#EDIT 2: ANGEL HE CALLS HER ANGEL CAUSE SHES ALWAYS HELPING EVERYONE AND IS SO JICE

[mymelodyisme]

Okay but Mys and Shane totally have pet names for each, some that stuck around from the days when they weren’t supposed to be cute nicknames.

Shane for Mys: Doll face, Sunshine, Gumball/Drop, Dotty, Princess, Daisy, Sweat Pea, Chatterbox, Angel

Mys for Shane: Grumpy, Handsome, Cheekie, Sour Patch, Lemon Drop, Pizza Pie, Light of my Life

Also!! 🥺 Shane calls her Henny instead of honey because chickens, and so she calls him Rooster. So,,,

Henny ♥️ Rooster

Bonus: some nicknames they call Jas 😋

Jazzy, Kiddo, Little Princess, Little Flower, Little Lady, Little Fairy

[hikarimiyanaga]

Loving You (Part 5)

Part 1 I Part 2 I Part 3 I Part 4

Because exams make me stressed. But I did get through some of them. And I think I only have one more to go! So here comes an update!

Warning : Omegaverse. Beta!Reader x Omega!Wanda Maximoff. Curse Words. Mentions of Bullying. Indication of Self-Harm.

Also, just tell me if I need to add more warnings so I can edit as quickly as I can.

Taglist : @mitchiesdungeon / @upsidedowndanvers / @trikruismybitch / @fayhar / @madamevirgo

-

Monday comes and you stretch your body. You were spent yesterday. There was an emergency at the firm, so your Mom and your sisters had to be there. So you spent half of the day cleaning the house with your Ma but then she also had to go because the emergency got bigger so you had to go do all the cleaning and chores by yourself. You also didn’t get to talk to Wanda because your phone was inside your room all day. The morning was a blur and you snap out of your daze when someone talks to you.

“Did I do something wrong?” Wanda asks before you could even go to your locker. You furrow your eyebrows and shake your head.

“What? No.”

“Then why didn’t you talk with me yesterday?” You yawn.

“Do I have to?” Wanda gets taken aback as you push past her. She looks shocked at your question. She thought that things were going well? Did she really do something wrong? She clutches her chest as she goes to her first class. Pietro pushes you away from your locker and you let him. It was like the old times where people just shove you or push you.

“What the fuck is wrong with you? Are you an idiot?” You don’t answer. You just get your book and close your locker. “Y/LN!” He grabs your arm and you have had enough.

You haven’t had enough sleep.

Your body hurts like someone just smashed it with a sledgehammer.

People are suddenly talking to you.

Your own family doesn’t trust you.

Janine just tried to bully you again last week. You had a nightmare about all the things she had done last year.

You got mad so suddenly because people think you’re trying something when you just want a quiet life.

You’re falling faster and you can’t risk it if Wanda is not your soulmate because you knew that if you do fall then that’s it. A one-time deal that you had no say in.

You dread every day that you get older because it’s just a step away in proving to everyone that you won’t get accepted to colleges.

You’re a Beta who doesn’t deserve to live.

Tears fall and you take a deep breath. Pietro lets go and you thank the stars. You don’t need anyone trying something with you today. You were silent as you wipe your tears away while going to your class.

-

“Y/LN.” Natasha calls out during lunch and you sigh. You were inside the library and people still somehow found you. You look up to her and sigh as you pack up your things and get your bag. She drags you outside and you just let her. Will this be the day that the Avengers would finally bully you? You just hope they don’t drag along Wanda… damn it. It’s your fault again. Your stomach falls as Natasha drags you to the cafeteria. Will they publicly humiliate you?

“Natasha! What are you-“ Natasha stops as you both get to their table.

“Explain.” You stop as Wanda hides behind Pietro.

“What?”

“Why are you suddenly being a dick?” Angel holds out her hand for them to stop.

“Why are you wearing a jacket?” You pull down your sleeves to hide your wrists and both Wanda and Angel lunge at you, you try to push them away but Natasha tackles you down. She holds you down as Wanda and Angel look at your wrists. They let go as they gasp. You stop resisting and sigh. Natasha checks and glares at you.

“WHAT THE FUCK!?” She shouts at you and you don’t even flinch. You look at her with blank eyes and she gulps. What the hell happened?

“Get off me.” You mumble and Natasha complies. You get your bag and get the letter that you received yesterday. “Here.” You hold it out to Wanda and she shakily gets it. You stand and try to leave but Angel stops you. Wanda opens it and cries as she reads. She hugs you and gives Angel the letter. You don’t hug her back.

“What the hell!? Who the fuck sent this!?” Angel shouts and Natasha snatches the letter out of her hand. “You fucking assholes!” Pietro holds Angel back as the Avengers read the letter. Their faces get angrier by the second.

“Who the fuc-“

“Does it matter?” Wanda pulls away and you snatch the letter up. “It’s the truth anyways. Hope you had-“ Angel slaps you and you scoff. “Is that-“ Pietro grabs your collar. He snarls at you.

“This isn’t the truth! For fuck’s sake!”

“It is.” You mumble and Wanda grabs your hand. She drags you to the courtyard and pushes you on the bench that you two always hung out on. She straddles you and you immediately feel calm. She whispers comforting words and you can’t help but hug her. You realize your actions while in daze and you can’t help but cry. You whisper your apologies over and over but Wanda just keep shushing you and rubbing your back.

-

You groan as the school bell rings. You went to the nurse and got your wrists bandaged up. You’ve been out of it and only went to classes like a drone.

“You okay?” You nod at Angel and get your things into your bag. It’s a good thing that your hand just wrote notes automatically since you knew that nothing got inside your head. “Let’s start tomorrow, okay? Rest up.”

“Thanks.” You mumble as you get out of your last class. You realize that two people were waiting for you and Angel.

“Hey, babe.” Angel greets and Natasha smiles as they hold hands. They kiss and Angel turns to you. “Bye, Y/N, Wanda.”

“Bye.” You both say and wave at them as they leave. You sigh as you face her.

“Wanda. I’m really sorr-“ She hugs you and you hug her back.

“Don’t be. Just.” She pulls away and flicks your forehead. “Tell me next time.”

“About?”

“The letter and the thoughts.” You nod and sigh. You both walk outside.

“It’s just.” You sigh as you run a hand along your hair. “My thoughts got out of hand and there was just no one else in the house.” You clench your fists. “They spiraled before I noticed.” Wanda holds your hand and you calm down.

“That’s why tell me. I’ll run to you if you ever have them.”

“Why?” She smiles and pulls you closer to her.

“Because I meant what I said. I don’t think I could live without you.” You kiss her and she kisses you back.

“Aren’t we moving too fast? We just met a month ago.” She chuckles and pulls away.

“Maybe. But I don’t care.” She intertwines her hand to yours. “This feels right. You feel right.” You smile at her words.

“I love you.” Wanda’s heart beat faster and you smirk as she blushes. “I love how your hand fits with mine. How your scent calms me down. How kissing you feels like I’m on cloud nine.”

“Sweet talker.” She kisses you.

“No. Just being honest.”

-

You go to school next day with your bandaged wrists exposed and you feel everyone stare at them. You go to Wanda’s locker.

“Hey.” She smiles at you and closes her locker. She takes your hand and you kiss her.

“You’re not covering them.” You hum as you both go to your locker.

“Mom and Ma got angry which is why I’m going to Therapy later. Sorry I can’t meet with you.” She shakes her head as you take your books.

“Your emotional health takes priority.” You pout as you close your locker.

“But you’re my cure.” She pushes you away and you chuckle.

“Shut up.” She mumbles as you take her hand.

“Y/N? No jacket?” Angel asks as she, Natasha, Steve, Bucky and Pietro approach you two.

“Nope.” You show them your wrist and shrugs. “Why bother?” Angel smiles. “By the way, can we start on Thursday for the project? I have a session today and a date tomorrow.”

“Oh? So it’s official now? You two are dating?”

“Oh. They are if they’re not then I’m going to beat up Y/N.” You chuckle as Wanda rolls her eyes.

“You’re only older by twelve minutes, Pietro, don’t push it.”

“Older is older, Wanda.” You laugh as you all get to class.

-

Lunch comes and Wanda picks you up from your classroom. You both go to the cafeteria.

“Finally eating like normal people?” Angel asks as you and Wanda sit on their table.

“We do eat.”

“Sandwiches and juice. The cafeteria offers much more.” You shrug as you eat.

“Convenient is convenient.” Angel shakes her head at you.

“Y/LN.” Tony calls out and you look at him.

“What’s up?”

“Sorry for being sexist assholes.” You stop and so does everyone else around you. They wait with bated breath. “We judged before we even knew you.” You smile at him and before you could even reply, Natasha says something first.

“Sorry for getting jealous. I don’t like it when anyone else asks for Angel’s number.” You chuckle and nod.

“Thank you for apologizing.” Tony holds out his hand and you accept it.

-

“Y/N!” Alsie calls out from her car and you turn to Wanda.

“That’s my ride. See you tomorrow?” She nods and you kiss her.

“I love you.” You grin.

“I love you too.”

-

“So what do you think was the cause?”

“Two phrases. It was ‘always your fault’… and-“ You mumble the last part and your therapist, Dr. Martin lean towards you.

“Y/N. Speak up, I’m af-“ You cut her off.

“Wanda is just pretending.”

“And you believed it?” You laugh.

“Yes. That’s why I was in a daze. I believed every line and every word.”

“Why is that?” You sigh.

“I was afraid.”

“Of what?”

“Everything that was happening.” You take a deep breath. “People were being nice to me. My sisters suddenly visited. My mom and ma started getting interested in my life… I guess everything was changing and I didn’t want to believe it.”

“Or rather you were afraid of it.”

“Yes.”

“I know changes are a scary thing but they are inevitable. You have all these happenings, what do you think is the root of them?”

“Wanda.”

“Who?”

“Well, she’s-“ You take a deep breath. “I think I’m falling for her.”

“Think?” You shake your head.

“I already am.” Linda smiles and you sigh. “I just- I think it’s too fast. Everything that’s happening.”

“And why is that?”

“I’m just a Beta! I don’t deserve-“

“And that’s why you’re so afraid. You’re second gender.” You nod.

“It’s the reason why I got bullied. Why teachers are ignoring me. Why people avoid me.”

“Why you also got disconnected with your own family.”

“Yes. I believed that I deserved everything because of something that I cannot control.”

“It’s good that you do remember our past sessions.” You chuckle.

“Things are changing and I have to accept them for what they are.”

“Yes. And you’re second gender?”

“Is something I did not choose nor should be ashamed of.”

-

“How’d it go?” Alsie asks as you stretch your body after leaving Dr. Martin’s office.

“Good.” Alsie nods then stands.

“Where’s the letter?”

“Why? What do you need it for?”

“Things.”

“You’re going to find who wrote it, aren’t you?”

“Yes.” You comply and give her the letter.

“Tell me who it is before you destroy their life, will you?”

“Why?”

“I might want to get in a punch or two.” Alsie grins and nods. You both get out and go home.

-

You go to school the next day and stretch as you walk down the hallways. You see Wanda and smile as you approach her.

“Hey, gorgeous, good morning.” “Morning.” She yawns and you take her hand.

“Is something wrong?”

“Just tired.” Pietro chuckles as he approaches you two. “Mom made her clean our garage all night.” You raise an eyebrow at him.

“Why?”

“She was caught sneaking out.”

“For what?”

“You. I wanted to see you.” You grin and kiss her.

“You could’ve just video call me.” She pouts.

“That’s not the same.” You laugh.

“I guess not.”

-

You hum as you sit on the bench. You just finished your date with Wanda and you were both on a stroll around the park. Wanda straddles you. You hug her and she hums.

“Don’t you have curfew today?” She frowns at you.

“Do you want me to leave?” You shake your head.

“Of course not, but I don’t want you to get in trouble.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to be a bad influence.” You kiss her. “When I meet your parents, I want them to know my intentions with you.”

“What intentions?” You hum.

“That’s for them to know and for you to find out.” She pouts and you chuckle.

-

You yawn as you and Angel hover your laptop. You were at the cafeteria with the Avengers. You’ve brought your laptop for the day so you two could start the project. Both Wanda and Natasha are fuming with your and Angel’s closeness but you just ignore them. This project costs about quarter of your grade in an AP class. Both you and Angel love them. Really. But priorities need to be put first.

“You two are serious about that project, huh?”

“Quarter of overall grade.” “AP Class.” You both answer and Natasha sighs. Wanda holds your hand and you look at her.

“What’s up?” She shakes her head and you give her a small smile.

“Just wanted to.” You chuckle and kiss her hand. You spend the whole lunch holding her hand whilst paying attention to Angel and making plans for the project. “Y/N.” She calls out and you look at her. She was holding up your meal’s spoon with food on it. “You need to eat.” You sigh and nod. You accept the food and hum. She smiles as you finish it. You kiss her cheek and get back to Angel. She eats her own food as she makes random patterns on your palm.

-

You groan as you and Angel spend your last class, just researching for the project.

“Miss Wanda that much?” You glare at her and she snickers.

“Shut up.” You grumble and focus on your research.

-

“That was good.” You hum as you pack up your things and laptop.

“We’re already halfway done.” You both get out and both Natasha and Wanda were waiting for you two. And you flinch as Natasha approaches you.

“Y/LN. Here.” She gives you a book and you look at it.

“Wha-“

“An apology for the last time. I got jealous and was immature. I should’ve trusted you and Angel more.” You sigh.

“You should.” You cross your arms. “She’s your soulmate, woman.” She groans.

“I know. My instinct just told me that you were a threat.”

“Why? I’m only a Beta.” Wanda hits you softly and you smile at her. “Besides.” You take Wanda’s hand and kiss it. “I only have eyes for her.”

“Okay. We get it.” Angel gets Natasha’s hand. “You two are running for the cutest couple.”

“I’m pretty sure you two won that last year.”

“Well now, we have serious competition.” Angel smiles and she holds up her hand. You slap it with yours. You both laugh. “See you tomorrow, Y/N.”

“See you too, Gel!” She and Natasha waves at you and Wanda before leaving. Wanda holds in her laughter and you turn to her.

“Gel?” You scoff at her as you two walk together.

“It’s a nickname!”

-

“What’s that?” You hum and raise an eyebrow at Alsie. It was already Saturday before you knew it and you had a date with Wanda tomorrow since she was busy today. “New book? That’s not your usual genre.”

“You mean her usual documentary, mystery or thriller?” You glare at Valerie who smirks. You sigh as you keep reading.

“Someone gave it to me.” Your two sisters look at each other and they both hum.

“Wanda?” You shake your head and they get taken aback. You had more friends?

“Then who?”

“Romanoff.”

“Natasha? You’re friends with Natasha Romanoff.” You nod and they gasp. You close your book and glare at them.

“WHAT?” They get up in front of your face and you shield yourself with the book. They barrage you with questions and your eye kept twitching as you get more annoyed. The hell is wrong with them? “Stop!” They both back off as you glare at them. “What’s with you two?”

“You know her parents?” You raise an eyebrow as you nod.

“They just switched to our firm last week.” Oh.

“The emergency?” They nod. Alsie gets up and Valerie nods at her.

“They were the reason why we were all needed there.”

“Even Ma?”

“Ma was there to calm the employees down.”

“Ah.” Alsie comes back and holds out a brown folder to you. It says Romanoff Airlines on the side and you take it. “This is?”

“Open it and read it.” You nod and Alsie turns on the TV.

Romanoff Airlines. Opened in 1956 and has been one of the Pioneer Airlines in both Europe and America. This is because of their partnership with Stark Industries who provide the latest technology to Air Transportation through them.

Current Owners: Melina Vostokoff and Alexei Shostakov. Both are Russians and ex-spouses. Although they are divorced, they still live together with their two children.

Heirs: Natasha Romanoff and Yelena Belova. Both are adopted and have decided to take their biological parents’ surnames but are still living in America and with their adoptive parents.

Natasha Romanoff. Currently attending high school. Can speak many languages (Exact number was not extracted), is friends with Tony Stark, Vision Stark and many others. Is a helper of martial arts clubs. Martial Arts Expert. Is a gifted student, passing all of her classes with flying colors. Decided not to take any AP Classes because it was ‘time consuming’.

Yelena Belova. Currently attending middle school. Can speak many languages. Martial Arts Expert. Gymnast. Gold Medalist.

You read everything before closing it.

“You okay?”

“Why switch to our firm?”

“Apparently because their previous firm was shady and we were recommended by Natasha.”

“Did you ask her why?”

“Yep. She just said that we know why.” Their words click inside your head and you look shocked.

“Me?”

“Most likely.”

“Huh.” You give the folder back to Alsie and hum.

“You good?”

“Yep.” You say as you open your book and continue reading.

A/N:

Because Angst makes me feel things.

I don't think I would ever write a series without an ounce of angst.

Thank you for Reading!

[air-in-words]

Badger Snakes and The "Red-Stained Ledger"

Since my recent announcement identifying as a Badger Snake (don't @ me if I change my primary at some point lol still going back over that one,) I've looked up some characters that have been identified as Badger Snakes, and found two things:

1) There weren't very many in fiction and

2) most go through the same personal journey I had described in my previous post.

By that, I mean, a very similar feeling of self-loathing or feeling as though you have some dirty secret to hide, AKA the Red-Stained Ledger Natasha Romanoff refers to. The two main ones that have been agreed upon I'll be focusing on are Woody from Toy Story and the aforementioned Black Widow, but I'll also be bringing two new characters into the fray, one that's been sorted as such based on the portrayal, and one that I've discovered on my own. They are Selina Kyle AKA Catwoman and Dewey Finn from School of Rock.

It's interesting to find the similar plotlines that certain sortings are given consistently in media, and The Power Behind the Throne AKA Badger Snake seems to pretty much only have the one: They fight for the group that they are loyal to, but they can't seem to help but do so in a way that they aren't proud of, one that they're sure would lead said group to shun them.

I'm sure someone could point out a character I'm not referencing here that doesn't have that plot, but at the very least, this plot dominates the sorting.

Woody in the first movie goes through exactly that issue. He only wants to fight for Andy's toys, and in many ways, all toys he comes across. He makes choices that he believes will benefit everyone, and prides himself on being able to make the "tough choices." But, he ends up having to do so in a "duplicitous" way, when he seeks to manipulate Buzz Lightyear out of his group. This is a horrible, dirty secret to him, and he feels almost as if he could never return to them, never show his face again because of how he chooses to fight. In the end, he reaffirms that his actions come from a good place, a place of love for his group, and finds ways to use his crafty talents that are slightly more constructive and a little less "cloak and dagger."

Natasha Romanoff has given me the namesake for this Badger Snake element: the Red-Stained Ledger. She describes her desire to fight for her country, for her family, but struggles with what she knows she's good at. She believes she's inherently a bad person and is determined to remain a loner due to her "badness," due to the "monster" she is. Good people don't lie or manipulate. Good people... uh... I dunno, bake cakes or something? Work humble jobs? But, her contribution to the world, her ability to be clever and tricky, means that holding her group, her country, her family, the Avengers themselves, only in her heart and not in her hands. But, her true colors are shown in her never-ending dedication to the cause, down to her being willing to give her life so that no one else has to do it. In a way, it's sad, because she died believing she in some way deserved it. But, none of her teammates felt that way about her. She may have been crafty, a master manipulator, and a skillful liar, but she was the farthest thing from bad.

Now, onto the two newer additions. I've seen Selina Kyle sorted as Double Snake, and I would agree that there are many interpretations that could fit the bill. But, if you ask me, the truest interpretation of her is as The Power Behind the Throne, the Robin Hood with no loud cause to shout from the rooftops; only a desire to help the people of Gotham. She uses her skills as a thief to act as a sort of "guardian angel" to the poorest in Gotham, but she has no grand statement to make. She sees people hurting, her group, the underdogs of Gotham, and came to their aid. But she does so quietly, secretly, because she believes in her heart that the way she has done so is not worthy of praise. She's a con and a thief, but, she places people above all else. She, in some interpretations, is one of the main people to open Bruce's eyes to the fact that not all criminals are necessarily bad people. Some of them are just in terrible situations they can't get out of. And yet, she won't afford that benefit of the doubt to herself, believing she is simply a broken toy not worth fixing. Her occasionally lackadaisical attitude towards killing may seem to make Badger primary unlikely, but Badgers are not always loyal to ALL humans. Her group is the poor and downtrodden, and those who act against them are less than human in her eyes.

Now, we come to my personal favorite, my own personal discovery: Dewey Finn from one of my favorite movies, School of Rock.

Dewey is a fabulous example of a Badger Snake, in my personal opinion. His chosen group is Rock with a Capital R and "the band," whichever band that may currently be. He may have some sort of Burnt Snake primary performance/model going on, wanting to play the part of a "rock star" that truly only cares about himself, but his true loyalty is very clear. He is worried about doing his chosen group justice in every way, making sure that Rock is being well-represented and that he's serving his current band the very best he has to offer. Being kicked out of his band at the very beginning is earth-shattering to him, not because he has a Snake primary style devotion to only them, but because they told him he let them down, and implying that he wasn't representing Rock the way he should. His Snake primary performance/model melts away as he bonds to his new band, the kids he teaches. He brings them into his chosen group of Rock and creates a new bonded group with them in particular as they form a band. He actually finds himself liberated by taking a backseat to the children (a very Badger primary thing to enjoy,) allowing Zack to play his song, guiding Freddie away from making bad choices, helping Tamika find her voice, encouraging fellow Snake secondary Summer how to use her shrewdness, and, using a method I believe is best utilized by Badger Snakes, helping Principal Mullins find her chill. Lol.

