#why have you forgotten meeeee it says

[drfrankendyke]

My summer reading list, in order.

[tojisun]

I’m in such a soap mood rn and that hockey!soap ask just near ruined meeeee!! What if he is dating a more alternative girl and he goes out of his way to find his tooth on the ice, making sure his team know that it’s not weird and he is not being over dramatic cuz its actually a very big deal. The next time his team sees her is at their engagement party and when they ask to see the ring she shows off a real pretty gold band with a pointy tooth replacing a stone.

this is so fucking peak im shaking like an old dog

part of this rambling teehee; f!reader // sugar, spice, everything on ice (hockey au mlist)

“wan’ ma’ fuh-kuh’ tooh’,” johnny grumbles, throbbing mouth muffled by the towel he’s using to stop the bleeding, before turning to kyle who blinks at him.

the game hasn’t resumed yet which is honestly a drag at this point, johnny thinks, because there’s only nine seconds left and sure miracles can happen within that time—some teams seem to have abundance of those—but does johnny even care anymore? no.

he’s angry and tired and in pain, and all they gave him was a white ass face towel and pinched smiles, before handing his team a four-minute penalty too. what the hell?

he would’ve complained if it wasn’t for the burning feeling in his face, thrumming from the base of his jaw to the tender press inside his cheek where the tooth was ripped out of his gums. he’s glad he was able to throw a punch in retaliation, that and the fundamental silver lining—

his loose tooth is out there.

johnny needs it.

“you… want your tooth?” kyle asks, looking at him like he’s the oddest creature in the rink. “why—”

the face-off begins, kyle and johnny turn, watching the puck fall, lumbers smacking against each other in the final grapple and skates slashing the ice, taking speed and taking force only—

the horn blows, marking the end of the game.

“fuh’ yeah!” johnny screams, banging on the glass protector, before he curls in the open arms of his teammates, laughing, bloodied gum forgotten.

they’re kicked out of the penalty box, finally—“it’s been twenty seconds, ‘tavish.”—and johnny gargles something unintelligible to price who skated towards them for a celebratory hug because there’s something johnny needs and he needs it now before the ice girls come in to swipe the rink.

he whirls past teammates trying to pull him in, waving his glove in lieu of a response because he can’t dignify them a proper one, not with the way his eyes are trained on the ice like this is his first time skating again, hesitant and eyes all-seeing.

he skates at the scene of tragedy, nose scrunching at the faint blood but otherwise empty patch of ice. god. where the hell did that go?

johnny almost gives up, almost decides to just knock out another tooth, probably the molar this time, when his eyes finally snag something that looks like it doesn’t belong on the ice. it’s tucked there in the corner of the rink, unassuming and still pink with blood.

“oh, y’r tooth,” simon grunts beside him.

“ye’,” is what johnny manages. “‘m taki’ it home.”

“…sure, whatever,” his friend says like he hasn’t done anything weirder. remember montreal 2019? yeah.

johnny skates towards the little thing, plucking it off the ice and holding it tight within his palm. he turns, blinking in surprise at seeing both kyle and john there beside simon now. the other guys are still parading, celebrating their victory with the audience, so johnny doesn’t know why his closest circle are here.

“what.”

“y’know you don’t need that for the implant, right?” john asks slowly like johnny’s some spooked thing.

“uh-huh,” is all johnny says, not understanding what price is insinuating now that the adrenaline’s wearing off, and the sharp stinging pain in his gums thrums harder from within. “leh’ go. wan’ medi-hin.”

kyle huffs, shaking his head fondly, before leading the pack out of the ice after a last lap for the audience. johnny keeps up with them, bright in his own happiness, pain be damned, because their fans deserve to see the fruits of their unwavering support.

besides, he knows someone’s out there, cheering for him louder than anyone else is.

.

“ah, there it is!” johnny cheers as he rummages through his locker, grinning when he meets the curious eyes of his teammates to show off his prized possession.

“your tooth?” enzo asks, face scrunched in his slight disgust. “don’t you wanna, you know, chuck it out?”

kyle murmurs something to reyes, something distinctly like, “just leave him be, mate,” but johnny bulldozes through, excited, and replies, “hmm? nae. i’m givin’ it to my girl.”

johnny doesn’t even notice the sudden silence in the room until the awkward petering laughter of gus.

“he smashed his head harder than we thought, no? probably needs more than a dentist.”

johnny rolls his eyes with a huff and flips him off, but he stops when he noticed the genuine concern in kyle’s face, the poor lad looking at him like he truly believes gus’ words and that he’s a second away from dialling for the standby medical team for johnny.

“what,” he bites out, shoulders hunching because why are they looking at him like that?

“it’s your loose tooth, johnny,” kyle answers, bug-eyed like there’s something obvious that johnny isn’t getting.

“i know.” it’s johnny’s turn to be confused. “‘s why i’m giving it to ‘er.”

“oh for fuck’s sakes— johnny, fill us in: why are you giving your girl your tooth?” price finally pipes in, looking more tired than he was on ice.

oh! johnny thought, his mind finally catching up to the situation. he breaks out into a smile, giddiness going rampant in his chest again, his stomach swooping at the thought of it—

“i’m proposin’ to her.”

a beat.

“that answers fuck all!”

he doesn’t even know who screamed that anymore, jumping in his own surprise at their explosive reaction, before yelping when a leg pad—probably price’s—was flung over his way with sharp accuracy.

“riley!”

.

you and johnny invited the boys and their plus-ones to celebrate the engagement, keeping most of it as private as one could after johnny posted a picture of you crying in his account, with the caption, “she said yes!”

(“couldn’t you have posted that selfie of us with the ring instead, baby?”

“shit, m’bad, bon. s’just that ye were too cute cryin’, almost had me panicking when you wouldn’t stop heaving.”

“…right. okay. can i post a different picture then?”

“of course, bonnie.”)

(yourname

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jmactavish.91 your fool

yourname my fool 🩷)

the party was vibrant, formalities thrown away at the promise that not a single photo would be posted without anyone’s permission. any news sites were explicitly banned, guests screened because you and johnny had wanted to, at least, keep one celebration for the engagement closed off to the world.

you’re chatting with simon’s girlfriend, who is so shy and sweet, bug-eyed because she said she’s only ever seen you from her phone when she watches your games, when johnny returns with his mates and instantly slots himself beside you.

simon nods at you in greeting, while john and kyle repeat their congratulations, beaming at your quiet chuckles while johnny preens at them, so boyishly charming and endearing.

you can’t help but brush a kiss on his jaw, faint as to not transfer your gloss to his skin. johnny tips his head down and looks at you like you’ve hung the moon for him.

“since y’r engaged, i just gotta say,” kyle begins after sipping from his flute. “did you know ol’ johnny wanted to propose to you with the tooth he lost last season?”

johnny snorts and you two share a fond look, even as you quirk your brows up because you are so sure he told them, at least.

“lord,” john whispers, catching on.

“oh,” kyle adds, humour leaving his face, and is replaced with incredulity. you would have giggled if it weren’t for the fact his eyes are now trained on your hand as if to gauge how it looks.

simon grunts before you can show it off to them, and when you all turn to him, he just shrugs, avoidant, until his partner pokes his side with a confused tilt of her brows.

“i mean,” he begins, almost petulantly. “it’s johnny.”

he sniffs like that explains anything, and, given than you’re the person marrying johnny, it really does. you can’t help the giggles now, and you turn, smothering them on johnny’s shoulder who is busy cussing out his friend in murmurs.

“may i?” john asks, apparently tired of dancing around the topic.

“or course!” you reply, smiling, and put your arm out to show to them the pretty ring that your boy has given you with a warm promise of an eternity shared with him. if you’ll let him.

(there were so many more you wanted to tell johnny, so many more you wanted him to hear, but they all fell short. they all felt incomplete. but right there, in that moment, you knew what it was that you had to say. what it was that would let this bring his promise to life.

“yes,” you gasped out, choking on your own tears. “a hundred times yes, johnny!”

you two were trembling as he slid the ring on your finger, hearts throbbing with all the love reserved for each other.)

they crowd around your arm, leaning, their eyes bulging at seeing johnny’s tooth nestled there, in between the gold and the little diamonds surrounding it, and—

“i saw that fall off his mouth, oh my god.”

you laugh at kyle’s words, your heart so full and so fond because everything is just so beautiful.

johnny nuzzles his nose on your cheek, ignoring his lads in favour of kissing you.

[safely-in-vhagars-belly]

House of the dragon short read a summery for all those who have forgotten for season 2 and totally true to the facts and how it happened.

This might be the most chaotic shitpost recap I've ever seen.

Viserys: Nah I want a son.

Rhaenyra: Noo father I'm just as goooood.

Daemon: You have meeeee.

Viserys: No I want a son. Gimme one.

Aemma: nooo now I must dieeee. Here's your son tho.

Viserys; Aemma my uwu nooo

Baelon: FATHER I AM UR SON

viserys: yes u are uwu u are so cute lets make photos.

Maester: sire u should back off and let the kid breath Sire, no do not bring out the tide pods. Sire...SIRE!!!!

viserys: I'm off now that I have my photos for my dragongran with him and his first tidepod! This will bring in the likes and defeat Daemons unholy post.

Maester:*kills child* I hate targaryens I hate them I hate them I hate them. Stupid ugly white haired ppl

Baelon: well fuck you too you cunt. You think I want to be in this family? Ha. Jokes on you.

Viserys: NOOO MY SOON SOB SOB WHO DID THISSS

daemon: LETS FUCKING GOO IM THE TRUE HEIR YALL BETTER REMEMBER THIS. DRINKS ON THE TAP OF THE CROWN. THATS ME ANYWAY HAHA FUCK U BAELON U LOSER FOR ONE DAY.

Daemon when appearing for vizzy: Look we all make goofs & errors what's most important is where our hearts are at.

Viz: I'm convinced you have no heart!

Daemon: NAAAAAAH U CANT. IM UR HEIR

Viz: I already have a child. U are a child daemon. U are just not mine

Guards: OOOOOOHHHH

Viz: daemon you know where the trash goes. Follow it.

Viserys: I still want my boii

Aegon: I AM HERE FATHER. LOVE ME.

VISERYS: what the fuck are you. You can't be my son why ur hair like that.

Alicent: husband I'm like 17 and I got u a son. Ur other wifey failed to do that. Us hightowers have curls. Its a curse and a blessing.

Otto: maybe it's magic, maybe it's Hightower genetics.

Rhae: rude ass bitch all of you. Look at how cute he is. He's my baby brother I will protect him. SAY RHAERHAE

alicent: rhae he came out me a moment ago he can't talk yet.

Aegon: (as a baby to his sister) I am the superior one and u should fetch me a snack in the kitchen, you white haired wench.

Rhae:*handing back Aegon* nah u can have this shit back. Do us all a favour next time just go the targaryen way and let it die.

(We light the way)

Vizzy: I wanna fuck u (to alicent)

Alicent:( alright its my duty.

The most unpassionate scene:

Aemond, happily making his entrance in the show as a sperm: WIEEEEEE! Hahaha thank you gods, I won't let you down. I will bring chaos into this family!!!!

The gods; good, our little apprentice. Good.

Rhaenyra: I'm so sneaky hehe

Daemon and rhae rhae: *almost fuck each other*

Daemon: wait I can't I suddenly decided I have morals and standards. Also u just a child tf.

Rhaerhae: no what is this? Fuck you I'm nailing that dornish snack as if he's a lose screw in a IKEA shelf

Daemon: No not Crispin! Get baaaack

Rhaerha: Too late

Crispin: Ah yes. My fantasy is finally coming true!!!!

Crispin: My queen forget ur pathetic kingdom full of incest and forget that old fuck that is your father. Let us depart on a ship and start a life that will not raise questions at all with your hair and our new found riches.

Rhae: I am listening.

Crispin: We can sell...oranges

Rhae; Nah fuck this shit where are the bananas. I love bananas. U should go with your oranges if that makes you happy. Pathetic fruit picker. This is why my uncle bested u. If you relied on bananas none of this would have happened.

Crispin: Rhae rhae..

Rhae: NAH have u even tried defeating a yiga clan member with a orange? You never played zelda did you? And you call yourself a warrior? Out of my sight.

Crispin: but I love u. Why would you sit a comfortable throne instead of working your ass off with me in the fields?:(

Rhae: Honey I never worked a day in my life and I intend to keep that tradition.

Helaena at some point: MHEEWWWWHH

Alicent: he said he wanted a son, so zip it.

Helaena:*cries*

Rhae rhae: Kidnap me, make me your wife and slay my father's guards.

Viserys who can read their lips and understand Valyrian: What kind of wattpad fanfic is this shit. What's next Harry styles flying in on dragonback?

Harry styles: HELLO WESTEROS. THIS IS FOR OUR PRINCESS. ALL OF YOU; WATERMALEON SUGAR. HIGGGGGH.

Crowd: HIIGGGGGH.

Aemond in Alicents belly: Grgg *DEMONIC NOISES*

Alicent: why does rhaenyra get Harry styles and I all I get is traumas and struggles. Also why is prince daemon and her acting out duncon fics when I INTRODUCED RHAE RHAE TO WATTPAD AND HE GAVE ME HIS FAVOUR I HATE THIS AHHH.

Alicent; why am i so angry... I don't understand.

Aemond in her belly: MOAHAHAHA IT WORKS.

Ser Harwin strong; I really should not. It is against the rules.

