#the 20somethings are alright

[roomba-mangga]

in all my years of dropping the most random information about homestuck to my friend i failed to mention even once that dave strider is 13 years old and once i did he stopped bullying him immediately because "that's a roblox kid"

[puppetmaster13u]

Prompt 63

Danny is honestly having fun. Sure his friends and him have gotten thrown into this world with a bunch of monsters and giant creatures, but it’s fun! He’s going to make friends with all of them- even if they do try to eat him in human form most of the time. They all seem pretty confused by them when they smell like ecto though, which uh, wow wasn’t how they wanted to learn the whole class has become liminal. Oh well, it’s just them and Mr Lancer on an entire island to themselves! And he can’t be the only one to want to pet and befriend a dragon, like, c’mon! It’s a dragon! And Star is already eyeing a giant lightning unicorn so he definitely isn’t the only one down to go feral! Hey, at least there’s no GIW here or ghost attacks, and seeing as he doesn’t know how to make portals like Wulf, it’ll take a while to make a ghost portal to the zone. So feral island children it is! 

Bonus DCxDP crossover is if a hero of group of heroes also get thrown into the world onto the island. To them it’s almost like a peter pan situation only the children have a single adult whose given up on controlling the chaos. Oh yeah, they also all have powers and ride giant mythical beasts. Did they mention none of the group trusts any of them either? Yeaaah, this is going to be a long trip home…

[briaberri]

Lucien is a survivor abuse and assault, war, and torture. He's clinging to stability with a scarcity of options. He's trauma bonded with an unstable friend who went dark. We want characters who've had it hard to win their golden hour.

And.

None of that:

Requires Elain to accept something she does not want from someone she does not want. Understanding why a person is in pain, and recognizing the context for their struggles, is not a bargain to accept something against one's will.

Imagining Lucien, hundreds of years old, blame shifting responsibility to compensate for his years of hurt onto a 20something year old who didn't even want to be there with a "You owe me this because I'm due," is coldly nauseating. Elain is not his consolation prize, and thank the Mother she knows it; even if no one else does.

▪︎ Such rationale softens Tamlin's abuse of Feyre

▪︎ Such rationale extends that Morrigan owes Az (who is possibly her mate?)

Terrifying logic to follow through. Definitely not a storyline focused on empowerment and autonomy.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

Rhysand is a survivor of abuse, trauma, brutality, and loss. He clings to his loves like salvation from his crimes past, and wrestles complexly with deserving happiness, and protecting that which they have.

And.

None of that:

Means therefore, that Azriel is not worth the same hope for love against all odds. It can't be romantic for Rhys, but criminal for Az. None of it makes Rhys' manipulation and subjugation of Azriel and Elain alright.

▪︎ Call back to ACOFrost & Starlight when Rhys acknowledges that he and Az are more alike than is recognized.

Az is vulnerable to the accusations Rhys slanders him with in the study in the BC of SF, and his brother knows it.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

Nesta has survived starvation, tragedy, assault, terror, and suffering. Her self worth splintered to the bones following the war with Hybern, devastated and internally fleeing from her failing to try, not dissimilar from the way her father failed to try for them.

And.

None of that:

Requires that her sisters accept mistreatment and intentional harm from the sister they adore, when that sister is cutting down anyone in her path with her pain. It takes some real courage to release a trauma bond so that both parties are free to heal on their journeys.

◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇

All to say:

° Our fears and hurts don't justify stomping on the agency and worth of others.

° You should not carry what someone won't let go of.

° Boundaries are excellent tools for healing.

° Elain is right to hold hers.

[darcyolsson]

Hope you're doing okay bud 💛💛💛 just so you know the tag "i guess the question is whether the empathy is greater than the resentment" has absolutely haunted me since i read it and I feel it on a spiritual level as a 20something Going Through It with 20something friends who are all Going Through It

I'm alright! doing a lot better than a few months ago both physically and mentally, definitely not back to (my) normal yet but slowly moving in that direction :)

I think it really is the shitty 20something experience right!!!!! ideally you take turns taking care of each other but usually you're going through your own little personalised circles of hell all at the same time. can't whoever is in charge of torturing us at least schedule these things better...........

I guess it's important to remember that a reason isn't an excuse, so even if you fully understand why someone is acting the way they are and you can empathise with that reason that doesn't mean you can't break contact with them, not even in the sense that youre "punishing" them but more that you can just let go of friendships that aren't working for you regardless of why that is. it hurts and it can feel shitty but in a very real way I am already so tired and I simply do not have the energy for any of this

and honestly maybe this is just me but there is also such a thing as too much empathy. like, do my friends really not have any energy or mental space to come over some time, or do they just not want to and I'm crafting a nice excuse for them in my head while quietly simmering with rage and at the same time feeling like I am the problem for feeling that way. it goes both ways! sometimes you need to be less empathetic actually🙏

either way good luck!! i hope you can figure out how to make the friendships that are worth it work, and how to cut off the ones that are not <3

[ambiguousdisorderken]

but family dinner with logan luring kendall into a false sense of security to get him to admit what's really going on in his life because why is his son so... gleeful yet anxious but also cocky, buoyant?? – why's he not the morose 20something fuckup logan was expecting to see? so yes , logan plays the understanding loving father part, says he can't keep up sometimes, that times are changing, says ken will be great for waystar when he's ready , says he loves his kids no matter what, says he wants in on their lives again, says it all like he means it. and kendall falls for it - he's on an optimistic, king of the world mood. few days ago, stewy's mom met them for lunch. she didn't know Know, but why her barely concealed shovel talk then, or the goodbye kiss on his cheek that felt like a blessing, or stewy telling him that night, in a sleepy heap of limbs, she'd always liked him anyway? they're both filthy rich so it's not like fucking society will shun them or whatever right? reg rules do not apply, etc.

so , he comes clean. at the dinner table. not saying the actual words but putting it out there, like ' dad you remember stewy right, from buckley? i - so we're kinda sharing a place right now , as in roommates. 'cos the dorms were obviously shit. but , well. um he's good, to me. like, he's my third oldest friend, you know? i mean - we're , like you said things, times change, i guess. but it's alright. so, yeah' and logan goes 'uh huh'. for visuals, add just clinking of forks, side-eyes, sips and coughs, rome's suffocated giggles, shiv telling him to shut up, and ken panicking. the thing is, at this point, kenstewy is A Thing, tender and wild. young and beautiful and in love and far from home, unseen, safe. something something , the world doesn't Need to know but We do. and it's cutesy dumb boyfriends shit , alright? an earnest wine and dine, love and fuck, you and me against the world babe mutual deal. but for reasons we all know, logan most definitely lets kendall know that – no he won't have it, and kendall can forget about waystar and his family, his whole future, should he decide to keep playing house with a fag . no son of his will besmirch their family name

/// so, despite theirs being the happiest , realest relationship either of them has ever had, kendall does like logan said. he doesn't go back to his and stewy's place. they never break up , but they do, gradually. they pretend They didn't happen, and they stop talking. at first, stewy throws parties and fucks other people in what used to be their bed. eventually, he too moves out, and hopes he's not stupid enough to get anywhere near kendall roy ever again. um, yeah good luck with that king

[callme-adam-iguess]

Dont mind me the pinned post one.. I just need to change everything from my blog to make everything new.

