#they watch the first movie and Jon is just as confused as before

[acute-crashout-jeyuso]

Between the Ropes.. a Jey Uso x Rhea Ripley fanfic.

Chapter 33: True Meaning…

7:37 PM

The sun was starting to set, barely peeking over the clouds, just before Rhea made her way to the hospital to visit Jey. The crisp air of the Pensacola late afternoon swirled around her as she stepped onto the porch, seeking a moment of calm before the overwhelming anxiety of seeing Jey in the ICU again. As she walked out, she spotted Jaciyah sitting on the porch steps, his back leaning against the wooden rail, lost in the music playing through his AirPods.

Rhea hesitated for a second, watching him. They hadn’t really spoken since that movie night in September, when she had handed him a pack of Jolly Ranchers, trying to bridge the gap between them. Both had been unsure of how to navigate the complexities of this new dynamic. But Takecia urged her to sit down beside him today and that’s what she was determined to do.

Jaciyah, sensing her presence, removed one of his AirPods and glanced at her, acknowledging her quietly before pulling out the other one. The two sat in silence for a few moments, letting the gentle breeze dance around them.

Then, unexpectedly, Jaciyah broke the silence. “Did it hurt?”

Rhea turned to him, confused by his question. “What do you mean?”

He kept his eyes forward, staring off at the distance, his voice soft but serious. “Did it hurt when you tried to kill yourself?”

The question hit her like a ton of bricks. She wasn’t sure how to respond, caught off guard by the weight of the moment. Rhea felt her breath catch in her throat, unsure if she could give Jey’s eldest son the answer he deserved, or if she even knew how to explain it in a way that made sense.

She looked down at her hands, fiddling with the chain around her neck that Jey had given her. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she said softly, “I wasn’t in the right headspace.”

Jaciyah didn’t respond immediately. He took a deep breath, clearly thinking about what she had said before adding, “God says it’s a sin to do that.”

Rhea’s chest tightened at his words. She sighed, unsure of how to tread in this conversation but knowing it was important.

“I think… maybe God sent an angel to me,” she said quietly, looking up at the sky as if Julie would make her presence once more. “To tell me that my life isn’t over yet. I don’t know how else to explain it. I felt like I was drowning, and in that moment, nothing made sense. But something, or someone, pulled me back.”

Jaciyah shifted beside her, and Rhea felt the weight of his gaze on her. “I’ve never seen my dad that sad before.”

His words cut through her like a knife. Jey—her Jey—had been devastated, and she had caused that pain. It was something she could never take back, no matter how much she wanted to.

“I scared a lot of people,” Rhea admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. “Your dad… my family, Jon, Trinity… you, too. And I’m sorry for that. I never meant to hurt anyone.”

The silence between them thickened, but in that quiet space, there was a mutual understanding. Jaciyah was just a kid—still trying to make sense of a complicated adult world, just as she was trying to find her own way in it.

“I’m glad you didn’t die,” Jaciyah said softly, after a beat. His words were simple, but they carried the weight of a boy who had seen too much, who had watched his father break, and who was now standing at the crossroads of understanding how fragile life really was.

Rhea turned to him and gave a small, sad smile. “Me too.”

For the first time in what felt like forever, there was a sense of connection between them, however fleeting.

—

Later on, Rhea rolled up to the Wendy’s drive-thru window, thanking the lady as she grabbed her food. It wasn’t her favorite fast food, but it would hold her over for the long night ahead. She tossed the bag onto the passenger seat and headed toward the hospital, where she knew she’d be spending an evening by Jey’s side.

Parking in the overnight visitor lot, Rhea slung her backpack over her shoulder, making sure her laptop was inside along with a few essentials. She carefully grabbed her food and made her way through the hospital, taking the familiar path up to the third-floor ICU.

Once she reached Jey’s room, she nudged the door open, her eyes instantly landing on him. The constant beeps of the monitors were the only sign of life in the quiet room. Setting her things down on the tray beside the bed, she leaned in and gently kissed Jey’s lips, her fingers brushing his cheek.

“Good evening babe..” she whispered, her voice soft but full of affection.

Rhea sat down in the chair beside the bed, feeling the weight of the day lift off her shoulders as she settled in for the night. She opened her backpack, pulling out her laptop. Navigating through her downloads list, she settled on on Jey’s favorites—Harlem Nights.

She positioned the laptop on the tray so both she and Jey could “watch” together, even if he wasn’t able to respond. It was something she’d figured to try—acting as if nothing had changed, as if he were awake and they were just enjoying each other’s company like always.

Rhea unwrapped her food, the scent of Wendy’s fries filling the room as she took her first bite. A smile tugged at her lips as the movie began. Every time something funny happened on screen, she found herself laughing out loud, glancing at Jey as if waiting for him to laugh along with her.

“She really said go ahead and shoot me in my pinkie toe,” she said between bites, her heart aching for a response she knew wouldn’t come—at least not yet.

But she stayed hopeful, enjoying the movie as if they were both there together, just like old times.

After finishing her meal, Rhea crumpled the wrappers into a ball and tossed them into the trash bin by the door. The smell of Wendy’s lingered in the air, but she didn’t mind; it had given her some comfort for the moment. Now, her eyes fell on Jey, still lying in the hospital bed, his chest rising and falling, she found herself focusing on more and more lately. Her gaze landed on the silver bracelet Jon had placed on his wrist and the ula fala draped across his chest, placed by Joe. These symbols, small yet so significant, reminded her of the deep roots he had within his family and how much everyone was fighting to bring him back to them.

She leaned down, brushing her lips against his, just for a second longer this time. It was a soft, lingering kiss. “I wish you would just wake up…” she whispered, barely able to hold back the tremble in her voice.

Her thumb gently traced the edge of his tattooed arm, feeling the warmth beneath his skin. It was hard to believe that under all the stillness, all the silence, he was still there, fighting. Rhea let out a sigh, leaning her head down onto his stomach. She could feel the faint rise and fall of his abdomen as he breathed, the only reassurance she had that he was still with her, though locked away in some other world. It wasn’t enough. She wanted more than the rise and fall, more than the steady beep of the machines. She wanted him—his voice, his laugh, his presence.

She closed her eyes, listening to the sound of his breathing. The weight of the day started pressing down on her, exhaustion creeping into her limbs. How long had she been here, in this waiting game? The days blurred together. She didn’t know anymore.

Just as she was about to drift off into a light sleep, something shifted beneath her. A faint pressure pushed against her head, and her eyes flew open. Had she imagined it? She wasn’t sure, but then it happened again—a slight movement, as if he were trying to speak.

“Why do you always have to wake me up?”

Rhea’s heart stopped, her breath catching in her throat as her head snapped up. Her wide, startled eyes locked onto Jey’s face, searching for confirmation that she hadn’t just imagined the voice. His eyelids were half-open now, and his lips, curved into a familiar, lazy grin, sent a shock of disbelief straight through her.

“Jey?” Her voice cracked, barely above a whisper, as if she was afraid saying his name would shatter this moment, would make him disappear back into that unresponsive state.

He blinked slowly, his eyes hazy but clearly focused on her, his grin widening despite the effort it took him. “Why do you always have to wake me up?” he repeated, his voice a low rasp, but there was that teasing edge in it—the one that used to drive her crazy.

Rhea’s eyes welled with tears before she could even process it. “Oh my God,” she whispered, her hands trembling as she reached for him, as if to make sure he was real, to make sure this wasn’t some cruel dream playing tricks on her tired mind. Her fingertips brushed against his face, feeling the rough stubble that had grown during his time here. He was really here.

She couldn’t hold herself back any longer. In a rush of emotion, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him tightly, burying her face into his neck. The smell of antiseptic and hospital linens faded beneath the scent of his skin, and that was all she needed right now—him.

“I missed you so much,” she sobbed, the words muffled against his shoulder.

“Babe… my arm…” Jey’s voice came out in a pained groan, the sound snapping her out of her emotional trance.

“Oh shit!” Rhea immediately released him, her hands hovering as if unsure where to touch him now. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry,” she babbled, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Jey winced, but there was still that little smirk on his lips, even as he shifted uncomfortably in the bed. “Always so extra, huh?” he muttered, his voice still raspy, but it held that same playful tone he always had with her.

Rhea, still overwhelmed with emotion, let out a breathy laugh. “Well, excuse me for being happy you’re awake,” she retorted, trying to compose herself but failing miserably as fresh tears slipped down her cheeks.

Jey raised his hand—the one without the IV—and weakly wiped away a tear that had escaped down her cheek. His fingers were slow and shaky, but the gesture was enough to make her melt all over again.

“Stop crying, girl,” he said softly. “I’m still here.”

Rhea sniffed, holding his hand against her cheek. “I know, I know… I just… I thought I’d lost you.”

He chuckled weakly. “Nah, I’m not going anywhere. Can’t leave my little button nose all alone, can I?”

Rhea grinned, choking on a laugh as she leaned in closer to him. “You better not,” she whispered, pressing her forehead to his. “Because I’m not letting you out of my sight again.”

They stayed like that for a moment, forehead to forehead, Jey’s slow breaths mixing with Rhea’s. It was as if the world outside the hospital room had stopped for them, just for this one precious moment where nothing else mattered but the fact that he was awake, alive, and still hers.

“I love you,” she whispered, her voice soft but filled with all the emotion she’d been holding back for so long.

Jey’s eyes flickered with warmth, and he gave her the tiniest nod. “Love you too, babe,” he murmured, his voice low and sincere. Then, with a small, tired grin, he added, “Now… when can we go home?” Jey asked.

“Easy there babe. Let me call for the nurse.” Rhea replied.

After some time the nurses finished checking all his vitals, satisfied with the readings. They began the orders to remove his medical aids, carefully unhooking him from the machines that had been a constant presence during his time in the ICU. Jey shifted slightly, the freedom feeling odd yet refreshing.

Rhea pulled out her phone, a grin spreading across her face. “We have to let the cavalry know you’re awake!”

Jey chuckled lightly, the sound a little raspy but full of life. “I can only imagine the chaos that’s about to ensue.”

“Hey, do I look good?” Jey asked, glancing at Rhea with a teasing smirk.

Rhea rolled her eyes, unable to suppress a laugh. “Really? You’re in a hospital bed, Jey. I don’t have the water bottle to make your hair sleek like you usually do.”

“Just asking for a friend,” he replied, laughing softly, wincing a little as he shifted his position.

Rhea raised her phone and pressed record. “Say something for the fans, Uce,” she urged, her excitement bubbling over.

Jey took a breath, puffing out his chest slightly, and grinned into the camera. “Nothing could keep Uce down!” he proclaimed, his voice gaining strength.

The two of them shared a laugh, and Rhea leaned in to plant a quick kiss on his cheek. “Perfect!” she exclaimed, stopping the recording.

She pressed send to a group message titled “The Family” that included Joe, Jon, Trinity, Joseph, Solofa, Galina, Almia, and Takecia.

The Family:

• Rhea: [Video of Jey] “Look who’s awake! 🥳❤️”

• Joe: “Let’s go! Uce is back! 🙌🔥”

• Jon: “Hell yes! I knew you’d pull through, brother!”

• Trinity: “So happy for you, Jey! Can’t wait to see you!”

• Joseph: “Yessss! Party at the Uso house?”

• Solofa: “You’re a warrior, Jey! We love you son!”

• Galina: “Can’t wait to celebrate! 😍”

• Almia: “Yay! So relieved!”

• Takecia: “I’m already on my way with the kids!”

Rhea smiled at the responses flooding in before she sent the same video to another group chat titled “Squad” for her their friends.

Group Chat: Squad

• Rhea: [Video of Jey] “My papi is awake! 🎉💖”

• Damian: “Let’s go! The party starts now! 🍾”

• Kayden: “Yes! I’m so glad to hear this! We need to celebrate!”

• Finn: “Count me in for the welcome back bash!”

• Liv: “OMG! This is amazing news! Love you both! 😘”

• Dom: “He’s coming back to steal the spotlight! Get ready!”

• Cody: “Jey, you’re a legend! Can’t wait to see you back in action!”

A few moments later, Rhea’s phone started buzzing like crazy, notifications popping up almost faster than she could read them.

“Wow, they really want to make sure you feel the love,” Rhea chuckled, glancing at Jey, who was beaming at all the messages.

“Seems like I’ll need to have a lot of visitors,” Jey said, still looking a bit dazed but undeniably happy. “Is there even room for all of them in this room?”

Rhea shook her head with a laugh. “Not unless we clear out the medical equipment! But you know they’ll find a way.”

As the excitement buzzed around them, Jey felt a warmth in his chest—an overwhelming sense of belonging and love that wrapped around him like a blanket.

Rhea smiled at him, unable to hide her joy. “Welcome back love,” she said softly, her heart swelling at the sight of him awake and laughing.

“Feels good to be back,” Jey replied, and with a glance at Rhea, he knew he was exactly where he was meant to be.

—

November 7th, 2024 8:19 AM

The next morning came with a mixture of relief and uncertainty. After waiting, the hospital finally discharged Jey with strict instructions. He was to take at least 3 to 6 months off for rehab and attend physical therapy twice a week. Walking out of the hospital, Rhea and Jey were arm in arm. Rhea had brought him a comfortable oversized shirt and sweats, complete with sneakers she knew he’d appreciate.

The sun outside the hospital was blinding after being indoors for so long, and Jey squinted, adjusting to the light. As they made their way to the parking lot, they spotted a police car parked nearby. Leaning against the side of the vehicle was a detective from the Pensacola Police Department, watching them closely.

“Guess they ain’t wasting any time,” Jey muttered, his voice still scratchy but stronger.

Rhea squeezed his hand. “Let’s see what they need.”

The detective, a stern-looking woman with sharp eyes and a badge reading “Detective Harper,” approached. “Mr. Fatu, Ms. Bennett,” she said, nodding to Rhea using her legal name, “I’m Detective Harper. We need to get a statement from you, Mr. Fatu. Could you come down to the station?”

Jey sighed and nodded. “Let’s get this over with.”

Rhea instinctively moved closer to Jey, her arm still looped through his. “I’m going in with him,” she stated, her tone protective.

Detective Harper held up a hand. “I understand your concern, Ms. Bennett, but when we arrive at the Police Station, we need to take his statement separately. It’s just procedure. We don’t want any claims of wrongdoing in the process.”

Rhea bristled, not liking the idea of being apart from Jey, especially after everything they’d been through. “Fine,” she muttered, her grip on his arm loosening.

Jey shot her a reassuring look. “It’s alright, babe. We’ll handle it.”

The detective led them to her police car, and soon they arrived at the station. As they stepped inside, Rhea tried to stick by Jey’s side, but the officers directed him into a interrogation room

Rhea stopped at the door of the waiting room and glanced back at Jey, concern written all over her face. “You good?”

“Yeah,” Jey responded, his voice low but steady. “We got this.”

And with that, they were separated, bracing for whatever was about to come.

—

Jey sat in the cold, hard chair, his shoulder aching beneath the bandages, his mind heavy with the memories of that night. The detective across from him, a stern man with tired eyes, sat with a notepad and pen, ready to hear every detail. Jey took a deep breath, leaning forward slightly as he began to recount the night everything went sideways.

“We were in the bathtub, me and Rhea—uh, Demi,” Jey started, using Rhea’s legal name like he knew he had to. “We were just relaxing, trying to unwind. That’s when I heard it. Loud bangs. At first, I thought maybe it was nothing, but… I don’t know. I felt something in my gut. I knew something wasn’t right.”

The detective gave a slight nod, encouraging him to go on.

“I told Rhea to stay put, but she wouldn’t listen. We both got out of the tub, threw on some robes, and went to the living room. The front door was there, and I didn’t think—I just went to open it.”

He paused, shaking his head. “Should’ve checked the peephole. But I didn’t. Soon as I opened it, the door slammed in my face, busted my nose. I fell forward, and that’s when I heard the yelling. It took me a second, but I realized Rhea was screaming, saying it was Matt—her ex-husband, Matthew Addams.”

Jey’s fists clenched at the memory, and the detective scribbled something down in his notepad.

“I heard Rhea call 911. I could hear her voice, but then, there was this other noise. A scream. I didn’t know what was happening, but I got up, pushed through the pain, and grabbed the nearest thing—a white vase.”

Jey could feel the tension in his chest rising as he relived the moment. “I was ready to crack him with it. But then… then Rhea said he had a gun. She told me to put it down.”

The detective’s eyes narrowed. “Did you see the gun?”

Jey hesitated, then shook his head. “Not at first. I didn’t see it until later.”

The detective nodded and motioned for Jey to continue.

“Matt was yelling at her, asking if the miscarriage was his… or mine,” Jey said, his voice tight with the memory. That was the moment everything froze, the moment that left a permanent mark in his mind.

The detective cut him off. “Why would he ask that?”

Jey sighed, running a hand through his hair. He knew he had to come clean, there was no hiding the truth now. “Because… because Matt’s being charged with assaulting Rhea back in September. That’s what caused her to lose the baby.”

The detective looked down at his notepad. “And why would Matt ask about the miscarriage?”

Jey’s jaw clenched. “Because… because Rhea and I were having an affair.”

The detective’s pen stopped for a moment, but Jey could feel the weight of the question hanging between them. Finally, the detective asked, “Tell me about this affair.”

Jey nodded, exhaling slowly. “It started back in February. Rhea, she was still with Matt, but… we got close. We stopped for a bit in April when she was trying to make things work with him. But in July, when she came back, it started up again. And it’s been going on ever since.”

The detective raised an eyebrow. “Did Matt know?”

“Rhea told me he didn’t. Said he never suspected anything.” Jey replied.

The detective leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to a more personal tone. “And were you the only one she was intimate with?”

Jey stiffened at the question, but he nodded. “Yeah. Rhea told me I was the only one. If she was still fucking Matt, she would’ve told me.”

The detective’s expression softened slightly, but he apologized nonetheless. “I’m sorry for being intrusive, but… are you sure of that?”

Jey swallowed hard. “She’s my fiancée, man. If she was doing something like that, I’d know. She’d tell me.”

The detective seemed to accept that, nodding again before gesturing for Jey to continue. “Go on. What happened next?”

Jey took another deep breath. “Matt pushed her towards me, gun still in his hand. He pointed it at both of us, right at our faces. He was yelling something—something about us burning in hell. That’s when he pulled the trigger.”

Jey’s voice faltered as he remembered the blast, the sharp, burning pain that followed. “That’s when I got hit. After that… I don’t remember anything.”

The detective sat back in his chair, jotting down the final notes as Jey leaned back, feeling the exhaustion wash over him. It was out in the open now, the truth of what happened that night.

—

Jey was led out of the station, the weight of the conversation with the detective still heavy on his mind. As soon as he stepped outside, he spotted Rhea waiting for him, her eyes lighting up the moment she saw him. She offered him a soft smile, though her own exhaustion was evident in her face.

“I ordered us an Uber back to the hospital parking lot for the car,” Rhea said, her voice calm and reassuring.

Jey nodded, forcing himself to push aside the lingering thoughts. That detective’s question kept replaying in his mind—why would he even ask if Rhea was still being intimate with Matt? He hated that it even made him wonder. He knew Rhea, he trusted her, but the seed of doubt was there now, gnawing at the back of his mind.

They both slid into the Uber, and Jey clenched his jaw, doing his best to seem cool and collected. He didn’t want to cause a scene, not after everything they’d been through. As the car weaved through the streets of Pensacola, Jey found himself glancing at Rhea, searching her face for any sign that might answer the question spinning in his mind. But there was nothing—just the woman he loved, tired and supportive, sitting beside him.

Finally, they made it to the hospital parking lot. Rhea climbed into the driver’s seat of her Jeep, and Jey sank into the passenger seat with a heavy sigh. He stared out the window as she drove, trying to shake the nagging feeling. Before long, they arrived at Jon and Trinity’s house, which had become their temporary refuge until their own place was no longer marked off as a crime scene.

As they pulled into the driveway, everyone came out to greet him. Jon, Trinity, Joe and Galina, Joseph and Almia and his kids rushed out to welcome him back. Takecia had seen him last night but due to her job being demanding now that she was a single mom, had went back to San Francisco, allowing her and Jey’s kids to stay with Jey. Their smiles warmed his heart, and he managed to crack a smile of his own. "I'm happy to be home," Jey said, his voice a little breathless. "But man, I'm winded from today."

Jon exchanged a look with their dad, Solofa, who stood nearby with concern etched on his face. “Is it the meds?” Jon asked.

Jey nodded. “Yeah, probably. Feels like they’re hitting me harder than I thought.”

“It’s okay to rest a bit more dad.” Jaciyah said.

“Yeah just an hour… can you all give me an hour?” Jey asked and everyone agreed.

Rhea stepped in, her voice gentle but firm. “I’ll get him into bed.”

Jey appreciated her stepping in, and together they made their way inside, toward the guest room. The sheets had been freshly washed since Joseph and Almia were about to head home in a few hours, but for now, the space was his.

Jey sat down heavily on the bed, feeling the exhaustion in every muscle. His arm, still in the sling, throbbed slightly, and Rhea helped him ease out of his jacket. Her touch was careful, knowing exactly where his injuries were most sensitive.

As he lay back, feeling the comfort of the bed beneath him, his eyes flickered to Rhea’s face again. That question wouldn’t go away.

As Jey was against the pillows, he tried to get his arm in the sling comfortable, but to no avail. He glanced over at Rhea, who was tucking the covers around him with a gentle, almost mechanical precision. The room was quiet, the distant sound of his family in the living room barely filtering through the walls. But that detective’s question was still gnawing at him, and he couldn’t shake it.

Jey shifted slightly, his mind racing. He had to ask her. He’d asked her before, sure, but this time… this time it felt different. It wasn’t just suspicion anymore, it was doubt. And he hated feeling like this.

“Rhea,” he said softly, watching her as she pulled away from the bed to turn off the light.

“Yeah?” she replied, turning back to him with a soft smile.

Jey hesitated, licking his lips before taking a deep breath. “Were you… were you still sleeping with Matt while we were together?”

Rhea froze, her hand still on the light switch. Her smile faded almost instantly, and the color drained from her face. She stood there for a moment, her body rigid, before slowly lowering her hand. She walked over to the bed and sat next to Jey.

“Jey, I—” she started, her voice wavering.

Jey’s eyes narrowed, the exhaustion from the day not enough to suppress the tension growing inside him. “I’m asking you straight up, Rhea. I need to know. Were you still with him when you and me were together?”

Rhea looked away, her eyes glassy as she bit down on her lip. Jey could see the conflict in her face, the way her chest heaved slightly as she struggled to find the words.

“You told me no before,” Jey pressed. “You said I was the only one.”

Rhea’s shoulders began to tremble, and Jey could see the cracks forming in her composure. Her hands shook as she clutched them together, her knuckles turning white.

“I— I didn’t want to hurt you,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I didn’t—”

“Didn’t what, Rhea?” Jey’s voice grew sharper, his frustration bubbling to the surface. “Didn’t want to hurt me, or didn’t want me to know the truth?”

Tears started streaming down her cheeks as she crumpled, her body sagging as if the weight of her guilt was finally too much to bear. “Yes, Jey,” she choked out, her voice barely a whisper. “I did. I was still with him… while I was with you.”

Jey’s heart sank, a cold wave washing over him. He stared at her, unable to speak for a moment as the truth hit him like a punch to the gut. All this time, he’d believed her. He’d trusted her.

