#I was so excited to see the outfits but they’re so fucking ugly and confusing 😞😣🤧

[harlowtales]

Jack x Reader handing out Halloween candy meet the sweetest thing ever.

18+ sweet/romantic 🎃

“Trick or Treat Jackman” You said giving him a twirl in your nurses outfit which was just some scrubs, crocs, and a stethoscope. Your hair was in a messy ponytail and the scrubs hugged you in all the right places.

“Ah fuck yeah. Think I’m bouta have a heart attack.” Jack said faking cardiac arrest by holding his chest. He pulled you close for a kiss. “Hey baby wanna go get it on in my old room.” Jack used to dream about girls like you liking him back in that old room.

“Ewww no.” You said giggling. “Plus, I don’t like guys with claws.” You hadn’t been over at his parent’s house in a long time. Jack volunteered to hand out the candy this year with Clay and his girlfriend. Jack’s parents were at a company holiday party, but had lived in the neighborhood for decades and handed out some of the best candy on the block like full chocolate bars. All the kids knew you didn’t skip the Harlow house. Now that word got around Jack was handing out the treats, the doorbell would be ringing more than usual.

As the guys were getting everything ready for the kids, you and Clay’s girlfriend were putting the finishing touches on your costumes and making plans for the afterparty. “I feel like your costume needs something” Clay’s girlfriend said who was dressed as a bunny. I know! Blood!” She took some fake blood and smeared it on your scrubs. “There, now you’re a nurse from hell” she giggled.

“I’m going to scare children now!” You exclaimed and you both laughed. You heard the doorbell ring. It was your first kiddo.

“TRICK OR TREAT!!” You heard extra loud through the door.

Jack emerged as Wolverine and Clay as a Vampire. Clay and Jack were confused for each other a lot of the time so the kids thought Clay was Jack. To be polite and avoid confusion they simply said “Thank you Mr. Harlows!” They were happy with their full chocolate bars, juice box and suckers. They were the first but definitely not the last. Word spread that Jack was at the door. Those kids met other kids along their way and bragged about what they got at the Harlows house.

“Look what we got!” They said pulling out their treasure

“What! You gotted full chocolate bars?!!” Kids they were showing said, and all those kids skipped other houses and headed straight there. A mini-mob was growing at the door.

“Do you fucking hear that?” Jack said incredulously as a swarm of excited and screaming kids surrounded the door.

“What’s the plan bro.” Clay said looking afraid to open it.

“Well we have to open the door for starters” You said

“They’re just kids you guys.” Clay’s girlfriend said and pushed past her boyfriend who she thought was being silly to open the door.

“No baby wait! There’s too many kids!” Clay protested but she had opened the door and the screams were deafening. 30 kids were jumping up and down with their buckets out and some older kids had pillow cases. Some parents sat on the perimeter of the chaos to tell them to calm down, but so far they were just watching and recording it on their phones.

Jack looked at Clay and Clay looked at Jack. Fortunately they had enough to give each kid the same thing or it would get ugly. “Ok!” Jack yelled over the commotion. “You push…no treats! Understand?” They all nodded yes. “Form a line and we got something for everyone” goblins, gouls, ghosts, and witches all obeyed and a line formed from the door and halfway down the block because more kids now had come.

“Hunny we’re going to run out!” You said worried.

“I’ll run to the store.” Clay’s girlfriend said grabbing the keys and squeezed her way past little ones to get out the door.

A lot of moms were coming too to see Wolverine. Jack had a tight white tank top on and jeans and they weren’t missing that. Some moms flirted shamelessly as they came to the door with their little ones. “You can just write your number on the back of that chocolate bar for a real chocolate treat.” One mom said and winked. You frowned, but Jack thought it was funny and tried to hide blushing.

“These women are pathetic! In front of their kids?!” You complained

“Baby calm down.” Jack said. It wasn’t like dads that came to the door hadn’t flirted with you. You rolled your eyes and continued to greet kids. To your dismay nobody was the least bit scared by the blood on your outfit.

“My girl better get back soon because we are running real low.” Clay said panicked. The line seemed to just get longer and longer.

“Got more!!” Clay’s girlfriend said as she just pulled up and scooted to the door.

“Finally! We were facing ambush.” Jack said.

After some hours one last little timid girl came to the door. Her dad was carrying her because she was afraid to come to the door on her own. “Hi Jack.” The father said, a big burly guy in a plaid shirt and baseball hat. The little girl was dressed as Ariel from the Little Mermaid. “Can you give my baby something a lil special. This is the first Halloween without her mom.” The dad said sadly.

“Of course, baby?” He said turning to you “Can we get this lil angel something real special from the treats?”

“I’m not an angel I’m Ariel.” The little girl said in a whisper looking down.

