#soda exactly like his dad but didn’t get to bond with him immediately like his brothers did

[damthosefandoms]

can I be cruel tonight. vietnam vet soda who admired his dad for being a soldier for years bc as kids we’re blind to the truth of war and sacrifice and all he knew growing up was that his dad had to go fight in the korean war like weeks after he was born and didn’t come home until soda was at least eighteen months old. darrel sr. never talked about the war, he acts like it didn’t happen, except he wore his dogtags under his shirt every day for the rest of his life after—and then soda wears them when his dad dies because it’s like keeping a part of his dad with him, something he was proud of his dad for.

and then soda gets his own, when he’s eighteen and they send him that letter condemning him to the same fate he realizes that there was a story behind that blank expression his dad would have some nights, stories similar to the ones sod’s has now and he feels sick to his stomach. but he also feels closer to his dad than ever. and now sometimes if darry and pony can’t find soda they go to the cemetary and soda will be sitting on the ground in front of their parents’ graves and his fingers will be tangled in the chain of his dogtags as he just stares into the middle distance, like their dad used to, once upon a time

[lozzypoz321]

Word count: 2.2k

A/N: I’m so sorry I haven’t posted in so long!!! But I am quite surprised that my current 200 followers (wow) haven’t unfollowed by now but this is my 200 celebration fic even though I’m a bit late- also I’m sorry if this sucks I just haven’t written in ages! Please bare with me! Kindly proofread by @canadianhufflepuffavenger 💗

Warnings: angst, past break up

Your real dad

-

Steve tightened his grip around your draw-string bag that he had convinced you to part ways with, as you, him and your mother made your way into the tower. He was dreading the reunion with Bucky after not seeing the team for about 2 weeks. You were practically bouncing on your feet to see your real dad. While Steve was there watching you treat your dad like a hero but not even spare him a glance.

Your family relationship was complicated yet simple at the same time: you hated your mom but tolerated her, loved your dad with all your heart, hated your stepdad as much as he tried, treated Peter like your brother and Thor exactly like your uncle.

Why did you hate your stepdad so much?

Well, first of all, he pretended like he was your real dad and tried to do all of the things with you that you and Bucky did together. Second, he always stole all your moms attention and made you feel like you were alone (whether he meant it or not)

The elevator door dinged, indicating that the three of you had reached your floor where currently Bucky, Thor, Tony, Natasha and Sam were hanging out, waiting for your “family”. The others were in the kitchen, trying to get a sneak taste of the food that had been ordered.

“Dad!” You yelled and raced up to the super soldier, he broke out into a grin and picked you up off the ground to invade you into a bone-breakinghug. “Hiya doll face.”

You grinned back at him and got down from his arms briefly to run across the room to retrieve your drawstring back so you could show your dad your new spiderman action figure that had been bought by your cousin Peter.

“Look! Look!”

He smirked slightly at your excited demeanour as you held up the toy as high as you could while jumping up and down for him to see. Once he’d figured out who the character was, you had already gone running off to see what Wanda and Vision had baked in one of the many kitchens.

“Hey Buck” Steve acknowledged as friendly as he could, it wasn’t that the two ‘friends’ hated each other, but there was definitely some tension in the room as the two sat parallel. Tony cleared his throat and mentioned something about having a cough as he quickly left the room.

“I better see where he got off to” Natasha and your mother said at exactly the same time, not wanting to experience what they thought was about to go down.

“Hi Steve” the older soldier greeted back, not sure what the intentions of the conversation were exactly. In the tower, the history between both soldiers and your mother was known but not really spoke of- Bucky dated your mother for quite a while (almost four entire years), and got her pregnant with you, but- as everybody was sure to know- all good things must come to an end- and the two broke up on good terms. That was before Steve Rogers himself got involved at a certain billionaire’s party when they realized they were (and this is in your mother's words) “meant for each other.”

“I’m erm, here to speak to you about something.” As if the awkwardness present in the room was no longer enough before, by now it was almost too much. Thor and Sam took the most obvious hint and left the room in search of something else to occupy their time.

“Well, you’re free to speak-“ Bucky was interrupted by the loud sound of laughing from behind the wooden door and almost instantly after a hushing sound. The two men had completely different reactions to this, Steve was utmostly confused, both eyebrows scrunching together, while Bucky’s face held a small smile. He knew exactly who was trying to eavesdrop and it just proved how much Steve did not know his stepdaughter from the fact he didn’t immediately know. “(Y/N),” he called out, the humour evident in his voice, “Parker, we know you're out there.”

“Awww, Peter you gave our secret identities up!”

By now Steve had caught on to the two of you and laughed lightly, trying to cover up the fact that his only chance to ask Bucky his question alone, was interrupted.

The wooden door creaked open, revealing Peter, dressed up in his spiderman suit for dramatic effect and you with a bandana on, which you thought made you look like a ninja and you held your action figure tightly in your left hand.

“(Y/N), you know it’s rude to eavesdrop” Steve scolded you, trying to be firm. You ignored him and shrugged your shoulders before going to follow the scent of Chinese food.

“Doll,” your dad stopped you “don’t ignore people, you know not to do that” he stood up from his spot on the sofa and began to also make his way to the kitchen, you right beside him muttering a small “okay dad.”

Steve tried not to let his heart sink as his best friend walked away. He would just have to try and get Bucky alone at another point in the night. If he didn’t get an answer, then he would have no use for the small box that was sitting in his trouser pocket.

“Bonjour,” Clint greeted the two of you as you both arrived for food, the island set up with enough plastic plates for everyone (Tony couldn’t be bothered with hiring people to wash normal, expensive ones multiple times a day)

Your mother smiled at you from the other side of the kitchen, but she was immediately confused when you didn’t smile back. The reason you had not, is because you had a feeling you knew exactly what question your stepdad had for Bucky and did not at all like the sound of it.

“Fries?” Bruce offered, tilting the box of food towards you. You nodded gratefully and grabbed a handful. The conversations at the table were mixed; Thor ranting passionately about the food at his home planet, Tony mumbling something about not even being hungry anyway (you thought he was just being salty since he didn’t get his Shawarma), Bucky and Sam having a silent argument across the table, and Peter was busy singing Christmas songs in his best Santa Claus voice.

“Have a holly jolly Christmas, and in case you didn’t seeeee” Natasha rolled her eyes dramatically at the teenager making everyone laugh.

“Hey don’t get annoyed at me! Everyone loves Christmas!”

You used to love Christmas before your parents separated and you weren’t allowed to spend the holiday with your dad.

“I don’t like Christmas,” your dad shrugged half mindedly while taking a sip of his soda. Peter looked at him like he had two heads and exclaimed in shock, “that impossible!”

“It ain’t kid,” Bucky chuckled while your mother shifted in her seat uncomfortably, realizing the reasoning.

While you worked your way through the pile of noodles, Thor’s incessant ranting came to an end, and the teenager had seemingly run out of songs, the group of superheroes decided to hang out in the living room and watch a movie before you, Steve and your mother had to go home.

“Which one?” Nat asked the room while holding up two movies, the nightmare before Christmas and the corpse bride. Both Halloween movies, neither particularly scary.

“How could one have a nightmare on the day before Christmas? Surely that is against the rules of the Holiday Christmas, that is based on happiness?” Thor asked, earning a quizzical look from you. “Stop tryna act like Shakespeare big man” Tony laughed while grabbing a handful of popcorn and shoving it all into his mouth.

Steve ignored the billionaire, and while no one seemed to be paying attention he directed his attention to Bucky, swallowing nervously. “Hey Buck, can I speak to you for a sec outside?”

Confusion spread over the soldier’s face for a split second before complying and getting up from the couch with Steve as discreetly as possible as to not raise suspicion from the rest of the team and you.

“What’s up?” He asked once they’d reached the hallway outside, he didn’t know what was up with the younger man but he could easily tell that he’d been acting nervous around himself and your mom.

“Um, I have a question, you don’t have to say yes or no or anything-“

“Your ranting.”

He stopped and thought for a second, wondering how to put it. “I know it’s been complicated recently, and I know this might make it worse with all your history with (Y/M/N) and (Y/N) but I really do love both of them and since (Y/M/N)’s parents passed a while ago, there’s no one to really ask for their blessing so I guess I’m here to ask you, can I have your blessing to propose to (Y/M/N)?”

Bucky stood emotionless for a second, not knowing how to react. He wasn’t sure whether to be happy for Steve and support him or to be angry. He had both reasonable attributes for each option but was cut short when he heard the sound of a door banging against its hinges on the floor above.

Both of your dad’s eyebrows scrunched together, who was that? Everyone in the tower knew not to do it because Tony despised it, and everyone with a brain knew that when Tony got annoyed, bad things happened.

Then almost instantly after the door entering the living room revealing an awkward Loki “I’m sorry to interrupt this conversation but your daughter slash stepdaughter, just ran upstairs in tears so if you could quickly wrap this little moment up, it would be greatly appreciated”

Bucky’s heart stopped, why were you crying?

He and Steve completely forgot about their previous conversation and quickly headed upstairs, nearly running Peter over in the process coming from the toilet. But just as they reached the door where you normally stayed when you came for sleepovers, Bucky stopped and put a finger to his lips.

“I think I should go in.” Instead of arguing, and saying that it would be good ‘bonding time’ to get you to like him, Steve silently agreed and let your dad go in.

“Hey, sweetheart,” he gently closed the door behind himself, instantly catching sight of you sat on the carpeted floor, furiously wiping your eyes with the sleeve of your hoodie.

“Hey, hey, don’t hurt yourself,” he took ahold of both of your wrists and set them down on your lap, “why’re you crying doll?”

Tears continued to stream unapologetically down your cheeks, you didn’t know how to tell him. That you had snuck out of the living room to see where the two had gone and then eavesdropped into their conversation, and once hearing your stepdad (who you did not like at all) was going to become a permanent part of your life, ran off crying.

“I don’t wanna talk about it” you shook your head, making him sigh. “Please tell me, I wanna know why. You trust me right (Y/N)?”

The simple nod was all he needed, yet his heart still ached. Seeing his only daughter in tears and didn’t trust him enough to tell him why? It was heartbreaking for him. “I don’t want him to marry mom,” you quietly admitted, “the only reason I’m still allowed to see you is because she thinks I still need a father figure, so now he’s gonna be here forever I won’t be- I won’t be able to see you anymore.”

He sighed deeply, trying to find a way to comfort you. “You will, I promise. I’ll always be apart of your life doll. No one can ever take you away from me because you're my daughter and I love you so so much, m’kay?”

You sniffled and wiped the final tears from your cheeks. “Okay.”

Before you could both get up and return downstairs to finish the movie, Bucky stopped you and lifted you up to whisper something to you.

Once he had finished you pulled back and nodded hesitantly, realizing that you should put your grudge behind you and face a fear.

Your dad and you returned outside, Steve waiting patiently while resting on the wall, gently smiling at you to make sure you were okay.

“Go on doll,” Bucky quietly urged, making you take a deep breath and just go for it.

“I give you my blessing to marry mom.” Steve’s heart skipped multiple beats as his brain tried to process what you had said. You’d finally accepted him into your life?

He broke out into a grin, trying to form words to thank you without seeming like this meant the absolute world to him. “Thank you (Y/N). I appreciate it so much.”

Bucky was proud of you for taking a leap and letting Steve into your life when you were scared. He realized at that moment that even if you did have a dad and a stepdad at the same time, he’d fulfilled his role already.

Taglist: @marvel-ous-hobbit @snarky--starky @rae-is-typing @stargazingfangirl18 @canadianhufflepuffavenger @herecomesthewriterwitch @every-marveler-ever @hera-the-writer @lovers-in-japan-reign-of-love @just-one-ordinary-fangirl @rooskaya-yelena @deephideoutmilkshake @kidney9-9 @js3639 @am3l1a-24 @bonkybarnes107 @ilovemarvel-andcats @sapphireplums @deannawallacee @keenmarvellover @garbage-potato @mollbt @spookybooisa

[kindahoping4forever]

I Don’t Wanna Spend One More Christmas Without You // Poly!Cashton

@cal-puddies​​ and I want to thank everyone who read/liked/reblogged/left us feedback during our Hoe For The Hoe-lidays event. We keep saying we can’t believe we pulled this off: between our 10 solo fics and this co-write, we posted over 30k words this week! I’m proud of not only that impressive feat but also the work we produced, these have been some of my favorite pieces in recent memory.

We knew we wanted to close out with a Galaxybrain co-write but we weren’t sure which of our lanes to feed. We figured, hey it’s the season of giving: why not both? 😏 In true Cass & Crystal fashion, this started out with us just being thirsty (we wrote the smut first lmao) but ended up being super heartfelt and emotional? Please be sure and let us know what you think, we couldn’t be prouder of this one!

Warnings: Reader x Calum, Reader x Ashton, Calum x Ashton; a relatively new throuple trying to figure out how to express their feelings for one another, filth but make it fluffy, unprotected sex within a triad relationship, oral sex performed on both a male and a female, manual stimulation of both a male and a female, cum play 

Word Count: 9150

Cass & Crystal’s Masterlist  // Hoe For The Hoe-lidays Masterlist

Let  us  know  what  you  think!

“Food’s here,” a voice quietly announces with a rap on the door.

You turn to see Calum in your bedroom doorway, sheepishly mouthing ‘sorry’ when he realizes you’re on the phone. You step over to him and whisper, “I’m almost done, bub,” reassuring him with a quick peck on the lips.

A few minutes later, you follow the sounds of loud laughter and conversation to the living room; you smile when you see Ashton standing there, in the midst of an animated story while Cal sits on the couch, hanging on every word, laughing as if it’s the funniest thing he’s ever witnessed. You honestly wonder if maybe it is.

You bounce over behind Ash, throwing your arms around him, nuzzling his back; his leather jacket feels cold against your face so you assume he hasn’t been here long. “I didn’t know we were seeing you tonight,” you chirp.

He chuckles, slinging an arm around you. “I was texting with Cal when he was ordering dinner and it sounded good so I invited myself,” he explains, kissing your forehead.

“Bullshit, I absolutely invited you!” Cal insists, smiling eyes betraying his words of protest. You giggle at their banter and untangle yourself from Ash to serve yourself some dinner. Cal continues his teasing, “The food sounded good, just admit you missed us and move on.”

Ashton sits down on the couch next to Cal and nudges his knee tentatively with his own. “Of course I missed you,” he says simply. The two men exchange sweet, almost shy smiles and you feel your entire being light up with affection as you watch them.

It’d been four months since you and Ash had asked Calum to be a part of your relationship and while the three of you were still individually and collectively deciding exactly what all that means, you were happy and that’s all that mattered to you.

In the year and a half you were with Ashton, it was as intense and meaningful a relationship as you’d ever had - but it was never quite right and you’d split up a handful of times. During one of your “breaks” last year, a friend of a friend suggested that Cal might be the answer to your search for a new roommate. You met for coffee one day and immediately hit it off; you’d be lying if you said you didn’t quickly develop feelings for him but more than anything at that point, you needed a friend and Cal was there for you when it really counted.

It came as no surprise that when Ash started hanging around again, he bonded with Cal as instantly as you did and the three of you became inseparable. You and Ashton reconciled once again and couldn’t help but notice how much more communicative and at peace with each other you were with Calum around. It’s like he had been the missing piece all along, he made everything feel right - and you eventually told him as much.

Which is why you’re struggling so much with the bad news you have to deliver to your boyfriends. You sit on your living room floor, picking at your dinner, going over the dilemma in your mind for the 100th time, trying to find a different solution.

“Darlin’?” Cal’s gentle but firm voice shakes you out of your thoughts and you look up blankly. “Ash asked if you wanted another soda.”

You blink a few times, as if that will reset your mind and bring clarity. “Oh. No thank you, love, I’m good!” You call out towards the kitchen.

“You feelin’ OK?” Cal asks, reaching across the coffee table to stroke your arm. “We’ve been talking about this food all day and you’ve barely touched it.”

You look into his dark eyes, full of care and concern and know you have to be honest with him. “I need to talk to you both about Christmas… it’s not great,” you admit.

Ashton searches your face as he sits back down. “Is your mom alright?” He gently asks, remembering a health scare your family was dealing with when he went home with you last winter.

You offer him a faint, loving smile. “Everyone’s fine… great, even. Uh… my sister is getting engaged,” you share, chewing your lip.

“Oh! ...Oh,” he responds, starting to understand the issue.

Calum looks between the two of you, baffled. “I don’t understand, why is that bad? I thought we liked her boyfriend?”

“We do,” you start, carefully. “It’s just… With this news in mind, I don’t know if it’s really the right time to tell everyone about our relationship now.” You can’t bring yourself to look in Cal’s eyes yet, not wanting to see if he’s as hurt as you fear he may be.

He sits back on the couch, trying to process. “I thought you said your parents would be super understanding and chill about us?”

Ash sees you struggling to find the words so he tries to help. “They would be. They will be,” he reassures Cal with a warm smile. “I think the concern is that an engagement might seem kind of mundane compared to an announcement like ours. What’s more exciting than a daughter bringing home one son in law? How about the other daughter bringing home two?”

“They’d spend the whole time doting on us, making sure we’re comfortable, Facebooking all the extended family who’s coming to visit to make sure no one says anything that might offend us… her moment would get totally overshadowed,” you explain. “And I’d hate that, this is a big deal, she deserves to be The Story.”

Calum listens intently, nodding. You finally catch his gaze and are relieved to see nothing but understanding and compassion on his face. “OK. Well, wouldn't it be better if I just didn’t go at all then?” He offers sincerely.

Your exclamation of “Bubba, no!” blends with Ashton’s soft sigh of “Cal…” and you all have to laugh at the outburst.

"That's not me trying to be dramatic or anything, I just don't want to cause any trouble," he shrugs.

You scoot around to come sit next to the couch. "I've really been looking forward to us spending our first Christmas together," you insist, squeezing Cal's knee. "If you're uncomfortable with coming under these circumstances, I understand but for what it's worth, I would like you there."

Ash places his hand on top of yours, reassuring Calum as well. "The family's already expecting you, just as a roommate," he points out. "Plus… trying to keep our secret could be kind of fun." He winks at Cal, who can't resist breaking into a wide grin.

Your “fun” holiday couldn’t be off to a worse start the next morning when Ashton arrives bright and early to pick you and Cal up only to find you still in your pajamas, rushing to finish getting your bags together. After a few minutes of Ash stomping around, huffing about getting a late start, Cal, peacemaker that he is, offers to help him pack the car while you finish up.

You meet them in the driveway a few minutes later, dragging your suitcase behind you. Ash promptly snatches it away from you without a word and you glare at him fiercely.

Calum appears at your side and holds you by the waist. “You can’t blame him for being irritated,” he says quietly, rubbing your arm. “You knew what time he was coming, you should have been packed.”

“Yeah… but,” you start.

Cal is already shaking his head. “No, darlin’, there’s no excuse. We had a plan, you should have been ready.”

“See!” Ashton says, coming up beside the two of you.

“Well, you don’t get to gloat, babe, you could have handled it better,” Cal chides.

“I don’t like it when you don’t pick sides,” Ash says, coming over to peck Cal’s cheek. He presses his lips to the top of your head. “I’m sorry I was a grouch.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t ready and delayed us 15 whole minutes,” you reply.

Cal pinches your hip. “Passive aggressive much?”

Ash shrugs at you. “It’s coming out of your breakfast time. It’s a 6 hour drive, love.”

“I’m aware, love,” you fire back, helping yourself into the back seat. He sighs as you pull the hood up on your sweatshirt and stuff your hands in the pocket.

Ash huffs as he shuts your door. Cal gently grabs his arm. “Give her a few minutes. We’ll make breakfast quick, coffee and bagels; smother hers in cream cheese, get some caffeine in her and she’ll forgive you,” he reassures.

His prediction is spot on and by the time you’re halfway through your cup of coffee, you’re leaning into the front seat to run your fingers through both of your boyfriends’ hair. “I’m so glad I get to take you both home with me,” you say warmly. “I’m sorry it can’t be exactly what we wanted, but I know it’ll still be special, because we’ll be together.”

