#we’ve been hanging out on his days off and at his concerts

[max-fewtrell]

.

[steviescrystals]

i’m fr gonna lose my mind :)

[ducktoo]

Syncing Dream [Aespa x M!Reader]

13. Active in the…sun?

Note: none, have fun with the fluff

Masterlist here

It started with a simple invitation.

Y/n had been going about his day at the SM building, as usual, when a group of idols—mostly from NCT and EXO—caught him by surprise in the staff lounge. Kai, Taeyong, and Chanyeol casually approached, holding their water bottles and flashing familiar grins. He has been hanging out with them often these days, ever since he gained his fame as the “Sasaeng blocker”.

"Yo, Y/n!" Kai called out, causing Y/n to glance up from his phone. "We’re putting together a soccer match later. You in?"

Y/n blinked, surprised at the invitation. "Eh, me? For soccer? Are you sure, hyung?"

Chanyeol nodded enthusiastically. "Of course! We’ve seen you running around with the girls. You’re in shape, man, and we need more players. Plus, it’s just a friendly game."

"Right," Y/n said, scratching the back of his neck. "But I haven’t played in forever. I’m probably rusty."

Taeyong waved it off. "Doesn’t matter. It’s all for fun. If anything, it’s more funny if some of us messed up. What do you say?"

Before Y/n could even fully process the idea, Giselle and Ningning, who had overheard the conversation from across the room, suddenly popped their heads around the corner.

"Wait, Y/n’s playing soccer?" Giselle asked, her curiosity piqued.

Ningning followed up, grinning. "With NCT and EXO-sunbaenim? You’ve gotta do it, Y/n."

Y/n raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay! Fine, I’m in."

-

Word spread quickly, and by the time Y/n made it back to the practice room with aespa, all four girls were buzzing with excitement. Even Karina, who usually kept her cool, seemed interested.

"You’re really going to play with the others?" Karina asked, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed.

Y/n nodded, trying to appear nonchalant. "Yeah, but it’s just a casual thing."

Winter, who had been scrolling through her phone, suddenly perked up. "When is it?"

"This afternoon," Y/n replied, glancing at the clock. "I’ll probably head over soon."

Ningning gave him a sly grin. "We’re coming to watch."

“Please don’t.”

Giselle nudged Winter, who had an almost excited gleam in her eye. "It’s not every day we get to see you in action. You better not trip on the field, Y/n."

"I will trip, just to embarrass all of you" he muttered, feeling the weight of their teasing already. But as they all exchanged knowing glances, he could feel something else brewing—especially from Winter. She wasn’t one to normally get worked up about anything athletic, but today, there was a new energy about her.

-

By the time Y/n arrived at the SM outdoor soccer field, the teams were already warming up. The guys from EXO and NCT were scattered across the field, stretching and kicking the ball around. Y/n could feel the butterflies in his stomach as he walked up, spotting his name on one of the makeshift team lists.

“Casual match, hyung said. Yet there is a full list for each team.” Y/n chuckled. “And holy sht they came.”

And, of course, aespa had already staked out a spot on the sidelines. Giselle, Ningning, Karina, and Winter were bundled up in jackets, watching with amusement as Y/n geared up. Winter, in particular, had her eyes glued to him, which only made Y/n more nervous.

Actually, that girl brought a whole cheerleading set. And no, not the cute and girly one. The one hardcore fans wore at a Hatsune Miku concert.

"Good luck!" Ningning called out, waving as Y/n jogged onto the field.

"Yeah, don’t embarrass yourself!" Winter added, her voice filled with playful sarcasm. "Or we're making you eat our cooking."

“You ARE embarrassing! Change your clothes already you hobbit!”

That made Y/n earned a middle finger from Winter, respectfully censored by Karina and Ningning on each side.

-

The first half of the game was fast-paced. Y/n quickly found his rhythm, darting between players and making some solid passes. He even managed to block a goal attempt from Suho, which earned him a loud cheer from the sidelines. He could hear Ningning and Giselle shouting encouragement, but Winter’s voice stood out the most.

"Go, Y/n!" Winter practically yelled, her voice cutting through the chaos of the game. “Kick them already!!”

Y/n nearly stumbled, distracted by her enthusiasm. He shot a quick glance over to the sidelines, catching Winter’s bright smile and the way her eyes lit up every time he got close to the ball. It wasn’t helping his focus, but it did give him an extra boost of energy.

As the game progressed, the boys were getting more competitive. Kai and Taeyong were neck and neck, their teams pushing harder and harder to score. Y/n was right in the middle of it, doing his best to keep up with the pros.

Then, just as Y/n was preparing to intercept a pass from Jaehyun, he heard Winter again.

"Nice pass, Y/n!" someone from EXO called out, and a cheer erupted from the sidelines.

"Go, Y/n!" Winter’s roar rang out louder than the rest, catching him off guard for a second. He glanced over, noticing her beaming with pride as she cupped her hands around her mouth for emphasis. Karina smirked next to her, nudging Winter playfully, while Ningning and Giselle exchanged knowing looks.

Y/n’s cheeks reddened slightly as he quickly refocused on the game. He hadn’t expected Winter to be so... vocal. It was flattering, but also a little nerve-wracking. His mind wandered briefly—Did she do that for everyone, or was it just him?

-

The game was going well at first—Y/n had a few decent moments, made some good passes, and even managed to defend against a couple of NCT’s players. But halfway through the second half, things started to take a turn. The score was tied, and tensions were rising.

Then it happened—a missed pass, a perfect opportunity to score slipping through Y/n’s fingers as the ball sailed wide of the goalpost. He could feel his frustration bubbling up. He wasn’t usually one to let things get to him, but this time, something snapped.

"Ah, for f**k’s sake!" Y/n groaned, louder than he intended, as he slapped his hands on his knees in frustration.

The sudden outburst caught the attention of everyone nearby, including the girls on the sidelines.

"Did… did Y/n just curse in front of others and not us?" Karina asked, her eyes wide.

Winter and Ningning burst into laughter. "I think he did!" Winter replied, giggling. "Who knew our idiot could get so worked up?"

Y/n flushed, realising his mistake, but there was no taking it back now. He tried to refocus on the game, ignoring the snickering from the sidelines. Every time he glanced over, Winter was laughing, clearly enjoying his slip-up.

As the game continued, Y/n couldn’t help but notice how Winter’s cheers seemed to get louder every time he touched the ball. Even the other guys started to take notice.

"Looks like you’ve got some serious support there," Doyoung teased as they took a brief break for water.

"Yeah, seems like Winter’s really into it," Taeyong added with a smirk, nudging Y/n’s arm. "Anything you want to tell us?"

Y/n’s face turned crimson as he shook his head. "Nah, she’s just messing with me."

But when he looked back over at aespa, Winter caught his eye and waved, her grin wide and unmistakably mischievous. The other girls were laughing now too, clearly enjoying the spectacle of Y/n’s growing embarrassment.

"Yeah, right," Taeyong chuckled, not buying Y/n’s dismissal for a second. "You’re lucky, man. Most of us barely get a nod of acknowledgment from them, but she’s all about your game."

Y/n coughed awkwardly, trying to shrug it off as no big deal. But the truth was, it was kind of a big deal. Winter had been acting a little differently around him recently, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why the guys were teasing him about it.

-

As if things couldn’t get more intense, the skies darkened unexpectedly. Large, ominous clouds rolled in, and soon, raindrops began to fall. It started as a light drizzle, but within minutes, it turned into a full-on downpour.

The players on the field exchanged glances, but no one was ready to quit yet. If anything, the rain seemed to energize them. The ball slid across the slick grass, and the once casual game became more competitive.

Y/n, now soaked to the bone, found himself sprinting harder, making riskier plays, and diving for the ball like his life depended on it. The rain blurred his vision, but he kept pushing, determined to make up for his earlier mistake.

The girls were enjoying the intense match even more after the rain. Although, two different conversations were in the same spot.

"Is it just me, or Y/n actually look good in the rain…" Giselle gawked, feeling proud that dragging him to the gym was worth it.

"Oh right, true!" Ningning slapped Giselle's back repeatedly in excitement. "Damn, he's so manly!"

"Knock it off, you two." Karina smacked the cheeky members' head. "You're lucky that girl paid too much attention to the match like a fanatic right now."

The three of them glanced at Winter, whose voice cut through the rain, louder than ever. As if there wasn't anything else in this world at this moment, Winter kept on cheering with all of her might. She kept on waving around her cheerleading sticks, which gave some teasing ammo to the girls who mimicked her.

However, she was fully enjoying the cheer. "Come on, Y/n! Kick their butt!"

Y/n couldn’t help but smile. Her support was somehow both embarrassing and motivating at the same time.

-

The rain showed no signs of letting up, but the match was nearing its end. With the score still tied, both teams were fighting tooth and nail for the final point. Y/n’s team was on the offensive, and the ball was passed to him just outside the goal box.

"FINAL SHOT!!"

With a slick kick and a satisfying shout, Y/n sent the ball soaring toward the goal. Time seemed to slow down as the goalie dove, hands outstretched, but it was too late. The ball hit the back of the net.

"Goal!" Kai yelled, and the rest of the team rushed over to Y/n, cheering and high-fiving him despite the rain pouring down.

From the sidelines, aespa erupted into applause, with Winter shouting the loudest of all. "Y/n! You ducking did it!"

As Y/n stood there, drenched and exhausted, he couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride. The victory was sweet, but the way Winter looked at him, her face beaming with excitement, made it even sweeter.

-

With the game over, the rain finally began to ease up. The boys gathered at the edge of the field, dripping with water but laughing and talking excitedly about the match.

"Nice goal, Y/n," Taeyong said, clapping him on the back. "You really pulled through at the end."

"Thanks," Y/n said, still catching his breath. "It was tough, but fun."

The girls approached, still teasing him. "I can’t believe you cursed earlier!" Giselle said, shaking her head with a grin. "Our calm, collected manager, losing his cool on the field."

Ningning laughed. "I wish I’d recorded it!"

Winter, though, was a bit quieter, her smile soft but genuine. "You did great out there," she said, her voice barely above a whisper as she caught Y/n’s eye.

"Thanks," he replied, feeling his heart skip a beat. Maybe the rain wasn’t the only reason his cheeks were flushed.

As they all headed back inside, Y/n couldn’t help but steal a few glances at Winter. The rain had brought out something unexpected today—both on the field and off. And maybe, just maybe, things were changing between them even more.

[hrtsgyu]

last night with heeseung.

“hey, you up?” he asks you through the phone call. “yeah what's wrong?” you could only assume he wants to do something since it's 3am. It's not completely out of the ordinary.

“look outside.” you got up from your cozy bed to look outside your window. “look up, the stars are so bright tonight. don’t you think?” you can hear the wind through the phone. “yeah they’re pretty. where are you?” you look down and around trying to see if he’s near. “right around the corner, let's go somewhere yeah?” “can’t tonight heeseung i have work in the morning.” “on a saturday really?” he sounds disappointed. “im sorry, we can hang another-” “just for a little bit? please?”

it's been like this for about a month. he used to ask to hang out during the day but these days it’s only been at night. always wanting your company, making you go to whatever concert he can sneak the both of you in. you liked heeseung, he always flirted with you but you couldn’t tell if its just him or if it was only with you. he made you feel special though, safe too. what you had for him, you never had for anyone else. 

“sure, but only for a little bit.” “yes! im parked outside your house.” “coming!” you ended the call and put on his hoodie that you stole from him when it suddenly got cold one night when the two of you were walking around the town center and he gave it to you. 

you silently snuck out of the house and into his car. “hey pretty.” “shut up.” he chuckles. “Is that my hoodie?” “no..” you mumbled. “right..” you felt him staring at you and got flustered. “can you drive now?” he snickers a little. “okay, okay!” he puts his hands up in defeat and starts driving. 

[3:30]

the both of you finally arrive at the park after picking up some junk food that’ll definitely hurt later. he puts on music as the two of you sit on the blanket that was in his car. 