“You know imma have to hold you to hear you better.” Jack said. He desperately wanted to hold the little girl as his heart was breaking. Dad nodded it was ok and she actually reached out for Jack to take her into his arms. He took the Wolverine claws off and outstretched his welcoming embrace. You were holding back tears as you gathered extra treats for the little sweetheart.

Jack held her and tilted her chin up. She had the biggest green eyes he had ever seen, but was frowning. “Now what did you say?” He said

“Um….I not…I not an angel. I’m a mermaid. I’m Ariel.” She said a little louder now.

“I’ll tell you what.” Jack said “I want you to tell me your Ariel as loud as you can.”

The little girl looked at her dad who was recording and wiping his eyes from some tears staring to fall. He nodded it was fine to yell. “I am Ariel.” She said a little louder and giggled covering her mouth.

“Ah that’s not loud enough yet.” Jack said shaking his head.

She got a very determined look on her face and geared up to belt it out. She balled up her little fists and said “I…AM…ARIEL!!!!!”

Everyone clapped and she was giggling and kicking her feet in glee. She reached back out for her dad who took her back in his arms.

“How did that feel?” Jack asked her handing her a bag of extra treats.

“I feel good!!” She said with a big smile on her face.

“Listen man.” Jack said to the dad, here’s my girl’s number. Call her and we’ll set something up for her alright? Dance classes or something to boost her confidence. I used to get teased so I know how it is.”

“Thanks Jack.” The dad said giving his little girl a peck on the cheek.

“Byeeeee!!!” The girl said sweetly waving her tiny hand.

After you closed the door everyone was quiet and exhausted. “I don’t want to party now.” You said. “That was a lot.”

“Yeah so sweet.” Clay’s girlfriend said as she wiped her eyes and Clay rubbed her shoulders.

“Baby, can you arrange anything they need as soon as they call?” Jack said his blue eyes glassy

“Yeah of course babe.” You said rubbing his back

“Well bro I think me and the missus are heading home.” Clay said as they said their goodbyes.

You hugged Jack and asked if he was still in a mood to go to the club. “I’m ok babe.” He said “DJ Wolverine has to make an appearance.”

“Ok DJ Wolverine don’t forget your claws.” You said giving him a kiss.

@itsyagirljaz @ride4harlow @jacks-daycare @heavyhitterheaux

[yourqueenb]

No because why do they both look like they’re trying to hide baby bumps?!

[earthfire-75]

You Send Me Flying

Chapter Seven:

(Author’s notes: co-written with @nature-and-music, beta’d by @lady-jane-revisited. Based on The Dirt movie as I don’t yet own the book. Warnings: language and smut)

We headed down stairs and piled into her car, her driving and myself in the passenger seat with the other guys in the back. My fingers were itching to reach out for her, but I fought off the urge. No reason to give those idiots any more fuel. When we pulled into the place, I prepared myself for their antics, because where of all places does she take us? A sex shop.

They’re whooping and laughing in the back seat when they realize it and even she giggles a bit. “Alright, get it all out now. I expect you to act like adults when we get in there. Got it?” She was trying to be stern, but her unsuccessfully-stifled giggles weren’t helping. It was infectious and I cracked a smile as well.

“Good luck with that,” I commented as I got out of the car.

We went inside and she got the clerk to help us with the boots while she looked out for a few other things to pull the costumes together. It went surprisingly smoothly and we met her at the checkout where she pays for it all. I let the other guys go ahead of me, but I pulled her off to the side.

“Have you been paying for all this?”

“Yeah. I mean, Nikki put me in charge of costuming.”

I must have looked as furious as I felt, because she was suddenly standing up straighter and placed her hands on my cheeks with concern on her face. “Mick, what is it? What’s wrong?”

“You’ve been paying for everything out of your own pocket! I’m guessing without help?!”

“Wait…No. Mick, look at me. Nikki and I pooled some of our savings together. Tommy and Vince threw in some too and we opened a bank account for the band. We didn’t ask you, because you’re paying child support.”

My eyes shot to hers for a second before looking away again. I quietly replied, “They weren’t supposed to tell you about that.”

“Yeah, well they were supposed to tell you about the account. What are we going to do with our children, dad?”

Something stirred in me, hearing her call me that. It surprised me that I would react like that, but I pulled her flush against me, letting her feel how hard I was getting. “Screw the kids, say that again.”

“What? Dad?” She asks, sounding confused at first, but then her eyes lit up as the dots connected in her mind and she leaned her head a little to the side so her lips just grazed my ear. “Or would you prefer “Daddy?” She pulled back, looking up at me with innocent eyes and started to back away.

