#[ Nope. Goodbye. I'm done. Fucking out. Goodbye. ]

[loveesiren]

Help Me (Pt. 3)

Rafe Cameron x Maybank!reader

Synopsis: Rafe and Y/n finally seal the deal ;)

Warnings: Smut, language, stitches?

Word Count: 2.6k+

You'd been staying with the Camerons for three weeks now. When Ward and Rose came home from their trip you were extremely nervous. A beat up Pogue in their house was surely not something they'd want.

But you were wrong. They were nothing but welcoming to you. Sarah had explained to them what happened. Rafe followed you around like a lost puppy. Even Wheezie ended up loving you, coming to you to gossip about boys and school.

Rafe was clean and his parents could see it. Having you around really improved his behavior. You were respectful and kind and even stayed home with Wheezie when they had events to attend. Rose even offered you a job as her assistant when you were feeling better.

They'd even let John B and JJ come by. John B already worked for Ward. JJ was still skeptical of you and Rafe but he was still on his best behavior when he came over.

Rafe slept with you most nights, wanting to make sure he was there incase you needed anything. He was always so gentle and cautious not to hurt you while you healed. Your bruising had mostly subsided. You were finally starting to look like yourself again.

--

"You ready?" Rafe asked as you finished applying mascara to your lashes.

"Fuck yes." You said. "I can't wait to get these things out of me."

Today was the day you were having your stitches removed. You couldn't be more excited to heal and go back to your old self.

"We can stop and see JJ after," Rafe said as he took your hand and lead you downstairs.

"Are you excited?!" Wheezie asked as you walked into the kitchen.

"To stop looking like the bride of Frankenstein? Absolutely." You responded with a smile.

"Think you'll be ready to work?" Rose asks with a smile.

"Definitely! I'm sick of laying around doing nothing."

"Glad to hear it!"

"Okay, we gotta go or you're going to miss your appointment." Rafe scolded, knowing full well you will get sucked into a conversation with Wheezie and Rose.

You waved goodbye as Rafe dragged you out the door and helped you in to his truck.

"I can do it myself, you know," You say as he picks you up and places you into the passenger seat.

"Nope. Not going to risk you getting hurt again." He says before placing a kiss on your cheek and shutting the door.

You smile at the gesture. He was so protective over you. Normally this would annoy you but everything Rafe does makes you feel so happy and safe.

He climbed into the drivers seat and started the car.

"You ready to go, pretty girl?" He smiles over to you.

"I'll be pretty in an hour when these things are out of my face." You say, tracing over your stitches as you look in the mirror.

"You're pretty always. No matter what."

_____________

Rafe held your hand as the doctor slowly pulled each stitch out of your skin. You winced at the pain but it was no where near as bad as it was three weeks ago.

"You're doing good, baby." He said, playing with your hair behind your back.

"Really glad I was passed out when Ricky put them in," You chuckle.

Rafe tries to smile but the thought of that night still tugs at his heart. He'd barely left you alone since. If you weren't with him, he made sure you were with JJ. The few nights you'd spent at the Chateau with your brother and friends, he stayed up all night pacing. He'd text you and you would respond. He swallowed the urge to not over do it though. The last thing he'd want is to push you away.

"And done!" The doctor announces.

You stand up and go to the mirror. Your fingers trace over the scars left on your face and collar bone. You smile sadly. You were so happy the stitches were out but you knew you'd have these scares forever.

"Beautiful," Rafe says as he wraps his arms around you and kisses the top of your head. "Absolutely beautiful."

His words make you blush. The fact Rafe has seen you at your absolute worst and still worships the ground you walk on was all you needed.

"Come on," You say, dragging him out of the doctors office. "JJ is waiting."

Rafe's fingers are laced with yours the whole ride to the Chateau. He always got nervous being around the Pogues. Even though his own sister was one of them. It wasn't that he was scared of them. He just cared so much about you and he wanted your brother to accept him. Had he known JJ Maybank's sister would be the love of his life, he would have been a lot nicer to him before.

You pull up to John B's house. Rafe quickly jumps out and comes around to help you out.

The Pogues watch from the porch. JJ runs out to greet you.

"Hey, sis!" He says, wrapping you into a tight hug.

"Hey, J! How are you?"

"Good! Went fishing this morning. Grillin' em up now if you guys are hungry." JJ says. His eyes flicker to Rafe's.

Rafe stands behind you with his hands in his pockets. You turn to look at him. "You hungry, babe?"

His eyes shot up at you. You had never called him any pet name before. "Uhm, yeah, I could eat." He said.

JJ offered him a small smile. You skipped ahead to go say hi to everyone.

"How's she doing?" JJ asked as he trailed behind with Rafe.

"She's doing really well." Rafe answered. "Wheezie really loves her. So do my parents. Rose offered her a job."

JJ laughs. "Yeah, she seems happy. She's really happy with you."

"I try to make her happy," Rafe says as he watches you laugh with your friends. "I love her," He confesses.

JJ bites his lip and nods. Still not fully comfortable with the situation.

"Does she know?"

"No," Rafe shakes his head. "But I'll tell her."

"Look man," JJ starts. "We've had our issues. A lot of fucking issues. But my sister is all I have left. You make her happier than I've ever seen her. I don't want to ruin that for her. I'm willing to set shit aside in order to make her happy."

Rafe smiled, looking down at his feet before looking back at JJ. "I am too." He says, offering his hand to JJ.

JJ offers a small smile and shakes his hand. "Come eat, man!" He says as he hops over to the grill.

Rafe sits down on the couch and pulls you into his arms for a hug. You cling to him as he rocks you back and forth.

Sarah smiles at the two of you. She'd never seen her brother so happy and she was excited to finally see him clean and doing well.

______________________

After you ate you all made your way to the dock. John B and JJ were doing backflips off the boat. Pope, Sarah, and Kie all sat around drinking beer, laughing at the boys. You and Rafe sat on the dock, letting your feet trail in the water below.

The sunset was beautiful. Fading into a variety of warm colors. Rafe was glowing with the way the evening light kissed his tan skin.

You couldn't deny you'd been crushing on Rafe since the night you met him. The way he mumbled about how pretty you were when you helped his drunk ass off the beach. "Are you an angel?" He asked you multiple times as he clung to you.

Now you were living at his house, attached at the hip. Everything felt effortless with Rafe. You were just happy all the time. Watching movies with him and Wheezie, cooking dinner together, laying in bed talking. There was never a dull moment.

"Y/N?" Rafe's voice brought you back to the present moment.

"Yeah?" You ask, looking over at him. His messy hair blew slightly in the wind.

"Uhm...I just wanted to ask you..." He began, chewing on his nails.

"Ask me what, Rafey?"

"A-are we like...like...w-what are we?"

You smile at him and furrow your brows. "I don't know, Rafe. What are we?"

He chuckled awkwardly. "I mean, uhh...I'd like...I mean-"

You couldn't help but laugh as he tripped over his words.

"I'd like if you were my girlfriend," He finally admitted.

The rest of the Pogues were now listening in on your conversation.

You wrap your arms around his neck and pull him to you, pressing your lips to his. He kisses you back as he smiles at the gesture.

"Does that answer your question?" You whisper as you pull away slightly.

He just nods and smiles and kisses you again. You can hear Sarah and Kiara cheering from behind you.

"Really? Can you not mack on my sister right in front of me?" JJ scolds jokingly.

Rafe puts his hands up in surrender and pulls away from you. You just laugh and flip JJ off.

"You wanna go home and seal the deal?" You ask, biting your lip.

Rafe's eyes widen and he immediately jumps to his feet. "We're heading home!" He announces, helping you up.

"Oh, yuck!" Sarah scoffs, knowing exactly what caused his sudden excitement.

"You need a ride, Sarah?" Rafe asked, keeping his focus on you.

"Are you kidding? We share a wall, Rafe. I'm staying here tonight."

"Oh my God." JJ groans, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Love you, J!" You say as you pull Rafe towards the truck.

"Yup. Love you too!" JJ says as he shakes the thought of you and Rafe together from his mind. John B, Pope, and Kie just laugh at how uncomfortable Sarah and JJ are.

Rafe opens the passenger door for you and helps you in before running and jumping into the driver's seat. You giggle at his eagerness.

Rafe keeps his hand on your thigh the whole drive back to Tanneyhill. Slowly inching closer to your pussy as his fingers explore your skin.

You could already feel yourself dripping with need. When you pulled into Tanneyhill you didn't even wait for Rafe to open the door for you. You practically fell out of the truck and ran to meet him. Lips connecting with his instantly.

"I'm supposed to help you out," He pants against your neck, placing kisses on your skin.

"Help me up," You demand.

Rafe smiles and grabs your ass as you jump up and wrap your legs around his waist. He moans into the kiss as he stumbles to the house, sloppily opening the door and slamming you into the wall of the foyer.

"Rafe-"

You both freeze, lips still locked on his as you both open your eyes. Rafe slowly releases you to the floor.

"Hey dad," Rafe says as the two of you round the corner to see Ward, Rose, and Wheezie having dinner.

The two of you stood there, looking guilty with your messy hair and red cheeks. You awkwardly pulled the strap of your tank top back onto your shoulder.

Ward and Rose look at you knowingly and Wheezie just scoffs.

"Would the two of you like some dinner?" Rose asks.

"Uhm, we ate at John B's." You state. "JJ went fishing."

"Yeah, uhm..." Rafe begins. "And we both have to be up early for work tomorrow. Right dad? Rose?"

You nod in agreement. As the two of you slowly back away towards the stairs.

"So we're just gonna get to bed!"

Rose and Ward chuckle at your awkwardness.

"Ew," Wheezie spits. "Just go already!"

And with that, you and Rafe practically race upstairs to his bedroom.

"Subtle," Rose laughs as she sips her wine.

"I'm so over teenagers," Ward chuckles.

--

As soon as Rafe pulls you into his room he slams the door behind you and pushes you up against it, kissing you with force.

You tug at the buttons on his shirt, surely ripping a few as you shove the fabric from his shoulders.

He grabs the hem of your shirt and brings it up over your head before biting at your neck hungrily. "Is this okay?" He asked between nips.

"I'm healed, Rafe. Don't be gentle." You tell him.

He kisses his way down your body until he reaches your jeans. He's quick to undo the buttons and pull them to the floor along with your panties, leaving you completely exposed to him.

You bite your lip as his eyes flicker up to yours. "You're fucking dripping, baby girl." He smiles.

He brings one of your legs over his shoulder, your back still pressed to the wall as he slides his tongue over the length of your pussy.

"Oh, fuck!" You pant, tangling your fingers in his hair.

He slides his middle finger inside you as his tongue dances around your clit.

You could feel yourself coming undone at the sensation.

He slides a second finger into you and you almost collapse but he brings his hand up to your ass to keep you balanced.

"Rafe, oh my God-"

He pulls your other leg up over his shoulder. Rafe and the wall are the only things keeping you upright now.

"Cum for me, baby girl." He says between your legs.

You could hardly contain yourself as you reached your high. His hands wrapped around your thighs as you vibrated against him.

"Fuck, Rafe!" You screamed, not caring who heard. "Oh my fucking God!"

Rafe smiled as he licked you clean. He let your legs slide off his shoulders as you relaxed.

"That's my girl," He praises as he comes up to place a kiss on your lips.

You give him the devil's grin as you fall to your knees in front of him. "Let me make you feel good, baby." You tell him as you fiddle with his zipper. When you finally free his cock from it's restraints you bite your lip and meet his gaze. "Big boy," You say before running the tip of your tongue against his length.

"Fuuuuuck," He moans.

You smile before wrapping your lips around his cock and slowly sinking him into your throat.

"Jesus Christ, baby," He gasps as he watches you swallow every inch of him.

You could feel his knees weaken as you bobbed your head up and down on his cock. You pulled back, drool still connecting your lips to him as you looked him in the eyes. His face was priceless, absolutely stunned at your talent.

You smirked before spitting on his dick and getting back to work.

You felt his fingers tangle through your hair, pushing his cock deeper into your throat and you accepted him.

"I'm gonna fucking cum," He panted.

You let him take control, fucking himself into your throat as you gagged on his cock. He thrusted deep into your face as he released himself. You could feel the warm liquid trickle down your throat before he pulled out.

You looked up to him and smiled as you swallowed. Mascara was running down your cheeks and cum dripping from your chin.

"Pretty girl," He smiled down at you, still clutching your hair. "Get on the bed."

You did as you were told. Rafe climbed on top of you and pressed his hand against your cheek, brushing his thumb over your skin as he bit his lip. "Can I make love to you, sweetheart?"

You beamed at him, loving how sweet he was to you. "Mhmm, please." You nodded.

He lined himself up at your entrance and pushed into you slowly.

You moaned and wrapped your arms around his neck.

He pushed your knees up before snaking his arms behind your back. You clung to him as he thrusted into you slowly.

"Beautiful, perfect angel," He whispered into your ear. Your nails dug into his shoulder as he continued to press into you.

The feeling of his cock sliding against your walls was euphoric.

"Mine," He moaned. And with that you could feel yourself come undone.

"All yours," You told him as you reached your climax. He held you tight as you vibrated against him, bringing him to his own orgasm. You sucked on his neck as you felt him fill you.

"You're a God." He whispered, resting his head on your chest.

"Let me take you higher," You hissed as you rolled over and straddled him. "I'll show you God."

[cherrycheridarling]

slip up | t.h.

tom holland x famous!reader

warnings: none just fluff

summary: tom slips up on instagram live

wc: 335

a/n: missed u guys sorry abt my absence:(<3

"That's a wrap for today! Go rest those vocal cords, Y/L/N." Toby, your producer bid you a farewell as you finished in the studio.

You nodded and hugged everyone goodbye before heading to your driver's car. It was at least midnight by the time you got back to your boyfriend's home that he shared with his best mates.

You and Tom had been dating for nearly a year and had done an impressive job of keeping your relationship away from prying eyes. With only a few suspicions here and there, the public saw you two as best friends and nothing more.

In his king sized bed, Tom was on Instagram live chatting with his fans. He needed a way to pass the time as he waited for you to come home from the studio.

"Why am I up so late? Jet lag sucks, guys." Tom lied to his fans.

He hasn't been on a plane in weeks.

"Is anyone in the house awake? Nope. They all sleep at, like, eleven or earlier. Party poopers." he frowned to the camera.

You quietly unlocked the front door, trying your best to not wake anyone in the house. Tiptoeing towards Tom's bedroom, you saw that his light was on, peeking out from under his door. With furrowed eyebrows you opened the door and saw him sitting against the headboard on his phone.

He smiled when he saw you, completely forgetting about his live, "Hi, darling. I missed you," he put his phone down and pecked your lips, "Did you get driven here?" you nodded, "You should've sent me a text," he picked up his phone and glanced at the screen, "I could've—" he froze.

You finished tying your hair up and looked at him with confusion written across your features. You opened your mouth to ask him what was wrong before he slapped a hand over your lips.

He looked at you with wide eyes, "I'm live on Instagram." he whispered.

You had to choke down a laugh because you knew the fans would recognize the sound immediately. You managed to peak at the screen without being in the cameras view and the comments had you struggling to keep your laughter down.

'HE HAS A GF???????'

'i'm gonna kms'

'WHO IS IT'

'no fucking way'

'PLS BE ZENDAYA'

'IM HYPERVENTILATING'

Tom opened and closed his mouth like a fish as he tried to come up with something, anything, to say. "Um, looks like I'll be going now. Thank you for joining and I'll see you all very soon." He had a sheepish grin as he spoke.

You smirked before speaking. "Bye guys." And pressed the button to end the live. Not waiting to see the reactions to your voice or if they would recognize it.

Tom wrapped his arms around your waist and pulled you on top of him, "Cheeky one, you are." he placed a kiss on your forehead as you smiled into his chest.

[lazyneonrabbitt]

The softer the skin the sharper the teeth.

Daryl Dixon x Reader

Requested: Fic request: WereDaryl and Glen find a she wolf (in human form) out and talk to her about coming to the prison. She and Daryl are mates

🐺 🐺 🐺

A freshly skinned and eaten deer carcass let the two men know this house had recent visitors.

"Fuck.." Glenn's voice dragged on as he slumped through the hallway back where the archer who accompanied him was fishing some painkillers out of the deepest end of a cabinet.

"Whatcha whinin' about this time? Forget ta give yer wife a goodbye kiss?" Daryl's face held a teasing grin as he stood up and showed off his finds.

"Nope. But now I'm seriously confused because there's a neatly taken apart deer in the kitchen, but also still unfound painkillers here?"

Daryl stalked past his companion and into the kitchen, inspecting the leftovers noticing none of it had even slightly dried out and the person who carved it couldn't be far away. "Ya check the area, Imma head upstairs."

Your hiding space upstairs was probably the worst idea you ever had. Hidden away in the bathtub, praying the wolf downstairs wouldn't sniff you out. There were two people on your trail. One was human, it was faintly there underneath a heavy cloak of the dead. The only reason you knew these weren't dead was because you heard them talking.

Now, the other one was the one you were terrified of. You praised your late father for teaching you to hide your scent and appear human to even the most skilled of hunters.

The wolf that stalked around the lower floor had no intention of hiding his identity. If there was any other creature around they were gonna know what he was which meant he was strong. Weaklings hid while the strong ones paraded around their might.

And in all honesty it was working for him. His scent was ...Oh no, no no not gonna get attracted to the first male wolf you met since the world went to shit.

You kept yourself hidden for as long as possible, which wasn't long at all as the shower curtain was torn down and the creature revealed itself.

You raised your hands in defeat but couldn't help to give him a once over from the gorgeous blue eyes behind messy brown locks to the dirt covered muscles and the crossbow currently pointed at your head.

"I travel alone. I don't want trouble."

Luckily Daryl didn't want trouble either.

He also knew you weren't lying. There was no scent of any other people on you, he made sure to double check. And then triple check, and one more time for good measure. He couldn't help it, you smelled so damn good.

“Can take ya home with us.” The words came without a second thought, same with you accepting his offer.

When Glenn came back from his quick area check he was shocked to see Daryl with a random woman, seeming to be friendlier that he had been with anyone in a long while. He found it strange, but was happy to see the other survivor they stumbled upon wasn’t a threat.

“She coming with us?” Glenn asked question after question before a round of introductions was done and you all went on your way back to the prison.

After you went through your introduction again with the leader of the group and then a couple more times with other people who came to say hi to you.

“Daryl,” carol came up to the archer when he returned from checking the fence. “Why did you bring the girl here?” She glanced at the prison entrance where you were getting rid of piled up walkers.

Daryl gave her a look like he had no clue what she was talking about, looking your way as he talked.

"Wouldn't ya have taken her in? Was all alone 'n Glenn agreed." He turned his attention back to his best friend who was way too nosey for her own good. "Why're ya askin' anyways? She do somethin'?"

Carol only laughed at the horrible way Daryl was hiding his truths.

"Oh, Pookie.." She placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort. "If you were showing your tail it'd be wagging like a little puppy staring at a plate of ribs."

Daryl scoffed and looked down, the skin of his thumb chewed to shreds already. "She also turned down my cookies, saying she's allergic to chocolate and I'm pretty sure I saw her snack on raw leftover meat yesterday." Her smirk was clearly one of having caught her friend's true intentions. "Sounds pretty familiar, huh doggie?"

Daryl only answered in grumbles as Carol smacked his arm. "You have a crush on her. You found a lady wolf and you're head over heels but too scared to admit it." Her voice went quiet at the last bit, not wanting to draw attention to Daryl's love struggles.

Daryl just kept quiet, letting her words sink in and weigh his options. He had to be honest and admit he had no idea why his wolf tried to tear out of his skin every time he got close to her, howling like crazy and making it barely possible to focus on anything.

"Want me to talk to her? I might be able to carefully let her know we're all okay with non-humans." Truly she was curious about what you thought about Daryl.

Before Daryl could even think up an answer Carol had decided to go relieve Maggie of corpse duty and have a chat with you. "I'll report back later, see ya Pookie." She winked at him on her way down the field as Daryl could only stand and watch, knowing not even he could change her mind.

"Hey Maggie!" Carol's voice reached the girls easily. "Hershel was looking for you, I'll take over so you can go see what he needs."

Maggie thanked her for coming to fetch her and said waved you goodbye as she walked off and Carol took her place.

"You lie." A simple statement made it clear you weren't in the mood. "I heard you and Daryl talk. And it's not what you think it is. He doesn't have a crush on me." You hauled another corpse onto the burn pile as you went on with your talk as Carol was only getting more confused now. "I went with him because we're supposed to be together. I thought that's why he asked me to come here but he hasn't made a move yet so I kept my distance as well.” There was a clear sadness in your eyes now as you looked back up at Carol. “I guess his family never taught him the signs of meeting your mate..” carol knew that word, maybe not entirely in the right context, but she got the general idea.

