#the same as with Diego being A Dad to his kids :3

[protect-daniel-james]

Not my usual content, behind cut because of kids in the photos, don't worry, these are all like publicly posted photos and videos and all that. I just wanna gush about how lovely Pippo seems to be with kids (and how I am genuinely happy for him having kids now, after such a long wait....hmmmm)

he was always so lonely in the family photos!

Like, you wouldn't be able to tell, but it's (on the left) Papa Inzaghi, Tomasso, Simone, little Lorenzo, and Pippo is just the cool uncle on the side :') Also, in the pic on the right, it's Mama and Papa Inzaghi, and Simone with his two sons and A Wife, and once again, Pippo is just Some Guy in the background, no wife, no kids.

Same thing here. Simone with Two Sons, Proud Papa Inzaghi, and Pippo being....That Uncle We Don't Talk About.

But it's so obvious Filippo loved kids and wanted to have kids and was always there for his nephews (and brother, lol) :')))

Full-time uncle, part-time legend.

He even had Tomasso with him when he was retiring from AC Milan, and it's the sweetest :') I wonder if he was thinking like.... Oh God, I do not have A Son to see me retiring and remember me like this :')

But! Things are great now, and Pippo finally has two kids, a son and a daughter, and I love how happy he seems to be being a dad!

As he once said:

[nickeverdeen]

hello! I really enjoy reading ur work, so I’m wondering if I could request a TUA (the umbrella academy) preference where the reader confesses their feelings during an argument (they aren’t dating yet) no pressure ofc <3 thank u sm for being a good writer!!

Thanks for requesting!!! And thanks for those words, I might be slower at writing considering I have school tests everyday, well I mean I’m in law school so what was I expecting-

Anyway, thanks a lot for everything 🫶

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Confessing your feelings to Umbrella Academy members during an argument

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TW: Cussing, mention of injury, drugs, sometimes cliché

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You = white text

Luther = blue text

Diego = red text

Allison = pink text

Klaus = orange text

Five = green text

Ben = also green text, but cursive (‘cause I’m running out of colors)

Viktor = purple text

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Luther Hargreeves

This takes place in season 1

The argument was pretty simple

You just wanted him to shut up for like 5 seconds about the moon and stop defending Reginald and digging into his death

You two were currently standing in the “meeting room” in the Umbrella Academy along with others discussing how Reginald died. Sure you weren’t part of this family, but you were invited anyway. Why you had no idea, maybe ‘cause you were a family friend?

“Jesus Christ Luther, stop digging into it so much. It was a heartattack, calm down” you rolled your eyes sighing as you agreed along with others that Reginald died of a heart attack.

“Oh so you’re on their side now? Even my best friend, great” he chuckled at the irony rolling his eyes. “Well I wonder why” Diego sneered. Soon the whole room started arguing about it, you’ve had enough of this. They were adults so they should act like it

Standing up from your seat you shook your head whistling which only caught Viktor’s and Allison’s attention… not what you wanted.

“Shut the fuck up!” You finally yelled and they all grew silent except for Diego who insulted his brother and you before storming off. “We’re all adults yet you all act like kids. Get your shit together” you sighed frustrated.

With that Luther got up and took few steps towards you “You don’t have a say in this. Dad was murdured, and last time I checked I was on the Moon to-“ Luther started but got cut off by you

“Luther, for the love of god, as much as I love you, shut up about the Moon and stop defending him” You rolled your eyes making Viktor raise his eyebrows suprised

Luther stood there kidna offended at first before realizing what you said “Wait what?” You just cussed under your breath. This is gonna be a long day.

At first Allison was kidna jealous for sure, but slowly joined Klaus with sometimes teasing you. You had a lot of explaining to do.

Diego Hargreeves

This takes place in season 2

Along woth others you had enough of Diego thinking about J. F. Keneddy 24/7

It was another night at Elliot’s and here you were, sitting in a corner across the room from Diego with Five between the two of you. You all were watching a tape Hazel gave Five before dying, a man on a grassfield was standing there when the president is getting shot.

To be honest you rightfully along with Lila who was sitting near you had no idea who this is unlike the two boys who seemed shocked at it

“Uh guys? Wanna also tell us who that is?” You asked awkwardly with Lila nodding slightly only to hear a whisper “dad” escape their mouths at the same time.

“Do you see this? That’s dad and he is the one who killed the president” Diego turned to you with a serious expression “Oh here we go” You rolled your eyes crossing your arms. “How can you know for sure that it was him? It doesn’t look like he’s holding a gun” you just shrugged leaving Diego frowning

“Do you even listen to me? That’s a proof that he is the killer!” Diego stood up pacing around the room

“And you know that how? He-“ you get cut off as he looks at you sharply, if you didn’t know him you’d think he’s crazy

“Take it easy, Diego” Five said calmly trying to ease the situation, but of course it didn’t help. “He is the killer! Don’t you hear me?! The evidence is right here!” Diego yells at you pointing at the tape

“Oh for fuck’s sake, you don’t wanna tell me that I fell for a madman” You scoffed crossing your arms taking a step towards him and he took a small step back as he processed what you said

“Well that’s an awkward silence” Lila said chuckling slightly, but none of you spoke until Five told you both that there’s no time for these things right now and you both followed him out to wherever you guys are going

“We’re not done with this conversation” Diego said, but not so agressively, more calmly yet of course not softly as it ain’t in his nature.

Allison Hargreeves

This takes place in season 3

You were starting to get really annoyed with her, but when you caught her trying to rumor herself in the mirror to be happy you couldn’t be angry or upset with her at that moment

You and other Hargreeves siblings were just miding your own businesses, but you did notice that Allison was missing. At first you didn’t make a big deal out of it, she was being really annoying, but still that didn’t mean that you didn’t care about her. You were on this crazy Hargreeves rollecoster since the very beggining and they were all very dear to you.

So here you were looking through the whole hotel for her, you were starting to give up before you heard a glass break in the bathroom.

Slowly you stepped in and that’s when you witnessed it. “I heard a rumor that you were happy” Allison said trying to rumor herself through the mirror you weren’t sure if it’d work, but you sure as hell were concerned by now, you were aware that she had a hard time, but this was really bad.

“Allison?” You stepped in properly after seeing that it doesn’t work

Allison slightly jumped at the sudden voice, she didn’t need to turn around to know that it’s you “What do you want?”

Her words were sharp, but you tried to ignore the feeling and took few steps closer, your eyes inspecting her bloody hand from the distance. “Are you okay…?” You asked slowly unsure if she wants to open up

She just scoffed rolling her eyes as she faced you “Since when do you care?” You didn’t like this defensive side of her, but you knew that loving her means loving her even at her worst

“I always cared, Al-“ getting cut off Allison stood up properly frowning “No you didn’t. You don’t care that Claire’s dead, you don’t care that both my husbands are dead! You don’t care at all!”

She shouted obviously getting irritated by your words even though they were honest. “Allison that’s not true!” You tried to argue back “I care about you and mainly your wellbeing! You need help-“ “I don’t need help! Now get out!” She cut you off once again taking few steps towards you, but you didn’t really take any steps back and stood your ground

“Yes you do! You’re even rumoring yourself to be happy! You’re not alright at all!” You took a deep breath taking few steps towards her as well “Just let me help you!” You looked up at her, but she wasn’t calming down any time soon and you knew that. “And why would you want that?! To impress others with your comforting skills?! Make me feel even worse?!”

She shouted, she knew damn well that she doesn’t mean it and knew that she’s being a bitch right now, but she couldn’t stop. She was hiding her pain and anger deep down inside of her for too long and even though she didn’t want to, she just had to let it out on you. Not ‘cause she wanted to, but ‘cause you were closest and she knew you’d forgive her overtime, plus you understood her and she just had to let everything out despite knowing it’s not heathly for neither of you.

“No! Of course not! Allison I love you and don’t want you to suffer! Please…”

You were more calm at the end, but got confused when she shut up and just stared at you in shock before it hit you that you just confessed

“What?” She asked blinking in confusion, but also a neutral voice “Allison… I love you” you repeated making sure she knows you don’t mean just as friends

“Please don’t… I’ll just lose you too. Stop” she mumbled shaking her head, she couldn’t take another loss

“You won’t lose me” you stood up on your tip-toes and kissed her just shortly and slightly of course, you didn’t wanna scare her. “Now let me help you with your hand” you took her bloody hand and started tending it knowing that Allison isn’t ready for a relationship just yet so you didn’t expect her to say it back right now, but you knew that she did love you.

Klaus Hargreeves

This takes place in season 1

You catch Klaus stealing in the Academy from his father on the funeral day

“Klaus? Wha- what are you doing?” You laughed seeing him under his father’s table where Reginald kept all his work

“Oh Y/N! How nice it is to see youuuuu” He sounded high and he probably was, but then again he had every reason to get high, but that doesn’t mean you approved of it

Klaus quickly reached for a hug which you with a sigh accepted “Klaus you’re high again” you crossed your arms rolling your eyes. “We talked about this”

“But those bitches are everywhere and it’s just so much better” he smiled amd you had to chuckle at his silliness “Give me the drugs” you held out your hand raising eyebrows “Oh you want it too????”

He asked and gave it to you and you just threw it out of the window “What’re you doing?!” He exclaimed with wide eyes “Helping you. Now go wash your face.”

You said clearly pissed off by his behaivor “Y/n! I need those!!!” He whined making you roll your eyes “No, you don’t. You need therapy, along with this whole family of yours” you stated clearly

“Y/N, Y/N, Y/N…” He whined “You don’t understand what I’m going through when I’m clean!” He suddenly yelled at you making you raise your eyebrows

“No Klaus, you don’t understand what I’m going through when I see the man I love somewhere begging for drugs instead of trying to get a real help!”

You argued back, but he stopped “What?”

Five Hargreeves

This takes place in season 3

You both didn’t pick the same side when Reginald asked you all who’s for saving the world and who’s against it - you voted for saving the world while he didn’t

“Are you serious?” You looked at Five frowning confused as he stood on the other side. “Five, after all this time of trying to save the world you’re just gonna give up on the only chance we have ‘cause your older you told you so?”

You scoffed shaking your head and he frowned stepping closer to you “Y/N I am doing the right thing. Right, we’ve been trying to save the world this whole time and did we manage to change something? Nein! It’s over and over the same” Five frowned stepping closer to you

Unaware of the small distance between you two you stepped closer too and looked down at him “I’m not just gonna sit here and wait for the world to end with a boy I fell for and see him die. Five just come on and try this! One more time”

You sighed and tried to plea him, but to no vail as he didn’t budge “”Boy I love”? Please don’t bring that cocky shit-” “Maybe we should all calm down, alright?” Viktor tried to diescelate the situation, but failed as you and Five ignored him and kept arguing.

“You think you’re always right, hm? You are a child, you-” However you cut him off with a sneer “A child? That’s rich coming from you” Five took a deep breath and looked up at you his height making it impossible for him to look you straight in the eyes without looking up. “Y/N I love you, but you’re starting to seriously piss me off-“ He shut up as you all realized that another wave of Kugablitz is coming and had to run. Sure you two were gonna have to sort things out

Ben Hargreeves

This takes place in season 2

He got angry ‘cause you keep diapproving of him possesing Klaus’ body

(Btw Y/N can see Ben here)

“Am I talking to Ben or Klaus?” You asked annoyed not seeing Ben anywhere so you just assumed that he posessed Klaus’ body which was sitting on the floor

“Hey Y/N! It’s Ben! God I’m so glad you came I couldn’t find you at the courtyard” he got up and hugged you tightly, but you could still feel that it’s Klaus’ body which wasn’t ideal at all. You didn’t like it and you were over this conversation many times

“Ben… you do realize that I can see you just like Klaus can, right?” You sighed shaking your head in disapproval “But it’s not the same! In a body-“ he starts but you just cut him off

“In any body I can’t see you, but the person whose body it is, Ben” you sighed shaking your head “But Y/N, you don’t understand… being ghost.. it’s as if I’m nothing” He took few steps closer to you, but you just backed up

“Y/N, please just listen… you don’t know what it’s like!” Suddenly he snaps. That’s very out of character of him. “God, Ben. You don’t get it do you?! I don’t love the body you are in, I love you when you’re yourself, Ben!”

You shook your head frowning and andead silence falls in the room and you soon hear him parting from Klaus’ body

“Aw man, I feel like I’ll throw up” Klaus moans and backs up. You ignore him whimpering and just focus on Ben who’s too stunned to speak.

It’s gonna be a long day…

Viktor Hargreeves

This takes place in season 2

Y/N is helping Five look for others so they’d get them all to the suitcase in time, but Viktor insists to go back for Sissy and Harlan

You kept driving around couple of blocks looking for your best friend - Viktor - literally everywhere

Driving on a road leading away from Sissy’s farm you were slowly losing all hope, but for Viktor’s sake and your mental stability’s sake you kept going, you had to find him.

Driving away you saw another car passing by you and Viktor in it. Immediately you stopped in a way that your car - well a stolen car that you claim to be yours - died. Viktor on the other hand stopped slowly

“Viktor? Thank God, where were you?!” You were quick to hug him before he even had a chance to get out of the car properly

“Jesus! Y/N what are you doing here?” Obviously strandled a bit Viktor pulled away and rubbed your shoulder a bit “What’s going on?”

“Five found a way to get back home! No apocalypse or anything like that, we can go back!” You quickly explained and started walking towards your car, but stopped when you realized he wasn’t following “Viktor?” He shifted in his place thinking “I hate to tell you this, but we only have fifteen minutes-“ you started, but he cut you off

“I’m taking Sissy and Harlan” Viktor practically stated “What? Viktor you can’t do that, their disappearance could have major concequences” you shook your head looking back at your watch. 13 minutes.

“What consequences would it create if we’d just take a farm boy and woman with us?” Viktor obviously had enough and he headed back to his car “We don’t have time for that Viktor!” You pulled him by his arm back and he only snatched it away “Viktor don’t” you warned him shaking your head, true you don’t have powers, but he doesn’t have to know that

“What’s so wrong about this? I love Sissy and am not leaving her!” You knew he did. He loves Sissy, but you kidna were in denial. “What?” He looked at you still angry, but more confused now that you’re silent. 2 minutes.

“Sissy isn’t the only one who loves you, you idiot” you said and got into your car, but Viktor stopped you by your hand

“What?”

[delusional-day-dreamer]

First. Love. Part² - p.b

playlist!

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‣ paige bueckers x oc

‣ wc: 12079 (this took me way too long but I got carried away...)

‣‣ synopsis: background on paige and jenna's relationship, how they met, fell in love, and how paige ended up becoming jenna's first heartbreak and eternal muse.

‣‣‣ a/n: So High School Part 2 will be out soon (i have no idea where to take the plot in that series 😔), this is sort of a filler chapter in between the podcast episode in part 3 to give context. EDIT: I changed Jenna's major to be Business Economics with a minor in Film, Television, and Digital Media because it's more relevant for the later plot!

June 30th, 2016 (summer before freshman year; 14 years old)

Jenna's POV:

You didn't know how much more of this stupid city you could handle. You had just locked your front door behind you as you left to go to the pool inside your new neighborhood, excited to read a book you had bought the other day while sunbathing on a lounge chair.

Your parents had just uprooted your life and moved you from San Diego, California, land of sunshine, beaches, and only a small amount of criminal activity, to middle of nowhere Hopkins, Minnesota, right before you started high school with all of your old friends.

Of course you understood that this was for the better of your family, both of your parents had gotten new jobs at a huge hospital with far better pay than their previous ones, they found a beautiful house in a nice neighborhood close to what was going to be your new school, and living in your dad's hometown meant being close to his family.

However, none of these facts soothed the bitter taste in your mouth that formed at the thought of having to be the new kid, having no friends to hang out with for the rest of summer or to start school off with, no job or classes to distract your never-ending train of thoughts, and you didn't even have a sibling to act as your built in friend.

Regardless, you tried your best to adjust to your new, albeit lonely, life by distracting yourself as much as possible. Your parents had re-enrolled you in music lessons the same week you finished moving into your house, gave you an allowance to buy new clothes and hang out at the local mall, as you very quickly realized your Californian wardrobe would not fit the Minnesota weather, despite it being summertime (although you hadn't gone yet as you hated shopping alone), and you had even been going to the pool frequently with the hopes of meeting kids close to your age.

And it just so happened that today, your prayers had been answered. As you were walking down the street, the door to a house you had just crossed by across the street had barely opened before a small boy barrels out, closely followed by a taller, blonde girl who appeared to be around your age, locking the door behind the two of them. You weren't able to put a finger on it, but there was simply something about the girl that was mesmerizing, just a quick glance at her had you wanting to know more.

You had always known you liked girls to some extent, you always found yourself gazing at the t.v. in wonder at the beautiful girls displayed upon the screen. However, it wasn't until probably a hundred, "Am I Gay?" internet quizzes later in seventh grade you recognized the fact that you were queer and were in fact attracted to girls, you just didn't bother telling anyone about this revelation.