A low growl escaped me at the game she was playing and I managed to hook my fingers through her belt loops before she could turn around to escape. “Oh, no you don’t, Princess.” I tugged her back to me and she gasped when our hips met but there’s a loud honk from her car before I got the chance to kiss her. The trio of idiots were staring straight through the shop’s glass windows from outside at us.

“Get a room!” came their collective cheer.

“I’m gonna kill them.”

“No, you’re not.”

I grumbled under my breath and she shot me a look that told me it would be better for me if I didn’t. “Fine. I won’t.”

She put the bags in the trunk and we headed back to the apartment. The guys and I practiced some more while she locked herself in her unit again to tirelessly work on putting the costumes together. She came back up a little after lunch with her arms full of red and black pleather, one of the boot boxes and a small sewing kit. She handed the pleather material and boots to Nikki before shooing him off to go try it on.

***

Reader’s POV

Nikki took the pile from my arms so I could take the sewing kit. His face lit up, like a kid being given his first present on Christmas, and he ran off to his bedroom. I paced around the front room of the apartment waiting for the bassist to come out. I almost sighed in relief when he finally did with a serious look on his face.

“How does it fit?” I asked, sounding as nervous as I felt.

“Like a fuckin’ glove, man! This is awesome!” He enthused, now cracking a smile and turning for all to see the outfit, front and back before coming up to me and giving me a bear hug.

I laughed and returned the hug. “Are you sure it fits ok?

“Yes, stop worrying! I promise I love it!”

“Ok…if you’re sure. Do you want to keep it here, or do you want me to hold onto it?”

“It’s probably better if you hang on to the costumes. They might get ruined here.”

“Alright. Go change back.”

“Am I next, dude?” Tommy asked, practically bouncing on his feet.

“No. Yours is last because it’s the easiest.”

“Aww, man! Wait, shouldn’t Mick’s be the easiest? His is all black, dude!”

“It might be all black, but I had to sew a damn jacket! Sounds easy, right? It’s not.”

“Oh…damn, dude.”

I turned to the singer, “Vince you’re up.”

The man jumped up from his seat and happily grabbed the outfit, giving it a look-over before trying it on “Sweet!” He comes out looking just as excited as his fellow bassist, “This is so awesome! Check me out, man.”

“And it feels alright? It’s not too tight or too loose or anything?”

Vince was a little busy running his hands over the material at first, but then answered me nonetheless, “You kidding? It fits great. We’re gonna be so badass! The chicks are gonna love it!”

The rest of the gang could agree on that matter, giving each other high fives. I smiled and let him know that I could hold on to it all for them. I gulped as I gathered the next outfit for Mick, clearly seeing the rest of the guys lurking over him like a group of vultures. The guitarist kept his cool and said nothing, aside from a slight grunt as he got up from the couch. He gave me a quiet expression of thanks and headed over the bedroom once Vince returned with his clothing and placed it on the table. Some minutes passed while he was changing and though so far there were no complaints, l still wondered if he was alright, or if he needed any assistance. After seeing him in pain like that, I was getting a little worried.

“Hey I need a little help here,” Mick notified.

I made my way towards the room, ignoring Tommy’s repeated attempt to get under my skin by commenting not to take too long. I knocked on the door, “Mick, are you decent?”

“Yeah, come in, just shut the door.”

The man was nowhere to be found after I closed the door and looked around. However my heart started to slam against my ribcage when he stepped out of the bathroom wearing his full ensemble, a big smirk across his face. The black on black look was absolutely perfect on him. The pentagram headband, the studded boots with the intertwining chains, the belts across his chest, the pleather, and the collar. Jesus Christ. The pleather and collar were too much for me. Minus the make up, he was so close to looking the way he did in my dream, the sinister and demonic creature that put me over the makeup table and took me for a ride. I wanted him, no I wanted nothing more than to let him have me anywhere]: pressed against the wall, letting him roughly pull down my pants so that I could spread my legs and he could taste me. Then grab me by shoulders, hurl me onto the bed, and beg for him to fuck me until I couldn’t walk. Still, the costume would get ruined and of course we would never hear the end of it from the idiot patrol.

“This is really cool, you really outdid yourself with this,” he remarked, walking closer to me.

It finally hit me, “You didn’t really need any help did you?” I asked, closing in the gap by hooking my finger in the ring of his collar, biting my lip as I stared deeply into those sparkling blue eyes. That must have done something to him, his breathing becoming a little shaken, and his eyes widening when I whispered to him, “Daddy...”

His pupils were suddenly dilated, blackness engulfing the pale irises. The next thing I knew, Mick held me very close to his body, his hands grasping my back. I tried to keep my sighs quiet as he kissed my lips, however I couldn’t help but let a squeal slip out when he deliciously devoured my neck with his mouth. The heat from our bodies only increased when he pressed me against a wall, his kisses becoming hungrier by the second as my own hands tugged at his raven black locks.