“what are you doing after work today?” he breaks the silence. “napping, since someone decided to wake me up at 3am.” you tilt your head and give him a fake smile. “that someone must be the most talented, amazing, awesome person ever.” “right?” you grab his phone to see the time when his phone buzzed. “someone texted you.” “who?” “someone named sooyoung.” he flinched a little. “oh shit i forgot to text her back.” he grabs the phone from your hand, quickly replying to whoever sooyoung is.

you’re a little sad to be honest but you don't let it show. “sooyoung?” you ask in your normal tone. “just someone im talking to.” you feel your own heart sadden. Is that even possible? “oh really? for how long?” keeping your composure. “like a month? she’s super hot, and actually has a personality.”

oh. is that why he started contacting you at night.. “have you taken her on any dates?” “like 3 i think.” “hmm.” “but we’ve been hanging non-stop, everyday it’s just us.” your heart is breaking. “she must be really fun then.” “oh yeah for sure. but i was going to ask you if you were free after work so that we can go to another concert, i was going to bring her along so the two of you could meet.” “ohh umm i have plans with jake after work. well after my nap.” “i understand, maybe another time then?” he gives you his big sad bambi eyes. “just let me know.” 

[3:50] 

you both sit in silence, enjoying the stars and the music. heeseung closes his eyes when he feels the breeze. you turn to look at him and feel your heart ache. how you wish you could be his.

“you okay?” he brings you back from your sorrow. “yeah.. this lighting suits you.” you take out your phone and snap a few pictures of him. “send it to sooyoung.” you say as you airdrop the photos to him. “nah this is instagram story worthy.” he replied, opening the app, posting it and tagging you. he turns off his phone, placing his attention on you. he scoots over to you and puts his arm around your waist pulling you closer to him. the both of you stare into the distance. 

your mind full of him and his mind full of another girl.

HAIII!!!! i was about to delete this account until i had something in my inbox and there was such a sweet anon :( i made this quick little drabble about heeseung from enhypen. he's so kind and he would not do this irl, at least i hope but given that he has a toy story collection and kept his english name evan hidden for years because he didn't want engenes to feel bad.. yeah thats my man.. anyways im back now! and i was in a little of a writers block but idk something about shoegaze makes me want to write. speaking of shoegaze, i totally recommend listening to beauty school by deftones while reading. love you all esp you anon tysm for bringing me back to writing. u guys should totally leave suggestions in my inbox as well i appreciate anything !! HAVE A GOOD DAY/NIGHT!!! :3

[soupiiiie]

Since your requests are opened, I was thinking about platonic (or maybe not, that’s on you) 3rd member of TØP, like she was there from the beginning and all of that.

Appreciation

platonic!Tøp x reader

words: 912

genre: fluff

I received 2 requests like this so I wrote this for the both of them. Hope you enjoy :)

Today was another long day of lore writing and music video mapping. Tyler had appointed me to head of the ‘lore department’ as he called it. The three of us sat in his basement brainstorming and coming up with stories to tell in the videos and on tour. Josh sat with a laptop, making a list of everything to keep the story line straight. This was my favorite part of being friends with them, the behind the scenes stuff was always super interesting. 

I met Tyler in the ninth grade, ever since then, we’d been inseparable. Having been there since the start of the band, Josh’s joining, to whom we had both clicked with instantly, the release of their first album, their first concert, to now, I was the third piece of their puzzle. I became their creative director, manager, booking agent, everything. They appreciated me more than they could describe. Hell, I even helped plan both of their weddings.

“Can we take a break for food? My stomach is starting to eat itself,” I yawned and stretched out my sore neck, “plus, we could all give our brains a break.”

Josh nodded in agreement and rubbed his eyes, “I agree, I’ll drive, you guys pick where we go.” He stood up and grabbed the keys out of his hoodie hanging on the chair Tyler was sitting on.

“Let’s go to the diner down the street, papa wants a milkshake.” Josh and I gave Tyler a weird look before bursting out laughing.

“Please, never, ever, refer to yourself as ‘papa’ ever again.” I exclaimed between laughs. 

Tyler rolled his eyes and stood, starting toward the stairs to the basement, “you guys just don’t get me.” He said sarcastically and dramatically sauntered up the stairs, “Lets go people, hustle, hustle.” We heard him call from the top. 

Josh just rolled his eyes jokingly and ran toward the stairs with me behind him. Once we got in the car, me in the back and Tyler in the passenger seat, we started for the diner, letting whatever was on the radio play quietly. “Do you think the fans will like the new lore coming with the album?” I asked nervously, scared that the clique won’t appreciate all the time and effort we’ve been putting into Clancy. 

“Of course they’ll love it. They’ve been lore hungry since Trench.” Josh said while Tyler nodded in agreement before chiming in.

“And if they don’t, we’ll blame it on you.” Sarcasm was his way of showing his love. I rolled my eyes at this. “Ha ha, very funny.” We made it to the diner and once Josh parked, we headed inside and found a booth in the corner. The waitress came over to take our orders and bring us our drinks and once she was gone, we settled into a comfortable silence. 

Coming up with story lines had taken a huge toll on all of us mentally. We had spent countless nights trying to perfect everything before the album release. I had spent so much time helping Mark film and edit music videos, helping Tyler make the backing tracks for the tour, helping Josh dye his hair. But soon enough it would pay off. We all knew it would.

After we ate, we headed back to get more work done. When we went back down to the basement, the boys shuffled off to the corner whispering to each other. I was confused but ignored them and went back to my notes, writing more ideas to share later. After a few minutes, there was a tap on my shoulder, I turned around to see both boys standing with their hands behind their backs. Giving them a questioning look and tilting my head slightly I asked, “what are you goobers doing?”

They smiled and Tyler spoke, “Well, since you’ve been helping us so much with the album and tour, and just being our best friend forever…” He trailed off and Josh continued.

“We decided that we would get you something to show our appreciation for you.” They both outstretched their hands from behind their backs. Tyler held up a crew t-shirt that read ‘3rd Member’ on the back with the band logo beneath it, while Josh held a mug that said ‘Best band member’ and a card. My smile grew as I reached for the card and began to read the contents. 

“Dear y/n, you’ve been here since the beginning and we can’t thank you enough for all you’ve done. You’re the best friend we could’ve ever asked for. We love you. Love, Ty and Josh <3” Tearing up at the note, I stood and brought them both into a hug. “Thank you so much. I love you guys too.” I pulled away, kissing their cheeks before taking the mug and shirt and placing them with the card. 

“We felt like we haven’t really shown you how much you mean to us. You really are the best friend we could ever have.” Tyler said, sitting back down in his chair. Josh followed his actions and grabbed the laptop he was using before.

“Yeah, don’t ever think we don’t appreciate you.” He said with a gentle glance. I couldn’t have asked for better friends in my life. 

“Of course, and don’t think I don’t appreciate you two either.” I said looking between them. We all smiled at each other before returning to our respective tasks at hand. I wouldn’t trade them for the world.

[boundbyeclipse]

3(fluff) or 5(fluff) with Lars Ulrich??? Seems like it’d be really cute for him:>

Hope you’ve been having a good day!🫶

-👻

i only have eyes for you

genre : fluff

word count : 952

tags : softie!lars, lars x reader, one swear word, and that's basically it

from the prompt list : 3. "I'll walk you home"

It was a chilly November evening, the sun going down and slowly disappearing within the horizon, fall leaves crunching under your feet as you walked  to the cafe. You adored the colors of them, as well as the scent, it was such a beautiful time of the year. But you weren’t the only one thinking that way - Lars thought alike, who was right beside you. The boy with long, luscious brown hair and dreamy green eyes was taking you out on a date for the first time ever since you two met. 

It happened two months ago, while Metallica was performing on the stage, you arrived to pay a visit to your brother who worked as a staff member for the boys. Once the show was done, he kindly introduced you to all four of them. They all looked really handsome, but specifically Lars. You found him magnetic, it was hard to stop staring at that guy the whole entire time. The hair, the smile, the voice. Oh, did he notice. But you weren’t the only one who found it hard to look elsewhere. Lars clearly had trouble with it too.

The boys, being friendly and nice, offered to go eat something and just hang out with you and your brother all together. Sure, you agreed, because why not? Anyone would say yes to going out with Metallica. Now that was one hell of a lucky day. 

Well, ever since then, Lars got to see you more and more because you would come to visit your brother almost every time they had a concert. You knew you were welcome there so it was not a problem for anybody to have you coming. 

Eventually, Lars found himself thinking about you so much, every day and night, to the point where he realized that he liked you a lot, and that he had to do something about it quickly. Mind you, he’s quite the possessive type, so Lars wasn’t going to let anyone else pull you away from him. And with that being said, after having dinner with the boys, he called you and asked you if you wanted to go out for coffee. First move was successful. 

That’s how you ended up here, in this cafe with Lars who sat in front of you. You couldn’t help but smile the entire time you two talked and whenever he made you laugh a lot. With him, time was flying and you didn’t even think about it until you looked at the clock. 

“Wait, what? We’ve been here for three hours already?” your eyes widened upon realization. 

“Shit, I thought we’ve only been here for like an hour” Lars chuckled, leaning back in his seat and also taking a look at the clock on the wall to his left. 

“You okay with spending so much time with me?” 

He shrugged, “I don’t mind that, we got nothing to do tomorrow anyways” 

“And you still chose to invite me on a date today instead of tomorrow after you’ve had your rest, ugh” you jokingly rolled your eyes and sighed, shaking your head  in disbelief. 

Lars smirked to himself avoiding eye contact as he fiddled his fingers as he had his hands in his lap. He was just thinking about what to say to you. 

“I’m just like that. If I don’t do it now, I might not get the chance to do it ever again” 

You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion.

“Do I look like a skittish cat that’s going to just run off suddenly? I didn’t give you my number only to disappear the next day” 

“Who knows, maybe you don’t like me” he smiled to himself, fixing his hair and placing his elbows on the table. You only shook your head and looked at him with a giggle.

“Wouldn’t be here if I didn’t, you idiot”

It made him smile wider, genuinely, the teasing from you made him feel happy. That’s one of the things he liked about you so much - when you called him names and had a bit of an attitude to yourself. He only wanted to know more about you.

After another twenty-ish minutes, you decided it was time to go home since it was getting late and you both needed to get some sleep. It was also already dark outside and you weren’t so comfortable with walking home on your own. But to your surprise, Lars spoke up.

“I’ll walk you home” as if he could read your mind.

“Really?” “Yeah. I’m not letting you go all alone when it’s this dark out” 

You pressed your lips together in an attempt to hide the smile that was breaking out, but failed as it was impossible to stop it. 

“Thank you” 

“Thank me later” he said, helping you with your coat. 

The walk was soon over as you reached the location of your home, standing right in front of it together as the wind began to pick up pace. It was getting colder, too.

You shrugged your shoulders up in response to the wind. 

“Can I thank you now?” 

“Yes”

“Thank you, Lars” 

Both of you smiled at each other. 

“No worries. Now get your beautiful face inside and get all cozy and warm, alright?”

“Okay. And you text me when you’re back and safe. Got it?” 

Lars nodded.

“I will” 

Oh, how much he wanted to kiss you, but he didn’t want to rush. But that’s okay, he’s got all the time to do it. So instead, he just patted the top of your head before saying goodnight and heading back to the hotel they were staying at, sending you a text right then and there,  just as he promised. 

[i-think-i-did-it-again]

The Tour IX

Warning: swearing, make out, drinking, angst

Why the fuck did I do that? If all she wants to do is fuck my brains out a couple of times a day, I should let her and say thank you for it. 

Colson paces around his hotel room, pissed at his stupid ego. He only shut you down because he was hoping you’d see him as more than just a fuck buddy. It felt dirty when you’d said it to him that it physically made his skin crawl. You deserved so much more than just a casual fling and he couldn’t believe you didn’t see that. 

He was not in the mindset to put on a concert but he had to pull himself together. He had a quick shower, trying his best not to think about you as he cleaned his naked body. Every time he thought of you, he thought of your lips, your moans, your tight, wet pussy wrapped around his-

Stop fucking thinking about her!

Colson had to completely shut his brain off if he was going to get anything done. He shaved and jumped out of the shower, drying off and wrapping the towel around his waist. He picked out an outfit to wear to the venue, his concert outfit already in the green room of the venue. 