I was so cringe back then in 20something sooo- i hope you understand-

It's alright-o! Just make sure to not stress/worry 'bout it :)

[belle-of-a-time]

A list of pretty good actually teen/YA supernatural shows that I have personally seen and think are not That bad.

If I think of more I’ll add them to the list.

Pretty Please give me Campy Supernatural recommendations.

Zombies (I’m actually terrified of zombies so a lot are too scary for me)

Z nation (very campy the middle seasons are my favorite)

iZombie (only the first season)

Vampires (i wanted to be one when I was ten)

The vampire diaries (i don’t really recommend ALL of TVD it gets super frustratingly boring for me at least)

The Originals (the edgier spin off I did not like it but it’s worth mentioning)

Legacies (the only one of the three I actually recommend wholeheartedly. It’s campy it’s stupid and it’s fun also there’s a musical episode!)

My babysitter is a vampire (absolute classic but not as classic as-)

Buffy the vampire slayer (it had an awkward implied sex scene that made me laugh also has a musical episode)

What we do in the shadows (older skewed but absolutely hilarious)

True blood (be warned if you haven’t seen it. Confederate vampires abound 🤢, other than that though it’s pretty alright)

Werewolves (give me recommendations please)

Wolf Blood (absolute favorite of all time,its on Amazon prime and peacock and I Highly recommend)

Teen wolf (classic)

TVD and it’s spin-offs also count but If you want Werewolf content The Originals is probably your best bet tbh

Wolf pack (buffy cameo in the first episode, im hooked)

Miscellaneous (witches, ghosts, otherwise spooky)

Wednesday

Julie and the phantoms (girl accidentally summons ghosts by playing an old cd in her garage. Drama ensues. every episode has at least one song)

Binny and the ghost ( girl meets ghost boy and they fall in love, very cute. German Disney channel, is not on Disney plus the only way I know to watch it is piracy)

H2O: just add water (mermaids… need i say more)

Cursed (Arthurian but with a twist)

The imperfects (a group of 20somethings underwent experimental treatment for a condition that eventually causes them to develop supernatural powers that turn them into “monsters” lovingly called a “coming of rage” by its fans)

Dirk gently’s holistic detective agency (Elijah wood and Samuel Barnett are very lucky at solving crimes. Contains my poor meow meow Bart (love her) and also my girl crush Amanda. It’s weird and campy and I wish it had gotten more seasons)

The Witcher (I really liked season one and two!)

Charmed (the original AND the reboot are both very fun, it’s about witches)

Once upon a time (long and not paced very well but it’s fun at times, I had a crush on Peter Pan when I was a kid and his season is the best so there’s that.)

The 100 (Technically sci-fi but I’ve heard it gets supernatural at some point so when I get there I’ll probably move it, it’s kinda stupid but it’s campy and FULL absolutely brimming with hot men and lesbians and it Still got probably too many seasons)

Dead Boy Detectives (if you can’t tell I like mystery shows. GHOSTS! Ghost boys solve mysteries with their psychic friend! Has a lot of queer rep and tbh I think it’s handled better than a lot of stuff recently Especially Edwin, Jenny was a little less so but i did love that there were No homophobes I mean a few were implied but they don’t get any platform. VERY cute and very emotional at times I would rank it up there with The Imperfects as one of my Favorite modern supernatural shows. It’s a Netflix original as well so its chances of getting a second season are low but I adored it, it’s set up for at least one more season but you know how Netflix is.)

[talkgentlytome]

reasonable friend : hey you’re sure you want to drink that much? you might regret it tomorrow morning ...

me : lol who do you think you’re talking to? I , my good sir, am a decorated veteran from the University Alcohol Wars! my liver was promoted to the rank of GOD during those epic days! i no longer drink alcohol, ALCOHOL DRINKS ME!!

reasonable friend walking away : eh, fair enough mate, whatever you say

me : oh my words are nothing but the almighty truth!!  am the reincarnation of Dionysus himself!!!!

[ganymedesclock]

Okay hold absolutely everything- I wanna hear about your au Shadow and Vanilla crackship, I'm very intrigued.

[deep breath]

Okay so. Several factors afoot here.

Vanilla is basically a local community leader. She runs a bakery/family restaurant and both employs and manages charity work for a lot of people. In the 'less fashionable' oldtown district of Starlight City, just about everybody knows Vanilla. She is Connected.

This also means she is busy, which, as a single mother with a rambunctious adopted child, does mean she makes SOME arrangements for Cream, who cannot play soccer in abandoned lots all the time, and there's only so many times you can get a kid a tetanus booster before the consensus comes in that Someone should keep an eye on the kid.

Incidentally, Vanilla living close to century-old prefab housing means some of her neighbors are Interesting. One of them is Shadow, who was able to buy out not just the particular unit for sale but enough of the prefab structure that he basically owns his own 'townhouse' and has turned the basement into his personal machine shop.

Nobody really know what Shadow's deal is. Most of the people Vanilla talks to do not know when exactly he blew into town. He is, most concede, Older Than He Looks because he's got the physique of a spry 20something but offhandedly references being there for events that are at least thirty to forty years ago. It's also a general consensus that he's almost definitely here illegally and tends to disappear any time someone particularly official is too close for his comfort. He Does Not Get Out Much, sleeps irregularly, and makes psychiatrists home in like bloodhounds on the scent within ten paces of most of his habits.

