#the epiphany I’ve had after sleeping for so long and having a bunch of weird dreams

[lucifer-the-fetus-eater]

Mayor of teufort the kind of guy to make gay marriage legal because “all marriages should be happy I can’t believe happy marriages were illegal! That explains my relationship with my wife”

[kissjane]

OH NO THEY WERE ROOMMATES / Very much unshort fic

#14 from this prompt list (I had to scroll waaaay down to get this link...)

Listen, for some reason these last few prompts from the list don’t wanna play nice. I have no idea whether this is any good, but at least it’s finished. I’ll settle for it at this point. Five to go!

We’re roommates but we’re falling for each other

It had started as a quick white lie, to get the boys off his back. They kept pushing him to go talk to any boy who looked at him a bit too long, or to give his number to basically any barista or waiter ever, or to go on a blind date with Basile’s cousin.

So Lucas had told them he had a thing going with his roommate.

Which was definitely not true.

But not because Lucas didn’t want to.

He’d had a crush on the handsome boy since he met him when he first came to look at the apartment with Manon. It wasn’t the biggest one he’d seen, nor the cheapest, but it had, well, other advantages, so to speak, so Lucas had been quick to co-sign the lease. If Manon suspected his reasons, she hadn’t said anything – but she had smiled when Lucas had come up with his fib.

Sadly, his fantasies of cooking together with his roommate, watching movies cuddled up on the couch, and slowly falling in love, had turned out to be a pipe dream. Eliott was mostly in his room. On occasions, he liked to blast dubstep. Lucas had soon figured out that the dubstep meant that Eliott was, uh, entertaining. The number of girls Lucas had walked in on early in the morning, before his first coffee, was staggering, and had quickly led to him putting up all his vague romantic ideas of his roommate.

But by the time Lucas was forced to come to the sad conclusion that the cutest boys were always straight, he’d already kinda committed to the story he’d told his friends, and so now he was stuck with it.

So every time he fantasized about another domestic moment of fluff with Eliott, he told himself it was for a good purpose. The girls were always bugging him for details about what he and his roommate were up to. They had declared them to be made for each other, and the discussions about their ship name were still in full vigor with no hint of them losing interest any time soon.

So Lucas provided.

He and Eliott had cooked pizza from scratch together, getting covered in flour, and accidentally setting off the smoke alarm because they were too busy making out to pay attention to the oven. Lucas ignored Emma’s eager question as to whether they had showered together to get rid of the flour dust.

Another time, he and Eliott had gone grocery shopping together, and Eliott had spun the cart on which Lucas had been standing so fast Lucas had fallen off, luckily into a pile of cardboard boxes. He’d still made Eliott kiss it better on each and every faint bruise as soon as they’d gotten home.

Or the time when they had held a Star Wars marathon, arguing about who was sexier, the young Han Solo or Dameron Poe, when Eliott had turned off the tv and complained Lucas was forcing him to compare a bunch of actors, when Eliott clearly had the sexiest boy of all in his arms.

The girls cooed at every concoction he fed them. In all honesty, it became hard for Lucas to remember none of this had actually happened – until the next scantily clad girl tiptoed through the hall on the way to the bathroom, bleary faced from the lack of sleep.

So after a few months of happy bliss, Lucas felt he had no choice but to break things off with Eliott. It became pretty painful to come up with lovey-dovey tales, and his fantasies were more and more often getting into… less family-friendly territory, which he wasn’t about to share with everybody.

His friends were a bit astonished at the news, and Lucas supposed it was weird, since he never even hinted at any trouble in paradise, but he shrugged it off, saying it was amicable, a joint decision, and he wasn’t even going to move out.

The downside was obviously that, after a few wonderful weeks of peace and quiet when everybody was coming around to the end of Lucas’ first relationship, Basile’s cousin came back into the picture.

Lucas tried to hold off, but he had no excuses left. And anyway, Eliott was playing dubstep almost every night, although Lucas hadn’t really encountered any pretty girls lately, and it grated Lucas’ nerves. It was time to admit he would never have Eliott, all his beautiful daydreams notwithstanding, so he might as well give somebody else a chance.

So he went out with Marc a few times. He was kind, and he had grey eyes, which Lucas recently discovered he had a thing for, so that was a plus. He was also a bit boring, and he tutted at Lucas disapprovingly when the latter tried to ride the bus without validating his ticket, but other than that, he was pretty okay.

And that’s how he found himself on the couch in his flat one evening. Marc and he had watched a movie – Lucas had nixed Marc’s suggestion of Star Wars vehemently – to the soft background music of dubstep coming out of Eliott’s room. It had been weird at first, but it had grounded Lucas somehow – Eliott was never going to be interested, and it was best if he remembered that and didn’t forget that Marc was here, and rather into him if the heated make-out session they were currently engaged in was to be believed.

Neither he nor Marc noticed the sudden appearance of Eliott in the living room, until the later coughed apologetically.

“Uh, sorry… I didn’t realize you had, uh, company, Lucas,” he stammered.

Lucas immediately let go of Marc, and blushed, then mentally berated himself. Eliott himself probably had a girl in his bed, so why would Lucas not be allowed to bring anybody over?

“Uh, y-yeah, no big deal,” he said, as soon as his vocal cords functioned again. “Uh, Marc, this is Eliott, my roommate. Eliott, this is Marc, my – uh…”

“Lucas’ boyfriend,” Marc cut in, a bit smugly. They’d never discussed their status, but Lucas supposed Marc had just made it clear where he was standing. He didn’t know how he felt about it.

Eliott stared at the two of them, his eyes wide. Lucas didn’t know what was going on.

“Uh, is this – is this a problem? We could go to my room, if you want…”

He hoped the problem wasn’t that he had brought home a boy. He realized he’d never talked with Eliott about his sexuality.

Eliott seemed to be slapped out of whatever daze he’d been in.

“Oh! Oh, no,” he quickly replied. “Please, it’s no problem at all. I’ll just… grab a drink and leave you guys, then… Bye, uh, Martin?”

“Marc,” Marc answered pleasantly, pulling Lucas close.

Lucas watched Eliott retreat into the kitchen – he whipped his eyes away as soon as he realized they were trained on the other boy’s ass in his tight jeans – and then returned his close-lipped smile when he passed them again on the way back to his room. The volume of the dubstep was turned on fractionally, and Marc wanted to continue the heavy petting, but somehow, Lucas wasn’t really into it, and though Marc clearly was angling for an invitation to spend the night, Lucas didn’t extend one.

He said goodnight to Marc, and went to his room. He sat still on his bed, his knees pulled up, his arms around himself, wondering how on earth he had gotten himself in this situation. Maybe he needed to move out anyway. It was clear his crush on Eliott, stupid and one-sided as it was, hadn’t died, and maybe it wouldn’t as long as he lived here.

A knock on the door brought him back into the here and now.

At his “Yes?”, the door opened, and Eliott stood right at the threshold, his hands wrung together.

“Uh, Lucas, I was wondering… Uhm, please don’t take this the wrong way, but, uh… I thought about earlier, and maybe, if it wouldn’t be too much of a hassle, I would indeed prefer it if you went to your room with your, uh, boyfriend in the future.”

The last words came out in a rush, and Lucas wondered if he heard them right.

“Excuse me?”, he uttered, painfully polite.

Eliott mumbled the same sentence as before, this time so low Lucas had to strain to hear it, but there was no doubt Eliott was actually saying what he thought he had been saying.

“Are you saying I can’t bring a guy over to my own flat, that I pay rent for, unless I go to my room with him? What the actual fuck?”

Eliott blushed.

“It’s just… You don’t have to, obviously, but maybe it would be easier for both of us…”

Lucas glared.

“Easier for both of us? How do you figure that, exactly?”

“I mean, you wouldn’t have to worry about me walking in on you…”

“I wouldn’t have to worry about that?” Lucas really was upset. Just because Eliott wasn’t interested in him, didn’t mean he had to be such a douchebag about other guys maybe being so. “Are you sure it’s not just about you? Your straight innocent eyes can’t handle two guys making out, is that it?”

A blush appeared on Eliott’s cheeks, and Lucas deflated. So Eliott was indeed uncomfortable with the idea. The moving out plan became more and more alluring by the minute.

It was silent for a long beat, and then Eliott spoke up, enunciating clearly.

