#specs imagine

[lovingmusicalmen]

plzplzplz can u do a 92!specs w prompt #24 🙏🙏 hes criminally underrated

Combining this with another request! Let me know what you think!!

"specs/reader w prompt 24 pleasssee!!! btw i love ur writing!! <;3"

Still accepting blurb requests!

Fluff 24 - "Do you want to go out sometime...?" || "Like a date?" || "Y-yeah, like a date"

"Here comes your lover girl, Specsy!" Race teased, nudging the aforementioned boy in the ribs, a knowing grin on his face.

"Shut it, Race," Specs groaned, standing up from where they had been sitting together on the pavement, eating what they had managed to scrounge together for lunch.

"I'm just saying you should ask her out!" Race said with a groan. Specs felt heat crawling up his neck at the words, sending a silent thankful prayer that Y/N was still far away enough that she wasn't in earshot of the newsies.

"Oh yeah, great idea - I'll just let myself be humiliated, shall I?" Specs said, rolling his eyes and fumbling around in his bag to pull out a newspaper for the girl approaching him with a shy smile on her face.

"Better than us having to watch you act all lovestruck," Race said, and Specs didn't have to look back to know that his friend was smirking.

"I could ask her out for you," Romeo piped up - drawn into the conversation, as he always was, at the mention of romance.

"Just what I was hoping for, Rome - any chance I have with this girl getting completely tanked," Specs hissed drily. "Stay out of it - both of you," he demanded, flashing a final, deathly glare to his friends before stepping away.

Y/N had paused a little way down the street, her eyebrows raised slightly as she watched the exchange. Specs smiled at her as he walked over, holding out the paper ready for her to take.

"Hey, Specs," she greeted, passing him the payment in return.

"Hey, Y/N - you having a good day?"

"Yeah - it's been alright, thanks," Y/N said. "What was all that about?" She asked with a slight nod towards where Specs could feel his friends still staring at them.

"Just Romeo and Race being annoying," Specs said, waving off her concern. "Nothing to worry about."

"Trying to steal your sale?" Y/N asked with a teasing grin.

"As if they could take my best customer away from me," Specs scoffed. Y/N laughed, nodding her head.

"True - they'd have to be peddling some real good headlines to convince me to buy from anyone but my favourite newsboy," she agreed. Specs knew he was bright red at the casual compliment, but didn't have it in himself to feel embarrassed about it when she was smiling at him like that.

"I'll have to make sure I stay on my A-Game, then," Specs responded.

"I should let you get back to your friends," Y/N said after a moment of silence. Specs just nodded, even as his heart sank a little in his chest. And he turned back to rejoin Race and Romeo.

His two friends, though, were making wild hand gestures at him, glaring as they tried to sign to him to finally make his move. Specs groaned and turned back again.

"Hey, Y/N?"

"Yeah?" Y/N responded, turning back around eagerly.

"How would you..." Specs bit his lip. "Do you want to go out sometime?" He finally blurted out. He trained his eyes to the ground, preparing himself for the rejection that he was sure would come.

"Like a date?" Y/N asked quietly. Specs nodded, his skin crawling as he prepared himself for the worst case scenario he could think of.

But then, Y/N took a quick step forwards and Specs felt lips press against his cheek, featherlight. He looked up at her again, mouth slightly open in awe.

"I've been waiting for you to ask me for weeks."

[bisexualbumblebee-writes]

I Never Planned On You Masterlist

Darcy Reid x Ava Fig | Specs x Marley | Davey Jacobs x Poppy

✨Completed✨

Starting Note

Chapter 1- Printing Press (Darcy x Ava)

Chapter 2- Carrying the Banner (Specs x Marley)

Chapter 3- Business (Davey x Poppy)

Chapter 4- Fervency (Darcy x Ava)

Chapter 5- Surprise (Specs x Marley)

Chapter 6- Delanceys (Davey x Poppy)

Chapter 7- Tinker (Darcy x Ava)

Chapter 8- Breakout (Specs x Marley)

Chapter 9- Bloody Knuckles (Davey x Poppy)

Chapter 10- Dancing in the Dark (Darcy x Ava)

Chapter 11- Happiness (Specs x Marley)

Chapter 12- Control (Davey x Poppy)

Chapter 13- To Love a Newsie (Darcy x Ava)

Chapter 14- Good Things (Specs x Marley)

Chapter 15- Once and For All (Davey x Poppy)

Chapter 16- Overwhelmed (Darcy x Ava)

Chapter 17- Mrs. Samuels (Specs x Marley)

Chapter 18- Family (Davey x Poppy)

[macbethz]

I've really been enjoying @derinthescarletpescatarian 's Child of a Wandering Star, an amazing first encounter story from the POV of the aliens, and the image of an astronaut being read as a baby star-god was so delicious to me so I had to draw the "hatching" scene.

and because im normal i was like well if im drawing the aliens I need to hunt down mentions of their physical appearance so I can know exactly what they look like and model them after real arthropods. obviously