Rhae rhae: *breathes*

Harwin: If they cut off my cock I still got my fingers-

---

Time skip

Aegon: I don't know what happened but suddenly I'm borderline rapist and I'm also a drunk and like long legged people because it reminded me of dinosaurs and I got that phase when my father still loved me.

Aemond: I'm kind of cute and sympathetic but you will hate me later. It's OK. I will get over it ;)

Helaena: I am the mighty seer. I know all. OOH SPIDERS.

---

Vhagar: (dreaming) a big strong dragon approaches vhagar and courts her with a beheaded child corpse. She takes it and they mate.

Vhagar, waking up: WHO DARES INTERRUPT MY DREAMS?!

aemond; shit she's so big

Vhagar:*pulling a knife* WANT TO REPEAT THAT.

Aemond: uhm no ma'am! May I...May I ride you

Vhagar; NO :) *goes to sleep*

Aemond: shit shit...

Aemond: OBEY.

vhagar; WHAT IS WITH YOU AND YOUR FAMILY ALWAYS WAKING ME UP. FIRST LAENA NOW YOU. LAENA HAS NOT EVEN MET SEBASTIAN YET UNDER THE SEA. DO YOU MIND IM MOURING HERE.

Aemond: I understand..

Aemond;...its just...

Aemond: the seaweed is always greener.

Vhagar: (sigh): in somebody else's lake

/

Don't ask.

I Don't know what the hell happend either.

[nic-liveblogs]

those mk & lloyd parallels got HANDS, any new thoughts on that or their interactions? (maybe save this ask till after the special, cuz uh... something occurs)

i hear you and i see you ok 😭😭 its just that these past 2 weeks have been incredibly busy for me and also lack of motivation 🫠

but i just got covid so perfect excuse to finally think about this 😭 problem is that i mightve forgotten alot about lmk at this point so bear with me 💀

i think this mightve been mentioned in like previous posts but lloyd and mk just training and like talking about life would be very special to meeeee!! id love to see how our 2 protags of east asian inspired lego shows would interact!! idk they could go get therapy together because they are both very messed up theyd ask each other to seek help and then say nooo im fiiinee, bonding over secretive mentors me thinks like why do they do they keep secrets all the time!!! like idk id love a swap au between these 2 they r very interesting to me.. also both of them getting betrayed suckss. they could learn somthing from each other like lloyd is more wise in like the master wu sorta way and i think mk could teach him to let loose a little.. also they can both go apeshit mode hehehehehe i think ive already mentioned this in like another ask

..

i think red son would remind lloyd alot of him when he was younger like idk they try so hard to be evil but they got that goodness in them yk 😔😔

i think that applies to kai in the hotheaded sense like hes grown so much since he was 15 and i think hed want to help red son in the way he helped wyldfyre as well

..

lloyd: so yeah my great grandma is like a dragon..??

nya: and i turned into a dragon once!!

mei: thats sooooo cool my great great great great great great thousand times great grandpa was a dragon too!! do you guys wanna see my dragon!!!!

*lloyd and nya expecting some tiny dragon like riyu or chompy*

and then mei whips out her totally cool kickass dragon and they are both in awe like teach me how to do that!!!!

..

im pretty sure sandy is the builder of the time right?? there are so many builder characters in ninjago like pixal, jay, nya, sora, zane and i think they could probably geek out about it hehe

zane probably also knows about jttw since he knows like everything about everything yk i think he would listen to tang talk about it zane's sweet like thattt and tang can finally talk to someone who knows the full story 😭

..

one time someone asked about morro and macaque and like i still dont really know how to answer that like theyve both died ig thats cool 😭 shared trauma on dying lol, and also they were both like evil at one point and i guess reflecting back on it theyve both been like what was it all really for

..

ive said this before and ill say it again jay, mk, mei and maybe wyldfyre would totally go do some dumb shit together and get in trouble together 😭

..

and thats all i have maybe i'll think up something in the future? who knows!

[sidabro]

"its not possible to read your mind or the signals of distress that you put effort into hiding so how should i have known youre sad and want this or that" you couldntve, of course, and i didnt wish, thats exactly why i acted so beautifully a silence and neutrality, but its very funny that when youuuuu make your silences and answer coldly "im fine" even though by all visible and invisible signs you arent, you expect meeeee to be intuitive and get past the sacred rite of three denials (oh oh oh so forgotten, that people even call it fuckery to say "i didnt ask" "i cant possibly" and "but please, i dont deserve" when presented gifts or invited, BLET) to an inquiry so i can provide the help desired! Ouuu, how super, "you said youre okay and i didnt want to push your boundaries by asking you further" ouuuu but lest i dont push and nudge you resent! What beautiful conditions that are with all humans, the desire to be cared for so much about, that they know to ignore a fake moat around your castle, they know that its mission and gladness to tear the walls you built, to lockpick the chest of your soul! You build all this searching for who will want to break it despite its resistance, well, naturally, as per the terms and conditions of being th soul of the narcisit creation thats a human! Well fuck you to hell it goes both ways..

[potatoidunno]

OKAY KIKO, OKAY. GAME PLAYED. GAME PLAYEDDDD

i had time on my hands. Don't be alarmed. Okay maybe be a little alarmed. It was relaxing for me. Sorta. I'm open to having my opinions being forcibly beaten out of me okay bye!!

Accidental Public Confession - NAY i need them to be able to revel in the confession and to uwu in all their glory and not be interrupted by the realization that NPC#34 is staring intently from across the room

Almost Kiss - YAY there's always just so much room for the build up of tension! and THEN what?? do they get right back into it? Or is there a time skip and it's on their mind for days? weeks?

Anger Born of Worry - NAY very rarely do i see this written in a way that doesn't leave me infuriated; it's just somehow magically solved and sunshines and rainbows once they realize "oh it's because they love me that they've been pissed for a whole week!" without any actual... apologizing? recognizing it's not cool?

Blind Date - NAY just not my vibe, maybe that's rooted in me personally finding the concept of blind dates anxiety inducing HAHA

Break His/Her Heart to Save Him/Her - YAY i love angst (but also NAY because the reason is almost always something stupid that could've been solved with a little something called communication)

Caught in the Rain - YAY but only if it's warm spring/summer rain and they don't have any important papers/documents/electronics in their bags

Childhood Friends Romance - YAY but i gotta be seeing some snippets into the childhood, don't jump me with a "i've always loved you" without actually showing that

“Dear John” Letter - YAY only if paired with sufficient backstory of why A has come to their wits end with B. and they don't take them back.

Deconfirmed Bachelor - YAY eat your words and look at you now, simp (better if they're just completely unabashed about simping)

Dying Declaration of Love - NAY THEN SAY IT MF EARLIER DUMMY (+ doesn't leave room for continuation if they actually die)

Everyone Can See It  - NAY if the actual confession is comparably lackluster to the way the sickeningly sweet pining is described by everyone else :( YAY if everyone sighs in relief and they are no less disgusting in their affection

Exiled to the Couch - YAY funnier if the couch is actually comfier than the bed

Fake Relationship - YAY if there's an actual guideline and plan while executing the fake relationship. there's gotta be a goal/reason, tension, and the segue into a real rel

First Cut is the Deepest - NAY if it becomes a recurring issue that A has to bend over backwards to accommodate B, without B actually putting in effort to work on themselves

First Love - YAY it's cute

Flirting Under Fire - YAY PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN WAS A PIVOTAL MOMENT OKAY

Forgotten First Meeting - YAY A's feigned expression of hurt, B desperately trying to remember and sweating bullets but has the memory of a goldfish (i'm B). A vowing to make themselves much more memorable this time around

Friendly War - YAY it just makes for such good banter

Friends with Benefits - NAY which is funny because i've read so many?? mentally i just need it to go somewhere...! i'm a lil softie ok i need them to kiss kiss fall in love eventually

Gibberish in Love - YAY i love it when A is ridiculously dumb for B <3

wow there's a text limit per block??

Girl of My Dreams - NAY meh doesn't do much for me idk!

Green-Eyed Epiphany - YAY yessssss i live for this shit give it to meeeee muahahaha has me ROLLING on the ground when this happens uhg. less cool if A takes it way too toxic and it's less jealousy and more just straight controlling

Hands-on Approach - YAY let's be logical here it really would be the best way to learn ;)

Happily Married - YAY but they still have to have silly fights okay

Her Boyfriend’s Jacket - YAY they're probably better quality anyway. love it when they get all mushy eyed seeing their partner wearing their things :) bonus if they steal something they can't even practically wear for fun/revenge

Her Heart Will Go On - NAY no thank you just kill me, the reader, off too at that point. i sat through a 300k slowburn fic only to have B spontaneously die. And then A had two kids with someone else in the last chapter. THE LAST CHAPTER. DO YOU KNOW HOW INSANE THAT IS-

High School Sweethearts - YAY there are just so many aspects about high school that can make this trope easy to write about, lots of events/topics/settings for inspiration of how they met (e.g. between the bookshelves and one of them sliding a note to the other using a ruler.... may or may not be an experience of someone close to me)

Holding Hands - YAY the little brushes of the thumb for comfort ooooohh ; u ;

I Can’t Believe a Guy Like You Would Notice Me - NAY if it leans less into "a guy like you" (as in they're just literally max stats and on a different social/economic field compared to everyone else) and too much into the "not like other girls" (in the toxic way) vibes yknow?? but if it comes from a place of genuine insecurity and it becomes an opportunity for some sweet reassurances then ok we ball

I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On - YAY 100% it makes for such good humour, play into it! DO IT AGAIN FOR FUN. WOOO. abuse your newly discovered skill! MAKE THEM MISERABLEEE

I Don’t Want to Ruin Our Friendship - NAY as much as i do understand the real fear that comes along with this and the nuances of changing a relationship from platonic to romantic.... lmao i am reading for a reason GET WITH IT PLEASE DOn'T TEASE ME

I Got You a Drawer - YAY do you know how much you have to care for someone to give them your miscellaneous drawer? the effort they must've put in to put all the shit that was in there, somewhere else?? god, that's peak romance

“I love you” Stigma - NAY just say it, coward >:( I don't mind the build up of it but I dunno I live more for the subtle actions that show I love you more than I do the act of saying it, if that makes sense?

I Want My Beloved to Be Happy - YAY oof yeah, I mean if I'm there to read about those two characters, I probably wouldn't be happy about this ending but LMAOOO I've seen it written well and if it comes from a place of true selflessness then it can be so deliciously bittersweet. Even if it might infuriate me

Imagined Love Triangle - YAY if it's not real or drawn out and it's a way of introducing some tension or realizations of feelings or something something. Weird if it persists as a problem even after it's cleared up

Imagined Innuendo - YAY accidental innuendoes are everywhere and i simply love turning everything into one. It's all about that plausible deniability!!

Inconvenient Attraction - YAY because this was me irl and the frustration that came with it was so annoying and I'm simply built to like this trope and perspective. That, and the reluctance towards admitting attraction makes for great slowburn

Innocent Cohabitation - YAY I love domesticity and there's something about the simplicity of living together and the bond of routine that is wonderful :) that and beating the other person with a pillow because their alarm has been ringing for 20 minutes (surely that leads to romance right?)

Interrupted Intimacy - YAY best when the third party is completely unaware of the cockblocking they're doing and won't take the hint to leave

Intertwined Fingers - YAY again one of those "show it don't say it" methods of affection that I love love love

It Doesn’t Mean Anything - YAY it most definitely did and will mean something LMAO

It’s Not You, It’s Me - NAY I get the principle behind it but if they actually say it like this then I'm gone. I'll be convinced they said it just to rile me up in the audience, knowing it wouldn't be interpreted well HAHA but yeah in principle, fine, as long as you actually communicate wtf "it's me" means and why it's a deal breaker for continuing the relationship

It’s Not You, It’s My Enemies - NAY because if you loved them you'd become the dynamic killer duo and you'd be much stronger together. why the hell would you think they'd be safer away from you and out of your sight?? My g you have to be joking rn

The Lady’s Favour - YAY especially if they treat the item with so much care and tenderness... and if they become reaaaallly tilted when it's damaged or taken away. I just love the idea of them having a prized possession and ahhh. Sentimentality is IN. ((Gilmi was so real for asking for a single strand of hair))

Lap Pillow - NAY because I worry for the person who is the pillow and whether they have to pee or get up to do something and the stress they're under to be STILL. But also YAY because it's cute and running their hands through the other's hair is so sweet and tender and willingly giving up feeling in your legs is so peak romance

Leave the Two Lovebirds Alone - NAY because does this ever work? do they ever actually go back to smooching or romancing or whatever? No!! It breaks tension and creates embarrassment!!

Let’s Wait Awhile - YAY i mean it's always yay if there's prioritizing of comfort and consent, no pressure, and open communication and expectations-if that's how this trope is being used

Like An Old Married Couple - YAY there's something so so heart clenching about knowing the other else like the back of their hand, anticipating their every move--and yet STILL, every once in a while, they do something to surprise them!! Gah!! Yes!! Eat oatmeal and watch day time soaps together in bed while you crochet!

Like Parent, Like Spouse - NAY i thought at first this was using the "god you're JUST like your mom/dad" during an argument and I would've cried hell yes bc that's just the RIGHT thing to say during an argument to make for an explosive angsty story and- anyway yeah I'm good

Long Distance Relationship - NAY I need them to cuddle, stat!! Also the issues that arise from this trope can more often than not be solved with communication... and you know what they never do...? Communicate! Effectively!!!

