#teen mom family vacation

[teenmomcentral]

She’s baaack!

Just weeks after Ashley Jones and her baby daddy Bar Smith reacted to the news that they had been fired-by-ghosting from Teen Mom: The Next Chapter, Ashley has confirmed that she will, indeed, be on the upcoming season after all. 

The @TeenMomFanz Instagram account was the first to report the news that, despite the show’s producers ghosting Ashley and Bar and not contacting them to film for the upcoming season, Ashley was recently contacted and will be appearing on the upcoming ‘Next Chapter’ season after all.

While Ashley will appear on the season, Bar will not…at least, as of press time.

“Bar not being on [‘Next Chapter’] is the result of a few different things, but a big part of it stems from what went down at Teen Mom Family Reunion [Season 3],” one source tells The Ashley.

As The Ashley told you back in September, Ashley and Bar were both flown to Colombia to film for the “couples therapy” version of ‘TMFR’ but both were booted before they even made it to the villa the other cast members were staying at.

“Ashley and Bar were in Colombia but were put back on a plane to go home before they could even join the group in the house,” the source told The Ashley at the time time.

Now, The Ashley can reveal more of what went down in Colombia to get Ashley and Bar sent home. (The Ashley is unsure if the incident will be covered when the show airs but she hears it “almost definitely” will be.) 

An altercation happened between Bar and Ashley while they were at the holding hotel,” a production source tells The Ashley. (The “holding hotel” is where cast members would stay until they were officially introduced into the cast villa, where the show was filming.)

The Ashley has heard varying accounts of what happened during the fight, with some sources saying things got physical, but The Ashley can’t 100 percent confirm that.

“The fight happened in front of some of the higher-up producers and that caused big problems [for Ashley and Bar],” the source said. “The producers didn’t want the violence that happened last season and, along with a few other things that went down, gave that as a reason to kick off Bar and Ashley.” 

That being said, The Ashley’s sources say it’s likely that Bar will end up coming back, even if the producers are “opting not to use his story at the moment.”

“It’s not a permanent ban, at least not at this point,” another source tells The Ashley. “Things change from week to week with this show.”

The Ashley can confirm that Ashley filming for the season will not affect Mackenzie McKee being added to the show.

“Mackenzie will still be featured on episodes this season,” the source said. “Nothing changes there.” 

Bar responded to a post on the @TeenMomFanz Instagram regarding him not being asked back.

“Thank y’all for holding me down,” he wrote in the post’s comment section. “Hopefully you’ll see me soon again. If not it was one hell of a run.”

Ashley also commented on the original post on Instagram announcing her return. She hinted that she was able to negotiate her pay with MTV.

“Ask for what you are worth,” she wrote. “Actually, demand it.”

The Ashley hears that the rest of the cast is basically finished filming for ‘Teen Mom: The Next Chapter,’ so Ashley’s parts will be much more-recent than the others’ parts. 

The next season of ‘Next Chapter’ will not air until after ‘Teen Mom Family Reunion’ Season 3 airs.

“Expect to see the trailer very soon because they have a tentative air date as mid-March for ‘Family Reunion’ to premiere,” The Ashley’s source tells her. 

Stay tuned…

[handsomegentlebutch]

My 3 little cousins were baptized today. "Triggered" is kind of a strong word but being in a catholic church again... I'm a little fragile rn ngl.

[herawell]

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[bellaso-bomb]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY SON .. 🇧🇸🛳️🏖️🛫

[odxrilove]

☆ KISSES WITH ENHYPEN

pairing: enhypen x f!reader

genre: fluff, scenarios, established relationship?

back to masterlist!

☆ HEESEUNG ; drunk kisses

kisses with heeseung are passionate and eager, your breaths smelling a bit like alcohol and your clothes sticking to your skin due to the clearly overcrowded house. you’re almost unable to hear each other over the music so you stick to each other’s side, heeseung’s hot breath fanning over your neck. he peppers kisses all over your right cheek and whines, you shut him up with a quick peck. the first three buttons of his shirt are unbuttoned, showing off his glistening skin and you can’t help but grab his collar and connect your lips together for the umpteenth time that night. heeseung doesn’t waste a second reciprocating the affection– he would never leave you unkissed if he could. he smells of beer and a hint of tequila (probably the shot jake forced into his hand earlier) and you smell of sex on the beach with a hint of strawberry– actually, that’s probably just the taste of your lipgloss, the one he’s currently smudging. he’s likely going to end up falling asleep with pink glossy traces on his lips, but when you moan against his mouth, he knows he could never get enough of you.

☆ JAY ; forehead kisses

forehead kisses were a norm with jay, something he did daily since you’d turned into teens. his friends would say it was weird but jay would always retort that forehead kisses were normal for you two, because you were friends, and nothing more. that obviously didn’t last long and when you two finally went out on your first date, he ended the night with a sweet forehead kiss, hands gently holding your face. it was rather predictable that the moment you two started dating, the forehead kisses would stay and become a way to convey his love for you. he’d kiss your forehead before walking into the exam hall for a stressful exam, your supportive praises running in a loop in his mind. he’d kiss your forehead in his parents’ kitchen, when he invited you over for dinner to introduce you as his girlfriend. and when you two leave with big smiles, red cheeks and intertwined hands, jay’s mom would turn to his dad and laugh, claiming she just knew you were bound to be together.

☆ JAKE ; neck kisses

your relationship with jake was like a tamer version of romeo and juliet, your families holding a decades long grudge against each other. still, you liked the thrill of sneaking around and meeting up with your lover, hiding from your family and having to bend the truth so often– you weren’t lying when you said you were going to study at the library, you just forgot to mention that jake would be present, and that maybe you’d make out against the bookshelves of the ecology book section. truthfully, it wasn’t that serious at first, you two just wanted to have fun and piss off your families if they were to find out, but over time, you two grew undeniable close and feelings started to get involved. instead of stopping, like you had suggested, jake just found new ways to meet up with you. he’d ask to go to the bathroom during class, only to beg you to join him, returning to class minutes later with marks blooming on your neck. he’d invite you to parties, finding you in the crowd and kissing up from your shoulder to your neck. he’d throw little rocks at your window at night so you’d join him and stargaze from under the apple tree in your neighbor’s garden. and maybe you’d go home that night with marks littering your neck, and maybe this time you wouldn’t cover them up, wishing to be able to be public with jake.

☆ SUNGHOON ; goodbye kisses

the first time you and sunghoon kiss is minutes before you leave with your parents for a month long vacation during the summer holidays. the second time is when you get back from your trip, at the last summer party before school starts. you had only seen sunghoon in passing, the house being overfilled with students, but he’d find you when you walked out of the house to leave, tugging at your wrist with flushed cheeks. he’d kiss you under the flickering street lamp, and you’d smile into the kiss, pulling him closer. two years later, this goodbye resembles the one where you first kissed, but this time, you won’t come back a month later, leaving for university on the other side of the country. the kiss is bittersweet as tears roll down your cheeks and sobs leave your mouth. ten months later, you say goodbye again. sunghoon had surprised you by visiting you at university, wanting to tell you in person how he had to go abroad for a skating competition. he’d whisper that he loves you and you’d promise to wait for him, sharing one last kiss before he turns his back to you and walks through the airport gates with his head down and face stained with tears.

☆ SUNOO ; smiley kisses

kissing sunoo is sweet and exciting, like a fresh breath of air. you always find each other when you have good news and the smiles on your faces are ever present when you congratulate the other with a kiss. the giggles that leave your mouth just after having given sunoo a peck are adorable to say the least and he only kisses you back because he can’t resist not doing so. you’re always happy to see him and when he sees you walking towards him with open arms, there’s no way he would refuse you anything. your friends often joke about you two, looking away and faking gagging sounds whenever you steal a kiss, but it never changes the way you look at your boyfriend with stars in your eyes and the biggest smile on your lips. truly, sunoo is just happy to have you there with him and if smiling into the kiss is the perfect way to show it, then so be it.

☆ JUNGWON ; good morning kisses

sleepovers with jungwon were a weekly thing, as being best friends with him meant that your houses were always open for each other. it was impromptu when you kissed, early in the morning while you had just been complaining about this one guy you used to like. jungwon had cut you off with a sleepy voice, asking you why'd you settle for less when he could give you so much. it wasn’t long before you were rolling in your bed, hair messy and lips red from kissing. something jungwon really liked was waking you up on the weekends, your mom letting him in and telling him you were still sleeping, like usual. he’d skip to your bedroom, sitting on the side of your bed and brushing your hair back, smiling at the pout on your face. he’d first kiss your forehead, then your cheeks, then your nose if you’d still not woken up before softly kissing your lips as you’d sleepily hook your arms around his neck, pulling him down on top of you. maybe if you were lucky, you’d convince him to nap with you but most of the times, he’d drag you out of bed, pushing you to your bathroom to freshen up while he waited for you on your bed, cheeks red and excited to spend the day with you.

☆ RIKI ; sleepy kisses

riki isn’t that fond of physical affection in public so he makes up for it in private. you remember clearly how you two got together, having shared a short kiss right before falling asleep during a sleepover with your group of friends. you and him had been pushed in the corner of the room on a single mattress and with your back to the others, it was the perfect moment to tell him how you felt. from that day on, kisses when one of you is tired is practically the norm. it’s a way of saying “you can rest now, i’ll be here for you” before the other dozes off, or “you can get through it, i’m by your side” when the tiredness is getting too much. it’s especially endearing when you two share the ride back home from school, squeezing each other’s hands and leaning in to kiss the other with a tired gaze. one of you is always awake then, just so neither of you miss your stop. riki would never admit that he prefers being the one awake though, just so that he can admire you and peck your cheek when you’re sleeping on his shoulder.

taglist: @0x1lovebot @fairybinie @blaqpinksthetic @odetoyeonjun @pockyandme @soobin-chois @lolalee24 @soobisms @junityy @kaimal @laylasbunbunny @jaeyunverse @enhacolor @honglynights @starry-mins @bibinnieposts @yoonzin0 @4xiaojun @pointlessapple @hykai @angelyeo-hyj @enluv @05riki

please do not copy, repost or steal any of my work. all content belongs to @odxrilove

[hoe4sports]

It was always you

Jessie Fleming x reader

A/N: She’s long y’all

Warning: Divorce? None really

Summary: Post divorce, thinks have fallen into a rythm developing over the span of years. But one of you, falls out of that rythm and struggles keeping up.

Divorce. You couldn’t pinpoint exactly when it happened. Not the administrative part of the divorce with lawyers, documents, protocol and court; but the emotional part of the divorce. You had spent hours in the early stages of your divorce trying to figure out what went wrong, analysing every aspect of your relationship.

Sure, things had undoubly gotten tougher after adding a second child to the mix. But, the second child didn’t feel like the reason as to why the slipping apart had happened. Jessie had been the one to bring up the possibility of divorce; thinking it would solve all your problems. It was a civil divorce, you and your ex-wife only wanting the best for your children. Never talking bad about each other in front of the girls, never bringing new girlfriends into the family.

Your kids were happy, they felt loved and they were well taken care of. To you and Jessie, that was all that mattered. Your oldest, Lilly was a hopeless romantic. Even at 6 years old, she would beg her mom to buy flowers for you. It was one of the traits that she had gotten from Jessie. Your other daughter, Eden, had walked in her sister’s shoes, adapting her sister’s romantic trait into her own personality.

The agreement on the kids was easy, one week each, living in the same neighbourhood only 5 minutes apart for each other. It made the divorce easier on the kids, knowing that their other mom was right up the road. Every other holiday, and a few weeks each summer for travel was shared between the pair of you.

This particular day, you found yourself sitting outside on the front porch waiting for Jessie to drop the kids off. She had taken your 12 and 8 year old to Canada for some well needed family time. You didn’t mind, you had know Jessie’s family for years and they were the most welcoming group of people. They still invited you on vacations and Christmas, claiming that you were still family. It was funny, you and Jessie had both dated other girls in the span of time since the divorce. But, nothing had ever lasted.

When you saw Jessie’s car pulling up, you looked at your Golden retriever, Murphy and tapped his head. “Look Murph, the girls are home!” You cheered in your puppy voice. He was an old man now, 12 years old, but he was still young at heart.

When Eden hopped out, Murphy sprinted towards the driveway while wiggling his tail. “Murph! Mama!” Eden yelled while running towards you with only one shoe. She crashed into your legs and wrapped her arms around your frame. “I missed you mama” she whispered while squeezed your legs extra hard. “I missed you too doll” you comforted while rubbing her back before she slipped inside to find her Barbie dolls.

“Where is my teen?” You yelled out while your daughter very quietly walked towards you. She was moving into her “cool teenage” phase of her life, and she never wanted to do anything “uncool”.

“Hi mama” she said calmly once coming to greet you. You instantly wrapped her into a hug. “I missed you lots my little girl” you whispered into her hair before giving her kisses on her cheeks. “Okay, okay, I’m gonna go to my room and call Kennedy” she said while wiping off the kiss eager to talk to her bestfriend.

Jessie came up with the girls suitcases smiling with her cap on. “Hi, here’s their bags. Mom washed most of their clothes so it wouldn’t be too much on you” she stated while placing carrying the suitcases up the little stairs with Murphy in her heels. After she placed down the suitcases, she turned around to your puppy and gave him pets. He instantly got excited wiggling his butt like only golden’s can.

“Hi Jess, how was Canada?”

“Good, I love showing the girls off to the family. I’m so proud of them, it’s ridiculous”

“I’m glad, how is momma?”

“She’s good, healthy. Back doing her water aerobics twice a week. She told me to give you a hug from her” Jessie shrugged while looking at the tips of her shoes.

You wrapped her into a hug, just like the old days. It wasn’t unusual for you to hug, but this hug felt different. Perhaps it was because it was from her mom, you figured. The hug lasted longer than usual, a sense of uncertainty lingering in the air.

“She told me to convince you to come to Canada. Grandma misses you too” Jessie said while finally looking up at you blushing.

“Aaw, that’s so sweet! But, you know I can’t” you finished looking at Murphy who was shoving his head in your hand.

“Right, right, see you next week?” Jessie said, eager to wrap up the conversation. It wasn’t really like her. Normally, she had plenty of time to chat and hang around.

“Busy? Are you meeting up with someone? Someone special?” You teased poking her shoulder. She gave you a faint smile.

“Something like that” She replied with a smirk on her face. You smiled politely back at her feeling uneasy about her dating some new, but at this point in life; it had been years since the last date with another woman. The pair of you said your goodbyes before you entered your home with the girls suitcases. “Well”, you thought to yourself, “I have to get to working on this unpacking”.

-

Later that day, you found yourself stood in the kitchen in front of the stove cooking up some pancakes for the girls to eat before bedtime. This was a tradition you had since they were young; every Sunday you sat down as a family and ate pancakes before bedtime while taking about anything and everything.

“Mama, I made you a picture! Do you wanna see it?” Your youngest squealed, in love with art from a young age. “Yes love, I always want to see your art” you confirmed while flipping the last pancake. Eden ran upstairs to her room to get her binder. It held drawings from when she was just a baby back in kindergarten. You loved taking care of the art, knowing that watching the pictures was a glimpse into her head at that time.

Your oldest appeared from the living room at the smell of pancakes. “Are the pancakes ready soon? Do you want any help?” She asked leaning into your side wanting some affection. You wrapped your arm around her side holding her in your embrace. “If you want to, you could set the table?” You suggested in which she immediately nodded to and got to work. Even though she was becoming a teenager, she was still always wanting to be helpful and close to her mom.

Eden came tumbling down the stairs with her files bringing it into the kitchen flipping through the pages. “Here it is! I already put it in, but it’s me, nana, Lilly and mommy in Canada! And this, this is Elena’s dog.” She said while pointing to something that looked more like a sheep than a dog. You scrunched your nose when your daughter mentioned Elena, Jessie’s Canadian ex. You didn’t know that they had seen Elena in Canadian which was out of character for Jessie. “Wow, amazing! Did you see Elena in Canada?” You asked eagerly without wanting to snoop around. “Yes, she came for dinner. Nana made a roast” she said as she shrugged. The thought made you uncomfortable, and you immediately decided to change the topic.

“Alright girls, pancakes are ready” you announced flopping the last pancake onto the plate and turning towards the table. The three of you sat down at the dark oak table chatting lightly about school and football. The girls both played football, and both of them were excited for school to start.

“So, how was Canada girls?” You asked while looking at Lilly. Lilly shrugged her shoulders just like teenagers do. “We went to this market with lots of little stands were people sold lots of things. I even saw someone selling crochet frogs!” Eden said excitedly happily munching on her food. “Wow, did you buy it?” You followed up. “No, they only had green and I wanted pink, so I got a pink scrunchie instead!” She continued blabbering on about Canada.

After pancakes and washing up, the girls had both gotten ready for bed. You checked your youngest first, who was soundly asleep holding on to her stuffed sheep. You reached for the duvet and pulled it up wrapping her in like when she was little. Then, you headed to Lilly’s room. Her room was tidy, but that was one of her traits: she was very organised.

“Hi mama” she said while yawning in her bed, a book in her lap. “Hi baby, ready for bed?” You asked scooting into her bed wrapping your arms around her. “Yea..” she started before tearing up a bit, quickly swallowing her tears away. “I missed you mom, it’s not the same without you” your daughter pleaded leaning towards your chest. “I missed you too doll, and I wish things weren’t like this. I know that Eden dosent really remember when me and mommy used to live together, but I know you do. It’s very valid and I wish we could’ve worked it out.” You assured her feeling her relax in your arms. Hair long hair was hanging on her shoulders, and you immediately started humming while brushing through her locks with your hands.

After a few minutes, her breathing had slowed down and she showed signs of being asleep. You eased her out of your arms and into her bed before kissing her forehead, and moving towards the door. Your hands reached for the light switch, but before you could turn it off; you heard a voice. “You know that mom still is in love with you?” she whispered out her eyes being closed, just moments away from falling asleep. “Good night, princess. I love you forever” you hushed leaving her room quietly. Both the girls preferred to sleep with their door slightly open, just in case they need their mom. You loved it, making you feel like you are still the mom to two little girls instead of soon teenagers.

You hopped down the stairs to clean up the kitchen, the words of your daughter lingering in the back of your head. You had been warned about kids of divorce wanting their parents to get back together, but this felt different. She had previously begged you to go on a date with her teacher, convinced that you were a match.

As you cleared the table, plate by plate being moved into the dishwasher, you couldn’t help but think about what life could’ve been like. You and Jessie had met young, just after she had gone to Europe and you stayed together for over 10 years. It was weird how it all came to an end, you couldn’t really remember why you ended things. Maybe it was a silly argument? Or maybe Jessie’s busy lifestyle?

After clearing the table, you went to wipe off the surface noticing your daughter’s book of drawings. You sat down in front of it, opening it and watching picture by picture pass. Hours upon hours of work, all to be shown to her family. She took pride in her drawings, drawing her feelings.

One picture was two houses next to each other. One person infront of each door, two little girls moving between houses. It was cute, all of them looked happy. That was the confusing part for you; why would Lilly say that Jessie was still in love with you, when she seemed perfectly happy with the custody solution.

The next picture was with your daughter in bed, your puppy sleeping next to her. She had always loved the golden retriever. Even back when she was a little girl, she would occasionally fall asleep leaning onto the dog. It was a relationship like no other.

As you sat and admired the pictures, you heard the sound of your dogs paws shuffling downstairs. He immediately waked into the kitchen and looked at you while whining.

“Are you waiting for me to come night night?” You asked in your puppy voice. The dog immediately wagged his tail in excitement bonking his nose into your leg. You got up from the chair, and brought the book of drawings with you, following your dog to your bedroom door. After opening up your bedroom, he leaped into your bed taking his usual spot by the pillow. He ways slept with you, you hadn’t really slept next to anyone but Jessie. Expect from your girls, but that dosent count.

After finishing up your skincare, you stood by the sink brushing your teeth listening to the soft snores of your dog. It made you smile seeing him knocked out, the excitement of having the girls back bringing him joy.

As you brushed your teeth, you flipped through the book of drawings watching her arts. Fingers tracing the drawings, taking notice of each carefully placed line. One of the pictures, had stuck to you. It was a picture of you, Jessie and your two girls eating ice cream in the park. She naturally had included Murphy in the picture, adding an ice cream to the top of his head. You giggled looking at it, quickly finishing your brushing to take a picture of the drawing.

You

Look what Eden drew, she’s hilarious!

*photo attached*

Seen

You huffed in annoyance when Jessie left you on read, assuming she was busy doing some kind of football related stretch at home. The lights were then turned off, and you were quick to go to bed.

-

A few months later, the summer was over and school was back. Luckily for you, the girls loved school. Eden’s favourite subject was Math and Lilly’s favourite subject was science. You truly felt blessed by having kids that were this easy.

