilty for being so unaware of this all. you sat him down on the couch, clearing your throat.

“i’m so sorry you feel that way, chris,” you spoke softly, fiddling with the ring in your middle finger, “that was never my intention to begin with. i always hung out with y’all because i found you interesting - like matt and nick always told me we’d get along so well and i find it sad we never truly got around to actually hanging out because you always brushed me off so fucking hard.”

the brunette nodded his head, “i know,” he agreed, “i now know i should’ve gotten to know you before i came to a conclusion. i feel so stupid and i’m so so sorry, i can’t begin to understand how fucked up i made you feel.”

the way he was nervously fidgeting with the material of his joggers and how he ran his hand through his hair three times in the past minute made you realise that he couldn’t be more genuine than he was right now. you made a mental note to thank matt and nick for putting some sense into him as well, but the anxious boy on your couch was now your main priority.

“it’s alright chris,” you smiled softly as you reached forward to brush your thumb across his knuckles in a hope it would calm him down slightly, “thanks for apologising and coming here to explain yourself.”

he chuckled, “matt and nick not talking to me made me think about every encounter we had and i must say - i was kinda proud of you for sticking up for yourself last week.”

it caused you to let out a laugh before chris hesitantly turned his hand so your palms lay flat against each other’s. you were able to see he was trying to figure out if what he was doing was too much or not, so you took it upon yourself to tangle your fingers together with his. “really?” you shook your head with a smile, “was about damn time i scolded at your for being a fucking dick.”

chris laughed and nodded his head in agreement, softly brushing a thumb across your knuckles as a soft rosy blush spread onto his cheeks. you figured it was because you had never been this close before - this being the first time he actually felt physical contact from you. it caused a tingle to run up your spine as chris watched your every move.

chris found it important to read your body language to know if he was crossing the line with you - this new type of friendship making him wonder if it was okay for him to grab your hand or pull you in a friendly hug. he had never found himself wondering what it would be like to be this close to you, your breath fanning his lips and his knee brushing your bare one.

“i’m happy you did,” he spoke up, voice quiet, “we wouldn’t have been here if you didn’t.”

the way your eyes were darting back and forth between his lips and his eyes made your heartbeat race faster than you could ever recall. you weren’t sure why you suddenly felt so fucking attracted to him, but chris showing his vulnerable side must have ignited something in you.

his free hand reached upwards to brush a stray lock of hair behind your ear, fingertips softly grazing your cheek. you leaned into his touch while keeping eye contact with him, noticing how he hesitantly started leaning in a bit more. “you’re so beautiful,” he mumbled, hand sliding down to cup your jaw and a thumb running across your soft lips.

you let out a shaky sigh, feeling yourself get worked up with the way chris was holding your face and keeping eye contract throughout it all. it felt surreal to have him this close after all you two encountered, but it also felt extremely good to let go of the hatred you felt for him - ready to have so many other feelings towards the youngest sturniolo.

“if you want me to stop, i suggest you do it now,” he inhaled sharply, “i don’t know if i can stop after i start.”

his words caused your head to spin as his free hand now cupped the other side of your jaw, thumbs resting on your cheeks. you closed your eyes for a few seconds before you looked at him again, “i don’t want you to stop, chris.”

the way you finally called him by his nickname more than once today made him feel all giddy inside as you usually only called him christopher or the occasional motherfucker when you were pissed at him.

he quickly licked his lips as he felt your fingers curl around his wrists, nose lightly nudging yours to test the waters slightly. when he noticed your breath hitch in your throat, chris knew you wanted it as much as he did.

his lips brushed yours every so slightly, loving the way your lip balm slightly got smudged because of his actions. chris was about to deepen the kiss by fully pressing his lips to yours, but got rudely interrupted when the doorbell rang.

he let out a groan and it caused you to giggle, still holding onto his wrists. “i reckon you’re staying over for dinner then?”



✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ

do we do a smutty part two? ;)

[2kverrr]

MATT TAYLOR - Dating Headcanons

UNTIL DAWN || Matt Taylor x Reader

like every other year, the washington family open up their lodge to their teenagers for the winter. everybody had been waiting for this time of year, booze all week long, no rules, only friends, snowfights, blasting music in the middle of nowhere - to put it shortly, it's haven.

big movie nights on the big projector with hot chocolates and lots and lots of booze

you and matt had been plotting activities since summer, dodgeball in the main living area - come on, it's massive. what else are you meant to do in a room that big?

sledding - even if it meant falling off the edge of a cliff, its all apart of the fun.

matt loved making plans with you, you've never been too sure why, because you're not very punctual, you're an extremely dangerous driver and quite forgetful.

he's an attractive guy, sporty and in shape, really kind; it was a mystery to you why he was still single. it's not like girls actually go for brains anymore - you don't think so anyway.

secretly the group were rooting for the two of you, you oblivious of course, but matt had planned this all out, all fun and games but then you 'accidentally' trip or 'accidentally' fall and in desperate need of a knight in shining armour, then that's where he comes in, heroic and masculine, you are immediately in love with him, you get married, move to fiji and have 4 kids (the first of the bunch HAD to be called matt. jr). it's pretty specific.

it's the day of the winter break we'd all been waiting for, mike had already prepped matt for this big breakthrough. mike slaps his hand onto his face and slowly drags it drown with a grown, "bro, stop being such a pussy - worst she can say is no. no?" the two continue to stroll towards the lodge, slightly unsure where they were headed in the snowy atmosphere. “yeah, i get that,” he replied, his voice barely above a whisper, “but what if she laughs at me?” the thought made his stomach twist uneasily, and he shot mike a frantic glance. you knew matt's used to being the object of jealousy, he's much like mike in that sense, he doesn't have to do much to be adored by people. “dude, she’s not some goddess in a tower,” mike said, rolling his eyes. “she's just a girl! think about it. you’ve spent half your life being friends, spilling deepest and darkest secrets, spending the majority of your time together - hell even your distant family have nicknames for him. "god damn it man! you know her better than anyone, so you should be first to know how she'd react.” matt shoved his hands into his pockets, trying to portray an air of confidence he didn’t truly feel. “just be yourself. you’ve got this.” he whispers, spotting you exiting from the ski lift, patting matt on the shoulder and leaving him with you.

the walk up was oddly awkward, in fact the first 3 days were uncomfortable with the curly-headed boy.

of course, that did not stop you from getting black out drunk every night. day drinking faded into beer pong, then faded into shot competitions, then another cheeky drink when you woke up to prevent any hangover.

matt tried his hardest to get you to lay off the drink, but automatically josh would interrupt and tempt you even more.

it had to be past midnight at this rate, ashley fell asleep on the couch with chris, beth gently placing a blanket over the two of them. sam was attempting to defuse a row between mike and emily as hannah observed hopefully, while josh was falling asleep mid-conversation with jess - embarrassing. all while you were basically fighting matt to grab the bottle out of his hands. “give!” you reach out, but just like every other time, matts long arms push at your shoulder to keep your distance. you huff, stumbling back with half closed eyes, “cocksucker. i’ll find something else. hell - i’d eat crack if josh had any.” you remark with flailing arms. you had promised yourself a good time, a good time that didn’t involve battling your best friend for a taste of liquor. "come on, how about we go find the biggest bed for you to sleep in, i'm sure emily won't notice." his eyebrows raise, awaiting your drunken response. your mouth drops in a shocked manor and your eyebrows furrow as though your offended, "wow - matt, nice going." you try to cross your arms but you end up stumbling into the counter, the boy's hands immediately reach out to stabilise you. "it'd take a lot more than that to take me to bed, thank you very much, mr taylor." you scold, trying to inject a sense of indignation into your slurred words. the room felt like it was swaying gently; perhaps it was the alcohol or maybe just your overwhelming desire to keep your balance. you glared at matt, half-heartedly trying to regain your composure, but the corners of your mouth couldn't help but twitch into a smirk.

you couldn't remember much after that, besides the blinding light bursting through the curtains beaming into your eyes, only a single silhouette there to block it.

you're quite used to getting black out drunk, in fact you've got a casual routine, wake up, hole into your head until you stumble towards the cabinet wherever you are, managing to grab some sort of pill. lie in the bath - this is a crucial step. no water besides from when you awkwardly attempt to drink some from the tap. eventually you throw up the pills you'd taken, so you take a few more. at this point you should be okay to get up and carry on with your day.

you tell yourself this is how it’s meant to be; the routine is as much a part of your identity as the lingering pallor in your cheeks. you’ll put on a brave face, mask the chaos with a smile, and carry on with your day, ever-so-slightly hopeful that today might be different.

though you're not so used to going on a three day bender, every drink you consume having at least a drop of some form of alcohol. so your routine didn't exactly apply.

"hey," a voice whispers, slowly placing a cold cloth on your head, “you okay?” it’s light and gentle, a contrast to the erratic thrum inside your skull.

you squint against the light and the silhouette shifts, revealing matt, but this time with a softer expression, worry etched into the corners of his eyes. “you were insane last night,” he says, half-smiling, half-concerned. matt takes a deep breath, the worry still lingering in his eyes, and leans back in his chair, allowing you some space.

“seriously, what were you thinking?” he asks, his tone shifting to something more serious.

“you can’t just push yourself like that, especially when you know you haven’t slept in days.” the warmth of his concern wraps around you, thick and palpable, grounding you even as the room spins slightly.

"shit, " you roll over, while trying to sit yourself up, "i'm really sorry" your hands slowly and deeply massage your face, "can't remember a thing."

matt softly chuckles, placing his hands onto the arm rests, “well, where to begin? you were fighting me for a drink. scolded me for tying to sleep with you, which was the opposite of what i was doing. you searched the house for cigarettes and eventually gave up and tried to uber 3 bricks of coke to the lodge. erm… you threw up in the hot tub, on the counter, on emily, on me and i think a bit of miles show when you threw up on emily for the second time.”

you suppress a groan, sinking back into the chair as matt’s words cascade over you, each one accompanied by an embarrassing flashback that jolts through your mind like electric shocks.

"what?" it was all you could say. frozen and still in your own embarrassment.

“oh! and let’s not forget the part where you tried to convince jessica that she was actually a mystical mermaid forced on earth to enchant her way into human hearts."

you open your mouth to speak but the curly-haired boy continues.

“-not quite done yet, darling. you couldn’t let go of this ‘mermaid theory’, convinced you could see jess’s scales. so you flung your drink at her and then yelled ‘be free, my aquatic queen’ right in her face.”

you wince, burying your head in your hands. “for fuck's sake, please tell me you're lying,” you let out a muffled groan. matt's infectious laughter rings in your ears, despite your mortification and god awful pain you're in.

matt leans forward, his eyes sparkling with mischief. “and after your mermaid debacle, you decided to perform a dramatic interpretation of 'under the Sea' from The Little Mermaid for the whole living room."

you immediately butt in, "liar!" you rarely ever laugh in front of your friends, never mind whatever this is.

"i swear I’ve never seen sam laugh and cry at the same time.” he shakes his head, barely able to contain his amusement as he gestures broadly, “you were flapping your arms like a fish out of water, and the way you-“

you roll your eyes, “enough!” you raise your voice, a slight anger in your tone as your embarrassment begins to ebb. you immediately feel bad for the once giddy boy, "sorry, i don't usually tend to have hangovers this bad…" you say, a hand attempting to tame the pounding in you heard, you put the boy at ease with a smile, "…did i at least have a good audience?"

"an audience of friends who might never look at you the same way again,” he teases, but his smile is warm and understanding. “but hey, that’s what makes us family, right? You do something outrageous, and we love you for it. maybe not jess… or emily. but the rest of us do. i love you.” his words hang in the air, unsure of their stance, good bad? neither of you knew.

“you love me?” you manage to say, half teasing and half genuinely astonished, heart fluttering uncomfortably in your chest.

he briefly fixes his posture, shuffling in his seat, “maybe. even thought you can be a bitch and you have a slight alcohol issue, you’re still lovable.”

you take a moment to take a note of reality, the mess on the floor, presumably caused by you. your hair was unspeakable, makeup smudged, deep and heavy eye bags, one of your lashes hanging off your cheek while your other was probably exploring the outside, it’s definitely… a look.

“even after all this?” you wave down your body and across the room

he leans forward, fiddling with his thumbs, eyes locking onto yours with an intensity that makes your heart race. “that’s exactly it,” he says gently, “you’re unpredictable, messy and unapologetically you, and i think it’s fucking awesome. you’re so… so, so, so real.”

his sincerity makes the room feel smaller, as it the weight of his words could encircle you both in an element of quiet intimacy. you can throw but smile, your heart swelling. “so, what does this mean for us?” you query hopefully.

“maybe it’s the start of something new.”

you made the bold decision to lay off of the drink for your own sake (also because it took you the rest of the week to recover) - instead you’d accompany matt in whatever he was up to.

mike felt a bit disappointed that his pep talk was wasted on a sappy conversation rather than a manly knight in shining armour act.

jess eventually forgave you, insuring you tell her everything about the two of you. emily would occasionally listen in nonchalantly as she clearly hadn’t forgave you for the sick-tuation (get it? i’m so sorry)

matt takes pride in waking you up with a drink or some food, it’s a bit difficult when your only options are out of the washingtons’ sparse cabinets.

you had to make a slight change in your ‘how you got together’ story when meeting his parents, either way they loved you, and thought you were a great reason for matt to take his laser focus off of football.

speaking of football, you’re at every game wearing some old spare shirt he had laying around.

when he first met your parents, god it was something you should’ve prevented. matt sides with your mum’s every word, dishes, staying out too late, waking up too early. honestly everything and anything.

he’s easily the most caring, you’re always on his mind, your wants, your needs, what you’re doing, how you’re doing.

in return you help him study, you’re not much smarter, but with matt, you find fun in the coursework.