Love Across Battlelines - NAY I've seen this done well before but it's frustrating if the background lore/context of the battlelines are ignored afterwards. Great, you're enemies from opposing sides and now you're in love. Wonderful. Now what? I need to know what the now what is. You can't introduce a whole backstory and not follow through/keep it relevant.. surely some of the differences between A and B become a point of conflict later on.

Love at First Punch - YAY I've BEEN saying the height of YA novels back in like 2014ish when every protag punched or fought their love interest at some point... yeah nothing like a concussion to give them heart eyes!! Or enough brain damage to ask them to count to 3 and for their name and contact info. Also leads to the opportunity for IOU requests as compensation for the black eye

Love at First Sight - NAY I'm all about the slow burn and falling in love as they get to know each other and the small quirks and details... the exception is if they fall in love at first sight because of something extremely specific/stupid HAHA

Love Before First Sight - YAY immediately contradicting the trope above to say it'd be so cute if they've ever only heard of the person in passing/what they've done for mutuals and they become infatuated with the idea of meeting them but they coincidentally miss every opportunity to do so and it frustrates them to no END. And then they become a fumbling mess when they do meet. I may or may not have used this trope before and am biased oops-

Love Letter - YAY but only because I'm remembering a story my mom told me where she wrote a letter and put it in a random mailbox. Was it received and flustered the recipient? Yes. Did it end in romance? No. But imagine A randomly dropping a letter and B losing their mind overthinking every interaction afterwards and later finding out A had just written some rizz lines from a tweet they found funny.

Love Makes You Uncreative - NAY I just don't think this trope would bring me joy because I'd be busy ??????-ing. a case of the character misattributing their decreased ability to perform activity/hobby to the one good thing they managed to cultivate in their life, and then them throwing that away?? I'm OK in my corner here thanks

Love Potion - YAY it's used on one person and not the other and it becomes a "this isn't you, you'd NEVER let me have the last slice of cake" type of situation where they try to keep the other from doing things they'd regret when it wears off (OFC little do they know they love each other anyway blah blah)

Love Triangle - NAY no thanks. if I wanted to read about A + C I would've searched for that on its own.

Love Will Lead You Back - NAY if it's some on off on off on off thing or hopeless pining with no moves made for character/circumstance development. YAY for if it's one of those "when will they return from the war" / denial of death because I dunno there's something bittersweet about that kind of delulu (((bring him back please please, it's been two months-)))

Married to the Job - NAY too real man, no need to remind me of work culture and the problems it creates when I'm trying to enjoy some peak entertainment wth

Matchmaker Crush - YAY and can you imagine how silly and devious and fun the attempts to help are? And then character A keeps wondering why B's suggestions get worse and worse and aren't even remotely helpful anymore-

Meet the In-Laws - YAY it's sweet how nervous they are about it and how much prep goes into the meeting. Especially cute if it all goes wrong

Mistaken for Cheating - YAY it could be a good opportunity to show emotional maturity in the way that the characters approach this confrontation/discussion. Or it could be made into a silly interaction, a series of comically impossible events that led to this mistaken interpretation. Or maybe the assumption brings up underlying cracks and flaws already in the relationship and everything goes nuclear (or the opposite--the absence of any reaction because they've already mentally checked out). I think I just have a thing for angst

Motivational Kiss - YAY YES SMOOCHES ALL AROUND PEPPER THEIR FACE MAKE THEM ALL HAPPY AND GIDDY THEY DESERVE ALL THE SUPPORT

Mrs. Hypothetical - YAY cause I love the idea of them being completely lost with their head in the clouds for an entire day and being a bumbling mess just thinking about their Mrs. Hypothetical

My Girl Back Home - NAY would rather they be home with their girl instead of talking so much about her smh

My Own Private “I do” - YAY small and sweet, probably makes things easier for the writer too (lmao trying to fit in every named character in the ceremony would be a nightmare). Win win for everyone

My Sister is off-limits! - YAY depending on the difference in age and some of the language/phrases used. Sometimes it's been done well but other times it's given me the BIG ick.

Necktie Leash - YAY yeah but in my head extra funny if they play into it yellin WOOF WOOF to turn the tables and embarrass the other person

New Old Flame - YAY characters grow and change outside of the view of the audience. It's interesting to see how this growth is portrayed and how it's perceived, and whether it actually makes any difference to their relationship

Oblivious to Love - NAY because I've been frustrated in the past by it being drawn out for way too long. Yes, A is way too mf dense. But for the love of god B SUCKS at communicating to ANY degree of effectiveness. Ahhh!!

Office Romance - YAY I guess it's hot when they refill the photocopier with paper without being asked to whew

Operation: Jealousy - YAY it's okay if it's a one off event for an ex they don't have feelings for anymore and it's purely for animosity or starting shit. Otherwise NAY if they're still actively into their ex/other love interest

Relationship Reveal - YAY but the degrees to which some of these relationships have progressed before being revealed ASTOUND me sometimes. Cute and fine if it's early relationship but no way you've been married for five years and you haven't slipped ONCE to your coworkers

Road Trip Romance - YAY road trips and the stressors of traveling with someone are relationship changing and I stand by this irl and in fiction

Romantic Fake-Real Turn - YAY a classic of course. I could never say no to this trope muah my beloved.

Romantic Wingman - NAY dunno doesn't do it for me, shoo away wingman

Runaway Bride - NAY because I just focus too much on the money and the prep and the stress of all that went into the ceremony and I can't get over that mental block.. like okay you ran away but now what?? Where's your passport you still gotta go HOME after pls this is stressing me out!

Secret Relationship - YAY yes cute little cover story of enemies/strangers but secretly they're quite soft for each other. But they gotta make some progress eventually, I can't sit through 20 chapters of it going nowhere

Sex Equals Love - YAY yeah sex can just be sex, not every character pairing needs to end up in a relationship. But BOY do I love to read about the subtle actions of increased intimacy that show during bed wrestling when feelings do develop and spawn in between sessions.

She Cleans Up Nicely - NAY i like the reverse, have them dress down/see them on their day off when they're wearing literally the worst piece of clothing they own and still look cute

She’s Not My Girfriend - YAY yet

Sickening Sweethearts - YAY bonus points if it annoys the shit out of everyone else and they do it on purpose knowing that

Slap-Slap-Kiss - YAY the tension is unmatched. slap unnecessary but bonus points if it turns them on. extra bonus if they're sparring when it happens

Smithical Marriage - YAY if they play and lean into it for fun

Star-crossed Lovers - NAY shit i'll still read it LMAOO but my heart wants good endings and i've been hurt enough as it is

Surprise Pregnancy - NAY cmon with the way they've been banging there's no WAY it's a surprise be for realllllll

Teacher-Parent Romance - NAY but that's one way to boost your kid's grades lmao

Ten Minutes in the Closet - YAY i grew up with Seven Minutes in Heaven on Quotev and when smut was called lime/lemon okay,, shit was peak at the time LMAOO the TENSIONNNN

There’s Only One Bed - YAY a CLASSIC with potential for anything from comfy cuddles to complaining about the cost of hotel repair charges

They Do - NAY idk i just prefer the journey so much much much more?? could be misunderstanding this one but oh well

Undercover as Lovers - YAY the blurring of lines and overly affectionate touches and nicknames even when there's no one around AHHH "i'm doing this for the mission" no you're not!!

Understanding Boyfriend - YAY why wouldn't I like them to have an understanding boyfriend?? Good for them! I'm glad he's supportive of their decision to become a part time snake wrangler. We love to see that

Wartime Wedding - YAY again, the hold that pirates of the caribbean has on me... but also it never makes me feel good, too much worry in my heart that things will go wrong

Was it All a Lie? - YAY the crestfallen expression on their face, the worried tugging at their lips. the second guessing of all the memories they shared, now tainted with doubt- ANGST. Yes please

Weakness Turns Her On - YAY sure go for it, vulnerability is cool. not sure if this particular trope is at the top of my lists tho! Unless A is selectively vulnerable for B. That's very cool.

When Harry Met Svetlana - NAY you'd think I'd have said yes and I might've in the past but idk!! not doing it for me rn but maybe because I've done almost a hundred of these HAHAHA maybe the james bond vibes just fizzle the potential out for me

Why Can’t I Hate You? - YAY there's just something so human about realizing you can't separate your emotions into little neat boxes. The frustration that comes with that is just lovely

You Must Be Cold - NAY because I'm worried that the other character is now cold and is going to get sick. And it'll now segue into the obligatory "A is sick and B takes care of them" trope. why would you do this. Hug for warmth or run in circles. Everyone, check the weather before you leave the house

Your Favorite - I'm not sure if there a specific trope name for it but I kinda love it when there's a conflict (wow, Min mentioning angst again, who would've thought) and instead of rising to action to argue... A shuts down and dips. Just up and leaves, poof! Gone without a trace. And it leaves B absolutely spiraling. Frantic and desperate, going everywhere, calling everyone. Something about the thought process of B realizing they messed up is just... muah. Love it. A bit toxic? Maybe. Incredibly satisfying (especially when A is objectively right in the argument)? Absolutely.

okay hi. wow. I actually got through it all. this was a good exercise for my brain today, I'm so sorry to anyone who had to scroll past all of this! zzZ

(not edited and I'm sure my opinions tomorrow might change but weeeee)

guys, I wanna know 🥺🥺

what your favorite/least favorite tropes are and why?

I'M CURIOUS AND ALSO LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION JUICE

(i've stopped watching the anime but damn is this a nice gif)

I have included a list of tropes that I found below the cut for you to love/hate 🥺

Accidental Public Confession

Almost Kiss

Anger Born of Worry

Blind Date

Break His/Her Heart to Save Him/Her

Caught in the Rain

Childhood Friends Romance

“Dear John” Letter

Deconfirmed Bachelor

Dying Declaration of Love

Everyone Can See It 

Exiled to the Couch

Fake Relationship

First Cut is the Deepest

First Love

Flirting Under Fire

Forgotten First Meeting

Friendly War

Friends with Benefits

Gibberish in Love

Girl of My Dreams

Green-Eyed Epiphany

Hands-on Approach

Happily Married

Her Boyfriend’s Jacket

Her Heart Will Go On

High School Sweethearts

Holding Hands

I Can’t Believe a Guy Like You Would Notice Me

I Didn’t Mean to Turn You On

I Don’t Want to Ruin Our Friendship

I Got You a Drawer

“I love you” Stigma

I Want My Beloved to Be Happy

Imagined Love Triangle

Imagined Innuendo

Inconvenient Attraction 

Innocent Cohabitation

Interrupted Intimacy

Intertwined Fingers

It Doesn’t Mean Anything

It’s Not You, It’s Me

It’s Not You, It’s My Enemies

The Lady’s Favour

Lap Pillow

Leave the Two Lovebirds Alone

Let’s Wait Awhile

Like An Old Married Couple

Like Parent, Like Spouse

Long Distance Relationship

Love Across Battlelines

Love at First Punch

Love at First Sight

Love Before First Sight

Love Letter

Love Makes You Uncreative

Love Potion

Love Triangle

Love Will Lead You Back

Married to the Job

Matchmaker Crush

Meet the In-Laws

Mistaken for Cheating

Motivational Kiss

Mrs. Hypothetical

My Girl Back Home

My Own Private “I do”

My Sister is off-limits!

Necktie Leash

New Old Flame

Oblivious to Love

Office Romance

Operation: Jealousy

Relationship Reveal

Road Trip Romance

Romantic Fake-Real Turn

Romantic Wingman

Runaway Bride

Secret Relationship

Sex Equals Love

She Cleans Up Nicely

She’s Not My Girfriend

Sickening Sweethearts

Slap-Slap-Kiss

Smithical Marriage

Star-crossed Lovers

Surprise Pregnancy

Teacher-Parent Romance

Ten Minutes in the Closet

There’s Only One Bed

They Do

Undercover as Lovers

Understanding Boyfriend

Wartime Wedding

Was it All a Lie?

Weakness Turns Her On

When Harry Met Svetlana

Why Can’t I Hate You?

You Must Be Cold

Your Favorite

[batstorm93672]

"Hey Little D"

Bonds

"You sure pulled it well. Jason did it first, I did it better if you ask me"

Humor

"But then you swooped in and took the crown"

Jokes

"...Why did you have to go?"

Alike

"I went to your room, saw a couple drawings. I never thought you would draw me, I feel often forgotten in the shadows. Which is a big factor as to why we bond I suppose"

Lost

"I don't know how long I've been crying, days or weeks? Not that it matters, I just miss you... we all do. You were a brat, but you meant so much to us"

Shadows

"I know you didn't feel like it, I saw how you looked whenever you were left out or whenever you stayed quiet while everyone laughed. It's difficult to connect to a family you feel dropped into"

Alone

"I liked being around you, even if you insult me it adds character. I adored seeing how you experience things for the first time, like when you and I went into the bouncy house? Your face lit up and it was amazing"

Words to the dead

"So, when you come back. I'll probably congratulate you on being a member of the Dead Robins club. Jason is the leader, you are now an official part of our team kiddo. Then I'll hug you in worry, then smack you upside the head for taking so dang long... when all is said and done, I wanna go jumping with you in a bouncy house again, just us two"

.

"Brown, can you tell me if this color fits for this palette?"

Purple

"That's me..."