Badger Snakes, more than any other Snake secondary type, will rely on the "we aren't so different you and I" approach to get what they want. He finds out Mullins also enjoys Rock. This is something they have in common! Let's create a situation where we "naturally" find out we have this thing in common, placing us both in the same group. Although other primaries don't glorify groups as much as Badger primaries do, all people are more likely to listen to or help out someone they feel is like them in some way. So, Dewey puts some Stevie Nicks on the jukebox and gets Mullins on his side.

In a similar fashion to the characters listed above, Dewey believes he is truly a loser and has nothing of any actual value or goodness to provide. But, the children help him see he's wrong, and he finds a way to utilize his talents in a way that truly fulfills him.

In conclusion, although seemingly unrepresented, I think there actually may be quite a few more Badger Snakes hiding in media, and, perhaps, they can be outed by looking for the Red-Stained Ledger plotline. Badger primaries are more likely, in my opinion, to be disturbed by their actions than say a Lion primary, due to where their loyalties truly lie. Although Lions may fight for the right thing, and that right thing may involve people's rights or serving a group, they serve that right thing before any of the people they may steamroll over to achieve it. Badgers, by definition, serve things. And, usually, lying, cheating, or otherwise being crafty is viewed as the worst possible way to serve someone or something. They do care about the things they may hurt or damage through their actions, and how they use their talents does, in fact, matter to them immensely.

So, to my Badger Snakes out there struggling with their own so-called "Red-Stained Ledgers", just remember that Dewey Finn would think you're kick-ass.

EDIT: Sorry, was thinking about it, and had to put an edit. Another way to think of this plotline/character archetype is mentioned in School of Rock as well as in a musical I know very well. I wouldn't use this moniker as the name for this plotline, only because it describes a very specific Snake secondary, one that is playful and light-hearted, and not all Snake secondaries are like this.

Zack's song refers to Dewey as The Magic Man, a person that swoops in and, almost by magic (in actuality, manipulation) brings out the best in the people around them. In the aforementioned musical, this character is called The Music Man.

Harold Hill may very well be another Badger Snake, although one more heavily disguised than Dewey Finn. I won't go too deep into his characterization here, but know he's a conman who claims to be a band instructor, while he has no musical talent himself, planning on taking the money for the uniforms and instruments and running. Instead, almost without realizing it, he encourages and manipulates the people of the town he enters into becoming better versions of what they are now. And, the most tragic part of his character is revealed once another character, one of the children he's conned, points out that there isn't a band, and never has been one. Harold tells him "I always think there's a band, kid."

It's interesting that, in both of these cases, they are associated with music and an almost mystical ability to bring out the best in others. I might do a more in-depth look at Harold Hill at some point, since I've been planning on doing some musical characters for a bit.

If thinking about having a Red-Stained Ledger is too negative for your own self-image, think of yourself as The Music Man. Your friends and the people around you may actually see you as an almost mystical force for good, someone who always seems to know the right thing to say or do to bring out the best in them. :)

[19cb97]

CB's Room 🐺 Ep. 41

Genre: SMUT(ish?), Camboy!Chan

Warnings: shitty writing 100/10, dirty talk kinda, handjob, daddy kink debatable tho, mentions of a blowjob??? I don't know how warnings work sorry,,,

A/N: its SUNNYS BDAY HAPPY BDAY BABY I LOVE YOU SO MUCH IM SORRRY I SUCK AT WRITING THOUGH @starrychannies MUAH

A/N 2: I tried to add the read more three times but my computer won't save the editions please bear with me until I wake up 🤩

A/N 3: hehe i fixed it

(I don't remember who owns the gif sorry sighs)

CB97 is now ONLINE.

"...and I guess that's how I ended up producing music." The boy finished his rant with a cute smile before biting his lip and moaning softly, the pace of his hand going down a little as he rolled his chair closer to the computer, trying to catch on another comment.

You see, for anyone who didn't know how "Chan's Room" worked, it would have been weird seeing the boy talk about his passion for ten minutes straight while jerking off, but for his loyal subscribers shows like this one were the most special. The feeling of intimacy between those who watched him and himself caused him a different kind of excitement.

"Hm... You guys have any more- ¿Am I coming soon? Nah, not yet, don't think so. Just edging at the moment. Anyway, ¿Have any more questions?". Chan had been live for about half an hour now, the head of his cock giving it away as it became redder and redder each minute that went through. "Doesn't it hurt?" some asked, and yes. Of course it hurt, "But that's just part of the fun" Chan would answer.

As much as he understood why some viewers wanted him to end already, it was not on his plans to do so... yet. He wanted to have some fun, maybe tease his subscribers before allowing everyone to cum with him.

Chan loved talking to his followers, anyway, be it about sex, life, space or whatever, and as long as there were no private questions about his personal life, he was fine with answering pretty much anything.

Reading through his comments, he answered a few he found fitting. "How big is it?" Someone said. Chan laughed and winked before answering "Come over and find out.". That way he went on a few minutes until a question caught his attention.

Chan's hand pressed around his cock a little harder, eliciting a moan to slip past his lips once he re read it.

"Wha- What's been my best sex experience...?" He read, stuttering slightly, as he bit his bottom lip, a shaky breath making its way out when his hand moved slower along his shaft. "Well... thats a good one..." The boy chuckled and rolled his chair back once again, letting his viewers have a full view of his naked body. "Uh... There was a girl back in the day... Man, she was one fo a kind..." A breathy laugh found it's way past the boy's lips and his hand halted its movements. "I don't know if I should tell you this... but I'll do anyway, so let's keep it a secret, yeah? Be good and keep this secret for me..." Chan said as a smile creeped onto his face. He took a deep breath before beginning his story.

"So, this girl, we'll just call her... Petal." The young boy gripped his dick from the base while his other hand started rubbing at the tip with his palm, a sigh resonating in the room right before he continued speaking.

"Petal was good, too good for her own sake. She always knew exactly which buttons to press and she had me mad crazy, head over heels for her." The boy bit his lip, his cock twitching in his hand at the memories. "My best experience was definitely with Petal. We were out supposed to just have dinner, yknow? Haven't seen each other in a while... But then I feel how she's touching my leg under the table, and a second later she's also under it undoing my pants..." Chan sighed again, his fist now focusing on the head of his dick as his story went on. "Just imagine, there I was trying to keep my cool, ordering the food, while my babygirl was under the table sucking me off. She was usually really well behaved, and I never found out what went through her head that night, but it was great. Not long after I took her with me to the bathroom and fucked the audacity out of her, if course, I had her bend over all prettily for me, we almost got caught, even... Fuck, she was just stunning. That night was out of this world, guys... Out of this world..."

A loud moan made it past the boys lips, just recalling that night was enough to help him end most times and right now wasn't the exception. Resting his whole weight on the backrest of the chair, Chan's grip tightened around his hard cock and he started jerking off again, while his now free hand started playing softly on his balls. His closed eyes and slightly parted lips making him look angelic, contrary to what the rest of his body gave away. His hair was all messy, some locks already sticking to his forehead due to the sweat, and his cheeks were flushed a pretty red alongside his ears, chest and dick.

It was a sight to behold, and his viewers didn't hold back on letting him know this.

"Daddy looks so pretty" said some, "I can see you throbbing!" said others.

His laborated breathing gave away just how close to release he was as his hand started moving as fast as possible. Rolling a little closer to his computer as to give his viewers a better look, Chan spoke again.

"Fuck angel, daddy's gonna cum so good... So so good..." He finally opened his eyes again looking directly at the camera, a silent reminder of who was in charge "Am gonna cum for you and you're going to take it as the good dirty slut you are. You're gonna take all of it and thank me for it, is that clear? Now cum with me baby, let go..." He spoke sternly but agitated, and after just a few more seconds the boy's hand and chest was painted on white stripes.

Everything went quiet for a second, and then plenty of "Thank you's" and tips started rolling into the chat.

Chan smiled as he watched his computer screen and whirled slightly on his chair. After a few more minutes, he finally said his good byes, and with a last thank you, ended his live.

CB97 is now OFFLINE.

[writeblrfantasy]

excerpt from when the witches call: perfect moral angels

i LOVE writing suzume and viola so much. they guide me and tell me where to take their fights, what to have them say thatll dig the deepest. this is a classic example, also suzume revealing a truth she has omitted for fifty five years.

transcript, taglist, and a bonus snippet of this pre editing under the cut! also happy nano to everyone, i hope you're all taking care of yourselves and writing to your own pace and limits. tell me about how it's going for you, what you're working on! sorry i havn'et been posting as much, i have been keeping to my 2-4k per day steady goal that i was already doing for wtwc. did i ever say i was doing wtwc for nano? well i am

“You were supposed to be smart enough to figure this out,” she jeers, unable to help herself. Viola’s face hardens again, but Suzume speaks before she can retort. “I watched you when you came to Miykawa that first time. I hid around the corners and skulked above your heads.”

“You couldn’t skulk secretly to save your life,” Viola scoffs.

“Well, I did,” Suzume snaps, “and I watched you all murder with your guns of indestructible power, bright beams of light I didn’t think were real. You all seemed like something horrifying that had just walked out of a story my mother read me.”

“We murdered for just causes,” Viola hisses, getting to her feet. Serian lays a tentative hand on her arm.

“Viola,” he murmurs, “you have to admit sometimes we weren’t always perfect moral angels when we used our forces against the wrongdoers of the world. We had to make the call about who deserved to die and who didn’t, and that is never an easy line to determine. We overstepped it at times, for revenge, for personal dislike, and threw nations into chaos. Remember when we killed King Gondriel because he had insulted your lover, and that caused the Gemish civil war? You had to be reminded of limits a lot. Still do.”

“You don’t know a damn thing about me,” she hisses, shaking off his touch, still glaring at Suzume. “You saw us killing, and was horrified when we informed you that you had the same powers. And so then you decided you were that perfect moral angel, immune from the stain that killing would leave on your soul? Good fucking job. Do you want a pat on the back? Do you want me to tell you how good you are?”

“I want you,” Suzume says, stalking up to her and staring her in the face, though Viola is a head taller than her, “to shut up and listen to me for once in your life. The only time you’re really listening is when we’re discussing power. It wouldn’t hurt you to grow some compassion.”

Viola backhands her. Suzume turns her head, biting her cheek to hide her wince. The boys’ eyes rove over them both like sticky honey, and out of the corner of her eye Suzume can see the hands Serian and Askel are keeping on each others’ arms to keep each other still. They’re scared of me, Suzume realizes with a heady rush. She herself is working hard not to be scared of the glowering Viola.

“I never claimed to be perfect, or moral,” Suzume sighs. “I just decided for myself that I wasn’t going to be like you. Because I didn’t want to get dragged into your world. Not because I wanted to fulfill a moral debt to the world, even the balance, whatever shit you’re thinking. You have seen that I have no qualms about murdering and punishing the unjust when they have wronged me. I am simply not the same as you. It’s not always about you, you know.”

Viola looks ready to backhand her again, but she just nods sharply and turns away. Suzume takes a breath of quiet relief and leaves that battle alone, wondering if she won or lost.

wtwc taglist (lmk to be added/removed): @magic-is-something-we-create @47crayons @saltwaterbells @piyawrites @faithfire @chaotic-queer-disaster @ren-c-leyn @worldbuildng

bonus unedited piece from this excerpt:

“You couldn’t skulk secretly to save your life,” Viola scoffs.

“Well, I did,” Suzume snaps, “and I watched you all murder.”

“For just causes,” viola hisses, getting to her feet. Serian lays a tentative hand on her arm.

“Viola,” he murmurs, “you have to admit sometimes we weren’t always perfect moral angels. You had to be reminded of limits a lot. Still do.”

“You don’t know a damn thing about me,” she hisses, shaking off his touch, still glaring at Suzume. “And you decided you were that perfect moral angel, immune from killing and the stain of it on your soul? Good fucking job. Do you want a pat on the back.”

“I want you,” Suzume says, stalking up to her and staring her in the face, though a head separates them in height, “to shut up and listen to me for once in your life. The only time you’re really listening is when we’re discussing power.”

Viola backhands her. Suzume shakes her head, biting her cheek to hide her wince.

[having-a-hyperfixate]

Secret Reports

Gonna just edit this thing and put line breaks as I get more of them.

I’m also working on the rest of the completion, and will probably wander off in the middle of this to do Another Day, which will probably have its own post. I fully expect that to be sheer madness. 

#1 So is it just me or is Mr H writing these reports to channel how extremely stressed he is. Cuz like. Mood. *gestures vaguely at blog* *gestures at this post specifically*

I. Hold up. Skeezy McFuckwad and Joshua did what resulting in which now. Excuse me. EXPLAIN!??! Joshua had a sneaky Game running with Skeezy that directly lead to Hazuki ordering Skeezy to destroy Shinjuku??? Is that what I am reading. Or possibly the order was already in the works, and then there was the Game, which ultimately just pushed that forward?? You can’t just say shit like that and not give details ffffffff.

 #2 Mr H having about as much contempt for Shinjuku rules as I do I feel seen haha. Bogus indeed. I can’t remember if I said it in one of my other posts, of if it was in a group chat, but I made a comment somewhere how this ruleset doesn’t seem to work with the stated purpose of the whole Reaper’s Game system. Sweet validation.

 #3 Not much to say except that if I had read this entire report when I actually got it, I would have been much more alarmed by all of the Replays Rindo has to do after that. I got it partway through week 3 but decided not to read it until I beat the game and then BAM it has this lovely tidbit about potentially being able to destroy the UG and RG.

 #4 So, the business that the fandom refers to as the Long Game is known in universe by the higher-ups and Shibuya’s impurification, because it didn’t get ‘purified’ like Shinjuku (I object to that term but ok).

“The hierarchical freeze presumably stems from opposition to the impurification”

Skeezy wasn’t reprimanded when he arrived in Shibuya “possibly because most Higher Plane denizens still oppose Shibuya’s impurification”

ExcUSE ME. I. WHAT. In one of the secret reports for the first game, Mr H says something about the way things turned out be an ‘ideal parallel world’ according to the Angels. I guess he only meant the ones who didn’t want the city destroyed holy shit. That most of them didn’t want Joshua to change his mind and STILL DON’T is so massively fucked up I can’t. Dear Higher Plane, what the actual, ever loving fuck.

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#5 One hundred and four Games under Shiba. That’s… so. many. teams. Holy shit. And the teams we knew had seen at LEAST 30 teams go. And the three teams we saw weren’t small. So many people…

Also, “Minamimoto seems to be plotting something” is the funnies thing I’ve read in ages OF COURSE HE IS that’s what he DOES. XD That was some mood whiplash.

#6 I was so hung up on the lack of entry fee for so long you don’t even know. Like. Those were so important in the first one it was baffling to me that Shinjuku rules didn’t have anything similar. And then eventually I just decided that the whole Game wasn’t being run correctly and Shiba was clearly after something other than driving the improvement that’s supposed to be the point.

I would like more explanation on this ‘Rindo’s stagnation makes him perfect for time travel thing’. I kind of understand how his reactions being consistent would be helpful in being able to control where the timeline goes (also I just realized this further confirms that Angels remember the other timelines glad I wasn’t imagining that the Prime days are a blur), but what does he mean about being able to maintain abnormally high levels of imagination? (It might tell me later so don’t say anything lol)

“I can only hope I’m not overthinking things.” Oh, you aren’t. If I’m understanding everything correctly, Skeezy actually had two proxies. And poor Rindo managed to end up being proxy for both sides at the same time which is. A mess.

 #7 Well, finally we know how Coco managed to get her hands on a taboo sigil. Plagiarism. Lmao. That at least makes sense and I can worry less about her being Something Else. I would like a word with whoever didn’t clean that up from Udagawa long enough for her to copy it though. That’s hilarious. Interesting that Mr H thinks it wasn’t a perfect recreation though, that something in him got changed. Once again, please elaborate. Please. *headdesk* What prompted Coco to just. Copy a taboo sigil though. Cuz that seems. Unusual.

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#8 Ok there’s a lot to unpack in this one. Namely, more Shinjuku rules. I would love to know if these are long standing rules or relatively recent. Cuz like. Did Shinjuku’s Game ever run in a way that would drive the kind of improvement that’s supposed to be the overall goal? Or has it always, or at least for a while now, been basically a meat grinder? The players that don’t clear that minimum bar probably just get erased outright, I would think. Actually, I’m confused. If normally, one team would get to leave and one team would be erased, wouldn’t that normally keep the average pretty level, so the Game would basically go on forever? Otherwise what do you do with all the other teams that are between first and last? I’m confused. It can’t be normal for teams to keep asking for more rounds. And what if the winning team says ‘everyone gets to go home’?

“The Conductor has yet to contact the Composer” and “it is possible he is unaware of the Higher Plane’s purification protocol.” I don’t know why, but I get the feeling these are important.

 #9 These secret reports are really driving at the whole ‘Rindo just goes with it’ thing, aren’t they. Like, that was his thing, right? He has trouble making definitive decisions? So his arc culminates in that moment in Udagawa where he tells Hazuki that he’s going to take the risk and go back one more time, where he’s making that decision purely for his own sake. And here Mr H seems to be saying that prodding Rindo down the road to character growth is going to be a lot harder than it was with Neku back in the day. Which makes sense, I think. Confronting someone with the concept that other people have value is a lot less complicated than trying to get them to not only make a firm decision, but to choose something that is purely because it’s what they want and need, not because someone else thinks they should.

It’s a little alarming that this report implies that if the pin wasn’t absorbing the Dissonance caused by the Replays, the UG and RG would already be having a bad time. Yikes. This is the report for day 2 of the second week. We haven’t even gotten into the crazy time travel yet.

Aaaaand #10 is for completing the social network, so I have to actually go do Another Day. I want to read these in order; it is much less confusing that way.

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#10 I really shouldn’t read these late at night with a possible migraine coming on, they’re already confusing enough. The bits that made sense: Uzuki was acting Conductor damn girl. (Did she have to deal with Joshua and was he in Dignified Mode or Being a Shit Mode because that’s possibly an oof.) I had assumed Shiba was Shinjuku’s Conductor and then just kinda took over after they moved in but apparently not? And RIP the actual Conductor, apparently. Weird that so many Reapers made it but the Conductor, who by all rights should have, didn’t.

I am slightly concerned by the fact that there’s standard procedure for obliterating a district. That’s. Alarming.

I don’t think page 4 is continuing the thought on page 3. Fucking. Stop that. Don’t just say a thing and then start talking about something else I would like EXPLANATIONS. UGH. “Almost” he says. I’m going to go out on a limb and assume that almost is a big deal, so why don’t you tell me about it.

Four cases where a district got into trouble before a final decision on whether to reset or not was made. And one was the last game. I wonder if that means whatever was wrong that made Joshua want to destroy it, or if the ‘imbalance’ was all the madness that happened after he agreed to one final Game with Kitaniji and the left the UG. Cuz in one of the first set of secret reports, it says that with the Composer absent, the UG is starting to fall apart as the rules are no longer valid, or something like that. I would definitely call that an imbalance.

 #11 All I care about in this report is that Mr H wants to have a digital art bonding party with Kaie and that is so random why are you writing this down you absolute goober. The first page of this report is like ‘everyone is getting depressed’ and then just a wild left turn into dork-town. Lmao what.

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#12 I don’t think Mr H knows at this point (you get this report for W2D5’s Boss Noise) that the Ruinbringers are all Reapers. He’s gonna be mad. He does know what Shoka is up to though. He’s worried. Aw.

 #13 It didn’t occur to me until this report hit me in the face with it, but they’ve set up a fantastic contrast between the two people Rindo knows from online. One is. not great, let’s say, because I did not take the reveal of Motoi’s true self well. The other is Shoka, and she’s a real friend. I now see what you did there. One relationship that’s a farce and one that really, really isn’t.

 #14 Me, out loud, at 1:30 in the damn a.m.: WAIT. HOLD THE FUCK UP.

If getting Tsugumi out of Mr Mew required an Angel, how in the hell did Shiki manage to…? What. I’m very confused.

Also damn, saving Tsugumi was so important that Shinjuku’s Conductor died for it. Did he know what she could do, the whole visions thing? Or maybe that something was wrong with Shiba and it would take someone like her to potentially stop him in the future?

I still would like to now how the hell Tsugumi got her hands on Mr Mew. Especially since its apparently the ORIGINAL Mr Mew and she seems to have had him during the inversion? What.

 #15 So… Inversions don’t always happen when a region is purified. I’m trying to wrap my brain around what a ‘complete loss of character’ in and area that’s had an Inversion could mean. Like… I think I get it, but my brain won’t make words, let alone sentences. Like when you go into a hotel room, and it doesn’t feel like a home, as opposed to when you go to a friend or family’s house, and it does? Kinda like that but it’s the whole district that’s just… blank? That’s kinda creepy.

If there are so many who think a ‘regular purification’ isn’t enough, the a) what does that even look like, b) is that what Joshua was going to do to Shibuya and c) is there an intermediate step between ‘normal’ and Inversion? I have been staring at this report for literally 15 minutes now.

 #16 “I wonder how [Shiba] will feel about all this after he is allowed to return to his former self.” Yuuuuuup. I still Do Not Like him, but dude was borderline mind controlled so like. Yeah. And I did get to kill him once, so. As long as he minds his business and isn’t a total dick from here on, whatever. It all just sucks.

*facepalm* Well at least we got to being suspicious of Replay eventually. Why did it take you this long Mr H. Though I do wonder what Rindo would have been able to do without the interference. He had to have some kind of latent skill for the pin to react to him, right? I’m now going in circles mentally trying to puzzle out if Replay is like, a leveled up version of whatever Rindo would have naturally had, and regardless, where exactly it came from. Because the only time I can think of when anyone had a chance to mess with the pin was when he didn’t catch it in the prologue. And I’m pretty sure it was Joshua who picked it up. Aaagh I’m giving myself a headache.