[ashipiko]

is it obvious that i’m a trappoler or

[royaltea000]

[jttw swk oc children] tried out giving them some new clothes but I dunno bout this one… 🤔

Prev:

[total-convergence]

Xa ontogeny

The Xa and how they grow. The brown-feathered kiddos past age of 1,5 are already able to fly somewhat. Xa don't show any sexual dimorphism, so there's only one Xa image for each life stage. Here's more about this sophont: https://www.tumblr.com/total-convergence/726112557515128832/tcxa

[laz-kay]

“I can see clearly now. Hey look, the rain is gone”

Bob's Burgers, The Bleakening Part 2 (S8: E9)

Bob's Burgers, Boys just wanna have Fungus (S10: E2)

[vigilskeep]

um calenhad aeducan lore. known fondly as prince cal by the people of orzammar and also me. he’s called that after the founder of the theirin line, because after ferelden successfully rebelled against orlesian rule, orzammar was like oh fuck we’ve got to repair that relationship as if we didn’t just sit by the whole time that was happening. so there were a bunch of these kind of uh diplomatic publicity stunts happening around the time he was born. and nothing about his life has ever not been someone else’s angle

his mother was one of endrin’s lesser concubines from a lower status house, and every jealous eye turned in her direction when she bore the king a son. despite that, endrin’s queen took her and the baby under her wing. it wasn’t entirely altruistic. the queen had no sons of her own, so cal could serve instead as her “contender” for heir against trian, the son of her long-time rival, a favoured concubine called lady rosdrada. the queen also happened to be a notable warrior, a powerful reaver, who died years later on a deep roads expedition under mildly suspicious circumstances, with many blaming lady rosdrada. (she was never publicly accused but neither did the king ever marry her and allow her to rise to the queen’s vacant place, a fact bitterly resented by her faction.)

cal’s mother, who returned the queen’s protection and favour with fierce loyalty, was first among rosdrada’s accusers. furious that punishment never came, she changed almost overnight from a shy, humble woman to a politician who could in her own right engage in the life or death battle for succession, raising her son to be the fulfilment of the late queen’s ambitions. he was trained since childhood in both the ways of princely charm and the ways of a reaver warrior, all to be the vengeance of a woman whose face he sometimes struggles to remember. perhaps there was a time, as boys, when he tried to be a brother to trian despite it all, but with his mother’s teachings always in his ears and trian less bearable each year, he’s long since accepted that deadly conflict between them is inevitable. he’s never eager to be the ruthless aeducan prince, but he’s always done his duty, however ugly. he never turns down the foul-tasting reaver concoctions, or quakes when he’s sent to the deep roads. he always defends his house’s honour and makes the point in blood. anything less is death; his mother tells him so

he doesn’t truly want the throne. he just wants more than anything to have the weight of expectations off his shoulders, and to no longer dread that his mother, his second, and all who support them will pay the deadly price of his failure. he’ll jump blindly at the chance to get this fight over with—and that’s all the opportunity bhelen ever needed

[bisexualbumblebee-writes]

I Never Planned On You Chapter 17: Mrs. Samuels- Specs Samuels x Marley Samuels

Word Count: 1.6k

Five Years Later

Specs waved at his patient as they finally left the office, sighing in relief afterwards. Things had felt so busy lately for him with new technology with glasses, it felt like patients were coming in nonstop. But today was different. Today he made sure that his lunch hour was completely uninterrupted so he could go visit his dear fiancé. He hadn’t changed much over the years since the strike, but he did mature quite a bit. He said a quick goodbye to his receptionist before walking out and grabbing some food from his fiance’s favorite restaurant before heading to the school that she worked at, knowing it was nearing her lunchtime as well.

Marley had just finished ushering children out of her classroom to the playground for recess and walked back into her classroom, sitting at her desk with a small sigh. Her desk was piled high with spelling tests and homework to grade, but it was also decorated with gifts from students, framed newspaper clippings and a picture of her and Specs. She had changed over the years and matured into a woman. She had allowed her hair to grow out and often pulled it out of her face into a more mature look rather than the braids she had worn as a young girl. She wore a brown linen dress with a white undershirt that complemented her figure well, and her smile was void of braces.

Specs was known at the school by this point, having come to surprise his fiancé many times before. That meant he was let in with ease, which allowed him to arrive at her classroom rather quickly. He knocked on her open doorway with her free hand and a smile on his face. Even now after so many years of knowing each other she still managed to bring a smile to his face by simply existing. 

“Good afternoon, Mrs. Samuels,” he greets. Sure, it wasn’t officially her last name yet, but he was much too excited at the prospect of marrying her to care. The woman looked up and smiled at the mere sight of him. She hadn’t expected him that afternoon and she was always so excited to share lunch with him.

“Good morning,” she responded with a small blush at the name. “What a pleasant surprise, I didn’t expect company.” She stood, rounding her desk with open arms to hug him. He returned the hug with a smile, kissing the top of her head. 