“I’m not straight.”

“Huh? Don’t give me crap. I’ve seen most of your one-night stands. Very female, the lot of them.”

“Yeah, I know…” Eliott chuckled a bit self-deprecatingly. “I’m pan, though. I’ve been with guys too, just not…recently.”

In all honesty, the Lucas of a few months ago would have been elated to hear this. Right now, however, it was more a question of adding insult to injury. So Eliott was into other boys, just not into Lucas. It was this epiphany that drove him to bitterness.

“Yeah, well. At least girls have been doing it for you, then.”

“What? What do you mean?” Eliott sounded genuinely confused.

“All the dubstep. Have you even spent one night alone this month?”

When Eliott froze, Lucas almost wanted to take back his words. Eliott didn’t owe him any accountability.

“Uh, I’m sorry about the dubstep. I haven’t been seeing anybody for a while, but I… I kinda kept playing the music. I don’t know why.”

He was not looking at Lucas as he spoke, and he fiddled with the hem of his t-shirt.

“Oh. Well, it’s none of my business anyway, so, uh –”

“What if I wanted it to be?”

Silence.

“What?”

“What if I wanted it to be your business?”, Eliott repeated. He sounded unsure, but he stared straight at Lucas.

Lucas didn’t answer, sitting on his bed open-mouthed. What was Eliott trying to say? The other boy took a deep breath, and gingerly sat down next to Lucas, far enough not to touch him, but close enough to feel his warmth.

“I, uh, I brought over only girls recently because there was this one boy I was trying to get out of my head. And when that didn’t work, I didn’t want him to suspect anything so I kept playing music. It’s stupid, I know.”

Whoa. Lucas tried to unpack all of that in a logical manner, but he failed spectacularly.

“You played dubstep so I would think you had a girl over?”

Eliott nodded.

“And you brought only girls home because…”

“Because boys weren’t doing it for me, not when they weren’t you. Not that the girls were working out, either.”

There was honesty and vulnerability in his voice, and in his eyes.

“But why… why didn’t you just talk to me? You avoided me all the time… We hardly ever even spoke before now…”

“I know. I just, I crushed so hard on you, from the moment you came to see the flat. But I had no idea you were into guys… I thought the girl you were with was your girlfriend. You two seemed so affectionate.”

“Oh, uh, no, she’s one of my best friends, and an ex-roommate, actually. But I’m gay, so, uh…”

Eliott sighed.

“Yeah, I figured that out now. And it sucks, because maybe, if I had just made a move sooner… But it doesn’t matter. You have a boyfriend, and I’ll have to learn to live with that.”

Oh crap. Lucas had forgotten all about Marc.

“I wouldn’t call it that… We went out a couple of times… Mostly because it seems I was applying your tactic to try to get over a certain somebody I was crushing on… Somebody I too thought was straight, what with all the girls he was bringing home…”

He let his words die off, looking at Eliott.

It took him a few seconds, but then he turned towards Lucas, shifting slightly closer. Their legs touched, and it burned Lucas through Eliott’s jeans and his sweatpants.

“So, uh, if that guy promised not to bring over any girls anymore, could you be persuaded not to see Marc anymore?”

Lucas pretended to mull it over.

“Maybe if he also promised he won’t play dubstep if I ever end up in his bed, I think I could be, yes.”

Eliott laughed.

“I won’t have to play anything if we stay in your bed.”

And that sounded like a perfect compromise, so Lucas toppled Eliott and pressed their lips together.

[shinymooncolor]

Sweater weather chat #9

A little Friday tribute to @lumosinlove ‘s sweater weather. 

@siriuslyqueer and @wxlfstxrx thanks for helping me through a groundbreaking epiphany. <3 

Sweater weather chat #9

Celeste has plans. Logan mopes. And drives a minivan. Kuny hides in a library. Nado is a star. And the wives call him Jackie. We get some lady love. Cause hockey wives are awesome. The team dads get in trouble. What did happen in Prague? Does mild vodka exist? 

--- 

Thursday 3.42 pm 

Celeste: hi ladies! So, as you know the long dreaded school talent show is looming on the horizon. I don’t know with you -  but that’s a Saturday we will not get back…. Any ideas?? 

Anya: we send our husbands to the show. 😜 zhenya is helping my kids anyways. Not sure how that happened. But him and Jackie came to leech a free dinner and somehow ended up joining the talent show. 

Linnea: that sounds like something that needs to be recorded! I’m up for a spa weekend. God knows I need it. We’re headed for Sweden next month and I need to prepare mentally for my in-laws. 🙊

Celeste: so we agree to send the boys to the show? And get on with a lovely spa weekend ourselves 😍

Allison: I’m in. I love my boys but I’ve seen them dance and heard them sing. Brady has been successfully avoiding the past three events!!! But I’m intrigued about what the hell Kuny and Jackie can help with? 😂 

Anya: I don’t know and I don’t care. It’s sergei problem now. I’ve warned them to keep it kid friendly. Jackie is still a little scared of me, I think. 👻

Celeste: they are good boys but those two. I swear they’re worse than our lot. And that’s saying something. You remember Prague? 😠

Linnea: the one with the flags at worlds? What were they thinking.... 

Allison: oh sounds like there’s a story there! What did they get up to? 🙊

Linnea: let’s get back to that after three bottles of Chardonnay... 

——

Thursday 4.08 pm 

Celeste: you are going to the talent show. And take Logan with you. He’s been moping for a week. He’s such a teenager. 😂 and DONT EVEN THINK ABOUT DRINKING AGAIN. I will tell Logan about Prague. 😠

Dumo: but I have to train. And don’t tell anyone it’ll undermine our authority. 

Celeste: no you don’t have to, it’s optional. Don’t even start Pascal. You’re taking your ragtag team Dads and you’re all going to sit through 3 hours of recorders and botched Disney music. And you’re going to applaud your babies. And please film whatever the terrible two get up to. I’ve seen the outfits. 😂😍😂😍

Dumo: I love you but you’re mean. Enjoy your spa day. What do I get for being good?

Celeste: a wife who won’t make you sleep in the guest room. And if you’re really good we can talk about the white one again. 

Dumo: I’ll be good!!! 😇😇😇😇😇 

Celeste: 😉

——

Thursday 5.00 pm 

Dumo created a group chat. 

Dumo added Sunny, Sergei, Brady, Kuny, Nado and LoganT 

Dumo named the group chat talent show 

Dumo: gentlemen I believe you’ve all had your fates sealed. We’re now sentenced to suffer through the horror of our kids�� school talent show.

LoganT: what am I doing here? I don’t have kids leave me out 

Dumo: you left your disgusting workout clothes in MY basement. Without cleaning it up. You’re coming. Also Leo and Finn are both with their families. And Celeste made me take you cause apparently you’re sad and mopey. 🤓

LoganT: I’m not sad and mopey. I’m brooding and there’s a big difference. 😠

Sunny: you’re 22 and your boyfriends are out of town. Chin up buddy and enjoy a Saturday of off key singing and recorder hell. And you are moping 😆 brooding is for grown-ups… 

Nado: we’d offer to take you to some strip clubs and get you laid but. Well. We don’t really frequent gay bars so. 

Sergei: really? I once had to rescue u 2 from drag club 😂

Nado: it was one time and we didn’t realize until we were inside. Felt like a fucking Kingggg man they know how to party. Wanna go to a drag club baby Logan? Is fun times! 

Kuny: was fun. But we promise to do show with baby Russians he he 👻👻👻👻

Nado: well i didn’t understand what i said yes to. Thought she asked if I wanted to play Pokémon. 😳

Sergei: that’s why she asked. She’s too sneaky. Not like it. What you do for show? 

Nado: no idea. Your wife is making us an outfit and told us to just stand in the background 🙈

Dumo: oh I’m recording this. Anyways there’s never any parking. You’d think with the obscene fees we pay for that school they could at least organize proper parking. Let’s carpool. 😎

LoganT: why are you carpooling? You’ve got like a combined car catalogue of 25 cars....... 