The rest of the drive goes smoothly and when you arrive at your parents’ house, the family is waiting at the door for you; after introducing Calum, you’re immediately whisked away by your sister, gushing about the recent trip her boyfriend took her on for their anniversary. You listen quietly and hope your smile doesn’t give anything away, you love that she has no idea what’s coming in a few days.

Your dad loves Ashton and couldn’t be more thrilled that you brought him home again; he offers to help him unload the car and makes a big show of pointing out how similar their leather jackets are, going so far as to make a “like father, like son” joke.

You sneak a few apologetic glances over at Calum, who you hope isn’t feeling too left out in his role of “your roommate” as he makes small talk with your sister’s boyfriend. You feel endlessly grateful for your mother when you see her sit down and start showing Cal all the gourmet vegetarian recipes she’s bookmarked on her iPad, asking what he’d prefer for Christmas dinner; she’s clearly charmed by his shyly polite responses and you fight the urge to go over and kiss over his squishy, crinkly face as her attention continues to make him more smiley and flustered.

While your mom and sister set the table for dinner, your dad and Ash carry the luggage to your respective rooms for you to get settled; you take advantage of the opportunity to break away and check in with Cal, under the guise of showing him the trick to operating the shower in the guest bathroom.

You turn the overhead fan on to help drown out your conversation. “You doin’ OK, bub?” You ask, massaging his shoulders.

He squeezes your hip. “It was hard at first but your mom’s sweet,” he gives you a sad smile. “Guess I didn’t realize how weird it’d be to see you and Ash act like a couple again, since I’m used to seeing you be… whatever we are.”

“The best thing that’s ever happened to me, that’s what we are,” you easily respond, drawing him in for a quick, soft kiss.

He holds you by the hips, resting his forehead to yours. “Thank you,” he murmurs. “You better get out of here before people get suspicious.” He presses his lips to your forehead and you step out of the bathroom, shutting the door behind you.

You spend the next few days trying to make sure Calum doesn’t feel left out. Your dad invites him to join some of the “future son in law” activities he’d planned but Cal is easily swayed to stay with your mom and help around the house. His height and muscle mass are highly desired for decorating or carrying in groceries and he’s so sweet and well-mannered, your mom is just tickled to have him around. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think she had a crush on him.

The day before Christmas Eve, Cal agrees to join the men for lunch and last minute shopping; your mom encouraged him to go because she wanted to make a secret shopping trip with you so you could pick out a few gifts for the family to give him so he didn’t get left out.

From what Ashton tells you when they return, the outing seemed to go well; you chatted with Cal a little that evening and he seemed to be in good spirits, happy with how things had turned out. But you can still sense him needing the affection you haven’t been able to provide; aside from a stolen kiss here and there, you’d barely touched him since you arrived and he and Ash had been keeping their distance so as not to raise eyebrows. What weighs on you most is knowing Calum hadn’t slept alone since the three of you became the three of you and you can see it wearing on him.

Ashton climbs in bed next to you. “Love… who’re you texting?” He asks, already knowing the answer.

“I just want to make sure he’s OK,” you say sheepishly.

“He’s fine, love,” he murmurs, kissing your cheek, then letting his lips trail down to your neck. “You’ve said he’s had fun with you and your mom and I saw him have a great day today. He’s good… now, me on the other hand? I could use some attention.” His lips firmly attach to your jaw and he’s practically laid himself on top of you, hovering.

You giggle at his lack of subtlety. “When do you not want attention?” You tease, pulling him into a hungry kiss. “I’ve been missing you too, Ash. I’m sorry I haven’t been here for you much, I’ve just been worried about how Cal’s handling things and I love my family but being around them is kind of draining…”

He cuts you off with a sweet kiss. “I know, baby… ‘s why I thought we could use a little stress relief,” he flirts, leaning in to mouth at that spot behind your ear that makes you crazy.

You hum with interest and brush his hair off his forehead. “We’d have to be quiet, we can’t have another incident like last year,” you say with a smirk.

Ash pulls back to playfully glare at you. “We’ve gone over this, technically that noise I made was your fault. If you hadn’t done that thing with your tongue, I wouldn’t have cum so suddenly and the incident would’ve been avoided,” he argues, tickling your side.

You try fighting him off to no avail. “My sister did think it was pretty funny… after the initial horror wore off,” you giggle, batting at his hands, trying to get him to let up.

After another minute or so of play fighting, you “win” by wrapping your legs around Ashton’s body and using them to draw him back over you. He kisses you with a little more emotion behind it than last time, pulling away to whisper, “I’m very happy I get to be here with you.” Your stomach flips at his sincerity and you wrap your arms around his neck, letting your kisses tell him how much you appreciate him.

Things start to heat up and Ash’s hands slide up your sweatshirt and over your hips; his hands are slow to tease you the way they usually do and when you rock against him, you’re slightly surprised you don’t feel him straining against his sweatpants yet. Your fingers travel under his long sleeve tee and dance over his abs to meet his waistband. You’re just about to dip your hand in when he stops you.

“Does this feel weird to you? This feels weird to me,” he sighs, flopping over onto his back beside you. He runs his hand through his long, dark hair, distressed. “Why does this feel weird to me?”

You roll onto your side, curling up next to him. “Well… we haven’t been intimate together, just the two of us, since Cal happened,” you say gently, stroking softly at his chest. “Do you think maybe you miss him being with us?”

“Yeahhhhh, I think so…” He lets out a long exhale, playing with your hand on him. “I just… it’s silly, you and me had sex a million times before we met him and now… I pull away from you and expect to see his eyes smiling at me while he kisses your shoulders. Expect to feel your skin already warm from his touch… expect to feel him warm next to me. Want it, even.”

“Ash,” you pout, touched by how he’s opening up to you, how open he’s being with himself about his feelings for Calum. “It’s not silly, you care about him. It’s not that you and I are suddenly uncomfortable with each other, it’s just that we’re used to more than this now. Need it, even.”

You rest your head on his chest and lay together, quiet and understanding while you both evaluate your feelings. After a while, you decide to lighten the mood, lifting your head up to tease, “A million times, eh?”

Ashton laughs loudly, clamping his hand over his mouth to muffle the noise. A beat passes and he meets your eyes for the first time since this conversation started, giving you an almost shy smile. “Think we could slip him in here undetected?”

You grin at him as you reach for your phone. “I don’t think the three of us would be able to keep it down, so no funny business,” you warn, texting your boyfriend. “But at the very least, we’ll get some alone time, even for a few minutes.”

Ash gets up and cracks the door, waiting for Cal to make his way down the hall; when he appears in the doorway, you see Ashton’s shoulders instantly relax. He gently closes the door behind him and wraps Calum in a tight, warm embrace; you can’t tell what Ash murmurs in his ear but whatever it is, it casts a soft, lovestruck glow across Cal’s features when he hears it.

His eyes meet yours and you open your arms wide. “Come lay with us, bubba,” you invite him.

“But…” He motions to the door, looking unsure.

Ash shrugs, “We can say we’re watching a movie.” He rests his chin on Cal’s shoulder from behind. “What do you say, babe? We miss you.”

Calum relaxes, gently reaching up to scratch at Ash’s scruff. He moves toward the bed but clearly doesn’t know what to do.

“Lay next to me, bub!” You smile, patting the bed next to you.

Ash lets a soft smile cross his face. “Why don’t you get in the middle?” He suggests.

Cal lays next to you and you instantly snuggle into him, throwing your arm across his body while Ash settles in on his other side. Cal wraps his arm around you and kisses your forehead; you look up with a pout and he presses his lips to yours. He pulls away from you when he feels Ashton nuzzle his cheek; Ash looks at him lovingly and gently plants a chaste kiss on his lips.

“Thought we were cuddling, lovers,” Cal whispers against his mouth.

“We are… just wanted to give you affection too,” Ash murmurs.

The three of you lay quietly for a while, Ash’s head next to Cal’s on the pillow and you draped across Cal’s body. His arm is tight around your back while he and Ash shyly play with each other’s fingers.

Ash looks over at you and you watch as his eyes take you in. “Our girlfriend sure is beautiful, isn’t she, Cal?” He whispers, lips gently pressing to Cal’s jaw.

“Gorgeous,” he agrees, turning his eyes to you, sweeping your hair back. Ash leans in to you first for a kiss, with Cal wanting one right after. You sigh, scooting up so you can rest your head in the crook of Cal’s neck, and let yourself drift to sleep. Calum knows immediately, he’s felt your even breath on his neck many times.

“She sleeps so easy with you,” Ash comments, brushing his fingers against Cal’s for the umpteenth time. Cal finally laces his fingers with Ashton’s, looking over at him. They stare at each other for a few moments before Ash speaks again. “I’m so glad you decided to come with us after all… I know it’s not perfect and not what we talked about, but I don’t think either of us would enjoy this without you.”

“I’m really happy to be here,” Cal responds quietly, squeezing Ash’s hand and your sleeping body gently. “I was definitely missing all of this though... thanks for bringing me in tonight.”

“We needed you,” Ash confesses, a faint blush coloring his cheeks. “Weird when you're not here now.”

Calum turns his face toward Ashton’s, nuzzling in and enjoying the warmth of his boyfriend, his rough hand wrapped with his; he grins against Ash’s cheek and Ash responds with a kiss to his forehead.

Cal stays, wrapped in the both of you, for another 45 minutes before the men agree it’s time to call it a night. He tries his best not to wake you as he slips out of bed but he fails, leading to an extra 15 minutes of your soft whines and insistence that he stay. He finally leaves you with a passionate kiss and a kiss on the cheek for Ash.

The next day, Christmas Eve, goes by fast. Various family and friends are in and out of the house all day, stopping by to share their holiday greetings. Continuing your family’s tradition, the men head out in the afternoon to pick out and haul home a Christmas tree and after dinner, you all decorate it together.

Like you’ve done since you were kids, the lights in the living room get turned off for a dramatic “reveal” of the lit and decorated tree when you’re all finished. The multi-colored lights get plugged in and brighten up the room, illuminating your sister’s boyfriend down on one knee. You squeeze Ashton’s hand and subtly brush your pinky down the back of Calum’s hand. Her “moment” is perfect and you silently thank your boyfriends with your eyes for understanding why you wanted this for her.

After some dessert and celebratory cocktails, everyone is exhausted but happy to be together. Your dad gets a fire going and your sister puts on the old Rudolph special you loved as kids; you plop yourself in Ashton's lap on the couch, with Cal sitting close by, close enough for you to keep throwing him little glances undetected. You know it must’ve been hard for him to go back to bed alone after the time you spent together last night and even harder today, having to watch you and Ash continually couple up and be gushed over by your holiday visitors.

Halfway through the show, your dad starts snoring so Mom decides it’s time for them to head up to bed. Your sister and her fiancée make it through to the end of the show but when you suggest following it up with Frosty The Snowman, they decline and tell you and the guys goodnight.

After such a long day, filled with so much unspoken emotion, it's surprising how quiet the three of you are now that you're alone. Sitting with your men in a room lit only by the warm glow of the fire and the soft colored lights of the tree - this was the type of scene you imagined when you envisioned your first Christmas together. But the feeling's not quite right.

You peck Ashton on the cheek before sliding off his lap, moving to sit on the other side of Calum, putting him in the middle of you and Ash. You run a hand through his hair, tentatively at first, just in case everyone in the house isn't quite settled yet. "How are you, bub?" You ask softly.

He closes his eyes, leaning into your touch and you feel your heart both swell and break a little at how badly he was clearly needing your affection. "Good. Tired. Happy I can finally do this," he replies, leaning in to give you a short but needy kiss.

When he pulls back, he grabs your hand out of his hair and brings it up to his lips for a kiss; he waits a beat then reaches for Ash’s hand and kisses it as well. “Missed you too, bub,” you murmur with a smile.  

Ash looks at both of you, adoration in his eyes. You recognize that look on his face, the one that means he’s searching for the right words, trying to line up his emotions with his nervous tongue.  

You squeeze his other hand that’s resting on the back of the couch behind Cal, sensing he needs encouragement and he glances at you, grateful.

"We both missed you, Cal,” he starts, shaking his head as he decides to go all in. “I’ve missed you, is what I mean actually. Not being able to have you close the past few days has me realizing how much closer I would like you to be."

He cups Cal’s face, stroking gently with his thumb while he waits for his words to sink in and his nerves to settle. He inches forward and gently kisses him; it’s brief but Ash is purposeful in the way their lips slot together. When he gets bold and slips in his tongue, Cal visibly tenses and Ash pulls away gracefully, not wanting to push.

You stop yourself from obviously reacting but your heart feels like it might burst out of your chest. You've watched them both struggle to navigate their feelings for each other over the past four months and you couldn't be happier to see at least Ashton take a step towards clarity. You gently rest your palm on top of their intertwined hands and squeeze twice; a supportive one for Ash and a reassuring one for Cal.

Cal, dazed, turns to look at you briefly before his eyes briefly widen as if a light bulb has gone off. He grabs Ash’s neck to pull him in for another kiss, this one more desperate, with daring tongue and teeth.

You quietly pull your hand off theirs, not wanting to intrude on the intimacy of their moment. You can't deny that witnessing their hunger for each other has you feeling needy yourself but you know how important this exploration is for them, how important it is for the three of you, so you patiently sit and watch.

They eventually pull away from each other, panting. You see them exchange a look of some sort and then Calum is reaching for you; he kisses you feverishly while lifting you over his lap and fitting you in between him and Ash. His lips move down to your neck and suddenly Ashton's tongue is slowly tangling with yours; you can tell by his kiss he's still in his feelings and you do your best to match his energy, letting him know you're there for him.

You break apart, one of your hands in each of your boyfriends' hair. You all look back and forth between each other and quietly laugh, ecstatic to be alone together and ready to take advantage of this opportunity.

Ashton gives you another lingering kiss, massaging your breast over your sweater before pulling away and immediately drawing Calum in for a kiss; they sit up on their knees, making out over you and you watch how they lose themselves in it, yet keep their hands occupied in each other's hair, almost as if they're unsure if they should go further. They each let out a quiet groan and you note the tents forming in both of their pants; you decide to help them out and reach to palm their straining cocks while they kiss.

It surprises Ashton more than Cal; he stops their kiss to look down at you. He runs a hand over your face and smiles at you briefly before his mouth is back on Cal’s.

You turn toward Calum, gently lifting his shirt and kissing on his stomach. He lets out an appreciative moan for your touch and you take that cue to unzip his pants; he eagerly cooperates in helping you pull him out of his boxers.

“Oh god,” he moans against Ash’s mouth as you use yours to slick him up before stroking your hand over his now wet cock. You’ve missed him: his sounds, his taste, the way he feels against your skin, the way he appreciates you and the attention you give him. You press sloppy kisses to his length, grinning to yourself as precum beads at his tip, moving to kitten lick at it.

Ashton gently tugs on your hair, wanting attention for himself. You continue rubbing over his bulge, adding in a few squeezes, buying yourself a little more time with Calum. You finally pull off and look up at your boyfriends, still lost in each other, though Cal steals a glance down at you while Ash’s lips are pressed to his jaw. He gives you a little grin and pushes his hand under Ash’s shirt.

You notice Ash falter for a second in reaction to Cal touching him that way but he quickly recovers from his hesitation, moaning quietly and tucking a hand in your hair. You pull at the button on his pants, taking his cock out and slicking him up as well; you swirl your tongue around the head, enjoying the soft groans you hear coming from him, thrilled that you're not sure if they're being caused by you or Cal. You notice that his hand has left you and has begun unbuttoning Cal's shirt; Calum reaches down and yanks at the shoulder of your sweater, gesturing for you to take it off.

Ash quietly sighs at the loss of your mouth but is quickly distracted by kissing over Cal's now exposed chest; you pull your sweater over your head and tug your leggings down while you're at it, leaving you in your bra and panties. You give a small whimper of relief as you press your thighs together before reaching for the cocks on either side of you, shiny and red, begging for your attention. You stroke them both evenly and firmly, watching with pride as their expressions change in response to your actions.

Calum is the first to glance at you and notice your new state of undress. "Fuck, darlin', look at you," he rasps, leaning down to kiss you, sneaking his fingers inside your bra to play with a nipple. "Look so pretty under all these lights." Cal smiles against your lips as he feels Ash's hand stroke through his hair while he kisses you.

Ashton pulls his own shirt off and then his hand snakes between your legs, tracing over the front of the lacy, damp material. "Mmm, so wet for us, baby,” he teases lowly, dipping his fingers underneath your panties to tap lightly at your clit. “Think you’ll be able to keep quiet if we decide to do anything about it?” Cal groans as he sucks just below your earlobe; he loves how responsive you are when Ash taunts you like this.

Proving his point, you let out a whine before quickly biting your lip to fight back any other sounds that might come out. Ash chuckles, suddenly rubbing hard and fast at your clit just to see how much restraint you have. You screw your eyes shut, determined to remain silent. “You’re one to talk, most of the noises I’ve heard tonight have come from your mouth, love,” you point out once you catch your breath. You squeeze his cock and he breathes out a deep moan, proving your point.

Cal chuckles at the exchange and Ash shoots him a glare, pulling him back over to him. “Laugh it up,” he smirks, kissing his neck to distract from his hand traveling to thumb over Cal’s nipple; Cal loudly gasps, body rigidly jolting like he’s been struck by lightning. He grabs Ash’s face with both hands and muffles his moans with an intense kiss.

You turn your focus back to Ash’s cock, knowing Calum is already dealing with a lot of stimulation from the nipple play. You bob your mouth on him a couple times, just because you feel like it and then work on building a steady rhythm with your hand. You bite back another moan when Cal’s hand moves down to cover yours, essentially helping you jerk Ashton off.

Despite their obvious attraction, your boyfriends have never gone beyond the occasional kiss during sex with you so tonight had already been a big step for them. You look up and see Cal, Ash’s lips firmly attached to his neck, looking curious but confident as he watches his hand move with yours. Your eyes meet and you nod, understanding; you drop your hand from Ash’s cock, leaning back to watch Cal seamlessly take over, continuing with the rhythm you started.

Ashton immediately reacts to the difference in touch: the unknown grip, the new sensation of rough calluses running over his shaft, the unfamiliar feeling of a hand much larger than yours stroking him. “Cal,” he shakily breathes, pulling back to look at him.

“Is this alright?” Calum whispers, hoping the quietness of his voice will mask his nervousness.

Ash closes his eyes and leans his forehead against Cal’s, breathing deep, trying to ground himself, trying to process all the thoughts and emotions swirling in his brain right now.

“Don’t stop,” he states with certainty.

Cal’s hand swipes over the tip of Ashton’s cock, spreading around the precum he’s coaxed out, expertly keeping with the established rhythm. You watched Ash’s expression change from confusion to curiosity and now you see it switch to the confidence you’re used to seeing from him, especially in the bedroom; you see his hand fidgeting at his side moments before he clenches his jaw and reaches out to touch Calum’s cock. His strokes aren’t nearly as precise or measured as Cal’s are but his boyfriend doesn’t seem to mind; Cal lets out a throaty sigh of his name and you swear it’s the most erotic thing you’ve witnessed yet.

The men lock their mouths into another heated kiss while they continue to explore pleasuring each other; with them distracted, you slide yourself up and off the couch, moving down to the floor to give them some space and to give you some space to spread out and really enjoy the sight before you. You tug at your nipples like Cal would and slide your hand down your stomach and into your panties to swirl your clit like Ash would. You miss their touch but you’re more than happy to wait your turn for it this time.

Your eyes don’t leave them for a second as you make slow, careful work of pleasing yourself. You watch as Ash boldly tugs at Cal’s jeans, trying to pull them down more; he gets them just below his ass and his free hand grips it tightly. You let out a little moan and Ashton reaches his hand out for you, finally realizing you’re no longer between them.

They pull out of their own little world, searching for you. Calum spots you on the ground first. “What’re you doin’ down there, darlin’?” He teases, moving down next to you.

You press a quick kiss to his lips while he undoes your bra; he quickly moves his mouth down to your tits, lavishing your nipples with much needed attention. “Just enjoying the show,” you confess, looking directly at Ash.