I find it hard to believe skeezy would just yeet a random time travel pin out into the world. That seems both dumb as fuck and inefficient.

 #17 “Some of them who know what I am occasionally try to contact me.” Lol so Kariya DOES know who Mr H is, I take it. Alright.

I’m having some kind of emotion that Wildkat still exists in a way for the Reapers, and that some of them still go there.

I just imagined Uzuki texting him like ‘plz make the Composer fucking do something kthx’ and I’ve got the giggles now oh dear

 #18 HA! I was right! Minamimoto WASN’T in control when he attacked us! ‘Distortions within himself’ though, that’s concerning. Does that have to do with how he’s come back from the dead twice now? And how Coco’s copy of the sigil was apparently imperfect?

 #19 I was about to say ‘who would target him for his abilities?’ and then my brain turned back on because duh. Shiba and them were looking hard for Neku, to the point that they flooded the RG with Player Pins in the hopes that he would pick one up and get sucked into the Game. A thing that occurred to me last night at 3:30 in the morning because I am a disaster: Mr H says that Minamimoto ‘seems different’. Neku says much the same thing after he comes back. So… Neku’s ability to Scan all the way down to someone’s Soul is potentially close to as sensitive as Mr H’s long distance ability. Which is a little insane. On top of the fact that he can use basically every psych imaginable no problem, survived a pact with a Composer for a full week, while said Composer was using crazy light beams which probably should have melted Neku from the feedback, and then almost singlehandedly defeated the Conductor while somehow inventing four-way fusion attacks. Kid is mad powerful. And he’s just a human. Like, the OG secret reports say that people always become dramatically stronger when they become Reapers. Reaper!Neku would be unstoppable.

“This would be much simpler if I could sit down and talk with him.” Okay, I laughed out loud. Like, loudly.

So… Shinjuku’s Composer… basically had his Conductor assassinated by skeezy. And because skeezy was messing with Shiba’s head, he could prompt Shiba to take the Reapers to Shibuya afterwards, to start doing it there too? Hazuki ordered Shinjuku’s purification so… Oh dear. I might have a few bones to pick with him.

 OH NO. OOOOOH. OH NOOOO. SHINJUKU’S CONDUCTOR. HE WAS TSUGUMI’S BROTHER OH MY GOD. That is fucking tragic what the fuck. What the FUCK. Okay several things make sense now but OH MY GOD FUCKING HELL I WAS NOT READY FOR THAT. Shiki fixing Mr Mew allowed Tsugumi to free herself because her brother had already done part of the work, I take it? Along with us getting the Noise out of there? No wonder the Conductor stayed, he had to go get his sister… Shit, man.

 …… Did Coco steal Mr Mew and take him to Shinjuku?????

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

#21 isn’t very interesting, just a rehash of stuff we already knew.

#22 Okay Haz IS Shinjuku’s Composer. What. Why? I’m. So confused. Why would he intercede on our behalf, and why NOW? He was happy to throw his own city away, but stepped in to stop skeezy in Shibuya? And then tried to put it back together, and when Rindo was miserable he came to try to understand why. And then cajoled Rindo into having a breakthrough in his Character Development to boot.

Mr H says he has an idea why Haz did all this. And then doesn’t fucking say it because OF COURSE. *headdesk* That gets really old really fast, game.

I’m now running through The Last Day’’ to get the final two reports and this entire section with Haz is somehow even more confusing with context. God damn it Nomura.

 #23 Even after he said we were on our on this time, he forced the Soul Pulvis to reform as Pheonix Cantus to make it easier for us to fight? Bro. What. Are all Composers just… walking contradictions? Aiya.

Shoutout to emotional support Joshua at the end there lol. I remember half-hysterically thinking ‘what are you just here for moral support?’ but ok. And I mean, it did work, Neku did manage to do the thing, so. *sigh* Speaking of, it is ABSOLUTELY INSANE that Neku manage to sync with the entire city without his brain melting. Remember at the beginning of the first game when he scans for the first time and has a massive sensory overload? Look at my boy, all grown up.

 #24 Holy shit world building on how exactly people come back to life without everyone freaking out. I never thought I would see the day.

I still have so many questions but that was always going to be the case. The first game had so many things it left open as well. Agh. Time to start wearing new holes in my brain overthinking things.

[inside-of-a-fangirls-mind]

Dancing With Julian

Words: 2,168

Warnings: Mentions of smut and stuff… It’s Julian he’s naughty and horny

Pairing: Julian X Fem!Apprentice Reader

Notes: Idk I felt like making this smut but then I deleted that ending cause like none of the other ones will be. Then I wrote some really depressing smut that I have to edit out of A Sea Of Troubles part 2&3 cause ahh. Any way here's a horny Julian. 

     You held up your hand to cover your eyes for a moment, outside it was nearly pitch black, but the soft hazy lights of the Rowdy Raven made your eyes strain a little while adjusting. You smiled and took in the dive bar around you with a smile before inhaling an all too familiar smell of salty bitters and men who didn't like to bath all too often. It had grown to become a second home to you, and you thought the world of this place. It was your secret hideaway.

You smile and see a familiar man sat in the same back table as always waving you over with two mugs of bitters already on the table waiting for you.

Well, yours and Julians for sure.

You nod to the bartender before sliding past a rather rowdy pair of men fighting over the last bar stroll at the bar, a chuckle on your voice as you greet Julian.

He smirks and looks at you through half-lidded eyes full of love and lust, "My my I do believe I have died and gone to heaven. What have I done to deserve such an angel." He hums dreamily, resting his chin on his palm, looking at you like you were the best thing in the bar. Which if you asked, he would say it was you, the best part of everything, every single time.

You blush softly, not quite used to all the flattery before taking a seat beside him, kissing him on the cheek. "You saved the world, Julian, defeat the devil, fell in love, and oh, I don't know won a certain redhead's heart?" You smirk back at him before looking at the bitters on the table. It was nothing on Golden Goose, but it was cheap, and after a few, you couldn't taste much of anything anymore.

"I do believe that was all you, Darling." He smirks before wrapping an arm around your shoulder and pressing his face into your neck to inhale your scent before smirking. You relaxed, having him at your side before reaching up and rustling his hair softly.

"Don't get too caught up. We have some partying to do. Have the others arrived yet?" You hum, placing a kiss to his ear. You lift your bitters as he turns leaning on your shoulder, still with a massive grin on his lips. His eyes were watching as you downed the heavy tankard of bitters.

"Asra said he would be late, Muriel didn't say if he was showing up and Nadia was unsure if such a place would survive a visit from the countess herself." He sighed dramatically, placing a hand over his forehead like he was swooning.

"My dear Y/N Do you ever think a place like this could handle someone like me, the Countess herself? They might all shit their pants." Julian chuckled before lifting his own tankard to the sky.

You lift your half-empty one and clank it with his before taking another sip and setting it down. "Oh Yeah?" You smirk before tapping your fingers on your chin. "What about another red-headed Devorak oh about this tall." You held out your hand at about Portia's height. "You know full of spunk and always bubbly. She truly gives you a run for your money." You smirk at the Doctor.

His hands flew to his heart before acting as if you had shot him. "Oh, my darling. Don't tell me my sister can take you away from me. After all, we've been through." He knew you were teasing, but that didn't stop him from tilting your chin towards him as he was mere inches from your lips. "Don't tell me you wish it were her moaning your name in the palace sheets, her on her knees worshipping every inch of you, her begging you for more." The shit-eating grin on his face said it all, the way his eyes hooded from desire and the not-so-subtle lip bite as he glanced down at your lips.

You gasped softly, looking at the Doctor with a flustered lip bite, your cheeks flushing the color of his hair. Of course, Julian was a tease; he knew all the right buttons to push, but tonight. You were celebrating, and while it might end with him in your sheets moaning out, you had to push that thought considerably faraway.

Especially as a certain fluffy white-haired Asra pulled up a seat across from the two of you, you swallowed, mentally thanking Asra from saving you. Otherwise, you would have been grabbing Julian by the collar and pulling him off gods know where to relieve the tension he caused.

"Asra!" You chime happily as Julian pulled away eyeing you one last time before turning to his friend with a smirk.

"Glad you could make it! Bar-keep another round for your favorite Doctor!" Julian chimes with a raise of his hand waving at the bartender.

The three of you sat and talked while downing Salty bitters left and right. You all deserved a night off after everything that happened. After defeating the devil himself, it was the most appropriate thing you could think of doing.

"Asra, please tell me Muriel will be showing up. He's so good at cards I wish to beat him this time." You smirked before clenching your fist.

Asra just smirks before Faust slighters onto the table and to your shoulder, butting her head against your neck in a sign of affection. "He said he would make it. For you, at least. Though I don't believe Nadia will be coming. Portia also said she'd follow Nadia where she went, so I count her out too." He smirks before Muriel opens the door to the bar and walks over to us with a small smile on his face. You jump up to greet him in a bear hug before a lively tune comes on, and you can't help yourself from spinning in a circle, the bitters had finally started to get to you.

Julian smirked from his seat, watching you with all the love in the world. Asra leaned over and got Julian's attention. "You better ask her to dance before I do." He teased as Julian shot up and nearly ran over to you.

"Y/N!" He called out as you turned towards him as he grabbed your hand and pulled you off to the dance floor. You laughed, letting him drag you as he spun you into his arms, his hand on your waist the other holding yours tightly. He was radiating pure love. You couldn't help but smile back at him as he took the lead, spinning you around the dusty bar floor.

Everything else seemed to fade away the longer you looked into Julian's eye, the other sadly hidden by his eye patch. Your hand softly reached up, following along his cheek before pushing the eye patch off his head. "You're a hero Julian. The defeater of the plague, no one will say one ill word with me around. I want to see your gorgeous eyes, my love." You hum cupping his cheek as his eye patch dangled from your knuckles.

He didn't say a word but pulled you closer against him, flushed chest to chest as you spun around, his head craning down to only be visible to you. Or so he hoped.

You smiled up at him, entranced by his smile, the curve of his lips, the love in his grey eyes, the soft blush raising onto his pale cheeks. He surely was a work of art. You released you, only holding onto one hand as he spun you around before him. The cheers of the bar sounded worlds away as Julian quickly slide his hands your waist heisting you up onto one of the empty tables as a lively tune played. He followed suit. Careful as a surgeon with his footing, making sure you avoid hands and mugs of bitters as the two of you spun each other over tables, jumping from one to another.

Beads of sweat appearing on his beautiful forehead, but his smile told you he was having the time of his life. He then pulled you closer and dipped you swinging your upper body in a half-circle before pulling you back up his chest as tight as ever. His lips planting a quick kiss to yours before he spun you out of his grip. You jumped off the table and landed on the floor, dust getting kicked up everywhere, but it only looked more magical.

He never let go of your hand as he jumped off the table, too, pulling you flush against him again. He was clinging to you as you felt an all to familiar pressure on your thigh. You smirked up at him as his cheeks became rosy. "Does dancing with me turn you on, my dear Doctor?" You whispered to him before turning in his arms and swayed your backside against his aching desire as you got lower to the floor before he spun you back around tight to him, leaving no air between your bodies.

"My Dear Y/N, surely you don't wish to put on a show for everyone here." He whispers into your ear, looking over at the table where Muriel and Asra were drinking and watching the two of you.

"Let them watch Julian. Let them know was a slut you are for you." You tease before he bites his lip, letting out a whimper in your ear. Oh, you loved nothing more than teasing this man.

You smirked to yourself, two could play the teasing game, and it was payback for earlier. Julian always knew how to catch you off guard, and he was just so easy to rile up like this.

"Darling, if we continue with this, I might have to take you right here on this dance floor, with everyone watching." He smirked, but his voice was choked in his throat as you pressed your thigh against his particular problem.

"Oh? I'd love to see that, Julian. We both know you wouldn't want another soul to hear your noises. Wouldn't want to ruin your reputation and for the world to know how easily you'd beg me." You smirked before he picks up the pace and spins the two of you around more.

"I don't know if it's the bitters or how beautiful you look at the moment, but I don't care. Let them hear me beg your name." He nearly growled before his hands went to your hips, swaying the two of you on the spot. Your thigh only pressured further between his legs as he let out a whimper, his eyes screwing shut tightly.

You almost wanted to take him up on that offer, but he was yours and yours alone. You didn't want to share him with anyone, not even your favorite place. You placed a kiss on his cheek before pulling your thigh from between his. "Jules," You whisper, cupping his cheeks as his eyes slowly opened. "You're mine, only mine. No one else saw ever get the satisfaction of seeing you like that. I refuse to share that." You smile as his hands gripped tighter at your hips, nodding like the good boy he was.

You snake your fingers into his Auburn locks and tug him to your lips for a kiss, his lips desperate for you, devouring you like you were his last meal. You smiled into the kiss, parting your lips slowly, teasing him as his tongue begged to roll around with yours. Finally, you let him get exactly want he wanted. Tongues rolling over each other as a moan softly rumbled in his chest.

You pulled away from him, a thin line of saliva still connecting your lips as you wipe your mouth on your sleeve. Then take his hand, keeping him close to you as you went sat down with the others.

The rest of the night was vague, more salty bitters, Muriel winning at cards every time as per usual. You seated on Julian's lap, cheering with another couple, took the dance floor doing a beautiful job.

Julian whispering naughty things in your ear, which you shushed with a smile wiggle of your hips. His lip remaining swollen from bitten so long.

Asra and Muriel waving farewell as we all went out separate ways. Julian's long fingers intertwining with yours. His skin chill to the touch even though his face burned from the booze.

The walk home was seemingly harmless until he pulled you into an alleyway, his lips on your neck. But well, eventually, the two of you made it home, waking up the next morning and not moving from the bed at Mazelinka's. Even though she yelled, you both needed to eat. You just smirked into Julian's chest as his hands traced shapes over your back.

You would never forget dancing with Julian that night or any other night spent with an extraordinary red-haired doctor every again.

[prairiedust]

The Further Folklore of Supernatural

Here’s a little more folklore meta in light of how season 15 has been playing out if anyone is game. I genuinely thought that Moriah would be the end of the folklore stuff and tossed out “Folk the Author” as an “epilogue,” so this is probably less of an addendum than it is a waymarker as I try to continue to parse these themes into the last seven episodes.

Welp. *waves hands at everything* THIS is not how anyone expected 2020 to go. Things got a little bit big and I stopped thinking about Spn in light of needing that energy elsewhere. But I also don’t want this crapfest to ruin how I fan my favorite show, so here I go again. I will attempt a TL;DR, too!

If you’ve read my old “folklore” analysis here about how I think fairy tales and all their baggage fit into Supernatural season 14, you know that I believe Castiel has stepped into a Sleeping Beauty type story, and that coincidentally a few themes and symbolism from Snow White kept popping up around Dean. (I hold Sam to be a Protagonist in the modern “literary fiction” sense of the word, but emotionally, thematically, and narratively he’s always been a little inaccessible to me. I finally understood him when the death-of-the-author plot surfaced, and I’ll get to Sam eventually here. And Jack, there’s a little Jack in here, too.) 

If you would rather have the TL;DR than read several thousands of words about how folklore and myth *might* be abstractly connected to an American genre show, all I can say is that I tried. The textual support is all in the folklore posts. This is as succinct a summary as I could fabricate. At least I’m not gonna talk about Sam and bricolage and freeplay! This is an almost completely theory-free post! If you don’t want to read or don’t need a refresher and just want to know how this has been working in 15, you can scroll down to “END OF TL;DR”.

So, to catch up, I’m not talking about the folklore and mythology that this show has always relied on for plot and MOTWs. I wasn’t drilling down into urban legends like Hook Man or world folk monsters like shtrigas or pishtacos. By “folklore” I mean the study of storytelling tropes and tale types that have been with us for ages. One of the many subtexts of the end of the series. I’ve been tracking this because I think it’s fun to see how fairy tale imagery and mythology might layer preconscious suggestions into the text of the show. I personally think it was loud enough to be seen easily, but more than likely viewers felt unsettled, felt cheered, or felt like they knew what was coming? I��m curious to know. Anyway.

When we found out that Kelly Kline was going to name her baby “Jack” waaaaay back in season 12, things started chiming. Jack and the Beanstalk. Jack the Giant Killer. Jack Tales. Jack is a powerful Western character, sort of a cross between a noble hero and a trickster, featuring in stories that often blur lines and boundaries. He is both the poor man’s youngest son and the equal to King Arthur’s heir. Jack is both everyman and extraordinary. Jack is so cool, I wish I had more time to parse that but his qualities are not subtle in the text/subtext, anyway.

But back to my half-crack reading of seasons 14 and 15. 

Once upon a time in Supernatural, there were two fairy tales being told. Both fairy tales are found all over the world and in many forms, but they all can be grouped together because they all contain shared elements of the same basic plot or shared themes, and these two in particular are sister stories. So when I mention “Sleeping Beauty,” I’m talking about lots of different versions of the folk tale, and the same for “Snow White,” which can be found in one form or another in storytelling traditions all over the place. It is both helpful and irritating that these are both Disney movies, too.

Jack makes an allusion to Sleeping Beauty in 14x03 The Scar while talking to Castiel-- it’s the kind of subtextual flash that in and of itself means little and proves nothing, but then beginning with The Scar we got three stories in a row that dealt with “sleepers” of some sort-- Lora in 14x03 doomed to die because of a witch’s spell, Stuart in 14x04 Mint Condition in a coma because of a ghost attack, and Sasha’s father in 14x05 Nightmare Logic under the spell of a clever djinn. It’s powerful subtext, like a soft light that bathes these episodes in the color of fairy tale and makes Jack’s Dramatic Swoon at the end of Optimism all the more Dramatic-- subtext amplifying the plot. Jack goes to Heaven, but is eventually cornered by the Shadow, who wants him in the Empty where he will sleep forever-- the Shadow being an entity who has claimed the husks of dead angels since their inception and thus implies a “curse” laid on Jack from the moment he came into being-- but Castiel, who is ever a thief in oh so many ways, makes a bargain with the Shadow and essentially takes over the consequences of Jack’s Sleeping Beauty story (hence my rarely used but hilarious tag “Castiel Thief of Endings.”)

Now that we know from 14x20 Moriah that the Shadow and Billie the Reaper are, if not allies, at least working together when Jack is awakened in the Empty, does that mean that Castiel’s deal is still on the table, or has that fate been thwarted? *pounds table* Was Jack’s death and Chuck’s rise as a “greater threat” in 14x20 enough to shift Castiel’s ending? It’s the kind of subtextual question that lends tension to the narrative and it’s what I am here for. 

Well, speaking of thwarted expectations, Dean’s arc was being shadowed by a Snow White tale type. We all know Snow White but why don’t I sum it up anyway, since Disney messed up the folktale ending lol. Snow White is cast out of her home by her jealous stepmother (and echoes of the stepmother’s magic mirror show up in 15x02 Gods and Monsters) who sends her huntsman to kill her; the dude can’t do it and turns the girl loose in the forest instead. Snow White joins a band of outsiders who live in the forest-- in the Disney movie and the Grimms’ tale they are dwarfs, in some versions she happens upon a band of robbers-- and they love her very much and we presume she’s safe for the rest of her life; Michael mysteriously turns Dean loose to join Sam’s gathering of hunters, however we know, like Stepmom, Michael is still out there. The stepmother finds out that Snow White is actually alive and contrives to kill her herself. Eventually succeeding, Snow White appears to die and is usually laid to rest in a crystal casket/glass coffin. Her stepmother’s machinations have _stolen her agency_ (further paralleling Dean’s possession by AU!Michael.) A Handsome Prince stumbles upon Snow White, is besmitten with her, and he asks her protectors if he can have her, as one does. Leaving the Disney adaptation aside, Snow White awakens when whatever item that has caused her death-like state is dislodged (piece of apple in her throat) or removed (magic corset) or withdrawn (poisoned hairpin) by her protectors. Snow White is a story about the community of the dwarves of band of robbers or adopted family caring deeply for her, and when Dean starts making his own crystal casket, the ma’lak box, in which he will ride out eternity in tormented symbiosis with Apocalypse Michael, he has to rely on his family to help him see the plan through. However, here’s where Jack-- who is as much a chaos engine as his surrogate father Castiel if not more so-- steps in and ruins the ending. Jack smites Michael. Dean Winchester is saved. Again. To put the final nail in the coffin, so to speak, Jack later destroys the ma’lek box entirely. 

That was quite the surprise ending… for one of the stories.

Was the end of season 14 the end of the Sleeping Beauty theme, also?

END OF TL;DR

I quit writing about “folklore” for a while, but that doesn’t mean it stopped being a theme. It just stopped being fun to write about as the story got more and more dark, and when it transmuted into two parallel themes of “folklore” or storytelling by the people versus Death of the Author--or storytelling by a lauded authority-- and there was so much angst about the boundaries of Chuck’s powers, I just wanted to sit back and enjoy that. I did distill my thoughts about Sam’s new arc in the DotA plot, which I thought would subsume the folktale themes but hey, we still have folktales around, too. I mean, we have Sam and we have Dean, and we have two “literary” subtexts, or maybe rather two subjects about the nature of story, something that I thought was a little bit of a surprise.