“Is mommy coming over later?” Eden asked nervously fumbling with her backpack. You looked into the rear view mirror. “Of course she is” you confirmed giving your Oscar winning smile. Truth was that Jessie had missed out on your weekly dinners for the last few weeks. It wasn’t just you who were bothered by it, so was your girls.

“Bye mommy!” Eden shouted jumping out of your car before skipping down to the school meeting up with her friends. The group of them walked in together. It was routine, they always waited for each other.

This morning after dropping the girls off, the annoyance you had felt regarding Jessie was rapidly growing. She had changed for the worse since the end of the summer: never answering your messages or your calls. Forgetting to come to family dinners. It annoyed you to a t when Lilly came beaming downstairs saying that she had talked to Jessie on the phone.

Your solution to this was having Eden ask Jessie over for dinner. Now, it wasn’t unusual for you to have dinner together. It was fairly normal on your household; but Jessie hadn’t answered your invitations. However, you knew that she would do anything for her daughters.

That was how you had ended up cooking favourite meal; your authentic pasta carbonara after work. If she wasn’t gonna talk to you, she was gonna be forced to eat your food in your presence.

“Mama, I think she’s coming!” Eden yells excitedly jumping up and down making Murphy bark while happily wagging his butt. Your oldest came skipping down the stairs when she heard your youngest announcement.

Eden opened the door up and full on launched at Jessie, wrapping her body around her like a koala. “Mommy, you came!” She giggled holding Jessie tight. “Of course, anything for my girls” Jessie said while hugging her back.

When she moved inside, she quickly petted Murphy before wrapping your oldest into a bear hug holding her tight. “How are you today, girls?” She asked looking at the pair of them. Eden looked like she was about to burst out information, but eagerly looked at her sister’s approval.

“Go ahead, Eds” Lilly giggled knowing what was about to happen.

“Okay, so today at maths this stupid boy, Jacob, threw a pencil at me! So I hid his calculator, and then after maths, I had lunch! It was chicken, I just love chicken! And then, Tilly told me about how she and her parents are going to France for Christmas and she promised me a postcard, and THEN, we had a pop quiz in English and I had no mistakes so I got a sticker AND THEN when I walked home, I saw a squirrel!” She said spewing out all her thoughts making you and her sister giggle while Jessie stood with wide eyes looking at her.

“Oh my, sounds like you had an eventful day” Jessie said scratching the back of her neck. “What about your day, Lils?”

“Hmm, it was okay. Kennedy and I played football with the boys during recess.” She shrugged in her typical teenage character.

“Wow,did they play rough?” Jessie wondered.

“Well, duuh! But it’s okay because I’m faster and I’m better, so they can’t catch me” Lilly brags proudly crossing her arms in front of her chest.

“You are so clever, I’m so proud of you both” Jessie said pulling both her girls into a hug.

-

At the dinner table, conversation was somewhat limited. Jessie didn’t really take initiative to talk to you, rather talking to you through the girls. The girls happily chatted along with her. It was weird, you thought, feeling like a stranger in your own home.

While munching on pasta Eden decided to drop a bomb.

“Mommy, do you miss living in our house?” Eden asked curiously looking Jessie dead in the eye. Jessie immediately chocked on a piece of pasta making her cough while having a terrified look in her face. Lilly shot you a look whispering “this is about to be good” making you smile of her sassy comment.

“Uh, I mean, I miss seeing you girls everyday, but I have my house now” Jessie tried hoping the answer was enough for Eden.

“But your house is small, I like this house better” Eden complained forcing you to turn around to not break out in laughter. She pouted her lips and crossed her arm. Your eyes shifted to your oldest who looked like she was about to collapse into a laughing fit, making you smiles

“Yea, i get that..” Jessie tried before looking towards you for help. “How is work?” You asked giving her a helping hand out of the awkwardness. Jessie shot you a look mixed of relief and gratitude before nodding. “It’s good, I’m going back to play with Canada soon. We have a game against Norway” Jessie finished.

“Where is Norway?” Eden asked curiously. “It’s at the top of Europe, close to the North Pole” Lilly lectured, making her sister’s eyes widen at the answer. “Wow, I wanna go to the North Pole! Mommy, can I come? And Lilly? And mama?” She begged giving Jessie her best puppy dog eyes .

Jessie looked sweaty for the millionth time during dinner, once again looking at your for help. “Norway is very far away, but maybe we can make it work? I’ll talk to mom about it after bedtime” you reassured your youngest carbon copy of Jessie. She seemed happy with the response and munched happily on her pasta again.

After the four of you had finished eating, the whole family was helping clearing the table. Jessie still hadn’t said much except typical polite talk, not normal to her considering she was quite the talker. Just as you finished cleaning, Jessie announced her departure.

“Mommy, can’t you stay until bedtime? Please mommy, you are never here at mama’s house anymore” Eden begged with her big brown eyes looking up at Jessie. She tugged on Jessie’s arm trying to launch onto her. Jessie’s cheeks flushed, and she rubbed her neck searching for the smallest bit of comfort. “Uh..I..Well, I have early practice tomorrow…” She stuttered seeing her daughter’s heart break in front of her. Eden’s shoulders lowered, and her face turned into a frown. “Okay, okay mom, thats fine. Mama always have time to read my bedtime story.. Bye” Eden turned around and walked upstairs, her sister giving Jessie an annoyed look.

“Doll, would you mind going after your sister? I’ll say bye to mama, and then I’ll be right there, pinkypromise” Lilly nodded her head, moving up the stairs to find her sister. But before she walked away from the stairs, she turned to look down at Jessie.

“Jessie, I think you really hurt sissy. She misses family dinners, and family nights, she talked about this all week. But it’s okay, because mama is always here to pick up the pieces, always making up excuses for you so that Eden dosent feel sad” she spat out leaving you feeling caught off guard while Jessie felt like the worst human in the world. Hearing her daughter call her out, and call her what was her government name instead of her most valued title.

Jessie felt uneasy, not sure how to handle the situation. All she wanted, was to get out of the house that she once had lived in. A part of her didn’t understand how you managed to live in the house with only the girls and your dog. How you were able to live in a house that was once filled with endless love. With to happy parents. Because recently, whenever she came over to pick up the girls or drop them off, she felt this heavy feeling in her gut having regrets about the divorce.

You heard your youngest sob upstairs before her bedroom door shut closed again. Jessie’s gaze met yours, and you gave her a sad look. “I’m gonna go deal with the girls, and I think you should leave.” You said moving towards the stairs. “You have the key, lock the door on the way out” you asked while moving upwards. Jessie stood still at the bottom of the stars on the verge of tears. “And for reference, I don’t know what’s going on with you lately; but you really hurt them, you know” and with that, you cleared the staircase moving in direction of your girls. At the drop of your last word, Jessie felt the tears press in her eyes. She looked at the staircase debating whenever to go after you, but she was too embarrassed of her own actions.

All Jessie wanted was for her family to feel prioritised, and important. But all she felt like she had done, was that she had failed you. She failed her duties as a wife, failed her marriage, she failed your agreements after the divorce and now she had failed her children. It hurt more than she could’ve ever imagined, and she quickly turned around to leave the house, locking the door on the way out.

You embraced your youngest who was sobbing in your arms, her older sister sitting across from you. “Eden, I’m sure she doesn’t mean it like that” you spoke trying to comfort the little girl. “But mama, she never used to be like this when I was a baby” Eden’s sob forced her to stop mid sentence, her clinging to you like back when she was a baby that didn’t want to go to kindergarten.

“I know love, and it’s not right of her to be like this to you, to both of you girls.” You said, trying to take notice of your oldest’s state of mind. “Mom..Do you think she doesn’t love us? Maybe she has found another family with another mom with other kids and other dogs and other houses..” your oldest spat out on the verge of tears. Their statements were bearing witness of the hormones about to change them from little girls to hormonal teenagers.

“Okay, girls. I know that we are feeling sad, and that’s okay. We are allowed to feel whatever we are feeling, it’s valid. But, I think your mom is going through something that makes her feel distant and spacey. She hasn’t been like this before. How about I try to talk to her?” You negotiated, trying to spare Jessie’s reputation. The girls nodded while sniffling in synch.

“How about we go to my bedroom, and we can watch tv until we fall asleep in mommy’s bed?” You suggested watching a spark light up in the girls eyes. They immediately eyed each other while nodding before getting up racing down the hallway, your dog bouncing after them. It made your heart swell: your daughter’s wholeheartedly giggles and your dog’s happy barks.

-

After the girls fell asleep, you got out of bed and sneaked yourself downstairs with your phone feeling determined to get an answer out of Jessie. You immediately dialed her number, waiting for her to pick up.

“Hi.. Is everything okay?”

“Hi, Jess. It’s me. What’s up?”

“What do you mean? I just got out of the shower, about to get ready for bed”

You rolled your eyes over her trying to play off cool.

“Stop being a comedian, it’s not working. What’s up with you recently?”

Jessie held a long silence terrified to say something wrong, that was if she could get something out.

“It’s nothing”

“Jess..”

“What? It’s nothing!”

You could hear Jessie getting annoyed, and for some reason: that annoyed you. She knew that you had figured out that she was going through something, and she hated that. You let out a groan in annoyance.

“For fucks sake, Jessie. We were married for many years, we had kids together; I know you better than this. Something is wrong, but you refuse to talk about it.”

Jessie felt like she was getting scolded, and perhaps that was what she needed; someone to talk sense into her. The truth was that everyone had noticed: her coaches had benched her, her teammates were confused and her mom was worried. Jessie hated carrying around this big bomb because it felt like it was about to explode at any second.

“Uh..It’s just..I should maybe talk to you about this in person”

A part of her felt like this might be good for her. To talk to someone about the problem. Someone who wouldn’t judge, and surely the woman she had kids with wouldn’t judge her for anything.

“Is it another woman?”

Jessie gasped in shock. How could you believe that?

“Sorry, but what?”

“Is there another woman? It’s fine if it is, I’m happy for you”

Jessie felt like throwing up by the thought of another woman. She didn’t want other women: she wanted her woman.

“Yea no, how about i stop by after work tomorrow?”

Jessie suggested, mentally kicking herself for forcing a conversation about the topic.

“After 21, then the girls will be asleep and we’ll have some privacy”

“O-okay, see you tomorrow then?”

“See you soon, Jess”

Jessie hung up feeling her heart beat rapidly, terrified of what was to come. She had lost you once, and she was terrified to lose you again. If you didn’t want to coparent with her anymore; that would be devastating for her. Possibly, career ending. She missed seeing you and the girls in the stands. She missed having the girls as her mascots. She missed having you come down to the pitch with the girls after games, Jessie chasing around Lilly while you carried Eden who was still a bay. Tears filled Jessie’s eyes as she sat on the edge of her bed. Tears of fear, frustration and anger for the divorce she had ended up in.

-

The following evening, you put the girls to bed waiting until they were asleep before texting Jessie to come over. You were happy to sort out whatever Jessie’s sudden problems was, just hoping that it wasn’t gonna be something related to your kids. A wave of nervousness dawned upon you, which lead to to quickly tidy up the house. Cups were moved to the dishwasher, the floor was hoovered and you made sure to fluff the pillows up. 10 minutes later, you heard knocking on your door.

Jessie stood nervously outside of the door waiting for you to open up the door. A part of her felt uneasy about opening up the door to let herself in; this wasn’t her home anymore, and she wanted to respect your boundaries.

You flung open the door looking at her with a smile, but you frowned when you saw her sad face.

“Damn, is this going to be one of those conversations?” You mumbled underneath your breath feeling Jessie’s sadness flare onto you. Jessie shot you a dirty look before mumbling something along the lines of “I heard that”.

“Feel free to sit”

You wanted her to take the lead on the situation, that way she could control the conversation. She slowly sat down on the couch looking like she was about to shit her own pants.

“Jessie? You seem like you are about to pass out. Relax! I’ve seen you naked” you teased hoping to make Jessie laugh, but your attempt at humor only got rewarded with a chuckle.

Jessie gulped trying to swallow the dry feeling in her throat without much success. She watched you sit down in the chair across from her, making her feel insecure.

You looked at her, waiting for her to talk.

“Jess? It’s okay, you can talk about whatever you want to, I won’t judge” you comforted her trying to meet her gaze. Jessie’s eye were glued to the floor, not bothering to give you as much as a glance.

“Could you maybe sit here?” Jessie spoke out, voice just above a whisper. Her hand patted the couch pillow next to her. You immediately got up and sat down next to her. Your feet sat down crisscross and you turned to face her.

“What’s going on, love?” You said looking into her eyes, her old nickname slipping out of your lips like air. Her heart fluttered over the use of her nickname, feeling an ache to have things back to what they once were.

Jessie looked up at you trying to find words, but she couldn’t spell out a single syllable. Her face ended up looking like a fish heaping for air rather than a person trying to speak.

“Here”, you said, “take me hand” you suggested offering your hand to her. She grabbed your hand back without thinking, making her feel dumb for looking so desperate.

She looked up at you trying to figure out how to drop the bomb on you. She couldn’t speak. She ended up just sighing again and again.

“Jessie?”

Her gaze met yours, eyes looking fragile and vulnerable.

“Talk to me, please”

You wiped away a tear from her cheek, scared of whatever was gonna come out from her mouth. Worried that someone might be sick, that she was going to transfer to another team or that she had done something dumb.

“Listen, the girls and I just want what’s best for you. I can see that you are suffering inside, please, talk to me. I want to help” you pleaded looking into her eyes, rubbing her thigh carefully.

Jessie sniffed before taking in a deep breath.

“The reason I have been so distant lately…” she started, but stopping as her word came to a loss.

“I talked to my mom when we were in Canada, and she made me realise a few things”

You nodded encouraging while offering her a smile. Her words came to a stop again, not sure how to handle the situation.

“Alright, keep going” you whispered giving her hand a squeeze. “It’s just me, love”, you said trying your best to support her.

“You see, that’s the problem. It is you. It was always you.” Jessie blurted out making you feel confused.

“Uh, I’m sorry?” You tried, not sure why you were offering your apologies when you couldn’t pinpoint what you had done wrong.

“No, no, god no! It’s not something to be sorry about..”

“Then what is it?” You responded, frustration lingering underneath your skin.

Jessie looked at you, at a loss for words once again. Her gaze felt intense, like she was staring into your soul. Her face moved towards yours.

“It was always you, y/n” Jessie whispered before closing the gap between you. The kiss lasted for a few seconds before you both pulled apart. You looked at Jessie, feeling confused.

“I miss you, I miss us. Leaving you, the kids, hell even Murphy was the biggest mistake of my life. The divorce was the biggest mistake of my life, and I know that you probably don’t feel the same anymore, and that’s okay. But I just, ugh, nobody will ever compare to you. I want you back, I want our life back, I want to wake up next to you again and know that I made the best decision when I married you.I don’t even know how to g-“

“Shut up, and kiss me Jess” you responded looking in her eyes feeling touched by the vulnerability of the moment. Jessie looked into your eyes before closing them and closing the gap between us, starting the process of rebuilding what once had been torn apart.

[couldnt-think-of-a-funny-name]

it's like. okay. imagine you're a little lonely kid, because you don't have any friends, because day care and preschool is expensive, and your parents didn't beat teen pregnancy so they're always working crazy hours and leaving you alone with an elderly neighbor. and then one day you meet a best friend right. you and this girl are immediately ride or die for each other. cannot be separated for more than a few hours without crying. she's everything you want to be and you're everything she wants to be. and you're with each other for everything- she's there when your brother is born, you're there when her dad leaves. you start school together. gripping each other's hands the entire time. she comes over every day because her mom works even more than your parents do. and you love that! more time with your favorite person! and your parents adore her, too. and you love that! everyone you love fits at the little picnic table in the kitchen that your dad dragged in when he found it on the side of the street one day. she comes with you to visit your grandparents and goes on family vacations with you, she goes shopping with you, she goes to all the little kiddie activities with you- dancing, t-ball, art, singing, soccer, cheerleading, you're always together. and everyone knows you're a package deal. and so, naturally, people start comparing the two of you often. and you don't mind! they don't mean it in a mean way, the two of you can just be very different sometimes! light and dark, rain and sun, that sort of thing. it makes sense that you'd have different strengths. except you start getting older, and you start noticing it's a little different. like, you're good at things, but you aren't anything special at anything. you have straight a's, but you're not considered smart enough for the nerds. people like you, but you aren't popular. no one ever seems to know if you're joking or if you're just stupid. people start telling you they like you- but in smaller doses. you're pretty, but you aren't beautiful. but your best friend is beautiful, and your best friend is cool, and she's smart, and she's talented at everything she tries. and it's- it's different. her mom works a lot and doesn't get to spend enough time with her, and that's a tragedy. but your mom works a lot and doesn't spend a lot of time with you, and that's normal, and you shouldn't complain, because you have it better than her. people tell you that all the time. her life is harder than yours and you have to be gentle with her feelings- and they didn't even need to tell you that, you would never want to make her feel bad! and you give her everything you can, a space in your home, half your food, half your parents attention, and you know she hears people compare the two of you and it makes her feel bad, too (you don't understand why, when she's always the one they prefer), but so you start making sure she has things that are JUST hers. like, you were good at art before, but she's incredible at it, so you give up and just mess around in class, to the point where no one would even bother comparing you there. it's all for her. you would drop anything for her in a heartbeat and you'd never complain about it. and you know she'd do the same for you, just, you haven't found anything that you need to be all yours yet! and that's fine! except one day you meet this boy, right? and he's charming and tall and the way he smiles at you makes you wanna faint a little. he rides a horse through the school for you. he tells you he wants to kiss you. he tells you you bring out the best in him. when he looks at you you feel like you're the only person in the room, and you've never felt like that before. you've always felt your best friend connected at your hip and getting half the attention. you think this is it, this blooming romance, that's your thing, your one thing that is all yours, and you love it! it's exciting, it's relieving, not being compared to your best friend for once, and now you know why she needs art like air. everything is great.

except- except. as you get older, you notice somethings get more stark, right? like, your mom, she loves you, and you know she's busy, but you can't help but notice how she'll drop anything for your brother, or your dad, or your best friend, or your brother's best friend, but whenever you need her for something she brushes you off onto the first person she can. and your dad would do anything for you, drop anything, so it's fine, really it is, but sometimes when you're in a bad mood, you can't help but think about how you have your dad but your best friend has her mom and both your parents. you don't think her mom even likes you- she made fun of you when you were upset about being bullied. you think it's weird that a grown woman would do that, but your mom laughed along with her, so maybe you're being dramatic. people tell you you're dramatic a lot, so that would make sense. hell, maybe you weren't even getting bullied, maybe you took the class saying they 'liked you, but didn't care who played you' the wrong way! wouldn't be the first time! maybe it's like how your friends never want you to be sad- they do this thing where they try and hide things from you, and mostly you think it's dumb and just play along, because when you're in a bad mood they feel bad- so, maybe the rest of the class just meant it like that? not that they didn't care about you, just that they needed someone like you! and it's always nice being needed, right? you have to stop being surprised when people like your best friend more than you. YOU like her more than you like yourself. it's not a big deal.

except. well. you start noticing something between her and your boyfriend. looks, small comments, nothing major! they're friends too, they have to be, because they love you, and you tell yourself not to be dramatic about it, because she would never! you would never do that to her and she would never do that to you- but then she tells you she has feelings for him, that she wants him, and. well. you always give her what she wants. you'd give up anything for her. so you pretend it's not a big deal, even though you feel a little shattered inside, because if he wants her than he was never yours anyway. if he was yours in the first place then she never would have wanted him. why bother! but then you're forced to bother, because they're told you still have feelings for him, and- why does that matter. they didn't care about hurting your feelings when they were flirting in front of you, did they? why would your feelings stop them from dating? did they think you could just turn your heart off like a light switch? but he's insisting he doesn't want to end things with you. and he still makes you feel lightheaded. and...you still want him to be yours. in spite of your best friend's feelings. everyone around the three of you act like this love triangle is your fault, that you're the one holding onto him with claws, that you inserted yourself, but you tried. you tried to back out and leave them be and they wouldn't let you. having the boy who made you feel like your own person compare you to your other half is your absolute nightmare. you understand why he loves her. you understand why she loves him. you don't understand why they're dragging you along, kicking and screaming, why they can't just put you out of your misery. but your heart still hurts, and you were raised by hopeless romantics, so as long as there's a chance, you can't let yourself leave. your mom tells you there was a girl in the mountains one time- maybe this is just that. maybe he's still yours.

but as you get older, it gets- worse. you had to ask your best friend for permission to redecorate your own bedroom. she had a meltdown. everyone sided with her. you tried to make the cheerleading team- everyone comforted her, when you were the one sad about it. the two of you stay in the hole the first day of high school- but everyone is only mad at you about it. you don't even know what about that upset everyone. just that no one was mad at her. no one's ever mad at her, no matter how dumb her emotional outbursts are. she gets one good grade and people parade around her like a toddler taking it's first steps, you get one bad grade and everyone tells you you aren't trying hard enough. she says she's in a destructive move and ends up graffitiing a playground and damn near gets a medal from the mayor, but when you were in a bad mood and ate another friend's cookie everyone acted like you killed someone. all of your friends start acting like its such a chore to be around you, your mother starts getting more short and demanding with you, only getting involved in your life when you don't want her to, your dad starts acting disappointed in you and only knows how to speak in historical references he never explains. you tell your boyfriend that you want him to call you his girlfriend, and then your best friend says she wants to be called his 'girlfriend, equally as much', and you manage not to scream, because she already has more than an equal share of EVERYTHING in your life. he was your boyfriend first and people STILL look at you as if this stupid triangle is your fault, when she's the one who couldn't put her feelings aside for you like you've been doing for her your whole life. everyone sees how this situation is affecting her, she's quieter, her spark is dimmed, and it makes you wanna sob seeing her like that, but why won't anyone notice how bad it's affecting you? why are her feelings always more important? why are you the asshole for not wanting to share your boyfriend with her? she's the one who injected herself into the relationship. and then when he finally, finally, nearly a YEAR LATER announces he's picked you, he loves you, he wants to be with you and only you...he admits that he had to weigh scales to pick between you and your best friend. it was never down to feelings, he didn't have some huge epiphany about how much you mean to him, about how special you are, there was just one extra jellybean in the stupid bag. your friend immediately acts like she's over it, like her crush on him is gone, and you're sure she's lying but. at this point you don't care about her feelings anymore! you are so blindly disappointed in her and your boyfriend but you accept that stupid jellybean because otherwise you just went through a year of hell for nothing, and you can't let that be the case. this is the only fucking time someone has ever picked you over her. and you are going to relish in it if it kills you. no matter how underwhelming it is, someone likes you better than her. a feat even you couldn't accomplish. even if it's just an extra jellybean.

