#(by we i mean me and eli i forgot to mention that)

[tianhai03]

i hope this isnt too weird but like, i had a dream last nigth that i was at a taco bell with my brothers, and dante and leon (which were physicaly them but i just kinda knew it was you and eli) and lavie and nothing really happened unless you count waiting 3 hours for food

OMG???? YOU HAD A DREAM WHERE ME AND ELI WERE LITERALLY DANTELEON AND LAVIE WAS THERE TOO???? 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[3ofpents]

The Jersey Devil & The Pine Barrens Pin Stripe // Fabric design for @shapeshiftersvt and The Cryptid Collection

Oh it's time for my favorite cryptid, the Jersey Devil.

We've reached the first fabric design that was a direct adaptation from its coordinating travel poster. Here, let me show you, I think it's pretty obvious.

This wasn't the first based-on-the-poster design that I did, but it was the very first poster that I did. I mean obviously. I grew up in New Jersey and, save for a 9 month stretch in Brooklyn after I was born, and a 2 year stint also in Brooklyn in my late 20's, I lived there for about 30 years. The Jersey Devil has always and will always hold a special place in my heart.

So why on earth is there a version of this pattern without it???????

Easy! Remember when I said that some of the fabric designs were created with Eli's runway looks in mind? Well here's the concept sketch for the Jersey Devil design:

The initial concept while we were brainstorming and finalizing the fabric designs was to create a skirt suit with the trees-only design (Pine Barrens), with a binder or sports bra in the Jersey Devil design peeking out from underneath. I can't speak entirely to Eli's thought process, but I believe part of this decision was made with the photobombing idea behind the posters in mind, where the cryptids are sort of semi-hidden, or at least not the focus of the image. And part of it was aesthetic, not wanting to have multiple moons all over the outfit that might even get cut off and such.

I want to say I had a decent time with this one, and I think I did in the end. But I have to admit that it ended up being a little frustrating because it took a lot longer than I expected it to. Or that I thought it should, considering I was just recreating a slightly altered version of an illustration that I'd already done. It took a while to get the trees right, especially because for some reason that I kept getting a single pixel wide line across my horizontal seams that, like. The only way I can explain it is that it was as if the canvas was a single pixel shorter on the bottom than the image, so every time I smoothed out the seams and moved the tile back, that single pixel line would come out of hiding and break up the whole image because it didn't get edited, so the colors were in the wrong places.

This was NOT the case, for the record. I expanded the canvas multiple times in my attempts to fix this thinking that was what was happening. And yet it kept happening. I don't remember if restarting my computer fixed the problem (I often have issues with things on my screen not appearing properly when I need to restart to free up some memory); if I confirmed that it was just a weird visual glitch in Clip and that it wasn't visible anywhere else; or if it just stopped happening because I stopped moving the tile multiple times to double or triple check it and it was happening at the point of moving it. But I got it fixed, obviously.

And I'm pleased with it! I think if I'd put this one further down the list and so had more experience under my belt, I would've done it a little differently. Really mainly the tree repeat. I think I would've done a larger tile to get more trees, for more trunk shape variation; and to have more room to get a more gentle curve back and forth.

But the essence of the thing is still there, and I still think it's a cool concept (one that Eli came up with, I forgot to mention!) with the trees being stripes. And of course I love my flying Jersey Devil. I need draw more Jersey Devil art.

As always, if you'd like to order your own binder or sports bra with either of these fabric designs, you can find them (and the poster print) here, on the Shapeshifters website. If you do, we'll finally be able to get a photo instead of the mockups I made up there.

If you want to purchase the fabric for your own sewing projects, you can do so through our Spoonflower shop. Important to note that the Pine Barrens stripe runs vertically along the length of the yard; and the Jersey Devil stripe runs horizontally, and the pattern repeat is a full yard, so there's only one moon on each yard.

[ask-missparker]

The Chilling Adventures Of Super-Mamas 🧸

— Super Mamas 🍀, friends 🫧 and son 🧸 today

Summary: Sometimes you need a boost of confidence to get things rolling

|✨🧸💞🦋|

Warning: Fluffy and very sweet angsty plot

Setting: Liane Felton’s Designer Store 🪻

Characters mentioned: Rochelle, Rick, Michelle, Peter and Rei

Introducing: Harry Shum Jr as Jake Kwan, The Personal Assistant & Darling Good Friend

~~

The currently blonde girl stood in front of the mirror and shyly said, “Oh my gosh, you sure that this dress is fine? I can totally understand if you don’t want me to..”

“Luna, sweetie, relax! We are designing this dress for your specifically for a reason, duh.” Liane said sitting on her knees pinning the fabric together.

“Yeah but what if it’s too expensive and you can’t find the right stuff for it.”

“That’s why you’re the client and I’m the designer, you give me the money for this stuff. You’re gonna look gorgeous!”

“Yo-you su-sure? I’m just…I am just so nervous.”

“Nervous about what?”

“My we-wedding..wh-what if something happens? O—or Ricky d-doesn’t show..?”

Liane paused what she was doing and looked up at her friend with a ‘bitch you serious?’ look. As Luna looked away a little shyly, rubbing her shoulders as if she was being judged.

The blonde in a purple dress sighed and smiled, “Luna, sweetheart, calm down. You and Rick are so lovey dovey with each other, no way in hell, he is going to leave you waiting at the alter.”

“Y-you sure? Cause I heard grooms might get co-cold feet and not show up.” Luna said with a sigh playing with her nails.

“Okay everyone gets nervous on their wedding day, I know I did, but you have nothing to worry about. And for real girlie, you and Rick are so darn lovey dovey it’s annoyingly obvious how in love you guys are.”

“We are not…I mean, we are in love..but it’s no-not obvious..”

“Last week at an Avengers meeting, you two were holding hands and basically nuzzled into each other’s arms.”

“Ohhh..hehe oops..”

Jake Kwan, Liane’s assistant and personal friend, chuckle in agreement with her boss. He even commented how they are disgustingly cute together from what he seen, hoping their wedding day goes off with a splash.

“You see! Your wedding is gonna be great, maybe just as nice as Rochelle and Michelle’s wedding day.” Liane added with a grin.

“You mean the same wedding where Doc Ock came in and swooped the bridal party off to the side?”

Said a voice jokingly.

They looked over their shoulders to noticed Mia walking in with snacks, drinks and carrying Elliot in her arms. He was playing with his toy Lighting McQueen and only half paying attention to the others. Luna smiled waving at them. Jake looked up from his phone at the moment to smile at the brunette.

Liane glanced at Luna, “Okay not the best example but you get my point. Things went off with a bang for them!” She then turned to look at Mia as she took Elliot for her arms, pressing kisses against her son’s face as she said, “And what are you two doing here?”

Elliot answered, “Mommy said that we can come and see you!”

“Oh did she now? Looks like mommy forgot to text me on the way over.”

“Mama, mommy got you guys donuts!”

Mia looked over sheepishly as she was carefully hugging Luna a sweet hello, making sure to not wrinkle the fabric or get a pin stabbing her side. Liane send the brunette a look before rolling her eyes and chuckling.

As his mommy walked over to his mama, Elliot rushed over and grinned as Luna scooped him tickling him. Luna felt ten times better holding her cute little nephew as they talked about cartoons and whatnot. Even so, Elliot called his auntie pretty which made Luna smile and blush a bit at his compliment.

Liane eyes widen slightly and lightly gasped, “Oh my..Eli Taylor, honey! Be careful with the dress! You too Luna, please be careful it’s not done yet.”

Mia placed a hand on her shoulder and smiled, “It’s fine, hon, the dress is gonna get wrinkled and whatever anyway.”

“But it’s not just the dress, it’s the whole look. It’s not done yet and we might change it. Girl, you don’t understand fashion as hell as I do.”

“Thank you Captain Obvious. Lia, relax it’s fine.” Mia smirked and then muttered, “Besides, knowing who Luna’s man is that dress is gonna get wrinkled anyway.”

“Mia!” Liane replied smirking as she laughed, “Be nice!”

“What? The man is half wolf! That dress ain’t gonna last two hours on the dance floor.”

“Girl, sweetie, you’re too much at times, but true they are gonna dance together and make a romantic scene. Straight out of some classic Disney movie.”

“We weren’t like that, right?”

“Oh no, we were pretty chill. I think I spent half of the night taking pictures with guests and watching the fireworks in the backyard.”

“And dancing. We danced to Maroon 5 Sugar like it was no tomorrow. But mhmmm that wedding cake was so good!”

Liane laugh as she joked, “Fat ass.”

“Thank you for noticing. I’ve been doing squats lately.” Mia joked in a silly accent chuckling loudly.

~~~

As time went on, Mia and Jake helped Liane with the dress after removing it off Luna.

It was kinda obvious that Luna was still a little indecisive about how she wanted the final cut of her dress to be. It wasn’t unusual for Liane to have that in clients who had a bunch of other things on their mind. So she was willing to give the girl all the time she needed to have her dress be perfect.

Elliot was playing building blocks with Luna and coloring. It was obvious that spending time with her nephew is what she needed after everything.

Suddenly Luna asked, “How did you know your wedding was going to be good?”

Mia looks up from her phone as she took a break from helping Jake and Liane. They were the professionals after all.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Mia asked respectfully curious.

Luna sighed resting Elliot on her lap as she explained, “Well um..I mean, how did you know that your dress was perfect, the flowers were right…the setting is just so beautiful…and um…th-that everything about it is absolutely amazing…?”

“Hehe I wasn’t expecting everything to be absolutely perfect. Well Liane was but I wasn’t. I am not that kind of person despite how I act.” She admitted.

“Ooohhh…b-but why? H-h-how?”

“With our current line of work, and with how life is, I realize that you have to take things how they are and make the best of it.”

“..w-woahhh!”

“Yeah! I get it everyone dreams of the perfect wedding, but I feel like the perfect wedding is more like, what’s perfect for you. Is it the dress? Is it the flowers? Is it the wedding? Then everything else will fall right into place.”

“Okay, yeah, I see what you mean! I gotta find what’s perfect for me.”

“Mhmm exactly! At the end of the day, all that matters is your and your groom are alright, and that everyone is celebrating the good times together.”

Luna grins, “Wow, Mia, you are so smart! That sounds like a great plan.”

“Thank you for the kind compliment, but you’re smart too.” Mia added smiling.

“W-what? N-no..I am not that smart.”

“Luna, don’t. Don’t head down that road with me, on the whole I am not smart enough bit, you are. End of discussion.”

“B-but..?”

“No buts! You are smart, your are sweet and you are very kind at the end of the day. I mean, come on you’re getting married!”

As the words exited Mia’s lips, Luna smiled once again at the reminder that she is marrying a pretty great guy. Her fiancé Rick Banner. She was pretty lucky. And if she knew her fiancé, he was just as nervous and excited as her.

Maybe Mia and Liane were right? Her wedding day was going to be pretty awesome after all.

She looked down at Eli in her arms, who was showing her his new plushie as she squealed and played with him. She wondered many things about her future with Rick. Mia chuckled watching her son play with his auntie. One of her favorite things to watch.

If she will be a good wife and partner on the field, if they will still be as sweet to each other after they get married, if they will have a family of their own and will they move out from Avengers Towers?

Luna hopes she doesn’t move out of The Tower anytime soon with Ricky. She loves it there way too much and she knows he loves it too.

However she does think about the others relationships sometimes and becomes curious.

She watched Mia and Liane, Michelle and Rochelle, along with the most recent couple Peter and Rei, seeing them all having it figured out. Hell, Pepper and Tony have it all figure out. Or at least, that’s what she thinks for the couples. Luna knows that she have their own struggles, inner turmoil and anxiety about stuff.

She just hopes she will get there one day.

But seeing how she’s getting married very soon, she’s definitely heading in the right direction.

—

THATS ALL FOLKS! 📖 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING THIS 🥺✨

Please let me know what you think 💭

Tags: @ask-starrk @missstrawbs2001 @purpleprincessonfyre @wizzzardofoz z @thechoooooosenone @rickb-chaos @luna-d-marsh @marvelsfavoriteuncle @elzabeth-stark @sci-fi-lexcon @jackiequick @blueboirick @gcthvile @cherrysft @meiramel @trulysummersprivate and etc

[acaplaya-musings]

Voiceplay Visuals - Time Warp

When I was considering the concept of doing a few "bonus posts" during my 12 Days Of Christmas In July miniseries, I was like "oh I am absolutely doing a post for Time Warp!" and so here we are!

Time Warp was released on the 14th of October, 2023 (last year), and is what the group has referred to as a "Biggie" video. What this means it's that it's mostly like a VoicePlay Mini, but it's longer than a minute, and uploaded as a proper video on the channel (other "Biggies" include Wellerman and Peaches). So yeah, it's not a full-length cover of Time Warp (one can only dream!), but it's still more than we would've gotten from just a standard Mini! The arrangement was a collaboration between Rob Dietz, Geoff, and Eli, and the video and creative direction were both just left to Eli. And this cover/video features the awesome Ashley Diane! Anyway, idk how long or short this post might be, but there's definitely fun things to show and talk about, so let's get into this!

Alright we're starting off the video strong, with Geoff wearing glasses and practically smouldering down the camera, SIR-!

(Seriously he already looks so lovely and handsome most of the time anyway - the fact that glasses make him look even better is frankly just unfair)

Oh and you might notice a sign in the far background (the blue-green thing) that says "Oviedo Mall". That's where VoicePlay films most of their Minis (and "Biggies"), and it's also where Pattycake Studios is located!

Sir you stop that right now! 😂😅

(Never ask me for screenshots from the Peaches video - I love it a lot but I am too damng weak to those eyes looking right at me!)

("Hey that's not a YouTube screenshot!" Nope, it's from the Patreon Early Access video. Don't @ me, it's the exact same video, but it just gives me a better/"cleaner-looking" screenshot in this case)

Alright, outfit talk time!

Geoff I suppose could low-key be dressing up as Brad Majors with the glasses? (Yes I have seen Rocky Horror Picture Show - only once a few years back, but I of course know the songs, and really know Time Warp).

Layne is definitely repping Columbia with that shiny gold jacket, and also hey it's a rare case of seeing (what I'm assuming is) his natural hairstyle! (Layne had curly hair in Jingle Bell Rock as well but I completely forgot to mention it).

Cesar is wearing a Rocky Horror Picture Show shirt, nice (I am fully unsurprised that he's a fan of it, lol), and Eli's wearing the same jacket that he did in the video for Good 4 U a couple years ago!

"It's just a jump to the left..."

Love the old-timey effect they put on the visuals for this bit, and the monocle!

(I can't do frame-by-frame scrubbing on Patreon videos, but there's a lot less User Interface stuff getting in the way when I wanna take full-length screenshots, so if the source of the images keeps changing during this post, that's why)

The main reason I wanted to do a VoicePlay Visuals post for this one: the dancing! (And I was totally dancing along with the first chorus here, couldn't help myself!)

Oh and speaking of the dancing, I gotta show my appreciation for the fact that Cesar and Ashley are doing the choreography properly (well, mostly - the "step to the right" bit should include matching hand motions!). E.g. having the right timing on "bring your knees in tight" (you don't do it immediately!)

I wanted to get a clear shot of Ashley before I gave proper appreciation for her sparkly sequined top! Very cute!

"...when a snake of a guy gave me an evil wink!"

(Both Eli and Cesar are winking!)

Zoom in on Geoff, Layne, and Eli down in the mini "cutaway box" at the bottom! First of all, Geoff has the biggest happy grin on his face and I love it, and second of all, Layne jumped into shot and almost immediately lost composure and almost cracked up laughing 😂

Layne kept going though, good for him! (And honestly leaving that part in instead of reshooting just makes it more entertaining for us imo 😁)

Cesar is iconic, that is all

I love how Layne appears to be trying The Least with the dance moves. 🤣 (Meanwhile Geoff and Eli appear to be having an absolute blast!)

Not gonna bother trying to get a decent screenshot of the "pelvic thrusts" bit, but it's still very amusing. Layne again going for Bare Minimum, Geoff is trying but his expression indicates he's close to pulling something or throwing his back out (rip), while Eli is absolutely going for it, and even does a little spin! 😁

Just Random Chaos Time. VoicePlay Brand Of Dumb! 😂😂

And of course there is only one proper way to end a performance of Time Warp, and this is basically how you do it!

Say VoicePlay, any of you know how to Madison? 🤔😜🤣

So that's Time Warp! I don't watch this one a great deal, so it was fun to have a reason to revisit it. This was an additional little "Halloween season upload" from VoicePlay last year, and I am so hyped for whatever they might come up with this year, but for now, I've got one more bonus post coming your way, and then we'll finish off with more Christmas stuff! See you soon!

[kuregure]

For the first time, I'm not going to talk about Seraph of the end, but about Choujin X.

I just finished catching up on the manga scans and from the beginning, so far, my heart has chosen Ichiro Sato as my favorite.

But, is it just me who finds him weird now??😭

Like, idk, before he spoke with little hearts at the end of certain sentences and he smiled. But since he came back from Iwato with Tokio, there are no more little hearts and he doesn't really smile anymore 😔

I have the impression that he is hiding something, a goal. He's strange, every time he appears I find him weird! Maybe he's on Zora's side? on the enemy side at Yamato Mori and just infiltrated Yamato Mori. Maybe he's looking for "the beast" to bear the mark of Zora. When he trained Azuma for his choujin power, perhaps he wanted to see if he could also be a candidate to bear the mark.

I think he said something like "there are two people capable of carrying the mark, if there was a third it would be three" with the images of Tokio, Ely and Azuma. In addition, in one of the last chapters, he clearly tells Tokio to wear the mark of Zora so that his words have power and therefore reach to rally allies and enemies. And when Tokio said no, he was surprised or something.

And Arthur mentioned that he didn't think Ichiro's methods were good regarding Tokio's training. Additionally, Tokio told Michael and Michelangelo that Ichiro was the type to put them in danger.

On the other hand, I tell myself that perhaps I have become too overanalyzed, because I am used to finding double meanings and hidden truths with Guren, so I have the impression of seeing the same thing with Ichiro lmao idk

There you go, I find it very suspicious, although it remains my favorite despite everything!

I can't wait to know more about him, he has potential~ ❤ and also to perhaps discover his story/backstory! we don't know anything at the moment I think, or maybe I forgot!

[demetriandelibinaryboyfriends]

@allvalley100

Prompt: Snake Oil

Pairing: Hawkmetri

Inspired by this shitpost I made forever ago XD You really can have SO much fun with the mlm abbreviation.

This is a 5-parter--500 words total!

***

“Uh…Demetri?”

Demetri pauses frantic texting. His coworker’s leaning on his cubicle wall, frowning.

“I’m on lunch, Gary.”

“I know.” Gary chuckles. “And you’ve spent it glued to your phone instead of devouring your shawarma.”

“Right, uh. Trying to get an old friend out of this MLM…situation.”

“Oh?” Gary’s frown returns.

“We haven’t talked in forever, but…I worry about him. Don’t want him mixed up in that sort of…depraved lifestyle.”

“I see.”

Gary now seems more concerned. Demetri laughs awkwardly, trying to ease the tension. “Pyramid schemes, am I right?”

“Oh, multi-level marketing!” Finally, Gary relaxes. “Thought you were being homophobic.”

*

“He’s always been impressionable. Got brainwashed by this karate cult when we were teenagers, cut me off because I said they were sketchy.”

“He what now?” Gary’s eyes widen.

“Don’t worry about it. Point is, he gets really into questionable stuff, and…he hasn’t listened to me in years.”

A pause.

“Some mean girl from junior high messaged my wife, selling Speed-Gro hair enhancer shampoo,” Gary muses. “Lady sounded pitiful. My wife vowed to free her…even if she did steal her boyfriend in 8th grade.”

Demetri brightens. “Did it work?”

“Probably not a catch-all, but…show me the conversation. We can try.”

*

5:20 p.m. Hawk: Don’t ever speak to me again, or I’ll END you. Go rot in your basement playing nerd bullshit, bitch.

7:47 p.m. Demetri: Fine. Goodbye, Eli. ✔✔ Seen 9:53 p.m., September 24, 2018 ✔✔

-----------------------------------------------

March 17, 2030

7:26 a.m. Hawk: Hey man!! Selling Kickass Karate™️ equipment—gloves, pads, nunchucks…anything!!! INCREDIBLE prices. New discounts, too!

9:41 a.m. Demetri: Hawk! It’s been too long! Why not discuss these awesome deals further over coffee? I’ll pay. You’re giving me your time AND a great opportunity!

9:50 a.m. Hawk: …like a date?

10:02 a.m. Demetri: No, no, strictly business :) Pick you up tomorrow?

*

Eli’s surprisingly pleasant on their da—er, business outing. 0 mentions of Cobra Kai.

Instead, he waxes poetic about working for Kickass Karate™️, and how they’re “totally hiring right now!” He barely notices them parking at Demetri’s apartment because Demetri “forgot his gift card.”

