#we did a ten times worse version of that

[crescentmp3]

god why didnt i post about that yet

[cozycottagetarot]

Your First 'Argument' With Them

Notes:

This rather light hearted (save one pile) reading explores the cause and resolution of your first significant argument/fight/tiff with your person.

The energies for you and your person could be potentially switched. For a few piles it felt like the reaction could belong to swapped between the two of you.

This was one of those readings where a lot of info only sorted itself out as I did each section so you really have to stick with me on this one haha.

There's some brief language in pile 3 & 4.

This reading is for entertainment purposes only! ✨

LINKS: Reading Masterlist | Dividers | Ko-Fi | Patreon | Paid Readings — Open 🫧

Pile 1

The Incident/Cause 

Cards: Two of Swords, The World, Queen of Swords, The Chariot 

Your first argument with your person is around a significant and potentially life changing decision that needs to be made. The decision can shape how you two move forward and close out a cycle but the conflict arises because you two have two opposing opinions or desires. There are a lot of different scenarios here however, so keep in mind the details will vary greatly from person to person. It could also be that one person is hesitant while the other is more self-assured. The other scenario I’m picking up on is maybe you (could be them) feel pressured by a time frame in what the decision needs to be made. Another situation that comes to me is being given an ultimatum. In general there’s an energy of stalling and needing to get moving. Sneaky ten of swords was hiding out in the deck! The vibes could be off and hurtful words exchanged. It could be a situation that makes or breaks the relationship.

The Resolution 

Cards: Ace of Wands, Five of Wands, Seven of Wands reversed, Three of Cups, Three of Pentacles 

This might get worse before it reaches a fiery climax and gets better. Quite honestly your person may become more intolerable and you might find yourself fighting to keep your cool. I don’t get a really intense fight though, just being majorly annoyed. You may both turn to your friends to get advice/help or a third party may help you both resolve the conflict. 

In the end, you and your person will try to come up with a solution that works for both of you. They may or may not confess their feelings for you… it depends on your relationship.

Curious about their reaction, your reaction, and the long-term impact on your relationship? 🌟 Dive into the details in the extended version, available to all tiers on my Patreon! 💖✨ Don't miss out! 🌠

Pile 2

The Incident/Cause 

Cards: Knight of Pentacles, The Lovers, Temperance, Knight of Swords, The Patient Witch, The Magician

The relationship is moving too slowly for someone. One person is comfortable with the pace and the other is like – “okay, um, what are we doing”. The relationship could be what each of you desires but one of you is more laid back and the other is a go-getter… very driven. I’m also getting a cancelled date and one person keeps saying “I want more”. Someone is spoiled by or wants to be spoiled with the other’s love and intention! The other person gives everything, just you know… slowly!

The Resolution 

Cards: Ten of Wands, Page of Swords, Good Luck (Wheel of Fortune) Five of Wands, Ten of Cups 

You two will eventually decide to stop making things so difficult for yourselves. You're only clashing because you can’t see you have to actively figure things out together. The resolution is that things will pick up the pace. It will require you both to turn within though as it seems like the resolution is internal work that in the end pushes you two forward. 

For one of you, it’s about opening up and being vulnerable while for the other it’s about realising you’re allowed to receive. Kind of like the disconnect comes from lack of give and take (it’s there but imbalance). So once that is realised internally it can create a more secure and faster-moving flow. 

Curious about their reaction, your reaction, and the long-term impact on your relationship? 🌟 Dive into the details in the extended version, available to all tiers on my Patreon! 💖✨ Don't miss out! 🌠

Pile 3

The Incident/Cause 

Cards: The Sun, Ace of Wands, King of Pentacles, The Chariot, Seven of Pentacles 

*If you were drawn to pile two I highly suggest checking that out!

I’ve been fighting for my life on this one Pile 3. I kept doing this pile looking for the source of the first (major) argument or even disagreement but the story wasn’t adding up to anything bad. You two may be a couple that works through disconnects (cause at the point that’s all I can call it) right away. The other piles had arguments with breaks but I get that vibe of you two always working to be on the same page or at least understand each other in the moment. 

But I still need to give you something so I decided to focus on the causes of general conflicts between you two. 

You two may have conflicts/disconnects over expectations of what your lives should look like and even that seems super mild. It’s like ‘maybe life should look like XYZ → but oh wait I’m actually happy with what I have’… you two may have to shed the stories you’ve been told and keep working on what you have together and individually because you’re happy. 

You guys might also be slow to get together as a couple. It felt like a waiting game in one of the previous pulls. Like you’re both hurt from previous experiences but also sure about your feelings for each other but unsure they’re reciprocated. So it’s a ‘will they won’t they’ kind of thing. You may run the risk of being “the one that got away”. 

How Are Conflicts Resolved

Cards: Ace of Cups, Five of Swords, Seven of Wands, Ten of Wands, Seven of Cups 

Conflicts may be so rare and few that you guys would definitely take it to heart. But I’m getting “I choose you you this lifetime and the next”. You two make a conscious decision to be in it together forever. You resolve conflicts through curiosity and a desire to understand each other. It’s like ‘this is the love of my life’ and “I don’t care, we’re getting through this together”. You naturally seek to understand each other and hold one another accountable. 

Curious about their reaction, your reaction, and the long-term impact on your relationship? 🌟 Dive into the details in the extended version, available to all tiers on my Patreon! 💖✨ Don't miss out! 🌠

Pile 4

‼️ Before you read: This pile has a theme of self confidence and possible anxiety/mental health issues.

The Incident/Cause 

Cards:  Queen of Wands reversed,m Ace of Wands, Good Luck Charm, Nine of Wands, Ten of Swords, Strength 

This feels a bit messy (post-reading– but not really lol)…  someone could have some self-confidence issues here. There’s also some energy of preferring to be alone rather than out with/around other people. 

This fight was ‘bound’ to happen, but at the same time, it’s in your hands? It’s more of a self-fulfilling prophecy. It also has this vibe of being manageable to out of control and needing intervention.  Someone, (likely you but this is one of those piles where the roles could be reversed), could have significant trauma or some anxiety/mental health issues going on. 

Self-love is the issue and it causes a lot of worrying and isolation. It’s so hard to articulate this ‘softly’ which makes it even more challenging. Let's say Person A struggles but Person B can’t see why. In B’s eyes, A is the most gorgeous, passionate, fun, loving person ever. A and B may bicker a lot about the topic but I see this tension swelling and some hurtful things might be said. I think you two may also end up either taking space or separating for a little bit (like days more than weeks). 

The Resolution 

Cards: Page of Swords, Seven of Wands, Knight of Cups, Three of Swords, Queen of Swords, The Chariot 

Your person is going to want to hear your story. You two could end up having a bit of a heart-to-heart. They’re going to work with you to help you get yourself back to a good place again (so supporting you being your own rescuer). They’ll be your accountability partner and cheerleader along the way, standing by your side as you learn to step into your power again. It might happen faster than you think it will, but it doesn’t mean you won’t falter. But when you do you’ll bounce back quicker.

Curious about their reaction, your reaction, and the long-term impact on your relationship? 🌟 Dive into the details in the extended version, available to all tiers on my Patreon! 💖✨ Don't miss out! 🌠

[erwinsvow]

please do bsf rafe flirting with reader while he’s drunk and she’s trying to put him to bed but he just cuddles her and tells her how much he has feelings for her

this with kook trio readerrr omg <3 in my head, rafe's version of admitting feelings is being aggressively posessive. when they finally start dating shes like why didnt you say something sooner? and hes like wym ive been claiming you since the start

you were so used to rafe taking care of you—bringing you home to tannyhill with him, making sure you took a tylenol before you fell asleep on his bed, a clean frat shirt of his waiting for you in the bathroom.

he was such a good friend to you. when times like this came along, you tried your best to repay the favor.

you think rafe's got it easier, though. he alway manhandles you into position, can carry you up the stairs when you're stumbling and force the pill and water down your throat when you're resisting. you're usually too drunk to remember rafe's hand on your jaw, opening your mouth for you and trying to coax you into taking it, telling you repeatedly you'll be grateful he did it in the morning.

"you are such a dick," you mutter, staring at the bottle of tylenol in your hand and the empty cup of water on the nightstand. he's just spilled the water all over his floor in a drunken stupor, and you suddenly hate that he ever made you feel bad about how much he has to take care of you when you're the drunk one.

rafe is ten times worse than you could ever be.

"thinkin 'bout my dick, are'ya?" he slurs back at you, and then laughs at his own joke. he's laying flat on his bed now, still in the same clothes he wore to the party, shoes and watch still on. getting him into the house and up the stairs was hard enough, even with top and kelce's help, but they'd jumped ship the second you got rafe into bed.

"all yours now, princess," kelce said, grabbing the keys to his car.

"yeah, good luck. i've never seen him so drunk," top adds.

"you're both just leaving me with him?" you cry out, but the hallway is empty when you finally get your wrist out of rafe's grip. rafe had mumbled something from his position, but you hadn't heard it.

twenty minutes later, you still hadn't gotten rafe to drink any water or change his clothes. all his energy seemed to be focused on getting you to curl up next to him.

"c'mon! just get into bed, m'fuckin tired-" he grumbles again, latching onto your arm while you try to at least get his shoes off.

"you can't sleep with your sneakers on, rafe-"

"who cares? i like my sneakers-"

"that's great, but your sheets-"

"but not as much as i like you. hah. that's fuckin' cheesy." you turn to look at your drunken best friend, his flushed cheeks and the way his eyes are closed while talking to you. you laugh, unable to hold it back.

"thanks, rafe. i like you too. enough to get your shoes off because you will so regret this tomorrow morning."

"don't regret anything." his eyes open, staring at you while you stare at his shoes. "shit. you're pretty."

you don't even address his comment—he's drunk beyond belief and you know you're pretty. after you untie his laces for him, he kicks off his shoes. you sigh a breath of relief.

"okay, rafe, do you want to sleep in these clothes or should i find pajamas?"

"how 'bout we sleep naked? there's an idea."

"stop being a perv. otherwise i'm gonna go cuddle with kelce instead." you laugh to yourself—the whole thing is a joke. you and rafe don't cuddle, at least not on purpose. you go to bed facing him but somehow always wake up with your limbs tangled and your hair in his face.

"sure. if you want me to kill kelce."

"oh my god, dramatic much?" you turn back to rafe to see if he's laughing, but he's not, looking right at you and sitting up.

"m'not kidding. don't joke about that. you're fuckin' mine, don't forget it."

he lays back down. you pause, eyebrows knitting while you think about the sentence rafe just said. he's drunk, so he must be joking. right?

"c'mon wanna sleep. get into bed." he grumbles again, and you comply, still a little shellshocked. you turn off the lamp and get into bed, and you don't even feel surprised when rafe pulls you in. you rest your head against his chest, and you don't stop thinking about what he said until you fall asleep.

[ivanaskye]

(wo)men are flipping on tv, or, ivana's olympic watching experiences so far i guess

(artistic) gymnastics: the absolute classic of flipping on tv. you're probably either already watching this or not i guess. if you are on the fence men's is much, uh, more competitive than women's right now. speaking of gender the 6 men's events vs 4 women's is sure some kind of way--and of those 6 vs 4, only two (vault and floor) overlap! and of course women's floor has music and includes facial expression in judging whereas men cannot have music, that is too girly. what precisely is manly about a single high bar as opposed to two bars of uneven height? no one knows.

trampoline: speaking of gymnastics this is technically a subcategory of it, along with the above and rhythmic gymnastics my beloved (but not having yet happened). uhhh ok so in trampoline people Go, up into the Air, apparently 26 ft+. then flip. very concentrated flip per second here, recommended if you want flip. each athlete's run is very short though, which may impact followability

diving: this time we flip into water. synchronized diving is very easy to tell if people are doing well bc you just kind of go, hm, are they doing the Same thing? in all diving you know someone's done something right if they make very little splash into the water. ok ive also literally only watched one event here

skateboarding: if you take anything from this list, let it be this- please please please watch olympic skateboarding it is so fun. skateboarders attempt two 45 second runs (of which only the best score counts) and 5 individual tricks (of which only the two best count). as such they are incentivized to take a lot of risks and fall down all the time. it's great. also makes for great ease of watching: you know they did well if they landed All That, and probably didn't if they are on the ground.

bmx (jump version): kind of like skateboarding but worse bc risks are less incentivized

boxing: absolutely incomprehensible to a mere mortal. apparently the judges determine who wins each round based on.... uh..... who... seemed to be doing better. so, vibes? vibes. it's not something as pedestrian as 'who landed more hits'. absolutely mystifying. also moves very fast.

judo: moves much slower than boxing! so you can at least tell who is doing what to who. as for whether what they are doing scores points. well. uh. see. the match instantly ends if one fighter throws the other with "strength, speed and control". if they have only two of these they get a point; two points wins. how are any of these words measured? uhhhhhh. vibes!

handball: i checked into this for maybe ten minutes to see if i could figure out what handball 'is'. i still don't know. there's a ball in a hand. soccer-like but with a hand instead of a foot. how do the rules actually work? a mystery.

table tennis/ping pong: actually pretty followable though not engaging enough to me specifically that i watched much. mb not enough flipping. my god these people move fast.

equestrian jumping: in some ways like many other events, except the creature jumping is a horse. i like to imagine what the horses are thinking about this whole situation. i tried to look up what a horse's name meant and discovered he has a website (he has no idea he has a website) where his sperm is sold for hundreds of pounds (he has no idea this is happening either). very followable as there are no positive points of any kind, only penalties. did that horse clear the bar without knocking it over? congratulations that was a success.

equestrian other things: opposite tier of followability i have no idea what these creatures are doing.

track: running is the easiest thing to understand, closely followed by swimming. who gets from point a to point b fastest. we can all understand this. however mostly it is not very interesting

triple jump: jump far*. the closest part of the indentation they make in the sand to the starting line is what is judged as their distance. *technically, triple jump is 'jump far with extra steps'. long jump is the true 'jump far' but i haven't seen any yet.

hammer throw, shot put, discus: the throw things real far events. to which javelin is added but i don't think ive seen even a bit of that. wait im not sure i saw any hammer throw yet either. anyway. the builds of these athletes are so mountainous. which is great.

elsewhere in field i haven't watched any pole vault but that one guy did get betrayed by his own junk so there was that

shooting: unfortunately the memeable people everyone has seen are in air rifle which is perhaps the least interesting event to try to watch of all time. you can barely even see when they pull the trigger and you don't get to see the target itself, only a graphic of it. mystifying presentation choices. skeet and trap however are followable as moving targets are shot, scored on a pure yes/no of did you shoot that thing or not. americans hilariously uncommon in shooting events despite our gun culture; don't you know, it's not actually american to shoot something accurately!!!

[katzske]

Thoughts on Earthspark Season 2 (first half)

Spoiler Free:

I must admit I’m dissatisfied.

The animation and rendering definitely looks cheaper. Sometimes it feels like frames are missing, animations not polished, scenes not fully rendered. 2d and 3d poorly blends. It’s quite noticeable unfortunately. Characters also do the TFP Megatron stare now.

That being said, time was taken to revisit old models of characters and give them a new appearance. (4 i’ve noticed) It makes sense given a lot has changed during one year time skip.

The writing often feels either like exposition dumping or naruto filler episodes. I was never at the edge of my seat even during the climax. I ended up skipping through episodes due to the lack of relevant plot information.

Something ES managed to maintain were carefully composed shots that make great still images. While that’s nice for screenshots and redraws, I also feel like it’s the only unique aspect of ES’ animation style that remained. The rest, as previously mentioned, has lost quality.

Character Details I’ve noticed and want to talk about (spoilers ahead)

half of season 2 part 1 is filler. optimus trailer episode, great america with cosmos, a pachycephalosaurus-truck fighting mushrooms, hashtag taking ten years to dispose of hard drives…. each episode did have a few minutes of either cute or important moments. but the majority is a waste of time.

I was hoping that we would learn more about the decepticons. now that they’re free, what are they up to? how are their dynamics? how did season 1 finale change their perception on things? would they try to convince the terrans THEY are the good guys? nothing like that though.

There is no satisfying character development for starscream. ES Starscream was perfect to explore a more neutral version of him, who does not do bad things out of pleasure, but due to necessity; following his desire to be free. In the show he mentions he wanted to get rid of his oppressors (in his eyes autobots and humans), but a real “bruh” moment was when he told Hashtag the only reason he opened up to her last time was to tell her “take care of yourself first”. It completely disregards the fact he came to help in the season 1 finale after reflecting on Hashtags words. It also aggravates me that the writing could have been a very easy fix. “hey i’m not being selfish by destroying this town. im doing this for the decepticons, we have lived under the control of the autobots and then of humans. this needs to stop, we deserve freedom and i will do anything it takes.”

the show managed to establish some friction between starscream and shockwave but for deception standards it was very tame. overall i think it was written okay; he purposely let the Terrans escape with the fragments, and he bailed on Starscream once he went bonkers. I hope that he gets to be a Decepticon leader in the second half; i don’t think we have seen that in any TF TV show before. i also like that his antennae and eye color give away his emotions now.

i feel like the autobots are treated even worse than the decepticons this season ngl. they merely exist; and when they do have the spotlight it’s often for comedy.

why the fuck did shockwave not wait for hashtag to just dump the hard drives and leave. if someone walked up to me yelling ��give me your trashbag” as i’m trying to dispose of it i’d be weirded out too lol.

i hope the chaos terrans don’t return. aftermath imo was, plot wise, redundant. spitfire at least was interesting and had an impact.

i wish there were more interesting fights like in season 1 instead of, oh no they’re hitting the trailer with sticks, oh no we are an abomination of dinosaur and vehicle for what feels like 15mins straight. i miss seeing soundwave slay.

