#why did we have to get the biggest loudest fucking puppy ever

[radgeorgie]

this dog will NOT SHUT UP!!!!!

[1ddotdhq]

💿Sun 13 Dec ‘20💙

Happy Birthday, Fine Line! Have a Louis show! (Seriously, why can’t I get cool shows for my birthday like that??). So today’s been a busy week, huh? 

It is, of course, Fine Line’s anniversary, and the celebration kicked off last night, with a twitter emoji (it's Harrrry! Doing the FL pose so so tiny!) and the DYKWYA website changing. It’s pink and black and blue and white, and now tells us that we’re “loyal” and “marvelous” and “memorable” and “powerful” and “rare” and “real” and “staying six feet apart” (or 70 other lovely options). So either HSHQ got their thesaurus out, or they tuned into Louis’ show last night, because that’s EXACTLY how I would describe it. Anyways, the day started with a Harry sighting! Well, a video from last week that is, of him doing a MakeaWish FaceTime in a blue snapback. And then there was a Harry Lambert interview, where he directly addressed the discourse around Harry’s fashion choices, saying, “Harry will never wear something that he doesn’t want to wear...I always say, 'I‘m not doing my job if I’m making someone wear things' because I just think if someone gets comfortable in what they’re wearing, then it doesn’t matter if I think it looks good.” He went on to say, “There’s never an element of me forcing him to wear anything”. So - TAKE THAT, transphobes! We all recognize that saying “the mean gay man is making Harry look gay/genderqueer” is, uh, a REALLY bad take, right? Anyways, hopefully that’s the end of it, but we all know it won’t be. He also told us that Harry chose the (fake) pearls, asking “can I just wear these every day?” and they were only replaced with real ones after that strand broke, that he tried to get H out of the Vans for the Golden vid but he said nah, and about the Golden and WS videos “I kind of saw it as the same man just in a different place in the world” which, well- yeah? But the implication that that man was not Harry is interesting. Aside from that, we got some more terrible merch from HSHQ (including a shirt that is a glove with legs stuck on it, wtf), a few celebratory tweets from HSHQ, The Forum, Jeff Azoff (there's a theme here lol) etc, AND! A post from Harry himself: “I couldn’t be more grateful for you all continually finding new ways to change my life. Thank you for listening, and for everything else. I love you always, but especially today. H”. What? That’s his name, isn’t it? 

But, of course, H wasn’t the only one celebrating online today! Louis came back and answered some of our questions about the show. The first is that he sold over - are you ready for this? - OVER 160,000 tickets for the show, making it the biggest online show of 2020 by a solo male artist, and the third largest overall of the year. Even the Sun had to admit how “exceptional” that is, describing the show as "the equivalent of eight nights at London’s O2 Arena." Doing the math, this means he raised over $3.1 million from ticket sales alone! HOLY SHIT! Hearing that, Louis came on twitter to say (in reply to a quote by his PR company lmao), “This is truly incredible. No major label, no radio, yet here we are. The feeling of support I get from you all every time I do something is unbelievable. Forever Thankful! And they never see us coming!”. Of course, this incited another round of label discourse, wondering if this means he is still an unsigned artist. Does this simply mean the livestream wasn't put on by a label, yes, does Louis absolutely know about the discourse and is he being deliberate, I would also say unmistakeably yes. Which is not to say we know ELSE it might mean -- is he signed to an indie? Still label shopping and waving how much more they need him than vice versa in the hopefuls' faces? Signed but the contract doesn't start until there's a record in play (which when you negotiate your own contract and establish artistic freedom, as we can be very sure was Louis' priority, is what labels DO - they don’t manage every aspect of an artists career)? Signed by a major label, but shading the FUCK out of Syco about radio play for Walls? What we DO know is that it wasn't a label that put the livestream on, and damn if that doesn’t make it 1000% more badass. “Memorable”, “powerful”, and “rare” indeed! He’s still early in the process of LT2, as he told us yesterday, so we might have to wait a little longer to figure out what’s happening business-wise, but he made sure to tell everyone that his fans were an integral part of his processing the most inspiring way possible: “the power and the magic comes from the people you guys,” I COULD CRY that's MY inspirational leader THANK YOU. He goes on to say “don't undermine your role in all this... together with your support we're unstoppable!” He also called us “fucking relentless” (god knows that's true) as Walls hit the charts AGAIN, and talked about how the money raised will go a long way. “WE did that!!”

And with that, let’s talk a little bit more about last night’s (“bold”, “extraordinary”) show! ‘‘Copy’ is making its rounds on the internet, but YouTube continues to take down recordings of the show, which SUCKS, because everyone should be able to see it! Maybe in a few days when some time has passed, they’ll let it go up without an issue, or maybe they'll answer our pleas (come through one more time Louis!) and put out a DVD (and live album too how about, YES? Yes.), til then there are the downloads going around tumblr! Good thing we got Louis' seal of approval or just imagine the discourse. The ‘H’ shirt Louis was wearing last night is a Reebok shirt, which was being distributed in a few different places, such one where you could get a discount if you used the code ‘HL40’ and another where it was $28, lol. Was it the loudest Louis shirt ever- I mean I would say an unqualified NO but many are voting YES and are reeling so that's really fun! Welcome to the gang guys. Not likely to win any awards for being loud with such incredible competition but still very good SBBing-- Louis was wearing a stuffed bear t shirt in rehearsal pics. When you know you know, I guess! ;) The band is also soaking in the praises (as they should!) and have been re-posting fans’ stories on Instagram all day (as did LTHQ) - cheers, boys! 

Today’s Liam and Roman alarm was ALL us (well, not allll us, Roman did explain that the alarms would feature fans every Sunday, but then he handed the mic over). “Waking up to Liam and Roman is the best thing EVER! I don’t know why it gives me so much serotonin,” said one fan. I do! It’s because Liam is a real, live puppy dog and he’s so genuinely sweet to his fans. Love him lots, but I love him even MORE when he’s ON the advent alarm!

[earfquak3]

FLUFF alphabet - e.d.

Summary: Just a cute little fluff alphabet with Ethan

Warnings: none except a whole lot of fluff

Word count: 1963

A = Affection

Ethan absolutely loves showing affection. He does it all the time. Maybe he’s holding your hand, or kissing your cheek, but this boy always has to touch you in some way.

B = Baby

He obviously wants kids some day. Ever since he saw you play with his baby cousin at Christmas, he can’t get the idea out of his head. He wonders if it’ll have your sparkling eyes and his cute nose, or your beautiful, wavy hair and his pink plump lips. No matter what, he knows he’ll love that baby forever.

C = Cuddling

You already know this boy loves his cuddles. He might not want to admit it but this boy loves cuddling (and being cuddled). On the couch, in the car, in bed or on a beautiful flower field. It doesn’t matter where, but this boy will cuddle. He loves to wrap you in his big, strong arms, and pull you into his chest. You guys spend hours just laying in each others arms, talking about all and nothing.

D = Dates

You guys go on dates all the time. Wether it’s small dates at home in bed, or fancy ones in the expensive Hollywood restaurants. You have mandatory date night every Saturday, because it’s very important for the both of you that you spend time together. It also really helps, if you’ve had a stressfull week.

E = Equality

You can’t really say that any of you wears the pants in the relationship. You’re very good at making mutual decisions, but sometimes you use the ‘puppy eyes’ card, to get your way. Even though it’s pretty equal, who makes the call, Ethan is the dominant one when it comes to the bedroom;)

F = First ‘I love you’

Ethan was the one who said it first. He had randomly blurted it out, while you guys were having a playfight. At first you thought you heard wrong, but after looking into his eyes, and seeing that there were nothing but love, you knew it was true. Now you don’t go a day without saying it at least once. You’re very verbal when it comes to love, because one of your biggest fears, is losing someone you love.

G = Grayson

Grayson is your best friend. You love him just as much as you love Ethan, but in a friendly way (obviously). You three do everything together, and you know each other inside out. People often ask Ethan if he ever gets worried, that Grayson will steal you away from him, but the answer is always no, because Ethan knows you're his, and so do you.

H = Holding hands

Whenever E is close to you, he has to hold your hand. It doesn’t even have to be like full on hand holding, it can just be holding onto one of your fingers, while you're strolling through target. Or playing with your fingers while you're watching a movie, on a stormy night. Also when you're making love, he finds himself reaching for your hand, when he’s nearing his high. Ethan is, and will always be, a sucker for holding hands.

I = Impressions

Ethan was blown away from the first time he saw you. The second he laid his eyes, on that beautiful face, he knew you would spend the rest of your lives together. Of course you thought he was just another fuck boy at first, but as you got to know him, you learned that he’s actually the sweetest kid ever.

J = Jokes

As we know, Ethan loves pulling pranks. Wether it’s on you, Grayson or some third person, he’s always doing some sort of prank. He once pulled a cheating prank on you, and you got so sad he completely stopped pulling pranks on you. Poor Grayson has to take twice as many now:(

K = Kissing

Ethan is always in for a kiss. Doesn’t matter if it’s a full on make out session, or if it’s just a quick peck on the cheek. Ethan loves your lips, and he’s not afraid to show it. 90% of his photos on instagram, are of you kissing, so I think it’s safe to say that he doesn’t care about PDA.

L = LA

You guys love LA, you really do, but sometimes it’s just nice to get away from everything for a while. Sometimes you go on roadtrips to beautiful places, and other times you fly back to New Jersey for a little time out.

M = Memories

You love making memories together. Like that night Ethan woke you up at 3 am, to go on a hike to the Hollywood sign. Or that time when he tried to bake you a cake for your birthday, but ended up almost burning the kitchen down, so you and Gray had to buy a cake from Target.It doesn’t even have to be big moments, like when he asked you to be his girlfriend, it can also be small moments, like when you came home from a long day of work, and Ethan had done all the laundry even though it was your turn. It’s not always the big things that stick. Sometimes the smaller they are, the more we remember them.

N = No

Ethan can hardly say no to his princess. She doesn’t have to use the puppy eyes that often, before he gives in completely. But he can’t help it. This girl has him wrapped around her finger, and he knows it.

