#their whole conceit is so well done it blew my mind

[thenardierfamilytherapy]

big fan of the fact that in hugo’s novel which he himself said is a reflection of a world becoming slowly more just and its characters likewise redeemed or punished over time, arguably the most explicitly unredeemable character in the entire book emigrates to america instead of dying in prison with his wife. he doesn’t even get the luxury of death or whatever afterlife is in store for them.

hugo really said i’m sending that man to hell and hell is america

[twstarchives]

Ace Trappola・Voice Lines

Additional Voice Lines: Dress-Up Groom Event Card

School Uniform - R

Unlock Card “Don’t drag in any kind of trouble again, alright? ‘Cause I’m not helping you out this time!”

Groovy “It’d get exhausting always being so serious about everything, wouldn’t it? You just gotta be efficient about things ♪”

Home Setting “Let’s take it nice and slow today!”

Home Transitions “Something’s always going on whenever I’m with you. Seriously, it doesn’t ever get boring.”

“Hm? I don’t really hate school. It’s not like I need it, though. Haha! If I didn’t go, I’d just have nothing to do.”

“Professor Crewel called me over when I ditched class duty today... He gets so intense when he’s scolding his students!”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Oh, you’re finally here. So what’re you doing right now? C’mon, pick something~”

Home Taps “It’s kinda nice that our outfits are already picked out for us everyday. If we got to wear casual clothes, we’d have to spend some time trying to put together an outfit.”

“My dreams for the future? Nope, don’t got any! Striving hard to achieve your dreams is so... bleurgh, I can’t do it. It’s just not my thing.”

“Yeah, yeah, what do you want with me this time? You’ve got some serious dedication to this whole prefect thing.”

“I’m glad our dorm color is red. I like red. It stands out, it’s stylish, and it fits me nicely, doesn’t it?”

“Alright, alright, stop pulling so hard; I can hear you just fine! ...So? What is it?”

PE Uniform - R

Unlock Card “I’m pretty confident about my reflexes. Wanna take a look at my magift skills?”

Groovy “You can tell just by looking at me that I’m the type who hates losing. Come do some intensive training with me!”

Home Setting “It’s not good for you to just be standing still like that!”

Home Transitions “I seriously can’t handle Coach Vargas. He’s so intense and conceited... It’s tiring just being around him.”

“I have a lot of fun in the basketball club. I get along well with upperclassmen from the other dorms too.”

“I think sports and magic are kinda similar. I mean, you’ve gotta put all your effort into both of them everyday.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “PE class is about to start soon. You’ll get left behind if you keep moving so slow~”

Home Taps “Did you already eat yet? If not, let’s go pick up something from the store. It’s boring being cooped up inside all the time.”

“No way. I don’t even have to ask; I can tell just by that face that whatever you have to say is something real troublesome. Don’t tell me.”

“I don’t wanna turn into some macho guy who’s totally ripped, so I can take it easy with my training.”

“Cater actually has pretty good reflexes. I should ask him for some Flying tips later.”

“Ahaha!! What do you want~? You keep poking me in the side over and over again!”

Lab Coat - SR

Unlock Card “Working together’s really important. ...So anyway, let’s do our best on this assignment!”

Groovy “It’s fine to slack off just a little. Just do your best not to get caught.”

Home Setting “What, you’ve got a question? Alright, you owe me one.”

Home Transitions “I saw Deuce in the library looking really serious about something. I guess he’s studying for our next test.”

“Hey, did you finish the homework? Let’s do it together if you haven’t yet. That way we can split the work and get it done faster.”

“Sometimes there are potions with effects that make you think ‘What would you even make that for?’ I’d never wanna drink one, though.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “They don’t call Night Raven a prestigious academy for nothing. I gotta study sometimes too or I’ll get behind.”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Why do you have so much motivation for your classes? Don’t tell me you’re actually planning on making Grim a great mage, or something?”

Home Taps “The Headmaster really shows up and vanishes at the most unexpected times. Yesterday it almost gave me a heart attack when I noticed he was sitting behind me.”

“Be careful if you come across any talking flowers in the Botanical Garden. People say they’re really mean.”

“Potions are so nasty. And yet in the Queen of Hearts’ country, they were supposed to have tasted like things like pies and juice...”

“What do they even do at the science club? Trey invited me to stop by earlier but it seemed boring so I said no.”

“Ah, I seriously can’t deal with intense people. Go do that kinda stuff with Deuce, not me!”

Home Tap (Groovy) “Have you gotten everything ready for our next experiment? I’m kinda worried about how slow you are.”

Ceremony Robes - SR

Unlock Card “Wearing these feels kinda... ah, don’t laugh at me! You’re not one to talk either!!”

Groovy “Hehe! I give off that prestigious Night Raven College! vibe, don’t I?”

Home Setting “Don’t cause any trouble today!”

Home Transitions “Hah... Why do the teachers have to talk for so long? It’s so boring. I wish they’d  wrap it up in three minutes flat.”

“What kinds of things do you guys have celebrations for where you come from? Do you celebrate Unbirthdays?”

“Before enrolling here, I thought these clothes looked so old-fashioned, but now I think they’re very fitting for a mage. Heheh.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Oi, Prefect. Grim starts causing all the mischief he wants whenever you’re not here!”

Home Transition (Groovy) “Tada! I pulled a hedgehog out of my hood...! Wait, I messed it up. Magic tricks using living creatures are really hard.”

Home Taps “If you’re free, how about we go to the lounge? Well, the only thing I usually do there is play cards though.”

“Doesn’t this school have a serious lacking of entertainment?! There’s absolutely nowhere to have fun! What about a café? Or some live shows?!”

“My shoulders feel kinda stiff... I’m really not good at formal things.”

“I think my brother was even happier than my parents when they found out I was accepted here. He’s an alumni from the same dorm as me.”

“No, you can’t sleep right now! You were dozing off in class the other day and even I could tell from sitting behind you!”

Home Tap (Groovy) “Oh, perfect timing. Could we have a card game tournament at Ramshackle tonight? ...It’s fine, no one’ll find out!”

Dorm Uniform - SSR

Unlock Card “My winning trump card is the Ace of Hearts!”

“I’d rather not get all heated and serious about things. ...Hey, are you even listening?!”

Groovy “You want to come to Heartslabyul? Haha, we’ll always welcome you!”

Home Setting “Let’s hurry and get this done!”

Home Transitions “Wanna go to the Unbirthday Party together? I promise there’ll be a delicious tart. ...I can’t promise the Dorm Leader will be in a good mood, though.”

“I know a magic trick that can make multiple cards appear from just one. Wanna see?”

“Euegh... I ate too much pie and now I’m so full... Trey’s sweets are just so good; I couldn’t stop eating.”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Prefect-! Come help me take care of the hedgehogs we use for croquet!”

Home Transition (Groovy) “So? How do I look in my dorm uniform? Handsome? ...Er, complimenting me that much would just sound like a lie.”

Home Taps “I showed the Dorm Leader a card trick and it actually surprised him. That felt nice ♪”

“If I was put in a different dorm... mm, I can’t even picture it. I guess Heartslabyul just fits me the best.”

“The freshmen have four people per room. It’s crowded, but it’s always full of energy so it’s a lot of fun. You should come hang out sometime.”

“Red vests are part of both our school and dorm uniforms, but the ones we wear with our dorm uniforms also have a traditional pattern associated with the Queen of Hearts on them.”

“Hey, now even you are acting just like Grim does; stop it! This keeps getting more and more out of hand.”

Home Tap (Groovy) “I wish you were part of Heartslabyul too. You don’t get the thrill of wondering when your head’ll get chopped off anywhere else.”

Duo Magic Ace: “Oi, Deuce! You better not just drag me down!” Deuce: “You’re so full of yourself! Who do you think you’re talking to, Ace?!”

Birthday Celebration Outfit - SSR

This card was only obtainable during Ace’s birthday event (Sept 18 - Sept 25, 2020).

Login on Birthday “Hey Prefect, do you know what day it is today? It’s not an Unbirthday... It’s Ace’s birthday! Which means I’m the star of today. What should I do for it~?”

Unlock Card “Today I can have the first slice of cake without worrying about losing my head, right?”

“Hey, what’re you gonna get me for my birthday? Oh, if you’ve got no idea, a cherry pie would be nice~”

Groovy “Having a giant party isn’t as bad as I thought. Thanks for coming to celebrate too!”

Home Setting “This get-up’s so embarrassing! It’s screaming ‘Look at me!’ way too much.”

Home Transitions “This heart-shaped pin is reaaally sparkly. It’s kinda intense with how special! it looks.”

“When I was at my club earlier, the soles of my basketball shoes fell apart. Floyd has a good sense of style; maybe he’ll give some to me as a gift~”

“I don’t mind Cater posting pictures of me on Magicam... but I don’t know how to feel about him tagging it as ‘Acey’s Growth Record.’”

Home Transition (Login Greeting) “Sorry, but we can’t have an Unbirthday Party today. ‘Cause today’s my actual birthday!”

Home Transition (Groovy) “After the party, can I come over to Ramshackle? Let’s invite Jack and the others and play cards till it’s morning.”

Home Taps “When I was little, my older brother one time blew out the candles on my birthday cake. We got into huge fight after.”

“I’m only one year older now, but everyone’s making a huge celebration out of it... I’m not saying I hate it, though~”

“Deuce said he’d treat me to whatever pastry I want at the school store! Hahaha, let’s ask him for the most expensive one. You in?”

“My brother’s not the only one good at magic tricks in my family; my dad’s really good at them too. On our birthdays, he used to show us tricks using gift boxes.”

“Aghgh, I get it! We’re done saying ‘Yes, Happy Birthday!’ ...It’s kind of really embarrassing...”

Home Tap (Groovy) “I can ask you favors since it’s my special day today, can’t I? When you finish that assignment, come join the party!”

Duo Magic Ace: Ortho, wish me a big happy birthday! Ortho: Happy birthday, Ace Trappola!

Lv Up “Oh, this feels kinda nice!”

“Yay! Level up!”

“I gotta get even further ahead of everyone else.”

Max Lv Up “This feels incredible. Now that I’ve got this, it’ll probably be a lot easier for me to back up a certain someone who can’t use magic.”

Episode Lv Up “Ahaha! So these kinds of things can happen too. I always thought people like you would be the ones I’d get along the worst with, but I guess not! ...Just messing with you.”

Magic Lv Up “I could win against the Dorm Leader now that I’ve got this power, right? ...Oh, what I said just now is a secret, ‘kay?”

Limit Break “Whaaat? Aren’t you expecting too much from me? Well, alright. Guess I just should just work a little harder!”

Groovy “I’ll keep showing you more and more of my cool side, so look forward to that!”

Lesson Select “What class are you doing? Hurry up and pick. I’ll be sleeping straight through any one you pick anyway.”

“You’re so enthusiastic about this... Okay, okay! Stop pulling on me so hard!”

“Make sure to keep a close eye on Grim during class, alright, Prefect? He tried ditching earlier and the teacher got mad at him.”

Lesson Start “Let’s get this over with!”

Lesson End “It’s done~! Ahh, I’m tired.”

Battle Start “Okay~ I’ll make you all hit rock bottom!”

Battle End “Nothing to say about it. I won!”