Storytelling was a Feature of 15x07 Last Call, both in the sense that Lee and Dean swap new stories and tell old tales of their adventures together as they catch up, but also in the sense that we got additional “text”-- hints of a backstory where John and Dean hunted with Lee in that swampy long-ago “Stanford era,” and again we get storytelling when _Lee recounts how he ended up keeping a marid in his basement_. There is also an allusion to the Thousand and One Arabian Nights in that episode that I yelled about in a meta that I never put on the interwebs, but the “marid” is in a specific tale in many editions of that collection, and thus calls in not only a different folktale tradition but the concept of a framed/nested narrative, which I believe will be important to understanding the last episodes of the series, but that’s an aside. In 15x08 Our Father Who Aren’t In Heaven, Castiel _tells Michael the story_ of how everyone ended up where they are now to convince him to help. And Michael and Adam’s allyship, if not friendship, was probably the best subversion of any “storytelling” expectation we’ve ever had on this show. Belphagor set us up for “room full of crazy” or something, but, no. We got symbiosis. 

That almost sums up how I’ve been viewing the last “era” of spn. This wasn’t in the master post, but I shouted a lot about underworlds before 15x09 Purgatory 2: Return to Purgatory, and then stopped shouting because I had to ferment for a while. Also, as has been mentioned, the world turned to crap. But talking to other meta writers during the ramp up to the resumption of the season helped me realize just why this reading of myth to folktales to literature feels so right.

Underworlds and Otherworlds…. Everybody has crossed into an “underworld” or three in Supernatural, it’s really nbd. It was actually surface-level plot in season 13. By the time 15x09 rolled around, our heroes are just, like, strolling in and out of “sealed off” Hell after doing a level one spell and chilling with Billie in the Empty and even that Purgatory trip didn’t have the same feeling of danger that, say, crossing into the AU did. But also, we’re at the point where subtext is leading us to a _satisfactory_ ending. Where before we had serial text, like a cumulative tale type-- “The House that Jack Built”-- which just kept adding more and more plot, we’re hurtling o’er the apex of Freytag’s pyramid now and things are getting loud.

But they’re also getting very shifty.

I wrote a little bit about Sam Winchester successfully reviving Eileen in 15x06 Golden Time and the “Orpheus and Eurydice” symbolism of him keeping his back to her. (I’m not linking it because it’s so, so rough.) But because Sam is not an underworld hero, not completely-- I see him as a modern Protagonist coming to terms in a psychoanalytical model with things like mortality, fallibility, and mastery-- maybe bildungsroman, even -- he was able to subvert the tragic ending of the tale of Orpheus and Eurydice because it is not “his” story. But if I were pressed to find a mythic or folk tale type to measure Sam against, I could. I would probably sideye “the sorcerer’s apprentice” trope (ATU 325-The Magician and his Pupil :D ) which began as a poem that entered European folklore on different fronts. (and weirdly, that story was also Disnified in Fantasia. That’s probably more my own limitation as a gen x american lol than anything coming from the writer’s room.)

Dean got his moment in Purgatory where he was able to finally come to grips with his anger and heal the rift between himself and Castiel because Purgatory is a different kind of underworld. Dean is a successful threshold-crosser, having crossed that boundary out of Purgatory before, but in 15x09, his prayer to Castiel is all a subtextual evocation of doing the emotional and mental work of therapy, which Sam, as a modern protagonist, is usually caught up in. The mythic hero also deals with mortality, failibilty, and mastery, but in different terms. I hope I’m doing an okay job peeling apart these nuances that I’m seeing.

Since Castiel accompanied Dean to Purgatory, and in the past made his own wildly successful incursion into and out of Hell with Dean’s soul, and was the one in The Trap who actually retrieved the Leviathan blossom, Castiel counts as an underworld hero, too, but you can pull the lever and send the tumblers spinning again and make him a fairy tale character in that he has made this Bargain with the Empty which is both in the “modern” tradition of subverting a fairy tale, and the tale type “deal with the devil.” Or he could be seen as a modern protagonist in that he’s lowkey grappling with questions of selfhood and identification. “I am an angel of the lord.” “I am no one.” “It’s Steve, now.” “You are nothing.” “I am an angel.”

We even got an episode that playfully explored the concept of “hero” by subverting our expectations (Sam and Dean were rescued by, of all people, an upgraded Garth.) It was called The Hero’s Journey, after the Joseph Campbell book about mythic heroes.... !!! Like, what??? !!!! I didn’t even have anything to say about that episode, it just rocked. The “meta” was just all out there in plot, like the olives and boiled eggs in a 1950’s gelatin recipe. 

Some of this slipperiness in the subtext points right at the study of folklore and the (admittedly Eurocentric at first) efforts to transform a “soft science” into something approaching scientific rigor. The Aarne-Thompson-Uther folktale index is today a codifying or cataloguing tool, with which anthropologists and literature scholars can line up stories based on the motifs found within them-- it is useful for cataloguing tales, making comparative studies, and for trying to trace these stories back through human history to find the One First Story of that type, for instance the ur-story that led to Snow White. When did people first start telling that tale, where, how did it spread, and why are we still telling it today? The danger in using the ATU index is that by stripping a story down to it’s bones, we lose the story, if that makes sense. The beauty of using the ATU index is that you find many, many more interconnected stories. It’s sort of a paradox. Some scholars criticize the ATU, claiming that one could take a random selection of these motifs and shuffle them to create a story and, you sort of could? That’s the beauty of the system. 

So that brings us to Jack. I feel like Jack, as in Jack of all Trades, is anything that the narrative needs him to be. As far as I can find, “Jack” is not a “tale type.” He shows up alongside any number of them-- sometimes as a trickster, sometimes as a hero, almost always as a kind of slippery character. In the first folklore post, I invested many words in exploring Dabb’s obsession with threes-- AU Michael asks three beings what they desire, asks his human victim to guess his name three times, then we follow three sleeper stories, and so on. The original TFW was three people. But Jack makes four. 

What is Jack’s story going to be?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

And speaking for a sec about the origins of myth and folklore-- what about ALL OF THE OTHER PEOPLE in the world? Are they lowkey churning the matrix of reality on their own and generating their own content, like Becky and her AO3 stories and mackettes? 

*¯\_(ツ)_/¯ intensifies*

It all just feels so good at this point, even the peril that I feel surrounding Castiel.

I *think* this will be the last of the longform metas before the end of the series. I mean, I can only hope so. I’ll drop some stuff about individual episodes that might be applicable as I rewatch, and I might clean up my post about Last Call and drop it on here, but I just wanted to kind of hold this up as a mile marker before the Final Seven air.

[cadomoisspokenfor]

Legion Rewatch Notes,

Chapter 4:

Frizzytop

I theorized in episode 2 that David could see through the 4th wall, or at least into a different universe. At the start of this episode Oliver outright breaks the 4th wall. Perhaps powerful reality benders just have that capability. If David knows, and Oliver knows, then Farouk definitely knows.

“A great philosopher once wrote, ‘In times of peace, the war like man attacks himself.’ This is the route of all our problems.”

“We are the route of all our problems. Our confusion, our anger, our fear of things we don’t understand.”

If we carry those 2 quotes throughout the rest of the show, then no doubt the tragedies that happen later on are caused by a collective misunderstanding of each other. And a collective lashing out at that misunderstanding of each other.

“Violence, in other words, is ignorance.”

The most central theme of the show is empathy vs fear. I s’pose whenever there’s a conflict in the show we’re supposed to be asking whether the characters should answer with empathy or fear. Certain characters lives have revolved heavily around fear. And that informs their decision making quite a bit. This will all come up again at multiple points throughout the show.

Syd... probably can’t break the 4th wall. So maybe it’s most logical to interpret this as her inner monologue. Very Jessica Jones esque.

The same voice lines from when Syd was searching for David in episode 1 are played. I guess there go to whenever Davids lost (whether in the world or in his mind) is to transmit Syds voice calling his name in hopes he’ll hear it and come back.

Kerry can pick locks.

The concept of “bad mutants” is well established amongst the veteran summerland crew. Ptonomy’s caution about David is probably because he feels he has a selfish vibe, and that’s a well known red flag of “bad mutants.”

It should also be noted he’s partly afraid of him because he has so much trouble understanding him. His powers, which when used affectively are essentially the ability to understand where someone’s coming from, keep getting overrided by Davids.

It’s now to the point where Ptonomy is doubting his own ability to tell what’s real and what’s not real. He was pretty confident he’d always know somehow in episode 2. Now, not so much.

Ptonomy very early on is open to the idea that David both has powers and psychological issues. “He’s unstable. You try hearing voices for 10-15 years, self medicate with hard drugs and then get dumped in a looney bin.”

Ptonomy also determines that because of his instability combined with the fact he has powers, David is a bomb waiting to go off.

I suppose if we’re trying to figure out their logic with the whole “the combination of being mentally ill and having powers makes him dangerous”, and considering that their right now going over an incident where David robbed his therapist for drug money and then bashed the doctors head in when he came back, the direct concern is that David makes bad decisions and/or selfish decisions (at least), and if he were to make a bad decision regarding his powers a lot of innocent people could get very badly hurt. Or killed. Along with the worry that the voices in his head don’t exactly give him the most angelic of advice at times, and because of his powers he’s very capable of fulfilling their wills, so to speak.

Based on Olivers speech at the beginning of the episode though, it might be safe to say the overall message is instead of acting on fear they should act on empathy and help David overcome his problems instead of vilifying him for his mental illness.

Syd suggest Davids hiding his real memories behind a fake ones and Ptonomy says she going through a lot of effort just to convince herself Davids a good guy. I never really got what he meant, but I guess what he meant is that Syd’s trying to find a justifiable reason for why David would attack Dr Poole like he did when the obvious answer is just “He’s got violent tendencies.” I always just thought she was genuinely hypothesizing, ya know, trying to solve the case. Maybe she was and Ptonomy’s just mean.

“I was looking for the man I loved. Or did I just love the idea of him? The face he showed me?” Doubt springs up early. Why can none of the characters reconcile that a person can have both good and evil in them at the same time? That’s... all people, in fact.

When Kissinger ask if Amy knew David had powers Amy says, “I think so.” Amy potentially acted on fear as well, in regards to her and Davids childhood that is.

Kerry mostly only thinks of herself in relation to Cary.

Cary misses Kerry when she’s gone. Even besides the roles they fill for each other, they generally enjoy each others company. They’re quite literally as close as 2 people can be. Each one living for the sake of the other.

Davids once again surrounded by a crowd of people all yelling in his face. After they disappear though he recovers pretty fast. I guess he’s used to it.

Clockworks Podcast pointed out that the music Davids wincing at is sax heavy Jazz, which is (abstractly) the sound The Devil With Yellow Eyes makes whenever he appears. If my theory about David seeing through the 4th wall is correct, then maybe he’s actually hearing that sound whenever TDWYE is around. Alternatively, Farouk blast that in his head everytime to mess with him.

“Sorry... I forgot about your um... I had a similar- proclivity? Malady? I forget the word- what’s the word? I’ve been here a long time.”

If the previous paragraphs are right, Oliver’s probably implying he was also affected by a mental parasite at some point. It might’ve even been what stranded him in the astral plane.

From Davids perspective he skipped over the entire second half of Chapter 3.

Oliver is essentially explaining the plot of the show to David and the audience before it’s even been unfurled.

“You have an unquiet mind, so you war with yourself, like a dog trying to chew off its own tail.”

David’s still in a very pessimistic guilt ridden place at this point in the story. That’s probably the internal war Oliver’s talking about.

... why can’t Oliver leave the astral plane again? If he did have his own mental parasite, it seems long gone by now. If he just can’t find his way back, then how does he do it in Chapter 7?

Syd calls non-mutants “normals.”

“We were the ghost in a haunted house.” ~Syd, Chapter 4

“You think ghost like living in a haunted house?” ~Syd, Chapter 12

Why does Syd keep hallucinating The Angriest Boy? Or is that just visual metaphor?

Ptonomy’s a very, “Get the job done and look classy while doing it” sorta guy.

“To fight and conquer in all our battles is not supreme excellence; supreme excellence consists in breaking the enemy's resistance without fighting.” ~Sun Tzu, Ptonomy

Is the above quote perhaps relevant to the shows message during other conflicts throughout the series? Could it be subtly implying all the characters should always look for non-violent ways to defeat their enemies? I.e. not just a classy line from Ptonomy, but a statement of themes within the show.

The food David, Philly, and Dr Poole are having in Philly’s memories is cherry pie.

In Philly’s memory David says, “I don’t keep a lot of stuff.” And Philly comments that there’s no evidence David had a past. At least among the things David owns at that point. I know Farouk edited a lot of Davids memories, but why did David himself get rid of so much physical stuff? Syd said the reason he broke into Dr Pooles that day was to destroy their taped conversations. What’s compelling him to erase himself from existence? Is it as simple as “Farouk”? It seems like on a deeper level David doesn’t want anyone to know too much about him. Everyone’s only allowed to know what he tells them. His way of feeling in control I guess.

Philly did the classic “I can fix him” when she started dating David.

Philly implies David going off his medication and keeping bad company is what caused the downfall of their relationship. And subsequently his life, probably.

Despite everything, Philly still feels sympathetic towards David.

“Whoever altered Davids memory-“ Ptonomy very early on humors the idea that Davids being acted on by a 3rd party.

The longer Kerry is away from Cary, the more antsy she is for a fight. She’s not supposed to have to sit through all this “boring stuff.”

Ptonomy left after he got the info on Pooles location from Philly. He probably wanted to get the rest of the information from the source. Ironically, they probably woulda gotten closer to the real answer if he’d just looked a bit longer.

Sys proudly says “Yes” when “Dr Poole” ask if she’s in love with David.

It never really comes up again, but Kerry and Cary are physically linked. Maybe even psychologically. When one of them gets hurt, or even exerts their body a lot, the other can feel it, even if their own body doesn’t take on the actual damage. This is still true even if they’re miles apart.

Syds definitely portrayed as the hero at the end of this scene.

“All those years of practice-“ A part of David always knew he had powers. I wonder, did he practice a little in secret? Or is he saying he was at Summerland for years? That doesn’t really add up. But then... what does he mean by years?

Lenny encourages David to get angry so that his powers will strengthen enough for them to overpower the astral plane. Sort of... cheating his way out. David will later achieve more feats of strength through honing his emotions. Like many heroes, his level of power is intrinsically linked to his emotional state.

Very directly here, Davids violence is caused by ignorance. He doesn’t know Syd switched bodies with Walter and is trying to escape.

[leemotionalwreck]

Of Black Chats and Fallen Angels (chapter 3)

Read it here on AO3!

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | You Are Here | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 *********************************************

His eyes opened at the same time Nathalie opened his bedroom door. 

“Adrien.”

“Hmm,” he grumbled.

“School in ninety minutes,” Nathalie gave the form under the covers a once-over with a disgusted look on her face. “And please, take a shower.”

He hummed from under the covers. “I’ll think about it.”

Adrien swore he could hear her rolling her eyes. 

She huffed. “Shower. Now.”

Throwing the covers off of his face with a groan, he stared groggily at the ceiling. Despite reassuring Ladybug last night, Adrien had been terrified. Since when was Hawkmoth able to give his victims that much power? The akuma itself hadn’t been much of an issue. What had ended up taking them well over an hour to defeat was the citizens-- people everywhere were running wild. 

He hadn’t been able to sleep-- tossing and turning. Trying his best to force the images of burning buildings and dead bodies from his mind to no avail. There had been too many times that night when he’d had to step away from a structure close to collapse; oftentimes with people still inside. Of course, everyone knew that the miraculous ladybugs would fix everything in the end--

But it didn’t change the fact that the screams of Paris as the city burned had followed him into his dreams.

*********

Stepping out of the shower, Adrien noted the lack of noise as he tried his best to rub the sleep out of his eyes. Plagg was usually blabbering on about something or noisily shoving cheese down his throat on his holders’ bed before being stuffed into Adrien’s jacket. 

This time, as Adrien crossed his room to his dresser, he was met to complete silence.

“Plagg,” he called out, hoping Nathalie was far away enough for him to not be heard. “Plagg, where are you?”

Being answered in silence again, Adrien searched his entire room about three more times before finally hearing a voice from behind him.

“Do you ever miss it?”

Adrien turned from where he had been searching his desk to see his Kwami had been sitting on the windowsill, gazing at the sun. He sighed before answering. “I mean, yeah. Who wouldn’t?”

Because, truly, who wouldn’t? Who wouldn’t want to return to a place of complete freedom? A place more beautiful than anything anyone could ever imagine. Paris seemed like a junkyard compared to where he had come from.

Plagg turned to face his Chosen, a heart-wrenching sadness in his cat-like eyes. “Then why did we have to leave?” 

Adrien stood in silence. He’d been asking himself that question a lot lately.

*********

He stepped out of his car, waving Gorilla goodbye as the model trudged towards the school entrance. Lack of sleep had caught up to him, and it didn’t help that it was finals week.

“I’m sure there’s no point in telling you this, but you look like shit, dude,” Nino said as he caught up with Adrien.

“And in other news,” he snarled in response. ”The damn sky is blue.”

Nino snorted. “Good morning to you too, princess.”

“Yeah, yeah I know,” Adrien sighed as he rubbed a hand down his face. “It’s just, we’ve got finals. Not to mention the fact that I’m booked for four days this week. It’s not the most I’ve had to do but last night’s attack didn’t help anything.”

“I don’t blame you,” Nino looked down to avoid tripping on his way up the steps, his bright orange headphones almost falling off of his neck. “The city looked like hell. My parents we at work and Alya got stuck at my place-- would’ve been great if Chris hadn’t begged to sleep in my room.”

Adrien’s mind wandered as Nino retold the story of how Chris ruined what would have been a great night for him and Alya, longing for the extent of his troubles to be annoying younger siblings and lack of alone time with his girlfriend.

 He walked towards the classroom in a dazed state, finally snapping back to reality when Nino pointed out there was a new girl sitting in their seat. Mme. Bustier must have noticed the confusion in his face because she explained it right away.

“Good morning to both of you,” she beamed as they waved. 

What was she always so happy about?

Both boys responded at the same time. “Good morning Mme. Bustier.” 

“I’m sure you must be wondering who this is and why she’s sitting here,” they nodded. The teacher turned to the girl. “Mlle. Rossi, would you like to introduce yourself to them and the rest of the class?”

The new girl stood slowly, her gaze constantly flickering to Adrien’s. “Hello everyone! My name is Lila Rossi, and I’m Italian,” He could have sworn she winked at him as she said that. “I’m sure many of you are wondering why I’m just now attending school, and it’s actually because I’ve just returned from my trip around the world! I’ve been everywhere with my mother; Beijing, New York, San Francisco, New Delhi, Achu, Rome, and now we’re here!”

“Really?” said Alix skeptically from the other side of the classroom.

“Oh, of course!” Lila said. “I’m extremely close to Prince Ali. We’re like this,” at that, Lila twisted her middle and pointer finger, making them intertwined. 

The new girl frowned at Alix’s skeptical expression. “I figured people wouldn’t believe me when I told them this, so here’s a picture of us in his throne room.” 

The class oohed and ahhed as Lila flashed a picture of her and the Prince exactly where she said they’d be. 

“I’ve also met Jagged Stone,“ she said, putting her phone in her messenger bag. ”He wrote a song about me, but never released it to avoid making his fans jealous.”

Max sniffed. “Excuse me, but why would Jagged Stone compose a song about an underage girl?”

Lila rolled her eyes dramatically. “Not like that, silly. It was just his way of thanking me for returning Fang after an incident.” A troubled look came over her face while she continued. “The pilot had been taking off and Jagged hadn’t realized that Fang wasn’t on the plane. We’d been having our weekly dinner and I was heading home when I saw poor Fang sitting there looking so scared.”

“I’m so sorry Lila,” Mme. Bustier spoke softly, but firm. “But could you please explain to them why you’re in Nino and Adrien’s usual spot?”

Lila sniffed and wiped away a few tears before continuing. “Of course, Mme. Bustier. I’m so sorry, it’s just-- I get so emotional thinking about the situation. What if I hadn’t been there to help? Fang would have been separated from Jagged for who knows how long!?” She fanned her face in an attempt to lessen the steady flow of tears from her face but continued to cry. “Ugh, I didn’t mean to cause such a scene on my first day back-- perhaps it would have been better had I just stayed with my mother back home in Italy--”

“Oh no,” their teacher interrupted. “Lila we’re so happy to have you here. Please, take as long as you need to calm yourself.”

As the new girl walked quickly out of the classroom, the faces of nearly everyone in the room were full of sympathy. Adrien shifted awkwardly next to Nino in the doorway as his teacher turned to face him. 

“Adrien, you have some of the best grades in the class, I figured it would be best to have you help her catch up on any missing work she has to do. As far as the new seating; while helping Fang, Lila suffered serious damage to her right ear and has hearing trouble. I hope you don’t mind helping her.”

Adrien turned to glance at Nino, who shrugged. “Uhm, sure. I guess I don’t mind.”

“Excellent!” Mme. Bustier clasped her hands together, a bright smile still on her face. 

Seriously, what was she always so happy about?

“Nino, if you don’t mind, you’ll be sitting in the back for the time being.”

A slight frown crossed Nino’s face but brightened when Adrien promised to let him copy his notes while he dozed off in class. 

*********

Eventually, Lila opened the door and slid right next to Adrien in the front row. Somehow, there were still a good six minutes before class began. He started to put his head down to get a quick nap in when a voice next to him began speaking. 

“Oh. My. Goodness,” said Lila-- her olive-green eyes impossibly wide. 

Adrien looked up to see Lila staring directly at him. “Uh, is there an issue?” he asked tentatively. 

“Are you the Adrien Agreste?” she gushed. Adrien noted the way her ”As in, son of fashion designer Gabriel Agreste?”

He chuckled awkwardly. “Yeah, that’s me I guess.”

“How did I not realize that earlier? I’m such a big fan of your work! You looked amazing in the latest edition of Mensuel magazine. Your father’s designs for the fall line was ingenious. ”

“Uhm, thank you?” Stealing a glance behind him, Adrien saw a confused Alya and an amused Marinette.

