#ugggggggh its not a good day

[starlightiing]

i am so fucking tired

[misterewrites]

Intro Casey 101 (Mirror’s Edge)

Hello everyone, E hoping you are all doing good! Here it is! The next chapter of the side project that's now my second major one. Because I have a problem and cannot be stopped! Haha stay safe, wash your hands, wear your masks, keep yourself, your loved ones and each other safe, get the vaccine if you can and remember to take care of yourselves.

Feel free to share this with your friends, leave me comments, feedback, reblogs. every bit makes me happy and helps! Have a great week and stay safe! E is out!

If you want an easier time to read it or to read it from the beginning you can follow the link below. Tumblr hates links and will probably shadow block my tags but you know what? Tumblr hates me in general so oh well

https://archiveofourown.org/works/30599756/chapters/78163523

Summary:  Casey is the head of the local Neighborhood Watch (and by head, he means only employee) Whenever not helping his best friend take down corrupted, evil jerkbutts, he spends his time running, maintaining and helping the magical/supernatural residents of Willow's Brook. Life is never static but Casey sometimes wishes it was a little less hectic. Just because he can handle it doesn't mean he wants to.

-----

Willow Rook was a peaceful neighborhood suburb located on the outskirts of Newton Haven, just within the city’s boundaries. Rows of mismatched houses and apartments spread out across the maddening maze that was suburbia. Fernspeaker Drift park was nestled in the heart of the neighborhood, its magical and mundane flora bringing a peaceful harmonic nature to the urban sprawl of man. The towering skyscrapers of downtown could be seen far into the distance, a reminder to the residents the city was never too far away.

The sounds of children screaming and shouting is what awoke Casey. He let out an unhappy groan as he rose from the hard wooden desk he accidentally fell asleep on. He rubbed his aching jaw, trying to loosen it from the rough night he had.

“Fuck” He yawned groggily “I really need to have a pillow here or something.”

He ran his hand through his normally wavy dark brown hair as his sea green eyes glanced about his “office”.

Office was much too generous a word for what he worked out of: It was tiny bungalow with barely enough room for a desk and chair, a case file drawer and the tv that sat ontop of it. Casey mentally prepared himself as he pulled open the curtains and allowed natural light to hit his face.

“Ugggggggh” Casey shielded his eyes from the harsh gleam of the morning “Why must the sun punish me?”

Casey stretched the crick in his neck while keeping an eye on the outside world: The neighborhood was particularly lively today with people out and about. The elderly elf Mr. Thistlebush was complaining about something or another to his dwarfish neighbor Mrs. Boulderfist who politely nodded and humored the old elf. Evan Starsunder, a muscular orc with dark green skin, tipped his mail cap tiredly to everyone he passed as he made his way into his cozy abode for a well earned rest. The newly married halfing (similiar but legally distinct from hobbits) couple Mr. and Mrs. Tealeaf took a stroll across the grassy field where Casey’s office stood, hand in hand and very much the picturesque ideal of young love.

Casey opened the window to let everyone know he was open for business.

“Good morning Mister Remington!” Mr. Tealeaf waved with a smile.

“How are you doing this morning?” Mrs. Tealeaf asked, half curious and half cheerfully.

“Great!” Casey lied, trying to stifle a yawn “Just great. Keeping on eye on the neighborhood, same as usual.”

“Keep up the good work!”

“We appreciate everything you do for all of us!”

“You’re welcome!” he gave a halfhearted wave after the retreating couple.

He sighed, mindlessly fiddling with the engagement ring on his finger.

“I should take it off” Casey spoke to no one in particular “She probably isn’t wearing hers anymore. I shouldn’t give people the wrong idea. I should just take it off and that’ll be it. That’ll be it. Yep. One slip and….yeah.”

His voice trailed off as he was unable to finish the thought.

“CASE!” A voice shouted.

Casey leaned out and squinted, trying to see through the glare of the sunlight to find the person who demanded his attention.

“CASE!” The voice called out again, the blurry far off figure slowly shifting into a more recognizable shape.

Casey rolled his eyes “What is it Kay? I’m working!”

Kasey Remington or, as most people called her, Kay was Casey’s twin sister. Nearly identical face with the same wavy dark brown hair and sea green eyes except Kay had gotten their mother’s button nose out of the deal. Growing up, the twins often questioned why their parents had named them Casey with a C and Kasey with the K but the only response they ever gave was it was funny.

Well not to the twins but they were used to it by now.

Kasey, in her mommy cardigan and white blouse, flagged down her brother to come outside.

“Yeah I’m good up here.” Casey smiled from his slightly elevated position.

“You’re tall for like 5 minutes and you’re already being unbearable about it.” Kasey huffed, shooting her twin a stink eye.

Casey chuckled “Mad with power. Classic story troupes.”

“Cliche you mean.” Kasey laughed “Sorry to bother you but….did you sleep in your office again?”

Casey rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as he realized he was still wearing his purple tank top and black basketball shorts from the other day.

“Umm well you see….”

“Is your office still a mess?”

Casey glanced at the half crumpled burger wrappers and scattered papers that littered every inch of desk.

“Pfft, no.”

“That’s a yes” Kasey replied with a knowing smirk “Case….”

Casey fiercely pointed at his twin “Don’t.”

“Case, you can’t keep…”

“Yes I can. Watch me.”

Kasey rolled her eyes “I have better things to do.”

Casey scrunched up his face with false hurt “Better than hanging out with your brother? Alright I see how it is. See if I get you anything for Christmas.”

“No! Not my possible Christmas presents!” Kasey fell to her knees dramatically “You monster! How could you do to this to me?”

“Like this.” Casey spoke with a grin, closing the window without another word.

And made his way out of the building a moment later. He offered a hand to his sister and the twins burst out with laughter as Casey helped Kasey to her feet.

“So what’s up Kay?” Casey asked with genuine interest “Where’s Chester?”

Kasey scratched her chin thoughtfully “He’s...got...a….little league game today.”

“Wooooow took you a full five seconds to remember what your kid’s up today.” Casey snickered “Finally stop signing him up for everything?”

“Ha flipping ha.” Kasey shook her head mockingly “It’s not my fault he wants to do any and everything. Besides it’s not the worst thing in the world to enable my son’s interests. I just wish he slowed down a bit.”

“True. Did you thank him for the house he made for me?”

“Yes and he said you’re welcome. Still got it?”

Casey scoffed as he pulled out his necklace: The simple shape of home clasped carefully onto his chain.

“As a cleric of the hearth nothing is more important than a family’s love.”

“Except” Kasey murmured softly “Maybe your fiancée?”

“Nope!” Casey threw his hands in the air and turned away from his sister “Not having this conversation. Byeeeee.”

“Case! Casey you’re acting like a child!”

“Would a child do this? Hey Seth!”

A gawky human teenager with dark black clothing and every skull accessory imaginable flinched uncomfortably at the sudden attention.

Casey nodded his head in confirmation “Yeah you! Curfew’s 2:30 A.M. The Hallow spell won’t work during the witching hour so I want you back here before 3. Got it?”

Seth gave a low mumble and wandered off as quickly as his legs could take him.

“Casey.” Kasey laced her voice with a firmness only a mother could muster.

“Whaaaaaat?” Casey whirled around irritated “Look I made my choice and she made hers and that’s it.”

Kasey raised an eyebrow “You two have been in love with each other since we were kids.”

“Don’t you…!”

“Case, why don’t you ask her again?”

Casey said nothing, opting to gesture to his office to answer his question. Written in bright white letters across the walls of the building were the words “Neighborhood Watch.”

Kasey rubbed her arm guiltily “Case…”

“You gonna take over?” Casey questioned, his voice soft but controlled “You gonna take over for mom? Cuz she retired and unless there’s someone running the watch, all of this...”

He motions to the families walking, playing, living their lives together in harmony. A magical community at peace.

“All this goes away. We’re going to have to move everyone into other magical neighborhoods and under their Neighborhood Watches. And that’s not fair to them.”

Kasey let out a sad sigh “It’s not fair to you.”

“I’m fine” Casey lied “I’m okay I promise. It’s for the best.”

Kasey shook her head “You can lie to yourself but you can’t lie to me. See you for dinner?”

Casey hugged his twin tightly, pouring as much love as he could into the gesture.

“Of course. I’ll bring fries.”

Kasey made a face, playfully pushing him away “Would you bring something else, please?”

“Fine, mashed potatoes.”

“Ugh. Bye Case.”

“Bye Kay!”

Kasey eyed the engagement ring for a moment before taking her leave.

Casey ran his hands through his hair, wondering how much worse today could get.

He turned to make his way back to his office when he spotted a familiar face nearby.

His heart began to thunder loudly in his ears, the phantom sensation of lips pressed against his own ran chills down his spine while his cheeks flushed a bright red. His legs felt weak and butterflies filled his stomach as he took in the sight of Jaime casually walking down the street.

Jaime looked as beautiful as ever: Her long dark red hair was tied into a single braid that hung over her shoulder and shimmered in the soft glow of the morning. Her light brown eyes gleamed with a thoughtfully gaze as she looked at her phone. She was wearing his dark purple hoodie with dark blue jeans and sneakers. Her glasses were cutely askew and Casey felt the overwhelming urge to run over and fix them for her.

The engagement ring on his finger felt impossibly heavy yet light all at once.

He should talk to her. That was okay, right? To talk to someone he’s in love with and desperately wanted to be with. Did she want to talk to him? They left on decent terms. Well maybe. Hopefully. God what if she was mad at him? Or worse, hated him? She could never hate him that was silly. But perhaps she wasn’t ready to speak to him.

He knew he wasn’t ready.

Casey turned to Jaime’s direction then pulled away. He pivoted on his feet to face her again before glancing downwards towards the grass. His hands fidgeted uneasily as a shout threatened to spill out of his mouth.

Casey returned quickly to his office and shut close the window. Resisting the urge to stare at Jaime, he opted instead to reach for a crumpled piece of paper. He smoothed it out and began mindlessly scrawling upon its surface, drawing nothing in particular.

It was comical how automatic Casey’s responses became while he worked in this building: Upon hearing the knock at his door, he rose to his feet and opened it without a second thought.

Casey’s heart leapt to his throat at the sight of Jaime standing at the base of the steps from the bungalow. She smiled shyly, pushing up her glasses further up on the bridge of nose before giving a friendly wave. Her other hand was tucked deeply in the hoodie’s pocket.

“Hey sweetie” Jaime paused, pursing her lips for a moment “Case. How are you Case? Doing good Case? Can I stop now?”

Casey let out a genuine laugh “Hey swe….Jaime. You can stop. I’m good. I’m good. Good.”

He caught sight of his engagement ring gleaming in the sunlight. He quickly shoved it inside his pocket.

“That’s good. That’s good.” Jaime nodded “I’m glad to hear that.”

Casey caught her wandering glance across the office and quickly shifted his weight to block the view.

“So how’s the new job?” He crossed his arms in an clumsy fashion “Everything okay at the Grimoire?”

Jaime dug at the grass with her shoe “It’s good. Chaotic as usual but hey what do you expect for a magical library, right?”

The two chuckled together and locked eyes for a moment. As one they broke off their gaze, their cheeks slowly turning a pinkish hue.