Other

Profile Quote “Man, the Queen of Hearts is so cool! Nobody would obey a queen who’s just kind all the time, right?”

January 2020 Trailer “Ya better not be late! Or the scaaary queen will chop off your head!”

Countdown Poster “Stop daydreaming. Don’t you know you can get lost in the rose maze?”

Take His Hand “Let's head on over there!”

Player Birthday Wish “Eh? Was there something going on today? ...I’m just messing with you! It’s your birthday, right? Of course I remembered. Happy birthday, Prefect.”

Valentine’s Day Gift Letter (2021)

These letters were originally in English. I didn’t translate or edit them in any way. They came with official merch from Aniplex, and are not present in-game.

Hey you, Thanks for the present. But what’s up with the sudden gesture? Are you trying to apologize for something here? …JUST KIDDING! I actually need to talk to you about something, too. See you in class later!

[ellewritesathing]

Faking It - Epilogue

Summary: You’d done plenty of dumb things in your life, but the dumbest had to be picking Greendale’s latest bad-boy to pretend to be your boyfriend.

Masterlist Part 6 | Epilogue

Word-count: 2.3k+

A/N: okay so about a million years ago @corishirogane3​ sent me the cutest headcanon for this series and i had to make it canon. i’ve rewritten the ending so much that i’m not sure how i feel about it anymore but!! i wanted to post this sugary sweet ending after my finals so 💕💕 i hope you guys like it

Caliban hated birthdays. His mother would always try her hardest to make each year better than the last, with more outrageous parties in the hopes that he would forget he was a bastard whose father cared more about his reputation than his son. It never worked. 

Kinkle: Happy Bday man! You’re still an asshole but I’m glad we’re friends again

As if his childhood confusion wasn’t hard enough, Caliban’s teenage angst almost burned everything to the ground. He was angry at his family for abandoning him and his mother, at the people around him for being conceited and boring, and at California for being too goddamn sunny. 

Theo: happy birthday to my gay awakening 💕

Birthdays made Caliban infinitely aware of his precarious loneliness in the world. He’d stopped telling people when his birthday was long ago, but somehow they’d find out and ruin his plans to spend the day alone and screaming at the sky. Year after year, it was just the same hollow wishes from people who didn’t really care about him.

Rosalind ✨: happy birthday old man. i got you a haunted portrait so you don’t wrinkle 

But this year was different. Caliban still wasn’t sold on the perfect greeting card birthday, but he’d been less angry since moving back to Greendale. Dating you - real or not - meant he got a group of friends as part of the deal, and the lot of you had extorted his birthday to draw up his astral chart. Apparently, he was an Aries sun, Capricorn moon - whatever the fuck that meant.

Sabrina: Happy Birthday Cal 💞

Still, Caliban could move across the country and collect as many friends as he liked, but he wasn’t sure if he’d ever enjoy his birthday. 

With a sigh, Caliban threw off his covers and padded across to his closet. He pulled out his usual dark clothes and scrounged around for his leather jacket before realizing he’d loaned it to you. He smiled to himself and set to make himself presentable. 

This first hour of his birthday was always spent alone. It was one of the many birthday traditions he and Isobel shared, along with birthday pancakes, ditching the last half of school, and triple chocolate cake with Sour Patch Kids stuck to the icing. He was thankful for all the things his mother did for him, but that first dose of silence and solitude was crucial if he was going to deal with all the birthday bullshit that lay ahead.

Caliban’s phone dinged with yet another notification and he stopped in the middle of the hallway to dig his phone out of his pants pocket. Sure, Caliban talked a big game about hating birthdays but he still checked every text he got, hoping for ... something. 

Fitch: Happy non-birthday to the best not fake boyfriend I’ve ever had ❤️ I love you and I’ll see you soon

He always read the texts, but he almost never responded. He leaned against one of the door frames and started typing something in the way of a reply. The only problem was that Caliban was only gifted in the way of words when he was lying, and he never wanted to lie to you. Caliban sighed and locked his phone without sending anything. He’d figure out what to say once his stomach was full of pancakes.

Expecting to come downstairs to the low hum of Isobel singing along to music, the smells of cinnamon, sugar, and melted chocolate, and one very messy kitchen, Caliban was surprised when he reached the bottom stair and heard your voice. Everything else was as expected, but you stood out among all the chaos.

“Is this okay?” you asked quietly. 

Isobel stopped her humming for a second. “Oh, yeah! That’s perfect, sweetheart.”

The pancake batter sizzled in the pan and Caliban decided to brave the kitchen. It was still as messy as always, but there you stood, clad in a borrowed, sunflowered apron and brandishing a spatula. 

Since you and Isobel were whispering and watching the pancakes rise with your back turned to the entrance, Caliban walked over as quietly as he could and got a better look at the assortment of toppings on the counter. He'd just bitten into one of the strawberries when you turned to grab something off the counter. 

You jumped sky-high and Caliban laughed. “Jesus. How long have you been there?” you asked.

“Long enough.” Caliban tried to sound nonchalant, which was difficult to do with all his curiosity. His cool facade was also ruined by Isobel rushing around the island to hug him and kiss his cheeks. 

Isobel settled slightly after sitting Caliban down on one of the stools and promising to be right back with his present. 

With your new-found solitude, Caliban turned to with an amused smile. “When you said you’d see me soon, I didn’t think you meant quite so soon,” he said. He reached for another strawberry. 

You were happy to have caught him off-guard. “That’s kind of the point of a surprise.” You turned back to the stove to keep the pancake from burning but looked over your shoulder to add, “I mean, I can leave if it’s a problem?”

“You would deprive me of your company on my birthday?” 

You set a plate in front of Caliban that had a single, oddly shaped chocolate-chip pancake. “I'd never dream of it, Abercrombie.” You took a step back, pulled out a knife and fork, and set it in front of him. “Tell me how it tastes?” 

Caliban cut a piece and held his fork out to you. 

“No way. That’s your birthday pancake.” 

“You would really make me beg on my birthday?” 

“You can’t play that card the whole day-” 

“Yes, I can. Because it’s my-” 

“Don’t say it-”

The word was on the tip of his tongue, but Caliban didn’t get the chance to play his birthday card another time because Isobel rushed back into the room holding a wrapped present and grinning wildly. 

Isobel set the present down on the stool next to Caliban and tapped the top. “I know you don���t like opening them in front of anyone, but I couldn’t wait.” She tapped the gift again before reaching out and squeezing his hand. “Happy birthday, my love.” 

“Thanks, Mom,” Caliban said in a low voice. Isobel gave him the sad smile she always did on his birthday and he gave her the matching smile he always did. 

Your voice broke both of them out of their birthday stupor. “Well, I’ve got to get going or I’ll be late.” You untied the knot behind your back as you spoke before lifting the apron over your head. “I just wanted to stop by to steal a few legendary birthday pancakes and drop off the scavenger hunt stuff.” 

“I’m sorry, would you repeat that?” Caliban asked, sounding as saintly as he could. 

Isobel laughed. “Your brilliant girlfriend figured out how to give you a special birthday while letting you spend the whole day by yourself.” She wrapped an arm around Caliban’s shoulders and looked over at you. “There are clues and activities all over town and you can only come back once you’ve finished them all.” 

As intriguing as a day spent on his own seemed, Caliban couldn’t help but feel like there was a catch coming. “And what about my daily need for education?” 

“I thought you were a fan of more alternate education,” you teased. You leaned over and ate another bite of pancake. “Don’t tell me you’re going soft in your old age.” 

Caliban gave a short laugh. “I said no such thing.” 

You smiled. “Your mom promised to give you the first clue after your first pancake stack. I’ll see you later, okay?” 

Caliban nodded, suddenly unsure of how to respond. He was bad at receiving gifts at the best of times, and this gift was personal and bestowed upon him in front of his mother. It was an awkward set of circumstances. “Thank you,” he said softly as he hugged you goodbye. 

“Of course.” You kissed his cheek and disappeared out of the kitchen after waving goodbye to Isobel. 

Once you were gone and Caliban was left with the familiar sounds and smells of the morning of his birthday, he began to think that maybe his opinion on birthdays needed a bit of changing. 

--- 

Though he’d only participated in a few scavenger hunts, Caliban was competitive and he was relentless. He tore through clue after clue in the same ravenous fashion that a pack of wolves would their next meal, though he tried to savor it as best his hunger would allow. Every handwritten clue was kept, every souvenir pocketed, and every moment memorized. He didn’t want to waste the most thoughtful gift he’d ever been given just because he was an impatient bastard. 

But, as he stared at his suspiciously dark house, he wondered if he should have taken it a bit slower. The last clue had hinted at something waiting for him at the house, and his desire to finish the scavenger hunt waged war on his hatred of birthday parties. He was just about to put the car in reverse and dart into the street when your head popped around a curtain. You ducked inside at such a speed when your eyes met his that Caliban laughed at the mental image of you crashing into a lamp and trying to play it off. 

In the end, neither his desire nor hatred lured him into the depths of his birthday party. His bizarre inclination to do anything and everything you wanted drew him in.

So, Caliban showed up at his party. He wore a party hat, played nice with the other kids, and blew out the candles on his cake. All in all, it should have been the perfect end to his perfect day. But even with all your careful planning, there was no accounting for the bullshit hole in Caliban’s chest that always left him feeling empty. 

When the hole in his chest got too big, Caliban sneaked up the stairs, ducked into his room, and slipped out the window. He wasn’t running away - though the thought did cross his mind - but he just needed some fresh air. Harvey’s laughter mingled with that of his other friends and the laugh tracks of bad movies, drifting through the open window to the warmth of the April night. Still, there wasn’t enough fresh air in the world to fix him. 

“Hey!” 

Caliban twisted around to see you popping your head out of his bedroom window. You had a silly grin on your face and your hair was falling all over your face. The hole in Caliban’s chest got a little smaller. Your smile softened as you tilted your head to mirror his. 

“Hey, you wanna get out of here?” 

“Aren’t you worried about missing the party?” Caliban asked. 

You shrugged. “Roz and Theo ate all the good snacks so it’s pretty lame anyway.” Caliban laughed and you flashed him another smile. “Come on, Abercrombie, you really gonna make me climb on the roof to come get you?”

Caliban let out a long whistle and adjusted to get a better look at you. “I’d like to see you try, but careful - it’s slippery out here.” 

“Stop being an asshole and let’s get out of here before someone notices we’re gone.” 

Grinning, Caliban rolled over and held a hand out to you. There was no need to be so secretive, really, but sneaking down his mother’s carefully cultivated trellis was half the fun. Caliban squashed some hydrangeas on the way down, you tumbled into him after getting your foot stuck, and the two of you were left breathless for a moment before rushing to the car so no one would discover your attempted prison break.

Giddy as you turned onto the freeway, the two of you laughed with the windows down and music blaring. Caliban didn’t think his birthday could get any better than it already was, but that moment with you was his favorite part. Or at least, it was until you started complaining about wasting away and you pulled into a diner for something to eat - then he found a new favorite moment. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” 

“Like what?” 

“You know what.” You tilted your head. “Is this because of the fry thing? I’m telling you, if you just try it then you’ll like it.”

Caliban laughed and shook his head at ‘the fry thing,’ also known as your insistence to dip your fries in whatever milkshake you had on the day. “I’m not trying it.”

“You’re a coward.”

“You can’t say that to me. It’s my birthday.” 