O = Orange

Whenever you’re with Ethan, it’s like you're exploding with colors. Even on the darkest, most grey days, he manages to get all the colors to shine through. Your cheeks turn pink at the smallest things, and when you kiss, it’s like you can taste the rainbow.

P = Polaroids

Apparently it’s not enough to document, all the stuff you guys do on video, but Ethan has his baby blue polaroid camera with him at all times. He always catches the moment. He keeps all the pictures in a box under the bed. It has all kinds of photos. You cuddled all up in a blanket after you had fallen asleep on his lap, or a picture of you post-sex with wild hair, and a huge grin plastered on your face. 

Q = Questions

Being in the spotlight, you guys are constantly being asked tons of questions. Like if you’re engaged, or if it’s true that Ethan was spotted coming up with a chick at the beach yesterday (which was actually you). One time someone started a rumour that you were pregnant, after you posted a picture of you in your sweats. Needless to say the media had a field day that day.

R = Reassure 

Ethan had always been very insecure, so you constantly had to reassure him that you loved him, and only him, whenever you would get too friendly with a guy, for his liking. Although that’s just another reason why you love him.

S = Sad

Just like good days, bad days are bound to happen. We all have our ups and downs, but you guys are just lucky enough, that you have each other, so you don’t have to go through the tough times alone. The other person is always there, welcoming with open arms. It’s not always easy getting up after falling down, but it’s 10x easier when you have someone else to help you.

T = Trips

You guys love to go on trips. Ethan got this stupid idea from pinterest, that he’ll kiss you in every continent (so far you’ve kissed on 4). You also have a map in your room, where you put a red pin in all the places you’ve visited together, and your goal is to fill out as many as possible. Travelling is always fun, but it’s 10x better when you do it with someone you love.

U = Universe

You used to be one of those girls who thought love at first sight and soulmates were bullshit, but after you met Ethan you’re certain all of it is true. It’s like you’ve been missing a piece of yourself all your life, but when you met Ethan you finally felt whole. He was that missing piece., and you're sure you're meant to be.

V = Vaunt

Ethan loves to show you off. He wants everyone to know you're his baby, and oh boy they sure do. When you're in public he makes sure you're always within arms reach, and whenever you do something, he's always the one cheering the loudest. He's your biggest supporter and everyone knows it. And of course it never hurts if he makes sure to leave a hickey or two before you leave the house;)

W = Wedding

Ethan is convinced you're going to get married, and you are too. He doesn’t know when, but he knows that he’s going to make you his forever. Sometimes he catches himself looking at wedding rings through a store window, or he finds himself looking for venues. He can’t help but imagine how it’ll be on that unforgettable day. You would be wearing a beautiful white dress, gorgeous as ever, and he’ll get tears in his eyes when you walk down the aisle. You’ll dance to your favourite song, and when the wedding is done, and all the guests have left, you’ll go back to the hotel, and you’ll stay up for hours talking about all and nothing. Ethan isn’t certain about a lot of things in life, but on thing he does know, is that you’ll be together forever.

X = Xylophone

You had always been a fan of Harry Styles, ever since the one direction days, so when Ethan heard he was playing in LA, he rushed to buy tickets. You got them for your birthday, and you almost started crying out of excitement (let’s just say Ethan definitely got a thank you for the gift if you know what I mean) When the day finally came, and you were about to leave to the venue, you were almost bursting with excitement. Ethan couldn’t help but smile at how cute you were. You sang your heart out to every single song he played, but one song stuck with you more than the others. When Harry was singing Meet me in the hallway, Ethan couldn’t help but stare at you. You were just so beautiful, how did he get so lucky? When you looked back at him with those beautiful eyes of yours, he knew that he loved you. At first you were shocked that he said it, of course you loved him back, but it was just so unexpected. You almost burst into tears, and grabbed his face and kissed him. You don’t think you've said ‘I love you* as many times as you did that night. That song will always hold a special place in your heart.

Y = yearning

Ethan is very clingy, so he has a hard time staying away from you for too long. One time you went away for two days, and he called you, crying and saying that he missed you, on the first night. Of course you would rather spend time in your boyfriends arms, than be at a boring college lecture, but Ethan takes it to a whole new level. But of course that’s just one of the reasons why you love him.

Z = Zebra

Ethan has always been a big pet fan, as well as you. You always talked about getting a pet, but that was kinda hard with Grayson in the house. But you guys made a deal that when you had your own house, you would buy all kinds of pets. Even a zebra!

[thunder-the-ranger-wolf]

Possible snippet from Brothers in Arms: The Iron Man Dilemma

Summary, One, Two, Three

Tony has never been so happy to see anyone else ever in his life. Rhodes was alive. The man didn’t die with the rest of those poor kids. As it turned out, neither did the driver of his vehicle. They weren’t the only survivors but they were the only ones he knew the names of. He resolved to learn the rest of their names when he got to wherever this godsforsaken helicopter was taking them. Didn’t these forsaken humans know that proper Wolves didn’t hunt in Thor’s territory?! He’d strike them all for being so foolish, even in the middle of the day!

Thor did not, in fact, strike them down. The sky didn’t even seem ready to, and honestly, Tony could howl for all he was worth when his paws met solid ground. 

He’s almost sure that he did. 

He knows for a fact that his blue-eyed gaze met Pepper’s green one and saw emptiness as she waited for the plane to empty. 

“Where’s Tony?” She demanded sharply. “You brought back his dog. I didn’t even know he took Ace with him! Jesus Christ, you poor thing…” Pepper ran a hand of ragged nails through his fur as she parted it, likely checking for wounds. 

“We’re still looking,” Rhodes insisted. “He’s out there. He escaped. The place he left behind is crawling with our forces and most of them are reporting dead men, melted metal, and half the mountain blown to pieces. It’s a lot to go through, Ms. Potts, but we’re going to find him.” 

“Alright…” Pepper exhaled roughly, breath caught in her throat. “Good God, I can’t believe he took his dog… but okay. If he escaped… that’s good. It means he can be found. And people know where to look now. Okay… okay.”  

The redhead was panicking, talking about press conferences, finding a will, and getting updates on the search. While Tony desperately wanted to shift back and talk some sense into her, he wasn’t sure if he could. He didn’t even remember shifting in the first place, but everything ached and he was exhausted and he really, really needed to go home and sleep. So he nudged Pepper’s hand and walked over Yinsen and Ramirez, grabbing the former’s arm and yanking him over to the latter before nudging them both towards where Rhodes and Pepper were standing. 

“The dog…” Yinsen rasped. “He saved my life, just kept running like the fastest cattle herder I’ve ever seen.” 

Tony deeply resented that remark but saw it for the compliment that it was and did not nip Yinsen like he wanted to. He did flash his teeth, though. 

“Ace doesn’t like being compared to other dogs,” Pepper chuckled fondly. “Tony’s got this poor thing thinking he’s something special when really, he’s just big.” 

Tony definitely resented that remark and knew it was not a compliment at all. He pushed his head upward so that Pepper’s hand almost smacked her face. 

“Oh, you little shit!” She hissed playfully. “I know you know what you’re doing! Just for that, you’re not getting any treats today. I had a nice chunk of deer meat all ready but nope, it can wait.” 

Tony did his best not to roll his eyes and gave his best puppy eyes instead. 

“Whatever, you adorable giant of a dog. You’re so weird.” Pepper laughed quietly before standing to face the others. 

“We should get you all settled somewhere, likely a hotel to start with.” 

And Pepper was off, making plans and being the most competent and put-together assistant Tony has ever had the pleasure of working with. She was handling this surprisingly well since she had no idea that Tony was in fact his own dog and that said dog was actually a wolf. Tony knew there was no further point in hiding it once he managed to shift back. Especially not with this… new contraption in his chest. Loki must have begged Thor for strength and extended his abilities because this was the only way Tony could possibly be alive right now. He wouldn’t question it until he had the strength to change back. So… what felt like another week or so. Loki might have to tap in his nephew, Baldr, to lend Tony patience instead. 

The weeks go by slowly. Day by day, Tony feels less like he’s been blessed by Loki and more like the animal form he’s been blessed with. He wants to rip Obadiah’s throat open and scatter his entrails. He wants to get his jaws around every scrap of metal with the logo of Stark Industries on it and feel it crushed between his jaws. He wants a full list of every person who ever came into contact with whatever dirty operation that Stane is running so he and watch them cower under his claws and shit themselves when they see his teeth. He wants to go through Howard’s precious company one by one, each forsaken building of people that belong to the Stark name, and howl at them all until he gets a full picture of just what the fuck is going on and how deep it goes. 

Sometimes, he just wants to rip into that deer chunk Pepper was talking about and gnaw the bones down until they were as thin and perhaps as sharp as his claws. Sometimes, he wishes he could talk to people in this form. Sometimes, he wishes the world would go away. That he’d been left at the gates of Hel like the Norns intended the first time around. What was the point of Yinsen saving his life if he couldn’t do anything about it?! 

“You’re going to rip up the carpet, pacing like that.” Pepper sighed from behind her computer. “Look, c’mere. I know you miss Tony. I miss him too. It fucking sucks that he’s still out there, but he’s going to come back and when he does, he’ll be ready to hug your fur off and give you belly rubs and pamper you within an inch of your life.” 

Tony very much does not think about Pepper being the one in need of pampering. His poor personal assistant had so much shit to slog through on a daily basis that, as the days went by, got worse and worse. SHIELD sent an agent to debrief Yinsen while Ramirez was taken back by her own people and Tony lost track of what happened there. He hoped Rhodes was able to keep up with her. At the very least, he was glad she wasn’t forced to endure the hospitality of the Ten Rings. At most, he wanted to take Rhodes, Yinsen, and Ramirez, and bundle them into blankets on the softest couch he owned before he sat on them all. He was sure they would make great pillows as they themselves got however much sleep a normal human needed. He could be considered coherent after half an hour and a shitton of coffee, but he’d also pulled his fair share of all-nighters over the many, many, many years. 

