#tbh i’m starting to think it would be kinda fun to just. wrap my car around a tree. for funnies you know?

[ironmandeficiency]

i’m venting in the tags and will delete later, move along there is nothing to see here

[imagine-that]

Win you back

Pairing: Carter Baizen x Bass!reader

Warnings: a little angsty, kinda sad at some parts, bad writing tbh 🤪🥴🙃

AN: I have been working on this for WAYYYYYYYYYY too long for it to suck this much

“Babe I’m here.” You call, walking into the kitchen of your boyfriend’s family’s home.

You walk around the penthouse, looking for him. Finally his mother appears, eyes glued to her phone.

“He’s in his room.” She mutters, walking away before you can even say thank you.

You shrug to yourself, knowing better than to bother her at all. Turning the corner, you make your way over to his room.

It seemed as though you were always there. His parents were used to you just walking in, as was the maid.

“Hey Baby, your mom told me you were in here and-.” You start as you enter the doorway, stopping when you see the mess of his bedroom. His clothes are tossed all over the place, empty hangers fill the closet and the thing that really makes you stop is the duffel bag laying across the bed.

“Oh! Hey y/n...” He says as he walks out of the en-suite, looking surprised to see you.

“Hi... what’s- what’s all this?” You ask, a feeling of unease settling into the pit of your stomach.

“I,” he begins, tossing some of the clothes and other junk into the bag as he speaks. “Am leaving. I’m sick of this place. And of all this stupid glamour.” He finishes, a smile on his face as he finally looks up at you for the first time since you’d gotten there.

“Oh? And where are you off to then?” You ask with a playful smile of your own, hands on your hips.

“Anywhere I want to.” He responds.

You grin, sitting down on the bed. “Sounds like fun. What if I, say, came with you?” You ask, looking over at him hopefully.

“No!” He exclaims, making you jump a little. “Sorry, I just mean no.” He sighs.

“And why not?” You ask with a frown, feeling a little bit hurt.

“Like I said, I want to get away from all of the stupid glamour.” He mutters, looking back at his things.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You demand with a scoff.

He groans, finally looking over at you again.

“I mean, you’re a part of this place.” He blurts, looking away again as your bottom lip starts to tremble.

“W-what?” You ask sadly.

“You’ve faded into all the glamour y/n. You’re exactly like all the spoiled, gossiping rich girls at Constance.” He cries, shaking his head a little.

“Excuse you?” You demand, glaring over at him.

“I need to get away. From you, from this city, from the money hungry people. It’s nothing personal.” He shrugs nonchalantly, as though he hadn’t just single handedly shattered your heart.

You march up to him, slapping him hard across the face.

“I can’t believe I’ve wasted so much time on someone who would talk about me or my friends like that. Go to hell Carter.” You hiss, tears stinging your eyes as you storm out the door, letting it slam harshly behind you.

You quickly walk back to the elevator and press down, not looking back at all.

—————————————————

Stepping off the platform you sigh, looking around you at the familiarities of the old train station. Memories come flooding back, making you remember the pain and suffering you endured while you were last in New York.

Much like Serena, you’d ran away from your problems. You figured bits of your shattered heart could probably still be found around the city, fragments of your past turned to dust by now.

“Hey! You’re finally here!” Serena exclaims excitedly, pulling you in for a tight hug.

You laugh softly, embracing her and her sickeningly sweet perfume before grabbing your suitcase from behind you.

“Hey. It’s great to be back.” You say, looking around almost hopefully.

“He isn’t here.” She says simply.

You sigh, beginning to walk with her quietly.

“I figured he wouldn’t be.” You say softly, a sad smile appearing on your face.

“He’s not even in New York anymore. It’s like he disappeared or something. So I’m sure you won’t see any of him. Definitely not at the ball.” She assures you, squeezing your arm in support.

“Yeah. Probably not.” You hum absentmindedly. You shake your head a bit, blinking yourself out of the past. “Whatever. Where’s my idiot of a big brother anyway?” You ask, forcing a smile to spread across your lips.

“Surprisingly, he’s not at the empire. He’s actually at cotillion rehearsal.” She says with a roll of her eyes, making you giggle a little.

“Oh? I’m shocked.” You laugh as the two of you climb into the back of the car parked outside just for you.

The drive is silent, you looking out the window in thought of the past and Serena on her phone, leaving you be. She knew better than anyone, even your brother, how much you needed space when it came to thinking of him.

“So, who’s your escort to the ball tonight?” You ask, trying to fill the silence.

“Oh, I’m not going. I just didn’t take much interest in it anymore.” She says with a shrug.

“Ah. I’m sure Cece is pleased.” You say teasingly, smiling a bit.

“I haven’t told her yet but I’m sure she’ll understand.” She says and you raise an eyebrow but she merely shrugs.

After dropping your luggage off back at the hotel, the two of you go off to the dance studio where you find the majority of your old schoolmates in the middle of dance practice, twirling and switching partners with ease.

You watch as your brother dances around with the girls who, to no ones surprise, were practically drooling over him along with his best friend.

“Oh great, y/n is back.” Blair says sarcastically as she comes over and pulls you into a hug, making you laugh a bit.

Though Blair could be hostile, she and Serena had become your honourary family over the years which happened to mean you were used to it.

“Hi B. Good to see you too.” You say with a smile, leaning back against the wall.

“Why aren’t you getting your ass out there? I thought you were taking part in cotillion this year.” She asks.

You let out a sigh and push a strand of your hair behind your ear.

“Yeah I was. Then... I just don’t feel it anymore I guess.” You say with a shrug and a half smile. She nods a bit, understanding what you mean. She quickly rushes back into the crowd and continues with the dancing, smiling apologetically your way as she glides past.

“So why are you here if you’re not going?” You ask Serena, not taking your eyes off of the couples.

“I’m meeting with grandma and Dan so they can meet.” She explains and you nod, following her through the bodies of dancing teenagers as she goes running over to the boy you’d heard so much about.

“Oh, Dan this is y/n, Chucks little sister. Y/n, this is Dan, my boyfriend and his little sister Jenny.” She introduces with a smile.

Dan waves awkwardly and you nod in greeting, too busy watching the dancers to speak.

As much as you didn’t want to take part in the cotillion, you couldn’t help but be mesmerized by the traditions of the whole thing. The dancing was the best part, something magical about moving in sync with everyone else in the room.

Lily enters the room, talking on the phone with one of the many organizers of the event. She lectures them for a moment about how Cece wouldn’t be happy if she didn’t have it exactly her way.

You for one, knew for a fact that that was true.

“Y/n, darling you’re back.” She exclaims as she slips her phone in her bag, hugging you quickly.

“Yeah I figured it was about time and you know there’s no time like the present.” You tell her with a smile and she smiles back warmly.

The two of you chat for a moment but soon Cece arrives and Lily is back to being busy with her planning and with her family.

You stand by your lonesome, swaying to the music as you watch your old friends together, ignoring the nagging feeling of nostalgia tugging at your heart.

When the music stops, your brother comes waltzing over to you with a sly grin.

“Ah so my baby sister finally decides to return to society.” He comments and you roll your eyes, smiling a bit.

“Oh shush. I was away at school, not dead.” You giggle, hugging him tightly. He reluctantly hugs back, knowing you wouldn’t let go unless he did.

To many people, your brother was cold and closed off and a perve. To you, he was a big old softie with a wall around his heart, keeping him closed off to anyone he felt necessary. Still a perve, you knew that much. Just not around you.

“Let’s go runt, you’ll see everyone later.” He says, wrapping an arm around your shoulder.

“Yeah yeah. See ya Serena.” You call over your shoulder and she smiles and waves as you walk away.

——————————————————

That night as you sit at the hotel painting another coat of nail polish over your toes, your phone starts ringing. You pick it up, holding it close to your ear and carefully putting down the brush.

“Hello, y/n speaking.” You say, listening for a response.

“Hello darling. It’s Cece.” The woman you remembered so well says sweetly from the other end.

“Oh hi Cece. I’m sorry we didn’t have the chance to catch up earlier.” You say, sitting up a little straighter even though you know she’s not actually in the room with you.

“It’s fine dear, don’t even mention it. I just called to ask if you would consider helping me plan the rest of the cotillion. You always have had an eye for detail, I’d love to have you there as a second opinion.” She asks hopefully.

You look out the large window at the darkened New York sky, pondering your options.

“I’d love to.” You reply, already regretting your decision.

“Oh lovely. The tea that Blair is throwing is tomorrow so you can come with Serena and we’ll discuss it then.” She says.

“Alright, I will be there. Goodnight Cece.” You say back sweetly, not bothering to mouth your confusion to Serena coming to tea. She says a quick goodnight and hangs up the phone.

You sigh, wondering why you decided this was a good idea.

A few hours later, your brother once again comes barging into your room without so much as a knock.

“Chuck, you do realize there’s a door there for a reason right?” You ask him, moving over to make room for him to sit down.

“I’m aware.” He replies.

“Then why didn’t you use it? For all you know I could’ve been changing.” You remind him with your arms crossed over your chest.

“Oh please. I have girls around here often enough that you know not to leave the door open when you’re changing in case I have company.” He says with a doubtful eyebrow raised.

“I’ve also been gone for about a year. What if I had forgotten?” You point out.

He rolls his eyes. “I know you. You have a good memory, you don’t forget anything.” He says simply and you shrug, knowing he’s right.

“Alright then. What exactly did you need?” You ask, leaning back into the pile of pillows behind you.

“”I heard you’re helping with cotillion. You sure you can handle that?” He questions, examining your face for any sign of upset.

“I’ll manage thanks. How’d you even know about that so fast?” You ask, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

“A little Waldorf told me.” He says with a smirk.

You make a disgusted expression and smack his arm with a pillow, recoiling a bit.

“That is one of my best friends you’re talking about. And she’s technically your best friends girlfriend. You’re lucky I don’t like drama otherwise I’d have told Nate by now.” You scold seriously.

Chuck scoffs. “You’d betray your own brother like that sis?” He asks, feigning hurt.

You nod. “He’s also one of my best friends. I definitely would.” You say as you pull a blanket over your body.

He laughs a bit, rolling his eyes. “Always the loyal one sis.” He remarks sarcastically before making his way out of your room.

You curl up more, trying to get yourself used to to living in your fathers hotel instead of a quaint dorm room again.

After a few hours of fitful tossing, turning and overthinking, you finally drift off.

——————————————————

“Ah y/n, there you are!” Cece exclaims as you come out of the elevator to Blair’s penthouse.

You’d decided against coming with Serena when she’d told you she was coming with Dan, not feeling like being a miserable third wheel.

“Hi Cece.” You greet with a welcoming smile, pulling your bag over your shoulder a little more.

She gives you a moment, rushing around as you pull off your coat and put it down with your purse and then she comes rushing back, clearly enthralled with the planning.

“Alright dear, I’ve had one of the other volunteers set up a table over here for you to work at. You can also participate in the tea of course, it’s just until everyone else arrives.” She instructs and you nod, taking a seat at the table she pointed out.

You sit there for a good hour, working out the last minute details Cece had no clue what to do with.

By the time you’re finally through everything, the majority of the debutants are sitting in Blair’s living room, listening to Ceces stories in complete fascination.

You recognize the story shes telling and decide it would be a good time to get food, walking over to where you see Dorota standing, ready to help anyone who needed it.

“Hi Dorota!” You say happily, having missed her more than most others. She was always happy to see you over with Blair and Serena when you were young.

“Oh miss y/n! It’s been so long.” She says cheerfully, pouring you a cup of tea.

You gladly take it, chattering a bit with Dorota until she has to get back to work.

You stand in a corner by yourself, not wanting to bother anyone as you try to listen to more stories but your train of thought continues to go back to the time where you were happier than ever on the Upper East Side.

Your thoughts are interrupted as you hear the one name you thought you’d never have to hear again.

“Serena darling, this is Carter Baizen. Your escort for tomorrow night.” Cece introduces and you feel your heart practically stop and you swear you hear it’s slow cracking.

How you hadn’t noticed him with her at all before Serena arrived, you had no clue. You didn’t really care either. You just wanted to be able to disappear into the floors and never come back here.

Memories flood through your brain, making you wince a bit as you feel the starts of an incoming headache.

“Y/n are you ok?” Isabelle asks, clearly concerned.

You wave a hand as best you can, feeling like your feet are glued in place.

“Yeah totally fine. Just busy you know?” You offer, forcing yet another smile.

She nods slowly, clearly not completely buying your response but obviously not caring enough to pester you for more of an answer.

Knowing better than her minions ever did, Blair hurries over to you as subtle as possible.

“Oh my god, I cannot believe he’s here.” She murmurs, sneering at his back. “The nerve of that boy. Are you ok?” She asks, turning back to you with a much softer expression.

“Fine. Nothing I can’t handle.” You mutter, staring down at the floor and away from your former love.

“Are you sure? Because I can have him thrown out of here if you want. It’d be more mercy than he deserves but.” She asks, trailing off a bit.

You smile weakly, squeezing Blair’s hand a bit.

“As oddly sweet as that is B, I’m fine. I swear.” You respond. She sighs, clearly bored by the idea of not being allowed to mess with him.

You usher her away, knowing how badly she wants to go mingle and walk over to the food, grabbing something you can shove into your mouth.

“Very classy y/n.” A voice says from behind you and you turn around, looking at him wide eyed with your mouth full. You quickly swallow the food in your mouth, trying not to choke in the process.

“Baizen. I’d say it’s good to see you but I’d be lying.” You mutter, crossing your arms over your chest to keep from figetting too much.

“Ah, the classic Bass hospitality I see.” He notes sarcastically, his overly confident smirk in place.

“I save it just for you.” You retort with an icy smile.

“Ah yes, that’s exactly what I thought.” He replies, popping an appetizer into his mouth.

“Oh because you know me so damn well.” You mutter bitterly, voice dripping with sarcasm.

He rolls his eyes. “Yes actually, I like to think I do.” He says, lowering his voice so only you can hear him.

“Well, you thought wrong but are we really that surprised about that?” You growl, narrowing your eyes in his direction.

“What are you doing here Carter, no one here likes you.” You ask bluntly.

“It seems Cece does. And besides, I was asked.” He replies nonchalantly, taking a teacup filled with something that is definitely not tea.

“Oh please, Cece only asked you because you were once the model son. She just hasn’t seen your true colours yet.” You hiss with a smile still grazing your lips.

He scoffs, watching in amusement as you walk away gracefully, walking over to find Cece.

By the time you find her, Carter has already been talking with her for a while. You scowl at him before plastering on a smile and aiming it in Ceces direction.

“Oh y/n dear, perfect timing! Carter was just about to tell us all about his endeavours!” She says excitedly as she guides you and the other girls over to a seat around the Waldorf coffee table.

Though you try to excuse yourself several times, you’re forced to sit and listen to Carter boast about his travels, making small and nearly unnoticeable digs at Serena every now and then, trying to gauge a reaction from her.

You feel a twinge of hurt, wondering where they could have possibly been travelling together and why it was such a big deal to him.

“I can still kick him out.” Blair singsongs in your ear as she passes by again. You laugh, rolling your eyes a little.

“B, it’s fine.” You assure her for the hundredth time, hoping it’s believable.

She walks off with a shrug and you stand, not sure how much more of his voice you can take.

Excusing yourself, you walk back over to the table and drown your sorrows in tea and the last minute cotillion details.

——————————————————

“Ok so the girls line up on the stairs and wait to be announced-“ Cece begins, pointing out the places as she explains.

“Cece, I’ve seen so many of these since I was a little kid. I know how they go.” You promise, squeezing her hand in reassurance.

“Alright dear, I have to go get ready so I’ll leave you to it, feel free to change in the bathroom over there if you don’t have to time to go home.” She instructs, waving as she walks over to the door.

You finish setting up after a few hours, quickly rushing into the bathroom and changing into the sleek y/f/c dress you’d brought with you, knowing full well you didn’t have time to get back to the hotel and change.

You fix up your hair and apply a layer of lip gloss before walking out, shoving your makeup bag, clothes and anything else you’d brought into your bag and discreetly placing it in the coat room along with everyone else’s things.

Walking out into the ballroom, you find all the girls and their escorts on the stairs. Quickly, you fix them into the order of their names being called and Jenny rushes around you to help Serena with her statement.

“Hey beautiful. What’s wrong?” You hear Carter say as Serena frowns down at the paper in her hands. You feel another twinge of hurt at the name.

“Serena, either fix your statement or live with it but I have to get it back to the announcer so please hurry.” You mutter, rushing past to fix all the others order and such.

You quickly go down the lineup, fixing the ties of the escorts too lazy to do it themselves, cursing yourself for getting involved in the event in the first place.

As you work you way through them, you fill with dread as you reach Carter.

“Need any help?” You hiss icily, glaring at his blue eyes.

“Please?” He asks cockily, grinning a little as you stand on your tiptoes to fix his tie.

“You know y/n, I’d much rather be escorting you, no matter how beautiful Serena may be.” He murmurs, gazing into your own eyes.

You bite your lip to keep from shouting at him, quickly untieing the knot he’d made and delicately redoing it to a satisfactory level.

“Should’ve thought of that before I was dead to you.” You whisper before moving on down the rest of the line.

You can’t help but feel his eyes watch your every move as you lean close to several of the helpless boys to fix their messy tie jobs.

Finally you finish and walk over to stand with Jenny, watching the cotillion.

It goes perfectly until they arrive at Serena’s statement. You cover your face with your hands in horror the more the announcer reads, cringing at the thought of Ceces reaction.

You knew the minute it was read that it was Carters doing and you felt yourself fill with rage once again.

You stand to the side with your arms folded in frustration while you watch the debutantes dance around the ballroom contently.

Once the dancing had begun, everything was back to its initial perfection and you felt yourself not only mentally but also physically relax, letting your shoulders release the tension you’d hardly noticed until then.

Suddenly, a boy you’d never seen before comes up to you, offering a hand and asking you to dance with him.

Not wanting to be rude, you nod, taking his hand in yours and walking over to the dance floor.

He places a hand on your waist, a little too close to your ass for your comfort but you ignore it, not fully caring as you get into the proper position for yourself.

But before you can even start moving, you notice Carter coming towards you from the corner of your eye, looking like an angry and jealous version of himself.

Before you have the chance to stop him or even register what’s happening, Nate stops him dead in his tracks and punches him in the face. The two start fighting to the ground before you pull yourself together, walking over and helping one of the other poor organizers pull them apart from each other.

“What the hell was that?” You growl at Nate.

“He was making a move on Blair.” He mutters back, fighting against your already weak grip.

You heave a sigh, smacking his arm.

“You’re an idiot! He has no interest in Blair. That I am sure of.” You exclaim, trying to drag him away from the party to prevent even more of a scene than he already made.

Ignoring everything else going on around you, you get one of the other escorts to help you drag him up to the entrance.

You run a hand through your hair and leave him there without another word, on your way back up the stairs when you see Serena taking care of Carter in the hallway. You stop where you are, hiding behind a wall.

Listening in, you feel a bunch of twinges of hurt when you hear him tell her that it hurt when she left him alone.

Wiping away a tear and taking a deep breath, you walk over, hands on your hips.

“Serena, you can get back to the party if you’d like. I can handle this.” You suggest, barely looking over at Carter.

“Oh... uh, ok. Sure. Sorry again.” She says to Carter before walking quickly away, her heels clicking on the floor.

“So...” Carter says, holding the ice to his eye.

“I knew someday you’d get socked in the face, I just figured me or my brother would be the one to do it.” You joke, sitting down next to him and grabbing the ice, gently dabbing it on his eye yourself.

“And I would’ve deserved it.” He admits, a ghost of a smile on his face.

You laugh a little, looking down at your lap. “Yes you would have.” You agree, feeling very reminiscent of the moments you’d spent together.

“I missed that laugh.” He says with a slightly bigger smile.

You roll your eyes. “Always the charmer, huh Baizen?” You tease, a soft smile on your lips.

“I suppose so, though, I never seem to charm the girls I really want.” He shrugs.

“Carter... those things you said... they- they hurt. They hurt a lot.” You start, tears in your eyes.

He looks away, a frown on his face.

“Yeah... I realized that after I said them. I regretted everything after I said it. I don’t know what made me decide to.” He sighs, running his hands through his hair.

“You were a total asshole. I’m still kind of glad Nate punched you.” You murmur with a small smile.

He chuckles a little. “Yeah I was. I hope you don’t think I still am.” He says sort of sheepishly.

You laugh a bit, a hand on his shoulder.

“What?” He asks, his eyebrows furrowed.

“Just remembering Nate socking you in the face.” You continue giggling, a smile taking over his face as you do.

“It isn’t that funny! But I’m glad you think so.” He chuckles.

Meeting his eyes again, you can’t help but let the memories of everything good between you come flooding back. Soon, you can hardly contain yourself, smashing your lips right onto his own in a moment of heat and desperation.

He returns the gesture, kissing you passionately, his hands trailing down your spine and leaving shivers in their place.

As you both pull away breathlessly, your eyes meet again and a glimmer of mischief appears in his.

“Guess that means I’m forgiven?” He asks hopefully, a grin spreading.

You giggle a bit, picking the ice pack back up and resting it back over his eye. “We’ll see about that Baizen.” You tease, but you both know you’re too enthralled with him to ever stay completely mad.

[florrickandassociates]

TGF Thoughts: 5x10-- And the violence spread.

So, that’s it for season five. I’m still trying to sort out how I feel about the season as a whole and Wackner’s arc. I’m hopeful that writing this will help me decide.

This episode has a Previously, and it’s rather conventional. I’m guessing it’s here to bookend the season, with conveying information being only a secondary objective.  

Did we see Rivi scream, “You’re done, Wacko, you’re done! Canceled! Canceled!” in the last episode or is that new to this previously? I feel like I absolutely would’ve had things to say about a) Wackner being called “Wacko,” which has been RIGHT THERE this whole time, and b) the use of “Canceled,” which is a thing Rivi would never say but is VERY thematic (you know, cancel culture and also Wackner having a TV show and also this being a TV show that’s wrapping up* Wackner’s arc).

* The way things end this episode, I’d say we’re done with Wackner. The Kings have said they aren’t sure about the plan for season six, so never say never, but I think that if we see Wackner again, it will be as part of a different arc.  

I went back to 5x09 and while we do see the same shots of Rivi screaming, whatever he’s saying in 5x09 is in Spanish. So either he was saying this in Spanish or the dialogue here is totally new.  

I’m a little sad that I knew in advance Robert King had directed this episode, because I want to know how long it would’ve taken me to guess. I’d like to think this first shot, of Diane flopping down on her bed in a very pretty floral print dress, then Kurt flopping down in the opposite direction, would’ve given it away. We usually don’t get shots that are both striking and kinda balanced unless RK’s directing.  

This also has some big season three opener vibes—the scene where Diane turns to Kurt and says, “I’m happy,” thus jinxing the entire season.  

Diane and Kurt are about to go on vacation, which means, of course, that Diane and Kurt are definitely not about to go on vacation. I’ve watched 12 seasons of this show; I know all the tricks!  

If I didn’t get it from the initial staging of the opening shot, the camera panning to Diane and Kurt’s suitcases and then back would’ve been another clue that RK directed. He ALWAYS has the camera in motion.  

I love that Diane’s travel outfit is a dress you could wear to a fancy party and a statement necklace. Of course it is.

And if I needed evidence that RK and MK wrote this episode (which I didn’t; it is a finale so I knew they wrote it), Diane quoting Waiting for Godot is a clue there.  

I really should read Waiting for Godot, shouldn’t I?  

“Wow. Educated and a good lay,” Kurt responds. I know that the political stuff between Diane and Kurt can get more than a little murky, but banter like this reminds me why they stay together and why politics never drive them apart. Also, it’s really nice to see Diane and Kurt have some fun banter that isn’t about politics.  

And Diane making kissing noises and asking Kurt to meet her halfway! This just feels like I’m spying on someone’s private life and I love it. Not in a voyeuristic way, since this is actually a little uncomfortably private, but in a, “ah, yes, these do feel like real people” way. This is the kind of “a little goes a long way” character moment I always want more of, and Kings episodes ALWAYS include stuff like this.

And there it is. The phone rings as Diane and Kurt are about to start out for the airport. Diane thinks the call must be for Kurt, but it’s for her. It’s a very flustered Liz, informing her that STR Laurie’s execs are on their way to the office for a surprise visit.

If the Diane/Kurt scene didn’t tell me that Robert King directed, I almost certainly would’ve gotten it from the sudden cut to Liz, walking through the hallways and doing a million things at once with a ton of background noise. No one loves chaos the way Robert King loves chaos.  

This episode STRONGLY reminds me of the Wife season five finale. It is equally chaotic and also spins a ton of plates. But, mostly, the similarity I see between the two episodes is that they are both extremely fun and captivating to watch because of how much momentum they have, but everything just feels slightly hollow and not exactly focused on the thing you want to see.  

(Shout out to my friend Ryan, who messaged me the 5x22 comparison before I could message it to him!)  

I decided I should rewatch the first few minutes of 5x22. I am now 15 minutes into 5x22 of Wife and 2 minutes into 5x10 of Fight. Oops.  

Apparently, STR Laurie planned a surprise visit because they heard RL was dysfunctional. You don’t say!  