"Yes? Now, does this shade of purple fit or not?"

"Yeah I think it does, you know me so well"

Uncontrollable joy

"Hey! Unhand me! I'm trying not to mess this painting up!"

"Aaaaawwwwwww! You love meeeee! You adorable baby brother of mine!"

Adorable

"Raaagh! Unhand me Brown this instant or I will cut off your hands!"

"Fiiiiine, I'll let go of you grumpypants"

"Tt. I need to finish this"

"Thank you"

Love

"...it is no big deal. I find it soothing to draw everyone, you are just one of my concepts"

"Why's that?"

"...you are loud and chaotic, yet there's sweetness to it. I find it very special and I feel a sufficient amount of gratitude to be by you"

Words the the living

"You are something else Little D"

"Hmph, don't say a word of this to anyone"

"My lips are sealed"

[newtonsheffield]

Cause we talked about it.. I now have to ask 😂

Anthony’s Kate in a hockey skirt incident and recreation? Could we see that for a spicy Sunday please 🥺

Thank you

Oh Boyyy

This seems like a good follow up to today's chapter because Anthony fondly remembered his first ever wank (bless him) aided by the visual provided to him in PE class, of Kate Sharma, in a hockey skirt, her Shirt tied in a little knot at her waist, the poor kid didn't know what to do.

And he certainly didn't like the look his Mum gave him the next day when he stood in the laundry hastily shoving his bedsheets into the washing machine, as if she new exactly why a teenage boy would be washing his sheets at 6am on a saturday morning

"Oh God!" Anthony's breath left his body as he looked across that the other PE class on the other half of the field, and spied something he'd probably never wanted to see. Kate Sharma, in a very short skirt, laughing with her friend, their lesson not yet begun, a hockey stick firmly in hand.

Anthony had been watching Kate since she'd arrived at school last year. No, he didn't like how that sounded, that made him sound like a stalker. But... maybe it was possible that he might have a little crush on Kate. And who could blame him. She was smart, far smarter than he was actually, already the top of their class, she was funny: every single time she walked past him she tossed a little quip his way her lips quirking in a smirk, and she was beautiful. So beautiful, it made his chest ache.

And now here she was, wearing an even shorter skirt than usual, her long legs shining in the sun, , a tiny bit of her midriff on display from her shirt, tied at her waist, and Anthony felt something deep inside him tighten, panic rising in his chest, Oh god, please no, not here. Oh christ, she was bending over. He was about to embarrass himself in front of the entire year, his shorts tightening and-

"Ow! Fuck!" A hockey ball collided with the side of his head, knocking him to the floor. And honestly he should have been furious at Simon who was grinning at him unashamedly, but as he went off to the nurses office he could only feel just a little thankful, even as Kate called out

"So I suppose we can rule you out of hockey tryouts next week hey Bridgerton?" As he passed.

Of course as he lay in bed that night, desperately trying to get to sleep, her face had flashed through his mind again, and then his eyes had slipped downwards, to the fact the buttons on her polo shirt hadn't been done up, and her midriff had been on display and her legs were so long and before he knew what was happening he was aching, his hand hesitantly touching at first and then bolder and bolder until he'd made an absolute mess of himself and his bedsheets, and he was certain he'd croaked out her name as it had happened.

This wasn't something Anthony was necessarily proud of, it also was definitely not the last time we'd wanked himself off thinking of Kate Sharma, both before and after they were together. But he'd never told Kate that she'd been the first, it just seemed embarrassing that it had happened so innocuously, she'd just been standing there, going on his her life and he'd practically been humping her leg like a randy dog.

So no, he didn't exactly want to tell her. But of course like everything he did.

"Tell meeeee." Kate said, straddling his chest one sunday morning, her eyes shining with amusement. "Oh my god, is it because it's really embarrassing?" She gasped, "Was it mrs. Danbury?"

Anthony nearly choked, he certainly wasn't going to let her think that! He sighed. "Do you happen to remember that day I got hit in the head with a hockey ball?"

Kate shook her head.

Anthony sighed, "Well when I was 14, I got hit in the head with a hockey ball, and i was distracted because you were further down the field... And I got a hard on."

Kate guffawed, her eyes widening with joy. "Oh my god."

Anthony sighed, "The night I couldn't stop thinking about the fact you hadn't done up the buttons on your polo shirt, and I could see your cleavage like a tiny bit, and you'd tied it up so I could see your midriff and your legs are really long okay? I couldn't help myself. And that was the first time I ever got off." He could feel his ears burning.

Kate was laughing brightly, "So I was standing still at School and that got you off?"

Anthony felt a little indignant, "You bent over actually as well, and you said you wouldn't laugh!"

Kate laughed.

He had almost forgotten about it, weeks later, when he walked through the front door, a little weary from his work day, and stopped dead. Because his very hot girlfriend was sitting at the breakfast bar in their small kitchen, her legs crossed, her eyebrow raised expectantly, and what she was wearing made him swallow convulsively. Kate was wearing a hockey uniform, her poloshirt tied at her waist, the skirt barely hitting her mid thigh and Anthony felt heat pool in his stomach as her dropped his backpack at his feet his hand moving up to run through his hair, nervously.

"Hey." It came out as a little huff as he stared at his teenage fantasy come to life. He felt like all the air had been sucked from the room, as Kate stood, her hips swishing towards him, Anthony swallowed again.

"Welcome home, Honey. " There was a smirk in her voice that told Anthony, as always, she knew exactly the power she wielded over him. "You've been working so hard recently, I thought you deserved a little treat."

Her lips were sucking at his neck before he could even respond, whatever he'd been planning to say cut off with a sharp whine, her hands tugging at his jacket, pushing it from his shoulders before tugging him by the belt towards their bedroom.

Anthony's feet felt clumsy as he followed, stumbling over himself, to get to her just like always. Kate let go when they reached the room, making a little show of settling herself on her side of the bed, the word Princess carved just above her head in his hand writing branding her, and he couldn't help but feel a sharp streak of smug possession that she was his in a way she'd never been anyone else's. That everyone had thought her so prim and proper at school... frigid Baz had said, and here she was, wearing a costume for him, putting on a show.

Anthony tore his shoes off, stripping down to his underwear in a flash, moving to straddle her, his hands already on her, wherever he could reach, aching to slither up her skirt and-

"Anthony, you can't touch there yet. You said you touched yourself. Show me."

Anthony let out a choked noise his head falling to her shoulder, nuzzling against her hair for a moment, his boxers already so tight, his hips bucking towards her.

"Where can i touch?" his voice was cracking, wrenched from his chest as he forced his head off her shoulder, groaning a little as he took in the mischievous look in her eyes.

She tugged his left hand from between her knees, sliding it up her shirt, his hand tightening instinctively. "Here seems nice, no?"

Anthony nodded, his shoulders already heaving as her lips went back to his neck, her teeth nipping, her tongue soothing her finger tips running along his stomach before threading in his hair, and it was too much. She was everywhere, all around him, and he needed some relief, his hand slipped into his boxers, groaning at his own touch, as his hips started thrusting into his hand, his eyes fluttering closed.

Kate tilted his chin towards her lightly, "Don't forget to look, Anthony."

He nodded eagerly, his breath coming in sharp gasps her voice hot in his ear.

"Was it this good the first time?"

Anthony shook his head, "Feeling you there is definitely better."

Kate's eyes had darkened, but her smirk was still in place. "How long did it take you?"

Anthony groaned, his hand tightening as her tongue brushed his ear. "Like... 35 seconds."

Kate chuckled, "Good to see you've improved your stamina. But Honey, the quicker you cum, the quicker i'll let you under the skirt."

Anthony could have died, he really could have, his hips moving even more quickly, Kate all around him, her name falling in a garbled mess from his lips, Kate Kate Kate Kate, you're so fucking hot, oh my god, I'm gonna- He exploded, his vision blinding white for a moment, covering them both in himself, his head dropping back against her shoulder. Her hands running soothingly through his hair as his breathing fought to even out.

And then his brain caught up to him. "Wait, where'd you get this?" He tugged at the skirt.

Kate looked a little guilty, "I stole Eddie's."

Anthony's mouth fell open, horrified. "Kate! I just came on your sister's school uniform."

Kate chuckled, "It's okay, she doesn't want it back. She seemed to realise I wanted it for nefarious purposes and told Mary she lost hers." her tongue clicked, "Are you too upset to crawl under the skirt?"

Anthony groaned sliding down her body, nudging her legs apart, "I don't think I could ever be too upset for that."

[izzielizzie]

Rough on the Surface but You Cut Through Like a Knife

summary: When Bronwyn Rojas ends up next to the ever obnoxious Nate Macauley in Spanish class, she doesn’t really mean to hit him with a book. Well, she does, but she doesn’t expect to end up in the principal’s office with him. And she definitely doesn’t expect to find him amusing.

alternatively: Bronwyn hits Nate with a book and a long overdue conversation ensues (AU)

title from Willow by Taylor Swift

I’m about to drop into my regular seat in AP Spanish, my last class of the day, when Señora Trias calls “Don’t sit yet niños, we have some seat switching to do!”

I groan along with the rest of the class and catch Kate’s eye. We’ve sat together the entire year. I don’t even think I know anyone else in my class. She shrugs in a resigned sort of way. Señora Trias is a force to reckoned with, and we both know she’ll never let us stay in the same seats. We follow the teacher’s instructions, and I’m too busy trying to figure out the complicated dance we’re doing - row one to the left, row two to the right, front to back and back to front - that I don’t even notice that I’ve ended up next to a boy in a ratty leather jacket. 

Ugh. Nathaniel Macauley. The school’s notorious drug dealer/womanizer/delinquent/major headache. 

And this headache is smirking at me.

“Can I help you?” I ask.

“Nope, I’m all good… partner.”

I hate the way he says that word, it’s suggestive and disgusting and I suppress a shudder, turning instead to the front of the room, where we’re reviewing pluscuamperfecto. As a native Spanish speaker, I can confidently say I have no idea what the heck that is. 

“This is pointless,” Nate grumbles.

“Shhh,” I whisper back, taking a glance at his sharp jaw and deep blue eyes. I’ve known Nate from a distance my whole life, we’ve gone to the same schools since kindergarten, but this is the first time we’ve been so close - or exchanged words - in years.

I look back to the teacher, who’s now going over conjugations. I scribble them down in my notebook as Nate tips his chair back on two legs, rocking back and forth. 

“You’re going to kill yourself,” I inform him.

“Wow Rojas, I didn’t know you cared.”

I scoff and Señora Trias sends us a sharp look. “Señorita Rojas. Señor Macauley, no talking.”

I give Nate a sharp look. “Now look what you’ve done,” I hiss, feeling the reprimand as if it had been thrown at me. Nate just smirks. 

“You’ve never been in trouble have you?” he asks. I ignore him and he barks out a laugh, my silence serving as an answer. “Wow Rojas, I knew you were straight laced but I didn’t know you were that straight laced.”

And we all know you’re not I think, remembering the drug bust rumor Kate was whispering about last week. 

Nate clearly can tell I’m not interested in listening to him, so in the time it takes me to pull out the short novel we’re reading in class from my bag and read about a chapter, Nate doesn’t say a word. When I’m copying down the questions our teacher wrote on the board onto my notebook, he starts talking.

“What’s the answer to one?”

“Solo español por favor!” Señora Trias calls from the front of the class. I give Nate a triumphant look, expecting him to be unable to follow the teacher’s instruction of only talking in Spanish. Unfortunately this is Spanish class. And Nate’s not an idiot. He repeats the question in the correct language, and I decide that I’d be better off ignoring him. 

After a few moments, I can feel Nate leaning over my shoulder. I look over to see his eyes on my paper.  

“Stop that,” I whisper. 

“Spanish only,” he whispers back.

“That wasn’t even in Spanish!”

“Neither was that,” Nate points out. 

I huff and go back to my paper, flipping through my book to find the answer to my next question. 

“Help meeeee,” Nate whispers. 

“Shut up,” I say.

“Bronwynnnnnn.”

“Shhh.”

“Rrrrrrojas.”

My sister once told me about out of body experiences when we were children, and at the time I had scoffed because the supernatural does not exist. But when I close my book - marking my page with my finger because I’m not a philistine - and swing it straight into Nate’s face, I swear I’m not controlling myself at all.

“Would you shut up?” I snap as an unnatural silence overtakes the room. I look around for the first time, meeting stricken faces. Kate’s looking at me like she’s never met me before. 

“Bronwyn Rojas,” Señora Trias says dangerously. I risk a glance at Nate and feel a flash of sympathy when I see a red mark on his cheek. But he’s smirking at me so maybe he deserved it. 

I’m frozen, not quite sure what to say. Señora Trias points to the door. “Principal. Both of you.”

“Both!” Nate and I say at the same time.

“Yes, look at that you’re in sync, no use that rhythm to get to the office.” 

Not the best witty comment around, all things considered, but since Señora Trias looks like she’s ready to commit murder so I let it slide.

“So let me get this straight,” Principal Gupta says, staring at Nate and I, sitting side by side in the uncomfortable chairs in Gupta’s office. “You two were partnered in Spanish class, Bronwyn you were annoyed with Nathaniel, so you hit him with a book?”

Nate tips his chair back and I kick at his ankle. He kicks back. 

“Bronwyn.”

“Yes, sorry. This is correct,” I say. Principal Gupta stares at me. I’ve been getting a lot of stares lately. She opens her mouth to say something, but before she can, the secretary appears at the door.

