#this person invited herself into our group and just seemed to fucking hate whenever I opened my mouth

[area51-escapee]

I understand that not everybody is going to like me but sometimes I remember this person I knew in high school and I’m like. WHAT was your beef with me

[bqstqnbruin]

F is for Friends - part 4

Look, I know it's 4 am, but hear me out: I finally finished this part. Ignore typos because at this point, that's just who I am as a person honestly.

Hope you like it!

Read the other parts here: part 1 // part 2 // part 3

__________________

“You haven’t seen him in how long?” Maddy asks you from the kitchen. You and your roommate were both home on a weekend for the first time in what seemed like forever, taking the opportunity to invite Fran and Lindsey over for a girls day. Nolan always seemed to be the topic of conversation whenever you entered the room, and you had a feeling that he was even when you weren’t there. The girls were overcome with affection for the rosy cheeked, long haired boy next door who was slowly becoming your friend.

Just your friend.

“Not since he came to my classroom last week,” you tell them. “I dropped him off and then got ready for my date with Keelan that night.”

Fran scoffs at the sound of your boyfriend's name, Lindsey rolling her eyes. “Oh, god,” Maddy groans.

“What?” you whine, dreading where this conversation was going.

“I’m trying to block that night from my memory. Especially considering you didn’t remember that I was home that night,” she says, handing Fran and Lindsey the water they had asked for.

“We weren’t that bad,” you tell her, the heat rushing to your cheeks in embarrassment anyway. You two had went back to your place after the date, not hesitating to polish off the two open bottles of wine that were in your fridge, also not hesitating to have sex as would most couples who want to do that sort of thing.

“Yes, you were. Hearing you and Keelan fuck is like listening to a poorly written PG-13 makeout session audio clip from Riverdale,” she lets out, Fran spitting her water as Lindsey starts choking on hers.

Your mouth hangs open as you try to comprehend what she just said. “Ok, one, rude. Two, why is that the comparison you make? And three, why were you listening?”

Maddy scoffs, “As if the walls weren’t so thin that Nolan and Kevin could hear you playing music in the first place. Anyway, whatever it was you were doing in there I’m pretty sure it would end up in Riverdale.”

“I need you to stop watching Riverdale,” you say, straightfaced to your roommate, “and stop comparing it to my sex life!”

“Oh! I have an idea!” Fran squeals, changing the subject.

“Oh, no,” you groan, knowing that whatever she was about to suggest was going to end poorly for at least one of you.

She rolls her eyes, getting up and going over to your window. Your car was parked right next to Kevin's, an indication that the boys were home. “What if we went out tonight and asked Kevin and Nolan to come?”

You can’t help but glare at her, knowing what her tactics were: if you and Nolan went out and got drunk together, her mind believed that you would reveal whatever feelings she thought you had for each other. Everything would come out in a drunken confession that you would have to deal with in the morning. “We’re not going out tonight.”

Fran drags you from the chair you were comfortably sitting in, Lindsey and Maddy following as the four of your run out your door. You were facing Nolan and Kevin’s, Fran knocking wildly on the wood before pushing you to the front of the group.

Nolan hears someone at the door, interrupting the workout he was doing solely to keep himself busy. He could hear voices on the other side of the door, indicating that he probably should grab a shirt to put on, reaching for the nearest towel he could find instead. “Hey,” he says, seeing you, Maddy, Fran and Lindsey all standing at his door, your mouths hanging open. He could feel his cheeks turning more pink at the thought of all of you seeing him without a shirt, even though he knew you had before.

You, on the other hand, were trying to figure out what to say, coming up short at the sight of Nolan’s abs, sweat making his body shine and leaving you to admire it longer than you needed to be. “I,” you start, forgetting why you were standing in front of your shirtless neighbor in the first place, “have no idea why we’re here.”

“We’re going out tonight,” Fran starts, pushing you out of the way, “and were wondering if you and Kevin and any of the guys wanted to join us.”

Nolan wasn’t focusing on what Fran was saying, he was too busy trying not to read too much into your flustered reaction, paying more attention to how your eyes traced his body. “Yeah, sure,” he shrugs, not taking his eyes off you. He sees your expression change, a nervous look on your face as you shook your head at him. “Uh, actually, we, um,” he tries to retract.

“Perfect!” Lindsey practically screams, Nolan visibly shaken by her outburst. “Y/N will text you the details!”

Before you or him could protest, the four of you are running back to your place, you looking over your shoulder at Nolan, an apologetic look on his face.

Why didn’t you want him to go out with you guys tonight? That was the first time he had seen you since he went to your classroom. He didn’t know if you were avoiding him or if you were just busy, but either way, he wanted to see you tonight.

“Ok, girl, if you don’t want Nolan, can I have him?” Fran drools once the four of you are back in your apartment. “God, he is so hot.”

“I, uh, I don’t care,” you tell her. What or who Nolan did was not your problem. “If he wants to and you want to, then go for it, what’s stopping you?”

She looks at you, a smirk covering her face. “You.”

You scowl at her, not unaware of the shocked looks on Maddy and Lindsey’s faces. “Oh, really?”

“You clearly like him. You’ve liked him since the day he knocked on your door.”

“I’m in love with Keelan. I have been in love with Keelan for a couple of years now, if you remember. Just because you hate him for whatever stupid reason, doesn’t mean that I do,” you tell her, walking away to your room. You didn’t have to deal with this. She wasn’t one of your students where you had to settle whatever conflict was coming up between you.

“Your boyfriend is a jerk, come on,” she says, following you.

You whip around to face her, catching her off guard as she takes a step back when she sees the anger in your face. “How has he really been a jerk to you? Because, from what I remember, he was the only one on the guy's team who stood by you guys when the athletic director wouldn’t help fund your trip to that regatta in England while they were fully funding the boy's trips to Boston and the IRAs and a trip to California for a training session with someone from Team USA. He’s the one who tutored you for the entirety of our junior year for free so you wouldn’t fail your class and wouldn’t lose your scholarship or your place on the team, and did the same for Lindsey. He’s the one who literally gave us the key to his family's beach house down the shore the last three summers in a row because he wanted to make sure that we took a break and didn’t get burned out. But you’re right, Fran, he is a jerk.”

“Come on, Y/N-” she starts.

“No. Stop,” you tell her. “I’m sick of you guys being absolute bitches about Keelan when he has never done anything to warrant this besides be on the crew team. If you want to go out with Nolan, and he wants to go out with you, then be my guest. I’m happy with my jerk.”

She stands there, stunned by your outburst, Lindsey and Maddy trying to comprehend what just happened themselves when you slam your bedroom door, locking yourself in your room until it was time to leave.

Your phone buzzes as you throw yourself onto your bed, thinking it would be one of the girls asking you to come out of your room.

Nolan: Do you really want us to come with you guys tonight?

Y/N: I really don’t care. Fran seems to have something planned and wants you guys there.

Nolan: Fran does?

Y/N: Yep.

Nolan shouldn’t be reading too much into this, staring at his phone hoping to see those three bubbles popping up to show that you were going to explain more. What could Francesca have planned? What did that mean?

He gets the details about where you guys were planning on going, forwarding the information about going to Howl to some of his teammates. What could Fran have planned?

You lay on your bed, your phone buzzing with texts from Nolan and Keelan coming in. Anything you felt for Nolan was meaningless. He was your neighbor. He was your friend. Keelan was the guy you were dating. Keelan was the guy you loved.

You start going through your closet, not really wanting to go but knowing that you were going to end up dragged out anyway, flipping through all your teaching clothes as if you thought there was anything in there that was appropriate for a bar and not for school.

You hear a knock on your door, Fran poking her head into your room earning a scoff from you. “I’m sorry.”

“I’m still mad at you,” you respond, not looking at her.

“That’s fair,” she says, plopping herself on your bed next to the pile of clothes that you were forming from your closet. “Does this mean you’re still coming with us?”

“Yeah, you’re paying for drinks.”

“That’s fair, too.” The two of you let silence come between you, you rummaging through your clothes to try to find something to wear while she fiddles with the hem of one of your shirts. “What if you did the black ripped jeans with this shirt?” Fran says, holding up something that you were sure was Maddy’s, probably stolen from her on a night when you were going out without her and buried amongst the rest of your clothes.

“Are you guys going home to change or what are you wearing?” you ask her, both of you pretending like you weren’t mad at her.

“Can I borrow something of yours?”

“Yep.”

She shuffles through your clothes some more, Maddy and Lindsey clamoring around in the kitchen to make something for the four of you to eat before you started drinking, not doing anything to try to be quiet. “You know I love you. I just want you to be with a guy that deserves you.”

You take in a deep breath, finally turning to Fran sitting on your bed. “How do you know that isn’t Keelan? I’ve been happy with him for how many years now?”

“You’ve been together since we were juniors which was, what, five years ago now? Four? Have you two even talked about anything like getting married or starting a family together?”

You think about it, knowing that you’ve seen proposals, you’ve definitely looked at rings, but it was never serious. You’ve watched movies with Keelan where the characters get engaged or get married, try to have a family, all of that, but you never did talk about it. You never thought of a future with him, you only thought of the present.

You shake your head, Fran giving you that sympathetic look that you didn’t want. “If you’ve been together for this long, and he’s not thinking about forever with you, then what’s he thinking of? You can love Keelan, but if he can’t promise to love you back forever, then you’re just wasting time.”

“You think so?” She shakes her head, but you wish she didn’t. “You’re not just saying this because you don’t like him?” you ask.

“I don’t like him because I’m saying this. He’s a good person, but I don’t like seeing you with him when I’m not sure he wants to be with you forever.” Before you can answer, you hear Maddy and Lindsey dropping something from your kitchen, knowing that whatever it was you were going to have to clean up yourself if you ever wanted it clean. “If you want your kitchen safe, I think we need to go out there,” Fran laughs, pulling you up from your bed. “We’ll change after we eat.”

The four of you eat and pre-game, thankful that Lindsey and Fran actually managed to clean up the mess well enough that you didn’t have to worry about it during your night out, Maddy no help even though she was the one who made it.

The boys said they would meet you at the bar, getting to Howl and texting Keelan to let him know where you were. Fran’s words had freaked you out. You knew you didn’t have to text Keelan where you were going, but there was something about the whole ‘if you’ve been together this long, shouldn’t you be talking about forever’ that made you feel like you had to. You and Keelan were happy, but did that mean that you have to be talking about marriage and kids and all that stuff? Was there something wrong with your relationship if you weren’t at this point?

“You look like you’re having a lot of fun,” Nolan’s voice snaps you out of what would turn into you spiraling. “What’s wrong?”

You shake your head, signaling to the bartender to get you another drink. “Nothing.”

“Good thing you don’t teach drama because you’re an awful actor,” he laughs, earning a glare from you. “Oh, come on, that was good.”

“Good thing you aren’t a comedian because you aren’t funny,” you fire back, a smile on your face as he laughs with you.

“Come on. What’s wrong? You can tell me anything,” he says, probably a little too flirty. But that’s something a friend would do. A friend would listen to you when you were having problems or when you were feeling down.

You sigh, taking a sip of the new drink in front of you. “Fran said something about Keelan and I that bothered me.” He raises his eyebrows, urging you to tell him more. “Apparently they think I’m wasting my time being with him,” you tell him, looking off to the crowd at the bar, just spacing out with your attention on nothing in particular.

He swallows hard, thankful that you didn’t notice his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down at your words. If you were wasting your time, then that would mean you would break up with Keelan, wouldn’t it? He was thinking too far into this, wasn’t he? “Do you,” he hesitates, clearing his throat to try to cover up his nerves, “do you think you’re wasting your time?”

You shrug, turning your attention back to him. His cheeks were more red than normal, his blushing causing heat to rush to your own cheeks. At least if you broke up with Keelan, you could try with Nolan, right?

No. Because you weren’t breaking up with Keelan. But, “I didn’t. But now, I don’t know.” You set into a rant about what Fran said to you in your room, adding in the fact that Lindsey and Maddy told you they also felt that way, but Lindsey still didn’t like him based on the fact that he was on the crew team and she had decided to hold that petty grudge even though that was a few years ago at this point. “I love him. But we have been together for a while, so why haven’t we even talked about it?”

“Do you see yourself marrying him?”

You stop and think about it. Before you can answer his question, Lindsey and Maddy whisk you away to dance, leaving Nolan at the bar with your drink. He sits and watches you, pretending not to hear the girl who had approached him and tried to have a conversation with him. He wasn’t trying to be rude, but he couldn’t help but focus all his attention on you. He studied you as you moved, the fluid motions in sync with the rhythm of the music, the laughter that escaped your lips when you hear Maddy and Lindsey sing, probably off key, the smile on your face as you joined in with them.

Nolan takes your drink back with him to the table, his teammates sitting there, unsurprisingly not getting up from the corner they had occupied. He doesn’t listen to them as they talk, Kevin and Travis being obnoxious as always. He found you again at the bar, leaning against it and talking to Maddy, Lindsey and Fran nowhere in sight.

“Nolan,” Travis calls to him, finally getting his friend’s attention. “Why are you over here if she’s over there?” he asks, pointing to you.

“Why would I go over there?” he deadpans, not wanting to be reminded that he was falling for you, hard and fast when he shouldn’t be.

“You’re in love with her and you want to be with her?” he states as if it were obvious, Nolan glaring at him while his teammates nodding. Nolan wasn’t that discrete when it came to his feelings about you to any of the guys, apparently. With you, he was sure you had no idea, but with them, they could read him like a book, something he hated at this moment.

Before he could answer, Keelan appears, as if by magic, his arms wrapped around you from behind. Nolan could see you tense up for a moment, not knowing who it was. You look down at your waist, a smile on your face as you come to realize it was your boyfriend, Nolan wanting nothing more than for him to be the one surprising you and holding you like that.

“Is that the boyfriend?” Oskar asks, right as you squeal in delight that he had come to see you, kissing him, your one hand on his shoulder, the other at the back of his neck, fingers intertwined with the curls there.

“Yep,” Nolan lets out, burying his face in his hands.

“He’s pretty hot,” Travis lets out, Kevin smacking him in the chest.

“Then you date him,” Kevin chirps, Nolan not wanting to say anything else to them.

“Karly might have something to say about that.”

Nolan tunes out the boys, their banter something he wanted nothing to do with, probably about him fawning over you while you were there, Keelan’s hands on you as the two of you danced, your foreheads touching and not taking your eyes off each other. If you were worried about the future, it didn’t show, enjoying the moment that was happening in front of you.

“Hey, come dance with me,” Fran snaps Nolan away from you, her hand extended to Nolan.

“Sure, why not,” Nolan mumbles, trying to be excited about dancing with your best friend, ignoring the guys hollers as they watched their friend get up with a girl, actually saying yes to someone who approached him.

The two of them start talking, falling into a weirdly easy conversation. People started gathering on the dance floor, pushing the two of them together, Nolan’s hand finding Fran’s back, pulling her closer to him. For the first time since he met you, he wasn’t thinking about you. He didn’t know if it was because of the alcohol, but Fran was right there, single, beautiful, funny. You had mentioned that going out with the guys was Fran’s idea, so did that mean Fran wanted Nolan for her? Should he be focusing his attention on someone who didn’t have a seemingly serious boyfriend? Probably.

You and Keelan get interrupted by Maddy and Lindsey, finally prying Keelan’s body off you. “Have you seen Fran?” Lindsey yells over the music.

“Not for a while, no,” you tell her, Keelan’s arms wrapping around you, both of you still moving with the music.

Maddy cranes her neck, trying to see over the crowd. You see her eyes go wide, grabbing Lindsey’s arm to show her what she was seeing. You follow their gaze, finding Fran and Nolan dancing together, her arms draped on his shoulders, him holding her as close as Keelan had been holding you. Fran kept her word about moving in on Nolan. “Good for her,” you swallow hard, Maddy and Lindsey turning back to you, shocked. “What?” you ask as if nothing were wrong.

Keelan had felt your entire body tense up when you saw Nolan and Fran. It was probably nothing, though. You were just happy for your friend, your body having an involuntary reaction to seeing her with someone you knew instead of a complete stranger like she normally was. He didn’t think anything of it. He didn’t want to think anything of it.

________________________

“You’re still at school? It’s four already,” Keelan’s voice fills your classroom from your phone speaker, the building empty except for the teachers still roaming around.

You sigh, putting down your pen, pushing aside your lesson plan book. “Yeah. It’s parent-teacher conferences tonight, so I’m just staying until those are over. There’s no point in me driving all the way home just to have to drive all the way back.”

“What are you doing for dinner?”

“Ya know,” you start, getting up from your desk to stretch your legs as if you weren’t on your feet all day, “Hadn’t thought about that. I’ll probably just throw together whatever is in the fridge when I get home.”

“Babe, that’s going to be almost nine, you can’t wait that long,” Keelan says, concern in his voice.

You shrug even though you knew he couldn’t see you. “It’s fine, I’m not that hungry anyway.”

“What time is the first conference?” he asks, extraneous noise coming from his end. It sounded like he was getting into his car, starting it up and driving off to whatever it was he had to do, even though you were sure he still had to be at work for another hour.

“Uh, 6, why?”

“Just wondering.” The two of you stay on the phone for a little while longer, talking about anything you felt like until he had to go for whatever reason.

You get back to filling out your plan book, looking through your one from last year and the hundreds of lesson plans you had on your computer, using the time for prep that you were supposed to get during the day, even if you were always called to cover another class or just had other things to do in general.

Someone knocks on your door, praying that you were right to call, “it’s open.”

“Delivery,” Keelan pokes his head in, holding up a bag of what you presumed was food based on the smell. “Still have some time to eat with me?”

“Keel!” you squeal, jumping up from your desk chair to greet him. You pull him into your room, grabbing some paper towels to clean off one of the lab benches quickly so you could eat, not a hundred percent trusting your students to clean up all the chemicals they could potentially spill on the table tops. “What’s this for”?

He starts unpacking the food, handing you a container with your favorite dish from Sabrina’s. “You didn’t sound like you were too sure you had food you could eat, and knowing you and Maddy, you’re probably on the end of food from your last shopping trip. Plus,” he says, leaning closer to you, “this way, I get to have dinner with my girl.” His lips connect to yours, quick and sweet so the two of you could get to eating.

For the first time, you were focused on just Keelan, Nolan not lingering in your thoughts. Keelan was the guy for you, you were sure of it. You were almost sure of it, at least, Fran’s words still swimming around in your mind. “Hey,” you start, finishing the bite of food you took, “Have you ever thought about our future?”

Keelan freezes, confused and probably caught off guard by the question. “Our future?” he repeats, “What do you mean?”

“Like, us. Are you going to be my boyfriend forever, or is anything going to happen?” you start, not sure how to put it otherwise.

He shrugs, focusing on his food. “I haven’t really thought about it.”

Your shoulders drop, wishing that his answer wasn’t the same as yours. “You’ve never thought about us getting married or having kids. Nothing?”

“I never thought of my life without you, but never explicitly thought of marriage, I guess?” You nod, not wanting to look at him in the moment. You had parents coming in less than twenty minutes at this point, wishing that you hadn’t asked him this question now. “Hey,” he says, reaching out and touching your hand. “When I think of the future, I think of you and I being happy together. We don’t need to be married to be that. Do we?”

“I don’t know. It wouldn’t hurt.”

“You want to get married?”

You open and close your mouth like a fish, realizing that Lindsey and Maddy pulling you away from Nolan at Howl was the right thing to do, because you still had no answer a few days later. Before you could tell him you didn’t know anything, Javier comes into your room, Anderson not far behind.

“Have you taught Electrochem yet?” Anderson’s voice booms for no reason, Javier somehow looking both annoyed and panicked at the same time.

“Yeah, last month. Have you taught Electrochem yet?”

“No,” Anderson says. “I thought we were doing it after gas laws.”

“We have never done it after gas laws,” you tell him, getting up from the lab table. “We do it with types of reactions because of half reactions and redox.”

Anderson starts going off about how all three of you are supposed to be on the same page, Javier and Keelan awkwardly just there in your room while you shuffle through your box of papers.

“Anderson, aren’t you the one who put the Galvanic Cell on the midterm? Is this why every single kid of yours got it wrong last year, because you teach it too late?” you say, handing him a packet while his face turns red, “Just take this, Javier and I made it a few years ago and it works.”

“We need to be on the same page from now on,” he tells you before storming out.

“How is it our fault that he doesn’t listen when we say this is what we’re teaching next?” Javier asks, sitting down next to Keelan, putting his face in his hands.

“At least we know why his students do shitty on that page of the midterm.”

“Anderson really is a jerk,” Keelan pipes in. “Didn’t he blame you for grading his students wrong on the midterm last year?” he asks. You had filled Keelan in on how you guys split up the grading since you all gave the same midterm; you had the first four pages, Javier the next four, and Anderson the next three. Anderson’s kids always did awful on the first eight pages, somehow redeeming themselves when he put the grades in.

You nod, the principal coming over the loudspeaker to alert the teachers that the parents were there. “I’ll see you tomorrow, maybe?” you tell Keelan, cleaning up in a hurry.

He says yes, kissing you goodbye and running out the door to go home, probably, Javier lingering behind for a moment. “You two ok?”

“How could you possibly think something was wrong,” you say, slightly sarcastic.

“I can read you like a book.”

“Yeah, well, I guess there should be a book club,” you groan. “Nolan says the same thing.”

“Tell me fast,” he says, both of you standing outside your doors to greet parents and try to direct them around the school in the event that they were lost, something that was very easy to do if you weren’t in the building every day.

“Fran said something about how Keel and I haven’t talked about our future together and we just talked about it,” you say, praying that the parents passing you by weren’t that focused on your conversation and instead were looking at the numbers on the doors.

“And what does that future look like?”

“The same as the present.”

“You could always go for Nolan,” he jokes, throwing his hands up in defense. “I’m kidding.” He leaves, one of his student’s parents showing up at his door.

You were waiting for Darren’s mom, Mrs. Alexander a few minutes late. “Ms. Y/L/N!” you hear someone yelling, a woman who looked just like Darren trying to sprint down the halls. “I’m sorry I’m late! I got lost!”

“Don’t worry about it,” you chuckle, the contrast between Darren’s shyness and his mother’s lack thereof somehow not surprising. “Come on in.”

The two of you sit at one of the lab benches, pulling out your notebook and pen. “Darren has made some great improvements this semester, this month especially,” you start, handing her a print out of his grades. “Grade-wise, he’s one of my top students. He’s smart, he knows what’s going on, I have no worry about how he’s going to do on the upcoming midterm.”

“That’s so good to hear,” she says, her finger running along the sheet that displayed A after A on it.

“And he’s talking with Sydney when we do labs, especially since we had some of the Flyers come in the class and work with them. Something Nolan Patrick did really stuck with him.”

She smiles, taking in a deep breath, “That would make this the only class he talks in.”

“Well, progress is progress. One class is better than none, talking with one classmate is better than no one.” She looks down at the paper, trying to force herself to be happy. “Mrs. Alexander. Darren is a great kid. He’s not the most talkative, but he’s getting there. I don’t want to force him to talk if it’s not something he’s comfortable with, but anything you want me to do, you know I’ll do it.”

“He likes to draw,” she says, starting to shuffle through her bag. “He loves talking about his drawings, too.”

“So do you think if I had him draw more in class, work that into my lessons for him, that he would be more open to talking?”

“He might. It’s worth a try if you can,” she say, slipping a piece of paper across the desk. It was a self portrait of him, your classroom in the background. Nolan was sitting next to him, doing the experiment from the other week. “He came home that day, went to his room, drew this, and then told me in detail about class. I’ve never seen him so excited about this before.”

You stare at the detail of the drawing in awe, from the dimples on Darren, the bubbles in the Erlenmeyer while it was heating, right down to Nolan’s rosy cheeks. “This is incredible.”

“He wanted me to have you give it to Nolan, if you could.”

The principal comes over the speakers again to have parents move to the next class they were going to, you now waiting for one of your CP student’s parents to arrive. “I will. Thank you, Mrs. Alexander”

Both of you get up from the table, walking over to the door. “No, thank you, Ms. Y/L/N.”

The rest of the parent-teacher conferences go by in a blur, you not focusing on anything other than the memory of Nolan and Darren working together. You did secretly love parent-teacher conferences, as late as they were, because it helped you get to know the student’s family background just a little bit more. A teacher is only good if they know their students, a student will only trust their teacher if they know them. You lived by that statement.

By the end of the night, you were exhausted, wanting nothing more than to change into a pair of sweats and curl up in bed until you passed out for the night. You were about to call Nolan to ask him if you could stop by for a minute to give him the picture Darren drew of him when Lindsey’s name popped up instead. “Hey, Linds, I’m driving home from school,” you preface as you start your car, “What’s up?”

“Mind if I stop by and hang out for a bit?” she asks, you hearing Fran yell something you couldn’t make out in the background.

“Sure. Maddy’s home, too, tonight, I think. So if I pass out, you’ll still have her unless she also passes out.”

You didn’t think anything of it, pulling up to your apartment as Lindsey did, too, Fran stepping out of the car and before you could.

“Hey,” you call to her, watching Fran run over to Nolan and Kevin’s door, a dress and heels on, her hair and makeup done perfectly. “Where’s she going?”

"Uh," Lindsey stammers, not sure what to tell you. "A date."

Before you can question it, Nolan opens the door, kissing Fran, taking her hand and leading her over to his car. You stood there, frozen, surprised that Fran had gone further than she did at Howl the other night, watching as Nolan and Fran drive away to go out on a date.

[theonewiththefanfics]

Would You Be My Little Quarantine (one-shot)

Synopsis: As the mandatory quarantine hits, the Reader is stuck in a cabin in Utah with the boys from 5 Seconds of Summer. Turns out another person is stuck in a hotel nearby. Hijinx ensue as does romance. 