“I cleared my lunch hour, figured it’s been a while since we had lunch together,” he explained, holding up the bag containing the food. “Hope you’re not too busy.” Marley shook her head and took a step back. 

“No not at all, I needed some company,” answered, making her way back to her chair and setting some papers aside. “The kids were just asking me when you were going to come back, they love you so much.” Specs laughed softly as he set the bag down in the space that the papers used to occupy. 

“I almost feel bad because I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay,” he admitted as she opened up the bag of food to set it out for them. 

“It’s okay, I’ll tell them you came by,” she assured him as she glanced out her window, looking at the group of children playing outside. “How’s work going along? Busy?” 

“Very,” he breathed out with a quiet laugh as he sat down. “But I’m not complaining. People are allowed to get their vision improved, I’m happy with that.” The woman smiled softly at him. She always admired that he was helping people, she loved his selflessness and dedication, even if she had to remind him to take a break for himself every once in a while. 

“You look so great in the white coat, if I weren’t your fiancé I would come in once a week just to look at you,” she joked as she began to eat. The man laughed and shook his head amusedly. 

“You still could, school gets out before the office closes,” he pointed out jokingly. A small smirk settled on her lips. 

“Maybe I will, doctor,” she giggled out. “Did that shipment go smoothly? I know you were stressed out about it.” Specs nodded and grinned.  

“Everything went according to plan. Better than expected actually,” he laughed. “And how have the kids been for you? Did you ever talk to Millie’s parents?” 

“No, Millie’s parents talked at me,” she half joked. “Those people are no joke, I’ve never seen someone get so red with anger before. I didn’t mind though, I mean- she’s a good kid, I just need her to stop copying off of other kids.” The man huffed softly. 

“Some people, I swear…” he muttered. “Parents who insist their child is a saint are the worst.”

“I will believe my child is a demon because I know anything spawned from us can’t be a good outcome,” she giggled out in between bites of food.

“From you, you mean. I, meanwhile, am a godsend,” he joked, turning up his nose in a posh manner. The woman covered her mouth as she laughed. 

“Oh sure, a godsend who can’t do the dishes or make the bed, pardon me.” 

“Oh, excuse me, I thought that being the one to cook dinner and take out the trash was enough, my mistake,” he retorted with a playful grin as he took another bite of food. Marley shook her head amusedly. 

“Thank you for that, I was so tired last night I think you would’ve found me asleep in a kitchen fire if I made dinner,” she giggled out. Specs shrugged with a small smile.

“You deserved the break. You’ve been working super hard these last few weeks, I knew you were bound to get tired at some point.”

“Well, I’ll make dinner tonight, as long as you don’t claim to be a godsend.” The man rolled his eyes playfully and huffed. 

“Always has to have a catch with you,” he pouted playfully, crossing his arms like a child.

“Don’t make me give you detention,” she teased as she finished her food and tossed her trash.

“If it’s you, I don’t mind,” he joked as he finished eating as well, tossing away his own trash afterwards. The woman leaned against her desk a little, gazing at him with pursed lips. 

“You’re cheeky, you know that?”

“Of course. That’s why you fell in love with me,” he chuckled. “That, and my dashing good looks, of course.”

“Of course,” she repeated, reaching across the desk to take his hand. Specs laced their fingers together like it was second nature to him - which it probably was at this point - and lifted her hand to press a kiss to the back of it.

“You’re beautiful, you know that?” He asked, his eyes conveying his sincerity as he looked into hers. 

“It’s always so flattering coming from such a handsome man,” she whispered. “You’re the love of my life, sometimes I have to remind myself this isn’t a dream.” 

“I know the feeling,” he chuckled softly. “Sometimes I’m worried that I’ll wake up any second, but I couldn’t be happier that this is real. That you’re real. And I’ll thank any higher power above for it for the rest of my life and beyond if I could.” Marley sighed in content, her sparkling eyes locked onto his.

“I’m so lucky. We’re so lucky,” she muttered. “I’m lucky to have someone to share my life with, that we spend every night together. I feel so bad for poor Poppy having to wait for Davey.” Specs nodded and smiled sympathetically. 

Davey had volunteered for the army as a medic just over four months ago, leaving Poppy at home alone. Not long after he left Poppy had discovered something shocking that made her only miss her husband even more. She’d taken to asking Marley or Specs (or sometimes both) to spend the night so the house didn’t feel so empty.  Over the years Specs and Poppy had formed a bond with each other through their love for Marley. Now they were almost (if not the same) as close as her and Poppy. 

“Yeah, she invited you to spend the night with her at some point this week right?” The man asked, earning a nod from Marley. 

“She’s got real bad morning sickness right now so I stopped by this morning too. I’m worried about her.” 

“Do you want to stop by her house on the way home too?” He asked, now concerned.

“I’m sure she would appreciate that. We can share dinner, I’m sure she would appreciate not having to cook tonight,” she answered. Specs nodded in agreement and smiled.