In particular, the girl in front of you invoked millions of questions that raced through your mind: who was she, was she your age, was she going to the same high school as you, and most importantly, why was she so pretty? Her blonde hair cascaded down her back with a slight wave to them, her white oversized t-shirt and black basketball shorts draped over her tall frame, and her voice that rang out as she scolded the little boy who ran in front of her to the end of their walkway.

God, her voice was the most intoxicating thing you had ever heard, luring you into her like a siren's song to the depths of the ocean. You swore you were floating at the twinkling sound of her laughter echoing around the block as she joked with, who you head her refer to as, her little brother.

You snapped out of your stunned daze and continued walking forward as she followed her little brother onto the main sidewalk, now almost parallel with your frame. You were mentally counting your blessings that she hadn't looked up enough to see your stalker-esque figure staring at her, although you were praying that she happened to be going to the pool as well (definitely not so you could look at her some more).

Truly, God had decided to pay special attention to you today, as your blonde neighbor grabbed her little brother's hand as she crossed the street, making her way towards you. You couldn't help but glance at her as she approached you, and you were taken aback by the shockingly blue eyes that met yours. You gave her a tight-lipped smile as she stepped up to the sidewalk just behind you, hoping your internal panic wasn't apparent on your face as you faced forward once again.

Your focus on taking deep breaths in and out to not embarrass yourself in front of the first person your age you've even made eye contact with in the last month is interrupted by the little boy running past you, gently bumping into your leg as he brushes past you. His short legs are working overtime to maintain a pace faster than both you and the pretty stranger, who had now jogged up next to you to keep close to her brother.

"Drew the pool isn't gonna run away by the time we get there, you gotta slow down buddy," She called out to the curly-headed child, turning her head to peer slightly down at you.

"Sorry about him, he gets really ahead of himself sometimes," She apologized on his behalf, her eyes scanning over your face. Before giving you a chance to reply, she continued on. "Are you new to the neighborhood? I don't think I've ever seen you around?" She questions, your heart slightly speeding up at the undivided attention she was paying to your face.

"No yeah I am, I just moved here from California," you replied, tucking your hands into the pockets of your shorts to avoid any nervous flailing.

"No way, that's so cool, I've always wanted to visit. Did you live next to the beaches? One of my old friends went there for vacation and she loved it, like she wouldn't shut up about how nice it is over there. I think she went somewhere close to LA. Wait are you going to the pool too?" Her outgoing demeanor surprised you. You had only seen her for the first time a minute ago, and she was already carrying you into a conversation about your old life.

"Yeah I did and I am, I lived in San Diego so the beaches there were really nice compared to the northern part. I miss being able to go there all the time, so I guess for now the pool will just have to do," you joked back, and your heart fluttered at the smile that broke out on her face.

It had appeared that you made your first friend in Hopkins, Minnesota, and unbeknownst to you, she would quickly become your first ever best friend. Then your first girlfriend, your first love, and then slowly, your first and last heartbreak.

April 4th, 2017 (spring break, freshman year; 15 years old)

Paige's POV:

"Dude there's no way you think pancakes are supposed to be better than waffles, they're so boring," I protested on my bed next to Jenna, rolling onto my stomach towards her and propping up my elbows so I could look at her. Jenna had somehow become my best friend within the span of two months during summer, and although I was unsure of when and how her presence became so prominent in my life in such a quick span of time, I was nothing but grateful.

We had started high school together and even had a class together everyday, which was a saving grace for both of us. She came to every single one of my home games this season, even some of the closer away games. She made it to more of my games that any person in my family did, which surprised me, but she just was always there for me somehow.

I was never the best at making friends outside of basketball, the sport was my comfort zone and it was always so much easier to relate to my teammates who felt the same. Yet, me and Jenna just clicked, despite our many differences. Hanging out with her quenches a thirst within me I didn't know I had. A thirst to be seen, to be heard and known, a desire for someone to see me past all my future athletic potential and to just see me, and without fail, she did that for me. Every. Time.

One of the things we discovered early into our friendship, the first time she came over to my house to hang out, were our matching initials. PB and JS, which we affectionately coined to be our nicknames, Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich (pretend pazzi does not own this nickname). Jenna always says that our matching initials are a sign from above, a sign that we're meant to stick by the other's side. We even bought matching necklaces with our initials over winter break as a mutual Christmas present, mine was silver and hers was gold.

Our parents loved the nickname as well, joking that it's the reason they can never separate us, as you just can't have one without the other. Our families somehow became intertwined over the course of our friendship as well, trading in between carpool duties, spending long weekends and the occasional holiday together, and even coming to cheer me on at my basketball games or watching Jenna's dance recitals from the class she took instead of P.E. We all even went out to eat together to celebrate me and Jenna's small freshmen year milestones, like our birthdays.

Hers was a bit before mine, September 21st, 2001, which made her just slightly older than me. Apparently according to the Minnesota school laws or whatever, Jenna is supposed to be in the grade above, but California has different age cutoffs so she's one of the oldest people in our grade.

She confessed to me before school started that she was nervous about being the eldest out of everyone, but I reassured her by saying that it just meant she could drive the two of us around and do a bunch of other things before everyone else could. That really helped.

She even let me into her secret world of music, I knew she took classes but until she played and sang for me, I didn't realize just how good she was. She was fairly shy when it came to her talent, and almost never played in front of people she wasn't comfortable with, which is why it felt like an honor when she played a song on the piano or guitar for me, or sang for or with me, whether it was playing from the radio or something small she wrote.

But the thing that really brought us closer together was when Jenna's parents had to go out of town from time to time for their medical conferences, which left her home alone. When she was younger, she always used to go with them, as missing school wasn't that big of a deal. But now, she ended up refusing, insisting that she would be alright home alone.

This didn't fly with either of our families, and our parents eventually came to the conclusion that Jenna could just stay over at our house when needed. It wasn't like me and Jenna didn't have sleepovers all the time anyways, and both me and Drew loved having her over. She even met my Mom and my two other little siblings, Ryan and Lauren. The three of them immediately took to her the way I did, entranced by her presence. She loved hanging out with them too, since she was an only child.

There was something about Jenna that somehow attracted people to her. Maybe it was her welcoming presence, the way she made you feel like the most important person in the world with the way she looked at you, or perhaps it was something appealing about her appearance. The small makeup she put on and the way she spent extra time styling her hair was always unnecessary in my opinion, I always thought she was the prettiest person in our grade.

Sometimes I wondered if the two of us were truly best friends. I know friends hang out a bunch like we do, they don't mind changing in the same room or even in front of each other, and they definitely feel comfortable enough to cuddle together in bed or while watching a movie. Right?

But sometimes I swear there's a weird fluttering in my stomach when Jenna's bare legs drape over mine on the couch, or sometimes my heart skips a beat when we're getting ready for bed and she just pauses while changing her shirt, intent on continuing our conversation even while standing in just her bra.

But it's okay for friends to do that right? I mean, I've only ever had crushes or thought boys were attractive, so everything I'm feeling is probably just from the fact that I've never had a best friend like Jenna. Sure, I've had a bunch of friends and teammates I'm really close to, but me and Jenna spend all of our time together, and there's almost nothing we wouldn't do together. Sometimes, we just take turns showering while the other person stays in the bathroom just so we can keep talking.

Which led the two of us up to now, spending spring break sprawled out on my bed at 9pm, arguing about whether waffles or pancakes were better. We never had any real arguments, but with me and Jenna both being super competitive and never wanting to be wrong, we always had long discussions "fighting" about meaningless topics.

"Pancakes are so much smoother and like, enjoyable to eat compared to waffles, plus waffles end up crispy at the edges and they just end up tasting weird," She insisted, adjusting herself from her back to her side so she could argue with me face to face.

Her hair fell over her shoulder when she moved, leaving her shoulder exposed as her, no, my sweatshirt had slightly slouched down as it was big on her. Jenna wasn't exactly short, she was around 5'5, it's just that I happened to be even taller.

"Girls, come down for dinner please," my step-mom yelled from downstairs before I could even snap out of my distracted state to argue back.

"Coming Mrs. Bueckers," Jenna took the initiative to yell back slightly when I didn't respond in time, still in shock as to why I ended up staring at my best friend, distracted by her bare shoulder in my clothes. Me and Jenna always shared clothes, we even kept clothing and toiletry spares in each others rooms for spontaneous sleepovers. So why was her wearing my sweatshirt, in my bed, so different this time?

Whatever the reason was, I didn't have time to even think it over before Jenna got up from next to me, grabbing my hands with hers so she could yank me up as well, complaining that she was hungry. She kept our hands interlocked as we left my room, walking down the stairs hurridley. It was a miracle she didn't notice that for some reason, her soft, warm hands in mine had left a barely noticeable blush on my cheeks.

October 28th, 2017 (sophomore year; 16 years old)

Jenna's POV:

"Come on J hurry up, it's just a stupid party," Paige walked into your bathroom as you were almost finished curling your hair. "I'm on my last section P chill, I'll be done in a minute," you reassured her reflection. The two of you were invited to a Halloween party, but apparently you weren't supposed to dress up since technically it's not Halloween yet? (skinny jeans were the shit in 2017 but I can't bring myself to write that that's what they're wearing 😔)

You were both confused about it but the junior who invited you guys, Alexa, was one of your friends from math class. You were sat together on the first day and despite both of you struggling here and there, you often got the concepts a little bit quicker than her, so you always helped her when possible. And in return, she got the two of you an invite, well technically she invited you but everyone knows you and Paige are a package deal, to one of the biggest house parties of the school year.

It was also going to be the first party you were ever going to, and you both agreed to not go overboard on the drinks, since your aunt cristina, who was visiting, was going to pick and drop you in her car. Your mom's sister couldn't have chosen a better time to come visit, as both of your parents were working the night shift tonight and Paige's parents allowed her to sleepover at your house since your aunt was supposed to "supervise".

"See, I'm ready, let's go," you told Paige as you finished your hair with a thin layer of hairspray, moving past her into your room to grab your phone and keys. Your parents had gotten you a used Ford F-150 truck (so gay) so it would be easier for you to drive to school, with Paige of course, since they both started working longer hours now that you were old enough to take care of yourself and so that they could retire earlier.

You both made your way downstairs to your Aunt Cristina on the couch, watching tv while waiting for you to finish getting ready. "Ready to hit the road girls?" She got up to turn off the tv and grab her things from around the living room.

"Yup, thank you again for taking us, and for not telling our parents," Paige responded on your behalf as well. It was typical of adults to love Paige, she was always the most respectful and responsible kid in their eyes, even when thanking your aunt for driving you to a party so you could drink responsibly.

"No problem, I'd rather you girls be safe while having fun, no point in sneaking out if I'm here for you," She joked as you moved to get in her car, and within ten minutes, the three of you were pulled up outside the address Alexa had given you.

"Now please just remember to be safe, have fun, drink responsibly, don't leave your drinks unattended, don't try drinks from random people, keep your phone on you, don't leave each other's side," Your aunt was rambling off safety rules to the two of you in the backseat. You thought it was ironic she had to mention for you to stay together as if you ever left each other's side anyways.

"Yes Auntie C of course," You promised her as you moved to open the car door, "We'll be safe and I'll text you, love you, thanks, bye!" You closed the door the second Paige climbed out from the backseat, eager to walk into the house you could hear music blaring out of.

Before you knew it, the two of you were sitting pressed up together on a couch in a crowded living room, two red solo cups in hand with sprite and vodka. You and Paige were tipsy from the past two hours of drinking, a warm fuzziness settled into our brains, making the circle of people around us funnier than they probably were.

"No you know what we should play, seven minutes in heaven!" A drunk junior called out mid-conversation. You weren't really absorbing anything that was being said around you until that, and the loud cheers that erupted from the living room at the suggestion.

"Everybody gather around in a circle on the floor, whoever spins it has to go in the guest bedroom with the person it lands on for seven minutes," Alexa called out to everyone as she reached for an empty beer bottle behind her, before moving to sit on the floor.

"D'you wanna play?" Paige asked quietly next to you. You could tell she was hesitant on joining, and would only sit down if you went with her or dragged her with you.

"Why not, what are the chances we get picked anyways?" You decided, downing the last sip of your drink before setting it down on the floor, pulling Paige off the couch with you and into the circle.

"Before we start," Alexa loudly interrupted the conversation of the circle as she placed the beer bottle in the middle, causing everyone to quiet down and listen to her. "If you get picked to go in the room, you do not, and I repeat do not, have to do anything. The room stays unlocked the whole time, and you can't force the other person to do anything, even kiss," She insisted, making eye contact with every person in the circle before sitting back down in her spot.

"Agreed?" She asked everyone, and only allowed the game to start after hearing a response from everyone.

The game started and by the fourth round, everyone except one couple had clearly used the seven minutes to their advantage, coming out with tousled hair, bruised lips, and one girl even came out with a visibly red hickey on her neck. You and Paige had yet to be picked, and you felt a sense of relief that the two of you got to participate without having to actually play the game.

But, you suppose you must have spoken (or thought) too soon though, as you watched the next guy spin the bottle, and it slowed to a stop, the neck pointing right at you. Encouragements and cheers burst from the circle, urging the two of us to go in the room. You recognized who he was from around campus and his games, a junior volleyball player.

He got up from his seat, walking across the circle to you, and offering his hand to pull you up. You looked over hesitantly at Paige, who was barely meeting your eyes and had a small, tight-lipped smile on her face. Ignoring her reaction, you took his hand in yours and allowed him to hoist you up, dropping it the moment you stood in front of him.

You walked into the room first, sitting on the desk pushed up against the wall as he closed the door behind him and walked up to you, leaving a foot of space in between you two, presumably waiting for you to give him some sort of indicator.

"I'm sorry, I hope you don't really mind but I wasn't really planning on getting picked and I'm not comfortable, like, kissing you or anything so if you want to pick someone else I get it, I just don't want to," the nervous ramble poured out of you without constraint, the alcohol you had consumed making you more open-lipped than normal.

"Hey it's cool, you heard Alexa, you don't have to do anything if you don't want to," he shrugged, moving to take a seat on the edge of the queen bed in the room.

"Oh, thank you, I guess. I didn't think you would be so cool about your turn being wasted," You settled on top of the desk properly, turning to face the boy who was surprisingly chill.

"Nah it's whatever, I just broke up with my girlfriend like a month ago too, so I don't really care. I'm Jeremy by the way," he introduced, bringing one foot off the floor to rest over his other knee, leaning slightly back onto the bed.

"I'm Jenna, this is my first party so I wasn't really sure how all of this was gonna go."

"Jenna, I swear I've heard your name before," he paused, thinking for a moment. "Ohh, you’re the one who's friends with the basketball girl, Paige something right?" He suddenly remembered.

"Yeah I came with her tonight, she's my best friend," You smiled, talking about Paige was one of the easiest things in the world for you. You knew everything about her, inside and out, and majority of people knew you through her, since her athleticism made her quite popular around school. You never minded being known as Paige's best friend though, you knew you had your own identity and Paige always reminded anyone who referred to you as that, but there was a certain comfort that your friendship was strong enough for even a stranger to know that about you.

You and Jeremy continued small talking about school and a little bit about his ex-girlfriend before a knock rang out from the door, signaling that your time was up. He got up before you and held the door open as you walked out, instantly being bombarded with excited whoops and teasing "oooo's" as you walked to join the circle again.

"We didn't even do anything, guys" Jeremy emphasized to the circle, attempting to calm the rambunctious circle.

"Then why is she red as a tomato? The girl couldn't be blushing harder if she tried," a random girl in the circle yelled out, revving up the groups fever.

"She's like sixteen, chill out. Besides it's probably cause all of you," Jeremy backed you up as you walked over to your previous seat, but before you sat back down, you realized Paige was no longer there.

"Where did Paige go?" You asked the group before the next person could spin the bottle, causing eyes to shoot up at you.

"She went to the kitchen for a refill, so probably still there," Alexa informed you. You nodded at her before walking away, searching for your missing best friend.

You didn't have to look for long before you found her taking a shot in the kitchen with two other random girls, her face souring heavily at the alcoholic taste. You knew Paige hated the taste of alcohol and was never one to submit to peer-pressure, so why was she taking a shot of tequila with strangers?

"Hey P," you walked up to her, resting your hand on her bicep to draw her attention to you.

"Hey J," she responded dryly, but her voice was slightly slurred, moving her arm out of your hold to swap out the shot class for a full solo cup you could only pray she filled herself.

"You wanna leave soon? It's already like one ish?"

"Sure, whatever," she took a long sip from her cup, downing half of whatever she had poured in it.

"Okay, we can wait outside, let the cold air sober us up a bit before Auntie C gets here," you gently pried the red plastic cup out of her hand before grabbing her hand and leading her out to the living room, saying bye to the small amount of friends you knew before walking outside.

