#went into the city for a concert recently and the only picture i took was of my parking spot so i'd remember

[wybbit]

feels like everyone below the age of 40 needs to have Photographer Brain to seem like a well rounded person now. like if it just doesn't occur to u to take pics when u go outside or hang out with ppl no one will believe u go outside or hang out with ppl.

[phoebenpiperx]

Having recently posted my HSM4 fic here, I went back and reread all my old fics on fanfiction.net and thought others might be interested in them as well.

15 of the fics were part of a series called Extra Innings that were all written by me and a friend immediately after HSM2, exploring the relationship between Ryan and Chad that started with the baseball dance # “I Don’t Dance”. I also deal with Ryan's relationship with Sharpay a lot as well as his friendship with the other Wildcats.

See below for links to my HSM fics (in the chronological order of the show).

Inspiration= A missing scene from HSM1. Kelsi observes the Evans twins rehearsing.

Musical Auditions= Sharpay and Ryan discuss what musical they'd like to perform in next.

Fantasy Football= Ryan's decided to go out for the football team, and Sharpay realizes why.

Extra Innings stories

Wildest Dreams = Ryan is upset that his team didn’t win the staff baseball game, but running into the Wildcats—especially Chad—in the locker room afterwards cheers him up.

Hanging Out = After the baseball game, Ryan finds himself welcomed by a new group of friends.

Dancing Lessons = The dance lessons weren't going as well as either boy had hoped. Perhaps it was time to try a new tactic.

Fever = A sweltering dance lesson, a kiss, and the aftermath. [6 chapters]

Oh Brother! = Sharpay tries to come to terms with a recent discovery about her brother.

Advice = Ryan seeks dating advice from friends and family. A continuation of our other ChadRyan stories.

First Date = Chad and Ryan have a disastrous first date, but all's well that ends well. [The final Coda is rated Mature.]

Second Date: Bowled Over =Chad and Ryan's second date is comandeered by Wildcats.

Ryan's Musical Revue = Sharpay decides it's time to introduce Chad to Ryan's past lives...all the roles he's played.

Karaoke Night = Sharpay invites Chad and Zeke to join the twins at Wednesday Karaoke Night.

Clueless = After Gabriella calls him "Clueless", Troy tries to pay more attention to his friends...and discovers something about Ryan and Chad.

Back To School = The Wildcats return to school for their senior year after the summer at Lava Springs. Has everything changed, or is it back to the old routine? [3 chapters]

Freaky Friday = The students of East High get to walk a mile in each other's shoes during a school-sponsored Freaky Friday event. [5 chapters]

Family Courtside = Mr. Evans takes Ryan to a basketball game as he tries to deal with the fact that Ryan is dating Chad.

Double Skate = Sharpay goes on her first "date" with Zeke. [4 chapters]

RHPSM = Chad attends a midnight showing of Rocky Horror Picture Show with his friends. Chad/Ryan. Please note: coarse language and references to a rated-R movie -- may not be appropriate for younger readers!

--

canon to HSM3:

Obvious = It's obvious why Ryan and Chad are reacting differently to their high school graduation. Inspired by Hey Monday song "Obvious". My HSM4 fic is canon to this one.

A Last Huzzah = It's only days since graduation, and Ryan and Sharpay are discussing their summer plans.

Nov 15, 2008: Txting Txting 123 = It's November 15, 2008, and the Evans twins are communicating across the miles. [In November 2008, a law called Prop 8 was passed in California which took away the right for gay couples to marry! On Nov. 15, millions of people across America participated in marches protesting this law—I researched the marches in each of the cities mentioned so they’d be accurate.]

Just Desserts, a sequel to Txting Txting 123 = A sequel to "November 15, 2008 -- Txting Txting 123". Everyone's home from Thanksgiving and eager to talk about their experiences at the "No on Prop 8" rallies.

Spring Musical Awakening = The Evans twins are each cast in a production of their colleges' spring musical production of "Spring Awakening". Dialogue only, but based on an R-rated musical so beware. [2 chapters]

Concert Chaos = Ryan and Sharpay go to see JONAS in concert!

HSM4: The Reunion = It’s the 15th anniversary of the best class ever, but the returning East High Wildcats aren’t quite as happy as they should be. A lot has changed, but there’s some things that never do. Maybe getting the whole gang back together was just what everyone needed. [based on HSMTMTS s4; canon to HSM3 & my fic Obvious]

--

set post HSM2 – Rated Mature!

Dancing Now = After the Star Dazzle show, Ryan hooks up with Chad...fully aware that Chad isn’t really interested in HIM.

Only Time Could Tell, a sequel to Dancing Now = Immediately follows Dancing Now, showing how Chad redeems himself after betraying Ryan.

[nordleuchten]

Hello! Do you by any chance know where Lafayette and his family lived after they were released from Olmütz, and waiting to go back to France?

Dear @mxtallmadge,

yes, I do know by chance where the La Fayette’s stayed in exile before returning to France. Thank you for the question, this is actually one of my favourite episodes in La Fayette’s life.

They first went to a place called Gut Wittmoldt (the family often used slightly different spellings) that was located on the banks of the Plöner See. Madame de Tessé, Adrienne’s aunt, had rented the property and several emigrees lived there or in the surround area. La Fayette’s daughter Virginie wrote in her book:

At last on the 10th of October 1797 we arrived at Witmold a property Mme de Tessé had bought in a peninsula on lake Ploën. (…) At Witmold, my mother recovered her strength, and found repose of body and mind. My father found his friends. He was fond of Mme de Tessé, and had with her on every point complete community of opinions. His political life had met with her constant approbation, and you may fancy what charm five years of silence at Olmütz added to Mme de Tessé’s lively, animated and piquante conversation.

Mme de Lasteyrie, Life of Madame de Lafayette, L. Techener, London, 1872, pp. 372-373.

For the winter months of 1797/98, La Fayette rented Gut Lehmkuhlen, close by Wittmold. There were several reasons for the move. The family wanted to have a place of their own – and not everybody was as much in perfect agreement with La Fayette’s political opinions and actions as Madame de Tessé was. Virginie wrote:

Mme de Maisonneuve came to see her brother and joined us at Lhemkulen, a large castle in Holstein, near Witmold, which my father had hired for the winter. Shortly afterwards my brother arrived from Mount Vernon. Under General Washington’s paternal care he had become a man. My mother was happy and so were her children.

Mme de Lasteyrie, Life of Madame de Lafayette, L. Techener, London, 1872, p. 374.

After the winter months, the family moved back to Wittmoldt. It was then and there that Anastasie married. After the wedding, the family moved to Vianen, near Utrecht. Again turning to Virginie:

After a short stay there [Paris], and a visit to Mme de Chavaniac in Auvergne, we all met again in the following year 1799 at Vianen, near Utrecht. My father had come there from Holstein, with George. Exiles can fix themselves nowhere. Their only thought is to abandon their momentary home, their only wish to depart.

Mme de Lasteyrie, Life of Madame de Lafayette, L. Techener, London, 1872, p. 377.

Adrienne and Virginie had been in Paris and in the Auvergne, while La Fayette, Georges and Anastasie, now pregnant, had moved directly to Vianen. Adrienne and Virginie followed them there.

Gut Wittmoldt and Gut Lehmkuhlen were in a region that was then known as Danish Holstein. The region was very interesting from a cultural and social aspect, and it became the refuge for many French exiles. The region is today part of Northern Germany.

Vianen is a city in the Netherlands. By the time of the La Fayette’s settlement there, it belonged to the Batavian Republic.

I have made a detailed post about the La Fayette’s home in Vianen here.

I have no specific posts about either Wittmoldt or Lehmkuhlen – what is slightly ironic because I am very often in that area and have visited Wittmoldt especially quite often, but I never took any pictures.

Lehmkuhlen has, rather recently, been turned into a biogas plant but the gardens of the former estate have been preserved.

Wittmoldt is still owned by the same family and on their website they even advertise with the fact that La Fayette and his family stayed on their property. Today, the estate hosts many cultural events like concerts, workshops and art and craft markets. They also offer Equine-assisted therapy. Furthermore, Gut Wittmoldt can be rented for weddings or the like (the chapel where Anastasie married is no longer standing). Several of the buildings on the property have also been turned into guesthouses for tourists. Most modern buildings in Wittmoldt are from the 1860’s but there is at least the old bakehouse from the early 1790’s that La Fayette would have known and that also had been turned into a guesthouse.

I hope the information was helpful. I have a la fayette in exile-tag, that might interest you as well. I hope you have/had a lovely day!

[jjcattt]

I've been thinking a lot recently about liminal spaces, dead malls, etc. It reminded me of an experience I had a few months ago.

There's a city a few hours away from me. I was born there, but when I was 6 my family moved to where I live now. It's much bigger than my current city, and we visit there a few times a year for a number of different reasons. In this case the reason was to attend a concert.

Our airbnb was right in the middle of the city, so we decided to make the most of our few days there and do as much as we could. On the first day we went to the museum, and on the way there we passed through a large open-air mall.

The next day, we went back to that mall. We were specifically there for a certain store, but I can't remember which. Google maps was incredibly unhelpful past a certain point, so we decided to wing it and just wander around until we found it.

While we were looking around, we found an escalator in the middle of the mall, going down underground. I thought this could be the reason Google couldn't seem to tell us where the store was, and went down.

Underground, it was quiet. You couldn't hear any of the commotion from the surface, like stepping into a bubble.

The escalator ended and I stepped off into a room. It was small, only about 4 or 5 meters in both directions. On the opposite end to the escalator there was a hallway, angled in a way that meant I couldn't see the other end.

It looked like a normal room. Plain white walls, and that inoffensive speckled tile flooring that every big store seems to use because it doesn't show dirt. All of it normal, except for the doors.

I don't really know if I can call them doors, because that wasn't all they were. It was more like someone had carefully cut out a chunk of space around someone's front door and put it down here. Some of them even had fake lawns, awnings and outdoor furniture.

They all looked similar too. white doors, white trim, pastel siding and shiny gold doorknobs. Glossy green plastic plants hanging from shiny hooks.

I can't properly explain just how unsettling this was with words alone, but I didn't take any pictures.

I heard my mother come down the escalator after me, and after a few seconds we walked down the hallway. It wasn't very long, and we ended up in what would've looked like a normal mall, if the ceiling wasn't so close to our heads, and if the storefronts weren't entirely blank.

Directly in front of us was an advertisement for a food court, the only thing that I'd seen on the walls that wasn't the doors. This seemed to jog my mother's memory, and she explained that this used to be an extension of the above mall. People would mostly come down for the food, which was apparently very good, and stay for the stores.

When the food court closed down sometime in the late 90s, people didn't have any reason to come down anymore, and eventually all of the businesses went with it.

To our right was another escalator, which we took back up to the surface.

I don't really know how much of this I've exaggerated in my head. It felt like I'd stepped out of reality, like some shitty creepypasta made manifest.

I've tried looking for the entrance to this place on Google maps, but no matter how many times I walk back and forth in that small area I can't seem to find the escalator, and I don't remember which part of the mall it was in.

I feel like I've completely hallucinated this entire scenario, like I'm confusing dream with reality, but I swear on everything in the world, that was real. I've never had trouble distinguishing fact from fiction, and I can remember every step from climbing that escalator to walking back to the airbnb.

I'm going back there in a month (another concert, funnily enough), and it doesn't matter what it takes, I will find that goddamn escalator, and I will take photos this time. I know what I saw.

[legitimateberry]

Hey! Some catching up in this post.

Last week I went to a $B concert, and it was so good! I kept telling the friend I went with that I couldn’t believe we were in the same city as them when we were walking around before the show and he said, along the lines of, “well, we are here for their show”.

Which, true. But stillllll.

It was euphoric, and I was dancing and singing and feeling the energy and it was magnetic and fire as hell I loved it. Openers were fire.

I love concerts, dude.

Then I watched one of my little sisters for parts of the weekend because my mom was in MN to visit my other little sisters❤️ and my stepdad had to work. Pretty sure everyone thought I was a teen mom, which is fine, but I’ll admit it was awkward sometimes because people just stareeee, bro.

Her and I did arts n crafts and went to the park and the beach and played hide and seek and did chalk outside and saw a mini parade and played uno and did more arts n crafts. It was fun and kind of opened my eyes more to my responsibilities and the life around me and things I’ve been lying to myself about. Two lil addictions I’m afraid I was in denial of until recently. Vaping and that za (will get you if you abuse it fr).

Overall was just an eye opener kind of weekend. Which led to my interview and my newfound habit of going outside to take in the fresh air, although it took me a month to get to the point of doing something about anything.

I had an interview today. I think the best part about it was that it forced me to get up and stop rotting in bed and DO something beneficial and purposeful for myself, even if that means doing my makeup or showering or changing my outfit into something that makes me want to dance in the mirror or have a mini photo shoot because I FEEL good.

Also means getting a job, which I need after my seasonal one ended at the beginning of September. Womp womp. I’m almost out of za and have no vape. I am on the struggle bus, crew.

I have a lot of things I want to save up for and things I need now, so while it’s nice to bed rot it’s not the best when I know I need to be doing literally anything else. Like finding a job.

But I did it! I got the call back a few hours after I left saying they wanted me for the positionnnn!!!! 😆🤘

And I want to find another job, too, as I’m a second one, dos, because have y’all seen the cost of living? Hell nah.

But anyways, these are my interview outfits and some pictures from outside that I took. I like to go outside everyday and journal, then read (this habit started a few days ago), and it’s been good for me and I want to keep doing it. We’ll see if it stays. It’s really the only time I get outside unless I walk our dog.

I live with my mom and stepdad, so I contribute to chores obviously, including taking the pupper outside. He’s a husky. His name is Oso, which means bear in Spanish. He’s super cute, but lots of people are afraid/more wary of him here in Mass when people weren’t in Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Then again, maybe I’m just noticing it. I don’t know.

My observational skills are like my hearing- selective. :D

I do pay attention to detail, just not things that other people do, if that makes sense? I won’t spend time explaining myself idk man.

Anywayssss x2, here’s my outfits and my time basking outside.

More outfits dropping soon because I’m only allowed to post ten pics at a time 🫶👻💃

[cookinguptales]

You know, it’s odd... I was talking to a friend about Nandor (as... I often do) and I was thinking about timelines...

One thing I’ve always been interested in is the way that the three (normal) vampires clearly lost touch with the modern world. They haven’t always been completely out-to-lunch! That’s the weird part! We see in photos that they used to keep up with the latest fashions, they talk about being friends with both human and vampire celebrities in the 20s through 60s, they had jobs, they mention going out to clubs and parties often, they use a lot of references that wouldn’t have been out of date when they learned them.

So like... what happened, exactly? What made them withdraw? Some of it probably is that it is easier to withdraw these days, but with Nandor in particular...

I was joking that Benjy might’ve been around when Nandor started dating Gail for the first time, or if he wasn’t, then he would’ve been right before her. (I know that Benjy was 70s and Gail was 80s, but it was kind of unclear how long Benjy was actually around. Definitely at least 5 years based on cultural clues but...) And then I really thought about the Nandor that we saw in the pictures with Benjy.

He’s... pretty different from the Nandor we see with Guillermo. This Nandor was going to parties, going out dancing with his familiar, going to political protests, dressing up as characters from pop culture, etc. He didn’t always seem, um, super savvy about the politics, so it’s arguable that the decline had already begun. (Or he’s just always been an idiot.) But he was undoubtedly more clued-in than he is now. And you see that he seems a little less culturally active when he’s with Gail, but still going out, doing things, going to concerts, etc. Still wildly different from the current Nandor.

It sort of seems to me that Nandor is one of those people that gets drawn into things by the people around him. He went to that Bob Seger concert for Gail. He went to a Superb Owl party and Atlantic City for Sean. It’s not that he’s opposed to going out and doing things and learning things. It’s just rarely his idea. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to find that some of the 70s stuff was Benjy’s doing.

So what exactly changed in this period? Well... Nandor kind of lost his human support system. He ditched Benjy because Benjy was starting to become needy and disaffected and was asking too much about vampirism. (We can draw these conclusions from the photos and Nandor’s complaints.) He was then dumped (repeatedly) by Gail, a woman who he seems to be genuinely in love with. This really does look like the beginning of the end for Nandor, because by the time Guillermo met him in roughly 2010, Nandor seems to have been pretty much the way we see him now, if not worse. Like, Guillermo has never been shocked, exactly, by Nandor’s naïveté or unpopularity, so this isn’t a recent development.

So... Nandor loses touch with the human world right around the advent of the internet. He has very mild familiarity with the internet, but only the oldest and least useful parts of it. That means he really misses the information boom and the era of interconnectedness that we’re currently experiencing.

From everything we know about Nandor, my guess is that he was pretty depressed in the 90s, as well. He was on-again-off-again with Gail and apparently took it really hard every time she left. He does not appear to have had a long-term familiar in this era, at least not that we’ve heard anything about.

I guess what I’m saying is... Nandor said in the cult episode that it was the happiest he’d felt in decades, and yeah, that makes sense to me. Nandor’s current depression seems to be the end result of several decades of loss, disaffectation, and a profound sense of loneliness. (Spurred on now by losing his country, his love interests, his metaphysical understanding, and to some degree, his sense of self.) He has the vampires, he has Guillermo, but it’s not like Guillermo was really pushing him for a lot of that time. He was much mousier than Benjy and didn’t really try to force Nandor out of his comfort zone or invite him out to places.

Nandor joined a cult. lbr, it was a cult. It was a cult of community, of humanity, of... the eighties. It really feels like him reaching back to a period in his life when he was happier and more connected and felt much less lonely. It was all fake, obviously, but he was very happy to believe in the lie. 

Guillermo was clearly very hurt when Nandor said he hadn’t been this happy since the period before Guillermo, but I don’t think it was personal, if perhaps said out of spite. I think Nandor’s just very prone to nostalgia and believing that his life would be better if it were more like it was in happier periods. But... Gail dumped him in the 80s. His wives hated, feared, and left him in the 1200s. They have never actually been happier, less lonely times. He’s just fallen prey to nostalgia.

Anyway, it’s interesting to see him finally making human friends again. He’s going out, going places, meeting new people, learning new things, consuming new media. It all seems to be really overwhelming for him because he’s drastically out of practice. Guillermo has been a big help in that now that he’s finally standing up for himself and standing up to Nandor. They’re not quite treating each other as equals yet, but they’re approaching it. 

I think it’s really interesting that Nandor wanted to take Guillermo on this trip around the world with him. It really feels like the ultimate in getting out of his comfort zone with a person that he loves, which is how we’ve seen him interacting with the world of the recent past. (And now! See: Jan.) I desperately wish they could have had that together, but I still hope that getting out and seeing/doing new things helps push Nandor out of this ennui and maybe makes him learn some stuff about himself. (And Guillermo...)

I fully believe that a large portion of depression is stagnation, and more than any other character in the series, Nandor has stagnated. But maybe a little Eat, Prey, Love will help him out? We can only hope. :<

[ratmonky]

Dividing a Plaything

Word Count: 9.2k

Warnings: dub-con, cheating, gaslighting, manipulation, dacryphilia, unhealthy relationships

AO3 Link

A gift to my two lovely friends, @bacterialheaven & @anti-interesting​  

With the holidays coming up, the train station was more crowded than it usually was. You didn’t mind hearing the loud and continuous chatter of the people around you, it made you feel less lonely and more included as you waited for the arrival of the train your boyfriend’s brother had taken.