“Mick, oh Mick...” I whispered.

However reality had reared its ugly head back into the frame when we heard banging from the other side, “Hey! Quit fucking around you two!” Tommy wailed. “Come on, that’s our room!”

Mick shouted back, “Fuck you, you fucking teenager! Open those legs, Princess. Daddy needs you-”

“No, no Mick. Please not now, it’s not a good time. Not with those three right outside the door.”

He was clearly frustrated but took his hands off of me, groaning ast he backed off. Still, I wanted him just as badly, so I thought of a different alternative as I clicked the door shut, lifted up my shirt, and pulled down my bra, “Mark me then, please Daddy.”

Without hesitation, Mick immediately held my breasts and pressed his lips to my skin. He was gentle at first, looking at me to see if I was enjoying the feeling of his mouth. I could feel the pulsations between my legs increasing as I whispered his name. I gasped when he took a nipple and suckled on it with ease, but I needed more from him. No sooner did I settle my hand onto the back of his head that he increased the speed of his sucking. His lips were wet, creating a very moistened sound that invaded my ears. He switched over to the other side and did the same, biting down a bit and moving his head back until my sensitive bud was released from his ivories. The sounds of Tommy’s knocking had completely drowned out as he pleasured me with his mouth and I moaned loudly. I couldn’t stop watching the way he pleased me, feeling my panties getting soaked, especially when I saw the fresh blemishes and crescent marks that were upon my chest. I was nearly there and so was he, yet he had to stop for both our sakes.

He gave each breast one gentle kiss and one little lick to my nipples, he leaned into my ear and growled, “You took that like a good girl, Princess. But Daddy doesn’t want to ruin all your hard work.”

I was in a trance as I responded back instinctively, “Thank you Daddy.”

@nature-and-music @lady-jane-revisited @mickmarstookmyheart @sophiazeppelinchick

[joannasteez]

Headcanon request:

The guys going shopping with their girl while she is trying on more and more hideous clothing trying to make her man crack and say “what the fuck are you wearing?”

Not sure whose included when you say “guys” so I just did the Reyes boys since I only really write for them at the moment! Also, comedy isn’t my strong suit so hopefully this isn’t completely cringe LOL, if it is forgive me! Haha

𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒

Shopping is no simple endeavor, never has been, never will be. There are far too many components to just offhandedly consider the process easy. Color scheme, sizes, fabrics, the cut of the clothing, the energy of the store, the weather outside, all these factors and many more play integral roles in making or breaking your shopping experience.

But you never considered Angel to be such an influential factor, but he was, and his far off nonchalant mood was putting a damper on your shopping.

He’d been occupied by the bright screen of his phone, scrolling and tapping away vigorously, texting EZ or Coco or Gilly no doubt, or hell maybe all three at once, which was no problem any other day, but considering you wanted his insight on the things you’d picked from the lined up racks, it was becoming a tiny bit of an issue.

Every other thing you showed him he barely looked at, giving you a short nod or a thumbs up, and these outfits were GOOD mind you. Like dinner date, catching the eye of every other person around you good, baby making till 4 AM good, and he was giving you these half assed responses.

“I’ll fix you”, you thought. Grabbing a bunch of random pieces and leading him to the fitting room.

The first couple of outfits you put together aren’t horrible but they aren’t amazing either, but that’s purposeful because you want to see how much he’ll notice. And you’re actually surprised, because he does notice, the upturn in his brow telling you he isn’t that into the outfit. “Yes? No?”, you ask.

“Try something else”, he mumbles before tapping away again at his phone.

You try again. Coming out the fitting room. “What about this?”.

He looks you up and down, taking the time to look over the fit of the clothes and the colors before he speaks. “The bottoms don’t go with that top”.

You try once again, a smile giggle emitting as you throw together the craziest, most random things. ‘Time to up the ante’, you think, as you move from out the door, clearing your voice to catch his attention.

He double takes when he sees you, and it takes a lot not to burst into a fit of giggles. “You being serious? You look like a Y2K red carpet”, he scrutinizes and you tilt your head not sure of what he’s getting at, so he clarifies as he texts away on his phone. “That’s not a compliment baby”.

You roll your eyes, making quick work of changing the top of the outfit. “Ok is it better now?” You hands smoothening over the top.

He sits his phone down, brows coming together in deep thought. “You know that word people use to like describe stuff that’s unpleasant? Stuff that’s uneasy on the eyes?”

You think for a minute..... words unsure as they leave you. “Ugly?”

“Exactly”.