Casey recovered first “How’s your brother? We talk but ever since last month he hasn’t recruited me to topple any corrupt bosses lately. I’m getting bored.”

“You sure you bored?” Jaime rolled her eyes “There’s no way the Neighborhood Watch is getting that soft.” “Haha I wish.”

An awkward silence fell over the couple as the realization of what subject they landed on washed over them.

“Finn’s good. Busy but good.” Jaime spoke with a fragile softness in her voice “You know my bro, always trying to save the world.”

“Right...”

Casey couldn’t help but noticed Jaime’s body language: She tucked both of her hands into the pockets, her frame shrunk like she was mentally kicking herself as she gawkily fidgeted back and forth.

“Hey.”

Jaime glanced upwards towards Casey, her light brown eyes shining brightly in the sun’s glow.

Casey could feel his heart ache with love and longing as he spoke simply “Don’t worry about it beautiful.”

Jaime said nothing. Instead, she closed the distance between them, gently cupping his cheek in her hand.

“Take care of yourself sweetie. Please. For me?”

Casey could feel his ache worsen but he just nodded, murmuring softly “For you.”

Jaime’s smile was sad but lovely. She pulled away slowly, allowing her fingers to linger for a moment.

“Bye for now Casey.”

“Bye Jaime.”

She left without another word and Casey felt exhaustion rush into every fiber of his body. He closed the door reluctantly and took a seat. He stared unhappily at the drawing of Jaime he hadn’t realized he’d be sketching.

“Fucking hell.”

He slumped deeper into his chair, feeling much too drained to face the rest of the day.

-----

“Shit, shit, shit” Seth muttered to himself as he raced through the night. The normally inviting, homely suburb was cold and distant: The shadows moved in eerie unnatural ways and once or twice Seth could soft pattering of paws follow closely behind. The modest homes and apartments were silent, basked in the darkness as they towered over him in silence.

“Just a cat” He mumbled to himself, glancing at his phone and wincing at the 3:30 AM it showed in a white font.

Seth entered Willow Rook proper and paled at the lack of comfort he normally felt in the air. Casey had warned him the Hallow spell, a powerful ward of holy magic that protected the neighborhood and hid it away from the world, would not work between 3 and 4 AM. Seth assumed he was merely attempting to scare him to return early. It never occurred to him that Casey was telling the truth.

Seth fumed silently “It’s fine. I’m late, it’s fine nothing followed me here and it’s fine.”

A chill ran down his spine as something rustled nearby. He whirled around in time to see something lunge straight for his chest.

He was ashamed how quickly he flinched, closing his eyes shut while raise his hands in a poor attempt to defend himself. He made quick prayer to whatever deity who happened to be on duty at the moment.

Something thudded against his chest. It didn’t stay long, instead quickly making its way up his shirt and tucked itself comfortably on his shoulder. It wasn’t too heavy but it was big whatever it was. Seth was surprised how warm and fluffy it was and swore it was purring in his ear.

He cracked open his eyes and found himself staring at an orange tabby cat: it was a fat cat with stripes of white and orange running down its body. Its dark green eyes stared curiously at him. If he didn’t know better, he would’ve thought it was asking him a question.

“Hey buddy” Seth breathed a sigh of relief, scratching the cat’s chin “What are you doing out here? Scaring the shit out of me?”

The cat pawed at his face rather roughly and with enough force to actually make him turn his head.

Seth felt the blood drain as he saw something approach in the shifting shadows: A monstrous thing, thin and skeletal. Its skin was a dark shade, almost as black as the darkness it blended in with. It crawled forward slowly on all fours, thick talons digging up and cutting through the pavement with ease. A bloody wrap covered its eyes and two thick, elongated fangs protruded from its lower jaw. The rest of its face was smooth and featureless.

The words died in Seth’s throat. The best he could do was a pathetic croaking noise he was grateful no one could hear in the dead night.

The creature tilted its head as if listening for any sign of its prey.

Seth couldn’t move, the fear gripping him tightly in its thrall. His breathing hitched and he could feel his body shake beyond his control as the creature inched closer and closer.

The cat leapt off his shoulder, silently landing onto the grass and bolting into the night.

Seth’s stomach churned and twisted anxiously as the creature stared in his direction, a growling rumble escaping its mouth. It let loose a maddening shriek, one that shook Seth’s very bones. It stood on its hind legs and grew to an inhuman height. Its mouth lowered, stretching impossibly wide as it leapt forward.

Seth felt cold and empty as the sight of the monster filled his sight. The fight ebbed out of him and left only an overwhelming sense of dread and finality.

This is how it ended.

It was an odd sensation to feel at the end: the warmth and glow of the sun at his back. Perhaps some higher being was taking mercy on him in his last moments on this plane of existence.

Wait, no the warmth was getting brighter and hotter. An unbearably stuffy and blazing with an intensity of a summer day that grew each passing moment.

Seth groaned, wincing in pain as a sudden flash of light zoomed past with incredible speed. It burned brightly, dispelling the silhouetted shadows with a burning flame despite it being no bigger than a baseball.

The creature reared back and thrashed about, too caught off guard by the sudden glow to realize it was coming straight for it. The orb collided with the creature’s chest and sunk deeply into its chest. The creature howled and buckled in pain, bending and twisting at unnatural angles.

The light faded and the orb with it but Seth could see the fist sized hole it had burned through the chest of the creature.

The creature weakly swayed, seemingly weakened by whatever hit it.

“Not in my neighborhood you punkass bitch.”

Seth weakly turned to find Casey standing there, the fat orange tabby at his feet. The head of the Neighborhood Watch finally changed his clothes: He wore a purple jacket with a black shirt that read “Neighborhood Watch” in faded white lettering. His gray sweats were wrinkled and his feet were adorned with two different sneakers. Outstretched in his hand like he had taken a swing at something was a glowing metal baseball bat that pulsed with radiant power.

“Casey, I…” Seth mumbled out but Casey motioned with his head.

“Go home kid. This ain’t the minor leagues.”

Seth was ashamed to say he ran, frantically and as fast as his sore legs could take him. Whatever just attacked him was out of his weight class.

Luckily Casey was in a league of his own.

The creature clicked its tongue unhappily as it moved uneasily on its hind legs. It bent and twisted its neck in a way that would’ve broken it if the creature had been human.

Casey rolled his eyes as he gripped the bat tightly in his hand “Drama queen much, aren’t you?

The creature said nothing. Instead it threw itself forward full force towards the cleric.

“Here we go.” Casey murmured tiredly as he drew his bat back.

The creature took a swipe at him but Casey already moved out of the way, dodging to the side and allowing the creature sail past him. It twisted its head around only to get a face full of metal: Casey’s swing caught the creature in the cheek and sent it reeling backwards.

The creature shrieked in pain as smoke curled off its face, the cheek swollen and charred an ashy black. It didn’t hesitate to attack once more: It stood up and tried to crush Casey under its full weight.

Casey just shoved the bat directly into the hole he made earlier.

The creature hissed and retreated away from the holy infused weapon. More smoke bellowed from the now enlarged hole.

Casey raised his bat threateningly “Go back to wherever the hell you came from or I will beat you out of existence you flipping abomination.”

If the creature understood the threat, it made no indication. Instead it doubled down on its poor choices.

It sat back on the balls of its feet, tensing its legs in preparation for a mighty leap.

Between helping the inhabitants of the neighborhood with their requests, talking to Jaime and frankly being awoken to a fucking demon attack at 3 am, Casey was just done with all yesterday and evidently today.

Casey’s hand glowed with a dazzling radiant light as he spokes the words of faith. Magic formed and condensed into a single ball of pure sun in his palm.

The creature sprinted forward, tearing up the grass underneath its feet while it desperately made one final dash towards the cleric.

Casey lobbed the ball high in the air and fell into a batter’s stance.

The orb hung in the air for a moment like a blazing sun then fell back to earth.

The creature leapt, talons aimed for Casey’s neck.

Casey let out a mighty swing. There was a loud crack as the bat made contact with the orb. The ball of light sped off and shoved itself down the creature’s throat. The bat follow through connected with the head of the creature and knocked it cleaned off.

The ball gleamed bright in the beast’s stomach before exploding outward like a supernova. The creature flaked away into blacken ash, head and all.

The gleam of light vanished and Casey found himself under the cover of night once more.

He wiped at his eyes tiredly as his phone beeped. He glanced at it to see it was now 4 in the morning.

There was a soft hum as the Hallow reactivated: the air shimmered with an unseen power and grew warm with comfort.

The ashes vanished without warning, the unholy remains cleansed by the sanctity of the neighborhood.

The cat drew closer to Casey, its eyes peering at him thoughtfully.

“Hey Julius” Casey greeted the cat politely “Long night?”

Orange Julius meowed in response.

“Thanks for keeping an eye on him. I knew he’d stay out late but hopefully he understands why we have a rather generous curfew.”

Orange Julius nodded.

“That’s been like what? The third demonic hell beast/ abomination this month. That’s a lot for a month.”

Orange Julius meowed in agreement.

Casey pursed his lips thoughtfully “Hey, did you see Finn?”

The cat tilted his head quizzically.

“I mean all this time you. He. Well you aren’t around whenever he comes by” Casey scratched his neck sheepish “You are his dad’s cat. You sure Fernspeaker wouldn’t want you to be with him?”

The cat paused for a moment before shaking his head.

“It’s not because Jaime’s folks adopted him after…..well that happened, is it?”

The cat pawed the grass below him.

“Right.” Casey nodded in understanding “Neighborhood’s your responsibility. I get that.”

Orange Julius meowed then vanished into the darkness.

Casey glanced at the statue of Fernspeaker that stood tall in the center of park. It had been erected the same time the park was named after him, both shortly after his and his wife’s death 22 years ago.

Fernspeaker Drift, Finnrick’s biological father, was once a powerful druid, deeply in tune with nature and a firm believer in helping others. This neighborhood was his passion project. The Neighborhood Watch was formed after his passing.

The Neighborhood Watch was created because of his passing. Nobody wanted a repeat of what happened all those years ago.

Finnrick told him it was okay for Casey to not to take the job but it felt like such a disrespect to let this whole place dissolve and scatter its residents.

Casey sighed and wandered back to his office. Office hours were closed but the Neighborhood Watch’s job was never done.

[plotbunnyslayer]

Fanfic thoughts

The joy of finding a really well written story featuring your OTP on AO3.

The excitement of learning, after you’re finished reading it, that there’s a sequel.

The slight disappointment in realizing that the sequel is a WIP.  But it’s ok, because patience is a virtue and you’ll get that little happy vibe when you receive an email that there’s been an update to the fic that you’re now subscribed to.

Finishing up the second to last chapter and scrolling up to see when the last chapter was updated...over two months ago.  Slightly concerning, but good things come to those who wait, right?

And when you finally click on that last published chapter.... only to learn that it isn’t a story chapter but an author’s note instead. And that the author is putting the fic on hiatus.  Possibly permanently.  Mainly due to negative comments that have dimmed their creative spark.

Ugggggggh.