“Sweetie, Daryl knows nothing about relationships, human or werewolf. He got bitten and didn’t have anyone to teach him anything.”

This time it was your turn to be confused. Daryl was a bitten wolf? You were always under the assumption they were weaker and lesser than born, pureblood werewolves like you but then again, you had never met one before since your parents were very strict about who they let into their pack.

A laugh left your lips once you realized you had been an idiot all this time. Your mate who you were so desperately waiting for to make a move, didn’t even know he was supposed to. All those nights of your wolf making you dream up these scenes of you finally presenting yourself to him so you could be be mated properly.

“Well, why don’t you do that then, if Daryl doesn’t know how to make the first move.” Her voice made you quite literally jump up in surprise. Did you say all of that out loud? “Did I say all of that out loud?” Carol nodded and you begged for the ground to open up and swallow you whole. Your face turning beet red as you stammered out a response. “I.. It’s not something you do when others are around..” Fidgeting with the handle of your knife you still couldn’t believe you mentioned that to a human. “It’s.. Intimate. Something for after you’ve, I don’t know the human terms. We meet, learn we are mates and then after properly introducing our packs we …mate.” You look at her, hoping you made at least some kind of sense. “So when you say you mate, you mean you two have sex, right? As the last bit of your relationship ritual?” A bright smile makes its way onto your face and you nod, letting her know she got it right.

“Is Daryl still around? You can smell him if he is, right?” You nodded again, pointing towards the closest wall that surrounded the outside kitchen area. “He’s probably trying to listen in on us. Why?” Carol was one with plans for everything. On the spot she’d come up with solutions or tryouts for any issue you found yourself having. She just smiled and turned around before taking a deep breath and called out for the archer to come over, stating she needed help with heavy lifting.

Reluctantly Daryl made his way over to the two women at the far end of the field. “Ya don’t need help, so what’s it?” He looked between the two of you.

“I’m sorry for staying away from you and making you think I disliked you.. I really didn’t mean to.” Daryl didn’t understand where the current confession came from, but Carol must have set you up to this. “I really want to talk in private, if that’s okay with you.”

A hesitant nod came before he responded with a soft ‘yeah’.

Carol took this as her cue to leave and make sure no one would bother you here at the fence for a while. “Go talk, lovebirds.”

“Do you know what mates are, Daryl?” You sounded so childish and you hated it, feeling like you had to teach the pups in your pack about the whole ordeal, but instead of pups it was your adult mate who never learned from another wolf. “S’what mah head’s been howlin’ at me every time yer near me. Makes me wanna claim ya.”

You cover your mouth as a laugh spills from your lips before you get a chance to stop it, but nodding as well. “Yeah okay that’s a healthy response.” You took a step closer to him and took his hand, looking him in the eyes. “I want you to.. Claim me, as you say.” You bit your lip and blushed like a little girl, feeling so weird to be making the first move. You noticed him sniffing around as soon as you had stepped closer to him and found the action to be adorable. He was absolutely clueless to a point where you had to spell everything out for him. Yes he was an almost perfect hunter and possibly the most terrifying werewolf you’d ever met in terms of strength and might, but he knew nothing about the rest of his instincts. “Can’t get enough of my scent, huh?” Your soft voice sent shivers down his spine. Your hand reached up to pull his face into the crook of your neck. He took a long whiff and growled against your skin. “Why?” He asked against your skin as he kept his face buried in your neck.

“Because it’s how we find our mates. You know,” You pull away from him to look him in the eyes once again. “Our partners for life. The ones we have puppies with?”

He could only blink down at you. How had you so casually spoken the one thing out loud that had been haunting his filthiest dreams ever since he found you.

Your mouth hung open in awe as you realized what his frozen response implied. It also didn’t help he suddenly reeked of arousal at your last words.

“I’ll teach you all there is to know about being mates, yeah? Puppies is the last step. Giving me a kiss right now is the first.” You leaned back up as you talked sweetly at him.

“Ya really want this? With me?” The insecurity in his voice was so sad to you, you had to resist the urge to jump his bones right there. You were going to take this slow so he could learn and one day teach his sons how to properly court a lady.

“I want this with you, Daryl. Only you. No one else.” You nudged his cheek with your nose, returning his sweet gesture of taking in his scent and growling softly before pressing your lips against his jaw.

A smile pulled at his lips and he pulled you flush against him so he could kiss you properly, his wolf howling in celebration as yours did the same now that your mate was finally yours.

He may still had to learn a lot, but you were willing to teach him everything you knew.

[halcyon-deluxe]

18, 26, 37, 71, 99, 100

18. Phobia:

Honestly I'm not afraid of much, but I really hate bugs, statues, and the ocean.

26. What's one thing you regret?

I regret not staying with my grandmother longer. I vividly remember the last time I saw her before she passed. I remember seeing her face, seeing how happy she was to see me- because she had just woken up and I was the first thing she saw- and I kept thinking how I hated that I had to say goodbye to her. I really regret leaving.

37. Have you ever been dumped?

Nope!

71. Have you ever been lost?

Honestly I don't know, I'm great with directions and I'm relatively good at familiarizing myself with my environment quickly. Unless you mean emotionally lost, because I was VERY lost and confused emotionally in 2020-2021.

putting these last 2 under a readmore cuz they are long af lol

99. Have you ever met someone who didn't seem real?

Yeah, in college 2021 I was in a weird situationship with a straight boy named August and he was like, text book perfect. Dirty blonde hair, deep green eyes, kind of lean and hunky, like he was muscular but in a "this is a product of my naturally playful and athletic lifestyle, not the gym" kind of way, and he was just unfathomably gentlemanly. 2021 was first semester coming off of a traumatic break up, and due to my minor I had to take an extra semester of college which meant my entire graduating class had finished school the semester prior. I didn't have any friends on campus due to this, but it was cool because despite the break up, I was able to use that freedom to kinda reinvent myself. August was the first friend I made, but we became friends because he had seen me give a speech in our philosophy class about Kesha for an assignment (I don't remember what the fuck I said though) and he thought it was the most interesting part of class. We ended up becoming really fast friends and throughout the year he would seek me out and idk just validate a lot of expressive decisions I made (things that I would usually be insecure about) that were a product of trying to be more authentic in spite of my break up, and it just felt like the perfect gift from the universe. Like, I remember a day where I was looking relatively nice and was feeling good about myself, so I decided to walk to a coffee shop on campus to pass the time. Out of no where, August shows up, in a gray hanes tank top (drenched in sweat) and extremely tight black running shorts. He walks up to me (he reeked from a run he was just on) backed me into a wall while placing his hand over my head (his pit is right above my face mind you) and did that very seductive "leans over your crush while looking down at them" number and just started talking to me like this wasn't the most homoerotic sequence out of a gay hallmark movie... He complimented my outfit, and we chatted for like 30 minutes EXACTLY LIKE THAT until his girlfriend showed up and then they left. Shit like that happened for 5 straight months until I graduated. I just kept thinking what the actual fuck is happening with every interaction. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. So much other almost-gay shit happened. To this day I think I hallucinated him. It was also very eerie that Folklore by T*ylor Sw*ft came out this same year and the song "August" is nearly 1-to-1 with my experience. It's almost uncanny.

100. Give us one thing about you that no one knows.

When I was 13 I submitted a drawing of Amy Rose to the Archie Comics writers for a Sonic The Hedgehog art contest and my drawing won despite it being done on notebook paper with pencil. It's where I peaked btw.

Hi bestie thanks for the ask these were fun!!

[lmskitty]

I'm trying to function at work but no thoughts head empty only Satoru Gojo bf headcanons. ( A lot of which I've discussed with @ellionwrites on occasion because I simp for Gojo hard. God help me)

I bet he'd give the best hugs.

I bet he ruffles you on the head when he sees you and messes your hair up everytime.

He constantly calls you sweetheart, baby, honey all sweet terms of endearment.

I bet he buys you sweets while he's on trips away and then fucking eats them all on the journey home and you can't even be mad about it because its him and he does this EVERYTIME.

Like he's objectively the worst boyfriend.

He's not actually gods gift at sex (though he thinks he is) people have thrown themselves at him for so long he's never had to really put much effort in and that has meant you've actually had to teach him a few things. It's ok though he is definitely a fast learner and treats the whole experience like a challenge.

He has issues with sensitivity due to the infinity and gets overstimulated. Hes got a good refractory period thankfully but he tends to put off penetration for a bit because he knows letting anyone past his barriers is intense. Super into kink, loves being tied up, loves pegging. Loves you on top so he gets to watch your expressions.

(from the light novel CANON CONTENT BABYYYY)

His bad habit though is he just fucking warps away just after sex and leaves you in the wet patch after he said he'd get you a glass of water and then doesn't understand why you're so mad when he texts you like TWO weeks later

"u up? ❤️❤️❤️"

And of COURSE you let him back in the house because come on?!? How could you deny him when he pulls his blindfold up and gives you puppy dog eyes and he's so lovely and cuddly and he's just had his hair done so you get to run your fingers through that soft undercut but then you realise the next morning he's eaten all your fucking cereal again and has disappeared before you even got a goodbye.

He sends you a picture of you snoring later and tells you he misses your cute face. It's like the worst picture of you ever.

(he makes the picture of you snoring his wallpaper and won't let you delete it)

He never replies back to messages and is ALWAYS late for your dates but god he makes you laugh so much your stomach hurts and he likes to take you out on shopping dates and buy you everything you even remotely glance at.

Hes a giant nerd. He loves a good movie date with you, lays on your chest while you stroke his hair on his ridiculously large and comfortable sofa and you always think he's gonna use the proximity to seduce you but NOPE he just talks through the whole damn film about the film and his theories and weird behind the scenes stuff. If you try and kiss him he shushes you because he wants you to concentrate on the cinematography.

He's the worst and also the best and I miss him so much.

[kanmom51]

Time to wrap up and close shop.

3 years.

That takes us back to when?

2020?

I guess it is time for me to say my goodbyes, accept that JM and JK are not together and that Tae and JK are married.

But...

Before I go, I guess I have a few questions...

Can't help but wonder when this happened and how exactly Tae agreed to marry JK after JK sucked on his soulmate's ear and tattooed his soulmate's name on his hand.

Was it before or after Tae's soulmate sucked on JK's neck and JK, his husband then already (?) paraded said hickey around for all to see, caressing it so lovingly and proudly?

Kind of wondering how this marriage is working back in 2020-21 with JK and JM living together.

So, Taekook married while JK is keeping on holding JM?

And bridal carrying JM in LV.

And telling JM he loves him out loud and the finger hearts.

Always the finger hearts.

Wow, what a show JK was putting on...

Talk about dedication.

Hiding out in a dark corner touching... JK probably knew the camera was coming, he had to. Same with his arm on JM's waist.

And talking about waists... was this really necessary?

And all these latest lives. It must have been Tae's way of supporting his soulmate. Must have been. No other explanation why his hubby would be acting like a love sick puppy every single time JM showed up in the comments, or dedicate a full 90 minute live to JM.

See that smile?

Definitely put on, and all for the love of his beloved husband, who, btw didn't publicly congratulate his soulmate himself for his first solo album, or for his record breaking achievements. Nope. He sent JK to do it for the two of them.

Ok, I guess the joke is over.

Because if I don't stop here there might just be some that will actually think I'm serious.

Taekookers are reeling. They are devastated and throwing punches in every direction possible.

This one, TKK being married for 3 years is a new one. Well, sorry, I lie. Not first time I've heard the marriage story. The 3 years is new. The level of delusion here is wow, hard to describe. The story I heard was of marriage in LV, adoption of 2 little American kids, living with Tae at home. Sorry, with Taekook at Tae's. These beautiful children they adopted in LV and are now raising together.

So yeah, there's that level of delusion.

Now with Taenni out and public we have new stories.

We have the denial, of course, with the stories about cosplayers, all disproven (these fuckers stooped so low they stole a woman's photos claiming her to be the Jenni cosplayer only for her to go public about it).

And then you have those that are still towing the line and claiming it's all a publicity stunt.

Cause yep, the 2 super popular idols in the 2 biggest Kpop bands in the world need to have a supposed relationship to boost either of their popularity and help their careers.

Fucking morons.

a. Seriously? These two need that to boost their publicity. These two rival companies working hand in hand to create this fake relationship going on for over 18 months to what? Have Tae go from 58.8 million followers to 58.9 million. Talk about a failure of such an elaborate plan... Lest we forget about the hate Jenni has been getting all this time from TKKs all this time. Definitley a publicity stunt.

b. I'm infuriated at how ignorant these people are. Because with even minimal understanding of Kpop culture they would know that for an idol to go public with a relationship there is a price to pay. Idols don't have the right to have private lives. They don't have the right to have relationships, especially not in the prime of their success. the very few who had gone public with their relationships in the past had done so before marriage. They apologised for having a personal life.

Moon Hee Jun, Taeyang, Chen, Bobby.

The fact that there are so few of them should be an indicator as how this really is not a career helping move.

Having a personal life, being in a relationship, being emotionally unavailable for your fans is not a publicity stunt in Kpop. It can be a career killer. And even if it doesn't kill the career, it definitley does not promote it, quite the opposite in the short run.

And Tae, well he's already paying a price. We already saw all the angry fan messages about how they were betrayed by him, about how he's supposed to be theirs. Putting him together with JK is an easy fix, it's not realistic, it keeps him available for them (well in their twisted minds).

So yeah, definitely not a publicity stunt.

And then you have those that are turning on him. Well on the whole maknae line, because why not? Why not bring JK and JM in on this if you can (especially JM, right)?

The ones that are mad that he is in an actual relationship with another woman, the scorned.

The ones that are now angry claiming the maknae line were queerbaiting.

Like wtf?

How in the fucking hell were TKK queerbaiting?

Real genuine affection for the others? Yes.

Fanservice? Heck yeah.

Tae is the king of fanservice and teasing and flirting with the members. He loooooves it. And some play along more than others. As a matter of fact JK is one of those that plays along the least. But again, TKKs lack the brain capacity to watch original content and see that.

The hugs and affection and closeness isn't put on. It's genuine.

As for JM and JK, well they aren't fucking queerbaiting. They are just literally f***ing.

When Taenni did this, went public (and again, this was their choice of doing, walking hand in hand by the Saines river, identifiable managers walking 5 steps behind, Tae stopping to give autographs to fans),

I knew this would come back to hit us too. But you know what? I don't mind it. I love Tae and Jenni for this. They are very brave, both could pay a price for it. Tae is literally telling us all, the industry and the fans, that his personal life takes precedent. I love him for that.

We talk about BTS being the trailblazers, and this is the start of it....I hope.

[saintsaki]

Aaaaaa omg I'm so honored that my silly ask inspired more Anharu art!! They are THE best friends with secret gay feelings Of All Time, to me. Thank you for this blessing 🙏 the Anharu nation, all like. 5 of us, are being FED good today!!

I don't have much I can offer in return, but I did write this itty bitty Anharu fic a little while back? https://archiveofourown.org/works/59091166

On the lighthearted side of things: I think An tries flirting with Haruka at some point but realizes that it's just too similar to the playful banter that they've always done so it just flies completely over Haruka's head. They've been holding hands since they were little, of course Haruka doesn't think anything of it when An does it now.

On the more angsty side of things: I often think about An seeing Haruka's initial rise to fame from afar and being increasingly worried about the worse parts of the idol industry. It chews up the person she knew and spits out something manufactured and Not Right; someone constantly aware of what she's wearing, what she's eating, what she's doing in public, all to maintain that idol image. Haruka her best friend and Kiritani Haruka the Idol are almost different people and it scares her a little. MMJ being such a source of positivity was a massive relief.

more than 2 weeks late reply but anyway,, (looong post ahead ksjsghj)

ur very welcome anon!! im glad to know that im feeding us 5 anharuers. we deserve this tbh. we deserve good fucking food from the Very Cool Pair of Childhood Friends Who Are Obviously Gay And In Love With Each Other. and since ive done a few anharu art already i might as well continue doing more to feed us all 🥹 (goodbye minoharu and more more jump /j)

and your fic. OH MY GOD ANON YOUR FIC. im gonna be real with you ever since i got your ask i still have the fic opened in my browser 😭 i will keep it open and read it forever!! idc if its short!! i LOVE it!! Absolute Chef's Kiss 👌!! I NEED MORE ANAHRU IN THAT KIND OF FLAVOR HKAFGJBS 😭😭😭 ALSO idk why but after reading it, i imagined that this is a recurring convo of theirs. it starts with whatever topic then one of them deviates and it ends just like the fic. this happens over adn over and over and we're just out here wisHING ONE OF THEM CONFESS ALREADY OR SMTH 😭😭

lastly, your lighthearted anharu reminded me of that 'i love you too, egg' meme so, as what youd expect from me, i cant help but put the two sillys in that meme:

Just In: Sources Have Confirmed That Kiritani Haruka Is Dense (real)

and even if An would outright kiss her—a simple, long one or sloppy style even, your choice—Haruka STILL wouldn't think her Bestest Childhood Friend is in love with her, nope! (someone save them)

[child-of-the-danube]

So this is truly it, huh? Just like that, no more Doom Patrol?

I don't think I can completely explain how I feel about the show as a whole and how much it means to me, but this final episode just left me empty for both good and bad reasons.

WARNING!!! SPOILERS INCOMING!! DO NOT READ FURTHER IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE EPISODE YET!

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The whole Immortus/Butts resolution felt like such a cop-out. Immortus just going "Nah, you know what, I'm fine. Here's your longevity. Oh, and I'm besties with the Butts now. Too-da-loo 🥰" after being presented as their biggest threat ever? Meh

It would have been more cathartic had they somehow defeated Immortus when she was occupied with the Butts and got the longevity thingy off her neck to then run home only to find Rita already dead with Laura frozen with shock/grief beside her. To have them think they managed one more victory but with their biggest loss yet. And for Rita and Laura, the moments before she died could have been used to have a proper conversation and resolution between them. I would have loved if the final scene between them (and with alive non-ghost Rita in general) would have been Laura bringing her the Immortus nail just for Rita to decline cause she's at peace with dying. Even a simple "You're forgiven" would have been enough. And what was the point of telling Laura she's part of the Doom Patrol now to go "Yeah, you should all go your own way now" five minutes after she kicked the bucket???

Vic's ending was expected. It was obvious from the start that he would make it. And I'm glad cause he deserves happiness and to build a future that HE feels is right for him finally.

I'm also delighted Jane (a.k.a just K now) got her happiness both within herself and with Casey. And she's the only one we saw on screen saying goodbye to at least one person properly. Her and Cliff's realtionship was one of my absolute favourite things about the show.

Seems I managed to guess Larry's ending almost exactly. It was so sweet and beautiful. He didn't just return to space with Keeg but Rama as well. Can't lie, I've shed some tears during that scene. And his moment with ghost Rita... 12/10 wouldn't change anything about it

Cliff's ending is my favourite and the one that got me bawling my eyes out. "It's ok. I made it home" Uhm, excuse me?????? How dare the writers break my heart like that???? I am unwell and will need 5-7 business days to recover from it. Poetic, beautiful, amazing, showstopping etc. I love Cliff so fucking much

Dorothy who? Guess she just fell off the Earth after Immortimas

Also, Shelley? Never heard of her. Try looking in the woods when it gets foggy maybe 🤷

I guessed Rita would definitely die too but her whole "Each of you will be better off on your own" turnaround just didn't sit right with me. She's the one that spent her life keeping this little, broken, miserable bunch of just the unluckies motherfuckers known to the world together and managed to create a family that loves and supports eachother to death and THIS is her conclusion?? That they should just disband? Nope, not buying it. I guess it's somehow a way of telling that now the one that held them together, the heart of the show if you will, is gone that it's all done but I feel like that's a an insult to the rest of them and to the strength of their bond. Yes, Rita's insistence brought them together at first, but they've grown and gotten close so much since then even without her interfering in their one-on-one relationships. It just doesn't feel right. I also knew we'd get a Malcolm reunion scene but am I the only one that doesn't really care about him? Tbh, we didn't get to know much about him beside the fact that he was Rita's lover that tragically died. I just can't care about a character I know nothing about. I guess have fun posthumously frolicking in a field, Rita and Malcolm 🤷

So Jane got Casey and her sanity, Larry got Keeg and Rama, Vic got his friends and students, Cliff got see his family, their future and die peacefully beside them, Rita got to reunite with the love of her life in eternity and Laura got to, uhm, *checks notes*, play with a flamethrower? Like, ok, I do dig that she got to destroy the place that ruined her whole life guns a-blazing but what exactly does she get to do later on? The ones who remained alive all got someone to share their new found joy with, a proper plan for the future, they're at peace. Laura didn't get to neither truly reconcile with Rita, nor the Sisterhood, and now the only people she felt close to either died or went their own way without a true goodbye. What, pray tell, does her future look like beside, once again, loneliness and grief???? I fucking hated her ending. Give us a Laura de Mille spin-off, you cowards. Make it right...