Pairing: Harry Styles x f!Reader

Genre: fluff pretty much just pure, teeth-rotting fluff.

Warnings: it’s my first time writing for Harry as I was never really part of the fandom, but damn does Watermelon Sugar do things to a person, so please be kind. This is defo not my best work, but I’m slowly getting back into the groove of things, so bare with me :D

Word count: 6061

        TikTok had become Y/N’s new obsession. She’d stayed away from it as long as she could, being a true Vine generation child, she felt loyalty to the deceased app. But one night, after a long recording session, she caved. And then stayed giggling on it until the early morning when the birds started to chirp… or until Calum had taken her phone and threatened to throw it in the jacuzzi if she didn’t go to bed. 

        The girl and the four guys from 5 Seconds of Summer had been renting a cabin in the middle of the Utah woods to help them escape the distractions of the city as they recorded their respective albums, and given how they were good friends, they decided to collaborate on a few songs, and it made sense to just chill together as well.

        Which had started off Y/N’s own TikTok series, having ‘borrowed’ the idea from the Irishman living with two girls.

        “Alright, gentlemen.” She slid inside her bathroom pulling the focus of her camera on the reflection in the mirror. “I live with four guys, and I have some things to say. Why do you always, and I mean ALWAYS, leave your socks around the house? The dirty ones. You know you could just throw them in the wash… there’s an idea.”

        “We do!” Calum yelled

        Y/N turned her face to the door and hollered, “Only after I’ve asked you to!”

        “Do not!” he countered.

        “Do too!” she exited the bathroom and into the hallway only to be met with the man standing there with his hands on his hips. “Then how.” Y/N pointed the camera towards the living area you could see from where the hallways overlooked the room. “Do you explain that?” And when she zoomed in, there, in a small pile laid two brown socks, all crumpled up and almost pushed underneath one of the three couches, as if someone was trying to hide them from sight.

        Calum stammered for a bit. “Those are NOT mine.”

        Y/N flipped the camera and looked at it like they do in the Office. “Help me,” she mouthed and finished the TikTok, pointing with her hand at him. “Ya disgustin’!”

        Just as maturely as she had reacted, so did Calum by crossing his arms and sticking his tongue out, but their little bickering about whose socks they were and whose job was it to put them in the dirty wash (they were Ashton’s, and it was his job), Luke poked Y/N’s side as he came out from his room. 

        “I know might seem weird, but is there any chance another person could join our quarantine group?”

        Y/N’s eyebrows rose. Sure, the house was giant, mostly because whatever production she was a part of on Broadway, after a successful season, she invited all of them there to get away from the bustle of New York and just chill. It was in the middle of the forest, encased by gorgeous mountains and at the side of a lake where they’d go jet skiing and cliff diving.

        “I thought people can’t visit one another?”

        “They can’t,” Luke confirmed. “That’s the point. The unfortunate soul just got stuck at a hotel not too far from here, and all the flights are cancelled. Two weeks of quarantine without symptoms have been concluded, but, knowing how impossible it’d be to get to London, when you know, as I said, there are no flights, I offered a place to stay.”

        “So,” Y/N dramatically rolled her head. “You already offered to stay before asking me?”

        “Well, I knew you’d say ‘yes’ because you’re a kind, generous, amazing, smart, talented, compassionate person and wouldn’t leave someone on the streets when you know you could help.”

        “Mhm, keep talking.” Y/N squinted her eyes and put her hands on her hips.

        “Incredible, best musician I’ve ever met, how you haven’t won all of Tony’s I’ve got no idea. Your acting skills are impeccable and the movie industry is missing out on a once in a lifetime kind of a talent by not castin-“

        “Alright stop.” Y/N busted out laughing. “As long as you promise I won’t wake up with an axe in my head, ‘s fine.” 

        “Promise.”

        “Good. Also, could you please get me three bottles of that wine I like?” Y/N hollered before skipping downstairs and to the kitchen where Ashton was brewing the tenth cup of coffee. “I have a deadline in two weeks and have literally no idea where to go with the story.” She referred to the second book of her series she was writing, and now with the lockdown going on, her literary agent was breathing down her neck, and it didn’t help she hadn’t written anything in like a month and didn’t remember half of the already exiting story.

        Luke lifted a brow and hissed through his teeth. “That bad?”

        “You have no idea,” she sighed and left for the living-room where she could harass the boys for their fries and procrastinate some more. 

***

        The few hours, while Luke was away, were quite uneventful. All of them sat around on the couch pit, wrote some music, lil bit of lyrics and Y/N almost cried seeing as her characters had decided to live their own life and not obey to her story.

        “Why do you have to be such an idiot,” she mumbled under her breath and furrowed her brows as she wrote herself into a new plot hole.

        Right as Y/N was about to delete the whole chapter, the door slammed open and she heard grunting. “We’re here!” Luke hollered, and the thought of wine made her giddy, making her leap over the edge of the couch, and rush to the front door only to stop dead in her tracks. 

        Y/N’s mouth hung open, not because of who the person joining their quarantine group was, but because of what the person was. “A fifth GUY?! You didn’t tell me it’d be a guy!”

        “I didn’t think it’d matter!” Luke yelled back.

        “There’s already four of you!” She pointed back to the living room hearing loads of ‘hey!’ being shouted back.

        “Would you leave him on the streets if you’d known he was a dude?”

        “No, of course not!” 

        “Why are we yelling?”

        “I don’t know!”

        “I mean, I can leave.” Harry Styles said pointing at the door, not really knowing what to do. He certainly hadn’t expected that sort of greeting. “But I do come bearing gifts.” He lifted a black bag where a clinking of glass could be heard.    

        “No,” she sighed.  “It’s fine... I just… I just miss the company of vaginas.”

        He raised a perfectly groomed eyebrow. “Vaginas?”

        “People I can rant to. Honestly, it doesn’t even matter if you have a vagina, as long as we can have a good rant. Especially about the gross things like having all of your dirty socks thrown around the house.” She threw Luke a look that screamed ‘I know you pushed all of them under your bed, and it’s stinking up the whole place.’

        Harry shook his head. “Ya not gonna find me leaving my clothes like that. Besides, ‘s disgusting.”

        “No,” Luke whined, “come on, man! You’re supposed to be on our side!”

        “It’s two against four,” Harry snickered, throwing his hand around Y/N’s shoulder, who gave Luke a smug grin, and it made her mimic the same expression.

        “It’s evening out. Maybe you should actually invite some other people to quarantine with us. Say, Harry, is maybe Niall in need of a place to stay?”

        Luke rolled his eyes, and shook his head, going into the kitchen and placing the food bags he’d been holding. “I hate you so much.”

        Y/N’s smile just widened.         

        ***

        “Yes, I’m still stealing your series Irishman.” Y/N zoomed in on her face. “Because now…” she looked up at the ceiling in a manner ‘someone please save me’, “I’m living with FIVE dudes. Yes, FIVE. We have an addition. And if someone doesn’t come and kill me, I will kill them.”

        “We’re not that bad!” Michael hollered form out of frame, to which Y/N yelled back, “Yes the fuck you are! Boys are gross. You do realize you’re allowed to have more than one towel. Like you DON’T have to wipe your face with a towel that’s soaked up your ball juice.”

        “It’s economy.”

        “It’s disgusting! Also.” Y/N turned the camera to Harry who was climbing up the stairs with a cup of coffee in hand. “Say ‘Hi’ to gremlin number five. He’s stolen all of my nail polish.”

        He gave a cute wave with an adorable smile, muttering an unintelligible ‘Hello’ as his mouth was stuffed with a piece of bread and a very muffled ‘You don’t even use them.’

        “Yes, but that’s not the point. Anyway,” Y/N pointed the camera at herself. “Tune in for an update whenever, as long as I haven’t strangled anyone, and pray to the heavens you don’t see my face in the papers cause the next time you do, it’ll be my mugshot for a quintuple homicide.”

        “Is that a threat Y/L/N?” Harry smirked, as Y/N walked past him and took away his cup of coffee.

        “No, it’s a promise.” She threw him a wink, leaving the Brit with his mouth open at the woman’s audacity, as she stopped the recording of the TikTok.

        “That was my coffee!”

        “Not anymore!”

        He shook his head, turning back around and going to the kitchen, seeing Y/N perched on one of the stools, neck stretching over to where Ashton was watching a video on his phone, the black liquid in his cup now a creamy beige. Harry smiled. Maybe quarantine wasn’t going to be so bad.

***

        Y/N’s head popped from the side of the door, bringing all of their attention to her. “You guys need to record anything right now?”

        Luke shook his head, signifying the band was alright before turning to Harry who mimicked him, the tapping of his pen stopping. “Why?”

        “Just got a call from Laurence, he said something’s wrong with the ‘Candy Store’ audio from yesterday. Need to rerecord it and send it over. Something about a faulty export or whatever.”

        “ ‘S all yours.” Ashton motioned to the recording booth. “Oh, but can I be Heather Duke?”

        “And can I be Heather McNamara then?” Luke piped in.

        Y/N chuckled. “Not to burst your bubbles, but you do know you won’t be in the final version?”

        “No, but we could be in THIS version. It’d be for our private files. And it’d help you.”

        “That sounds so wrong.” She grimaced. “How would that help me?” Y/N plopped next to Harry on the floor. “You’re the biggest distractions I’ve ever met.”

        Luke scoffed. “How dare you! We offer you our services of being backup singers, and you… you’re such a meanie. You’re such a Heather Chandler!”

        “It’s 2020! If Leslie Odom Jr. can play Aaron Burr, then I can play one of the Heathers! Don’t be sexist, Y/N!”

        “I never said a dude can’t play a Heather, don’t put words in my mouth. I just said last time we tried to record anything together we ended up playing SIMS for like seven hours, but… come on you two divas, get your asses inside then. But I swear if Laurence or Kevin call because one of you whispered something dirty in the background of MY parts, I will strangle you in your sleep.”

        “How little trust do you have in us?”

        “Very,” Y/N deadpanned, showing the two men inside, leaving Calum, Harry and Michael to man the production table. “If you mess with anything, your asses will be grass.” She pointed at the three and all of them put their hands up in surrender. “ ‘S bad enough you ruined my single.”

        “It’s called giving it flavour,” Calum said through the microphone.

        Y/N just responded by sticking her tongue out.

        Michael lifted his fingers, counting down from five to one, giving her the cue to start.

        “Are we gonna have a problem?” Y/N cocked her head to the side, already immersed in the character of Heather Chandler. “You’ve got a bone to pick? You’ve come so far, why now are you pulling on my dick?”

        Harry swallowed hard. 

        “I’d normally slap your face off, and everyone here could watch,” she slightly motioned with her head to the audience behind the screen, a mockingly sweet smile on her lips. “But I’m feeling nice, here’s some advice, listen up biatch.”

        When her hips started moving from side to side to the rhythm of the song, Harry swore he’d never found someone being mean (even though it was mock mean) so hot.

        “I like,” Y/N raised her voice before dropping it. “Looking hot, buying stuff they cannot.”

        There was no sight of the sweet and bubbly girl Harry had met. This was Queen-B of Westerberg High in flesh. He was transfixed. 

“I like drinking hard, maxing dad’s credit card.”

She didn’t need anyone’s credit card to pay for her things, given how she was one of the top paid Broadway singers of their generation, and something in Harry skipped a beat at how confident she looked.

        “I like skipping gym, scaring her, screwing him,” Y/N rolled the ‘r’ deeply in her throat, and he had to collect himself before his thoughts went to an unsavoury place.

        “I like, killer clothes, kicking nerds in the nose!” With a smile, Y/N pointed at Luke who only rolled his eyes. “If you lack the balls, you can go play dolls, let yer mammy fix you a snack,” she emphasised the ‘K’ after having mockingly sung the bit before. “Or you could come smoke, pound some rum and coke, in ma Porche with the quarterback.”

        As weird as it was to have the two boys be her fellow Heathers, Y/N hated to admit it did help her. It reminded her more of what it was like to be on stage before the pandemic had started and the production had to be shut down. And she missed them. All her fellow actors just as much as she missed the rush of getting on stage and losing herself in the role and atmosphere. 

        “You can join the team –“

        “Or you can bitch and moan,” Y/N’s ‘Heathers’ sang in a nasally voice

        “You can live the dream.”

        “Or you can die alone.” 

        Harry snuck inside the recording booth, picking up a pair of headphones by the drum set.

        “You can fly with eagles,”

“Or if you’d prefer,”

        “Keep on testing me,”

        “And end up like her!”

        And that’s when Harry joined in, reciting the lines of both Veronica and Martha, and when he saw Y/N keeping a palm over her mouth as she tried to keep a mean face while inevitably hiding a smile. The whole of the song, despite how Ashton, Luke and Harry had tried to make Y/N break character (she came close a couple of times), the woman stayed on the line, not missing a beat, and especially enjoying the moment where she looked at Luke, who was about to hit the high note and screaming ‘shut up, Heather!’

        Harry couldn’t help the smile splitting apart his face. When Luke had first picked up his call, having known he and the gang were somewhere in the Utah region, he had thought he’d be living with just the guys, and when he found out it was actually Y/N Y/L/N renting the cabin, the girl he’d admired for so long for how brave and utterly unapologetic she was of being herself, Harry had just thought he’d gain a new friend, not have romantic feelings spring up.

        And all of it had happened in the span of two days, not even that much. He’d arrived the evening before, had met the woman, and now it was three PM on day two and was already in love. 

        It was an exhilarating and terrifying feeling all at once. Some studies said it takes men eight seconds to fall in love, which Harry now could pretty much confirm, while it takes women generally fifteen days to fall in love. And he could only hope Y/N might have some feelings for him as well, otherwise, he’d have to scold his heart for falling quickly once again. 

***

        It was the middle of the night, wind slamming against the windows when Harry got awoken by people talking behind his door. At first, he was ready to fight, thinking immediately that intruders had come into the house, but when he heard a ‘fuck off Michael’ and a ‘you fuck off, you’re gonna ruin this’, he understood everything was fine. And he was just about to lay back down on the soft pillows, but as the saying went – curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back, so he threw off the covers and lightly went to the door, where a bleary Harry appeared on the stairs making Y/N and Michael whip their heads towards him and freeze on the spot. 

        “What are you two do-“ but he didn’t get to finish the question as the two co-conspirators shushed him.

        “You’re either in,” Y/N whispered harshly, “or out. Choose Styles.”

        A beat. “What kind of trouble’re we getting’ into?”

        The smile which spread on her face was nothing short of wicked. “Revenge,” Y/N hissed.

        “Be quieter than a mouse,” she whispered to him, and now the trio moved downstairs.

        “Who are we getting revenge on?” Harry spoke as quietly as he could, as they rounded the corner and exited the cabin through the back door. It was colder than he thought, seeing how the wind wasn’t warm at all, and he was grateful he’d fallen asleep in his favourite rainbow cardigan. How Y/N and Michael didn’t even shiver in their barely-there pyjamas he didn’t understand. 

        “See, Luke here thought it was a good idea to not heed my warning about not messing with my recording.”

        Harry’s eyebrows scrunched up. “He didn’t.” He knew Luke hadn’t, he was there the whole time and listened back to what they’d sung with everyone together.

        “No, but he did rename a different file with the same name I had for the 'Heathers'' recording, on MY computer, mind you. And well, let’s just say, it was not what anyone wanted to hear.”

        Harry had to swallow, as his mind went to unsavoury places, and as Y/N shimmied open the lock of the window to the studio bathroom part of the house, she looked over her shoulder to see his expression. It would seem, despite him being in ‘Dunkirk’ and having been confirmed to play Eric in the live-action ‘The Little Mermaid’ he wasn’t as good of an actor as he thought.

        “Get your mind out of the gutter,” she snickered and pulled herself inside the house through the window, Michael handing her a black duffle bag Harry hadn’t first noticed. “It was a conversation I had with my friends while we were all drunk. Some tea, some very personal tea was spilt, and so.” She unzipped the bag slowly and took out a whipped cream can. “I’m going to spill something else.”

        Canned cheese was one of the most disgusting things ever created by a human in Y/N’s opinion. So, squeezing nine cans worth of the stuff inside all of Luke’s socks, jean pockets and everywhere else possible was good enough revenge for her.

        “Why are we in the studio though?” Harry asked as the trio crept towards the bathroom door and peeked through the open sliver. It was pitch black. 

        “Because Luke teds to forget his favourite things here,” Michael explained and motioned for them to follow as he checked that the hallway was clear. It was go-time. 

        Together they all snuck back inside the recording studio, and much like Michael had said – Luke’s favourite jean jacket, a woollen jumper, three pairs of boots and shoes were all scattered around the place. He hadn’t even noticed it while they’d hung out there, but now Harry understood what Y/N was talking about while whining about the boys being messy.

        She uncapped the can and squeezed, the artificial smell of cheese wafting through the air, making her almost gag. “That’s for being a bad friend,” she muttered while filling up one shoe. “That’s for making bad jokes.” She filled up another. “And that’s for saying ‘Dancing in the Moonlight’ is an overrated song.’

        It was hard for Harry to contain the giggles, as he uncapped his own can and started filling up wherever Y/N pointed to. Did he feel bad? Sure. But was it fun to feel like a teenager in a university dorm during a prank war? Abso-fucking-lutely. And it didn’t help that he was desperately falling in love with Y/N with every second they spent together. Like she could’ve asked him to hide Luke’s corpse, and he’d say he’d take the blame for the murder if it came to it.

        “Why did we have to sneak around the place like that?” he suddenly asked, brows furrowing in concentration as he squeezed the smelly contents inside the inside pocket of the jacket. “Why couldn’t we have just walked through the house?”

        “Because Luke always and I mean always comes to the studio at 3 AM,” Y/N stated. 

        Harry looked at the clock. It was 2:45 AM already. 

        “But before that, he goes into the kitchen, makes himself a double espresso, a sandwich and eats it before going into the storage where we keep all of the instruments, which is where he is in right now. Had we snuck through the normal way, he would’ve seen us and stopped this. And that just wouldn’t fly.”

       However, it was like Luke had a sixth sense as right at that moment the light flipped on, and like deer in headlights, the trio’s heads shot up and eyes widened.

        “What the fuck!” he whispered hand extended in the direction of the already six empty cans on the floor.

        Y/N snapped out of the adrenaline induced frozen state and shrugged. “I told you not to mess with the recording.” She put her finger back on the squeezable part. “And you. Didn’t. Listen.”

        The cheese squirted out with a splutter, and all of them stood still as the final bits dropped into Luke’s black boot. “And that’s payback.”

        With a sway in her hips, Y/N exited the room, leaving the three men to gawk after her. 

God was she a hurricane, Harry thought to himself. And he’d never been as happy to be caught right in the eye of it all.

***

        The next few days all of them spent lounging around the house, recording a few songs, most of them by Harry seeing as a huge wave of inspiration had hit him, making him write more than one love song. He even asked Y/N somewhat shyly if she could do some of the backing vocals, and he swore the song went from a 3 to a 100 the second he heard her voice weave his lyrics into a symphony. 

        By that point, they’d been quarantining for a week and a half together, and a heatwave was coming up. The cabin had both an inside and outside pool which they’d all had to learn how to maintain, seeing as no one could come and do it for them, and a jacuzzi tub on the terrace. As much as the boys tried to prove they knew how to keep the places clean, ultimately it was Y/N who saved all of them from chlorine poisoning and algae overgrowth. 

        So, it was right when she pulled out the pH indicator and said it was good for use when with a scream, Luke rushed forward Y/N, rugby tackling her by the waist and plunged both of them down to the water below. 

        “You asshole!” She splashed at him, laughing and choking out a bit of water as they resurfaced. “What the fuck is wrong with you!”

        “That’s payback for the cheese.”

        She went silent for a second, but then shrugged. “Can’t say I didn’t deserve it. But you did deserve the cheese.”

        “So,” Luke extended his hand for a shake. “Do we call this even?”

        Harry exited the cabin right as both of them completely soaked to the bone jumped out onto the wood floor. He stopped mid-walk if only to control where his eyes went seeing as Y/N’s white shirt clung to her body and well… didn’t leave much for the imagination anymore.

        “Do I wanna know what happened here?” He raised a brow.

        “Retribution.”

        “Though I do gotta say, you have a funny way of getting revenge.” Y/N smirked at  Luke, making him squint down at the girl. 

        “What do you mean?”

        “I mean,” she drawled out, a mischievous smile on her lips, “that when I filled your clothes with the cheese, my stuff didn’t get stinky. And yet, from your end… I’m not the only one wet.”

        A beat passed.

        “God fucking damn it.”

        “Hey!” She pointed a finger at him. “We called a truce!”

        Luke waved her off. “Yeah yeah, whatever,” but Y/N grabbed Luke’s hand right before he went inside and squeezed it. 

“We good?”

        He sighed and smiled. “We good, sweetheart.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, gave Harry a quick ‘see ya later’ as well and disappeared through the glass doors. 

        Harry didn’t know what’d happened to him. He’d always been a helpless romantic, falling in love, and maybe a bit too hard at that, but this time, even without Y/N knowing about his feelings, his heart felt safe. 

        Sure, the side of her he’d seen was a complete headcase, and she had more energy than a bull with a red flag in front of it, but the utter love exuding from the woman, even while she complained about her four, well five counting him, housemates was palpable in the air. The way she hugged and made sure everyone had whatever they needed, the way she let them know if anyone needed to have a chat, she’d be there to listen, and the small little things of how she always knew what preferences they’d have for their pancakes or breakfast in general, made his heart melt. 

        “Luke’s a lucky guy.” Harry swallowed before saying that. As much as seeing Y/N be affectionate with everyone, him included, made him feel all fuzzy, a little jealousy monster did bubble up in his stomach when he saw her snuggled next to the lead vocalist of the band. He didn’t have any right to, but no matter how much he tried to repress the green beast, it still lurked somewhere deep in his heart.

        “Hm?” Y/N lifted her head where she’d been looking at the water as she squeezed it out of her shirt and up at Harry.

        He motioned with his chin to where Luke had disappeared. “He’s a lucky guy to have someone like you.”

        “Oh, we’re not together if that’s what you’re implying.”

        “I –“ he stammered. “I didn’t mean to offend y-“

        But Y/N waved him off. “You’re not the first nor probably the last person to say that. I get it. They asked me one time to surprise their fans at a concert in Connecticut, I think, and when their photographer sent over the pictures, I kinda saw what everyone kept saying, but I’ve never looked at any of them as more than a friend. Best friends, brothers maybe, but nothing more.”

        “How’d ya get so close?” Harry enquired, his chest feeling a bit lighter.

        Y/N huffed and plopped down to the ground, patting the place beside her which Harry took. “When I first went solo, right after being on ‘Beetlejuice’ I was fucking terrified. Didn’t really know anyone in the music industry like that. Being on Broadway’s different.” She shrugged. “And the award shows are different as well. Like with ‘Tony’s’ or ‘Oliver’ awards it’s you know – musical and theatre geeks. My people. But the first time I went to VMAs I almost shat myself.” She chuckled, and Harry did the same. “Didn’t know anyone at all, was petrified to even find my seat because someone told me I’d have to sit between Lady Gaga and Rihanna, and my heart was not ready for that. Ashton saw me at the edge of the carpet, creeping around the entrance and kinda…” Y/N bit her lip looking for the right words. “I dunno. They kinda took me under their wing, in a sense – if you need a friend in the industry, we’re here, that sort of thing. And ever since then, we’ve been best friends. Luke and I just got the closest because we got stuck in an elevator once for like eight hours once, and well, boredom and thinking you’re gonna die in a four by four-foot box brings people closer.”

        Harry almost choked. “Eight hours?”

        “Yep.” Y/N popped the ‘p’ and gave him a sarcastic smile. “It was like soooo much fun,” she said sarcastically.  “I totally didn’t think the elevator was about to drop from where we were up on like the sixtieth floor, and both of us were gonna get our bones smashed to pieces, and I only had two protein bars, and you know how I get without food,” she stated. He nodded.

        “Cranky.”

        “Exactly. But.” Y/N chuckled. “We didn’t die. Which’s great, not complaining, and I gained one of my all-time best friends.”

        “Well, I’m glad you didn’t die.” Harry gave her a warm smile and nudged her foot with his. “Wouldn’t have gotten the chance to meet you otherwise.”

        She nudged his foot back. “ ‘M glad I didn’t die either. And I gotta say – you’ve made this whole quarantine bearable. Sometimes it’s like fighting with four toddlers, and that’s always a futile battle. Happy to have another wrangler with me. Also an accessory to my crimes.”

        He inched his hand towards hers, and when Y/N didn’t pull away instead liked her pinkie with his, a warm feeling rushed through him.

        “Happy to be of help.”

***

It was two nights later or full two weeks since the six of them had been together when things took a turn. 

Y/N’d always been a light sleeper, especially when her life was mainly placed in New York, but now, living in the middle of nowhere, she’d been able to catch up on some sleep. That was when the sound of her door being opened made Y/N shot up in her bed, sheets clutched at her chest in a panic. “What? What’s wrong? What did Calum set on fire?”

        “Nothing.” Harry’s eyebrows scrunched up, but he decided not to ask. There was the morning for that. “This might seem weird, but could I uh could I possibly sleep in your room?”

        She blinked a couple of times, because her brain was still processing his words and if they were even English, but once they registered, Y/N nodded, pulling back her blanket and scooting over. “C’mere.”

        “Again, I’m sorr-“

        Y/N shushed him, as Harry climbed in the bed, placing the duvet underneath his arm and twisting to see her, as she mumbled, “less talk, more sleep.”

        He hummed in agreement. His eyes were heavy, in fact, they’d become heavy the instant his head had hit Y/N’s pillow, but it was like his heart, the same poor heart that’d had to deal with the newfound emotions for the whole time he’d been there, the same poor heart that didn’t know better and always gave itself away to the person it deemed to be worthy, no matter if in the end it ended up broken, took over the control of his eyes and mouth, and while slamming against Harry’s ribcage, he whispered his confession. 

