#seriously DO NOT SHIP. I will come into your home and not in a fun way <333 thank you

[mythicandco]

tmc queer headcanons because why not I s'pose

by the way don't ship anyone or I will put you in the cube. the BAD one

general orientation stuff:

Mark's aroace, uses he/him pronouns, and has trans vibes but I'm not totally sure? maybe agender. Cesar's pan, trans, maybe poly or ambiamorous? and fine with any pronouns (genderfluid before the word for that existed because. he died before 1994) but prefers he/him most of the time (can be very fem presenting though! lots of eyeliner and dresses n such. they're rocking it)

just for sillies, the whole BPS is bi. Evelin's bi and prefers guys (she's not DIRECTLY part of the 'Society but still), Sarah's bi and prefers girls, Jonah's bi and ALSO prefers guys, and Adam's quoiromantic bi-ace because I've gotta project onto SOMEBODY

Evelin uses she/her and sometimes they/them if she feels like it, Sarah's a transgirl and uses she/her, Jonah's a transguy and uses he/they, and Adam is Adam. (we don't. we don't know what he has going on but he prefers he/him)

Thatcher's ALSO bi (trans, he/him), Ruth is demi and cishet (she/her), and Dave's aroace n agender (I dunno why I feel like both of Alex's characters are aroace? they just. those are the Vibes yknow?). they also occasionally use they/them but usually he/him

all of the alts besides Adam are triple a - aro, ace, agender (get it? because. 333-) and use they/it but I think Gabriel and Six play around with he/him as well

additional things 'cause why not:

Mark and Cesar are stupid and codependent. thank you so much, mustang, for putting them permanently in my brain forever /lh, pos. also their dynamic is really funny because Cesar has like a guy draped over one arm a gal on the other and Mark's like "I don't get it but ok cool" I dunno I laugh thinking about that kind of interaction. they also would probably joke about how Mark let Cesar have all of his gender if they actually knew what that meant

bisexual pride society. that's it that's all I have to say about them

Ruth probably said she was an ally and didn't identify as demisexual because she didn't know that was a thing and died before the term was even coined, but if she did she'd be like "omg that's me!" and now I'm making myself sad thinking about it

Ruth also dated a girl once but ultimately decided it wasn't her thing (I imagine they're still really good friends tho!) because it's okay to try stuff out and decide it doesn't fit you

Dave never needed no bitches, but he does give surprisingly good dating advice (got it by watching Thatcher struggle all through high school. Thatcher, for the record, gives AWFUL advice.)

also the mcp3 went to a pride rally at least once before things went to shit. they deserve it

[orcelito]

I always get so angry but then I play video games and I'm no longer so angry

This is a problem when it comes to wanting to leave my shit ass job

[msfantasy-anime]

That’s my Wife you Jerk!

Monkey D. Luffy x Reader

Request: Luffy rescues his wife from the Big Mom pirates

Warning: based on whole cake island arch. Do not proceed if you do not want spoilers.

Part V

Now looking back, you could kick yourself silly for not taking Luffy up on his offer to join his crew when you had the chance.

In your fears of being chased and caught by the marines, you denied your a chance for adventure with the Straw Hat pirates.

It was so fun being with them that night. Why did you refuse Luffy’s offer?

Now you get to bask in your regret after having been chased and caught by the Big Mom pirates.

Standing before the pirate emperor, you wished you hadn’t gone aboard the merchants ship, when instead, you could’ve been on the thousand sunny, sipping cocktails and sunbathing on the deck grass.

A long fight later, and the merchants ship crew are long dead, and your fate remains at the mercy of Big Mom who took a keen interest in your strength.

“Ma-ma-ma-ma! You’re quite an interesting find! You must be the strongest Haki user I’ve ever seen, and by my experience, that’s definitely saying something. I think I’ll spare you.” Big Mom announces making you feel grateful at the prospects at your survival “You’ll be quite a fine addition to my family.” The feeling of relief is quickly fleeting, spiralling to defeat.

Once you’re married in, there is no escaping Big Mom.

“I’m already married.” You say, hoping to any god listening that Big Mom will spare your life and not force you to marry someone from her hoard.

“I’m well aware Monkey. Y/n.” Big Mom waives your excuse. “I think you would suit my son Katakuri just fine. Two strong Haki users are bound to heir a strong Haki protege.”

“Hell no! Listen here lady. I’m not marrying anyone! I’ve already got a husband, and that’s how it’s staying!” You challenge. Fears be damned, if you’re loosing your freedom, then it’s not a life worth living for.

“What makes you think you’ve got a choice girl?!” Big Moms voice seeps with venom. “You’d seriously rather die? What kind of idiot are you?”

“There’s no life if there is no freedom!” Your yell back, voice booming across the room with determination.

“Don’t you throw out your conquerors Haki to me you little brat! Listen here girl, that rubber idiot is on his way to my Island to take back his crew mate Sanji.” Your eyes bulge at the news. “Yes, that’s right. Vinsmoke Sanji is here marrying my daughter. Marry my son with no fuss and I won’t squash Straw hat.” You stare up unbothered at her threat. “Mark my words. If you become difficult, I’ll make sure Sanji has a hard and unhappy life.” Big Mom grins at your crumbling resolve.

You thought of Luffy and all of your past adventures together, and many more adventures ahead. That’s all you needed to reinvigorate your resolve. “Shove it hag! Sanji is a big boy, I’ll remind him where he belongs!” Big Moms vein pops from her forehead. “I’m not gonna marry your son and I’m not gonna join your stupid crew, because I already have a Captain! And my husband- he’s going to be king of the pirates!” You yell with all your might, making sure everyone felt the authenticity of your claim.

“Marriage or Death?!” Big Moms voice booms. But not a moment sooner, Luffy blasts through the wall, his hand impossibly inflated.

“That’s my wife you Jerk!” And with all his might, Luffy’s fist comes smashing down.

Dust fills the air, blinding you. Hearing the familiar echos of Luffy’s sandals, you begin to speak out. “Luffy! Take me home to the Thousand Sunny!” You demand, your wobbling lip coming to a stand still at Luffy’s maddening grin.

“Took ya long enough. Comm’on, the crews waitin’ for you.”

[cypresswood3]

You know what. Lemme share my opinions on Malevolent shippers. Not the ships themselves. The people.

Starting off strong, Dollins shippers are somehow the nicest and coziest people out there. You guys sometimes come up with the craziest stuff but. You know the perfect balance between treating these characters and their traumas seriously AND writing them like an old classic Tom-and-Jerry-like cartoon. They are goofy and cute and smell like home. One's a killer for hire and the other is a tortured-by-eldrich-beings detective and you manage to make it into a romcom. I have nothing but respect for Dollins shippers. You are so good to your characters. Like an opposite of Kayne. You smell of fresh pie.

Parkthur shippers are like... the adults of the fandom? I'm not sure how to put it. Yall are mature. You explore parkthur to hell and back. The way you write their relationship is always full comradery and love in its purest form. Not traumabonded like Noel and Arthur, not dependant like blind faith, not brought together by trials like jarthur, but not quite as domestic as dollins. Parkthur is always very real and very human. I'm honestly a big fan of parkthur myself. Arthur's backstory was always the more interesting part of the lore for me (breaking my silence I've always loved Arthur more than John and it'll remain so). So you guys. You guys are the big siblings of the fandom.

Arthur and Noel shippers... I've honestly only seen it done as Arthur x Noel x John. And I love that. You guys hold so much love for Noel it almost makes me tear up. The way you write your stuff feels more of a Noel's good ending then jarthur's. And it's not a complaint in the slightest. You take jarthur and you fit Noel in so well and smooth he actually fixes them. You make Noel jarthur's home and family, and you make them his anchors. You guys are full of hope. When it comes to John x Noel (Arthur is there third wheeling or smth)... You guys are like dollins shippers witht their comfy domestic vibes, but you have an additional sprinkle of... healing. You love your John and Noel and treat them so so well, but it's less of a silly cartoony thing (like dollins) and more of a... story of rediscovery and, again, healing. You have a domestic vibe of a comfort book. Also you create the most insane things when you're horny /very pos.

Blind faith aka Arthur and Oscar shippers. Guys are you okay. It's a banger ship but guys. Guys how are we feeling. Have you tasted anything but tears in the last... forever? You create the most touching and soul crushing pieces of fan-creations but it takes you all your happiness to do so. You embrace the sad the same way Arkayne-ists embrace the horny. Even when you make them happy they're still engulfed in an aura of melancholy. You can write them in a good ending au and it still tastes bitter. And I don't mean it as a bad thing. You guys write Oscar and Arthur like they're doomed Sea and Moon yuri and I fuck with it. So hard. Yall are insanely talented. But also insanely sad. Do you guys want a cookie.

Arkayne. I'm convinced that all Arkayne shippers are actually Kayne's alternative accounts. Yall are ruthless but in the best way possible. Going through Malevolent you either defaultly ship jarthur or arkayne and I have nothing but awe for those whose heart calls for arkayne. I love your fics, guys. Having them in my browser history is incriminating but god. You really look at everyone else and cackle maniacally because you can do anything. Yall can go as crazy as humanly possible and that would still be Kayne. I love arkayne shippers because yall are genuinely so so fun. Yall are the type of people wh didn't drown their sims in pools. Because it was old and boring. Your ghosts were all colors of the rainbow because yall went overboard with your stuff. Honestly same.

Larson and Yellow shippers are quiet and almost unnoticeable but they make the most jaw-dropping gut-wrenching fanfiction known to man. They take Yellow and sink their teeth into him ruthlessly. Where John fans dissect him with care and patience, Yellow enjoyers tear him apart and drag the raw still-beating heart out of him. Whereas other shippers make stuff with hope, your works are embraced in a stench of doom. And it's sweet but in a way rotten flesh is sweet. You take Larson and Yellow and ask the question, can they see salvation and become better together? Then you make them try through blood and sweat and tears and tell them NO. And it leaves them both in agony. And it leaves me in agony. "Raw" is really the best word that comes to mind to describe you. I love you but please stop hurting me.

Larthur idk never saw anyone ship it but if someone does delete your account lmao. Freaks.

There is like a dozen more ships you can make but I've only yapped about the most prominent ones. Will make a part two if there's stuff I genuinely forgot or can yap about. It's 4 am please don't be hard on me if I missed something ultra obvious. It'll come to me.

And jarthur shippers. You think I forgot that don't you. I didn't. It's a fully conscious decision.

[imagining-in-the-margins]

CM Wrong Recipient Writing Challenge 🎁

The following are prompts including a Wrong/Mistaken Recipient! Reader or OC, Gen/Platonic, AND Character/Character fics are allowed!

This event is over (Masterlist of Fics here), but you are welcome to use any of these prompts. If you would like to be added to the existing Masterlist of entries, please check out the Rules below!

SFW Prompts 🙈

The BAU arrests the wrong person

The flower delivery guy really messes things up

Character grabs the wrong person to kiss at NYE

Character leaves a voicemail for the wrong person

Character grabs the wrong person’s hand in public

Character receives an awkward text from an unknown number (or one they haven’t spoken to in a long time)

Character throws a snowball at their friend… but misses (and hits their crush/an attractive stranger instead)

Talking to different people on multiple phone lines can get really confusing

Somehow Character got on someone's super silly Christmas Card mailing list

There’s a mixup of notebooks and Character finds writings/drawings... of them

Character receives a package they weren't expecting and finds an even more unexpected item inside

The team recounts all the times Penelope said something inappropriate to the wrong person on the phone

Character has been sending messages to their loved one after they passed (they never expected a response)

Character pulls a prank against a fun-loving coworker, but their significantly less playful coworker triggers it

Character leaves an anonymous letter confessing their love, but the recipient insists it can’t be for them

Character enlists Penelope’s help in hacking into someone’s device to delete an unintended message

Anything else you can think of!