The two of you settled onto the edge of the curb at the ending curve of the sidewalk, just far enough from the house to get a little quiet. The stuffed house had been slightly humid, and the light breeze was a refreshing contrast to your previous environment.

"How was it?" Paige's question broke the quiet but tension-filled bubble the two of you had formed.

"How was what?"

"Your seven minutes in heaven," Paige drunkenly mocked.

"P, we didn't do anything. Like, anything anything," you were confused at her attitude, did she know something about Jeremy, or dislike him for some reason?

"You, you didn't kiss him?" The shock was apparent on her face. "The second you left everyone was talking about Jeremy and Jenna kissing in a tree, it was really annoying," she grumbled, you concluded that the alcohol she had consumed must be what was making her weird.

"No way P, I don't want my first kiss to be like that. Forced and with someone I don't even know, let alone like," you scooched closer into her, resting your head on her shoulder.

You awaited a response from her but never get one, she simply leaned her head on top of yours as you waited in a comfortable silence for your ride, which came quickly.

*small time skip*

You had just finished your short skincare routine and were finally ready to climb into bed with Paige, the long night had taken its toll on you, and you were ready to collapse into the warm embrace of your best friend. But tonight, when you laid down next to her in bed, she didn't immediately cuddle into you like she always did, remaining flat on her back, staring at your ceiling.

Instead, she turned over to face you, only a few inches of space were left in between your faces as she whispered to you, "Why didn't you kiss him?"

Her question shocked you. The two of you rarely visited the topic of romantic relationships or feelings of the sort, and both of you agreed that you weren't interested in the thought as of right now.

"I," you paused. You had never officially come out to Paige, afraid that once she knew you liked girls, your every move would be scrutinized and judged, and your relationship would never be the same. But surely, you insisted internally, Paige wasn't going to be like that.

"I wasn't really interested in the thought of kissing a guy," You quietly admitted, rolling back over onto your back to avoid her gaze.

"Oh." That was it? You basically just came out to her and that's all you got?

"Would you ever kiss a guy? Or just," she paused, the hesitation clear in her voice. "Just girls?"

"No I would kiss both, I just don't think I want my first kiss to be with one? Or at least not Jeremy," you confessed quietly, turning your head back over to look at her. She was staring intently at you, scanning your face.

"Who would you want your first kiss to be with?"

"I don't know, but at least with someone I'm close to. Have you ever," you waited a moment before finishing your sentence, taking a deep breath in between your words.

"Have you ever thought about kissing girls? Or a girl?" You whispered, watching her slightly panicked reaction.

"A few times, but I've never kissed anyone either, so I don't know," Her eyes darted in between your eyes and down to your lips. "What if you kiss me? Just so we can both have our first kisses with someone we know," in retrospect, you should've thought harder before agreeing to kiss your previously assumed straight best friend. But her offer set off a flurry of butterflies in your stomach, your cheeks flushed deeply as you nodded.

You shuffled closer to her in bed, such that there was barely an inch of space separating your lips. "Are you sure about this?" You whispered, staring down at her lips while reaching your hand to cup her jaw, the other arm bent at the elbow to support your body above hers.

"Yeah," she nodded, looking down at your own lips, slightly moving in until your lips grazed against hers. You pressed your lips a little firmer into hers, slanting your head further as your lips barely opened. She moved in tandem with you, her hand resting at the nape of your neck as she kissed you back.

Your kiss only lasted a few moments, pulling back the second you registered the taste of alcohol still prominent in her mouth. You realized it was possible that the only reason your best friend asked you to kiss her was because she was drunk, sixteen, and very single.

"This isn't gonna be weird tomorrow is it?" Your brows furrowed as a worried expression settled into your face.

"No, why would it? Friends can kiss, besides we just won't make it weird," she promised. And despite knowing it was a stupid idea, an even stupider statement, you agreed. Collapsing down back onto your pillow, you opened your arms for Paige to snuggle into you, and the two of you drifted into a peaceful slumber.

February 3rd, 2018 (sophomore year; 16 years old)

Paige's POV:

It was a relief to finally find a quiet moment to myself, even if it was at three in the morning in the middle of my living room couch. Everyone in my house was asleep, including Jenna, who was still snoring when I extracted myself from her arms. The ac vent aimed straight at me caused me to pull the blanket tighter into my body, despite the pajama pants I was wearing and one of Jenna's hoodies.

We were almost done with basketball season and were currently playing our conference games, and were thankfully on a streak. And yet, the pressure inside of me continued to build, the need to be perfect and to support and carry my team throughout our games constantly weighing down on me.

Of course my teammates, coaches, family, and my other friends were supportive of me and encouraged me to try my best, and that no one expected perfection of me. But for whatever reason, I couldn't get rid of the anxiety that was constantly taking over my brain, sending me into spiraling panics over my future and my performance.

But throughout the past few months, the only person I felt like I could truly breathe around was Jenna, my lifeline. Despite not being involved in basketball in any way, she understood me and what I was feeling. She confided in me about her having chronic anxiety (GAD) the first time I slept over at her house, when I saw her medication on the dinner table.

She taught me breathing exercises and calming methods, held and comforted me when I cried in the middle of the night from the constant mental pressure, and even told me that I should slide around my initial charm on our matching necklace since it was a better nervous habit than biting my nails.

Even besides that, her presence in itself was a comfort to me, even if I wasn't yet sure of how deep my feelings for her went. She was the first friend I ever said "I love you" too, and I think the same goes for her. And it is true, I do love her with my whole heart, I would do anything she asked or needed of me, I just wasn't sure to what extent this love went.

Along with that, I was still unsure of where I stood with my sexuality. Before Jenna, I never thought about girls in a more than platonic way, but from the first few months of getting to know her, to our first kiss together (still the only time I've ever kissed anybody), to even now, where she was cuddled into my chest a mere thirty minutes ago, I felt electrifying sparks course through my body at her touch, she could make me blush with the most innocent of looks, and she made me giddy in a way even basketball didn't.

But despite all that, it's normal for best friends to love each other? It doesn't automatically mean being gay or being in love, you could just deeply care for the other person. Besides, Jenna never brought up the kiss again, which meant it had probably only happened due to both of our inebriated states.

It was as if my deep train of thought about her cause her to miraculously appear, I knew it was her just from the footsteps upstairs, the way she gently walked down the stairs to avoid a creaky step, and the way her sock-covered feet padded over to the couch, grabbing a throw blanket for herself before taking a seat in the corner end of the couch next as me.

We sat in silence as she reached over to the side of the couch, pushing the button to recline the seat back, unfolding the blanket and covering her bottom half before patting her lap for me once she was fully adjusted.

I all but threw my head into her lap, facing her body, as I extended my legs out onto the rest of the sofa as I moved my arms up hug the tops of her legs as her hands came up to gently scratch at my scalp, playing with my hair in a way that immediately relaxed me into her.

"M'sorry if I woke you," I whispered into her stomach, even though I wasn't actually sorry. I was selfishly happy that she came downstairs for me and would give up anything for us to have more of these quiet moments together, her attention solely focused on me.

"S'okay P, you technically didn't. I felt the bed was empty and then my spidey senses told me you were thinking too hard again, so I came to convince you to come back to bed, but then this beautiful couch looked way too comfortable, so we can just spend the night here," she sleepily mumbled, looking down at me sprawled out onto her lap.

"Tell me who or what is stealing our sleep so I can beat their asses," she joked quietly, her hands coming to rub at my temples.

I sighed, it felt as if her hands were physically melting the pounding in my skull, my headache nearly subsiding just from her touch.

"Just stressed out about everything again y'know? Basketball, school, life, kind of everything," I admitted quietly. The one thing I hated doing, was talking about things that bothered or upset me, it always made me feel weak.

"Hey, we are all so proud of you P. We all know how hard you're working and even though you feel like it, I promise that it's not all up to you. All the people around you love you, and we're all here to help if you need it. You just say the word and we'll all line up for whatever you need," she reassured me, only slightly teasing as her fingers moved to pinch my cheek lightly before moving back to my hair.

"Yeah I know, God really blessed me with you guys. Especially you, I don't know what I would do without you," I murmured up at her, smiling at her sleepy but happy expression.

"Yeah yeah, just say you love me Paige," she poked fun at me quietly, letting her head drop onto the cushion behind her without breaking eye contact with me.

"Hey I do love you J, I say it all the time," I retorted, using my fingers to draw small shapes on her pajama-covered thighs.

"Well I love you too P," her hands smoothed over my hair as she bent down to press a kiss on my hairline before reaching back up to settle into the couch.

"Just trust me, you just need to do all you can so God can do all you can't," she muttered, closing her eyes as she leaned her head slightly onto her shoulder to get comfortable, all without stilling her hands' movements in my scalp.

"Hey that's a sick quote, I'm stealing that from you for my interviews," I teased groggily, the lack of sleep slowly overcoming my voice.

"You can have anything you want from me P, you already know that," she didn't open her eyes when she said that, but I could hear the sincerity in her tone even without looking at her.

The two of us slept the whole night in the exact same position, unaware of everyone waking up to us cuddling on the couch together. My eyes only fluttered open at the sound of quieted laughter and the shuttering of two cameras pointed at the two of us.

As I rolled my head out of Jenna's lap to look at whoever had caused the disturbance, I squinted my eyes to see my dad with his polaroid and Drew using someone's phone. I groaned, burying myself back into Jenna, I probably would never hear the end of this, but it was alright, because it was with Jenna.

July 4th, 2018 (summer before junior year; 16 years old)

Jenna's POV:

"Jenna you need to slow down, I don't want you to throw up or anything," Paige insisted as she walked up to you, pulling you away from the living room of the house party you were in, preventing you from throwing back another shot. The party was hosted by a senior at the end of your neighborhood, just walking distance from both of your houses.

"What's your problem P, I'm just having fun," you argued back, doing your best to enunciate your words to prevent having a slur, knowing she would cut you off immediately if you got too drunk. You were pretty good at holding your liquor, somehow being a natural heavy-weight when it came to drinking.

"Come on Paigey, just lighten up a little, it's the fourth of fucking July, have fun with me. Ooo, we should do a shot together," you elbowed her side jokingly, looking up at her hesitant expression with your best puppy dog eyes.

Her concerned expression softened, you knew it was wrong of you to take advantage of the fact she could never say no to you, but she was the reason you were adamant on drinking to the point of memory loss tonight.

As shameful as it felt to admit it, your best friend had been haunting your every waking moment for the last few months, and you were desperate for an escape from your own thoughts. You always knew you felt something deeper than friendship for Paige, the way your heartbeat would speed up at every touch of her hands, the way you found yourself unable to tear your eyes off of her, on and off the court, and especially, the way you could not escape the mental replay of your kiss.

The press of her soft lips against yours, the slight vanilla taste from her chapstick you so often borrowed, the way the skin of her jaw felt so soft in the palm of your hand, and the way your body melted into hers, pressed against her warm figure.

So, like any reasonable sixteen year old, you were determined to get absolutely shit-faced tonight, to the point where you wouldn't even be able to remember your own name. And the only way that would happen, is if Paige stopped monitoring your every sip of alcohol.

"Okay fine, one shot, but that's it. We can't both be super drunk," She relented, allowing you to pull her back into the kitchen to pour yourself shots.

And just to your luck, Paige had run into a few friends and teammates, leaving you alone with a few class friends for what she intended to be only a few minutes, but ended up being a little over half an hour. Those thirty ish minutes were all you needed to take two more shots, chug one whiteclaw and two beers, and finish a cup of a vodka sprite.

By the time Paige came back, still mostly sober, she was pissed to see that you were plastered, hanging off the shoulder of some guy she could recognize, but was too mad to focus on. She couldn't figure out why you were drinking so much tonight, despite her warning, you were practically making yourself sick for the next day, and you wouldn't even tell her the reason you had been off lately, brushing it off with some bullshitted excuse of school or your parents.

"Yo, who's the blonde chick staring at you?" The random guy you were talking to asked, nodding his head towards Paige, who was leaned against one of the kitchen counters and boring holes into the guy's head.

"Paigeyyy," you called out, lifting your now very heavy head from his shoulder as he pointed out your best friend who was now within eyeline, a deeply annoyed expression settled into her otherwise soft features.

"Hey me and Jenna are gonna head out, it's already past two and she's clearly done drinking for tonight," Paige announced to the group of friends you were hanging out with as she moved towards you, gently guiding your arm over shoulder and pulling you away from the other guy.

"Hey she's fine," the guy you were previously all over slightly slurred, "What are you her babysitter or somethin?"

"Dude worry about yourself, you look like you’re two seconds away from passing out," she snapped at him before walking away, supporting around half of your weight as the two of you exited the house.

"You're always so good to me Paigey, always my taking care of me," you drunkenly mumbled into her shoulder, pressing yourself further into her in an attempt to warm yourself up with her body heat. The summer night in Minnesota wasn't too bad, but your lack of a jacket wasn't helping.

"We'll reach your house in like five minutes, you just gotta walk till there okay?" She spoke firmly, avoiding glancing down at your slouched figure attached to her.

"You're always my best girl," you continued your drunken ramble.

"Always there fo' me, you cuddle me and you kiss me, and you even walk me home," for some selfish reason, she didn't have it in her to stop you. She knew it wasn't fair to you, letting you pour your innermost thoughts or feelings out to her when you weren't in the right state of mind, but she couldn't bear to stop the compliments gushing from your mouth.

"No need to date anyone in the whole wide world when I have you. You're so much nicer than the other girls. Or boys. And prettier. You're the prettiest out of all of them. So pretty, even when you're all sweaty and gross in basketball. You even kiss nice, don't wanna kiss anyone else after you kissed me," she finally cut your mindless babble into her neck off.

"We're here, I need your keys," her voice was curt, almost like she didn't want to be with you anymore. You lifted your head out of the crook of her neck to fumble around the pockets of your jeans, finally pulling out your lanyard and holding it out for her.

She took it from your grasp quickly, unlocking your house and helping you in to take both of your shoes off and lead you up into your bathroom, sitting you on the closed toilet as she went into your room to grab a change of clothes for you.

You leaned your head back in the two minutes she had left, closing your eyes and barely drifting off when she re-entered the bathroom, waking you up so she could help you change and take off your makeup.

It wasn't until you were sitting against the headboard of your bed, watching her move around your room to collect stray clothes from the floor into your hamper that the two of you finally spoke again.

"Paigey are you mad at me?" the nickname slipped from your mouth once again as you questioned her quietly. Paigey was something that usually only Drew called her regularly, but for some reason it was the only thing you referred to her as when drunk.

"Yes Jenna, is that what you wanna hear? That I'm fucking pissed off at you? You've been acting weird for the last like, two months. And no matter how much I try, you won't open up to me, it's frustrating me," she exclaimed pausing her movements around the room to rant to you despite her better judgement telling her she shouldn't talk to you about this while you're drunk.

"And then tonight you're all over some random douche, pretending like everything is fine when you know it's not. Then you start spewing that bullshit about me I know you don't mean because you're drunk."

You stayed silent for a few moments before you responded, "'M sorry, I shouldn't have shut you out for something you didn't do. But saying I don't mean what I said? That's not fair and you know it."

"Stop it Jenna, I think that you should just go to sleep. You're so drunk, you're not even coherent anymore, and I don't want to have this conversation with you like this,"

"What if I just wanna tell you how pretty you are, or how nice you kiss? Or that I love-"

"Stop Jenna, please just stop," Paige shut her eyes, her voice sounding nearly painful.

"Please J, you're drunk and you don't mean it. You can't say things like that and not mean it to me, I can't take it," she begged.

"If I say it to you tomorrow will you believe me?" you whispered, hesitating before continuing.

"If I tell you I love you tomorrow, will you say it back? Will you mean it the same way I mean it?" you pleaded with her, desperate to hear that she felt the same way you did, that you weren’t the only idiot who had fallen in love with her best friend.

"I'm gonna sleep on the couch," she muttered, walking out of your room and closing the door behind her. You could feel your heart sinking, the tears burning in your eyes, threatening to pour out at the smallest movement.

You stare at the door for a few minutes, praying that Paige would change her mind, burst back in and say that she did love you too, that you weren’t alone. She would pull you into her, kiss you stupid, and cuddle you for the rest of the night.

But she didn't and you eventually cried yourself into an uncomfortable sleep, tossing and turning the whole night.

***the next morning***

Your eyes fluttered open from the sunlight beaming through my half-closed curtains. Your head was pounding, threatening to split in half as you turned over, burying yourself into the pillow underneath your comforter.

You tried my best to recall what had happened last night that left you nearly dead the next morning. As you fought to focus despite a dry throat, aching body, and throbbing head, a specific moment came pouring back.

There was no fucking way.

You told Paige, presumably straight Paige, your best friend ever Paige, that you loved her. You had gone on a whole fucking tangent about how pretty she was, how nobody could compare, and the fact that you loved her.

You shot up in bed, fighting every painful twinge in your body to reach for your phone, when you saw a water bottle with two advils on your nightstand. You quickly chugged them as you reached for your phone, unplugging it from the charger. That was something you had most definitely not remembered to do last night.