Ash moves from the couch, grabbing a blanket to lay in front of the fireplace. He discards his jeans before beckoning the two of you over to join him. You both crawl over to the blanket and before you get settled, Ash helps your boyfriend out of the rest of his clothes. He wraps a hand around Calum’s cock; he pauses to look at you briefly and then back over to the beautiful man naked in front of him. His tongue darts out of his mouth and before any of you can process it, he’s licking the tip of Cal’s cock.

“Oh,” Cal moans, tucking his fingers into Ash’s hair. Ashton, feeling emboldened by that response, wraps his lips around the head, continuing to test the waters. “Yeah,” Cal mutters. “That… that’s good.”

Ash’s other hand pushes up your thigh and you interlace your fingers with his. You watch as he tests circling his tongue around the tip before pulling back to turn his attention to you. He pulls your panties down, kissing your thighs and up over your lips, letting his tongue spread them so he can tease your clit. He pulls up as Calum settles in next to him, wasting no time in getting his turn at flicking his tongue over your clit.

“Been so good for us, think it’s time we repay you,” Ash murmurs, kissing up to your hip. He watches you tangle your fingers in Cal’s hair and groans when you do the same to him. His hand travels down between your thighs and he pushes two fingers into you. “Cal’s tongue feel good for you?”

You bite your lip, trying to hold in a moan. “Yes, love.”

Cal continues working over your clit while his hand reaches up your body, giving attention to your nipples once again; Ashton’s fingers continue pumping inside you, mouth settled against your jaw, unceasingly affirming his and Cal’s affection for you.

“So patient tonight, love,” he whispers, mouthing along your neck, careful not to leave any marks. “Lettin’ me and Cal play while you’re over here so wet and needy.”

You take a deep breath, overwhelmed at all of the sudden attention. “Wanted it for you, could tell you both needed it,” you admit, digging your nails into Ash’s arm as Cal’s lips enclose your clit and start sucking. “Didn’t mind watching either.”

Ashton grins and plants a sloppy kiss on you; he pulls away to lean down and run his hand softly through Cal’s hair before pulling him up from between your legs to kiss him passionately. Both men groan at the realization that Ash can taste your arousal on Cal’s lips; Ashton takes it a step further and removes his hand from your pussy, sinking his drenched fingers into Calum’s mouth. Cal hollows his cheeks and sucks Ash’s fingers deep into his mouth, swirling his tongue around them, bobbing back and forth on them, wondering when he’ll get to give Ashton’s cock the same treatment.

For what feels like the hundredth time tonight, your jaw drops at the erotic sight before you and you reach out for one or both of your boyfriends to tend to you. Your head lolls back as you whine, “Please... babes… I need you so bad.”

Calum promptly pulls his mouth away with a lewd pop and lays on his side next to you. “Need you too, darlin’, you have no idea,” he murmurs as he grabs your hip, easily turning you to your side and slinging your leg over him. “Can’t remember the last time I went this long without having you.” He takes his cock in hand, running it up and down to coat it with your wetness before easing himself inside you, silencing your soft, relieved exhale with a kiss.

Cal softly rocks into you, sucking gently at your bottom lip, stroking your hair back with his hand; you feel Ashton lay down behind you and begin running his fingers down your back, quietly showing you his care while respecting the moment you and Cal are having, much like you respected their time together.

Your hand moves down to grab Cal’s ass, attempting to bring him even closer to you; you feel his muscles tensing and flexing under your hold as he pumps inside you and you bury your face in his chest to keep from crying out. You hear the slick sound of Ash’s hand working his cock as he watches you two together and you reach for him, wanting him near.

“I’m here, love,” he reassures you, nibbling at your ear, massaging over your breast. “You two look so fuckin’ good together, couldn’t help myself.” He extends his arm, reaching to squeeze Cal’s bicep.

Your hand searches behind you until it finds Ashton’s cock, throbbing against your ass; you give it a squeeze and he whimpers into your skin.

“Ash needin’ you too, baby?” Calum asks, voice scratchy with desire. “Know you’re gonna make him feel so good, just like you’re doin’ for me.” He gives you a couple more slow thrusts before he pulls out and helps you onto your other side where Ashton lays waiting.

You smile hazily at Ash as he lifts your leg over his hip and taps his cock against your clit. “So generous with your body, love,” he praises you, hissing as he slides into your wet heat. “Treatin’ us both so good tonight, thank you, baby.”

You caress his cheek as he starts slowly thrusting into you; you press your lips to his and you both lose yourselves in a slow, intimate kiss. Calum hangs back, watching you two communicate what you need to; when Ash breaks the kiss to moan into your mouth, Cal reaches over and begins to play with your breasts.

Ashton’s large hand grips your ass to pull you closer, getting a deeper angle that has you seeing stars. You twist your upper body toward Cal and he kisses you briefly before moving his lips back to your nipples. You push your hand down his body to find his cock, getting in a few strokes before he stops you. “Trust me, darlin’, I’m not needing any help right now.” His hand slips down your body to rub soft circles on your clit. “Let us focus on you.”

“Babes,” you sigh in the form of a soft moan, raspy as it leaves your lips. The sound is so sensual it causes Ash’s hips to lose rhythm and he lets go of your ass, giving a few shallow thrusts before pulling out.

“You gotta take Cal, baby, I need a minute,” he pants, clearly on the edge of losing it. He nuzzles his nose against yours, helping you turn back to your other boyfriend.

“Hey, darlin’,” Cal coos, grinning as he enters you again. You immediately pull him as close as possible.

“Want you both close,” you announce, looking over your shoulder at Ash. He scoots in against your back, kissing over your shoulders. You sigh, “Thank you.”

You give Ashton a short kiss before turning to press your face into Calum’s chest as he works his hips a little faster, harder. You feel a moan reverberating in Cal’s chest but it’s muffled when it spills from his lips; you look up to see him kissing Ash hungrily.

You moan, getting lost in your own world, letting Cal have your body, feeling his body on yours, Ashton’s body at your back, the strength in their frames as you lay between them.

Calum pulls out and turns you back towards Ash. Ashton is still breathing heavy and his kisses are needy, almost frantic, as he pushes into you. “I’m sorry, love, I’m s’close,” he chokes out. “Between you and Cal…”

You cut him off with a kiss. “Nothin’ to apologize for, love,” you murmur. “Want you to cum for me.”

His fingers dig in and hold on to your ass hard, pulling you tight against his body. “Cum for us, Ash,” Calum whispers as he slides his hand down to grip Ashton’s ass, causing Ash’s hips to stutter and jolt against you. You watch Ash pull on Cal’s neck so he can sink his teeth into Cal’s plump lower lip as he spills his cum into you, shuddering in your arms. You let out a loud moan and you all hold your breath waiting to see if it’s woken anyone up.

Once Ash comes down, he tenderly kisses you. “Love,” he murmurs. You give him a few more sweet kisses before you feel Calum’s eager fingers on your skin.

Ashton helps turn you around and his lips shower your shoulders and neck with affection as Cal sinks into you. He groans at the new sensation of Ash’s hot cum surrounding his cock, making you feel even more wet and warm to him.

Ash pushes his hand between your bodies and starts rubbing your clit in time with Cal’s thrusts. “It’s your turn, love, been so good and selfless tonight. Let Cal feel you cum,” he coaxes. “Look at you, look at Cal, look at how good you feel to our boyfriend.”

Cal’s eyes are screwed shut, his lip between his teeth as he tries to hold in any noises. “Calum,” you moan softly. His eyes open to find yours and you lean in for a feverish kiss, a kiss that becomes all tongue as you work your body against him.

Ashton mutters “Fuck” behind you and Cal lets out a guttural moan as you start to squeeze around his cock. You whine helplessly, “I’m cumming.”

“I feel that… let it go,” Cal encourages. You press your face into his chest to quiet yourself and without thinking you start biting and sucking his skin. Ash keeps rubbing your clit through your orgasm until you gently push his hand away, too sensitive to let him continue.

When Ash pulls his fingers up, it’s immediately noticeable they’re covered in both your arousal and his cum that leaked out of you. As soon as that registers to Calum, he grabs for Ash’s hand and takes his fingers into his mouth again, cleaning and sucking them like before. Once he’s done, Ashton takes the opportunity to explore a little more, pumping his fingers, treating Cal’s mouth like he does your pussy.

You shift yourself slightly back, leaning more into Ash so you can watch Calum come undone. You feel his hips continue to drive his cock into you as you watch the obscene way Ash fingers his mouth. You could almost cum again from the visual alone.

“Gonna cum for us, baby?” You breathe, out of your mind with desire. Cal glances at you with a question in his eyes but you answer it before he has a chance to ask. “It’s OK, I want you to.”

Ashton pulls his fingers from Cal’s mouth and pushes your bodies tighter together. He wraps his hand around the back of Cal’s neck, thumb caressing his cheek. “Need you to cum for us, handsome.” And that seems to do it for him. Cal’s hips falter and he clings to you, groaning deeply as he pumps you with cum. It’s the first time you’ve ever let him cum in you and it couldn’t feel more right. His body is tense for a few more moments and then he relaxes, first pressing his lips to yours and then to Ashton’s.

“You’re gonna make a mess,” he chuckles as he gently pulls out.

“We’ve got plenty we can clean her up with,” Ash shrugs.

Cal considers that point and sits up, lifting your thigh to watch in awe as his cum - at least he assumes it’s his - starts to leak out of you. “Incredible,” he murmurs, leaning in, pressing kisses along your thigh.

Ashton sits up to join him and his eyes ping pong back and forth between watching you drip and watching Cal’s reaction to it. He swirls his fingers in the cum that’s now pooling on your thigh. He pulls back a little, drawing your and Cal’s attention. You watch in shock as he pushes his fingers into his mouth, tasting all three of you together. He moans and repeats the action, only this time, pulling Calum in for a kiss, sharing the taste with him.

They break apart and the three of you smile at each other, basking in the intimacy of everything that’s just happened. Cal lays down next to you, stroking over your hair as Ash reaches for his shirt and cleans between your thighs. When he’s done, he curls up next to you and Cal kisses him and then you. “So lucky to have you both,” Cal murmurs.

“We’re the lucky ones,” Ash smiles, grabbing Cal’s hand, interlacing their fingers and letting them rest on your hip.

“I hate that you have to go to bed alone after this,” you pout, kissing on Calum’s jaw.

“I’ll be just fine, this was worth it. Thank you both,” he whispers sincerely. He squeezes Ash’s hand and kisses your forehead.

You’re practically asleep, warm and naked, feeling safe with your loves when they finally decide it’s time for bed. The guys quickly pull their clothes back on and help you into yours. Ash takes the blanket to the laundry room while you put out the fire and turn off the Christmas tree lights. You hold their hands as you navigate the dark house, pulling them up the stairs.

You stop at the guest room to say goodnight to Cal. “You should come to bed with us,” you whisper.

Calum smiles at you but shakes his head. “I think we’ve already pushed our luck quite a bit tonight, darlin’.” He looks to Ash for backup.

“Your sister got her perfect engagement, we pulled off the world’s quietest threesome… we should take the win,” Ashton chuckles quietly.

You pout but know they’re right. Cal pulls you into him by your hips and kisses you, slow but passionate. “Get to bed, darlin’.”

You walk to your room and stand in the doorway, waiting for Ashton. You smile as you watch your boyfriends flirt, easily the most comfortable they’ve ever been with each other. Ash actively reaches out to pull Cal into a kiss and you decide it’s a moment for them; you lay in bed and close your eyes, letting the memories of the evening wash over you, filling you with warmth and contentment.

Ashton quietly enters the room, unsure if you’re awake; you feel the bed shift as he climbs in and you turn over to gaze at him dreamily. “How you feelin’, love?” You ask, carefully, wanting to encourage him to share with you without seeming like you’re pressing.

He lays on his side and gives you a loving, appreciative look. “Happy. Excited. Very, very grateful to have someone like you by my side,” he reflects, gently tracing where your t-shirt has lifted to expose your hip. “I know it’s taken me a while to kind of figure out what I need from this relationship… even back when it was just us, honestly. You’ve just always been so patient and open with me and I hope I’ve made clear how much I appreciate that. And you.”

You scoot in closer, resting your head on his pillow, your face inches from his. “Even before Cal happened, I’ve only ever wanted you to be happy, Ash. With me, without me… with me with someone else…” You both giggle and you peck his lips sweetly. “I’m glad you’re finding your place in all this. And I’m happy to do whatever I can to help you find it.”

You know it takes a lot for Ashton to share with you like this and you savor it when it happens. You lay yourself on his chest and he strokes your hair as you quietly talk some more. You’re starting to drift off to sleep when you hear your phone buzz on the nightstand. You look up at Ash, concerned, before reaching for it.

“It’s Cal, asking if we’re awake?” You shrug, quickly responding that you are.

Seconds later, your bedroom door slowly opens and Calum carefully closes it behind him. Unlike the previous night, he doesn’t hesitate to help himself onto the bed and snuggle into your back, resting his hand on top of Ash’s on your hip.

“Couldn’t sleep. It just… I don’t know... didn’t feel right being without you both after that,” he explains, kissing your neck.

Light kisses and soft touches are exchanged between you all and then there’s a brief discussion about how long the cuddle session should be. You push to have Cal sleep in bed with you and Ash and though they’re reluctant at first, you eventually convince your boyfriends that the family will be none the wiser as long as you set an alarm to get him back to his room before everyone is up and around for Christmas morning.

Ashton untangles himself from you both to set both the alarm clock on the nightstand and the alarm on his phone, just to be safe. You turn towards Cal and peck his nose. “Feelin’ OK, bubba?”

He smiles, brushing your hair back. “Me? How are you? Tonight was kind of a lot. This week was kind of a lot, I feel like I haven’t checked in enough…”

“Bub, I’m so good,” you promise him, snuggling into his chest. “I’ve got you, I’ve got Ash… I get to wake up with you both on Christmas morning. It seems crazy to say but I actually think this all turned out perfectly.”

You feel Ash press himself tightly against your back, stretching his arms out to hug you both, sandwiching you between the two men. It’s sweet at first and then it quickly becomes silly and the three of you giggle quietly, giddy with exhaustion and affection.

“Plus, now everyone has an idea of what we're all like together so it won't come as too big of a shock when I post a picture of me kissing you both at midnight on New Year's Eve," you grin back and forth between the two.

Calum chuckles, "Oh is that the new plan?"

You wrap their arms tighter across you and contentedly say, "New year, new beginning. Let my sister have Christmas, New Year's will be ours."

Your words hang in the air as you all consider the weight of them. Ash breaks the silence by laughing to himself, causing both you and Cal to look at him with inquiry.

"Care to share?" You ask, using Cal's hand to playfully jab Ash's side, causing him to laugh more.

Ashton looks at you both and smirks, "I was just thinking… if tonight was Christmas sex at your family's house, the fuck are we gonna do to celebrate New Year's Eve at home?"

Calum snickers beside you, a naughty look on his face making you wonder what's running through his mind.

"Well," you start, playfully nipping under each of your boyfriends' jaws. "We've got a whole week to figure that out, now don't we?"

————-

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[fluffykitty1999-blog]

Dog of the Military- Chapter 35

Chapter 35

A little bit of rest and relaxation for our favorite heroes, and some family bonding time fluff. 

Also- Mustang gets a little ribbing from Hughes and acknowledges that yeah, he’s a dad.

Roy ended up lacking the motivation to carry Ed up the stairs to his room. Or to make himself climb the stairs to get to his own bedroom. He ended up depositing Ed on the couch and flopping into his favorite recliner.

Alphonse had gotten a ride to the hospital at some point, and he puttered into the house behind them, with a bag full of prescriptions for both the other residents of the home.

Al seated himself calmly on the floor and started reading an issue of Cosmo as the Roy and Ed slept.

It was sunlight streaming through the window, the smell of coffee, and voices that woke him in the morning.

Roy blinked harshly, getting to his feet and checking the time. It was almost noon.

He'd thought he was doing good- but as he walked, he realized there was a jackhammer drilling behind his eyes and his headache came back as he became more awake.

Still, he trooped into the kitchen, intent on tracking down some of the coffee he'd been smelling.

He found Hawkeye sitting at his kitchen table, speaking quietly to Alphonse.

"Good morning Colonel!" Al said happily.

"Morning, Alphonse." Gosh, he felt like absolute garbage. Still, if He slammed some coffee and painkillers, he could probably get in a good half day at work, if the Lieutenant was kind enough to drive him. There was no way he'd be able to drive himself in his current dizzy state.

"Lieutenant- mind giving me a ride to work?"

Riza sipped from her mug of coffee, shaking her head. "No need. You've been given the day off. Edward, too."

"By who?"

"General Haruko himself, sir. He and the brass have enough to deal with, he wanted to congratulate you on catching Banks." her gaze flickered to Alphonse for a moment, and Roy knew he wasn't getting the whole story. Still, he knew that Riza must have a reason for keeping the truth from him, and he nodded, grabbing some bread from the breadbox and making himself some plain toast, pressing his palm to his pounding head.

"Take two of these, sir. Alphonse will give you more in an hour." Riza offered him something from a prescription bottle, and he downed both pills dry before nodding, grabbing his toast.

"What about Ed?" Roy asked, thinking of the boy still passed out on the couch. "Has he got anything he has to take?".

"I woke him and gave him his medication about an hour ago. My lunch is almost over, though, I have to get back to the office. One of the men from the office will bring by dinner, Alphonse will call and tell us what you want..."

Riza Hawkeye was, in fact, an angel in human form.

Ed was still out cold on the couch, and Roy took the opportunity to toss a blanket over him before sinking back into the recliner. He briefly considered reading the paper before electing not to, deciding today would be better spent being lazy. He hardly ever got days off like this- and neither did Ed. Might as well waste it sleeping while he could.

LINEBREAK LINEBREAK LINEBREAK LINEBREAK LINEBREAK

"Yeah- four cheese pizzas, with like, a bunch of shit on them. I don't even care, as long as those little fish aren't on it. Surprise me. I dunno- a soda. Something brightly colored. Yeah, he'll probably eat some too. No, he's not awake. You know what, throw some breadsticks in there too. They're really good. Yeah, he's alive, I totally checked like five minutes ago. Alright. See you soon. Thanks Havoc." Ed hung up the phone and plunked himself back on the couch, looking pleased with himself.

Roy opened his eyes.

"Oh good- you're awake." Alphonse said cheerily.

"Welcome back to the land of the living, Bastard." Ed smirked. "You want anything for dinner? You weren't awake, but I can call back and order more..."

All Roy really wanted right now was some tea, and maybe a breadstick or two.

"No- I'll have some of whatever." his headache was still there, but not as intense as before. It was more a quiet sort of misery than a burning agony, now.

"Alphonse- do we have any tea?"

"Yes, we do! I'll go put on the kettle." Alphonse bounded to his feet, setting something off his lap and going into the kitchen. He was glad to be of help.

Roy looked down to see some sort of red yarn monstrosity nearly covering the floor of his living room.

"Alphonse taught himself how to knit today. I'd say that's lame, but all I've been doing is drinking juice boxes and complaining, so he did more than me." Ed spoke up from the couch.

"I tried to read something about the stone, but then I fell asleep again. These damn pills ruin everything." Ed complained, sitting up a little straighter.

Roy smirked. "That's not what you were saying at the ER last night. The pain medication made you act like a little kid."

"Shut up, I don't wanna hear it!"

"It was adorable. You came over and cuddled with me."

"Lalala!" Ed was covering his ears, now, and Roy laughed slightly. The only bad thing was that with Hughes in the hospital, he wouldn't have photographic evidence.

The doorbell rang just as Alphonse came back into the room with tea, and Ed jumped to his feet, excited. "Dinner!"

He came back with Havoc and several pizza boxes, settling himself down on the floor and starting to demolish an entire pizza by himself.

Havoc smirked. "Well. Glad to see the Chief wasn't too badly affected by everything. How are you, Boss?" Havoc looked over at Roy, who shrugged.

"I'll live." he sipped his tea and grabbed a bread stick from one of the take out containers. "How are they resolving this whole incident?"

Havoc shrugged. "I'm under orders not to talk about work with you. Hawkeye says you can get caught up on it yourself." Havoc shot a quick glance at Ed, who was still eating at an insane pace, and once again, Roy realized that there was something he didn't want to tell him in front of the boys. He'd find out soon enough when he went back to work again tomorrow, anyways.