“Why?” he asked, his voice quieter now, almost heartbroken.

Rhea collapsed into the bed, her hands covering her face as she sobbed. “I didn’t know how to leave him. I thought… I thought I could just pretend like it wasn’t happening. I thought I could make it work with you, that I could move on and leave him behind. But I couldn’t. I was scared, Jey. I was scared of him. And I was scared of losing you.”

Jey’s chest tightened as he listened to her, the hurt and betrayal swirling in his mind. He didn’t know what to say, what to feel. All he knew was that the woman he loved had lied to him—had kept a piece of herself hidden from him all this time.

“Why didn’t you just tell me?” he asked, his voice thick with emotion. “Why lie to me?”

Rhea wiped her tears away, her eyes red and swollen as she looked at him with a broken expression. “Because I didn’t want to lose you,” she whispered. “And now… I’m so scared I already have.”

Jey sat there, staring at Rhea as she cried next to him. Her words echoed in his mind—I didn’t want to lose you. But all he could think about was how she’d already lost him the moment she chose to lie. It wasn’t just the affair anymore; it was the trust she had shattered.

He ran a hand over his face, feeling the tightness in his chest growing with every passing second. He wanted to be angry. He wanted to yell, to scream, to release the hurt that was bubbling up inside him. But all he could do was sit there, frozen in place, as everything sank in.

“So, you were scared,” Jey said quietly, his voice almost hollow. “But you were still sleeping with him. Even after we started… everything.”

Rhea nodded slowly, her head hanging low. “Yes,” she admitted. “But not because I loved him. I didn’t love him anymore, Jey. I swear. I just—” She cut herself off, trying to control her sobs. “I didn’t know how to leave.”

“Rhea,” Jey started, his voice thick with frustration and exhaustion, “you should’ve told me the truth. You could’ve come to me. We could’ve dealt with it together. But now, how am I supposed to trust you when you kept that from me?”

Rhea’s tears flowed harder, her hands trembling as she wiped at her face. “I know,” she whispered. “I know I should have told you. I just… I was afraid, Jey. Afraid of losing you. Our sex turned into love making so quickly when I came back and then it’s like I just forgot that we were in an affair. I’m so sorry.”

Jey let out a long, shaky breath, his heart aching. He wanted to believe her—he wanted to believe that she was sorry, that she regretted it all. But the pain was still too fresh, the wound still too raw.

“What do we do now?” he asked, his voice barely audible. He wasn’t sure if he was asking her or himself. Could they move past this? Could they rebuild what had been broken?

Rhea looked up at him, her eyes filled with desperation. “I’ll do anything,” she said, her voice trembling. “Anything to make this right. Just please… don’t leave me, Jey. I can’t lose you. Not now.”

Jey shook his head, his emotions warring inside him. “I don’t know, Rhea. I don’t know if I can just forget this. I love you, but… this hurts. It hurts so damn much.”

Rhea stood up, moving closer to the bed, reaching for his hand. “I know, baby. I know. And I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you if you let me. Just… give me a chance.”

Jey closed his eyes, feeling the weight of everything crushing down on him. He didn’t know what to do. All he knew was that he still loved her, and that made everything right… right?

Jey felt his heart shatter a little more as the words hung in the air. “I think we need a break,” he said, the weight of the statement settling heavily on his chest. He tried to mask the turmoil behind his eyes, but Rhea could see through it. She didn’t respond, her silence filling the room with a tension that felt suffocating.

Instead, Rhea slowly got to her feet, her gaze dropping to the floor as she began to gather her things. Jey watched her move, every action a reminder of the love they had built and the fragile state it was in now. She walked over to the closet, her hands trembling as she pulled out a small suitcase.

“I’ll be at a hotel until…” she started, but her voice trailed off. The words hung unspoken, a silent acknowledgment that she didn’t know how long this break would last.

Jey felt a desperate urge to reach out, to tell her to stay. He wanted to scream that he loved her, that they could work through this, but the words caught in his throat. Instead, he sat there, a silent observer as she quietly packed her essentials—a few outfits, toiletries, and a couple of personal items that seemed to hold the weight of their shared memories.

His heart raced as he fought with himself, the conflict raging inside him like a storm. He should have been begging her to stay, pleading for her to reconsider. But the hurt was too fresh, and he wasn’t sure if he could handle seeing her every day knowing what he now knew.

Jey forced himself to breathe steadily, trying to make sense of everything. He could still hear her quiet sobs, the sound haunting him as she zipped up the suitcase and glanced at him one last time.

“I’ll text you when I’m settled,” Rhea said softly, her voice thick with emotion.

Jey nodded, feeling the distance between them grow wider with each passing second. He wanted to say something—anything—but the words refused to come. Instead, he watched helplessly as she picked up her bag and moved toward the door.

As Rhea opened it, a gust of air rushed in, carrying with it the finality of their situation. “Rhea..” Jey called out, but the words felt weak, fading as quickly as they were spoken. “It’s just a break..”

She paused, glancing back at him with a mix of hope and sorrow, but then she steeled herself and stepped through the doorway, leaving him in silence.

Jey sank back into the bed, the reality of what he had just done crashing over him like a tidal wave. What the hell did I just do?

He felt as if he had thrown away the most important thing in his life, and now he was left alone with his thoughts and the haunting echoes of their love. He had wanted to protect himself, to shield his heart from further pain, but now all he felt was an emptiness that threatened to consume him.

The room felt colder without her warmth, and he was left grappling with regret, confusion, and a longing for the comfort of her presence. Jey buried his face in his hands, wondering if he had made a terrible mistake. Would this break mean the end of everything they had fought for? Or would it be the catalyst they needed to truly heal?

—

ONE. MONTH. LATER.

December 8th, 2024. 9:19 PM

A month had slipped by since Jey had uttered those fateful words that fractured everything they had built together. Rhea sat in her small weekly unit in Pensacola, a space that felt both foreign and suffocating. The walls around her felt like they were closing in, reminders of a life once filled with laughter and love, now haunted by uncertainty.

Weekly doctor’s appointments had become routine, each visit a reminder of the brain injury that still shadowed her. The doctors spoke in measured tones, offering her reassurance, but Rhea struggled to hear their words over the turmoil in her mind. Her progress was slow, but she pushed herself to attend therapy sessions, believing that maybe—just maybe—she could reclaim the woman she used to be.

The trial against Matt had been pushed back, leaving her with a sense of helplessness as she awaited justice. His charges had escalated, with the DA adding an Attempted Murder charge, the weight of his actions against Jey looming over them like a storm cloud. And as the days rolled on, Trinity and Jon made it their mission to check in on her frequently. They were worried, and Rhea could see it in their eyes.

“You need to be with him, Rhea,” Trinity insisted one evening a week ago, her voice filled with an urgency that struck a chord in Rhea’s heart. “You can’t keep doing this to yourselves.”

Rhea felt torn, her heart yearning for Jey while her mind echoed the doubts and fears that had driven them apart. “It’s not that simple,” she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Jon chimed in, “You both need each other. Whatever happened, you can work through it. Jey’s not the same without you.”

But Rhea’s silence spoke volumes. She had grown accustomed to just doing what needed to be done, to moving through her days in a haze. She focused on her workouts, pushing her body to its limits, believing that if she could become physically stronger, maybe she could heal emotionally. She saw her therapist weekly, but even those sessions felt like a chore, a reminder of the gaping void left by Jey’s absence.

Thanksgiving was especially hard, since she still couldn’t travel, she had decided she was going to make her own dinner. When she found herself picking out the smallest turkey she could find, single servings of sides, a slice of pumpkin pie, she almost broke down while paying for the food. Her family was across the world, Jey’s family was here, it felt almost… unfair. However, after she cooked her own meal, and ate turkey sandwiches for the next few days; she accepted the fact that she was just existing.

Meanwhile, Jey was grappling with his own demons. He had told everyone that Rhea needed to take time for herself due to a family emergency, a convenient lie that shielded him from the truth and the inevitable questions that followed. But deep down, he knew the reality was far more complicated.

When confronted by Jon, Joe, and Joseph that same evening, the truth spilled out like a broken dam. “What really happened, Jey?” Jon pressed, arms crossed, concern etched on his face.

With a heavy heart, Jey shared the details—the argument, the hurtful words, the overwhelming sense of betrayal. “I just thought… I thought it was for the best,” he muttered, his voice strained.

“You made a big mistake, man,” Joe said softly, shaking his head. “You have to fix this.”

“You guys are suspose to be on my side…” Jey snapped, frustration boiling over. But as he glanced at their concerned faces, he realized they were right. He felt the irony of the situation sink in. “If Rhea and Matt had stopped being intimate after they got married, wouldn’t that raise some flags?” Jon’s words echoed in his mind.

“Yeah? Wouldn’t she have to explain why all of sudden she wants to stop having sex with her freshly married husband?” Joe added.

And just like that, Jey was forced to confront a painful truth—maybe he had made a mistake. But pride was a hell of a thing, a bullshit thing, and it prevented him from reaching out. Each night, he found himself crying into his pillow, the weight of his decisions crashing down on him. The emptiness of their home without Rhea felt suffocating.

After two weeks apart, the police finally allowed him to return to their house, the memories of love and laughter replaced by shadows of sorrow. Every day that passed felt like another piece of him was lost to the void, the absence of Rhea gnawing at his insides.

Despite the pain of separation, there was one thing neither of them had been able to part with—their jewelry. Rhea wore Jey’s chain and the one he had gifted her for her birthday, feeling its weight against her chest as a reminder of the love they had shared. She also kept her matching permanent bracelet, engraved with his full name, a token of their bond. The necklace he had given her, containing their miscarried baby’s ashes, hung delicately, its presence both a comfort and a reminder of their loss. And her engagement ring, which also held a portion of their baby’s ashes, was a constant source of warmth, a symbol of the commitment that still lingered between them, even if they had been unable to face it.

As Jey sat alone in their bedroom, the silence pressed in on him. He picked up some of Rhea’s clothing from the bed, clutching it in his hands. The fabric felt foreign yet familiar, the scent of her lingering on the material, a bittersweet reminder of the love they had once celebrated. “What have I done?” he whispered to himself, the words tasting bitter in his mouth. He could hear Rhea’s… no. His and Rhea’s dogs running around in the house and he heard the cat tree fall once more.. Fucking Storm..

Rhea, on the other hand, lay in bed that night, staring at the ceiling as the memories washed over her. The weight of the jewelry against her skin was a comforting reminder of what they once had. She closed her eyes, wishing she could turn back time, wishing she could find a way to reach him again.

But for now, they were both trapped in their own silence, desperately yearning for a connection that felt just out of reach.

Rhea remained in that position, but her mind was elsewhere. She grabbed her phone and went to the TikTok app to take her mind off things for a bit. As she scrolled through her phone, the screen lit up with an incoming call from Damian. She hesitated for a moment before answering.

“Hey, Rhea. How are you doing?” Damian’s voice was warm and familiar, cutting through the solitude that had settled over her.

“I’m just here,” Rhea replied, trying to sound nonchalant. “You know, same old.”

Damian let out a sigh. “I think you should just talk to Jey.”

Rhea’s heart twisted at the mention of his name. “If he wanted to be with me, he would come back on his own.”

“Rhea…” he said, his tone softening. “You have no idea what Jey went through when you were in that coma.”

“Don’t use it against me, Damian,” she shot back, her voice sharper than intended.

“I am, and I’m gonna,” he replied, his persistence evident.

Rhea sighed again, feeling the weight of the world pressing down on her. She glanced at the clock; the minutes dragged on like hours. “What do you want me to do? Just sit here and wait?”

“Actually, I’ve got a little surprise for you,” he said, diverting the conversation. “I ordered you something on DoorDash. Just got the alert that it’s been delivered.”

“Damian, you didn’t have to—” she began, but her words trailed off as she felt a flicker of curiosity. “What did you get me?”

“Just go check,” he urged, and Rhea rolled her eyes playfully before getting up from the couch.

As she opened the door, she was met with a brown bag on her doorstep. Confused but intrigued, she grabbed it and returned to the living room, placing it on the mini table. With a quick tear, she opened the bag, spilling its contents onto the table.

“It’s just a bag of KitKats, some chips, and beef jerky,” Rhea stated, her eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

“Move the KitKats,” Damian instructed, his tone teasing.

Rhea complied, pushing the chocolate aside, and gasped. Beneath the candies lay a small, skinny box that could easily be mistaken for a mascara box.

“What the hell is this?” she asked, her curiosity piqued.

“Pee on it and then FaceTime me the results,” he said nonchalantly.

Rhea laughed, shaking her head in disbelief. “There’s no way I could be pregnant, Damian.”

“I knew you were pregnant the first time. I feel it this time,” he said, his voice earnest.

Rolling her eyes, Rhea picked up the box and read the instructions. “This is ridiculous,” she muttered under her breath.

“Hey, I’ve heard you have sex with Jey. Hearing you pee is a cakewalk,” he teased, and Rhea couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Thanks for that mental image,” she replied sarcastically. “Okay, I’ll be right back.” She balanced the phone on her shoulder and headed to the bathroom.

Once inside, she closed the door and set the phone down on the counter, Damian’s contact picture still visible. “It’s weird having you on the phone while I pee,” she said, trying to focus.

“Just don’t drop the phone in the toilet,” he laughed.

Rhea rolled her eyes again but couldn’t suppress a smile. She finished her business, carefully capping the stick and placing it on the counter. After flushing the toilet and washing her hands, she pressed the FaceTime button, watching as Damian’s face appeared on her screen.

“This is stupid,” she said, shaking her head.

“$500 bucks bet on it,” he replied, his expression serious.

“Deal,” she said, feeling a mix of excitement and trepidation. “How much longer?”

“About 30 seconds,” she replied, glancing at the timer on the stick. “But there’s no way I could be pregnant.”

Damian raised an eyebrow. “We’ll see about that.”

Rhea leaned against the bathroom counter, her heart racing. The anticipation hung heavy in the air, mingling with her anxiety and curiosity. As the seconds ticked by, she couldn’t help but wonder what the results would reveal. Would her life take yet another unexpected turn?

As Rhea held the pregnancy test, the words “holy shit” escaped her lips in a stunned whisper. The results were undeniably clear, and the realization sent her heart racing. She held up the stick for Damian to see, and his face broke into a big ass smile, radiating pure joy. “I guess you are $500 richer..”

“I told you I would be here for you no matter what! Now go and tell Jey,” he urged, his excitement infectious.

With a nod, Rhea felt a surge of determination but also an undercurrent of anxiety. She took a deep breath, trying to steady her racing heart as Damian hung up.

Rhea opened her contacts, locating Jey’s name. Her thumb hovered over the screen as she saw his location displayed at their house. She looked up at the ceiling, speaking to the universe, or maybe just to herself. “Listen, I know I did some fucked-up shit by not telling Jey, but I swear if Jey takes me back, can you lay off all of this chaos? Because I already have a brain injury from a stupid ass mistake that I made. I think we are due for some happiness.”

The thought of finally finding that happiness ignited a flicker of hope within her. She quickly changed into a pair of sweatpants and a jacket, slipping on her Vans before heading out the door.

As she drove, every bump in the road seemed to echo her anxiety. Memories of laughter and warmth mixed with pain and regret replayed in her mind—every moment that had led her to this very point.

Finally, she arrived at the house, her heart pounding with anticipation. But as she approached the front door, she noticed something had changed. The door had been replaced, and a new Ring security camera glinted above her. Figures. Jey wanted his security and privacy now, that’s what happens when you almost lose your life.

Taking a deep breath, she rang the doorbell and waited, her stomach churning with a mix of nerves and excitement. After a few moments, she heard the unmistakable sound of multiple locks unlocking, and then Jey opened the door.

He smiled, but neither of them said anything at first. The silence hung between them, charged with unspoken words and emotions that had built up over the past month.

“Hey,” he finally said, his voice low and inviting.

“Hey,” Rhea replied, her heart racing as she stepped inside, crossing the threshold into the warmth of their shared space. She walked into the house and he closed the door, locking it instantly.

Just like the last time they had been together, that magnetic pull was still there. It was as if no time had passed at all, the invisible thread that had drawn them together in the first place never dissipating, never fading.

Rhea looked up into Jey’s eyes, and before she could think, he closed the distance between them. His lips crashed against hers in a passionate kiss that took her breath away. She melted into him, wrapping her arms around his neck, feeling the familiar comfort of his presence wash over her.

Even though Jey winced slightly from the pain in his right shoulder, he lifted her effortlessly, and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist. The world outside faded away as he carried her toward the couch, their connection reigniting the spark that had once burned so brightly between them.

“God, I missed you,” he murmured against her lips, his voice filled with longing and relief.

“I missed you too,” Rhea admitted, her heart soaring as he set her down gently on the couch. They stayed locked in each other’s gaze, the chemistry between them palpable.

“Things have changed,” she started, but Jey interrupted her.

“Let’s not talk about the past right now,” he said, brushing his fingers through her hair. “Just let me make love to you..”

Rhea nodded, understanding the unspoken agreement. In that moment, they didn’t need to discuss the chaos that had surrounded them. All that mattered was the two of them, together again, feeling the weight of their shared love.

Jey leaned in again, capturing her lips in another kiss that sent butterflies fluttering in her stomach. She felt alive, ignited by the connection they shared.

“Rhea,” he murmured against her lips, “I need to know… are you okay? Really okay?”

“I am now,” she whispered, her eyes shining with sincerity.

Their foreheads rested against each other, both savoring the moment. Outside, the world continued on, but inside, in their little bubble, everything felt perfect. Together, they would navigate the challenges ahead, and for the first time in a long time, Rhea felt hopeful about the future.

As their lips met once more, the kiss deepened, igniting a wildfire of emotions that had been simmering beneath the surface for far too long. It was a dance of longing and relief, their bodies pressing closer as if they were two pieces of a puzzle finally fitting together. Every ounce of love, regret, and desire poured into that kiss, each brush of their lips speaking volumes.

Jey's hands roamed Rhea's back, fingers tracing her spine as she clung to him, wanting to dissolve into him completely. She felt a surge of warmth radiate from him, and the world outside faded away, leaving only the two of them and the unyielding connection they shared. Rhea moaned softly, feeling a rush of tears as they poured out their pent-up feelings, the relief of being together after everything washing over them like a gentle tide.

After what felt like an eternity, they finally pulled back, breathless and wide-eyed, their foreheads resting against each other. The room was filled with a charged silence, the air thick with unspoken words. They stared at each other, searching for answers in each other's eyes.

Jey brushed his fingers through her hair, tucking a stray strand behind her ear. "I love you," he said softly, his voice steady but filled with emotion.

Rhea's heart skipped a beat at his words.

She could see the sincerity etched on his face, the weight of their shared experiences reflected in his eyes. "I love you too," she whispered, her voice trembling with vulnerability.

A soft smile spread across Jey's face, lighting up his features. "I could never really leave you..”

Rhea felt a rush of warmth envelop her, a mixture of joy and relief flooding her senses.

"I thought I lost you. I was scared... scared of losing everything," she admitted, her voice so afraid of still saying everything.

"You didn't lose me," Jey replied firmly, his grip on her tightening. "I've been here, fighting my own demons, just like you. We're staying in this together now."

Their eyes locked, and for a moment, the world around them disappeared completely.

The weight of their past seemed to lift, replaced by the promise of a brighter future.

"You gonna’ be my wife Rhea.. you are the ocean and I’m a fish.. I can’t fucking leave you at all… you leave and I die without you..” Jey said while keeping his eyes on her. Rhea looked away for a moment and looked back at him, her heart racing. "Can I show you something?”

Jey nodded, his expression serious yet soft. Rhea bit her lip and she closed her eyes, her face contorted with worry. Jey felt her hand reach into her sweatpants, she pulled out something and Jey didn’t freak out. Not like the first time in Portland. She showed the pregnancy test to Jey and he took it and saw the word, ‘Pregnant’. Jey smiled softly. He set the pregnancy test on the coffee table and turned back to look at her.

"I promise. Whatever it takes, we'll face it together."

As they leaned in once more, the kiss resumed, this time filled with a sense of hope and renewal. Rhea felt as though they were both being reborn in that moment, the barriers that had once held them back crumbling away. It was more than just a physical connection; it was a reaffirmation of their love, a promise of commitment that they were both ready to embrace.

With every kiss, every touch, Rhea knew they were building a new foundation, one that was stronger and more resilient than before. They would navigate whatever chaos lay ahead, hand in hand, heart in heart. Rhea kicked off her shoes and Jey reached to pull down her sweatpants and she was able to finish shrugging them off. Jey yearned for her skin, the feeling her, he had missed her so much.

Now.. for the first time in a long time, he was going to make love to the mother of his future children. Jey sucked on Rhea’s neck so passionately as he put a hand underneath her shirt to feel her breasts. Rhea moaned as Jey sucked passionately on her neck and Rhea’s nails pierced into his back. They were determined, they needed each other, needed to prove to each other that they still wanted each other. Jey finally pulled back, satisfied with the mark he left on her neck, Jey moved down and pushed up her shirt as his lips connected with her nipple. Rhea licked her palm and she stuck her hand down in her thong and rubbed her pussy. She spread her legs more as she felt Jey and his… manhood.

As Jey sucked on her breast, an urgent voice was produced from Rhea, “Please fuck me..” Jey smiled. “Tell me what you need..” Jey commanded. “Make love to me..” Rhea said softly, correcting herself.

Jey quickly pulled his briefs down just a bit and both of them were so engrossed in the moment when they both heard a throat clearing

“Maybe I should go home to Trinity..”

Rhea and Jey peaked over the sofa as Jon stood there, his eyes widened and in shock.

“Ugh… actually… I’m a bit …” Jey wanted to say exposed but the he was afraid of what Jon would say. Jon quickly covered his eyes with one hand and used the free hand to walk his way to the door, with a swift exit Jon left.

“Imma be honest… I forgot Jon was here..” Jey admitted.

“We will deal with this after just fuck me right now.” Rhea demanded and Jey nodded ever so quickly, he kissed her again and he reached to pull his dick out of his briefs, the two kissed passionately as Jey thrusted into her, “Ahhh.. oh..ohhh oh fuck..” Rhea cried against Jey’s lips as she held on to Jey.

“I fucking.. missed you .. so fucking much..” Jey said in between groans as he kept thrusting into Rhea, with every thrust it was more powerful. Rhea moaned every time Jey hit the end of her.

“How are you so… tight?” Jey asked as he was struggling to keep up his pace.

“I only rubbed myself all this month..” she said while giving him a snarky grin.

“Bad girl..” He groaned and he used a free hand to cup her cheek and Rhea kissed his thumb. She then stuck out her tongue to lick his thumb and then she wrapped her mouth around it. She loved to tease Jey. Jey pulled her close as he thrusted deeper, “Baby don’t drag it on.. hurry and cum..” Rhea said.

“Ride me real quick..” Jey said and Rhea nodded. He pulled her up using his good arm and Rhea adjusted herself on him to make sure she was comfortable. Rhea rose up and down, gravitating her hips to find Jey’s sweet spot. After a very few moments, Jey soon found hisself reaching his climax and Rhea could feel him.