“You hate birthdays.” 

“Still.” 

Rolling your eyes, you pushed the plate of fries over to him. “Try it once, okay? And you’ll see it’s the perfect combination of salty and sweet, hot and cold, yummy and delicious.” 

Caliban couldn’t help it. He’d been putting it off for almost a year now, and it just didn’t feel right to say no to you after everything you’d done for him today. Plus, you were cute when you got your way. So, he reached out and dipped a fry in the milkshake. 

Annoyingly, it was everything you’d said and more. Despite the sugary, fried high he was bound to be on in a few minutes, Caliban knew the best part of this whole endeavor would be to see your sickeningly smug face when he admitted defeat. 

You’d turned him into a cheesy cliche. He was disgustingly romantic, he carried your books between classes, and had your coffee order memorized. Because you were the sweet to his salty, the brave to his reckless, the Fitch to his Abercrombie. 

And he wouldn’t have it any other way.

Tagged: @t-a-i-l-o-r-m-a-d-e​  @miss--moose  @marrypuffsstuff​  @harryscarolinaa​  @igorsbby​  @foji2000​​  @hxlalokidottir​  @artaxerxesthegreat​​  @thxmagic​  @strawberriesandknives​​  @xealia​​  @hotmessindisguise​  @acciomaximoff​  @reheated-coffee​​  @shelby-x​​  @perseny-blog​​  @millie-753​​  @luneerius​​  @shizzybarnaclee​​  @lettherebelovex​​  @throughparisallthroughrome​  @ietss​  @thebookwormlife​  @mechanicalanimalz​  @mariamermaid​  @nqbmf​  @caliban-is-my-girl  @shephard17895​  @andie-kathleen​  @clockworks-world-to-fandoms​  @luquincy  @marina468​  @olivia-west-allen  @drrramaaaqweeen​  @roxytheimmortal​  @blondeeee-e  @piensa-bonito

[vanilla107]

Cinnamon Swirl Mocha (ML Secret Santa 2017)

Hey everyone! This is my ML Secret Santa gift to @miraculoussideblog! I had loads of fun writing this and I really hope you enjoy it! NathChlo is one of my favourite ships and I adore Coffee Shop AUs! I couldn’t help but write more about them! A huge thank you to the @mlsecretsanta team for putting this event together and being so patient with everything! And another HUGE thank you to my beta reader @feathersnow! (I seriously couldn’t have done this without you).

Read on A03

*******************************

The world was ending.

That was the only logical explanation in Chloe Bourgeois’s mind as she saw the cardboard covering the windows and the big, ugly red lettering of the words, ‘CLOSED DOWN’. She could barely make out her reflection in the windows- a sad girl wearing the latest designer clothes. A small tear trickled down her cheek.

“No…” she whispered as her shaky fingers reached out to touch the cold glass.

Her favourite coffee shop in the whole wide world had closed down.

Chloe stared blankly at the windows and could still envision the smooth marble counters and scent of roasted coffee beans. The signature cake stands with the red velvet, the carrot cake and the lemon meringue. The soft music and the ideal place to relax with a cup of exquisite coffee.

Now...it was all gone.

The autumn leaves fluttered at her feet and she tightened her fluffy jacket around herself. She kicked the dry brown leaves sadly as she began to walk to her nearest boutique.

Shopping had always cleared her head.

She walked in and was greeted by the sales assistant, who immediately started to suggest their latest Autumn and Winter line, but Chloe wasn’t paying attention.

That had been her favourite coffee shop since she was young. The whole building in all of its expensive glory.

That coffee shop had sold the best coffee. They used Premium Roasted Coffee beans and whether she wanted a strong, dark Colombian cup or a medium roast with light, refreshing floral undertones; they always delivered.

Where was she going to get her daily fix now? She knew she couldn't get great tasting coffee from any old coffee shop- that was beneath her. Even though she was mourning the loss of her favourite coffee shop, she needed to go coffee shop hunting to find the perfect coffee again.

**********************

(Three months later)

Nathaniel Kurtzburg sighed as he cleaned out the espresso machine. It had been a tiresome day and all he wanted to do was go home and rest his aching muscles. His feet were sore from standing constantly for the past several hours and he could feel a minor headache growing.

Nathaniel had been working at the coffee shop for about three months now part-time. He needed the extra money for paints and canvases and this place paid well. Since it was winter holidays, he had been doing full shifts every other day. The coffee shop had become extremely popular since the newest coffees had been released for their Christmas menu.

Nathaniel smiled knowing that some of the recipes had been his ideas and he was happy that people were enjoying it. There was the Peppermint Cream latte, Gingerbread Espresso, Orange Chai and, his personal favourite, Cinnamon Swirl Mocha.

He was just about to close shop when a cold just of wind blew into the shop. He looked up and scowled.

In walked Chloe Bourgeois, richest girl in all of Paris and royal pain in the arse. Wearing a white fluffy coat and black jeans with lemon-yellow leather boots, she walked up to the counter and gave Nathaniel an icy glare.

“So this is the ‘famous’ coffee shop I've been hearing about? So why are you here?” she sneered.

Nathaniel sighed, “I work here Chloe. Now if you don't mind, please leave. We're closing now.”

Her frosty exterior broke into one of anger. “What! But I just got here!” she shrieked.

Nathaniel smirked.

“Just because you came here at the exact same time we close is not my problem. It's yours. Now leave.”

Nathaniel had never spoken to Chloe like this. And he felt exhilarated. She was mean, selfish and conceited. Why should he serve her if she came in late?

Chloe was going red with anger. “I’VE BEEN SEARCHING FOR THE BEST COFFEE HOUSE FOR THREE MONTHS. YOU CAN'T JUST-”

“-Yes I can,” he said firmly “I'm in charge of locking up and it's closing time.”

“I'll talk to your manager about this!” Chloe threatened.

“Be my guest. If you wanted coffee, then you should've come while we were open.”

Nathaniel knew that his boss wouldn't care if he got a complaint because was one of the most diligent workers she had. Even if the complaint was from the mayor's daughter.

Chloe let out a scream in frustration.

“I bet the coffee isn't even that good!” she retorted, and stomped out of the store.

Nathaniel rolled his eyes and wiped the counters clean before checking to see if anything was out of place. Once he was sure, he locked up and went home.

********************

Nathaniel was relieved that the store was quiet the next day.

It had been a hectic lunch hour but now there was only a few tables occupied with customers, all happily sipping on teas, milkshakes, coffees or eating their Cake Of The Day or feta and chicken salads.

Nathaniel watched one of his co-workers wiped the tables and collected the plates and loaded them onto the counter before he felt a hand pat him on the back.

“Well done, Nathaniel! Another lunch hour successfully executed!”

Nathaniel smiled as he turned around to look at his manager, Miss Roux, who gave him a dazzling smile and he smiled back.

“Well, the customers want their coffee and I’m not going to say no.”

Miss Roux laughed and she looked at the coffee shop, her eyes beaming with pride. She was in her mid-thirties and had long red hair tied into a ponytail and dark brown eyes to match her skin.

She had taken out a loan and started her coffee shop by herself and began to thrive. Miss Roux was good friends with the Dupain-Chengs and after some work, they had started to collaborate together with a few cakes which gave them all exposure. Soon the coffee shop began getting in a steady stream of customers and then, as if out of nowhere, it became one of the most popular coffee shops in Paris.  

Nathaniel sighed and looked at Miss Roux. “Miss Roux, I have to mention that there was an angry customer yesterday.”

She raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Really? Angry at you Nathaniel? What for?”

“It was closing time and she came in wanting a coffee. The thing is...this girl knows me and she has quite some...influence. She was angry that I refused her coffee because it was closing time and basically threatened me to talk to you.”

Miss Roux chuckled. “Oh Nathaniel, don’t worry. If she comes back, just give me a call. I’ll put her in her place.” 

At that moment a hooded figure walked into the coffee shop wearing sunglasses and a large oversized hat. Nathaniel narrowed his eyes at the hooded figure that walked to the counter.

“One latte,” the figure said stiffly.

Nathaniel rolled his eyes.

“Chloe. I know that’s you.”

The figure coughed.

“No, I’m just a poor old lady who is very sensitive towards sunlight-”

“Chloe. Stop with the act. All I’m asking for is an apology for your attitude last night and then I’ll give you a cup.”

Miss Roux watched the interaction with a grin on her face and after deciding that Nathaniel had the situation under control, walked to the end of the counter to arrange the teas in their jars.

Chloe huffed, and to his surprise, the girl took off the huge sunglasses, the scarf and the hoodie.

She took a deep breath in and said quickly,” I’m sorry for my attitude last night.”

Stunned, Nathaniel nodded. He had just received an apology from Chloe.

Her apology could use some work but it was the best he was going to get for now. She handed over the money and he began to make her latte. Once it was finished he handed it to her with a flourish.

“There you go.”

Chloe grabbed the cup and speed walked out of the coffee shop as fast as she could, leaving Nathaniel and the warmth of the cafe.

***************************************************************

Chloe felt a shiver run through her as she sipped the coffee in her room.

This tastes amazing, she thought.

Chloe took another sip and closed her eyes to savour the taste of the warm beverage. She had discarded her ridiculous disguise in one corner of her room and looked at the coffee in interest.

She frowned. “How did this coffee cost so little?” she said out loud.

Chloe had always thought that the more expensive the coffee was, the better it would be.

Clearly she was wrong.

With her computer next to her, she typed in the coffee shop website and scanned the website.

The Christmas Special menu caught her attention.

“ Let’s see…Peppermint Cream latte, Gingerbread Espresso, Orange Chai and Cinnamon Swirl Mocha...those sound interesting. Not even my favourite cafe had such creative coffees…” Chloe murmured as she scrolled down.

Chloe felt a wave of shame rush through her. She wanted to go back to the coffee shop but that meant having to see Nathaniel.

The girl took in a deep breath, sat up a little straighter and flipped her hair.

“No! I’m Chloe Bourgeois! There’s no way I’m letting my pride keep me away from the best coffee I’ve tasted in months!”

********************************************************************

Nathaniel raised an eyebrow when he saw Chloe walk in the next day.

“One Peppermint Cream latte,” she said, handing him the money.

Nathaniel was surprised that Chloe had returned. He heard rumors from their class that she was very picky with her food and drinks. If that rumor was true...then didn’t that mean that he made her a good cup of coffee? If that was true…then he wanted to have a little fun with her. It wasn’t like she could do anything to him (well, she could get him fired but Miss Roux liked him too much and he was one the best baristas there).

“And what’s the magic word?” Nathaniel asked as he opened the cash register, hiding his smirk as he put the money away.

“Excuse me?” Chloe spluttered, frowning. He looked up, trying his best to keep the laugh that was threatening to burst out.

“You heard me Chloe. What’s the magic word? Everyone else says the magic word when they order coffee but you don’t.”

“Just give me my damn coffee!” she demanded, her voice getting louder with warning.

“No.”

“Nathaniel I swear, where is your manager-?”

“She’s at a meeting. Something about business and people wanting to buy shares and possibly making this business a franchise- y’know, something along those lines. So there’s a possibility that this coffee shop will become huge...and you might never get to taste the most amazing Peppermint Cream latte unless you say the magic word…” Nathaniel singsonged.