Why do people have to tear other people down?  Reading a work of fanfic is a privilege.   Writers want to share their vision with you about a fandom that you both love.  So what if there are some grammatical errors?  Perhaps the language that they’re writing in is not their native language.  Maybe the erred on a plot point... it happens.  Either let it go or nicely send a private message about it.  A lot of writers welcome constructive criticism and suggestions. Don’t write negative reviews that are public.  If the story isn’t your cup of tea, move on quietly.  Don’t be an asshole.

Assholes are the main reason I haven’t written anything in years.  And I think about stories and writing every damn day.

And after binge reading a fic yesterday and starting on its sequel this morning, only to get to that last update to learn it may be on permanent hiatus...it makes me so angry that people can be so stupid.  It reminds me of a bumper sticker my friend had.

Mean people suck.

[eddieismypimp]

Tough times Oscar X Reader

@spoonful-of-sugar8 @chonisberonica here you go babies :) sorry it took me so long, I wanted it to be good. I still feel like it's bad but I didn't wanna make you guys wait any longer.

request: you and spooky have been bestfriends since high school. you have always been there for the core four and basically helped Oscar raise Cesar. Cesar sees you as a mother figure and eventually you and Oscar get together.  A/N: just a real quick thing, this story won't really be the same as the show it won't be totally different either, and in this Oscar has just turned 18, the reader is 17, and Cesar is 7. ALSO, I'm a black woman so the "reader" (you guys) will always be a black woman. but, if you want any other race or gender or anything please let me know because I don't want anyone to feel left out.<3

warnings: cussing, a little bit of arguing, and i tried not to put so many time skips like my other stories but there's still a lot so its kind of messed up in my eyes.                           

                                                         Y/N POV

"Ugggggggh." I groaned out loud hearing my phone alarm go off. I fucking hate that sound with a passion. I looked at the time. 6:30 a.m. "Uuuuugh, fuuuuck meeee." I exclaimed as I quite literally rolled out of bed. School starts at 8 but I take about 30 years to get ready. I laid my outfit which consisted of sweatpants and a t-shirt. I real life dress bummy as fuck. Don't get me wrong, I clean up nice, but like... I don't got no one to impress. I took a quick shower and did my hair before I got dressed. It was almost 7:40 so I grabbed my phone and my backpack and headed out to my car. My car wasn't nothing fancy considering I was ACTUALLY POOR, just a grey Subaru. but it was absolutely everything to me. I hooked up to my aux and started driving.                                                  

                                                    -time skip-

7:55. Made it to school with 5 minutes to spare so I went to my locker to grab the books for my first class, math. I'm not the smartest but I love math. The teacher was nice and working with numbers was lowkey easier for me. I walked in and saw my best friend. Oscar. Damn he's fine with his full head of curls and sexy ass smile. I thought to myself. Okay bitch, you need to pull yourself together, don't be acting no type of way. I took the seat next to him. "Hey boo." I said smiling at him. "Hey." He said back with a smile. We conversed for a while until the teacher walked in and started the class.

                                    -time skip to the end of the school day-

"Finally bro, this day lasted forever." I said as me and Oscar walked to my car. "You need a ride?" I asked him. "Yeah, if it's not to much to ask." He said. He's been quiet all day. "Of course it's not to much to ask you crackhead." I said laughing a little. We got in my car. "What’s wrong Oscar?" I asked. " You been quiet all day." He just shrugged. "Come on, Oscar." I pleaded. "You can tell me anything, you know that." We sat there for a minute in complete silence. "It's my dad..." He started. I immediately grew worried because I knew that Oscar and his dad didn't have the best relationship. I didn't say anything and waited until he continued. "He wants me to take over the santos ." He said quietly. "Oh fuck.." I said under my breath. This is not good. "Well... is there anything we can do?" I asked full of concern. He shook his head. I got teary eyed. I do NOT want Oscar in this life. He has so much potential. "Oscar, he cant expect this from you... you're only 17. Isn't there anyone else that can take his place? Why does it have to be you?" I said. "Who's gonna take care of you and Cesar?" "There's no one else Y/N! It can only be me don't you see that?!" He yelled. I jumped at his sudden outburst, he NEVER yells. "Cesar and I have no one but the santos so I have to do this!" He said a little quieter this time but his voice was still loud. "Oscar, let me help you. " I said quietly. "You can't Y/N, there's nothing you can do..." He said. I knew he was right but I wasn't about to let him go through this shit alone. "At least let me be there for you and Cesar... please." I begged him. He sat there for a second before he finally gave in and nodded. I sighed. I gave his hand a light squeeze before I started my car and began the journey to his house. We arrived at his house and he was about to get out of the car when I stopped him. "Do you want me to come in?" I asked. He shook his head. "I think it's best if you go home right now." He said. That hurt... "Oh. Okay... call me if you need me." I said. I hope he didn't hear the sadness in my voice. I waited until he walked inside before I drove off.                        

                                                    -time skip-

It was currently 9 p.m. and I haven't heard from Oscar all day. I was worried. I got my pajamas on and layed down, turning on netflix. I was about an hour into clueless when I saw my bedroom door open. The fuck? My parents are on a business trip. I got up quick as shit ready to fight whoever it was when I saw Oscar limping into my room. I forgot he had a house key. I couldn't see his face because he had a hood on and he was bent over in what seemed to be pain, but I knew it was him. "Oscar..." "Are you okay?" I asked. He limped over to my bed and threw himself down with a groan. I finally got a glimpse of his face and gasped. It was bloody and bruised. "Oscar.. what the fuck happened boo?" I asked worried, sitting down next to him. He was breathing heavy. He took his hood off and I nearly cried. His beautiful curls... they were gone. "Oscar...please." "Tell me what happened." I pleaded. "I... I got jumped in.." He said between pants as he took off his hoodie and I saw all of the bruises. That's when the water works started. I hugged him as I cried. This is it.. it's official now. He's part of the santos.                      

                                                -the next morning-

I don't know when I fell asleep but when I woke up, Oscar was no where to be found. I teared up again thinking about the events that occurred last night. My poor baby... I didn't want to go to school today but at least it was Friday. I threw on some leggings and a hoodie. I brushed my hair into a bun and grabbed my stuff. I arrived at school at 7:50 and just headed straight to class. I didn't see Oscar anywhere. This is gonna be a long day.                                           

                                                   -time skip- 

It was lunchtime and this day could not have been going by slower. I couldn't concentrate on anything. I finally decided I couldn't take it anymore and walked out of the cafeteria to go to my car. I drove to Oscars house. When I got there, I saw a few santos sitting in his front lawn. I recognized them. They were cool people. "Hey, any of y 'all seen Oscar?" I asked walking up to them. Alejandro answered. "Yeah, he's inside with Cesar." "Thank you." I thanked him and walked inside the house. I didn't need to knock since I've known Oscar for like, 4 years now. I heard Oscar and Cesar in one of the back rooms so I followed their voices. I quietly peeked through the door to see Oscar and Cesar playing with hot wheels. The sight real life warmed my heart. Oscar is really good with kids. "BOOM, know your car is blowed up!" Cesar yelled.(I'm sorry, idfk how children talk) "Hey man, that's totally not fair!" Oscar whined. I giggled at how childish he sounded. At the sound of my giggle, Cesar and Oscar's gaze turned towards me in the doorway. He smiled and got up off the floor as Cesar ran towards me and hugged my abdomen. "Hi baby." I said ruffling his hair. "Y/N! I missed you!" Cesar said hugging me tighter. "I missed you too my darling." I said smiling and kissing the top of his head. Oscar walked up to us and gave me a kiss on the cheek. "Why aren't you in school?" He asked. "I was worried about you...how are you feeling?" I asked him. "I'm alright, still sore though." He said. I just nodded sadly. "Why isn't Cesar in school?" I asked him as I looked at Cesar who went back to playing with his hot wheels like we didn't exist. "Our father got arrested this morning." He said, my eyes widened with worry. "So I told him he could stay home with me today." He said. "Awww." I said. "Oh come on, don't get all gushy on me." He said laughing. His laugh caused me to laugh too. "So.. would you and Cesar wanna go to the beach with me to get your mind off things?" I asked him. At the mention of going to the beach, Cesar jumped up from his spot on the floor. 'Yeah! I wanna go!" He jumped up and down in excitement. "I guess now you ain't got no choice." I said grinning at Oscar who huffed in fake annoyance. "Okay, okay. Fine." He said. "Go get ready." He told Cesar. "Yayy!" Cesar yelled as he ran to get ready. "Go get ready, I'll wait for you guys in the living room." I said to Oscar, standing on my tip toes to kiss his cheek. "Alright." He said. I sat in the living room for about 10 minutes until they finally came out. Cesar ran up to me hugging me again. This kid is so clingy and it's the cutest thing ever. "You guys ready to go?" I asked looking down at Cesar. "Yup!" He said cutely. I smiled at him. We all piled into my car and started off for the beach. Oscar and I was so deep into conversation that I didn't even realize we were already at the beach until I heard Cesar yelling. "Yay, the beach!" I laughed. We got out the car and Cesar started running towards the sand. "Aye! Stay close to us." Oscar yelled out to Cesar which made him stop dead in his tracks and wait for us to catch up. I smiled. He was such a good kid. We sat our towels down. Cesar kicked his flip flops off and dashed towards the water. "Don't go to far into the water Cesar." I called out to him. "Okay." He yelled back. When I turned back around, Oscar was sitting down on his towel. I took off my shorts and top so I was in my bathing suit. Oscar was watching Cesar. "You wanna get in the water with us boo?" I asked. He shook his head. "Nah, I don't want Cesar to see the bruises." I looked at him sadly. "Are you in pain right now? Do you need anything?" I asked him full of concern. He chuckled at me. "Nah boo, I'm okay at the moment." "Okay, let me know if you need anything." I said kissing his cheek and walking towards the water to swim with Cesar.                             

                                                   Oscars POV

She's to good to us... I don't know what I did to deserve her. If it wasn't for her, we would have literally nobody. I thought to myself. I just sat back and watched how well she got a long with Cesar. That kid really loves her.                          

                                                      Y/N POV 

After about an hour of me and Cesar acting complete fools in the water, and Oscar laughing at us. We got out and hung out with Oscar so he wouldn't feel left out. After a while of us running around chasing each other, we got hungry. "Do you guys wanna go to Dwayne's and get some food?" I asked them. "Yeah!" Cesar said. "Yeah, that sounds good." Oscar responded almost the same time as Cesar. We got back in my car and went to Dwayne's. We sat down, Cesar and I on one side of the booth and Oscar across from us. Dwayne came up to us to take our order.                       