I felt like 5x09 concluded with STR Laurie being won over by Allegra and the RL team, so this is a bit of a surprising place to start the episode. But, since Diane seems surprised too, I’ll allow it.  

Now Liz and Diane have 90 minutes to agree on a financial plan! Kurt’s on the phone with the airline before Diane even hangs up with Liz.  

Diane is determined not to lose out on her vacation and asks Kurt to change the flight to 8:00. “Kurt, we are going on this vacation if it kills me!” is a line I would worry was foreshadowing on basically any other show.

The RL/STRL PowerPoint template is pretty ugly. They want to call 2021 their best year yet, thanks to the deal between Rivi and Plum Meadow Farms we saw last week. Even though we saw champagne and signatures, the deal isn’t done yet because Plum Meadow can back out if Rivi goes to jail.

RK also loves close-ups more than any other director on the show; I do not love close-ups.  

The Plum Meadow deal is such a big deal that for the quarter, they go from $45 million to $5 million without it. They should just not say numbers. I can believe it’s big enough to take them from a modest profit to being behind projections or whatever, but I can’t believe that they have $5 million in other business and $40 million on this one deal.  

It seems that Rivi was arrested. I don’t think it is ever said in this episode why. I assume the arrest relates to his behavior in Wackner’s court, since there were police officers there, and I suppose that Rivi is a big enough deal the police would actually take him to real court, but are we not going to address the weirdness of Rivi being arrested in a fake court where his employees are being tried, then taken to a real court by the same people who just an episode ago were disillusioned with real court? This seems like a plot point.

Carmen on a frantic phone call in the backseat of a car feels very 7x22.  

Who is James that Carmen has in her contacts!? And why does everyone always put Liz in their contacts as “Elizabeth Reddick” when everyone calls her Liz?  

Carmen calls Marissa to go argue in Vinetta’s court since she’s on Rivi duty. Carmen doesn’t take Marissa’s job in Wackner’s court seriously and then notes that this instruction is coming straight from Liz, so Marissa falls in line.  

Wackner’s case of the week is about rural Illinois wanting to form its own state separate from Chicago. There’s a farmer who feels like his tax money is only going to the big city and he wants it to stay in his community.  

They’ve just now added stage lighting to the set of Wackner Rules, dunno why they wouldn’t have done that earlier!

I don’t know what standing you’d have to have to bring a case about wanting to divide the state in two to court, or if this is even something a court would or should decide, but, sure, Wackner and Cord, go for it. There are no rules!  

This map splitting Illinois into two new states that Cord is holding is a dumb prop because Galena, where this farmer is from, is in the same section as Chicago. Do I pause every reference to Chicago on this show and then google information to see if the writers bothered to look it up or pretend they’ve ever set foot in Chicago? You know I do.

“Secession!” the audience screams. Does the audience of Wackner Rules really want to see this?

A Good Fight Short! And it really is short: “Stop this obsession with secession and breaking up the Union. It’s boring and it’s dumb, end of song.” I feel like that’s the thesis statement for this episode, or one of them (that this episode seems to have about ten thesis statements is kind of my problem with this episode, tbh). This episode is very much about danger of things becoming too fractured—the COTW, the copycat courts, the firm drama—and I feel like the writers come around to just saying no, this is enough, we need structure and consistency.

But more on that later. MUCH more on that later.

Marissa is swearing more because “the world has required it.” She notes this to Wackner as she calls him out on the secession case. Cord barges in.

Take a look at the employee of the month poster on the back of the door at 5:39. Then at 5:40, look at what’s in the box just to the right of the center of the screen: it’s an employee of the month poster with Wackner on it! Cute easter egg. (Would Marissa definitely notice this and have questions? Yes. Is this here as a cute easter egg for eagle-eyed fans? Almost certainly.)  

“Insane is just one step away from reality if you get people to believe, and you know what makes people believe? TV.” Cord explains when Marissa asks how they can possibly be litigating this case. That’s thesis statements two and three, folks. The first is that if you get people to believe, then anything is possible, which sounds like a tagline for a Disney movie but is actually super dangerous; the second is that reality TV is a way to persuade people and change opinions.  

So we’ve got: (1) Factions are bad. (2) People are persuadable and the rules don’t actually matter. (3) Reality TV changes minds. Let’s see if there are more.

(Yes, these theses do kind of add up to a whole—The rules don’t matter, so if you persuade people, through reality tv, you get factions of people believing their own sets of rules and facts—but what I'm interested in tracking throughout this episode is how well the writers actually bring these theses together.)

(And this is setting aside that key themes in previous episodes, that I think many of us were looking for resolution on, included outlining the flaws with the extant “real” justice system and exploring the role of prison in the justice system. From this episode, I don’t think the writers ever intended to really tackle either of those issues. That’s fine—I'm not sure that TGF has something to say about prison abolition and I don’t want a thought experiment where the writers actually try to fix the legal system—but feels a bit disjointed. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but 5x08 and 5x09 needed to do a better, clearer job of setting up this finale. The key themes of Wackner’s arc were always present, but they needed to slowly narrow the scope so the resolution felt inevitable and clear. Instead, we spent time on things like parking spaces (when we could’ve had a real plot about how Wackner’s court gains legitimacy through violence, incarceration, and playing on people’s frustration with the real systems) and Del’s focus groups (when we could’ve instead done a plot about Wackner gaining fans who wanted to use his methods to do ill). Everything I just mentioned in the parentheticals is in the show! It’s not subtext! We see it all! We see Cord use violence and prisons to enforce Wackner’s rulings; we see the cops turn to Wackner out of frustration; we see that the people drawn to Wackner Rules and to Wackner’s court are increasingly sounding more and more like right-wing populists! I can’t be too hard on this arc because, again, all these ideas are there. I’m not coming up with them on my own!)

I’m just saying: this ending would’ve been a lot clearer and a lot more interesting had the writers focused on what I mentioned above instead of the distractions of the last two episodes.  

Whew, that was a ramble. Hope you’re ready for more rambles.

On a similar note, I’d like to reiterate my problems with how the writers used Marissa after the private prison reveal. I don’t have much more to say than what I wrote last week, but it’s another example of the same problem. Marissa objecting to Wackner’s court because she notices what it’s becoming and how Cord plans to use it for political gain (two Illinoises (??) changes the Senate and the Electoral College...) always was going to be part of the endgame. Marissa only seriously objecting after the fourth or fifth line Wackner crosses feels bizarre.  

Cord does NOT like that there is another court, and wants to protect Wackner’s IP. Wackner, as we saw last episode, does not feel threatened by the other court. In fact, he seems to be excited by it.  

I love Liz questioning Diane’s outfit like it’s unprofessional. It’s a little low-cut and showy, but I don’t think unprofessional is the word I’d use for it.  

Now they have 45 minutes to decide The Future Of The Firm and Diane wants to be considered a name partner. Oh, that debate is still raging?! Every time I think it’s done it comes back, which should probably be a sign to Diane that her options are to leave and start something new, jettison Madeline and the others, or step down. Staying on as name partner and calling it a black firm is just not an option.  

“Diane, there is a split in the firm that...” Liz starts, before asking some associates to leave the room. Ha! The reveal Liz and Diane aren’t alone is a pretty fun touch.

“The Black equity partners don’t want to be in your work group,” Liz informs Diane. “Because they think they’ll be punished by this firm?” Diane asks. “No, that’s paranoia. We don’t punish here,” Liz responds. “Of course you do. My fracking client. My union client. The Black lawyers who work on those cases—they're considered traitors” Diane says. “Because those CEOs are racists,” Liz counters.

Lots going on here, and I’m not sure I understand it all. Why would the equity partners—who are partners—feel like they’re being punished by being in Diane’s work group? (And also what does a “work group” mean and why haven’t they talked about it in the past?) When Diane starts talking about the lawyers who staff her clients, she’s not talking about equity partners; she is talking about associates.

And people are giving associates shit for working on Diane’s clients whom they happen to be staffed on!? That’s sad, though believable.

“So what do we do? Only bring in clients who can pass the racial smell test?” Diane asks. I mean, actually, yes. IF the goal is to be a black firm and to have that designation mean something in moral terms rather than marketing terms, then yes.  

“It’s okay if you’re a drug kingpin like Rivi, but it’s not okay if you want me as lead attorney?” Diane says. Also, yes. Diane makes good points here.  

“Diane, this is not about you,” Liz counters. Um, sure, but it has to be about something, Liz. Unless you’re trying to build a firm you don’t control that makes 88% of its revenue from a drug dealer (40 million out of 45 million this quarter = 88%; I told you they shouldn’t give me numbers) but happens to have black people in charge, you have to grapple with this question. I don’t think anyone who’s fighting for the firm to be a black-led (not owned, bc STRL) business is the type of person who thinks that having a black-led firm that does all the same shit as any other firm is in itself a good thing, so you NEED to address your client list. Madeline is anti-Rivi, anti-Cord, anti-Wolfe-Coleman (the rapist guy), pro-social justice, and pro having a black led firm.  

“I mean, why... why do white people personalize this?” Liz asks. “Oh, now I’m just a white person?” Diane responds. I... don’t know what to do with this! Liz is right that Diane is taking this personally; Diane is right that Liz needs to deal with the rest of the client list. But no one is saying the things that REALLY need to be said: That all their decisions are meaningless in the shadow of STRL, and that deciding to be a black led firm isn’t the end of the discussion if they haven’t decided what types of clients they want to have.  

“What happened, Liz? Last year we were intent on an all-female-run law firm,” Diane starts. Oh, THIS AGAIN! Diane never learns, does she? She never seems to realize that no one she’s approached with this idea is NEARLY as in love with it as she is. She probably still wonders to herself why Alicia—who partnered with her at the end of season seven basically just because it was the easiest, most frictionless thing to do—didn't seem more committed to their firm.  

“Diane, there is history here that we are trying to...” Liz says, but Diane cuts in to note that women (women like Diane Lockhart!) have history too! In fact, she’s spent “35 years fighting gender discrimination to get to this position.” “And we have spent 400 years fighting racial discrimination to try and, you know...” Liz starts, before cutting herself off to get back to the ticking clock.

Sigh. Just talk about the actual thing instead of talking around the thing, guys. Diane is obviously deserving of A name partnership, in the abstract. This is an undeniable fact. And while Diane is definitely making this about herself rather than the big picture, I don’t think Liz trying to trump Diane’s 35 year career with the history of black people is going to win her any arguments? Like, just say what you mean and say it clearly. What Liz, I think, wants to express is that Diane’s individual accomplishments aren’t the issue here and everyone thinks she’s deserving (though Liz suggested Diane was not deserving a few episodes ago, which I didn’t understand then and don’t understand now). The problem is that Diane is trying to fight a battle that’s about something much larger than herself with, “but I'm a good lawyer!”  

And that’s KIND OF what Liz is saying here, if I add all her sentences up and read between the lines, but, again, why not just say it?  

“Alright, now we have 43 minutes to fix race relations, gender relations. STR Laurie’s gonna fire our asses, and you know it,” Liz says. I am curious what that would look like. Wouldn’t that just mean that STRL wouldn’t control them anymore? I’m sure being fired would be bad and all, but wouldn’t it free them from the contract they wanted out of last year?  

“Let’s split the firm down the middle. I hire half the lawyers, you hire the other half,” Diane suggests. What does this mean? Why are you hiring your employees? Huh?

“You hire the white associates, and I hire the black associates?” Liz confirms. This seems like a very bad idea that would make things a lot worse and open them up to lawsuits! I also still do not know what they’re even talking about. And I don’t know why Allegra isn’t a part of this conversation.

“I’m not saying it’s good. I’m just saying it’s what we’re left with. It's what we can agree on,” Diane says. I really wish I understood what “hire” meant in this context because I don’t understand why they have to split anything or why this has to be done now and I don’t understand why this would possibly be a good solution. Can you imagine the backlash when people realize all the white people report to Diane and all the black people to Liz and that people were taken off of the accounts they’ve worked on for years to accomplish this? And this must be something that the employees would know about eventually; otherwise they could just randomly assign half to Liz and half to Diane.  

I’m sad Madeline isn’t in this episode because I feel like we needed to see more of her POV as well as the associate POV. I don’t really understand the divides at play within the firm or what the staff and other partners are asking for, but I suspect it isn’t this.

Hallucination Jesus is back, and at least there’s actually a point to him this time (he shows up when Jay is in Vinetta’s court and reminds Jay that Vinetta will rule based on her religious beliefs). I still dislike the hallucinations.

Jay advises Marissa, who is Jewish, to talk a lot about Jesus in her defense.  

Charmaine Bingwa is really great as Carmen, and obviously she is not fluent in Spanish, but it’s so funny to me that the only time you can hear that she’s Australian is when she’s trying to say Oscar like she’s speaking Spanish.  

"I know you’re hiding something when you speak English,” Rivi says to Carmen. Heh.  

“Community court” is such a nice, unthreatening term for referring to Wackner and his copy cats. Thanks for that, Carmen!

It’s a smart plan to mention Jesus a lot, I guess, but Jay and Marissa both should’ve realized that Vinetta is too smart to tolerate obvious pandering. I’m a little surprised Jay doesn’t get up and argue since Marissa is, obviously, not familiar with the New Testament.  

Marissa wins this round with facts and logic.

Why is the judge who was handling Rivi’s previous charge now in bond court? Make it make sense.

I like that Carmen calls out the ASA for swearing hahaha  

Why... would this Matteo kid just casually mention he was holding a gun, omg.  

In Vinetta’s court, you can be charged with murder and tried because... you had a gun and also there were murders at other times. Coolcoolcool no problems here.

Community courts for civil cases? Sure. That’s basically arbitration. Community courts for criminal cases? Bad, bad, bad idea.  

Vinetta’s reasoning: “Those murders happened on our street, and the police haven’t convicted anyone because they don’t care. We care. This is self-defense. And how is it different from your court?” Aside from the whole imprisoning people in her basement thing, Vinetta’s not wrong. I almost brought this up last week but hesitated because I couldn’t remember the details enough to decide if I wanted to recommend it, but there’s a book I read a few years ago that seems relevant here: Ghettoside by Jill Leovy. Again, been a while so don’t take this as a wholehearted endorsement or anything, but from what I remember, the central issue at the heart of the book (it’s non-fiction) is that a poor black community (I think in LA?) doesn’t trust the police (in part) because the police don’t solve murders, and then with no way of getting justice through the court system, there’s more violence as a stand-in for justice. https://www.vox.com/2016/8/26/12631962/ghettoside-jill-leovy-black-crime

I’m not sure if that’s QUITE what Vinetta is saying but it seems similar, and it’s a decent point (though not a justification for her court). Why should she trust the system to improve her community when it’s ignored her community for years?

I like that the writers chose two very different, very understandable characters for their community courts. It’s easy to see why Wackner and Vinetta feel the need for alternative courts; it’s easy to see why others would trust them. This arc doesn’t really work unless there’s a legitimate frustration with existing systems...  

Marissa calls Wackner’s court a “joke,” which she should understand by now isn’t the case. (Marissa’s smart; she knew it wasn’t a joke the second she saw David Cord get involved.)  

Vinetta accuses Wackner of copying her court, which alarms Marissa. This isn’t addressed again, and I don’t know if it’s true! I could really go either way on this. On the one hand, I absolutely believe that Wackner saw/heard about it, liked it, and did it himself without thinking much of it—and if this is the case, then the ending where Vinetta gets in trouble for violating Wackner’s IP is a lot more of a gut punch. On the other hand, I don’t really feel like the seeds for this were planted. We see Wackner innovate a lot and try new things and he has an explanation for why he does everything—how much of that is Vinetta? And Vinetta clearly watches the show and likes it or she wouldn’t have recognized Marissa, so it’s a little hard for me to just believe her claim when literally all I know about her is she has a court that looks like Wackner’s and she is aware of and feels positively towards Wackner rules. Also, Wackner knows about Vinetta’s court (from Marissa) and sounded excited about it last episode. Sure, he didn’t necessarily know which one it was, exactly, but I assume if he’d copied the idea and then heard about a case involving people from the exact same community where he found the idea... his reaction would be different. So IDK. My reasons for doubting Vinetta’s claim are probably based a little too much in things I’m not meant to spend that much time paying attention to.  

“I fucked up. It’s in the same court, but now it’s a murder case,” Marissa tells Diane. I do like hearing characters admit when they fucked up!  

Diane hears that STRL is delayed, so she heads out to help Matteo. When she goes to change into her pantsuit, she finds that she’s grabbed Kurt’s bag by mistake. “Of course. That makes sense,” she reacts.  

Diane pushes her flight to the next day, also telling Kurt, “And yes, for some reason, I took your suit instead of mine, so fuck it.” I love it when the characters feel like real people.  

I am not sure why Kurt is getting to the office when Diane is leaving or why Kurt is there—to pick Diane up on the way to the airport, maybe?

Carter Schmidt walks into RL at the worst possible time, threating to blow up the Plum Meadow deal. Another 5x10 to Wife 5x22 similarity: he’s in both episodes.  

Liz heads out to help Carmen with Rivi, and then STRL arrives. Oops.  

Credits!

One thing about Wackner’s court that should definitely be a warning sign even though it seems noble: he ignores just about every warning sign, like this rowdy crowd screaming WE LOVE YOU WACKNER or the potential interests at play in a case about secession, because he thinks his fair judgement can overcome these obstacles. If the world worked that way, there’d be no need for his court in the first place.

Is anyone representing the State of Illinois in this trial? If not, then... how is it happening?  

Dr. Goat, some dude who claims to have some hidden historical document about how Illinois is actually two states, is clearly making stuff up and yet Wackner indulges him and Cord. I feel about this the same way as I feel about the Devil’s Advocate: That Wackner would not allow this to go on for more than five seconds before calling bullshit and therefore there is no reason I should have to sit through it.

Why is some guy screaming, “No taxation without representation” like dude you absolutely have representation. But of course, I’m expecting him to be logical, and the point is that he is not.

Dr. Goat’s Latin phrases—shock!-- don’t actually translate into anything like what he said. Even though this information is verifiable by a quick google search, the crowd starts screaming “Liar!!!!” at Marissa. If only I could say this felt unrealistic.

Wackner asks Dr. Goat to bring in the document.  

“You look like you’re heading to the beach,” Vinetta says to Diane, who looks like she’s heading somewhere but definitely not to the beach. Vinetta asks where Diane was headed on vacation. Diane says she’s headed to Lake Como, and unnecessarily clarifies that “It’s in Italy.” She assumes Vinetta doesn’t know that... but Vinetta does.

“So you’ve been there before?” Vinetta probes when Diane says it’s beautiful there. “Just once. We don’t get away often. We thought we’d splurge,” Diane says. Vinetta stares at her and smiles, and Diane hits her head on a basket that’s hanging in Vinetta’s kitchen. If I just write out the dialogue here, it sounds like a perfectly average conversation, but everything about this conversation is so charged: Diane is afraid to look like a wealthy white woman; Vinetta’s pleasantness is pretty clearly also a way of sizing up Diane.  

Vinetta shows Diane pictures of neighborhood children and young adults killed as a consequence of gang violence. You can see she’s not trying to do anything other than help her community, even if her methods are highly questionable.

Diane argues that Matteo should be given over to the police; Vinetta disagrees: “The police haven’t arrested anyone for those murders, any of these. Since the BLM movement, they’ve pulled back from our streets. No one’s coming to help. That’s why I started this court. It’s not a joke to us.” Wait I’m sorry did Vinetta just blame lack of good detective work in black communities on... the BLM movement?!?!?! Is there any foundation to this!? Why can’t it just be that the police weren’t actually doing a good job of policing/finding justice and were being antagonistic towards the community instead of being helpful and no one trusted them?? That explanation is literally right there.

Jay suggests the Jesus strategy, again.  

“It’s women! We could just move on, install men,” STRL guy says. I don’t know if he’s joking, but ugh. Also, what is RL if it has neither Diane nor Liz? A bunch of lawyers who will all promptly quit when they see their bosses get fired and a few opportunists?  

Kurt is watching golf in Diane’s office, and the STRL people love it. Of course Kurt accidentally makes friends with them.  

Court stuff happens. It’s not good for Rivi, and then Liz and Carmen come up with a theory: Plum Meadow is stalling the deal so they can find Rivi’s more stable second and make a deal with them instead.  

Wackner giving Dr. Goat a single point on his stupid little board, for any reason related to his obviously fake totally unverified document, is dangerous. Why would you signal to a crowd that’s clearly not interested in fact that they have a point? That’s basically egging them on.

I know Wackner’s judgment is obviously not 100% sound—need I remind you of the PRIVATE PRISONS?-- but I thought it was more sound than this.  

Wackner shows off his knowledge of paper and proves that Dr. Goat’s document is a fake. Why... did he just give Dr. Goat a point???  

Or is he moving the point from Dr. Goat to Marissa?  

Dr. Goat sounds like a fake name I would call a character in my recaps long past the point of anyone other than myself remembering the joke. (See: Mr. Elk)

“The truth is ugly. The only thing uglier is not pursuing it,” Wackner tells Marissa. How is taking on a case about very obvious falsehoods, funded by someone with a vested interest in the case, that gets people riled up, some noble pursuit of truth?  

STRL and Kurt are now drinking and discussing hunting, while Diane’s arguing for Matteo in Vinetta’s living room. Vinetta is—as was always obvious, sorry Jay—far too smart to fall for this patronizing bullshit. She screams at Diane and plays back a recording (on a baby monitor) of Diane coaching Matteo to lie about his faith.

Soooooo yeah no you can’t do that, that is bad, recording conversations between lawyers and their clients is not good even if it leads to you exposing their schemes...

Then Vinetta places Diane under arrest, which obviously isn’t going to end well for Vinetta.  

Liz and Carmen suggest a post-nup to Rivi to see if Isabel is planning on turning on him.

“I’m going to have to kill her,” Rivi says sadly. I don’t think Rivi will ever kill Isabel because we already did that with Bishop.  

I’m going to assume that Diane chooses to stay in basement prison instead of calling one of the many, MANY, MANY people she could call to get her out/take down Vinetta because she doesn’t want the situation to be publicized or further deteriorate. That said, it’s really not clear why Diane just accepts being sentenced to basement prison with a cell phone.  

Love the STRL man looking at that picture of Diane and HRC. They’ve gotten so much mileage out of that photo.  

Wackner’s court has no rules, but at least since it has no rules, I can’t complain about how its rules make no sense!  

What is this, debate practice?! Ugggghhhhh I can’t deal with this case for much longer.  

Marissa takes a breath, then decides to pursue a strategy she knows could blow everything up.

“Then why care what Judge Wackner decides? Why should you defer to him? Why defer to anyone?” Cord says that’s the point—the people have decided to trust Wackner. “So if you don’t like this court’s decision, you’ll just start a new one?” Marissa asks. “I guess,” Cord concedes.  

“So then why does this matter? This court?” “It matters only insofar as we continue to agree that it matters,” Cord says. “So if you don’t like Judge Wackner’s rulings, you can just ignore them and create a new court?”

Good point, Marissa. Good point. (Does this count as a thesis?)

“I’m guessing that I will like the way the judge decides,” Cord says. Well, that’s basically a threat.

Wackner takes a break and heads to chambers—without Marissa.  

Kurt goes to visit Diane in basement jail. He’s granted a conjugal visit, which means Matteo gets moved up to the bedroom so Diane and Kurt can have some alone time.

Diane is staring at an image of Lake Como in her cell. I thought it was odd she brought a printout of her vacation destination with her, so I LOVED the line where she explains that Vinetta printed it out for her. COLD. (You know who also would’ve done this if they’d for some reason had a basement prison? Bree Van de Kamp. You know what show DID do a basement prison arc I’d rather forget? Desperate Housewives!)  

I love how Diane responds to basement prison by making jokes non-stop.

“I thought the craziness would end with 2020,” Diane says. Nope.

Kurt brought alcohol; Diane brought pot gummies.  

I love that Kurt has never had pot before. I was going to say that I bet Diane’s had a few experiences with recreational drugs when I remembered we had a whole damn season of Diane microdosing.  

Christine and Gary’s acting and their chemistry really bring these basement prison scenes to life. The writing and directing are really sharp, but it’s the actors who make these scenes something special. You can tell Diane and Kurt love each other a lot. You can tell they’re disappointed about their vacation and exhausted by the chaos of the day. You can tell they’re in disbelief over this situation but also find it funny.  

Didn’t Rivi and Isabel have an adult daughter who died of COVID a few episodes ago? Weird she isn’t mentioned in this scene. Maybe from a different marriage/relationship?

Isabel called the SA’s office because she thinks Rivi’s a threat? I think this is a power play.

Heh, Carmen saying, “Shut a black woman up!?” in disbelief in court. Love it.  

Isabel instead flips her story and supports her husband and fights for his release. With no intervention from Plum Meadow, this gets the judge to free Rivi. I don’t really understand what’s happened here or why. I get the resolution, but I don’t get why Isabel called the SA or why this went away so quickly. I still don’t even get why Rivi’s been arrested.

Diane and Kurt put up Christmas lights for ambiance and talk about how they never go on vacation.

“I wanna see the pyramids on this coast!” drunk & high Kurt insists, hilariously. “I mean hemisphere. I like the Aztecs. They, they care about people.” I’m not going to transcribe the rest of the dialogue because it loses its magic when you’re not watching the scene.  