[bimoonphases]

@wolfstarmicrofic July 24 - prompt 24: Kid Fic [word count 954]

Sirius checked his tie in the mirror by the main door for the third time. He had hated suits and ties since childhood, when he had been forced to wear them, but this time there was no escaping it. He needed to make the best impression. He was terrified.

“Are you planning to seduce the headmistress, my love?”

Remus looked him up and down with a smile while he put on his own jacket. Sirius’s eyes widened.

“Is it too much? Do I need to change?”

“Pads,” Remus said softly. “We’ve just been called up to the school, I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.”

“We’ve been called there because our daughter punched another kid.”

“And I’m sure there’s an explanation for that.”

Sirius sighed and followed Remus out of their cottage and through the streets leading to the primary school. He really was terrified. Everybody in the village had come to know Remus, his gentle demeanour, his willingness to help every time there was a medical problem because he had ‘studied medicine a long time ago’ which only meant he was able to distract the muggles long enough to use small healing charms on them. Sirius, on the other hand, knew he was the the handsome stay-at-home husband of Mr Lupin, the one who picked up his kids on a motorbike and wrote them excuses to skip school after a full moon. And now that Estelle had apparently punched a kid, he would be the father who didn’t know how to raise his own daughter. Anwell had never done anything like that since he had started school. Despite his black hair and almost silver eyes, the boy had Remus’s countenance, always his head in a book and helping others. While Estelle, despite being barely six and having a head of curly brown hair almost identical to Remus’s, had Sirius’s temper. Sirius shivered as they went through the school gates. What if he had failed in making her forget those three first months of her life in an abusive family? Worse, what if he had somehow managed to raise a mini version of his own mother, prone to violence and cruelty?

Remus took him by the hand as they walked inside the building, a helpful secretary immediately pointing them in the direction of the headmistress’s office. Sirius swallowed and tried to appear calm as Remus knocked.

“Come in.”

As they walked in, the headmistress rose from her seat and came to shake their hands. Estelle was in a chair in front of her desk, arms crossed.

“Misters Lupin, thank you for coming in,” the headmistress smiled. “Please, sit down.”

They took their places, on each side of their daughter. Sirius’s heart felt as if it was beating in his throat.

“Now, Mister Lupin and Mister Lupin,” the headmistress started. “In this school we condemn violence in all its forms. Estelle punched one of her classmates, and the only reason I’ve asked you here before deciding on a punishment is because she refuses to tell us why. I believe in hearing both sides, and Michael said he was just playing outside when Estelle punched him.”

“Why did you do it?” Remus asked, turning to the little girl.

Estelle stared resolutely at the floor, her lips a thin line.

“Estelle Hope Euphemia Lupin,” Sirius sighed. “Tell us what happened, will you?”

Estelle shook her head and Sirius’s heart beat faster.

“She’s never done anything like this, I don’t understand,” he said quickly. “There must be something else.”

“I agree, I hoped her fathers could get her to tell us what,” the headmistress nodded.

“Come on, ma petite étoile, dis-nous,” Sirius switched to French in the hopes to have a reaction, but without success.

He looked at Remus over their daughter’s head when there was a knock on the door.

“Come in,” the headmistress said.

The door opened and Anwell walked in, his hand firmly around another boy’s arm.

“Hi Dad, hello Papa,” he smiled. “Headmistress, Michael has something to confess,” he added with all the seriousness his ten years of age could muster.

“I was chasing Violet to lift her skirt,” the boy said. “She was crying, it was funny.”

Sirius shuddered. So little, and yet… He looked at his daughter.

“Is this why you didn’t tell us?” he asked.

Finally, Estelle looked up at him, her eyes filled with anger.

“Violet is still crying in the bathroom and doesn’t want to come out,” she said. “I wasn’t going to tell on her.”

Sirius just nodded, and the headmistress sighed.

“Well, in these circumstances… You can all go. Not you Michael, you’re staying and I’m calling your parents. And Violet’s.”

Sirius waited until they were out of the building to take Estelle in his arms.

“I’m so proud of you,” he whispered in her hair as she hugged him back.

“I am too,” Remus nodded. “Of the both of you. We should never resort to violence, but some people only understand that language.”

“How did you convince Michael to tell what had really happened?” Sirius asked, putting Estelle back on the ground.

“It was easy,” Anwell shrugged. “I just told him Estelle would punch him again if he didn’t and make him spit out all his new teeth.”

“I could do with some of the old ones too,” Estelle smiled, taking her brother’s hand.

Sirius watched them skip in the direction of home, a mixture of pride and dread in his veins.

“Don’t you think…” Remus started delicately.

“Yes. They definitely have some Black in them,” Sirius nodded, before taking his husband’s hand. “Thankfully, there’s a lot of Lupin in there to contrast it.”

They kissed in front of the school before hurrying after their children.

[aingeal98]

I don't think Damian was insecure because Cassandra was a closer part of the family than he was, especially considering that at that point in time he was wasn't fully invested in being a part of the family as he is now (also lets be real, its not like Cass is the center of the family or anything.)

I think it was more of case of him putting her on a pedestal based on what he heard about her, since her reputation probably made her seem like the ideal version of himself that he was told to aspire to all his life, so he was probably hoping that she was similar to him in some way as a form of self-validation, but when he did meet her it probably made him feel very conflicted since she didn't live up to his exceptions.

So in his mind it probably started out like "I'm supposed to be perfect and Cassandra Cain is already perfect, so she's probably very similar to me and I need to aspire to be more like her, which would be easy since we're already very similar to each other" then when he did meet her it went on to become" "Wait that's Cassandra Cain? But she's nothing like me?! Does that mean I'm not perfect after all and everything I'm doing is wrong? No.....its her who is doing everything wrong" so him butting-heads with her was him grasping at straws since putting her down would be easier than for him to accept that what he was aspiring to become all this time was the wrong image and he didn't want to start from scratch by believing in a new version of the ideal him (which thankfully he did end up doing at the end, he just was unsure if it was really what he wanted for himself at that point.)

Either ways its crazy that this plot-line didn't have any follow ups and no writers tried to have interact with each other again in almost 15 years.

I half agree with this, because I do think that Damian would have put Cass on a pedestal before meeting her. And I feel like part of him would have felt betrayed when they did meet and instead of being someone he could relate to, she was chatting with Dick and Tim and connecting over their shared history. The framing in those panels from Gates of Gotham where the trio are strategising and Damian is sitting away from them watching feels very deliberate. But I do think insecurity plays a role in that. You came to a new country all alone to meet your father but now he's dead and you're stuck with a bunch of older people meant to be your siblings and here comes one who was trained from birth to fight as a league funded project and yet... She clicks with your other siblings more than you? I think it would for sure make Damian feel more insecure even if he wasn't fully invested in becoming a part of the family, and he'd almost feel irrationally betrayed by Cass for not living up to the version he had in his head that was meant to ease said insecurity over this new "family" of his instead of making it worse and making him feel even more alone.

I can definitely see that thought process you describe in his head though. He's a genius technically but he is only ten and if something is wrong then either he's the problem or Cass is the problem, no room yet for emotional complexity. And he refuses to be wrong (similar to a certain sister of his who refuses to lose shhh who said that) so he's just going to have to butt heads with Cass until everyone including her understands that he's right and she's wrong, simple!

We deserved so much more of them working together. Gates of Gotham was a great start and I love that it's forever canon that their first act of sibling bonding was blowing up the batboat together. But we deserved so much more.

[bussyslayer333]

Looking for somebody (to love)

summary: a flurry of bad dates leads bradley bradshaw to you.

pairing: bradley bradshaw x reader

word count: 5k+

warnings: swearing, mentions of alcohol, smut, big dick bradley 🙏 MDNI 18+

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Phoenix had pushed him into this, dating wasn’t really Bradley’s scene. As much as he rebuked Jake’s love ‘em and leave ‘em mentality Bradley wasn’t much better. It was easier that way, no strings and no one left pining when he inevitably was sent on deployment.

He’d been on three dates in total so far this month, each one worse than the last.

The first wasn’t so bad in comparison to the rest. Her name began with an L, Bradley couldn’t quite remember whether it was Lana or Lara, either way Jake had set them up which should have been the first red flag.

She was pretty and blonde, definitely Jake’s type. In fact, Bradley was pretty sure he’d been on a date with the female version of Jake Seresin. The whole date she had talked about herself, and not in the cute, rambley sort of way that Bradley could get behind. But in the braggy, daddy’s money kind of way.

“Yeah and that’s the story of how that bitch of a barista burned my tongue off.” Lan/ra snarled, picking her fork at her salad.

“Oh, yeah, that sounds horrible.” Bradley tried to sound sincere.

“And I didn’t even tell you about the time a waitress scuffed my vintage Dior bag-” She interrupts herself, “fuck is that a tomato?”

Bradley looked up from where he had been cutting at his steak (that she had turned her nose up at) and winced, recalling how she had made a large scene out of not having tomatoes in her salad.

Unfortunately, one of the younger waiters at the restaurant managed to walk past their table as said revelation took place. Bradley’s date snapped her fingers in the poor waiters face, stilling him and looking down at her in fear.

“Hi miss, how can I help?” The waiter, who couldn’t be more than 17, stuttered out.

“Help?!” She looked to Bradley as if to encourage him to join her in complaining.

Bradley looked at the waiter apologetically, hoping for this to pan out calmly. Much like everything else that happened in Bradley’s life, it did not go the way he wanted it to.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Lan(r)a snapped, staring angrily up at the boy.

She stared at him expectantly, clearly waiting for a reply. Bradley wondered if it was worth slamming a few bills on the table and making his way out now.

“Uhm..” The waiter is looking around now, making pleading eye contact with who must be his manager.

Bradley finally tries to speak up, maybe diffuse the situation, “It’s okay, look I’ll just pay and we can get out of here.”

Lan(r)a objected once again, “We won’t be paying for anything! I want this meal free of charge!”

Bradley held in a laugh at her use of “we”, she had made it very clear at the start of the date that he would be paying. He was going to anyway, but her insistence made Bradley’s eyebrows furrow. Before her grating voice could start again, Bradley looked to the waiter.

“If you could just get us the bill, please?” He tried his best to communicate how apologetic he felt through his eyes and hoped that the waiter understood.

The waiter scurried off, fearing for another berating and in lieu of finding the bill.

“Why did you do that?” Bradley’s date seethed.

“I didn’t want to cause a scene,” Bradley didn’t really know why he was explaining himself to this girl.

“Whatever, Jake told me you were a dick anyway.”

Bradley laughed, loud. This girl could not be serious. He stood up and did what he should have done after the first ten minutes of being here. Slapped a hundred on the table and walked out.

In his car, Bradley considered his options. He could go home drink a few beers, maybe wallow about that pitiful date and pass out. Or, he could drive to the Hard Deck where he knew all his friends would be and chew Jake out.

He chose the latter.

“Bagman, what the fuck?”

Jake span around from where he was bent over the pool table, a smile plastered on his face.

“Not with Lana?” Jake chuckled, winding his neck around slightly trying to see if she was in tow.

“Fuck no! Why did you send her on a date with me?” Bradley all but whined to Jake.

By now Phoenix had made her way back from the bar top and was interested in what had seemingly got Bradley’s panties in a twist.

“She’s a friend, I thought you guys would have a lot in common.” Jake’s smile still scheming.

Bradley scoffs, “Like what?”

“You’re both bitches.” Jake cackles, picking his beer out of Phoenix’s hand.

Bradley’s pissed. He all but snatches the beer from Jake’s hands and takes a long swig.

“I’m never going on a date ever again.”

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Bradley’s vow of no dates didn’t last long. Phoenix had tricked him into another date, this time with someone of Coyote’s choosing. She was one of Javy’s sister’s friends and around the same age as Bradley and she was a total knockout.

When Javy had shown Bradley a picture he thought he was getting pranked. Seeing her in real life was even more insane. He’d decided this time on a more casual date, drinks at a bar in downtown San Diego. Although he was regretting his casual attire now. He definitely should have worn the black button up, Bob said it made his arms pop or whatever.

“Hi, I’m Bradley. Javy’s friend, you must be Maria?”

“Hey.”

Bradley’s eyebrows quirked slightly, maybe she was just nervous?

“Do you want to go in and get some drinks?”

“Sure.”

Okay maybe she’s just a woman of a few words, Bradley liked that. She’s mysterious, and hot. He’s sure he can crack her, maybe a few longing glances with his puppy dog eyes and she’d be done for.

Or at least that’s what he thought.

“So, what do you do for a living?”

This was one of Bradley’s many ice breakers he had tried, and he still couldn’t figure out for the life of him whether this girl was that uninterested in him or if she was actually just this goddamn boring.

“I model.”

“Oh cool, I mean I’m not surprised you’re totally beautiful.”

“Thanks.”

Even the bartender was looking somewhat sympathetically at Bradley’s poor attempt at saving this date. They sat in another few seconds of silence as Bradley wondered whether she was going to ask him a question. She did not.

“…yeah I’m a fighter pilot, like Javy?”

“Cool.”

Bradley was about to gouge his eyes out with the trendy metal straws sat in a ceramic pot on the bar top next to him. He mulled over whether he should bite the bullet and ask if she really even wanted to be here. He decided on a more polite version of that.

“So.. what made you decide to come on this date?”

Maria sits quietly for a moment, sips at the straw of her daiquiri and hums.

“I’m not sure.”

Bradley was going to bang his head on the table.

“Yeah I don’t know, I’m not really into guys with facial hair.”

Bradley snorts as he takes a sip of his beer, and Maria pulls back slightly disgusted. He taps a finger against his moustache in consideration. Was she hot enough for him to get rid of the stache?

No.

“Okay, cool. I’m not sure this is gonna work out.”

“Yeah.” Maria shrugs.

Bradley nods curtly, and pays off his tab. As he’s walking out he notices a guy approaching Maria, clean shaven. Bradley sees for the first time tonight a smile grace her face and rolls his eyes.

He’s on the phone to Phoenix as he enters his apartment, “Seriously Phe she was the most boring girl I’ve ever met.”

“What, because she didn’t like your moustache?”

“Shut up, you know that’s not why.”

Phoenix can hear Bradley pacing around his apartment and the opening of the fridge, she hears the clink of a beer opening and decides to bite the bullet.

“Look, I know these past two dates haven’t been great but I have one more for you-”

“Absolutely not.”

Phoenix huffs.“Hear me out. pleeeeeeeeeea-”

Bradley cannot believe he’s on the phone with a thirty year old woman, “Oh my god, fine.”

“She’s an old school friend, recently broken up with her boyfriend so she’s not looking for anything super serious and she’s your type to a T.”

Phoenix can hear Bradley tapping his foot on the wooden floor of his apartment, a sign he’s clearly thinking about her offer. He hums,

“Nothing serious?”

“Not at all.”

Phoenix holds her breath.

“Ugh, fine.”

Bradley hopes he doesn’t regret this.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Clare is exactly what Bradley was looking for, as much as he hated to admit it; Phoenix was right. Clare was just what she promised to be, funny, not looking for anything serious and exactly Bradley’s type. Honestly the date was going pretty good considering the horror show that the last two were.

“Nat never told me her pilot friends were so handsome.” She flirted.

Bradley chuckles into his wine glass, “I think Nat would probably throw up if she called me handsome.”

“She’s still that stubborn?” Clare giggles.

“As ever.”

There’s a lull in conversation as flirtatious looks are exchanged whilst they both sip at their wine. It gives Bradley a chance to remind himself to text Phoenix a thank you message.

Clare breaks the silence, “How come you’re single? I feel like you’re too good to be true.”

Bradley stews, wondering if he’s going to reveal himself so early on in the date,

“Well, if I’m being completely transparent I’m usually more of a one night stand kind of guy.”

Clare smirks, “What if I told you that was exactly what I was looking for?”

Bradley’s eyebrows quirk in intrigue, “Oh?”

“I just got out of a long term relationship so I don’t want to jump into something immediately, buuuut I like you Bradley. You’re cute.”

Bradley laughs, “Cute?”

Clare rolls her eyes, “You know what I mean.”

Bradley feels the tip of her heel begin to trace its way up his calf, stroking up and down lightly. She looks up at him smiling and he widens his legs, a suggestion for her to continue on her ministrations. It’s a nice kind of teasing, that promises a fun night ahead for Bradley. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t excited. However, Clare suddenly removes her foot from his calf and sits up straight, Bradley’s about to whine when a deep voice from behind him speaks,

“Shit, Clare?”

Bradley turns to see who Clare’s eyes are locked on. There’s a tall man stood behind him and a pretty woman slightly to the side, her dress short and red.

“Fuck, Daniel what are you doing here?”

“I’m with my date,” Daniel gestures to you.

You frown as the woman you now know as Clare glares at you.

“Yeah well I am too.” Clare folds her arms and gestures to Bradley.

You let your eyes wander to the man sat opposite her. He’s attractive, wavy brown hair, tan skin and muscular. He’s somehow even pulling off his porn stache. You finally pull your eyes away from your date’s ex girlfriend’s date and back to whatever was unfolding in front of you.

Daniel scoffs and gestures to Bradley, “This guy?”

Bradley isn’t sure whether he should be offended or not. As he sizes Daniel up he catches your eye, you’re even prettier on second look. You make a look at him as if to say “is this really happening right now?” and in that moment he decides he likes you infinitely more than Clare.

Clare rolls her eyes at Daniel, “Yeah, and what new skank have you got with you?”

Your eyes widen. This girl cannot be serious. Daniel had told you he’d recently gotten out of a long term relationship but he failed to mention it was clearly with someone who was still hung up on him, and probably vice versa. Your eyes wander back down to Clare’s date who has a disgusted look on his face, clearly equally surprised and annoyed by her words.

He speaks up for you before Daniel does, “That was uncalled for.”

“Bradley you don’t know what Daniel or the girls he used to cheat on me with are like.”