        “I really like you… As more than a friend.”

        A second passed. He felt Y/N stir as she turned towards him, brow furrowed. “Sorry?”

        “I said…” He let out a shaky exhale. “I like you. I fell for you pretty much the second I entered the house and you threatened to throw me out because I was a guy. And then I fell for you when I saw you let loose in the studio. And then once more when I witnessed what your wrath entails.”

        Y/N chuckled. “Cheese.”

        “Yeah…” He let out a little laugh. “Cheese.”

        A gentle palm went to brush away the hair stuck to Y/N’s face and he swore he could just melt as she leaned into his touch. “And then I fell for you when you said yes to singing my song… when you sang the lyrics, I dedicated to you… and every second I fall for you even more… I just… I thought you should know…”

        “Well, I can only hope that you’ll take this as a compliment then, when I say I kinda like you too, Styles,” she mumbled snuggling deeper into her pillow. “Though I didn’t think I was your type.”

        “What’s my type then?” he mumbled back, letting his arms wrap around Y/N’s waist when she shuffled closer. Not only was he now fully in heaven because he was covered by the softest duvet in the world, head resting against a literal cloud, but also because his nostrils were invaded by the gentlest of smells, and the body against his was the warmest of comforts. 

        “Well, not girls like me.”

        “You mean talented, beyond funny and absolutely breath-taking?”

        “Introverted, house hermits who don’t wash their hair unless they have to go somewhere with a perchance of self-destructive behaviour. Unintentional that is.”

        Harry’s eyebrows lifted. “Would’ve never taken you for an introvert.”

        “Mmmh,” Y/N sighed, feeling his fingers skim her skin. “That’s because I’ve known those guys for years, and they’re like my brothers. Couldn’t be uncomfortable even if I tried with them. We’ve seen too much of each other. But I’m definitely an introvert. Almost had a panic attack the first time I had to make my own doctor’s appointment.”

        “You didn’t seem shy with me.”

        “That’s because for some weird reason I… I didn’t feel awkward around you. And I mean, you did bring wine.”

        She could feel Harry’s chest rumble as he laughed. “Well, I hope it helped with inspiration.”

        “Ugh, don’t remind me,” she huffed, but opened her bleary eyes and were met by Harry’s green already staring back. She couldn’t contain the giggle, and it only grew in power as he chuckled himself, making her bury her head in his chest.

        “What?”

        “Nothing,” she shook her head. “Just never thought I’d date someone from 1D.”

        “Are we below you or something?” There was no trace of malice and hurt in his voice. He knew Y/N wasn’t like that.

        “No, ‘s just my boy band phase was ‘Good Charlotte’, ‘Panic at the D!sco,’ ‘My Chem’ and the sort.”

        “So, you weren’t fainting while listening to ‘You Don’t Know You’re Beautiful’?” Harry mumbled in Y/N’s hair, sleep slowly overtaking him.

        She shook her head. “Sorry, no. Panties definitely weren’t dropping then.”

        “Are they now?”

        “According to ‘Watermelon Sugar’ you’re the one pulling all of ‘em off.”

        “Damn. Guess it’ll have to be my new challenge.”

        Y/N’s eyebrows scrunched up as she looked at him before promptly falling asleep. “Making my panties drop?”

        “Yep. But this time because of me, not Gerard Way.”

        “Bold of you to assume it was just Gerard Way. I’m a slut for all of those wizard dads.”

        By the time she slurred out the last sentence both of them had drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

***

        “They were right!” Harry shouted jumping up in the bed, startling Y/N awake once more as if something was breaking down on their heads with how urgently he jolted. “It does take women two weeks to fall in love and men 8 seconds.”

        A pillow met his face. “Fall back asleep.” 

        He leaned over her still horizontal form, a smug smile on his face. “Are you gonna make a TikTok about it?”

        “Probably ‘bout how I murdered the boyfriend I was with for three hours if he doesn’t let me sleep.”

        He didn’t argue. With a smile on his face, Harry drifted off once more. Who knew that getting stuck in a hotel somewhere in Utah would lead him to the love of his life? 

Tags (crossed out wouldn’t take): 

Forever tags: @lumelgy @palaiasaurus64 @supernaturalbaesduh @breezy1415 @crazy--me @thatawkwardlittlefangirl @sea040561​ @staryeyedgirl @deathbyarabbit @s-c-a-r-e-d-po-t-t-e-r @reblogger-not-a-blogger @m-a-t-91​ @dalilx​ @i-need-a-hero-i-need-a-loki @maladaptive-ninja-returns​ @averyrogers83​ @in-the-end-im-still-trash​ @gallifreyansass​ @dewy-biitch​ @avxgers​ @unlikelygalaxygiver​ @magicwithaknife​ @ollyoxenfrees​ @bnhvrdy​ @tvwhoresblog​ @celebsimagines​ @thatkindofgurl @sj-thefan @teenwolflover28 @lestersglitterglue​ @im-squished​

A/N: So... I know I’ve been gone for quite a while, but that’s because I have a job now (I’m trying to get a different one that actually would involve my degree, because this one is absolutely killing me), so please be understanding with the spare posting. I still love writing fics, and as evident, I’m kina branching out into other fandoms :D

There’s a lot of things going on in my life, so if you wanna follow me you can do that on Instagram @dinnusa or @read_with_dee or on my blog dinnusa.wordpress.com :) I also have a TikTok @dinmasters

P.S. feedback is always appreciated :)

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[arhvste]

next stop iwa-chan!

“now i know we’re not dating, maybe soon by the way things go, we’ve been talking for ages, take it step by step slow it down we just need to be patient, if the love feels good and it’s real, it’ll all work out”

y/n panted as she ran up to iwaizumi and oikawa’s shared apartment. not bothering to want to wait any longer to see him, y/n opted to take the stairs not willing to wait for the elevator.

4 flights of stairs weren’t too unforgiving to the girl especially with the adrenaline running through her. nothing else mattered other than getting to iwaizumi.

after what felt like a whole expedition, y/n finally reached iwaizumi’s door and waited a moment to gather herself before knocking. 

swiftly, the door swung open revealing a freshly showered (fuucckkkk he's so hot i’m so jealous of you 😔) iwaizumi with his dark hair damp and a few water droplets hanging at the ends of the short strands. his lean figure complimented by a white tank and black sweats, and oh his arms. the arms that had gotten y/n into the mess way back when. y/n knew iwaizumi looked good but to look this good after a casual shower? that should be illegal.

“y/n.” he spoke softly as he stepped out the doorway to let her in. 

the girl smiled slightly and cautiously entered the sleek and modern apartment. the tension was thick but not in a overwhelming and heavy way. no negative feelings towards each other in the air, just anxiousness and concern for the conversation waiting to occur.

“let’s go sit yeah? your legs might give over by the time i’m done telling you everything i need to if i make us stand.” he joked slightly as they made their  way over to the inviting couch.

“i’d rather you make my legs give over in another way rather than making me stand for too long.” y/n joked back earning a snicker from him.

this was good.

the mood was being lifted ever so slightly. y/n didn't want iwaizumi to feel obliged to vent to her in a completely serious atmosphere.

the two sat and iwaizumi anxiously began to play with his hands.

“so obviously you know what i’m going to tell you. just tell me if im going on too much yeah? i don't want you to feel like i’m just dumping this all on you to make you feel bad or anything like th-”

y/n grabbed iwaizumi’s hands into her smaller ones and gave them a light squeeze as she held them.

“tell me anything and everything you want and need to.”

he smiled and took a small breath before continuing.

“so, you know shitty- i mean oikawa. you know oikawa the boy who gave you my number at the train station. he’s been my best friend for as long as i can remember. the piece of shit was always getting himself into all types of trouble, he can be so reckless sometimes... but that’s why we work well together. i call him out on his behaviour and help him fix it and he keeps me grounded. it’s always been like that.”

iwaizumi stopped for a brief moment to look into y/n’s eyes. her only twinkling and gleaming with pure genuine and care. 

“so when we got to highschool, he uh, started getting a lot of attention. from girls i mean. they flocked him everywhere we went, sometimes i even had to go out of my way to look for him when he was late to practices or lost out of our group. his fangirls were... irritating and shallow. none of them saw or wanted to get to know oikawa for who he was. believe it or not y/n, sometimes i hate to admit it but he's a good guy really. he just has a funny way of showing it sometimes so it’s not the clearest.”

the girl laughed slightly as she nodded for iwaizumi to continue.

“so the end of second year, oikawa had been dumped by his girlfriend because she said he was too absorbed with volleyball even though she knew what she was getting into from the second she asked to date him. oikawa was bothered by even more girls after they learned he was single again and that's when my uh... ex was introduced to me.”

the word “ex” didn't seem to sound nice coming from iwaizumi’s mouth. it was almost like he had to force himself to say it.

“she wasn’t a fan of oikawa’s, well a clear one anyway. i’d never seen her in the huge groups of screaming and shoving girls whenever we had matches or practice so i just assumed she wasn't interested in him. i met her in the halls one day and helped her carry some books from her locker to her class.”

y/n felt iwiazumi’s hands grip hers ever so slightly tighter. this relationship must've affected him more than y/n thought.

“after that we spoke more often and became good friends. she was different to oikawa i didn't have to babysit her or scold her. she was easy to be around.”

iwaizumi had to stop himself from ending that sentence with “like you”. y/n and his ex were not the same. y/n was easy to be with in a different way. a better way. it was unexplainable, but y/n really was something else and iwaizumi meant this when he said it.

“months later and she confessed. i accepted and things went from there. things were good for ages. i felt happy? yeah, i felt happy with her. things were great between us. for once in my life i didn't feel inferior. i know i don’t show it but sometimes it can get a little... much? being stood next to the school’s idol your whole life will give you the automatic label of second best.”

he laughed at this slightly. a choked out laugh.

fuck he was already having to hold himself back from allowing the flood of emotions to break through the mental dam he’d built up over the years.

“we dated for over a year. i loved her. i really did... it just- it just wasn't reciprocated apparently.”

y/n leaned forward to caress the struggling ex ace’s face as he scrunched his face slightly to stop himself from breaking down. iwaizumi wasn't a man of too much emotion. his manly persona had led others to believe he was incapable of feeling hurt and iwaizumi just fed into this expectation not expecting anyone to call him out on it.

“she- no, i came out of practice and she was pressed up against oikawa’s locker with another boy from her class. i-... i didn't hear much of their conversation just bits. she said something along the lines of ‘if i can’t have oikawa the next best thing is to be done against his locker.’ fuck, i didn't even feel like second place.”

tears were now gathering in his eyes as he turned to look away for y/n who only looked at him with sympathy. wasting no time, y/n pulled iwaizumi’s head into the crook of her neck as she let him vent out all the pent up emotions that had been building up for months on top of months. she ran her fingers through his dark hair not caring that it was still damp as she drew circles on his tense back muscles to calm him down.

“take your time. i have all the time in the world for you.”

iwaizumi sighed after a few more minutes of quietly crying.

“s-sorry i just- everything became too much. i’m being stupid aren't i? getting upset over not even being second best to oikawa but his locker instead.”

“haijime.”

the boy’s head snapped up to meet y/n’s challenging gaze.

“you are anything but stupid. you have every right to be upset. i can’t even begin to try and understand what you went through. don’t you dare hold back, let everything out i want you to feel okay after all this and even if you don't, i at least still want you to get it all out your system.”

iwaizumi nodded before continuing.

“after that i broke up with her. she said that she was only dating me to try and get close to oikawa but that had gotten her nowhere apparently. she had been seeing that other boy for t-three months before our relationship ended. i should've seen it coming i feel so idiotic for not noticing sooner.”

“what did oikawa say when he heard about this?”

“he was livid. even i didn't feel like i could stand against him, then again i never really could in some sort of sense anyway.” he laughed dryly as y/n frowned.

“stop that.”

“stop what?”

“calling yourself second best, putting yourself as second best. you’re not second best and you never will be. fuck haijime, you know you’re the only one who’s ever managed to occupy my mind so effortlessly. since you, there’s been nobody else on my mind so i’m hurting knowing that you think you’re anyones inferior because for what it’s worth you’re not and never will be mine. you are your own person and you’re the person i’m so so helplessly in love with. everything about you. absolutely everything. you’re my person so please stop thinking you’re second place because nobody with a sane mind thinks that.”

iwaizumi was left speechless. he looked into y/n’s eyes and as always, nothing but sincerity shone in them. oikawa had been the one to indirectly end his relationship but something in iwaizumi’s mind told him that the universe had also allowed oikawa to bless him with something better. a chance for a better relationship with a girl he could openly and genuinely allow himself to fall in love with. oikawa tooru had given him the chance to be with y/n and there was no way in hell he was going to pass up what the universe had offered him. 

“y/n. thank you.”

the girl smiled as she raked her fingers through his hair and laced one of her hands into one of his own.

“don't thank me. this isn't something you should need to be told.”

“no, thank you for not ignoring oikawa’s antics. thank you for giving in and texting me. thank you for not complaining when i dragged you all the way to miyagi at 12am. thank you for giving me a look into domestic life with you. thank you for letting me into your life. thank you for letting me fall in love with you. thank you for falling in love with me. just- thank you y/n. im stupidly in love with you and i want to make sure i do things right with you.”

now it was y/n who was rendered speechless as tears of her own pricked into the corners of her eyes.

“you idiot.” she huffed as she pulled herself into his chest.

“your idiot.”

“my idiot.”

the two stayed like that a little longer. relishing in the now lifted tension. iwaizumi felt like a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulder and y/n felt nothing but relief that he’d finally managed to let go.

he was still healing, that much was obvious and both of them knew he wasn't ready for a title yet.

the two were ridiculously in love.

and for now that was enough.

‘just a little longer y/n i promise.’

next stop iwa-chan!

iwaizumi haijime x reader

masterlist

an - after oikawa found out about what had happened with iwaizumi he tried to convince his older sister to cyber bully iwaizumi’s ex (she said no so he told his fangirls to give her dirty looks in the halls instead fuevdhs)

akaashi’s playgroup || two pretty setters and co

part 24 - im telling her

part 25 - my person

part 26 - labels

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[shinidamachu]

No Place I Would Rather Be

Summary: We're a thousand miles from comfort. We have traveled land and sea. But as long as you are with me, there's no place I'd rather be. Word Count: 3.617 Genre: fluff Fandom: InuYasha Pairing: Inukag Format: oneshot AO3 Link: 🌹 Fanfic.Net Link: 🌹

Boredom was eating him alive.

Days had passed without a single lead about the jewel fragments. So much that their little group had disbanded for the time being. Sango went back to what was left of her old village. It had been a while since she last paid homage to their dead. Kirara, of course, was her loyal company — and also ride. Miroku was visiting Mushin’s Temple, as if the place hadn't been profaned enough, already. Shippo was still around, but keeping his distance due to InuYasha’s stormy mood.

The frustration of it all got him desperately wishing for some kind — any kind — of action. Something that didn’t involve sulking under a tree and watching time crawl. Every second of this idleness meant another second Naraku was out there, still breathing. Collecting the shards was a small mean to achieve a bigger, imperative ending. It gave him purpose, a sense of getting closer to his ultimate goal step by step. Waiting got them nowhere. It only granted him to be alone with his thoughts and the combination was nothing but disastrous.

Lucky for him, his private source of distraction was not too far away.

Kagome was humming a foreign tune, the same one she liked to sing whenever she was happy. Following the melody was almost mandatory. InuYasha didn’t realize what he was doing until he arrived to the other side of it, where the girl thumbed through her hair in a futile attempt to tame her hair, the lake’s surface a natural mirror at her convenience. InuYasha made his presence known before his own reflection joined hers.

“It’s no use, ya know.”

“Jerk!”

The girl glared at him and retaliated by splashing water on his direction — of which he easily dodged. InuYasha had to admit her reaction was justified, given his past tendency to be utterly unkind to her. This time, however, although his tone wasn’t devoided of casual teasing, he was being completely honest. When you spend sunrise to sunset with someone for so long, it was inevitable learning a thing or two about them. Kagome had a wild hair. Not in a bad way, but it sure had its own will. Especially in the humidity, which was definitely the case of that afternoon. To an outside viewer, the strands could pass as straight. Noticing the shy waves at the end and how they used to stand out after getting wet was a privilege for the few allowed to look closer — a privilege InuYasha cherished. She always had her hair down and he liked that she did. It was destined to be free, to go with the wind. And it had grown a hell of a lot since they first met. The half demon wondered if Kagome was aware of how much. He certainly was.

Then she got up, revealing clothes that were undoubtedly new to his eyes. It was one piece, all lime flowers and malleable fabric against her cream skin. A bit longer than what she usually cared to wear, but leaving her arms and shoulders at plain sight in compensation. The view was thrilling, until his eyes caught the yellow backpack laying by her feet, causing his grin to falter. He understood the implication behind it, even if the question had yet to pass his lips.

“What’s with the weird kimono?”

“Oh, this.” Kagome lowered her gaze, inspecting for herself. Her combative attitude swiftly turning into a cautious posture. “It’s a sundress. I’ve been meaning to ask… can you please give me a ride to the well? I’m going home.”

There it was.

Somehow, getting his suspicions confirmed did nothing to prevent the scowl from forming on his face.

“Thought the school thing were over for the summer.”

“Well, yes...”

“Then why the fuck ya going home for? We still have plenty of supplies!”

“Because I promised I’d go to the movies with Hojo and now that we’re on vacation I don’t have excuses not to go, anymore. My grandpa literally ran out of diseases I could have. And what’s the point, anyway? Jewel hunting is going through a dry spell, everyone left… and I haven’t seen my family in weeks.”

Half of what she said didn’t make any sense to him and InuYasha positively hated the half that did.

“What if something comes up? I can’t see the damn shards like you do.” He argued.

“You jump through the well and get me.” She shrugged, as if the idea was highly unlikely. InuYasha opened his mouth to list the many, many reasons her solution was flawed. She bit him to the punch. “Listen, it’s not a big deal. I’ll be back tomorrow. I bet Miroku and Sango won’t even be here yet.”

It wasn’t fair.

In general, storming off to her era was Kagome’s way of punishing him for being a massive asshole. He got that. To tell the truth, more often than not he deserved it. But InuYasha was in his best behavior — despite feeling rightfully entitled to throw a tantrum, given the circumstances — precisely because he needed her close. He needed her to stay. Picturing Kagome hanging out with someone else instead was the worst kind of self torture. Would she change her mind if he swallowed his pride long enough to say so? Would he ever get the guts to let it out? She hadn’t invited him to come along. Was this Hojo guy really that important to her? More than InuYasha was? Trying to talk her out of it was a dangerous move. He’d put his foot in his mouth, she’d put his face on the ground. That’s what they did.

Either his expression betrayed the turmoil inside or Kagome became too good at figuring him out. Whatever it was, her smile shined, reassuring and warm.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be so quick, you won’t have time to miss me.”

“Who says I’d miss ya?” He dismissed, his indifference unconvincing even to himself.

InuYasha perceived another presence approaching. Shippo. His arrival couldn’t be more providential. Kagome had a soft spot for the brat. If anyone could get her to stay, it was him.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s just the runt.”

Like he had been announced, the kid emerged from the trees in a hurry, Kagome’s bow and quiver looking gigantic on his tiny hands.

“Kagome! InuYasha!”

“Shippo-chan! What’s going on?” She asked, as soon as the boy reached them.

“There are rumors of a jewel fragment, two villages to the west.” He explained, with the pomposity the information called for. “Kaede sent me.” His chin was up high, like the statement added a final hint of importance to the message. “Here,” continued the kit, offering Kagome her weapon in a formal manner.

She hesitated.

“Kagome, let’s go!” InuYasha was prepared to move at the sound of the word ‘jewel’, their earlier argument happily buried and forgotten.

“Wait! Don’t you think it’s strange? For days we had no leads, and now, just when we splitted up…”

“Yeah, well, so what if it’s a trap? It wouldn’t be the first.”

Coward that he was, Naraku resorted to the nastiests schemes in order to get what he wanted. His disgusting fingers laid on every happenstance that had ever caused them harm. What choice did InuYasha have, though? Ruse or not ruse, he had to check it. Regardless of anyone else’s help, it was his duty to get vengeance on the bastard — for Kikyo, for himself — and Kagome knew that.

She sighed and took the bow and arrows from the fox’s hold.

“Thank you so much, Shippo-chan! Now can you do me another favor?”

“Anything!”

“Go back to Kaede. Tell her InuYasha and I are on our way.”

“I’m not coming with you?” He whined, as confused as InuYasha. They never traveled without the child.

“That’s right. We don’t know how dangerous this may be. I need you to stay and if we don’t come back tomorrow by noon, get Miroku and Sango and send them to us. Can you do that for me?”

Shippo resolutely nodded .

“I won’t let you down, Kagome.”

“I know you won’t.”

And through the same path he had appeared he went. Kagome fixed a pleading glance at InuYasha.

“Can I at least change clothes before we g—”

“No time to waste.” He said, grabbing Kagome and her bag to leap towards west.

Kagome was whistling that same song again.

It took him an enormous amount of self restraint not to whistle along.

He was happy. So wonderfully happy. It was astonishing, the effect that tiny, bossy human girl had over his humor. The fact they were following the possible whereabouts of a lost jewel piece also played a role on his attitude swing, there was no denying that. But even if this turns out to be nothing at all, it would be a small price to pay in exchange of spending more time with her.

“Weren’t you mad about not coming home just now?”

His curiosity was genuine. Kagome had been angry since they left and InuYasha would be the person to know. She had two kind of anger. The one he could hear and the one he could feel. Even though she had been unusually silent, her frustration was palpable at first. Mercifully, it seemed to fade away the more ground they covered. Her one complaint was the soreness that too many hours on the same position inflicted upon the muscles, which was why they were both walking. As a rule, he was strictly opposite to anything that might slow them down, and the human pace was unbearable once you had a taste of demonic speed. Running free, with trees and people alike turning into a blur on each side of him, was an unparalleled sensation, amplified tenfold whenever Kagome was riding his back. He didn’t regret giving in, though. They weren’t far from their destination, after all. In addition, her comfort came to be a priority, despite him still being unaware as to when or how.

“Well… yeah, but… what can I do, right? Besides, I haven’t realized how much I missed this.”

Clueless, InuYasha searched their surroundings, unsuccessfully intending to spot what she could possibly be referring to.

“Whatcha talkin’ about?”

“This!” She spinned around, open arms and face to the sky, chasing daylight like a sunflower, the movement bringing her garment to life. “You. Me. An adventure. Don’t get me wrong, I love Shippo and the others, I’m glad they joined us. It just feels like we haven’t had as much quality time together as we used to, after they did.”

“Y-you miss that?”

She shook her head up and down with enthusiasm and a content smile fought its way across his lips.

“I know we could hang out in Kaede’s village, but it’s not the same as going out. O-on a trip, I mean.”

Although InuYasha couldn’t make out why her cheeks were suddenly burning red, he did see the logic her reasoning, and the feeling was mutual. There was a certain level of closeness only the road could provide. No curious eyes. No sly comments. No need to explain themselves. InuYasha had missed that as well.

He often played with the thought of stealing her away, of placate his selfish thirst for her undivided attention. Not once had he imagined Kagome would be as eager to go as he was to take her. Regardless, the timing wasn’t right. It never was. From the moment they met, they were tossed into a mission and there was hardly space for anything else. So he settled for whatever he could get until it was over.

“Why would you miss those trips? It ain’t like I was nice to ya back then.”

It didn’t make sense to him that she would. His memories were of a spoiled little girl, complaining about the bugs and her aching legs and the fact she hadn’t bathed in days. There was no escaping InuYasha’s share of responsibility on the issue. He could have made her life easier, had he bothered to. But at the beginning he saw Kagome as a potential threat he would eventually get rid off. How could he have guessed, after the many betrayals he had endured through the years, that his heart would be safe on her hands?

Kagome limited herself to a shrug.

“You are now.” She stated, as if it made up for his unexcusable former behavior. Her unconditional forgiveness amazed him, no matter how regularly she had shown it to him. “Also, it feels like old times.”

“It doesn’t unless you get kidnapped, somehow.”

“It happened once or twice!”

“Keh! Stop kidding yourself.”

“Shut up.”

“You shut up.”

“No, shut up. I’m sensing a shard and it’s moving away.”

Wordlessly, InuYasha returned the backpack to her and offered her his back.

They raced at full gallop, Kagome guiding their course. The forest transitioned into arid highland, where dirt, thorns and rocky surfaces took place.

“Hey, you!” Kagome yelled at the youkai emerging in their camp of vision. Their target. Over his shoulder, the startled creature sneaked a peek at them and increased speed. Growling, InuYasha matched his rhythm. “Wait up! We won’t hurt you.”

“I’m pretty sure Imma hurt him.”

“Give the jewel fragment to us peacefully and you’ll be free to go!” She went on, his snide remarks as ignored by her as her plead was by the demon. InuYasha’s patience was wearing thin. Now that the rumors turned out to be true, his focus was entirely aimed at the task at hand.

“Are those fancy arrows of yours just for show?”

Kagome let out a deep breath. Shooting was her last ressource. She preferred to sort things out with words first. It rarely worked. Still she always tried.

“I suppose we have no choice.”

The arrow hit the creature in the calf and his groan of pain reverberated through the field. Not lethal, but enough of a nuisance to make him drop the run. InuYasha closed the distance between them within seconds. Kagome climbed off him and together they inspected their opponent.

On the floor, a possum demon hissed and exhibited his fangs at them, his ugly face twisting in agony while he pulled the arrow out. A cascate of blood immediately flowed from the wound. InuYasha was not fooled by it. Being a full youkai, he would be healed soon.