[xanthippe74]

20 questions for fic writers

Thanks for tagging me, @maesterchill! I'm not sure who has done this already, but I'll tag @phdmama, @phoebe-delia, and @nv-md, if they haven't already and want to play.

I'll put a cut here, since some of my answers got a bit long.

1. How many works do you have on AO3?

29 works!

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

358,795 words

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Harry Potter and 9-1-1

4. What are your top 5 fics by kudos?

(1) Vortex (soulmate AU, down & out Draco, Knockturn Alley social commentary and politics) (2) Riptide (sequel to Vortex with 2x as many words 😅) (3) A Hiss To Build a Dream On (Harry faking Parseltongue and being a pining idiot) (4) The Last of What the World Left You (sad, lonely boys on the Yorkshire moors, Animagus Draco/Master of Death Harry) (5) This Heart Shut Wide (8th year, secret relationship)

5. Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes! I love to say thank you, at the very least, and sometimes I want to reply to something specific that the commenter mentioned. I'm a little ashamed to say I got behind on my comments for a couple of years, and it got to the point where I was too overwhelmed to wade through the backlog. But I truly appreciate every single one, and now I'm back to replying to new comments promptly!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

The very first fic I posted, "Last Goodbye" has an unhappy ending, with Harry's feelings for Draco being unrequited.

7. What’s the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

I think all of my Drarry fics besides that first one have happy endings. As for the "happiest," I'd say it's either The Last of What the World Left You (because of how far Harry and Draco both came from their isolation and misery at the beginning of the story) or Follow the Water (because that ending is unequivocally happy for everyone, with nothing bittersweet or lost).

8. Do you get hate on fics?

I've had a couple weird comments, but no hate until very recently. And that was just a troll getting off on being a jerk, so I deleted their comments and didn't let it bother me in the least.

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Nope. M-rated, blink-and-you'll-miss-it lovin' is all I can manage. I tip my hat to the smut writers out there, because I find kissing hard enough to write. (and I definitely appreciate the smutty stuff, as a reader! 😉)

10. Do you write crossovers? What’s the craziest one you’ve written?

I've never written one. I'm working on a Drarry version of Howl's Moving Castle right now, but I think of it as more of a retelling than a crossover. Aside from the borrowed plot, it's pretty much the canon HP universe, except with fire demons and the moving house.

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Not to my knowledge!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

"A Hiss To Build a Dream On" was translated into Chinese, including all the terrible reptile puns!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Not yet! I did a round robin thing on Tumblr a few years ago, though, if memory serves.

14. What’s your all time favourite ship?

Drarry, forever and always.

15. What’s a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

My very first attempt at a Drarry fic, back in 2019, was supposed to be just a few scenes about Harry and Draco running into each other in the summer of 1998, the day before Draco moves to America. In 2020, I started reworking it into a non-linear, everyone's-fucked-up, hurt/comfort fic that ended with them going to America together. Still love the concept, but I'd probably have to start all over again, since it's been such long time and my writing has (hopefully) improved since then.

16. What are your writing strengths?

I've been praised for my descriptions of scenery and the pacing of my stories. I think I'm pretty good at dialogue, too.

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Probably spending too much time in my pov character's head, with all their emotions sloshing around. And I'm still trying to strike the right balance between efficiency and beautiful, evocative writing (something that doesn't feel either too spare or too purple prose-y, in other words).

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Personally, I've never put more than one sentence in another language. As a reader, I think I'd expect a translation for anything longer. Otherwise, I'd feel like I was missing out.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

Harry Potter

20. Favourite fic you’ve written?

Oof, I have no idea. Don't make me choose amongst my babies! Maybe Follow the Water, because I love that world and that gang of characters. And it's probably the fic of mine that I revisit the most, as a comfort read. It's so soft and nature-focused.

[alitgblog]

alright s9 vol 5 thoughts: the episodes are getting less interesting to me but also shit I might be becoming a Hamish fan

I had a bunch of gems saved up because I got a bunch of the rewards from playing s4 episodes and also because I was slowly replaying S4, I kept getting the daily log in gems and the ones from watching ads, so I was fully prepared to use them this volume. And then oh nope I'm not even remotely interested in the drama they're asking me to pay to learn. Like I think I got one of the new dresses because I was sick of the t-shirt dress, but that's it.

"Woah woah woah I still don't know what's going on here" has basically been the name of the last two seasons with how much you gotta pay to listen to drama that mc conveniently wasn't around for

So Melissa gets dumped and her partner also gets dumped but he doesn't say much, which you'd think because no matter which route you're on, he did briefly have a thing for MC, he'd at least say something to her. Or there'd be an opportunity for a hug or closure? Nope. Goodbye, Henri. (And I played this on the fourth of july, that's just unAmerican 😤).

Then comes the highlight of the episode for me, which is the impressions game, because it could've worked so well and yet it happens soooo fucking badly.

But like the sticky notes on their foreheads, sure. It's like an easy gimmick to change the sprites so the game feels different. Like every time that they bring out the hideaway box, it's mildly exciting but mostly corny. But then it spoils which islander is coming up next, so why couldn't they have done it one at a time? Like show Will's name on Finn's forehead first, and then when that's done, THEN Kelly pulls out Bea's name and puts that on her forehead. And we shouldn't be able to see MC's note. Like let us guess and potentially be wrong lol.

Another even easier way to do this, is just drawing names out of a hat so the person pulling has to do an impression. Then MC has more opportunities to guess (like it's more engaging for the player than just reading what everyone else is doing). And like most of the writing would be the same I think. Like MC's partner is bad so instead of saying anything Alfie actually does he just says "oh... it rhymes with Galfie?" and then Hamish can still show off and guess each one if MC doesn't get it, or even if MC does get it then he still starts explaining every islander's backstory.

I also think someone needed to have done something absolutely unhinged for Stefan's name. Like Kelly is like "omg I wasn't even thinking putting his name in" which like I don't believe her, that's kinda shady, but also just kinda boring. Maybe the producers set up the game, or if the islanders do that's fine (like just have Kat or Melissa do it instead bc maybe they want to swoop in and take MC's partner). But like if we say it's the way I described above, then Kat's partner should've been like oh I can do an impression, and then straight up kissed MC, or like did a little speech about how he wants her back, or recited something from when Stefan was upset she didn't leave the villa with him (like it's an opportunity to drop more Stefan lore the way they've been doing it, which I agree is really annoying, but just to continue the trend). And then MC of course can choose the right answer, some other islander, or just be like uhhh wtf??? And then just kick off some more drama that way.

Also the impressions started off strong with Will and then quickly just explaining what happened to that islander. Like, ever heard of show not tell? Even for Ivy, I think it would be so easy to just bring up her checklist but instead they go for "sexy librarian energy"???? tf?? On behalf of Ivy, I'm offended at that description actually. And now you got me out here defending IVY of all people.

Uh anyway, so yeah my favorite bit was Hamish being really into Love Island lore.

And like I said, I don't believe Kelly when she says she didn't mean to put Stefan's name in there. Like I don't think it'll amount to anything, but because it seems like everyone's getting the universal, default Finn being into MC route (getting Suresh treatment), I'd rather it actually be her being kind of shady on purpose. Like she's jealous actually because Finn has already told her he doesn't want to be with her and wants to be with MC. And then give the wlw players a friends to enemies to lovers route with Kelly to change it up a little.

Oh right there was an excess baggage challenge this volume. It feels too late in the game. I think we need another fun challenge, comparable to the S2 paint challenge or the cake one. I feel like we don't get many of those anymore. I think an obstacle course-esque one is fun, because you can a few quick prompts that don't really affect the game but keep the player engaged. Like the games day in S8 but less pay to win prompts.

nothing notable from the baggage though imo. like even the Finn stuff was boring. also I kinda hate him doing hosting roles post love island, idk seems like he'd more fo all in with his brewery stuff and vacationing but instead he's tied to Love Island gigs? like I see that for like Tim because he's basically like Kem from UK S3 and for a while kem did just do hosting gigs for a while so it's not unrealistic to think an islander is making an appearance somewhere else, I guess I just don't see that for Finn. and like I could think of several islanders from any of the new seasons I'd pick before finn. Honestly even Hamish I would understand.

But I only bring up the excess baggage thing because MC and Hamish crawling around trying to listen in on drama is actually so fun. Like it just feels like a S2 Bobby thing to do and I appreciate that. I do hope Hamish's route isn't ruined and also that it only happens if you romance him, because I would want this type of moment to happen even if y'all were just friends, because we get so few friends in the game these current seasons.

Then we get to Finn's pool chat. I just wish, if it were as open as he said it was, then it wouldn't be a secret late night rendezvous situation. Like have the chat in the daylight if you're not afraid, you coward. Idk gave me kinda icky vibes just like in S5, so I said no even though I do think Finn could still be a really good friends to lovers route, like on the level of Jake, but the ball is constantly being dropped with him.

and so little has happened for Finn (that we the audience know of) between this episode and last volume where nearly the same thing happens in the shower and Finn rejects MC if she tries to kiss him (and so I rejected him this time lmao)

I saw the word double and I was afraid Marshall and/or Ozzy were gonna show up as hosts for the date (as if hosts for a date make any sense)

And having them switch dates is kind of a fun twist if not for the fact that the twist last time was that MC went on dates with Lyle and Jude and Chen went on dates with Kelly and his ex. Chen cannot catch a break and for all the loyal girls, wheres their time with their LI?? Like, I like the idea, but maybe it could've been saved for a different season? It just feels irritating to do it back to back. Especially when they've been in there and long enough that Chen and Natasha already know they don't like each other, and it feels like an excuse for Kat and Finn to have some drama we have to pay to listen to.

But you do get to talk to Hamish about Natasha, which feels like it could've been a friendly chat in the villa and we didnt need a date excuse. But alas, we don't get chill chats in the villa anymore 😭

and his little confession!!

Anyway,,, why am I kinda jumping ship for Hamish rn likeeeee... idk I like an individual route and I'm not liking where Finn's at rn soooo

I'm hoping for some Kelly villain vibes just for a little bit (like I said, give the wlw players an frenemies to lovers with her). Like she seems pissed about the note, and I feel like maybe she can possibly recognize Finn's handwriting? That'd be fun.

And then back to challenges, it feels too early for snog marry pie. I don't think they're doing a casa this season, just based off of leaks of islander names I don't think there's enough, but snog marry pie in my head is always around casa or after, and it just feels too early for even casa. But then again, we're on like 15 of 42, so maybe it's fine.

Yeah so overall, I don't even really remember too much. Like it's feeling like S7, and I didn't finish season 7, but I do think I'll finish this one because I'm so curious how the Finn route will go and if they'll drop the ball with Hamish and also with Stefan. And also I like making these weekly posts so I might even just keep going for that alone. but also I enjoy slow burn and second chance romance plots and drama anyway so that could make the season better for me we'll see

[gayforjuza]

aw darn ur right I can't send images :(

and the only reason i'm just a BIT uncomfy is bcz ur super awesome and like. the person i imagine being in the middle of the party and then I'm just. here. with my weirdness LMAAAAO but anyway!! basically sakuya was actually a part of the original MANKAI company-but he died onstage in a tragic accident while the audience clapped [yk, part of the show, etc etc] haha so here's the funny thing he's still there as a ghost bcz his dream [to see the MANKAI Company bloom] hasn't come true, right?

so izumi comes in all "whoo! i'm stuck with this!" and normal meeting with sakuya goes through and she just doesn't question how he's the only one [i have this whole thing in my head where Matsukawa just found Sakuya one day (never met Sakuya when he was alive) hiding and asked if he wanted to join, Saku said yeah sure, a whole "you're hired!" thing goes on by Matsukawa, all that LMAO]

oh ye and they don't find out until in the middle of it with a phone call to Izumi's dad [if you wanna see the snippet i wrote for it I'll totes send!!] where they find out he dieded but hey wait a minute he's HERE how does that work?? so they confront him about it he gets all scared and he finally just breaks down expecting them to kick him out

but nope! power of FRIENDSHIP BABEYYY!! they take him in until the Company finally blooms

and then there's three options from there;

sakuya disappears, sad ending with a tearful goodbye

sakuya...stays there, apparently there's MORE "unfinished business" involving him staying.

crack upon crack upon crack. he gets a letter from an archangel somehow saying he can decide so he stays.

THIS AU IS SO SO SO SO ANGSTY THOUGH I CAN'T I LOVE IT BUT HATE IT SOOO MUCH!! T-T

omg im so honored that u think im awesome! i will have u know that irl in party environments i am the nonverbal dude watching people in the corner and i appreciate ppl sharing their "weirdness" with me so tysm!

also THIS AU IDEA IS SO COOL !! sakuya centered aus are always so angsty like this one, ocam, or my one where his parents died for gekka reasons he just radiates the vibes of pain and suffering i suppose

love the idea of finding out from izumis dad im imagining hes like "wait what, sakuma ? the dead guy?" and izumi is like "omg sakuya ur dad passed away?" and sakuya is like "well yes but ,,,uhh well how do i say this,,"

i think i fuck with the sakuya disappears ending most like maybe they win the fleur award or something and then hes like omg, my work here is done *fades away* *sheds a single tear*

[sharksa-shivers]

Stuff with Nucleo and OH dump cuz i said i would the other day

So...These involve the 2 derpos in the title, just a grab bag of stuff with them (and perhaps...Both of them doing shit together as well hmmm) But i should post some seperate too especially OH cuz i haven't spoken about her as much as i should be you could say that about alot of characters tho tbfh... ---------

(Sharky having to ask OH for cash on the phone, all 3 of em are broke)

Orange Hair:(answering her phone, we see the screen split so we can see both Sharky and Orange talking, Orange working with some chemicals and Sharky leaning up against a building, him just walking around as they talk)Hello?

Sharky:(obviously having to work up a bit of nerve, we can see he's obviously kind of anxious about this)Heyyyyyy, uh…So…I'm just gonna cut to it and not waste your time and blah blah blah, uh…Look, can i have like…500 bucks? Please?

Orange:(raises an eyebrow)500? What for?

Sharky:(anxious, trying to keep it cool and together)Uh, gas money, food money, hotel money, supplies like bullets and stuff…Uhhh, very not cheap stuff that we need andddd collectively all 3 of us together have…(pulls money out of jacket pocket)…12 dollars and 67 cents…and yknowwwww, kinda got like another day of travel ahead andddddd-

Orange:(we see her think for a moment before she just…turns this shit on its head)Hmmm……….Yeah- uhhhhhh…No.

Sharky:(he sits a moment)…..What? No?

Orange:(repeats)No. Nope. Non. Nien. Nada. Natu. No. What? You didn't hear me?

Sharky:(we just see him kind of snap a small bit)I…….Orange, i…We really need money!!!!

Orange:(working with her chemicals, writing down info)Ok…….The answer is still no.

Sharky:(nerves snapping mentally continues, getting kind of pissed and frustrated)Literally why?????? You're a multi-millionaire!!!! $500 is pennies for you!!!!!!

Orange:(unphased by his frustration)Pretty simple, gotta learn to deal with problems like this sooner or later, especially when it comes to demon fighting. You have any idea how many times i've had demons steal my cash and leave me fucked? It's gonna happen sooner or later and you 3 are gonna have to know how to deal with it. Life's fucking rough, it's how it is.

Sharky:(breaking)We literally do not have money for a place to sleep or food!!!! We have 12 fuckin dollars!!!!!

Orange:(unphased still)You got a car and i'm sure you 3 can figure out some resource for food…You're all very smart, you can do this very easily, i've seen the shit Max alone can do.

Sharky:(freaking out)Do you have any idea the amount of danger this puts us in???? Like…Any idea at all????

Orange:(stares blankly)Uhhh, yes? Very much so. Yes. Mmhmmm…If it gets too deadly or whatever, i'll bail you guys out butttttt since it's not there yet, seems like perfect survival experience time here to me…

Sharky:(he just kinda sits there in disbelief)………

Orange:(annoyed)You done yet? Can i get back to my work now?

Sharky:(he just kind of falters and accepts the answer, knowing he can't fight her)…….Yeah, guess i'm done…

Orange:(picking up her phone)Excellent, excellent…You 3 stay safe out there, don't come home dead please.

Sharky:(annoyed as fuck, freaking out)Yeah, sure, i'll try…

Orange:(finger on the button)Alrighty then, goodbye…

(We see her cut the line and Sharky's just there staring at his phone…We see him mutter "Shit!" Under his breath and then we cut back to Max and Kristy chilling in the car…)

Kristy:(boredly messing with her hair)…You think maybe like…I dunno, i could go for a different style by now or?

Max:(on his phone, rapidly typing)Uhhhh, maybe!!! That's kinda up to you, i don't really know much about human hairstyles and whatnot…

Kristy:(looking at herself in the visor mirror)Like…I like this being shoulder length and sometimes i wanna cut it but if i don't like it, then i have to wait like…a few months for it to grow out again so like… (Sharky opens his door and flops into the drivers seat, frustrated)

Sharky:(stressed as fuck)God…FUCKIN damnit…Fuck…

Kristy:(concerned)Wait, what happened?

Max:(looking up, texting)Is OH gonna be making this a pain in the ass again?

Sharky:(nods)YEP, SHE SURE IS!!!! She said she isn't gonna give us anything, she wants US to survive on our own, fucking…Fuck!!!!

Kristy:(eyes widen)What???

Max:(just kinda stares, he seems kind of unphased but he wasn't expecting this exactly)…Welp…

Kristy:(confused)Literally how and why???? Wait, what???? She has so much cash, she literally wouldn't even miss it!!!!!

Sharky:(Leans back, mentally tired)She pushed it basically as "this is part of the job!" Kinda shit, i tried going at it from that angle, didn't do shit.

Max:(annoyed, texting, looks up)Gonna just ask, does uhhhh, does Orange know that when people say "eat the rich" that DOES INCLUDE her or? Cuz uhhhh, i'm just saying, she's making that sound quite tempting and uhhhhh…I wouldn't hesitate…

Kristy:(just looks back at Max, gives him a weird look)……What?

Max:(smirks)You heard me.

Sharky:(frustrated)Look, doesn't matter, she's not gonna fucking help, we have to figure out something else to do…

Kristy:(thinking, she perks up)Wait, we could ask Nucleo!!!

Max:(typing on his phone)I got him on speed dial, hold up…

Sharky:(just gazes over)No, God, don't be bothering Nucleo okay???

Max:(confused)Why not? He helped us last time.

Kristy:(remembering)He did but…Wait, Orange also got onto him for that, uhhh…I…Don't wanna get him in trouble again…

Max:(amused)Nucleo legit daydreams about Orange punching and kicking him in the face, it'd be fine. It's his like…Kink or whatever…

Sharky:(getting more annoyed)No!!! It's not fine!!! Just!!!! (Trying to calm down, let's out a big breath)Let's just…Try and figure out a way to deal with this that doesn't involve dragging other people into this okay????

Max:(on his shit)Capitalism literally cannot exist without you dragging othe-

Sharky:(snapping again)I KNOW ABOUT CAPITALISM BEING SHIT MAX, HOLY FUCK, CAN YOU BOTH JUST STOP FOR 5 SECONDS???? LOVE OF POSEIDON!!!!!!! ------------------------ The Captain: I don't understand how the fuck you can put up with her…

Nucleo: ………………Yknow you're right actually, FUCK Orange Hair, she can fuckin deal with shit herself, fuck her…

The Captain: ………..Wait, you're serious? (just stares at a stonefaced Nucleo)………Oh fuck, you…You are serious, holy shit…Goddamn, ok then… ------------------------

(We see Nucleo walking into the lab only to see OH has fallen asleep at her desk, papers strewn about everywhere while she snores…Nucleo decides to try and help, knowing that's probably not the best place for her to sleep…)

Nucleo:(trying to be cheerful, shakes her shoulders a bit, amused)Hey sleepy, wanna maybe sleep in your bed instead of the table?

OH:(Orange jolts up, her eyes purple from not sleeping for a while, shaking her head to wake up before quickly shoving Nucleo off)Thanks for waking me up, need to get back to work now though, i have to figure out this-

Nucleo:(he's very quick and as she reaches out for some of her papers, he quickly makes a radiation shield around them, making them unaccessible to her, hand on her shoulder)I kinda think it'd be better if you took a break…When was the last time you slept?

OH:(annoyed, tries to think)…….Last week? I don't know, lost track of the days…

Nucleo:(questioning)You even eat recently? Shower? You do anything not work related for even an hour lately or?