“There’s a problem in the cafeteria,” she informs Gupta, who sighs. She looks sharply at us. 

“I am going to be gone for ten minutes tops. Please refrain from murdering each other.”

I nod vehemently while Nate tips his chair back farther, his smirk growing. I count backwards from fifty in my head just to make sure Gupta is really gone before wheeling back towards him. I push down on the arm of his chair with all my might. Nate crashes to the ground, a look of shock on his face.

“Jesus Bronwyn.”

“Stop tilting your gosh darn chair” I hiss, my face only a few inches away from his. I can see myself reflected back in his dark blue eyes. I look mildly deranged. He smirks again and I raise my hand. He flinches away. Ha. Take that. 

He holds up his hands in surrender, leaning away from me. “Would it make you feel better if I sat on the floor Rojas?”

“Yes, yes it would.” 

Nate slides to the ground, and before I can realize what’s happening, he’s pulling me down by the waist. “What the heck?” I ask.

Nate shrugs. “If I have to sit on the floor, then you do too.” He pauses for a beat. “And your legs look good in that skirt.

I slap his shoulder. “Jackass!”

Nate laughs. “She swears!” he announces to an audience of… no one. 

“Why is that notable?” I ask, self-consciously tucking my legs underneath myself, ignoring my tingling waist where Nate’s fingers ended up under my shirt. 

“Because a minute ago you said ‘gosh darn’ and not even grandmothers would say that Rojas.”

I can feel my face flush, but I cross my arms anyway. My little sister always teases me about how I don’t swear. Not that she swears either. “Is it really a bad thing?”

“Yes.”

I flush more, irritated at myself that Nate’s opinion matters this much to me. He senses that I’m done talking because he looks straight ahead at Gupta’s desk, where we can just make out a picture of her and her daughter.

“How’s your sister doing? Maeve, right?” Nate asks, and I turn to stare at him in shock. My sister Maeve left elementary school with cancer a long time ago. Nate was just starting to know her - they were on the same soccer team - and I don’t expect him to remember her, let alone her name.

“Yeah, it’s Maeve,” I say, my tone considerably softer. Nothing makes me happier than my sister. “She’s okay.”

“She’s in remission right?” 

I turn my body so I’m looking straight ahead at him, a concession maybe. My anger is ebbing, and I’m sort of guilty about that bruise on his face. “She is. Thank you for asking.” Not many people do. 

“You’re welcome.” What he says next surprises me so much I almost miss what he says: “Want to talk about it?”

I look at him for a moment, at his dark eyes and smattering of freckles and his closed off expression, and I can’t help the feeling that he’s being serious. And I don’t know why that’s so off putting.

I shrug, trying to figure out what to say. “It just sucks, you know?” I finally land on.

Nate nods. “I know.” I think back to his mother’s funeral, the dark, rainy morning where he stood in an old suit, his father too drunk to even show up. I kept thinking about Maeve, about how some day I might have to stand in the same place, shouldering the burden of a million worlds. 

I imagine that’s how it feels to lose someone.

I feel the need suddenly, to make those eyes light up so I shift slightly closer to him and pluck at the sleeve of his leather jacket. 

“Hey, remember when we were locked in that music room at St. Pi?” I ask.

Nate glances over at me through hooded eyes, his eyelashes unnaturally long. He nods, a half smile on his lips. “I remember. Sixth grade right?”

“Yeah.” I remember that day like it was yesterday. We had been arguing - much like today - in the middle of a music class, and our teacher sent us to the storeroom to sort flutes until we calmed down or something. But we - and the teacher - had forgotten that the door to the store room door locked from the outside. Nate and I were locked in for nearly an hour, which to twelve year olds, felt like forever.

“It was a pretty good day you know?”

“Really? I thought I threw a clarinet case at you.”

“Well you did,” Nate says. “But you know… it was nice. You’re nice.”

“Aww.”

“But you are violent.”

“Touché,” I admit.

He smiles at me, his eyes soft, and I smile back. I’m about to reach up to touch the bruise on his face when Gupta comes back, breezing through the door like she’s floating. She groans when she sees us. 

“Why are you on the floor?”

“Heat rises,” Nate says with a shrug.

“It’s November."

Nate and I just look at each other and smile. We climb back into our seats, and when he tips his chair back, I don’t say anything. And when I say “gosh” instead of “god” when I’m assuring Gupta that “I swear to gosh I didn’t mean to hit him I’m so sorry” Nate doesn’t even bat an eye.

Truce, I guess. 

Gupta spends ten minutes talking about pressure and how sometimes we cave but if Nate forgives me it’s okay before she lets us leave. Nate and I mockingly shake hands before we get up and it’s… nice. 

The bell has already rung, so we turn in opposite directions, me to physics and him to gosh knows where when he turns to me.

“Hey, want to go to the mall on Saturday? You can buy me a pretzel for my troubles.”

“Aren’t you afraid I’ll throw something at you?”

Nate grins his Macauley grin. “I think I’ll risk it, Rojas.”

My smile is his answer.

[creative-soul-22]

And then Harriet tries out an Arrow and shoots it at Alistair Crump just for fun (because she thinks she'll miss him anyway) and it hits like in the middle of his tophat and under the tophat his forehead and she goes like "BULL'S EYE!!" Crump looks at it, sees it, looks at Harriet and then says "Fuck" before collapsing.

And furious Leota snarls at Harriet like a wolf and yells at her: "HEY!! WHAT WAS THAT???!! THAT MOTHERFUCKER WAS FOR MEEEEE!!!!" and runs after Harriet and she be like: "I'm sorry, Honey, I'm Sorry Honey, I am so so sorry!" Then she just stops to meet Leota's eyes and Leota stops, too and raises her axe, ready to chop Harriet's head off but Harriet looks deep into her eyes, takes her hand to softly put the axe aside and just hugs her to say: "I am so sorry, my love" and gives her a kiss. All the fury in Leota is suddenly forgotten as she kisses Harriet back and drops the axe to the ground.

Meanwhile Gabby and Ben are coming out to see what the fuzz is about only to see Harriet and Leota kissing with Constance's axe next to them. Gabby immediately covers Travis' eyes and comments with a "didn't see that coming".

Alistair Crump then wakes up again and sees it and is like "I must have slept for a looooong time. What the hell is THIS??" And Leota hearing knowing he isn't dead goes furious again and pulls out of the hug, picks up her axe and chops him all while he is screaming and she is like: "HOW YOU LIKE THAT YOU MOTHERFUCKER?! HUH????!!! HUH???!! TELL ME!!! THIS FOR TRAPPING ME IN A CRYSTAL BALL!!! THIS IS FOR THROWING HARRIET OUT!!! THIS IS FOR HAUNTING GABBY AND TRAVIS!! THIS IS FOR ALMOST KILLING BEN!! AND THIS IS FOR YOU!!!"

With every chop Leota has more blood on her regalia and Harriet is like: "Wow, I didn't know ghosts could bleed that much. But Baby, you have no idea how INCREDIBLY SEXY you look when you furiously chop people into pieces!"

Leota, now confused, stops. "I look... SEXY???" "Yes, quite, Baby" is Harriet's reply which earns her another kiss from Leota who again drops the axe.

Constance, still watching, realises: "I think I'll never see that axe again."

Kent, who just wanted to stop by, sees Alistair Crump chopped into pieces like minzemeat, Harriet and Leota kissing, Leota being covered in blood, Gabby watching shocked while covering Travis' eyes, Constance watching bored. "Well, I guess that's just an average Wednesday at the Haunted Mansion, am I right? AMEN! Do you think Leota needs help with her exorcism?" "Nah", answers Gabby, "I don't think she needs ANY help at the moment." Kent bashfully looks away as he realises he had stared at Leota and Harriet kissing. "Oh god, why am I still single? Can I get a man? AMEN!"

Then Ben storms out furisously yelling: "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YA DOING???!! HUH??!! GABBY, TRAVIS! GET INSIDE!! HARRIET! YOU..." he stops as he sees Harriet is kissing Leota. "ew. HARRIET! LEOTA! WHAT! THE! FUCK! ARE! YA! DOIN!" Harriet and Leota immediately wince and let go as they hear Ben calling them out. "Oh. Pity it's over", says Kent.

Ben meanwhile sees what had happened and continues: "LEOTA!! WHAT! THE! ACTUAL! FUCK!!" He picks up the axe and walks back to the house. "EVERY FUCKING TIME!!" Leota and Harriet walking following him to the house but Ben be like: "No. Uh-uh. Not like this. Clean up the mess, clean yourselves up and THEN you can come inside." "But... but Crump deserves it, doesn't he?", Harriet says. "I KNOW he deserves it. BUT WE HAVE A KID!!" "Oh." "Now, clean everything up and then come back in. Gabby is making lunch. And I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU DO THIS SHIT AGAIN, ARE WE CLEAR???!!" "Crystal", is Leota's reply. Ben goes inside, murmuring to himself: "Nobody gonna get that axe ever again!"

Kent, still outside is like: "God, it was fun. Why did I miss it? AMEN!"

(Note to myself: too much swearing. Too much splatter. Too much blood. You can do better next time.)

I don’t think it’s fair the Hatbox ghost was banished… William, Leota, Ben and Travis should be allowed to hunt him for sport.

[oreomonsterhunter]

Sick Day

Pairing: Jackson x reader

Word count: 2270

Warnings: none

Synopsis: Jackson stays home sick (and not very willingly lol)

[ 6:00 am ]

Soft gray light seeps around the curtains as you ease into wakefulness.  You stretch your arms over your head, finally registering the chime of your alarm.  But when you roll over to turn it off, you stop, a mere inch between your nose and Jackson’s back.

You frown at him, not that he can tell, since he’s not supposed to be there.  He should be at the gym, or practice, or wherever the hell he needs to be after his ungodly alarm goes off every morning.  Baffled, you poke his shoulder.  “Jackson?”  He groans, and your frown deepens.  You sit up, leaning over him, “Are you alright?  Is your schedule cancelled?”  You squeeze his arm gently to elicit a response.

Jackson cracks his eyes open to look at you, blinking rapidly.  Then suddenly his eyes are comically wide and he’s not sliding but falling out of bed and stumbling to the bathroom.  “Shit, I’m late,” he says hoarsely.

You sit there, still a bit shocked and not a little groggy, and try to make sense of things.  Then you get your act together and go to turn on the coffee machine.  When you pop your head in the bathroom, you find Jackson squinting at his phone, toothbrush hanging out the side of his mouth.  You hip-check him out of the way as you grab your own brush.  “Stop getting distracted if you’re running late,” you mumble around a mouthful of toothpaste.

Jackson starts to respond automatically, and you choke on a laugh as toothpaste dribbles down his chin.  This, of all things, seems to cause a Jackson malfunction.  He stops there, blinking at his minty goatee in the mirror.  With a sigh, you spit and go to help him, taking the toothbrush away before he drops it.  You cup his cheek while you wipe off the mess with a damp washcloth, but then you frown, placing the back of your hand on his forehead.  “Holy—Jackson, you’re burning up,” you exclaim.  You take his face between your hands and stare him down.  “Talk to me.  What’s going on, how do you feel?”

He just blinks for a moment, before shaking his head.  “I just had a headache is all.  Snoozed the alarm.  I’m totally fine, I just need to get to the studio for practice.”

“Jackson, how do you feel?” you repeat, holding him still.  You sneak a glance at his phone, still unlocked to show you his recent search for natural headache remedies.

He looks sheepish now, “Well, my head hurts.”

You raise one eyebrow at him.  “You don’t say.  What else?”

He groans, dropping his face in his hands.  “I’m fine, I promise.  Just a headache.”

“If that’s all it is, take some pain meds and get out,” you challenge him, folding your arms in what you hope is an intimidating stance.  You know bullshit when you hear it.

Somehow the pose works.  That, or Jackson vividly remembers how you chewed him out for lying and threatened to roast him alive if he ever tried it again.  “My throat hurts a bit, and I’m definitely a bit congested.  All I need is some tea and a mask and I’ll be fine,” he starts, but stops just as quickly when your glare intensifies.

You rummage around in the closet and find a thermometer, which confirms your suspicions: a fever.  “Back in bed after you finish brushing, or I’m withholding any and all sexy activities for a month,” you threaten him into compliance.  And you would absolutely uphold that threat, because you know Jackson.  He’s always hounding you to stay healthy, but is a definite member of the “do as I say, not as I do” camp of idiots.  If you don’t lay down the law now, he’ll continue working himself to death, and then he’ll really be in trouble.  Plus he’ll end up getting the other boys sick, and Jackson is enough of a handful on his own without six other boys moaning and groaning.

In the kitchen, you gulp coffee while boiling some water for tea.  Your fingers fly, tapping out a message to Jaebeom, knowing he’ll pass along the message.

Jackson’s an idiot and he’s sick, if anyone asks him to come to practice I’ll end them.

Then to Jinyoung:

Can you check on Jackson this afternoon?  I have to go to work, but would love it if you could make sure he’s still breathing (and hasn’t tried to leave the apartment).  I made kimchi jjigae last night, so there’s leftovers if you want some ❤️

Your phone pings with two positive responses right away, and you nod to yourself.  Then you pour a good spoonful of honey in the mug, grab cold medicine, and bring both to Jackson.  “Drink this, take this, and go to sleep,” you say, shoving the mug in his hands.  “There’s clementines on the counter, plus leftover soup in the fridge.  Call me if you need me, especially if you start to feel any worse.  Jinyoung will stop by around lunch, and I’ll be back from work in time for dinner.  Text me your dumb loopy fever thoughts, okay?”  You finally take a breath after spouting off instructions.  You’re worried, but now you’re running late.  And if he takes a turn for the worse, you can call out of work for the rest of the day.