I'm SORRY for girl meets world posting in 2024 I just really believe Riley Matthews deserved to throw a few punches.

[kandy-sticks-zaza-blogs]

Shows I watch instead of Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss

Pls don't attack me I am autistic pls respect my boundaries

Mixels my fav childhood minisodes about lego characters that learned to work together and their fusion are awesome. Also I understand what Kramer is saying.

3 2 1 Penguins have good bible quotes in the christain kid show I only know Veggietales when I was watching it on YouTube also 4 talking penguins are cool also Kevin is my fav autistic British penguin.

When it came out I got excited when it came out I was waiting for season 2 but it never came I love the cool rubber hose cartoon style in the adult animated show.

I love how it is about cooking and DND anime like Campfire Cooking in another world it’s wholesome,dark,delicious food and amazing animations also I love how the food look tasty and the intro song is a vibe but I wished that they added the missing moments in the manga right to the cutscenes when I’m watching it.The anime turns me into a gay simp fr.

When I first saw Red dwarf on BBC my mom tells me that Red dwarf is her fav childhood show I love how funny the sci-fi series is also the cat slaying in every episodes.

I love watching Bravest Warrior as a pre teen I love how they look like Adventure time but sci-fi Catbug gotta be my fav character.

Scooby doo is my fav when I grew up watching it on my old iPad and watching it on tv what I hate the most is scooby doo mystery incorporated they ruined Scooby doo and Velma relationship Velma loves Scooby doo when she met him as a puppy it’s so adorable I love how Velma treats him as a good friend instead of being jealous of eachother also I hated the Velma show.

I love watching Gravity falls on TV whenever I am on vacation with my family I love watcit everyday since my favourite is Mable cuz she’s like my fr as a kid now I become Robbie but without nobody cuz I never interested in dating. Alex Hirsh the legend who made a successful discontinued amazing 2 seasons show and made a coolest lore about Bill Cipher.

I love watching it since the show came out the year after I was out of the womb and still a baby I love how cool the robots are transformers are a greatest franchise since the 80s I love that the transformers characters are different from the original one like an alternate universe Prowl was my fav when I was a kid.

I love Monkey wrench since it came out I love the funny duo between Beebs and Shrike relationship they are the funny duo in the indie series the stories isn’t rushed and I love Sci-fi genre so much!

[verysium]

There are no words for me to describe how much I love when you talk about sae……every little tjing feels so canon

Please continue tp yap about him ( those are the sae crumbs I have been living off since the last months )

😳 you know what...maybe i should start working on that sae summer wip. in the meantime though, here are some thoughts on sae's childhood:

sae was inherently a minimalist child. not that he was as boring as the beige mom aesthetic, but he definitely had a steve jobs one-outfit-for-a-lifetime mindset. his mother tried diversifying his closet, but he just ended up wearing his childhood clothes into adulthood. his go-to look consists of tracksuit pants, adidas, and some kind of pull over sweater. can't even insult him as an outfit repeater because he somehow pulls it off every time.

this is purely a sibling thing, but i wholeheartedly believe that sae's parents weren't sure if their second child was going to be a boy or a girl, so they made sae wear gender neutral clothes growing up. hence why his style is somewhat androgynous.

i absolutely think sae had a talkative phase. he just selectively yapped at night. rin probably kicked his feet and giggled over those conversations cause what do you mean his nii-chan actually wanted to talk to him?

sae and rin both had dimples, but sae's faded over time because he rarely smiled. his deadpan expression, however, caused him to gain a prominent crease between his eyebrows.

speaking of eyebrows, sae's are thicker than rin's, so he always does that one-eyebrow raise. baby rin couldn't figure how to do that for the life of him, so he had to hold one eyebrow down and use his chubby fingers to lift the other one.

whenever sae got angry as a child, he unconsciously did the itoshi pout. ended up looking a whole lot like this: 😾

pre-teen sae's enamel was no joke because tell me why he could bite into a whole bar of ice cream and not brain-freeze to death. always helped rin unwrap his popsicles because he knew that little shit struggled with any form of plastic packaging.

his obaa-san was the first to call him sae-chan and he just stuck with it. it's officially sae-chan now, guys.

first grader sae thought monkey was a cuss word, so now all of his insults have that simian lingo. "sub-monkey piece of scum." "monkey piece of shit." you name it. kenjaku would like him.

believe it or not but toddler sae actually had one of those big gummy smiles where you could see his pretty little gums and the gaps between his teeth. unfortunately, it disappeared just like his will to live.

since birth, sae's hair has defied all laws of gravity, so he always keeps a hairband or two on his wrist. his mama used to clip up all of his hair into one little tuft on the top of his head.

and last but not least, child sae despised any and all forms of family photos. holiday cards, beach trip memorabilia, vacation souvenirs, you name it. tried to pose but ended up looking awkward with a big fat grimace on his face.

[warping-realities]

Found Family

The sun was pouring through the dusty window of an old SUV, driven by a beautifull woman in his late thirties. But that light didn’t seem to warm the sour expressions of a couple of boys sitting in the car. The reason for their attitude was right outside the window, in the beautiful coastal town they’d just moved to. After a long and messy divorce, Amanda Sullivan (formerly Williams), the boys’ mom, decided it was time for a fresh start. Being an amazing cook, she chose to move to the picturesque beach town of Santa Maria, where she spent most of her childhood vacations, and open a restaurant there, bringing her kids, Robert and Benjamin, along for the ride. The two weren’t exactly stoked about the whole moving thing. They were in their senior year of high school. Robert, older than his brother by about ten months, had tons of friends and a sort-of girlfriend. Ben, on the other hand, had a tougher time at school and had never dated, which might make someone think he’d be more open to changes, but in reality, it was the opposite; he was even more pissed than his brother because it meant leaving their dad behind. He was always closer to his father than his brother. Amanda's second pregnancy, a few months after the previous one, was complicated and the boy was born prematurely. He remained small for his age, and his father was always his protector. At least he could count on having his brother in the same class to help him. That oddity made his classmates call them twins and the nickname stuck. Everyone called them that, except for their father, who always seemed to have a slight preference for his youngest son. A father who was distant and absent, but still their dad, and he knew the distance would only make things worse.

“Come on, boys, I know you’re bummed, but I promise you’re gonna love it here. I had a blast when I was a kid and loved it even more when I came back to find our new home and the best spot for the restaurant. By the way, this is the first thing I wanna show you: the restaurant space is right over there, close to the beach.” A smiling Amanda said, looking at her two grumpy kids, who got out of the car and followed their mom to an alley near the beach, filled with little shops. The restaurant that their mom had worked so hard to open was situated between an ice cream shop and a surf store.

“So, the place is perfect, right?” She asked in an excited voice toward her kids, who stared back at her with little enthusiasm. “You guys could at least pretend to be happy for me.”

“They won’t need to pretend for long, I’m sure they’ll feel at home in no time.” Said a cheerful male voice. The three members of the small family turned toward that voice and were faced with a handsome guy. He was sitting in front of the surf shop, with a surfboard beside him, in his 40s, with the sculpted physique of a hard-working man, long blonde hair, and a bright smile, radiating the energy of a guy who, despite his age, was still living life to the fullest. “Guys, this is Sean Hale, he’s been a great friend, helped me a lot with everything around here.”

“Happy to help, Amanda, it wasn’t long ago that Ollie and I were in the same boat, and we would’ve loved to have some friendly faces around. Speaking of which, here comes the devil. The boys and their mom turned in the direction Sean was pointing and saw what looked like a younger version of him, in the late teen years. The kid, Olliver, had the same blond hair, an enviable physique, and a youthful vibe.

“Hey, Dad! Mrs. Sullivan! Great to see you again, and I see you finally brought the twins with you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, guys. I know you’re not super hyped about the move, but Santa Maria is a magical place.” The two boys exchanged furtive glances, how the hell did this random dude know so much about them? Quickly, those looks turned angrily toward their mom, as if Amanda had been trash-talking them to her new friends. More pissed off than his brother, Benjamin spoke the first words of his day, although far from friendly.

“Fantastic, Mom, not only did you drag us to the other side of the country, but you also share our private stuff with the first people you meet.” He turned back toward the car, not even glancing at Sean and completely ignoring Olliver’s outstretched arm in a failed attempt at a high-five that was awkwardly met by a shy Robert.

“Hey, um, Ollie? Sorry about Ben’s behavior; just because we didn’t wanna move doesn’t mean we have to be rude to those who welcomed us so nicely. Also, I apologize to you for my brother’s attitude, Mr. Hale.”

“You can call me Sean, Robert, that’s what everyone calls me. And I get it; all this change can be a shock. It’s a shame Benjamin stormed off like that; I would’ve loved to explain to him that I’m not a complete stranger, actually, your mom and I have known each other for many years here on this beach, when we were younger than you guys are now. And we’ve crossed paths again over several summers until she never came back.”

“I had college on the other side of the country to attend, then there was the wedding and the kids, and my ex-husband hates the beach... but the truth is, when everything changed, I ended up being drawn back here, it was almost like a magnet pulling me back to Santa Maria.”

“I get you; when my wife passed away last year, I felt the same. I sold everything I had, moved here with Olliver, and opened the surf shop. I’ve always been passionate about the waves and have been bringing Ollie every summer to teach him how to surf, so it felt natural to open the shop and teach the sport to the tourist kids.”

“You surf, dude?” Olliver asked Robert.

“I can barely swim, Olliver.”

“You can call me Ollie or bro; our parents are old friends, we don’t need formalities. And about not knowing how to swim, let me help you; in no time, you’ll be owning the waves, and trust me, girls love a surfer, even if it is useless to me”

“Um, I’ll think about it, Olliver.”

“No thinking, and call me bro, bro. Let me show you our boards; I bet you’ll wanna grab one and jump in the water as soon as you see them.” Olliver said, dragging Robert inside the shop.

“Ollie, since you’re going in, ask Harry to come here; I’ll need his help unloading Mandy’s stuff.”

“Yeap.” Responded his son, already inside the shop.

“Sean, there’s no need for that; we can handle it ourselves.”

“I know that; from what I gathered, you’ve been managing on your own for a long time, even before the marriage ended, Mandy. But it doesn’t have to be like that; I’m here for you guys.”

“That’s really kind of you, Sean, and I can’t deny the truth in your words, it’s been so tough. Rob is upset, but that should pass soon, but Ben... Ben is different; he still misses his dad a lot, my ex was his idol, so being left behind... he’s really mad, and how does he deal with that? He refuses to admit his dad’s abandonment, so he chose to take that anger out on everyone else, including me.”

“That’ll pass, believe me; if you want, I can try to help, or maybe Ollie; the age proximity might make things easier.”

“Would you do that?”

“Sure, I’ll ask him to drop by your house tonight, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, I don’t mind; I’m really grateful.”

“You don’t need to thank me; it’ll be a great pleasure.” Sean concluded with a radiant smile.

…..

“This is the last one, Mrs. Sullivan.” Said a huge black young man, with a contagious smile, as he dropped the last box at Amanda’s new house. This was Harrison, Sean’s surf shop employee. A young man with massive muscles but an easy laugh and a laid-back vibe, evidenced by his head full of dreadlocks. It was a big shock to discover that a guy that big was only nineteen, having just graduated a few months ago with Olliver. But despite his size, the kid was so friendly and cheerful, exuding so much happiness that even Ben let his guard down a bit when he met him at the beach.

Speaking of Ben, Harry, as he preferred to be called, turned to him. “You’re a senior, Ben? So you’ll be classmates with my brother Micky; I think you guys could hit it off. You both give off the same vibe.”

“Um, thanks.” Ben replied, at least acknowledging it, before heading inside the house.

“I wonder what that vibe would be. Crybaby teen?” commented a much friendlier Robert, who quickly hit it off with Harry and Olliver and started to think that maybe this whole moving thing wasn’t so bad after all.

“I’d say more like a future family killer.” Harry replied, smiling, giving Rob a high-five.

The end of the day didn’t have any other significant events, being filled with the work of organize the house, which was already furnished. Thanks to the chores, even Benjamin loosened up a bit and started chatting, still a bit grumpy, with his mom, while Robert seemed like a different person, chatting excitedly at dinner about thinking over Ollie’s offer to learn to surf.

“You’re a terrible swimmer, Rob; just because you wish for something doesn’t mean you’ll get it, bro!” Ben commented with the first smile of the day.

“I think you’d be surprised at the power a wish has.” Someone said at the dining room door. Standing there was Olliver Hale in all his golden glory.

“Sorry to interrupt, but the door was open, Mrs. Sullivan. My dad asked to see if you needed help with anything.”

“Ollie, sweetheart, don’t worry, you’re very welcome; we’ve got everything sorted. Since you were so kind to come here, would you like to have dinner with us? Tonight I made my famous bolognese lasagna. Since I’ll be serving lighter dishes at the beach, if I were you, I wouldn’t miss out.”

“Oh, I certainly wouldn’t, excuse me.” Said the kid sitting next to Benjamin, who then stood up and stormed out, irritated, without saying a word.

“A tough crowd.” Olliver joked.

“What do you mean by that?” Robert asked.

“My dad asked me to come here and try to befriend you guys to make things easier for both of you. But from what I can see, Benjamin isn’t interested.”

“He’ll get over it; it’s just that things have been intense the last few months.”

“I get it, bro. And until then, I can dedicate all my time to you. Speaking of which, stop by the shop tomorrow after school for your first surf lesson.”

“Hey, I said I’d think about it, Ollie.”

“And I said don’t think. So, no arguments, surf lesson tomorrow afternoon. Wow, this is the best food I’ve ever had, Mrs. Sullivan; trust me, I’ll be spending a lot of time here. A new bro and food like this, I’ll be calling your place home soon.”

…..

Ben woke up with a bitter taste in his mouth after his impromptu exit from the dining room the night before; he locked himself in his room, kicked the bed, lay down, and cried himself to sleep, mad about his situation, missing his dad, and also embarrassed about his attitude toward Olliver. He and his dad seemed like cool guys, but they represented everything he hated most at that moment. Still, he would have to apologize to them for his behavior.

After a quick shower, he got ready for school and headed down to the kitchen for breakfast. And to his surprise, he found himself face to face with Olliver, in an animated conversation with Rob. “I can’t wait for my first class, bro. Surfing is so awesome...”

“What’s going on? What are you doing here?” Benjamin abruptly interrupted, suddenly abandoning all thoughts of apologizing.

“Enough, Ben. Ollie stayed up late last night chatting with me, and I invited him to sleep here. We all get that you’re bummed, but that doesn’t mean you have to be rude!”

“Until yesterday, you didn’t want to be here either, and now you’re all happy and making friends; I thought we’d find a way to go back home.”

“Grow up, Benjamin; this is our home now, you said that yesterday, just because you wish for something doesn’t mean it’s gonna happen.”

“Bro, chill. Ben, can I call you that? I understand what you’re going through; when my mom died and my dad decided to move here, I wasn’t happy either, and I’ve known Santa Maria my whole life, but let me tell you, it’s a magical place...”

“Magical place, you’ve told me that already. And look, I’m sorry for my behavior, but... Hey, there’s someone at the window!”

“What?” the other two boys said in unison, turning to the kitchen window, but there was no one there.

“Ben, just apologize and we can move on with our lives.” Rob said to his younger brother.

“But it’s true, there was a black kid standing right there...”

“Alright, the choice is yours, bro.”

“But I...”

“Ollie offered to give us a ride to school; grab your stuff and let’s go; he’ll pick us up when we’re done so we can start surfing lessons.”

“I didn’t agree to that, and besides, I’d rather go to school alone.” Ben replied, leaving without having breakfast.

“A really tough crowd.” Olliver commented, watching the other boy leave the room.

Ben almost regretted refusing Olliver’s ride; it was tough finding his way to school, but he finally made it. The first days of school are always the same boring routine, and Benjamin thought he could count on Rob, but at that moment, he wanted to be as far away from his brother as possible, sitting as far from him as he could. Throughout their lives, they’d always been there for each other. But now Rob was a traitor, selling out for a friendship with a brainless surfer and the promise of learning a sport he had no talent for. And thinking about how much water his brother would have to swallow, with a certain malicious satisfaction, he scanned the rest of the room. To his surprise, sitting right in front of the class, looking at him with an unreadable expression, was the kid he saw at the window during breakfast.

Ben found out the kid’s name was Michael, but he had to wait until the end of class to ask what he was doing at the window in the morning. Which wasn’t an easy task, since the kid seemed to disappear from the world, leaving the classroom as soon as the bell rang. It was only during the period before lunch that he finally got his chance, when he walked into the classroom and saw the kid again and chose to sit next to the classroom door, blocking him from leaving without passing Ben. And that’s exactly what he did; when the kid walked past him without saying anything, Ben pulled him aside, trying to get some answers. But he was caught off guard by the kid’s expression; there was so much fear in his eyes.

“Let me go, please, I promise I’ll stay away, don’t do anything to me, I swear I’ll stop trying to figure it out...”

“Figure out what? What are you talking about?”

“I saw you with them yesterday at the beach. You’re one of them.”

“What do you mean by ‘one of them’? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“If you’re not one of them yet, you will be soon; you’re too close to them. Now let me go.” The other kid finished, breaking free and running away.

“Michael, come back here, MICHAEL!!! What the hell is going on?”

……

Ben decided to ignore his brother’s text messages, first asking about lunch and then what he was doing after school. He also ignored his mom’s worried messages, opting to walk along the beach in an attempt to figure out what the hell was happening. It wasn’t until Amanda left an angry message saying she was really worried about him and that if he didn’t show up in the next fifteen minutes she’d call the cops, that a reluctant Benjamin called her to say he was heading home.

After a long lecture about her son’s childish behavior, she informed him that she would be staying late at the restaurant preparing things for the opening that would happen that weekend, but that there was food ready and that Rob was already home. With one last motherly plea, she asked Ben to make an effort to at least sort things out with his brother since apparently, that wasn’t going to happen with her anytime soon.

Sighing heavily, Ben entered the living room of the house, and upon doing so, received the biggest shock of his life. Sitting at the table, studying, was Rob, but this wasn’t the same Rob from that morning. Shirtless, with the sun-kissed skin of someone who spends a lot of time outdoors, extra pounds of muscle, and light blonde hair almost golden, anyone would think it was another person, but the face and aura were all Rob, altered, but still him.

“What the hell happened to you, Robert?” Asked a truly desperate Ben upon seeing this totally strange version of his older brother.

“What happened is that I got tired of waiting, bro. If you don’t wanna hang out with me anymore, fine. So, once you grow up and stop acting like a crybaby, you can come talk to me.”

“I... I’m not talking about that, Rob. Your hair, your skin, your muscles, how did this happen?”

“Dude, this is what happens when you go out and live your life. If you had gone surfing today, I would’ve shown you how great it is.”

“But that’s impossible... Rob, there’s no way such a change can happen in a single day.”

“What are you talking about, Ben? Of course, it can’t happen in a day. I’ve been surfing for almost a year now, ever since our parents split and I moved in with Uncle Sean.”