“Where is it?” InuYasha asked Kagome, not daring to leave the bastard out of his sight.

“His belly.”

“Step away, you filthy half breed!”

“Excuse me?” Kagome defied, any trace of courtesy forgotten.

“That was quite the damage she did on ya, there.” InuYasha released Tessaiga from its sheath as he approached the fallen man. “Think I can top it, though.”

“Step away, I said!”

His fear was palpable. InuYasha could feel it. See it. Smell it.

Smell it.

Faster than realization, the odor filled his lungs. It burned his nostrils, his throat. He could taste the toxic substance on his tongue. It was unbearable. And gasping for air only resulted in the pungent scent flooding him further, overwhelming his senses. A defense mechanism, he thought, his vision blurring, his knees giving in. I’m going to faint. No. No, no, no, no, no. Kagome. He had to protect Kagome.

There was a cry of his name.

And then an awful lot of darkness.

InuYasha came to abruptly, uncertain and alarmed by the new reality.

In one minute, the sun was up and he was succumbing, his consciousness leaving him to drift. In the next, he was awake and crickets sang the night’s arrival.

It was tempting to think he had dreamt the whole thing. A stupid, ridiculous, crazy ass dream. However, the lingering smell left no room for argument. It happened. The scent was weaker. Fading. But was there, overpowered by a significantly nicer aroma. A familiar one, sweet on the nose and soothing to the soul. Kagome’s.

He was lying half naked in her sleeping bag.

Sitting up, InuYasha seeked for the priestess, desperate to make sure for himself she was safe and sound.

The fragile light of her modern lantern illuminated the cavern that sheltered them. At its entrance, a girl rested — her silhouette contoured by a starry sky. 

“Kagome.”

“You’re awake!”

She rushed to him, tripping over her own eagerness. Her beautiful clothes were dirty and a bit ripped at the hem. A small scratch cut her cheek, remnants of dry blood tainting her skin.

“Are you alright? What happened?”

“I’m fine!” Kagome kneeled in front of him, a gesture he appreciated. There was no peace for him without an up close inspection of her well being. “I purified the demon after you blacked out. Turns out it was a trap. Thousands of Naraku’s second-class demons came for the shard when I took him down. I tried to purify those too, but more of them kept coming and I ran out of arrows, so I casted a barrier and—”

“You casted a barrier?”

InuYasha was beyond impressed. Barriers required great power and discipline. Even from Kaede or the monk. Kagome had apparently done it all by herself. Effortlessly. On the spot.

“To be honest, I don’t know how I did it. I just… I saw you lying there and I… anyway, the barrier purified the ones who touched it. Eventually they all died or left. How are you feeling?”

InuYasha didn’t answer the question.

“I’m sorry, Kagome, that you couldn’t rely on me.”

Guilt pulsed within him like a heartbeat. Constant and compulsory, expanding the outcomes of its work through every inch of his body.

“It’s not your fault. Your nose is too keen, of course you’d be affected the most.”

“But you got hurt!”

“In the thorns. I was careless. Don’t worry about it, it’s not even going to leave a scar.”

“It shouldn’t have even happened. I’m supposed be the one protecting you, not the other way around.”

It could have been worse. InuYasha should be grateful for that. He wasn’t. It could have been worse. And he wouldn’t be able to help her, to save her from this insignificant peril while she had already saved him in every conceivable way there was for a person to be saved.

“I’m not as helpless as I used to be, you know? I’ve grown a lot.” She had a point. InuYasha himself had told her that much, once. Kagome had faced scarier dangers than that. And she could absolutely take them. But he didn’t want her to have to. “Not to mention, it was totally worth it.”

As a proof, she exhibited a jewel fragment, glowing in the healthiest shade of pink.

“You got it!” InuYasha captured the shard, glancing at every angle of it in awe.

“Don’t act so surprised.”

Kagome went for her backpack and came back, falling on her knees again. Her hand dove in and emerged holding the glass container in which they kept the other pieces. She opened it and tilted the receiver to InuYasha, hinting for him to do the honors.

It was as if she had been waiting for him so they could do it together.

As if it was their private, sacred ritual.

He did as she wanted, mirroring her satisfied smile.

“Where’s my haori?”

“Oh! I… I put it away.” Blushing, Kagome tore her gaze from his and InuYasha followed it to a corner of the cave, where a huddle of scarlet fabric laid forgotten. “I figured you’d heal faster with that smell gone and your haori is soaked on it. Sorry.”

“D-don’t apologize, stupid. It was the right call.” To feel useful — and to occupy his brain with something other than the image of Kagome undressing him — InuYasha searched her backpack for the first aid kit, a tool from her era he was sadly too intimate with. “Now let’s take care of this cut.”

“Okay. You have to g—”

“I know what to do. I’ve seen you do it a thousand times.” Her lips parted, and InuYasha added: “Don’t act so surprised.”

He cleaned the wound with cotton, water and soap, then used a different ball of cotton to carefully apply the content of a smelly little bottle to the extension of it. Kagome hissed, but he ignored it in favor of wrapping it all up with a band-aid. To ensure it was properly stretched, he gently ran his thumb through it, allowing the touch to linger more than necessary and his stare to go from her cheek to her eyes.

Her eyes.

The most stunning maze.

Let yourself get in, you are sure to get lost.

She blinked before he could, keeping them closed and leaning into his palm, her hand lifting to cover and caress his.

It would be so easy to grip her chin. To turn her face to him. To bring her to his lips. 

So easy to steal a kiss.

Why do the easiest actions have to carry the most difficult consequences?

Clearing his throat, InuYasha transformed present into a loving memory.

“Take some rest. We leave first thing tomorrow.”

“Sounds good to me.”

On the way to claim Kagome’s prior guarding position by the entrance of the cave, InuYasha collected Tessaiga while she busied herself with getting cozy inside the sleeping bag.

“Kagome?”

“Yeah?”

“Thank you.”

“InuYasha, I think we’re way past saying thank you for saving each other’s lives.”

“No, not for that. I mean, for that too, but... for coming. For staying by my side.”

“Stupid.” She mocked him, her voice lethargic as exhaustion finally caught up to her. “Where else would I be?”

A/N: this was some serious self indulgent bullshit. I regret nothing.

@inukag-week​ here is another piece of contribution. Kind of merged the Loyalty and the Instinct prompts here. Oops.

[lost-n-stereo]

Hallie - “I love when you talk that nerdy shit. We’re in our 20’s talking 30’s shit. We’re making money but we’re saving it. Cause talking shit is cheap and we talk a lot of it.”

He’s got a bottle of expensive tequila tucked under one arm and a stack of textbooks in the other. 

There’s a white board on her dorm door door that reads “Knock and perish” and he chuckles, knocks because he’s an asshole and likes to push her buttons. Seconds later she pulls open the door, her mouth open as if she’s about to chew out whoever is on the other side, but she hides a grin when she sees that it’s him. 

“What are you doing here, Bingham?” 

He holds up the bottle of alcohol. “Thought you could use a study partner.” 

Allie narrows her eyes, looks over the bottle in his hand that he spent well over two hundred bucks on. “Mhm. Just to study, huh?” 

It’s not a secret that he’s been crushing on this girl hard for a couple of years now. The way he sees it, he’s twenty-two and headed towards graduation. She’s twenty-one and a little fucking hellion he can’t keep his eyes off of. No time like the present to finally shoot his shot.

He smirks, nods towards the textbooks in his arm. “I brought books, isn’t that proof enough?” 

“We’re not in the same major, Harry. We’re not taking any of the same classes.” 

He doesn’t wait for an invitation, just sidesteps her into her dorm room and leaves her to huff and close the door behind him. Allie’s room is like an extension of herself, he can see that right away. She has no roommate, for starters, which doesn’t surprise him in the least because she’s kind of a loner aside from her very close knit group of friends. There are some posters on the walls, obscure bands he’s never heard of and set lists from live shows. A worn teddy bear sits on top of a bookshelf and stacks of textbooks are piled on every surface. One wall is dedicated to photos of her and said friends, surrounded by a single row of twinkle lights. 

“Like what you see?” 

Allie’s annoyed voice rings from behind him and he grins, looks at her over his shoulder with a cocked eyebrow. “Very much, so.” 

She rolls her eyes, those bright blues that he can’t seem to get enough of. Her hair is a mess, piled on her head in a giant top knot, and her black and grey striped sweater is falling off one shoulder. In a word, she’s gorgeous. 

“You can stop staring any time, Bingham,” she says, her cheeks a little pink as she shuffles from one foot to the other. He doesn’t hate that he makes her a little nervous, he can see that she’s internally debating whether to throw him out or let him stay. 

He fucking prays it’s the latter. 

“So what are you working on tonight?” He asks, stealing a peek at the textbook open on her bed. Allie is pre-law and that impresses the fuck out of him. His parents encouraged him to get a political science degree, as if he wants to go into politics like his mother. Honestly after grad school he might just end up on a beach somewhere with a degree in something he hates and no immediate plans for the future. 

He picks up the book and tilts it so he can read the cover. “Psychology? I thought you were pre-law?” 

Allie scoffs and grabs the book from him, being careful to not lose her place. “Shows how much you know about practicing law. Understanding how a person’s mind works is a very important tool.” 

“I love it when you talk nerdy to me,” he says with a chuckle that makes her scowl. “I’m just messing with you. I took a psych class my freshman year. Interesting shit.” 

Allie shakes her head at him like he’s an idiot as she sits down on the bed again with her book on her lap. She’s not telling him to leave so he takes that as an invitation to stay. He drops down in the chair in front of her desk and moves aside a couple of notebooks and a binder so he can place his own books down. He doesn’t really have any intention of studying, he’s pretty far ahead in almost every one of his classes, but he can crack a book or two if that’s how she wants to spend the evening. 

“Got any shot glasses?” 

She snorts without looking up. “Do I look like I have shot glasses just lying around?” 

“Got any medicine? You know, one of those bottles with the little plastic cup on top?” 

There’s no mistaking the fact that he’s annoying her but her little frustrated huff is so adorable that he can’t help but piss her off. “Can’t you just drink it straight from the bottle?” 

“Allie, this is two hundred and fifty dollar tequila. One does not simply drink from the bottle, we’re not heathens.” 

“But taking a shot out of a Pepto Bismol lid is going to be classier?” Allie leans over the side of her bed and searches under it until she pops up holding a bright pink bottle. “You’re lucky my sister has acid reflux.” 

“That’s gross,” Harry says as he takes the bottle from her. He uses his finger to wipe dust out of the top of the cap. “Judging by how old this bottle is I’m going to say it’s been awhile since she’s visited?” 

Allie’s silence makes him think that maybe he’s hit a nerve. He’s about to apologize when she shrugs. “She’s busy. Not a big deal.” 

“I’m going to let that statement go,” he says as he opens the bottle of tequila. “For now. Here, ladies first.” 

She eyes the shot, which looks fucking ridiculous in the little cup with dosage lines marked on the side. “I’m supposed to be studying.” 

“Who says you can’t study and be buzzed at the same time?” He wiggles his eyebrows at her and she rolls her eyes, takes the shot and then looks at the cup in surprise. 

“Holy shit, that’s good! Is that what rich people drink?” 

Harry laughs, pours his own shot and throws it back. “Technically you’re supposed to sip this but it shoots all the same.” 

“I really do need to study,” Allie tells him as she settles back on her pillows again. “Feel free to do the same.” 

So that’s what they do for the next forty minutes. He tries to focus on the political economics textbook that makes his eyes bleed and they trade shots every now and then again until Allie sighs heavily. 

“I think I’m drunk,” she says as if it’s the worst thing in the world and he laughs. 

“You’ve had three shots, featherweight. I highly doubt you’re drunk.” 

“Well, beyond buzzed then.” She lays down so her bare feet are up on the wall next to her bed and her head is hanging over the side. “Tell me something about you that no one knows.” 

Harry chuckles, gets off the chair so he can mirror her position next to her. Their hands are dangerously close to each other in between them and when he turns his head she’s only inches away. “Why do I feel like part of your psychology homework?” 

“Maybe you are,” she whispers. “Maybe I want to know why a guy like you randomly shows up to my room in the middle of the night to ‘study’”. She makes air quotes around the word which looks pretty funny to him upside down. 

“A guy like me? Also, I showed up at nine p.m., that’s hardly the middle of the night.” 

Allie rolls her eyes, something he’s wondering if she does a lot or if it’s just something he brings out in her. “You know what I mean, Bingham. And yes, that’s exactly it. A guy like you. Someone rich and good looking and cocky. And, sorry not sorry, but a total asshat like ninety percent of the time.” 

Harry grins and runs his pinkie finger along her thumb. “All I heard from that was you think I’m hot and you can stand to be around me ten percent of the time.” 

She groans and he laughs. “You’re impossible.” 

“I’m also a bit of a hypochondriac,” he says quietly and she looks at him with a confused look. “You asked me to tell you something that no one knows. I’m always assuming the worst about something stupid. Like, one time I found a mole on my side and almost had a panic attack.” 

She doesn’t laugh. He’s glad that she doesn’t. 

“I got bit by a spider when I was twelve and had to be rushed to the emergency room,” she says absently as she stares at the ceiling. “Turns out I’m allergic to this one really common spider where I’m from so now whenever I’m home for the summer my parents bomb the entire house from top to bottom.” 

They spend the next hour passing the bottle back and forth, no longer caring about looking classy or shooting from a shot glass. Harry sort of loves the way she looks when she lets her hair down, both figuratively and literally because she’s taken out the bird’s nest of her bun and let her curls loose around her face. 

“I don’t want to go into politics,” he admits after she tells him that she wants to go into environmental law. 

“So what do you want to do?” 

“Honestly?” He asks and she nods. “I have no fucking idea.” 

They both laugh as Allie sits up with her back to the wall and her knees up in front of her. She puts her chin in the little space between them and hugs her legs as she looks at him. “You’re young, Harry. It’s crazy to think we’re supposed to know in our twenties what we want to do in our thirties and beyond.” 

“I think that’s what college is for, isn’t it?” He asks, reaching out to rub a curl between his thumb and forefinger. “Figuring out the future and all that?” 

“I just want to help my family,” she says so quietly that he almost doesn’t hear her. “My sister Cassandra has a lot of medical bills and my parents work so hard.” 

She doesn’t elaborate on why her sister has medical bills and he doesn’t think it’s his business to ask. “Fuck, Allie. I’m sorry.” He feels like an asshole for not knowing this about her but then before tonight he didn’t know anything about her at all. Not like he’s starting to now.

“I work,” she tells him. “I don’t know if you know that but I have a job bartending at that little pub on Eighth. It’s not much but it helps to pay for shit I need so my parents don’t have to.” 

Damn, there’s just something about this girl that makes him want to put his entire trust fund at her feet. Not that she would ever accept any kind of handout, he can tell she’s way too proud for that. 

“I didn’t know that about you,” he says softly, reaching over to hold her hand where it’s sitting on the bed beside her. “I’m glad that I do now.”

She lets out this little breath that absolutely steals his right from his chest.

“It’s getting late,” she whispers and he knows what she means. He’s not mad about it either, he got a few hours with this amazing girl and that’s really all he wanted. A chance to know her.

“I’ll head out,” he says, picking up the almost empty bottle. “Rich people know how to buy tequila, hmm? Guess that ten percent of the time isn’t so bad after all?” 

Allie walks him to the door, her body swaying just a little. He may have been wrong about her being a lightweight because she’s doing pretty good at standing upright. 

“Have a good night, Bingham.” She says at the door, her blue eyes clear as she looks up at him. He bends down and drops a kiss to her cheek. 

“See ya around, Pressman.” 

He’s almost to the end of the hall when she calls out his name. 

“You’re up to thirty percent now,” she says with a grin. “Maybe next time we hang out you can change that.” 

“All I heard from that is that you want to see me again,” he calls out and she rolls her eyes, shuts the door and leaves him standing alone in the hallway. 

He’s grinning when he walks through the door of his apartment and he flips off his roommate Grizz when he asks him what he’s so damn happy about.

[ettadunham]

A Buffy rewatch 6x12 Doublemeat Palace

aka (too) real life horror (comedy)

Welcome to this dailyish (weekly? bi-weekly?) text post series where I will rewatch an episode of Buffy and go on an impromptu rant about it for an hour. Is it about one hyperspecific thing or twenty observations? 10 or 3k words? You don’t know! I don’t know!!! In this house we don’t know things.

And today’s hot take is that Doublemeat Palace is actually fun? Let’s talk about it.

One of the many things that I love about Buffy, is that when you ask people to pick a favorite or least favorite of the show, whether it’s an episode, season or character, the answers you’ll get will vary a lot. Well, alright, there’s usually a general consensus, and yes, Once More, With Feeling is most people’s favorite episode; but ask someone to pick their favorite season, and their answer may surprise you.

This variety is probably most apparent when it comes to generally disliked Buffy episodes. No matter how hated it may seem, how its rating is by any metrics, there is no Buffy episode without its fans. And those can come with or without the guilty pleasure label.

I’ve already planted my flag by episodes like I Robot, You Jane and Beer Bad. I especially got a lot out of the latter, not even gonna lie. Meanwhile I was genuinely surprised to find that some people really like Go Fish, an episode that’s about at the bottom of the barrel on my own list. But isn’t that kind of fascinating? Someone looked at the same episode I did, and got something completely different out of it. And we could probably see and understand each other’s points of view on it as well if we got right down to it. What a concept.

I know, I know, art is up for interpretation, shocking revelation made by Tumblr user ettadunham, and I am so not here to get into a rant about that right now. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to fire up that discussion later on, especially as my original intention here was just to lay back and appreciate the delicious weirdness of Doublemeat Palace.

Rolling back to that earlier point, this is for a lot of people is exactly that type of bottom of the barrel episode we mentioned before. Which means that it’s already had that underdog status going for it, as I sat down for my rewatch.

Well, actually, when I sat down I didn’t really remember that I was about to watch Doublemeat Palace, because somehow I’ve yet to memorize the complete Buffy episode list. Not gonna lie, I was mostly just expecting a general downer. Something focusing on Buffy and Willow’s misery with minimal Scoobies interactions, and so I was already thinking of how to compare that with season 5… But then the episode started with a scene between Xander, Anya and Willow discussing the Trio and the capitalist values of demons vs. supervillains, and I was already delighted.

And it only gets weirder from there. Buffy’s new job at the local fast food restaurant is presented as a horror story, and sure, there is eventually murder and monsters involved, but my favorite thing about that is that most of the horror comes from the actual life scenario itself. I’ve never worked at a fast food place, but the high turnover rate, the menial job, the manager who is trying to sell you on the company lines and brainwash you to believe that you actually want to work there 5 years from now… That stuff should be familiar for anyone ever working at a low-end corporate job.

I just love how the directing heightens that effect, as the camera tilts and focuses on the machines and the repetition, and the people spacing out. It’s a bit of quasi-horror comedy that also comes from the absurdity of life itself.

Buffy’s weird co-workers for instance? They all have their own distinct characters and I actually find them completely believable. If I was the guy who worked by that grill machine, and at some point had to go to the doctor to remove the grease from my ears, I’d probably think that that was a fun work story to tell too.

Buffy having at least five theories about what’s the “secret ingredient” in the burger - one of them being cats I guess – is also just the kind of morbid humor I’d expect in a place like that.

I guess if you go into this episode for the first time, you could get lost in the red herring of it all, or just wait for the demon reveal to explain the extremely high turnover. But for me, I found that the most enjoyable experience was to focus less on the literal meaning of Spike’s “this place will kill you”, and more on just how depressing the meat grind of corporate culture can be, especially for those at the bottom of its food chain.

Haha, see what I did there. Although as we learn from the plot twist, Doublemeat Palace was actually selling Impossible Whoppers before it was cool rather than an actual meat product. The real hipster of fast food chains.

I also just want to appreciate Buffy’s Captain America-like shirt (but with a heart!!) after she’s fired, and is about to start a corporate revolt. Bless her heart.

By the end of the episode of course, Buffy gets her job back and decides to stay on. Because money. Now there’s some real horror for you.

In other news, Amy has truly established herself as Willow’s Ethan-like foil for the series. She has all the angst, the grudge and chaotic energy for it for sure. It’s honestly a bit of a bummer that she didn’t get a lot more to do on the show from this point on. (I think she’s in the comics though? Again, it’s been a long time…)

Willow’s last words to her though. “If you’re really my friend, you better stay away from me. And if you really aren’t… you better stay away from me.” The change in her tone of voice by that last part! I’m scared and this isn’t even Murder Willow. Yet.

I also feel like pointing out that the whole eyes going dark phenomenon came up before in season 5 when she went after Glory and the whole magic trip she went on in Wrecked… But also in 6x04, when she and Tara were doing a spell to help Buffy fight some interdimensional ghost demon. At some point, Willow let go of Tara’s hand, her eyes went black, and she just said “solid”.

And the spell suddenly worked.

Based on that, and also some season 7 context, the whole black eyes thing seems to indicate whenever Willow is tapping into some greater, more volatile power. Or – especially in this case, where magic was clearly transferred to her – something that is outside of herself. More on that in season 7 probably.

Meanwhile Halfrek responded to Anya’s wedding invite in an insanely memorable scene of the show, and is now that friend who’s only relationship advice is “dump him”. Not that I can blame her per se...

Xander is clearly not over his own fears, and visibly reacts when Willow makes a comment about his impending happily ever after with Anya. Halfrek passive aggressively pointing out to Anya Xander’s attitude towards her feels a bit petty, but there’s truth to that as well. Anya may be weird, but some of Xander’s comments actually question whether or not he even likes her as a person.

That being said, that isn’t always the case. Xander is extremely sweet with Anya, including all her quirks throughout most of their relationship in season 5, I think. I would need to go back to those episodes to confirm this, but my running theory is that Xander’s fears regarding their upcoming wedding might have caused him to regress a bit in that regard. And as we know, Xander being the emotional one of their group tends to fail at introspection when it comes to his feelings.

Again, I’m not quite confident in that assessment of regression, so take that with a grain of salt. I would really need to rewatch season 5 again and keep more of an eye on their relationship, so this is mostly just a hunch for now.

Somehow, in the midst of all this, Dawn ends up being my lowkey MVP for the episode. She shows a lot of understanding towards her sister, as she laments that Buffy will probably be stuck in minimal-wage jobs for most of her life, because of her Slayer and other responsibilities. Meanwhile Dawn has much more freedom to choose – and that’s largely due to Buffy’s own personal sacrifices.

I feel like this is probably also the first instance we see Dawn truly interacting with Willow post-Wrecked, and it’s her walking up to Willow, asking her if she’s okay. Dawn Summers is precious, and good, and you can’t change my mind.

Now, who’s ready to get really fucking genuinely disturbed with our next episode?

[thedeliverygod]

Good Enough

a yatori college AU

chapter 29/?

AO3|ff.net

“I don’t know how you guys do it. This is more strenuous than at least three of my shifts put together.” Yato collapsed into a chair at the Iki family’s banquet table, dramatically draping himself across it, “So many people…”

Masaomi laughed and corrected, “Well, thankfully it’s not too often anymore since we’re no longer living at home.”

“Yes, thank goodness.” Hiyori gave her own little sigh, “We only have to deal with it during the holidays for the most part, now. And maybe once or twice during longer breaks, at least for me.” She gave a side eye to her brother.

He threw up his hands, “Hey, I’m home as much as I can handle. But that is the pro of having an apartment versus a dorm while in college; you won’t get kicked out between semesters and be forced to go home.”

“Yeah, I know…” She trailed off as she realized her father and a few of his coworkers were heading their direction, putting on a polite smile as they gave their greetings.

“Masaomi, Yato-kun, I wanted to introduce you to a few people.” Hiyori’s father waved towards a room just off the side, where it seemed clear the group was well on their way to getting drunk as their loud and rambunctious voices echoed out into the main room.

Yato answered hesitantly, looking to her, “Ah…”

“I’m going to get something to eat, I’ll be here whenever get back.” She stood up and patted the chair and he mumbled a quick ‘okay’ in return as they were both herded off by her father.

The one thing she definitely couldn’t complain about was the food. The buffet was large and full of variety, and everything was so well attended by the catering group that nothing was lukewarm or over cooked. Once she had a decent amount on her plate, she moved back towards the table and eagerly took her first bite.

After a minute or two of enjoying her food, she heard the sound of the chair next to her being pulled out and she looked up.

“Hello, Hiyori-chan.”

A jolt shot through her and it took her a moment to remember to swallow. Hiding her face with the napkin, she answered coldly, “It’s impolite to talk while you’re eating. I would think that you know that.”

He ignored her and nodded towards the other room, “So, I see you brought that person with you tonight. Guess he was more than just one a one-night stand, then.”

She lowered the napkin involuntarily, her hands starting to shake out of anger as she glared at him.

Fujisaki crossed his arms, looking off in thought as he continued, “I understand the need to experiment, though. Still,” He looked back to her, a sickening grin on his face, “You know I’ll always be your first for most things.”

“Pretty sure it doesn’t count if you forced her into it.”

Yato stepped between them and Hiyori’s face lit up in relief, her body relaxing again as he touched her shoulder.

Fujisaki’s nostrils flared and he stared harshly as he asked, “And you are? How childish to interrupt a conversation, especially without any sort of introduction.”

“Harassment also doesn’t count as a conversation. The concept of consent just seems to go right over your head, huh?” He paused for an answer, but only got an annoyed noise in response, “Anyway, I’m Yato. I don’t need any introductions from you; I didn’t even know what you looked like before now, but I could tell all the way from across the room who you were. My father was just like you, preying on others when he knows they can’t fight back.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He huffed in response, standing up from his chair and starting to turn the other way.