Keep Reading for more Prompts and the Challenge Rules!

Dialogue Prompts 🙉

“Oh, God. Wrong house.”

“New phone, who’s this?”

“So… who is (intended recipient name)?”

“Baby, I can be whoever you want me to be.”

“Any chance we can pretend you didn’t see that?”

“No matter what you do, do NOT open that.” “Too late.”

“I’m not complaining, but I don’t think that was for me.”

“What’s the point of the unsend button if it tells them that I unsent something?!”

“This is definitely the wrong number but, seriously, did you think that line would work?”

“I actually can come to the phone right now with a very special message that your mother is a—!”

NSFW Prompts 🙊

Character is a stripper at the wrong party

Character receives scandalous selfies from a coworker

Characters buy books together but take the wrong ones home (at least one of them is erotica)

Character wanted to gift a friend a sex toy as a joke and they used the same wrapping paper for their crush’s gift

Character sends their friend a detailed review of their recent sexual encounter… and accidentally sends it to the person they’re reviewing

There’s confusion and two BAU members end up with the same hotel room (Character walks in to find their coworker completely nude)

Character is waiting for an unsub in a confessional booth (the unsub doesn't show, but someone else confesses unholy thoughts)

Rules

Your fic can be a Reader insert, an Original Character, a character/character ship, a platonic ship, or a Gen fic. It can feature any Criminal Minds character. AUs and crossovers are more than welcome.

Tag me in the fic, or send the link to me in a Direct Message. It can be already written, or you can write it for the challenge - I collect both! You can also tag “#mentioningmargins”

The fic can be any genre, but ONLY send me smut if your bio states you are 18+. I DO NOT WANT smut written by minors. Ever. At all. I will check. Platonic ships and pure, fluffy fics are 100% allowed. Please also include some indication of rating if it is NSFW.

Please include Content Warnings and a one-sentence Summary of the fic in your post. For xReader fics, PLEASE specify if your reader is Female, Male, or Gender Neutral.

Have fun!

Happy Writing!

[biancadoes1]

I don’t think people are using just a little bit of common sense. Let’s go back..,

Nic did that audiobook. A book that was too close to home. A book that made people think, am I in the twlight zone. And she recorded that book in september, so she was aware of the shipping mania.

why didn’t Nic and JD spend Christmas & NYE together. Now I can understand Christmas but NYE.

people complaining that Luke probably- depends on one’s view of the photo- Antonia to LA. But are we forgetting Nic and JD went to NYC in October and JD was not at the Times Event Dinner. So please stop saying he took her to LA to sit in the room. Grow up people!!!!! It’s the same pattern.

The hug seen all around the world. The way he slightly pulls her is possessive. That hug broke the internet. But people say they are beefing. I’ve never seen Luke or Nic hug their alleged partners. He even tries to hold her hand.

Lukey is a man of facial expression. It’s funny how people will say, oh he is angry with A, but say him and Nic are beefing when he smiling like the Joker on national media outlet.

JD likes attention too. I’ve seen so many people say, A is so awful and JD is working hard and has a good head on his shoulder. Be for real. JD trolls people too and with the help of Nic his name got out there too. Yes, he went to drama school. But to say he did this all on his own is not true. Not downplaying him going to school to study the craft just being honest.

Nic’s follow. I have seen this argument as to why Nic is following A all over SM. Nic and Antonia had a chance to finally talk and decided to follow one another. BS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Do people seriously think that two women, who have a shared person of interest- Luke - need to finally meet in LA, go across the freaking map of the US just to finally sit and met and talk to her. Be for real. That’s the dumbest thing over ever read. And I’ve read a lot of dumb stuff in this fandom. Luke would have told Nic months ago, for a sit down. Don’t people remember she already knew of her in NYC. Use logic people.

Nic’s overcompensation on buddy. Nic we know you and Luke are close. Maybe she called him buddy bc now people outside of the bridgerton world saw how they acted. But!! Aren’t there multiple new media outlets with articles she is dating JD???? Those said media outlets interviewed her. This is how you know those are articles just repost of DM with no fact check or interview. Not once does she try to correct with JD. Now one could say bc that’s her man. But if that is her man, why feel the need to let people know Luke is buddy.

lastly, could I be wrong, yep 😂😂. But I love Luke and Nic and that won’t change. But only two options are at play 1. Nic and Luke are together. The follow of A is a wild card to paint the narrative- we all friends. Fans the ones that made mountain out of hills. But Nic, for some reason, is not ready. Luke is about to pop lol OR Following A was to help like our. Him and A got into an argument and Nic said - I got you bc she knows added fuel to the fire too. And JD reposted and commented on Nic photo bc they too got into an argument and he got jealous. But honestly, I think Nic & Luke are together. It’s fun to be delulu at times, but I look at the clues and analyze. I believe all will come to light soon. But whatever one believes, people need to be adults. Using a bug emoji is childish.

thanks so much B for your blog. It’s truly the best one out there.

Thank you anon ❤️❤️❤️

And I agree.

When you only focus on Nic following Antonia, you’re only seeing one possibility. You’re forgetting about everything else flying around the follow.

One anon asked me why would they go through such extreme lengths to hide their relationship.

It’s not hiding it, not really. It’s protecting it and keeping it private. Imagine the kind of salacious bullshit that would come from a sudden NicLuke drop with loose ends out there. Media outlets get whiff of stank coming from any direction and it’s allegations out the ass left and right.

And this is only one angle! There’s a number of possibilities that can occur without a plan and those can quickly spiral out of control.

There’s strategy here, people.

[varpusvaras]

Just wanted to say for the record that I am 100% here for every iteration of Oliver parenting/parent-in-lawing Jason that you can come up with. Seriously. I will read and love literally every single thing that you write in which Jason and Ollie have any kind of positive interaction and/or in which Ollie is an objectively better dad than Bruce, especially to Bruce’s own kids.

My biggest disappointment since getting into Jayroy as a ship has been the lack of good Oliver & Jason content. There’s so much potential there, both of the hilarious and angsty variety. (Second biggest disappointment is the lack of good Dinah & Jason content. Partly because I think they’d get along and partly because I feel like it would somehow translate to Jason in fishnets which is my ultimate dream.)

They're so important to me, I'm happy that you like it too! I was also missing having them interact in most of Jayroy content, so, you know, gotta do it yourself lmao. How Oliver has a worse reputation as a parent than many others (*cough Bruce cough*) is beyond me. Oliver and Jason are both interesting and enjoyable characters for me to write, and examining them and their potential dynamic is so so fun. It's also just very healing for me, to have someone come from such a dysfunctional life and dynamics in their home and see that you can truly get better and have other people in your life without having to constantly watch yourself and your every move so you don't get judged and condemned.

Also you had such a good timing, I just thought today that I need to ramp up with Dinah & Jason interactions. Dinah is such an important person to Roy, so it would make sense that she would be interacting with Jason a lot, too. So, gotta get with that too!

[rustychainsnorter]

Compilation of moments where Rick was a good grandpa. (Platonic only. No shipping).

I thought it'd be fun to come up with a simple list of times when Rick was a decent grandpa. If you can think of any other moments that I didn't list, please share and I'll add it to the compilation. Hope you enjoy!

Seriously, I really do hope this compilation grows :)

Rick gives Morty his lab coat. Episode: Full Metal Jackrick.

We don't get to see a lot of Rick being gentle or soft, but this was definitely a heart felt moment. Trapped in a blizzard, Rick gives Morty his coat and tries to reassure him. It's a simple gesture, but it does show Rick's gentle, more protective side.

Rick indulging Morty. Episode: Rickfending Your Mort.

So I think this is more character development on Rick's part than anything else. Season 7 definitely delivered a more open minded Rick than what we're used to. In previous seasons, Rick usually degraded and belittled Morty's ideas and adventures, some times even going so far as to purposely hurt him. But in season 7, we see moments where Rick actually indulges Morty's silly ideas without complaint or judgement. He doesn't get as angry when Morty makes mistakes either which is a huge character growth.

Rick holding Morty close while dying. Episode: Solaricks.

Another small gesture but super heart warming. Trapped in space and close to death, Rick and Morty huddle together to accept their fates and die in each other's presence. Considering the fact that they're both about to die, it's sweet to think that Rick would be perfectly content dying while holding his grandson in his arms.

Turning himself in to the government. Episode: The Wedding Squanchers.

Being one of the primary reasons why his family can't return to earth and have a real life, Rick turns himself in to the government so that they can go home and be safe. This was a bold move by Rick, and it shows just how much he secretly cares about his family. He even risked them resenting him, but their safety was more important.

Toxic Rick sacrificing himself to save Morty: Episode: Rest and Ricklaxation.

It's incredible. Even Rick's toxicity cares enough about Morty to sacrifice himself to save him. In this episode, toxic Rick is faced with a difficult choice and that is either to merge with healthy Rick or let Morty disintegrate. Being as narcissistic and mean as he is, it was quite surprising to see toxic Rick willingly merge with his healthy self. (Let's not even mention the part where Rick cried to Jessica about not being able to find healthy Morty).

Rick comforting Morty. Episode: Meeseeks and Destroy.

An absolute rarity in the old days of R&M. After getting attacked by Mr. Jellybean, Morty gives up and decides that he wants to go home. However, instead of belittling or degrading him about his adventure any further, Rick realizes what's happened and comforts Morty. He even goes so far as to complete Morty's adventure with a positive smile soon before assassinating Mr. Jellybean.

Pride and respect. Episode: Fear no Mort.

After his experience in the fear hole, Morty warns Rick not to go into the hole. And, for once, Rick followed Morty's advice and listened to him. Not only that, but he also acknowledged his grandson's accomplishment by putting his photo on the wall and walking away with a proud smile. This is good. This is character development. Rick respected Morty and he listened to him without argument or complaint. I hope we get more moments like this.

Rick sacrificing his life for Mortys. Episode: A Rickle in Time.

How could we forget the time Rick actually did jump into a hole for Morty? This episode was such a punch to the heart. In order to fix time, Rick and Morty have to be absolutely certain. But, one of the split Morty's fell through a hole, and Rick wasted no time jumping in after him. When he catches Morty, he became certain that giving him his own collar was what he wanted to do, and he did. He gladly gave his life to save his grandson.

[armysantiny]

-[minho; soft bf headcanon

P: Minho x gender neutral reader | G: fluff, headcanon | Inc: getting together, playful teasing/pranks, soft domesticity, waking up together, cooking together, nicknames, mention of a situation-ship, the members being fed up with the both you (affectionately), I wrote this for me/j | Wc: 718 | W: none i think| R: G

This headcanon is just me fulfilling my own delusions, let’s get that out of the way first/hj

Fun fact this was also written at work :D

Minho is very much an affectionate tease; he absolutely loves the playful little dynamic the both of you have got going on

Always feels like there’s an inside joke for just the two of you to share

If it’s not playful teasing, then it’s the softest domesticity in the world and I stand by this

Cuddling on the sofa after the two of you get home and wordlessly deciding on what to watch

Gentle touches on the small of your back when he walks past

Especially when you’re cooking together, and he needs to grab something from the cupboard

Waking up in the morning and the affection is just pouring out of his eyes

Yk what I mean

The lazy smiles, the quiet “g’morning” followed by “no, no, we can stay in a little bit longer”

All the while the cats are using your legs as cushions

And hey if the cats love you then that’s it, he’s planning the wedding/hj

There is not a day that goes by where your name is not on this man’s lips

Every day without fail he finds a way to mention you in conversations with his friends

The members already have to hear this man singing your praises day in and day out

In fact, it was likely Chan that encouraged him to approach you in the first place, Minho at first just very content to admire you from a distance

Not that he wasn’t confident that you’d like him  

But that he’s a very, very, busy man with his idol career

And he wouldn’t want to force you to have to deal with the second-hand stress that clearly comes with dating an idol

Cue a montage of him coming to befriend you and slowly worming his way into your heart

Before you know it you also have a crush on this man

And somehow becomes a situation-ship?? Don’t ask me I don’t make the rules, I just write these things

You’re visiting him during practice with drinks and snacks for everyone, engaging with the other members and they love you

All the more reason for Minho to fall further and further in love with you

You’re sweet, care for him and love being around the important people in his life?? Just what did he do to deserve you—

The whatever-it-is between you doesn’t get defined for a while, but you’re both content atm

Bixby play I Like It/j

One day he slips and calls you his lover, but he says it with the upmost conviction

The man means it, I tell you

When you find out, from one of the kids (who said that—) you tease him with a “we’re lovers now are we?”

