#thanks for asking !! i'm gonna ask you some too

[bitterkarella]

Midnight Pals: Dark Days Coming

King: hey guys sorry i'm late King: i just could not get up this morning King: feels like I've been sleeping for days King: what did i miss? King: how did the election go? Lovecraft: not too bad King: King: oh no King: oh no oh no oh no

Lovecraft: don't worry steve it won't be so bad Lovecraft: I've heard assurances from the new regime that they only want the trade unionists King: King: King:

Lovecraft: i mean really steve Lovecraft: how bad could it be? [meanwhile] Donald Trump: we're gonna have the biggliest boot stamping on a human face forever Trump: we love the boot stamping on the human face forever, don't we folks? Trump: more and more people are saying they love the boot

Lovecraft: you're overreacting steve Lovecraft: what's trump even going to do? King: well i'm glad you asked King: [unrolls comically long scroll] Lovecraft: oh is this going to be a song

King: well for starters King: decimate reproductive rights King: LGBTQ rights King: labor rights King: civil rights King: accelerate climate change Lovecraft: [sweats] this is making me feel bad steve Lovecraft: i can't wait for trump to outlaw you telling me this stuff!

King: use the military to brutalize americans King: abandon Ukraine King: and as for gaza George Romero: in all honesty steve Romero: that probably won't change much King: oh look! an optimist!

Lovecraft: ok but Lovecraft: has he actually SAID he's going to do any of that? King: yes Lovecraft: oh he was probably just lying Lovecraft: he lies a lot Poe: he does lie a lot

Lovecraft: i think you're overreacting, he's probably not gonna do all the stuff he says he's gonna do King: so you don't believe him? Lovecraft: nope! King: king: then what's his appeal? Lovecraft: well he's just so honest

Lovecraft: a real straight shooter Lovecraft: tells it like it is Lovecraft: says what he means King: King:

King: howard please tell me you didn't vote for trump did you? Lovecraft: [sweats] steve! please! Lovecraft: i'm only a loveable archie bunker style racist Lovecraft: i'm still 100% yang gang King: King: King: i picked a bad day to quit cocaine

King: i really need some cocaine King: edgar you know where i can get some cocaine don't you Poe: steve stay strong Poe: you don't need cocaine King: just one bump King: to get me through the next four years King: i mean few days King: no i mean four years

King: how about a beer? i was an alcoholic too you know King: maybe i'll take that up again King: this is good drinking weather Poe: steve no Poe: dean help me hold him back King: don't try to stop me! Poe: no steve! you've got so much to live for! King: yeah? like what? Poe: well Poe: you've got a loving family King: Joe is pretty great Koontz: and owen! King: King: yeah and owen is alright too i guess

King: yeah he's pretty good King: what the heck, i can say it King: i love owen too! Koontz: and there's naomi too King: whoa wait a second, i have THREE kids?? King: this just keeps getting better!

King: thanks guys i do feel a little better Poe: good, hold onto that Poe: cuz it's going to be a long four years Lovecraft: only four years? i thought we weren't gonna have to vote anymore! Poe: Poe: good drinking weather, huh?

Joyce Carol Oates: huh, i really don't see why the electorate would hate trans people unless they were persuaded by hate speech and fearmongering JK Rowling: well well well look at the fancccy pantsss rich author Rowling: with her out of touch fancccy ideasss about a pluralissstic sssociety! Rowling: with her fancccy german automobile! Oates: this car was made in Guatemala

Rowling: you're clearly too rich to underssstand the feelingsss of the common man Rowling: unlike me, a true daughter of the proletariat Rowling: i know all about the material needsss of the underclassss Rowling: anyway i'm going to insulate my Scottish castle with big bags of money

[karikitdemonrp]

Kari put the bracelet on and gave a tiny gasp when she listened to Hawks speak, hoping one day her future hero agency could be something like this. Maybe better. "Wait, what am I here for?" She asked and stayed close to Hawks, eventually moving to hold the hero's hand.

It didn't take long, though it did take a bit longer than expected since every so often Kari would wonder off to see something that caught her eye but she always rushed back to Hawks. Eventually Kari saw it. A door with "meeting room" on it. She was a bit confused but slowly put the pieces together then moved to open the door. There she saw him, her cousin Core. Sitting on a couch with a clearly nervous expression. The two locked eyes and Core stood, conflicted at seeing her.

"Kari!" He called, a nervous smile tugging at his lips as he nearly took a step forward but stopped himself.

Kari stayed still for a moment, a wave of conflicting emotions washing over her as she stared at Core. The boy who killed her family, albeit unwillingly. She remembered what it was like being controlled by Maica and swallowed hard.

"Kari, I... I never... I know..." Core fumbled over his words but couldn't fully articulate what he wanted to tell her.

Kari took a step towards Core, only to immediately tackle him in a hug. "I know... I know." She tightened her grip on Core. "I can't fully forgive what you did... It still hurts a lot. But I know what happened. Maica controlled you, she did the same to me too recently." Core's eyes widened at that information and moved to gently hug Kari back.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..." He whispered, tears staring to form as the two just hugged. The two eventually moved to sit on the couch in silence for a bit until Core spoke up. "Ya know... I came to visit when you were still super small." He muttered. "You were barely a month old. Kite was super protective over you too, he wouldn't let anyone hold you except him and Uncle Lynx." He chuckled.

"He never got over that protectiveness I think." Kari listened to Core in slight awe and smiled softly. "And Shade she would try to pick you up only for Kite to run in and snatch you away. Though I did get sometime with you. I'd pick up some of your toys with my quirk and dance them infront of you while you tried to grab at them. You were curious why they were suddenly flying." Core laughed. "I remember the look in your eye, that curios spark. It's still there." He said then moved to ruffle Kari's hair but stopped and put his hand down. There was a lot of ground to cover on these two mending their relationship, but this was definitely a start.

Core then looked at Hawks. "Thank you for not only looking after Kari but also helping me." He said with a grin. "Oh, by the way. I'm being put on some sort of parol thing soon. I'm gonna be helping out kinda like a sidekick. Since my quirk can help get information I'm probably gonna be helping out with that." He informed with a grin. Looks like Core is going to be following a similar path Hawks is taking in becoming a hero.

Hawks grinned as they touched down at a sleek office building near UA with tinted windows and a huge logo at the entrance reading “Hero Operations Support HQ.” He signed them in, glancing back at Kari with a playful glint in his eye. “Almost there, kiddo,” he said, handing her a small ID bracelet to wear. “Wear this—it’ll give you access for today.”

He led her through the entrance, giving a few friendly nods to passing heroes and support staff. “I figured you’d like to see how the behind-the-scenes stuff works for heroes," he said. "They’ve got everything here: training rooms, tech labs, quirk analysis, and even strategy planning for big missions. It’s where a lot of heroes come to sharpen their skills…but you’re here for something else.”

[whatifitookalilnap]

Oh I'm so mad I accidentally deleted the ask and can't even remember who asked for it but it is hilarious so please, have this:

Korra, yawning: I should probably get some sleep, but I just have to finish this stupid-

Yangchen, possessing Korra's body: girl don't even stress, sleep is for the weak I got your back

Korra, now in the Avatar headspace: UHM HOW DID YOU GET IN THERE?????? AND WHY THE HELL AM I OUT HERE?

Yangchen, continuing Korra's work: relax, plenty of the previous Avatar's do a little bit of possession every now again. Or if you're me, it happens all the time

Korra: happens all the- girl what the hell was going on with you when you were alive?

Yangchen: too much, Korra. Way too much

*a few days later*

Korra: *sighs in yearning bisexual as she watches Asami work on her motorcycle*

Kyoshi, possessing Korra's body: seriously, this is getting pathetic

Korra: damn it, not again! And what right do you have to call me pathetic? Didn't you live with your girlfriend for two years straight before finding out she liked you??????

Kyoshi: *uses Korra's body to punch herself in the face*

Korra: OH SO WHEN I AM COMPLETELY CORRECT I GET PUNISHED????

Kyoshi, whisper yelling: shut up short stack, this is about you, not me!

Korra: okay seriously why is everyone dissing me for my height- Kyoshi why are you approaching Asami. Stop it. Stop it right now.

Kyoshi: I am doing you a favor, so I'm gonna need you to keep your opinions to yourself

Korra: I hate my life I hate my life I hate my life I hate my li-

Kyoshi, using Korra's body to lean against the wall: hey Asami, want to go on a date with me?

Asami, blushing brightly: oh- well- I- yeahthatsoundsgreat!

Kyoshi: no need to thank me Korra, I did this more for me than for you. It was getting hard to watch.

[peppermintquartz]

A potentially (even more) angsty prompt:

A couple month after the breakup (and Buck moping around), the 118 is called to a crashed Harbor helicopter.

Or alternatively, Buck is not on shift and Chim calls Buck that Tommy is in the hospital via a helicopter crash (the rest of the 118 rescued him). A la Chim's Henren matchmaking.

Whatever level of injury you wish for either is good!

(for the purposes of this ficlet, their breakup is NOT the 8x06 version, just one where Tommy is like "we're moving too fast, I need some time" and they agree to give it a pause, and it still sucks but they're not exes)

---

"So... Have you two patched up yet?" Eddie broaches the subject cautiously. It's a fifty-fifty chance that Buck will be willing to share or snap his head off.

"I asked him out for a drink," Buck says, eyes on his book (Slow Productivity, which seems kinda strange for a guy working as a firefighter). "He said he'll take a raincheck." He sounds emotionless, which means he's sort of upset but not overly so.

Which makes sense, since Tommy and Buck did have a Not-A-Date brunch to catch up two weeks ago. Eddie was there, too, desperate wishing he had an excuse not to be, so that the two yearning idiots would just get back together.

Eddie's about to say more when the alarm goes and Bobby hustles everyone onto their engines. Curiously, Bobby sits in the back, telling Hen to take his usual seat.

"What do we got, Cap?" Chimney asks, snapping his gum. It's a new habit - the man is stressed about a second child. The sirens scream to life and they're off.

Bobby puts a hand on Buck's shoulder. "Airlift gone wrong. A chopper went down while delivering a heart to First Presbyterian."

Eddie sees the younger man go still. Buck won't ask, so Eddie bites the bullet. "It's Tommy?"

Before he answers, Bobby tightens his grip on Buck. "It's Tommy."