(Good gods, why has it been so long?)

Pepper made a very good pillow. She was very soft. 

“Are you drooling on me, Ace?” Pepper asked as she scratched between his ears. “Of course you are. You’re a dog.” 

Tony tilted his head the other way and let his tongue loll. It was fun to watch her react to what she thought she knew, but Pepper Potts was far from stupid. He let his head rest on her ap and she kept scratching between his ears. If he closed his eyes, he could almost remember the last redhead to do that.

Tony changed back on a Monday night when the moon is full, two months after he returns from Afghanistan with the others. That makes it five months since his original capture. He’s missed a lot of things he knows he didn’t want to, among them Pepper’s birthday and the MIT commencement speech. He startled awake in the middle of the night to a bare chest and grey sweatpants, cropped hair, and nothing resembling the goatee people expected of him. Good. No one would recognize him if he were to go for a walk. As it were, he was too tired to do that so he rolled over and went back to sleep.

The next time he woke up, it was to someone’s scream. 

“What-? Where-? What the fuck, Potts?!” He panted, scared shitless by his assistant’s startled screech. 

“When did you get here?! How did you get here? Did JARVIS see you? Why didn’t you wake me? Ace should have barked… where is that dog of yours anyway?” 

“You probably scared him off with that screech of yours, Potts. Goodness, that was the loudest thing I’ve heard in two months.”

“What… Tony, what is that?” 

“You’re going to want to sit down for this. And let me get dressed, at least-.” 

“Don’t bother, I’ve already seen it.” Pepper snapped, tone as cold as her eyes as they pinned him to his spot on the bed. “What is it?” 

“I miniaturized the arc reactor technology used to power some of the SI buildings and put it in my chest.” 

Pepper shivered at that and when she spoke next, her voice cracked. 

“Why?” She demanded. 

“It’s an electromagnet. It’s keeping shrapnel from puncturing my heart. Did Yinsen get to you? He should be able to explain more.”

“What… goodness. This is…” 

“Feel free to take a seat,” Tony offered. At Pepper’s incredulous look, he rolled his eyes. “I’m not exactly in a position to take advantage of you.” He drawled. 

“That’s hardly my biggest issue.” The redhead scowled, walking over to the bed and sitting on the side where Tony was now sitting upright. 

She stared at the bright blue light and then caught Tony’s wary gaze. 

“You should get that looked at.” She said after a few moments of staring. Without warning, Pepper launched herself forward and wrapped her arms around her boss’ neck. Her forehead met his shoulder and he went extremely still as she sobbed on his shoulder. 

“Clearly I was missed,” He deadpanned after a few uncomfortable minutes. 

“You… it’s been five months. We didn’t know where you were or what happened! No one could track you-.” 

Pepper cut herself off as Tony stiffened underneath her and she watched his eyes harden. 

“Sorry,” She said immediately. “I guess this is awkward, I-.” 

“It’s not you,” Tony assured her. “I just… you saying that reminded me of something. Something I need to do later.”

“What needs to happen, Tony?” Pepper asked quietly. 

“Plenty, but nothing that you can help with right now.” 

“Alright. At the very least, I can make sure your schedule is clear for the next few months.” Pepper said, getting up and starting for the door.

“Thank you,” Tony exhaled roughly. “Help yourself to anything that isn’t gross and moldy by now and order whatever you want.” 

“Thanks,” came Pepper’s strained response.

[captainsimagines]

RENT - Part 8

In which eight old friends in dire need move in together for one year. 

Warnings: language; mentions of drugs and drug use; exotic dancing 

Word Count: 1,000+

Sam - “Out Tonight”

THREE YEARS AGO 

“I’ll take another one of those. Thanks very much.”

With his legs comfortably crossed and his shoulder draped with a small hotel towel, Sam breathed in the warm and humid air of Puerto Vallarta.  It was much thicker than the air in Cuba, much warmer than the air in South Korea, and much more relaxing than the air in Los Angeles. Perhaps it felt ‘much better’ simply because he finally left his long-term girlfriend from high school, won $20,000 on the slots in Hong Kong, or because he was absolutely alone.  Whatever it was, Sam sipped his brand-new sangria as he pondered the options.  

Traveling wasn’t all glamour and big bucks. It took connections and some great taste in all things expensive. It didn’t make much difference to Sam if he was rich or poor. He was enjoying the freedom. 

If Sam was questioned about it, he would claim he traveled better alone, experienced things with a greater mind that way. If it were up to him, he would only speak to another human being when needed. But he didn’t have to- not when everything was so perfect. 

It was obviously some much needed ‘alone time’ after such an abrupt end to yet another strong relationship, but that’s what was foreshadowed. 

He would never admit it to anyone yet and probably would always keep it locked away in the confines of his chest, growing and expanding. He would never find peace with himself, no matter how many times he sipped on delicious drinks and got the accurate daily dose of vitamin D. 

He was extremely close to coming out to Dylan, the pool boy for his second cousin in England. He got close to telling Phil, the nice and rhythmic Jamaican that lived in the apartment next to his one summer. Sam had even told the fireman in France that he was ‘ heating up in places he shouldn’t be’, but quickly averted that awkward conversation to pointing at his neck and the oxygen tank instead. Sam almost mentioned it once or twice to Steve but decided against it- he, himself, simply wasn’t ready. 

So, Sam quickly packed his suitcase and left a lovely, hand-written note to his latest love, Dave. Carefully placing the note in-between Dave’s medication and the cup of water on his nightstand, Sam debated once more. 

A kiss goodbye? Should he just not leave?

Maybe he’d stay and tear the note and switch to ‘loving boyfriend’ mode and make Dave’s studio apartment smell like those burnt pancakes he loves so much. Or maybe Sam could visit Venice, Italy- he had never been there. 

Sam eventually went with the second option, like always, and left the apartment with a glum expression and an even tighter chest than before. 

THREE YEARS LATER

“How’s the couch treating yuh?”

Sam’s little quip almost ruined Bucky’s morning, but after breathing in the cool, Christmas morning air he quickly kicked off the three blankets with a happy look on his face. All red nosed and tangled curls sitting on top of his head, Bucky simply stuck his tongue out Sam and walked past him to start the coffee for five people. 

“I’m doing fantastic, actually. How was your night?” Bucky replied. 

Sam raised his eyebrows for a couple of seconds, but quickly set them down when he realized Bucky was only trying to fit into the holiday morning. Just the other night Bucky had almost blown someone’s head off and today he was actually trying to act less frightened. 

“I slept great as well,” Sam smiled, gently clapping the table once and made his way to the balcony. Steve had been there for about fifteen minutes before Sam had woken, enjoying the morning breeze. 

The sound of the window creaking open snapped Steve from his original gaze and landed on Sam instead.  Sam raised his hands as an apology for the harsh sound but moved to stand next to his best friend. The two stood for a couple minutes without a sound, listening to the calmness of Brooklyn before people began getting up to start the Christmas day. By the time the fourth bird sang its song, Sam gently shoved Steve’s shoulder to alert him of his morning greeting.

“Morning.”

Steve smiled as a reply, a quiet sigh exiting his nose followed by a breeze of cold air. 

“I hope you weren’t expecting a Christmas present. But I think my presence is enough. So, it counts.”

It was Steve’s turn to shove Sam to the side. Steve hugged the blanket tighter to his body and once he noticed Sam wore no warm cover, he suggested they head back inside. “As much as this morning calms me, I think we should freeze inside the building instead.”

Sam nodded in agreement, following the tall blonde through the creaking window. As they stepped back into the living room, you had emerged in your ‘angel’ uniform. It’s description could be kept short considering Steve had already scanned every single detail during your first encounter. But the diamonds and white silk still made him weak in the knees. Sam choked on his spit loudly, instantly covering himself with the same blanket Steve was wrapped in. He squeezed himself against Steve and stared at you in astonishment. 

“Girl, what are you wearing?”

You chuckled, lugging your suitcase and large coat in both hands. You dropped them on the couch and did a slight twirl to your audience. “It’s Christmas.  Perhaps one of the busiest days of the year. Besides Valentine’s Day and Super Bowl Sunday.”

Bucky had stopped pouring his coffee to stare at you in awe. He was quiet, deciding to listen to the conversation rather than intrude. 

“But... it’s Christmas,” Sam whined, snuggling closer to Steve. Steve decided to join the dramatics, just in case you were to change your mind. He snuggled closer to Sam as well, and made a puppy-dog face to entice you with the idea of warmth. You rolled your eyes at the men and waved them off. 

“I’ve got the main set today. Tips will be flooding at the doorway, gentleman,” you laughed and put on your oversized coat. “You gotta learn from this hard-working woman.”

Steve continued to shake his head, “Are you sure?”

“You want some rent money or not?”

Steve puckered his lips and raised his eyebrows in an exaggerated look of understanding. “Cool, cool, cool, cool, cool. No doubt, no doubt, no doubt.”

“You’re crazy if you would ever want me to miss out on all the guilty dough from sad men celebrating Christmas in a strip club,” you twirled again, this way making your way to the kitchen. 

Christmas, no matter how lonely it was in the mornings and the nights you returned, was always your biggest hit. It was as if the momentary dancing and singing and money being thrown at you was enough to numb your pain for a long while. You had always made enough money to buy a new needle or alcohol. If you had dressed better than the months before, or danced greater, or showed a little more skin, the men always gave you enough to buy some more smack.  

But you had quit. You had thrown away all of your needles. You didn’t have the temptation anymore. The more you worked, however, the more temptation would itch.

But this was for rent money. Something you were always behind on, anyway. “Why don’t you guys come hang? There’s nothing here to get you in the spirit,” you laughed, grabbing yourself a styrofoam cup to pour some cream and coffee in. 

Bucky smiled as you twirled around him, still hesitant about interrupting a conversation. 

You stopped in front of him, “You’ll be able to make it to my set, right?”

Bucky’s eyes widened slightly. He had seen you dance on his drunken nights in the city when he used to visit Steve, but never had he voluntarily watched while sober.