Which is exactly the moment you understand why a shy Minho is an adorable Minho

“If, well- you know…I think it fits.”

“I do too.” And he pulls you into one of those tight hugs where you can feel his heartbeat and good lord it’s doing double time

If somehow, he wasn’t already doing it before, Minho is now calling you nothing else but every fond pet name under the sun that he associates with you

Uses some of the odder pet names when he wants to hear you snort with laughter

“Hey there, kitten,” and the two of you are snickering bc neither of you can take that one seriously

Your collective friend groups roll their eyes when the two of you team up to cause chaos

Casually pulling harmless pranks on everyone who’s game

Oh, and he holds your hand. All the time. Absolutely everywhere

His hand kinda just seeks yours out on its own sometimes lmao

There’s just something about that shared warmth every time that he loves

That and he thinks it’s cute when you drag him around to show him something when you’re out on a date

Makes a huge fuss out of being taken somewhere and yet he’s willingly looking up the directions and driving the car, admonishing you for even suggesting that he doesn’t have to.

Excuse me will you accept his acts of service or what?? Let him love you dammit/lh

© copyright work of armysantiny 2024-2025

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[runningincircl3s]

Sinematic

Vinny Mauro x Reader

Chapter 7

chapter warnings: okay this is a little nsfw! (mentions of masturbation)

I THOUGHT I POSTED THIS LAST NIGHT BUT IT WAS STILL IN MY DRAFTS WHAT??? i'm sorry lmao, but i remember this chapter was so fun to write and then when i came to edit it i was like huh that's not as fun as i remember, so i hope it's not too bad!

✦•······················•✦•······················•✦

It had become a routine now, you’d get up and go to work, then stop by Vin’s on the way home. If you didn’t have work the next day, or you didn’t start until late, you’d stay over. It was weird how natural it felt, unlocking the door, slipping your shoes off and setting the keys down on the side, like this was your own home. It wasn’t like much needed doing here, you had tidied and cleaned for the first couple days, but coming over and just sitting there for a bit gave you something to do, and it made you feel closer to Vin. 

It was finally the day before Vinny came home, and you had come by just like any other day after work, when suddenly there was a knock at the door. You weren’t sure what you were expecting, but when you opened the door you were met with the postman. You hadn’t seen him yet, you always arrived after he came, taking Vin’s packages in for him and setting them down on the dining table like he had asked. 

You took the package, thanking the man as you took it in, shutting the door behind you with your hip. Vin hadn’t told you he had anything else coming, but you assumed he must’ve forgotten, so you set it down with the rest and was about to go about your day… when you suddenly caught sight of the name on the package. 

It was for you?

You were almost certain the writing looked like Vin’s, but you sent him a text anyway, asking if he had sent you something. 

“I dunno. Open it and find out :)” Was his reply, and you sighed, playfully rolling your eyes as if he could see you. 

You took the package into the kitchen, found a pair of scissors and carefully opened it. 

Inside was a shirt from the tour Vin was currently on, with the dates printed on the back. You smiled as you ran your fingers over the print, and then you realised that wasn’t it. He had sent you some snacks from whatever country he was in at the time, and a bracelet? It was only then that you noticed there was a note tucked into the box too, so you unfolded it and began to read.

(I hope this comes soon. I paid a shit ton for fast shipping) This is just a little thank you for keeping my house safe, I hope you’ve been fighting away any burglars! But seriously I appreciate it so much, thank you thank you thank you. I’ll see you soon :)

(PS I thought the bracelet looked cool so I got it for you, but then I couldn’t help myself and bought one for me too so I guess we have matching ones now?)

You felt your heart warm at the note, and the thought that had gone into his gift. You just held the note for a moment before looking closer at the bracelet, and putting it on. 

It was pretty cute, you smiled as you picked your phone back up and gave him a call, wanting to thank him properly. 

It rang for a couple seconds before he answered, greeting you with a yawn. 

“Hello?” His voice was a little raspy, sending heat straight to your lower half- you shook your head. Not now. 

“Hey, have you just woke up or something?” You chuckled. 

“Yeah… I was taking a nap.” He said with a yawn, and suddenly you felt a little bad for waking him. 

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you I just-”

“Oh no, you didn’t! I’m on the bus, I need to get to soundcheck soon so if anything you’re helping me out.” 

“Okay well you’re welcome,” you smiled, “I just wanted to thank you for the package, you really didn’t have to.”

"I know," he said simply. "But I wanted to."

That made your stomach flip in a way you weren’t prepared for. You looked down at the bracelet again, tracing your fingers over it. 

"The bracelet’s cute," you admitted. "Matching ones, huh?"

"Yeah," Vinny said, and you could hear the grin in his voice. "Now if you ever miss me, you can just look at it and pretend I’m there."

You rolled your eyes, even though he couldn’t see you. 

"That’s stupid." But you couldn’t help the grin on your face.

“Yeah, yeah, just admit you love it.”

You hesitated for a second before muttering, 

"Maybe a little."

Vinny hummed in satisfaction. 

"Knew it."

There was a comfortable pause after that, and it didn’t feel awkward at all. You could hear faint sounds in the background on his end, people talking, the low hum of the bus engine, someone shouting something you couldn’t quite make out. It was weird how hearing all that made you miss him more, even though he had only been gone a week. 

“Looking forward to coming home?” You asked. 

"Yeah," Vinny answered without hesitation. "Tour’s been great and all, but I’m ready to sleep in my own bed. And maybe see a certain someone who's been keeping my house safe."

You laughed softly, shaking your head. 

"Oh yeah? Can’t wait to inspect? Make sure I didn’t throw any wild house parties?"

"Nah, I trust you." His voice was easy, warm. "Besides, you wouldn’t throw a party without me."

You rolled your eyes, but your fingers toyed with the bracelet on your wrist, heart skipping at the way he said it—so sure, so familiar.

"Seriuosly, though," he added after a beat, his voice quieter now, "I appreciate it, y/n. And, uh… I missed you."

Your breath caught in your throat.

Vinny wasn’t one to throw those words around lightly, and hearing them now—soft, sincere—sent a warmth spreading through your chest.

You swallowed, willing your voice to stay steady. 

"I missed you too, Vin."

There was another comfortable silence between you, but this time, it was heavier. The kind of quiet that carried something unspoken.

"I should probably go," he said eventually. "Gotta get my ass to soundcheck before Ricky starts yelling at me."

You smiled, though a part of you wished you could keep talking. 

"Yeah, okay. I’ll see you when you get back?”

“Yeah,” he said with a smile, you could hear it in his voice, “I’ll see you when I’m home.” 

After you hung up, the quiet of the house settled around you again. You sighed, staring at your phone for a moment before setting it down on the counter. The bracelet on your wrist caught the light as you moved, and you found yourself tracing over the beads absentmindedly.

You had missed him. More than you were willing to admit.

Shaking off the thought, you ordered takeout for dinner and then after eating you decided to take a shower before heading to bed, since it was starting to get late. It had been a long day at work, and there was something about washing away the exhaustion that felt almost ritualistic. Plus, Vin wasn’t meant to be home until tomorrow night, so one last night at his place wouldn’t hurt, right?

The water was warm as it cascaded over your skin, easing the tension in your muscles. Your hands glided over your body, routine at first- but your mind, traitorous as ever, lingered on him. The ache in your lower belly was only growing the longer you thought about him, and the warmth of the shower was doing little to soothe it.

You could hear his voice in your head, the rasp of it when he was still groggy with sleep when he answered your call, the way your name sounded falling from his lips…

You let out a breathy sigh, fingers sliding lower, teasing along the inside of your thigh as you imagined what it would be like if he were here. If his hands, larger and rougher, were the ones touching you instead.

Vin had always been the type to tease, to take his time. He’d drag his lips over your neck, whispering filth in that low, knowing way of his, watching the way you squirmed beneath his touch. You miss me that bad, huh? He’d smirk against your skin, pressing you back against the cool tile, his fingers replacing yours, stronger and skilled, knowing exactly how to unravel you piece by piece.

Your breath hitched as your fingers brushed against the aching bundle of nerves, circling slowly, teasing yourself the way he would. The way he used to. 

So wet for me already, he’d murmur, dragging his fingers through your slick, groaning at the way you clenched around nothing. You’ve been thinking about this, haven’t you?

Your knees nearly buckled as the pleasure built. You imagined the way he’d press against you, the heat of his body, the weight of him pinning you in place between his arms... The way he’d tilt your chin up, making sure you met his gaze as he sank to his knees, dragging his tongue along your inner thigh before finally…

A whimper escaped your lips, fingers working faster now, chasing the high that was just within reach.

Come for me, baby.

The phantom of his voice sent you over the edge, pleasure washing through you in waves so intense it nearly made you dizzy, almost lightheaded. Your body trembled as you rode it out, pressing your forehead against the cool tile, trying to catch your breath.

When you finally came down, you were hit with a sudden guilt. You had just gotten off to the thought of him in his own shower. 

You shook the thought away and let the water rinse over you, washing away the evidence of your thoughts, though the ache for him still lingered. 

It never stopped.

With a sigh, you turned off the shower, dried off, and padded to his room. 

You got dressed- slipped on a clean pair of underwear and pulled one of his hoodies over your head, keeping the hood up- before slipping under the covers. He’d be home tomorrow night. Less than twenty-four hours until you’d see him again. 

Excited was an understatement. You couldn’t wait to see him again, to carry on wherever you two left off. You weren’t too sure what he wanted the two of you to be, he’d give hints that he wanted more than a friendship, but there were also moments where he’d pull away. 

However, before you could let your mind wander too far, you were already fast asleep.

So you didn’t hear the front door unlock.

Or the footsteps heading up the stairs.

Or the bedroom door cracking open.

What did wake you, though, was the sudden blinding light flooding the room.

And then,

“WHAT THE FUCK?”

A scream. A man’s scream.

Your eyes flew open, your brain still foggy with sleep, 

“WHAT THE FUCK?!”

Your own scream matched his perfectly, as if you were rehearsing for a horror movie.

Panic surged through your veins as you flailed, grabbing the nearest weapon, Vinny’s pillow, and hurling it toward the intruder.

“WHO ARE YOU?! GET OUT!” You shrieked, heart pounding out of your chest.

“WHO AM I?!” the figure yelled back. “WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU?!”

You both stared at each other, frozen in a panic of who’s about to die first, when your vision finally caught up with reality.

Vinny?

Vinny.

Vinny, standing in the doorway, hair a mess, chest heaving, his pillow now on the floor beside him.

Oh.

Oh, shit.

Your heart was still racing, but now it wasn’t from fear, it was from sheer, secondhand embarrassment.

Vinny’s expression mirrored yours as realisation hit. He let out a long sigh, dragging a hand down his face.

“Oh my god.” His voice was a mix of exhaustion and disbelief. “I thought you were a fucking burglar.”

“I thought you were a fucking burglar!” you shot back, throwing your hands up. “You turned the light on and screamed at me!”

“I live here!”

“You weren’t supposed to be home until tomorrow night!”

Vinny groaned, rubbing his temples. 

“Yeah, well, I got an earlier flight. Clearly should’ve sent a heads-up text.”

“No shit.” You exhaled sharply.