~~~

“The fuck? I’m not getting free coffee?!”

Traces of “Hawk” emerge when Eli finds himself locked in. Demetri accounted for this.

He thrusts a macchiato at Eli as the lights dim. “Ordered them earlier. Hope that’s still your favorite.”

A PowerPoint opener illuminates the TV.

“Demetri’s incredibly badass guide: Besting the dumb pussies scamming you.”

*

“You’ve looked better.” On Wednesday morning, Gary does a double take. “What were you doing with that PTO?!”

Demetri grins meekly, dabbing antiseptic across assorted cuts and bruises. “Eli finally listened about the pyramid scheme thing. He wanted to deal with it immediately.”

“You two…” Gary’s eyes widen. “You fought the guys scamming him? Is that even legal?!”

“Probably not.” Demetri shrugs. “But neither’s most MLM stuff, so…”

“Not true.” Gary smirks. “Not since Obergefell v. Hodges.”

“…fair point.”

“Is that why you have this Eli character openly saved in your phone as ‘Babygirl?’”

Demetri’s cheeks burn. “That’s not important!”

[mrdelorian]

Sex in Horror Media and is it needed? The whys, why nots, and some examples

So, the talk. Sex in horror. Why it’s needed or not needed, is it necessary, and what are the kinds? Let’s talk about it and let me explain.

Now the easiest way to start this out is by talking about the kinds of sex in horror media. The first is the laziest and most obvious. Eye candy, to those who enjoy that sort of thing and don’t find it very discomforting, to a very poorly made or boring movie…or it could be even placed in a good movie, but is overall pointless and serves no purpose. The second kind of purposeful sex. It serves a purpose to tell or support the story. An example of the first could be Friday the 13th 2009. The first sex scene in the movie is kind of to show…. I’m not sure actually. Just to be there or to pad time. And the second, near the end, could be to…show the boyfriend is shitty…which if you couldn’t tell that by the first 10 or so minutes of the film then…I guess this serves a purpose for you, but overall, it’s pretty unnecessary.

Now to move onto the second, which is purposeful sex scenes in horror media. Examples of this are David Cronenberg’s Scanners from 1976. The disease in that movie makes people sexually crazed, which, through sexual intercourse, pass the disease from one another. It was also made during the sexual revolution and to comment on people’s fear of sex and intercourse with people you weren’t married to, which was a crazy concept during those times. Now with that…it serves many purposes. To show how a disease transfers and comments on the times it was in, through creative means, and also satirizing the concept of sex without marriage, and using sex without marriage as the disease, since you’d have to be so crazed and diseased to do that out of wedlock. All of it serves a purpose to the story, metaphors, interpretation, etc.

Now I could go on and on for hours about examples, but I feel it’s also important to touch on the fact that, yes…sex in horror media is a staple of the genre. It’s iconic in the genre. So much so that it’s famously mentioned in Wes Craven’s 1996 classic Scream as a trope. So, in the end….is it pointless…sometimes yes, but can it serve a purpose? Yes. Should it be removed? I personally don’t know. I’d say no because it’s a staple of the genre, and can create interesting stories IF used right, and for purpose/metaphors, but then again…I don’t know.

Also, I’ll throw out some more examples of necessary sex in horror. Anything vampire-related. Sex in vampire movies have always had many reasons for being necessary. All the way from homosexuality and lesbian representation, especially back in the day when it was “taboo”, to certain interesting interpretations of the subgenre of vampire horror like why women love vampires, which was famously theorized in Ed Wood, as mentioned by Eli Roth’s history of horror podcast, because vampires aren’t disgusted by the menstrual cycle, unlike a human/mortal man, who may feel disgusted. Another example is John Landis’s An American Werewolf in London from 1981 which showcases David becoming more animalistic and more like a werewolf.

Also, another purpose I nearly forgot to talk about is another purpose for sex in horror media…cool kills!? Yep. Friday the 13th has many, Shivers, and so many more.

Again, I could go on for hours, but I’ll end it now. What are your thoughts? Do you feel sex should stay in horror? If so, why? If not, why? What are some good examples of sex being used well in a horror movie or series? And bad examples. And yeah, what are your thoughts?

[tonyspank]

Good evening, I’m here as a representative of the “threesome” side….

A. I didn’t read every response you got cause it felt like I was reading a conversation between pornhub penpals😂… but I did see somebody bring up Olivia and Eli as a possible pairing. I think that’d be so cute, could be why Eli wants reader to set boundaries with Olivia, at the beginning it could be he doesn’t necessarily have feelings for her but thinks she’s interesting. It’d be an opportunity for short conflict too, once they’ve both developed feelings maybe Eli catches the end of a conversation between reader and Olivia, his feelings for her are enough to have him unknowingly irrational towards reader.

Eli: “Either pick Olivia or leave her out of this, she really likes you and I don’t think it’s fair that you‘re stringing her along with you just because Jenna won’t leave her prick of a fiancé.”

R: “Do you really think I’m like that? Eli we both know I’m not gonna pick Olivia after everything that’s happened with Jenna, where the fuck is all of this coming from? Why the hell are you blowing up at me right now?” (Eli snaps out of it after seeing how genuinely hurt his best friend is about him assuming she wants to intentionally hurt someone else in that way)

maybe as it turns out the conversation he caught was Olivia confessing she liked Eli and Olivia was asking the reader if she still had a chance with Eli despite having previously liked his best friend, reader says yes because she’s had a hunch about them for awhile now but never brought it up.

B. I could definitely sympathize with the jealous anons, and I mean this in the nicest way possible but I think I’m my personal opinion opposing the threesome either comes from them genuinely preferring they stay monogamous which I definitely respect or it comes from insecurity. HEAR ME OUT! I only say that because some of them are implying Jenna would focus on Emma more or leave reader for Emma, but Jenna in this case as you’ve mentioned is all for reader, this is something that’s been established many times. I know she’s still with Jacob but right now but she’s doing that thing that I’ve been a party to, and that’s sticking around until you’ve completely and entirely exhausted the idea of it ever working out (even if it’s obvious it’s not gonna work out, the fact that there’s history blinds you). Which brings me to my next point!

C. I think this would fit in perfectly as a one time thing that happens while they’re all a little drunk, maybe at the end of it all they all fall asleep in the same bed but sometime early in the morning Jenna has to go back into the guest room because Jacob is supposed to come back. Right before Jenna leaves the room she hears reader and Emma start to stir, they don’t wake up but she sees Emma unconsciously cuddle the reader in her sleep and reader doing the same.

SCENE; -the sound of her opening your door on her way out being rather loud, Jenna worriedly keeps her eyes trained on the two for any hints that she’d accidentally woken either of them up. The worry is quickly replaced with an indescribable feeling after noticing Emma unconsciously cuddle you in her sleep, she knew it was all accidental but the idea of another person having you this way, having you at all really made her feel sick. Jenna’s been dancing around the decision to leave Jacob for so long she forgot about what would happen if she didn’t, you’d be with someone else. Jenna suddenly can’t fathom how you’ve been able to handle Jacob being around at all, maybe it’s because you know she belongs to you but even that does nothing to quell the countless scenarios in which you no longer belong to her the longer she stares at how peaceful you look with Emma in your arms.

D. I’m pretty sure you as an author wouldn’t derail the story with something as trivial as Jenna liking Emma or vise versa because there’s been absolutely no evidence of a such a thing and it would be a random possibly conclusion to take this plot towards. This isn’t one of those situations where you have to imagine that as a what if because you’re writing a “Jenna x reader” not a “Jenna x reader, Emma x Jenna”

E.ALRIGHT NOW THIS REASON IS JUST SLUTTY. I imagined how the threesome would start and I do think it’d be a unanimous decision but I think it’d be an unspoken agreement that Jenna initiates! (I can’t write smut for the life of me but you’ll have a rough idea of what I mean)

SCENE; -Jenna couldn’t place what exactly brought the thought on. Maybe it was because of all the wine she’d been having or maybe it was the way you glanced at Emma’s ass in that skirt when she’d gone on her hands and knees to pick up the fallen wine glass hidden underneath the living room table…. perhaps it reminded Jenna of an ‘accidental’ steamy make out with Emma they had way back then.

“Anybody want more wine?” Emma asked the both of you, Jenna decides what she wants more than wine in a split second. Emma and you are more than surprised when you’ve realized Jenna’s pushed Emma onto your lap, she’s quick to join her. Neither of you put a fight, both of you feeling as needy as Jenna at this very moment. Jenna pulls you by the collar of your shirt until you’re close enough to kiss, with Emma in between you obediently follow Jenna’s guidance letting her grab both your hands and place them on Emma’s hips, wordlessly instructing you grind against her while Jenna reaches to touch Emma underneath her skirt. Emma starts to rut against your hardening cock and Jenna’s hand for more friction-

WELL YEAH IDK WHAT ELSE TO WRITE THERE. I’m not sure if this is considered a kink but I love love love fucking a girl in a skirt, the easy access is just ✨. WITH THAT SAID the reader fucking Emma in a skirt after maybe only being able to take off her shirt and pull out her cock because of how horny everybody is in the beginning is 😮‍💨 and the idea of Jenna being the power bottom, Emma being a bottom and reader being a service top 👌🏼 (all of them having a praise kink would be a DREAM COME TRUE)

PORNHUB PENPALS 🤣🤣 Yooo I cannot that is the funniest thing I’ve heard today.

But to shorten up what I have to say, so this doesn’t turn into a even longer post… 🤣

I like the way you think. I understand the Eli and Olivia thing completely. And you’re right, everyone is freaking out about Jenna leaving reader but our girl is obsessed with her.

I never really thought a slight idea would cause such a big discussion in this book. 😭😭

[detectivejrdude583]

Sunburns and squabbles

chapter 1

AO3

summery: How Olivia Benson, Elliot Stabler, Amanda Rollins, Dominick Carisi, and Grace Muncy all ended up on a family vacation together would never be known.

Actually, it would. It was quite simple really: Elizabeth Stabler forgot to mention the name of her girlfriend.

Or: The story of a vacation with way too many people, with way too many things going on, and oh great now we have to make an ER visit.

not centered around a specific pairing rather several pairings and friendships

words: 2531

warnings: None for this chapter, correct me if I'm wrong

How Olivia Benson, Elliot stabler, Amanda Rollins, Dominick Carisi, and Grace Muncy all ended up on a family vacation together would never be known.

Actually, it would. It was quite simple really: Elizabeth Stabler forgot to mention the name of her girlfriend.

……………………….

The trip had been in the planning stage for quite a while, trying to get everyone time off and details set in stone was more of a task than expected, but eventually everyone had managed to pull themselves together for a good old fashion family vacation.