Sam answered instead, “Us? Watch you... strip?”

For the second time that joyous morning, you rolled your eyes. “You’ll probably see just a little nip slip. Don’t worry too much about it.”

Sam smiled brightly, teeth showing and everything. “I’ll make sure to be the loudest and grandest tipper there!”

Your expression of delight turned into confusion. “Why would you waste your money, when it’s gonna go into my pocket, and then back into this apartment?”

“Oh,” Sam sighed. After a few chuckles, the sound of the door unlocking caught everyone’s attention. Peggy scurried inside with a tray of chocolate chip cookies and her ‘Best Cook’ apron wrapped around her waist. The four of you cheered and lunged at her, devouring her treats and locking her into the previous conversation. 

“You gonna enjoy this miracle with us, Peggy?” Steve asked, mouth full of cookie. Peggy smiled at him and handed him a tiny napkin.

“Sure! I appreciate any form of dance! Just ask Steve.”

Sam grabbed his cup of black coffee and took a long sip before he replied to Peggy’s comment. “You managed to teach Steve something besides the sidestep?”

You quickly fixed your bra backstage, grinning at the constant muttering of the guys at the front of the stage. If you heard correctly, Bucky wanted to give the taxpayers their seats because they weren’t going to throw anything anyway.  And you briefly heard Steve say ‘shut the fuck up’ once in a while. 

The girls backstage wished you luck, a wider smile than usual on all of their faces. As sad as it was, Christmas day brought more customers and with that, more money. With one final stretch of the arms, you walked onto the stage in the dark.  A mic was strung from the back of your bra and through your hair, the tip reaching the beginning of your forehead. You held onto the pole as the drums started to pound and the lights brightened you up. 

“What’s the time? Well, it’s gotta be close to midnight!”

You danced and sang your heart out like you would any other day. Your voice vibrated off the walls beautifully and the men reacted like any straight man would be. 

You reached the end of the stage and rolled over on your stomach, extending your legs outwards and then rolled over onto your back.  Pushing yourself up, you leaned out into the crowd and smiled at your new roommates. So engrossed in your little dance, they were simply staring at you and then the wall... then you... then the wall. 

To get the best tips possible and as a silent “I got this” to your friends, you hit the floor once again. Belting and following rhythm, you ended up on your back once again. You had it, you certainly did as any of the boys would exclaim, when you lifted your legs into the air and unlocked them, spreading them wide open for the whole audience.  A cheeky look was all it was and it gave you breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the whole apartment for three whole days. 

You wrapped up and headed back behind the curtain, wishing the next girl luck as you caught your breath. 

The girls were all acquaintances and you knew everyone’s first and last name. There were no strangers. Every girl knew you and every girl spoke with Luke. It was a small community. However, no backstories were ever shared.  No one knew how many siblings each person had or if they were sleeping under a roof every night. So, it would make sense that no one knew each other’s past addictions. You stopped in your tracks as you saw a suspicious teenage boy hand a little baggy to one of the girls who had already performed. You swallowed hard and averted your eyes quickly, heading over to your table to grab your clothes. 

“Thank you, Peter,” the girl muttered, wiping her nose in the process. The boy looked at the woman with a hint of sympathy before he nodded and slipped out the back door. She turned around and almost yelped when she saw you staring. 

She looked to the floor, “I’m sorry. I, um... needed it.”

“You don’t have to explain anything to me,” you smiled slightly. She nodded quickly and grabbed her purse, exiting the same back door. 

You could feel the itch in your throat and a headache aching to break through. Without a second thought, you ran to the back door and squinted at the afternoon light. She was gone and so was the itch. Almost. 

“Need something?”

You turned and saw the boy near the door smoking a cigarette. You cleared your throat uncomfortably. 

“Aren’t you a little young to deal?”

The boy chuckled, “Have to pay the bills in New York some way, right? I’m guessing you understand completely.”

His response was sort of backhanded but you ignored it. Instead, you left to reenter the building. 

“Not gonna buy anything?”

You stopped in your tracks, looking at his pale green eyes. You always knew a dealer’s number one rule was to never try out the product. But you could tell her enjoyed it more than he should. 

“I’m not interested,” you stuttered. It was then that you felt so cold, the afternoon air biting you in the face. Peter smiled and grabbed your arm quickly, making you jolt. You felt his hand slide into your jacket pocket and slide back out. 

“Free handout.”

Before you could reject, he sprinted down the alley and out of sight. You let out a heavy breath, feeling the unbelievable weight of the tiny bag. 

Steve exited the bathroom after taking his medication, joining his friends at the kitchen table. Everyone was eating the takeout you had bought right after your set. 

“That blonde chick... ugh- I can’t... I can’t stop thinking about her,” Peggy joked. You laughed and told Peggy her name, also adding that she was most likely single. 

Steve joined, “Don’t go giving Peggy girlfriends.”

You furrowed your eyebrows and ate a mouthful of kung-pao chicken before speaking. “Why can’t I?”

Steve answered immediately, “Because I think she’s interested in someone else anyway.”

You rolled your eyes and saw Peggy’s eyes leave Steve’s to hide her blush. You chewed with your new found knowledge, deciding to change the subject. “So, what did everyone think of the set?”

Bucky answered first. “It was surprisingly great.”

You scoffed quietly, “Surprisingly?”

Sam rolled his eyes and nudged your shoulder, “Bucky meant the surprise in his jeans.”

Bucky almost catapulted from his seat to pounce on Sam but he held himself together. He opted for a shy shake of the head instead. To save him as well, you brought your attention back to Sam. 

“And what about you, Sam? Any girl catch your eye besides me? I could tell you loved me the most by how much fidgeting you were doing,” you teased, lying about the last part. “I could always get someone’s number.”

Sam continued to eat his noodles, “Not really. You did great, of course.”

The room was filled with laughter for a couple more hours before nightfall came. Before everyone retreated back to their rooms and Peggy back to her apartment, Sam presented a number of bags from behind the couch. Everyone’s mouth fell open. 

Steve almost let a tear slip. “Sam, you didn’t have to.”

Bucky also agreed with Steve, “You really didn’t. Dude...”

Sam raised the bags in the air, “Yeah, yeah. But it’s Christmas! Here’s one for you...”

He handed a bag to everyone, including you. You looked at him in disbelief. 

“How did you even have time?”

“You know when the orange-haired chick had that ten minute set?”

Everyone muttered in recognition. “Yeah, I left for a good thirty minutes after she took the stage.”

You snorted silently, covering your mouth. 

“Open them! Open them!”

Steve went first, ripping the paper out from the bag and looking inside. He released a heavy sigh and pulled a first-aid kit. “Wow, thanks. Just what I needed.”

Sam brushed off Steve’s silent muttering of the word “dick”. Bucky opened his next, pulling out a new can of pepper spray. He scrunched his eyebrows and waited for Sam to explain. 

“Yeah, that shit’s for when you wake up ready to kill us in the mornings.”

Everyone shared a tiny chuckle and pushed back the memory of a gun in their face. 

You pulled the paper from your bag and found a bag of Doritos. 

“You need carbs. Okay! Peggy! You’re last!” You pushed your tongue to the roof of your mouth to restrain yourself from both beating Sam and laughing out loud. 

Peggy pulled a key from her bag. She pursed her lips and thought about what it could be for. 

Sam asked for it to show her. She handed the key to him and everyone watched as he went up to the front door, opened it, and locked and unlocked it from the front. Peggy’s eyes widened, as did everyone else’s. 

Sam threw the key back at her, “Whenever you get too lonely, or want to see Steve or anyone one of us, which is highly unlikely.” Steve just stood shaking his head at his best friend. 

“Or when you finally decide to move-in.”

Peggy remained silent but threw herself at Sam and gave him a big hug. It was a grand gesture, one that no one was opposed to. 

And just like that, a nice moment was ruined when a knock at the door disturbed you. The face behind the door was not really unexpected, especially since he popped up out of nowhere all the time. If it wasn’t for a packed apartment, Steve would have punched T’Challa for ruining a nice night. 

Instead, T’Challa stood and apologized for his presence right away. “I apologize for my showing. I just wanted to deliver the news instead of having a poster strung up on your door.”

Steve’s heart fell. A slight ping pinched at his chest but the loud voices behind him made him forget about it. There was protesting already before T’Challa had even delivered the news. 

T’Challa stepped into the apartment and shut the door behind him. He waited until an opening in the argument allowed him to speak. “I wanted to tell you in person that I had to sign the contracts. But I promise that I will push this project as much as I can.”

Bucky scoffed, “So, instead of kicking us out right away you want us to wait and wonder when all your pushing is going to finally fail?”

It was silent. T’Challa sighed and reached into his pocket. Before he could pull anything out, Steve stormed out with Bucky and Peggy following him. 

You and Sam stood in the middle of the kitchen awkwardly, looking at each other and back at T’Challa. Sam looked T’Challa up and down while you fiddled with the interior of your jacket pocket. 

“Here. Take it. Please,” T’Challa said, holding out an envelope that looked to be filled with money. Sam furrowed his eyebrows and continued to stare at T’Challa. 

“You want us to take money from the one evicting us? Is it going to change anything?”

T’Challa slowly shook his head but proceeded to place the envelope on the kitchen counter. 

“Just say it was from work. A bonus,” he said, looking at you to see if you understood. You stared in confusion and watched as he left the apartment, shutting the door quietly on his way out. 

Both you and Sam just stared at the money. 

“Should we take it?” you asked, still fiddling with the bag in your pocket. Sam reached out to take the envelope and count it. With a silent scoff, he threw it back onto the counter and retreated to his room. 

You cursed the end of this wonderful day and cursed the money. The one thing you needed most was right in front of you. By the looks of it, you could take that amount and leave the state to start over. But would you really do that to your friends?

With one last flip of the baggy in your pocket, you began to go to your room to sleep. The door opened to reveal Bucky returning, wet and dripping from the rain outside. 

It was quiet as you two stared at each other. He eyed the envelope and raised is eyebrows. You swallowed hard and spoke. 