"Hey Havoc- you wanna sign my cast!?" Ed held up his casted arm and continued to eat pizza with his other arm, and Havoc grinned, pulling out a sharpie from his pocket.

"Sure, Chief, let me see.".

LINEBREAK LINEBREAK LINEBREAK LINEBREAK LINEBREAK

The morning at work was quiet- Hughes had been discharged from the hospital yesterday, and Hawkeye told him he should go visit him friend immediately when he came in, despite the obvious stacks of paperwork on his desk. Roy complied without question- he'd known something was up since yesterday.

Fullmetal was occupied filling out his own share of paperwork about what'd happened, and getting people to sign his cast between forms.

He found it easy to duck out and stride into the investigation's branch, letting himself in and nodding to Scheska before he was knocking on the door to his friend's office excitedly.

Hughes was sitting sideways at his desk, his casted leg propped up on a chair set beside him. He gave a tired smile when he strode into the room.

"I was wondering how long before you showed up."

Roy snagged another chair and pulled it up, sitting down across from his friend.

"Well, I'm here. And I get the feeling something else has happened, but none of my team will say it outright. So tell me what it is. How are they resolving this case? Is Banks in custody?"

"No." Hughes frowned, sliding a manilla folder across the desktop.

"Banks was driving a car with two Drachmans in it and Ed in the passenger seat. They were tailed by a car driven by a single Drachman. Despite the crash, there was only one fatality. A Drachman in the car Ed was in- he was ejected and died on the scene. Everyone else survived the crash."

"So why aren't they in custody, then?" Roy said, not understanding.

"Open the file, Roy."

Roy obeyed. He found himself staring at the pieces of a destroyed car- the black car was upside down, the windows shattered, the front absolutely smashed... Roy found himself nauseas just looking at it, and he had to pull his eyes away.

"Ed... that was..." he could hardly put the words together.

Hughes nodded. "That was the car Ed rode in, yeah. He was the only one wearing a seat belt. He was also the only one uninjured enough to walk away from the crash. And it's a damn good thing he did."

"I don't understand. Ed said Banks was breathing when he left him, they were too injured to run away..."

"Someone else got there before the military, Roy." Hughes said gently. "Armstrong is processing the scene- he's the one who took these pictures. Shortly after Ed left, the wedding band killer surface from a nearby manhole."

Roy continued flipping through the folder- pictures, of a blood trail from bodies being dragged across the pavement, an open manhole cover...

"They were too injured to get away. The wedding band killer dragged every living man out of those cars and took them down into the sewers with him. He's having a hell of a lot of fun right now chopping them up- Armstrong has been able to confirm Banks is dead, though we're still looking for pieces of the other two. The corner is going to get back to me- let me know if we have enough body parts to account for three bodies. He left the dead man in the street- he only wanted the ones that were still alive."

Roy kept flipping through the photos. There were messages written in blood on the sewer walls. Cryptic warnings, some quotes of religious text, and for one, just a large smilie face drawn in blood.

"Are you okay?" Hughes asked, looking at Roy with concern.

Roy took a deep breath, closing the file folder when he was done. His heart was hammering in his chest. "I will be." he said finally, looking up. "I just... didn't expect them to all be dead. And like that..."

"Dragged into the sewers by a madman and tortured to death. Yeah, it's not exactly an ideal ending for anybody..."

"That could've been Edward."

"But it wasn't." Hughes said firmly. "Your staff all knows, but nobody has told Ed, and we're not planning to. All he needs to know is that they've been handled by the justice system."

"What kind of justice is that?" Roy looked down at the folder in disgust.

"Street justice. I know nobody deserves that, and it's horrific, but the one good thing that came out of all of this is that Ed is finally safe in Central again. That's what I tell myself, anyways."

"So- what does the brass think of all of this?"

Hughes sighed. "They have... mixed feelings on the matter. They're glad the whole Banks Fiasco has been dealt with. They're glad the Drachman issue is dealt with and was never publicized. And they're breathing down my neck trying to get me to catch the Wedding Band killer. I've already borrowed a couple of your men and called in as many favors as I could to help locate this guy. We're going to be starting to search the sewer systematically in teams next week." Hughes said simply.

"Enough of the official talk, though- what about the boys?"

"What about them?" Roy asked, looking puzzled. "I'm not planning on telling them about any of this. Now that the Drachmans and Banks are out of the picture, he'll probably start asking to travel again..."

"And what will you do?" Hughes asked, steepling his fingers and eyeing his friend carefully.

"I'll let him go." something painful in his chest tugged as he said those words, but he knew it was the right thing to do. Edward had goals to accomplish, leads to chase- and he wouldn't get anywhere standing still. "There's no reason to worry about him more than usual, now that things are dealt with. Besides, it's probably safer. It means I won't have to worry about him while I'm helping with the Mr. Fingers case. I'd rather have him out of the city while this is dealt with- he's already gotten too close to this killer for comfort a few times."

"Right. That's what I figured. How soon do you plan on letting him go out again?"

Roy paused for a moment, thinking. Ed did have a broken wrist- he was still sleeping more than usual, starting to recover...

"I'll keep him here for a week. Then he can go back out on his search."

"You sound disappointed." Hughes observed.

"It's... more lively with them around. But I'd only be hurting them if I kept them too close. I'm not the only one with goals, Hughes." he wondered about the day when Ed would return to Central city not with a suit of armor, but with Alphonse in the flesh. He realized he didn't know what Alphonse physically looked like- not even in pictures- and something fluttered in his chest at the thought of finally seeing the younger of the two boys for the first time.

"That's what being a parent is, you know. Knowing when to protect them and keep them close, and knowing when to let them go into the world on their own."

"I'm not their father, Hughes."

"No. You're not. But you're the closest thing they have. Ed's probably gonna be back here in two months, pissed and tired because he hasn't found anything. What'll you do then?"

"Tell the kid to go take a shower and let him crash upstairs. If he finds any alchemy that he needs my help with, he'll ask me about it."

"That's what a parent does. You're they're father, Roy, in all but name."

"Somethings are better left unsaid, Hughes. I'm climbing up the ladder- the less people know about who I care about, the better."

"And if Edward says it?"

"He already has."

"He has!?" Hughes eyes widened and his grin grew impossibly wide.

"Yes. He was drugged to high heaven in a hospital, but he's called me Dad."

"And did you correct him?"

"No."

"That's it. I'm starting a damn photo album." Hughes was rooting through his desk drawers.

Mustang sighed, standing and heading for the door. This was probably all the useful conversation he'd get with Hughes today.

"You had two damn kids and I didn't even get to come to your baby shower!"

"Shut up, Hughes!"

Obligatory ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/fluffykitty12 .

[purplesurveys]

1145

What were your favorite things to draw when you were a lil kid?  I knew I wasn’t an artist the moment I started experimenting with pens and markers, and the only image I liked to keep - and was capable of - drawing on repeat was your usual kid’s portrait of a house with a sun and clouds lmao. I never learned how to draw anything else.

Do you think there is something with or around you, like a spirit, angel, ghost or something else? How does this make you feel?  No, never.

Imagine you’re a stranger looking at yourself. What things would immediately catch your eye?  Probably the way I’m scowling at stranger-me staring at me-me.

When did you feel the most confident in your life? Not sure when I’ve felt the most confident, but I typically feel so whenever I get something I’ve been desiring and working hard for, like getting a job offer or being accepted to my dream college or passing a really difficult exam.

Do you think love is needed to have good sex? For some people, no. For me, loving one another is an absolute must. < Yes, hits the nail on the head for me.

Do you think, or want to, die in the city you currently live in? I don’t think it would matter where I die, as long as it’s not from a terrible freak accident.

What is the strangest thing you have ever encountered?  That time I went to Singapore and a sex toy shop was casually blatantly standing in the middle of Orchard Road for families to stroll pass. It’s not objectively strange, of course, but it was definitely a big culture shock. Putting up sex shops in the Philippines is basically a game of who can find the best spot to hide them in.

Favourite soft drink? I never drink soda, so I don’t have a favorite.

What do you like to put gravy on? Fried chicken or steak.

Have you ever gone canoeing/kayaking?  Yes, in Palawan.

What is one thing you know about your family history you’re proud of?  I come from a line of datus from both precolonial and colonial Philippines. The most exciting part about it is that it technically makes me a princess, or at least our local version of princesses haha. I’m also distantly related to one of the three women who sewed the first Philippine flag.

Who depends on you the most? Kimi and Cooper, surely.

Are you related to anyone famous or historical, if so who?  See two questions above. Coming from my datu ancestors, my relatives also continue to serve in the local government of our family’s province until today. Not that I’m particularly proud of them or show this off whenever I want because they are all very vocal Duterte supporters and regularly engage with him and his family, so *barf*

Would you ever donate a kidney to anyone, and who?  If it ever comes down to it, I’d offer one of mine to my dad, Angela, and either of her parents.

What is the main quality you think makes a great parent? They recognize when they’re wrong and know to acknowledge it and apologize.

What three things do you think of most of each day? Tasks I have to do for work for the day, tasks I have to do for the rest of the week, and financial concerns.

Does/did your high school have pop machines?  No, of course not. Are there schools that are ok with selling soda? :/

Do you know anyone who’s won the lottery?  Not that I know of, but then again these things are shared in secret so there’s always that chance of possibly knowing someone who won the lotto at some point.

Have you ever slept in a water bed? Never slept but I’ve played on one.

How often do you use Flickr?  I haven’t visited that site since I was like 11. Not even sure it still exists.

Who is the last child that you took a photo with?  I think my cousin Toffe, but it was most likely a family photo that the two of us happened to be in. I don’t have a lot of photos with my younger cousins and kids in general.

How often do you wear hats? Never. I always think about getting a bucket hat of my own but I just never go through with it.

Would you ever get a nature tattoo? I never even entertained the thought before. But considering Hayley’s albums and songs have like a million references to flowers, it sounds like a good idea now :)

Is anyone in your family sick at the moment?  My paternal great-grandma was recently confined in a hospital but she’s been discharged. I have a grand-aunt who suffered a mild stroke a couple of weeks ago and is currently recovering.

Where do your siblings work, if anywhere? They are both still studying. If I had to guess, my sister would probably end up in the film, media, or advertising industry, if not a freelance artist.

Where is your favorite place to buy groceries?  If I had the money for it I’d get my groceries at Marketplace, but I’m content with getting ours from SM or Robinsons for now.

Who do you generally talk to the most? Probably my immediate family and my team at work.

Is anyone saved in your phone under a nickname?  Not anymore. I use nicknames on my friends more frequently on Facebook Messenger.

Whose birthday is coming up?  One of my cousins’ birthday is on March 31.

Have you ever ordered from an informercial? No, never.

When, where, and why did a needle last pierce your skin?  Around a month ago when I was embroidering. I usually accidentally prick myself from time to time.

Have you been to an escape room? Was it a success?  Nah, not really my idea of fun. I’m a little weak at problem/riddle-solving :(

How many followers do you have on Instagram? I literally never use my Instagram except to lurk and look for influencers to potentially tap for work. The account was initially my one-photo-a-day-in-2020 dump, but I stopped in April last year and now we’re in 2021 it doesn’t even serve a purpose anymore lmao. But for some reason Bea asked for my account and still followed me (and is the only person following me), which I’m sure she already regrets.

What’s the most recent music video you watched? Thoughts?  Continued the next day. Jessi’s What Type of X. Killed it as always.

Have you ever recorded a cover of a song? Never.

What makeup products are your go-tos?  None.

Are you going to school this year?  No, not anymore. I did that for the very last time in 2020, and I don’t see the point in going back for an MA because I feel like I’m already covered.

What is your favorite water activity? I’ve only ever tried kayaking, but that was a very pleasant memory.

What are your favorite video games? I’m not a super passionate video game fan who’s always up-to-date, but I do have a soft spot for games I bonded on with my family when I was a kid, like Grand Theft Auto (very inappropriate for a kid to be playing, I know lol), Silent Hill, Resident Evil, Mario Kart, and Smash Bros.

Do you like jello? I never got over the texture, so no.

When was the last time you gave someone "the finger?" Not sure when exactly but it happened recently, maybe a week or two ago. I suddenly thought about my ex and flung both fingers around just for myself lol.

Have you ever held a snake?  Yes, I got the chance to hold and take a photo with one on my trip to Bali. I was the only willing one in the family.

Most unique place you’ve ever been to?  Baker’s Hill in Palawan is what I would imagine seeing if I ever took drugs and had a trip of some sort. Most random place ever.

If you were a superhero, what color would your cape be?  Continued from...I don’t even know anymore. Just know it’s been nearly a week since I first started this, lmao. Idk maybe gold.

Have you ever slept out on your porch all night?  We don’t have a porch. We do have a rooftop and I’ve fallen asleep there a couple of times. I only do so when the climate is cold, though.

Do you like horror movies?  Sure, but I haven’t watched any in years. Just have never been in the mood for it for a long while now.

What’s your favorite Coke product?  Blech, I hate soda.

Watergun or water-balloon war?  Water gun. I’ve never been hit by a water balloon but I imagine it hurts?? so I wouldn’t want to experience it if I never had to.

Do you know anyone that’s afraid of elevators?  I know my sister and grandma are claustrophobic but they’re not ~deathly~ afraid of elevators.

Is there anything in your room that belongs to a boyfriend, or a friend of the opposite sex?  I don’t think any of my guy friends have lent me stuff that I got to take home, so no.

Who’s your favorite Beatle?  I was never a fan. I remember pretending to be, back when liking The Beatles made you look all cool and hippy and trendy... but I honest to god just couldn’t get into their music.

Have you ever texted an ex whilst drunk? How’d that go?  Yeah just once, super super way back when I was still thought remaining friends with her was the way to go. It was fine, I didn’t message anything horrific and we were both chill about it the next morning.

Do you have to stand on your tip-toes to kiss your boyfriend?  I don’t have a partner anymore but yeah, I used to. I think? Maybe? I barely remember anymore. I definitely did have to tilt my head up quite a bit, though.

Have you ever been tackle-hugged? I can’t remember if I’ve received one. I’m usually the one who gives them.

Have you ever rejected someone’s kiss before?  I don’t think I’ve been in this situation before.

Is your mood or the overall tone of your day often affected by the dreams you had the night before?  Just for like the first half hour of waking up, especially if it was a nightmare or a triggering dream. The more I wake up the more the dream fades away, and the sillier it feels that I was affected by it.

Do you think that there are any positive aspects or outcomes of suffering from a mental illness? If you have a mental illness, do you think it has changed you for the better in any way?  No. Sugarcoating mental illness doesn’t sit well with me at all. I know I’ve learned to be gentle and understanding towards other people because of the emotional abuse I’ve received in my own relationships, and I absolutely hate that it’s because of mental illness. I shouldn’t have had to learn to be kind because I was treated shittily first.

What is your opinion on celebrity culture and celebrity worship? Have you ever been guilty of putting a celebrity on a pedestal? Do you think it’s somehow more acceptable/understandable to obsess over certain types of celebrities (musicians over YouTubers, say) than others? At what point do you think an obsession like that crosses the line?  I sometimes think it’s silly when fandoms fight and defend their favorites as if they know them personally, but I’m heavily into my fair share of celebrities and I honestly don’t see anything wrong with it. As long as you’re not hurting anyone or doing anything stupid like stalking your favorites, you do you.

If you were to pursue a career in photography and had the opportunity and means to photograph whatever you wanted, what would most like to photograph?  People.

Is there a certain type of clothing (outerwear, activewear, loungewear, etc.) that you enjoy shopping for more than others?  Cute tops.

Are you ever afraid to post your ideas, artwork, photography, etc. online for fear that they will get stolen or not credited?  No, because I am not even creative in the first place and can’t make any form of art to save my life.

When is the last time you did something sexual? Last night.

Who is the last person you showered with, if anyone?  My ex but that would’ve been ages ago. It was super rare that we absolutely had to shower together.

What do you think when you see roadkill on the side of the road?  Sad and kinda disgusted if the guts are out, but also relieved that they don’t have to suffer in pain anymore.

Have you ever had an ex that just didn’t understand that it was over?  Yeah, me. Luckily I came to my senses a few months ago and have felt better and been better ever since.

Are your fingernails currently short or long?  They’re unequal lengths because I’ve been either biting or picking at them over the last few weeks, but for the most part they are long enough to need to be clipped.

Would you rather have big or small dogs?  Big.

What is your favorite sports drink? I don’t drink any of them, so none.

What was the last compliment you gave a guy?  I told my dad the dinner he made tasted excellent.

Does your jaw ever crack, pop, or lock?  I don’t think my jaw has ever made a sound before, hahaha.

Have you ever thought of how you would give your kids “the talk”?  No, but I think it’s also relevant to note that I live in a very conservative country where sexual intercourse is never discussed, especially within families; and that it’s virtually unheard of to hear of people until my generation to have been given the talk. I had to find out all by myself, and I remember being very confused when we were being taught the reproductive system in fifth grade because they only taught about the organs and their functions, and never anything deeper than that.

Luckily the last conservative generation was Gen X, and younger generations have been a lot more open-minded. And if I had to guess, I’m fairly certain Millennial parents would be more willing to give their kids the talk.

Do you ever feel like you’re missing out on something?  I mean, my 20s, thanks to Covid.

Do you ever write/draw on windows that are fogged up?  Yes.

If you were married, and your spouse’s parents became ill, would you let them move into your home? Of course.

Have you screamed in a pillow before?  Probably.

What do you like more, acoustic or electric?  Electric.

Did you actually have a cookie jar?  No.

What’s worse, having someone mad or disappointed in you? Disappointment is more gut-wrenching. I feel more hopeless and helpless when someone feels that way about me.

What do you bite on more, your tongue, lip, or nails?  Definitely my nails. Lip-biting isn’t a habit of mine and I only ever bite my tongue accidentally.

Do you think that knowing when and how you’re going to die would ruin your life?  No. I would find that comforting, actually.

Do you have a favorite bromance? From TV or a movie.  J-Man and Channy’s from Friends.

Do you find flea markets and thrift stores enjoyable?  Sure.

What color is your wallet?  Pink, but I def have to buy a new one soon as I’m still using the one my ex gave me...

Have you ever been somebody's photography subject? No, and I would hate to be. I don’t like being in front of the camera.

Nicki Minaj fan?  I like a lot of songs by her but I’m by no means a fan.

Have you ever seen the Niagara Falls?  Nope but I would love to.

[razorblade180]

Lasting Embers pt11: connections

[Market Store]

Yujin:Finally, our mission is near it’s end. I’ll go get the eggs and do you just want to look around?

Yang:Sounds like a plan; I’m gonna grab some drinks. *walks off*

Yujin:*humming* 🎶I’m gonna eat some french toast!🎶

“Someone is in a good mood.”

Yujin:*Turns to see a mature red head about her parents age, standing behind the register* Hi Mrs. Catherine! Guess what day it is!?

Catherine:Like I don’t know? Happy Birthday Yujin; you’re growing like a weed.

Yujin:Aww you’re just saying that. I haven’t changed much since last year. Oh, can you tell me-

Catherine:Where the quality eggs are? *holds a carton in her hand* Prepaid and everything; my present to you.

Yujin:*wide eyed* It truly is the little things that make life great. Thank you so much.

Catherine:Don’t mention it, just tell your father I’m always here for you two. How is he anyways.

Yujin:Oh he’s fine; working as usual.

Catherine:Bless that man’s soul. He should really take some time to unwind and just smell the roses. I wouldn’t mind getting to know him a little better.

Yujin:Hmmm I don’t know if he’s okay with that. *raises voice slightly* You seem invested into the idea though of spending time with my dad.

Catherine:It’s just ashamed that he’s either working or home. No one to really confide in.

Yujin:Well there is someone he did that a lot with.

Catherine:Ah yes, your mother. I feel bad for him that’s he never around; he could end up waiting his whole life for somebody and miss the opportunities in front of him.

Yang:*Behind her* And what opportunities would those be exactly?

Catherine:*turns around startled. Immediately seeing a resemblance*....