OH:(her eyes shifting more and more as Nucleo goes down the list, annoyed, getting up)Ok, ok, ok, fuck, fine…I'll go waste time and…"self care" i guess…

Nucleo:(crossing his arms, following her to make sure she goes)Not really a waste if you're gonna fall into needing these things at some point anyway. All this work crap will be waiting after you take a break, you need it. You can't save the world from demons if you're falling asleep at the wheel…

OH:(annoyed as she goes downstairs to her basement bedroom)You sound like those damn kids bickering at each other…

Nucleo:(smirking)Good, they got good points and they look out for each other. Good qualities to have.

OH:(annoyed, closing her bedroom door)Yeah yeah, welp. Night i guess… ------------------------ (OH getting out and giving Max a full ass flamethrower)

OH:(glaring him in the eyes before giving it to him)You be fucking careful and responsible with this or it'll be my fire you'll be worrying about, understand me?

Max:(nods)Yes ma'am, got it.

OH:(nods back, handing it over)Good.

Max:(holding it as Orange gets other weapons down, looking at the flamethrower in sheer awe and admiration)…….I don't think i have ever felt more allo then i do holding this gun, oh my god, i think i'm actually in love…

OH:(just responding as she's busy)Yes, it is quite a beautiful gun isn't it? Will certainly be useful for the upcoming mission i have planned out for you 3… -------------------------- (We see Nucleo waiting at the bottom of the stairs in the main cabin with a coffee he bought, him talking with Amber as he waits on Max and Kristy to come down. Nucleo is in charge atm of taking the 2 Trio derps somewhere (probs for a mission or whatever) )

Nucleo:(talking with Amber, trying to understand a bit)So what's up again exactly? Like…Why do i have to do this on my day off? Like, i guess i don't understand why Sharky can't do this…

Amber:(explaining a bit as she's busy on the couch, folding laundry)I told Orange Sharky wasn't really in the best state to be driving in, he told me earlier he went to Pink Fin and got some meds, he woke up very sick and was throwing up so…Yeah, doing a mission is the last thing he needs to be doing right now…So he's probably asleep right now, resting up.

Nucleo:(understanding but still questioning)Ok, got that. So…Why can't this all just be pushed back altogether? Like why does this all need to be done TODAY then?

Amber:(busily folding)You're probably gonna have to take that one up with Orange…(hears a timer go off in the kitchen, quickly gets up) Oh! There's my bread timer, hold that thought!! (Runs into the kitchen to deal with that)

Nucleo:(sighs, annoyed before calling out to the derps)……HEY, YOU KIDS ALMOST READY OR WHAT?????

Max:(from the upstairs bathroom)YEAH, JUST NEEDA FINISH SHAVING, HOLD UP!!!!! I NEED THE TIME TO LOOK GOOD!!!!

Kristy:(quickly, heading downstairs in a rush)Yep!!!! I'm fully ready-!!!!!

(As Kristy goes downstairs she ends up tripping and hitting Nucleo, his coffee flying out of his hands however Nucleo is very quick and is able to catch the cup, lid and liquid in levitation magic, stopping it all from hitting the ground)

Kristy:(standing up again, in awe that Nucleo was able to do that, watching him guide the liquid back into the cup and then put the lid back on)…….Wowwwww, holy shit… Nucleo:(smirking)Yeah, you're lucky i have the skills to do that, paid like 6 bucks, for this…(calling out again)MAX, CMON!!!!

Max:(yelling back)I'M TRYING TO HURRY, GODDAMNIT!!!!!! ---------------------- (OH and Kristy are driving somewhere. OH is smoking and she has the windows up so Kristy's just coughing on the fumes)

Kristy:(glares over)Do you have to be smoking in the car like this???

OH:(looks over)I mean, you can leave…

Kristy:(stares in confusion)Leave? Orange, we're on a highway!!! In a damn thunderstorm!!!!! Where am i supposed to go?????

OH:(smoking, lets smoke out of her mouth, shrugs)I dunno but you can leave. Not like i'm holding you hostage or anything…

Kristy:(pissed)YOU LITERALLY KIDNAPPED ME, YOU DID THAT, WHAT THE FUCK?????? ------------------------- (We see a very tired as fuck Orange Hair come downstairs, her apparently just waking up. We see Amber cleaning up things after breakfast as OH comes down and opens the fridge to get a drink. Orange's hair was obviously down beforehand and now is in a big ass tangled ratsnest knot…)

Amber:(as OH closes the fridge door, pulling out a sports drink(like a gatorade or something)a bit startled by the state of her hair, questioning)Uhhhh, Orange, your hair…Ummmm…

OH:(she tiredly blows a bang out of her face before her hair ignites in a firey orange glow, OH whipping it back out straight and back into its usual form, that hurricane esc style. Stares at Amber)That better?

Amber:(nods, trying to be very nice)Yeah! That looks great!

OH:(opening up her drink, tired)Good. I never worry about that shit, i'm a living hair straighter with my magic…And hair curler if i wanted to i guess…Point is, i've got heat built in, easy fixes. I don't care. ------------------------ (OH and Kristy in a fight over some shit)

Orange:(pissed)That is an ORDER Kristy, i expect you to FOLLOW IT!!!!!

Kristy:(at her snapping point, pissed as fuck and enraged)Maybe you should follow THIS!!!!!!!!!! (Within a quick snap, Kristy makes a very big and powerful green colored ray ball of energy and shoots it directly at OH, hitting her dead on without any warning and nailing THE FUCK out of her, actually sending Orange back into a wall and crashing cracks into it with the force of Orange hitting it………and the entire room goes silent as Kristy's eyes narrow at what she just did along with Orange seeming like that did do some sort of pain/damage to her as she peels herself off the wall, leaving an imprint…)

Max:(just leaning towards Kristy, his eyes narrowed and locked on OH)……Pretty sure she's gonna kill you for that…

Kristy:(scrambling for words, scared)I, Orange, i'm sooooooo sorry, you're right, i should just be following orders from you, you're right, you-

Orange:(recovering, brushing walldust off her jacket, her gaze steady but calmer)……Actually, yknow what? ……..I'm proud of you for that one, you put some force into that, took me off guard and actually did some damage…Good work Kristy, i expect more of that from you…

Kristy:(just staring)…….I'm sorry, what?

Orange:(annoyed)Just take the damn compliment kid, sheesh… --------------------------

(thinkin bout that ep where Max is a depressive wreck and Nucleo's taking him to a Sunrises concert to try and help him feel better which uhhhh yeahhhhh, not…Not gonna be as easy as that…)

Max:(coming downstairs to see Nucleo in his punk get-up while Max is in his Sunrises hoodie, Max stares at Nucleo very confused and his depression is still veryyyyy much there in his tone)…What are you wearing?

Nucleo:(cheerful and excited for the concert)This is my punk get-up!! I dunno bout you but i'm ready to rock!!

Max:(staring very confused, tired)……..Nucleo, this isn't a rock show we're going to…

Nucleo:(stops, staring at Max, confused)…Wait, what? I thought it was? Sunrises isn't a punk band?

Max:(staring still, shakes his head)No…Sunrises is one enby peep that makes dubstep music from their basement…This is more like…a rave concert i guess you'd call it or…Something…

Nucleo:(taking that in)………Oh…….Welp uhhhh, hold on a second, i guess i'll take some of this off then so i'll fit in better with ya…I'm leaving the make up though hehe… ---------------------------- (Nucleo's fighting this rando cult shadowdemon and is thoroughly pissed the fuck off after all the shit that's been going on…)

Shadowcult member:(smirking with a murderous intent, says the thing that pushes Nucleo over the edge)That's alot of talk for a pretty little plant mer like yourself…

Nucleo:(he's had e-fucking-nough so he proceeds to do some dark shit, he grabs the shadowdemons face and blasts pure radiation magic in their face, enough to cause major major damage, skin and hair falling off as the shadowdemon screams in agony…Nucleo lets go and the shadowdemon falls, screaming and flailing around as their skin melts, Nucleo just glares, tired and pissed off, his veins glowing green)…Maybe that'll help you remember i'm a radiation mer actually…Tell your friends i got more for em if they try that stupidass shit again… --------------------------- (We see Nucleo mad dash running into the garage area, stopping whenever he sees Sharketa who's busy looking for something in the clutter…)

Nucleo:(upset, seeing Sharky's car is gone)Shit!!!! Fuck!!!! I'm too late, fuck!!!! (notices Sharketa)Sharketa!!! Quick, did Sharky or Kristy or Max say where they were going or?????

Sharketa:(worried by his discomposure)Uhhhh, no? I…Or…I thought i heard Kristy say something about downtown? I think? Why?

Nucleo:(frantic)Ughhh!!!! Long story but OH doing shit again!!! I think there's a chance she might have slipped some explosives in some of their supplies!!!!

Sharketa:(immediately alarmed)WAIT, WHAT????? DID SHE DO THAT ON PURPOSE???????? WHAT THE FUCK?????

Nucleo:(frantic, scared, anxious)Fuck, again, long story!!!! I can explain later, i just need to fucking get to them and fast, fuck!!!!!(eyes light up at one of the motorcycles in the garage, rushing over to it, pulling it out of clutter, grabbing some keys with his magic and a helmet, putting the helmet on, ripping off his labcoat, speaking quickly)If anybody asks, i'm going after them, i don't have alot of time, i need to get to them ASAP!!!

Sharketa:(anxious, worried as fuck now)Do you even know how to ride a motorcycle????

Nucleo:(getting on and turning it on, anxious as fuck)Nope!!! I guess i'm learning today!!!! I've ridden a bike before though so uhhhh, i assume they're at least similar enough!!!! Can't think about that now, i gotta go!!!! The fucking things i do for you damn kids!!!!!

(Before Sharketa can respond again to that, we see Nucleo rev up the engine and speed off, him skidding some as he's obviously not fucking used to it, oof…) ------------------------ (Ok...I like this one but i am...Trying to decide if it's physically possible for Nucleo TO get drunk...Cuz like...Posion immunities, disease immunitys, idk, what do you think? Can he get drunk or no? lmaoooo)

(Late at night, idfk what context is butttt i imagine Nucleo brought some alcohol over and got a little tipsy (i can see him doing that whenever stress gets to be too much or he just wants to relax a bit but i can't see Nucleo really getting flatout shitfaced often, probs more just tipsy/light drunk sometimes.))

Nucleo:(amused, slightly drunk so he's kinda out of it)So what you're saying is that short men DO have rights? So what you're saying in general is that there's a chance?

OH:(Just staring, trying to work still)………You have been talking to yourself for like an hour and half straight, please just go home…

Nucleo:(smirking, drunk)Probably not a good idea cuz immmmmmm kinda drunk hehehehehe…

OH:(working)Which is why i'd get Sharky to take you home or something, just…Please, i'm trying to work…

Nucleo:(annoyed, snarky)You're always fuckin working…You never do fuckin anything else… --------------------- Nucleo:(questioning)……..Are you actually jealous of me or…?

Orange Hair:(She sits a moment before she actually says something pretty out there for herself)……….You know……Yeah………Maybe i am a bit……….

Nucleo:(taken aback but he tries to hold it together for her sake)……..How? You're so much higher up on the society ladder then i am, you're literally a living legend at this point, a multi millionaire, what could i have that you don't???

Orange Hair:(sits a moment, looks him dead in the eyes)……..Happiness……..You actually see a point in life, you can see the beauty in it, the value of your own life……..And……….I can't do that…………I don't ever say it but…….There's not a day that goes by that i don't think i'd be better off dead……..So…………

Nucleo:(sits there, taking that in…And they both sit in silence, him not knowing what to say to that…) ------------------- ...One last one for the road maybe lol --- (We see The Captain looking around the hotel room for Nucleo and being unable to find him until a thought crosses his mind. We cut shots to him sliding open their hotel door. We can see that they actually have a bit of a backyard with this hotel room and as such of having a bit of room, we see a pool and a jacuzzi. The jacuzzi is one of the ones you have to cover and uncover and we see it uncovered, we also see it's a decently deep jacuzzi and that the bubbles going and the water glowing…But we don't see anyone above water…Until Nucleo rises to the surface, leaning back and relaxing…shirtless and in his merform, his tailfin tips sticking out of the water, obviously having a nice time by himself…Which is when The Captain approaches and Nucleo notices him there.)

Nucleo:(his face falling, annoyed)Oh Neptune damnit, what did Orange do now???

The Captain:(stares)Uh, nothing i was aware of, wasn't here to talk about her…

Nucleo:(a bit annoyed but his face softens a bit, relieved)Well guess there's that then…Did you need something then? Do i have to get out? Cuz i haven't been in my merform in a really long while and i just wanna relax, enjoy my lemonade here and the water…

The Captain:(shrugs as he stands there)Eh, just kinda bored. Wanted some company i guess…

Nucleo:(thinks for a moment, just accepting The Captain being here now)That's fine then i suppose as long as you don't expect me to move or get out…Kind of a long process so…(drinks some of his lemonade before putting it down again and sinking some into the water) The Captain:(we see him staring at Nucleo's tail)Y'know…I could see mertails every day i don't think i'd ever get used to it. It just always feels like my minds playing tricks on me or something…

Nucleo:(flicking his tail in the water, obviously happy to be using it)Can't relate since i was born with it. If anything, legs are more of a mindfuck to me. Took me a while to get good at using mine. Like, i'm used to it now but like ehhhh… ------------------------ Wowie!! Angst and stuff with The Captain too tho...(Who i am in the process of redesigning again cuz fuckin yeah, old design is...Not as good as it could be, don't worry, he's still gon be like 57 cuz yeah ofc.) Also the face-melting thing... 1. Radiation is not a good thing to mess with and 2. Nucleo can be an absolute beast if he wanted to be. Just cuz he's weak powered strength-wise does not mean he cannot do damage cuz he absolutely can and does in the series. We're going up against a murder cult of demons, they kinda have it coming tbh lmao... In closing:

[justheretoviewkianamart]

(wild) Pokemon that are bad parents

I am NOT putting in Sharpedo! It's not like they can stop what goes on inside their belly, stop blaming them!

Dedenne will litterally eat their young if running out of food. Self-explanatory.

Dewgong/Seel, deadbeat parents lmao. Imagine leaving a 15-day-old baby to fend on their own, that's CRAZY.

Komala feed their young litteral shit. What the fuck?

Kommo-o.... What the fuck? Nope. I'm done. I'm going to be sick if I say what they do. End of post. Goodbye.

[readingiskeepingmegoing]

Well! This was a ride and a half!

I nodded, turning to kiss him goodbye. Only, he didn’t kiss me on the lips, he kissed me on the forehead and walked off without a second glance or another word. Something about that didn’t sit right. It stunned me actually. 

Hmmmmmm. Naughty boy is up to no good. Not surprised, not even disappointed.

“Hey Mark, sorry to bother you. I just wanted to double check, did you by chance change your studio time for today?” 

“Nope, it should still be our usual evening time slot. Why?”

Ooooh is that the death knell of Kat and Alec's relationship I can hear? Ding, ding, ding, ding!

As I was unbuckling my seatbelt, I spotted Lana walking up the steps leading to his second floor landing. I froze, watching as she knocked on the door. A few seconds later, Alec was there, pulling her tightly against him and kissing her with a lot more enthusiasm than he had with me lately. 

What a dick! He never had any intention of even attempting to be faithful.

“What are you smiling about? He’s your fucking problem now.” 

Bahahahahaha! Bitch is gonna learn!

In an odd way, I felt like that confrontation had taken some of his power away from him. He couldn’t lie his way out of it. There was no way he could twist this in his favor and save face. He wasn’t going to control me anymore. He couldn’t. My chains were broken, and I wasn’t going back. 

And about damn time, too! It's been too long in coming. Kat deserves so much better, and she's about to get it.

The only difference, he did like all of my posts, except for the ones that had Alec in them. OK, Bravo. You made your point. Publicly.

Hahaha, I love it! It's absolutely the perfect level of pettiness.

DIETER: I will do as I’m told. Goodnight Kit Kat.

Oh, my God!

We were both in a perfect storm of emotions, looking for happiness and somehow finding it in each other through dancing. 

Sounds like voice-over for a movie or TV show.

“Well, I think it would be fun to do a Dirty Dancing parody, with the roles reversed.” 

Omg, I'm actually giggling and kicking my feet 🤣

Stacia’s lips set into a tight line, “My mistake. Perhaps I should have asked first. Anyway, as far as the plans for next week, we have you doing the Rumba to Thinking Out Loud.” 

And just like that, I am a puddle on the floor! That is going to be hot enough to burn the atmosphere!

Stacia leaned forward on her elbows, “So, Kat…What are ya thinking? Is it manageable enough for you? Anything else we can do to make this easy on you?” 

They know about Alec and Lana. Those fuckers!

His smirk turned into his cheesy lopsided grin as he tapped my nose with his finger, “That’s what I thought…Don’t worry Kit Kat. I know you love me. You don’t have to hide it.” 

Soon she won't hide it at all.

He locked eyes with me, leaning in as he spoke. “Yes ma’am. Where do you want me?” 

What. The. Fuck. Is that? I was fairly certain that I stopped breathing. His eyes were smoldering - absolutely burning into my soul. I cleared my throat, “O-On the floor.” 

We managed to avoid Alec and Lana for the reminder of our time there. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait long before one of the production assistants called us in. The staff had apparently been told to get us through as quickly as possible, which I appreciated. Stacia and Joe had actually done something right for once. 

Statistically speaking, to happen at some point

Dieter: Also, your plants look sad. I’m disappointed in you. Have I taught you nothing? 😂 (laughing to tears emoji)

*cackle

“Shhhh. It’s happening. I’m not discussing it any further.” He waved his hand dismissively in my direction as he turned his attention to tapping at his phone.

My mouth dropped open in shock over his sassy attitude, “Did you just…” 

“Yes. Now be quiet, I need to concentrate to type up these instructions.” 

You can't in the way of #plantdaddieter when he is in #sassyplantdaddieter mode 🤣

He looked around, checking to see if anyone else had noticed. He cleared his throat, “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask…do you mind if I list you as Zee’s secondary emergency contact on her paperwork? You’re the only other person she likes so far. You know, just in case I’m outta town or something?” 

He essentially just asked Kat to be Zee's mum didn't he? 🥹

His eyes widened, shocked that I was standing up to him in such a way. I could sense several cast members watching us, clearly having overheard me. It seemed to make Alec uncomfortable, probably because he couldn’t react how he normally would to my defiance.

Awwwww what a shame Alec, your gaslighting and bullying won't work anymore. Too bad, so sad. Cockwomble!

He really did give the best hugs, completely enveloping me with his scent and warmth.

Hell yeah, he does!

His thumb made a few passes across my knuckles before pausing. In my periphery, I could see his head turn toward me slightly as he glanced downward. A crease formed between his brows before he met my gaze.

He's noticed that the engagement ring is gone.

Her smile faltered somewhat as she looked between us, “Well, you’re both in the South Loft.” I felt the color drain from my face before she even finished the sentence. I’m so fucked.

You will be soon 🤣🤣🤣

We didn't get any of Dieter's POV in this chapter (because it was so fucking long... sorry), but we got a pretty big hint at the end when he realized things were about to change. What do you think was going through his head on that drive to the airport? What about his reaction? Also, now that he knows Alec is out of the picture, fully expect the menace to come out.

I think Dieter had several things running through his head when he realised the ring was gone. Relief at the notion that Alec is no longer in the picture. Anger at Alec for hurting Kat again. And hope, real hope, that there might be a chance for him to have a future with Kat.

Stacia and Joe are of course up to their tricks. How much do you think they know about what's going on with their cast?

Oh, they for sure knew everything. And I think they have known every time Alec has been screwing around. They were hoping for explosive dramatic fallout from Kat, but they clearly have never taken even one second to actually get to know her.

Speaking of the cast...WTF is up with Lana? Do you all hate her yet? How do you think she feels about Kat and what Alec did to her?

Bitch! Diabolical bitch! She's probably giddy with glee thinking she has gotten one over on Kat by stealing Alec away. I question her standards though, knowing from the get go what a lying cheating bastard he is. Also, she clearly does expect much from a lover if she is satisfied with Alec's subpar performance.

I think she is going to come down to earth with a bump when she finds out what he is actually like.

I cannot wait for the next chapter, I can already tell it is going to be outstanding!

Closed Position: Week 4 (Jive Part 2)

Closed Position Masterlist ||| Main Masterlist Dieter Bravo x OFC (Katarina)

Series Summary: Dieter Bravo, now sober, was looking to change his bad boy image after hitting rock bottom. His team hoped that having him join the nationally televised family friendly dance competition, Dancing with the Stars, would be a good first step, if they can keep him out of trouble. 