He’d thought it was ridiculous when Ashleigh had suggested letting a stylist pick out his concert outfits but now he didn’t mind so much. She had good taste and the clothes were usually pretty comfortable on stage. Besides, he already used her to design and choose his outfits for events so it wasn’t like he didn’t trust her to a certain point. 

A knock at the door interrupts just as he’s about to pull his t-shirt on and he growls quietly to himself, feeling particularly irritable after his conversation with you. He throws the t-shirt on and stomps over to the door. He’s surprised to find a very concerned Rook and Ashleigh standing there, staring at him, burning fire and brimstone into his soul. 

“What do you two want?” he asks with a gruff tone, turning and walking away without hearing their answer. 

“Have you seen Y/N?” Ashleigh asks in a panic. That makes him sit up and pay attention. Ash never panics. 

“No, why?” he looks between the two of them when no one makes any attempt to answer. “Would someone please fucking answer, you’re freaking me out.”

“No one has seen her since we left the venue. I thought she’d gone to her room to take a nap but I’ve been banging on her door for half an hour with no answer,” Rook explains before pulling his phone out and dialling a number. “No, she’s not in here.” he tells whoever is on the other end of the line and hangs up. 

It doesn’t make any sense to Colson. Why wouldn’t you have come back from the venue when everybody else did?

Hello, earth to dumbass! Maybe because you were a dick to her and she didn’t want to be around you!

Colson swallows the bile rising in the back of his throat at the thought of you alone, upset and wandering a city you don’t know. He pulls his phone out and tried calling you but it goes straight to voicemail. It’s not like you to just disappear. What if someone saw you and grabbed you while everyone was off in their own selfish fucking worlds. 

“Didn’t she leave the venue with you?” Ash asks like it’s the most obvious thing in the world and Colson immediately feels guilty. 

“Um…no, we had a-a discussion and then I left to…to get something to eat and nap,” he quickly explains and they both eye him suspiciously. 

“What kind of discussion?” Rook narrows his eyes at Colson and he’s never felt it before but suddenly he’s afraid of his best friend. 

The sound of your voice echoing through the hallway sets everyone at ease. Colson, Ashleigh and Rook all stick their heads out to see you walking down the hallway, absentmindedly talking on the phone. When you look up to see three sets of eyes staring, you stop dead in your tracks. 

“I’ll call you back,” you mumble into the phone to your friend. “Why are you all staring at me?”

“Where the hell have you been? We’ve been calling you for hours!” Ashleigh is visibly frustrated and you’re not used to that emotion. 

“Sorry, there was some drama at my old job and one of my friends called to vent.”

They didn’t need to know that you actually called her to sob about what Colson had said to you and that she was yelling at you to grow a pair, make the asshole sit up and pay attention. You consciously avoid his eyes, focusing only on Rook and Ashleigh’s gazes. 

“Sorry, I didn’t realise how long I was gone for. I’m going to call her back and get ready.” 

You push past everyone and head to your room, ignoring their stares that follow you down the hallway, and close your door securely behind you. 

“What the fuck did you do?” Rook turns back to Colson, a dark look taking over his usually soft features. 

“What are you talking about?” Colson deflects nonchalantly. 

“She couldn’t even look at you. What the fuck was this so called ‘discussion’ the two of you had? Did it have anything to do with you swiping her room key from Ashleigh that first night?”

That night seemed so long ago now that Colson had all but blocked it from his mind. He wanted nothing more than to allow the memory to come flashing back to his mind but he pushed it away as quickly as it popped up. He knew Rook was just being protective of his friend and he couldn’t fault him for that but what happened between you and him was your own damn business. 

“No, now leave it the fuck alone,” Colson gritted through his teeth before slamming his door shut effectively ending the conversation, for now. 

The after party that Baze was throwing in his hotel room was so wild, you didn’t know where to look. In one corner there was Rook and Baze doing shots off half naked women, in another corner there was guys playing flaming beer pong which seemed like the dumbest idea ever, in another part of the room there was couples playing swap the girlfriend and then there was a bunch of people in the bathroom playing bathtub karaoke. You stood awkwardly off to the side, half listening to Ashleigh and Sophie’s drunk conversation and half watching the festivities. You could feel Colson watching you, a group of women hanging off him and trying to hold his attention. 

You didn’t recognise most of the people in the room except for your friends. There was a few familiar faces from backstage and a few friends of Baze’s from back home. A lot of bikey types with long hair, extensive tattoos and dark expressions. This party didn’t seem like their sort of scene but they swayed along to the music anyway. One of them caught your eye and smiled at you and suddenly he didn’t look so intimidating. You smiled and tipped your solo cup in his direction and he winked at you. 

He had jet black hair and dark brown eyes. His skin was tanned like he spent a lot of time outdoors. He wore a tight black t-shirt that hugged his rippling muscles perfectly. His tight black jeans showed off the muscularity of his thighs and his amazing ass. He either worked out a lot or was handcrafted by a Greek god. 

He strides across the room, his gaze never leaving your face, and stands in front of you with a kind smile and warm eyes. You can smell his cologne and you can’t help but take a deep breath in. He’s even taller up close and if you had to guess, you’d assume he might even be taller than Colson. 

“Hi,” the stranger calls out over the music. 

“Hey,” you call back, standing on your tippy toes so he can hear you clearer. 

“I’m Chase,” he holds out his large hand and you allow it to encapsulate your own. 

“I’m Y/N, it’s nice to meet you.”

You notice a rather large rose tattoo on his right hand and you can’t help but stroke your thumb over it in admiration. Chase notices your interest and places his hand palm down in yours so you can study it closer. 

“First tattoo I ever got, hurt like a mother fucker but I was pretty hooked after that,” he explains as you study the colouring and line work. 

You look up his arms but frown when you notice no other tattoos. He smiles at you understandingly before lifting the bottom of his shirt to show toned abs and an extensive tattoo. You can only see part of it but you're pretty sure it leads the whole way up his torso. The bottom half of the tattoo appears to be the bottom half of a skull surrounded by more roses, all different colours. You can just make out the handle of a large sword that leads all the way up the length of his body. 

“That must’ve taken forever to finish,” you eye the tattoo with approval, resisting the urge to reach out and touch it. 

“Was a bunch of sessions spread over a few months but totally worth it. I’d be happy to show the whole tattoo some time,” he winks at you and you immediately blush. 

You can still feel Colson’s stare on the side of your face and it takes all your strength not to flip him the bird. 

You want to stare? I’ll give you something to look at. 

You release your earlier self-control and reach out to run your finger over the edge of Chase’s tattoo. He watches as you trace his tattoo and suddenly the gesture feels way too intimate for a crowded room. 

“I would love to see your tattoo but maybe not somewhere so public?” You look up at him with innocent eyes and his immediately light up at your invitation. 

“Where did you have in mind?” 

You take his hand and lead him to the door and down the hallway to your room. You unlock the door and slip both of you inside, feeling like you’re running away from something or somehow who’s following behind but you know it’s a stupid thought. When you’re alone in your room you’re suddenly hyper aware that even though Chase is a friend of Baze, he’s a complete stranger to you and now you’re alone in your room with him. 

“Do you want something to drink?” you ask, slipping your way to the mini fridge that you stocked with your favourite drinks and a beer. 

“Yeah sure, anything is fine,” Chase nods and sits down on the armchair near the fridge. 

You pull out two beers and hand him one. You take a big sip for liquid courage and stare at the floor. When you make no attempt to speak, the room begins to fill with an uncomfortable silence. 

“So how do you know everyone?” Chase asks politely. 

“I went on a date with Rook once but we realise about halfway through the night that we were better off as friends,” you shrug, finding the story so embarrassing now that you see Rook more like an older brother than a friend. 

“Oh so you’re not like secretly in love with him or anything?” he teases and you laugh but shake your head. 

No, not Rook. Just his best friend. 

“So, I’m pretty sure I was promised a tattoo viewing?” 

The beer is mixing with the alcohol you’d already consumed and you’re starting to feel way more courageous. Chase grins a heartbreaking smile and places his beer on the floor beside him. He stands and lifts his shirt over his head, giving you a full view of his tattoo. 

The top part of the skull has a red and black snake looping it’s way through the eye sockets, the colours so vibrant that it almost seems real. The flowers lead up around the skull, almost like it was dropped into a field of them. The sword is nestled between the flowers leading up to the middle of his chest. At the top of his chest is a banner that reads In rosa iaceat. 

“What do the words mean?” you ask curiously. 

“Loosely translated it means ‘let him lie on the rose’.”

You nod and move closer to him. You outline the entirety of the tattoo this time, not missing the way Chase’s breathing catches every time your fingertips move to a different aspect of the tattoo. His skin is warm and smooth but his muscles are hard. A complete juxtaposition. He smells even better up close. You stand on your tippy toes to study the Latin words sprawled across his skin. Before you can stop yourself, you lean forward and brush your lips along the words. He rolls his head back and lets out a groan of approval. You don’t know why you do it but for right now, you don’t want to think, you don’t want to analyse, you just want to do. 

You run your fingers up his arms and wrap them around his neck, pulling him closer to you. He responds by placing his hands on your hips. You walk him backwards until his legs hit the edge of the bed and he sits. You straddle his lap, already feeling his hard cock under you. You lean forward slowly, teasingly, and press your lips gently to his. That’s when he takes over. 

Chase wraps his fingers in your hair and pulls you to him so your lips are firmly against his. He grinds up into you and you moan into his mouth. He pulls your t-shirt over your head and runs his hands down your back until he finds the clasp of your bra. He unhooks it and drops it beside you, taking your breasts in his large hands. He runs his tongue along your bottom lip before slipping it inside. You’re a furied frenzy of kisses, moans and hot breaths. Chase stands and just as he drops you onto the bed to hover above you, your door slams open causing your head to whip in its direction. A very pissed Colson stands in the doorway staring back and forth between the two of you. You quickly cover your chest with your arms and stare wide eyed at him. 

“Get out,” he breathes in an eerily calm voice. 

Chase looks down at you for a second before looking back at Colson. Without saying a word, he stands, grabs his t-shirt off the back of the chair and squeezes past Colson’s unmoving frame. 

Before you even have a chance to tell Colson to get out and go fuck one of his groupies, he’s across the room and on top of you in a second. His lips find yours and his desperate kisses are so tempting you almost give in. 

“Get the fuck off me!” you screech at the top of your lungs and Colson immediately leans back so you can wriggle off the bed. 

You pick your bra and shirt off the floor and redress yourself. Without even looking at him, you storm back to the party in the hopes that Chase hasn’t left. You search the room and spot him standing with the group of men he started with except Baze, Rook and Slim are also in the group now too. You slip in between Chase and another guy, wrapping your arm around his waist. He looks down at you in surprise but drapes his arm over your shoulders and pulls you to his side. Rook quirks an eyebrow at you but you just smile. 

Screw Colson. Just because he doesn’t want to fuck, doesn’t mean I’ll go without sex for the next 3 months. 

[padfootagain]

Where We Kept Our Magic (III)

How We Met Again

Hello lovelies! Here is a second part for my Muggle!Reader AU!! I hope you like this new scene, tell me what you think!

****

Pairing: Sirius Black x Muggle!Reader

Warnings: none for this chapter

Summary: You and Sirius meet when you’re still young, and yet you fall head over heels for each other. But everything gets complicated when you learn that Sirius is a Wizard! Now, your whole world has to be reimagined. -This series is made of many independent snippets taken from Sirius and Muggle!Reader’s lovestory –

Word Count : 2175

Masterlist for the series - Sirius Black's Masterlist - Main Masterlist

A couple of weeks have passed, and Sirius misses you. And he hates it. He is surprised by it, too. The feeling has come out of the blue, unexpected and unwanted as it settled in his ribcage, carved his way into his heart.

He doesn’t understand it at all. He’s had only a couple of dates with you, spent two afternoons in your company, and this evening at the concert. He doesn’t know that much about you. He doesn’t know how you drink your tea, what you eat for breakfast, the colour of your eyes under the rain. And it’s making things worse, because he wants to know. He longs to ask you what’s your favourite flower and your favourite colour and how you drink your coffee…

And whenever he closes his eyes, he sees yours, wide open, so close to him, staring into his soul. And he can taste your lips on his tongue again, smell your perfume in the air…

He huffs, annoyed. He’s being ridiculous. You weren’t even together, you’ve shared a few hours and a kiss. You weren’t even his first kiss. Was he yours?