Among the guest were the original stablers: Elliot, Maureen, her husband, and their two kids, Kathleen, Richard- or Dickie, and Elizabeth with her girlfriend who only her siblings had met, and of course Eli.

Then there were the Benson-stablers: Olivia and Noah.

And then tagging along was the Rollins-Carisi crew: Sonny, Amanda, Jesse, and Billie, there was a bit of debate about whether or not Frannie was coming along, but ultimately Frannie was sent to live with a more than reluctant Fin for a while.

Olivia and Amanda had brought up going on vacation together more than once, it just never seemed to work out, and when it finally did work out, ten more people were added to the mix, not that either of them really minded.

Okay, Amanda minded a little, not because she didn’t want everyone there, but because she was going to be in close proximity with Elliot Stabler, and while she was incredibly happy that Olivia has found someone who makes her happy, Amanda did not exactly like Elliot. She had nothing real against him, he just rubbed her the wrong way- and the whole abandoning Olivia thing didn’t help- but Amanda supposed she could put up with him so long as he didn’t do anything stupid.

Looking back on it, Olivia really should have known- she was the one who signed off on Muncy’s time off for god’s sake, she really couldn’t put two and two together.

……………………….

“Tell me why we aren’t just flying again” Elliot said popping his head out of the closet.

“Elliot it was your decision, you said it would be cheaper to drive and a good quote ‘bonding experience’” Olivia pointed out.

“Well why didn’t you stop me”

“I tried El, I tried, but you weren’t having it, now were going to be driving for quite literally 2 days before the trip even starts” Olivia rolled her eyes “It should also be noted that it was your idea to rent an entire minibus so we can all ride together” Olivia said.

“Hey, now that was a good idea, no trying to keep up with each other, plus the bus has WIFI and charging stations, not to mention a bathroom which means we will be stopping less” Elliot defended himself.

“Sure”

……………………….

“Jesse Honey come on, you have to get up” Amanda said softly shaking her daughter, it had been a rough night in the Rollins-Carisi house, Jesse had been having a tough time all around. She wasn’t acting up, but she never wanted to go to school, half the time she ended up in Sonny and Amanda’s bed in the middle of the night and she never seemed to want to be in a room without at least one of her parents. Amanda had talked to her about it, but the 8-year-old didn’t really have a good explanation, but Amanda would keep trying until she figured out whatever was going on.

The previous night had been a long one to say the least, not really by anyone’s fault, but Jesse had refused going to sleep, even when Amanda laid in the bed with her, she had had a bit of a breakdown. Amanda and Sonny had established a solid bedtime routine which Jesse could do mostly independently, but when it came time for her to actually go to sleep, she clung first to Sonny and then to Amanda.

Amanda was never one for just sticking a kid in their own bedroom and saying deal with it, this was not Jesse being defiant, this was Jesse being anxious, and forcing her to sleep in her own bed on the verge of a very real panic attack was not the solution.

They had gotten Jesse to sleep with the promise that one of them would be with her at all times, but she had woken up several times during the night, which thank the heavens Billie never woke up to since they moved and the girls had their own rooms, but it made for several very tired individuals, and Amanda hated the fact she had to wake Jesse up so they could leave, with any luck she would sleep on the bus.

Jesse rolled over and groaned, now that she actually needed to be awake it seemed as if all her body could do was sleep.

“I know, I'm sorry, I’ve let you sleep as long as I can, we got to get up and get ready to go, but maybe you can sleep once were on the road” Amanda said, hoping to entice her oldest out of bed “And Aunt Livia said there will be breakfast”

Jesse rubbed at her eyes before opening them to meet her mothers, “Don’t wanna”

“You don’t wanna get up, or you don’t want to go on vacation?” Jesse hadn’t said anything about not wanted to go, but then again, she hadn’t talked about going much either.

“Don’t wanna get up” Jesse clarified, snuggling her face into the blanket Fin had given her so many years ago.

“I know you don’t, I know it was a bit of a long night huh” Amanda brushed back some of Jesse’s hair “We just need to get you up, I can braid your hair and we need to brush your teeth and pack the last-minute things”

Jesse still didn’t want to, but pulled herself out of bed.

……………………….

With a momentous amount of effort everyone managed to make it to the lot where they could all get on the bus to start driving.

Noah was dragging his feet behind his mother and Elliot, looking like he has rolled out of bed about 30 seconds ago, Eli not far behind him looking about the same. Olivia and Elliot were babbling away about God knows what, probably about how there were only 3 people licensed to drive the bus.

Kathleen rode with Maureen and her family, and she seemed to be about the only one awake in the whole group, except of course for Maureen’s boys who were running in circles around the parking lot.

Dickie- which he was finally okay with being called again- was standing at the back of the bus with Maureen’s husband playing what resembled a game of Tetris but with ungodly amounts of suitcases and duffle bags.

Billie was holding onto Sonny’s hands and being swung around, which in truth made Amanda a little nervous on the hard pavement, but she wasn’t going to stop them, not with the giggles it was producing from the 5-year-old. Jesse was standing against her mother’s side gripping her hand, she knew some of the people around her, but not all of them, but when she saw Olivia, she ripped herself away from her mother to run towards her.

Olivia caught the girl in a hug “Hey sweet girl” she ran her hand over the back of Jesse’s head from where Jesse’s face was against her stomach. “You doing, okay?” she said as Jesse released her.

Jesse nodded “Hi Elliot”

Elliot was a little surprised this being the first time Jesse had greeted him directing without prompting. “Well, hello miss Jesse, can I just say that I think your hair looks pretty awesome”

That got a smile out of Jesse once hand going up to touch one of her braided space buns “Thank you, momma did it”

“Well, your momma did a great job” Elliot said with a smile, this honestly being the longest interaction with Jesse other than the time he was helping her get food at a dinner.

“I like to tell Elliot that his hair looks good” Olivia said with a smirk.

“But Elliot’s bald” Jesse said with a laugh.

……………………….

Lizzie was the last to arrive, but no one minded since she was also responsible for bringing breakfast for everyone, so she got a pass.

“I need some help here, I only have so many hands Elizabeth” came a frustrated, but not actually frustrated voice from the other side of the car where no one could see.

Olivia looked behind her from where she was talking to Amanda, she knew that voice, but there was no way. Amanda had also noticed but she was a little more unsure as to who it was.

Only a few moments later Lizzie stabler walked out from behind the car holding several boxes and bags, followed by a Grace Muncy who was quite precariously balancing drink holders up and down her arms.

Amanda and Olivia looked at each other then back at Muncy who had yet to notice the presence of her captain and former colleague, passing some of the drinks over to Kathleen who had come over to stop her from spilling the drinks all over the parking lot.       

With a more reasonable load to handle Muncy was able to look up and at all the people spread across the parking lot, she quite quickly noticed Olivia and Amanda, and who she assumed was Carisi on the other side- he was running in circles it was hard to tell.

“You knew didn’t you” Grace looked towards her girlfriend who had a little guilty smirk.

“I didn’t want to scare you away, if it makes you feel better Olivia didn’t know either” Lizzie defended herself with a smile.

Grace rolled her eyes “I don’t even like you”

They made their way over to the group, Muncy just giving a nod to Amanda and Olivia, not sure what the protocol was for when you find out you're going on vacation with your boss. “Alright, the drinks have sticky notes with names on them, if you got the wrong drink wait until they’re distributed before we figure out who’s is whose” she said and began passing out drinks.

“This one is for Billie” Grace said handing it to Sonny rather than the 5-year-old. “And this one is for Oli- the captain” Muncy was just reading off names but stopped herself before calling her boss by her first name.

Olivia held back a smile, it seemed as though Muncy was a whole lot more flustered over the whole situation than she was, she took her drink trying and failing to make eye contact with a very focused Muncy.

Lizzie had been setting down the food inside the bus and hopped out walking over to Olivia instead of her helpless girlfriend. “If I'm being honest, I thought it would probably scare her away, it should also be mentioned that she’s never met dad”

Olivia was going to respond but Amanda beside her started chuckling. “She hasn’t met your family and you stick her on a vacation with her boss and Elliot Stabler, now that’s just cruel”

          “Hey all my siblings have met her” Lizzie defended herself. “She’ll be fine”

          Olivia couldn’t help rolling her eyes with a bit of a smile. “Once she actually makes eye contact with someone” she really did mind the whole situation, sure it was definitely a shock and it threw her off, but all in all it wasn’t a big deal- nothing was going to put a damper on her vacation.

          All the drinks had been distributed and Grace saw that she really didn’t have a choice other than to go stand over by her girlfriend. “Captain, Detective Rollins” Muncy greeted with a smile, even if it was a little forced.

“Not a Detective anymore, you can call me Amanda” Amanda said trying to coax a hiding Jesse out from behind her to meet a new person.

Olivia considered messing with Muncy a little, but decided she would be nice just this once “And you can call me Olivia or Liv since we’re not at work”

Muncy nodded- she would still be using captain. She spotted Jesse from behind Amanda, when she had called out her name for her drink Amanda had come up and grabbed it handing it to the girl, so she hadn’t really seen her. “And who is this?”

Amanda tried to pull Jesse out from behind her, failing at first but getting her to where Grace could at least see her face, even if it was still leaning against Amanda’s side.

Grace could see how nervous Jesse and made sure not to step forward to avoid crowding “Those shoes are really cool; I have some just like them with me” the way to a kid’s heart was compliments.

Jesse looked down at her shoes than back up at Muncy “Like these ones”

“Yep” Muncy was telling the truth, they were in her suitcase at the moment “Well, they’re probably a little bigger”

Jesse looked down at the shoes Muncy was currently in, as if to check and nodded back up at Muncy “I'm Jesse” she said after looking at her mother for permission.

“That’s a very pretty name, I'm grace, and do you know Lizzie” she said indicating her girlfriend who gave a little wave.

Jesse thought for a second before decided that she had not met Lizzie, but thought she knew who she was “You're Elliot’s daughter”

Everyone was a little surprised that Jesse had put that together and remembered it but Lizzie nodded “I am, which means I'm Eli’s sister” Lizzie knew Jesse would know who Eli was.

Jesse nodded and turned to point “That’s Billie my sister with uncle Sonny”

Olivia looked at Amanda who shrugged. There had been some debate over who Sonny was to the girls, well not really, by almost all accounts he was their father, and ever since Amanda and Carisi got married they had been living together.

Billie had taken to calling Sonny dad right away, she had been doing it since they day of the courthouse wedding, but Jesse hadn’t and that was okay they were in no way going to pressure her, if she never called Sonny dad no one would have a problem with it.

Jesse knew who Declan was, and had met him a few times, mostly she knew that she would be getting a nice birthday and Christmas card each year with more spending money than she got from anyone else, and she didn’t seem too torn up about not seeing her biological father. Al was a little more involved in Billie’s everyday life, and saw her a good bit even having her overnight sometimes, but Amanda and Sonny made sure always to give Jesse a bit of extra love whenever that happened.

There was a loud slam at the back of the bus indicating that all the bags had been packed in and Elliot got the attention of the group “This bus leaves in 5 minutes if you're not on it too bad”

[crimsonblackrose]

.

They got a new fridge between seasons. And it's got pretty much all the same stuff in it.

Are they in a different room and happen to have two fridges, did they remodel between seasons, or did they have to swap interior locations between seasons?

I wonder if Johnny thought if Kreese found his apartment he also found his home?

I love that Carmen baked a tres leches cake to congratulate Johnny on Miguel's win.

Johnny fearing that Kreese knew where he lived might've been right. I forgot he called Johnny's landline.

Smitty's dinner

So Johnny didn't celebrate with his students, but they left to get victory nachos. Very cute.

Oh, Johnny probably couldn't have gone with anyway. They're at Applebees. 😂

Eli and Demetri won a coding competition at computer camp

Kreese orders corned beef hash and Sanka (instant decaf coffee)

Kreese was in Panama in '89 (if we trust what he says)

The future Miyagi do kids are lucky, Robby did most of the hard work cleaning up the place.

Future mr. miyagi spin off tagline: It wasn't all bonsais and kata

The look on Daniel's face when Robby points out that their goal is anti-Miyagi-do rule of defense only.

Miguel and Hawk on their little electric scooters.

Hawk is planning to get his mom's sentra when he gets his license.

I get how Miguel and Hawk are confused, they won and yet are getting yelled at. But at the same time no mercy didn't necessarily mean fighting dirty or cheating. And it's good that Johnny tries to correct that and calls it cheating.

Also it's huge that Johnny admits to Miguel he's still learning too.

Johnny's movie homework: Over the Top

Hey Raymond/Stingray

Also the fact Johnny asks for help on finding things.

As a handyman himself, it's gotta sting that Daniel is teaching Robby about repair and what not.

Johnny's little walk of shame. Kind of makes me wonder if he didn't actually want to interrupt or be seen.

Again, Johnny didn't tell Miguel to do that, not really.

"cares more about his rivalry with you then he does about me"

Robby dear, it was your idea to torture Johnny by training with Daniel. And Johnny's literally just pointing it out. It was literally Robby's whole motivation most of season 1.

I do think it's not fully the karate 'cult's' problem that Sam and Miguel didn't work out. It's sort of TKK Ali/Daniel issues exasperated by karate. Like Miguel felt like because of Daniel and Johnny's drama Sam wouldn't introduce her to her family and sort of hid their relationship. That's very Daniel not feeling good enough for Ali because he didn't think her parents would approve and thought Ali didn't approve either which was wrong. But then Miguel majorly screwed up. But still, Kyler got a conversation about with Daniel and Miguel didn't even get mentioned until it was over. You'd think the conversation would be more like hey kid you okay you've had two awful breakups like back to back and you're not hanging out with your friends.

Instead we're just doubling down on the romeo and juliet Cobra Kais vs Miyagi-do's.

I do love that Sam is like but I don't want to fight them. They're my friends.

I didn't realize Johnny cried upon getting a blue belt. I thought that crying moment was earlier in his cobra kai journey.

So Johnny wanted to talk to Kreese about his step dad and Kreese was like nope.

Yeah Robby picked up the nail trick!

Question for the millionth time, does Shannon know where Robby is and what he's up to?

lol for when you lose focus? It was to calm you down when you got mad.

There we go Daniel, had to get out of the mongoose brain and back into actual Miyagi style.

Sam!

Does....Daniel have to fill out the paperwork that Johnny did and have the inspection to open a dojo? They really only ever show Johnny having to do that and Daniel's the one with a rock in the middle of his dojo.

Then...Kreese where have you been all this time?

Did Kreese keep that trophy or did he go buy a new one?

That smile and music is why I don't trust anything Kreese says.

[winderlylandchime]

Hello again, i hope you had and continue to have a lovely weekend :)

Honestly, I forgot so many of S5 storylines since I think I’ve only watched this season twice. And when I do watch it it’s just the last couple episodes minus the finale. I mean I even forgot Ted’s makeover/plastic surgery storyline. So I was just as surprised as my brother was. That I don’t forget: He is hating Eli and Monty so much its funny and I already know he’s going to hate them even more. He also really can’t stand Ben and Michael this season.

And he kept mentioning throughout the episodes how bad Lindsay’s hair is. I wonder what he’s gonna think about Brian’s later on, he will obviously continue crushing on him but i wonder if he’ll have any feelings about it.

I’m glad to know I’m not the only one that wishes Emmett and Brian had more of a friendship/bromance. I love Ted and Brian so much but Em would be perfect with Brian. Especially since their personalities are so different. And yes, he really is gay for Gale/Brian, there were way more ‘he’s pretty/hot/wow look at him’ but i decided to skip them because it would be 16 parts long and half of it would be about Brian being pretty. I can’t wait for him to “meet” Gale and to see his realization about how dorky Gale is irl. I wonder how his crush will go from there.