“Cigarette?”

A/N: OH MY GOD, HI THERE!!!!!  I MISSED YOU ALL!!!!!! I’M BACK!!!!! I don’t know when regular updates will take place but guys, I’m so close to graduating and I’m doing really good. I know it took a whole year to get my vibe back and to get back to writing. I want to thank you all for being so awesome and loving my writing. I promise I will finish this fanfic, no matter how long it takes, and all the others I have started. Thank you so much for sticking with me. I love you all. xx -Moni

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[brotatochip]

Omfg tell me more about the kidnapping story

ALriGHty then FriEnd. Here we go. So I live in California generally by San Francisco, but this summer I flew to Montana (If you’re not from the US, it’s about 2000 miles away, right below Canada) by myself to spend 6 weeks with my extended family that I rarely get to see. So It was like August 1st or whatever, it was a tuesday. And let me clarify, Montana is like the 3rd biggest state or some shit but it is literally Cowboy™Hell™. Their capital city Helena (where we were might I add) only has a population of 31,169. Now, I cant speak for all of y’all reading this, but that is small as fuck. I’m not gonna tell you where I live, but the population of my SMALL city is 84,950. AND MY CITY IS TINY. Like binch get some people. Anyways,,, so I was staying with my cousin Mackenzie and we told her literal trash piece of a mom that we were going to stay the night at her friend Olivia’s house. So we went to Olivia’s and did our makeup and fucked around and decided we wanted to go out. So where do you go when you’re in�� Cowboy™Hell™ with population of 31,169? Walmart. So at this point when we are done fucking around and gettin ready and shit, its like 10pm. No matter where you are in the world, all Walmarts are the same. e v e r y w h e r e. When you step into a Walmart you get that feeling and it’s what keeps the world together. So when we go to Walmart, we literally fuck around there for like an hour, and we get some Rockstar energy drinks bc what’s more suspicious than 3 teenagers,, one with bright ass dyed red hair (me,,),,, buying a bottle of chemicals to consume at 11pm,, :)) So let me clarify, there is a “city”-wide curfew from 11pm to 5:30am,, and my cousins terrible excuse of a mom doesnt know we are out. So we leave walmart and we just chill in Mackenzie’s (cousin) car deciding wtf we should do. And then we remember, we know someone with a cute ass dog. This dog is literally the cutest dog anyone has ever seen, not even exaggerating. She is like a 6 week old Australian shepherd mix and she looks like the physical embodiment of if Trump got impeached (the literal best thing in the world). So this chick who owns this dog let’s us come meet her so we can like pet sit the dog for the night. So obviously, we go get this dog,, i mean,,,,, who wouldn’t want to be with the cutest dog  e v e r. So we go get this dog and we were just chillin and talking to the girl for a while so now its like 12am. So now there’s just 3 suspicious looking teenagers with literally nothing to do in  Cowboy™Hell™. And now we have a dog. So let me tell you about Olivia real quick. She has been living off energy drinks for the last 3 years, she’s not the BIGGEST fan of the dog (for some reason..), and her life goal is to go take pictures on all of the statues in  Cowboy™Hell™ with a population of 31,169. And thats what we go to do. We drive downtown and take this cute ass puppy who is no bigger than a football and we start walking around downtown. Now,, as much as I love this dog, I said we probably shouldn’t take it because she can’t walk for that long,, but no,, Kenzie wanted to take her,, So we did. So we walk around with this cute ass dog downtown at like 1am with no one else there and no form of protection,, i know,,,,, smart. In Cowboy™Hell™, there’s a large statue of a propeller on top of a small hill in like the middle of downtown. So we all start walking up this hill so Olivia can achieve her life goal,, well the dog was getting tired or something because it kept like stopping on it’s way up. So Olivia and I went up the hill to the propeller while Kenzie stayed with the dog and tried to get it to come. About 2 minutes after we went up the hill,, Kenzie came running up to the top holding the dog and saying “dude there’s a guy coming up the hill”,, none of us actually thought this was fucking terrifying bc there’s just some random ass guy at 1am,,, but we are all antisocial fucks so obviously talking to him was what we were worried about. But just as Kenzie told us, we saw the guy which freaked tf out of her because she said he would have had to RUN,,,, to be that close to us that soon. So you know when you’re chasing your sibling and theres one of you on each side of the table or the couch or whatever? yeah,,,, that’s what we did with this guy,.. We attempted to ‘hide’ behind the propeller (it was literally the most pathetic thing i’ve ever done, we were all laughing and joking like “oh fucc he’s probably a murderer lmao” (as we needed to be fucking quiet) and as he walked by he said something but none of us know what he said. it was really short but idk. So he went into this tunnel that’s filled with graffiti that’s literally right behind the propeller statue and then we actually had some logic and were like o shit we should probably go,,,,,, so we all like ran down the other side of this hill,, and let me remind you,, we are still holding this goddamn dog,, that i said we shouldn’t take.. We were all laughing like omg we are gonna get raped lmfao (which we shouldnt joke about but some creepy ass dude just walked by us at 1:30 am like tf). So we were just chillin and then we notice, this guy started walking down the hill. Towards us. Now we are actually creeped the fuck out and we starting to think like oh shit is this guy actually following us,, so we start walking away, making sure to keep looking at him to see if hes still following us. Okay, sidenote; I currently have a balloon tied to my wrist (i found it while climbing statues earlier), I am holding a book that we also found, Olivia is holding the dog because the puppy can’t run with us, and Kenzie is holding a book and Olivia’s energy drink. It’s 1:30 am in the middle of  Cowboy™Hell™ population 31,169 and some guy is now following us. But we wanted to make sure he was following us, so we went around a building and he also went around us, confirming that he is indeed,, a complete psychopath. So we run around the building to the other side and we check to see if he’s still there. Also,, this  e n t i r e  time, we only ever saw him walk. He never ran. Which lowkey made it even MORE fucking terrifying. So me, having common sense, think O SHIT, THERE’S SOME RANDOM ASS GUY FOLLOWING US IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT,, WE SHOULD PROBABLY CALL THE COPS,,,,, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,,,,,,,,, nah.. that idea was shut down immediately when Olivia brought up, the curfew. Hmmmmm,,,,, face parents or get raped/murdered????,,,,, obviously the latter. So now it’s probably 2am. At this point, we start to worry a bit, and by ‘worry a bit i mean start freaking the fuck out. Like, we could legitimately die depending on what this guy’s intentions were. Without Kenzie or I even noticing, Olivia picks up a rock in case she needs a weapon,,, like a rock would protect against a gun or knife or some shitt,,, but its okay. And while all of this is happening,,,,,,,,,, we are still holding this cute ass dog. So we decided we need to GO. But the guy is between us and the car. So we run across the street and hide in this little area in the trees. He sees us and starts walking down the MIDDLe of the street.  Creepy as FUCK. So we start running,, with my balloon, two books, an energy drink and a puppy. We ran to this old walking street thing that goes uphill, and they have a bunch of historical buildings or something. We can see the first building has like a back yard so we hop the stone fence and hide back there. I put my balloon on the doorknob to the building so that it wouldn’t fly away, and the guy couldn’t see where we were (ik,, smart af). We set the dog down and take a few moments to chill and breathe and think about what we are gonna do. This building is right on the street and right across from a park, so olivia tries to go look and see if the guy is still there, and she accidentally hit a huge metal thing which made the LOUDEST sound ever. So take a moment to ask yourself, what the fuck would you do if some creepy ass dude was following you at 2am in the middle of a “city” that you dont live in? Well shitt just die apparently. So we started talking and we were like fuck, we need to get the hell out of here, now. At this point, our car is like .7 miles away and we are all lazy ass motherfuckers who don’t run,, e v e r. But I guess it’s our only option. So we have to run this, while carrying two books, an energy drink, and a dog. You might ask you might ask yourself, why still carry the books and energy drink?? Are they really that important??? Yes. We sneak out onto the street to see if he’s even still there, and then we see this dicknugget stand up. He was sitting in the park, waiting for us. And then we started running. Now, running back to our car was a whole other adventure just by itself. We are running slightly downhill, which makes us go faster. We don’t even bother looking to see this guy because  nyoom nyoom gotta go fast – We start sprinting down this road,, and then we hear a car coming. It’s gotta be going like 60 mph down this goddamn road at 2am and they see 3 teenage girls sprinting. Just a normal day in  Cowboy™Hell™ apparently because if you see three people running as fast as they can down a road in the middle of the night, you might stop to see if they’re okay? nahhhh. guess nott. Not to mention, Olivia and I almost got ran over by this goddamn car because we are running in the middle of the street. Meanwhile, we still have 2 books, an energy drink, and a puppy (who at this point is probably traumatized just like the rest of us).. So we just keep running for what seemed like forever (it was probably like 2 minutes), and then,, I drop my book. And me,, being the dumbass that I am,,, i stop to pick it up. Don’t ask me why I risked my life to pick up a book that we randomly found,, a book that i dont need,, a book that later we found out to be erotica,, because i do. not. know. Ya know, I always had this mental picture that if, for some reason, I had to run for my life, my body would trade in my out-of-shape, asthma-stricken lungs for super-lungs from the adrenaline or something– BOI WAS I WRONG. My lungs felt like they were on fire. Like actually burning. So what do I do? I’m literally being chased by a murderer but I really dont wan’t to run.. Well fuck, guess i’ll just die. I start walking because FUCK IT, my out of shape ass needs to chill. Then Kenzie see’s that I am walking she was like THANK GOD i’m tired too. Meanwhile Olivia is way ahead of us, and she looks back to see us,,, and we are walking, and she was like “what the fuCk are you DoiNG ??”. So kenzie and I work up the strength to start running again; and then we see it,,, our car. We unlock the car and just sit. All of us out of breath, scared shitless, apparently Olivia still had her rock, and my first thought after this was all done? I want my balloon. While all these events were occurring, Kenzie was texting her friend what was happening. We went and picked up Kenzie’s friend and his friend who was staying with him. Now it’s like 3am. We almost just got murdered/raped/kidnapped/whatever, the cute ass dog is sleeping in the car, and now we have two guys with us. weLL HEy, I haVe A gREat iDeA; LET’s GO GET MY BALLOON. So we drove the car for another 20 minutes and went back to the same place we almost died; I know, smart. Just a quick reminder that Cowboy™Hell™’s “city”-wide curfew is 11pm… and its 3am,,,. So we park in the same exact spot we were parked 2 hours earlier when we were being stalked by some creepy motherfucker and we got out. We showed the guys what happened place by place, we got my balloon, and then we were just chillin on the street. We saw some car down the street driving towards us and Kenzie made some tdumbass joke like “lmao watch that be the sheriff”, Well GUESS WHO THE FUCK IT WAS??? YOU GuESseD rIGhT mY FrIENd. the sheriff. Quick reminder: curfew. If that sheriff stops, not only do we look fuckin suspicious af just chillin in the middle of downtown on a tuesday at 3am, they will call our parents. And we cant have that.. So what do you do when you’re in Cowboy™Hell™ and can’t get caught by the cops? Run. We all get off our asses and book it, and hide in some bushes for about 10 minutes until the coast was clear,, well we thot anyways,,,, we were walking down the street and he came around again and guess what? We all run for like 20 minutes back to our damn car and drive. BYE BITCH. None of our parents know we are out, so where tf do we go now? Can’t go home. My home is 2000 miles away. Well what perfect place to be in Cowboy™Hell™ then the CHURCH. We legitimately spent a good 3 hours in the church parking lot because where else we gonna go? back to Walmart? Probably,,, then its about 7am and we drove to some park. Welllllll,, since its Cowboy™Hell™ with a population of 31,169, EVERYONE FUCKING KNOWS EACH OTHER. My cousin’s neighbor came jogging by at 7 in the goddamn morning (who does that, get a life, sleep in, just stahp,,) and recognizes our car and guess what happens now? He calls our parents :))))))) Thanks for being a snitching ass little bitch,, because then my cousin’s mom drives up and says heyyyyyy, get your asses home :)) Well guess where we didn’t go? home. Guess where we went instead? Of all the places in Cowboy™Hell™ with a population of 31,169, we went to Walmart. 