He pushes the thought away, sits up as if it’ll help his brain thinking other thoughts. It doesn’t.

“If I hear you sigh one more time, Pads, I’ll hex you so hard you’ll be sent to Antarctica.”

“You really do have to hang out less with Evans, you’re stealing her silly threats now.”

“I want to punch you in the face so hard.”

“Better, sounds more like you.”

In James’s bedroom, the sun pours in golden hues, fresh and clean and too warm. It almost burns, despite its travel through the windowpane.

Sirius is sitting on the ground, and James is splayed on his bed, a novel in his hand that he disregards in favour of his best friend.

“You really have to see her again.”

“Why? She doesn’t want to see me.”

“She doesn’t want a fling. She literally wants to see you too much for the two of you to be a meaningless fling.”

“And that’s impossible. We’ve been through this already.”

“Clearly we need to go through this one more time, because you’re still mopping…”

“I am not…”

“You are. You miss her.”

Sirius remains quiet, his back resting against James’s bed.

“You should try to see her again.”

“I wouldn’t even know where to look, I don’t know her address.”

“As if it could stop the Marauders.”

Sirius can’t refrain a tender smile.

“Yeah, you’re right. You three are as mad as I am.”

“That’s why you love us so much!” James laughs, nudging Sirius with his knee.

“Fuck off, or I’ll break your kneecaps!”

“And risk mom’s wrath? I believe you.”

Sirius merely chuckles, hiding behind a snicker the way his heart inflated with fondness. James isn’t calling Euphemia his mother anymore, but their mom. True brothers…

“She’s a muggle. We’ll leave for Hogwarts in a couple of months and…”

“Yes, I know,” James rolled his eyes. “You kind of repeat yourself these days.”

“It would be too complicated.”

“Perhaps she’s worth the complication.”

“That comes from a guy who definitely likes complications when it comes to girls…”

Sirius doesn’t finish his sentence, he’s hit by a pillow instead.

“Anyway, what I was saying is… you should try anyway. You’re missing her already.”

“That’s the whole point��� what if I fall for her? Like… really fall for her?”

“Your life will get immensely more complicated. And you’ll love every second of it.”

“You and your bloody romantic antics…”

“Ha, yes, I had forgotten how our good old Padfoot is full of cynicism these days.”

Sirius checks the time, and he’s happy to offer a distraction from the current conversation. After all, James and he have to hurry up if they don’t want to be late to meet Remus and Peter at Green Park.

Still, when he’s tying his shoes, he’s still thinking about that smile of yours.

Summer is too warm this year, you wish for a fresh breeze to cool your skin, your head and your heart.

You’re still thinking about Sirius. You haven’t said a word of it to Jackie, besides telling her that it was over, that you were right and that Sirius didn’t want anything serious. It was hopeless, it would remain a silly crush on a stranger at a concert.

Your heart has other plans though. Because it aches just thinking about him. You can feel his lips on yours and your skin burns at the memory. You see his stormy eyes over and over again at night.

You miss him. You hate that fact, but you can’t deny the truth of it. You miss him, you want to see him again. Even if it means getting your life immensely complicated, even if it means letting him break your heart.

You don’t talk about it, though. What would be the point, anyway? Instead, you merely look sadder than usual, look at the sun through your sunglasses even if you shouldn’t, and try to breathe despite the longing in your chest.

Jackie has managed to drag you to Green Park, despite your terrible mood. She even managed to make you laugh, God knows how. You’re thankful for it, even if you hate it.

You’re lying in the grass, Jackie by your side is reading while you look through the branches at the blue sky and the burning sun. Your world is tainted pink by your sunglasses. You love it.

The park is busy, but you don’t mind. The unregular noises around you are numbed by the grass under you, the branches swaying gently, the superposition and mingling of voices. In the end, you barely notice the noise at all.

And it’s all relaxing, and for the first time in two weeks, your mind wanders not towards Sirius’s grey eyes but the shape of the leaves above you and you wonder how soft they can be up there, caressed only by the wind, before their fall.

Your quiet thoughts are interrupted though, by a frisbee landing right onto your stomach. You’re startled as it passes before your face and the next second rests on your abdomen; you let out a little shriek, that makes Jackie jump as well.

You sit up in a hurry, fumbling with the plastic toy. Damn, what kind of idiotic twat is clumsy enough to throw their frisbee on people…

You turn around, ready to throw hands with the culprit… when you’re left blinking instead.

A boy in a dark t-shirt is running towards you, freezing as he recognizes you.

Bullocks…

“Y/N?”

Sirius blinks. Once, twice, thrice, but you’re still here, sitting in the grass. He can’t help the smile that forms on his lips.

You look so beautiful, so adorable with your pink glasses…

“I…”

You look down at the frisbee, hand it over to him in a hurry without meeting his eyes.

“Oh, yeah… sorry about that. James is terrible at this game. He’s wearing his glasses, and still can’t aim for shit.”

His attempt at humour is met by a heavy silence and a terrible drop of his heart.

He looks down, cheeks burning, and not only because of his run. He takes the frisbee with a quiet thanks and is ready to walk away again when…

“Hey! Isn’t that your girl, Padfoot?”

You see Sirius wincing as a tall boy with glasses runs to him, half jumping on Sirius’s back as he comes to a stop by his side.

He shoots you and Jackie a grin.

“Hi! I’m James! And you must be Y/N!”

You nod, but can’t seem to find your voice. Jackie introduces herself, struggling not to laugh at you as you steal glances towards Sirius but look away every time his eyes meet yours. Meanwhile, Remus and Peter have joined the small group, introduced themselves, and are now quietly laughing at Sirius’s flushed cheeks, along with the fact that he can’t look away from you.

He's missed you. So terribly. He was a fool. He wants you so badly. He can recall the taste of your lips, and he longs for it now more than ever.

But he shakes himself out of his trance as he hears Remus asking if they can join you and your friend.

“These idiots have never played frisbee before, and I’m tired of trying to teach them. They’re desperate cases, at this point.”

“Thanks, Moony,” James mumbles under his breath, along with something about talent and a weird word… quid… something. You guess it must be a Scottish sport, as Sirius said he went to school there.

Why is he going to a school so far from home though?

You shake yourself. You don’t care. You don’t care about Sirius, about his friends, about their school, or about how the sun shines on Sirius’s magnificent eyelashes. You are about to decline the offer when Jackie grins and accepts… the traitor…

And you hate the rest of this afternoon. You hate it because everything goes smoothly. Sirius’s friends are a little weird but hilarious and nice. And Sirius is a little quieter than usual, but you’ve noticed the way his eyes linger on you, the way he can’t help staring…

And you hate it because you long for his gaze on you. Because you let your eyes drift towards his frame too. Because you feel happy and excited now that he’s near again. Because you want to kiss the cigarette taste away from his lips as he puffs out some smoke.

He catches you smiling dreamily as you look at his earing shining in the summer sun, and you hate the smirk that forms across his features as you shy away under his stare.

Damn, this charming boy…

And the afternoon passes too quickly, too soon already the sun has begun setting, and the park is about to close. You need to go home, and you don’t want to. You need to say farewell to Sirius all over again, and you don’t want to. And you hate him for that…

But as you’re about to part, about to say goodbye to turn around and never see him again, Sirius reaches for your hand, stare too intense to let you escape.

“Can we talk? Just for a minute?”

You struggle to swallow the lump in your throat, but nod anyway.

And you hate the look Jackie throws at you, the knowing kind. You hate everything about today. You hate the softness of Sirius’s palm, the gentleness of his hold as he pulls you away from the group, the warmth of his skin spreading under yours.

You hate everything about him. You hate him… you hate him…

When he turns around, a wild strand of hair swings across his cheek, escaping from his bun, and you hate it too. You hate how good he looks right now, how you long to reach out and brush the hair behind his ear…

“Can I be brutally honest?”

He stares at you intensely again, and there’s confidence in his stature, in the way he leans towards you, in the urgency of his tone. Still, his voice trembles.

“Sure, go ahead.”

He takes a deep breath.

“I want you.”

Your eyes grow round at that, and you hate him. You hate him because you like hearing these words coming from his mouth, because you want nothing but to kiss him…

“I know that last time we… we decided not to see each other again, but… the truth is, I want you. And I… I want us to give it a shot.”

“Sirius, we’ve talked about this.”

“I know, but…”

“I haven’t changed my mind.”

“I have.”

You stop breathing altogether, your heart skips a few beats, and you hate it. You hate it so much you want to cry.

“I’ve changed my mind. I want to try this.”

“Are you playing with me?”

“No, I’m not.”

And you hate the fact that you can read in his eyes that he’s telling the truth.

“I want to try. I like you. A lot. And… these past couple of weeks… and seeing you again today, I’ve realized… I want to give this a try. Let’s go on another date.”

“But Sirius…”

“Give me another chance,” he interrupts you, taking a step closer. “Please… please give me another chance.”

And you want to say no. You want to slap him and you hate him because you’ve been hoping, dreaming of this moment even, and desperately so. And you hate yourself because you want to say yes, and you can’t help the words that pass your lips even if they’re so unbearably unwise.

“Okay,” you nod. “But you won’t get a third.”

He grins.

“Friday?”

Slowly, you nod.

“Friday.”

Before you can ask where you will meet, Sirius has reached up to cup your face, and has crushed his lips to yours.

And as you lose your fingers through his hair and melt into his arms, you love every second of it…

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

Taglist : @reg-arcturus-black @wolfmoonmusic @hells-escapees @cloudbroomblog @omgrachwrites

[the--blackdahlia]

Split Chapter 4

Split Chapter 4

Summary: Lucy Blair met FBI Agent Scott Hall one fateful day at her work. After hitting it off, pretty quickly, Lucy and Scott fell in love. But then Lucy meets Razor Ramon. Is Scott undercover? Or is something more at play, something that will drag her into a dangerous world of the war of drug lords in 1980's Florida?

Warnings: Language, violence, drug use, more to be added as the fic goes on

3 Months Later

After quickly hitting it off after their first date, Scott and Lucy became inseparable. Scott stopped staying at the office late into the night, sometimes even running out the door right at quitting time so he could make the 30-minute drive to Clearwater to see Lucy.

“Why don’t you two just move in already?” Kevin asked Scott as he worked on paperwork for evidence they had just gotten.

“I don’t want to rush it,” Scott shrugged, scribbling away at the papers.

“Oh come on. You two act like more of a married couple than Tamara and I. And we’ve been married for quite a while at this point.”

“Maybe I’ll bring it up when you and I get back from Virginia,” Scott clicked his pen.

“Not if I don’t bring it up tonight over dinner. Got the babysitter squared away and Tamara is excited.”

“Don’t you dare,” Scott stared down his best friend. Kevin chuckled and leaned back in his chair. “God, you are annoying!”

“Yep,” Kevin smirked before getting up. “I’ll see you tonight.”

****

Lucy had just finished getting ready when Scott arrived at her apartment. He walked in, smiling as he heard her singing a Bon Jovi song from the bathroom. He made his way towards her, smiling as he watched her dance in front of the mirror, the song playing on the little radio she kept in there so she had music while she showered. He had never seen someone as beautiful as her before. Every time he looked at her, especially in these moments when she was carefree and happy, made him fall for her a little bit more.

“Who needs to go to a concert when I have you?” He asked, crossing his arms and leaning against the doorframe. Lucy squeaked and jumped before turning around to glare at her boyfriend.

“I swear to god Scott, you have got to stop scaring me like that!”

“Where’s the fun in that?” He walked to her, smiling as he looked down at her. “You look beautiful.” He was satisfied when he saw her blush.

“You’re such a sweet talker,” Lucy stood on her tiptoes to place a quick kiss on his lips.

“Ready to go?”