[mvltisstuff]

could you do a jealous conrad fic?

don’t blame me - c.f

summary: request

conrad fisher x reader

a/n: thank you for the request <33

conrad felt bad for what he did, or he thought he felt bad. he knew it was for the best, but he saw how let down y/n was.

he had to, though. he new this new guy was bad news. y/n was just his new target, someone who didn’t know what he was all about. this guy just used girls left and right for his own gain. conrad just wanted her to be ok in the end. she’d be more hurt if conrad didn’t stop it.

she was trying to ignore everything in her mind that she had for conrad. y/n always admired him. he was always her favorite, and days were better when conrad was in them. she was scared to fall in love with him so fast, because her biggest fear is pushing him away. on the other hand, conrad was undoubtedly falling for y/n very quickly. he panicked, he didn’t know what to do but to stop whatever she’s doing.

it all rooted from jealousy, but it branched out into protection of y/n and her precious heart. he wouldn’t dare to watch it break when he could do something about it. so, he scouted for the phone number of the boy y/n was seeing. he tried so hard to force him to stay away from y/n, and just to leave her alone. but, of course, the stubbornness got the best of the other party, and he wanted more. y/n was an easy girl to just add to your body count and get things you need from her to him. to conrad, she was more. she could easily become his whole world.

that’s when the deal was made. conrad paid the guy to stop seeing y/n. conrad figured it would only last until he found another girl, so he obliged. even though y/n wasn’t head over heels for this guy, it still hurt watching him slowly get less interested. she watched as he stopped answering and started making excuses. naturally, y/n thought she was the problem, when that was the furthest from the truth. she wasn’t the problem, she was the solution.

she was dragged by the ear to this bonfire. all her friends were there, but belly was the one who truly wanted her to come. she slipped on a nice outfit, and went out anyway. she sipped at another truly and eyed conrad with his beer. he was doing the most simple task, talking and drinking with his friends. y/n swore she saw an angel in front of her, though. his short curl that came in front of his forehead, the shining of his gleaming eyes and smile. there was never a part of conrad, inside and out, that y/n didn’t praise in her mind.

her night was going smoothly, until he arrived. he walked in with a few others hanging off his shoulder, surrounded by his friends. he pushed the girls off and walked over to conrad. “hey, buddy!”

“listen, man-“

“uh-uh, where’s my money?” he asks conrad, making y/n’s face scrunch in confusion as she stands up.

“i already gave you what you asked for.”

“this was your fucking idea, fisher!” conrad stands up, leveling his eyes with the guy in front of him. he notices y/n to the side, looking almost fearful about what the two may be interacting about. “if you don’t want to pay me, that’s fine, just know that it’s now your name she’ll be screaming tonight.”

just then, something flicked on in conrad. his instinct to connect his fist with his face was awoken, carrying out the act. everyone heard the clean punch on the boys jaw, causing him to fall back into his friends arms. they push him to the side, stepping up to conrad, trying to make themselves seem taller. “yeah, let them fight your battles like a pussy. don’t even go near her again.”

conrad walks off the beach, disappearing into the grassy hills on the beach. y/n storms after him, tuning out the calls from her friends or anyone else shouting her name.

“conrad!” she yells.

“y/n, i’m just gonna go home-“

“what was that? and you’re not just walking away because you’ve been off around me for weeks. ever since he stopped seeing me,” she grabs his arm as he tries to turn away, looking at his reddening knuckles. “you’re explaining everything to me.”

she walks with him back to the fishers beach house, summoning away to a bathroom and closing the door. she takes out a first aid kit, and starts caring for his sore hand. “i’m sorry.”

“for what?” y/n asks.

“i never wanted to hurt you, and i need you to know that.”

“conrad,” she sighs. “i know you’d never hurt me. please just tell me what’s going on.”

“he’s not a good guy. at all. he was just using you. i didn’t want to break your heart by telling you so i tried to just let you down easy. so i told him to stay away from you, and he asked for money.”

y/n pauses, looking into his eyes feeling nothing but lost. she didn’t know if she should be pissed at conrad, or at anyone else. he could’ve just said something. she looks away, “oh.”

“no, no,” he says, putting his ok hand on her chin, bringing her eyes back up to meet his. “but i need you to know how much i’m falling for you. i wish i could take every second back that i never told you. but i’ve been falling deeper for you every single day. you can be pissed off or whatever you want but i needed you to know-“

she cuts of his blabbing by placing her lips against his, letting his words be cut off by the kiss. she lets his hand rest on the side of her face as he just moves deeper into the kiss. before anything progresses, she pulls away. “you’re an idiot if you think i haven’t been wanting you this whole time. i just wish you told me instead of bargaining behind my back.”

“you’ll never have to worry about that again. you’re mine now, and i’ll make sure of it.”

[amazingmsme]

Won’t You Stay? (Just a Little Bit Longer)

AN: FINALLY finished the last fic for tickletober! Sorry for the wait, I wanted to finish the other fics first & been pretty busy. This one was a blast to write, & I got to really dive into their relationship dynamic! Mark & Karen def picked Ted up at a bar lmaooo. Anyway, without further ado, here’s day 31!

No warnings, but things are insinuated. Nothing explicit, just some light bondage.

In Hatchetfield, the strange quickly becomes mundane. Having lived there all his life, Ted was not easily phased. He saw weird shit all the time and brushed it off with ease. Yet he was still taken aback when the notoriously prude-y, picture perfect couple that was Karen and Mark Chasity walked up to him at the bar of all places. He didn't even think they went to bars.  He thought uptight christian nut jobs like that fainted at the smell of booze, but apparently he was wrong. He was wrong about a lot of things, lately.

"So, what's the score?" Mark asked as he slid up to the bar, pointing at one of the numerous flat screens above shelves of liquor. "21 to six," he answered with a smirk, taking a swig of his beer. Mark let out a low whistle.

"Geez, they're getting creamed." Ted scoffed in amusement, looking him up and down.

"Don't tell me you're a fuckin' Cowboys fan," he taunted. He chuckled shyly, ducking his head.

"What can I say? I like to root for the underdogs."

Was he hallucinating, or did Mark just fucking wink at him? Wasn't his wife right there? Wait, where did she go? He could've sworn she had been clinging to his arm just a second ago-

"A piña colada please," Karen spoke up on his left. He nearly jumped out of his skin because when the hell did she sit down? And shouldn't she have at least sat on his other side? Maybe, I don't know, next to her husband?

Apparently, she wasn't done with her order, feeling the need to specify, "And make it dirty." She was looking directly at him when she said that, twirling a lock of hair around her finger as she bit her lip.

Ted was extremely confused. If he didn't know any better, he'd say they were coming onto him. But that was impossible! There's no way in hell that they would be looking for a third, and especially not someone like him.

They were nothing but pure vanilla, as pristine as the driven snow. He was like a muddy puddle. This was just a coincidence. A really, really weird coincidence.

"I'll have a Jim Beam, on the rocks. Actually, make that two."

Okay, maybe they were trying to take him home.

"That's okay, I'm fine with a beer," he tried to decline, but Mark insisted.

"We all deserve a taste of the finer things in life."

Ted felt a blush creep to his cheeks, and not just from the alcohol. He couldn't remember the last time a sexual advancement had made him this flustered.

"Don't you agree?" Mark prompted when Ted didn't answer. He shook himself out of it and nodded vigorously.

"It's what separates us from the animals," he said, trying to sound smart.