--

The good news is that the chopper hadn't gained much altitude when it crashed. The better news is that its cargo, a heart ready for transplant, is still intact, so it's quickly rushed off to the hospital in an ambulance.

The bad news is, it was Tommy piloting.

The worst news is, he needs blood. A lot of blood. Hen and Chimney are packing the wounds and stabilizing what they can and Bobby is calling Dispatch to relay messages for a transfusion.

"Blood type, B-pos, no known allergies," Buck rattles off to Bobby and Hen, helping to lift Tommy, collared and strapped on a backboard, onto the gurney. His jaw is tight and his hands are steady. "His emergency contact is..."

He falters as Tommy is wheeled into the ambulance.

Eddie shoves him. "Get in there." When Buck turns to look at him, eyes wide, Eddie pushes him again. "Get in there. You're his emergency contact as far as we know, so go. Tommy won't survive your delay."

That spurs Buck into moving with alacrity. The ambulance pulls out, sirens screaming, and Eddie feels his heart pounding in his mouth.

Then he feels Bobby standing beside him. "They haven't patched up?"

"They're idiots," Eddie says with heartfelt vehemence.

Bobby sighs.

--

Eddie goes to the hospital three hours later, after the shift. Buck is still in his uniform, so Eddie passes him his duffel and shoos him off to change.

"What news?" Eddie asks when Buck joins him again.

"They've stopped the bleeding," Buck says, closing his eyes. "Now they need to work on the impalement."

Eddie sits next to his best friend. He doesn't speak.

"I'm done," Buck says suddenly, sounding like he's gargled gravel. "I'm done. When he wakes up, I'm gonna... I don't know what I'm gonna do, but I am not doing this stupid 'pause button' shit any longer."

Oh thank God. Eddie can stop feeling like he's a child caught between divorced parents.

Then, because he is and always has been a realist, he asks, "What if he doesn't wanna press the play button?"

Buck looks a little sick. He clenches his jaw and shakes his head. "Then we want different things out of this. And I'd rather it hurt all at once now than later." His eyes look shockingly blue against the paleness of his face.

Eddie pats his friend's knee, and leans back to grab some shut-eye.

--

Eddie takes on the bulk of Buck-sitting duties for the next four days, spelled by Bobby. (Buck takes time off. No one begrudges it.) Maddie manages to get Buck to go home to shower but she can't make him sleep in his own bed.

Convenient that Tommy crashed just before our off days, Eddie thinks, a little bitchily, the day he comes back after a shift.

Man broke Buck's heart. Eddie figures he's due a little bitchiness.

It takes five false alarms before Tommy is truly awake and alert enough to register Buck and Eddie are there.

The heart rate monitor beeps a little more urgently.

"I'm here, honey," Buck murmurs, taking Tommy's hand immediately and squeezing it. "Relax, okay? Docs and nurses gonna look at you for a bit first."

Tommy blinks, and on his horribly pale and scruffy face is a ghost of a relieved smile. He can't talk, but his mouth forms something that sounds suspiciously like "eh en", or "Evan", and Buck smiles so brightly that he probably powered the machines with its intensity.

Eddie feels the ground under his feet right itself as the doctor and nurses take over. Yeah, that pause button is going away. He sends a message to the group chat.

Hen replies, Bets on when they move in together. $5 min.

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Partners in Crime 6

Warnings: non/dubcon, allusions to abuse including body-shaming, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Characters: Lloyd Hansen, Lee Bodecker

Summary: you’re left reeling after your divorce but the chaos has only begun. (short!reader)

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging.

“Wakey, wakey,” the voice draws you up from the sludge. You pry your eyelids apart and groan. 

You’re still nestled against Lee but you can see something past him, a fleshy blur. The man at your side squeezes you and rolls onto his back. He sighs and rubs his eyes. 

“You gonna sleep all day or we gonna get down to it?” Lloyd asks. 

You squeak as you spy his bare chest and stomach, blocking out the rest as you cover your face with your hand. Lee snarls and untangles from you as he sits up. “Goddamn, Hansen, put some fucking clothes on.” 

“Don’t be jealous,” Lloyd snickers. “You like the way it hangs?” 

“Piss off,” the slap of flesh makes you flinch and Lloyd yelps. 

“Damn it, that was too close,” he exclaims. 

“Next time I won’t miss,” Lee’s weight leaves the bed. “Cover up.” 

A huff and a rustle follow and you dare to peek out between your fingers. Lee comes back to you, in a tank and boxers, holding a fluffy pink robe open. “Come on, darling. We gotta get the day started.” 

Lloyd’s behind him in a black silk robe, smoothing his mustache with his fingers. He looks agitated with the bristly hairs. You sit up, quaking, unsure what else to do but what you’re told. You got too used to waking up alone and peaceful. Yet, you can’t say what’s worse, them or your ex. 

“We’ll get ya washed up and dressed, then we’ll sit down and eat,” Lee slings his arm across your shoulders. He seems even bigger than the day before. They both do. “How’s that sound?” 

“Good,” you eke out. What you know is that obedience is safe. Any sign of resistance only got you worse. 

He keeps you wrapped up and Lloyd grumbles as he leads you past, “we really gonna drag this out?” 

“We have a plan,” Lee insists. “You agreed. We wanna take care of her. Give her what she never had. Stop being a jerk.” 

“I’m not. I'm just saying. Rip the bandaid off,” Lloyd turns and follows. 

You look over your shoulder as he crosses his arms, his blue eyes sharp as he squints back at you. Of the two, he makes you more nervous. You know better than to trust in self-control, but Lee it a bit less scary. 

You turn your head straight and take in the hallway. The house is nice. The walls are half-panel, half floral. An old-fashioned sort of domesticity. The white trim is clean and elegant and the runner rug is delicate patterned in a complementary pattern. 

Lee turns you through a door with a crystal knob. You fold your hands together as he ushers you into the bathroom. The porcelain shine and the counter is the same ivory as the trim in the hallway.

There’s an oval mirror over the sink basin, a shelf of neatly folded towels in various sizes mounted on the wall. The bath mat is a blue rose, the walls a lighter shade of the same, and a clawfoot tub stands near the far wall.  

You take it all in. In any other circumstance, you would be in awe. You can only curl into yourself as you try to disappear. This can’t be real. These men can’t be either. 

“You go on, get yourself in,” Lee detaches and steps forward to twist on the faucet. He bends with a grunt to put the stopper in place. “Got everything you need. Soaps, salts, bombs.” 

Your eyes scan the shelf along the tub and all the colourful bottles, jars, and trays. You slowly come forward and peer down into the lapping water. Lee backs up as you sense Lloyd lingering behind. 

“Want me keep an eye on her?” Lloyd slithers. “Don’t want her to fall in.” 

“Go get her something to wear,” Lee commands. 

“No, you,” the other argues. 

“Don’t be ornery,” Lee rebukes. 

“No. You.” Lloyd repeats more tersely than before. 

There’s a sigh, “we’ll both go.” Lee insists. 

You stay as you are. You wait until the door shuts before you move. You look down at the silk night gown and the cool air sets prickles across your skin. There’s a click behind you. They’ve locked you in. As nice as they are trying to be, they don’t trust. You’re still their prisoner. 

You brace your head as you quiver. How could this happen to you? Why? How did they know who you are? How to find you? You don’t quite believe everything they’ve told you. They seem to know more about you than they should. 

Maybe it’s your ex-husband. He can’t torture you so he sent these two to do so. How cruel can he be? 

When the door opens again, you flinch. You rub your arms and shiver.

“Now, don’t let the thing overflow,” Lee chides. “Get in, honey.” 

Lloyd hums in agreement. You glance back at them. You want them to leave but you don’t think they will. You face the tub again and shudder. 

You close your eyes. You're back in the bedroom you once shared with your husband. Alone. You’re in a towel, sifting through your closet, looking for something to wear to his work thing. You unwrap the cotton from around you and hear a scoff. 

“Sixteen,” your husband’s voice crawls across the room as he appears in the doorway. “Sixteen dimples in your ass. Last time I counted, was only twelve.” 

Your eyes snap open as the balmy air roils over the tub. Your nose tingle hotly. The two strange men are going to see all your dimples and marks and scars. You know they did last night but you were too terrified to think about it. And this is different. It’s so bright in here. 

You scrunch the satin in your fists and lift it slowly. You sniffle as you unveil yourself to the room. To them. You tense and swoop the fabric over your head and drop it. You shake as you step forward and angle your leg over the edge of the tub. 

You try to ignore your audience and the gristly noises wafting from them. Are they disgusted by you? Disappointed? You turn and lower yourself into the hot water. Their silhouettes loom beside you. 

“Ain’t that nice?” Lee asks. “You just relax.” 

“Hard to relax fully-cocked,” Lloyd snickers. 

“Shut up,” Lee snaps and slaps his arm. “Get outta here.” 

“Stop telling me what to do.” 

“We’re both gonna leave her be,” Lee insists. You stare at the tiled wall, humiliated. The way they talk about you like you’re not there, like you’re a thing. “Let her get situated then we can get her settled in.” 

“You’re a fucking softie, Bodecker,” Lloyd sneers. 

“And you’re a pain in my ass,” he shoves the man back, “stop cussin' and come on.” 

[welcometohellfilm]

Congrats to everyone who has been working on W2H2! 🎉 If it's alright, I'd like to ask to ask 2 questions:

Is there by chance an official ref of colors for Debbie, or is it still up to interpretation at the moment?

Would you say that your personal, real life experiences within the 10 years moving from W2H to W2H2 shifted the tone/story of the series in some way? Something that I've always been fascinated with when I started looking more into W2H was the shift in Sock's character from the original comic -> first film -> second film, and Jonathan's character from the first film -> second film.

Thank you! ✨

I actually just made some 'official'-ish colors for Debbie! Her voice actor Kaitlyn wanted something to use on a banner for conventions haha... so here you go!