Needless to say, not what most people would consider ideal babysitter material. But Cream managed to kick a ball through one of his windows on a dare, and the bewildered enigma thus summoned awake at 3pm cleaned up the broken glass and patched the ball, nominally so she'd leave him alone, and told her to play somewhere else without particular anger.

Vanilla does not really believe Shadow thinks of her as a friend, but she believes very strongly in being Neighborly, and, every now and then paying him to watch Cream is an easy arrangement and also a pretense to make sure he doesn't spend too much time alone in the dark with his thoughts as seems to be his prerogative.

Cream thinks Mr. Shadow is terribly sad, and not always polite, but sometimes people struggle to be polite when they're feeling bad, and he seems to be feeling bad almost all the time.

Shadow thinks the kid is alright, and her mom is somewhere between a little too nosy for his comfort and one of the rare listening ears he almost opens up to before he reminds himself not to do anything that means he'll have to leave town even faster than normal.

He's already been here too long.

[missjanjie]

Last anon here; I wasn't there person who first talked about it i actually thought they were talking about Dahlia sin (i didn't realize that's how its spelt) so that's my bad. I don't watch dragula so thats my bad again But I totally agree with you.

it’s alright i looked back and honestly didn’t even see the typo lol. also dw that’s not the first time this has happened

but yeah im not trying to be flippant - if he had a physical relationship with a 15 year old as an adult, that is very much not good. but nothing in the texts showed evidence of grooming, which is more specific than ‘20something dates a teenager’

[doubleshotofsomething]

Come Into My Life

This is my entry for @nekoannie-chan​‘s writing challenge. Congratulations on 500followers :D! Thank you so much for letting me participate!

This is a series. The remaining parts will be posted throughout the day. It is a Thor fanfic with a song prompt “Entra en mi Vida” (its a beautiful song, i highly recommend).

Song Prompt: Entra en mi Vida by Sin Bandera 

Warnings: swearing, like a lot of it. Mentions of human experimentation. that’s it?? Also, people are idiots here, folks. bare with me.

Summary: You live in a world where soulmates don’t exist. Like, at all. All that meant to be, fate has chosen nonsense? Not real. Literal, actual, from-the-TV-screen fairytale. So... why is the God of Thunder convinced that you’re his?

Part One: Entra en mi vida, te abro la puerta

"So—" You clear your throat, throwing yourself onto the only empty seat, "—all jokes aside, guys. What the fuck!"

Everyone blinks at you, drinks in their hands and confusion all over their faces.

You stare back at them, completely dismissing the new sets of eyes staring at you. "No, seriously, like what the fuck?" You reiterate. "Like, no guys, this fuck needs an answer. What the fuck."

"Are we supposed to know what this fuck is?" Ghost asks, the first among the group of five to surpass her confusion. "Because I have a what the fuck for that what the fuck."

You reach over to grab her drink and she – having been used to your antics after three years of friendship – moves it closer for you to grab. You take a sip, let the taste of her chamomile tea settle on your tongue, blanch and give it back.

"So, you know how the Avengers got their asses whipped after they pulled a deadbeat dad, right?" You make grabby hands towards Hope's drink, and she – just like Ghost – pushes it over to you.

"Careful," she grimaces, "it has a kick to it."

"So did Thanos," You mumble as you take a sip of her drink. The espresso sits heavily on your tongue and you swear you can feel it stain your teeth. "What the actual fuck, Hope? What is this? And why does it not have sugar?"

She chooses to roll her eyes at you and mimic the remaining two new faces by staying quiet. Her eyes narrow at you in warning.

"Don't get a tude with me, missy—" You wag your finger at her, “—you're the one that MIA'd for five years without a return address and pissed off the Feds. Like, seriously, what the fuck guys? We had plans and everything! Why the fuck would you leave me alone for that long? You know how I get when I'm not forced to socialise!"

Ghost snorts. "Don't be a baby."

Pouting, because you’re very mature, you feign a sniffle and stick your tongue out at her. "Weeeeeh."

The dude with the annoyingly short blond hair snorts, consequently gaining your attention, and tries to hide his smile with his cup.

"You're new," you narrow your eyes at him. "Why are you new? And why do you look like the dude that owes me 12K for wrecking my car?"

"Oh my god—" Ghost grumbles in the background, "—not this again."

"I have bills and crippling debts and things that need to be paid for, Ghost!"

"You're a trust fund baby, you shithead!" She argues. "You don't know what crippling debt looks like!"

"You don't know that! My investment portfolio has been crumbling since the stock market crashed last year due to the recession."

Sam grins cheekily at you. "You have no idea what you just said, do you?"

Huffing and puffing, all you can say is. "Let's go back to the what the fuck that needs to be discussed." You glare at him pointedly, "then maybe, we can discuss why you're still here and why you came back from ashes."

"I know you missed me, cupcake." The evil bastard reaches over and pinches your cheek.

"I miss dancing on your grave," You try to swat his hand away, "now, thanks to your selfishness, I need a new dance floor. Very rude of you to not stay dead."

"You're adorable."

"As I was whatting the fucks," You turn back to Hope and Ghost, "when the fuck did my life become Thor versus Thanos, and why am I the Thor without the hammer to fight Thanos?"

"Is that your what the fuck?"  Ghost frowns.

It's her turn to get glared at. "Don't act like you haven't seen the footage. You know exactly how badly Thor got yeeted off his high horse. I'm only regretful that Captain Wrecking Ball wasn't knocked off his."

"You know he's over here, right?" Hope, ever the oblivious one to your obvious jabs, points at the dude that wrecked your car.

"Yeah, unlike my car and the check he has yet to hand over but hey—" lifting up the cup of espresso, you grin at her "—when life gives you lemons."

"I'm still confused and offended about the Thanos reference." Sam, the gift from the bad side of Pandora's box, begins. "What do we have to do with your life?"

"What does pulling a deadbeat dad mean?" The other new dude asks, his face is both the definition of confused and annoyed. "And what does it have to do with the Avengers?"

You frown. "Now I'm confused—"

"Oh no—" Ghost grimaces.

"—Why do you look like the dude from Gossip Girl but also like the dude on the UN's wanted poster of 20something?" You turn to Sam for assistance. "Doesn't he look like that old geezer from the museum?"

Sam grins, leans back in his seat to take a proper look at the manbun dude. Your table is the round one placed at the corner – the irony – and, until recently, it has always been occupied by the four of you. That was before they decided to ghost you for half a decade.

 "Now that you mention it—"

"Oh, fuck off." Manbun snaps at Sam, and you swear you've never fallen in love faster in your entire life than you have in that moment.