After some fun banter about travel and movies, Diane changes the topic. “I should quit, shouldn’t I? That judge upstairs? She looked at me like I was the most entitled white bitch on the planet. And that’s the way they look at me at work.”

Kurt tries to say that’s not true, but Diane knows it is: “Yes they do. I’m the top Karen. And why do I care? I mean, I... I could find another firm. I could quit. I can’t impose my will on people who don’t want me.”

YES. I see a lot of debate over what the “right” thing to do is here. But I think we are long past “right” and “wrong.” At a certain point, this stops being about absolute moral truths. If Diane doesn’t have the respect of her partners and employees, that is a very real problem for the firm and for Diane. How can she continue to impose her will on a firm that doesn’t want her, all the while claiming to be an ally? (The back half of that sentence is the most important part.) Forget whether or not Diane “should” have to step down. Forget what’s “fair.” If the non-Diane leadership of RL thinks the firm should be a black firm, and the employees of RL think so too, and Diane just doubles down on her white feminism, she’s creating an even bigger problem for herself and ruining her reputation in the process.  

Kurt stands up on the prison cot and warns Diane she might make a decision she’ll regret. This scene is so cute. Why can’t other shows do drug trips where the characters just act silly and have great chemistry? Why does it always have to be some profound meditation on death whenever characters get high?

“I think I like starting over. I like the chutes and ladders of life. I mean, I want the corner office, but then I wanna slip back to the beginning and fight for the corner office. I mean, I think maybe it’s better that I don’t get the top spot,” Diane says. LOVE to hear her admit this. I’m not sure I would’ve come to this conclusion on my own, and it sounds like it’s a bit more about how the writers like to write (you know, the “we love our characters to always be underdogs”) than Diane, but... you know what? I believe it. I fully believe it. Diane LOVES to fight, LOVES to feel like she’s in the right, LOVES power plays and to be making progress. She LOVES winning. The fact that she isn’t just choosing to retire right now, even though she’s past retirement age and has a great reputation, is in itself enough for me to believe that she would find it fun to repeatedly start over.

Plus, it’s a fun new direction for the show to take in season six, because they’ll get the same sense of conflict without the actual conflict. This season’s arc was firm drama and resulted in a firm name change... but it didn’t feel like a knock-off of Hitting the Fan. Diane trying to work her way back into power (I assume by becoming a better actual ally, otherwise doesn’t she just end up in the same exact situation?) should also provide conflict without being repetitive.

Hahahahahaha Kurt immediately reacting to this serious statement by being incredibly silly and horny and then Diane singing “I Touch Myself” to him, man, I love these two. I want to know the story behind this song choice.

Wackner emerges from his chambers. The score is tied. Wackner calls Cord corrupt and notes that they can’t just decide to call Downstate Illinois a new state based on his ruling. Now it’s thesis time!

“I was taken by Mr. Cord’s arguments of individualism. So much of our country has been built on people finding their own way, not being held back by bureaucracy. Yet, if we only follow individualism, that way lies chaos. And that was not the point of this court. Or at least not my point. Judgment for the defense. There will be no Downstate Illinois.”

“If we only follow individualism, that way lies chaos.” is probably the clearest of the many theses of this episode. To recap, we have:

(1) Factions are bad. (2) People are persuadable and the rules don’t actually matter. (3) Reality TV changes minds. (4) Institutions only exist when we collectively agree they exist (5) Individualism = chaos.  

But let’s put a pin in this for now and let the chaos of individualism play out.  

The crowd does not like Wackner’s decision, and decides that an appropriate way to express their displeasure is to make anti-Semitic remarks towards Marissa and then start throwing chairs. What nice people.  

As the crowd goes totally 1/6 on Wackner’s court (thanks for pointing this out to me, Ryan—I cannot believe I didn’t make the connection myself!), the door slamming into the desk finally pays off since Marissa and Wackner are able to use it to keep the crowd from reaching them.  

They immediately turn to the police, or they would, if they could get service. I’m sure it’s not a coincidence that as soon as things get bad, they want to involve the existing system.  

Wackner Rules is, somehow, still taping in the midst of all the chaos. I don’t know if I think they’d air this, but someone certainly would. (I wonder if any of the cameras we see in these scenes are actually the cameras filming the other angles of the riot.)  

Cord shakes his head and walks out, unharmed.  

“You think they’ll kill us?” “I think they might,” Marissa and Wackner fret.  

“My dad said the whole world would be a better place if everybody realized they were in the minority. ‘No matter where you are,’ he said, ‘Make sure you keep an eye on the exits, and make sure you’re closer to the exit than the Cossacks are to the entrance.’” Marissa says. Love Eli Gold coming through with thesis number 6 (and maybe thesis number 7).  

“Your dad sounds a little paranoid,” Wackner says, correctly. Remember how I mentioned I accidentally wound up watching 5x22? Eli calls Alicia and responds to her hello with, “DISASTER!!!!” I miss him.

“He was, but he wasn’t wrong. He said, ‘Stay away from parades. They’re cute until they’re not. And don’t trust any pope who was Hitler Youth.” “What’s that law called?” “Godwin’s Law. My dad said anybody who argued for Godwin’s Law has never been near an actual crowd. Crowds love you, they hug you. Then they grab a gun and try to kill you.”

“Why? Why do they do that?” “I don’t know. Hate is fun. It’s clear-cut.”  

I really like all of this. It is a little preachy, but it isn’t wrong and it’s self-aware. And, more importantly, it’s in character. I absolutely believe that Marissa would tell lots of stories about Eli in a moment of extreme stress. It’s nostalgic, probably comforting, and it also helps her feel like she’s on the right side with the right arguments. So, even backed into a corner, she’s still a winner: she has theory on her side.  

Wackner speaks a foreign language (I do not know what language but I wish I did) and says, “A guy could get killed doing this,” which makes him and Marissa laugh as things crash around them.

Idk about you all, but I couldn’t really get myself to actually worry about their safety during this scene. Maybe Wackner’s, just a little, but I got the sense we were supposed to focus more on the chaos and destruction and monologuing than on the actual danger. That’s not to say the stakes didn’t feel high, but rather to say that this didn’t feel like an action sequence where you don’t know what’s going to happen next. The point was to watch the court fall and think about why it fell, not to worry about if Marissa would live.  

Diane and Kurt are woken up by sirens and loud noises. The cops arrive and are shocked to find professionally dressed white people in a basement cell. They let Diane and Kurt out with compassion, but scream, “don’t you fucking move” to the people on the floor.

“It’s okay, they didn’t do anything,” Diane says. This is, as I theorized earlier, probably why Diane just sits there until her punishment blows over instead of escalating things.  

If the cops weren’t there to free Diane, why were they there? Why, because they like David Cord and David Cord has gotten Chicago PD officers to protect Wackner’s IP.  

If I had to say one thing in favor of Vinetta being the originator of the community court idea, it would be that it’s SUCH a gut punch to watch Diane and Kurt walk away from their bizarre little adventure as Vinetta gets arrested in the background, and it hits ten times as hard if Vinetta’s only being charged because some white guy is claiming IP that’s actually hers.

(I think Vinetta is probably, at this point, actually being arrested for imprisoning people illegally, but, still.)

“Pfft. Some judge,” one of the cops who adores Wackner says of Vinetta. Racist much?  

Marissa and Wackner emerge from the backroom. “I think I better get back to work,” she says, meaning her RL job. "Me too,” Wackner says, grabbing a Copy Coop apron. He’s an employee of ten years.  

I don’t think this lands as well as it’s meant to. I think the point is supposed to be that Wackner’s just some guy—not a billionaire, not an academic, not a judge, not a lawyer—with an idea. But it’s a little too neat. And it doesn’t explain how Wackner financed his court initially, nor does it explain why he has basically unlimited access to Copy Coop space and resources. I’d buy it if he were the OWNER of Copy Coop, but I have so many questions about him being an employee.  

Diane tells Liz she’s actually going on vacation this time, and they laugh about how Kurt bonded with STRL.

“I want you and Allegra to be name partners. I’ll be an equity partner,” Diane says. “Why?” Liz asks. “Five years ago, when I hit rock bottom, this firm took me in. So I don’t like the idea of splitting this firm in two. And I can’t lead if no one will follow.” “And your clients?” “We’ll manage them together.” YES! I love this. I don’t love it because I necessarily think it had to go this way, but because it’s so refreshing to see Diane say that she actually is willing to take a step back because she cares about the firm and the people there more than she cares about being a name partner. This isn’t something we usually see. When we hear “this firm took x in” it’s usually being said incredulously against someone who’s decided to leave and steal clients (cough, Hitting the Fan, cough).  

It’s been pretty clear for most of this arc that Diane and Liz like working together and they like their firm, but that no one (other than Diane, I guess) is willing to let RL lose its status as a black firm, and that the employees and equity partners weren’t going to be satisfied until Diane stepped down. Diane really had three options: Stay and piss everyone off and claim the whole firm for herself, quit and go somewhere else and totally abandon the good working dynamic she had, or step down and put her money where her mouth is.  

Also yeah the clients were never actually going to be an issue! They were only an issue because Diane intentionally went about informing them she was stepping down in a way she knew would make them worry!  

“I think I need to prove myself,” Diane says. I’m not sure that’s the key issue or that she can ever prove herself fully, but we’ll worry about that next year.

“I missed you,” Liz says. “I’m here,” Diane replies. “I know. Thank you,” Liz says.  

Diane decides she’s going to move downstairs so Allegra can have her office. I think there’s another office on this floor, since she, Adrian and Liz all had offices. This feels a little bit like Diane’s in love with the idea of making things difficult for herself and maybe hasn’t fully grasped the point, but, you know, I’ll take it.  

Diane tells Kurt her decision and he asks if it was the right thing to do. She says she doesn’t know—but she says it with a smile. Kurt notes he’s going hunting next month with the STRL folks and will put in a good word for her. Ah, yes, because STRL still controls all of this and all of this is moot! Thanks for the reminder Kurt! Diane says she wants in on the hunting trip. Of course.  

And the elevator doors close. Remember how closing elevator doors was a motif earlier this season??? It’s back!

Then we get a little coda with Wackner Rules airing a new episode that’s just violence and destruction. This sequence seems to straddle the line between being there for thematic reasons for the viewers and there to show what happened in the show’s universe, but I think it’s main purpose is theme, so I will not go on a full rant questioning why Del would want to air this.

A white blonde lady in an apron watches the destruction of Wackner Rules. She looks concerned. “That was violet,” she says with dismay. And then we see she’s holding a guy in a jail cell in her kitchen.  

And then we see other courts, as America the Beautiful plays. One’s in a garage debating kicking someone out of the neighborhood; another is across the street about the same case. There’s one in Oregon about secession. There’s one among Tiki Torch Nazis deciding only white people can own property. There’s (inexplicably) one about pronouns. There’s one with arm wrestling, one that happens while sky diving, and a bunch of others. It’s pretty ridiculous, and not necessarily in a good way. It feels at once like the natural extension of the Wackner Rules show and like an over the top parody you’d see on another show. Tiki Torch Nazis screaming “only white people can own property!” is the opposite of subtle writing. Tonally, this sequence feels more like the zany humor of Desperate Housewives or the insanity of BrainDead than anything TGF has done before (and TGF’s been plenty surreal), and it doesn’t quite work for me. It feels like it is trying to prove a point in the corniest, most on the nose way possible. It almost feels like it’s parodying its own plotlines.  

On my first watch, this ending for Wackner left me stumped. I knew the writers were making an argument against individualism (Wackner’s speech + the repeated references to The Apprentice) and cults of personality. But I couldn’t figure out a real life analogue to Wackner’s court, and since this ending was so obviously trying to be About Something, that bugged me. Sure, that last sequence could be an argument against people making community courts, but WERE people making community courts? I didn’t see the urgency.

And then I talked to @mimeparadox. And as soon as he said that it was about factions and people playing by their own sets of rules beyond the justice system, it clicked. I’d been looking for Wackner’s plot to be a commentary on the legal system. It is much broader than that. It’s a commentary on the weakening of democratic systems (the Big Lie, etc.), more broadly, and Wackner and his common-sense approach are just a way to get liberal viewers to go along for the ride.  

Now that I understand the point, or what I think is the point, I like this conclusion. Circumventing the system leads to chaos; that’s why we have institutions and bureaucracy, and I think the show is arguing that these institutions should still be respected despite their flaws. The many theses of this episode all come together to make this point (though the reality TV stuff is a little more tenuous and I'm a little shocked we got through all of this without any commentary on social media?): If we stop having a shared belief in institutions and instead follow individual leaders (whom we may learn about through reality TV), the rules will stop mattering and we’ll end up with a fractured country and widespread violence.  

But, and maybe this is just about me being upset I missed both the obvious 1/6 parallels AND the point of the arc the first time through this episode (my defensive side feels the need to also note I first watched this episode at like 5 am when I was barely awake), I don’t know that I actually think this episode does a great job of driving its point home. There are SO many moving pieces to the Wackner plot and SO many references. There are so many threads we never return to from earlier in the season, and there’s so much that strains credulity (like Wackner taking Dr. Goat seriously for more than a split second). It’s pretty clear what the themes are—even though I’m saying I missed the point my first time through, I've hit on all these themes separately in past recaps and posts—but, I dunno, something about this episode just feels scattered. Maybe it’s all the moving pieces, maybe it’s all the moments where it sounds like the characters are voicing related ideas that don’t quite snap together to form one coherent picture, or maybe it’s that Wackner’s plot gets two endings (the actual ending + the coda) and it’s up to the viewer to put together how they relate.

I really don’t know. At the end of the day, I think there was a little too much going on with Wackner and that the writers needed to use the episodes between the private prison reveal and the finale to narrow—not broaden—the scope of what they were trying to do with Wackner. But I also think that what they were doing with Wackner was really, really smart and original. I don’t think I can overstate how impressed I am that the writers took an idea that sounded, frankly, awful when I first heard about it and turned it into something captivating and insightful that I was happy to spend nine weeks watching.  

Overall, a few bad episodes aside, I thought season five was the strongest season of TGF yet. I haven’t seen this show be so focused in... well, maybe ever. Having two overarching plots that received consistent development and felt like they were happening in the same universe at the same time REALLY helps make season five feel like a coherent whole, and I can’t wait to rewatch it.  

[meltwonu]

98.“If i have to pull over, you wont be able to walk for the next week.”

86. “Stop distracting me.”

60. “I’m gonna fuck you so hard that you forget you ever even met that asshole.”

notes; name-calling, choking, car sex, minor mentions of violence, yandere!woozi means possessive/mean!woozi, i realize i don’t have a yandere!woozi fic yet? Unless my masterlist is just that due for an update(it is tbh☠️), but anyway I love the idea of yandere!woozi so this is kinda long! The rest is under the cut! Thank you for requesting! Enjoy! 💕

WARNING; That being said, I do NOT condone yandere-like/obsessive/possessive behaviour in real life. this is a work of fiction therefore I will indulge in it. If you do NOT like this kind of content, please just ignore it.

Jihoon sees red, knuckles white against the steering wheel as he tries to focus on the road. He knew attending any of Minghao’s parties was an awful idea and it’d only gotten worse when he saw you ‘talking’ to Jeonghan.

“‘Hoonie, can we talk about it?” You use your best pleading voice, already seeing the tenseness in his actions. You knew Jihoon could be possessive sometimes but this was possibly the worst you’d seen him yet.

“Stop distracting me.” He bites out, eyes never leaving the road.

“I’m not, I just… wanna understand why you’re so mad…” You trail off, noticing the way his hands grip the wheel even tighter. “Mad? Why would I be mad? Oh, cause you spent all of tonight laughing at Jeonghan’s shitty jokes?” Biting your lip, you lean over the center console of the car, placing a hand on Jihoon’s thigh.

“But it’s not like that, Jihoon… I was just being nice and he was just talkin’ to me…” He clenches his jaw, trying to not give in to the feeling of your hand slowly palming him over his pants. “You know I only like you.”

It feeds into his ego slightly as he smirks. You won’t have a choice once I’m done dealing with Jeonghan, he thinks.

“Get your dirty hand off my lap. If I have to pull over, you won’t be able to walk for the next week.” You pout at him, cupping his hardening cock through his pants once more. “But… you’re already getting hard...”

Jihoon spots the nearest highway exit, maneuvering over a few lanes until he’s speeding off the highway and searching for an empty and secluded place to park.

“You’re just a needy little whore, aren’t you? First Soonyoung and now Jeonghan?”

Right. Soonyoung.

Actually, you hadn’t heard from Soonyoung in a few weeks since Minghao’s other party. Soonyoung had taught you a new dance and you’d had fun that night, although Jihoon had been relatively quiet. He even disappeared early in the morning, an empty smile on his face when he presented the breakfast that’d taken over an hour to get.

“Jihoon~” You whine, seatbelt digging into you as the car comes to a stop in an empty parking lot.

“Get in the backseat. I’m gonna fuck you so hard that you forget you ever even met that asshole.”

And then I’ll get rid of him for good, just like I did Soonyoung.

Jihoon smirks, watching as you quickly unbuckle your seatbelt and maneuver yourself into the backseat in a huff. He follows suit, rough hands guiding you over his lithe body without a second to spare.

His lips meet yours in a heated kiss, teeth clashing as his hands roam all over your body. He eases one between your legs, nimble fingers dancing up your thigh until they reach the edge of your panties under your dress.

You moan into the kiss as soon as the pads of his fingers press against the growing wet patch on your panties; Jihoon’s lips parting from yours as he raises a brow up at you.

“Wanna explain why you’re already wet? Does Jeonghan do it for you?” He growls, eyes fixated on your already fucked out expression.

“Wh--what, no! I--I was jus’ thinkin’ about you…” You whisper, suddenly shy under Jihoon’s heated stare.

“Right. Is your pussy wet enough to take my cock already then, baby?”

“H-huh? Um, ah, d-dunno…” Jihoon scoffs, pushing your panties to the side before his fingertips glide through your wetness. “You don’t know if your pussy is wet enough? Do I have to do everything for you, slut?” You mewl when he eases in a finger, pumping the digit with sharp flicks of his wrist for what feels like only seconds before he’s already adding another.

You moan loudly as you ride his fingers in the backseat of his car, begging him for more as he curls and scissors them inside of you.

“Fuck, p--please, Jihoon, I need more!” You cry, watching as he licks his lips.

“Fine.”

Jihoon quickly slips his fingers from inside of you, licking them clean before he pushes at your chest. You fall back onto the other side of the backseat, head banging on the glass window for a second with how quickly he seemed to have shoved you.

He hovers over you in a flash, pants already undone and hand wrapped around his cock before he uses his free hand to pry your legs apart. “I’ll fuck you so good that you’ll only ever think of me.” He pushes your panties to the side again as he positions himself at your entrance, bottoming out in a single thrust. The air gets knocked out of you at the sudden fullness you feel; his cock snug against your cervix as he starts a quick and rough pace.

“When you’re talking to someone else, you’ll think of my cock fucking you open. And anytime you even think of anyone else, it’ll be replaced with thoughts of me and how I’m the only one that can satisfy you and how your ‘lil pussy was made for me.” Jihoon grins, fingers wrapping around one of your ankles as he positions it against his shoulder. He leans over you, making you whimper at the way he bends your body.

“It’s just you and me, baby. You don’t need anyone else~” He singsongs, slowing his pace.

The car windows fog up and you lose track of time; only focused on the way Jihoon fucks you slow yet roughly. He pushes his sweaty hair out of his face, brows furrowed when he looks down at you.

“I love you so much, y’know. I’d do anything for you. And I’d do anything to protect you.” He whispers, leaning in to kiss you softly on the lips.

“I, ah, l-love you too, Jihoon…” Your words are muffled against his lips as he kisses you harder, smiling into it as you brace your hands on the leather of the seats.

You feel your orgasm getting closer, body tensing as Jihoon slightly pulls away. “Gonna cum?” You nod, hazy eyes focused on the way Jihoon smirks and straightens out his back. He keeps one hand on your ankle against his shoulder, but wraps his free hand around the column of your neck, gently squeezing down the sides.

“Then cum. Get my cock nice and wet ‘n I’ll reward you with my cum inside your tight ‘lil cunt.”

He squeezes a little harder as you groan; the lightheadedness washing over you the exact same time your orgasm crests. Your entire body feels tingly down to your fingertips digging into the leather and the only thing that spills from your lips are broken cries of Jihoon’s name.

Jihoon follows suit, grinding against you as he cums hard; eyes rolling to the back of his head when he feels your walls fluttering around his throbbing cock. He unintentionally squeezes your neck a little harder as you whimper, placing a hand over his as you gently ask him to ease his grip.

“F-fuck, baby, I’m so sorry!” His eyes fill with worry, letting go of your neck as he lets down your leg from his shoulder. He stays sheathed in your warmth as he checks over you, making sure that you were okay.

“Shit, did I hurt you? Fuck, I won’t forgive myself if I hurt you!”

“Ji--Jihoon, ‘m okay, really! It was just a second…” You catch your breath, leaning up to smooth his sweaty hair. “I promise, you didn’t hurt me.” He can’t wipe the worried look on his face but he nods, leaning in to kiss your forehead.

“I’m really sorry, I wasn’t thinking. It was stupid of me.”

Jihoon helps you get somewhat cleaned up, apologizing profusely when the two of you maneuver back into the front seats. He opens up the windows to let in some of the cool summer air as he starts the car.

“Sorry, I’ll get us home so you can take a shower and get some sleep. It’s been a long night.”

You nod, watching as he turns out of the parking lot and heads back for the highway. And it doesn’t take long before you’re back at your place; having dozed off in the car for however long it was. Jihoon parks the car in the front, turning to you.

“I’m gonna… uh, grab you some of your favorite ice cream from the 24 hour store down the street. It’s the least I can do after the way I acted tonight. Why don’t you head in and get showered? And don’t wait up for me. I can see how tired you are, so just go to bed okay? I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He flashes you a genuine smile, eyes forming crescents as he tucks a strand of your hair behind your ear.

“Are you sure? It’s getting kinda late though…”

“No, no, no! I acted stupid and you even hit your head on the window when I pushed you. Please, let me just treat you a little. And maybe clear my head a bit before I come home.” You nod slowly, unbuckling your seatbelt.

“Don’t take too long, okay? The bed gets cold without you.”

“Mm, I promise.” ...That taking care of Jeonghan will be quick enough for me to grab the fuckin’ ice cream and be back in an hour.

[moonlit-imagines]

Camping Whenever

Peter Parker x reader

warnings:

a/n: IM WRITING AGAIN SORT OF and tbh i kinda feel bad for not posting as much but HOLY SHIT does life keep kicking my ass

prompt: anonymous: “Hello Lacey! Could I request Peter Parker x female reader with the prompts 34. I just want to cuddle by the fire for a while.” + 47. “I want to look at the stars for a while.”, please? Bonus points: if it’s romantic/fluffy at the end!! ✨ Thanks so much!! x”

So you and your friends snuck out for the night, it wasn’t that big of a deal. It was harmless, really. The group of you had a special spot some ways away, Flash had picked it himself...and taken the liberty of driving everyone, even Peter. Maybe he was just trying to get on your good side.

You were on the egde of your seat from start to finish of the car ride.

“Y/N, sit back. The spot’s not going anywhere.” Peter gently placed his hand on your shoulder, easing you back against the seat so he could wrap his arm around you.

“I know,” you mumbled as you leaned onto his shoulder, squishing your cheek, “I just want to get an early start on all the fun.”

“It won’t be much fun with Parker here.” Flash cackled and made the car go silent, he even caught your death-glare when he looked into the rearview mirror.

“Don’t listen to him, babe.” You rolled your eyes and felt Peter plant a kiss on your head.

“Ugh, gross.” MJ growled with the scrunch of her nose.

“Do you really have to do that every time I kiss them?” Peter turned to her and watched a mean smile creep onto her face.

“Yes. Yes, I do.” She turned up her earbuds and stared out the window, then it got quiet again...

“Are we there yet?” Ned asked and everyone groaned. “What? It doesn’t hurt to ask!”

—————

The sun went down and the other stars were out, it was such a beautiful sight to see outside of the city. You couldn’t always take in the full beauty of the sky at night with all those city lights getting in the way.

“Anyone want to tell a spooky story?” Betty asked while flipping on a dim flashlight. How anticlimactic.

“No.” The rest of you replied, killing Betty’s mood. Her frown was almost heartbreaking, but she’d get over it. For now, the six of you would just roast marshmallows, or throw them at each other until one of you accidentally hit MJ and she retaliated. You and Peter ducked out before it could get that far.

“Watch your step, baby.” Peter led you through the brush where twigs and leaves cracked underneath your boots.

“You know, I never get used to you calling me ‘baby.’” You giggled. “It sounds silly.” Not going to lie, Peter was a bit offended, but he simultaneously understood where you were coming from.

“Well, I could keep saying it until it sounds right.” He teasingly suggested, tickling the crook of your neck until you screamed, which didn’t take long. “Alright, alright, I’m done. We’re almost there, anyways.”

“But I just want to cuddle by the fire for a while.” You whined as Peter led you to the clearing near the cold body of water reflecting a luminous moon.

“And I want to look at the stars for a while. Will you stay with me?” Peter crouched onto the grass and reached a hand out as an invitation to join him, his eyes shined just as much as the water.

“Oh, alright.” You caved and joined your hand in his, nearly losing your balance as he tugged you down. You knew he’d always catch you though, so there wasn’t a thing to worry about.