2. I'm not really sure how to answer this one, haha. I mean I've definitely changed as a person over the course of making each iteration of W2H. I started the comic while I was at community college, before I went to art school. I adapted it into an animation for my graduation project. And I started W2H2 a couple years after I graduated college. So there's a good 2-3 years between each attempt at W2H I've done, haha. I think a lot of my original ideas from the comic had to change because it needed to be condensed into a short film. I didn't even GET to Jonathan yet in the comic! Some things just didn't make sense to me anymore, like the idea of Sock already having a human body count. It'd just be absurd for him to be able to hide it for so long! Plus, if I made it so that Sock has only ever entertained the idea of murder, it makes his new job that much more appealing-- it's a chance for him to really lean in to this thing he's always had to hide. Between the first and second films though, I mean... I think there's been some tonal shift, for sure (I don't know about a character shift? We'll get to that haha) But basically, when I was first thinking about W2H2, my idea was "Sock and Jonathan hang out and attempt to figure out touch physics, also there's some drama about a journal Jonathan keeps." All of the hell stuff is something that came from bouncing ideas around with my friends, Michael and Neil. I was worried that sending Jonathan to hell would be too bonkers for a "2nd episode", but we all kinda agreed that enough time had passed that the fans would probably enjoy something higher stakes, so it would be fine. (I'll give everyone a moment to realize this conversation would've been happening in 2015-16... ha.)

We also kind of thought, y'know... I have no idea how many more of these there's even gonna' be, so why not go a little bigger with this one? W2H2 is a higher stakes story than what I set out to make in the beginning, that's for sure. It is interesting to compare all of them.. the employee handbook was actually from the comic and I cut that because it wasn't helpful for W2H... but then it became helpful for W2H2, so it came back! Haha. I'm curious to know in what ways people think the characters have changed though. (And is that a good thing or a bad thing?) Especially a character like Jonathan, no one's really even seen that much of him yet, I think most of the characterization comes from fandom, or like... art I've drawn, I guess? Haha... I'm not sure! I guess Sock's a little more confident and antagonistic in this one (though he'll have his moments of hesitation... we're only at Part 1 right now!), and Jonathan has had to become a more vocal/active character, just by nature of the kind of story it is, I suppose. But yeah, I'm not sure! Happy to hear your guys' thoughts though!

[reignpage]

ya'll may remember that I revealed I'm British and well I just wanted to say that we're really big on please and thank yous here so I'm more inclined to consider accepting a request if you ask nicely and politely rather than giving me orders. if you want the right to speak to me however you please then you're gonna have to fork out some dough otherwise broke people should never speak in other words, be nice to me and I'll be nice back. I think some people have a tendency to get too comfortable with the anon feature

anyways, lots of love,

Reign

[transformersandturtles]

Couldn't find any of this SO I WROTE MY OWN FOR A ONE SHOT‼️ I will write more but I thought this would be good for now‼️ I'm really sorry if this seems out of character for either of them, I've never written anything for them before. 🥲

-----

CW - Swearing, reference to explicit content, possible spelling errors (non reviewed)

Word Count - 2,017 words (10,995 characters)

𝑳𝒆𝒕'𝒔 𝑮𝒐 𝑺𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈!

"Wade, is there anything you need from the store?" The gruff voice of Logan Howlett grumbled from the kitchen table, reading glasses resting on his nose as he held a small notepad and pen. He'd asked Al earlier if she needed anything, that wasn't illegal substances he had no way of getting his hands on, so now it was just a matter of asking his partner, who had just gotten back from walking Mary Puppins. He tapped the closed pen on the wooden surface, peering over the ridge of the glasses Laura made him wear. Who knew it was easier to read with glasses? He'd have to get something to thank her next time she came by.

"Oh! You're going shopping! Ooh, let's see!" Wade had quite the grin on his expression, taking off the harness and leash from the ever loving Dogpool, who he totally didn't get the owner of murdered so he could take her, and he picked her up, letting her lick his face as she was coddled like a baby in his arms. "We need more dog food," he spoke as he waltzed over to Logan, his hood falling down as he did so, "and more milk. Maybe some more eggs, and a pack of XL-" before he could finish, he felt something sharp poke at his throat.

"All that's on the list, except that last one. YOU can get that on your own time." The old Canadian scoffed a bit, not exactly in the mood to entertain Wade's thoughts. But he couldn't hold back a small grin when the other Canadian whined at the threat.

"Whaaaaaat? But Honey Badger, I can't go alone. They'd look at me weird." He protested, trying to be dramatic all for the sake of being dramatic.

"Uh huh, sure bub. . ." Logan put his claws away, grabbing the napkin off the table by his empty plate to wipe the blood away as the spot between his knuckles healed quickly. "So, there's milk, eggs, toilet paper, new beddings, steak, vegetables, beer. . ." He mumbled, setting the notepad down to write a few more things that came to mind. Wade set down Mary Puppins and he leaned over Logan's shoulder to figure out what other things were added. Toothpaste, mouthwash. . .

"Oh absolutely not." Wade reached for the pen to scratch out the body spray. "No way in HELL are you gonna buy Axe. Are you TRYING to smell like a skunk? Your musk is enough to make a room full of E-Sports players sick!"

". . . The fuck is E-Sports?" Logan wasn't sure if he should be insulted, confused, or both. But he wasn't too happy about the comment either way. "Also what the fuck is wrong with Axe? It's cheap and smells fine." He scoffed a bit. "I'm not trying to spend over $100 to smell good." He took off the metal framed glasses and placed them on the collar of his T-shirt under the teal-blue flannel.

"And I'm not saying you need to spend $100 to smell good, I for one think you smell amazing. Gets the body goin'. . ." Wade gave a cheeky grin with a chuckle, looking Logan up and down for a moment before looking back at the list. "But Axe is the worst one to use. If you want something to smell decent for work, I'd recommend Old Spice at the very least. Sure, the smell names are weird as fuck, but that comes with all male hygiene products. Women get all the sweet and nice sounding scents like peach vanilla or sunset cinnamon. . . Meanwhile we get stuff like Pine Jizz or Whales Fucking or-"

"Shut the fuck up, Wade. . . . Just shut up. . ." Logan let out a groan of annoyance, pinching the bridge of his nose for a moment. Wade had a grin on his face, laughing a little at how Logan told him to stop talking.

"I'm just saying, Peanut, if you get Axe then you're sleeping on the couch or out in the hallway." Wade warned, before leaning in to kiss Logan on the cheek. "I'll go get ready." He hummed, and left to the bedroom to change out of his sweatpants and hoodie.

"Yeah, yeah. . ." Logan mumbled in annoyance, putting his hand to his cheek to hide the light blush across his face. He huffed and stood up, stretching as his joints popped and cracked, from his lower back to his legs and neck. He popped his jaw a bit, before going to the coat rack to grab his brown leather jacket he got for a fairly good price last week. It was nice, not too tight but not too lose, and had some decent pockets. Perfect for carrying booze. . . Or other stuff he didn't want to pay for, maybe. He was THE Wolverine, and taxes were too expensive sometimes. Who was gonna throw him in jail if he shoplifted? No one, that's who. He adjusted the collar of the leather jacket, getting it how he wanted before stopping when he heard the bedroom door open. He looked at Wade, and stared at him almost dumbfounded. "You are NOT going out like that. . ."

"Why not, Peanut? You always like it when I dress this way." Wade teased, he wasn't serious about wearing the outfit in public, but he wanted a good reaction out of Logan. Besides, the outfit was pretty comfortable but no way in hell was he having enough confidence to show off his unicorn crop top and short-shorts. He didn't mind wearing it when he was having his great days; where he was overly confident and eager to show off his body despite the scarring. But today wasn't one of those days, especially since it was getting cooler as Autumn was coming in after what felt like eons of Summer. Wade did notice how Logan's complexion had turned a few shades of a deep red while looking, which also made Wade's cheeks turn a soft pink.

"Alright, alright, hurry up then. . ." Logan sighed softly, not even making a comment or retort to what was said because Wade was right. Logan crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for Wade but was surprised when the bedroom door closed again and he frowned. Did he say the wrong thing? Did he upset Wade? The mutant stood quietly but worriedly, his nose twitching a bit as he sniffed the air, trying to figure out if Wade was upset or not. It was hard to tell, so he stepped closer to the door. There didn't seem to be any low serotonin levels, they seemed about as normal as they could be for Wade. His nose continued twitching as he kept sniffing past the door, still trying to figure out if he upset his boyfriend or not, his ears twitching a little as well as he listened carefully. Before he could figure it out past the smell of everything else on the other side of the door, he was met once again with the face of Wade who seemed surprised at how close Logan was to the door. But that surprise soon turned to playful, mischievous grin.

"Aww, was someone worried about me?" He teased, wrapping an arm around Logan and leaning in to rub his nose against Logan's cheek. The gruff man scoffed with a growl, not out of hostility but annoyance, as he bit Wade's cheek with his big canines.

"Like hell I'd worry about you, dumbass. . ." Logan grumbled, moving away from Wade but didn't move too far so they could at least hold hands. "Let's go. . ." He sighed heavily, taking Wade's hand and going to the door to get their shoes on as Logan grabbed the keys to the apartment and put them in the pocket of his leather jacket with the notepad.

At the store, Logan had to keep holding Wade's hand so the younger wouldn't run off, who knows what that undiagnosed dork would go find and beg to have. Logan had his glasses back on as he looked down at the list in his hand. He had a specific order to get everything in, and if he had to deviate from that plan he might just lose it. Wade was very aware of his boyfriend's thoughts and methods, and honestly he didn't mind holding hands and walking with Logan, though he did stop a few times to look at something that caught his attention.

"We really gotta get you an appointment. . ." Logan mumbled as he gently tugged Wade along so they could keep shopping to get everything on the list. He headed over to the produce section, his hazel eyes gazing over the different fruits and veggies, letting go of Wade's hand for just a moment so he could find the perfect vegetables to cook for dinner. He'd started learning how to cook lately and had a nice dinner planned, so he made sure that the ingredients would be edible and not rotten inside or anything of the sort. He grabbed some potatoes, a few peppers, and for something sweet as a snack for later he grabbed some apples, a grapefruit, and a cantaloupe though it was slowly coming out of season and probably wouldn't taste as good as it does in the summer but he didn't care. He goes to check the ingredients off the list and turns to hold Wade's hand again, only to find the other Canadian had vanished. "Great. . ." Logan pinched the bridge of his nose, taking a deep breath before grabbing the shopping cart and continued with his shopping, knowing he'd find Wade eventually, tracking his scent wasn't that difficult due to the constantly dying and regenerating cells, along with the citrus-pine smell he had. His ears and nose twitched every so often as he leaned his elbows against the cart to push it, walking around and glancing around as he got cheese, milk, eggs, and some other things in the aisle, a gruff and raspy hum vibrating in his chest as he tapped his sharp nails against the metal bar of the cart while listening to the music playing through the store. It was crappy compared to what he liked, some hit pop song the youth enjoyed, but damnit was it catchy in the kind of way that it was really annoying but kinda good. He whistled a little, getting everything on the shopping list and went to the aisle full of booze before an announcement rang over the store's system.