Chloe stared at him and through gritted teeth, she hissed, “Please.”

Nathaniel grinned. He walked over to the coffee machine to make the latte. A few minutes later he handed Chloe a warm cup of the frothy concoction with the faintest smell of peppermint.

Chloe took a deep breath and mumbled a ‘Thank you’ before rushing out the coffee shop.

Nathaniel shook his head and smiled. He knew she would be back again the next day.

****************************************************************

Nathaniel was right.

Chloe came coffee shop everyday after that. She liked her coffee strong but loved the specials. She had grown to love the Cinnamon Swirl Mocha and declared it her favourite. That did make Nathaniel a little nervous whenever he made that drink since it was the coffee he had designed and was his favourite too. Her love for his coffee had made her stop being mean to him. Perhaps that was a plus. There was still the occasion comment on his ‘tomato hair’ but he brushed that off.

They had small conversations in between his shifts and he had found out that Chloe’s favourite coffee shop had closed down which was why she started coming here. Her favourite cake from their shop was the Hummingbird cake and it would be a lie to say that Nathaniel hadn't begged Miss Roux to bake that cake at least once a week. When she enquired why he wanted that cake so badly, she was met with stutters about how good it tasted and his face turning red. He learned that Chloe ordered Camomile tea when she was exhausted, black coffee when tired and a cup of rose tea when she was angry. He knew how she liked her coffee and he couldn't help but feel proud that the Chloe Bourgeois liked his coffee.

One day, Miss Roux insisted on Nathaniel practising his latte art since he was an artist. But pouring milk and foam in such a way so that it makes a picture in the drink was another mission.

Chloe had been Nathaniel’s first customer to try his latte art when she ordered a cappuccino in the last week of November.

Nathaniel handed Chloe her cup and she looked at the coffee in surprise. Inside was a foam cat face with facial details drawn out in chocolate sauce.

“Is that...a cat?” she asked, pointing at his latte art. Nathaniel turned his head away shyly.

“It’s my first time getting it right,” he said blushing, “It took a while and since you come here so often I thought-”

“I like it,” Chloe declared, smiling down at the his creation. Nathaniel stared at her in shock. He had never seen Chloe smile genuinely before. She took a sip and sighed in content.

“That's incredibly amazing. It tastes better than the coffee from the hotel. What secret ingredients did you put in it?” she asked and Nathaniel sagged in relief at Chloe’s praise of his first attempt at latte art.

He smiled. "You don't need to spend so much for good coffee. All it needs is some love. And care,” he said. “Love and care? Wow, I didn’t know you could be so sappy, Kurtzburg,” Chloe said rolling her eyes. Nathaniel smiled and shook his head. He left her sitting on her own as he continued to serve his other customers.

***************************************************

Love and care.

Love and Care?

How did those things contribute to coffee at all?

Chloe pondered on those thoughts as she took a bite of the Hummingbird cake and sipped on her Orange Chai. It had been two days since Nathaniel had told her the so-called ‘secret ingredients’ and it was driving her mad.

She watched curiously from the counter on her bar stool as Nathaniel poured the steamed milk into a mug. She saw his brow furrow in concentration as he poured the milk in such a way that he made a leaf on the surface of the coffee.

Love and care.

Nathaniel clearly looked like put in a lot of effort to make latte art correctly…

At that moment, Nathaniel looked up and their eyes met.  She inhaled too fast and started choking on her cake. She closed her eyes as she coughed, beating her chest. She was surprised when she felt a hand rubbing her back soothingly.

“Here drink this water,” the red-headed boy advised, placing a glass of water on the table before going back to work.

Chloe greedily drank her water and felt her breathing return to normal. She continued to watch him. He was steaming another cup of milk. He looked up and gave her a small smile and a wink. She quickly turned away and chewed on her cake while sipping her coffee. Her cheeks felt warm, and she was sure it wasn’t the warm coffee that caused it.

Chloe left a few minutes later with her coffee in hand. Her plate was left with nothing but a few  crumbs.

“Hey, Nath. This was left on the counter for you,” his co-worker called with a grin and handed him a napkin. Nathaniel’s eyes went wide.

Written on the napkin, was Chloe’s number.

*************************************************

Chloe didn’t expect him to call her a few days later.

Hell, she didn’t expect him to call her at all.

It had been a reckless ‘in-the-moment’ decision which she had done and had regretted it the moment she had left the coffee shop. She had been avoiding the coffee shop because she couldn’t bear to see Nathaniel in his cute little apron and she did not want to humiliate herself like she had the last time.

As if the world hated her, she started seeing Nathaniel more and more even if she avoided the coffee shop. She saw him at the park sketching in his book, she saw him walking in the streets and she saw him shopping for new art supplies.

It’s like he’s everywhere! she thought as she narrowly escaped his glance in the park.

She had just finished putting on a face mask when he had called and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw an unfamiliar number pop up on the screen.

At first, she thought it was a stalker because she was the mayor’s daughter and there had been times that creepy weirdos had managed to get her number somehow but then she remembered Nathaniel.

Could it be?

She picked up her phone and without a second glance hit the green button to receive the call and screamed when she saw Nathaniel’s face pop up.

“What the hell? Nathaniel, why are you on my phone screen!” she screeched and turned her phone so that he was looking at her bedroom instead.

She heard a chuckle from the phone and her insides seemed to melt at the sound.

“The coffee shop just closed and I was wondering if you wanted to come over.”

Chloe was confused.

“Now? Are you sure? Because the last time I came into the coffee shop when it was closing, you kicked me out,” Chloe pointed out. The boy laughed.

“Chloe, are you going to let me see your face or not?”

“No. I look like a monster but this is the best honey and oats facial mask I’ve ever had and I refuse to take it off.”

She heard Nathaniel sigh and clear his throat.

“Okay fine, well just come over to the coffee shop. I want to show you something.”

***********************************************************

Chloe was freezing her butt off by the time she got to the coffee shop. It was dark except for a small orange glow inside. There was already a thick layer of snow blanketing the whole of Paris and she accepted the warmth of the coffee shop as she walked in.

“Nathaniel?” she asked as she looked around the deserted coffee shop in search of the red-head..

“Over here!”

Chloe followed the voice,“Before you kill me for asking you out in this cold weather, let me explain.”

Chloe walked to the counter and watched as Nathaniel took out some freshly ground coffee beans and began packing it tightly into the espresso machine.

“You looked confused when I told you that good coffee was made using love and care. Now I’m going to show you how to make the perfect Cinnamon Swirl Mocha.”

Chloe wanted to ask what the whole point of this meetup was but she didn’t mind his company and watched Nathaniel work. She watched as he poured the espresso into a cute little mug and added in the cinnamon essence and finally topping it off with a pinch of cinnamon.

“There,” he beamed triumphantly sliding the coffee to her. “The perfect Cinnamon Swirl Mocha. I’ve also been working on a new one that I think you might like. I'll make it quickly.”

As he began working on the other drink Chloe studied him curiosity as she sipped her beverage. He began steaming the milk again and dripping the espresso. She had never seen him so excited.

“Y'know Nathaniel...this is nice but what is the real reason you called me here?”

The red-haired boy grew silent. Chloe waited.

Then he took a deep breath.

“Okay...I sorta noticed that you were….um...avoiding the coffee shop. I didn't know if I had some something wrong or...well I got worried…and that's why,” Nathaniel mumbled as he swirled in milky foam with a spoon.

Chloe felt her heart begin to beat faster and she looked into the teal eyes of the boy she had begun to like.

“I'm sorry...I was nervous being around you after I gave you my phone number...I didn't really know how to react,” Chloe confessed.

She saw Nathaniel’s small smile as he finished the other mysterious drink and he sprinkled edible glitter onto the foam. He handed her the red mug and her heart stopped.

The foam was shaped like a bee. It’s body was striped with chocolate syrup and edible glitter, which sparkled under the dim lights. Chloe took a sip of the drink and hummed happily. Her taste buds had exploded and she felt so warm.

“Nath...this is...I've never tasted anything like it,” Chloe said as she drank the warm frothy beverage.

“It's a cinnamon and honey latte...,” he said slowly, fiddling with his hands “I...named after you. I felt inspired and that's what came out of it. This drink will be added to the Christmas menu tomorrow and I can...um...tell it's going to be a hit."

The blonde’s eyes grew wide, “You made a coffee for me...You named a coffee after me? I-I don’t know what to say.” The boy didn’t say anything, but just smiled bashfully.

Chloe blushed and cleared her voice. “If you want to….go out for dinner and maybe a movie…I'd like that...but this doesn't mean that we can just hang out! I still have an image to uphold!” she said quickly.

Nathaniel leaned in and gave her a grin.

“I was just about to ask you the same thing. Yes Chloe, I would love to go on a date with you,” he said and gave a light kiss on the cheek.

Chloe had thought that nothing could have replace her beloved coffee shop that had been closed down.

But she might've found the next best thing.

[qveensbury]

ch 4: i ain’t gotta flex

summary: iwaizumi shows off and you’re lovestruck. a college au iwaizumi x reader fic.

AO3  | just a little oh a little bit | ko-fi

The temperature was finally falling and you could wear the jacket you bought specifically for your first year away from home.

Noa’s uni was hosting a festival. It received much more funding than your high school festival. They brought in different food stalls, vendors, and competitive games. It was a chance for students, alumni, faculty, and staff to relax. Kaede was planning on joining you but had to meet with a group for their class project. She promised to head straight there when they finished. “Okay. We should mill around until the lines die down then grab something to eat,” Noa said, adjusting her bag. “Ok.” “I think there was a booth selling postcards. We should check that out.” “Yea! I’ve been meaning to send my grandmother one.” “How’s that history class? More manageable?” “Noa, it’s gotten worse.” Noa groaned. “That’s horrible.” “My classmate said there’s got to be a way to read less and still understand what’s going on but it’s tough.” “Ito-chan?” She turned. “Oikawa.” She waved. “Iwaizumi.”