Then it happened, Jey came. Now it wasn’t as passionate but to Rhea, the discomfort she had experienced was now relieved. Rhea kissed him softly as she slowly got up from him. Afterward, Rhea lay back against the couch, her chest rising and falling as she tried to catch her breath. The tension between her and Jey, from their long separation, had melted away in the heat of the moment. Both Jey and Rhea pulled on their underwear and fixed themselves.

Jey sat up slightly, his eyes focused on her with a bit of curiosity. “Why’d you tell me to hurry up, babe?” he asked, his tone light but laced with concern.

Rhea hesitated, not wanting to ruin the moment. She felt her body tense slightly, but she sighed and decided to be honest. “I felt some… discomfort,” she admitted, her voice soft.

Jey’s brow furrowed, and he immediately shifted closer to her, his hand resting gently on her thigh. “Was I going too hard?” he asked, his voice laced with genuine worry.

She gave a small, embarrassed smile. “Yeah, a little,” she replied. “But don’t read too much into it. It’s just… it’s been a month since we last did anything.”

Jey nodded, his expression softening as he leaned in and kissed her tenderly. “I get it,” he said, reassuring her with his touch. “But you used to like it when I went deep,” he teased, trying to bring a playful smile back to her face.

Rhea chuckled, nudging him lightly. “Don’t push your luck, Uce.”

Jey grinned, satisfied with her response. He kissed her again, a softer, more intimate kiss this time. When he pulled back, he seemed to be contemplating something for a moment before he stood up and grabbed his briefs. Rhea adjusted her bra and she fixed her underwear.

“Wanna see something?” Jey asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Rhea arched a brow in curiosity while sitting up. “What is it?”

Jey didn’t answer directly. Instead, he reached out his hand for her, and she took it, following him through the house. He led her down the hall to the third guest bedroom, which doubled as Jeyce’s room whenever he stayed with them.

Jey pushed open the door, revealing a surprise. In the corner of the room sat a 61-key electric piano. It gleamed under the soft light, simple yet beautiful. Rhea’s eyes widened, surprised. “When did you get this?”

Jey smiled as he walked over to the piano, running his hand across the keys. “Jeyce wanted to learn how to play, so I got it for him.”

Rhea stepped closer, her fingers brushing lightly against the sleek surface. “I didn’t know you could play.”

Jey chuckled, pulling out the bench and sitting down. “One of my hidden talents,” he admitted, flashing her a grin.

Rhea’s eyes lit up. “Play something for me.”

Jey’s smile grew as he reached for a music book stashed on the side of the piano. He flipped through the pages for a moment before landing on a song he knew well. With a quick glance at Rhea, he positioned his hands on the keys and began to play.

As the soft melody filled the room, Rhea felt her heart skip a beat. It took her a moment to recognize the song, but once she did, it hit her like a wave of nostalgia. It was “Young and Beautiful” by Lana Del Rey, the same song Jey had sung to her when she woke from her coma.

The song echoed in her memory, bringing her back to that fragile, intimate moment between them when she had opened her eyes and found him beside her, singing softly through the haze of her recovery. It was a reminder of how far they had come, and how much they had been through together.

Rhea stood still, frozen in her tracks as she watched Jey play. His fingers moved gracefully across the keys, the sound of the piano filling the room with emotion. She felt tears well up in her eyes, but she didn’t fight them. This was them—this was their love, raw and unspoken, shared through moments like these.

Jey finished the song, his fingers gently pressing the last note as he looked up at her, his eyes searching hers. Rhea stepped closer, sitting beside him on the piano bench, her heart swelling with love for the man beside her.

“You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Jey smiled softly, his hand finding hers. “Only for you, button nose..” he said, squeezing her hand gently.

In that quiet room, with the lingering notes of the piano still hanging in the air, they sat in silence, simply existing in the comfort of each other’s presence. There was still so much left unspoken between them, but in that moment, it didn’t matter. This was enough.

—

The next day, as Rhea and Jey were on their way back from picking up Rhea’s clothes from her rental, Jey’s eyes caught sight of a Christmas tree farm they hadn’t noticed before. Without a word, he turned the wheel and pulled into the lot.

Rhea looked up from her phone, confused. “What are we doing here?” she asked, her brows furrowing as she took in the rows of trees, glowing lights, and a few families wandering about.

Jey gave her a grin. “Since the last two holidays have been shit for us,” he said, his voice firm with a hint of playfulness, “we’re going all out on Christmas this year.”

Rhea’s surprise quickly turned into a soft smile. There was something in the way Jey was trying, trying for them, trying for this moment. “You’re really serious about this?”

“Dead serious,” Jey said, pulling his jacket tighter around himself as he opened the door to step out.

Rhea chuckled and followed his lead, slipping her phone into her pocket and pulling on her jacket. She exited the jeep and joined Jey as they made their way towards the entrance, the Pensacola weather nipping at their skin. She shivered slightly as Jey draped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer as they walked side by side.

The moment they reached the farm’s entrance, a friendly-looking tree salesman approached them with a wide smile. “How are y’all doing today?” he asked, his eyes quickly recognizing the famous couple in front of him.

“We’re okay,” Jey said, returning the smile. Rhea nodded in agreement beside him.

The salesman glanced between them, his grin widening. “What kind of tree are you folks lookin’ for?”

Rhea looked up at Jey with a playful twinkle in her eye. “I’ve always wanted a big one. A really big one.”

Jey chuckled, his hand rubbing her back gently. “Yeah, we’re thinking something huge,” he agreed.

The salesman’s face lit up. “Only the best for the best wrestlers there are, huh?”

Jey and Rhea couldn’t help but smile at that. It was strange sometimes to realize how recognizable they were, but in moments like this, it felt nice.

The salesman motioned for them to follow him, leading them deeper into the rows of trees. “I think I’ve got just the one for y’all.”

They followed him past dozens of trees, some large, some small, but nothing that really caught their eye. Then, he stopped in front of one particularly massive tree. It stood about twelve feet tall and had a full, round shape with thick branches, perfect for holding lights and ornaments. It was full of character—imposing, yet somehow cozy.

Jey and Rhea both stared at the tree in awe.

Rhea was the first to break the silence. “That’s the one,” she said, her voice almost reverent.

Jey nodded, a grin spreading across his face. “Yeah, that’s it.”

The salesman smiled, clearly pleased with their reaction. “Good choice. You want me to strap it on your jeep?”

“How much for the tree and strapping it?” Jey asked, reaching for his wallet, knowing how massive the tree was and how it might be a hassle to handle.

The salesman waved him off with a laugh. “Nonsense! Anything for you, Mr. Uso. Consider it on the house.”

Jey chuckled as he put his wallet away. “Thanks, man. I appreciate it.”

Rhea smiled and she saw the QR code for Donations, she quickly captured on her phone and as the link to her to the site, she made $300 donation to the tree farm.

As they watched the salesman and his crew carefully lift the tree and start tying it down on the top of the jeep, Rhea looked up at Jey. There was a warmth in her chest, a comfort she hadn’t felt in months. “I guess this is our thing now, huh? Going all out for Christmas.”

Jey looked down at her and smiled. “Yeah, this is our thing. We need this.”

Rhea leaned into him, feeling a little bit of hope rekindle. This was a new beginning for them, or at least a step in the right direction.

—

Jon and Trinity sat in their car, engine idling, as they waited outside of Jey and Rhea’s house. The crisp air carried the hint of the season, and they could see their breath as they chatted quietly. Jon checked his phone, glancing at the time before turning to Trinity.

“You think we should tell them tonight?” Trinity asked, her voice filled with excitement, yet tempered by the weight of the moment. “It feels like the right time.”

Jon nodded. “Yeah, it’s only fair. They’ve been through a lot. Plus, they should be the first to know.”

Just as he spoke, the familiar sight of Rhea’s jeep pulling into the driveway brought a smile to both of their faces. But that smile quickly turned into disbelief as Jon caught sight of the massive tree strapped to the top of the vehicle.

“What the fuck?” Jon muttered under his breath, eyes widening at the sight of the enormous, bent Christmas tree practically swallowing the jeep.

Trinity sighed, shaking her head with a smirk. “Ugh, you and Jey are your own breed, I swear. Only y’all would do something this extra.”

As Jey and Rhea hopped out of the jeep, they approached Jon and Trinity with grins on their faces. Jey stretched his good arm, clearly pleased with their haul. “What’s up, Uce’?” Jey called, clearly amused by his brother’s reaction.

Jon pointed at the tree with disbelief still etched on his face. “Bruh, what did you do? Did you cut that thing down yourself?”

Rhea laughed, slipping her arm around Jey. “I always wanted a big tree, and well… we got one.”

Jey raised his eyebrow at her playfully. “She ain’t lyin’.”

Trinity stepped out of the car, shaking her head. “Y’all are something else. I’m guessing you need help getting this monster inside?”

Jey nodded, rubbing his shoulder. “Yeah, I ain’t lifting this beast with this bum arm.”

Jon rolled his eyes but smiled. “Alright, let’s do this.” He walked over to the jeep and immediately started helping Jey with the ropes holding the tree down.

Rhea unlocked the front door and swung it open as wide as it would go, making space for the enormous tree. “You guys got this, right?” she teased, stepping aside as Jon and Jey began maneuvering the massive tree toward the house.

Trinity stood by the door, directing them as they struggled to fit the tree inside without knocking over anything in the hallway. Rhea quickly moved the small hallway table out of the way, clearing as much space as possible. The sound of grunting and shuffling filled the house as Jon and Jey pushed the tree through the entryway, finally positioning it against the far wall where they had planned to place it.

As they stepped back, Rhea’s face lit up with joy. “It’s perfect!” she exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

Trinity, ever the realist, eyed the top of the tree, then looked at Rhea with a raised eyebrow. “Rhea… it’s bent. Like really bent.”

Jon and Jey exchanged glances, following her gaze to the top of the tree. Sure enough, the last four feet of the tree were completely bent against the ceiling, making it look a little… lopsided.

Jey let out a laugh, nudging Rhea. “Babe… did you know it was gonna do that?”

Rhea smiled sheepishly, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Yup. I knew it was gonna bend.”

Jey tilted his head, folding his arms as he tried to figure her out. “So, uh… why exactly did you want a bent tree?”

Rhea’s grin grew wider as she looked at all of them. “It looks like the Whoville tree from The Grinch!”

As they stood around admiring their crooked Christmas tree, Jey stepped over to Rhea, wrapping his good arm around her waist. “This year… we’re doing it big.”

After Rhea finished explaining her love for the bent Christmas tree, comparing it to the Whoville tree from The Grinch, she turned to Trinity with a mischievous smile. “We need decorations! And I’m thinking… the full-on Grinch theme of course!”

Trinity raised an eyebrow, but her smile grew wide. “Of course you’d want a Grinch tree. That fits way too perfectly.”

Rhea grinned back. “Come on, we’re doing this! You’re coming with me to Hobby Lobby, right?”

Trinity shook her head playfully. “Yeah, okay. I need some stuff for my tree anyway. But don’t expect me to get all Grinch-y.”

The two of them grabbed their jackets, and with a final wave to Jon and Jey, headed out the door. Jey exchanged a glance with Jon as they left.

Jon raised an eyebrow. “You good?”

Jey chuckled, already anticipating Jon avoiding the couch after yesterday’s close call. “Yeah, help me out, and don’t even think about touching this couch.”

Jon laughed, shaking his head as he helped Jey adjust his position. “Yeah, man, not trying to get your babies on me..” The two brothers laughed.

With Rhea and Trinity on their mission to deck the halls, Jey and Jon finally settled into the living room. Jey leaned back, gingerly adjusting his shoulder, while Jon stretched out on the love seat.

“Think they’re really gonna pull off this Grinch Christmas thing?” Jon asked, his eyes drifting to the massive, crooked tree in the corner.

Jey smirked, looking over at the tree. “Man, Rhea’s determined. If she wants a Grinch Christmas, we’re getting a Grinch Christmas.”

Jon chuckled, shaking his head. “Well, I’m ready for it. I can tell this is gonna be one for the books.”

Jey nodded, a softer smile forming as he stared at the tree. “Yeah, it’s been a while since I’ve seen her this happy. It feels good.”

Jon leaned back, studying his brother for a moment. He wanted to tell Jey about the good news he and Trinity had, but it didn’t feel like the right time. They’d wait—maybe after the holidays. Right now, Jey and Rhea needed this lighthearted moment to themselves.

At Hobby Lobby, Rhea was practically buzzing with excitement as she pulled into the parking lot. “I’m loving everything,” she said, already imagining how the tree would look. “The tree should be green, red, and a little chaotic.”

Trinity laughed as they grabbed a cart and walked inside. “You’re really embracing the Whoville look, huh?”

Rhea smirked. “Of course! Go big or go home, right?”

As they wandered through the aisles, Rhea tossed everything Grinch-related into the cart—green garlands, ornaments with Grinch faces, and even a fuzzy green tree skirt. Trinity browsed the more traditional decorations, shaking her head at Rhea’s selections but smiling the whole time.

“I swear, your tree is going to look insane,” Trinity said, holding up a red and white ornament for her own tree.

Rhea nodded proudly. “That’s the goal. I want this Christmas to be unforgettable. After everything we’ve been through this year… we deserve something fun.”

Trinity’s smile softened, appreciating how much this meant to Rhea. “You do deserve it. You and Jey both. I’m just so glad you guys are back together…”

As they continued shopping, Trinity thought about the news she and Jon were keeping from Jey and Rhea. She’d wanted to share it, but now didn’t feel like the right time. Rhea was so focused on creating this perfect Christmas, and Trinity didn’t want to shift the focus away from that—at least, not yet.

“So, what are you going for with your tree?” Rhea asked, snapping Trinity out of her thoughts.

“Something simple. Red and white, I think. Not as… out there as yours,” Trinity said with a grin.

Rhea laughed, holding up a Grinch head ornament. “Yeah, well, I’ve got the ‘out there’ part covered.”

They both laughed as they piled more decorations into the cart. As they checked out, Rhea’s excitement was contagious, and Trinity couldn’t help but feel grateful to be a part of this moment. For now, the joy of the holidays was all that mattered. And once they returned home, they’d help turn Rhea’s Grinch vision into reality.

—

“It’s perfect!” Rhea exclaimed as Jon placed the final Grinch ornament at the very top of the towering, bent tree, carefully balancing himself on the ladder. Her eyes sparkled as she stepped back to take in the full view of her masterpiece.

Trinity and Jey stood nearby, both a little astonished by how fully the Grinch theme had come to life. The tree, decorated with an explosion of green, red, and whimsical, chaotic ornaments, looked like it had been pulled straight out of Whoville. From the fuzzy green ornanments to the mischievous Grinch faces scattered throughout, the holiday spirit was alive in a way only Rhea could have imagined.

Jey chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief but admiring Rhea’s joy. He moved closer to her, slipping his good arm around her waist. “Whatever you want, babe,” he said, his voice soft but full of affection as he kissed her temple. He couldn’t help but smile seeing her so genuinely happy after everything they’d been through.

Trinity nodded in agreement, though she was still taken aback by the Grinch overload. “I gotta admit, I didn’t think this would work, but you pulled it off.”

Jon climbed down the ladder, wiping his hands on his jeans. “Yeah, I wasn’t sure about that bent tree, but now… it kinda works,” he said, grinning.

Rhea beamed with pride, stepping forward to adjust one of the ornaments. “See? I told you it would look like the tree from The Grinch. I wanted something different, something memorable.”

Jey leaned down, his lips brushing her ear as he whispered, “You always make things memorable.” His words carried a deeper meaning, but Rhea only smiled and leaned into his side.

—

Trinity carefully served hot cocoa into four individual mugs, setting a little bowl of chocolate chips, chocolate mints, and marshmallows on the tray. She brought it over to the coffee table where Rhea, Jon, and Jey sat, watching Monday Night Raw. The Intercontinental Championship tournament flashed across the screen, a reminder of how Jey had to step down due to the shooting.

Rhea, snuggled up to Jey, sprinkled chocolate mints and a few marshmallows into her mug while sipping the warm drink. Jon and Trinity exchanged whispers, their voices too quiet to be overheard, and shared knowing glances.

Jey finally glanced at them, raising an eyebrow. “What’s on your mind, Uce’?”

Trinity smiled, placing a kiss on Jon’s cheek before turning to the group. “We’ve got some good news,” she said, her eyes sparkling.

Rhea, curious, set her mug down and leaned in. “Good news?”

With a proud smile, Trinity blurted, “I’m having a little Uce!”

The room lit up as Rhea screamed in excitement, jumping up to hug Trinity. “Oh my god, that’s incredible!” she exclaimed, squeezing her tightly. Jey, smiling wide, nodded toward Jon, clasping his shoulder in congratulations.

But before the moment could fully sink in, Rhea turned to Jey, eyes wide with excitement. “We are too,” she said, her voice breathless.

Trinity and Jon froze, their smiles turning into stunned expressions. “What?” Trinity asked, her eyes flicking between Rhea and Jey.

Rhea quickly jumped up from the couch and darted into the bedroom. In seconds, she was back, clutching a pregnancy test in her hand. She held it out for Jon and Trinity to see, her eyes glowing with excitement.

Jon blinked, speechless for a moment, before a huge grin spread across his face. Trinity’s hand shot to her mouth, tears welling up in her eyes as she looked at the positive test. “No way,” she whispered, her voice shaky with emotion. “Rhea, oh my god!”

Jey wrapped his arm around Rhea, pulling her close as he smiled at Jon and Trinity. The joy was palpable, filling the room with an overwhelming sense of happiness and hope for the future.

Now, both couples were celebrating a new chapter together—a double dose of good news, as two babies were on the way.

Author’s Note: I decided to give you guys a break and give you a happy chapter! But not for long:) I’m so happy for the all the feedback I’ve recieved in the previous chapters and I love each and every one of you! But hey man! I didn’t think I’d have Trinity and Rhea pregnant at the same time! But will it last… lol jk… or am I… am I not ? 😂😂😂🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️🩷

[n4giism]

⇢ ˗ˏˋ dirty dancing by cody jon ࿐ྂ

blue lock x fem!reader

characters: yoichi isagi, rin itoshi, seishiro nagi (separate)

content: weird/bad habits they have

ari's note: i'll make a part two soon! let me kno who u want to see in the second part!!!

part 2. part 3.

yoichi isagi: folding the top corner of a book as a bookmark

"ichi! yoichi!" you called from the kitchen. you were currently baking some cookies that you wanted to gift to isagi's friend, bachira, for his birthday.

"come here and help me taste test the cookies, please!" you called again when you got no reply from your boyfriend.

a few minutes passed and still no reply from him.

"ugh, is he deaf? oh my goodness.." you sighed, rinsing your hands and drying them with a towel before going to his room to get him.

"yoichi! i've been calling you!" you snapped as you slammed his door open. isagi jolted in surprise from the manga he was reading as you suddenly opened his door.

he removed the earbuds from his ear and sighed softly, "oh, it's just you. you gave me a heart attack there.."

you rubbed your temples and heaved in frustration, "reading my manga again? goodness.."

he nodded happily.

"yes! thanks for lending it to me, by the way. could i borrow the entire collection? i want to read them at home when i'm free." he asked, returning his attention back to the manga.

"ah, sure. just take care of it, 'kay? those are expensive as hell." you answered and wanted to walk away when you remembered why you called for him in the first place, "oh! right. come and try the cookies i baked, ichi. need someone to taste them before i give them to birthday boy bachira."

he looked up at the mention of cookies, "oh! cookies?! i'm coming!!"

he folded the top page of the manga he was reading as a bookmark so he could go back and read it again later.

"h-hey! don't fold the manga page like that. oh my god! my manga! isagi, quick unfold it! hurry, isagi!" you wailed for your precious manga.

"h-huh?! what did i do?! unfold!? what?!" isagi panicked, not knowing the damage he had done to your precious, expensive manga.

"you idiot! you don't just fold the pages like that for a bookmark, isagi! use a card, or a random piece of paper, or something! don't just fold it! oh my god.. my manga... it's ruined..." you dramatically cried and isagi's eyes widened in horror.

"i-i'm sorry, y/n!! i'll... i'll get you.. n-new manga! please don't cry, don't cry!" isagi panicked, holding your folded manga in his hands like it was some dying animal.

"oh? new manga? okay, you said so, isagi. i'm expecting my new manga tomorrow." you said and got up, flashing him a playful grin and going back to the kitchen.

"what? hey! i thought you were crying, don't do this to me! y/n!" isagi shouted, chasing after you to the kitchen.

rin itoshi: leaving you on heard

you and rin were currently watching a movie in the living room. well, it was mostly you watching. rin just sat on the couch with you to keep you company. he was mindlessly scrolling through his phone, the sounds from the movie you were watching were merely just white noise to him.

"eh? isn't that the same actor in the series we watched a few months ago?" you gasped upon seeing a familiar actor in the movie you were currently watching.

no reply.

"rin?"

still no reply.

"hello, rin itoshi?" you called, eyes glued on the tv still.

"rinnie?" you kept calling his name until you were able to pull your eyes from the screen and look at your boyfriend, who you thought was sleeping since he didn't reply to any of your calls.

you looked at your boyfriend. he had one arm resting on the armrest of the couch, his head leaning on his fist, reading something on his phone. clearly awake.

you shrugged, brushing off his silence. maybe he's reading something important. you returned your attention back to the tv, forgetting about your question to him.

"yeah, i think it's the same actor." rin replied after 15 minutes, still looking at his phone.

you turned to look at him in confusion, "what? you took so long to answer, were you googling it?"

rin lifted his face from his phone and raised a brow at you, "googling? what would i be googling? i was reading this crime article i found." he said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

you gave him a puzzled look, "you know what? never mind. thanks for confirming, rin."

"of course. you're welcome, love." he nonchalantly replied and turned his attention back to his crime article as though he didn't just leave you on heard for a whopping 15 minutes.

seishiro nagi: drinking milk with ice

"hey, girlfriend? could you get me a glass of milk, please? i'm so thirsty." nagi called out while he was laying on the couch while you were in the kitchen.

"i'm busy, sei. come and get it yourself." you called back while washing the dishes.

"huhhh, but i'm sooo lazyyy. can you do it for me, girlfriend? pretty please?" he whined quietly, but loud enough for you to hear.

"ugh, fine. but only because i love you." you sighed, drying your hands and paused washing the dishes as you grabbed a glass and took the milk carton from the fridge.

you poured the milk into the glass and placed it on the coffee table in front of nagi, who had sat up from his lying down position on the couch.

he smiled cheekily at you, "hehe, thank you, girlfriend. i love you, you always take care of me."

you blushed and looked away, "whatever, sei. just drink your milk and come help me in the kitchen."

you walked back to the kitchen and resumed washing the dishes. it was quiet until you heard the fridge open again. thinking nagi was still thirsty and was just getting more milk, you ignored it and carried on with washing the dishes.

that is, until you heard the sound of clinking ice cubes. you turned your head in shock, and your mouth parted in surprise at what you saw.

nagi, adding ice cubes into his glass full of milk.

"nagi seishiro! what in heaven's name are you doing?" you said, shocked. nagi paused midway of grabbing another ice cube and looked at you, bewildered.