                                                    -time skip-

"That was great." I said smiling at Oscar as he put Cesar in his bed. After we ate , lil baby passed out. "Yeah, today was amazing. We really needed that." He said pulling me into a hug. I smiled up at him. We just looked at each other for a while. Then he kissed me. It caught me off guard but I kissed back anyway. It was a quick kiss. It ended way sooner than I would have liked. "What was that for?" I asked him quietly. "Just... for being you I guess." He said shyly which I thought was the cutest because Oscar is anything but shy. I chuckled a little. I pulled back after realizing we were still so close. "Uh, I gotta go." I said. "Okay, I'll see you later I guess." He said. I walked away smiling. When I got in my car, I was still smiling. When I arrived home, I couldn't stop thinking about the kiss. Even though it probably meant nothing to Oscar, it meant everything to me. I decided to take a shower. After my shower, I instantly fell asleep, worn out from the beach. When I woke up, the sound of someone knocking on my door made me unwillingly get out of my bed. I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes and opened the door to see Oscar and Cesar standing there. "Y/nnnn!" Cesar said jumping into my arms. "Hi baby." I said kissing the side of his head and putting him back on his feet. "Hi." I said to Oscar giving him a kiss on the cheek and ushering them inside. I closed the door behind them. "What brings you guys over at 11 in the morning?" I asked goofily. Oscar chuckled. "I have to drop Cesar off over at Ruby's for a playdate with all the kids and I wanted to know if you wanted to spend the day with me. I tried to contain my smile but I couldn't help it. Maybe that kiss did mean something to him. "Yeah, I would love that." I said. "Just let me get ready okay?" "Alright, we'll be waiting for you." Oscar said leading Cesar into the living room and turning on some cartoons. I ran to my room and threw on a flowy white dress with different colored flowers on it and some white sandals. I put my hair in a high bun with two braids in the front. I grabbed my phone and my purse. "Okay guys, I'm ready whenever you are." I said walking into the living room to see them watching Tom and Jerry. They're cute. I thought to myself. Cesar stood up and ran over to me as Oscar stood up and turned the t.v. off. I grabbed Cesar's hand and we walked out to Oscar's sexy red car. We all got in the car. "Cesar, you buckled?" Oscar asked. "Yes." Cesar said with his cute little voice. Oscar nodded his head before starting the car and driving off. The next 10 minutes consisted of comfortable silence. We arrived at Ruby's house and Cesar had already unbuckled ready to dip out this car to go see his friends. "Hold on baby, you gotta wait until we park." I said to him giggling as he pouted. We all got out of the car and Cesar ran up to the door. Geny opened the door for us and we walked inside. "Bye Cesar." Oscar said kissing the top of Cesar's head. "Bye baby." I said giving Cesar a small hug. Cesar and Ruby joined Monse and Jamal in the play room. I smiled as I heard them giggling and just having fun. They're my favorites. "You ready to go?" Oscar asked me. "Yeah." I said smiling at him. "Where are we going?" I asked him as we got in his car. "I got some drop offs, then imma take you to dinner." He said nonchalantly. "Mr. Diaz, is this a date?" I asked jokingly. "I mean, it could be." He said shrugging his shoulders. I was shocked for a second but played it off as if it was nothing. "I just wanted to thank you for being there for Cesar and I. We had a really good time yesterday." "No problem Osc." I said smiling at him. We arrived at his first drop off. Not gonna lie, it was kind of scary being with him when he did this but I was to giddy about our "date" to be sketched out. After a few more stops, we we were on our way to dinner. "Are you gonna tell me where we're going?" I asked him for the hundredth time. "Girl no, its a surprise." He said. "Uuuuuugh" I groaned. He laughed at me. I giggled as we pulled up to Dwayne's. "What you laughin at me for fool?" He asked looking hurt. "Sorry I didn't take you to a five star restaurant." "I'm not laughing at you fool, I think you're cute." I said pushing him slightly. "And I don't care that its not a fancy restaurant, I love Dwayne's." I said. He smiled at me and got out the car. I followed his lead and got out as well. "The fuck is wrong with you fool?" He asked me. I looked at him mad confused. "A man is supposed to open the door for a lady." He said seriously. "Oh shit, that's my bad. You want me to get back in the car?" I asked jokingly. "Yes, I do." We laughed and walked into Dwayne's. We sat down at a booth and were immediately greeted by Dwayne himself. "Hey guys, can I start you off with some drinks?" He asked. "Ladies first." Oscar said looking at me. "I'll take a sprite please." "I'll take a coke." "Alright, do you guys already know what you're going to order or do you need more time?" He asked us. "I already know what I want." I said. "I'll take the barbeque chicken please." I said smiling at him. "Okay, how about you Oscar?" He asked. "I'll just take a burger with a side of fries." He said. "You're so basic." I said laughing. Dwayne laughed too. "So y 'all gangin up on me now?" Oscar asked. I laughed again. "Nah, I'm just playin." He said laughing too. We talked for about 30 minutes until Dwayne brought our food out. "About time, fool." Oscar said. "Hey, watch it. I can take this food and give it to someone else." Dwayne said jokingly. Oscar put his hands up in surrender as I laughed. (I laugh WAY to much in real life, like my sense of humor is actually fucked so I'm sorry if I'm putting to much laughter in this lmao) Everything was going amazing, the food was good and spending time with Oscar was very much needed. It was great to see him laughing. One second we was laughing, the next, Oscars eyes went cold as he stared at the door of Dwayne's. I turned around in confusion to see what he was looking at. My heart dropped. There was two officers walking towards Oscar and I. I turned back to Oscar and grabbed his hands. "It's gonna be okay boo. They probably just wanna talk." I said in a quiet voice trying to comfort him. They walked up to the table. I gulped trying to hide my fear. "Are you Oscar Diaz?" One of the officers asked. "Yeah." Oscar said nonchalantly. The officer pulled out his cuffs. "You're under arrest for illegal drug trafficking." I gasped. I started crying as they put the cuffs on him and read him his Miranda rights. "Hey, hey, look at me." Oscar said. "It's gonna be alright. Tell Cesar I love him." I shook my head in shock. "Please, he didn't do anything." I begged. They didn't listen. They kept dragging him out like he was a dog. I was full on having a panic attack now as Dwayne hugged me. I stood there in disbelief for a few minutes before I came to my senses. I had to go get Cesar. As much as I wanted to go home and never leave my house again, I couldn't leave Cesar alone. Oscar keys must have fell out of his pocket because they were on the seat. I picked them up and ran out to the car. There was so many emotions running through me right now. I had to calm down before I got Cesar, I didn't want him to see me upset. Fuck... how was I gonna tell Cesar...                       

                                                  -time skip-

I pulled up in front of Geny's. I got out and took a deep breath before I knocked on her door. She opened and her face fell. "What happened mija?" She asked with worry. I teared up again. She took me in her arms and lead me into the house. Luckily all the kids were in the play room. "Oscar.. he got arrested." I said trying not to full on cry in Geny's house. She gasped and pulled me into a hug. I let go and wiped my eyes after I regrouped. "Can you get Cesar for me please?" I asked her. "Of course." She said walking towards the playroom. I took the extra time to make myself look as happy as possible. Cesar ran to me and hugged my torso. "Hey boo, how was your day?" I asked him. "It was awesome!" He said happily. I smiled at him. "Where's Oscar?" He asked innocently. I almost broke down but I held it together. "Um, he had some stuff he had to do so he let me borrow the car." I said trying to sound as convincing as possible. I don't think he bought it but he still went along with it anyway. "Oh okay.." "You ready to go?" I asked as I rubbed his head. "Yeah." He said smiling at me. We walked out to the car. "Can I sit in the front pleaseeee?" He asked. "Just one time, Oscar doesn't have to know." He said sweetly. "Okay, but only this one time." I said smiling as he cheered. We got in the car and drove to my house. "how would you like it if I stayed with you for a few nights?" I asked Cesar. "Yeah!" He yelled. I laughed. "Okay." I parked and we walked into my house. "Here boo." I said handing him the remote. Watch whatever you want while I go pack some clothes." "Okay" He said sitting on the couch and turning the t.v. on. I walked in my room and shut the door behind me. I was really trying not to cry right now, I didn't want Cesar to worry. I grabbed my duffle bag and put as many clothes as I could fit, my personal hygiene stuff and basically anything that I would need to live. After I gathered up all of my stuff, I walked around the house and made sure the lights and stuff were off since I wasn't gonna be here for a while. I walked into the living room after making sure everything was turned off and everything. "You ready to go baby?" I asked him. "Yes." He said getting up and turning the t.v. off. We got in my car and drove to the santos house. "What you want for dinner boo?" I asked him. "Uhh.... chicken!" He said. "Okay boo, go play and i'll start dinner." I said kissing his head. About an hour and a half later, dinner was done. I made baked barbeque chicken, fried potatoes, green beans with bacon and baked mac and cheese. I made our plates and called for Cesar. Immediately after I said grace, little man dug in. He was done in about 15 minutes. "Damn boo, was you hungry?" I said laughing a little. He just giggled and went into the living room. I smiled to myself. I love that kid. I finished eating and did the dishes. I decided I had to tell Cesar. It was now or never. I walked in the living room where Cesar was laying on the couch, watching amazing world of gumball. He looked at me and smiled as I sat next to him. I smiled back, but it was a sad smile. "What's wrong y/n?" He asked full of concern. He was pretty smart for a seven year old and he could pick up on peoples emotions really easily. " Cesar... there's something I have to tell you." I said turning my body on the couch to face him. "What is it?" He said sitting up. I didn't know how to sugar coat it so I just told him straight up. "Oscar got arrested today.." I said looking down at my hands. It was silent for a while until I heard sniffling. Cesar was crying. "Come here baby." I said pulling him into a hug. "It's gonna be okay boo, I'm gonna be right here with you. I'm not gonna let anything happen to you." I said kissing the top of his head and rubbing his back in a soothing way.                       

                                                 8 Years Later

Today is the day Oscar gets out. It's been eight years. The night I told Cesar, he took it pretty badly. But after a while, he got used to it being just me. We did pretty well too, for me only being 18 taking care of a 7 year old. I got us an apartment after I found it way to painful to stay in the santo house without Oscar. We grew closer and he was for real like my son now. I looked over at Cesar. "You excited boo?" I asked him. "Yeah, just a little nervous though." He said. "It'll be okay baby." I said kissing the top of his head.  After another few minutes of waiting, I started getting anxious. Finally, the gates opened and I saw Oscar. He looked so different. I mean, of course Cesar and I visited him but... there was something different about him. He had a few new tattoos also. He ran up to us and scooped Cesar up in his arms. He got hella buff. "I missed you hermano." He said. "I missed you too." He put Cesar down and turned to look at me. I gave him a soft smile. "Hey boo." He said goofily, picking me up and kissing my cheek. "I missed you so much." I whispered. "I missed you too." He put me down. "Okay, lets get you home, I bet you're hungry." I said handing him the keys and walking to the car. We stopped at a taco truck before making our way back to Freeridge. After an hour and a half of driving, we finally made it back to the santos house. There was hella santos in the front lawn waiting for us to get home with Oscar. "God it's good to be home." Oscar said as he parked the car. He got out and was swarmed with hella santos. Cesar and I got out the car. I stood back and watched as Oscar chatted up with Cesar and the santos. I didn't know all of their names but I got close with a few of them during these 8 years. Especially Jose, whos better known as sad eyes around here. Speaking of the devil, he walked up to me. "Why ain't you over there with the others?" I asked him. "I figured I would wait until everyone wasn't crowdin him. We got all the time in the world now." He said. "True, true." I said. We stood in silence for a while. "Hey, I just wanted to say that just because Oscar is back, doesn't mean I'm gonna act some type a way around you. It's gonna be just like how it was when he was locked up, I don't got nothin to hide." He said. I smiled at him. "Okay, that's good because I didn't want you to treat me different." He chuckled. We stood there and talked for a while. I didn't even notice that the santos had left and Oscar was walking up to me and Jose. "Hey compa, how was it in the pin?" Jose asked as he dapped Oscar up. They both laughed. Oscar wrapped his arm around my shoulders and kissed my cheek. Him and Jose chatted up for a while, catching up with me joining in occasionally. At some point in their conversation, Oscar had moved his arm off of my shoulders. "Alright homie, imma head out and let you get some rest." Jose said dapping Oscar up once again. He turned and kissed my cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow." He said. " Bye." I said smiling and giving him a small wave.                                                 Oscars POV