“Ass”, you gripe lightly. Throwing a nearby shirt his way before you make your way back to the fitting room. His voice carrying over toward you as you close the door. “Don’t even hang that top back up on the rack, just toss that shit in the trash”.

“Excuse me J. Alexander”, you mock.

He’s confused at your reference. “What?”

“Nothing”, you say, piecing another outfit together another outfit, more ridiculous than the others. “I have one more outfit, it’s good this time I promise”.

“I’m at the edge of my seat”, he deadpans.

You come out and it takes a moment for him to respond, eyes stuck on the jarring contrast of color and patterns. He rushes to you, holding your face as his thumbs pull at the skin just below your eyes to get a better view of them, expression dramatically worried.

“Are you color blind?”

You swat him away. “No Angel, what are you talking about”.

“You must be because what the fuck are you wearing?”

𝐄𝐙𝐄𝐊𝐈𝐄𝐋 𝐑𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒

Ezekiel’s a bit different from Angel when it comes to your shopping experience, and so despite his lack of knowledge or interest even in the complex goings on of such an endeavor, he realizes that it makes you extremely excited. He gives as much attention as he can muster, which is pretty hard sometimes, especially when it’s been a long day and his feet are hurting or if his muscles are sore. But there’s still a bit of an issue when it comes to him, a tiny issue you come to realize as you walk through racks of clothes.

No matter what you show him, even if it’s not particularly your style, he gives his approval.

And it’s kind of sweet and endearing, because he doesn’t want to dampen your mood by expressing how he doesn’t like a particular color or pattern on some dress or shirt or another, but honest opinions are crucial to the shopping experience. He’s hindering more than helping and he doesn’t even realize it, so now you’ve got to fix the situation a bit. Nudge him a little into the right direction.

So you pick up a couple of ok outfits, some not so great outfits and a few that are just completely awful. Even looking at them as you lead him to the fitting room you’re wondering why they’re even in the store.

You change into the first outfit, coming from behind the fitting room door to show him, and his head tilts. Eyes taking you in but he’s unsure of how to express what he’s thinking. “It’s...... nice”.

“Nice?”, you ask before looking down at your self. And again, it’s not awful, the cut of the top and the bottoms go together pretty well, but the colors are just off. “That’s it?........ nothing else?”

“It’s cool. If you like it, I like it”.

“Forget what I like, I want honesty”.

You’re changing again, into something a little more ridiculous, lips turning a bit at this little game you’ve been playing to see how long it’s take till he cracked and gave you some truth.

You come out again. Twirling to give him a 360 view. “Yes? No? Be honest”.

His face is scrunched, brows pulling in dislike. “It’s alright......... would look a lot better if you left it on the rack”.

You gasp, tone of the comment taking you back a bit and he throws his hands up in defense. “What? You said be honest”.

You try again, upping the ridiculousness with some janky looking braided belt and it’s taking more and more not to laugh at how good you’re putting these bad outfits together. “Ok ok..... this is better I think. Thoughts?”

He gives a once over fairly quickly. “Are we still doing the honesty thing?”

“Yes!”

“You’d look better in a burlap sack”.

There’s a near by piece of some cotton shirt that lays idle, you throw it his way. “Harsh......”, your hands slipping off the ugly belt. “And for the record, I could pull off a burlap sack if I wanted to”.

He nods. “Exactly my point. Anything is better than this”.

You’re turned now, slipping of the belt and walking back to the fitting room. “Who knew Mr. I Only Wear Plaid and Sleep in my Jeans was such a critic”.

“At least I match”, he shot back. Readying himself for the next outfit.

You’ve completely thrown caution to the wind, mixing patterns and completely destroying any sense you have of color theory. Patterns clash and the contrast of the color is just despicable at this point. A four year old could do better than what you have on, you’re sure of it.

You step from the fitting room, giving a strut and face that just might make Naomi Campbell proud. And honestly you were kinda selling it..... till Ezekiel really took a good look at you. His features dropping.

“Ok babe forreal, what the fuck are you wearing?”

Taglist: @appropriate-writers-name @est1887 @xladymacbethx @blessedboo @brownsugarcoffy @elektriknachosss @queenbeered @sesamepancakes @superhoeva @witching-hour @noz4a2 @withmyteeth

[honey-dewey]

A Challenging Affair

Pairing: Shane ‘Dio’ Morrissey/Reader

Word Count: 1,976

Warnings: None! This is 100% fluff

Permanent Taglist: @phoenixhalliwell @star-wars-hell

Shane wasn’t exactly the most up to date on current internet trends and challenges, but when you introduce him to a very interesting clothing challenge, it seems he can’t say no. Could today finally be the day New York City sees the Goth King wear some color? 

“Babe!” You said, falling onto the bed beside Shane. “Babe, look at this!” 