At 7:21 in the morning there was only one text from Paige.

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Peanut Butter 💜: Hey, my step-mom called me over to help her clean some stuff up. You went pretty hard last night so I left some water and painkillers for you, make sure you take them and eat breakfast. I'll see you later yeah?

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Fuck, did she not remember what had happened last night? No, that wasn't possible, she barely drank. Did she want to pretend like it never happened? Was it because she didn't feel the same about you? As it was, she didn't allow you to finish saying you were in love with her, and it wasn't like she said it back. Was she trying to avoid ruining your friendship?

She had texted you almost three hours ago, which meant your parents had to already be back from their night shift and everyone in her house was probably awake.

You threw your phone out onto your bed, slamming yourself back down and under your covers.

What were your options here? Either pretend like it never happened and continue hopelessly pining after your best friend, confess your feelings only to get rejected and ruin your friendship, or the least likely of them all.

You told her and she felt the same.

You thought long and hard about what to do. As much as it would hurt to only be something, continuing to hide your feelings, it would be worse to be nothing to her, right?

But if it had slipped out of you once, wasn't there the chance it could happen again? What if it was even worse the next time, what if it was in public and everyone ended up finding out.

It would be better to own up to the truth now, right? Right? Right, you decided.

You finally mustered up the courage to leave the safe haven of your bed. dragging yourself to the bathroom to freshen up (ESPECIALLY BRUSHING YOUR TEETH) before quietly exiting your house, walking across the street to hers.

You knocked on the door firmly, knowing the Bueckers weren't the biggest fans of using the doorbell.

"Jenna," Drew exclaimed as he opened the door for you, allowing you into the house you had quickly claimed as your second home.

"What's up little man," you greeted him while taking off your slippers, "Where's your sister?" You asked him.

You had made it a habit to call Paige, Drew's sister, when talking to him. You felt bad that people always mentioned him as Paige's little brother instead of taking two seconds to learn his name, so you always made the effort to make sure he felt seen.

"She's in her room, she said she was feeling weird when she came home and she won't leave her room," he told you.

Shit, that meant she did remember what had happened. Well, it was now or never.

"Thanks Drew, Hi Mrs. Bueckers," you waved to her in the kitchen as you made your way to the stairs, bounding up two at a time to reach Paige's room faster. Her door was shut when you reached, and you knocked lightly on the wood.

"Hey P, it's me," you called out through the closed door, waiting to hear her mumbled, come in, before turning the knob. She was laying down in her bed, putting her phone down as she looked up at you.

"How you feeling Jelly? You drank a lot last night," she asked quietly, her hands fiddling with the top of her comforter, something you knew she did when she was nervous.

"Not that bad," you moved to sit down next to her lying figure, gazing down at her exhausted face. You could tell she hadn't slept well last night either, surely from your intoxicated confession.

"Listen, I know I was really stupid last night, but what we were talking about in my room," Paige cut you off before you could finish.

"Hey it's fine, I get it. You were really drunk and you get kind of emotional at that stage, so it's not even a big deal-"

"Oh my god Paige will you let me even speak? I meant what I said last night," you interrupted. There was no way you would allow her to brush this under the rug the same way you let her pretend your kiss had never happened.

"You're not just my best friend, you're my everything. You mean the literal world to me, there's barely anything I wouldn't do for you, because I'm in love with you. I have been for a reallly really long time now, that's why I was trying to keep my distance. It hurt, being around you and pretending like my heart wasn't going to explode at nearly everything you said or did with me," you professed, watching her expression morph from faked nonchalance to shock, and slowly, a small smile broke out.

"You, you love me love me? Like, you're in love with me? In a more than friends way?" She sat up to face you fully as she questioned you, tucking her bottom lip into her mouth as she waited for your response.

"No shit Sherlock Holmes, it's almost like I said it like four times now, and you're still not-" she didn't let you finish your exasperated sentence before pulling you into her, pressing your lips firmly into hers.

You closed your eyes as you sighed into the minty kiss, melting into her hold as she moved her lips against you slowly, the rest of the world faded away as the two of you found peace in each other's embrace.

"You know you still haven't told me you love me back," you mumbled against her lips as the two of you separated a minute later, a wide grin stretched out across your face.

"No shit I love you too Sherlock Holmes," she teased, using the nickname you had come up with against you. "Have been for a while now, glad you finally noticed," she pulled you into her as she flopped down to lie down on her side, facing you.

The two of you continued to exchange light pecks and languid kisses, reveling in the comfort of your intertwined bodies in Paige's warm bed.

"Does this mean we're dating?" Paige pulled back to watch your face as she asked.

"Yeah P, this means you're my girlfriend now. Just mine, kay?" You beamed, caressing her cheek with your thumb.

"Got it, as long as you're only mine J."

December 23rd, 2019 (Winter Break, senior year; 18 years old)

Paige’s POV:

"I have no idea what that's supposed to mean," Jenna giggled at my response, her laughter rumbling her body against mine. She was currently sprawled over my body in tiny pajama shorts and a cropped tank top, her head laying on my chest as she wrote random words onto my left arm for me to guess, my other hand wrapped tightly over her waist, eliminating any space that may have been between us.

Jenna had finally finished all of her college applications and we both took our winter finals two weeks prior, leaving us to peacefully enjoy our Christmas and New Years together.

We had already been dating for over a year now, and if I wasn't completely and irrevocably head over heels for Jenna Smyths before, I most definitely was now. The two of us were already inseparable even before we started dating, but since last July it was almost like we couldn't spend go more than twenty-four hours apart, which our families had slowly started picking up on.

We never really told my family that we were dating, just slowly started leaving hints here and there. Spending more time together, being more cuddly or touchy with the other person (all pg of course), and we went to our most recent school dances together, as friends, but still.

Even at school or in public, we basically acted the same as we always did, and despite the rumors running rampant in the many gossip circles, no one had any evidence to prove any allegation, and when prompted, we always gave the same answer, "She's my best friend".

But with Jenna's family on the other hand, only her mom knew after a really awkward walking-in incident. It wasn't too bad, it just so happened that one night when I was sleeping over at her house in March, we were innocently making out in her bed, as any seventeen year-old couple did, when her mom walked in to tell us that we were going out for breakfast the next morning. We quickly separated, but not fast enough to evade her mom.

Needless to say, the two of us had to endure a very, very embarrassing conversation of being safe and responsible together, and the only reason she didn't rat us out to Jenna's dad or my family to stop our sleepovers was the fact that neither of us could get pregnant from anything we may or may not do.

Unfortunately, our "separation anxiety problem" proved to be quite the difficult challenge when I had to leave for the team USA basketball games and Jenna went on college tours with her parents. The two of us managed to get by through near constant texting and nightly FaceTime calls, which I've accepted may be the norm for our relationship in the future.

I already committed to UConn back in April, but Jenna still hasn't decided where she wants to go. She's applied sort of everywhere, California, Washington, Michigan, Minnesota, Pennsylvania, New York, and of course, Connecticut. She hasn't told me what her top pick is out of all of her applications, but I had a feeling she was refraining from telling me because it was going to be one of the furthest ones from UConn.

I didn't mind having to do long distance, as hard as it would be, I would take that struggle over losing Jenna any day. But there was a sneaking suspicion in the back of my mind that Jenna didn't agree, that she would rather break up than have to deal with long distance.

But that couldn't happen to us, we were Paige and Jenna, Peanut Butter and Jelly, and there was no way that we would break up because of college. I mean sure, we had real arguments every once in awhile, one of us got a little jealous, or we were tired or annoyed and accidentally took it out on the other person. But those never lasted long, both of us being too weak to remain mad at the other for more than a day.

One of the biggest arguments we had was over one of my newest and closest friends, Azzi Fudd. We met through team USA and got really close really quickly, which Jenna wasn't the fondest of. We never talked about her until I had gotten back, and Jenna finally burst when I paused our conversation to text Azzi back.

It wasn't until after I assured Jenna that Azzi was straight and was definitely not interested in me in anyway since she had a crush on a boy at her school, that she was my girlfriend and the only one I had eyes for, and she met Azzi in person for the first time that she understood just how platonic our friendship was and also formed a connection with the younger girl.

To be fair, Jenna wasn't the only one with slight jealousy issues, or as she called it, me being "territorial", which I wholeheartedly disagree with. I just think that some of the guys and girls she's friends with don't need to be all over her all the time, but Jenna was just a naturally affectionate person who made everyone around her feel loved and seen, and I understood that doesn't necessarily mean in a romantic way.

Which is all to say that despite any minor bumps in the road, our relationship was as steady and strong as ever, and there was no where else in the world I would rather be right now than in bed with Jenna's body covering mine.

"I wrote bball doofus, okay there's no way you don't get this next one," she remarked teasingly. I pinched her side as she stifled her laughter, adjusting herself over me before going to write her next phrase on my bicep. I was wearing a similar tank top to hers, but with warmer, full length pajama pants. Jenna always refused to admit when she was feeling cold, which was always, instead choosing to intertwine her legs with mine, absorbing any body heat radiating off of me.

I closed my eyes and focused on her fingers fluttering over my arm, concentrating on the words she attempted to spell out. It was a phrase so familiar to us at this point I had figured it out before she had even gotten to the last word.

I smiled down at her, watching as she moved her gaze from her writing to my face, a wide grin and blush present on her features.

"I love you," I whispered to her, admiring at the way her cheeks flushed deeper at my statement. She never used to be the type of person who got easily flustered or shied away from a challenge, but when it came down to the sweetest moments like this, her body was almost constantly some shade of red or pink.

Jenna wasn't the most openly affectionate person, she often got shy when it came to dates, romantic gesture, even verbally expressing her feelings. But by driving me around all the time when I didn't have my car or even my license, helping me with homework last minute, doing my hair for games, cooking and baking food for me, and remembering the smallest details about me, she showed me how much she loved me, and that was always enough for me.

"I love you too," she whispered back, resting her chin on my chest as she continued to gaze up at me, deep adoration present in her eyes, and without a doubt, I was sure I was looking back at her with either the same or deeper level of infatuation. I moved my hand around her waist to draw small circles on the sliver of skin that was exposed, relishing in the sweet intimacy.

Moments like this were my favorite, relishing in the presence of one of my favorite people on earth, quiet and at peace with no distractions, just the two of us enjoying our time spent together.

"Wait I wanna switch, it's your turn to be the big spoon," I patted her waist to guide her to flip over onto her back, so I could lay my head down on her this time.

One of the things I loved to do with Jenna was listen to her heartbeat, it was the beat of a song I would never know the name of, but it was my favorite. To me, it proved the tangibility of the connection between our souls, the love we held for each other. It was listening to the sound that kept my life force breathing, that allowed me to keep my rock and anchor, the person I loved the most and showed me that everyday was worth living, no matter what, because it was with her.

May 22nd, 2020 (End of Senior Year; 18 years old)

My heart sank at the silence I received from Paige, she was sitting across from me on my bed and kept switching from quietly scanning over the letter on my computer screen to changing the tabs, looking over all the schools I had received acceptance letters from.

Despite getting into UConn with Paige, and even universities close to her on the East Coast, like NYU and UPenn, I was choosing to commit to UCLA, my dream school since I was seven. It was safe to say Paige wasn't thrilled with my decision, evident through her lack of a response.

"P? Please say something, literally anything," I begged, her silence was unsettling, and her face was stoic and near emotionless, which meant I had no idea of the thoughts running through her head right now.

"I don't even know what you want me to say. Or expect me to do," she paused before continuing, "I am so proud of you and everything you've done and accomplished to make it this far, but I feel so," she stopped, collecting her thoughts and emotions before continuing.

"I almost want to hate you for choosing to go so far, for choosing to leave me and be so far away from me when we both know this kind of long-distance won't work," her voice cracked, at the end of her sentence. Rather than continuing to talk, she raised the collar of her t-shirt to her eyes, tucking her head under to hide the tears that had begun to spill out.

You moved your laptop away so could close some of the distance between the two of you. You gently cupped her face, coaxing her to let go of her t-shirt so you could look directly in her eyes.

"I know, and I'm so sorry, but I can't not go Paige. I need to do this for myself and I know that if I don't go, or at least give it my best shot, I'll regret it for the rest of my life," her heartbroken expression was painful for you to watch, only making it harder for you to refrain from crying.

"If I asked you to even consider, not even coming to UConn with me but like, NYU or something, literally anywhere closer to make the long distance work, would you?" Her eyes bore into yours, searching for the answer she dreaded hearing.

You waited a moment to answer, not to think over your answer or consider her question, you already knew the answer. But to compose yourself, holding in the pain you felt from hurting the only person who would ever love you like this.

You dropped your hands from her face before responding, "No."

You could see, practically hear, her heart shatter at your response, not expecting you to be so cold and short with her. She was openly crying now, her voice now shaky and slightly higher-pitched.

"So all the times that you told me that you couldn't imagine living without me, that you needed me, that you felt like you could only breathe around me, that was all bullshit? Or you just, what, changed your mind?"

"I never lied to you about that Paige, all of those things are still true. But this is my dream, I obviously didn't go into this whole process expecting to get into one of the top universities in the nation. If I asked you the same thing right now, to give up UConn and accept one of the recruitment offers you got closer to UCLA, would you?"

"Don't turn this around on me and make me the selfish one right now. That's not fair and you know it Jenna. Getting recruited is different, it determines whether or not I can go pro in the future, it makes all the difference in the world when it comes time for me to get drafted in the W."

"I'm not trying to accuse you of anything Paige, I'm just trying to make you understand that I can't give up UCLA. And selfish, really? Trying to make a life for myself, going to the college of my dreams, that's selfish?"

"That's not what I meant," she sighed, rubbing her hands over her tear-streaked face.

"You have to understand what it feels like to be in my position right now. You're my everything, my best friend, my girlfriend, the one person who knows me better than anyone, even my parents. And you just dropped a bomb of information on me. From day one, I have always been clear about where I wanted to go to college, and I signed as soon as I got the offer. But you never said anything about that, and on top of it, you were always the one who talked about our future together, and now it's like you're taking all of your previous statement back."

"I'm sorry Paige. I'm so sorry that I'm doing this to you, that I'm hurting you. That was never my intention with this. You're my everything too, but that's not right and that's not how it should be. One person can't be my whole life, and I can't be yours either. No matter how much I love you and need you, I also need this for myself."

Paige's eyes were bloodshot at this point, and you hadn't noticed when, but somewhere during your conversation you had given up on trying to hold back your own tears.

"I've already submitted a housing application, the apartments open from June but usually students don't go until July or August, so I'll still be here for a little while," you sniffled.

As much as your decision hurt Paige, you knew it was the right thing for both of you. Paige had to focus on basketball and you needed to focus on school and your own future, and maybe the time apart would allow you to grow together rather than apart.

After all, isn't distance supposed to make the heart grow fonder?

a/n: thank you for reading all the way through, any and all support is greatly appreciated!!

[tgmsunmontue]

It's not who you know 3/4

YEAR 3 - Non-angsty Nepo!Baby Bradley and his years at the USNA and his head-in-the-sand approach to the nepotism and the fact that he ends up being known as the guy with the two hot dads instead...

YEAR THREE - 2003 - PART 3

                Bradley’s time in San Diego is now numbered in days rather than weeks and Tom helps him pack for his first extended stay on a cruiser. Tom wonders if his name was even put into a hat for a place on a submarine; unlike his relationship with Man and him, it’s no secret that Bradley wants to fly. If a carrier had been an option he’s pretty sure Bradley would have gotten that. He’s seen Bradley’s report though, knows he’s excelling in all areas, clearly determined to succeed and he’s so proud. Of course, Bradley still needs to take part in the standard summer activities, despite having grown up and having them happening around him constantly, getting dragged across the country to attend various things in his shadow.

                “You know I’ll be visiting the USS Princeton while you’re onboard.”

             ��  “Yeah yeah, I promise not to have to be thrown overboard for insubordination.”

                “No, that wasn’t… I was more thinking that you might find yourself hearing things about me which are going to make you want to pop someone in the nose.”

                “Like what?”

                “Oh god, all sorts of shit. People think I don’t know what they say behind my back but trust me, I know.”

                “I haven’t heard anything!”

                “You’ve not done any active service yet. Fresh greenie not even a proper upperclassman yet. You’ll hear stuff.”

                The expression on Bradley’s face is equally angry and annoyed and Tom holds back a groan.

                “Bradley, I’m serious. You’re really going to have to hold back if you get angry. Don’t worry about my honor okay. You’ve spent the last couple of years pretending you don’t know me and Mav at all, don’t blow your cover over something stupid that doesn’t matter. You understand?”

                “Yeah. Thanks Ice. And thanks for going along with this whole thing, I know it probably feels a bit stupid some days, but it’s really nice knowing that the friends I’ve made are my friends because of me you know, not because of what connections I might have.”