"what? i'm just getting ice. you forgot to add the ice cubes." he shrugged and resumed adding ice cubes to his glass of milk which was going to overflow from the amount of ice cubes he had added.

you shook your head in disbelief as you watched your boyfriend carry on with his weird habit, like he was committing a crime. but you said nothing, rubbed your temples and washed the dishes again. all while speculating about how you ended up dating a weirdo like nagi and how he even enjoyed drinking cold milk with ice cubes.

nagi bonus!!:

after cleaning the kitchen, you and nagi settled on the couch to watch a movie. he was still drinking his milk with ice cubes. you really wanted to question it but he seemed to be enjoying himself so you let him.

a few minutes into the movie, you heard crunching sounds and looked at nagi, thinking he had some chips or something to munch on. but to your horror, you saw your boyfriend chewing on the ice cubes from his empty glass.

"n-nagi seishiro! stop chewing on that ice!" you scolded, taken aback from discovering another one more of nagi's weird habits.

"oh, sorry. i'll chew softer then."

"t-that's not what i meant! y-you.. you idiot! your teeth are gonna be spoiled if you keep doing that! stop!"

"what! don't say that! my teeth are fine!"

end.

[pascallatte]

Mando's Lover?

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x Actress!reader

Summary: The Mandalorian interview but why are you included? (read to find out 😉)

Date: August 2019

Taglist: @benonlinear, @t-stark35, @heyitsme-2, @elleeeee21, @holmesstrange, @tagakalat, @flyestvenustrap, @oldermenaremyreligion, @cherryred444, @avengersheart, @guacala, @pukka-latte, @hobiismyhopeu, @lilvampirina, @ilovehotdadsandshit

A/N: AAAAA we're almost entering my favourite part of the series, but, I might post some throwbacks before we head to that though so stay tuned and like always, enjoy!! also kind of a late post but you know. hehe

Series Masterlist

The pair are seen on the red carpet during this year’s D23 Expo on The Mandalorian, which was to be released three months from now.

“Ok I'm gonna recreate your reaction to-being-casted celebration,” the interviewer, Ash, said as she shook hands with Pedro. She recreated his celebratory reaction making Pedro watch as she continued.

“That’s right. It was- it was a three-act event react play. Yeah, it was like “Oh thank you thank you”.. pass out,” He said also reenacting with an exaggerated crying look on his face, clearly having fun at what was happening.

She brings the mic closer to her to ask him her second question, “But can you walk me through actually finding out you were cast as The Mandalorian.” Pedro who was once looking at her intently, turned to look downwards remembering how that day went. 

“Well I got a call and the actual words were “Jon Favreau wants to talk to you about something Star Wars” and so I said absolutely and I went out to meet him at his offices in Playa Vista and he invited me into a room where he introduced me to Dave Filoni and in this room, it was wall-to-wall, immaculate illustrations of this series which is everything Star Wars-”

He continues to share his precious moments before the final revelation, “-And so being a Star Wars fan myself I was like, “oh what’s this” and “oh I remember that” and “what are you gonna do here” and “what do you want me to do?”” Pedro rambles on about asking them what creature, robot, or whatever role they wanted him to audition for before taking a deep breath.

“-and they looked confused and basically pointed to the- this incredible like silhouette of The Mandalorian. He said you’re the, you’re The Mandalorian. So yeah that’s why I- that’s why I sort of died inside of joy.”

Nodding at his response Ash looks at him,” Who was the first person you ever told when you got the job? Since the role became like a very important one for you.”

Scratching the back of his neck, “Well, y/n was picking me up from Jon’s place, so naturally, I told her fir-actually, I freaked out on her. I kept blabbering on things I can’t even remember you know, it must be the adrenaline I felt at that moment. And then- just then did I call my sister, who is a big Star Wars fan, saying how I’m a part of the huge franchise that she loves and now we’ve done and are about to release the first season, it makes me really happy.” Ending his response with a content smile.

“How could you not? I mean, you mentioned you were a Star Wars fan, so what’s your earliest Star Wars memory? Do you remember like-“ Ash inquired once again, wanting to know more about him and his experience as an interviewer.

Pedro enthusiastically blurted out,” I saw Star Wars- I saw episode four in the movie theatre. I was very young so I don’t remember the experience of being in the theatre for it as well as I do the empire strikes back which is burned into my childhood imagination and  I remember like three attempts to get tickets for return of the Jedi and getting my heart broken every time because it was sold out, and then finally getting the tickets and literally you know like staring at the poster being like I’m finally seeing this movie so it was highly present in my childhood. All the toys you know and all the stories yeah.”

“And now you’re in it,” Ash said, seemingly into his history with Star Wars.

Agreeing with her, “And now I’m in it. it’s weird, leading the series”

“Now, back to being an avid Star Wars watcher. What was your reaction when you were first introduced to your now-girlfriend, Y/n L/n, who played the character Sabe in the phantom menace?"

Pedro looks at her with a look that he knows what she was up to and decides to keep it short, "Yeah well like I knew it was her when we first met but I didn’t like barging into her space telling her that I’ve watched her in Star Wars and loved it because that would be weird coming from this guy you’ve never met before. But now, I can say that we’re now also together in another galaxy."

"Did you ever think you would ever meet her in person or like be with her all those years ago?"

Crossing his arms, thinking for a moment, "I didn’t really well- but to start it off I didn’t even think I would be able to meet her in any way, since she was like in the spotlight already at such a young age so I didn’t really think about it. That was until we got introduced that is and it was one of the best moments in my life," finishing it off with a shy smile.

“That’s sweet, do you think we’ll ever see Y/n as part of your series, The Mandalorian?”

“Good question but we haven’t thought about it really. But with the number of times she’s been on set they should’ve made a character just for her don’t you think?” Pedro said laughing. “Last question, what role from The Mandalorian would you think y/n would fit in if she were to be cast?” she quickly stated as their time's almost up.

Pedro gave her a teasing knowing look, “Ummm Mando’s lover, no I'm joking. But maybe someone in the ranks, probably not a Mandalorian cause she'll look-" he makes a tiny sign from his hands, laughing at himself, "-wearing the armour. Maybe a Jedi, we don’t know really, she can play herself actually. She’ll take whatever they give her.”

[tinytalkingtina]

Free Show

2222 words | Rating E | Full fic on Ao3 Written for the @steddiesmuttyseptember event, Week 2 Prompts: "clothes on" and "back seat" Tags: Dom Steve/Sub Eddie, exhibitionism and semi-public sex, car sex, edging/orgasm control, some very mild CBT, spoilers for Die Hard (1988), pre negotiated scene, they get pretty messy

The Beemer rolled to a gentle stop. They had made good time, previews were only just starting. Eddie fidgeted excitedly in the passenger seat beside him.

“You know, the premise for this movie kind of reminds me of a puzzle from the first campaign I ran. Had an evil gang kidnap a bunch of nobles during their takeover of a wizard’s tower. Planned to have 10 floors of traps and monsters for the players to fight through before getting to the end, it was going to be brutal. Only problem was, I forgot Jeff had a saddle of flying. So whoosh,” Eddie punctuated his words with a flap of his hands. “All my plans, foiled by a horse with wings. But barring a wild departure from genre standards, I’m going to assume this cop will have to fight the baddies off without any magical items.”

Steve chuckled quietly. Personally he wasn’t really sold on how the guy from that comedy detective show would do in a serious action movie, but he did look forward to watching the explosions. And it didn’t hurt that in the trailer, it looked like Bruce Willis would spend most of the movie with his chest on full display.

Though, if the night went according to schedule, the two of them would have to rewatch Die Hard again at some point.

A few minutes in, the limo driver introduced himself as “Argyle”, and Eddie snorted. “Oh my G-d we’re gonna never hear the end of this from Jon are we.”

“No, I don’t think we are.” Steve laughed. He chose that moment to let his hand wander, resting it casually on Eddie’s crotch. Eddie’s breath hitched as he started to gently squeeze and massage.

“Not that I mind the attention Steve, but if you keep that up, I’m probably going to have a uh…situation,” he whispered, mindful of the open window. Steve leaned in close and pressed his hand in a little harder. 

“Nope, you’re just going to have to control yourself. Wouldn't want you to get so messy, not here. There's so many people around." 

In reality, there really weren’t. It was a Tuesday night in the middle of nowhere at a barely functioning drive-in theater (Steve was honestly shocked he’d found one playing a major summer blockbuster). Their car was the only one on this side of the lot, and he’d parked right by the tree-line, carefully out of the direct glow of the screen.

But Eddie didn’t notice all that. He didn’t need to. They had worked out all the details for this little game last week, so all he had to do was sit back and let Steve get him more and more worked up.

A small whimper left Eddie’s lips. "I can't help it when you're, oh, being so…mean about it!”

Steve smiled. “I know what you’re thinking, that I’m gonna make you come in your pants a bunch of times while we watch a movie, yeah? Maybe see if we can break your record?” The temptation was there. It would be so easy to just keep teasing until Eddie couldn’t hold back anymore, to take him to that place where he went all boneless and pliant. Tonight though, Steve had other plans.

Eddie nodded frantically, hitching his hips to rut against Steve’s palm harder. 

“Yes, yup, please, I don’t think we can beat five but—.” He moved his hand away from Eddie’s crotch, ignoring the small noise of confusion.

“Tonight, I thought maybe we’d try something new. Can you keep your hands up here for me?” Steve gently tugged on Eddie’s wrists, moving them until he was holding onto the headrest. “Not planning on tying you down. But you’re not gonna move from this position unless I tell you to, right?” Eddie nodded, his eyes glazing over. “Good boy, thank you.”

His boyfriend relaxed a little at the praise, but kept shifting restlessly. “Can you touch me again now? Please? If I’m going to get arrested for public indecency I want at least one orgasm out of it.” Steve huffed out a laugh.

“Stay still for me, and maybe I will.”  He slowly undid the zipper on Eddie’s jeans and wiggled down his briefs to leave him bare-assed on the passenger seat. As asked, Eddie obediently kept the squirming to a minimum, even if he gave another whimper at the exposure. His dick on the other hand, gave an interested twitch, already half hard.

Steve held out his hand. “Spit.” Even in the darkness, he could make out how red Eddie’s face was as he did so.

He reached down and gave a few solid pumps while rubbing his thumb over the tip, not letting up until Eddie was fully hard. “Here’s the rules for tonight. I’m gonna keep doing this right up until you’re about to blow it. But you’re not gonna come. Not until the credits roll. When you get close to the edge, I want you to be good and tell me, okay?” It took Eddie a few seconds but he did finally nod. Steve grinned at his wide-eyed stare. This was going to be fun.

Thirty minutes later, the German terrorist leader shot someone. Steve wasn’t entirely sure he was actually a terrorist, but the finer details of the plot were kind of a lost cause at this point. And Eddie definitely wasn’t in a state to concentrate on anything besides what was happening in the car.

Read the rest on Ao3!

Popcorn divider credit: Firefly Graphics

[anothertimdrakestan]