"Well I couldn't agree more," Karen added, looking past Ted to her husband. And just like that, they found their third.

~~~

Things were admittedly a little awkward and stiff at first, but they quickly found their groove. They both were surprisingly kinky, not that Ted was complaining. It was just... so unexpected coming from them.

It felt nice being in on their dirty little secret. Or was he the secret in question?

Oh well. He supposed it didn't matter. Not when things were this good.

Ted flopped back on the bed, lying between the pair with a relaxed smile on his face. Karen snuggled closer to his right side, Mark lacing their fingers together on his left.

"That was really fun," Karen purred, walking her fingers up his chest.

"I'll say," Mark chimed in, offering a quick peck to Ted's cheek. He leaned across him so he could reach Karen, kissing her cheek.

"Yeah, you guys are amazing," he said, still breathless and dazed. "Same time again next week?" he asked, only half joking.

"Hey, there's no need to rush off again," Mark assured.

"Yeah, who are you? Cinderella?" she teased, the wine making her giggle at her own joke. Tipsy Karen was absolutely adorable. "Stay for a while," she insisted softly.

"That's okay, I don't wanna overstay my welcome," he shot back playfully. But what was meant as a lighthearted joke clearly struck a chord with each of them.

"After everything, you don't think you're welcome to just relax in our home? You're not just our lover, you're our guest. Stay; have a snack, watch some TV, whatever you wanna do." And didn't that sound nice...

But Ted Spankoffski never really had nice things. Or if he did, they didn't stick around for long.

"You sure? 'Cause if you're busy, I can get outta your hair," he offered, nervous butterflies fluttering about in the pit of his stomach. He's used to being the bootycall; to showing up on a whim for some casual sex, and getting kicked back out on the streets once they were done with him. But they actually wanted him to stay, which was why it was too good to be true.

"Oh I can be busy, if that's what you want," Mark growled, rolling over to straddle Ted's waist. He leaned down to plant a kiss to his lips, lingering with a gentle bite. Ted hummed, melting into the bed.

"You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Chasity," Ted smirked.

"I try," he shot him a wink, allowing his hand to roam Ted's chest.

"So why don't you ever want to stay?" Karen asked, with an exaggerated pout. The question caught him off guard, so he answered honestly.

"I want to stay, just... still not really used to the idea of you guys wanting that too," he admitted. Normally, he's never allow himself to be so vulnerable and bold with his emotions. But Mark and Karen were different. They didn't judge people, even people like him who should be judged, and they were nice. Like, genuinely nice. When he was with them, he felt seen and heard. He had spent nearly his whole life trying to run away from his emotions, but with them, he could finally relax.

"Oh Ted... Of course we want that," Karen spoke barely above a whisper, carding her fingers through his hair. Ted looked between them hopefully.

"Really?"

She offered a sweet, radiant smile. "Really."

"You're not just saying that to cheer me up?" he asked playfully.

"No, if we wanted to cheer you up, we'd do this!" Without warning, Mark began scribbling over his sides, drawing out a surprised giggly shriek.

"Hehehey wahahahait! D-dohon't!" he whined, flopping around uselessly on the bed.

"Why not? Is someone a little bit tiiiiiicklish?" Karen chimed in, using her long nails to flutter under his chin. He snorted and slammed his neck against his shoulder for protection.

"Noho!" he denied, a giddy, nervous grin plastered to his face.

"Uh oh honey, looks like we've got ourselves a liar," Mark taunted from above. His hands continued to knead the slight pudge around his middle, drawing out a few deeper laughs.

"Oh no, what should we do?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"I think..." Mark trailed off for dramatic effect, smirking when he heard Ted whine. "We should get the cuffs." The way Ted's eyes snapped open to look at them was priceless.

"What?" he screeched, excitement bubbling up inside him.

"That's the punishment for dirty rotten liars," Karen purred,  leaning over the side of the bed to rummage through their box of toys. She popped back up, showing off a pair of fuzzy, leopard print cuffs.

"Ihihi wasn't-" he began to protest, but Mark shushed him by placing a finger to his smiling lips.

"Don't try to back out now," Mark said, cocking his head to the side. "Arms up, tough guy."

"Why don't you make mehehe!" his defiant protest melted away into giggles. He didn't bother holding back his laughter; he doubted he could even if he wanted to.

Even through his delirium, he knew they were doing this for him. To make him relax, to show him they really cared... And to tease the living hell out of him.

God, they knew him so well.

He didn't resist when Mark slowly raised his arms above his head, snapping the cuffs into place, looping the short chain around the headboard. Ted gave his arms a weak tug, just for show. He squirmed in anticipation, a giddy smile plastered on his face from the threat of what was to come.

"You're gonna stay right there until we decide you can go. Got that?" Karen asked, cocking her head expectantly. Her tone was halfway between stern and caring.

"Yehes ma'am!" he agreed, arching his back when she slowly scribbled along his bare waistline.

"And we won't stop until you admit to yourself that we want you around for more than just sex," Mark added pointedly. Ted couldn't help but smirk at the new caveat.

"Well in that case, we'd be here ahahall nihihight! Ihihit was just ahaha joke!"

"Our love is no laughing matter!" Karen chastised through her own giggles, the fucking hypocrite.

“Oh, I got a joke for ya! What’s a pirate’s favorite letter of the alphabet?” Mark asked, barely able to finish his sentence before Ted answered.

“Ihihit’s R!”

“Ooo, close, but no.”

“What?” he screeched in shock before it took on a higher pitch as Mark dug into his ribs. Apparently, answering wrong had consequences.

“A pirate’s favorite letter is C! Get it? ‘Cause they sail the seas!”

“Thahat fuckin’ suhuhucks! No no wahahait, I’m sohohorry!” Ted apologized the moment he began vibrating his clawed hands against his ribcage.

“Language! You’re lucky I don’t wash your mouth out with soap instead,” Karen teased, kneading into his soft tummy. He snorted and bucked his hips, unable to dislodge the hands attacking his torso.

“Ihihi’m aha grown ass mahahan, I-I cahan say whatehehever I wahahant!”

“Really? Could’ve fooled me with that laugh of yours,” Mark taunted, enjoying the blush spreading across Ted’s cheeks.

“Hehehey!” he whined exaggeratedly.

“Oh Mark, be nice,” she mock scolded her husband, shooting him a contradictory wink. He smirked back.

“I am being nice. He’s not even screaming yet.”

“Mark!” Ted yelped at the playful threat.

“What? I’m just kidding!” he chuckled, crawling his fingers higher to scratch inside his exposed pits. He leaned in close to growl directly in Ted’s ear, ensuring he could be heard over his hysterics. “Or am I?”

Ted didn’t know what he did to deserve this. He didn’t know what he did to deserve them. They were kind, and cruel, and everything Ted could ever ask for, and he was grateful they chose him.

[socialfakes]

always there for you -matt sturniolo-

chapter 3

nick sturniolo x platonic abigail moore chris sturniolo x best friend abigail moore

matt sturniolo x abigail moore

series masterlist

Liked by abigail.moore, matthew.sturniolo, nicolassturniolo and 491,314 others

christophersturniolo | should be bitter that i've been downgraded to the backseat now that abigail and matt are together again. but honestly, they’re so cute together that it’s hard to be mad 😊

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abigail.moore i said you could have the front seat whenever you wanted, christopher 😂  | abigail.moore and before any fans comment underneath this post, no, matt and i are not dating 🙄

nicolasssturniolo don’t complain about the backseat. it's wonderful back here 👀

user05 this is so cute. you can clearly notice the change in his demeanor from some past videos to the most recent one. don't know what was going on but i'm really glad our matt is back to normal ❤  | christophersturniolo his best friend had to put their friendship on a hiatus because her boyfriend pretty much demanded it  | abigail.moore chris, don’t tell them that. they're going to hate me for it 😭  | user05 false. we could never hate someone who makes matt happy 😊  | abigail.moore ❤

matthew.sturniolo how do you manage to get these pictures of us when we’re not looking?  | christophersturniolo you guys were having a moment and i didn’t want to disturb it 😊 besides, you two are literally the cutest ‘friends’ in the world 😉

nicolassturniolo right before this picture was taken, matt was holding her hand and he even kissed it 😲  | abigail.moore nicolas!  | nicolassturniolo abigail!

Liked by abigail.moore, christophersturniolo, matthew.sturniolo and 397,814 others

nicolassturniolo | matt claims he only kissed abigail because chris and i ‘dared’ him to, but it was clear he’s been wanting to do it for a while now 😏

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christophersturniolo for some context, we know he’s been wanting to kiss her because the dare (which wasn’t actually a dare at all) was supposed to be “kiss abigail if you hate root beer” but all we had to say was kiss abigail and he ran with it 😂  | nicolassturniolo the fools are in love, clearly

matthew.sturniolo why are you exposing me like this? 😂  | nicolassturniolo what did the kiss taste like  | matthew.sturniolo like i’m gonna tell the world every little detail 🙄  | christophersturniolo like a heavenly mix of peppermint and cotton candy 🤨  | matthew.sturniolo how tf do you know that???? 😠  | abigail.moore he borrowed my chapstick earlier that night 😂

user03 first kiss?  | nicolassturniolo most definitely not, as you’ll find out later 😏

abigail.moore best kiss of my life, honestly  | nicolassturniolo well now i'm incredibly offended 😔

Liked by matthew.sturniolo, nicolassturniolo and 4,168 others

abigail.moore | my happiest moments are spent with you 💋💕 #hardlaunch

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christophersturniolo why did it take you guys so long to hard launch this beautiful relationship?  | abigail.moore timing

matthew.sturniolo we were 6 when we met and now we’re in our twenties. that's a lot of happy moments but i am not complaining because making you happy is what i live for ❤

user03 so is this the hard launch?  | abigail.moore most definitely 😊  | user03 i knew it would be matt ❤

user04 he’s so precious and i need to know where i can get myself a matthew 😫  | abigail.moore just be patient and he will appear, love 😊

nicolassturniolo he looks too cute in that last photo 😍

user06 the best hard launch ever

user04 the cutest couple ever

user01 the most precious couple ever

taglist: @worldlxvlys

[gyusimp]

꧁•⊹٭𝙰𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝙰𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗٭⊹•꧂

°• No reader content, just a sad Kenji One-shot i had on mind since a long ago | No warnings | Kenji's social issues

He was the new guy on the team. After spending a considerable amount of time finally feeling comfortable among a group of people he worked with, he was feeling just as much of an outcast as he had in elementary school when he had just arrived in Los Angeles.

His walls wouldn't come down in front of the cameras, his proud and smug facade of the best player alive would remain up in every press conference he attended, although in reality, this change was still difficult to handle despite it having been a month since the Yomiuri Giants had welcomed a world-renowned star like him. Still, everything was difficult.

Not the games or baseball itself, in which he was an expert and adapted at a fairly quick pace to the strategies and way of playing of the team and its other members, knowing how to obey very well what his coach had to tell him and without him knowing it, the older man felt very satisfied with the new acquisition of the team. Kenji may have had many strengths, such as being a heartthrob in front of the cameras, fluency in speaking in long interviews, discipline in each of his training sessions, but when he had to face any situation that involved the social sphere, that was when he felt somewhat more insecure. But obviously, he would never let it be known.

Perhaps it was all those changes in his childhood that broke something in his social skills, the bullying of being a foreign child and the constant school changes because of it, so he probably never felt stable enough to have friends. Close friends of course, there were very kind children with whom he related and got along very well, but when changing schools or finishing the school year, he simply forgot about them and did not get in touch again. He did it without bad intentions, and perhaps even without realizing it and thought it was nothing out of the ordinary, but now being an adult, he has analyzed and asked several times if that is the root of his little problem.

He doesn't remember how difficult it was to adapt to the Dodgers. The team was amazing and he felt so alive playing there, but he preferred not to remember that because it frustrated him a lot how everything had been ruined and not being able to return. He kept protecting himself under his smiling and cocky facade, trusting that he was the best with his skills on the stadium when what he really gained was feeling more distant, noticing that the distant attitude among his teammates was reciprocal. Did they think he didn't see the annoyed gestures when his name was announced amid the shocked screams of the crowd when it was his turn to bat? He called them jealous. Did he forget how he noticed the other Giants talking to an absent boy at a training session but no one was bothered when he didn't show up one day?

Little by little he was "integrating" over time, but still feeling a void between him and all the people around him, as if he would never become someone capable of being so important to others but at the same time he ended up avoiding any contact. Was it due to lack of confidence? He didn't know what the hell was wrong with him because the moment he saw his other teammates talking in groups inside the locker room and wishing to have at least 1 friend, the next he was already rejecting the invitation to go drink some beers after a long training session, inventing a generic excuse that in the end only ended up pushing him further away.

Why was he so stubborn? So indecisive?

And like every day he ended up in his large, luxurious and empty house, so far away from others as to be located on his own personal island, where his only company was the sound of the sea and the robotic voice of his assistant. Another direct blow to the stomach that reminded him over and over again how alone he was and maybe how alone he would always be and perhaps that in this way he would die with that loneliness.

[werrrrrd]

✴️🌀JAEDEN MARTELL X READER🌀✴️

WARNINGS: underage drinking and smoking weed, other couple grinding, talk of sex, y/n is a senior, Jaeden is a year older,

werrrdd

I rewrote the ending cuz I didn't know what to do with where it was going. so ANEYYWAYYYS here you go!!

Dear God, he's so hot.

Jaeden stood on the other side of the kitchen, leaning casually on the counter. He was wearing jeans that looked unbelievably good on him and a collared shirt that was not all the way done up. His hair messy and yet so so perfect. In his hand was a solo cup that he took occasional sips from. He took even more occasional glances at me. Just infrequent enough that they weren't unusual and I couldn't feed my delusions of him wanting me just as badly as I wanted him.

The party was going on for maybe a little too long. I had only come because Jaeden was here honestly, I liked parties sure but not all that much.

He and my brother came to catch up with some of the people Jack knew from highschool the year before. Mostly because he wanted to brag about his life as an actor and because they had nothing better to do than go to highschool parties. I chuckled at Jack where he sat on the dinner table in the other room. Of course everyone was entranced at the story he was telling about meeting famous actors and actresses and all the glamour and fame.

Earlier that day when I had got home from school they had been talking about it

"anyways, Mellisa invited us to a party tonight, she said lots of people would be coming so it'll be pretty casual. There'll be drinks and.... I don't know what else." Jack went to get them both a soda.

I snuck behind Jack and reached to grab a root beer from the fridge before he closed it.

"oh, hey y/n" Jack said noticing me.

"hey Jack, hey Jaeden." I said trying to act cool but my eyes quickly did a once over of the boy I had known since I was in middle school. And I thought he was cute then! In the years since, Jaeden had only gotten hotter and hotter. How could I not like him? he was so so fine, he was nice, and he also didn't give a shit about me.

"hey," he said without much reaction other than a quick glance at me. Even still, my stomach did a back flip.

I walked up next to him to get a glass from the cupboard and hoped I wasn't imagining it when I thought I saw his eyes follow me in my peripheral. I poured the root beer in the cup with some ice and turned to face Jack as he spoke to me.

"Did you hear about the party?" He asked

"yeah," I said "Hannah says shes gonna be there." I said grinning teasingly at my brother. This was his hallway crush who he was a little bit obsessed with back in the day, She was also a school friend of mine since we were sophomores.

Jacks cheeks lit up and he widened his eyes. He came over and swatted my arm as I laughed at him

"do you still like her!?" I asked "what has it been? a year since you've even seen her??"

I heard Jaeden chuckle and gave myself a high-five for making him laugh but didn't dare look over at him.