You turned to face the guys. Iwaizumi raised both eyebrows. “Hey.” "Hi,” you said back. “Why don’t we walk around together?” Oikawa put his arm around Noa. “Sure. Kaede is coming later and she still hasn’t met you.” Noa tugged him to start walking. You and Iwaizumi followed them. “I’m sure Iwa-chan has been telling her all kinds of lies about me.” Oikawa turned to look at Iwaizumi. “You’re so conceited. What makes you think I’d bore Miki with stories about you?” Noa giggled, “Oh, I’m not the only one keeping your ego in check? Good.” “So mean,” Oikawa whined. “____-chan, please don’t join their bullying.” “Don’t worry about ____, Oikawa. Iwaizumi and I have it covered.” Noa patted his back. “Oh, do you wanna try to win me a Pokémon? You have arm strength from volleyball. There’s an arm-wrestling machine.” “I can try, but I make no promises.” “Finish strong,” she cheered. Oikawa sat at the machine listening to the operator’s instructions. “I don’t think you and Oikawa would be interested in this. Otherwise, I would have texted you.” “Well, I could have texted you, too.” Iwaizumi rubbed the back of his neck. You smiled. “Next time then.” At the end of the speech, Oikawa nodded to indicate he was ready. Different music started to play. “Oh.” He braced his opposite arm against the table and groaned, trying to pull his arm to the winning side. “No no no no!” The mechanical arm began moving slowly taking the advantage before claiming victory. “Ugh!” Oikawa stood up. “Don’t sweat it! Those machines are really hard.” Noa brushed off Oikawa’s shoulders. “Yea, they’re not designed to be beatable,” Iwaizumi added. “I’ll only believe that if you can’t believe it, Iwa-chan.” Iwaizumi scoffed. “What difference will it make?" “C’mon, it won’t hurt to try.” Oikawa gestured to the seat. “You’re probably way stronger than Oikawa anyway,” Noa leaned against Oikawa. “There’s no need to be modest, Iwa-chan. It’s okay to show off a little.” Iwaizumi sighed and sat down. He listened to the instructions and nodded at the end. The same music began to play and you could hear the machine power up again. But Iwaizumi’s arm didn’t move. Oikawa let out a small tch. “Told you.” Iwaizumi braced his hand against the side of the machine and moved the mechanical arm toward the mat. Bells rang declaring him the victor. “Whoa! Iwaizumi, that was amazing!” you cheered. Iwaizumi turned to you, his mouth slightly ajar. His cheeks started to get a little pink. “T-thanks.” “He’s so cool, right? ____-chan?” “That was so cool.” You turned to Oikawa, nodding your head. You hadn’t seen anyone beat one of these machines before and Iwaizumi did it practically effortlessly. Iwaizumi put a hand on his neck and looked away. “Do you want a plush? They don’t have one I want.” “You should pick one—“ “That one right there is one of her favorites.” Noa pointed to one of the Hoenn starter pokémon. Iwaizumi nodded to the attendant and she took one down for him. “Here you go.” The attendant handed it to Iwaizumi who stood up and handed it to you. “Thank you.” Iwaizumi nodded. Oikawa grabbed Iwaizumi’s arm and tugged him forward. “Let’s see what else we could win.” Noa chuckled when the boys were out of earshot. “He was trying to flirt with you, dummy. C’mon! Thank goodness I’m here.” Oikawa waved to you two. “Iwa-chan is gonna try to win this dart game.” “I haven’t done this since our last year of middle school,” Iwaizumi mumbled. “I’m sure you’ll do great,” you added. Iwaizumi looked back at you, his lips slightly parted. He chuckled and faced the balloons shaking his head. “He needs to pop three balloons of the same color and he gets five tries,” Oikawa said. “Oh ____-chan, you should pick the color.” You jolted. “Um…blue.” “Blue? Ok.” Iwaizumi rolled his shoulders. He picked up the first dart. You held your breath. He threw it and popped a blue balloon. “Nice!” Oikawa pumped a fist. Iwaizumi threw another dart popping a second blue balloon. “One more.” He shook his shoulders and threw it. You let out a breath. “Wow.” The attendant spoke with Iwaizumi before he selected a Godzilla plush.

“Iwiazumi, that was amazing!” He turned back and smirked at you. You felt your cheeks burning. He’s so cool. “Wow,” Oikawa scoffed, “so cool.” “Don’t be jealous Oikawa,” Noa said. Iwaizumi walked over to you three. And, you couldn’t look away. You smiled at him. His confidence on the court, once he got into a groove, was one thing but this? A whole new beast. It was magnetic. “What’s next?” you asked. “There was a 3 point game. Let’s try that.” You nodded, following Iwaizumi. You turned to see if Noa and Oikawa were behind you. They were whispering—a huge smirk on Noa’s face. You snorted, softly. “Everything ok?” You looked at Iwaizumi briefly. “That was really cool, Iwaizumi. I’ve never seen anyone get three in a row like that.” He shrugged, rubbing his neck. “Why are you being modest? That was so amazing!” You widened your eyes to emphasize your point. Iwaizumi blinked at you, before running into another student. “Sorry.” Iwaizumi grabbed him steadying the other guy before he could fall. “It’s okay.” The student laughed once he got his bearings. Noa giggled once the other student walked around your group. “Careful there, Iwaizumi.” There was a line for the three-point contest. “Let’s get something to eat.” Oikawa gestured at a food stall behind him. You all agreed and after you got your food you stood opposite the basketball hoop. The other contestants tried to score as many points in the thirty-second window. Oikawa noticed Iwaizumi studying them. “What do you think? A trick hoop?“ Iwaizumi shook his head. “It looks like a regular hoop. Like this guy,” he pointed with his chin, “looks like he plays basketball. He doesn’t have any trouble making the points once he gets in a rhythm.” “So,” Oikawa smirked, “how many points are you gonna make?” “Tch,” Iwaizumi took the last bite of his meal. He shrugged. “4 out of 8.” “Sure, set the expectation low.” “I’m telling you: it’s not like high school where someone would pass me the ball.” “Otherwise, you’d get 8 out of 8. Right?“ Iwaizumi shook his head. “The line’s died down.” Noa finished her meal. “Then, let’s go.” You all followed him to the contest. The basketball hoop was surrounded by a short gate. “____, hold the Godzilla for Iwaizumi,” Oikawa said. You held your plush under one arm and his with the other. Music started and the attendant blew a whistle. Iwaizumi grabbed a basketball and took a shot. Noa let out a sharp hiss when the ball bounced off the rim. “Don’t mind,” Oikawa mumbled. Iwaizumi didn’t hesitate. He took another shot and didn’t make it again. The next ball flew from his fingers and through the hoop. “Yes!” Noa pumped a fist. He made the following five with no problem. The three of you cheered as Iwaizumi walked back. Iwaizumi grinned, holding your gaze a beat longer. “Only four baskets, right?” Iwaizumi shrugged one shoulder. “I’m on a roll.” He glanced at you. Your heart skipped a beat. “Oh.” Noa answered her phone. “Hello. Kaede?.... Yea, where are you?” She listened for a beat. “Does anyone remember where the merry-go-round is?” “Yea, it’s past the darts.” Iwaizumi turned around, “So that way,” he pointed. “Let’s go.” Noa beckoned with her head. Iwaizumi walked beside her. “____-chan.” You turned to Oikawa who’d fallen in step with you. “Mm?” “If you keep this up, you’ll have Iwa-chan wrapped around your little finger.”

A/N: title from Swoope’s Flex. if you don’t have a favorite starter Pokémon from Hoenn, congratulations Iwaizumi got you a Mudkip.

[jimonies]

is the haikyuu fandom still active?

hello there nonny!! 

I don’t really think I can speak for everyone but as someone who did run a strict iwaoi blog for two plus years and was pretty active, I have unfortunately noticed a rather large silence from the fandom. Your question is something I ask myself a lot lately as well and dare I say it, the fandom has flopped just as bad as that emoji movie that came out  (I swear it’s a joke please don’t come for me).  

I know there are still a couple of blogs that reblog/make HQ content & I’ll be glad to recommend you some if you’re interested but when it comes to the dynamics of the entire fandom, it seems like it has gone dark. I’ve actually thought about this quite a bit & I’ve talked to some people as to when and why HQ has gone silent. These are just my personal assumptions of why I think so:

The first had to do with the anime production and how they handled airing the arcs. Call me biased (and I probably am) but I felt like this last season with Ushiwaka wasn’t as hyped? I think a lot had to do with the fact that the previous season ended with Seijou losing. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE WAKA AND THEIR TEAM but it was way too focused on the final. And I know what you’re thinking, Well duh of course it’s the turning point in the story! but as a result, I just felt like a lot of people weren’t as enthralled? I also felt like the Seijou game was a bit rushed? I think they should have combined those two games for one season instead of dividing it up. It’s no secret that Oikawa & Iwaizumi are a fan favorites so their story coming to end was pretty hard on the fandom.  

Another thing is the fact that this beautiful show called Yuri on Ice!! happened. YOI has been a game changer to not only sports anime exclusively but anime in general. At least from what I noticed with my followers, a majority switched over to the YOI fandom as the HQ fandom was significantly slowing down. YOI has done remarkable things in breaking stereotypes, gender roles, and “anime rules”-especially since it is a sports anime. I think HQ needs to step up to these expectation if they want to stay a game changer. Not to mention, shows like Voltron blew up while HQ was not in season. I mean, for example, today is one of the main character (and may I add that he’s a fan favorite) Lance’s birthday and he’s literally been trending for two days.

I point this out because I remember there was a time when HQ would trend like crazy, when it was Oikawa’s birthday and the fandom had a whole WEEK dedicated to him. Now, I’m lucky if I can find someone who still makes graphics for him. Personally for me, the real reason I stopped with the exclusivity of my blog was the fact that it was really really hard to find content so like everyone else, I went multifandom. I’m really not trying to sound conceited or pompous or anything like that but I know my blog was one of the more popular ones in the Iwaoi and HQ fandom and the only reason I bring this up is because as someone who was really active-even I couldn’t keep up. For a while I thought maybe if made edits, I could still try and keep at least a small part alive but I noticed it as well-edits that once got my 1k+ notes barely now get 300 on a good day. Every weekend I would try and do “asks” to keep in touch with the community but the number of people who would participate slowly dwindled to almost none.  The seijou ova was announced not too long ago & I was SO SURPRISED because how did that news not trend???? 

I’m sorry nonny if I sound rude, it’s not towards you at all but your question is something I’ve wanted to address on my blog for a while so I hope you don’t mind me voicing some of my opinions and frustrations. To truly answer your question, I don’t believe that it’s necessarily dead-there’s still some people who are active- but it definitely isn’t as active as it used to be. I think if HQ wants to become popular again, its nature needs to adapt and take on some of the new expectations in anime/manga. At least, that’s what I think would need to happen as a catalyst for the fandom but that’s just me.  

I apologize again because I hope this doesn’t come off as petty or rude but I am  really sad that the fandom has gone silent. I made a lot of friends and learned a lot of new things because of the HQ community. I also want to thank you nonny for asking this question because hopefully it will spark some revival in the fandom. 

I hope that I was able to answer your question and at least give some give some insight? Wishing you well nonny!  

[sceawere]

another time pt. 9 | alfie solomons

[PART ONE] [PART TWO] [PART THREE] [PART FOUR] [PART FIVE] [PART SIX] [PART SEVEN] [PART EIGHT]

You walked on auto-pilot back up to the surface. The first drops of rain tickled at your skin and dragged you out of your trance. You hadn’t even realised you were on the street until then. Alfie looped his arm around you, gripping at your shoulder.

“Come on, love. Let’s go home”

You rolled your shoulder, trying to shrug off his hand.

“No, I don’t want to go yet. I – I need to think for a while”

Alfie stood quietly as you turned yourself in circles, not knowing what to do with yourself. You kept muttering to yourself, trying to sort your head out.

“I- you go home” you waved him off, stepping back and almost tripping over the steps.

“Thought you didn’t want to be alone for a bit”

“I changed my mind. I – no, I haven’t. Fuck. Fuck” you emphasised.

“Sweetheart-“

“What the hell is going on, Alfie? What the hell is…” you couldn’t swallow the tears anymore, turning and walking off.

“Where you going?” he shouted after you.

-

The rain had long since settled on the grass by the time you made it to the park. You had no idea where you were, following your feet where they led you. Alfie was a few paces behind. Letting you go. Letting you breathe.

Your feet stuttered by a bench before the lake. Then they started screaming. You contemplated joining them for a moment before you realised there were children playing across the way, businessmen reading papers, couples strolling about. Drawing attention to yourself probably wasn’t the best plan for the evening. Also, traumatising children. You let yourself drop to the bench instead, collapsing as though someone had let the air out of you.