“Uncle Sean? Rob, that doesn’t make sense. Sean isn’t our uncle, and we moved here yesterday. We met him yesterday. None of this makes sense.”

Apparently, Ben didn’t make sense to this different Rob either. Because he stared at Ben with a look that was probably a mirror of what Ben had at that moment. And with a sigh, he finally said, “Alright, Ben, if that’s how you want things, fine. When you’re ready, you can come talk to me, bro. I’m your brother, we are the twins, try to remember. I’ll always be here for you, as long as you don’t push me away like you’re doing now. I’m done studying, I’ll go help Mom with the restaurant stuff. Don’t wait for us, but if you decide to be yourself again, stop by to help; we’ll be really grateful for both decisions.” Concluded Rob, getting up, putting on a shirt, and walking out the door without looking back, leaving a stunned Benjamin standing there with his mouth agape in the middle of the living room.

….

Ben needed answers, more than that, he needed a way to get his brother back to normal so they could get out of there together. Talking to their mom was out of the question; she was probably the first one to be... dominated? Hypnotized? One person popped into his mind. Michael, he knew what was happening and thought Benjamin was part of it. He needed to find Michael and convince him to tell him everything he knew and fast.

The next morning, he woke up before sunrise, after a sleepless night where he had to pretend to be sleeping when his mom came to say goodnight. He hated doing that to her but wasn’t sure if she was infected or not; unlike Rob, she hadn’t shown any significant changes in behavior or appearance, unless you counted her sudden desire to settle in Santa Maria, which, despite his disapproval, was nothing compared to what happened with his brother.

Sneaking out quietly to avoid being seen, he headed to school, praying that Michael hadn’t freaked out enough to decide to skip classes. Apparently, some higher power heard his prayers, as Michael not only showed up for class that day but after a bit of persuasion agreed to talk to Ben. In an empty classroom, Ben started his plea for any kind of answer.

“I swear I’m not infected or zombified or whatever the hell is going on, but they took my brother and maybe my mom too; you’re the only one who seems to know something about what’s going on, so please, help me.”

Michael looked at Ben with unreadable eyes for a few seconds before sighing and speaking. “Okay, let’s say I believe you; what happened to your brother?”

“Long story short. My parents split up last year, after which my mom got it in her head to move us here and open a restaurant by the beach, dragging my brother and me along with her. Something neither of us agreed to. We didn’t even like the beach. Until we arrived here two days ago at least, when Rob started hanging out with Olliver Hale, and since then he’s been acting different, but that’s not the worst part; he seems different and acts like things have always been this way. Calling Olliver’s father ‘Uncle’ and we barely know the guy.” Benjamin replied in one breath, afraid of sounding ridiculous. But Michael just asked another question: “Have you met my brother, Harrison?”

“Harrison? Harry? The surf shop employee? Wait a minute, are you the Micky he was talking about?”

“No one, no one has ever called me that, at least not until a few months ago. So, please, keep calling me Michael. But yeah, that Harry. So let me tell you my story. Although I still don’t have the slightest idea if you have bad intentions...”

“I promise I’m not lying; you saw my brother at the kitchen window yesterday, and don’t deny it, because now I’m sure it was you. Wait until he shows up at school, and you’ll see the difference in him. Believing me is your choice, but you heard my story. I think I’ll lose my mind if I don’t understand what’s going on.”

“Then I’m sorry to disappoint you, because I don’t have the faintest idea of what’s going on. I can only tell you what happened to me. But before I continue, you told me you met Harry. Take a look at this photo here and tell me what you see.” Michael said, handing Benjamin a worn-out photo. It was a picture of two skinny Black boys, both wearing glasses; one of them was clearly Michael, while the other could be some other brother or close relative, as the resemblance was striking.

“Benjamin, you’ve met Harry; now I present to you Harrison. We took this photo together a few months ago; it’s worn out because I keep it with me so often just to make sure I’m not crazy.”

“I don’t get it; this isn’t possible...” There was no way the kid in the photo was the giant Ben knew, even with steroids; there was still the height issue, Harry was at least a foot taller, and the hair, hair like that doesn’t grow overnight, even if it was some kind of wig...

“Think, Benjamin, you just told me about your brother; I’m telling you what happened to mine. I thought finally someone would believe me; you have no idea how many times I’ve tried to show this photo, without success, but no one believes me. It’s not like I have many people to support me; since our parents died, it’s always been Harrison and me, taking care of our grandma. Even so, I thought someone would remember, that someone would look at the photo and help me. All the other photos and videos show Harry, not Harrison; for some reason, only that one remained. But people think I’m trying to pull a prank or something stupid like that.”

“Michael, that’s not possible; no one changes that much...” Ben repeated.

“Your brother hasn’t changed?”

“Yeah, but he’s still... him. Maybe he already gained those muscles and I didn’t notice, and his hair might be dyed, and he could have a fake tan... maybe this is all a huge prank in response to my behavior... and maybe you’re in on it too; yeah, confess, Harry asked you to do this, didn’t he?”

“Don’t try to rationalize, Benjamin; I tried, and it just frustrated me even more; there’s no space for reason in what’s happening. But there’s an easy way for me to prove to you that I’m not messing with you. Tell me, have you seen your brother today?”

“No, that’s impossible; there’s no way this is real. You’re joking; you’re all joking. I get it, I’ve been unbearable the last few days, but doing this to me is bullshit. Stop messing around, Michael, I promise I’ll go home and apologize to my mom and Rob, and then I’ll apologize to Sean and Olliver too.”

“No, don’t do that; they’ll find a way to grab you too; I’ve been feeling that they’re close to getting me; I feel it’s an increasing attraction every time Harry is near me or when I get close to his work; they want you too, and if they took your brother and your mom, they definitely want you.”

“Why? Why us?”

“Because you must have something they care about. Let me finish my story. It all started when the Hales moved here a few months ago. Harrison was almost done with his last year, probably would’ve been the class speaker and would’ve landed a scholarship at a good college. He worried about what would happen to me, being left alone at home with a sick grandma. But I always told him those were opportunities he couldn’t miss. But then the Hales showed up, and Olliver became Harrison’s classmate. And my brother felt attracted to him like a moth to a flame. After that, everything happened so quickly; one moment Harrison was going to college, the next he was kissing Olliver Hale, talking as if he’d known him for years, and finally... finally he was Harry, like you knew him, that mountain of muscles, all smiles and joy, without a care in the world other than surfing, working a mediocre job, dating the owner’s son, and... me, I guess. Harry seems to like me just as much as Harrison liked him, but I... I can’t like him back... I need my brother, not him.”

“Wait a minute, you’re telling me Harry and Olliver are together?”

“Seriously, out of everything I told you, you choose to worry about two dudes being together?”

“No, that’s not it; do you think this... thing... happened to your brother because Olliver was into him? Because Sean seems pretty interested in my mom; on the day we arrived, I watched them from a distance, and he was flirting with her the whole time. Still... I don’t know what to say; I want to believe you because you believed in me, Michael, but this is too much.”

“Do you know where your brother’s locker is, Benjamin? Let’s go there.” Concluded Michael as Ben nodded.

There were still a few minutes until the bell, but standing in front of Rob’s locker was a big blonde kid with his back turned to the two approaching. When he turned around, Benjamin was even more surprised than the night before. It was Rob, but not really. This Rob looked way more like Olliver Hale’s younger brother than Benjamin’s brother.

“Good morning, bro, good morning, Micky. So good to see you guys getting along; if I’d bet with Harry, I would’ve lost!”

“R-Rob?”

“Sorry, bro, but I gotta head to football practice. Mom and Dad will be stoked to know you’re making an effort just like Harry, Micky, as long as you guys aren’t up to anything! See you at lunch, Ben?”

“I don’t...”

“No, no, bro, we’re having lunch the three of us, and after school, I wanna see you two at the shop. Mom and Dad had to leave town and won’t be back until tomorrow, so we can do something just us. I wanna introduce you to someone important, bro. See ya, please don’t leave me hanging.” And he walked towards the classroom, leaving behind two stunned boys. “What the hell was he talking about, about Mom and Dad? Our dad’s not here; he’s on the other side of the country, and they’d never hang out again, not after the divorce.”

“I don’t know, but I bet you’ll figure it out soon. And did you see how he talked to me, like he knew me, and I can assure you I never spoke to him in my life.”

“This whole situation is so complicated... At least we have proof we were telling the truth. Which leaves us with one question: what the hell are we gonna do about this?…” Michael and Benjamin decided to keep as far away from their brothers as possible until they had some idea of what to do; the problem was precisely that: they had no clue what to do. They vaguely discussed the possibility of investigating the surf shop, but that would put them directly in the enemy’s den. There was also the issue that, even if Michael wasn’t affected yet, that didn’t mean the same would happen to Ben, especially with him being so close to the center of everything. The two skipped lunch, and after class ended, Ben ran home, stopping to grab something to eat and locking himself in his room, hoping to avoid any conflict. Unfortunately, as soon as he got home, he found himself face to face with an irritated Rob.

“I don’t know why I was so dumb to think things were getting better, bro. I thought that after our talk yesterday, you’d make an effort to try to adjust, and when I saw you and Micky together, I thought you were finally starting to accept that this is our new reality.”

“Rob, how can’t you see what’s going on? You’ve completely changed!”

“Enough, Ben. I get that you’re bummed because our mom decided to move back in with my dad after all this time. But I want you to remember I was by your side when Ollie decided to move in with our dad because his relationship with your dad was crap. I stuck around for you. I expected the bare minimum of effort from you, just a little gratitude!”

“Rob, let me...”

“No, let me tell you something. My dad may not be your dad, but our mom decided to go back to him for a reason, and yeah, Ollie and I are super happy about it, and I repeat, we understand why you might be feeling bad. Ollie felt the same way when Mom married your dad; I was too young to remember, but I bet I felt the same way too. So, we get it, bro. And I’m sorry, but your dad’s a piece of work; he doesn’t give a damn about you, but my dad is here for you, just like he is for Ollie and me, if you let him.”

Ben was once again stunned by what he heard, to the point of standing there in the middle of the room, speechless, just staring at what should be his brother. “You’ve got nothing to say, Benjamin? Great! Then you can go to your room and lock yourself in there like you’ve been doing for the last few days. I was gonna introduce you to Jessica tonight and then take you to your first beach party, but you don’t deserve any of that.” Not knowing what to do, Benjamin went to his room, sat on the bed, and cried, for his brother, for his mom, but also because that distorted version of Rob was speaking the truth: his dad didn’t give a shit about him. And, most likely, Sean Hale would be a good dad, so maybe... But before he could finish that thought, he was distracted by a noise outside his room. Standing at the window, just like the first time he saw him, was Michael, waving and seemingly asking Ben to meet him outside the house. Benjamin quietly slipped out to meet his new friend.

“What? Why the hell are you here? You could’ve sent me a message.”

“I did! I sent several messages; when you didn’t reply, I decided to come find you. Sean’s out…”

“Yeah, I know, and apparently now he and my mom are the parents of Rob and Ollie. That’s what Rob was talking about this morning when he said Mom and Dad were leaving for a day. Dude, this is so fucked up. I lost my brother!”

“I know, I’ve had that same thought for months. Look, Harry asked me to go to some kind of party on the other side of the beach; Olliver and your brother are going too. With Sean out, this is our chance to at least check out the surf shop; it’s a long shot, but…”

“But it’s all we’ve got. And besides, I don’t know how much longer I can take this; I was about to give up when you showed up.”

“I know, I almost agreed to hang out with Harry when he hugged me. Dude, I just want my brother back.”

“And what’s worse is that they seem so happy.” Ben said, pointing to Rob leaving the house at that moment, accompanied by a pretty girl, both smiling and radiating total happiness.

“Dude, it looks like his hair grew even more in the last few minutes; this is so…”

“Fucked up, I know. Let’s go.” …

The two boys ran to the beach, with Michael leading Benjamin to the back of Sean Hale’s surf shop.

“How are we gonna get in?”

“I grabbed these keys when Harry hugged me.” Michael said, showing a set of keys with a mischievous grin, the first one Benjamin had seen. As soon as they entered the shop, Benjamin turned to Michael again and asked, “So, what are we looking for? Some kind of device, a spell book, some alien goo?”

“Maybe a bit of common sense?” Interrupted a deep, serious voice. Standing in front of the two, with an irritated expression, was Harry. “Boys, you’ve crossed every imaginable line. Michael, it’s about time we caught up, bro. Benjamin, your brothers are waiting for you in front of the shop so you can settle in too.” He said, holding Michael by the shoulders.

Benjamin took a good look at his friend’s face and, with an apologetic expression, ran out the back door. And he ran, ran until his legs hurt so much he forced himself to stop, collapsing in the sand and crying for the second time that day. And that’s how he stayed for hours until he fell asleep in the sand.

It was late evening when he was awakened by a deep voice. “Finally I found you. Hey, bro, what are you doing here? I know things aren’t great, but I thought we were friends; you know you can always count on me, Benji.” Benjamin, wiping the sand from his eyes, found himself facing a muscular black kid who looks... just like his brother.

“Mi-Michael?”

“Micky, dude. Don’t say it like we don’t know each other our whole lives.” Ben didn’t even try to argue this time, too worn out from all the weirdness; he just turned and run again. However, when he arrived at the main street he came face to face with Rob and Ollie waiting for him.

“Thinking about sneaking out again? No way, little bro. We’re going home; Dad wants to talk to you, and I can add that I’ve never seen him like this. Good luck.” Thinking it was better to just get it over with, Benjamin gave up and followed them...

Benjamin stayed quiet during the whole journey, he didn’t wanna argue with anyone; besides, he felt overwhelmed by equally large amounts of shame for ditching the closest thing to a friend he’d made in this town, guilt for what had happened to that person, and anxiety about what would happen to him. All of this was made worse by the fact that this new version of Michael - Micky - was nothing like the Michael Benjamin had known; Micky was cheerful, playful, and outgoing, and genuinely seemed hurt by being ignored by his supposed best friend. It was unbearable how nice he was, to the point that Ben couldn’t help but return the hand touch and the farewell hug offered by him when they finally reached their destination.

“See ya, bro. Chill, everything will be alright.” That was Micky’s farewell phrase. Before Robert turned to Benjamin.

"Benji, I don't know what's happening to you, but I'm really worried, bro. This isn't you, talk to dad and let him help you, little brother. I want my twin back." And then he hugged him, easily wrapping Benjamin's body with his long arms, and as much as he wanted to get away, he felt comfortable in that place. His brother smelled of coconut and salt, but underneath it there was still his own scent, which Benjamin knew so well.

Wiping away the new torrent of tears, he turned around and without looking back entered the house. As he entered the living room he found himself facing Sean Hale, sitting shirtless on the couch with a worried look on his face.

What do these people have against shirts? Was the first thought that crossed Benjamin's mind before he was hit with another feeling: the most intense anger he’d ever felt in his life. Standing in front of him was the guy responsible for the absurd situation he was in. But before he could say or do anything, Sean turned to him: “I think I owe you an explanation. I’m really sorry, Benjamin; it’s all my fault, I didn’t think it was necessary. But apparently, just like your buddy Micky, you have this crazy resistance to change, and for things to go the way they’re supposed to, changes need to be embraced.”

“You know when I’m gonna accept that? Only in your wildest dreams.”

“It’s funny you mention my dreams, Benjamin, because my part in this story actually starts with my dreams. My dreams of a big, happy family. But this story, our story, goes way back. Do you know why this town is called Santa Maria, Benji?”

“Don’t call me that, and I don’t care what this town’s called; I just want my brother and my life back.”

“And you’ll get it if you listen to me. Santa Maria was the name given by Spanish conquistadors to this land in an attempt to assimilate the native peoples into the Catholic faith when this part of the country was still under Mexico’s rule. When they got here, they heard a legend about a local female deity. A woman whose son had been killed and who, in her grief, threw herself off a cliff into one of the caves along the coast. Over time, this cave became a pilgrimage site for native women seeking help with their children. For Catholic preachers, the association with the Virgin Mary was obvious, and so a church in honor of the Mother of God was built on a hill, giving the town its name. The church was destroyed when the region was integrated into the United States. But secretly, over the years, countless generations of mothers sought out the old cave, praying to the virgin or the mother of the legend to intercede for their kids. When you’re a mom and you need divine intervention, the source of that intervention doesn’t matter.”

“I don’t get where this is going...”

“Please, just chill, Benjamin; you’ll understand soon enough. Your mom and I actually met when we were kids on this beach, and we heard all about the old legend together. Our paths diverged; your mom met your dad, and I met Lilly, my late wife, although, at this moment, that story is being rewritten, and soon I’ll forget it, which hurts me so much. But this is the path Lilly set for us. She and I came here every summer for our vacations. The tradition continued after Olliver was born, and the three of us were really happy here. But about a year ago, around the same time your parents started the divorce process, something terrible happened to us. Olliver came out, which wasn’t a problem for us; parents usually know about these things long before their kids, and we’ve always loved him as he is. But not everyone’s like that. One day, those who were supposed to be my son’s friends pulled what they thought was a prank on him, basically a huge act of homophobia. Ollie didn’t take it well, and one thing led to another, in this case, a beating followed by a coma. You have no idea how horrible it is to see your kid lying unconscious, fighting for his life, with doctors saying there’s no chance of survival. It tears you apart inside.”

“I’m really sorry to hear that, Sean, but I still don’t get what the point of all this is...”

“Hang tight, I’ll get to that part. Over the years, my wife also heard about the legend, and in her desperation, she went to the mother’s cave to ask for help. But the legends she heard were wrong; they spoke of blood sacrifices, of one life for another... and in her hopelessness, Lilly jumped into the abyss.”

“Oh my God.”

“Yeah, a terrible, sad decision, I think she decided she couldn’t live without our son... But her sacrifice awakened something, or someone. Santa Maria really is a magical place. And you and I both experienced it. The next morning, Oliver woke up, and within a few days, he was literally brand new, healthier than ever, stronger, taller. And only I seemed to notice. As for Lilly, her body was never found. I thought I’d never set foot on this land again, but a strange feeling in my chest, like a pull, kept bringing me back here. Until I finally gave in and came. The day my shop opened, that pull reached its peak, guiding me to the cave. And inside it, kneeling in prayer, was your mom, asking for help with her kids. So I knew what to do; I approached her and offered the help she needed. At that moment, I didn’t know something like what’s happening now was possible. Of course, not long after, Ollie met Harrison, and suddenly, I had an employee named Harry who was also my son’s boyfriend. Still, when you guys came here, I thought things would just flow naturally. But I realized I was wrong again when I watched the transformation happen with Rob, with a new set of memories about him entering my head, first of him knowing me his whole life and moving in with me right after Amanda’s divorce. Then the memory changed again, Rob and Olliver became my sons with Amanda, as if Lilly had never existed. At the same time this situation infuriated me, it also scared me. I looked for your mom at the same time she was looking for me, and when we were together, we both felt that pull again, so we came to the same conclusion: we should go to the cave.” He sighed and looked at Benjamin, his eyes sympathetic. “Now things get really complicated, Benjamin. When we arrived at the cave, both Amanda and I were overtaken by a force, something much bigger than the two of us. We were invaded by alien memories, of a mother hugging her son and her lover, both dead, in that same cave, and jumping off the cliff. Then, countless mothers kneeling there, begging for their children, the intervals between those visits getting longer and longer. Until the consciousness that was there fell asleep. Then, Lilly... I was forced to witness the prayer and sacrifice of my wife, Benjamin. In her final moments, she didn’t just pray for our son’s life but also for my happiness, so that I could find a family like I always wanted. She shouldn’t have done that; Lilly’s sacrifice gave the entity more power than it had in centuries, and it used it. It found another desperate mother seeking help and put her in my path, ensuring that Lilly’s last wishes were fulfilled. Ollie is happy with the boyfriend he always wanted. Harry never had the courage to come out until he met Ollie and always worried about leaving his brother alone with a sick grandma when going to college. Your mom wanted a stable father for her kids. Rob wanted friends and a girlfriend. Micky wanted a brother he could connect with. And me, I just want a family, a big happy family. So now it’s your turn, what do you want, Benjamin?”

“I want my dad back, my brother, and the life we had.”

“I figured you’d say that. But that’s not possible. The entity can’t grasp the concept of love between a father and son. The father of her son was the one who killed him when he found out about his relationship with another man. She made it very clear to me that I only got what I wanted because it was what was best for your mom and our kids. But understand, Benjamin, the power from Lilly’s sacrifice is running out. That’s why she summoned us to the cave; she doesn’t have much time to fit you in. I’m afraid your dad’s absence in the last few months is a side effect of my wife’s desire. Your mom would’ve liked to be here and tell you all this in person, but she took the first flight back to her old city this morning, trying to track down your dad, and she was successful... Benjamin, I’m sorry, but he doesn’t remember you or your brother; he’s got another family and another life.”