Repulsed by the newfound revelation about your date and tired of being slandered by a girl you’ve never met, you storm out of the restaurant. Early winter air in San Diego is chilly, especially at night when you’re wearing a skimpy slip dress. Your heels clack along the concrete loud enough that you don’t hear the footsteps approaching behind you. A hand grasps lightly at your shoulder and your shake it off in anger,

“Fuck off Daniel, this isn’t going to work.”

You spin on your heel, ready to berate him further when you realise it’s not Daniel at all.

“Sorry, I shouldn’t have jumped out on you. My name’s Bradley.”

Bradley. Clare’s date. He’s gorgeous, big brown eyes lit up by the moon. He’s looking at you with so much concern you don’t even realise that you’ve started crying until he raises a hand to wipe a tear off of your cheek. You blink quickly, willing the tears away and chuckle wetly,

“Sorry, I’m so embarrassed.”

“Please don’t be.” Bradley’s thumb swiped across your cheek in a comforting gesture.

“Hey, do you want to go on a walk?” He suggests, offering his arm to you.

You let out a shaky breath, “Yeah, okay.”

You walk slowly along the sidewalk, arm in arm with Bradley as he tells you about himself and asks about you. You learn that he’s 35 and a fighter pilot for the navy and probably the most charming man you’ve ever met.

He looks at you hesitantly, “Can I ask you something?”

You smile at him reassuringly, “Of course.”

“Why were you on a date with that douche bag? You’re way out of his league.”

You giggle at his suggestion and stare at him as you continue to walk, trusting him to guide you.

“My friends thought I needed to get out more, but every date I’ve been on this past month has been horrific.”

Bradley cackles, “No fucking way!”

You frown at him slightly, not enjoying the feeling of being laughed at. He quickly picks up on your expression and rectifies what he said.

“Sorry, shit, it’s just that’s exactly what happened to me.”

You cock your head to the side and let a small grin onto your face, “Really?”

Bradley smiles, “Totally.” He carries on, “The first girl was insufferable, I’m pretty sure my friend only picked her to annoy me.”

You chuckle, “Damn, why was she so annoying?”

“All she did was talk about herself and her money, and then flipped on the waiter when there was a tomato in her salad.”

“Shit.”

“Yeah.”

You look up at him and giggle, somewhat uncontrollably. He joins in with you until your both leaning on each other for support. Once you’ve stopped laughing and alarming the other people in the street, you realise you’ve come full circle in your walk and back to the front of the restaurant you had left. You peer into the window and see Daniel sat where Bradley was previously, sticking his tongue down Clare’s throat. You hold down another bout of laughter as you look at Bradley’s shocked face.

“They fucking suck, don’t they?” He whispers into your ear.

You look back at him, “Oh 100%.”

You look into each others eyes for a moment, not really sure where to go from here. You hesitantly speak up,

“I should call an uber.”

Bradley frowns, “No way, I’ll drive you.”

You smile, teasing, “Haven’t you ever heard of stranger danger, Bradley?”

“I promise I’m not an axe murderer, sugar.”

You scoff in mock offence, “I’m talking about me.”

He rolls his eyes, “I’ll take my chances.”

Bradley’s bronco is clean, he has a pine scented air freshener dangling from the rear view mirror next to some mini fuzzy dice and he lets the radio hum 70s r&b hits whilst you direct him to your apartment.

When he comes to a slow in front of your apartment building you consider your options for a moment. Were you really about to let the first man who genuinely made you laugh for the first time in months slip out of your hands? Fuck no.

“Would you- Do you want to come up to my apartment with me?”

Bradley is so glad you have more initiative than him.

“Yeah, definitely.”

He steps out of the car and jogs round to help you out of your side. He’s holding your hand as you step down and once your feet are planted on the ground you look up at him and giggle,

“Definitely?” You tease, hand dragging up and down his chest.

He smirks at that and fires back, “I mean, I can just go?”

You roll your eyes and turn on your heel, taking his hand in yours and dragging him behind you, “Yeah sure.”

In your apartment, you make quick work of kicking your heels off. You make your way into the kitchen and return with two beers. Bradley’s sat on your couch, legs spread invitingly wide. You hand a beer to him and he smiles,

“Thanks, gorgeous.”

It’s impossible to ignore the way he makes your stomach flutter with want. Once you’re planted on the couch next to him he pulls your legs onto his lap and strokes a hand up and down your calf.

“So, tell me about your tragic dates.” He speaks, startling you out of your daze.

You take a sip of your beer and lean back, dragging your eyes across his face. He looks genuinely interested so you decide to indulge him.

“The second one was definitely the worst.” You chuckle in memory.

“Colour me intrigued, gorgeous.”

You rolls your eyes at the pet name but continue, “This guy took me to dinner and made eye contact with my boobs the whole time, and when I say the whole time I mean like I couldn’t even tell you what colour his eyes are because we never made actual eye contact for long enough.”

Bradley laughs at your explanation and can’t help himself but glance down at your exposed cleavage, he shrugs appreciatively, making a little “ow!” sound when you smack his shoulder lightly.

“Anyways, he kept insinuating that I was going to sleep with him and when I told him I wasn’t interested he immediately asked for the waitresses number.”

Bradley splutters into his beer and mumbles something about your date “fumbling the bag.”

“I’ve gotta see a picture of this guy,” Bradley laughs, curious as to what type of man could have such audacity.

You smirk and reach for your phone on the coffee table and quickly swipe open instagram, clicking on his profile in your recently searched. You hand your phone over to Bradley and he places his beer down before swiping through the pictures. He outright cackles,

“This fuckin’ guy? He’s literally the size of one of my thighs.”

You look down at his muscular thighs where your legs are resting and suck in a deep breath. When you look back up Bradley’s showing you a post on his instagram where he’s awkwardly stood next to two beautiful girls clearly dressed in some type of festival outfits and clearly not friends with him. Bradley’s laughing so loudly you consider your neighbours complaining.

You pout at him, holding in your own laugh, “Don’t be mean! He’s kind of cute in his own right?”

“Sugar, how do you expect me to believe that when you don’t even believe it yourself?”

You hum at his explanation.

“Besides, I think I have a good grasp on what your type is.”

You raise you eyebrows at his statement, “Really? Enlighten me.”

Bradley quirks his upper lip, “Well first off you like big tall guys, maybe some would even describe them as hunky.”

You giggle as he continues.

“Brown hair, brown eyes, huge dick, killer moustache and absolutely hilarious. Am I missing anything?” He peers down at you, teasing smile on his face.

“What was that middle one again?” You cock your head to the side in faux innocence.

“Killer moustache?”

“Nope.”

“Brown eyes?”

“Not quite.”

“Ohhhh, huge dick?”

You giggle, “Yeah that was the one, I was wondering why you think that’s part of my specific type?”

Bradley grins, “Well, you seem to like every thing else about me.”

Your stomach burns with desire at his confidence and you have to quickly compose yourself to answer.

“Well since we don’t have any proof, I’m not sure I can hold you to that, handsome.”

You move your legs from his lap and tuck them under yourself, moving your front towards him until your breasts are pressed up against his bicep, lips hovering over his ear.

“Unless you’re willing to provide some?”

You meet Bradley’s lust filled gaze and he groans,

“Fuck.”

His lips are on yours in an instant, his strong hands threading through the hair at the back of your head. Bradley revels in the feeling of your soft lips against his, the taste of alcohol mixing between your mouths. You’re moaning into his mouth as his tongue licks into yours. His hand leaves the back of your head in favour of gripping at your waist and pulling you over onto his lap. Bradley’s thighs are firm beneath you, as you roll your crotch down into his you get evidence of his claim and whimper into his kiss. He pulls back to smile smugly at you,

“You okay there, gorgeous?”

His cocky tone only proves as fuel for the slick accumulating between your thighs and you whine as you grind down onto his hard cock, straining against his dark jeans.

“I’d be better if you fucked me.” You whimper out.

Bradley chuckles, playing with the hem of your dress,

“Is that what you want, sugar?”

You aid him in pulling of your dress, once it’s flung on the floor you speak up,

“Right now? More than anything.”

Bradley is biting his lip, eyes trained on your breasts as he reaches out to grab at them.

“Shit I can’t blame that guy, you’ve got great tits.”

Your roll your eyes at him and prepare a quip, but all thought are wiped from your mind as he reaches down and swipes his tongue across your pebbled nipple. Instead, you moan out his name breathily with another roll of your hips.

“Bradley, please.”

He pulls back and looks up at you, “What do you need, sugar?”

“You, Bradley.” You whine, nimble fingers already unbuttoning his shirt.

Once you’ve finished with his shirt, you help him slide it from his shoulders and where it sits tight around his biceps. As you suspected, he’s just as muscular under his shirt. You reach down to suck at the skin of his chest, marking his pecs.

“You’ve got great tits too, Brad.”

He grants you with a laugh which turns into a moan as your small hands begin to palm at his cock. Your touch is momentarily stopped as you help him remove his jeans and boxers. You’re sat before him staring with your mouth slightly agape at his sheer size.

“Jesus,” You murmur, hand reaching out to stroke him slowly.

Bradley wants to gloat but your touch feels so good that he doesn’t want to risk you leaving him high and dry. He watches in awe as you reach forward to spit on the tip of his cock, using your saliva as lubricant as you speed up your strokes. Once you begin to lightly circle his tip with your tongue he pulls you back up with a whimper,

“Sugar, if you carry on i’m going to cum.”

You smile coyly, “Isn’t that the whole point?”

Bradley reaches a hand down to pull at your lacy underwear. Once he’s removed it he cups your pussy, the feeling of his large, warm hand making you shiver in excitement.

“I was kind of hoping to be inside of you before doing that.”

You grind down into his hand as he speaks, finger tips grazing at your clit deliciously.

“Well don’t let me ruin your plans.”

Bradley’s eyes roll back slightly at your words and he pulls away his hand to lick at the juices you left. He hums down at you,

“Delicious.”

You whine and turn your back to him, lying into the couch and arching your back up so that your ass is pressing against his hard cock. You wiggle your ass back against him and feel some of his precum seep out onto you.

“You gonna fuck me now?” You simper at him, turning your head slightly and giving him your best doe eyes.

He reaches a hand out to stroke at your flushed cheek, “How could I say no to this pretty face?”

You keen under his praise and squeal as you feel him guiding his cock through your folds, collecting your wetness onto himself. Bradley groans at the feeling as he begins to push into your hole, the way your velvety walls are squeezing him is almost addictive.

Your eyes roll to the back of your head as he finally bottoms out after what feels like hours of him pushing his considerate length in. You feel so fucking full with him pushed all the way into you.

“You good, gorgeous?” Bradley asks, care in his voice evident.

You moan and push back against him, “Shit yeah, you feel so good, so deep.”

Bradley feels a whine catch in his throat at your words and tentatively thrusts into you. When he’s met with a high pitched moan he takes that as a sign to start moving.

Bradley’s thrusts are deep, making you whimper with each one. Managing to make you feel even more full than before. He has both hands placed at your waist, strong grip almost intoxicating.

The sound of slapping skin and your combined moans fill up the space of your apartment as Bradley keeps up his pace. You’re beginning to drool slightly onto your couch as Bradley lifts your body up so that your back is pressed against his chest. His strength is so attractive to you that you can’t help but let a strangled moan fall from your mouth. He smirks at the sound and reaches one of his hands on your waist down to toy with your clit. The action makes your jolt as your pleasure suddenly intensifies. You turn your head and whimper into his neck,

“Fuck, Brad please.”

Bradley’s starting to think your moans are the best thing he’s ever heard. He only increases his ministrations, spurred on by your whimpers, close to making the sound himself as your walls clench around him. Bradley increases the pace of his thrusts quickly, determined to push you over the edge. It’s working faster than you would have liked and you would have felt embarrassed was it not for the way he also increases the pressure on your clit, making you twitch and squeak out, “Bradley! Oh my God!”

You can feel him chuckle breathlessly into your shoulder, his breath on your hot skin making the coil growing in your stomach tight. With one last quick thrust the coil snaps and you’re moaning unabashedly as you spasm on his cock. Your moans are music to Bradley’s ears and the feeling of your pulsing walls pushes Bradley to his precipice.

He pulls out quickly and flips you over so he can look at your gorgeous blissed out face as he cums. It spurts out in thick ropes onto your belly and Bradley groans deeply at the sight, growling as you reach down with a few fingers to swirl it around and lift it back up to your lips.

He’s still heaving whilst looking down at you. The sight of his sweaty chest dropping up and down enough to make you squeeze your legs as another flood of arousal leaks from you. He catches sight of the action and smirks, but chooses not to taunt you any further.

He finally speaks up, “Was that good enough proof for you gorgeous?”

You giggle up at him, hair splayed around your head, reminding Bradley of and angel.

“Maybe I need some more?”

You widen your legs for him to look down at your pussy, arousal dripping from you. He whines albeit somewhat pathetically.

“Yeah I think so too.”

When Bradley wakes in the morning, his arm is draped around your naked waist. He smiles down at the sight and picks up his phone to text Phoenix a quick thanks for sending him on that date.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

a/n: sorry guys i’m on my big dick bradley agenda rn !!!

i love this so i hope everyone else does too HAHEJA

also apologies for the filth i literally cant help myself

pls comment, reblog or send me an ask and tell me what u think !!!

thank u for reading :))

- honey <333

[windybreeze12]

DBD Quotes that are my Roman Empire (and my reactions to them)

No version of this where I don't come get you - Charles S1 E7 (SIR???? IM SORRY??? If someone said that to me, i'd faint. Edwin is a strong one) .

Do you think it must be torture? Being the way we are? - Simon S1 E7 (I swear you could audibly hear my heart break when he said that) .

Teethface, what the fuck? - Esther S1 E6 (I love her. She's an awful person and is literally irredeemable but dammit she does her shit with style and sass and i love her) .

He did not feel the same way. But I think we are better friends because of it - Edwin S1 E8 (THEM. JUST THEM. I CANT WITH THEM.) .

You, Charles Rowland, are the best person I know - Edwin S1 E5 (It's like they want me to go throw myself off a cliff their friendship is everything to me) .

And we've got literally forever to figure out what the rest means - Charles S1 E7 (Charles is raising the bar too high i fear. the standards are through the roof) .

When you punish yourself, everywhere becomes hell - Edwin S1 E7 (*starts sobbing in the corner*) .

Imagine thinking there was only one way to do any one thing. How difficult would life be? - Kashi S1 E6 (I swear Kashi walked into this show to spit straight facts and then was never seen again. Icon.) .

We didn’t matter, he and I - Edwin S1 E1 (No because the way I swore to myself that I would protect these boys with my life the minute he said this) .

I will always hit a demon with a cricket bat for you - Charles S1 E6 (Fellas, never settle for anything less than Charles Rowland) .

I wasn't talking about you - Edwin S1 E5 (I'm not even kidding I paused the show, got up and had to take a minute because OOF Monty darling) .

As more than a friend, I’m afraid. Charles, I'm in love with you - Edwin S1 E7 (No joke this is one of the best scenes in a show I have ever watched. The acting, the dialogue, the pacing, the emotion??? UGH!!! Perfection) .

I certainly hope not, that story ends tragically - Edwin S1 E7 (There are already a million and one posts about the implications of Charles referencing Orpheus' story so go check those out but holy hell the way it made my heart twist) .

I could- we could lose Charles - Edwin S1 E3 (This was such a tiny detail but GOD I replayed it ten times before moving on) .

Honestly I just find her so charming - Edwin S1 E2 (I knew from this moment that Edwin and Niko were going to be a pair to watch. And boy was I right) .

That was my third life you bitch—i only get nine; would you fuck off - The Cat King S1 E8 (now THIS is how you creatively use a cat's nine lives in media I love it I freaking love it) .

You sacrificed me to a demon who traded me to another demon who traded me to a thing that is worse than a demon and this is your punishment! An eternity of papercuts! - Edwin S1 E7 (Honey I have an eternity of questions cause what the FUCK is this human trafficking system down in hell??? but also go off king??? 😭)

I'll update this whenever I remember anymore. Tell me more quotes in reblogs/replies i'll add them into this!

[warping-realities]

Found Family

The sun was pouring through the dusty window of an old SUV, driven by a beautifull woman in his late thirties. But that light didn’t seem to warm the sour expressions of a couple of boys sitting in the car. The reason for their attitude was right outside the window, in the beautiful coastal town they’d just moved to. After a long and messy divorce, Amanda Sullivan (formerly Williams), the boys’ mom, decided it was time for a fresh start. Being an amazing cook, she chose to move to the picturesque beach town of Santa Maria, where she spent most of her childhood vacations, and open a restaurant there, bringing her kids, Robert and Benjamin, along for the ride. The two weren’t exactly stoked about the whole moving thing. They were in their senior year of high school. Robert, older than his brother by about ten months, had tons of friends and a sort-of girlfriend. Ben, on the other hand, had a tougher time at school and had never dated, which might make someone think he’d be more open to changes, but in reality, it was the opposite; he was even more pissed than his brother because it meant leaving their dad behind. He was always closer to his father than his brother. Amanda's second pregnancy, a few months after the previous one, was complicated and the boy was born prematurely. He remained small for his age, and his father was always his protector. At least he could count on having his brother in the same class to help him. That oddity made his classmates call them twins and the nickname stuck. Everyone called them that, except for their father, who always seemed to have a slight preference for his youngest son. A father who was distant and absent, but still their dad, and he knew the distance would only make things worse.

“Come on, boys, I know you’re bummed, but I promise you’re gonna love it here. I had a blast when I was a kid and loved it even more when I came back to find our new home and the best spot for the restaurant. By the way, this is the first thing I wanna show you: the restaurant space is right over there, close to the beach.” A smiling Amanda said, looking at her two grumpy kids, who got out of the car and followed their mom to an alley near the beach, filled with little shops. The restaurant that their mom had worked so hard to open was situated between an ice cream shop and a surf store.