She placed a hand on his thigh and frowned when he pushed it off. “You know, I’d love to get the chance to model with you someday. It would give us a great chance to get to know each other.”

Marinette sighed from behind them and Lila turned to face her. 

“Hello,” her smile seemed to stretch across her entire face-- any trace of her earlier meltdown completely gone. “I’m not sure we’ve met yet. Lila Rossi.” She stuck out her hand at Marinette. 

The designer smiled back sweetly, a hint of exhaustion and something else in her eyes that Adrien couldn’t quite place. “Marinette Dupain-Cheng. It’s nice to meet you, Lila.”

“You seem like a really great person,” Lila beamed. “I’d love for us to become closer friends, if that’s okay with you, of course.”

“I wouldn’t mind that at all,” Marinette grinned. “In fact, Alya, Nino, and I were all going to head to Andre’s after school-- you could tag along if you’d like.”

“I’d love that!” turning to Adrien, Lila grabbed his arm and smiled. “What about you Adrien? You’re not busy this afternoon, are you?”

Adrien eyed Marinette for any sign of annoyance. Once he decided he was in the clear, he agreed. 

“Yeah sure,” he said. “I’m always down for ice cream-- especially Andre’s.”

Mme. Bustier clapped her hands together, smiling once again, as the bell rang. “Alright everyone, please open your books to chapter eight for review.”

Besides, it was just ice cream. What’s the worst that could happen?

[destieldrabblesdaily]

hello there (ﾉ◕ヮ◕)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧ I'm pretty new to destiel and just found your blog because I wanted to look into some fanfics and someone recommended & turns that you have like a billion one shots for destiel! love your writing style but, I'm not sure where to start in your drabbles tag because it's soooo much (ﾟдﾟ) can u maybe point me to some popular ones or some that you preferred writing or something like that to get me started? thank you anyway (ʘ‿ʘ)ノ✿

Hey friend! 

Ahh, I totally get you. :p A billion is a bit ambitious, but with like 400 stories in one tag and no way to sort, it might get tricky. *sweats nervously for not having a better tagging system*

But anyway, you rock for finding my blog and liking my style, so here is a little something to help you out! For starters, a lot of my stories are also on AO3, which is still a realm of chaos, but is a hell of a lot easier to navigate than my tumblr tag. 

Anyway, here is a little map to get you started, sorted by my most popular Destiel fics (according to AO3), and ones I personally just loved writing!

—

Canon!Verse fics, most popular:

1) CursedTeam Free Will is hunting a witch, but before she dies she turns Cas into a kitten. They can’t find a cure, and after two weeks everyone is losing hope. One night when Cas is sleeping on Dean’s chest, the curse fades and he turns into himself again. As Dean’s luck would have it, Sam walks into the living room seeing Dean sprawled out on the couch with a very naked Castiel on top of him.

2) JealousyWhen Dean, Sam and Castiel are having a drink at a bar after a hunt, Dean finds Cas flirting with a guy, and suddenly realizes something about his own feelings for the angel… 

3) Dream A Little DreamCastiel goes after a Djinn but gets captured, and of course his dream world is all about Dean and him being happy together, so he’s very disappointed when Dean and Sam save him and he wakes up… 

4) With A Little Help From My FriendDean is really nervous about finally telling Castiel how he feels, so he practices over Skype with Charlie. Naturally, Cas chooses that exact moment to drop by, and ends up hearing the whole thing…

5) WhiteboardFor a while now, there has been a whiteboard in Dean’s room. When failing to say the words out loud, there’s always the option to write them down. So that’s exactly what Castiel suggests, and Dean humors him, the two of them finding new ways to understand and forgive each other by working through some issues from both the present and the past.

—

Soulmate AU’s, most popular:

1) What Can’t Be SeenSoulmate AU where you first see color after eye contact: Cas is a famous best selling author and he’s promoting his book, so he’s talking to a crowd of people and suddenly his world is in color, and a lot of his fans pretend to be his soulmate. A Cinderella type situation ensues.

2) The PendantAU where instead of a tattoo/name everyone’s born with a pendant/charm necklace that matches their soulmate’s. Dean walks into their bathroom thinking it’s empty, but there’s Cas taking off his shirt to take a shower and Dean sees his necklace (that matches Dean’s, obviously) and freaks out (because Dean is totally 100% NOT gay at all). Bonus if Cas already knows.

3) Daffodils & Forget-Me-NotsSoulmate AU where when you write something on your skin with pen/marker/whatever the hell you want, it will show up on your soulmate’s skin as well.

—

High School AU’s, most popular:

1) No HomoFor the prompt: ‘I wasn’t gay, but then I kissed you in front of some homophobes to piss them off, and turns out I might be kinda gay for you after all’. In which a kiss makes Dean realize that he has feelings for his best friend.

2) This Game We PlayDean and Castiel have been best friends since they were little, and sleepovers are a common event. They’ve always loved playing the game where they draw out letters on each others backs and try to guess what the other is writing. Even though sixteen seems to be a bit too old to still play the game, Castiel uses it as a chance to silently confess something that he’s been wanting to share with Dean for a long time.

3) Camping and CuddlesDean and Castiel have been best friends since forever, and they decide to go on a camping trip to celebrate graduating high school. When it starts raining and Cas’ tent turns out to have a huge hole in it, the boys are forced to share Dean’s tent, and things heat up.

4) The CallCastiel accidentally butt dials his best friend Dean, and Dean overhears a conversation that wasn’t meant for his ears. Or: the one in which Dean finds out that his best friend has feelings for him.

5) Practice Makes Perfect‘It’s not gay if it’s practice, but shit that was actually really nice wanna practice some more?’ Or, the one in which Dean offers to help his best friend Cas improve his kissing skills, until it’s no longer just ‘practice’. 

(If you are particularly into High School AU’s, I also made a complete list of al my HS AU’s that you can find here –> Click!

—

College/Roommate AU’s, most popular:

1) What It MeansDean’s roommate and best friend Castiel always says ‘I love you’ to him every night before they go to sleep. Seeing as Dean has some serious feelings for his friend, he can’t take the confusion any longer and one night asks Cas what it means when he says ‘I love you’. 

2) If At First You Don’t SucceedFor the prompt: “Wait, did you just flirt with me?“ “Have been for the past year, but thanks for noticing.

”Dean has a huge crush on his friend Castiel, with whom he also shares an apartment. When he decides that he finally wants to woo Cas, everything that could possibly go wrong, does indeed go wrong.

3) UnbrokenDean’s best friend and roommate Castiel is asexual, and it’s causing Cas a lot of trouble when it comes to dating. Cas feels broken, but Dean deeply disagrees; he’d be with Cas in a heartbeat, if only Cas would see him as more than a friend… 

4) Safe And SoundFor the prompt: ‘College!AU where Dean and Cas are roommates and one of them is afraid of thunder, so naturally they have to huddle/cuddle together until the storm is over.’

5) Hot & ColdDean and his best friend Castiel get stuck in the middle of nowhere when the Impala’s engine gives up on them. A snowstorm is raging, and it seems that the only way to keep warm is a method that sounds a lot like ‘naked cuddling’. Not that Dean is complaining.

—

Blind/Deaf AU’s, most popular:

1) Through Your EyesDean’s best friend Castiel is blind, which is why Cas loves it whenever Dean describes the things as he sees them. When Castiel gets curious and wants more details about Dean’s looks, Dean is reluctant to go into detail about them. Castiel’s solution is simple, and demands nothing more than a gentle touch.

2) At First SightDean has been blind since he was four years old, but at 18 years old he regains his sight through special surgery. This also means that he will finally be able to actually see his boyfriend Castiel for the first time. Castiel is excited, but at the same time utterly terrified that Dean won’t approve of his looks…

3) MisunderstandingsWhen the handsome new student Castiel Novak arrives at Lawrence High, Dean has every intention of making him feel welcome. However, Castiel seems to ignore Dean whenever Dean tries to talk to him…

4) DeliciousImagine your OTP, based on this text post: ‘Okay, so I’m a waitress at this restaurant that’s open really late and it’s nearly 1am and this family comes in and I’m so tired that I handed their BLIND SON a menu and he’s like “ah… thank you… I’ll just… read this” in a serious voice and I fucking snorted.'With blind!Dean and waiter!Cas.

—

Personal favorites to write:

1) Her Favorite Love StoryThe story of Dean and Castiel as seen through Mary Winchester’s eyes; AKA how she witnesses her oldest son fall in love with his best friend. 

2) The MatchmakerBased on this prompt: “My cat keeps breaking into your apartment next to mine, so I tied a note to its collar to apologize, and you write back. We keep exchanging cat notes, and you turn out to be pretty cute.” 

3) WingsWhen ten year old Dean Winchester and his family move to a new town, he becomes best friends with the boy next door, who happens to be an actual angel. Dean is fascinated with Castiel’s wings from the start, however when they get older, Cas suddenly starts hiding them and no longer wants Dean to groom them for him.

4) BlackboardsFor the prompt: 'Dean and Cas are both high school teachers, and they leave each other cute notes on each others’ black boards.’

5) To Date a DickCas is out on a date with a complete and utter asshole in a really nice restaurant, and Dean is their waiter who feels the need to intervene.

6) Angel Grace (2 Parts)Dean Winchester loves going to conventions to meet the cast of his favorite TV show 'Angel Grace’. Aside from being good at his job, lead actor Castiel Novak is charming, handsome, and has a heart of gold. Like many fans, Dean has a serious crush on the guy. However after meeting Castiel several times, it’s starting to look like Dean’s crush isn’t as one sided as Dean had always assumed it was.

—

Holiday Specials:

❄ Destiel Drabbles: December/Christmas Edition Fluffy Christmas-themed Destiel stories to warm the cockles of your heart during the cold December days! 

❄ All I Want For ChristmasDuring a big family get together, a drunk Castiel starts singing ‘All I Want For Christmas Is You’ to his best friend Dean while the whole family watches.

🕷Destiel Drabbles: Halloween EditionSome fluffy Halloween themed Destiel drabbles. Happy Halloween!

🕷Kiss Or TreatCastiel has been dutifully handing out Halloween candy all night, entertaining the many kids ringing the Novak house’s doorbell, but he’s in for a big surprise when the bell rings once more and it’s his crush Dean Winchester suddenly standing there on his front porch…

🕷Of Holding Hands and Haunted HousesFor the prompt: 'You’re scared of haunted houses and Halloween attractions, and I don’t even know you but your friends left you behind (what dicks) so I’m gonna hold your hand and get you through this, alright?’

♥Valentine’s DayFor the prompt: 'Cas anonymously sending Dean one of those school Valentine’s Day flowers with a little personalized note, thinking that someone as popular as Dean won’t notice his message anyway because he gets so many. Little does he know that Dean sent one to him as well…’

—

If you feel like reading a multi-chapter Destiel fic, I wrote one of those as well: 

Fortune CookiesDean and his best friend Jo own a bakery together. When a salesman named Crowley visits Dean to make a deal, Dean has no idea of the consequences, and his world turns upside down when an actual angel literally crashes into his life. For the first time in his thirty-year-existence, Dean is overwhelmed by real companionship, wings, and most of all… love.

—

Or for easily reading and clicking through short fluffy (mostly canon!verse) Destiel stories, go here:

~ 100 Days of Destiel Drabbles ~

Or here: 

~ 30 Days of Destiel Drabbles ~

—

Hope this was helpful, and happy reading! :D (I really need to become a better tagger, ahum. :p)

[crowdedimagines]

Let’s Go Home pt. 2 - David Dobrik

part one

some more david fluff, duh

~

David and I stayed there for a couple more weeks. We told his family we were engaged, and I called my parents. Everyone has been extremely excited and supportive even if we are a little young. We haven’t told the friends yet, we figured that’s a message we should tell in person. Once we tell the friends, we can tell the fans.

“Are you all packed?” David asks as he walks into the room.

“Yep.” I zip my suitcase shut, “I don’t know how all of this fit in here in the first place.”

We put his room back to the way when we came here over a month ago. It doesn’t feel like it’s been that long. We easily fell into a rhythm with his family. Spending our days doing fun activities to get out of the house, sometimes with the whole family or just the siblings, but always making it home for dinner. This has to be the longest David has gone without Chipotle.

“You guys leaving?” David’s mom asks when she notices the suitcases we lug down the stairs with us.

“Yeah, our flight is in a couple of hours.”

“It was so good having you home, David.” She pulls him in for a long hug. While they talk quietly to each other still in an embrace I make my rounds with everyone else.

“Y/n, I don’t want you to go. You make it so fun here!” Toby complains.

“I know, we’ll be back! Or you guys can come out to L.A anytime.” I smile. I move onto the girls who both give me a tight hug.

“Is it still okay to call you, Y/n?” Ester asks.

“Of course.” I smile, “That goes for both of you. I’m always here for you guys if you need it.” It’s a good feeling to know you’re doing something right. It feels nice to be a big sister to them in a sense.

We finish goodbye with the rest of the family before we drive to the airport.

“So you’re sure you’re ready?” I ask as we turn our rental keys in.

“Yes.” He leans in to press a kiss to my lips, “I want to go back to L.A.”

We make it to our flight before it’s too late, even though we’re close. It wouldn’t really be in our style if we were early to the flight.

“So do you think you’ll start the vlogs up when we get back?”

He pauses for a second while he thinks.

“Yeah, I actually filmed a little on the last couple days we were here so I could explain.” David admits, “It actually felt really good to be back at it. I was starting to miss it.”

“Good. The break is exactly what you needed to enjoy vlogging again.”

“Exactly.”

He leans in to press a kiss to my temple. The rest of the flight is fairly uneventful, David and I both manage to fall asleep. As soon as we land, I can’t help but smile looking out the window. The sun is setting, just starting to fall down past the horizon. It was amazing to be out of the city for so long, but I can’t deny that I missed it.

“We’re landing, baby.” I gently shake his shoulder.

He wipes at his eyes and sits up straighter.

Soon enough we’re leaving the airport and ordering an Uber to take us home. The ride is familiar and comforting to be going home again.

“I am so tired.” I yawn as I drag my suitcase up to the front door.

David doesn’t answer as he opens the front door with his key. All of the lights are off in the house.

“Wait, where’s Natalie?”

Before he can answer, the light flip on and confetti rains down on us.

“Oh my god.” I laugh. I look around to see all of our friends gathered around us.

“Welcome back!” They cheer, all smiling and laughing.

“This is amazing!” I step forward past David to give hugs to friends. David walks in behind me too.

I immediately jump into small talk with a couple of people from not seeing them in so long, not even noticing the silence hanging over the room.

“Y/n.” David calls out my names.

“What?” I ask turning around to face him. When I do I notice that he’s down on one knee, a gleaming diamond ring sitting centered in the box.

“Y/n, will you marry me?” He has an excited smile on his face.

“David, you already know my answer.” I laugh taking a few steps forward, “Duh.”

Everyone claps and David slides the ring over my finger. He gets up to pull me in for a kiss followed by a hug. Everyone continues to cheer and yell with excitement.

“When did you have time to get this? We just got home?” I ask after pulling back a little, I look at the ring that glimmers on my finger.

“I’ve had it for months.” He smiles, “I was waiting for the right moment. I didn’t think when I was planning that it was going to be back home, but I’m glad it happened.”

“Me too.” There is no chance I could wipe the grin off my face right now.

Everything settles as much as it can after that. We split off into smaller groups a bit. I make my rounds catching up with everyone after not seeing them for a month. I can feel David’s eyes on my which causes my eyes to drift from Kristen who was talking to David in the living room, his gaze locked on me. I smile and it seems to break him out of whatever trance he had been in.

“I’ll be back!” I tell the group of girls before walking over to him.

“Hey.” I greet.”

“Hi.” He smiles, he reaches out to pull me closer to him.

“What’s up?” I ask, wrapping my arms around his neck to hold him there while his arms find a home on my waist.

“What do you mean?”

“You’re a little out of it. I caught you staring, you aren’t really talking to anyone.”

He shakes his head and thinks for a couple of seconds.

“I just kinda regret organising this. I’m really glad to see everyone, and formally to propose to you obviously, but it’s kind of a lot to jump back in to. I just wish it was you and I in bed right now.”

“Want me to kick everyone out?” I grin.

“No.” He rolls his eyes and chuckles slightly.

“Are you sure? Because I can, I am your fiance.”

“Hmm.” His grin grows wider, “My fiance. That sounds so good.”

“Almost as good as Y/n Dobrik.” I tease.

“Alright, kick them out.”

“David.”

“Baby, I was kidding.”

“I wish you weren’t.” He presses a kiss to my cheek.

I manage to convince him to let everyone stay a little while longer. I can tell that David’s ends up being thankful for that because the next time I look over he has his camera out and is filming. It gets later and later and eventually everyone is gone, leaving just us and Natalie.

“Alright, I’ll see you guys in the morning.” Natalie smiles getting up from the couch.

“Night.” Dave and I both say.

I get up from the couch too and reach out a hand for David to get up too.

“C’mon. Let’s go to bed.”

He reaches up and takes my hand and we walk to his bedroom. I change into my pajamas and look over and he’s already settled on the bed with his laptop.

“What are you doing?” I question.

“Editing.”

An actual smile shows up on his face.

“Really?” I sit down on the edge of the bed.

“Yeah, I think I’m going to post tomorrow. I really want to upload something.”

“Okay.” I smile.

I climb under the covers and lean across to pull David in for a kiss before going to bed. When I wake up hours later, David is still editing.

“How’s it going?” I ask with my voice muffled by the pillow.

“Good. Go back to sleep.”

He doesn’t have to tell me twice. I crash once again and this time I’m down until the morning. David is asleep this time, thankfully. I sneak out to the living room to get some breakfast. I grab my phone and notice that David has posted his video as well.

‘I’m back and I’m engaged!’

I instantly click on it to see what he posted.

The video starts out with him explaining his break a little more and just how needed it was. He also tells the fans how thankful he is for them being understanding through all of it.

After that it cuts to a video of him in what looks like the closet.

“Hey guys.” David whispers, “I don’t know when I am going to use this footage, but I want it for the future. I just bought an engagement ring.”

My heart starts racing with excitement.

“I bought it for Y/n, obviously. She’s actually in the shower right now, that’s why I’m in our closet. I don’t have a plan yet, but I know that I need this ring. I don’t know the moment, but I know that I’m going to marry this girl.”

It cuts again to David in his room in Vernon Hills. It must be whatever the footage he talked about getting earlier.

“I asked Y/n to marry me last night.” David’s voice is quiet, he looks off camera too busy in thought, “She said yes.”

The ghost of a smile that had been on his face before breaks out into a full blown grin.

“I don’t know if she knows just how much I love her. She’s everything to me. You guys, this is it for me. I know you might be thinking were young, or this won’t last, but that’s wrong. I can feel it. Y/n is everything I need and want. She’s my girl.”

He shakes his head in disbelief.

“I’m pretty sure she thinks I proposed to her out of impulse, but I have been wanting to do this for months. I knew the moment that I met her that I was done for. No one else could be better than this.”

After that it cuts to when David and I come home, the confetti and the proposal with the ring. In my distraction of seeing everyone yesterday I missed it when Natalie handed him the ring box. The clip finishes and the camera cuts yet again.

It’s David, in our bed.

“Hey guys. I feel like I need to check in with you guys again as I end this. I am glad to be back. Back and better than ever honestly. I am coming back with a fiance.” He smirks. He cuts the camera to my sleeping figure that is curled close to his side. “She is going to kill me for including this, but it’ll be too late because I’m posting this before she gets up.”

He laughs and pushes a strand of hair off my cheek before he angels it on himself again.

“Thank you guys for watching. I’ll see you soon.”

The vlog ends and I almost want to watch it over again.

“What do you think?” A voice calls out.

I was so distracted with the video, I never heard David come out from the bedroom. I turn around and he’s just over my shoulder with a curious look on his face.

“I loved it.” I reach out a hand so he’ll take a couple of steps closer. “So you’ve been wanting to marry me for months now, huh?”

“I’ve wanted to marry you since I met you.” He leans down to connect our lips.

“That’s cute. That almost makes up for you putting that clip of me sleeping in.” I smack his shoulder.

He takes a couple steps back in recoil.

“I knew I was going to pay for that.” His look changes to excitement as a thought enters his head, “I’ll gladly pay it for the rest of our lives.”

“And somehow you bring it back to sweet. You are a sweet talker David Dobrik.”

“Only for you.”

“I love you.”

“I love you, too.”

[wtfdavidsvlogs]

Out of my League (D.D)

Warnings: Fluff and swearing

Requested: @cracraforfandoms

Oooo! Or maybe a fluffy one w David where he’s really awkward around u cuz he thinks ur way out of his league but he really likes u and makes excuses to spend time w u just one on one??

Gif by: @ughitsdavid

David has been one of my best friends for as long as I can remember. I grew up in Vernon Hills with him, Natalie, and Ilya. David has always been a really weird kid in many ways but lately he’s been a lot different around me. He keeps on making excuses for me to stay over longer whether it’s, “The video won’t look right, I need you to be in it.” Or “I can drive you home I just need to finish editing the next 6 hours of footage.” Which I don’t mind necessarily, it’s just not like him. He invited me to his house for the 100th day in a row.

“DAAAAVIIID?! I’m HERE! WHERE ARE YOU, CRACKHEAD?!” He bolts from around the corner as i’m taking me shoes off. He comes to hug me. I let out a groan as it feels more like a bear hug then a regular hug. “H-Hi, David.” I say letting out a laugh. “You act as if I haven’t been seeing you everyday for the last 2 months.” I say looking at his goofy smile ridden face. He immediately gets all flustered and awkward.