Your grin is wide and shit-eating as you put the cup down. You extend your hand to Manbun and wiggle your freshly painted — somehow chapped – fingers.

"I'd tell you my name but it's better if you just called me sweetheart," You’re still grinning. "What's your sign and what time can you pick me up?"

He blinks at you, still confused, and frowns at your hand. Slowly, because you’re a patient girl, you lean over and pry his left hand away from his cup. You place your palm in his and wrap your fingers around each other.

"I'd ask for your name but I think I'll settle for calling you babe," You shake his hand, and then place it back on the cup. "Or hun. I'd call you handsome, but that's too tacky and we—” You point between the both of you, " – don't do tacky."

You sit back in your seat and glance at Sam. "Well... Most of the time anyway."

At this, the rest of your life flashes you a grin. "How does eight o'clock sound?"

"It sounds like a recipe for disaster." Ghost cuts in, narrowing her eyes at you. "Back off, shithead. You've hurt enough of my coworkers"

Jaw dropping and shock feigning, you gasp. "How is that my fault?"

"Is that joke?" Ghost frowns, "because I feel like it's a joke. Three incidences with the analysts and five tech support team make it look like a joke."

You scoff at that. "Look, if your little back up boys can't handle the essence of a real woman, then that's not my fault." Confidently – and silently annoyed – you also add. "Plus, I actually did SHIELD, or whatever ridiculous name you're calling the remake of a failed organisation, a favour. If your boys behind the boys in spandex can't handle being told off by a 'mouse' as they call us, then they shouldn't be behind the dude that wrecked my car.

 "But now that I've said that out loud—" You pause, "—I finally understand why the Avengers are so bad at their job. I mean, with such poor support systems, it's no wonder boy blue and red uses cars as a landing mechanism. It's almost as if he's never heard of a parachute."

There's a pregnant pause as you pretend to ponder the situation. The new dude with the blond hair has visibly turned red and is shifting uncomfortably in his seat. Manbun has a very permanent looking frown smeared all over his face and you’re pretty sure you've just ruined whatever chances you had of giving him children. And Sam, because he's Sam and is patiently waiting his turn to roast you, has the biggest shit-eating grin on his face.

Ghost pretends to scowl at you, even though you’re pretty sure she's already drawing up the schematics for the pedestal she's about to build for you. Hope, because she's Hope and has first-hand experience of dealing with spoilt little brats that use creative antics to slowly drive people away, decides to use that exact moment to sigh and expose you.

"Hey sweetheart," she begins in that voice of betrayal. "Can you, like, not be an antisocial, territorial pain in the ass for five minutes and be nice? Stop trying to get our guests to leave with your little mind games, yeah?"

You blink at her. Once, twice. Because the betrayal always takes a few moments to sink in.

"They're not mind games." You retort. "Boy Blue over there did wreck my car. He used it to cushion his fall, because apparently the super-secret organisation that harbours entitled idiots doesn't invest in parachutes."

"But you don't even need that 12K—"

"I didn't ask for the 12k. I just simply pointed out that his reckless behaviour is very costly for those who suffer for it."

"Okay, guys—" Ghost tries to interject, but it's too late. The fire has already started, and Hope and you have never been on the same page when it comes to anything involving the Avengers.

"You're being unreasonable now. You, of all people, should understand that some things are out of our control."

"That doesn't excuse or make the damage done alright. The ruining of people’s livelihoods isn’t a necessary evil for your super heroe'ing righteousness." You point out, eyes narrowed, and teeth bared. "I, of all people, don't understand your defence. Because I don't use the lab that made me as an excuse to get away with the bad shit I do to people. Whether intentionally or not."

"Really? Because you weren't singing that same song when you cashed in on all that HYDRA inheritance."

"I am not the people that made me and it's not like I'm vacationing the money away. Or have you forgotten about that harbour I had to fix because your boyfriend decided to grow a few sizes?"

"Oh, how could I forget? It's not like you rub it in his face every time he tries to so much as even say hi to you."

"People should be held accountable for their actions. Excuse me for exercising my fifth amendment because I don't think communicating with the guy that turned your dad into a fugitive by siding with the anti-accords gang is cool!"

"That accords was messed and you know it!"

“Yeah, but I didn’t go around trying to be a vigilante about it!”

"Just admit that your stance for the accords is only because you need the government's protection against ex-Hydra agents."

She hit a cord and she knows it. "You're treading on very thin ice, Hope."

 "Scared they might come back and finish what they started? Now that Pierce and Rumlow are gone, there's nothing stopping them from finishing what they started, is there?"

"You know," You sigh, reaching for Ghost's drink and taking a sip. "At least, I don't have to abduct a man from his home, nearly ruin his chances at freedom, risk his life numerous times for my personal gain, just cause I have a theory about my mom's whereabouts. And then—" You let out a condescending laugh at the thought, "—have the audacity to look him in the eye and call it love. Because, ya know, turning a guy into a science experiment and berating him for doing what he thought was right is so romantic."

She's turning red. You can see it before it actually happens and there is a sick sense of pleasure coursing through your veins at the thought. At the fact that you’re the one pressing all the buttons.

Boy, are you fucked up.

"Damn." Sam mumbles, then chortles, then belts out a laugh. "Shit. Who pissed in your gourmet breakfast?"

"People," You scowl at him. “Fucking people. Because, now call me a bitch if you insist, I don't remember telling management to sign a deal with SHIELD."

"What the fuck?" Ghost, ever so caring, contributes to your bewilderment and pissy mood.

You nod frantically at her. "Exactly! What the fuck! Do you see why I needed you guys so bad? Like, it's like the creation of the Strike Force all over again!"

"Hold on—" Captain Damage Ball cuts in. "—I'm confused. What exactly is going on and what does SHIELD have to do with it?"

"Oh boy. Germany, here we go again—"

"Don't be an asshole, shithead."

 --

 When SHIELD fell and Black Widow released all those classified documents to the public, your existence was made known to the public. It turned out that running a terrorist cell inside a super-secret organisation wasn't the only thing Pierce had hidden from the world. You were.

You were supposed to be an experiment. Another volunteer, like the Twins, for Hydra's ultimate plan. Another Bucky Barnes, but without the constant torture to keep you mindless and loyal.

 You were supposed to be the next generation. The Rumlow that wouldn't need force and violence to get the job done. That was the requirement. Those were the orders. That's what you were supposed to be.