“I believe she said something about craving your baked chicken the last time I was there, too,” he offered. 

“I just work magic, what can I say?” She joked.

“Glad to know you’re still as humble as ever,” he retorted dryly with a sarcastic smile. She giggled and perked up as the group of children began to run from the playground to the back door, the chatter growing louder as they neared and they lined up against the wall beside her classroom. She stood with a small smile.

“Back to work we go,” she sighed in content. Specs chuckled and stood as well, pulling her into his arms to give her a quick peck.

“I’ll see you after work?” He asked with a big smile. Marley nodded as she returned the hug. 

“I’ll see you after work. Now go change some lives,” she said with a smile to match his.

“I will,” he chuckled softly, pecking her lips one last time before making his leave, saying hi to all the kids on his way out. The rowdy kiss all waved, hugged, or tried to talk to him as he passed. Marley could do little more than laugh as she opened the door to let them in, watching as her future husband walked off.

[chronicowboy]

i'm connecting dots...

[nubuckleather]

what if they do a firehouse bottle episode that’s a breakfast club send-up with gerrard as the principal. and the horrible horrible makeover is eddie shaving the mustache

[bosqueinvisible]

give dalton his gay uncles

[hopefulromances]

I Feel You - Jamie Tartt x demi!Reader

A/N: Hello to my faithful followers! I'm sorry I've been so inactive for the past couple weeks I've been down in the dumps and sorta uninspired.

But the crazy thing is I've hit 1k followers! What? How is that even possible! I'm planning to put together a little celebration soon but for now, here's an unrequested fic that I wrote featuring a demi!reader on the acespec!

See y'all soon!

Words: 2.2k

Warnings: Fem!Reader (she/her pronouns), Drunkenness, I think that's it

OooO

Jamie had to be the lamest footballer in the world. It was a Friday night and instead of going out and finding a club to get drunk at, he was sitting on his couch reading a bloody book. Fucking Roy Kent had gotten to him, that bastard. He wasn’t expecting anyone to come by so when there was a knock on the door, Jamie was surprised. 

There on his doorstep was (Y/N). Pacing, wobbly, back and forth seemingly trying to take off her shoes without sitting down. 

“(Y/N)?” He opened the door, turning on the porch light. 

(Y/N) was someone Jamie had been friends with for a long time. Longer than anyone else, maybe. She’d grown up with im in Manchester, and gone to college in London when he got called up. When he was busy being a prick and cutting people out of his life, she stayed, refusing to be cut. And here she was, drunk on his doorstep. 

She spun in spot, her eyes lighting up when she saw him. “Jamie!”

She fell forward onto him in a sloppy hug. Jamie caught her in his arms, realizing with a chuckle that she was beyond wasted. He hoisted her up so she was tucked into his side so he could properly assist her while closing the door and turning off the lights. 

“Jamieee,” She sang, sweetly, pulling Jamie with all her might to get them to topple over.

“At least one of us had a good night,” Jamie muttered. 

“It was ‘meh’,” (Y/N) admitted, shrugging. “Felt all wonky all night.”

Jamie pulled her into his bathroom, sitting her down on the toilet seat. She slumped back, as it finally feeling her exhaustion. He filled up his water cup and handed it to her, having to help her put her hand on and grip the cup.

“Drink,” he instructed. 

“It’s like, I’m over here, looking and waiting,” she continued, pausing for a second to glug down a large sip of water. “And everyone else is over there. Falling in love, dating, kissing, and I’m just,” she made a raspberry with her mouth.

Jamie found a cloth and the bottle of makeup remover she’d left at his house one time, dabbing some of the serum on the cloth. He walked back over to her, kneeling so he could be at eye height with her. 

“Mmhmm,” he hummed, starting to dab at her face like she’d taught him. 

“Why can’t I feel that, Jamie?” She whined, leaning into his touch. “Why can't I just find a dude and just kiss him? What’s wrong with me?”

Jamie frowned, pausing his dabbing for a moment. “What do you mean, darling?”

“I just mean,” now she was frowning too. “I try to go on dates, hook up with random guys, and I just feel… nothing.” Jamie, pursed his lips, moving the cloth gently over her face. Her eyes fluttered closed as he swished over her eyelids delicately. “But I’m so tired of waiting… I don’t want to settle anymore.”

“You shouldn’t have to settle,” Jamie agreed softly. 

“But I also don’t want to be alone forever,” she opened her eyes and Jamie stopped washing her face. 

“You won’t be alone forever,” he droned. This was a conversation they’d had before. She was afraid she’d never find the one, and Jamie reassured her that she would. Of course, she would. She was beautiful, and funny, and headstrong in all the important ways.

“I’ve only ever liked one person, in my whole entire life,” she hiccuped. “And he…” 

“He what, love?” Jamie went to stand but she grabbed onto his pants, stopping him from moving away. He looked down and she looked very small. He’d never seen her look so small before. 