“And slinking away when someone actually does take a stand, that’s something he did too. Of course, I’m sure you’ll think of some underhanded way of getting back at me later. But it won’t be here, in this room full of people.” Yato added and Fujisaki stopped in his tracks, “I know exactly how you work.”

“Really.” He turned back and took a step closer to Yato, trying to intimidate him, “Then I would think you know better than to antagonize me.”

Hiyori finally got the strength to stand up, hovering just behind Yato and glaring just as harshly at Fujisaki.

Yato rolled his eyes and shook his head, answering, “You don’t scare me.”

He gave a loud laugh in response, “You really are a dumbass, threatening what little life you’ve built just for some girl.”

“Hiyori’s more than just ‘some girl’. Considering you won’t ever leave her the hell alone, I know you don’t think that either.” Yato answered automatically.

Fujisaki hummed in response, “Okay, so you’re maybe not as dumb as I thought. But still, all it takes is one phone call regarding that boy you take care of and—”

Yato snapped. “Don’t you dare fucking threaten my kid.” He hissed as he grabbed the collar of Fujisaki’s shirt.

As much as she wanted to do the same thing, Hiyori quickly started tugging on Yato’s jacket as she felt several pairs of eyes turn towards them, “Yato! Yato, stop. He’s trying to make a scene on purpose to make you look bad in front of everyone.”

He let go of him harshly and Fujisaki gave a few overly dramatic coughs as the whispering began amongst the people close enough to witness what had happened.

Yato still seemed on the verge of lunging back at him, so Hiyori put herself in the middle. As Fujisaki looked up at her curiously, she commented, “You know… this is something I’ve wanted to do for a while.” Without further warning, she slapped him across the face.

Turning around quickly and avoiding the stark silence in the room, she grabbed Yato’s hand and pulled, “Let’s go.”

His eyes were wide in disbelief, sputtering, “You…”

“This way we’re both in trouble and it’s not just you.” She gave a small smile, “But also… it was way overdue.”

He laughed a few times before giving a small sigh, but the smile stayed on his face, “Ah, fuck, Hiyori. Isn’t your mom really going to hate me now?”

She rushed him into the elevator, pressing the button to take them back into the lobby before leaning back on the wall. “I don’t know. Maybe, for a while. Or maybe she just won’t let me invite you to any more of these types of parties. No more public appearances with the Iki family, so to say.”

“Pfft. That’s fine with me.” He laughed again before brushing off his jacket, “Still, I’m sorry for causing this chaos.”

Hiyori shrugged, “Even without you, it was bound to happen eventually. At least this way I didn’t have to use any of my wrestling moves on him and therefore I haven’t completely and totally mortified my mom. Yet, anyway.”

As the elevator doors opened, Yato answered, “Personally, I would like to see that.”

“You and Yama-chan both.” She gave her own small laugh as they exited.

Once they had took a few steps into the lobby, he looked to her with uncertainty, “So… what now?”

She waved towards a couch, “I guess we sit down here until someone comes to get us or the party ends, whichever comes first.”

Sitting down and leaning back onto the couch, Yato mumbled, “I both can and can’t believe he would even bring up Yukine…”

“Yeah, that was honestly one of my worst fears come true, but…” She gripped her knees after she had sat down beside him, “Between Yukine-kun, Kofuku-san, Daikoku-san, myself, and possibly professors and your co-workers, we have more than enough people to fight against any sort of false report he would make.” He gave a soft hum in response, so she continued, “Well known family name or not, they need credible evidence to actually do anything.”

“Right.” Yato nodded, adding softly, “But they can definitely make our lives hell for a little bit while everything is getting figured out.”

She reached over to grip his hand, “We’ll handle it together if we have to. Hopefully it was just for theatrics.”

“Still, it’s a bit concerning he looked into personal details about me.” He lightly held her hand in return as his eyes flickered over to meet hers.

Hiyori nodded, “That’s his thing. He more than likely just did it so he could spurt some random things about you to me in hopes that would somehow make me change my feelings towards you. He did the same thing for Yama-chan and few other friends in high school.” She gave a small laugh, causing Yato to give her a very confused look until she explained, “It’s generally all really basic things. He just likes to think it’s insider information, or whatever you want to call it. Everything he told me about Yama-chan was stuff that I knew for years. It’s more than likely the same for you, as well.”

He let out a bit of air, “At least that’s somewhat of a relief.”

“Still, it probably wouldn’t hurt just to, um… talk to Yukine-kun a little bit. Just to let him know. I don’t want to scare him but if Fujisaki-san followed us, then…” She lowered her voice and stared down at her lap.

“Yeah, I agree.” He sat up a bit and gave her hand a tiny squeeze of reassurance, “At least he’s a teenager and already somewhat knows the situation. Only thing that kind of worries me is if he does happen to get followed or whatever, he might do something stupid to protect you.”

Hiyori’s eyes widened in surprise, “You think he would do that?”

Yato raised an eyebrow in disbelief, “Uh, hell yeah. I’d almost argue that he likes you more than he likes me.”

“I don’t know about that.” She waved him off, but still a bright smile took over her face.

“It’s pretty damn close.” He laughed as well, “But I guess I can’t blame him for getting so attached.”

Hiyori kept smiling, but her brother’s voice interrupted her before she could respond.

“There you are.” He stepped out of the elevator and rushed towards them, “So what exactly happened? I don’t particularly trust what I heard upstairs.”

Her smile finally faltered and she sighed as she let go of Yato’s hand, leaning forward as she asked, “And what was that?”

“Something about Yato-san getting jealous about the fact that you two had dated previously, but obviously I know that’s not the case.” He answered quickly, putting a hand on his hip as he waited for the real story.

Hiyori parted her lips but it was Yato who answered, “I basically called him out on his bullshit. That he was harassing Hiyori and basically said he was a coward for trying to always corner her in situations where she can’t really react. That wasn’t what set me off, though. He threatened to have Yukine taken away from me, essentially.” He cleared his throat, “At least that’s what it was starting to sound like, I didn’t really let him finish.”

“I don’t blame you.” Masaomi gave a deep frown and shook his head, “What a low life… Hiyori, I’m so glad you got yourself out of that situation. And Yato-san, if you need anything, let me know. Regardless of this whole thing, our dad would probably be willing to help as well but with mom factored in, you know…” He scratched his head as he trailed off.

He nodded and smiled appreciatively, “Yeah, I know. Thank you.” Exhaling and stretching out his arms, he continued, “I guess worst case scenario he could stay at Kofuku’s place and take the train to school if we do think that creep is starting to lurk around again.”

“Hopefully not, but it’s good to have a plan.” Hiyori agreed. She looked back to her brother, her nervousness starting to show, “So, um… Did Mom or Dad say anything?”

“Dad was kinda confused and Mom… she didn’t say much, but you could tell she was fuming.” Masaomi stared off at another part of the room, avoiding eye contact.

She leaned forward and held her face in her hands for a moment, trailing off, “Great…” She let her hands fall back into her lap, “Can’t say that we didn’t expect it, though.”

Yato frowned deeply but stayed quiet, causing Masaomi to eventually pipe in, “Like I said before, you at least get to duck out tomorrow. We unfortunately have to deal with her wrath for a few more days…”

He scratched the back of his head, “Yeah, which is good for me, but still… I’m sorry.”

“It won’t be anything I haven’t heard from her before.” Hiyori gave a small smile and touched his arm, “Don’t worry about it too much.”

“What she said.” Her brother echoed, waving his hands towards the door, “It’ll be a while before our parents are ready to go home and I don’t really expect you guys to go back upstairs without making more of a scene, so how about we all take a cab home?”

Hiyori blinked in confusion, “But you’re not in trouble yet, won’t you get a lecture about leaving early?”

He shrugged, “Eh, believe it or not, I’d rather deal with that then try to fit in here for a few more hours.”

“If you say so.” She gave a laugh, “But sure… I’d much rather sit at home in comfortable clothes than wait here for a few more hours.” She looked over at Yato for his confirmation.

“Oh, yeah. Definitely. Anywhere is much better than here.” He nodded in agreement.

Masaomi pulled his phone from his pocket, “So it’s settled then.”

“Ending the night with watching a movie on the couch was definitely not what I expected, but definitely much preferred.” Yato hovered by the door of Masaomi’s room as he spoke to Hiyori.

She smiled, agreeing, “Same here.”

“So, uh… I guess, goodnight?” He laughed sheepishly as he scratched his neck.

“Goodnight.” She leaned in and kissed him gently, which he returned briefly before pulling away to slip into the bedroom.

Hiyori lingered for a moment before she took a few steps down the hall and went into her own bedroom. Smiling to herself, she switched off the light and quickly slipped underneath her covers. Her room was anything but cold, but the comfort of her blankets added to her giddiness from being around Yato felt like heaven.

Just as she was feeling herself starting to doze, she heard a light knock at her door. She squinted in confusion, asking, “Yeah?”

“It’s me. Can I come in?”

It was her mother’s voice and a shock of dread moved through her. “O-oh, sure.”

She started to move up into a sitting position before her mom waved, “You don’t have to get up, I just wanted to talk for a minute.”

Hiyori blinked, feeling even more confused, but nodded as she lowered herself back down and her mom sat at the foot of her bed.

“He…” She trailed off, unsure of her wording or where to start, “He said something, didn’t he? That’s what happened, right?”

Hiyori nodded again, this time in disbelief, “Yes…”

“I think I saw a brief moment… of what you were talking about. That confrontation with Ametsuchi-san apparently got him very fired up.” She avoided her daughter’s eyes, smoothing out part of the blanket, “I can’t say that I completely agree with how things were handled, but… I at least somewhat understand now. I straightened things out with the Fujisaki family for the most part for now, but maybe at least try to handle things a little more discreetly next time? If possible.”

“We can try, but Fujisaki-san specifically tries to intimidate me as well as others during times where he knows that people can’t react like they want to. Yato specifically pointed that out today.” She leaned up on one elbow as she answered.

Hiyori’s mom met her eyes and let out a small puff of air, clarifying, “Then just try your best, I suppose.”

She nodded again before she asked quietly, “So you’re not upset with Yato about what happened, then?”

“I wanted to be.” Her mom answered automatically, pausing before she continued, “But, no. I’m not.” She slid off the end of the bed and moved towards Hiyori, gently running a hand through her hair, “Goodnight, Hiyori.”

“Goodnight.” She echoed and gave a smile as her mom walked out of the room. Waiting a moment, she reached over for her phone.

If you’re still awake, my mom just came to talk to me. She’s not upset with you.

what……………?

She held in a laugh, feeling much the same way.

I know right?? I’ll tell you more later but I thought it might help you sleep easier.

Uhhh yeah sure thanks

Wow that didn’t sound very convincing.

Emotionally I might feel better but physically this bed is far too comfortable for what my poor back is used to you damn rich people and your fluffy mattresses id probably be better off on a cardboard box

Hah hah. Seriously try to get some sleep, I’ll see you in the morning.

[artificialqueens]

Pink Sandcastles Pt. 2 of 2 (Trixya) - VonChoke

Summary: Trixie Mattel is a popular YouTube travel vlogger. When she receives an invitation to stay at a resort at La Union, Philippines, she had no idea that this particular trip would help her find out what home really means.

*She’s complete!!!*

Read part 1 on Tumblr Read part 1 on AO3

“Let me get this straight,” Kim said testily on the other side of Trixie’s laptop screen the next morning. Today she had white highlighting foundation that she has not yet blended in due to Trixie’s timely interruption again. “You were invited to La Union to review the beach and the resort there, but the real reason was Katya used her resort to lure you there and get closer to you?”

“Seems like it,” Trixie huffed.

“But you just found out last night from a comment on one of Katya’s IG pics that she’s in a relationship with, your words, a gorgeous, skinny burlesque star?”

“Exactly.”

“And how did you discover this?”

“I was checking Instagram on my way back from the bathroom and the first thing I saw was Katya’s newest post. Then I read someone named Violet Chachki commented ‘miss those hands on me babe’ on it and… ugh.”

“What fucking rom-com shit are you living in?”

“Goddamnit I know right!” she almost yelled, burying her face on her hands. “I didn’t even know she was flirting with me since VidCon and I don’t know if I might have accidentally flirted back!”

Kim snorted. “You dense idiot,” she said. There was a beat of silence and then, “So what are you going to do about it?” Another pause. “Have you guys talked yet?”

Trixie sighed, brushing back a pink strand away from her mouth. “Not yet.” As she said it, a notification lit up her phone’s screen. It was one of eight she has not replied to yet. “Katya’s uh… inviting me to brunch. She said she’s serving pancakes and a full explanation.”

Hopefully the whole story instead of the basic gist she was served last night; After Katya’s quiet confession that she was in a long distance relationship with another (way more gorgeous) person, Trixie felt completely embarrassed for believing she was getting to the big time for having someone personally invite her, all expenses paid, to another country for a free stay at their resort because she delivered quality YouTube content. Looking around at the silent group around her, she felt deeply mortified that they probably knew that Katya had taken a huge amount of effort to basically get some pussy. She wasn’t even someone worth seducing, what the hell? Her pride in her work was hurt so she quickly faked an upset stomach, excused herself, and ran back to her room.

“I really don’t know what to do, Kim,” she groaned.

“Well,” Kim said slowly. “How do you feel about Katya?”

Trixie dug deep into her mind. She and Katya well… clicked. Like two hurricanes merging into one destructive force. She does like Katya as a friend, but realizes that she knows nothing else behind the macabre and filthy humor and wide smile. Come to think of it, what sort of place does the dark humor come from?

“I… care for her,” Trixie finally said. “As a great friend. Other than that, I don’t know anything else about her. We don’t talk much about our past. Because when we’re together, it’s like… nothing else matters? I don’t even think about my own shit. I forget everything and only enjoy my time with her.” She locked eyes with Kim. “That’s weird, isn’t it?”

“Ehhhh yeah,” said Kim. “But that’s probably a good place to start.”

“I’m going to meet her for brunch, aren’t I?” Trixie said, looking lost. “Because I really don’t know what else to do.”

“Come up with a list,” the Asian girl prompted whenever a friend needed direction. “Three things.”

“Okay,” Trixie breathed, sitting up. “One, talk to Katya. Two, decide what to do from there. And three… Oh right fuck. Vlog.”

“That’s a plan.” Kim smiled.

“It’s a plan. Thanks Kim, I’ll see you around.”

After disconnecting the call, Trixie sat back on her chair and allowed her mind to wander out the window. What exactly does she want with Katya? She wasn’t even sure if she wanted a relationship right now with all the traveling she’s planning on doing. During the day, she can freely say that she is self-sufficient and can hold her own without anyone by her side.

But midnight is a different story. Whenever Trixie lays on her pillow to sleep, her caged heart roams free. Like any other lonely person, they’ll never admit that she secretly cries out for a companion and longs to relate to love songs. The yearning filled her with agony sometimes, but she bears with it as she knows it’ll pass the moment she falls asleep. When she goes on through her day, Trixie no longer takes the time to dwell on wanting a romantic partner. Her desire of having someone to kiss and to take care of are buried under a modern day woman’s sensibilities.

She can do this. She’s old enough to know what she wants and which of Katya’s bullshit she’s not willing to put up with.

—————————

“Salamat po,” Trixie quietly thanked the waiter in Tagalog, something Jiggly taught her last night, for laying out her breakfast plate and orange juice in front of her. Across her, Katya had a coffee, a fluffy pastry, an orange, and a cigarette. She too looked anxious.

Trixie ate quietly, using the food as an excuse not to talk first. She didn’t make eye contact, instead looked out to the view of the ocean. When a breeze picked up, she tucked her hair behind her ear.

“I really like your hair,” Katya finally said, getting her attention. Smiling, she added, “It’s like catnip for pussies.”

That seemed to break the ice wall between them. Trixie stared at her for a second in bewilderment and let out a snort and giggle of amusement. She did get a lot of lesbian attention online for her hair. In return, Katya laughed with relief at the reaction and let herself relax. She can do this.

“So… I owe you an apology. I guess wasn’t honest with you in the beginning,” she said.

“Really, you guess?”

“Shut up, Toby, let me be real for once,” Katya said, smirking. Continuing, she stared at a point above her as she gathered her words succinctly. “I… was already interested after we met at VidCon. I wanted to keep what we had going but I didn’t because life happened.”

She waved a hand at the building behind her. “The resort opened and I became extremely busy. Then when I watched your latest Japan vlog, I thought you looked so beautiful and happy and… I kind of missed you? Then I talked to Sasha, we thought that I should invite you here to Elyu so we could… talk more and the rest was history.”

Trixie nodded. Time for her to speak. “I guess I was… hurt. And embarrassed.” To Katya’s subtle questioning expression, she carried on in softer tones. “I thought you invited me here because I make great travel vlogs and wanted the best for your resort.”

“Oh mama, you are the best,” said Katya sincerely as she leaned forward. “I checked out all your videos after we met at VidCon and those are the five pinkest hours of my life I cannot get back.” She was relieved when Trixie let out a trill of giggles. “I’m really sorry for embarrassing you. That wasn’t my intention. I thought this was going to be a great way of getting to know you better but yeah, that was probably a dumb idea.”

“Not entirely,” Trixie said. She looked out to the ocean sparkling under the sun and the carefree shouts of other tourists and breathed it all in. She felt the distance from her drafty little apartment in Chicago stretch all the way here, a sunny and spacious bliss while sitting across a woman who found her weirdness worth the effort to be around.

She held her breath before letting out, “And Violet?”

Lowering her cigarette, Katya gave a small sad smile. “She was on vacation here when we met. It’s an open relationship because she’s always on tour with her troupe and I’m just here. I thought was okay in the beginning because I’m like seven different shades of fucked up and wasn’t sure I could fully commit. Now I don’t know if I should let her go or stay with her cause it was my fucking idea in the first place to ask for more. And god, there were the drugs…”

“Drugs?” This was the first time Trixie heard Katya talk seriously about drugs. She mostly chalked it to her dark humor and never thought it came from a real, scary place. “Oh wow, I didn’t know. I’m sorry I thought you’ve only been joking about those.”

“I wasn’t joking, bitch,” Katya laughed without humor and began peeling her orange. “Although… I do hate being serious all the time. I can’t take life too seriously anymore, otherwise I get sucked back in to the dark.”

“Oh yeah I totally get it. Joking as a coping mechanism. Oh honey, did you have an abusive step-dad too?” Trixie said in her driest tone.

Katya’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, looking as though she didn’t know whether to laugh or not. “W-well, no. I was raised by a team of greasy Taco Bell employees who took me in when I was young,” she said seriously.

“What?” Trixie gaped. How did that even happ—oh, she was kidding. She glared at Katya wheezing in laughter and slapping her knee. “You bitch, I almost believed that,” she cried out, joining her in the hilarity.

“Hidden talent,” Katya cackled. “I swear I am able to drop into the pain of my personal experiences so effortlessly that allows people to believe in my bullshit.”

“Now I’m doubting this entire conversation,” Trixie sniffed before Katya quickly shook her head and sobered up.

“Oh no no, I’m not. Sorry, that’s on me. I need to say something stupid before I get into any serious topics.” She cleared her throat before speaking again. “I’m sorry you had to go through… that. Are you good now?”

Trixie leaned back into her chair and nodded, drawing her eyes downwards. “Yeah, I’m good. I don’t talk about him anymore.” She sighed, letting the moment breathe before bringing the topic back on track. “So, uh… Violet.”

“Right, yeah, Violet,” Katya sadly said. Steeling herself, she continued, “So I thought I was okay with the distance because I believed that Violet didn’t deserve me, didn’t deserve that, didn’t deserve to deal with my problems on top of her touring schedule, airport drama, hotel conflama…”

“So why were you hitting on me then? Why are you still together?” Trixie made an effort to keep her voice steady. Her heart was already smarting for being in the position of ‘second choice’.

“I don’t know. I guess cause you’re you,” Katya said. There was a screwed up expression on her face as she battled her frustrations. “You get my psycho humor. I fall over from your wit. I like who I am around you. And… I’m still with Vi because I’m a fucking coward.

“Do you see the irony, Trix? I hate myself and believe that she doesn’t deserve me, yet I’m still with her because of the stupid fucking hope that she doesn’t see me the same way I see myself.” She drew a breath before continuing, “Would you honestly have given me a chance if I wasn’t with her?” She made a move to grasp Trixie’s hand in sincerity but the younger girl pulled away, frowning. It wasn’t fair that the ball was in her court now.

“Katya, I don’t think you should break it off with Violet just for me if you still want to stay with her,” Trixie slowly said, acknowledging the disappointed expression on Katya’s face. “Plus, I’m only getting to know you a little better now, so I can’t say yet.”

“You’re right.” Katya nodded in understanding, leaning back and sucking on her cigarette. “I’ve been a fucking idiot about this whole thing.”

“Absolutely, yeah.” Trixie’s familiar dry tone was back and it brought a smile to Katya’s face. “Inviting me to a beautiful tropical paradise to seduce the panties off me.” She shrugged. “I’ve had worst dates.”

“I have some work to be done today, but I’ll make it up to you tonight. And I can take you sightseeing tomorrow,” said Katya, sipping her coffee. “So, friends?” She tilted her chin up as she held out her cup. Trixie picked up her half full glass and clinked it.

“Friends.” It was a clean slate to start off from and that she can manage.

—————————

The rest of Trixie’s day was spent outside with camera work where she took more aerial shots of the beach with her drone and the gorgeous people surfing the ocean. She got into work mode as she checked if her “light” and “natural” makeup was still in place to give an on-camera narrative of the authentic and cultured peaceful ambiance of Elyu. She also made sure to get some playful shots for her Instagram Stories.

On her itinerary was to visit and feature Phi Phi’s speakeasy bar on her vlog. While the sun was setting, she made sure to get shots of the tasteful artwork hanging on the walls and interviewed Phi Phi about her collections.

“I love collecting artworks that were made by visitors here at Elyu. Take a look at this. It’s my newest piece. Sasha made it,” said Phi Phi, pointing out a contemporary graphic design of a crown, red lips, and a unibrow. To its right, an abstract piece composed of turquoise, bronze, and gold brush strokes hung near the door. “That one was made by Katya. She said she was inspired by the view of the sea from her office and how it helped relieve some of her anxiety.”

Trixie aimed her camera at the paintings. Through the lens, she stared hard as though hoping to learn something new about the way Katya’s mind worked. She thought she discerned a hopeful beauty and some sort of sadness from the colors and the strokes.

Next she visited Ongina’s place, a small eatery that served a variety of Filipino dishes. Taking the vegetarian option, Trixie dined on sweet and savory marinated fried tofu with green beans. She washed it down with a soda while taking down notes about the place.

“So, have you and Katya talked yet?” Ongina said, leaning her forearms on the counter.

Trixie quirked an eyebrow. “Why is everybody bringing up Katya today?” she said. Ongina shrugged.

“You girls seem close. It would be a shame if your friendship got permanently ruined after last night,” she said while wiping down the bar counter and taking away Trixie’s clean plate. “And it’s nice seeing her in a different mood that wasn’t lovable bitch.”

“So what the hell is she now?” said Trixie after another bubbly sip.

“Still a lovable bitch, but we don’t want to punch her this time,” Ongina said breezily. The pink haired vlogger squawked gracelessly.

Lastly, Trixie took up Jiggly’s offer of a tour of her brightly colored hostel. It was simple in its accommodations yet a favorite for bigger groups that came to visit for its rustic bunk beds and kitschy wall decors. As Jiggly gestured her arms dramatically towards the building, she declared, “Do you know who stayed here for months the first time she was here?”

Trixie snorted. “If the answer is Katya, I’m leaving,” she said dryly. Jiggly was taken aback and dropped her arms. Trixie was about to regret her sass when the hostel owner burst into booming laughter.

“H-how did you know?” she squealed. Trixie grinned apologetically.

“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude… It’s just that everyone has mentioned her name to me so many times today, I’m starting to get a little suspicious,” she said sheepishly. Jiggly got around to coughing herself into composure and smiled a little guiltily.

“Have we been that obvious?” she asked a little meekly, patting her long straight hair into place.

Trixie nodded. She turned away to look at the hostel with the intention to hide her smirk from Jiggly. She didn’t want to give her and the other girls the satisfaction of knowing that their big plan to keep Katya fresh in Trixie’s mind all day kind of fucking worked.

—————————

The sun had long given away its stunning strokes of orange and yellows clouds, setting a blanket of dusky purple and blue over the beach. Katya had invited Trixie out to a post-dinner walk along the dimly lit beach. It was peaceful, Trixie had thought. Her bare toes enjoyed the feel of the fine sand, something she was not able to tolerate under the heat. There was something to be said about connecting with nature by listening to the waves move in its natural that could melt away the city stress. She glanced sideways at Katya’s profile, admiring the shape of her nose and how her skin looked luminous among the smoke of her cigarette escaping from red lips. It was quite the vision Trixie wanted to capture for her own self and never release such beauty to the world. She contemplated how some people compare themselves to the sun, fiery and outgoing, and how their veiled eyes see the other as the quiet beauty of the moon.

The sea and the sky kissed and blew out a cold breeze that smelled of the salty ocean. Trixie shivered.

“Aren’t you cold?” she asked.

“No ma’am. I always stay warm from the fire in my pussy,” Katya replied, grinning proudly around her stick. This earned a Trixie-screech that scandalously broke the tranquil air. There was a beat of silence after she had composed herself that Katya eventually ended.

“Trixie,” she began. “You know why I stayed here?”

“Why?”

“Three years ago, I spent almost all of my savings to check myself into rehab. I had a psychotic mental breakdown that my own parents had to call the police on me because I was running buttfuck naked out of the house.” There was a solemnity in the way Katya spoke about this that Trixie had to stare, wondering if the woman was dead serious or not again.