Instead, somewhere deep in the dark, cold corners of an abandoned Hydra lab, the inhumane attempt of creating Winter Soldiers through 'natural means' had taken place.

The surrogates were all volunteers, the scientist claimed.

The procedure was necessary for the mission, the doctor explained.

This is the only way forward, the master mind behind that plan argued.

Rumlow took care of the agents himself. Pierce burned down that lab himself. And, out of all the children born, you were the only one that lived longer than the rest. The others were unfortunate enough to be experimented on, before Rumlow found out.

Not knowing who to trust, Pierce kept you hidden from the world and Hydra. He never hid the truth from you, nor did Rumlow. They knew that, at some point, those that knew about the lab would eventually find you, and you needed to be prepared for when they did.

When SHIELD fell, the paper trail that led to your existence was small – miniscule, even – but it was there. Sam found it, but he kept you a secret as well until you were ready for the whole world to know.

But the world wasn't waiting for you to be ready. It wasn't that patient, nor kind. Because, with everything out in the open, chaos ensued, and you were still – at the end of the day – the next generation. All those assets couldn't remain frozen forever and all those lives that were ruined by Hydra couldn't remain unaided.

So, you had to step out and – begrudgingly – announce your existence to the world. Put a huge target on your back and claim the inheritance that Pierce had unwittingly left you.

"I'm gonna go piss off alot of bad people—" You had said to Sam over the phone, right before your News Interview. "What do you think I should start with?"

He wasn't having any of it. "Did you just wait for me to leave the country so you could do something stupid?"

"Of course not, I'm not you—" You scoffed, checking your outfit again. "—I hired a hacker to fake a series of cyber-attacks. Then I asked that girl, you know – the one that could walk through walls, to freak a bunch of people out. So, you know, it could be an Avenger level threat, but not the kind that needed Captain Spandex, so they'd send you. Then I scheduled the interview for the night of the supposed attack, because I knew you'd be gone—"

"Are you kidding me, Y/N— Clint, turn this thing around now!"

"—So, I was thinking I show up on stage and say 'the law says I can take all those assets and I'm gonna use them to do the exact opposite of what my ex-bosses would've wanted'. How does that sound?"

"Do me a favour. Don't move. I wanna kill you myself."

You grinned. "I knew you'd love it."

--

Next Part

TAGS: @nekoannie-chan​ , @thorfanficwriter​

[marvellfashion]

In 2010 there was a 4-issue series called X-Campus. It was more or less the same premise as X-Men Evolution in the sense of "X-Men high school AU" but with a different plot and somewhat different cast. The big thing it had that Evo did not? Teenage Emma Frost and Sebastian Shaw. And my jaw DROPPED when I saw them.

I'm sorry, I was NOT prepared. I was not prepared for ANY of this. Emma Grace Frost with a LIP PIERCING? And a BELLY BUTTON RING? And alright, I can see her in that preppy little polo shirt as a teen, but SHAW has a WALLET CHAIN and a WRISTBAND and what the fuck is he wearing a SWEATER VEST OVER A T-SHIRT? Like they were trying to do 2000s bad boy but had no idea how anyone like. . . actually dressed?

Their game steps up a bit here, I like Emma's pearls and belted top, and Shaw looks a LITTLE more like the "wrong side of the tracks punk" Lance Alvers rip-off I think he was intended as

And like okay I do get this choice, actually---Emma is from a wealthy background, but Shaw was canonically born in deep poverty and we've seen that when he was a young 20something guy he had kind of a greaser look going, so the modern equivalent of that would be something like this, but it's still so BIZARRE, as is the fact we see him in a hoodie later. Sebastian Shaw in a hoodie, guys, that happened. What's even more bizarre? He honestly looks kinda cute here. Check his and Emma's winter-wear!

Emma also wears some blue beads with a sweater-vest over a white blouse and a skirt, which fits pretty well with the rich preppy girl vibe that you would imagine a teen Emma with if you were just looking at adult Emma and didn't know how awkward her teen years really were.

Yes, the "Hellfire Club" in this series is literally just Emma's dorm room where she throws parties sometimes. And Donald Pierce has a man bun and ends up being Rogue's love interest. I'm serious. Also, did I mention Sebastian Shaw wore a fucking HOODIE? I'm not over that. Also, check out Storm! I feel like this is what she'd l have looked like in Evo if they had made her a teen instead of a teacher

The guy to Rogue's left is Logan btw. Yes we also got teen Logan. It was. .  .something.

——————————————-

I.... I DON’T KNOW HOW TO FEEL

[hushedruin]

RAMBLIN REVIEW: A Good Old Fashioned Orgy

Alright, so ignore that title for a second. This is a movie with a ton of funny charismatic folks in it. Jason Sudeikis, Tyler Labine, Lake Bell, Lindsey Sloane, Nick Kroll, Will Forte, Leslie Bibb, Martin Starr, and others. Don Johnson even has a minor role (or a cameo; suppose it depends if he comes back?). On the strength of this cast alone, this movie should do no less than a B-.

And yet... I dunno, it just never quite gets better than mediocre...?

Let’s break it down, as there’s a lot of moving parts here. We focus on a group of friends and it’s a larger-than-usual cast. Each of them has their own storyline, which actually works. The dialogue and interactions are all great and really make this contrived/silly setup work. I’m not really a Nick Kroll fan, but he works pretty well here in a “less is more” capacity. So like in that respect, things are rolling great. Like uh... Lindsey Sloane’s character lost a bunch of weight, but is still really anxious about being seen naked. Sue (Michelle Borth) is low-key (but still statedly) pining after Eric (Sudeikis) and has been for some time apparently. Duquez (”du-kezz”; Starr) is racked with anxiety over his rock record (but also is the friend that they all crap on)/that takes the razzing personally). Eric (again, Sudeikis) is trying to save his party house and dating one of the realtors hired to sell said house (Bibb). It’s very much an ensemble piece and actually works really well.

Oh, it’s game time. Yes, writing this as the movie is still going. See, there’s a big hangup I have here. The movie opens with our cast at their various places of work/normal life, and then heading to party #1 (the White Trash Bash). Apparently this is a regular thing: our cast party at a vacation house, and have been doing this on & off for years. Eric’s dad (Don Johnson) is selling the house though, and Eric n co want one last blowout. And what is that finale? Peep the title of the movie, kids.