"let me know if you guys go and I might tag along." I said as I backed up out of the kitchen with Jack shooing me out. I directed it to Jaeden who nodded softly at me with a slight smile that I supressed a reaction to. Jack added a "yeah yeah" still blushing slightly about the possibility of seeing his little crush.

Now we were here and I watched as Jaeden spoke to Melissa, the girl hosting the party. Her hair was red and long and her eyes were big and covered in naturally thick black lashes that defied all the rules of being a ginger. He smiled down at her as she complimented him on who knows what.

I shuffled in my spot and glanced around the rest of the house not really sure what to do. I face palmed for spending all my time worrying about Jaeden instead of just enjoying the party. I sipped my own cup before leaving the kitchen to go talk to Hannah who was dancing in the living room. Unfortunatley I could still see Jaeden from the kitchen because of the open floor plan.

"y/n!" Hannah spotted me making my way towards her

"hey!" I shouted slightly over the music as I reached her. "I'm happy to see you!"

She gave me an appreciative smile and said the same.

I nodded my head to the beat and danced a little as the lights shined around. Hannah was very into it and started singing. I laughed and sang along with her smiling and happy to get my mind off of my stupid, five year long crush who was in just in the room over.

But of course my mind was still partially on him.

When I glanced over I saw Melissa fiddling with the collar of his shirt and leaning on him slightly. That's not what surprised me though. what surprised me was how he was looking at me. I looked away blushing. It was just a coincidence, I told myself. But when I got the courage to check again, his eyes were still following my movements. I kept dancing and held the contact for what felt like forever. Soon he looked back down at Melissa who had reclaimed his attention and he smiled again softly at whatever she was saying

I sighed before taking another gulp of my drink and looking back at Hannah. She laughed as she looked at me and pulled me out of the crowd and inconveniently, back towards the kitchen.

"tell me about life y/n!" she said once we got somewhere we could hear each other a little bit more clearly. "I feel like we only ever talk about school"

"Oh, um haha!" I said scratching my neck slightly "well there isn't much to tell, to be honest. My parents are out of town for the week at a company trip for my moms job so I've just been staying up late every night, Jacks back home for the next little while so I've been kind of avoiding him." I laughed

"jacks in town?" she asked surprised. I smiled at her. I had a hunch that maybe she liked Jack too. I wouldn't tell Jack this because I personally thought that Hannah was too good for him. Jack could be a dick sometimes. He had one heck of an ego. But for Hannah, I would help them out.

"Yeah, let me call him over," I said

"oh you don't have to do that," she said shyly. I shook my head at her chuckling

"Jack! over here!" I called to Jack who was just a little ways away still talking to the people at the table who were all absolutely hammered and still drinking. He looked at me annoyed before he saw Hannah next to me and jumped out of his seat, ditching the group he had just been chatting with.

"oh hey Hannah!" He came over rushedly and reached out to hug her.

"how are you Jack?" she hugged him back. I smiled at the two as they blushed at each other. I took a moment to look over at jaeden again because I just couldn't help myself. My smile fell slightly as I noticed how they had gotten significantly closer. I shook myself out of it and tapped Jack to see if he had any weed.

"Jack"

"sh shhh" he swatted me away as he tried to focus on what Hannah was saying to him

"I just want a joint!" I said, he swatted me away some more but after more pestering he reached into his shirt pocket and fished out a homemade joint before shooing me away again without even taking his eyes off Hannah.

I grumbled at him as I searched his coat pockets for a lighter. Once I found one I took one last glance at jaeden. before even registering that he was looking back at me I left the room and went for the back door lighting the joint on the way.

The backyard was pretty big and the Christmas lights were still up despite it being mid January twinkling blue and purple. I took a couple drags as I walked over to a rusty swing set next to the covered pool. On the other side of the pool, a hot tub steamed up as a couple made out. Their clothes were flung in a pile beside them. I was far enough away that It wasn't uncomfortable or awkward. Other than them the yard was empty. It was too cold for drunk teenagers to want to go outside and clearly the hot tub was occupied.

The cold made my ears, cheeks and nose go cold and likely red. I pulled my large jean jacket that was layered over a hoodie and another long sleeve underneath a little tighter around me, although I didn't actually feel too cold, the alcohol in my tummy acting as a sort of inner warmth. I put my palm under my chin and rested it on my knees holding the joint up to my mouth again.

I sighed. Not sure exactly what was getting me down. I knew that Jaeden didn't like me, I had known this for years and yet I really badly wanted him to want me back. God there was just something about him that was making my skin shiver and I knew it wasn't the cold. I just didn't want to seem desperate. I was afraid that if I was too obvious he would get uncomfortable but if I wasn't obvious enough, on the very rare chance that he did like me, he wouldn't know that I liked him too.

The swing creaked gently as I processed my thoughts. I sat up and swung slightly back and forth and kicked the worn grass underneath the swing. When I looked back up someone was closing the back door from the outside.

Once he turned around I recognized it was Jaeden and stopped swinging as I watched him look around the backyard until he spotted me. He walked over to me and my lips parted ever so slightly as I watched him walk over looking just too good to be true. The weed had calmed me down quite a bit and I didn't feel too nervous. But it only amplified my attraction to him. My eyes scanned over him as he reached me.

"hey," he said softly as he came to stand in front of me. I swallowed and brought my eyes back to his face that was looking just ethereal in this lighting. I reached up and handed him the joint after taking a quick puff.

"thanks" he said. he took a quick drag before shivering "its cold." he shoved a hand in his pockets and straightened his elbow while exhaling, the smoke mixing with his breath in the frigid air. He wasn't wearing a coat, I'm sure he wasn't expecting to be going outside except for to get in and out of the house. He only had his short sleeve shirt that didn't do much to protect him from the low temperature.

"it is," I nodded. I slipped off the jean jacket from my arms and handed it to him. My hands weren't even shaking which they always seemed to do when I was around him.

He looked at my arm outstretched and my coat grasped in my hand, a look on his face. I couldn't tell if it was a good expression or a bad one. My offering stayed waiting for his acceptance.

"it should fit... what are you waiting for? its losing heat." I wagged the jacket around to get my point across

He looked into my eyes and chuckled quietly before taking it from me. I watched the way his eyes crinkled almost smiling myself. He handed me back the blunt before he slipped it onto his shoulders. I could practically feel my pupils dilate. He looked so so good. I felt like I was drooling and my eyes had turned into hearts.

He cleared his throat and I looked away quickly before he thought it was creepy.

"its good, thanks." he said tugging on the coat and putting his hands in the pockets. He pulled out Jacks lighter, turning it in his fingers fiddling gently before putting it back into the pocket.

"sure," I spoke. I felt the nervousness return slightly so I took another drag and blew it out to the side so it wouldn't end up in Jaedens face. My head looked down at his feet where he was scuffing the dirt with his old green sneakers that I loved so much.

I could feel his eyes on me and I felt even warmer now even without my coat. The silence was getting awkward but it was interrupted by soft (but not soft enough) moaning coming from the hot tub across the yard. The couple had progressed to, what (I hoped) was just grinding in the hot water and were too drunk to care too much about being in public.

"gross," Jaeden said laughing slightly.

"yeah..." I smiled at him.

"do you want to go somewhere else?" he asked me, raising his eyebrows softly with a... hopeful(?)... look on his face. My heart fluttered. I figured he had just come out for a moment to check on me. He was nice like that, making sure everyone was ok. I honestly expected him to turn down my coat with the excuse that he was going back into the party after he made sure I was alright. Melissa was probably there waiting for him. But no. He wanted to hang out with me. He wasn't planning on going back inside any time soon

I nodded, my throat closing up, unable to give him an answer with words. He smiled one of those perfect smiles and held out his hand to help me off of the swing. I swallowed again, taking my hand off of the freezing chains and putting it in his. His hand was so warm that it felt like it was burning mine as I stood.

"Jesus y/n, your hands are freezing," he said pulling my hand into both of his hot ones. "are you sure you don't need this coat?" he asked as he rubbed my hand in between his and looked into my eyes. We were pretty close and I fought to catch my breath as the lights sparkled in his eyes.

"I feel warm." I said. The words came out in such a love sick whisper that I widened my eyes at how insane I sounded. Jaeden didn't seem to notice as he grabbed my other hand where it hung by my side and brought them to his lips. My heart hammered in my chest as he took the joint and put it the corner of his mouth. It had mostly been forgotten by me but hadn't burned out yet. He blew hot air onto my hands while keeping the joint balanced in between his lips. I felt suddenly sort of light headed looking at his lips.

My eyes fluttered to the ground while he warmed my hands in his.

"you done?" he asked me.

"huh?" I asked snapping out of my trance. He held up the dying off joint and I let my hands fall back to my sides. They tingled after his touch and his breath on them but I ignored it as I nodded at him. He took a final puff before bending down to put it out on his shoe.

"no stop!" I grabbed his arm and crouched down to take the joint from his hand.

"what?" he asked.

"I like those shoes, you're gonna ruin em'. "

He laughed at me while I walked to the cement next to the pool to put it out.

"what? these shoes are like 5 years old!" he said following me with his hands in the pockets of my jacket. "they're falling apart!"

"theyre nice!" I defended "well loved."

"sure," he laughed again "they need to be thrown away."

"no don't!" I said. We began walking around the house.

"are you serious?" he asked as he opened the gate to the front yard.

"yes!" I said laughing. "those were the shoes you were wearing when we first met!" I waited as he closed the door of the gate behind us. I didn't realize how romantic that statement was until he paused while his back was turned towards me.

"you remember what shoes I was wearing when we met?" he turned towards me walking in pace again. It was too dark here to see his face but I wish I could.

"uh... well I guess I just liked the color then and after that you wore them often so I just remembered which ones they were," I explained.

"they were massive on me then, that's the only reason they still fit," he laughed and looked over at me as we got to the sidewalk. "but if you like them then I guess Ill keep them a little longer." he said smiling making my heart jump again.

"do you wanna go for a walk or something?" he asked.

Oh yes I did, I really really did.

Jack flashed in my mind and I didn't want him to be worried if he went looking for us. I checked my phone and the time was only 11:26. he should still be occupied with Hannah, and he could call either of us if he needed to.

"yeah that sounds nice." I said making Jaeden smile.

We started walking up the street, the music from the party getting quieter and quieter.

"so, hows highschool? senior year, that's a good one. at least I thought so." he asked

I laughed "small talk?" I questioned. He laughed back and nodded.

"I want to know!" He reasoned. I smiled and looked at the sidewalk in front of us. I really had thought that he didn't care about me. That he was indifferent. And yet here he is asking me about life, smoking with me, taking me for a walk instead of enjoying the party like he should be.

"well, since you want to know so bad..." I teased making him smile "its pretty fun I guess. Once college applications are in you have a lot of time to hang out with people." I said "that's been nice."

"what else?" he asked

"what else??" I returned "are you looking for something in specific?"

"well I'm sure that you are turning guys down left and right? or are you enjoying them all at the same time?" he wiggled his eyebrows at me.

"what!?" I laughed, more like scoffed.

"come on y/n! I know that the guys like you!" he said

"I wouldn't say so, no!" I said laughing. sure, guys liked me but not more than any other pretty girl.

AN: YOU ARE SO HOT! THE PRETTIEST GIRL IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD!!!!! AND DON'T YOU DARE FORGET IT!!!!

Nothing mentionable had happened with anyone for the last forever and I just didn't find myself having serious crushes all that much. I'm not going to lie, I hadn't liked anyone like I liked Jaeden ever in my life. And Its not like I was turning down other guys for him, its just I didn't find anyone attractive like I did him so any time a guy went for me I didn't feel all that invested in the relationship and things would end before they even really started.

Jaeden peeked at me disbelievingly and shook his head.

"I dont believe you" he smiled

I laughed again before he continued "ok well is there anyone that you like? boys? girls? others?" he grinned

"ah, always so inclusive Jaeden." I laughed. he laughed back and gave me an approving look.

"of course!" he said. "so....?"

I laughed before trying to think of the words to say.

"um..." I started. I was not about to confess to him. As well as this night was going and how badly I wanted him to be mine, I didn't have the guts to tell him.

"there's someone, but I don't think its going anywhere." I pursed my lips and looked at him.

There was a glint in his eye that confused me. His expression wasn't positive or negative, just nuetral and impressively hard to read.

"i doubt it." he said "you could have anyone you wanted y/n,"

my heart fluttered and I laughed shyly.

"not true" I countered.

"is too." he replied without even looking at me. I watched him exasperatedly and slightly confused while we got further down the block. I huffed and chuckled slightly.

"well ok, what about you then." I asked. I didn't really want to know if he liked someone but I was eager to switch the topic of conversation away from me.

"what about me?" he asked still looking in front of us

"do you like anyone? she? he? they?"

He laughed.

"how about melissa? shes cute, she likes you." I said swallowing my jealousy so that we could continue having a good time.

"ha! no," he said looking down at the ground "no, not Melissa. She's sweet though."

"well why not?"

"I don't know, I think I just have something else in mind when I think of the kind of girl I want" he said still not looking at me. The walk turned just slightly quicker paced compared to the slow stroll it previously was. I was slightly relieved that he didn't like Melissa. But then again, if his type wasn't Melissa, one of the prettiest girls I knew, he must have incredibly high standards. Although I had a certain beauty to me, I doubted my kind of beauty would be preferred over Melissa's very conventional and traditional beauty.

"like what? what kind of girl do you want?" I leaned forward trying to catch his eye.

"Jesus y/n! you're really grilling me here!" he laughed finally looking over

"well you started it!" I smiled back.

he groaned and covered his face with his hands but was still smiling, notifying me that he was still enjoying his time with me and I hadn't overstepped.

"I don't know, " he said. Now he was the one smiling shyly.

"hmm... Well, I hope you find her.. whatever shes like," I said looking forward again. It was probably for the best that I didn't know what he was looking for in a girl. I didn't want to get trapped in trying to make myself someone I'm not just for a boy, even if that boy was Jaeden.

Jaeden was quiet, I thought maybe he was looking at me but I didn't want to check and get caught so I just kept looking forward. We kept walking in silence for a few more seconds before coming to a small plaza. We both found ourselves walking towards the tiny fountain that seemed out of place in the little park. Yellow lights shone from under the water that got brighter as we approached.

We stopped to look inside, I smiled seeing coins people had made wishes on.

"look, wishes!"

"hold on," Jaeden said reaching into his pant pockets, sticking out his tongue in concentration. He searched around before pulling out his hand and opening it. He picked out a dime and a nickel and offered me the coins.

"well that's convenient! you came so prepared" I said

"Im always prepared to make a wish," he smiled as I took a coin from him. I turned towards the fountain thinking of a wish to make. I didn't really believe in wishes, but this felt like a special moment.

I finally came to a decision and flipped the coin off my thumb and into the water. Jaeden promptly did the same and we looked at each other briefly before laughing lightly at ourselves. His smile crinkled his eyes just right.