                “Yeah kid, I get it. Fair warning they might feel pretty pissed when they do find out though.”

                “Nah, I’ve picked good friends. I reckon they’ll understand.”

                “Okay. Now did you need anything else? I know Mav has been riding you hard about your flight hours…”

                Mav of course has made the most of whatever spare time they’ve had and ensured Bradley built up his flight hours again so his license doesn’t lapse. Tom doesn’t think there are going to be very many other upperclassman with as much flight experience as Bradley. Talk about being overqualified. However he also knows it makes for a damn strong application so he’s supported Mav in his undertaking.

                They say goodbye to Bradley on the porch, tell him they’ll see him onboard when he’s mixing with the enlisted personnel and Tom wishes they could watch him board, feels like it’s another milestone he’s going to miss. Reminds himself firmly that he’ll see him again onboard the same damn ship and he’ll have plenty of opportunities in the future to wave Bradley off on deployment.

…             …             …

                He doesn’t punch anyone, didn’t even need the warning, wonders what Ice thinks people say about him. He’d heard them talk, but nothing more than him being brass and being very cool-headed in times of crisis. It’s all been pretty benign stuff really, and no-one had stopped talking when he entered a room or anything.

                For the first time ever he puts up a photo of Ice and Mav beside his bed. It’s weird, but he can see why people don’t see Admiral Kazansky. He’s got a few copies of the photo, Slider having printed him off a bunch in thanks for forwarding him the electronic file and that is probably going to come back and bite him in the ass at some stage. Now he’s back in Bancroft, preparing to help with Plebe Summer, this time older and not being expected to have to deal with people yelling in his face while not reacting. It’s going to be a cake-walk in comparison to two years ago and he’s looking forward to it.

                “You’re not meant to be in here,” Bradley says, seeing Natasha at the end of his dorm bed.

                “I was sent to collect you, I have permission,” she says, hand waving away his concerns. “Let me look at that photo. Holy shit… I thought your first dad was hot, but your other dad? I mean… wow. I know I told you I like girls more than boys, but these are the type of boys that I prefer…” she says, tapping the photo. “Huh. Maybe it’s just men and women, because to be honest I don’t find anyone here very attractive.”

                “Gross,” Bradley states, because he’s very firmly kept the company of his own hand when he’s been on base. His summers are probably a lot wilder than Mav or Ice think they are, but he tries to make use of every night he has home once they’re

                “To you maybe… pretty sure you’d find my brother hot.”

                “If I did, I wouldn’t tell you!”

                “That’s because you’re repressed.”

                “Rather be repressed than find either of my dads hot thanks!”

                “Okay. That’s fair. And you probably won’t be too ugly once you grow into your face…”

                “Wow, you really know how to flatter a guy…”

…             …             …

                Plebe Summer starts and Bradley throws himself into being the best role model he can. He knows that in the future some of these people will be his peers, maybe even be his superior, but right now they have to get through what he still considers the hardest summer of their life. Of course hardly anyone drops out, the selection criteria is far too difficult and physically rigorous to make it something someone would easily just drop-out from without serious consideration first. There’s friendly competition and even friendlier encouragement, the brigades working together.

                There’s one guy that keeps catching his eye and he’s not sure if it’s deliberate on the guy’s part, somehow magically putting himself nearly always in Bradley’s line of sight. Or whether he’s only got himself to blame, eyes just drifting to watch. Either way he’s really fucking horny and the guy is hot. Not that he will do anything, but it doesn’t stop him thinking about it.

                “Now there is a guy who doesn’t need to grow into his looks…”

                He silently agrees.

                God what he wouldn’t do to get his hands on him.

                Ah well. His own hands on his own body and his mind on another it is.

…             …             …

                “Do I have a sign on me that says to tell me if you’re gay? Or a lesbian? Or bisexual?”

                “Um… not literally. But there is the common knowledge that you have smoking hot dads and therefor okay with the gay.”

                Bradley groans.

                “I had another guy come out to me today. No reason. Just to tell me. Also he said he thinks we’re cute together.”

                “Ew.”

                “I just nodded and smiled.”

…             …             …

                Michael Williams sighs. It’s the second… complaint? Notification? Information? Tips? Regardless, they’re both about Bradley Bradshaw’s relationship with Natasha Trace. They’ve been spied coming out of rooms together, otherwise small, dark, empty rooms like the store rooms. Fraternization. Actions unbecoming. Fuck. The kid wants to be treated like all the other kids, he’d be getting pulled into Mack’s office for a dressing down, short and sharp. Both of them would be.

                Part of him wants to, still a little ticked off at the whole stunt Bradshaw is pulling. He’s not familiar with him outside of watching him last year, seeing a whole raft of his superior officers watch as Admiral Kazansky toured the campus dressed as a civilian. But also Bradshaw is good. He does everything well, more than well. And he’s cheerful and helpful and encourages the underclassmen and there had been no fault in any of his behavior.

                Until now.

                He walks down the corridor to Admiral Kerner’s office, nervous as he knocks on the open door.

                “Sir. Do you have a moment?”

                “Of course, come in.”

                He does, closes the door behind him and notes the eyebrow raise and the lean back in the chair. He has his full attention.

                “Sir. I need you to do a favor and make a call to your friend Kazansky.”

                “Why, what’s happened?”

                “I’ve got two instances of fraternization for Bradley Bradshaw and Natasha Trace.”

                “And you want to do what? Tattle on him to his uncle?”

                “No, I was actually after guidance on how I should proceed. I would pull them both into my office and give them a stern talking to, and a warning. Is that appropriate?”

                “Bradshaw and Trace are the same rank Captain, it’s not exactly forbidden, just heavily frowned upon. The fact you have had two complaints tells me that this is more likely a case of sour grapes on whoever is complaining, so I’d be having a talk with them as well. But let me see if I can get Ice on the blower…”

                Michael will never understand naval aviators and their call signs, but he stands and waits as Admiral Kerner dials, then asks to be put through. Obviously whoever it is on the other end knows not to mess with one Admiral ringing another. He listens to the one-sided conversation and watches Admiral Kerner’s face with interest.

                “Hey Ice, it’s Sli. Yes, well, I didn’t think I’d be speaking to you today either. Look. Yeah. This is about Bradley. Did you talk to him about behavior?” Face curious, openly contemplative.

                “Okay, so you covered that with him. Then why are we looking at two instances of fraternization?” Eyes narrowed and considering.

                “No, it’s with a fellow midshipman. Also an upperclassman.” Serious.

                “Yes, I’m aware it’s not actual fraternization.” An eyeroll.

                “Yes, it is.” Face back to curious, speculative.

                “Oh. Huh.” Surprise.

                “I did think it was maybe a case of sour grapes, jealousy at his general capabilities and the fact that he’s generally well liked amongst his peers. Except by a couple apparently.”

                “Yes well, he’ll be fine. We’ll pull them in and give them a heads up. Both of them. Midshipman Trace is equally talented and capable.”

                “Yeah, was nice talking to you too. Will have to have a proper catchup when it’s not about work.”

…             …             …

                Jake isn’t sure what he has to do to get the guys sole undivided attention, but he’s not going to give up trying. He’s so good at everything, competent in this easy way that turns him on in ways he’s never thought were possible, and he’s a teenager and being horny is pretty much a permanent state for him. Except when he’s too tired to even think, which unfortunately for his first year at USNA is a whole lot of the time. Either it gets easier or people just learn how to cope with everything better because Midshipman Bradshaw makes it look easy.

…             …             …

                “Oh god, it was horrible. I can’t do it again. How do they do it?”

                “What are you talking about?”

                “Submarines! Going under the water…”

                “Uh…” Tom exchanges a look with Pete and opens his mouth. Closes it again. Bradley is back home for part of summer, having just experienced his first dive and he’s at a bit of a loss.

                “Bradley. Buddy. Uh. You realize you’re in the Navy right? And that has, uh, a lot to do with the water?” Mav says.

                “But I’m going to fly planes!”

                “Maybe he should have joined the airforce,” Tom muses.

                “You wash your mouth out right now!”

…             …             …

                “Seriously, if I was going to fuck around I’d do it somewhere far less obvious than the fucking storeroom!”

                Tom winces, because clearly Pete has heard the rumors about Bradley and Natasha Trace. God he loves the rumor mill of the US Navy, bunch of gossipers the lot of them. He hadn’t bothered mentioning anything, because he knew nothing was happening. Mav is of course mentioning it. In the worst possible way. Clearly having forgotten that Bradley came out as gay several years ago and that Natasha Trace is a woman. He’s going to need a coffee.

                “Bradley! What do you mean Bradley? Don’t walk away from me young man!”

                “You said we leave our ranks at the door with our shoes, so this conversation is over! And I said if!”

                “I know what if means in this house, and it definitely means something definitely happened!”

…             …     ��       …

                “Do I even want to know?” Tom asks, taking a quiet sip of coffee.

                “Mav’s scared I might be having sex.”

                Tom raises an eyebrow, he’s fully aware Bradley’s been sneaking out for the last couple of years. He guesses Bradley’s now feeling mature enough to talk about it. Good.

                “Are you being safe?”

                “Yes.”

                “Good enough for me. Don’t get caught.”

                Bradley scoffs.

                “I learnt from the best remember!”

                “He got caught plenty of times,” Tom says dryly.

                “I meant you Ice.”

                “Oh.”

                It’s been a long time since he’s blushed.

PART FOUR

[roosterforme]

THANK YOU to everyone who sent in a headcanon request! Please comment or reblog and let me know how you feel about some of these. And if you can think of any other details you'd like to know more about, let me know!

Roo and BG

1. How do you imagine their perfect date?

Roo and Baby Girl are pretty chill on their date nights. Usually a beach walk with Tramp after some pizza is what they want. But a perfect date for them might include Roo taking BG back up to Del Mar to visit the hot sauce restaurant and the silent disco from their first date. 

2. Who is the most likely to cry when watching a kids’ movie?

Baby Girl is going to be the one in tears saying, "Why the fuck did this stupid movie make me cry?" while Roo chuckles and rubs her back.

3. Each of your pairings have a different vibe in the bedroom. I’m curious what is each roo-nicorn’s (and Bob’s) favorite position?

Roo likes hitting it from the back. I would venture to say that having sex in the kitchen with his now wife bent over the kitchen counter might be his favorite. He loved the way she fills out her khaki uniform pants from the very first moment he first saw her, so I think he really likes her ass. 

4. Where does Roo see himself in ten years? Where does BG see herself in ten years?

I love this question. Roo probably sees himself in a bit of a different role as an aviator. Perhaps dividing his time between flying and teaching. I've touched a little bit on him being a guest teacher at Top Gun, but I think that's a role he could eventually be really comfortable with. Baby Girl's career goal is to be the head of her own lab. I think she'd be happy to stay in San Diego for her whole career since she established her place there even before she met Roo. But I think I can speak for both of them when I say that in ten years, they would love to be parents. 

5. We know Roo and BG’s wedding song, but what would the song be for your other couples?

Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac

6. For your headcanon party... How many kids do Bradley and BG have?

Bradley and Baby Girl have [REDACTED]. And we will get into that even more in Always Ever Only You. 

7. Roo and Baby Girl: what are their dream vacations?

I think they would love to go back to Hawaii someday and relive their honeymoon. I also think a hot sauce/spicy food trip through South America or Asia might be in their future. I could also see them in a cabin on a snowy northern California mountainside, enjoying a bit of peace and quiet. 

Beer Boy and Sugar

1. A little Heady for Beer Boy and Sug. Favorite place to have sex in the frat house?

Kitchen counter or on the beer pong table. 

2. How many kids do Beer Boy and Sugar want to have or do they not care how many they have?

Beer Boy would probably have as many kids as Sugar wanted. But I don't see her getting pregnant again after this. It's a one and done for her, because she is very serious about her career. Peep more of this in the upcoming Grateful Dad part 2.

3. Who is more possessive, Sugar or Beer Boy?

Beer Boy. I don't think Sugar is very jealous, and that plays a big part here. Beer Boy on the other hand has shown himself to be possessive of his Sugar when it comes to certain fraternity brothers of his and certain coworkers of hers. 

4. What do you think would have happened if Beer Boy and Sugar had run into one another when she was in grad school?

Wow, okay. If Beer Boy and Sugar had run into each other while she was still in grad school... I think they would have had that instant chemistry again. I think it would have felt a bit like the beginning of Right Girl, Wrong Time when they spent the night together after their ten years apart. But I don't think either of them were at a place where they could have really made it work out, even if they wanted to. Bradley was still all over the place with the navy, and Sugar was still working at such a crazy pace to get her PhD. And I think that if they ran into each other after four years apart, they wouldn't have had that same opportunity they got after ten years. 

5. How do you imagine their perfect date?

Their perfect date is a night at the movies where they just make out through the entire thing. 

6. Who is the most likely to cry when watching a kids movie?

I actually don't see either of them doing this!

7. What is Sugar’s favourite work snack?

Beer Boy packs Sugar's school/work lunches when he's not deployed! I like to imagine that he packs her a little bento box with different things in it. I think her favorite snacks would be the fruit and nuts portions that he lovingly packed, knowing she would need some 'brain food' to get her through her day of teaching math.

8. What do Sugar and Beer Boy end up naming their future kiddo(s)/how many do they have?

Just you wait for The Grateful Dad part 2. We will learn more about [REDACTED] Bradshaw. 

9. Each of your pairings have a different vibe in the bedroom. I’m curious what is each roo-nicorn’s (and Bob’s) favorite position?

Beer Boy loves when Sugar rides him when he's sitting down. He also knows how much she likes riding his thigh and leaving him with a marked up pant leg. And surprise: he likes it, too.

10. What would be Sugar's reaction meeting Maverick after Beer Boy told her about him pulling his papers?

I think Sugar will always be a little wary of Maverick. She met Bradley when he was still pretty fresh from the catastrophe of having his papers pulled. She saw how much that (along with losing his mom) affected his time in college. Sugar would be cordial to Maverick as long as Bradley told her that they were on good terms again, but I don't think she'd ever be a big fan.

11. I know this is so random, but for your HC party, I need to know, is/ was BeerBoy the frat bro who played cornhole or the frat bro who play disk golf?

Just beer pong.

12. What would Sugar have done with her degree if she hadn’t become a teacher? What was her second choice for her career?

Sugar always intended to be a college math professor. I think that was her goal early on when she realized just how freaking good she was at math, calculus in particular. If she didn't go into academia, I think she could have worked for NASA or Boeing or even a federal research lab!

13. Does Sugar plan to keep teaching after Jerry Garcia Bradshaw Bean is born? Or have they gotten that far yet?

Sugar does plan to keep teaching. She loves it a lot, and she doesn't want to take too much time off. She's kind of lucky she got a tenured position at San Diego State University, so she can at least take a little bit of time off after being pregnant (I could go on about how the structure of the American workforce and economy is designed to negatively impact women and minorities, but I'll just leave it right there).

14. Is Sugar her honorary call sign with the Daggers? I know they all have called her that, but she’s the only one who can call him Beer Boy, so do the same rules apply? Or is she just universally known as Sugar?

Nat knew all along that Bradley called her Sugar and that he was still in love with her when he started flight school. I think she would let Nat get away with calling her Sugar, but I also think that Nat is the dagger that she is the closest with. The two women fell into a fast friendship as soon as they met!

15. Is Bradley gonna be Beer Dad now, or just the grateful dad?

You know, I think he'd gladly answer to either one of those if Sugar said it! But he is forever the Grateful Dad. 

16. We know Roo and BG’s wedding song, but what would the song be for your other couples?

Beer Boy and Sugar: Easy to Love You by Grateful Dead

17. I know deployment is covered a lot in your stories. How does Beer boy and Sugar handle it? I mean yeah they’ve been apart for 10 years but I’m sure after that it’s kind of hard for them to be separated from each other. How do they handle being separated again?

I think Sugar is a bit of a loner by nature. Being on her own doesn't particularly bother her, so she does pretty well without Bradley. She still misses him like crazy, of course, and she has a countdown to the minute he returns to her. But she spends her time alone being productive at work and having fun with Nat. Beer Boy is the one who kind of goes to pieces. He worries if Sugar is going to eat well without him at home, or keep the house clean, or remember to sleep. And he has a million photos of her over the past ten plus years on his phone that he spends all of his free time looking at. 

Coach and Kitten

1. Who says sorry first in an argument? Who can hold a grudge longest?

Kitten says she's sorry first. She will fold under that kind of pressure. After spending so many years with Danny, she turned into a bit of a people pleaser, but she's getting better about it now. Luckily Coach would never try to force her hand in an argument. He's quite patient and even tempered for the most part.

2. What about Coach and Kitten and their favorite sex position?

Coach loves going down on her. He's a pussy eating king. I'd say his favorite thing would be eating her out until she cums and then fucking her missionary until he cums. 

3. How do you imagine their perfect date?

Their perfect date is probably a night out at the batting cages with Everett. If they can get some time alone (if Bob and Molly watch Ev), a bottle of expensive champagne on the beach followed by some stargazing would be a perfect night.