“So, the place is perfect, right?” She asked in an excited voice toward her kids, who stared back at her with little enthusiasm. “You guys could at least pretend to be happy for me.”

“They won’t need to pretend for long, I’m sure they’ll feel at home in no time.” Said a cheerful male voice. The three members of the small family turned toward that voice and were faced with a handsome guy. He was sitting in front of the surf shop, with a surfboard beside him, in his 40s, with the sculpted physique of a hard-working man, long blonde hair, and a bright smile, radiating the energy of a guy who, despite his age, was still living life to the fullest. “Guys, this is Sean Hale, he’s been a great friend, helped me a lot with everything around here.”

“Happy to help, Amanda, it wasn’t long ago that Ollie and I were in the same boat, and we would’ve loved to have some friendly faces around. Speaking of which, here comes the devil. The boys and their mom turned in the direction Sean was pointing and saw what looked like a younger version of him, in the late teen years. The kid, Olliver, had the same blond hair, an enviable physique, and a youthful vibe.

“Hey, Dad! Mrs. Sullivan! Great to see you again, and I see you finally brought the twins with you. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, guys. I know you’re not super hyped about the move, but Santa Maria is a magical place.” The two boys exchanged furtive glances, how the hell did this random dude know so much about them? Quickly, those looks turned angrily toward their mom, as if Amanda had been trash-talking them to her new friends. More pissed off than his brother, Benjamin spoke the first words of his day, although far from friendly.

“Fantastic, Mom, not only did you drag us to the other side of the country, but you also share our private stuff with the first people you meet.” He turned back toward the car, not even glancing at Sean and completely ignoring Olliver’s outstretched arm in a failed attempt at a high-five that was awkwardly met by a shy Robert.

“Hey, um, Ollie? Sorry about Ben’s behavior; just because we didn’t wanna move doesn’t mean we have to be rude to those who welcomed us so nicely. Also, I apologize to you for my brother’s attitude, Mr. Hale.”

“You can call me Sean, Robert, that’s what everyone calls me. And I get it; all this change can be a shock. It’s a shame Benjamin stormed off like that; I would’ve loved to explain to him that I’m not a complete stranger, actually, your mom and I have known each other for many years here on this beach, when we were younger than you guys are now. And we’ve crossed paths again over several summers until she never came back.”

“I had college on the other side of the country to attend, then there was the wedding and the kids, and my ex-husband hates the beach... but the truth is, when everything changed, I ended up being drawn back here, it was almost like a magnet pulling me back to Santa Maria.”

“I get you; when my wife passed away last year, I felt the same. I sold everything I had, moved here with Olliver, and opened the surf shop. I’ve always been passionate about the waves and have been bringing Ollie every summer to teach him how to surf, so it felt natural to open the shop and teach the sport to the tourist kids.”

“You surf, dude?” Olliver asked Robert.

“I can barely swim, Olliver.”

“You can call me Ollie or bro; our parents are old friends, we don’t need formalities. And about not knowing how to swim, let me help you; in no time, you’ll be owning the waves, and trust me, girls love a surfer, even if it is useless to me”

“Um, I’ll think about it, Olliver.”

“No thinking, and call me bro, bro. Let me show you our boards; I bet you’ll wanna grab one and jump in the water as soon as you see them.” Olliver said, dragging Robert inside the shop.

“Ollie, since you’re going in, ask Harry to come here; I’ll need his help unloading Mandy’s stuff.”

“Yeap.” Responded his son, already inside the shop.

“Sean, there’s no need for that; we can handle it ourselves.”

“I know that; from what I gathered, you’ve been managing on your own for a long time, even before the marriage ended, Mandy. But it doesn’t have to be like that; I’m here for you guys.”

“That’s really kind of you, Sean, and I can’t deny the truth in your words, it’s been so tough. Rob is upset, but that should pass soon, but Ben... Ben is different; he still misses his dad a lot, my ex was his idol, so being left behind... he’s really mad, and how does he deal with that? He refuses to admit his dad’s abandonment, so he chose to take that anger out on everyone else, including me.”

“That’ll pass, believe me; if you want, I can try to help, or maybe Ollie; the age proximity might make things easier.”

“Would you do that?”

“Sure, I’ll ask him to drop by your house tonight, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, I don’t mind; I’m really grateful.”

“You don’t need to thank me; it’ll be a great pleasure.” Sean concluded with a radiant smile.

…..

“This is the last one, Mrs. Sullivan.” Said a huge black young man, with a contagious smile, as he dropped the last box at Amanda’s new house. This was Harrison, Sean’s surf shop employee. A young man with massive muscles but an easy laugh and a laid-back vibe, evidenced by his head full of dreadlocks. It was a big shock to discover that a guy that big was only nineteen, having just graduated a few months ago with Olliver. But despite his size, the kid was so friendly and cheerful, exuding so much happiness that even Ben let his guard down a bit when he met him at the beach.

Speaking of Ben, Harry, as he preferred to be called, turned to him. “You’re a senior, Ben? So you’ll be classmates with my brother Micky; I think you guys could hit it off. You both give off the same vibe.”

“Um, thanks.” Ben replied, at least acknowledging it, before heading inside the house.

“I wonder what that vibe would be. Crybaby teen?” commented a much friendlier Robert, who quickly hit it off with Harry and Olliver and started to think that maybe this whole moving thing wasn’t so bad after all.

“I’d say more like a future family killer.” Harry replied, smiling, giving Rob a high-five.

The end of the day didn’t have any other significant events, being filled with the work of organize the house, which was already furnished. Thanks to the chores, even Benjamin loosened up a bit and started chatting, still a bit grumpy, with his mom, while Robert seemed like a different person, chatting excitedly at dinner about thinking over Ollie’s offer to learn to surf.

“You’re a terrible swimmer, Rob; just because you wish for something doesn’t mean you’ll get it, bro!” Ben commented with the first smile of the day.

“I think you’d be surprised at the power a wish has.” Someone said at the dining room door. Standing there was Olliver Hale in all his golden glory.

“Sorry to interrupt, but the door was open, Mrs. Sullivan. My dad asked to see if you needed help with anything.”

“Ollie, sweetheart, don’t worry, you’re very welcome; we’ve got everything sorted. Since you were so kind to come here, would you like to have dinner with us? Tonight I made my famous bolognese lasagna. Since I’ll be serving lighter dishes at the beach, if I were you, I wouldn’t miss out.”

“Oh, I certainly wouldn’t, excuse me.” Said the kid sitting next to Benjamin, who then stood up and stormed out, irritated, without saying a word.

“A tough crowd.” Olliver joked.

“What do you mean by that?” Robert asked.

“My dad asked me to come here and try to befriend you guys to make things easier for both of you. But from what I can see, Benjamin isn’t interested.”

“He’ll get over it; it’s just that things have been intense the last few months.”

“I get it, bro. And until then, I can dedicate all my time to you. Speaking of which, stop by the shop tomorrow after school for your first surf lesson.”

“Hey, I said I’d think about it, Ollie.”

“And I said don’t think. So, no arguments, surf lesson tomorrow afternoon. Wow, this is the best food I’ve ever had, Mrs. Sullivan; trust me, I’ll be spending a lot of time here. A new bro and food like this, I’ll be calling your place home soon.”

…..

Ben woke up with a bitter taste in his mouth after his impromptu exit from the dining room the night before; he locked himself in his room, kicked the bed, lay down, and cried himself to sleep, mad about his situation, missing his dad, and also embarrassed about his attitude toward Olliver. He and his dad seemed like cool guys, but they represented everything he hated most at that moment. Still, he would have to apologize to them for his behavior.

After a quick shower, he got ready for school and headed down to the kitchen for breakfast. And to his surprise, he found himself face to face with Olliver, in an animated conversation with Rob. “I can’t wait for my first class, bro. Surfing is so awesome...”

“What’s going on? What are you doing here?” Benjamin abruptly interrupted, suddenly abandoning all thoughts of apologizing.

“Enough, Ben. Ollie stayed up late last night chatting with me, and I invited him to sleep here. We all get that you’re bummed, but that doesn’t mean you have to be rude!”

“Until yesterday, you didn’t want to be here either, and now you’re all happy and making friends; I thought we’d find a way to go back home.”

“Grow up, Benjamin; this is our home now, you said that yesterday, just because you wish for something doesn’t mean it’s gonna happen.”

“Bro, chill. Ben, can I call you that? I understand what you’re going through; when my mom died and my dad decided to move here, I wasn’t happy either, and I’ve known Santa Maria my whole life, but let me tell you, it’s a magical place...”

“Magical place, you’ve told me that already. And look, I’m sorry for my behavior, but... Hey, there’s someone at the window!”

“What?” the other two boys said in unison, turning to the kitchen window, but there was no one there.

“Ben, just apologize and we can move on with our lives.” Rob said to his younger brother.

“But it’s true, there was a black kid standing right there...”

“Alright, the choice is yours, bro.”

“But I...”

“Ollie offered to give us a ride to school; grab your stuff and let’s go; he’ll pick us up when we’re done so we can start surfing lessons.”

“I didn’t agree to that, and besides, I’d rather go to school alone.” Ben replied, leaving without having breakfast.

“A really tough crowd.” Olliver commented, watching the other boy leave the room.

Ben almost regretted refusing Olliver’s ride; it was tough finding his way to school, but he finally made it. The first days of school are always the same boring routine, and Benjamin thought he could count on Rob, but at that moment, he wanted to be as far away from his brother as possible, sitting as far from him as he could. Throughout their lives, they’d always been there for each other. But now Rob was a traitor, selling out for a friendship with a brainless surfer and the promise of learning a sport he had no talent for. And thinking about how much water his brother would have to swallow, with a certain malicious satisfaction, he scanned the rest of the room. To his surprise, sitting right in front of the class, looking at him with an unreadable expression, was the kid he saw at the window during breakfast.

Ben found out the kid’s name was Michael, but he had to wait until the end of class to ask what he was doing at the window in the morning. Which wasn’t an easy task, since the kid seemed to disappear from the world, leaving the classroom as soon as the bell rang. It was only during the period before lunch that he finally got his chance, when he walked into the classroom and saw the kid again and chose to sit next to the classroom door, blocking him from leaving without passing Ben. And that’s exactly what he did; when the kid walked past him without saying anything, Ben pulled him aside, trying to get some answers. But he was caught off guard by the kid’s expression; there was so much fear in his eyes.

“Let me go, please, I promise I’ll stay away, don’t do anything to me, I swear I’ll stop trying to figure it out...”

“Figure out what? What are you talking about?”

“I saw you with them yesterday at the beach. You’re one of them.”

“What do you mean by ‘one of them’? I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“If you’re not one of them yet, you will be soon; you’re too close to them. Now let me go.” The other kid finished, breaking free and running away.

“Michael, come back here, MICHAEL!!! What the hell is going on?”

……

Ben decided to ignore his brother’s text messages, first asking about lunch and then what he was doing after school. He also ignored his mom’s worried messages, opting to walk along the beach in an attempt to figure out what the hell was happening. It wasn’t until Amanda left an angry message saying she was really worried about him and that if he didn’t show up in the next fifteen minutes she’d call the cops, that a reluctant Benjamin called her to say he was heading home.

After a long lecture about her son’s childish behavior, she informed him that she would be staying late at the restaurant preparing things for the opening that would happen that weekend, but that there was food ready and that Rob was already home. With one last motherly plea, she asked Ben to make an effort to at least sort things out with his brother since apparently, that wasn’t going to happen with her anytime soon.

Sighing heavily, Ben entered the living room of the house, and upon doing so, received the biggest shock of his life. Sitting at the table, studying, was Rob, but this wasn’t the same Rob from that morning. Shirtless, with the sun-kissed skin of someone who spends a lot of time outdoors, extra pounds of muscle, and light blonde hair almost golden, anyone would think it was another person, but the face and aura were all Rob, altered, but still him.

“What the hell happened to you, Robert?” Asked a truly desperate Ben upon seeing this totally strange version of his older brother.

“What happened is that I got tired of waiting, bro. If you don’t wanna hang out with me anymore, fine. So, once you grow up and stop acting like a crybaby, you can come talk to me.”

“I... I’m not talking about that, Rob. Your hair, your skin, your muscles, how did this happen?”

“Dude, this is what happens when you go out and live your life. If you had gone surfing today, I would’ve shown you how great it is.”

“But that’s impossible... Rob, there’s no way such a change can happen in a single day.”

“What are you talking about, Ben? Of course, it can’t happen in a day. I’ve been surfing for almost a year now, ever since our parents split and I moved in with Uncle Sean.”

“Uncle Sean? Rob, that doesn’t make sense. Sean isn’t our uncle, and we moved here yesterday. We met him yesterday. None of this makes sense.”

Apparently, Ben didn’t make sense to this different Rob either. Because he stared at Ben with a look that was probably a mirror of what Ben had at that moment. And with a sigh, he finally said, “Alright, Ben, if that’s how you want things, fine. When you’re ready, you can come talk to me, bro. I’m your brother, we are the twins, try to remember. I’ll always be here for you, as long as you don’t push me away like you’re doing now. I’m done studying, I’ll go help Mom with the restaurant stuff. Don’t wait for us, but if you decide to be yourself again, stop by to help; we’ll be really grateful for both decisions.” Concluded Rob, getting up, putting on a shirt, and walking out the door without looking back, leaving a stunned Benjamin standing there with his mouth agape in the middle of the living room.

….

Ben needed answers, more than that, he needed a way to get his brother back to normal so they could get out of there together. Talking to their mom was out of the question; she was probably the first one to be... dominated? Hypnotized? One person popped into his mind. Michael, he knew what was happening and thought Benjamin was part of it. He needed to find Michael and convince him to tell him everything he knew and fast.

The next morning, he woke up before sunrise, after a sleepless night where he had to pretend to be sleeping when his mom came to say goodnight. He hated doing that to her but wasn’t sure if she was infected or not; unlike Rob, she hadn’t shown any significant changes in behavior or appearance, unless you counted her sudden desire to settle in Santa Maria, which, despite his disapproval, was nothing compared to what happened with his brother.

Sneaking out quietly to avoid being seen, he headed to school, praying that Michael hadn’t freaked out enough to decide to skip classes. Apparently, some higher power heard his prayers, as Michael not only showed up for class that day but after a bit of persuasion agreed to talk to Ben. In an empty classroom, Ben started his plea for any kind of answer.

“I swear I’m not infected or zombified or whatever the hell is going on, but they took my brother and maybe my mom too; you’re the only one who seems to know something about what’s going on, so please, help me.”

Michael looked at Ben with unreadable eyes for a few seconds before sighing and speaking. “Okay, let’s say I believe you; what happened to your brother?”

“Long story short. My parents split up last year, after which my mom got it in her head to move us here and open a restaurant by the beach, dragging my brother and me along with her. Something neither of us agreed to. We didn’t even like the beach. Until we arrived here two days ago at least, when Rob started hanging out with Olliver Hale, and since then he’s been acting different, but that’s not the worst part; he seems different and acts like things have always been this way. Calling Olliver’s father ‘Uncle’ and we barely know the guy.” Benjamin replied in one breath, afraid of sounding ridiculous. But Michael just asked another question: “Have you met my brother, Harrison?”

“Harrison? Harry? The surf shop employee? Wait a minute, are you the Micky he was talking about?”

“No one, no one has ever called me that, at least not until a few months ago. So, please, keep calling me Michael. But yeah, that Harry. So let me tell you my story. Although I still don’t have the slightest idea if you have bad intentions...”

“I promise I’m not lying; you saw my brother at the kitchen window yesterday, and don’t deny it, because now I’m sure it was you. Wait until he shows up at school, and you’ll see the difference in him. Believing me is your choice, but you heard my story. I think I’ll lose my mind if I don’t understand what’s going on.”

“Then I’m sorry to disappoint you, because I don’t have the faintest idea of what’s going on. I can only tell you what happened to me. But before I continue, you told me you met Harry. Take a look at this photo here and tell me what you see.” Michael said, handing Benjamin a worn-out photo. It was a picture of two skinny Black boys, both wearing glasses; one of them was clearly Michael, while the other could be some other brother or close relative, as the resemblance was striking.

“Benjamin, you’ve met Harry; now I present to you Harrison. We took this photo together a few months ago; it’s worn out because I keep it with me so often just to make sure I’m not crazy.”

“I don’t get it; this isn’t possible...” There was no way the kid in the photo was the giant Ben knew, even with steroids; there was still the height issue, Harry was at least a foot taller, and the hair, hair like that doesn’t grow overnight, even if it was some kind of wig...

“Think, Benjamin, you just told me about your brother; I’m telling you what happened to mine. I thought finally someone would believe me; you have no idea how many times I’ve tried to show this photo, without success, but no one believes me. It’s not like I have many people to support me; since our parents died, it’s always been Harrison and me, taking care of our grandma. Even so, I thought someone would remember, that someone would look at the photo and help me. All the other photos and videos show Harry, not Harrison; for some reason, only that one remained. But people think I’m trying to pull a prank or something stupid like that.”

“Michael, that’s not possible; no one changes that much...” Ben repeated.

“Your brother hasn’t changed?”

“Yeah, but he’s still... him. Maybe he already gained those muscles and I didn’t notice, and his hair might be dyed, and he could have a fake tan... maybe this is all a huge prank in response to my behavior... and maybe you’re in on it too; yeah, confess, Harry asked you to do this, didn’t he?”

“Don’t try to rationalize, Benjamin; I tried, and it just frustrated me even more; there’s no space for reason in what’s happening. But there’s an easy way for me to prove to you that I’m not messing with you. Tell me, have you seen your brother today?”

“No, that’s impossible; there’s no way this is real. You’re joking; you’re all joking. I get it, I’ve been unbearable the last few days, but doing this to me is bullshit. Stop messing around, Michael, I promise I’ll go home and apologize to my mom and Rob, and then I’ll apologize to Sean and Olliver too.”