Jackson just smiles up at you, and you roll your eyes.  You can’t help but smile at your precious idiot—he’s already fever loopy.  “I love you,” he says.

“I love you more.”  You press your lips to the top of his head, then dash to the closet to change into your work clothes.

Even though it’s possibly the fastest strip show in history, Jackson wolf whistles between sips of tea.  You chuckle, jiggling yourself into a pair of pants, and he grins shamelessly.

“Ok, I’m off,” you mutter, collecting various odds and ends and cursing to yourself because you’ve definitely forgotten something.

Jackson calls your name as you start to close the bedroom door, and you turn back.  His smile softens, and you swear there are hearts in his eyes.  “I love you most.”

This time, you really do laugh, and you blow him a kiss goodbye.  He’s an idiot, but he’s your idiot.

[ 11:39 am ]

You knew he was going to text you incessantly throughout the day, despite any good intentions, if only because Jackson was not well equipped to be stuck inside an empty apartment all day.  Especially when he wasn’t feeling well.  At least the texts waited until around ten, when you assume he woke up again.  You’d kept an eye out for any bad updates, but hadn’t seen anything to worry you.

After back-to-back meetings, you finally sign off and take a minute to scroll through the memes, YouTube videos, and more.  Fortunately, your phone was on silent, because he’d sent you half the internet.  The spam tells you he feels okay, all things considered.

I miss you already.  I’ve gone through all of your Spotify playlists and now I’m bored

I would spam you with bad jokes, but those don’t work over text

Why don’t we have a dog?  Can you bring me a dog on your way home from work?

Why won’t the guys text me back...did you THREATEN THEM? BABEEEEE

Babe

BABE

BABY COME BACK

YOU CAN BLAME IT ALL ON MEEEEE

...princess please answer me I’m dying and I have no one

You can’t stop the smile, knowing he’s doing his best to keep you from worrying, but also that he’s probably stir crazy.  You quickly tap out a response:

I’m glad you’re feeling better, or at least pretending.  Tell me if you feel worse.  Are you drinking water?

He sends you a selfie of him guzzling the glass you left for him.  And finally stops texting, which makes you chuckle.  A glance at the clock tells you a special visitor should be arriving soon, so you turn back to your computer to get some more work done.

Within fifteen minutes, your phone buzzes again.  Jinyoung’s update is quick and to the point: a photo of an exhausted Jackson nearly falling asleep in his soup.  That’s enough to send you over the edge, and you laugh out loud, regardless of the thin office walls.

[ 5:49 pm ]

You lock the door behind and toe off your shoes, then pad into the kitchen.  You’d stopped by the store on your way home, picking up cold medication and a few ingredients for dinner.  Jackson gives you the scare of your life, when you round the corner and find him slumped over the counter.

“Jackson!” you gasp, nearly dropping the shopping bags.

He mumbles incoherently, lifting his head and blinking blearily at you.  “Hi princess,” he says with a weak smile.

Now you do drop the bags and round the counter to reach him.  You press the back of your hand to his forehead.  “Still burning up,” you mutter.  “Jackson, why didn’t you call me?  And Jinyoung didn’t say you were this miserable.”

He shakes his head at you, hair falling limp over his forehead.  “I’m just tired.  Apparently I took a nap after he left,” he says sheepishly.  Your frown deepens.  “It’s just a cold,” he tries to reassure you.

Rolling your eyes at him, you go back to the grocery bags and retrieve the cold medication.  “I’ll make dinner and you can go right back to bed, okay?  Drink some more water.”

Jackson obeys your gruff instructions, sitting and sipping water while you throw ingredients together for a quick stew.  He tries to offer to do the dishes, but you shoo him off for a hot shower.  But he doesn’t reach your limit of irritating until he tries to convince you to sleep in the bed while he takes the couch.

“Should I move out?  That’s the only way I can be sure I won’t get sick,” you tell him, hands on your hips as you stare him down.  Jackson reluctantly puts his pillow back on the bed, prompting you to grab your own, “I’ll sleep on the couch.”

Now Jackson is the one rolling his eyes.  You huff out a laugh and watch his lips twitch, trying to hold back his smile.  “I just worry about you,” he says softly.

You can’t stay mad at that face.  Dropping the pillow, you sit on the edge of the bed, patting the space beside you.  When Jackson plops down, you bump your shoulder into his.  “I wish you would worry about yourself more.”

He knows what you’re getting at.  This isn’t the first time you’ve had this conversation—in the beginning, they were pretty fierce arguments.  The two of you are both stubborn, leading to stalemates more often than not.  Convincing Jackson to put his health before his work was one of those standoffs.

Jackson doesn’t say anything, but he bumps your shoulder back, so you know the message was received.  You smile at him, then poke his side playfully.  “I already told Jaebeom you’d be taking tomorrow off.”

He groans, falling back on the bed and throwing an arm across his face.  “I can’t afford to miss practice.  Comeback is only a few weeks away and—”

“And nothing.  You stay home until the fever is gone for twenty-four hours.  Or I’m taking you to the doctor, and they’ll tell you worse.”

He simply groans like the drama king he is, and you laugh while you take a blanket and pillow to the couch.

[ 7:24 am ]

You’re dragged into wakefulness by a crick in your neck, a sore throat, and a stuffy nose.  You groan, dragging one hand down your face in defeat.  Jackson wasn’t going to let this one go...you were in for an earful.  Rolling off the couch, you sniffle your way through your morning routine.  By the time you’ve called out of work, taken some cold medication, and sat down with your coffee, Jackson is also awake.

He does a double-take when he sees you, “Wait, shouldn’t you be at work by now?”

You grumble, sure he’s figured it out but wants to drive the point home.  “I’m sick.”

“I guess you should’ve moved out then,” he jokes, but his expression has never been more serious.  It feels like deja-vu, only Jackson is the one checking your temperature and muttering about tea.

“It’s fine, I’ve self medicated like a grown-up,” you say with a smile, but it probably looks more like a grimace.  “And I have coffee, go get yourself some tea.”

Ten minutes later, you’re staring down at a horrible green concoction.  “Jackson, I’m sorry, but what fresh hell is this?”

“Fruit, vegetables, and whatever else I could find in the fridge.  I didn’t put chicken in there, don’t worry.  I know how you feel about my shakes.”

You eye him up and down.  He doesn’t look much better than yesterday.  “You drink it.  You need to get your strength back for practice.”  Jackson pouts at you, and that’s when you figure it out.  “It’s not your fault I’m sick,” you tell him.

He scoffs, “Yes it is.”

You resist the urge to throw something at him.  Lovingly, of course.  “We’ll just have to agree to disagree then.”

“Fine.  But you’re drinking this,” he fires back.

You wince, peering into the cup again.  You’re not sure you can trust his ingredient list.  “Split it?” you ask, wearing your most angelic smile.

Jackson squirms away from you in fake disgust, “I can’t, there’s cooties!”  Then he ducks to avoid the pillow you hurl at him.

* * * * *

Masterlist

[kasey-writes-stuff]

Can i have some skephalo with lee bbh and ler skeppy¿ (platonic) 👉👈

With the promp 22 and 14

~👻

I’ve never written for skephalo so this is probably absolutely horrid but 🧡

Why are you giggling? Wait you’re ticklish?!

Skeppy and Bad were meeting up for the first time ever in real life! It was so exciting but also nerve wracking for sure, things went well though skeppy got bad from the airport and back to his house and even happened to meet a few fans along the way which was a nice surprise!

Anyways they made it back to skeppy’s house and had been just hanging out watching tv casually, almost cuddling when skeppy gets up to get something to drink... Bad instantly gets a clingy feeling in his chest and asks “where are you going?!” Skeppy “I’m just going to get a drink” Bad pouts and stands in his way “no stay in here with meeeee” Skeppy laughs and says “I’m just gonna get a drink and I’ll be right back” He grabs bad’s sides to move him, causing bad to jump giggling...

Skeppy raises an eye brow raises and he asks “why are you giggling” skeppy then sees bad’s blush and suddenly it clicks “wait, you’re ticklish?!” Bad’s head snaps up to look at skeppy “W-whahahtt noho....” still giggling slightly as skeppy’s hands rest on his sides... skeppy nods and says “right... so you wouldn’t mind if I did this?” Skeppy begins squeezing bad’s sides with purpose now making bad squeal and fall into light laughter as he half heartedly squirms trying to escape “EEEE ssskkkheheheheheppppyyy!” Skeppy smiles happily “Aha! So you are ticklish! That’s so cute bad!” He stops and goes to get his drink but notices bad’s pout “what’s wrong did you not like that? I’m sorry if I made you uncomfortable” Bad shakes his head lightly “no no no it’s not that... you uh.... you didn’t have to stop....”

Skeppy smiles as he gently tackles bad to the ground sitting on his wait “so what you’re saying is you liked it?” Bad’s blush turns a brighter red as he says “Well- I- I- didn’t say that exactly...” He rolls his eyes at bad “yea mhhm that’s fine you didn’t need to I get the message! So do you want any what do they call it? Safe words or whatever” bad smiles softly “yea they’re called safe words... and I like to use the red light green light ones...” skeppy nodded softly as he ran a hand through bad’s hair “you got it buddy! Now let’s get you laughing again! Now hmmm how about here? Are you ticklish here?” He curiously brushes his fingers over bad’s stomach making him squeak and fall into short soft giggles “EK hheehehaha yhehehahaha...” Skeppy smiles even more as he starts softly scratching at bad’s stomach through his shirt making bad giggle softly gentle tickles here being a bit of a melting tactic... his giggles raise in volume when skeppy slips his hand under his shirt... and they soon turn into laughter as skeppy picks up pace “EEK SSSKKHEHEHEHPPPPYYYY AHHAHA!” “Oh this must tickle a lot doesn’t it?” “SSSHHUUSSHHH!” “Oh does it make it worse when I say the word? Tickletickletickletickletickletickletickle baddy!” Bad yelped and covered his face though his blush spread to his ears so it was still noticeable... bad laughed away happily for a few moments before skeppy gently slowed to a stop

“So where we at baddy?” Bad managed to stop his residual giggles “uhm green but just somewhere else...” skeppy nods “okay anywhere specific?” “Uh well.... my back is...really t-t-.... you know....” Bad usually able to say the word no problem but struggling since he’s in a lee mood.... Skeppy nodded “say no more my friend” he climbed off of bad and allowed him to flip over, skeppy opted to sit beside bad this time figuring it would probably be more comfortable this way, bad smiled softly in anticipation.... skeppy experimentally poked bad’s back a few times, resulting in bad jumping and yelping at every poke “AH SKEPPY AH NOT AH THEEHE POKES AHA” Skeppy laughed a bit “no way this is so great all I have to do is” he poked the middle of his back “AH!” “poke you and you yell hehe” he poked his back a few more minutes before switching to gently dragging his finger tips up and down bad’s back in what would normally be a soothing manner to most people but caused lots of squirming and laughing for bad, which I mean.... to bad it wasn’t all that terrible but still.... “NGH HAHAAHHAhahahhahahahHAHAHHAhahhaahHAHAHA YOOUUU MMUUHHUFFFIIINN HEHEHEHAHADDD!” Skeppy simply giggled a bit continuing on in silence but then slowly picking up speed which in turn caused bad to break into full on cackles.... “HOLY AHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAEEEEEYEHEHHELLOHOHOWWW” bad suddenly broke out the slow down safe word as skeppy began to hit the spot where his lower back connected to his sides, curse that spot for being so dang sensitive.... skeppy immediately slowed down to just gently tapping at the top of bad’s shoulder blades leaving him in small constant giggles “Are you okay bad?” Bad smiled softly as he flipped himself over to face skeppy “yehehehahhaha t-thahhattt ohohnhehehehe spot i-iis just rehehehahahlllyy sehehnsitive...” Skeppy gently ran his fingers through bad’s hair to further calm him down “so do you wanna keep going?” Bad nodded softly as he said “c-can we cuddle and you just give me light tummy scratches?” Skeppy broke into a wide a smile his drink long forgotten as he helped bad up “of course we can”

And so for the rest of the day it was pretty peaceful in skeppy’s house... I say pretty peaceful because while yes bad was a lee.... he’s not fully lee hehe....

[kayr0ss]

Misplaced

[Diakko, married fluff, domestic, happy times, glasses] AO3

Diana seems to have misplaced her glasses. She and her wife begin the search around their house.

---

Diana sighed in frustration as she turned over every book and document scattered along her office desk. This… was unlike her. She was normally organized and meticulous, a stickler for having a place for everything, and having everything in its place. But after one, three, and then five whole minutes of fruitless searching, she acknowledged her predicament:

“I seem to have misplaced my glasses.”

Her eyebrows creased together while blue eyes began to widen their search—if they weren’t in the vicinity of her workspace, they should at least be in this room. Her office was tastefully decorated but by no means extravagant, but the wooden browns and navy blues were blurred and out of focus, and goodness was it frustrating to be looking for the very item one needed to be able to see.

She was stressed-out enough as it was.