Your boyfriend, Todo had invited his brother over to his place for a simple dinner where the two of you would be meeting for the first time. You couldn’t hide your excitement because Todo spoke highly of his brother, telling you how they spent years of their life and endured so many hardships together.

Todo had been having a rough time at work and seeing a familiar face could cheer him up. He didn’t have anyone other than you and his brother after all. He needed to be with people he treasured.

You had only recently moved in with him after a year of dating because his line of work prevented him from visiting you. Although you were fine with seeing him once in a while whenever he wasn’t busy, he wanted to spend every second of his life with you.

He had convinced you rather easily, telling you about how a woman your age shouldn’t live alone in the city. He told you how your life would be easier if the two of you lived together, shared a bed together, enjoyed meals together, bathed together, and of course, paid the bills together.

In the end, he was right, life was easier when you were together. You liked how much you could trust him and how protective he was when it came to you. When the two of you first met, it had been at a rescheduled Takada-chan concert when the previous one was canceled due to heavy rain. You had gone to the show after winning a ticket in a giveaway and halfway through the concert found yourself being harassed by some creep.

It was then, you heard a clap that was louder than any other clap at the concert and found yourself on the other side of the show. Dumbfounded, your eyes had scouted the entire room to see a muscular-built guy drag the creep who had been harassing you out.

You followed them out, thank this mysterious guy, and asked him if you could show your gratitude by buying him some Takada-chan merchandise.

The rest? History.

“Tokyo Train C arriving at Kyoto B.”

Quickly getting up from your seat, you headed towards the gate Todo’s brother would be arriving from.

You didn’t know what Yuuji looked like but Todo had told you that his brother knew exactly what you looked like from the pictures he would send him. Somehow, you could guess Yuuji’s appearance. Since he was Todo’s younger brother, he probably looked like a copy of him, perhaps shorter and had a smaller build and-

“Ah.” Some pink-haired guy stood in front of you. “You’re Todo’s girlfriend, right?”

There was a moment of silence as you stared up and down at him. “Yuuji Todo?”

He looked nothing like your Todo.

“Nuh-uh,” he chuckled. “It’s Yuuji Itadori.”

Again, silence.

“You’re not his brother?” you hesitantly asked.

“No,” he said, looking at you with the same confused expression that was plastered on your face. “Did he tell you I was his brother?”

“Yeah,” you sighed, shaking your head slightly with a blush. “I’m sorry about the-”

“Oh, don’t worry, he’s like a brother to me anyway. He introduces me as his brother to everyone.” Yuuji offered you a gorgeous smile before reaching his hand out to you. “Let’s take it from the beginning.”

You took his hand and mirrored his smile. “I’m (name), Aoi’s girlfriend.”

“Yuuji Itadori, Todo’s brother.” A chuckle.

The two of you shared a laugh and continued shaking hands but it didn’t feel awkward. His grip on your hand was gentle and soft, you didn’t even notice his thumb caressing your skin.

“I hope you’re hungry,” you said, finally retrieving your hand and turning around on your heels to lead the way.

“You can’t imagine, I’m so tired too.” Yuuji stretched his arms over his head as he matched your steps.

Only then you noticed the huge backpack he had with him. Todo had told you that Yuuji was only coming over for dinner and hopefully that was true. Nevertheless, you regretted not cleaning the place more thoroughly.

~~~

As soon as you opened the door to your apartment and stepped inside, Todo appeared out of nowhere to greet you. A quick kiss on your forehead and then walking past you, he grabbed Yuuji’s hand with a loud clap. The two of them hugged and were busy talking while you made your way to the kitchen to lift the aluminum foil you had put over the dishes to keep them warm.

“Aaah, Fushiguro got a girlfriend? That speechless guy too? I guess it’s only you left now.” Todo was practically yelling when he walked inside the living room. “I heard Mechamaru, no, Kokichi got a girl too.”

“Woah, I wonder how he managed to get a girlfriend.” Yuuji sounded astonished.

“Um, dinner-”

“Probably one of those sorcerer dating websites.” Todo sat on the couch and redirected his attention towards the television.

“Wait, there are websites for that?” Yuuji plopped down onto the couch next to Todo, ignoring you as well. “Is that how you met, (name)?”

“Aoi?” Your meek voice went unheard.

“No, we met at a Takada-chan concert.”

“Takada-chan has fangirls too?” Yuuji snorted, “I didn’t know.”

“(name) had won a ticket through a giveaway, she wasn’t exactly a fan but she joins me whenever I go to Takada-chan’s shows or meet and greets.” Todo smiled to himself, he was such a lucky guy to have an amenable girlfriend like you.

“Does she even like Takada-chan?”

“Not one bit,” Todo replied. “But she likes me.”

Indeed you liked him, he was your hero after all. He had saved you from a creep and as your first-ever boyfriend, Todo was perfect.

He bought you clothes he knew you would like because he had seen Takada-chan wearing them in his favorite photoshoots and he took you everywhere with him. At Takada-chan concerts he kept you close, close enough to be able to hump you while watching Takada-chan and hide it from anyone else’s view.

You were happy to be with him and give him the affection he needed. Although at times he could make you flustered with the way he groped you in public when other guys looked at you, you knew it was just because he loved you so much. He simply couldn’t keep his hands to himself and he was possessive. That was all.

“Aoi.” You tried calling out to him again to no avail. You knew they weren’t going to hear your voice so you walked around the counter and into the living room. Putting your hand on Todo’s shoulder you cut his sentence midway through.

“Yes?” he asked, turning to look at you with a warm smile that never failed to make you flustered.

“D-dinner.”

The two of them had forgotten all about dinner but with your reminder, they got up from the couch to follow you into the kitchen.

Dinner was more than the same, Todo and Yuuji chatted while you listened.

“So what grade sorcerer are you, (name)?” Yuuji asked, reaching for a glass of water.

Both you and Todo looked at each other and laughed. “I’m not a sorcerer,” you said. “I’m just a civilian.”

“She can see curses though,” Todo elaborated.

“I thought you told him about this since you said you talk about me with him all the time.” You were giggling as you took a napkin to pat on your mouth.

“We never had the chance.” Todo put down his cutlery and grabbed his plate before leaving the table to get seconds.

“Yeah.”

“Then what sorta stuff did you guys talk about me?” you asked, still a joyful smile plastered on your lips.

The other two, on the other hand, stopped smiling. They looked at each other and Todo was the one to give you an answer.

“Just about how much I love you.” He was back on his seat and pressed a kiss on your forehead.

You blushed faintly, “You’re lying~”

The mood between the two guys changed after that.

After dinner, while you were rolling up the sleeves of your shirt to do the dishes, Yuuji offered to help. You rinsed the dishes and he placed them in the dishwasher until only the large bowls were left. You were planning to wash them by hand since they wouldn’t fit in the dishwasher.

“How did you and Aoi become such good friends?” you asked while he closed the dishwasher.

“We bonded over our love for the same type of women.” Leaning back on the counter, Yuuji watched you wash the rest of the dishes by hand.

“So, Takada-chan?” you chuckled.

“I wouldn’t say her specifically.” He was about to say something else when Todo draped an arm over his shoulder.

“Yuuji and I have the same taste in women.” Todo grinned, his eyes went in between you and Yuuji a couple of times before he said something that made both of you blush. “That’s why he’s probably attracted to you.”

“Aoi!”

“Todo!”

Both of you yelled at Todo in unison and your boyfriend pouted, raising a brow slowly. “I was just saying!”

Rolling your eyes, you returned your attention to washing the rest of the dishes.

“Oh, Yuuji is staying over so I came here to ask about the clean sheets, where did you put them?” Todo asked the thing you knew he would. You kind of wished he had told you Yuuji would be staying over the night a couple of days ago, the whole apartment was dirty.

“They’re inside the vacuum sealer bags under the bed,” you replied and quickly added. “Uhh, take the green ones though! The white ones are too thick for this time of the year.”

“Yeah, I figured!” Todo left Yuuji’s side and walked past you with a quick pat on your back, thanking you for the dinner.

“I’m sorry for crashing here,” Yuuji said suddenly.

You shook your head softly, “It’s not my house, and don’t apologize please, it makes me happy to see Aoi happy. He doesn’t have many friends.”

“He doesn’t?”

“I’ve been to his class reunions and his classmates weren’t quite fond of him.” You frowned at the thought of the unpleasant memories of Todo’s classmates treating him like he wasn’t there.

Yuuji hummed in thought, “I’d say they’re hard to get along with, they don’t like me either. Todo and I didn’t get along at first either, you can’t make friends with him unless you actually try to make friends with him.”

At that moment, you understood why Todo called Yuuji his brother. Their bond was stronger than blood.

Finally done with the dishes, you patted your hands dry and turned to face Yuuji completely.

“What’s Aoi’s type of woman?” You were hesitant about asking this, perhaps the description was the complete opposite of you. “What kind of woman does he like?”

“Tall women with big ass,” Yuuji didn’t hesitate to answer.

“Oh,” you forced out a chuckle. “I don’t think I exactly fit the description.”

“Maybe,” he said but then offered you a gentle smile. “But having a type doesn’t mean he’d only be attracted to those kinda women. I mean, you’re pretty and I’m sure you’re more than his type. I’d call you his perfect match, not many people can tolerate him you know.”

You were about to thank him for trying to consult you but Todo appeared between the two of you after a loud clap.

“Brother,” Todo sighed. “Isn’t it obvious? She’s the one for me.”

Blushing at the way your boyfriend emphasized the words, you jokingly hit him on the chest. “You’re too much.”

“Shall we go to the living room?” Todo suggested as he grabbed beers from the fridge. “It’s way too cramped in here.”

Nodding, Yuuji followed after Todo and walked past you but not without pressing himself against you. It could have been an accident but the pause was too long, his hand as he walked past you caressed your waist and back as well.

No, you were overreacting. You didn’t want to upset Todo. You were definitely overthinking this.

In the living room, the two of them were talking when you sat beside Todo. You tried joining their conversation whenever you managed to follow the topic but most of the time you were sitting quietly, leaning against your boyfriend while sipping on a beer.

It wasn’t long until you got a little too bored and excused yourself to bed.

After you left, silence fell in the living room for half an hour or longer. At least it was long enough for them to be sure you weren’t awake.

“She’s prettier than the pictures,” Yuuji said, chugging the last bit of his beer. “She’s also cuter than you described her to be.”

“You should see her when she’s talking about stuff she likes, she gets all excited and it’s adorable.” Todo reached for the remote control and turned the volume up enough to suppress their voices.

“Hmm, I’ll keep that in mind.” Yuuji put his empty beer bottle on the table.

Todo grabbed both of their beer bottles and went to the kitchen to get more beer. “So, what do you think, brother?” he asked after plopping down on the couch next to him.

Yuuji took the beer he was holding out to him and nodded languidly as if trying to consider his words. “She’s… she’s really my type.”

Todo clinked his beer bottle with his best friend’s and chuckled softly, “I told you we had the same taste in women.”

~~~

In the morning, you woke up earlier than your boyfriend and spent a longer time than usual trying to escape from his strong embrace. Eventually, you slipped out of his arms. Although if it was any other day, you would enjoy cuddling with him until it was all toasty in bed, you had a guest in your home.

Changing your clothes, you opened the door of your room as quietly as you could to make your way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. You tried peeking into the living room to see if Yuuji was still sleeping but the delicious smell of coffee gave you the answer.

You walked into the kitchen to find Yuuji cooking breakfast. He didn’t notice your presence continued rolling the omelet to make it thicker.

“G-good morning,” you said, wrapping your arms around yourself.

Yuuji whipped his head around and flashed you a gorgeous smile. “Good morning! Sorry, if I woke you up.”

“N-no.” You blushed faintly at the intensity of his stare. “I woke up myself.”

“Ah, I hope you don’t mind me using your kitchen. Todo said it was fine but-”

“I don’t mind it!” you said hurriedly, “I don’t wake up to prepared breakfast that often so I can’t complain.”

He returned his attention to the thick omelet and nodded. “Hopefully, my cooking will be to your liking then.”

“I’m sure it is!” You put your hands on the counter and jumped at the same time as you hoisted yourself up to sit on the counter. “Did you sleep well?”

“I did.”

There was a comfortable silence between the two of you after that. You quietly watched him cook, the way his biceps would tighten each time he shook the pan to fold the omelet and his focused eyes were hypnotizing.

He was glancing at you at times when he did something impressive, smiling. You found it a little weird but didn’t say anything regarding his behavior.

“Good morning!”

Todo entered the kitchen, yawning and with messy hair.

Both of you said it back.

He gave you a peck on the lips before grabbing a coffee mug. “What should we do tonight?”

You gave yourself a moment to think. Perhaps you could eat takeout today, it had been a while since you had a lazy night with Todo. Or perhaps drink wine and get in the tub together. You opened your mouth to give your answer but Yuuji spoke instead of you.

“I was thinking of eating beef and watching tonight’s football match.”

Todo smiled, humming happily as he took a sip from his coffee. “Sounds great.” Noticing your stare, he raised a brow. “You don’t want beef?”

You shook your head, not wanting to say anything while Yuuji was there but as expected of your considerate boyfriend, he leaned forward so you could whisper in his ear.

Hesitantly you spoke. “I thought Itadori was only staying the night.”

“Oh, no. Brother is staying over for the whole week. We’re gonna investigate a curse together.”

Your eyes widened, he hadn’t mentioned anything about this to you. However, you could never say anything against it.

~~~

“This one’s my favorite,” Todo said, showing a picture of you to Yuuji. “She’s wearing Takada-chan’s limited edition dress here.”

“Yeah, you sent this to me a long time ago.” In the picture, you were hiking the skirt of the dress up to reveal your bare thighs and pussy with a blushed face.

“Did I?” Todo stared at his phone and smiled at the picture dreamily. “I send so many pictures of her to you that I sometimes forget which ones I haven’t sent yet.”

“Well, I don’t mind receiving them twice.” Yuuji took out his phone to check his own photo gallery. He scrolled down to the album folders and opened the hidden file. He was greeted by a ton of pictures of you, mostly taken by yourself. Each one of them you were awkwardly posing to show off your naked body. In some pictures you had lingerie but those weren’t quite his favorite.

“Look.” Todo pointed at his own phone. On the screen, there was another picture of you. In the picture, you were on top of your boyfriend, it was possibly taken mid-sex. Your bare chest was illuminated by the flash of the camera and your eyes were closed as you were balancing yourself on your hands that were resting on Todo’s stomach, you looked lost in pleasure.

“I don’t have that one.” Yuuji immediately could tell he hadn’t gotten this specific picture.

“Ah, I’ll send it to you.”

~~~

“She likes it when you…”

~~~

“Oh, her weak point is…”

~~~

“You know,” Todo started, wrapping his arms around you once you changed out of your work clothes and into a Takada-chan merch shirt. “I think Yuuji likes you.”

The guy mentioned was running a last-minute errand downtown, the two of you were alone in your room.

You let out an awkward laugh and leaned back on his chest. “Well, I like him too since he’s your closest friend.”

“I didn’t mean it that way,” he whispered into your ear, lips brushing against the skin.

“W-what?” You turned your head away from his lips but he leaned down to kiss your neck, not letting you escape.

“I told you we have the same taste in women. He definitely is attracted to you, I can tell.” He pressed his lips on your pulse point, giving you enticing kisses.

You couldn’t hear his words, too focused on his lips instead.

Smiling into your skin, Todo slid his hands up your sides to cup your tits over your shirt. He gave them an encouraging squeeze and you immediately arched into his touch, pressing your ass onto him. “I think you’re attracted to him too, hmm?”

You didn’t answer.

“(name),” he uttered oh so softly before lolling his tongue out of his mouth to drag the wet muscle up from your neck to your jaw. He pressed his lips on the shell of your ear, his hot breath hitting on your skin. “You like Yuuji.”

“Yes.” You could feel him grow larger behind you, he was in the mood.

When you finally gave him the response he had been waiting for, Todo lifted you up to carry you towards the end of the bed.  

A moan escaped your lips when he pushed you face down onto the mattress and pulled your shorts down along with your panties.

“You’re so cute, you know that?” He pushed two fingers inside of you, with how wet you were, his thick digits easily went inside. Twirling them around, he smiled to himself as he pulled them back to thrust inside softly, dragging the pads on his fingers in a specific way to drive you crazy.

Clutching on the bedsheets, you lifted your ass up, begging for more. “Aoi…”

“What is it?” He could tease you all day.

Wiggling your hips, you groaned in frustration while he continued moving his fingers agonizingly slowly inside your wet pussy.

“Use your words.”

You flushed, “I want you.”

“You want what?” He added another finger to the mix, thrusting inside sluggishly despite how wildly your walls were pulsating around his digits. It took him a great among of self-restraint to not pounce on you right now, fucking you frenziedly to feel your insides throb like that around him.

“I want your…” Ah, so embarrassing. “I want your dick.”

Luckily, Todo was more than willing to provide.

He pulled down the front of his pants with one hand while continuing to move his fingers. When he finally pulled out his fingers and pressed the tip of his cock on your entrance you were mewling him to hurry up.

Snapping his hips forward, Todo gave you what you wanted. He was only halfway inside but you were already screaming into the mattress. You could never get used to his size. He was too big for you.

Todo proceeded to push his hips forward slowly until his entire length was inside your pussy. He stilled momentarily to let you get used to his size as usual before tentatively pulling his hips back to surge them forward in a sudden motion.

You moaned audibly, clutching the bedsheets tighter.

He pulled back and thrust in your pussy with a loud clap continuously, the pace didn’t falter once but it was the force of his thrusts that made your eyes tear up and punched the air out of your lungs.

Todo grabbed you by your hips to pull you towards his hips at the same time he was snapping them forward. Moaning at the sounds of your skins clapping on each other, he put his foot on the bed to put more strength behind his thrusts.

His balls were slapping against your skin harshly and he could go a lot deeper in this position. It wasn’t long until his cock throbbed because of your gummy walls clenching around him.

Pulling out of you, Todo flipped you over and held his cock over your face. “Open your mouth.”

Obediently you lifted yourself up from the bed using your elbows to take the tip of his cock inside your mouth.

Todo’s hand around his cock moved faster than your eyes could follow and when his cock started twitching he groaned softly. Soon after you felt him releasing his seed into your mouth.

You swallowed his cum and gently licked the tip to clean it.

“Can’t you try sucking it for once?” he asked sheepishly, eyes hazy with lust as he was looking down at you.

“It’s too big.” Was your reply. It was mostly, you weren’t confident enough to take his cock in your mouth but it wasn’t impossible.

“Won’t you try it?” He placed his hand on your cheek, thumb caressing the skin.

How could you say no to that…

You were about to get in a comfortable position when the doorbell chimed, making both of you jolt.

Yuuji was back.

“Brother,” he sighed, shaking his head disapprovingly, “Why did you have to arrive just as things were getting good?”

“We’ll do it once he leaves Kyoto,” you said, smiling. “I promise.”