Brady: this is clearly Logan’s first rodeo. Okay. Sergei always brings some Russian elixir of life. So. We need you to drive. 😘

LoganT: IM NOT DRIVING A MINI VAN! IVE GOT A REP 

Nado: there’s alcohol involved? I’m in!! 🥳🥳🥳🥳

Sunny: only way to get through this....😔

Dumo: you don’t have a rep. You have two boyfriends, an accent and a sweaty hat. You’re driving and I’m not going to argue. 😠 

—- 

Saturday 12.33 pm 

Dumodad: if anyone is wondering what the terrible two are up to this fine Saturday. They’re currently in the middle of a moving rendition of Into the Unknown. Yes they’re wearing blue sequins. 🤩

*kuny and nado dressed in blue glitter sequins onesies with a bunch of kids singing into the unknown* 

Prongstar: HHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA WHAT IS GOING ONNNN???? 

Blizzard: well. There’s a future in show biz for those two. 😂 kuznetsov and nadeau the movie. 

Bradygunz: this is giving me some fresh prince vibes little rays of sunshine!!!😂😂😂😂 @talkiewalkie 

Talkiewalkie: yesss!!! Hahahah 😎😎😎

 ——- 

Saturday 1.22 pm 

Sunny: I love my kids but. There’s a reason it’s not a good idea to always just tell kids they’re good at stuff.

Dumo: hahahah the one with the juggling was fun. 

LoganT: why are we still here? I won’t ever get my hearing back after that bag pipe thing. 😭

Sergei: that’s why we drink. I like the politic ones like a kid could ever know so many isms 

Sunny: quit hogging the flask. Gimme. 

Brady: I didn’t know so many isms existed. Pretty sure some of them were just random words. 😂

——

Saturday 2.01 pm

Logantremblayzzz: guess who’s pissed at a kids talent show. Guess who’s hit on every teacher and has suspiciously disappeared and guess who’s somehow ended up in a production of you’re welcome from Moana? 

Sirius: this is fun.... 1) the dads are pissed. I went to a school play with them once. Sergei brought his flask? 2) I wanna say Nado 3) Kuny? 

Blizzard: ohhh I’ve got 2/3 swapped - Kuny can’t sing in English... and nado’s got the tattoos 😂

Eliascookie: I wanna know more about the sequins? 🥳

Prongstar: tell us!!!  

Logantremblayzzz: 1) yes the dads. Sergei swears it’s only mild vodka. But they’re definitely not sober. 2) Kuny was missing but I found him. He is hiding in the library. 3) yes Nado has somehow ended up on stage again. He’s doing that pec thing it’s weird. I swear the moms here are swooning. He signed someone’s bra. ITS A SCHOOL. 

KrisVolley: you’re just cranky that you had to drive the mini van. Haha! 😂

CarbO’Hara: Logan! You drove a minivan? 🤪🤪🤪🤪 cuteeee 

Logantremblayzzz: it’s stupid and ugly. 🥴 

Dumodad: suits you then 🤪

Logantremblayzzz: I’m telling your wives. 

Sergei_81: no Logan. Don’t be mean. U can have my car 

Bradygunz: we don’t tell Celeste when you leo and Finn cause problems!!!! 

Dumodad: he’s bluffing! Remember who let you live FOR FREE in his basement! I do your laundry and feed you. 

Logantremblayzzz: celeste feeds me and does laundry. You’re just as much a leech. 

Dumodad: I pay for things. 😠

RussianGod: I don’t know where are. Books everywhere help I hide from moms so many everywhere 😳😳😳😳

Ollibear: someone please rescue Kuny before the soccer moms kidnap him 😂

Timmyforrealz: wow Kuny go get some cougar love 🐯🐯🐯🐯🐯 hehehehe 

RussianGod: I scared. Help. @dumodad @logantremblayzzz @sergei_81!!!!!! Help help 

Sunnysideup: DONT flirt with them then. You asked for it. I’ll come get you. Stay in the library. You’re missing nado singing. 

——

Saturday 2.12 pm 

Logan: hey Celeste. Show is ok. How’s the spa??? ❤️❤️❤️

Celeste: charmer... it’s fine thank you - how are the boys?

Logan: uh. Well. 

Celeste: one sec love. 

—-

Celeste added Logan to the group chat 

Celeste: hi Logan! Please tell us about the show. How did the terrible two do with their performance 

Logan: well Katya got scared and refused to go on stage so Kuny had to hold her hand. It was really cute. Loved the outfits. They’re definitely never forgetting that 😂 other than that your husbands are sneaking drinks from sergei’s flask and Nado has been in stage for the past three performances 

Anya: he did what? I will kill him. Thank you for telling us Logan. Tell zhenya to be careful. Soccer moms are hungry.

Logan: will do. Want me to kick your husbands? 

Anya: no love. We have our own ways to punish our idiots 😈

Linnea: thanks Logan! 

Celeste removed Logan from the group chat. 

Celeste: well. I knew we couldn’t leave them alone. But the plan worked well - they’ve now signed themselves up for the events for the rest of the school year! 😎

Allison: 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻 

—-

Celeste: Logan texted me. Do you have any idea how much trouble you all are in? Also someone go rescue Kuny. He’s not ready for a soccer mom. 😈

Dumo: I’m gonna kill that kid. Also sorry. But. There was a BAGPIPE. You’re very pretty and beautiful and I love you. Sunny has gone to rescue Kuny. 

Celeste: hmm. How are you going to fix it? 

Dumo: I’ll show you 😜 on my knees 👅

Celeste: 😈

[marveloussupernerd]

epiphany - Yoosung Kim

I fell asleep in the middle of this one too. This seems to be a trend for when I write for Yoosung haha. “Luckily” I woke up around 3:15 and got to work finishing it. A little disclaimer: they never explicitly state what exactly Unknown did to Yoosung’s eye, so I did take a bit of creative freedom. Also have no idea how eye injuries work and did NOT want to Google it (that stuff grossed me out). I think the description is pretty mild / lacking, so hopefully it doesn’t gross you out if you’re sensitive to it?

Warnings: hospital, eye injury (kind of speculating on Yoosung’s injury in his route)

Summary: Yoosung has to return to the hospital after the RFA party to get more treatment, but you decide to visit him this time around to find out what happened and make sure he’s okay

Yoosung was the first to pull away from the kiss, cheeks bright red as he glanced at the people at the RFA party staring at him, breathing heavily as he attempted to catch his breath.

“Yoosung,” you whispered, hands very carefully making your way close to the wraps around his eye. “What happened? I thought you said you were safe.”

“Oh, about that,” he looked down at the ground, not wanting to meet your eye. He looked like a kicked puppy, surely disappointed in himself for lying to you. “I didn’t want you to call off the party or worry or anything. Plus, I am safe! Just a little less healthy than I was before.”

“Yoosung, we should go back to the hospital,” V said, making his way over to the two of you. He greeted you quickly, as this was your first time meeting, but focused his attention on Yoosung.

“You have to go back?” You asked. You hadn’t realized it was that bad.

“Oh, uh, don’t worry!” Yoosung put on his brightest smile for you, grabbing both of your hands in his. “They just wanna keep me overnight again so they can monitor it and change my wraps and stuff. No big deal.”

“Overnight... again?”

“You’re so sweet. Don’t worry about me, I’ll be okay. I’ll be sure to call you and text you a lot.” He seemed to be trying to wink. You couldn’t really tell, but it did make you laugh, which made him smile even wider. “Take care of yourself, okay?” He asked. You nodded.

“I should be the one telling you that. Let me know when you get there.”

He left. The second he exited the room you worked on your plan; you really wanted to visit him. Jumin made a few calls to ensure you’d be able to stay with him past visiting hours if he wanted you to. Two hours later, you were admitted into his room.

He was sleeping in his hospital bed, a little bit of drool on his pillow. You took a seat in the chair next to his bed, deciding to wait patiently for him to wake up. His nose twitched, eyebrow furrowing. He muttered your name. He was adorable. His eye fluttered open, then shut, then open again.

“Yoosung...?” You asked, unsure if he was entirely awake. He groaned your name again. You giggled. “Are you awake?” You questioned, your voice soft enough that you wouldn’t stir him if he was asleep and dreaming.

“This... isn’t a dream?” He asked, his eye opening, voice groggy. He quickly wiped the drool on the side of his mouth. “You’re really here?”

“Mhm,” you stood up to get close enough to give him a kiss on the cheek. “I hope that’s okay with you. I can come back another time if you’d like.”

“No!” He sounded more alert now, his voice had an urgent edge to it. “I’m so happy you’re here. You should stay here... uh, if you want.”