“I mean, I j- I just like seeing you, you know?” He says letting out a sigh and placing his hands on his hips. Everyone that was sitting in the living room yells their hellos to me as I walk closer to them. David follows close behind. I sit down right next to Zane and David sits in the love sac with Heath.

“So what’s going on? What have I missed?” I say taking off my jean jacket to reveal my cute red tank top. I will admit, it does reveal a little bit of cleveage if I wear the right bra with it. With any other bra it looks weird and lumpy. I knew none of these guys would really care since none of them think of me that way...I think. David looks up at me and starts choking on his chewing gum. He throws his laptop and gets up to cough. I get up immediately trying to help him. “Oh my god, you clutz! Are you alright?!” I say laughing as he finally caught his breath. He looks at me and nods his head quickly. I pat his back. “Go get some water or something.” I say to him, he nods in agreement and lowly chuckles as he walk to the kitchen. I sit down and the rest of the group is silently laughing. “What’s so funny?” I say with a confused smile on my face.

“Oh nothing, he just really likes the color red.” Jason said to me and laughing again. I sit back into the couch with pure confusion riddled on my face.

Davids POV

I cannot believe I just embarrassed myself so badly in front of the girl of my literal dreams. I get a glass and fill it up. I sit on the counter and see that Jason gets up to talk to me. He gets close and starts silently chuckling. I roll my eyes knowing very well what this talk will be about. Everyone in the group knows that I am hopelessly in love with Y/N, who is desperately out of my league.

“Slick. Very slick.” Jason says crossing his arms. I get down off the counter.

“How the hell was I supposed to know that the hottest girl on planet Earth was gonna walk in looking like one of charlie’s angels?!” I whisper yell in his face.

“You really are whipped...you have to tell her. Every day she gets more and more suspicious about your behavior and I don’t think Zane or Todd can keep it hidden much longer.” Jason says to me in a low whisper.

“No. Absolutely not. Girls like THAT!” I point at her. “Don’t want guys like THIS.” I say pointing both fingers at my chest. “She is so out of my league. There is no way that girl would ever like me. Hell, she’d probably laugh in my face if I told her that. I’ll save myself the gut wrenching embarrassment for now. But thanks.” I said whisper yelling every word.

“Look. You have NO IDEA if she likes you or not. Hell, she could be just as whipped as you are. But the worst thing you can do for yourself is never try and see what it could be. You could be missing out on the opportunity of a lifetime and you are worried about if she reciprocates it?! Shoot your shot, kid!” He says patting my shoulder. I look over at her and she’s smiling and laughing with the other girls in the group. Jason’s right. I at least need to try.

I take a deep breath and walk over there. I curve around the couch and she immediately looks at me and smiles the most amazing smile.

“Y/N, can I talk to you? For a minute?” I say to her. She nods and stands up. I walk her out back right near the balcony over looking the city. She and I sit down and on one of the lawn chairs. Her eyes gaze over the skyline as if she’s never seen anything like it. Her eyes have this glow no matter what she’s doing. Like she’s always happy to be living and breathing. Looking at her face all of my confidence that I once possessed is now gone. I stand up in a hurry.

“I can’t do this! Why did you think you could do this?!” I say running my hands through my hair. She stands up and walks towards me. She grabs my arm and I jump slightly.

“Do what, David? What is going on?” She said calming me down. The worry on her face gave me all the reason to say what I needed to say.

“Y/N. From the day I met you, I thought you were honestly the most beautiful, vibrant woman that I have ever met. It scared me how quickly I started to fall in love with you. I got to know you better and the love only grew stronger. You made me want to spend every waking moment with you. I wanted to kiss you like the world was ending every time we touch, I wanted you to be every where that I was, I wanted to be the shoulder you cry on, I wanted to be there in every happy moment in your life and I wanted to be the cause of it. You make me so fucking crazy. You make me lose motor functions.” I say chuckling and she does too. The smile never fading from her face. “The only reason I’ve never told you is because you are way way way out of my league. I thought that you deserved to be with someone so much hotter than me. I’m just me and I thought that ‘me’ wouldn’t be good enough for someone like you.” I say to her. She smiled and placed her hands on my face. She quickly leaned in and kissed my lips and every dream and thought that I had ever hsd about that moment was increased ten fold. She pulled away and laughed.

“You really thought all of that?” She asked me softly.

“Every. Day.” I said back to her with no hesitation. She wrapped her arms around me and cried slightly. I grab her so tight never wanting to let her go.

“David.” She said and pulled away with tears on her rosy cheeks. “You are the only man that has ever treated me like a human. Every other guy wants the same thing from me and it’s always sex or a booty call or I’m the person they’ve cheated on someone with. You are LITERALLY the only guy to ever say anything like that to me.” She said with her voice cracking I grab her hands as she looked down at her feet. I switch my body so that it’s facing her completely.

“Hey. Look at me.” Her head leans up to me. “You deserve everything I told you. Every last bit of it and more. Watching you get played and toyed with while I sat in the side lines like a little bitch, is the biggest regret in my life to this day. But I promise you I will never let that happen to you again. Do you understand?” She nods and I pull her in again to hug me. Tears well in the ducts of my eyes thinking about the horrible people that have made her feel like she was nothing.

“I love you, David. And if you’re wondering if I ever felt the same way, I have. I always have.” I close my eyes tight and a tear falls down my face.

“I love you too, Y/N...and thank god. This conversation could have gone so much worse.” I say laughing. She chuckles and leans her head into the curve of my shoulder.

AGHHGNE I LOVED THIS SO SO MUCH THANK YOU FOR THE REQUEST! Speaking of which my inbox is open for requests so send em in!

[mayquita]

Call Me (26/?) - Crazy Little Thing Called Love

As promised, the next chapter is here!  the next chapter is here! It is a little less angsty and sad than the previous one and includes one of the scenes that I've planned from the beginning, so I hope you like it. Also, as I suppose you’ve already deduced, I was in Queen mode while choosing the last two titles :)

I’d like to express my gratitude to three savior angels, @saraswans and @onceuponaprincessworld, thanks for your continued support and your advice. @chrissascorner, thanks for helping me edit the whole thing. You three are the best. Thank you also to everyone else for your patience and for your support. 

Summary: Emma loses her phone after a chase, but she finds a phone in a cafe just when she needs it most. Killian forgets his phone in a cafe when he is about to take a flight to Ireland. Killian makes a call to his own number hoping someone answers on the other end of the line. What will happen when Emma is the one answering the call?

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8Chapter 9 Chapter 10Chapter 11 Chapter 12Chapter 13 Chapter14Chapter 15 Chapter 16Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19Chapter 20 Chapter 21 Chapter 22 Chapter 23 Chapter 24 Chapter 25

FF.net Ao3

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Chapter 26 - Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Friday, September 15, 2017

Killian's heart threatened to get out of his ribcage while he rushed to Emma's apartment, running up the steps two at a time.

The nearly twenty minutes of car ride had allowed him to calm down a little while he forced himself to focus on the road, but once he spotted her building, the nerves had gripped his stomach again.

Killian had felt bad vibes about that perp almost from the beginning to the point of not feeling comfortable at all when Emma had decided to travel to another state to pursue him. Of course, he hadn't dared to express his concerns aloud. She was incredible in her job, she knew how to handle herself in complicated situations and had enough resources to achieve her goals, but that did not prevent such work from entailing certain risks, some avoidable, others fortuitous. And it was from the latter that Killian was most afraid. There could always be something that went wrong. And he was sure that was what had happened today.

He had been so excited to hear her voice and so relieved that she had finally responded to his call that he hadn't noticed her trembling and hesitant voice at first.

An alarm had begun to ring in his head at the moment she had refused to meet him using an unbelievable excuse, immediately putting him over the edge.

He had to admit that he hadn't managed to handle the situation, especially knowing Emma as he thought he knew her. He should already know that pushing Emma always had the opposite effect as desired. He was aware that she was a perfectly capable woman, that she didn't need protection and much less that someone acted like a complete fool on her behalf. He knew all that, but that hadn't prevented a feeling of vertigo from seizing him at the possibility that Emma might be hurt, clouding his reason completely to the point of throwing out that ominous comment.

The reference to her father had been a low blow, he was aware of it. In fact, if he could have eaten back the words he would have done so. His intention had been none other than to try to assure her that he was not going anywhere, that she could count on him, but the way of expressing it had been inadequate, especially knowing Emma's abandonment issues. 

By the time she had hung up he had been tempted to throw the phone against the wall, such was his frustration, while his mind had begun to play tricks on him, increasing his unease by creating different scenarios each more sinister than the previous.

His torment had lasted only a few minutes, fortunately. When he read her message of apology and her invitation to visit her he had felt the pressure in his chest lighten as his breathing steadied. Still, the nerves in his stomach had remained until now.

Before knocking on the door, he tried to regain his composure by running his hand over his face in an attempt to soften his features. Whatever had happened, it couldn't be that bad if she was in her apartment, right? There was only one way to find out. After letting out a heavy sigh, he swallowed hard as he forced his lips to draw a soft smile and raised his arm to knock on the door.

He could swear that his heart stopped working for a few seconds at the moment his eyes fell on her battered face.

His first reaction was to run towards her, throwing any precaution out the window, but he forced himself to remain calm. The last thing she needed was a hysterical boyfriend.

"Gods Emma. What happened?" He muttered as he approached her tentatively watching her carefully.

"I fell." She said with a shrug. The way she looked away, eyes cast down to the floor, made him think there was more than that, but he reminded himself not to push and instead be carried away by what she was able to offer. 

Killian gritted his teeth and pushed down the lump that had formed in his throat as he moved closer to her, reaching out his hand until his fingers gently brushed the left side of her head. He detected a wound that was still bleeding a little just above her eyebrow, while her cheek was bruised and her left eye partially swollen. "Does your head hurt? Do you feel dizzy?" He forced himself to keep his voice calm, ignoring his inner turmoil. The appearance of her wounds seemed to indicate that she had probably suffered a concussion. That thought caused him to almost gasp.

"My head is spinning a bit and I feel like someone is drilling my skull." She admitted reluctantly, her voice sounding weak and a little shaky.

"The wound is still bleeding. You probably need stitches and someone should check your head." Although he was making great efforts to remain calm, a wave of worry washed over him, threatening to make him lose his composure at any moment, his overprotective instinct towards her struggling to emerge. "We need to go to the hospital, darling."

"I don't need to go to the hospital." She used a petulant tone, sounding like a spoiled child, which would have made him smile if they had been in other circumstances. "All I need is some painkillers and sleep for several hours."

Letting out a deep breath, Killian dragged his hand down his face and rubbed at his scruff. "Emma, look at me, please," he asked quietly. Showing off her stubbornness, Emma ignored him, keeping her eyes fixed on the floor. He had no choice but to use another tactic. Taking a new tentative step toward her, he reached out his hand and gently touched her chin, forcing her to lift her head and look him in the eye. "You may have a concussion, love." When their gazes met he detected several emotions dancing in her green eyes, anger, frustration, pain and, above all, fear. For some reason she was scared, so, in his urge to comfort her, he tenderly rubbed her left arm while brushing her right cheek with his other hand.

What he didn't expect at all was that she flinched at the moment he touched her arm, causing him to withdraw his hand immediately. "What? What's wrong? Did you also hit your arm?"

"My shoulder." Emma muttered while holding her injured arm with her other hand.

His heart dropped to his stomach while he had to make a great effort to suppress his need to hit something, anything before the impossibility of punching the asshole that had put her in this situation. Instead, he clenched his jaw and counted to ten internally while breathing slowly.

Emma was watching him with a cautious expression, which did not help ease his inner agitation, so he forced himself once again to be calm. "May l?" He pointed at her shoulder, asking permission to observe the damage suffered. Only when she nodded did he approach her again, carefully pulling the shirt aside to observe the articulation. He had to suppress a gasp when he found a bulge in the area, a sign that her shoulder was clearly out of place.

He had never experienced a dislocated shoulder, but he did remember that Liam had suffered it once and was aware of the intense pain Emma must be feeling. His heart tightened in his chest as helplessness seized him, not having the certainty of how to act to relieve her pain and make her feel better.

"You can't move your arm, can you?" Her lips pressed together as she shook her head slightly. "Have you tried to put it in its place?" Her eyes widened in horror, giving him the answer he needed. "You know what that means, right?" He treated the subject tentatively since, for some reason, she was still reluctant to go to the hospital.

"Yes, it means I need a painkiller, but I can't open the damn lid of the first aid kit." She huffed in annoyance, a scowl adorning her lips.

He also pursed his lips, remaining silent for a few seconds while rubbing his forehead with his hand in an attempt to think of a new strategy. Finally, he dropped his arms as a sign of giving up. "Okay, let's open that first aid kit, but let me first go for some ice for your shoulder, aye?"

She nodded silently, one of the corners of her lips raised slightly. Then she headed towards the bathroom where he supposed she kept the first aid kit. He instead went to the kitchen.

When he reached the bathroom, he found Emma sitting on the toilet while holding the kit in her right hand. He handed her the bag of frozen peas gesturing to place it on her damaged shoulder. He counted as a small triumph that she abided by his silent request without any complaint.

Once the bag was placed in position, he handed her a glass of water and grabbed the first aid kit. He wasn't surprised that Emma had been unable to open it, since the lid was blocked. After a little battle with the damn kit, he finally managed to open it. He looked for the bottle of painkillers and offered her a couple of pills, which Emma readily accepted.

"Thank you." She whispered as she returned the glass, the ghost of a smile adorning her lips.

He smiled back, hoping to offer her some comfort. After placing the glass on the shelf over the sink he glanced at the tiny room. He had no choice but to sit on the edge of the bathtub right in front of Emma. Before beginning the healing he examined her face carefully. The wound over the left eyebrow was quite deep, and he feared, once again, that she would need stitches.

"Okay and now let's see what we can do with your bruised face." As he spoke, he poured some antiseptic into a gauze. "This is going to sting, lass." He warned. With the first touch, Killian noticed how her body tensed, but she made no sound, so he continued to clean the wound, applying some pressure hoping it would stop bleeding.

He worked silently for a few minutes, throwing sideways glances at Emma to check her expression. She seemed calmer, her features had softened and her gaze had become more serene. Still, her body remained tense and her lips sealed. There was something she was holding back and he needed to know what it was.

"Are you going to tell me what really happened?" His voice was even and his gaze remained fixed on the wound, so as not to give her the feeling that she was under his scrutiny. Apparently, it worked, since, after a few seconds of silence she finally spoke.

"I would rather not do it." She paused, probably to check his reaction. He remained silent, applying a little more antiseptic and trying to keep his body from betraying the anxiety he had begun to feel.

After a few seconds, he heard a heavy sigh before she started talking. "But since you're going to find out anyway... I... The asshole was a hell of a runner. I... I was about to lose him and I was getting frustrated because I just wanted to get home." Her voice trailed off and he had to make a great effort not to seek her gaze to encourage her to continue. "When I saw that he was starting to go down some stairs I didn't think..." Killian held his breath, predicting what was coming next. "...I just jumped."

His jaw clenched as he bit his tongue hard to the point of feeling the characteristic metallic taste. Once again he felt the need to count to ten to avoid acting impulsively.

"How many steps did the stairs have?" He managed to offer a calm voice while still working on the wound.

"I don't know, maybe seven, eight... I don't know."

"Emma..."

"Are you mad?" Killian's heart broke as he watched her defeated expression and heard her fragile voice.

Although she didn't use the words, it was evident both by her tone and by her expression that she really meant if he was mad at her. No, he was not mad at her. He was upset with the whole situation, because she had felt the need to risk that way, because it was obvious that she had been scared at first, unsure about his possible reaction. Because he had missed her and all he had wanted when he had docked the ship was to go find her and wrap her in his arms and instead he hadn't even been able to hug her, or even brush her lips. Because he hated seeing someone he loved suffer since it made him feel helpless. He was upset, for all those reasons but never because of her.

He shook his head. "No, I'm not mad. You're a hell of a bail bond person, love. You were doing your job."

"But you are upset." She insisted, a slightly defiant tone in her voice. It was a relief for Killian to see that she had recovered part of her innate fierceness.

His gaze sought hers. Yes, there was definitely a spark there that wasn't there before. Maybe the painkiller was already working. He took it as a good sign. "I may be upset about the whole situation. I almost had a heart attack when I saw your face. I can't help it, you’ve got an overprotective boyfriend." He raised one of his eyebrows as he gave her a false look of apology.

She rolled her eyes —actually rolled her eyes. "I knew you would go crazy when you saw me." Her lips drew a tiny smile before continuing. "By the way, you never asked me if I caught the skip."

"No need." He responded with a dismissive wave of his free hand. "I've yet to see you fail." Something changed in her expression, the flash of something intense crossed her gaze but she remained silent so after offering another encouraging smile, he continued his work examining the bruises on her cheek. "Besides, I'm sure that even though you ended up in this condition he still took the worst part."

"I love you."

The unexpected words caught him so unprepared that he stiffened and almost dropped the gauze he was holding. Again, he would swear that his heart stopped working for a few seconds while his brain tried to process what was happening. After those first moments of shock, his eyes looked for hers, to make sure he wasn't dreaming.

"I mean..." He noticed how she stirred restlessly in her seat and looked away, so he hurried to assure her that her feelings were totally reciprocated.

"I love you, too." He cupped her right cheek while his fingers traced delicate patterns on her skin. His eyes drifted to her lips, where he found a shy smile. He smiled back before leaning his forehead against hers.

She loved him. She loved him! He already knew it, but hearing it for the first time had meant a breath of fresh air, while a sense of peace invaded him. It was as if the pieces that formed his life were finally fitting after being scattered for too long, as if the image of the puzzle was finally taking shape, offering a hint of what his life could become from now on if he managed to keep all those pieces together and keep adding even more until the picture was finally completed.

"You seemed in shock for a moment." She muttered without separating her forehead from his.

He chuckled before parting a little to look her in the eye. "Aye. I wasn't expecting... Let's say this wasn't the most predictable situation for those kinds of confessions. Look at us, love." He gestured with his hand encompassing the entire room. "We are in the bloody bathroom and you are sitting on the toilet, with half your face bruised and a dislocated shoulder."

She grinned at him, probably the brightest smile he had been lucky enough to witness so far. "Well, I did it for you, buddy. To continue adding unique and unrepeatable moments to our particular list."

He hadn't loved her as much as at that very moment. "You're right, especially when it comes to unrepeatable moments. I really hope I never again have to see you in a similar situation."

She bit her lower lip in that gesture of her so appealing, which reminded him that he hadn't taste those lips for five days. Before he could act, though, he noticed how her eyes widened suddenly, as if she had remembered something. "Just for the record, I did catch the guy. And you might be right about something, maybe I accidentally hit his nose in our fall. He was bleeding like a pig."

"That's my girl", he exclaimed, his voice dripping with pride.

The laugh that escaped her lips sounded like music to his ears, causing your his heart to swell. The sound soon changed, though, becoming a kind of gasp as she put her hand to her mouth. "I keep forgetting that I have a damn split lip." She huffed in annoyance.

Despite the situation, his lips had begun to tingle with need. Instead, he focused on helping her clean her lip with a moistened gauze. "Do you know the bad thing about having confessed our feelings in such a circumstance? I can't kiss you as you deserve."

"But that doesn't mean you can't kiss me at all, right?" There was a spark of defiance in her gaze, and he, of course, couldn't help but accept the challenge. "Just be gentle."

He nodded before tilting his head and pressing his lips gently to hers. It was a chaste and delicate kiss but with the ability to send a warm sensation throughout his body while his heart fluttered. Just when he was going to break the kiss, she caught his lower lip, nipping slightly and sending an unexpected electric shock of pleasure down his spine. Gods! How much he had missed her.

"I would like to apologize for my previous behavior." She breathed out, barely separating her lips from his. "I was scared and frustrated. And... I'm not used to... this."

"I know darling." He pulled back a little, his gaze focused on hers as he stroked her cheek. "I also want to apologize for my inappropriate phrase." Her mouth opened but he pressed a finger to her lips and continued speaking. "What I meant is that I have no intention of letting you down. I understand that you are not used to this, but you'd better get used to it, Swan. Because now you have a bunch of people around you who care for you. Don't push us away, please."

"I know, I do know now."

"I'm so damn proud of you, Swan. I can't even express it in words. I admire your work and the way you act, I need you to understand this." His voice trailed off to be sure that he had her full attention. Indeed, there was a special glow in her eyes and a serene expression on her face as she held his gaze. "But I'd also like you to understand that you don't need to take unnecessary risks. I am here, love, I will always be here. I'm not going anywhere."

The look she gave him was so intense that he was lost in her green eyes for a few seconds. "You are too good for me. You know that, don't you?"

"Well," He tilted his head to the side as he raised one of his eyebrows. "I think we are both quite lucky." He then winked at her before adding, "Though I guess you'll change your mind when you hear what we're going to do next."

Her eyebrows knitted together while her lips curled into an adorable pout. "I don't wanna go..." At least her reaction had been less negative than before, so he hoped he wouldn't have to fight too much with her to convince her.

"Believe me, darling, an emergency room is the last place I would like to spend the first hours with you after five bloody days apart. But unless you know how to put your shoulder in place and make sure you don't have a concussion we will have no choice but to visit the hospital."

Showing off her stubbornness, she tried to raise her injured arm. The grimace of pain that appeared on her face was a sufficient indication that her shoulder was far from being well. Even so, she still took a few seconds to accept it, rubbing her forehead with her good hand, as if assessing what to do. Finally, she dropped her arm and let out a deep sigh.

"Fine. I'll go to the damn hospital." He pressed his lips together holding back a sigh of relief. "But under one condition. You have to promise me something."

"Anything, you know that."