“Yep!” She grabbed her bag. They made their way back out to Scott’s car. He opened the door for her, allowing her to safely get in the passenger seat. He drove to the restaurant, singing as he drove and earning giggles from Lucy. They pulled up at the restaurant just as Kevin and Tamara arrived. They got patio seats and put in their order.

“So, what do you do when Kevin’s gone?” Lucy asked Tamara as she sipped her drink.

“Basically what I do when he’s home. Clean, cook, take T over to his friend's house,” Tamara explained. “However, I’ve had more experience with this. I’ve been with Kev since he was in the military.”

“And it’s just a week,” Kevin shrugged. Tamara shot her husband a look. This was Lucy’s first time since dating Scott, that he wouldn’t be around for a week.

“You can always come hang out with T and me if you get bored,” Tamara told her, giving her a comforting smile.

“I might take you up on that,” Lucy felt Scott hold her hand under the table, giving her a gentle squeeze. She smiled at him, feeling so at ease as he held her hand.

Dinner passed quickly, and Kevin kept dropping hints about Lucy and Scott moving in together, getting side-eye looks from Scott. But, he thankfully didn’t come right out and say anything.

“Well, we’ve got to get home and pay the babysitter,” Kevin and Tamara stood by his Mustang. “We’ll have to do this again when Scott and I get back home.”

“That sounds great! I’d like that,” Lucy gave Tamara a hug before she and Scott headed to his Chevelle.

He drove the streets of Clearwater back to Lucy’s apartment, parking in the lot, but just sat in the driver's seat, looking forward.

“Scott? Are you ok?” Lucy asked, watching her boyfriend.

“Lucy, I’ve gotta tell you something,” His hands were trembling a little.

“What is it?”

“I…I love you Lucy,” Scott didn’t dare look at her. The last time he told a woman he loved her, she rejected him hard and left him. So he didn’t see the smile that spread on Lucy’s face.

“I love you too.”

That snapped Scott out of his funk, making him look over at her. Before he could do much else, she leaned forward and kissed him, helping to chase away his nerves. After a moment, she pulled back, smiling at him.

“Would you like to come in?” She asked.

“More than anything.”

****

“So, what are you up to tonight?” Janice asked as she leaned over Lucy’s desk, watching her input information into the computer.

“Probably just gonna go home, watch some TV, eat some ice cream.” Lucy shrugged.

“You and me are going out girl,” Janice patted the desk. “There’s this club down at St. Pete I’ve been dying to go to. And you know there’s no way Randy will let Liz go with me without him tagging along. And he’s not exactly a club guy.”

“I’m not big into the club scene either,” Lucy looked up at Janice.

“Oh come on. Scott would want you to go have fun instead of waiting at home like a sad little puppy,” Janice stared Lucy down, making her sigh.

“Okay. Fine. But I don’t want to be there super late. Carol thinks Kelly will be in tomorrow, but you know how reliable that girl is.”

“We are going to have so much fun! Maybe we can convince Randy to be our DD.”

“Oh, I bet he’ll love that…”

****

Lucy, Janice, Liz, and Randy walked into club, loud music playing, the smell of cigarettes drifting through the air. Randy led the girls to a table on the side, where a waitress quickly came over and got their drink order.

“It’s loud,” Liz commented. Lucy nodded in agreement.

“Not much of a club person,” She took the drink from the waitress.

“Neither am I,” Randy added, taking the beer that he had ordered.

“Well, I want to go dance. Come on!” Janice grabbed Lucy and dragged her to the dance floor. It took a couple of songs, but finally, Lucy was relaxing enough to get into it. Neither her nor Janice noticed golden brown eyes watching them.

****

Thick, jet-black ringlets of hair rested on created a mane for the bronzed man who was watching Janice and Lucy dance. Golden brown eyes watched their moves as he chewed on a toothpick. He had a five o’clock shadow accenting his strong jaw. He had a pink and purple shirt on, but unopened to show off his muscular chest. Gold chains rested around his neck, including one with a golden razor blade attached. To his sides were four other men, two on each side of the table. They all had their own drinks and were watching the crowd.

“Diesel, who’s that?” Razor Ramon asked the man to his right, with exactly dark hair and matching goatee. He slid down the sunglasses he was wearing to look at the two.

“Which one? The tall one or the short one?”

“Everyone’s short to you,” The guy across from him, who went by Rocket, laughed. Diesel shrugged and nodded.

“The short girl,” Razor explained.

“I dunno boss, but I can find out.”

“No need,” Razor drank the rest of his whiskey, somehow not losing his toothpick. “Kid, go distract the tall one.”

“Oh, I’m not very good at doing that,” The scrawnier of the group replied. He didn’t look like he was old enough to be in the night club, let alone trying to talk to a girl. If someone had just glanced, they would’ve thought he should’ve been at home working on his science project.

“Perfect chance to try,” Razor smirked. Kid took a deep breath and nodded. Luckily, Janice was easy enough to distract. Once he had her away from the others, Lucy headed to the bar to get another drink. Razor stood from the table and made his way to the bar.

“Add her drink to my tab,” He grumbled.

“Sure thing, Mr. Ramon,” The bartender nodded, knowing that Razor’s tab would never come due.

“Oh, thank you,” Lucy glanced at Razor before quickly doing a double take. “Scott?”

“Mmm, no,” Razor took her hand and kissed it. “My name is Razor Ramon.”

“Sorry, you just look like my boyfriend…”

“Lucky man. Where is he?”

“Oh, he’s out of town,” She said before she could stop herself, making Razor smirk.

“Well chica, if I were your boyfriend, I wouldn’t leave you out of my sight,” He watched her sip her drink.

“Is Razor your real name?”

“Depends. Are you a cop?”

“Far from it,” She laughed a little.

“Do you have a name?” Razor asked, dodging the question about his real name.

“Oh, I’m Lucy.”

“Well, Lucy, it’s great to meet you.” There was something about him, his aura was full of confidence, borderline smugness. He knew he was the most important person in the room, and people seemed to bow down and move out of his way as he walked around.

“So, uh, what do you do?” Lucy asked, not really sure what he wanted from her.

“Importing and exporting of… commodities,” Razor was sizing her up. He wanted to know if she was a threat. “What about you, Ms. I’m-not-a-cop.”

“I work at a doctor’s office.”

“Hmmm, guess I should get sick more often if doctor staff looks like you,” Razor all but purred. Lucy was starting to get hot and bothered. It had to be the alcohol going through her system.

“Hey boss,” the fourth from Razor’s table approached. He went by Mr. Perfect, and he sometimes considered himself the best out of the organization. “We’ve got visitors in the back.”

“Go get Kid. I’ll be there in a few,” Razor dismissed him before turning back to Lucy. “Too bad our meeting was so short, but I’ll see you again Lucy.” He kissed her hand again before whispering to her, “I bet you’d look great in purple.”

He was gone then, disappearing through the crowd. Lucy stood there for a moment, not sure what had just happened. Janice and Liz walked up to her then.

“Did you guys see that?” Lucy asked. “I swear that guy was Scott.”

“Oh girl, you’ve just got Scott on the brain,” Janice dismissed her claims.

“Yeah, maybe…” Lucy looked back at the way Razor had walked off. Maybe it was all in her head. She took her drink and blended back into the crowd on the floor with her friends, but the encounter lay in the back of her mind.

[north-blue-hearts]

Famous Last Words

CisFem Reader x Trafalgar Law

CW: Violence, swearing, mature themes, erotic romance, angst, creative use of devil fruits, this story is still in progress, I will add content warnings as needed.

Chapter 3: SING

Shopping with Nami and Vivi had been the experience you expected. You went to so many shops that by the end of it you were exhausted and grateful that you had another day to recover before you’d have to go back to work. Nami was giving Vivi a piggy back ride back to the car, while you pushed a hand cart with entirely too many bags on it.

Eighty percent of it was Nami’s, the other 20% was split fairly evenly between you and Vivi. As much as Nami haggled for herself, she had haggled for both of you – though most of her haggling was finding sales and coupon codes online and having the cashier put them in. Both Nami and the cashier seemed unbothered – “If it’s not valid, the computer won’t take it” was apparently the common belief.

Still, somehow, it almost felt like stealing, with how effortlessly Nami went about it.

Your outfit was more for comfort than much of anything else. You had a stone blue, thin turtle neck to go under a slightly oversized black t-shirt with the band’s logo on it. The gold of the stylized smiling “germ” went well with the blue.  Short black shorts with striped opaque tights went down into a pair of knee-high blue converse shoes.

Comfortable, and within the requirements of an emo concert’s unspoken dress code.

The next two weeks went by easily enough. You hung out with your friends when time allowed, and made it through your job. Nami and Vivi both offered to do your makeup for the concert, but you turned them down politely.

Before you knew it, it was a few hours before the concert and you were hanging out at Franky’s shop, eating a veritable feast thanks to Sanji.  

“Alright!” Nami claps her hands together to get most everyone’s attention. “Buddy system is in effect tonight. Me and Vivi, Sanji and Luffy, Zoro and Dia.” She declares. “We’ve got floor seats before we go backstage, and it can get a little wild on the floor. Sanji your job is to keep Luffy from fighting.”

Nami leans over and grabs Luffy’s cheek, stretching it out and snapping it into place enough to rattle his head. “Luffy! No fighting.” She yells at him.

You remember the first time you saw Luffy stretch your eyes nearly fell out of your head. Devil Fruits were a thing, certainly, but they were rare, and more than that – most people who consumed a fruit didn’t talk about it. They didn’t show their powers off unless it was necessary, or they trusted the people they were dealing with.

A few people were famous for their abilities, but most of those people were marines. Your serial killer was infamous for his devil fruit ability – long before you ever saw his face.

As it was, you knew Luffy had consumed a fruit, and so had one of his brothers. He talked about Ace and Sabo more than he did Uta, but you hadn’t yet met any of them. You didn’t expect to, either. Ace was in the Grand Line, and no one was really sure where Sabo was. Uta did a lot of tours, and well, she was Uta – probably the most popular pop star in the world right now.

Her music wasn’t bad, it was really good, but not what you generally listened to.

“Zoro’s going to be Dia’s bodyguard.” Nami adds, looking over at you as you tilt your head.

“Figuratively?” You question, knowing he was literally a bodyguard by profession.

“Literally.” Zoro answers, arms crossed.

Your jaw drops and Robin closes it gently. “We all chipped in a bit,” she states evenly, that infuriatingly knowing smile on her face. “You can’t just get mad at Nami.”

You put your head in your hands. “You’re all too much.”

“This way you can enjoy the concert.” Nami declares. “Zoro will keep away anyone you want.”

“If it gets to be too much he can even guide you out of the venue.” Vivi adds, reaching out and putting a hand on your shoulder. “I know it’s been a while since you’ve gone out, and you said before that the prospect makes you nervous. I hope we’re forgiven?”

“… you are.” You admit with a smile, and sigh, wiping away an errant tear as you take in a deep breath to calm yourself. “You all are too kind. Thank you.”

“Suuuuper!” Franky yells, putting his hands up over his head. “Let’s get you all loaded up in the General and start heading that way then.”

“Eh? You’re driving? I though there were only -.”

Robin holds up a couple tickets and smiles. “We’re planning on tailgating outside the venue, but we were provided tickets just in case.”

After everyone ate a little more you all loaded up into what Franky lovingly called The General. It was a modified hearse – extended a little more than the common variety, with the roof lifted as well. It was almost like a high-top stretch limo, but not quite as long or tall. The interior was practically elegant, handmade leather seats, a snack bar, a mini bar, and a tv screen set into the back of the front seats.

The front cab had enough space for four people, though generally it was just Franky and Robin up there. There was impressive trunk space as well, and Franky loaded up a mini grill and a few coolers of food and drinks before you all headed toward the concert venue.

Franky and Robin hooked everyone up with a little bit more to eat before they waved you off toward the venue. You filed in with the massive throng of people that had already started arriving, making your way to your designated area.

As packed as the place was, you noticed that once people turned to look at Zoro they took a step back. All of them. Fishmen, Humans, Minks – he wasn’t even bumping into anyone. You were reminded of Nami always saying he had an aura of intimidation. It was certainly useful now.