So, from jump street, I find it weird that friends would all sign on for this horrendous idea. Like I’m awkward as fuck, but I just can’t conceive of friends banging it out and then all still being chill about it.

But my big objection/hangup is that they’re all 30ish. Like... this is a 20something plot. This is the premise of one of those post ‘American Pie’ movies that is just an excuse for a fuckton of female nudity. Them being in their 30s - and Kroll’s character explicitly states “they took my 20s; they will not take my 30s” - makes it... I dunno, kinda weird. Like there’s some level of immaturity here that isn’t addressed in any meaningful way (which it probably should be). I dunno. There’s something about it that rings... strange for me. Like I said though, friends banging it out like it’s nothing also rings “odd” to me. Maybe a night of swinging is something friends without kids do? I dunno. All our couples friends have kids. It’s weird.

I dunno. Uh, 7/10. The dialogue is enjoyable and the people are charismatic, but it’s just not on that next level like I was hoping it would be. Available now on Hulu

[sabine-leo]

Insecurities

Author: @sabine-leo

Oneshot

Genre: Angst, insecurity, age gap 

Summary: An 11 year age gap between you and your boyfriend, Tom is playing games with your minds...mostly his after a night out. 

Note: The lovely @theoneanna asked me to write something along those lines.  I hope I didn´t disappoint you !! 

The new hip and most frequented Club in London was packed! Normally your boyfriend Tom didn´t like to play the “I´m an actor/ VIP card”…but because you were so excited to get in there for almost 3 weeks he did it just for you. He was the sweetest and kindest man you could ever dream off, but something didn´t seem to sit right with him this night. Something was nagging at him. He was trying to be his normal cheery self but his eyes were somehow wrong. The usual sparkle was missing. You noticed because after almost 3 years being with him you knew him like he was an extended part of yourself.

Leaning in closer to him you kissed his jawline and looked up. “What´s up my love?” Tom huged you close for a moment and smiled. “Nothing darling, come on let’s go dancing!” He took your hand and kissed your knuckles.

The night was fun nonetheless, but you couldn´t shake the feeling that something was about to happen. A knot formed in your stomach. After going home in the wee morning hours, you asked Tom to stay at your place, wanting him beside you to hold on to him. The fear you had the first year that he could drift away from you, find a girl closer his age, a bit more mature, maybe one of his co-stars came back. Tom had been relentless to let you know that he loved you and that he wouldn´t even look this way at another woman…so after a while you became more confident, found your place by his side. Now 3 years into your relationship the age gap between the two of you was non-existent for you anymore. At 26 years to his 37 you anyhow shared a lot of passions with him. You just fit.

You cuddled up next to him in bed. His scent was intoxicating to you. There was nothing better than to be invaded by his unique mixture of aftershave and pure Tom. You kissed his stubbled cheek and smiled, content to be in his presence. Sleep soon found you as Tom continued to stroke your back in a slow up and down motion.  “Good night my love” he whispered.

2 hours later a sound startled you awake. The bed next to you was empty…and cold. You sat up and tried to focus. Where was Tom? A soft glow came out under the bathroom door accompanied with murmurs and curses. Still sleepy you got up and softly knocked on the door. “Tom? Everything alright?” You opened up the door a little and Tom turned around. Half shaven and half covered in lather. “Love, why are you shaving at this ungodly hour?” You asked him and stood behind him, wrapping your arms around him. “I love your beard, and your stubble!” You declared.

Tom seemed to be stuck in his thoughts. “Do I need a haircut?” He looked around and found your gel-eye pads. “Do these help?” What was happening here, were you having a weird dream? Tom finished shaving and gave him self a close look in the mirror. Closing one of his eyes and looking closely at the wrinkles forming. He was about to put pads onto his eyes before you´ve had enough.

“Tom, talk to me please…this is so unlike you!”

He sighed and turned. His eyes were so sad, so unsure. You took his hands and tucked him back to bed. “You scare me, please Tom…talk to me!”

“I´m just getting old…” he tried to laugh it away.

At first you were a bit taken aback by his comment, but then it started to make sense to you. In hindsight you probably should have known. The little hints along with the strange encounters the both of you had should have been a dead giveaway. You couldn´t believe that it had had such an effect on your normally self-assured and hot as hell boyfriend. The guys in the club talking about your sugardady taking you out and you getting asked for your ID before getting inside must have been the last drop to let the barrel overflow.

“Tom, you are not having doubts about us?” You asked quiet.

“No, god no. I love you!” he declared. But then his voice got a little raspy. “But….I´m 11 years your senior. And…I have been let known that I do age faster these days. What if…”

Was he really having insecurities? You stopped him then and there. “No! No what ifs…no age shaming. Have you really looked in the mirror lately?” You stood up and dragged him to the whole-body mirror and turned on the light. “What do you see?” You ask him.

“My hot girlfriend and a dude with wrinkles and a receding hairline…” he said unsure.  

“I will tell you what I see!” You answer and stand next to him. Hugging him sideways. “I see a man in his best years. I see a man that wears his heart not only in the right place but shows it to the world. Even when the world is not as careful with it as it should be. You see wrinkles around your eyes…I see the laugh that put them there. This sweet, adorable oh so sexy laugh I could never resist. I do love you clean shaven or with a beard. It does not matter to me!”

You stroke down his chest to the ripples in his sixpack and the hip-dips that could let you forget your name when he´s standing naked in front of you. “You are so fit and lean that you would outrun and beat ANY of those 20something guys in the club tonight.” That got you a little smile.

“Don´t get me wrong, your looks and your physical appearance gets me hot and bothered In 1 second flat, but your mind and especially your soul made me fall in love with you even deeper and more each day we spend together. I love you, and anything you think you saw in that mirror for yourself, or you heard the last weeks in the press or god knows where are simply not true. And most of all. It will never change my feelings for you.”

Toms eyes watered a little. He gulped and wrapped you in a tight hug!

“I love you so much (Y/N)!” You smiled a little and hoped that you had found the right words. He meant the world to you and you would never let him feel insecure about himself or your relationship again!

You stood there for about 2 minutes before Tom leaned back a little and the sparkle was back inside his beautiful eyes. “1 second flat you said?” You grinned and nodded. “Oh yes!”

“Prove it!” he growled and threw you on the bed!

God, you loved him !!

[personal-scientist]

A nice customer interaction:

I’m ringing people up at starbucks. A guy and his friend, young adults, get drinks.