The weed hadn't worn off and I still didn't feel too much nerves, yet I was speechless at how gorgeous he looked in this lighting. I stared at him more intensely than I had ever let myself. His rosy cheeks, his dark eyebrows, his chin, his perfect lips that always looked like they were puckered ever so slightly. Oh, how I wanted to touch him. I just wanted to feel the shape of his face, drag my finger against his cheekbones and over the bridge of his nose. And then kiss him and kiss him and kiss him.

My daydream went on a little longer than I had meant to let it and I noticed I was staring. But so was he. I let out a breath as I glanced away blushing and noticed a bench just a little ways away.

"want to sit?" I spoke quietly without looking at him. Without waiting for an answer I started walking towards the bench and heard him follow. I only got half way there before I felt Jaedens hand on my shoulder, turning me around.

I turned around confused as he placed his hands carefully on my face and pulled me gently to him, his head crouched to my height. His eyes flitted from my lips to my eyes which were wide with shock. He breathed out a soft laugh, eyes sparkling at me, those smile lines taking my breath away.

Then he kissed me. Slowly and softly. My eyelids fluttered shut in bliss. His lips were so warm and hands slid over my ears and secured themselves there so he could deepen the kiss. My hands went to my jean jacket that he was wearing, I pulled him in tugging on the sides. We moved slowly but not out of fear. It was calm and the only thing I could think was how perfect this felt. How perfect he felt kissing me.

He pulled away after a couple seconds and his hands slid down to rest on my jaw, keeping my head tilted and my eyes on him. He smiled the most beautiful smile and I could only look at him with adoration.

"what was that?" I breathed out

"I got tired of waiting for you to do it," He said making me blush.

"what do you mean?" I asked quietly but slightly defensively.

"oh come on y/n, you're not exactly subtle." he laughed

My eyes widened "so you did know!" I let go of the jacket and stepped back slightly bothered.

"yes," he rolled his eyes stepping closer to me again "I just couldn't wait any longer for something to happen."

"I thought that you... I didn't think that you- that you liked me back. I thought-"

"I do, I like you a lot actually."

"why didn't you give me any signs?" I threw my hands up slightly frustrated that I hadn't known this earlier.

He laughed and looked away a little guilty.

"I didn't know if the timing was right, I didn't know if you were ready for something. I just...I don't want to mess this up." he said getting close to me again his hands going to my hips making me squirm inwardly

"And well... maybe I kind of liked seeing you flustered." he scrunched his face up. "But then I got impatient and I couldn't wait for you to make a move any longer so I just... well I just kissed you."

I let out a breath and looked down at my feet shaking my head. He really had made me suffer but I couldn't find it in me to be annoyed at him. I was too happy about this to feel bad at all. I took his warm hands from my hips and held them in my cold ones.

"thank God you did. I don't know if I ever would have built up the courage" I looked at him.

Finally I saw it, the affection in his eyes. Had it always been there? Had I just not noticed it or maybe I had but I told myself it was nothing. It didn't matter anymore, because it was there, and now I could see it.

I reached up and pulled his face down to meet my lips again. My fingers going into his hair and he let out a soft sigh and kissed me back without a single bit of hesitance in him.

I pulled away after a moment. We smiled at each other and our breaths mixed in the frigid air.

God, he's so perfect. 

[bug-the-chicken-nug]

da beeeest hsr fic evers!!1!

one day, i (caelus) was on my ipcpad playing club penguin when i noticed i had an extra ticket (!!!1!) so i went and yelled "hey some1 come on board I got an extra ticket lol!!" and someone DID come!!! it was shrek!!!! "what am I doing NOT in my swamp?!" shrek shouted, in shrekock (shrek shock) "yaaaayyyy mister shrek yaaaayy!!!" i started "you're in my train now! which is kind of like a swamp!!!" I excitedly cried. "is it?" shrek asked, quirking a brow. "....nnnot really, nooo...." I sheepishly admitted, embarrassed that I had lied to shrek (oh noes!) "...then... you lied to me...." shrek began. "you... you laios toudened to me..." the room shook! tremors cascaded throughout da cosmos! i got scared!!!! but not too scared because i am cool and brave!!! an apparition hazily drifted into view!!!! it was.... laios touden!!! "WHO INVOKES ME." he bellowed. kinda hot ngl. "sorry, sir..." shrek meekly replied. "it won't happen again. yeet of the moment." "hmp hmp. since you are a monster, and quite a sexy one at that, i will let you off the hook with only fifteen of your bones turned to various sandwich fillings." laios replied. "good thing every ogre has a backup bone sac!" shrek proudly announced, as he scrumpt in pain, his tibias crumpled and then uncrumpled, the tasty sandwich toppings moved aside and replaced with fresh new tibias. "goodbye, shrek. do not disturb me again," laios said, voice rumbling through the entirety of the express' length, before he vanished in a puff of root beer. "what a man...." shrek said dreamily. "yeah..." i replied, with heart eyes. "and just WHAT in Samthony Hill is going on here?!" came a voice.

it was welt!!!! "damb. forget that other guy. THIS guy is a REAL piece of ass." shrek said, moving with super shrek speed to where welt was. "hey sexy,,,," shrek said, eyes dark with lust as he spoke in sultry, buttery tones. "wanna have a good ol' fashioned slog in my bog?" he asked. "ohr.... i feel young again..." welt said, popping his left foot into the air as they began sloppily making out. old man yaoi yaaaaaaayyyyy!!!! and that's how i saved christmas!!!! the end!!!!!

[sidekickjoey]

March Madness | Steddie

Happy March Madness! Since we all know Steve is a big basketball fan/player, I figured it would be fun to dive into a bit of Eddie’s relationship w/ sports (and Wayne), and maybe how it eventually leads him to bond with Steve. This includes research I did on the record of the Indiana Hoosiers men’s basketball team that weirdly coincides well with the timeline? (Though I sort of fudged the date the Upside Down stuff happened in ‘86 to match the basketball season, shhh). I’ve also linked the final basketball game I mention, which you can watch the final minute of as you read for ~realistic ambience~ Enjoy! 🏀

Eddie hates sports, but he is religious about watching basketball with Wayne. 

It’s a ritual stemming back to the first night he spent at Wayne’s trailer in ‘76, when Eddie was 10. The cops had left late in the afternoon, dragging with them Eddie’s father Scott and his distraught mother Corrine, who had been too stoned to understand why she had to leave her son. As they drove one way, Eddie was driven another. He was taken all the way across Hawkins to Forrest Hills Trailer Park, where he was placed in the care of his next closest living relative, and perhaps the only relative willing enough to take Eddie in on such short a notice: Wayne Munson. 

Eddie did not know much about his Uncle Wayne. His parents were never the visiting type and were more than happy to distance themselves from anyone who might stop their reckless lifestyle, family included. The only thing they ever mentioned was that he was related to his dad, and that he was some sort of loner engineer. Eddie was terrified to be placed so suddenly in the hands of a near complete stranger like he was. Then again, the alternative of being with his parents in jail did not sound too enticing.

So, Eddie followed quietly. He listened to the cops and the childcare workers and shook Wayne’s hand when they said hello, because he supposed that was the right thing to do to keep him out of that mess. He supposed it would put him on Wayne’s good side, and that maybe staying out of trouble would make this easier to handle. Maybe he’d be okay, in the end.

Trouble, however, had a tricky way of appearing anyway in situations involving Eddie. It came this time in the form of a delayed trauma response, waking Eddie from his new bed and leaving him a shaky, sniffly mess. He sat for the better half of an hour unsure what to do, of what type of response he’d get if he left the room and let Wayne in on how he felt. He’d heard the man yelling at something earlier. What if he shouted at him? What if he could be just as cruel as Scott, or worse? Could he even take that risk? 

Imagine his immense relief when Wayne, upon seeing Eddie open the door, instead dropped everything to rush to ask if Eddie was okay, to ensure he hadn’t accidentally woken him up when he was yelling at the basketball game on TV. 

“This championship’s a big one,” he had explained with an apologetic smile, wiping Eddie’s tears with a scarf he’d discarded nearby. “Been over twenty years since the last one, and we’re undefeated. You know how it is.”

He didn’t. He had next to no knowledge of sports aside from horseshoes, and it was not like that one ever got heated enough to yell about. Not really. Still, he let Wayne believe he knew. He also let him push his scraggly hair out of his eyes, walk him to the pullout couch, and sit him down to his right with a can of root beer in hand, because something deep down told Eddie that Wayne would do the same no matter what he knew about basketball, or any other sport for that matter. Wayne was the kind who, awkwardness of their new situation aside, really did care about making him feel cared for and welcomed. He was good. Safe.

Even at 10, Eddie knew he would watch just about anything, even silly looking guys with too-big mustaches and too-short shorts with the word ‘Hoosier’ printed on them, for someone who made him feel safe like that.

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

Flash forward to 1981, and the Hoosiers were back in another championship. 

Eddie was now a sophomore in high school. He was far removed from his prior timidness and quickly making a name for himself as a boisterous, music loving, nerdy ‘freak’ of a human being to the general population. If he wasn’t getting himself in trouble and rebelling against authority for fun, he was risking his freedom selling ‘stuff’ for that Reefer Rick guy to get some extra cash for records.

It was driving Wayne up a wall.

He had tried stopping Eddie the first time he learned about it. Terrified Eddie’d end up hauled away like his parents, he had pleaded with the boy to reconsider, even offered him some of his own spending money, but Eddie was quick to assure him it would all be okay. He was Eddie, after all. Eddie, who swore to Wayne he would never be like his parents. Eddie, who turned down the chance to see his dad in jail because he did not want to face the man who chose crime over fatherhood. Eddie, who did extra chores around the trailer whenever he felt like he was overstaying his welcome.

Eddie was a good boy - a smart boy. Eddie would know when to stop and back down, when to run away from a bad deal. Not to mention, Wayne had been young and strapped for cash once. He remembered how much it sucked to not have money to see a movie and and how isolating it had been to turn down dates to save for dinner the next day. He didn’t want that life for Eddie. Eddie and his big heart deserved the world.

So, he made a deal with him. As long as he came home in time for the Hoosier games, safe and sound, Wayne wouldn’t ask questions about what he was up to. He’d worry, and Eddie would no doubt see that worry firsthand, but he’d trust him. He’d give him that freedom. True to his word, Eddie always obliged. The delicate balance remained, albeit with a bit more gray hairs on Wayne’s part.

This game day was no different. Five minutes before tip-off, Eddie came sprinting through the trailer’s door with a whoop and a near demolishing of their door-side plant - a tiny thing the boy was determined to keep alive despite not having a green bone in his body. Wayne, nursing a beer, merely rolled his eyes at the commotion and patted the seat beside him. He waited for Eddie to get comfortable and then handed him a root beer. The boy reeked of whatever he had sold, probably pot, but he looked happy next to Wayne with that root beer in hand. Wayne could live with that. He’d always live with that, if it meant being by Eddie’s side.

“Isiah Thomas should put up a good one today,” he said after a moment, patting his nephew’s knee. “Them folks at North Carolina won’t know what him ‘em.”

Eddie chuckled and watched Isiah make a practice shot with ease, the reporters waxing poetic about him to each other in their booth. “With your confidence, Uncle Wayne, any Isiah or Thomas would be unstoppable in battle.”

Wayne clinked his bottle against Eddie’s. Laughed. Gazed up at the ceiling feeling so lucky because Eddie was trying, really trying again, and that always was a good sign. 

They continued like this for the rest of the half, making mindless comments and jokes between Wayne’s ranting and raving at the screen. It was comfortable, easy, and incredibly domestic - everything they had built together over the past few years epitomized. 

And then, halftime came. 

Disney was holding a special halftime contest. If a little boy could make a basket all himself from the foul line, he and his entire family would get to go to Disney World on behalf of the Hoosiers, all expenses paid. The little boy understandably looked petrified on screen. He stood there, shaky knees and big ball in hand as his dad stood off to the side, looking like the court might just swallow him whole. His fear was not that much unlike Eddie’s had been when he first arrived. Eddie had held the same worried expression, screaming ‘I don’t want to mess this up’ with his eyes. It made Wayne want to hug the boy through the screen. It made Eddie, on the other hand, lean forward in his chair. Bite his nails. Actually pay attention, for the kid’s sake.

The crowd soon grew hushed. The announcers held their breath. And then, the little boy stepped forward.

“SCORE!”

“Oh my god he made it,” Eddie said once, twice, then a third time loudly as he shook Wayne’s arm nearly out of its socket. “The little guy did it, Uncle Wayne! Oh my god, I’ll be damned! He did it! His dad’s so proud, look!”

Sure enough, the little boy and his dad on the screen were jumping up and down as if they were the happiest people on earth. Then again, Wayne figured few people were as happy as his nephew was beside him, still shaking his arm like he’d won the lottery. He chuckled, a feeling of fondness overcoming him as his curls swung closer and closer to his face and the shaking grew more ridiculous.

“Heh, you’ll be proud too of your lil’ one if they win ya’ a free vacation someday, kid.”

It was a harmless comment, really. Wayne did not mean anything to come of it - maybe a distracted chuckle or two from Eddie. Maybe a witty comeback. He had not, however, expected the boy to freeze up on the spot. He did not expect the grip on his arm to fall, nor the light in his eyes to fade. He really did not expect him to retreat into himself, there but not fully there. Setting his beer down and lowering the TV volume, Wayne frowned. 

“You alright, boy?”

“Y-Yeah,” Eddie coughed. It hardly was convincing.

“I didn’t say something wrong now, did I? Did I remind ya’ about your pa?”

Shaking his head, Eddie set his root beer down on their coffee table right next to Wayne’s drink. His face paled a bit as he looked back at Wayne, and when he opened his mouth to speak, the faintest of tears welled up in his eyes. This most definitely was not nothing, Wayne decided then and there. His frown deepened, joined then by a few crinkles by his eyes.

“Uncle Wayne...what if...what if I didn’t...what if I never had a lil’ one to win a vacation?”

“You mean not have kids?”

“Y-Yeah.”

Wayne paused, glancing at the TV. A reporter was interviewing the little boy’s dad, the boy giggling on his shoulders. It was cute. Not a be-all, end-all, but cute. 

He shrugged.

“Well, then I reckon you, your lady, and I’d save a lot on toys, but we’d manage well enough. We’d still be happy. Was that what was eating you up?”

Eddie once again shook his head. He looked ready for the earth to swallow him whole, just like the little boy. It made Wayne’s heart clench.

“N-No,” he sniffled. “I, uh...what if I didn’t have a lady? O-Or a kid? What if I had a...guy?”

Now, Wayne was not stupid. He knew well enough that this was an option - had read the papers, met a few people like Eddie in the city. Admittedly, he had actually been worried that Scott might have kicked Eddie out for this reason when he’d gotten the call to take him in. Scott had never been one to hold an open mind, let alone an open relationship with his kid, and the little bits of Eddie’s personality that he had been able to see throughout the years had shown him he was a polar opposite from his father in many ways. Wayne had wondered what he would have done, if things had happened that way.

Watching Eddie’s tears fall harder before his eyes and seeing his hands shake where they once shook his shoulders in confidence, Wayne realized he had only one option on the table even back then. It didn’t matter what went on in Eddie’s private life. Just like the drugs, all that mattered was that Eddie was being safe and coming home to Wayne at night. Wayne could never, ever abandon him. He was his boy. His incredibly brave, incredibly loving boy who just wanted to be accepted. Who was he to be the one to turn away that love, to abandon him again, over something so inconsequential to his day-to-day life?

Placing his hand on Eddie’s knee, Wayne pushed the scraggly hair reeking of weed out of Eddie’s eyes and gave him a smile - a genuine, kind, scruffy smile only he could perfect.

“Like I said boy, we’d manage well enough. We’d still be happy.”

And really, it was as easy as that.

They embraced. Eddie thanked him. Wayne shoved his root beer back into his hand and teased Eddie about drawing the line at him ogling the opposing team, startling him into raucous laughter. Later, when the Hoosiers hoisted the championship trophy over their heads, they embraced again and did so as if nothing ever happened and they were meant to always be on that couch, just the two of them - just as they had, years ago. 