AND YES! My mom did watch Queer Eye thinking it was this show. Dad still teases her about it because apparently she walked into the kitchen when she watched it and went ‘i thought (brothers name) said they fuck in here? So far it’s just clothes and avocado toast’ maybe i should tell her they did a QE storyline. My brother has watched it religiously since it came out (the new version) but he just never shared that with anyone. Which was weird to me since he shares everything else, that a normal person would keep to themselves, with literally anyone that he meets.

As for the meta post. I really, really, really hope that one day he goes insane about Brian like this. I just know he is thinking way too many thoughts about him. Our whole entire family has passed the video back and forth and the amount of family members that contacted me to ask what is he talking about is ridiculous. Even our mom thought the video was funny because of how he was pacing around and kept talking like he was on 6 different drugs.

Btw if you ever wondered, how many times is too many times to listen to Sandstorm in a row? The answer is 27 times. I had to threaten him to stop so what did he do? He left the house and went to the neighbor (i feel bad for her cause he just adopted her as an ally to his everyday nonsense) AND HE MADE HER PUT ON THE SONG because i can’t do shit about it. And all he did was sat on her yard and held a middle finger up towards my yard (we share a fence) while talking to the neighbor about Gale on Criminal Minds and how he thinks maybe he could show up in later episodes since he’s the ex husband. So once again: grown man for sale if anyone wants him.

Hello dear sweet anon!

I always forget Ted’s make over too. Sorry, Ted. I love Brian and Emmett because I see Emmett as the more femme version of Brian. He has lots of sex with lots of people, dresses fabulously, and is career driven. So similar!

I’m surprised that your brother has not discussed QE at length with you. He seems to discuss everything else. But I’m LOLing at your mother “it’s just clothes and avocado toast” … which it is.

I am very excited for any meta about Brian or Britin he comes up with! He’s going to do numbers here on tumblr.

HE NEEDS TO STOP LISTENING TO SANDSTORM. IT IS TOO MUCH.

Thank you so much for these updates anon. I hope your week starts easily and your Monday goes by quickly!

[m-s-knarp]

I'm the coolest motherfucker on the team.

Okay, sure, it's not too high of a bar to cross when by "team" you mean "group of six 6th graders huddled on one side of the chess club room to finish their assigned task of designing a chess set". Still. Objectively, anyone who knows me would say the same.

I've got it all: ✓ I swear (see: first line). ✓ I raise my middle finger at my parents when they piss me off. (They're usually already walking away, so they never get to see it in time.) ✓ I wear dark clothes. (Yeah, I'm a girl, and I HATE pink!) ✓ I have friends on the internet. (Most people I know don't even have computers.) ✓ I have the brawns. (I'm really good at table tennis. I just don't like playing other sports, but I'd probably be really good too.) ✓ I have the brains. (As you've astutely observed, I'm in the chess club. AND I used an 8th grade word.) ✓ And most importantly, I don't care what anyone thinks.

I mean, I'm basically perfect.

So when Polly -- the only other girl in the circle we've formed around our pile of construction paper, glue, and glitter -- is this slow, ignorant, childish, and, well, honestly average-looking at best girly girl, but still having everyone fawn over her…

Lame. I subconsciously make a face at her as she carefully slides the glue stick over a purple square one of the boys cut from our pack of multicolored paper. She glances up at me for a moment, looks down, and back at me again. I can't blame her, I mean I'm--

"Hehe," Polly puts a fist over her lips and giggles.

As the other members in our group turn their heads toward me, I realize my face is contorted in a way that's simply uncool.

10 milliseconds in, I think: "Shit."

Another 30 milliseconds after: my face goes back to resting position.

The remaining 20 milliseconds before a second has passed: "Alright. I'm fast. I'm safe."

I was not fast. I was not safe.

One of the boys snorted when he saw my expression.

"Hey, it's one of them tengu masks we saw in class the other day!" He so very kindly commented.

Great. This bitch. But I can't let them see I'm fazed. I'm not. I'm cool, after all.

"Shut up!" I snapped at the boy. There was a slight crack, both in my voice and in between my lips, as a little bit of dribble escaped my mouth and landed on my knee. It's over.

I quickly wiped it away with my black hoodie sleeve, but once again I was too slow, evidently, as another boy started wheezing. Maybe today's just not my day, but even if I conclude the situation like a mature adult in my head, my heart just continued pumping blood into my face faster. Fuck tengus, and fuck the teacher who decided eastern culture was something we needed to learn about. (I don't actually mean it. Anime is SO awesome. Too bad it's too cool for anyone in this city.)

I stood up and walked away, but not without saying my signature phrase.

"Wh-- Whatever."

Nailed it. Barely.

I sat in the bathroom stall, waiting for time to pass by. I'm not returning to that ugly nerd den. My mom didn't let me get a touchscreen phone yet, so I took my blue pen out of my pocket and started scribbling on my arm.

I forgot to mention that I'm artistic too. You can tell because I can draw eyes that look pretty much realistic. Like I said, total package.

I was halfway into drawing 4 stickmen about to have an epic spear battle when I heard the main bathroom door open and creak shut.

"Lizzy?" A dumb sweet voice called out. Idiot. Stupid. God, I hate her.

I stay quiet for a second, but I realize how embarrassed I might look if she found out I was here and just didn't respond. Fine. You want to play this game. I assure you, you can't make me look more moronic than you. My heart beats a little quicker as I reach for the lock to slide it open.

"It's Eli, dumbass," I said, opening the stall door and reemerging from the shadows cast by the walls. "No one calls me that."

If anyone else saw me just then, they'd forget all about the dumpster fire mess from earlier and start wondering again what color the motorcycle I most likely have is. (It would be black with red flames, of course.)

When I looked down at this short, meek, and rabbit-resembling girl, she shook. Tears had obviously already began to form in her eyes at just the thought of being in my presence. Yeah, that's right, I'm a terrifying force. Don't fuck with me.

Yet the tengu comparisons would die out by now, very quickly, as my face turned from dark red to pale peach. Why is she crying? I don't wanna get in trouble with the teachers.

"Sorry," she started, and then looked down. She was clearly choosing her next words very carefully. "I also want to apologize for earlier. I thought you were trying to make me laugh to trip me up."

She started picking at one of her perfectly manicured nails. "It worked."

Yeah, right. She's always been graceful, talented, and neat. Even if it was my intention, which unfortunately it wasn't, it wouldn't have done jack shit. Or would have done? I've gotta Google how to use that phrase later.

I snap out of it and look at her again. "Whatever."

Polly quickly jolts her head up again and locks her widened eyes with me.

"Wait, did you draw that?" She points at one of the scribbles on my arm. It's a simple drawing of Reborn from hit anime series, "Katekyou Hitman Reborn!" which means "Hitman Tutor Reborn". I think. That's what the comment on Part 3 of Episode 2 on Youtube said. And then he said something in Spanish.

"Yeah, it's from this anime," I smirked. "You've probably never heard of anime before." Honestly, for a moment, I felt excited, it sounded like she recognized it, but…what are the odds. Ah, there's the familiar pang. Even if I show her even just a screenshot of the anime, she's gonna call it a cartoon and go back to her perfect little bubble. The disrespect.

"Are you talking about Reborn?"

…

I searched her face for any indication of a prank. Or a single lie. Her? Is this really possible?

Yes. She's for real.

For nearly 2 years, I could talk to only my online BFFs on Facebook and Skype about my favorite anime. I had no one to talk about the newest seasonal series or use -chan with. Not even someone to eat cup noodles and pretend to be Naruto with. All of a sudden, here's someone I can talk to about senpais, cherry blossoms, and beautiful moons.

Alright.

Fine.

I give in.

Whatever.

Maybe she's a little cool after all.

[haechanluvr]

wish u the best

Summary: based off of wish u the best by blackbear.

Warnings: swearing, characters are aged up to 21 (college years), mentions of doing drugs.

taglist: @vntgkenz @sapphireplums @xdelicates @ghostkingblake

.·:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:··:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:··:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:··:*¨ ✘♚✘ ¨*:·.

“he’s got a runny nose, i don’t think it’s the flu.” my friend layla said, as she deferred her attention from my ex, who had just gotten done doing a line off of the girl he was most likely hooking up with at the end of the night. i laughed and slapped her arm a bit. we were in the middle of a frat party, which a friend of ours had invited us to. we had been here for a little over an hour, and i was having fun, until he walked into the house, as if he owned the entire damn thing. 

“i don’t even wanna pay attention to him. he acts like he owns the fucking place. it’s irritating, and ever since he dumped me, i’m not very keen on wanting to be in the same area as him, let alone seeing him snort a line off his new girl of the week.” i said with an eye roll, and downing the rest of my drink. i was determined to let loose tonight, and have some fun. midterms had just ended, and majority of us were on our way’s to heading to our spring break vacations. this party was just a way for all of us to get shit faced after dealing with the gruesome exams that majority of our instructors had thrown at us. 

after a couple of more shots, and grabbing a water, layla and i were dancing together with some girls we had met a little while ago. throughout a majority of the time that we had been here, i felt as if someone was watching me, but as the alcohol i consumed started to hit me, i quickly forgot.

layla and i were dancing with one another, when i suddenly felt hands on my waist. i turned my head around and it happened to be robby. a friend of mine from criminology class. i started grinding into him, and his grip on my hips tightened, but was comfortable enough to where he was guiding my hips to move in rhythm with his. “you must’ve had a lot to drink if you’re letting me dance with you like this.” he bent down a bit and whispered into my ear. his breathe sent shivers down my spine, and the alcohol i consumed throughout the night was sending a wave of confidence through me. 

“maybe, but just because the alcohol is helping with a confidence boost, doesn’t mean sober me hasn’t thought about you being behind me before.” i said as i turned around and looked at him with doe eyes. he threw his head back and groaned a bit. as my arms made their way around his neck, and my fingers moved to play with the hairs at the nape of his neck, i grew more confident by the minutes passing. that was until i felt a hand grab me forcefully and dragged me up the stairs into a empty room.

“what the fuck eli?” i yelled, as i yanked my arm from his grip. examining his facial features, taking in the angered look plastered on his face, his furrowed eyebrows, and a glint of hurt in his eyes. “what the fuck are you doing out there with keene, y/n?” he yelled, making me take a step back, seeing as his face went a slight tint of red, and the vein on his neck was prominent. “what i do is none of your business anymore eli. you broke up with me, remember?” i spoke more calmly, but that didn’t seem to help in the slightest as i took in the forms of his hands, balled into fists, and his knuckles white. 

“just because we aren’t together anymore, doesn’t mean i still don’t have feelings for you! those feelings don’t just go away so easily y/n.” he said and now it was my turn for my face to grow red with anger. “we were together a long time, and i fucking told you how keene always wanted to get with you even while we were together, so why the fuck are you flirting with him like this at a party that you fucking know im at.” he said, his jaw clenched, and looking like he could lose his cool at any moment. i looked at him up and down and scoffed. it’s all i could do.

“what? you don’t have anything to fucking say?” and that set me off. “funny how when i don’t care, these feelings all resurface.” i finished with a roll of my eyes and my weight being shifted from one foot to the other. “what the fuck is that supposed to mean y/n? hm? fucking spit it out and quit being a little bitch.” i could feel the venom dripping with every word spoken. 

“you’re so insufferable eli. fucking get a grip. i don’t know if it’s because you’re drunk right now, or because you’re high, or it could be both, but you don’t give a damn about me. you broke up with me because you said and i quote ‘just not doing it for me anymore’. you remember telling me that?” he shook his head, jaw still clenched, but avoided all eye contact with me. finding more interest in the floor, or the wall behind me.

“you haven’t spoken to me in almost two months, but the one night im letting loose, and enjoying myself you ruin it. why? because you don’t like that i’m giving keene attention, and not pining over you like some pathetic joke. this is exhausting. you only are doing this because i’m finally not giving you what you want, which is attention. you can hook up with girl after girl right in front of me, but i flirt with one guy and suddenly i’m in the wrong.” he refuses to look at me still, and he doesn’t say a word. by now his facial expressions have softened, and he looks almost sad, but i’m so mad, i don’t care about how he is feeling.

“leave me alone eli. go back to whatever girl you planned on taking back to your room tonight, and stop wasting my time and trying with my emotions. you’ve done enough damage. i won’t let you cause anymore pain.” he stepped aside, making room for me to exit the room, and before i fully exit, i say one more thing to him, just to be a petty bitch that i know i am. “i would wish you the best, but eli, you already had it. you’ll never find anyone like me. no one else is going to give a damn, like i fucking did, but you did that to yourself.” he looked at me stunned, and im almost positive he expected me to grovel and apologize for the things i said, but i will not. 

i left the room, but not before slamming the door. making my way down to my friends, and finding them standing at the end of the hallway, with robby. “you good? we heard the yelling, and we didn’t want to leave until we knew you were okay.” robby said, and i let out a breath i was holding, feeling my shoulders go less tense. “i’m fine. he just brings out the worst in me. i don’t know why he can’t just leave me alone. i was doing okay, but now i feel like i’m back at square one, wanting to run back into his arms and fix things.” i admitted and robby brought me into a hug, while layla joined in. as we all walked down the stairs, slowly making our way out of the house. a body zoomed past us, bumping into robby, and storming out of the frat house. we all exchanged glances, knowing it was eli that had just left in a hurry.

[khoicesbyk]

The Royal Romance.

Love Everlasting.

A/N: I had a different name and plot for this fic over a year ago. But after being in the RP community for more than a year, I've decided to write the current Royal Life of my favorite OTP.

Rated: Mature (at times can and will be Explicit. I'll be sure to change the rating when and if that happens). | Contains sexual content and strong language. (Y'all should be used to this from me by now 😁) | Bolded and/or italicized words are conversations and thoughts of the characters. | Main Characters: King Marquise Rys (LI) and Queen Shanelle Miller-Rys (MC) | All Characters and names: (except MC and original characters created by me and/or other authors [their characters have been mentioned and/or used in the story with their permission] ) are property of Pixelberry.

Current Word Count: 7,250 words. (may be slightly more or may be slightly less. Look, I stop counting after editing and re-editing and driving myself insane. 🤷🏾‍♀️)

If you’d like to be added to my tag list. Just reblog or dm me and I will gladly add you! 😁😘

This series is rated Mature and/or Explicit. It is NOT reading material that is safe for those under 18. Reader discretion is STRONGLY advised!

Missing a chapter or want to read a chapter again? I got you covered! Click ——> Here!

Every so often the chapters will be or include flashbacks. This is just the first flashback.

Tag List: @twinkleallnight @txemrn @choicesficwriterscreations

How It's Going vs How It Started.

Once again it was The Queen vs The Princess. And Marquise had to decide which side he was on. The Royal Family was hosting a dinner and Khari and Shanelle were fighting over The Princess saying she wasn't going.

“No!”

“Excuse me?”

“I said no!”

Shanelle looked around like she was hearing things.

“Did you just tell me no?”

“You have ears right?”

“Little girl…I think you're forgetting who I am and who you are.”

“I know who I am. I'm you. Only better.”

“Of all the times for you to be a 4-year-old brat…”

“From what Grammy and Pop Pop say you were an even bigger brat than I am.”

Marquise choked on his water when Khari stomped her right foot challenging her mother. A trait she most definitely got from her.

“Marquise if you don't get your daughter!”

The King let out a deep sigh.

“Princess. Come here.”

Khari looked at her father before walking over to him and climbing into his lap.

“Now I understand that you don't want to go to the ball, but you know you have to.”

“But!”

He put a gentle finger to her lips.

“You know you can't be by yourself.”

“But King ElI smells funny. And Princess Octavia is always mean to me.” she pouted.

He hated to see his daughter pout.

“Believe me, your mother and I don't like being around them either. Especially Queen Vanda.”

“I forgot about her," Khari muttered.

“I haven't.” Shanelle quipped.