For a moment, neither of you said anything.

Then, all at once, the sheer stupidity of the situation sank in, and you both started laughing.

Vinny leaned against the doorframe, shaking his head. 

“Holy fuck, my soul left my body for a second.”

“Mine too!” you choked out, wiping tears from the corners of your eyes. “I thought I was about to die!”

Vinny grinned, stepping into the room and stripping off his top half- you tried oh so hard not to stare/ 

“Scoot over.” He said, emptying his pockets onto his dresser. 

You blinked. 

“Huh?”

He nodded toward the bed. 

“I just spent hours on a plane and had the shit scared out of me. I’m exhausted. I’m not taking the couch. Now move your ass.”

You narrowed your eyes. 

“Hey, it’s my fucking bed!” He added. 

You huffed dramatically, but you still shifted to the side as he flopped onto the mattress beside you with a sigh.

“You’re never living this down.” You muttered, turning on your side to face him.

Vinny snorted, eyes still closed. 

“Yeah, yeah.”

A beat of silence. Then, his brow furrowed slightly, and he cracked one eye open.

“Wait.” His gaze flicked over you. “Is that…”

You followed his line of sight, looking down at yourself. Oh… Yeah.

You were wearing his hoodie.

You cleared your throat, suddenly feeling way too warm. 

“Uh. Maybe.”

“Unbelievable.” He scoffed, “I leave for tour, and you just help yourself to my shit?”

“You told me to make myself at home!” You argued.

“It’s my hoodie!”

“You have dozens of them!” 

“Yeah, but that one’s mine.” He grumbled, reaching out like he was actually considering taking it back.

You shrunk away, gripping the sleeves. 

“Nope. Too late. It’s mine now.”

Vinny huffed, but there was no real annoyance behind it. Instead, he shook his head with a small smirk, eyes scanning your face.

“You missed me that much, huh?”

Your stomach flipped.

You rolled your eyes, playing it cool. 

“Please. I just got cold.”

Vinny hummed, unconvinced. He shifted onto his side, propping himself up on an elbow. 

“Sure. That’s all it is.”

You opened your mouth to fire back, but then he really looked at you.

And suddenly, the room felt smaller. Your heart hammered against your ribs, pulse thrumming in your ears as Vinny’s gaze flicked over you, just a fraction of a second longer than it should have.

His voice was quieter when he spoke again.

“I did miss you, though.”

The casual, playful tone from before had softened, and something about it made your chest ache.

“Yeah?” Your own voice was barely above a whisper, the thoughts from earlier flooding your mind again. He was so close, you could just reach out-

“Yeah.” Vinny nodded, exhaling through his nose. 

Neither of you looked away.

Neither of you moved.

And then, in typical Vin fashion, he broke the silence. 

“Alright, move over.” Vinny muttered, breaking whatever that was as he shoved you lightly.

You let out a breathy laugh, the tension splintering just enough.

“Bossy.” You teased, but still shifted as he shuffled away from the edge of the bed. 

You turned your back to him, pulling the blanket up.

“Night, Vin.” You murmured, fighting back a yawn. 

“Night, y/n.” 

You did fall asleep eventually, in his hoodie, in his bed, with him beside you, so close you could feel the warmth radiating from him. 

And if your heart was racing just a little harder than it should’ve been?

That was nobody’s business but yours.

…

“Shit, shit, shit!” You scrambled out of bed, nearly tripping over the sheets as you bolted for your bag.

The soft glow of morning light spilled into the room through the gaps in the curtains, but you were too busy panicking to appreciate it. 

You could hear Vinny groan, shifting under the covers, squinting against the sunlight as he watched you. 

“What the hell are you doing?”

“I have work!” you hissed, frantically digging through your things. “I forgot to set my alarm, I was supposed to get up early, but then someone decided to scare the life out of me last night, and now I’m- ugh, where’s my…”

Vinny propped himself up on one elbow, watching you with an amused smirk. His hair was a mess, sticking up in every direction, and he still looked half-asleep.

“Are you only wearing my hoodie?” He questioned. 

You paused. Looked down. Oh.

Well that explained why you felt so comfortable. 

“...Uh, yeah, sorry I wasn’t expecting you to come back,” you muttered, tugging at the hem like that would somehow make it less obvious.

Vinny huffed a quiet laugh, sinking back into the pillows. 

“No, I like the red thong, it’s cute.”

Your face burned. 

“Shut up.”

You turned back to your bag, digging through it like your life depended on it. You knew he was still watching you, and that only made it worse.

“Y’know,” Vinny said, voice still thick with sleep, “You could just call in sick...”

You scoffed. 

“I can’t just call in sick.”

He shrugged, entirely unbothered. 

“Why not?”

“Because I have responsibilities? And bills to pay?”

“Lame.”

You shot him a glare over your shoulder. He just grinned.

“Glad to see you’re having fun with this,” you grumbled, yanking on your leggings.

“Glad it’s not me running late.” He smirked. 

You threw a sock at his face, shaking your head, finally pulling yourself together. You needed to go. But as you grabbed your bag and started toward the door, Vinny’s voice stopped you.

“Hey.”

You turned. 

“Yeah?”

He ran a hand through his hair, smirking sleepily. 

“You wanna come over later, after work?”

You raised an eyebrow. 

“Why?”

“AJ and Emil are coming over for pizza Friday. We’re watching Sharknado, I was gonna ask if you wanted to join us?”

You blinked. 

“Sharknado?”

“We’re taking a shot every time they say ‘shark.’” Vin nodded. 

You snorted. 

“That sounds like a terrible idea.”

“Yep, it was AJ’s idea… You haven’t met him yet, have you?”

“Nope,” you shook your head, “I’ve heard stories about him though…”

“Oh…” Vin nodded slowly, “Yeah, if the guys have told you anything then ignore them. He’s a great guy, one of my best friends.” 

“Then I can’t wait to meet him.” You smiled. 

“Great,” Vin yawned, rolling onto his side to face you with a sleepy smile, “I can’t wait to have all my friends together.”

Oh.

All my friends

Friends

Yes, because that’s all you were to him. His friend. That's what you agreed on, that’s what he wanted. 

You forced a smile, nodding your head and reaching for the door. 

“Yeah. Can’t wait.”

…

It had been a long, painful day. You were already running late to your first job of the day, which made you late to the second, and all you could think about was what Vin had said this morning.

You had to remind yourself he was just flirty with everyone, but surely he didn't fall asleep on the phone to everyone? Surely he didn't just get into bed with everyone? Surely he didn't let just anyone stay at his house whilst he was on tour?

But then again, maybe he was just treating you like everyone else. You could recount the times he had fallen asleep with his head on Rick's shoulder, or how him and Angela would share food from the same fork, or how he'd be talking to one of his friends over the phone and tell them how much he misses them...

You were thinking too deeply about this. You were just friends.

Yeah. Just friends.

So you parked your car in his driveway, which already had a couple cars- you were guessing they belonged to Emil and AJ. You sent Vin a text to let him know you were here and began walking to the front door, shifting the six pack in your arms as you knocked on the door.

The door swung open, and there he stood. Vin, his hair still slightly damp from a shower, a dressed in a plain black tshirt and sweatpants. His eyes lit up when he saw you, flashing you a smile.

"You made it."

"You sound surprised," you chuckled, "Anyways, I come bearing gifts."

He took the beer from you with a grin, stepping aside to let you in.

"And that's why you're my favourite."

You didn't let yourself linger on how his words made your heart race, because it meant nothing. Of course it meant nothing.

Inside, Emil was already sprawled across the couch, a slice of pizza in his hand as he laughed at something the other guy had said.

That must be AJ, you told yourself. He was grinning like a menace as he saw you walk in behind Vin.

"So this is y/n?" He said, giving you an over exaggerated once-over, before turning to Vin, "Damn, dude you weren't kidding."

You raised an eyebrow. From what you knew about AJ, you thought he was a troublemaker, the guys all seemed to love him, and Angela had told you he was naturally very funny.

"Kidding about what?" You asked, playfully glaring over at him.

"Nothing." Vin sighed, "Ignore him."

AJ just smirked, but before you could say any more, Emil motioned to the only unopened pizza box on the table.

"We got your favourite, or at least Vin said it was your favourite."

You blinked in surprise, opening the box.

"You remembered?"

"Of course." Vin said with a smile, sitting down on the couch, patting the space beside him for you to join.

"Okay," AJ stood up, beginning to pour out some shots, "So the rules are: someone says shark- we take a shot, someone dies- we take a shot."

"This sounds dangerous." You smirked.

"Yeah, y/n doesn't handle her alcohol very well." Vin smirked, earning a shove from you.

"That's okay, take a shot of water!" AJ laughed, and the movie had begun.

And along with the beginning of the movie, came the beginning of the chaos. You were barely 30 minutes in, and you'd gone through the first bottle of tequila.

Everyone was beginning to feel the effects of the alcohol now. Everything was turning into a blur of laughter and chaos, but the one thing that kept you grounded was the way Vin's knee pressed against yours whenever he laughed. You couldn't help the way your stomach flipped when you looked at him, the way your heart fluttered when he looked at you.

Keep it together, you told yourself.

As if sensing your internal battle, Vin turned to face you, his expression softening.

"You good?" He asked.

"Yeah," you smiled, "This is a lot more fun than I thought it would be."

“See, I told you.” He smirked, nudging you with his elbow.

As the movie continued its wild, over-the-top chaos, you realised AJ hadn’t actually said much to you yet. He seemed like a cool guy, Vinny’s friends usually were, but you didn’t know him like the others.

Finally, during a particularly absurd scene, you got up to get a glass of water, and AJ joined you. 

"So," he said, reaching for a glass in the cupboard, "I haven’t had the chance to properly introduce myself, you’ve probably heard of me.” 

“I certainly have.” You chuckled, feeling tipsy. “I’m sure you’ve heard all about me too.” 

“Not really,” he shook his head, “I know a little about you and Vin though… What’s all that about?” He smirked, raising an eyebrow. 

You paused for a second, wondering if you should explain. 

"I hurt him in the past, but he's given me a second chance. We’re just starting fresh as friends," you explained. "It's complicated, but we’re working on it. He’s a good guy, the best."

AJ looked thoughtful for a second before giving you a soft smile. 

"I can tell. The way he talks about you… He's been through a lot, and I can see he really cares about you. He’s loyal to a fault. And if he’s letting you in again, then that really says something."

You smiled at him, feeling a little more comfortable. 

"I guess I’m lucky then. But anyways, glad to meet you, AJ."

"Same here," he said, raising his glass. "Cheers to getting to know each other better."

You laughed, raising your glass with his before following him back to the couch. 

The movie continued, but there was now a sense of camaraderie between you, AJ, and Emil. Even though you hadn’t known AJ long, you already liked him. You found yourself laughing at the ridiculousness of the movie, the shots, and the overall absurdity of the night.

"I told you guys she doesn’t handle her alcohol very well," Vinny smirked as you let out a little giggle after another scene, clearly rather tipsy.

You shot him a playful glare. 

"Hey, I’m still good." Your words slightly slurred. 

“You’ll be fine, just have some more water.” Emil laughed, his words slurred too.

“Yeah… I should,” you admitted, rubbing your eyes. The buzz was fun, but you were definitely feeling the effects of it.

Vinny shot you a glance, his lips curling into a small, affectionate smile. 

“You good?” He asked once again, his voice gentle. You could feel your heart warm at the way he was looking out for you.

"Yeah," you smiled back. "This has been fun. Thanks for letting me hang out with you guys."

"You're always welcome on best friend Friday, y/n!" AJ beamed, making you smile.

As the night went on, you found yourself growing more comfortable with his friends, and the tension between you and Vinny had slowly started to dissolve. Everything felt fine between you two now, it felt normal. You just hoped it would stay this way. 