“No, don’t do that; they’ll find a way to grab you too; I’ve been feeling that they’re close to getting me; I feel it’s an increasing attraction every time Harry is near me or when I get close to his work; they want you too, and if they took your brother and your mom, they definitely want you.”

“Why? Why us?”

“Because you must have something they care about. Let me finish my story. It all started when the Hales moved here a few months ago. Harrison was almost done with his last year, probably would’ve been the class speaker and would’ve landed a scholarship at a good college. He worried about what would happen to me, being left alone at home with a sick grandma. But I always told him those were opportunities he couldn’t miss. But then the Hales showed up, and Olliver became Harrison’s classmate. And my brother felt attracted to him like a moth to a flame. After that, everything happened so quickly; one moment Harrison was going to college, the next he was kissing Olliver Hale, talking as if he’d known him for years, and finally... finally he was Harry, like you knew him, that mountain of muscles, all smiles and joy, without a care in the world other than surfing, working a mediocre job, dating the owner’s son, and... me, I guess. Harry seems to like me just as much as Harrison liked him, but I... I can’t like him back... I need my brother, not him.”

“Wait a minute, you’re telling me Harry and Olliver are together?”

“Seriously, out of everything I told you, you choose to worry about two dudes being together?”

“No, that’s not it; do you think this... thing... happened to your brother because Olliver was into him? Because Sean seems pretty interested in my mom; on the day we arrived, I watched them from a distance, and he was flirting with her the whole time. Still... I don’t know what to say; I want to believe you because you believed in me, Michael, but this is too much.”

“Do you know where your brother’s locker is, Benjamin? Let’s go there.” Concluded Michael as Ben nodded.

There were still a few minutes until the bell, but standing in front of Rob’s locker was a big blonde kid with his back turned to the two approaching. When he turned around, Benjamin was even more surprised than the night before. It was Rob, but not really. This Rob looked way more like Olliver Hale’s younger brother than Benjamin’s brother.

“Good morning, bro, good morning, Micky. So good to see you guys getting along; if I’d bet with Harry, I would’ve lost!”

“R-Rob?”

“Sorry, bro, but I gotta head to football practice. Mom and Dad will be stoked to know you’re making an effort just like Harry, Micky, as long as you guys aren’t up to anything! See you at lunch, Ben?”

“I don’t...”

“No, no, bro, we’re having lunch the three of us, and after school, I wanna see you two at the shop. Mom and Dad had to leave town and won’t be back until tomorrow, so we can do something just us. I wanna introduce you to someone important, bro. See ya, please don’t leave me hanging.” And he walked towards the classroom, leaving behind two stunned boys. “What the hell was he talking about, about Mom and Dad? Our dad’s not here; he’s on the other side of the country, and they’d never hang out again, not after the divorce.”

“I don’t know, but I bet you’ll figure it out soon. And did you see how he talked to me, like he knew me, and I can assure you I never spoke to him in my life.”

“This whole situation is so complicated... At least we have proof we were telling the truth. Which leaves us with one question: what the hell are we gonna do about this?…” Michael and Benjamin decided to keep as far away from their brothers as possible until they had some idea of what to do; the problem was precisely that: they had no clue what to do. They vaguely discussed the possibility of investigating the surf shop, but that would put them directly in the enemy’s den. There was also the issue that, even if Michael wasn’t affected yet, that didn’t mean the same would happen to Ben, especially with him being so close to the center of everything. The two skipped lunch, and after class ended, Ben ran home, stopping to grab something to eat and locking himself in his room, hoping to avoid any conflict. Unfortunately, as soon as he got home, he found himself face to face with an irritated Rob.

“I don’t know why I was so dumb to think things were getting better, bro. I thought that after our talk yesterday, you’d make an effort to try to adjust, and when I saw you and Micky together, I thought you were finally starting to accept that this is our new reality.”

“Rob, how can’t you see what’s going on? You’ve completely changed!”

“Enough, Ben. I get that you’re bummed because our mom decided to move back in with my dad after all this time. But I want you to remember I was by your side when Ollie decided to move in with our dad because his relationship with your dad was crap. I stuck around for you. I expected the bare minimum of effort from you, just a little gratitude!”

“Rob, let me...”

“No, let me tell you something. My dad may not be your dad, but our mom decided to go back to him for a reason, and yeah, Ollie and I are super happy about it, and I repeat, we understand why you might be feeling bad. Ollie felt the same way when Mom married your dad; I was too young to remember, but I bet I felt the same way too. So, we get it, bro. And I’m sorry, but your dad’s a piece of work; he doesn’t give a damn about you, but my dad is here for you, just like he is for Ollie and me, if you let him.”

Ben was once again stunned by what he heard, to the point of standing there in the middle of the room, speechless, just staring at what should be his brother. “You’ve got nothing to say, Benjamin? Great! Then you can go to your room and lock yourself in there like you’ve been doing for the last few days. I was gonna introduce you to Jessica tonight and then take you to your first beach party, but you don’t deserve any of that.” Not knowing what to do, Benjamin went to his room, sat on the bed, and cried, for his brother, for his mom, but also because that distorted version of Rob was speaking the truth: his dad didn’t give a shit about him. And, most likely, Sean Hale would be a good dad, so maybe... But before he could finish that thought, he was distracted by a noise outside his room. Standing at the window, just like the first time he saw him, was Michael, waving and seemingly asking Ben to meet him outside the house. Benjamin quietly slipped out to meet his new friend.

“What? Why the hell are you here? You could’ve sent me a message.”

“I did! I sent several messages; when you didn’t reply, I decided to come find you. Sean’s out…”

“Yeah, I know, and apparently now he and my mom are the parents of Rob and Ollie. That’s what Rob was talking about this morning when he said Mom and Dad were leaving for a day. Dude, this is so fucked up. I lost my brother!”

“I know, I’ve had that same thought for months. Look, Harry asked me to go to some kind of party on the other side of the beach; Olliver and your brother are going too. With Sean out, this is our chance to at least check out the surf shop; it’s a long shot, but…”

“But it’s all we’ve got. And besides, I don’t know how much longer I can take this; I was about to give up when you showed up.”

“I know, I almost agreed to hang out with Harry when he hugged me. Dude, I just want my brother back.”

“And what’s worse is that they seem so happy.” Ben said, pointing to Rob leaving the house at that moment, accompanied by a pretty girl, both smiling and radiating total happiness.

“Dude, it looks like his hair grew even more in the last few minutes; this is so…”

“Fucked up, I know. Let’s go.” …

The two boys ran to the beach, with Michael leading Benjamin to the back of Sean Hale’s surf shop.

“How are we gonna get in?”

“I grabbed these keys when Harry hugged me.” Michael said, showing a set of keys with a mischievous grin, the first one Benjamin had seen. As soon as they entered the shop, Benjamin turned to Michael again and asked, “So, what are we looking for? Some kind of device, a spell book, some alien goo?”

“Maybe a bit of common sense?” Interrupted a deep, serious voice. Standing in front of the two, with an irritated expression, was Harry. “Boys, you’ve crossed every imaginable line. Michael, it’s about time we caught up, bro. Benjamin, your brothers are waiting for you in front of the shop so you can settle in too.” He said, holding Michael by the shoulders.

Benjamin took a good look at his friend’s face and, with an apologetic expression, ran out the back door. And he ran, ran until his legs hurt so much he forced himself to stop, collapsing in the sand and crying for the second time that day. And that’s how he stayed for hours until he fell asleep in the sand.

It was late evening when he was awakened by a deep voice. “Finally I found you. Hey, bro, what are you doing here? I know things aren’t great, but I thought we were friends; you know you can always count on me, Benji.” Benjamin, wiping the sand from his eyes, found himself facing a muscular black kid who looks... just like his brother.

“Mi-Michael?”

“Micky, dude. Don’t say it like we don’t know each other our whole lives.” Ben didn’t even try to argue this time, too worn out from all the weirdness; he just turned and run again. However, when he arrived at the main street he came face to face with Rob and Ollie waiting for him.

“Thinking about sneaking out again? No way, little bro. We’re going home; Dad wants to talk to you, and I can add that I’ve never seen him like this. Good luck.” Thinking it was better to just get it over with, Benjamin gave up and followed them...

Benjamin stayed quiet during the whole journey, he didn’t wanna argue with anyone; besides, he felt overwhelmed by equally large amounts of shame for ditching the closest thing to a friend he’d made in this town, guilt for what had happened to that person, and anxiety about what would happen to him. All of this was made worse by the fact that this new version of Michael - Micky - was nothing like the Michael Benjamin had known; Micky was cheerful, playful, and outgoing, and genuinely seemed hurt by being ignored by his supposed best friend. It was unbearable how nice he was, to the point that Ben couldn’t help but return the hand touch and the farewell hug offered by him when they finally reached their destination.

“See ya, bro. Chill, everything will be alright.” That was Micky’s farewell phrase. Before Robert turned to Benjamin.

"Benji, I don't know what's happening to you, but I'm really worried, bro. This isn't you, talk to dad and let him help you, little brother. I want my twin back." And then he hugged him, easily wrapping Benjamin's body with his long arms, and as much as he wanted to get away, he felt comfortable in that place. His brother smelled of coconut and salt, but underneath it there was still his own scent, which Benjamin knew so well.

Wiping away the new torrent of tears, he turned around and without looking back entered the house. As he entered the living room he found himself facing Sean Hale, sitting shirtless on the couch with a worried look on his face.

What do these people have against shirts? Was the first thought that crossed Benjamin's mind before he was hit with another feeling: the most intense anger he’d ever felt in his life. Standing in front of him was the guy responsible for the absurd situation he was in. But before he could say or do anything, Sean turned to him: “I think I owe you an explanation. I’m really sorry, Benjamin; it’s all my fault, I didn’t think it was necessary. But apparently, just like your buddy Micky, you have this crazy resistance to change, and for things to go the way they’re supposed to, changes need to be embraced.”

“You know when I’m gonna accept that? Only in your wildest dreams.”

“It’s funny you mention my dreams, Benjamin, because my part in this story actually starts with my dreams. My dreams of a big, happy family. But this story, our story, goes way back. Do you know why this town is called Santa Maria, Benji?”

“Don’t call me that, and I don’t care what this town’s called; I just want my brother and my life back.”

“And you’ll get it if you listen to me. Santa Maria was the name given by Spanish conquistadors to this land in an attempt to assimilate the native peoples into the Catholic faith when this part of the country was still under Mexico’s rule. When they got here, they heard a legend about a local female deity. A woman whose son had been killed and who, in her grief, threw herself off a cliff into one of the caves along the coast. Over time, this cave became a pilgrimage site for native women seeking help with their children. For Catholic preachers, the association with the Virgin Mary was obvious, and so a church in honor of the Mother of God was built on a hill, giving the town its name. The church was destroyed when the region was integrated into the United States. But secretly, over the years, countless generations of mothers sought out the old cave, praying to the virgin or the mother of the legend to intercede for their kids. When you’re a mom and you need divine intervention, the source of that intervention doesn’t matter.”

“I don’t get where this is going...”

“Please, just chill, Benjamin; you’ll understand soon enough. Your mom and I actually met when we were kids on this beach, and we heard all about the old legend together. Our paths diverged; your mom met your dad, and I met Lilly, my late wife, although, at this moment, that story is being rewritten, and soon I’ll forget it, which hurts me so much. But this is the path Lilly set for us. She and I came here every summer for our vacations. The tradition continued after Olliver was born, and the three of us were really happy here. But about a year ago, around the same time your parents started the divorce process, something terrible happened to us. Olliver came out, which wasn’t a problem for us; parents usually know about these things long before their kids, and we’ve always loved him as he is. But not everyone’s like that. One day, those who were supposed to be my son’s friends pulled what they thought was a prank on him, basically a huge act of homophobia. Ollie didn’t take it well, and one thing led to another, in this case, a beating followed by a coma. You have no idea how horrible it is to see your kid lying unconscious, fighting for his life, with doctors saying there’s no chance of survival. It tears you apart inside.”

“I’m really sorry to hear that, Sean, but I still don’t get what the point of all this is...”

“Hang tight, I’ll get to that part. Over the years, my wife also heard about the legend, and in her desperation, she went to the mother’s cave to ask for help. But the legends she heard were wrong; they spoke of blood sacrifices, of one life for another... and in her hopelessness, Lilly jumped into the abyss.”

“Oh my God.”

“Yeah, a terrible, sad decision, I think she decided she couldn’t live without our son... But her sacrifice awakened something, or someone. Santa Maria really is a magical place. And you and I both experienced it. The next morning, Oliver woke up, and within a few days, he was literally brand new, healthier than ever, stronger, taller. And only I seemed to notice. As for Lilly, her body was never found. I thought I’d never set foot on this land again, but a strange feeling in my chest, like a pull, kept bringing me back here. Until I finally gave in and came. The day my shop opened, that pull reached its peak, guiding me to the cave. And inside it, kneeling in prayer, was your mom, asking for help with her kids. So I knew what to do; I approached her and offered the help she needed. At that moment, I didn’t know something like what’s happening now was possible. Of course, not long after, Ollie met Harrison, and suddenly, I had an employee named Harry who was also my son’s boyfriend. Still, when you guys came here, I thought things would just flow naturally. But I realized I was wrong again when I watched the transformation happen with Rob, with a new set of memories about him entering my head, first of him knowing me his whole life and moving in with me right after Amanda’s divorce. Then the memory changed again, Rob and Olliver became my sons with Amanda, as if Lilly had never existed. At the same time this situation infuriated me, it also scared me. I looked for your mom at the same time she was looking for me, and when we were together, we both felt that pull again, so we came to the same conclusion: we should go to the cave.” He sighed and looked at Benjamin, his eyes sympathetic. “Now things get really complicated, Benjamin. When we arrived at the cave, both Amanda and I were overtaken by a force, something much bigger than the two of us. We were invaded by alien memories, of a mother hugging her son and her lover, both dead, in that same cave, and jumping off the cliff. Then, countless mothers kneeling there, begging for their children, the intervals between those visits getting longer and longer. Until the consciousness that was there fell asleep. Then, Lilly... I was forced to witness the prayer and sacrifice of my wife, Benjamin. In her final moments, she didn’t just pray for our son’s life but also for my happiness, so that I could find a family like I always wanted. She shouldn’t have done that; Lilly’s sacrifice gave the entity more power than it had in centuries, and it used it. It found another desperate mother seeking help and put her in my path, ensuring that Lilly’s last wishes were fulfilled. Ollie is happy with the boyfriend he always wanted. Harry never had the courage to come out until he met Ollie and always worried about leaving his brother alone with a sick grandma when going to college. Your mom wanted a stable father for her kids. Rob wanted friends and a girlfriend. Micky wanted a brother he could connect with. And me, I just want a family, a big happy family. So now it’s your turn, what do you want, Benjamin?”

“I want my dad back, my brother, and the life we had.”

“I figured you’d say that. But that’s not possible. The entity can’t grasp the concept of love between a father and son. The father of her son was the one who killed him when he found out about his relationship with another man. She made it very clear to me that I only got what I wanted because it was what was best for your mom and our kids. But understand, Benjamin, the power from Lilly’s sacrifice is running out. That’s why she summoned us to the cave; she doesn’t have much time to fit you in. I’m afraid your dad’s absence in the last few months is a side effect of my wife’s desire. Your mom would’ve liked to be here and tell you all this in person, but she took the first flight back to her old city this morning, trying to track down your dad, and she was successful... Benjamin, I’m sorry, but he doesn’t remember you or your brother; he’s got another family and another life.”

“No, no, you’re lying.”

“Look into my eyes, Benjamin. I’m not lying. I care about what happens to you just like I care about my other kids. Understand, the entity can’t be guided or have its power reversed. At this point, I have two sets of memories in my mind; in one, I’m the father of two boys; in the other, I have three. Your mom is going through the same thing; she’s desperate, Benjamin, please accept what’s being offered to you!

“I don’t know...”

“You want a dad and a mom who love you and are by your side; you want your brother by your side. Even if the flow of events were reversed, it wouldn’t happen the way you want, Benjamin; your dad and mom weren’t happy in their marriage. They were hurting each other, and if you’re honest with yourself, you’ll admit they were hurting you too. So I’m begging you, let me be the dad you so need. I want the set of memories with the three boys to be real. I’ll also be letting go of an important person in my life; Lilly will cease to exist for me, but it’ll be worth it; you’re worth it.”

“I... I...” Unable to respond, Benjamin closed his eyes and just nodded as he felt the tight embrace of strong arms around him...

…..

The sunlight streamed through the kitchen window of a big beach house, lighting up the space and an eighteen-year-old kid busy preparing breakfast for the rest of his family. This kid had golden hair like the sun shining on him and a smile so bright. He seemed carefree, humming a happy tune while setting the breakfast table. Distracted for a moment while making pancakes, he didn’t notice the handsome blonde man standing at the door, watching him with an admiring smile. “Good morning, Benji!” said the man, finally deciding to interrupt the kid.

“Dad, you scared the hell out of me.”

“Watch your language, kid.” replied the dad, still smiling. “It’s just that you remind me so much of your mom when she cooks.” Of his three children, Benji was the most physically similar to him, a little shorter than his brothers and with a more robust build. But his behavior was all Amanda.

“Someone had to learn how to cook since you and none of my brothers can whip up a dish that doesn’t make everyone sick.”

“Oh, the harsh truth. Speaking of your brothers, where are they?”

“Ollie hasn’t woken up yet, and Bobby spent the night with Jessica, so it looks like it’ll just be us for breakfast.”

“Couldn’t ask for better company, son. So, what’s on your plans for today?” said Sean, stacking pancakes and pouring a generous amount of syrup on top.

“Nothing much, Bobby will meet me here so we can go to school together, Micky will meet us on the way. This afternoon we’re gonna surf, and I promised to help Mom with the restaurant tonight.”

“Hey, how come I don’t get a hand at the shop?”

