#wish i had more time to gif this season bc LOOK. AT. THEM.

[roominthecastle]

[bamsywrites]

And Comes Dawn pt ii

pairing: halbrand/sauron x reader; there will be two love triangles in the future

Word Count: 2.3k

Summary: In all beings, there exists darkness. when the deciver finds one who seems to defy this, he becomes obsessed with finding it within her. and if he can't find it, he will ruin her himself.

Tag: dark romance, slow burn, sauron is Stressed™️ , sauron is so horny he contemplates murder, minor sex mention, idk what else to tag or warn

Notes: 24 hours later I already have part 2 done. I was going to have up until galadriel joins the raft for part 2 but I have a lot of ideas so I'm splitting them up. I am also stretching the time during season 1, like instead of being a couple months it's gonna be about a year because it's my fic and I can do that. Saurons pov is all over the place bc he is all over the place and yeah. Feed back always welcome and lemme know if you wanna be tagged. Oh and everything was still done on my phone so sorry if it's weird.

Series Masterlist

It was all a blur for you. You were woken from sleep by the creature attacking the ship and in the flurry of rushing water, screams, and the sound of breaking wood. You had found a pair of arms around your waist. You held your breath and clamped your eyes shut, if you were to die you didn't want your last memory on this Earth to be of the ship's wreckage and the corpses of your traveling companions floating under the water. These fears disappeared as you broke to the surface of the sea with the arms around your waist still holding you securely. You gasped and filled your lungs with air, wet hair obstructing your view, but you could see the familiar face of your savior.

“Halbrand?” You coughed.

He hummed a response, and you could feel the sound reverberate in his chest. It was comforting, the feeling of his strong arms and solid chest. Despite the cold of the waters, his body was abnormally warm, and you found yourself pressing into him for more of that heat.

“There's a raft not far. I think there's another survivor or two aboard it.” He spoke, securing one arm tightly around your body as he used his other to move through the water.

You squinted and could see what you suspected to be the raft he spoke of, but it was rather far for him to swim carrying you “I can swim. I do not wish you to have to carry me all that way through the water.”

“No,” he responded firmly. “There is some terrible beast who just destroyed our ship. I will not allow you to go out on your own in the water.”

“But then we could both die if it finds us.”

Halbrand looked down at you, looking into your eyes as he spoke. “In that case, my conscience will be clear because I will be dead. I can already see the arguments forming on your tongue, and the answer is still no.”

He gave you a pointed look at which you nodded, “Thank you. Now hold on, sweet one.”

You wrapped your arms around his waist, closing your eyes. This has been quite the journey for you. You missed home, but you longed for a new start, a new place where your family's reputation didn't loom over you, and you weren't regarded with suspicion at every turn. You couldn't allow yourself to think this was it, that you'd die like this at the sea. You'd been through too much.

You didn't know if it had been 15 minutes or 3 hours when you heard a voice call out your name from the raft, the woman who'd slept across from you. You had only introduced yourselves and not talked much at all, but it was still a familiar voice.

���Here, help her up,” Halbrand called to one of the men as he hoisted you as best he could on to the raft. “There you go, sweet one.”

You pulled yourself up on the raft, and almost instantly, you found yourself falling asleep on the wood. Exhaustion took you after the adrenaline drop of finally being out of the water. You were swept into sleeps embrace as the sun began to peak over the horizon.

~

You awoke, rubbing the sleep out from your eyes and looking around you. The horrors of that night replayed in your mind, but then you remembered Halbrand. You sat up and noticed that the raft was considerably larger, different pieces of driftwood tied together, and makeshift sails set up. There were also more survivors than last night, but it was a considerably small amount. Your eyes roamed the passengers, but you couldn't find the one you sought.

“Your awareness of your surroundings is incredibly lacking.”

You startled at the sound of his deep voice, causing him to chuckle. He had been lying down and sat up as you turned to look at him. “Glad you woke, sweet one. If you'd slept much longer, I'm sure they'd try to add you to our rations.”

“There's rations?” You asked eagerly, unable to ignore the emptiness in your belly.

Halbrand nodded, “There is. He”- he motioned to an older man on the other side of the raft - “didn't want to give you any because you were sleeping, but I was able to do some convincing.” He handed you a chunk of bread and a small portion of dried meat.

You gave him your thanks, and as you grabbed it, you noticed his knuckles were bloodied. A quick glance at the old man, who you now noticed was sporting a bruise and a few cuts under his eye, gave you the answers you needed.

“Tell me you didn't strike an old man for this?”

He sighed, rolling his eyes and pushing the bread and meat further into your chest. “If I tell you he fell upon my fist, will you eat it? How I came about this matters not. What matters is you will not last if you do not eat.”

You sighed, feeling guilty but taking a bit nonetheless. The feeling of the bread and dried meat hitting your barren stomach was enough to make you moan softly. Halbrand chuckled, watching you and leaning against one of the makeshift masts.

“Thank you. For the food and for saving me. I don't know how to express my gratitude for all you've done for me,” you swallowed and wet your lips. “Though I must admit I'm greatly confused as to why.”

You looked over at him, brow furrowed as you awaited an answer.

“Because you are fair of face. I can not imagine the despair I'd fall into if I was stuck on a raft with nothing but them to look at,” he motioned to other inhabitants, “it would be quite bleak indeed.”

You couldn't help the blush that formed on the bridge of your nose and traveled across your cheeks. Despite this, you still shook your head. “There is no need to be rude or dishonest. I simply ask for the truth.”

“I admit that was rude, but it was anything but dishonest. You are beautiful, and I quite like looking at you,” his eyes noticed your blush, and it caused him to smirk - if only he knew of the butterflies forming in your stomach at his affirmation.

“Though,” he continued, “you are right. That is not the reason I saved you. It's only an added benefit. When I met you on the ship, there had been many that had complained that there was not enough notice. That I would deplete the rations and that they would have to recalculate everything. But you brought me extra soup, and it wasn't a small portion either. You brought it because you knew I had been on my own and assumed I'd been without food. You had no selfish intention. You were simply kind to a stranger because you felt it was the right thing to do. There is not enough of that in the world, and humanity can not bear to lose someone like you who is kind and good for no other purpose than that it is right.”

“Oh,” your voice was small, and your entire face burned bright red at his compliments.

“I would tell you more, but I'm afraid if I do, you may burst into flames.”

~

The waves rocked the raft gently, the previous night it had lulled you into a nice, deep sleep but there's only so much to do on a raft in the middle of nowhere and you had spent the majority of that time asleep. Your eyes watched the stars, feeling lucky that the sky was full of them and that the moon shone bright. The thought of endless darkness, especially knowing what was out there hunting in the ocean depths, was a terrifying thought. The sound of the others snores mixed with the sounds of the waves.

There was only one other who was still awake. Halbrand was busy tightening the ropes to secure the pieces of the raft together. You had noticed he did not sleep much. You had been on the raft for 3 nights and two days, and most of that time was spent with him. Though there wasn't much conversation, you seemed to be the only one on the raft he wasn't annoyed with. You caught him looking at you at times, which made you think he really did mean what he said on that first day.

“Still looking for hope in the stars, sweet one?” Halbrand teased with a smirk as he walked to where she sat and sat down next to her so close that their legs touched.

“Have you forgotten my name? You seem to only refer to me as ‘sweet one’.” You asked, tearing your eyes from the stars to look at him.

He rolled his eyes, your name rolling from his tongue. “Do you not like my nickname?”

“It is fine. I was just curious, and I wasn't quite sure why.” You looked up at him as you awaited his answer.

“Because you're sweet. Hence, sweet one.”

You laughed softly, shaking your head. “You're quite the flirt, Halbrand.”

“Only with you, sweet one.” He playfully pushed his shoulder into yours, and he sat there with you, looking up at the stars.

You enjoyed the moment. The heat from his body and the solid feeling of him next to you brought contentment. You wondered if it was meaningless flirtations or if he could mean all of it. You pushed those thoughts to the back of your mind. You were stranded on a raft in the middle of the ocean. Any romantic feelings you may be growing for him were unimportant in the face of that fact.

You looked over at him, and your eyes trailed down to the relic that hung from his neck. You'd noticed it before but had never thought to ask about it. Your fingers gently reached for it so you could get a better look.

“What is this?” You tilted your head, holding it in your palm.

“Have you seen it before?” His voice was soft, but his brown eyes watched your face intently.

You shook your head in answer.

“It's the heraldry of my family. I only asked if you'd seen it because it has been almost an age since we used it. I can't imagine any family in the Southlands has used heraldry in some time.”

You turned it over in your palm, examining it further. “Why do you carry it?”

He wet his lips, gently taking it from your fingers and looking at it himself. “It's a reminder, a grim one, that our fates are never certain and that fortune can change for anyone. We've seen that here,” he motioned around them.

“Is it a grim reminder? I find it quite hopeful. No matter what, nothing is certain, and nothing lasts forever. There may be evil, and there may be terribly dark times, but those times do not last forever. There is also good. Also times of wonder and prosperity.”

He laughed, smiling as he looked at you. “Of course, that is what you would say. Ever the light and so full of hope.”

~

It was not long after this that you had fallen asleep. He still sat next to you awake as ever. His mind reeling and racing with millions of thoughts, the conflict within him felt as though it would rip right through him. He wanted control and order. It was the only way in which this world could know peace. He also wanted revenge on Adar, on the orcs who attempted to kill him.

But he remembered Morgoth. He remembered his former master and the chase for power that ended in his utter destruction. Even before then, Morgoth had become enslaved to the power he held and the power he craved. That was a fate that Sauron did not wish to share. He did not want to lose control for the sake of power, but he would never be quenched without having power. He could not have both.

Then there was you. He had not expected you, and he was finding himself enthralled with you. He could not understand you or the effect you had on him. A human, of all creatures, making him question all he knew to be true. He had not lusted for the pleasures of the flesh in thousands upon thousands of years and it was never for a human but when your eyes gazed up at him through your lashes or when he saw the smile stretch across your lips and the dimples that followed, it made it impossible not to imagine how those same eyes would look gazing up at him as you kneel at his feet or how those lips would look parted in ecstasy. His thoughts were plagued with the idea of taking you, tasting you, and utterly corrupting you.

It was all incredibly inconvenient.

This wasn't part of the plan and if it was just lust that plagued him, perhaps he could drown you and be done with it but the infatuation with understanding you and your motives and how you became this way stopped his hand. And the damn warmth that radiated from you that reminded him of the home he could never return to. With you curled into his side, he could close his eyes and imagine a time before he was corrupted. It made him wonder if he truly was past all redemption.

When those thoughts dared make themselves known, he'd imagine you looking up at him with tears streaming down your cheeks and his cock shoved down your throat.

His eyes drifted toward the water. It wouldn't be hard. He's so much stronger than you. He could handle any resistance as he pushed you under the waves, and then his mind would be free of those thoughts. But then he looked at you, and a million unanswered questions filled his mind. He knew if he killed you, they would remain unanswered and would plague him forever.

He cursed under his breath and watched as you slept. The choir of a million thoughts did not stop, and he briefly wondered if you would be his undoing.

previous next

[smoshyourheadin]

Hi! Saw that your requests were open and wondered if you’d do something with Steve Harrington and reader where it’s based on season 4 and reader is catching the looks Steve and Nancy give each other so she confronts him and he reassures her there’s nothing going on?

only you

pairing: steve harrington x f! reader

a/n: I LOVE STEVE!! this was rlly fun to write :33 this request is so cute i love him eek!! also this is kind of inspired by the song ‘only you’ by yazoo bc i love that song heheh

it had been a rough few days. the kind of rough that made steve wish he could crawl under his bedcovers and stay there until the world decided to stop falling apart. but hiding wasn't an option when the upside down was causing havoc in hawkins again, and certainly not when nancy was back in his life, running headfirst into danger just like old times.

you had been a solid presence throughout the ordeal, offering reason when everyone else seemed ready to unravel. steve always appreciated you more than he could ever put into words. you were his rock, his anchor in the storm, and he knew he was the luckiest guy in the world to have you by his side.

tonight, the group had gathered in the wheeler basement, trying to piece together the story of the latest victim that vecna had left for them. nancy was flipping through her notebook, scribbling notes furiously, while steve tried to keep up with the conversation. he glanced over at her a few times, mostly out of habit. they had been through so much together that it was hard not to look back on those memories with a tinge of nostalgia.

but he didn’t realize how it must have looked to you.

you were sitting on the other side of the room, comforting el, whilst trying to focus on max’s recount of her latest vision, but your eyes kept drifting to steve and nancy. every stolen glance, every shared look between them, sent a pang of insecurity through your heart. you knew they had history - everyone did. but seeing them together again, working so closely, it made you wonder if maybe that history wasn't as buried as you hoped.

later, after the meeting had dispersed and everyone was heading home, you and steve walked to his car in silence. the quiet stretched uncomfortably between you, filled with words unsaid.