Except for the screams of Flash and Ned?

“Should we go back?” You shot upwards and felt a hand tenderly trace down your arm.

“Don’t go. I’m guessing someone hit MJ with a marshmallow.” Peter got you to calm down some after hearing shocking noise, engulfing you in his sturdy arms from behind. “I don’t think you want to get chased by a flaming marshmallow, do you?” You felt his smile against your scalp after he gave you a few kisses, he sure made you feel loved.

“I suppose we could hold off on that for the night.” You let yourself lean back into Peter and notice the beautifully clear night sky in it’s full effect, tuning out the disturbing screams from your exhausting friends. “I love you, you know?”

“I love you, too.” He whispered back, rocking slowly from side to side while you started feeling more and more tired. “I promise I’ll remember this night forever. Can’t get better than this.”

“Guess we’ll have to wait and see.”

taglist: @alwaysananglophile // @rorybutnotgilmore // @locke-writes // @sweetheartliz07 // @queen-destenie // @natasha-danvers // @lokihiddles // @frostedgiantfavs // @emygirl // @lotsoffandomrecs // @johnmurphyisbisexual // @teenwaywardasgardian // @pappydaddy // @captainshazamerica // @freya-xo // @ravenmoore14 // @thisetaernallove // @ofthedewthesunlight // @canarypoint // @zoeyserpentluck //

[goldentsum]

━ socs and greasers

CHARACTERS: kuroo tetsurou and oikawa tooru

GENRE: fluff, a little angst

AUTHOR’S NOTE: oikawa’s a bit longer! i got too excited while writing this cus i rewatched ‘the outsiders’ soooo yeah,, here~

━ kuroo ♡

a gREASER WITHOUT A DOUBT! CAN YOU IMAGINE HIM WITH SLEEK HAIR AND SPORTING LEATHER OR DENIM AND THAT COCKY SMIRK ON HIS FACE---

ahem i mean yeah kuroo tetsurou is most definitely a greaser

Kuroo always scares those socs half to death with his tall height and intimidating aura but tbh he’s a softie

Though he won’t lie that the leather and denim aesthetic was kinda his style and scaring socs was too amusing for him

He most def has a busted second-handed car that he bought with his own money cus his parents doesn’t give a shit to even give him money

He lives with himself now as he run away from the dysfunctional family he had because he’s gonna go crazy if he hears another full blown fight his parents always has

I headcanon his s/o to be a soc and his childhood friend along with kenma, whos a greaser omg

You’re the daughter of a huge businessman who always leaves you on your own most of the time

you became friends with kuroo and kenma when yall met in the vacant lot with the two sporting bruises which made your motherly instincts go haywire even at a young age

Before you and kuroo became a thing, he was just admiring you from a far cus you’re a soc and he’s a dirty greaser but you always remind him that you really don’t really care about that

though kuroo doesn’t really wanna mix you up with his problems,, afraid that someone might hurt you,, soft boy :((

You were just too good to him that it hurts... you always make sure he has enough food in his house, always patching him up after a brawl, always making sure he’s okay, and just always there for him...

with you being like that,, kuroo can’t help but fall...

After accepting the fact that you were no longer the sister he always thought he’d have and that he started to see you more as a woman,, he started being softer, noticing certain quirks and features he didn’t see before,, while being a bit awkward because he doesn’t know how to act really

Kenma always catch kuroo staring at you which he always call him out about

“you’re staring awfully obvious there”

“shut up, kenma... i wasn’t starin”

he totally was pft

And it might not look like it but kuroo is really good at school! he has the best grades in his class and he’s hella cocky about it, rubbing it on the poor socs’ faces in his class

He even tutors you cus you were flanking chem :DDD fUN

Kuroo loves spending time with you! even if it’s just some tutor session but it always ends up with you pouting because you can’t understand it and him getting a headache at the amount of times he repeated it already

One night, he was out riding in his car, pouty that he didn’t see you for about a week now

Then he saw you getting ganged up by 3 taller socs at the street and he was LIVID god help those socs

He just stopped his car and run up to them, punching them without any warning,,, His tall and muscular stature helping him,, he won at the end but they got a number on him ngl which you were angry about

“Why would you do something as stupid as this, Tetsu?!”

“It ain’t stupid, doll... just wanna make sure you’re alright”

“You’re so stupid.... but.. thank you, tetsu...”

god he loves the way you say his name like that

“Well, i can’t have my girl get disrespected by those shitty--”

“your girl?” 

You were staring at Kuroo with a soft gleam inside your eyes

Kuroo just wanted the ground to swallow him up and die,, why the fuck did he just say that?!--

“That sounds nice... I like it...” You said after seeing kuroo’s internal monologue, giggling softly

Kuroo sighed in huge relief, cupping your cheek with his coarse hand that felt so familiar to you

Touching your forehead with his, “It’s official then. You’re my girl”

“Yeah... but first let’s clean up your beaten up face”

of course... it really won’t be you without you ruining the moment but kuroo won’t have it any other way

━ oikawa ♡

a SOC AND HE’S ONE OF THOSE ARROGANT LITTLE SHITS!

He is fILtHY RiCh! fILTHYYY!!

has a reputation about being a flirt with his pretty face

Oikawa: it’s just a struggle being this pretty~ aND I’M RICH TOO sigh

IWA IS SO DONE WITH HIM PLEASE HELP THIS BOI

A well known jock who gets all the girls with his charms and a flirty smile on his face

Oikawa knows how well he got people wrapped around his finger and he feeds off the power he has

Loves shopping and spending money on useless shit he won’t even use,, he’s unafraid to sPEND cus it’s not like it’ll dent his bank account

aND ALSO BECAUSE HE AIN’T WEARING THOSE UGLY KHAKIS! NO WAY IN HELL! he did once though and iwa, makki, and matsun made fun of him

NOW HOW YALL MET IS SO FUN

You’re a greaser, a terrifying one at that

Your group was in the movie drivethru with your busted cars and leather and denim clothes

aND Lo and behold he’s also there,, though he’s with a date and Iwa, Matsun, and Makki were tagging along

a brawl start up with your group and some socs AND OIKAWA HAS TO SEE THIS DRAMA

He wanted to look good to his date so he went and tried to be the “hero” and stop the brawl

You got irritated and punched him right on his nose surprising him and knocking him off his feet

IWA, MATSUN, AND MAKKI WERE LAUGHING THEIR ASSES CUS THAT WAS THE BEST THING THEY JUST SAW

Oikawa stared up at you, nose aching and bleeding, wide teary eyes from the pain

And you stared down at him, a deadly glare on your face as you tugged on your leather jacket, scoffing at the soc

Your group quickly left when someone called the cops,, yall ain’t going to prison now,, nope

Oikawa was left there, sitting on the dirty ground with his nose bleeding and welling up eyes,, It took Makki and Matsun to help him up with Iwa staring at him like, are you okay, dude tf?

“I think I’m in love”

Now that was not what they were expecting, they expected something extra but definitely not that kind of extra,,

His date got irritated at that and dumped her drink at his feet, stomping away but Oikawa barely flinch,, too occupied in his thoughts on who you were

He spend an entire week looking for you because he just can’t get you out of his mind,, you were the first girl to ever pull a stunt like that and it was amusing masochistic bastard

When he finally saw you, you were in a diner with your group and his heart got all fluttery and shit and he got scared because tHAT WAS UNUSUAL! WTF WAS THAT FLUTTERY FEELING?!

He mustered up all the courage he had and marched up to the table, looking straight at you,, barely looking at anyone else

You raised a brow at the familiar brunette but you couldn’t really place your finger on where you’ve seen him then it hit you,, yOU HIT HIM LAST WEEK,, STRAIGHT IN HIS NOSE and the redness on his nose was evidence enough

You started to speak cus what if this soc get you arrested like nope you ain’t having that,, “Look dude, I don’t want any trouble--”

“Go on a date with me” 

Your whole table was laughing at you making you fluster up in embarrassment cus wtf is with this weird guy,, you punch him then a week later he shows up claiming he wants to go on a date with you???

oH this was pay back,, okay you got it

tHAT WAS YOU THOUGHT IT WAS BUT OIKAWA REALLY PERSISTENT,, ALWAYS APPEARING AND ASKING YOU ON A DATE,, REJECTION AFTER REJECTION the guy just won’t stop

Finally, you agreed! Oikawa can’t stop giggling on the way home and got already took out multiple outfits for your date

On the day of your date, he was immaculate with his outfit! He also fixed his already perfect hair and got to the place where you guys will meet up at half an hour early with a bouquet of flowers in hand,, he was that excited!

but 2 hours already passed and you were no where to be seen... D; did you just stood him up? aND WORSE OF ALL IT STARTED RAINING ruining his outfit and hair and making the flowers in his hand all soggy and gross

Oikawa slumped on the the fountain, sAD AS FUCK

while you were snickering in your car driving on the opposite side of town but then a punch of guilt made way to your gut...

what if he waited there?.... and its raining...

goddammit,, and like that your car turned around and drove to the park where you and oikawa planned to meet up.

You stopped the car in front of the fountain and your heart shattered when you saw the familiar sitting figure on the fountain in the pouring rain.

“fucking hell, this idiot”

You stomped your way to him, your leather jacket on your head trying to shield yourself in the harsh rain and stopped in front of the soc

“You’re late...” His croaky voice was really not helping your guilt,, fucking hell...

“tch... Let’s go idiot!” You pulled him up and dragged him in your car

There was tense air inside the car with you grumbling on your seat and Oikawa pouting sadly on his, slumping more

“Look... I’m sorry about this... I’m sure you’re a nice guy,, i think... L-Let’s start over, yeah?”

Oikawa perked up and looked at you at the corner of his eyes,, he hated the fact that he was happy rn... he was supposed to be mad at you,, he waited 3 hours for you and an hour in the rain, hoping you’ll come to him

“Fine... but you owe me one!”

“yeah yeah, idiot soc”

[mc-doppomine]

My Ranking of Matenrou Songs

All done in good fun and is just my silly opinion. Music is totally subjective and what I find to like may not be what you come to like. So take everything with a handful of salt. Includes all of their album songs. I’m not including the battles as that’s probably deserving its own listing. Will throw Wrap & Rap and Lesson in there for fun too.

Overall, I think Matenrou is sort of hit or ‘eh, it’s fine’ for me. It’s either such a bop, that’s all I’m listening to for weeks. Or it’s one that I might go seek out either for researching purposes or it’s just specific mood. No real in between. And that’s probably because of the major differences in their members. It’s clear they were formed because of Jakurai’s eccentricity and fondness of it. And with any of the crews, I tend to like the team ones. I just like hearing different voices coming together. Especially when theirs is made to sound nice together. So yeah. 

13) Welcome U - It just didn’t feel like a Matenrou song for me. I’m sorry! I have no idea what Matenrou songs are but this just wasn’t it for me. I just didn’t vibe with it. Which is weird considering this was the first major song of Matenrou and technically my first since I did do the anime series first. But let’s put it like this, I can literally remember every other thing of the entire episode that featured this song...besides the song. Everything. But. The. Music. Of a series where the music is the focus. That’s not good. But to be fair, I more or less like one song from each team from the anime and Welcome U was not it for Matenrou. 

12) Papillon - Mmm, I dunno. I like the song in theory since it is very much them just kicking back and that’s cute. In practice? I don’t know how it didn’t click for me. I don’t think it was because of the talking because that was done in Ohayo Ikebukuro and I like that one. And I do find it fun as it absolutely sounds like them talking in the car. Maybe it’s just which styles blended together? I really can’t place why I do not like this one as much. Don’t hate it, don’t love it.  

11) Champagne Gold - I know! I know! I don’t know how we came to this considering I like Hifumi over Jakurai. But I just couldn’t get into this one! Maybe it was at a disadvantage because it was such a stark contrast with the others on the album. I have no idea. I do know I was a little put off by call back since it really just sounded like him in a higher pitch...which is fine but I’m pretty sure they just used a girl’s voice in an earlier part of the song and I just don’t get why didn’t use something like that for the call back. And too many champagnes. I am concerned for your liver, Hifumi.

10) The Champion - Poor frickin’ Hifumi. I’m sure he had to despair when he was looking through the verses of his teammates. Like do you guys know how to write a victory song??? Which is a shame because Hifumi’s verse and style was so suited for this sound. I honestly I don’t think it was the the verses so much as the chorus though? I know their voices generally sound deeper than most of the other divisions but felt like worked against them in this song. 

9) Lesson - And I think this is the last of my ‘I probably wouldn’t look it up too often’ songs on this list. I honestly thought Ramuda took the show in this one but I mean it kinda makes sense since this was him teaching Jakurai and of course Jakurai is gonna sound clumsier than him. I find this one really cute. It also was fun listening to how the beat switched up for every lesson. I think it’s only lower because I don’t have a way to listen to it consistently. But I do think of Jakurai actually ‘putting up his white flag’ to Ramuda and Ramuda able to point out Jakurai’s strengths was also super cute and also super sad thinking about what came after this. 

8) Party wo Tomenaide and You Are, Therefore I Am - Yes, I had a tie. Mainly because they have the same reasoning for being here. And that’s that they both have tripped me into their arms and not let me go. I wasn’t too into them before but both of them have grown on me. Ah, I think Party wo Tomenaide’s lyrics just ends up attacking my feels and it’s one of those pop songs that are actually sad and I don’t know, somehow that’s a subset of my music tastes. Meanwhile I wasn’t into the ‘being taken to church’ songs that are usual in hip-hop genre but I was really surprised by the content of the lyrics and it honestly sounds like Jakurai’s happy in this one. 

7) Fallin’ - This may have a slight edge just because I just think of that entire frickin’ episode when I listen to that song. And I dunno, anyone else feel like this was like them testing out if Matenrou could do the pace for what would be Tomoshibi? That’s what I feel like with that one. 

6) Labyrinth Wall - I feel like not a lot of people like this song. And I mean, I guess if I had think about the lyrics for a long time, I probably would be like ‘you okay over there Jakurai?’ But I dunno, the pace and the off-vocals? Banger. That swell into his chorus? Absolutely fucking great. Naaa...! Shindara doko ni--I chose this over frickin’ Tigridia for my ringtone for that part.

5) Tigridia - I originally had loved Tigridia first and that’s mainly because it was the first song I was listening to that used Doppo’s ‘natural’ voice all the way through. He has a nice voice! The sax is hella sexy in the background. Nice little bit of jazz. I’m surprised this wasn’t my friend’s favorite track tbh. But it eventually got beat out as my knowledge of hypmic grew.  

4) Wrap & Rap - Look. Look you can judge me all you want but this is one of those songs that could be played while I’m at some of my worst and I can’t help but smile at it. It’s my Sugar Song and Bitter Step. It’s a dose of seretonin and has to be parsed out because I have to go looking for this song if I wanna listen to it.  

3) Black or White - Yeah yeah, go ahead. Be unsurprised that my fave is at the top of the solos. But to be fair, I fell in love with Doppo’s verses and songs before I fell for him. Black and white ended up a hit for me with its vibe (although I admit I found a cover first and only realized when I going back through songs). When I learned the lyrics, I can’t help but smile and feel those words in my bones of miserable workdom. It makes my terrible shifts bearable.

2) Tomoshibi - I get so emotional over this song still. And it’s just. So. Vulnerable. I don’t know how to describe the feeling I get of actually thinking about the lyrics. And then just the music itself. It’s like a drive in the evening or early morning as it starts raining (I actually do often listen to this song on my morning drives). I’m never gonna stop getting got by the interjections of their teammates within their verses and how their tone changes after being picked up by that person. I can’t even with that--! It isn’t so slow it’s ballad-y but it’s not a dance thing. Which may be why it is just below my number 1. 

1) Shinjuku Style ~ Don’t Make Us Laugh ~ - If it hasn’t occurred to y’all by now, I’m a being in love with vibe of let’s fuck shit up and being a bad bitch. And that’s all I got from this song. Like how no one heard this song and didn’t go for the throat with these bastards is anyone’s guess. Especially since that Hifumi’s best diss verse and he chose VIOLENCE. And they just? Had such strong boss energy??? I don’t know how to put it! I love the mania of Doppo’s verse and also I continually laugh because he and Jakurai literally call Doppo and Hifumi some psychopaths. Like you wouldn’t think that dealing with them. Then you meet them on the battleground and you know it’s not an idle threat. This is one of those songs that if I had to get pulled over, let it be while I’m peeling down the highway to this. 

[beecherdrysdale]

Hiii how are you ? I fell down the stairs today and cried for a minute straight #hormones. Dw I have a high pain tolerance but I just started sobbing lol. It happens. LONG post ahead, I kinda went off hehe.

Anyways let’s get started!! Yes quinton gets to be upfront because he would probably feel so uncomfortable(no offence) with all the sexual tension going on there if dyl or jamie were in the front hehe. But yes they would be bitchy about who gets to sit upfront “ no Jamie it’s mine turn to sit with Brigid” “ no it’s my turn dylan you just sat with her” so brigid would get fed up and banishes them to the back hehe. Lmao Brigid can we listen to Katy perry now? The silence!! And then no can we listen to Lady Gaga?. Quinton trying not to lose it in the front seat. If I had to chose tho I would chose lady gaga:) wbu?

Get ready to be beat! Yes Ryan is absolutely not sitting upfront w me! We would be crazy and I wanna win so. Quinner is sitting up front w me but he decided to be .... and I’m banish him to the back. Braden is the most chill so he’s sitting upfront and giving me directions!! Haha dyl yelling at you to drive faster, but no I will beat both hehe;). Kesh who’s sitting up front w you? Would Kirby be handsy😏?. We would have to make so many stops lol. Like it’s just nostalgic for us, but new for you so it would be fun to make pit stops. and we would just be taking so many Instagram photos as a group and w our boys and together ! We love that ! “Wait wait wait Lexi pull over, I remember this place I wanna take photos” lol this is bad hehe.

Lmao yes, your hair would be so tangled!! They would be panicking a bit because they’re like omg she’s gonna be so mad.... honestly Ryan would just take the photo and then post it but then Dylan would repost it and then Jamie and then me lol. Honestly I kinda love when people just take videos of being in the car w like the scenery showing, but this would include us laughing and listening to music! I hope they makes sense. Hehe Ryan or Dylan would probably take photos of Braden, cozzy and devon sleeping and would post it. Back to the hair: hehe yes I can see you giving them a death glare when you realize and your getting mad and would hide. I’m just imagining this in my head, like me pulling over and you running out of the car and quinton and devon fixing your hair lol. Somebody would be filming this no doubt.

Music wise, yes I love blasting music and people looking but it’s kinda a flex when they see who we are with.... I like rap too! What song do u like Brigid?. Country will be played and 2000’s which is fun! I’m good with anything !. Kesh I love hype up songs as well and bass heavy songs because they sound good on speakers hehe. I’ve been into Rihanna for the past week and I was working out to her music- where have you been, rude boy, bitch better have my money lol, pon de replay hit different but also S&M for some sexiness. Lmao sorry I’m just listing Rihanna songs that I love atm. What are your fav songs right now? Awww dancing on the side of the road is so soft, but everybody needs a dance break! Cozzy, Devon and Braden are some how still passed out, I admire that. Late night drives🥺 are we spicing this up 😏.

Hehe you and devon are swamped w emails and more and you’re like kirby can you please go w them we need somebody to watch them. Als yes quinton go take those hot photos . I admire Dylan’s sleep schedule, like good job on catching up on sleep. Kirbys just trying to sweet talk you and kiss you so that you wouldn’t be mad. All in all, kesh is just shocked like how is that possible? Lmao Brigid, Ryan and I w the shopping cart just stocking up on popcorn, chips m&ms, I love that. Jamie and Dylan are racing each other to see who can grab the most cereal and made sure that they are getting the correct ones for Brigid. Honestly all the boys are just confused about how grocery shopping works hehe. The crackhead energy. Kirby is panicking. We literally bought out all the snacks. Beaver tails are delish and I know where you can get them so 😃. I want to stuff Quinner’s mouth w beaver tails cuz that’s cute:) yes healthy food is a must, like fruits, veggies, rice cakes hehe. But remember that we are going to workout on this vacay hehe. After the grocery store we would go into the mall or something and the boys would just be wanting to buy video games 😂 and ps5’s. Also kesh I love how some of the boys are just trying on clothes. Why do I get a feeling that one of the boys would just be filming all of this?

The chirping will happen nonstop, I’m sorry it’s just to much inspo. Aww yes they are blushing real hard, cuz they like you soooo much. But Brigid is enjoying touching them so no prob.

The boat is a must and it is happening!! Hehe yes the tubing would be chaotic, everybody is just trying to get each other to fall in 😂. Ryan thinks that he’s getting away w pushing me in but SIKE you are coming with me. So then we’re just fighting in the water. Quinner would be like where did they go?. Hehe brigid gets so wrapped up in laughing at us that Braden pushes her in haha. Yes we all look super hot in our bikinis, and the boys are speechless! Like dyl and Jamie are just like wow, she looks so amazing! And Kirby is so in love w you, he’s like I’m the luckiest man ever. I’m still gonna make sure that I wear a non tie bikini so that it doesn’t untie, like one time I was in the boat and my friend pulled on the string and the entire thing untied and I just jumped in the water to retie. That is not happening again lol. Quinner would be mad hehe. Idk I’m seeing Brigid in a black bikini or maybe a dark blue one? It would match your eyes?. Kesh in a red one or yellow and me maybe in a green one or just black lol. Hehe yes kesh and Kirby are just doing cute couple stuff and keeping an eye out but we are to chaotic to maintain .

Hehe yes ig we are clingy but cute drunks but I get kinda wild when I drink so the body shots would def happen. It would be hot tbh. Yes somebody do body shots w Brigid. Dylan would step up first, and he would be enjoying it and then Jamie sees and is like no it’s my turn so he does it and in the end it’s just a competition and you all get drunk hehe. Kesh and Kirby are the parents of the clubbing trip no offence.. like wanna go help cozzy and devon? Hehe lol I could just be dancing w Brigid and the boys would get jealous and one of them would just come up and be like excuse may I cut in, and i would be like tf but then they give me a glare and I go dance sexy with Quinner or crazy w Ryan. Kesh and Kirby should dance at least at one point during this time. We all look hot btw :)

Hehe yay I can be friends w Dylan :) I want that friendship to happen tbh. but he’s getting jealous but I’m like let them have their moment, so I distract him a bit w talking.

Girls day is a must! I wanna hang out w you so badly. Some cute clothing will be bought! Ooo yes us modelling and them being in awe. Oo kesh a different modelling show w the boys 😏. The boys are getting handsy esp Dylan and Jamie hehe. And they are super protective so no other guy at the club gets any ideas. After tho it’s biker shorts, sweat pants and hoodies type of vacay lol .