Shane rolled over from where he’d been working on his laptop and looked at your phone. “The fuck is that?” 

“It’s a TikTok challenge,” you explained. “Aren’t you on TikTok?” 

“Maybe?” Shane said, confused. “I don’t even know anymore.” 

You groaned. “You’re such an old man!” You said. “Shane Morrissey, the goth king of New York City, and he can’t operate his own damn phone.” 

Shane elbowed you, causing you to squeal with laughter and roll away from him. “Watch yourself,” he warned you with a smile. “Or I’ll feed you to the dogs.” He rolled on top of you and blew a raspberry into your exposed belly, causing you to kick him, laughing uncontrollably. 

“Shane!” You screamed, flailing. “Quit!” 

“Aww,” Shane said, sliding off you and pouting. “But tormenting you is such fun.” 

You gave his shoulder a small shove, reaching for your phone. “But did you see the challenge?” 

The mattress creaked as Shane flopped down next to you. “No.” 

You held your phone out. “It’s a couples challenge. The two people go to a thrift store or something and buy an outfit for their significant other, then they wear those outfits on a date. It looks cute.” 

“Is this a coincidence?” Shane asked, raising his eyebrows. “Or do you know we’re doing date night tonight.” 

“It might be a coincidence,” you said, nudging up against Shane. “But since you said we have date night tonight, why don’t we try it!” 

Shane made a very unimpressed face at you, but shrugged. “Okay. I don’t care. But I get to pick the store.” 

You held your hand out to shake. “Deal!” 

In the end, Shane picked a place you and him both knew very well. The owners were good friends of yours and they were all excited to help you with the challenge when you explained it to them. 

“Alright,” Elon, one of the owners, said. “Here are your bags.” They handed you and Shane each a solid black bag so the other couldn’t peek. “You have each other’s clothing sizes. Go forth and conquer!” 

Immediately, you and Shane split up. You headed towards the sweaters and he headed for the shoes. Humming along to the music, you went through the soft shirts, ruling most of them out because they had too much of a pattern. You had quite the opportunity to put Shane in the most colorful shit you could find, but you weren’t that mean. Instead, you tried to find a balance between color and Shane. 

Finally, your digging around rewarded you with a perfect sweater in Shane’s size. It was a faded grey blue with small black stars, and you knew just by looking at it that it would work well on Shane. Putting it in your bag, you left to go ask your boyfriend a question. 

“No peeking,” Shane said warningly as you approached him. You smiled, looping your arm through his and leaning in to kiss his cheek. 

“I’m not peeking,” you said. “Just wanted to ask you a question.” 

Shane continued to look at shoes, although you could plainly see the outline of a pair in his bag. “Fire away.” 

“Do I have to get you pants?” 

Shane froze for a second, trying to comprehend what you’d just said. “As opposed to getting me what?” 

You shuffled your feet a tiny bit. “A skirt?” 

“Oh.” Shane loosened, shrugging. “Yeah. Go ahead. I don’t care. I’ve told you plenty of times that gender is just a construct meant to control the masses.” 

You giggled. “Don’t go all Dio on me,” you said. “I know you’re a giant dork under all that leather.” 

Shane scrunched his face up, coughing you to laugh. “Mhm,” he hummed. “Now go away. I’m shopping.” 

Giving Shane one last kiss, you walked away to find the right skirt for your sweater. 

It wasn’t hard. You knew what would look good on him, and you found his size in a soft black overall skirt almost immediately. The skirt flared pretty well, and upon further examination, you found that it was a circle skirt. Tossing it and a pair of sheer black tights in your bag, you only had one more thing to find. Shoes. 

On your way to the shoes, you got distracted. You’d intended to let Shane wear his regular jewelry, but passing the small display, you backtracked and grabbed a small ring with a beautiful Aries constellation on it.

You bumped into Shane, almost literally, as you rounded a corner. He smiled at you, gently guiding you around him so you two didn’t collide. “Watch it,” he said. “Wouldn’t want you hurting the pretty face of yours.” 

Blushing, you scowled at Shane, sticking your tongue out at him as you walked away. He mimicked the gesture, showing off his rarely seen tongue piercing. 

Shoes weren’t hard. Shane cycled through three different pairs of platform boots and two pairs of solid black Doc Martens, so you decided to let Shane continue with his current pair of shoes, which were one of the Doc pairs. You almost put a pair of hot pink crocs in the bag, just to screw with Shane, but you had told yourself you’d be kind, and hot pink crocs didn’t seem very kind, even if it was hilarious. 

“I’m done,” you said cheerfully, walking over to where Shane was looking at shirts. “You?” 

“I’ve been done,” Shane said. “Here.” He held out the bag for you. You exchanged it for your bag for him, swapping. “Ready?” 