"hey," steve finally broke the silence as he unlocked the car. "y’okay?"

you nodded, but your expression betrayed you. steve could see the worry etched across your face. he gently touched your arm, stopping you before you could climb into the passenger seat.

"what's wrong?" he asked, his voice soft and full of concern.

you took a deep breath, looking up at him with eyes that threatened to spill over with tears. "i saw the way you were looking at nancy tonight," you admitted, your voice barely above a whisper. "and... and the way she was looking at you."

steve's eyes widened in surprise, and then softened with understanding. he stepped closer, cupping your face in his hands. "hey, no," he said gently. "there’s nothing going on between me and nancy. we’re just trying to figure all this out, just like everyone else."

"but you have a history with her," you whispered, looking away. "and i can't help but feel like, like maybe you still have feelings for her."

steve's heart ached at the sight of your distress. he tilted your chin up so you would look at him, his gaze steady and sincere. "listen to me," he said firmly. "nancy and i... we had our time, but it’s over. i care about her as a friend, and that's it. you’re the one i’m with now. you’re the one i want to be with."

he pressed his forehead against yours, closing his eyes. "you’re my present and my future," he whispered. "i love you. only you."

you closed your eyes too, feeling the warmth of his words seep into your heart. "promise?" you asked, your voice small and vulnerable.

steve pulled back just enough to look into your eyes, his expression full of love and determination. "i promise," he said. "i’m all in, with you. and I’m not going anywhere."

you let out a shaky breath, a smile breaking through the lingering doubt. "okay," you whispered.

steve leaned in and kissed you, slow and sweet, pouring all his reassurance and love into that kiss. when he pulled back, he rested his forehead against yours again, a small smile playing on his lips. "no more doubts, okay?"

you nodded, feeling the weight of your worries lift. "okay."

with a final kiss on your forehead, steve opened the car door for you. as you both settled into your seats and drove away, the tension from earlier dissolved, replaced by a comforting sense of certainty. no matter what anything or anyone threw at you, you knew you had steve by your side. and that was enough.

[ciainahere]

A Second Chance

Viktor Hargreeves X Fem!Reader

Viktor reconnects with one of his past lovers

A/N: I love Elliot page, and I think it is a CRIME that there isn't more Viktor fics out there. This is in the timeline of season 4 which I WILL rewrite bc idk wtf I watched but it wasn't Tua.

(Y/N will be used but won't be described)

"Viktor has officially ran through every woman in the town" A guy announced in the bar making everyone laugh. "Okay that's enough" Viktor said taking the keys a woman had slammed on the counter. Viktor walked back behind the counter to pick up the ringing phone "What is it Luther-" Luther's words faded as he looked at the entrance to see a woman walking in. The woman walked up to the bar leaning on the counter, watching Viktor put the phone away without saying goodbye.

"Hi Viktor" "Hi Y/N"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

10 months earlier

"That's absolutely ridiculous V" Y/N laughed watching Viktor make breakfast. "I'm being so serious; we went back in time" Viktor giggled. Y/N took bacon from the pan "Okay so where are your so-called powers" Viktor rolled his eyes "I told you we lost them" "You lost them after coming out of a rich hotel with a killer bodyguard" Y/N busted out laughing realizing how stupid it all sounded. "It's not funny" Viktor wrapped his arms around her waist pulling her closer. "But it kind of is" She placed her hands on his cheeks.

They stayed like that for a moment, just enjoying being in each others arms. "So what else did your powers do" Y/N asked playing with his necklace "It was like energy blasts, vibrations and stuff" Viktor replied. A smirk grew on Y/N's face "Did your hands vibrate too" Viktor looked at her confused then sighed when he realized that she was thinking of "You're so annoying"

"You know you love me" "I do"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

2 months earlier

"I can't do this anymore" Viktor said looking at his feet. "Come on, it's just a burger. You can finish it" Y/N giggled. Viktor looked at the woman in front of him. She was everything Viktor could wish for. She was perfect. Too perfect. It scared him. "I mean i can’t do... This." He gestured toward him and Y/N.

"Are you breaking up wit-" "Yes" Viktor interrupted. "Why? I thought we were okay, no actually. I thought we were great" Y/N stared trying to understand where they went wrong or what she could of done to make Viktor not love her anymore. Viktor had no explanation other than he was scared of falling in love with her. Even though he already has. "It's just.. too complicated. Your parents already don't like me and i have to run the bar, we barely even see each other." Viktor lied looking at his plate. Y/N had made them burgers and cake because of the success of the bar. And for their 5 month anniversary.

Y/N knew he was lying.

"I bring you lunch every day at the bar and I'm always awake when you come back. I even offered to help out. YOU were the one that said no." Tears started to fill her eyes trying to find an answer in Viktor's. He refused to look at her. Like she no longer mattered. "V. I've told you so many times that I don't care what my parents think. Or anyone else. It's my life, I choose what I do, and I can love who I want." Viktor needed to leave. He knew if he had looked at her everything would go wrong. Viktor headed for the door of Y/N apartment stopped when he heard Y/N's final words.

"Viktor, I want to love you... because I do but you- You have to let me love you."

Viktor left leaving Y/N with confusion and tears.

A/N: sooo.. should i delete myself and my page or keep going...🌚 PLEASE tell me what you think i genuinely don't mind advice as long as it's respectful.

[idcbabyialreadylostmymind]

This is What Makes Us Girls

Pairing- Tsireya x reader

Pov- When courting season begins and suitors come around every corner, you realize your in love with your best friend.

A/N- also I restarted skins bc I saw an edit so I am gonna use a line from skins in this one cause 🤭 this is not prof read. I am also high right now as I was half way thru it so I'm am sorry if it is horrible

Warnings- underage drinking, kissing, drunk Neteyam and Y/N has to be a warning in itself

It was courting season the most dreadful time of the year. All the unmated men try to swoon the unmated women, if anyone asked you it was just an excuse for men to entrap women into marriage. But that just your opinion.

So you watched as young men brought flowers, asked father's permission, take strolls. All fake. And you thought you were safe from this hazardous part of the year. You weren't. Three guys surrounded you one holding a bouquet of flowers, one with a necklace his mother or sister made, and one holding a pile of fish, charming. "Hello Y/N." One of them said. "Hello Tu'val." You say stepping into a path that led to the ocean. "Here I made you a necklace." He said before another one I think his name was Rovn. "A necklace like she would want that here like a real man I caught you fish." He said obviously throwing shade at the other one. "Oh fish so special, a necklace, I picked these flowers just this morning for you." The last one said you didn't even know him.

You stop tired of their bickering. "Hello I appreciate all of these gifts but you may go give them to any other girl that is waiting to be captured into a unfulfilling marriage." You say before walking off from the three men.

And that's how it went, anytime a suitor stepped up you shot him down. It not like it's your fault that you weren't brainwashed by your mother to think the only thing that will make you happy is mating with a man. You stepped into the beach and your heart stopped for a second, that Lo'ak kid from the forest was giving Tsireya a shell, was he courting her? You couldn't help but feel this sickening feeling in your lower body, it made you want to kick, scream, and cry.

Tsireya had been your best friend ever since you learned to walk, you did everything together, from swimming, to hunting, fruit harvesting, you even had your first kiss together for experimenting purposes you told each other. So why, why did you get this feeling as if he was stilling something that was yours.

So the next few days you avoided everyone, stayed in your mauri. You were going crazy, Tsireya never told you anything about being courted this season, was she going to leave you. Leave, she wasn't even with you. You held the necklace she gave you the day you kissed each other. Though it was your first and only kiss it light a fire in you, she light a fire in you. And then all the pieces of the puzzle started to fit, you loved your best friend. You loved Tsireya.

The next day you walked out of your mauri and some people were shocked to see you, especially Tsireya. She walked up to you and gave you a big hug and your face flushed instantaneously. "Where have you been." She asked concerned. "Oh I wasn't feeling the best and did not want to get anyone sick." You lie. "Oh." She says eyes going to the ground. "Yeah." You whisper you felt bad for lying but you couldn't say that you were avoiding everyone cause you found out you loved her. "Well it is good you are okay, also a few of us are going into the first around us tonight and I was wondering if you would like to come." She asked. "Yeah sure." You replied without even thinking. She squealed.

"That is good, I wish we could spend the day together but mother wants to train me more so see you later." She says. "See you later." You say before she walks off.

You were freaking the entire day, you found out you loved your best friend and now your going to go to a party with her.

It was an hour past eclipse and you snuck out of your mauri and saw Tsireya she looked amazing. You walked next to her as she interlocked her arm into yours she smiled before walking into the forest. It wasn't long until you guys made it, it was deep enough to not be heard by the adults but not to far. "Oh there's Kiri I gotta ask her something." Tsireya says you only reply with a nod before you go get a drink wine it looked like, you take a sip and internally cringe at the taste before chugging it and getting two more cups.

You sit down on a stool someone left unaccompanied and it wasn't long until Neteyam sat next to you. "Hey Y/N." He said, "Looks like your having fun." He joked looking at the two drinks in your hand. You take a swing of one of them. "Yup," you say giving the cups a little jiggle. "So, you know my friend Tu'val," as soon as the words left his mouth you felt dread fill you, not this again. "He told me that you didn't want to be trapped in a unfulfilling marriage bruised his ego a bit." He laughed before taking a drink from the cup in his hand. "It is true I do not." You reply finishing up one of the drink already feeling fuzziness take your body, Eywa these drinks were strong.

"I get it, but you always deny any suitor that asks to court you, why?" He asked. You took a deep breath another drink, and then another should you tell him the reason why? That the reason is because you have fallen in love with your best friend and can't tell her. "Y/N." Neteyam's words pulled you out of your trace. You take one last drink you were to drunk to care what his reaction was to what you were about to confess.

"I like girl." You say his eyes widen, "No." You say again smiling eyes traveling to Tsireya. "I like a girl, no." You laugh bitterly. "I love her." You say eyes traveling to the sand, ashamed you look down. "So, who is it." He asks taking another drink looking at you. You pick your head up as fast as you can, he didn't care. "Tsireya." You whisper to him and he gasp before laughing. "Oh my fucking Eywa." He was drunk off his ass as were you. "Sh sh sh." You shush him before taking the last bit of drink from you cup and discarding it. "Go tell her." He blurts out making your eyes go wide as he finishes up his drink. "You are insane." You laugh at him.

"I am being serious." He says to you again. "Neteyam I can't what if she says no huh what am I to do then I'll be out of a best friend and have a heavily bruised ego." You say to him laying you head on his shoulder he lies his head on your head. "Y/N I know you are usually the one rejecting people and you probably have a deep fear of rejection but-" "hey-" you interrupt him. ''But,'' he continued. ''you should see how the girl looks at you as if your the most precious thing the great mother has and will make.'' Your ears perk at the words left the omaticaya boys mouth and it lessened your worries. ''No, no you are just saying that.'' You say as the fear of rejection he was talking of earlier sunk into me. ''I am too drunk to lie to you.'' He says draws his hand up in the air. you think, really really hard and then you begin to shake your head.

''Yeah cool cool I'm gonna confess.'' You hype yourself up as you pick your head up from his shoulder. "Hell yeah you are." He said hiccuping afterwards. "Who wants another drank?" Someone yelled, you stood up and started to walk to Tsireya. "Me!" You heard Neteyam yell back at the guy making you shake your head. And before you knew it Tsireya was in front of you smiling and you heart dropped to your ass. "Hi! Y/N can I take you somewhere private to talk." She said and to drunk to realize what you got yourself into you shook you head up and yes.

She guided your unwarranted movements feet dragging everywhere. Until you reached a secluded part of the forest just north of the party. "Y/N." She said pulling your eyes and focus to you. "I've know you for a really long time and you've been there for almost everything, first song cord, even first kiss," she said bashfully making your already flushed paint a deeper shade of indigo and she grabs your hands into her own. "And I wanted to tell you I love you, Kiri helped me get the courage to ask you to be mine." She says eyes averting to the ground next to you. It was silent for a moment as her words actually registered and a huge smile plastered your face. She looked at you confused as you wiped your face with your palm. "Oh Eywa yes, yes yes." You say laughing a little afterwards. She giggled at your drunken state. "Oh great mother thank you, oh Tsireya I've loved you for years." You say stumbling forward catching her lips into a kiss. Passion was in it, everything loved standed for was in the kiss.

She pulled away smiling, she looked into your low-lidded love blown eyes, and drunken smile. You hiccuped as you cupped her face. "Oh wow didn't know you had it in you Y/N." A familiar voice said in the distance. "Came out here to pee and I find you kissing good job." He smiled giving you a thumbs up. "Come on let's get the both of you home." Tsireya says guiding both of them back to the village. "But pee-" Neteyam true to go back to pee. "Nope." Tsireya pulled him back. At least she was yours now even though you would regret how you accepted her confession.