Thank you for reading ! Hope you enjoy mes chéries💗🌸

yes ok so loooong post ahead people

oof that tough falling down the stairs lol. honestly i’m not doing to great right now bc i did not do as well as i wanted at my meet, so now i’m in a funky headspace. but hopefully answering this ask will help, and i can get my shit together before my events tomorrow (which are actually my important events)

haha yes dyl and jamie would just be arguing like “no it’s my turn to sit in front, no you just did it’s my turn” lmao. and then whenever they’re sitting in the front there’s just too much tension for quinton to deal with lol. so then i feel bad for quinton so i banish the other guys to the back and let him sit in the front hehe. and i’m just ignoring the other guys and refuse to play either of their music and i let quinton pick. and if we purposely pick songs we know the other guys hate, that’s a secret we’ll never tell. oof between those two idk, probably lady gaga, but again we’re not playing music jamie and dyl like lol. 

haha no, you get ready to get beat. i’m like an INSANE driver when i want to be. and ofc dylan is just yelling at me “faster brigid, hurry tf up! we have to beat everyone” so then we’re just zooming. but then obviously you’re doing your best to keep up so you have to banish ryan to the back so he doesn’t distract you. and then you let quinner sit up front until he starts getting too handsy bc you’re like no i won’t let myself get distracted. so then braden’s up front giving directions and trying to get you to go faster, but i’m still winning lol. and then kesh is also still in the race, and she and kirby are just chilling in the front bc everyone else’s asleep. ooooh yes making lots of pit stops bc nostalgia for all of you canadians. and then me and kesh are just seeing all the sights for the first time. oooooh yes all the cute insta pics we could take

ooooh yes people taking vids of like the music and scenery would be so cute to post as stories. and ofc all of us laughing and stuff, that would be so cute. anyways yes, my hair would be a hugeeee knot. and i would just give them the death glare, like you’ve got to be fucking kidding me. and jamie and dyl just try to hide from me, like they run away as soon as the car is stopped. and then devon and quinton fix it for me, god bless their souls. like i’m sorry, bc even i wouldn’t want to deal with that. ik how my hair can get. and this would be allllll over everyone’s stories ofc lmao

ok yessss our music game is on point tbh. ok so for rap, the artists i’m really into rn are juice wrld (rip i actually loved him sm), kid laroi (who learned from juice, so he sounds a lot like him), trippie redd, mgk, and nf. also iann dior, but he’s not so much rap as r&b. honestly any of their songs slap. and then ofc country and early 2000′s. and any music with good bass, but i think a lot of the artists i said have that. ooooh yes getting out to have a dance party on the side of the road. hehe it could be really crazy. or alternatively, it could be when you’re out on a late night drive and there’s a slow song on the radio and you guys just get out and slow dance to the song together no this is not at all inspired by the song slow dance in a parking lot anyways yes late night drives are so cute. but then of course they can get spicy 😏 in case you couldn’t tell i’m always down for it to get spicy lmao

haha yes quinton and dylan c. honestly have their priorities straight. and devon and kesh are swamped with director duties, so that leaves kirby in charge. so then ofc when we get home kirbs tries to sweet talk kesh, but she’s just not having it. she’s just like how? anywaysssss at the store we have the most duo of ryan and lexi, plus now i’m added into the mix, and it’s just a mess. like we buy a shit ton of popcorn, pretzels, chips, candy, etc. and we literally bought half the store’s supply of everything lmao. and then dyl and jamie are just in the cereal aisle trying to grab as much cereal as they can. whichever one of them gets we chocolate mini wheats i will love forever. and then kirby’s getting healthy food bc yk he’s trying to be responsible. so then kesh has to explain that his whole job was to make sure everyone else was getting healthy food, not just get it himself lmao. but honestly none of the guys actually know what they’re doing lmao. and then we obviously have to get beaver tails to so lexi and quinner can have a moment, but idk where you get those lol. but yes we will be working out a ton on this vacay, so it’s ok that we have sm junk food lol. and then after we’re done with food, the guys decide to wander the mall and then they just buy a ton of video game and then they’re trying on clothes lol. and yes obvi they’re videoing the whole thing bc they’re secretly middle school girls who want to have a blog lmao

hehe yes me getting chirped the whole trip, esp the boat day. and the guys are getting so embarrassed about it, but i just don’t care lmao. and then the whole boat day is so chaotic obvi. when ryan pushes lexi in, quinner will come back and just be confusion lmao. like where’s lexi. and then i’m dying laughing and then braden sneaks over and pushes me in lol. but yes we all look amazing in our bikinis. like kirby is just so in love with kesh and thinks she looks gorgeous 😍 and then dyl and jamie are just like damn you look hot about me lol bc we’re horny ones on this trip apparently. and i’ll wear a tie-back jolyn bc they actually stay on lol. and then ofc quinner thinks lexi looks super good, but then she tells the story about the last time she wore a tie-back and he’s just like why didn’t you do it again? lmao. ooooh for bikinis i like a black top with a print on the bottoms idk why. and then you guys in whichever color you want. also yes kesh and kirby are trying to be responsible during this, but it’s just not working lol

haha yep i can definitely see you and quinner being wild drunks together (it’s more like when the alcohol is wearing off that you guys get really clingy) so obvi you guys start doing body shots. and ofc it turns into a jamie/dyl competition bc what doesn’t? and then me and lexi are just dancing sexy together, yk like two drunk girls do, and then dyl or jamie tries to come over and cut in and at first you won’t let them but then you finally give in and go dance with quinner instead. and then yeah, no offense kesh and kirby, but y’all are the parents here. like making sure we don’t do anything too too dumb lmao. and also being a wingman for some of the other guys. but you guys def dance together at least a little bit too. and obvi we all look hot

yessss i feel like you and dyl could be super chaotic friends too. so the two of you are just chilling together and then you have to distract him lol, but then after that you have a different chaotic friend for when ryan’s not available lmao

yes yes yes, girl’s day would be so fun. and then we get a ton of cute new clothes so obvi we have to model them. and they’re all just in awe, like those are our girls. but then we also do private modeling shows 😏 and we all know how that ends. and then when we’re in our clubbing clothes obvi they are getting super protective over us bc we look so hot and we’re their girls, so no other guys can get ideas. but then once they’re drunk they’re handsy as hell lol. but then the rest of the vacay ends ups spent in hoodies, sweats, and athletic shorts lol. and obvi some of the guys’ clothes

ughhhh i love this, the whole thing was amazing. 10/10

[datleggy]

I realize we are in the middle of a pandemic and possibly the worst thing to ever happen collectively to humanity, and that you're probably feeling as emotionally drained as I am... But I've reread your Buck Volunteer AU like 16 times in the past 3 months. It makes me happy. I realize writing might not make you happy right now, or give you energy or be on your mind. But reading is keeping me sane. So thank you for that little universe. I'll be here when you feel up to adding to it. ♡♡

these last few months have been pretty awful at every turn and have kinda made it almost impossible to write the way i’m used to (writing is like my lil escape from reality most of the time tbh) and this message made me really happy, i really appreciate this, so thanku. <3

and also, here are two lil random additions i’ve been v sporadically working on for the volunteer buck au?

and ima go ahead and tag the ppl i promised to tag(i hope i got everyone!)? i hope ya’ll don’t mind they’re unfinished snippets?

tag list: @ironbuckley @chrrlees @disgruntled-pelicant @nighting-gale17 @daughter-of-infinity @romeoandjulietyouwish @badbitchjackson @chitownwolf @lamalefix @moira3000 @heather-likes2review @demonwithasideoffries @pan-buck @fyeahhipsterdoctor @daylightisviolent @themoonyloveenvy @randomlyordinarlyed @jillibob44

SNIPPET 1.

Buck sneezes into his elbow, groaning miserably as he throws another load of laundry into the washing machine. He's been grappling with a cold for the past couple of days, and though as someone who works almost none stop, Buck should be relieved to finally have a few sick days off from work, the reality of it is, he's going a little stir crazy at home all by himself.

His studio apartment's never been as thoroughly clean as it is now, though, so Buck isn't too mad about the undesignated time off.

One minute Buck is putting his last quarter into the machine and the next he's lying sideways on the floor and there's a ringing in his ears and smoke filling up the laundromat, people screaming and scattering and dazed. Buck sits up carefully, confused until he sees the giant truck that smashed straight in through the giant glass windows.

He manages to stand up, ignoring the way the room starts to spin, and takes assessment of the situation, something he's learned to do while volunteering for the 118. It's a Wednesday afternoon so thankfully there weren't too many people inside doing laundry today, but those who were are all down, though some more out of shock than actual physical injury.

"Call 9-1-1!" Buck tells the laundromat employee, who's standing behind the counter, unharmed but horrified at the sudden destruction, and she nods hastily, getting out her cell. There aren't too many badly injured people, and those that are able, are helping those who aren't, so Buck limps over to the vehicle to check on the driver. He's a male in his thirties most likely, and by the empty beer cans on the bed of the truck it's obvious the driver's intoxicated.

He's passed out at the wheel, blood smearing his face from a laceration at the top of his forehead, but his pulse is strong and steady and nothing appears to be broken, upon Buck's initial examination.

There's a wailing to his left so, having confirmed the man will live to see his day in trial, Buck rushes to help. There's a woman on her knees, sobbing, with a little boy in her arms--he can't be older than Christopher. "Ma'am," Buck gets down next to her so that they're at eye level.

The woman clings to her child, shaking her head adamantly.

"I'm a doctor, I just want to check to see if your son's ok. Please." Buck exhales, relieved, when his words reassure the mother and she hesitantly lets go. He's breathing, but it's labored and from the sounds of it and all the fresh bruising on the boys' sternum, most likely he's got a collapsed lung. Buck looks to the employee who's still on the phone with 9-1-1 and asks for an ETA on an ambulance.

"The operator says two minutes!"

Buck curses faintly. He doesn't know if the kid has that long. As if to prove his theory, the boy stops breathing altogether, his skin turning a terrifying hue of blue. His mother's screaming now, completely inconsolable and a hushed crowd is starting to form outside of the laundromat.

The paramedics hop out of their rig but until firefighters get to the scene there's just no way they can get in without risking injury to themselves, since the car is blocking their way and has started to smoke fumes.

"Everybody please remain calm. The fire department's only five minutes out." they assure everyone. Weber and Jones; Buck knows them from working at the hospital and waves to get their attention. "Doc?!" Weber exclaims, when she spots him among the injured.

"This kid's got a tension pneumothorax, he's not gonna last five minutes without medical intervention. I need one of you to pass me a 16 gauge bore needle through the opening there so I can do a decompression!"

"You got it!"

The boys mother is close to hyperventilating at this point.

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

SNIPPET 2.

It's been a tough week--though that might be an understatement--and a part of Buck wants to stay wrapped up in a pile of one too many quilts and blankets, in the dark, watching bad romcoms and never leave his apartment ever again. But he's been so busy at work Buck hasn't had a single moment to text anyone from the 118, and he thinks maybe being around them might make him feel a little less like the world has come to an abrupt halt. He also hasn’t eaten anything besides instant ramen in over a week, and that can’t be good.

They’re in the middle of a card game when Buck shows up and Eddie begs him to join in. "It's way too easy taking Chim's money." he sighs. "I need a challenge."

Chimney gawks at him. "Big words from the man who was literally whining like a baby not five minutes ago. He was all, 'Oh I hope Buck comes in today. Buck didn't answer any of my texts this week. Do you think he's ok? Should I call him? Would that be too much?'" he pokes fun, only stopping when Hen flicks the back of his ear.

“Play nice.” she says. She sits down in the chair next to Buck and nudges his shoulder playfully. “Eddie wasn’t the only one worried, by the way. You suck at texting but I usually get at least a ‘K’ back--long week?”

Buck leans forward in his seat, elbows perched up on the table. “Yeah. Something like that.”

Bobby, who’s in the kitchen making breakfast for everyone, overhears the ongoing conversation and tilts his head in concern. The kid sounds wrecked.

“Sometimes it helps to talk about it.” Hen prods gently.

Buck chews on his bottom lip, nervous. He didn’t come here to unload his problems on his friends.

“You can talk to us.” Eddie says, reaching across the table to give his hand a quick squeeze. “You listen to my problems all the time--hell, I called you last week on your lunch break to yell about some asshole who cut me off in traffic.”

That manages to get a small smile out of Buck. “Ok, ok, I--” he takes a deep breath before starting. “I messed up.” he scrubs a hand over his face. Why hadn’t he seen it?

[zankivich]

The Assistant: Shawn Mendes x Personal Assistant: A One-shot

a/n: this is just me seeing if I could even still write for this man tbh. I’ve been getting very good at separating my emotions about the pr stunt, and I think that’s because I literally have blocked it from my social media in every way, shape, or form. Honestly when I wrote this I envisioned a black woman because that’s just where I’m at in life, but I never specified so....do with it what you will. K bye. 

WARNINGS: mutual pining, fluff, love.

“Stop it, jackass.”

“No Shawn, seriously. Stop!”

“Stop! We’re going to be late, and if I have to hear Andrew complain one more time about it, I’m kicking your ass, do you hear me?!”

Being the personal assistant to Shawn Mendes is basically the best job in the world. You got to travel all the time. You got to learn more about the music industry than your internship at a record label had ever taught you. And he just happened to be the sweetest, most wholesome person on the planet. Except for when he was getting on your goddamn nerves. This just happened to be his favorite past time.

You’d been his PA for four years and no one knew him better. You knew his coffee order, what size underwear he wore, and the brand of cough medicine he trusted most. You knew what made him scared in life, what one sigh meant from another when it came past his lips, and when he was hungry or tired or emotional. What you hadn’t been prepared for was for Shawn to learn these things about you. And what you should have prepared yourself for was the trouble that this would bring.

Shawn had spent the last twenty minutes playing with some nerf gun that Brian had bought. He thought it would be a wonderful idea to see if he could hit you with it from multiple points around his hotel room. Shawn was usually business all the time, and so you loved any opportunity for him to get to relax and be a twenty-one year old. He had taken advantage of this and was more excited for a nerf battle than the business meeting he needed to be at in forty-five minutes.

“You have goooooot to relax a little bit.” He sighed rolling his eyes and dropping the gun.

He made his way over to you and slid his oversized palms onto your shoulders. Screw him. He was so warm and tall and chiseled. Dumb. So dumb.

“I could relax a lot more if you just let me do my job.” You pouted.

He snorted softly and let his thumb touch your chin.

“Is this you pouting now? You’re gonna try and guilt trip me with a pout?”

“That depends....Is it working?”

He licked his lip and you honestly could have swung on him. There was no need for him to behavior is such a sensual matter. Damn him.

“I’ll get my shoes on.” He hummed in defeat. “Just don’t be sad.”

You smiled up at him. “Thank you.”

He paused for a second, his hands still poised on your shoulders. There’s a moment of silence where it’s just the two of you looking at each other. You up at the mammoth you called a boss, and him down at you with those honey brown eyes. You hated when he looked at you this way, like he might wanna try something, like he might actually care about you the way that you cared about him. All it did was cause you unnecessary hurt, and very vivid daydreams.

See there’s a running joke in the Shawn Mendes team. If you want Shawn to do anything, then you simply just call y/n. The two of you were closer than closer, and he seemed to trust you with his life. Eventually you had become friends. Close friends. And so it suddenly became less “go buy me a juice” and more “can I lay my head in your lap until my migraine passes”. When the road was cold and lonely and he had no one, it was you he cuddled up to. For Shawn it was the convenience of it. You were there and you could provide him with what he needed. But for you? God touching him was like lightning. And you hated every second where it wasn’t real, where it didn’t mean the same thing to him. More than anything you hated the way that you loved it, because it meant being in his orbit.

“Go get your shoes on. Please?” You whispered.

He nodded slowly and pulled away finally giving you a moment to breathe.

The ride to this meeting was a quiet one. You struggled with Shawn’s affectionate touches and the ridiculously soft glances. Every now and again it got to be too much, and you had to preserve yourself if you were going to stay afloat. Working for Shawn was a joy, but that didn’t stop it from hurting sometimes.

The car pulled up to the destination and Shawn went to open his door only to stop when you didn’t follow him.

“Aren’t you coming?” He asked.

You shook your head. “I’m gonna go pick up your suit for your party.”

“Oh...Well you’re still coming to the party right?”

“Of course. I’m on duty, Shawn.”

He frowned. “No you’re not. I invited you as a friend.”

“Yea well Andrew knows better than to let you go to an open party with alcohol without me, so...I’ll be there regardless.”

“Okay well...I’m sorry you have to put up with me for the night.” He mumbled closing the door.

You sighed and let your head fall back against the headrest. Now you were both in a bad mood. Ugh.

***

New Year’s Eve was testing your patience. Here you were looking good as hell, ass all poised and waiting to be grabbed. What did you get instead? Nothing. Not a look, not a squeeze. You took another sip out of your vodka soda and went to stand up only to figure out that the previous two drinks before it, were a little stronger than you remembered. Shit.

“Woops! I’m sorry!” You gasped knocking into someone behind you.

“Sorry I--Oh, hey.”

You bit you lip and peered up at Shawn. The suit looked even better on him now then it did when he first stepped into it. And then there were his rosey cheeks and the heat of the room getting to his curls by the moment. He was absolutely stunning, and you couldn't believe you were about to enter another year of being practically suffocated by the weight of him.

“Hi.” You murmured reaching one of his arms to stabilize yourself. “How are you doing?”

He shrugged. “I’ve been alright. It’s been kinda hard to have fun though. My best friend’s been MIA.”

You snorted. “Is that so?”

“Yep. She got mad at me earlier, and I’m not really quite sure why. Perhaps you could tell me. I hear men are pretty dumb.”

You let your body weight lean into him, and sighed happily when his hands fell to your waist. Usually you’d do anything to stay away from this kind of contact, but vodka is a hell of a thing.

“It’s fine. I’m over it.” You assured him.

His eyebrows scrunched together at your words. That sort of Canadian pout of his. It was extremely effective.

“See, but I don’t even understand why you do that. Sometimes it’s like you're pissed at me, and then maybe you decide to get over it all without ever telling me what I’ve done in the first place.”

“Look let’s just enjoy the night, huh? It’s New Year’s Eve. All your friends and family are here. Let’s not make it more complicated.”

“Fine. But only if you promise to stop sulking in a corner and come have fun with me.” He mumbled. “I’ve like missed you all day.”

It was moments like that that you just wanted to shake him and yell. How could he not see what he was putting you through? How was it not incredibly obvious how in love you were with him? But you could tell just by the look on his face that he was being as sincere as ever. Shawn was just too kind for his own good, and for yours apparently.

“Yea, okay. Let’s have fun.”

*two hours later*

You are drunk. And the only reason you know how drunk you are is because you’ve lost your ability to measure other people’s drunkness. As far as your ass is concerned, everyone is living their best life and no one is any drunker than one another. Dumb. You should have known Shawn was drunk off his ass the minute he started hugging strangers. But alas, if Andrew’s expectation was that you were meant to keep him out of trouble then...you just might be fired tomorrow.

“You smell amazing.” Shawn whispered in your ear as he threw himself onto your back, arms wrapping tightly around you. “Where have you been all my life?”

You giggled. “I’ve been here, kiddo. You know, controlling your day to day life, keeping you afloat?”

“Not like that. I mean...I mean like...where have you been ya know?” He mumbled taking a sip out of a champagne bottle.

Sober you would’ve gotten him straight to bed at this point. Drunk you was a little dumber.

“No I don’t!”

“You just...God you’re so beautiful ya know?” He huffed bringing your foreheads together. “It drives me crazy.”

“What? What did you say?”

“Y/n I--”

“Shawn!”

And just like that, one minute the boy you like is hovering over you with heart eyes and the next his friends are practically picking him up. Jon, Brian, and Connor descended like wolves, quickly rushing Shawn away from you.

“We’ll be right back!” Bryan called over his shoulder.

You were left to your own devices and the only thing you could think to do in your drunken state was...to go complain to Aalyiah about how dumb her brother was. You know, like a crazy person.

“Hey what’s wrong?” She asked softly, not nearly as drunk as you. It must have been the whole underage thing.

You shook your head. “Your brother is an idiot.”

“Oh I’m aware. But why in particular is he an idiot this time?”

“He just can’t communicate jackshit unless it’s in a song. Can’t tell anyone how he feels. Just likes to stick his dumb, big head everywhere with his dumb big eyes and his dumb smile. I’m sick of it, ya know?”

Aaliyah smiled softly at you and squeezed your shoulder.

“Oh you poor thing. You want me to talk to him?”

You eyes widened. “No. Oh no, ‘Lyiah, not at all. I was just blowing off steam.”

“Uh huh…”

“No seriously. Promise me you won’t say anything.”

She rolled her eyes. “But y/n--”

“No promise me!”

“Alright, alright, Jeez. I promise.” She groaned. “But for the record if this is how complicated adults liking each other is, I want no part in it.”

“‘Liking’? Who said anything about liking?”

“Oh y/n...Please.”

“I liked you better when you were younger and shyer.”

*meanwhile in the corner on the opposite side of the party*

“What the hell guys!” Shawn muttered still trying to peer over the heads of people to see y/n.

Jon clicked his fingers in front of his face. “Excuse me? You told us not to let you get carried away with y/n tonight, remember?”

“...No. not really. And I retract my statement, now if you’ll excuse me...Goddamit, guys!”

They weren’t budging. And Shawn was pretty sure he was thinking clearer than he had in years. Save for the bottle of champagne in his hand.

“Bro, stop being an idiot, you’re blowing my high here!” Brian yelled at him. “You don’t want to fuck things up with y/n remember? You don’t want to mix business with pleasure! These are your words.”

“But...But...she’s so pretty.” He whined closing his eyes in despair. “So pretty.”

Jon snorted. “Oh to be young and in love. What a travesty.”

“Look we’ve got ten minutes until the ball drops. Let’s get you a fresh bottle of champagne and try to relax, aye?”

Shawn couldn’t quite do anything but pout.

“Fine. Let me go dammit.”

And thus the two were separate as the party began to re-hype for the ball drop. Brian got Shawn a bottle of champagne, his friends surrounding him on all sides so that he didn’t make any mistakes. Y/n was left to chill back in her corner. Without Shawn to hang out with, and his friends--which used to be her friends--being assholes, it was a lost cause.

At some point you were just waiting for the night to end. You wanted to go back to your hotel and sleep and forget all about Shawn’s dumb face when he told you how beautiful you were. What a joke. This whole night was a joke. Usually Jon and you would’ve spent the whole night making fun of all the white people, Connor would have hung on your hip like he always tended to do. Even Brian was a cocky son of a bitch who let you give it right back to him. But Shawn didn’t want to be near you for some reason. Friends. Yea right.

It wasn’t until everyone begin counting that you realized you weren’t in the mood at all. The excitement. The joy. It just wasn’t there. So you decided to leave. Meanwhile, at the clock struck midnight, Shawn busted open a bottle of champagne to spray his friends with. It’d been a hell of a year and he knew he deserved to celebrate a little bit. So the hugs go all the way around and he squeezes them tight enough that he hopes they know how much he loves them. He’s drunk and he’s happy and when those two things happen there’s typically on one person he wants to share that with. But it only takes one look around the room to see you’re not there. And that’s the opposite of what he wanted.

“Hey! Hey! Have you seen y/n?” He asked Jon who had quickly discovered his girlfriend’s throat after the ball drop.

“No man. And you shouldn’t either.” He huffed.

But Shawn had no time for his friend’s bullshit. This was the woman of his dream they were talking about here.

Brian was practically tripping balls and extremely ineffective. Connor was sympathetic but hadn’t seen her. His next best guess was Aaliyah, who was looking a little wobbily like maybe she’s stolen a drink or two. (He was too drunk and too fixated on y/n to remember that he’d been the one to give them to her).

“Sis, have you seen y/n? I can’t find her anywhere!”

She rolled her eyes. “No! But she probably got tired of the games and went back to her room.”

“What games? What are you talking about?”

“She’s tired of you acting like you want her until it gets too serious and then backing away and pretending you’re just friends. It’s bullshit and it hurts and she probably got fed up. Let me guess tonight’s plan was to have the guys keep you away from her?”

Having a sixteen year old sister who’s smarter than you is truly terrible.

He stared at her dumbfounded. “I…”

“Yea, that’s what I thought. Look if you don’t want to be with her just leave her alone. She’s not some play toy, alright?”

“I’m not--that’s not even remotely what’s going on!” He muttered at her.

“Well that’s what it looks like! Women aren’t stupid and you’re not clever, dumbass. Stop messing with her. It’s driving her crazy.”

He rubbed his hands over his face thankful when the music finally cut down as people took the time to huge and squeeze their loved ones for the new year. His little sister had never been one to let him off the hook, and it was nice to know some things weren't going to change in 2020.

“I’m in love with her!” He bursted. “I’ve been in love with her since the moment I saw her, and I didn’t want to let her go, okay? She’s amazing at her job and she’s my best friend. And I need her in my life. So, I thought I’d rather have a part of her forever than ever face the possibility of losing her. She’s not some plaything alright...she’s--she’s everything.”

And just like that the anger on her face twisted to happiness and she quickly reached to pat him on the shoulder. Teenage girls were practically navy seals mixed with ninjas or some shit.

“See, now was that so hard?”

“Look don’t take this the wrong way but I think you might be a sociopath.”

Aaliyah rolled her eyes again and pointed over his shoulder. He turned to see y/n standing there with her jacket in hand looking about as shocked as he felt. Suddenly the room was much warmer than he remembered, and his hair felt sweaty against eh back of his next. The cat was out of the bag.

“H--How much of that did you hear?” He asked you, walking slowly in your direction.

You bit your lip. “I showed up around the ‘love’ part.”

“Oh...okay. Do you wanna--can we maybe go somewhere and talk?”

“I don’t know. I’m drunk. You’re drunk. I’d probably just go to sleep thinking I made the shit up.”

He shook his head. “That couldn’t be y/n. I meant it. Every word.”

“Yea? Then prove it.”

“Prove it? How?”

“I don’t know! I’m drunk, shit.” You whined.

He rolled his eyes up at the ceiling and stalked closer to you until you had to peer up in order to see him. His warmth was intoxicating, the smell of campagne still fresh on his lips. This is dangerous territory. There are witnesses. No room for him to go back when he changes his mind in the morning. His fingers cup your cheek.

“Shawn.” You warned jaw going slack in his grip.

“You drive me absolutely crazy, you know that?” He whispered, breath fanning your face.

“Yea, the feeling is mutual...Don’t play with me right now.”

“I’m not. I swear to you. We can figure the rest out tomorrow, but for now, I love you.”

“Don’t say that unless you mean it.”

There were tears in your eyes threatening to fall, and your body as lose as it was from the alcohol was still struggling to let go. You’d dreamt about these words long enough that reality has begun to blur. Who knows what’s real and what isn’t.

“I mean it.” He hummed so softly against your lips. “I mean it, I mean it, I mean it. I love you. Let me show you.”

Leave it to your New Year’s kiss to come fifteen minutes late. But there’s not a care in the world when his lips are on yours. Your toes dig into the carpet as you lean up to kiss him something soft and chaste turning more dominant by the second. If this was a dream, let them never wake you up. Because it felt so real. So right. So soft.

“Happy New Year sweetheart.” He whispered against your ear.

And a happy new year it was.

The End.

Taglist: 

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[someonefantastic]

They Look So Pretty When They Bleed

I had fun interpreting this prompt :) This was gonna be my longest fic so far but tomorrows fic actually is longer so look forward to that. Anyways yay for making it to double digits! Also this is set ambiguously in s8 cause I love me some established shules. Summary: Shawn and Juliet are having a nice date night, what could go wrong? Warnings: stabbing, blood loss, passing out, some innuendos but nothing too outside of the show also on ao3 (this gets kinda long so it’d be better accessed on ao3 tbh) ___ “So Mr. Spencer,” Juliet started as they exited the restaurant and turned on to the boardwalk, “Where to now?”