“No, no, you’re lying.”

“Look into my eyes, Benjamin. I’m not lying. I care about what happens to you just like I care about my other kids. Understand, the entity can’t be guided or have its power reversed. At this point, I have two sets of memories in my mind; in one, I’m the father of two boys; in the other, I have three. Your mom is going through the same thing; she’s desperate, Benjamin, please accept what’s being offered to you!

“I don’t know...”

“You want a dad and a mom who love you and are by your side; you want your brother by your side. Even if the flow of events were reversed, it wouldn’t happen the way you want, Benjamin; your dad and mom weren’t happy in their marriage. They were hurting each other, and if you’re honest with yourself, you’ll admit they were hurting you too. So I’m begging you, let me be the dad you so need. I want the set of memories with the three boys to be real. I’ll also be letting go of an important person in my life; Lilly will cease to exist for me, but it’ll be worth it; you’re worth it.”

“I... I...” Unable to respond, Benjamin closed his eyes and just nodded as he felt the tight embrace of strong arms around him...

…..

The sunlight streamed through the kitchen window of a big beach house, lighting up the space and an eighteen-year-old kid busy preparing breakfast for the rest of his family. This kid had golden hair like the sun shining on him and a smile so bright. He seemed carefree, humming a happy tune while setting the breakfast table. Distracted for a moment while making pancakes, he didn’t notice the handsome blonde man standing at the door, watching him with an admiring smile. “Good morning, Benji!” said the man, finally deciding to interrupt the kid.

“Dad, you scared the hell out of me.”

“Watch your language, kid.” replied the dad, still smiling. “It’s just that you remind me so much of your mom when she cooks.” Of his three children, Benji was the most physically similar to him, a little shorter than his brothers and with a more robust build. But his behavior was all Amanda.

“Someone had to learn how to cook since you and none of my brothers can whip up a dish that doesn’t make everyone sick.”

“Oh, the harsh truth. Speaking of your brothers, where are they?”

“Ollie hasn’t woken up yet, and Bobby spent the night with Jessica, so it looks like it’ll just be us for breakfast.”

“Couldn’t ask for better company, son. So, what’s on your plans for today?” said Sean, stacking pancakes and pouring a generous amount of syrup on top.

“Nothing much, Bobby will meet me here so we can go to school together, Micky will meet us on the way. This afternoon we’re gonna surf, and I promised to help Mom with the restaurant tonight.”

“Hey, how come I don’t get a hand at the shop?”

“Because you’ve got an employee and your two other kids to help you with that, and both of them are incapable of frying an egg so that’s up to me. Aaand do I need to remind you I’m already giving surf lessons to the younger kids with Micky?

“Alright, you win. You win.” Sean replied, still smiling.

“I always win, Dad; Mom always says I’ve got your face but her brains, and her brains always beat you.”

“Smart woman. But we’re talking about you, kid. And I just want you to know I love you tons and I’m super proud of you, son. You’re everything a dad could want.”

“I love you too, Dad, and I couldn’t ask for a better one.” Benji replied, finishing his meal in a hurry and getting up from the table.

“What’s the rush?”

“We gotta swing by Micky’s place before school, and you know how he is; he can take longer than Ollie in the morning, and I don’t wanna be late, we have football practice.”

“I get you’ve got a busy day, but stop by the shop before heading to your mom’s restaurant.”

“Sure, see ya later, Dad.”

He said as he ran out of the kitchen. In a few minutes he was back with his backpack on his shoulders and heading out the door to meet his brother who was waiting for him on the sidewalk. He was followed the whole time by the gaze of his father who, upon seeing his sons greet each other with the greeting of the moment, could not resist calling them, making them both turn around.

“Boys!!! Before you go, where’s my hug?” He asked, which was met with all the affection from his sons.

…..

That afternoon, Sean and Amanda were at the beach, watching their three sons running after each other like they were still little kids, the resemblance between them was so strong that anyone looking from the outside might think they were triplets. It was only on closer inspection that an outsider would realize that one of the boys was slightly older than the other two. After Ollie they had longed for a girl, but But what was the surprise for both of them when they discovered that they would be parents of twins? The pregnancy had been complicated and they had gone through some tough times but somehow everything worked out and the boys were now grown men or should have been...

“Looks like these kids are never gonna grow up.” Sean commented to his wife.

“What did you expect? Their dad never grew up.” was Amanda’s cutting reply.

“Ouch! That hurt.”

“Stop whining. You know very well I prefer it this way. I wouldn’t have married you for almost twenty years if I didn’t love that goofy surfer vibe of yours.”

“So, no regrets about not going to college to be with me?”

“You know I don’t regret it; I have everything I could want, a job I love, three wonderful boys, perfect copies of their dad, the love of my life. I’m sure some higher power guided our destiny. And you, aren’t you happy with everything we’ve achieved?”

“I’m the happiest man in the world. And I’m super grateful for everything we’ve got. I think even in other lives I wouldn’t find a better family.”

…………..

One last word

So, this is a revised repost of a story I've always liked but didn’t get much attention around here, maybe 'cause it ain't an erotic story. Anyway, since most of my work is that kind of stuff, I rewrote this one so none of the characters are underage. If you’re older, you probably caught the 'The Lost Boys' vibe in this story, and yeah, that was totally my inspo. That was one of my fave flicks growing up, and being the weirdo I am, I always hoped the vampire boss would win and the kids would join his fam so they could all be happy draining blood on the California coast. My story ended up being way less bloody, of course, but still, it’s kinda how I wished the movie would’ve wrapped up. Judge me if you want!"

[teenmomcentral]

Mackenzie McKee is headed back to the show that made her a star - Teen Mom, it has been reported.

The mother-of-three was fired from the show amid her brutal feud with co-star Cheyenne Floyd.

According to new reports, Mackenzie, 29, is already filming the coming season.

"Mackenzie has been filming for the new season, which is going to air later this year," according to a report from the Teen Mom fan Instagram page teenmomfanz.

"Mackenzie and her new man, Khesiano Hall, also attended the 3rd season of Teen Mom Family Reunion, which will be airing in the next few months," the site posted.

"A production source tells us that Mackenzie and #CheyenneFloyd have 'worked past their issues' and will be cordial as coworkers.

"The two recently followed each other on Instagram following a heated feud back in 2021."

The U.S. Sun has reached out to Mackenzie for comment.

The nasty feud began after Cheyenne accused Mackenzie of "bullying" her and slammed her as "ignorant" for using a racial slur on social media.

Mackenzie previously said she's a victim of "cancel culture" after her feud with Cheyenne. 

The Teen Mom OG notable claimed Cheyenne "cut her off" after she called Vice President Kamala Harris a "colored woman" in a Facebook post. 

She wrote on her Facebook page: "Sorry, no. There are a lot of amazing women in the world for my daughters to look up to and see as role models. Kamala Harris is not one of them. It blows my mind that out of all the amazing colored women in this world, that is the one who is making history."

While Teen Mom viewers ripped Mackenzie for the comment, her co-star Cheyenne, 31, turned to Twitter- now X- to encourage her followers to "educate."

She tweeted at the time: "It’s time to have a conversation, a form, something to educate and enlighten because the ignorance is pervasive."

In 2022, Mackenzie reflected on the firing in an exclusive interview with the U.S. Sun.

The reality star said: "MTV was there when my first child was born and they were a huge part of my mom. They always respected my mom and my mom always loved them."

Mackenzie's mother, Angie, lost her battle to stage four brain cancer in December 2019.

The star expressed her feelings about the television network after they snubbed her from filming the franchise spinoff Family Reunion.

Mackenzie said: "It hurt and broke me how my mom gave them the last breath of her life, yet after I had opened up my life to them, when my voice didn't sound like theirs, there was no more respect for me."

The TV personality, who has been a part of the franchise since its roots on 16 and Pregnant, continued: "I never thought two years after her death I'd be bawling about why MTV is doing this to me."

[hugsandharrystyles]

Are you wet right now?

Summary: You go on a vacation with your parents and their best friend's family. The only problem is their ridiculously hot son, Harry.

Word Count: 5,000+

Warnings: so much tension, teens being dumb, angst of course

Let me know if you want a part 2 with actual smut :))

You officially hate Harry Styles.

You hate his stupid hair, his stupid green eyes, his stupid hair, and especially his stupid abs.

You don't think from the minute your and his family stepped into the private resort you've seen him with a shirt on. And you get it, it's hot outside, and you're on vacation, but he doesn't even have the decency to put one on at dinner.

Honestly, the whole naked chest thing wouldn't bother you so much if he didn't get so much attention for it. The resort your and his family picked was private, but being a young, hot superstar makes you an easy target. It's almost as if this is the week all families with teenage girls decided to go on vacation.

It's the worst when you'll be goofing around with him like normal, and a group of girls in their bikinis crowd over him, not even sparing you a glance as they shove you out of the way. It's even worse that Harry does nothing about it.

You've known Harry since you were little. Your parents have always been friends, so it was kind of inevitable. You knew from a young age he was going to be something big- with his talent and charisma. You've watched from the sidelines how he's grown and came to stardom.

Though, you and Harry hadn't always been friends. When you were both thirteen, Harry had asked you to be his girlfriend. It was young and childish love, but it was sweet. You were his first girlfriend, and he was your first boyfriend. You even shared your first kisses together. You could never forget it. He was so nervous and shaky, and the kiss was inexperienced, but it was probably the best kiss of your life.

Until you were with Harry at a birthday party where everyone was playing spin the bottle, and Harry landed on Cheryl Taylor. He barely spared you a glance before leaning over and planting your his lips on her bubblegum-pink ones.

You ran out of the house and called your mom to come pick you up. Harry had tried to talk to you for a week, and you avoided him like the plague, which was hard since he was your neighbor. He ended up cornering you at school and apologizing profusely. He explained how he likes Cheryl now and that you were just his best friend. He was so young and so doe-eyed that you had no other option than to forgive him and go back to best friends. That was the start of Harry's everlasting feud with women. In no way was he a womanizer, but he loved sex and didn't have any want for a relationship.

"Y/N, sweetie, did you hear me?" Your mom snaps you out of your moment with her question. You're currently all (besides Harry, God knows where he is and who he's with) lounging at the pool, enjoying the summer breeze and warm sun.

"No, sorry," You answer and turn your head towards her.

"It's okay- said we'll need to head up to our rooms in about an hour to clean up and get ready for dinner. We have reservations at that fancy restaurant we saw when we were driving into town!" Your mom says excitedly, and you smile with her.

"Sounds good," You answer and turn your attention to the romance book in your hands, but before you could get very far, you hear your name being called.

"Y/N! Come in the water with me," You hear Harry's whiny voice call.

"'M good," You answer back, very obviously annoyed. You're still upset about the mob of girls who had literally pushed you to the ground earlier while trying to get closer to Harry. He hadn't even noticed.

"Oh, c'mon, babycakes. You still mad at me?" Harry asks, and you hear him splashing out of the pool. The sound of falling water droplets gets closer until you feel them start to drip onto your bare stomach.

"First, don't ever call me that again. Second, obviously I'm still upset you jerk," You scowl and almost punch him when he takes your book out of your hands, placing it on the table next to you.

"I said I was sorry!" He whines. You hear your mom and Anne laugh beside you.

"I got a bruise, Harry!" You whine back and pout at your forearm, showing him the bruise.

"Oh, shit, I didn't know it was that bad," Harry whispers, so your parents don't hear him curse.

"Yeah," You sigh. "Had to crawl my way out, and you didn't even care," You say dramatically.

"Stop it with that. You know I care about you the most," He assures, and before you can resist, he slots his wet body over yours, making you squeal.

"Ew! Get off me!" You scream, and hear your and his families' laughter.

"No," He whines and shakes his wet hair out. He lays his face in your neck. "I'm sorry, moppet. I wasn't thinking. Never would want you to get hurt."

"It's fine. I don't care. I was just messing with you."

"No, you weren't. Could tell you were upset, and I'm sorry I'm a dick," He says quietly and presses a soft kiss to your neck.

Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.

"It's okay, seriously. Just- I don't know. It's fine, you goof." You wish to tell him how you really feel. How much you miss him when he's gone when you probably never cross his mind- the lack of texts proving to be true.

"Know I love you, right?" He asks as he perks his head up and grips your cheeks in his hands, smushing them together. You notice his eyes flicker to your lips but don't think too much about it.

"Yeah," You laugh nervously.

"What's with the hesitation?" He asks and releases his hold on your cheeks, instead cupping your neck, thumbs on your jaw, so he still has a bit of control over your face.

"Nothing- we just don't talk that much anymore. Haven't really since-"

"Harry, would you get off my daughter!" Your dad yells over, semi-joking. You laugh and push at Harry's shoulder. He gets up, but you can tell by his sorrowful facial expression that he's upset about something.

"Hey, what's-" Your cut off by a high pitched voice coming from the side of you.

"Oh my gosh. Are you Harry Styles?" The girl is probably about your age and very pretty. You can't help but sigh in defeat.

"That would be me. What's your name, pretty?" Harry's response feels like a knife to your heart, and you don't think twice before picking your book back up and tuning the conversation out. You do, however, peek your eyes over your book to see Harry walking away with the girl, arm around her shoulder- not even a glance back at you.

It's an hour later when you return to you and Harry's room. You hadn't seen Harry since he walked off with that girl, and you kind of hoped he wouldn't be back for dinner because you just didn't want to see him. Even after all this time, it's as if you can't completely squash your stupid crush on him.

You slide your keycard through the door and walk in, though, nothing could have prepared you for the sight in front of you.

Harry and the stranger-blonde are laying on his bed, practically grinding against each other in a heavy make out session. Your gasp is loud enough to break them out of their attraction, and you immediately hear them both curse.

"Shit!" Harry yells and pushes the girl off of him. She glares at the side of his face.

"You have a girlfriend?" She asks.

"No, no, she's just a friend."

Ouch.

"Um, I can just grab my things and go," You offer and make your way towards the bathroom to grab your makeup.

"No, Y/N-" Harry starts, but you cut him off.

"Seriously, it's fine. Um- I'll just find somewhere to get ready. You- uh- are obviously busy," You laugh embarrassingly. You quickly grab your things and your clothes and dart towards the door. You feel Harry grab your free wrist before you could make your great escape.

"Y/N, wait." His voice lowers so his guest couldn't hear. She was already mindlessly scrolling on her phone anyway, so it didn't even matter.

"What?" You ask.

"What's- why does this feel so... off?"

"I don't know what you're talking about. Obviously it's going to be a little awkward because-"

"No, I mean like- I feel guilty? Like I've just messed everything up," He whispers, defeated.

"I don't know what you mean. I mean it's not like we're... together or anything." The words hurt as they come out of your mouth. "We're- um- we're cool." You put the fakest smile you could muster before walking out of the room. You hear him call your name as you speed-walk down the hallway to your parents' room.

Once you're ready, you and your parents trail downstairs to the resort's foyer where you all patiently wait for Anne and her husband. You're shocked that after waiting for five minutes, you see Harry's parents and Harry stepping out of the elevator and walking towards you guys. You immediately dart your eyes elsewhere as to not catch Harry's gaze.

"Are we ready to go?" Anne asks, and you all agree.

The car ride is insanely awkward. Having not known about what had happened an hour prior, your parents had squished you and Harry in the back by yourselves, and no words have been spoken. It's even more awkward because he's chosen to sit in the middle, so there is no space between the two of you.

"Hey," You hear Harry whisper to you. You hum mindlessly in response, nose in your book. "Can we just- can we talk? Please." The desperation in his voice almost makes you feel bad. Almost.

"Really nothing to talk about," You say quietly, trying to just focus on the words on the page in front of you. "I just need to stop getting my hopes up," You mumble.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He asks.

"Nothing, Harry. Just forget about it. We're good," You assure him, but you know he doesn't believe you. Instead of leaving you alone like you've asked, he takes your book out of your hands (making sure to bookmark your page) before tossing it to the floor of the car. "Hey!" You complain and go to grab it, but he captures your wrists in his hand and holds them to his stomach.

"What are you guys fighting about back there?" Anne and your mother turn around, confusion on their faces.

"He's being a menace," You seethe through your teeth.

"Hey- am not!" He whines. "I'm just trying to talk to her, but she won't get her nose out of her book!"

"You are ridiculous. I mean- first, you-"

"Shush!" Your mother cuts you off. Harry, always playing the victim, pouts and leans his face into your shoulder. "Look at him, Y/N. He misses you. Hand me the book," She demands.

"What?! You can't seriously be taking his side. You don't even know what happened!" You complain, and you scoff as Harry wraps his arms around your waist, hugging you entirely to close to his warm body.

"I don't care! You're both nineteen- I shouldn't be breaking up fights," Your mom says, but you can tell she's trying her best to not laugh.

"Fine," You mumble and hand her the book. Harry's acting like a needy puppy as he basically whimpers in the crook of your neck, his arms still snug around your body. You rest your hands on his arms and dramatically lay your head against the headrest and pout in self pity. That is until you suddenly feel something wet against your neck. "Hey, what are you doing?" You ask and shove at Harry's head. He practically growls, and you can see that he has the strap of your sundress in his mouth, gnawing on it like a child. You're taken back to childhood memories of Harry doing this when he's feeling 'small' or a bit anxious. "Oh my goodness," You sigh and settle to rubbing your hand up and down his back.

"I have to get a picture of this," You hear Anne whisper, and in a second you hear her phone clicking for a photo. The great part of Harry being an international superstar is that you know that picture will never be posted on anyone's Facebook.

After what seems like an eternity if a car ride, you’re finally pulling up to the restaurant. You begrudgingly pull Harry off of you so you could all exit the car and have it taken away by the valet. Harry ducks his head down in an attempt to not be seen and laces his fingers through yours. He's funny if he thinks this sweet act is getting him any tonight.

Your parents inform the hostess of your reservation, and you notice the way her eyes never leave Harry as she walks you to your table. His fingers finally leave yours as he pulls your chair out for you, and you resist the confused look you want to give him and just take the kindness.

It's not even two minutes later when the (very cute) waiter is appearing at your table with a smile shining your way. He asks for your drinks and tells you he'll be back in a minute for your orders, but not before flashing you one more smile.

"Seems like Y/N has an admirer," Anne laughs, and you blush.

"Oh, stop it. He's just being sweet," You mutter.

"He's- He's not sweet. He just smiled," Harry butts in, and you glare at him.

"Yeah, cause no one would ever want to flirt with me," You say, just to him.

"What? No- I didn't mean it like-"

"Okay, here are your drinks." The waiter appears again and this time gets your orders. The way he flirts with you makes you feel seen and wanted. It helps that he's attractive too- of course, no one could be more beautiful than Harry, though.

The night drawls on, and Harry gets weirder and weirder. He's getting increasingly more affectionate and lovey-dovey, and it makes a part of your stomach churn.

It's when you're all about to ask for the bill when your waiter comes out with a small bowl of ice-cream and sets it in front of you.

"Oh, I didn't ask for-"

"It's on the house, lovely," He winks and walks off, leaving you with a prominent blush and whistles sounding from your table.

"My goodness, Y/N," Your mother giggles, and her and Anne turn to gossip about your love life. You smile bashfully and look at Harry, about to rub it in his face that you're the one getting hit on for once, but you can't when you see the pitiful look on his face as he stares down at your ice-cream.

"Oh, what's wrong, bug?" You ask him, pinching his cheek and calling him the childhood nickname that always got him to smile. He grins dopily and leans his forehead on your shoulder to hide his blush. "What? Did you want to share my ice-cream?"

Harry wants nothing more than to tell you that's not what he's upset about, but he's stopped when you push him off and scoop some ice-cream onto your spoon. You hold your hand under the spoon as you direct it towards Harry's mouth, feeding him. He doesn't think he could ever hide the grin of you doing something so domestic with him as if he was your husband.

Suck it, waiter-boy.

You and Harry have just finished your desert when you're getting up and excusing yourself to the washroom. Once you've finished, you exit the restroom and are about to walk back to your table when you feel a gentle hand on your wrist. Your waiter.

"Oh! Hello," You laugh.

"I'm so sorry to be so absurd, but I couldn't live with myself knowing I let you walk out of here without at least trying to take you out on a date," He says bluntly. "It's no secret that I think you're stunning, is it?" He laughs, and you laugh as well.

"Is that so? Don't think I noticed," You play it off with a giggle.

"Can I please give you my number?" He asks, flashing you his best puppy-dog eyes.

"Yes, but..."

"Oh no, not a but," He dramatically cries, and you laugh. He's funny and cute. Maybe he's just what you need to get over Harry. "C'mon, we don't have much longer. You're family's already paid, and I'm off the clock, sugar."

"I didn't bring my phone with me! And if I go out to my table to grab it, they'll make a huge scene!" You whine, and he gasps with fake shock.