You were far enough back from the front of the stage to be able to see it easily without craning your neck, and close enough to be able to see all the details of the stage. A little closer and you’d almost be tempted to push the last few feet and try and reach across the fencing they had set up to keep people back.

A giant screen was along the back of the stage, a drum set raised up from the stage a little, and all the equipment needed by the band was set up. You could already feel yourself getting excited by the prospect of the concert, just from what little you could see.

Once everyone – or most everyone – was in, the lights in the arena were cut. The darkness sparked a few gasps and concerns, and Zoro put a hand on your shoulder as you stepped toward him a little. His grip was relaxed, it was just enough for him to be sure he wouldn’t lose you in the dark. You understood he had been paid to keep you safe, but you were pretty sure he was the kind of friend who would’ve been doing the same thing, money or no.

Despite the darkness and the fever pitch of screams from the crowd, there was still more room around you and Zoro than you had expected was possible.

The large screen at the back of the stage came to life, the darkness projected on it, just a little less dark than the venue was, and your breath caught in your throat.

A pair of hands came up to the screen, like they were reaching from the depths of the ocean, pressing against water they couldn’t push past. Golden eyes shimmered and glinted in the depths, shining bright from a formless face.

The visual made your heart wrench in your chest. You hadn’t thought much about the dream since you had it, but the similarities were almost unsettling. The fans’ screams became even louder as the tour name floated over the image.

The hands changed their position, forming the shape of a heart as World came into view above the hands, and Infection bubbled up to the surface beneath them. The screen “burned” out, as though the film itself had been melted away, causing the giant screen to flood the venue in bright white light for a moment.

Zoro squinted, and you had to look away, as did most of the crowd. Some people were still screaming and cheering even as the band came out onto the stage. You imagined most of the people screaming around you were going to be hoarse for weeks after the concert was done.

Especially if they kept screaming through all the songs.

A spotlight lit up and two masked men pushed a gurney out onto the stage, with someone under the sheet. It was likely the lead singer, and given the deafening volume of the crowd, you were certain everyone else knew too.

A steady beep like a heart monitor begins to play, with the drummer joining the pace shortly after. The crowd begins to quiet comparatively, and the sheet over the gurney is moved aside as the “corpse” underneath begins to sing.

Now, come one, come all to this tragic affair.

The voice drifts through the air, managing to beat out the frantic crowd who has abandoned their earlier momentary calm.

Wipe off that makeup, what’s in is despair.

The lead singer sits up, turning away from the crowd as he rolls off the gurney, never missing a beat in the song he’s singing. He turns toward the audience as he continues to sing, but you can’t really hear the words anymore.

“You just know.” Nami’s voice bubbles up in your mind for a moment.

You can’t hear the screaming either. The whole arena is gone, fallen away from any manner of concern you might have for it. There’s no stage.

It’s just a wide, endless ocean. Glass flat, stretching for miles, with a wide bright blue sky overhead and a few wisps of clouds. Like a dream. Just like that dream. Only there’s no formless creature beneath the waves, no warm hand just out of reach.

Your eyes are locked on him, and for a few impossibly long seconds nothing else matters.

Just you.

And him.

Statistics be damned.

[saywhatjessie]

And You and Yours

Day thirteen of the Advent calendar! Using this list. Day 13: Caroling/Carolers Fandom: Doctor Who - Pairing: Donna&TheDoctor 2.9k[Ao3]

Donna Noble didn’t think carolers were really real for most of her life.

Sure, you’d see groups of singers in the squares by the shops and churches put on little Christmas concerts but people didn’t really go door to door. Maybe they used to, back before serial killers or prime time telly you might be interrupting, but certainly not anymore.

But then the winter after her funny turn where she’d lost her memory, there’s been a knock on the door. Mum was out and Grandad was still depressed from whatever happened when he’d disappeared for a few days. So Donna got up and answered the door.

And there, on the doorstep, were three smiling people bundled up in Christmas sweaters. There was a beautiful redheaded woman with a round and honest face, as tall as the two men. There was a mousy gentleman, a little more reserved looking, with thatched hair and an embarrassed smile. And then between them was a skinny man in a red bowtie with floppy hair and a large chin, grinning at her like they were best friends.

“Can I help you?” she asked, a little bewildered. There was something familiar about the skinny man.

“Hello, good lady.” The man said, his grin spreading wider. “Fancy a carol?”

“You’re carolers?” She laughed. “We’ve never had carolers here. I didn’t think anyone did this in real life.”

“We don’t have to,” the shy man broke in. “Sorry for interrupting, thanks for opening the door–”

“Hang on,” the woman broke in. “She didn’t say she didn’t want one, let her decide for herself.”

Scottish. Donna appraised her and the woman appraised her back. They nodded at each other in mutual respect.

She crossed her arms. “Yeah, alright. Let’s hear it then.”

The skinny man bounced on his toes a little before counting them in.

They were terrible. They sang “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen” and none of them were on pitch or on tempo.

At least the song was short.

When they were finished, the skinny man spread his hands like ‘Tada!’ Donna clapped, politely.

“That was terrible,” she told them, kind of undercutting the politeness of the clapping. But she was smiling. “Think you lot might need to rehearse a bit more. Did make me more cheerful, though.”

“Then our work here is done!” The skinny man cheered, not looking at all offended by Donna’s bluntness. “Thank you for humoring us, kind lady. And Merry Christmas to you and your family.”

She smiled back at them. “And to you and yours.”

She went back to grandad, curling up next to him on the couch.

“Who was that, dear?”

“Just some carolers.” She smiled. “They were right awful.”

He laughed, a sad sound. “You don’t have to be good at something to spread joy with it.”

“That’s true,” she smiled. 

It was quiet between them before a grinding clunking sound came in from outside and grandad sat up straighter.

“Did you hear that?” he asked Donna, urgently. “That whirring?”

“Wouldn’t call it whirring,” she snorted. “Great scraping and clamoring, more like.”

“But you heard it!” he said, brightly. “Good. Good, I was afraid I was hearing things.”

“Nah, you’re not senile yet.” She kissed his cheek before resting her head on his shoulder. “You should have seen those carolers. I hope they come back next year.”

Grandad laughed, kissing the top of Donna’s head. “I do think they will.”

The next year, she’d moved house. Only down the road, but still. She had a new husband and a baby on the way and she was feeling quite content with her life.

And the carolers do come back.

“Oh, hey!” Donna greeted them, grinning. “You found me again!”

“That we did!” The skinny man said, his bowtie green this time. “Care for another tune?”

“Are you any better than last year?”

“Not at all!” He told her cheerfully. “We can do Silent Night, though.”

Donna laughed, wrapping her sweater tighter around herself and leaning on the door frame. “All right then, let’s hear it.”

They sang. It was still off pitch but at least the song was slower so the timing wasn’t nearly as bad.

And, again, at least the song was short.

She clapped again when they’d finished.

“Very nice. Song choice was a little basic but,” she shrugged.

“A note we’ll take for next year.” The skinny man smiled, his expression soft. “Thank you again for listening. And for opening the door.”

“Thanks for the Christmas cheer,” she smiled back. “And merry Christmas to the three of you.”

“Thank you!” The woman said.

“Thanks,” the quiet man said.

“Thank you so much,” the skinny man said. “And to you and your family.”

“And you and yours.”

The next year, the skinny man is alone.

He’s dressed a little oddly: like someone from a play. He wore a top hat and a velvet waistcoat with a pocket watch chain and a long jacket.

He looked out of time. And heart wrenchingly sad.

“Just me this year, I’m afraid” he said, attempting a smile.

“That’s all right,” Donna said, softening automatically. She wasn’t sure what happened to the other two, but whatever it was, it couldn’t have been good. “I hope you can carry on without backup. I’ve been looking forward to your song all year.”

He laughed, a soft sound, like it was punched out of him. I’ll do my best.

He sang ‘Joy to the World’. Donna would have laughed at the irony if not for how defeated he looked.

He was just finishing up ‘and heaven and nature sing’ when the little one came toddling up, running into Donna’s legs.

“Hello, my baby,” Donna said, stooping to pick up the toddler. She turned back toward the man who had stopped singing, his cracked open with an emotion Donna couldn’t place. “Do you want to thank this nice man for the carol?”

“Thank you,” said the tiny voice, dutifully.

The man let out a choked laugh, nodding emphatically. “Of course. Thank you for listening. And Merry Christmas.” he gestured at the baby. “To you and your family.”

Donna smiled, reaching up a hand to keep the baby from grabbing her hair, and answering more sincerely than she maybe ever had. “And you and yours.”

The next year he was back with a new girl, small and pretty with dark hair and a smile full of light. And he was smiling again.

They sang “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”and the new girl was much better than the other two had been.

Donna clapped and complimented her and the skinny man looked very fond.

“You better start training up, mate,” Donna told him. “She’s outsinging you. Might go solo next year.”

“I’ll do my best,” he promised. “Merry Christmas–”

“To you and your family,” she finished for him.

He smiled, his eyes lighting up so brightly, like they had on that very first Christmas. “And you and yours.”

He didn’t come back the next year. She did, though. Accompanied by an older Scottish man.

“I was joking about you going solo,” Donna told her. “What happened to the skinny bowtie lad?”

She stifled a laugh, sucking her lips into her mouth as she looked at the older man.

He sighed. “He’s just feeling a little poorly,” the man promised Donna. “I hope I’m a worthy substitute.”

“Well, I dunno,” Donna said. “I kind of liked him. Even if he was tone deaf.” She tilted her head. “Can you sing?”

He blinked, as if he hadn’t considered that. “Well I guess we’re all about to find out.”

They sang “Jingle Bell Rock” which was not a Christmas Carol but sort of fit the new man’s vibe anyway. He was better at singing than the younger man.

Donna decided she liked him. He was familiar to her, like the last man had been. Did he remind her of grandad? Was it because he was Scottish, like the woman from the first two years had been?

He nodded his head in acknowledgement when they’d finished and Donna clapped.

Donna turned to the woman. “I can see why you ditched skinny.”

She laughed. The man smiled, indulgently.

“It was a lovely song,” Donna said. “And I hope to see you back next year.”

“I hope you will,” the man said, taking her in with a smile. “And a merry Christmas to you and your family.”

She paused for a moment, at the familiar words from an unfamiliar mouth, but her answer was the same regardless. “And you and yours.”

And they did come back, the both of them.

They sang “Little Drummer Boy”, their longest song yet. If someone had asked Donna, “Would Little Drummer Boy work in a Scottish accent?” She might have said no. But it did actually sound nice.

Donna’s four year old scampered up halfway through, listening in with quiet curiosity.

The man softened immediately at the sight, smiling through the lyrics and keeping time more jovially. The woman brightened and waved, absolutely melting when she received a tiny wave back.

Both Nobles clapped vigorously when the song finished.

“That was lovely,” the little one said, and both carolers tripped over themselves in thanks. “Can you sing Rudoplh?”

“Oh come now, baby, we don’t want to–”

“I would love to sing Rudolph,” the man cut in. “Would you like to sing with us?”

And Donna watched as these two grown adults played and sang with her child until they were both laughing too much to sing.

She was laughing, too. “All right, all right, thank you both, really, but this one needs a nap.”

Whining sprung up at the nap word but the grown ups bowed out with good grace.

“Merry Christmas to you and your people,” Donna said, changing the script just a bit.

The man grinned brightly and she wondered not for the first time if the skinny man was his son. Their eyes had the same manic joy. “And you and yours.”

The woman was gone the next year but the new one was just as delightful.

They sang “Deck the Halls” which, again, was pretty basic, but the new woman was a dreadful singer, and this song could at least be sung with brash enthusiasm. She was very jolly, her large curly hair swaying with her head and hands pointing into her deep brown smiling face as she sang the word ‘gay’ with an emphasis that made Donna laugh.

“You’re a riot,” Donna told her, when they’d finished singing. “Cannot sing a lick but you brightened my spirits right up.”

“Thank you, ma’am.”

“Oi!” Donna snapped. “None of this ‘ma’am’. Makes me sound old.”

“Oh, no of course not!” The woman said. “Just trying to be respectful. I’ve heard all about you.”

Donna snorted. “What, about a random woman you lot sing carols to?”