4. Between Coach and Kitten, who is the "discipline" adult when it comes to Ev?

Kitten is the disciplinarian. Coach Bradley is the fun one. However, if Ev really, really needs to be disciplined because of something more egregious, I think Coach would step in. And I think Ev would definitely learn his lesson.

5. Who is the most likely to cry when watching a kids movie?

Kitten. I can see Kitten and Ev both scared or crying during a movie while Bradley has one arm wrapped around each of them.

6. So, we know Coach loves Kitten in leopard print. However, would Coach ever give Kitten a glimpse of him in leopard print? Ya know, maybe a leopard print banana hammock (iykyk)? I think Kitten would really enjoy that.

I am kind of speechless. He would look hot! I think Kitten would love it, too! And Bradley would find it kind of funny to wear it for her, but of course as soon as he knew she was into it, the thing would be on the floor. 

7. Each of your pairings have a different vibe in the bedroom. I’m curious what is each roo-nicorn’s (and Bob’s) favorite position?

I answered this one above... Coach loves going down on her. He's a pussy eating king. I'd say his favorite thing would be eating her out until she cums and then fucking her missionary until he cums. 

8. Sooooooooo, we know that Coach and Ev are getting a Phillies man cave, and it’s also the guest bedroom. Would Coach and Kitten ever consider breaking it in?

100% they broke it in before the baseball decals were fully stuck to the walls. That's their favorite spot for a quickie. 

9. What's Coach's favorite part about living with Kitten and Everett?

Coach loves that he feels included. They all take care of little things for each other that make up the big picture. He also loves when Kitten packs him lunch in a brown bag with little hearts on it. He also loves helping Ev with his homework, because he gets drawings to take to work in return. 

10. Has Coach ever told Kitten about his mom and dad? What memories has he shared about Carole and Goose if he has?

Coach told Kitten all about Goose and Carole. And he told her that he was a little afraid that he was going to fail at being a good parental figure for Ev. But Kitten assured him that he was more than enough. I think that Coach told Everett about going to Phillies games with Goose when he was tiny (he even has a photo of it). And about how Carole got him the stuffed Phanatic after Goose died. And he told Ev that he's in charge of taking care of the Phanatic now. Also, Ev starts referring to Goose and Carole as his grandparents when he asks questions about them, and it makes Bradley cry (Grampa Goose and Gramma Carole).

11. I need to know everything the Coach fam does on their vacays to Philly, including but not limited to stalking Citizens Bank Park. I also need to know how many days start with a pork roll, egg, and cheese. (If it’s not everyday then I have some concerns)

Every day starts off with a pork roll, egg and cheese bagel. They visit the Liberty Bell and do all the touristy stuff in Old City. The boys laugh at how it looks like Ben Franklin is peeing off the top of City Hall. They visit the oldest zoo in the country. Then they eat soft pretzels and tomato pie for lunch. Kitten tries some water ice. Then when they get to Citizens Bank Park for the game, they are all decked out in their Phillies gear. Coach drinks a Yuengling. Kitten has a Yards Pale Ale. The three of them share cheesesteaks and crab fries. The Phillies win, and it's fireworks night. It's the best day of their lives. 

12. We know Roo and BG’s wedding song, but what would the song be for your other couples?

Technically, Coach and Kitten's first dance was to Take Me Out to the Ball Game. But their song is Just Like Heaven by The Cure 

13. Kitten walking in on Ev when he has a girl in his room and he thought he was home alone.

Kitten would panic! It could be totally innocent. Like 16 year old Ev with a crush on their neighbor. But Kitten would absolutely panic and have a full family conversation about it that night. And then Bradley would end up having a conversation about sex with Ev which would make Ev want to die. But at least he would walk away knowing all about condoms and how to use them. 

14. Coach and Kitten: we all know that Kitten doesn't want to have another baby, but do you think that the two of them would ever consider adoption? Or is it just no more kids, period?

I don't know that adopting a child would be in their future. Kitten is so happy with Everett as an only child, and she wouldn't want to start over again with another baby. However, under certain circumstances, perhaps they would adopt.

Daddy and Princess

1. We already know that Daddy and Princess can’t get enough of each other…would pregnancy change that?

I think Daddy's hands would be on Princess constantly. He'd definitely have a bit of a breeding kink, and I think he'd love it if she were pregnant. It would probably also make him even more possessive. 

2. How is Daddy reacting if he ever runs into Greyson or the other two dimwits?

Punch in the face on sight. KO'd. 

3. Headcanon for Daddy and Princess. What is a date night like for them without Noah?

Without Noah, Daddy is going to take Princess out to a restaurant that she thinks is too expensive, but he's going to tell her a million times that nothing is too good for her. 

4. Who says sorry first in an argument? Who can hold a grudge longest?

Daddy apologizes first. Princess can hold a grudge, especially if she knows she is right. 

5. How do you imagine their perfect date?

Their perfect date with Noah would be taking him to the children's museum and then to the beach. Their perfect date without Noah would be a fancy dinner and then drinks at a speakeasy. 

6. Who is the most likely to cry when watching a kids movie?

Princess cries at all of them.

7. Between Daddy and Princess, who fell in love first and what happened to send them head over heels?

Daddy knew he was in love first. He was falling steadily in love with her as soon as he met her, but it took him a while to catch on. And he was ready to say it with intent after he rescued her from Greyson's frat house. Princess held out a bit longer, but then she just tumbled over the edge into love shortly after Bradley came clean about Meredith and the lawsuit. She was still surprised to hear him say the words, but she knew she was in love, too. 

8. What is Princess’s favourite book to read to Noah?

This is tough, because honestly she spends a lot of time reading to Noah. I think fairy tales, because Noah called her the Princess from so early on! 

9. Each of your pairings have a different vibe in the bedroom. I’m curious what is each roo-nicorn’s (and Bob’s) favorite position?

Daddy likes taking Princess so many ways. Missionary so he can watch her pretty face. Standing up in the shower is a favorite with him holding her against the wall. He also likes to make her squirt, and he knows how to do it like a pro now (overstimulation is key). 

10. Would Daddy ever consider having another baby? This time with Princess? I know they both love Noah to pieces, but is it in the cards for them?

Would Daddy consider another baby? Sign him up right now. The man is thinking about it all the time now that he's really with Princess. He'd start trying to get her pregnant tomorrow if she indicated that's what she wanted. Noah would be an amazing big brother. 

11. Do Bradley and Noah attend Princess’s graduation? Does Bradley push to the front row of seats so he’s certain she’ll see them?

Well now this is absolutely a headcanon. Thanks!

12. We know Roo and BG’s wedding song, but what would the song be for your other couples?

Daddy and Princess: Fade Into You by Mazzy Star

13. Does Princess have a favorite trait of Bradleys? And vice versa.

Princess loves the things about Bradley that perhaps he's not exactly crazy about himself? She loves that he's kind of technologically inept and likes to do things the old school way (she's kind of an old soul herself. She's very mature). She loves how bad he is at cooking, because slowly but surely, he's getting better. She loves the way he loves Noah. She loves how gentle he is. Physically, she loves his hands and his smile and the fact that he has a few gray hairs. Daddy first and foremost fell in love with the way Princess just seems to fit with him and Noah. She and Noah were like two peas in a pod, and Bradley could tell his son trusted her. He loves that she's smart and sweet, but she's not a doormat. He loves that she gives people a second chance. He loves the way she takes care of little things that he wouldn't remember to do. Physically, he loves that she looks innocent, and he loves how perfectly she fits next to him in bed. He loves that she tells him she feels safe with him.

14. If Princess could plan the perfect date for Bradley what would it look like?

She would joke that she's going to take him out to play BINGO and have a senior citizen early bird dinner at 4:00 pm. But in reality, she would plan a night at home. Sexy cooking lessons where she's dressed in basically nothing while she teaches him how to cook something, and then they eat it together. They probably have sex at that point before heading to the living room couch to snuggle and watch a movie.

15. Does Princess have a place that she'd love to show Daddy and Noah?

I think Princess would absolutely love to take the boys to Disneyland! She knows Noah would have a blast, and Bradley would probably grumble a bit before he conceded that he was having fun.

16. Princess walking in on Noah when he has a girl in his room and he thought he was home alone.

Princess would probably just ask them exactly what was going on, making both of them blush as they responded. She would stand in the doorway with her arms crossed until they both shuffled out of the room, and then she would have a long discussion with Noah. She'd also tell him he needs to keep his bedroom door open.

17. Rooster and Princess: what was the moment that they knew that whatever was between them was love?

I think for Daddy, watching one of the interactions between Princess and Noah was the first time the word LOVE was triggered in his mind. I think for Princess, the first time she heard Bradley say he needed her, she could feel it start to bloom inside her.

Bob and Molly

1. As a Mobaholic, I must know…how do you think Bob would react to seeing Molly in maternity lingerie?

Bob goes literally bonkers over the way Molly looks, even when she's wearing her scrubs after a work shift. So lingerie is going to make his jaw drop. Maternity lingerie is going to make him feral, because he is SO excited to be a dad and raise a child with her.

2. Why is Molly so insecure about Bob? Why does she have so low self esteem?

Molly is very outwardly secure with herself. She's beautiful, and she kind of knows it. Guys like her. They always have. But as far as relationships go, she always thought she didn't have much more to offer beyond a face and a body that got the job done very well. She never had a guy appreciate how funny and smart she is until she met Bob. And that made her feel very insecure inside. She was instantly afraid that the other shoe was going to drop at any minute, and that Bob would realize that Molly was just a pretty, disposable thing without real substance. Because she never really gave herself the credit she deserved as far as her personality and spirit were concerned. But let me count the ways... Molly is: hilarious, caring, honest, trustworthy, intelligent, hard working, loving, loyal, strong, empathetic, warm and so many other things besides physically pretty.

3. How do you imagine their perfect date?

Bob feeding Molly sushi in the bed of his truck at an outdoor concert just after sunset.

4. Who is the most likely to cry when watching a kids movie?

Molly sobbed at the Lion King with Ev, so I'm going with her!

5. Each of your pairings have a different vibe in the bedroom. I’m curious what is each roo-nicorn’s (and Bob’s) favorite position?

Bob's favorite position is whatever Molly feels like treating him to. She's adventurous in the bedroom, and he didn't know how much he was going to love that until he experienced it. If he had to pick, he would say he likes it when she rides him cowgirl. He also likes uniform time and domming her.

6. We've seen a little bit of Molly and Kitten's family life in both The Batting Practice and the Curveball. And we've met Piper and Bob's sister and family as well. But what was Bob's childhood like? How has that changed what he looks for in a romantic partner?

Bob grew up on a ranch in Wyoming before his family moved to San Bernardino, CA. He's the baby sibling behind Rebecca and Rachel, and he was always a little bit of a reserved misfit. He liked being outside and keeping himself company more than anything else. As far as what he wants in a romantic partner as an adult... I'd say Bob is used to being overlooked. When he catches someone's eye and they let him know he's something special, that really is a surprise to him. So being with someone who wants to show him off and tell him how wonderful he is makes him happy. He's also going to look for someone who is smart and honest. I'd say those are his top two non-negotiables. 

7. We know Roo and BG’s wedding song, but what would the song be for your other couples?

Bob and Molly like to argue about this. She thinks All Day and All Of the Night by The Kinks. He thinks You Really Got Me by The Kinks. Same band, different songs.

8. Bob and Molly: what was the thing that first attracted them to the other?

If we are being completely honest, Bob almost fainted the first time he looked at Molly. He just thinks she's that beautiful. And then she was looking right back at him, coining the term Coach Cute Glasses right away. So he was surprised to find that beautiful Molly was biting her lip and grinning at him. Molly thought Bob was adorable. Tall, strong and handsome, but so gentle with the tee ball kids. And when she could make him blush a deep crimson without doing much of anything, she was hooked. 

Other

1. What do you love the most about Baby Girl/Kitten/Molly/Sugar/Princess?

I LOVE THIS! 

What I love most about Baby Girl: She is so unapologetically smart. And she lets herself feel all of her emotions and form her own opinions. She is a good friend. She doesn't change anything about herself to fit what someone else thinks she should be.

What I love most about Kitten: She is the best mom to Everett, even though she doesn't give herself enough credit. She juggles so many things so elegantly. She takes care of the people she loves. She works hard.

What I love most about Sugar: She knew what she wanted in her career, and she really went for it. She is reserved and thoughtful, but she's still bold. She works tirelessly as a college professor, because she cares about her students. She gives second and third chances. She is fair and loyal.

What I love most about Princess: She is sweet and gentle. She is instantly likeable. She is young but not immature. She's an old soul. She can take whatever she's given and work it into something special. She has a great imagination. She always tries to find the good in people. 

2. Each of your pairings have a different vibe in the bedroom. I’m curious what is each roo-nicorn’s (and Bob’s) favorite position? Also, I wouldn’t hate it if you answered this question for BG’s Jake, too.

Okay, okay. Alright. We haven't seen this from Jake per se, but I can tell you a little bit anyway. Jake in the Roo and BG universe has a bit of a reputation. He's a rake, similar to how Roo was. He has hooked up with a lot of the women on base, and he's not really trying to hide or deny anything. In bed, he likes to sit back and enjoy things. That's not to say he's not an active participant, but he definitely is one who is going to make his partner feel like the star of the show. He talks a lot in bed and is encouraging. He prefers his partner on top. He also likes doggy style, getting his lips and his encouraging words right next to your year. "You're doing great, darlin'."

3. We saw roo get a bit more dominating in part 4 of “a love you don’t find every day” (which is one of my favorite scenes across your series’ ). do you think any other universe bradley’s would ever try this with their respective partners? or would roo ever try that again with bg?

Hey! I loved that chapter! Roo would absolutely try that again with BG. I think Daddy would love to get a little rough and demanding with Princess, too. I would love to explore that. (We have also seen how much Bob loves to dom Molly in The Curveball).

4. OMG what are the coaches' walk up songs???? And Everett’s?? And Kitten and Molly’s if they had one???

This is so important to me:

Coach Bradley- Panama by Van Halen

Coach Bob- Raise Your Hands by Bon Jovi

Kitten- Centerfield by John Fogerty

Molly- I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow

Ev- Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO

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Thanks to @mak-32 for the banner and @beyondthesefourwalls for helping me with this. Check my other Roo and BG HCs here. And check my masterlist for more! Tagging some usual suspects and those who sent in asks:

@sylviebell

@wkndwlff

@ryebecca

@cherrycola27

@becks-things

@beccaanne814

@inmyloveworld

@sometimesanalice

@princessofglitterland

@startrekfangirl2233

@thedroneranger

@dakotakazansky

@daggerspare-standingby

@baby-alien11

@desert-fern

@cassiemitchellrecs

@mayhemmanaged

@greatszu

@trickphotography2

@tvjunkie08

@shanimallina87

@xomrsalliej4787xo

@xoxabs88xox

@fanboyswhore9

@lyn-soso

@hisredheadedgoddess28

@mandylove1000

@cottagecori

@chicomonks

@pinkangelavenue

@diorrfairy

@just-in-case-iloveyou

@bradshawsbitch

@je-suis-prest-rachel

@semperhuggs

@whisperofsong

@avada-kedavra-bitch-187

@sagittarius-flowerchild

@abaker74

@fudge13

@ughthisisntright

@lt-spork

@boringusername3

@na-ta-sh-aa

@pono-pura-vida

@kmc1989

@atarmychick007

@sweetwhispersofchaos

[babyjaans]

Umbrella academy S4

Spoilers‼️

Diego hargreevs has been my favourite character for the past 5 years so I HAVE to get this off my chest.

Ways that season 4 fucked up diego:

1. THE WHOLE LILA FIVE STORYLINE (that’s also a much muchh longer rant for another time)

2. Diego has always had such a strong (if not slightly weird) moral compass, backed by his need to be the hero. Season 1 diego was working with the police, season 2 diego spent the entire season trying to protect the president. Season 3 diego put everything into being a good dad to a kid randomly dropped in his lap. We saw NONE of that in season 4. Instead we he was the butt of every joke and seemed to suck at everything he tried to do.

2. The fat jokes,, it just didn’t make sense, it was sweet that he put on happy relationship weight, but the digs (including from his wife!!) did not sit well with me. ESPECIALLY when he looked the same and was ripped af in that CIA shirtless fight scene.

3. The lack of diego and klaus scenes.. they have been my favourite brother duo since the start,, I can’t believe we didn’t get even a single moment :(

4. We barely got to see Dad!Diego!!! After the way he was with stan, after what reggie said to him at the wedding,,,, I thought season 4 would show more of their home and him being a dad,,, we don’t even know the names of the TWINS

5. Diego not speaking spanish with his kids!!! We saw it season 3 how he wanted stan to know spanish,,, we should have gotten something here (Bonus points for the punjabi tho, as a punjabi myself that made me so happy)

6 Lila wearing the five bracelet//not liking bracelets,,, was a big token of their love NOT the bracelet diego made in the asylum???