"What will we ever do?" He jokes, acting as if he's faint.

"If you keep making fun of me, I am going to kick you where the sun doesn't shine," You attempt to threaten, but you can't hold back your laughter.

"Here," He says and grasps your arm in his hand. He reaches into his pocket for a pen and starts writing his number on your arm. "Don't have my phone on me either, so this will have to do. Don't you dare wash your arm on your way back to your table," He jokes, and you laugh.

"Wouldn't dream of it," You say sweetly. "Okay! I have to go. They're going to think I fell in the toilet or something," You say, getting the cute waiter to clutch his stomach in a heavy laugh. Once he gathers himself, you quickly kiss his cheek in goodbye and run off to your table, guarding your arm with your life.

Your family is hardly waiting for you when you return, and you plop yourself back into your seat and pretend to engage in the conversation.

"Hey, what's that on your arm?" You hear Anne's voice drag you out of your thoughts.

"Oh, um- the waiter found me and gave me his number," You mumble bashfully and fail to hide the blush on your cheeks.

"You're blushing!" Your dad has to embarrass you. You're about to reply when a splash of cold liquid makes your sentence get caught in your throat. It's all over your lap and arms, and you try not to cause a scene.

"Whoops!" You hear from beside you, and you see Harry grab a napkin and start to wipe you off. Before you can stop him, he rubs at your arm, smearing the phone number so it's unreadable.

"Harry!" You gasp. Your eyes meet his, and they tell you the truth. "You did that on purpose! What the hell is wrong with you?!" Your mother shushes you as people start to stare, but it goes right over your head.

"What, no- why would I-"

"You did! You've been acting weird the entire night! Do you just not want me to be happy?!" You ask, and when he can't answer, you huff and practically sprint to the doors of the restaurant. You don't make it very far away before there's a hand on your wrist and you're being pulled into a quiet alley- out of sight from people. "Let me go," You protest and try to shake Harry's hands off of you, but they're strong on your shoulders.

"Just listen to me, would'ya?!" He asks, obviously agitated with himself.

"No- Fuck you!" You retort and continue to struggle in his hold. Then, you feel his hands on your face, and ,suddenly, his face is extremely close to yours. He's going to kiss you. He's going to kiss you for the first time since you were both thirteen. It's all you've ever wanted, so why do you push him away? "No, no, no," You tut and push him off of you. "Are you crazy?" You shout.

"Hey! Are you two coming?" Your mom suddenly appears around the corner. You shrug yourself away from Harry and turn to your mom.

"Yeah, we're coming," You say and glare at Harry who is looking at you with puppy-dog eyes. You roll your eyes and trail off behind your mom. You all make it to the car, and there is obvious tension in the air with the scene you created, but you don't care and just plug in your earbuds, turning yourself away from everyone. You can feel Harry's longing stare from beside you, but you don't give him any attention. You almost jump when you feel your phone buzz in your lap- having being so zoned out.

Harry: Talk to me.

Sigh.

You roll your eyes and set your phone on the seat in between you and Harry. Several buzzes come through before you're opening your phone in annoyance.

Harry: I'm sorry.

Harry: Actually, I'm not.

Harry: Wait. I'm sorry about the water thing, but I am not sorry for trying to kiss you.

Harry: You're so cute when you're mad.

Harry: Actually you're cunt all the time.

Harry: Autocorrect. I meant cute.

You: Stop texting me... Cunt.

You see Harry laugh out of the corner of your eye.

Harry: Stop being irresistible, and I would.

You: Ew.

Harry: You love me.

Ouch.

You: That's the problem.

You send the message and then immediately drop your phone, face-down, into your lap and stare out the window next to you.

For the next half-hour, the car was relatively quiet. You were almost ecstatic when you see the familiar hotel come into view. You were the first one to jump out of the car and practically run into the building. You thought you would so lucky as to get a moment of peace by yourself, but that dream is quickly squashed when someone's hand sneaks in between the elevator doors last minute.

"Thanks for waiting up," Harry says sarcastically. You don't give him the satisfaction of a response. The air is stiff as the elevator starts to move. And then, suddenly, it comes to a halt. A very abrupt stop. "What the hell?" Harry says, and immediately after, all the lights, except for one emergency one, shuts off, leaving you two in a very dim light. It was just enough to see each other. It was enough for Harry to see the anxiety on your face.

"Knew I should've taken the stairs- Oh God." You can already feel your breathing becoming uneven.

"Hey, hey, it's okay- we'll be alright," He assures you and presses a kiss to the top of your head. He then presses the emergency call button and begins talking to the hotel staff for about five minutes. They explain that you two might be stuck up there for a few hours.

Great.

In the midst of the craziness, you had resorted to scrunching yourself into one of the corners of the elevator, trying to keep your mentality in check.

"Looks like we'll be in here for a while, moppet," Harry sighs and sits down against the wall opposite of you. You hum in agreement and keep your face pressed into your knees. "Might as well use this time to clear the air, huh?" He asks, and your breath hitches.

"Don't need to talk about anything," You answer simply.

"No?" He asks condescendingly.

"You're a jerk. That's about it," You say, raising your face to finally look at him.

"Oh, I am?"

"Are you just going to ask a question every time I say something, or are you actually going to talk?"

"Explain to me how I'm a jerk, please," He asks, genuinely wanting to know your side.

"I can't," You whisper, hiding your face again.

"Why not?"

Screw it.

"You know what? I'll talk," You decide. "You're not going to like it and will probably think I'm a freak, but I don't even care anymore." You take a deep breath and lift your head.

"Y/N, what are you talking about?" Harry asks, clearly confused.

"You remember when we were thirteen and we dated?" You ask bluntly. He's clearly taken aback.

"Um- well, yeah. We were each other's first kisses," He smiles as if remembering the memory.

"Yeah. And then at a party you went and kissed Cheryl Taylor and totally blew me off. You didn't even look back to see if I was okay! God, I get that we were thirteen, but Harry, I really liked you, and you didn't even care. We went back to best friends, and you acted like nothing happened, but I couldn't forget- I still can't. The way you blow me off when you even catch a glimpse of a girl- it makes me realize you haven't changed since we were thirteen, and I don't think you ever will. You don't text or call when you go on tour. I text, I try to call, so don't you dare ever try to put some weird manly claim on me just because you can. It's not fair that I love you in a way I'll never be able to shake when you can just toss me to the side when it's inconvenient for you."

The end of your speech had the air running cold. Harry was silent, stoic. His eyes were slightly wide and glassy- hands fidgeting as if they didn't belong in his own skin.

"I don't- um, I don't know what to say," Harry whispers after a few minutes of muteness.

"I know. You don't have to say anything. I get it."

"You don't- that's what I'm trying to figure out how to say-"

"Don't. Don't do that," You cut him off. "That's the worst thing you could do right now." Your voice shakes. "Don't you dare try to tell me you 'loved' me out of pity."

"But what if it's true?" He counters.

"Then you have a real strange way of showing it."

That shuts him up for a minute, enough time to let you collect yourself again.

"Look, I know it was a lot to spring on you, so it's probably making you think some things you don't actually feel-"

"Then why would I have gotten so mad at the restaurant? I had no idea about how you felt, so explain that," He counters. You're caught there for a moment.

"I don't know, but obviously your affections aren't very meaningful if you were sucking some other girl's face literally three hours ago."

"Fuck, I know how this looks, but it seriously didn't mean anything. I didn't even know how you felt about me! You can't blame this all on me when you never said anything!" He's starting to get riled up now. Harry's used to getting whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and you're not making this easy on him.

"You're such a brat. Stop whining and take responsibility."

"Oh, I'm the brat?! You've been fucking whining this whole trip, and it could've been you I was pounding into the mattress if-"

"I'm whining because I love you!" You yell.

"Well, so do fuckin' I!" He counters back, both of you staring at each other intensely and breathing like you've just run a marathon. Just as he's about to say something, a voice sounds through the elevator's speaker.

"It seems a though the fire department got here much quicker, so you two should be out within the next five minutes!" The awfully chipper lady informs you.

"This isn't fucking over," He practically growls at you as you start to hear the elevator being pried open.

"Oh, until you drop to your knees and beg for my forgiveness, we're not talking."

"Think it'll be the other way around, babe," He answers back slyly, and you know the games have just begun.

[jwanniie]

Been thinking about g!p hanni craving for her girlfriend but because of her schedule she couldn't find anytime with her so when they were given a vacation hanni took reader with her to Australia to meet her parents and then just them doing it during there vacation🥹

A/n: not proofread🥲😮‍💨

Fuck the schedule that kept her away from you. The schedule that kept her away from her lover, you her girlfriend! She knew that she had a vacation, and the company booked a flight Australia, so why not you tag along with her?? She secretly booked a flight for you on the same plane, without the company knowing.

When you heard the news, you were worried but still excited. You were scared because if the company finds out they are not letting it slide, and excited because you are going to spend time with your lovely girlfriend, Hanni. On top of that you are going to meet her parents and her younger sister, and you are going to Australia. The home of the most interesting animals also Hannis home country.The trip was only three days, but the best three days for sure. You were quick to pack your stuff along with Hanni and off you go!!

The flight was long but you enjoyed every bit of it, it was the first time you traveled with Hanni. After hours, you arrived at your destination. Sunshine country Australia! You were like a five-year old toddler, who just got a new toy. Giggling and just looking amusingly around. Hanni was just admiring you and your little kid smile, it made her heart full of adoration for you. You both took a taxi to surprise her parents, the trip from the airport wasn’t long and you spent it mostly looking through the window, admiring everything. “Baby, we arrived” her fingers found yours, intertwining them. You took a look at the house, it was new nice house, beautiful flowers planted in the garden and the sun shining straight at the flowers making them look extra healthy. Soon you both were standing in front of the door, your hand held tightly Hannis hand, slightly nervous. She was aware of your nervousness, her thumb rubbing against your thumb. “Don’t worry baby, they are going to love you so much” she reassured, you gave her a warm smile. Her other hand soon found the wooden door, and knocked on it.

You were met with Hannis beautiful and youthful looking mom, she was smiling widely and grabbed her daughter in for a hug, her dad and sister soon following her. Giving Hanni the tightest hugs, they all now turned around to look at you, you were the center of attention now. You laughed awkwardly while slightly scratching the back of your neck. “This is y/n,my lovely girlfriend” she introduced you proudly. Her family smiled and gave you a hug, smiling at you afterwards. “I see she seems so lovely” her mother uttered, while you blushed at the statement.

You had never been this happy, the first full day went by and it was amazing. You went out for a morning walk with Hanni, then her family grilled at their backyard, you went for a nice dinner with her and her sister and she showed you around her hometown, Melbourne. The day just went smoothly, the company of your girlfriend and her family was just so wonderful.

You were getting ready for bed, Hannis mom and her dad, brought you and Hanni a mattress and tried to make the room as cozy as possible. You and Hanni stayed late to watch a movie, and soon it was so late that her parents went to their rooms and her sister was probably in her room, doing whatever teen girl late night make up tutorial things she is doing. It was just the two of you, cuddling warmly on the couch. Hanni couldn’t help herself but be extremely needy, the way your body was pressed against her cock and your head under her chin, making her sniff your shampoo mixed with your sweet perfume. Her cock twitching violently in her tight pants, you were aware of the situation. Her hardon pressing visibly against your back, soon all of your thoughts were interrupted when the movie flashed a hot steamy scene. Both of you awkwardly just watching whatever there was playing, she was gulping nervously, that spicy scene made you feel tingles in your lower abdomen. The sensation sticky and warm, she wanted you and you wanted here, what is stopping y’all? You turned to face her, and slowly brought your face closer to hers, she tilted her face closer to you. Capturing you in a messy kiss. The make out session was sloppy and messy, you both pulling, lips parting and breathing heavier. She lifted you bridal style, going to your room. She dropped you gently on the bed, her lips quickly chasing yours again. Her hands found the buttons of your blouse, her fingers unbuttoning it hastily. Once your upper part was undressed her hands gently were squeezing and grabbing your soft tits, earning a high pitched moan from you. Her cock was painfully hard now, poor hanni, balls probably blue from the boner. Her pants were quick on the floor and her tip was parting your folds, before pushing in. Her head falling backwards from pure bliss. Her cock was deliciously stretching you out, your hole was way tighter than usually. Her mind clouded and hazy from the pleasurable suck of your cunt, after all it’s been weeks since you and her had your moment. Thrusts were hitting spots better than before, the head of her cock reaching spots, pushing you over the edge. The cold metal of her necklace was brushing against your neck sending shivers down your spine, the shiver made you clench on her, making her cock twitch before hot ropes of cum were filling you to the brim. With one last thrust you let go of your liquid which made her dick wet. She slowly pulled out, looking at your hole seeing how it clenches on nothing. Made her groan, sight so dirty and pornographic. You both showered together ending the night with a warm shower, getting your sweaty bodies washed. Damn, this is going to be one of the best trips!

[patroxlos]

home base . ch5

"friends who fuck things up" - 5.6k words

ultraman: rising (2024). kenji sato x reader

can be read as a stand-alone.

master post. ao3 link.

previous: ch4. "friends who sleep on call with each other"

next: ch6. "friends who are stuck together"

The start of your decade-long situationship.

---

Los Angeles. Ten years ago.

You let out a low whistle as you look out the window to the gorgeous beach view. Not bad for a guest room. The Satos own a stunning coastal property that, while a lot smaller than your own California manor, is homey enough for the mother and son duo. Yet, you always thought that it was too big for the both of them. Maybe that is why the two are making such a big fuss right now, as they finally have another chance to fill in the space with your timely visit.

Tense footsteps approach, and you turn towards the open door as a lanky Ken Sato gracelessly enters and barrels towards your luggage placed at the side of the wall. “ Why did you bring your stuff in here? I said you’re staying in my room!”

“Well Auntie told me—” You were cut off.

“Mom!” He shouts out to the house. “I told you! I have the pullout in my room for her.” He extends the handle of one of your carry-ons with one hand and reaches for one of your duffels with his other.

You hear Emiko Sato shout back from downstairs, faint from the distance. “Don’t you dare make that girl sleep on anything other than a proper bed.”

“Kenji, it's fine. I can hang out in your room but keep my stuff in here,” you reason with him. You try to take your bags out of his hands but he rebuffs you as he lumbers them out into the hallway, his room being nearest to yours and down the hall.

“But it’s been three years since we’ve had you over!” He insists.

Even if he is a mama’s boy, Ken is not immune to engaging in his fair amount of teen rebellion that got him into shouting matches with his equally hotheaded mother. You know exactly who he inherited most of his personality from. Rapid footsteps climb the stairs and your Auntie Emiko reaches the two of you in the hallway. “ Kenji Sato !”

You both wince at the full name. Still, Ken pushes open his bedroom door as you attempt to trail behind. “Mom, she doesn’t even mind. Right, dude?”

“I…guess?” You do not want to get in the middle of this. You are so, so jetlagged you want to take a shower and crash on any bed available.

Sensing your fatigue, Auntie Emiko pats both of your shoulders lovingly from behind. She stops you from entering his room and leads you back out to the hallway. “So glad you’re back here, dear. You can go ahead and shower in the guest room. I will take your things back once I’m done here.”

Before you can even say thank you, she enters Kenji’s room and closes the door behind them. You wince as you hear another argument start up.

“Mom, we used to share a room all the time! I don’t get why it’s such a problem now.”

“Kenji, the last time you two shared a room was when you were kids! Don’t you think she deserves her own space as a young lady?”

“Then I can sleep on the pullout and she can get the bed!”

“It’s still inappropriate for two teenagers to share—”

“Ugh you’re being so unfair! You’re acting like we’ll do something—”

You decide to walk away and take that shower.

Ever since Emiko and Ken Sato relocated to Los Angeles when you were just six years old, you have visited them almost every year with your parents. Your summer and winter vacations with them significantly help you and Ken maintain your easygoing friendship beyond messages and video calls. It feels good when the two of you are in the same timezone.

Unfortunately, you have not visited them since you were twelve years old. Three whole years without seeing each other has caused you and Ken to drift a little, with him getting sourer every summer break when you tell him you don’t think you could make it. Your parents got busier, and even if the Satos are family friends, it does not mean you wanted to spend every vacation at the States. Finally, you are old enough for your parents to trust you to fly alone, and at sixteen, you are picked up from the airport by your much taller childhood friend.

You absentmindedly think about how much has changed yet stayed the same about Ken as you rifle through your remaining belongings in your guest room, looking for your toiletries and pajamas to change into.

His height definitely took you by surprise. He was shorter than you the last time you saw him, by a half inch. Now, you have to look up when you talk to him, which you know for a fact that he has noticed, based on his smug look at the airport. He is definitely a lot more cocky than you remember, given his status as a baseball prodigy. You wonder whether he stopped getting bullied at school, and if his newfound confidence emerged from it. While he never gave details in his correspondence over the years, you just know that he “has it handled.”

Even if you never lost touch the past couple of years, it only hit you when you came face to face with him that he really has changed a lot. He is no longer as hyperactive as he was when he was younger. He is now more…aloof, with a bit of brooding. His ears are pierced to bear his new signature black studs. Hell, you may not have realized he was happy to have you here if not for his insistence for a sleepover.

It is disarming to shower in a place so familiar yet alien to you now. Maybe…visiting is a mistake.

It has been some time since the two of you had seen each other. What if you do not click anymore? Of course you have made new friends in his absence, and based on his life updates, so has he. He has even mentioned a girlfriend to you a few months ago, which you were a little surprised by. The title of best friend between the two of you feels decorative, with no real fondness behind it. You are scared that one way or another, it will be made apparent in this vacation that the two of you do not fit the way you did anymore.

As you finish your shower and leave the bathroom clad in your pajamas, you see Kenji grabbing some more of your bags from the floor of the guest room. You say “Dude, I really don’t want your ‘ma to get high blood pressure. I’m fine in this room.”

“She finally said it’s okay!” He grins at you, lifting up your bags with no difficulty. You have noticed he got a lot buffer at sixteen. His shirt, which he has definitely already outgrown, stretches out against his chest. Must be all the varsity training.

“Really? How did you manage that?” You dry your hair with a towel as you follow him to his room.

“She got tired of arguing and went to the farmer’s market.”

“...Well that would do it.”

You are sure his room is meant to be the master bedroom of the house, given how you marvel at its size when you get to properly enter. It is much like Auntie Emiko to give her son the best. He hurriedly brings your belongings into a walk-in closet, and when you enter his bathroom to drop your damp towel in the hamper you notice there are two sinks.

Still, it was very much a teenage boy’s room, based on his blue bedsheets stretching out over the king-sized bed and the gaming consoles under his flatscreen TV. You nearly trip over one of his baseball gloves as you marvel at a poster of Hideki Matsui on one wall, in his Giants jersey. You also spot a signed Matsui baseball card from his time with the Yankees, framed on a side table. 

“Whoops— gonna get that—” He rushes back into the room to grab his glove near your foot, dumping it into a random drawer. He is bouncing on his heels. ”...so yeah! This is the room. Welcome!”

“Is that where I’ll sleep?” You point towards the luxury gray sofa in the middle of the room facing the TV.

He walks up to your side to sling an arm around your shoulders; you’re annoyed at how easy it is for him to do that now with his added height. He does not mind that his shirt sleeve is growing damp from your hair. “Nah, I have to let you take the bed. Mom’s orders. We can share like old times though, since it’s big enough. Just don’t tell her.”

“You sure that’s okay? I mean, I know we’re friends but don’t you have a girl or something?”

He instantly sours, and drags you towards the bed with his arm still pressing firmly on your shoulders. “Broke up with me last week.”

“Oooh, bummer. What did you do?”

He smacks the back of your head. “Why’d you assume I did something?”

You shove him off good-naturedly, and sit down at the edge of the bed. “Well did she break up with you because of your stellar personality?” you dryly comment.

“Nah, I just played too much baseball.”

“Why’s that an issue?”

“Don’t really wanna talk about it,” he brushes you off as he walks over to his game consoles.

You frown at him while his back is turned. It’s so…typical of Ken Sato to avoid any conversations about his feelings. He never likes talking about himself beyond what is surface level, and even if you can admit that he has gone the farthest with you when it comes to digging deep into his psyche, he still hesitates a lot when he has to open up. Jesus, you remember how long it took for him to be honest with you about how he does not get along much with anyone in Los Angeles, even his own varsity teammates.

Plus, he has only mentioned his girlfriend–ex, now–a handful of times. Your curiosity was eating at you.

“Ha, no way, you’re actually upset that you got dumped,” you tease, growing a bit more comfortable around him as the minutes pass you by.

He rolls his eyes as he starts up the TV and grabs two of his controllers. He tosses one at you, which you smoothly catch. “Honestly, I wasn’t really upset with it.”

“But weren’t you with her for several months…?” You could not believe his blasé attitude about it.