“Of course. I wasn’t planning on only watching you sleep then leaving when you woke up,” you teased. His cheeks flushed red.

“You haven’t even changed your clothes from the party,” he commented, eyeing your ensemble. He was right. You didn’t want to waste time stopping home and changing.

“Yeah... I forgot to get you a gift too. I’ll bring one in tomorrow or something. I just wanted to get here as quick as possible,” you promised.

“You kidding? Having you here with me is the best gift ever,” he grinned. “I won’t be here for long, but you sure do brighten this hospital room.”

“Do you think they’ll let you out tomorrow?” You sat back down, reaching out your hand so you could hold his, he grabbed it, linking fingers with you, letting your thumb be on top so you could trace circles around the back of his hand.

“They aren’t entirely sure. They don’t see this type of thing everyday,” he stated. He was so indifferent about the whole thing. He was probably trying to be brave.

“Does it hurt?”

He played with his blanket with his free hand, not quite meeting your eyes. “I mean... yeah. But I’m okay. It’ll get better.”

There was a knock on the door, which drew both of your attention. It was a doctor, followed by a nurse. “Hi Yoosung, how’s it feeling?” The doctor had a dazzling smile and seemed very nonchalant. He must see things like this pretty frequently in his field.

“Uh, it’s okay. It’s starting to hurt more again.” He was so brave. It really was amazing to see.

“Alright, we’ll get some more pain meds for you. I want to replace your bandages now though if that’s okay and take a quick look at everything.” The nurse started very carefully unraveling the bandages around his head, the doctor pulling out a little light.

“You might wanna look away for this,” Yoosung advised, glancing at you. “Uhm... it’s not pretty.”

You squeezed his hand even tighter, reassuring your presence. “So, who’s your friend here?” The doctor asked, trying to keep conversation going to take Yoosung’s mind off the pain.

“We’re dating actually,” Yoosung replied. He sounded so confident and happy.

“Congratulations! It’s always nice to have someone to visit you.” They peeled the last of the bandage off. “Okay, it’s gonna be a little bright, but try your best to keep your eye open,” he ordered.

You couldn’t look away. You couldn’t see his entire eye very well, but what you could see... the entire area around it was dark and swollen and kind of crusty. The nurse pulled out some sort of wipe to try and keep the area clean. His eye was very red, very tiny needle-thin pricks covering across his eyeball. “Jesus Christ Yoosung,” you commented in awe, words spilling out of your mouth before you had a chance to think about it. You squeezed his hand tighter. “That’s what you’ve been saying isn’t that bad?”

Yoosung laughed, a tear instinctively flowing out of his bad eye from all the light and irritation. “He’s one of the bravest patients I’ve had in a while, that’s for sure,” the doctor commented, turning to smile reassuringly at you. “Now Yoosung, what do you see?”

He closed his good eye, squinting out of the other. It might have been cute in a different situation. “Colors are still pretty good. Everything just looks kind of smeared though.” His voice was steady; he was so professional about this all.

The doctor clicked off his flashlight, the nurse handing him a roll of new bandages. He got to work wrapping it back around Yoosung’s eye. “It’s still pretty infected, so I’m going to call in a higher dose of antibiotics. And then something more for the pain too.” He took a step back, as though to admire his handiwork. “You’re doing everything you can, though. Just try to relax and let your body take care of it. Relaxing is the most important.”

“Sure thing. Thank you, Doctor,” Yoosung smiled, a sort of sad smile admittedly, as the doctor left, bidding the two of you goodbye and promising to get his medicine as soon as possible.

It was just the two of you again. You glanced up at him. It was silent for a little while, the two of you glancing at each other but not knowing what words to say. Eventually, he spoke first. “I know it’s scary looking... don’t worry about it too much. I’m okay. I’m sorry if it grossed you out or scared you or anything.”

Tears leaked from your eyes; you stood abruptly and gave him the best hug you could given he was in a hospital bed. “I’m sorry,” you cried. He wrapped his arms around your back, rubbing it soothingly. “You didn’t deserve any of this. You’ve been so brave.”

“I feel like I’ve been able to be brave thanks to you,” he was smiling for real now, eye sparkling. “I want to be brave. I don’t want to worry you. I’m sorry I have.”

You paused for a second, voice shaky. “What exactly happened at the hacker’s place?” You pulled away from him slightly so you could study his face, it falling slightly. “You don’t have to tell me! If you don’t wanna relive it that’s okay.”

“No, it’s okay. But maybe you should sit down,” he advised, still smiling. He was always smiling, a genuine smile to calm your nerves. You plopped back down on your chair, reaching out to hold his hand again. “Things were going well for a while, then the hacker found us. He had a button. I was afraid he would blow us up and the apartment... Seven was... weird. Like he knew him somehow. He asked me to stay in the hall for a while.”

“That is sort of weird. Maybe he knew him from hacking school or something?” You rationalized. You didn’t want Yoosung to lose his faith in Seven; he was one of his closest friends.

“Oh! I thought that too. Anyways, he tried to set off the bomb but I stopped him. Told Seven to run away with the detonator as fast as he could, but the hacker caught me. I had ruined his plans so he wanted to have payback or something,” Yoosung’s eyes focused on his blanket. “He knew I wanted to be a vet so he decided to try and take my eyesight so it would be impossible.”

“So that’s what you want to be,” you commented, trying to brighten the mood slightly, thinking back to when he kept his major a secret. He chuckled. “I still think you’d be great at that. With or without a bad eye.”

“I think he was trying to get them both, but he ran out of time. I’m not sure what exactly happened, but a bunch of like SWAT guys broke in and helped me out of the place.”

“That’s crazy,”

“Yeah. It was. But I’m here now,” he looked up, smiling, “With you.”

You were still in shock. “How... how did you endure all that torture though?”

His ears started to heat up red. “Honestly, I thought of you. It was the one thing that helped take my mind off the pain while he was doing...” he shivered, “that. I just dreamt of you the whole time. I couldn’t leave you. Not yet. We were only pre-dating at the time.”

You leaned forward, pressing a very gentle kiss to his lips. “You’re so so brave. My knight in shining armor.”

“I wasn’t until I met you. But I wanna be brave for you.” Up super close he looked exhausted, his under eyes slightly dark, eye droopy.

“You’re so sweet,” you said, your voice quiet this time. “You look tired. Why don’t you try and get some sleep?”

“But... but then when I wake up it’ll probably be night and you’ll be gone!” He whined. He seemed nervous this time to be alone.

“Nope. Jumin pulled some strings. I can stay all night if you want me to.”

“Really?” The smile on his face was contagious. “Of course I want you to... is it really okay if I fall asleep for a little?”

“Of course Yoosung. Get some rest, and when you wake up I’ll be right by your side.”

He shifted to get comfortable, hand still holding yours tight. You scooted your chair closer to him so that he didn’t have to strain his arm to hold your hand. You figured it was helping him feel a bit more grounded. “Good night Yoosung. Sweet dreams,” you whispered.

“Only if I meet you in them,” he uttered, his eye fluttering shut peacefully.

[bellemorte180]

The Taylor Swift/folklore album coming of age story breakdown for Caroline that no one asked for but I’m giving anyway.

Okay, so I’m OBESSESSED with Taylor Swift’s new album. I do not think I’ve listened to anything else since it came out. It feels like a giant coming of age story for Caroline and how it leads her to Klaus; and their forever.

So, my brain developed an entire plot bunny based around the songs. I’m going to share it with you knowing I’ll never write it (meaning its free game for anyone who wants this idea). Now, I’m taking the songs out of order on the album.

Starts after season 4 of TVD- except Klaus never left for NOLA and no magic baby (just would not work for what I have planned). Also, Liz was killed by Silas.

The story starts the summer after their senior year of high school.

So let's get started......

seven

It begins here. This part will show where Caroline is right now. Stefan is gone (Silas really is dead, and Stefan is soul searching). Damon and Elena are shaking up, which is SUPER hard for Caroline to see. Tyler is off with a werewolf pack again, trying to lick his wounds from his other back being slaughtered. Bonnie is dead-which everyone knows about.

Caroline is alone and struggling with mourning Bonnie and her mother, Tyler once again leaving, Matts off with Rebekah and Elena being with Damon.