“Because you’ve got an employee and your two other kids to help you with that, and both of them are incapable of frying an egg so that’s up to me. Aaand do I need to remind you I’m already giving surf lessons to the younger kids with Micky?

“Alright, you win. You win.” Sean replied, still smiling.

“I always win, Dad; Mom always says I’ve got your face but her brains, and her brains always beat you.”

“Smart woman. But we’re talking about you, kid. And I just want you to know I love you tons and I’m super proud of you, son. You’re everything a dad could want.”

“I love you too, Dad, and I couldn’t ask for a better one.” Benji replied, finishing his meal in a hurry and getting up from the table.

“What’s the rush?”

“We gotta swing by Micky’s place before school, and you know how he is; he can take longer than Ollie in the morning, and I don’t wanna be late, we have football practice.”

“I get you’ve got a busy day, but stop by the shop before heading to your mom’s restaurant.”

“Sure, see ya later, Dad.”

He said as he ran out of the kitchen. In a few minutes he was back with his backpack on his shoulders and heading out the door to meet his brother who was waiting for him on the sidewalk. He was followed the whole time by the gaze of his father who, upon seeing his sons greet each other with the greeting of the moment, could not resist calling them, making them both turn around.

“Boys!!! Before you go, where’s my hug?” He asked, which was met with all the affection from his sons.

…..

That afternoon, Sean and Amanda were at the beach, watching their three sons running after each other like they were still little kids, the resemblance between them was so strong that anyone looking from the outside might think they were triplets. It was only on closer inspection that an outsider would realize that one of the boys was slightly older than the other two. After Ollie they had longed for a girl, but But what was the surprise for both of them when they discovered that they would be parents of twins? The pregnancy had been complicated and they had gone through some tough times but somehow everything worked out and the boys were now grown men or should have been...

“Looks like these kids are never gonna grow up.” Sean commented to his wife.

“What did you expect? Their dad never grew up.” was Amanda’s cutting reply.

“Ouch! That hurt.”

“Stop whining. You know very well I prefer it this way. I wouldn’t have married you for almost twenty years if I didn’t love that goofy surfer vibe of yours.”

“So, no regrets about not going to college to be with me?”

“You know I don’t regret it; I have everything I could want, a job I love, three wonderful boys, perfect copies of their dad, the love of my life. I’m sure some higher power guided our destiny. And you, aren’t you happy with everything we’ve achieved?”

“I’m the happiest man in the world. And I’m super grateful for everything we’ve got. I think even in other lives I wouldn’t find a better family.”

…………..

One last word

So, this is a revised repost of a story I've always liked but didn’t get much attention around here, maybe 'cause it ain't an erotic story. Anyway, since most of my work is that kind of stuff, I rewrote this one so none of the characters are underage. If you’re older, you probably caught the 'The Lost Boys' vibe in this story, and yeah, that was totally my inspo. That was one of my fave flicks growing up, and being the weirdo I am, I always hoped the vampire boss would win and the kids would join his fam so they could all be happy draining blood on the California coast. My story ended up being way less bloody, of course, but still, it’s kinda how I wished the movie would’ve wrapped up. Judge me if you want!"

[chipchopclipclop]

i just started rewatching soul eater for the first time since i was 15 and Stein is so much more interesting to me than he was then... what are ur soul eater thoughts chip if youre willing to share

i did not experience soul eater as a wee youth, the first time i watched (and then read it) was 4 years ago (give or take) so i do not have the beautifully tinged nostalgia for the series others might. i say this only bc it colours my thoughts of the series pretty well lmao.

the anime is alot better than the manga just by virture of bones' animation being incredible but also its like 40% less painfully fucking horny (though still is its shounen) and the way some of that plot goes in the second half is so fucking bad in the manga (though not all, but god). It's not like the anime gets rid of everything like that stupid ass argument black star has with maka still makes me want to murder him but ultimately i like the anime and its writing more. i think my minds canon is just a meld of parts i like from both lol.

ohkubo is also just on my top ten list of mangaka i need to actually kill like hes a solid #3 on the needs to die list. his designs and art improvement were fun to watch and i do love halloween world and his toony stuff, undeniably bangs, but you can really tell by the end where his transformation into horny moe artist came from. sometimes i see people shocked by this and soul eater not's existence and i have to think did we read the same fucking manga...??

sorry i needed to get my bitching out before talking about stein. i love stein. so many things wrong with him. he is 70% of the reason i got around to watching it and 95% of the reason i kept reading it. i think how expressive he is is alot of his charm, like he does alot of moe body language you might not expect of his type of chara.

hes #crazy and #madscientist and #edgy and #insaneasylum but also very silly and whimsical... kind of emblematic of the world of soul eater at large actually, this is also alot of the other characters appeal in this universe too (DEATH THE KID).

he's obsessive, hes empathetic, hes also sadistic, hes got a screw in his head, megane, fun with kids, perfect man. hes also got both an equal capacity for getting worse and better in him which can be fun to think about in either direction, and you've got characters that do influence him either way for that in the series. im also kind of remembering clicking the screw in his head is to help somewhat deal with his mental state actually, king of the disability aid...(?)

you can treat his character very seriously or lightheartedly, i think the writing in both versions maintains that balance well. It also makes everyone else who actually sticks around him somewhat deranged too (the fact he did surgery on spirit at school but spirit still interacts like pretty normally at work with him after meeting again. lmfao. THEY WENT DRINKING TOO) the fact he still calls spirit senpai also is so funny. its like 40% a dig at him but also 60% genuine. i hate gay people btw.

i like the thought that he was more stoic when he was younger but as he got older stopped trying to hide his eccentricities as much, and became more expressive lol. younger stein to me is a guy screaming in his head 247 but looking like 😐 while spirit stares at him trying to decipher what his eyelid twitching today means.

[nicxl333]

SEPARATE WAYS— GETO SUGURU X FEM!READER

summary: why should he stay with you if you don’t see his way of thinking?

content: fluff, angst, teen!geto, teen!gojo

i won’t lie to you, i didn’t proof read this so mistakes are probably imminent

life used to be so good. specifically when geto asked you out during second year at jujutsu high.

“suguru just do it you pussy. too afraid she’ll say no?”

“stop pestering me satoru. i don’t want to hear shit from someone who can’t keep a girlfriend for more than a week.”

“at least i get girls. can you say the same, loner?”

“you know, i’d insult you, but i’d have to explain it to you after, so forget it.”

gojo held his hands up in defeat, knowing arguing would get him nowhere.

“i’m just saying, she won’t stay on the market forever. who knows, maybe i’ll sweep her off her feet one day.”

and he walked off.

it had been months of geto having a never ending crush on you. the more he saw you the worse it got. not to mention the times you’d be partnered up on missions together. the care you held for his wellbeing especially when he was injured made his heart swell, healed his wounds ten times better than your RCT could ever hope to.

he swore to himself day by day that he’d eventually grow a pair and ask you out. maybe to a movie or a picnic. something romantic where he could truly show you the best version of himself. but when the time would come he would freeze, the common fear of rejection weighing over his body, holding his tongue down.

until he saw gojo actually making a move on you by the classroom door one day, his hand positioned above your head while your back was stood against the wall.

fuck no. fat chance in hell he’d let you be taken from him by the likes of gojo. of all people.

4 long strides was all it took for him to be standing adjacent to you. you turned from gojo to look at his agitated face, staring down gojo. if looks could kill, consider gojo in the morgue.

“oh, suguru, did you need me for something? guess you can give me those class notes some other time then y/n.”

fucking gojo, of course he’d pull some stunt like this.

although geto guessed that did give him the push he needed. actually seeing the possibility of you being taken scared him into actually doing something for once.

“not you dimwit, i need to talk to y/n.”

your eyes widened at this. what could he possibly need you for? little did he know you also had a devastatingly abnormal crush on him too, and you didn’t know if you could handle the proximity as it was, with him towering over you like that.

gojo held out his arms in faux devastation.

“alas, let me go venture for someone who truly cares.” he then winked at you.

trust gojo to be fucking obvious.

it was then brought to geto’s attention it was just him and you.

shit. he’d actually have to say something.

“so. y/n, i was… well i wanted to know if-”

fucking hell was this going well.

you tilted your head at him stumbling over his words. what happened to the confident, headstrong guy you knew and loved relatively liked?

“suguru, are you okay?”

fuuuck. he could’ve actually melted at you saying his name. your voice was so soft and soothing. he had to have you now.

“y/n. i need you to know something. i like you. like really badly. you’re constantly on my mind all day and i wouldn’t want anyone else if they’re not you. i understand if you don’t feel the same and we could just continue as before…”

while he was rambling you stood there shocked at his confession. you couldn’t believe he liked you back this whole time. it almost felt too easy.

“suguru.”

nothing. he was still rambling on. it seemed he was lost at this point. so you did what seemed right.

he paused heavily after feeling a pair of soft, cushioned lips against his own.

you were kissing him? did this mean you felt the same way?

he paused mid sentence and kissed you back, hands gently gripping your waist. you pulled his hair out of its bun and tangled your fingers in his strands, deepening the kiss.

sadly, breathing is a mandatory thing so the both of you eventually pulled back for air.

“does that answer your question?”

“wow. um…yeah definitely.” he placed his hand behind his head before continuing;

“i want to ask you right though, would you do me the honour of going on a date with me?”

you smiled at him brightly, bringing him into a tight hug.

“of course i would.”

—

soon enough one date turned into 3, and that evening, on top of a random skyscraper turned picnic setting, you became geto’s official girlfriend.

everything ran smooth, both parties were happy, and life was good.

until it wasn’t.

when the star plasma vessel riko died, geto’s persona changed. you noticed throughout the year you were dating how he changed, becoming more and more distant by the day, until the geto you once knew and loved was once again no more, only this time in a much more sour light.

nevertheless you stuck by him. 2 long years, hoping that he’d one day wake up and things would return back to normal.

that worked, right up until he grew tired of you. endless arguments and neglect on his part was bound to reach it’s breaking point.

“suguru please, i can’t keep doing this with you anymore. have you just forgotten about everyone who’s ever cared about you. what about satoru? what about me?”

he spared you one glance before turning his head back towards the end of the room.

“tell me this y/n, do you follow my beliefs? do you believe just as much as i do that humanity is scum and deserves to cease to exist?”

“suguru you know just as well as i do that you’re alone in that belief.”

he came closer, lifting your chin up with two fingers so he could look directly into your eyes, his own cold and devoid of emotion.

“so why am i wasting my time with you then?”

your eyes widened. as much as he had turned into a national dickhead, up till now he had never made it seem like your relationship was pointless.

he smirked at you and dropped his fingers from your chin, your head falling forward with them.

“let’s be clear y/n, until you can see it in yourself to take up my values, consider us done. don’t come looking for me. it won’t be friendly as it is now.”

you couldn’t do anything but stand there, confused how things came to be. one thing was evident though. geto wouldn’t change his mind. and with how he just disrespected you, you were reluctant to stay in his presence any longer.

and so, with a heavy heart and desolate mood, you walked away.

away from him and your crumbling relationship.

[edenesth]

How I Met Your Mother

Pairing: husband!Yuta x wife!reader

AU: non-idol au

Word Count: 4.9k

Summary: An innocent question from your eight-year-old son takes you and your husband on a trip down memory lane, nearly a decade ago. You both recount the story of how you first met, where Yuta heroically rescued you from an attempted abduction.

A/N: Based on a dream I had of Yuta, I just knew I had to write about it.

MAIN MASTERLIST

"Mama, papa, how exactly did the two of you first meet?"

Your son, Yuki, was going through an old photo album mainly filled with photos of you and your husband before he was born.

Seeing the younger versions of his parents suddenly piqued his curiosity, making him realise that neither you nor Yuta had ever shared the story of how you initially crossed paths.

Yuta beamed, pulling you closer as you both fondly watched your son flip through the carefully curated album, his eyes sparkling with intrigue. It must have been fascinating for him to catch a glimpse of his parents' lives before his existence.

As memories of your first encounter flooded your thoughts, you couldn't help scrunching up your face, earning a chuckle from your husband as he planted an affectionate kiss on the side of your head.

The way you and he first met wasn't exactly a pleasant memory for you, despite Yuta occasionally bringing it up to brag and tease you about being your knight in shining armour.

It was an unforgettable experience, to say the least.

Although it had been borderline traumatic for you, it was the spark that ignited Yuta's protective instincts whenever it came to you.

You rolled your eyes, a small smile gracing your lips, while your husband cleared his throat eagerly, excited to finally share the story of the beginning of your love story with your son.

"Yuki, my boy, you have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to grow up enough to ask about this."

Your son burst into laughter at his dad's dramatic tone, the exchanged knowing glances between his parents only fueling his curiosity about the story.

"Oh boy, here we go again." You joked but leaned in closer, snuggling into your husband's shoulder, your heart fluttering as he instinctively tightened his hold around you.

"Alright, let's see... It all began one night about ten years ago..."

Your heart thudded loudly in your chest as you continued to distance yourself from the unfamiliar man who had been suspiciously following you for what felt like hours.

It took a while before you realised what was happening.

Perhaps it was your own fault for choosing to go stock up on groceries all alone at this time of the night. Sure, your neighbourhood wasn't necessarily the safest, but at least there hadn't been any crazy crime stories from around the area as of yet.

Well, it looks like I might be the first one.

Clutching your shopping bags tightly, you opted for yet another detour, determined not to lead this stranger back to your home, where he could potentially abduct you or worse, have his way with you, without anyone ever finding out.

A million thoughts raced through your mind, as you imagined all the horrifying scenarios that might unfold tonight. Panic coursed through your veins and you couldn't afford to waste another minute.

Hastily, you pulled your phone out of your pocket and dialled your housemate's number, praying for a lifeline. The ringing felt like an eternity, but it was met with frustrating silence.

Shit, she's not picking up.

You cursed under your breath, clutching your phone tighter, and decided to try other coworkers you knew living around the area. The calls all ended up going to voicemail or, in the best-case scenario, were met with an endless ring.

It was a weeknight, and everyone must be sound asleep.

Your trembling hands struggled to maintain a steady grip on your phone as you felt the stranger drawing closer from behind. The footsteps echoed ominously in the deserted night.

Desperation took over, and you tried dialling another number, your best friend's, hoping he might miraculously be awake. The harsh reality was that everyone seemed to be lost in deep slumber, oblivious to your perilous situation.

Fear gripped your heart as you finally accepted your fate. The stranger's presence loomed closer, sending a shiver down your spine.

It was almost as if god finally heard your prayers.

As you turned a corner, you stumbled upon a man who appeared to be stepping out of his apartment to throw out the trash. He was now on his way back, his back turned to you as he approached the entrance. Your eyes widened in alarm at the sight of this opportunity, and you knew you had to seize it.

With your heart lurching in your chest, you sprinted towards the man, your breath coming in ragged gasps. The sound of footsteps behind you grew louder, and you knew the stranger was chasing you.

You reached the man, your trembling hand gripping his arm, and he snapped to look at you in surprise, "Babe! I called you like a million times, why didn't you answer any of my calls?" You cried out, desperately hoping he'd play along.

Confusion crossed his face.

Much to your chagrin, he began to protest that he didn't know you. But it only took a moment for his gaze to shift from your panicked expression to the strange man skidding to a stop just a few feet behind you.

Seeing the menace in your pursuer's eyes, you whispered shakily, "P-please... please help me. He's been following me for a while now."

The urgency in your voice and the fear in your eyes conveyed the gravity of the situation, and the man's protective instincts kicked in. Without hesitation, he nodded and took a step closer to you.

He smiled reassuringly at you, giving your arm a supportive squeeze, "I'm Yuta. Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to you." He whispered into your ear, his words providing a small semblance of comfort. You nodded appreciatively, grateful for his intervention.

Yuta immediately stepped into the role you assigned him, "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I must've left my phone on mute again." He said, loud enough for the stranger to hear as he pushed you protectively behind him.

Turning to the stranger, he raised a questioning brow and confronted him with a calm but assertive tone, "How may I help you, sir?" Yuta's stance conveyed his readiness to protect you.

You expected the stranger to take the hint, to leave you alone now that your supposed "boyfriend" was around.

But what happened next was unexpected.

The creep didn't appear to be intimidated; instead, he smirked in disbelief, "Don't kid yourself," He sneered, "I know she's not your girlfriend. Just mind your business, step aside, and no one has to get hurt."

Your heart raced in your chest as you gasped, fear grasping at your every nerve, and you clutched the back of Yuta's shirt.

Your breaths were becoming increasingly erratic as the stranger refused to buy into the charade, and dread was taking hold of your every thought. You feared not only for your own safety but also for poor Yuta's. The grip of your fingers on the back of his shirt was almost painful as you held on desperately.

Feeling your distress, Yuta reached behind him to hold your hand, his touch a source of comfort amidst the chaos. He squeezed your hand reassuringly, silently urging you to stay as calm as possible.

Yuta narrowed his brows dangerously in response to the stranger's claim, "Huh, what an odd thing to say," He retorted with a firm tone, "And how, pray tell, do you know she's not my girlfriend?" Yuta's voice carried a subtle edge of menace, and he was prepared to stand his ground.

The stranger, undeterred, took a step closer.

"I suggest you be careful with your every action because we have surveillance cameras installed all over this neighbourhood." Yuta's words were meant to intimidate, but they also served as a warning.

The creep couldn't help tensing up at the threat.

Unbeknownst to you and your stalker, Yuta wasn't alone in this situation. He knew he needed backup and immediately sent a quick text to Mark, his housemate who was a police officer, asking for help using their secret emergency code. As he did so, he continued to hold his ground, doing his best to stall for time, hoping that help would arrive before things escalated any further.

The tension in the air thickened as Yuta and the stranger exchanged veiled threats, each trying to assert their dominance in the standoff. The atmosphere crackled with danger, and it seemed like things could take a nasty turn at any moment.