"Logan Howlett, please come to the front. Your child is waiting." A bored teen girl sounded over, the tone of her voice a mix of boredom, with a hint that screamed she did not get paid enough to watch over someone or help. Logan raised a brow at this, confused. Laura wasn't here, was she? But then it clicked, and he groaned slightly with some annoyance. He grabbed two packs of the good beer and headed to the front, finding Wade near a desk who seemed happy and relieved once Logan arrived.

"Honey Badger! I was so worried you left without me!" Wade nearly tackled the older man the moment he could, and Logan grunted, a bit startled.

"You're the one who ran off, idiot. . ." Logan scoffed, glaring at Wade before looking down at the soft thing between them. "Wade. . . What the hell is that?" He frowned. Wade looked down, and a big grin was plastered on his face.

"Pompompurin! He'd be great to sit with Hello Kitty and Cinnamoroll!" He beamed, excited even as he held the large dog plush. Logan wanted to say no, to make him put it back, because who knows how much money that thing cost, but the longer he saw those big eyes, Logan eventually let out a groan of defeat.

"Fine. . . But you're payin' for it, bub. . ." Logan patted Wade on the shoulder, before taking him and the cart to the self checkout aisle so he could scan everything himself. Logan didn't like strangers touching stuff sometimes.

"Fine by me!" Wade grinned, watching Logan scan everything and he snorted a bit, amused by his odd yet loving boyfriend.

[lucimaaie]

dream girl ✧.* spiderwoman au

pairings - ellie williams x fem!reader

summary - the universe is determined to put you and ellie together, nevermind her fear.

warning - i wrote this in sept and was kind of watching good trouble at the time so that's why r has like backstory, random ass side characters, and stuff, I dunno what I was on when I wrote this so just run with it y'all, i made this long for no reason (shh 3k is a lot to me), it also occurred to me that im not good at slow burn so this aint that even if it is an attempt

also credit to @sister-lucifer for the dividers

You'd been missing from class a few times after Ellie saved you. She thought about visiting your house, but that was too creepy. Creepier than drawing you. Checking in with your dad was an option up until she realized they’d only recently formed a truce. Finally, she landed on a coffee.

The plan still had flaws: Ellie hated coffee herself and yet she knew your exact order from overhearing it. It was super-hearing’s fault not hers. She’d do it anyway, and add a cute drawing of you. It was normal, right?

Ellie bounced her knee as she watched you walk into class and slip into the front desk. Jesse sat next to her. Did she forget to erase her initials? She was supposed to do that.

“Talk to dream girl yet?”

“Shut it.” She opened her notebook. “And she’s not my dream girl.” She had dreamed of you once and Jesse wouldn’t let her forget about it.

“You don’t gotta lie to me.”

She didn’t have to look at him to imagine the grin on his face. “One day, when you least expect it. I swear.” She shook her head as she went back to watching you.

Ellie was like a deer in headlights when you looked back at her, holding up the coffee cup with a smile. “Thank you.” You mouthed.

She gave a nod, hoping her smile came off nonchalant. “Fuck.” She mumbled as you looked away. She did not erase her initials.

Ellie felt like a coward for not sticking around after class. Especially when it was in an attempt to avoid you. Dick move, but cut her some slack. She expected anonymity.

All this to say she wasn’t expecting a coffee cup on her desk the next day. Someone was about to be very disappointed, she thought as she sat down. She shrugged off Jesse's remark about her having a secret admirer. “Boo.” She whispered-yelled at him.

She cringed right before the liquid hit her tongue. She hissed at the burning sensation before preparing herself to take a second sip. It wasn’t coffee, it was some kind of tea. Sweet too. She sat back to look at the wrapper around the cup, which she could’ve done first thing and avoid the possibility of being roofied by a serial killer, but least she was now.

‘I didn’t know what you like but I know you never drink coffee. thank you for last week!’ There it was: Message and initials in that pretty handwriting she’d seen when she reluctantly asked to borrow notes. Ellie’s eyes flicked up to you, surprised to see you looking right back. She raised her brows, not knowing what to do as you smiled at her. Maybe smile back you idiot! She let a natural a smile as she could grace her face as she mouthed a thanks.

The absence of your eyes allowed her to revel in what just happened. That was until she could feel Jesse glaring at her. “Don’t even.” She mumbled into her hands. “But you saw that too?”

“It’s almost like I've been telling you she might, probably does, like you back.”

“She doesn’t. She’s just being nice.” Ellie took another sip. Her eyes lingered on the note as she pulled out her notebook. It wasn’t lost on her how obsessed she looked if you were to flip through her notes. Lucky for her, you never asked. “I'm not gonna read into it. At all.” Safer that way.

“Won’t have to if you make something happen for real this time.”

“Let’s talk about your love life for once.”

“Alive and well, thank you very much.”

“What? That’s all I get?” Ellie scoffed. “You stick your nose into mine all the time!”

“We’re not talking about me.” Jesse sat back in his chair with his arms crossed. She huffed, flipping to a new page as her eyes traveled from him to you. You were as oblivious to your effect on her as always.

Ellie had dozed off. She was nudged into consciousness by Jesse. As much as she wanted to grumble and go right back into dreamland, she could see how much she missed just by the sheer number of words on the board. Tiny, tiny words.

The words coming out of the professor's mouth were pure gibberish as her sleepy senses zeroed in on you. "Ow!" Another nudge from Jesse, telling her to pay attention to anything other than you for once.

It took all of three seconds for her to hear the two words she dreaded: Group project. What normal person would be excited to do a presentation over economics? The better question was what normal professor thought she wanted to do that, but she leaned forward as she listened for the pairs.

She froze as she heard her name and yours in the same sentence. As a pair, doing the project together.. Ellie swung her bag over her shoulder as she pretended to search for where you sat. She was careful not to bump into anything as she settled into the newly vacant spot next to you.

"Hi," You said in that kind voice she'd always managed to pick out above all other noise any time she heard it.

"Hey," Ellie dropped her backpack. "Ellie, back row." She inwardly cringed at the words left her mouth. She didn't need to introduce herself; You'd known her enough about her to get her a drink, which made her hope that meant you were looking at her as long as she'd been looking at you. Or not, in the event that she did something humiliating she didn’t remember.

"I know your name." you smiled. "Did you like it?” She glanced down at your hand pointing to the cup in her hand. "I didn't know what you like and not everyone likes coffee so.."

"Oh, yeah. I..don't usually drink tea, but you surprised me." She tapped her fingers against the cup as you rested your head in your hand, eyes attentive though she was saying nothing important. "How are you feeling? After the..thing a few days ago."

"You know about that? I’m okay, it was just a few bruises and soreness."

"Uh, I listen to a podcast. Better than the news, less boring. I'm..I'm glad you're okay." She tucked her hair behind her ear as she glanced at the blank space of the table.

"So, after we pick a topic, I was thinking we could head to the library and keep working after class." Her eyes drifted back to you, taking in the way you shifted into a certain level of focus she lacked at the moment. That was something she always admired about you. "Unless, you have work or something more important."

"Oh, no! I'm free, not busy at all." Stop talking.

"Great!" You said with a friendly smile. "Wanna go?"

"Yeah, we can go."

Once you got to the library it had finally set in to Ellie that she had to behave with some degree of normalcy. It’d be embarrassing if she made it any more obvious how much a crush she had  you. 

“Oh, I forgot to ask you about your number.” You picked up your phone and went to the contacts, pressing new contact. “Just in case you or I can’t make it, stuff like that.” Ellie’s hand was gentle in taking your phone and typing in her number, afraid the sweat on her hands would blur the text on the screen. 

“I should be able to make it.” She said, needing something to do besides nod at your every word like an idiot.  

“Great.” You flashed her another friendly smile. 

Time had gone by relatively slow. Few words were exchanged as you worked on a shared template, putting in information neither of you cared for. Eventually, your computers were pushed aside in boredom.  

“I can’t read any more about supply and demand or my brain’s gonna implode.” Ellie rubbed her eyes. She was starting to wish she enjoyed coffee so she could reap the benefits.  

“Thank god, I’m not the only one.” You shut your computer abruptly with force. Ellie did the same with care not to destroy the thing. “I hate this class and the professor. He doesn’t teach, like, at all and then expects twenty slide presentations.” You rambled, dropping the sweetness she had come to know you for. Ellie couldn’t help but chuckle. “Sorry, it’s..the caffeine or something.” 

“I’ll bet. Your go-to has a million pumps of caramel syrup in it coupled with an extra shot, just so you can still taste the coffee.” Tiredness had wore down Ellie’s usual anxiety. She hadn’t even noticed she teased you until your face morphed into shock at being called out. 

“I didn’t know you noticed that, but then again you were so nice to save me six dollars.”  

“Outrageous price, by the way.” 

“That tea you liked so much this morning was the same price so,” 

“Welp,” Ellie threw her hands up. You both shared a laugh.  

“Let’s get out of here.” You said suddenly, crossing your arms just to lean forward. “I can’t stand the quiet anymore or this pointless project.” Ellie knew what you meant but that didn’t stop her mind from going to different places.

Stop it, you idiot!  “Agreed”  

Ellie had managed to pull her weight despite inwardly panicking around you. It didn’t help when you looked at her the way you did.

The workload was getting lighter and left more time for you to get off topic and talk about anything that came to your minds. Ellie couldn't pinpoint the moment she'd transition from not believing you were talking to her to not wanting to stop. Probably somewhere around the you exchanged numbers for the sake of project neither of you were worried much about.

She was satisfied, or rather she'd tried to convince herself she was, with just texting back and forth as friends. She decided she'd shove her feelings deep down, eliminating the worry of ruining your newfound friendship or putting you in danger. Ellie was okay as the friend, as long as she was close to you.

Ellie leaned against the rough brick wall of your apartment building a she waited for you come out. The soft material on the inside of her jacket gave her enough of a distraction until she heard the screech of the door. “Hey,” A smiled immediately appeared on her face as she took in how you drowned in your adorably festive sweater.

“Okay, before you come in, I wanna let you know my friends are weird. They don’t know boundaries but I promise they're really nice—“

“You were serious about the communal living thing?”

“Ellie!”

“I’m just asking!”