“Oh, well thank fuck for that. I thought I was gonna have to break a shin or two to get you to stop” Alfie snarked, standing at the edge of the bench and turning away from you.

“I think it’s finally hitting me. I think it took a few days to sink in properly. I feel like a bus hit me” you whimpered.

“Don’t start crying again,” Alfie pointed to you, not turning his head “I don’t know what to do with you when you cry. It makes me-“he sighed and let it drop, along with his hand.

“Who do you think- in the other world, there were things that led me to the club. That led me here. Someone brought me here. This isn’t…something is working at this. Working to make this happen”

“Something?”

“I don’t know…the universe? Who else can yank people through time? You don’t think it’s convenient that everything is where it needs to be?

I’ve been thinking that the locket was there because I put it there in this time, so I could find it in the other. That I could finish the circle. But there’s no way I could have put the box there. I would have to go back in time to before I went back in time. Something else is filling in the blanks!”

“You’re losing me” Alfie added.

You sighed, resting your head back against the wood.

“I think the universe brought me here. I think…she brings us here. The ghosts. People that are needed here, maybe. Or people…born in the wrong time? I don’t know. But she’s doing it on purpose. I’m telling you”

“Why is ‘she’ a ‘she’?”

You lifted your head, quirking a brow to him.

“She packed me a box of stuff I’d need and brought a grandma to look after me, Alfie. She’s my cosmic mother in all this. I’m surprised she’s not ringing me up to ask if she needs to post me an extra jumper or something”

He shook his head but smiled at you nonetheless.

“Do you think…do you think the other world is still going? Do you think time is still passing without me?” you blew air out of your nose, the beginnings of a laugh “is that entirely conceited to ask?”

Alfie dipped his hands into his pockets, coming to sit beside you. You kept your eyes out over the water, following a duck as it propelled itself across. Out by itself, away from the crowd. Dipping under and rising. Under and rising.

“No, I think it’s the logical place to go” he sniffed “I think it’s going on”

You nodded. Took a few moments.

“Do you think people know I’m gone? Do you think I’ve been reported missing?”

“Depends. Do you have people to miss you?”

“Some. Not much family left. Friends. Publisher” you laughed at the end “She’ll be furious about my deadline if nothing else”

He chuckled, turning to look out to the water as well. You crossed one leg over the other, bobbing your foot back and forth. Trying to shake out the fatigue.

“If she’s doing this, ‘The Universe’ - I hope she makes people forget me” you continued.

You saw Alfie turn his head to you but you didn’t meet his eyes.

“I hope she makes it so that world carries on as if I was never there to begin with. Made me disappear” you murmured.

“How could you want that?” he scowled as he spoke.

You shrugged.

“I can’t stand being a ghost. I can’t stand the thought of people worrying about me. Not if I’m never going back. It’s not fair. It’s not…I can’t be someone’s loose end. If only because it means I’ll have one too.

Maybe that’s what it is – me projecting. It’s easier to cut ties to that place if I think nothing’s left. If they’ve moved on, I have to as well”

“It don’t have to be easy. It doesn’t have to be this place or that”

“Yes it does. I can’t live half in, half out. This is the way it has to be if I’m going to survive here” you replied. Alfie sighed, turning so he was facing you as well as could on the bench.

“No, it don’t. I can’t go back to who I was ten years ago, don’t mean it didn’t make me who I am. You don’t have to cut it off and wipe it out like it never existed. You…build on it. You know?” you lifted your head to him. He swallowed, looked away, and then back “Listen, I don’t have anything prophetic to say, love. You’ll have to go to Esther for that, alright?”

You rolled your eyes, taking a new breath.

“Just – don’t be so quick to want to disappear. Alright?” he turned back to the front, leaving his elbow up on the back of the bench. He lifted his arm up over and around your shoulders after a moment. He let his hand rest on the plank, loose by your shoulder.

“Would you want to remember me if I went back? Knowing you’d never get to see me again?” you posed. He groaned lightly, using his free hand to wipe at his eyes.

“Seems all I ever have of people is memories”

You let the question drop. Let the silence fall.

-

“This gravy is shit” you mumbled, dipping another chip into the puddle.

“Give it here then” Alfie reached over and stole it, along with the whole package. You whined at him, turning your head down when something echoed you.

“Oh!” you dropped down to stroke at the trembling dog, feeling for a collar.

“Hey, boss” Toby stepped out from under the cover of the entryway to the house. Alfie handed him what was left of the chips which he quickly dug into.

“What’s going on here then?” Alfie groaned as he dropped beside you. He licked the last of the gravy off his finger before joining you in swiping over its dotty back.

“He’s been hanging around the warehouse for a couple of days. Boys think he’s a stray because he’s been sleeping round the barrels. Took him to the vet, he says he’s fine and clean and everything. Just needs somewhere to stay. Aaron said come see if Esther could take him” Toby mumbled.

“The boys won’t like that” Alfie countered and Toby nodded, mouth full of chips.

“That’s what she said” he mumbled.

“We can have him, can’t we Alfie?” you turned your head to him, eyebrows cinched together. He tilted his head.

“Ah, I don’t-“

“Alfie! Look at the little thing!” you nodded down to the dog who was sniffing at your coat and stepping up onto your bent knees.

“We can’t go taking in strays just cos they wander up, love” he countered.

“You took me in” you shrugged.

“That’s different”

“Is it? Look at him, Alfie” you lifted the dogs face, pulling a face.

“Stop it” he deadpanned.

“Stop what?”

“Trying to look all cute and convincing. We’ve talked about this” he pointed at you.

“Don’t look at my face then” you tilted your head so it was resting on top of the dog’s ears, making a baby voice “Look at his”

Alfie grumbled in his throat, looking away for a moment. He turned his head, looking at the dog, who whined back.

“They’re a good looking dog” he agreed.

“They’re a beautiful dog” Toby added, scrunching the paper up. Alfie lifted his eyes, not impressed with his addition.

“Whose gonna look after ‘em though? We’re both gonna be at work and Esther can’t keep coming up and down them stairs to check on him all day”

“I’ll take him to the club with me. He’ll make me feel better. I’m going to be all alone in there most of the day and he can keep me company. He can be like a mascot! Little Mr…Pickles. You’ve got to have the best dog in the best club in London” you wiggled his floppy ears, pouting at Alfie.

“Fine” he raised his hand when you squeaked “but we’re not calling ‘em Pickles”

Pickles barked at the name and you laughed, scratching at their ears.

“Don’t listen to him, Pickles. No”

“Oh, for fucks sake” Alfie rose and walked away, barging past Toby. You smiled after him, hugging Pickles to your side.

“Aw, that’s lovely” Toby grinned “You know, I feel like I’ve done something good today”

“You have, Tobias. You really have”

“Stop! Calling people their full names. It’s not as endearing as you think it is” Alfie shouted behind him, the door shutting behind him as he disappeared into the house.

“Come on, Mr Pickles. Let’s get you a bath” you stood, dotting your fingers to his head to get him to follow you, looking up to Toby “You coming?”

“What – for a bath?”

You turned and glared at him, holding the door open for Pickles to patter in, shaking off the light mist on his coat.

“For a slap at this rate” you countered, stepping in.

“Thanks for the chips, by the way”

“Yeah, yeah” you waved over your shoulder as you ascended the stairs.

-

There was a week or two of lull after the bank. Settling into a new routine. Breakfast with Alfie, work with Pickles, tea with Esther. Take Pickles for a walk, practice your backstory, read one of the three hundred books shoved into the cabinet below the music player.

On weekends Toby and Aaron came round for dinner and you sat on the living room floor, getting drunk and listening to old war stories. You tried to dismiss the humming in the back of your mind. It was dissipating, slowly. Things were clicking into place.

Alfie had slapped an envelope on the kitchen table one night.

“Congratulations. It’s a fully grown woman”

You’d scowled, thoroughly confused, until you opened the envelope. A birth certificate. A passport. ID, the works. You existed here now.

-

“What you writing?” Alfie bent over your shoulder, jumping back when you slammed the book closed. You turned over your shoulder.

“Don’t…sneak up on me like that. I’m putting a bell on you, like a cow. Let me know when you’re skulking about”

“I don’t ‘skulk’. I walk into my own damn kitchen” he tapped his finger against the table to emphasise his point.

You rolled your eyes at his outraged face, turning sideways in the chair so you could speak to him properly without pulling a muscle.

“I heard you come into the kitchen, I meant looming over me. Personal space is a thing, Alfred”

“Stop calling me Alfred. Only Esther gets to call me Alfred” he turned, grabbing a cup as he moved “I don’t like this new friendship you’re developing. Makes me twitchy”

“You don’t like your best girls conspiring against you, Alfred? I’m shocked”

“Who told you that you were one of my best girls? Eh?”

“Esther did” you slumped back against the wall, smirking at him. He held your gaze for a few moments, hand still grasping about in the pot for a tea bag.

“Esther did” he spat, shaking his head as he looked back to his work “right. Well. What you writing?”

You hummed at his divert, pushing the book about the surface, and flicking the pages against your thumb.

“I’m taking a break from studying my fake life to write a list of things I’m not allowed to talk about”

“Number one: Alfred. Number two: Alfred’s life. Number three-“

“Stuff from the future, Alfie. Stuff I’m not allowed to drop into conversation lest I be burned as a witch in the town square”

“We don’t do that no more”

“We don’t time travel either, yet here I am” you sighed, crossing your legs over. You stretched your leg out, wiggling your toes. Alfie turned around without noticing and nearly went flying over it, rearing back, and sighing. You giggled as he stepped around and slammed a cup to the table, liquid sloshing onto the surface.

“What aren’t you allowed to talk about then?”

“Well…I’m not allowed to talk about it, Alfie so…” you motioned zipping up your lips. He flung his hand out and you slammed yours down over his on the cover of the book, wrestling between yourselves.

“No! Alfie! Behave” the dog came in at your shouts, jumping up to stand against the edge of the table. He barked when you slapped Alfie’s wrist repeatedly, trying to get him to release it, and surged to start gumming at your thumb.

“Ouch! Pickles!” Alfie lifted the book in triumph as you cradled your thumb, not really bitten but still a little sore. You scowled at the dog as they stepped down to rub their head on your lap, an apology.

“No, traitor”

“Good boy” Alfie scuffed at their ears and you stuck your tongue out, glaring up at him through your lashes. He smirked at you, dropping down into the chair opposite with a groan.

“Let’s see what we’ve got here”

“You’re making me break the Prime Directive, Alfie. I hope you’re best pleased. You might be about to rip a hole in the Space/Time Continuum”

“What the hell are you babbling about?”

The phone ringing in the other room distracted Alfie for a second and you were able to reach out and snatch the book back.

“Ha!”

Alfie shook his head, pushing himself up from the chair. You scratched at Pickles nose as they whined at you.

“I’m not really mad. Yes, I know you have to protect him but what about me? Eh? What about me little Pickles?”

“We’re not calling ‘em Pickles” he turned as he was about to exit the room and pointed to you.

“He’s my little Pickles and I’ll call him what I want. Yes, don’t listen to the big silly man, no. Don’t listen to him Pickles” you turned the dog’s face towards Alfie, fixing him with a look. Alfie flicked his eyes between the both of you before stepping out of the doorframe, mumbling to himself.