“Do you remember what happened the last time they were here?”

“Queen Vanda ruined one of mommy’s favorite dresses when she spilled her drink on it?”

“Mmmhmm. And do you remember what your mother did?”

Khari started to giggle.

“Mommy accidentally dropped her dessert on her?”

Marquise snickered before leaning in conspiratorially.

“Between you and me, that wasn't really an accident.”

“She had it coming…” Shanelle said nonchalantly.

“Mommy!”

“What? She did! You know how much I loved that dress.”

“But why do we have to host them, Daddy?”

Marquise thought for a second.

“Well, you know the Nintendo Switch you have?”

“Yeah. What about it?”

“Well, the kingdom of Gemmora is a major supply hub for Nintendo. A lot of the computer chips that they produce go into many of the Nintendo gaming systems.”

“I didn't know that.”

“Daddy has known that for years.”

“So King Eli doesn't want one to be open here?”

“He doesn't want one to open anywhere else outside of Japan and Gemmora.”

“Well, that's not fair.”

“I know.”

“Is that why we're hosting them?”

“Yes, my angel. This dinner we're hosting is in hopes to get King Eli to open up to the idea of Nintendo opening a manufacturing plant here.”

“And if we have a plant here, that means I can get a new Switch for my birthday and Christmas right Daddy?”

Shanelle snorted.

“When did I say that?”

“You haven't…yet.”

“Anyway, now you know why it's important that we host this ball. Even though none of us want to.”

“But why do it at all?”

“Well, because sometimes as Monarchs we have to do certain things that we might not necessarily like or agree with. Hosting this dinner might not benefit us per se. But it will benefit our people.”

“Does that include my friends?”

“Yes. Including your friends.”

Marquise thought for a second.

“Tell you what, I'll make you a deal. If you go get dressed, and we all survive this dinner, we'll have a bedtime snack of your choice. How about that?”

Khari put on a thoughtful look that melted the King’s heart.

“Okay, Daddy. I'll go get ready.”

“That's my girl. But first, you owe your mother an apology for your behavior.”

Khari nodded before looking at her mother.

“I'm sorry Mommy. Do you forgive me?”

“Apology accepted. Now go get dressed.”

Khari kissed her father on the cheek before she got down to hug her mother then ran off to go get ready.

“I don’t know how you do it but you do it.”

Marquise snickered.

“Tactical negotiations my Queen. They're not just for dealing with hostile nations and kingdoms you know.”

Shanelle rolled her eyes with a smirk.

“As for you my gorgeous wife” he asks as he wraps his arms around her, “how are you feeling?”

“So far I'm alright. No early pregnancy symptoms yet.”

“Good. Very good.” he said before he kissed her. “So let us go get dressed as well. It's bad decorum for the hosts to be late.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

That's how it’s going. Let's look at how it started between The King and Queen.

Their engagement caused quite the stir. The Crown Prince Of Cordonia is marrying The Princess From Brooklyn. Sounds like a fairytale right? But you know what they say? All that glitters ain’t gold. Their engagement was a cover for an arranged marriage between their fathers. It happened when Shanelle was only 6 months old and Marquise was 2 years old. Their betrothal was made in effort to unify a struggling Cordonia as one. And as much as Shanelle didn’t want it to happen, she couldn’t stop it. And neither could he.

His dream was to be Cordonia’s Prime Minister. But when he found out about Shanelle and their betrothal he had to shift his thinking. Being Prime Minister was out. If he was to marry her, he had to be King. His new dream almost didn't happen thanks to her not wanting to have anything to do with him. He met her for the first time when he made an unexpected trip to visit her at home in New York. He was standing in her living room.

“Hello, Princess. How are you?”

“So you’re the one I'm stuck with?”

When he turned around and they made eye contact the sparks flew between them.

“If by that you mean your future husband, then yes I'm the one you’re stuck with.”

Shanelle stood there in the doorway annoyed by him.

“Great. I got matched with a fucking comedian.”

He shrugged.

“Call me ComicView.”

“Yeah, no.”

Something about her fire intrigued him.

“Well, aren't you fiery?”

“Don't get too close, you might get burned.”

“Oh, I assure you I can handle the heat.”

Shanelle rolled her eyes.

“Why are you here?”

He walked closer to her and she had to control her racing heart rate.

“I've heard so much about the Princess of Brooklyn that I had to see for myself. No one told me how beautiful you would be in person.”

When he got closer, she couldn't resist the temptation to look him up and down. Especially after he kissed the back of her left hand.

“Wrong hand. For a royal, you would think you'd know which hand to kiss. Left hand means a woman is married. And the right hand means she's available. You kissed my left hand, which is the wrong one.”

“No, I definitely had the right one.”

“I'm single.” she hissed.

He smirked as he pinned her between his body and the door frame. The look in his eyes made her body hot.

“Not anymore.” he said as he tilted her chin up so she looked up at him, “As of today, you belong to me.”

“I am not your property!”

“You're right. You’re not my property. You’re much better than that.” he said before leaning in to whisper in her ear, “Shanelle…you are My Queen.”

The next night Shanelle couldn't wait to get together with her best friends The Fab Babes for a Friday girl’s night and Chinese at her place.

“Alright! We have food from Szechuan Palace, we have an endless supply of wine, we have my dad's new flat screen, and we have movies!” she said as she laid out the food.

“We should start with–” Nina said before Shanelle cut her off.

“WE ARE NOT WATCHING JURASSIC PARK!”

“You’re such a hater!”

“Bitch I will throw off the top of the Empire State Building! Don't fuck with me!”

“Okay break it up you two. Can we get back to eating now?” Chutney asked.

“Yeah yeah. Besides, I got news for y'all.”

Shanelle gave the girls a rundown of meeting the Prince the day before.

“HE DID WHAT?!” Chutney shouted.

“Yup. Walked right into my momma’s house and demanded to see me.” Shanelle replied.

“Bitch you lying!” Robin told her.

“Nope. He stood in the middle of her living room floor and said he was not leaving.”

“Holy shit!” Dee quipped.

“Where were you?” Robin asked.

“Knowing her she was probably sleeping,” Nina answered.

Shanelle sucked her teeth at Nina before throwing a fortune cookie at her.

“You know she's right, Nelle.” Bronwyn said.

“Shouldn't you be operating on a puppy or something?”

“Wait! Is he here?” Aly asked.

The girls looked towards the hallway and Shanelle rolled her eyes.

“No, he's not here. He's at the Cordonian Embassy, Something about not telling his dad he was coming to town.”

“So what does he look like Nelle?” Bron asks.

Shanelle groaned.

“Here we go…”

“He's short, isn't he?” Chut asks.

“Is he ugly?” Rob asks.

“Maybe he has a voice that sounds like Michael Jackson’s!” Aly says.

“Nina, what do you think?” Dee asks.

“She laid eyes on him and fell in love. What else?” Nina deadpanned.

“I did not!”

“Okay fine. You didn't fall in love with him the minute you saw him. But you do want him to fuck your brains out. Is that better?”

“Ooh!” the girls say in unison before looking at Shanelle who stabs at her food.

“Ugh! I need a new set of friends. Y’all suck.”

“Love you!” the girls say.

“So is Nina right?” Dee asks.

“…not exactly," Shanelle mutters into her food.

“Not exactly? What's that supposed to mean?” Chut asks.

“It means she's been dickamitized.” Bron says.

Shanelle glared daggers at her.

“Scuse me?! You have no room to talk about ANYBODY being dickamitized. Because if Lo walked through that door right fucking now, there’d be a puddle at your damn feet.” Shanelle snapped back at her.

“I–“

“Shut it Lenny Williams!”

“Be nice Nelle. It’s not every day that you crush on your patient.” Rob teased.

Bron groans.

“Rob…not you too.”

“Never mind the fact that said patient is your friend’s baby brother…” Shanelle adds.

“Okay damn I get it!”

“So what is he like?” Aly asks.

“Bossy as hell.” Shanelle replied.

“What?!” the girls said in feigned shock.

“Imagine that. The Princess met someone bossier than her.” Nina teased.

The girls cackled collectively.

“Shut up before I have you hoes thrown outta here.” Shanelle hissed.

“You love us too much to do that.” Nina says.

“I have my limits. Thank you very much.”

“Except for when it comes to a certain Crown Prince of Cordonia.” Dee quipped.

“I will call Zig!”

“That's not a threat. Also, please call him. I wouldn't mind seeing him.” Rob adds.

“Justice for Dino! He deserves better!”

A fit of cackling broke out amongst the girls.

“You never did answer the question Nelle.” Chut says.

“What question?”

“What does he look like?” The girls ask in unison.

“Stop yelling at me!” Shanelle replies.

“Don’t want us to yell at you, answer the question.” Nina says.

“Ugh! Fine!”

Shanelle pulls out her phone and pulls up a picture of the Prince. The girls look impressed.

“Not bad Princess.”

“Are those real diamonds he’s wearing?”

“I wonder if he owns a dungeon.”

“He looks official.”

“So serious.”

“He doesn’t look so bad.”

Shanelle rolled her eyes.

“Y’all done?”

The girls cut their eyes at Shanelle.

“Well, now y’all heifers know what he looks like.”

“So what's the problem, Nelle?” Dee asks.

“The problem is I have to marry a man I barely even know,” Shanelle replies.

“You don't have to marry him, Shanelle,” Nina says to her best friend.

“My dear sweet Keane Klown, have you not met my father?” Shanelle asks.

“Why are you still calling me that after all these years?”

“Because your last name is Keane and you, your two goofy ass brothers and your cousin are all a bunch of clowns. That's why.”

Nina rolled her eyes.

“He wouldn't actually make you go through with it, would he?” Aly asks.

“According to the treaty he signed, he has to and if he doesn't, his brother and the Prince’s father can force me to. So once again, I don't have a choice.”

Hearing the dejection in her voice, Bron and Rob wrap Shanelle in a hug.

“Maybe it won't be so bad?” Chut asks.

“I can only pray it won't be," Shanelle replies.

“You get the chance to be an actual future Queen. And we get the chance to say that we're best friends with one.” Dee says.

“No no. You girls will just be regular friends with a future Queen. While I am the best friend of a future Queen.” Nina corrects her.

Shanelle cackled while the rest of the girls groaned.

“Put that ego away Nina, you gonna hurt someone!” Chut tells her cousin.

“Oh, you’re so jealous!”

“I still don't know how I wound up knowing and getting stuck with you two clowns but here we are.” Shanelle piped up.

The girls dissolved into laughter. This is what Shanelle needed.

“I don’t know where I'd be without you girls.”

“We love you!” the girls say in unison.

“Oh shut the fuck up! Y'all don't love me! You hoes just love that I feed you.”

“There's a difference?” Dee asks.

This caused the girls to laugh. The girls spend the rest of the night giggling, gossiping, and enjoying each other's company.

The next night Shanelle was sitting on her bed in her robe finishing up the newest Press Release for her father's office when there was a knock at her door.

“It's open," she called out without looking up from her laptop.

The Prince walks in.

“My my. Don't you look official? And drop-dead gorgeous. Is that robe new?”

Shanelle rolled her eyes before glancing up.

“How the fuck did you get in here?”

The Prince sat down next to her on her bed. Letting his eyes slowly trace her body.

“Well, that's rude. Is that any way to speak to your husband?” he asks.

Shanelle closed her laptop and then looked down at her left hand.

“Gee…that's funny, Your Highness. I don't see a ring on my finger.”

He tilted her chin up.

“Always look at me when you speak to me, Shanelle.”

She pulled away from him.

“I'm not one of your subjects. I don't have to do a goddamn thing you say.”

He smirked at her before tucking a few stray hairs behind her left ear.

“Of course not beautiful. You’re so much more than that. You will always be more than that.”

“What are you doing here anyway? I thought you were staying at the Embassy.”

“I was. Hell, I was about to have you sent for.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Just what I said, I was going to have you sent for. Instead, your father insisted that I stay here with you while your mother is in Martha’s Vineyard for a teacher's retreat and conference and he takes care of official business in Cordonia. He assured me that you were quite the hostess Princess," he replied nonchalantly.

“Yup. I am not marrying you. I don’t care what that treaty says.” she hissed.

“There it is. There's that fire. That sweet venom from a beautiful and vicious viper. It's all I've thought about since I met you the other day.”

“Careful, Your Highness. I bite.”

“Bite me all you like, Princess.”

“Ugh! You're infuriating!”

He covered her left hand with his. His touch was warm and electric.

“Infuriating or enticing?” he asks her.

“You have nothing that I want.”

He smirked before leaning in to whisper.

“The goosebumps on your skin say otherwise.”

She just glared at him.

“Your silence is all I need to know.”

“Your Highness…get out of my room.” she hissed at him.

“Marquise.”

“What?”

“My name is Marquise, love.”

“Why do I care what your name is?”

“Because it's about time you learned it.”

“Again, why do I care?”

He stood up then pulled her to her feet.

“Because you'll be screaming it. That's why.”

She scoffed.

“So that's the game we're playing?”

He cocked his head to the side.

“It's okay to say that you like it, Princess.”

“You don't know shit about me.”

“That's where you’re wrong. I know more about you than you think.”

“Like what?”

“I know about the butterfly and stars tattoo on the back of your left shoulder, the Scorpion tattoo on the back of your right shoulder, and the dragon tramp stamp that you got just to piss your father off. I know your favorite color is purple. I know you’re terrified of heights, flying, snakes, and spiders. I know you have a temper. I know you took pole dancing lessons and your legs are…quite flexible. I know you've made a name for yourself on the kink scene when you went to school in Boston and when you worked in D.C. As a matter of fact you are one of the D.C. Headhunter's finest trainees. Rowan says hi by the way. I know you’re ticklish and hate to be tickled. I know you are a classically trained ballet dancer and choral singer. I know you believe strongly in education and healthcare. Did I miss anything?”

He brought the wrist of her left hand to his lips and grazed it softly with his teeth before kissing it.

“I would be a terrible husband if I didn't know anything about you.”

She couldn't believe it, she was stuck.

“Cat got your tongue love?”

That snapped her out of whatever trance she was in.

“That's called stalking, Your Highness.”

She watched his eyelid twitch.

“Something wrong…Marquise?”

“Nope.”

She arched an eyebrow at him.

“Liar. I saw your eyelid twitch.”

He shrugged.

“Fine. I'm not one who likes to repeat himself.”

“Is that supposed to scare me, Your Highness?”

“Never love. Contrary to what you think about me, I'm not here to scare you. I'm here to elevate you.”

“Elevate me to what?”

Rather than answer her, he reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a Cartier ring box.

“My Wife. What else?”

Shanelle just stared at the ring box in his hand.

“Princess?”

Shanelle blinked herself back to reality.

“I'm sorry. But are you…?”

She watched him get down on one knee.

“Yes, I am. So Shanelle Miller…will you marry me?”

Suddenly, the room felt small and it was hard for Shanelle to breathe.

“You're not serious.”

“Dead serious. Being King is my goal and you are the key to attaining that goal.”

“Why would I help you?”

He stood up and brought her face close to his.

“Because you believe in helping others. You are your mother's child. Service is what drives you. I can give you that, plus whatever else you want.”

“Whatever I want?”

“I don't have a stutter, Princess. Nor do I stammer.”

“Fine then. Convince me.”

“Convince you?”

“Yes. If you want me to go along with all of this, then you have to convince me. Because so far I'm not impressed nor am I convinced you'd be the King that Cordonia needs.”

A slow smile spread across his face.

“You know there is something else I just remembered about you.”

“What is that?” Shanelle asks.

“I know that you only like the movie Dirty Dancing for one scene. And it has nothing to do with putting Baby in a corner or having the time of your life.”

“So you have been stalking me?”

He shrugged.

“You say stalking, I say doing my due diligence and research.”

“Yeah whatever. There’s a reason why you mentioned it.”