But then, relief washed over you as Mark, Yuta's housemate, appeared from the apartment gate with wide eyes. Yuta immediately wrapped an arm around your shoulder, his expression shifting from assertive to reassuring.

"Hey Mark," Yuta greeted him calmly, "This guy's been following my girlfriend around the neighbourhood. You're a cop; think you can do something about that?"

Mark understood the situation instantly.

He stepped forward, pulling out his police badge and addressing the stranger with a stern tone, "Sir, is that true?"

Sensing the gravity of the situation and realising that he was now dealing with a police officer, the stranger knew it was in his best interest to give up the charade. He decided to play dumb, attempting to salvage whatever dignity remained.

"Oh, I apologise," He stammered, feigning innocence, "It's just a misunderstanding. I thought she was someone I knew. Now that we have that cleared up, I'll be taking my leave then."

With that, the stranger briskly retreated, vanishing from the scene before you could fully process what just happened. The relief was palpable as the danger lifted, and you were left with the protection of Yuta and the support of Mark, who had come to your rescue.

The moment the stranger was out of sight, the adrenaline that kept you going suddenly drained from your body, leaving your legs weak and unsteady. You felt like your knees were about to give way, and you would have fallen to the ground if it hadn't been for Yuta holding onto you.

"Are you alright, miss?" Mark asked, his concern evident.

You didn't want to do this, but you couldn't help it. You felt tears welling up in your eyes as you broke down in front of your saviours, "Oh my god," You sobbed, your voice trembling, "Th-thank you so much for helping me. Lord knows what he wanted with me."

Yuta held you close, providing a comforting embrace as you tried to collect yourself. Mark stepped in with practical advice, his voice gentle and reassuring, "It's okay," He said, "But I strongly recommend you make a police report about this. It's essential to prevent such incidents from happening to someone else in the future."

You nodded through your tears, thankful for their support.

Relieved by the support and protection Yuta and Mark offered, you agreed to let them walk you home. The companionship and their unwavering presence were comforting as you made your way back.

Along the walk, you introduced yourself and shared the details of what transpired, explaining how the stranger had been tailing you for quite some time before you noticed Yuta when he was throwing out the trash.

Yuta listened attentively, guilt gnawing at him for initially considering turning away from you before realising the danger you were in. He couldn't bear to imagine what might have happened if he had left you to fend for yourself. He vowed silently to always be there for you in times of need.

Mark, on the other hand, made a mental note to keep an eye out for the stranger around the neighbourhood from now on. The incident raised concerns, and he understood the importance of ensuring the safety of everyone in the community.

Upon arriving at your doorstep, Yuta exchanged a silent look with Mark, wordlessly asking his friend for some privacy. Mark nodded knowingly and bid you both farewell before making his way outside, leaving you alone with Yuta.

Looking up at him more closely now, you finally realised how good-looking Yuta was, and before you knew it, your heart began racing for an entirely different reason. He stood before you, nervously biting his lower lip, and you wondered what he wanted to talk to you about.

Minutes felt like hours as you waited for him to speak.

Finally, his cheeks flushed with a slight blush, and he cleared his throat, his voice trembling, "I-it was really nice to meet you, and, umm... now that you know where I live, you can always come to me for help. Oh— uhh... here's my number, you know, just in case..."

You chuckled at his shyness and nodded, taking the name card he held out. Your fingers brushed against his briefly, sending a spark of electricity through you, "Thank you, Yuta," You replied with a smile, "I really appreciate what you did for me tonight. And, it was nice to meet you too."

The tension that filled the air throughout the night seemed to dissipate, leaving a sense of connection and gratitude between you. You knew that you would remember this night not only for the terrifying ordeal but also for the newfound friend who had come to your rescue.

"And that, son, is how I met your mother."

If you thought your son's curiosity would end there, you were wrong. He proceeded with his next question, "Okay, so what happened next? How did you two fall in love?"

You shook your head in amusement as you noticed the excitement building in your husband, ready to delve deeper into the early stages of your love story, "Are you sure you want to find out, Yuki? Once you hear this, no other love story will ever compare to ours."

A laugh bubbled out of your lips, and you playfully smacked Yuta on the chest, "Oh honey, don't listen to your papa. He's being ridiculous," Your husband gasped dramatically, feigning disbelief as he held your hand against his chest, "How dare you? Are you saying our love story isn't the greatest in the world?"

"It's not the greatest love story in the world," You began, snickering at Yuta's pout, "But it is the greatest love story in my heart." Your husband cooed at your words, showering your face with kisses.

Yuki crossed his arms over his chest like the sassy little eight-year-old he is, "Umm, papa? So, are you telling me the story or not?" Yuta pulled away slightly from you, containing his laughter at his son's exasperated expression.

Your husband's penchant for public displays of affection wasn't new, but Yuki still felt a bit embarrassed whenever he witnessed his parents being lovey-dovey around him, "Okay, okay, sheesh. I know you're dying to hear about it, so here we go..."

The following day after the incident, your housemate, Giselle, nearly had a heart attack when she discovered a slew of missed calls from you. Relieved to see you safely asleep in your bed, she couldn't resist checking in on you. And as you recounted the previous night's ordeal, her emotions fluctuated from shock to sly amusement.

After hearing about Yuta and seeing the name card you received, her eyes practically sparkled with excitement, "Ooh, Nakamoto Yuta, huh? Sounds like your next boyfriend to me." She said with a grin.

You chuckled as you playfully threw a pillow at her face, "I swear, you say that about every new guy I meet."

She laughed and shrugged, "Well, maybe this one will be different."

As you contemplated the events of the previous night and the unexpected connection with Yuta, you couldn't help but wonder if Giselle might be onto something.

Your best friend, Jaehyun, finally returned your call after seeing the missed call from the previous night. You recounted the entire incident to him, much like you had with Giselle. Unlike your housemate, his concern was predominantly focused on your well-being rather than the newfound acquaintance, Yuta.

Jaehyun didn't waste any time.

He decided to accompany you to the police station that afternoon during his lunch break from work.

Your best friend blamed himself for not being there for you when you needed him the most, even though it was completely understandable. He was determined to make sure everything was handled properly and that you received the support you needed.

You hadn't expected to run into Yuta again so soon, but it was that very night when you crossed paths while walking back home from the convenience store with your housemate. Ignoring her teasing smirks, you introduced the two to each other, "Oh hi, Yuta! This is my housemate, Giselle. And Giselle, this is Yuta, the kind soul who saved me last night."

Giselle quickly expressed her gratitude, "Gosh, it's so nice to meet you. I can't thank you enough for coming to her rescue!"

Yuta was humble in his response, "Please, don't mention it! It was simply the right thing to do."

His modesty made you feel like perhaps he really was just being a genuinely decent person, and there was nothing more to his kindness. You knew Giselle had a tendency to get carried away with her imagination, always getting you hyped up with false hope.

You exchanged a tight smile with Yuta as you bid your goodbyes. This time, when he offered to walk you home, you politely declined, feeling a sense of independence and confidence that you could handle the walk with your housemate by your side.

It was about a week later that you felt a wave of relief when the police update came in, the stranger who had been following you that fateful night had been arrested for further questioning. It turned out he made multiple attempts to approach other girls in the neighbourhood as well. You hoped this marked the end of that distressing chapter, thinking you might not have a reason to see Yuta again.

Except you were sorely mistaken.

Nakamoto Yuta started showing up almost everywhere.

You saw him at the convenience store, passed him on your way to work and back home, encountered him at the nearby Chinese restaurant, and even spotted him at the library. The first few times felt like mere coincidences, but you gradually began to suspect that he was intentionally crossing paths with you.

One evening, when you decided to go for a jog at the recreational park, you discovered it wasn't just a coincidence.

There he was, running in your direction, his eyes lighting up with recognition as he approached you. It was then that you realised Yuta's appearances in your life weren't accidental; he was actively seeking out opportunities to be around you.

At the recreational park during your jog, you decided to be brave and address the elephant in the room, "Yuta," You began, your heart racing with a mix of excitement and apprehension, "I've noticed we've been running into each other a lot lately. Is there a reason for that?"

His cheeks turned a faint shade of pink, and he looked down shyly before meeting your gaze.

"Well, the truth is," He began, "I've been trying to find ways to talk to you." He paused for a moment, searching for the right words, and then he finally mustered the courage to continue, "I've... I've been attracted to you, and I wanted to get to know you better."

Your eyes widened in disbelief as you tried to process this revelation. Yuta, the kind and handsome Nakamoto Yuta, was interested in you? It felt like a dream come true, and your heart fluttered at the thought. You didn't know what to say, but your smile spoke volumes about your feelings, as you felt your own attraction to him growing with each passing moment.

Yuta's nerves seemed to get the best of him as he mistook your initial silence for rejection. In a quick, slightly frantic ramble, he stumbled over his words, saying, "I mean, it's okay if you don't feel the same way, or if you already have a boyfriend. I completely understand."

But you didn't let him finish his self-doubting monologue. You grabbed his trembling hands with a warm smile, putting his anxieties to rest, "Yuta," You said, "I don't have a boyfriend, and I feel the same way. I'm just as attracted to you."

His eyes widened at your words, and a look of pure surprise washed over his face. Your giggles escaped uncontrollably as you found him utterly adorable when flustered. You felt him tighten his hold on your hand, and he took a step closer to you, closing the gap between you two, a mix of excitement and relief in his eyes.

"Well, if that's the case, will you go out on a date with me?" He seized the perfect opportunity to ask you out, and you didn't hesitate for a moment before agreeing, "I thought you'd never ask." The prospect of spending more time with him filled you with excitement and anticipation.

Later that night, you would meet Yuta for dinner.

Giselle couldn't resist teasing you endlessly as she helped you pick out the perfect outfit, offering fashion advice and supportive comments that made you blush and laugh.

Her closet was a whirlwind of options as she held up dresses, skirts, and tops, "How about this one? It'll look amazing on you!"

You chuckled, sorting through the outfits, "Gigi, it's just dinner. I don't need to overdress."

She winked mischievously, "It's not overdressing if it makes you feel confident!"

Meanwhile, Jaehyun, who came over to check on you, couldn't help expressing his concern, "You know, I trust your judgment, but please be careful, okay? I don't want anything to happen to you."

You sighed, understanding his protective nature, "Jae, I promise, Yuta is a great guy. He wouldn't do anything to hurt me. Besides, are you forgetting the fact that he was the one who saved me that night?"

The reassuring words didn't fully alleviate his worry, but he nodded, accepting your choice, "How can I possibly forget when you keep mentioning it every five minutes? Just promise me to keep your phone on, and let me know if you need anything."

With your housemate's guidance and your best friend's cautionary reminders, you headed out for your date with Yuta, heart fluttering with excitement.

The date with him turned out to be more than perfect. Yuta's caring and attentive gestures made your heart melt throughout the night.

As you dined at a cosy restaurant, he pulled your chair out for you, ensuring you were comfortable. He listened intently as you spoke, asking questions and showing genuine interest in your thoughts and feelings. When you shivered slightly, he casually draped his jacket over your shoulders, ensuring you stayed warm.

After dinner, you took a leisurely stroll through the city park. Yuta held your hand as you walked, fingers interlaced. He pointed out constellations in the night sky and shared anecdotes about his life. His warmth and presence made the conversation flow effortlessly, and it felt as if you had known each other for much longer.

The date ended with him walking you to your doorstep. Before saying goodnight, he leaned in to press a gentle, respectful kiss on your cheek. It was a sweet, soft gesture that left you with a smile on your face as you entered your home.

His kindness, consideration, and charming nature truly made it an unforgettable evening, setting the tone for many more wonderful moments together.

The weeks and months passed in a whirlwind of dates and shared experiences. You got to know each other so well that it became clear you were both ready for a deeper commitment. Yuta had always been serious about the relationship, making it known that he was not interested in anything casual. He reassured you time and time again that he would never do anything to hurt you.

He's been waiting for the perfect moment to finally ask you to officially be his girlfriend.

The moment Yuta had been waiting for eventually arrived, and it was like a scene from a K-drama; unexpected and dramatic. You were walking side by side down the bustling streets of Hongdae one night after watching a movie together.

The city's neon lights created a surreal backdrop. The vibrant energy of Seoul's nightlife buzzed around you, and you were enjoying the company of the person you've grown to care deeply for.

Suddenly, amidst the excitement, someone's touch became too intimate. Panic washed over you as you felt a stranger's hand on your waist, and it moved lower, sending a jolt of alarm through your body. Your eyes widened as you tried to figure out what was happening in this crowded, chaotic scene.

Yuta was quick to pick up on your distress.

His gaze followed your wide-eyed stare, and his expression morphed from curiosity to fierce determination when he saw the inappropriate situation unfolding.

With a surge of protective rage, he moved swiftly, his hand reaching for yours as he pulled you away from the unwelcome intruder. In search of comfort, you pressed closer to him. His face was a mask of fury as he confronted the person who dared to harm you, "Excuse me, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

The stranger's face paled as he realised the gravity of his actions, "I... I didn't mean to..."

Yuta's voice was firm, cutting through the chaos of the street, "It doesn't matter what you meant. You crossed a line you shouldn't have, and that's not acceptable."

The crowd that gathered began to murmur, and the stranger, feeling the weight of the public gaze, backed away, muttering apologies and excuses.

Yuta, standing his ground, continued, "Remember this lesson, and never let it happen again. We all deserve to be treated with respect."

As the stranger retreated into the crowd, Yuta's focus returned to you, making sure you were okay. The fierce protector had shown his dedication to your safety in no uncertain terms.

In that tense and unexpected moment, his eyes met yours, and he seized the opportunity to ask the question that had been lingering between you for so long.

"This is it," He began, "I can't go on like this any longer. Will you let me be the one to always protect you from now on?" He paused, his gaze locked onto yours, a mix of hope and anticipation in his eyes, "Will you... be my girlfriend?"

The crowd around you erupted into cheers and applause, chanting for you to say yes to Yuta. Their enthusiasm was infectious, and you couldn't help smiling at their exuberance.

With a shy yet delighted grin, you nodded, "Of course, I'll be your girlfriend, silly. I've waited too long for you to ask."

His face lit up, his joy evident, and he wasted no time in pulling you into a warm and loving embrace. The crowd's cheers only grew louder as they congratulated the two of you, celebrating the official beginning of your journey together as a couple.

As he walked you home later that night, the atmosphere was charged with emotion. With a mix of excitement and anticipation, he leaned in to kiss you on the lips for the first time. The world around you seemed to fade away as your lips met, and for a moment, it was just the two of you in perfect harmony.

Before the kiss could deepen and become more passionate, the romantic moment was abruptly interrupted by your housemate, who swung your front door open and shouted, "Finally!"

Her sudden entrance startled both of you, and you laughed as you pulled away from the kiss.

Giselle's enthusiastic interruption added a dose of humour to the scene, and Yuta joined in the laughter, your hearts brimming with happiness and the promise of a wonderful future together.

Your son's face was the epitome of adorable scepticism as he tilted his head, looking at his father's dramatic storytelling, "Papa, are you sure that isn't a scene from a drama?" Yuta scoffed playfully, "Of course not! I'm telling you the truth!"

Yuki, with his round eyes, turned to you, seeking confirmation, "Is it really true that's how you and papa fell in love, mama?"

You softened and leaned down to kiss his head, reassuring him, "It's true, honey."

To your surprise, your son's expression turned more serious, "That would mean it's true you've almost gotten hurt twice if papa hadn't been there to save you."

You nodded, touched by your son's concern, and Yuki continued, "Don't worry, mama. I'm here now; I'll protect you too."

Your heart melted at his words, and Yuta cooed with pride, coming over to shower your son's face with playful kisses. Yuki shrieked in ticklish delight, and you stared at the two of them with a fond smile.

You may have nearly gotten hurt in order to meet Yuta, but you wouldn't change your fate for anything in the world. You were incredibly happy with your little family, and your heart was full of love and gratitude for the way things have turned out.

In the midst of this warm family moment, Yuki's curious nature was in full swing. With an innocent yet cheeky smile, he suddenly asked, "So, how did you two have me then?"

Your face turned a shade of red that rivalled a tomato, and you cleared your throat nervously. Beside you, Yuta stammered, his words coming out in a rush, "Whoa, whoa, that's enough questions for today, young man!"

Yuki's eyes sparkled with amusement as he sensed he hit a nerve. Despite the initial flustered reactions, you burst out laughing, unable to contain your mirth.

It seemed like the story of your love, your family, and your son's inquisitiveness would continue to be a delightful adventure.

I've only been writing for ATEEZ so far since they're my current ult, but NCT and I go way back HAHA. I've been the biggest simp for Yuta, y'all don't wanna know about it, I swear.

Anyway, this is me trying out writing for other groups. I have another story featuring I.N from Stray Kids coming up soon as well. My fellow STAYs can look forward to that one.

As always, I'd love to hear all your thoughts, reviews, and feedback, so feel free to leave as many replies as you want! Thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed! <3

All Rights Reserved © edenesth // DO NOT REPOST, TRANSLATE, PLAGIARISE OR REPURPOSE.

[kitspindles]

I’m in no way bashing on people who have already finished TSatS and say they hate it, are disappointed, etc., because I myself have not gone past chapter seven. My friend let me read some today, but I won’t have my own copy until Thursday, so maybe my opinions will change. I will say, however, that if you read 400+ pages in less than a day, maybe give yourself some time to process the entire plot first?

In any case, I can’t help but wonder how many people went into this book expecting one version of Nico and Will, only to be hit with something else entirely. And I mean like... expecting the fandom’s versions of these two, rather than what canon has previously shown us up until this book.

It’s my personal opinion that the PJO fandom’s worse enemy is their own mischaracterization of the characters at times. And I don’t mean like little head canons and stuff. Everyone has done those at some point. There’s usually no harm in those. I’m talking about people who created their own versions of Nico and Will and have been running with these visions for years through different fan fictions and what-not online.