Katarina Stamos expected her last season as a professional dancer on the show to go the same as it had for the past thirteen seasons. That all changed when she was partnered with the infamous Dieter Bravo. 

Dieter and Katarina are reluctantly thrown into their partnership and must learn to work together to succeed in the competition. In the process they form a deeper connection beyond the dance floor that neither anticipated.

Chapter Word Count: 16.6k

👉 Warnings: Themes dealing with intimate partner violence (not from Dieter), past alcohol abuse, and past drug abuse. There will be fluff, tears, spicy language, and smut. This will be a slow burn. Read at your own risk. Dieter Bravo comes with his own warnings.

Chapter Quote: I’m so fucked.

On my drive home from the diner, my thoughts were only of Dieter. His mood had been all over the place this week. I really had been concerned about him slipping up and felt more relief than I probably should have when he mentioned his therapy appointment. At least he seemed to be handling things the right way. I couldn’t figure out what suddenly had made him so upset, but I felt like it had something to do with me. He had been more distant since the show on Monday, and I didn’t understand why. 

When Dieter came into the dance studio on Wednesday, I could tell that Alec’s presence was affecting him. Having both men in the same space with no one else around made me nervous. It was obvious that Dieter didn’t care for Alec and vice versa. The tension between the two of them was so thick, I was concerned about another confrontation. Luckily, Alec didn’t stick around long. 

However, the tension was still there even after Alec left. I couldn’t take it anymore. I had to ask Dieter what was going on. I figured it had something to do with me giving Alec another chance. I knew how Dieter felt about the way Alec treated me, but for a brief moment, I couldn’t help wondering if there was more to it - if maybe he was feeling something for me too. Something more than concern for a friend’s safety. 

It pissed me off when he said he was disappointed in my choice, even though he had every right to be. It was hard to hear because I knew he wasn’t wrong. It was a bad decision, and I could already feel the regret setting in. The burst of anger did fuel me to ask what I really wanted to know, if there was another reason he was so upset about it. I knew him well enough to know that he wouldn’t answer it honestly, but he did falter. I briefly considered his response, something about it causing butterflies to form in my stomach. My gut was telling me there was something else, but the logical part of my brain didn’t believe it.  

His pleas that followed to not let it get bad and the burning look in his eyes caused a shift in the tension. I couldn’t fight the urge to touch him, my hand involuntarily reaching for his cheek. He surprised me by leaning into it before taking my hand in both of his. The moment turned oddly intimate, and I wanted nothing more than to tell him how I was feeling, but I knew I couldn’t. It was wrong to be feeling those things for him. I knew that I needed to keep it professional, for all our sake. 

Dieter seemed to return to his normal self after that, which had me questioning things all over again. Surely that wasn’t all that had been bothering him? I worked to brush that thought aside. I was just happy to have him back. Given that the day had ended so well, I wasn’t ready to be away from him. I had missed his light and wanted it to shine on me just a little bit longer. So, I asked him to try the Greek diner with me, which turned out to be a terrible idea. 

The last two hours had sent my thoughts and feelings into a tailspin. Dieter seemed to be opening up to me more and more each time we were together. Tonight felt…different. Not unlike how it felt when I had dinner at his place. He was attentive and maybe even a little flirty. The way he kept looking at me was causing my thighs to clench together under the table. I wasn’t sure if it was just a physical attraction or more. He definitely had me reevaluating things during my whole drive home.

It was already getting late by the time I pulled into the garage. I hadn’t heard from Alec at all, even though he said he was planning to come over for the night so we could go out for breakfast before our rehearsals started the next morning. I was both annoyed that he hadn’t at least texted me and relieved that I might not have to deal with him. I was settling into bed, planning to go down a social media rabbit hole on the Dieterina hashtag when I heard the front door open. I sighed, set my phone on the docking station to charge, then laid down to go to sleep. 

I could hear Alec moving around to get ready for bed, eventually settling in at my back and pulling me against his body to kiss my cheek. He smelled of cigarettes and something else I couldn’t figure out. Something floral maybe? It wasn’t normal and it made my stomach turn. When I only acknowledged him and didn’t escalate things, he sighed heavily then turned away and quickly fell asleep. 

My mind began racing. Was that perfume or something he had eaten or drank? I couldn’t tell and it was sending me into a spiral. I hated having to worry about this. I shouldn’t have to. And did I really have a right to? I wasn’t behaving much better than him today, and the thoughts I had been having were a whole other thing. 

And so what if it was perfume? He had been rehearsing with Lana half the day. It could just as easily be from that. Surely that’s all it was, if anything. Right? I was trying my best to be rational about this and give him the benefit of the doubt, but it was hard. Would I ever stop thinking like this when it came to him? 

It took forever for me to finally fall asleep, but I had managed to calm my thoughts by then. Not that it was a restful sleep. I spent most of the night tossing and turning, plagued by weird dreams that I couldn’t remember after waking. They only left me with a sense of foreboding that I couldn’t seem to shake. 

The following morning, I was in the bathroom getting ready when Alec came in. He hugged me from behind, burying his face into my neck and sighing dramatically. 

“Baby, I’m gonna have to skip out on breakfast. Mark just texted me and asked if we could switch rehearsal times. Something about a sick kid…So, we’re gonna head in earlier than planned.” 

He raised his head, giving me his best sad puppy face in the mirror as he rested his chin on my shoulder. 

I let out a controlled breath, sticking the mascara wand back into the container. No sense in getting ready now. “That’s ok…it’s understandable. It was nice of you to do that for him.”

“Yeah, so I guess imma head out. Maybe we can grab dinner later?”

I nodded, turning to kiss him goodbye. Only, he didn’t kiss me on the lips, he kissed me on the forehead and walked off without a second glance or another word. Something about that didn’t sit right. It stunned me actually. 

After I heard the front door shut, I moved to peek out through the curtains. Alec already had his phone to his ear with a smile on his face as he got into the driver's seat. Something about this felt off. 

I took a deep breath, moving to get my phone from the nightstand. Alec wasn’t a huge fan of Mark, often calling him a stuck up prick because he wouldn’t go out partying with the rest of the guys at all hours of the night. Mark was married and had young kids, so of course he didn’t do that. It was hard for me to believe that Alec would do anything to help Mark out given his feelings about him. Alec wasn’t typically very accommodating to people he didn’t care for. I was also fairly certain Mark usually had evening rehearsals, so he could be home with the kids while his wife was working. 

I pulled up Mark’s contact information and hit the call button. I worked to steady my breathing as the phone rang. Part of me hoped he didn’t answer out of fear from what I would learn. He did answer though. 

“Hey Kat, what’s up?” 

“Hey Mark, sorry to bother you. I just wanted to double check, did you by chance change your studio time for today?” 

“Nope, it should still be our usual evening time slot. Why?”

His answer knocked the air out of my lungs. I knew Alec was lying. I somehow managed to compose myself and quickly think up an explanation. 

“Not a huge deal, they had us double booked, but I think I’ve figured out a solution. I just wanted to check first before calling Dieter with the change.”

“Oh damn, that’s annoying. Do I need to do anything?”

“Na, I’ve got it sorted. You guys should be good.”

“Awesome. Thanks for catching that or we might’ve been sharing.” 

“No problem. I may see you around later. Enjoy your morning.”

“You too. Thanks again! Bye.”

I wasn’t sure what to do with this information. It didn’t necessarily mean he was cheating, but why else would he need to lie like that? I puffed air out of my cheeks, deciding to throw on my gym clothes and go to his place to see if he was there. 

A short time later, I found myself pulling into a parking spot at Alec’s apartment complex. I noticed his car was in its usual assigned space, so I decided to go in. As I was unbuckling my seatbelt, I spotted Lana walking up the steps leading to his second floor landing. I froze, watching as she knocked on the door. A few seconds later, Alec was there, pulling her tightly against him and kissing her with a lot more enthusiasm than he had with me lately. 

It hurt to see it, but I needed to. With the previous incidents, Alec swore he was never physical with those women. I didn’t believe him, but I also had no proof either. This time, there was no denying it. They definitely had something going on and clearly had for some time. 

The oddest mix of emotions was swirling inside of me. There was relief of course, but there was also hurt and anger. I had given up so much for this asshole and this was how he continued to repay me. After letting anger win the battle as the dominant emotion, I sat trying to reason with myself on the best way to handle this. I wanted to confront him, but I was also worried about his reaction. Would he get violent? 

I hesitated, but eventually stepped out of the car and began walking toward his apartment. When I reached the 2nd floor landing, I realized his door was still slightly ajar. The dumbass didn’t even get it shut all the way. As I got closer, I could hear them, on the sofa I assumed, already fucking. I felt sick from the sounds. It was made worse by the words that were coming out of Alec’s mouth; She’s the only one he needs, the only one who means anything to him, the only one he wants…it went on and on. I couldn’t listen anymore, reaching to push the door open with force, causing it to slam into the wall. 

Alec was seated on the couch with Lana straddling his lap, now trying to cover herself with her hands at the sound of the door. I got an eye full as his unprotected dick slipped out of her when she turned to look in my direction. 

I was seething. He couldn’t even wrap it up. He wasn’t even worried about bringing something home to me. Looks like my concerns were valid. 

“Kat…w-what the fuck are you doing?” Alec sputtered, shocked by my sudden appearance. 

I took a steadying breath, determined not to cry in front of him. “I just wanted you to know that I heard it with my own ears and I’m seeing it with my own eyes. There’s no sweet talking your way out of it this time you fucking asshole.”

“Baby, come on. Let’s talk about this…” 

He moved to get up, but Lana pushed him back against the sofa, refusing to get off his lap. Then she turned back to me, a sly smile on her lips. 

“What are you smiling about? He’s your fucking problem now.” 

I turned to leave, overhearing Lana telling Alec not to go after me as I moved toward the stairs. I had to applaud her, at least she seemed to have some authority over him. For now, anyway. In time, he would probably break her down too. 

In an odd way, I felt like that confrontation had taken some of his power away from him. He couldn’t lie his way out of it. There was no way he could twist this in his favor and save face. He wasn’t going to control me anymore. He couldn’t. My chains were broken, and I wasn’t going back. 

After sitting in my car for several minutes, the adrenaline rush was beginning to wear off, and now the hurt was setting in. The things he had said to Lana told me how little he actually cared about me. Why did he fight so hard to keep me around if he didn’t want to be with me? Or had he just been telling her what she wanted to hear? He was good at that tactic. 

I was left feeling like I had wasted the last six years of my life, for nothing. I was suddenly full of grief over everything that I had given up for Alec, and regret for the way I had allowed him to treat me. It was a relief to be done with him, but that didn’t make it hurt any less. I loved him once after all. We had been happy in the beginning and at one time I believed we could find our way back to that. The tears were coming now. I needed to get away from his apartment. 

I backed out of the parking spot and headed home. Once locked inside, I let the tears fall as I crawled into bed and sobbed into a pillow. An hour had passed when I finally checked the time. Realizing that I needed to pull it together and get ready for rehearsals. We were filming today, and I refused to do it looking like an emotional mess. 

After dragging myself out of bed, I moved to the bathroom to examine the damage. My eyes were red and swollen. I applied a warm compress, hoping it would take some of the swelling out. It helped some, but not enough. After washing my face, I worked to put a little more makeup on than I would normally wear in hopes it would make it less noticeable. It seemed to help some. 

I had to rush to make it to the dance studio in time. The camera crew was already there setting up and coming at me with a mic pack as soon as I walked through the door. I did my best to act normal, but from the way Dieter was eyeing me, I could tell he knew something was off. I knew he wouldn’t ask with hot mics on us, so that gave me some reprieve. 

My mood improved as we began to rehearse. Dieter of course found ways to make me smile, like he always did. Things seemed almost normal by the time the camera crew left for the day, leaving us alone for the last two hours of rehearsal time. Dieter did ask if everything was ok since I seemed flustered and was a few minutes late. I lied and said Alec and I had gone out for breakfast, and I had gotten held up by a traffic accident on the way here. I didn’t think he bought it, but he didn’t question me on the topic any further. I hated lying to him, but I wasn’t ready to share what happened. I needed time to process and deal with it on my own first, otherwise I was going to break down into a crying heap if I tried to explain it now. 

Our last bit of studio time went on as normal, allowing me to forget about the whole Alec thing for a bit. Once our time was up, we gathered our things as Dieter shared the latest Zee antics with me. Mentioning that he was heading to the pet store as we walked to our cars to leave. He lingered for a moment after saying goodbye, like another question was on the tip of his tongue, but he never asked it. Instead, he smiled and gave me a quiet, “See ya tomorrow” as he got into his car. 

I was considering my next steps as I left the dance studio. I knew that I probably needed to get checked out since I had no idea what Alec had been up to. I was certain he used a condom every time we were together since I had first found out about his infidelity, but I realized that wasn’t fool proof, and he was a fucking idiot. I also realized that it didn't protect me from all STDs. There were other ways of catching things. 

I was silently cursing Alec as I pulled into the parking lot of one of the local walk-in clinics. It looked fairly empty, which was a positive. I sat there for a moment, trying to prepare myself for what I was about to do. I would have to explain my situation, which meant I would have to finally say it out loud. I just hoped I could keep it together. The fact that I was having to do this made me hate him more than I had ever hated anyone. 

Luckily, they got me in quickly. I gave a urine sample, had an exam, then had blood drawn, and was swabbed in all the places to be tested for every STD possible. I was stoic through the whole process. It was the only way to keep from falling apart on the poor medical staff. I was told it would take 5-10 days to get the results, which seemed like an eternity when dealing with stuff like this. It made me feel dirty and used. I shouldn’t have had to do it, yet here I was. I should have listened to my gut instinct a long time ago. It would have saved me a lot of stress and grief. 

With that out of the way, I finally made my way home. I decided to soak in the tub for a bit to try and relax. I was feeling a little achy, probably because I hadn’t really been taking care of myself this week since Alec had been around. I needed to do better so that it didn’t become an issue. We still had a lot of weeks left to get through.

As I sat in the tub, I started browsing Instagram. Eventually finding myself on Dieter’s page. I had given it a quick scroll when I first followed him but hadn’t looked since. I noticed he had added “Cat Daddy” to his bio which made me snicker. Then, I scrolled all the way back to the beginning. He didn’t have much posted. Based on one of his earlier posts he had removed a lot before he went to rehab. I assumed it was the less than flattering stuff from his party days. 

There had obviously been a shift in him. I could tell just from the few posts from before rehab that were still available. Most of his newer content focused on Zee, plants, and painting, which I loved to see. There were a couple of the same shots provided to us from the show that I had shared, but nothing else.

I caught myself going on a liking spree. I had to force myself to stop before I ended up liking all of his posts. As I scrolled back toward the top, one picture caught my eye. It was a shot from his “sanctuary”, the corner with the leather seats and guitars where we played together the previous week. He posted it the day after I had been there, with the hashtag #MyFavoritePlace. I couldn’t help but wonder if his post was related to my visit. I shook that question from my head. What a ridiculous thought, Kat. 

I was then drawn to a picture of his hands covered in dirt as they potted a plant. He really did have nice hands. They were large with long, thick fingers. The small bullseye tattoo only added to their appeal. My mind momentarily wandered to thoughts of those hands on my body but dismissed them. I can’t go there. If I do, there’s no coming back. I moved on to the next post. I was chuckling at Dieter’s Croc covered feet when notifications started to pop up. 

“bangingbravo1 liked your photo.”

They came in one after another. My liking spree must have prompted him to do the same. The only difference, he did like all of my posts, except for the ones that had Alec in them. OK, Bravo. You made your point. Publicly. He was so unapologetically himself and was not afraid to make his opinions known. I honestly loved that about him, but damn if that wasn’t going to cause some gossip if anyone noticed. 

I hit the little notification bell at the top and turned all notifications on for him without a second thought. I smiled to myself, hitting the ‘message’ button. 

ME: I feel like I’m being Instagram stalked right now…

He didn't keep me waiting long for a reply.

DIETER: I’m pretty sure you were stalking me first, sweetheart. 😉 (wink emoji)

My smile widened, he was trying to push my buttons. Truth be told, I kind of liked it when he did that. 

ME: I told you not to call me that, Bravo.

DIETER: My apologies…Kit Kat.

I rolled my eyes. He was never going to let that nickname go. 

ME: What are you up to this evening, besides liking all my posts?

DIETER: I was painting until my phone started blowing up with Instagram notifications.

ME: Oh yeah? What are you working on?

DIETER: Something new…it’s a secret.

My brow furrowed. What a weird response. He’s usually very open and excited to talk about his hobbies. 

ME: Oh come on, not even a hint?

A picture came through. It was obviously a close up shot of part of a painting. It just looked like swirls of purples, magenta, and black with oranges and yellows at the edge. I couldn’t tell what it was, but I was intrigued.

ME: Those are new colors for you. I like them.

DIETER: Well, I have new inspiration...

Why was he being so cryptic? It was causing butterflies in my stomach again.

ME: And that inspiration is…what?

DIETER: My 🐈 (cat emoji), of course.

Why didn’t he just say Zee? Unless he thought he was being slick with double meanings? Surely not. I held my breath as I typed my reply, then hit send without reading it. 

ME: Your feline or your human 🐈 (cat emoji)?

He started typing, then stopped. It took him a good thirty seconds before he started again. 

DIETER: I’m afraid you’ve hit your question and answer quota for today. My turn. What are you up to this evening?

I snorted, this was about to take a turn. Did I want to go there? I decided to keep it PG, not wanting to make it weird. 

ME: Just trying to relax my aching bones.

DIETER: And how does my human 🐈 (cat emoji) do that? No hints? 😏 (smirk emoji)

My thighs clenched together. He did not just fucking say that. I wasn’t sure how to respond. Were we flirting? I chewed on my bottom lip as I thought through my options. Another message popped up.

DIETER: I’m sorry. That might have been a little inappropriate to say.

He was one hundred percent flirting and now worried he overstepped. Alright Bravo, if you’re gonna go there…then I am too. 

ME: If I give you an inappropriate hint, will you answer my question?

DIETER: That depends on how inappropriate your hint is…

I chewed my lip again, thinking. I muttered a quiet “Fuck it” as I propped my bubble covered legs up on the side of the tub and snapped a picture. It’s not like he hadn’t seen more than that from my costumes. Then again, this implied I was currently naked and wet. 

I decided not to send it through Instagram, instead pulling up his contact info and sending it as a text. I felt nauseous afterward, worried I was misreading things. He was taking entirely too long to respond. The bubbles finally started bouncing, indicating he was typing.

DIETER: I feel cheated. Your toes are cropped out. Your answer is a no go.

I snorted. He obviously didn’t have a problem with it.

ME: Please tell me you don’t have a thing for feet. That’s just gross.

DIETER: I’ll take what I can get. I’m not picky. Besides, you probably wouldn’t say that after one of my foot massages.

My thighs clenched again. Fuck. Why is that doing things to me? Probably because it implies he’s good with his hands…his very large hands.

ME: Are you offering?

DIETER: All you have to do is ask, honey. I’ll do anything I can to help you feel better. 😉 (wink emoji)

Fuuuuck. I can't deal with him. He was sending my mind spiraling straight into the gutter. For a brief moment, I wondered if my vibrator was charged before scolding myself for going there. I was so fucking ridiculous. How did I go from being distraught over my ex cheating on me to this? I needed to chill and get my life figured out before I ruined mine and Dieter’s friendship. 

ME: Well, I hate to cut this conversation short, but my water is getting cold. I’ll see you in the morning?

DIETER: Of course. And for the record, I do have a hydrotherapy tub that doesn’t get cold. You can use it anytime.

DIETER: I swear I’m not trying to be weird with that. I know it helps with arthritis pain. 😂 (laughing to tears emoji)

I laughed, almost tempted to ask if it would fit two people but refrained. I knew he was only trying to be helpful. 

ME: That’s good to know. 😂 (laughing to tears emoji). Go to bed. I’ll see you in the morning.

DIETER: I will do as I’m told. Goodnight Kit Kat.

ME: Goodnight.

I got ready for bed after that. My mind was now jumping all over the place. I realized that I hadn’t heard from Alec since leaving his apartment, which was unusual for him. Normally he would be blowing up my phone with calls and texts. Maybe he knew it was over this time and wasn’t even going to bother to try to fix it. I could only hope that was the case because I didn’t want to deal with him. 

Then my thoughts went back to Dieter. I was so confused about my feelings for him. I wanted him physically, yes. That much was obvious. What I didn’t know was what I wanted beyond that. I wasn’t sure if I could trust what I was feeling. How much of it was real and how much of it was a result of our situation? We were both in a perfect storm of emotions, looking for happiness and somehow finding it in each other through dancing. 