“You’re correct. I did mention it for a reason.”

“Okay fine I’ll bite. Why did you mention it?”

“You’re smart. That’s good. I want you to dance with me.”

“Dance with you?”

“That’s what I said.”

“No. I don’t want to do that.”

The Prince arched an eyebrow at her.

“Did you just tell me no?”

“I sure did. And since you��re a Prince, you have to convince me to dance with you.”

“Very well.”

He instantly changed his posture and then held his hand out.

“May I have this dance Princess?”

“Seriously?”

“Answer the question Shanelle.”

She looked at him before putting her laptop on her nightstand and slipping her hand in his.

“See? Now that wasn't so hard was it, love?”

“Go fuck yourself.” she hissed.

“Don't worry, you'll be doing that soon enough.”

Shanelle rolled her eyes.

“Whatever. What are we dancing to?”

“Cry To Me by Solomon Burke.”

“You want to dance to that?”

“Yes. After all, it's from your favorite scene in Dirty Dancing. Now, do you know the Cordonian Waltz?”

“You want to do the Cordonian Waltz to Cry To Me?”

“Humor me.”

Shanelle shook her head.

“Are you ready?”

“Can we just get this over with?”

“Aren't you charming?”

They soon began a simple box that turned into an awkward Cordonian Waltz around her room.

“You’re very stiff, Princess.”

“Gee I wonder why.”

He let out an aggravated sigh before pausing the song.

“Stopping so soon, Your Highness?”

“Yes. I prefer my dance partners to be alive, not statues.”

“Then go dance with one of my guards.”

“My guards, Princess.” he corrected her.

“No, they're MY guards. They answer to me.”

“No, they answer to me. Yours were sent with your parents. Why do you think you’ve been able to get any work done without someone knocking on your door to pester you?”

She stared at him like he had lost his mind.

“You sent my guards away?”

“No, I sent them on assignment with your parents while they're in Martha's Vineyard. They're good but I prefer my own personal guards to your father's.”

“Who the hell do you think you are?”

“I believe we've been over this, love. I'm your husband.”

“And I believe that I told you we aren't getting married.”

She watched his eyelid twitch again before he regained his composure.

“You need to loosen up, Princess.”

“And you need to go back to Cordonia or whatever the hell it is that you came from.”

“The only way I go back is with you going with me.”

“Then I guess we're at a stalemate…Your Highness.”

She felt his left hand tighten slightly on the small of her back. Sending a delicious shiver running down her spine.

“Okay how about this, I lead and you follow?”

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“You aren't known for giving up so why should I?”

“…fine. But only one dance!”

“That's all I'm asking for, Princess.”

She let out a breath then squared her shoulders.

“Okay, Your Highness. Lead off.”

He pressed play and off they went. Waltzing around her room.

“You’re still stiff Shanelle. Relax your shoulders a bit.”

Even though she didn't want to, she relaxed her shoulders.

“Good. The more relaxed you are, the better your steps will be.”

“I know how to do the Cordonian Waltz, thank you very much.”

“I can't tell. You normally dance so gracefully. Which is why I can't understand why you’re choosing to dance like a blundering rhino.”

“I am not!”

“Prove it.”

He smirked when she sucked her teeth.

“Get ready.”

She barely looked up at him before he dipped her low.

“You missed your cue.”

“I didn't miss my cue. That wasn't my cue to begin with.”

He leaned in his warm breath ghosting over her right ear.

“I lead and you follow, remember?”

“Yeah yeah.”

“So if I say you missed your cue then you missed your cue. So let's try this again.”

“…fine.”

They reset and started dancing again. She was ready, only he didn't dip her this time. He spun her out and then back into his arms again. Her back was to his chest, her left hand was in his, his right hand rested on top of her right hip, and his chin rested on her right shoulder with his left cheek against her right cheek. Something about being this close to him felt intimate. She tried and failed not to get lost in the feeling. They stayed in that position until he spun her out and back again.

“I don't remember any of that being part of the Cordonian Waltz.”

“I lead. You follow. Why is that so hard for you to comprehend?”

“Someone could say you have an ulterior motive for this dance.”

“So what if I do?”

Before she could answer, he dipped her again this time she remembered the cue.

“Very good. You managed not to miss your cue.”

The more they danced together, the more comfortable she started to feel around him.

“Well, this is an improvement.”

“What is?”

“When we started I was so sure that you would've punched me by now.”

“Who said that still won't happen?”

“Such a violent woman.”

“Viper, remember?”

“Touché.”

When he looked at her she had a puzzled look on her face.

“What is it?”

“Aren't you hot in that jacket?”

“Concerned for me? I'm touched.”

“I'm sorry I even bothered to ask.”

“To answer your question, no I'm not. I've gotten used to wearing it during dances like this.”

She shrugged.

“It just looks so stuffy and I feel like I'm suffocating just looking at it.”

“If it'll make you feel better I'll take it off.”

“Please do. I'm sweating just looking at it. And while you’re at it, have some A/C built into that thing.”

Marquise rolled his eyes before tossing his jacket onto her bed. She got a good look at how his shirt fit the muscles of his arms.

“Better?”

“Yes actually. You don't look like that much of a dick anymore.”

He gave her a tight smile.

“Your charm precedes you.”

“Glad you like it, Your Highness.”

“Shall we reset?”

“Sure, just one question.”

“What is it?”

“How long are we gonna keep doing this?”

“As long as it takes.”

Shanelle groaned.

“The sooner you accept that we are meant to be together, the sooner we can stop.”

Shanelle rolled her eyes before they started again. As they danced, she caught the scent of his cologne.

“That's a nice cologne you’re wearing.”

“I don’t know which is more shocking, the fact you noticed that I'm wearing cologne or the fact I just got a genuine compliment out of you.”

“Note to self: keep your mouth shut from now on.”

He chuckled low.

“Thank you, Princess. It's a custom scent from my mother's favorite perfume shop in Paris.”

“I've never been to Paris. I've always wanted to go.”

“It's beautiful. Especially at night from atop the Eiffel Tower.”

“Of course you've been there.”

“No need to be jealous, love. I'll take you one day.”

“That's a dangerous promise to make.”

“Oh? And why is that?”

“Because I might be tempted to make you take me.”

“Whenever you're ready, Princess,” he whispered in her ear.

He had her right where he wanted her and she knew it. Their movements soon became more intense and a lot more sensual.

“I don't remember the scene in the movie being like this.”

“Like what?”

“So intimate.”

“It wasn't. The scene in the movie was actually pretty tame in my opinion. Then again, I'm not Patrick Swayze and you aren't Jennifer Grey and I still have my shirt on so, there's that.”

She snorted.

“Point taken.”

He spun her out away from him then back again close to the doorframe.

“You can admit it now.”

“What?”

“That this wasn't as bad as you thought it would be," he whispered.

She rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile that bloomed on her face.

“Fine. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. But you’re still a jackass.”

“You just couldn't resist the dig could you?”

She shook her head no as she watched him softly kiss the inside of her right wrist.

“You don't give up do you, Your Highness?”

“Never. If I want it, then nothing on this earth will stop me from making it mine.”

That's when he took the chance and kissed her. It was a slow kiss that quickly heated up when he backed her up against the doorframe. With his left arm keeping her steady and pressed tightly against him, he locked her door with his right. Hearing the door lock caused her to break the kiss.

“Did you just lock my door?”

“I don't want nor do I need an audience for what I'm about to do.”

“Okay I'll bite, what are you about to do?”

“You.”

Before she could respond, he slid his right hand into her hair so he could bring her lips to his. The force of the kiss made her want more. She began to crave him in any way she could get him. When their kiss broke both were breathless.

“Don't be so shocked, Princess.”

“I'm not shocked by the kiss. I'm shocked it took you so long. I figured you would've done that 20 minutes ago.”

“A gentleman always waits on a lady.”

“You're a gentleman huh? And here I thought you were a Prince.”

He snorted.

“Smartass.”

She shrugged innocently.

“Better to be a smartass than it is to be a dumb one.”

“Oh you’re good.”

“Except for when I'm bad.”

“Well, let's see how bad you can be.”

With a low growl, he captured her bottom lip between his teeth and slid his tongue into her mouth. They stumbled from the doorway back to her bed. Desperately grabbing at each other like they couldn't get close enough. Hastily taking each other's clothes off. Not wanting anything much less the fabric to stand in the way.

“You are so damn beautiful.”

“You’re not so bad looking yourself for a pompous stuck-up brat.”

He snickered.

“You are impossible, you know that right?”

“You get what your daddy bargained for.”

“You can stop doing that.”

“Stop doing what?”

“Downplaying yourself. You aren't a bargain. You are the rarest diamond on God's Green Earth. And you’re all mine.”

“What part of I'm not your property did you not understand?”

“You know what I meant, Princess.”

“Yeah yeah. Less talking. More of whatever we were doing before.”

He smirks before pinning her wrists above her head with his left hand.

“Do you trust me?”

“I guess so.”

“That's not an answer, Shanelle.”

“Yes, I trust you.”

“Good. Don't move until I tell you to and always keep your eyes on me. Understood?”

“Yes.”

He hooked his right hand behind her neck and brought her lips to his. He kissed her slowly, wanting to slowly savor the taste of her mouth. Teasing her tongue with his. As they kissed he slowly dragged his left hand along the left side of her body, leaving goosebumps along her skin. He went from kissing her to nicking the base of her neck with his teeth. He felt her body shift slightly under him, causing him to press her wrists into the pillows in a warning. He trailed featherlight kisses from her sternum to the spot between her breasts. He listened to her breathing quicken as he paid special attention to each of her breasts. Her chest rose and fell every time his mouth made contact with her skin.

“Please…” she breathed out.

She watched him put a finger to his lips.

“Soon.”

His method was complete madness to her, but she loved it just the same. He was slow, methodical, and attentive to the softest most sensitive spots in her midsection. She shivered as he dragged his tongue along her stomach. Her moans were soft and impatient, she wanted more but had to wait for him. She started to close her eyes and lose herself in the sensation, but he couldn't have that. Not yet.

“Eyes on me, Shanelle.”

“I can't wait much longer,” she whined.

“Very well, I guess you have been patient enough, love.”

He kissed his way down the inside of her right thigh while massaging the inside of her left thigh. The heat between her legs radiated as he got closer to her center. She loved feeling his lips on her thighs. He took his left thumb and rubbed her throbbing clit. When she shivered and her eyes closed, he spread her legs wide and went for it. She gasped when his tongue made contact with her clit.

“HOLY SHIT!” she shrieked.

She bit her bottom lip as she watched him feast on her. He was relentless as he ate her out. He nearly swallowed her clit before dipping his tongue inside her warm entrance. She didn’t want him to stop or move. He was a beast at making sure she was thoroughly satisfied. He snaked his left hand up her stomach to keep her still. Shanelle had nowhere to go. She was at his mercy. Her strangled moans, shrieks and other sounds she made only intensified his hunger for her.

He switched from tasting her entrance to nursing her clit, which made her toes curl. He alternated between swirling his tongue around her clit and nearly sucking her soul out of it. With his right hand, he slipped two fingers into her and finger fucked her. The stimulation caused her to scream while white knuckling her bed sheets.

“JUST LIKE THAT! THAT’S IT! MAKE ME CUM!” She screamed.

Her body, especially her legs began shaking as she struggled to hang on. She was close and he knew it. He plunged his tongue inside her and rubbed her clit with his thumb and sent her over the edge into sweet oblivion. Her eyes rolled back, her legs spasmed and her jaw went slack as she let out a silent scream and flooded his mouth with her juices. When he let her go, she was gasping for air and trembling.

“Well…that was delightful. Shall we go again Princess?”

“You…are…a…fucking…demon!” she sneered at him while trying to catch her breath.

“Happy to be of service.”

He kissed her again, savoring the feeling and taste of her mouth on his. She felt his hands grip her highs tightly. He kneaded circles with his thumbs on the soft skin. He slowly moved his right hand further between her legs. She shivered when his fingers ran along her wet folds.

“Tell me Princess…how bad do you want it?” He whispered in her ear.

“I crave it!”

“The things I am going to fucking do to you!” He hissed.

As he said that, he grabbed the condom from his pocket, then used his body to pin her down before he lined himself up with her entrance. He circled the tip around it before sliding inside her. She moaned softly when she felt him sink inside her. He started out slow. Giving her time to adjust to him.

“Goddamn, you are so wet!” He hissed.

He braced himself with one hand on her hip and the other on the headboard as he started to really move against her. Hearing her moan was all the motivation and permission he needed. Once Marquise found his rhythm it was on from there. It didn't take long for her bedroom to soon dissolve into their combined moans, groans, and the sounds their bodies made as they fucked.

“That’s it! Take it! Take this dick!” He growled as pounded her.

“Make me cum! Give me more! Give it to me!" She begged as he fucked her harder.

“That's it! Beg for it! I want to hear you beg me to fuck you!" he replied before tightening the grip he had on her hip.

She felt amazing around him. The way she took him deep drove him crazy. He wanted her that bad and the more he gave it to her, the more she wanted him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and dug her nails into his back.

“That's it, Princess. Show me that you want it!” he hissed in her ear.

Her moans were filled with lust and desperation. She wanted him to make her forget where she was at that moment. All she wanted was to feel him deep inside her.

“Marquise! I need it! I need you! Don't hold back! Give it to me! Give me all of you!” She begged.

“Say it! Say you want it! Tell me that you want me to fuck you!” he growled.

“I want it! I want you! Please don't stop! Fuck me!”

Hearing her unravel was pushing him closer towards the edge. He gathered her up in his arms as he rolled into his back. He wanted her on top. He wanted to see her face as she fell apart. He made sure he had his hands full of her ass. It was almost like he couldn't get enough of her.

“Who knew the Princess was such a whore?”

“Fuck you!” she hissed.

“That's what we're doing love.” he said with a grin. She rolled her eyes with a smirk.

“You have no idea the kind of power you have over a man like me, do you?”

“Nope. At least not until all this started but I’m starting to really enjoy it.”

“You should. You have the power to bring the world to its knees, Shanelle. All you have to do is unlock it and don't look back.”

“You talk too much.”

“You did tell me to convince you.”

“This is you convincing me?”

“I mean you are in my arms completely naked, Princess. But to answer your question, no. This is not me convincing you.” he said before bringing their lips together for a hungry and rough kiss. “This is…”

He trailed off as shifted his position slightly and then brought her down hard onto him. He filled her up completely, stealing her voice.

“You feel so fucking good! Just the way I want you to be! So goddamn tight! So wet! Take it! Take me!” He said to her.

He loved watching her lose control as he took her. She was his and he was determined to make sure she knew it.

“Look at me Shanelle!” he demanded as he forced her to look at him, “I want you to know that you belong to me! Do you hear me? Your body and your heart belong to me! Do you understand? You! Are! MINE!” He growled.

He would pull her off of him just to slam her back down. Driving her insane. His lust and need for her were insatiable. He couldn't be close enough to her. He loved feeling her claw his chest as she rode him. Her moans, gasps, mewls, and any other sound she made drove his hunger for her higher. Every stroke sent her orgasm soaring higher. She was discovering that she loved this side of him. It was raw, pure and dominant. He took control and filled the void in her life that she had desperately tried to fill. When he hit her G-Spot she damn near lost her mind.

“YES! FUCK YES! RIGHT THERE! RIGHT! FUCKING! THERE! TAKE ME! MAKE ME YOURS!” She screamed as she continued to shred his sweat soaked chest with her nails. She was teetering on her edge and soon he would be at his as well.

“That's it! Scream my name! Let it drip from those pretty lips!”

He pulled out of her leaving just the tip in, because he wanted to see her face.

“No! No! No!” She cried out in protest.

“Look at me, Shanelle.”

“Please don’t do this! Not now! Not when I’m so close!” She whined.