Shawn grinned and grabbed her hand, a bounce in his step. “Well Detective O’Hara, I was thinking we’d go back home and pop in a movie. Maybe a little Netflix and chill action hmm?” He waggled his eyebrows.

She threw her head back, her laughter only causing his grin to widen. “You have a one-track mind sometimes.”

“Oh, I always have a one-track mind when it comes to you,” He smirked.

She rolled her eyes. “You know, that would be almost romantic if we weren’t just talking about sex.”

He gave a half shrug. “Tomato, cucumber.”

As her laughter subsided, he caught her looking at him out of the corner of his eye. “What?”

She gave him a soft smile, “Nothing. I just like looking.”

Even after almost three years of dating, his cheeks still flushed at the compliment. “Thanks. I like your face too.”

“Thanks, Shawn.”

“Anytime babe.”

It was a beautiful night. A warm, salty breeze came off of the ocean, turning the sticky humidity of the day into a gentle glow. Music faded in and out, as they passed restaurants and clubs, a chaotic symphony of noise. Waves crashed in the distance and the wooden slats creaked beneath their feet.

Shawn tugged on her hand, leading her towards the parking lot. Underneath a streetlight sat her green VW beetle, the interior illuminated. A tall man, clad in jeans and a hoodie stood by the front door, patting his pockets with fervor.

They exchanged looks.

“Is he trying to steal my car?” Juliet whispered, eyes darting from him to the guy.

He shook his head, “I doubt it. He doesn’t seem like the type. Look at him, he seems like he’s looking for his keys. Probably got your car mistaken for his own.”

She cocked an eyebrow. “You think he drives a green beetle?”

“Gus drives a blue echo.”

Pursing her lips, she bopped her head from side to side. “You’ve got a point.”

He turned his attention to the man who was still frantically searching his pockets. “Hey man, lost your keys?”

The guy jumped, whirling around, his eyes wide. Actually, he was more like a boy, had to be in his early twenties at least.

“Uh, yeah. I can’t seem to figure out where I put them.” His voice wobbled as he spoke.

He shifted his feet and Shawn noticed something glint in the corner of his sweatshirt pocket. Subtly, he took a small step forward, making sure he was closer to the guy than Juliet.

“Dang man, I hate when that happens. I lose everything. Last week I lost half a ham sandwich in my best friend’s desk. Boy was he not happy about that.” He chuckled.

The guy didn’t laugh, his eyes darting around the parking lot.

“Well anyway, I think I know one problem here.” The man’s eyes snapped to his face. “This isn’t your car.”

Shawn saw the muscles in his arms tense before he moved. His hand shifted inside his pocket, eyes wild and scared.

There was no time, he had to protect Jules.

The second he stepped in front of her, it seemed like the whole world slowed down. He saw the guy pull out a knife, the streetlights glinting off of the patches of metal that weren’t rusted. He watched as the knife was jabbed into his stomach, cutting through his grey button-up shirt and piercing his skin.

His vision blurred, a dull ringing beginning to creep into his ears. He was frozen, unable to move or speak in a mix of shock and something he couldn’t quite place. All he could do was watch as the guy moved towards Juliet. And as much as he wanted to tackle the guy or do something to protect her, he knew she could take care of herself.

His point was made as the assailant was met with a swift punch to the nose. That was his Jules.

Clutching his bruised, if not broken, appendage in his hand, she took advantage of the situation. Pulling up her dress’ skirt- if he was in his right mind he may have commented on that being incredibly sexy- and unholstering her gun.

“SBPD. Drop the knife.” Her voice was even and her eyes icy.

Blood was now running down the guy’s hand and his eyes were unfocused but he complied. The knife clattered to the ground. Not wasting any time she shoved him up against the side of the car, detaching handcuffs from her other thigh and clasping them around his wrists. At this point in their relationship, Shawn wasn’t even surprised that she had brought handcuffs on their date night, though he was a little disappointed that they weren’t going to be used on him.

Eventually- he couldn’t be sure when Juliet in cop mode was very distracting (also the knife wound but mostly Juliet)- he had wound up on the ground, leaning heavily against the rear tire. The area under his hand was wet and he could feel his heartbeat through his stomach. That wasn’t normal.

He heard the car door slam and Juliet knelt next to him, her eyes wide, breathing heavily.

“I called for backup, they should be here in ten.” She gingerly picked up his hand, gasping as she inspected the wound. “Shawn you’re losing a lot of blood.”

“Oh is that why I feel so lightheaded?”

“Might’ve hit an artery. Gosh, I hope not.” She muttered more to herself. Gripping the bottom of her light blue sundress, she tore the fabric.

His words were starting to slur together, but he couldn’t resist making a joke. “Wow Jules as much as I enjoy you undressing, I don’t think now is the time.”

Shaking her head, she wrapped one arm around his back and gently eased him away from her car and to the ground. “You’re losing too much blood, I gotta try to stop it somehow.”

As much as he’d usually love her touch, this time he wasn’t a fan. He bit back a scream, the pressure on the cut sending fire throughout his stomach. Her face twisted into a mix of sympathy and concern and she grabbed one of his hands.

Raising their joined hands, she pressed her lips against the back of his. “I’m sorry sweetheart.”

“So much for Netflix and chill.” He chuckled weakly.

He watched her apply pressure to the wound for some time. Even given their undesired circumstances, she was still beautiful. Her hair was down, it’s length and style reminding him of the time when she went undercover at a sorority house. He had been so enamored with her. Her quick wit, her sharp investigative skills, her empathy, the way she always kept him guessing, not to mention those great outfits. If someone had told him then, that he’d wind up in a committed relationship with her, even considering marriage, he would have simply laughed and told them to stop messing with him.

But even then he had been in love with her, though he didn’t realize it until much much later and admitted it later still. He loved her. Simple as that.

His vision blurred and his eyelids felt so heavy. It was getting harder to pay attention now. He was shaking, feeling so cold and yet sweating all the same. All he could feel was the pain. He didn’t want to close his eyes, to lose the vision before him, but he didn’t want to stay awake either. Maybe if he just slept for a bit, he’d have lovely dreams of Jules.

She felt his hand go limp. Whipping her head around, she watched helplessly as his eyes slid closed.

“No, no, no... Shawn!” Letting go of his hand, she gently patted the side of his face. His skin was cold. “Shawn, I need you to stay awake.”

When he didn’t respond she swore loudly. Of course, he passed out. He was losing blood- a lot of it.

Picking up her hand, she cursed again at the sight of crimson soaking through her torn dress fabric. Without hesitation, she tore again at her dress, replacing the bloody scrap with a fresh one. Applying even more pressure, she watched his face, looking for any response. She was met with none.

His skin was pale, an odd contrast to the dark stubble around his cheeks. Breathing too shallow for her liking but she could only focus on one thing at a time. Right now stopping- or at least slowing- the bleeding was the priority.

She ran a hand through her hair and then down her face. He couldn’t die. She wouldn’t let him. They still had their whole lives in front of them. Sure it had only been a few months since they got back together but marriage talks were already becoming more and more frequent. Late one night, he told her that their breakup had shown him that he didn’t want to live life without her. She had nearly proposed to him on the spot. But they were still getting back in their groove and engagement was a big step. She wanted him- both of them- to be absolutely sure about their decision before taking that step. Now she just hoped they’d make it that far.

“Shawn Spencer, if we get out of this, I’m gonna kiss you for all you’re worth. Or kill you. I haven’t decided yet.”

Hunched over him, her hair fell around her like a curtain. Brushing it behind her ear she slightly scolded herself for not wearing it up today. Curse Shawn and his love for her hair being down.

She tore again at her dress, scowling at the now mid-thigh length. If he kept bleeding like that, he’d get his wish about seeing her undressed.

As if sensing an opportunity to make a joke, he stirred. His eyes flickered open. Unfocused but still open.

“Shawn,” She gasped, feeling tears start to pool in her eyes. In the distance, sirens blared. There was hope for them yet.

The corner of his mouth turned upwards. Hand reaching out, he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You’re so beautiful.”

Later at the hospital, she would look in the mirror and laugh, much to the disturbed looks of the people around her. Leave it to Shawn to compliment her while her dress is half torn and her face is streaked with blood. Boy did she love him.

She'd tell him such as soon as he woke up.

[baeshijima]

Okay so u and waka,,, helping out at a kindergarten bc that way u could excuse urself from school work✨ how would that play out?

hgskdgfkks bb! and gg! tophie ditching school to play with children is probably one of the most wholesome things you can get 🥺

tophie taglist :  @ksyy / @ksyescribe + @cherryonigiri​ + @kukusbabe + @snazzieyama  + @kadoui + @kunimi-bby + @semiluvr + @pudding-head-kenma​ + @shinsuque + @luckywritesss + @astereim​ + @oyasenpai + @hikari-writes  + @namikxze + @haikoo + @pisces-mattsun + @mochiimii + @aexonian + @krusty-cheetahs + @cosmictooru  + @lcaita + @kuzuseijoh + @dramaqueenweeb1469​ + @aurumskyy​ + @akaashichigo + @catharsisbabey + @miki-snake

BB!GG!Tophie Helping At A Local Kindergarten

jsdfgjsdgkf

i’m already blushing and nothing’s happened ಠ_ಠ

lemme just start off by saying that it would be wakatoshi that brings the idea up

“sophie, i have an idea for tomorrow”

“if you mean egging the maths teacher’s car again, i’ll leave you like last time—”

“no that’s not what i meant, but that was fun~”

“it wasn’t,,, i had to sit there in the long lecture and apologise on your behalf since you weren’t going to”

“i still don’t see why you apologised”

“i don’t want to hear that from you”

“whatever you say, treasure (GJDHRSDGFKSDJGK I STILL DIE AT THIS OMFG 🥺) anyway, back to what i was saying”

ಠ_ಠ

“let’s help out at the local kindergarten for the day”

:O

“heh, i see i caught your interest~”

“would it be after school?”

“during”

. . .

“no”

“who said i was asking”

. . .

it took a while to convince me (it didn’t—) since i had a perfect attendance since i care about that education at times, but in the end i agreed

we ended up having wakatoshi call the school in saying i was sick and he was taking care of me since i didn’t want to not say anything,,,

but he already signed up and contacted the kindergarten, asking if he could bring me along with him today

at first i didn’t react, but then i took a double take

tODAY?? HE’S DONE THIS BEFORE???

yea

i knew he loved children, but i never would’ve guessed he helped out before

tbh, i should’ve guessed,,,

but he said to wear comfortable clothing

and guess what?

we wear couple outfits 🥺

oh!

we also baked cookies for the kids the night before too!!

that was fun 🥺

but since we both live on campus, we had to sneak out very early in the morning

we disguised it as us going on a run since we both do sports

and it was winter

so we would just say i came down with something the night before but it got worse after the run

very convenient if i do say so myself

i mean, no one questioned us so it was kinda useless—

n e way

we went to a cafe we’re regulars at and just chilled there for a while, had something warm to drink, shared some red velvet waffles and had a chat with the nice old couple who owns the place

they’re very sweet

the make a few,,, innuendos which i never catch on but wakatoshi does and he goes with it

while i’m sipping on my hot chocolate and our waffle—

but when it’s time to leave, they give us some more baked goods, on the house, to take and share between us

they’re very stubborn

when we get there, we change our shoes and greet the teacher of the class we’ll be helping out!!

her and wakatoshi are already familiar with each other so he introduces me to her

we set things up and then the kids come in

and let me tell you i had to hold back a squeal

and wakatoshi (the big oaf) just chuckled

damn him—

but anway

every time the children come in, they always shouted

“TOSHI-NII!!”

and honestly?

i melted

and combusted

just both tbh

and every time they do that, they turn to see me and just stare

some are excited

some ae shy

some are jealous as to why wakatoshi has his arms wrapped around me

oh boy

but the day went well? i think?

like, aside from all the jealous 4 year old girls trying to fight me for wakatoshi’s hand in marriage (i said they could have him and just fight between themselves. when i tell you wakatoshi was not impressed) it went well!!

we played with the children, helped them when they needed it, and my favourite part was giving them the cookies

it was before they leave that we gave it to them!! 

the teacher called their attention while wakatoshi helped me with the containers

the children were all giddy and it was the most sweetest thing i swear

they lined up in two lines, one for me and one for wakatoshi!!

and they said a happy “THANK YOU!!” each time they got one

🥺

some even gave me a hug 

😭

and then came some of the girls who wanna marry wakatoshi (some were in wakatoshi’s line and let me tell you i’ve never seen anyone happier than those girls iN MY LIFE—)

i noticed they kept shifting in the line and glancing at me

but me being the dumb person i am took no notice bc i had kids shouting their thanks, hugging me, kissing my cheek and wakatoshi’s burning stare drilling through me each time—

and when they reached me

oh my god

they started crying

anD I WAS LIKE

W H A T

so i whipped out my handkerchiefs bc i’m prepared like that and dry their tears, while telling them it’s okay and asking what’s wrong

onlY FOR THEM TO CRY MORE

by now the whole class is staring and idk what feels worse

not knowing what’s causing their tears, or a bunch of four year olds staring at us, along with the teacher and wakatoshi

rip

but you know what one of them said?

thrOUGH HER TEARS???

“y-you and tos-shi-nii should get marr-ried!! he lov-es you 😭”

“wut”

“i do”

“wakatoshi, you’re not helping”

and that’s the story of balamory how i became friends with those girls

by sharing what being wakatoshi’s (wife) girlfriend is like and spilling all the little things he does and make fun of him (once again, wakatohsi is not impressed) o(*°▽°*)o

they even start calling me “sophie-nee” as well 

and when i tell you my heart buRST

but now they all cal me that and i’m a mushy puddle of softness

and when they go home?

saddest thing ever

a lot of tear-shed from the kids

esp the girls who i made friends with

but you know what made up for it?

“will you come back next time, sophie-nee?? please come back 🥺”

oop

there goes my heart for the hgfjksdf time today—

and then wakatoshi and i helped clean up and the teacher was thanking us for being here jhdskjfd

long story short, we’ll be coming here weekly—

and then we go out for lunch at a small diner 

very cute

now we’re back at the dorms

his dorm actually

“my love”

“hm? what is it?”

“let’s have children”

“huh? oh, sure”

. . .

“wait, nOW—???”

interested? take part in my 300 follower sleepover event !!

[rorysfm]

hllo demons n nerds ! i’m sage, coming 2 u live frm the est gutters! i am... v excited to be here but i am literally the worst at intros so i’m jus gonna diiiiive right into rory below ! 

(ISABELLA JONES, CISFEMALE) - Have you seen AURORA LEBLANC? RORY is in HER SOPHOMORE year. The DANCE AND SOCIOLOGY MAJOR is 19 years old & is a LIBRA. People say SHE is LIVELY, MAGNETIC, IMPULSIVE and UNRELIABLE. Rumors say they’re a member of CALLOWAY. I heard from the gossip blog that HER PARENTS ARE COVERING UP THAT SHE WAS KICKED OUT OF YALE FOR PLAGIARISM AND NO OTHER IVY WOULD ACCEPT HER, SO THEY BOUGHT HER WAY INTO YATES

ok,  so.. rory is a brand new muse of mine so.. pls bare w me while i sort her out. if u want to skip the mess below & just vibe check her.. here’s her pinterest!

BACKGROUND

born and raised in greenwood, south carolina to oliver and lauren leblanc. her parents were high school sweethearts who were voted most likely to get married and have a dozen kids running around

they stopped at 2 because they jus... their kids were a handful but rory will tell you they stopped after her bc they hit perfection :~) 

her mom’s family teetered between lower-middle class, her mom entering a bunch of pageants to bring in some extra cash for them. 

her dad’s side on the other hand, is where all the connections are baby!!

the leblancs come from a long long line of being wrapped up in the political world. governors, members of the state senate, mayors, advisers... you name it - a leblanc has had that position. 

her dad’s goals were no different than the rest of his family’s ... some would say even bigger bc he wants to do what no other leblanc was able to do, which is... run for president. (yes hello.. rory as the future first daughter?)

growing up her parents were honestly... not the best. like above all else they put oliver’s career above their kids and it wasn’t not being there for an important recital, or a parent-teacher night; it was being there for all the wrong reasons.

 every little thing they did was calculating to make the leblancs look like the perfect family. hugs and words of encouragement loud enough to filter through the room aimed at their darling children only for them to turn cold and criticise every single thing they did wrong as soon as they got into the car. it was pretty clear that oliver and lauren were a team, and their kids were just props. 

when rory was 12, lauren started making monthly appointments at the hair salon to dye rory’s hair blonde... she had a standing appointment every tenth of the month to have her roots touched up

rory’s mom jus rly... pushed rory on her looks and enrolled her in pageants, debutante balls, anything that showed off rory’s looks... lauren pushed her towards it.

rory and her brother declan stayed in their hometown for school until college bc their parents thought it made them look like more of wholesome family so instead of sending them off to boarding schools in london or new york, they opted for private schools in south carolina

both of them were of course pushed into going to well renowned schools, their grandfather had pushed them into going to yates since he, himself had been part of calloway and they were practically legacies and while declan followed thru with it... rory watched the cinderella story one too many times and like hilary duff..... sis went to princeton for political science!!!

only it ended up in flames bc tbh she was like a bull in a china shop, the freedom of not having her parents around to judge every single thing she did? or pushing her into doing things she hated? she od’d on FREEDOM. rory rly just did her own thing, kinda spiralled out of control.. never hard drugs but lots of drinking and partying.

she ended up getting put on probation and was flunking nearly every course. the pressure really got to her (like she knew her parents would get involved if you got kicked out or if she failed all her courses) so she ended up plagiarising an essay ... but gueSS what!! she was caught and her parents got involved anyways.

her parents ended up being able to keep things ... quiet by paying off the teacher that had caught her. the dean also agreed to stay mum about it (after accepting a hefty cheque), so nothing ever went of her record, nothing would ever be documented of this mishap.

but... it’s likely people still talk and while rumors can’t be proven, it still stopped rory from getting into yale, harvard and columbia when she tried

finally with her grandfather’s pull and the promise to build yates a new library with the next 5 years... rory was accepted just as declan had graduated. 

PRESENT

pulled up to yates in her vintage baby blue mercedes benz convertible from the 60′s

she’s brand new to yates, and switched out of political science.

out of all the activities and hobbies that her parents tried to push her into, dance was the only one she actually enjoyed doing and fell in love with 

her parents let her major in it, as long as she did a double major.. so sis took sociology because why not?

spent her summer dancing with the new york ballet company in their production of a midsummer’s night dream. 

honestly.. loved it but also was lowkey bummed out she missed out on a proper summer

right before declan had graduated, rory had come up for a campus tour and ended up partying at yates for a weekend

probably got herself into a bit of trouble, and probably made a nice little impression on a few people!

PERSONALITY

honestly.. chaotic good. she’s always been a little more on the wilder side than declan.. a little more carefree and daring and just always needed to be told to behave

in fact has a tattoo that says BEHAVE  on her forearm, that she got one night back in princeton. 

that said, she’s very good at playing her part in the family

dubbed as the golden girl... bc she is just that kind of girl that has a magnetic pull to her, a smile that could combat the sun and just naturally very charming and genuinely nice?? very good a convincing you without being manipulative about it

does only angel by harry styles play when she walks in the room? possibly.

the kind of girl that you spend weeks thinking about after one (1) conversation

still gets her hair dyed blonde the 10th of every month, bc her mother has convinced her she is just not meant to be a brunette :/ 

honestly.. she’s insecure abt a lot of things because of her mom  :/

has really great posture and etiquette from all those pageant days. also really good at making cranes out of dinner napkins from being bored at functions her parents forced her to go to

would probably throw hands if she caught someone talking badly abt her brother bc she’s protective of him

very much a hopeless romantic, gets heart eyes very easily and likes to chase until it isn’t fun anymore and falls in love with multiple people a day. 

tragically likes country music :/

promised her brother she wld.. try to be good and stay out of trouble but i reckon.... she won’t plagiarize an essay ever again but everything else? the partying? fair game.

CONNECTIONS

tbh i will take anything yall will give me... i am @ ur service serving rory on a silver platter to u

i’m also big on chemistry so we can just see where things go as well since rory is new to yates this could be fun!!

a few people she met while she was visiting last year.. someone she clicked with and they stayed in touch, maybe someone she flirted with but doesn’t remember then (even tho she’ll pretend she does!), someone she hooked up with perhaps? someone she spent all night talking to? 

a brother’s friend she’s met a couple times? 

good influence/bad influence

family friends

family rivals

cousins could be fun

a roommate

a tutor?

tinder matches? hook ups, flirtationship .. anything angsty!!

friends!! pleathe i will take them all.. a girl squad would also be quite fun!

ok.. that’s all tht my lil brain can come up with.. im sorry this is so long and such a mess but hmu if you’d like to plot!! 

[dylshoney]

the scarf

synopsis: shawn is the newest player of the maple leaves, the readers favorite team

a/n: kinda like this tbh. requests are open again!

warnings: language, heavy smut, oral (female receiving), daddy kink

When you had been given your best friend’s remaining ticket to the Maple Leaves game you thought you were going to have a heart attack. Now, seated in the front row, your face practically pressed against the glass – you swore you would never be this happy again. Your knee was bouncing as you tried to contain your nerves, the team would be on the ice in a few minutes. You looked to your left, shuddering as your friend passionately kissed her boyfriend. You were very grateful to have been given her other ticket, but now, you felt like a complete third wheel. You wanted to grab her hand and scream with her as all the players skated out, but instead, you were stuck leaning away from them as you tried to ignore the sound of smacking lips.

 They thankfully separated the second that the game began – seemingly both completely enticed with what was happening. Your throat was completely sore from screaming your heart out as the team skated onto the ice – particularly loud once you saw your favorite player. The newest addition to the team, and the most gorgeous guy you had ever seen in your life. Maia grabbed your hand, practically screaming into your ear as he skated in front of you, his hand raised as he greeted the cheering crowd.

 The game started with a bang, the teams practically flying on the rink as they tried to one up the opposite side.

 You felt like you were floating, finally able to see your favorite people right in front of you, playing like their lives depended on it.

 Time flew by faster than you would have liked, the last twenty minutes reaching and your nerves on edges as the teams were tied.

 You watched with wide eyes as Shawn handled the puck, getting closer to center field – right where you were sitting. You held your breath, sitting on the edge of your seat as you watched him move expertly down the ice.

 BAM.

  You flinched back, releasing an uncontrollable scream as the opposing team’s player slammed Shawn into the glass – stealing the puck and skating away. You felt like your heart was going to beat out of your chest, Shawn’s body barely two feet from you, his hands pressed against the glass as he groaned – obviously displeased with the play.

 Everything happened in a matter of seconds – Maia grabbing your hand to snap you out of your daze – your eyes meeting Shawn’s as he looked at you, his warm brown orbs barely visible through the helmet. Your breath hitched as he began to smile, his gaze trailing over your body. You felt like time wasn’t moving – your mouth open in a small oh as you tried to register what was happening.

 And then, he winked.

 You barely had the chance to blink and he was gone, skating back into his offensive position to set up for the next play.

 “Holy shit!” You hear Maia screaming next to you but it sounded muffled, like she was in another room. You released a breath – your whole body completely covered in goose bumps as you tried to calm your heart.

 “What the fuck just happened?” Maia was ecstatic, practically bouncing in her seat as she shook your arm.

 “I – I have no idea.”

 “Shawn fucking Mendes thinks you’re hot,” Maia mumbled after a moment, her voice pitching at the end, “I can’t believe this! Please fuck him for me!”

 “Woah,” you leaned away, your cheeks completely flushed as you looked at her, “First of all, he does not find me hot and – ”

 “He winked at you!”

 You ignored her, “And second of all, who’s to say I’m ever going to get the chance to talk to him – much less fuck him.. No matter how much I want to,” you mumbled the second part, your eyes trained on said boy – skating like he didn’t just create a river between your legs.

 “I wish I got that on video,” Maia said after a few moments, “Wanna brag that my friend is on Shawn Mendes’ radar.”

 You rolled your eyes but smiled anyway, “You’re such a hopeless romantic.”

 *

 The game flew by in a bustle of emotions, your heart never fully calming down after the whole order with Shawn and the wink and the way his gaze traveled over you.

 You shut your eyes for a second as you reached the parking lot, angry to have left the arena later than most – the crowd was huge and unruly and you were positive you would all the stuck in traffic for at least an hour trying to get out.

 “Shit,” you muttered as a shiver went down your spin – the cold February air finally hitting you.

 “Maia!” You shouted her name, her eyes meeting yours through the crowd as she turned to face you.

 “I left my scarf!” You gestured behind you, “I’m going back to get it!”

 She nodded, “Meet at the car!”

 You sent her a thumbs up and turned to quickly push through the crowd. You made it into the stadium minutes later, your eyes traveling over all the steps you would have to go down – cursing as you began to jog.

 You reached your seats in record time – thankful that no one else was left in the arena, creating no obstacles.

 You found seat 1-L and blinked in shock as you noticed your scarf was nowhere to be found.

 “Damn it,” you muttered, running a hand through your hair – the empty arena suddenly colder than you remembered.

 You exhaled as breath, wrapping your coat tighter around your frame as you turned to leave.