“C’mon, you.” Ellie’s heart jumped as you shamelessly laced your fingers with hers, dragged her along into the rustic building. Her wandering eyes were something like a kid in toy store, instead of an overly decorated lobby. The decorations were gaudy but homey, nonetheless.

She became self-conscious that her hands were becoming clammy as you continued to hold her hand, squeezing it every once in a while. “Just remember, they’re trying their best to be normal.”

“And..what’s not normal?”

“Jan bringing in random rescues, V keeping us up because she’s ‘running her lines’, Jade never leaving her room except to tell us our rent is due, and Winn never not having a friend over, but he's having a midlife crisis so." You shrugged. "Pretty normal stuff.”

“And you all share a bathroom..and stuff?”

“It’s the best I could get.” You said sheepishly as the elevator opened. She could immediately see what you were talking about the moment you started to struggle with the stubborn elevator gate. Her hand was soft in grabbing your wrist. "I got it."

“You clearly haven’t seen my shitbox I call an apartment. This is fine.” She remarked as she opened the rusted gates without much effort. Her eyes landed on even more Christmas decorations.

“If you’ll let me work my magic, it won’t be a shitbox.” You looped your arm around hers.

“You will never look at me the same. I'm serious. It's a disaster. A dumpster fire, really." It became easier to put down the worth of her apartment as she saw how filled out your building was just from the hallway. Even the scattered belongings had a way of telling anyone who came in that everyone who lived there was proud to. She couldn't lie, the closer you got to the dining room, that too you shared of course, she was sweating bullets. That's what it felt like at least.

"I can handle a dumpster fire."

Ellie's head turned back to you, eyes softening at the sincerely at your words. You were not making this any easier on her. She could wait out a crush. If she hadn't known you these past few weeks, she would've forced herself to get over it, but that hadn't been the case. "Hey, before we go in, i wanna thank you for all..this. You didn't have to invite me."

"I wanted to." You said simply.

"Why?"

"I don't know. No one should have to spend the holidays alone. Definitely not you, especially you." You poked her shoulder.

"What's so special about me?" She mumbled. That was not supposed to come out.

"That a serious question?" It didn't make sense in her mind, your interest in her. Shad no time to formulate a response when a short blonde girl came in with a bowl in her hand and muffled words coming out of her mouth. "Guess that's our cue." You smiled, tugging on her hand.

"Why the hell are you eating straight cranberry sauce?" Your words were fuzzy to Ellie as you took the bowl from the girl's hand. She was too in her mind to laugh at the absurdity of the situation.

She was hugged by a few people, all of which had nothing in common but living in the same building. Sat down by an older man she could only assume was Winn and fed until she felt her stomach could pop. Given a lecture on method acting from jade.

There was a point where she ran into being questioned by a few of them. The quippy, confident version of her was nowhere to be seen then and replaced with a stammering, blanking mess. Fortunately, you covered for her.

Ellie stared at the city with a full belly, leaning back on the less than stable lawn chairs on the side of the rooftop pool. The heated debates behind her served as background noise to the glimmering light and commotion New York provided. She took a sip of her beer. Her head turned towards you in the doorframe.

"Overwhelmed yet?"

"I wouldn't say that." She said with feigned coyness, sitting up to see you better.

"I wouldn't be mad. Or blame you."

" They do have a weird sense of...hospitality?"

"Hospitality is a word." You smiled, amused as you looked up at nowhere at all.

"At least that's the word I landed on." She shrugged.

"Well, you obviously haven't even used the bathrooms yet." You looked down at her with that smile she loved seeing. You took a seat on the chair next to her.

"Why do you think I’ve been sipping everything?" Ellie’s eyes never left you as you laughed in unison. She could've swore your smile melted into something shy. You never seemed shy at all. Or you were damn good at hiding it.

"Hey." Ellie hummed in response. "I’ve got something for you."

Her brows raised as you brought out a little blue box from behind you. The ribbon was crooked but tied by you, she could tell. "You didn't have to-"

"I wanted to. I promise I don't do anything I don't want to. Now, take it. Please? For me." You held up the tiny box like a offering in your hands. Her eyes moved from your face to the small box.

"Alright, fine. You don't have to beg." She inspected the cute little ribbon before carefully undoing it.

"Damn near,"

"Oh shut it." She glared up at you as she took the top off the box. As she looked down, the attitude slipped off her face. It was a camera as tiny as the box decorated with little savage starlight stickers.

“It’s not much, but I know you’re artsy and I figured maybe photography would be a nice hobby.” You scooted to the edge of your chair. “Also, it might be nice to have pictures of our first date.”

Her head snapped up to look at you, biting your lip in anticipation. “You’re asking me on a date?”

“Only if you want to.”

“I do want to.”

“You do?”

“I’ve wanted to for a while. i didn’t think you noticed.” Ellie flipped the camera in her hands, running her fingers along the mini stickers of the superhero. She wanted so badly to be on that date right now, taking pictures of everything so the memory would always be fresh in her mind.

“How long’s a while?” Your voice was quiet against the howling of the cold air, but in a way it felt intimate how close and quiet you were. There was gleam in your eyes from the fairy lights surrounding the patio area.

“If I answer that, will you still wanna go on a date with me?" Her eyes were almost pleading as she looked back up at you.

"I asked." You leaned even closer, allowing Ellie’s eyes roamed your face under the dim light. When she realized she was caught staring, she averted her eyes as she pressed her lips into a barely contained smile.

The moment was once again interrupted by jade. The girl stood with an empty pot, asking you where it would go. Your shoulders slumped a degree before you went into the kitchen with the young girl. "You could've asked Winn, hun.”

Ellie took that as her cue to get going. She took a sip of the now warm beer and grabbed her gloves. Her eyes were glued to you as always as she made her way to the elevator.

Knowing you wouldn't let her leave without a goodbye, she leaned against the gate for no more than a minute. As expected, you came around the corner with a smile and a few plates in your hand. Her eyebrows furrowed as her eyes landed on the stack of foiled plates. "You’re making me feel bad, y'know that?" She leaned her head on yours as you wrapped your arms around her.

"You can make it up to me on..saturday."

"Saturday?"

"That’s the day."

Ellie’s eyes widened, realizing you were serious. Some part of her thought you’d forget all about it a few days later and she’d look like the desperate one bringing it up. leave it to you to prove her assumptions wrong. "Got it." She was still dazed as you leaned up to kiss her cheek and close the gate for her. Her biting her lip couldn’t stop her from cheesing as the events of the night finally set in. She was doomed.

thank you for reading!

[watarfallar]

*gay braincell tossing*

Scar: Do you have any idea what you’re doing? Grian: Why start now?

Grian: I love you. Scar: I love me too.

Grian: I literally cannot believe I let you talk me into this. Scar: I literally said “I have an idea,” and you just went along with it without question.

Scar: Snow got me feeling some type of way. Grian: That's hypothermia.  Scar: Damn, the paramedics told me it was the magic of Christmas.

Grian: Surgery is basically just stabbing someone to life. Scar: Please never become a surgeon.

Scar: *gets set on fire and screams in agony* Scar: Nah, I’m just kidding. Fire does nothing to me.

Scar: Damn, the power went out. Grian: Don’t worry, I got this. Grian: *stomps foot* Scar: What-? Grian: *Sketchers light up*

Grian: We either die free, or die trying! Scar: Are those the only choices?

Scar: I’m totally useless. Grian: You’re not totally useless. Grian: You can be used as a bad example.

Scar: Fellas, I gotta know for science. Is the opposite of red green or blue? Grian: Technically a mix of green and blue? Scar: So blurple. Grian: That's implying you're mixing blue and purple. Scar: Would you rather have fucking bleen? MOTHERFUCKING GRUE? Grian: You were confusing before but now I'm scared.

Scar: Why is it so hard for you to believe me?! Grian: ... Scar: Oh, right. The lying.

Grian: You’re not jealous, are you? Scar: No! Grian: Good, ‘cause I consider my fake relationship with you a lot more meaningful.

Scar: And what did we learn, Grian? Grian: Tackling someone isn’t the correct response to being asked a simple question.

Scar: You know, it’s fine to admit you were wrong. Grian: *Sipping their drink after accidentally adding salt* I just like the way it tastes.

Scar: You are a solid 11/10. Grian: Aw, thank- Scar: Which is 1.1 because you look like shit.

Scar: And have you learnt anything this Christmas, Grian? Grian: …Not really. Scar: Nothing? Grian: Tell you one thing I have learnt—Christmas; ultimately, commercial holiday. Who's the real winner at Christmas? Amazon. they have drones now! Tiny little dystopian slaves delivering iPads and headphones. I ordered a toaster; It was on the doorstep five hours later! Do we need that? It was 4.99! For a toaster! I mean, someone's being exploited there.

Grian: Kill him. Scar: This is the kind of quality advice I look for.

Scar: There are no friends when playing board games. I am here to win.

Grian, texting: Scar, will you please go to sleep? Scar, texting back: What makes you think you didn’t just wake me up? Grian, yelling: I CAN HEAR YOU CLAPPING TO THE FRIENDS THEME EVERY TWENTY MINUTES SHUT THE FUCK UP AND GO THE FUCK TO SLEEP! Grian, texting: Just a hunch :) You goin’ to sleep soon? Scar, texting: I’m trying Grian, yelling again: TRY HARDER I HAVE A 5:45 AM MEETING TOMORROW BITCH Grian, texting: Okay, don’t stay up too late or you’ll be cranky :)

Scar: I’m a masochist, not a loser.

Scar: Wow, that was quick thinking on that phony sacrifice stuff. Grian: Oh, that was all real. Scar: Wait, you were trying to help them kill us?! Grian: If I’m gonna be sacrificed, I’m gonna do it right.

Grian: *spins around in chair ominously* I’ve been expecting y- *chair continues to spin* shit *tries to stop spinning* shit *tries to grab a table to stop spinning* sHIT *falls out of chair*

Grian: I’m not stupid, you know. Scar: Well, you’re doing a really good impression of it!

Scar: Why do you think I don’t like you? I do. I would kill for you. Scar: Ask me to kill for you. Grian: ...First of all, calm down-

Scar: Grian, you’ve tried 37 times and you’ve failed every time. Give it a break. Grian: DO I HEAR “FIRST TRY PART 38?”

Grian: I know how this must look but I can assure you we have a perfectly logical explanation. Scar: Yeah! We’re cowards!