The fuck kinda shit was that. Why my boy kissin on my girl like that. He knows she's my wifey.                                                   Y/N POV

"You ready to head inside?" I asked looking at Oscar. "Yeah." He said wrapping his arm around my shoulder, leading me inside. I yawned. "i should really be heading home." I said. "Oh come on, it's my first day back, why don't you spend the night" He asked. I thought about it for a second. "Alright, I'll stay, but only for tonight." I said. Oscar smiled at me. Cesar was in the living room watching t.v. He smiled when he saw us walk in and got up to hug his brother. They both sat on the couch as I made my way into Oscar's room where I still had some clothes. I decided on some Nike shorts and a plain grey shirt. I hopped in the shower. About 45 minutes later, I got out. I moisturized, brushed my hair and got dressed. When I walked in the living room, they were both asleep and Cesar had his head on Oscar. It was the cutest thing ever. I took a picture right quick and went to get them a blanket and pillows. Oscar was awake when I got back. "You take for fucking ever in the shower." He said tiredly, rubbing his eyes I chuckled. "My bad." I said. I lifted Cesar's head gently and put the pillow down, then I covered him up. "You can crash with me if you want." Oscar said walking towards his room. I followed behind him. We layed down facing each other. For a few minutes, it was quiet until Oscar spoke up. "Y/n.. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you. I love you so much." I was at a loss for words. This is one of the very very few times I've seen Oscar this vulnerable. "I love you too Osc.." I said. He leaned in and kissed me. That kiss soon turned into a full on make out session and that turned to something else.                       

                                                  -3 weeks later-

It's been 3 weeks since Oscar got out of prison, 3 weeks since we shared that intimate moment. I've been staying at my apartment since that night and I've only hung around a few times. Cesar and the rest of the kids was at my apartment everyday for the first two weeks but stopped coming after that. I was confused as to why but I didn't question it. I didn't wanna hang out with everyone even though I missed Oscar so much. He's been pretending that night didn't happen and I don't want him to feel like I'm trying to force things. He started being more involved in the gang shit after a week of being out. I thought going to prison would put some sense in him and I'm very disappointed to find out that it in fact did not. I decided I was going to talk to him about everything that's been on my mind after work today... I hope things go well.                           

                                                     -time skip-

It was finally 9:30. The end of my shift. I gathered my things before walking and locking the building doors. I decided I was gonna go straight to the santo house to talk to Oscar instead of going home first. When I got there, there was only a few santos sitting outside, including Oscar and Jose. I got out of my car and walked up. "Hey guys." I said as Jose stood up and kissed my cheek. Oscar glared at him. "Can I talk to you for a second Oscar?" I asked. "Yeah." He said a little to quickly, getting up and walking to the house. I followed behind him. He spoke up when we got inside. "What kind of shit was that?" He asked. "What the hell are you talking about?" I asked in utter confusion. "Why was sad eyes all up on you like that?" He asked calmly. I'm glad he wasn't like those dudes that be yelling and shit, that shit ain't attractive. "It ain't even like that." I said. "Oh, okay. It ain't like that but he's kissin on you?" He said, not believing a word I said. "Oscar... chill out. It for real ain't like that. We just got close when you were locked up. He's like family." I said calmly. "Alright.. I'm sorry." He said. "It's okay.. but you have me confused." "How's that?" He asked. "One minute you act like you don't care about me and like that night meant nothing, and the next you're getting mad cause someone else kissed my cheek... like I just don't understand you." I said. He sighed. "Y/n... it's complicated right now." "How is it complicated Osc, just tell me how you feel." I said softly. "Please." "I love you.. and you know I do. I just... don't want anything bad to happen to you." He said looking down at his hands. I started laughing. "Hey, this shit isn't funny." He said sounding a little hurt. "It's not that Oscar, I just think you're cute." I said as I walked up to him and squished his cheeks, kissing his puffed up lips. He smiled at me. "So are we official or nah?" I asked him. "We are if you wanna be." He said. I smiled and kissed him again. " I'll take that as a yes." He said when I pulled away, causing me to life. He smiled and pulled me into a hug. "Where's Cesar?" I asked. "I want to tell him the good news." Oscar stayed silent. I didn't like that at all. Usually when he's silent that means something is wrong. "Oscar.. what's going on?" I asked. "You don't need to worry about it y/n." He said, all emotion wiped clean from his voice. "Don't need to worry about it?" I repeated incredulously. "Cesar is like my son, where the fuck is he?" I asked getting a little upset. I didn't get to upset and I didn't raise my voice because I didn't wanna ruin the cute moment we just had. "Oscar please tell me." I said growing more worried. "I don't know where he is.." He said finally. "What?..." I asked. "How do you not know where he is?" I asked. "I.. I had to kick him out." He said. "You had to do what?" I asked very upset. "Why would you do that Oscar, he's 15 years old, and you just got out of prison. All he wanted to do was spend time with you." I was starting to get teary eyed. I really did not want to cry right now. "Y/n I know but he disrespected the gang. When I had him jumped in.." I cut him off. "Hold the fucking phone.. you had my baby jumped in and you didn't talk to me about it first?! I told you I didn't want him in that life no matter what and you agreed." I said not being able to believe what I was hearing. "Y/n.. you have no say in this. I'm sorry but you don't..." He said. "I really can't believe this right now, we were having such a cute moment..." I was very upset right now. "Y/n, I'm sorry. I'm gonna make this right I promise." He said standing up and grabbing my hands. "I really hope so Oscar..." I said pulling my hands away from his. "I gotta go." I said walking out of the front door, Oscar followed behind me but didn't try to stop me. "Aye, where you going?" Jose asked standing in front of me, pulling me in a hug. "I gotta go find Cesar." I said pulling away from the hug. He looked at Oscar shocked. I got in my car and made my way to Monse's, she had to know where he was. I was very upset that he didn't immediately come to me but I decided to push that thought to the back of my mind and focus on making sure my baby was safe. I got to Monse's and jogged to the front door, knocking a little to loudly. She opened it after a few seconds. "Y/n.. what are you doing here?" She asked. "Have you seen Cesar?" I asked worried. I was praying she had seen him. "Uh, yeah. He's here." She said. Oh thank God. "You can come in if you'd like." "Thank you so much." I said walking in as she closed the door behind me. I walked to her bedroom and saw Cesar laying on her bed. He immediately sat up when he realized it was me. I walked up to him and hugged him. "I'm so glad you're alright. Oscar told me what happened." I said kissing his head. "Where in your mind did you not think to come to my house, that's your house too and you know it is." I said lightly slapping his arm between each word. "Ow, I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He said. "I didn't want you to worry." He said. I frowned sadly. "I'm always gonna worry about you boo, no matter what. Same goes for Monse, Ruby, and Jamal. You guys are my babies." I said pulling them both into a hug this time. "Please, come stay with me. You can come too if you'd like Monse." I said in a soft voice. "Okay.. we'll come. Just let us gather up our things." Cesar said smiling at me. I smiled back. "Okay, I'll be waiting for you." I walked out of her bedroom and into the living room. About 5 minutes later, they walked out with their bags of clothes. "You guys ready?" I asked. "Yup" They both replied. We got in my car and drove to the apartment. When we got there, they invited the other two. I made us all dinner and we had a fun little movie night. I woke up the next morning to loud knocks on my front door. What the hell? I thought as I unwillingly got out of bed. When I walked in the living room, I saw Jamal and Ruby sprawled all over each other on the couch. I giggled. They're the cutest. I didn't see Monse and Cesar so I figured they were in Cesar's room. I opened the door to reveal Oscar. "Osc, what are you doing here?" I asked moving out of the way so he could walk in. "I need to talk to Cesar, I know he's here." He said looking into the living room seeing Ruby and Jamal sprawled on the couch. "Yeah, he's here, but he's sleeping right now." I said as he pushed past me walking down the hallway. He didn't know which room was Cesar's so he opened every door until he got the right one. As I suspected, Cesar and Monse were in Cesar's bed cuddling. "Aww." I said. They were so cute. Oscar gave me a side glance before walking towards the bed and shaking Cesar to wake him up. When Cesar opened his eyes, he jumped up in shock. "Oscar, what are you doing here?" He asked. "I need to talk to you." Oscar said motioning Cesar to follow him before walking out the door. Cesar put his shoes on and followed behind him. After about 20 minutes, Cesar came back in. "Hey, everything okay?" I asked him worried. "Yeah, Oscar has a plan to make everything right. We gotta go." He said kissing my cheek. "What's the plan Cesar?" I asked. "It's nothing to worry about y/n, everything's gonna be okay." He said trying to reassure me. "What if it ain't, what if something goes wrong?" I asked. "Y/n, it won't I promise. Just don't tell Monse and everyone where I went." He said.  "You guys please be careful." I said pleadingly. "We will y/n, I promise." He said before walking out the door. I had a sunken feeling in my stomach but I decided to push the feeling away and make breakfast for everyone, not wanting them to wake up and go hungry. I finished cooking and went to wake the boys up first, then Monse. When Monse woke up, she was really worried. "Where's Cesar?" She asked immediately. "Don't worry baby, he just ran to the corner store for me." I said, knowing I was lying but not wanting to worry her. "Oh, okay." She said a little more calmly. "Come on, I made breakfast." I said holding my hand out to her. She grabbed my hand and I lead her to the kitchen where the boys were already eating. After everyone got done eating, they went in the living room to chill. After about an hour, Cesar and Oscar walked into the apartment. "Oh thank God!" I said running up to them, kissing Cesar on the top of his head and wrapping my arms around Oscars neck giving him a kiss on the lips. Everyone looked shocked but I didn't care. "What is he doing here?" Monse asked incredulously. "Don't worry Mons, everything's fine now. We fixed it." Cesar said wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "What do you mean you fixed it?" Jamal asked. "How?" Ruby asked right after him. Oscar spoke up before Cesar could. "Don't worry about it, just know its taken care of." "That made the children stop questioning. "Are you guys hungry?" I asked them. "There's still some breakfast left." "I'm starving." Cesar said walking to the kitchen with Monse following him. "How bout you boo?" I asked Oscar. "Yeah I could eat." He said smiling.                       