Todo smiled down at you and leaned down to kiss you. “You better keep your promise.”

The moment he kissed you, the doorbell chimed once again but this time repeatedly. Giving you a small peck on your lips, Todo tucked himself back in his pants as he walked out of the bedroom to open the door for Yuuji.

You joined them only after you managed to catch your breath.

The dinner was uneventful, the boys cooked the beef and you made some garnish.

After dinner, you prepared some snacks for them to watch during the football match and although you were planning to go take a bath to leave them alone, Todo insisted that you stayed.

That was how you ended up on the couch, staring at the television with a blank expression. You didn’t understand much from the football match they were watching but it didn’t stop you from settling to Todo’s side with his arm over your shoulder.

Feeling his warmth was enough to lull you to sleep if it wasn’t for the narrator’s mundane voices or Yuuji’s excited voice explaining Todo about the opposite team’s players and some other stuff you couldn’t keep up. As your eyelids got heavier and it was impossible to keep them open anymore, you felt your boyfriend’s hand going inside the front of your shirt to cup your tit.

Your eyes immediately snapped open as you jolted awake, eyes wide and in panic.

Todo glanced down at you momentarily with a smirk before returning his attention to Yuuji who was still busy explaining to him about one of the goalkeepers. You gasped and wanted to tell him that his friend was going to see what he was doing but he shut you up once he gave your tit a generous squeeze.

Flushing, you covered your face with a hand, hoping that the guy next to your boyfriend wouldn’t see you like this.

“I’m gonna grab another beer,” Yuuji said, getting up from the couch. “You guys want anything-” His eyes landed on your blushing face and then to the large hand that was groping your tit under the shirt. His own cheeks flushed slightly as he averted his gaze.

“I don’t need anything,” Todo said, the smile in his voice was noticeable. “Do you want anything, (name)?”

You shook your head slowly, you were getting dizzy from embarrassment and also from excitement of being seen like this by Yuuji.

Yuuji nodded and went to the kitchen to grab a beer for himself. When he came back he continued his explanation about the opposite team to Todo, ignoring your mewls and gasps whenever your boyfriend rolled your nipple between his knuckles or pinched them.

Todo pulled his hand away only after the football match had ended, by that time you were a total mess.

“We should go to bed,” Todo said, lifting you up. “(name) doesn’t feel well.”

Yuuji didn’t comment on anything as Todo carried you back to your room, wishing his friend goodnight.

In the bedroom, Todo didn’t waste any seconds to strip you out of your clothes, the excitement of knowing that his friend could be jerking off in the living room was enough to make him cum in his pants but he held back.

“You’re the worst,” you whimpered but it broke into a moan when he took your sensitive nipple in his mouth. Wrapping your arms around his head, you pulled him towards yourself, wanting more. “I hate you.”

He bit your nipple, making you writhe in pain. “Do you mean that?” he asked as he pulled himself away from you.

“Nooo~” you whined. “I love you.”

“You must love Yuuji too,” he said, pushing his fingers inside your pussy. “You’ve gotten so wet. It was because he was watching, right?”

“I don’t know.” You wanted to deny it but he was telling the truth, he had to be. Todo knew you the best, better than you knew yourself. “M-maybe.”

The strings that were holding Todo back snapped one by one. "You were being so loud, you might as well have just gotten on your knees and begged for his attention. You should've moaned his name and begged him to fuck you like a whore on that couch."

“Don’t say that!”

“It’s the truth, isn’t it?” He pulled his pants down and flipped you over to your stomach to shove his entire length inside you impatiently. “Be more honest, will you?”

You shamelessly moaned out loud, arching your back.

“You want Yuuji to fuck you like this, don’t you?” He snapped his hips forward punching the air out of your lungs.