This part of the story would be looking back to her childhood and wondering if college is what she wants. Caroline is questioning everything and what eternity has in store for her.

mirrorball

Caroline goes out to a club or bar just outside of town. She runs into Klaus and they have a night where they dance. They have a good time and Caroline is reminded about the good side of Klaus. He shows her parts of herself that she buried deep down inside. They laugh and for a moment, the grief, pain and loneliness melts away. He shows her the good parts of vampirism that she denied herself.

It’s the beginning of the end in many ways.

august

Their affair begins here. They have the summer of their lives. No one pays any attention to what Caroline is doing because everyone is gone except Elena; but she is so focused on Damon. Klaus and Caroline find a moment of peace together, but Caroline is counting down to it ending. Summer is coming to an end and Tyler called her. She is to start college soon but still so unsure what to do. In the end, the guilt of her feelings for Klaus catch up to her and she ends it.

Elena and Caroline go to college, rooming together; but Caroline cannot get Klaus out of her mind.

hoax

Klaus is fighting for Caroline to give him a real chance. Caroline keeps holding off, but she knows she wants him; but is terrified of what Elena and Tyler would say. Tyler is back and wants to resume a relationship with her. She knows that Klaus loves her. She has known that for a long time. Its her feelings that she hasn’t figured out. She feels that she is twisting a knife in Elena’s and Tyler’s back: but at the same time, they constantly hurt her by leaving (Tyler) and being with Damon (Elena).

But Caroline cannot make a decision.

So, she goes to him one night and they have sex.

illicit affairs

They are sleeping together regularly but hiding it. His family, who are all are back, and her friends have no idea. She is in a relationship with Tyler but sleeping with Klaus on the side. It’s a mess and she knows that it is wrong, but she is at the point where she can’t give him up. She does little things for him and he makes her feel happy.

This goes on for months.

It doesn’t end until Tyler catches them in bed together.

mad woman

Here is where shit hits the fan. Caroline is being pulled in a thousand directions. Tyler is pissed and hurt, which Caroline knows is a legitimate reaction. Elena is playing the victim, not believing that Caroline would sleep with Klaus. Klaus wants her to full commit to him. Caroline feels that she is at war with everyone.

She goes on the defensive and serves some just truths here. She tells Elena exactly how it feels to watch her with Damon. She tells Tyler how hurt she feels because she was always put second best with him. She points fingers and it makes pretty much everything worse.

She even gets into an argument with Klaus; who cannot fathom what she is feeling right now.

epiphany

It’s Matt who calms her down. He tells her that, yes, he is disappointed that she slept with Klaus but not because he is “Klaus” but because she didn’t end things with Tyler first. He points out why Elena would be hurt by Caroline being with Klaus, because he killed her and Jenna. Klaus is Elena’s monster, but also understands that Damon is Caroline’s. It was a slap in the face but something Caroline needed to hear.

She realizes here that she needs to sort out her life. That she is in the rut that is suffocating her in a way that she cannot handle. She has an epiphany and realizes that she is not meant for that small town anymore; and that she needs out.

That she needs to figure out what she wants out of life and not do everything that is expected of her.

The first thing she does is drop out of university.

The second was to sell her house.

my tears ricochet

This is Tyler’s goodbye. He is demonizing her to high heaven for sleeping with the man who killed 12 of his friends and his mother. He is making her out to be a villain and Caroline cannot blame him. The conversation is bad. The fight and they both say a bunch of hurtful things to each other. Caroline knows she messed up and is sorry for it; but she refuses to wish it never happened. It taught her so much of herself that she cannot apologize for it.

She promised Tyler that she did love him but it just wasn’t enough. They end things on VERY bad terms.

Caroline understands that her relationship with Tyler was never going to be the same.

betty

Next is Elena. This goodbye goes better. It is heartfelt and sad. Matt gave Elena the same talk he did Caroline. Caroline tells Elena that the worse thing she had ever done was betraying her friend with Klaus but like she said with Tyler, she does not regret it.

Elena is not ready to forgive Caroline; but neither is Caroline ready to forgive Elena for Damon.

They part ways with broken hearts but a mutual understanding that maybe one day they could be friends again.

exile

This is Klaus’s goodbye. She loves him and tells him so. She just isn’t ready to be his forever yet. They fight and they cry. They have sex but it is that broken goodbye sex that ends in empty feelings and heart ache.

She grabs the things that she had left behind at his place. She does not know what is going to happen from here but she knows that she has so many things to figure out for herself.

Klaus lets her go with a promise of forever when she is ready; even though he is bitter about it.

Caroline leaves Mystic Falls, exiling herself to the unknown.

this is me trying

The first few months are hard. She roams around the US for a good while, driving from state to state. She learns more about being a vampire on her own and just lives. She starts writing in a journal but its more of a long love letter to Klaus. It’s the stories of where she has been where she is going.  This is the most painful time for Caroline because she feels absolutely alone.

Then she runs into Stefan. They have a heart to heart about Damon, Elena, Klaus and Tyler. It really puts everything into perspective for Caroline. She learns that Klaus left Mystic Falls and moved to NOLA with his family. She continues to write in that journal and slowly is coming to terms with everything she had felt.

She slowly begins to heal.

cardigan

This is where Caroline really comes to terms with Klaus and how he made her feel. He made her feel strong and loved. Everyone called her a fool for falling in love with him, but she knew him. She knew a side to him that no one else did. She felt passion, love and what it meant to be wanted.

She looks at all the things she had taken with her when she fled. She remembers the moments during that summer together that she would cherish. She no longer looks back on Mystic Falls as a time of pain and regret. She no longer feels the stab of pain thinking on Tyler and Elena.

She starts to feel happiness again.

the last great American dynasty

She ends up in Rhode Island and finds a house for sale. It has this rich story behind it about a woman who loved a man so much it killed him. Turns out the woman was Rebekah, as in Klaus’s sister and a tragic tale of one of her many lost loves. Caroline takes this as a sign that she is meant to have this old house. She buys it (having the money from the house she sold in Mystic Falls).

The house is in disrepair and she fixes it up. She thinks back on the time that she had an affair with Klaus and how much she misses him.

When the house is completed, she pulls out that old journal and reads. She begins to plan for a future, knowing that Klaus would be apart of it. 

the 1

Caroline realizes that Klaus is the one. She loves him in an epic love she always dreamed about. She thinks on him fondly and the memories they shared. She learns snippets from Stefan about what Klaus is up to. He ran into him while passing through NOLA. She learns about the bartender Cami and that Klaus had a weird infatuation with her. Its not love, Stefan assures her but the thought that he moved on still stings.

On a whim, wondering if he would respond; Caroline sends him the journal filled with love letters; a specific one at the end saying that she is ready for forever.

Then she waits.

peace

Klaus shows up at the house in Rhode Island. They know that its not going to be perfect. They have a massive heart to heart about what they want and what it means. Klaus vows that Cami was nothing more than a distraction while Caroline promises that she is ready to take that leap.

She does not care what anyone things anymore.

She lets Elena fall in love with Damon; not caring if Elena is betrayed by her falling in love with Klaus.

She lets Tyler run wild with his wolves; not caring if he hates her now for falling in love with Klaus.

Klaus offers her forever and she gladly takes his hand. She never sells that house and they come back to it, making it a home base for them from time to time. 

He takes her across the globe; Paris, Rome and Tokyo...and so much more. 

Caroline hands over her heart to him....and finds peace in that.

invisible string  

Fast forward 100 years. Klaus and Caroline are still together. They have connected in a way that Caroline never felt in previous relationships. They look back on their life together; reciting how it began and how it has come so far.

They love, laugh and enjoy life the best they can; making plans for the next 100 years.

[strange-n-unbluusual]

Pink! Ch. 5: The Stick Up

*Beetlejuice/Original Female Character. Adult situations. 18+ only.*

Summary: After six breather years away, Beetlejuice returns to find the house on the hill overrun by coeds. Lydia allows him to stay, but has rules. Things get more interesting when Beck, one of the housemates, reveals she can see him. Following a sordid affair, Beetlejuice finds himself lingering around Beck more and more. But will her affection last? And why does it seem to bother Lydia so much?

Chapter 1: The Setup

Chapter 2: The Buzzkill Date

Chapter 3: The Ex Lover

Chapter 4: The Late Date

DMs are always open for thoughts, feedback and suggestions. Ty. On AO3 as CopperContessa_13

Beetlejuice was in denial and Beck was stubborn.