Winning the championship from the safety of their trailer was far from winning a trip to Disney. They also were far from a traditional father and son. But, they were happy, and like before, Wayne could live with that.

Gray hairs and all, he could always live with that.

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

Ten years after watching the Hoosiers make the national championship together with Eddie, Wayne had to wonder if he would ever get to do so again.

It was not the Hoosiers’ fault. They were not doing amazingly, but they also were not that bad that year despite losing their final regular-season game to No. 7 Michigan. They had a real shot in the tournament as an underdog and a bright future when it came to their upcoming class of men. It would be maybe two years tops before they were right back at the top fighting for the championship, Wayne was sure.

No, this time, it was because his nephew, his wonderful nephew who had become such a boisterous and interesting young man, was fighting for his life on some operating table.

Wayne had not been told exactly what happened. The Henderson boy, the one Eddie had been taking under his wing, had only spared him a few details before limping away to check on his friends. There was something about an animal attack and Eddie fighting them off before they could hurt others. Somehow the earthquakes made it all worse, and Eddie wasn’t doing too well. Wayne might not have believed it all with how strange the timing was, but the blood coating the Henderson boy’s shirt and Eddie’s guitar pick necklace was fairly convincing. Scarily convincing. 

So, Wayne stayed. Waited. Paced. 

He worried in the waiting room of Hawkins General, hoping for a miracle and for his boy to come walking out safe and sound to him, to tell him this was all a lot of hullabaloo over nothing. They had a game to catch that night, after all. Eddie couldn’t miss Cleveland State go down, couldn’t let his root beer get warm.

The thing was, it was not a lot of hullabaloo over nothing. It was real, and Eddie was not coming out of that ER anytime soon if the lack of word his way was an indication. And, as if that was not jarring enough of a thought, John Harrington’s boy, Steve, was the one to affirm so.

Wayne had heard a little about Steve through Eddie. Mostly, he had heard that the boy hung out with some real jerks. He never was the one causing the trouble apparently, but he was still caught up in that wrong crowd, still unable to find a real way to escape and forced to appear as a jerk to survive. Eddie swore things would be different, if he only could break free. Wayne had been skeptical - knew better than to think the son of known-asshole John Harrington could ever be kind and worth caring for.

This night proved him wrong.

He just looked kind. Unlike his father, he had a softness in his eyes that said he meant no harm and a cautiousness to his movements that screamed hyper-aware of other’s feelings. He called Wayne sir when he asked to sit by his side, and when he did finally make it down all the way, he made sure to ask if Wayne was okay - Wayne, of all people, who wasn’t sitting there wearing blood and something sickeningly grimy all over himself. It almost made Wayne laugh, in a tragic sort of way, that someone so young could be so selfless even as the world was crumbling around him and his insides threatened to escape him.

Instead, he nodded and gestured to the TV.

“You follow this season?”

Nodding, Steve rubbed at his neck. A bit of red was etched there too, to Wayne’s horror.

‘Yeah. Though, I uh...I missed the ending of the Michigan game. Did they win?”

“Nope,” Wayne said, a bit choked up. “Was a bad one, ‘m afraid.”

“Oh.”

Silence returned. 

It stayed, permeated like a thick cloud over the two of them and later the entirety of Eddie’s friend group, all the way through the ebbs and flows of the game. It was a much better game than the Michigan one thankfully, but the Hoosiers stood little chance with the lack of depth they had. They just were not on that night how they needed to be, did not have the spirit to make it happen. Sure enough, as the final seconds ran out on the clock, Cleveland State had them beaten by four. Their tournament run was done and short-lived, over too soon.

Just like Eddie, Wayne’s mind supplied cruelly. He turned to Steve, fighting tears.

“Maybe it’s a good thing Eddie missed this.”

Steve, blinking away his own tears, turned to Wayne confused and frowning. “Eddie watches basketball?”

“Does his best. He’s never been a big fan of the thing, but the Hoosiers are our team. We never miss a game, actually.”

“Oh. I had no idea.”

His hands began to rub at his thighs as if he were nervous. They gave a little shake too, if Wayne was not seeing things, and that just about broke Wayne’s heart. 

By then, he knew what fear looked like. He knew when he saw confidence crumbling, when uncertainty was rearing its ugly head. Eddie had made him a pro at spotting it. He’d arrived home terrified plenty of times, had used Wayne as a rock when he felt his cool slipping away.

Steve looked eerily similar.

And in that moment, with the Hoosiers leaving the court on the screen, Wayne realized that there was a reason. John Harrington’s boy was far more than John Harrington ever would be. Steve was a kind boy, a caring boy. A boy who at some point shook the chains of his father and grew to care for Eddie, for the town freak, in his own unfathomable way. A boy who chose to share a game alongside the freak’s uncle and ignore his wounds, all because he wanted to be around when they knew if he would be okay. 

Wayne did not know much, but he knew that meant something.

He definitely knew that it would mean something to Eddie, if he ever left that operating room.

So, not caring who saw, Wayne pulled Steve into his arms and refused to let go. Just sat there letting the boy decompress on his shoulder, showing him he was not alone in...well, whatever fearful nightmare they were in. He listened to his choked breaths, rubbed his back when those breaths turned into full sobs, and watched the ER door stay shut as reality washed over him. 

There was a chance Eddie would never wake to see another Hoosier game with him. 

There was a chance he would never get to bond with Steve over basketball. 

There was a chance it would be just him and Steve, watching games in the ER each year, hoping for good news and anticipating the worst between plays.

But, there was also a chance Eddie would wake and get to do everything he wished to do and more. There was a chance Eddie would one day raid his root beers again, laugh at how silly the Hoosier’s mascot looked, and maybe even nag Steve to explain what was going on in the games so Wayne didn’t have to. Maybe, they could all attend a game one day and just enjoy it. Live a little, as the saying went. 

Holding Steve tight, Wayne hoped an outcome like that would even be possible.

And then, he hugged tighter.

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

“Okay, this is the LAST popcorn I am buying. Freakin bottomless pits, the both of you.”

Giggling behind a strand of his hair, Eddie took the bucket of popcorn from Wayne’s hands and handed it over to Steve at his side. Steve readily took a handful before passing it back. He then loudly slurped his drink, making Eddie giggle.

“Hey, it’s hard work pretending to care in front of two basketball aficionados. I’ve got to fuel up if I ever want to look like I belong here.”

“Babe, I’m pretty sure that train passed like, an hour and a half ago when you walked in,” Steve teased with a mouthful of kernels. Eddie rolled his eyes and tossed a kernel at his nose. 

Steve, of course, tossed one back, starting World War III in section 20.

If it had been any other game with any other relative of his and his relative’s partner, Wayne might have raised his voice and gotten a bit upset at the two to his left causing a scene. However, it wasn’t. It was his nephew Eddie, finally fully healed from the disaster that nearly cost him his life, and his nephew-in-law (or, soon-to-be at least, if Wayne’s guesses were correct), Steve. The two were absolute menaces, but they were having fun. They were being kids. After everything they had seen and been through, and after almost losing them both, Wayne supposed they were allowed a few slightly annoying, borderline embarrassing moments of existence in public. 

Well, at least while the TV timeout went on.

“Way-neee,” Eddie cried after a few more kernels went his way, shoving Steve’s hat - a new Hoosiers cap he’d purchased earlier - down his face, “make him stop! He’s gonna waste all the good buttered stuff at the top of the bucket!”

“Should’ve thought about that when you made the first shot,” Steve grumbled back. The moment his hat was back in place, he was reaching into the bucket and teasing a handful of the buttery stuff in Eddie’s face. All efforts to retaliate were soon thwarted by Wayne though, courtesy of the buzzer blaring loud around them.

“I’ll toss the whole thing if you two make me miss the final minute.” 

Eddie, in true Eddie fashion, gasped. His hand also landed on his chest dramatically for emphasis, as if he needed it. “You wouldn’t!”

Eyeing the half-finished root beer in Eddie’s cupholder, Wayne shrugged and turned his eyes to the court. “Dunno. Might feel like tossing the drink too while I’m at it if you keep it up.”

“You WOULDN’T!”

“Shhhh Eds, they’re taking the court!”

And take the court, they did. The Hoosiers were neck-and-neck with the Syracuse Orangemen (”We’re playing oranges? What the hell?” “Shut up and eat your popcorn, Eddie.”). With the final few shots imminent and both teams tied at 70, everyone was on the edge of their seat. Syracuse had the ball, and with plenty of time to burn off the clock, it was possible they would render Indiana unable to answer their ‘winning shot.’ That was their plan, after all, and it almost came to fruition with a well-timed two-pointer with under a minute to go. 

Wayne gripped onto his arm rest. Steve nervously ate popcorn. Eddie nervously watched Steve eat popcorn.

And then, Indiana not only missed their shot, but gave Syracuse an attempt at making two more points. 

“Freakin refs hate us,” Wayne grumbled into his drink. He picked it up just as Eddie picked up his and sipped in harmony. Eddie considered making a joke about it until he noticed the grim look on both his and Steve’s face beside him. He sunk in his seat.

“Maybe they’ll help us out later.”

“Fat chance,” Steve moaned, leaning back in his chair. He ran his hand roughly through his hair. “They’ve been keeping this game close. Fuck, we’re gonna lose on stupid foul shots!”

“Fear not my king, there is still time,” Eddie offered gently with a tiny smile. He then faltered, turning to Wayne. “Right? It’s not like, over? They can still win?”

Wayne shook his head. “Still got time. Thirty seconds or so, I reckon.”

Eddie brightened. “Thirty seconds is plenty! It can still be okay!”

Sure enough, after the Syracuse player made his foul shots (and missed one, thank goodness), the Hoosiers were able to grab the ball and score, putting them at 73-72 with thirty seconds exactly. It was a surmountable hurdle, but the groans from Steve and Wayne both revealed to Eddie that it was not as hopeful as it seemed. Apparently, another round of foul shots were in order for Syracuse. Having to tie and force overtime was a lot less fun than scoring a two and calling it a championship. 

Eddie draped Steve’s jacket over their seats and reached for his hand beneath it.

“Maybe they’ll be okay,” he murmured, eyes hopeful. 

Steve gave Eddie a soft look. 

“HE MISSED!”

The two boys’ heads whipped toward the court in shock as the Hoosiers stormed down it, ball in hand. In seconds, they were standing alongside Wayne and the rest of the Hoosier faithful, shouting for the Hoosiers to ‘go.’ The clock ticked. The roar grew louder. The anticipation rose.

Ten.

Nine.

Eight.

Seven.

“SMART SCORED!”

Before Eddie could process it, Wayne’s arms were tight around his body. He was being jumped around and shaken like a rag doll, while Steve yelled louder than Eddie had ever heard him yell at their side. Apparently, they were winning and might have won it all. Apparently, he had been right. 

He had been right. 

They were okay.

“WE WON?”

Well, sort of.

There was some issue with the clock that meant they might not have seen the end of the game just then. Eddie thought it was all a bit confusing - mumbled so from behind his drink. Wayne tried to parse it out for him, as did Steve, but Eddie just didn’t really know what they said. His brain was too caught up in the possibility that this might be a win. He wanted it so bad, craved it after everything that had gone down. He wanted to see his two favorite people happy. 

Patiently, he waited for them to give him an update he did understand. 

He got his answer when one second was placed on the clock.

“We’re gonna win it, Stevie,” he said in the quiet hush that fell over the crowd. “I can feel it. We’re gonna’ win.”

Glancing his way, Steve tried his best to smile. “I hope so.”

Eddie then turned to his uncle and bumped his shoulder. Wayne chewed at his lip before giving him his attention.

“We’re gonna’ win, right Uncle Wayne?”

It was small. It was nervous. It was incredibly like Eddie had sounded on that first night, when he had just wanted everything to be okay. Everything had turned out okay that night, in the end. It always somehow seemed to be okay in the end when it came to Eddie. 

So, without any idea of what might happened, Wayne gave him a nod and nudged him back.

“Sure, kid.”

Syracuse held the ball on the far side of the court. 

The Hoosiers held their breath, as did Eddie. 

They took their shot across the court, time stood still, and-

“IT’S OVER!”

Everyone suddenly was jumping in the stadium. Wayne, even with his aching knees, jumped in front of his foldable seat like a little kid. Steve, screeching like before, jumped against Eddie and shook him enough to almost knock him off his feet, screaming ‘WE WON, IT WAS OKAY’ over and over. And, even though it hurt his ears and he really feared falling into the people in the row in front of them, Eddie had never felt more alive or glad to let him do it.

There was beauty to that moment, after all. It really had all worked out. He really could be happy and enjoy a win for what it was. He could look to the ones he loved, see them happy, and not have to question it or worry when he might feel happy next. That was beautiful. 

Almost as beautiful as his happiness looked to Wayne, who Eddie knew deep down would do it all again just to get them there to experience that moment of stupid balls-in-laundry-baskets bliss.

Eddie hates sports, but he is religious about watching basketball with Wayne (and Steve), and after the Championship of ‘87? Well, he damn might always will be.

[itsparis-07]

welp here's the script i was hyping up, sooo i want you guys to treat this like first fic and I don't minds some tips and other comments and such...but anyways enjoy!

Brooklyn’s Kidz 

By: itsparis!!

INT. BEDROOM - AFTERNOON

MONIQUE, a short,brown skinned,and fairly chubby girl with short black and red dreads sits on her bed, waiting for something to happen. She looks at her phone.

As MILES, a tall,brown skinned, with twin braids, was drawing a portrait of his crush at his desk, he stops and dials her number.

Monique picked up her phone and pressed the answer button.

MONIQUE 

Hey Miles, I was hoping you’d call me earlier than this.

Miles

I know, it’s just that unc had me out there on patrol and well you know how that goes.

MONIQUE 

Right, so did you hear about the trip to Florida. It's for juniors this time.

MILES

Mhm… I’m going, don’t worry ma.

Monique smiles while playing with her dreads and kicks her feet back and forth. Miles adjusted himself on his bed against a pillow and sighs.

MILES

I'm guessing you’ve found someone to sit with?

MONIQUE

Nah, I wanna sit with you, that's why I didn’t ask anyone today.

MILES

Don’t play with me.

MONIQUE

I’m not,think about it Miles we’ll be in the middle and not in the back like last year.

MILES

Wait, why aren’t we sitting in the back again?

MONIQUE

Dude, what do you think happens in the back seats on a field trip with no teachers until we get to the hotel on a bus filled with juniors?

MILES

Oh. . . right, those kids go back there right?

Monique laughs, covering her face with her free hand and turns over to the left side of her bed and sighs to catch her breath.

MONIQUE

Bruh, sometimes I wonder how you got into visions with a brain like yours.

MILES

Maybe, it’s because I didn’t get in because of some program unlike some girl I know.

MONIQUE

Okay, and who helped you out in Spanish when your mom found out you almost got a C?

MILES

Aight, you got that one I’mma let it slide.

MONIQUE

(She sighs in pure bliss)

I love using that against you, speaking of your mom, how is she and your uncle?

MILES

They're okay, Ya know maybe we should bring some snacks and stuff for the bus ride.

MONIQUE

You mean like right now or tomorrow, because I was gonna go to theo’s after I called you.

MILES

Right now is fine, we can just walk there and you and I can just hang out in my room if you want.

MONIQUE

Yeah, I'm down.

She presses the red button to hand up, and puts her phone into her left pocket while getting off of her bed. She tied her high tops and walked out her room door. Miles does the same and walks out of his room letting his mom know where he’ll be until dinner.

FADE OUT :

INT.  SIDEWALK - EVENING

Monique stands outside of the store waiting for Miles, tapping her foot impatiently. She tucks her braids behind her ears. Miles crosses the street walking towards her. Monique looks up joyfully.

MONIQUE

Way to keep me waiting, And don’t use that “time is relevant” line because I will smack you.

MILES

Hey,You know that lines work, you laugh at it everytime.

MONIQUE

God, how are you from brooklyn and you're this corny?

MILES

 Just shut up and go in!