Death Wont Do - Jason Todd x Reader

TW: blood & gore & angst

a little more dramatic and descriptive than my usual style, let me know what you think

~~~

It's like a 6th sense. The quietest feeling that something's wrong. The feeling in your stomach that keeps you up just a little later than normal.

You were sat on the couch of your apartment, mindlessly checking your phone as some song hummed softly in the background, a glass of something bubbly on the side table next to you to fill the void of Jason being out on patrol. You knew he'd come back later than you usually stayed up, but you felt like waiting for a goodnight kiss.

And suddenly you got the text:

It's Tim on J's phone, get to cave asap if you're reading this.

A pit formed in your stomach as you rushed to grab your keys. A few minutes drive and 10 missed calls as you frantically dialed Tim and Jason before realizing it was serious enough neither was responding.

You braced yourself for what you'd walk into: blood, pain, panic, but the cave was empty. Confusion bubbled up against the fear, hoping between clenched teeth for a prank or a lighthearted surprise. Nonetheless, your instincts urged you to prepare for the worst.

You pulled out the medbay: stitching supplies at the ready, stretcher wheels unlocked, bandages organized just the way Alfred had taught you- where was Alfred? Where was Bruce or Damian- even Jon or Conner who were frequently watching some sort of cartoon on the giant screen in the cave at this time.

Cass was the first in the cave, you recognized the rev of her bike, rushing to the entrance. Her suit was torn, deep gashes that stung you just by looking at them. She pulled off her mask with a wince, an expression you weren't used to seeing on her typical stoic face. You were her shadow as she sat herself down at your faux-medbay and began cleaning and stitching her own wounds, she wouldn't want to be touched right now and from your assessment she was more than capable in her condition.

You broke the steady silence: "is it- is everyone? What happened out there Cass?" knowing she wouldn't really respond you took her shaking her head as a gutwrenching response.

And for what might've been the first time in your life, you saw her whipser "bad" as she locked eyes with you.

Before you could process just what that meant, the quiet hum of the batmobile ripped you from your dread and into action. You heard an echoing shout as Damian lept from the passenger seat of the still moving car, almost flying towards you as the batmobile came to a screeching halt.

"It's Todd, it's not good. Quickly." were the few words the boy wonder could mutter as he started pulling the stretcher towards the car. You followed silently, blood already pounding in your ears.

The door of the car opened and you saw Jason draped across the backseat, muttering and groaning as Damian began to drag him onto the stretcher.

You froze at the sight, bones jutted up out of his skin like a brutal landscape of fractures. His skin, paler than ever before, appeared as if it had lost all its color, like it had bled out completely. Like a corpse in a movie, where CGI created almost inhumane wounds, Jason bore them right in front of you.

Tim's car door slamming ripped you from your shock. He rounded the car instantly and began helping Damian gently move Jason to the cot. While Cass and Damian were silent in a panic, Tim couldn't help but talk through his terror:

"It's all over, well pretty much over. Bruce and the rest are out cleaning it up but he told us to get Jay home because well, I mean he hasn't look worse since probably his first death. And I really don't want to be here for his second. Dames, pull I'll push, God he's heavy, alright, Y/N lock the wheels Damian grab start cleaning wounds on his legs I'll take torso- Y/N? Lock the damn wheels."

Again you snapped into reality, realizing you'd trailed behind the bloody precession. You lowered yourself to secure the wheels, the cool air providing a momentary relief as the weight of the situation settled in. You thought about staying down there, curling up beneath the cot and waiting until the nightmare was over. Tim and Damian were a well oiled triage machine above you- calling out stitching plans, applying bandages, preparing casts for the breaks.

And for the first time, Jason called out softly for you, "Y/N?" You shot up, immediately at his side, pushing the sweat and blood matted hair away from his eyes. They were closed, furrowed in agony but he still called for you, "where's Y/N? I need to see-"

"I'm here, I'm right here Jace." your voice wavering, but he got more frantic, shaking and groaning as Tim and Damian began to restrain him. "No! I need to see her! Stop, take me home! She lives at-"

"Jace I'm right here, I'm here, can you look at me?" your voice was pitchy and raw as you cupped his cheek in your hand. As you lightly pressed your finger to his temple his eyes shot open and wildly took in his surroundings before landing on you. Like an exhale he sunk back into the stretcher, eyes fluttering shut once again.

Beneath his closed eyelids, the pain etched deep lines on his face, but Tim soldiered on, having forced Damian to go tend to his own wounds. The silence was painful, but you had to ask, "he's gonna be okay right?"

Tim's eyes flashed up to meet yours with a kind of smile, "this big guy's been dipped in the Lazarus pit. It's gonna take more than some broken bones and a few lost pints of blood to kill him. Here, come bandage his arms, it's better than staring at his ugly face." you felt a small smile bubble up, Jason's face was bruised and his nose slightly crooked, but you appreciated the quip.

"Here, clean, apply gauze, and wrap. These are all superficial so I promise you can't mess anything up." he pushed bandaging materials into your shaking hands. At first you could barely move, but soon it felt soothing to lend a helping hand. Tim was focused and quiet, and you slowly worked your way up each of Jason's arms, carely wrapping any tear in his skin you could find.

Tim suddenly stepped back with a deep and satified sigh, heading towards the medicine pantry. He came back with an IV and softly nudged your shoulder, "he'll be okay, gonna give him fluids and enough of a sedative to knock him out for a few hours. Go wash off, eat something, and come on back to trade my shift watching him."

You nodded, looking down to realize you were also now covered in a layer of sweat and blood. "Tim, he would've died without you, you're incredible. I'll be right back." you couldn't exactly find the words for the gratitude, but Tim shook it off nonetheless.

"I had to stay in the 'zero Jason deaths' club, Bruce and Dick would've had a field day." you shook your head, beelining for a shower.

When you came back down to the cave Tim was in a tshirt and sweatpants, his own bandages peeking from the sleeves of the shirt. "Ready for a shift change?" you called, causing him to swivel around in the batcave chair and stand up with a stretch.

"You were fast! He'll probably wake up in a few hours, text me whenever for whatever." with a yawn he shuffled out of the cave and you planted yourself in the chair next to Jason.

You nearly screamed as Jason suddenly whispered "is he gone?" Like a cartoon he opened one squinting eye before deciding to fully lock his emerald eyes with your own. "Coast is clear, how are you love?"

You were stunned, "I- you were- how are you? I mean I'm fine, clearly. But what in the-" Jason laughed into a wince but answered:

"Had a couple crazy dreams, I woke up when I heard you call for Tim but wanted the shift change so Tim didn't spend 20 minutes calling me an idiot and a careless maniac.

You shook your head, "and if I call you an idiot and a careless maniac?" but Jason just hummed and attempted to shrug. "Jason Peter Todd you almost died!"

"Keyword there is 'almost' sweetheart."

"And what if Tim and Damian weren't there? What if you'd actually died?" you cupped his cheek again, letting the weight of his head rest into your palm.

"Not even death would stop me from crawling home to you." he vowed. At that, you sunk down, resting your head on his shoulder and lightly running your hand across his chest.

"I believe you, I do. But tell me you'll never let it get to that. This was too much for me Jace I almost thought you were dead when they pulled you out of the car."

He tensed, "you were here for all that? I'm sorry, I don't want to scare you like that." You couldn't believe the man on his deathbed was apologizing to you, but somehow it all felt very Jason Todd.

"It's okay Jay, I'm just glad you're here."

"Always, now scoot me over so I can hold you," he murmered, groaning as he pushed himself over enough to make room for you to slip in next to him. He went to raise his arm and looked annoyed saying, "damn Tim bandaged my whole damn arms. I look like a mummy the hell was he doing" and you stiffened against him.

"Okay asshole that's my bandaging work there, and I'll have you know I stopped a whole lot of your blood from pouring out of your arms." you gave him a childish glare while Jason looked at you with a smirk.

"Remind me never to get a papercut around you, I might lose circulation." he teased, draped a mummy-arm around you as you relaxed into his embrace.

You retorted: "At least I didn't get wheeled into the cave looking like casper the ghost"

"Alright alright, no more near death experiences, scout's honor." he chuckled, and you decided it was a good enough promise for now.

"Deal" you replied, slowly letting the soft sound of Jason's breathing lull you to sleep as your adrenaline had finally dissipated, finally allowing yourself to believe your boy would live to see another night.

Tomorrow? Or the day after that? Well, that would have to be future Y/N's problem :)

~

Hope you enjoyed, let me know if you caught the song reference. xoxo

[love-kurdt]

Swooping, Sloping, Cursive Letters: 20

word count: 1066

PLEASE READ THIS IS ME TRYING FIRST, AS THIS STORY RELIES HEAVILY UPON THE CONTEXT OF TIMT

April 22, 1989

Dear Will,

Prom is tonight. And I’m not going. It’s fine. I’m fine. I made up my mind a whole month ago and have been able to withstand the borderline harassment of our friends telling me that I’m gonna regret this decision for the rest of my life and would be better off just going without a date because it doesn’t matter if I have a date or not and it’s the experience that counts and Lucas said you’re going to be there so I should go too and fuck I regret this so much.

What time is it…? Why I’m writing down the question instead of just checking my fucking watch, I don’t know. It’s 5:30pm, prom starts at 6, and you probably haven’t left your house yet. And why I’m writing about my suit being presentable enough instead of just going to my closet to check is so fucking counterproductive and

—

It was like a movie, the way I bolted out of the house in my dress slacks and suit jacket with half-tied converse, the laces billowing behind me in the wind as I biked through the neighborhood as fast as I could to your house. I should’ve just taken my car, but of course I had to bring all of my own rom-com fantasies to life. You know, like the Big Chase scene where the guy runs through the airport, praying that it isn’t too late to confess his love to the girl that nearly got away. But alas, I am no athlete, so this unfortunately came with the consequence of looking like a sweaty rat by the time I reached your driveway. Thankfully, you and El were still there, taking photos with Jonathan on the front steps. I haphazardly thrust my bike onto the curb and sprinted up to you as fast as my legs could carry me.

“Will!” I shouted, suddenly conscious of how I hadn’t prepared anything to say to you. My actions always have spoken louder than my words, which is concerning, considering the fact that I’m planning to become a writer once we’re out of high school. So I ran across your front lawn, and I stopped in my tracks when I noticed the surprised looks on Jonathan and El’s faces, the worried look on your own, and the confused expressions on Joyce and Hop’s.

“Hey, Mike,” Jonathan’s eyebrows furrowed together as I gasped for air.

“Hey, Jon,” I replied, leaning forward until my palms rested on my knees as I panted. I acknowledged everyone else, and then looked back up at you, standing back up and running my hand through my hair. The sweat clung to my hand, which I wiped on my slacks with a grimace. “Hey,” I said, “Yeah, so, uh– Will. Dude. Buddy. Do you want to go to the prom with me?”

There was a beat of silence that followed, and I felt the urge to cut my own tongue out. Before I could actually act on my impulse, you walked down the stairs and took a few more steps in my direction. “I thought you weren’t going,” you said, crossing your arms against your chest. I shook my head, shoving my hands in my pockets.

“I changed my mind. Lucas told me–” I began, but trailed off before I gave myself away. You could never know about how Lucas convinced me to go to prom on the sole basis of your attendance. That would’ve been so humiliating.

“He told you what?” you prompted me to continue, taking another step forward so we were less than a foot apart.

“Just that everyone else was going, and that I was a weirdo for not wanting to go as well.”

“He’s not wrong,” you smirked up at me, and I lightly smacked your shoulder, feigning offense. “But, like,” you went on, “now that you’re actually coming to prom with us, doesn’t that mean you’re going with me already?”

Against my better judgment, I reached out and adjusted your shirt collar against the lapels of your suit. You looked up at me in mild shock, but hey, at least I didn’t kiss you. “I mean, I was asking if you wanted to go to prom with me as my date.”

Your face turned a beautiful shade of pink, and you stammered out, “I–I’m not sure if we’d be allowed to do that.”

“Come on,” I pleaded, “We’d be going as friends, they can’t kick us out for that.”

Another moment of silence bloomed between us like the yellow flower in your jacket pocket. You picked at your nails in contemplation. “Fine,” you relented with a smirk, “I guess I could go as your prom date… buddy.”

“I just know you’re never gonna let me live that down,” I whined, and you just laughed.

“Damn straight,” you agreed, and I refrained from making a gay joke on account of, oh I don’t know, outing myself. You put my bike in your garage while I was caught up on the plan for transportation, which was Lucas’ parents’ minivan, which would be there in a few minutes to pick us up. Needless to say, everyone was shocked when I climbed into the van.

Prom was pretty lame, and we all ended up leaving early and going back to your house, but I honestly don’t give a single flying fuck, because we actually got to dance together. I repeat: we actually got to dance together. The music had slowed down, everyone was finding their respective dates, and I was just about to leave the dance floor for my impending Closet Pity Party™ when you grabbed my wrist, pulling me closer to you and placing your hands on my hips. “What’s the point of prom if you don’t have at least one slow dance?” you asked, and I tried my best to appear as nonchalant as possible by shrugging. Meanwhile, I was, like, one second away from dying of happiness. It was dark enough that I got away with putting my hands on your shoulders, and you became a bit more confident with the way your hands gripped my waist as we swayed back and forth to the music. I’m grinning so hard while writing this. I think this has been the best night of my life by far. I hope this feeling lasts forever.

Love,

Mike

-

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[devine-fem]

whats ur biggest damijon hc

biggest? no idea. my hc are usually boring asf and any headcanons i do have get put into a fic some where down the line.

i just have a bunch of headcanons altnerating through my head.

the most recent i was thinking about jon having a habit of collecting things. i headcanon jon keeps trinkets that just happen to belong to damian in one of his drawers, he has robin batarangs, he has a torn out page of dami’s sketch book, he has a picture of them together ofc, he also keeps love letters in there, not written by him but girls in his school that asked jon to give them to damian, lastly i feel like he has torn out pages of his diary he’s too anxious to leave around inside that drawer… its a hobby he tells himself, its no concern most of those things relate to damian. (ill post this today seperste from this post)

i also headcanon that damian subconsciously tries to climb jon at times and jon doesn’t even bat an eye to it because his kryptonian biology makes him numb to it

i also headcanon that damian will perch up/sit on one of jon’s shoulders when he’a lazy, just like a bird

i also feel like damian is subconsciously clingy, nuzzling up to jon like a cat at times.

i also feel like after a mission damian gets all nervous and looks around like hes bracing for an attack and his teammates are confused as to whats wrong but suddenly theres a streak of blue and jon’s crashing into damian with a hug sending him feet across the ground. which damian was expecting the whole time

i headcanon that damian climbs through jon’s window and sneaks up to him to give him a kiss while jon pretends he didnt know cause that would ruin the fun

i headcanon for the span of like weeks damian and jon had this inside joke where damian would speak in arabic and jon would speak in kryptonese.

and thats putting aside the possibility theyll call each other pet names in those languages

headcanon damian as the little spoon

headcanon jon’s terrified of horror movies even though hes a superhero and damian can’t focus on movies because his eyes are always stuck on jon’s expressions

headcanon that damian will get art block but he can still draw jon for some reason

headcanon that damian does all the house work like sewing jon’s capes and helping him get dressed in the morning

headcanon that damian hates kissing jon first because the act of getting on his tippy toes is mortifying

imagine jon getting his cape put on with the help of damian and damian’s somewhat struggling to do it due to his height so jon spreads his legs apart like he’s doing the splits to meet his height

jon is still stuck in his crush phase and gawks at damian

jon says “damian deprived” unironically like its a condition

its canon that they watch anime together so its fun thinking of the type of stuff theyd watch

jon asks before he does anything “can i kiss you” “can i see you” “can i hug you” ugh, i love it so much

they love to cuddle, fish, nap or talk on the back of goliath for no reason just because it feels homey since it was the first few things they did when they met

thats a few

[maximusblack-hp]

Loras Tyrell x OC Male

Technically an Self-insert

He knows which universe he’s in, from his last life he remembers pirating the three-season shows and having to look away from the screen every other second due to his confusion about what he was seeing. As if he knew he shouldn’t be watching for his age.

He was supposed to be killed as an infant but instead, he was safe by his only uncle. Turns out he wasn’t the only reincarnated but so was his half-brother Jon Snow known now as Jaehaerys III Targaryen. Then there is also his uncle Viserys III Targaryen and his aunt Daenerys Targaryen. His aunt is technically the third of her name but apparently, it only counts if the person before you was a ruler. There has never been a female Targaryen ruler so therefore she is considered the first of her name.

The four of them are reincarnated and they have this theory it’s due to their Targaryen blood. It’s not that far of a stretch after all Targaryen can command dragons, walk through fire, and have visions of future or past events.

All of them seem to be immune to fire but Viserys is the only one who feels pain from it and sensitivity to light. He and Daenerys have visions but Daenerys focuses on the past while his focus is on the future. Jaehaerys has a mental link to all of them. He’s practically the medical version of a phone call.

Viserys who is the oldest among them whether in this life or the last will never stop being flabbergasted on how long it took for them to realize they all had past life memories. Maybe it's an old age superiority complex Aegon doesn’t really know. Though Aegon and Daenerys died very young in their last life so they don’t really feel that deep connection to the past like Viserys and Jaehaerys are.

Aegon has this theory that their memories aren’t due to their Targaryen blood but due to their connection with the world they’re in. In one way or another, they recognize this world from one source of media to another from their worlds.

In Daenerys’ World, it was a cartoon for kids about dragons and royalty. In his world, it was a three-volume novel with a three-season show about Dothraki and Sullied fighting against the hierarchy. Though really it was just a premise for NSFW content instead of any actual real plot.

In Jaehaerys’ world, it was a comic about ice monster zombies that could only be killed by fire from a dragon fire. And due to the Targaryens being extinct the nation as a whole was screwed. There were even plans in the making to adapt it into a post-apocalyptic movie of what happens to the ancestors of the main characters' kids in the comics who manage to get over the seas.

Then there is Viserys’ world, the one with the most complex version of the story. When Aegon first asked Viserys about it he got a 10-hour rant about how much it sucked and that he hated it except for the Dothraki and Dragons. Although Viserys seems to hate this world he is oddly very passionate about, with his so-called ‘hate.’ Then again there is a very thin line between love and hate.

Aegon is just happy that the craziness of this world seems to be in a calm trance. Though he knows it won’t last for long but he’s content. He is to be crowned soon by his uncle, no longer needing to hide his true identity or the person he loves.

Everyone knows that Lores is his lover and future spouse and there is nothing they can do. It’s nothing new among Targaryens and it doesn’t matter as long as there is a blood heir. Which shouldn’t be a problem for him since apparently his cousin Rhaegal was birthed by Viserys. The number of secrets among the Targaryen bloodline will never cease to amaze them.

It might take a while before he and Loras have children, if anything it’s shocking it hasn’t happened yet. From how often they fucked like bunnies in the heat but then again he needs to bottom for it to happen. Ageon is willing to do it but it will take a while for him to get Loras to agree since his lover loves Bottoms and never thought of them ever doing it the other way around.

Sighing, Aegon turns around to snuggle Loras’ body under him while giving a kiss to Loras' bruised nape from all the love mites on it. It’s too early for him to worry about other events he’ll deal with later. And not on his own for he no longer needs to hide who he is whether be it his identity or who he beds.

[bisexualicontimdrake]

Ok so I’m high so I’m gonna write a lil blurb.

“Nobody loves you.” That’s the last thing the mobster said before Jason slammed his pistol into his head with a solid thunk.

‘Wrong’ thought Jason as he took aim at another mobster. ‘’my dad loves me’. He thinks to earlier that day in the cave as he and Bruce finished the a tune-up on Dick’s bike.

“I’m proud of you Jay” grunted Bruce as he fumbled for a socket wrench. Confused, Jason turned to look at him. “I know I don’t say it enough” Bruce continued “but you’ve come a long way. You’ve done your therapy, you made your amends, and even at your lowest, I never stopped being proud of you and no matter where you go, I’ll love you, son”

Jason looked at Bruce as if Harley Quinn hit him with her mallet, at a loss for words.

“I love you too, dad”

He thinks back to his times free running through the Gotham Skyline with Dick. Dick laughing in the wind as Jason threatened to beat him with a crowbar for a horrible pun. To when when they were just kids, sharing hushed secrets at night, Dick telling him about his relationship with Wally.

“I’m gay’ Dick barely whispered “and I’m dating Wally. Have been since I was Robin.” Jason thinks of the red-headed boy. Cocky, quick, but also compassionate. He also thinks of another certain redhead that’s on his mind. “Does Bruce know?” Jason whispered back. Dick’s eyes widened in fear “No! And you can’t tell him. Cross your heart” and so Jason did. “I love you Little Wing” Dick mumbled as they fell asleep watching a movie that neither had paid attention to. “Thanks for being here.” “I love you too” came Jason’s quiet reply. Knowing that while he would never tell another soul, he’d definitely remind the speedster that he wasn’t afraid to go Gotham on his ass if he hurts Dick the next time he saw the mouthy speedster at the manor.

He thinks about spending time Tim, as the he listened to his little brother passionately go on about how The Bride in Kill Bill was actually the villain. He thinks back to Tim’s first date with Kon. Tim was so nervous, he developed a slight twitch in his eye. “You’re gonna be fine” Jason said. “Kids crazy about you. We can all see it” it didn’t hurt that Jason cornered Kon a week before, asking him what his plans were for his little brother, while subtly reminding him of the special green jewelry Bruce kept in the cave.

Later that evening, when Tim came home, hair tousled and eyes as bright as the first time he grappled through the narrow Gotham buildings. Jason knew that his little brother was head over heels. “I’m happy for you” Jason said, handing Tim coffee that he didn’t need. Awkwardly, Tim threw his arms around Jason “love you” Jason stood there in a mild shock as Tim didn’t initiate physical contact frequently. Finally, he put the mugs down, and hugged his brother right back. “Love you too”.

He thinks about Damian and their sparring matches and prank wars. Which occasionally led to all-out brawls, until Alfred ushered them outside. He thinks about seeing Damian asleep next to Jon and Bat-cow with Titus curled tight at their feet, hands loosely tangled together. As Jason got his phone out to snap a picture, he sees Damian’s eyes open “I will kill you Todd” the brat whispered so quietly, Jason thought he was hearing things. He snapped a photo anyways, Baby bat would thank him later. And he did, with a cheap shot punch to the face but not before Jason noticed the photo as his phones background.

He thinks about his boyfriend, as Roy works on a specialized pistol for Jason that would fire target non-lethal, but hilarious rounds (Jason’s favorite was the chewing gum bullet). With his hair pushed back in a messy bun and his eyes deep in thought. “He better know I only do this because I love him” Roy mumbled, with a screwdriver held precariously in his lips. “Oh I do. Don’t worry” Jason said, startling his boyfriend and sending him off of his stool, arms flailing and landing on top of Jason. “Not anymore I don’t” Roy said with the same tone Bruce did when he caught Selina leaning a little too close to a diamond at the museum. “But you do” replied Jason, planting a kiss on the older man’s forehead. “But I do” Roy whispered, curling into Jason’s broad chest.

He thinks about the others. Selina teaching him to pickpocket at Gala’s for fun, to quiet nights at the bell tower with Babs, helping put specialized tech on her wheelchair as Haly chews on a bone close by. Sitting at his favorite gargoyle with Cass and Stephanie, looking at the two of them, wondering will they or won’t they as they gossip about the latest rogue drama. He thinks about Harley as she tries to give him an impromptu therapy session during the middle of the two breaking up a drug bust, bleached hair swinging as wildly as her bat. He thinks back to Ivy, rescuing them from the same drug bust. Too annoyed with being woken up to try and poison him, but still giving her patented “fuck me” eyes to Harley.

He thinks about Bart, Cassie, Kori, Donna, Kyle, Diana, Dinah, Lois, Clark, Alfred, and Kate. Knowing that he does have people who love him. No matter what.

“Fuck you” Jason spat at the final mobster “I am loved”

[dairy-farmer]

Kryptonian culture is to have a soulmate. Like penguins, they mate for life. Clark chose Lois for his mate, and Kon chose Tim. Only problem is Jon also chose Tim.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ !!!!!!!11

tim and kon having been together since they met, dating in secret for a while because they were both so new to it. but then cassie started making her attraction to superboy known and spolier wouldn't stop bothering tim and they just couldn't keep pretending that they weren't already with someone else.

batman had been disappointed in tim but clark had talked to him and reassured tim he hadn't done anything wrong.

kryptonian biology is...weird. they're a lot like animals. more animalistic than humans. in some ways they're like birds. they mate for life.

that's how it'd been in kryptonian society according to kara.

kon and tim are happy. content with each other.

tim knows clark has a son with lois lane. jonathon kent.

but he lived in metropolis with his parents while kon lived in smallville with ma and pa. tim had never had much of an association with clark aside from getting his support when his relationship with kon was exposed.

kon similarly rarely associated with clark. their relationship is just too...distant and they never fully reconcile even though they spend holidays together on the farm.

the first time tim meets jon is when damian invites him over. he's small, a little awkward but cute in the way all young boys are. he has blushed, red cheeks and stutters when he meets tim. and tim's heart warms up to him fast because he's so little and adorable and part of tim wants to be like those grandmas at galas and tweak his nose.

beyond that tim never has much to do with jonathon kent. he's a friend of tim's younger brother and clark's son.

kon doesn't really define what jonathon is to him. he could be nephew if clark views kon more like a brother, a brother acts more like a father, his son if kon is basing it all purely off genetic relation.

but he and clark never really have that talk and kon meets jon about as often as tim.

they hear the news about jon being aged up to their age range.