Her wife, who was lounging along the couch with a Japanese novel, seemed to have no intention of helping her find them. She peeked up at Diana from behind the book.

“The universe is telling you to take a break, Dia.”

Diana sighed once again, barely keeping her tiredness at bay. “Could you perhaps tell the universe it’s being very rude at the moment, dear?”

“I’ll send it an email,” Akko grinned, righting her position on the couch as Diana walked over towards her. She had an inscrutable expression on, one which made the blonde narrow her eyes in suspicion.

“Did you hide them?”

“What?” Akko blinked. “No!”

“Curious.” Diana crossed her arms, giving the couch a quick look over while Akko crossed her legs, novel laying forgotten on the coffee table. “I swear I was using them just a moment ago.”

Frown deepening, Diana turned her attention towards the doorway, wondering if she left them elsewhere, perhaps at their bedroom or maybe the kitchen. . Akko was still looking at her with that unreadable expression and Diana raised an eyebrow in suspicion. She sighed, opting not to press the brunette any further because if her wife did hide it, she’d know by now. Akko absolutely did not know how to lie.

“Maybe the kitchen?” Akko piped in, blinking up with wide and hopeful eyes.

---

“I love this cake.”

Akko sighed dreamily, expression almost reverent as she savored the richness and sweetness of Jasminka’s famous chocolate mousse.  

“So did you want to help find my glasses, or did you want to get a snack?” Diana sighed in resignation, watching as Akko helped herself to another heaping forkful of cake. They were leaning on the granite kitchen counter, and Diana brought a napkin to wipe at the edges of Akko’s mouth where the chocolate smeared. It was a habit formed over the years, an action that carried as much fondness now as it did the first time she had done it.

“Well we’re already here,” Akko pouted. “And we did try to look for it. So might as well get yourself a glass of water, because I know you haven’t had any, and also—”

Akko held up her fork, grinning.

“Say ‘ah’?”

---

Diana wasn’t about to admit it out loud, but fine, the chocolate cake was wonderful and it was great to indulge on a snack in the middle of all her work. However, what she didn’t understand was why they were looking for her glasses out in the gardens.

“I don’t think I went out to the gardens this morning, dear.”

“I’m just trying to be prudent!” Akko held up a finger to prove a point, a dead-serious expression set on the beautiful features of her face. Diana allowed herself some time to appreciate it in silence because she looked lovely: under sunlight filtered through the leaves of trees, disheveled brown hair from staying in all day, and an unmatched set of pajamas. But still, she looked so lovely, and Diana relished this thought while Akko led her through the garden with their hands intertwined.

“I’m beginning to suspect that someone is taking advantage of this search to drag me all about the house.” Diana laughed lightly.

“I’ll have you know!” Akko stopped and spun around—Diana nearly walked right into her.

(She was disappointed that her wife had let go of her hand.)

“That it’s a very real thing that a spirit may have taken your glasses for a tour around our property!” Akko puffed her cheeks, and it looked like she was trying her best not to break out into fits of laughter.

Diana indulged her though, as she always does. “Are you insinuating that a spirit haunted my glasses away from my office?”

“Lotte says it happens.”

“This spirit must really dislike the thought of me getting my work done.” Diana smiled softly, curious at what Akko might have been hiding behind her back.

“But then again, she did say the spirits around here were helpful at best and drowsy at worst.”

Akko finally broke into a grin, pulling her hands from behind her back to present Diana with a freshly-picked wild rose. Diana accepted it tenderly, feeling just as warm from the flower as she was from Akko’s smile.

It was a wonderful day out, and she was glad to have gone to the gardens.

---

She couldn’t believe its been an hour and a half since they had first went missing, but finally—finally—Akko had decided to come around and look for her glasses where it made sense to: their bedroom.

Diana diligently checked their nightstand, the sides of the bed, and even underneath the pillow, but they were nowhere to be found. She likewise noticed that Akko disappeared as well, and wondered where she might be off to but before long she was a back with a tray of cookies and milk.

“I thought we were looking for my glasses.” Diana tilted her head in question.

Akko was grinning up at her apologetically. “Sorry, Dia.”

“Pardon?”

Her wife settled the tray on their nightstand, pulling on the duvet to make room for them to climb in.

“It’s a Saturday and you needed the break, so now that I’ve lured you into eating, getting some sunlight, and back into our bedroom I’m going to have to insist that we huddle under the covers with a movie and some cookies.”

“But my glasses—”

Akko stepped forward, cupping Diana’s face. She smiled and leaned in until their noses bumped together and as her eyes fluttered closed, she felt the ghost of a kiss—along with something moving on her head then a weight on the bridge of her nose.

When she opened her eyes her vision was crystal-clear again.

“They were pushed to the crown of my head?” Diana blinked in incredulity. “This whole time?”

Akko’s arms had fallen on her shoulders, lazily wrapping around her neck as Diana instinctively held her closer. The way that Akko was biting back a laugh told her that yes, they were in fact there the whole time—but she couldn’t bring herself to get upset.

Not even a little bit.

Not after the pleasantness of sharing cake and holding hands in the garden, and not at the thought of snuggling up to Akko with a movie. It was a little unfair. But she wasn’t mad at all.

They laughed together, nearly falling over into the bed, and after all the time she had spent looking for her glasses—Diana took them off just so she could kiss her again.

-

fin

-

A/N: Thank you to Tototops once again for your wonderful work beta-ing this piece! Always a great experience when working with you.

So it's been a while since I've had the drive to write any fics, but here's a little something which I couldn't get out of my head. Hopefully I'll get to update Appointments soon! ...maybe

yoURE GONNA BE THE ONE THAT SAVES MEEEEE

[shyneanon]

hi there!! since christmas is coming near (although there's the danger of virus) how about you create UT Sans and an alone on christmas reader? (sorry my english is badXD)

I’m a little late on this but I’ve been wanting to write it ever since I saw it! I just got other stuff in life, y’know? But here it is! It was fun :3

Also, your English is great! Especially considering how difficult English is to learn e_e

---

You set your phone aside after your unpleasant call to your family. You wanted to be with them for Christmas, but… there was drama going on between some of them, and your call had just confirmed it was getting brought up between family members when everyone was supposed to be having a good time. You were glad you’d decided not to fly all the way over there. You didn’t need to be in the middle of others arguing. Not on Christmas.

That said, the alternative wasn’t much better. Now, on Christmas Eve, you were basically alone. The tiny tree in your apartment had some lights on it, but besides that there wasn’t much up for decoration. You were just sitting by yourself, in your apartment, eating peppermint bark and half paying attention to a dumb Hallmark movie playing on your TV. Depressing.

As much as you didn’t want to be a bother to anyone, you decided to message Sans. The guy was probably with friends— a lot of people liked him, and for good reason— but he was relaxed, so he probably wouldn’t find it annoying.

You: Hey, tell Papyrus Merry Christmas for me.

Well, that had… barely made you feel a little better. You sighed, lying back down on your bed.

Your phone buzzed.

Sans: will do.

Hey, it was something.

Another buzz.

Sans: you’re out of town, right? with your fam?

You grimaced. For a moment you considered lying, and then immediately felt horrible for it. He was your friend— your best friend. He’d always been here for you when you needed him. And he was funny. And he made you feel comfortable… You liked him a lot.

Platonically. It wasn’t that you had a crush on him or anything.

There was no reason to lie. He wouldn’t judge you for being alone. So instead you turned it into a joke. You took a photo of yourself eating peppermint bark, with the TV in the background, and captioned it

You: I’m with meeeee.

Just looking at your own message made you feel a little less bad about it. Using humor as a coping mechanism. Now where have I seen that before?

“Hey kiddo.”

You jumped at the voice and then sat up. Sans was standing in the middle of your room. “Uh, hey.” You raised an eyebrow and smiled. “You just… teleported in here without asking, huh?”

“You showed me a photo.”

“I could’ve not been wearing any pants,” you said playfully. Sans’ face turned blue and that got your face to heat up. You hadn’t intended to embarrass him. Deciding to change the subject, you nodded at his sweater with a grin. “Love the sweater.”

It was hideous in the best way, and it had clearly been made for him because it was decorated with skull patterns where snowflake patterns would be, as well as a couple of depictions of himself and his brother.

“Thanks,” he said. “A good friend made it for me.”

Your smile faltered. “I don’t want to take you away from your friends. Don’t worry about me or anything.”

“You’re my friend too,” he argued, and you smiled.

“Thanks.”

“Besides, I knew it was gonna be depressing, but…” He sat down next to you, close enough that your shoulders were touching, and looked around. “... this is really depressing.”

“Gee, thanks.”

He gave you a wink, and you grinned. He could cheer you up so fast. It was like magic.

“Whatcha watchin’?” he asked, gesturing to the TV screen, where a man and a woman dressed in winter clothes were talking on a snowy street.

“I don’t even know,” you said. “I got bored and turned it on. It’s some kind of romance.”

“I didn’t know you were a sucker for romance.”

Your face got hot. “I’m not, I was just too lazy to look for something else.” You nudged him. “I’m pretty sure the twist is he’s a ghost and at the end he’s gonna leave but he’s taught her a positive lesson.”

“That sounds sad to me.”

“I think it’s supposed to be bittersweet,” you said, and then snorted when you noticed the couple were now standing underneath some mistletoe. “Oh geez, it’s so contrived. Of course with the mistletoe.”

“What, you don’t like it?” For some reason, he sounded genuinely concerned. As if there would be something wrong if you didn’t.

“Not that. It’s just implausible. Who even does that anymore? I’ve never seen mistletoe anywhere before. In public or in someone’s home.”

“You sure?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?”

“There’s some in your house.”

Confused, you turned to look at him only to find that he was dangling some mistletoe between the both of you. His face was blue.

“Uh oh,” he said with a shrug, his blush darkening. He was avoiding eye contact. “Looks like we’re… gonna have to…”

He glanced at you shyly and you felt your face get very hot very fast. Despite the sudden rush of… definitely platonic feelings… you were having, your head was clear enough for you to realize something. “Sans… did you bring that mistletoe here? In… your pocket?”

“... M… Maybe.” Your lack of immediate response seemed to have made him nervous. “But… I mean it’s not like we literally have to—“

“N… no,” you said, “it’s OK. I, um, want to.”

He made eye contact with you, looking surprised, and you both blushed.

He coughed. “S… sure, yeah. OK.”

You swallowed as he started to lean closer to you. Was… was this actually happening? Were you going to kiss? Or had you fallen asleep? Maybe this was some kind of dream….

Well, it wasn’t a bad dream, so… you leaned towards him, trying to ignore how fast your heart was racing.

It was pretty much impossible to ignore once your lips and his teeth made contact. It was like a jolt of very high-voltage electricity. You immediately leaned into it, and Sans responded by doing the same. Before you even knew what was happening your arms were around his neck and his were around your waist, pulling you closer. The movie and mistletoe were quickly forgotten. After several more kisses you both relaxed, still holding onto each other.

“Wow,” you said.

His face was a deep blue. “Y… yeah, wow.”

You both looked each other in the eyes, any hesitation you’d had in making eye contact gone.

“... Do you think… we could maybe do that again?”

You didn’t say anything, just kissed him again. The adrenaline felt incredible…. You could stay like this forever. He must have been thinking the same thing, because it took a lot longer for the two of you to finish this time. His hands felt your sides and you curled up into him, kissing along where his jawline would be. Both of you made soft sighing and humming sounds.

“You decide to kiss me when I’m a mess?” you asked him in between kisses.

“You’re not a mess,” he replied, “you look amazing.”

“No I don’t.”

“You always do,” he said, lying down and pulling you with him. You snuggled into him.

“How long?” you asked quietly.

“... A while,” he confessed, wrapping his arms around you.

“... Same.” You could’ve said something too but you’d just been in denial the whole time. Like a child. “Thanks for telling me.”

“Took me long enough.”

Some silence. You were fine with that. The two of you just… lay like that, for a while. He was so soft, and warm, despite being only made of bones. You were just happy that he was here. With you. Like this.

Eventually, you realized he must have been here a while. “Y… you should… probably go now, huh?”

“Nah, I’ll stay here tonight. And you can join us all in the morning.” He winked. “All this has made me sleepy.”

You giggled, and his smile widened. “Dork.”

He pulled you closer. “I could really go for a nap right now. Like always.” He ran his fingers through your hair. “Care to join?”

You smiled softly and kissed him one more time before laying your head on his chest.

Best Christmas ever.

[sword-brainrot]

DARLING SWEETIE HELLO ITS MEEEEE. IM SO GLAD UR OKAAAAY. I MISSED YOU TO MUCH 💜💙❤💙❤. But yes. Matchuppy thingy uh. Call me Vy. A dumb bisexual who studies history and mythology as a major but fairytales in my spare time. Smol, very giving and spontaneous with gifts and hugs and adore physical affection. I uh...have a bad habit of apologizing a lot due to self confidence issues (getting there fam, getting there. Im better at least!!) And I also tend to internalize my anger and sadness. I also have...no filter once I get to know a person. I tend to compliment them out of the blue (someone says im pretty and i will immediately say back "not as pretty as you!!") Which peeps mistake for flirting which uh...i also cant tell how flirting works. Dont take compliments well either. I think...thats it??? I hope dis helps! THANK YOU DARLING💜💙❤

I Match You With...