“And what about that guy your friend tried to set you up with? The one with nice skin but bad breath?” He changes the subject as he approaches you.

You flush, straightening your back. “I don’t really wanna talk about it.”

He raises an eyebrow. Hypocrite.

“It’s different!” You weakly justify.

“Yeah yeah, now scoot—” Ken tries to push you towards the other side of the bed. “This is my spot.”

“Ugh, dude what are you doing?” You groan as you acquiesce. He plops down beside you as soon as you move out of the way, the TV screen displayed Mario Kart.

“Thought we are gonna play?” He opens up the selection screen.

You groan. “I just wanna nap, man. It was a 12-hour flight.”

“You can nap after three rounds,” he protests. He nudges at your wrists until you are holding the controller up properly. “Come on, I wanna hang out.”

“Kenji, I love you, but I might pass out in the middle of round one.” Your hands drop back on your lap. The tension of your back eases as you sink into his mattress, and you want nothing more than to get under his covers and sleep.

He flicks the side of your head to keep you awake, grumbling. “I am not wasting anytime while you’re here. It might take you a whole ten years next time to come back.”

“I said I was sorry,” you weakly reply. You shove your controller into his chest as you throw his blankets over yourself. You sink your face into his pillow for added measure. “Now please, I promise we can hang after I wake up. I just need this.”

Even if your voice is muffled by the pillow, he understood you clearly. He scoffs, and you feel him slide off the bed to leave you alone. Guilt begins to creep into your heart. You know how hard it is for him to make friends here. He is distant with everyone else except for you. Now his girlfriend dumped him and he probably just needed company—

You hear the click of the lights turning off, and the pull of the curtains over the windows. You feel the dip of the bed again, and you look up to see him getting under the covers himself.

“What are you doing?” You hesitantly ask.

“What’s it look like? I’m taking a nap too.”

“…it’s ten in the morning.”

He pushes your face back into the pillow. “Yea, and I had to get up at four to pick you up from the airport.”

You try to apologize, but you are muffled by the pillow. You slap at his arm so he will let your head go.

“Don’t apologize, dude,” he murmurs as he settles into the bed beside you, but still keeping a respectable distance. “S’okay, you need to rest. Sorry about being pushy about it.”

You let out a yawn, relaxing into the bed. “We can play when we wake up…no biggie.”

“It’s not just that…” He faces you, lying down on his side. His arm falls into the space between. He lets out a heavy breath.

You wait.

He does not say anything more.

“Kenji?”

He turns around. “…nothing. I... Good morning, I guess. Sleep well.”

You nearly click your tongue. What is it with boys and their repressed emotions?

Yet, perhaps you worry too much. Things aren’t as simple as they were when you were kids, but that is how it’s supposed to be.

“Kenji I swear to god you’re going to get us in trouble,” you hiss at him as he shoves his arm up the crane machine. You try to cover him with your body since he placed you on lookout duty.

“You said you wanted it,” he grunts back, as he even tilts the machine a little forward.

You hurriedly provide leverage against the glass with your shoulder so the entire thing won’t collapse on him. He has spent fifteen minutes trying to get you a Tuxedo Sam plushie, and as stubborn as he is, he refuses to back down. “Sunk-cost fallacy, man.”

“The hell is that?”

“Don’t you listen in class?”

His long arm strains higher. “Can’t see shit from here. You gotta tell me if I’m close.”

“To your left— yeah, a bit more,” you guide him as you glance into the machine.

“Is it— ah, fuck— did I get it?”

“That’s a Cinnamoroll.”

His fingers pinched at the poor stuffed toy’s ear. “That good enough for you?”

“I guess it’s fine?” The weight of the machine is causing your shoulder to ache. “Dude just grab it and let’s go.”

“No, I’ll get that damn penguin.” God he’s stubborn as shit. His hand strains some more, and you see his fingertips brush against Tuxedo Sam’s hat.

“You’re actually gonna get it,” you marvel.

“I got you, girl.” He throws you a smirk despite nearly straining his rotator cuff.

The machine tilts a bit more, his palm fully closing over the stuffed toy’s face.

“Hey, what are you doing over there?!”

You make eye contact with the underpaid arcade employee stalking towards you.

“Kenji—“

“Oh shit—“

You push the machine back in place as Kenji yanks at the toy as fast as he could with a loud rip. You both bolt out of the exit, the neon lights bathe your skin no more as you run out to the sunset-soaked Santa Monica Pier.

Your howls of glee are drowned by the roar of the pier’s crowd. You smell the sea and fry grease in the air. Ken grabs your wrist and tugs you as he runs towards the parking lot.

You both are reduced to giggles by the time you reach his jeep. Your knees start to buckle as you throw your back against the passenger door, heaving from your long sprint. He is also a wreck, resting his arm against the passenger door as well as he stood beside you.

“Here, for you,” he says breathlessly as he holds up your prize, the Tuxedo Sam.

Or. Part of him.

“What the— Kenji!” You wheeze, doubling over from laughter. Your eyes sting from the tears that are forming.

That stuffed toy is full-on decapitated.

“Gah, damn. Must’ve gotten caught on the claw machine door.” Ken’s brows furrow as he looks at the penguin head he had gripped tightly in his hand.

An apology is on the tip of his tongue until he sees your hunched, shaking form. He barks out his own laughter, one hand circling your waist to stabilize you against his chest.

“Okay okay that’s enough,” he gives you his signature lop-sided smile as you shake against him. “Maybe I am not the best claw machine guy around.”

Your stomach hurts as you gasp for air. Your hand claws at his shirt as you continue to cackle. “Y-you think?!”

He presses the decapitated Tuxedo Sam head against your face to shut you up.

You two still get along just fine.

At that point, it has been a few days since you arrived in LA. You both have spent your time exploring the city while the sun is up, and goofing off in his room when night has fallen.

However, most of your schedule has to work around his baseball summer training. In fact, you could only hit up the pier after his training ended earlier at three in the afternoon. His equipment sticks out from the back as you sit in the passenger seat of his jeep.

“Keep an eye out for any patrol cars,” he tells you as he pulls out the parking lot to begin the drive home.

“Why? I don’t think they’re investigating penguin homicide.” You hug the decapitated Sam.

“Ha ha. My license is only provisional.” 

“Just drive like normal and you won’t get caught,” you nonchalantly say. “If you speed up when we see the police they would definitely pull us over.”

He reaches over the console to pinch your arm. “Don’t jinx it.”

You swat him away, then recline your seat. You stretch your legs out with a sigh. “Ugh, the day still feels too young.”

“Hm, we can have a little night time swim?” He suggests.

“Will your mom let us head to the beach again?” You think you both have messed around at the beach a total of three times already given that it is just at his backyard.

“Not at this hour, no. But you still haven’t tried the pool right?” While the Sato residence is a beachfront, they still have a gorgeous heated pool by the coast. You begin to envy his sun-kissed life.

The sky is already dark when you arrive back home ( home? Maybe it is). You begin making preparations for your nightly swim, donning on your bathing suit and grabbing your towel to head out to the back porch. Ken still hasn’t gone down, and you figure you can go ahead and make some poolside snacks for the two of you while you wait.

You pad barefoot into the kitchen with your sheer white swim cover up hanging off your shoulders. As you rummage through the fridge, the front door opens. A click of heels echo through the house.

“Oh, Navy!” You hear Mrs. Sato call out behind you. “What are you doing here? It’s been some time since you’ve come over— ah!”

She stops herself quickly when you turn around.

“So sorry about that sweetheart. You just look so much like—” She pauses.

“Oh, welcome back Auntie Emiko!” You greet her warmly as you set down the cans of soda you have grabbed onto the counter. She is still in her office attire, having come from her work at a kaiju research center in the city. Even if they are far from the shores of Tokyo, the whole world maintains great interest in those creatures.

Her words finally process in your head. “Sorry, who?”

She hesitates as she approaches the opposite side of the counter. “You know, Kenji’s old girlfriend.”

Ah. You blink. “Oh yeah, her name is…Navy? Right, yeah he mentioned her.” 

“You just look like her from behind. Maybe it’s the current fashion,” she sheepishly explains.

You don’t know why but it peeves you to think that another girl was waltzing around with her swimsuit on in Ken’s kitchen.

“Sorry, Kenji doesn’t like it when I talk about her,” Auntie Emiko explains. She reaches for one of your cans. “May I?”

“Oh sure,” you allow as you slide it to her. You open one of your own as you both comfortably sit at the bar stools across from one another. You take a sip for your nerves. Normally, talking with your auntie is so easy but for some reason a ball is lodged in your throat. “It’s…hard to get him to open up about his feelings.”

“That’s why I’m glad you’re here,” she confesses.

You take another sip, silent.

“You know, she actually was a lot like you. I don’t necessarily miss having her around per se, but it just felt like you were here with us once more.”

“Oh! Well Ken never really talked about her so I wouldn’t know.” You trace your fingertip around the can’s edge.

She laughs at a memory. “You know, when you told us last year that you cannot visit, Kenji moped around the house for weeks. We fought a lot during that time—“

“I’m really sorry…”

“No need to explain yourself to me. I knew he was just dealing with a lot back then. Anyway, one day he just seemed to have perked up again. That’s when he told me he met Navy. She was a bright girl like you are, very similar. It’s too bad Kenji wasn’t ready to fully commit to her. He has a baseball for a brain.” She knocks at her temple for emphasis.

You lean in, your nosiness coming in. “Do you know why she broke up with him? He never really explained it to me.”

She drinks some soda before she laughs again. “He always chose baseball over her, dear. That boy would rather spend his day at the field than whatever she wanted to do.”

“Is that really it?” You ask in wonder.

She shrugs. “Who knows if they fought about something else. The baseball summer training he’s doing now was the last straw, especially when…” She shuts up suddenly.

“When what?” You egg her on.

“Don’t tell him that I told you,” Auntie Emiko suddenly whispers. You nod. “But apparently, she couldn’t take it that he spent the entire day at training. Even I thought it was excessive that he’s doing a lot this summer.”

Your nose scrunches in confusion. “His training ends in the early afternoon. He could have made time if he wanted to.”

“Well he definitely has with you.” Her eyes twinkle knowingly as she takes a long sip from her can.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” You’re at a loss. 

She hums. “Ever since you’ve been back, Kenji has been coming home from training after it ends.”

“…As he is should???”

“He normally comes home around nine in the evening because he stays overtime in the batting cage with the pitching machine.”

Oh. Well how are you supposed to know that?

Before you can reply, Ken enters the kitchen with a towel on his shoulders and his swim trunks hanging low on his hips. You train your eyes up to his face with much practice. It was much harder the first time you went swimming together earlier this vacation, when you had realized just how broad his shoulders have gotten. Must have been from all those hours in the batting cage.

“Hey mom,” he leans forward to give Auntie Emiko a peck on her cheek in greeting. He turns to you. “Ready to hit the pool, dude?”

You nod, finishing the last gulp of your soda quickly before throwing the can in the trash. “Yeah, sure.”

Auntie Emiko waves you two off as she slides down her barstool. “Have fun. I might turn in early for tonight.”

“Rest well mom,” Ken calls out to her as she leaves the kitchen.

Your conversation with your auntie goes to the back of your mind as soon as you jump into the warm chlorinated water. Heated pools are a godly gift for a cool night. 

Thrumming with the excess adrenaline from earlier today, you and Ken can singlehandedly reduce the pool’s water levels by a few good inches with the way you two splash around each other. From challenging each other to do the biggest cannonball, to grabbing each other’s ankles underwater, you are turning your relaxing evening soak into a full workout.

Your game of Marco Polo is the most tiring yet. He swims like a shark in top form. You could barely let out a squeal before he pounces on you from below. You nearly hit your head on the side of the pool when he grabs you with ferocity and holds you tightly against his cold, clammy body. His forearm presses against your bare tummy as your legs tangle underwater when he catches you, keeping you both afloat.

“Got ya.” His ego leaks out as his breath hits your ear.

A strong smack from you causes Ken to wince and let go. “You’re just cocky ‘cause your feet reaches the pool floor!” You swim a foot away from him.

“Maybe I’m cocky because I won the last five rounds.”

“Okay, I can acknowledge that you swim a lot better than me,” you bow your head a little to his direction. “So it makes me think that, maybe, you can better utilize your skills in our next game.”

“For the last time, I’m not playing mermaids.” He strikes the water to send a small wave towards your open mouth.

You sputter as you try to splash him back. “But you can have the shiny red tail and I can have a shimmery blue tail to match!”

“ What are you even talking about right now?”

“Don’t you have any imagination?”

“Well, I can imagine that I have two legs and can breathe air.”

“Well, my best friends back at Tokyo played mermaids with me.” It is a childishly low blow, but it is a joke all the same.

He does not seem to think so, as he gives a harsh splash to your face, harder than before.

“Hey, I’m kidding! Honest, we don’t have to—” you nearly drank in the pool water again as another splash came your way. “Promise we don’t have to play!”

You swim over to him as he pushes himself up to sit at the ledge close to the pool ladder. You cross your arms on top of the ledge, beside his legs as you look up at him.

“Kenji, promise. It’s not a big deal.”

He shakes his head over yours so that the droplets in his hair rain down on you. “I don’t know. Maybe you should get on the next plane to play mermaids with your much better friends,” he sneers at you childishly.

Unrelenting, you push yourself to float up between his legs, hands on his knees as you coax him back into the water. “I didn’t mean it, bro. Please come back in?”

“...You won’t even let my mermaid have the ability to talk to all the fishes.” He leans back on his arms as he looks down at you.

“Because that’s my mermaid’s special power.” You swim closer, your ears nearly grazing his skin as your hands slide down to loosely hold his shins.

You nearly miss the hitch of his breath. “Why can’t both of our mermaids talk to fish? It makes more sense that way.”

“Ugh, if you keep insisting then let’s play something else,” you complain.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t expect mermaids to get so political,” he lazily keeps his eyes on you as your head bobs around while you float in the water. “It’s getting pretty late. Let’s call it a night.” 

“Ugh, please… don’t wanna sleep just yet.” You rest your cheek against his inner thigh, pleading with your eyes as you stuck out your bottom lip. You are met with the heel of his hand striking your forehead. “ Ow !”

“What are you doing ?” He hisses, and you wonder if you are mishearing the flustered tone that makes his voice go higher.

“I’m still not tired yet!” Your head is still pushed back.

He presses the heel of his hand firmer against your forehead. “Well I am.”

“I thought you were an athlete.” You grab his wrist to mitigate the pressure. “Your mom told me you spend hours in the batting cage before going home.”

“Yeah, well I haven’t done that in a while.” He gives one last small push on your forehead before leaning back again.

Pouting, you swam to the pool ladder to climb out, before plopping down beside him at the ledge. Your feet absentmindedly kick as it submerges once again into the water, and he follows suit.

“...I heard what you and mom talked about by the way,” he nonchalantly reveals.

“...Does it bother you?” You cautiously ask.

He shrugs, and gives a rough kick out with his feet. “Nah, you’re right. I don’t like talking about feelings and stuff. Maybe that’s why I didn’t really feel bad when she didn’t want to see me anymore.”

“I get why you wanted to prioritize baseball. It’s all you have,” you try to empathize. “Still, maybe you should’ve set aside time for her. It’s important to give space for other people in your life.”

He snorts. “She didn’t want to do anything important, believe me.”

“I’m sure any time spent with loved ones is priceless,” you argue.

“Oh yeah? So should I just risk my dream of being the best living baseball player of all time to makeout in my bed?”

You clam up really fast, and look away. “Don’t you have any tact?”

“You asked.” He reaches forward to scoop some water in his palm to throw at you.

“...Was it something that you did…often?” You do not know why you ask.

“Didn’t I just tell you the reason why we broke up?”

“Well I don’t know!” You throw your hands up in defense. “I just think making out with someone sounds…nice.”

He tilts his head at your tone. “Don’t tell me you’ve never.”

“I’ve…” you think very carefully about your next words. “...tried to, but it just didn’t like. Push beyond a little kiss.”

“Define little.” He angles his torso to face you, even if you could barely look him in the eyes.

“Maybe a peck?”

He whistles. “Damn, dude, way to hit all the bases.”

You try to shove him back into the water but he grabs your wrists and wrestles your arms down, pulling you close.

“Don’t be shy!” He laughs at you. “It’s kind of overrated.”

“It is?” You can’t help your natural curiosity. You put your hands down but he maintains a friendly grip on you.

“Yeah. Maybe the girls I kissed weren’t that good at it but it’s pretty…damp. And messy.”

You ignore the way your heart stings at his use of plural. “But doesn’t it feel nice? Like, it looks nice on TV.”

“Don’t get me wrong it feels…good. Really good,” he hesitates. “It just does not really compare to the batting cage.”

You bite your lip. His eyes unconsciously follow. “I… I really wanted to try doing it with that guy.”

“...The one with the nice skin?”

“And bad breath,” you grumble. “I couldn’t get over it. I tried to be subtle by sliding him some gum but he never took the hint.”

He lets go of your wrists in order to stop himself from laughing.

“It’s not funny.”

“It kind of is given how long you stuck by him,” he snickers. “Why were you even into him in the first place?”

Your mind briefly flashes back to the first time you met that boy, when your friend first introduced you to him. You remember your first thought was that he looks similar to someone you dearly missed.

You shrug, noncommittal. “Haven’t got a clue.”

“Well don’t go running off to find the next boy to get in on with,” he warns.

“I’m not!”

“Keep it that way, guys are pretty gross.”

You suck in air through your teeth. “It’s not really about that…I’m just worried that I won’t be good at it.”

“Yeah, but there’s nothing to be good at,” he gives it to you straight. “If you like a guy enough it will always be good. You’re not getting graded.”

“Well since when were you the makeout master ?”

“Since I had a girlfriend whose breath smelled fine.”

“You said you didn’t even like her that much!”

“I also said she wanted to eat my face everyday.”

Damn, he has a point. 

You give a strong kick to the water, the wave smoothly gliding to the other side of the pool.

Ken sighs, sensing the drop in your mood. “...Does it really matter so much for you to try it out?”

“Try what out?” You play dumb, too embarrassed to say that yes, it did .

He knows what game you’re trying to pull on him, but he lets you. “Eat faces.”

“I haven’t even had a proper kiss yet,” you say, mock-scandalized.

“So I’ll give you a proper kiss first then.”

You blink.

He brings his hands down to splash you with more water. “Don’t look at me stupid like that.”

“I didn’t think you meant eat faces with you !” You splash him back.

“What’s wrong with me? I thought you wanted to get good at it before kissing some guy.”

You pause. You did want to be good… Still, the conversation is starting to spiral out of control. You hesitate to reply.

He clicks his tongue as he pats the tile at his side. “Come closer.”

You sit closer to his side, thighs touching. “God this is kind of weird.”

“It’s just a kiss,” he rolls his eyes. “You wanna learn or not?”

“What if your mom sees?” You look back to the house. It seems relatively quiet, with the lights of Auntie Emiko’s room turn off and the curtains spread out.

“She’s fast asleep.”

“What if my breath smells bad?”

“I’ll let you know.”

“What if—”

“If you don’t want to, I’m not forcing you,” he cuts you off, annoyed. He makes a move to stand but you press your palm against his knee to keep him still.

“What if this fucks up our friendship?”

Ken will have given you another half-assed response if not for the sincere fear reflecting from our eyes.

You continue, “I was really, really scared before coming here. I thought that, once we met up you’ll realize how boring I am and– and think that me coming was a waste of time. And I promise I don’t think that anymore. It’s been a fun few days and it feels like I got my best friend back, you know? It was shitty of me not to come see you, I know that now, because I can’t believe I would ever reach the point where I doubted us.”

He reaches upward to cup your face, and you nuzzle into his palm.

You let out a shaky sigh. “I want to kiss you. I do. I want to know what it feels like and figure out how it goes because I trust you more than anyone else. But I really don’t want to fuck this up more than I have.”

“You haven’t fucked anything up,” he mumbles. “I wouldn’t have offered if I thought you would fuck this up…I was scared too. That you didn’t come back because you grew bored of me.”

“That’s not why—”

He presses his thumb against your cheekbone. “I know. I…I struggled with it but I know now. I feel like I haven’t really come to terms with how…my dad never picked me first. I’ve never forgiven him for how much he neglected me and my mom that I…I think some anger I had with my dad transferred onto my resentment for you when you did not visit. I’m sorry, for being immature about it. I don’t know how to talk about things like this.”

The tightening in your chest unfurls. He moves his head closer.

Your breaths intermingle as you stay by the pool.

“It means a lot…” As you speak, your lips nearly brush against his. You bring your hand up over his heart to steady yourself and maintain a distance. “...How…how do we do this?”

“Let me guide you,” he says, a little breathless. “Anything I can do to keep boundaries? I mean, since this is just a friend doing a favor for a friend.”

Nervous, you blab the first thing that comes to mind. “Maybe…we can just say ‘bro’ after every kiss?”