You opened the book, ripping out the list you’d started. You shuffled Pickles’ head off your lap, dropping the list in the sink and setting the water running over it. Ripping it and scrubbing it away so it was completely pulped made sure it was destroyed and you sighed as the mush thumped against the bottom of the bin.

“You got anything from the other place?” Alfie barged in and grabbed your hand, pulling you through the corridor.

“Alfie, what-?”

“Answer the question!” He shouted, moving into the living room. He dropped your hand, opened a part of the cabinet you didn’t realise was hollow, and pulled out a box. There was a gun inside and you stepped back a little as he loaded it in a rush.

“Sweetheart, answer me!”

“Uhh…yeah. Yes. Only what was in my bag when I got here”

“Anything…odd? Anything that would raise suspicion?”

“My phone. My mobile. Umm...I already hid the money”

“Where?”

“In the skirting, in the loose- skirting” he barged past you again, into the bedroom. You heard him kicking at the boards, making sure they weren’t going to move. He stepped back out into the doorframe.

“In here, come on” he motioned with his free hand, gun still by his side.

“What’s happening?” you breathed, past him.

“Get your bag, get it out. We need to hide it” you retrieved it from the drawer, passing it to him. He wound the cord over and around. He stepped out into the hallway and you fidgeted about, shushing Pickles as he turned himself in circles before you.

“Alfie?” you insisted as he came back into view. He sighed, wiping his jaw. He looked over to the where the front door was, then back to you.

“Listen” he stepped to you, hand gripped around the top of your arm. He lowered his forehead almost to yours “Aaron rang. He got tipped off by one of our men in the police station. They’re coming here”

“For what? What have you done?”

“Not me” he shook his head, holding your eye contact.

“They’re coming for me?” you stuttered out. He nodded, gripping your arm a little tighter as you moved back.

“What’s the gun for?” you continued, voice raised in alarm.

“In case it’s not the police”

“What- what are you talking about? You said the police were coming?”

“Yeah but sometimes…I’m not the only bad man around here, sweetheart, yeah? We all chip in our own little fund. Sometimes one of us…makes an extra donation and we get to take the van for a spin”

“Speak straight fucking English, Alfie. I’m about to be arrested in the wrong fucking century and I’m scared. I don’t have time for riddles”

“I’m having a bit of trouble with an old friend at the moment and…dealing with you and all this, I’ve been stretched a bit thin. Something might have fallen through the cracks, I might not have noticed” he shook his head “anyway- it’s happened before that when we want to get at each other, we send some boys to the police. They let them borrow the van, ‘arrest’ someone. You don’t realise ‘til you take a wrong turn and then you know, you’re getting your face kicked in, so-“

“Alfie!”

“I know the real ones, alright? If they come through the door, we’re fine. You get arrested, I get my lawyer in, take a trip to the bank. It’ll all be sorted by morning, I promise. Hey” he stepped closer, joining your foreheads for real this time.

You were starting to shake, heaving breaths. Alfie trailed his hand up to your neck, fingers melding into the breaks in your spine, thumb tracing over your pulse.

“I’ll get you out. You’re not going to disappear”

You swallowed, trying to hold in the tear that was already out and away. You opened your mouth, hesitating.

“I’m scared”

“I know. I know” he lifted his face, pressing lips against your forehead. You bit into your lip, re-opening the healing skin. The clock ticked in the background, Pickles whining at your knee. You turned your head, dropping it to Alfie’s shoulder, and he tucked you in under his jaw. You let your fingers dance over Pickles head. You waited.

-

[younggodimagines]

The Mysterious Prom Date (Part 1): Peter Parker Series

Warnings: mention of vomit and allergies but as a joke nothing bad happens, food, embarrassment, adorable little Peter Parker

A/N: This was not a request. I’ve been working on this as a little “I’m Sorry” for not being active. If you like it, and ask, I may make this a series! I have a lot of ideas for it :)

(not my gif)

Blind dates aren’t exactly something you participate in willingly. They were always awkward and if you ended up not liking the guy, you’d end up stuck having dinner with some conceited jerk who only talks about his muscles or how many people he’s dated. Yeah, not fun.

If you thought blind dates were bad, imagine a blind date… to prom.

Your friend Claire was the person who got you into this mess. Well, nothing was wrong yet, but you were sure between getting ready for the dance and actually going something bad was bound to happen.

The plan had been for you to go solo with Claire and her boyfriend, Ned, but apparently, Ned’s friend had wanted to do the same. Which, of course, led to the love birds trying to set you two up. You agreed to it, but only because you figured it would be more fun for Claire and Ned to at least have some alone time at the dance without you following them around like a lost puppy.

To make matters worse, they wouldn’t tell you who they were setting you up with. Ned was a nice guy, so you knew his friend probably would be too, but that didn’t suppress the nerves.

As you got ready for the dance over at Claire’s home, you couldn’t help but go through a mental list of Ned’s friends, wondering which they could have chosen to be your escort for the evening. There was Alec, Matt, and Dug. They were decent, but honestly not the smartest of people. On senior ditch day, they dug a physical ditch in the field instead of ‘ditching’ school.

Helping Claire with her make up, you continued down the imaginary list. Garrett, Derek, Jeff. No, no, no.

Each person you thought of was not someone you wanted to spend prom with. Prom is supposed to be magical, a night you’re supposed to remember and cherish for the rest of your life... and you were about to spend it with a stranger. Great.

“Close you eyes,” you mumbled to your friend who was sitting up with impeccable posture in front of you.

Once she complied, you sprayed some setting spray from a distance and fanned her face for a minute to help it soak in.

“All done,” you sighed, capping the bottle and setting it on the vanity.

Upon hearing you, Claire’s eyes shot open and she swiveled around so fast in the chair you had to grip her shoulders to keep her from falling. Letting out a slight giggle, you shook your head at her comical nature and crossed the room to look at your appearance in the floor length mirror hanging from her door.

Claire screeched and clapped excitedly as she admired her own appearance in the vanity’s mirror.

“Look at that glow! Wow! Did you use ‘Opal’ or ‘Moonstone’?” she questioned while moving her head at awkward angles as to see watch her cheekbones glow in different lighting.

“’Opal’, of course,” you said as if it were obvious with a slight chuckle.

“Of course,” she repeated before seeing the deflated look on your visage. “Hey, what’s going on with you?”

Looking at her reflection as you adjusted the sleeve of your suit, you shook your head.

“Nothing,” you pretended, “why do you ask?”

She got up from her chair and stood next to you, leaning against the wall behind her slightly. Being your best friend, Claire always knew when something was up, so when she raised her eyebrows and looked at you with that “really?” expression, you knew you were caught.

“Fine,” you began. “I’m just a little nervous about this date. I mean it’s prom and I’m going with a stranger!”

Apparently trying to hide a smile, this resulting in a sort of half-smirk, your oddly excited companion began to make you suspicious.

“Claire,” you spoke cautiously, “what’s the look for? What did you do?”

Your nerves grew as her smile did. Yep, she was up to something.

“Claire!” you urged, turning to face her while crossing your arms in annoyance.

“I’m not supposed to tell you,” she taunted, lowering her head but her eyes looking up at you in fake innocence.

“Not supposed to tell me what,” you pried.

Laughing at having information you don’t, she skipped over to her vanity chair once more as if she were a child.

“Seriously? Now you’ve got to tell me what’s going on since you’re obviously hiding something.”

Sighing in fake annoyance, Claire swiveled from right to left and back again with her forefinger resting on her chin.

“Hmmmmm,” she taunted, clearly trying to prolong this power she had over you. “Why should I tell y-”

Tired of her antics, you huffed and picked up some red lipstick, uncapped it, and held it out threateningly, so close to her face that she had go cross-eyed to see the ‘weapon.’

“Talk or the contour gets it,” you simply stated, slightly amused at her suddenly serious expression.

Swatting your hand away from her face she sighed.

“Fineeee, but you can’t tell Ned I cracked under pressure.”

Smirking, you nodded your head in agreement to the proposal.

“Okay, well, your super-secret-date tonight is sorrrrttt oof your long time crush.”

After this reveal, she flaunted an evil grin as she trotted over to sit on the edge of her bed. You, however, were frozen. Peter Parker was going to be your prom date?! This night was either going to fulfill your greatest dreams, or your worst nightmares.

Knock, knock, knock.

The sound you’d been dreading for hours. Ever since Claire had revealed that Peter Parker was your mystery prom date, you had done nothing but think about every terrible scenario that could play out.

You could stumble over your words and end up saying something embarrassing, step on his feet while dancing, get an allergic reaction to whatever food they had there that maybe, just maybe, have that one rare squid in it that makes you projectile vomit everywhere... you may have been overthinking this whole thing. But just a little bit, right?

“Eek! That’s them!” you heard Claire screech as she rushed out of her room towards the front door.

Frantically, you turned back to the floor length mirror and scrutinized your appearance for the last time. Honestly, you looked incredible, and you knew it. It’s not conceited to be confident in your appearance, only to brag about it. But, of course, there was that little voice in your head telling you something was wrong with your look.

Shaking your head, you tried to silence or at least quiet your intrusive thoughts so that you could go join the rest of the group.

You took a deep breath and walked into the hall, proceeding slowly towards the sound of laughter and camera shutters.

“I can do this. I can do this,” you chanted mentally in an attempt to build up your courage.

That is, until you turned the corner and immediately saw Peter.

“I can’t do this,” your mind screamed, causing you to instinctively whirl around; but before you could escape, Claire blew your cover.

“There you are!” she yelled, hyped in anticipation of the night’s expectations.

Closing your eyes, you figured if you wished hard enough, some genie might just pop up and grant you this one wish to get away and therefore bypass any possible humiliation. But of course, no such miracle occurred.

“What took you so long?” Claire continued, crossing over to your place where the hallway faded into the living room.

“Had to find my phone,” you lied, “and I did! So here I am,” finishing with fake enthusiasm as you gestured to the lump in your pocket that contained your phone.

“Glad you did!” she responded, turning back to Ned and rejoining him in the center of the room.

The first genuine smile of the night grew on your lips when you saw them together. Ned had on an extremely fancy looking tuxedo that must have cost him a fortune just to rent! His bowtie matched the blue of Claire’s dress and his black shoes looked like the same glossy leather that Claire’s dress seemed to be made of. Everyone at the dance was definitely going to know they were a couple. You know that “hashtag goals” that everyone talks about? Yeah, that’s them.

Your attention shifted to Ned’s right to observe the figure moving next to him. Peter Parker. But not only was he Peter Parker, he was Peter Parker in an all black suit; black coat, trousers, button-up, tie, shoes, everything. He was probably the most attractive man you’d ever seen, and that’s saying something as you were a huge fan of Sebastian Stan, an actor who you used to think was the hottest thing alive. Boy were you wrong.

As you were standing there stunned and clearly staring at Peter, Claire popped up in front of your vision, making you stumble back a few inches which effectively brought you out of your trance.

“Y/N! Your surprise date is here!” she screeched, giggling as she led you over to the other two boys.

“Yeah, I noticed,” you mumbled while subtly glaring at her from the corner of your eye to silently reprimand her for not warning you weeks in advance that your all time biggest crush was going to be your date on the biggest night of your high school experience. Things this big shouldn’t just be sprung on you last minute!