This time without any hesitation. “Yes!”

~~~

“Why don’t you fuck her already?” Sukuna scoffed. “She was sitting there like a bitch in heat, begging to be fucked.”

“Stop talking vulgarly about her like that,” Yuuji pulled his pants down, ignoring Sukuna and focusing on your loud moans instead.

“You should be a man and show her that you want her.” Sukuna wouldn’t shut up though.

Yuuji spat in his palm and wrapped his hand around his cock, “Be quiet, will you?”

“You want her to be yours right?”

It became silent for a moment. The only sounds were your moans mixed up with skin clapping on skin coming from the other room.

“If you don’t act dominant, you’ll never get to have a woman for yourself. Do you always wanna have someone else’s seconds?”

Satisfied the way he got to him, Sukuna disappeared from Yuuji’s cheek, leaving the latter all alone with his thoughts.

~~

Todo was coming home late today. Meaning that you were alone with Yuuji for the time being.

You were cooking dinner for the two of you while he was in the living room watching television

Since this morning, you had been unable to look him in the eye. Things that happened yesterday wouldn’t leave your mind for a mere moment, you were embarrassed and ashamed but Yuuji seemed indifferent.

Perhaps these sorts of stuff were normal between guy friends. You didn’t know. Todo was your first boyfriend ever and this was the first time you were meeting one of his closest friends.

It could be.

“Do you need help with anything?”

You jolted in surprise and glanced over your shoulder towards him. “Um, no but thank you!”

“Hmm, okay.” Yuuji leaned back on the counter, watching you intently instead of going back to the living room.

Although you returned your attention to the food you were cooking, you could sense his stare on your body. His stare was intense, whether it was your sixth sense or not, you could tell exactly where he might be looking at your body from the way your muscles stiffened.

You didn’t want to say anything, freaking out that it might upset Todo if you confronted Yuuji. What if you became that ‘crazy girlfriend’ for Todo and he broke up with you just because you were acting like a prude?

Ignore his staring. That was all you had to do. As long as you kept your distance, you would be fine.

Argh! Last night was too much, you were going insane. This was all Todo’s fault and-

“You’re wearing something that’s similar to Takada-chan’s outfit right?” he suddenly asked.

“Y-yeah.” Oh, as always you were being paranoid for nothing. He was just staring at your dress. “Todo likes it when I wear them because-”

“And he probably only fucks you from behind.”

You dropped the spoon you were holding but Yuuji continued.

“Bull’s eye, huh?” He had a blank expression on his face. “He’s probably imagining Takada-chan since from the back he can’t see your face. Only the flashy pink and red clothes. And I can bet he makes you do your hair like hers too, I guess it looks good from the back as well.”

Dead silence filled the kitchen, you didn’t dare to lean down to pick up the spoon or turn off the stoves.

“But I guess you know about all that,” Yuuji sighed, taking a step forward towards you. “You want him to love you no matter what. Even if it means he’ll fantasize about some idol.” He took another step, you mirrored his movements and took a step back. “You’re pathetically in love with him.”

“Stop,” you pleaded, covering your ears like a kid. “Stop it!”

Yuuji turned off the stoves and gently grabbed your wrists to pull them down. “It’s not a bad thing,” he said. “Loving someone to the point you devote your entire presence to them, it’s admirable.” His eyes had this gentle look in them and you could feel the empathy through them. He had been in this position before. He knew your pain. “You love him even though he uses you for his own fantasies but Todo loves you too. I know he does because I’ve fallen in love with you too.”

Fall for it.

Your eyes teared up, lower lip trembling. “I can’t… We can’t-”

Fall for the bait.

“Todo and I have the same taste in women. He wants us to get along.”

“This isn’t how two friends get along…”

Yuuji pulled you closer to himself looking deep into your eyes. “Todo told me it was okay. He said he wanted to share you with me. He wants someone to love you as much as you love him, so won’t you let me?”

You were trembling in front of him, your glossy eyes and pouting lips were too much for him.

“Itadori-”

“Yuuji,” he said, lifting his hand to caress your cheek hesitantly. “Call me Yuuji.”

“Y-Yuuji.” You tested out his name, smiling sheepishly when he pressed his forehead against yours.

“(name),” he whispered, impatient of all this waiting because he had been yearning to have you for himself for so long. So long. “Won’t you let me kiss you already? I won’t think about anyone else, I will kiss you .”

You couldn’t say anything, your hands went to clutch on his shirt and you nodded falteringly.

He leaned down, closing the distance between your faces until his lips met yours. There were butterflies in your stomach, your heart fluttered in joy, and for the first time ever, even though he had closed his eyes, you knew Yuuji wasn’t thinking of someone else while kissing you.

His lips moved against yours experimentally, testing the waters to see what you liked. He caressed your cheek using one hand and used his other hand to press on the small of your back to bring you closer to him.

You moaned into the kiss and parted your lips.

Just as Todo said you would.

Yuuji was hungrily kissing you, pushing his tongue into your mouth to twirl it around yours and savor your taste. He softly caressed your cheek with his thumb as he moaned encouragingly to get you to kiss him back with the same enthusiasm.

However, you were too timid, barely moving your lips or kissing him back. He slid his hand from the small of your back to under the skirt of your dress to grope the supple flesh of your ass hard enough to make you moan into the kiss again.

This time you opened your mouth fully, shyly letting your tongue move with his as your grip on his shirt tightened.

Smiling into the kiss, Yuuji lifted you up with the same hand that was groping your ass and you instinctively wrapped your arms around his neck as he carried you to the living room.

The way he was holding you so tightly even when he sat on the couch with you on his lap, it was all so tender. He was holding you like you meant the world to him, fragile yet passionate.

Yuuji was feeling this way about you. Only you. Nobody else.

Your heart fluttered but your chest clenched as you hungrily kissed him back. You tasted your tears in the kiss, how pathetic. All that just from him telling you he loved you? Pathetic. Pathetic. You were so pathetic. You wondered if he found how desperately you wanted to feel loved pathetic too.

He didn’t seem to overthink like you, his hands were on your hips, pressing you against his growing bulge and kissing you with the same eagerness you kissed Todo with.

Todo.

Something within your mind revived itself, you pulled back from the kiss while more tears spilled down to your cheeks. Your hands were on his chest as you pushed yourself away from him. “No, I can’t do this. I love Todo.”

Todo?

Wasn’t he Aoi to you?

“Todo said you loved me too.” One of his hands went under your skirt and he pressed his fingers against your clothed cunt. You had completely soaked your panties and were still trying to deny the fact that you didn’t want this.

Adorable.

You whimpered when he drew a tight circle over your clothed nub.  “Yuuji, please.”

“Please what?” he raised a brow, face inanimate. “Do you really want me to stop? It’s just the two of us in here, you can be honest with me.”

A blush colored your cheeks and you looked away from him instead of giving him an answer.

He took it as a yes.

Pulling your panties to the side, he let two of his digits slide inside your slick heat. Moaning at the sensation, you covered your mouth in shame, eyes finally returning to Yuuji.

He flashed you a stunning smile. “You’re gorgeous.”

You covered your face with a hand, embarrassed out of your mind as he curled his fingers inside of you, rubbing the pad of his fingers on a sensitive spot he knew about. Your hips bucked against his hand and you whined in surprise.

Only Todo could make you feel this good. Right?

What if you stopped loving Todo because Yuuji made you feel good like him?

An enormous wave of panic washed over you.

“I-I-I changed my mind.”

“Did you?” Yuuji abruptly used the strength of his entire arm to finger fuck you.

Your mouth opened in a silent scream, both hands pressing on Yuuji’s shoulders to balance yourself as he was messing you up. “Yuuji, no!”

It was too late, you could feel the incoming wave of pleasure, your pussy was sucking his fingers deeper inside and clenching around them greedily. You were begging for something bigger and thicker.

Yuuji continued thrusting his fingers inside your cunt and started rubbing his palm against your clit for extra friction for you.

You were getting closer, the overwhelming wave of pleasure was growing bigger, threatening to leave you trembling and whimpering once he was done with you.

Then the familiar sound of a door being unlocked echoed inside the apartment.

The feeling of shame and guilt returned but you didn’t get to push yourself away from Yuuji.

“Stop,” you begged in tears, whimpering. However, your whimper soon turned into a shameless moan when you felt a tongue take a skillful lick against your folds before taking your clit in its mouth.

You looked down at Yuuji and he looked right back at you.

Your eyes landed on the hand that was fucking you. There was something, lapping at your cunt. It was a tongue. You could feel it zealously licking you.

Yuuji didn’t look aware of anything, his fingers moved all the same but what made you break down and lose the strength of your legs was the mouth embedded on his palm.

You met eyes with Todo who had just walked into the living room as your entire body shook uncontrollably and the heavenly euphoric feeling took over your senses. It was impossible to tear your eyes away from him, the sense of guilt was forgotten, you were pretending it was Todo who made you cum, not Yuuji or that thing in his hand.

Yuuji pulled his hand back and you actually caught a glimpse of a grinning mouth slowly disappearing into his skin.

No this wasn’t the time. Todo had… he had seen you like this. He was going to misunderstand.

“Aoi,” you whispered, trying to regain your strength to stand up on your legs. “Aoi, this is-” You nearly fell off from the couch but Yuuji caught you. In tears, you pushed him away and stood up, walking over to your boyfriend. “Aoi, I’m sorry he… he was the one-”

"I knew you liked Yuuji, but I didn't think you'd be this needy for him…” Todo slapped a hand on his face and dragged it down slowly, hiding his grin but keeping a serious expression. “What kind of girl are you really? You came on his fingers as soon as I walked in. Do you like being watched, is that it? Do you like messing with guys who aren't your boyfriend?”

“No!” you sobbed, hands desperately reaching out to hold his hand. “I love you, I only love you. H-he tried to use my love for you against me… It wasn’t my fault, I swear… Aoi, please, it wasn’t me. He kissed me first.”

“It wasn’t you?” Todo raised a brow, pulling his hand away. “Are you going to accuse my brother like that when you told me you loved him? DIdn’t you say you wanted to be fucked by him? You know me and Yuuji have the same type yet you still teased him with the clothes you wear around the apartment, and you let yourself get fondled in front of him mewling like a helpless kitten. What was he supposed to think?”

“I-I only love you, I swear!” You gripped onto his shirt. “Aoi, please, please, please!”

“You know our walls are thin but you still moaned and screamed all night knowing Yuuji was in the room next door." Todo’s brows furrowed, he pointed a finger at your face. "Wasn’t this what you wanted? You said you loved Yuuji, you said you wanted to be fucked by Yuuji and now you're mad because what? He kissed you?”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” Your face was stained with tears, crying helplessly, begging for forgiveness from your boyfriend.

“Don’t apologize to me,” Todo sighed. “You need to apologize to my best friend and find a way to make it up to him."

“It’s alright, Todo,” Yuuji said, appearing behind you. “She’s right, I went overboard. Maybe I should leave and stay at a hotel for the rest of the week. I don’t wanna be a burden or cause any problems between the two of you.”

If he left now, Todo was going to hate you. He was going to break up with you for accusing his best friend- weren’t you telling the truth- no! You were accusing him.

“No, please, Yuuji.” You turned your head towards him, begging him with teary eyes. “I’m so sorry. I’m sorry, please, it was all my fault. Please, I’m sorry.” Hysterically crying, you buried your face to Todo’s chest. “Please, please forgive me. Please!”

The two guys nodded at the same time and almost laughed at how your voice was breaking. Almost.

Todo put a hand on the back of your dress and pulled you away from him by gripping the fabric. “Well, I'm glad you could cry out somewhat of an apology but I told you to find a way to make it up to him."

"How am I supposed to-"

Todo abruptly leaned down, staring at you with an intimidatingly blank look on his face. “How would Takada-chan apologize?”

Your shoulders stiffened, your limbs turned to stone but you still were able to shake your head hesitantly.

“What?” Todo’s face had gotten closer. “You’re not sorry, Takada-chan? Is that what you’re trying to say?”

“Stop it,” you whimpered, fresh tears forming in your eyes. “I’m not Takada-chan.”

“Hey,” Yuuji said, putting a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “She said she’s sorry, I’m not hurt or anything. Don’t make her cry like that. I went overboard, I thought she liked me like you said so I should be the one to apologize.”

Todo’s features softened and he shook his head slightly as he turned to face his friend, “Ahh, I’m sorry too. It’s just that… I was sure you two would get along but she went and blew it up.”

“I’ll get along with him,” you promised, wiping your tears, smiling in despair. “Please, Aoi. I’ll even love Yuuji as much as I love you. Please. Just don’t… please don’t leave me.”

Todo let out an audible sigh, he looked distraught, shoulders shaking from what you thought was sadness but he was simply trying to hold back his laughter. “Prove it to me.”

You lifted your head, eyes wide. “Prove what? I’ll do anything you ask me to do-”

Cutting your sentence short, Todo reached out his hand to you and his other hand to his friend. Without hesitation, you put your hand in his and Yuuji did the same. Slowly, Todo brought his hands together and made the two of you hold hands. “Prove that you love Yuuji."

“I can’t let him have my body,” you said, voice breaking after getting an image of what he was implying. “My heart and body belong to you.”

“What about your mouth? My best friend likes the same things I like... and you can't make the same excuses with him that you do with me.”

Oh.

He perhaps knew the reason why you didn’t want to suck him off.

You were terrified of him looking at you, scared that he would dump you if he fucked you even once while looking at you. Although you wanted him to have eyes only for you, it wasn’t possible when his heart didn’t belong to you.

Maybe, only maybe… If both of you started being more honest with each other, you could be the person in his heart, sharing it with Yuuji rather than his favorite idol.

Todo placed a hand on your back and pushed you forward towards your bedroom. You knew what to do.

The walk to your room was awkward and silent. Yuuji’s hand was sweaty and calloused as you dragged him to the bedroom but your trembling hand fit perfectly in his hand. The two of you were a match made in heaven.

Todo followed you inside the bedroom, watched the two of you climb on the bed. You reached to the front of Yuuji’s sweats, pulling them down by hooking your fingers under the waistband.

You were so focused on your task that you hadn’t realized how badly you were shaking.

“(name),” Yuuji said softly, putting his hand over yours. “Do you remember what I said to you?”

You stared up at him for an answer.

“Todo wants someone to love you as much as you love him. Will you let me do that?” Despite your previous hysterical crying, you managed to blush at his words, the pressure on your shoulders disappeared and you got lost within his kind smile that was directed at you.

Nodding, you got on all fours while Yuuji leaned back on the mattress as you hooked a finger underneath the waistband of his boxers to peel them off to release his aching cock. Once his cock bounced free, you were distantly aware of the mattress dipping behind you.

It was Todo. After settling behind you, he hiked your skirt up and pulled your panties down.

“Focus on me,” a voice said, his warm hand lovingly caressed your cheek.

You looked at Yuuji through your clumped lashes, he was pumping his cock sluggishly while looking at you intently. All of his attention was on you, he wasn’t looking through you like Todo. He was looking at you. Only you.

In response, you leaned further down to take the tip of his cock in your mouth. He retrieved his hand from his cock and you wrapped your own hand around the base, moving it along the length with a nice firm pressure.

Bobbing your head, you took more than half of his cock in your mouth, hollowing your cheeks as you moved up and closer towards the pink tip.

“That feels good,” Yuuji groaned softly, he put a hand on the top of your head, petting it to praise you. “You’re amazing at this.”

His kind tone encouraged you to bob your head and you tried taking him deeper inside your mouth.

“Ahh, you’re so into this…” Yuuji grew harder inside of your mouth and pulled you towards him by your head, his hips bucking up in a desperate attempt to hit the back of your throat.

Behind you, Todo was dragging the tip of his cock between your folds, he was oddly quiet, possibly still upset but you still arched your back for him. You needed to prove to him how good you could make him feel. Only you could make him feel this good. Nobody else. He needed to know that.

Todo pushed the tip of his cock inside and surged his hips forward until his entire length was inside you with a low groan. You moaned around Yuuji’s cock, the vibrations coming from your throat were enough to make him grab a chunk of your hair to steady himself.

Suddenly Yuuji forced you down onto his cock until your nose was touching his pinkish pubes. With Yuuji being deep down in your throat and Todo’s cock completely stretching you out, you had thought you were being stuffed to your limit. It was all too much. You gagged and planted your hands on Yuuji’s thighs to push yourself away from his cock.

You didn’t get the chance though.

Clap.

Your jaw relaxed and your pussy clenched around nothing for barely a second but then abruptly you felt your jaw forcefully open wider around the cock in your mouth. Tearing up, you gagged roughly. The girth was thicker than before and you barely managed to blink when a large hand landed on top of your head to card his fingers through your hair.

“No teeth,” Todo warned.

Eyes widening, you stared up at your boyfriend through your lashes in panic as a pair of hands gripped your hips tightly.

“Ahh, you’re so tight,” Yuuji groaned, tentatively pulling his hips back to snap them forward.

They had switched places.

You were confused but it didn’t take you long to put the pieces together to realize it was Todo’s whatever sorcery was the cause of this.

Glaring up at Todo, you attempted to move your hips away from Yuuji but they both had you trapped between them.

Without a warning, your boyfriend started bucking his hips up into your mouth. As upset as you were, there was no way you were going to let this one slip. There was no possible way.-

“You look cuter than Takada-chan like this,” Todo whispered with a gentle smile on his lips. He was telling the truth, having your luscious lips wrapped around his cock with your tear-stained face and furrowed brows that were looking at him with anger… it was purely erotic. “Can you keep your promise for me?”

Your heart fluttered with joy, anger past forgotten, you bobbed your head. Todo hissed through his teeth, letting you move however you pleased.

Yuuji on the other hand was losing more of his composure every passing second. His hands that were gripping your sides were shaking as he decided to move again. Your walls were clamping on his cock, threatening to milk him dry each time he pulled out and thrust inside your pulsating cunt.

As he was trying to find a rhythm he liked, his instincts took over. Yuuji snapped his hips forward, balls slapping against your skin with a loud clap. His pace was irregular yet merciless. Incredibly vigorous, each thrust deep and penetrating. He let out a growl as your tight walls clenched around him after your boyfriend’s cock grazed the back of your throat.

Yuuji’s nails dug into your skin and he started fucking you almost frantically. With each snap of his hips, you took more of Todo’s cock down your throat. Tears streamed down your cheeks but pleasuring your boyfriend was more important. The pain was nothing compared to keeping your promise to Todo.

“Good girl,” he praised, wiping your tears with his thumbs, “My girl.”

Your pussy clenched at his words, making Yuuji lose himself completely at the sensation. He slammed into your cunt with amazing vigor, forcing you to take the entire length of Todo’s cock in your mouth as the tip of his cock pressed against your cervix at the same time your nose brushed against Todo’s pubes.

Both of the guys moaned while your eyes rolled back to the back of your head. You were getting completely lost in the sweet ecstasy of Yuuji’s cock ravishing your pussy and Todo’s cock was stretching your throat simultaneously.

They were both about to cum.

You felt Yuuji’s cock twitch inside of you as Todo held his hands up and waited before slowly clapping them together.

Clap!

Your jaw relaxed once again but then your walls stretched to the point of your legs giving up under you. Yuuji took Todo’s place in your mouth and came down your throat with an audible grumble. He pulled out rather quickly, letting you take a breath to swallow his cum down.

Todo slouched forward to mount you completely and grunted into your ear as he picked up from where his best friend left. He reached one of his hands under you to toy with your clit, drawing tight circles around the nub. He snapped his hips forward, nosing some of your hair out of the way to grunt into your ear. “You’re enjoying this more than I thought. I think I know why... I think you like being shared, don’t you?"

“Yes, yes, yes!” You nodded rapidly, screaming out his name.

“You love Yuuji and you love me.”

“Yes!”

“You like being shared.”

“I… I-I do!” You weren’t sure if you were saying all of these to satisfy him or you actually wanted them but it didn’t matter. You were ready to do anything and everything to keep Todo happy.

He couldn’t hold back any longer, his cock throbbed, thick spurts of his cum filled your womb and overflowed into your pussy.

Breathless, you desperately held onto Yuuji’s thighs as Todo continued fucking his cum deep inside of you. “Why’d you switch?” Yuuji asked almost like a kid that was about to throw a tantrum.

“I can’t let you cum inside her, she’s still my girl at the end of the day.” Todo’s voice was mischievous, the grin in his voice was also present.

“I was gonna pull out,” he protested.

“I’ll let you do it next time if she’s up to it.” Todo pulled out and retrieved his hands from your hips. As soon as the only thing holding you up disappeared, your body went limp like a ragdoll on the mattress. “What do you say, (name)?”

His cum oozed out from your gaping hole and onto the sheets. You opened your mouth to stutter a single word Todo wanted to hear, “O-okay.”

[tommodirection]

Little Sister

Harry Styles x Tomlinson! Reader

Word Count: 3.3k

Warnings: swearing, playful mentions of Larry

Masterlist

A/N: Heylo! I hope you enjoy this! I’ve been working on this for about a month now, never being able to finish it, but I decided to sit down and finish it tonight instead of wallowing in self-pity! The Larry mention at the end is meant to be funny and playful, not something to take seriously! Thank you and have a nice day! ❤️💕🥰

—

When your brother went to audition for the X-Factor in 2010, you expected him to come home after, maybe with a signed record deal, maybe not, but home nonetheless.

Instead, he was put into a boy band with four other boys, and moved out. Your mother was proud, of course as anyone would be, but that also meant her oldest child had left the nest.

That left you, now the oldest in the house, and your four younger sisters. Your mum was handling it the best she could, but with Mark out of the house constantly, it got stressful for her.

You didn’t like Mark that much, sure, he was nice, and he treated your mother alright, he just didn’t seem like a commitment kind of guy to you.

You were adopted shortly after your mum left Louis’s father. Mark was accepting of the fact that she already had two kids, but became a bit offended when she took your side in an argument instead of one of their kids.

You loved all your siblings equally, well, Louis a bit more than the other girls, but you still loved them no matter how their father acted.

When Louis left, you were left to help your mother with the other girls, Mark not being much help. You were often left to help them get ready for school, get ready for bed, and you even had to run errands for your mother.

Since you were only 16, and hadn’t gotten a driver’s license, you had to walk almost everywhere, but you didn’t mind, not when you were helping your mother.

Having a brother who had recently become a famous member of a boy band, also meant you had to watch all the girls at your school drool over him. This also meant that a lot more people were trying to be friendly to you.

Most of the girls at your school loved Louis, probably because they thought they had the best chance with him, not that they had any chance.