[fluentmoviequoter]

The Price of Christmas Connections

Day 8 of 12 Days of Ficmas

Pairing: Dalton Lambert x reader

Summary: You knock on Dalton's door and offer him some Christmas cookies, and when he offers to pay, you gladly accept.

Warnings: so much fluff; I think I forgot how to write for Dalton.

Word Count: 0.9k+ words (sorry it's short, I liked the idea but couldn't figure out how to make it longer then got too busy to try)

A/N: Like I said in the warnings, I need to watch The Red Door again bc I feel like I'm not writing Dalton as well as I used to, but I have finals this week so this is the best I can do for now. I may revisit this next week and rewrite it if anyone is interested, but for now enjoy some fluff (which Dalton very much deserves after the semester he's had)!

The best part of JPU, in your opinion, is that your last class of the week is across from the art building. Better, is that you get to see the guy you wish you knew. You know his name because his friend yells it whenever she is around. But that is all you know about Dalton. Though you want to know more.

Dalton watches for you when he leaves Professor Armagan’s class, wondering what it would be like if he dared to introduce himself. You’ve waved at Dalton a few times, and he’s awkwardly returned it or pretended not to see you. Every time Dalton walks back to his dorm, feeling disappointed, ashamed, and prepared to get yelled at by Chris.

When December begins, you can’t help but imagine how different the holiday season would be if you could talk to Dalton, get to know him… fall in love with him. The last idea hits you out of nowhere, but you mean it. The rest of the students at JPU seem disinterested in the time of year, with no sign of the Christmas spirit anywhere to be seen. Deciding that something needs to be done, you pull on an invisible Santa hat and set out to bring the spirit of Christmas to JPU until everyone goes home for Christmas.

You pile all of the homemade decorated cookies (and some undecorated, in case someone doesn’t like icing) onto a Christmas platter you picked up from the nearby grocery store. After dressing up with a Mrs. Claus dress pulled over your warmest leggings and a long-sleeve thermal shirt, you leave your apartment and walk to the nearest dorm building. Nearly everyone on the first floor accepts at least one cookie. By the time you reach the third floor, you’re preparing to return to your apartment to refill the platter. As you knock on a door, you count the cookies and decide to offer the last three to whoever is in the dorm. The door opens, and you smile, hoping to spread a little light. You see Dalton on the other side of the door, and your smile grows.

“Hi,” you greet. “I’m handing out Christmas cookies, could I interest you in one? Or three?”

Dalton’s jaw drops nearly imperceptibly as he looks between you and the platter.

“I’ve been watching you, I wanted to meet,” he blurts out. His eyes widen as he rushes to correct, “I mean- not like stalker-watching you, I just know when you have class and I wait until I see you when you leave. No, that’s not better, um-”

You laugh, shifting the platter so you can lay a hand on his arm. “It’s okay. I’ve been wanting to meet you too,” you admit.

Dalton nods, unmoving because you’re at his dorm and touching him. His mind races, forming plenty of things to say, but nothing comes out.

“So, do you want a cookie?” you repeat.

“Oh, yes, please. You- you can come in, if you want, since you said you wanted to meet me.” Dalton cringes as he finishes, whispering an apology.

“Sure,” you agree, entering his dorm.

You set the cookies on a clear corner of his desk, walking to the edge of his bed to inspect the art on his wall. Each piece tells a different story and you feel like you know Dalton more after each picture.

“Are you selling the cookies, or? I mean, I’ll pay for them if you are,” Dalton says, watching you look at his pictures.

He notices your eyes light up as you turn to him and say, “No, I’m not selling them, just handing them out. I’ll accept payment anyway, though.”

Dalton’s brows furrow as his arms drop. You realize you confused him with the conflicting information, so you decide to show him instead. Grabbing his sweatshirt, you pull him to you, kissing him as payment for the cookies, for allowing you to come in and get to know each other, and most importantly, and the opportunity to fall in love with him.

When you pull away from him, breaking the kiss, his eyes remain closed as he mumbles, “That works.”

“I’m glad we finally met,” you tell him.

“Me too.”

“There’s still cookies over there.”

Dalton rolls his eyes and smiles before leaning in to kiss you again.

✯✯✯✯✯

After turning in your last test, marking the official beginning of Christmas break, you run to the art building and wait for Dalton to finish his final presentation for Professor Armagan’s class. When the door opens, you perk up, standing on your toes to watch for Dalton.

“Dalton!” you yell, waving at him when he appears.

He smiles, rushing down the stairs and pulling you into his arms as he asks how your final went. 

“Cookie girl!” several people yell, hooting and pointing at you. “Be my Mrs. Claus!” one of them requests.

“My cookie girl,” Dalton says shyly, looking into your eyes as his arms tighten around you.

“Your cookie girl,” you agree, boldly kissing him in front of all the students.

The previously interested guys boo playfully as they continue walking, and you hear Dalton’s friend yell his name in surprise. You pull back, turning into Dalton’s shoulder before facing her.

“This is Chris,” Dalton introduces you. “Chris, this is my cookie girl.”

You roll your eyes at Dalton as you shake Chris’s hand.

“Oh my gosh, my roommate saved me one of your cookies; they were so good!” she gushes.

“Best priced cookies I’ve ever gotten,” Dalton says as he wraps his arms around your waist and pulls you against him.

Because of a few cookies, you went from staring longingly across campus to see each other to running into his arms. They’re the best-priced cookies you’ve ever had, too.

[avo-gal]

100% following to get your reaction to the rest of s4 of Umbrella Academy. Keep up posted!

WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT!!??!??!???

First of thx so much! Now, onto my many complaints about s4!

Let's start positively.

The first episode was really good and refreshing. It set up a good idea for the season and how the characters have developed.

But then...

Lila.

They completely ruined her character she had pretty much no emotional connection to.. anything! Her part of the story in s4 was horribly written.

Including her family.

Seeing how important family was for Lila in s2 (particularly the end), it just doesn't make sense how she was so easily persuaded to leave them. Her and her Deigos' kids were also badly written (yes ik they were side characters) bc let's be honest, their kids should not be that normal.

It also just doesn't make sense for Lila to be a stay at home mum she's just way too (for lack of a better word) adventurous to stay at home all day. I have the same issue with Deigo being a mail man that job is just too boring for him, and they're both very well qualified for a much better job, so why!?

Five and Lila.

It is so disgusting and unnecessary no matter how you try to look at it. It also just doesn't make sense with the characters. Lila shows no interest in five at any point and vice versa. And looking back at s1 five, he cares way too much about family, especially Deigo, to do that.

Which brings me to my next point LITERALLY NOTHING IS CONSISTENT!!!!!! it's like the writers wrote a whole different show bc nothing matches up with the past seasons!! (No, I'm not giving examples. There are way too many)

The last episode feels very rushed. Idk how to really elaborate, but yk.

KLAUS.

Oh my poor klaus, what have they done to you.

I really wish they had explored his character more. Like, yes, he had a side plot, but it didn't explore his character it just gave him more screen time. He is my favourite! They had so much potential! Now, ik going from being immortal to mortal would be terrifying, but this is klaus, he wouldnt just stop wearing amazing outfits bc he's more likely to die he would still wear bright clothes and pokadot masks and shit. This brings me to my next point.

ALL THE OUTFITS ARE SO BORING.

Before, it was easy to spot most of them in a crowd (except for Viktor, which was intentional), but now the outfits are boring and general and don't tell you anything about the characters.

Also, they did Sloane so dirty they mention her once, then nobody cares! Luther loved Sloane so much ik he would still be grieving.

Also, they didn't think the story through bc if none of the academy existed, then neither should their kids, and this would cause another grandfather paradox!

Brisket Five was the only good thing in this season.

Thx so much for listening to my rant. I just needed to get that out. Some people explain these points a lot better than I do. Soz if some things don't make sense or are misspelled, I can't be bothered to go through and edit this.

[paracosmic-murdock]

i kinda just noticed that I never say anything here but i've been super inspired lately with a benedict OS fic (longings locked) i just labeled as COMING SOON and it will come sooner than the anthony fic i put in my masterlist like...

last year 😭

i've actually written a few chapters of the anthony one and i might start posting them as soon as i'm sure my inspiration won't end halfway through it (been there, done that) (i will post it soon bc i couldn't have written all that IN VAIN)

this is me:

anyways, as a compensation, i'm gonna share a bit of it. it's titled "tarnished, but so grand", and this is the summary:

you, your mother, and younger sisters were left to your own devices after your father's death with no one to take care or provide for you. thankfully, high society's ties were always useful, and you got an interview with none other than viscount anthony bridgerton for the job of his sister's governess. and yes, he could have expected about anything except to fall for you in such invasive, magnificently cursed manner when he was supposed to be looking for his very own wife.

if this flops i'll delete in immediately🙄

anyways, here comes the sneak peek:

After two months of knowing you, Anthony could say he got used to you not giving yourself credit for anything. He believed it was something that had to do with the sense of responsibility of being the eldest child who was imposed the task of providing for your family in a world that deprived your gender of opportunities to do just that. He saw himself in you often enough, and that might be the reason why he was so driven to you.

You nodded. “I saw him struggling and reached out to help. Did I take a liberty beyond my place?”

“Not at all. I could never question your place in this household, Miss Luddington,” Anthony was quick to erase the idea from your mind. “What I mean to say is thank you. This goes beyond your job as Hyacinth's governess, and it is not that I have any issue whatsoever. I only wish to thank you for helping Gregory as I've also taken notice of how much you have done for Eloise. This is going to be quite a difficult season for all of us, so I am incredibly grateful to you for taking the burden of my sister's stubbornness off my shoulders.”

You looked at him surprised. “You are very welcome, My Lord, but you mustn't thank me for anything.” you waved off after a sigh. “It does not need to be so difficult for all of you. I am sure that Eloise is more relaxed and her aversion for the upcoming events has been fading. You should not worry too much about her.”

Anthony cleared his throat. “I didn't mean it because of Eloise only… I have decided to start looking for a wife this season.”

That was everything but expected.

“Oh…”

Your lips formed a fine line at the thought, and you wanted to scold yourself for that painful weight growing in your gut.

“Yes… I believe it is time for me to settle down and find a wife, a viscountess. My mother has been too stressed with her responsibilities as the lady of the house, the Dowager Viscountess, and our mother. Once I marry, she will be more tranquil, freer.”

“That is right, My Lord,” you granted him. “Your mother has been tired lately. I wish you the best of luck on your quest, though I am a hopeless romantic, and dare I hope for you to find love instead of just a suitable partner.”

Anthony chuckled. “While I appreciate the sentiment, I am afraid I cannot afford that luxury.”

“You are a man, My Lord. One with power, at that. With all due respect, there are certainly not many things a person like you could consider a mere luxury, and your choice of a wife should not be one of them,” you mentioned, perhaps the alcohol giving you the guts to speak so freely. “God knows I would give anything to attend a ball, wear my fancy dresses and my jewels again, be asked to dance by handsome gentlemen, and be seen with utter admiration.”

“I take it it is your wish to marry.” he guessed, feeling his heart ache in your name.

You laughed, refilling the glass of whiskey and pouring one for him as well. “Now it is further than a dream… Papa promised me when I was a little girl that I would marry the man I loved. He said I was his daughter and that no man would ever deserve me, but I deserved whichever man I laid my eyes upon. Now I fear I shall die an old maid.”

“You can never be so sure.”

“Unfortunately, no man I marry would allow me to work, much less will he be able to provide for my entire family. I would have to marry a rich man for that, and I am afraid my status as a high society lady has been revoked. I could never get that,” you countered. “I also would not dare to abandon my dearest Hyacinth, and once she is done with her education, I will be too old to be wanted.”

“I can assure you, Miss Luddington, that it would be the most enormous waste on Earth if a lady as phenomenal as you passes before knowing what it feels like to be truly admired like she deserves.”

if you want to be added to the taglist of tarnished, but so grand, you can comment this post or dm me btw <3

if you want to be added to the longings locked's taglist, you can also let me know with a comment or dm, i'd be honored to add you

ALSO i wanted to thank you all for the support! this blog started with my matt murdock obsession and i want to write something else for him soon, but my current hyperfixation is bridgerton.

that would be all, thanks for reading! 🫶🏼

[missmitchieg]

i don’t go here but what happened to penelope garcia’s hair ? isn’t it like shoulder length ? did she cut it ? !

/lh , tell me about penelope garcia please ?

Yay! I love talking about babygirl! Ok, so it looks like she did indeed cut her luscious locks so rip to her long princess curls. They will be missed until they grow back. 💖

Ok, so season 1-15 Penelope was MY GIRL, ok? She was MY GIRL.