Me: “and can I get a name for the order?”

Guy: “Fabulous”

Me: “Alrighty! I’m writing that down?”

Friend: “That’s the name you’re going with?”

Guy: “Yeah, I don’t want my name shouted. And that way, when my order is called, everyone in the store knows that I’m Fabulous.”

Me: “Sound logic. Alright, you’re all set! I can help who’s next?”

The woman in line behind them approaches and places her order. She’s probably in her 50s, and certainly not as outgoing as the 20something Fabulous.

Me: “Alright, and your name?”

Woman: “... Did that guy just say his name was Fabulous?”

Me: “Yup!”

Woman (quietly): “........... Can I be Wonderful?”

Me: “!! Absolutely! Is that what we’re going with?”

Woman: “Yes! I’d like to be Wonderful.”

Me: “Alright! We’ll have your drink for you shortly. Have a great day, Wonderful!”

[sfthearts]

Pinky Promise

This idea started out as a joke. I was going to write something that had allll the classic fic tropes, and make it the most basic and cringey. I’ve had this idea for forever and finally decided to do it. I was ready for it to be FUNNY. Then I was challenged by miss @theuriearchives to make it actually decent, so that’s what I set out to do. It then became the longest thing I’ve written thus far, clocking in at 2,542 words. What.

Anyways, here’s this, enjoy?

————————————

“Who’s even throwing this party?” Your boyfriend, Alex, asks you as you’re both getting ready one evening.

“Ugh. That guy Brendon I’ve talked about. But we’re not going to see him, we’re going because some of his and my mutual friends are in town, and I want you to meet them.” You tell Alex as you finish styling the last pieces of hair.

“Brendon, the one you used to be close with, right?” He asks nonchalantly, but you can tell he’s more than just curious.

“The very same. We were friends for most of our lives until he got a girlfriend senior year and totally ditched me and made me feel like a loser.” You mutter the last part of your sentence, the memory still leaving a sting in your chest. Not only was he your best friend, but you always felt like your relationship had the potential for something more. You really had loved Brendon, he was such a beautiful person inside and out, it nearly broke you when he started treating you differently and abandoning you in favor of seemingly anyone else. You never understood it, and each time you saw him again it was like the wound was being reopened.

“Damn, and you’re still mad? It’s been like six years, Y/N.” Alex scoffs, shaking you from your thoughts as he leads you out the door to the car.

“I’m not mad, I just… it was pretty shitty of him and he never apologized even though he’s seen me many times, and my number never changed, so I guess I never got closure. That’s all.” You huff, buckling your seatbelt. He shrugs and takes the driver’s seat, putting the car in gear and heading off toward the house of none other than Brendon Urie.

———

“You didn’t have to come, you know. I know it hurts you to see him.” your friend Noelle says as you after you’ve said hi to everyone and introduced your boyfriend to them all. He’d gone off to find drinks as you stayed back to chat with everyone you hadn’t seen in a while.

“I know, I know, I just felt like I should come since a lot of them aren’t in town much anymore.” You explain to Noelle. She nods and shrugs, telling you they’d all understand given your history. You wave her off just as Alex returns with two red solo cups filled with what appeared to be punch of some kind. You take a few sips and grimace at the strength, but get used to it after a while.

Soon enough, you’re all pretty drunk, and your closer friends are all talking in a small circle in Brendon’s living room. Alex had gone off to find a bathroom, leaving you helpless as Brendon joins you all and decides to stand RIGHT next to you. You take a small step to the other side and cross an arm over your body, your anxiety was already beginning to bubble up at the close proximity. The hand holding your drink shook ever so slightly.

Brendon looks over at you, an almost worried look flashing over his features.

“Are you good?” He asks you quietly.

“Fine.” You say back quickly, refusing to look at him any more.

Brendon sighs in annoyance and takes a sip of his beer, and apparently your friends had noticed.

“You guys should really just fuck so this weird tension can finally go away.” Someone says from within the circle, everyone giggles in only partial agreement.

You roll your eyes and remind everyone that you, in fact, have a boyfriend.

“Hey actually where DID Alex go, he said he was going to find a bathroom like 20 minutes ago” you wonder aloud, deciding to go exploring and look for him.

You find each of the 3 bathrooms Brendon had directed you to before you walked off, and come to the conclusion that Alex wasn’t in any of them. You wander down the hall, where the dim light from a bedroom illuminated just enough to see a couple making out at the end. You squint and walk closer, and as you do, the shape of the guy starts to become more and more familiar.

“What the fuck” you whisper, tears already forming in your eyes, you turn back around quickly and run by a few people, you were too focused on getting outside to care about their whispers.

You finally find the front door again, collapsing on the stairs as you finally let yourself cry.

You sit alone for a few minutes, tears streaming down your face, effectively ruining the makeup you’d spent so much time doing just a few hours prior, until you feel a hand touch your back gently.

You jump at the contact and look up to see Brendon sitting beside you.

“I know you probably don’t want to see me right now, I get it, but I saw you run from down the hall, so I peeked. I’m sorry, Y/N. And I’m sorry for what I did, I never should have done what I did to you. I was a fucking asshole and I’ve regretted it every day since then. I never should have let some girl get in the way of our friendship, I’m so sorry.” He says sincerely, his hand still on your back.

You want to fight with him, you want to hate him, you certainly don’t want to accept his apology, everything in you is screaming, telling you to get up and walk away, but you don’t.

You throw your arms around his torso and cry into his shoulder as he strokes his hand up and down your back.

“Shhh, it’s ok. You’re ok. You’re so much better off without him, I promise you. He wasn’t anything special anyway, not special enough to be with you.” He tells you softly.

You stay like this for a few minutes, feeling oddly calm in his embrace. The alcohol in your system probably contributed to the warm calmness you felt now. In that moment, it was as if a match had been struck deep within you, and all the feelings you’d felt about Brendon came right back. You liked that feeling. It felt a whole lot better than angry.

“I know he was your ride home and you’ve been drinking so, if you want, you can stay here” Brendon says after a little while.

“That’d be really nice, thank you B.”

“ ‘course. I really don’t want you taking an uber this late, especially since you’re not exactly sober, none of these idiots should be driving, and I’m definitely not letting them drive you.” He says seriously, his big brown eyes staring into yours. You nod in agreement, and yawn as if on cue.