Scar: *holds a gun out to Grian* Grian: I-I don't believe in guns. Scar: Well, trust me, they're very real. Now take it.

Scar: I owe you one. Grian: That’s ok. You can just date me and we’ll call it even.

Grian: I hate you with every inch of my body! Scar: That’s not a lot of inches.

Scar, to Grian: You drink too much, swear too much, and your morals are highly questionable. Grian: … Scar: You are everything I’ve ever wanted in a best friend.

Scar: I need a long word. Grian: T-rex but the long one.

Grian: I see the red flags, I acknowledge that they're there, and then I completely ignore them.

Grian: You know you've made it when you see your picture everywhere you go. Scar: Those are wanted posters!

[cherimoyatea]

hello hi! ik the fandom mostly favors interactions between LIs & MCs/Readers but i was wondering if you have your own ideas between the LADS boys like friendship headcanons between them? how their dynamic works and which would be the best bros with each other or strongest siblings rivalry vibes between them (⁠ ⁠╹⁠▽⁠╹⁠ ⁠)

hopefully this is alright to request! 🙏🏻

Hi Annonie!

Thank you for your request! I saw the wonderful @irandial already sharing her thoughts on the same request, and I couldn't agree more with her on the boys! But since you asked I'll also drop some headcanons 🤭

I've always imagined what their life would be like if they happened to share a house and how their dynamics would play out, so I'll set the scenario based on your request.

Remember, these are headcanons and just for fun 🩷

❧ The LaDs Men as Friends - Shared house edition

He's the loudest—always getting on everyone's nerves with his antics and pouty demands. Rafayel will block the bathroom for hours with his extensive baths and beauty routines: Since he's basically a fish on land, he's super cautious about keeping his skin hydrated.

Imagine him opening the bathroom door in a bathrobe, with a face mask on and a bowknot keeping his purple bangs off his forehead, as he yells at the other guys: ''I'm gonna burn y'all in your sleep if ya don't stop knocking on the damn door!!'' Then he slams the door shut, locks it again, and puts his Airpods on full blast, while the others continue to desperately hammer against the bathroom door, needing to use the toilet.

Rafayel pretends to be annoyed by everyone in his household and murmurs''These silly humans...'' while also using his evol and wielding his dagger to protect his friends without hesitation whenever they run into trouble. Though they get on his nerves sometimes, he wouldn't want it any other way.

Xavier is in a constant catfight with Rafayel for always eating his cheesesticks behind his back. In general, he's the one who constantly empties the fridge and eats everyone's snacks and food. Even Zayne can't help but let out an exasperated sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose in disbelief, when he finds another empty cookie package in the cabinet—for the third time this week. And its only Tuesday.

Whenever Xavier isn't busy snacking, his friends usually find him either reading a book or napping in the most unusual places around the house, giving them daily heart attacks. Once, Sylus almost spilled his drink when he tripped over Xavier's sleeping form, curled up on the soft, fluffy carpet in the dimly lit hallway. ''Uhh... I'm not quite sure how I ended up sleeping on the floor... it just looked so comfy here and the stairs to the bedroom seemed like too much effort…'' He rubs his neck sheepishly and gets up with a yawn, while Sylus taps his foot impatiently, shaking his head at the silver-blond.

Definitely the ''mom'' of the friend group. He takes care of everyone's well-being while occasionally cracking one of his dry jokes, causing an awkward silence in the room. Surprisingly, nobody feels called out when he scolds his friends for eating too much junk food or staying up too late. ''Rafayel, where are your slippers? The floor is cold—at least wear some socks.'' And the Lemurian? He rolls his eyes and mumbles something under his breath but eventually gets up to grab some socks from his room.

Zayne always has an open ear for his friends. Whenever someone needs to get something off their chest, they approach the Doctor, and he genuinely tries to comfort them. ''Xavier… I don't think Sylus hates you for accidentally poisoning him with your tiramisu. However. Make sure to remember that dishes with raw eggs need to be refrigerated…''

He's the one who would probably get along with everyone, giving off protective big-brother vibes. He mostly watches his friends quietly from the background with an amused smirk, shaking his head at Rafayel causing a scene over someone spilling his paint, Xavier serving a suspicious-looking tiramisu, or Zayne gathering the others laundry from the floor with a frown. ''Doc, are you sure you want to touch that? I remember seeing the fish doing... unholy things with those socks.'' Sylus says with a mischievous grin, earning a dead stare from Rafayel. ''Hold up! I did WHAT?!''

He just loves teasing these idiots.

But Sylus is also the life of the party and always up for a night out with his friends. The guys had a blast at the karaoke bar once when Sylus was drunk enough to wholeheartedly sing Miley Cyrus' Wrecking Ball. Of course, Rafayel recorded the whole show and teased him the next morning while the silver-haired man had the worst hangover ever. ''Listen, Fish... I'm adding a cat to this household if you don't delete that NOW!''

[theidiotwhowritesthings]

Hey girl! Do you happen to have an Ao3 account? I love reading your fics but tumblr doesn’t alway load offline. Just wondering! Thanks! :)

AO3: TheSarcasticKnight

I know what you're thinking.

"JJ, how are you gonna log in on a random Sunday morning after not being on Tumblr in literal months and then casually answer a question about your AO3 username like it's nothing??"

I'm unhinged. That's why. And also I finally made the effort to recreate my password so I could successfully log in b/c I totally forgot it and then was lazy for literal weeks anyways

Sorry I haven't been on. Tumblr is a whole new landscape I don't even recognize and from the looks of it I've missed some drama, but it's fine I'm here. I answered a few direct messages left for me, and if you sent me an ask in the last 6 months (or however long it's been time is an illusion) just know that I read through all of them just now and I love you too 🥰 It means so much to me to know that people were thinking of me. It just warms my little heart.

Admittedly, the chances of me updating some of the stuff on here is slim to none just b/c I'm still super busy with my day job and other projects so I do apologize for that 🫣 I may go back and read some of my old work. That does the trick sometimes. I'll read what I forgot about, get super into it, and then get super pissed when I reach the end and realize it hasn't been updated (despite being the author who hasn't updated it) and then somehow I have enough juice to get something (that exact scenario actually just happened on AO3 with an older series of mine).

Anyways, I'm done rambling. Just know that I love you. I know the world is crazy and life is hard and it's exhausting to keep pushing through the same battles again and again, but you are an incredible soul and you are so strong and you are not alone. 🩵

[narcissosbythepool]

PriceGaz Pining Series

Part 4/14

Prev | Next

Prompt: Asleep //

A weight lands on Price's shoulder with a faint thud. He doesn't have to turn to look, but he does – it's Gaz, asleep, dozing off against him.

He considers what to do for a moment. The plane around them is loud, which speaks volumes to Gaz's exhaustion. Normally he would be kept awake by the noise alone. Bit of a light sleeper, his Sergeant, Price has found. Gaz's headset has shifted out of place as his face digs into Price's shoulder, and it looks uncomfortable enough that Price takes action.

He gently puts an arm around Gaz's middle and shifts him upright, so that he's not quite slumped over Price, just leaning against him. With his other hand he readjusts Gaz's headset, and now it's perhaps going to leave a little indent in Gaz's skin but it looks more comfortable. Gaz will be absolutely mortified when he wakes and Price is kind of looking forward to that. He can almost imagine it – the adorable dreamy blinking giving way to mortification, wide eyes and a flush on his skin. A smile tugs on his lips.

He looks up and finds Ghost's eyes on him. Price resists the urge to balk and blush, instead meeting his stare head on.

"Everything alright with Garrick?" Ghost asks.

"Just some beauty sleep."

"Looks cozy." Ghost's eyes flick between the two of them, taking in their proximity.

"Need to look after my best, don't I?" Price replies cheekily.

"That you do."

"Don't tell Soap."

Ghost simply takes out his phone and takes a picture. "No promises."

The rest of the trip back goes slowly. Ghost stares into nothingness, eyes vacant and flicking at Gaz's sleeping form every now and then without much curiosity. Price tries to keep tally of everything he has to do once they get back to base. He can already see the hundreds of unopened emails waiting for him. He wishes he had the liberties of a dead man to just not read them but not all of them can be Ghost.

Gaz has impeccable timing – 15 minutes before landing he suddenly jolts awake, nearly clipping Price in the chin with his headset.

"Easy there," Price squeezes his side.

It's like he imagined. Gaz blinks blearily for a moment, wiping the corner of his mouth unconsciously and then he freezes.

"Shit."

"Say again, Gaz?"

"I mean," Gaz clears his throat and sits upright. "Sorry, Boss. Seems like I... How long was I out?"

"Fell asleep the moment we were airborne," Price says, "we're nearing base now."

Gaz blinks at him. "That's two hours."

"Or so."

"I'm so sorry."

"You looked cozy. Didn't want to disturb you."

Gaz shifts in his hold a little. Price doesn't let go. "Thank you, then. Sir."

"Sleeping beauty has joined us," Ghost chuckles. "I have photographic evidence."

"Fuck." Gaz buries his head in his hands. "Soap will be so insufferable for this. He's gonna kill me."

"That he is," Price squeezes his side one last time and then wiggles his arm free. "Don't let him kill you too long, I need you tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir," Gaz says miserably.

[itsaspectrumcomic]

hey! before I begin, I wanted to say how much I love your comics!! the style and palettes are really soothing, and it's always nice to read them, relate heavily, and not feel quite such an oddball!! so thanks :]

I (very recently) received the results of my diagnosis for autism and adhd (I got both, and a couple other smaller things) and was wondering what things you did differently immediately after diagnosis that helped you? I've tried things like proper organisation and cleaning, keeping on top of deadlines for college as much as I am able, and trying to study as much as I can (a levels are very stressful even though I've only just started the course, and while these solutions are what's considered "good" by the college, its not really helping me as much as I would like)

a large part of the diagnosis was dedicated to brain function (I had the privelidge of being assessed privately, so the evidence was very detailed and thorough), and I scored stupidly high on vocabulary and language study. However, I feel like there's somewhat of a disconnect between the effort I've put in on my foreign language studies and the progress I'm seeing- I'm trying so so hard to understand grammatical concepts and absorb a lot of vocabulary in preparation for some smaller tests in the near future, but I'm not seeing the reward during lessons or even with preparation. I am fully aware that with all the work and effort I'm spending, I am closer than I would like to be to a meltdown and probably burnout, which I desperately want to avoid. It just feels that although my brain is wired for linguistic study, I feel like I'm falling behind or failing

I guess if you have any advice or anything that helped you once your diagnosis was confirmed, or tips for study, I would be greatly appreciative :]

Tldr: struggling with study and fearful of failure, any advice?

hnng I remember the stress of A levels, you couldn't pay me to go through that again 🫠

After being diagnosed I started to allow myself to unmask and stim in more obvious ways. Previously my stims had generally been pretty small, like flicking my fingers or wiggling a bit, but now I allow myself to flap and rock and play with fidget toys as well and it genuinely does help release tension.