She's, like, a super genius super cutie and she's super sweet and kind and loves animals. (Seriously, one of the reasons she started working for the FBI is she was a computer hacker and hacked into the website of a cosmetic company that tests on animals and her options when she got caught were literally work for the FBI or her ass is getting thrown in prison. She chose the FBI. We love a queen that fights for animal wellfare. The other reason was she wanted to get away from her garbage, and I do mean GARBAGE, boyfriend and have a better life.)

I'm pretty sure she has ADHD. Maybe autism. IDK, but she's definitely some kinda neurospicy.

She's a walking sparkly neon rainbow. You know the way Flynn's bedroom is described in the one jatp book? Season 1-15 Penelope is that and I love it.

She went ginger once and it was a whole vibe.

Wow, I love her.

She was super nice to her ex boss all the way from s1 to his departure in early s12, and I'm 99% sure was the only one that actually called him bossman or sir bc everyone else just called him Aaron or by his nickname, Hotch. She was really good at making him smile, which actually wasn't that hard but people exaggerate the rarity of a Hotch smile for some reason.

After that, she was still really nice to the replacement he handpicked, Emily Prentiss, who she already adored after working with her since s2.

Hotch was literally physically incapable of saying no to this woman and she fully knew and took advantage of that shit, ok? Seriously, one time, Penelope made a joke like "who could say no to me?" and Hotch just smirked a little bit because he knew he couldn't say anything. Penelope does an incredible imitation of the pleading emoji. Or the Puss In Boots face. Whatever you wanna call this:

"Boss, I want you to hire Tara. 🥺" "Ok. Tell everyone else the position has been filled." "Boss, I don't wanna eat dinner alone. Do you want a veggie omelette? 🥺" "Ok. Do you have jalapeños?"

The hilarious thing is she doesn't even have to make that face. She does it to mess with him.

And then there's her, uh...... interesting little flirtationship with Derek Morgan. Or as Penelope calls him, chocolate thunder. He loves that name and encourages it. He calls her babygirl. They also have about a million other adorable pet names for each other.

*gestures at these gifs* They love each other so much, it's kind of gross. I've said before that before I actually started watching and only had the massive comp of him calling her that, I genuinely really thought Morcia was canon. Like, oh, my GOD, dude. These two are disgustingly obsessed with each other. The shit they say on work calls. He calls her sexy and brilliant Goddess and told her it drives him crazy when "she talks that voulez coucher stuff to him". Like, hello? Honestly, I'm amazed Derek only had to sit through one HR lecture about creating a hostile work environment. Or at least, we only saw one.

Then there's her very sweet friendship with baby genius, boy wonder, good doctor, Agent Doctor Spencer Reid.

MY BABIES. I LOVE THEM. I want them back. Gimme back my Penny², damnit.

And her very sweet friendship with Matt Simmons! Oh, my god. I love them. 🥰🥰🥰

They're cute and I wish at least Penelope mentioned Matt in season 16 more.

Penelope and Luke! Oh, my God. Penelope and Luke.

They are in love and both think it's unrequited and it's exhausting but at least s12-15 were FUN. Mostly.

Season 16 Penelope, though....

Season 16 Penelope got abducted by aliens. Or lobotomized. Hard to tell.

[theysangastheyslew]

Hey!!!

I want to share more suffering with you, homie haha *crying*

What do you think of the episode? Especially 132 part ofc!

Hi friend! :'))))))))) Ooooooh honey that gif is such a mood XD I’ve been trying to collect my thoughts and this is the best I can do atm. Sorry it’s kind of wordy but here we go 🥲

Ok! So ever-present pacing issues aside, the overarching story made for a solid episode and the animation was incredible. Hell, even the things I disliked objectively looked well-done out of context. Overall, that was no small feat to pull off, especially in such harsh working conditions. I truly do want to acknowledge that.

But in regards to 132, you guys already put into words how I feel better than I could. I may not have anything new to add, but I’ll say what I liked first and then put my issues under a cut.

As someone who actually really likes Yams’ art style, I loved that they consistently kept Hange’s face accurate to the manga. It was really inconsistent throughout the final season and they struggled to not make it too short a lot of times. Hange was always still stunning of course but the difference always stuck out to me. Here everyone was drawn well, but you can tell she got some extra attention.

The way they inched Levi closer to where Hange was sitting while talking with Yelena. Insignificant yeah but consistent with their past behavior. Also I’m glad they tweaked the position of his bandages so it looked less like they were painfully tugging upwards on his nose.

The pained expressions of the kids and Hange watching Levi struggle to even hold his gear

The “unrequited love” exchange. It had most of the softness and emotion from the manga even though the weight of that line will never be realized in non-written form. The camera lingered on each frame in a way that conveyed the sentiment. This is what got my hopes up that they would stay truer to the source material with DYH.

I'm so glad they left in Hange's lines to Flochroach about not giving up. Helps show—once again—that they wanted to live

The choked way Levi said “Devote your heart” + Hange’s widened eye and soft gasp at his words. Though not tearing up like in the manga, the shot still looked lovely for the half second it lasted. He doesn't pause halfway through saying it though so this one I'm still wrestling with.

Of course, the last stand. Onscreen, Hange took out at least 16 colossals (including the ones we see trip and get trampled) and definitely more offscreen (when they cut away to show other characters) and for the last few, did it while in the most pain a human body can feel. 7/10 for combat, my ass. Idk about y’all but I can’t stop hearing Romi Park’s screams in my head. I knew it would be nauseating and brutal but dear God. At the same time I cannot put into words how proud I am of them. That's my commander 💜

Ok “like” is definitely not the right word for this but I had wondered when I first read 132 how Hange’s gas tank was so well-insulated that it didn’t ignite, and.. well I got my answer.

I’m thankful that they didn’t show a glimpse of Hange’s bloody, crushed remains the way you see in the og panel. That at least felt respectful to me. This is wishful thinking I know but the defined charred outline makes me choose hope they fell more off to the side from where the titans were walking so at least there was maybe still a body left to recover someday.

The afterlife scene, the kids all sobbing their hearts out, Levi holding his own hand in the aftermath trying to process what just happened, and Onyankopon confirming the plane’s significance all really were appropriately gut-wrenching.

I really recommend taking a little break between The Rumbling and Sinners. It definitely makes the shift in emotion less jarring and less

When I did that with my rewatch it helped with the flow of things.

Ok, now twist me up and call me a pretzel bc here there be some salt :|

I’ll try to leave out my og issues with the manga chapter itself (like how painfully obvious it was all just to make Armin commander and how unnecessary Hange dying was IN THE FIRST PLACE and IF it had to happen at all how it could have been done at the final boss skelepalooza showdown, etc.) and just focus on the episode.

Goes without saying but it bears repeating: pacing. 75% of my issues with the execution of DYH would be gone if they just slowed down a bit. Just let the weight of it sink in a little. That this moment —all shreds of shipping aside— is the end of the line for these two heroes who have been supporting each other for ten years while bearing the weight of the world on their shoulders. But Mappa completely reversed the timing of the sequence of events. In the manga we had a longer, more intimate farewell followed by a last stand that was so short even when you knew it was coming it left you reeling from how fast it was from start to finish. Whereas here they hurried it along to get to the “main event”. Hell, it flows better in gif sets than it does in the actual show.

To me, it felt like Hange’s demeanor didn’t really change from talking with the kids to speaking with Levi, making their false bravado seem like less of a front. I know their tone was meant to sound like they were keeping up appearances, but with how often Hange just gets reduced solely to being a titan freak the way they had Romi say the lines made it sound like actual excitement, especially with the way they drew Hange's facial expressions (more on that next)

Hange’s little smirk after the salute. I kinda get what they were trying to do here but to me it came off as very flippant and dismissive of Levi’s choice of words, especially since they all but got rid of their lips trembling and eye beginning to well up with tears. I wish we’d gotten the big fake smile and laugh because that would have shown better that Hange was overcompensating by trying to put their brave face back on after starting to lose their composure. Their fear is obvious in the manga but it just simply didn’t come through as well throughout this entire exchange.

Sooo Hange almost tears up when Pieck said their words inspired her yet minutes later when their Best Friend tries to say goodbye there’s nowhere near that kind of reaction? Sure, Jan

Levi’s face. Ok look. It’s not a lack of emotion on his part that bothers me. It’s that it’s an entirely different one to begin with. He looks bummed at first yes, but then that changes to what I’m guessing is supposed to be determination which comes off as anger or annoyance (kinda like what changed with his scene with Armin on the stairs). They removed what made this parting different from previous ones, which was the sense of open vulnerability and the dawning realization that now he’s going to have to let Hans go too. See it's not like they were in the middle of the battle just yet. This situation came on suddenly and unexpectedly; it wasn't "supposed" to happen. One second they were on track and the next Hange is being torn away by fate. And yes, the highlights play a part in that transition. Anyone who draws eyes knows the importance of placement and intensity and the major impact they have over the final expression. And when drawing a comic you certainly don’t take up valuable page space with three panels focusing on the hope draining out of someone’s eyes if it wasn’t supposed to be the focus. I mean for fuck's sake, even the Final Season!Nendoroid Levi got it right. Plus, if they could make a point of getting Eren's eyes right during the raid on Liberio they could have gotten it here.

When the camera cuts to the kids watching the titans fall the angle doesn’t let you see that Levi can’t bring himself to watch for more than just a second

NOT MAPPA’s FAULT but since I’m being whiny right now I’m going to add that while ACWNR is a mixed bag to begin with, WIT’s adaptation not including Levihan’s introduction saddens me bc Levi asking Hange to keep watching loses a bit of extra oomph.

Really it just comes down to the fact that there was nothing wrong with the original page. It wasn’t overdone or dragged out by any means but considering many other scenes got shot-for-shot depictions I don’t think we were asking for anything outrageous by wanting a faithful adaptation. The couple frames we got that were almost perfect were so freakin fast you barely had time to process them before it cut away.

I wanted to like it, I really did. Especially since MAPPA did so many things so incredibly well as a whole. My expectations weren’t high, and I did want to give it the benefit of the doubt. But when it came to DYH, it felt both watered down and disjointed, like a completely different scene.

But so it goes. At the end of the day, Hange still dies a horrifying, demeaning death for plot convenience, and Levi is left behind to suffer once again. It was always going to hurt and I was never going to be ready for it, no matter how it was done.

[gaiathemexicanbeauty]

puppy love | tanjirou x male! reader

word count: 1.1k

just a completely unexpected tanjirou crush headcanon list! :D

warnings: none! pure fluff :3 (i refuse to make anything remotely sad (unless asked) (then i'll do it) (unwillingy))

tanjirou is a minor so please do not comment weird stuff under this!

i wasn't gonna write this and just ramble all this to a friend but i was like "why am i gonna torture them" /lh i love you damien

anyways i am only on s1 e15 so this might not be canon compliant to the manga or to swordsmith village or to season 2 and happens before all of that sadness

but anywho, please enjoy this and happy reading! :D all of this was very rushed bc of how fast i wanted to write this so sorry if its bad lol

don't forget to check out my ask box! <3 ask box rules are in my pinned post! requests are slow right now but i am more than happy to just chat!

tanjiro is obviously a really determined kid, nothing really gets in the way of his journey or protecting his friends and nezuko

but i like to think that he has plenty of lovey dovey fantasies, sleeping beauty and cinderella type of thing where he thinks everyone is destined for love and that if you wish for it enough, it will come to you

but he can also be very oblivious so as much as he believes in soulmates, you would have to slap him across the face (though why would you do that?) for him to realize he was looking at the future love of his life

he's still a kid so the idea of love is very innocent to him and thats why i love him <3 but he can't really tell anyone about all of his daydreaming because zenitsu would give him a hard time and inosuke would laugh in his face

but tanjirou most definitely can't stop for too long in the places where he's assigned missions in (he wants to explore, he's naturally curious like that!) so in turn, he doesn't really have the time to fall in love or even have a crush

maybe one day he stops in a city or town, there's a festival going on and he's trying to get past all the crowds of people to get out of the city and get to his next mission

and maybe it's the cliche of you running away from someone (probably a bully) and you run into tanjirou and immediately scramble to hide behind him and beg him to help you, you'll do anything!

so now he has no choice but to give you a hand (he'd think about it for days if he didn't) and once he convinces the person to leave, you're on your hands and knees thanking him as he tries to reassure that it was his pleasure

"let me buy you a meal! it's the least i can do!" you say with a grateful smile; you don't give tanjiro time to respond as you take his hand and lead him to some food stands just a few feet away

from there, you treat tanjirou to more than just a meal, but snacks and even some local activities (im not japanese guys but i know there are plenty of super fun stuff to do)

once you actually look at him, you feel grateful that you stopped him when you did: his kind smile had you pleasantly staring at him, the way he would fluster so easily when you would compliment him, and just how overall nice he was for seemingly no reason

by the time you knew it, the streets were becoming quieter and less crowded and the night was cooling down but neither you or tanjirou had tried to stop talking