Yujin:Hey mom! Back with drinks I see.

Yang:Yep. Catherine was it?

Catherine:Y...yes?

Yang:Is it alright if these drinks are free? I think it would very thoughtful if you did that.

Catherine:Of course!! *nervous* It’s nice to finally meet you...

Yang:I bet it is; let’s go Yujin.

Yujin:Okay! *practically skipping out*

Yang:*grabs another soda* I think I’ll take an extra. You know, for my husband. *leaves*

Catherine:......well shit.

[The Car]

Yujin:*trying not to laugh and wreck* Are you okay?

Yang:I mean can you believe the nerve of some people!? Trying to pull stunts like that when they think they won’t get caught.

Yujin:In her defense, ten years is a very long time. Anyone could’ve had a chance to be my new mom.

Yang:*chills* Did you want one?

Yujin:*caught off guard* I mean....it’s complicated. I think I just wanted more than welcoming me home sometimes.

Yang:Ohhhh, sorry.

Yujin:(a geez I made it weird again!) Look on the bright side! Dad wasn’t gonna cave to any women’s advances. He only had love for you.

Yang:*smiles warmly* That’s true; it probably helps the only other person he would’ve let in was with me.

Yujin:Aunt Weiss?

Yang:Actually it’s your Auntie Ruby; they dated you know.

*car slows down to a stop*

Yujin:......I’m sorry what? Did you just say-

Yang:Your father has dated both Ruby and I. They didn’t exactly hold hands either.

Yujin:*turns red* What! Then how-

Yang:*chuckles* drive and I’ll tell you.

*car starts to move slowly*

Yujin:Go oooooonnnnn.

Yang:It’s nothing too crazy really. Ruby sort of had a small crush but never really acted on it. It got bigger as time went on but I sort of started having feelings for him too.

Yujin:Wow, you just stole him; that’s low.

Yang:I did not! I actually went to talk about it with Ruby and told her I am fine with stepping aside and letting her have her chance. Maybe it was the look on my face or the tone of my voice but she told me that I should be the one to ask him out. Eventually I did.

Yujin:If you went first then how exactly...?

Yang:*rubs her head embarrassed* I was not the perfect girlfriend by far when we were younger; I guess you could say I was a bit of brat. Sometimes we fought and almost a year in we got into a fight over essentially a clash of lifestyles. I ended up telling him off and breaking the whole thing off.

Yujin:You broke up with dad!!!?

Yang:I was stupid and totally in the wrong okay!? Ruby knew it too and went to and took his side during the whole situation. I didn’t realize how much I really hurt him; he sort of shutdown and bit. Eventually Ruby went to him to comfort and be there for him. You can guess what happened next.

Yujin:Dang, that sounds right out of drama I read. How’d you react to it?

Yang:Told myself I didn’t care but once again I’m not good at faking my emotions. Don’t get me wrong because honestly it made me happy too see them so content, but at the same time.... I really hated how I lost someone so great because I couldn’t keep my cool. It made me feel horrible. Ruby definitely noticed; and not just my feelings about the situation.

Yujin:Don’t fell me....

Yang:My little sister looked her first love in the eyes and told him to patch things up with me; because she knew he missed me too. Even if he did love her. She stepped aside once again to watch two people she cared about find comfort with each other.

Yujin:Were you okay with that?

Yang:Hell no; for a long time your father and I both felt guilt about it. Then a miracle happened; that same joy she found with Jaune we saw eventually with Oscar. I couldn’t help but feel so happy for her and for her to tell me that everything between us was okay. Oscar sort of salvaged everyone’s bonds. *somber* God I miss that kid.

Yujin:Ruby told me a little about him; he sounded like a great guy. I know she misses him a lot still. Maybe she’ll find someone else again.

Yang:I want her too so much; through the years I’ve tried to push her to meet more people again but I always get the same response. “I’ve been lucky enough to find love twice. I think know I’ll just protect the people of Remnant; so they’ll be fortunate to find it at least once.”

Yujin:......Auntie Ruby is the best.

Yang:She really is; honestly if she wanted to- *remembers this is her kid*

Yujin:To what?

Yang:Uhhh nothing, just thinking out loud. (Our family tree is a bit tangled as it is now. Telling Yujin that there’s one person I’d turn a blind eye to when it comes to being with her father is a little much.)

Yujin:(She was totally about to say Auntie could find comfort with dad. This is more and more like that ninja book I read!)

[Finally at home in the kitchen]

Yujin:*swaying in her dinner chair* Is it almost done?

Yang:*holding a plate of French Toast in front of her* See for yourself; happy birthday Yujin.

Yujin:*stares at them quietly*........

Yang:Yujin, is....something the matter? Did I forget something or....

Yujin:No it’s not that. Just....hehe it sounds a bit silly but I never imagined I’d get to taste these again. *a little misty eyed* it’s kind of a lot to take in. Well, done the hatch. *takes a bite*

........

Yang:*nervous.*......How is- *sees Yujin begin to scarf them down* I guess I have my answer.

Yujin:*syrup on her cheek* Thjs is better than I remember! *continues to eat when suddenly...*

Yang:*Licks her thumb and rubs it across her cheek* hehe I see you’re just as messy as when I left. *confinues to rub*

Yujin:.....*leans into her hand* You’re so warm. *closes her eyes* I remember you doing this all the time.

Yang:That seems like forever ago. Now you’re driving, boys, academies, beliefs, but somehow you eat your favorite just the same as you always did. Ten years.....*tearing up* it still doesn’t feel real. I really missed a lot haven’t I? *crying* I wish I could’ve change that for you. I’m sorry.....

Yujin:....Hey, *holds her hand* there’s still plenty of other things you get to see me do. Thinking about what you missed always gets me frustrated but, you’re here now. *clenches a Yang’s hand* That’s all that matters right? It’s all I want. *smiles as tears try to flow* I’m glad you’re here.

Yang.....*hugs her tight* I love you, my tiny ember dragon.

Yujin:*holding on tightly, sobbing into Yang’s shirt* I love you too mom, and I’ll never stop. That’s a promise.

Ruby:*smiling as she pretends to sleep on the couch*

.

[ricandhaiz]

Blindsided, Epilogue

Joe’s Diner looked dark on the inside as Nic led Allie to the front door of the place where they first met just a few months before.

“What’s going on?” Allie asked. She had decided to wear a knee-length black floral print dress with tan colored open-toed shoes on her date with Nic to celebrate her surgery’s success. Given the sentimental value it had for them both, seeing it closed was doubling disappointing.

She scratched her head as she looked from the darkened neon sign above the building to the street packed with cars parked alongside it. “I don’t remember seeing a notice or Ellie saying anything about it closing down early tonight, did you?”

Nic shrugged as he peered through the glass and then knocked on the front door, which had a sign that said in large capital letters, “CLOSED.” To Allie’s utter surprise, Ellie quickly appeared and ushered them in.

Once they were both inside, Ellie closed the door and then turned on the lights. Allie gasped in surprise and raised her hands to her face as she watched her friends and relatives in party hats scream “Congratulations!” and lustily blow into their noisemakers. The diner had a large banner hanging on the wall which read, “Congratulations Allie” while streamers of every conceivable color hung from the ceiling. To top it off, a large bouquet of red roses was placed at the head of the table along with a box of Allie’s favorite See’s chocolate truffles.

Nic stepped back to give friends like Nicole and Brandon, who had come from out of town for the occasion, the time and the space to greet and catch up with her. As he watched the happy scene unfold, he felt someone come up beside him. He looked to his left and saw that it was Joe Tibbits, the owner of the diner, standing next to him, arms folded, with a satisfied look on his face.

“She looks great,” Joe said. “Happy, too. I guess that we all have you to thank for that.”

Nic smiled and said, “It was kind of you to close the diner early just for her.”

“Allie’s a very special customer. I wouldn’t do it for just anybody.” Joe cleared his throat, then leaned in and said in a low voice, “A little birdie told me that you were planning on making some kind of special announcement during the party.”

His smile broadened as he nodded in the affirmative. “I asked my padre to come. He should have been here by now.”

“When did you hear from him last?”

“He sent me a text when he landed in LAX earlier this afternoon. He told me that he was going to rent a car and meet a friend for lunch before driving up here. It’s not like him to be late for an event as important as this one. He’s usually very good at letting me know where he’s at, especially if he’s going to be late.”

“Is this the first time your dad and Allie will meet?”

“Yes,” he replied and pulled his phone out to check for messages. “They’ve spoken over the phone a few times, but this is first time that they will see each other face to face.”

“Maybe he just ran into some traffic,” Joe replied and checked his watch. “I think I better see what’s going on in the kitchen and make sure Mel’s not taking a nap back there.”

Nic laughed and said, “Sure. I’ll talk to you later.”

Just then, he felt a tug on his arm. He turned to his right and saw Nicole smiling at him.

“How are you?” she asked and gave him a hug.

“I’m good,” he replied. “I’m glad that you and Brandon could make it.”

“We wouldn’t have missed this for the world.” She glanced over at Allie, who was chatting with Brandon and her cousins, and said, “I’m so happy for her. And it’s all thanks to you.”

“Please don’t—”

“Don’t be so modest. From what she’s told me, you’ve been a model boyfriend and roommate. And you’re also the reason she can see again.”

“All I did was help her get the money to pay for her eye surgery,” he replied with a shrug. “I’m sure that everyone here would have done the same if they could have.”

Nicole shook her head. “I’m not just talking about that. You filled in the gaps when I moved out and were there for her after she lost Charlie. That’s nothing to sneeze at. I’ll have you know that there are a lot of single girls out there who would kill to be with a guy like you.”

“She’s given me a lot too. More than I can ever repay.”

Nicole nudged him in the arm and said, “From what I hear, she has no intention of ever letting you go.”

They were soon joined by Brandon, who greeted him with a slap on the back and a warm handshake. “You’re looking good man.”

Nic smirked. “So are you. How’s work going?”

“Busy. Getting the hang of things. Finding my way around. You know how it goes. How about you?”

“I’m in the final stretch. I have a few group projects to finish up and three finals to take at the end of this semester.”

“Will you be staying here this summer or are you planning on going back to Spain?”

“My plans are still kind of up in the air,” Nic replied. “A lot depends on how things work out with Allie tonight.”

“Oh, okay,” Brandon replied with a quizzical look.

Not wanting to give away the surprise he had in store for Allie, he opted to quickly extricate himself from the conversation. “If you’ll excuse me, I have to make a phone call.”

Nicole and Brandon dutifully stepped aside. He immediately moved toward the glass door and was about to call his padre when Joe informed everyone there that dinner was about to be served and invited everyone to take a seat at the extra-long table that was specially configured for the occasion. While Ellie and a few other servers brought out the food, Nic sat down next to Allie, who was seated at the head of the table. At his request, the seat next to his remained empty.

After a few words of welcome from Joe, Allie, Nic and all the rest of her invited guests happily dug in to their burgers and fries with Joe’s specialty milkshakes and/or sodas. Time passed quickly and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves as they ate and exchanged funny stories about the guest of honor. The only person keeping track of the time was Nic, who was becoming increasingly worried by his padre’s continued absence.

It wasn’t until they were halfway through their meal that Nic finally received a text from his padre. After quickly scanning the message, he excused himself from the table and headed straight for the door.

He breathed a sigh of relief as soon as saw his padre, who was wearing jeans and a black buttoned-down shirt, walking toward the diner’s front door. He opened it for him and gave his padre a hug and a kiss on each cheek. He asked, “Where have you been?”

“There was a horrific accident on the highway,” his padre calmly replied. “The traffic was backed up for miles.”

“Why didn’t you call or text me?”

“My cell phone was acting up and I forgot to pack my charger in my carry on. Is everyone still here?”

Nic nodded. “We’re still eating. I’ll tell them to bring you a plate. Are burgers and fries okay?”

“What do you think I am? A snob? Of course it’s okay.”

He then leaned his head toward his padre’s ear and whispered, “Did you bring the ring with you?”

His padre smiled as he took it out of his shirt pocket and handed it to Nic. “Does Allie have any idea that you’re going to ask her to marry you?”

“No.” Nic replied as he opened the jewelry case holding his mother’s engagement ring inside and gazed at the two-carat diamond set in a platinum band with loving reverence.

“Are you nervous?”

Nic grinned as he snapped the jewelry box shut and put it in his jacket pocket. “Scared to death.”

His father placed a reassuring hand on Nic’s shoulder and said, “If she loves you as much as I suspect she does, her answer will definitely be yes.”

“I hope you’re right. Either way, we’ll know soon enough.”

Nic escorted his padre directly to Allie. He tapped her on the shoulder and said, “Allie, I’d like to introduce you to my padre, Sergio Martinez.”

“It is a pleasure to finally meet you.” His padre bent down and kissed her hand. “I apologize that I wasn’t able to be here sooner.”

Allie looked flustered as she stood up and gave Nic’s padre a hug. “Oh my gosh, it’s so nice to see you. Please sit down.”

Nic’s padre spent the next few minutes regaling everyone present by telling them about all the things he encountered on the way to the diner. Near the end of his tale, he mentioned the fact that Nic had asked him to come to deliver a gift that he wanted to give to Allie. With that said, all eyes fell on Nic.

Allie turned to him, wide-eyed, and smiled. He gazed into her eyes and placed her hand in his. It was time. He gave her hand a squeeze and then stood up to face everyone there.

He smiled as his eyes drifted across the table and said, “I want to thank you all for taking the time to come and celebrate what I think we can all agree is a very momentous occasion in Allie’s life.”

“When I came to Wagner University to get my MBA, the last thing I expect to do was fall in love, but that’s exactly what happened when I came into this diner on a crowded Wednesday last fall. I was about to walk out when Ellie encouraged me to stay and set me down next to this beautiful girl and her guide dog, Charlie. As luck would have it, she just happened to need a new roommate at the time and asked me if I was available to move in with her. I said yes. And then, as the weeks and months past, I found that the bond of friendship that we’d created was turning into something more. At first, I worried that taking that step might ruin our friendship, but then, as my friend Matt so aptly pointed out, what was the harm in trying to see if I could have the best of both worlds. And so, I let Allie know how I felt and asked her if she felt the same. To my surprise and relief, she said yes. And so, without any further ado, I hope you’ll all indulge me while I take this opportunity to ask Allie a very important question.”

Nic pushed his seat back and promptly got down on one knee. Allie placed a trembling hand over her mouth while he took out the small jewelry box from his jacket pocket and opened it. He took his madre’s ring out and reached for her hand as he said, “Te quiero, mi amor. I can’t imagine my life without you, and nothing would make me happier than if you would take this ring which once belonged to my mamá and be my bride.”

Allie quickly nodded and said yes. The room immediately erupted in loud and raucous applause as the newly engaged coupled sealed the deal with a hug and a kiss.

“Now that’s a happy ending,” Ellie said as she stood next to Mel, the diner’s head cook, and their boss, Joe, and dabbed the tears from her eyes with a napkin. “I just knew that he was the one for Allie the minute he walked into the diner.”

“You definitely called it,” Mel replied. “Do you think they’ll want to have their wedding reception here?”

“Why not?” Joe chimed in. “In this life, anything’s possible. Just look at them. They’re living proof.”

The End.

[i-write-shakespeare-not-disney]

See Me For Me

I found this in my drafts and I think I was trying to get somewhere specific but I forget where sooooo. HAVE A ONE-SHOT!

It was a bad day.

That was putting it lightly, but in the end, that’s really what it came down to. There was no point in embellishing and adding, “It’s been a wretched, horrible, self-deprecating day filled with unwanted memories, analyses, and runaway thoughts that don’t stop racing.” That was too much.

All Lance could bring it down to was- it was a bad day.

He supposed he could understand why he thought the way he did, why he felt these “bad days” so often. He’d read about it in high school classes and he’d seen things on TV that mirrored it. He’d even learned about it in an intro course in college. The closest he could come to understanding was depression.

The thing was, “Depression” doesn’t exist in a Hispanic household. No, there’s nothing wrong in Lance’s brain. Nothing that exercise, praying, and working couldn’t fix. He was just being lazy when he didn’t want to get out of bed. He was just being dramatic when he felt like he couldn’t breathe because his thoughts had gone too fast in his head. He was just too emotional like the jotito he was- as one of his uncles so playfully called him- and that was why things made him cry or made him angry. It was in his head, he was making it up.

Well, at least one part of that sentence was right.

Lance had gone a long time without really acknowledging the things he felt, and how serious it was. It wasn’t until he met Keith in college his second semester freshman year that he began to fathom what exactly was happening in his brain.

Keith had been… a struggle to befriend. He was quiet and typically look annoyed or bored. Like he was too good, too smart to be dealing with the people around them. Which was probably true, if his tests were anything to go by. Keith had never gotten anything below 100% on his exams. Lance stayed in the 90’s, but only managed a 100 on the first exam.

By the end of the semester, their professor had put them into groups for a group project, and Lance had the luck to get Keith as a partner. Their other group member had decided to fall of the face of the planet. Lance later discovered they’d had a bad drug trip and ended up dropping out.

Regardless, Keith and Lance ended up spending a lot of time- which was actually just Friday night, Saturday, and Sunday working on the project. Keith had a habit of trying to take over the project completely, which Lance had to snap at him for before offering his own suggestion. He’d be lying if he said he didn’t relish the way confusion then begrudging agreement passed over Keith’s face at those times.

In the end, they had the best project. Maybe that’s where things would have ended for the two of them, if it hadn’t been for the fact that the time they worked on their project happened to be one of Lance’s “bad days.”

It had been the last day they were working on it, and Keith had noticed Lance wasn’t really contributing much, he’d noticed the way Lance zoned out and seemed to deflate.

He’d asked Lance if he was okay. It was almost like Lance could feel the shift of Keith going from ethereal genius from another realm to human and awkward and kind. He didn’t have that same bored expression, but one of genuine worry, which Lance hadn’t seen much of on campus.

That wasn’t to say that Lance had decided to spill all of his life story to Keith and that they had some sudden revelation that resulted in a strong, bonded friendship. Lance had simply smiled, nodded, and said he was just tired. He stood up to grab a soda then continued working, forcing himself to focus and then fell asleep as soon as Keith had left his dorm.

It was the fact that Keith had noticed. That he’d cared. That he’d asked.

At least, Lance figured that’s what had him walk after Keith on their last day of class to suggest they get lunch together that day to celebrate their passing grade. Keith had obviously been caught off guard, but he’d agreed.

Keith didn’t talk much, and that day he listened more than anything. Lance was the one who enjoyed talking and joking. In fact, he’d managed enough jokes to make Keith laugh seven times in the span of their lunch and their walk back to one of the dorm buildings. Lance had only started counting because he realized he’d never heard Keith laugh before that day.

That night, Lance might have had a dream about making Keith laugh and receiving kisses as a reward for it. Maybe.

It wasn’t until June though that Lance allowed himself to indulge in a fantasy of holding Keith’s hand and kissing him when he pleased. It was pride month, and while Lance had always wanted to go to a Pride Parade, he knew he couldn’t without a disapproving look from his dad and confused looks from his siblings. Being back home was great, but Lance missed his freedom.

He’d kept in touch with Keith, luring him in by sending him funny posts and Vine compilations for a while before Keith began responding back quicker and more often. Before long, they were texting throughout the day from morning until night about everything and nothing at all.

It was one of those June days that Lance had asked Keith what he was doing just to keep the conversation going.

Going to pride parade wby?

Lance had suddenly forgotten that he was helping cook lunch and hunched into his phone.

Pride parade????

Yea, the lgbt one.

Lance had stared at the message for a while, wondering if he should play it off or be straightforward and ask Keith his sexual orientation. But he didn’t want to make a fool of himself and end up having Keith say something like, “Going to pride doesn’t make you automatically gay, I’m an ally.” Or something.

He must’ve taken too long thinking of a response because the next message that came through was, Did that freak you out?

He hurriedly answered that no, it didn’t, he just had never been able to go despite his interest in it. What’s it like?

A few moments later, a photo came in of Keith wearing a black shirt with a rainbow on it with Do I Look Gay Now? in blocky white letters as he stood next to a taller Asian guy holding up a variety of flags. Behind them, he could see flags and posters and colorful people in glitter or simple shirts expressing their sexuality.