                                                    -3 years later-

I was doing laundry, thinking about how far we've come. It's been three years. Monse went to a boarding school, Jazmine and ruby got together, Jamal joined the football team. We all still keep in touch even though Oscar, Cesar and I moved to the suburbs. Oscar got out the gang life and we got married. I got pregnant and everything has been going great for us. We couldn't be happier. Of course there's still times when Oscar forgets that he's safe now and he doesn't need to carry a gun everywhere but we're working on it. "Y/n, where you be at?" I heard Oscar yell. "In here babe." I yelled back. He walked in seeing me struggle to get the clothes out of the washer to transfer into the dryer. "Let me do that bebe, you don't need to be staining yourself when you're 8 months pregnant." He said taking the clothes out of my hand and putting them in the dryer. "Thank you baby." I said kissing his cheek. "Go sit down doll, I made dinner." "Aww, my sweet man." I said cooing at him. "Don't act like I don't make your lazy ass dinner all the time." He said. I laughed. "I know, I know." I said. He turned towards me and wrapped his arm around my waist. Pulling me into him, kissing me. After we ate dinner, we ended the night with me laying down with my head on his lap and him rubbing my pregnant belly. I really couldn't be happier.

[askbittyerror]

Blue's focus almost wavers, almost. "Huitzi- yeah, it's Blue. How, how long have you been gone? It's been less than a day- wait, just, tell me where you are, please! we want you to come home!"

“Huh, I suppose our universe is quite slow then. Its been over two-hundred years for me, I believe? There was a good stretch of time where I didn’t bother to count, and I’m only going off my own personal time, multiverse-wise its been only thirty-five years. And I’m in-” 

Theres the sound of him opening a door.

“DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT UNIVERSE WE’RE IN?”

“Nope.” “No fucking idea.” “Nuh uh.”

“I have no idea where I am.” Huitzi admits. “Also HUNTER GET THAT OUT OF YOUR MOUTH, ASH STOP ENCOURAGING HIM! FOR THE LAST TIME, WE DON’T. EAT. THE. WILDLIFE!”

“Ugggggggh you’re no fun!” “But they’re so tasty!”

[hermannsthumb]

i wrote a quick newt/hermann ficlet last night and it doesn’t seem long enough to post on ao3 so i’m just.....dropping it here.....askbox promptless....... here’s some mildly botched marriage proposal, happy crying, and (at the end, way below cut) light 18+/not sfw

Hermann has always been the type to plan things very meticulously. He sets out each day’s outfit the night before he intends to wear it, just after he dresses for bed, but before he brushes his teeth. He has never been surprised by a birthday, nor an anniversary with Newton of any sort (not even the most inane ones, like the one year mark of their first date outside the Shatterdome, which was technically their fifth date altogether). He made a career out of meticulous planning, after all: every bit of code in its correct place, location of the Breach pinpointed to the last decimal, next kaiju attack to the last millisecond. It’s like second nature to him.

It’s why he can’t figure out why proposing to Newton is so bloody hard.

He knows, logically, that Newton will say yes. He knows that Newton loves him. Newton knows that Hermann loves him in return. They live together. They share a bed. They do exceedingly romantic things like hold hands as they walk down the street, and knock ankles under the dinner table (in public, or otherwise), and spend long mornings in bed doing nothing but kissing and laughing and teasing each other. Hermann has heard Newton, more than once, refer to Hermann in public as my partner, and then clarify he does not just mean in the sharing-a-lab sense, and he keeps a small photograph of Hermann (a Polaroid, taken during a lazy day in the sun the previous summer) in a frame on his desk and, often, Hermann will walk in unannounced and find him smiling at it.

Hermann’s run the numbers. He knows the odds. He’s bought the ring—simple, silver, with a small green stone he thinks would compliment Newton’s eyes—and had it sized accordingly after some very covert snooping through Newton’s cluttered jewelry box. It should not be a problem. The ring sits at the bottom of his neatly-folded underwear drawer for three months, anyway, collecting dust, sending a lump rising in Hermann’s throat every time his fingers inadvertently brush the velvet casing. It’ll need a polish by the time Hermann finally gets around to it.

He eventually settles on a completely random date, to kick himself into gear; a completely ordinary Tuesday three months into the future. He marks it on his cell phone’s calendar with a cryptic emoticon (a single flower) so that, should Newton see it by mistake, he won’t be able to decode it.

Predictably, when the date comes, Hermann chickens out.

He doesn’t mean to. He wakes up early for the express purpose of not chickening out. He means to make Newton breakfast in bed, to wake him with kisses, to hold the ring box out as Newton stirs sugar into his coffee and confess every sappy, over-the-top, sentimental feeling he’s had for the man over the course of a decade and a half of knowing each other: how alone he was before Newton, how Newton made him feel things he never knew were possible for him to feel, how Newton is the love of his life.

Hermann wakes early. He leaves behind a nude and drooling Newton, stretched out on their bed, to take a quick shower. He dresses. He slips the ring box into his pocket. He settles onto the edge of the bed and smooths his fingers through Newton’s hair.

The touch makes Newton stir.

He blinks awake, slowly, blearily, and Hermann is struck by how effortlessly handsome he is, how soft, how beautiful, down to the freckles dusting his shoulders and the small scar on his left pinkie. “Hi,” Newton mumbles. He swipes at the side table for his glasses, with no use; he’s nearly blind without them. “You’re up early.”

Handsome, and soft, and beautiful, hair messy, cheeks and chin unshaven, one hazel eye still ringed with blotchy red even years after their drift. I love you, Hermann means to say. I want to spend eternity with you, he also means to say. “You’ve left your underwear next to the hamper again,” is what he actually blurts out.

Newton squints at him. He’s still got a trickle of drool on his chin. It’s begun to dry. “What?” he says.

Face heating up, Hermann sticks the glasses, clumsily, onto Newton’s face. “Er,” he says, and then he repeats, “You’ve left your underwear next to hamper again. Is it really so difficult to take the extra second, open the lid, and—?”

“Ugh,” Newton says, and he drags a pillow over his face. “You did not wake me up just to yell at me.”

Hermann could say it, now, could seize the unknowingly offered second chance. He does not.

“Get up,” he says. “We have work soon.” He snags his cane from the side table, pushes himself up to his feet, and makes a beeline for the door, the ring box like dead weight in his pocket.

“Ugggggggh,” Newton groans again, though it’s moderately more muffled. “I hate you so much. You’re the worst. Oh my God.”

Hermann walks a little faster.

Newton gets up. He grumbles his way through shared breakfast at the kitchen island. They go to work. Newton grumbles his way through shared lunch in Hermann’s office. They come home from work. Newton’s forgiven him for their rough morning by dinner—a quick affair of reheated Sunday night Chinese takeaway, shared on the couch with the contents of their DVR and half a bottle of wine—and, indeed, to the extent that the moment Hermann polishes off the last forkful of rice and drains the last of his glass, Newton’s hands begin to rove and his lips make themselves very firmly at home on Hermann’s neck.

“Mm,” Hermann moans, at first, and then, when Newton’s nimble fingers work open the buckle of his belt and begin to creep down, cracks open an eye and says, “ah, darling, wait, not here—”

“Why not?” Newton says, and nips at his throat. He rubs at the slowly-growing wet patch at the front of Hermann’s briefs, then squeezes gently; Hermann nearly goes cross-eyed.

“The couch,” he gasps, even as he bucks into Newton’s touch, “it’s new. Don’t—don’t make a mess of it. Oh.”

“Fussy,” Newton says, eyes lighting up mischievously. He squeezes again. “Lemme help you unwind.”

“Newton,” Hermann says.

Newton’s hand retreats from his trousers. “Alright,” he says. “What, you want me to lay down newspaper or something? Towels? We’ve gotta christen it eventually.”

“We’re not going to christen it at all,” Hermann says, thinking back to their last unfortunate couch, which lasted them a mere two years before the combination of spilled coffee (Newton), soy sauce (Newton), ketchup (Newton), ink (Hermann), and—er—certain byproducts of sexual intercourse (Newton and Hermann) rendered it stained and filthy beyond use. This is, very firmly, a no sex allowed couch, a sentiment Hermann has already expressed numerous times.

“Hermann,” Newton whines, and flutters his eyelashes. “I’m horny.”

“We have a bed,” Hermann says.

They make it to the bed, to Hermann’s surprise, only stopping for messy, fumbling, giggling kisses twice in the hallway leading up to it. Newton pushes Hermann back onto the bed—unmade, from that morning—and Hermann props himself up on his elbows to enjoy the show as Newton begins to strip, comically slowly. The tie is lost first. Then each boot. He flings his button-up across the room, in the direction of the dresser, and it sends a framed photograph of their first vacation together crashing to the hardwood with an ominous cracking noise.

(“I’ll buy another frame,” he assures Hermann.)

When he’s finally stripped down to just his undershirt and hot pink boxers, he crawls up onto the bed and straddles Hermann. Hermann’s hands fly to Newton’s waist, at the stretch of tattooed skin exposed by his rucked-up undershirt. “How’s that?” Newton says, rocking his hips down, clothed groin catching clumsily on Hermann’s. “That feel good? You like that?”

Hermann nods, fingers digging hard into Newton’s soft skin. “Yes,” he moans.

Newton drags one of Hermann’s hands up to his chest and presses Hermann’s thumb to his nipple; Hermann begins rubbing at it instantly, enjoying the way it stiffens into a peak, the way it pokes the fabric out visibly. “Yeah,” Newton pants, tongue hanging half-out of his mouth, “yeah, that’s awesome, keep doing that.” He rocks his hips down more insistently. “Oh, Hermann,” he purrs, “is that a TI-84 Plus in your pocket, or are you just happy to see me?”

A wide grin stretches across Newton’s face; Hermann breaks out into helpless, hiccoughing laughter at the absurdity of the question. Then two things happen at once: Newton squeezes his thighs, tight, vice-like, around Hermann’s, and Hermann suddenly recalls the ring box, stowed in the left pocket of his trousers, now pressing painfully into his skin with the force of those thighs. Pressing painfully into Newton’s skin.

Newton stops squeezing him. His grin fades into a look of mild confusion. Hermann stops laughing. “Do you have something in your pocket?” Newton says.

“No,” Hermann says quickly, but Newton is already grazing his fingers over the outline of the box through the fabric and laughing.

“Do you seriously carry chalk around with you?” he says. “Dude, that’s so—”

Newton pulls out the ring box. He stops laughing, too.

“Hermann?” he squeaks.

Hermann’s ears begin to burn with mortification, then his cheeks, then his neck. “Give it here,” he says, giving a desperate swipe for the box and missing entirely. His heart thuds madly in his chest. Newton can probably hear it. Feel it. “Newton, give it—”

Newton cracks the box open. His eyes bulge comically. “Hermann,” he squeaks again, “Hermann, what is this? Is this—did you—?” To Hermann’s horror, he begins to tear up. “Did you—?”

Seeing no way to save face, Hermann shuts his eyes. “I’d intended to ask you this morning,” he confesses, dragging his hand up to his forehead, “but I—”

Newton kisses him. It’s not very graceful. It’s a bit painful, actually: their glasses knock together, and so do their teeth, and it’s all a bit wet, too, because Newton has begun genuinely crying, little sobs that leave his shoulders and chest shaking. Hermann kisses back as best he can and strokes, soothingly, at Newton’s hair.

“I love it so much,” Newton says, once he’s finally calmed down enough to start speaking again. “And you. Hermann—” He sniffles and wipes under his glasses at his eye with the heel of his palm. “I’m sorry I ruined the surprise.”