7. Absolutely no resolution for the five lila story line. He never forgave five (five didn’t even seem sorry). I died (or stopped existing) hating one of his brothers, that makes me so sad (even though it was justified on his part)

8. His story having nothing to do with the main plotline!! And this is an issue I have with all the characters (klaus, the five lila thing, the whole luther and diego cia plot line) not only that, but his (and also klaus’) powers not being fully explored and used (this is something that bothers me every season).

There’s more but I’m too exhausted and disappointed. Feel free to add your own points.

[hannahhook7744]

Got any Foulfellow sibling aka The 3 kids of Honest John and Gideon hc ? (Dante , Mateo and Julieanna Foulfellow )

Mateo, featured on the left, is a part of Uma's crew and is a very loyal member.

Dante (featured in the middle) is a loner conman.

Julieanna, featured on the right, is a conwoman with only one friend (that friend being Sabina Stromboli).

Dante is the oldest at 18, Mateo is the middle child at 16, and Julieanna is the youngest at 13 (in d1).

Honest John and Gideon try to make family dinners mandatory for all 3 of their kids because they want to be a normal family sometimes.

Dante and Julieanna are partners in crime. Mateo does not get involved most of the time because he's tired of their antics most of the time. That doesn't mean he NEVER gets involved though.

This gives him ‘the benefit of the doubt’ from their dads whenever the three of them get in trouble.

Dante can be described as responsable, serious, and stoic. As well as a loner and a conman.

Mateo can be described as an anxious mess, overprotective, and firey when pissed off. Mischievous with those he knows really well. Like with Uma's crew.

Julieanna can be described as a hyperactive, mischievous, impulsive, short sighted con woman. Some might even call her a thieving brat (but not within earshot of her older brothers).

Honest John and Gideon tried to get all three of their kids to fill out applications but Mateo refused, feeling that it would be a betrayal to Uma. He respected his siblings' choice to fill them out, however.

All three siblings aren't really big fans of school and it's one of the few things they can agree on.

Mateo is better at scamming people than either of his siblings.

Dante is the worst at scamming people and had gotten roughed up on more than one occasion when a con’s gone south. Which has caused both of his siblings (and his dads) to have to play nurse for him.

Dante has absolutely no friends and doesn't want any.

Julieanna’s future boyfriend, Pin, has to gain the approval of both of her brothers…which will not be easy.

They all use very outdated slang and no one knows what the heck they're saying.

Dante wants to be a pilot, Mateo doesn't have much of an idea of what he wants to do outside of being a pirate, and Julieanna wants to be a famous tap dancer.

They have some outdated hobbies as well.

Once the barrier is brought down, the three of them adore the auradon video games (and have fought over them) almost as much as they do Dr. Facilier's arcade games.

One of which is the Go Go Ballroom dancing game that Julieanna cheats at. Even if she won't admit it.

Julieanna is the best dancer and Dante is the worst.

Mateo’s best friends are the Gothel twins (Mason and Glenn). He doesn't have many friends outside of the crew but he also doesn't have many enemies either.

Mateo likes Diego de Vil’s music. Dante and Julieanna very much do not.

Mateo’s favorite colors are gray and blue, Dante’s are black and red, and Julieanna's are pine green and white (but she also likes gray and black).

Julieanna’s favorite food is water pie, Mateo’s is potato candy, and Dante’s is bacon roll ups.

Dante can't stand water pie but Mateo tolerated it.

Mateo hates bacon roll ups and Julieanna tolerates them.

The three of them all love 'State Fair Cream Puffs' and hate 'torta de coco' though (look, Honest John and Gideon suck at that particular dish. It's not their fault).

Honest John and Gideon got Julieanna when she was a few hours old as payment for a debt one of the Bimbettes (no one is quite sure which one) owed them. They got Dante the same way that year and Mateo the same way as well a year after that.

Dante has anger issues because of this and doesn't want any friends because he's scared they'll leave him like his real parents did. Nobody but him, Honest John, and Gideon know who his real parents are.

Julieanna doesn't know or want to know who her birth parents are. She's happy enough with the parents she has.

Mateo doesn't remember who his parents are but they are the route of his anxiety. Only Honest John and Gideon know who his parents are.

Honest John and Gideon refuse to tell anyone who the birth kids of their kids are because it's no one else's business but their own.

Dante has a glass eye collection. Everyone is too scared to ask where he got them.

Mateo has a weapon's collection. Honest John and Gideon have tried and failed to confiscate them.

Mateo nearly drowned in d2 during the pirates vs core four and co fight after he got kicked into the water. Hardy Hearts saved him.

Honest John and Gideon tried to get him to quit the crew after that but Mateo (loudly for once) refused.

Dante has pink-ish skin, blue ovalish shaped eyes, and short slightly curly black hair. He's also shorter than Mateo which infuriates him. He has a crooked nose from the three times it's been broken as well as one on his chin and behind his left ear.

Mateo has light tawny skin, big brown eyes, and short coiled dark brown hair. He has a hook shaped scar on his nose (Harry was very sorry about that).

Julieanna has pale skin, freckles, big green eyes, and copper red hair that goes down to her shoulders. She also has a scar on her left cheek.

[fountainpenguin]

Love doing timeline and map-related things!! Needed to commit to a reference city so I could look up dates for "hottest day of the year" to place "Dinosaur In Dimmadelphia" in our New Wish episode timeline.

@zachbrightside and I already have Dimmsdale overruling Los Angeles in our lore (because they have the exact same population as the census of a specific year, it's canonically in southern California, and the Dimmsdale sign is basically the Hollywood sign, it's on the shore, etc.), so the one thing we know is that Dimmadelphia can't go there.

Fun Fact: In my lore, Petropolis was built on top of Dimmsdale's ruins, because it ALSO meets the requirements of Los Angeles, like hills and census data :'D

I'm using the headcanon that Dimmadelphia is in California (hence the sign pointing towards Dimmsdale in A New Wish, plus the OG series seemingly depicting Timmy's parents going there when they're looking for runaway Timmy in "Channel Chasers," plus there's a beach), thus setting us up to identify Dimmsdale's direction if we can gather enough clues to support it.

I used clues from several episodes to figure out which direction we're facing (Sunrises & sunsets from episodes when we know which is which -> City Park gate & Dimmadome Tower as landmarks -> Beach behind tower on Guzman's map -> Signposts near gate) and I've sussed out San Diego as a very likely location for Dimmadelphia in our lore...

... And San Diego, due to special conditions where it's located, actually has its hottest days of the year in September and October, and not in July like you'd expect! Fascinating.

I also researched California school cutoff days to narrow Hazel's birthday a little more, which was fun. I found some people who seem to be relatives:

The girl who uses braces as a mobility aid in "28 Puddings Later" is the same one using a wheelchair in "Dinosaur in Dimmadelphia," which is SUPER neat (I remember noticing her crutches when I compared screenshots of the class photo, so her hair style and yellow shirt stuck in my memory and I randomly spotted her in the background of this episode). -> I THINK I've seen the kid with the blue sweater who seems to be a sibling (Looks like they're taking a family picture), but I'm not sure. I think I caught that kid in a screenshot once because the double eyelashes and body type are standing out in my memory, but I'll have to comb my posts when it's not this time of night! Looks like Jenkins has at least 2 (if not 3) heavily implied relatives - seemingly a mom and a grandma and possibly a dad, with him definitely knowing the white-haired woman since she's driving the car he's in, and his implied mom being the woman who approached Dale on the stage in "Stanky Danky")

- so it's neat to comb back through and see these random details!

Assuming I commit to the San Diego parallel, I'll make a clean, detailed post in the future going through all my notes with screenshots, but I wanted to gush about how cool that hottest day of the year lore is, because I thought for SURE we couldn't make that fit in the school year. Whodathunk!!

This has nothing to do with anything, but it cracks me up that the Dimmadomes also lost power with the rest of the city. I didn't have reason to believe they wouldn't, but I'm glad to know they do.

Also, shout-out to the crashed alien spaceship that apparently just exists outside the city?? What's up with that?

[bentacled]

(me after making a promise to myself i would shut up about the last season of TUA bc i need to calm down) AND ANOTHER 11 THINGS:

1) have the show runners forgotten all about their characters trauma?? klaus being buried ALIVE would’ve been a great callback to the mausoleum. the gunshots?? VIETNAM?? also i loooove how we forgot all about dave, who cares am i right!!

2) the fact that the show is basically telling these characters that have suffered years upon years of unrelenting abuse ‘hey ur dick of a father was actually right to treat u like trash. u ARE literally the reason the world is shit! u need to erase urself from existence bc u being born is a crime teehee <3’ NOT THE MOVE STEVE

3) five surviving 40+ years in the apocalypse and doing everything in his power to try to save his family + never giving up on trying to find a way home, even willing to rip the timeline into pieces so they can be SAFE, only to? what? let them sacrifice themselves to save the world when he would have rather doomed it to keep them alive? not only that but ur telling me he was ready to abandon his family to stay with lila after getting stuck in a subway for 6-7 years? how can u misread a character SO BAD

4) luther was smart enough to be an astronaut but… strip him of his powers and he’s nothing? same with diego?? diego knows how to fight y'know, his powers have no reflection on that at all? don't they only affect the trajectory thingie? also all the ‘chubby diego’ comments... STAY AWAY

5) so ur telling me, ME, that the subject of ben’s death never once came up? let us remember he was with klaus 24/7 in ghost form. ur telling me, especially when they were still living under reggie’s roof or when they went back home for their dad's funeral, that ben’s DEATH, that he was ruthlessly killed by their own father, never came up? really? never? ‘oh maybe ben didn’t realise it was his father that shot him’ ok so he would’ve asked klaus???? like what are u saying!!

6) why did the marigold give them different/upgraded powers? which btw, isn’t luther’s power superhuman strength? why did they put him back in the monkey suit? did they fucking forget about his OG power 😭

7) what about the other kids? weren’t there like 43 kids that were born on august 8th, including the hargreeves? don’t they also have the marigold inside their bodies?

8) reginald’s redemption arc… sick and twisted

9) why was jennifer in a squid lol. why was jennifer in this at all, her character was never explained! also sparrow ben… didn’t he have his own version of the jennifer incident back home? y'know, that one woman he drew almost obsessively? haha :) did they forget about that? 🥰

10) what the fuck is up with the timeline underground. it’s never explained? it’s just there? also if allison + lila erase themselves from existence, doesn't that mean their kids... would cease to exist?

11) steve blackman when i catch u it’s on sight 

[garbagefirelol]

Columbus-Gandhi family

Diego is too tall ignore that.

anyways family lore

[Chris]Topher Columbus-Gandhi - 41, marine biologist, kinda chilled out from the whole "fake woke" thing in highschool. still hangs out with the bleacher creatures. owns a boat and a beach house

Mohandas Columbus-Gandhi- 41, does choreography, tries to be a fun dad, usually the one giving Topher roadtrip/vacation ideas, still the same goofy personality, Abe is the only person from school he really talks to anymore

they were married at 35 and are very openly flirty with each other, much to Bianca's dismay

Bianca Columbus-Gandhi- 12, finds her parents "cringe" a bit of an ipad kid, similar personality to topher, but less on being "woke"and moreso just being a jerk, has plans to one day have complete world domination

Diego Columbus-Gandhi-4, very quiet, very kind, follows his family around when he's not playing with his toys or playing pretend with himself, shy, not a big fan of other kids and perfers to be alone

if you wanna see/hear my other 25 years later stuff my inbox is always open for questions :3 [ill also take drawing requests, but ONLY for my clone high stuff]

[ayvuhs]

the jennifer incident :: an umbrella academy fic

hello my baddies! i finally wrote a pretty good story and im excited to share it with you guys <3

i wrote this in like one day so sorry for it being short

~

UMBRELLA ACADEMY SPOILERS -all seasons but mostly s4 bc its just the scene at the beginning of s4 e4

teen klaus hargreeves x number 8 reader (they dont have a strong romantic relationship but its there)

reader is 16 or 17 so anyone can read !

warnings: death (from guns) so theres blood mentioned, one bad word, i call reginald just reginald bc i cant even write him as a father 💀

17 years being Number 8 in the Umbrella Academy and all the missions are the same thing. We get sent on the mission, defeat some bad guys and everyone cheers for us. Everyone is tired of it but Reginald won't give us a break.

Now it's just another mission and everyone is running around trying to get ready. Luther is being the little suck up to dad and attempting to hype everyone up.

I'm trying to pull a clearly-drunk Klaus out of the empty bathtub. "Are you kidding me? You just got back from rehab!"

"I'm California sober, y/n!" he remarks, slurring his words. This boy needs serious help, but I still love him deep down.

After our mission briefing, we all get in a jet to go to the old warehouse. We're supposed to locate and destroy a deadly weapon stored in shipping container. Something just feels so off to me. Perhaps it was from how suspicious Reginald sounded when he told us to not open the container. I hold tightly onto Klaus' hand the whole flight there.

When we get there, I instantly get the bad feeling again. We sneak inside and I'm staying closely in between Klaus and Allison. We finally come across the large, white container and Ben insists that he is able to handle the job.

"Go- I got this," Ben whispers assuringly.

"Okay, Diego, Allison, Klaus, Y/n, you're with me. Let's go," instructs Luther.

We follow him to distract some lurking bad guys until we hear what sounds like Ben talking to someone. The group runs back to the container and we see him looking into the giant tank.

Luther is the first to ask the obvious, "Ben! What the hell are you doing?"

"There's someone in here! We have to get her out," he whisper-yells back.

"That wasn't part of the plan."

"So what? You're gonna blow up an innocent girl?"

"But dad said-"

"I don't give a fuck what dad said! We need to help her."

"Ben, wait!" Luther tried arguing back, but knew there wasn't stopping him so he had to call for backup. Through his earpiece, Luther called Reginald. "Dad, we got a bit of a problem."

Ben reaches into the tank, pulling the girl out. After they both climb down and onto the floor, I am able to see who it is. It's a young who has long dark messy hair in a ponytail and is wearing a giant white dress.

"Okay, let's go. Ben," I say to try to get us to leave.

But right as the two make full eye contact, a shot is heard. Ben falls to the ground. Another. The girl in the white dress drops down next to him.

Behind the two was Reginald, holding a small shotgun. "I told you not to open the container," he scolded.

I stare in horror, Klaus wrapping an arm around my shoulder and his other hand covering his mouth in shock. I don't even need to look over to know that Diego, Allison, and Luther had our same reactions.

He wouldn't- right? Right...?

"Ben..." I whisper quietly, my voice shaky, Klaus hugging me tighter.

The two lie dead on the floor. The young girl's white dress slowly getting stained dark red from the blood spreading.

i dont know how to end stories but i hope you liked it!

[angst-fairygodmother]

Hii im that anon who requested the diego prompt! I really didnt realise you already wrote it sorry but maybe “That is not a Christmas movie!” “Yes it is, and I can prove it.” prompt instead? Thanks for being so nice <3

A/N: No need to apologize :) Like I said, it's a great prompt, and I don't expect anyone to have already read through my entire masterlist in order to request something. I just wanted to make sure you were getting something special and unique. Word Count: 619 Rating: G - really no warnings other than some mildly implied future sexy shenanigans and one brief reference to knives. Which really, for Diego is...impressive

“See that?” Diego pointed emphatically at the paused tv screen, remote following the line of his hand like it was one of his knives poised to throw. 

“What?” You countered, barely suppressing a laugh. “The Christmas tree?”

“Yes! A Christmas tree. Prominently placed in the background to show that this movie is set at Christmas. Which only matters if it's a Christmas movie.” You could tell by the way he looked back at you, and the way he deflated when you shrugged, that he thought he had an open and shut answer to the argument that had raged between the two of you for the better part of an hour. 

“Or they set it at Christmas time to have more room for terrible one liners and weird decor-based shenanigans they think are funny. Happy Tuesday or Happy Easter asshole doesn't quite have the same ring as Merry Christmas. And strangling a guy with musical twinkle lights is…memorable.”

“So what? You just acknowledged it was set at Christmas. What else does it need to be a Christmas movie?”

“The Christmas spirit? Traditional themes of love or family or generosity? Major Christmas iconography besides a single background tree and the aforementioned lights?”

“The main character's boss could be impliedly Santa! Old man with white hair, mysterious ability to always be anywhere in the world without limit and have exactly what's needed for the situation, global surveillance network.”

“So while Five was working for the Commission, he was Santa? Your Dad is Evil Santa?”

“What?” Diego's whole face became a question mark, head cocked to one side in curious confusion. “No. Why…how would they be Santa?”

“They meet your whole checklist for implied Santa-hood. If you didn't want me to think you meant them too, you should be more specific, narrow things down more.”