Katya then opened up about her struggle with drug addiction to a length that she had to light up another cigarette. Trixie held on to every word, determined to better understand her history. Rehab was successful, although the relapses never went away, they were easier to manage.

“So when I got here, it was so different from the city and the suburbs and for the first time in fucking history… My mind went quiet.” She gestured a flatline across her forehead before turning to Trixie. “Have you ever been to a place, in all of your travels, where it felt like all the noise just goes away?”

Trixie smiled with nostalgia. Blue and white villages came to her mind as she remembered the smell of warm flaky pies in the afternoon. “Yeah… It was my third trip, I think. Greece. Like I took off my earphones because I didn’t need the music to stop the noise in my head.”

“I never intended to hang around for long,” Katya continued as she nodded, inhaling her stick. “But I met Karl and Sasha, and we struck a deal together. Made it work. I invested in a share of the resort and it felt like I had purpose again. Also, the locals here? Oh mama, they know how to live life properly.” Trixie nodded silently. She could tell Katya was off to a long ramble by the way her hands began to gesture wildly to punctuate and to emphasize. She found herself not wanting to cease the stream of its course.

“But what I absolutely loved was the people that came to this place. I love the stories they told, I love talking to people, did you know that? Oh my god, the things they’ve seen, all their dreams and fears and shit…

“And then they leave. It’s like reading an anthology. I provided strangers an ear or advice. Sometimes I couldn’t help them and that’s a-okay. It’s like… I get to be the fixed point in their journey where I get to answer some lifelong questions. There were so many lives I learned about—remind me to tell you about Craig, he’s the bestest when it comes to movies—and it’s fucking redonkulous how everything we want in life is rooted to just wanting to be loved. Like in all our searching, the meaning of life comes from each other.”

Trixie folded her arms in contemplation. If travel taught her anything, the most memorable places weren’t about the sights or the food, it was about how open the locals were to connecting with foreigners.

Katya sighed. “And yet, I’m just here.” She waved a vague hand over the beach. “I’ve been here for a long while now and sometimes I feel lost myself. Or cut off from the rest of the world.” She grabbed Trixie’s hand and looked at her straight in the eye. “I’m sorry again for not telling you why I wanted you here. The loneliness was becoming unbearable and everything was empty and my head was becoming chaotic… I think that’s why I contacted you.”

“Maybe you need a new home?” suggested Trixie.

“I think I’ll find home on my own terms,” Katya replied softly.

Trixie frowned in confusion over Katya’s choice of words. What did she mean to ‘find home in her own terms’? In all of her travels, all the places she has visited and documented, has she ever found what home really means? Yet there was something familiar with Katya, in her words, in the scene she described here on the beach, looking out to the horizon—

“BITCH!” Trixie shrieked all of a sudden, stopping her tracks and startling Katya. “WAS THAT CONVERSATION ABOUT THE ‘CONTACT’ BEACH SCENE?!”

She received confirmation when Katya doubled over and began rolling over the sand in soundless laughter, nodding in glee. Trixie stomped away before she could wrap her fingers around her friend’s throat. She yelled that she was going back to her room, leaving Katya to pick herself up when she was done. She wanted to believe that Katya was bullshitting about everything, doubt her sincerity, but deep inside she understood. The search for love is life’s greatest trial that many leave messages to the universe, hoping to hear that they aren’t meant to be alone forever.

Trixie turned to look back the same moment Katya did. It could have been a passing nanosecond fancy, but Trixie swore to the stars above that she felt the phrase “I’m falling for Katya” shake her core. It was a strange feeling, she imagined, to experience a possible concept transition into powerful words. And it made the whole situation scarier now as it was one step closer to solidifying into reality.

She waited for the sense of hopeless despair she usually felt when she catches feelings for someone, but it never came. Instead she felt a glow filling her chest, a thrill that zipped through her nerves and made her gasp softly in surprise at how quick these sensations engulfed her. How does one stand by the ocean and feel like drowning? How does falling for someone feel like flying?

Their eye contact was broken by Katya sheepishly looking away, as though she had realized she had been staring too much. She lit up another cigarette.

“Your an idiot,” Trixie finally said into the silence.

“Yes and?” said Katya, smiling a little.

“And I said ‘you’re’ without the apostrophe r e.”

Katya gasped, eyes sparkling once again in mirth. “You take that back, you uncultured, illiterate, wretched heathen!”

Trixie began to walk back to the direction of the resort, calling over her shoulder with a playful laugh, “You deserve it!”

“I can’t even look at you right now,” Katya hollered, following her footsteps. “How dare yo—this changes everything I feel about you.” Trixie stopped in her tracks and so did her heart. She arched an eyebrow until Katya caught up with her.

“And how exactly do you feel about me?”

Katya blew out a cloud of smoke, appraising her friend for a beat while smirking. Trixie momentarily glanced at her rose red lips that doesn’t blossom open as much as it caterwauled inelegantly throughout the open space that probably needs to be ticketed for disturbing the peace. She could feel the anticipation stretching out, wondering what Katya was going to admit to her under the moon and stars… until the bitch simply winked and sashayed away.

The next morning, Trixie woke up early to catch Vivienne’s surfing lessons. It was a struggle to get out of bed that Trixie had to remind herself that her surfing lesson was also for the vlog. She grabbed her camera that was on her bed side, turned it on, and grumbled into it.

“Hey guys, it’s five in the morning and I have a surfing lesson today.” She rubbed her bleary eyes. “If you like watching me fail at stuff, keep watching because this might be my last video before I drown myself. Or get snacked on by a shark, whichever comes first.”

She turned off the camera and got up. She stretches hard before slowly encasing herself in a long sleeved blue and pink wetsuit that cut off inches above the knee over her swimwear. She met Vivienne right outside the resort, who energetically waved at her in contrast to Trixie’s sleep fuzzy brain. Her wild wavy black hair was tied up in a high bun and Trixie’s brain seemed to jolt awake up at the view of her abs above a pair of black shorts that covered half of her thick thighs. Good morning indeed.

Three hours later of learning the basics and trying to balance on the surfboard, the sun rays were soft and beautiful over the sparkling water and Vivienne’s morena skin. The teacher and student now sat on a low stone barrier facing the shore as Trixie was catching her breath from the session.

She unstrapped the camera from her surfboard. “I had just finished my first surfing lesson here with Vivienne, who is the most patient and wonderful woman to ever teach my ungraceful, clumsy ass,” Trixie said into it. Vivienne waved and smiled as Trixie affectionately laid her stringy wet head on her shoulder.

“She was a natural,” Vivienne said.

“Am I?”

“At wiping out.”

“Bitch,” Trixie laughed. She then gave a narrative of her first time on the board, how she was worried about slipping and hitting her head underwater, and how much fun she had learning despite catching not a single wave. She jumped off the stone barrier to focus her camera for a gratuitous shot of Vivienne’s enviable curves and abs, which she thought deserved a whole post of its own. Vivienne modestly giggled at the attention. Trixie was about to launch into a litany of worship of Vivienne’s hard work when a pair of wide gray eyes suddenly filled the frame. Trixie jumped back with a surprised yelp. “Katya!”

“Morning! I was watching you whores all morning,” she cackled. She was wearing her sunglasses on her head, black shorts, and a red floral silk shirt that had the sleeves folded up to the bicep and the front casually unbuttoned only halfway through, exposing bare cleavage. To cap off Trixie’s raging lesbian fantasies, Katya had her shirt in a French tuck and a motorcycle helmet dangling off her hand. Trixie gaped. The sight was all together stunning and was all too much for one morning.

Vivienne eventually broke the staring contest with laughter and hopped down the barrier to cheek kiss Katya. She gave Katya’s outfit a one over, checked Trixie’s reaction, and winked at the blonde before enveloping Trixie in a proud hug. “I’ll see you girls later! You did a good job today, Trixie.”

“T-thanks Vivienne!” Trixie said, returning the hug and waved as she walked away, picking up Trixie’s rented surfboard along the way. That view was looking good too.

“So,” Katya coughed. “How was it?”

“Hmm? Oh! It was great! I mean I wasn’t that great, but I had fun,” Trixie said in a giddy rush, glancing back at Katya.

There was something sexy about feeling the rush of adrenaline in the early morning and being under the control of someone very attractive in something as temperamental as the ocean. Looking into Katya’s eyes, aglow with the morning rays of light, filled her heart with something that felt like promise and care. Emboldened by her own high spirits, Trixie held eye contact while she unzipped her wetsuit to reveal underneath a green and white polka dotted bikini with a high waist bottom that accentuated her hips. With her pink hair, it was a whole watermelon fantasy and Katya’s raised eyebrows and unbridled smile was the cherry on top. As Trixie walked back to the resort, she called over her shoulder and extended her hand, “Are you coming for breakfast?”

Between two potential lovers, it’s most often that the palms kiss first before the lips do. It was as if Trixie had held out a magnet, and Katya’s own body responded like it were cold hard steel. Her feet quickly shuffled forward as her arm immediately extended to accept the invitation of Trixie’s hand. Both girls discreetly blushed at the new words their bodies just learned and intertwined their fingers together. And neither had let up until they got to their breakfast table.

————

Trixie sighed before sipping her late night cup of coffee at Velour’s. The sun had set, the beach’s nightlife was awake, and here she was waiting for Sasha to finish helping her staff with a large order so she could talk. Tonight, Sasha was wearing glitter red lipstick, an artful eyeshadow, and fake freckles across her nose. The whole look seemed to brighten up the ambiance of the cafe.

“What’s the occasion?” Trixie asked, nodding at the patterned outfit appreciatively as Sasha gracefully took a seat across hers.

“Art gallery viewing at Phi Phi’s. The gallery is called ‘Press and Play: Movement in Flow’. Would you like to come? I’m also hoping to meet potential business partners to expand the cafe,” Sasha replied. Even the way she crossed her legs were elegant. Trixie shook her head in regret.

“I can’t. I have to work on the vlog before I leave tomorrow, see if there’s a scene I might have forgotten to shoot,” she said.

“That’s right, it’s your last night here,” Sasha said in somber tones. “So what did you do today? Vivi told me you went surfing this morning.”

Trixie lit up as she recounted the rest of her day; Katya had taken her on a historical sightseeing tour via her motorcycle. As she spoke of the old churches and an old watch tower leftover from the Spanish occupation era, memories of tightly clinging to Katya’s midsection as the latter’s motorcycle zoomed down almost empty roads surfaced to her mind’s forefront. While she was describing the grape field Katya took her to, she thought of the way the light dappled on the older woman’s face underneath the grape vine leaves and forced her to stop moving so she could take a photo. When she told Sasha about the delicious dinner they had of burgers (hers a vegetarian option) and iced tea on the second floor of a beach front restaurant, all she could think about was how the sound of the waves crashing became the soundtrack of Katya’s wildest life stories, ranging from serious topics about her battle with drug abuse to the nasty and hilarious one of how she had once shat on her friend Courtney’s bed.

She remembered how she had wanted to hold Katya’s hand again while they were walking but chickened out, so she compensated by leaning her head on her shoulder while they rested. Or she swears that Katya had been staring because when she looked back, Katya quickly turned her head to the other direction. She recalled shivering whenever Katya leaned in closely to whisper something in her ear.

This woman had no shame in her being. Her unfiltered words, her animated expressions with her freedom to be. It enamored Trixie. Like the ocean they were facing, she felt unlimited. In that moment, she believed that a lot of things didn’t matter anymore just as long Katya kept her eyes bright with her enthusiasm of discussing whatever topic came to her head.

“Trixie?” Sasha punctured her thoughts. “Trixie, are you okay?”

“I think I like her,” Trixie said simply after a long pause. Sasha raised her eyebrows and her mouth fell open in delight.

“Do you really?” she gushed.

“I do.” Trixie smiled bashfully, glancing at Sasha’s little head tilt of interest.

“Have you told Katya that?” she said, chuckling.

Trixie nodded. “I did. She was talking about… God, I can’t remember now… But it was about something and she was stuttering like an idiot, trying to get her words right and… I just laughed. And when she asked what was I laughing at, I was like ‘Nothing, I just really like you.’”

Sasha gave a little gleeful gasp and a grin that stretched all the way across her face. “And then what did she say??”

Trixie shrugged, grinning. “She looked shocked, then happy. Like really happy.”

“Sooo what happens now?” Sasha prompted. She delicately laid her chin on the back of her hand and patiently waited for an answer. Trixie huffed, glancing at the shore as though hoping the answer to that would walk by.

“I don’t know…” she sighed. “Whatever I say to her, it’s not going to change the fact that I’m leaving tomorrow. Plus, she’s still with Violet so it’s not like my feelings are going to matter, doesn’t it?”

“Oh I think it will. Where is Katya anyway?”

“Her office. Said she had some business to get done first,” said Trixie. She finished the last sip of her coffee and was about to take out her wallet to pay when Sasha waved it off.

“On the house,” she said, smirking at Trixie’s surprise. “It’s your last night here and you’ve made my friend very happy these past few days. Just promise me one thing.”

“What is it?”

“Tell Katya your truth.”

Trixie sighed. “But I’m not sure what is the truth…” she said. Sasha waved a finger.

“No. Not the truth,” she repeated. “Your truth.”

———

It was nearing midnight. The rest of her evening had been spent answering emails and sorting through her pictures and videos from the time she left the airport to the latest ones she took earlier today. She organized them by day and sub-labeled them by activity, knowing full well that if she did this after she got home, she’d be too exhausted to even start it. For the first time in her travel history, she made a new folder for one person.

Trixie rubbed her eyes from underneath her glasses. She knew she had snapped Katya in more artful shots, but she hadn’t realize just how much she took all in all. There was one from her first night with Katya’s other friends drinking, and she used the light nearby to give Katya an almost noir look with the wispy cigarette between her fingers. Scrolling down, she perused a goofy one of Katya; jaw wide open in mid-shriek and her eyes squinted close. She forgot the joke that was said but she can almost hear the breathless wheezing laughter coming from the picture.

The last one took her breath away, the one from the grape field. The shadows of the leaves played around her face and to her chest as her lips were closed around a grape. Trixie shook her head, trying to fight off her bubbling feelings for the woman she was going to leave tomorrow.

It was truly better off they stay friends, Trixie was thinking. The spaces in her mind cautiously played out a daydream, one where she imagined being Katya’s girlfriend, holding hands with her and traveling the world together. It was a pleasant feeling, knowing that someone will always be there to fly alongside with her. But the moment she imagined kissing Katya, she could feel herself flush and quickly shut the daydream down. It was way too good. Reality was going to be a bitch to face had she let it play out.

Trixie heard knocking on her door. Her gut already told her who was on the other side as she swung the door open. She was right.

“Hi. Can I come in?” Katya asked softly, hands tucked inside the pockets of her shorts. Trixie blinked. The first thing that drew her eyes in was the way Katya’s red lipstick framed her slightly open mouth. Next she noticed how her dark, smoky eyes lined a beseeching expression that was cautiously asking to be let in. She was still wearing her mouth-watering casual clothes from earlier and her dirty blonde hair seemed as though a hand had ran through it several times. Trixie minutely chased the thoughts away and opened the door wider to let her in.

The room was a little tossed up with most of her electronic and camera gear on the desk and half folded clothes and shoes on the bed. A hot pink empty suitcase sat nearby the window. Trixie apologized for the mess and quickly straightened up her things, explaining that she had been meaning to pack but needed to work while she was still inspired. Katya silently nodded as she sank down to sit on the edge of the bed, eyes darting around the corners of the room. Once she was done fixing, Trixie leaned against the table with her arms lightly folded over the pink with white “TRAVEL BARBIE” lettering cropped hoodie she was wearing. Both women said nothing. There was a new charged energy in the room, an anticipation as thick as molasses. It was possible that something could happen in the next five minutes, and Trixie couldn’t find the right words to break the tension.

“Trixie—”

“Katya—”

The both giggled. “You first,” Trixie said, smiling.

“Right, here I go.” Katya returned the smile quickly before huffing out a breath. “I just… want to thank you for accepting my invitation in the beginning. Sorry I was weird and I hope you still had a comfortable stay at my resort. If there’s anything else I can help you with, I’d be glad to do it for you.” Trixie nodded, her expression serious.

“I had a really great time here, despite being seduced by a Sugar Mommy. I’ll send you my therapy bills, you fucking cougar,” she quipped dryly, causing Katya to squint in breathless laughter and to flail her legs over the bed. “You are like, what? 57?”

“That fucking pink hair—I knew you didn’t strike me as the type who, you know, actually works hard for her money,” Katya wheezed through her laughter. Trixie’s mouth dropped in fake outrage.

“Oh bitch excuse me, I built my vlog with hard work. But if I wanted a Sugar Mommy to pay for everything, I could’ve gotten one.”

“Because you are what? Poor.” A teasing grin splayed across Katya’s face. Trixie felt the shade dive deep all the way to her childhood in rural Milwaukee and shrieked in laughter. Katya then rolled around the bed to her favorite sound and bizarrely ended up in a pose with one leg stretched in to the air. They felt more at ease now with humor introduced into the serious conversation.

Then Katya decided to stab the atmosphere with her own knife. “Oh and by the way I also broke up with Violet.”

“You what?!” Trixie gasped, her laugh halting to a screeching stop. Of all the dumb decisions—

“It’s okay, it’s okay!” Katya said quickly, sitting back up on the bed. “I Skyped her awhile ago and we talked for hours. I told her the truth and… well, she wasn’t happy with it.” Trixie meant to interrupt but Katya held out both her hands. “But-but she also couldn’t promise me when she’s coming back home here. Or I’m not sure if she wants to call this place a home… Do you know how hard it is to buy rhinestones in this country?” She snorted humorlessly. Trixie shook her head, but deep inside she understood what Katya was implying. Based on their conversation the night before, she realized she was looking for a place to call home too. And she wasn’t talking about four walls and a roof.

“But Katya… I’m leaving too,” Trixie said almost angrily. Why did Katya have to love those who has to leave her? It wasn’t fair. She folded her arms again. “I don’t know if I can come back here. Or if you can even leave your resort.” Or, Trixie didn’t want to verbalize, if she could manage her travel vlog career from a different country just to be with Katya. It was her greatest passion and she would not give it up that easily. Traveling made her whole and she wanted to be a complete being for whoever she will give her heart to.

“I know, I know,” Katya said, grinning mischievously that, Trixie had learned, preceded a heartfelt comment. It was her defense mechanism in play when she was about to reveal a deeply vulnerable truth. “But it doesn’t matter. Wherever you’re going next, so does my home.”

The weight of the words sank in between the silence and flowered out to fill the room. Trixie’s mouth fell open and she couldn’t stop the blush creeping up her neck. Katya had just handed Trixie a part of her to carry around in all her future travels as she acknowledged that the resort was no longer considered her home. Katya lowered her head, if it was possible, in dignified embarrassment.

“Okay,” Trixie began, breaking the silence. Time to let the feelings out. “Again, I really had a nice time here. And I don’t mind having your batshit ass around.” She lowered her eyes. “I like talking with you and I think you’re one of the strongest persons I know because you’ve had shitty stuff happen to you before but you never became an asshole because of it. You’re like, really fucking smart and hard working and really good to people… and… uh…” She swallowed. There was no going back now after this. “You’d definitely have a chance. With me. If you’d still like.”

Katya’s gaze softened as she looked up to her favorite person. “All I need is one chance. Just one,” she said, standing up from the bed to meet Trixie’s eyes in all seriousness. Trixie inhaled sharply and too stepped forward, charmingly towering over Katya’s sinewy frame. The air thickened and all it takes is one move to push things to no return. Who will make the move?

“Trixie Mattel, I’m not going to let you leave this resort until I kiss you.”

Trixie’s brain short-circuited as her eyes glazed over. It was whispered so softly had she not been a breath away from Katya, she would not have caught it. “Where?” she teased lightly, buying herself some time to breathe from the situation. A shark like expression erupted from Katya’s face.

“You brat.” She smirked, eyes sparkling. She continued, “On your cheek. Or your fingertips. It doesn’t fucking matter. Wherever you want. That would be enough.” Trixie pulled back ever so slightly to stare at the small genuine smile on her face. There was a rare sincerity to Katya’s voice that wasn’t suffixed by a guffaw and melted her heart.

Trixie hesitantly turned her head to the side to hold her cheek out, allowing. As Katya slowly moved closer, Trixie caught a whiff of the ocean, smoke, and perfume. The twist of scents rapidly triggered her brain to overload with picturesque memories. In the full space of a second, her universe was filled with the smell of the seaside from her balcony at night time, moments of staring from the back of the motorcycle at Katya’s glistening neck that probably tasted like saltwater, and the sensual wisp of cigarette smoke emitting from between her fingers over a hearty laugh. If this is what caused Trixie to change her mind, she had no regrets about turning her head to meet her lips with Katya’s at the last millisecond.

All of Trixie’s thoughts quieted, died down, but such as nuclear explosions do, her brain went from white blank to exploding into colorful chaos. It didn’t feel like the simple action of two lips meeting, but a pull towards the being that is Katya. She decided that lips weren’t enough physical contact so she wrapped her arms around Katya’s neck, bringing her home. The older woman, who had frozen in surprise, immediately pushed Trixie against the edge of table, closing the space between their hips. Trixie could feel the heat spread throughout her entire body from the pleasurable delight of being trapped against a solid object with only a pair of well-manicured hands on her waist holding her down.

Her leg slowly moved up to Katya’s calves and rested over her ass, pulling in to lessen the distance, if there was any left possible, and to anchor herself against the storm. Katya groaned, losing her fucking mind over the eroticism of her right pelvis pressed against the apex of Trixie’s thighs. She deliciously squeezed said fleshy thigh, feeling the soft, smooth skin and roundness that was uniquely woman. Trixie gasped at the sensation. Her hands began to roam as she lowered her raised leg to meet Katya’s fingers, which slid down from her thighs to clutch the back of her knee. Trixie inhaled sharply and her breathing grew shallower when Katya thrust her tongue inside her mouth and, at the same time, cleverly moved her middle finger up and down, and circling rhythmically, over the crease of Trixie’s bent knee, a female version of stroking a guy’s finger with a promise of the real thing coming soon. With little left to the imagination of where this was headed, she pulled away from Katya with a loud moan.

Both women stared at each other, breathing heavily, wide eyes searching for any sign, any hint, that they’re going to be okay. That this terrifying and exhilarating feeling was okay. With the help of the bright harsh light of her room, Trixie’s eyes hungrily took in Katya’s swollen wet red-smudged lips, dark blown out pupils, mussed up blouse exposing one shoulder and a nipple, and dirty blonde hair that she had definitely grabbed with her own hands. And Trixie thought she was the ravished one.

Katya let go of Trixie’s knee, lifting her fingertips up to the younger girl’s cheek, wordlessly asking if they could go further. She felt a shock throughout her entire body when Trixie gently pushed her away and walked to the door. Katya felt her heart drop all the way to the bottom of her stomach, believing that she had made an absolutely huge mistake and that Trixie was going kick her out of the room and tell her that she didn’t want this, that she was too old for her, and deserves way better than a former drug addict. She could feel her throat choking up, was about to wrap her arms around her stomach, until Trixie simply switched off the lights and bathed them both in moonlight from the window.

———

The sun was high and bright at mid-afternoon. The rented car sped past small bungalow houses, rice fields, traffic laden highways, to a bustling city, and soon, they would be at the Clark International Airport. Trixie was curled against Katya’s body almost the entire ride. It wasn’t much of a difference in position of how they woke up that morning, especially with Katya stroking Trixie’s cotton candy hair as dawn’s light seeped through the window. Verbal promises were whispered all night as the non-verbal ones were kissed onto naked skin. It was as though Katya wanted to soon fill Trixie’s heart with something before the painful absence sets in between them hours from now.

“I wish I could stay,” Trixie said quietly. The car was in the same city now as the airport and she could feel the hourglass sand running low with her remaining time.

“I wish you would,” said Katya, continuing to stroke Trixie’s hair before giving it a kiss. “But you have a life of your own.”

Trixie sat up, suddenly filled with guilt. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t want to be one of those who leaves you again—”

“Don’t be.”

“I want to keep you.”

Katya struggled for an answer to that one. Coming up with nothing, she could only gather the younger girl back into her arms so she would not see the stray tear she was wiping away.

With her head against Katya’s chest, Trixie traced the tattoos on her forearm from where her sleeve has rode up. “What does this one mean to you?” she quietly said to the left one. “Is it a Tarot card?”

Katya nodded. “The Fool,” she answered. “New beginnings, naivety, leap of faith.”

“And this is Death?” Trixie glanced at the other arm.

“Yep. It means change, mortality, letting go…” Katya glanced down to meet her eyes. “It, uh, depends on which side you see them. Things can change their meanings if you look at it in another way, you know?”

There was a moment of silence as the two women stared at each other. The car was pulling into the airport’s security checkpoint and they both felt time starting to slip away quickly. “You know what’s one thing I lo–like about you?” Trixie said, staring straight into her gray eyes, trying not to give away that she almost slipped. “You absolutely have no filter. You are so free to be yourself. Don’t ever change that.”

Katya’s mischievous smile returned. “So why does it feel like I’m the one trapped here?” she said.

“Come with me,” Trixie blurted out. She regretted it immediately, thinking how much she sounded like a child. “I mean…” Her words were hushed with a kiss.

“Let’s just see which back alley life takes us before it fucks us up, okay?” Katya whispered to her lips then grinning. They finally pulled up to Departure. Katya helped her with her suitcases and other bags before she was unable to take it and pulled her into a tight embrace.

“I can’t wait for the video,” Katya said into her ear. “You’ve always been so talented with storytelling and a camera. Remember that’s also why I brought you here.” Trixie nodded into her shoulder, fighting back her own tears.