He thought it would only be hours until she fell into his arms and confessed her love. It bruised his ego a bit when she didn't. She thought he’d get over it and fuck her mouth or something. Alas.

At least she got to finish some of her work at home now that Beetlejuice was holing himself up in the attic. Beck was pouring over a project one day when the sound of his laugh rumbled through her ceiling vent. She could hear Lydia’s voice, too, faintly. It sounded like she was telling him a joke.

Hm.

Beck paused to look at where the snowman outside her window used to be. In the week or two that had passed, it’d been reduced to nothing more than an icy pile under layers of new snow. She’d removed its scarf before it, too, got buried. Not because she wanted to keep it or anything, she told herself, it was just because she didn’t want it to ruin the house’s shingles.

She stared at the scarf, now neatly folded on her dresser. As soon as he stopped pouting, Beck convinced herself, she'd give it right back.

The sound of Beetlejuice and Lydia laughing reverberated through the vent again. Beck sighed audibly before going back to her work.

She truly did not miss him, but his absence was notable.

As the days passed, Beetlejuice became hungry for any kind of attention from Beck— positive or negative.

The housemates used to be just apathetic to her presence, but they started to despise her. Kendra got mad when she found her leftover containers in Beck’s trash can. Ash cried when they found their poetry journal had the word “shit” written on every page in Beck’s distinctive handwriting. That made Cici furious. Lillian was willing to ignore all the drama until the art project she had laid out on the floor was destroyed by someone stepping on it. The footprint suspiciously matched the tread on Beck’s boots.

Lydia didn’t want to intervene, but decided she had to do something before retaliation started.

When she entered the attic, Beetlejuice was laying across the sofa. At least, what remained of the sofa. In his plight to make the space more homey, he’d torn up the cushions and made something of a nest out of the fluff.

One hand propped his head up while the other was draped along the curve of his body. His tie was loose and a couple of shirt buttons were undone.

He started talking as the door creaked open, but quickly changed gears when he realized who it was.

“I knew you'd be ba-- Oh! It’s just you again. Hey, kid.”

“I really wish you’d stop doing that. She’s not going to come back until you stop.”

“Stop what, Lyds?” he said innocently. “I don’t have the faintest clue what you're talking about.”

“Don’t play dumb,” she drawled while crossing her arms. “I know you ate Ken’s food, mimicked Beck’s handwriting to ruin Ash’s poetry and stepped through Lillian’s art. You need to stop before they do something back.”

“Fine. Be that way,” he smirked while readjusting his shirt and tie. “And for the record, babes? Beck was the one that stepped through Lil’s canvas. That one is all on her.”

“There’s still consequences for the other things! I know you listen to her through the vent all the time. Don’t you hear her calling around asking about other lease options? Is it really going to be any better for you if she moves?!”

Beetlejuice turned to lay on his back. He kicked his feet up on the armrest and casually started picking at something under his fingernail.

“I could follow her if I wanted to. And whatever the housemates can retaliate with isn’t even half of what I can do. Trust me, Lyds. I could make things a lot worse for Beck.”

Lydia’s expression darkened. He looked back at her smugly, unaffected by her glare.

“Make them worse?” Lydia asked, stepping towards him threateningly. “What, are you going to kill her if she doesn’t give you what you want? Are you going to threaten her like you did my family?”

His not-beating heart dropped when she said those words.

“My own father wouldn’t speak to me for two whole months after I told him I let you come back. I told them that you’re different, but it’s not really a coincidence that they haven’t stopped by in the last eight months. Adam and Barbara were just as upset!” Lydia fumed.

Beetlejuice’s arrogant confidence disappeared completely. He sat up, purple starting to rise from the roots of his hair.

“This is how you repay me for all the grief I've gotten?” she continued. “By sleeping with my ex-girlfriend and then messing with the whole house because she won't commit to you?”

“I’ll stop antagonizing everyone, I promise,” Beetlejuice pleaded. “I’ve changed. You know I have, Lydia. It’s just that some habits are harder to shake than others.”

She stared at him for a long time before letting out a breath she seemed to be holding in.

“Okay. But I mean it, Beej. No more hurting people.”

He nodded, but mumbled something under his breath.

“Do you have something to say?” Lydia challenged.

“No, I don’t. It’s just…”

“What?”

“I-I don’t know why you’re defending Beck after… everything.”

“Why’s that?”

Beetlejuice rolled his eyes and sighed.

“Well, it's not like you love her or anything,” he said.

“Do you?” Lydia replied, slightly scandalized.

Sprigs of pink shot into his hair. He babbled while running a hand over his scalp in a subconscious gesture to hide it.

“Well, I don’t think I love her but—”

“Because what you’re doing to her is not love,” she interrupted.

His expression fell.

“I’m not sure if I’ve ever really loved someone romantically, Beej, but I know what it’s supposed to look like. Love is being kind to someone even when you’re mad at them. It’s about caring for them despite their flaws.”

He hesitated before responding.

“It’s not like I’ve had a bunch of good role models to show me how it’s done, Lydia,” he chuckled nervously while rubbing the back of his head.

“Hey,” she said, walking over to sit on the armrest closest to him.

“Yeah?”

“I love you.”

“Gross,” Beetlejuice snorted.

Lydia giggled. He leaned his head against her arm as she reassuringly stroked his hair. He didn’t say much to her for a minute, but she knew her words meant a lot from the bolts of lime green that popped up under her palm.

“You just have to be patient,” she said while flicking a dead bug off his shoulder. “I think she’ll come around. It might take until after winter break, but—”

“After winter break?! How long is that for?” Beetlejuice whined.

“I dunno. It starts in mid-December and goes on for a few weeks? So, early January?”

He groaned.

“I know it sucks, but you need to give her space. You need to stop sabotaging your relationships with people.”

“When have I ever sabotaged anything?!”

He shrank under the glare she shot him.

“Alright, alright. I get it. Stop looking at me like that.”

⁂

Beetlejuice didn’t think much of it when he heard someone ascending the attic steps early on a Saturday morning. The floorboards outside the attic door creaked like someone was waiting there. No one came in, though.

Weird that Lydia wouldn’t just walk in like always, he thought. Maybe she forgot something in her room and went back downstairs?

Seconds later, realization hit him like a bus.

“Beck!” he called.

Beetlejuice nearly fell over himself as he rushed to the door, anxious to let her in.

He was suddenly overwhelmed with want again. His nerve endings felt like they would burst at just the thought of holding her again. He couldn’t wait to hug her tightly and breathe in the sweet smell of her hair. He’d kiss her and caress her until she moaned his name three times.

Then, he’d plow her into the fucking floorboards— no! Wait! He’d make love to her.

Make. Love.

The epiphany came too late, though.

He flung the door open just in time to hear the lock on the front door click.

Beetlejuice wanted to chase after her, follow her home, even. But the memory of Lydia's words rang in his mind's ear. Beck needs to be the one to make the next move.

Sullen, he closed the door. Beetlejuice walked back to the nook by the attic window and sat down on its sun-faded cushion. If he craned his neck just right, he could see the driveway below. He watched her load the taxi with suitcases even though the sun’s reflection off her hot pink puffy jacket made him squint a little.

Before she entered the cab, Beck turned over her shoulder to look at the house one more time. Their eyes locked when she looked to the attic. Beetlejuice pressed his hand against the window. She gave him a small wave back before getting into the car.

He watched her ride drive away until it disappeared over the horizon.

“She’ll be back,” he assured himself out loud.

Curious to see how the house had changed (eager to go through Beck’s things...), Beetlejuice descended to the second floor. All was quiet aside from Lydia’s room. Slow jazz music lilted out of the crack in her doorway along with a soft beam of light.

Desperate to sneak past her unnoticed, he tiptoed gingerly over to Beck’s room and passed through the door like a ghost.

On the other side of the threshold, he paused a second before shucking off his shoes. Everything seemed the same aside from a few missing artifacts— her laptop, her sketchbooks, her art portfolio folder. A chuckle escaped from his lips when he noticed a familiar black and white striped scarf on her dresser. His hand grazed against the knit material before sliding down to grasp the drawer just below it.

He yanked it open and grabbed a handful of the disorganized panties inside. While shoving half the wad into his jacket’s inner pocket, Beetlejuice noticed he’d uncovered something. His eyes bulged.