[imaginingit]

seventeen as haikyuu!! characters (pt. 1)

my two worlds collide :)))) this isn’t strictly karasuno, just characters in the story that resemble the boys!

warning: spoilers ahead!! and also... i get a little. .. . .carried....away

S.Coups as Daichi Sawamura

MY TWO GRANDPAS I’M SO READY. as kind and fair leaders, daichi and seungcheol are inevitably very, very similar. in daichi’s approach with tobio and hinata when they first joined, coupled seungcheol’s way of uniting the boys to talk about their issues as frequently and fervently as possible, these two are the epitome of father material. daichi is never afraid to be vocal with the team on and off the court, and naturally is the voice of the entire team when needed. for seungcheol, despite being the youngest member in his family, was promised to debut with multiple groups time and time again, until finally he was put on hold with the rest of the seventeen boys. what this did was allow him to practice his patience and growth as a person, but as well, grow familiar and as an older brother figure for the boys as years went on. maturity aside, both of these boys are easily excitable and love it when their members are having a great time. with their relationship from their same age friends (suga and asahi, jeonghan and jisoo) to the younger guys on the team, they are an amicable sidekick and company to be around, and although they need to be serious on and off the court/camera for the sake of professionalism and victory, these two “old men” are two very dorky and clumsy guys at heart.

Jeonghan as Koshi Sugawara

THEY’RE ANGELS AND THEY FUCKING KNOW IT. but don’t be fooled. jeonghan can tend to be a little shit disturber at times cheeky at times (cheating, cheating, and more cheating) and suga sometimes does enjoy joining in on the banter with the second years, thus making them the most innocent (“wait, who me?” puppy eyes) older brothers out there. but with that aside, both are extremely caring towards the rest of the team and are undoubtedly the mother figures. sugawara, being assistant captain, knows each and every one of his teammates’ strengths and weakness, and always, always, has a sense of calm and patience, slowing the game down to his pace. despite losing his starting position to tobio when he came, he never once had a harsh attitude towards him and instead, cheered him on and did his part when he needed to step in. jeonghan is by far, the biggest mom figure in seventeen, and is extremely affectionate with everyone in the group. kind and attentive, he loves to compliment and tease his members “dino nugu aegi” and is enthusiastic in all their projects. he never seems to complain and be in a genuinely bad mood, like, ever. both are extremely reliable and have a bond with all of their members, making them both the soft, angelic, yet fun-loving members of the group. 

Joshua as Asahi Azumane

i put 95-line as the third years do you hear me sob bi ng ASAHI AND JISOO ARE BOTH SO SOFT, SOFT, SOFT, and are the kings of humility. jisoo is seriously the nicest, most soft-spoken, and easygoing person ever. he will never go out of his way to seriously boast about something nor will he claim a title as his own. we all know he’s a mama’s boy and an extremely soft person, resembling a kitten, almost. he loves to embrace his members and his bond with the 95-line is so, so precious. however, on stage, his demeanour is extremely different. he works so hard with his music and has such a determination to make sure everything is perfect, namely being the one to arrange all the acoustic versions of their songs, and making sure to monitor himself extremely closely after every recording. he works hard on his craft and does his best to benefit the team around him, being the master of humility and is undoubtedly in love with love itself. asahi, on the other hand, and a clear difference between the two, looks extremely different from how he is on the inside. being mistaken for a convict, or a third-year that had to repeat school a couple times, or a gangster, he’s 180 degrees different from his appearnce. like jisoo, he cares extremely how he is on the court and makes sure to do his absolute best to benefit his team. being the ace, he never really claimed that title as his and has a hard time believing in his abilities until the near end. he’s so precious to the team, and with his “glass heart”, he’s literally a child that needs to be protected at ALL TIME. these two are extremely soft and kind, knowing no limits to hard work and dedication at their craft to make sure their team comes out on top. 

Jun as Toru Oikawa 

pROFESSIONAL PANTY DROPPERS. literally the two biggest shits on the face of the earth. jun was the first person i matched a character with because i had no freaking doubt in my head that he was going to be oikawa. toru is damn fucking good at volleyball--and he knows it. he knows that he’s the grand king and isn’t afraid to walk around like it, even off the court. besides from being a cocky ass little shit though (jks i love my king), he’s such a good captain and is also the king of POSITIVITY. even if he makes a bad set or misplaces a serve, he has no doubt in knowing the next play will be different. you know who else is the king of positivity? WEN JUNHUI. WEN. JUN. HUI. during one fine day, when they were literally all quarantined in an island away from home and forced to give up their personal belongings for a period of time, he was such a trooper and a cheerleader for the rest of the trip there. he never failed in complimenting mingyu and his skills (literally when asked to pick 3 things to bring with him to a deserted island, he chose mingyu, mingyu, and mingyu), always helped out in various things like cooking, making freaking sashimi, starting the fire, and cleaning. but on stage.. . . BOI. he’s legit a sex machine. like not fucking kidding. he’s fucking hot and he knows it. in 17 project, one of the things the mentor told him was to work on his facial expressions, and this boy fucking did. the way he bites his lips, the way he droops his eyes, the way he walks on stage, his poise and confidence is so prevalent and is, without a doubt, a visual to be reckoned with. with oikawa, despite being one of the best u-18 setters in the country, arguably the best in his prefecture, and having the pressure that comes with it, he carries himself with such poise and confidence knowing that he fully has the ability to help his team and make them amazing. these two are confident, positive, and work extremely hard at what they do to better everyone that is relying on them and are undoubtedly panty wetters havE U SEEN OIKAWA WITH GLASSES IM DECEASED. 

Hoshi as Yu Nishinoya

NOYA M Y LOVE I LOVE YOU OSM U HC my svt bias wrecker and my haikyuu bias why do i do this to myself ffs. out of all of these matches, i think this one is the most spot-on, personality wise. noya is such a FREAKING FIRECRACKER, and is literally the second loudest character on this entire show despite having such tight competition whaddup bokuto, tanaka. he loves volleyball so. much. i’m literally not surprised if this kid sleeps with his uniform still on. but with that being said, as much as he loves it, his bond and love for his members are unparalleled. in the beginning, he refused to come back as libero if asahi wasn’t going to return, but eventually found himself too connected with volleyball to not be on the team. in every practice, he’s always testing out his moves and giving it nICKNAMES LIEK GFDIJ I LVOE YOU like fucking “ROLLING THUNDER!!!” like what even?? him, tanaka, and hinata love riling shit up and having a good time with what they do. so with soonyoung, you can tell that dance is his entire life. he said one time that he doesn’t know what his life would be without dance. soonyoung legit ALWAYS HAS ENERGY, like the members literally wake him up with “fighting!”. these characters are both extremely boisterous and friendly. noya made extremely quick friends with hinata and still initiates conversations with tsuki and tobio regardless if they’re interested or not. soonyoung, on the other hand as well, LOVES HIS UNIT SO MUCH MY HEART. on one fine day, bc minghao was sick and couldn’t really leave the house, hoshi would find things for him to do like help him peel stuff for dinner or bring him bites of the food they were making outside. chan looks up to him legit like an older brother and him and jun are the same age, making them have a brotherly, best friend-type bond. but with that being said, the second both characters step on their respective stages, everything changes. noya is such a beast, always looking to better his game as a libero, like when he figured out how to set from behind the line, or when he did the thING YOU KNOW THE THING AGAINST SHIRATORIZAWA WHEN USHIJIMA DID THE THING AND THEN NOYA DID THE THING BACK AND THEN HE DID THE THING AGAIN YOU KNOW WHAT I’M TALKIGN ABOUT and his entire team legitimately depends on him for receiving some of the best players in the entire country’s spikes and he never fails to back them up. with hoshi, he brings a different dynamic to the group. he choreographs everything and admits to making the most mistakes during practice because he has everyone’s dance parts in his head tell me that isn’t the purest fucking thing you’ve ever heard in your life. on stage, he’s so fuc kign h ot have you seen his stage at the boys wish concert goodbye!!!! these two have the most boisterous personalities, with abilities to befriend almost everyone. both love a sense of competition and leading the team with their athletic abilities, all the while having a true, true love for what they do. 