However, you preferred Harry. You always had a soft spot for sweet boys with curly hair, but this time felt different. It probably was just a silly little crush, you’d obsess for a few weeks and then get over it.

You were so, so wrong.

You watched your brother and his mates smash their way through the charts for the next two years, becoming the best boy band of the generation.

The whole family was immensely proud of him, even Mark. You were particularly proud of Harry, though the rest of your family didn’t really care.

The small crush hadn’t faded, instead it had grown in the past two years, each time you saw him on a photo your brother sent, or on TV, you flushed and your heart started racing.

He was just perfect. Perfect hair, perfect eyes, perfect dimples, perfect smile, perfect lips, perfect everything.

It honestly kind of upset you sometimes.

There you were, the sister of one of his best mates, same age as him too, and yet you had never met him.

That all changed when the band went to Madison Square Garden at the end of the year.

Since you were eighteen and finished with college, you were allowed to go with your mother to go see Louis perform.

As you and your mother approached the stadium, you felt a wave of awe wash over you. Your brother’s face was on the fucking front of Madison Square Garden. He was getting paid to be here.

Where the fuck did you go wrong?

The driver that Louis had hired pulled up in the front, allowing you both to get out along with Liam’s mum, Karen, who was a lovely lady.

You all climbed out of the car onto the busy New York City street, people busling past your trio to file into the large arena.

Your mother grabbed your hand and Karen’s as well, pulling you both into line.

Meanwhile, the boys were sitting in front of the camera, discussing their feelings about the upcoming show. Zayn and Liam were currently in the dressing room, and Niall was finishing his dinner, so Louis and Harry were left to be interviewed.

“You know, this is a big show for us, obviously,” Harry said, trying not to be gesticulative as he spoke, nerves buzzing through his body.

“Yeah, of course it’s big cos it’s MSG, but this is also the only one that all of us have at least one family member in the audience. Liam, Niall, and Zayn have their mums, Harry has his mum and stepdad, and my mum and sister are coming, which is of course rattling, you want them to be proud of you,” Louis said, leaning back on the couch.

Harry paused for a moment, “Wait, which sister?”

“Y/N, she’s finished with school, so mum let her come down, she’s ecstatic,” Louis smiled and Harry nodded, trying to keep a straight face for the camera.

He had never met you, he’s only heard stories from Louis, and seen pictures that his mum always sent him of all the girls.

He thought you were adorable, who wouldn’t? He wouldn’t call it a crush, he hadn’t even met you. However, there was definitely something about you that drew him near you.

Once you had gotten inside, Karen insisted on going to buy something. The concert was starting in a few minutes, so there weren’t many people at the tables, most already in their seats.

She was beaming, looking at all of the stuff with her son’s face on it, your mother bearing a similar smile. Karen spotted the cardboard cutouts of the boys. And her eyes lit up.

She rushed to buy one, your mother chuckling, but you could tell she was contemplating on buying one herself.

The pair began to walk away, the camera crew following them, but you stayed behind, stepping up to the cashier.

Your mother must’ve noticed you weren’t there, as seconds later she was at your side, rubbing your arm lightly.

“Whatcha buying?” She asked, humming as she moved her hand to your upper back.

You felt yourself flush as you ordered the Harry cutout. Your mother was laughing her arse off, clutching her stomach as she doubled over.

You felt embarrassed, but understood her reaction. Karen turned around to see the commotion and saw the cashier handing you the Harry cutout. She gave a light chuckle and waved you both over.

Your mother pretended to wipe a tear from her cheek, smirking at you, “Aw, my baby’s in love!” She teased and you bit your lip.

“Shut up,” you mumbled weakly.

The camera crew saw the interaction, getting the whole thing on tape. As you passed the camera, you gave it a small, awkward smile, stuffing the Harry under your arm.

The show was amazing, you didn’t expect any less.

The boys were energetic, entertaining the audience as they jumped and ran around the stage, clearly enjoying themselves.

You were placed in the front, along with the other mothers and Robin, Harry’s step-father. During Louis’ solos, you and your mother would cheer the loudest, the others doing the same for their respective child.

Each boy came to wave to all of you, grinning as they sang. Louis just made a funny face at you and your mother, almost missing his cue.

The other boys did similar things, running to wave while they were singing, but Harry hadn’t come over yet, something that was clearly disturbing Anne.

During a brief break in between songs, Harry came to sit on the edge of the stage in front of all of you. The fans surrounding you all were screaming, some laughing when he gave a bashful wave.

He brought the microphone to his mouth, interrupting Liam’s monologue.

“That’s my mummy!” He pointed to Anne, making her giggle as he bounced up and down where he sat. “Hi mummy!” He yelled, giving an over enthusiastic wave, the audience loving every second.

A grin spread across your face, watching the interaction warmed your heart. Anne was loving it, she blew Harry a kiss, and he caught it, pressing it to kiss cheek.

“I love you mum,” he said, seriously. The audience and all the boys on stage letting out a sweet ‘aw’.

“I love you, Hazza!” Anne tried to yell above the audience, her voice being drowned out, but Harry understood her perfectly.

He turned his attention to the rest of you, “Hi everyone!” He waved again, his grin still just as wide. His eyes scanned over each of you, and his met yours. “Y/N? You’re Lou’s sister, right?” He asked and you nodded, trying to ignore your mum poking your arm. “Damn!” He yelled and you felt yourself gaping, Louis standing up quickly.

“Excuse me?” He asked, in mock offense.

Harry realized his mistake, “No, no, no! That came out wrong,” he turned to you, “I didn’t mean any disrespect, I just mean that I imagined you being like,” he held up his hand a few feet off the ground, “this tall based on how Lou described you, and that is certainly not the case,” he affirmed and Louis playfully rolled his eyes.

“Sure,” he dragged it out, “I’m sure that’s what you meant,” he joked, and Harry stood, brushing off his bum.

“Anyways! On with the show!”

—

A few months later, the boys sat huddled around a table in the film director’s conference room.

The film was finally completed, and the boys were invited to watch it and suggest changes. The boys were a bit into the film now, mostly taking the piss out of it and teasing each other.

Then came the footage from Madison Square Garden.

The boys stayed silent the whole time that the mothers were speaking, being quiet for the first time since the film started.

After showing the mothers’ thoughts on them performing at MSG, it cut to the interviews backstage. It was mostly just the boys’ preparation. Harry and Louis’ interview showed up, and the teasing started right up again.

“Louis, did you see the way his face lit up when you mentioned Y/N?” Liam said through laughter, Zayn and Niall laughing with him.

Harry was glaring at the boys, trying to avoid looking at Louis, a furious blush coating his cheeks. Louis was trying to hide his smile, looking at Harry out of the corner of his eye.

Truth was, he didn’t mind at all. Sure, it was a little weird, but he knew Harry, and Louis knew about your little crush on him, your mum had told him about it and had even sent pictures of the Harry cutout, now set up in your room. He would rather you date Harry than some random kid from Doncaster. You and Harry would work well together, he may even dare to say you were perfect for each other. There was only one problem; you hadn’t met.

The boys had finally calmed down and the rest of the film continued. While Liam and Niall were talking about the time they had to be smuggled through a bread van, Louis took his chance. He leaned over, catching Harry’s attention, “Don’t listen to them, if I’m being honest with you, I wouldn’t mind if you dated my sister,” he whispered, Harry immediately getting flustered.

“I, what? I don’t know what you’re talking about, you’re mad,” Harry mumbled and Louis chuckled, patting Harry’s knee.

“It’s alright lad, no need to explain yourself.”

The topic wasn’t brought up again until the movie came out.

Well, it technically hadn’t come out yet. Each boy was allowed to stream it at their home, they were sent digital copies. Louis had invited you over to watch it a week before it officially came out, and of course you had said yes.

You decided to spend the week with him, needing a break from managing the house with your mother. You had felt guilty, seeing as it was now her alone, Mark had left early on in your brother’s departure. Although, Dan, her new fiancé, was there to help out a bit.

You pulled up outside his apartment building, parking and grabbing your bag from the passenger’s seat. You made your way into the apartment, keeping your head down as you knocked on the door.

Louis opened it, throwing his arms open with a large grin on his face. You set your bag down, giggling as you wrapped your arms around him, squeezing him tightly.

“I missed you,” you mumbled into his chest.

“I missed you too,” he said, swaying with you in the doorway for a moment. He pulled away, a shit-eating grin on his face. “I hope you don’t mind, but I invited someone else over too!”

“I don’t mind,” you said, squinting at your brother, why was he being so cheeky about it?

“Great! Alright, come on in! Harry’s on the couch, and before we watch the film, we’re gonna watch interviews!” He ushered you inside, grabbing your bag.

You stopped once you had entered the house, turning back to Louis, “Hold, go back there for a second, did you say Harry’s here?” You asked, quickly panicking.

You were answered by a voice behind you, “Louis, is your guest…” Harry trailed off as you turned around. He gaped for a moment, clearing his throat quickly, “Oh, uhm, hi Y/N, Louis didn’t say you were coming,” his eyes left you to quickly glance at Louis.

“Hi,” you mumbled, biting the inside of your cheek.

It was quiet for a few moments, and Louis interjected, “Ready to watch the interviews?” He asked, not even waiting for an answer as he dragged both of you to the living room.

He sat down on the couch, pulling you and Harry on either side of him. “They sent me a weird version they made that has the interviews first, and the movie immediately after,” he leaned over and picked up a napkin he had set on the table.

On it were two times stamps, one that was pretty early on, and one that was presumably later in the film. He scrolled on the TV for a moment, getting the setting right and pressing start once the DVD was processed.

He began to fast forward through most of the interviews, you were a bit confused when he came to a stop in the middle of the interviews. You were about to say something, but he turned the volume all the way up, pressing play.

“If you had to set up your sister with one of the band, and you could trust them, who would it be?” The interviewer asked, leaning forwards as she spoke.

Liam and Zayn erupted, “None, none of them!” They both chided, clear looks of disgust on their face.

Louis sat contemplating for a moment, both Liam and Zayn looking at him with knowing smiles, “I have an ideal pair in mind, I’m not going to verify who, the lads already know who it is, my sister doesn’t, but I’ve got a plan,” he smirked, nodding enthusiastically.

The Louis next to you looked at his napkin again, fast forwarding it again, this time you were sat for a little bit longer, the tension in the room growing thicker. Both you and Harry had a feeling that he was talking about you guys, but neither of you dared say anything.

He unpaused it again, this time it was the actual film, iit showed you and your mum, along with Karen, it was the MSG footage.

You began panicking, trying to grab the remote from Louis, “Louis, Louis, turn it off, turn it off!” You yelled as you tackled him, reaching for the remote he was holding high.

He ducked to his side, quickly stuffing the remote down his trousers as the film continued playing. He gave you a triumphant smirk, but you narrowed your eyes, “don’t think I won’t look in there,” you threatened, and he shot up, running to the washroom, giggling the whole way.

You let out a grunt of defeat, collapsing on the couch and shrinking in on yourself, hiding your face in your hands. “Oh god, ‘m so so sorry Harry,” you grumbled, sinking further into the couch.

Harry let out a low chuckle, “It’s alright, love. I’ve already seen the movie,” he admitted and you let out an exasperated sigh.

“Shit,” you mumbled.

“Hey, nothing to be embarrassed about,” he assured, you felt him put his hand on your knee, making you flush even further. “In fact, if the roles were reversed, I probably would’ve bought a cutout of you too,” he began rubbing a small circle on your knee.

You removed your hands from your face at his confession, looking at him in confusion, “Wait, really?”

“Of course! When we first got together as a band, you called Louis, and he stepped outside for a minute to talk to you, when he got back, he had the biggest smile on his face. At first we thought that it was a girl he’d been talking to, but then he told us it was his sister, and I just had to know more about the girl who made him smile that big. He began talking about you, and about your other family of course, but I couldn’t stop thinking about how he described you, then he showed me pictures, and you just blew me away, as cheeky as it sounds,” he laughed lightly, your eyes traced his profile, “then I saw you at MSG, and I was even more shocked, you were much more mature than the last picture Louis had showed us. I couldn’t stop thinking about the girl who smiled brighter than sun, the one who loved her family more than anything, the one who could make anyone laugh just by speaking, and I hadn’t even met you! But now I’ve actually met you, and even seeing you wrestled with Louis earlier, it confirmed everything I already thought.” He paused, his eyes opening quickly, “I-Uhm, if you don’t like any of that, you can just ignore all of it.”

You sat in disbelief, joy overwhelming you, “Wait, so you like me?”

“I mean, yeah, if that whole speech wasn’t convincing enough, I can show you my diary,” he offered, and you put a finger to his lips.

“As tempting as that is, I really want to kiss you right now, is that alright?” You asked, scooting closer to him on the couch.

“Yeah, that would be amazing,” he giggled, placing his hand on your cheek as your lips met.

It was awkward at first, you were both angled on the couch, neither position comfortable. You shifted closer, slowly crawling onto his lap, quickly pulling away to make sure it was okay with him. When he gave you a subtle nod, you connected your lips again, his sweet, oddly sugary, plush lips. You ran your fingers through his curls, quickly tangling them. He put his hands on your waist, pulling you closer to him as you continued to kiss. It was heavenly, everything you had ever dreamed of. Of course, your paradise had to be interrupted by something.

“Oi Oi!” Louis yelled from the hallway, “I get you like each other and all, but this is my couch, come on lads!” He complained, causing you to hurry off of Harry’s lap, taking a seat beside him. He playfully scoffed, pointing a finger at you, “Now, I’m going to get some food from the kitchen, no snogging while I’m gone!” He demanded as he walked out of the room.

You and Harry giggle to yourself, he turned to you, a playful smile adorning his face, “y’know, now that I’m dating a Tomlinson, maybe the Larries will finally back off,” he joked, earning a chuckle from you.

“Oh darling, you’re forgetting one thing,” you chided, he turned to you, obviously confused. “I’m the biggest Larrie of them all,” you teased.

“Oh shut it!” Both he and Louis yelled.

Permanent Taglist (If you want to be added just let me know!): @notsosmexy @ladytommomomoa @franchesca-791 @alwayshave-faith @bxtchboy69

[umichenginabroad]

Performances in Praha

Ahoj!

This week has been super fun, busy, and filled with some super cool things! This trip has felt like it’s going by so fast and I can’t believe it’s half way done!

First off, we celebrated my friend’s birthday by going to a Yung Gravy concert at the Rock Cafe here in Prague! We were in the first row at the concert. It was a very small show compared to what one would expect in the United States, so it was super fun and interactive.

We also went to see a ballet called Leon & Lena at the Estates Theater. While I am not a huge fan of watching ballets, it was interesting to watch and the building it was performed in was super beautiful!

Some friends and I also took a day trip to Divoká Šárka, a nature park about 45 minutes from Prague by tram. We hiked the super pretty trails and hills as we explored the park. We also swam in the lake there and were able to jump in the water from a 3m high platform which was exciting! We also found a huge chair at the park and took a picture in it!

I also went to visit the Narrowest Street in Prague! It is in Lesser Town and it has a traffic light indicating when you are allowed to walk through, since only one person can fit at a time.

I have also been able to go to more beautiful churches nearby! I recently went to The Church of Our Lady Victorious and of the Prague Infant Jesus. The interior was super nice and they offered English mass.

I’m super excited to realize that I’ve started to discover some of the lesser known parts of the city and I can’t wait to visit even more!

Čau!

Maya Mileski

IPE Prague, Czech Republic

Biomedical Engineering

[fiddlepickdouglas]

Viva Las Vegas, Pt. 5 - The Stratosphere

Summary: Sunset Curve Alive AU, Willex, where will they go?, 2.7k

@trevor-wilson-covington​ is the bestie who makes these lovely edits, we stan supportive friends

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4

“So, I was thinking,” Luke was saying to Julie once everyone was back in the green room, chatting lightly as they packed up their gear. “Maybe I could visit your mom in the hospital and play some songs for her. Cheer her up, you know?”

Julie looked so touched. Willie still didn’t know their whole story, but they seemed like a good fit. He had offered to help Alex load up his drums, but apparently there were people paid to do that here. Alex was just supervising it because he wanted to make sure they were handled right. It was a pity this place was full of techs and ushers and security because it was so tempting for Willie to try a few tricks on his board in there.

He’d finally gotten a proper introduction to everyone, and it turned out that all of Alex’s friends were great. The guys were all super chill, and he couldn’t thank Julie and Flynn enough for letting him be there to begin with. They seemed almost like a family. If he didn’t think about it too long, then he could ignore how badly he wanted to stay around all of them for as long as he could. Willie couldn’t remember anywhere that had felt so warm and open. He ran his fingers over the new bandage that he’d gotten on his hand.

Alex sat beside him, gear all stashed away.

“So, what’s your plan?” he asked.

“It’s a surprise,” Willie teased. “But it’s close.”

Alex looked around the room and then back at him with wonder in his eyes, raising the corners of his lips.

“Just the two of us though,” Willie added.

“Of course,” Alex nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

“Hey, guys,” Luke spoke to the entire room. Flynn, Reggie, and Bobby stopped the silly hand clapping game they were in the middle of and all turned their heads to face him.

“Julie and I just came up with a super cool plan,” Luke continued. Julie stood with him, and Luke immediately stood back to let her speak.

“I told you guys that my mom’s cancer is back. She’s given a lot to me, and I don’t think I could ever give back everything. But it would be really neat if we all gave her a private mini concert.”

Cheers went around the room, making Julie beam with happiness.

“I know it’s short notice,” she went on. “But I want to try to do it once we’re all back in California.”

“But what about your shows in the next couple of days?” Flynn questioned.

“I’m gonna see if I can reschedule them. I know it isn’t an ideal thing to do but with my mom’s condition, I’ve gotta do what I can.”

Willie sat quietly. He would’ve been happy to be involved, but was too aware that he was staying here in Vegas. That same feeling of wrongness crept along his skin, making him fold his arms and rub his thumb where it rested. He wasn’t sure when he’d picked up the habit, but he was doing it a lot more often recently.

“Uh…” he started. “I’m gonna catch up with you guys later, if that's okay.” He glanced over at Willie in a subtle but giddy manner.

The group finished discussing plans about getting together for a quick practice and what kind of songs they would do for Julie’s mom. When Willie suggested Yellow Submarine, Alex advocated for it as well, and he was happy to have made at least some contribution to their ideas. Once all that was put together, everyone got ready to go their separate ways. All the guys shuffled toward their van and Alex hung behind for a moment.

The guys all looked mildly surprised, but ultimately shrugged.

“Catch you later, Alex,” Luke said, giving him a wink. Reggie was singing Yellow Submarine under his breath as they drove away, to which Willie giggled quietly.

“You ready?” he turned to Alex, noticing his hands were free from clutching the strap of his fanny pack this time.

“I guess I am,” Alex said, smiling through his nerves.

Willie took his hand tightly and carried his board with the other. Alex's smile only grew wider as they hurried out to the street. The goofy jerking between their hands only made them squeeze harder to keep contact. He could hear the delighted chuckle being released behind him as he guided Alex across the city. He felt his lungs let forth a youthful yell from his throat, and he felt like Peter Pan crowing as he flew through the stars.

People darted out of their way as they rushed onward. Willie eventually saw his target, the Stratosphere, and didn't even bother pausing before he pulled Alex through the entrance. The elevator was just being emptied and before anyone could stop them, he tugged Alex inside and pressed the buttons to get them to the highest floor. The doors shut and they felt the jolt of being lifted from the ground pull them downward.

"Aren't we supposed to pay for tickets?" Alex panted, laughing between breaths.

Willie, also doubled over in laughter, just shook his head.

"Capitalism sucks, man! Don't buy into it!"

Alex only wheezed, leaning into the wall for support. Eventually, they both sat on the floor and after a few more bouts of laughter were able to calm down and breathe normally.

"When you said you had your ways I didn't know you literally meant you could just walk in anywhere," Alex thought aloud.

"The concert was luck," Willie smiled. "Here, it's just practice."

Alex shook his head incredulously. They both sighed, feeling that strange tension that had been there back in the diner, except Willie felt it in his fingertips. He eyed Alex’s hand lying inches away, and imagined himself reaching through and lacing their fingers together.

"How's that relaxing going, by the way?" he wondered.

"Hard to tell with you around," Alex stated, sarcasm not to be missed.

"I'll take the compliment."

Their long ride inside the elevator was near the end, and they stood up as the numbers got closer. Willie felt Alex's pinkie reach for his and he was happily surprised at the feeling of skin twining with skin. It was like they didn’t have to say anything - they just felt the same things. The door opened to the fresh evening breeze and revealed the wonderful sight before them.

"Whoa," Alex breathed, immediately drawn to the view on the observation deck. The lights from below sparkled in his eyes and Willie followed as they came right up to the railing. Both of them sat in awed silence, watching everything blink and glitter beneath them. The mountains in the distance bordered everything in a gentle, majestic manner. Willie had been up here so many times and somehow never noticed the odd sense of being folded in angels' wings before.

“I’ve been an idiot,” Alex started saying. Willie turned his head in confusion. Their hands slipped apart as Alex began gesturing to emphasize his words. “I’ve been thinking all day about how everything goes wrong and expecting everything to go wrong. I haven’t been enjoying anything nearly as much as I should be right now.”

Willie didn’t reply just yet. He just looked at Alex, watching how tense he was still, almost as if he could see the lion in the cage inside his head. All he wanted was to set it free. He looked around, and while there were a couple people on the other side of the observation deck, they seemed likely to just take pictures and then head back down.

“You know what I love about being up here besides the view?” he asked Alex.

“What?”

Willie gripped the railing as hard as he could, took in a deep breath, and screamed out into the darkness. Alex looked around nervously, but only watched the other people on the deck make their way back to the elevator.

“You gotta try it,” Willie urged.

Alex braced himself against the barrier and gave a nice little yelp.

“Oh, are you a puppy up for adoption?” Willie joked, tugging on Alex’s jacket. “Your whole body needs to let go.”

Alex looked back at him with an intense focus, and then turned back to the railing. Filling his lungs to the brim, he yelled viciously over the top of it. Willie joined him and they both staggered between screaming and taking moments to breathe. Something about it said words beyond what they had spoken. Willie heard a unique sort of agony as Alex belted everything to the night. He wondered if his pain came through as well.