You nodded eagerly. “Yep! Let’s go!” 

Elon’s girlfriend, Lucy, got you both set up in changing rooms, smiling at you knowingly. “Oh honey,” she said to you. “Dio got damn lucky with his pick.” 

Suddenly nervous, you began to get changed. 

The outfit wasn’t bad. In fact, you liked it. A cute pair of mom jeans with embroidered flowers around the folded ankles and the pockets, a white jersey knit shirt that you tucked loosely into the pants, a pair of white socks, and a pair of yellow buttercup earrings made up the outfit, but you couldn’t find the shoes. 

“Shane?” You said, confused. “Where are the shoes?” 

“There aren’t any in my bag either,” Shane said over the gap in the wall. 

“You’re supposed to wear your Docs,” you said. “Should I wear my sneakers?” 

“No,” Shane said. “I have your shoes. I wanted to see your face when I gave them to you.” 

You pouted, leaving the dressing room and making a face at Lucy, who had her lips pressed together in barely contained amusement. 

Shane stepped out of his dressing room, and your pour melted away. “You look so good!” You said eagerly. 

Truthfully, Shane did look really good. The sweater was a tiny bit big, but that added to the aesthetic. The skirt was just the right length, and you couldn’t wait to run your hands across his thighs in public and give him a taste of his own teasing medicine. He shuffled in his shoes, shrugging. 

“It’s too much color,” he said finally, and you rolled your eyes playfully. 

“It’s one faded blue sweater,” you pointed out. “Be glad I didn’t pick the neon rainbow tie dye shirt.” 

Shane fake gagged, causing you and Lucy to laugh. 

“Okay,” Shane said, holding out a shoe box. “Sit.” 

You sat down on a stool, closing your eyes at Shane’s request and putting your feet in his lap when he sat on the floor. You could feel him sliding each shoe onto your feet, and you tried to guess what they were. 

“Are they platforms?” Shane adjusted the laces on the left shoe. 

“No.” Shane pulled the laces on the left shoe tight. 

“Docs?” Shane was adjusting the right shoe laces now. 

“Yes.” Shane pulled on the right laces. You could feel your foot move as he tied them. 

“Can I open my eyes?” You were super eager to see the shoes. 

You felt Shane shuffle back, so your feet were no longer in his lap. “Yes.” 

You opened your eyes, immediately gasping. The shoes were hideous and you adored them. You’d been trying to find a pair of these Docs in your size for years, but they had stopped making them a decade ago. “Are these the Pascal Darcys?” 

Shane was smiling. “Those are the god awful Pascal Darcy Docs you desperately wanted,” he confirmed. “Lucy said Elon found a pair a few days ago, and when she told me they were in your size, I knew I had to get them for you.” 

You all but launched yourself into Shane’s arms. “You absolute bastard!” You said happily, hugging him tight. “I love you.” 

“I love you too,” Shane said, holding you almost as tight as you were holding him. “Now c’mon, I believe we have a date tonight.” 

Reluctantly, you took everything off and paid for it, carrying the bags home  and trying to resist the urge to pull your new boots out and break them in with a trip around the block. 

When you got home, you and Shane changed, and Shane wiped his heavy makeup away for something lighter and simpler. 

“Can I do your makeup?” You asked, standing in the bathroom with Shane. “I picked your outfit, so it makes sense.” 

Shane looked at you with his eyebrows raised. “No sabotage?” 

You gasped. “You think too little of me!” You said, picking up Shane’s liquid eyeliner pen. “I would never.” You quickly kissed Shane’s nose. “I promise,” you added softly. “No sabotage.” 

Shane sat still as you did his makeup, not going overboard because you didn’t want to. Instead, you kept it simple with a small amount of eyeliner and a bit of extra blush across his cheeks and nose. 

“I think I should return the favor,” Shane said, standing once you were finished. “Gimme the brush.” 

“I’m already perfect,” you shot back, but handed him the brush anyway. 

You ended up with the same treatment as Shane. Some eyeliner and blush was all he decided you needed before he was telling you to go put your shoes on. You didn’t need to be told twice, racing off to go put your new boots on. 

“Do you still love them?” Shane asked, putting his arm around you as you walked out of the building. 

“Do you still think they’re ugly?” You asked back, smiling. 

Shane sighed, smiling. “They’re really not my thing,” he said. “But I’m glad you love them.” 

You grinned, kicking your foot as best you could while walking. “I love them,” you said. 

Your date ended up being an early dinner at a local cafe and then you and Shane wandering around a tiny used bookstore for almost an hour. You didn’t buy anything, you just enjoyed the book smell and the calming atmosphere, losing yourself among the stacks of old books. The owner was a witch, and you found Shane talking to her about tarot cards. You pressed yourself to Shane’s side, yawning and snuggling closer to his sweater. 