It sounds like your're working really hard - if you feel close to burnout and/or meltdowns, you might be working too hard. I also found it really hard to take breaks when I was studying (...still do) but the truth is, by not allowing your mind to rest, you're actually making it harder for yourself to learn and retain information.

So my advice is, take a break! A real break, not 'I'm gonna scroll on my phone for a bit' or 'I went to the toilet that counts as a break right'. Get up, step away from your work for at least an hour, and do something you find relaxing and fun. Go for a walk or just sit outside. Make yourself a drink. Take a nap if you need to. Try to avoid looking at screens during your break if you can. And when you go back to studying, schedule times to have regular short breaks as well (eg a 10 minute break every hour). I set alarms for mine because otherwise I forget to move for five hours.

A break allows your brain to process the information and let it settle properly. When you go back to work you'll hopefully feel more refreshed and able to take in information again. Remember, if you've just started the course, then this is a marathon, not a sprint, so please try not to overdo it and burn yourself out right at the start. Conserve your energy for the long haul.

If you're still struggling, are you able to ask for help, maybe from a friend or a teacher? A teacher could give you some techniques on how to improve in the specific areas you find difficult, and sometimes just talking through the bit you're having trouble with or not understanding can help a lot.

Good luck with your studies and I hope you take some time to rest as well :)

[unintentionaloracle]

The Honorary In-Law: Part Two [Fic]

Lol I was gonna wait a week but I got impatient.

(This is Part Two of a fic found here.)

Summary: Jey and Rhea finally have the anticipated (and somewhat dreaded?) meeting with Sami and Kevin. Can Rhea charm "the in-law?" Will Jey and Rhea work out their hang-ups and issues? And what's on Kevin's mind?

Part Two: Love And Luck

“Relax, you look great. Besides, we wanted to keep this casual, right?” Jey said, his arm reassuringly around Rhea's waist as she inspected her (somewhat toned down) makeup and hair in the side mirror of someone's car. She smoothed her shoulderless black sweater and dark jeans, adjusted her choker and stack of necklaces, and nodded. 

They'd entered the restaurant (some local diner, nothing too fancy). Sami and Kevin were inside, chatting and laughing with each other as Kevin threw his arm around his soulmate. Despite their famously messy relationship, at this moment they looked like flawless couple goals. What any wrestling couple would want to look like after twenty years. Rhea took a deep breath. Jey gave her a kiss on the head. She smiled.

 No turning back now.

 They approached the booth, Sami and Jey waving to each other. “Hey, Uce! Kevin!” He said, doing his secret handshake with Sami and giving a simple handshake to Kevin. “Y'all know Rhea...” he said, grinning as he turned to Rhea. “Rhea, you know Sami and Kevin...”

 “...Jey, we've met before.” Kevin stated, eyebrow raised. “A couple times.”

 “Right, but that was Judgement Day Rhea. This is...Liberated Rhea, ya know?” Jey said. He turned to her, grinning and pulling her a little closer. “Rhea with taste,” he teased as he kissed her cheek. She playfully smacked his chest at the joke, giggling nonetheless as she cupped his face.

 Kevin cleared his throat, snapping the couple back to Earth.

 Rhea turned her attention back to the other couple and waved, smiling awkwardly. “Sorry. Yeah. It's nice to see you guys when I'm not punching your faces...” She joked.

 Sami looked at her, wide eyed and mouth pressed closed. Jey also looked concerned. Kevin, however, was a hard read. (Did he chuckle?) There was an awkward silence.

 Oh, great start... Rhea thought.

 Sami seemed to pick up on her feelings. “Well, it's...uh...nice to meet you properly, Rhea. How about we order some food?” He said, shaking her hand. He had a warm smile that was weirdly soothing to see.

 (Kevin, however, continued to sit there quietly. Is this a test. Is he judging me, or–?)

 “Yeah. Thanks,” she said simply.

 Jey let Rhea sit first. She hurried into the booth.

---

 Despite the rough start, things smoothed out fairly quickly, thanks to Sami and Jey’s natural charisma and charms. The group was laughing as the two regaled their lovers with a story from backstage.

 “So Howdy and his friends finally ran into us at catering. Jey's freaking out...”

 “I nearly cried...” Jey confirmed.

 “He did. He nearly cried! Then Dexter reached out to both of us...”

 Kevin and Rhea leaned in.

 “And patted us both on the head. He gave us a thumbs up, too!” Sami said, laughing. “Then Howdy chuckled, saying ‘you’re both fine, gentlemen,’ grabbed some of the donuts, and they all left at once.”

 “So, that's why I'm not so terrified of The Wyatt Sicks, now...” Jey concluded.

 “How did I not know that happened?” Rhea asked.

 “Think it happened during one of your fights with Liv...” Jey mused.

 “Well, I'm just glad I don't have to fight them for now...” Kevin said, arm draped on the back of the booth and around Sami.

 “I dunno, I think both of us could take ‘em, Kevin...” Rhea joked, resting her chin on her hand. “Show ‘em not to mess with our men?”

 Kevin shrugged in response. 

 Oh, come on! Work with me here!

 Jey put his arm around her. 

---

 As the group continued to eat their meals, Rhea enjoyed the mostly warm company. Sami really was a sweet guy. And Kevin, at the very least, was nice to Sami, so there had to be some good in him. (At least something Sami could see.) They really were like an old married couple, in the affection and the bickering department. She started to smile imagining her and Jey being like that in twenty years (though maybe with less bickering and betrayal)...

 ...In twenty years? She thought. Did she want to be with him that long? Could she? Well...

 As if on cue, Sami looked at her. “What's up, Rhea?”

 “Oh. Nothing,” Rhea said. “Just kinda wandered into my own little world. I'm really having a good time, Sami,” she said.

 “I see. Well, good,” Sami said. “And hey, if you need anything and Jey and Damian aren't around, I've got your back. Any girlfriend of Jey’s is family to me...” He added, smiling sweetly.

 Rhea swore to herself. She shifted uncomfortably.

 “Uh, we still haven't really put a label on us, yet...” Jey said, an awkward (almost disappointed?) tone to his voice.

 You'll mess up with him, too... Dom and Liv’s voices piped up in her mind.

 “Ah, sorry. I forgot...” Sami said, hands up. “I mean, with the chemistry between you two–”

 Rhea stood up. “I have to go to the restroom. Be right back...” She walked off quickly.

 She needed a minute.

---

 Kevin watched as Jey sighed when a minute went by.

 “Jey, I'm sorry, I seriously did forget—” Sami said.

 “No, no it's my bad, Uce. I keep putting that talk off. I’ll t–”

 Kevin stood up. “Let me talk to her.”

 The co-former Bloodline members tilted their heads at him. “You’re gonna handle it?” They asked in unison.

 Kevin nodded. “Trust me, I got this,” he said, getting up before either his boyfriend or “friend-in-law” could stop him. He grabbed a sucker from the dish by the register on his way to the back. He sucked it then winced.

  Bleh. Guess the mystery flavor is garbage. He thought, immediately tossing it in the trash.

  He went over to the lone bathroom in the diner and knocked on the door. “Hey, Rhea? Need to talk?”

 Rhea opened the door, mascara starting to inch down her cheeks. Her eyes were red. “You want to talk? Why?”

 Kevin motioned to her. “Because I've been here, minus the mascara...”

 Rhea checked her face. She swore. “I guess no one else is in the diner, so...come on in, I guess?” she motioned him inside the cramped bathroom. She dug out a travel makeup bag from her purse. “Mind if I–?”

 “Go ahead, “ Kevin said, leaning against the wall to give her room.

 Rhea took a tissue and started to clean up the mascara tears. She got out some foundation to blend away the rest, looking in the mirror. “So you say you've been here?”

 “Dating a guy who I worry might be too good for me and being terrified to lose or be vulnerable with him? Yeah.”

 Rhea froze as she got her mascara out. She took a deep breath. “You can tell?”

 Kevin nodded.

 Rhea shook her head. She put the makeup away and turned to Kevin. “It's just...I lost a lot. I lost most of the people I called family because I “made things all about me”, aside from Priest. My ex-boyfriend dumped me for my ex-girlfriend in front of everyone because I “didn't treat him like a man”. Nobody in the women's locker room likes me. And it's just...Jey's been so good to me through all of this. And now Sami's being good to me. I don't want to screw myself out of a family a second time, too. Let alone a partner...”

 “...Did Dom or the other idiots ever tell you these things before they turned on you?” Kevin asked.

 “Not that I remember...” Rhea said.

 “Then screw ‘em. You're not a mind reader,” Kevin said, simply. He folded his arms. “And like I said, I get it. I get being betrayed by the people you care about the most. I get everyone hating you even when you've been trying really hard to be good and haven't a damn “bad” thing in years–”

 Rhea cleared her throat.

 Kevin coughed. “Anyway...And I get not wanting to lose one of the few people you know actually loves you... Every time me and Sami hit a snag–I go “off the rails”, Sami loses his mind, whatever–I always worry about one thing: is this gonna be the last straw for him? Is he going to wise up and never take me back, ever again? Hell, I worried about it after Bad Blood, but...”

 “But?” Rhea said, finishing her makeup and turning to Kevin.

 “But somehow, it never is. Even if we fight, we take each other back, eventually. And this time he actually chose me. Despite everything.” Kevin chuckled a bit, smirking as he briefly looked down. “I think he might actually be serious about the whole “loving me” thing. And I never wanna let that go.” The Prizefighter turned his attention back to Rhea and pointed. “Jey's good to you, right?”

 Rhea was taken aback. “Of course. He's the sweetest. And he's been so patient with me.”

 “Good. And you're attracted to him?”

 Rhea actually blushed a bit before smirking and leaning against the sink. “Ohhhh, yeah. He's been taking good care of me...” She said with a wink.

 “Mine too. It's another reason why we can't quit each other,” Kevin winked back. “So...you like Jey?”