“You didn’t ruin anything, Newton, love,” Hermann assures him. The ring box lays forgotten on the sheets; Hermann picks it up, and, pressing a kiss to the corner of Newton’s mouth, slides the ring out of it and onto Newton’s finger. “There.” He pats his wrist.

Newton sniffles again. He smiles at his hand. “I love it,” he repeats, and his eyes well up again. Hermann hasn’t seen him cry this much since their goldfish died two years ago. It’s a bit unnerving. “Hermann,” he says, “we’re gonna get married.”

“We are,” Hermann says, and smiles back tentatively.

Newton kisses him again. And again. And again.

Things devolve, rapidly, from innocent and chaste, to, well— “Already?” Hermann gasps, incredulous, as Newton begins rubbing the cleft of his ass down against Hermann’s groin. 

“Uh-huh,” Newton gasps in return. He hasn’t even stopped crying yet. “It’s hot when you’re romantic.”

[lady-divine-writes]

Kurtbastian one-shot - “Six of One, Half Dozen of Another” (Rated PG13)

Summary: Kurt and Sebastian are back home from college in time for Valentine's Day. Neither of them are particularly fond of the holiday, but they manage to find some common ground.

... Or common ice. (1930 words)

Notes: I wrote this for Valentine's. It's a little late.

Pat 53 of Outside Edge

Read on AO3.

“Ugh … just … ugh …” Sebastian groans - the fiftieth time since he and Kurt left the Westerville rink. Kurt shakes his head but he can’t stop smiling, riding high on the euphoria of three hours spent chaperoning the rink’s annual Valentine’s Social – a 50s themed hop on ice. The rink pulls out all the stops for Valentine’s Day: renting a jukebox, putting up old time-y soda shop décor, dressing the staff in leather jackets and poodle skirts, and so on. But the highlight of the makeover (as far as Kurt’s concerned) is the gigantic red heart painted mid-ice - a place where brave souls can bring their crushes to confess their feelings.

People have even been known to propose there.

Kurt has never been a big fan of Valentine’s Day, but he is a sucker for romance.

Call him a silly romantic, but yeah.

Sebastian makes a noise that sounds like another long, sustained ‘ugggggggh’, and Kurt snickers.

“What’s going on with you? I thought you had fun tonight.”

“I did,” Sebastian says, “but only because I got to spend it with you.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

“I don’t particularly like Valentine’s Day,” Sebastian grumbles, pausing at a corner, then making a right.

“I know.”

“And neither do you.”

“I know that, too.”

“So why do you get to be all high and mighty?”

“Because unlike you, I can look past the cheap chocolates and the obnoxious red hearts and appreciate the romance … the love … the drama.”

“Yeah” - Sebastian snorts - “because that’s what we need more of down at the rink. Drama.”

“When did you turn into such a big fuddy-duddy? Admit it - you love drama as much as I do.”

“True, but there’s a difference between the catty bull crap we usually fling around and purposefully setting people up to fail.”

“Ah.” Kurt nods, watching the stop light they’re approaching change colors from amber to red. “Let me guess … it was that big heart on the ice.”

“Yes, it was that big heart on the ice! First of all, I can’t imagine the amount of money the rink spends every year to paint it there, and then layer how much ice over it? It’s going to be there for months!”

“You do realize it’s tradition.” Kurt interjects. “It’s actually there for Heart Disease Awareness month. The proceeds from tonight’s ticket sales are going to the American Heart Association.”

“I guess …” Sebastian seethes, and Kurt knows he forgot. “Okay, fine. It’s for a good cause. Yippee. Still, what happens when those new relationships break up? What if those proposals don’t work out? Our regulars are going to be forced to come back to the rink and see that big red sign of failure just sitting under there! If it were me, I’d practice at my own rink to avoid it. We might have actually driven business away without even knowing it!” Sebastian glances over at Kurt pulling a face and frowns. “I take it you don’t agree.”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t.”

“Don’t you think it’s kind of tacky? Making a big display like that? Getting down on your knee in front of a bunch of strangers to profess your so-called undying love?”

“I guess so. But, when you think about it, Valentine’s Day isn’t meant to be subtle. It’s supposed to be over the top.”

“It still sucks,” Sebastian mutters, thrumming his fingers on the steering wheel as he waits for the light to change.

“Oh, Sebby,” Kurt coos, placing a hand on his boyfriend’s shoulder and kneading. “I didn’t know how deeply you cared about the love lives of strangers.”

“I don’t.” Sebastian’s signature sarcastic smile makes a brief, fleeting appearance before he stares off into the distance, purposefully avoiding Kurt’s playful gaze. “But I know what it’s like to make a grand gesture … and have it rejected.”

“Oh. Oh. Oh, Sebastian …” Kurt falls quiet, the atmosphere in the car going from one of lighthearted teasing to guilt with the changing of the street lights. Sebastian isn’t talking about Kurt. They had their fights in the beginning, but once Kurt knew he mattered to Sebastian, he stopped fighting and opened his heart to him. It’s his parents Sebastian is referring to. He worked hard over the years to make them proud, and when gold medals and first place podiums started becoming the status quo, he worked even harder to get their attention. So many routines he’d choreographed in dedication to his parents just for the meaning to go over their heads.

Or for them not to show up at all.

Kurt hears Sebastian sniff but that could be from the cold. If he doesn’t bring it up, Kurt will leave it there. Sebastian glances over his shoulder to check for clearance before changing lanes, and when he turns back, he has his smirk fixed in place as if it had never left.

“Meh. You live, you learn. Ancient history.”

“I guess so.”  Kurt watches Sebastian and not the road as silence brings him back to the handful of times he’s gotten to meet Sebastian’s parents. It’s strange, and difficult, being around the three of them together. In front of Kurt (and Kurt imagines, in front of other people in general) they act like regular, doting parents, joking with their son about him having a boyfriend and asking them both questions about their plans for the future. But there’s something else about them, something underneath the good-natured teasing and pleasant conversation.

Like they’re playing a part, reciting the lines required before they get to pack up their things and fly away again.

Which makes the thought of them going back to Sebastian’s house tonight an unpalatable one. His folks are there, on layover before they return to a gala in Italy they swore up and down is for work. And Kurt has no doubt it is.

That doesn’t mean it’s necessarily the right thing for them to do.

Kurt foresees a mildly uncomfortable dinner in their future, and that dampens his romance-fueled buzz. But at least this time, Kurt and Sebastian are only visiting, too – on break from college for a week, mostly to celebrate the anniversary of Kurt’s mom’s remission.

Kurt turns his attention back to the windshield when the road they’re driving winds. The dark outside gets darker, and Kurt realizes Sebastian isn’t taking him to the main house on his parents’ property, but to his rink instead. “Uh, Seb?”

“Yeah, babe?”

“Why are we here? We just skated for three hours. I don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to getting out of these pants. They’re a wee bit snug.”

“That’s a phrase I never thought I’d hear you say.”

“And I hadn’t planned on eating two dozen baby cupcakes, but nonetheless, here we are.”

Sebastian pulls up alongside the outer wall and turns off the engine. “As much as I want to see you out of those tight jeans, I actually planned something for tonight. Something kind of special.”

“You did?”

Sebastian side-eyes his skeptical boyfriend. “Are you surprised?”

“May-be. You’ve spent so much time griping, I thought you might just want to forget doing something as a couple on Valentine’s Day.”

“Are you kidding? Any excuse to get you dressed up and alone …”

“You know, coming from anyone else that would sound creepy.”

“Well, thank goodness I’m not anyone else.” Sebastian opens his door and gets out, closing it quickly behind him when a cold wind blows through. He tromps through the snow, rounding the rear of the vehicle to get to Kurt’s door. “Come on,” he says, opening the door and offering Kurt his arm, “let’s get inside and out of this cold.”

“It’s kind of ironic that it’s warmer inside an ice rink than out here.”

“Yeah. Too bad climate change doesn’t exist.”

“We live on the ice. We’ll be alright.”

Sebastian ushers Kurt to the door, playfully putting a hand over his eyes when he leads his boyfriend inside. Kurt hears Sebastian switch on the lights … or maybe switch them off. From what he can see past what Sebastian’s hand doesn’t cover, the switch he threw has done little to change the illumination of the room. He can’t see much else past that, but closes his eyes regardless so as not to ruin Sebastian’s surprise.

Sebastian barely has to help Kurt. He knows his way around Sebastian’s rink by heart. He knows from the start that they’re heading for the ice. But if they’re not skating, why in the world would they be there?

“Okay.” Sebastian adjusts his boyfriend’s stance, then readjusts him several times to get him in the right position. Or to mess with him. That’s a possibility, too. “Now … look.”

Sebastian removes his hand from Kurt’s eyes. Kurt blinks them once. It doesn’t take much to adjust to the light in here. He thought he knew what he would see when Sebastian took his hand away but he was wrong. Sebastian’s rink is impressive all on its own, but what he has created takes Kurt’s breath away.

Sebastian kept the twinkle lights up from Christmas. When Kurt had asked Sebastian why he hadn’t taken them down when he took down the tree, he said he liked the ambiance. Kurt should have known something was up then.

Sebastian and ambiance aren’t two words oft heard in the same sentence.

But sometime between the last time Kurt was there (which was that afternoon) and tonight, he’s hung red, pink, and gold foil hearts all around – on the walls and dangling from the ceiling. But when did he get the time? Kurt was seriously with him every minute of that day. Is it possible he actually got Blaine, who’d taken off from school to join them, to help him? Otherwise Kurt has no idea how he could have pulled it off! And if he did humble himself to asking Kurt’s best friend, who Sebastian still jokes that he doesn’t particularly like, to help him decorate for Kurt, that makes Kurt love Sebastian all the more.

Electric candles line the rails of the rink; red and pink rose petals scattered around; and soft, romantic music piped through the overhead speakers; while lazy golden lights drift across the ice, courtesy of an upgrade to the overhead spotlight system. Those lights dance over the piece de resistance - a king-sized bed sitting center ice in the middle of a large, red mat, with a red carpet walkway leading straight to Kurt’s feet.

It looks like the cover of a Harlequin Romance novel. And as cheesy as that is, Kurt can’t help but swoon just a little.

Again – silly romantic.

“So … this doesn’t count as over-the-top?” Kurt laughs as Sebastian takes his hands and leads him down the red carpet towards the bed. It’s then that Kurt spots their Zuca bags, standing side by side at the head, just in case they want to get some after nookie skating in, Kurt guesses.

An image of them post-coitus, trying to land jumps and perform scratch spins on shaky legs, makes him laugh harder.

“Nope. Because you and I are certifiably in love. And this …” Sebastian glances over at the bed behind them, covered in satin blankets, a mound of pillows, a bouquet of long stemmed roses, plus a silver tray crowded with strawberries, a dish of cream, and a bottle of sparkling cider, kept chill by the icy air of Sebastian’s rink “… this counts as the bare minimum.”