“He’s been my best friend since we were kids,” she muttered, looking up at him. “When I look at him, I feel this flutter in my chest. And no matter how hard I try to feel that with other people, I just can’t.” She looked between his eyes. “I can’t.” 

Jamie could feel his heart pounding in his chest, his blood rushing in his ears. Was she saying what he thought she was saying? She couldn’t be. Either way, she needed to go to bed. 

“You… uh… you can stay here tonight, yeah?” He took the cup from her hand and filled it back up. “I’ll go put out some sleep clothes in the guest bed.” 

She looked disappointed when he didn’t acknowledge her rambling, but she nodded, taking a pitiful sip from her cup of water. He watched her a moment before pounding on the sink and walking out to grab a shirt for her. 

As he set up the bed for her, his mind was racing through what she had said. The best friend from childhood that she’d liked forever. It couldn’t be him… could it? Not after everything he’d put her through. 

When he walked back to the bathroom, she’d fallen asleep on the toilet. Chest rising and falling steadily, her eyelashes resting against her cheeks. His chest fluttered as he looked at her, a gentle smile coming over his lips. He slid one arm under her legs and another around her back, resting her head on his shoulder. She curled into him immediately, nestling her nose into his neck. 

He brought her to the room, he’d set up maneuvering her carefully so he could take her clothes off. She’d changed in front of him before, felt comfortable around him, but he still was careful of his hands and quickly putting on more comfortable clothes.

She mumbled incoherently as he laid her down and pulled the covers over her. His hand rested on her cheek for a moment, her face slightly flushed from her night out. He was tempted to get in the bed with her, keep her safe and warm in his arms but he swatted that thought away quickly. Instead he leaned down and pressed a kiss to her temple.

The next morning when he woke up, he went to check on her, but she wasn’t in the room. Then he heard humming and the smell of bacon filling the air. He padded down the steps and saw her in the kitchen, cooking and sipping on his coffee like she owned the place. He shoved his tongue in his cheek to stop himself from laughing as he watched her. 

She spun around, dancing to the song in her head, yelping and freezing when she saw him. 

“Oh!” She sighed, throwing her hand over her heart when she realized it was him. “Jamie! You scared me.” 

“Scare you? This is my house, you know,” Jamie laughed, leaning across the island. 

She rolled her eyes, sliding a cup of coffee across to him. “Two creams, one sugar, yeah?”

Jamie looked down at the coffee, knowing Roy would kill him if he took a sip. ‘Your body is a temple’ and ‘caffeine is a drug’ and whatever, but she was looking at him so sweetly there was no way he could say no to it. So, he reached down and took a sip. 

“That’s it, yah,” it tasted perfect. No one else made his coffee like she did. “Do you know how you ended up here?”

She slowed her cooking for a second. He couldn’t see her face, she was turned facing the wall, but he saw her back tense just the slightest bit. 

“Uh… I don’t remember, really,” (Y/N) answered. “Just woke up here… figured it was just where I thought I’d be safest.” 

Jamie felt his cheeks heat up, trying to hide it by taking a sip of his coffee. “You, eh, were out with the girls?” 

She turned around, sliding the bacon onto the two plates she’d set out. She was deep in thought, he could tell by the way she picked the skin off her lip, reaching up to pull a piece of hair out of her face. 

“Yeah…” she whispered. “It was Larsen’s birthday. Wanted to go have a hot girl night. Find some guys to go home with.”

Ah. Now he got it. She’s gone out with her friends and they’d all gone home with guys and she was left alone. She was upset because she thought she was unwanted. He grimaced at her. 

“Did Larsen ditch you again? I told you to stop hanging out with her,” Jamie comforted, reaching to grab a piece of bacon. (Y/N) didn’t answer, she just stared down at the greasy meat on her plate. “Oh, c’mon, (Y/N), you can’t really believe that because of one bad night that no one wants you.” 

She furrowed her brow, shaking her head. “No that’s….” She looked up at him, looking back and forth between his eyes. “Do you really think that I couldn’t find one person to go home with?”

Now Jamie was confused. He pursed his lips, not sure how to answer. 

“He was great. Attractive enough, I suppose, saying all the right things,” she mumbled, suddenly unable to meet his eyes. “We chatted for a while. But I just felt… nothing.” Her fist open and closed as she fought the nervous energy. “He was kissing me, holding me, doing all the things that should have made me feel… something. But it was like… I felt nothing! It was like there was something blocking my brain from just latching onto something random.”

“He was… kissing you?” Jamie cringed as he said it. He wasn’t sure exactly why he’d said it and she looked at him like she was crazy. 

“Yes, he was,” she scoffed, running a hand through her hair. “He wanted to do a lot more but I couldn’t feel it. I didn’t feel anything.” She rested her elbows on the counter, her head in her hands. “God, what is wrong with me? Every other person we went out with went home with whatever stranger they’d met that night. But me? I feel so… stunted.” 

Jamie was surprised by her sudden admission. It wasn’t something he’d felt before, but he wanted her to feel the things he felt for her. The care and softness that he felt for her. 