Vin noticed your eyes struggling to stay open, and a small chuckle escaped him. He stretched and stood from the couch, his voice light but with a hint of fondness.

"I think we should call it a night." He said, his gaze flicking over to you, who was clearly fighting to stay awake. AJ, half-watching, turned to look at you, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I think we’ve all had a good time... Same time next week?" AJ grinned, leaning back in his seat.

"Of course." Vin replied casually, picking up the empty shot glasses from the table.

"And will y/n be back next time?" Emil smirked.

Vin shrugged, looking over at you for a moment.

You were already asleep.

"If she wants to. I don't know what you guys think is happening here, but we are just friends. That was the deal."

Emil grinned, tapping Vin on the shoulder.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Just messing with you, man. It's good to see you smiling again, though."

The guys headed out when their taxi arrived, leaving you and Vinny alone. You were curled up on the couch, snoring softly. Vin’s eyes softened as he watched you, smiling as he crouched down beside you.

"Y/n?" He reached out, gently shaking your shoulder, his voice low and warm. "Y/n?"

You groaned, your eyes struggling to open but not quite succeeding.

"Yeah…" you muttered, your voice thick with exhaustion.

"You wanna stay here tonight? I can’t let you crash on the couch," he offered, a touch of concern in his voice. "Come on, I’ll help you to my bed."

"Mmm…" you hummed, clearly not registering much, your eyelids fluttering as you tried to stay awake.

He couldn’t help but smile a little, lifting you gently from the couch as he helped you to stand.

"C’mon," he said softly, guiding you up the stairs, careful not to jostle you too much. When you reached his room, he helped you sit on the edge of the bed, your legs still unsteady.

"Here," Vin said, handing you a glass of water. "Take a couple sips before you sleep, alright? I’ll leave it by the bed in case you need more later."

You smiled lazily, barely able to keep your eyes open.

"You’re such a good friend, Vin… You're the best..." you slurred, the words barely leaving your lips.

Vin smirked, leaning down to set the glass on the nightstand.

"Yeah, well, it's what friends do." He replied with a soft chuckle.

Once you were settled, Vin stood up, ready to leave you to rest. But just as he was about to turn away, you reached out, your voice quiet and slurred.

"Don’t go…"

He paused, brows furrowing in confusion.

"Huh? What’s wrong?" He asked, sitting back down on the bed beside you.

"I can’t… I've missed you... I don’t want to lose you again, Vin…" The words escaped you softly, as though you weren’t fully aware of what you were saying.

Vin’s heart skipped a beat. He didn’t know if it was the alcohol or if you truly meant it, but the vulnerability in your voice really struck him. Without thinking, he shifted closer to you, sitting beside you on the bed.

"Hey, I’m right here," he said gently, giving you a reassuring smile as he cupped your face in his hand, this thumb stroking your cheek. "I’m not going anywhere. Never."

You nodded slowly, your eyes drifting shut again, and he stayed by your side, just watching you for a while. He didn’t know what had caused you to say that, but something in his chest tightened.

As he sat there, unsure of what to do, he found himself laying down next to you, just to make sure you were comfortable. He didn’t want to leave you alone, even if it was a little messy, a little complicated.

You shifted slightly, and he automatically moved closer to keep you from rolling over too far. His heart beat just a little faster, but he tried not to focus on it. He wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol still buzzing in his veins, or if something real was happening between you two.

He closed his eyes, not wanting to leave, wanting to stay close in case you needed him. Without realising it, his own exhaustion caught up with him, and soon, he too drifted off to sleep beside you, the warmth of your body against his making everything feel a little bit simpler, a little bit easier.

And, for the second night, you had both fallen asleep next to each other, in Vin's bed.

----------------------------------@collapsedglasshouses @miss570 @dominuslunae @sunshine-lvrr @death-ofpeace-ofmind @blade-dressed-in-red @amelia-acero @kait16xo @oobleoob @pipidoll @justdamnpeachy @bluehairpunklol

[ahyesthesufferingoftvteens]

You know I don’t think Kaidam shippers really explore the more unhealthy side of Adam and Kai’s relationship…which is disappointing to me because it sounds like something that would be really fun to explore?

This is a long post, so I’m gonna put the rest under the cut, for those who are interested in hearing me out:

Like in most depictions I see Kaidam as this very cute and fluffy and wholesome ship. Which I absolutely love, and I think Adam and Kai can be like that!

Then I look at the canon material and we have:

- Adam infantilizing Kai. “Very cool, Kai!” Has the same energy of your mom cooing at a shitty drawing of herself that you made for her when you were four.

- Kai pushing Adam away and barking back when Adam tries to control the situation and force Kai on the back-burner. OR when Kai very obviously states that he wants to be left alone and Adam doesn’t respect that request and tries to fix a problem that can’t be fixed in that moment.

- Adam and Kai both having trouble regulating their negative emotions and potentially getting explosive, which once resulted in Kai getting thrown across a forest. Wowza.

- Kai having a strong need for attention and validation that Adam does not notice as an obvious sign of trouble at home and something that Kai needs to talk about and get help with. Instead he interprets it as, “ugh, he’s being annoying again,” and reacts according to that perception.

- Kai outright hinting that Mira and Adam never really…hung out with him before he was invited to their team? And likely still didn’t while he was in their team? He was very likely brought to training sessions but that was it. They’ve never even been in his house before The Hollow Life. Adam very likely did not see Kai as a part of his circle before everything happened.

- Adam saying things that are insensitive to Kai and then not taking Kai’s resulting insecurities seriously and very obviously treating them as something he can quickly fix with a few words, which hints that Adam sees Kai as shallow.

Like, Adam and Kai’s friendship is fucked up. Toxic even, I would say. On one side we potentially have undiagnosed ASPD and OCD, and on the other side we potentially have undiagnosed HPD/BPD and AuDHD. This is a recipe for some DRAMA.

But the fact that no one has ever explored how this shitstorm of a relationship can evolve into something that’s actually healthy (as far as I can see) is sad because the POTENTIAL is INSANE.

Like, just imagine this…

—————

Kai confesses he likes Adam. Adam, who doesn’t take Kai’s feelings seriously, thinks Kai is shallow, and subconsciously views Kai as lesser probably thinks to himself “Awwww he’s a baby bi! You know what? I’ll date him for a little bit. It’s his first guy crush, he’ll be over it in a week. Besides, I’ll be giving him an example of what a good boyfriend should be like!” And meanwhile Kai, who is definitely very into Adam and desperately wants Adam to like him, is trying very very hard to impress and please and help Adam.

Then the PROBLEMS start coming in and Kai sticks it through anyways because he does genuinely like Adam, and he wants to be better for Adam, he just wishes Adam would actually try to be better for him.

So then this relationship lasts for longer than Adam anticipated, but by this point he’s too in deep, and he’s probably starting to actually like Kai back (but he likely doesn’t understand that yet because Adam strikes me as autoromantic with the occasional exception. Romantic feelings? What are those?), so he just kinda lets the relationship continue while not really knowing what to do about all of it.

That is, until Kai SNAPS. Accuses Adam of never actually liking him (which is partially true) and playing with his feelings (which he did) and then when Adam confirms these assumptions Kai breaks up with Adam and blocks his contacts.

And THAT is when Adam realizes he fucked up big time and that the way he views Kai is wrong, and also that he really likes Kai now. This is the funniest part of the story: Adam begging and bargaining with Kai for WEEKS before Kai even considers talking to Adam again. Kai’s first request is the most daunting: Go to therapy, Adam.

So Adam does that despite his protests, because god forbid he loose Kai again. He gets therapy, and works through some of his shitty behaviors. He’s much more self-aware than he was before now. Kai is working through his own issues as well.

More time passes, and Adam and Kai are finally hanging out again. This time Adam tries his damndest to hear Kai out, and Kai is no longer as explosive, but he’s very firm on his boundaries and doesn’t let Adam walk all over him. They start dating again later down the line (happiest day of Adam’s life) and now Adam has a story to tell his grandchildren about how he nearly fumbled the bag with his husband.

—————

This is a gold-mine to me. The sauce is impeccable. Every relationship can have issues: the goal is to work through them together as a team!

Let me see relationships that don’t work out at first but then with dedication the two meet in the middle and are finally deserving of each other!

Let me see relationships that aren’t perfect 100% of the time but are still absolutely great!

Let me see relationships that sucked and the two work their things out, but decide to remain friends because that just works better for them!

Let me see complicated relationships! They’re so fun to read!

…Also this scenario I wrote out is also great potential for Reekai (Sorry. It’s my OTP. I gotta rant about them). Like if you branch off after the break up and Kai starts hanging out with Reeve (who probably ALSO dated Adam once and would understand Kai’s strife.) you get the very funny concept of “Adam’s exes keep dating each other.”

In this scenario, after accepting that he lost Kai, Adam would probably be somewhat proud of the fact that he set Reeve and Kai up…until he remembers that he did so by being a trash boyfriend. Then he’s kinda down on himself until he quickly picks himself back up and strives for the future.

And I mean, who knows? Maybe in the future Reeve and Kai could consider letting Adam date the both of them once they’ve deemed he’s worthy.

There’s a lot of directions this can go guys. The Hollow kids and their relationships with each other are messy! Let’s talk about it!

[into-deepspace]

out of the black {part 2/3}

sylus/mc • gender neutral mc • 1.5k • ao3 link • part 1 • requests open, reblogs appreciated!!

pre-relationship || the real OTP here is MC/sylus's money :) || annoyances to lovers Summary: After Sylus's complaints about MC not spending enough of his money, they decide to test just how far Sylus is willing to be pushed.

The next week signals the end of the month.

This means reports are due to the Hunter Organization, MC’s point balance will be resetting at their favorite restaurant, and Tara will be asking to go out to some bar or music venue for a night of fun.

Most importantly, it means MC’s bills are coming in. Sixty dollars for electricity, twenty-five for water, so on and so forth. It’s never a time they look forward to. After all, who does? But they have a trick up their sleeve this month.

Or, rather, a card in their wallet.

Sylus wants them to spend his money? They’ll do just that.

They open their laptop and pull up the sites they usually use to make their utility and phone payments. Then, rather than letting everything auto-select to their usual debit, they pull Sylus’s card from its home in their wallet and begin typing in the number.

It only takes a few minutes, but by the time they’ve finished with their gas and phone bills, they’ve run up about a hundred dollars. They stare at the screen, cross-legged in their bed, biting their cheek. A little voice in MC’s head says they should feel bad. They resolutely tell the voice to shut up.

And you know what? They decide the hundred dollars isn’t enough. With a new and petty energy, they pull up the HP website; they’ve been needing a new laptop. The one they have has been through more than any device should, cracked and missing screws and coming apart slowly but surely. They’ve had it since before they began their Hunter training, back in their classroom days.

MC stares at the model they’ve been wanting. It’s fancier than they’d ever buy, a powerful thing with a touchscreen and tons of storage. If they’re honest, it’s something they’ve stared at but never seriously thought about buying, planning to purchase a computer that costs less than half of this one’s eight hundred dollar price tag.

But then Sylus’s annoying fucking voice rings in their head. “I wouldn’t mind if you spent a few thousand a day.” Oh really? Let’s see then.

With spite in their heart, they hit the “Purchase Now” button and type in Sylus’s card number with more force than strictly necessary. They even click on a faster shipping option, one that promises delivery by the end of the week. Before they can lose their nerve, they hit the confirmation button.

The digital receipt flashes on their screen. MC sinks back against their pillows. They can’t believe they’ve just done that.

Stop here, the sweet little voice in their head says disapprovingly. This isn’t your money to spend!

Another voice, louder and more insistent, shouts Make his pockets hurt!

MC sighs. They rake a hand through their hair.

And then they pull up AliExpress.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ━━━━⊱༒︎ • ༒︎⊰━━━━ ⋆⁺₊⋆

New Message from Rich Asshole 8:14 PM Pretty.