As if she could read your mind, she returned your look with one of her own that seemed to ask you to trust her. You did, but you were still bitter she didn’t warn you earlier.

“Peter,” she began, gesturing towards the boy, “this is my best friend, Y/N… but I’m sure you already knew that,” she finished with a smirk and wink in his direction which caused him to blush.

Interesting…

“H-hey, Y/N,” Peter stuttered out while extending his hand out for you to shake.”

Before you could even respond, he retracted his hand hesitantly and then put both out, but again decided against it and once again replaced his gesture with one hand outstretched.

“S-s-sorry I don’t really know the proticol for this kind of thing, like do we shake hands, do we hug, do I just wave and stay chill? Ugh now I’m rambling!” he then turned towards Ned and mouthed what looked to be ‘help me.’

“Uh-” Ned started, hesitant before a smile grew on his face as an idea came to mind.

Grabbing hold of your hand, he brought it to Peter’s and had you hold on.

“There!” he smuggly spoke, tossing his own arm around Claire in victory.

“Wh-what are you doing?” Peter asked as he once again began to blush, but this time a deep pomegranate shade.

Turning towards the door, Ned started to walk out as he answered the question in a proud voice.

“You’re prom dates, right? Prom dates hold hands. Now come on, Mr. Rambler and Mrs. Stare-at-Parker”

You were shocked. They had seen that? Your head shot to the side to see if Peter had actually heard Ned’s words, but judging by his own shocked expression you assumed he was still caught up on how bad he had been rambling.

If the ever-oblivious Ned could see how hard you were crushing, then hiding your feelings from Peter just got a lot more difficult.

[depressing-darkness]

Heartbreak (pt.2)

The first one was about my life before I told Felcia about my feelings. This one is about what happened after.

After that, as you can imagine, we began talking a whole lot more. We’d skype for most of the day and then at night until 5 am in the morning. The only reason we’d stop was because my roommate would wake up at 5 to go to university. We’d talk so much that she had to switch off her WiFi while she was studying just so that she wouldn’t talk to me. I wouldn’t study much so I used to be alone and thinking about her all day long even when she wasn’t there.

There were these 2 weeks after I confessed to her, where everyone was doing extravagant, public and very sweet ways to ask out their date for the homecoming dance. It made me feel as if I didn’t put enough effort to show Felicia how much I cared for her. I was definitely not going to do anything public and we were on a study break until May so it wasn’t like we could just meet up at university. My one of closest friends, Patrick, asked out his date by sticking her ugliest pictures on a cardboard and giving it the title “Hope you look like this at homecoming with me”. So I took that idea and modified it. I went took my favourite pictures of Felicia and her smile from her Instagram, made it into a collage and wrote across it “This smile lights up my world. Will you light up my homecoming by smiling like this beside me?”. Once again, she said “yes” and immediately followed it with “You didn’t need to do this, I was already going with you”. I replied to that with “You deserved this and much more”. It seemed she really liked the collage because for the next  2 months it had become her skype profile picture.

During those two months, we talked about everything under the sun. We would plan imaginary trips to Disneyland together (I refused to take any pictures with Goofy though). Once we imagined a week away together would be like, I broke every day down where we had immense amounts of imaginary fun. I remember her once telling me about how, while all her friends were ranting about their boyfriends, she was internally thanking God that she had me. She would text me if she were at the university alone and bored. I would call her after every exam, if I couldn’t be there in person. I opened my heart out to her in a way that I never had before and probably will ever again. I would talk to her about anything and everything that would happen in my life, the moment it would happen. I remember being there for her when her ex ignored her happy birthday wish to him,l and I I remember supporting her as she tried to talk to him and sort things out between them. I remember her thanking me for being there for her even when it was about her ex. I remember her telling me that she didn’t have any feelings for him, that he was just a friend now, that they barely spoke. And I remember believing her completely. And during those two months, I would try to meet her as much as possible. I would come to university even if I didn’t have an exam, just to see her and wish her luck. I would wait after my exam until hers got over just so that I could talk to her, see her, spend time with her.

One day I was on my way to an exam, and she called me while I was in the car with a friend who was dropping me.

“Guess where I am?” she said

“I don’t know, where?”

“Starbucks”

“Oh I want some”

“Come here then”

Mind you, in all my years till date, I’ve only had a hot coffee drink about 6 times, 4 of them on flights. I’m just not a hot drink person be it tea or coffee and in those days I wouldn’t even have cold frappucinos. But when she said those 3 words, they just took over. I deliberately forced my friend to stop at the same Starbucks that she was at and ordered a cafe latte because I knew it would take the longest just so I could talk to her for 5 minutes. Just to see her smile and know that I caused it. Once or twice, I even randomly showed up at the university to wish her good luck even if I didn’t have an exam but she did.

Another time I planned with her best friend Nancy, whom I had begun talking to recently, to surprise her after an exam. So when Felicia asked if I was joining her, Nancy, Nancy’s boyfriend Augustus and his best friend Isaac (both of whom were good friends of mine as well) at Starbucks, I told her that I was staying in class and revising with other friends. But in reality I simply went there 10 minutes later to surprise her once she was convinced that I wasn’t joining them. I walked alone in the heat for nearly 15 minutes because I had to take a longer route just so that she wouldn’t see me. I came in and hugged her from behind, a wondrous feeling at the time. And I sat with her the rest of the time, our friends, giving us space, went to other tables and so it was just her and I. She studied while I just watched her do it. And then we walked back together to university.

By the time our finals got over, nearly two months had elapsed from the time Felicia and I went out on our first date. So we decided to go out again, this time for a movie: Insidious 3 the day after my exams got over. The only problem was that we had to book the tickets earlier because it was a thursday plan and malls are heavily crowded on those days, especially cinemas. Obviously I couldn’t ask my parents with their indian mentality for the money to buy the ticket, so I did what any desperate boy in love would do….I pinched money from my dad’s wallet.

Ever since the whole ‘homecoming proposal’ thing, I wanted to do something special for Felicia. Like buy her a gift or write her a card. I wanted to do something meaningful and special. I played a bit of the guitar, so I decided I would do a cover of a song she likes. I spoke to her, discreetly figuring out a song she liked and I could play on the guitar, without telling her that I was going to do this for her. I decided to do the song “Night Changes” by the band One Direction. Late as ever, this thought entered my mind about a week before the date. In one week, I would have to: learn the lyrics of the song, the notations of the song, figure out how to transfer the recordings from my mobile to my laptop, how to combine them all together with proper timings and then convert the combined file into a format that I would put into a USB and give it to her. 

So I started practicing. For hours and hours at a stretch. Learning the lyrics, notations, figuring out the technicalities, downloading half a dozen software to do what I needed.  I practiced my guitar so vigorously that I got a blister on my index finger. It didn’t hurt at all, to be very honest. More like an inconvenience that interfered in my guitar playing. I don’t know whether that was because the determination to finish this before our date or it was just a blob of skin. Whatever it was, about a day in and I got annoyed with it disrupting my playing. So I bit the blister off. It left a sort of a hole in my finger, like the potholes in Indian roads. When Felicia found out that I bit off the blister, she blew a gasket. She ordered me not to play the guitar until either the hole healed, or I don’t use that finger to play anymore. Regardless, I continued striving to finish this until, after 5 days, I finally managed to do it. I put the collage I asked her for homecoming with as the artwork, put it into my USB as well as synced it with my phone, so that she could hear it on my phone and I could see her reaction. The USB was just for her so that she could keep a copy for herself, if she liked it.

 On the last day of our finals, the day before the date, I went out with a couple of friends of mine to the same mall Felicia and I were planning to meet the next day and without telling any of them, quietly went and purchased the tickets for the 12:30pm show the next day. Augustus and Isaac were with me at the time so they were obviously aware of the whole situation.

The next day, I found out that Felicia’s friend could only drop her to another mall that was closer to her house and further from mine rather than the mall we were watching the movie at. Seeing this as an opportunity to spend even more time with her, I took the only bus that could get me to the mall, one which would drop me off at the mall at 10:00 am, an hour before Felicia would come and two and a half hours before the movie. Of course when I told Felicia my plan, she didn’t want me to sit in the mall waiting for her for an hour when I could be at home sleeping. But I was a stubborn piece of work so I went and waited an hour for her to arrive. Because it was such an early bus, I had to carry my breakfast with me and eat it at the mall. I still remember sitting on the floor of the mall and eating chicken nuggets out of a lunchbox.

Eventually I got bored of sitting on the floor, so I went to Coldstone and bought a slush to keep myself awake because I had to get up very early to take the bus. When she finally arrived, we took the earliest bus that got us to the cinema. On the way, I made her listen to the cover. She listened to it three times on repeat and then asked me to somehow send it to her. So I told her, I was conceited and already made a copy on a USB for her in case she wanted to have a copy. This song that I covered for her, in the years since I first did it, only a handful of people have heard it, most of them only the beginning of the song and that too by accident. The reason for this was that I did it for her and no one else. I had never covered a song before that day, and haven’t done one since. Not with the singing at least. The singing was the most important part of the cover, because my voice was and is a huge insecurity. I’d never voiced this insecurity to anyone, not even Felicia. I felt like I sounded to much like a girl. It doesn’t help that most delivery people I talked to on the phone referred to me as “ma’am” until I told them that I was a guy. So that’s why I never used to sing, but Felicia always made me sing and always told me that she loved the sound of my singing, even though she had no idea about my insecurity save that I didn’t like singing. So when I sang in the cover, it was to show her how much she means to me, that for her happiness, I pushed past my insecurities just to make her happy. And that’s why I never let anyone hear this cover.

Once we reached the cinema, we bought 2 drinks, nachos and popcorn and got inside just 5 minutes into the movie luckily. The movie was horror. I’d chosen it specifically so that, in the event that Felicia got scared, she would hold my hand or hug me. Yes, that is how desperate I was. There were 2 main reasons why we didn’t just simply hold hands or hug in any movie. The first was that we still weren’t officially dating, This was sort of a trial run thing. The second, and one that would bite me in the butt later on, was that Fabia shied away from most physical contact with me, sometimes even from a normal hug. So when I got slightly bored of predicting every scene in a movie, and put my head on her shoulder, she flinched but after that she was fine so I thought nothing of it. During the entire movie, I would predict the jump scares before they happened, joking that “the script writers ask me before writing the story”, and this annoyed her to no end and she ended up throwing her popcorn at me, one or two even went down my shirt. 

Once the movie was over, we hurried to get to the first mall where Felicia’s friend would come and pick her up at 3. However, her friend was delayed by 2 hours. So instead, Felicia and I walked to the food court where we found a place to sit and we started talking. We discussed deep personal and intense things and in those 2 hours I learnt a lot about her. We would talk about the problems we both had in life. We would bitch about the teachers whomever we didn’t like. I even took pictures of her just to have memories of that day. Soon, her friend came to pick her up. About 10 minutes after she was gone, we texting each other. Soon both started texing all the way till home. We both said that we both had a great time. I could’ve chosen any day to post this.. but this date had taken place 3 days before the homecoming dance, on the 14th of June. It’s been 2 years today since that second date with Felicia.

Click here to see how it ends: https://depressing-darkness.tumblr.com/post/161848002199/heartbreak-pt3