 “Umpf – ”

 Your breath caught in your throat as two hands latched around you – steading your frame.

 “I’m sorry – I ” you looked up, your voice faltering as you laid eyes on the grinning figure looking down at you. His hair was unruly and wet – probably from the shower he had taken after the game. A blue ‘Maple Leaves’ sweater was covering his large frame, a red flush on his cheeks.

 “The game ended an hour ago,” his voice was different than you expected, “What are you still doing here?”

 “I – uh – I left my scarf.” 

He tilted his head, his eyes traveling over your scarf-less frame.

 Your eyes widened as he chuckled lightly, “I – it’s not here – obviously. So I think someone probably took it – which really sucks cause it was collectible and cost a lot – but,” you cut yourself off, swallowing as you felt your entire body get hot. 

Shut up, you scolded yourself.

 “That’s a shame,” he nodded, making you look back up, his tongue running over his lower lip as he looked down at you. You nodded, your throat dry – unsure what to say.

 “Well – ”

 “I – ”

 You both spoke, your cheeks heating again as you faltered, “You first.”

 “I was going to ask,” he bit his lip, shaking his head slightly, “If – if you enjoyed the game. But that sounds dumb now …”

 He trailed off, a blush coating his cheeks, as he looked away, his gaze traveling to the rink.

 “No!” You coughed, recovering quickly, “It’s not dumb. I had a lot of fun – it was the best game I’ve ever been to actually.”

 He blinked, a wide smile spreading over him, “Really?”

 You nodded, shyly tucking a strand of hair behind your ear, “Yeah. And that goal two minutes before the end. Wow.”

 He chuckled, the sound one of the prettiest you’ve ever heard, “That was fun.”

 “I’m – uh – ,” he extended his hand, “I’m Shawn by the way.”

 You took his larger hand into your grip, shaking it slightly. You had to resist nodding and saying ‘yeah I know – you’re the hottest person I’ve ever seen,’ instead you just smiled warmly, “I’m y/n.”

 “Shawn!”

 You flinched at the sound of the voice, pulling your hand from his grasp and latching it to your side as you both turned back to see some older man waving him forward. Shawn nodded at him, before turning back to you quickly, “I should go, it was nice meeting you, y/n.”

 You shivered at the sound of your name leaving his lips as he smiled, nodding, “It was nice to meet you as well.”

 He grinned again, dipping his head and turning to walk away, leaving you completely dumbstruck.

 You exhaled as you watched his back get farther and farther from view. It took a few seconds for your heart to finally calm down, no longer feeling like it was going to burst out of your chest. You should have asked for a picture.

 *

 Four days later you were seated in the boardroom of CL-LM, the radio station you had been interning at for the past few months.

 You were sat in the back, taking notes of everything that was being said. You had been at it for the past hour – your hand cramping at the strain.

 “I have one final announcement before I let you all go,” John spoke, your back immediately straightening out as you got ready to leave.

 “I’d appreciate if everyone stayed out of recording room C, for the next few hours – because of the special guest we have in today.”

 Everyone mutters sounds of agreement and soon the entire room was filling out. You debated asking John about the mysterious guest everyone had been talking about for the past few days, but you decided against it, deciding not to meddle with things that didn’t concern you. You thought about waiting around the entrance to see who would leave, but people would probably think you were weird –and you could not lose this internship.

 “Y/n!” John’s voice snapped you out of your thoughts, as you smiled lightly, looking up at him.

 “Could you please go bring Stefan some coffee, he’s asked for it about twenty times.”

 You perked up at the name; Stefan was the one running the interview with the mystery guest.

 John shook his head, “I don’t mean to interrupt you from your work, I can ask someone else if – ”

 “No!” You practically shouted, before clearing your throat, “No, I can do it. I already know his order – it really wouldn’t be a problem.”

 He nodded, “Thank you, you’re a lifesaver.”

 You smiled, already making your way out the door and to the elevators. You were lucky that you had a Starbucks situated in the building so it was really no problem for you quickly order and be back in the office in minutes.

 You took a deep breath as you prepared to walk into room C. You wondered who was inside, trying to rack your brain of all the celebrities the station hadn’t already featured. They had a pretty good reputation with a –list people.

 You gripped the handle, cracking to door open just a smidge, your eyes meeting Dallin – the interview coordinator – who smiled widely and gestured for you to enter.

 You made sure the door didn’t creak, trying to shut it as discreetly as possible – not wanting to disrupt the conversation.

 “Was there any hazing on the team?” You heard Stefan’s voice behind you as you placed his coffee on the snack table, knowing he would get it when he was ready.

 “No.” You heard the guest laugh. You went still, your entire body covering in goosebumps as you recognized the voice, slowly turning around. “They were all really supportive. They treat me more like a little brother.”

 Your heart dropped into your stomach as you finally laid eyes on him. Shawn was smiling widely, his gaze focused on Stefan as he spoke. He was wearing the standard CL-LM headphones, a ‘Maple Leaves’ scarf loosely hung over his neck as he tapped the desk while he spoke.

 You felt frozen in your spot, your mouth hanging open slightly as you watched him, enthralled with the way he talked. His hand raised as he spoke with emphasis, his mouth moving smoothly- showcasing his perfectly white teeth.

 You felt a hand graze your back, making you flinch and step back, your mouth snapping shut. You looked over at Dallin who was smirking, gesturing to Shawn suggestively.

 You rolled your eyes, trying to seem chill about the entire situation – but in reality, you were freaking the fuck out about being in the same room as Shawn again. He looked even better than you remembered.

 “You wanna stay and watch?” Dallin leaned in to whisper, nudging your shoulder slightly.

 You smiled sheepishly, “Can I?”

 He shrugged, “Why not? They’re gonna finish soon anyway.”

 You nodded, “Okay,” following him to the leather couch situated close to the interview table. You felt giddy as you walked up, your eyes trained on your feet as you moved to sit next to Dallin. You looked up at the sound of a cough, your eyes immediately traveling to look at Shawn – his gaze already trained on you.

 He smiled as you made eye contact, dipping his head slightly as a form of greeting. You grinned in response, waving slightly, before looking away, trying to tame your flaming face.

 The interview flew by quicker than you expected, as you tried to subtly watch Shawn – hoping that you didn’t seem like a complete stalker.

 “And that’s a wrap,” Stefan smiled as the ‘on air’ light flashed off, taking his headphones off his ears and standing up to greet Shawn who did the same.

 They shook hands, exchanging formalities and thanks before the two of them turned and walked around the table.

 Dallin was quick to get up and extended a hand to Shawn, making you stand as they greeted one another.

 You bit your lip as you tried to figure out the right way to greet him, not knowing if you should extend a hand or stay in your spot. He saved you the trouble, though, his grinning face turning to you as he stepped forward, “Y/n. It’s nice to see you again.”

 You nodded, aware of the confused glances Dallin and Stefan sent you, “Nice to see you too,” you smiled, shocked that he remembered you, much less your name.

 “You work here?” He tilted his head, your body feeling numb at the intensity of his gaze on you.

 You shook your head, “I just intern for now, when I have time off Uni.”

 He nodded, about to say something, when Dallin interrupted, “She’s our best!”

 You chocked on your saliva as he smiled widely, winking at you  - making you narrow your eyes at his inability to be subtle.

 “I bet she is,” Shawn laughed, noticing the look on your face.

 “Thank you again, for coming man,” Stefan gushed, happy that he hadn’t left yet.

 “Oh yeah, anytime,” Shawn nodded, his eyes not leaving you. You had to look away, you eyes training on the carpet as the boys exchanged another round of goodbyes.

 “Bye, y/n.” His voice snapped your head up, making you look at him, his smile warm an inviting as he opened the door, about to leave.

 “Bye, Shawn,” you mumbled, feeling like you needed to pinch yourself as the door shut behind him.

 “Stefan!” You scolded, rushing over hit his arm as he laughed at the expression on your face, “How dare you not tell me you were interviewing a ‘Maple Leaf’?! You know they’re my favorite team.”

 “Sorry, y/n. It was confidential!”

 “You could have told me!” You pouted, “I wouldn’t have said anything!”

 “And lose my integrity?” He teased, “No thank you.”

 You shook your head, “I’m never going to forgive you for this – ”

“Me?!” He shouted, “Did you ever plan to tell me you were buddy-buddy with one of the most famous people in the country?”

 “I’m not,” you shook your head, “We barely know each other.”

 “That’s not what it looked like,” Dallin snorted, “You guys were practically eye-fucking each other.”

 You gasped, “Dallin – ”

 The sound of a light knocking made you falter in your words as Stefan shouted for the person to enter. Your eyes widened as Shawn’s smiling face greeted the three of you, his gaze traveling over to you as he cleared his throat, “Sorry to bother, but I was wondering if I could talk to y/n?”

 You blinked, your mouth unable to register the words that had left his perfectly sculpted mouth, “ I – ”

 You felt Dallin nudge your back, lightly pushing you forward, “It’s no bother – she was about to go on break anyway.”

 You smiled, reminding yourself to thank Dallin, as Shawn’s grin widened, his arm extending to open the door fully as you made your way to him, walking past into the open floor plan of the office.

 You could feel shivers overcome you as the entire office got quiet, watching you walk toward the elevator, with one of the world’s most famous hockey players to your left.

 You got into the elevator, pressing the button and leaning against one of the walls, hesitant to look up at him.

 “I’m sorry to take up your break time,” his voice was so smooth, your eyes fluttering as you listened to him, “But I actually wanted to give you something.”

 You tilted your head, “Me?”

 He laughed, his eyes shutting for a second as he nodded, “Yes, you.”

 But you still weren’t convinced, “Why?”

 “Are you always this hesitant to accept gifts?” He smirked, his eyes not leaving yours as you shrugged, “Only when they’re from attractive hockey players.”

 You froze, did you really just say that out loud? You could feel the familiar heat that only he seemed to induce, spread over your frame, “I – I meant – ”

 “You think I’m attractive?” He tilted his head, his voice an octave lower than you were used to, the sound far more intimate than you would have expected.

 “I – I,” you swallowed, your eyes flickering back to his face as you realized there was no point in lying, “Well, yeah.”

 He smirked, but it seemed almost sheepish as his eyes traveled to the elevator doors – a beautiful rosy color filling his cheeks. Did you just make him blush?

 “That’s a relief,” he said after a moment, his voice airy as he looked back over to you, “Because I think you’re one of the prettiest girls I’ve ever seen.”

 A shiver traveled through you, your eyes not leaving his, “Yeah?”

 He nodded, the small smile returning, “I don’t normally do this – but I was wondering if you wanted to go out sometime, with me?”

 You had to resist the urge to giggle, his hand coming up to scratch the back of his neck as he waited for your response. He looked nervous, and it was the most adorable thing you had ever seen.

 “I’d love to,” you smiled.

 “Yeah?”

 You loved the way his eyes crinkled when he grinned really wide, “Yeah.”

 The ding of the elevator reaching the ground floor made you snap out of your trance, looking away from him and toward the door.

 “After you,” he gestured, dramatically extending his arm as you giggled, shaking your head, but listening nonetheless.

 You walked through the apartment lobby, stopping outside the door, as you hesitated to leave – having left your jacket upstairs.

 “Can I have your number?” He said softly as you turned back around to face him.

 You nodded, taking his phone into your hand, quickly typing in your number and debating what you should put as your contact name. You finally settled with ‘y/n :)’, handing him his phone, shuddering as his fingers grazed yours.

 “I’ll call you,” he said, making you nod with probably the biggest, goofiest smile on your face, “I’ll be waiting.”

 “I’m really happy to have seen you again,” he nodded, “I’ve been beating myself up for not asking you your number after the game.”

 You covered your mouth as you giggled, your heart fluttering at the intensity in his eyes as he looked down at you, “I’m glad too.”

 You could feel your phone vibrate in your back pocket, making you pull it out and internally groan at the words on the screen, “I’m sorry – but they’re requesting me upstairs.”

 “I get it,” he smiled, “Duty calls.”

 “I – uh – see you later, then,” you bit your lip, unsure what to say, wishing you could stay and talk to him longer.

 “Soon,” he corrected.

 “Soon.” You felt giddy, waving shyly and spinning on your heel to make your way back to the elevator.

 “Y/n!” He called, making you halt in your movements and turn back to face him.

 He was closer than you expected, his grinning face barely two feet away from you. You watched with wide eyes as he swung his scarf off his neck – bringing it over you and placing it around your shoulders, letting it hang down your front.

 “Shawn – what?” You touched the fabric, your words getting lost in your mouth as you stared at him in shock.

 “I said I had a gift for you, didn’t I?” He smiled, shrugging like it was no big deal, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

 You shook your head, “I can’t – I can’t accept this.”

 “Why not?”

 “It’s too much,” you were quick to take it off, about to hand it to him again, but he stepped back immediately, bringing his hand up.

 “No,” he shook his head with a teasing smirk, “Not taking it back.”

 “Shawn…” you mumbled, gripping the soft fabric in your hands as you thrust it toward him, but he avoided your advances. His reflexes were faster than yours, his hands gripping your elbows, effectively halting your movements.

 You blinked in shock, your body tensing at his closeness to you, the heat of his frame making your head spin.

 “Please,” he mumbled, not releasing your arms, “I want to give it to you.”

 You opened your mouth to disagree, but at the look in his eyes, you were quick to shut it again.

 “I – ,” you swallowed, “Thank you. I don’t know what to say.”

 He smiled, letting go of you, making you internally whimper at the loss of contact, “You don’t need to say anything, I’m happy to do it.”

 You felt your phone vibrate again, making you shut your eyes in annoyance.

 “You should probably go,” he mumbled, sounding like it was the last thing he wanted you to do, “I don’t want to get you in trouble.”

 You nodded, “Yeah.”

 He took a step back, his hands back in his pockets, his head dipping as he smiled again, “I’ll call you,” he repeated.

 You laughed quietly, “You better.”

 *

He called a few hours later, stating something along the lines of I’m sorry but I couldn’t wait any longer. You felt like you were on top of the world, your ecstasy only increasing as he asked to meet up on Friday, which was only two days away. You agreed without hesitation and immediately called Maia, who after screaming for a good five minutes – agreed to help you prepare.

 It ended up being the perfect first date. He took you to his favorite little Italian place and you ended up sharing a cheese pizza – neither of you too keen to experiment with your food. The conversation flowed easily and you felt like you were floating as his warm eyes watched you, listening to every one of your stories with undivided attention. He walked you home that night, not coming in but kissing you softly on your front steps, a sensation you replayed countless times after.

 Your next date was the next day, the two of you far too eager to spend more time getting to know each other. This date was a little more adventurous, Shawn sneaking you in the ‘Maple Leaves’ stadium after hours so you could skate on the freshly plowed ice. You were worried that you would embarrass yourself and fall on your face, but he didn’t let you get the chance – holding onto your hand tightly the entire time. You ended up getting pretty good by the end of the night, but it helped that he never let go of you, spinning you around the rink as the two of you laughed in the empty space. He took you back to his apartment and you shared hot cocoa on his couch while talking about your families. He drove you home and kissed you on the steps, promising to see you soon.

 You saw him again a few days later, both of you far too busy with school and practice. You went to the movies and talked through the entire film, annoying the people in front of you – ultimately getting you kicked out of the theater. The two of you couldn’t care less though, your laughter unstoppable as you ran to his car in the rain. You ended up in his back seat, the two of you listening to the sound of the rain, talking about anything and everything and you realized that you never wanted to stop talking to him – never wanted to be in a world without his smile with you. He took you home and finally ended up coming inside, the two of you falling asleep on your couch – tangled up in a mess of blankets and completely ignoring the Disney movie on the screen.

 Two weeks and three dates later, you were finally ready to give yourself to him, wanting nothing more than the feeling of his body against yours. You felt your stomach swirl as you neared his apartment, your heart beating out of your chest as you reached his apartment, ready to tell him how you felt – and hopefully make your relationship official.

 You waited patiently as you rang the doorbell, biting your lip as you waited to see his grinning face.

 You furrowed your eyebrows as a few minutes went by, deciding to ring one more time before calling him. You flinched in shock as the door swung open – a distressed

Shawn looking down at you as he ran a finger through his mess of curls. Your eyes widened as they traveled over his frame, he was shirtless, showcasing the abundance of tight muscles you could always feel through his shirts.

 “Y/n?” He blinked, “What are you doing here?”

 You could feel your chest tighten, “We agreed to hang out today, remember?”

 His eyes flooded with realization as he cursed, “Shit – uh - now’s not the best time– ”

 “Shawn?” You heard a feminine voice call from inside, your heart falling in your chest. You could see the panic in Shawn’s expression as he stepped forward, trying to grab your arm. You were quick to pull away, your back hitting the wall of the hallway as a beautiful blonde appeared from behind Shawn, her eyes narrowing as they fell over your frame, “Who’s this?”

 You could feel your knees give out, your heart pounding in your chest as you refused to look up at Shawn, “No one,” you shook your head, sidestepping him as rushing toward the elevator.

 You could hear Shawn shout something to her, but the sound was muffled in your ears as you tried to calm your breathing and the sensation of your heart was squeezing in your chest.

 You could hear Shawn’s footsteps following you as he shouted your name, but you ignored him, practically sprinting down the long hallway.

 “Y/n!” He repeated, his long legs reaching you quickly as he grabbed your elbow, spinning you around to face him.

 “Let go of me!” You hissed, relishing in the look on his face as he flinched, never hear that type of anger in your voice.

 “Please let me explain,” he muttered softly, his voice cracking as he begged silently.

 You shook your head, “I have to go.”

 “Y/n – ”

 You ripped your arm from his grip as walked into the open elevator. You exhaled a shaky breath as you turned around, not expecting to see his heartbroken face staring back at you.

 “Y/n…” he repeated, but you didn’t respond, a single tear traveling down your face as the doors began to shut – hiding you from him as you finally fell into a puddle of sobs.

 *

You hadn’t left your apartment all day, your mind replaying the look on his face as the blonde revealed herself. You cried harder as you remembered the guilt in his eyes as he stared at you, your heart hurting more and more as you remembered the hopelessness you had felt in that moment.

 You felt worthless, expendable. But most of all, you felt stupid for thinking someone as successful and attractive as him would ever be interested in someone like you. You seemed to set yourself up for heartbreak, letting yourself get sucked into the fantasy that was Shawn Mendes. The feeling of his eyes on you and his hand in yours – distracting you from the crushing reality that he was probably fucking another girl every other night.

 You felt stupid for letting yourself get so worked up over someone you knew for barely a month, someone that wasn’t even your boyfriend. Someone that probably never even wanted to be.

 You sniffled as the screen changed, the new episode of Deadly Class ending, filling you with more despair as you realized you no longer had anything to watch.

 You shut the TV off, huffing as you fell back onto your couch, wrapping yourself tighter in your blanket as you shut your eyes – trying to ignore the ache in your chest.

 You flinched as your doorbell rang, but ignored it – knowing it was probably him. You didn’t want to see him, you thought your last conversation made that pretty fucking clear, so you shut your eyes tighter and ignored as the knocking got louder.

 You could hear muffled yelling from the other side of the door, but you ignored it, knowing he was probably going to leave soon.

 Everything got silent after a few moments, indicating that he had left, making you sigh quietly – your relationship now officially over. You snuggled further into your pillow, gripping the blanket tighter as another tear slid down your face.

 Your eyes snapped open as you heard the clicking of a lock, your blood running cold as you sat up, body numb as you sat up, hearing footsteps in your hallway.

 “Who’s in here?” You called, hating how shaky your voice was.

 “Y/n?” Shawn’s voice slightly calmed your nerves as he rounded the corner, his gaze falling to your shaking figure on the couch.

 “What the hell are you doing here?” Your fear was quickly replaced with anger, “And how did you get in?”

 He bit his lip, his eyes pooling with guilt as he stepped closer, “Maia gave me her key.”

 You shut your eyes in annoyance, “I don’t want you here,” your voice was curt as you made a mental note to chew Maia out later.

 “I’m sorry,” his walked closer, his hands in front of him as a sign of surrender, he seemed almost afraid, “But I have to explain. You have to hear –”

 “Hear what Shawn?” You interrupted, your anger making him flinch, “Hear how you fucked that girl right before seeing me?”

 He shook his head immediately, opening his mouth but you didn’t let him get a word out, “Doesn’t matter anyway, we were nothing anyway. You’re free to do whatever you want. Now please leave my apartment.”

 He looked on the verge of tears, “You don’t mean that.”

 Your lip trembled as you tried your hardest not to let your sobs start, not now, not in front of him. Especially when he was looking at you like a kicked puppy.

 “You don’t mean that we didn’t mean anything. It meant something to me.” His voice was shaky, soft.

 “Gina – she’s my ex-girlfriend. And y/n, please believe me when I say nothing happened.”

 “You – ”

 He ignored you, continuing his rant, “I guess she had a key made when we were together and never told me. That’s how she got into my apartment, waking me up in the process – that’s why I was shirtless. I was kicking her out when you came, that’s why – that’s why I acted like an ass.”

 You swallowed, your mind swirling at the genuine sound of his voice, “How do I know that’s the truth?”

 “Because I care about you, y/n. I care about you so so much and I would never do anything to ruin what we have. Please believe me.” You could see him getting closer to you, reaching the back of the couch, his soft eyes staring down at you, “I can’t lose you. Not like this. Not before I have the chance to officially ask you to be mine.”

 “You – you want to be official?”

 He smiled lightly, his hand coming up to cup your cheek, your body melting into his embrace as he wiped the stray tear on your face, “I want nothing more than to be able to call you mine.”

 “I want that too,” you released a shaky breath, suddenly embarrassed for acting like a complete psychopath before you even knew the real story, “I’m – I’m sorry for not believing you.”

 He shook his head sighing in relief as his hands wrapped around you, stuffing his face into the crook of your neck as he held you, “I realize how bad that must have looked – trust me, I would have reacted much worse.”

 You hummed, “Really?”

 “Mhm,” he placed a kiss on your neck, “I don’t want to see you with anyone other than me. You’re mine.”

 Your eyes shut as he continued lightly placing kissing along your neck and jawline, “yours,” you breathed.

 He groaned as those words left your mouth, his hands coming up to hold your face, not hesitating to connect your lips, his mouth encompassing yours passionately as you melted into him.

 You moaned into him as his hands left your cheeks and traveled down your body, wrapping around your and pulling you into him. You relished in the feeling of his hard body pressed against yours, as you molded perfectly into one another.

 “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, almost subconsciously as he reconnected your mouths, his tongue exploring you.

 He reaches for the bottom of your shirt, lifting it over your head as he throws it behind you. You weren’t wearing a bra, his eyes widening as he takes in the sight of your naked chest. Perfect, he thought, running a finger lightly over a hardened nipple.

 You release a breath, you back arching – bringing yourself closer to his hands, his eyes entranced by the sight before him. But you were impatient, grabbing the bottom of his shirt and pulling it off, revealing the body you hadn’t been able to stop thinking about since you saw it.

 You begin tracing his chest, your arms traveling to wrap around his hard biceps as he leaned into you, taking your left nipple into his mouth, his warm tongue traveling over the sensitive skin.

 “Shawn,” you gasped, your fingers digging into his arms as he hummed against your, “Bedroom, please.”

 He moaned into your breast, releasing it with a pop as he came up to kiss you again – never getting tired of the feeling of his mouth against yours.

 His hands wrapped around your thighs as he leaned forward, “Jump, baby.”

 You hummed at the pet name, shivers covering your frame as your legs latched around his hips, his hands digging into the soft flesh of your ass – perfectly exposed for him through your shorts.

 He had been to your bedroom once before, so he knew where he was headed, rushing up that stairs with you in his grasp. The two of you giggled, as you exchanged small kisses, feeling content and so so ready.

 He placed you onto the bed softly, his hands immediately traveling to grip your shorts – pulling them, along with your panties, down in one fell swoop.

 You gasped as the cold air hit you, his hands wrapping around your thighs to separate your legs for him, his tongue running over his lower lip as his eyes locked on you, “Such a pretty pussy.”

 He slides a finger gently along your already wet clit, your legs twitching as he keeps them open, “Already soaked for me, eh?”

 You nodded, your eyes shut as your back arched off the bed, Shawn slipping a single finger into you.

 He’s rubbing your clit as his finger works in and out of you, your breaths picking up as he begins moving faster.

 He slides the finger out before quickly adding another, muttering a soft fuck at the feeling, “So tight, can feel your cunt squeezing me. Can’t wait to be inside you.”

 You groan at the words, your head falling to one side as you could feel him work you to your high, loving the way his dirty mouth egged you on.

 You gasped as his mouth unexpectedly latched to your clit, sucking it gently, your lips flying open in a loud moan.

 “Delicious,” he murmurs against you, picking up his speed, wanting to have you falling apart under him.

 “Shawn!”

 The sound of your voice and your ass picking up off the bed into him, made him smirk against your pussy, his tongue quickly replacing his fingers – stuffing you completely.

 You can’t control yourself, your hands falling to his hair, gripping it tightly as you felt yourself fall apart – his name flying from your lips like a prayer.

 You shook under him, you legs twitching as you came down from your high, Shawn working you through it.

 “Fuck,” you muttered, your head falling back as he separated from your pussy, his mouth kissing along your thighs –giving you the chance to breathe after all the overwhelming pleasure.