[jonroxton]

FONTANA IS KILLLLLLLLING IT

first! THE COVER IS SO DOPE!

not that the issue before didn’t establish fontana can totally do diana/etta justice, but every page of this is just beautiful, dynamic writing all around and should put to rest any doubt that fontana can’t carry the torch. WHAT A GOOD ISSUE HOLY SHIT!

and since i always reread golden age issues here and there, etta (and the holliday girls) being integral to diana’s adventure rings absolutely true.

rucka did this with the lies. you felt the history of diana, etta and steve. you felt the weight of the time that we actually never saw in new 52. rucka used the full powers of the panels communicated just how important they were to each other as colleagues and showcased their strengths in the positions they held as soldiers. you really felt they were working with diana instead of just being window dressing for her arc. the focus was definitely on her, but u totally believed when they went off page that they could be having whole adventures of their own and that’s technically what happened when etta, steve and barbara ann were hiding out.

but always there could me more ofc! and i think rucka knew that. so he set the ball rolling and fontana just fucking picked it up I AM SO GLAD!

always game for more etta and more steve (always more steve :P)

AND HERE WE HAVE IT the reaping of that set 25 issue set of establishing those relationships!

here we have full blown diana and etta taking care of each other, working together. I am just so IN LOOOOVE with fontana’s command of the panels. just the fluidity of movement is so ugggggggh. i felt it reading superhero girls and was always excited about how she would do with more mature content.

i mean, this whole first page is just stunning in its ability to showcase movement and emotion. closing in on the crow and expanding to diana in the graveyard and how completely isolated she is DAAAAAMN it’s so good.

rucka had the wide scope. diana’s mythology had to be to sorted and set straight. the way he used simultaneous time/arcs to literally realign diana’s story. how almost insane it felt in the middle, with diana herself going a little mad, and then coming out of it with everything clashing and colliding. except it wasn’t an implosion. it was DRUM ROLL please, literally perfect~

fontana has taken that and come in with the microscope. making diana’s world even more real and more specific. diana dealt with gods and monsters and big evil villains, and now we have her dealing with her friends, her emotions, just her dealing in general. and i appreciated that a lot with 26 and love that it’s being build upon.

there’s so much to empathize with just this panel alone. the soldiers. the man trying to walk. the body language of the pink shirt person and the green shirt. diana waiting, arms crossed, looking at the man helping the other soldier in the wheelchair.  it’s so careful and respectful and establishes that etta is very much a soldier with human flaws that have consequences. and that diana is deeply aware of their frailty.

it’s so sublime. how much is conveyed through these. that little bit of humor in the top right. etta’s pride. diana’s quiet empathy and assurance that leads directly to etta’s appreciation.

literally holding each other up. LOOK AT ETTA’S ARM AROUND DIANA. how she’s able to maintain her pride, but she still accepts help. fuck. me. up. fontana.

i appreciate this kind of attention. her eyes closed. her resignation. it’s so still. and etta  doesn’t hit back the way diana didn’t push the wheelchair. it’s more closeness, more support.

this is so important to what is essentially an action series. then fontana takes two pages to dig even further into how diana is dealing. keeping the tradition of having steve having his own adventure but still being part of their lives. the little things like diana not eating meat bc she can talk to animals. diana’s emotions being expressed so simply and so powerfully.

and again, that cute but quiet humor that doesn’t overwhelm, but sets up character beats. steve isn’t even there but loving just the idea of steve cleaning up bc ofc he would!

AND JUST BODY LANGUAGE BETWEEN THE PANELS! u can actually FEEL diana turn around abruptly to face etta and let loose her concerns.

THEN BOOM. the action commences. and it incorporates everything that’s just happened. literally hitting the target

and showcasing diana’s physical strength as well as her emotional vulnerability. and the fact that her concerns are being taken seriously instead of ~humans are my weakness shit that is so common comic fodder.

SO. MUCH. DYNAMIC!

such smooth transitioning

i have a post in my draft somewhere that’s really just about shirtless sleeve lol but eventually it became about how rucka established the characters by maintaining specific panel organization for every one. so diana got a lot of 3 to 6 panels that had her moving in between and you felt her power of movement through them. but with steve and etta, it was very still and contained to the same space bc they are not the same. yet they all command the pages

maybe one day i’ll go more into it bc IT’S SO PERFECT but back to fontana.

this new adversary is unknown to us or to diana, so all have is the fight and again, fontana can do action superbly

it didn’t hit me just how fucking superb this issue was until this page:

bc it echoes diana’s speed when catching the bullet for etta. it’s a way to show the limits of diana’s power. and puts her in danger. i legit fucking freaked. BUT THEN!

i’m just putting in every single page at this point aren’t i? lol

but it really is almost overwhelming how strong these pages are, how much dynamism is in the story. how much information is conveyed. it reminds me that a lot of comics don’t do this, don’t take advantage of the power of a panel. I MEAN. LOOK AT THIS.

HER REFLECTION ON THE VISOR! etta’s distance! the cuffs!

fontana owns my ass ya’ll

p.s: hey, @heckyeahstevetrevor

STEVEN LIVES! lol

[act-addict-actors-blog]

Act 1 Chapter 3 - Legendary Curry - The Beginning

Manager: “All right, food’s ready!”

You: “T-this is......”

Tsuzuru: “This give a whole new meaning to ‘food terrorism’......”

Sakuya: “O-on second thought, I think I’m good.”

You: “What the heck- has your cooking always been this bad!?”

Masumi: “I’ve lost my appetite.”

Manager: “Please don’t hold back. I have seconds for everyone!”

Tsuzuru: “Well, then I guess I’ll have a bite......”

You: “T-true. If we try to eat it, it could turn out to be delicious! I’ll dig in.”

Sakuya: “Ah, please be careful!”

Tsuzuru: “Ugggggggh”---*pbbbtttttp*

You: --*bleh*

Masumi: “Thanks for the meal.”

Manager: “Usui-kun, you didn’t even eat one bite!”

You: (T-this is terrible. The foundation of the theater lifestyle was definitely the meal plan, but with this disgusting meal it can’t be a perk of joining any longer.)

(What can I do with these leftover ingredients......)

“--I’ll make Curry!”

Manager: “Eh?”

You: “If I make curry, I can use this filth and just add whatever kind of spices needed to make the curry.”

Tsuzuru: “Is that even possible?”

Manager: “Oh, you guys wanted curry? Well then, let me fix that for you and make--”

You: “I will do it!”

Masumi: “You can cook?”

You: “Only as well as any normal person.”

“Also, from now on, I’ll be in charge of making the meals.”

Manager: “I can’t leave the meal duty to be done by our director! You don’t have to worry. I’ll go to the kitchen and--”

Tsuzuru: “Then she can and I can share the duty.”

Sakuya: “Tsuzuru-kun, you can cook too? That’s amazing!”

Tsuzuru: “My parents were always so busy working, so I would make meals for my younger brother. If it’s an easy meal like fried rice, I can make it.”

“But, even if you try to fix it, I don’t think you be able to manage this......thing.”

You: Even so, if it’s curry......I should definitely be able to make it. Hold on a sec.

“Thanks for waiting! All done.”

Tsuzuru: “How did it go?”

You: “The taste is perfect.”

Masumi: “I’ll eat anything if it’s something that you’ve made me.”

Sakuya: “It smells really good!”

Manager: “What kind of curry mix did you use?”

You: “......mix? You couldn’t possibly mean a pre-made, perfectly seasoned curry mix available at a grocery store?”

Manager: “Eh? Yeah, that’s what I mean......”

You: “I didn’t have the luxury to use a mix, you demon! It’s so lazy! Compared to actual curry, this is a sin.”

Manager: “Whaaat? Then what did you use to make it?”

You: “Ok I’ll tell you so listen up. Firstly, you choose a spice to use and......”

Masumi: “Thanks for the food.”

Tsuzuru: “It was delicious.”

Manager: “W-woah!? You two already ate the whole thing!?”

Sakuya: “What!? When!?”

Tsuzuru: “The spice’s flavor lasted for too long, but it was good.”

Manager: “Oh, then I’ll dig in too!”

Sakuya: “Thanks for the food!”

Manager: “T-this is......!”

Sakuya: “It’s delicious! This is the first time I’ve ever had such delicious curry in my entire life!”

Manager: “Me too!”

You: “Of course. If we had just made this in the first place, we could have saved a lot of time and effort......”

Manager: “I’ll take seconds......”

Tsuzuru: “Manager, do we have any shallots in the kitchen?”

Sakuya: “I’ll take more too!”

You: “Would you two listen to what others are saying!”

Manager: “Thanks for the food!”

Sakuya: “Thanks for the food - it was delicious!”

Tsuzuru: “Thanks!”

Masumi: “I wanna eat that everyday.”

You: “Really? There wouldn’t be much variation if I just made curry 365 days a year.”

Tsuzuru: “That sounds horrible......”

Sakuya: “Even so, it’s great that we all get to eat together.”

You: “Yeah, it’s quite lively and enjoyable.”

Manager: “This reminds me of the old company dorms.”

“Speaking of, I have the taped performances of the original Spring Troupe. Shall we watch them together?”

You: “That sounds nice. I’ll brew some coffee.”

Sakuya: “I’ll help!”

Masumi: “I’ll watch you brew the coffee.”

Tsuzuru: “You better only watch!”

You: (So this is the original Spring Troupe......)

Sakuya: “They’re amazing......”

You: “Yeah. The audience even did a standing ovation.”

Sakuya: “Mankai Company really was an amazing company, huh?”

Manager: “The Spring Troupe was so vibrant and in sync. They put on so many performances that they were the most popular of the four troupes.”

Tsuzuru: “Romeo and Juliet is such an old motif to use, but they make it feel so fresh.”

Manager: “At first, I said that if they picked a tragedy as their motif, their image would definitely falter. I thought that they should have another troupe perform it instead.”

“......But the theater’s screenwriter wouldn’t give up no matter what. He rearranged the play to suit the Spring Troupe, resulting in a great success.”

Tsuzuru: “Oh, I see......”

Sakuya: “I wonder when we’ll be able to act like that.”

Tsuzuru: “It seems like a tall hurdle to overcome.”

You: “We can do it. Definitely.”

(We can’t let a theater that made such amazing performances be destroyed.)

(And I can’t let the theater that Dad built up to be put to shame. I must bring it back to its former glory......!)

Manager: “Let’s make it happen!”

Sakuya: “Yeah!”

Tsuzuru: “Well, we have no choice but to move forward.”

You: “Tomorrow, we can finally begin training. We’ll meet at 7AM in the training room.”

Tsuzuru: “Seriously? That’s the same time as my old job at a bakery......”

Sakuya: “Got it!”

Masumi: “You’ll wake me up, won’t you?”

You: “No, that’s not happening! Get to bed quickly and let’s get ready for tomorrow!”

To be continued......

[pheonixia-nocturne]

me: hey I’ve actually been having a good couple of months! sure its been rocky but i found some new friends which is great! my brain: ... is that right? me: oh no dont do this my brain: :^) lemme j u st me: pls its been months since my last complete trash day dont do this my brain: ;^) y’knowthosenewfriendsofyoursprobablydontcaremuchforyouandprobablythinkyoureannoyingasfuckhelli’msureifyouendedupvanishingtheydforgetyouinaweekandletsnotforgetallthesefaultsyouhaveletsgothroughthemshallwe-

tldr: i’ve been having a shit day and don’t feel like doing much anymore ugggggggh can my brain finish having its shit fit so i can somewhat return to normal? kthnx Hopefully i’ll be feeling better in the morning and i’ll get rid of this hot mess of a post, until then *waves*