Her eyes closed for a moment, a slight crease adorning her brow as she bit her bottom lip. When she opened her eyes again he detected a flash of vulnerability crossing her gaze. "Promise me that you’ll stay with me?"

Her fragile and uncertain voice made his heart ache for her. He suspected that she had some bad memories of a previous visit to the hospital, hence her reluctance to go. Her request made even more sense if he took into account that she had spent much of her life alone.

She was stubborn and fierce and perfectly capable of taking care of herself. But that didn't mean she had to do everything alone. She might not need him, but at least he wanted to make sure she could count on him no matter what. The display of vulnerability in front of him, far from making her appear weak, only increased his admiration for her.

"I promise." He assured without hesitation. He was aware that he would probably have to fight with more than one hospital employee to keep his promise, but it was important for her, so he was determined to carry it out, regardless of the consequences. The dazzling smile adorning her face was worth all the battles he had to fight.

Emma remained silent on the way to the hospital, curled up in her seat, her eyes closed, causing Killian's stomach to tighten into knots due to the concern he felt. It was as if all the strength she had regained moments before had been drained from her body again. He tried to calm down, mentally repeating that her attitude was probably due more to the reasons for her reluctance to go to the hospital instead of her condition having worsened.

As it turned out, he didn't have to fight anyone, fortunately. They probably gave the perfect image of worried boyfriend and scared girlfriend because they only had to separate for a few minutes when they had to do some tests on Emma to assess her condition.

He knew from experience —after his brother's accident —that the hospital stay was rarely pleasant, but still, he managed to extract two important moments from that visit, which would be added to his list of unique moments shared with Emma.

One of them happened as soon as he arrived at the hospital, when Emma was asked if it was necessary to call her emergency contact. She shook her head as she gave him a sidelong glance, a shy smile pulling at her lips. "No need. He's here."

Despite the satisfaction of the moment, Killian could not help feeling a certain sadness since he kept wondering who she would have included as her emergency contact in previous years, when she did not have around her a group of people who cared for her. He quickly shook those thoughts away. They had each other now. That was all that mattered. He also took a mental note as a reminder to tell Emma that he had also added her as his priority emergency contact. Somehow he thought it would be important for her, as it had been for him.

The other moment came when it was time to place her shoulder in its correct position. They asked for his help to keep Emma distracted and for her to have someone to hold on to during the process. Despite the intense pain she must have felt, she made hardly any sound, simply hardened her features, clenching her jaw as she clung tightly to his arm. Her brave attitude only increased the admiration he felt for her.

She did need stitches in the eyebrow wound and was also diagnosed with a slight concussion. Although Emma claimed that she was much better and that the pain in her shoulder had eased considerably after putting it in place, he was instructed to watch her during the night and she was given a considerable amount of medicines to relieve her pain and help her to sleep.

The events of the day and the countless hours of the hospital had ended up draining all their energy and all they wanted was to get home to finally rest. Together. At last.

Arriving at the apartment was quite an adventure since Emma appeared a bit groggy, the mixture of her fatigue, the dizziness caused by the concussion and the intake of drugs, too potent to remain entirely conscious. Even so, the murderous look she gave him when he made an attempt to take her in his arms to take her home was enough to make him change his mind, so he had no choice but to walk holding most of her weight since she simply clung to him and dragged her feet.

Once in the apartment, Emma also did not make it easy to put her in bed, since his efforts to undress her and get her in more comfortable clothes were stopped by her attempts to simply drop in bed. Even so, despite her semi-unconscious state, she did seem lucid enough to tease him, "Uhm, I didn't know you were so eager to see me naked."

There was a hint of seduction in her voice, but Killian also detected how she slurred her words slightly, so he simply chuckled quietly before replying. "Well, someone has to do it unless you prefer to sleep with the sling, your jacket and your jeans." In response, Emma let out an exaggerated sigh as she sat on the bed to make it easier for him to take off her boots and pants.

When he finally got her into bed, he placed a tender kiss on her forehead and made an intention to go to the kitchen to get a glass of water and the bottle of pills.

His advance slowed down when he heard Emma addressing him.

"Killian? Are you leaving?"

A surge of affection for her settled in his stomach as his heart fluttered. Despite her show of courage in the emergency room, her voice was dripping with vulnerability, so he had no choice but to step back and approach her bed again to assure her that he was not going anywhere.

"Of course not love, I was just going..." Before continuing, Killian thought better. He could resume his tasks once he was sure that Emma fell asleep. "... it doesn't matter." He whispered as he began to undress. He then made sure to set the alarm on his phone before getting into bed.

It took a few seconds for him to assume that what he had wanted so much during these days apart was finally happening, Emma was in his arms, both curled up in her bed. Perhaps it was not the most comfortable position since he needed to keep some distance so as not to risk causing even more damage to her injured arm, but he could feel the warmth emanating from her and her body relaxed by his side. She was safe now, so he also allowed himself to finally relax.

Although he had no intention of falling asleep, the events of the day seemed to be taking their toll. His eyelids became increasingly heavy and his muscles gradually loosened. The gloom that surrounded them and the soft breath coming from Emma acting as impellers of the sleep. Maybe he could take a brief nap now that Emma seemed to be asleep, he told himself as he began to succumb.

"Killian?"

Emma's whispered voice pulled him away from slumber's embrace, his eyes widening immediately.

"What is it? Are you okay?"

Killian raised his head a little and scrutinized toward her, in an attempt to detect her features through the darkness. It might be his imagination, but he'd swear that Emma was smiling, to his relief. 

"I'm fine.I... I just wanted to thank you for taking care of me today."

His hand gently squeezed her waist as he pulled her even closer to him. He then bent his head and pressed his lips to her temple. "Thank you for letting me. And now sleep, love. Remember that I will have to wake you up in a couple of hours."

He heard a soft groan from Emma's side, causing him to almost burst out laughing. "You are not funny." She huffed. "You're lucky that I love you and that I'm too weak to kick you out of bed."

Killian’s stomach swooped at her words. It was better to get used to them soon to avoid melting whenever he heard them, since he hoped to hear the three words many times from now.

"I love you, too. But tell me again tomorrow when your head isn't clouded by concussion and you're not so high on drugs, darling."

"I will."

"Good. Now sleep, Swan."

The last words Killian heard before falling asleep were a barely audible Goodnight, followed by a new I love you, the soft murmur caressing his ear and finally helping him reach the world of dreams.

//

 Saturday, September 16, 2017

The first thing Emma noticed when she woke up was the light that bathed her bedroom seeping through a slit between the curtains. She had to blink a few times until her vision adapted to the luminosity that surrounded her.

The second thing she noticed was the silence that surrounded her, only broken by Killian's soft snoring at her side. A content smile tugged at her lips as she snuggled even more against him and let herself be embraced by the warmth that his body emanated.

It was not until that moment that Emma noticed the pain and with it the flow of memories of the previous day. Her heart skipped a beat as her breathing stirred, but she forced herself to remain calm to be able to assess her current state.

Her head still hurt a little and she felt some dizziness but at least the almost unbearable pressure on her skull seemed to have disappeared. Then Emma tried to raise her left arm slightly. Even though she could still feel a dull ache, at least her arm was already operational, to her relief. Muscle pain persisted, though, giving her the feeling that she had been hit by a truck, so she deduced that today she would spend most of her time resting, at least if it was up to Killian.

Killian... the memory of her unexpected confession popped into her mind, causing a pleasant sensation to burn through her veins spreading warmth all over her body. He loved her. He LOVED her.

Tell me again tomorrow when your head isn't clouded by concussion and you're not so high on drugs.

A powerful need to express the words aloud again seized her, generating the urge to wake up Killian just so he could hear them.

She parted a little to be able to observe him while biting her lower lip in an attempt to curb that impulse. He was lying on his back, almost at the edge of the bed. Her heart fluttered at the fact that, even in his sleep, he had put enough space between them not to risk further damaging her arm. Gods! How was she so lucky? She leaned over him a little to better watch his features and delight in his appearance. He was so handsome while he slept that she had to suppress the urge to reach out and touch his face. A lock of hair fell on his forehead, his long eyelashes caressed his cheeks, his lips slightly parted, an invitation to be kissed. He seemed so placid in his sleep... But the pull of need was stronger than her. They would have time to go back to sleep later, wouldn't they?

"Killian..."

"Killian..."

His brow furrowed as he stirred slightly, although he didn't seem to wake up. Emma remembered then that he had probably slept rather little, having to wake her up every couple of hours to make sure she was alright. Even so, that didn't stop her from trying again, this time giving her voice a little more intensity.

"Killian, wake up."

This time her voice did seem to reach him. His eyelids fluttered several times until his eyes suddenly opened wide. She didn't even have time to address him. The moment his brain seemed to start working he gave such a start that he almost fell out of bed.

"What? What's wrong?" He shouted in an almost hysterical tone as his eyes moved frantically.

"Oh my god Killian, calm down." She should perhaps show some empathy for the poor guy, but the situation was so surreal that a laugh bubbled up in her throat. In her defense, she not only pressed her lips together but covered her mouth with her right hand to try to stop the laughter.

"Not funny." He mumbled, the corners of his lips twisted down and a scowling expression on his face. He rubbed his eyes with his hand and then looked up at her. "You ok?" She wondered why she found the hoarse tone of his voice so appealing even in these circumstances.

"Yep, I'm fine. That's why I woke you up." She admitted hoping that her contrite expression was enough to lift his spirits.

That didn't seem to be the case, though. His eyes narrowed and his scowl became more pronounced. "Let me see if I've understood, have you woken me up just to tell me that you are okay?"

"Well..."

Killian did not let her continue as, in an over-dramatic gesture, he dropped back onto the bed, squeezing his eyes shut as he let out a deep breath.

"Do you know that you are particularly cute when you are in that sullen mode?"

"Cute?" His head rose again, an expression of disapproval on his face. "That's for children. Or pets. Not me."

She rolled her eyes as she repressed a new laugh. Besides him being cute, he was so funny when he woke up in a bad mood so Emma didn't mind continuing a little more with her little game. "I know I'm going to regret asking you, but if you don't think you're cute, how do you consider yourself then?"

The expression he offered, with his lips drawing a grin and one of his eyebrows raised, was enough to anticipate his response "Why, devilishly handsome of course."

Emma couldn't help rolling her eyes again, a wide smile pulling at her lips. "In addition to grumpy, you are so full of yourself today, aren't you?"

"Just for you darling." His grin grew wider before the expression on his face changed again, becoming more serious. "Are you sure you're okay? Do you need anything?" He continued speaking without giving her time to reply, as he watched her face closely. "The swelling has diminished considerably, I guess that's a good sign, isn't it?"

"Yeah. In fact, that's what I was trying to explain." She said as she offered her hand pulling him towards her as an invitation to sit down. "My headache has almost disappeared and I don't remember taking any painkiller overnight. So…"

He tilted his head slightly to the side and then nodded subtly, the smile that adorned his lips encouraging her to continue.

"I just wanted to tell you that I love you."

His smile became even brighter, if that was possible, the sparkle in his eyes threatening to consume her alive while her heart hammered in her chest. "I love you, too." He shortened the distance between them, pressing his lips with hers and causing a burning sensation spreading throughout her body. It was just a kiss, only the soft touch of his lips against hers, and the gentle caress of his breath but the fact of sharing this intimate moment after what happened the day before made it even more special.

He made no attempt to deepen the kiss —nor did she— seemed content simply tasting her lips as his fingers gently brushed her cheek. Emma wouldn't have minded continuing like this for the next few minutes, or hours, but the unexpected rumble of her stomach managed to interrupt them.

"Oh damn." She breathed out as their lips parted. They kept their foreheads pressed together, though. She noticed how her cheeks blushed as her stomach continued to grumble, so she made an attempt to cover her face, but Killian stopped her, giving her a quick peck.

"I guess it's time for breakfast. Or lunch. I don't even know what time it is." He chuckled against her lips.

Despite her embarrassment, a new idea that would allow her to continue teasing him for a while jumped in her mind, causing a smirk to appear on her face.

“I've been thinking. Since I'm still recovering, I think it would be appropriate if you prepare breakfast for me and bring it to bed. Would you, please?” She didn't intend to use the convalescence card to get what she wanted but simply enjoyed messing up with him.

Killian clicked his tongue as he gave her a look full of intention. It seemed obvious that he had perceived her intentions but had decided to get along. "That depends. Are you willing to rest as much as possible, not to make unnecessary efforts and take at least a week of sick leave?"

"Come on! That's blackmail." She complained in an exaggerated way.

"Take it or leave it, love." He challenged, a triumphant smirk appearing on his face.

He was a tough competitor, but fortunately, she had one last ace up her sleeve. "Who are you kidding? You and I know you're going to do it anyway. But here's another incentive." She paused to lick her lips suggestively. "You will get a reward in gratitude that you won't be able to refuse." She was confident that her seductive voice was indicative enough of the kind of reward she had in mind.

Emma noticed how his pupils dilated, a shadow of lust crossing his gaze. By the time he blinked that spark had disappeared, though, his face showing the obvious signs of an overprotective boyfriend. "Although I'd be more than willing to enjoy that reward, you are still convalescing love, we should leave it for another day."

Ha! She got him. Her lips curled into a wide smile as she couldn't help squealing in triumph. "See? My point exactly!"

The way his expression morphed was almost comical. His lips first drew a pout while he frowned. The next second, the corners of his lips twisted upward as he gave her a pointed look. "You're right about something. I'd have done it anyway, but you're a bloody minx, Swan."

"But you like it."

"I love it." He winked and gave her one last kiss on the lips before getting up and heading to the kitchen.

Emma watched him until he disappeared from sight and then dropped back into bed, the smile of contentment never disappearing from her lips. She still couldn't believe the unexpected turn of events since yesterday. The roller coaster of emotions she had experienced in the past twenty-four hours had been so intense that Emma still had a hard time believing that all this was really happening.

Everything was real, though. She no longer had anything to fear. She could be vulnerable and still have absolute confidence that Killian would be by her side. He loved her. She loved him. And their feelings were so intense that they had the ability to overcome any obstacle that got in their way.

The unexpected buzz of her phone brought her back to reality. Emma frowned as she turned her head in search of the device, finding it on the bedside table. She didn't remember bringing it into the bedroom, although it wasn't surprising, considering her condition the night before.

Emma then realized that she hadn't checked her messages since Killian had arrived at her apartment the day before, so the tug of curiosity made her grab the device. What Emma expected to find, a couple of messages at most, was far from what appeared on her screen, though. All her friends without exception had shown their concern for her in one way or another. An overwhelming sensation suddenly invaded her, causing her vision to blur. She had to blink a few times to be able to read.

Hey Emma! Killian told us what happened. Are you okay, honey? Do you need anything? I guess you already know, but David told me that your skip got what he deserved. All thanks to you. I hope you don't mind us visiting this afternoon. We will only be there for a while, but I'd like to bring you some chicken soup. According to David, it has healing properties. Hugs. — Mary Margaret

Emma! Are you okay? I hope you get better soon. Will and I may come to visit you tomorrow if that's okay with you. Tell me if you need anything. Take care! — Belle

Omg, Emma! Killian just told us and we're worried sick. How are you? Are you feeling better? Call me if you need anything. Gods! It's moments like this when I find it more frustrating that we are so far away. Anyway, since we can't do it, let yourself be taken care of by Killian, you're in good hands, I promise ;) —Elsa

Hey Emma! How do you feel? Killian has already informed me that he and David will pick up your car this afternoon. Take all the time you need, you deserve it. Leroy and I will manage without you for a few days, I hope. — Graham

You badass! I wish someone had been there recording your performance — not the fall, just the jump — sure the video would have gone viral in seconds and I could boast of having such a badass friend. Although you shouldn't take such risks, I'm so proud of you, girl. Maybe this afternoon someone will deliver a few treats for you. You deserve it. Talk to you soon — Ruby

When Emma finished reading she dropped the phone on the mattress. Only then did she allow tears to spill down her cheeks. Killian was right, she was no longer alone. She not only had the most wonderful boyfriend in the world but a handful of fantastic friends. She wasn't sure she deserved so much attention, but what she was sure of was that she had no intention of raising her walls again. She was going to take any opportunity that life could offer her, starting with a delicious breakfast. She could already feel the appetizing aroma penetrating her nostrils. Life was wonderful sometimes.

//

@rouhn @couldnthandleit @teamhook @malec4everr @ijustwantyoucaskett-always@kmomof4 @resident-of-storybrooke @suwya @thisonesatellite @lfh1962

I think I can confirm that with this chapter we conclude the second part of this story. We're almost reaching the final part, although this story is still far from over. I hope you guys continue to accompany me on this path. Thank you, as always for placing your trust in me. Let me know what you think :) 

[enthusiastic-sarcastic]

One Entirely Haphazard Arrangement (Tim Murphy x Reader) [Pt. 1]

A/N: Ok so this is longggg overdue and I apologize for taking so damn long to post this. I think I said I would write this in early July but I just got so caught up in the story and turned it into a whole three part fic...oh yeah, and I sort of moved to college so that took away some of my time 😂 but it’s finally here! I sort of struggled with this one because I haven’t creatively written anything in so long but it was really fun to write and I'm looking forward to writing more in the future! Anyways, I hope you enjoy this silly little friends-to-lovers Tim fic! Parts 2 and 3 will be up within the next few days. Again, sorry if this is trashhh

Words: Roughly 3.9k

Warnings: cursing, stress/anxious habits, cringeee writing?, I guess a Jersey Boys reference if for some reason you resent the jukebox musical or Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons

You have always had this infuriating habit of excessively scratching at the back of your hand like a cat attacking a toy laced with catnip whenever you become particularly anxious about the current state of your life.

And working at your newly appointed job as co-director of the art department at the museum has certainly proven to be more than stressful enough over these last eight months.

Whether it has you tumbling out of bed before the sun rises to make sure that that damned office projector is working in time for a 6 o’ clock meeting that your boss decided to throw together at the last minute or facing certain embarrassment upon being woken up by the night-watch guard because of a silly intention to stay after for only a few more minutes to finish editing one of your interns’ research reports, you had completely sacrificed any regard for your own basic health at this point for the sake of your job and its lingering promise of a future promotion.

A promotion that could potentially be awaiting you at the other end of your boss’ door in just under half an hour.

A promotion that could finally lead to the publication of the passion project that you’ve been steadily working on since your early college days.

A promotion that has you relying on old habits again as you scratch at the back of your hand under your cluttered office desk and stare down the hands of the clock on the wall across from you like your life depends on it.

Tick. Tick. Ticking away among the plethora of familiar noises that make up the busy atmosphere of your department. Drowning out the occasional flutter of footsteps stumbling down the hallway or the quiet laughs of your coworkers walking out of yet another dreadful planning session or even the absurdly shrill screeching sound that the copier down the hall likes to make every single time someone dares to use it.

Swiftly swallowing up all signs of life that surround you as your throat starts to feel like it’s closing in on itself and your breathing turns into something that more closely resembles gasping.

You’re just too good to be true...

Can’t take my eyes off of you...

And then so suddenly, a voice breaks through the numbness that has almost paralyzed you and reality starts to bleed back into place—a beacon of hope.

You’d be like heaven to touch...

I wanna hold you so much...

It takes a while for you to place the source of the voice as the all-to-familiar sound of your Jersey Boys ringtone blaring out from your phone across the room, but once you finally bring yourself back into a state of complete clarity, you rush out of your chair and stumble towards the singing object, desperate for a distraction.

Without bothering to glance at the name flashing across the screen, you answer the call and bring the phone up to your ear, eager to listen to whatever will take your mind off of that ticking clock.

“Hello?”

“Uh—Hey (Y/N), it’s Tim…”

A smile instantly rises across your face as you recognize the voice of your cute neighbor, Tim Murphy.

“Sorry if I’m interrupting something...I know how busy you’ve been with work lately”

“No—no, it’s fine...you’re fine,” You chime in awkwardly, attempting to reassure him as a familiar fuzzy feeling begins to spread across your entire body.

To say that you had practically fallen hopelessly in love with the paleontologist   ever since you accidentally attempted to break into his apartment at 3 a.m. in a half-asleep daze that led you to believe that you weren’t just one door off would be an understatement. That was an embarrassing introduction, to say the least.

“So...what’s up? Is everything alright?” You honestly hadn’t expected Tim to call you at this time of day...or really ever, seeing as how both of your work schedules are so chaotic that you only ever really interact with each other in the dead of the night, so this was a pleasant surprise.

“Yeah, yeah—everything’s great—It’s just...well, I don’t want to startle you or anything but when I got home from work, I found Stevie prancing around outside on my balcony again and—”

Your heart instantly drops into your stomach and you’re suddenly met with the urge to bang your head against a wall from the sudden embarrassment,

“Ah shit! I’m such a clumsy idiot! I probably left my bedroom window open again…”

“No, it’s okay! Don’t worry! Stuff like this happens to everyone. Stevie’s perfectly fine now! I actually just brought her inside my apartment. Poor thing was shivering so I gave her some food and that pretty much cheered her up instantly” Tim chuckles into the phone, causing your cheeks to flush a light shade of pink.

“Oh god, she’s gonna be so mad at me!” You groan as your head begins to feel like it’s spinning from all the guilt and nerves overwhelming you, “I’m so so sorry, Tim. Thanks for rescuing her from my clumsy antics”

“No need to apologize,” Tim laughs again, which doesn’t exactly help with your lightheadedness, “It’s the least I could do. I mean, especially after all those times you’ve looked after my house plants while I was away on a dig”

“You do have a point, Tim Murphy. What would you or your precious house plants ever do without me?” You tease lightly, attempting to calm your nerves, and pulling another angelic laugh from the other end of the phone.