Alex finally sighed as he finished his last shout and then looked up at the sky and closed his eyes.

“I did enjoy that,” he said. “Thank you.” He dropped his posture and Willie smiled at seeing him finally loosen up.

“Didn’t know you had so much pent up rage,” he commented.

“I guess I didn’t either,” Alex said, chuckling darkly. He sat on the ground and looked up at Willie to follow suit. Taking a seat across from him, Willie eyed him curiously.

“Now what?” he asked.

“Staring contest,” Alex said plainly.

Unfortunately, Willie blinked immediately. Probably ten times in succession, actually. This time, Alex got to laugh.

“Okay, not an actual staring contest,” he said. “ But I’ve tried this with all the guys in the band. We look into each other’s eyes for a few minutes, no speaking, and we just....know each other better. Bobby’s the one who started it.”

Willie only nodded as they got into comfortable positions before locking eyes. He tried to silence any impulses for his mind to focus on anything else and channeled everything into looking at Alex. Even in the dim light, he picked up the green color staring back at him. The stillness outside rivaled the storm within them.

Slowly, the storm softened into waves of caring kindness. They were powerful, but low, as if Willie were wading in shallow water and letting them crash over him. Each wake broke upon him in just the way he wanted to collide with them. This wasn’t a tide where he would get lost in the danger of the deep. The current was pushing him back to the shore, toward safe ground. 

The image in his mind suddenly morphed, and he was transported from calming waves to a rickety road. Fields passed by as he found himself looking out a window. His vision steered to his left, and an older man with a jovial smile sat at the wheel, turning to him as if they’d been passing jokes between them. The man’s familiar laugh echoed in his head.

 Absent-mindedly, Willie grabbed Alex’s hand. Pulled out of his trance, Alex looked at him with concern.

“I just remembered something,” Willie said, sounding like he’d received divine communication. It almost felt like he had. That image was supposed to be locked away, he’d been told. Never to be known again.

“What, like you left the stove on or something?” Alex asked in confusion.

Willie shook his head seriously. His hand was still squeezing Alex’s but he couldn’t get it to loosen its grip. It wasn’t because the memory had scared him, but fear was present anyway.

“No.” His eyes had trouble focusing on Alex’s face, now. “I think I remembered my dad. Like we were driving together. I remembered him.”

Alex dipped his head lower as he tried to figure out what Willie meant.

Willie bit his lip and looked at him apprehensively. This wasn’t the intended topic of discussion tonight. It wasn’t a subject he was usually allowed to speak of to begin with. He opened his mouth and clamped it shut, and then opened it again.

“I have retrograde amnesia,” he confessed.

Alex’s jaw slacked and hung open for a minute. Willie wasn’t sure how long he could handle this gorgeous boy blinking at him in disbelief before Alex closed it again.

“Oh my god, Willie,” he started, still sounding unsure but remaining gentle.

“I’m sorry, that’s sort of a really big thing to just drop on somebody,” Willie started.

“No, no, you don’t need to be sorry,” Alex soothed. “But, oh my god, you just remembered something.”

Willie ran his hands through his hair and took a deep breath.

“Yeah… I did,” he said, just realizing the significance of that himself. His past wasn’t entirely under lock and key. That...brought a lot of emotions with it.

“Wait, so how long have you been like this?” Alex asked.

“About a year and a half,” Willie told him solemnly. “Caleb told me I was hit by a car when I was out skating. I even have a scar.” He lifted his hair and turned his head so Alex could get a look. Alex grimaced and shook his head, clearly not liking the visual he’d received in his mind.

“You’re lucky you’re not dead,” he said.

“Yeah, Caleb said that too.”

“Wait, who’s Caleb?” Alex blurted.

“Oh,” Willie looked downcast. “He’s my legal guardian. And my boss. You saw him this morning, remember?”

“That’s your legal guardian?” Alex said, sounding slightly upset. “Guy gave me the creeps.”

“That’s fair,” Alex said, sounding a little unconvinced of his own statement. He sat quietly for a minute. Willie studied him, worried about how he would respond next. Any fun had been sucked out of the air due to his own personal business.

“Yeah, well,” Willie shrugged. “He does that. But, what can I do, you know?”

“So, for the past year and a half,” Alex started. “You’ve had nobody except your boss?”

Wow, that hit him right in between the eyes. Willie hadn’t actually considered that before. He blinked momentarily and then looked directly into Alex’s eyes as pain slowly took over. Then hot tears welled up, causing him to look away.

“I guess not,” he said quietly, his voice already trembling. Before he could huddle into a little ball, Alex’s arms were around him, pressing his head to his chest. Heaving a sigh, he let the tears fall as quietly as he dared to be. His hand crept up to hold onto Alex’s shoulder and gripped tightly. A funny weight was felt on the top of his head, and he realized Alex was running his fingers through his hair. It was so soothing, so...sweet. Willie didn’t realize that was something he missed from his many forgotten memories.

Soon, he straightened up and wiped his eyes.

“Thank you,” he said to Alex, knowing he couldn’t possibly convey how grateful he truly was.

“Of course,” Alex assured him, still gazing upon him tenderly.

“I guess I killed the mood, huh?” Willie attempted to joke. Alex simply smirked and shook his head.

“For what it’s worth, I was totally lost in your eyes, so I needed to come back to reality.”

Willie couldn’t help but smile, raising his eyebrows suggestively.

“That was for free,” he said, already getting back into step with his sense of humor. “I charge everyone else.”

Alex quietly entered the hotel and slipped into the door of their room. The guys had thankfully left it ajar so he wouldn’t be locked out. Luke was already lightly snoring on the couch, and he saw that Reggie and Bobby had both taken the larger bed. Carefully pulling his fanny pack over his head and setting it on the side table, he kicked off his shoes.

“Hey, Alex,” he heard Reggie whispering. Dammit. “How’d it go?”

The entire night replayed on fast forward in his mind, and he couldn’t get over the beauty of it all. The weight of it all.

“It was good, Reg,” he whispered back. He quickly changed and climbed into the bed that came down from the wall. Too many thoughts and feelings swirled in his mind like a cajun soup. Willie was amazing. There was nothing else to it except smaller details that attested to the same fact. Today had been all he would have of him, though. His mind paused on that thought as silence filled his ears.

“Did you kiss him?” Reggie whispered out of the blue in curiosity.

“Hey, bigger spoon,” Bobby mumbled groggily. “Be quiet.”

Alex didn’t answer, but smiled quietly to himself. He should have kissed him.

[shinydelirium]

MLQC Season 2 Chapter 12 (Kiro) Part 4 [Confession of the Stars] Translation [CN]

***SPOILERS*** THIS POST CONTAINS HEAVY SPOILERS FOR CONTENT NOT YET RELEASED ON EN SERVER!!! READ AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!***

For previous translations of Season 2 Chapter 12: Part 1/ Part 2/ Part 3

Enjoy~

[Confession of the Stars]

Even so, I still didn’t see Kiro’s face. The hospital still expressed his unwillingness to see anyone.

But nonetheless, it was fine for me to text him. I want him to know that he is not alone.

As long as he wants, I will appear in front of him immediately.

In the past two days, Kiro has asked Savin to bring his belongings to him from time to time and sometimes buy a few books.

After entrusting a lawyer to submit my alibi for me, I no longer need to go to the Task Force for regular reports.

However, the previous hospital hostage incident triggered more and more group skirmishes and discussions on the Internet continued on.

Everyone wants become the one who wins the right to speak. On the other hand, the hostile takeover incident of LFG, which had been raging before, was gradually suppressed.

There hasn’t been much movement on LFG’s side, so the problem probably isn’t that serious. I also successfully sent out the USB flash drive according to Gavin’s instructions.

Many departments of the company are asking whether or not to follow the hot topics to produce a show. I was so busy that I could only text Kiro at night.

Such days lasted for more than a week.

After nine o’clock in the evening, I had just entered the house, dragging my weary body when Kiro called.

Kiro: ….Miss Chips?

His voice was a little cautious, wary, and even quivering.

MC: What’s wrong?

Kiro let out a little laugh from the other end.

I’ve been so out of it lately. It’s been a very long time since I heard him laugh so enthusiastically.

Kiro: MC, say my name.

MC: Kiro, are you okay? Why are you so happy?

He didn’t answer but just laughed happily.

Kiro: What are you up to?

MC: Of course, I just got home from a rough day at work. ***Changed some wording***

Kiro: Thanks for all the hard work, Miss Chips.

I was lying on the sofa and complaining to Kiro about recent events. He listened carefully, and from time to time he also grumbled about his troubles to me.

This moment gave me a certain illusion, as if nothing was wrong.

The next day I heard that Kiro asked Savin to bring his guitar.

At the same time, the Task Force came forward and started to take control of the chaotic situation reasonably and accurately.

I checked Weibo and found that more and more people are no longer emotionally angry, but deeper in discussion about the relationship between Evol and ordinary people.

Along with the nice weather, I think a lot of things are heading in a good direction little by little.

I had a rare chance to get off of work early today. After thinking about it, I went and bought Kiro’s favorite canelé and arrived at the door of his ward.

MC: It would be wonderful if I could see him today…

While I muttered this, I stretched out my hand to knock on the door.

Before I could, an overly harsh and messy guitar chord came to my ears and left me frozen in place.

The crude, sharp sound felt as if it was forced out like a shout being torn from a person’s throat and the chords held some frustration within them.

It was so depressing. It was even hard to breathe.

After a profound silence, a few faint guitar notes came quietly as if crying. The voice was soft and desperate, as if it was not a note.

But a shattered dream.

I leaned on the door and listened to the broken chords, holding my breath without making a sound.

Finally, I left the snack in the nurse’s care. I told her to give it to Kiro after waiting for a bit and then left.

On the way home, a new advertisement shot by Kiro some time ago is being displayed on the large screen on the side of the road.

Passerby A: Kiro clearly announced that he’s an Evolver. Why is he still so popular?

Passerby B: Kiro is Kiro. What does that have anything to do with being an Evolver?

Passerby A: Maybe he used some special Evol to control you and made you like him so much.

Passerby B: Do you actually know him or even understand him?! Of course, there’s a reason why Kiro is so well-liked. Do you think Evol can do everything?

Passerby B: I’ll show you this collection. You’ll understand after reading it. Why hasn’t he released a new song yet….?

The girl and her companions walked away slowly and I watched their backs disappear into the night.

In this turbulent moment, there are still many people talking about him, expecting him, and waiting for him. But at this time, I don’t want to tell him this.

Stars dotted the night sky, watching the whole city tenderly and peacefully.

I took a photo of this night sky with my phone and sent it to Kiro.

I don’t know what Kiro is struggling by himself, but I hope he won’t make all his expectations become his own burdens.

There was no reply from Kiro that night.

Until 7:25 the following evening, my phone rang.

***During this next scene, the 3rd anniversary song is being played. It made the entire scene so much more emotional and touching but also sad. The BGM in this whole chapter was meticulously chosen.***

Kiro: Good evening, Miss Chips.

Kiro: How did you know that I wanted to eat canelé? When I ate it yesterday, tears were about to come out.

MC: Tears from the corners of your mouth? ***T/N: She means drooling***

Kiro: Hehe, hurry up and remove the camera you installed on me!

MC: If there really was a webcam, that would be great….by the way, how are you today? ***Woah, woah, MC!!! So you want to upgrade from sneaky pictures to sneaky videos? MY GIRL!!!***

Kiro: Of course, I’m doing well!

MC: That’s good. It seems that the retreat is working effectively.

Hearing what I said, he laughed. His voice full of energy.

But we both know that these are all tacit masks.

Kiro is too clever. He must know how weak his excuses for shutting himself up are.

So weak that he doesn’t believe them himself.

When 7:30 came around, Kiro stopped talking. Then suddenly he spoke solemnly.

Kiro: Miss Chips, I want to play some songs for you.

MC: Okay! I haven’t heard you play a song in a long time.

Gentle guitar music came slowly from the other end of the phone. I imagined Kiro playing right now and closed my eyes, feeling a little nostalgic.

Soon, one song was finished.

Kiro: Sitting on the bed and closing my eyes just now, it felt like I was in a concert.

MC: That’s not right. The audience hasn’t arrived yet and you can’t have a concert with just you.

Kiro: Then come to the special concert. A concert dedicated by Kiro himself.

Kiro: Miss Chips is the only special guest.

MC: That’s not very monotonous.

Kiro: How could it be?

Kiro: Miss Chips, are you standing by the window right now? Can you see the stars outside?

Listening to what he said, I immediately got up and went to the balcony.

The stars outside the window twinkled and hung in the night sky like little lights.

MC: I can!!!

Kiro: My favorite stage is like this starry sky.

Kiro: That was my first stage. It was not very big and crowded with people.

Kiro: That day was the same as today, a sky full of stars. There was a long passage leading to the main stage.

Kiro: Every time I stepped on a square, a star will light up under my feet.

Kiro: The audience turned on the flash from the back of their phones and the whole world seemed to be connected into a sea of stars.

Kiro: In that moment, I told myself to shine in this sea of stars and become the brightest one.

I slowly listened to him talking about his beloved stage and the brightest star in his heart.

I was on this end of the phone, looking at the starry night outside. I could feel him holding my hand and leading me towards the stage.

I saw him piously touching the places he knew and missed the most, holding the guitar and standing in the most radiant place.

His entire being seems to be shining.

Kiro: Miss Producer, would you say I’ve done it? 

MC: Of course.

MC: You did it long ago.

Kiro laughed lightly. This time the guitar music was accompanied by his singing.

His voice is so soft and sincere, like some kind of long-distance reunion. Like a farewell to something.

After a dozen songs were sung one after another, Kiro’s voice was already a little hoarse.

MC: ….Since it’s a concert, can I still have an encore?

Kiro: (chuckles) Since it’s MC’s request, I would definitely not refuse it.

Kiro: This is the last song called “Confession of the Stars”.

***T/N: Decided to include both the EN and CN versions of the lyrics. I’m not a songwriter so the CN version is what Google Translate gave me. I really love Bian Jiang’s singing in this scene so do give it a listen 😉. Also, I love how there’s no BGM music playing while he sings because I feel like that would just take away some of the emotion.***

Kiro: (EN version) “I got a song that I wanna sing for you~ It may not be perfect, but it will have to do~”

“Dreaming your dreams and going your own way~ Sometimes you feel lonely, sometimes heartbreak…”

(CN version) “There is a song I want to sing for you~ For you who work hardest in the world~”

“On the road towards your dream~ Sometimes you feel a little lonely….”

***Now I can’t hear this song the same way ever again. WHY, KIRO!?! TELL ME WHY!?!? YOU SURE KNOW HOW TO BREAK MY HEART!!! TAT***

When I heard the familiar, leisurely melody, I was overwhelmed. The song seemed to pass through time, embracing me tenderly.

I always feel that something will end after this song. I want to try my best to hold onto it, but I can only grasp at nothingness. ***FORESHADOWING!!! Actually, this entire “concert” is.***

Eventually, I could only wait quietly for it to come to an end.

Kiro: (sighs) The concert is over. Thank you, Miss Chips.

Kiro: (In the sweetest, most tender voice): Good night.

-End of Part 4-

[nctinfo]

[TRANS] WayV’s interview with ELLE Korea May 2020 issue!

— Kun

A suffering leader, everyone's Kun —  With a meticulous personality. The pros and cons would be: I think I am the leader thanks to my sense of responsibility and delicacy. [But] when there is too much to take care of, it is a bit cumbersome. There’s no member who gives me a hard time because they all pick on me one by one (laughs). If I had to introduce my hometown, Fujian Province, it's a quiet city with clean air and few people. Many people come to visit because the mountains and the lakes are beautiful. When I think about nature, I start missing my hometown. At school, I was the head of the student council's entertainment department. I might look like a serious person since the members are so active and mischievous, but I'm also a fun person. Times when I feel like we’re one team are when you know what the others are thinking just by the look in their eyes and, when we dance and the movements are 'synchronised'. WayV to me is the comfort of being able to share everything with each other. All the members worry a lot about music so a lot of ideas come out every time we hear new music. It is certainly an advantage that all seven have a lot of desire. I have a bright young voice, but my desire as a vocalist is to have a thicker and more mature voice these days. Wouldn't it suit dance songs that match our [team's] style more than ballads. I graduated in Practical Music. If there is a song I want to arrange: I'm still trying to look for my style while listening to various songs. I want to challenge not only the arrangement but also the composition. I am a good cook. The dishes I recently made for the members are the dishes that I learned from the main chef of the company while I practiced them [on the members]. The menu with the biggest reaction recently was DongPo Pork. When I can't sleep, I deliberately watch low-rated movies and these days, I watch a four-hour-long landscape video shot from a train driver's perspective. It makes me fall asleep really fast (laughs). The most memorable stage after debuting was as expected, MAMA 2019. When I was giving the award speech, my hand that was holding the microphone was shaking and it was all captured [on camera]. What I want to say to myself in hard times is to be confident! The moment you lose your confidence, everything becomes more difficult. The mindset I don't want to lose is to be grateful. Everything I do right now is impossible to do by myself. This is the most important. To Winwin: who has known me the longest among the members! I hope you always take on challenges with courage because I will always be there beside you to support you. Also, all the members know that you are cute.  

— Lucas

Healthy energy, hot Lucas — Between a boy and a man, I feel closer to 100% boy! I don't think I feel mature enough. [Maybe I’m just like] a baby who wants to be a man (laughs). The most impressive man to me is a responsible person. And also, a man who gives everything to his loved ones. Having an attractive rapping sound because of a low and husky voice. My desire to sing is big! I want to sing a sad song. I've heard from people around me that a calm song suits my voice. Like the calm songs of Paul Kim I normally listen to too. My favorite song is "Take Off, The killing point is the dance break, with the powerful guitar riff. Emotion is what is the most important on stage. I believe each song has its own soul, and it is important to immerse yourself. My role in the team is positive energy. Although always looking bright, surprisingly, I have a lot of thoughts. Yesterday too, I had a lot of thoughts before going to bed, so it took me a while to fall asleep. Not long ago, Kun hyung played me a song he had composed and so many ideas came up so I wrote them down and sent it to him. WayV to me is a friendship that feels really deep even though it’s been only a year since I made a debut with the people I love so much. So much that when we come back from a schedule, as we laugh and talk together, the stress will suddenly be gone. The most important thing in a team is to have sincere conversations with each other to understand each other's differences. Only then can we get along well because of the wider understanding. Having appeared in a number of familiar variety shows like the Chinese version of <Running Man> <Let's Run Season 3> I like that I can go to various places the most. It's also a special opportunity to meet people with other jobs and not only artists. I think I'm often called/casted [for these shows] because of my sincere youthful reactions. The mindset I don't want to lose is the promise I made when I debuted to be a good influence on people. That's what I always keep in mind. I want to be a person who always gives positive influence to people, family, and fans around me. To Yangyang: who I know is really smart, you're still a cute little brother to me (laughs)

— Winwin A quiet presence, Winwin — In the reality show <Dream Plan>, mingling well with the elders in the village was impressive. Special trick behind it was thanking them for looking out for me! Since they were all kind natured, I guess treating them with sincerity looked good. When Lucas and I visited their home, we got served a meal and received a warm welcome. A performance video of Ten and I has been released. As a dancer, Ten is a member whose strength is being versatile. He helps the members at dance practices a lot. I’ve learned dancing in a special dance school. At the time I was the shortest and least talkative kid until I grew taller in high school. I’ve spent most of the time practicing alone. Chinese dance is similar to modern dance mixed with ballet. Learning the choreography is fast and it’s an advantage to be skillful in tumbling. I would like to properly showcase a modern dance at a concert someday. When I’m on the stage what I care about the most is my gestures and facial expression. During ‘Take Off’ promotions, the gestures and facial expressions I did during my part varied from stage to stage. I hear that I’m ‘pure’ a lot. A new charm that I want to have: our fans call me ‘Baby Chick’. I want to showcase more of an ‘eagle’ image, so I cut my hair short. Isn’t it similar to Park Saeroy (laugh). Something that makes me angry, although I normally have a good temper is being unsatisfied with stage performance to the point I can’t sleep on that day. But it’s okay to just take a nap. I just need to do better. The most memorable moment in WayV promotions was receiving the Best New Asian Artist Award at the MAMAs, it was the first time we’ve gotten an award together so I was very happy. The reason why I went to Beijing on my own as a middle school student seems to be fate. I passed my exams without much determination, left my hometown and went to school in Beijing where I was noticed and then debuted. Coincidence became fate. To me WayV is a path that we’re talking together, a team with a lot of growth potential. I’d like it if the younger members came to me whenever they need someone. I feel our fans love and support the most when: I’m always amazed and grateful for our fans hearts. All of the people who always look out for us even when we’re not promoting any albums and who support us are an immense source of strength. Success to me is when more people get to know us and we get to perform in many different countries. I want to think about my personal success after my team’s success. To Kun: when members want advice, we reach out to Kun first before our families. He knows a lot, can do a lot, and is a person we can depend on.  

 — Ten

Ten who is curious about what's next rather than what’s now — The secret to adapting well everywhere is attending an international school. I had friends of various nationalities and I also traveled a lot. Wherever I went, I went to see the common [places] first. Learning an unfamiliar culture is fun. I’m learning Thai, English, Korean, Japanese and now working hard at learning Chinese. I memorize expressions that I can use while watching Chinese variety shows and dramas. Although it's still difficult to read the buzzwords and hanja. The most important thing as a performer, and what makes you an outstanding dancer, is to have your own style while not being trapped by masculinity and femininity. I am different now from a few years ago and I'm trying to challenge myself by being flexible in various aspects. What I've learned since debut is, in the case of WayV, that when you work with various genres the main concern is the vocal style and with SuperM, I learned about the importance of performance through the activities [we did]. 'It's important to dance well, but you must also have your own [style]', 'think about what you want to express in front of the camera, but you must be faithful to your feelings on every stage in order to develop [yourself]' is the advice I received from the Hyungs (Baekhyun, Kai, Taemin). For the dance video that I did together with Winwin, the concept, music, settings, and outfits were all decided by us together without the company's advice. I came to realize the difficulties of being a staff member (laughs). I can [now] see the wider picture and more details. I like poetry too. I think poetry expresses emotions. It helps me  understand the world and the society as a person and not as an artist. The lyrics of my 2nd solo song 'New Heroes' feel like an autobiography. If 'Dream in a Dream' was all about the performance then 'New Heroes' is a song about the time spent committing [to something] and I thought anyone can sympathize with that. The [original] lyrics were so great that I asked them not to change it and to just go with it. I want to write lyrics myself someday. The kind of person I want to be is [someone who] always tries to go with the flow as I think that making plans and setting expectations can make it more difficult on yourself. I hope I could be a person who can leave a good impact on others. WayV to me is just like a family who always does everything together and takes care of each other asking ‘have you already eaten?’. Everyone has an open mind to try and accept new challenges. During the 'Moonwalk' promotion period, I was kinda surprised how well we got along. Having received recognition for my skills since debut. The times when the expectations are high are: Art and languages too are ever-evolving disciplines, so it's not easy to keep up. Nevertheless, there are self-expectations and anticipations to show a new side of myself. I will work hard (laughs). I still play Pokemon Go and I'm waiting for the June update. I will catch a lot of new Pokemon again! To Xiaojun: with whom I saw Harry Potter together yesterday! Let's make an appearance in Harry Potter when there is a reboot.