They walked in the store and looked at each other then looked around for snacks. They stopped at the drinks and both grabbed root beers.

MILES

So what else should we get, I mean food stamps can only get so much you know.

MONIQUE

Yeah I know, but some candy should do it or maybe some chips?

MILES

Hot cheetos!

MONIQUE

(She shivers)

EW, those things are practically made out of wax!

MILES

Huh?

MONIQUE

Remember in third grade, when you melted one on the playground and it actually happened?

MILES

Oh yeah, I forgot about that well whatever I’m still gonna eat em’.

MONIQUE

You're so disgusting.

Monique picks up a bag of sea salt chips, two cans of pringles, and a ginger ale, as Miles gets a bag of hot cheetos, some skittles,and some orange soda, as they both walk to the checkout counter Miles followed right behind her and paid for their stuff, they walked onto the sidewalk and continued walking forward down the sidewalk.

MILES

So, your place or mine?

MONIQUE

Yours,Anyways don’t you think it’s weird how we’re getting this high class trip to Miami, I mean like where did BVA get the money from to do these trips?

MILES

I mean it is a boarding school, so maybe like public funding or government funding?

MONIQUE

Yeah,sure. . .

MILES

So, who do you think is gonna be your roommate?

MONIQUE

I was hoping for you, but it’s obvious that we’re all going separated by gender and I don’t blame them.

MILES

What, You think some kids have the balls to sneak into each others rooms just to fu-

      (Monique covers his mouth mid sentence and lets go.)

MONIQUE

Stop and think for a minute, what happens when two idiot teenagers are alone with each other in the same room at night?

MILES

Okay but we’re young, it’s bound to happen plus with no teachers on the bus… yeah it’s not gonna go well.

MONIQUE

Ya think?!

Miles and Monique walked into a rooming house and shut the door behind them walking up to door 208. Miles opened the door greeting his mother RIO and closed the door behind him.

RIO

Miles, is that you?

MILES

Yeah, I’m back from the corner store with monique. 

RIO

Good, dinner should be done in a little bit. Monique, it's nice for you to come over again, how's your mother?

MONIQUE

She’s alright, I’m just over here to talk to Miles about the school’s trip to Florida. The school is giving the juniors a chance for a trip.

RIO

Right that trip, I’m just counting on you to keep my son in good shape and out of trouble.

MILES

Mami,I’m not a little kid any more I'm 16,Entonces no preocuparse por favor. 

RIO

Cortar el afuera mijo, don't tell me not to worry for your safety.

MILES

Ma,don't worry about me. I'll call you when me and monique get on the bus and when we get to the hotel,yo promesa.

Miles and Monique eat dinner as they finished they helped Rio washes dishes, afterwards They enter Miles’s room keeping the door creaked open sitting on his bed.

MILES

Aight, did we get everything for the trip tomorrow? 

MONIQUE

Yup, snack wise but everything else is up to us on what to pack like hygiene and clothes, but I mean this is our first trip till we’re seniors and the only time we won’t be wearing our uniforms.

MILES

True, so what time do you need to head home again?

MONIQUE

Before the streetlights,speaking of that rule, haven't you wondered why that was our curfew growing up?

MILES

I don't know, but I'm thinking about seeing all the pretty girls out there…

MONIQUE

Um, hello you have a girlfriend sitting dead in front of you!

MILES

Right, my bad mi vida.

FADE IN :

INT. IN THE FRONT OF THE SCHOOL - DAY

Miles, Monique, and other kids of the school stood outside waiting for the buses. Monique held Miles’s hand while on her other hand she was  biting her nails.

MILES

You're holding my hand a little tight there, you good?

MONIQUE

Yeah, it’s just what I’m feeling right now, I don’t know if I should be nervous or excited.

MILES

(spoke with a smile on his face)

You’ll be fine ma, you're sitting with me in the middle and I’ll just give you my earbuds.

MONIQUE

(sighs)

Thanks Miles, but I’m fine I just haven’t been on a trip in a minute ya know?

MILES

I get it, just take a deep breath and wait for the bus.

MONIQUE

(with a calm yet nervous tone)

Okay, I’ll try to calm down.

The school buses pulled up to the front of the academy. After every group got done with attendance from their teachers, each class walked on the buses and sat down in a seat with their baggage, Miles and Monique sat in a random three sitter in the middle row and sighed.

MILES

Well, this is it. I'm hoping we can go shopping or head to Universal or Disney world.

MONIQUE

And where’s the money to do all that Morales?

MILES

I have a job, it ain’t like I’m broke or something.

MONIQUE

(she says while laughing, she rolled her eyes and looked at him shaking her head.)

That doesn't mean you're rich either,look I have enough money for shopping but knowing visions they’d probably give a free trip to disney like they did with the seniors last year.

MILES

(He puts his earbuds in and starts a playlist called “MM ♥ ️ MJ” holding one out for her to take.)

 So, you wanna listen with me or do you wanna hear the yelling of screaming banshees?

MONIQUE (she takes the earbud and put its in her right ear and puts her head on his shoulder, she sighs as the bus starts to move looking out window. )

So you're not gonna call her yet, I mean your mom is still worried about you. 

MILES

Yeah I know, but… I’ll call her when we make it to the hotel or something.

MONIQUE

Alright, but can we please stop listening to post malone? like play some tyler or just anything else?

Miles rolled his eyes as he chuckled to her and put his hands on her waist. Monique smiled at him tuning out the rest of their class all at once and focusing on him.

FADE IN :

INT. A Gas station - EVENING  

A group of students were hanging around the gas station or going to the bathroom, miles and monique walked into the covenant store looking around.

MILES

So you gettin’ any snacks or drinks, because I got enough for a little something if you want.

MONIQUE

Maybe, but we still got the stuff we got from theo’s and that should hold us off for a bit.

MILES

Right, let’s go outside and wait till the bus is fueled up I guess.

They walked outside the store sitting on the curb, Monique pulled a blunt out her pocket lighting it and taking a small drag passing it to him.

MILES

Hey I wanted to ask, what did you see in me to like ask me out and stuff?

MONIQUE

Well, I mean you and me are like out of at least 15 other the only black kids there at visions,but besides all that I like that you're a geek and you're pretty,and your freckles are like stars in a way I don’t know but I'm bound to you.

MILES

Wow I mean, I like you too and that beauty mark of yours yeah I know about it you don’t even have to hide it,and if you’d let me can I take you out during the trip?

MONIQUE

(She scoffs at him, while taking a drag she passes it back to him.)

In your dreams Morales, but hey game recognize game don’t think I don’t know bout it.

MILES

 (He takes the last puff and steps on it, putting it out on the sidewalk and standing up with Monique.)

Yeah, whatever you say.

All the students got back on the bus and in their seats,as Miles and Monique went back to the middle row and sat down listening to their playlist getting lost in their own little world and the bus was back on the road again.

FADE OUT :

INT. HOTEL HALLWAY - NIGHT

Monique and Miles walked in the hallway until they stopped at a door with the numbers 103, and with a keycard she opened the door and let themselves in sitting on the bed.

MONIQUE

So, let’s fill out the plan sheet tonight then tomorrow we'll know what to do that day so we won’t be lost.

MILES

Do you ever not use a planner sheet? Monique, come on, at least try to have actual fun.

MONIQUE

But Miles I just wanna be sure. Also, did you call your mom yet because she called me and texted me “thanks for picking up and telling him when he gets back, we’re gonna have a talk.” 

MILES

(He sucked his teeth as he sat beside Monique on the bed.)

Wow, yeah that sounds about right… So do you wanna stay up or?

MONIQUE

Do you even have to ask?

They spent the whole time talking about anything yet nothing at the same time, again getting lost in their little world as the Florida rain fell from the sky hitting softly on the ground while the streetlight shining through the window.

Fade out :

Time lapse throughout the whole trip from different places from the mall, disney world, universal, and now it’s the last day after packing their things Miles and Monique joined the rest of their class along with teachers still doing attendance. The buses pulled up to the front of the hotel and all the students got on the bus and sat in the same seats that sat on the way there.

INT. IN FRONT OF BVA - AFTERNOON

After all the students got off the buses everyone’s parents came to pick up their kids, as miles and monique waited for miles’s uncle AARON to pull up and as if right on que he pulled up on the curb and the two got in the back.

AARON

So who’s this girl? I thought it was just you I was picking up.

MILES

Oh, this is my… partner Monique. She’s Ms.Jackson's daughter and they live on the same floor as me and mom.

AARON

And y'all haven’t?

MILES

 Just drive!

AARON

Alright alright, how was the trip? y'all had fun?

MONIQUE

Yeah, Florida was nice and didn't worry him and I didn’t get in much trouble.

AARON

Good, somebody has to keep a good eye on him if I’m not around and you seem to fit the role very well if his mom trusts you that much.

MONIQUE

Wow, so you are the problem child. I had a feeling about that.

MILES

(He playfully hit her shoulder while he laughed.)

Shut up, that was one time and one time only!

MONIQUE

Uh-huh, keep telling yourself that miles I mean whatever helps with the denial.

Fade in : 

INT. THE ROOMING HOUSE - EVENING

Aaron’s car pulled to the rooming house as Miles and Monique got out of the car they walked to the door, Miles pressed the buzzer letting his mom their back and Aaron's car pulled away and the two went inside and walked up the stairs and to their doors.

MILES

So, I’ll see you on monday?

MONIQUE

Dude, it’s not like I can skip school plus you're kinda the only reason I go anyways… Goodnight Miles.

MILES

Right, good night Moni.

She walked up to him giving a small kiss on his two toned lips, as they broke the kiss she smiled at him and walked inside her apartment, Miles doing the same.

[theoddcatlady]

Mr. Ferguson

I think the whole street breathed a sigh of relief when we saw the EMTs take a body bag out of the Ferguson house. I was only about ten or eleven at the time and it’s been a while so some details of my childhood are lost to time, but I can’t forget Mr. Ferguson.

There was never a Mrs. Ferguson in the picture, as far as I know. He lived in the house on the corner, the one with the bright yellow shutters and the gorgeous garden out back. The garden didn’t make up for the rotten old bastard he was. I wondered once if he was nicer when he was younger, when he didn’t have to walk with a cane and could actually get around without help, but my dad set me straight on that one. Mr. Ferguson had always been a terrible person and the neighbor from hell.

All day long, Mr. Ferguson would sit on his front porch in his rocking hair, grasping onto his black cane as he stared out on the street. If someone walking their dog even got close to his yard, he’d start spewing threats about what he’d do if the dog took a shit on his lawn. If a kid put even a toe on his property, he’d get up from that chair and start shouting more terrible things. I learned my first cuss words from Mr. Ferguson, he didn’t censor his language even among the smallest of ears. And he wasn’t all talk. One of my friend’s dogs wandered into the Ferguson yard, just sniffing around as beagles do, and Mr. Ferguson beat that dog bloody. The poor thing had anxiety for the rest of its life and if you so much as passed the Ferguson house with it the dog would lose its mind.

Other than him, our neighborhood was a friendly place. Summers were full of cook outs and pool parties, winters had Secret Santa gift exchanges and someone was always willing to help shovel out your driveway. You’d never be hard pressed to find a babysitter on short notice, odds are your friend had a teenage daughter willing to make a few bucks to make sure the kids were on bed in time.

But not Mr. Ferguson. People did try to bring him in on the fun sometimes. He’d scoff and tell them to leave him alone in no uncertain terms. Mom said he just wanted to be miserable. I didn’t understand how someone could want that and well, I still don’t.

One hot summer morning though, his caretaker came in to do a check and found him in his garden, dead as a door nail. Probably a stroke or a heart attack.

My mom made us go to the funeral. I don’t know why, she probably hated Mr. Ferguson the most and we were like one of five people that went. One of those people was the priest. At least it was short, the priest just said a few words about how we should treasure our lives and be good to others and then Mr. Ferguson was chucked into the ground.

That was that… or so I thought.

The accidents started happening just a week later.

I was at my friend Michael’s house, we were playing board games when we heard the crash. It was so loud it shook the house and Michael dropped his soda. Root beer spilled onto the carpet as we tried to figure out what that sound was for a second.

Then we heard his dad screaming bloody murder.

Forgetting completely about the spilled soda, we ran out to the garage where he’d been working on changing the oil in the car.

Michael’s dad was pinned by the car against the garage door, face white as a sheet as his head lolled to the side. I saw blood splattered against the off gray color of the metal and I puked while Michael ran inside to call 911.

It was luck that he survived. He never walked again and health issues plagued him for the rest of his life, but for a guy crushed by a car that’s probably best case scenario.

It was an accident, sure, but a weird one. The car just suddenly launched forward as Michael’s dad stood in front of it. But there was no one in the garage with him. So yeah. It was just an accident.

But accidents started happening more and more often.

The next one was at the final pool party of the season. We were all at the Benson house because they’d just gotten a brand new hot tub. There was probably like twelve kids running around, the sun was shining, the barbecue was sizzling. I had just gotten out of the pool to grab a lemonade and was chatting with Annie when I heard the pop.

Mrs. Benson and her friends had been relaxing in the hot tub, making jokes and laughing until the pop. Their bodies suddenly went rigid before they began rapidly jerking about and twitching. Mr. Benson shouted if she was all right and I heard this gurgled yell before Mrs. Benson went under.

The kids stampeded out of the pool and I smelled something burning before I realized that the hot tub was on fire.

Mrs. Benson and her sister ended up dying on the way to the hospital. The other woman ended up surviving but not without some serious electrical burns. Electrocution via hot tub. Just an accident. But there was one more accident we all missed until we returned to the pool to see a little body floating at the top. Three year old Maggie had fallen in during the chaos and drowned.

Mr. Benson moved away after that. Losing both his wife and youngest child in that house just killed something inside of him. But after he moved away, we all saw it happen.

His backyard became overgrown by plants. Not over a few weeks, like what happens when a house is uninhabited and there’s no one to mow the lawn. The very day after they’d left that house the backyard was now filled with dandelions, daffodils, lilies. and all sorts of flowers that shouldn’t naturally appear in the late summer.

It was like a garden.

Accidents happen, sure. But not like this. Not when a guy who’s been working home improvement his entire life ends up toppling from a ladder and breaking his spine. Not when a mom trips and falls face first into the open dishwasher and ends up getting impaled on a knife. Not when a toddler was left alone for just a few seconds and ends up nearly drowning in the bathtub.

Dogs ran into the road and ended up getting hit by cars. Kids fell from their bunk beds and cracked their heads like eggshells on their dressers. Teenagers got into fatal car wrecks. It was a mess.

Two other families ended up leaving our neighborhood and their yards had the same fate as the Benson’s- completely grown over. A morbid beauty.

Fall came and the yards grew brown but the gardens seemed to be even greener. The whispers started about a ghost. A ghost that was such a miserable old bastard in life and was now a nasty poltergeist in death.

Mr. Ferguson had never left our neighborhood.

It all came to a head when a tree was struck by lightning and a large tree limb crashed into our living room. I’d just tripped while picking up my things and suddenly the roof caved in above me. I was lucky I was on the ground. If I’d been standing, well, I’d probably not be telling you this story.

Two nights later my mom woke me up. She looked grim.

“Come on. We’re going to see Mr. Ferguson.”

When we walked out of the house, I saw everyone on our street was out. Everyone had this same grim look on their face. The deaths, the mutilation, it’d forever tarnished our street and we’d all had enough. We walked down the street, I saw several guys walk into Mr. Ferguson’s house with mallets and chainsaws, but we kept going with a few of the others. I saw that several of the adults were carrying shovels and containers of lighter fluid.

We walked into the graveyard and my mom led them right to Mr. Ferguson’s grave. She took a deep breath.

“… Start digging.”

It was the frantic endeavors of people who believed they were cursed. Dirt flew in the air and nearly pelted me in the head a few times. I hid behind my mom, who just stood there stone faced.