"oh, are you cold? here, you can take my haori." tanjirou says with a smile; how he had noticed the way you rubbed your hands over your arms made you flush a bit and even more so when he places the haori over your shoulders

it was warm with a soft scent you couldn't recognize on it but it wasn't necessarily unwelcome. a smile stretches onto your face before you look up at him; "aren't I supposed to be treating YOU? you must be hard to date, tanjirou." you tease, wrapping the haori over yourself a bit more as you nudge his arm

"ah, i couldn't let you spoil me like that, that would be selfish of me. i'm just as happy seeing you comfortable." he says with what you were learning was a signature smile

at that, you stop walking as a small laugh bubbles out of you which in turn makes tanjirou stop, a confused smile on his face as he looks at you; "what's so funny? did i say something?" he says as you start to step toward him

"nothing. you're just unreal, tanjirou. just perfect." you say, biting your lip to hide the growing smile on your face when you see a slight red on his cheeks now

of course, he immediately turns away and offers to walk you home, making up the excuse that he had somewhere to be the next morning; "not that i don't want to hang out, but it's pretty late! i don't think we should be out for much longer." tanjirou says when you tease him about wanting to get rid of you

once at your door, tanjirou bids you a good night but doesn't ask for his haori or move away: just stands there and looks around as you shift on your feet

"is the haori keeping you warm? it always helps me." "yes, thank you."

silence again until tanjirou clears his throat, the way red starts crawling up his neck making you tilt your head with a smile on your face

"if you're going to ask for my hand in marriage, tanjirou kamado, the answer is we are teenagers." you say, laughing when tanjirou's face turns a bright red before he starts to ramble about how those weren't his intentions

you finally get him to calm down, hand touching his arm as you squeeze it; tanjirou stands a little bit straigher when you do that, averting his eyes to the ground and mumbling an apology for losing his temper

"i need to go. but come and find me if you pass through here again. i'd be more than happy to treat you again." you say, earning a smile from tanjirou before, all in one motion, you take a step forward and kiss him on the cheek, disappearing into your home

tanjirou stands in shock with his hands hanging uselessly in the air before he realizes: he never got his haori back. he'd have to come back tomorrow. and get it. and see you.

mumbling to himself, he walks away from where you had just left him, cupping his cheek as a gentle smile starts to grow on his face

alerted by the noise and movement (and the fact that it was very late at night), nezuko pokes her head out of her box and looks to her brother who perks up at his sister's presence

"sorry about all the noise! we'll go somewhere quieter soon." tanjirou says, smiling at his sister before he stops to let her leave the box

she looks towards the spot where she had felt the presence of another person before looking at tanjirou, pointing towards the house; her brother's face flushes a bit as he looks everywhere but at her, waving her off with a nervous smile

"ah, i just...made a friend is all, don't worry about it! we should go now!" tanjirou says with a smile on his face as he takes nezuko's hand and starts to lead her away, already planning the next day with you; and totally only to get his haori back

（<｀▽´）―━━☆⌒*. bang, bang, thats the end!

so can you guess who my favorite demon slayer character is other than rengoku and mitsuri

in all seriousness, i love this show so far, such a good story and super cute characters (except for muzan, i hate that guy but i want him so bad) but i have yet to read the manga so bear with me here!

but for now, thanks for reading and to anyone who is starting spring break soon, have a safe and fun week of break, you deserve it! :D and to everyone else, good morning, good afternoon, or good night! <33

[guardian-angle22]

Much as I would love to see a Muslim/hijabi woman on tv. Most likely wouldn't want to be on tv since it goes against their beliefs. I'm ok with Natacha in this role bc I love her and I appreciate what LS has done with showing respect as the show has continued

[response to my post here]

First off, thank you for the insight/feedback on the accuracy, and the prayer part in particular! I had thought the location she was praying in was inaccurate but that wasn’t something I saw mentioned a lot at the time of the initial backlash to that scene. So I appreciate the information. 💜

I definitely head canon that when Owen rebuilt the firehouse (for the 2nd time!) he made sure there was a dedicated quiet room. Not only would it be important to have for Marjan or anyone else that works at the firehouse with them of Muslim faith to pray in, but also they have stressful and emotional jobs! Having a dedicated safe space at the firehouse to go when you need that kind of quiet privacy just makes sense to me.

As far as the casting part first: I think Natacha has done a great job and I appreciate the fact that she spoke up to the showrunners after hearing feedback from Muslim viewers. and from what I heard of her talking at the most recent convention, she has some great ideas of exploring various intersectionality that is found within that religion and I think that’s great and really hope they do explore some of those things.

My desire for an actual hijabi woman to have been chosen for this part was mainly based off experiences I witnessed from a previous fandom, Skam. IDK if you ever watched it, but the 4th season focused on a Muslim girl in high school, Sana, played by an actress who was actually Muslim, Iman Meskini, who was fantastic. The show writer/creator/producer relied a lot on her knowledge and lived experience when filming things. Then the Skam remakes happened… and another iteration of the show did not bother to get an actual Muslim to play that character and I remember very vividly the negative experiences a lot of the Muslim people in fandom had based off choices that were made and how that character was portrayed. Iman herself spoke up about how much better it was to have someone with the lived experience, who knew what it was like, acting in a role like that. I love this quote from her too: "I never dreamt about being an actress, because I never saw an actress with hijab on. I didn’t even see it as an option or a possibility at all until I became that example that it is possible."

I definitely can appreciate and understand how nuanced the discussion of actors playing parts that aren’t their own experience truly is though. I think the wars that are waged online about actors who play queer parts especially is a big thing happening in culture right now and I truly understand a lot of varying sides to those kinds of discussions. I know it might not always be possible for own voices actors to play parts like this, but I just feel like the best case scenario in a role like Marjan would have been for it to be played by a hijabi woman. That doesn’t mean I think Natacha is in the wrong for taking the role or that it was a terrible mistake for her to have been cast. Just that there was a better scenario that I had hoped for, that didn’t end up happening. and that's okay.

Now the corn silo story: That interview with Natacha where she said there were things that got cut from that storyline makes me really sad because I wish we could have gotten a better resolution to it. Maybe it would have been exactly what you're mentioning here too - clarifying for the viewers that not everyone in the mosque felt that way and it was just pettiness amongst some of them. Sadly, I guess we'll never know exactly what that would have looked like. It makes me a little sad that the only time we've even seen the mosque she goes to was in that episode in season one. I really really hope we get a chance to see some more storylines for Marjan that can include her faith and her mosque but more of how they're positively impacting her life instead.

(I don't have any relevant Marjan reaction gifs since I mainly use my fave Paul, so have this gif of her being absolutely adorable instead)

[thelegoninjagomovie]

Oh? You'd like to discuss Misako Montgomery Garmadon of whom I love a lot? Let's go!!!

I'll start if u don't mind; I think she's actually an epic mom and ppl who hate her don't realize the writers cannot fucking write women at all in the slightest and actually she loves Lloyd and she's an epic mom !!!

i already KNOW this is going to get long so i’m throwing this under a cut lol

SO. i agree VERY MUCH WITH THIS STATEMENT. you can tell if you rewatch ninjago that they had no clue what they wanted misakos character to be. she definitely suffered the most from the “ninjago was originally 2 seasons” thing. by the time they figured out her character (which to me is s13) it was too late for her :(. also people who think she hates her son are so funny. so many ninjago fans cannot separate their own projections onto characters from canon so they just make up the most random bullshit about characters they don’t like. there’s more i’d say about this but i’d actually be kicking a hornets nest.

i’ve said this before but i REALLY think misakos character would’ve benefited so much from a sad backstory. i love the idea of her having a terrible mother and the whole breaking the cycle of abuse we could’ve had it all….. like the idea of misakos mom being what ppl think misako is would have been the best ever to me. her own mother not liking her and thinkjng she’s an inconvenience and getting in the way of her career is SOOOOO *kissy noise* the only thing i’d change would be her mother leaving her somewhere. personally i’d make it where misako ran away or got lost and her mom was like “aw :(. anyways!” and never bothered to look for her. think billy batson from shazam but less sympathetic for the mother character.

i actually wish they had made misako silly…. like another reason i feel like her character suffered is bc they were so insistent on making her a female wu that it feels like she isn’t even her own character sometimes. like the wise mentor trope is cool but im so over making every female character the hashtag epic girlboss. but if they were so insistent on making her a wise mentor why the FACK didn’t they ever use this or bring this up?????????

i’ve rewatched ninjago from beginning to end like 5 times and i swear they NEVER mention this once. like other than misako giving nya some advice here and there they never show misako actually. MENTORING nya. which makes no sense bc we the audience know that misako is capable of teaching fighting skills and wisdom. ninjago is very much a ‘tell don’t show’ type of show and misakos character suffers because of it so much :’(

i’ve said this once but misako and cecil SHOULDVE BEEN SIBLINGS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i know some ppl prefer the exs route or just them having always not liked each other which i can see but come onnnnnnn. cecil literally looks like if they had to make a guy misako. you know stitch and the pink thing that looks like stitch but a Girl. that’s misako and cecil but siblings bc yes i know that stitch and angel the pink one are dating.

do you see my vision. also i know this wouldn’t make sense also is kinda stupid but dr julien as the hidden third sibling. literally only so misako can be a middle child. imagine lloyd having to call this mf uncle cecil.

misako should’ve had more screentime with lloyd that’s a given but i think she should’ve had more screentime with the ninja in general. would’ve loved to see her chillax with them also the idea of her going in an adventure with them would be fun *stares at secrets of the forbidden spinjitzu fire chapter*

uhhhhhh what else what else…. OH yeah autistic misako is real af forever.

OH YEAH ok i just remembered what i was going to say i think ppl who think misako is like. really uptight and would yell at lloyd over little things over even at all are so baffling. girl how did you even come to that conclusion. she would be his number one supporter she literally owns a sweater/hoodie with his face on his. love that for her.

the ronin misako dareth friendship was interesting. it could’ve been cool but writers decided to immediately drop it. but also i think it was really weird?? the ronin misako part anyways because they put that in after shadow of ronin so that makes it so awkward to me lol. no clue how shadow of ronin did so maybe they just chose to ignore it but knowing what happened in that game makes it so funny in a really awkward way

season 9 was great that scene where misako tells lloyd to leave her behind…… ough. would’ve loved to see her interact with the other elemental masters a bit more but i’ll take what we got.

ALRIGHT i’m actually out of things to talk about rn so i hope u enjoyed reading all of that. thank you for letting me be autistic about my best friend in the world misako.

[dizzymuses]

❆・:*｡( nam joohyuk. twentysix. cis man. ) | look who entered the cabin! it’s HAJOON NA. HE is known for being the HIMBO of the group & that’s because they can be AFFABLE but also NAIVE. we bet they’re excited to be coming back to the cabin. they believe GUY.EXE by SUPERFRUIT is the best way to describe them. wonder what trouble they’ll be getting into this season.

hi hi, okay finally getting around to writing this intro. sadly, still not on my laptop bc god forbid anything ever gets delivered as planned lol. so pls forgive me if this turns out somewhat sub-par, i’m typing it on my equally sub-par ipad keyboard rip. fingers crossed i might get my charger on monday. but let’s get to business - this is hajoon, who also happens to be a brand new muse for me. he’s equal parts precious baby and big headed idiot. v sociable, trusting and endearing but also probably up to some dumb shit at any given time. let’s get into it (yuh) SKJDFHK

basics.

name: hajoon na.

nicknames: joon, joonie. 

gender: cis man.

pronouns: he/him.

age: 26.

date of birth: march 19th, 1996 (making him a pisces).

place of birth: harbor springs, michigan.

nationality: american

ethnicity: korean.

occupation: dog trainer, tiktok creator.

orientation: bisexual, biromantic. 

biography.

hajoon na was born as the first child to hyunjin na and angelica kwon, respectively an accountant and a nurse. both of them were overjoyed to welcome their son and start their little family, which had until then only consisted of the two of them and their dog valentine. however, they shouldn’t remain such a small family for very long as hajoons little sister was born only two years after him, making his run as an only child ever so short-lived. hajoon didn’t resent his sister though, instead fully embracing this new role as her older brother. it was fun to have somebody he could take care of and who would blindly follow his lead for quite a few years.

while there family was never rich, they didn’t have to worry for much, especially since their parents placed both of their well-being before most other concerns. their education was another one of the things they really cared for and so the whole family even travelled through europe twice when hajoon was in his teens. all in all, he wasn’t ever a disappointment to his parents, eager to please them. however, he also wasn’t quite the high-achiever they might have wished for. always getting good but honestly no exceptional grades, even though he was already studying much more than he personally would have liked. his sister, harin, proved herself to be much more the academic his parents were hoping for.

honestly, it wasn’t always easy for joon to have a younger sister who quite possibly was much smarter than him but in the end he was glad for her and his parents. they got what they wanted after all, with a daughter who soaked up all the knowledge she could get her hands on, especially everything space related. on the other hand, hajoon coasted through college, not quite smart enough to be of notice but certainly well liked by his peers. he was always one of the popular kids, despite never really trying. while others might have stepped on people to get them up the ranks, he had never done anything of particular note aside from having a massive glow-up in his teens and genuinely being nice to pretty much everyone.

maybe it’s the fact that he’d always been so effortlessly popular or the way his parents were basically as supportive as could be but it means that hajoon grew up to often blindly trust others and be pretty self-assured. sure, he knows now that he certainly isn’t extraordinarily smart but extraordinarily handsome was also worth something, right? after school he didn’t quite know what to do with life and so he took an infamous gap-year, mostly spent volunteering at the local animal shelter. it was there that he realised he wanted to work with animals long-term and so he began working towards becoming a certified dog trainer.

by now he works as a dog trainer, having opened his own training center with a friend of his. through a tiktok he once made with his own dog, friday, which was mostly meant to be educational, he had already gotten a small following on the site. ever since the group’s tiktok blew up in 2019 and the show was aired afterwards, however, that following had become quite sizeable and he has continued posting. i would personally describe his content as a wild mixture of educational dog training tips, tiktok’s everyone but himself would describe as thirst traps and dad jokes. harin always tells him he should stick exclusively with dog content because the rest of it is supposedly cringe af. but the internet at large doesn’t quite seem to agree with that assessment.

ok, that is all i have for u rn bc this is getting on my last nerve.i’d love to brainstorm some plot ideas w u and get things going for my boi. tysm for reading through this and maybe i’ll add to it once i have a proper keyboard again kfdjhkdfd.