In the middle of her underwear, unmistakably, was a dildo at least seven inches long. Just seeing it made Beetlejuice's lust more rabid, but he managed to close the drawer without messing with it. He’d spend the better part of the time she was away, he decided, thinking of the things he’d do to her with it.

With some of the panties still clenched in one hand, he dove onto her bed. The plush feeling of the down feather comforter had been sorely missed. The sun illuminated the room's white walls beautifully. The pillows were thick with her scent which turned his arousal into euphoria. Beetlejuice paused to take it all in before fumbling with his pants.

He sure missed watching her wake up next to him on days like this.

One hand pressed the panties and pillows against his nose and while the other got to work.

He didn’t hear the doorknob jiggle open. Thank goodness the pillow obscured most of him.

Lydia still screamed in surprise, though.

“What the fucking hell, Beetlejuice?!” she yelled from the other side of the now closed door.

He fell off the bed in his scramble to make himself decent. His head bent at an awkward angle from hitting Beck's side table.

“C’mon! Can you really blame me?!”

“Yes I can! Put everything away!”

“What am I supposed to do until she comes back?” he whined.

“I said put it away!!”

Begrudgingly, he adjusted himself, shoved the panties back in the drawer (save the ones in his jacket) and haphazardly threw the pillows back on the bed.

“You’re an animal,” Lydia said when he opened the door.

“I’ve been called far worse by far better,” Beetlejuice scoffed while popping his head back into place.

Lydia playfully punched his arm before motioning for him to follow her. When they got to her room, she sat down at her desk. Beetlejuice sat on her nearby bed. On her desk, he noticed a paper towel was laid out along with rubbing alcohol, neosporin, black ink and what looked like a needle taped to the back of a pencil. He didn't think much of it at first.

"Everyone else seems to be gone for the holiday, Lyds. Why are you still around?"

"To make sure Beck still has underwear in that drawer when she gets back."

"Is that it?"

"No," she drawled while placing her left forearm face up on the table. "I've told you how exhausting my half-brother can be. I love Ezra, don't get me wrong, but toddlers are a handful. I thought I'd give dad and Delia another night to get the house back in order. It doesn't matter to me, but she gets really embarrassed if things are messy."

Lydia dipped the needle in ink and positioned it over her arm.

“Hey! Don’t do that! You’ll hurt yourself!” Beetlejuice said, shoeing away the hand holding the tool.

“Relax. It’s called a stick and poke tattoo. Do you want one?”

“I usually keep my body mods au naturel, babes.”

“Sounds like something a pussy would say.”

“I’ll show you who’s a pussy!” he said while rolling up his sleeve.

“Okay,” she giggled. “Just let me touch up mine first. Besides, it’s a little too late to tell me I shouldn’t.”

When Beetlejuice looked at her upturned arm again, he noticed there was already a tattoo there. It was about the size of a half dollar coin and near her elbow. The dots already on her skin were arranged to look like a magnolia flower. Despite how faded it looked, he was transfixed by the skillful way the simple dots were arranged to mimic light and shadow.

Lydia didn’t wince as she pricked the ink-soaked needle against her skin.

“It’s not my best work, but it’s still one of my favorites,” she mumbled. “I don’t think everyone can say that about the tattoo they gave themself at 17.”

“Chuck must’ve lost his shit when he saw it.”

“Only for a little while. This kind of flower was mom’s favorite.”

Beetlejuice relaxed his posture a bit, transfixed by the way she worked. He liked watching the greying dots become vibrant black. Lydia tapped her foot to the beat of the slow, smooth music still playing from the turntable in the corner of the room.

It was nice that they could still have moments like these.

“Have you thought about what tattoo you want me to give you?”

“A crown.”

“Why?”

“It’s kind of a long story, but you know that movie about the labyrinths by Jimi Hendrix?”

Lydia froze. She calmly set down her tool and turned to look him dead in the eye.

“First of all, it’s Jim Henson. Second, I’m not letting you get a tattoo for Beck.”

“Why not?! I’m a grownup! I can make my own choices. I’m older than you!” he said indignantly.

Lydia rolled her eyes and pulled on the neckline of her shirt to reveal her shoulder.

“See that? A tiny green shamrock with the letter ‘L’ on the side. ‘L’ for Lydia, you may ask? Nope! ‘L’ for Laurel McCann,” she deadpanned. “Beej, I’m not even Irish and I have a shamrock tattoo. Moral of the story is don’t fall in love with the first person you sleep with in college.”

Heeding her advice, he thought about the question again. Beetlejuice propped his head up on one hand and tapped his chin thoughtfully. His eyes lit up.

“Oh! Okay. I got it. What about this: ‘my mom’s a bitch.’”

“You can’t be serious.”

“I want it on my forehead!”

“Absolutely not. Not your face or butt or anywhere else sensitive like that. I’ve seen enough of you today.”

Beetlejuice groaned dramatically and flopped back onto her bed. He laid there, trying his best to think of something else. It felt like an impossible task, though. All he could think about was Beck and also how Lydia’s comforter wasn’t as comfy as hers. After a some time had passed, Lydia lightly kicked his leg.

“Okay, I’m done. Beej, I have an idea for you. What about—”

“Nah, don’t tell me. I love surprises. Just stick it in me.”

“Don’t say it like that.”

He laughed and laid his right forearm out on the desk just like she had earlier.

“It’s going to sting a little bit,” she said while rubbing his wrist with an alcohol pad. “Do you want to try a little dot first before committing to the whole thing?”

“Nah, babes. I’m dead! Nothing hurts wh— Fucking hell!!”

She tried not to smirk at his reaction to the first pinprick.

“Are you really sure you want to go through with this?” Lydia asked.

Beetlejuice just grunted in affirmation.

She started to work on the middle of his wrist. For a demon, he had a surprisingly low pain threshold. Beetlejuice got used to the stabbing sensation, but the longer she worked, the more it felt like torture. Lydia let him take small breaks and told him he had to be careful about clenching his hand while she worked. He wanted to whine, but managed to power through.

“Done! You can look now,” Lydia said after what felt like a lifetime.

Beetlejuice smiled at the new artwork on his wrist. She had used negative space to make it look like the pale eyes of a black and white striped beetle were looking back up at him.

“Now we match!” Lydia said while showing off her own wrist. “I designed it myself.”

She’d clearly visited a studio to get her own done. However, for a freehanded stick and poke tattoo, his wasn’t half bad either.

“You did good, kid! Chuck and Diana didn’t send you to art school for nothing. But tell me, can yours do this?”

Lydia nearly fell out of her chair as the bug on Beetlejuice’s arm came to life. It scuttled around his wrist and ran part way up his arm before returning to its original place.

“Cool trick,” she said breathlessly.

He studied her face for a moment before asking his next question.

“Why did you want to get something like this in the first place? To immortalize your trauma?”

“No,” she said thoughtfully. “I got it to remind me that family will always be there for you when you need them most. It reminds me that, even though what we went through was hard, it made us stronger. We lived.”

Lydia clasped Beetlejuice’s shoulder and smiled at him.

“Maybe it’ll help you remember that, too.”

Beetlejuice smiled back, reaching up to squeeze her hand with his own. His smile drooped slightly as he considered what he was going to ask her next.

“Hey, Lydia?”

“Yeah?”

“I think it’s time I proved to everyone that I’ve changed,” Beetlejuice sighed. “Do you think you could help me figure out… how to do that?”

“Hell yeah, Beej.”

[thebarsondaily]

What Are You Staring At? by tribalvipe

Title: What Are You Staring At? Author: tribalvipe Rating: Teen Prompt: “What are you staring at?” Summary: Every time she asks him, he has no idea what to say. Instead, he wallows in his life changing realizations until he doesn’t have to anymore. A/N: I absolutely fell in love with this little sentence and ran with it. Fluff and a happy ending!

“What are you staring at?”

Of all the things she’s ever asked him, this is the one question that’s always accompanied a huge, life-changing epiphany. It was a weird question and it was always asked because he was staring at her like a dummy, but he would take looking like an idiot if it meant coming to realizations he would ignore in a different world.

The first time she asked him that very question, she was sitting across from his desk, passionately laying into him about him taking a plea deal without consulting her first. She’d blown up after he told her he didn’t report to her, and that was when he had his first life altering epiphany.