🌸Higekiri 🌸

♡  Higekiri is a pretty excitable and no filter type of guy. He will say what is on his mind and say it with a smile. He never says it out of indecorous intentions. He is a guy that is looking for fun and is always smiling (for the most part), he isn't afraid to pull your string a little and get you riled up. Of course, making sure there is a line so he never actually hurts you. He would be able to bound off your energy whenever you want to go on hour long rants or let out your energy. Honestly, he would love to do anything like that instead of sitting around waiting for work to do around the citadel or missions.

♡  It might be surprising by just looking at his outward appearance, you would assume that he is a little bit of an air head at times and mostly happy go lucky. In actuality, he is very good at reading others. He is normally the one that is the middle man when people have an argument. He keeps the situation light hearted and make sure both sides understand each other. He would do that same for you. Higekiri will notice when you start to internalize your true feelings and take your out of the situation where it is just the two of you. He won't ask about it but know he is willing to listen to anything you have to say. He is ready to lean you a shoulder and embrace you so the burdens aren't so hard to bear alone. He would never judge you for showing the more vulnerable feelings.

♡  He would also help you break the habit of constantly apologizing. As much as he loves you for how you are, he doesn't want you to feel like everything you do needs to be apologized for. He wants you to know that you are not always in the wrong and don't have to apologize for just existing. He would take it slow and at your pace. Higekiri wants to help you love yourself just as much as he loves you. He is also the type that will say, "If you apologize again, then I have no other choice than to kiss you, ya know?" Just to get you to blush and think it more carefully. His Cheshire Cat like grin glaring back at you, full of love, of course.

♡  Higekiri is the Genji brothers that doesn't have much memory of his past. He doesn't talk to much about it and often jokes about it with teasing his brother about what his name is. (next part is my headcanon) It is no lie that he has forgotten his past but he did that to himself. When he manifested, the past was too painful for him to bear and his brain needed up giving him dissociative amnesia. Which is why Hizamaru remembers their past, but Higekiri doesn't. Even though he doesn't have his memory, he would love to lay his head on your lap as he listens to you tell him stories of all types of historical events and any mythology stories you may know. You may actually help him slowly regain memory of his own. Don't try to push it though, it could be very dangerous making someone remember something their brain forced them to forget!

♡  Higekiri's favorite spot to lay is on your lap. He is also the type of person who likes to give gifts and a bunch of physical affection. Don't be surprise if he just wraps his arms around you when he tired and use your shoulder as a pillow while you both are standing. He may even get really excited and hug you, lifting you up in his arms and spinning with you. He loves affection a lot. He also gets cold very easily, so expect him to cuddle you for all the warmth you hold.

♡  Higekiri is 5'8" (178cm), so if you are shorting than him, he is going to have a blast. He will give you piggy back rides constantly and lift you up whenever he can. He will also adore giving the top of your head a kiss when he first sees you in the morning. He finds people shorter than him to be absolutely adorable.

♡  You said that you are oblivious to flirting and don't take it well when you do realize. Higekiri isn't into being subtle. If he is going to flirt with you, he is going to make it known and he very clear about it. If he ever goes too far and you start to feel uncomfortable, he will back away and stop. He wants you to know that he is interested you and loves you a lot that he will constantly give you compliments. "Why are you so pretty? Makes me want to stay with you forever, so don't go running off on me, okay?"

♡  He will make sure you get at least one compliment a day until you start to get used to it and start to see the stuff he compliments in yourself. There will be mornings where and he sits in front of a mirror with you and start to compliment one part of you in a very detailed fashion (doesn't even have to be about your appearance), and tells you every little thing he loves about that part and how it makes him feel knowing he can have you in his day to day life. He knows it will be a slow process and you aren't just going to accept the things he says as facts but he is willing to stick with it until you can love yourself just as much as he loves you and you can see yourself with how he sees you.

♡  You like giving compliment? You fight when someone compliment you and compliment them back? Well good luck, you are entering the ring with Higekiri. You two will have compliment fights and I figure you both are very stubborn to give up so they will go on forever. Until one of you get pulled away, get too tired and fall asleep, or Higekiri does something that makes you go red and silent. You two having tallies of who won? Most likely!

[areiton]

noticing

It’s meeeee, back on my Starker bullshit. With a lot of Rhodey because reasons. 

Read on AO3

~*~ 

Rhodey notices.

He notices before Tony because Tony is his best friend, is the smartest person he knows, always has been, but Tony is his best friend and Rhodey has no illusions that sometimes Tony is a dumbass.

The thing is—Peter is different. He has been since the first time he pinged on Tony’s radar. Rhodey was there, watching YouTube videos on his tablet and throwing a ball for Dum-E while Tony argued with Pepper, in the weeks before they split up again, and he showed Tony the video of Spider-man catching a bus when Tony threw himself on the couch next to Rhodey, burrowing into his side.

They watched the video a dozen times, and when Rhodey finally left, drawn away by the brass calling, Tony was still watching, entranced and mumbling to himself.

So the fascination wasn’t a surprise.

The age thing—that startled Rhodey, but he watched Tony put distance between himself and the kid, watched him worry.

“What are you afraid of?” he asked, once, when Tony stared at a holo of the Iron Spider, worry heavy on his features.

“Of letting him fall,” Tony said without ever looking away.

~~~

The truth about Tony and the kid was complex and simple—they loved each other.

Before Titan and the Decimation, it was hero worship and reluctant mentorship that shifted because it was Tony and Tony didn’t know how to love halfway, and Peter wasn’t just a junior Avenger, a small time vigilante, he was family, filling up space in the workshop and building a bot that was tiny and adorable and at home with Dum-E and Butterfingers.

Before Titan and the Decimation, Tony looked at the kid and Rhodey relaxed, because that look, it was warm and affectionate, and proud, the kind of look Tony should always wear when looking at his kids, bot and AI and human.

But then—everything changed.

~~~

Tony came home, with dust on his hands and grief in his eyes and those words that Rhodey couldn’t unhear slipping off his lips.

He wondered, after, what would have happened, if Peter survived.

If Tony hadn’t been crippled by the journey home and the unrelenting grief and guilt.

He wonders if Pepper would have stayed.

It doesn’t matter—she didn’t and he was, and Peter died.

Morgan was the bright light shining through it all, the one thing that kept them tied together and—Rhodey will never say out loud, but he knows—the one thing that kept Tony alive.

~~~

It’s different.

Tony is different.

So is Peter, everyone who came back—they come back scarred.

They come back older, scarred, marked by their time away.

Peter is settled, calm in a way he wasn’t, before, and ancient in a way that scares Rhodey.

Tony—

Tony is broken by the battle, by wielding the Stones and decimating Thanos’ forces, by the months spent in a coma and the loss of his humanity, of the blank spot he wakes up to where his arm is.

“You’re alive,” Rhodey tells him, fierce and protective wrapped around him when Tony sobs into his shoulder. “You’re alive and you can fix anything you put your mind to, peacock. This is not the end of the world.”

~~~

The thing is—he’s been friends with Tony since he was in his late teens, since Tony was shy and pimply and dreaming about building an AI in the MIT basements.

He knew when Tony fell in love with Ty and when he fell in love with Sunset and he knew when he was depressed over Ana’s failing health and when his behavior tipped toward self-destructive in the months before the anniversary of the accident.

He knows Tony, knows that even before Titan, Peter was special to him, and after—

After, Peter was everything he’d ever done wrong.

It scares him, because now Peter is back, and smiling and ancient at Tony’s side and Tony is a shell of what he was, Extremis humming in his veins, and schematics for an arm displayed in front of him, and he doesn’t know how the kid can ever live up to everything Tony needs him to be.

~~~

He notices this—the way Tony watches Peter.

The way his eyes are soft, softer than they ever were with Pepper.

The way he never touches Peter, hands reaching and stalling before they can make contact.

The way he smiles, soft and fond and full when Peter rambles about MIT.

The way his gaze flicks between full pouty lips and bright bright eyes, and can’t quite look away from Peter’s ass, tight and round, in his suit.

He notices, long before Tony does.

~~~

“You deserve to be happy,” he tells Tony once, when Tony is drinking and conflicted and Peter is sleeping unaware on the couch.

Tony watches him, eyes bright and Rhodey doesn’t say anything else, doesn’t nudge him toward Peter like he wants to—he just smiles and gives them space.

~~~

They come together slow.

It’s one of the ways he knows Tony is serious. When he fell in with Stone and Sunset, it was quick, a whirlwind of drugs and drink and fucking and falling apart.

Tony, when it matters, moves slow. He danced around Potts for almost a decade, danced around Rogers for over five years.

Even with Rhodey, it took two semesters before Tony began to trust him.

Peter is the same. They’re friends now, a deep abiding thing that’s different from the hero worship before Titan or the crippling grief and guilt of the Decimation.

This is a friendship that is that of equals. Peter gets Tony in a way that few people ever have, a way that makes Rhodey breath out in relief.

Pepper tried and Tony wanted Steve to, but there was always a little bit of a disconnect—something his partners couldn’t understand.

Peter isn’t like that.

Peter understands the suit and the self-sacrifice, the demons and the towering intellect.

It’s reassuring, and relaxes Rhodey in a way he never quite expected.

~~~

When they finally do get together—neither of them say anything.

Tony doesn’t tell Rhodey.

He knows. Of course he knows—Tony is sleeping and singing in his lab and his smile is downright dopey and he touches Peter now.

But Tony doesn’t tell Rhodey.

Peter is twenty six, and it’s been years since Thanos and the Extremis that seemed to rewind the clock for Tony—but there is: Peter is twenty six and Tony Stark is on the wrong side of fifty.

He doesn’t mind, really, and does what he can to keep the rest of the team from noticing.

~~~

It doesn’t happen often, but occasionally, he catches them. 

Tony sleeping on the couch, his head in Peter’s lap, so peaceful it reminds Rhodey of when they were children at MIT. 

Peter curling bare feet and long legs around Tony’s hips, sleep soft and smiling down at him. 

The quick clutch of their hands, and the way neither of them shy away from the other--how they lean into each touch, into each other, comfortable in each other’s space. 

Peter isn’t as hesitant, more comfortable speaking up. 

Tony--Tony is healthy, his eyes bright, the dark circles under his eyes all but gone. 

They’re good for each other, and happy. 

~~~

Sometimes he thinks Natasha would have figured it out--if she had been around. She isn’t though, hasn’t been since Thanos, and it hurts to think of her. 

They keep it a secret for six months, and in the end, it’s Peter getting hurt fighting a pack of oversized rats that breaks the secret. 

No one can really deny it, when they spill into medical, and find Tony curled in Peter’s bed, lips locked, hands tender and possessive on the nape of Peter’s neck. 

He goes red, and his eyes--

His eyes dart to Rhodey of all people, wide and scared and oh. 

Oh. 

Rhodey sighs, heavy and exasperated, and leans back as the Avengers collectively loose their shit. 

~~~ 

They argue. 

It goes exactly as bad as Rhodey thinks it will, all shouting and accusations and Bucky’s metal hand flexing and earnest are you ok, did he force you bullshit. And the entire time, Tony is getting quieter and quieter, curling into himself while Peter tries to argue, getting cut off by their well-meaning team, frustrated tears in his eyes, hand impossibly tight on Tony’s where he’s clutching it like a lifeline. 

“I want this,” Peter says. 

“I love him,” he argues. 

“We didn’t do anything wrong,” he snarls. 

Tony doesn’t say anything. 

He looks--beaten. Scared. As he carefully pulls his hand away from Peter, he looks--he looks almost sick. 

“How long has this been goin’ on,” Carol demands and enough. 

Enough. 

“Six months, four days,” Rhodey says and the whole room goes still. “But they’ve been dancing around each other for years. Maybe--Peter’s freshman year at MIT, Tony? About the time he fought the Vulture again, you finally realized what what happening?” 

Tony is staring at him--the whole fucking team is, but Tony is the one who matters, is the only one who has ever mattered. 

“You knew?” Tony whispers and it’s echoed, angrily, by Hope and Kamala. 

“Course I knew. I’m his best friend--I knew before he did.” 

“Then why the hell didn’t you say something?” Hope demands. 

“Because Tony loves Peter. Tony loves him enough to risk his life to bring the kid back and half the universe with it--or have y’all forgotten that? Tony loves him, and Peter is old enough to know what he’s doing. None of us have any fucking business in that,” Rhodey says, and he’s calm, still, the anger in his voice his only tell. 

“It’s wrong,” Scott says, “Peter is--”

“Peter is a fucking adult,” Rhodey snaps. “An Avenger and the best biochemist SI has, and old enough to make his own decisions. Tony didn’t scoop up and seduce a sixteen year old, Scot. Just because you don’t approve, don’t make it wrong.” 

Peter is grinning at him and Tony looks so shocked Rhodey is a little worried so he shifts, wraps himself in his position and his rank and he orders the room clear. 

~~~

Tony finds him. 

He’s waiting for Tony to find him, in their spot, the roof where they fly most often. 

“You knew,” he says, softly. “I thought--I knew they’d be angry--but I thought--”

“You thought I wouldn’t approve,” Rhodey says, gently and Tony flushes. Looks away. 

“That kid--he’s the best thing that’s ever happened to you, peacock. And you love him enough to rewrite the universe. He loves you just as much. How the hell could I disapprove of that?” Rhodey asks, helplessly and fond, and Tony makes a choked, hurt noise in his throat. 

When he throws himself, sharp bones and metal limb, into Rhodey’s arms--Rhodey’s waiting to catch him.