[dgaftilwedie]

now this.......... this is what i mean when i want more fun question thingies...... holy fuck im gonna have a field day with this

kinda shitty but life goes on

nawwwww im not ready for a face reveal on here yet lol

absolutely every single day of my life

hm... good question... lemme ask my mom and i'll get back to you

18 woohooo adulthood

i don't usually get asked questions abt my age let alone get mistaken for any ages

im an aquarius and i think??? i suit it?? idk that's what my parents say at least

had a little at home thingy, went to one of my fav places with my bff it was pretty fun

i don't know

black rn

yeah my natural hair color is brown but i like to change it a lot

brown

i'd change the color only if i could make them pink

yeah im blind

well i certainly have one. and it does the jobs it needs to. that is for sure.

we're not gonna get into that this early in the morning

or that this is boring

i have one but im looking to get more asap

i have 6 but again im always looking to get more

right

bi

no but if i could i would

yeah

i have a kitty cat and a doggy dog

i don't have like a set job, i just do occasional freelancey shit

i have a fic in the works as per usual

tell me this question list is from the pro-ana days of tumblr without telling me it was from the pro-ana days of tumblr lol

massive two shits, you ess ay

im very empathetic and a good listener (or at least i try to be, that's just what i've been told)

im a good writer

a lot of things

well it's not really something you're born with but i wish drawing came easier to me, im not really good at it

i feel like one a lot of the time but i don't really know

i try to be, but i get really bitchy when people aren't nice back. i try to keep that to myself tho

i do not know my personality well enough

yeah, im really good at being friends with shitty people apparently!!!

my ideal bed is one with a frame because im tired of my mattress pulling away from the wall and then slamming my head into the wall when i try to lay down <3

no but im feeling quite cranky right now

yeah im like 5 years old lol

mark hoffman

BORING next

i don't even know anymore

i have none

again i have like zero aspirations in the career world, i never want to get a job. crossing my fingers i win the lottery or something

not at fucking all

all the time. i dwell on every interaction i have and i play them back almost obsessively.

yeah, i still kinda do

too lazy

yeah

no but i absolutely need one

i have seasonal allergies n then a couple medicines

i fractured my wrist once

yeah i almost slipped down a waterfall. that would've sucked

nerp

i actually can't think of anythint

i used to be a cheerleader, i went to circus camp (for one day), and uhm........ i got nothing

this is literally the last question restated

literally everythint im a fuckint freak

boring

yeah

like, three

what the fuck

yolo

no

sleep

pink

favorite band is ghost, favorite singer is 12ve my goat 🙏🙏🙏

SAW

the incorrigible children of ashton place, ghost girl, uhmmm OH a series of unfortunate events

yolo bc...... yolo

scoop

most words with the "oy" sound

sushi 🤤🤤🤤

chocolate chip cookie dough

kitty cats meow meow meow

does my answer to the last question answer this one too

super soft, kinda fluffy, silky blankets

orchids

scent as in perfume?? i have this one purple juicy perfume i really like. my favorite not-perfume scent is cigarettes. n then on the opposite sex....... idk man i like when guys smell kinda musky

fall

i don't know

why do i have to list 4 things UGHHHHHH

i don't know mythological creatures well enough to cast myself as any

smiling friends

walmart

naw

why do i have to list so many thints this is so boring

my dad

i have two brothers

no

it's......... interesting

NOOOOO

no

no

i wish

in a different house

idk, i'd want all the rooms to have like a different vibe but i wouldn't want anything to be too white or minimalist or modern.

nyc or something

not home

no

yeah

i don't have a preference

my best friend

yes

all of them are pretty loyal

yes

kill myself 💀💀

i don't know?????

yes

no i don't wanna

i don't remember

my first real bf

yeah

no but i am so open to it dilfs hmu

guh i kinda have a preference towards men

?? idk how to answer this question

never experienced but im sure some people have so who am i to say

hm....,... kinda

i don't really have one

tbh if ur like. adam stanheight or jesse pinkman. then. yeah. that works :3

i don't actually know

kinda?? i wouldn't say someone im not attracted to, that'd be shitty. but looks aren't everything. basically if you're cute and have a good personality, YIPPEE!!!!

i don't even know what this means

i've made it very very clear that im more than open to dating a guy who's like double my age. i do not care LMAO

maybe??

naur

i don't know 😭

n/a

n/a

"oh ok my bad"

yesterday

no

no

yes

yes

no

yes

no

yes oh my god these questions are so gay

i think so

yes

yes

1) stoo asking boring yes or no questions OK WOOOOOO

stupid dumb idiot stoners who are the epitome of the kinda trashy loser guys in 2000s movies. fuck they're my favorite

uhmmmmm not much

i don't know

boring

boring

boring

boring

yes with mark hoffman

yes with mark hoffman

that he is mark hoffman

yes obviously what

probably jill tuck and also amanda young

easily

EASILY

i think so maybe

no

not having any

yes

i don't know

if ur actively trying to emotionally or physically get with someone - whether it's over text or through like a post or a dating app - that's cheating. idc if ur attracted to other people, idc if u watch porn, idc abt most things, but if we're dating and you're seeking out someone else, you suck

no

not really but im a grudge holder so

no. god no. ew.

i don't wanna get into that rn

or that

i dislike too many people

tbh yeah

technically 3

a year and four months

???

naw

almost constantly

i like a whoke lot of different stuff

kinda but im really bad at it

never been to one

maybe idk

no

none that i can think of

oh my god u and ur damn lists

none

ifinhad a library it would be wasted bc i'd never read anything

saw vi

weird ass wording but horror movies

joestar birthmark, east

public indecency

i don't know

i'd keep it anyways???? da fuq

i'd just picj me and my best friend up and renove us from our old friend group

radium bc j said so

2020

a gun and "this is gaytarded"

death rollercoaster i'll test it and everything

fuck

none........... it won't happen........

amanda young

sleeping

kinda idk

i don't <3

no

no

no

nooooooo oh ny gourd

half empty and im about to spill the reston the floor bc my hands are too cokd to hold anything

i don't even know anymore brother

if i tell you none of my wishes will cone true

NO

yeah

atheistic satanism

depends on the amount

i have neither so does it really matter

very

kick every bad person out of america and shape the country into a safe haven

i think it's circumstancial tbh

rewatch saw v

adam stanheight bc we're both losers with not much going for us. we love animals and have rocky relationships with our family and similar music taste and a creative outlet that's the only thing we really have. plus cigarettes also make me bust a nut in front of hot dilfs LMFAO

i missed a question at some point and i can't fund it so uhmmmmm last answer was suppoised to be this one

procrastinator

no

nooooooooo

nothing

my music

no

no

no

no

no

no

no lul

no

no

yes stop asking

molly

no

no

everything

yes

no

probably

yes

i don't think so

no

badly

depends

i don't know anymore

yes

not well

better

everything

what the fuck is an intem

going back to bed

no eat my balls

yes

costas mandylor

no

Aaaaaaaaaaask aawwwwwaaaaaaaaaaaay :D

Personal

1- How are you?

2- Post a picture of yourself.

3- Do you ever wish you were someone else?

4- What is your entire name?

5- How old are you?

6- Age you get mistaken for:

7- Your zodiac/horoscope and if you think it fits your personality:

8- What did you do on your last birthday?

9- What is one thing you would like to accomplish before your next birthday?

10- What is your hair color?

11- Have you ever dyed your hair?

12- What is your eye color?

13- If you could change your eye color, would you?

14- Do you wear contacts/glasses?

15- Your opinion about your body and how confortable you are with it:

16- Have you ever considered plastic surgery? What would you alter about your body?

17- Say 8 facts about your body:

18- Do you have any tattoos?

19- Do you have any piercings?

20- Left or right handed?

21- What’s your sexual orientation?

22- Do you drink?

23- Do you smoke?

24- Do you have any pets?

25- Where do you work?

26- Something you are working on right now:

27- Do you have any “rules” about food?

28- Where are you from?

29- What would you say is your best quality?

30- What do you think you’re really good at?

31- What do you think you’re really bad at?

32- What talent do you wish you’d been born with?

33- Are you a bad person?

34- Are you nice to everyone?

35- Say 3 facts about your personality:

36- Has someone ever spread a nasty rumor about you?

37- What is your ideal bed? Why?

38- Did you wake up cranky?

39- Do you sleep with a stuffed toy?

40- What do you think about the most?

41- Share 2 habits:

42- What you want to be when you “get older”?

43- What are your career goals?

44- What is your ideal career?

45- Is your life anything like it was two years ago?

46- Do you replay things that have happened in your head?

47- Have you ever had an imaginary friend?

48- Say 10 facts about your room:

49- Do you have any phobias?

50- Have you ever been to a psychiatrist/therapist?

51- Are you allergic to anything? If so, what?

52- Ever broken any bones?

53- Ever come close to death?

54- Things you like and dislike about yourself:

55- A random fact about yourself:

56- What are three things most people don’t know about you?

57- An unknown fact about your life:

58- Share something about yourself others might think is weird:

59- Five weird things that you like:

60- Do you have a facebook? If so, would you add the person who sent you this?

61- Do you have any pictures on your Facebook?

62- Describe yourself in one word/sentence:

63- A quote you try to live by:

64- Leave me a compliment:

Favorites

65- What is your favorite thing to do?

66- What’s your favorite color?

67- What’s your favorite band/singer?

68- What’s your favorite movie?

69- What are your favorite books?

70- What is your favorite quote and why?

71- What is your favorite word?

72- What is your least favorite word?

73- What is your favorite type of food?

74- Your favorite ice cream?

75- What’s your favorite animal?

76- Dogs or cats?

77- Describe your favourite texture:

78- What is your favorite flower?

79- What’s your favourite scent? And on the opposite sex?

80- What is your favorite season?

81- What are the top five places you wish you could go before you die?

82- What are four things you can’t live without and why?

83- Which mythological creature are you most like? Why?

84- What’s your favorite television show?

85- Favorite place to shop at?

86- Say 2 facts about your favorite things: Family, childhood and places

87- Say 4 facts about your parents:

88- Are you more like your mom or your dad?

89- Do you have any siblings?

90- Say 9 facts about your family:

91- What’s your relationship like with your family?

92- Say 7 facts about your childhood:

93- The best and the worst childhood memories:

94- Say 6 facts about your home town:

95- Are you going out of town soon?

96- Where would you like to live?

97- What would your dream house be like?

98- Where would you go on your dream vacation?

99- Where you want to be right now?

100- Top three places to visit:

Friends

101- Would you ever smile at a stranger?

102- Do you prefer to be friends with girls or boys?

103- Who is someone you never tire of?

104- Do you have someone you can be your complete self around?

105- Who is your most loyal friend?

106- Is there anyone you can tell EVERYTHING to?

107- If your best friend died, what would you do?

108- A reason you’ve lied to a friend:

109- Have you ever felt replaced?

110- Say 5 facts about your bestfriend(s):

Relationships

111- The last person you hugged?

112- Who was your first kiss with?