— Hendery

Flexible midfielder, Hendery — Something I’ve gotten into recently is practicing playing drums. Kun hyung is cooking a lot lately so I’ve been reviewing the food too. The other day he made kimchi jjigae so good that it even got an approval from manager hyung. My favourite track is ‘Take Off’. We filmed the music video in Ukraine and spent loads of happy times together, so I feel happier whenever I listen to it. Something I’ve improved on since debut is that recording songs takes less time. When I hear a member of staff say ‘Is this really Hendery’s voice?’ I feel proud of myself. The charm of my vocal is: I’m still looking for it, but I feel like my rap sounds nice when I spice it up with a little melody. Good at giving advice to our members. A tip to giving good advice is: it’s important to have helping and not making decisions in mind. Talk about both bad and good points about the A and B. The secret to always looking like I’m at peace is my parents always telling me ‘Your happiness is the most important. You always have a home to come back to, so work as much as you can enjoy’, thanks to them I grew up as someone with little stress or worries. Mindset that I don’t want to lose is the excitement before going on stage. I think the most important thing for an artist is their greed for performing. When I get on stage the most important is interacting with fans. The most memorable stage was our Korean debut on <Show! Champion>. I couldn’t believe we’re performing Chinese songs in Korea. I was so overwhelmed to see our fans welcoming us so enthusiastically even though they didn’t understand what we were saying. I opened an instagram account recently. My posting plan is ‘This is where I am‘ ‘I am filming today’. I want to showcase my daily self. I hope our fans can smile for a brief moment when they see the pics I had the most fun taking. To me WayV is: I feel empty when I go away to see my family for a little. Every time that happens I facetime them to relieve the sadness. Lucas is the member who picks up the most (laugh). To Lucas: No matter how busy we get, even if we become grandpas, I’ll always be by your side. It’s something I want to say to all of the members, but Lucas is a friend I'm especially attached to so I really wanted to say this. 

— Yangyang

Infinite potential, bold maknae Yangyang — I speak Chinese, German, English Korean and Spanish. Great language skills are useful when you travel. Whenever I talk with friends of various nationalities, I think it's fortunate that I can speak many languages. In our team alone, it's full [with people who speak] Chinese, Thai, English, and Korean (laughs). My role in the team is being the happy virus! Although of course, the hyungs think I'm a maknae that requires a lot of energy from them. WayV to me is a high tension team that can deliver strong and positive energy. If someone shows a slight sign of exhaustion, we immediately stick together and somehow infect each other with energy. I think that such energy is conveyed to fans on stage. If I have learned anything from living together with the members [it would be] the habit I have developed to control my greed and to care for others. I'm used to looking at the other's feelings now before doing something. My favorite song is ‘King of Hearts’, because I participated in writing the lyrics. I also love 'Love Talk' from the 2nd mini album. It is a charming song that is sweet and sexy but has a way to make your body move. My ambition as a rapper is the flow. Because I think this is the aspect that determines the impression of a song from the listener's point of view. I want to be a multi-talented person who is good at not only rapping but also dancing, singing, and writing lyrics. I've always had a lot of ambition. The attractive part of writing lyrics is that I can tell my story, since from a long time ago, I wrote lyrics little by little and it's always fun work. I want to steadily keep doing it. I like Virgil Ablo and Demna Gvasalia, and the fashion icon who caught my eye these days is Mike Amirie. I am drawn to people who have a simple yet clear style. The same goes for musicians. I like people who have a clear style like Travis Scott and A$AP Rocky. I’ve said 'I like who I am' before. Instances when I am especially like myself is when I'm confident. When I have confidence and want to show off, I can show much more than my actual skills. I use SNS to check on NBA and fashion news. I see the news on sneakers I'm looking forward to fast. Surprisingly, I don't look up anything about me [but] when a stage or performance is over I do look up the reactions. Most of them are good, so every time I read, I get energized. To Hendery: hyung, you seem to really get into gaming, but don't try too hard (laughs). 

— Xiaojun

Warm voice, Xiaojun — Something I’m into these days is practicing the songs that will be included in the next album that we are preparing for. Before debuting, I only sang my favorite ballad song, but nowadays, I want to sing songs of other genres such as R&B. I've been uploading videos of me singing on my personal Instagram. My favorite song is ‘Face to Face’. My heart warms up every time I hear it. I really like the lyrics ‘You won’t be lonely because I’ll be your strength, I won’t let you cope with your wounds alone in silence’. The keywords that describe me are kind. Friendly. Positive. I often say ‘I wish my songs were healing different people’. The way I heal myself is: my heart calms down when I look at pictures with many memories sealed in them. I take a lot of pictures of the scenery and especially when I look at the pictures of my hometown in Guangdong I feel healed. The reason behind my strong sensitivity is the big influence of my dad who’s a singer and my older brother. Ever since I was little we would often watch movies together. I graduated with a musical major. My greed for musicals is: I’ll surely do it again later. I like starring in musicals but one day I’d like to make my own. A musical piece I’d like to recommend is <Dear Evan Hansen> who won at Tony Awards and Grammys. It’s a warm story about a lonely high school boy suffering from social anxiety disorder, who is working on his trauma and healing from the pain. My way of dealing with stress is quiet time on my own. Just like positive energy, negative energy is easily spread to others, so I’d rather be alone. A memory I really want to make is a trip, I promised to go on before debuting, with the members. The destination is still undecided. The kind of team member I want to be is a silent supporter. It would be nice if I can be 'my people/dearest' to others. Something I want to do this year is to have an event for the fans. I like to surprise friends or throw surprise birthday parties. I think fans will love it if we would do a guerilla performance. I told you here so I have to throw [that idea] away and I will prepare something else (laughs). To Ten: You are one of the 'Hyung-line', and you Korean is the best so there are many times you have to lead us. Don't carry everything on your own and sometimes lean on us! The same goes for Kun hyung.

t/n: Due to the structure of this interview there might be inaccuracies as many things only made sense in Korean but sounded kinda awkward in English (more so compared to other translations we did). We tried our best to convey what they meant, but please keep this in mind when reading this interview.

Translation: Alex, Esmee @ FY! NCT (NCTINFO) | Source: ELLE Korea Scans — Do not repost or take out without our permission!

[demivampirew]

Keep calm and go to London.

Tag list: Here’s the incredible people who showed me support (thank you so much for that) and people who asked me to tag them too ☺️ (I think I will write a few chapters of this story, if you want me to tag you, tell me ☺️ ) @cavillanche​ @mary-ann84 @henry-owns-these-tatas @yespolkadotkitty @dancingwendigo​   constip8merm8  penwieldingdreamer iloveyouyen  littlefreya  wondersofdreaming alyxkbrl solariumss  sweetybuzz25  @agniavateira​

Trigger warning: talking about depression; low self-stem and body image issues.

Disclaimer: I mentioned “Jared” in the story, because Jared Leto is my former celebrity boyfriend 😂 🤣 , before I found othe much better (sorry Jer) -if you want to think in other celebrity, you can 😁 -

You were in London for a few days. Your excuse was to visit some old friends that you haven't seen in a while, but the truth was that were trying to scape Los Angeles for a while. It's been a month since your breakup with Jared and you recently found out that the same day that you broke up with him, he slept with that woman that he sweared was just a friend. You knew that he did it in purpose just to hurt you for hurting him, but still it was an awful feeling to know that the person you spend the last five years of your live, who hold you while you cry all day in the last few months due to your depression, and who knew exactly how you feel about that woman, would be capable of doing something like that. Last September, during your tour in Latinamerica, you fell into a deep depression. Brian - your manager and best friend- found you a good therapist that agree to see you via videocall. At first, you didn't want anyone to find out -beside Jared, Brian and Beth, your other best friend- but soon enough you decide to make an statement on your Instagram account, explaining what you were going through. You made that desition after you saw lots of comments from your Latino fans complaining that you didn't have the same love for them as you have for the American and European fans, because you didn't laugh and smile as much in the meet and greets and during the concerts. It hurt immensely to know that they felt thay way, so you decide to let them know it was true that you weren't  able to act happy like you did in the other parts of your world tour, but that it had nothing to do with them or that they love them less than your other fans. After your statement, you receive a lot of support and love and you decide to become an advocate for depression and mental health issues; to fight to erase the stigma around them. Another thing that you did, was promise yourself that you were going to get better, not matter what it takes, your going to get through this. What you didn't realize in that moment, something that a part of you knew for a long time but was avoiding at all cost, is that you needed to end your relationship with Jared if you wanted to get better. He was not a bad man, but he was a terrible boyfriend and you knew it, even if you always tried to make it seem like if he was the perfect partner. He had a few good qualities, like he'd cook for you, and sometimes would text you to tell you that he missed you, and he would hug you every night for sleep. But, unfortunately, that didn't compare to his flaws: he was always working or hagging out with his friends -who included lots of skinny models, one of them was a former lover of his and she even told you to your face that she had feelings for him-; you never went into vacations together because he always cancel last minute due to some work related issue -but yet, he will always find time to travel with friends-, you moved into his house, that you didn't like and when you suggested to buy a new house together he opposed. He had a lots of flaws, but the worst one was the fact that he wanted to keep your relationship in secret. For the first two years of your relationship, you agreed to this because you didn't want paparazzi follow you around everywhere you go, or people commenting on your relationship -especially on the fact the he was nineteen years older than you, you knew that people would love to critize that-, but after a few years, you just wanted to have a normal relationship. You wanted to go to coffeeshops, to travel, to go to a restorant with your boyfriend, to go to the premiere of the movie you were in or an award show together, etc. But he wanted the relationship to remain a secret. It wasn't until one day that you finally convince him to take you out to a restorant that people found out because paparazzi took pictures of you two and the next day the were all over the internet. He say that was ok but gave you the silent treatment for a few days. The fact that he was reluctant to the idea of your relationship being public and being seen with you affected you a lot. You grew up with lots of self-steem and body image issues and before started dated him you finded a way to be ok with your body and even feel sexy and confident, but in the last few years you were back in the self-hate train. You could stop yourself from comparing your curvisious body to the bodies of the skinny Victoria Secret's models friends of your boyfriend.  You were barely being intimate in the last few years, which made everything worst because it made you feel undesirable. But luckily, thanks to therapy, you realize what you needed to do. After breaking up with him, you moved out with your best friend Beth, until you decide your next move. You were feeling tired of LA but didn't want to live in New York either, those places were too big and too loud for you; what you were looking for is some peace. London was such a beautiful city. You'd been there before lots of times, but always for work - you were not only a successful actress, but also a famous musician and one of the biggest songwriters and producers in the world- so you never had much time for sightseeing. After a week, you felt a joy that you haven't felt in a while. That city was so magical. And you also got the chance to see some old friends. It felt like if you finally, after so long, you were alive again. That night you were invited by a friend to one of her friends birthday party. He was the actor Simon Pegg and they worked together in the last two Mission Impossible movies, as she told you. She assure you that she asked Simon if he was ok with you coming to the party and he say yes. You were not a party lover, but thought that probably it'd be a great idea to get out of you confort zone for once. You put up a black lace cocktail dress with long sleeves and let your curls free. Put some makeup -you decide to go for more a natural look- and your favourite perfume and went to the party to meet your friend. Once there, you sigh in relive when you saw that the place wasn't too crowded and the music was not too loud. Your friend was waiting for you by the bar, so you went there and after a long hug you two got reaquented. Last time you saw eachother was when you played a concert in London a year ago. You didn't realize how much you missed her until you saw her again. After an hour or so, your friend was looking to her right and notice something. -Come with me. I want to greet some friends.- she said. You followed her and saw her greet a group of gentlemen. Your friend begin to introduce you to the three men. -Y/N, this is Chris; Chris, this is Y/N. - Yes, I know who she is.- Chris replied - It's a pleasure to meet you. -Thank you, it's a pleasure to meet you too. - And he's Edgar.- she continued. - Nice to meet a legend like you-  Edgar said while shaking your hand. - I think that's a bit exagerated...but just a bit- you said smirking. -And he's Henry. - The mighty Witcher - you say in a playful voice as you shake his hand. -The one and only - he said, grinning - It's a real pleasure to meet you. - Same here. - you replied. You felt a tingly sensation; like electicity running down your spine and you weren't sure if it was because of his touch, because of his captivating smile, his piercing eyes or his deep voice; probably the combination of all of those things. Some time went by and Chris excuse himself and went to talk to other people. My friend was talking to Edgar and I was chatting with Henry. I told him that I was a huge fan of the show and it was a shame that I haven't had time to read the books yet or play the games. He was really surprised when a told him that I actually enjoy playing videogames, although I don't do it very often due to lack of time. We chat about our favourite games and books. At some point in the night, my friend and I went to the ladies room and after we made our way back to the group, Edgar started to ask me some questions. -So, Y/N, I heard about your breakup. I'm really sorry - He said. - Not need to be sorry.- I replied -Oh, ok. I wonder, now that you are single again, are you open to date? -Edgar! Are you trying to hook up with my friend? - my friend questioned in a protective way - No! I'm not asking for me. There's some friends -he cleared his troat- that find her really beautiful and I know would love to have the chance to have a date with her and I just wanted to know if she'd open to the idea. This friends are pretty cool guys, I promise. - Yes, I supose - I answered, not entirely sure. The idea of a blind date doens't sound appeling to me. -Great! We'll see later about that.- he said and then he look at Henry, like if the two of them were having a mental conversation and then he asked my friend to go with him to pick up some drinks. I continue to talk with Henry about games and the show and then he told me that he was going to visit the set the next day and asked me if I was interested in going to see it with him and of course that's not something I'd say no to. So we exchanged phone numbers and I decided to head back to the hotel so I could get some rest to be able to enjoy the next day.

[nitannichionne]

Leading Lady, Chapter 15: (Almost) Sex in Seattle (A Henry Cavill Cast Fic)

Chapter 15: Almost Sex in Seattle (Kitara POV)

I was missing him already.

Shane had to go back to Los Angeles for screen and makeup tests. I was stuck in Seattle alone for a bit and then Phoenix, but he said he'd be back by Friday for the Saturday con in Phoenix. I was planning on leaving for Phoenix that night. I kept closing my eyes remembering when he left.

"Don't look like that," he smiled at me.

"Look like what?" I asked him as he left his luggage at the door and strode to me and took me in his arms.

"Ah, that's it," he murmured, rubbing my back gently. "I'll only be gone a few days! Everything will be fine--" he tilted my chin up so that our eyes could meet. "promise." He kissed my forehead, the tip of my nose, and stole a quick peck on the lips. "Admit it."

"What?"

"You're going to miss me." He tickled my sides. "C'mon, say it."

I looked up at him. "I am going to miss you." I felt my throat tighten.

"Aww," he gave me an extra squeeze . "I'll let you know when I land."

"Okay."

He chuckled a little, shaking his head at me. "A month of Saturdays."

"What?"

"We've been on this tour about a month of Saturdays," his expression was one of humor as he raised an eyebrow at me. "First you were running from me, now you seem like you're running to me." When he saw my discomfort, he shook his head at me. "Hid a present in the apartment."

"What?"

"I will bet you don't find it before I land in L.A."

"I bet I will!" I loved games. He knew that.

"To the victor goes the spoils!"

"What...spoils?" I gave him a squeeze.

"Heh." He turned on his heel. "Better find it."

I hastened behind him and held him again, kissing the middle of his back, and he turned to look at me. That kiss was pure instinct, I just did it. I was embarrassed.

"I'll never get out this way," he shook his head, caressing my cheek. "Missing you already." He pulled me into his arms and kissed me, kissed me like he did that day in the guestroom in San Diego. I was breathless when he let me go. "Better?"

I couldn't talk.

"Time's ticking," he smiled, and walked out the door.

I stood there for awhile, just thinking of him. This time I picked a house I absolutely wanted to stay in, but it was a one bedroom cottage. He practically dared me to rent it, almost suggesting that living in such close quarters would be...risky:

"I am perfectly capable of being a gentleman, but I am not perfectly capable of sleeping on a couch," he said with a mischievous smile.

"So, we share the bedroom?"

"Why not?" he asked. "Is there a problem?"

The question hung in the air, the perfect dare, and I agreed.

Little did I know that living in close quarters with him would be so...enticing. Watching him come out of the bathroom in a towel because he forgot something or watching him sleep because I was such an early riser were perks that I'd've damn near paid for. Watching his reaction when I did the same was something. He would stop what he was doing, and I could feel his eyes following me around the room. It was as if he was touching me with looks.

Our days were sort of touristy. I wanted him to see the U.S., and there were honestly parts I hadn't seen either. We saw the needle of course, but the highlight of the week had been Snoqualmie Falls and Winery, not for the sights or the wine, but the fact that we almost crossed the line there:

"God!" I half whispered, half hissed as he braced me against the cave wall and squatted to lift me. My legs went around him instinctively, didn't think about it for a second. We were kissing as if we would never see each other again. I started sucking his tongue, tasting wine in his mouth from the first set of tastings on the tour, and he pulled back with a groan to nibble my lips because I had some strawberries and champagne earlier.

"Shhh..." He managed to push my tank top back, and when his mouth closed over my breast, I bit my lip, but the cry vibrated in my throat. He licked my neck and then went back to what he was doing before. We were grinding against each other, fully clothed and risking being caught. I was shaking, gasping because I knew in that moment, I wouldn't stop him from doing anything. The need was almost painful, my hips kept moving up and down on him for some kind of solace, and he moved with me, his breathing ragged in my ear as he nipped it.

It was the sound of other tourists in the distance that made us stop. He slowly released my legs and slid my body down his so I could feel all that I had missed. I whimpered softly nuzzling his chest as my feet touched ground.

"You," he panted. "Are a dangerous woman."

"If I am, it's entirely your fault."

The nights were the best. We had s'mores on the firepit, an American camping snack, sinful concoction of chocolate and marshmallows on graham crackers. We were both trying to watch our diets, so we only had one each the first night we did, and shared one each night after. We even roasted beer brats on the fire. We lounged in the hot tub almost every night, watching movies or listening to music on our phones or laptops. And then there was the making out--or snogging. We couldn't seem to help that, not after we'd toured Snoqualmie...

I snapped from the memory. I had to find this present!

I started in the yard. We'd spent a lot of time there. By the time the sun was high, I knew he didn't hide it there at all. I stopped to eat lunch, frustrated. He could be landing soon!

I looked over at Zeus, who was barely awake in his basket bed, and I was sure I was the one that got him up with my racket. "Some help you are!" I grumbled. He stood and...he tinkled! Tinkled?! "Zeus?" I looked at him, and thought I saw something flicker from around his neck. I immediately hit the floor in a elbow plank for a better look. "Oh, my God!" I squealed and crawled over. "Zeus, you wonderful little mutt!" I laughed, picking him up. Hooked on a ring to his tags were charms-Los Angeles, San Diego and Seattle, but there was also a key? "Oh, my God!" I scrambled for the bedroom and started going through drawers which were mostly empty. "A key means a box. I got charms, Zeus! That means a bracelet, I know it does!" I looked under the bed, pulled off the sheets and pillows, this was an all out ransack. He was landing soon-I didn't have much time! "Damn it!"

My cell started playing Hungry Like a Wolf, and I rolled my eyes. I clicked on my earpiece and kept searching.

"Hello?!" I was looking under the bed.

Shane's laughter held triumph. "Ha, I knew it!"

"I found the charms-cute by the way-" I got to my feet. "But this isn't fair!" I'm looking for two things! Charms and a bracelet, right?"

"Really?"

"Yes, really!"

"But, sweetie, you overlooked it."

I stood still. Overlooked it? I backed out of the bedroom, grabbing the phone on the way. I was here, with the dog..."Oh, my God!" I heard him laughing as I returned to Zeus's bed, and pulled up the pillow he had been laying on. And there under him was a box, a flat jewelry gift box with no lock. I was confused. I opened the box and pulled out the charm bracelet. "Oh, Shane, it's beautiful." I breathed. "But what is the key for?"

"Let a man have a secret or two."

"Sha-ane!"

"Darling, that's it...for now." he chuckled. "Ride's here, talk you later."

I sighed, "Alright, be safe."

He laughed softly, making my heart flutter. "You too. Cheers."