“No, but in all seriousness,” You continue, “I’m going to make it up to you somehow...No ifs, ands, or buts, Murphy!

Tim groans playfully from the other end of the phone and you shake your head with a smirk before a sudden voice cuts through the uneasy silence of your office and the endearing moment abruptly ceases.

“Miss (L/N), Dr. Vaughn has requested that you head down to his office for that meeting now”

You let out another disgruntled sigh before nodding to the kind intern peeking his head through your office doorway,

“Ugh sorry to cut this short, Tim, but I have something kinda important to discuss with my boss right now and I really can’t afford to screw it up...” You trail off with a sigh, not wanting to end the call so soon.

“Oh...alright—yeah...that’s totally fine—I understand...” Tim rambles, sympathy laced within his voice,

“Good luck! I’m sure everything will go smoothly. I believe in you!”

You let out another nervous laugh, your cheeks now entirely red as you take in his words of encouragement, “Thanks for the kind words...and for taking care of Stevie! I’ll stop by to pick her up whenever I get out of this place”

You say your final goodbyes and end the call, shakily placing your phone back down onto your desk before finally making your way towards your boss’ office, scratching at the back of your hand again.

——————————————————————————————————

“I’m sorry...Are you serious?! This has to be some sort of sick joke…right?” You gawk at your boss, your body shaking in aggravation and utter disbelief.

However, he just simply smirks at you and shrugs his shoulders nonchalantly as his eyes switch between you and your...colleague.

“Dr. Vaughn, don’t you think you’re taking this a little too far?!” You groan in exasperation, shifting your eyes to take a look at your fellow co-director: the one coworker that just so happens to also be your ex.

Yes, your ex, Charles.

The one that abandoned you while you were away on a business trip, moving out of your shared apartment overnight all for his new blonde assistant...cliche and all.

The reason that you’ve worked so hard in this job for the past year of your life.

Not to win him back or follow through with some crude form of revenge—you weren’t at all that type of person.

But to gain back the sense of integrity that he had so swiftly stomped on and finally prove him wrong: to prove to yourself that you are, in fact, good enough.

“I don’t see anything inherently wrong with a little healthy competition, Miss (L/N)”

Your boss speaks up, calmly, the smirk across his face only widening as he looks up at you from his enormous office chair.

“I’m just not particularly fond of the idea that one of us ends up completely jobless by the end of this!”

“Oh please, (Y/N), calm down”

Charles finally speaks up from beside you, causing you to roll your eyes and dig your fingernails into your palms from the sheer rage that now seemed to be pulsating throughout your entire being,

“I’m sure whoever gets the short end of the stick in this...arrangement can always turn to the other for a raving recommendation letter after they track down and apply to whatever museum establishment that’s desperate enough to hire them after this”

The shared dark laughter that escapes the both of them at his sad attempt to reassure you only makes your stomach curl in disgust. How can he just be okay with all of this?

“Honestly, all you have to do is write an introductory speech that addresses the latest contemporary art exhibition for the museum’s annual winter gala next Saturday. That gives you both the same amount of time to prepare your material and secure dates for the event, so I think this whole competition sounds pretty fair to me”

“But Dr. Vaughn—“

Your boss abruptly cuts you off, again, “I will allow you both five minutes. Mr. Sterling, you’ll go first before introducing your fellow co-director to the stage, then Miss (L/N) will give her speech before calling me up to the stage. Whoever gives the best speech in reference to the new exhibition will be promoted to head director of this museum’s contemporary art department...and the other will unfortunately be let go from their current position”

You let out an aggravated sigh, which prompts Charles to smirk in your direction,

“And that’s final! Now, get the hell out of my office!”

——————————————————————————————————

The journey home couldn’t have been more painstakingly difficult.

First, you missed your usual train and had to wait a whole 45 minutes for the next one. Then, it began to rain as soon as you started walking down the street towards your apartment and just as your doorman graciously greeted your shaking figure as you scurried into the building, you remembered that the stack of paperwork that you had planned to finish up was locked away...in your desk...back at the museum.

And now, as you trudge down the hallway of your apartment floor, soaked head to toe from the rain, your heart begins to race as you make your way in front of Tim Murphy’s door and muster up the courage to knock.

It only takes a few minutes for the door to open, but once it finally does, you’re met with the sight of an adorable, half-asleep paleontologist that makes you feel like you could melt into the floor at any given moment.

“I was beginning to think you weren’t coming”

You chuckle halfheartedly at him, a tired smile making its way across your face regardless of the pounding sensation in your head and the ringing sounds in your ears. Tim always seems to have that effect on you.

“Sorry, I had a long day” You mutter, cheekily.

Tim hums amusedly before moving to the side to let you in,

“I was fully prepared to take Stevie in as my own, actually. I have an extra cat bed and everything. I’m sure she’d get along just fine with Lydia”

You enter the apartment and spot your beloved cat sleeping cozily under the breakfast table near the kitchen, curled up right next to Tim’s orange tabby.

You smile at the sight, taking your wet shoes off before plopping down onto one of the stools at the kitchen counter, exhausted.

“Honestly, you make a better parent than I could ever be” You chuckle, glancing towards Tim as he sets down a glass of water in front of you. His disheveled hair and slightly pouting mouth causes a blush to grow across your cheeks again as you’re reminded of something,

“Sorry if my late arrival woke you up”

He shakes his head at you, a sleepy smile spreading across his face,

“It’s okay, I wasn’t exactly...asleep. I had to finish up some last minute research in preparation for an excavation in Arizona next week”

Next week. Fuck.

You chug the water in front of you, abruptly, before placing the cup back down onto the counter and burying your face into your hands. Your mind spiraling with thoughts about the impending winter gala and him.

“So...I’m assuming that that conversation with your boss didn’t go over very well”

You groan in acknowledgement, before glancing back up at the attentive paleontologist,

“You could say that,” You laugh, sarcastically, “Hell, I may not even have a job by the time next week rolls around”

This seems to get Tim’s attention, because he leans closer to you from the other side of the kitchen counter and your breath hitches in your throat when you notice the way his biceps flex from underneath his sweatshirt.

“Well now you have to tell me what happened” He exclaims, with a tone of genuine curiosity.

You almost can’t formulate a response when you realize just how close your hands are from each other, so you muster out a weak cough and casually begin to play with the empty glass in front of you.

It’s just a hand, (Y/N). Just a nice, particularly soft-looking hand that just so happens to belong to your incredibly brilliant and handsome neighbor, Tim Murphy. Calm down.

“Well, my boss has always been one to enjoy watching people suffer before rewarding them” You sigh in frustration as you recall the last few hours of your day,

“I thought I was walking into his office to finally receive the promotion that I’ve been working day and night over for the last eight months,” You continue, running a finger across the rim of the glass repeatedly, as anxiety starts to rise within your chest again,

“And I suppose my suspicions were right” You chuckle, sadly, “but he ended up making the so-called promotion a competition between my ex and I”

You bite your lip in frustration, the wounds inflicted from the previous conversation still fresh on your mind.

“Wait—you’re not talking about…” Tim trails off in disbelief and you nod your head in confirmation.

Tim Murphy was well acquainted with the sheer emotional damage that Charles had put you through. In fact, after the break-up, it was Tim that so graciously convinced you to get the hell out of bed and resume the rest of your life after coming over to your apartment due to another mail mix-up. While you took a well-needed shower, Tim prepared a nice spaghetti dinner and put on some comedy show for the both of you to watch aimlessly as you attempted to catch up on what the rest of the world was doing after it had seemingly crashed all around you. That night definitely didn’t do anything to alleviate your growing feelings for him.

“Wow” His head tilts in slight surprise, “That’s so unfair!”

“Right! That’s exactly what I said to my boss but he wasn’t having any of it” You scoff as you recall the aggravating image of your boss’ smirking face.

“And now I have to work my ass off trying to write a decent introduction speech commemorating our latest exhibition for the winter gala. Oh! And I have to find a date to the stupid thing with only a weeks notice! Where in the world am I going to find a date to this event with only a weeks notice in this city!?”

You were starting to freak out now, pulling on some strands of damp hair that you had somehow managed to wrap entirely around your fingers as you tried to make sense of your unfortunate predicament.

“I could be your date.”

The words fall from Tim’s mouth so abruptly and effortlessly that it takes a few seconds for you to register their meaning.

“What?”

“Well...I think I still have a nice suit lying around here somewhere from my last work event. Plus, I’ve been to my fair share of museum galas, so it won’t be much of a hassle. I could be your date.”

“Tim, you really don’t have to do this! I mean—What about the excavation to Arizona? You can’t miss out on that! I would feel so bad if I made you miss out on that trip all because of this stupid arrangement” You’re blushing now at his offer and suddenly the wall next to his head is very captivating.

“When exactly is this winter gala anyways?”

“Saturday at 6 p.m.”

A smug, satisfied grin stretches across Tim’s face as he leans even closer to you and the redness across your cheeks grows when your eyes meet,

“I get back Friday night. It’ll be fine.”

You sigh in guilt, not wanting to overstep, “Are you absolutely certain about this? I guarantee you’ll be exhausted once you get back and I don’t wanna drag you into another tedious social event right after a week of strenuous excavation work”

“I mean if you want me to memorize some cue cards, I’m all for that...but I think I have enough experience under my belt from high school theatre group to properly wing it”

You chuckle at his lame attempt to humor you, but your resolve remains undeterred,

“And you’re 100% positive that you’re okay with staying by my side all night, in formal dress attire, chatting up a storm with just about any and most likely all of my colleagues over strictly art related stuff? It’s an exhausting experience.”

Tim shrugs his shoulders, the amused, stubborn grin never leaving his face,

“Like I said before, I go to museum galas all the time, it’s nothing I can’t handle.”

You let out another exasperated sigh in defeat, standing up from your stool at the counter and walking towards the fridge to fill your glass again. A shiver runs down your spine and you want to blame the wet nature of your clothes but you know from the shakiness of your fingers carrying the glass and the heat radiating off your cheeks that it’s because of the close proximity between Tim’s face and yours just moments ago.

“Fine. You can be my date. But I seriously cannot thank you enough for what you’re doing for me, Tim Murphy. I really have done nothing but complain to you all evening and now you’re swooping in and saving my ass again. What—Do I have to sell you my soul this time to properly repay my debt?”

Tim chuckles, turning around to look at you again.

“Luckily for you, I’m feeling generous enough to let you keep your soul for just a little while longer. But seriously, don’t feel pressured to repay me.”

You open your mouth to protest but the words are silenced by the sound of thunder rumbling from just outside the apartment, shaking the floor beneath your feet.

“Shit! I completely forgot that it’s raining,” Tim gestures towards your clothes, his eyes wide with concern, “You must be freezing!”

You blush again as you glance down towards your damp clothes, “Oh no! It’s fine, I sort of forgot about it too...I’m not—”

You trail off when you realize that Tim is no longer standing right in front of you, only to hear the sound of him rummaging through his laundry machine.

You grin widely as you’re reminded of just how insistently kind and compassionate he can be.

He sort of stumbles back into the kitchen from a clumsy attempt at speed-walking, and before you realize it, he’s wrapping a warm bath towel around your shoulders and rubbing the material up and down your arms to help you dry off.

The grin on your face only widens and you lock your eyes onto the floor, hoping to hide the now stark red state of your blushing cheeks.

“Jeez, Tim, you really didn’t have to go through all that trouble, but thanks” You mumble, trying to keep yourself composed.

Tim only laughs in exasperation at your comment, “What kind of host would I be if I let you freeze to death?”

You glance back up at him, attempting to ignore the way that your breath hitches when you notice the close proximity of your faces again,

“Well...technically I forced you to invite me when I stupidly left my bedroom window open this morning…” You trail off when Tim gives you a pointed look, as if to say: You’re always welcome here, regardless of the circumstances.

Your gaze drops to the floor again as another rumble of thunder shakes the whole apartment, and the grin returns to your face when you make out the smallest detail of a mini brachiosaurus on the bath towel,

“Why am I not surprised that you have your own personalized dino bath towels, Tim Murphy”

He laughs bashfully and you glance up to take in the sight. His eyes meet yours and you smile back at each other for what feels like a lifetime, your heart pounding in your chest as the space between the two of you almost seems to get smaller and smaller until...you’re interrupted by the feeling of something fluffy brushing across your feet and the familiar purring sound of your cat, Stevie.

“I should probably go. You need your rest and I need to get started on the first draft of my speech. I gotta get a head start on that asshole, at the very least.”

Tim chuckles understandably and the towel leaves your shoulders, taking the warmth that had so swiftly flooded your body with it.

“Yeah, you’re probably right, I should go to bed and you should start writing a very important introduction speech at one in the morning”

Your eyes widen and Stevie lets out another loud purring noise, as if amused by your blatant clumsiness,

“What the fuck?! I swear it was just 11:30”

Tim only shrugs again in amusement and you promptly lean down to scoop up your cat from the ground in an attempt to hide the blush that seemed to now be permanently etched across your cheeks, desperate for a chance to leave before you could embarrass yourself any further.

“Thanks again, Tim...for everything! I guess I’ll see you next weekend...” You mumble out the words quickly, flashing Tim an awkward smile as you put your slightly damp shoes back onto your feet. 

“(Y/N)...”

“Oh right, and good luck with your Arizona excavation...I just know you’ll discover something truly spectacular this time!” You’re shuffling towards the front door now, silently praying that the sound of your heart pounding against your chest isn’t loud enough for Tim to hear.  

“Thanks, I’ll see-”

But you don't even let him finish before you promptly shut the door behind you, feeling equally elated as you do terrified about the week ahead of you and the absurdity of this entirely haphazard arrangement. 

[5saucefanfic]

More - LH

HAPPY VICTORIA FASHION SHOW DAY! Kisses to all. Hope you enjoy the show and a bit of Luke too

She stretched her arms wide, loud yawn escaping her before dropping her arms heavily onto the comforter surrounding her body. The sun peeked through her shades that were half drawn, sunlight illuminating the floor in front of her large bed, pillows strewn every which way due to her overnight guest not wanting to drown in the soft cushions she seemed to enjoy collecting in her spare time, a new square piece of fabric collected from different places she had visited, the names scrawled out in the lovely fabric they were made out of.

She looked to her left seeing the bed empty, a frown falling onto her lips until the smell from the kitchen came wafting its way into her room, legs quickly swinging over the side of the bed, feet padding along the hardwood floor of her apartment until she saw the curly locks of her boyfriend’s hair, bare back facing her as she could easily count the numerous freckles scattered across his back. She was surprised he was up so early, flight not having got in until late the previous night, yet here he was.

“Morning,” she mumbled softly, arms wrapping around his waist from behind as she placed a small kiss to the center of his back, fingers rubbing his stomach lightly as she felt him relax even more so than he seemed to be. Her New York home had always been an escape for him, “a home away from home, away from home” as he liked to call it, and even though it was easy to become overwhelmed in the city that never sleeps, it was easy for him to get lost as well and be just Luke Hemmings. There were nearly 2 million people in Manhattan, and not nearly half of them knew of his existence.

“Morning, love,” he said turning to face her pressing his lips to her softly and quickly. “Made your favorite for the big day.” The big day, probably one of the most important and prominent days of her life at that moment. Not only was this going to be her first Victoria’s Secret fashion show, but she was getting wings as well, not something that every model that’s walked the runway can say.

Her career took off rather quickly within the last two years, starting as a catalogue model for small brands, to somehow booking gigs with the parent and daughter company of VS. She’d ditched her vans for heels, small town friends for big names like Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner, small town apartment to one right in the heart of NYC. There were many things she could compare and contrast her previous life to, but the best would have to be the blue eyed beauty right in front of her, making her blueberry pancakes and bacon to celebrate a day that was probably just as important for him. Not only was his girlfriend about to walk in one of the biggest fashion shows of the year, but he was performing with his three best friends. That was something to celebrate as well.

“What time do you have to meet with the boys for soundcheck?” she asked as she set the table, Luke finishing the plating of the food, carrying them to the table where she was sat waiting for him already.

“Three, then we have to get ready for the carpet,” he said nodding. “Probably won’t see you again until we’re on the runway, right?” he asked as she nodded shoveling two cakes onto her plate, piling them up with butter.

“Really shouldn’t be eating this,” she said laughing softly as he smiled wide, his smile only growing as a small moan left her throat. Yeah, maybe she shouldn’t be eating it, but it calms her nerves ever so slightly, just enough to be able to kiss her boyfriend goodbye and usher him out the door. It calms her nerves enough to slide on the YSL black jumpsuit Luke had brought for her, a gift from him for her big day, matching black booties accompanying her feet as she sat for hair and makeup in her dining room, Nala perched in her lap curled into a ball taking a nap. The comfort slowly fading as she became more and more anxious, knowing she was about to walk the carpet lonesome, her own doing wanting to keep her relationship with Luke a secret.

‘Just until i can prove I did this on my own,’ she had said to him over the phone during a late night argument over the phone...late night for her, midday for him considering he had been in Japan at the time, just starting his tour for album number 3. ‘I want to make a name for myself, and as much as I want everyone to know, I want them to know after I’m the next Gigi.’

‘You aren’t gonna be the next Gigi baby...you’re gonna be Y/n, which is a hell of a lot better than a Gigi.’

He had more faith in her at the time than she had in herself, and she couldn’t thank him enough for it all.

“I’m gonna do it,” Luke said as he tested his mic during their soundcheck, the venue for the show finishing the last minute preparations before the carpet started. Calum was standing next to him testing the sound of his bass in his ears.

“And you’re sure she wants you to?” He asked chuckling softly as Luke shrugged slightly. If he was being honest, he was worrying about it a bit and whether or not she’d be royally pissed off at him if he so publicly spilled their secret on national television during one of her biggest moments, but then they couldn’t say he had gotten her to that point.

“She technically said we can announce it after she makes it big like this, and if the fashion show isn’t big then I don’t know what we’re waiting for..” he said shrugging slightly.

“Fair enough, but just know she may be a little irritated,” he said shrugging as Michael and Ashton came out onto the stage. “Hey guys, what do you think about Luke kissing Y/n as she walks down the runway?”

“Go big or go home right?” Ashton asked chuckling. “Besides, why not? Didn’t Adam Levine do that before?”

“Technically it was her cheek,” Calum said pointing to both of them. “And I bet you right now that he had to ask special permission to do something like that.”

“Why? That gets more ratings! And if they hate it, they can edit it out. It’s not like they’re showing it right no-,” Ashton rebutted, Luke quickly stopping them as he sighed shaking his head quickly regretting his decision to bring it up with his friends. It wasn’t anything like what he was expecting, and it absolutely wasn’t their problem. Luke knew what he wanted to do, and what he was going to do.

“Just shut up and let’s get this going so I can shower,” he sighed shaking his head making his way back to his mic stand.

The pink carpet. Not JUST the pink carpet, but in the heart of New York City, with Jelena Hadid attached to her arm as they posed for pictures, the photographers and journalists shouting questions at the two like rapidfire, along with the overwhelming flashes of the camera.

“Gi, where’s Zayn? Are you two on another break?”

“Y/n, rumor has it Luke Hemmings of 5 Seconds of Summer spent the night. Comment?”

“Gigi”

“Y/n”

Over and over as she tried to ignore the questions being thrown at them. “It’s best to just ignore and smile pretty,” Gigi whispered to her as they made it down the line of the carpet, her nerves only intensifying as they got closer and closer to the dressing room, which meant she was only getting closer and closer to walking down the runway.

“You’re gonna do amazing, y/n,” Kendall said standing next to her friend who was getting done in her hair and makeup, dressed for her dark angel’s appearance, one of her favorite parts of the show and she was more than honored to be a part of it. And it only helped that the boys would be playing during that part, easing her nerves. “I was in your position only three years ago. Just take your time. Don’t walk too fast. And have fun.”

“And we’ll both be right off to the side waiting for you to get off, okay?” Gigi asked as she nodded sliding off her chair, adjusting the bra straps before letting the artist attach the wings to her back. “You look amazing.”

“I love you both,” she said happily hugging both Gigi and Kendall before making her way to the side of the stage jumping in her place in line, taking a deep breath as she heard the beat to More start playing, just another reason for her to relax.

She watched Luke singing from the side of the stage as girls slowly made their way out onto the runway, one by one, walking to the beat of her favorite song. She watched as girls she’s looked up to for years took the stage just before her; girls like Cindy Bruna, Adriana Lima, and Sara Sampaio, all models who were the reasons she trained so hard to aspire to be who she was now, walk just before her opening the segment. Lais Riberio was next, walking out just in front of her knowing she was up next, the camera coming up to her catching her moments before the stage as she waved at the camera as the set director queued her for her walk. She took another deep breath as she started her walk down the runway as the chorus started, eyes locking with Luke as a smirk came on his face not even trying to hide that fact he was blatantly checking her out on the runway. She blushed slightly smiling wide keeping her head up.

“All the things that we dream about, they don’t mean what they did before…,” he said holding his hand out to her as she made her way towards the center. “I just wanna get back to us cause we used to have more…” she rolled her eyes laughing softly as she made her way down smiling at the camera still holding Luke’s hand as he continued to sing. She let go of his hand when she got to the front, posing for the cameras as the fan blew on her, jumping slightly feeling an arm around her waist, turning to look to the side catching Luke’s lips against her own as she gasped slightly, Luke pulling back just as quick as it happened, winking at her before running back down the runway. She bit her lip softly hearing the cheers get louder as she turned, making her return trip as she bit her lip glaring at the blonde in front of her, another wink leaving him.

‘I hate you’ She mouthed to him.

‘No you don’t,’ he mouthed back before watching her walk backstage, Gigi and Kendall hugging her tightly as she laughed happily hugging them back tightly.

“So...Luke Hemmings?”