For years we’ve known basically nothing about Will aside from the fact that he’s sarcastic, likes Star Wars, his mom is a country singer, he can glow in the dark, and he’s better at healing than fighting. (And he has questionable fashion choice at times). Like, that’s all we’ve had since his initial introduction in The Last Olympian over a decade ago. Everything else? Online and fan speculation. And again, there is nothing wrong with that! I just feel like a lot of people went into this book holding onto their own pre-conceived visions of what Will Solace was and ended up disappointed the authors made him... different? But not really different, because he didn’t have a lot of in-depth personality or backstory before this.

Me personally? Yeah, I’m not that far into the book yet but I’m loving how Will is portrayed so far. He’s still sarcastic, but he’s shown his fair share of level-headedness as well as frustrations just within the first couple chapters. He is in no way the overly-optimistic sunshine-y boy who only exists to help Nico that the fandom has portrayed him to be all these years. His character arc is already headed in a way deeper direction (more on that when I finish the book). The whole bit where Will had coffee spilled on him and spent the next couple paragraphs in the scene trying to be unbothered while actually giving off “This is fine” fire dog energies? I loved that.

As for Nico, can I just say I adore how he’s written in this book? Aside from his PoV in Blood of Olympus, this is the first time he’s had his own narration. And it’s actually about him and more in-depth than previous times. I’ve heard people say that he’s “out of character,” and while I can see a little of what they’re all saying, I just want to know... what version of Nico have you all been reading? Did I miss something?

Up until this book, what exactly did we know about Nico? That he’s displaced in time, his sister and mother are both dead (and he feels alone), he harbored repressed gay feelings from his upbringing as a Catholic guy in 1940s Italy, and he’s been through the ringer more than once (so, trauma, basically). Oh, and he’s a bit of a nerd (Mythomagic and knowing all kinds of ancient creatures). That’s... about it. Everything has been speculation and projection from fans.

In previous books he’s always been portrayed from first- or third-person point of view (usually from people who don’t know him well and just think he’s “creepy”), leading to the idea that he’s distant and low-empathy based on some interactions he’s had with demigods who weren’t thrilled to be around him, during a time of great pressure. But he’s not exactly uncaring. He’s been shown to care a lot, actually (Bianca, Hestia, Bob, everything he’s done for Percy, his friendship with Reyna, Hazel, etc.)

But what about when he was ten? He was an excitable, curious kid who liked to have fun. And what did we see briefly in Trials of Apollo (before Jason died, at least)? We saw some of that energy return, particularly in The Hidden Oracle.

So, yeah, I’m personally thrilled to see him making cringe-y jokes and have some self-deprecating humor. It’s very “#OnBrand” for a traumatized teenager who’s just trying to cope and live life without any godly wars forcing him this way and that. Can we really say it’s “out of character” if we’ve never seen more than one side of Nico? (The under pressure side, from other character’s PoVs, in books not about him where he’s basically been a side character?) I’m just glad to see him cracking jokes, laughing, and acting more like a normal kid.

Now, is this book different from Rick’s other ones? Uh, yeah. I won’t say it’s not. But it’s not bad. It’s supposed to be different. It has slightly different intentions than the other books (re: explicitly working through trauma and relationship bumps). Also, it’s co-written. Co-written books always read slightly off from the original author’s work, but dam if it isn’t hard to meld writing styles and copy another author’s particular voice. But I think Mark did a very good job at imitating Rick’s style (again, from what I’ve read so far).

Will I change my mind on all this the farther I get into the book? Maybe. There’s a lot to read and take in. All I’m saying is don’t let the negative reviews warp your opinion of the book if you haven’t read it yet and are on the fence if you should or not. Wait for the PDF to drop, or for a library copy, and read and see for yourself.

[engeorged]

Dear Alex

Dear Alex,

I can’t really remember how many times I’ve started writing this letter and how many times I’ve thrown it in the bin. It’s a really shitty way of doing this but I just don’t think I can tell you any of this to your face. I’m too embarrassed. It all started as a prank, a way to level the tables with the both of us. I meant to tell you sooner but I guess it got out of hand and here we are. I’m gonna have to start at the beginning I think. You’ll know all of this, just not my side of it I guess.

After university when we moved in together I wasn’t sure we’d last as room mates for more than a few months but it was so easy hanging out with you and we were both the same level of untidy so we didn’t piss each other off. We did have those tricky few weeks a few years back when we dated the same guy without realising but he turned into the biggest ballsack on the planet so it wasn’t hard to get over that!

I’m only mentioning that because that’s not the reason I got you fat. It wasn’t revenge for anything. I don’t fully remember the original reason to be completely honest, it wasn’t really a thought through thing, it just sort of happened. And yeah I know I just threw that it there. I got you fat. I mean you definitely played your part in it but I really messed with you man and I’m sorry.

It was innocent at first, I noticed when you started your new job and you were tired all the time, you started going to the gym less. I think it was when we were decorating the kitchen one weekend and you were painting the ceiling, I saw your rounded little pot belly when you were reaching up. All those late night take aways and evenings sat in front of the tv watching the football were taking their toll. Your flat muscled six pack was disappearing. It instantly filled me with hope. You had a flaw I could exploit!

It pains me to say this but of the two of us, you’d always been the hot one. Don’t get me wrong, on my own, I’m not bad looking. In fact if someone asked me I’d probably say I was a nine, it’s just that next to you, I’m a seven at best. Your blonde hair and permanently tanned skin made you the hottest guy in most rooms. All 6’5 of you was built like a cartoon of a rugby player which made it even worse! You’re a solid ten man and you always have been. I don’t think I realised how jealous I was until I saw you had a flaw. That solid curved furry belly I glimpsed gave me the seed of an idea. If you were fatter, it might even the playing field. I’m not proud of this, I just think you’d reserve the truth.

It started gently at first, I’d make twice the amount of food I’d normally make when it was my turn to cook. I’d pack the fridge with snacks and unhealthy things for you to pick at. I’d hand you beers when we were watching the game. You were so zoned into the match you never noticed me topping up your snacks or replacing the bud lights with full fat beers. Over a few months I watched as your little curve turned into a more substantial beer belly. And fuck you if it wasn’t the most perfect beer belly I’d ever seen. I was hoping it would make you less hot but turned out it made you hotter. Instead of a flabby pimply gut covered in stretch marks, you developed a firm round belly with perfect skin and even kept your Adonis belt. That’s when it got serious.

The first thing was gainer shakes. I started sprinkling gainer powder in everything, adding it to every meal or sauce I could dissolve it into. Everything I cooked for you was loaded with butter and ghee to double the calorie count. I found larger versions of our plates so that I could increase your portion sizes without you realising. I even started buying your clothes a size up and replacing the labels so you wouldn't realise. I was literally feeding you up like a fattened calf. And boy did you balloon. The first phase was months long and you gained 20/30lbs but this second phase was like you were being filled with an air pump. I can’t really believe I could do this to someone, especially someone who I would call my best friend.

It all came to a head yesterday when I crossed the line big time. That’s why I’m writing this letter now and actually sending it. I can hear you now snoring from your bedroom. Sleeping off the mammoth meal I stuffed into you across the evening. I’ve been awake all night and I keep going in to check on you to make sure you’re still breathing. I can’t believe you ate as much as you did and I can’t believe I pushed you into doing it.

I was only planning on slipping you a few of the tablets I found online. They were definitely safe and I want you to know I checked them and double checked them to make sure they were ok for human consumption. I guess that gives away the fact that they were actually for animals. I think they are used by wagyu beef farmers to get cows fattened up before they are butchered. They are supposed to increase appetite and metabolism. I popped two in your beer before the game and started my usual sneaky increase in your snacks. It wasn’t hard as you always put a lot away when our team is winning and they were three goals up by half time. I think at that point you’d eaten two bowls of Doritos and dip, a plate of sliders and a whole pan of chilli which I think would have served 8 comfortably. That was on top of the best of a crate of twelve beers. Your belly was swollen up to it’s usual bulging mass and you were already rubbing the sides to alleviate some pressure. I should have stopped there but I couldn’t help myself. I slipped you another few of the tablets. I guess in hindsight, the first two hadn’t properly kicked in at that point which meant that by the time the second half had started they were in full force. I couldn’t keep up with the snacks and you’d pretty much polished off the lot by the time the match had ended.

For the record it was your idea to order pizza. Your belly at that point was totally rounded out and your T-shirt was stretched over it’s taut surface. I guess you were pretty buzzed because you ordered four xl meat feasts. I didn’t really have any choice but to let it happen. And you might not remember any of this but you basically inhaled the first two. By that point you were fully maxed out. Your belly was tight and even the xxxl T-shirt you were wearing (that you thought was an xl) was beginning to show a few inches of your swollen belly. You could hardly move and I felt awful. Well that’s not totally true. I was actually pretty pleased at the state of you. My plan after all was to make you gain a few pounds so I’d be hotter than you and you’d basically blimped.

Anyway, what happened next I am truly ashamed about. You were laying there on the sofa clutching at your belly. The tablets clearly convincing your brain you were still starving, even thought your belly was basically an exercise ball now. And you were just moaning with the two pizzas next to you. And that’s when I snapped. I jumped up and shoved a whole slice into your mouth. You gaged but then after a few chews swallowed it right down. Slice by slice I pushed the remaining two huge pizzas down your throat. I could literally see your belly blowing up in front of me. When eventually I reached into the box for the next piece and found nothing, I realised what I’d done. I stepped back and looked at you. Spread eagle on the sofa, your belly sticking way up and round. Covered in sweat and grease. It’s as if I stepped out of my own body and realised what I had done to you. You were fucking huge man.

I left the room and went to my own to consider what to do next. I was half appalled and half in awe at the size of you man. When I came in half an hour later you were fast asleep and snoring like a pig, your gut still very much occupying its space. Guiltily, I managed to get you into your bed and laid you on your back so your belly could reach its full swell. I pulled your belt off so your stomach wasn’t under any pressure. I didn’t want you to pop or anything.

As I said I know our friendship is probably over but I want you to know I’m truly sorry. I took this way too far and I regret it. I’m happy for you to do what you need to do, and if that’s punch me in the face then so be it. I hope that in a few weeks you’ll be able to forgive me but if not then I understand and I will move out if that’s what you want.

In the spirit of fully disclosure, I want you to know that even though you’re maybe 100lbs fatter than you were, I still think you’re a ten. In fact if I’m really honest, I think you might even be hotter than that. Your belly last night was horrifying but also strangely attractive. The firm roundness of it and knowing how much food I’d crammed in there was actually quite erotic. Sorry if that’s tmi but I think I wanted you to have the whole truth. I have a small suspicion that you’ve actually enjoyed getting bigger and if that’s wrong then I’m sorry for presuming. But I actually wonder how big we could get that thing.

Let me know what I can do to make it up to you, or if I’m right and you wanna continue.

Yours apologetically (and hopefully)

Nate

Continued at Dear Nate

For the rest of my stories click here

[jerzwriter]

Here's part two for this ask and this one, too! I wrote the Ethan x Kaycee version here, and now it's Carrick's turn. I hope you enjoy this!

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Tobias x Casey Carrick (F!MC) Featuring: The Carrick Girls (F!OCs) Rating: Teen Words: 1,100 Summary: When Samantha expresses her displeasure with her Dad at drop off, Tobias & Casey make sure that pick up will be... even worse! :)

It was a beautiful, sunny September morning. It may have been unseasonably cool for some, but not for Casey. She smiled as she took a deep breath of the crisp autumn air, her spiced pumpkin latte warming her hands. This was what she had dreamed of all summer long.

“Let’s go, girls!” she called out to her two eldest daughters, Samantha and Brooke, as she secured little Kayla into her booster seat. “It’s too early in the year to be late for school!”

The girls hurried to the car, and Casey checked their seat belts after they strapped themselves in. Samantha, a precocious child, was not pleased. “Mom!” she protested. “I am ten years old now! I know how to put on my seatbelt!”

Casey grinned. “I have no doubt about that, young lady. But, as your mom, I will double-check on your safety whenever I want, even when you’re my age.”

“Even when she’s that old?” Brooke marveled, filling the vehicle with infectious giggles when Casey shot her a stern but amused look. She couldn’t even blame her; thirty-nine seemed pretty ancient to her when she was eight years old, too.

With the girls ready, Casey hopped into the driver’s seat and honked the horn when she saw the time. Tobias came rushing out of the house and settled in the passenger seat. He kissed Casey on the cheek, then turned to smile at his girls. “Morning, ladies. Are we ready?”

“Yep!” Brooke replied enthusiastically, but Samantha just rolled her eyes.

“DAD!” she groaned.

Tobias gave himself a once over, trying to discern the issue. “What? What did I do this time, Sammy? Breathe? Exist?”

Samantha pursed her lips. “You’re not planning on getting out of the car when we get to school, are you?”

“Well, I am now,” he chuckled, eyes twinkling mischievously.

“Sammy!” Brooke reprimanded. “Look what you did! You have to learn to listen to what Grammie says and keep your thoughts inside your head!”

Tobias stifled a laugh as he whispered in Casey's ear. “Because my Mom does that so well herself.”

Turning his attention back to his girls, he asked again. “So seriously, Sam. What did I do now?”

“Your clothes!” She admonished.

“What?” He asked, downright offended. “This is a Frank Ocean Blonde hoodie! Official merch! It’s a collector’s item!”

“I like it, Daddy,” Brooke chimed in, and Tobias gave her an approving nod in the visor mirror.

“Thank you, sweetie. And that will be reflected in your Christmas present this year.”

But Samantha wasn't done. “And your shoes?”

Tobias looked at his feet, once again astonished that his daughter had any problem with his attire. “What! What is wrong with my shoes?”

“CROCS. With SOCKS!” Samantha gagged.

“Hey! These are not your standard Crocs, young lady!” Tobias defended. “These are Salehe Bembury! Do you know how hard it was to get these?" He turned to his wife incredulously. “Can you believe this?”

Casey laughed softly, patting his knee. “Clearly, we’ve failed as parents, love. But, they’re young,  we still have time to course-correct.”

“But why SOCKS?” Samantha demanded.

“Because it’s cold!” Tobias sighed, shaking his head.

He looked at Kayla, sitting in the middle seat, blissfully unaware of everything taking place around her. "What can we do to keep her that age forever?” He asked Casey. “I like that age! She still worships me and thinks I’m the most incredible person on earth.”

“Baby isn’t that what you have me for,” Casey winked, sending Samantha into the stratosphere.

“GROSS!” she yelled. “You two are GROSS!”  

They pulled up in front of Samantha and Brooke’s school, and Samantha jumped from the car as if it was on fire. She wanted to be in the front door before her father stepped outside, but Tobias wasn't having it.

“Hello, Principal Hirsch!” he yelled, waving maniacally. “Hello, Mrs. Simmons! Samantha is so excited to get to work today! That's all she could talk about on the ride here!”

"Oh God!" Samantha muttered under her breath, avoiding eye contact with everyone. But Tobias grabbed her hand and gave her a goodbye hug.

“Be good, young lady, or I’ll make Mom get out of the car and kiss her in front of everyone.”

“You’re so embarrassing!” Samantha sighed as Brooke tugged at her Dad’s shirt.

“I love you, Daddy,” Brooke grinned.

“And Daddy loves you, too,” he smiled, waving both girls off to class.

Back in the car, Casey was still laughing over the chaos.

“What do you say we liquidate Sammy’s college fund and take a trip to Tahiti? Just you and me,” Tobias joked. "It would serve her right!"

“That may be a little extreme,” Casey smiled. “Don’t worry, hon. She still adores you. Samantha’s always been Daddy’s little girl, and she always will be. This is just a stage.”

"A stage I hope passes quickly," he sighed. "And it's easier for you! She doesn't seem to get embarrassed by you!”

“Yet!” Casey assured.

“Well, please do what you can to move that process along,” he pleaded. “You know we’re all for equity in this family.”

Casey smirked and got quiet. Tobias noticed the look on her face and leaned in. “Okay, what’s that look about? What are you planning?”

“Oh, nothing,” Casey said, though her eyes sparkled with mischief. “But I just might have an idea…”

~~~~

That afternoon, as school let out, Samantha and Brooke scanned the crowd of waiting parents, only to find Casey, Tobias, and little Kayla waving animatedly—all dressed in inflatable dinosaur costumes.

Brooke's face turned beet red. “Oh my God,” she mumbled, but her embarrassment quickly gave way to delight. She rushed over to her family, giving them all big hugs. “Can I get a dinosaur costume, too?”

“Already done,” Tobias grinned, handing her a package containing a small inflatable dino suit.

Mortified, Samantha tried to sneak toward the car, hoping no one would notice her family. But Tobias bounded over to her in full dinosaur glory, mussing up her perfectly styled curls. “How was your day, beautiful? Was it grrrrr-eat?” he roared.

"Mom!" Samantha cried, only to remember that right now, her Mom was a dinosaur, too.

Later, as the family piled into the car, Tobias looked at Samantha with sincerity. “You know, it’s okay to be embarrassed by us sometimes. Heaven knows Gramie still embarrasses me, but life’s too short not to have a little fun.”

Samantha rolled her eyes but leaned over to give her Dad a hug. “I’m not saying that you’re not embarrassing, but... I’m still glad you’re my Dad.”  

Casey smiled at Tobias from the driver's seat.

“Well, I’m awfully happy I’m your Dad, Sammy. That goes for you, too, Brooke and Kayla.”

“So,” Casey grinned, putting the car in drive. “What do you say stop and get ice cream on the way home? In our costumes, of course!"

“Did you get me one, too?” Sammy asked.

“Do you think we’d leave you out?” Tobias grinned.

Samanta let out a little giggle. “All right, then. Let’s go!"

~~~~~

I kind of picture it going like this! lol

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Tagging others separately.