 “Gorgeous,” he said against your skin.

 You hummed, your hands wrapping in his locks again – bringing him back up to you, smiling as you connected your mouth again.

 He whimpered as you ran your tongue over his lip, biting the bottom one and releasing with a pop.

 “Need you,” he spoke softly, making you shiver against him.

 “Please,” you nodded.

 “I don’t have any condoms.”

 “I’m on birth control, you-you can come in me,” you mumbled as he ran his tongue over your neck.

 His eyes roll back at your words, hands tightening their grip on your hips, “God, what are you doing to me?”

 You smirked, pecking his lips quickly – your fingers finding their way to his hips – pushing on his jeans. He seemed to get your message – pulling his pants off in record time.

 You licked your lips as your eyes landed on his very prominent bulge, practically bursting out of his boxers.

 His boxers are off immediately, and you can feel yourself twitch as he palms his length. You’ve never seen anyone bigger – and you're suddenly worried that he’s not going to fit.

 “Okay, baby?”

 You blink, “You’re – you’re so big.”

 He doesn’t respond, his eyes shutting as you lay back for him, lining your dripping center with his.

 You bite your lip as you watch him hiss, running a hand over his dripping precum, “Ready?”

 You nod quickly, your stomach swirling in anticipation. He thrusts into you slowly, both of you letting out moans of pleasure – your head falling back as your mouth opened.

 “Fuck,” he muttered against you, bottoming out – his dick completely inside you, “You’re so fucking tight for me.”

 You nod, your back arching as you wait for him to start moving, “For you.”

 His jaw clenches as he starts rocking his hips, gently at first and then picking up speed. Soon, he’s pounding into you with such force that your eyes roll back and you're shaking under him.

 “You like that?” He grunts into your neck, “You like my cock fucking your tight little hole, huh baby?”

 You grip his arms again; unable to respond as the sensation of his length sliding in and out of you erases all other thoughts.

 “I want to hear you say it,” his hand lightly slaps your ass, making you squeal against him.

 “I love it, I – I fucking love it.”

 You rock against him, gasping as he leans down to take your nipple into his mouth again.

 The sensation is too much for you to bare and suddenly you can’t stop a “daddy,” from flying out of you.

 You tense, your eyes flying open as you make eye contact with him, not expecting that to come from you. You don’t know what to say, scared he’s going to reject you, look away in disgust.

 He surprises you, smirking instead and pulling out of your hole – before thrusting back inside –hitting the deepest parts of you, relishing in your moans, “Naughty girl.”

 He’s pounding into you again, his teeth grazing your jaw as he growls against you, “Say it again.”

 You smirk, loving that he’s just as dirty as you, “You make me feel so good, daddy.”

 He pulls out of you, causing a whimper to fly from your lips as he spins you around – setting you on your hands and knees.

 He takes his length in his hand, pumping slowly as he trails the tip over your dripping cunt, making you squeeze your legs in anticipation.

 “Please, Shawn.”

 He slaps your ass, pulling you back into him, his hard dick pressed against your flesh, “That’s not what you call me, baby.”

 “Daddy, please,” you’re quick to correct yourself, wanting him inside you. He kneads your skin in his big hands, lining himself up with you – and suddenly he’s slamming into you and you’re screaming, your hands giving out as your head falls onto the mattress.

 He starts his fast pace again, you’re twitching against him, but Shawn doesn’t stop. He keeps slamming his big, thick cock in and out of your wet pussy, knowing you’re so close to your high.

 You’re whining, begging, tears pricking your eyes as his arm wraps around you to begin rubbing your clit.

 “Daddy’s making his baby feel good, isn’t he?”

 You bury your face into the pillow, your legs shaking as you clench around him. He lifts your ass, bringing you back into him, giving him better access to your twitching cunt.

“Need you to cum, baby. Need you to come with me, right on my cock.”

 “Please daddy,” your throat is so sore, but you never want him to stop, “Please come inside me.”

 His fingers quicken on your clit and you’re shaking uncontrollably, your entire body convulsing against him as you come.

 Shawn grunts into you, biting your shoulder as his eyes shut at the feeling of you clenching around him – and suddenly he’s coming, his warm liquid filling you in spurts.

 He halts his movements after a few seconds, the two of you breathing heavily. You love the feeling of his cock inside you, even if it’s not moving.

 You’re both still for a moment, but soon he’s kissing down your body again – making you shudder as he pulls out of you.

 You can feel him come drip out of you onto the mattress and suddenly you’re interested in how it looks – Shawn’s wide eyes trained on your spilling cunt.

 “Look so beautiful,” he mumbles, massaging your hips lightly, “My cum dripping out of you.”

 You whimper at his words, watching as he stands from your bed, disappearing into the bathroom and coming back out with a towel.

 “What’re you - ?”

 “Lay back down, baby,” he kisses your forehead, “Gonna clean you up.”

 You relish in the look in his eyes as he slides the towel between your thighs, wiping away all the juices.

 He tosses it into your hamper, crawling back up your body and falling down next to you – an arm wrapping around your waist and pulling you into him.

 You hum as he places your sheet over the two of you, wrapping yourself in his warmth.

 “Goodnight, baby,” he kisses your head again.

 You’re too fucked out to respond, humming as you cuddle into him.

taglist: @yourwonderbelle @tw-stydiaaf @alone-in-madness @egg-in-a-spork @musiclover1263 @spideyshcllands

[golbrocklovely]

the chosen daughter // colby brock - chapter four

A/N: hey yall! life update: i have a job now! it’s part time, thank god, and so far i don’t completely hate it, which is good. hopefully it won’t get too hectic, but we shall see. anyway, i hope you are liking this series so far. let me know what you think about it. also lmk if you want to be added to the taglist. hope you enjoy this chapter. alrighty, i’ll see yall later :)

story description

taglist: @far-to-many-bands , @idfk-tbh-oops , @muted-mayham , @ughwhyislifesohard , @justtanerd , @ashyoungxblood ,  @cmburgos

trigger warning: cursing, being hunted??, mentions of killing/murder

word count: 1693

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

My apartment had been trashed, everything torn up and thrown all over the place. Sam stayed with me for two hours, scoping it out and making sure everything was back in its place.

Nothing of mines was taken. It just looked like someone broke in to make a mess and leave.

Sam believed it was vamp. I wasn’t sure what to think.

After barely getting any sleep, I wasn’t too excited to go to work. But at least I would be surrounded by people and not by myself, left alone to think of what could have broken in.

I filled Ronnie in on some of my crazy adventures from the past two-ish days.

“How is it you have all the fun on your days off?” Ronnie whined, cleaning a glass.

I scoffed. “I highly doubt getting almost killed by a vampire, and then having one break into my place ‘fun’, Ronnie.”

“At least it’s more interesting than me laying around and watching Real Housewives.” She joked. “So, all of these guys work at Trapp Haus and that’s how you met them?”

I nodded. “Yeah. Got my own connection which is how I was able to skip the line that usually wraps around the whole block.”

“I swear I’ve never heard of any of them before. Are they all bartenders or something?” She asked, starting a new order.

“Um, I think some of them are.” I lied. “One or two might work in the business side of the place, since they’re vamps.”

“I’ll have to go there next human night. Colby sounds pretty hot.” Ronnie smirked.

“I mean he is, but he’s kinda a dick.” I huffed.

“Well, all the hot ones are. Besides, he does have a soft side: he did save you.”

“I guess so…”

The night moved slowly, not too many patrons on a Sunday-Monday evening. I was so happy to finally have my break, being able to step outside and get some fresh air.

I took a deep breath as I looked up into the night sky.

What the fuck had my life turn into?

I shook my head, leaning my back against the brick wall of the bar. I stared into the parking lot, my eyes fixating on the dark. Through the trees that surrounded the lot, I saw the outline of a man.

I squinted my eyes, trying to see if I was seeing things. The figured disappeared as I blinked. I relaxed a little, annoyed at my own paranoia.

Maybe I am going crazy…

I stood up and went to walk back in. As I went to open the door, I heard a low growl come from behind me.

The hair on the back of my neck shot up. I could feel a presence behind me. I didn’t want to turn around, but I knew I had to. I twisted around slowly, my heartbeat speeding up faster and faster.

Nothing was behind me.

I looked around, my anxiety still at its peak. I knew I heard something; but nothing, no one, was there.

I spun back around. A man stood in front of the door. All I could see of him was his glowing red eyes and shiny fangs. He jumped forward with his hands reaching for my neck. A scream ripped from my throat.

I fell to the ground with a loud thump. He was no longer around me, I was alone once again. I scrambled back onto my feet, glancing hastily at the parking lot. I heard a dark chuckle come from the darkness. My eyes widen as I yanked the door opened and slammed it shut, locking it tight. I leaned my back against the door, trying to catch my breath.

He reminded me of someone, but I couldn’t think of who.

I ran to Roger’s office, needing an answer. There was a drawer in his desk, where all the receipts were kept from every night. Roger was very meticulous about it. I grabbed the folder from the previous night I worked. I flipped through all of them until I landed on the one I knew it had to be.

Cyrus Gladstone.

He was Blondie’s… Jasper’s… friend. He knew.

Jasper was dead. And he knew I was the one that got him killed.

Fuck.

I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket, dialing the only number I knew could help me.

“Sam… I need you again.”

~ \/ \/ ~

"How many tips did you make tonight?" I asked, counting out mine again.

Ronnie sighed. "About $20. You?"

"$35." I muttered.

"Ugh, that's not fair. I swear, your blood must smell like a fucking bakery with how many tips you get." She laughed.

"Ain't I lucky." I hissed jokingly.

The door to the bar rang open. Both Ronnie and I sighed. "Sorry, we're closed."

"I'm not here for a drink." A deep voice replied, stepping around the corner.

I turned to face the voice and realized who it was. "Colby..."

"That's Colby?" Ronnie exclaimed quietly. She leaned closer to my ear. "Holy shit he's hot."

"Shhh." I elbowed her lightly, turning back to Colby. "Uh, hey. Are you here to escort me home?"

"Actually, I'm taking you back to our place.” He informed, his hands sliding into his pockets.

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Oh? Okay."

"I'll see you later, Jade. Have fun." Ronnie mumbled, smirking at me and walking to the back to grab her stuff.

"Uh, let's head out." I nodded my head at Colby, slinging my bag over me.

As we walked into the parking lot, Colby stopped me. "Are we really gonna take your car to the club? It's only a couple blocks down."

I scoffed. "I'm sorry... what do you expect me to do? I can't leave my car here."

"Running would be faster." He stated.

"If I was also a vampire." I fumed.

Colby growled, his fangs prominent. "I could turn you into one."

"Shut up and just get in my car." I retorted.

I opened my car door and slid into the seat. Colby stood in the parking lot, glaring at me.

"Are you getting in or not?" I huffed.

He didn't respond.

Who pissed in his Cheerios today?

I rolled my eyes, driving away. "Whatever. I'll meet you back at the Trapp Haus."

I glanced at my rear view mirror, seeing Colby was already gone. I drove, the streets being close to empty since it was so late. I finally got to the Trapp Haus, pulling into the parking lot. Colby had his back rested against the entrance, scrolling through his phone.

I alarmed my car and strolled up to him. "Why exactly am I here?"

"Sam wanted to talk with me and you. That's all he's told me." He remarked. I followed him up the apartment. Walking in, Sam sat on one of the couches, looking up at us.

"Oh good, I was wondering when you were getting here." Sam spoke, smiling.

"So... what do you gotta tell us?" Colby asked.

"Well, I think we have all concluded that Cyrus is after you because of Jasper's death.” Sam admitted.

I nodded my head. “Yeah.”

“He's most likely the person that broke into your apartment. He's trying to get inside your head. Make you feel uncomfortable and nervous.” Sam responded, stepping towards us.

“So, he's playing with his food?” Colby smirked.

Sam and I both glared at him. “Colby... really?”

His lips folded into a tight line. “Sorry.”

Sam sighed. “Anyway, because of this, I want you to stay here until we can hunt him down and kill him.”

“What?” Colby questioned, his arms crossing.

“Dude, let's be honest here. She's not safe. And unless you want to stand guard at her place until he comes a-knocking, it would just be better if she was here.” Sam argued, turning to Colby.

“No, it wouldn't.” Colby grabbed Sam’s arm, pulling him away from me. “Don't you think we've done enough?”

“How?” Sam inquired.

“How are we gonna find where he is? Unless he's living in LA, which may not be the case, he could be anywhere. Are you expecting me to run around the whole fucking city looking for him?” Colby ranted, his voice deep.

Sam scoffed. “What else are we supposed to do? Leave Jade for dead?”

“Yes! We've already done enough. We’ve never gone this far for someone unless they're family. And she's not.”

My heart dropped as Colby's eyes landed on me. They were cold. Unfriendly.

“We can't leave her now. I won't leave her now.” Sam objected.

“We don't even know if he's hunting her. He could just be dicking around.” Colby hissed.

“Or he could be hunting her. We don't know Jasper and Cyrus’ relationship. If someone killed me, you would hunt them down.” Sam stated.

Colby paused for a second, rolling his eyes. “Fine. But how long is she gonna be here?”

“Until you find out where he is.” Sam smirked.

Colby groaned. “Do you wanna give me a clue as to where he could be?”

“Mike talked to a couple of his buddies on the south side. Apparently that where he likes to hang out at. So, snoop around, see what comes up.” Sam replied. He then turned to me. “Jade?”

I cleared my throat. “Yeah?”

“You're gonna sleep in my room until this is all sorted out.” He explained.

I stammered. “No. I can sleep-”

Sam cut me off. “I insist. Besides, it won't be the first time I've fallen asleep on the couch. I'm gonna go get you some clothes to change into. Tomorrow I'll head over with you to your place and we'll pick up some of your stuff.”

I smiled lightly. “Okay.”

Sam left to go into his room. I stared at Colby as he sat down on the couch, sighing deeply.

I stepped over to him, staying a few feet away.

He finally glanced up at me. "What?"

"You really hate me that much." I knew it was true.

My eyes never left his. He just looked at me with an almost sad glimmer.

"Jade?" Sam called.

"Coming." I answered, turning my head away from Colby.

<< CHAPTER 3 || CHAPTER 5 >>

[slasherscream]

poly billy and stu celebrating holidays with their s/o?? from birthdays (theirs) valentine's day, christmas, etc love your blog sm!! it's my favourite 🤩🤩

A/N: anon this is such a cute idea thank you for sending it in. 

     billy loomis x reader x stu macher

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Let’s start with the top’s birthday. So Billy? He is an iconic mix of bitch and bastard. Meaning that he is absolutely pretending to hate his birthday. Or at least is exaggerating on the point of how much he wants “everyone” to forget about it. Because … and I mean this ….god help you if Stu and you ever forget or listen to him when he says “don’t do anything”. It would be a fucking nightmare of which you would never wake if you both did this. 

Luckily Stu already made this mistake one year before y'all were all together and he knows. The first year you’re together Billy is going through his regular shtick of bullshit. You pull Stu aside privately later and ask, “so are we doing anything for his birthday or are we listening to Billy.”

Stu gets….the most distant far-off look in his eyes. Like he’s a man that’s come back from war and just got drafted again. He’s never grabbed your shoulders harsher, “We have to do something he’s lying.“ 

So you do something. The good part about Billy’s birthday is he’s actually not hard to please. Start the day off right with an acknowledgement. So you do a movie night the day before. This way when midnight hits you can pause Halloween and he will almost start yelling at you before you guys whip out obnoxious colored party-horns and start trying to blow them to the beat of Happy Birthday. He is rolling his eyes but deeply pleased as he was already contemplating ….revenge of some sort at 11:55 (please god make Billy chill out for one day). 

He is not lying about not wanting anything big though. He really only wants to celebrate with you and Stu. Don’t throw him a party. He won’t be mad per-say but he won’t be like pumped or anything. Will end the party early or will make you and Stu sneak off with him. This is #His Day and the focus will be #On Him. 

His Mom used to make him a cake every year and Stu, as his life-long best friend (and now boyfriend), totally remembers the tradition. He's just not capable of baking or cooking. But he tells you and hopes you can do it and you can (if you're bad at baking too let's just imagine with you and Stu both working hard you can...achieve....something). Surprising Billy with the cake would make him feel #Soft.

Honestly he's spending the whole day acting tough and pretending he barely wants to do anything but?? He loves it and loves that you're both 100% focused on him and making him happy. He's just a brat. But ignore him while he's scoffing about you guys both kissing his cheeks at the same time he's having the time of his life. He just wants to cuddle and watch movies and for no one to go anywhere. 

If you want to go Big for Him one year or something the best thing you could do is put Rich Boy Stu's money to good use and get him autographed shit from Horror Icons. Or original props from movies. He'll lose his fuCKING MIND. Finally breaks his lame "cool guy" act for 0.5 seconds. 

Stu doesn't play hard to get and he doesn't play mind-games (with you and Billy, that is). Y'all know damn well he wants a big fuss made about his special day. He also wants a big party. It's super easy to make him happy on his birthday if you just remember that unlike Billy he wants this to be as over the top as fucking possible.  

Wake him up with breakfast in bed screaming happy birthday at the top of your lungs and he jumps up like a kid on Christmas Morning. Yes....this is #His Day....pay attention to HIM. 

Give him lots of presents! He's easy to buy for! New clothes. Stupid jewelry. Horror shit. New voice changer box. He just likes receiving gifts. They don't have to be expensive ...just have him open a lot of packages and he'll love it.

Do a surprise birthday party. It's not a surprise in any way at all but watching his face light up when he walks into his fucking house at the end of the day and half the highschool pops out like "surprise!!" is so fucking worth all the hassle that you and Billy have to smile at each other. 

Billy has thrown him parties before but they're more of just...huge get-together’s. Like highschool(TM) parties where you're too cool to decorate. You? Not a pussy. You deck out the whole house and Stu loses his fucking mind. Knows you are the cause of this and kisses the shit out of you. Dips you and everything. Billy is protesting because, "Hey I blew up half these fucking balloons" ...don't be a piss baby it'll be your turn in like thirty seconds. 

Fourth of July?? Stu has the most illegal fireworks he could get his hands on so they’re. …. pretty illegal. They’re the asshole neighbors that set them off like weeks before the 4th and if you weren't fucking them you'd want their heads on a platter. As is? Eh.....you're fucking them so I guess this is the neighbor's problems- They always forgive because Stu's family throws the greatest fucking barbecues day of.

St. Patrick's Day? Time to get fucking WASTED. You are wearing green aggressively because the one year you didn't Stu pinched your ass all day long. Even Billy joined in when he saw how feisty and annoyed it was making you. Stu is still doing it but you...tried at least, RIP. It's the tradition now. 

Valentine's Day?? billy vc: love is a neurochemical con job. But don't worry Stu will not allow him to be a bastard about the day because he's affectionate and loving. Stu knows how to celebrate the day perfectly. This is his time to shine! The Most Obnoxious Boyfriend. Everyone else is jealous. Flowers? Delivered in the middle of class. Huge chocolate box that is also #Expensive? Have fun putting that in your locker (he's sweet so he's actually gonna put it in his car for you once you've had a few)! Would pay the Band Kids to Follow Billy and s/o around MOSTLY to annoy Billy but also to be cute. They're playing the fucking .... they're playing this. Billy is so angry but..... like.... his inner possessive loves being made a fuss over publicly so whatever. Maybe he won't kill the band kids for this. You're not an ungrateful cretin so you clap and laugh. 

Billy does get Stu a gift ...something not really...Valentine's Day-esque but something he'll like. Like a horror-themed bong (i'm so sorry y'all this man obviously is smoking weed). You wrap it in pink, heart themed paper for him which he didn't know you were going to do and he is going to get you for that ...later...in the bedroom. But Stu loved it so whatever. 

You? At the exact same time you and Stu present each other teddy bears. His teddy for you? Cute and fucking...Huge. Yours?? Fucking horror themed.. made to be gore-y and bloody looking. He gasps, obviously touched, "Babe!". Gonna get made out with so hard.... How are you so cute and funny? He loves you!! It sits proudly on his dresser. 

What do you get Billy?? He really does dislike the Holiday because he thinks people who use this as the day to show they half-ass care about their s/o one day a year deserve death and despair. He will give them that death and despair. So what to give him then?

Stu pretended to be too busy planning for Valentine's Day to plan any murders with him which pissed Billy off even more the week prior. He was busy planning Valentine's Day. He was planning the Normal one they'd have with you and the more private, bloody one they'd have later that night killing couples together. Icing on cake? You pitched in by helping Stu plan it and by picking out new knives for them to use during. They're #Pink in a way that is obnoxious but the quality is amazing and you say, "it's your Valentine's Day knives!!! Just to use on Valentine's every year. Do you like them?"       billy choked up: it's fucking .... alright 

Got em'! The only way you can make the night better is letting Stu and Billy have sex with you when they get home. They're high off the kill rush and Billy is pleasantly-surprised that Stu did a really good job of planning everything alone. They're covered in blood and feeling love-dovey. Let's all do heavy eye-contact missionary tonight

April Fools is a mess and it leaves all of y'all mad at each other for a solid fucking week. Everybody gets got. Nobody can trust one another. Nobody should.

Thanksgiving is not a happy time for Billy. He doesn't like spending it with his Dad because while he's ...so good at misdirecting or #Avoiding Things He Doesn't Want To Deal With it gets very hard at this time of year to not get mad at his Dad. He's for some reason never going to hurt his Dad who he could easily blame for his Mom leaving?? But he won't. Though he's very angry during this time of the year. His Dad will try to do anything and he just shuts himself in his room. Doesn't even wanna go to Stu's house or your house. It would just make him feel .... weird, upset, like he's intruding... jealous, even. It's kinda sad. He won't even pick up your calls that day. You and Stu don't even have to sneak into the house. Billy's Dad quietly let's you in and you go upstairs and just hold him together. It's a solemn holiday because it's like the start of reminding Billy about his Mother abandoning him. 

Christmas goes kinda the same way tbh but he's ....trying to make an effort to not be as big of a bummer since Christmas is a little more significant than Thanksgiving. He knows you and Stu actually enjoy the holiday season. He tries to distance himself in general during this time because he just doesn't know how to be anything else. It's actually kinda sad because most of Billy's emotions if they're negative wind up manifesting as anger but he's genuinely depressed as shit. 

Things are different when you all move in together because now he's also not trying to spend the holidays with the literal reminder of why his life sucks (his cheating ass daddy). Plus you and Stu are determined to give him new Holiday experiences to replace the ones that make him feel so shitty with nostalgia. He's grumpy the first Christmas you guys spend together after you're living alone but not angry the way he's been at Christmas times' past. Improvement.  

The Christmas after that? Doesn't cringe once seasonal music starts playing in stores. Ghostface killings get a little less violent and frequent (he's not using them to cope as soon as it gets cold). Getting better. The Christmas after that?? You can get him to help you decorate. He helps you and Stu with the tree. He makes cookies with you. You watch horror themed Christmas movies and some regular ones (you cannot be a movie tyrant during the holidays, billy-). Christmas after that? You all send out a "family" Christmas card. You and Stu are in ridiculous sweaters and Billy is in one of solid red but he's wearing a Santa hat. His arms are crossed but there's the slightest smile on his face. You each have an arm around him. You all look happy together.

Now ..... for the big one: Halloween. Thought I skipped it? Hah! Best for last. This is their happiest time of year. They are so ready for this shit you have no idea. It's disgusting how ready they are. It turns October and Stu drops this video in your three person chat. Billy replies with a devil emoji. Disgusting?? You know you're in for a chore of keeping them in line for a whole fucking month. They will be doing MISCHIEF. They will be doing SHENANIGANS. Both MURDER and OTHERWISE. They're teepeeing houses. Cars. They're stealing candy from kids like dicks probably. Or laughing at people who are doing this. They keep the kills to Halloween night though. A whole month of just planning so they can do something big and terrible. You have to be looking after them extra during this time because they're so excited they are ...not ...doing that. you: you guys please drink some water i haven't seen you move in hours billy and stu: billy: holy shit it's been- stu: babe please make us something to eat we haven't had anything since yesterday :(((( 

Fucking dumb idiot disease. If you're living together?? God help you, you used to only have to see them get hype as fuck. Now? You must experience it 24/7. Halloween prep starts emotionally? Once summer ends. They want to deck out the house to the nines and you’re just gonna have to piss now staring at/being aware of the over-sized plastic spider Stu put on the back of the toilet. 

Everything is spooky. Cobwebs everywhere. Black! Orange! Pumpkins! Outside decorations that are actually scary as shit. They're the haunted house on the street that gets #Talked About. They're gonna go murder the shit outta people later but early in the night?? The kids that manage to walk up to the house?? Get fucking...the Mother-load of all candy. The brave little bastard dressed as a ballerina-fairy-princess?? Fist-bump. Billy does not much like kids but all the kids who get to his door? You deserve this. Full-sized chocolate bars and bags of candy. Maybe even a dollar or two. Stu is actually great with kids and is the nice one who guesses all of their costumes. Somehow can guess the weird ones accurately? 

Once that part of the night is over they go out and just wreak total fucking havoc. Halloween in Woodsboro is a nightmare. They're having fun at least! This is their Christmas and they love it. Babe         babe don't wait up. They tell you as if you couldn't fucking guess?? They're not home till the wee hours of the morning and they're dead-exhausted but they had the time of their lives. 

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