“I hope my vlog would help bring more stories your way,” she said, releasing her hug. There was an intensity in Katya’s staring, one that fiercely declared “I love you, Trixie”, only held back by her tongue thinking that after one night of sex was too early to say out loud. Yet Trixie picked up on the expression, but couldn’t say it back either. She poured what words she cannot say yet into a tearful, lingering kiss. As they parted, Trixie picked up her bags before walking to the doorway of the airport.

Katya watched Trixie until she was no longer in sight. With a heavy heart, she got back into the car and was silent throughout the entire ride back to La Union.

———

THREE MONTHS LATER

Trixie was about to hang up after the ninth ring when her online call was finally picked up.

“Hello?”

“Sasha?” Trixie said softly.

“Darling, how are you doing?” Sasha’s low voice cooed from the other side of the world.

“I’m… I’m doing great,” the younger girl said, trying not to sound too fragile. “Just wanted to know how you’re doing.”

There was a pause before Sasha replied. “I’m doing wonderful. The cafe is doing great and I may be opening a second one somewhere in Metro Manila soon. It’s going to be at Bonifacio Global City, which is a huge deal!”

“That’s good to hear,” Trixie said, smiling. She exhaled heavily. “Sasha—”

“Are you okay, Trixie?”

“I just talked to Katya and…”

“Oh dear, is anything wrong?”

“No, none at all. I just… I just really miss her and it hurts,” Trixie sniffed, clutching the side of her bed where she was sitting on. “It hurts so much, Sasha. I just got back from my trip to Australia and… I thought traveling again would make it easier. But I don’t feel complete anymore.”

“I’m sorry you feel that way,” Sasha said sadly. “I remember how happy you looked when you told me you liked her. Trust me, darling. It hurts for Katya too. It may even hurt for her even more.”

“Why?”

Trixie could imagine Sasha pursing their glittery lips before answering in a tone that felt like she was sitting in a Philosophy lecture.

“Because the absence of a lover is felt more strongly by the one who is left behind. Such as in ancient times, it’s man who goes off to hunt or to sail, and the woman waits for him to come back.”

Trixie fell silent. It finally clicked now when Katya had told her at the airport how she felt trapped or when she talked about ships docking at her port, only to leave later at some point. Guilt permeated her heart as she thought of Katya going through her day on the beach, hoping that one day, or someday, the girl she loves will return. While Skype sessions were frequent, it was the bodily absence of each other that was putting them through a longing that had no end. The agony was real.

“I want to keep her around,” she said, sniffing back her tears. “But my friend Bob said that the long distance is going to be hard when we live in different timezones. What do we do?”

“You know, dear, you have the option to not pursue the relationship if it’s too taxing on both of you,” Sasha said. But before Trixie could interrupt, they plowed on. “BUT that doesn’t mean you have to give up. I think you know what I mean when I say that the older you grow, the easier it is to lose contact with friends along the way, yes? So if there’s someone worth keeping in your life, it’s going to take a lot more effort to hold on to them. It’s hard, but we do it anyway because they’re worth it.”

Trixie burst into sobs. Her heart and mind both agreed strongly that Katya was worth everything, and the intensity of those feelings spilling out were overwhelming. There was a sense of relief that she still could feel her humanity capable of loving someone so much it caused her pain. She tried to compose her voice, only cracking a little. “D-doesn’t it sound stupid that… Traveling makes me feel right at home, that moving around feels like home? But this last trip didn’t feel like it…”

Sasha paused to think. “It seems the journey is more important to you than the destination… Correct me if I may be wrong, but have you ever thought that you were escaping from something?” they said. Trixie’s mouth fell open in realization. Indeed, why has she been traveling in the first place?

She began to narrate her history to Sasha through her sniffles, who patiently listened. When she was eighteen, Trixie left her family home to find a new life away from her abusive step-father. When she thought she had gotten away, she continued to run from the voices in her head that yelled that she wasn’t good or smart enough to make it in a big city. And when she had finally found monetary success in her YouTube travel vlogs and other side hustles, she had immediately worked herself to exhaustion to run away from idleness, terrified that the moment she rested, her income will fall and will be back at poverty. It was why Kim and Bob called her a workaholic, something she had honestly believed was a good virtue for a while. Until Katya, damn that girl, spoke of finding something, or someone, real to stand still for. She wanted to stop running. She had to do something.

“Trixie?”

“Hey Sasha, that business contact you have in Manila… What’s his name again?”

———————

FIVE MONTHS LATER

THE REAL TEA BEHIND MY LA UNION VLOG—AND A SURPRISE ANNOUNCEMENT 842,711 views

“Hi guys,” Trixie softly beamed to her viewers. It felt strange for her to start a vlog without the hyped up, perky energy she usually puts on. She shyly tucked her hair behind her ear before saying, “I’ve, uh, been wondering for months if or how I should be telling you guys this story… But I think now is the perfect time.”

Her beam turned into a grin as she couldn’t help reminisce the good times she had on that sliver of paradise. A glow lit up her face.

“Several months ago, I was invited to La Union by a friend I met at VidCon. Turns out I had been casted by some almighty force above to star in a Greg Berlanti rom-com starring me and Charlize Theron from Atomic Bland…”

She snorted. Her cheeks slightly pinked before stating the words with a glowing smile. “What I mean to say is… I met someone.”

With a fluttering trail of photos and funny videos included into her vlog, Trixie told the story of how she met Katya, her friends, their brief conflict, and how they bonded even further after she left Elyu. Then she gave a quick rundown about the past few months where both ladies worked tirelessly on closing a business deal that gave Katya a brand new opportunity.

“So without further ado, may I bring to the stage… The incomparable, the legendary, the festering pile of garbage I could not scrape off my shoe, my new travel vlog partner Yekaterina Petrovna Zamolodchikova. Or as your dad calls her, Katya!”

Messy dirty blonde hair and straight perfect teeth, the glory that was Katya slid into the seat next to Trixie. While her body language stayed polite and composed, she had a wild manic grin that promised to bring crazy shenanigans to Trixie’s next world adventure. A pair of tiny plastic hands topped both of her pointer fingers.

“Katya will be joining me on my future travels until she dies of arthritis,” Trixie explained.

“I’d die of diabetes actually,” Katya injected as-a-matter-of-factly.

“Why?”

Katya quickly turned to lick Trixie’s face, causing both of them to flail, scream, and crash off-screen. A quick jump cut edit had them both back into the frame.

Trixie took up the lead. “We’re also thinking about doing a short vlog series of us talking about whatever we want when we’re not on the road. Feel free to comment below what we should talk about first—”

“And we’ll see if we can try to stay on topic,” said Katya, grinning deviously. “Oh! I bet you’re all wondering what happened to the resort,” Katya said to the camera. “I sold it to my friend Karl and his partners at FP Ruview Enterprise, god bless those hoes. Then I took the cash, buried it into a hole, and then I fucked it.”

“And then it grew into a money tree. Fuck you dad, money does grow on trees,” Trixie chimed in. Turning to her girlfriend, she said, “Would you make a good financial adviser?”

“I would!”

“Great cause I can’t wait to be stranded in the middle of Germany with you with no money.”

It was the first time Katya wheezed and flailed on Trixie’s vlog while batting at her with the toy hands. Later on, Trixie read with gratification that her viewers ate their banter up and wanted more.

“Ooh ooh! We can look for a strip club in Germany and wiggle there for extra cash,” Katya exclaimed. She got up from her seat and began running her hands up and down her torso and hips in the least sexiest way possible. Trixie watched with open amusement, wondering with utter delight what she had gotten herself and her vlog into. For a few seconds, she played out a daydream; twisting around to the plane seat next to hers and seeing Katya’s wild and excited grin, looking forward to their trip together. It felt like she was back at Elyu’s beach again falling in love with her for the first time. This is what it felt like to be whole again.

“So, we’ll see you guys until our next video. Until then, I’m the adhesive allergy drag queens get on their balls for wearing too much duct tape, Trixie Mattel!”

“And I’m the dumpster bookshelf you’re dragging to your apartment at midnight when this stranger helps out and you pay him in wigs and a quick fuck, Katya!”

———

“Where are we going to next, by the way?” Katya asked after they turned off the camera. Trixie blinked. After Katya moved in with her, Trixie had to take a step back and wonder how did she get it right this time. There was a person in her space that she could always expect to see at the end of the day that could make everything better. When Trixie thought about home, she had never imagined it would be the sound of a hairdryer at 9 in the morning, or the faint smell of cigarettes in the late afternoon. And when Trixie said she wanted to be able to relate to love songs again, she didn’t exactly think that she herself would be blasting Taylor fucking Swift and singing “She is the best thing that has ever been MIIIIIINE” while cleaning their bathroom. She knew Katya hated Ms. Swift, but she also knew she was probably secretly smiling over the fresh clothes she was folding.

The concept of love is simple, yet so terribly easy to complicate. So it gave Trixie great pleasure to reply in all its uncomplicated glory, “Let’s stay home for a while.”

[jjk-emotrash]

Jimin Imagine #1 – Closure

Warnings: Angst, Jimin being indecisive, a little fluff if you squint 

It was quiet in the studio, only Y/N and Jimin (and J-Hope - who was waiting for me and Jimin to leave so he could lock up). Everyone else had left already, giving Y/N and Jimin a knowing look as they left. They needed to talk. It wasn't too dark outside so Y/N had told the guys not to bother waiting for her and that she would walk home herself, her apartment only being 15 minutes away. Jimin had driven himself, having got to the studio early so told the boys not to wait up either. Things had been tense between the two of them for the entire rehearsal but she had no idea what had happened to provoke him. She had had a long day at college and was looking forward to seeing him for comfort but when she rested my head on his lap as the group sat on the floor of the studio before their rehearsal started he just moved out of the way. To the other side of the room. He gave no explanation as to why. Honestly, it hurt a lot considering how close she thought they had become as of late. So, as she sat in front of him on the floor as they tied up our shoes, Y/N took the rare moment of them being alone together to her advantage.

"What's going on with you? You've been really distant, is it something I've done? Or said?" She asked, seeming casual but wanting answers.

"I'm fine, Y/N. It's just that I'm not sure what you want out of me." He replied shortly, obviously pissed off and tired.

"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" She asked, exasperated and shocked by his answer.

"It means, that this is confusing. I think we both want different things from this." He said and stood up to get his jacket. Well, at least that much was true. She had been wondering for weeks whether whatever they had was going anywhere. All the small fleeting moments between the two of them, never extended further than the studio. Sure, the boys would invite her to the dorms whenever they could and she loved hanging out with them but whenever she tried to reach out to Jimin personally, he would find an excuse to say no. Eventually, she stopped asking.

Despite this, the soft yet heart-fluttering encounters continued - much to everyone’s confusion. All the sweet pecks on each other's neck, forehead, cheeks hadn't stopped. He still held her tight whenever they hugged each other goodbye. He still loved it when she played with his hair to soothe him when he was stressed or tired. And yet, nothing.

Does he want me or not? Do I want him or am I just desperate, lonely?

"Okay, while some of that does carry some truth, I'm not the one to blame for this. Whenever you need a shoulder - or chest for that matter - to lie on, I'm always willing to help. The number of times when I've wanted to mess around with the guys but haven't just because you're tired and want to cuddle is innumerable. Yet, whenever I need you to be there for me you brush it off, call me clingy and move on."

"She's right," J-Hope called from the other room, obviously overhearing the conversation.

"Point being, this is giving me whiplash. Do you want this to go anywhere or am I just something you think you can use and dispose of at your own want and need, Jimin?"

"Honestly, I don't know what I want."

"Well, figure it out. Cause I'm tired of this. It hurts too much." Suddenly, everything overwhelmed her and she had to leave the room so as to not break down in front of him. He had seen Y/N cry before on multiple occasions but, for whatever reason, she didn't want to him to see how much this was affecting her. He followed her, nonetheless, and spun her round to face him. His heart immediately broke as he saw the tears streaming, he hated seeing her in pain and knowing that he was the one to cause it to hurt even more.

"Y/N...c’mere," He opened his arms out and gestured to himself, offering her a hug. Reluctantly she shuffled into his open arms and proceeded to shake in his arms as she cried into his chest, his head resting on top of her own. She needed this to last. She needed him. But she knew that she shouldn't feel like this. They told her not to get attached too much; it would only hurt her in the end. It was her own fault for not listening, she knew. Eventually, she calmed down enough to talk.

"What are we doing?" I whispered as a few stray tears escaped.

"I don't know, I just know that I can’t resist you even though I should." She had never seen him so serious about anything other than Bangtan, it sent a wave of calm over her trembling body.

"Jimin? Kiss me..." she asked quietly, barely audible.

"What?" he half laughed in shock and nervousness.

"Kiss me. Please, Jimin. Just once," she answered and lifted her head up to lock eyes with him. Of one thing she was certain - she needed to know what it was like to kiss him. Biologically, she knew that the human body was able to recognise the difference between love, lust and mere desperation from one simple kiss. She needed to know. He gulped, his breathing heavier and his eyes filled with nerves and worry. Nonetheless, his hands moved from her waist to her cheeks to wipe away a few stray tears. Licking his lips, he closed his eyes and leaned in to kiss her gently, as though he was scared he could break her. She kissed back for a second or two before pulling away, blushing hard and heart was beating a mile a minute. The kiss was innocent and sweet but it managed to send her head into overdrive. She loved him. There was no other explanation.

But she knew that he didn't, or if he did he would never say it for a number of reasons. One very important one being that they weren’t allowed to date. Despite the fact that they evidently wanted to. When they first met as teenagers and he was really just a kid in a teens body. As time flew by, he grew up. He grew taller, his voice dropped, he got stronger. He was becoming a man. But there was still a part of her that saw him as that dorky kid she grew to care for deeply and it pained her to think about. This kiss, for her, felt like closure. She could move on now if she had to - wouldn't be left wondering when or if he was ever going to kiss her. As much as she didn't want to, she had to walk away.

She loved him. It was too much.

Walking away from him at that moment was the hardest thing she had ever done. She left the room, picked up her bag and pushed the exit door open. She walked down the stairs towards the cold night air as tears streamed down her face once more. When she left that night, she vowed to herself to never go back to him. Little did she know that upstairs, rooted to the spot in the dance studio, Jimin was vowing that he would never let her go.

[cat-sophia]

Happy 39th Captain Swan Day!

Hello My Friends!

@xemmaloveskillianx is brilliant and very talented writer. Unbreakable was her first story i read - it’s Canon Divergence and it was love at first read and probably most of you know it - if not i strongly recommend you to read it! An of course the perfection that is The Reason - her MC AU. I love her one shots too! Lots of good reading! All of them are so brilliant and perfect and awesome! And can’t wait to read the continuation of The Swan Princess! Or any other fics she will write!

Kristin thank you so much for all your stories! You create wonderful words and characters. Your words makes our days better! Can’t wait to see what you will write next! <3

Her stories that i read and recommend:

Multi Chapters

Unbreakable - What if Hook was able to go with Emma and Henry when they left to escape Pan’s curse? With no memory of each other or Storybrooke, Emma and Killian meet in New York as complete strangers, both with broken pasts, and both with clean slates for their future. (+ Unbreakable One Shots - Wedding Night  Two Men & A Baby  PTSD   Deleted Scene)

The Reason -  The three of them share a laugh before they all look to Emma. She has yet to comment on the new addition because she isn’t sure what to say. She usually doesn’t like change, they have a good thing going there, just the four of them. Plus, they all know him and she doesn’t, but she trusts their judgement, and she’s sure any brother of Liam can’t be all that bad. AU

Never Traditional -  Emma and Hook are just starting to understand what it feels like to be in a normal relationship together when a person from Emma’s past calls and requests her help in locating someone they let go a long time ago. So, with the Snow Queens scroll in hand, they venture to New York. Alone for the first time in their relationship, they begin to realize things aren’t always the way they seem and sometimes the past can come back to haunt you. (Captain Swan/Arrow crossover)

One Shots

Canon

Last night in New York - Emma’s feelings and thoughts about going back to SB and Killian after he finds her in NYCS

Oh Captain, my Captain - Charming and Emma after Killian’s death in 5A finale 

Menzies -  Takes place during the six weeks in Season 4 before Gold comes back. Emma and Snow’s monthly beast syncs up and David and Killian have to deal with some angry women.

Want To Go Home And See What's On Netflix? - Takes place after they beat the Snow Monster, only I’m inserting a night in between then and the time Elsa freezes the town, because lets face it, they deserve a quiet moment instead of something happening every five seconds. Emma invites Hook over for a family movie night.

Wedding plans - written during 5B

Pirates - Post Underworld. David is dropping Henry off at Emma and Hook’s house when he hears some interesting noises coming from inside. When he walks in, he sees something he’ll never forget.

A little pirate - drabble

New Armor - Emma and black leather jacket

New Year, New Me - I made a New Year’s resolution to be better at showing the people I love how much I care... But now all I want to do is kiss you.” Canon Divergent – Marian never comes back. They get interrupted before Hook admits to trading JR.

AUs

The Swan Princess -  The angel was clear, the little cygnet needed to be protected, he was to be her hero, and at the young age of five, Killian Jones is all too willing to take on that task. Little does he know, the cygnet is more than what she appears.

Love Is A Ghost You Can't Control -  We slept together once and I ran because I was scared you didn’t feel the same way I did. Now I’m the Maid of Honor at my brother’s wedding and you’re the Best Man and I can’t stop thinking about what happened between us.

Kiss Me At Midnight -  I kissed someone random at midnight on New Year's and fuck I kissed my new boss. 

Secret Santa - Christmas drabble

You Need Only Ask -  A group of scheming friends, a party, and question Emma thinks she might finally be able to ask.

Promise -  Killian Jones, EQ’s second-best bail bonds person, has been a thorn in her side since he strutted into their offices with his stupid hair, stupid elf ears and stupid British accent. She’d hate him if she wasn’t so hopelessly crazy about him.

And this unique story - gifsets instead of fic:

Bad Boy Next Door: Part One - Part Two - Part Three - Part Four - Part Five

At the age of 17, Emma got pregnant. Not wanting to disappoint her adoptive mother, Ruth, she accepted her boyfriends marriage proposal, thinking it was the right thing the do, but a couple weeks after the wedding, she lost the baby. Ten years later, Emma and Neal are still married but it’s more or less on paper, the love they once shared almost completely gone, something she is fine with, because she doesn’t really believe in love anymore. Then, Killian Jones moves in with his older brother next door to her and completely throws her world upside down. For the first time in ten years, she finds herself laughing and having fun with someone who isn’t her brother or his wife… but what happens when it goes too far?

edit: @xemmaloveskillianx fics i read after i made this post:

Killian and Emma sheriffing in Storybrooke - drabble

drabble - Emma and Killian chilling at home and watching Netflix, and Killian's hand is resting on Emma's belly.

drabble - Killian wearing a baby strapper to keep his little princess safe to his chest while he sheriffs around town with Emma.

drabble - Killian likes getting scratched under his chin and he hums softly whenever Emma does it

[vegetasleftsock]

A Devil’s Smile (Vegeta x OC) Part 3

Find prior parts HERE -> Part 1 | Part 2 

Milla opened her eyes, groggy and tired from the drinks the night before. 

“Two days in a row that I’ve barely woken up,” Milla thought to herself. “I need to get my shit together.”

She shifted to sit up and realized she was on the couch in her living room. A pillow was propped behind her and she was covered in her throw blanket. 

Milla strained to think for a moment who would’ve gotten her here like this. If it was up to her she would’ve just thrown her pants off and crashed on the couch; no pillow or blanket needed. 

“Oh shit, it was that Goku guy,” Milla remembered. She recalled zapping from the brewery to the apartment complex in no time flat. 

Milla questioned her reality for a moment and decided to push it to the back of her mind. She wanted to say thank you to Goku more than anything. 

She looked around for her phone which was sitting on the coffee table next to her, alongside the water bottle from her purse. 

“Goku is a really nice person. Mentally noted.” Milla mumbled, her voice still full of sleep.

She unlocked her phone and was met with a missed call from Joey and a text message from her other band mate, Devon. 

Milla played the voicemail from Joey. 

“Hey, just got out from my breakfast with my mom a while ago- wanted to make sure you made it home okay. Shoot me a text whenever you’re up so I know you’re good. Talk to you later.” 

Milla opened the band group chat with Joey, Devon, Sideshow and herself labeled “The Forges”.

Devon: “Hey guys. I just got paid. Anyone want to go grab some food tonight?” 

Milla typed in her response and hit send. 

Milla: I would, but I’ve been trashed the last two days and I got invited to a get together tonight. I swear it never ends. Maybe we can go on Wednesday after practice? 

Devon: get together? That sounds fun. 

Joey: with who? 

Sideshow: Wednesday sounds good. 

Milla: with the friends of that guy who stomped off in a mood Friday night. They showed up at the brewery we went to after work a while after Joey left. 

Joey: no way. I always miss the action. Was the guy there? 

Milla: he made an appearance, but didn’t stay long. He basically sniffed my ankle and left. 

Sideshow: dude, what the- 

Devon: interesting.. 

Joey: and you’re sure you want to go tonight? 

Milla: yea his friends are normal. and actually really nice. One of them took me home and made sure I was okay. 

Joey: well that’s good, I guess. 

Devon: have fun! 

Sideshow: I wouldn’t go if I was you. 

Milla: thanks for the advice. I’ll let you know how it goes lol. 

Milla exited the group chat and looked for where she could find the contacts that Bulma had put into her phone. At least Milla had remembered that Bulma put them there; she wasn’t completely sure how reliable her memory was at this point. 

She scrolled through her contact list until she eventually found Bulma, Goku, Krillin, and an extra contact. Vegeta. Reading that name gave her an unknown feeling in the pit of her stomach. She hadn’t decided if the feeling was good or bad. 

Milla clicked on Goku’s contact and sent him a quick message. 

“Hi Goku, this is Milla from last night. I just wanted to say thank you for being so kind. And for feeding my cat. I hope he didn’t cause you any trouble.” 

She got up and decided to shower. It was long overdue at this point. As she undressed she made note of the mark on her ankle from Chomps. 

“How could he smell that?” Milla thought to herself. She remembered the buzzing beneath her skin and shock of Vegeta placing his finger on her ankle. 

Buzz-buzz. 

Milla glanced at her phone. 

Goku 

1 message 

Bulma 

1 message 

She opened Goku’s message first. 

“Hi Milla. I’m glad you made it home safe!-“ 

“Thanks to you.” Milla thought. 

“Your cat was nice. I wasn’t planning on feeding him but he wouldn’t stop staring at me. So I figured he must have been hungry. When I zone out, it’s usually because I’m hungry.” 

“Is this man ever not hungry?” Milla laughed, leaned up against her bathroom sink.

“You were probably right. Chomps is always hungry. I have a feeling he wasn’t zoned out, lol. He’s just evil and food motivated.” Milla replied.

Milla then opened Bulma’s message. 

“Hey there! Hope you’re feeling okay this morning. I thought I would ask if you have any allergies before I figured out what we’re having to eat tonight. You can come over anytime after 5 and the address is in my contact.”

Milla responded, “No allergies! Looking forward to it :)” 

Milla showered, blow dried her hair and pulled her curtain bangs into a roller at the top of her forehead. Staring at the closet, she had no idea what to wear. 

“Maybe I should’ve asked Bulma what’s appropriate,” Milla thought. “No, that’s weird. Just guess. It’s just a get together.”

Milla decided on knee-ripped, loose jeans that folded at the ankle and buttoned tightly on her small waist. She threaded through the loops of the jeans a black leather belt with silver ringlets and a matching chain that clipped on a ringlet in the front and a ringlet in the back. 

Milla picked out two tops. A long sleeved, cropped shirt that was mainly white with thin black horizontal lines and an oversized black graphic tee with a white scorpion on the front. 

She tied the oversized t-shirt in a knot at her bellybutton. For shoes she decided it was best to just wear her black and white converse sneakers. Keep it casual. 

She did her makeup last. Milla always chose wings for eyeliner. She thought they best suited her and made her small, dark eyes look larger. She smoked the wings out with a dark brown eyeshadow and added a little to the far bottom corner of her eye. 

Milla mixed her foundation with a little bit of plain lotion and dabbed it onto her skin with a sponge. For finishing touches, she added blush to her cheeks and nose then put on just enough red lipstick to make her lips look hot pink. 

She then sprayed her favorite perfume, Juliette Has a Gun, behind her ears and on the inside of her wrists. 

Milla checked the time on her phone: 4:30 PM. 

She mapped out the drive from her place to Bulma’s. About a 20 minute drive. 

She pulled the roller out of her bangs and ruffled her hair with her fingertips to make it all fall into place. 

As soon as she walked out of the bathroom, Chomps was sitting outside of the door, waiting for her. 

“Okay, Chomps I’ll feed you early tonight. Just spare my ankles. Please.” 

Milla picked up the large tuxedo cat and hoisted him over her shoulder to walk to the kitchen. 

After making sure Chomps was taken care of, Milla hopped in her car and headed towards the address she was given. 

~

“Destination is on your right.” The GPS spoke. 

“No fucking way,” Milla uttered to herself. “No way this is the right address. 

Milla pulled into the driveway of Capsule Corp. and stopped at the gate. 

Right outside the driver’s window was a keypad to the gate. It had a little metal plate engraved with the words “if you are a guest, press the red button below.” 

Milla pressed the red button and the keypad began to beep like someone typing in a phone number. 

“Is that Milla?” A familiar voice spoke from the speaker. 

“Uh-huh.” Milla said, staring up at the large dome-like building in front of her. 

“Welcome! I’ll be out to show you around in just a second. Just pull through the gates and drive straight until you hit the parking lot.” 

“Thanks, Bulma.” Milla replied to the keypad. 

With a loud clunk, the gates began to retract and leave room for Milla’s car to pass through. She followed directions and drove straight until she found the parking lot. 