MC blinks at their phone. Attached is a screenshot of a pair of shoes they ordered.

Rich Asshole 8:14 PM The red will suit you nicely. Would you like the white pair as well? It would go well with the suit I’m having made for you.

What the fuck.

There’s no way this guy is for real. They ran up nearly three thousand on Sylus’s card earlier, adding clothes and decorations and stupid wishlist items to various online carts and hitting purchase without a second thought. And now, all he can ask is whether they want anything else? Insanity.

Perfect Hunter   8:16 PM You’re fucking crazy

Rich Asshole  8:16 PM Only when it comes to you, sweetie ♥️

With a loud groan of frustration, MC swipes over to a different screen and does something they’ve rarely done before. They hit call on Sylus’s contact.

The call connects almost instantly. MC opens their mouth to speak, not even knowing what they’re about to say, but Sylus beats them to it.

“I’ve added my card to the auto-pay function on your apartment’s billing,” he says smoothly. “Also, I canceled your laptop order.” MC blinks.

“Too much for you?” they smirk, though they know Sylus can’t see their expression. In return, the man laughs, that stupid, rich-ass laugh.

“You overestimate yourself,” he says, amusement absolutely dripping from his voice. “I ordered you a different one with a better processor. It should arrive tomorrow.”

“Sylus!” they shout, jaw dropping open as they make a frustrated, appalled motion with their hands, even though Sylus obviously can’t see it. In return, Sylus hums, low and calm and smooth, just like he always is. “That’s– That’s too much. I don’t need that thing for anything other than shitty movies and job reports.”

MC groans, flopping back against their pillows and letting their phone fall out of their hand. Right, of course. On top of being rich as hell, charismatic, and objectively the hottest man they’ve ever seen, Sylus is also incredibly knowledgeable about tech, both hardware and software. It’s awful.

“You suck,” they mutter, hoping the phone’s mic won’t pick up on their frustrated grumbling. But, because the universe hates them, the words go through, drawing another laugh from Sylus.

“I’m terrible, I know,” he says, and MC can imagine the infuriating smirk on his lips as he says it. “Why don’t you come over to my place and tell me to my face just how terrible I am?”

“What,” MC teases. “You want to have another sleepover?” They laugh softly at both their own wording and at the mental image of Sylus at a sleepover, cross-legged on a fluffy rug and painting his nails over some questionable gossip. But no, their so-called "sleepovers" are something much more indulgent.

It’s not uncommon for Sylus to invite them over in the evening and spend a few hours entertaining them with heavenly food and pleasant conversation. They usually end up staying awake into positively ungodly hours of the morning, chatting and joking and sometimes drinking until Sylus ushers them into the guest room like a concerned mother to make sure they get some rest.

They’d never admit it to Sylus’s face, but MC loves those nights. The hours they spend together sit warmly in their heart, the teasing and fighting and their own personal brand of weird flirting all something to cherish.

On the other end of the line, Sylus hums, as if considering. "How soon can you be here?" MC glances at the clock.

"Give me an hour?" they estimate. "Your usual residence, right?" They mentally go through the time they'll need — maybe fifteen minutes to pack a few overnight essentials and get into their biking gear, and at least forty to get to Sylus's place if they're, ah, selective about speed limits. Yeah, an hour should do it.

But of course, Sylus has his complaints.

"An entire hour, sweetie?" he says, his tone teasingly disappointed. "Aren't you eager to see me?" MC scoffs even as they stand from their bed.

"In your dreams, maybe," they mutter, though they can't deny the truth in his words. Sylus makes a punched-out, wounded noise on the other end, ever one for dramatics.

"You wound me, hunter," he drawls, that deep, honeyed voice coming through the speaker and making MC shiver. Damn him. Him and his pretty face and his nice-ass voice and his stupid fucking brand of charismatic care. MC shoves a pajama shirt into their overnight bag with more force than is strictly necessary.

"You'll live," they say, picking up the phone and taking it with them as they barge into their bathroom to shove toiletries into a little bag (that Sylus had bought them after seeing them store their toothbrush in a rolled-up plastic one). Once that's in their backpack, they look down at their clothes — lounge shorts, yellow fuzzy socks, and some old ratty t-shirt they got for free back when they were in training. Definitely not bike clothes.

"I've gotta change," MC says, not really knowing why they're announcing it. Sylus hums in question on the other end of the line.

"Oh?" he says. "Did you want to switch to a video call for this part?"

"Perv," MC shoots back, prompting a chuckle from Sylus. They're glad that he's not here in person, that he can't see the blush on their face. Systematically, they banish any thought about those sharp eyes and calloused fingers on them and MC what is wrong with you?! Get a grip!

"I'm hanging up," they say, because they don't know what else they could. They can practically hear Sylus's self-satisfied smirk through the phone as he speaks his next words.

"See you soon, sweetie," he tells them, with the barest hint of breathy, saccharine allure. Fucking hell, MC feels like one of those stupid sailors, about to swim to their doom towards the siren on the rocky shore.

Sylus ends the call.

MC sits down on their bed, runs their hands through their hair, and tries to remember how to breathe.

[rapha-reads]

The Well - Doctor Who series 15 episode 3

The Doctor making promises, ooooh. That always goes well, isn't it.

Britney feat! Yey. Was it Toxic already with Nine and Rose or was it Baby one more time? But anyway. Britney is eternal.

I already know this is related to Midnight (creepiest DW ep ever) but this planet also looks a lot like the planet in Utopia where Ten, Martha and Jack meet Simm!Master. Creepy dark rocky planets where danger can hide behind any cliff face.

Hope is irrelevant versus the Doctor working solely on hope to get Belinda home. Something something rebellions are built on hope something something RTD is still talking directly to us. Also I should catch up on Andor before I get spoiled too.

Because I got spoiled, I already know that Aliss being deaf/hoh is super important to the plot. But meanwhile can we take a moment to cheer for not only the Doctor knowing sign language (everybody should learn sign language), but also the troopers having devices in their suit that allow them to speak to Aliss? Hell yeah.

The way Aliss's face just changed after she said that's so kind. What is that. Fear? Relief ? Nerves ? Or something more sinister and the Doctor and Cassio are right to be wary?

Yeah, I would NOT have restarted the machines, Shaya. Edit: okay, it didn't have any incidence because the creature was already out, but still.

Alrightyyyy, Earth has been obliterated from all of time and space then. Alongside humans. Even though all these people from different planets are all human-like in appearance. Huh. That's going to be fun. Timey wimey, etc.

And Belinda is seeing things... Great. I'm starting to get freaked out now.

Very freaked out. First it mimicked and that was scary as hell. I'm still not over Sky. Now it's hiding and not leaving your back. My anxiety is sky-rocketing.

Cassio is going to get everyone kiiiiiilled. Boyo. You're making things worse...

Yep. He's getting all his troopers annihilated. Fun times.

Well that was great. I'm shaking.

THE SHADOW ON ALISS' SHOULDER AND THE DOCTOR'S ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED AND SHOCKED FACE, HI, I'M TERRIFIED. And those whisperings!!!! Absolutely scary. Don't like that, nuh-uh.

But that whole scene with the Doctor addressing the thing behind was magnificent. Ncuti's acting as always is sublime. With Murray Gold's gorgeous soundtrack and the seriously beautiful images... (yes, the image is a bit too smooth and that's due to D*sney's budget, it's very different from good ol' kitsch and grainy Doctor Who, but that's something that's not just inherently annoying to the show, but to the entire tv/movie industry of the moment - that's an entire other commentary to make and it's not the point right now)

There's 10 minutes left. It can't end just like that. Something is coming. Yep, there it is. For a moment I thought all the people in the airlock had been killed, I'm super glad that's not the case and the only (ha) thing is that the creature is with them.

Shaya is going to sacrfice herself, I'm calling it. Yep. There it is.

OH, COME THE FUCK ON, what the hell is Mrs Flood doing here now???? Is she helping or is she hindering? What's her purpose? Her story? Her real identity?

Someone gives Mo a big hug. Oh for fuck's sake please tell me the thing didn't make it on-board their ship. This would be extremely bad news. Welp. Guess we won't know and that makes this episode join the list of other episodes with a worryingly open ending like that Twelfth/Clara episode The Sandman. Yey. So many storylines ending with a galactic threat that are never revisited.

Shaya enters directly in the top 10 of amazing one-time characters who deserved better. Love her.

[schrijverr]

I Didn’t Mean to Say I Do, but I Do. I Do. 45

Chapter 45 out of 50

Secret marriage of convenience buddie slow burn AU, where Buck and Eddie have been married for years so Buck could adopt Chris and no one at the 118 knows.

In this chapter, Buck and Chris get swept up by the tsunami. Buck tries his best to keep Chris safe and sheltered from the worst of it, however, the receding tide still takes him. Buck has to find him again, he can’t lose Chris, can’t lose their son.

On AO3.