“I know I want it,’ she continued. “I feel it sometimes… for… one person. He knows me and I know him. And I try to get myself to get over it, to feel it for someone else. Anyone else, but no matter how hard I try. I just… can’t feel it.” She shook her head, pushing herself off the island. “Sorry, I don’t know where that came from.” 

Jamie stayed still for a moment, figuring out his thoughts. 

“S’okay,” he finally responded. “I’m sorry you feel like that, you deserve to feel loved and wanted.”

Her eyes snapped back up to his, her cheeks turning red, spreading up to her ears. Jamie moved around to the other side of the island so he was right next to her, leaning against her side. She kept staring straight forward, her eyes turning shiny with unshed tears. 

“You said… there was one person,” he implored, pursing his lips into a duck shape. “One person who you felt something for.” 

She nodded, not speaking, brushing her eyes furiously. 

“Who… who is that person,” he asked. 

She let out a shaky laugh, cocking her head before looking up at him. 

“I think you know,” she replied quietly, sucking her bottom lip into her mouth. He looked at her, letting his hand slide down to intertwine with hers. Her breathing hitched and her chest started to heave. “Jamie, wait, please.” She stared at their entwined hands, scared that it was going to go away. “I can’t… I’m not like other girls. I can’t give you what you want, not right away, maybe not for a long time.” 

Jamie shook his head, moving his free hand up to touch her face. “I don’t want that, all I want is to make you feel loved. All I want is for you to feel how you deserve to feel. And I’m willing to wait however long it takes, and to do whatever it takes to make sure that you feel that love.”

“Oh, Jamie,” she gasped out, reaching up to touch his face too. They stood in the kitchen, the soft morning light dappling in through the windows, holding each other's faces. He looked between her lips and her eyes. “Jamie?”

“Yeah?”

“You can kiss me.”

His eyes were big and wanting as he looked at her. “Are you sure? Like really sure, like you aren’t just saying it to make me happy?” 

“No, Jamie, I want it.”

The words scarcely left her mouth when he cut her off, pressing his lips to hers. And there it was. She felt it. She felt that electricity that her friends had talked about. It rocked through her, stealing her breath away as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, his coming to creep up her back, lifting her up slightly. 

“Can you feel that, love?” he hummed, in between kisses. “Can you feel how much I love you?” 

“I can feel it,” she responded, pulling back to look up at him. “I can feel you.” 

[batsplat]

as our resident Casey expert i wonder what do you think would have happened if marc and casey competed against each other? since casey retiring is so important for marc coming into motogp im always thinking abt the what ifs...

my initial instinct with this hypothetical is always 'that sounds horrible', though I do have more thoughts and opinions about it than that! marc obviously would have loved the chance to race casey, and casey has even been one of his picks of 'guys he would've liked to be teammates with' before, so, you know, clearly something there - and he does very much respect casey as a rider. I think it's quite likely that by the time marc entered the premier class, casey had already developed... I don't know if wariness is going too far, but maybe a little bit of unease or caution where marc was concerned. marc already very much had a reputation based on his 125/moto2 track record, and some of these incidents were controversial enough that the motogp riders commented on them. so take the phillip island 2011 incident where marc rode into the back of another rider:

the valentino quote serves as a bit of a benchmark here, given he was generally pretty pro-marc. yes, casey's phrasing is perhaps a little harsher, but unsurprisingly none of the riders were big fans of marc's behaviour in that particular incident

on the other hand, it's not like casey never sided with marc. take catalunya 2012, where marc was slapped with a controversial post-race penalty:

yes, casey's main complaint was about inconsistent stewarding - but still, he believed marc had been unfairly treated here. feels like these incidents were some of the only things casey and valentino actually agreed on in those years, so that's nice

that being said, it's hard to see how casey wouldn't have his issues with marc and marc's whole approach to racing. I did include some thoughts on the teammate question here, but mainly I'm going to pilfer the relevant autobiography passage:

"if a rider doesn't care about his own safety then it stands to reason he doesn't care about anybody else's either"... there's nobody really who embodies the 'doesn't care about his own safety' maxim better than marc. he was the young rider desperate to win, and I can't imagine casey would have enjoyed actually racing him much. casey mostly didn't enjoy racing valentino, after all, who is a generally a lot more selective with his aggression than marc is (though casey did have to experience some of the worst valentino had to offer in that regard). casey talked in his autobiography about getting a sense when he just wasn't really able to trust another rider on the track, how much it bothered him - and that exact lack of respect is something that's been pretty closely associated with marc. that doesn't mean he would immediately declare marc his enemy... he'd just want marc to change, to learn, to grow up, to start treating his competitors with a little more respect. the way casey talks about young riders, there is a sense in which he has more time for them than he does for valentino - whose lack of respect casey views as more integral to who he is as a rider. valentino isn't a bully on track due to the exuberance of youth, he's a bully on track when he thinks he can use it as a tactic of intimidation. then again, marc by this measure is worse... and I think very quickly casey would have grown pretty disenchanted with how marc approaches all his wheel-to-wheel racing, especially when it becomes more and more clear marc does not feel particularly inclined to change