113- Do you like kissing in public?

114- Have you ever kissed someone older than you?

115- You have a preference for boys or girls?

116- Is the male or female body closest to perfection?

117- Do you believe in love at first sight?

118- Do you believe in soul mates?

119- What is your idea of the perfect date?

120- Based on past relationships or crushes, describe your perfect boyfriend/girlfriend:

121- What is the first thing you noticed in someone?

122- Are looks important in a relationship?

123- What’s the most superficial characteristic you look for?

124- What’s your opinion on age differences in relationships?

125- Would you ever date someone off of the Internet?

126- Five guys/girls whom you find attractive:

127- Do you have a crush on anyone?

128- A description of the girl/boy you like:

129- Say 1 fact about the person your like:

130- If the person you like says they like someone else, what would you say?

131- When was the last time you told someone you loved them?

132- Do you think someone has feelings for you?

133- Do you think someone is thinking about you right now?

134- Have you ever cried over a guy/girl?

135- Have you ever wanted someone you couldn’t have?

136- Anyone you’re giving up on?

137- Have you ever liked someone you didn’t expect to?

138- Have you ever liked someone who your friends hated?

139- Have you ever liked one of your best friends?

140- Has anyone told you they don’t want to ever lose you?

141- Is there a boy/girl who you would do absolutely everything for?

142- Is there someone you will never forget?

143- Say five ways to win your heart:

144- What turns you on?

145- What turns you off?

146- What is the sexiest thing someone could ever do for/to you?

147- What’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for you?

148- What’s something sweet you’d like someone to do for you?

149- Have you ever written a song or poem for someone? Have you had one written for you?

150- What’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever done for someone?

151- Are you in love?

152- Are you in a relationship?

153- If you have a boyfriend/girlfriend, what is your favorite thing about him/her?

154- Are relationships ever worth it?

155- Is there someone mad because you’re dating/talking to the person you are?

156- Can you commit to one person?

157- Do you think you can last in a relationship for 6 months and not cheat?

158- Do you ever want to get married?

159- Do you think you’ll be married in 5 years?

160- Future names of your children:

161- Do you get jealous easily?

162- The last time you felt jealous, and why?

163- What is your definition of cheating?

164- Have you ever been cheated on?

165- Do you forgive betrayal?

166- Have you ever cheated on someone?

167- Why did your last relationship fail?

168- Things you want to say to an ex:

169- A description of the person you dislike the most:

170- If your first true love knocked on your door with apology and presents, would you accept?

171- How many boyfriends/girlfriends have you had?

172- How long was your longest relationship?

173- You’ll love me if…

174- Share a relationship story:

Music, movies and books

175- How often do you listen to music?

176- What kind of music you like?

177- Do you like to dance?

178- What was the first concert/show you attended?

179- Have you heard a song that reminds you of someone today?

180- Share a song that takes you to a certain memory in the past:

181- A song that’s been stuck in your head:

182- Put your music player on shuffle and write the first ten songs that play:

183- A book you want to read/have recently read:

184- Describe your dream library:

185- Last movie you just watched:

186- Do you like watching what type of movies? Situations and crazy things

187- You’re in a tattoo parlor about to get inked. What are you getting done? 

189- What’s something you can see yourself going to jail for?

190- If you could be any character, from any literary work, who would you choose to be?

191- You’re given $10,000…under one condition: you cannot keep the money for yourself. Who would you give it to?

192- If you had to go back in time and change one thing, what would it be?

193- If you were an element on the Periodic Table, which would you be and why?

194- If you had to delete one year of your life completely, which would it be?

195- You’re an Action Movie Hero. What’s your weapon of choice and the line you scream when defeating your arch enemy?

196- If you could design an amusement park ride, what would it be like?

197- What is the first curse word that comes to mind?

198- What the last party you went to was… and when the next will be…

199- Halloween costume idea?

200- What are you supposed to be doing right now?

201- Currently wanting to see anyone?

202- Why you follow me?

203- If you met me what would you do?

204- Leave me a ridiculous question:

205- Leave me a cute message: Opinions and beliefs

206- Is the cup half full or half empty for you right now?

207- Do you believe in fate/destiny?

208- What you wish for on 11:11?

209- Do you consider yourself lucky? What’s your good luck charm?

210- Do you believe in aliens or life on other planets?

211- What is your religion, if any?

212- Would you go against your moral code for money?

213- What’s more important to you: strength of the body or strength of the mind?

214- How important you think education is?

215- If you were the president, what would you do?

216- If you could change one thing in the world, what would you change?

217- Is it the thought that counts? Or is that phrase circumstantial?

218- If you only had 24 hours to live, what would you do?

219- Which movie character do you most identify with and why? 

Feelings and Others

220- Are you a procrastinator or do you get things done early?

221- Post a photo/draw a picture/write a poem (pick one) of a moment of personal significance:

222- Say 5 things you love unconditionally:

223- What motivates you in life?

224- Something that you’re proud of:

225- Five words/phrases that make you laugh:

226- Share the story of something that makes you smile:

227- Something you always think “what if…” about:

228- What was something you used to enjoy, but was ruined for you? What’s the story behind that?

229- Describe one of the most awkward experiences of your life:

230- Something/someone that you miss:

231- Are you over your past?

232- What is your saddest memory?

233- One of the hardest moments in your life:

234- Is there something that happened in your past that you hate talking about?

235- What’s something you want to do that you’d be embarrassed to tell other people about?

236- What was your most embarrassing moment?

237- Share one of your fears/insecurities:

238- Something you’re currently worrying about:

239- Have you done something you regret very much?

240- If you could take something back that you said or did, what would it be?

241- Does anyone hate you?

242- Do you hate anyone?

243- Are you good at hiding your feelings?

244- What’s something you hide about your personality?

245- How do you approach social situations?

246- Are you a social or an antisocial person?

247- Are you an introvert or an extrovert?

248- Do you care if people talk badly about you?

249- How do you deal with criticism?

250- How you hope your future will be like?

251- What’s something that scares you about the future?

252- Five intems you lust after:

253- One thing you’re excited for:

254- Describe the most terrifying/strangest/beautiful dream you’ve ever had:

255- Have you ever had a crush on a fictional character?

256- Who is your celebrity crush?

257- Make a confession:

[eddiemunsxn]

— road gate.

masterlist. / nav.

❰ about. the one where we get billy back bc screw the duffelbag bros

❰ warnings. fem!reader, mentions of smut, angst, fluff, grieving, mentions of blood

❰ word count. 4.1k

❰ note. reader doesn’t know much about the upside down, and didn’t get involved with the party until the events of season three. she’s known max and billy since they first came to hawkins! also, i may write more than one version of billy coming back inspired from some theories i’ve seen. this one just came to me randomly and might not make sense or could be messy, but i just want him back anyway, anyhow dammit 😭

His absence was like a gray sky, spread over everything, and as sad as the beginning of springtime. Few people cried for him.

You held your grief, two limp tulips in each hand, and one in your mouth. Your grip was tight, and your cries muffled by the stem. No one else cared to water these flowers, these memories of sacrifice, for Billy. Your tears were not enough to keep them alive. You nor Max, the only people he was rooted in.

So you ripped the flowers out like knives from a body, letting the arteries dry up—letting every emotion finally bleed out. It was too much to keep the tulips in the earth of your heart when they were already dying. You needed to move on, but not forget.

Shut away in your room, and sitting on your bed, you let yourself feel the hurt. The hurt was important to heal.

You went through all the shades of blood, from the brightest—the best memories of you and Billy, to the last degree of reds—black. Terrible anxiety. It seized you by the throat. Seized you by the need for Billy’s existence—the feeling that without him you were lost, or rather, that you preferred anything at all to having lost him.

Your anguish made you fold in on yourself, chest pressing to your knees. It made your hands form claws, fingers curling in like a dead spider’s legs. You froze in that position, rigid as if plagued by rigor-mortis. You trembled as your sobs forced your jaws apart in a silent scream. It pained your jaws to be open so wide, and caused a heavy headache.

Griefs and regrets came to you one by one, attracted to the smell of your emotions’ blood. They perched on your shoulders as crows, weighing you down even more, talons sinking into you.

You wished you looked at Billy longer. All those times he tried to invite reactions out of you by standing so close his scent filled your lungs—teakwood, leather, and cigarettes, and angling his head down to try and meet your eyes. You were too flustered to do more than glances, but he thought it was cute. It showed in the way he grinned—the type of smile he only ever had around you.

His happiness was as rare as a blue moon, and when it was there, it was like a chord from his favorite song—of such pure gravity. It saddened you to see how he normally felt; angry, and needing to lash out from pain, by inflicting it. But he didn’t deserve to suffer or die. He was not unforgivable. He just needed the chance to change, to do better.

You wished you could have given him more happiness. Something to ease his pain. He didn’t always let you in, even when his eyes gleamed like liquid mercury with tears. Neil always made him feel weak, so Billy strived to be strong however he could.

You wished you touched him more than you already had the chance to. More than playing with the prominent curl of hair at his forehead, drawing a hand up his chest, exposed even beneath two layers of clothing, or simply embracing him.

In public, you were shy, but he never was. He secured an arm around you whenever he could; across your shoulders, or around your waist and hooked a finger in your belt loop. Always, in some way, you were pulled closer to him. He needed the kind of touch that didn’t instill fear, but comforted him, and you gave that to him.

In the school parking lot, you vividly remembered the boldest thing you did. You weren’t one to show off, but you were overcome with such a need for Billy that you didn’t care who saw.

You sat on the hood of his Camaro, and he stood between your legs, squeezing your hips. Like an enthused cat, his pupils were swollen, limiting the blue of his rises to a thin ring.

He glanced down to your chest, fitted with a cami top, and detailed with lace. The material had the sheen of pearls, and hugged your shape; the swell of your braless breasts, and the curves of your torso.

Stop looking, you thought. And do something.

When he didn’t, you did. And it took him by surprise. Pleasantly.

You snatched his chain necklace, Mother Mary and Son pendant imprinting your palm, and pulled him down to capture his lips. You fit him tighter between your legs, your other hand grasping his denim jacket.

The kiss was hot enough to join metals, and branded your memory forever. But you wished you had more of those moments. Always more than what you already had.

You could have had more time with him; if you skipped classes like he asked, if you didn’t leave his bed before late morning, if you lingered by the pool a little longer. But you tried to cherish what time you did have with him. You didn’t know it would be all you’d have.

Your anguish soon calmed, loosening its grip on your body, but you wondered if you had any blood left in you. As though you were coming down from hot flashes, your body was chilled and shivering.

Lying down on your side and scrunching up in the fetal position, you looked at the empty space next to you.

It was strange how memories were all around you. Strange, uninvited, and painful, yet still warming.

School nights never mattered. Billy found ways to convince you of that. He only wanted you, not good grades.

You had tried to make an effort to be quiet when he knelt down and got his fingers full of you, his mouth on you. The splash of his tongue melted you like a sugar cube.

Then you were full of him, and every thrust took you and him together like a violin bow, drawing sweet noises from two separate strings.

But it was the aftermath, in the morning light, waking up to him after he undid you the night before. His breaths were cool and light on your skin. He touched your face, reading the structure of you like braille; tracing the curve of your jawline and cheekbones, feeling the softness of your plush lips, lightly admiring the hickey on the pulse point of your throat.

You and him were quiet the whole time, but didn’t need words to speak to one another. Touch was a language, too.

You drew your fingers up his forearm, over the bumps of tendons, to tangle your fingers with his. Hands held up between you, sunlight gilded yours and Billy’s skin as if something holy was emanating from both of you.

You felt his pulse in his hand, and you were sure that was it. The mingling of heartbeats—thumping that morse code only lover’s understood.

A telltale pinch behind your eyes stole you from the memory. A memory of past bliss that became the anguish of today; how it leapt and snapped. How it nipped at you, unexpectedly. Cradling your hand, sobs bubbled out from you. You closed your eyes, hot tears stinging like fresh wounds.

“Y/N.”

Your eyes snapped open, body shocked stiff.

The voice was faint, and echoey as if coming from the end of a chasm. Wavering as if underwater. It was Billy’s voice.

On your nightstand, the lamp’s light stuttered like a palpitating heart.

Hearing his voice, seeing lights tremble—it had been constant for almost a year. You had not only lost Billy, but maybe your mind as well.

You didn’t talk to anyone about it. Not your parents. They didn’t know how Billy really died, and would medicate you for your “hallucinations”, or put you up with a shrink.

You didn’t talk to Max about it, either. Not lately. She withdrew from everyone. You still took her to school some days, but she was never there in that passenger seat. Her headphones whisked her away from this world as much as a good book did.

Your escape was Billy’s Camaro. You had saved it from the scrapyard, using your college funds to buy it and fix it up yourself. You didn’t have much knowledge of cars, but made do with books and lessons from VHS tapes.