“...Are you shitting me right now?” He gasps, resting his forehead against yours.

“I-I don’t know…” You giggle. “It won’t count if we do. Won’t mean anything.”

“We can do that.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah, bro .”

“Sure, bro. ”

“Anything you say, bro .”

“Kenji—Bro, I’m… I’m still a little scared.”

“Then let me take care of you…”

You hold your breath.

His breath is hot.

And he tastes like chlorine.

Like petals sliding against each other, his lips smoothly glide against your own. Your hand against his chest creeps up to leverage itself on his neck. His fingertips slip into your hair and you clench your legs as it brought tingles from your scalp all the way down your spine.

He pulls away, eyed unfocused when he opens them. “ More .”

You open and close your mouth. “Are…Are you asking?”

“ Please…” He kisses your nose. You life your head higher to kiss him back.

You are sure he feels the goosebumps on your skin as his other hand brushes against your leg. He lets his fingers climbs up your inner thigh as the hand in your hair pushes you firmer against him. You massage the nape of his neck in return, urging him on. You move against him on instinct, panting before sucking on his bottom lip. The groan he lets out sets you on fire. You feel a heat, a hunger, which can only be satiated by his skin against yours.

Lightheaded, you pull away for air but he chases after you, his nose bumping into yours as he searches for your lips once more. “Wait,” he grunts. “Not done.” His palm slides higher up your thigh, knuckles brushing against your polyester swimwear.

You swallow back a gasp as you lean back, too prideful to seem needy for his touch. “G-Give me a min—”

You lean back too far, he leans too far forward.

You fall into the pool.

The heated water is freezing against your scalding skin. You feel him wrap his arms around your waist to hoist up above water. You are greeted with a boyish laugh as you emerge for air. You instinctively wrap your legs around his hips as he stands on the pool floor, anchoring yourself on his stability.

“My height comes in handy, huh?” He teases as he walks through the water to get to the ladder. He guides your bottom to rest on one of the steps.

You grasp the metal railings as he steps closer between your legs. Swallowing your pride, you mutter “I’m…I need more…”

“What was that?” He grins. His hands loftily roam from your thighs up to your sides back down again.

You push yourself forward to shut him up.

He dives deeper into your kiss as he runs his fingers again through your hair while his other hand grips your waist underwater. You buck into his touch, bumping against the front of his shorts, and he hisses before nipping at your lip to make you behave. Your knuckles turn white from how tightly you grip the railing. The water sloshes around you two as he presses his hips against yours. The heels of your feet dig against his lower back as you sloppily kiss him through the haze of euphoria he shoots through your nervous system.

From your hair, his hand slides down to grab your chin. He tilts your head up. “You got something…” He brings you closer, and licks at the drool leaking out of your mouth. You grip his nape tighter as he begins to peck there, then to the corner of your jaw, following its line until his butterfly kisses reach your earlobe.

Ken feels your legs clench together. His hand on your waist dips into the water to soothingly knead them back apart.

As you ease open again, he gives a sly peck on your lobe before whispering “Can I suck on your tongue?”

Your mouth goes dry.

“Nod or shake your head.”

You nod.

“Good girl. Now open your mouth and stick your tongue out.”

And shit. Did he make you feel really, really good.

Haa….

Ha…Haah…

A…A-Ah…

He lets out soft moans with each gentle suck of your tongue. They mix with your pants for air.

Reluctantly, he pulls away this time. His touch on your chin skims down to play with the strap of your bathing suit. He swallows heavily before he takes a shaky breath in.

You purse your lips, feeling the numbness. “...Well.”

He slowly nods. “Mhm.”

Your hands loosely slide down the railing. “I…I’m sorry I didn’t know what to do with my hands.”

He chuckles as he leans forward to kiss your shoulder, before slowly rubbing his face against your arm, all the way up to your wrist. He gives it a gentle peck as you still held on the railing, before falling into a pattern of rubbing up and down your arm’s length. He buries his nose at the crook of your arm, groaning.

If you do not know any better, he seems drunk.

“I-It’s getting late…”

“Yeah…” He plants open mouth kisses on your arm. Your hand nearly slips and falls into the water.

“We might prune up here.”

“Mmhmm…” He reaches your collarbone.

You tilt your head back instinctively. He smiles against your skin before his tongue swipes at your pulse. Your hands lift off the railing to grasp his back as jolt upwards.

He laughs again before pulling back. “That good, bro ?”

You instantly scowl. “You’re ruining the mood.”

“You told me to say it after,” he reminds you. Ah. It completely slips your mind that you did.

Ken helps you out of the pool, ever the gentleman. You do not realize just how cold it was until the late night wind blows against you. He hands you your towel, and you stammer out that you have to go shower. You hurry inside without waiting for his response, opting to head to the common bathroom to rinse yourself off.

By the time you enter his bedroom, he is still in the middle of his own shower. You find it odd that he is taking this long. He left the door open, and the light leaks out into the pitch-dark room. You crawl underneath his covers, dry and clean— no longer hot and sticky. Yet, you feel the familiar hunger as his scent crowds around you. You never noticed it before but his bed smells just like his everyday cologne. Burrowing your face into the pillow, you take a deep inhale to calm yourself.

You then remember the pressure of his palm against the back of your head, and wonder what it may feel like if he has your face shoved against the mattress.

“ F-fuck… ”

Your eyes shoot open as you lift your head out of the pillow. Did that slip out of you?

No, that did not come from you.

You look back at the open bathroom door, and just as quickly, you look away. You try to go sleep as you block your ears from hearing anything more. That did not do much.

You bite the inside of your cheek. Are you a fucking pervert?

Ken probably does not know you’re back in the room.

You touch your lips. They still feel warm.

It was just a friendly favor. Don’t make it weird.

Your legs shakily widen.

This is so so wrong.

You slip an extra pillow between them.

The shower stops and the door is pushed open a bit wider. You tense up before you play dead, acting as if you innocuously needed to cuddle up against something soft. His feet pad into the room before coming to a dead halt. He seems to be facing the bed. There is a crackle of hesitation in the air, before Ken heads towards his sofa and pulls it out for the mattress.

He settles himself into his makeshift bed, and you nearly sigh in disappointment when you realize you will be alone for the night, his side of your bed feeling emptier by the moment.

You still struggle to sleep long after you could hear his soft snores.

Did you fuck it up? You cannot help but chide yourself. If it is not weird, then why is he sleeping on the pullout? If it is not weird, then why did you leave him standing by the pool earlier after you finished…whatever it was you both were doing?

You slowly rock into the pillow with no particular rhythm as you thought about it. His hand touching your thigh, his knuckles grazing against…

“ A-Ah…” Your hips stutter. You clam up immediately. Shit, are you too loud?

You crane your head up to look down at the sofabed.

You don’t hear his snoring.

“...Kenji? You awake?” You call out into the dark.

A rustle of blankets. “...Yeah.”

“...you heard that?”

“.....yes….”

“.....”

“Did you…hear me…earlier?”

“...Yeah….”

He does not answer this time.

“...Did we fuck this up?” You cannot stop yourself from asking.

He breathily laughs, and it warms you right back up. “Of course not.”

The next day you sit in the breakfast nook with your Auntie Emiko as you both enjoy a simple breakfast of rice and dried fish. Kenji busies himself with getting ready for his baseball training.

Auntie Emiko chats with you about her plans for the day. “I have to go and meet up with the others moms at the PTA. What are you kids planning on doing later?”

You look at Ken as he packs up his bat, his back turned at you.

“Maybe mess around."

He evidently stills. Shit, are you bold .

But his mom just laughs it off, not really reading into what she said. “Just don’t set the house on fire and you’ll be good. It’s nice that you two are going to take the afternoon in. You had a busy day yesterday.”

You agree wholeheartedly.

“I gotta go,” Ken announces as he pulls up his bag up to his shoulder. He heads towards the table to give his mom a peck on the cheek and you a light side hug. “Bye.”

While Auntie Emiko continues on your little chat, you begin to panic. You worry that you read him wrong. You are sure you did not misunderstand where he stands. Where you stand.

You do not have to worry too long again. He always comes to melt your troubles away.

Specifically, he enters his room at 3:30PM still in his baseball uniform.

And to his credit, he at least showers and pretends you both are not thinking the same thing as he slides into bed beside you. He begins to play a random low-budget action film on his TV, and as soon as it was made clear that neither of you really gave a shit about the exploding cars and machine guns, he turns to you and asks

“Wanna makeout?”

Present day.

Ken wakes up in the shittiest mood he has been in for a while, and that is saying a lot. Not only did he have to turn down your bootycall last night, but he dreamt of your first makeout in his room.

He remembers having you on his lap and pushing your hips down as he came into his pants like the pathetic, horny teenager he was. He remembers you whining for him to teach you how to do your first french kiss like the pathetic, horny teenager you were.

Okay, maybe his thing was a lot more embarrassing. But in fairness, you left a permanent stain on the front of those boxers by the time you were finished.

He gets up from bed and takes a longest shower he has had since arriving back in Tokyo.

Just friends. Just friends. Just friends.

Ken chants in his head. It is the same ten years ago, it is the same now. Even if it feels like everything, it means nothing. Of course, it is not the same now because you ended the arrangement three years ago .

He convinces himself that you were just tired last night, and he was too. Even if the old routine is familiar, and comfortable , it does not mean it is right.

He heads down to his basement, mug of coffee in one hand, and almost immediately he is greeted by the sight of a hyperactive Emi in her cylinder and his dad muttering over some charts.

“Hey girl, morning.” His heart swells with pride as his baby Emi chirps with excitement at the sight of him. Even if last night did not go the way he wanted it to, being able to give her a name feels good. 

“Morning dad,” he walks over to Professor Sato. The old man finally looks up with a start, before his eyes focus on his son with glee.

“Good morning, Kenji! Let’s start bright and early.”

Ken rolls his neck as he begins to warm up. “What’s first on the new sched? Feeding time?”

“Ah, before that…” His dad gestures to the chair beside him, and Ken takes the seat. “There’s something we need to discuss.”

“Is it Emi’s poopies? I never got around to figuring out the schedule in which she does it.”

“No no,” the professor pauses. He wipes his palms down his pants with the nervousness of a father who never really learned how to parent.

Oh wait , Ken thinks wryly, but still tries to stifle the thought.

“Mina…informed me you were headed somewhere last night.” His tone shows he knew more than what he is saying.

Ken stands back up. “No. You cannot leave me alone for twenty years then expect me to be all fine with it when you suddenly feel the need to give me the dad talk.”

“I-I’m not trying…look, son,” his dad tries to soften his temper. “You know how much I like her. You also know how she visited me every other month to check up on me while you were away, and that she has not stopped since you have arrived back home.”

“I know that,” he cannot help but bark out.

“And you know I’ve always appreciated her family’s help with funding the KDF back when its initial mission was more humane, and I don’t hold it against them that they continue to support it until now.”

“What are you saying?” He crosses his arms tightly.

“...I’m saying that I am proud of you for staying behind last night.”

He…He is not expecting this sort of praise. “I’m sorry?”

“W-well– uh– Mina, show him the chart?” Professor Sato calls for the robot assistant.

She hovers into view, and projects to Kenji a chart of…all the times he ditched Ultraman duty the past several months to do something else, categorized by reason.

The third is sleep.

The second is baseball.

The first is you.

He winces at the statistic, because even if he did neglect his duties often to see you, it was not enough to stop you from feeling like he did not care about you.

“...point being?” He pretends not to see what is wrong.

Professor Sato lets out a deep sigh. “I am…proud. That you chose to be here this time.”

“Okay.”

“And that I think you have a shot against that Yamazaki Kento guy.”

A vein nearly pops at the side of his temple. He sets down his coffee mug on a nearby surface as he rubs his head. “Yeah, no. They aren’t together.”

“Oh!” God dad, shut up. “That’s even better news. Since when?”

“It was just a few dates,” he snaps. “They didn’t work out.”

“I see… and this was…Before or after Yuzu?”

“After Mr. Hanyu ,” Ken corrects him immediately.

His dad laughs good-naturedly. “I can’t really follow her when she tells me all about it…At least she prefers athletes over actors, eh?”

“...Thanks. Anything else before I take Emi out for her bath?”

“Uh— Well… Kenji…” Here they go again. “Last night, when you played your…sleeping aids for Emi—”

“Those are the only things that knock her out,” he hurriedly explains. The temperature of the room beginning to rise.

“...R-Right…”

“Dad, don’t worry. I know it’s a bit…weird.”

“I didn’t say that, and I didn’t think that,” Professor Sato tries to assure him. “I…I do the same for your—”

Ken transforms into Ultraman before he could hear another word. Emi’s garbled chirps got louder in glee, and he swoops her into his arms.

He shouts behind him “Whoops, gotta go! She’s getting the hungies.”

Great. Good talk. The father-son bonding is sooo back.

A/N: Dear god was this horny. I miss the club.

I kind of got really shy about writing stuff like this? This is my first time publishing anything like that. i was actually supposed to fully write out the makeout scene in the bedroom but this chapter was getting too long. I really wanted all the things they did at sixteen to happen all in one chapter so I don't have to split it. Things to note

1) the Satos are definitely upperclass lmao. "But writer why is the reader still sponsoring Kenji if he's rich—" that's just how athlete sponsorships work rich ppl give money to other rich ppl all the time. 2) I didn't really like writing Auntie HAHA. I really wanted to call her "Tita Miko" or something but I figure most of you aren't Filipino. 3) To avoid alienating anyone I tried to figure out a name for Kenji's ex gf that i doubt any person is actually named. if your name is Navy then idk... 4) I will be giving you the craziest dating history to compensate for me making Kenji date other girls YIPEE. Except for the ex, I namedrop very real life personalities in each chapter.

[jackfrombaskinrobbins]

road trip as a teenage avenger headcanons!

type of writing: headcanons / scenario

word count: 1k

request: yes / no

dynamic: avengers x teen!reader (teenage avenger series)

characters: lots ofc but i'd say big emphasis on reader (duh), harley keener, peter parker, miles morales, scott lang, clint barton, bucky barnes, sam wilson, tony stark, happy hogan, natasha romanoff, and bruce banner. more are prob in it but i don't wanna type it all out lol

a/n: y'all i think my pictures are getting more chaotic & tbh i think it's a good thing anyways requests are still open, send in an ask whenever :)

taglist: @nutellani @thecloudedmind

(fill out this form to be on my taglist!)

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it was an annual tradition for the avengers to go on a road trip.

steve always said it was "team bonding". it was honestly kind of fun.

better than the other "team bonding" you did, which mainly consisted of running long distances!!

anyways, they usually would do it soon after you, harley, peter, and miles finished school (also yes im including miles now bc i love him)

tony would come over the intercom while you all were lounging around and tell you to pack your bags.

packing is always a big issue.

let's just say that SOME people are big overpackers...

COUGH scott COUGH

no offense to him but like ppl have had to sit in the trunk before because of him

and he overpacks with stuff that rly doesn’t make sense

like once y’all went to colorado

and he packed snorkeling equipment

and so you were like “scott. seriously?”

and he looked at you with such a serious face

“y/n. what if all the snow melts? then we would be underwater!! i have an extra snorkeling mask too. i was gonna give it to you, but now idk….”

HAHA

bruce overpacks too

but he overpacks in a good way

guys bruce is like the mom on vacation

well him and tony both

you’d think steve would be but he is NOT

like the man doesn’t even wear sunscreen

and then here comes bruce with a tote bag full of snacks

which tony eats half of by the way

smh

the best part of having thor on a trip is that he will ALWAYS pick you up if you’re too tired

like once he had you and peter under both his arms like footballs bc u got tired

and clint was sad bc he was tired too

he tried to get scott to pick him up but scott wasn’t ready and they both fell and they like hit their heads

that was an interesting day

ok so setting the scene again

you, peter, harley, miles, natasha and bruce were in the middle of a very competitive round of uno

like y’all

competitive doesn’t even begin to cover it

anyways you were about to get uno

FR

you put down your card and suddenly 

“HEY EVERYBODY” “SHHH you’re being too loud” “ohh sorry HEY EVERYBODY”

you started laughing at the quite obvious blunders of thor and clint in the intercom room

“thor, buddy? you don’t need to be kissing the mic when you speak, alright?”

tony, from another room, always quick with the jabs.

“AH! MY BAD STARK. HAHA! THIS MUST BE BETTER”

natasha just shook her head but you and peter, harley and miles were DYING

“ANYWAYS IT IS ROAD TRIP TIME. EVERYONE PACK UP AND BE IN THE FAMILY ROOM IN TEN MINUTES… what? MY MISTAKE. ONE HOUR. THAT’S RIGHT ONE HOUR.”

with that done, you all got up, groaning.

“uno.” natasha smirked at you, noticing that you only had one card.

“darn it!!!” you said. “well, doesn’t matter now. we have to go anyways.”

“we can always resume it later, y/n :) “ 

“fine, nat. but i’m going to win this time!! right bruce??”

“well, kid, you know i’m usually on your side, but…”

“aw, come on!!”

ok fast forward. 

you were in the family room

aw guys isn’t that cute that they call it a family room

bc ur a family

awwwwww

ok anyway

and here comes scott with his fifty bags

“relax sharpay, we’re not gonna be gone for THAT long”

guys i wanted a cool tony nickname and tbh i just remember vaguely that sharpay had like suitcases on the cover of her movie i never even watched it so i could be wrong but that was my intention

“tony, these are my essentials.”

“scott, why don’t you just shrink that down? like seriously, man.” miles remarked, and you couldn’t help but agree.

“hey, y’know what? that’s a great idea miles!!”

and so he ended up shrinking his luggage

but then he couldn’t find it

oh scott

sigh

anyways tony and happy did a lot of car assignment work

to make sure everyone would get there safely

and your car

was

drum roll please

ok also this was only for the trip there

the trip back would be different

ok the car was

tony, happy, clint and peter

tbh this was not a bad car at all

poor miles and harley were stuck with scott, bucky, sam and steve

natasha and wanda and pietro and thor were the other one

although here’s the issue

guys

fr

tony is a bad driver

but happy didn’t feel like driving

and u were just starting to drive so clint was like “NO WAY do i trust y/n in a car!!!”

that goofy clown fr

so tony was driving

oh and btw y’all were going to the compound

tony told you and you were like 

“dude, that’s not a road trip”

and he was like “we’re in the car for more than an hour. it’s a road trip, kid.”

and miles and harley kept texting like theorizing about where u were going

harley said europe

and you were like

harley

anyways ya 

so tony is like swerving and speeding everywhere 

ok maybe thats dramatic

but happy was holding the little bar

and he was like yelling at tony to slow down

meanwhile clint is just singing along to the music thats BLASTING

and u and peter are ready to accept ur deaths

like u literally texted sam a video of what was happening and he almost called happy to tell him to pull over 😭 

sam’s got ur back thats for sure!!

anyways tony pulled into a drive thru

bc he needed coffee

guys hes tony stark he needs stuff like that

and he got u and peter and clint happy meals :D

and clint was so excited like 💀 

love him

happy made sure u and peter had ur seatbelts on 

he said it was bc he didn’t want to have to explain to midtown why yall didnt come back for the next year 😭 

that and “too much paperwork”

smh

anyways tony finally got it together

u and peter decided that he just needed an acoustic song on the radio bc as soon as something more relaxing came on he was a lot better lol

the rest of the drive was pretty alright

i'm gonna do another headcanon set about the avengers actually on vacation but yeah there ya go :)

thats how the road trips work yahoo

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[bbybearcubbs]

Thinking about.....

Babysitting your newly moved in neighbors son, Woonhak. The neighbors had moved in while you and your family were on vacation and once you were back the mother came to introduce herself, only to realize that your parents were her friends from high school. They chatted, introduced you and she told you about her son that would need a babysitter while she was gone for an up coming case she had (she was lawyer)

Since she was a friend of your parents and was adamant on paying you for the service, you agreed. You expected to go over to her house the next day and meet her toddler or a kid under 10 at least, one that needed a babysitter but, instead of that, you were met with a boy your age and he was kind of a jerk

He quite strongly expressed how much he didn't need a babysitter but his mother listing his recent track record of misbehavior quickly shut him up. Having a mother that was a lawyer when you were a teen boy clearly mixed in with the wrong crowds proved to be very good thing, you thought. You gave up on trying to befriend him quite quickly, rather focusing on making sure he doesn't get into trouble & helping him with his studies, to his discontent

A dead dad resulting in a mentally & emotionally struggling teen boy that hardly has his mom around cause of work, him slowly warming up to you but struggling to open up because of reasons mentioned prior, you getting hurt on his behalf after he tried to run back to his "friends" that aren't at all good for him after you both had a falling out then coming to realize what you mean to him later and-

Now you're both dating and in love with a group of good friends and healthier minds

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мαѕтєяℓιѕт

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