It’s not unusual for dance partners to fall for each other because the physical closeness and intimacy involved does cause the release of oxytocin in the brain. That fact is common knowledge among dancers, and it fuels the long debate about if the dance connection between partners is real or if it’s just a temporary psychological effect from hormones. Is that what was happening here? Would the intense feelings for him fade once the show was over? It was certainly something to consider. 

Granted, I’ve had a lot of dance partners in my life and never felt like this before. It was similar with Alec, but nowhere near as intense and those feelings with him waned over time. However, I could attribute that to his shitty personality and the way he treated me. We still danced together, so in the end that didn’t save us either. 

By the time I finally started to fall asleep, I was more confused and conflicted than ever. I decided that I would just go with it and see what happened. It was really the only thing I could do. It wasn’t like Dieter had expressed interest in anything more anyway. He was in recovery after all and did say he was taking a break from dating as part of that process. So, I was probably getting myself worked up over nothing. 

The next morning, I awoke feeling surprisingly lighter and more relaxed. The prospect of being done with Alec for good seemed to remove a lot of pent up stress and anxiety. Plus, Friday rehearsals typically went pretty easy for us since we had our routine down. It was just about fine tuning with the music now, allowing us to have a little more fun with it. 

When I got to the dance studio, Dieter hadn’t arrived yet. I wasted a few minutes getting the music ready and stretching. Then I checked the time, realizing he was a few minutes late. I was suddenly worried that something might be wrong, he was usually a few minutes early if not right on time. I was reaching for my phone to send him a quick text when he walked through the door with his cell phone to his ear. He looked a little wild-eyed as he said his goodbyes to end the call, but also seemed to be fighting a smile.

Once he was finished, he dropped his bag onto the floor and gave me a cheesy grin. 

I gave him a confused look, “What’s going on?” 

He put one hand on his hip, the other was rubbing his chin. “Well, I got invited to do SNL. I didn’t think that would ever happen again.”

I gave him a toothy smile, “Dieter, that’s awesome. I’m excited for you!”

He held up his pointer finger and grimaced, “Slight problem though…” He paused. 

I raised my brows, waiting for him to continue. 

“It’s for next week. That Gosling dude dropped out at the last minute, and they don’t have a lot of options.”

My face fell, “How’s that supposed to work?”

He laughed nervously, “Well, how do you feel about going to New York with me for the week…so we can still rehearse?”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. I can’t do that. “Dieter, I don’t know if the producers will allow that.”

He was smirking now, “Actually, Lenny, my manager, talked to them this morning and they’re willing to make it work if you’re willing to go with. We would just have to film some things ourselves and there was something mentioned about promo stuff but I dunno what all that entails.”   

Fuck. He was really excited about this. I could tell from the look on his face. I knew this was a big deal for him and for his career. I really didn’t want to be the one thing to hold him back, but I needed to think about it - consider how it could affect things between us. 

“When do you have to let them know something by?” I asked.

“By tomorrow morning, but preferably as soon as possible.”

I nodded. “OK, let me think about it and figure out what exactly that means for us, work wise, if we go. I’d like to know those details first.”

He was nodding along now, “That makes sense. I know it’s short notice and a lot of extra stuff you were not planning on doing, so if you don’t want to, that’s OK. I swear. I don’t want you to feel pressured. I think we can make it work though…and I think it would be fun for us.”

I chuckled, “What I’m not fun enough for you already?” 

His eyes bulged, “No! That’s not what I meant. You know what I mean…and…I did also wanna ask if you’d be willing to do a skit with me.”

I snorted, “What? Like a SNL skit?!?!”

He nodded, “Yes. I have an idea for one.”

I shook my head, “Dieter, I’m not an actor. I can’t…do that.”

He rolled his eyes, “Sure you can. It could be one of the pre-recorded skits, so you don’t have to worry about the live part. I can coach you through it.” 

I took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. He seemed like he really wanted to do this, “What’s the idea?” 

He snickered, “Well…you remember when you said ‘Nobody puts Bravo in the corner’?”

I wasn’t following, “Yeeesss…”

“Well, I think it would be fun to do a Dirty Dancing parody, with the roles reversed.” 

I snorted, “You’re so fucking ridiculous.” 

He burst into laughter, “I know, that’s what makes it funny! It’ll be gold! Come on!” 

I sighed, “Let me think about it. I’ll let you know something in the morning, ok? It’s not a no…yet.”

He huffed and crossed his arms over his chest like a petulant child, “Ooook, fine. I’ll wait for you to think about it.” 

I rolled my eyes at him, then poked him in the chest, “Don’t be bugging me about it either, or I’ll say no.” 

He smirked, “OK. OK. Got it. Let’s rehearse then. I’m ready to get my Jive on today.” 

Dieter did his best Elvis hip wiggle on that last line, curling his lip upward as he spoke. It sent me into a fit of laughter that I struggled to come back from. This set the tone for the rest of the day. He seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood, even for him. The jokes kept coming one after another and he was acting a complete fool the entire time. I’m not sure we ever stopped laughing. He didn’t take himself seriously and I loved that about him. Alec had been the complete opposite, an uptight asshole, which often kept me on edge. It was a nice change, one that I wouldn’t mind being permanent.   

I was actually a little sad once rehearsals were over. We had a good day, and I wasn’t ready for it to end, but I needed to go home and figure out what to do about New York. After we said our goodbyes, I sent a quick text to Stacia and Joe. I needed to know what they were thinking because it sounded like they had a plan. As I was pulling into my garage, my cell rang. It was Joe asking if I could come in for a quick meeting the following morning. I agreed, which was essentially the end of the conversation. 

I had a million questions and did not understand how this was going to work. What about group rehearsals? Or the weekly behind the scenes filming? And what promo stuff would we be doing? Most of all, how the hell would we fit all this in around Dieter’s SNL schedule? It seemed like a lot, but I would be doing it with Dieter. Something told me that if I did go, things would not be the same when we got back. I just didn’t know if that was good or bad. 

The following morning, I had to get up extra early so I could go to Television City Studios to meet with Stacia and Joe. I thought it odd that they didn’t ask to meet with both Dieter and I together, so it automatically had me on edge. The fact that they had agreed to this told me that it was playing into whatever story they were trying to manufacture. So, I knew I had to watch myself. 

Surprisingly, I didn’t have to wait. I was taken back to the conference room straight away where I found Stacia and Joe in unusually bubbly moods. They were chomping at the bit to follow through with whatever they had planned for us. 

Once I was seated, I noticed Stacia looking at me oddly. I couldn’t figure out what it was about. She eventually realized I had noticed her staring, which prompted her to get things started.

“Kat, how are you doing? Everything still going OK with Dieter?”

My brow furrowed slightly, “Yeah, everything with Dieter is great. He’s doing well.” 

She nodded, “Good. That’s what we like to hear. So, I guess he told you about New York then based on your call?”

I nodded, “He did. I was surprised to hear that you guys approved it. I’m curious to hear your plans because I don’t understand how we can possibly pull this off. It’s a lot.” 

Joe smiled, “Actually, I think we can work it out pretty easily. We’re thinking you could take a break from group performances next week. In lieu of that, we can book you on a couple of morning shows. That would meet part of your contract obligations so that some of that stuff is out of the way.”

I took a minute to think about that, it wouldn’t be a bad thing. It would keep me away from Alec for the week too. 

“OK, and what about the behind the scenes filming? Will a crew be coming with us?”

Stacia laughed, “Na, I really don’t think that’s necessary. Dieter can handle some of the filming if we provide the equipment. We also ask that you two ramp up your social media posting a little bit more…maybe even come up with a hashtag or something.” 

They are being way too cool about this. What’s the catch? 

“Where will we rehearse?”

Stacia was still smiling as she continued to stare at me in that odd way, “We’ll book you a space in the hotel. You can rehearse as you have time. It obviously won’t be as structured as it is now, but we think you can work it out.”

How had they figured all of this shit out so quickly? What made them think I would even agree to go?

I pursed my lips in thought. “And our Tuesday morning pre-production meeting?”

“You won’t have to worry about that. We can go over everything now.” 

My brows knitted together, “Without Dieter?” 

Joe smiled politely, “We trust that you can pass the info along to him with no problem.” 

I narrowed my eyes at them, “Why didn’t you meet with both of us together about this?”

Stacia leaned forward, placing her hand on the table in a gesture that was meant to be comforting. “We wanted to run it by you without his influence. I didn’t want you to feel pressured by his presence. His manager made it pretty clear that he really wants to do this.”

I scoffed, “I appreciate the thought, but Dieter would never pressure me into anything. So that wasn’t necessary. I would appreciate it if we could keep our meetings together.” 

Stacia’s lips set into a tight line, “My mistake. Perhaps I should have asked first. Anyway, as far as the plans for next week, we have you doing the Rumba to Thinking Out Loud.” 

The fucking Rumba. Perfect. It was obvious she was fighting a smirk now as she dug around in her binder, and I knew why. The Rumba was one of the most intimate and sensual performances in ballroom dance. It was obvious they were doing everything they could to milk this situation. 

Stacia pulled some papers out, sketches for our costumes. “Luckily, we already had these ready to go. Dieter’s is pretty simple and shouldn’t be an issue. Stop by wardrobe before your spray tans tomorrow evening and they’ll have something similar ready for you to try on. They’ll rework parts of it to make it more like this. We wanna make sure your costumes are ahead of schedule just in case you have travel delays or anything like that.”

I sat staring at them wide-eyed, “Why are you telling me all this? I haven’t agreed.” 

Joe laughed nervously, “Well it’ll be the same details even if you don’t go. Just don’t tell the others you got your dance and song early or they’ll consider it an unfair advantage.”

No shit. This is so fucking bizarre. 

Stacia leaned forward on her elbows, “So, Kat…What are ya thinking? Is it manageable enough for you? Anything else we can do to make this easy on you?” 

What the actual fuck? The crease between my brows deepened. 

“No…I think I’m good. I’ll let you guys know what I decide. Anything else?”

Stacia leaned back in her seat, eyeing me in that weird way she had been since I arrived. “How’s Alec doing?”

I could feel my hackles rise. Why the fuck does she keep doing this? I glared at her for a moment before composing myself, somehow managing a small smile, “Alec is doing just fine...” With his fucking tramp. “If that’s all, I need to get going. I don’t wanna keep Dieter waiting for rehearsals.”

They both smiled, “Of course. We don’t wanna cut into your time, obviously.” Stacia added. 

I got out of there as quickly as I could. I was feeling frustrated and angry. It was obvious what they were up to, again pushing us together for their narrative. However, what frustrated me most was that I knew it might actually cause something to happen between us…or at least I wanted it to. This couldn’t have been set up any better for them.

On the drive to the dance studio, I considered my options. The most attractive thing about going was being away from Alec for a week and not having to dance with him. Fuck. I still have to dance with him on Monday. That was going to go over well. Maybe Emily will swap me with one of the other dancers. That’s going to be a big red flag to the entire cast, and they’ll instantly know something is up, but I guess it’s inevitable. They’re going to know eventually anyway. I was also going to have to face Alec at some point. I needed to prepare myself for that. 

I did need to consider Dieter in this. It was a big deal for him, I could tell. I didn’t want to be the only thing keeping him from doing something that could have a major impact on his career. I was also wondering what it would be like to spend the week with him, away from all this. It would allow us to get to know each other a little better, outside of the studio. It would also give me a chance to see him at work, which I was strangely curious about too. 

I pulled into a parking spot with a few minutes to spare. I sat there going through the pros and cons. There were only two cons that I could think of. One, which was honestly also a pro, something might happen between us. Two, if something did happen, it could ruin our friendship. Was the risk worth it? If Dieter is as amazing as I feel like he is and he wants to be with me, then yes. I think it might be worth it. 

I took a deep breath, then exhaled slowly to calm my nerves. “I can’t believe I’m gonna do this.” 

After a few more deep breaths, I grabbed my bag, got out of the car, and started walking toward the main entrance to the dance studio before I changed my mind. I found Dieter sprawled out on the floor, looking at his phone. He dropped the phone on his chest when I walked in, a smile spreading across his face as he greeted me. 

“There you are! I was about to text you. You’re later than normal.” 

He sat upright and slid his phone across the floor toward his bag. He moved to get up, but I stopped him. “Stay there. We can start our stretches on the floor.” 

He nodded, eyeing me as I sat my bag down and dug my water bottle out. When I turned to face him, he was looking at me expectantly. I knew he was waiting for my answer, but he wasn’t going to ask. I was tempted to wait until the end of rehearsal to tell him, but I knew he needed to know. 

I sat down in front of him and started stretching. He didn’t make any move to stretch with me, instead he continued to stare, his brows arching further into his hairline by the second. 

“Is there a reason you’re not stretching?” I asked, pretending I didn’t know what he was waiting on. 

He scoffed, “Are you messing with me right now?” 

A smile tugged at my lips, I couldn’t fight it. 

A tentative smile spread across his face once he realized it, “You’re gonna go with me?” 

I nodded. He jumped up, leaned down, and pulled me to my feet before I even realized what was happening. His arms wrapped around my middle, lifting me off the floor in a tight hug as he spun us around, thanking me over and over again. I laughed at his overly dramatic reaction, but I knew his excitement was real. 

He finally sat me down, holding my shoulder briefly to make sure I had my footing. 

“Kat, you seriously just made my day. This is a big fucking deal for me right now.” 

“I know. I don’t want you to miss out on the opportunity. It’s gonna be a lot of work though. You know that right?” 

He nodded, maybe a little too enthusiastically. “I’ll work my ass off, I promise…oh! I need to text Lenny so he can get things moving.” 

He ran over to grab his phone off the floor and started tapping away. 

“So, when do we need to leave?” I asked. 

He paused and stared at the ceiling, like he was doing calculations.

“Umm…” He grimaced. “Tomorrow, like right after the show is over probably? I don’t know the flight times though. We might have to do a red-eye.” 

It was my turn to grimace, “Oof. That’s rough. Damn, when are we gonna have time to pack?”

He shrugged, “You think we’re far enough ahead this week to cut out a few hours early? We do have the fucking spray tans later this evening. Ugh, can we skip that?” 

I chuckled, “I doubt it. Maybe we can next week though? Hopefully.” 

I looked at the time. “Let's get four hours in and see how we’re feeling. If all is well, I say we go pack. Otherwise, we’ll be up late doing that.” 

He nodded, “Sounds like a plan.”  

I watched as he opened the camera on his phone and put it in selfie mode, “Guess we better start our social media campaign.” 

He quickly leaned in, snapping a pic of himself and half of my head. I laughed, “I’m sure they’re gonna love that one.” 

He snickered as he tapped away at his phone for a couple more minutes, before setting it back down next to his bag. Suddenly, my phone dinged with an Instagram notification. Well, that’s embarrassing. He looked at me with narrowed eyes, “Do you have notifications turned on for my posts?” 

I shook my head, turning away as I fought a nervous smile, “No…of course not.” 

He stepped in front of me and placed his pointer finger under my chin, raising it so that I was looking at him. I felt the heat of his touch jolt through my entire body as he gave me the cockiest smirk. 

“Say that to my face, please.” 

I couldn’t say it without smiling, I was the worst liar. “I-umm…”

His smirk turned into his cheesy lopsided grin as he tapped my nose with his finger, “That’s what I thought…Don’t worry Kit Kat. I know you love me. You don’t have to hide it.” 

He said it with a teasing tone, but that didn’t stop my eyes from widening at his words. “I-I just figured if we have to do all this social media stuff, I wanna know what you're posting about me. That’s all. Don’t get any crazy ideas.” 

He chuckled, “Mmmhmm. Sure. I’m on to you.” 

I scoffed and rolled my eyes, “Whatever, Bravo. Get to stretching so we can get out of here.” 

He locked eyes with me, leaning in as he spoke. “Yes ma’am. Where do you want me?” 

What. The. Fuck. Is that? I was fairly certain that I stopped breathing. His eyes were smoldering - absolutely burning into my soul. I cleared my throat, “O-On the floor.” 

That came out breathier than I had intended. He arched a brow at me. 

“You need to stretch.” I reminded him.

His eyes darted around my face as his teeth sunk into his bottom lip, trying to hold back a smile. Something told me that he knew exactly what he was doing. New York was going to be interesting.

Once I managed to get him focused, we hit rehearsals hard. The Jive was not an easy dance, so we were exhausted by the time our four hours were up. My hips and feet were beginning to ache. That figures. Just before a long ass flight too. 

We were feeling pretty good about where things were, so we did end up leaving early to go pack before the cast spray tan session. When I got home, I quickly checked Dieter’s Instagram post before I got started.

I felt a rush of excitement when I saw the post. He really put #SheSecretlyLovesMe as a fucking hashtag? I wasn’t prepared for that. It was obviously a joke, but something about it felt a little flirty. There was also something about seeing a selfie of us together. It wasn’t like one of the performance shots from the show. This was personal and intimate in a weird way. We were letting the public into what I thought was our carefully crafted bubble. 

I had to push those thoughts out of my head, I didn’t have time for that now because I had to rush to pack. It was a struggle, half of my laundry was dirty because I hadn’t felt like doing it. I had to get creative with my outfit choices for the week, only having time to wash and dry one load. I managed to get most of it taken care of before it was time to leave for our latest spray tan session. 

During the drive over, I could feel my nervousness setting in over the possibility of seeing Alec and Lana. Not knowing how they were going to act toward me or behave toward each other was the biggest cause of it. Their behavior had the potential to cause some serious drama.  

Once I got to Television City Studios, I waited in my car until I saw Dieter arrive. I didn’t want to chance getting cornered by Alec or Lana alone. By the time I moved to get out, Dieter was already there with a questioning look on his face.

“What are you doing? Hiding in your car?” 

I laughed nervously, “I wasn’t hiding…I was just taking care of some last minute stuff.” I lied. 

He nodded, “Yeah, I feel you on that. I’ve had to make a long list of instructions for my assistant. He’s on plant and cat duty while I’m gone.” 

I chuckled, “Shouldn’t he be coming with you?”

Dieter snickered, “Umm, normally he would, yes. But he can run my calendar and boss me around remotely. I guess I need to find a permanent plant and cat sitter for when I’m gone though…”  

He looked pensive for a moment, “Are there professionals that do that sort of thing? Like certified? I’m pretty picky about that shit…I can’t leave them with just any random person. Especially Zee. She’s probably gonna be a mess while I’m gone...” 

I would’ve laughed at him if he didn’t look completely serious and sincere with his words. Could he be anymore fucking adorable? The care that he gave to his plants and Zee was completely melting my heart. If I knew nothing else about him, that alone would probably make me fall for him. 

I stood there taking in his expression, his lips pursed as he considered the question before he reached to rub at the back of his neck and sighed. The prospect of having to find someone to fill those important shoes while he was out of town seemed like a massive feat for him. My mind wandered, questioning if that was something I could do for him - take care of the things he cared about most when he couldn’t. I found myself wanting to. I wanted to take care of him. 

I suddenly realized Dieter was staring at me with questioning eyes. Shit, he said something to me, didn’t he?

I shook my head, “I’m sorry, what?” 

He smiled nervously, “Are you ok? You seem a little distracted. Am I boring you with my plant and cat problems?”

I gave him a genuine smile, “Absolutely not. I love hearing about your cat and plants.” We started walking toward the front entrance. “Please never stop telling me about them.” I added. 

He chuckled shyly, “If it gets annoying, just tell me to shut the fuck up. I know that I get carried away sometimes.” 

I shook my head, “You will never hear that from me.” 

He reached to pull the door open for me, then lightly placed his hand at the small of my back as he followed me through the door. His touch caused sparks at the base of my spin that shot out all the way to my fingertips and toes. I don’t know why because he often touched me there while we were dancing. This was nothing new. I can only assume it had to do with how casually he touched me off the dance floor these days. Especially since he had such an aversion to it in the beginning. 

We made our way toward the dressing rooms, eventually parting ways so we could get changed for our spray tans. Just as I was closing the door behind me, Alec and Lana passed by. Figures they would be here already. I sighed. I really did not want to be alone around them. 

I toed off my shoes, then stood there for a moment, feeling like there was something I was supposed to do. Then suddenly I realized I had forgotten that we were supposed to go to the wardrobe department first. “Shit.”

I grabbed my phone to text Dieter. I wasn’t even sure if he knew we were supposed to do that. 

Me: Hey, I forgot…we’re supposed to check in with wardrobe about next week’s costumes before tanning. 

Dieter: That would make sense…heading your way. 

There was a knock at the door. I turned to open it without a glance. Instead, I wandered around the room to find my flip flops as Dieter pushed the door open and leaned against the door frame with his arm above his head. Once I had my shoes on and moved toward the door, I was taken aback by how good he looked. I’m almost certain I froze on the spot as my eyes scanned up his broad towering form. It must have been obvious what was going through my head based on the smirk that appeared on his lips when my gaze finally met his. 