i’m getting so fucking carried away i’m not even sorry

Wonwoo as Tobio Kageyama

if you began to think i was going crazy, you haven’t even seen my final form cus wonwoo’s my svt bias and tobio is my haikyuu bias wrecker good luck reader my two dark hair, dark eyed beauties. rather than having the exact same personality, i think these two resemble each other in appearance, the way they carry themselves and how they are when the begin to open up. tobio has always been good, exceptional even, at volleyball. named “king of the court” before he even got to high school, he always had an immense amount of pressure on him. however, for him and wonwoo, they both get mistaken as being solely and strictly cold-hearted bastards because of their first impressions and the difficulty they have expressing themselves. kageyama was first portrayed as a cocky and hard-to-get-along-with kind of character, always to engulfed in volleyball, but that’s not the case as the series progresses. no, he doesn’t become an extremely boisterous or outgoing character, but he no longer has such a demeanour around him. you can see him visibly wanting to spend more time around his teammates and he loves. the. game. so. much. he looks to make his game the best it can possibly be every single time and all his life, hasn’t really known anything besides volleyball until karasuno came along im SOBBING. with wonwoo, his sharp features and handsome face gives off the vibe of being the cold, scary pretty face that doesn’t really want to be around others, but when seen around his members, and members like hoshi, miNGYU, jun (members that are very opposite of his shy self and can bring him out more), him and his stupid freaking jokes will always be heard. through variety shows and time spent around the boys, we get to see garden fairy wonwoo, seventeen’s main bgm provider wonwoo, and palryongjung middle school dancing machine wonwoo, and we know he isn’t, and never was the cold-hearted boy we was thought out to be. when they get onto their stages, they’re both extremely charismatic and amazing at what they do. hallucination boy wonwoo has an aura around him with his voICE and the way he feels the rhythm as a rapper that makes him so underrated, until he got a solo freaking stage that he definitely deserved. with tobio, everytime he steps on the court, his walls come down and his focus is insane. everyone fears him on the other side and would much rather have him on theirs, knowing full well how capable he is of being one of the best setters in the country. however, these two boys have a history that they both would like to forget. and although it’s tough to talk about it with wonwoo, they made mistakes in the past and were given a reputation that they would both like override. for wonwoo, it was being someone that was wholesome and capable of hate, and tobio was known to be a horrible teammate and captain, eyes set solely for victory and nothing else. but as time went on, upon meeting their members now, they have the urge to become more than what they were and use the people around them as family, bettering themselves each day as both people and at what they do. 

Woozi as Kenma Kozume

MY LITTLE KITTENS!! ok these two are also extremely similar in both looks and demeanour. while both seemingly uninterested in a lot of things and not wanting to be outrightly the center of attention, they are both extreme geniuses at what they do. kenma legit never loses his cool and doesn’t often voice his opinions. despite being like this though, he very much draws in friends that are complete??? opposite?? of??? him?? like hinata?? they have such a cute bond shoot me like as quiet, reserved, and uninterested as he may seem, he’s complimented well with people that are different from him and has an extremely kind heart on the inside. with jihoon, he doesn’t seem to care a lot abt stuff cue him beating mingyu up with a guitar cue him plotting cheol’s death everytime he makes him do aegyo but he’s so fucking cute and he DOESN’T EVEN KNOW IT. but when they’re put to work with their craft, these two are the best at it. rather than being an amazing volleyball player, and rather than being an exceptional singer, they have incredible overall sports knowledge and musicianship respectively. kenma has amazing volleyball iq and sense of the game that he always knows what he’s supposed to be doing, where he needs to go to receive a ball and how to juggle his play to make the players on his side of the court better, making up for his physique and build. with jihoon, he literally is in charge of seventeen’s success, if you really really think about it. definitely not saying that no one else puts in any work, but jihoon does the most of it when it comes to their title songs and side tracks, putting this immense pressure on him to have to do well and make sure that seventeen succeeds with the songs he writes. 90% of his time is spent in the studio and his hard work has paid off so much. as a musician, he deserves so much praise for his hard work and talent!! like he plays fucking like 52 instruments and can even rap??? like what? stan jihoon guys stan jihoon overall, these two characters, though seemingly bored and tired most of the time, are hardworkers and blend extremely well with their group, all the while being fucking underrated yet TALENTED at what they do. 

HOPE YOU ENJOY!!! :D

[ifnotlovethenwhatff-blog]

Chapter 14

Vera, had been standing in the doorway of her daughter’s old room for twenty minutes reminiscing on the past. Six years of memories rest comfortably within the walls of this room for the three girls to always remember. Now times have changed and Vera is left to care for her youngest daughter.

Did I fail her?

That one burning question is what Vera asks herself everyday for the last two months. The poor woman does nothing but doubt her abilities to be a mother, decapitating her self confidence in every way imaginable. Young Careena even noticed a difference in her mom’s attitude, mood and some days her appearance. On the days Vera doesn't have to work, she's typically dress down in old shirts and pajama pants. With her being back in school now for the spring semester she does a lot lounging around the house.

College isn't what is used to be and these online courses are a real bitch. Arielle used to help her mother out with homework and exam preparation but now that she's gone, Careena has to pick up the slack. The short version of all of this, is that Arielle’s absence is taking its toll in more ways than one.

Careena on the other hand is happy for her sister's new life. Of course there are days when that sister bond is longed for but that hasn't cause Reena to feel sad or upset. Down at the end of the hall Vera could hear Careena’s music creep under the open space at the bottom of the door and fill the hallway faintly. It’s questionable how Reena has been able to deal with her sister's lack of appearance so effortlessly. But it's rather quite simple, at least in Careena’s mind it is.

Trudging toward the opposite end of the hallway, Vera grabbed the doorknob and burst into the room taking in everything she saw. There on the bed lay multiple and different size boxes covered in baby themed wrapping paper. Vera had no clue what was inside each box but she knew they were gifts for her soon to come grandbaby. Careena put down her beauty blender egg and turned to face her mom with slow movements. Vera had this sad puppy dog expression on her face and Reena didn't know how to react to her mom burstin in her room.

“Are those for your sister?” She mumbled, with one hand on the doorknob and another on her left cheek. Careena slowly nodded in response to her mother's question, not having any desire to further upset the woman.

“When did you have time to buy baby presents? You've been skipping out on school haven't you?” Vera's quick assumptions were scary and intimidating but Careena kept her wits about her.

“Mom, no. I made time to get a few things for the baby so Arielle wouldn't have so much to buy. You know how she is with being prepared for the future. I just thought I could help her out to make this ea-”

“Wow..” A low murmur flew out Vera’s mouth and before she knew it she was chuckling to herself. Careena now holds right to be afraid of what her mom might do. Some flip of emotion must've just occurred in Vera's mind prompting her change in mood. She then stalked over to Reena’s bed and went for the harmless boxes.

Careena yelled over and over for her mom to stop ripping opening the paper to see what was inside. Even with just the two of them in the room, their arguing sounded like so much chaos for two small people.

“Mom stop! You're gonna ruin everything!”

“I don't care!”

All one could hear outside of this room is yelling of the loudest kind. Three out of six boxes were successfully torn apart with the baby’s new clothes scattered across the bed and the floor. Careena was knocked onto the floor by her mom’s erratic behavior, just adding more fuel to the fire. The doorbell going off throughout the house put a pause on the current event and brought silence back to the home once again.

“Go answer the door mom. You told me I wasn't allowed to so go see who's at the door.” Careena spoke with uneven breaths. She watched Vera turn towards the door with wet eyes and a reddened face.

With Vera stomping off down the hall Careena slammed her door shut and slid down to the floor gripping her hair in between her fingers.

“Dang Ari..look what you being gone has done to her..to us.” Reena muttered to herself. She got up off the floor and went back to getting ready for the day. The remainder of the time she spent dolling herself up she could hear a man's voice downstairs. The voice is one she doesn't recognize giving her the opportunity to focus on the tasks at hand. With the sound of 21 Savage blaring out loud as Arielle’s specific ringtone, Careena ran to retrieve her cell.

“You gotta come and get me now. I can't stay here another minute longer.” She spat out in a rush, going around the room to prep a bag. Inside a large gift bag were the re wrapped boxes for the baby along with some extra belongings of Arielle's she left behind. Reena also threw in some stuff of her own.

“What's going on? Did mom spazz on you again?” Arielle questioned innocently.

With an irritated snack of the lips Careena kept pushing herself to clean up and get ready for her weekend with her sister.

“You already know she did. She's crazy Ari and I'm tired of being the one to deal with the fallout. I'm not saying you're to blame but you being gone is really screwing with her head and her feelings. You have got to sit down and talk to that woman.” Reena’s suggestion was more of a demand than a piece of advice but Arielle knew that. She smelled her little sister's attitude the second the line connected.

“I will.”

“No I mean a real conversation. Woman to woman. I don't know what y’all talk about but whatever it is doesn't seem to be resonating with her the way you think it is. She has these crazy objects anytime she goes into your room or sees anything baby related. She hasn't cooked nor has she gone grocery shopping in two weeks Ari so I've been living off snacks and juice. I'm hungry, I'm tired and I'm fed up.”

Arielle held sympathy towards her baby sister being that she knows what she's going through with Vera. Once upon a time when Canaan had just divorced Vera, Careena would go and stay with her dad every summer. Every day was a showdown with the behavior Vera expressed because of her youngest child being away.

“Walk a couple houses down. Go out the back and around the side of the house. Is she near you?” Arielle asked skeptically.

“Nah, she's downstairs talking to some man. I'm coming out. Bye.” Reena hung up on her sister and jetted for the stairs and towards the back of the house. Another look over her shoulder to ensure Vera wasn't watching and she was out. Quietly sneaking around to the side gate Careena unlatched the lock and snuck the gate door open just wide enough to squeeze through. She was successful at crossing the yard and following Ari’s directions on where to find Kamil's car.