Ships: Buddie

Warnings: insecurity, self loathing, injury, minor character death mention, near death experience

~~~

Chapter 45: Just Keep Swimming

A tsunami. Buck honestly isn’t sure why he didn’t expect it with how life has just been one disaster after another lately, but somehow this wasn’t on his planning this morning when he took Chris to the pier.

Sitting here on a fire engine from what he’s pretty sure is Bosko’s unit, surrounded by people he pulled from the water, he regrets not at least calling out a hi to her when he saw her on the pier earlier.

It felt too awkward to so then, since she is housing his husband and he at some point thought said husband was having an affair with her, but now he would kill for someone to know that they’re out here. It was such a spur of the moment thing that he didn’t mention it to anyone. They’re sitting ducks right now.

The only thing that is keeping him sane, is that Chris is right next to him.

He feels horrible about Chris being out here in this with him. If they’d just stayed home today, they wouldn’t have been in this mess. But no, Buck dragged Chris out to the pier, because he wanted to make right that Eddie has been driven away by something involving Buck. Now Chris just has another traumatic event to add to the list. And that’s his fault.

However, now is not the time to focus on how awful he feels, he needs to focus on Chris. Despite the terrible day he’s having, he’s being plenty cheerful. It’s very Chris, and Buck is glad life hasn’t crushed his spirit yet as they play I Spy together.

If the circumstances were different, he might have paid more attention to the other people he pulled from the water. However, no one appeared seriously injured, so as long as that stays the same, he forgives himself for not having the best bedside manners right now.

He’s off the clock anyway and not even officially a firefighter again, he can be forgiven for wanting to focus on his own kid. He did enough already by leaving him alone on the fire engine to pull everyone else out the water. Buck is a firefighter in his heart, so that went without saying, but he’s too tired to divide his attention between everyone else and Chris. Paramedic has always been more Hen or Chimney’s, or even Eddie’s job.

“Okay, I spy with my little eye, something that…” Buck looks to see what he can find. “Moves people around.”

Chris peers around quite adorably at the debris that is floating by to see what Buck is spying. “Oh, a scooter,” Chris realizes quickly, spotting what Buck had spied.

“Ah, yeah, nice one,” Buck says, having hoped it would be a little more difficult to find. He wants to be able to drag this game out as long as he can, so Chris has something to focus on other than the fact that they’re stuck on a fire engine while waiting for rescue or until the water goes down. But he can’t get disheartened yet, so he nudges Chris and prompts: “Okay, genius, your turn.”

“I spy,” Chris looks around much like Buck had a few seconds ago, “a shopping cart.”

“What? No, come on. Hey, that’s not how the game works. You can’t just yell stuff out,” Buck tells him.

“But, papi, yelling stuff out is the fun part!” Chris yells loudly, big grin on his face.

Buck’s heart just bursts with affection. He loves this kid so goddamn much and he is so grateful to the universe that it let him have this, even if it might not be forever, he gets to be here now. He pulls Chris into a side hug, leaning his cheek against Chris’s wet curls as he says: “You amaze me, buddy.”

“Why?”

“I know you’ve had a rough few weeks and you were pretty down yesterday. When I was a kid and I got bad news, I always got so mad, but you, after the day you had, here you are, with a big smile, busting a gut,” Buck chuckles. Then emotion overtakes him and the memory of the fear makes his voice waver. “You never gave up. Even when that water was rushing over you back there. You just kept on swimming.”

“Like Dory,” Chris says, referencing a movie they’d watched together a couple of times. Buck hadn’t even realized the words Dory sang so often had come out until Chris said that.

“Yeah, like Dory,” he smiles. “And not just today, you know, but every day. You never say no, you never complain.” It’s suddenly very important to Buck that Chris knows how impressed he is with him, that he thinks he’s the best, that he’s proud of him. “You’re such a good kid, Superman, and I keep being blown away by you. How do you do that? You didn’t get that from me, that’s for sure.”

Chris has a pleased look on his face as he explains: “Well, I complained once, but it didn’t work.”

Buck could point out that Chris complained more than once whenever it was early, but he still had to do PT or when he had to go to bed…

However, he doesn’t. He doesn’t want to do that, he doesn’t want to waste time that suddenly feels so limited correcting Chris, he wants to know him. Know him the best he can, hold as many pieces of this amazing kid in his heart. “So what did you do?”

“I just kept on swimming, papi. Like Dory,” Chris shrugs simply.

God, Chris is going to make Buck cry. He’s been trying so hard not to cry, to not let Chris see how scared he was and still is, how dangerous their situation is. Yet, here he is, nearly loosing that fight with himself because of Chris.

He’s witnessed the kid go through so much heartbreak. From Shannon leaving, to Eddie having to re-enlist, to Eddie getting seriously hurt, to uprooting his whole life to move here, to Buck getting hurt, to Eddie pulling away, to this. Buck doesn’t know where he gets the resilience. Eddie is stubborn sure, and so is Buck, and the fiery attitude Chris gets from Shannon, but this? It’s pure Chris.

It makes Buck want to hold Chris closer, hug him tightly and wish nothing else will happen to him, that nothing will ever break his spirit. But he doesn’t want to start acting weird, doesn’t want to worry Chris. So, he just pulls him a little closer to his side and takes a deep breath.

“Oh my god, look over there,” a man exclaims, pulling Buck out of his thoughts as he tries to see what they’re talking about.

“Oh my god.” “Oh no.” Two women also exclaim their horror and Buck now sees why. It’s no longer just debris that is floating by, but a group of bodies.

Chris hasn’t seen the bodies yet and Buck needs to make sure he never will. He could never live with himself if he let Chris see that. Nor could Eddie. God, Eddie will probably be so pissed at Buck. He trusted Buck to look out for Chris, to take care of him when he couldn’t, but Buck only got him caught up into a literal disaster and now Chris might see his first corpse.

Moving quickly, he settles Chris sideways, doing a little swoop as he sits him down to make it seem playful as he cups Chris’s cheek to further guide his eyes away and says: “I- I spy with my little eye, something that is,” he looks around desperately, “high.”

Success. Chris looks up and away from the bodies, peering at the buildings surrounding them to find what Buck is spying, thankfully not yet bored of the game. “A street sign?” he guesses.

Buck looks over at the bodies to see where they are. Still too close for comfort. In fact, way too close in general. They’re right next to the engine, if Buck wanted to touch them, all he’d have to do is reach out his hand.

Despite not having picked anything as the object for I Spy, Buck shakes his head: “Uh, high- higher than that. Like, whoa…” to keep up the charade.

Chris guesses a window, a street light and a cloud, before the bodies have passed. When Buck finally reveals the answer was the air-conditioning unit in one of the windows, Chris huffs: “I don’t wanna play this game anymore.”

“Yeah, me neither,” Buck sighs in a manner that may be a bit too honest as he goes to sit next to Chris. His leg hurts like a motherfucker and he’s exhausted.

It seems to last forever until a rescue mission is set up, though logically he knows they’re probably already out there, getting through is just hard and organizing enough boats is rough. Still, he’d give a lot to see firefighters on the horizon. Especially the 118.

God, what he wouldn’t give to see the 118 right now. To have the most competent people he knows come to rescue them, so he knows this nightmare is behind him.

The 118 will have Eddie too. He wants to see Eddie so bad right now. The man will likely be angry with him for endangering Chris, but he’d at least be here with him. He’s missed him being by his side so much and even though he knows it will likely be his new reality soon, in this moment he’d give anything to have the fantasy of a them again. He needs the comfort, even when he won’t know what to do when he’ll get it.

“I don’t know what we’re gonna tell daddy,” he says, more to fill the silence and distract himself from his own thoughts than anything else. “You know, we don’t invite him one time and, uh, look what happens.”

He doesn’t know what he expected from Chris. Maybe a snippy comment, like Eddie sometimes does, or another blasé comment about their situation. Instead he gets a soft and honest: “You saved me. And you saved them.”

Buck looks over at the others that Chris indicated. They all look half-drowned and beaten up, but they’re alive. He makes eye contact with one of the women he pulled out early on and she smiles at him, the younger woman huddled next to her doing the same. Automatically he smiles back.

If he’s honest, he doesn’t think he did anything big, just did his job. However, Chris doesn’t think so. Chris thinks he saved them, that he’s a hero. The tears he managed to fight off return and he has to swallow to stop them from falling.

To deflect, he says: “No, we did that together. Me and you make a great team. Give me a high five,” as he holds up his hand. He means it too, he wouldn’t have made it through this without Chris right there next to him.

Chris high fives him as Buck continues: “I’m proud of you. Really,” because Chris needs to hear that. He pulls Chris into a hug, hoping that’ll make the message sink in more.

As Chris loops his arms around Buck in return, he says: “Thank you, papi.”

“No, thank you,” Buck whispers into Chris’s shoulder. It’s not the most eloquent thing he’s ever said, but it’ll have to do, because he can’t think of anything else to say.

The sounds of water rushing makes him pull back slightly from the hug so he can see what’s going on.

Indeed, the water that had been calm a second ago is now flowing again and it’s flowing fast, too fast. It’s shaking the fire engine and pulling the debris along to bash against the sides of their refuge that now seems more fragile than it should.

Buck immediately grips Chris tightly, as he shouts to the others: “Everybody get down! Get down and hold on! Hold on!”

Further up a shelter must have failed to withstand the wave, because there are calls for help coming from between the debris and when Buck looks up over the cabin of the fire engine, there are people getting dragged forwards by the water as they wave for help.

Torn, he looks between Chris and the people yelling for help. He should definitely go help them, but he should also definitely make sure Chris is okay.

In the end, helping the people wins out, Chris is already okay. The fire engine is holding up and a safe space to hide out on until this is over. Besides, Chris thinks he saved the people already on there, he can’t let him see him just sit and do nothing while people need help. It’s not in his nature and it’s not what he wants Chris to think of his papi.

So he tells Chris to hold on, then goes to lay over the roof of the front cabin, so he can hold out his hand for the people drifting towards them to grab.

He is just pulling up a man, when something rams into the engine, shaking it violently. He hears something that could be the start of ‘papi’ before there is a splash. The realization of what that could be washes over him and he turns around just in time to see Chris disappear into the waves.

In a wave of adrenaline, he pulls the man aboard, injuring his arm in the process, but he doesn’t care as he abandons any sort of rescuing mission he was aiding at the other side of the engine as he goes to scanning the water to find Chris, calling out: “Chris? Christopher! Christopher! No! Christopher! Christopher! CHRIS!”

There is no Christopher to call back.

Without hesitation, he dives into the water after him. The chances of managing to grab him again are very low and it’s a stupidly dangerous thing to do, but none of that even registers for Buck. His son needs him, he’s going to fucking get to him, danger be damned.

If Chris was difficult to spot from the engine, it’s downright impossible to find him in the chaos of the water. Buck’s screams keep getting cut off by the water invading his mouth and just keeping himself above the water is an exhausting task. He doesn’t know how he’s going to get to Chris when he finally does find him.

As it turns out, he never gets to find out. A cluster of debris rams into him, pushing all the air out of his lungs, before dragging him down under as his foot gets stuck. Helplessly he tugs at it, vision whiting out from the pain, since of course it has to be his bad leg.

Before he can drown, the debris cluster hits a building and so does Buck. It wrenches at his leg, making him pass out, but freeing him in the process.

Buck floats down towards the sea unconscious for another second, before hitting a street sign, which wakes him up again. He flails about and almost drowns a dozen more times, before he grabs onto what at one point was wind indicator, but is now a broken pole where debris congregates.

He looks around desperately for Chis, calling out his name, but there is no response nor sign from the kid anywhere.

The heavy feeling of defeat settles in his bones as he clings to that pole, sporadically getting hit by debris as slowly the water level goes down. No miracle happens. Chris doesn’t appear. He hits the ground with a sharp pain in his leg and Chris nowhere in sight.

Chris is gone.

He lost him.

Buck lost him.

How is he ever going to live with himself? How is he ever going to tell Eddie? Buck left Chris alone for a second to save someone he didn’t even know. He let Chris fall. He let Chris drown. Buck lost him. He lost their son.

And for what? To save some people he doesn’t know? When Maddie was kidnapped by Doug and in serious danger, he hesitated, because he wanted to come home to his family, preserve what he had. Yet, here he abandoned Chris, the one person he wanted to come home to, because he wouldn’t understand.

He abandoned Chris right in front of his face, left him behind with nothing more than a ‘hold on’ while he focused on someone else. What kind of person is he? What does it say about him that he would abandon his sister for himself and his son for a stranger?

How will he ever look Eddie in the eye and tell him their son died, because Buck was playing the hero?

Buck isn’t on the clock right now, is still on medical leave. He’s a firefighter, sure, but he isn’t coming in after the fact to help with the rescue like those that are out there right now. He was hit by that wave, in the thick of the disaster. He’s a victim here, someone to be saved. He didn’t need to help anyone.

He should have left all those people behind to die. He should have held Chris as tightly as he could and never let him go, no matter what was happening around them.

‘You saved me. And you saved them.’

Chris’s words from before echo through his mind and he lifts his head to the sky to keep the tears in. He didn’t save anyone, especially not Chris. But it is how Chris sees him. He saves people. It’s why he couldn’t have abandoned anyone.