it's none of their business but they feel sympathy nonetheless.

they offer their support and words as much as any other hero and retreat to offer some privacy.

they think they're doing the right thing. when clark sends out a mass message, sounding half panicked and askign if anyone had seen jon they perk up and reach out to others.

they're surprised when they hear a knock on the window of their shared penthouse in gotham.

it's jon. he's sheepish and red-cheeked, looking away from them and asking if he could come in.

it becomes a regular thing.

jon running away to their apartment.

kon is confused but doesn't ever turn him away. they'd never been that close but now as an...adult jon seeks him out more.

tim supports as best he can. offering jon a change of clothes when its clear he was flying in the rain. offering food and drinks, letting him crash on their couch.

clark and lois seem less panicked when they learn jon is retreating to their apartment. they're confused as well but as long as jon is safe they're willing to let it slide.

jon sometimes brings little gifts, little signs of apology for intruding on them once again. flowers, candy, sometimes even a piece of origami he made.

kon wonders if that should've been his first sign. if he should've picked up on the fact that jon always gifted those things to tim. that he always asked if tim was home when kon was the one to crack open a window and shuffle him inside.

that when the three of them would watch a movie together jon would curl up to tim's side. that he'd always stare at tim as he moved through the apartment.

in hindsight, it should've been obvious.

the looks, the gifts, the visits even when clark swore up and down that nothing had been wrong the day before.

maybe tim and kon are dense but they get it really quickly when jon leans in to kiss tim one day when he tells a joke and tim bursts into a beautiful snorted laugh.

the thing about kryptonian's is that they're a lot like animals. more animalistic than humans. in some ways they're like birds. they mate for life.

lois had men try to court her even after being with clark but clark had never paid them any mind. some biological compulsion to not see them as threats because they weren't kryptonian.

as a result no one, no even clark, expects the violence that erupts in tim and kon's apartment that day.

because any krpytonian worth a grain of salt will fight to warn potential suitors away from their mates.

[westofessos]

About Me:

I’ve had quite a few new followers these past few weeks, so I thought I would make a little about me post, just so you all know what you’re getting into.

First off, hello! My name is Madison (she/her), I’m 19 (will be 20 in January which is. . . something I’m not thinking about at the moment), I’m bisexual, extremely liberal (racists, misogynists, homophobes, transphobes, etc. can fuck off and die), and I live in Saskatchewan, Canada. My favourite thing in the world to do is write, and I love to read as well.

Here are some of my favourite things, sorted by category:

Star Wars

Favourite characters: Leia Organa, Han Solo, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ben Solo, Hera Syndulla, Ahsoka Tano, Din Djarin, Captain Rex, Poe Dameron, Rey Skywalker, Satine Kryze, Luke Skywalker, Asajj Ventress, Luminara Unduli, and many, many more

I love every movie, and every TV show (I was admittedly not a fan of Andor, but I’m so happy that so many people loved it so much!), and I’m working through some of the canon novels

This is my first fandom, one of my first loves. No matter how deeply I fall in love with other things I will never love them like I love Star Wars

Marvel

Favourite Characters: Natasha Romanoff, Loki Laufeyson, Bucky Barnes, Wanda Maximoff, Kate Bishop, Jennifer Walters, Steve Rogers, Carol Danvers, Sylvie, Marc Spector, Valkyrie, Peggy Carter, Yelena Belova, and many, many more.

I love every movie and TV show (to varying degrees, but nonetheless) but my favourite movies are Endgame, Infinity War, No Way Home, Eternals, Winter Soldier, Captain Marvel, Black Widow, Ragnarok (not necessarily in that order), and my favourite shows are Moon Knight, She-Hulk, Loki, Werewolf by Night, Hawkeye (not necessarily in that order)

I also very casually read Marvel comics (just a few here and there whenever I find some that pique my interest)

DC

Admittedly, not nearly as much as Marvel. There isn’t a lot of emotional attachment. Honestly it’s bordering on contempt at this point, especially after spending money to go see The Flash in theatres

But I love The Batman, Wonder Woman, The Suicide Squad, Peacemaker, the Dark Knight trilogy, Harley Quinn, and Batman (1989). I am cautiously excited for many of their upcoming projects under James Gunn’s leadership

Supergirl: Woman of Tomorrow is my all-time favourite comic book and honestly just one of my favourite books of all time. It’s truly a beautiful work of art.

Lord of the Rings

I’ve seen all three movies and 2/3 Hobbit movies, and I’ve read Fellowship of the Ring (planning on getting to the other two soon). I also watched and absolutely adored The Rings of Power.

My favourite characters are Éowyn and Aragorn, but I love Merry, Pippin, Legolas, and Gimli too. And Galadriel, Elrond, Durin, Elendil, Miriel, and Halbrand in TRoP

I’m admittedly not the most well-versed in LOTR, but I do really enjoy it.

A Song of Ice and Fire/Game of Thrones:

Don’t even get me started on those goddamn shows. Seasons 7 and 8 of GoT and HoTD infuriate me on a daily basis but goddamn it I love this world so much. Westeros is so important to me

Favourite characters: Daenerys, Jaime, Cersei, Jon, Arianne, Brienne, Robb, and more

Favourite Targaryens (it’s the best house, fight me): Visenya, Aegon I, Rhaenyra, Daemon, Rhaena the Queen in the East/West, Alysanne, Daena the Defiant, Aegon V, Rhaegar, and probably more I’m forgetting

Movies:

Almost Famous (my favourite of all time)

Good Will Hunting

Memento

The Usual Suspects

Frances Ha, Mistress America, Lady Bird, Little Women, Barbie (anything with Greta Gerwig involved)

Dazed and Confused

Tombstone

Tick, Tick . . . BOOM!

Father of the Bride 1 & 2

You’ve Got Mail

When Harry Met Sally

Palm Springs

Before Sunrise

The Princess Diaries

Dogma (anything Kevin Smith, really)

Anything John Hughes

Garden State

His Girl Friday

10 Things I Hate About You

The Princess Bride

Disney movies (I grew up on those princesses and damn it, I still love ‘em)

Scooby-Doo (it’s just so dumb and comforting after a long day)

Also just 80s/90s movies, particularly comedies

TV Shows:

Lost (my favourite of all time. I could talk about it for hours on end)

Roseanne (my favourite sitcom. Roseanne Barr might be a piece of shit but Roseanne and Dan Conner raised me)

The Walking Dead (very close second favourite show)

The Sandman

Good Omens

Community

Gilmore Girls

That 70’s Show

Daisy Jones and the Six

Friends

Seinfeld

Once Upon A Time

Ted Lasso (even though they fucked it at the end)

Superstore

Brooklyn Nine-Nine

The Good Place

Sons of Anarchy

Peaky Blinders

Scrubs

Bridgerton

Golden Girls

Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley

The Umbrella Academy

Schitt’s Creek

Only Murders in the Building

The Last of Us

Band of Brothers

Succession

Bojack Horseman

Grace & Frankie

Way, way more I can’t think of. I watch way too much TV. Just ask, I’ve probably seen it.

Music:

The Beatles (my all-time favourite band. I saw Paul McCartney in 2018 and almost died)

Pearl Jam

Phoebe Bridgers & boygenius

Soundgarden, Alice in Chains, Nirvana, Stone Temple Pilots

Anything from the 50’s and 60’s pretty much (i.e. The Beach Boys, Petula Clark, Jay and the Americans, Gerry and the Pacemakers, Buddy Holly, Sam Cooke, Simon & Garfunkel, Herman’s Hermits, The Zombies. Just ask, I probably love it.

Fleetwood Mac

Taylor Swift (I’m not a full Swiftie, but I’m getting there)

Olivia Rodrigo

The Chicks

Elton John

Billy Joel

Beyoncé and Destiny’s Child

ABBA

KISS

The Cranberries

Led Zeppelin

The Mountain Goats

Honestly it would probably be quicker to say who I don’t listen to in some capacity

Musicals:

Hamilton

Hadestown

Heathers

Wicked

In the Heights

Six

Grease, The Sound of Music, Mamma Mia, and other movie musicals

Books:

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab - never before has a book seemed like it was written just for me. And it’s so beautiful. Schwab is just my favourite author of all time, I’ll read anything of hers

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas - I read these as the last few were coming out and I still have such an attachment to them

Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid - my favourite movie is Almost Famous so naturally, this was perfect for me. Goddamn did I love it.

A Song of Ice and Fire, of course

Classics: A Tale of Two Cities, Pride and Prejudice, The Handmaid’s Tale, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The entire Grishaverse series by Leigh Bardugo

That’s just off the top of my head. There are many, many more, and I’ll always take recommendations!

Basically just fantasy. I love fantasy books more than anything

All Elite Wrestling:

My most recent obsession

I’m watching it through from the beginning so I haven’t seen everything just yet

Favourite wrestlers: CM Punk, MJF, Orange Cassidy, Kris Statlander, all the Best Friends honestly, Adam Cole, Cody Rhodes, Danhausen, Thunder Rosa, Juice Robinson, Toni Storm, Sting, Christian Cage, Eddie Kingston, Jon Moxley, Hangman Adam Page, Willow Nightingale, Hikaru Shida (not necessarily in that order other than the first 5, and there are more)

(I would love to have more women on that list but the women don’t get any good storylines or promo time or character development so I don’t form as many emotional attachments with as many of them. Book. The. Women’s. Division. Better.)

Favourite storylines/feuds: AdaMJF, Punk/MJF, Cody/MJF, Orange Cassidy/Chris Jericho, anything involving the Best Friends, everything with Hangman (from the very beginning all the way to where I am now, where he has just won the championship), probably more but that’s just off the top of my head

And that’s me, essentially. If you made it this far, I salute you. If there’s anything you want to know, feel free to ask! My asks and dms are always open, whether you’re a mutual or a complete stranger. Never be afraid to say hi!

[chaoticpinetree]

I CANNOT WITH THE SEASON 3 ENDING

Okay first of all that episode with everyone's statements before they left was actually pretty cool, two things I found funny is that Daisy just noped out and also that Martin, ohhhhhhh ohhhh his part was so cool because because the thing is.

If a character in any media (book, movie, series, and well, podcast, anything) explains a plan, that plan is likely to fail. If a character does not explain a plan, that plan is likely to succeed. And this knowledge, this... Does not really let me ever watch/read a scene of characters planning anything without being aware of this unwritten rule. And, well, the reason why it's like that is simple: if a plan works, then explaining it beforehand would sort of spoil the surprise and the thrill of waiting to see what exactly the characters are gonna do. So explaining a plan and then watching the characters do exactly that would be boring. And not explaining a plan and having it fail would be confusing and probably also boring because we wouldn't even know where exactly it failed, right?

So the thing is, I found it quite worrying that we knew quite a lot about what the team was going to do to the Unknowing BUT what I found super exciting is that Martin didn't explain his plan and it was very cool.

AND THEN THEN THEN THEN we saw his plan it was cool, it was simple, but actually so effective. Like his only goal was to waste Elias's time but to do that he needed to do something Elias would find worth paying attention to—hence burning the statements. It would be much harder to waste Elias's time with small talk over tea I guess.

"I can't hear you. There's a door in the way." Akjhgdhkjhgdhjhgdhjhgd 10/10

What I find funny is that Elias underestimated Martin to the point where he literally said out loud that he didn't look. Amazing. But also let me tell you, those issues he pulled to the surface, with Martin's mother hating him? Oh damn that's. That hit hard.

I think I was more excited for Martin's plan and then the nightmares' descriptions and the arrest of Elias than for stopping of an actual apocalypse.

But the Unknowing was interesting too, like, the way it was clear that they struggled with thinking, the way Basira had to tell herself out loud 'I am me, there are others that aren't me and this is a place' and all that, that was neat. And then just. Explosion.

And I think that there was something sad but also angstily sad about Tim's 'I don't forgive you. But thank you for this.' Just :C

AND THEN THE LAST EPISODE. AND OH MY GOD ELIAS'S DESCRIPTION OF JON'S NIGHTMARES AJHFGHDGFDGHJHGD

It's like. I tried to ramble to my friends about it but I just. Failed. Because you know it's not only what it's about but also the way they're described that create that unnatural atmosphere. The way he watches every single statement, with the statement givers filled with either fear, scared of Jon, others angry, blaming him for the nightmares, that's so, ahhhhh I don't even have the words.

So like. People give him statements. And it's been established already that he needs their statements to survive. And if the statements are taken live, if a person tells their statement directly to him, it gives both the statement giver and Jon nightmares. Which is incredibly interesting. What's also interesting is what Elias said, that Jon wants to wake up, he's waiting for it, but he's not waking. His mind is alive and so he dreams and wants to awaken but his body is dead and so he has nowhere to awaken to and it's so interesting and dark and also damn. And especially the ending of the description of the nightmare, of him falling into the eye, that suggests some shady stuff happening there.

And I just have. Feelings. Regarding the end of this season. Just ;-;

I loved it so much ;-;

[smolwritingchick]

Forced To Believe Chapter 64- War

Chapter Summary: The Shield and Evolution continue to go at it. Melanie starts to get suspicious of Jon. Morgan unleashes at Payback.

Words: 9,000+

After Melanie went inside her hotel room, she saw Jon getting ready to go out.

"Hey." She greeted. "I thought we were gonna watch a movie and chill tonight."

"Ah...I thought that was tomorrow. I'm about to hang with the guys tonight. Tomorrow, all right?" he smiled apologetically.

She started to look disappointed but shook it off. They'll have other times to hang out with each other.

"Oh, okay then." She sat on the bed.

"I'm sorry, Lanie."

"No, no it's fine. You're getting dressed up for an outing with the guys." She observed his dressy casual attire.

"I lost a bet against Colby. I'll see you later." He kissed her on the cheek and headed out the door.

"Okay..." She chuckled and turned on the TV.

Hours seemed to have gone past as she checked the clock. It was already 2:30 AM.

"Guess the guys are having a wild night." She murmured and decided to go to sleep.

When she woke up in the morning, she noticed Jon was still not there.

"Where the heck is he?" She asked herself before getting herself ready for the day.

As soon as she was about to head out the door, Jon came back.

"Well, good morning. Where were you all night?"

He rubbed the back of his neck and looked apologetic. "Morning. Sorry, I crashed with Colby and Joe."

"I see." She watched as he went to the bathroom.

That was weird. He would always be here with her if they had roomed together. Shaking it off and thinking he just had a rough night, she went to the first floor to meet up with Milena.

"Morning! You okay?" Milena greeted her with a hug.

"Not really. Well, I guess it's just that Jon was gone all night. But it's okay. Maybe he just had a rough night or something."

"Well..." Milena began but decided to stay quiet.

Everyone knew except for Melanie. She really wanted to tell her but decided to respect Jon's wishes.

"Well, what?" The Outspoken Diva questioned.

"Nothing. Just thinking about what we're going to eat. How's the diet?"

"Great! I love it. You think you can make me one of those yummy protein shakes?"

"Of course!"

After they get their breakfast, the two eat at a table at the hotel cafeteria. Colby walked over to them, making Melanie flinch.

"Haha! You thought I was gonna smack you, didn't you?" He laughed.

"No. I was just alert." Melanie mumbled, making Milena giggle. "Hey so how was the bet?"

Colby started to look confused. "Bet?"

"That Jon lost? Were you too drunk to remember?" The Outspoken Diva chuckled while Milena and Colby glanced at each other.

"Oh yeah...the bet."

"I heard he had to wear a dressy casual outfit last night while you guys were out. I guess you guys got too wild and Jon had to stay over at your room with Joe, right?"

"Right..."

Milena cleared her throat while Jon walked over to their table.

"Morning Jon." Milena smiled.

"We were just talking about your bet." Colby gave him an annoyed look.

"What was the bet?" Melanie asked.

Jon and Colby glanced at each other and after a few moments, Colby blurted out, "Beer pong."

Melanie's eyes lit up. "No way! You won at beer pong? A few years ago you got trashed by Celeste and Jon. I'm proud of you, dude!" she stood up to give him a big hug.

"Yeah, thanks." he forcefully chuckled.

Melanie released him and raised a brow. "You don't seem so excited. That's a huge accomplishment for you."

"Trust me, I am. I'm just tired." he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Yeah from the drinking," Jon added, making Milena look at him and shake her head.

"Right..." Milena mumbled.

It perturbed Milena at how oblivious Melanie was to what was really going on. But when she finds out about what's been really going on, it's not going to be a pleasant sight to see.

"Ready to go to the gym?" she asked.

"Yeah. I'll meet you in the car." Melanie said her goodbyes and left.

Jon was about to leave but got forced back by Colby and Milena.

"A bet? Are you fuckin' kidding?" Colby retorted. "You're lucky she believed that."

"Yeah, that was close." Milena frowned.

"Me, you, basically everyone knows. But Mel. She's gonna find out sooner or later. And you know I hate lying to her."

"You and me both."

"I know..." Jon sighed.

"If you don't tell her, I will," Milena said.

"Just don't, all right? Can you keep your mouths shut for a little while longer?"

"I don't know, ask Randy. Because I know it's killing him to not be able to tell her what you're doing." Milena snapped and left the table.

"Fix this," Colby demanded and walked after Milena. "I'm comin' with you to the gym."

"Okay." She replied as he held the door for her. "Thanks. I'm more afraid of her reaction to this when she finds out."

"I know." He said, taking a sip of his protein shake.

------

Summer and Morgan are backstage for WWE Main Event, while Summer is venting to her about her recent break up with Fandango.

"Summer, he's not even worth it. Who breaks up with someone like you on Twitter? He's not a man. I wouldn't even worry about him." Morgan replied.

"Maybe you're right." Summer exhaled as they headed to the gorilla.

"And coming up next, Morgan and Summer Rae will take on Nikki Bella and Eva Marie, in tag team action," Tom announced as they went to a commercial.

In the ring, the announce team continues talking about Summer's break up with Fandango while Summer starts to match off with Nikki. Nikki takes control of her throughout the match until she tags in Eva. Eva goes for a DDT and pins Summer for a one count. Summer manages to kick Eva in the head when she tries to lift her up.

"You want some of this!?" Summer asked and tagged in Morgan.

They throw Eva to the ropes and strike her with a double spinning kick to the face, knocking her down. Morgan then pins Eva for the win.

"Effortless..." Summer smiled and celebrated her win with her.

They get their hands raised but then Layla runs out and attacks Summer as the crowd cheers.

"And looks like they're going at it again!" Byron exclaimed as they fought up the ramp.

Morgan was left in the ring, looking on with an amused look on her face. She is about to leave the ring but sees Randy and Rosa on the titantron. The crowd boos them, while the Outspoken Diva starts to look skeptical. What were they doing here and what did they want?

"Hey, Morgan! Nice match out there." Rosa waved, while Orton had a sick grin on his face "So you know how I told you I was gonna get you back, mentally?"

"Rosa and I decided to give one of your close family members a visit," Orton informed as the shot revealed her father beaten down.

"Don't do that...don't. Leave my family out of this!" The Outspoken Diva shouted, shaking her head.

"Yeah. Your father and I have been getting to know each other a lot." Rosa smiled and began to laugh. "That punt Randy gave him was nice. You should have seen it."

She quickly ran backstage to find them.

"Where is he!? Have you seen him!?" She shouted at the people backstage as they pointed to where he was.

After a minute of running, she finally finds her dad.

"Dad! Dad." She kneels down and helps him. "Dad..."

Why would they sink so low? Her father had nothing to do with this.

All of a sudden, she gets hit with a steel pipe on the back of her neck and falls, face first, next to her dad.

"Be smart...and walk away. Walk away from all of this," Orton growled.

"Do the right choice, Morgan. Do the right choice and walk away from this. Don't come to Payback on Sunday. Please for your own good. This is what's best for you. Go home. Go home and be with your family. Things around here aren't the same as they used to be last year." Rosa dropped the pipe and patted Orton's back before they left the scene.

----------

After the show, Melanie goes back into her hotel room which she shared with Jon. Things continued to get a little rocky as he wasn't that engaged in wanting to spend time together which got her annoyed.

"Is something wrong? You've been acting really weird. And really distracted. Like when we were trying to watch a movie, you've been on your phone the whole time." Melanie complained.

Jon exhaled sharply and began to look annoyed at her ranting. Then he decided to toss his phone on the bed to give her his attention.

"Happy now?" he asked.

"Whoa, what's up with the mood change? Relax..."

"I told you, I'm tired."

"Tired of what?" She asked but didn't get an answer as his phone started to ring again.

It's like everyone's new word is tired. Everyone's been starting to say that these past few days. When she asked Joe if he knew why Jon was acting weird, he would give her the same answer 'He's just tired.'

"I gotta take this." He grabbed his phone.

"You don't gotta. You want to." She mumbled. "It's like you're happier on the phone than with me."

"Don't start..."

"I didn't start anything, you did." She grabbed her bag and left the room.

Heading to the elevator, she bumped into Randy. "Can I room with you?" she asked.

"Hey, to you, too. What's wrong?"

"Jon's acting weird. He's always on his phone. He never wants to do stuff with me. Do you know something?"

He paused for a few moments, debating if he should tell her what's been really going on or not. He hated lying to her but had no choice for now. If Jon didn't tell her soon, he would tell her.

"I don't think so. Maybe he's just really tired. He's working hard in this business. Maybe he just needs rest."

"Tired..."

'Maybe something is up. Everyone's starting to give me the same answer. And I don't think it's just a coincidence.' She thought.

---------

On Smackdown, the titantron reveals Morgan lighting up a lighter as the crowd cheers. She puts the fire away and closes the lighter before looking into the camera.

"Let me tell you a story...I told myself I'd never go down that path again...I told myself I would never use her to inflict pain. But I have this dark place...and it scares me when I go into this dark place and unleash Harley. But it's a dark place I like to be in at times...Because all I want to do at Payback is make all of you suffer. I want to mutilate Evolution and Rosa...You guys are so entertaining to watch when you yell and scream. And I've been thinking these past few days...Harley keeps telling me the things I'm going to do to you, at Payback..." She started shedding tears.

"It's driving me crazy!" She screamed as she continued crying. But seconds later she started laughing. "But you know what? I love it. I love that deranged voice in my head. I love the violent thoughts in my head. It's...soothing...relaxing...and you know what I see? I can see you now...begging me to stop, asking for forgiveness. Would you like to know what I'm going to do to you? Would you like a little glimpse? I'm going to do something...I'm going to do something big...I want to use something better than just weapons. I dunno like...fire?"

She opened the lighter again and lit it up as the camera revealed a table in front of her while the crowd cheered at the idea.

"You see I want to savor the moment. A chair shot won't do me any good until I see some real pain. And no matter what you do, like going after my neck, or family, I will keep coming for you. At Payback, I promise that something...or someone will ignite." She announced as the crowd gave her a big pop. "You can't get rid of me that easily. I am a force to be reckoned with. Believe that...and believe in me." She put her fist out before setting the table on fire.

"She's officially lost her mind," JBL mumbled.

"Strong words. Will The Shield be victorious at Payback, this Sunday?" Cole asked as they went to a commercial.

--------

After the Live Event on Saturday, Melanie and Jon managed to be on good terms again after he apologized for being distant and gave her a bouquet of flowers and a bag of grapes to keep her happy a little longer.

He pondered about how long he should keep his secret hidden from her. He knew it was wrong to lie but part of him wanted to wait a little longer before telling her what's been going on.

He met up with Renee on the first floor the the hotel.

"I'm sorry for the trouble I caused," Jon said.

"Sorry? Don't be sorry." She smiled. "Doing this with you makes me happy. I don't regret anything. You're trying your best to make sure she stays safe. Things will be okay. I just hope we don't get caught before you actually tell her. Melanie can get irate pretty easily."

"Hey." He put his hands on her shoulders. "I'm gonna let her take all her anger out on me. Not you. You don't deserve it. You're only trying to help,"

"Thank you. I'll see you later." She hugged him and left to go on the elevator.

"You didn't tell Mel, yet?" Joe asked as he, Colby, Randy, and Stu walked over to him.

"No..." Jon sighed. "This is stressing me out,"

"You really want an irate laurer in front of you? Let me repeat, Laurer. Someone who is related to the Ninth Wonder of the World. Melanie's gonna kick your ass, Jon. I'd tell her right now if I were you. If you still want your teeth and have no bruises." Stu recommended.

"Melanie is going to find out sooner or later. She has the right to know what's going on. I'm concerned about her reaction. I don't know if she's going to be sad, mad, distraught. I don't know...but I'm not looking forward to this." Randy added.

"And Melanie isn't stupid, Jon. She may even be playing dumb until she reaches her breaking point." Colby added. "I just don't want her to get hurt. We don't want to see her cry."

"You and me both...it just happened so fast. I just keep digging this deep hole of lies." Jon explained.

---------

Backstage at Payback, Melanie snuck up on Colby and smacked him with a sandwich.

"Smack cam!" She shouted and ran away, while the Usos laughed at him.

"Damn!" Jon Uso laughed. "She got you good."

"Don't worry, I'm a master at this. She's going down." Colby reassured and cleaned his face.

So far the Smack Cam war was going back and forth but it needed a little twist. Maybe the next Melanie tried to smack him, he could counter it with his own attack.

-----------

The Payback PPV was underway and it was almost time for the main event. After Bad News Barrett's match against RVD, Morgan was with Renee Young as they were shown backstage.

"Everyone my guest at this time, The Outspoken diva herself, Morgan Lopez." Renee smiled as the crowd cheered.

"Hi." Morgan grinned.

"So Morgan, what's going through your head tonight? We saw the promo on Smackdown, Randy and Rosa attacked your father, what is going on?"

"My dad is okay. He left the hospital this morning. Thank goodness he didn't suffer any serious injuries. Right now, I'm getting a lot of...deadly thoughts in my head against Evolution and Rosa. Some of it is not PG, but um, I know I'm gonna make sure that I kick all their asses."

"Can we expect Harley, tonight?"

"Oh yeah. Right now, I'm calm but when I get in that ring and get the weapons out, then there's going to be chaos. My boys and I are going to win tonight. And we're gonna finally shut Evolution and Rosa up, once and for all."

-----------

After Paige's match against Alicia, Rosa is backstage with Renee as the crowd boos.

"Everyone, please welcome Rosa Mendes. So Rosa, what are your plans against The Shield and Morgan?"

"First of all, Morgan is bipolar and she's a psychopath. She needs to be in a straight jacket and far away from this company. She wants to put me on fire? I know I'm hot, but there is no way, she has the guts to do that. And besides, if she wants to get to me, she's going to have to go through Evolution. And they aren't going to let that deranged little girl mess with me. You see, I met up with an old friend of mine. You may know her as Beth Phoenix. She taught me some moves that I'm going to do on Morgan tonight."

"If you don't mind me asking, what's with the scissors?"

Rosa had a pair of orange scissors in her hands. She looks at it and chuckles.

"Oh, this? I think Morgan's long hair needs to get trimmed. So snip, snip, ya little bitch!"

"Morgan's hair is going to get cut, tonight?" King asked with worry as the camera shifted to Morgan stretching backstage.

"I hope not," JBL said as she met up with Dean, Roman, and Seth.