“LOOK! AT! ME!” He demanded.

When she looked into his eyes, all she saw was lust and power.

“I want you to look at me as you cum all over me. I want to see the desperation on your face and the wanton need in those beautiful eyes. Do you hear me? Do not break eye contact!”

He kissed her deeply and passionately, before he brought her down on his dick one last time then lost himself inside her. He watched her arch her back and felt her nails dig into his chest drawing blood as she screamed and flooded his dick. Their combined orgasms all but sealed the night for them. As they came down from the beautiful delirium he cradled her close to his chest. Stroking her back he asked her a simple question.

“Convinced yet?”

She didn’t have the strength to answer him and just pinched him.

“Ow!”

She smiled softly before drifting off to sleep in his arms.

The next morning when Shanelle woke up and looked around her room as she tried to piece last night together. It wasn’t until she looked over and saw him laying next to her that it hit her.

“Oh no! Oh no! Oh no! I didn't! I didn't! I! Didn't!”

“You did,” Marquise said with a yawn and stretch, “good morning gorgeous. Last night was fun.”

“I did not sleep with you.”

He arched an eyebrow as he sat up.

“The scratches you left on my chest and my back say otherwise.”

Shanelle wanted to die at the moment.

“Oh! And you were stone cold sober so no use in saying you were drunk to deny what we did last night.”

“What the hell was I thinking?!”

Marquise rolled his eyes.

“You can stop being so damn overdramatic now.”

“Get out of my room!” she hissed.

“I'm not leaving our room.”

“This is MY room! You are in the guest room down the hall.”

That's when he grabbed her chin and looked her dead in the eye.

“My wife is in this room and so am I. So once again, I'm not leaving OUR room.”

“I am NOT your wife!”

Marquise ran a frustrated hand down his face.

“Just when I thought we were making progress.”

“Sorry to disappoint you, Your Highness.”

“You know I would hate for you to learn the phrase 'what's yours is mine’ the hard way.”

“Is that a threat?”

“Never love. But you’re gonna have to accept the fact that we are stuck together. Whether we want to be or not. So you might as well get used to it.”

Shanelle scoffed.

“Unfuckingbelievable.”

“And now that we have that settled, breakfast is in 45 so go get in the shower.”

“What makes you think you can order me around?!”

“Don't you ever forget your station, Princess! You are beautiful. Very beautiful and one of the smartest women I have ever met. But your station and its rank are STILL WELL BELOW mine. And your consequence is also your father’s consequence. Never forget that.”

Shanelle seethed.

“So what I say goes. Do I make myself clear?”

“Go to hell!” she hissed.

“Don't make me repeat myself, Shanelle.”

Shanelle let out an explosive breath.

“Yes, I understand.”

“Good girl. Now go get in the shower. I'll see you in a few.”

He watched her throw on her robe then stomp off to her ensuite. He laid back down when he heard the water turn on. He was so close to his goal, nothing was going to stand in his way. Not even her stubbornness to admit that this is what she truly wants.

[charlies-gillespie]

you promised | charlie gillespie (part 1)

PART TWO

paring: fem!reader x charlie gillespie

summary: after finding out Charlie was cheating on her, reader confronts him and everything is brought into the open … (5) “i need you” “you should’ve thought of that before you fucked her” & (26) “you fucking promised” & (27) “she didn’t mean anything to me!” “bullshit”

requested: yes

length: short

rating: PG-13

warnings: ANGST. lots of language throughout. mentions of cheating. this whole imagine is basically an argument

!! NOT MY GIF !!

MASTERLIST || PROMPTS LIST

tag list: @mrsbrookegillespie @screwunsaidemily @herbrutals @marvelousmendess @charliegillespiewife

author’s note: this is like 3 requests in one because i thought they all went well together.

You’ve been in tears ever since you saw the messages. Stumbling across the messages between your boyfriend and the girl he was apparently sleeping with was a total accident.

Someone named ‘Eli’ texted Charlie and you clicked the notification accidentally when playing a game on Charlie’s phone since yours was dead.

Charlie’s in the shower now as you sit on the hotel bed. The two of you are staying in a hotel for a few days because your house is being renovated and you forgot to grab a charger before you left the house. Tonight was the first night in the hotel and you figured you’d just run to the store to grab a charger in the morning.

Tears are flowing down your cheeks like someone turned on a faucet in your head. You never thought that someone you love so much could break your heart like this. You never thought that someone who you thought cared about you could make you cry like this.

Everything hurts but everything feels numb at the same time. You didn’t know that Charlie could do this to you. You didn’t know that the man you loved could betray you like this. He betrayed you multiple times by the texts you read.

The shower water turns off and you watch as the bathroom door opens, revealing Charlie in a tank top and sweats. “The water pressure is really good if you wanna hop in,” Charlie tells you. He’s looking away from you as he dries his hair. “Maybe I’d be willing to shower again if you’d like me to join you.”

“I’m good,” you say, nose stuffy. “Maybe you can get your very special friend Eli to get in with you instead.”

Charlie’s head snaps toward you and asks, “Who’s Eli?”

Your blood boils at that question. “You’re seriously going to play dumb? I read the fucking texts,” you tell him. “I didn’t even mean to go into your messages but I accidentally clicked ‘Eli’s’ text notification and saw your previous texts with whoever they are.”

You watch as Charlie kneels in front of you. “Baby, please let me explain,” he pleads.

You say, “You fucking promised. You promised that it would be you and me until the end. You promised that you’d married me one day. You promised me that we could have a family together. You broke those promises.”

He says, “Y/N, please. I need to explain it to you because I need you.”

With a breathy laugh, you say, “You should’ve thought of that before you fucked her. I can’t even stand to look at you, Charlie. Did you even think about how I would feel?”

“I was going to tell you, Y/N,” he says. “I swear I was.” You roll your eyes. “She didn’t mean anything to me!”

You snap, “Bullshit. That’s complete bullshit and you know it. You slept with her several times, Charlie. I know you did from the texts. How am I ever supposed to just forgive you for that?”

Charlie looks at me with sad eyes and says, “Y/N, I swear it was a mistake. I was super drunk and didn’t know what I was doing. She was a mistake. She really didn’t mean anything to me.”

“I can’t believe you’re trying to justify you cheating on me, Charlie,” you sob. “If you loved me you would’ve said no. If you truly loved me, you would’ve stayed loyal.”

He says softly, “I do love you, Y/N. She was a mistake. I shouldn’t have let her talk drunk me into it. I knew better than that.”

You say, “It’s not that hard to keep your dick in your pants, Charlie. I hope one day you learn from this.” You grab your still packed bag.

Charlie begins to plead. “Y/N, don’t go. Stay here and we can talk about this. Please. I need to talk to you about this. I need to explain everything.”

With a shake of your head, you say, “I can’t do this tonight. I can’t. Goodbye, Charlie.”

You leave the room, shutting the door behind you.

You think you just left the man you fell in love with, but Charlie isn’t the guy you love with. The man you left behind is a shell of a guy that you once loved.

Charlie never really loved you. If he did, he would’ve stayed loyal to you. If he cared, he wouldn’t have cheated.

He’d never hurt you. The man sitting in the hotel room is the shell of someone who once loved and cared about you.

He promised. He fucking promised, and he intentionally broke those promises.

[demetriandelibinaryboyfriends]

“They were expecting to find Miguel Diaz. What they weren’t expecting to find was love.”

Imagining of Season 5 in which Demetri and Eli go on a totally straight and totally heterosexual Dudebro road trip to Mexico to find their best friend. Unfortunately, when you’re trapped in a car with someone for hours on end, you might have to start confronting some feelings you wish weren’t there.

Well, everyone, I caved. I fucking caved. I said so many times that I wasn’t going to write CK fanfiction because GODDAMN if I don’t have too many WIPs in other fandoms, but like. The desire to write a homoerotic road trip fic was just too damn much.

I’ve never tried formally writing these two before, so I have no idea if it’s any good, but GOD did I try lol. Not much plot here, mostly just Vibes, gay tension, and missing and worrying about Best Boy Miguel!!! Also written partly out of spite because I’m just constantly seeing Miguel/Demetri friendship erasure in the fandom and it’s gotten me HEATED, so now I’m writing about Demetri going off to find Miguel in Mexico and internally monologuing about how worried he is and y’all just gonna have to deal with it. Fun fact: Miguel and Demetri love each other, and I will not hear otherwise under any circumstances :D

Also I can’t believe I’ve been in this fandom over a year and it took fucking writing this fic to realize Demetri has an extremely bad case of generalized anxiety disorder D: Like he worries about every all the time and honestly? Same

Uhhhhh CW for mentions of human trafficking, even if it’s done in jest (they’re teenage boys after all, this is the kinda thing teenage boys joke about lol) and some zesty...physical references, but the sauciest thing they do is make out because I’m asexual and do not wish to write smut XD

Fic is under the cut!!! Be warned, it is a 4k word longboi!!!

EDIT: There is now a sequel here as well!!!

***

“I cannot even begin to tell you how unsafe this is.”

“Uh huh. Go on.”

“I’m serious, Eli! We’re parked out in the middle of nowhere in a desert that never ends and the only signs of civilization are those cars going by on the highway at like 90 miles an hour. This is how people get kidnapped. And used for…I don’t know, human trafficking or something.”

Eli rolls over from where he lies next to Demetri on the car roof, scowling at him. “You think the traffickers are going to want you?”

Demetri scoffs, offended at the implication. “I’ll have you know I am a catch! The hottest girl in school thought so for a while.”

Eli breaks into a smirk. “Didn’t Yasmine like…use you as a beard, dude?”

“That’s not—she’s not—she didn’t—look, it doesn’t count if she didn’t know she was lesbian until after we got together!” Demetri splutters, gesturing vaguely as he attempts to arrive at a point.

“Wouldn’t that make it even worse?”

“Still speaks volumes to my suave disposition that she had no issue appearing to be dating me.”

“I’ll never understand it.” Eli turns away, gaze flicking back up to the stars.

“As I was saying.” Demetri stubbornly goes on. Someone has to knock some sense into Eli Moskowitz—access that logical coding brain he knows is in there somewhere. “Just because we’re a little ways off the main road doesn’t mean someone isn’t going to see us parked out in the middle of bumfuck nowhere. They could still come out here, break into the car, and do—well, whatever they want! It’s not like anyone would hear us yelling for help. We should have gotten a motel room.”

Eli snorts. “What, are we throwing hundred dollar bills around like we’re Terry Fucking Silver? It was hard enough mooching enough gas money off my mom. Besides, we know karate. If anyone comes after us, we could take them.”

Demetri rolls his eyes. “Right, my bad. I forgot I’m under the protection of the latest AVT champ.”

“Damn right.”

“I’m holding you to that, by the way. If we get kidnapped, and you can’t fend them off, I’m going to be really mad.”

“Completely understandable.”

A lull passes over the boys. For several moments, there’s no sound but desert wind, the hum of crickets and cicadas, and the sound of distant traffic. They had pulled off onto some dirt service road and driven for a while before they arrived and parked at what Eli decided was “the perfect sleeping spot.”

“I can’t believe you’re not tired,” Eli pipes up. “You’ve been driving like…all day.”

Demetri shrugs, car roof cool against his neck and shoulders. The sweltering daytime heat has long since faded from the metal.

“I don’t know. I guess I didn’t know when I’d get the chance to stargaze again. It’s kind of hard with all the light pollution. I remember we used to try on your trampoline, and whenever we’d get excited about a particularly bright one, it would turn out to be LAX’s newest outgoing flight.”

“Yeah, there’s a lot more going on out here. Might as well enjoy it.”

Demetri scans over the flickering shape of the Milky Way before stealing a glance over at Eli. He can’t help but smile.

His friend’s eyes are filled with a kind of shameless awe and wonder he hasn’t seen in years. Eli has always been drawn to the sky—day, night, or otherwise. Sometimes in elementary school, when they were all out of game ideas, they would spend recess cloud-watching. Eli would get so wrapped up in it that sometimes when the lunch bell rang, Demetri would have to poke him several times to get his attention. How appropriate that his eventual karate nickname would be bird-related.

He’s beautiful when he’s like this. And right now, it’s particularly aggravating.

Unfortunately, Demetri’s admiration has not gone unnoticed. Eli turns and gives him a disparaging look.

“Dude, why are you staring at me?”

Demetri snorts, trying to sound as scornful as possible. “I was not! Don’t flatter yourself. I just haven’t seen you this relaxed in a while.”

Eli shrugs. “I guess so. Kind of peaceful out here. Nice to get away from all the city noise. Too bad Sensei LaRusso isn’t around to make us do katas or some shit.”

Demetri snickers. “Yeah, I’d like to see him try and meditate in downtown Guadalajara. Or wherever the hell he and Sensei Lawrence are now.”

“You think they made it to Guadalajara already?” Eli whistles. “That is generous, Demetri.”

“Is it really that far?”

“A good 900 miles from here. I would know—my eyes still hurt from staring at the map app all damn day.”

Demetri considers for a moment before nodding.

“You’re right. Sensei Lawrence probably broke the GPS. Somehow.”

“Either that, or he and Sensei LaRusso spent more time arguing over what route to take than actually driving.”

The boys break out laughing, the noise of it heavy in the quiet desert night. Hours of tense driving drain out of Demetri’s body all at once, and suddenly he feels so carefree he could be 7 again.

It isn’t all that different from how they used to be. Laughing at the stupidest shit, making fun of everyone whose life was just as much a mess as theirs, being wrapped up in their own little world. All a constant that had always given Demetri some semblance of security…before junior year, anyways.

Now, he can finally have that security back. Eli isn’t going anywhere, especially not in the middle of the Sonoran desert. What would he do, tie a little bindle to a stick and run off to live in a cactus?

As the laughter dies down, Demetri turns his head back to the stars. It’s not hard to see how Eli could get entranced by them. They’re stunning—silver on black, with the white puffs and clouds of the Milky Way blotched out above distant mountains.

A blinking red light and a distant hum indicates air travelers passing through the area. Demetri chuckles, something distant resurfacing.

“Remember when we were like…9, and we came up with that big, elaborate plan about what we would do if aliens invaded?”

“Sure,” Eli says. “You wanted to fight them off with swords. I didn’t have the heart to tell you that would be stupid.”

“Ah, yes.” Demetri hums thoughtfully. “That was during my Lord of the Rings phase. In my defense, I thought it would look really cool to fence with an alien. I still maintain it would be…well, interesting.”

Eli snickers. “Dude. They’d just blast you in half with a laser gun. It wouldn’t even be a fight.”

Demetri can only scoff. “Who says they have laser guns? Maybe they’re not that technologically advanced!”

“But they can pilot spaceships multiple light years to other planets?! Bullshit. You just wanted to be Aragorn.”

“Who doesn’t want to be Aragorn?!”

“Uh, Gandalf is way cooler, man.”

Demetri snorts again. “Oh, so now we’re going to defeat extraterrestrial invaders with ancient wizardry? Which we’ll acquire where?”

“Still more likely than you learning how to wield a sword properly.”

“How dare you! I used to watch so many YouTube tutorials! Anyways, it’s ambitious to claim you’re Gandalf, Eli. I think you’re more of a Gollum, personally. You know, with the corruption arc and the conniving and scheming and all.”

“Oh, you take that back!”

Eli pounces on him, shoving him hard to the side. Demetri bursts out laughing, sides aching as he slides toward the edge of the car roof.

He starts to slip. He barely has a moment to panic before strong hands are grabbing his arm.

There’s an awkward moment as their eyes meet, Eli’s fingers still fastened around Demetri’s wrist. Demetri slowly lets out his breath, heart starting to pound.

Always best to diffuse the situation, Demetri figures.

He takes his free hand and presses the back of it against his forehead. “Oh, my hero! My brave, brave Eli ‘Hawk’ Moskowitz! You saved me!”