Because Buck is Buck and Buck saves people. He can still remember Chris bragging to his grandparents how his papi and daddy are heroes. How could he disappoint him by leaving those people when Chris was already safe beside him?

Chris was safe.

He was supposed to be safe.

Buck was supposed to keep him safe, but he failed. He failed and he has to fix this.

Determination comes over him and he uses the pole to steady himself. His ribs are bruised, maybe even broken and he has a headache like no other, not to mention his leg hurting almost worse than when he first got the injury. However, none of that matters, he has a mission to complete. He has to find Chris.

There is nothing else for him to worry about now. He is going to find Chris even if it kills him and he’s going to bring him home. He’s going to face Eddie with an alive Chris. He refuses to face an alternate reality.

Eddie is probably out there somewhere, helping people. That is his job. Eddie is out there as a firefighter, Buck is out here as a father. It’s his job to find Chris. They’ve always shared the responsibility, passed it back and forth to make it manageable. Right now, Buck holds the responsibility. He won’t fuck that up. Buck fixes things, he can fix this too.

It doesn’t matter that Eddie has been pulling away recently, that he’s figuring himself out. The two of them are still a unit as they’ve always been. Just because Eddie is going to leave Buck, doesn’t mean that their little family is gone entirely. They still have each other’s back out in the field, so Buck needs to have his back.

Buck will always be connected to Eddie through Chris. Eddie trusts him with Chris’s safety, trusts him to watch him while Eddie takes the space he needs. Just like Buck trusted him with Chris when he was chasing after Maddie or in the hospital.

Of course he’ll always love Eddie, he loves him so fucking much, but Chris was the first Diaz that stole his heart, albeit in a different way.

Eddie feels like safety and home. He feels like a solid rock that Buck can always come back to and be met with open arms. He knows Buck wholly and he never left. Not really. He had to enlist and recently he ran. However, he never left. He stayed close, he didn’t abandon him. Buck believes that somehow, sometime, they’ll come back to each other, even if it’s as nothing other than friends.

But Chris- Chris is his kid. His best friend, who amazes him every day. He loves Chris so much. Chris, who is so small, who has been entrusted to Buck, who he has nurtured and seen grow into such an amazing person. Chris is a piece of his soul, that is just walking around. Chris relies on him, looks at him for guidance, for comfort, for parenting. Buck will never take that for granted.

The thought is enough to propel him forward into action. He straightens himself up and looks around. The water pulled them back out to the sea, Chris was taken by the same tide as him, he probably washed up somewhere close to him. He just has to start searching, he’s bound to find Chris at some point.

It’s worse than having to find a needle in a haystack, but he ignores that part of reality. Thinking like that isn’t going to get him anywhere, isn’t going to fix this. Chris is still out there. He has to be.

Those first few steps he nearly buckles under the pain, but he has to keep moving. He doesn’t have time for pain and he knows he can keep pushing through. The human limit is much further than most people think, he’s seen people push through things much worse than a few bruises and a twisted ankle.

It’s a struggle at first. The water is still coming to his waist and slowly flowing back to the sea, so pushing against him. However, after a few near misses that send his heart beat skyrocketing, he gets into a rhythm.

Looking around, he sees that what is left of the pier is to his left and that the fire engine they took shelter on is also left from his position, even if it’s further inland. The water must have pulled him right, which means it pulled Chris right too.

He turns his back on both places and heads right.

Around him, more people are making their way through the disaster towards higher ground. Buck makes sure to take a good look at every person he passes, trying to see if he can catch sight of Chris, found by someone else. Safe.

No luck.

Turning onto a street, he hears someone yell: “Hey! There’s a kid under there.”

Immediately Buck is rushing to help. He hopes naively that it’s Chris, that it will be that easy. But he should have known better. Going off the shoes, he’s pretty sure it’s not Chris, but he isn’t going to let someone die. Especially not a kid. That’s someone’s child. He would want someone to save Chris too if they had the chance. Isn’t that what Hen said during the earthquake? This is no different.

He tells himself he’s not going to make detours to rescue people when he doesn’t have to, but this is basic human decency. Besides, with her free, he can stop the people she’s with, before they leave to ask them if they’ve seen Chris.

“Hey, hey, hey, excuse me,” he stops the group. “I’m looking for an eight-year-old boy. His name is Christopher. He’s always smiling, and he’s got CP, Cerebral Palsy. He’s got brown hair, yellow shirt.” He thinks about mentioning the glasses, but Chris probably lost them.

The surfer guy with long hair, thinks for a moment, then nods: “Yeah, yeah. I think I saw him.”

The feeling of hope, so fragile yet too big to contain his body is almost impossible to describe as he asks: “Where?”

“He was headed with a group that that cupcakery place,” surfer guy says. “I heard they’re handing out water.”

“Cupcakery? What is that?” Buck asks, needing more information so he can find Chris.

“You know, cupcake bakery. It’s about six or seven blocks south of here on Strand,” surfer guy explains.

While he is usually a fan of new tidbits of knowledge, right now he can’t give a single flying fuck about what a cupcakery is exactly. However surfer boy has given him workable information to go off with the address. “Thank you. Thank you.”

The girl is not the last person, he pulls out of the rubble on his search for Chris. And surfer guy is not the last person that gives him information on Chris that turns out to be nothing.

However, the disappointment never stops Buck. He has to keep going, keep searching, keep believing that Chris is alive and out there. That he just has to find him. That all he has to do is get to him and it’ll be okay.

A part of him can understand that it might be denial, but he doesn’t have space for anything else. If he lets himself think that, all the aches and pains he feels will pull him under and he can’t allow that to happen. He knows he’s injured, but he has to push through. For Chris.

Buck doesn’t give up. He can’t. Not until Chris is safe. He just has to keep swimming. Just has to fix this, even if it kills him. There is no other option, not for him, not when it comes to his son.

~~

A/N:

I’m sorry if you thought you’d find out what Eddie would do this chapter, it was a deception. Let’s cross our fingers Buck doesn’t die before someone can find him!

[yyunari]

CHESHIRE ! — Nishimura Riki (TEASER)

SYNOPSIS. Y/N Cheshire lived her life carefree. Being the daughter of the Cheshire Cat made her more inclined to not take anything seriously and to just have a little bit of fun in everything she does. Whether it was pulling pranks, sneaking up on people, or making jabs at her friends- Y/N kept a Cheshire’s smile on her face. Because of that, she just couldn’t take Chaehyun Cupid seriously when she claimed that Y/N had a crush on Riki Wonderland.

PAIRING. Kitty Cheshire! Y/N x Alistair Wonderland! Riki

(btw im not shipping kitty and alistair i just based them off the characters)

GENRE. Ever After High AU, High school AU, Fluff, Slight Angst

WARNINGS. bad parental relationship, ooc riki umm, expected word count is like 15k yea ik. long fic.

RELEASING. published!

NOTES. if u haven’t seen ever after high it’s ok u can still read this all u rly need to know is that the students of eah r the children of fairy tale ppl like snow white or cinderella and they have to follow the paths of their parents and stuff Yassssss

After sometime, Riki opened his mouth. “I know I already asked this earlier, but why did you come here? You know, to stargaze.” As if he wasn’t satisfied with her answer.

He was right in thinking that her answer wasn’t what she truly wanted to say, but it just felt awkward to give an exact reason. Her relationship with her mom was something she could barely tell her only 3 friends about, let alone someone she barely considered an acquaintance.

But Y/N knew Riki was a reliable guy; she had heard it often from Soul, Rei, and Giselle. And maybe for once she would let herself put faith into another person.

“I’ll only tell if you tell me why you like stargazing.”

Riki blew out a breath in thought. “Hm… I don’t know if I can give an exact reason for that. I was just bored one day and ended up coming across this place. That’s what made me stargaze, but something about it just felt so comforting to me that I wanted to do it more often.” He answered, a soft smile gracing his lips. “But that’s not exactly a good reason.”

“I think it suits you.” Y/N whispered out. “I’m sure you have your own stresses with being the son of Alice in Wonderland. It would make sense that having a hobby like this to come back to is something you enjoy.”

He pondered on it for a moment. Maybe she was right. He then chuckled at this side of her he had never seen before. “You’re a lot more poetic than you let on. Anyways I answered your question, can you answer mine?”

Y/N considered answering it, she truly did, but as much as she wanted to open up there was the side of her that wanted to keep everything inside. Her mother had always told her that vocalizing your feelings does nothing good and only makes people pity you.

One thing Y/N despised was being pitied. It only reminded her of how her mother referred to her as a ‘pitiful girl’ and how she would amount to nothing.

So she slowly shook her head. “No, I don’t think I can.”

Riki felt himself beginning to sit up to look at the girl. There was something off about her. The way she spoke to him and the way that she carried herself… she wasn’t acting as she always had. Normal Y/N would be more playful and even mischievous. But now, there was a certain sadness in her entire being that seemed to be throwing her off her rhythm. And it only made Riki more and more curious about her.

“Okay, I get it. You don’t have to tell me.” Riki smiled, before continuing. “I just hope it doesn’t take away your chaotic spirit. You know, I kind of like that about you.”

A sigh left Y/N’s lips at his words. “You don’t mean that, Wonderland.”

“I mean every word, Cheshire.”

Y/N could only roll her eyes before slowly evaporating into the night, using her invisibility and teleportation to finally go back home.

Left lingering in the air was her Cheshire’s smile, which disappeared last and left Riki staring at the wisps of where she had sat only moments prior.

Maybe it made sense that Riki enjoyed stargazing. In a way, there was something about him that was made of the stars. No matter what he did, he always seemed to shine brighter than all the others. There was something about Riki that felt that he belonged up in the sky, giving life to the night and adding a certain glimmer to the auras.

Riki had his own place amongst the sky, and she wished she could be like that too. But after speaking to him, maybe there was nowhere she could have her own place in. Y/N could only wait for the day that she could contribute to a bigger picture, and take a larger part in his story. After all, she had always wanted her own place within the stars.

But for now, all she could do was hope she would become more than just the Cheshire Cat’s daughter.

authors note. postinf this after jay noticed me on his weverse live i am not well. anyways it’s coming 🤓🤓 those 10k words sitting in my drafts r waiting to be released don’t worry babies mommys almost done

permanent taglist. @muhwaa @hoori @yizhoutv @ja4hyvn @carayat @one16core @enhacolor @haerinz @soobin-chois @en-boyz @ohmy-fandoms @yjwonz @yunki4evr @strwberrydinosaur @duolingofanaccount @iichaeyj @eundiarys @ineedaherosavemeenow @chaerybae @bubblytaetae @w3bqrl @xiaoderrrr @jaeyunnsworld @rikizm @teddywonss @gweoriz @dimplewonie @jennaissantes (if u requested to be on my permanent taglist and u didn’t get tagged it’s bc i cant see ur acc, but pls dm me if u want to be in it !)

[yingdu-lover]

noodle lesbians and photo phaggots inventing their own ship names. shiguang photo studio really goes hard

link click season 1 episode 2 re-watch

If you look carefully, the way that dark haired girl looks at the other...it very similar to lu guang sometimes stealing glances of cheng xiaoshi. And the line, she would be my death if I had been her 'partner'

break up 💔 hurts (again, going back to the beginning? restart???)

Cheng Xiaoshi experiences her emotional turmoil as a montage of their college life, the happy days they were together followed along. He gets upset, justifiably. (I cried) Lu Guang informs him that she didn't go anywhere, and cried all night at her home instead. Shoutout to Cheng Xiaoshi for having this quintessential sapphic experience of heartbreak.

and then,

as if he is speaking to Cheng Xiaoshi and us, the audience, Lu Guang passes this comment

he technically mocks. Cheng Xiaoshi gave ooc performance for Emma, and Lin Zhen was so on point. Seriously, Lu Guang, I 200% support cheng xiaoshi's reaction :

But LMAO Li Haoling knows what he was doing when he made the driver speak :

Brat, brat. Cheng Xiaoshi, your husband is straight up brat.

Now coming to the most poignant moments in this episode perhaps

memories

this time, lu guang doesn't mock. And his face is hidden. something stirs his heart too.

you know right which flower symbolism is associated with lu guang's character?

forget me not. remembrance.

lu guang does not rationalise, he doesn't make fun. cheng xiaoshi is pleasantly surprised but lu guang...we can't see his face.

in fact, this seems to be a visual strategy the show makers have adapted to signify lu guang negotiating his emotions that are very intimate to him. His face is not shown to the camera.

you know, these are the threads I picked up when I was fine watching link click. something extremely complex is going on with this man, as a fellow scorpio who feels intensely, I could sense that. he seemed to wear an attitude that masks the tempestuous other, there is always a murmur of a subterranean flow that is in constant flux. you can feel the subtle waves resurfacing on his countenance throughout the course of the two seasons.

this nuanced development of how we are made to perceive lu guang is brilliant. he really feels a lot colder in the first few episodes, or he acts like that, consciously or unconsciously puts up that mask as a psychological defence... except he continuously falls into situations that unravel his delicate core. There is a disruption, always that jolts that image and we get to peek into his subjectivity. Happened in the Emma episode when he was comforting cheng xiaoshi to sleep. bro could call cheng xiaoshi names but to his pain, bro cares.

I'll edit this post after I get to know the lyrics of that beautiful song that was being played in the background during that scene I shared my impressions on. Could anyone tell where I will find the lyrics of that song?