"Ready?" Roman asked.

Morgan nodded and walked in front of them. "Let's do this."

"And coming up next, The Shield and Evolution," Cole informed.

"This is going to be a war," JBL said with enthusiasm.

-----------

Melanie, Jon, Joe, and Colby were waiting for their cue to walk through the crowd. Evolution and Milena were making their entrances, while Jon was walking around, Colby was going over the match with a stagehand, and Joe was wetting his hair.

"Our last match together," Melanie mumbled as she started thinking about the memories she's had with The Shield.

"We're gonna make it memorable." Joe grinned.

"Morgan! You are fine!" A male fan shouted. "If you guys need me to come out with ya'll, I got you!"

She grinned and gave him a high five. "I'll keep that in mind!"

Evolution's theme fades away as Melanie and the guys get ready to walk out. She exhales and gets into character. She was going to miss walking through the crowd. But all good things had to come to an end. She had the best time working with her boys. But now it was almost time for them to go their separate ways and do their own thing. They made history together as a team, but now they were going to work on their singles competition.

The Shield walks out with Morgan walking in front of them and tagging hands as she goes down the steps.

"Here they come, the Hounds of Justice," JBL said.

"This is gonna be...a collision," Cole said.

As soon as they get in the ring, they have a stare down with Evolution and Rosa.

Celeste tweets 'Am I the only one who can't wait to see WWEMorgan101 go crazy'

'Ding Ding Ding'

"And here we go—­oh!" Cole shouted as Morgan speared Rosa outside the ring and started unloading on her.

"Speared her right out of the ring!" King said as the guys went at it.

Orton and Ambrose start fighting in the crowd along with Batista and Reigns, while Rollins goes at it with Triple H. Rosa slides into the ring while Morgan follows her.

"And now it's just the divas in the ring while Evolution and The Shield are fighting around in the arena," Cole informed.

Rosa kicks her in the stomach and throws her into the corner. She sets her up on the top rope and does a handstand while wrapping her shins around Morgan's neck. Morgan grabs her legs and puts them down to her hips before pulling her up as they start punching each other back and forth.

"Be careful ladies!" King shouted while Orton and Ambrose fought near the announcer's table.

Seth gets thrown into the barricade by Triple H.

"This is difficult to follow. We got guys fighting all over the arena." JBL said as Triple H got dumped back at ringside, while Orton slammed Dean into the barricade.

Triple H throws Dean into the timekeeper's area while Cole continues talking about how this match means being the best. All of a sudden, Rosa and Morgan fall off the top rope as the crowd 'Ohs' at the impact. Morgan was down and out, face first, while Rosa was on her back. Meanwhile, Roman takes control of Batista in the ring while Rollins stands on the apron. Triple H and Orton were on the apron in their corner.

"I hope they're okay," King said with concern as the camera showed the divas still down and out.

"The first elimination of this match is gonna be huge," JBL looked on as Rollins got taken control of by Evolution.

The divas recover and get on the apron. Rollins, who was now in the ring with Batista manages to tag in Morgan.

"Batista's staggering," Cole said before Morgan hit him with a front dropkick, making him get on his knees.

She runs to the ropes and strikes him down with a hard shining wizard, before going for a one count. She gets on the top rope and tries to go for a crossbody but gets caught by Batista. He slams her down on his knee, making her yell out in pain.

"You should have stayed home, little girl." He taunted before pinning her for a two count.

"I want in." Rosa had her hand out and he tagged her in, earning loud boos.

She throws Morgan out of the ring and throws her into the barricade, making The Shield even madder.

"You think that's real funny, huh!?" Dean shouts before getting held back by Rollins.

Rosa throws her back in the ring and starts throwing her across the ring by her hair.

"I think I see some of Morgan's hair, starting to be yanked out by Rosa," King observed as he saw some pieces of her hair in the ring.

She receives her pair of scissors from Randy and puts Morgan into a headlock, grabbing a handful of her hair.

"Say goodbye to your long hair!" She shouted as she managed to cut some of her hair, despite Morgan's attempts to escape her hold.

"Oh no, her hair!" King said while Rosa released her and gave Randy the scissors.

Morgan touches the back of her head and exhales. Instead of her hair being in the middle of her back, it was only a few inches below her neck. Normally she would freak out and lash out but it's just hair. It'll grow back. She wasn't going to let Rosa have her fun. Rosa starts laughing at the sight while Morgan stands up.

"Is that all you got? A haircut?" She rolled her eyes.

Taken aback at the comment by Morgan, Rosa runs towards her but gets clotheslined. She tags in Rollins while Rosa quickly rolls over to her corner and tags in Orton.

"I can't believe she cut my hair." The Outspoken Diva shook her head and ran a hand through it.

"Looks badass to me." Roman complimented.

"Don't worry, you still look beautiful even with the shortened hair." Dean kissed her on the cheek, making her smile.

"Thanks guys." She smiled before Dean got tagged in and went for a double suplex with Seth.

"Ambrose is a strange bird but effective," Cole said while he took control of Orton. "Ambrose loves to trash talk and he believes in himself. The Shield has been awesome. They all four have massive egos. But they've been able to keep their egos in check for the team, which is why they've been successful. Which is why they beat Evolution."

Roman gets tagged in but gets kicked in the stomach. Orton tags in Batista as the crowd boos but gets taken down by a clothesline from Reigns.

"Batista just got blasted by Reigns! I mean absolutely blasted!" Cole exclaimed.

"Go Roman!" Morgan cheered on.

Roman drags Batista towards his corner and tags her in as she gets on the top rope.

"Here comes The Shield's girl." King grinned as she went for a moonsault.

She pins Batista for a two count as he starts getting up. She tries to go for a kick but he grabs her foot and sets it down as he lifts her up for a suplex.

"Come on Morg! Get out of it!" Seth shouted while she started kicking her legs.

"If Batista slams her down, this one may be over for her," JBL warned.

"Slam her down!" Rosa shouted with enthusiasm.

But Morgan manages to land on her feet and counter with a neckbreaker as the crowd cheers. Rosa tags herself in and goes for a spinning heel kick but Morgan evades it and hits her with a roundhouse kick to the face.

Celeste tweets 'I hope WWEMorgan101 starts getting mad soon. Unleash that anger!'

She starts throwing Rosa across the ring while yelling in frustration. She throws her into the corner and connects with a handspring back elbow as she slides down.

"Good grief!" JBL laughed while she started stomping on Rosa repeatedly.

She drags her to the middle of the ring and grabs her left leg to give her a single leg crab submission.

"Do you submit!?" The ref asked while Rosa started crawling over to the ropes.

"Come on, Rosa! Don't tap!" Batista shouted.

"You got her right where you want her. Stay on her." Seth cheered on.

"If Rosa taps out right here, The Shield will have a four on three advantage. Can Rosa escape this hold?" Cole asked and moments later she got to the ropes.

Morgan releases her and tries to grab her again but Rosa holds on to the ropes as the ref pulls her off. As soon as Rosa stands up, she hits The Outspoken diva with a swinging neckbreaker.

"Neckbreaker out of nowhere!" King shouted as she went for the pin but got a two count.

"Come on!" Rosa complained to the ref.

She wanted Morgan out of this match ASAP. She will not be a victim of her wrath during this match. She decides to put her into a Camel Clutch in the middle of the ring as the crowd tries to motivate her to escape.

"Rosa was Beth's intern and Beth even visited her so she could show her some moves. I wonder how far Rosa is going to go with this." Cole said.

Rosa releases the hold and makes Morgan stand up. She hooks Morgan's arms from behind and lifts her up in the air.

"We've seen this before!"

"Glam slam," King announced as she slammed her down face first while sitting out.

She bends Morgan's knees and grabs her arms as she pulls back, making her yell out in pain. Moments later she decides to release her arms and grab her neck instead, putting her in an inverted camel clutch crunch.

"She's tryna break her in half! Her body isn't supposed to bend that way!" Cole shouted.

"Tap out!" Rosa screamed. "They don't love you, Morgan! The crowd doesn't love you!"

The Shield was starting to look concerned for Morgan because of the way her body was bending. She was on the verge of tears because she felt like her back was about to snap. But she couldn't give up. She didn't come all this way to give up now. She couldn't let her team down. As a last resort, she decides to use her arms and try to make Rosa release her neck.

"She's fighting back, she's fighting back," Seth said with relief as he and his teammates looked on intently.

"You can't break the heart she has in the ring," Roman added as Morgan finally escaped the hold but rolled over, still exhausted at the pain she suffered.

She starts holding her back while Rosa begins crawling over to her team.

"Come on Morg." Ambrose put his hand out as she started slowly crawling over to him.

She finally tags him in while Batista gets tagged in. Dean starts taking control and tries to go for a front dropkick but gets planted with a spinebuster. Triple H gets tagged in and starts dominating him until he manages to tag in Roman. The crowd cheers loudly while Reigns and Triple H have a stare down.

"Let's see you get your ass kicked!" Seth shouted while Roman winked at Triple H.

"Did you just see Roman wink at Triple H?" JBL asked.

"Triple H did not take too kindly to that. Did you see his face?" Cole chuckled. "Playing mind games with the game, himself?"

"Yeah, you can't play mind games with the Cerebral Assassin."

"Maybe he just had hair in his eye," King assumed.

Triple H and Roman lock up and Roman gets put into a headlock. He throws him to the ropes and slams Triple H down with a shoulder block.

"Hahaha!" Morgan laughed out loud while Hunter rolled over to kneel at the corner, looking taken aback.

"Come on, Hunter!" Orton shouted.

Triple H and Roman circle around each other again and Roman drops him with a big clothesline and starts taking control of his arm. The Shield start to tag each other back and forth as they continue taking control of Triple H.

"Frequent tags by The Shield." Cole looked on.

"That's a good strategy." King complimented while Dean started hitting Hunter with a foot choke on the turnbuckle.

"Come on, Hunter! Who's the man, now!? Who's the man, now, huh?" Ambrose trash talked.

"Triple H is getting destroyed here," Cole observed. "Rosa, Batista, and Orton gotta be getting concerned, John."

Ambrose tries to go for a high risk move but gets kicked in the face. Triple H tags in Batista and he drags him out of the ring.

"Oh no, no, no," Seth said as he started to look concerned.

Batista throws Dean into the barricade. He lifts Dean up and drops him down on his chest on the barricade while the crowd chants 'Blu tista' because of his blue wrestling attire. The ref was distracted by Seth trying to call out Evolution and Rosa, as they took advantage by striking Dean with cheap shots.

"Come on, Ambrose! Come on, Ambrose." Seth said while Dean continued getting pummeled.

Dean gets hit by Triple H's signature moves as he leans back in between the ropes and comes back to drop him with a clothesline. Orton and Batista start yelling at Triple H to get up while Seth gets hyped up.

"Come on!" Roman shouted while Dean started crawling over to his team.

Roman and Batista get tagged in and Roman unloads on The Animal and cleans house. He hits Batista with his signature dropkick off the apron as the crowd gives him a big pop. He goes for the Superman punch and hits him with it.

"Superman punch!" Cole shouted as he went for the pin but Orton broke it up and started hitting him with punches to the face until Ambrose grabbed him off of him.

All the guys get in the ring and start beating up each other.

"It's breaking down again," King said while the divas looked on.

Rollins gets thrown into the crowd while Triple H continues the assault. Wanting to get into the action, Morgan goes right after Rosa who starts running away from her.

"Where ya doing?" She shouted as she started chasing her through the crowd.

Triple H and Rollins continue fighting in the tech area while everyone starts fighting in the crowd. Seth gets on the equipment and tries to go for a dive but the crowd 'Ohs' when Triple H slams his head with a weapon.

"What was that?" Cole asked as Seth landed face first, out cold.

"Somethin' metal," King replied.

Morgan finally catches Rosa, running to where Triple H and Rollins are. She grabs her and throws her down before giving her hard shots to the face. Triple H grabs her off of her by the hair as she tries to break free of his hold.

"Get off of me!" Morgan shouted.

The crowd 'Ohs' when Triple H slams her down on her back, on the ground with a spinebuster.

"Lemme at 'em!" Rosa said and he grabbed Morgan while she set her up for the gory bomb. "Nighty night!" She shouted and slamned her down.

Morgan starts holding her nose as the crowd continues to get excited at the chaos happening.

"Morgan just got laid out!" Cole shouted.

Meanwhile back in the ring, Roman throws Batista shoulder first into the barricade. He walks over to the Spanish announce table and slams his hands on the table.

"It's my table, now!" He shouted as he started taking everything off.

"Roman Reigns with bad intentions." Cole looked on.

"Watch it!" King shouted as Orton knocked Roman down from taking items off the Spanish announce table.

"Randy Orton from behind!" Cole said.

Randy, with the help of Triple H, continues to pummel Roman down.

"All members of The Shield are down. Morgan is somewhere in the crowd. Man, I hope she's okay. That spinebuster and Gory Bomb looked nasty." King fretted.

All he could think about was Morgan and the moves she suffered at the hands of Triple H and Rosa. He was anticipating her to get up sooner but it looked like she was really hurt. Triple H throws Roman, shoulder first into the steel steps while Randy finally clears off the table.

"Reigns is down and out. No idea where Rollins and Ambrose are." Cole said as the commentators started talking about how Rollins got hit with something by Triple H and how Morgan got taken out.

Randy and Triple H position Roman for the triple powerbomb as they lift him up, with the help of Batista.

"Oh no," JBL mumbled.

"Here he goes oh!" King shouted as Reigns got slammed down on the Spanish announce table. "That's gotta be it."

"Now all four members of The Shield are down and out. But still, no one has been eliminated." Cole informed while Rosa met up with Evolution. A couple of refs jog over to Roman to check on him. "Reigns is out."

Evolution and Rosa mock The Shield by doing their pose but then the crowd explodes into loud cheers when Ambrose jumps on the announce table and jumps on top of them.

"Dean Ambrose, right across our table, and taking out Evolution!" Cole shouted.

Triple H and Orton hold on to each other at ringside as they help each other up. But then Rollins gets in the ring and dives on top of them at ringside.

"Where is my Morgan?" King looked around after calling the action of what just happened.

"Morgan is nowhere to be found. I haven't seen her since she got laid out by The Game and Rosa." Cole informed.

Dean starts hammering away at Randy on the ramp, while Batista has his way with Rollins.

"This is basically four on two right now because Roman Reigns is laid out, and Morgan is still nowhere to be found. Can we get a camera on her to know her whereabouts?" JBL asked while Evolution continued beating down Dean and Seth.

"Hit him." Batista grabbed Dean from behind for Rosa and she hit him with a hard kick to the stomach.

Batista continues the assault by throwing him to the barricade.

"This fight has gone everywhere," Cole exclaimed. "Evolution is absolutely dominating now."

"I'm not surprised. Evolution has done that their entire career." JBL replied.

--------

A weak, and dazed Morgan was lying on her stomach, still laid out from the assault she received minutes ago. She groans and tries to attempt to crawl.

'Get up...you have to move your body... please.' She thought in her head.

Everything was still a blur to her after Rosa slammed her face down on the ground.

"Come on, Morgan! Get up! Your boys need you! The Shield need your help! Go Morgan! Go crazy! Morgan go crazy!" Different fans shouted to try to motivate her.

It seemed to have worked because her grogginess started to go away as she began to stagger up to her feet. She exhales and regains her composure before walking near the ring, through the crowd. She could hear a loud chair shot from the stage and started to get nervous. What happened? Was everyone okay? Were her boys winning? Or getting dominated?

She jumps over the barricade and rushes over to Roman. It looked like a car accident at ringside.

"Dude! The hell happened to you?" She exclaimed as she tried to help him.

Meanwhile, to Evolution, they point to the ring as they spot Morgan and stalk over to her. Rosa receives a chair from Orton and manages to whack Morgan's back with it.

"Rosa with the chair!" Cole shouted.

Batista grabs a pair of handcuffs from Rosa's cleavage that she's been holding throughout the match and throws Morgan into the ring.

"Why do they have handcuffs?" King asked as Morgan crawled over to the ropes that were facing the stage. Rosa grabs Morgan's left wrist and handcuffs it to the middle rope. "Oh no."

"Oh no," JBL repeated.

"This is not good," Cole said as Roman crawled into the ring, still trying to get up. "And Roman has managed to drag himself back in the ring after being put into the announce table."

Evolution meets up with Rosa in the ring as they stand on the apron, surrounding Morgan and Roman. Roman, who was on his hands and knees, looked around.

"I think we might get a double elimination," JBL predicted.

Orton grabs a chair and slides it in the ring, walking up to Morgan, who is continuing to recover from Rosa's chair shot. Realization hits her as she finally witnesses her wrist being handcuffed to the ropes. She tries to pull and kick the rope but it does not do any good.

"Damn it!" She turned around and stood face to face with the Viper, who tilted his head to the side, giving her a sick smirk.

She growls and tries to reach out to him but fails as he positions the chair to her head.

"No!" Roman shouted as she got her head struck against the chair and dropped to her knees.

Roman who is still hurt and clenching in his stomach, manages to get on his feet, shooting Evolution a resentful facial expression. He then goes after Batista but gets planted with a spinebuster.

"You wanna help her? Huh? How are you gonna help her? Hit her again." Triple H ordered while Orton hit her again with the chair, making her groan and drop back down to her knees after she tried to stand back up.

Rosa grabs Morgan's chin, making her stand up. "Doesn't feel so good does it?" She pushed her face away. "Hit her again!"

Orton whacks her in the face once more as she drops back down to her knees. But all of a sudden, she starts laughing.

"She's laughing! What's wrong with her?" JBL exclaimed.

"Is...is that all? It takes a pair of handcuffs to take me down?" The Outspoken Diva looked up at them. "You guys are really scared of me, huh? Truth is, you should be."

"Shut up!" Rosa screamed and slapped her in the face but she just chuckled at the pain.

"Hah...d­—don't make me laugh..." The Shield's girl stood back up but got assaulted with the chair again, by Orton. "Thank you, sir, may I have another?"

Her eyes get a little bigger, making Rosa stumble back. She had seen that look before. That was that crazed look before she got decimated by Morgan on Raw. But she was handcuffed, so she should be okay. Or so she thought.

"Stay down!" Orton yelled and hit her again, making her fall to her knees.

Morgan's shortened hair was all in her face as she dropped her head down so her face wouldn't be seen.

Celeste tweets 'That's a scary sight. Is she mad? Sad? Move the hair from her face! I wanna see! Is she going to get possessed?'

The crowd starts chanting 'Morgan go crazy!' to try to motivate her.

"This crowd really wants this woman to go nuts! I never want to be a victim of Harley mode." JBL said.

"You and me both!" Cole agreed as Batista slid a steel step into the ring. "Oh no. They really want to hurt those two bad. They want to eliminate all members of The Shield. And not just from the match."

Triple H and Orton start stripping Roman's vest and undershirt off.

"They're not trying to eliminate them; they want to destroy The Shield," JBL reminded.

Triple H walks over to Morgan and roughly grabs her by the hair to make her face him. "I want you to have a front row seat for this...I want you to watch as I make your little boy suffer. And you're not gonna do a damn thing, but sit here and watch."

"No!" She tried to get out of his hold while Orton slid three kendo sticks in the ring. "Don't do it! Just hit me instead!"

"Oh no, don't do it. Please." He mocked her voice before chuckling. "I'm going to enjoy this."

He releases her and places Roman on top of the steel steps, with his bare back exposed.

"Stop it!" Morgan shouted.

"Aw, is Morgy gonna cry?" Rosa taunted.

Orton gives Batista a kendo stick while Triple H pulls Roman's arms. He raises the kendo stick in the air, paying attention to Morgan's reactions.

"No! No!" she screamed as she struggled with the handcuffs. "Don't do it! Please!"

Orton gives her a sadistic grin before giving Roman a sharp blow to the back.

"Enough! Just leave him alone!"

Batista connects with a sharp whack to the back, making her flinch. The sound was too much for her to handle as she cringes at the sight. Orton whacks his back again, making Roman yell out in pain. Morgan had to look away. This scene was unbearable to listen and to watch. She clenches her right fist as she continues listening to the brutal sounds of the kendo sticks, connecting to Roman's helpless back.

Morgan hated this feeling of being helpless. Each kendo stick she heard, the more her eyes started to tear up. But the sounds of Roman yelling and screaming out in pain were unbearable as she began to cry.

"This is too much. Morgan��­she's...she's reaching her breaking point." King looked on with worry.

"Can't take the heat?" JBL asked. "It's all legal."

After they are done, they drop the kendo sticks. Roman's back was bruised and had a lot of marks on it. It was an unpleasant sight to see. Orton stalks up to Morgan and wipes the tears from her eyes before licking them.

"Taste that? That's the taste of defeat." Orton said. "We tried to warn you. Now look what you've done." He chuckled while Morgan started to seethe as she began breathing heavily.

Her chest raised up and down at a fast pace, while gritting her teeth, giving her foes a fierce look.

"Oh look. She's angry." Rosa pointed and laughed while Randy grabbed a chair.

But then he gets taken down by Roman's Superman punch, making the crowd cheer until Triple H and Batista take him down again. While Evolution and Rosa are distracted with Reigns, Morgan gets released out of the handcuffs by the referee, after minutes of trying to get her free.

"Uh oh! What's going on with Morgan?"Cole asked as she put her hands over her head and started screaming as loud as she could.

The crowd starts chanting 'Morgan go crazy!' again as she starts slamming her fists on the mat.

"Leave him alone!" She screamed as she dropped Rosa and Evolution down with brutal chair shots.

Tears of frustration started to come down her face as she continued to decimate all four of them with a chair.

"Morgan has lost it again!" Cole shouted.

She gets out of the ring with the chair and starts hitting the barricade with it.

"Morgan! Don't go into that dark place!" King cried.

"I think it's too late!"

"Morgan! Morgan! Wait, don't lose your cool!" JBL shouted as she began hitting the announce table with the chair.

A couple of refs try to restrain her but she snaps her head towards them, giving them a crazed look as they flinch and back off.

"I DON'T CARE!" She yelled before dragging Rosa out of the ring.

She throws her into the steel steps, before throwing her into a steel post, making her scream out in pain and hold her arm.

"I love the sound of you screaming in pain! Let's get louder!" She laughed and roughly grabbed her by the hair. "YOU WANTED TO SEE ME LIKE THIS AGAIN, HUH!?" She screamed in her face before throwing her into the barricade and then the ring, back and forth.

"Ref! Do your job! Stop this woman!" JBL shouted. "She's gone bonkers!"

"Do you see the intensity on Morgan's face?" Cole asked.

"I believe Rosa is regretting everything she's done bad in her life, right now." King looked on.

She grabs two steel chairs and places one for Rosa's head to lie on while she has the other in her hands. She starts whacking Rosa's head down with the chair back and forth while continuing to scream.

"The deranged Morgan Lopez is taking out all her frustrations on Evolution and Rosa,"

Morgan drops the chair and continues laughing wickedly. "LET'S GET CRAZY!" She screamed at the crowd who cheered her on.

She starts slowly walking around the ring a couple of times while touching each steel post that she has passed.

"She's just walking around the ring. Stalking her prey. What is she gonna do next?" Cole wondered.

She slides into the ring and crawls over to Orton's laid out body. She sees him bleeding a little from the head, from her chair shots and decides to wipe it off with her right hand.

"Looks like Orton has been busted open,"

Morgan examines the blood on her hand with a wicked grin before licking it clean with one lick.

"Morgan! Stop it! You just licked blood! You're not a vampire! Do something!" JBL shouted.

"I'm not gettin' in that ring!" Cole objected as she stood up.

"Taste that?!" The Outspoken turned Harley Quinn diva mocked Orton. "Haha!" She laughed out loud while leaning back like she was about to do a body bridge.

She leans back up and tilts her head, giving Orton another crazed look. She slowly raises him up, mimicking the way he would slowly pick up his opponents for a nasty RKO. She looks into his eyes as he looks astounded at what she's done. Then, she hits him with a brutal backfire as the crowd 'Ohs' at the impact.

"I hope she's not going on a killing spree because she just laid out Orton and he isn't moving at all," JBL cringed.

Morgan turned to Roman. "You want some of this?"

"Nah, I'm good. You can handle it," he replied with an amused smile.

He thought it was funny how everyone got decimated when she unleashed Harley and was just glad he wasn't a victim of it. Morgan sees Triple H crawling over to her feet. She smirks and kneels to grab him by the chin.

"Game over." She said with aggression and picked him up to give him the Morganizer.

Her hair was all in her face and wild from the assault she had given her opponents. She begins to look calm as she sits in the middle of the ring, pretzel style while rocking back and forth, doing a neck roll. All members of Evolution were laid out around her in the ring, while Roman was in the corner, recovering.

Celeste tweets 'Man...WWEMorgan101 has gone batshit crazy! I love it!'

"You think Roman should stop her?" King asked.

"He's actually enjoying it. He does want Evolution and Rosa to suffer, just as much as Morgan, Rollins, and Ambrose do." Cole looked on.

"I...I still can't believe what Morgan just did. She just subdued Evolution and Rosa for the time being." JBL said.

Morgan continued rocking back and forth. All that Evolution and Rosa have done to her. From going after her father to almost breaking her neck. But she made them pay. She got her revenge.

"I want more..." She mumbled. "...more pain...more suffering...something big...better...something like fire... yes...fire. I'm excited." She started giggling to herself before sliding out of the ring.

"M­—Morgan what are you doing?" King asked as she grabbed a table and positioned it at ringside, near the ramp with the crowd's cheers getting louder.

"LET'S GET CRAZY!" She shouted at the crowd before putting lighter fluid onto the table.

"Morgan! What are you doing!? Stop her! Stop her, right now!" JBL shouted. "This is not Morgan! She is possessed! Put her in a straight jacket along with Ambrose! Where is Ambrose!? Make him calm her down! Do somethin'!"

"She's lost her mind!" Cole chuckled but things started to get serious when she slowly took out a lighter. "No. No way. She's not gonna do this!"

"Morgan, think about what you're doing!" King shouted.

She closes her eyes and pauses as she rethinks every single negative thing Rosa has done to her.

"Morgan don't. Morgan don't!" JBL warned as she opened her eyes and put the table on fire. "No! No! Put it out! This is uncalled for!"

"You've gotta be kiddin' me!" Cole shouted.

"Somebody get a damn fire extinguisher!"

Morgan watches the flames and glances at Rosa who is still down and out, at ringside. She starts walking over to her but then Rosa manages to slide back into the ring, still groggy from the beating. She follows her but feels strong arms around her waist, and a built chest against her back.

"Morgan, calm down. We got them right where we want them." Roman hugged her from behind.

The Outspoken Diva needed to calm down before she started getting reckless. If she was still in Harley Mode, she would have possibly been blindsided by Rosa and thrown onto the table of flames. She needs to be focused.

"Thank you, Roman!" JBL started clapping while Morgan exhaled and started to calm down.

Meanwhile, Rosa sighs out of relief and gets on the apron, almost near the table of fire.