Lance’s excitement over his shirt was tampered down by the very muscular guy that was also in the picture. He felt his face heat up and despite his mother scolding him for letting the tortillas burn, he had to answer.

It looks so fun! That your bf? :o

After that, he forced himself not to look at his phone until lunch was ready and the table was set and everyone was sitting down to eat. He checked his phone quickly before the actual eating started and his mom scolded him for using the phone at the table.

Noooooo omg that’s a friend from highschool. Like a brother to me.

I’m single

Lance couldn’t help his smile at the second message.

After that, Lance managed to sneak in small little flirty messages that could be overlooked. Which they were. Keith was apparently very dense about someone flirting with him, and never seemed to catch on.

When they got back for their sophomore year of college, Lance had immediately gone to greet Keith when he got back, since they were in the same dorm building. The guy from the picture was there, and he smiled when he saw Lance.

“Hey, you must be the friend Keith made,” he said.

Keith came out of the room to get another box and smiled when he saw Lance. “Hey! How was your summer? This is Shiro. Shiro, that’s Lance.” He tucked a loose strand of hair back and leaned over to hoist up another box, his biceps bulging. “Help me out?”

Lance gulped and nodded, not missing the small chuckle that Shiro let out as he rolled in a suitcase to the room. Lance managed to drag another box into the room and Keith aired his muscle shirt let his hair down from the small ponytail it was in at the nape of his neck.

“That’s good enough for now. I’m tired.”

“Alright. I gotta head out if I don’t want it to get dark while driving,” Shiro said. “See you later, Keith. Behave and work hard.”

Keith grumbled and hugged him, which Lance suddenly craved. He wondered how close to Keith he’d have to get before finally being able to freely give him a hug.

Shiro turned to Lance and smiled brightly. “It was nice meeting you after hearing so much about you, Lance.” Lance raised his eyebrows, immediately looking over at Keith who looked like he was fuming and gave Shiro a look that would’ve definitely killed Lance if he’d received it. But Shiro just kept smirking at Lance and then clapped Keith on the shoulder before heading out.

Lance looked back at Keith who was fumbling with a box. “Aw, you talk about me.”

Keith looked up and rolled his eyes. “Don’t flatter yourself, it’s just when you say something stupid.” Lance’s face fell, but Keith wasn’t looking at him anymore. After a few seconds, Keith sighed and looked up. “I didn’t mean that. It’s just… I don’t really make friends easily, so Shiro likes poking fun at me when I do, and I don’t like getting made fun of, so I default to insults. I’m sorry.”

Lance bit back a smile and walked over to Keith. “Ah, no worries. I get it. Getting made fun of isn’t fun. I default to making jokes.”

Keith frowned and looked at him, one dark eyebrow arched. “You always make jokes, Lance.”

Lance wasn’t really sure what to respond to that.

When classes started, Keith and Lance spent a lot of time together in study rooms or at the library or at the café doing homework and listening to music and sending each other funny posts. Somewhere among caffeine-filled nights and sleep-deprived studying, they’d gotten comfortable enough to where Lance would throw his legs over Keith’s lap and would simply place his textbook or journal over his legs and continue his work. Eventually, Keith began to do the same and it was more of a competition to see who managed to get a footrest first.

Of course it was a matter of time before Lance did something to ruin it. Or rather his brain. He had been able to hide his bad days over the summer because it was easy to just text and seem okay. And he’d been so excited about being free and spending time with Keith that he hadn���t had a bad day in a while.

So when those bad days caught back up to him, he stayed away from Keith afraid of letting him see this side of him. Who wanted to deal with someone who felt like shit for no reason and couldn’t let logic calm him down? No one. And Lance didn’t want to lose Keith. Except Keith hadn’t stopped messaging him funny posts and question marks at his lacking responses.

Then there was a knock at his door and Lance had felt so guilty about ignoring him, he couldn’t bring himself to pretend to be asleep.

Keith looked frustrated when Lance opened the door. “Did I make you mad or something? Why are you ignoring me?”

“No, I’m not mad at you. It’s just… I don’t feel well.”

“You’re sick?” Keith asked suspiciously. Lance hesitated and Keith knew him well enough to catch it. “What’s going on? You’ve been like this since Thursday. Did I do something?” He crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes, but he looked more distressed than angry. “You can tell me…. If I crossed a boundary or something.”

“What? No, that’s not…. Keith, it’s nothing you did, okay? I just… feel shitty and I don’t really know why. I didn’t want to bother you with it, so I just sleep it off or wait for it to pass.” Keith frowned and uncrossed his arms. “I’m okay. I’ll be back to normal before you know it.”

Keith sighed and shook his head. “This… happens often?” Lance shrugged and nodded. “Lance, that’s not… normal.” Lance flinched and Keith shook his head, hands trying to wave away his words. “Shit. That’s not what I meant. Fuck. I just meant…. You shouldn’t brush it off. Have you ever talked to someone about it?”

Lance sighed again and turned away, waving Keith into the room before plopping on his bed. “Nah. Don’t really have the money to talk to someone and besides, it’s not like it’s actual depression or something. I don’t have any right or reason to be depressed.”

Keith frowned and kicked at the ground. “What does that even mean?”

“I mean I have a good family. We struggle a bit with money, but we’re not starving or anything. My parents are together and love each other. I was never hit or anything. I’m perfectly fine, I have no reason to feel like this. But….” He groaned and sat up, putting his head in his hands. “I can’t help it. I just keep thinking about everything and it freaks me out and I don’t want to do anything because I feel like I’m suffocating if I try, but not doing anything stresses me out more because I know I’ll fall behind, so the only way I get to feel a little okay is if I’m asleep!”

There was a slight dip in the bed and Lance felt a hand on his arm. “You know, depression isn’t the same for everyone,” Keith said softly. “It doesn’t care whether you have a ‘normal’ life or a fucked up one. It’s hormone imbalance, and that’s that. Don’t say you don’t have the right to feel the things you feel. It’s not going to stop you from feeling it.” Lance looked at him and tried to smile. “Talking to someone could help. I got put on Zoloft. But not everyone needs meds.”

Lance’s eyes widened. “You…?” Keith nodded, looking a little embarrassed. “I would’ve never even guessed….”

“I guess I was hiding it from you too,” Keith whispered.

Lance hummed and swung his legs, letting them bounce off the bedframe. “You know, I could use a hug right now….”

Beside him, Keith laughed and wrapped his arms around him. Lance still felt a little shitty, but now he had giddy butterflies to balance out the feeling.

After that, Keith accompanied Lance to the student counseling services and they got even closer as friends. Lance didn’t know if he could handle this crush much longer, especially since it seemed to get stronger each time Keith laughed or sent him something about Ninja Turtles because Lance loved that show as a kid or anytime Keith automatically offered his chips or fries, knowing that Lance had a bottomless stomach when it came to those.

After Lance had gone to his first official therapy session outside of school aided by school insurance, Keith insisted they had to celebrate his milestone and bravery and something about the road to feeling better. Keith seemed so genuinely happy, Lance indulged him.

They went to a nearby burger joint and Lance couldn’t help but notice the things that could easily make it a cliché date straight out of the 50s. Right down to the milkshakes.

He supposed that to everyone else they were just two friends getting a burger. But Lance was fully aware of the way his cheeks burned when he blushed, the way they ached from smiling so much. He was struggling to hold back from taking Keith’s hands in his own where they rested in the middle of the table. The best part was not having to talk about the reason behind the outing. Keith didn’t ask him about his therapist, or what he talked about, or how he felt about therapy. And Lance was grateful for that, because it proved to him that Keith didn’t see him differently for it.

By the time they got back to their dorms, Lance was hoping Keith would stay with him, but it was a school night and Keith had a morning class the next day. Keith walked with him to his dorm and lingered at the door.

“I really am glad you talked to me. And that you wanted to talk to someone. It took me a long time to realize I needed outside help.” He smiled and shrugged. “It might not be a big deal to you, but it is for a lot of people.”

“I believe you,” Lance answered, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Uh, can I ask something without making everything weird?” Keith furrowed his eyebrows and shifted on his feet. Lance looked away and gulped, his cheeks burning. “Was that… um… like… a date?” he managed.

It was quiet for a moment. When Lance lifted his gaze, he found Keith staring at him, biting on his lip anxiously. “Um… a date?”

Lance felt the embarrassment hit him like a wave and he tried to figure out how to backtrack. He began shaking his head and stammering, trying for a joke, but unable to make one. “Um, yeah, that was really stupid. I’m sorry, I just-”

“No, no it’s not stupid!” Keith blurted. “I just… I mean…. Did you want it to be… a date?”

Lance stared at him, slightly afraid and very uncertain. “Did you?”

Keith took a deep breath and looked around nervously. “I think… I would rather you know if we go on a date before we go….”

“If?”

Keith looked at him, all wide dark indigo eyes and red cheeks, expression so open it was hard to believe this was the same stoic kid he used to sit next to in math class. “If you want,” he said.

Lance couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face. “Yeah. Yeah, I’d… love to go on a date… with you.”

“Yeah, the with me part is kind of implied….” Lance cleared his throat and Keith laughed nervously. “Uh, you’re serious, right?” he asked.

Lance nodded quickly and floundered for words. “Yes! Yes, I…. I really would like to go on a date. Or more. You know.”

Keith smiled and nodded, stepping back. “Then I guess I’ll see you tomorrow after classes….”

“What, no goodnight kiss?”

Keith turned red, but his cocky smirk remained. “That’s not until a first date.”

Lance felt himself blush and he reached behind him, grabbing the door handle for something to tether him to reality. He watched Keith walk away until he got to the elevator and finally got into his dorm. He plopped onto his bed and smiled at the ceiling for a long time before falling asleep.

Their first date had been an excursion to paintballing. Instead of cutesy hand holding and shared fries and snuggling during a movie, the two were pitted against each other, doing their best to take down the other and cover them in paint. Lance figured it was better than a movie.

After paintball, they went to a Riverwalk and spent their time watching ducks splash around and watching the sun set lower as they walked along the riverside until pretty lights decorated the bridges that crossed it and music from expensive restaurants came and went.

At some point under a bridge, Lance gathered the courage to brush his fingers against Keith’s and let them linger until Keith finally got the hint and held his hand. They walked the rest of the way hand in hand despite being so used to each other, Lance still found himself blushing and trying to stop smiling because his cheeks hurt so much.

They got garlic knots from a local pizzeria on the way back, which Lance devoured happily. They were nothing like the ones his abuela made, but they were good enough.

They got back to the dorms and Lance felt his stomach twist into knots. The end of their date marked their first kiss. It was going to happen. And Lance had no idea if he was a good kisser or not, and it had been a long time since he’d kissed someone. And what type of kisser was Keith? Would he go for chaste and sweet? Or long and fiery? Would it be a simple press of their lips or a heated clash of tongue and teeth?

They walked into the dorm building and Keith walked Lance to his door since his was a floor below, and again, they lingered at the door.

“That was a fun first date,” Lance said, playing with Keith’s fingers.

“Yeah? I’m glad you had fun,” Keith said. “Does this mean more dates?”

“You might as well ask me out now, honestly,” he muttered. Keith laughed and Lance raised an eyebrow. “Do I have to do it myself?”

Keith shrugged and tilted his head. “Well, I asked you on a date. I think it’s only fair you pull your weight.”

Lance snorted at that and squeezed his hand. “Well then, I guess that would be fair. Keith?” He hummed, giving Lance a knowing smile. “D’you wanna be my boyfriend?”

His smile faded a bit and he took Lance’s other hand. “Yeah. I’d like that a lot.”

Lance smiled and raised an eyebrow. “So about that first date kiss?”

Keith scrunched his nose and backed away. “You were eating garlic knots,” he reminded him.

Affronted, Lance scoffed and let go of his hands. “Well fine, no kiss for you, Mr. Grouch.” Keith laughed as Lance opened his door. “You’re a jerk, just so you know.”

“Really?” he laughed, as Lance walked into his room.

“It’s not even that-”

Before Lance could step in further, he felt Keith’s hand around his wrist, pulling him back and his lips were against his own, making Lance weak in the knees. His hand was rough but gentle against his face and his lips were warm as they pressed harder against him, opening just enough to take Lance’s lower lip between his own.

Lance’s first kiss with Keith tasted like garlic and salt and sugary soda. And it was perfect.

They spent the rest of that semester acting relatively the same as before. With the exception of occasional kisses and handholding. They bickered over random things, they greeted each other and said goodbye with kisses and always had some sort of contact if they were in the same place. Whether they were sitting and pressed their knees together or standing close enough for their arms to brush or simply had their little fingers hooked together.

When Lance went home for Christmas, he figured he should sit his parents down to explain the therapy and then of course, Keith.

His parents had been quiet for a long time after Lance had his chance to speak. They remained adamant that Lance didn’t need therapy, and reminded him that if they offered him medication, to deny it. Lance tried not to let it bother him, tried to remember that they had been raised in very different circumstances, in different times, a different country, with different values. His mother agreed though, that if the therapy helped him stay focused and the school insurance was paying it, that there was no harm done.

When it came to Keith, his father remained silent, with a clenched fist on the table and an angry expression directed at the salt shaker. His mother had asked for pictures and though she also seemed a bit hesitant and wary, she had smiled and congratulated him on his relationship. Something about the way she said it made Lance feel like she still believed it was just a phase, but he wasn’t getting thrown out of his home, so he figured it wasn’t the worst direction the conversation took.

Once he’d returned to school, he told Keith about his conversation with his parents during one of their Netflix binging nights, arms wrapped around Keith’s torso and his face hidden in his neck. He knew Keith didn’t have parents to tell, but he had told Shiro who had simply laughed, said “I told you so,” and congratulated him on making a move.

“Technically, I’m the one who made a move,” Lance muttered. Keith laughed and he relished the sound.

Somewhere into the fifth month of their relationship, their relationship evolved further. One late afternoon was filled with limbs tangled between bedsheets, their bodies pressed so close together there was no sense of where one body ended and the other began, their clothes in haphazard piles on the floor. The room was filled with soft, muffled sounds and Lance felt overwhelmed with the emotions flowing through him as their lips came together sloppily and passionately.

Keith had laid himself in the crook of his arm, and while Lance had been quick to start drifting to sleep, Keith stayed awake, soaking in every aspect of Lance. At some point when his brain tried to wake him up, he felt Keith’s hand at his cheek and heard him murmur, “God, please don’t let me fuck this up.”

He wanted to respond, but before his brain could tell his mouth to open, he succumbed to sleep again.

[tcm--holland]

project // peter parker

request from @emarvil: Hi!! I love your writing! Could you please do a fix where tom is your brothers best friend and like you only see him when he comes over to hang out with your brother and he's in the grade above you at school but like it turns into something rly cute??? Not sure I made sense... anyways can you also add me to the tag list for threat bc that shit is GOLD

word count: 1.6k

a/n: tysm for the request! this was adorable hjasghkjsf and i’m so glad you loved threat!!! lol enjoy this little unedited fic <3333

masterlist

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Dinner is always the most boring part of your day. Your parents have a conversation about work, and then they ask how your and your brother’s day went. You’ve tried to escape upstairs with your plate of food numerous times, but your mother always makes you come down and sit at the table. It’s precious family time, she’ll say. It’s a bonding experience. Yeah, right. There’s just so much bonding going on at this silent table.

Your brother speaks up as you’re shoving a spoonful of mashed potatoes into your mouth. “Mom, is it cool if Peter comes over tomorrow? We have to do a project.” Upon hearing this, you choke a little. Everyone turns to look at you.

“Sorry,” you mutter, gulping down some water. Peter hasn’t been over in nearly a month, and you hardly see him at school. You’re a freshman and he’s a sophomore, and you’re pretty sure he doesn’t think twice about you.

You vividly remember the first time you saw Peter. It was your first day of high school, and you were wandering around campus trying to find where the hell E312 was. You were already nervous enough as it was, and suddenly you were frozen in an empty hallway, paralyzed by fear. You were going to be late to class if you didn’t figure out where you were supposed to go soon. You could feel the hopeless tears starting to well up in your eyes when you heard someone call out to you. You turned around, and there he was.

Standing there with tousled golden brown hair and bright eyes was Peter Parker. He was in a Star Wars t-shirt and jeans, but you’d never seen anyone pull it off so well. He asked if you were lost, and you nearly said that you were lost in his eyes. He told you exactly where to go, and smiled at you before he walked away. Granted, you were still late to your class (turns out it was on the opposite end of campus), but didn’t even care anymore.

And then he befriended your brother in World History, and he came over for the first time. You had come into your brother’s room wearing your embarrassing middle school gym shorts and a hoodie to ask him for math help. And he was just sitting on the floor, looking down at some homework. Immediately, you turned around and left before he could see you, cheeks flaming. Ever since then, you looked forward to the days that he came over. You’d constantly make excuses for passing by your brother’s room, walking back and forth. Peter would smile at you each time, and you always returned it sheepishly.

It’s been forever since he’s been over, and now you can...keep walking past your brother’s room obsessively. You know it’s pathetic, but you can’t help yourself. It’s like you forget your own name each time you see him, and when he talks to you, you remember again.

“Which Peter is that, again?” Your dad asks as he spoons more rice onto his plate.

“Dad, there’s only one Peter.” Your brother sighs.

“Really? Hm. I must be thinking of Paul, then.”

“Only one of those, too…” He mumbles. You quickly finish your dinner and excuse yourself to your room. You hop around in excitement for a few seconds, and then realize you need a cool outfit to come home in.

You go through different outfits? A dress? No, that’s too out of the ordinary for you. Maybe a skirt...ugh, no, it doesn’t look good on you anymore. In the end, you settle for a something simple: black shorts and a tank top. The tank top is Spider-Man themed, custom made in your art class. You’re very proud of it. And to go on top, your royal blue school sweater.

You turn back to the rest of your room to find it a mess. Clothes and shoes are strewn everywhere. Obviously, it all has to look clean for the three seconds that Peter will spend passing by your room to get to your brother’s. Groaning, you begin to clean up.

That night, you go to bed with a smile. You can hardly sleep, you’re so excited. But the next day goes by surprisingly quickly, and you nearly forget about Peter. You’re busy at lunch finishing your English homework early, and your classes are filled with work. So by the time you bike home, you pleasantly recall that Peter’s coming over. You rush up to your room to make sure your room looks okay, and then finish up the homework you didn’t get done at school already.

By the time you hear the front door unlock, you have absolutely nothing to do. You hear the conversation drifting from downstairs.

“Dude, it’s been forever since we last hung out. How did you get so busy?”

“Well, you know, with the Stark internship and everything...it’s been pretty crazy.” Peter chuckles a little.

“Right, forgot about that. How’s your aunt doing?”

“She’s good. We’re good. Last year was really tough on her, but...yeah.”

You hear footsteps come up the stairs and quickly pick up the book beside you, pretending to read. You glance up over the top of your book to see Peter and your brother, heading to his room with Cokes in hand.

“Hey, Y/N,” Peter greets. You smile back, not trusting yourself to say anything. He pauses, eyebrows furrowing together slightly as he looks at you. “Are you reading that upside down?”

Your eyes widen slightly when you see that the text is, indeed, upside down. “U-Uh…” You quickly try to think of an excuse. “Normal books are getting too boring for me. So, to keep up my reading comprehension, I’m trying it out.” You mentally facepalm at this. Is that the best you could think of.

Peter gives you an amused smile. “Right,” he says, but before you can say anything else, he’s gone. You spent the next few minutes wallowing in embarrassment before getting up to go get a drink.

You return with a mug of white tea, prepared to walk past your brother’s room. As you do, you see Peter mutter something to your brother. He considers it for a second and then looks at you. You stop as your brother starts talking. “Did you do all your homework?”

“Uh...yeah...why?” You take a sip, glancing at Peter. He’s chewing on the back of his pencil as he watches. Why is it so cute when he does that?

“Peter thinks you could help us out if you have nothing else to do. Who knows, maybe you could learn a thing or two before you take this class next year.” He shrugs, expecting you to say no.