“You see something you like, honey?” He said in a husky voice. 

I swallowed thickly, “No, I see someone who’s standing in my way. Are you gonna move?” 

He chuckled, stepping to the side to let me pass, but I hesitated. Tensing once I caught sight of Alec and Lana walking back down the hallway toward the spray tan room. Alec’s back was toward us, but Lana’s was not. Her eyes connected with mine, she gave me a curious smile as they passed by. I could feel my jaw tighten as I inhaled a deep breath. I felt Dieter’s hand on the small of my back again, grounding me from whatever spiral I was about to go down. 

I felt him lean in close to my ear. “Kat is everything ok?” he asked quietly. 

“Yeah, of course. Let’s go.” 

He gave me an odd look before motioning for me to exit through the doorway. He followed, closing the door behind us. 

Minutes later we found ourselves in the wardrobe department, Amy and her assistant were in a tizzy trying to find clothing in the proper size for us. Apparently, Dieter had slimmed down some since rehearsals started, which wasn’t unusual given how much exercise we were getting. So, they had to size his black pants down. They were still having an issue with the white button up shirt being too tight in the shoulders and chest. Of course they are, because he’s so fucking broad.

His slightly smaller waist was now emphasizing just how broad he actually was. I couldn’t help staring at his reflection in the mirror as they fussed over him, pinning and marking for alterations at the waist of the shirt as they joked about how many buttons he would need to leave open so he could move properly without ripping the shoulder seams. 

As I took him in, I noticed the pants were a different style than what they usually gave him. The fit was snugger in the thighs and ass, emphasizing all the right parts of him. Add that to the way the plain white button up shirt was hugging his biceps and shoulders…it nearly had me salivating like a crazed animal. Who knew such a simple outfit could look so fucking hot on a man. 

My attention was drawn back to the conversation happening around me when Amy asked with a sly smile what I thought about the costume. Fuck, she totally caught me ogling him. My eyes were drawn to Dieter’s in the mirror. He was smirking at me as he waited for an answer. Busted. Again. If I kept this up, he was eventually going to ask me point blank what my fucking problem is. 

I cleared my throat, “I mean…I think it looks great. Can’t go wrong with the classics.” 

They seemed happy with their handiwork at that point. Helping him remove this shirt so that he didn’t get stuck with pins. Meanwhile, I was ogling him again. I did not need to see him like this because he looked too fucking good. It seemed like his belly had shrunk some, but he was still soft around the middle, the way I liked. His shoulders and chest seemed more sculpted if that were even possible. I had to force myself to turn away before I got caught again, though from the cocky glances I noticed Dieter shooting my way, I think I may already have been.

After that, Dieter was off to the changing room to put his clothes back on and it was my turn to be poked and prodded at. They had put me in a backless white dress that had a low cut sparkly bodice and a feathered bottom half. It looked nothing like the sketch Stacia had shown me, but I didn’t question it. 

“Alright Kat, instead of making yours from scratch, I’m gonna rework this one. That way we at least have the sizing on the bodice and straps worked out.” She turned, grabbing a bolt of fabric, offering it to me to look at. 

“I’m gonna redo the bottom half with a sheer white fabric that I’ve ordered. It’ll have silver threading and beading to match the bodice. It’s similar to this but has a little more bling and it’ll be more romantic and flowy looking.”

I nodded, “Sounds good. I trust that it’ll look amazing with you in charge.” 

Dieter was behind me now, coming closer to inspect the bolt of fabric I was holding before letting his eyes scan over every inch of the dress. He arched an eyebrow and smiled at Amy, “I think that’s gonna look awesome, Amy. Then again, Kat can make a potato sack look amazing.”

He turned away, like he hadn’t just dropped a bomb, going to stand out of the way so Amy could get to work. I was shocked over his comment as I turned to Amy with my mouth slightly agape, catching a look pass between her and her assistant. Great, there’s some gossip for the cast to spread around.   

After Amy was satisfied with her alterations, they left Dieter and I alone for a few minutes to go pull shoe options for me. I decided to break the tension by suggesting we snap a quick picture for Instagram, figuring we might as well get into a habit of it now. Dieter leaned over in front of the mirror with a small smile while I snapped a few pictures with my phone. I took the opportunity to make a teaser post that we had big plans for the following week.

A few seconds after posting it, Dieter’s phone chimed in his pocket. I gave him a smug look, “Now who has Instagram alerts turned on?”  

He shrugged, “I mean, if you’re gonna be making posts about me…I wanna know what you're saying.” 

I narrowed my eyes and nodded, “Mmmhmm. Sure.” 

Amy returned then, offering me four options for shoes. Once I made my choice, I went to change out of the costume. We hustled to get back to our dressing rooms so we could change into our “spray tan” gear, then made our way to where the cast was congregating to wait their turn. They had already started the session, but to my dismay, Alec and Lana were still waiting. I had hoped they were done and gone already. I made a point to stay as far away from them as possible while also trying to not look in their direction. Of course, Dieter noticed. 

“Is Alec too good to talk to you when I’m around now?” he asked, eyeing them on the other side of the room. 

I sighed, “He probably hasn’t noticed me. It’s not a big deal.” 

His brows furrowed, “Oh he one hundred percent noticed you. I saw him looking…”

I felt panic rising in my chest and my face tensing, “I said it’s not a big deal. Drop it.”  There was no way I could explain what happened without getting emotional right now. I didn’t want to give Alec that satisfaction.

Dieter gave me a look of confusion but didn’t question it further. If he hadn’t realized something was up before, he definitely did now. I changed the subject, more so to give myself something else to focus on than anything, “You wanna grab some dinner after this? I’m starving.”

He gave me a guarded look, “Sure. What did you have in mind?”

I thought for a moment, “I’m thinking burritos. It’s a burrito kind of day.” 

He nodded, “I think I can get behind that.” 

We managed to avoid Alec and Lana for the reminder of our time there. Luckily, we didn’t have to wait long before one of the production assistants called us in. The staff had apparently been told to get us through as quickly as possible, which I appreciated. Stacia and Joe had actually done something right for once. 

Dieter and I finished up with our spray tans around the same time. I took advantage of it and walked back toward the dressing rooms with him, still paranoid about running into Alec or Lana. Luckily, we didn’t. We briefly parted to our respective dressing rooms to change. I was digging around in my gym bag, trying to find my shirt when Dieter knocked at the door. I yelled for him to come, not paying him any attention as I got more aggravated that I couldn’t find what I was looking for. 

I puffed air out through my cheeks and placed my hands on my hips, confused as to why I couldn't find my shirt. I finally met Dieter’s wide-eyed gaze, now realizing I was standing there in jeans and a black push-up bra. 

I sighed, “Put your eyes back in your head, Bravo. It’s not like you haven’t seen me in athletic wear before.” 

He laughed nervously, “That’s true…however, athletic wear doesn’t emphasize things like that.” 

I rolled my eyes at him as he tried not to stare at my chest. He eventually leaned down and picked something up that must have fallen out of my bag.

“That what you’re looking for?” he asked as he handed it to me. 

My forehead dropped into my palm as I sighed, “Yes…it is. Thank you. I thought I forgot it.” 

After throwing the t-shirt over my head, I started gathering my belongings. He watched me intently as I shoved things into my bag more forcefully than necessary. I wasn’t even sure why I was suddenly so irritated. I assume it was from seeing that asshat with her again. 

“Kat, did something happen? You know you can tell me. I feel like something’s going on with you the last couple of days.” He said gently.

Great job hiding it, Kat. I turned to face him, fighting back my emotions before I responded. “Yes. Ok. Something happened…but…I-I don’t wanna talk about it right now. Can we just have a normal evening? Please? I promise I’ll tell you. I just need time to process it.” 

His brow furrowed as anger flashed in his eyes. 

I shook my head, “He didn’t hurt me, if that’s what you're thinking. It’s…not that.” It seemed to calm him knowing that much at least. I shoved the last of my stuff in my bag and zipped it up.  

“Come on. Take me to get some food…please.” 

He opened the door, allowing me to walk out ahead of him. We were quiet until we got to the parking lot. I opened the trunk, threw my bag in, then turned to Dieter, “You’re driving.” 

He arched a brow at me and smiled, “Yes ma’am.” 

I followed him over to his car and plopped down in the passenger seat as he threw his bag into the back. Once he got situated behind the wheel, he grabbed a pair of glasses and popped them on his face. I couldn’t help admiring how adorable he looked with his glasses and messy hair. He glanced at me, looking slightly worried, “What? Is my spray tan fucked up or something?” 

I chuckled, “No. Just admiring your glasses.” 

He smirked, turning his head forward and starting the car. As we were on our way, I called in a pickup order. Dieter gave me an odd look but didn’t question it. After disconnecting the call, I tried to lighten the mood by asking about Zee. That seemed to do the trick, keeping him talking until we got to the restaurant. We sat in the parking lot, waiting for the text that our food was ready. After about forty-five minutes of waiting, Dieter was beginning to get impatient as his stomach grumbled loudly. 

Just as he started his tirade of complaints, I snapped a quick picture of him making his annoyed face, snickering as I posted it to Instagram before he even realized what was happening. His phone chimed with an alert. He paused mid-sentence, narrowing his eyes in my direction. 

“What did you just post?” he asked sternly, before cracking a smile. 

I shrugged, “Might as well get used to it. If we have to post social media shit, I’m gonna be as obnoxious as possible with it.” 

He looked at his phone and snorted, “Fucking hell, Kat. OK…it’s on now. Just remember anything that I post going forward is your fault. You started this.”

I rolled my eyes at him, “Whatever you say, Bravo.”

My phone dinged with a text that our food was ready. I moved to get out, but Dieter locked the door on me. 

“I got it. You sit,” he said sternly. 

I scoffed, “Well…OK then.” 

He was back within minutes, shaking his head as he handed me the food through the window. Once he was back in the driver’s seat he gave me an exasperated look. 

“What’s wrong?” I asked. 

“Apparently the girl working the front is a Dieterina shipper. I got questioned out about why the food was in your name and why I was the one picking it up. Like that means something…” 

My head dropped back against the seat, “Great. Here we go with that stuff…they’ll look for anything.”

I felt my stomach do a little flip at the thought of it meaning something. It didn’t bother me as much as it once did. Especially now that Alec was out of the picture. However, I didn’t want Dieter to be associated with that new development in any way. He didn’t need a reputation as a home wrecker to add to his list.

Once we decided that we would eat in the car, I began filling him in on the details from my meeting with Stacia and Joe - not having told him everything yet. We got a head start on discussing our dance for the following week as I pulled up the song to listen to while we devoured our burritos. We sat in silence, listening to it in full, twice. I could feel the tension forming between us as the realization set in of how intimate this dance was about to be. All while we were off on our own together in New York. 

We sat almost a little stunned as we considered our options for the Rumba. I finally suggested we think on it and discuss it more once we made it through the Jive. It felt like an added pressure to worry about it right now. At least it did for me now that I was thinking of everything else that was coming at us with it. 

After we finished eating, he dropped me off at my car so I could head home for the evening. Once home, I rushed to finish up the last of my packing since we would be leaving for the airport directly from the studio after the show was over. I wasn’t even sure of most of our travel details. I just knew a car would be picking me up in the morning. As bad as it sounded, I was relying on Dieter to know what was going on since his people were working with both studios to figure everything out. It was a little nerve wrecking, but I brushed it off as I crawled into bed and passed out from the exhaustion the last few days had brought. 

I was in a rush the following morning, double checking that I had everything and also trying to get ready before my ride was due to arrive at 7AM. I was beginning to feel overwhelmed with everything to come as I stood at the kitchen counter, reading through an email from Stacia and Joe with my schedule of promo appearances for the week when a text came through from Dieter. I checked the time. It was 6:55 AM. Confused as to why he was texting me so early, I switched to my messenger app. 

Dieter: Your ride is here. Do you need any help?

A crease formed between my brows, “What the fu…” 

I walked over to look out through the curtains. Sure enough, I could see Dieter through the open back window of a SUV that was sitting in my driveway. My phone dinged again. 

Dieter: Also, your plants look sad. I’m disappointed in you. Have I taught you nothing? 😂 (laughing to tears emoji)

I rolled my eyes.

ME: First of all, shut up about my plants. I do not have a green thumb and I have accepted that. I’ll be out in a minute. 

I hurried around, double checking that everything was turned off and locked up before grabbing my bags and heading out the front door. The driver got out of the car, rushing to help me. He took my bags as Dieter pushed his door open and slid to the opposite side of the car so I could get in without having to walk around.

I got in and sat down with a huff, “I wasn’t aware that I would be riding with you this morning.”

He shrugged and handed me a coffee, “Ehh, it’s on the way.” 

I gave him a confused look, “No it’s not.” 

He chuckled nervously, “It is if I’m getting coffee…and take the long way.” 

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. He was so extra sometimes. 

He elbowed me gently, “Hey…about your plants…can I send someone over to take care of that for you? I don’t like sad plants.” 

I snorted, “You’re joking…”

His eyes widened, like he had been caught doing something he shouldn’t, “Yeees. Totally joking.” 

I gasped, “You’re not joking!” 

He shook his head, “No. I’m kind of serious…actually.” 

My head shook from side to side, “Dieter…no. Absolutely not.” 

He pouted like a petulant child in that way he does. 

I poked him in the arm, “Stop that right now. I’ll take care of them when I get back.”

“When you get back!?!?! They’ll be dead by then!” he said dramatically. 

I couldn’t help laughing at him, it was honestly cute that he cared that much.

“I’ll have my assistant stop by to water them. He’s on plant duty anyway.” 

I scoffed, “Dieter…no.” 

“Shhhh. It’s happening. I’m not discussing it any further.” He waved his hand dismissively in my direction as he turned his attention to tapping at his phone.

My mouth dropped open in shock over his sassy attitude, “Did you just…” 

“Yes. Now be quiet, I need to concentrate to type up these instructions.” 

He gave me the side-eye with a small smile tugging at his lips. I shoved his leg with mine as he burst out laughing. So, this is how this week is gonna go. 

After arriving at Television City Studios, the driver helped unload our bags so we could store them in our dressing rooms. We got several odd looks as we wheeled our luggage through the lobby and down the dressing room hallway. The sight was sure to cause some gossip since no one knew about our plans for the upcoming week. 

Once we dropped off our luggage, Dieter and I headed to the ballroom to get the first few run throughs with the band and camera blocking out of the way. I tried not to pay attention to the eyes on us because I knew Alec and Lana were among them, but by the time we finished, I could feel my nerves setting in. I would have to face Alec soon enough for the group performance dress rehearsal. 

I spent a fair amount of my time in the hair and makeup chair trying to focus and not let that asshole get to me, determined not to let him mess me up today. I knew Dieter could sense my tension from the way he kept looking at me with concern, but he never said anything. Instead, he tried to keep me distracted by talking about anything and everything as we sat there getting lathered in hair spray, gel, and makeup. Occasionally, he would reach over and give my arm or hand a reassuring squeeze when he was able. 

Then, Lana and Alec walked in. They sat on the opposite side from us, thankfully, but we could easily still catch glimpses of each other in the mirrors. It wasn’t lost on me that Alec was keeping an eye on us when he was able. His gaze making me feel more tense by the minute, causing my chest to tighten and my breathing to pick up. 

I turned my chair facing away from the mirror, toward Dieter instead. Dieter’s wide-eyed reflection told me that he could see the panic setting in. Without warning, he turned his chair to face toward me, which resulted in a minor scolding from the girl working on his hair. He didn’t say anything, but I could see how concerned he was from the way his eyes were focused on me. 

I sat staring at the rise and fall of his chest, attempting to match his breathing. After a short time passed, I felt something pressing against my lower leg, just above the ankle. I glanced down and found Dieter’s outstretched leg against mine, grounding me to the here and now. It was unexpected and exactly what I needed. When I finally looked up and met his gaze, I realized my eyes were pooling with tears. He saw it too. 

He looked around, checking to see if anyone else had noticed. He cleared his throat, “Hey, I’ve been meaning to ask…do you mind if I list you as Zee’s secondary emergency contact on her paperwork? You’re the only other person she likes so far. You know, just in case I’m outta town or something?” 

His question took me by surprise, which I’m pretty sure was his intent. It also made me feel emotional in a different way. I knew he was putting a lot of trust in me for something like that. I sniffled. 

“Really? Does that make me like her godmother or something?” 

He shrugged, “Is that a thing for cats? I mean, I guess so…” 

The ladies working on our hair let out a chorus of “awwws” over his question. I gave him a genuine smile, thankful that he was here with me. He always knew what I needed. 

“Of course, anything for Zee.” I finally answered.

He returned my smile with one of his own. He almost looked…relieved? I wasn’t sure if it was from my answer or the fact that the distraction had worked. 

Another girl stepped in to start working on my makeup at that point, so Dieter had to move his leg away from mine. I found myself longing for his warmth the second it was gone. We did, however, stay facing each other. 

We soon found ourselves talking and joking with the ladies who were getting us ready, and I had completely forgotten about Alec and Lana on the other side of the room. Dieter kept the laughs going by giving suggestions on my hair and makeup. Most of it was said with the intention of being funny, but they did take him up on the suggestion to add a red rose accessory to the side of my hair that was pinned back. He went on to say that it would make my red lips and nails pop a little more, seemingly thrilled that they actually agreed with him. 

Time flew by after that, and we were finished in hair and makeup before we knew it. Dieter had refused to leave his seat until I was finished, and surprisingly they didn’t make a big deal out of it. I think they enjoyed his company just as much as I did. When we finally got up to leave, he followed closely behind me, somewhat blocking my view of Alec and Lana. I had a feeling his actions were intentional but couldn’t know for certain. 

Once we got into the hallway, I felt his fingers slide around my left hand, his thumb gently gliding back and forth over the engagement ring that I still wore on my finger. I noticed his brow furrow slightly before asking if I was ok. I nodded. He smiled before leaning in next to my ear and speaking in a low voice. 

“Just for the record, I think you look amazing in red.” 

I could feel the heat creeping up into my cheeks and a tingle between my thighs from his words. I gave him a shy smile just as we reached my dressing room door. My grip tightened on his hand, before pulling him into a hug. A real hug. Not one of those half-assed side hugs we did more often than not. I didn’t hesitate to bury my face in his neck, inhaling his scent as deeply as I could. 

“Thank you for keeping me together back there.” 

I felt his arms tighten around me, “You don't have to thank me for that. You know I’d do anything for you.” 

I pulled away and cupped his cheeks with both hands, letting my eyes roam over his face before I gave him a sad smile, “I know you would. Thank you just the same though.”

I felt his fingers twitch on my hips, suddenly making me aware of how this might appear to onlookers. I dropped my hands and stepped away, “I guess we better get changed for dress rehearsal.” 

He nodded, “Yeah, I’ll meet you back here so we can go together, OK?” 

I nodded. He seemed to sense that I didn’t want to be left wandering the halls alone. He could already read me better than Alec ever could. 

Minutes later, we had changed and were heading back to the ballroom. Quickly getting through our dress rehearsal with a few minor errors on my part. Having Alec lurking around was really starting to become a distraction. Knowing that I would soon have to dance with him was making me extremely anxious and I was having a hard time moving past it. I hoped once that was out of the way, I would be able to focus on our routine the way I needed to. 

After our dress rehearsal, Dieter walked me back to my dressing room so I could change into the group performance costume while he waited just outside the door. When I was ready, he escorted me back to the ballroom. He tried to keep the conversation light through it all. Even managing to make me laugh a few times. I had to appreciate his efforts, I’m not sure I would have made it through the day without him. 

Before I knew it, the professional dance cast was gathering on the dance floor to run through the opening performance. Dieter stayed nearby, casually sprawled out in a chair, watching. It did give me some comfort knowing he was there. 

As we were standing around the center of the floor, awaiting instructions from Emily, Alec approached me. I refused to look at him directly. For once he seemed nervous and unsure of himself as he worked up the courage to speak to me. 

“Kat, can we talk later? Please?” 

My eyes briefly cut toward him, “I have nothing to say to you.” 

He sighed, “Please. Just let me explain.” 

I could feel the rage bubbling inside of me. What could he possibly have to say that would explain his behavior? I turned to face him, my expression not hiding the anger I was feeling. 

“I don’t even want to be in your presence right now. You should consider yourself lucky that I’m not making a big deal out of having to dance with you today. So, just keep your damn mouth shut and let’s get our fucking job done.” 