Even now the accidents weren’t over. A man tripped in the hole and his leg snapped like a twig. He wailed as he was dragged away by a few others before they got right back to digging. Someone else got smacked the face with a shovel and blood coursed down his face from his nose as he just kept on digging.

Finally the coffin was reached, the lid cracked open. Mr. Ferguson’s body laid inside. He didn’t even look dead, it was like he was just taking a nap.

Then they started pouring the lighter fluid in. It covered the corpse’s skin, his clothes. They probably added more than necessary. My mom struck the match and threw it in, shielding me from the sudden burst of flames.

I didn’t get to see the body, but I swore I heard that old man’s yelling as his body burned.

It was over after all that. The gardens were all dead by morning. The accidents stopped. And although we’d lost so many of our friends over the past year, we recovered. New neighbors moved in. We welcomed them into our fold. One or two asked about the property on the corner, the one that looked like a tornado hit it, and we’d just say it was vandals. They stopped asking. We never talked about what we did to Mr. Ferguson’s body. And soon we just stopped thinking about it.

I grew up on that street. Even now I only live a few blocks away. And for so long I wondered why our family was practically the only one untouched by the tragedy. We never got hurt, even when the tree branch came crashing into our living room.

I think I found out the answer. See, my mom passed away a few months ago from breast cancer and I’ve been going through her things. She’s always been such a good, kind woman and it was great seeing pictures of her helping plant the garden behind the church and teaching at the local school.

But in the bottom of the box, hidden under dozens of other albums, was a picture from when she married my dad. Unlike the family picture with the groom, all it was was my mom and an older man. I didn’t recognize him until I flipped the picture over.

On the back was written ‘Pauline Walters (P. Ferguson) and The Father of the Bride.’

[the--blackdahlia]

Bartender (Sittin' at a Bar)

Title: Bartender (Sittin' at a Bar)

Summary: Mox and Hangman sitting at a bar.

Warning: Brief language

Max was third-wheeling Britt and Cole in the far corner, trying everything he could to get them to “ditch this lousy, white trash bar and go to the better one down the street”.

“Come on, they have karaoke!” Max loudly told them, making Britt look at Cole with a “you’re totally sleeping on the couch” look.

Across the room, Hook was staring down at his phone with an ice pack against his neck as Tazz ranted and raved.

“That no good, lying, dirty, evil, son of a mother fucking whore who…”

There were bits of conversation from different wrestlers that drifted around, but Mox wasn’t really listening to any of it. Instead, he sat at the bar, staring down at his glass of Canada Dry with a couple of cherries in it. He hurt, both emotionally and physically. He just wanted to be left alone. He wished that the weight of the chip on his keychain wasn’t so heavy, because he would’ve loved to have traded ginger ale for a pale ale. He felt someone settling down by him. He half expected it to be Claudio.

“Two IBC,” Hangman told the bartender, who set two glass bottles in front of him. He pushed one over to Mox before taking a drink of his.

“I don’t drink anymore cowboy,” Mox grumbled. Hangman gave him a half smile.

“I don’t either,” He explained, turning the bottle to show him the label. Mox read it and raised an eyebrow.

“Root beer?” Mox asked, making Hangman nod. “You and your buddies here to brag about your win?”

“Just me here. And I just want to have a cold root beer.” 

Mox looked around, but sure enough, there were no other members of the Golden Elite hanging around. Just Hangman.

“Where are your buddies?” Mox asked, taking the root beer in front of him and sipping it. Damn, it really did taste better out of the bottle.

“Kenny’s hanging out with Kota before he has to leave. Matt and Nick are probably shoe shopping,” Hangman shrugged, staring down at the shiny wood of the bar. “Uno, John, and Alex hate me.”

“The spooky perverts?” Mox asked. “They’ll get over it. They always do.”

“I really fucked up bad this time.” Hangman signed. “What about you? I thought you’d be hanging with Yuta and Claudio.” After I almost broke his neck was left unsaid.

“I needed some time alone. And I really didn’t think this bar would be that busy.” Mox explained. “But of course, everyone and their third-wheeling boyfriend is here.” Mox was silent for a second. Hangman spoke up first.

“Why’d you tap?” Hangman asked quietly. He knew the answer, but he wanted to hear it from Mox.

“BEcause that kid is so damn scared of disappointing Bryan that he wouldn’t let you kill him,” Mox explained. “And I went so many years having no one who would’ve tapped for me if I needed it.” The uneasy silence fell between them again. And it got Hangman thinking. Yeah, he was back on good terms with the other guys, but if the tables had been turned, and Mox and Yuta were strangling the life out of him, would Matt or Nick tapped? Kenny? Kota? Hangman honestly wasn’t really sure.

“I’m sorry.” Hangman didn’t look up at Mox as he said that. Mox raised an eyebrow.

“For what?”

“Everything we’ve been doing the past few months. All the injuries and the blood…”

“It’s the name of the game.” Mox shrugged. “If I knew that the kinky bastard wouldn’t have liked it, I probably would’ve choked out Nick.” He was trying to make jokes. And honestly, Hangman really appreciated it. It helped keep those demons at bay. You know, the ones that liked to swim. “You should talk to the spooky perverts.”

“They don’t want to see me and I really don’t blame them,” Hangman took another drink. “I’m apparently one of those kids that can only have one friend at a time.”

“You know, I’ve been there. It ain’t healthy man. Or you’ll end up like me.”

“Yeah, guess you’re right,” Hangman tossed a twenty onto the bar. “Get you another root beer. And then go back to your boys. And tell Yuta I’m sorry.” With that, Hangman left, leaving Mox to his root beer.

And for the first time, Mox actually listened to Hangman, leaving to go check on Claudio and Yuta.

[newsie-collective]

Lesley Jacobs 🥰

Another two parter! I love this lil guy!! He's such a skrunkly lil man

Quickfire Favorites

Food: “Taffy! I love taffy! ‘Speshully the salt ones!”

Color: “Green! No blue! !!!!! A mix o’ green an’ blue!!!”

Season: “Root beer!” after a confused look “We learned ‘bout Sassafras in school! And how it’s a season that gets turned to root beer!” more confused staring “You meant season like… like spring an’ summer, din’cha?”

Weather: “I like when it’s rainin’! Then we get to hang out with Cowboy at Miss Medda’s! We get to see him paintin’!”

Hobby: “Sword fightin’! I’s gettin’ real good! You wanna see?”

Animal: “Pigeons! They real smart! They can find their way from a hundred miles away!”

Memory: “Meetin’ Miss Medda! Cowboy brought us to her theater an’ we got to see the Bowery Beauties an’ see Miss Medda perform for the first time!”

Comfort Item: “My sword! It keeps me safe when I’s hawkin’!”

His birth name was Lior, but his parents Americanized it when they settled. 

They hadn’t lived in another country, they’d lived in a different state that was far more forgiving toward the Jewish community

Les doesn’t know where exactly his family lived before, he was born right before they moved, so he doesn’t remember it

He also doesn’t have room in his brain for things he doesn’t think is interesting

So he couldn’t tell you what city or state

He knows it was further inland than New York

Is very excited to live near the ocean

Is also filled with giddy terror at the thought of going anywhere near the ocean

Lior (changed to Lesley, and later shortened to Les) Miron Jacobs 

He’s baby

There’s not much else to say 😌

But I will anyway

Les Jacobs had a pretty good childhood. He was the youngest of three siblings, and was the baby of the family. He was doted on for most of his younger years. 

His family shielded and protected him from discrimination. They would take the brunt of any snide remarks sent their way, leaving Les oblivious to others’ hatred. For a while. 

With Davey as his big brother and Sarah as his big sister, he grew up with mega big brains. School, for the most part, came easy to him. He would tell his siblings what they were going to learn that week, and they’d show him how to do it. 

He got in trouble a lot for talking and fidgeting during class

It only got worse after the strike. 

Because he’d been out of school for so long he didn’t really remember how to sit still

Definitely has Gifted Kid Syndrome when he gets older. He tries so hard when he’s young, but after the strike and being around the newsies, school was kind of… boring. 

He cared less and less about schoolwork and more and more about hawking and being around the newsies. He wanted to learn less about school subjects and more about life.

Anything he wasn’t good at, he didn’t want to do. He wanted to be good at the things he did as soon as he tried them (Like hawking papes)

Les is neurodivergent 

I know everyone usually says ADHD, or something similar

But hear me out

Hyperlexia. More specifically Hyperlexia II.

There wasn’t a name for it back then, I think the name only came about less than a hundred years ago. 

Hyperlexia II occurs in children with autism. They are captivated by letters and words and numbers. 

He’s very good with dates, and loves learning new things. He loves spending time with Elmer and Davey. They can teach him math and reading, new words, new ways to see the world.

On that note, I believe Les has autism

Definitely has echolalia. He can and will repeat the phrases spoken by the people nearby. It happens most often with the newsies, which has gotten him into far more trouble than anything else

Says fuck at least once a day, just echoing Crutchie the newsies

Once they get settled back into a routine with the newsies, he refuses to let anything come between him and that routine (including, but not limited to: his mom finding out that the newsies smoked around him, Jack and Davey’s first and only fight, him asking his dad to teach him how to play poker so he could play the next time the newsies play)

Their routine, for anyone who was curious:

Davey wakes up with the first light of day. Les wakes as soon as his brother stirs

They both get up, and get ready. Socks first. Les can’t stand the feeling of the floor on his bare feet. He dresses up from there. Pants, shirt, suspenders, hat. 

Mama calls them for breakfast as soon as the sunlight touches the roof of the next building.

After breakfast, during the school year, they go to school, and during the summer they go to the Lodge.

Their shoes stay by the door. That’s the last thing he puts on before they leave. 

He stays out hawking for the same amount of time that he would’ve been in school

Afterward, they go to the theater to see Miss Medda.

Then, back to the Lodge to hang out with the newsies for a bit

The newsies fight over who gets to give him a piggyback ride

He picked Jack every time

Until he found out that Albert and Finch would run with him on their back

He picks Albert usually, because he’s easier to get on, but will pick Finch without too much fuss if Albert is busy

They get back home at dusk, doing homework by the light of the sun (or a candle once the sun had set)

Once finished with homework, they bathe, and get into bed

Has to repeatedly be told that there are certain things he can’t say certain places

He can’t speak what little Yiddish he knows in public, for fear of retaliation by the masses

He can’t say anything about the strike or the union, had to stop going to meetings and rallies because he would just talk and talk and talk to people, and would unknowingly jeopardize the entire operation

He can’t tell anyone about when he sees Davey and Jack huddled together on the fire escape, looking a little too close to be just friends

Looks up to Jack, and Jack does his best to be the role model he needed growing up. He doesn’t want Les selling papes, doesn’t want Les to be near their side of town (it’s dangerous, even with the newsies having his back), much less actually being a newsie and hawking.

“Davey said if I don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. So I’m not gonna say anything to you :) “ -Les

Alternatively: “Davey said if I don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. But Davey ain’t here and you’re a little BI-” -Les, right before Jack remembers that he prefers life

Is the bicon everyone wants Jack Kelly to be

Is a pastel boyo

Everyone expects him to be a neon guy, to complete the trifecta (Davey having an e-boy aesthetic is everything to me. Sarah is 10000% pastel princess (and def has an alt edge to it) but he’s def stolen at least 3 of Sarah’s sweaters, and tried on 4 of her skirts (has told no one) because he likes how flowy they are

Can and will fall asleep anywhere and everywhere

Is an absolute god at Clue(do). Davey and Katherine get so frustrated on game night because Les can look at the people around him, make one suggestion to get an idea of what everyone thinks, watch cards exchange hands, and make his final guess the next round.

He wins every single time

He’s terrifying when it comes to April Fools Day.

Like to the point that he isn’t allowed to pull pranks anymore

Not because anyone gets hurt

But because everyone else gets butthurt that they can’t outdo Les’s absolute EXTRAVAGANZA

Gets a lot of his self worth from others. He looks to the others for approval after he says or does anything, because if they don’t approve or think he’s doing a good job then how can he possibly think he’s doing a good job?

Says beep instead of excuse me

Trusts everyone

That being said, if someone wrecks that trust it’s next to impossible to earn it back

He can and will hold a grudge for ages

His longest streak has been six months

And it was because Sarah brought him regular taffy instead of salted taffy

He didn’t trust her to bring him candy until one day she showed up with several bags of saltwater taffy

Loves listening to the others talk about the things they like, and is really good at retaining that information

He has a vague idea of what he’s supposed to do as a good Jewish boy, but doesn’t always remember specifics

[desolateice]

For character bingo: Chozen and Kumiko

I love them. I love the whole Okinawan crowd. Is the salad spinner a punishment? I wasn't sure what that one was. If it is, Chozen can go in the salad spinner. 😂Mostly for Tkk2 related things. I'm going to start with Kumiko though. I adore her. She threw a tomato at Chozen, danced with Daniel, had a sweet little romantic moment with Daniel during a huge monsoon in a broken down building. Which is a choice even though it was romantic. She was like I know a spot where no one will find us and it'll be romantic but if I remember correctly had like broken windows even before the storm. But she made it nice which is a feat. And it just lends to her personality. She's not fragile. She wanted so much more then her small village life and she went out and got it. I'm just bummed that she didn't do it in the films. Like I truly thing she would've thrived in LA. And I think it's kinda a poor write off that neither she nor Yukie went to LA with Daniel and Mr. Miyagi. But I am happy that she lived out her life doing what she wanted and that she even has a little trickster-y spirit to her setting Daniel up with Chozen in CK. I want her to come back and have a bigger part. I want her to meet all the gals and for them to have an amazing time. Let her take them dancing. Let her be in the baseball batting cage scene or something where she show's that she's still got perfect aim. (Headcanon of mine I guess is that she's a very good shot with like a baseball or something, from the tomato and all). I also really like Chozen. At first I was meh, but then when I was writing Root Beer Floats and Green Tea and taking the movie apart minute by minute I tried to give him a reason for his behavior. An excuse and it's become this settled headcanon that TKK2 is pretty much all a strangled and teen angst display of grief. Like he doesn't really seem to have any good outlets for his grief. His uncle is closed off, he's scamming the town so they don't get along, and he's got two bros but I mean he's also a teen. He's lived in a small village his whole life and the guy who taught his uncle karate is dying. That's kind of a huge deal. I could write a lot about it. Plus he's a teen too. Grief and complex emotions and bad choices. The death threats though not cool, holding a knife to Kumiko not cool the creepy threat at the dance place also not cool, into the salad spinner you go. But I also love Cobra Kai Chozen so much because he's healed. Like he had the opportunity to continue Miyagi's legacy, not Mr. Miyagi's but like Mr. Miyagi's dad's. And he's teaching and he's silly and having fun and it's like he grieved and found happiness again and I love that for him. I love the way he teaches the students at Miyagi-do/Eagle-fang and even Tory when he snuck into Cobra Kai. He's dialed up to an 11, even though it's like sometimes a bit too far, but he's there. He's got a silly dad energy about him that I enjoy. I like that he keeps everyone on their toes, that he went head to head with Silver (though I was so worried for him), that his only screw up really in his con was using Okinawan instead of Japanese when cheering (I screamed when he did that) I like how he meets everyone at their level. He gets fancy for Silver, he is both calming and ready to go for a fight with both Daniel and Johnny. He helps the kids where they are, but also destroys all their hidden eggs. But then again he's kind of embodied the Miyagi life. Which makes me wonder if some of what we're seeing is more Miyagi senior then our Mr. Miyagi. Parts that shown through and all. Or even the Mr. Miyagi that'd rubbed off on Sato as childhood best friends. Anyway I want Kumiko to come to LA for the final season, but not to be with Chozen. I want her to kick ass and dance all night and just fulfill that TKK2 promise of her going to LA. After all Chozen shouldn't have all the fun.