I sat there on the couch, and began assembling my gifts. Oh, it was more beautiful than I thought. I lifted my hand to the light, admiring the sparkly thing, and I swallowed hard, tears in my eyes. I had ten more cities with him. Ten. Oh, God, what was I going to do? I took a picture of my gift, sending it to Laura immediately. My cell played Vogue by Madonna, and I picked it up. She'd gone to the concert recently, so I changed her ringer. "Oh, Lala!"

"Hey, what's up? Nice sparkly, by the way," Laura said. "Been shopping?"

"No."

"Oh...is that a gift?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Well, damn, honey, what's wrong?" she asked. "I mean, I'm guessing it's from Shane?"

"Yes!"

"Falling, are we?" she asked teasingly.

"He's too good to be true, Lala," I said, looking at my bracelet. "He's..."

"Don't ruin this, Kiki," Laura warned. "Maybe he's just an overdue gift from the universe."

"Lala."

"Things are finally working your way after so long," Laura said softly, her voice feeling like a hug. "Your books are flying off shelves and sites. Two are in the works for movies with no one better than your dream guy, and don't deny that he is, it's pointless with me. Go with the flow, hon." There was silence. "Kiki, I mean it."

"I know, I know you're right," I breathed. "We shared a bedroom this week, you know."

"Yes, I know," her mischievous voice returned. "How's that going?"

"Not...yet."

"I'm going to say this one more time," Laura said sternly. "Go with the flow, see where it goes. You will either end up happy as hell or with a hell of a memory. Is that bad?"

I didn't answer. "Thanks, Lala."

"Anytime, hon," she said gently. "See you in Vegas. It's your first panel."

"What?"

"They've got a panel of writers who went from digital to screen," she said happily. "You're in, and yes, bring that man with you, he's good for you."

@mistress-of-ward @summersong69 @griscka75​  @kebabgirl

[pocket-luv101]

Summary: Mahiru’s cousin visits him and he gets jealous when she flirts with Kuro. (KuroMahi)

“My aunt and cousin will stay in my uncle’s room for the weekend. You’ll have to stay in your animal form while they’re here. Toru talked to her parents and he told me they’re pretty strict. They said I can’t have guy friends over while my cousin is in the apartment.” Mahiru told Kuro as he carried a basket of clothes into his bedroom. “She’s the same age as us so I was surprised that they had rules against her meeting guys.”

“Isn’t this your home? You should be allowed to have your friends over. You were planning to have Misono and Tetsu over for a movie marathon, weren’t you?” Kuro was in his cat form and lounged in the basket full of warm clothes. He rolled onto his back and looked up at Mahiru. “We’re dating so they shouldn’t mind if I’m here. I’m not going to look at her.”

“She’s excited to visit Tokyo for that concert. Her parents might force her to leave if they find out I broke my promise to watch over my cousin. I don’t want anything to ruin her vacation.” He felt Mahiru set down the basket but he didn’t move to leave the nest of clothes. “I need to finish my chores before my cousin gets here so help me fold these clothes. Half of them are yours, anyways.”

“But my little kitty paws can’t grab the clothes properly. Too troublesome.” While Mahiru rolled his eyes at his excuse, he found himself giggling at the act. He lifted Kuro out of the basket so he could fold his clothes. But then Kuro returned to his human form while he was holding him. The sudden change caused them both to fall onto the bed with Mahiru on top of him.

Kuro brushed his bangs from his brown eyes. “We can do the laundry later. I want to spend as much time with you as possible while I still can.”

“I guess you don’t have to hide while we’re alone in my room. Though, we’ll have to be quiet so she won’t overhear us.” Mahiru shifted so he would be more comfortable but he didn’t move off Kuro’s chest. They started dating a few months ago and Kuro moved into his room recently. “I don’t like that I have to hide my boyfriend but I want to be accommodating to my relatives.”

His kindness was one of the things Kuro loved about him but he was worried that people would take advantage of that. Mahiru had told him that he wasn’t close with his distant relatives due to his experience at his mother’s funeral. His relatives spoke of him like a burden until his uncle stepped forward to adopt him. Mahiru understood that they couldn’t afford to adopt him so he didn’t resent them. The experience made him feel awkward around them though. Yet, he still offered his home to his aunt when she asked.

Kuro rolled on top of Mahiru and tenderly ran his fingers through his soft hair. He didn’t say a word but he didn’t need to. His simple touch was enough to comfort him and it reminded him that he could always rely on Kuro. Mahiru reached up to wrap his arms around his neck. He loved being surrounded by his warmth.

“She’ll leave Monday. Do you want to go on a date after she leaves? It has been awhile since we treated ourselves to a fancy restaurant or buffet. We can take a stroll through the town and walk off all that food afterwards.” Mahiru took out his phone to search for a place they could eat. He didn’t care where they went since he knew he would have fun with Kuro.

“On our last date, we walked past a noodle stand. We can buy cupped noodles there and walk around the park.” He suggested.

Their conversation was interrupted by a knock on the door and Mahiru sighed. His relatives had likely arrived and he stood to greet them. He returned to his cat form and followed him to the door. Mahiru opened the door and gave them a polite nod. “Hello Auntie. Hello Rei. I hope your plane ride here was comfortable. I’ll help you with your bags.”

“What a responsible boy you’ve become, Mahiru.” His aunt said as he led them into the apartment. “Your uncle spoke highly of you and I’m glad that I don’t have to worry about my daughter if you’re watching over her. Where is your uncle right now?”

“Uncle Toru is out of town because an emergency at his workplace came up. He doesn’t know how long it’ll take to resolve the situation.” Mahiru didn’t know if his aunt knew about C3 so he kept his explanation vague. “He already told me the rules you gave him and your phone number in case anything comes up. I hope you’ll enjoy your stay in Tokyo.”

Mahiru sat on the couch and worked on his math assignment. He petted Kuro on his lap and he purred contently in response. Usually, Kuro would rest his head on him while he worked but he had to stay in his cat form. He looked up from his textbook when his cousin entered the living room. “Is there anything you need, Rei? You can ask me if you’re looking for anything.”

“You’re only a year older than me, Mahiru. You don’t need to act like a babysitter.” His cousin rolled her eyes at him. She turned her back to him to get a water bottle from the fridge. “I told my mother that I wanted to stay at a hotel for the concert but she said I should stay with a relative.”

“I understand that it’s frustrating that your mother is controlling. She does sound strict. Maybe you can talk to her when you return home and figure out a compromise. My friend had a protective father but he was able to convince him to trust him more after they discussed it.” Mahiru suggested. “On the other hand, I agree that it’s dangerous for a teenager to stay in the city alone, even if it’s just for the weekend.”

“You’re lucky that you never had to deal with parents. You can do whatever you want since your uncle works out of the city.” She said and didn’t notice how loneliness briefly passed his face. Kuro sensed his pain and nestled against Mahiru’s hand. He knew how difficult losing his mother was for Mahiru. He also had to raise himself while his uncle was working.

Rei noticed a photo on the wall and exclaimed: “Is that Licht Todoroki? He’s a famous pianist.”

“He’s my friend.” He told her and he could see that she was starstruck.

She took the picture off the wall and walked to Mahiru. She persistently pointed to Kuro in the photograph. “Your friends in this photo are handsome. You should introduce me to some of them and set me up on a date.”

“Most of my friends are already dating someone.” Mahiru told her and shook his head. His phone vibrated and he glanced at the screen. He forgot his earlier feeling of sadness when he saw that it was his uncle. “My uncle is coming home tonight. We don’t have enough food to cook dinner for four people. I’ll go to the market down the street. Please tell your mother that I’m going out for a bit.”

Mahiru grabbed his jacket and scooped Kuro into his arms before he left his home. He walked into the staircase and set him down on the ground. He understood Mahiru’s intention and Kuro returned to his human form. They took each other’s hands and walked down the stairs.

“I’m going to cook my specialty hamburgers since my uncle will be coming home. I wish you could eat with us too.” They stepped out of the store with an armful of food. Mahiru glanced over his receipt and paused. “We forgot to buy tomatoes. Wait out here while I run back inside for them. This shouldn’t take more than a few minutes.”

Mahiru handed the bags to Kuro before he walked into the store again. He watched him through the shop’s window until he was out of sight. Kuro searched for a shaded bench where he could sit and wait for him. He didn’t want to wander too far from the entrance or Mahiru wouldn’t be able to find him. He sat down and took out his phone to pass the time.

Footsteps approached him but he knew that it wasn’t Mahiru since it was too quick for him to return. He looked up and he was surprised to see Rei. Kuro didn’t greet her and looked back down at his phone. While she was Mahiru’s relative, he didn’t like how she spoke to him. She said, “Hello. You don’t know me but I think I’ve seen you before. Do you know my cousin, Mahiru? I saw you in a photo of him and a bunch of his friends.”

“I know Mahiru. I’m dating him.” Kuro said and held up his phone. His phone’s background was of him and Mahiru together on their first date. He returned to his game and said, “If you’re looking for Mahiru, he’s in the store.”

“Mahiru didn’t mention that you two were dating. I’m kind of surprised since he’s a simple guy and it must be boring dating him.” She said and sat next to him. Kuro bit his tongue to stop himself from giving her a retort. He wanted to defend Mahiru but he couldn’t upset one of his cousins. He shifted his grocery bags between them but then she leaned over the food to touch his arm. “It looks like you’re strong.”

“Excuse me, Rei, you shouldn’t touch Kuro like that. He doesn’t like it when strangers get too close.” Mahiru’s voice came between them. He grabbed the grocery bags and then took Kuro’s hand to pull him away. He didn’t look back to see his cousin’s reaction.

After they walked a block, Mahiru stopped and looked at his bags. He felt embarrassed that he let his feelings get the better of him and acted rude to his cousin. He had overheard their conversation so he knew that Kuro had told her about their relationship. Yet, she still tried to flirt with him. Mahiru let go of his hand and touched Kuro’s bell. “I want to invite you to dinner. My aunt won’t mind since we’re dating.”

“I wasn’t looking forward to eating out of the cat bowl so I’ll love to eat with you. Your cooking’s great.” Kuro threaded their fingers together and they walked down the street.

[kinglazrus]

Suspended Animation

Phic phight 2020

Submitted by @ectopal: Sam finally asks Danny what he's going to do with himself after noticing that he as a halfa is not actually aging with his friends and family.

Warnings: swearing and mild panic attack. But there's also fluff.

Summary: It's been two years since Danny's accident and he hasn't aged a day. Sam wants to know what he's going to do about his future.

Word count: 2661

Danny was late. Which wasn't so surprising, but he was supposed to meet Sam at the park an hour ago and she hadn't even gotten a single text from him. She wondered what, or who, was holding him up. The Box Ghost? Skulker? Johnny and Kitty? Maybe Ember started an impromptu concert on the other side of town.

The idea made her shake her head and scoff. Yeah, right, as if any of those guys could keep Danny occupied for a whole hour nowadays. Maybe Johnny and Kitty could, but only because they had fallen into the habit of using Danny like a marriage counsellor, and that was just too damn funny.

For Danny to be this late, he was either caught up in something really dangerous or really stupid. Since the city wasn't exploding, or being sucked into the Ghost Zone—for the sixth time—it was probably the latter.

"Sorry I'm late, Sam. Johnny–"

Definitely the latter.

"It's fine," Sam said, cutting Danny off as he swooped into the clearing. Getting caught up dealing with the ghostly couple's relationship issues was better than being shot at by them, or anyone else.

"Still, sorry." Danny settled onto the grass next to her, crossing his legs. He quickly scanned the area, making sure they were alone. Sam had chosen a secluded spot, hidden by a copse of trees on one side and a low stone wall on the other. There were lots of little spots like this hidden all throughout the park, but this one was the best because it rested on top of a small hill. On the other side of the wall sat a pond, so no one could sneak up on them from behind.

Satisfied with the level of privacy, Danny transformed from Phantom back into Fenton. The temperature dropped for a moment as the transformation rings washed over him. Sam was forced to close her eyes against the bright light, blinking away spots when she opened them again.

"So, what'd you want to talk about?" he said. "And why out here?"

Sam looked up at the open sky. Once the sun finished setting, they would have a great view of the stars. Danny always said he felt more relaxed when the stars were out.

"No reason," she said.

Danny shrugged. "Okay. You sounded kind of serious in your text, though."

A stoic "We need to talk," probably wasn't Sam's best choice of words, but it was serious. Worrying her lip, she nodded and turned away from Danny. She reached into her backpack, discarded on the grass next to her, and pulled out a photo album. She had a lot of photo albums dedicated to a lot of different things: family, nature, animals, friends. This album was special. It's purple cover was decorated in glow-in-the-dark ghost stickers. Silly phrases like "Beware!" and "Ghost Zone's Greatest" were written across it.

This album was for Danny's, Sam's, and Tucker's eyes only, and it chronicled their ghost hunting adventures.

"Whoa, I remember making that," Danny said with a grin. He eagerly snatched the album from Sam's hands and flipped the cover open. The very first picture was of all three of them in the Fenton's lab. Sam, being the tallest at the time, held the camera out, Danny in the middle, Tucker squeezing in at the edge of the photo.

"Do you miss being the tallest?" Danny asked teasingly. He flipped through the album to the more recent photos and picked out one of Sam and Tucker lounging on a bench, picking dried ectoplasm out of their hair. Even while sitting, Tucker had a good few inches on Sam. If they had been standing, that gap would have been even bigger.

Sam slapped Danny's hand away and teased right back, "at least I'm not the shortest." She pointed to the next photo over

Another one with all of them together, lying down on the roof of Fenton. None of them were looking at the camera. Jazz had taken the photo without them knowing, peering down at them from the Emergency Ops-Centre.

Tucker, on the right, was focused entirely on his phone, holding it so close that the screen's soft glow lit up his face. Sam lay on her side in the middle, chin propped on her fist, reading a book. On the left, Danny had his arms folded behind his head as a pillow and was just staring up at the sky.

Their heads were all level, but looking at their feet showed they were arranged from tallest, to shorter, to shortest.

Sam remembered that moment. They had been hunting for a ghost that could bypass Danny's ghost sense. Using the advanced sensors in the Ops-Centre, they were waiting to get a ping back that the ghost had been located. It took almost an hour, but the wait wasn't so bad. They needed a nice, calm moment every now and again, when they could just be together in silence.

Two years ago, they probably would have wasted a whole afternoon looking for the ghost themselves. A lot had changed since then. In the grand scheme of things, two years wasn't much, but it was a long time for teenagers. Both Sam and Tucker had grown, shooting up a few inches. Sam's hair was longer. Tucker had a bit of stubble on his chin. Their faces were more defined. Their arms were visibly muscled.

But Danny hadn't changed at all. He was half a foot shorter than Sam. His cheeks still carried a bit of youthful roundness. Despite being the most physically active of all three of them, his arms and legs were the same thin twigs from when he was fourteen years old.

"Hey, have you seen how tall my dad is? I bet I'm gonna have a foot on both of you," Danny said, holding up his hand to show how tall he would be. "Just look at Jazz. She's taller than our mom now! And Mom's not exactly short, either."

"Danny," Sam said softly.

"Don't even get me started on Aunt Alicia."

"Danny!"

He stopped talking. His hand dropped into his lap, fingers curling into a tight fist, and he ducked his head. "Please tell me I at least fooled you a little," he said.

Sam reached over and took the photo album back from him. Removing the picture of them on the roof, she flipped back to the front of the book, holding the photo up against the first one of them all together. Danny looked exactly the same in both.

"Not even a little," she said.

"Damn."

Sam closed the album and set it aside. Scooting closer to Danny, she bumped their knees together, making him look up through his hair. Even that hadn't changed. Sam couldn't remember him getting a single haircut since his accident.

"Danny... what are you going to do?" she asked.

His hopeless expression broke her heart. "I don't know, Sam," he said. He ran his fingers through his hair, hands shaking. He was looking straight ahead, eyes wide and unfocused. "I don't know. I'm not– I haven't changed at all. What does that even mean? Am I not aging? Am I fourteen forever?"

Folding his hands over his head, he hunched forward, fingers digging into the back of his neck. "I don't know."

Sam reached out and touched his hand, trying to comfort him. But the moment she made contact, Danny flinched away, lurching to his feet. The sudden move startled Sam. She stared as Danny paced across the clearing, still holding his head.

"I'm just, I'm stuck, Sam! Everyone's leaving me behind! How can I graduate like this? Or go to college? Or do anything? You're all just going to keep going growing up and I'm going to stay here like, like this!" He gestured to his body. "But you want to know the worst of it? If this is my life now, then... one day, you're all really going to leave me behind."

The implications of what Danny said had the blood draining from Sam's face. She knew it was a possibility, but she hadn't seriously considered. Her, Tucker, Jazz, Danny's parents. Everyone. They were all going to keep aging, and getting older, and one day they would die. One by one, Danny would lose everyone he loves, and he would be left alone.

When Sam asked him here today, she just wanted to ask what his plans were for after high school. How would he deal with college, if he could even go? What would he do about work? What would he do about his parents?

But now he was spiralling into a panic and Sam didn't know what to do. The conversation went wrong so fast it gave her whiplash. She had to get things back under control.

"Danny, hold on," she said, rising to her feet.

He wasn't listening. He just kept pacing and panting.

"You need to take deep breaths, you're going to pass out."

"Don't you get it, Sam? I don't need to fucking breath! It's just a goddamn reflex at this point! Look, watch, see?" Danny pressed his hands against his chest, and he stopped breathing. Thirty seconds passed. Forty. One minute. Two.

They stood there, facing each other, neither one saying anything. Sam kept waiting for Danny's face to turn red. For him to suddenly gasp and suck in a big breath of air, like she did after holding her breath for too long, but he didn't even twitch.

"Danny," Sam said.

"What?" he snapped harshly. He started moving again, chest heaving, hands shaking.

Sam asked the only thing she could think of that would calm him down. "Where's Orion's Belt?"

Danny blinked at her, hands dropping, and repeated, "What?" It was less bitter this time.

"Orion's Belt." She gestured to the stars, which were now out on full display. "Where is it?"

"Um..." Danny's voice was shaky, but when he turned his head to look at the stars, his eyes looked less wild. "It's just above the trees."

He pointed. "There. The, the three stars."

Sam followed his hand, gaze searching the dark sky, and nodded when she found them.

"You can't see his knees right now. But, um, if you look up, just a little. His shoulder is– his shoulders are right there. And you can see the lion he's holding." As soon as Danny moved on to the other stars, Sam was lost, unable to see what he saw. But he kept talking, and she wasn't about to stop him. "Um. Jazz. Jazz told me it was a bow, when I was little, because she didn't know the story. Some people think it's a shield. It could be any of them, I guess. But. I like the lion."

He looked calmer. Still far from relaxed, but less like he was about to collapse. Sam approached him slowly, in case he wanted some space, watching for any sign that she should stop. When she saw none, she reached out and pulled Danny into a hug, pressing his head into her shoulder.

"Sam, have I always been dead?" he asked. His voice was steady, and he didn't sob, but Sam could feel his tears staining her shirt.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. Danny still bled, and he healed, and he ate, and he slept. "I don't think that's something we can know until..."

Until everyone else grew old and died and Danny didn't.

They held the embrace until Danny stopped shaking. He sniffed, rubbed his eyes, and pulled back, chuckling when he saw the dark spot on Sam's shirt.

"I swear, if you got snot on this, I'm gonna take the most embarrassing photo I have of you and plaster it all over the school tomorrow," Sam said. She almost meant it, too. This shirt, a dark grey t-shirt covered in bat-shaped lace, was one of her favourites.

The threat managed to pull a stronger laugh out of Danny. It was watery, but bright, and his lips twitched into a smile as he rubbed his eyes again.

"Are you.... are you okay?" Sam asked.

"No," Danny said. "But, I'm not bad either."

They sat back down, hip-to-hip, shoulder-to-shoulder, and looked up at the stars together. Sam squinted, trying to pick out more constellations, but she didn't have Danny's skill for it. Even after him pointing them out to her time and again, she always forgot where they were. Already, she had lost track of Orion's belt. But that was okay. She liked it better when Danny showed them to her.

"Oh, damn," Sam said, suddenly remembering something from freshman year.

"What?"

"I just realized. It's a good thing I don't have a crush on you anymore, you're way too young for me."

"You had a crush on me?" Danny asked, a mischievous grin spreading across his lips.

Sam blushed. "Oh, shut up. You're my best friend, okay? I thought I like liked you."

Danny tipped his head back and laughed. "Would you believe it if I said I had a crush on you to?"

"No way." Sam gaped at him. "Seriously? Tucker and I always joked that you were clueless because you couldn't tell I like you. Was I clueless too?"

"Tucker knew?" Danny's voice rose to a shriek.

Sam burst out laughing. "Oh my god! That was adorable!" She clutched her stomach and fell over onto her side, shoulders shaking. "I can't­– oh my god– please."

Danny scowled down at her, crossing his arms and pouting. It sent her into a whole new fit of laughter, until her lungs ached, and her flushed cheeks felt too hot. Fanning her face, she pushed herself back up and struggled to get her breathing under control.

"Okay. Okay, I'm done. I swear," she said. A final giggle slipped out.

"Asshole," Danny muttered.

"Asshole that you had a crush on," Sam said. "I can't believe I missed my chance to date the Danny Phantom."

"Damn, and I could have dated Casper High's queen goth. Too bad I don't date older women."

Sam snorted. She looked back up to the stars, feeling a sharp pang in her chest. "Sorry you can't be an astronaut, though."

"Hey, maybe they need a scrawny teenager out in space, you never know," Danny said, grinning wryly. He picked at the grass, sprinkling it over Sam's leggings, just like they used to do when they were kids. With Danny's baby face, he still looked like a kid, but Sam knew he had been through so much more than anyone they ever know.

"But I think... I think I'm okay with that," Danny continued after a moment. "I can fly, and I've even been to space before. Without a helmet! How many people can do that? Besides, I'm years ahead of NASA?"

"Oh, yeah? Why's that?" Sam asked, brushing the grass off her knee.

"I've already perfected suspended animation," Danny answered. He wiggled his eyebrows and knocked his foot against hers.

It took Sam a couple seconds to get what he meant, but when she did, she groaned. "That was so bad."

"It was comedy gold."

"I'm ending this friendship."

"You wish. You're stuck with my forever. Everybody is, apparently."

Sam's expression turned somber. "Danny, I hope you know, we'll always be here for you. Even when we're gone. We might not become ghosts, but we love you. We're with you."

Danny looked away. For a second, Sam thought he was going to have another panic attack. But when he looked back at her, he was smiling. It was soft, and sad. If Sam could only use one word to describe it, it would be resigned. It was the smile of someone who knew what the future held for them and would face it head on, even if they weren't ready for it.

"I know," he said.

Danny was right before, Sam thought. It wasn't okay, but it wasn't bad, either.