“I’ll get everyone out that isn’t sleeping here so you can get some sleep, alright?” He says, and doesn’t really give you an option before standing, taking your hand so you can follow. It doesn’t take him long to get everyone out that wasn’t going to be crashing there, and you’re grateful for that.

“I already promised my spare bedrooms to a few people earlier, and I won’t let you sleep on the couch, so you can take my bed.” He tells you as you walk with him to his room. It’s decorated simply, definitely looked like the bedroom of a single 20something year old guy, but it still looked nice.

“Why are you being so nice all of the sudden… you’ve acted like you hated me for so long.” You ask him quietly, slurring your words just a little from both the alcohol, and because you were so tired.

He chuckles as he helps you out of the jacket you were wearing, and bending down to help you out of your shoes.

“Because I was an idiot, and I was afraid.” He says. You look down at him, your expression silently asking him to elaborate.

“I was scared you’d hate me or not even care if I apologized so I just kept shutting you out and I- I’m sorry.” He explains as he stands back up, your shoes in hand. He looks into your eyes and sees the tears starting to form there.

“Ohh please don’t cry sweetheart, I didn’t mean to make you sad, come here” he coos, pulling you in for a hug and placing a hand on the back of your head.

“It's not that I’m sad, I’m just relieved to have you back. I didn’t know what I did for so long, it took me so long to realize-” You cut yourself off with another yawn.

Brendon pulls back to look at you, and wipes away some tears that had fallen.

“Alright, let’s get you to bed, Y/N. C’mon. I’ll get you some clothes to borrow to sleep in.” He says softly, sitting you on the edge of the bed as he rifles through his drawers, returning to you with a shirt and…

“Are these Panic shorts?” You ask, holding up the red athletic style shorts he handed you, turning them around to see “Are you nasty?” printed across the butt.

“Yeah I uhhh, I had to wear them for a picture once, figured they’d fit you better than anything else I have here.” He explains bashfully. You giggle at the mental image of him wearing the shorts.

“If you want, you can change in my bathroom, oh and there’s some makeup wipes in the top drawer if you need them, I think. I’m gonna go make sure everyone is settled, I’ll be right back.” He points you to the bathroom and slips out of the room, leaving you alone to collect your thoughts.

You find the wipes and make quick work of taking your makeup off, and throw your clothes haphazardly on the floor and put the shirt and shorts on that Brendon had given you as you try to assess the last few hours, how quickly everything had changed. Your mind wandered to Brendon, how he had taken care of you, and how attractive he looked while doing so. You wondered if after all this time, you could finally get back on track with him. You hoped he could start to see you how you saw him, the possibility of being more than friends.

You don’t realize how long you’d been thinking until Brendon knocks on the door, asking if you’re okay. You open it quickly, telling him you’re good.

“Aw you look cute in my clothes” he says with a grin, and walks with you to the bed. He pulls the blankets aside so you can crawl in, and tucks you in after.

“Ok, I’ll be just down the hall on the couch if you need anything, just yell for me.” He says with a soft look in his eyes, just before he turns to leave.

“Wait, Brendon?” You call after him. He stops and turns back around.

“Will you sleep in here with me? I don’t want to sleep alone.” You ask quietly.

“Of course.” He says sweetly, walking to the other side of the bed. He takes his pants and shirt off quickly, and throws on a pair of pajama bottoms before climbing in next to you.

His presence warms you, and his bed is so comfortable, you’re quickly lulled to sleep. You hardly hear it when he whispers goodnight.

——

You wake up the next morning wrapped in Brendon’s arms, yours wrapped just as tight around him, and you can’t exactly say you’re mad about it. You burrow in a little closer, still half asleep and wanting more cuddles.

You don’t realize that he was already awake, just holding you and smiling slightly when he feels you snuggle in further, as he laid there with his eyes closed.

After a few minutes you stretch a little and open your eyes, and Brendon opens his to look down at you. You both untangle from each other to properly stretch out and sit up against the headboard.

“Good morning sunshine” Brendon says softly. “I think you had a bad dream, you were whimpering in your sleep. When I held you, you stopped.” He smiles as he explains why you’re wrapped up in his arms.

“I don’t remember it, but you’re probably right.” You tell him, giggling.

“How are you doing? You know with…” he trails off, not wanting to say his name.

“Honestly?” You ask. He nods seriously.

“Always.”

“I’m doing alright. I’m a little hurt, but I’m ok. Thank you, Brendon. For last night. You were there for me when nobody else was, I really appreciate that. And I’m glad we’re okay again, I missed my best friend.”

“Of course Y/N. I promise, from here on out I’m always gonna be there for you. I refuse to lose you again.” Brendon says sincerely. Your heart melts as his soft brown eyes look deep into yours.

“I won’t let you lose me, I promise.”

He doesn’t say anything, he just observes your face, pushing a strand of hair behind your ear.

“You’re so pretty” he whispers.

“Yeah right” you mumble in response.

“I’m serious, Y/N, you’re gorgeous. Absolutely breathtaking.”

You look into his eyes, trying to read the situation.

“Can I tell you a secret?” He asks quietly. You nod and tell him of course he can.

“I’m afraid you’ll hate me, but I’ve always wanted to do this.” He says just before he leans in, palming your cheek and bringing his lips to yours. Your heart rate skyrockets and you think there are fireworks surrounding you.

The kiss breaks much sooner than you would have liked, and Brendon smiles bashfully down at you. You return the grin.

“I’m so glad I did that” He whispers. You nod and reach up to kiss him again, which he happily returns.

You feel him smile into the kiss as he brings a hand to your back to pull you closer. You break and he rests his forehead on yours. He pulls back and puts a hand on each of your shoulders before taking a deep breath.

“It’s gonna be different this time, I promise. I’ll treat you how you deserve to be treated. I know my life is crazy with the band and stuff but, I want you right there next to me. I want you there when all my dreams come true. And I want to be there next to you for yours. If you’re willing, I would love more than anything to call you mine.”

You nod quickly. “Brendon, you have no idea how much I want that. All of it. I want that for us.”

“Thank god” he mumbles before kissing you hard once more, relief and excitement running through him.

The kiss breaks and he pulls you into his arms, running a hand up and down your back as you lay quietly, enjoying the presence of each other.

“You know this means our idiot friends were right all along” You tell him. He laughs and nods, telling you he had secretly hoped they were.

“Me too. Can we make a promise? That we’re always going to be there for each other, even if this doesn’t work out.”

“Pinky promise.”