The Camaro wasn’t the only thing of Billy’s you managed to keep. You had his denim and leather jackets, his necklace, and his silver spike earring.

Having the things of a person was never as good as having who they belonged to, just as you couldn’t enjoy a flower with only one of its petals. Although, these belongings kept you as close as you could get to someone who was gone. The connection to Billy through his things was a thin, measly string, but it meant everything. Just as much as the memories did—good and bad.

As you kept turning him over in your mind and in your heart, you closed your eyes again, exhaustion weighing you down like overly damp clothes.

God help him. He had no one to guide him. He was in the dark, and the only light was red. It blinked and cracked the black sky. All around him, spores floated like marine snow in the oceans. Fleshy vines branched across everything—up walls, trees, across the ground. Creatures, some with faces that opened up as toothed petals, prowled and flew overhead.

Billy was sure it was hell, perhaps his personal hell. It mirrored Hawkins, yet there were no other people, and his house didn’t have his belongings—as though he never lived in it. But your house—it was where he went to and stayed. He always felt safest there, even in what he assumed to be hell, or purgatory.

Your home had your things, especially your mom’s, from her Eternal Beau and Hornsea Pottery collections in the kitchen, to the glass fish ornaments and L’Enfant Poster in the living room.

The name plaque on your bedroom door ensured that Billy, as well as your prying parents, knew exactly whose messy and poster adorned room lay within. Almost every girl had a door plaque, and if it helped you to assert your individuality, then why not?

But Billy didn’t recognize some things in your room. You had Duran Duran and Spandau Ballet posters (if you weren’t Duran Duran then you were all about Tony Hadley and the Kemp Brothers) when he remembered posters of Mötley Crüe, Twisted Sister, and AC/DC.

What he did recognize were your Pound Puppies—teddies based on sad-eyed, homeless dogs in the pound, snow globes, your lockable diary, Smash Hits magazines, and your boom box. Even if it was tacky, it was pink, and you probably played Wham and Duran Duran because, of course, before the hormones kicked in and you wanted posters of real rockstars on your walls, you were a lot more innocent.

Such as with your Care Bears. A sunshine bear, a lucky bear, and one of the love bears sat lined up against your pillows; neat as books on a library shelf.

Billy stood by your bed. It was tidy, like usual, but he had known it to be unmade most days because of him. He grabbed the coral pink Love-a-Lot Bear, remembering...

He snagged the bear and flopped onto your bed with a content sigh, crossing his legs. He held the pink plush on his bare chest, red button shirt as open as a sliced wound.

“Can you give me some privacy, please?” Girded with a towel, you moved to your dresser. “Like, just close your eyes or something.”

“Mmm.” Billy hummed, closing his eyes, and pressing his lips into a thin line. “No.” He opened his eyes, using the care bear’s paw to point at you.

You rolled your eyes and turned your back to him, digging around in your drawers.

“Why are you so shy all a sudden?”

“I’m not. I just don’t like being watched. It’s like when teachers are looking over your shoulder during a test.”

“I like looking at you.” He knew you by your sounds, your movements, so well. He always tried to listen and look at you like you were new to him. He didn’t want to get used to you, didn’t want to lose you to habit. He wanted to experience you every day like the first time he saw you, the first time he heard your voice, and the first time he felt you.

“For how much longer?” You spoke quietly, maybe not meaning for him to hear it, but he did.

“Hey.” His heavy tone made you turn to him, and he moved away from the bed to stand before you. He gripped the care bear at his side. “You think I’m gonna move on to the next girl after a few weeks? Think I’ll get bored?”

You looked up at him with eyes like your stuffed Pound Puppy’s, big and droopy. When he saw you looking up like that he knew that he loved you, and that it was for always. He knew it then and there. It was a strange feeling - when he knew quite certainly in himself that something was for always.

“Do I still find you sexy, and will I continue to? Hell. Yes.” He emphasized the two words by tapping the care bear’s nose against yours. It elicited a flustered smile from you, one that you tried to hide by dipping your head.

Warmth bloomed in Billy’s chest. “Look at me, princess.”

You did.

“I still try to get a peek at you when you get out of the shower, or when you get dressed in the morning. I want to look at you because I like you. Maybe more than I thought I would.”

“Then you’re an idiot, Billy Hargrove. You’re stuck with me.”

His smile pinched dimples in his cheeks. “Guess that means I’m your idiot.”

He heard you crying again. The sounds faded in and out like a tuning radio. He sank to his knees like a desperate man into prayer beside your bed, gripping the Love-a-Lot bear. “I’m here. I’m here…” He cried. The crying of something leaving the body—hope.

He had tried to talk to you. Tried to let you know he was stuck and could hear you. He heard everything you said, and even the music you played.

The first time he heard the music from your pink boombox, Cutting Crew’s song, “I’ve Been In Love Before” was playing. And something cradled the boombox, hanging in the air like dust.

Wary, Billy touched the particles, and as he did the song was tuned louder, the dust turned gold around his hand. The same thing happened with lights when he neared them. They got brighter.

He thought he could reach you this way, but it didn’t seem to work. He wondered if you were even hearing him when he tried to talk, or when he messed with your lights and music.

He knew this had to be his personal hell when he could hear you, when he knew you were there on the other side, but no matter what he did he would go unheard; be a ghost in the wall, fated to only observe as things lived and moved on without him.

Billy turned his back to your bed and settled down against it, eyes dry as a salt bed, and holding your care bear to his abdomen. A tear drew a hot line down his cheek, and he closed his eyes.

After you awoke, you retreated outside to the Camaro. All you had left to do was paint the scratches left from repaired dents, and the areas where the original paint was burned off.

You sat on a vibrantly colored gym scooter, able to easily roll around the car. Like a jeweler looking through a loupe, you focused intently on the scratches, blinking the strain from your eyes as you colored them in.

When you were done, you used your feet to push yourself away, the wheels of the scooter scratching against the cement. Admiring the car in full view, you drew in a deep, shaky breath. It was done.

Closing the driver’s door, you sat for a moment. You were almost too nervous to start the Camaro. Or too excited? You looked at the rearview mirror. Hanging from it was Billy’s necklace and earring—your lucky dice.

They were the push you needed. You turned the key, startling the engine awake, and jumpstarting your heart. It beat furiously in your chest and ears, but the vibrations from the car’s grumbling eased you.

Billy opened his eyes. He’d know that growl anywhere. He fled your room, following the noise outside. Through the spores, floating like wispy cotton seeds, he saw the dust again, mimicking where his car’s tail lamps and headlights were.

You had his Camaro.

He heard it accelerate, and like jets drawing clouds in the sky, the dust trailed behind.

His knee jerk reaction was to try and follow, but he stopped himself, knowing you’d be back. But when? Your empty house here felt emptier without your ghostly presence.

A cawing screech made him whip around, heart stuttering. The creature, with the face of a hookworm and leathery wings, was perched on the porch light. It wagged its wings and leapt from the light, prompting Billy to run for the tree line.

Gliding over the roof, more bats gathered like snowflakes. Their flapping shapes, appearing as static, were accentuated by the sky’s pulsing crimson light. They angled down after Billy.

The wind tossed and played with your hair as you sped down lonely roads, tracing their curves and ignoring their low number limits. You drove as Billy always did—a little too fast, a little too recklessly. You wanted to relive him anyway you could.

You momentarily closed your eyes, imagining it was you and him in the car, and he was the one driving. You held your hand out of the window, dipping into the high winds, and splaying your fingers; the breeze seeping through like cool water.

You saw Billy beside you, crooked smile teasing his mouth, and bumping his palm on the steering wheel to the beat of Poison.

The softness of his smile overwhelmed you with the stirring of wings in your chest. I’m gone for him, you had thought fondly. Aren’t I?

It was true. He was as deep in you as your pulse.

Absorbed in daydreams, you must have driven all around Hawkins, outlasting the sunlight. Night took reign, and on your way back you mindlessly took the road Fred Benson’s corpse was found on.

And something glowed ahead. A light, deeply hued as a natural, red spinel stone, poked through the middle of the road.

Billy hid in a gutted cabin, waiting, and trembling. It had been quiet, save for the thunder. The storm was always the same, never a molten silver sky, never shedding cool tears, only angry—like an infected wound.

He missed sunlight. He missed the shitty cow smell of Hawkins. He missed you. He missed his shitbird sister Mad Max. He missed being safe.

Here, everything was a threat, from the way the sky wrote its bad omens in messy red ink, to the predators always looking for him. Billy didn’t know what would happen if he was caught by one of the creatures. If he was killed, would he come back and be forced to try and survive all over again?

He moved away from the wall to peek out of the window, its jagged glass teeth threatening to chomp down on him as if he were in the jaws of an anglerfish. He skimmed the canopies for the bats—whether they were flying or camping in the branches. Nothing.

He emerged from the woods onto a road. He had to get back to your house. It was the only place he wanted to be here. But he heard something familiar to his right. The sound of his car.

You slowed the Camaro to a stop, and sat there, staring at the gaping wound. Quite literally. It looked like flesh sliced open.

Leaving the car running, you stepped out of it, haloed by the headlights. They cast a cookie cutter shape of your shadow that stretched taller than you. You warily approached the glowing gash.

Standing over it, you couldn’t see through, but the concealing of whatever was inside was thin—like skin stretched taut over a drum.

Billy expected the sound of the Camaro to pass by, but it stood still as those clouds of dust. For some reason, you had stopped. And then he saw the muffled light reaching out from the road. He thought it was sunlight, real daylight, when it was only from the Camaro.

He hurried to it, and upon seeing a human shadow stamped to the flesh of the gate, his body heat was snuffed out. Was it you? Slowly, he lowered to one knee. His body felt like an eggshell filled with arctic water; so cold, he could feel it emanate off of him.

“Who’s there?” He called.

You stilled, lungs on pause, and eyes blown wide as a camera lens. Billy. His voice. Coming from the other side?

“I said, who’s there?!”

Like a puppet cut from its strings, your legs gave out and you dropped to your knees. God damn everything if this wasn’t real. “Billy?!”

“Y/N? It’s you? Is that you?!” Emphasizing his last three words, Billy frantically beat his hands against the pavement.

“Billy, it’s me!” Your throat closed up, almost too tight to speak. “I’m here.”

Faraway screeching sounded. Billy twisted around, and flapping wings in the sky injected desperation into his voice. “Fuuuck! They’re coming!”

“Who? Billy, how do I get to you?!” Then you recalled that what covered the gate looked thin. Thin enough to easily break. At least you hoped so. “Billy grab my hand!”

Grimacing, you plunged your hand through the moist flesh, bursting out on Billy’s end like something undead waking from its grave. He seized you by the forearm, his grip a metal clamp.

You pulled, but the gravity of the gate kept it from being easy. You grabbed Billy’s arm and straightened up, bending your knees to get leverage. Gritting your teeth, tendons in your neck swelled as though they might pop free.

Like uprooting a long weed, Billy rose out from the road. He slapped his free hand down and pushed himself up, muscles bulging, and onto his side.

The strength snuffed from your body, you collapsed by him. Neither of you let go of one another. You always had the strength to hold on no matter what.

Eyes rimmed with stinging tears, you looked at him—all of him. His hair was wet and plastered to his face, as if he had just risen from water. Dried blood stained his white top like cola spilled over a table cloth. The blood from nine months ago.

You reached for him, moving the hair from his face to see his eyes. Fright and exhaustion shadowed them. But they were still as blue as you remembered.

You realized he was shaking.

“Billy,” you whispered. You thought of how many nights you had lain awake missing him, and caught hold of him tightly, melting against him like snow into fire.

He snaked an arm around you, molding you to him.

The miracle of both of your actualities, your breathing forms, and of being able to hold one another again was as great a miracle as hope and desperation may produce. Perhaps greater.

He drew a hand up your figure and sowed his fingers in your hair like roots in soil. Burying his face in the nook of your throat, he whispered in a broken, strained voice, “Y/N, I was so scared. So scared. I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt anybody. He made me do it. Please, he made me do it. I’m sorry.”

He was home. And the first thing he did was apologize.

“I know.” You squeezed words out from your tight throat. “I know it wasn’t you.” You cradled his cheek, encouraging him to look at you—even with those eyes, glistening like light striking the edges of a diamond. “It’s not your fault.” You touched your thumb to the edge of his lips. “You’re safe now.”

He relaxed in your hold, his trembling easing away from the warmth of your words. Closing his eyes, tears escaped down his cheeks—one touching the webbing between your fingers. He exhaled a shaky breath he had been holding for months. He had finally awoken from a nightmare. It was all over.

You kissed him as you had in the school parking lot, but with the hunger of a year, and the tenderness of promise.

Pressing your forehead to his, you murmured, “You’re home, now.”

❰ tags. @bdpst-massacre