“The woman who isn’t afraid to call us terrible,” the man clarified with a small smile. “You’re a very genuine woman. It’s a valuable quality.”

Donna blinked, something funny coming over her head. “Thank you,” she brought a hand up  as something throbbed in her temple. “Oh, hell, I’ve just got a headache.”

The man looked alarmed. “Well then we won’t keep you!” He reached for the woman and turned her around, calling behind him as he walked down the steps. “Merry Christmas to you and your people!”

She called after him, bewildered, “And to you and yours!”

The headache faded almost as soon as she’d closed the door.

They didn't come back the next year. Or the year after that.

Donna was disappointed but Grandad was devastated. He never answered the door with her if he was visiting when they came but he loved hearing the stories. He always asked Donna every detail about the men or their companions, what they’re wearing or what they sing.

When no one shows up to carol, Grandad acted as if someone had died.

And who knows? Maybe they had. That older gent had been old. And the skinny man had been poorly for a while.

She didn’t get carolers for four years. A couple times she thought she heard that whirring grinding sound but there was never a knock at the door. She put it up to hearing things like Grandad.

Until, finally, in the fifth winter, she got a knock at the door.

Only when she opened it, she didn’t recognize any of the people.

And there were four of them this time. There was an older white man, but not as old as the last man, and a young black man beside him. There was a young woman with tawny skin and another woman, blonde, with a dangly ear cuff and manic glee on her face.

“Hello!” The manic woman said. “We would love to sing you some carols.”

“One carol,” the other woman corrected. “Sorry to interrupt, but if you’d like a song?”

“As many as you want!” The manic woman was really quite manic. “Anything for you. You doing well? You’re looking well.”

Donna just blinked. “Who the hell are you? I haven’t gotten carollers in years.”

“Oh,” She looked startled briefly before bouncing back. “Right! Yes!” The woman bounces a little on her feet, her long coat swirling. “So sorry if, uh, grandad worried you by disappearing. He had. Stuff. But he’s fine! Everyone’s fine, we’re all fine.”

“Yeah?” Donna asked, skeptically. “Then where is he?”

The woman hesitated but barreled on. “Well, you see, my brother – the skinny lad with the bowtie? – he had a rough turn. He’s fine now!” She rushed to reassure. “But he really missed being able to come out and carol. And grandad felt bad enough for doing it without him for so long. So they stopped. For… how long has it been exactly?”

“Five years.”

“Oh! That’s not so bad. Right, he stopped for five years. But now! He’s sent me and my fam out to carol instead! Said he’d been hogging the lovely neighbors.” She gestured at Donna.

Donna snorted. 

She was more relieved than she expected to hear the men were okay. He’d been worried about the redhead and the shy man and then about the pretty little brunette and now definitely about the young black lesbian, but just because they didn’t go caroling didn’t mean anything bad had happened. Not like the men with the bright and gleeful eyes.

“Yeah alright,” Donna agreed, deciding to roll with it. “Can you sing then?”

The woman grinned. “You tell me!”

They launched into ‘We Wish You a Merry Christmas’ and kept going through five verses until Donna stopped them.

“Okay, yes, you can sing just fine!” She laughed before pointing at the young black man. “You don’t know the words, though. Did you think you could just mumble along and we wouldn't notice?”

The older man laughed. “That’s exactly what he thought.”

“She sprung this on us kind of fast!” The young man protested. “And I didn’t already know the words like you both seem to.”

“Oh, leave him alone, Graham,” the blond woman grinned. “I’m just happy he came out with us. And I’m happy you,” she said, gesturing to Donna. “Are just as brilliant as you ever were. Or so I’ve heard.”

Donna smiled, leaning her weight on the door frame. “Well, you heard right. I am brilliant.”

The manic woman grinned and Donna saw it again. That same frenetic joy. The smile like one would give their best friend.

It was a weird way to find a family resemblance but Donna couldn’t think what else it would be. Why they would all look at her like that.

“Well thank you for opening the door. And a merry Christmas to–”

“Me and my people?” Donna asked. The woman nodded, her face soft. “Thank you. And the same to you and yours.” Donna smirked. “But I’ll bet you knew that.”

The woman grinned a manic grin and the three people with her stared between them in wonder.

“Right then,” Donna said. “Off you pop. And I better see all of you next year. This is the best vocal arrangement we’ve had yet. And make sure this one knows the words.”

The other woman laughed. “We will. Thanks again. And merry Christmas.”

Donna waved them off and closed the door, watching through the window as they all turned down into an alley. A blue box was just barely visible.

She turned back with a sigh, happy to know that everyone was fine and she’d see them next year. But before anything else, she had to call grandad. She knew he’d be thrilled.

The same gang came back next year. They sang “The First Noel” and it really was beautiful. It was.

The next year, the two men had gone and were replaced with a new one. They sang Frosty the Snowman. It was very sweet.

And the next year, she knew them all. She knew who they’d been, she knew their names and their adventures, and she had her doctor with his old face living in the TARDIS in her backyard.

And the oldest doctor – the bigenerated one that she’d helped pull out herself – was standing on her doorstep.

“Care for a carol miss?”

“Oh, you cheeky little cmuppet,” Donna yelled at him.

And he threw his head back with that same manic glint in his eye, that look that she was his best friend, and he laughed.

[psychic-refugee]

Curious as to what you think of the resurgence of click bait articles claiming Percy has been taken out of Wednesday season 2? Went to do a quick check on him on Google and it was the top results again after a blissful period of silence. Also I love your mood boards <3

I think everything should always be reviewed with a critical eye, within context, and as a whole.

I think it’s worth noting that there was a “blissful period of silence.” Slow periods of gossip like to be filled with more gossip. I feel like these days “X male actor caught in accusation scandal” is low hanging fruit.

It’s very easy to get the gullible riled up and angry, as we’ve witnessed with PHW antis.

We also see that in short succession, we also saw Trump lose a second defamation case against E. Jean Carrol AND Danny Masterson just got 30 years for his rape trial.

I don’t specifically think it was a concerted effort by this particular gossip rag to write about all them together, but I think they can see what will get a lot of clicks given the current social climate.

I will say that the Daily Mail article had the most decisive language to date in terms of outright saying he was kicked off. But they still did CYA later on by specifying that a) Netflix hasn’t confirmed this and b) it was a “close family friend” who “told” them. The latter also gave me pause because it’s different that the normal go to “insider.”

Both the decisive language and different “source” did more to make the story seem credible, but it’s still all sleight of hand mind tricks. In context, additionally, the Daily Mail is also a bigger gossip rag than the rando, smaller gossip sites.

IMO, Daily Mail can be more aggressive in their language because they’re bigger and probably have a more robust legal department. They can flirt closer with libel than other sources simply because they have money. Money is intimidating and a shield, they can say things with more confidence even if they know it’s all bullshit.

I wouldn’t be surprised, nor would I blame anyone, if people were more worried about this article than the others.

I would not worry at this point, because despite the more aggressive language, it still has the pitfalls of the nobody sites such as Poptingz or whatever.

It’s a gossip site, it’s bread and butter are clicks and getting people talking. I think there’s an expectation that it’s not a reliable source, legally most of them are categorized as “Entertainment” vs News. There’s no money in being ethical, factual, or writing the truth.

Why now? The accusations are almost a year old and PHW hasn’t been arrested nor is there a hint of a police report. There is documented evidence of the accusers retracting and clarifying that PHW hasn’t done anything criminal to them personally, only that they heard or speculate that he did something criminal to others. It would be strange IMO to drop him now, rather than earlier when the fervor was at an all-time high AND before the accusers incriminated themselves and tossed away any shred of credibility they might have had.

I think Netflix has enough problems right now, they don’t need to get a reputation of not standing by their talent when there is such poor, unsubstantiated evidence. It would also set a precedent that all a competing actor needs to do is create a sock account and accuse someone of malfeasance.

These idiots on twitter and tumblr were believing accounts with no name or real PFP, screenshots that could easily be faked and also showed no criminal intent, and the accusers bragged about “canceling” someone across MULTIPLE social media sites.

I would be hard pressed to believe that any reasonable company would see loud idiots on twitter and Insta as a bellwether for real life sentiment.

The idiots stick to their safe space of social media rather than real life for a reason. These people don’t actually care about women, victims, or justice. They simply see an easy and trendy way to take the moral high ground to justify being their worst selves.

They basically want a pat on the back for being gullible, telling someone to kill themselves, and falling face first into fascism (which is what arresting someone with no evidence is).

They can only do this on social media. I would bet money that no one in their real life is aware of their beliefs or what they’ve said to people online.

Overall, I think the only time we should be really worried is if any NEW accusations AND actual, substantiated evidence are brought forth, AND an actual police report was made, followed up by charges from the Crown.

Otherwise, it’s just recycling the same bullshit and stirring the pot.

Glad you like the moodboards! Thanks for liking and reblogging.

I do respond to asks, so feel free to put in a request. I just can't guarantee a time frame. lol

[kissthesun-gvf]

Like the Old Days

y'all I have been in the biggest writing slump. college has me writing so much that as soon as I have free time, my brain is fried :(

so let me preface this by saying that this might not be my best work, and there will likely be edits to it--- the time jumps are mostly because I couldn't think of any smoother transitions.

anyways, I hope you like it <3

The incessant knocking at your door had you stumbling across your apartment and rubbing the sleep from your eyes as you fumbled with the lock. You opened the door and were instantly bombarded with your past. “Jacob,” was all you could mumble out before you woke up.

Your eyes shot open not to your ex boyfriend, but instead the ceiling of your bedroom. It was a dream. In that moment you knew it was a dream, but that didn’t stop the pit in your stomach that was accompanied by the scent of him that was drilled into your brain. The sound of his laugh. The feeling of his hand in yours. But you sat up and snapped out of it, turning off your alarm and starting your day. You had a new life with a new job to get to, and Jake was off doing god only knows what with his band. For your own sake, you had blocked all of their social media accounts to stop yourself from reminiscing. He could call you, of course, but you knew he wouldn’t.

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

“Hey, where are you right now?” You blinked back to reality to find your best friend and coworker standing in front of your desk with the Monday morning coffee the two of you had gotten used to indulging in. “I’m here, just. Tired. I had a really weird dream last night,” you replied with a sigh. She raised her eyebrow with interest and you proceeded to fill her in. She already knew about your history with Jake, but instead of being on team-moving on, she was 110% on team-get back with the rock star. “Well if you’re dreaming about him it’s probably a sign, right?” The grin plastered across her face had you about to throw your coffee right back at her. “No, that’s the last thing it is. Us splitting up really was for the best, we’ve been over this.” You had explained this to her time and time again, but that never had her fully convinced that you shouldn’t reach out to him. So, she tried convincing again: “Why don’t you text him? What’s the harm in reaching out?” At this point she was hanging over the side of your cubicle for dramatic effect. “The harm is that I could get sucked right back into the life I’ve finally moved on from!” You knew explaining this to her was no use, but you had to try anyways. “I’m not saying you have to go crawling back to him– quit your job and follow him around like a puppy, but you could at least be friends again, would that be so bad?” You shook you head before she could finish her sentence. “There’s no ‘just friends’ with me and Jake, it doesn’t work like that. Never has, never will,” you went back to your work and tried to put him out of your mind. His stupid smile, his stupid guitar, the stupid way he would sing you to sleep.

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

You thought you had her convinced until the end of the day when she made her way back to your desk with the same grin on her face as earlier in the day. “What now?” You asked nervously, eyeing the piece of paper she had in her hand. She stuck it out for you to see a printed concert ticket. And then you looked closer. “You didn’t.” You whispered as you realized what you were looking at. “They’ll  be in town in two weeks! I told you this dream was a sign,” she sighed dreamily, leaning next to you. You decided your best move was just to take it from her and not fight it. You could sell the ticket and come up with some excuse for her later. You had to sell it. You wouldn’t let yourself go. You’d worked so hard to move on from him, you wouldn’t go back. And he wouldn’t want it anyways. Jake would stay in the back of your mind, like his clothes and letters in the back of your closet (yes, the ones you said you would donate and burn.)