"Breathe. I need you to come back to me. You all right?" Roman released her and put his hands on her shoulders. "Come back to me, Morg. You good?"

"Yeah...I'm good." She replied, back to her usual self. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"This is all my fault. I couldn't help you."

"You helped, all right. Look at this car wreck."

They look around. Barricades lost their covers, steel steps all over the place, destroyed announce tables, chairs all over the place, a flaming table, bodies screwed everywhere.

"Harley didn't miss a beat," he added.

Evolution start to recover while Rosa manages to jump on Roman's back. Morgan manages to drag her off of him while Evolution starts taking control of him outside the ring with chair shots. Triple H continues whacking Roman's back with the chair as they walk up the ramp.

Meanwhile, with the divas, Morgan throws Rosa over the apron, near the table of fire and tries to push her down in it.

"No!" Rosa shouted and poked her in the eyes.

"Ow!" Morgan stumbled back. "Are you kiddin'?!"

"Looks like Morgan lost a lot of momentum from her Harley attack. How much momentum does she have left?" Cole wondered.

Rosa looks back at the stage as she sees Triple H continuing to beat Roman down with those chair shots. But then Ambrose recovers and starts fighting back. Seconds later, he starts getting wrestled down by Evolution. Rosa turns around and manages to kick Morgan back again, who tries to push her down on the flaming table.

"This is dangerous! Move away from the table!" JBL shouted as the crowd looked on with anticipation.

They were torn between looking at the guys wrestling on the stage, or the divas.

"I got a feeling the women are going to steal the show," King said. "But maybe not in a painless way."

Morgan manages to punch Rosa in the face, making her lean back, near the flaming table as the crowd gets hyped. She decides to run into the ropes and yells out loud before spearing Rosa off the apron and onto the flaming table, as the crowd starts to sound deafening again with their loud cheers.

"No! No!" JBL shouted.

"Oh my God!" Cole and King shout.

"Are they okay!?" King asked in a high pitched voice.

The flames were quickly extinguished while both divas were laid out.

"The first two divas to ever go through a table of fire!" Cole called as the crowd chanted 'Holy shit!'

"This is not happenin', right now! This is not happening! I thought this was all a bluff to scare Rosa! Why is this happening!?" JBL exclaimed.

Morgan lays on her back and laughs like a mad woman.

"I told you I'd get you." she giggled while the refs started checking on her and Rosa.

"And she's still laughing!" King said, a bit taken aback. "I don't even think the guys are aware of what just happened!"

"We gotta see that again," Cole said as they showed repeats of Morgan spearing Rosa onto the flaming table.

A 'This is awesome' chant surrounds the arena, followed by a 'Thank you divas!' chant.

Back to the guys, Evolution continued their assault on Dean and Roman, not knowing that Seth was on the titantron.

"Hey! Hey! Look it! Look out!" Cole shouted as he dove on top of everybody. "Oh my God! Seth Rollins!"

"How did he get up there!?" King asked while all the guys were down and out.

Celeste tweets 'Holy crap! WWEMorgan101 and WWERollins just went into daredevil mode.'

"Desperation move by Rollins," Cole said as Seth started crawling down the ramp.

He manages to get in the ring, along with Batista. Rollins tries to go for a high risk move but gets speared in mid air. Batista tries to go for the Batista bomb but he escapes it. Roman slides into the ring and spears him.

"Spear by Reigns!" Cole shouted as Seth covered Batista. "Cover!"

"1!"

"2!"

"3!"

"It's four to three! The Shield with four to three!"

"Batista has been eliminated," Justin announced.

"Are you kidding me? How did that happen?" King asked, still in shock at the turn of events.

Morgan smirked to herself. "Good job buddy." She mumbled as she started to get up.

Orton gets in the ring and drops Rollins with an RKO. He quickly goes for the pin but Morgan slides in the ring and breaks it up with Roman. Orton manages to throw Roman out of the ring and turns his attention to Morgan. Still angry at how he got beaten up by her, he starts stomping on her, repeatedly while Rosa gets back in the ring. She picks her up for the gory bomb while Orton goes behind her, to hit Morgan with an RKO at the same time.

She goes for the cover. "Nighty night!"

"1!"

"2!"

"Yeah!" The crowd cheered once Dean broke up the pin.

He grabs a chair and hits Orton's back with it. He drops it down on the mat to hit him with the Dirty Deeds.

"1!"

"2!"

"3!"

"He got it! Guys, it is four on two!" Cole announced. Dean slowly looks up and starts staring at Rosa, who takes a step back. "Ambrose has wanted to get his hands on Rosa for the longest."

Rosa turns around but sees Morgan on the apron, stalking her like prey, before she gets in the ring.

"Okay. Let's just talk about this." She tried to reason.

"I don't think they want to talk. These two have some bad intentions," King said, while Morgan crossed her arms.

She glances at Dean, who gives her a mischievous look.

"What do these two want now? Rosa already suffered enough." JBL groaned.

"It's never enough for The Shield." King reminded.

"Yeah. And it looks like Ambrose and Morgan plan on doing some Dirty Deeds together."

[puppiesandnightlock]

LINK: Goodbye Was Not Our End (pt. 3)

Something about their meeting had been bugging him. It wasn’t the meeting itself, although the awkward air had left something to be desired. It was Damian himself, it was like Jon was now seeing him differently. It could have just been because of the time passed, something past physical appearance, but whatever it was kept a hold onto him for the rest of the day.

He picked Laurel up from the daycare center and let her watch a movie in the meantime, while he attempted to sort himself out.

There was something there and he would not be able to sort it out by himself. He went into his room after double checking Laurel’s activity, and dialed Kathy.

“How did it go?” The words were said the moment she picked up.

“ I also accept hello, how are you, and good evening.” He said, a teasing note in his voice.

“That’s bull, I helped your disastrous fashion choices and you promised me the details on your estranged famous pop star bestie.”  

“It went…okay. I can’t tell if it was more for closure than anything, but we’re going to meet up again.” Jon sighed, putting the phone on speaker and laying on his bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. 

”Well, that’s good, right?” A rustle of papers and a pencil scratching something out on them accompanied her words. ”Even if y’all can’t get back to where ya once were, it can still be turned back into a relationship that means something again.” 

Jon exhaled, fidgeting with his hands. “There was something off about it, almost like I noticed too much and too little at the same time. It felt so good to be back together, you know?”

“Reunion euphoria.” Kathy summarized. *”What was the biggest thing you noticed about him?”

“Well, it faded, I guess, and became awkward.” Jon scratched his scalp gently. “Um, I guess it would have to be his overall physical look.”

”Hmm. Describe it to me?” Kathy sounded almost… amused? No, that couldn’t be right.

“He was taller, but still way shorter than me. Nothing’s changed there.” He chuckled fondly. “All of his features were shared now, an adult’s face. My parents would say that he looks just like his mom.”

“Wasn’t his mom, like, the most beautiful in the world, according to both your parents?” 

Jon sputtered, tips of his ears going red. “W-well, i mean-”

“And didn’t you have a crush on him early on before…I hate to disrespect the dead, but that bitch?” 

“I don’t see what that has to do with anything.” he glowered at the phone from his vantage point on the bed.

”Jon, I think what’s going on here is that you realized he had a glow-up.” Kathy’s voice definitely had a tinge of amusement and it caused the other boy to scowl.

“S’not like he needed one to begin with.” The mutter was still picked up from the other end and caused the girl to laugh, the sound coming a bit staticy.

”There’s your proof, bestie. Look, it doesn’t mean something has to come from it. Objectively speaking, you’re not half bad yourself, and I'm not trying to date you.” 

Jon groaned, shoving a pillow on his face. “I don’t like adulting, Kath, take me back to, like, elementary.”

She snorted. ”It’s not that bad. Look, focus on rebuilding your friendship, getting somewhere is the first step. If you need me to pick up Laurel one of these days, you know I'm always happy to be Aunt Kathy with the angel.” 

“Mkay.” He took the pillow from his face and stared at the ceiling. “I’ll let you know. Thanks, Kathy.”

“Of course. Who else would help you sort out your disastrous life?” She laughed on the other end. “Take care of yourself, talk later.”

The call ended and Jon was left with more confusion than before.

Jon_Kent

Hey  

ROBIN_Official

Hi 

Jon_Kent

It was rlly good to c u again 

Ik u said we could meet up again 

And i thought it might be easier to have my number? 

Its xxx-xxx-xxxx 

ROBIN_Official is typing… 

Unknown number 

Its damian hi 

Im free next wednesday 

Awesome same plac as last time 

Yeah, sounds good. Same time? 

Sure sounds good. Cya then ^^ 

See you then! 

Gradually, the visits became regular weekly events, the old, crumbled bond being the foundation for a new tentative relationship to be built on top, not quite what it once was, but something healing under the bandaid. Every meeting and visit, the long missed conversations lasting well into the nights was a new stitch in the gash.

Damian became D, then Damian again, before Dames, and Dame and over the few months, it became Dami again, affectionate and sweet.

The stiffness faded, and they fell into an easy new rhythm none were willing to break. The subject of their past was a dark, locked chest in the top shelf, gathering dust. Opening it would be Pandora’s box, but it was entirely necessary. 

Both were unwilling to bring the subject up again, not wanting to let the past break them again. It was costing the both of them, Damian from guilt, and Jon feeling like he was hiding a vital part of his life.

About three months had passed from their first meeting in October, and they were now in the middle of January. Laurel would be two soon, and Damian had no idea she existed. Jon kept meaning to mention her, but what do you tell your old best friend about something like this?

Oh yeah, so I didn’t tell you in the few months we’ve been meeting that I have a child! Her mom is the same person who destroyed our friendship!  

No. Absolutely not .

This was such an important part of him that he wanted to share, something that he was so proud of. Overwhelming everything else, however, was that same old feeling of fear and worry. They’d worked so hard to get where they were now, despite not having it in them to talk about the roadblocks.

It would be fine, right?

Damian stood out in front of the cafe, scanning the crowds for Jon. The lunch rush hit their quaint little meet-up spot like no other, and with how regularly they came, the wait staff was not above holding tables for them.

Their normal server, a perky high school kid with a green and pink ponytail grinned at him, two menus in her hands.

“Afternoon, Mr. Wayne! You and Mr. Kent want your normal table?”

Damian nodded, lighting up as he saw Jon’s head of curls bobbing in the sea of people. He waved his hand and Jon appeared, grinning at both of them.

“Hey, Dames! Dalia.” They followed the waitress as she led them to a table outside, known by most of the staff as their table.

“I’ll bring you two your usual drinks?” She waited for confirmation, scribbling it down on a notepad as they gave it and rushing away.

“Oh my god, Dames,” Jon blurted out as Dalia left. “You will never believe what I heard walking into the Planet this week,”

Damian grinned, leaning forward as if they were two schoolgirls in the courtyard, letting Jon blabber on about the latest gossip.

“And then after she said that, Jen got so mad, I told Kath and she says that they’ve definitely got something going on there-”

Two glasses were placed on the table in front of them, Jon pausing in the retelling to look up at the person standing there.

Another high school kid with dark red curls and brown skin, a direct contrast to their usual server, and held a notepad in one hand.

“Dalia got held up with another table, but I can go ahead and take your order.” 

“Thank you Hayden!” Jon chirped with a quick glance at the name tag, before ratting off their usual order, looking at Damian for confirmation.

He nodded quickly and Hayden scribbled it down before dashing off to a different table.

“Alright, that’s my fill of workplace gossip, you got anything for the table?” He sipped his sweet tea and waited. 

“Well, Skylar’s 3rd graders absolutely destroyed all the paints and Akira has this weird guy who shows up like every other day, hates books and tries to hit on them but gets a latte so they can't tell him anything. Dick’s been taking his gymnastics classes much too seriously and Jason sends videos of him hanging off things that he shouldn’t be with Father begging him to get off.”

Jon snorted. “Little brothers.”

“Indeed.” Damian sighed. “My older child complex is going insane, I’ve gotten the urge to drive all the way back down there to full name the both of them.”

He laughed, remembering what a mother hen Damian had been as a teen. The other man watched fondly, drinking in the sight of his joy and the song of it ringing in his ears.

Their food was dropped off by Dalia, and they continued their conversation. They had definitely gone over their normal time, and neither seemed to notice, until Jon’s phone began to ring. He ignored it, but it persisted, and looking sheepish, he answered. 

“Hello?” 

The grin dropped and a horrified expression came over his face. Damian reached over, mouthing a question. 

”Are you okay?” 

Jon shook his head near violently, standing up and shoving his phone in his pocket. “I’m so sorry, Dames, but i gotta go-”

“No, no, that’s fine, but what's going on? Are you okay?” Damian tugged on his sleeve, concerned.

“Iforgottopickupmydaughter.” He wrenched his arm from his grasp and jogged off, leaving Damian slack jawed in the back of the little cafe.

“He has a daughter ?” 

Jon bolted into the daycare, having broken several traffic laws to get there in under ten minutes. There were still some kids and parents there, Laurel sitting alone in a chair too big for her, legs swinging.

“Hey, hey Princess, I’m so sorry-” He bent to her level, cupping her face. She was surprisingly calm about it, unlike what he would have been as a child.

“It’s okay.” She said finally. “Grown-ups come back.” 

Jon was on the verge of tears, laughing weakly. “That’s right, Laurel, I’ll always come back. Let’s go home, sweetheart.”

A few minutes later, as they were driving to the apartment, his daughter’s voice spoke up, smaller than he’d ever heard it.

“Why didn’t Mama come back?”

The car nearly swerved, and Jon breathed in, steadying himself. The rest of the way was silent until he parked, and turned back.

“Mama…isn’t here anymore. She can’t come back.”

“Is she…in the stars now?”

she didn’t deserve the stars. Jon chose his next words carefully, taking a minute of silence. 

“Not exactly. She’s just…gone. She didn’t go to the stars, but she can’t come back either.”

He unlocked the car, getting out to open Laurel’s door and bring her down from her carseat that she insisted on unbuckling herself.

“Okay.” She said finally. “That’s okay.”

Something in his heart twisted painfully, and he swung her up into his arms. “How about we have some dinner now, okay?”

Admittedly, he’d forgotten all about why he’d been late to begin with. He’d just started a movie with Laurel half asleep on his side when his phone lit up, heart dropping to his stomach in dread.

Dami 💚

Would you care to explain  

why you didn’t tell me you had a daughter? 

I’m not mad  

Really 

Sorry 

I didn’t want to scare you off  

That was wrong of me  

I want to explain. 

Everything.  

Are you free this weekend? 

I can make time 

Same place? 

Yes, see you then 

“So.” Damian brought the cup to his lips. It was earlier then they would normally meet, and the chilly air had prompted them both to order warm drinks.

“So.” Jon nibbled on his bottom lip.“I owe you like, the world’s biggest explanation.” 

The other man laughed, Jon shutting his eyes and letting the familiar sound ring in his ears. He kept his hands around the cup, feeling the warmth seep through the ceramic. 

“That you do. You don’t have to tell me anything you’re uncomfortable with, but I'd like to have a general gist of what happened.”

Jon breathed in and opened his eyes, and began to talk.

“We didn’t break up when I moved to Metropolis, which I'm sure you know. After the summer, in my first year of college, she came back, and we picked up where we had left off. I knew I should have broken it off, because even though we hit our…roadblock, I could still hear your voice. You were always right to me back then, even when you were wrong.”

His laugh was awful, a small chuckle filled with bitterness.

“That was one thing I always hoped to be wrong about.” Damian whispered, long eyelashes brushing his bronze skin. Jon took a small sip from his cup and continued.

“Two years and we were twenty. It should have been enough, but something kept me there, and she always insisted that she loved me. I was so close to breaking it off, I had finally had enough. But that’s when she told me she was pregnant.  I couldn’t just leave her like that, my parents would have killed me. We eloped, cut a cake, and stayed here. We were so young, D. Too young.

“Then the baby was born. She had just turned twenty-one, and after a bit, didn’t want a baby. I didn’t understand, she’d carried the child, our child, decided to keep it, and after the novelty wore off, she was ready to give up. I was alternating between full parenting and classes because she didn’t want to parent.”

Damian was catching on slightly, still curious about the past tense. How, how had the boy he’d once known, full of sunshine and sharp edges, soft but capable, had gone through hardships like this.

“It was a Friday and I was so done. She left the baby and went out and trust me, I was absolutely pissed. There was a knock on the door, and I must have looked like the dead, answering the door with a Met U hoodie, a baby in one arm and a bottle in the other. I saw the officer and I knew. There was no way that it could have been anything else.”

He was silent, swallowing the lump in his throat. “It wasn’t love, not anymore. I wonder if it had ever been, really. But still, I held out hope. Some kind of hope that maybe we could save it, have some kind of family. She died on impact, which made me feel somewhat better. I was torn up over it for a while, but I had my parents, and Kathy. They helped with the baby a lot.”

“Car crash?” Damian whispered. He was all too familiar with those.

Jon’s face scrunched up in what seemed to be-

No, no. couldn’t be.

Slight amusement? 

“In a way.” He said slowly. Damian waited for him to go on, filled with confusion. “It was a bus.”

“The bus crashed?”

“No…no she was hit with it.”

“She was hit…with a bus ?” Damian squawked. 

“I mean, there were a bunch of other people but she was front and center. It was speeding and there was something wrong with the driver.” Jon hid his face with his cup, watching Damian gawk at him. After a few minutes, right as Damian took a sip from his own, he remarked with a raised brow,

“Ironic, isn’t it?”

Tea was spit everywhere and Jon cackled, Damian’s coughs turning into shaky laughter.

“Jonathan Samuel Kent, what would your mother say?” he sputtered.

“Oh, she agrees. She never thought she was good for me.” Jon handed him, still chuckling as Damian sopped up the mess. “Took me awhile to see it in that light, but I recognize she was hurting me in more ways than one, and though no one ever deserves death, I’m not torn up about it anymore.”

Damian smiled softly at him, hand reaching across the table to touch his. “I’m so sorry that we weren’t there for each other when these things happened. I’m here now, and so are you, and we’re friends now, I think. We’re going to build what we had back up, and I have a feeling it will be better than before. No more secrets?”

Jon moved to grip his hand like they used to when they were children

“No more secrets.”

The shorter man leaned back, lips turning up in fondness. “Now that that’s out of the way, tell me about your daughter!”

Jon brightened, immediately letting go to whip out his phone. “Oh, gosh, Dami, I've got so many pictures! Her name is Laurel, she’s almost two, and she has the fluffiest curls-”

He rambled on and on, Damian soaking it in and cooing over the pictures. Laurel, it seemed, took much more after her father, with her long dark curls and bright blue eyes, small smattering of freckles over her nose. The only trace of the child’s mother was the slightly tanned skin, a lovely mix of features creating an absolutely adorable child.

“When can I meet her?” He blurted out in the middle of one of Jon’s stories. If possible, the beam grew brighter, and Jon nearly bounced in his seat.

“Literally whenever. I can bring her here, or you could come to the apartment, or i could bring her when you meet Kathy-” 

“The apartment sounds good.” He said quietly, stopping the ongoing chatter. “Her ground, and besides, I'd like to see it.”

They both stood, the taller one bumping his shoulder with the smaller one’s. “I’ll text you the details?” 

“Sounds good.” They watched each other, before settling into a warm hug, speaking of sorrow and a small hope for renewal.

They broke apart and went their separate ways, content and peace drifting over them. They were starting again. They were starting again, and this time, they’d both make sure it would be the last time.

[sleepy-seal]

Welcome back to another episode of: TMAGP & Treats!!!

This week's treat is........ brownies!!! Just plain baking mix brownies.

sorry for the lackluster treat! i'm currently recovering from a wisdom teeth removal surgery and wanted something easy to make while listening.

- got lucky that we have another box of baking mix because energy is low today after yesterday's surgery

- pan is greased

- COLIN?

- thats actually kind of nice sam is worried for him

- cameras huh? almost like he's afraid of being watched

- uh ohhhh sam's a bit agitated

- SAM

- SAM STOP FUCKING AROUND AND FINDING OUT YOU'RE LITERALLY GOING TO DIE THIS WAY

- WELCOME TO MY TWISTED MIND????? LMAO

- 2000's ass blog post

- "Bye! ^_^"

- this is a bit interesting though. the blog owner states that they're keeping the blog for posterity, but a good chunk of the posts have since been deleted

- voyeur huh? sounds like that entails a lot of watching

- A KOFI TOO OH MY GOD

- CINEPHOBIAAAAAAA LMAO

- GIRL RUN

- HOW IS THEM MANAGING TO FIND YOUR ADDRESS WITHOUT YOU INPUTTING IT NOT RAISING ANY RED FLAGS

- it looks dilapidated on the outside?????? run???????

- since i can't eat the brownies due to Surgery Reasons i'm opting to eat the batter instead (as carefully as possble)

- eating all the popcorn before the movie starts? relatable

- okay so before the Scary Part starts i'm going to guess it's a detailed version of the writer's life story but from a 3rd person's perspective

- okay i was a bit off. but i was right in spirit

- that is a bit interesting though. it's like the movie is a disease that keeps spreading. someone sees it, makes a blog post about it with the same exact words, someone else sees the blog post, that someone else sees it, and so on and so forth

- OKAY. INTERESTING

FINAL THOUGHTS:

okay firstly, this episode was pretty interesting! it was a bit shorter than the previous episodes but still something substantial. i'm nevertheless intrigued and still curious as to how things will develop.

but more importantly, COLIN!!!!! i know he was in episode 3 but i miss him already. it's interesting though that sam notes how weird colin's been acting lately. he is very intentionally going analogue. and to be honest i can't really blame him. he knows that the programs inside the computers are watching them, and will use practically anything digital to connect from one aspect to another and spy on people (remember how they managed to connect to alice's phone in the first episode??? literally no device is safe.) him doing literally everything he can to distance himself from the electronics is not going unnoticed. while we're on the topic of IT's, i'm wondering why gwen was so interested in them all of a sudden. does it have to do with the video she saw? could klaus be the german IT guy? what happened to him? perhaps he knew too much, and it was getting in the way of his work. and the fact he's german. could he be the one who wrote the code for the system? it doesn't explain things, but it definitely something to keep in mind. it seems like gwen is onto something, and she's starting her own little investigation.

i am also keeping an eye on sam. he's a bit better at this than jon, in the sense that he's not being overtly obsessive about it Yet, but something is up with him. he's a bit irrate and making incredibly bad decisions, but to be honest, who doesn't when they're in a bad mood? i do appreciate him trying to bring up colin's current state and offering some kind of solution, rather than pushing him away. i think he genuinely wants to help.

also alice is so confused. i feel so bad for her. "why is everyone acting so weird?" honestly i do not blame you. alice get behind me everybody is going to make you look like the weird suspicious person for trying to stay sane.

sorry for the delay guys!!!! the pain is bearable but i've just been having a hard time getting my thoughts together. this episode has given me a lot but also not very much. overall, i think everybody is acting weird and i know this is bad because my guys :( my little sillies. anyways, that's all for now! goodbye!

[variousqueerthings]

okok final thoughts about the movie after all that:

1. pleased to have watched it, despite my laundry list of criticisms

2. I didn’t think any of it was comedic in the gallows humour sense I assume it was going for. that may be an effect of ageing, but then, mash 1974- is frequently excellent at this, including and especially in its first seasons 

3. read that there was a subplot that happened after the movie has ho-jon getting conscripted by the south korean army (after which in the film we never see him again, and I think that was the most “oh, this isn’t my hawkeye” moment actually, because he kinda just goes “dammit” and then it cuts to something else, and that’s it), in which he’s killed and his body comes through the 4077th, and I think that would have been better in the context of what I think the movie wanted to do?

4. I do get a bit lost in the movie’s intentions, I confess. is it war is hell and so we become worse people? is it surreal antics in the face of serious conflict? is it related to the military really? is it that this is just what it was like? none of it really... slots into place for me, because there’s a bits that dispute every one of these, and mainly I guess I just don’t see what apparently a bunch of reviewers saw

5. the roger ebert review at the time: “There is something about war that inspires practical jokes and the heroes ... are inspired and utterly heartless ... We laugh,  ... because it is so true to the unadmitted sadist in all of us. There is perhaps nothing so exquisite as achieving ... sweet mental revenge against someone we hate with particular dedication. And it is the flat-out, poker-faced hatred in "M*A*S*H" that makes it work. ... We laugh, that we may not cry ... We can take the unusually high gore-level in "M*A*S*H" because it is originally part of the movie's logic. If the surgeons didn't have to face the daily list of maimed and mutilated bodies, none of the rest of their lives would make any sense ... One of the reasons "M*A*S*H" is so funny is that it's so desperate.”

6. I get confused about how a lot of the reviews discussed it in the context of war, when for me I felt like the Korean war was almost totally absent (in practicality as well as in feeling), apart from the occasional nuisance it caused the characters. maybe for its time it was very gory/very real/very desperate, but I don’t see it today -- the imdb also states that “the staff of a Korean War field hospital use humor and high jinks to keep their sanity in the face of the horror of war,” and I was just there wondering... what war? horrific to whom? and it’s not like war films in which war is very present hadn’t been made before this, but perhaps just not in really in America. the very idea of challenging the American military logic even a little may have been a breath of fresh air?

7. altman called the book racist and pretty terrible, but apparently the movie doesn’t deviate much from it, which is... interesting

8. I can see why this was a hit when it came out. I just feel such a visceral shudder at it watching it now, that it’s hard to even judge it on the merits of the time in which it came out

9. on that note, I am once again fascinated by the intentions going into the show. the pilot episode especially certainly has more movie DNA in it than the rest, but the casting immediately created different tensions, especially of course alan alda, but also wayne rogers, larry linville, and of course loretta swit. the fact that they’re setting up recurring characters also gives them more of a depth -- you know that things will happen and shift and change, whereas in the movie the point is the aimless drift from thing to thing

10. actually the aimless drifting + loudspeaker interludes were my favourite parts of the film -- my least favourite thing (structurally, otherwise it would be the misogyny) is the football match at the end, which was... odd. dull. if there was an absence of war before that, it totally disappeared for a substantial amount of runtime to just show this flipping football thing happening

11. how many of the hijinks from the movie/book were in the show -- I’m going to make a separate post for that