 Rhea scoffed. “Like him? Of course I like him! He's my bloody boyfriend! I l–” she caught what she'd said and froze, eyes wide.

 Kevin smirked. “Well, there you go...”

 Rhea started to smile. “I can say it. Jey Uso is my boyfriend. Main Event Jey Uso my boyfriend!”

 “Congrats. Now you might want to tell him that,” Kevin said.

 “...Right.” She replied. “Thanks, Kevin. You really aren't that bad a guy...”

 “THANK YOU! Tell everyone else that...”

 “And hey, if you need anything, let me know. I owe you one...and I'm sorry about all the stuff I did to you and Sami when I was in The Judgement Day,” Rhea added. “You didn't deserve it, and I'm sorry it led to you getting separated.”

 Kevin was shocked at what seemed to be a genuine apology from Rhea. He shook it off. “It's in the past. At least you got a boyfriend out of it. A boyfriend who's probably wondering if you slipped out the window...”

 Rhea packed her stuff up. “Right! Same for yours,” she said, before giving him a swift thank you hug and peck on the cheek. “Seriously, I can't thank you enough. And if I can say something?”

 “Shoot.”

 “Sami’s not a mind reader, either. Maybe you should let him know how you feel, too,” she smiled and went to the door. “Lock him down like I'm about to lock down mine.” She said, looking back with a wink before exiting.

 Kevin chuckled and went to wipe the soft lipstick smudge from his face. “Oh, you have no idea...”

---

 Rhea made a beeline for the table as Kevin sauntered over behind her. She immediately sat with Jey. “Jey, can I take a picture real quick?” She asked, getting out her phone.

 Jey was visibly confused. “Uh, sure, baby. But shouldn't we talk about–?”

 “We will. Just give me a minute. I promise it'll make sense...” She said. Rhea held the phone up in selfie mode, leaning against Jey. She kissed his cheek before snapping the pic, catching Jey mid-surprised delight. She immediately went to one of her social media accounts and typed something. She handed her phone to Jey. “Jey, I need you to read over this caption and tell me if you're cool with it...”

 Jey took the phone from her. Rhea watched him smile as he read the caption she tagged him in:

 “At brunch with the best man in the world and his friends. So proud to call him my boyfriend. Thank you for everything these past few weeks, your kindness and your patience. What more could a girl ask for? #boyfriendreveal”

 Jey handed the phone back. “Of course it's okay! You really mean it, though?”

 Rhea nodded, some tears starting to form in her eyes, again (albeit happier ones). “Yeah. Sorry it took me so long. I just...I was terrified of losing you...And of screwing up another relationship...”

 Jey cupped her cheek. “Baby, it's okay. You aren't gonna lose me. I'm nothing like your last man. Or Liv.” he said, leaning in towards her.

 “Good,” Rhea said, closing her eyes as he kissed her. She held his face as his arms wrapped around her. They pressed foreheads against each other after. Rhea caught Sami and Kevin out of the corner of her eye, having briefly forgotten them. Sami reached over and squeezed Kevin's hand. She turned her attention to them. “Thank you, guys. Guess we needed this get together more than we thought.”

 Sami chuckled. “Anytime...”

 Kevin motioned for the waitress. “Can we get a check, please?”

---

 After breakfast, it was decided that Jey wouldn't be staying with Sami this time and would stick with his newly-minted girlfriend. (Damian was contacted and told he wouldn't need to crash with Rhea for a while. He happily agreed.)

 That was perfectly fine for Sami and Kevin, especially considering Kevin surprised Sami with an impromptu trip after. They were going to California, just the two of them. The thought being that they could get away from their troubles for a while (Kevin's deteriorated friendships, Sami's career frustrations)...

 When the couple went back to their hotel room, before they could properly enter, Sami immediately barraged Kevin with kisses. He pushed him into the room and towards the bed as he did so, not letting up except to close the door and put up a “Do Not Disturb” sign. Kevin looked up at him as he straddled him, awestruck and flushed. What's gotten into him? He thought.

 “Okay, what did I do and how can I keep doing it?” Kevin asked.

 “You didn't tag along just to be a bodyguard, did you?” Sami said with a smile.

 “...I just kinda felt for her, you know? Dating a nice guy is rough. And I guess I wanted to help her not make the same mistakes with Jey that I have with you, if I could?” Kevin said, putting his hands on Sami's waist. “Plus, if it went well, I knew it would make you happy...and Jey...”

 “So much nice stuff about Jey... Kevin Owens, has he grown on you?” Sami teased.

 “Maybe. Shut up. He can't know,” Kevin said, pouting a bit.

 Sami laughed. “Your secret’s safe with me,” he said, kissing said pout. “And thank you. For helping today. And proving me right...” He said, pressing his forehead to Kevin's.

 “How?”

 “That you're still a good man, despite everything. Rough around the edges, but deep down still good,” he said, cupping his face. “And I love you.”

 Kevin’s heart skipped a beat. He needed to hear that more than he thought. “I love you, too, Sami. Thanks for having my back through everything. This crap’s been rough for you, hasn't it?”

 “It really has. I even kinda miss the group chat. Seth's “daily drip drop” really grew on me...” 

 “Well, I just want you to know...if there's anything you need to do, you've got me in your corner, too. No matter what it is. Even if I think it's dumb or horrible. It's the least I can do for you after all you've done for me. Because I love you, Sami Zayn. I never want to lose you. Never again.”

 “...Thank you, Kev...” Sami said, starry-eyed. He tucked his hair behind his ear. “And if I didn't know better, I'd almost think you were proposing or something...”

 Kevin chuckled. “In a cheap hotel in the middle of nowhere? Nah, you deserve better, Sami...”

 As they kissed once more, Kevin had one more thought before Sami pressed closer against him and rendered any complicated thoughts impossible:

 That can wait for California...

---

 In a different hotel, some time later, Rhea gently ran her fingertips up and down Jey's spine as he laid draped over her, his face nuzzled in her neck. “Jey?”

 Jey sat up a little. “Yeah, baby?”

 She grinned at him. “Damn.”

Jey grinned back. They both laughed. “Yeah, that about sums today up, doesn't it?” He kept looking at her.

 “What?”

 “Rhea Ripley is my giiiiiirlfriiiiiiiend~” he said, singsong.

 Rhea chuckled. “And Jey Uso’s my boyfriiiiiiend~” she said, matching his tone.

 He pressed his forehead to hers, holding her close. “Seriously, you have no idea how happy you made me. Of all the good things that happened to me after I left the family, you're probably the best...”

 Rhea could feel her heart melting. She glanced at the Intercontinental Title sitting on Jey's luggage. “Hear that? I'm his favorite.” She joked before turning her attention back to Jey. “And you make me feel like all the tears I wasted on Dom and The Judgement Day were almost worth it, because it led to me and you...”

 Jey wiped the tears away with his thumbs before kissing her. It felt good, finally being really vulnerable with Jey. Comfortable, even. She could get used to it.

 “So, what do wanna do now, baby?”

 Rhea grinned. “Well, I did miss you beating the crap out of Dom yesterday...I'd love to watch it with you...”

 “Really? You missed my match?”

 “I was too busy trying to rip Raquel's arm off to beat Liv with it,” she said nonchalantly.

 “...I know I shouldn't find that hot, but...”

 Rhea chuckled. “Then after that...we can keep celebrating...” She added with a wink.

 Jey bit his knuckle. He nodded. “Yeah. Yeah. Wrestling and chill. I love it. We can do that.”

 Rhea smiled, cuddling up to Jey as he cued up the match. She thought about what she thought in the diner: if she wanted to still be with Jey in twenty years.

 Yeah, she thought. Yeah, I think I do.

[the-ghost-in-your-walls]

incorrect quotes with the Nektons because i have nothing better to do

Ant: *pitches an idea*

Kaiko, impressed: Huh, there might be something here!

Fontaine, under her breath: Yeah, a lawsuit.

(in college)

Kaiko: I just want someone to take me out.

Will: On a date?

Dolos: With a sniper gun?

Kaiko: Either one. I’m not picky.

Will: Damn, the power went out.

Ant: Don’t worry, I got this.

Ant: *shakes rapidly and starts to light up*

Will: What-?

Ant: I swallowed a glow stick!

Will, freaking out: WHY WOULD YOU-

Random person: How has life been treating you lately?

Ant: Horribly. 

Ant: Thanks for not telling mom and dad what happened.

Fontaine, dumbfounded: I wouldn’t even know where to begin trying to explain this

Random person: But seriously, what is the real plan here that has to do with not fucking around?

The Nektons: There is no plan that does not involve fucking around. But we will make sure all of our fucking around will be applied in a constructive direction.

Commander Pyrosome: What do you call disobeying the law?

The Nektons: A hobby.

Commander Pyrosome: *crosses her arms*

The Nektons: That we do not engage in.

Ant: I’m gonna mix a can of Red Bull with seventeen shots of espresso in a fishbowl and then chug it while Kids by MGMT plays in the background so I can perceive twenty-three spatial dimensions and fight my own soul.

Devil Daniels: Aren’t you gonna say ‘have a nice day’?

Kaiko: I don’t care if you have a pulse, much less a nice day

Will: Wake up! The sun is shining!

Kaiko: What do you want me to do, photosynthesis?

(after Dolos tried to sabotage a mission but really fucked up)

Kaiko: Everyone, calm down! We're grown-ups, let's deal with this like adults!

Will: So, we're just going to wing it and hope for the best?

Kaiko: Obviously. Now, Dolos, pass the shovel.

Ant: A person can really hear themselves think out here.

Ant’s mind: Did you leave the stove on? The front door unlocked!? WILL YOU DIE ALONE!?

Ant: Well, that was a mistake.

Ant: Does anyone know how to relax? Asking for a friend.

Will: You've been given a new job to do, but I'm worried it might make you angry.

Kaiko:  Just say it quickly, like ripping off a band-aid.

Will: You have to teach Ant how to drive.

Kaiko: ...put the band-aid back on.

(in college)

Kaiko: In alcohol’s defense, I’ve done some pretty dumb shit while completely sober too.

Kaiko: What do you two have to say for yourselves?

Fontaine:

Ant: Oops?

Ant: What's your greatest fear?

Kaiko: Being forgotten.

Ant: ...

Ant: Damn, that's deep.

Ant: Mine is the Kool Aid man, but I feel kinda stupid about it now…