He liked her. He liked her a lot.

He had only been in SVU for six months, but he’d come to know Olivia Benson in and out. She was passionate, aggressive when warranted, kind, smart, could crack a joke and take one, fearless, brave, and beautiful. That had probably been the first thing he noticed about her, and he wouldn’t be surprised if she knew he found her attractive after that lame joke he pulled when they first met.

But, even though he found her attractive from the start, he never really liked her. He wasn’t used to detectives being so take charge and in his face all the time. In Brooklyn, they brought him the case, did what he asked, and went home at the end of the day. For Benson, this job was her life, and he understood. Overtime, he began to tolerate her. Sometimes, he even preferred her presence over her other detectives, and it eventually got to the point that he preferred her presence overall.

But, this was the first time he was realizing that he liked her, and he liked her more than he probably should.

All because she said-

“What are you staring at?”

Her face was contorted into a confused and off-put expression and he realized he probably looked like a huge sap with a dumb smile on his face. The doe-eyes weren’t helping, and he immediately straightened in his seat and waved her off, continuing with their conversation.

Later, he would think about these feelings further, when he was alone and had a bottle of scotch to accompany him. Maybe, he would turn on some music and sit on his balcony and just think.

+

“What are you staring at?”

The second time one of this life changing realizations happened, they were sitting at Forlini’s for the first time since he found out about Tucker. Their relationship was strained, but it was getting better. They were able to look at each other for more than ten seconds at a time, and they were even laughing, cracking jokes. It was getting back to old times and that was what he was hoping for. After that mess and all the other mess going on in his life at the moment, all he wanted was some normalcy with her. Which was what he was getting.

Until he wasn’t. Because at this very moment, with her eyeing him over the rim of her wine glass with her playful expression and a smile on her face, he realized he was in love with her. Totally, madly, deeply…

“What are you staring at?”

It took him more than a few seconds to recover this time, but he did and just blamed his dumb stare on the alcohol, and made a show of pushing it away. He quickly changed the subject and had her back to laughing at some embarrassing childhood story.

With that knowledge now swirling around his brain, he was going to have to sit down and seriously rethink everything he thought he’d already known. Things certainly had been jumbled and misplaced with Tucker in the picture, and now the careful rebuilding he’d been trying to initiate was crumbling before him again.

This was the biggest curveball he’d been thrown yet.

“Alright. I’ve got a three-year-old at home in bed and a boyfriend who can’t seem to go to sleep without hearing my voice,” she grimaced, the alcohol making her lips a little looser than normal. He tried to hide the grimace when he heard those words, but luckily, she was trying to put on her coat and didn’t see him fail miserably.

“Well, let me walk you out.”

He caught her just in time before she tumbled to the floor, trying to straighten her jacket and she chuckled, finding it humorous. He could smell the alcohol on her breath and he blamed himself for keeping the drinks flowing, knowing she never intended to get this intoxicated. Although, she did look happy as she leaned into him while he guided her out of the bar.

He insisted he Uber home with her and make sure she got into her apartment alright, which led to him opening up her apartment door and relieving Lucy, who was amused at slightly tipsy Olivia, fishing around in her purse for the woman’s paycheck.

“Ok, don’t be hungover tomorrow. You have a playground date with Noah.”

Liv rubbed his shoulder as he walked out, but before he could completely exit, she stopped him with her hand on his bicep, forcing him to turn to her a little.

“I’m glad we’re friends again,” she said softly, a fond look in her eyes. He was a little struck, but he managed a response. A short, “Me too.”

“Be careful getting home,” she called after him, and he waved behind with a tight-lipped smile. On the ride home, he tried reminding himself that she was taken. She was with Tucker, and the overwhelming urge to kiss her would never be able to come to fruition.

+

“What are you staring at?”

This time, the realization hit just before he kissed her for the first time.

They were sitting at her breakfast bar, talking silently so Noah, who was asleep in his room just down the hall, wouldn’t hear them. It was nearing one in the morning, and he had just gotten back from his three-week long stay Maine.

So much had changed since he quit the D.A.’s office, rented out his apartment, and took off to the northern state, and he had come back, looking refreshed and well-rested. The case…everything that had gone down…his almost guilty verdict…

Things had been going downhill for a while. He’d had a feeling, since the start of the year that he wasn’t going to last much longer where he was. The yearning to leave and do something different had been on his mind long before baby Drew entered his world, and in some sick way, that baby was the push he needed to leave and rediscover himself.

Olivia had been sad and angry at first, especially when all of her missed calls and texts went unanswered the first two weeks. After he finally called her and broke down over the phone with her, she understood and begged him to come home. She wanted to see him. She wanted to talk to him face to face.

Especially, after saying what he said. He knew the words that came out of his mouth before he left her standing in front of the courthouse was nothing short of a confession, and he had been avoiding it ever since. Until now, as they faced each other, knees touching and hands laced together.

She had dried tear tracks down her cheeks and the tip of her nose was red, but he still thought she was so beautiful. She would always be beautiful to him, not matter what. She licked her lips and looked up at him, big brown eyes still glazed over and she quirked a smile.

“What are you staring at?”

His breath caught in his throat, her voice was soft and light and it wrapped itself around his heart so hard it skipped a beat. He had the sudden realization that this was where he should have been all along. Escaping to Maine had healed him, but she was going to be the one thing that would make him whole again.

He loved her. He’d been in love with her for so long, and then he told her that in so many unnecessary words and ran away. He was an idiot. A true idiot.

Well, no more.

His lips were hesitant as they brushed hers, and then they were sure when she pulled him to her by his sweater, her hands wrapped in the fabric and tugging him close to her. His hands were in her hair and down her back, and he stood between her knees as their kisses grew fiery and passionate.

The next morning, when she woke up, she stretched with a big smile on her face, the sheet slipping down her stomach and the sun through the curtains peeked in and traced the lines of her body. She smiled at him and turned into him, running her fingers across his beard before peppering his face with small, intimate kisses.

It felt like they had been doing this forever.

At least, they should have been doing this forever.

+

“What are you staring at?”

Rafael broke out of his trance as Liv waved her hand in front of his face, her boarding pass in her hand and her carry-on handle in the other. She was wearing shorts and t-shirt, looking relaxed for the ten-hour flight they were about board. She was smiling at him, and his heart swelled in his chest.

“Raf? Honey? You ok?”

He nodded and smiled back, slipping his arm around her waist and kissing her cheek. She hummed and turned into him, sliding her carry-on next to their bodies. There was still a long line formed at the terminal, and they decided to wait so they weren’t shoved in a line with a bunch of people.

“I’m just fine,” he said back, kissing her lips. She smiled against them again and pressed her hand to her chest, her eyes lighting up at the sight of the diamond encrusted band on her finger. Her half-lidded, dazed expression every time she stared at the ring that belonged to his grandmother on her finger was never going to grow old. It was a memory he was always going to keep with him.

“You sure? You’ve been staring at me an awful lot lately,” she joked, reaching up to fix a few stray locks of his hair. He sighed, enjoying her nails running against his scalp.

“I can’t enjoy the sight of gorgeous new wife in those jean shorts she knows makes me go crazy?”

She yelped and pushed him away when he dared to reach down and pinch her ass, looking around to make sure no one had caught that. She half-heartedly glared at him and grabbed her carry-on handle again, leading him over to the line that had grown shorter.

Once they were on the plane, he settled in his seat and watched as she stored their luggage in the overhead bin, her t-shirt riding up just the slightest to reveal her already tanned skin. He couldn’t wait to see how dark she would get under the Hawaiian sun.

Rafael sighed as she sat down next to him, pulling her phone out to shoot a quick text off to his mother, who was happily babysitting Noah the entire week they would be gone. He couldn’t help but think back to that first time in his office, when he came to the startling realization that he liked her, and how that like turned into love, and how that love turned into this.

She was his everything. His other, better half. She was the one who made him whole again after his world crashed around him. She was the one he came home to every night and he marveled that at one point, that possibility seemed impossible. Now? It was a reality. And if it wasn’t, it was a dream he would never want to wake up from.

He chuckled when she caught his gaze again and rolled her eyes, putting her phone on airplane mode as the occupants of the plane were finally settling down and into their seats.

“Now what are you staring at?”

He leaned forward and kissed her.

“You. Always you.”