Hearing soft knocks on the window, Kamil hit the locks so Careena could slip into the backseat.

“I feel like a fugitive right now. What took you so long?” Careena settled herself into the car, placing her bags on the empty seat next to her.

“We had some stuff to do. So why was mom freaking out again? You didn't really explain much on the phone.”

Careena broke down the fight with their mom shocking Arielle but not Kam in the slightest. Vera may have upgraded some of her characteristics but others will never change indefinitely.

Nestled comfortably at a booth inside the busy downtown PF Changs, the trio were enjoying their night to full capacity. No talk of personal problems or stress, just fun conversation to help go the night go by smoothly. Careena mentioned the subject of a baby shower which is currently the topic in rotation.

“So when will it be? I don't want you to have it while I'm in school and then I can't come.” Careena pointed out, picking through the vegetables mixed with her noodles.

Arielle and kamil both have their own ideas for the baby shower details. Since they know Ari is having a boy there is no set color scheme, place of interest, food choice, etc. Arielle doesn't want to go with the traditional blue that most parents go with. She's so bent on having a neutral theme so no one will be able to guess the gender right away. This has been her plan ever since she knew that she wanted to have kids of her own. Now Kam likes the blue idea but he wants to throw in grey as an accent shade or white as an accent tint.

“I thought about making the date for early April like the second week possibly. My due date is set for May 20 which is a Saturday but I could give birth anywhere from the 29th of April and the 3rd of June..so I don't know.” Arielle huffed.

“Okay what about who's all going? You know Canaan and Jaz will want to go and maybe even Erica. Ooh..what about y’alls moms?” Good question. Neither Kamil or Arielle could pretend they weren’t presented with a great fucking question. In order to keep the peace between the families one of two decisions will have to be made.

Since Kamil and his mom aren't Vera’s biggest fans they won't have much a choice but to tolerate Arielle’s mom. Because after all, Arielle won't keep her mom out of her baby’s life, not indefinitely anyhow. With the small changes Ms. O’Brien is making she might not be as big of a threat to the survival of this baby shower but there's always room for surprise.

“As long she stays in her place and doesn't come out of pocket I won't have anything to say. I know my grandmother, my mom, and my mom’s sister will be there like they were for La’s baby shower. We’ll figure something out that will be best for the both of us.” Kam declared, removing his glasses and roughly rubbing his face.

“I didn't know you wore glasses Kamil. That makes you both nerds.” Careena joked innocently.

“Nah these are not prescription they're just some glasses I ordered online when I got her a new pair. You're the real nerd, except you wear your contacts most of the time don't you?” He flipped the script putting Reena on the spot with no hesitation.

“That I do.” She confessed, flagging down their waiter for the night.

The waiter, Zeke, appeared with the check and a to-go bag of food for Arielle intended to be eaten later on tonight. Kamil foot the bill, the girls split the tip and then they left the restaurant full and satisfied.

“I feel so full. Ari how did you eat everything on your plate?” Reena moaned in disgust at rememberance of her sister's clean dinner plate.

“This baby helps me eat. I’m over 130 pounds now and I don't know how I feel about that. I got my food for later tonight and tomorrow so I'm all set. You good babe?”

Kamil looked over at Arielle and nodded with confidence. The engine turned over and out of the parking lot they went. Arielle turned on the radio and connected the car's blue tooth to her Apple Music. While she scrolled through her many playlists, Kam started up some talk with Reena to get to know her a little better. A velvety mixture of R&B and 90s rap was flowing through car, changing the mood in the air.

Kamil had a sudden craving for sweets and made his way to a cookie shop he lives for. Anytime he visits Gideons he leaves with a surplus of cookies. The drive to Gideon's took no time at all with Kam going 70 on the interstate and the lack of police. It's pushing 10 o'clock and the girls are getting sleepy but they'll soon awaken. Parking right in front of the bake house, Kamil turned the car off and scurried inside to pick up some treats.

Elle locked the car from the inside watching from her seat as Kam stood at the counter. Resting quietly with her hands on her belly, Elle swayed her head from side to side locked in mentally to the music. Inside Kamil was scanning the variety of cookies, cakes, pies and cheesecakes. A young woman walked over to where Kamil was standing with her hands behind her back.

“Have you decided what you wanted?” The girl asked stepping closer to the glass counter and looking at all the desserts for the millionth time today.

“Uh..yeah it's gonna be a big order though.” Clasping his hands together Kam bent down to see the goodies behind the glass better.

“Okay so I want two of every cookie in here.” Standing up straight Kam removed his wallet from his back pocket to get his card out. He felt a stare on him so when he met the eyes of the girl, he couldn't contain his laughter.

“Oh you're serious? Okay let me get started on these right away.” The girl slipped on a pair of gloves, grabbed carry out two boxes and began filling them up with cookies.

Glancing up at her customer the girl focused back on packing the small boxes. “So..whats with all the cookies..you throwing a party or something?” She laughed, closing the counter doors and bringing Kamil’s order over to the register.

“No party. I just really like these cookies. They're the best I've ever had. It's kind of slow in here tonight though.” Kamil's innocent observation was taken completely out of context with this girl. In her mind she saw an opportunity present itself with a good looking stranger. But unknown to her is that he's out of her league. This chick just dabbled in the confidence of transforming from a teenager to a legal adult.

There's no chance in hell that Kamil or any man in his right mind would even consider touching a girl as young as her. She's still thought of as a baby in most people's eyes and yet she believes her chance has come to snag a real man. She rung up the order and placed a sticker on the flaps of the boxes to keep the treats inside.

“That’ll be $51.18.” She murmured in a delicate tone of voice. Kamil looked at the board behind the counter and did his own math of how much these cookies really are. When he finished his calculation he shook his head in disbelief at what's happening. It didn't take him long to understand the situation.

“Please don’t do me any special favors. I know the total is way higher than what you're telling me. Here.” Handing over his card Kam turned around to find Arielle watching the show in amusement. She's a smart girl. Without even being inside the bake shop Arielle knew what mess Kamil was trying to clean up.

Looking back at the girl Kamil took back his card and grabbed the boxes from the counter. He thanked her and heads back out to the car.

“Hey wait..”

Stopping in his tracks Kamil faced the associate halfway not wanting to give in completely.

“I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I wasn't right for that and I didn't mean any harm I swear. I just..I don't really know what I thought.”

Kamil nodded in solidarity to her little speech and accepted her apology. This time when he turned around he didn't look back. Stepping out onto the chilly sidewalk Kam walked towards the driver side of the car.

“Hey..” A voice called out. Kamil got the door open thanks to Arielle unlocking the car and looked around to see who was talking to him. He locked eyes with Kaliyah yet again in a public place with Elle around. Kam placed the boxes over in Arielle's lap and shut the door, walking back over to the sidewalk.

Kaliyah has the same mindset as the little girl in the shop but Kam could easily recognize this new issue. Being that Kaliyah is no stranger to old boy he actually knew how to get rid of her.

“Why the fuck do you keep showing up everywhere that I go?” He spoke loudly.

“I want to talk Kam.” Kaliyah put on this voice that usually attracts men to her. The sultry, low pitch voice that gives off her true intentions and what she's feeling.

“We..” He motioned to himself as well as her, “don't have shit to talk about. If you're following me..stop. And I'm not asking Kaliyah. I don't want anything from you nor do I want you. You need to understand me when I say leave me the hell alone!” He exclaimed. The girl from inside the shop heard commotion but stayed in her rightful place.

“And you're gonna settle for her? Of all bitches you choose her! I gave you four years and this is how you repay-”

All in Kaliyah's personal bubble Kam started going off. Words of all sorts were being exchanged, hand gestures were flying about, and curse words being slung back and forth. A shouting match is what's really going on and as stupid as it sounds Kam is enjoying taking his frustrations out verbally.

“Fuck this shit. I'm out. Stay away from me!” Kamil jogged over to the car and ducked off inside and sped off to the apartment. What a way to end the night right?

As Kamil was finishing Careena’s sleep palette in the living room, she was taking her shower. The only sounds in the apartment came from the movie playing in Kamil’s room, the water going, and Kam re-arranging the living room. The door was locked and bolted, so once he was done, Kam headed to the room to check on Arielle. Today has been eventful for everyone, not one person has more to talk about more than the other two. 

Stretching out beside a very tired Arielle, Kam focused on her while she focused on the movie. He saw the stress in her face and in her eyes. There’s nothing she can do to hide her true feelings everything that’s happened in just this week alone. Breaking her concentration of the TV, Ari closed her eyes and fingered the curls falling around her face. Luckily for her the stresses of everyday life haven’t effected the growth of her hair, nails, or overall health. 

“You okay?” Kam muttered, moving in to play with her hair as well.

Poor girl couldn’t fight the small chuckle that slipped passed her lips. “Oh do I wish I could say yes. I just don’t understand why all of this shit is happening. The stress is driving me insane deep, deep down. I’m trying my hardest not to let it show on my face because being this far along and stressing can really affect the baby. All I want is some peace and quiet. I’d rather disappear until after the baby is born. Where’s my sister?”

“I’m right here. Did you want to open these? It might help get your mind off of things.” Careena’s suggestion was welcomed and now the three of them were sitting on the bed.

“I’ve been shopping here and there for some baby presents so I hope you like everything.” All six boxes were piled up beside Arielle’s knee, waiting to be opened up. She wasted no time getting into the presents. And just like Kamil and Careena bet on, Ari cried every time she unwrapped a new box. Tears of joy ran down her cheeks as she lined up all of her son’s new clothes.

“It’s all so damn cute and I can’t stop crying. Thank you for this. You have no idea how much you doing this for me means to me Reena. And with the way mom has been acting lately, I’m even more grateful to you for putting up with her and still supporting me.” The girls shared an intense and intimate moment as sisters and friends. The day has it’s ups and downs but this moment trumps the last 22 or so hours, all thanks to a kick ass little sister.