“Yeah, sure!” You say, almost too excited. Your brother gives you a suspicious look. “I mean, I’m a sucker for history.” You really are, you find it fascinating. You step inside and slide off your shoes to get to work.

You find yourself sneaking glances at Peter at every possible opportunity. But just as he turns his attention to you, you look away, rubbing the back of your neck. You tie your hair in a ponytail before you sketch out the lettering for the title. Peter watches in interest.

“You’re good at that,” he says, and you look up to meet his eyes. A shy blush coats your cheeks.

“I’m taking art,” you explain with a nonchalant shrug. Inside, you’re screaming because he complimented you. You stay silent as you work, listening to Peter and your brother lightly chat. You slide off your sweater as sunlight begins to stream into the room.

“Y-You like Spider-Man?” Peter purses his lips to hide a smile. You’re confused for a second before you glance down at your tank top.

“Oh. Yeah, he’s pretty cool.” Your brother snorts at this.

“Y/N’s obsessed with him. She came home one day after school and she wouldn’t stop talking about how she saw Spider-Man save an old lady or something. And ever since then, she’s been crazy about it. I don’t get it.” You shoot him a glare.

“I’m not crazy. I just…”

“Have an appreciation for a neighborhood superhero that just wants to do good?” Peter says, a hopeful look on his face.

“Exactly!” You exclaim, grinning.

“Hey, Pete, don’t you, like, know Spider-Man? Maybe you could hook something up with my sister here.” Your eyes widen at this, and you open your mouth to speak.

Peter beats you to it. “Okay, first of all, I met him. Once. I wouldn’t know where to find him even if I wanted to.” Your face drops slightly at this. He sees this and adds quickly, “But...I mean, I’ll see what I can do.”

The smile quickly returns to your face at this. “That’s amazing, thank you! You’re the best!” You feel the urge to throw your arms around him, but you resist since your brother’s here.

A while later, you’re making finishing touches. The project looks pretty amazing, thanks to your skills. Your brother leaves to recycle the soda cans and bring up new ones, leaving you and Peter alone. You’re leaned over the project, wisps of hair escaping the ponytail. You finally sit up and glance at Peter, who’s been looking at you. You offer a small smile, and he gives you one back. Your heart hammers in your chest as he reaches over and tucks a piece of hair behind your ear.

When you breath out, it comes out a bit shaky. You finish off your tea to try and calm down, and when you look up, his eyes are still on you. You swallow and find yourself leaning into him. Your faces are just a few inches apart and your hand is on his knee. You hear footsteps start coming up the stairs and you jump away from him. Both of you are grinning widely by the time your brother comes back in. He sees you two and frowns slightly.

“Did I miss something?”

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tag list:

@thelifeofanengineeringstudent @deans-angel-of-thursdays @half-superhero @baka-chanismyname @lilacyra @chelykat451-blog @webheadparkr @hailey-a-s @bonza-bear @beforethebraces @ketterdame @emarvil @mirageofthedesert @tonight-couldbeforgettable @kat-rivalle

[rejectedusername-trashfics]

Shot by the Gods- Meet the Parent Part 2

Summary: A series of One Shots, Ficlets, or Drabbles from my Gods of LS AU.  While Gavin and Ryan are away, Geoff and Michael rob a gas station. One store patron, a young woman, is apathetic to the whole situation. They assume she's a reaper and take her back to the penthouse for Ryan to deal with when he gets home. But this girl is not what she seems.

Chapter: 13/?

Word Count: 2,578

Note: Takes place after Causing Chaos and directly after Meet the Parent 

Previous / AO3

While Gavin and Ryan were gone, the rest of the crew still wanted to play. Even though their trip to England was only going to be a week long, the crew still wanted to keep busy. Jack and Jeremy had found other ways to take a break such as Jack visiting with her girlfriend, or Jeremy getting to have casual hangouts with B-team. Geoff was feeling antsy and was itching to cause some crime anyway.

With Ryan away, Geoff felt that he could rob another Limited LTD Gas station. It was small enough that he wouldn’t need Gavin or B-team tot back him up. Michael asked to join him on this small robbery, saying that his son, Lucas, was almost one and that he needed to stay in the game whenever he could.

Geoff and Michael drove to Mirror Drive without much of a plan and headed into the store. “HANDS UP!” Geoff yelled pulling out his gun. Michael followed behind, firing a few shots. Store patrons began screaming in fear and Michael began to shoot at them in response. Geoff ran up to the cashier. “Give me all the money!” he demanded. The cashier nervously opened the register and began pulling money out.

Michael began shuffling around the store to see if he could get any money off of anyone else in the store. He was pulling money off of a corpse when he heard someone yell, “Holy shit, I think that work!” He turned and walked to where he heard the voice coming from and saw a young girl, who couldn’t be older than twenty-three, open and shut the bathroom door.

“Hey, kid,” he called out to get the girl’s attention.

The girl didn’t turn to acknowledge him. “Mama’s treating herself to a Mountain Dew in celebration,” she said to herself, ignoring Michael.

“Hey! Kid!” Michael called out again. The girl continued to ignore him and walked over to the sodas. He ran over to the girl and grabbed her shoulder. “HEY! KID!” he screamed and he ran over to the girl and grabbed her shoulder.

The girl looked up at him casually. “Can I help you?” she asked.

“Why the fuck didn’t you respond when I was calling you?” he asked.

“Were you referring to me when you were calling out, ‘kid’? Because, I’m older than your parents,” then she gave Michael a look, up and down, “by the way, that’s a nice Mi-Mogar cosplay you got there.” she complimented while inferring that she knew Michael’s identity. Michael couldn’t take the absurdity anymore and began firing at the girl. The bullet went through the girl, but she continued to stand there as if nothing was happening. “Ooh, and a gun prop with smoke and sound effects. Nice touch,”

“GGGGGAAAAAAAHHHHHH!” Michael screamed.

“What’s up?” Geoff asked as he rounded the corner carrying a sack full of cash.

“THIS BITCH WON’T TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY AND DIE!” Michael screamed.

Thee girl looked up at Geoff. “Kingpin’s here too?” she asked. Then she felt soda spraying out from the broken glass behind her, confirming that Mogar actually was shooting at her. “The Fake AH Crew actually is here. That’s awfully convenient and I shouldn’t really be surprised.”

Geoff pointed his gun at the girl. “What exactly do you want with the Fakes?” he asked.

“I’d like you to take me so I could meet Vaga… bond,” she explained, implying that she knew the Vagabond’s true identity a well. Geoff didn’t like the sound of it. Then he scurried over to the girl and tried to ram her into the coolers. He was very surprised when his hand slammed into the cooler door. He looked up and realized his hand was going through the girl’s chest, like she was intangible. “Your hand’s going through my chest, scandalous,” she joked. “In all seriousness though, I’m physically incapable of being harmed. You can imprison anyway, if you so desire, I’ll be captured willingly.”

“Throw her in the back of the car when we leave,” Geoff groaned as he finished everything up with the robbery. Michael nodded and gave the money he collected to Geoff and threw the girl over his shoulder. They rushed back out to the car and threw the girl in the trunk.

They drove back to the penthouse. Michael carried the girl to one of the interrogation rooms. Geoff noticed Jack sitting on the couch in the living room. “Hey Jack, how was your date?” he asked.

Jack looked up at him. “It was fine, Caiti’s doing great. How was the robbery? I see you took a hostage,” she questioned back.

“Yeah. Strange character, this one is. Speaking of which, are Gav and Rye coming back today, and where do we keep the reaper cuffs?”

“Yes, the two of them are coming back today and the cuffs are in Ryan’s room,” she answered. “But do you really think it’s a good idea to make Ryan do an interrogation the day he gets back?”

Geoff sighed, “look, I’m pretty sure we have a rogue reaper on our hands, and we’re gonna need the God of Death to take care of it. Now if you excuse me, I gotta go contain this chick before she stops the whole, ‘compliance act’, and starts causing serious trouble,” Geoff finished before he walked off.

He used the special reaper cuffs to cuff the girl to the chair, then he called Ryan and told him that they needed him for an interrogation at the penthouse. Within the hour, he and Gavin entered the penthouse.

“Again, I’m really sorry about how my mother treated you,” Gavin apologized to Ryan as the two of them walked in.

Ryan walked in behind him and sighed. “I told you, I’m not mad about it. I don’t know why your mother was so keen on misinforming herself, but I promise I’m not mad.”

“Ryan, glad you’re here. How was meeting Gav’s mom?” Geoff greeted as he walked over to Ryan.

“Turns out, she hates Vaga.”

“Ouch. Well, maybe disciplining one of your reapers will make you feel better.”

“I suppose we can hope.”

“Great. Now come with me,” Geoff directed.

Ryan looked at Gavin before he was ready to follow Geoff. “Don’t worry, love. I can catch up with Michael while you go do your job,” Gavin reassured him. Ryan nodded and went to follow Geoff.

When Ryan caught up to him, Geoff spoke again. “Look, this reaper is a bit odd and she wanted to meet you for some reason. I don’t know what her deal is, but I can assume she’s some sort of trouble maker.”

“Discipline the reaper, got it,” Ryan replied in understanding.

The got to the holding room and Ryan grabbed the door handle. “I’m gonna go back to the living room while you handle this, if that’s okay.” Geoff told him.

Ryan nodded and proceeded into the room. He saw a young-looking girl whom he didn’t recognize cuffed to a chair at a table in the center of the room. “Finally, the man I’ve wanted to meet! How are you darling?” the girl asked. Ryan stared at her, confused. “Look,” the girl started, “I completely understand if you resent me for not being around. I never thought I actually could come to this world. It took me too damn long to get my head out of my ass and remember that I can actually do whatever the fuck I wanted. And I’m sorry I was never around. I’d like to make up for lost time.”

He continued to stare at the girl in confusion, ‘I don’t recognize this reaper. I swear, if my council started creating new reapers without my permission,’ he started to think to himself.

“Oh, don’t worry, darling,” the girl interrupted his train of thought. “Your council didn’t disobey you and create a new reaper without your permission. You don’t recognize me as a reaper because,” she paused to lean back in her chair, put her legs up on the table, and rest her hands behind her head, letting the reaper cuffs fall to the floor, “I’m not one. Though I gotta say, it was pretty nice that your crew put me in reaper cuffs. They really know how to make a woman feel special.”

He now stared at this girl in shock, “how could you read my thoughts?” he asked.

“Comes with the territory.”

“Who… what are you?” he asked.

“You know who I am,” she assured him, with confidence.

He immediately tried to think of who this person could be. She didn’t seem like she could be much of a muse or Amazonian. Then his mind jumped to the most impossible answer to his question, but it surely couldn’t be right. “You’re… Mewdas, the Titan who created the universe,” he guessed, unsure of himself.

The girl smiled, “I’m so happy to finally meet one of my children,” she replied to confirm of his guess.

Ryan continued to stare in shock, then he smiled, “It’s nice to meet you, dad. Though. I don’t completely understand why you came in a female form.”

Mewdas’s smile dropped and she groaned, “Ugh, why did Fulcrus have to fill this world with all that patriarchal bullshit.”

“I’m sorry?”

“I’m not a man. Never have been, never will be.”

“My apologizes, mom,” he corrected himself.

“It’s okay. I’m just happy to see you. Would it be to forward to request a hug?” she asked.

“No, it would not be a problem,” Ryan told her. She quickly got out of her chair and the two of them met for a tender embrace.

Once they finished their hug, the two of them stepped back. “So, why haven’t you come to visit earth before?”

Mewdas sighed. “In all honesty, when I created this universe and planet, I created it for you and your siblings to do with it as you pleased. And even though I’m not a fan of everything that has been going on in this world, especially right now, I promised myself that this was your world to play with and I wouldn’t mess with it,” she answered, honestly.

Ryan understood and nodded. “Have you visited Fulcrus and Tuvagos yet?” he asked.

Mewdas shook her head, “nope, not yet.”

Ryan raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Oh, why did you choose to visit me first, if you don’t mind me asking.”

Mewdas smirked, “Well this may be my mothering instincts kicking in, but I wanted to meet with you so I could also meet your lovers. They are very good people for you as far as I’m concerned.”

Ryan was very surprised by this. “I’m surprised you chose me first if that’s your reasoning. Because Fulcrus,”

“I am well aware Fulcrus gets around. Even with your sister, which I find very questionable. And Tuvagos hasn’t picked a lover and settled down. But you picked two. I think their adorable and would love to meet them.”

“You do know that Fulcrus did convince Tuvagos and I to copulate and have children with a human before, right?”

“I do know,” she assured him. “And I’ve sent agents to meet and befriend the children of the two of you. None of that changes the fact that I’d like to be a better mother to you and your siblings, and meet your lovers.”

Ryan sighed and smiled. “I think I could still appreciate that. I don’t resent and I’m very happy I finally got to meet you. You’re actually quite lovely.”

“Daw, thank you. By the way, I’m also aware that you call yourself ‘Ryan’ while you’re here on earth, so I could refer to you as that if you’d prefer.” Mewdas smiled fondly and offered.

“That would actually mean a lot to me. And Meg’s not here at the penthouse, but would you like to meet Gavin?”

“I would absolutely love to.”

“And since you are my mother, would you be apposed to holding my hand as we leave the room?” he asked her.

Mewdas placed her hand into Ryan’s, “I wouldn’t be happier.”

The two of the walked out into the living room. Geoff saw the two of them walking out together. “What the hell...?” Geoff asked himself.

Mewdas nodded to Ryan and let go on his hand. He gave her a thumb up as she walked over to Michael, Jeremy, who had come back to the penthouse, and Gavin sitting on the couch. “Hello, you must be Gavin. I’ve learned so much about you and have been looking forward to finally getting to meet you,” She held her hand out as she greeted Gavin. Gavin stared at her, confused.

“RYAN WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!” Geoff demanded. Everyone paused what they were doing to look at Geoff. “YOU DO REALIZE THIS APATHETIC BROAD WAS BEING ANNOYING AT OR ROBBERY, RIGHT? OR DO YOU JUST HAVE A STUPID SOFT SPOT FOR ALL YOUR GODSDAMN REAPERS WHO CAUSE ME TROUBLE?!”

Mewdas turned to face Geoff, “oh darling, I’m not a reaper.”

Ryan’s eyebrows furrowed as he also turned to face Geoff, “and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t speak so ill of my mother.”

“Your mother!?” Michael yelped in surprise.

Jack began shaking and pointing, “You’re Mewdas? Creator of the universe? Grand Titan?”

“Yep,” Mewdas replied, casually.

“Holy fucking shit,” Jeremy commented in surprise.

“You all could call me that or Grandma or Great-Grandma. Actually, don’t call those, because those would make me feel old,” she continued.

“But, you are old,” Michael pointed out.

“Meh, details.”

“Michael,” Ryan warned.

“Calm down, sweetheart. I’m willing to admit that there absolutely is truth to that statement.”

“Fine,” Ryan grumbled.

“Good boy. And I think I’d prefer it is you guys would just call me Mewdas.”

“I’m sorry I was a dick,” Geoff quickly apologized.

“It’s quite alright, Geoff. I didn’t come out here to scold you.” Geoff blinked in surprise that she already knew his name, but then he remembered who she was and he should have expected that.

“Then what exactly did you come here for?” Gavin asked, nervously.

“To meet you and Meg, darling. You both are either a fine grim reaper or the latest reincarnation of king Midas, but more importantly, you two are my son’s lovers. I’m so happy to get to meet you,” she happily explained.

Gavin shifted nervously in his seat. He had already seen how poorly his own mother had reacted to Ryan and Meg’s associations with the God of Death, he really didn’t want to end up pissing off the being who created the universe. Ryan saw how nervous Gavin was and leaned into him. “Don’t worry, love, she already loves you,” he assured him.

“Secrets, secrets are no fun, unless you share with everyone,” she teased.

“He was telling me I had nothing to worry about,” Gavin answered as he stood up. He offered his hand out to Mewdas, “I’m Gavin, but I suppose you already knew that.”

“Oh, come here,” Mewdas said as she grabbed Gavin’s hand and pulled him into a big hug. Gavin’s eyes widened in surprise, then he graciously hugged her back.

“This is actually, really cool,” Jeremy noted in response to the situation he was witnessing.

Ryan smiled approvingly, Jack and Jeremy smiled as well in response to getting to see the creator of the universe. Geoff and Michael were confused but were happy they didn’t actually piss Mewdas off. Ryan couldn’t wait till he introduced Meg to his mother, next.

[tinypeckers]

Are you a campfire? Because you’re hot & I want s’more.

Pairing(s): Aleks/James (NovaHD) and… well, you’ll just have to find out.

Words: 2,443

AO3

Summary: Summer rolls around once more and really, there’s a tradition to uphold and the tents & camp fire are calling their name. Except Dan and Jordan are going to have their hands full keeping James & Aleks apart for a different reason. (Part of the ‘Is that a flicker in your eyes?’ universe.)

One Two Three Four Five Six Seven Eight Nine TenEleven Twelve Thirteen FourteenFifteenSixteenSeventeen Eighteen Nineteen Twenty Twenty-One

Dan wasn’t too sure about heading to the clubhouse that night, what with their eventful day and the early morning that loomed over them, but he gave in to Seamus and Eddie’s pleading. The security guard scowled at Aleks and James but he nodded when Dan and Jordan passed by. Seamus and Eddie broke off from the group almost immediately, rushing the arcade machines with the handful of coins Dan had bestowed upon them.

“Don’t waste them all, I’m not giving you anymore,” Dan said. A lie, truly, but the way Seamus and Eddie slowed down showed that they believed it. Jordan had already slipped away to the bar area and Aleks and James weren’t too far behind him. Dan watched Seamus and Eddie drop their coins into one of the machines for a little while, smiling when he noticed that any tickets Eddie won he gave to Seamus. When Eddie looked up, handful of coins almost depleted, Dan ducked into the bar.

 Jordan and the boys had claimed a table right near the front. Aleks pushed back against the back of his chair, his feet resting upon James’ lap. He cupped his soda in one hand and was fiddling with a piece of paper in the other. As Dan neared the table, he saw that it was a bingo sheet and that Jordan had a similar one in front of him. Jordan seemed to have only splashed out for one dabber though. Dan took a seat in one of the empty chairs, pointing at Jordan’s sheet and pouting.

“Where’s mine?” Dan tried to tug Jordan’s away but the other man slammed his hand down onto the table. Jordan nodded to the one in Aleks’ hand and the teenager’s mouth fell open.

“But dad, I really, really, really wanted to play bingo!” Aleks held the sheet against his chest.

 One of Jordan’s eyebrow lifted and he stared at Aleks for a moment. Aleks remained scorned, looking back at his father as though his heart had been broken.

“Are you serious? You want to play bingo with us?” Jordan’s voice broke at the end. He smiled hopefully at his eldest son. This was it, this was the moment they could bond on this trip.

“No, dad. Bingo is for old people,” Aleks flicked the paper toward Dan. Dan pinched it between his fingers, placing it down onto the table and smoothing down the corners. Jordan coughed to hide his disappointment, shifting in his seat and pointedly looking out towards the stage as the entertainer took their place in the middle.

“Then go hang out with your little brother then – he’s more your age range,” Jordan said. Aleks opened his mouth to retort but James threw his legs off of his lap and pulled on Aleks’ arm.

“Yeah, let’s see what they’ve gotten themselves into,” James said. His tone gave Aleks no room to argue.

 Aleks freed his arm from James’ grip the moment they escaped to the fluorescent arcade area. He turned his back on his boyfriend and scowled at one of the grab machines. James’ chin made Aleks jump as it pressed into his shoulder. He turned his head so that he could see less of James’ dumb face. James pushed his lips out as far as possible so that no matter how far Aleks turned, he could still see them out of the corner of his eye.

“You didn’t have to side with my dad,” Aleks said. He couldn’t see it but he knew that James was rolling his eyes at him. He knew because his boyfriend sighed heavily and it was rare that James sighed like that without rolling his eyes too.

“I didn’t, I was siding with you. You said bingo was for old people so I thought we should go and find the young people,” James tried to explain himself. Aleks scoffed.

“I still don’t forgive you,” he said. He craned his neck away from James’ lips as they sought to butter him up by peppering him with kisses.