Diego fell silent, obviously pouting, and waiting to find the perfect point to illustrate his claim that you were definitely watching a Christmas movie, a point you were convinced wouldn’t come. When the credits rolled and you still hadn't agreed, Diego looked crestfallen, and you felt a twinge of guilt. You turned to face him, exaggerated doe eyes wide. 

“I’m sorry baby, I know since I don’t think it’s a true Christmas movie, that ruins your plan for a festive marathon, but it’s good to have a little break, avoid getting holiday burnout. But I promise, we can get back on track and still have plenty of time to cover them all. How about Batman Returns next?”

“You've got to be kidding me.”

“What's wrong with Batman?”

“You just spent all this time arguing with me over whether this is a Christmas movie, but you think Batman Returns is one?!”

“Of course it is.”

“How?!” You weren’t sure you had ever heard Diego’s voice rise so many octaves as it did when he asked the question, and it was all you could do to fight back a laugh. 

“While we're watching, I'll prove it. And besides…” You smirked at him, stretching upward to kiss the underside of his jaw the way you knew made him shiver. “I don't really disagree. I just like how passionate you get when you're riled up. It's sexy.”

Feigning indignity, he gave you a gentle shove backwards. Letting him get the upper hand, you kept moving until were lying back on the couch, guiding him to tower over you with a hand planted on the cushion on either side of your head. 

“Oh yeah?” he asked with a smile that made you shiver, “How sexy?”

“Very.” you answered in the breaths before you curled your own hand around his neck and pulled him down into a fiery kiss, the movie marathon quickly forgotten.

[doyoueverstopandthink]

umbrella academy characters as music on my playlist of my favorite classical pieces

luther: Symphony No. 6 in F Major, Op. 68 “Pastoral”: II. Szene am Bach: (Andante molto mosso) - Ludwig Van Beethoven (performed by Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique with John Eliot Gardiner as the conductor) 

fits season three luther the best

this is the lightest movement of the symphony, which i think fits in with him falling in love with sloane and working on growing through his childhood trauma

the last phrase of the piece is viewed as two birds taking flight. that’s literally him and sloane. 

diego: Träumerei (Kinderderszenen, Op. 15) - Gemafrei - Robert Schumann (performed by Ronny Matthes)

also fits season three diego best

this is from a collection of schumann writing pieces that highlight his life (this one is from his dreaming during childhood)

he now has a child (in stan and in his and lila’s biological child) and is essentially dreaming of all the ways he’s going to do better at raising his kid than his dad did for him

allison: Piano Sonata No. 3 in A Minor, Op. 28 - Sergei Prokofiev (performed by Matti Raekallio)

this is a piano sonata that doesn’t have actual movements separating it into chunks, just a vibe difference throughout different parts of it

the most technically demanding of prokofiev piano sonatas and he said it was “pretty, interesting, and practical” (which fits allison pretty well) 

klaus: Otello, Act 4: “Ave Maria” (Desdemona) - Guiseppe Verdi (performed by Cristina Gallardo-Domas, Maurizio Barbacini, and Das Münchner Rundfunkorchester)

desdemona’s last moments on stage before getting murdered by her husband, and she’s essentially saying “i love this man with my whole heart and i need to prove that to him before something drastic happens” 

klaus is very much so the same due to his whole “i love dave with my whole heart and i need to prove that to him before he dies in a war that uselessly killed a shit ton of people” 

they’re also both characters that are unapologetically in love

five: String Quartet No. 8 in C Minor, Op. 110: 1. Largo - Dmitri Shostakovich (performed by the Borodin Quartet)

if the second movement is five in seasons one and two, the first movement is five in season three

he’s pissed off with the world around him, yet he’s stuck with this bone deep tiredness that he can’t get rid of

he just wants all the difficulties in his life to fade away so he can go back to living as close to a normal life as he can

ben: Act 3: LII. Juliet’s Death - Sergei Prokofiev (performed by the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra with Vasily Petrenko as the conductor)

ben is dead in season one and two, but the audience knows that he’s still capable of interacting with others due to klaus’s powers, and the audience knows juliet isn’t actually dead, but romeo thinks she is

this movement is one of the most heart-wrenching in all of classical music 

the movement that follows is juliet’s actual death, ending on an even sadder note that this movement began with (similar to ben fucking dying again)

viktor: Symphony No. 4 in F Minor, Op. 36: I. Andante sostenuto - Moderato con anima - Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (performed by San Francisco Orchestra with Michael Tilson Thomas as the conductor)

it’s believed that tchaikovsky composed this when he was pissed off at the world for his inability to be openly queer and he just ended up being tired of everything

follows viktor’s storyline of coming into your true identity and trying to find a sense of confidence with it

lila: Piano Trio in G Major, L. 5: III. Andante espressivo - Claude Debussy (performed by Bertrand Chamayou)

very little is known about the history of the piece (which fits lila)

there’s a lot of emotion present with a lot of vibrato present in the stringed instruments, giving an additional sense of longing

the climax of the piece is very accented, giving it a sense of almost sadness and keeping that longing present

[blnk338]

I KID YOU NOT I WAS GOING TO ASK IF RIGO (or nadya) WERE FIRST GENNNN. I just knewwww, is there headcannons you have for rigo’s family? Like maybe what state they’re from? Are both of his parents Mexican? Is he chicano (born from 2 Mexican immigrants)??

Since plenty of my friends are half Mexican and from somewhere else in Latin America, I was just want to know more about that aspect of him. Is there any family chisme? Mine is that my moms side of the family stole the land my dad bought 😭😭 This is the first time I see an author write people like me without being straight up stereotypes🙄 so thank you!!

p.s. I checked ao3 last night and it said I had visited your story 268 times😭

there's so much to rigo hold onto your bootstraps buckaroo but thank you so much for the love and support :) (268 times? holy shit!!!)

rigo's parents are both mexican immigrants, even with their last name being "cassidy"

yesenia guzmán, rigo's mom, and santiago chávez, rigo's dad, immigrated to the us when they were in their single-digits and met in highschool. but by then, santi's family had their name changed to "cassidy." this was bc his father worked as a lawyer and wasn't taken as seriously because of his surname, leading him to change it (based this on my own family stuff :))

his parents' parents had immigrated to santa maria. then yessie and santi got married after college and moved down south to san diego and had rigo and his siblings after they finished their schooling

natalia (4 yrs older than rigo with two kids) came first, then ximena (2 years older 3 kids), then finally rodrigo

unfortunately no chisme their families really like each other-- rigo's got a super positive family life and his parents never really moved on from the honeymoon phase

santiago really tried his best to learn what he could for his daughters and not be uncomfortable with periods and shit. he was a little odd about rigo coming out at first, but really he was like "mijo i don't understand it but i just want you to be safe"

eventually he'd ask him "uno de mis amigos abogados tiene un hijo gay."

".... okay"

"are you interested?"

"dad." santi's trying his best.

yesenia was cool with his sexuality from the start, and his sisters didn't mind either. it was just sort of like "ok. now what?" he didn't really expect to be bombarded with hate or anything, he was just surprised that it all went so smoothly

also, santiago and yesenia don't really follow a lot of traditional gender roles so they'd cook and dance together, saturdays are early morning cleanings days and his parents will wake up at 6:00 am and play loud music and make the whole house spotless

santi's all about claiming rigo's friends as his own kids like oh you need a ride to school? get in the car were leaving in five. but don't ask him about math homework that mf hates math. with all the love in the world, do it on your own

yessie loves cooking for people but she also loves pampering her kids. she gives nadya eighty pounds of leftovers every time she leaves their house and she loves doing her kids nails and stuff. one of her favorite memories was when her children were super young and they'd do braid trains and have a big dinner together

now she teaches her grandkids traditional hairstyles and takes them out and spoils them all. yesenia's horrible at not spoiling her family (+ nadya...). this woman's filled with so much love its crazy

his parents still go on date nights once a week and his dad still gets all giggly and giddy and takes a million photos of his wife in her pretty sparkly dresses

santiago's facebook is pretty much "mi alma" and it's like a billion photos of her from the same night

"mi vida," "mi cielo," "luz de mi vida"-- etc. like they're so fucking in love its crazy

[twistedmindtales]

Next Door Neighbors

There have been a few paranormal events that I've experienced in my life, the first of which happened when I was rather young.  Every year, after my brother and I got out of school for the summer, we visited my dad’s side of the family who lived just outside of San Diego, CA.  My aunt, cousin, and grandparents all lived on the same block, and the neighborhood was filled with kids for us to play with. 

For some reason, which I can’t remember, my parents didn’t take us for a year or two and it was the summer of 1990 before we went again.  An older couple lived next door to my aunt that had a “banana board” style skateboard in their garage that I loved to borrow every time I went.  I was about to head over to their house to borrow the skateboard as I always did, and my aunt told me they didn’t live there anymore.  My response was probably a slight frown and exaggerated sigh, but I didn’t ask questions and just went about my way. 

Later that night, my cousin said she was going to babysit the kid who moved in next door after the elderly couple had left and asked me if I wanted to go with her, enticing me with the prospect of splitting the babysitting money and staying up late watching movies.  I gladly agreed and we headed over to the house just before it got dark. 

Once we got to the house and met the family, the parents left for their nightly outing and we started playing with the little boy we were babysitting.  He was a rambunctious 3-year-old and we were having a ton of fun with him wrestling and throwing balls around the yard for him to chase.  He started to tire around 9 pm and we went inside to put him to sleep and begin our movie marathon.

I made some microwave popcorn and grabbed candy I had stashed then popped the movie in the VCR while my cousin put the boy to bed in his room. 

We were about halfway through the movie and I noticed my cousin looking towards the hallway where the boy’s room was and I asked her what she was looking at.  She asked, “Did you turn the light on in his room?”  I scoffed at the notion since I hadn’t even left my seat on the couch. The light was indeed on, or at least one of the bedroom lights, and neither of us had remembered one being on before. 

“I got it,” I said as I paused the movie and jumped up to go turn it off. At this point, I still wasn’t suspicious of anything and really just wanted to get back to watching the movie so I dashed over to the room and it was indeed the light from the boy’s room.  The moment I stepped into his room it was like I was into a grocery store freezer.  My body bent over at the waist and I let out a guttural “Ohhh!” it was so bitter cold.

It was the middle of the summer, there was no central air conditioning in the home, and none of the ceiling fans were on.  I took a quick look at the little boy to see him sleeping and turned off the light then raced back to my cousin.

“Why is it so cold in there?” I asked with a puzzled tone as I nestled back into my corner of the couch.  “What do you mean?” she asked in reply.  “Huh?  It’s like 2 degrees in there!  It’s the middle of summer I’m over here sweating and that room is like an icebox!” My cousin acted like I was speaking a different language and just shook her head telling me she didn’t know what I was talking about. 

We turned the movie back on and about 30 minutes later, she tapped on my shoulder and had a terrifying look in her eyes.  As her lips quivered she whispered, “Tommy I thought you turned out the light…”  We both ran to her house next door so fast that I don’t remember the run and we forgot the little boy. 

My aunt and parents walked back to the house while we stayed at my cousin’s and watched through the window as they went inside.  We saw the light turn out in the bedroom and they quickly came back with the little boy in tow. 

When they got back home, none of the adults looked well and told us why the older couple no longer lived in the house. They had been brutally stabbed to death after they caught burglars in their home a few years before.  My cousin almost fainted and I’ve never had that feeling in the pit of my stomach since.

TM & Copyright © 2023 Twisted Mind Tales. All Rights Reserved.

[starlightrows]

Hello everyone! Happy Star Wars Day!

Welcome back to Krax Watches. Today we’re watching Tales of the Jedi

Episode 1 —

Ashoka’s mom is gorgeous

The baby noises are so precious oh my god stop

I don’t know why the accents threw me off a bit, but it makes sense that Ashoka might not have an accent since she was raised in the Jedi temple

This animation and imagery is beautiful

Baby Ahsoka is fully unphased by the blaster shot right by her head

Ahsoka’s mom being a hunter in their society is awesome

Pav Ti talking to baby Ahsoka like a little adult is wonderful

Pav Ti is my fucking hero. Roaring at the saber tooth tiger

Whatever those cat panda thing are, I want one

I did not except the saber toothed tiger to take baby Soka with it

How to Train Your Saber Toothed Tiger

I literally can not handle her teeny tiny little lekku and her chubby wubby cheeks and her big sparkly eyes

It’s giving Diego from Ice Age

8/10 great mini story

Episode 2 —

Dooku’s hair is… something

Starting off kinda creepy ghost town vibes huh

That was a dog. Like a regular ass dog

Yee old saloon

Young Qui Gon looks like the cave man from Ice Age… wtf

Ooh a moral quandary

Cone heads

Blue light saber Dooku, I thought for sure he’s be a green

It’s interesting to see how far back it goes, the opinion that Jedi serve the senate and not the people

Dooku fully yeeted Qui Gon, I was not expecting that

Based on Dooku’s dark brown robes, he’s in the beginning to turn to the dark side phase like Anakin

Damn I was really hoping Dooku had a last name… or a first name? Idk I wanted a full name

7/10 though provoking but I wanted a little more

Episode 3 —

It is so strange to think that Dooku and Mace had an actual friendship

Of course Mace Windu would be a stickler for the rules

I’m sure these Raxus guys are bad guys or something, but their uniforms are cool

I feel like these people definitely killed Master Katri, but like why?

Dooku is in his fuck around and find out era

Ah yes, the beloved purple light label

“I will have the truth” … and the thing from the last episode about irradiating people like the evil senator. Dooku is every bit as blunt and rash as Anakin but like way more graceful about it

Uuugh how things could have been different if Mace was more open minded about the corruption taking root in the Jedi Order

Fun to see some of our favorite Jedi again… too bad it’s at a funeral

I don’t doubt that Mace did not know he was up for Master Katri’s council seat… but also he could have had an idea that he was in consideration

8/10 I love a good murder mystery with question authority undertones

Episode 4 —

How the FUCK would you find anything in that archive

Ooooooh Master Sifo Dias … Kamino???? Deleted?

Jocasta!!!

Yaddle!!!!

LIAM NEESON

Dooku’s been warning them about coming darkness… irony is so painful

Ahhhhhh Dooku hasn’t even met his grand-padawan yet

“You’re always singing his praises”

“They grow up so fast”

Qui Gon’s like… hey I’m concerned about this. Council is like… sounds fake but okay. We’ll do “something” about it…. Corporate mentality. SMH

Oh my god… Why did I not realize when he said Sith Lord on Tatooine that this was happening right after episode one

AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH no no no no no

Dooku wanted to turn Qui Gon to the dark side

Is…. Dooku going to fight Yaddle….

Fuck this is such an ugly situation

Can you imagine if Yaddle had used The Force to yank Palpatine’s hood off and exposed him early like this

AAAAAHHHHH Yaddle is so wise. She is stepped down from the council

Oh my fucking god…….. she got smooshed!

Oh just kidding! Fuck ‘em up Yaddle!

Fuck that just hurts my heart so much

10/10 made me understand a lot about Dooku and broke my heart

Episode 5 —

All of Ahsoka’s dads in the same waiting room

Oh mullet Obi Wan, how I’ve missed you

Love this outfit, the white leggings are everything

CALEB!!!!! Dippa!!!!

I feel like Jedi are supposed to have a somewhat parental relationship with their Padawan, and Anakin goes straight to antagonistic older brother

REX! MY BOY!

How did this conversation go? Hey Rex, you and the guys wanna fire some blasters at Ahsoka for no reason? ugh… sure I guess

Fuckin Jesse “Sorry Commader!”

Honestly I feel like Anakin is just taking out some weird emotions or aggression out on Ahsoka

Okay sure you want to protect her by teaching her to protect herself, but there are almost certainly better ways to do that… like giving critique to what she’s doing or modifying the challenge with each round

Damn Rex, face shot

I swear to god if they make me watch Order 66 again

7/10 was a good episode, kind of irritated me because Anakin’s teaching style rubs me the wrong way

Episode 6 —

Not the cold open with Padme’s funeral….

NO Ahsoka was there

Sometimes I forget that Ahsoka didn’t have that many female figures in her life….

“She was my friend”

AAHHHHH the Corrie guard….. but now the Empire is in control…. This is like Bad Batch era

The Corries are like….. uh okay?

REX!!!

I love that Ahsoka did a stint as a farm hand after dropping out of Jedi school

Ooooh she used The Force…. are they gonna nark on her??

Ashla…. That’s such a pretty name

Do I smell….. a love interest???

This is… not going to go well

Ooooooh that fucking brother is a squealer

Oh my god… man fuck the Empire

Who the fuck is this?

Cowboy stand off, love it

I forgot she doesn’t have sabers anymore

Fuck that was cool!

OMG this is how she gets her white sabers!

I wonder how much time has passed?

Woooooo! REBELLION!!!

10/10 it always hurts, but like in the right way to be reminded that the Empire fucking sucks and there is always hope.

Since this was pretty short, I’m gonna watch more stuff. Might not do a reaction post though.

Happy Star Wars Day!

May the Force be with you!