it's always important to remember how recent the trauma of losing simoncelli was for the whole sport, and it coloured both dani and jorge's wariness of marc... but also (in my opinion anyway) their restraint in how they dealt with him. how they tried to stop themselves from actually making an enemy out of him, in part because they'd just had an experience of harshly criticising a rider for a whole year and then having to process his death. both dani and jorge actually had more public and more serious disagreements with simoncelli than casey did, but I reckon there would have been an element of that restraint with casey too... on the other hand, his experiences with marc would have left him feeling even more alienated from the sport than he already was - at times frustrated (like jorge was) less with marc directly but more with the regulatory bodies for not holding marc back, for not giving him a race ban or whatever to teach him a lesson. that being said, marc's shamelessness vs casey's stubbornness means that if they had direct on-track encounters and casey didn't like marc's post-race response... well, I certainly think that'd end up being a pretty tense situation, even if it falls short of active hostilities

worth including irl!casey's take on marc in 2013:

which, you know. it's not just that marc's a hard racer - casey is accusing marc of deliberately wanting to make the defeats extra painful for his opponents, of wanting to not just beat but humiliate them. anyone else that reminds you of? someone who is as motivated in securing his psychological victories as his actual ones? perhaps someone who has a bit of a history himself with casey?

let's bring in valentino. it's not that casey would really have begrudged marc his friendship with valentino, and he generally kept his hatred of valentino quite 'clean' in that he wasn't conducting any proxy wars or anything (for instance, I don't get the sense the vale/sic friendship ever affected his view of simoncelli... though I have very little to go on here either way). also, if nothing else in this timeline changes, we're assuming valentino in 2013 is fairly clearly the... fifth? best rider? kinda depends where dani would have landed I suppose (casey's retirement announcement did save honda from a bit of a headache)... but anyway what this means is that valentino probably wouldn't initially have been much of a competitive threat to casey. mostly he would have been consigned to the sidelines

that being said, I doubt casey would have massively enjoyed the whole laguna seca saga. unfortunately, we don't even really know what real life casey's stance on the copycat move situation was... though if I had to guess, in this timeline I'd say his position would've been, a) marc could and should have carried out that overtake two corners later, there was no need in that race situation to take that risk, b) still, it was valentino's slight error as he attempted to reclaim the position (in what was a pretty aggressive manner, it has to be said) that led to them both ending up off-track and fuck that guy, and c) the problem with 2008 wasn't just or even primarily the corkscrew overtake and it's annoying that that's the only bit everyone talks about. of course, there's also the question of whether casey would have bought marc's explanation that it was totally by coincidence that the overtake happened there... and again, complete guesswork, but my sense of casey is that he would have assumed marc was being at least a little bit dishonest. (which, you know... laguna's not an easy track to overtake at, but marc did prove with the bradl move that he was perfectly capable of overtaking after turn 8 - might not have been planning on the off-track excursion, but he was still attempting to overtake just ahead of a blind crest that happened to feed into the corkscrew lol.) I think casey by his honda days had calmed down a bit (though he still certainly had some conspiratorial tendencies), but I also don't think it's a stretch to imagine that he would've felt like he was a victim of a joke between the pair of them... not ideal

overall though, I reckon casey's main frustrations would have been less with the move itself and more with how it was discussed. in the presser, while joking with marc, valentino does take the opportunity to get in a jibe at casey for old time's sake. there's this clip, where he directly addresses livio suppo (at ducati in 2008, by then at honda) - specifically about how both casey and suppo criticised him for that overtake. in response, suppo says something about how he's grateful to marc because they finally got payback. valentino is later asked directly about casey's complaints in 2008 in this clip, and replies with the following:

would valentino have said this stuff with casey still in the paddock? well, yes! honestly, given valentino did very quickly lay off needling casey once he had retired, there's a good chance he would have said something worse. and marc would have laughed along at the whole thing. I don't know, I just don't see casey taking particularly kindly to that... he can hold a grudge, that man can, and at a certain point he'd probably be increasingly less willing to give marc the benefit of the doubt. interesting situation though, laguna seca '13 + casey is a very juicy scenario that could play out in several different ways

but I'm guilty of burying the lede here - there's a far more obvious reason than anything I've described above for why the casey/marc relationship would have turned sour. it's the simple fact that they would have been teammates which would do the damage all on its lonesome; they have radically different conceptualisations of how that dynamic is supposed to work and would inevitably have clashed as a result. the one commonality they do have is they don't see their teammates as potential friends, which is... also not helpful! I think they'd probably initially be fine on the interpersonal level - and, actually, given how the casey/valentino relationship played out and marc's general approach to his rivalries, I can see marc/casey more or less being able to maintain a minimum standard of politeness towards each other even at their worst. like, I still think they'd be able to smile at each other and do some small talk when face-to-face, but I also think everything else would be a complete disaster. I talked a bit about how marc approaches his teammate relationships in this post - and I'm not going to rehash too much of what irl!marc got up to, but I'll include some bits relevant to casey