“What can I do to change that?” James murmured against his skin.

 Aleks stared ahead at the grab machine again. He remembered how James had won him over once before. He’d come clambering into the tent and chucked a bullet bill at him in the middle of the night. Aleks had been smitten then and he knew exactly how James could fix it now.

“I want that shark,” Aleks said. He pointed it out to James. James reluctantly looked up from his boyfriend’s neck to see it. It was pushed against the wall of the claw machine, so far off to the side James wasn’t even sure the claw would go that far. James detached himself from his boyfriend and walked closer to investigate. He looked at the rail the claw travelled across. It might reach the tail but that wasn’t big enough for the claw to grab.

“What about the dinosaur? That’s going to be easier to grab,” James said. He was already feeding the machine his money.

“Nope, want the shark.” Aleks leaned against the machine and smirked.

 James moved the claw as far over as it could go. He adjusted it just slightly so that it was in line with the shark and then he let it drop. The claw sailed downwards, swung to the side, caught the shark at the base of its tail and pinched. As it lifted it up, it brought the ass of the shark up with it. When it started to move towards the little drop off hole, the shark slipped from its grasp and fell back amongst the other plush animals. James looked at Aleks, gesturing towards the machine in a fashion that said ‘I told you so’. Aleks only shrugged and glanced again back at the shark. It wasn’t that he wanted it that badly, in fact in any other circumstances he would have just told James to leave it. But now, as James inserted more coins into the machine and grit his teeth, Aleks knew that he just had to have it.

 It was by the fourth or fifth time that James started shaking the machine. He’d managed to move the shark towards the centre but not by much. The damned claw had a habit of pinching and then just opening itself up like the whore it was. James’ right foot started tapping about twenty minutes in and it hadn’t stopped since. Aleks was amusing himself with his selfie stick, taking several selfies and grinning wider and wider with each picture. In every one James got more and more aggravated, occasionally blocking his face with one hand. Aleks grabbed his wrist and moved it aside, kissing James’ fingers as they twitched with annoyance. James tried once more, his pockets considerably silent compared to how they’d jingled earlier that evening. He held his breath as the claw caught the shark, squeezed its torso and lifted. Even Aleks gasped as the claw began to move, shark still attached, and he squeezed James’ wrist as the claw swung over the hole. The shark dropped, slamming its side on the plastic that separated the plush toy pit and the escape hole. It tilted unsurely towards the pit before slipping down into the hole.

 Aleks snapped a picture just as James lifted him up in victory. He squeaked, using his free hand to claw at James’ shoulder. James let him down after a few seconds, though he kissed Aleks before he truly let him go. Aleks came back for more, deepening the kiss and letting James know that he’d definitely forgiven him now. He followed James’ lips as James started to bend down to retrieve their prize. They only broke apart when James thrust the shark into Aleks’ hand and looked down at it with a cheesy smile. He squeezed the shark’s nose and laughed.

“I can’t believe I won it,” James said. He wiped his brow as he thought back to the tense game.

“Me neither, I thought you’d never get it,” Aleks confessed. James scoffed.

“So you thought I’d never win you over again?” James played with the shark’s tail.

“Nah, I’m sure you’d have found your way back into my heart,” Aleks said. James beamed.

 “Cool! Where’d you get that?” Eddie yanked the shark from Aleks’ hands and admired it. He huffed when Aleks snatched it back, cradling the plush toy to his chest and kissing its little soft head.

“James won it for me,” Aleks said. “He got it from that claw machine.” Aleks nodded at the machine. Eddie dashed over to it and pressed his face up against the glass. He breathed heavily against it, causing the glass to fog up. He jabbed his finger to the glass and pointed at a rhino.

“I want that one,” Eddie said. James leaned over his shoulder and frowned at it.

“All right, go and get it then,” James said. Eddie pushed himself away from the machine, grabbing his older brother’s arm and tugging insistently.

“But Jaaaaaaaames, you’re so much better at them than me! Please, please, please can you win it for me?” Eddie almost yanked his brother’s arm off as he leaned all of his weight upon it.

 James groaned as he stole his arm away from his brother. He reached into his pocket but his fingers just brushing the lining of his pants. He slipped his hand into his other pocket and pulled out his wallet. He’d managed to acquire quite a bit of change as Aleks was the type of boyfriend to steal his wallet and Aleks had this annoying habit of breaking James’ notes.

“Hold out your hands.” James nudged his brother’s arm. Eddie cupped his hands together. James poured all of his change into Eddie’s awaiting hands. He stole a quarter from Eddie’s palm and pushed it into the machine. It lit up and started playing the music that had mocked James before. He fisted the handle and cranked it to the side. The claw soared towards its prize. It dropped, snatched the rhino up by its rounded stomach and brought it upwards. As if it hadn’t driven James mad for the better part of an hour, the claw machine dropped the rhino through the hole with a little plop.

 Eddie pawned off all of the coins into Seamus’ unwilling hands so that he could snatch up his prize. He squeezed it so hard the poor thing’s plastic eyes seemed to pop out of its head. Seamus stood holding James’ coins. He stared at the claw machine and looked to James.

“All right Moose, what do you want?” James sighed. The blond chewed upon his lower lip. His eyes scanned all of the animals that he could see. He looked at Aleks’ shark and then to Eddie’s rhino. He looked back to the machine. Then he shrugged.

“Whatever you can win me,” Seamus said. James placed a hand on his waist, cocked his hip out and threw his head to the side. If he’d had hair as long as Seamus’, he would have resembled Prince Charming. Unfortunately, James’ hair was short and he only succeeded in looking stupid.

“I can win whatever one you want, Moose,” James said. To spite him, Seamus followed in his older brother’s footsteps and chose a duck plush that was in the corner of the claw machine. James puffed out his chest, took another quarter and set to work.

 It took him almost another hour to get that duck, but that get that duck he did. Seamus’ hands were near empty when James placed the duck into them. He took what little change was left and pocketed it, leaning into the kiss Aleks pressed into his cheek. He tapped it again when Aleks let up and turned his head when Aleks moved to oblige. He flipped off their younger brothers as they made kissy noises and gagged behind them. They broke apart when the boys went silent and a deeper voice cleared their throat. Jordan towered above them, his brows furrowed and his hands upon his hip. Dan had his phone held up, having most likely snapped a picture of the adorable scene. Aleks sidled up to him and peered at the phone, muttering something to Dan about him sending the picture over. Jordan gestured towards the door and the group began to follow him.

 “So, did you win at bingo?” James asked Jordan. They passed through the front door and nodded to the bouncers. They seemed glad to see the group leave. Jordan nodded and pulled out a ten dollar bill. He seemed pleased with his meagre winnings. At least he was until Seamus took it.

“Thanks dad, I needed this.” Seamus ran off. Jordan called after him but made no move to chase after his youngest son. James pat his arm.

“I know the feel,” James said. Jordan smirked down at him because of course James knew the feeling. He was dating his son and Jordan had taught Aleks well: to always spend other people’s money and to protect your own. He’d raised them right after all.

 The campsite came upon them too quickly. Jordan and Dan saw their sons into the right tents, Jordan even going as far to wait outside for five minutes to make sure none of the kids swapped. When the hairs on his arm began to raise, Jordan decided it was time to climb into his own tent. He sat down beside Dan who was already snuggled deep inside his sleeping bag. His eyes were closed but when Jordan started to unzip his own sleeping bag, Dan cracked one eye open.

“Wow, I thought you’d guard out there all night,” he said. Jordan gestured to his arms.

“I got cold.” Jordan zipped his bag all the way up to his chin. He let his eyes fall closed, ready to embrace sleep and get on with their final morning.

“Are you sure it wasn’t your Dad senses? I bet Aleks is tunnelling under the ground towards James now,” Dan said. Jordan’s eyes snapped open.

 He shot up, bag still zipped around him, and leaned toward the door. He wriggled in an attempt to get to the door and make sure that what Dan had said wasn’t true.

“I was joking Jordan, get some sleep – we’ve got an early morning,” Dan said. Jordan still sat up for a few moments. When he didn’t hear the sound of dirt being disturbed or the rustling of tent doors, Jordan laid back down. He closed his eyes once more and let himself enjoy their last night at the campsite.

[foxes-evermore]

omg yes please share more thoughts on kevin stopped drinking

*cracks knuckles* *screams*Right so like,,The foxes know that Kevin’s drinking is a bit out of hand, but it’s not really a problem yet, like he’s good on the court and his homework is getting turned in, so no problem right? And Andrew lets him have it because what is his chain-smoking ass allowed to say? But Kevin gets a lot worse after they beat the ravens, no one really sees him drinking more but there’s like,, empty bottles everywhere always. He’s gotten better at being secretly drunk all the time, he’s had to, because he opened up about being upset over Riko’s death exactly one time and got some really negative feedback and decided immediately that it’s just easier to pretend like he’s okay. But his actual big sister Dan clues in eventually. The upperclassmen are coming back to the fox tower after the break to start practice and get ready for the new school year again, and there’s those nights where they’re all hanging out and she doesn’t do anything for a long while but she does notice that hes been isolating himself (more than usual). And she knows that she was one of the people that got angry when he admitted he didn’t know how to feel about how things turned out with the ravens and the Moriyamas, but like? He had a right to be confused. He had a right to feel angry/sad/lost. He had a right to mourn. And she tries to talk to him now but he’s so closed off already at this point. She goes to Wymack because she doesn’t know what to do, she just wants to help. Listen. Wymack fucking loves his kids. Every single one of them. Does he feel guilty about not being there for Kevin sooner? Yes. Does that make it any easier for him to give up drinking so that he can help Kevin get sober too? No. but he does. Because he’s trying to be a good dad™. He cleans house. He doesn’t even keep wine to cook with. Abby is happy about it but also hella shocked. And you can imagine Kevin’s surprise when he comes over to spend the night and drink with his dad (because that’s just what they do, it’s how they bond) but there’s??? Nothing????? At first hes like “… Oh no… here…. give me your keys and I’ll run to the store,” but Wymack just shakes his head. Sits his son down. Yall it’s such a long night, they talk for hours, Kevin wonders if the sun is ever going to come back up. They talk about Riko. They talk about coach Moriyama. They talk about Jean. They talk about how Kevin has tried to talk to Thea but it doesn’t help because she didn’t experience all things the same as he did and she doesnt understand. They talk about Kayleigh and Kevin’s nightmares and Kevin’s hand and just everything that Kevin has been bottling up for way too long. it’s hell for both of them because alcohol has always been there and now it’s just not?? And it’s awkward for the foxes at first, there’s so many occasions where someone will offer Kevin a drink and he almost says yes and then they remember and they offer him a soda instead. The upperclassmen adopt him and try to find fun stuff to do to keep his mind off things and at some point he realizes he’s actually… really enjoying himself? It is a long recovery but in the end he’s ok and he’s proud of himself and he feels good finally.Anyway I wrecked myself and my mascara, bye, thanks anon i hope you’re happy

[sarah--writes-blog]

Space Dad Stomachache

Anon: Maybe something fluffy involving Shiro?

Anon: How bout someone feeling really nauseous and burpy and just wants to be comforted and looked after? Love ur work!!

A/N: It may have turned into my first Shallura work. We good? Good. 

I could’ve polished up a better draft, but I need to move on to another prompt. Embarrassed/flustered Shiro is hard to write.

Some sexy implications, but nothing amounts from it.

Allura was talking. Shiro really tried to pay attention, but his mind couldn’t attach to the words. She was debriefing the rest of the paladins about what was going on. Something about alien ambassadors coming to confirm an alliance against Zarkon? He wasn’t sure. He was too busy focusing on his stomach.

Ever since the Black Paladin woke up, his stomach felt...off. He felt nauseated, but never like he was going to vomit. He even managed to get breakfast down. No one else seemed to be feeling ill, so he didn’t mention it and feigned health the entire day. This was his mistake.

Allura finished her debriefing and left the paladins to their work. Coran followed her out the door, discussing political strong suits with her. This left the paladins looking to Shiro for instruction.

“Alright, guys. Like Allura said, this is important, so we have to make a good impression. We need this civilization on our side.”

“Allura didn’t say what they looked like,” Pidge noted, “Do you think they’ll be humanoid, or something else?”

She and Hunk went on a small tangent, theorizing about the new lifeforms. Shiro pressed a fist up to his mouth, forcing the trapped air up through his nose. He may have gotten comfortable with his fellow paladins and established a strong bond and trust with them, but he was not about to burp in front of them. He had standards. Standards that some of them proved to not have.

But of course, they picked up on it immediately. They were an observant bunch, Shiro could give them that. Keith was the first to speak up. “What was that?”

“What was what?”

Lance mimicked the motion, “That. You looked like you were about to double over. Are you alright?”

So they're working against me...Shiro thought, At least they're working together.

“I'm fine. It was nothing. Anyway, we need to shine up the deck before the ambassadors come. This may be our home, we may live here 24/7, but this place needs to be spotless by the time they- urrp!”

There was no hiding that one. It completely snuck up on him. The other paladins raised their eyebrows in surprise, some more impressed than startled.

“Dude, Shiro, nice one.” Hunk grinned, offering his fist to bump. Not sure how else to save face, Shiro chuckled nervously and returned the fist bump.

“Sorry. Is everything clear?”

The paladins nodded and attended to their chores.

Shiro thought that would’ve been enough. He just needed to get a bit of air up, that was it. But his stomach said otherwise. As the paladins cleaned the deck, Shiro had to continuously stifle burps coming up his throat. His stomach didn’t hurt, and he was sure he wasn’t going to throw up. He just felt uneasy, which was almost worse. At least if he was going to throw up, he could’ve gotten it over with.

No matter, he thought, It’s nothing to be worried about. There’ll be some time between cleaning the deck and meeting the ambassadors that I can relax and take some medicine.

Cleaning the deck proved to be more strenuous than anyone thought. It was more than just a mopping job and cleaning the windows with Windex. Repairs had to be made, screws had to be tightened, and Coran gave the paladins this strange fluid he called ‘deck polish’ that needed to be applied in zero-gravity. None of these actions helped Shiro’s stomach, especially the zero-gravity.

Meanwhile, the concerned comments kept coming, and Shiro kept deflecting.

“You look kind of pale.”

“It's the lighting. You look pale too.”

“Your stomach doesn't sound good.”

“Digestive noises are natural in the process of eating.”

“You keep holding your middle and moving slowly.”

“I tweaked a muscle in my abs during training.”

No one truly believed him. They could see right through him - something was clearly wrong. But when he snapped at Lance about asking any more questions, everyone went quiet. The only time Shiro ever snapped was at Slav, and when tension was raised in extremely dangerous circumstances. Never when the others were worried about him.

Shiro sighed. In reality, he wanted to tell the paladins. He wanted to admit that he hadn’t been feeling good and he just wanted to lay down. He knew that if he confessed, they’d understand and care for him, or at the very least leave him alone to rest. But he had to be strong. Ambassadors were coming, the ship needed to be clean, and he needed to be a figurehead for Voltron.

“I’m sorry, Lance. I didn’t mean to yell. I’m just frustrated, and it was wrong to take it out on you.” He apologized. The Blue Paladin looked up at him, voice softer and more concerned than it’s normal tone.

“Shiro, you know you can tell us anything, right? We’re here for you, just like you’re here for us.”

Ah, yes. Lance’s uncanny ability to guilt trip anyone. All the paladins had it to some extent, but Lance mastered it (whether intentional or not). Shiro felt his resolve crumble a bit.

“I know. Thank you for being concerned. We’ll talk about it after we deal with the ambassadors.”

This was satisfying enough. The paladins went back to their work as Allura entered the deck.

“Shiro?”

“Yes, Princess?”

“I think there’s a problem with the quantum gearbox. We may need to manually resynchronize the primary and auxiliary auto-sequencers. The ambassadors would definitely notice if our gearbox wasn’t synchronized. Could you help me?”

Shiro truly had no idea what Allura said. He was smart, but there was some Altean tech that completely went over his head.

“Maybe Pidge would be a better person? She might actually understand...” he cut himself short, preventing all air from escaping his throat. There was burping in front of the paladins, but burping in front of a princess was another matter. Not to mention, a very beautiful princess he was romantically attracted to. That was unacceptable.

Allura smiled softly. She didn’t seem to notice. “Oh, you don’t need to understand. You just need to lift something big and press a few buttons at the same time I do. You might be more capable than Pidge.”

He couldn’t say no to that. After all, he was fine. But the thought of lifting heavy things made his stomach turn. It felt tight against his belt as if he’d drank two liters of soda in one sitting. He honestly wasn’t sure how long he could last before locking himself up in a closet and letting himself burp it all up.

“Of course, Princess.”

She lead him out of the room. Instead of taking a right towards the elevators, she took a left towards the housing units. Shiro was confused at first, but let it slide. He had no idea what a quantum gearbox was, why should he know where it was?

“Our gearbox is actually fine,” Allura confessed. She took another left and opened the door to her bedroom. “I just wanted to get you alone.”

Shiro’s eyes widened. He’d seen this situation before, he knew how it played out. Now was not the time, not with the ambassadors coming, not when he was feeling like this.

“Princess, we shouldn't-....not while the others might start looking for us...and I'm actually not feeling my best...” As he stammered, Allura took him by the hand and locked the door behind them. She brought him to the bed and sat him down.

“I know you aren't feeling well,” she pressed her palm against his chest, pushing him down into laying on her bed, “and for the millionth time. Call me Allura.”

Oh god, is this another Altean thing? Having sex while sick? Any other day, or at least with preparation, Shiro may have been willing to try it. Before he could protest, the princess was unbuckling his belt.

“A-Allura!”

The buckle flopped to the side, and suddenly Shiro felt like he could breathe. He still felt uncomfortably full, but he was no longer in any pain. His guard crumpled. He truly couldn’t take it anymore.

“What- huulp!,” he clamped is metal hand over his mouth, “I-I’m so sorry, Princess! I didn’t- hic-urrp! Sorry, I didn’t mean to, I’ve just- uulp! ”

He just stopped talking. This was an absolute nightmare. Shiro clenched his eyes shut and felt his face go beet red, waiting for the verbal assault Allura was about to give him about being polite. Instead, he got something much nicer.

“It’s alright, Shiro. Relax. Trust me.”

Allura traced her fingers up from Shiro’s belt and rested then right above the belly button. She started to massage in slow circles, starting just around his navel. At first, Shiro was skeptical. He always thought stomach rubs were an old wives tale to lure children into the placebo effect.

“You...don’t mind?”

“Why would I mind? It’s helping you feel better, isn’t it?”

“It’s just-” he paused for a bit, swallowing down another gulp of air that tried to force its way up, “It’s considered impolite.”

The princess cocked her head a bit, “Really? Not to Alteans.”

Shiro’s shoulders relaxed. That was exactly what he needed to hear. Still, he kept his hand over his mouth and apologized with each little hiccup.

Allura chuckled a bit, “Finally. I thought I’d have to give you a tranquilizer to get you to relax.” Her other hand raked his white tuft away from his forehead, simultaneously checking for a fever. “You aren’t warm...”

“It’s because I’m not sick. Something just isn't settling well, or something. My stomach’s been acting up all day.”

“The abdominal circulations aren’t helping?”

Shiro couldn’t help but smile, “They’re called ‘belly rubs’, usually. They feel nice, but I don’t think they’re helping-”

But Allura started to use her palm. Her slightly calloused hands glided across his skin, slowly but surely calming his stomach down. Before long, Shiro was completely melted under her touch, relief completely flooding his body.

“Where did you learn that? Is it some Altean trick?”

The princess smiled and laid herself next to Shiro, “It’s not Altean. Ever since I learned that the new paladins of Voltron came from Earth, I've been reading up on all your subjects. Anatomy is particularly fascinating to me.”

She said the last sentence with a bit of a telling smirk. Shiro went red. Allura may have had a different culture than he did, but she picked up on his fast.

But there was no exploring of anatomy that night. Allura gave Shiro medicine that would help him during the meeting. It went without a hitch, the ambassadors even commented on how nice the ship looked. And afterwards, once everyone started heading off to bed, the princess pulled Shiro to her bedroom again, giving him warm belly rubs and soft kisses until he drifted off to sleep.