His eyes widened, shocked that I was standing up to him in such a way. I could sense several cast members watching us, clearly having overheard me. It seemed to make Alec uncomfortable, probably because he couldn’t react how he normally would to my defiance. His only response was to nod and stand there quietly. He stayed that way until we started the routine. Surprisingly, he did drop the issue. The only communication between us was what the performance required. We managed to make it through without any issues. 

I walked off the dance floor without saying another word to him, feeling more relaxed and realizing that he no longer had any hold over me. This thing with him was finally over and I could let him go. He had to know there was no coming back from it and he couldn’t blame me for it either.

Dieter stood and moved to meet me at the edge of the dance floor with a questioning look on his face. I gave him a genuine smile now, looping my arm through his as I pulled him toward the exit, “Come on, let’s get our final fittings done.” 

The rest of the morning went by in a blur as we rushed to finish up with our final fittings and stop in for touch ups on hair and makeup. Before we knew it, we were in the staging area, waiting for the live show to begin. I managed to make it through the opening performance with Alec without any issue. He didn’t try to speak to me at all outside of what was necessary. It seemed he had finally listened to me for once. Afterwards, I rushed to change for my performance with Dieter. I was eager to be back with him, finding that his presence was like a comforting balm to my still raw emotions that threatened to break free at any moment. I was more than happy to be done with Alec, but there was still some residual hurt there too. There always would be since he had taken up such a large part of my life. However, Dieter seemed to make it a lot more bearable.

When I finally made my way back to Dieter, he gave me a brilliant smile before leaning in to tell me that I stole the show once again. I rolled my eyes at the compliment but was flattered by it just the same. We took a minute to take some quick pictures in costume to post on social media to make the bosses happy - both of us adding playful comments about each other just to make it more entertaining.

He stood there for a moment, staring at his phone before glancing in my direction.

“You know, those shorts should be illegal. I can’t believe they’re letting you dance in those.” 

I scoffed, “Excuse me? I’m pretty sure I’ve worn less clothing to dance in than this before.” 

He chuckled, still looking at his phone, “That may be true, but those little skirts don’t hug your ass like that.” 

My eyebrows disappeared into my hairline as I stared at him. His eyes widened, like he just realized he said that out loud. He slowly raised his head to meet my gaze and gave me a sheepish smile, his cheeks turning a little red. 

He shrugged, “I’m sorry. I’m a man. I’m gonna notice a nice ass. Especially when it’s shaking in front of me on the daily. Sue me.” 

I snorted at his openness. He had no shame. If only he knew all the parts of his body that caught my attention on the daily…

To break the tension, I pulled out my phone to get our weekly hype song ready. I handed Dieter one of the earbuds, he gave me a questioning look as he listened before bursting out laughing. 

“The Brian Setzer Orchestra? Really? I swear I never know what you're gonna pick…I love it.” 

I laughed, “Keeping with the theme of the week. Gotta get you in the Jive mindset.” 

We started moving to the beat of the music, getting into the right mindset for the high energy dance we were about to perform. Out of nowhere, a camera was suddenly being shoved in our faces reminding me about the behind the scenes filming they were starting this week. It sort of took away from the moment, but we smiled and waved. Luckily, they didn’t stick with us for long. Dieter and I both shared a look of annoyance as they moved to another area to film. I made a mental note to find us a place to hide for the following week. 

Minutes later, we made our way out onto the dance floor and took our places. The spotlight dropped down on Dieter, who was standing in the middle of the stage. He opened with some of his signature Elvis Presley hip wiggles to the audience’s delight. He soon joined me on the main floor where we shifted into our high energy swing style dance. Neither of us missed a beat as we made our way through the routine - rock stepping, kicking, and twirling with smiles. Dieter added to the theatrics by giving several lip curls as he continued to gyrate around the floor. We finally ended with a flourish, settling into our ending pose as the lights dimmed to darkness around us. 

The screaming and applause from the crowd was almost deafening as we made our way over to the interview area and awaited our scores. Dieter was his usual charming self as he answered questions about his struggles for the week. He shifted to praising me for my patience and ability to get him to where he needed to be for the competition, hugging me tightly into his side as he spoke. His occasional glances in my direction were causing all sorts of reactions from my body. Clearly the high energy atmosphere was only intensifying things for me because the only thing I could think about doing was getting him back to his dressing room to straddle his thick thighs and have my way with him.  

I was drawn from my thoughts just as the judges began to read off our scores, giving us three 9’s and one 10. We were inching closer and closer to a perfect score every week and I absolutely could not believe it. Especially since the judges tended to get more critical as the weeks went on. Dieter was beyond excited, lifting me off the floor with a spin as we briefly celebrated the results.   

We spent the rest of the show watching from the staging area. Again, our only real competition this week seemed to be Alec and Lana, which grated on my nerves. Everything in me was hoping they would fuck up and get voted off the show, so I didn’t have to look at them anymore. It didn’t look like that was happening anytime soon though. 

Dieter didn’t leave my side until we returned to our dressing rooms to change out of our costumes. When I opened the door to set the dry cleaning bag outside for pickup, Alec was there with his hand posed to knock on the door. 

The anger that I felt in that instant was beyond anything I could describe. I couldn’t believe he had the audacity to try and “explain” this situation to me after what I saw. I dropped the dry cleaning bag beside the door then crossed my arms over my chest, refusing to allow him to enter my dressing room. I didn’t want to be alone with him out of view of other people. 

“I believe I told you that I didn’t wanna speak to you.” 

He tried to crowd me so that I would move backward into the room, but I didn’t budge. 

I gave him a pointed look, “Whatever it is you have to say, you can say right here.” 

He scoffed, “We have no privacy here.”

I shrugged, “Well… I didn’t wanna hear what you had to say anyway.”

I moved to close the door, but he stopped it with his hand. 

I huffed, giving him a frustrated look. 

“Kat, come on. You can’t blame this all on me. You’ve been checked out for months. You’ve wanted nothing to do with me. What was I supposed to do?”

“I dunno, maybe try to earn my trust back? I’m sorry but worrying about who you’ve been fucking and if I’m gonna get an STD is kind of a mood killer in the bedroom.”

His eyes widened, anger flashing there briefly before he remembered where he was. 

I laughed sarcastically, “Did you really think this little talk was gonna work after what I walked in on? This wasn’t texting other people or chatting online, Alec. There is no talking your way out of it. You fucked up and it’s all on you. I told you this was your last chance, and it literally took you…what, all of three days to fuck up again? You didn’t even try. So, fuck your excuses. I’m done.” 

I moved to pull the ring off my finger. He looked like he was about to have a meltdown as I held it out to him. Something between hurt, defeat, and anger was swirling behind his eyes as he took it from me. I don’t think it ever occurred to him that this could be an outcome for his actions. 

His jaw ticked to the side, it seemed anger was winning. “This is because of Bravo, isn’t it?”

I shook my head, “Dieter doesn’t have a damn thing to do with this, so don’t even go there. You did this when you decided to fuck around with other people. YOU. No one else.” 

I sighed, realizing there were now a couple of people hanging around to be nosey. Fuck this. I don’t owe him a conversation. “Give me my house key and leave please.”

Alec shook his head, “I don’t have it on me.” He was such a fucking liar. His keys were half hanging out of his pants pocket. I rolled my eyes, reaching to grab them before he realized what was going on. I took my key off the ring then tossed the rest back at him before shutting the door in his face and locking it. 

I sank down in one of the plush chairs, letting relief wash over me now that that part was over with. I hoped he would let it go, but deep down, I knew he wouldn’t. I couldn’t have been happier that this was my last season on the show for this reason alone. It was probably also a good thing that I was going out of town for the week. At least it would give him some time to cool down. 

My phone chimed with a text from Dieter asking me to let him in. I drug myself up out of the chair to turn the lock and open the door. Dieter didn’t make a move to come in, instead he reached for my chin, tilting my head upward to meet his gaze before settling his hand on my shoulder.

“Are you OK? I overheard someone say you and Alec were arguing.” 

My eyes scanned the open dressing room doors behind him. It seemed like there were more people milling around than normal. Without a word, I pulled Dieter inside and shut the door behind us. I didn’t care what anyone thought about it. 

When Dieter turned to face me, I was fighting back tears. He pulled me against his chest into a tight hug. He hadn’t hesitated to come to me when he thought I might need him. I really didn’t deserve him. We stood there in silence for what seemed like an eternity before he finally spoke. 

“Can you please tell me if you’re OK? He didn’t do anything to you did he?”

I shook my head against his firm chest, “No…not physically anyway.” 

I could feel his body relax against mine as he hugged me just a little tighter, causing me to melt into his arms. He really did give the best hugs, completely enveloping me with his scent and warmth. Honestly, I couldn’t remember the last time I had felt safer or more content than in that moment. I never wanted to let him go. 

Our moment was broken by his cell chiming in his hand. He sighed, pulling away to look at it. He left his other hand resting at the nape of my neck.

“Our ride to the airport is here. You ready to go?” he asked. His fingers lightly threaded through my hair as he spoke. 

I nodded, moving away from him to collect my bags. He helped me get them into the hallway, then I followed him down to his dressing room so he could grab his. There were more than a few curious eyes on us as he emerged with his own suitcases. I was sure that our strange departure together would only add to the gossip in the days to come. 

We were silent during the ride to the airport, but that didn’t stop him from reaching between us for my left hand, settling his on top of it, squeezing in what was meant to be a comforting gesture. His thumb made a few passes across my knuckles before pausing. In my periphery, I could see his head turn toward me slightly as he glanced downward. A crease formed between his brows before he met my gaze. I could see his jaw tighten as his eyes danced around my face before he eventually turned to stare out the window. He rubbed his chin for a moment, then I felt his fingers move to entwin through the tops of mine. We stayed like that until we got to the airport. 

Of course there were paparazzi at the airport, shouting questions at us about the show and asking why we were traveling together. Dieter was quick to mention that we were traveling for work. That was really the only question either of us answered. I was in no mood for it and Dieter didn’t seem like he was either. 

By the time we got on the plane, we were dragging. It had been such a long day already and we still had to make it through the five hour flight and get to the hotel. We knew we were going to be running on fumes the next day after considering the three hour time loss in our schedule. So, we did try to sleep on the plane. After falling asleep on Dieter’s shoulder, I did manage to rest better than expected, but it wasn’t enough.

It was nearing 6 AM by the time we finally made it to our Soho hotel. Dieter and I stood leaning against the check-in desk waiting as they looked up our room reservations. We were pretty much dead on our feet by this point and hoping to get at least a few good hours of sleep in before we had to head over to Studio 8H for Dieter to start digging into his SNL duties. The lady behind the desk finally turned her attention back to us, sliding our room keys over along with some paperwork for Dieter to sign. 

The desk clerk smiled, before going into her spiel about the hotel amenities. Dieter waved her off, “I’m sorry, we’ve just gotten off a five hour flight. We really just wanna sleep right now.”

Her smile widened, “Totally understandable Mr. Bravo. So, you’ll be staying in the South Loft on the 16th floor. The elevators are just over there.” She paused, motioning with her hand. “Do you need help with your bags?” She asked. 

This woman’s full attention was on Dieter. Not that I blamed her, but damn. I was standing here too. I tapped on the countertop, “I’m sorry, but where will my room be?” I asked impatiently. 

Her smile faltered somewhat as she looked between us, “Well, you’re both in the South Loft.” I felt the color drain from my face before she even finished the sentence. I’m so fucked.

Next: Week 5

A/N: Happy Friday my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed the latest installment. I'm sure you did given that Alec is now officially out of the picture. Please do share your feelings on his latest (major) fuck up. How do you feel about how Kat is handling things? She's kind of all over the place with it. We didn't get any of Dieter's POV in this chapter (because it was so fucking long... sorry), but we got a pretty big hint at the end when he realized things were about to change. What do you think was going through his head on that drive to the airport? What about his reaction? Also, now that he knows Alec is out of the picture, fully expect the menace to come out.

Stacia and Joe are of course up to their tricks. How much do you think they know about what's going on with their cast?

Speaking of the cast...WTF is up with Lana? Do you all hate her yet? How do you think she feels about Kat and what Alec did to her?

The next chapter(s) will be focused on Dieter and Kat in NYC preparing for the Rumba and SNL. Let's just say Kat wasn't wrong about the trip changing things between them. 😏

Below is your Jive video for this chapter. It was some nice inspo for Dieter's Elvis dance moves. 🤭

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[princesscolumbia]

Double Isekai, Ch. 2

Yes, I've posted a preview for ch. 1 after I got ch. 3 up and posted, but I figure it can't hurt to post more previews, so 1 preview post per day until I hit the currently posted number of chapters:

Summary:

Dreams give loved ones a chance to say hello...and goodbye. A chance meeting at a mall requires some fast thinking.

Preview of Ch. 2 below the fold:

Startled more than hurt, the redhead scrambled back and clapped her hands over her nose. "Oh, you sonova..." she growled.

"It's 'bitch,' thank you, I left the 'son of a' part behind years ago."

"Yeah, 'cause you were too pussy to handle bein' a man!"

She rolled her eyes, "Oh, for cryin'...I get you're still in high school, but you got access to my entire life! At least come up with better insults!"

Ranma dropped her hands back down to her sides and glared, "What right do you have tellin' my ma I aint a man?!"

She gave Ranma a flat stare, "Ranma, we're in our own fuckin' dreamscape and you're a girl right now!" Ranma looked down at herself as though the self-examination would change her gender presentation. "Maybe tell me you're a man when you're not sporting stonking huge tits and a vagina on the personification of your inner self."

"This is just the curse!" tried Ranma.

"Nope, we both know that aint true. Your girl-form is the spitting image of your mother, just...you know, smaller."

"Hey!"

"You know, like a compact car."

"Why you...!"

"Pocket sized."

"Fucking...cross dresser!"

She shut her mouth so hard her teeth clacked as Ranma's insult hit home. The muscles in her cheeks flexed repeatedly as she worked to control her anger.

Ranma took the opportunity to growl, "My pops raised me to be a man! That's my destiny, not that you'd get that! You just gave up!"

"Of course I gave up! I stopped tryin' to be a man 'cause I wasn't one and I was just...tired." The heat in her voice cooled significantly and she sagged against the tree she'd been slammed up against, "You're sixteen years old, Ranma. You've been dealing with the dysphoria for, what, five years? Maybe 10 if you gained enough awareness that young to understand gender like that? Then you get the girl body you really want, the one you were supposed to have and you're fighting it!" She sagged down further, finally sitting on the ground at the base of the tree. "I had been fighting it for so...long. Gods, it hurts to even think about," she felt her eyes pooling with tears, "I made charts and graphs and little how-to manuals for myself and every time something came along that was 'how men are supposed to be' I studied it like I was going pro at it and every...damn...time it always failed to make me feel like a man inside."

Ranma had a haunted look as she heard the description of a life lived in dysphoria. "I aint..."

"Ranma, shut the fuck up. You know what I know. You know what I felt like and I can feel it in your memories, too!" She sighed and scrubbed at her face. "Listen, if I could leave, I would. You can guess I'm rather eager to get back to my daughter and girlfriend. But I can't, Ranma! We're stuck, we're officially Tuvix'd. Pretty much only a Q or God could split us at this point, and we're in the wrong universe for Q to notice and God's a fucking sonovabitch who I will happily punch in the goddamn face and he knows it."

Ranma just glared at her for a moment, then ground out, "I will beat you, whatever it takes!"

She thumped her head against the tree, "Ranma, there's nothing to beat! It's already over. I'm you, you're me. The only thing left is for our memories to finish merging."

"So, what, you're gonna eat me from the inside like some reverse lyctor?"

"It's already done, Ranma! 'You' and 'I' are just concepts! The fact that you know what a lyctor is in this context should be proof enough for you!"

"Of course I know what a lyctor is! They're..." she paused, disturbed shock spreading over her face.

"Yeah, see? You're getting it now. I know about lyctors as a concept where a necromancer 'eats' a cavalier at the soul level to gain eternal life because I read about it in Gideon the Ninth. That book won't be published, if it's published in this universe, until the late 2010s. The property its inspired by isn't even going to be made for 20-30 years. You only know that because I know that."

Ranma dropped to the ground, landing on her butt with a muted thump. "...but..."

"I know."

"I didn't..." complained the redhead.

She sighed, sadness and sympathy in her expression, "I know."

"You can't just..."

"I didn't, Ranma. That's the nature of the isekai. It's not a grand scheme or a destiny or a plan, it just happens." She shrugged, "I mean, now that it's happened to me I've got more theories, but it all boils down to the most ridiculous dice roll ever. The odds are literally infinity upon infinity upon infinity to one...but because the dice get rolled an infinite number of times, that 'one' shows up an infinite number of times." She gestured expansively at the sky, which was a hazy suggestion of a starscape, "Out there in the multiverse, someone is being disintegrated spontaneously and reappearing in a dungeon in a fantasy reality. Somewhere a dwarf is being crushed by a collapsing mine to wake up in modern day New York City. Some dumbass punk kid is going to bed perfectly secure that nothing strange will happen to him and wake up in charge of a Starfleet ship in a universe where the Federation was founded by Risa instead of Earth and it turns out he's the protag of a sci-fi harem doujin."

Ranma was practically curled up on herself by this point, tears streaming down her cheeks.

The older, more experienced girl watched Ranma collapse in on herself and her voice softened, "And somewhere, some divorced rando decided to turn off a freeway early because of a traffic alert on her phone and got t-boned by an out-of-control garbage truck."

Ranma's eyes popped open, fear and emotional pain radiating from them as she wordlessly pleaded for something she couldn't quite define.

"I'm dead, Ranma. Even if I could leave your body and soul to you again, I'd have nowhere to go. I've got a beef with God large enough to butcher and feed a large third-world country so my chances of getting into heaven are pretty fuckin' slim. I wasn't even sure there was a 'soul' to have an afterlife with until this happened."

They stared at each other in silence across the clearing, the dream world slowly shifting around them.

She broke the silence after a bit, "You know, you're startin' to look a lot like my sister did at your age."

Read the rest on AO3.

[voidendron]

last night's Phasmo shenanigans:

I was doing spirit box at Camp Woodwind, just going through the usual questions

me: "Are you near? Are you here? Are you friendly?"

IMMEDIATELY after I asked if it was friendly: *crucifix burns* (which means it Tried To Hunt But The Crucifix Stopped It)

Troy, watching Gham's stream: "...I don't think it's friendly"

me: "NOPE" as I book it back to the van for the second crucifix

after that we went into a house map, since the camp it maybe a little more difficult than we're ready for considering our sanity drains faster in the dark and there's not many lights you can turn on there

we were in Willow Street, and found that the Ouija board was the cursed object

figure out the ghost is in the same room, the garage, so do our normal setup

I was trying to find a good place for the DOTs, kept picking them up to adjust them the thing fucking shows up on DOTs while I'm holding it, crawling straight at me

I yelp, put down the penlight thing in a hurry, and scurry back to the van for more stuff, relaying to Gham that we got DOTs

she also ends up seeing ghost orbs on the camera while hanging out in the van

but we figured out the ghost type (raiju, iirc) and Gham convinced me to ask a question with the board

I asked the only one I could think of, despite knowing both where the ghost is and what room it's hanging out in: "where are you?"

board, spelling out: "GARAGE"

me: "thank you. goodbye!"

board: "GOODBYE"

and I fuckin run 😂 got back to the van, saw my sanity had PLUMMETED from like 90% to 40% because of that one question

then Gham went in to try (one of our objectives was to get average sanity under 25%, so the board was the best way to do it)

me, over radio as she's headed to the garage: "I CANNOT stress this enough say goodbye when you're done"

Gham: "okay, okay!"

so she's asking questions, I'm watching the sanity board, and hers gradually starts dropping. and dropping. and dropping. I think she got around 10% if not less

apparently she asked TWO questions, and one more likely would have brought her to 0 to trigger a cursed hunt, so she got out just in time

and then my favorite of the night:

we went to Edgefield, ended up getting all three clues pretty quickly

it's a poltergeist

me, super excitedly bc it's my favorite ghost in the game and it's our first time getting it: "LET'S MAKE A POLTIE PILE!!!!"

Gham, already grabbing random items: "YES"

we made a fucking Ridiculous pile of shoes, pictures, cups, and whatever else we could find around the door to the bathroom it was in

I went back out to the van, I think to grab the other crucifix? but I notice the activity board shoot from 0 straight up to 10

me: "uhhhhhh hunt??? wait no. huh??"

Gham: "IT EXPLODED THE PILE! >:D "

me: "noooo I missed it!! 😭"

so we kept adding more junk to it, it always yeeted stuff when I wasn't looking, and eventually our sanity got within hunting range so we went out to the truck to watch the camera Gham had pointed right at the bathroom door

after a while, there's an EXPLOSION of shoes and cups and we both cheered 😂

I am SO GLAD we finally got a poltergeist that one is so fun