The parking spaces were small and the lot was crowded, so Milla found herself pulling her car in and out of the one available space to try to make her car straight without hitting anyone. She hated parking. 

After a fourth try, she decided it was good enough and started stuffing her phone and keys into her purse.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK 

Milla jumped at the sound of the knocks on the glass window and turned to see Bulma waving at her. 

“How is she so pretty?” Milla thought to herself and offered Bulma a shy smile. 

Bulma was classically beautiful with a perfect hourglass body and hair that always seemed to lay in place no matter how she styled it. 

Milla stepped out of her car and slung her purse over her shoulder. 

“I’m glad you made it okay! I didn’t think you were ever going to make it past the parking lot,” Bulma teased, elbowing Milla playfully. 

“I am terrible at parking.” Milla confessed. 

“It’s okay, everyone has their weaknesses. You can’t park and Vegeta doesn’t know how to have a normal conversation.” Bulma laughed. 

Milla laughed in return and allowed her shoulders to relax as she followed Bulma into the building. 

“The group’s right through those doors on the left,” Bulma said, pointing. “I’m going to go see how the food is coming along, but I’ll be back in a sec. Make yourself at home. Oh, and I hope you’re hungry!” Bulma said as she walked away. 

“Nice, thanks!” Milla responded. Her stomach growled and she realized she hadn’t eaten since the night before. Hopefully they were cooking something good. 

Milla walked down the hall and opened the door Bulma had pointed to. As soon as she opened the door Milla was met with colored lights and music. She looked around and saw no one she knew among a crowd of people. 

“What kind of get together has this many people?” Milla mumbled, looking around for any familiar faces. 

“Hey, Milla!” Krillin said while approaching you. “Come this way, our crew is hanging out over here.” He grabbed her hand and guided her through the crowd to a corner that had a full setup. 

A large booth, flatscreen TV, mini bar, and chefs station sat behind a velvet rope that Krillin lifted for Milla and himself to walk under. 

Milla was wordless, taking in everything happening around her. 

“GET LOW, get low, GET LOW, get low,” Lil’ Jon blasted through the speakers. 

“I know it’s crazy. Come sit, I’ll order you a drink.” Krillin said, noticing the look on Milla’s face. 

Krillin scooted into the booth and offered Milla the space opposite to him. From the booth, the music was not so loud- at least to the point that Milla could hear her own thoughts. 

“Hi Milla!” Goku said, making her realize that Goku was sitting right next to her. “Did Bulma happen to say how much longer until the food comes out?” 

“Sorry, Goku, she didn’t.” Milla smiled at the large muscular man next to her. 

“Darn.” Goku said, obviously disappointed. “Have you met everyone here? I’ll introduce you to everyone just in case.” 

“There’s Krillin, you know him. Next to him, is Piccolo. Piccolo, this is our friend Milla. 

“Hey.” Piccolo said and offered you a small smile. He waved a hand from his crossed arms and then refocused on what he was concentrating on prior to the introduction. 

Milla smiled back but was completely at a loss for words. This man, Piccolo, was green. Green like grass and huge; absolutely ripped just like Goku and Vegeta. 

“On the other side of Krillin is 18,” Goku said. 

“I like your shirt.” 18 said. Milla realized she had on a similar white long sleeved top with thin black stripes. 

“I like yours too,” Milla laughed. 

“We have a couple of other friends here too- Yamcha, Tien, and Vegeta, but I don’t know where any of them are,” Goku said. 

“So Vegeta is here.” Milla thought to herself. 

“It’s so nice to meet all of you.” Milla beamed at her new friends. 

“Alright- send it right to the booth and just set it wherever. Good news everyone! Food’s here!” Bulma said, waving the waiters to the booth where Milla and the others sat. 

Bulma took a seat next to Milla and a huge variety of food was placed on the table.

“This is our drink menu- anything sound good?” Bulma asked, handing you a baby blue piece of thick, textured card stock. Milla wondered how much the menu alone cost to make. 

“Don’t worry about the prices, those are just for the other attendees. The bar is funded by us, so you can order what you want,” Bulma said. 

“I’ll start off with a raspberry mojito, please,” Milla asked. 

The waiter nodded at Milla and ran to put in the new drink orders. 

“Move, Kakarot.” Vegeta demanded. “I will not be denied access to my dinner.” 

Goku moved to the side and Vegeta sat next to you and proceeded to add food to his plate. 

“Uh, excuse you!” Milla said, turning to face Vegeta, who was a little too close to her for comfort. It was okay when Goku was close, because Goku was her friend. The last thing she wanted to see was him get bullied by this asshat. 

“Can I help you,” Vegeta said plainly without taking his eyes away from his food. 

“Actually, you can! You see, I was enjoying a meal with my FRIEND Goku before you decided to interrupt. You can sit at the end of the table like everyone else who is just getting here.”  Milla said, pointing her finger from Vegeta’s face to the edge of the booth.

Being this close to Vegeta was strange for Milla in a number of ways. His thigh was practically inches from hers and she could feel the warmth radiating off of his body. It made her skin that was closest to Vegeta’s tingle in the same way it did when he had touched her ankle. 

“I don’t have to listen to you,” Vegeta scoffed.

“It’s okay, Milla. I don’t mind,” Goku said, food stuffed into each cheek of his mouth. 

Piccolo gave a grunt of irritation at watching Vegeta’s rudeness. Piccolo knew Vegeta could be insufferable at times.

“Raspberry Mojito?” The waiter called. 

“Yes, that’s me.” Milla called. “Thank you.” She said as she grabbed the metal mug. 

“I’m definitely going to need this being next to Vegeta all night.” Milla muttered to Bulma. 

They both laughed before Vegeta interrupted. 

“Petty little earth women. If you have something smart to say, why don’t you say it aloud. Have some pride in your thoughts and actions.” Vegeta said at Milla before taking another sip of his drink. 

“I’ll tell you anything you want to hear, buddy. Only if it means that you’ll speak out loud and stop keeping so much locked in that huge head of yours.” Milla said, making a knocking motion towards his head. 

“Anything I want to hear, huh?” Vegeta smirked. “Maybe for that, I’d consider letting you in on some of my thoughts.” Vegeta said as he twirled a strand of Milla’s hair around his finger directly in front of her face. Milla turned and made eye contact with Vegeta. She felt like that look lasted forever. 

Milla could smell the scent of his cologne and a small trace of alcohol on his breath. He’d been babysitting the same drink all night, but it was straight liquor and the scent was still apparent. 

Milla parted her lips to clap back to his advances but before she could Bulma grabbed her hand and pulled her from the booth. The string of hair curled around Vegeta’s finger unfurled as Milla was yanked away.

“Whatever those thoughts are, they’re gonna have to wait, Vegeta!” Bulma yelled while dragging you away. 

“Vegeta has all night to play his little games with you. I figured you could use some girl time,” Bulma smiled while pulling you to the main bar. 

“Ugh, definitely. I don’t know how to feel about him. Vegeta.” Milla felt his name roll off her tongue and it sent a shock of electricity through her. She wondered how strong that mojito was.

“You don’t have to know how you feel about him. Even if you think he’s cute, it’s not like it has to be anything serious.” Bulma said while waving down a bartender.

 “Two margaritas on the rocks with an extra lime wedge, please.” The bartender immediately dropped what he was doing to start on the drinks Bulma ordered.

“I mean, he’s definitely attractive- don’t get me wrong. But it’s like there’s a screw loose or something. I mean is he a sociopath, or what?” Milla laughed.

The bartender set the two drinks down in front of Bulma and she slid one of the glasses towards Milla.

Bulma tucked her straight, blue hair behind her ear and took a sip of her drink before giving a thumbs up and winking at the bartender.

“That man has way too many emotions to be a sociopath. I definitely thought of him as that at one point as well- and maybe he was one. But as he’s gotten older and spent more time on Earth, he’s changed a lot!”

“I think it’s time you explain what you mean by, ‘since he’s spent more time on Earth.’” Milla said eyebrows raised. 

Bulma explained the story of how she had met Goku when they were both younger and the crazy adventures they had gone on. She explained how they had met each one of their friends, including Vegeta and how Goku had found out his true origins. 

Milla had a hard time keeping her jaw shut when Bulma told her that Vegeta had destroyed whole planets, killed thousands, and even tried, threatened, or succeeded in killing members of their friend group on multiple occasions. 

“And this story was supposed to convince me that Vegeta ISN’T a sociopath?” Milla said.

“All of that was a good while ago,” Bulma explained. “Whether he likes to admit it or not, he’s grown attached to Earth. And regardless of if he fights those who threaten us for the competition against Goku, or because it actually means something to him, he still does it. Plus, I don’t think he would come to these little get-togethers if he really hates us all that bad.”

Milla pressed her thumb against her lips, nodding in agreement. “I see what you’re saying, but-”

“Milla-” Bulma laughed. “If he wanted to hurt you, he would’ve done it already or you would have never seen him after that initial interaction in the bar.”

Milla stopped and listened.

“No one else really gets away with talking to him, or touching him, or making fun of him like you do,” Bulma shrugged. “We still do it, but there’s a difference. When we do it, he acts like there’s a mosquito in his ear- he just gets annoyed. When you do it, he gets fired up for some reason. It may seem like he’s being a dick, but I think he’s trying to have fun with you. In his own special way, of course.”

Milla looked down at the scuff marks on her black and white converse then back up at Bulma. She gave a timid smile. 

“I definitely have some things to think over about him. But nothing I’m interested in taking action on tonight.” Milla said. 

“That’s okay. I can tell that you’re a sleepy drunk,” Bulma laughed. “Do you want me to see if Goku can get you home.”

“No, that’s okay. Last time I saw him he was still stuffing food in his mouth like he was preparing for hibernation. I wouldn’t want to take him away from that,” Milla said, smiling. “Regardless, i’m just normal tired. I’m good to drive.”

The last thing Milla wanted to do was impose on her new friends even more. They had barely met her and they had already shown her so much hospitality.

“Are you sure? If you don’t want Goku to take you I can get one of the drivers to take you back if-”

“No, Bulma. I swear I’m good to go.” Milla said, putting her hand on Bulma’s arm and squeezing slightly to give her reassurance.

“If you swear,” Bulma said. “Text me next week so we can make plans again. I like hanging out with you.” She smiled, cheeks flushed from the drinks they’d been sharing. 

“Thanks, Bulma. I like hanging out with you, too. I’ll shoot you a text after work sometime next week.” Milla gave Bulma a quick hug and left to find the door to the hallway that she entered through.

Milla thought to herself that she probably should have said goodbye to the others, but at this point she was starting to feel really drowsy and just wanted to make it home with her eyes open. 

She finally found the door to the hallway and walked through. As the door shut behind her, it was strange how clinical and plain that hallway was compared to the huge room where the party was taking place. The building was a technology facility and lab after all, but the contrast was still so stark. 

After getting adjusted to the bright fluorescent lights, Milla walked slowly down the hallway and out the front door, using the wall as support. She tried to make it as casual as possible, but she knew if anyone saw her, they would see straight through her.  Her converse sneakers squeaked like they would in a basketball court as she drug her shoes across the plastic tiles. 

She finally made it to her car by repeating to herself mentally, ‘slow but steady wins the race,’ over and over again. Milla used the hood of her Jetta as a guide to the drivers door, but before she could open it she was interrupted. 

Someone placed their hand over hers. “You’re not really thinking of driving, are you?”

Milla looked up and allowed her vision to focus. She made out the black, spiky hair and furrowed brow and immediately knew who it was. 

“Thank you for the help, but no thanks,” Milla said. “I may look inebriated, but I assure you alcohol, even in small amounts, just makes me very tired.”

“Do you think I’m blind, woman?” Vegeta asked, grabbing Milla’s other hand and stabilizing her. His actions offered some strange kindness, but the look on his face and the tone of his voice offered none. “You look like you’re about to blackout, not lay down for normal rest.”

“Where are your keys?” Vegeta asked without hesitating. He started to move Milla towards the left side of her car.

“Oh no, no, no,” Milla said. “You are NOT driving me home.”

“Well, I would fly you there if I didn’t think the speed would knock you out from your level of intoxication alone.” Vegeta scoffed. He propped her up against the car next to them and opened the passenger door to the silver Jetta.

“I don’t have to listen to you,” Milla said with a smirk, remembering Vegeta’s harsh response to her earlier in the night.

Vegeta closed the passenger door of the Jetta and pushed Milla’s back flat against the car she was leaning against. There wasn’t a lot of space between the two cars due to Milla’s crooked parking job, but Vegeta managed to press himself between the two cars and against Milla. He cradled her chin in his fingers and looked down at her almost like he was sizing her up.

Milla’s eyes were wide and her eyebrows were slightly furrowed as she looked up at him- she wasn’t upset with what was happening, but she was definitely confused. Vegeta smelled so good and the feeling of his fingers on her face made her whole body feel like it was full of electricity. His body pressed up against her felt magnetic- it felt right. Her body pressed back against his. 

“You’re going to listen to me,” Vegeta whispered through a grin down at Milla. Still holding her chin up to him, he pulled her face closer to his lips. “I can tell by the way you’re looking at me right now and by the way you looked at me in the booth.”

Still leaving very little space between the two of them, Vegeta propped his hand that was on her chin up against the car behind him.

“Tsk tsk tsk,” he said, tapping the end of Milla’s nose with the index finger of his free hand. “Too bad I can’t have you forgetting what a good girl you can be. Maybe next time you won’t drink yourself to this point.” He pushed himself off of Milla as though nothing had happened and opened the passenger door again.

Milla’s sat unmoving, still pressed against the side of the car. Her mind and body were still racing. They both screamed for Vegeta to come back- to finish what he started. She opened her mouth to say something in response and Vegeta nodded towards the seat. 

All Milla could manage was, “Cocky bastard.” She sunk into the passenger seat of her Jetta and handed him the keys. 

“What the hell have I gotten myself into?” Milla thought, letting her head lean back against the seat. She closed her eyes and fell asleep before she could think any further.

[higglety]

Ok, so Power Rangers! :D

It was good and you should see it!  Full review below the cut because spoilers

Ok so it’s got pretty much exactly the plot you would expect out of a Power Rangers movie - five teens find the magic advanced alien science coins, become the Power Rangers, and battle Rita Repulsa to save the world.  Pretty simple stuff!  And that’s good - there’s no reason to make it any fancier or more complex, at least not in this first movie (apparently we’re going to be getting a few more).  We’ve got 

Red Ranger Jason, the leader who is played by Dacre Montgomery.  He was the star quarterback, but the movie opens by showing him throw away his promising football career by being a dumb teen and making stupid dumb teen choices (this will be a recurring theme).  We see him pulling a prank on a rival team with a friend, fleeing the police, and getting into a dramatic car accident resulting in a career-ending injury and legal repercussions.  Notably, his partner in dumb gets away, and Jason refuses to rat him out; accepting all of the blame and repercussions himself.  Jason’s poor choices have damaged is relationship with his father, who has lost faith in him.  

Pink Ranger Kimberly, played by Naomi Scott. She was a popular cheerleader, but we first see her being bullied and ostracized by former friends. We later discover that this is because she had done an incredibly mean-girl, extremely not-ok thing to another girl.  Her character arc involves her struggling with her guilt and working towards a redemption that she doesn’t completely believe that she deserves.  

Blue Ranger Billy, played by RJ Cyler.  We first see him when Jason meets him for the first time in detention.  He’s being bullied by the resident detention tough guy, and Jason steps in to get the bully to lay off.  It’s played as less “hero jock swoops in to protect the nerd” and more “teenage fuckup with zero fucks left to give finds that he does in fact have one single fuck left so come and get it asshole”.  Billy’s on the spectrum, which he mentions once(after he’s been on screen for several scenes) and never again.  That’s not to say he’s glossed over; to the contrary, he’s an integral part of the team.  The movie just never dwells on the fact that he’s Autistic; it never becomes a joke or a morality play.  This is a fact about who he is, nothing more and nothing less.  Billy’s father died relatively recently, and his character arc involves him working through his grief and becoming closer to his new found family.

Yellow Ranger Trini, played by Rebbeca Marie Gomez (stage name Becky G). We first meet her at the mine where the local disaffected youths hang out and be angsty teens.  (Our five are there because of Plot Reasons, of course.)  Trini’s family has moved around about a zillion times, so she is always the New Girl.  She’s given up on getting close to her peers or attempting to form friendships long ago, but now her self-preservation tactic is turning into isolation and is becoming painful as well.  She’s pulling away from her family, too - we can infer that they were once close, but she feels she needs to hide her sexuality (she likes girls); her parents (particularly her mother) know that she’s hiding things from them and their response is to be even more overbearing and intrusive, which is making her pull back more in a vicious feedback loop.  The isolation and repression is making her act out in any way she can, resulting in risky, daredevil behavior.  Even before they find the magic coins, she climbs higher and runs faster than any of the others.  Trini’s character arc is about ending her isolation and allowing herself to be vulnerable to others; accepting her new found family and letting them see her.

and Black Ranger Zack, played by Ludi Lin.  We first meet Zack in the mine; he hides out there when cutting classes and whenever he doesn’t want to go home.  At first Zack just seems like a cool slacker, but later we find out that his mother is very sick.  Zack does everything he can for her, but he’s terrified that she’s going to die, and sometimes he needs to run away from everything to deal.  Zack’s character arc is about bravery and emotional fortitude.  His bravery and willingness to be vulnerable to his team is what allows them to be vulnerable in turn.

I think the thing I love the most about this movie is that yes it’s a goofy kitchy  action movie, but it backs all that fun cheese up with real emotional substance.  In order for the Rangers to morph and achieve their full powers, they have to be able to connect to the morphing grid AND to each other.  They have to do this by being open to each other and connecting on a real, intimate level.  I’m a sucker for the found family and teams-becoming-family tropes, and this movie is that in spades.  

The first third of the movie sets up who these kids and introduces their powers - which, by the way, the discovering-their-powers sequence was one of the best examples of that concept I’ve ever seen.  There was a real youthful exuberance, and the fact that they were all learning together meant there was tons of egging each other on and trying things out and one upping each other and a bit of fun peer pressure (resulting in some foreshadowing).  I could practically feel the adrenaline rush.  

The middle of the movie is the training sequence - they physically train, but that’s largely window dressing for the emotional work they’re doing.  They’re trying to build friendships, but they’re still questioning who they are and who they are to each other.  The emotional climax happens when Zack invites them all to camp out with him out at the mine; and then when they’re all sitting around the campfire, opens up about his mom.  This prompts sharing from the others, and they start to gel as friends beyond the team.  That night is the catalyst that allows them to advance towards actually morphing and becoming the Power Rangers by the end.

The final act is all about them finally being able to morph and take on Rita Repulsa, who has been doing villainy this whole time.   At this point, because the movie has done the legwork to lay the emotional foundations, we can really lean into the cheese for the payoff.  This is when they finally morph, this is when they do that jump-into-battle superhero land-and-pose thing, this is when “MAKE MY MONSTER GROOOOOOOOW” this is when the Zords come out to play, this is when they form the Megazord (which, by the way, they’ve never trained for and there is an appropriate learning curve).  It all works, and it’s fun!  There’s no real suspense because come on, we all know how this is going to go down.  It’s pure indulgent catharsis, and it’s great.  

So that’s my impression of the movie, in broad strokes.  There’s more little stuff that I appreciate  - for example, there’s no forced obligatory romantic subplot.  Apparently they were going to go into Jason/Kimberly, but it got nixed because the test audiences found it distracting and unnecessary.  I can only say yay, because I think trying to develop a romantic relationship between them would have detracted from the core of the movie, which was focusing on the overall team dynamics.  Plus they couldn’t have done a particularly good job developing a romantic relationship because those two characters have like, five seconds of romantic chemistry total.  There’s something there to work with and I think they could develop it further in future movies, but there’s roughly the same level of romantic chemistry between Jason and Zack, and Billy and Jason, and Trini and Zack.  There’s not nothing there, but there’s also not enough to build a relationship in the in-universe time allotted, and certainly not with all of the distraction of forming a solid friend group and defeating an evil alien determined to destroy all life on earth.  They made the right call cutting it, and I hope other films follow their lead.  

I think part of why I loved the movie is that I wasn’t huge into Power Rangers as a kid, but I do have nostalgic memories of it.  I caught a few episodes here and there, and would “play power rangers” at recess (basically, run around with other kids shouting “I’M THE YELLOW RANGER”).  If you’re the type of superfan who LOVES the Power Rangers and has an encyclopedic knowledge of the shows and hates deviations from canon, you might have some issues with this movie.  I don’t know; I don’t know how far the deviated, although I’m sure it’s not an insignificant amount.  Try seeing this as an AU, or a really high-budget fanfiction, and give it a shot!  If you’ve always hated Power Rangers because of the cheese and, I don’t know, you hate fun?  Well, you might not like this movie, because as I mentioned, it really leans into that cheese.  I see that as a positive, personally, but that’s why there’s chocolate and vanilla.  

All in all, I loved this movie!  It brought back and amplified every good feeling I’ve ever had about Power Rangers.  I went into the theater thinking “oh yeah, Power Rangers.  That was that thing I kind of liked when I was a kid.”  I came out going “YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH POWER RANGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!” and ready to run around the school yard shouting “I’M THE YELLOW RANGER!!!!!!!!!!!!!”

[thejewishcomplainer]

time to ~vent~

ok so i’ve been in israel for a month and a half now on an internship program. there are 28 ppl including myself on my program and i share an apartment in be’er sheva with three other girls: 

1) my actual roommate, one of my favorite ppl on the trip. their name is Eden.  2) one of my suitemates (?), she’s genuinely one of the chillest people i’ve met here and i love her. her name is Alison.  3) finally, my other suitemate...Maya. she’s who i’m gonna be bitching about on this fine evening. 

so, buckle up kiddos because i can no longer complain on my finsta (bc she follows me) and i already complained on twitter so here we go

first off, i want to start by saying this: i always give ppl a chance to be nice, understanding, open-minded, etc. first impressions aren’t always great at determining these things about ppl. my first impression of maya wasn’t bad, it was just...meh. then, in the days following, my impression quickly turned more sour of her. it seemed like she was always trying to be in control or be right in each situation. after a week or so of getting used to my new surroundings, i started liking her more and accepting her character flaws. she’s goofy, spontaneous, funny, there for you when you need somebody...just a good friend in general. 

that is, until recently. 

this may be the cabin fever talking, but now, after like seven weeks, i’ve decided i have one of the lowest opinions of her out of anyone on the trip. easily one of the most condescending, self-absorbed, closed-minded, and confusing people i’ve yet to meet in my lifetime. really. here are some of the reasons why i believe she’s such a terrible person: 

1) she has a never ending supply of energy. ok...i don’t actually hate her because of this, but it confuses me how she has all that energy every day. whenever i wanna go somewhere by myself, she always invites herself to tag along, but i don’t ever wanna say no because she doesn’t mean anything bad by it. i’ve started going out less with friends because of the possibility she might be there. 

2) all she eats is fucking buckwheat, lentils, and vegetables. and then rubs it in our faces, like she’s better than us because she eats a boring-ass diet. ok, basic white bitch, we get it you’re ~healthy~

3) she just acts like she’s better than all of us about 95% of the time. there are so many examples of this that i’m gonna try and give a couple examples. -she thinks she’s better than me because she doesn’t have to take the bus to work every day. listen bitch, not all of us can walk to work like you can. some of us actually have 1 1/2 hr commutes every day GOING to work... -she thinks she’s better than a lot of us because she doesn’t eat out a lot and still has a bunch of money on her stipend card. while i applaud her for her budgeting skills, she doesn’t have to rub it in our faces. -she once told my friend that “anyone on this program who’s over 20 years old couldn’t get a real job in the states this summer” ORRR maaaybe i already HAD a job...AND an internship...LAST SUMMER. and, you know, wanted to come back to israel for something meaningful. 

4) she doesn’t like Asian food...or busses...or keys (that’s right, she doesn’t like keys). she is always the last one out of our apartment every morning and NEVER locks the door. just because she claims to be a “trusting person” doesn’t mean the three of us are. lock the mother fucking door, you shit stain. 

5) she always feels like she needs to be right. even if she doesn’t know wtf she’s talking about. and she does so in a way where she sounds incredibly condescending. basically, she’s a know-it-all. example: my roomie Eden was talking about how they were scared they couldn’t afford college classes this upcoming semester and that their home life is gonna be messed up once they get home because they work 4 jobs regularly. THIS BITCH MAYA responds by saying “maybe if you didn’t eat out so much you could afford more things”............................who says Eden eats out all the time in the states? when they have stipend money that needs to be spent (that isn’t even our own money to begin with), who tf cares how much they eat out when on this program??? the point of the conversation went over Maya’s head. also, Maya just doesn’t seem to understand the concept of mental illness. Eden has a lot of demons and severe mental illness and Maya just acts in poor taste a lot of times when it’s the topic of conversation. 

6) she’s hypocritical. she always bitches about me leaving my pots to soak in the sink but doesn’t have the decency to ACTUALLY clean the apartment like...come on

7) finally, she bitches and complains if she doesn’t get her way or if people disagree with her. prime example: a group of us were in eilat for the weekend and she wanted to be out of the airbnb by 9:30-10 am even though check out wasn’t until 11 am. when literally all of us said we would rather sleep in, she - i kid you not - GROWLED. like a fucking dog. like the little bitch she is.  another example: a group of us wanted to go eat at an asian restaurant. she joined us knowing full well she doesn’t like asian food, yet STILL tried to convince everybody to change their minds. i would’ve been fine if some ppl went with her to eat somewhere else, but EVERYBODY changing their mind just for her? no thanks. lemme eat my sushi and egg rolls in P E A C E 

aaand there you go everybody. hopefully i finally lived up to my username and gave y’all a little taste of what i’ve been dealing with the last couple weeks.