He expects Eli to make a snide comment, but his eyes instead flick around the way they always do when he’s nervous. When he’s caught off-guard.

“It was instinct,” he mutters. “I…should’ve let you faceplant in the dirt, actually. That would’ve been funny.”

The beginnings of a smirk returns, and the moment is lost.

“But you didn’t.” Demetri smiles shrewdly. For Eli, actions have always spoken a little louder than words.

Eli groans. “I’m going to shove you off for real if you don’t wipe that shit-eating look off your face, man.”

“Doubt it.”

Demetri rolls his eyes, but he’s laughing as Eli pulls him the rest of the way up. When they lay down on the roof again, they’re a little closer than before.

“You know…” Demetri chuckles softly. “I’m actually kind of glad Sensei Lawrence and Mr. L didn’t let us tag along.”

“Oh yeah? Why’s that?” Eli turns to face him, smirk widening. “You think they would’ve taken a wrong turn and gotten us all lost in Chihuahua?”

Demetri shrugs. “I wouldn’t put it past them. Even Sam couldn’t save them from their own ineptitude.”

“Still can’t believe she persuaded them to let her come,” Eli mumbles.

“Samantha LaRusso is a firecracker. Also probably one of the most stubborn people I know. You’re very lucky I persuaded her to take you off her shitlist.”

“You did?” Eli sounds surprised. “How did that go?”

He shrugs. “Well, she nearly punched me a couple times. But I guess when both your boyfriend and your best dojo buddy vouch for a guy, it helps soften the grudge a bit.”

“I was surprised she went after him, to be honest. I guess I was wrong about her. She’s more loyal than I thought.”

Demetri rolls his eyes. Like Eli has any room to make judgments about romantic loyalty, considering Miguel told Demetri that Eli planned on having “an entire rotation of girls” after he broke up with Moon.

“Well, anyways,” Demetri says. “Not that I’d want to get mixed up in our Senseis’ complete lack of competence, but I mostly just like having you all to myself.”

He reaches out and pokes Eli in the chest, earning a glare.

“That so?” Eli’s glower fades, his tone teasing. “So what are you gonna do when we find El Serpiente and you have to share me again?”

Demetri gasps in mock horror. “Excuse me, bold of you to assume I’m not the one graciously lending out my best friend Miguel Diaz to you. If it weren’t for my impeccable sense of humor, he never would have even sat at our table.”

Eli chuckles. “I remember you looked so frantic when you waved him over. Like ‘oh god, when will anyone else ever want to be our friend?’ If only you knew it would be the greatest mistake of your life.”

Demetri snorts. “Hardly. I’d been waiting for ages to see Kyler get his ass handed to him. Besides, finding another person who actually gives a crap about you after, like, 10 years of most everyone hating you is well worth a karate war or two. Even, yes, if it means I don’t get Eli Moskowitz all to myself on occasion. Honestly…” He laughs, feeling suddenly hollow. “Neither of us deserve that kid.”

“Yeah.”

Eli’s smile begins to slip. Demetri knows the feeling.

It’s the same feeling he got when he went to Miyagi-Do practice and saw Amanda LaRusso hugging a sobbing Carmen Diaz. It’s the same feeling he got when he ran up to Miguel after watching him win the All-Valley, only to be almost immediately brushed aside.

The fear of losing Eli had always been loud and vicious and ruthless. It tore at him in the night and left his body trembling until morning. It sent him running to the bathroom, dry-heaving until his stomach ached. It sunk its claws into him and rooted them there. Punched them down harder when he saw Eli in the hallways with rage and hatred and cruelty in his eyes. It was a constant agony that followed him wherever he went

The fear of losing Miguel was different. Quieter. Like a parasite slowly eating its way through his insides, a small but ever-present ache in his gut. The tiny but profoundly persistent feeling that something was very, very wrong. Brief trembles and a few quick breaths and momentary bouts of nausea that seemed to be the opening act for something much worse. His mind dancing through a thousand “what ifs” and eventually drifting to the worst ones, whirring louder than an overheated laptop as it churned out hypothetical disaster after hypothetical disaster. An eternal gnawing, chipping away at him like he was a gemstone being cut for a ring. It was the storm on the horizon—thunder that made him uneasy, but didn’t scare him. Not yet.

If the fear of losing Eli had been a jump scare, or the gory, lethal slice of a killer’s axe, then the fear of losing Miguel was the slow buildup to a horrifying reveal, accompanied by a disquieting soundtrack. The constant anxiety that every corner had a monster behind it.

And right now, it’s carving a tunnel through him that’s only getting wider and wider. Demetri wonders how long it will be before he’s completely emptied out.

“I don’t think I deserve either of you,” Eli says. “Miguel always tried to be there for me. You never gave up on me. And I just…” He trails off.

Demetri snorts. “Well, only one of us was able to stomach having their back repeatedly stabbed with needles for 10+ hours. Or had the absolute balls of steel to dye their hair bright purple.”

Eli chuckles. “That’s true.”

The pit in Demetri’s stomach doesn’t take long to return.

“I’m worried about him,” he admits. “From what I picked up from Mr. L, his dad’s not a good guy. I can’t stop thinking about something happening to him out there. And especially after…”

Demetri trails off.

He knows Eli knows what he means. The fall that shattered Miguel’s back shattered both of their lives, too.

The shorter boy frowns. “Do you think he’s going to be okay?”

Demetri forces a smile, trying to contain the unease leaking through his veins again. “Come on, Eli. If anyone can handle himself out there, it’s Miguel.”

“Are we going to find him?”

Demetri senses him slipping back into the old Eli, timid and soft-spoken and waiting on his loud-mouthed other half to call the shots. It’s a tell-tale sign, he’s learned over the past few months, that his friend is stressed. Or scared.

Often both.

Demetri reaches out, giving Eli’s shoulder a squeeze. “Yes. I promise.”

Demetri Alexopoulos is not usually one to reassure. He’s always turned his nose up at idealism, dismissing anything that could turn out to be false hope. It’s hardly worth indulging in when there’s a high probability you’ll be let down.

But now…

For both his and Eli’s sakes, he needs Miguel to be all right. He needs Miguel to be safe.

Fucking hell, he needs it so badly it hurts.

He isn’t sure if it will ever be quite as bad as worrying about Eli in Cobra Kai, and whatever fucked up training and battle-conditioning and mind-twisting they did to people in there. Still, worrying about Miguel is the kind of soft torment that could kill Demetri slowly if he let it.

“I miss him,” Eli says.

“Me, too.”

“I’m scared for him, Demetri. I’m scared for him and it’s eating me up.”

Eli’s voice shakes as he says it. His eyes are slowly growing wide with terror, tears brimming in the corners.

It reminds Demetri of the olden days, for better or for worse. When he had to be the strong one. And seeing the past cycle back around unexpectedly shakes him to his core.

For all his complaints about ‘Hawk,’ the persona had given Eli a brazen, fearless streak that filled him with the fire to charge into battle. Protect his friends, crush his enemies. Now, it seemed he’d lost hold of the belief he could do either.

“Eli.” Demetri lets his voice soften as he gives his friend’s shoulder another squeeze. “You won the fucking All-Valley Karate Tournament. I made it to the semi-finals. If we find out anyone’s been messing with Miguel, we can—and will—destroy them. No mercy.”

Eli smiles weakly. It’s small, but it’s something. “Never knew you had such a Cobra side to you.”

“Well, don’t get too excited. It only comes out on special occasions.”

Eli sighs, popping his jaw a little. “It would be easier if we knew what we were up against. Like is this guy a drug lord? Some kind of mafia boss? Does he have like…a Mexican karate gang?”

Demetri chuckles. “I know,” he huffs. “Doesn’t help that I’m pretty sure Mr. El Serpiente has not answered a single text since leaving LA. The least he could do is send a courtesy ‘I’m still alive’ text.”

“Probably worried you’ll track his phone.”

“I mean yes. I would. It’s just practical. But that’s beside the point.”

Eli laughs briefly before his face slips back into a frown. He lets out a small sigh.

“It’s just a lot,” Eli says. “To deal with. Um…emotionally, I guess. That might be weird to say. But I had to tell someone.”

“Perfectly understandable. If it helps at all, this whole thing’s been hard on me, too. I’m honestly surprised I’m holding it together as much as I am.”

Demetri realizes his hand has never left Eli’s shoulder. Almost automatically, he squeezes it again.

Eli needs it tonight.

“I’m going to give Miguel the biggest lecture of his life when we find him,” Demetri mumbles. “Who does he think he is, continuously scaring the living crap out of us like this?!”

Eli gives him a courtesy chuckle, but his smile quickly fades again. A sort of heavy melancholy settles over them, like El Segundo fog under cloudy skies.

“Do you think we’d feel better if we kissed?”

Eli speaks, and the fog abruptly clears to make way for a lightning bolt of pure confusion. Demetri blinks several times, stunned into uncharacteristic silence.

“Wh—Eli, what—uh…”

He’s stuttering, completely lost for halfway articulate words. Eli lets out a frustrated sigh, like he’s explaining some complicated math concept to him for the 15th time.

“I’m just saying. You’re sad about Miguel. I’m sad about Miguel. Maybe if we got each other a little hot and bothered, we could take our minds off it.”

“You…want us to kiss?” Demetri has to actively hold back the enormous grin threatening to explode through his cheeks. “As a distraction?”

“Yeah, y’know.” He can tell Eli is trying to sound nonchalant, but his eyes are glancing anywhere but Demetri’s. “Just forget about our friend for a few minutes and indulge in some primal urges and shit. Get off for a bit. At least something can make us feel good.”

“And you’re confident enough that we’ll both be into it to the point it’ll significantly lift our spirits?”

Demetri feels panic begin to crawl through him. Panic, because he suddenly has to act nonchalant. Relaxed. Like this isn’t everything he’s ever wanted.

He’s had hope a few times, over the years. The sensitive streak. The colored hair. The over-the-top theatrics. The girl Eli was most drawn to turning out not to be straight herself.

But Eli pined over Moon and talked about picking up chicks and loved a good brawl and could yell louder than anyone and got manly tattoos of birds of prey and omens of death. None of these things seemed anything but heterosexual.

Demetri always tried to push it down. The sadness, the longing, the desperation to know what the other boy’s lean form felt like cradled in his. These past few months, Demetri had been so relieved to have Eli’s friendship back that he’d forgotten to yearn for more. He thought maybe the feelings would finally die—he could take a step back and appreciate his relationship with his best friend for what it was.

No such luck.

“Hey, I mean.” Eli scoots closer, and Demetri’s trembling so badly that he wonders if he’s going to fall off the car again. “If it helps at all, you can pretend I’m Yas.”

Demetri makes a face, whatever spell Eli was sending his way abruptly broken. “Eli, ew! What kind of pervert do you think I am that my fantasies involve kissing women who aren’t even attracted to men?”

“A pretty standard pervert, actually.” Eli smirks, and Demetri can only shake his head.

He takes a breath, hoping it doesn’t bleed through how anxious he is.

“So, uh…getting off with another guy is sufficiently badass enough for you?”

Demetri has to make sure this isn’t a joke. That Eli isn’t fucking with him. He doesn’t think he could handle it if he was.

Eli’s smirk only widens. “Is it really gay if we’re out in the middle nowhere, and no one ever sees?”

Demetri shrugs. “Yeah, all right. I’m surprised you’re down for it is all.”

“A man’s got needs. And your mouth works just as well as a chick’s. Now should I start or do you—”

Eli doesn’t finish. Demetri clutches his other shoulder and pulls him forward, slotting their lips together.

Demetri is not at all prepared for how hungry Eli is. He feels a sturdy hand work its way into his hair, yanking him closer. Eli’s other arm wraps around his waist, holding him in place more stubbornly than a roller coaster safety bar.

He slides his arms around Eli’s neck, and the other boy uses it as an excuse to push them together even further. It’s as though if he’s not touching every inch of Demetri’s body, he’ll dissolve away.

Demetri doesn’t mind. He just hopes Eli doesn’t feel his heart hammering against his ribcage. That would be embarrassing.

Demetri remembers Moon telling him about her guilt after kissing Eli at the tournament. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision, an impulse driven by sudden pity and jumping on whatever she believed would help him feel better. It did its job well enough. Like a video game power-up, it gave Eli the extra boost he needed to smash his way to a victory. Maybe if pretty girls wanted to kiss him in front of an audience, Eli was still the shit.

Moon told Demetri later that she never felt hollower. It was all for show—a simple gesture done out of love for a friend, but nothing with any real feeling or desire behind it.

This didn’t feel like a pity kiss. This didn’t feel like a “just trying to make each other feel good so we get the extra serotonin” kiss. There’s no one to show off to, no tournament they need to hype each other up to win. And Eli is clutching him too tightly and pressing against him too fiercely for this to be about nothing more than momentary pleasures.

Eli is almost kissing him like he’s been desperately longing for this, too. Almost.

Then again, Demetri knows better than to cling to false hope.

At some point they roll over, Demetri sprawled over the top of Eli like the world’s boniest blanket. They keep going, and Demetri is relatively sure he’s ascended into paradise. The dopamine soaring through him is better than the rush he gets winning a karate match. Or beating a particularly hard level of Crucible Control. Or staying up all night bingeing a new season of Doctor Who.

Sad that this is going to be the peak of his life, though. Only 17 years old, and he’s already had what is undoubtedly the best experience he ever will. It’s all downhill from here.

Demetri finally pulls away, panting and gasping for breath. Eli smiles up at him, and Demetri realizes he doesn’t need the desert sun to feel like he’s melting.

It’s faint, but there’s starlight in Eli’s eyes. A tiny piece of the endless cosmos above.

Demetri wants to cry.

“You’re pretty good.”

Eli’s smile widens as he says it—a beautiful, genuine smile, nothing like the smirks and the leers that he used to wear so well.

“So are you.” Demetri laughs softly. “I’ll give it to you, Eli. This was a good idea.”

“Yeah, obviously. Like I didn’t catch you sneaking glances to check me out the whole car ride.”

“Like you didn’t do the same with me.”

He can’t help himself. He leans down and kisses Eli again.

Apparently, it takes quite a while to get it fully out of their systems. When they’ve finally tired themselves out, Demetri pulls back and lays his head on Eli’s chest.

He feels well-muscled arms, once thinner than twigs, wrap around his torso.

His eyes slide shut, and he focuses only on the sound of the crickets, the feel of Eli’s breaths rising and falling below him. The warmth of Eli against him. The breeze drifting across his arm. The dusty smell on the wind, drizzled with the faint aroma of prickly pear. The twittering of nightjars. Cars catapulting by on the distant Carretera Hermosillo-Nogales. The occasional soft hoot of an owl.

He’s slipping into a lull when a coyote howls eerily in the distance. He lifts his head, turning to look at Eli.

“We should probably head to bed,” he says blearily. “We have to make it all the way to Mazatlán tomorrow.”

Eli groans. “Okay, okay. Get off me.”

Demetri obliges, and Eli sits up and crawls to the edge of the car roof. He tenses his legs and leaps off, disappearing from sight and landing on the dirt with a heavy thump.

When Demetri follows, he finds Eli standing below with his arms spread wide and another shit-eating grin on his face. “I’ll catch you, babe.”

Demetri rolls his eyes more dramatically than he has all night. “Right, let me just throw myself off my princess tower.”

He hurls himself off the car roof. Eli catches him, but not well.

They both land in a shrieking mass in the dirt. Before long, they’re laughing again.

Demetri stands up, offering a hand to his friend. Eli takes it, and Demetri tugs him to his feet.

Eli doesn’t pull his hand away as Demetri leads them back to the car.

Demetri wants it to mean something, his fingers locked around Eli’s. It probably doesn’t. But maybe it does.

He’ll have to hold on to that maybe.