from marc:

related to casey:

and dani comparing the two:

we do obviously even have actual real life controversy wherein casey thinks marc felt threatened by him and forced him out of honda... and this in a timeline where they weren't even direct competitors! if this is the level of tension a test rider role can generate, then if they'd actually been teammates...? yeah, no. casey thinks that teammates should cooperate - and he thinks that riders enforcing divisions within the box are essentially doing so because they are "afraid". marc has openly admitted to lying about what parts he likes to make sure his teammate doesn't get any edge over him. this is the thing, right: marc might think casey is a cool rider, would've liked the chance to race him and even be teammates with him... but this is the stuff he did to dani, who was one of his literal idols! this is his understanding of competition - (like valentino) he might love the fight, but simultaneously he'll do pretty much whatever it takes to win, because he considers this stuff fundamentally part of the game. casey does not. to casey, this kind of victory is dishonest. any kind of gamesmanship is a sign of weakness... the victory is worth less if you're accomplishing it like that

now, hey, maybe marc would never have been able to go as far as he did with dani because he wouldn't have the kind of performance edge that allows you to definitively impose your will within the team. I think it's a popular interpretation that marc wouldn't have won the title in 2013 if casey had been there, which... I mean, I think it's true that it would have been less likely - in that in a season with that much volatility, the more plausible championship contenders you have the less likely it is that any single one of them takes the title (same goes for instance if you add in a valentino who had not gone to ducati for two years and would have presumably been more competitive in 2013). but it's not like casey would have been the defending champion and the clear class of the field... partly due to injury, he ended up finishing in third in 2012. jorge and dani didn't win the 2013 title in part as a result of their own injuries, and who knows how casey would have fared... like sometimes it's just luck of the draw really. you can be the better rider and still not win the title, shit happens. I think for as long as a more or less healthy-ish casey stays in the sport, it would have been unlikely that marc establishes quite the same performance edge as he did over dani... but, well, if anything that would have meant he would have fought even harder out of perceived necessity to win the internal honda wars

it's the kind of thing that can make a relationship quickly deteriorate, especially with a prickly character such as casey, and it's entirely plausible that dynamic would have become strained at best and horrendously toxic at worst... sooner rather than later. and the thing is, this environment would affect marc considerably less than it would casey. again, it's the fact that he relishes the fight... he's very good at shrugging off (most) criticism and thrives in that kind of tension. the emotional fatigue that this scenario generates would be painfully lopsided, where casey offers harsh criticisms and means them and is endlessly frustrated with marc's approach, while marc... doesn't really care. at least dani also had a questionable manager who was conducting behind the scenes warfare on his behalf - casey doesn't want to play these games at all. he just wants to ride a bike, and marc is never going to allow him to live in peace as long as he's an internal threat. if casey were exposed directly to all of that from marc, I doubt he'd walk away from the experience with a particularly positive impression of him

does he walk away? I think there's a decent chance that casey would have ended up so disillusioned with the whole thing that this would have been what pushed him into retirement. if he wants to get out of that mess, let's say after two years, his options would have been pretty limited. yamaha is closed off and I'd struggle to think of a scenario in which either jorge or valentino would have been particularly interested in a direct swap (also, if you're sick of being marc's teammate, you're probably not gonna be jumping at the chance to be valentino's instead). I suppose you could go back to ducati (which he did return to as a test rider so it's not like those bridges were permanently burnt), and maybe casey could do something special even with *gestures* that version of the bike. really though... I think enough would have been enough for him. regardless of the actual balance of success between the pair of them, my guess is marc wins that war because he's happier to get nasty and because he wants it more. casey has his two to four titles... he's done. let him go fishing

[snowflake194]

Before Eddie moves back to El Paso, Buck helps him pack—boxing up memories, deciding what to sell, what to leave for the movers. Somehow, they end up on the couch again, Eddie’s fingers tracing the armrest, Buck nursing his third beer of the night.

"Do you want it?" Eddie asks, breaking the silence. "Want what?" Buck looks over, mid-sip. "The couch," Eddie says softly. "Do you… do you want my couch?"

And just like that, Eddie gives Buck the couch—the couch. The only one that’s ever really felt right. The only one Buck’s ever needed.

And it doesn’t come with a girlfriend. It comes with a goodbye.

EDIT: Okay I ended up writing a full fic out of this right here

[tevanbuckley]

Do I like tommy as a love interest for buck? No. But tommy as a plot device? All I’ve ever wanted.

For one if they actually give us canon bi buck I couldn’t give less of a shit what vehicle they use to do that, and two the potential return of jealous!eddie my beloved. Now with the added layers of “what does this mean?” And “wait why do I care my best friend is dating a man that isn’t me?”