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

Things were going surprisingly well. The show was halfway over and you had managed to make it through without crying at any of the songs or being spotted by any of the guys. Your spot in the seats on Sam’s side had kept you safely anonymous until the encore. Sam was over near the edge of the stage, schmoozing the fans, and you swore he made eye contact with you. There was no way. It was dark, and it was half a second and it was just impossible. But just to be safe, you tried your best to make your fastest escape from the venue. This, of course, was next to impossible considering the amount of people also leaving. You had nearly made it past the merch booth and to the doors when a security guard made his way up to you. “Excuse me, miss. You’re being asked for backstage.” Fuck. Your heart dropped to your stomach. Sam must have seen you. And not only that, sent someone to find you. Did he just want to say hi? Or had he told Jake? Not that you had time to think about it, because you quickly found your way backstage and in front of a dressing room door. You paused a moment in front of the closed door in front of you. Were you really doing this? Were you really about to see him? After all the work you put in to move on, all the heartbreak you endured and knew he had too. Was it really worth it? 

Before you could decide, you heard the handle turn. And there he was. In that split second you scanned his face- he had aged a bit, of course- his hair was longer and he didn’t have quite as much of a “baby face”, but he was Jake. Your Jake. The one you had grown up with, and loved, and lost. “Jacob,” was all you could mumble out. “Hi,” he croaked back. “Sam said you were here, he uh, said he saw you in the crowd?” You nodded, still trying your best to form coherent thoughts. “You didn’t feel like taking your old place ‘Jake-side’, huh?” he laughed awkwardly. You grinned and shook your head. “Just didn’t feel like distracting you, I guess.” He stepped back into the room and you followed, sitting on the couch opposite of where he was leaning against the counter. He took a deep breath. “Why are you here?” he blurted, and you could tell that he had forced himself to say it. “I’m sorry, but I had to ask it. I mean, it’s been like a year now, right?” You nodded as you formed your response. “Yeah, that’s a valid question Jake,” you began, explaining how your friend had brought up the show near you and convinced you to go “for old times sake” and how you had agreed, not expecting any of them to see you, and definitely not expecting to be pulled aside by a security guard after the show and taken backstage. You sat silently for a moment before he spoke again. “But how did the topic come up? Of her finding the show? Were you talking about me?” A smirk spread across his face as he asked the last question. Always a little full of himself, that hadn’t changed. You could tell him. I mean at the end of the day, he had been your first love. He knew you better than you cared to admit. “Funny story… I had a dream about you, the night before I had that conversation with her at work. That’s how it came up…” Jake laughed under his breath at the thought of you dreaming about him. “Oh you did, did you?” he pried. You know what he was getting at. “That’s classified information, Jacob, but it’s not what you think.” “You sure about that, honey?” You froze at his use of your old nickname. The name he had called you on your first date, after your first kiss, and on the day you broke up. His sweet girl. Sweeter than honey. “Yeah, yeah I’m sure.” You couldn’t stop the grin peeking on your face. Talking to him had gotten easy so quickly, just like it had when you met. You fell into conversation about your work and his, but stayed safely on the other side of the room, far away from his wandering eyes and hands. Jake was a lot of things, but subtle wasn’t one of them. You could tell he was fighting with his instincts right now, just as you were. Even after a year apart, you knew each other so well. As hard as you tried not to think about it, you couldn’t help but look at him and see the curve of his jaw where you used to leave kisses, the calloused fingers that held yours constantly. And you missed it. And by the silence of the dressing room at this moment, you could tell he did too. “The hotel we’re staying at has a pretty nice bar,” Jake implied as he stood from his place on the couch. “Jake…” you sighed. Yes, you both knew it was a bad idea for this to go any further. But it was Jake. “You’re telling me after tonight you couldn’t use a drink?” He smiled and stepped towards you. “One drink. That’s it.” You said it firmly and looked into his eyes to get your point across. Damnit, his eyes. You forced your gaze away and followed him out the door.

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

He just had to bring up a memory. Had to reminisce, and you had to smile. And then he had to land his hand just above your knee, which had been bumping into his as you sat next to him at the bar, slowly sipping the drink he had insisted on buying you. “Jake, I’m serious. Just drinks,” you reminded him. “Oh come on, sugar, it’s just me,” he mumbled, looking down at his drink. “Yeah, it is you, Jake, which is why I have to be exceedingly careful how far I let this go…” you paused, not sure how to say what you both were thinking. “We made this decision for the both of us, Jake, remember?” He nodded, glancing up at you. “That doesn’t mean I liked it,” he stuttered. You knew he rarely did that, only when he was feeling especially emotional. Looking up and seeing the tears in his eyes forced your attention to the ones threatening to spill down your face. “It doesn’t mean I wanted it either, but we decided it was for the best.” You swallowed hard and choked down your emotions. You both sat in silence, causing the sounds of the room around you to rush back in. Surely nobody else in the bar was paying attention, or so you hoped. “I’m going back up to my room to work on some songs,” Jake sighed and stood up. “I’m not gonna push anything on you, but the door’s unlocked.” That’s all he said. He barely met your eyes before he walked away.

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

You couldn’t follow him. You hadn’t back then, and you wouldn’t now. But it was like magnetic force was drawing you upstairs. You could set boundaries, and Jake would respect them. But this night must have been a second chance. The universe wouldn’t have brought you here for no reason. So for the second time today you found yourself with nothing but a door between you and your past– and your future. You quickly wiped the tears from under your eyes and turned the knob.

“I can’t love you like the old days, Jake. It doesn’t work that way,” you whispered. Jake swallowed and stopped himself from stepping towards you. “Maybe we don’t have to love like we did then. Maybe we can love like we are now.” You nodded and stepped towards him as he sat on the edge of the bed. His hands reached around your thighs and you leaned down to hold his face in your hands. Nothing had changed. He was still Jake. Your Jake. And you couldn’t stop yourself. You leaned in.

[being-addie]

This guy I was talking to months ago back in November we met at a after party concert, hooked up that night in a hotel then texted after...I told him I wanted a relationship and he said the same but was hard making plans because of the fact that he lived pretty far away (an hour and half) and said he wasn’t going to drive all the way to me to just drive back the same day so always asked if he could spend the night and I currently live with my sister and her bf so always have to ask so it never really worked out and we didn’t hang out except for get drinks like a month later but didn’t hookup again or anything...he let me know that he was also moving back to where he is from due to the military and said he was sorry for leading me on, and said we could be friends to which I didn’t respond 😂 anyway...he messaged me the other day and it’s been since January we’ve talked. He goes “hey” and i was like “hey who is this” and he goes “you forgot that fast” and I was like “🤦‍♀️ who lol” then he tells me his name I really didn’t know because I deleted his contact then I was like “what’s up” and he goes “how u been?” And I’m like “pretty good, and you?” And he goes “same as well” and then I liked the text and he goes “you don’t wanna talk no more?” And I was like “I do” and he goes “really” and I was like “yeah we can be friends” and he goes “dinner type friends ?” And I was like “yeah” but I just don’t understand him or what he means lol

Okay. I've studied body language and psychology as a side hobby for a while. And one thing I can regretfully, but with certainty, I can say, is that this man wanted one thing. A hookup. He got it but wasn't interested in a relationship and tried to derail any chances of one (in this case, just making meeting also a chore). Unfortunately, this is a side effect of hookup culture, and many men are now doing this sleazy tactic, of getting sex with no strings. It's a lose-lose for the woman.

So then he tells you he's moving away and apologizes for leading you on. Not very effective, now that what's done is done and he didn't even try before. But I digress. Now he texts you after a good 4-5 months and wants to rekindle a friendship. He conveniently forgot about keeping in touch and when he's back in town I assume, he wants to be "dinner type friends"?

Honey, this man wants one thing. Sex. And if you want a stable relationship this man is not it. Cut him off, because to him? You're a booty call. I strongly tell every girl I know to work on herself and cultivate her interests before giving a man access to her heart or body. Men like these are wasting your time and making you unhappier. There are so many good men out there, why are you entertaining a man who didn't even try for you?

Know your worth. Restrict access to your mind and body for people who don't deserve it. And remove those who are draining your happiness and mental health from your life. You know what to do, love. xoxo

[my-name-is-jefferooni]

I WENT TO THE SONIC SYMPHONY YESTERDAYYYYYYY

I don’t know what tk really say, but… GODDAMN THAT MUSIC WAS FUCCIN FIRE!!

AND. AND OH MY GOD THE LEAD SINGER FOR CRUSH 40??? hang on what’s his name?

JOHNNY!! FUCKING JOHNATHON OH MY GOD HE WAS FANTASTIC UP THERE ON THAT STAGE AND HES SO SWEET AND HES SUCH A NICE GUY HE CAUGHT ME SO OFF-GUARD WITH HOW NICE HE WAS!!!

AND OH MY GOSH I COULD EVEN TELL THE PERFORMERS WERE HAVING FUN!! Like… This time they weren’t doing it just for money or anything, like they actually had fun playing Sonic the Hedgehog music! They were all so alive and everyone did such a fantastic job up there on stage! Like they’ve been waiting their whole lives for this day! Wow I envy them all so much!

What I really really enjoyed though was the second half of the concert when we all started jumping up and down and singing all the songs like a giant community! We all knew basically every song by heart and hearing everyone sing along with Johnny and Dave was such a surreal experience. I’ve never felt such a sense of belonging before… I have never once felt so… At home.

There were a few songs I didn’t know, all of which were from Frontiers and Superstars, but every other song I knew like the back of my hand and it felt AMAZING!! I would never trade that feeling for anything ever!

I also got to meet/interact with a a few cosplayers which was amazing!! My mom and grandma were with me and my lil bro so we got to prove that cosplayers and STH fans were well-respected and sane human beings. All of them were really nice and we got to talk about TMOSTH and made a few jokes at each other. We all connected so well even though we’ll never see each other again… All their costumes were so accurate and looked amazing too!!

I also basically destroyed my vocal cords while singing and when we got to Live and Learn at the end I couldn’t even breathe. It was such a magical and tremendous experience, and I’d never trade that feeling for anything ever! Just… Being there and experiencing it…! That was probably the most fun I’ve had in years! I was jumping up and down and singing my heart out and laughing so hard I thought my chest was gonna burst and talking with people I’ve never met like we’ve know each other for a long time… Again, it was such a magical experience for me. I’m so so incredibly thankful to my mom for letting us go.

So, if I had to explain the Sonic Symphony with just one word… I’d say…

Community.

[onlyswan]

a little rant… lately, every time i hear About You - 1975, i think about jungkook. especially his lives, more specifically his february lives… those lives were just like a reassurance that 2023 is gonna be a good year no matter what happens and everything’s gonna be okay. i miss him dearly 😔 at this point i just want half of this year to be over really. i wanna be free from school 😭 and!! (a little tmi) i’m gonna see yoongi right after my school ends! feels like a fever dream and a huge treat for myself 🥹 tbh tho the war for the tickets was BRUTAL. and this is gonna be my first concert, ever. a little nervous but i don’t want to make myself anxious and just enjoy it but,, do you have any tips or what do i need to prepare for any concert? 😳

anywaaay whow are you? how’s life lately my sweet artemis? i hope you have a great day ♡

-🌷

i miss him so much too we’ve been so spoiled with his weverse lives 🤧 now life isn’t the same without him

omg why is everyone seeing yoongi but me </3 i’m so excited for you beloved !! 😭🫶🏼 hmmm as for tips, for me concerts are such out-of-the-body experience. literally head empty except lyrics and ferality. after the show i can’t speak or walk :") i get nervous too and it can be soooo stressful waiting to go in the venue :/ but it all goes away the second the lights are turned off trust me !! and don’t be shy to scream the lyrics or dance !! just make sure that you eat breakfast and you’re hydrated because you’ll be tired even before it starts. that’s the most important !! my biggest nightmare is passing out 😬 for what to prepare, forget everything but your ticket and your powerbank 🫡 tbh if you’re seated there’s not much to worry about, but if you’re not…

life these days 🥲 is not very good. i’m not in a good place but i’m hanging in there and i’m choosing to hold on to things and people i love <3 on the other hand i hope life is treating you kindly and you are surrounded by positivity! 🫂💗