Shane instinctively put an arm around you, holding you to him. You smiled. “Can we go home?” You asked softly. “I’m tired.” 

“Of course,” Shane said, kissing your head. “I’ll see you tomorrow Beth.” 

Beth waved as you two went, walking silently home. 

When you fell into bed, in your pyjamas and half asleep already, you were surprised to see Shane follow you, still wearing his sweater. The skirt and tights had been exchanged for sweatpants, and his shoes were discarded somewhere in the bathroom. 

“Did you have fun?” Shane asked, snuggling close to you.

You nodded, sleepily humming. “Yeah. Thank you for indulging me today.” 

Shane smiled, pulling the blankets up to cover the both of you. “For you, my dove, anything.”

[kurt-nightcrawler]

Decay

𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐱 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞! 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

Request 1: Omg I just read the I have a boyfriend and the opposites attract and I'm aksjksjeje. Idk if ur taking requests, but in case u are I need more on that mother nature reader and Warren pleaaaaseee!!! Maybe something with angst, like some conflict in their relationship, but with a happy would be greatttttt I absolutely love ur writing x

Request 2: I have a idea for mother nature x warren: how about an angsty fic about their first fight? And for the first time mother nature feels heartbreak and is really hurt. Her eyes are pitch black and empty. Usually, when she relaxes, she grows pumpkins etc. But this time all the vegatables are rotten or too small. Maybe you feel inspired by this :) (would be great if it has a happy ending though haha) Thank you, you're great!

Warnings: Language, mentions of sex, underage drinking, panic attack, and assault

Word Count: 8k

A/N: This took a long time but I hope you guys enjoy it! This builds more into Warren and Mother Nature’s relationship, probably set before fairytale

 Everything had been perfect. Halloween was coming up, and (Y/N) asked Jubilee if she’d do a group costume with her and another girl. 

Jubilee said yes, trusting (Y/N)’s opinion on people, for she always saw the good in them.

Jubilee took her, and the other girl, Jessie Rowe, to one of those pop up Halloween shops to look for costumes. 

“We can just get inspired if we don’t see anything perfect, you know?” Jubilee said. “We can always make our costumes.” (Y/N) nodded while looking at the different colored crayon costumes. 

“But it would be so much easier just to get one now. We could all go as like— sexy angels or something. In honor of Warren!” Jessie suggested. 

(Y/N) grimaced a little at the outfit Jessie held up. She didn’t feel comfortable wearing something so thin and tight at some house party on a cold October night. 

Jubilee laughed, “That’d be cute.” 

“Come on,” Jessie nudged her. “(Y/N), I bet your boyfriend would go nuts seeing you in this.”

“Mmm, I think he might find it kind of offensive or something…” She didn’t want to go as a sexy anything for Halloween. No offense to anyone who did dress sexy on Halloween, but that just wasn’t (Y/N)’s vibe. “Not my thing anyway…”

“Oh, come on! He wouldn’t be offended; Warren’s such an angel. I bet he’d fuck you if you wore this.” 

(Y/N)’s eyes went wide with shock. She’d never had someone be so blunt and explicit with her— Well, she had, but it wasn’t directed at her. 

“Um, we’re going to a party, Jess…” (Y/N) awkwardly reminded her. 

“I know, but you guys could sneak off somewhere or leave early. People do it all the time.” 

“What about vampires?!” Jubilee interrupted, holding packages of fake fangs in her hands. 

“Oh, that’d be fun! And we could get fake blood too!” Jessie put the angel outfit back on the rack and went to a different area with Jubilee. 

(Y/N) followed behind, thankful for the interruption, but still thinking about Jessie’s comment. 

“If you two do decide to fuck at the party, I want all the details…”

Why did she care so much if Warren and I are having sex?

She tried to focus on other things as Jubilee attempted to change the subject. 

“Fruits? Personally, I’d like to be a strawberry.” 

Jessie laughed, “We’re not in elementary.” Jubilee shrugged before holding up a banana costume and made a suggestive joke. Jessie and (Y/N) laughed at her. 

“I think we should be pink ladies.” Jessie morphed her voice to sound like Olivia Newton-John. 

“From Grease? But that’s so overdone,” Jubilee didn’t like the idea, but it was the first decent one Jessie had all day. 

“I mean, if someone else shows up in the same costume, we’re technically not matching…” (Y/N) said. 

“See?” Jessie smiled. “(Y/N)‘s smart!” 

“Alright, alright, give me some time. I’ll think about it,” Jubilee stated. 

“Trust me; you’ll come around.” 

-

Warren was lying in bed, fast asleep. He’d just showered after training with Mystique and got his ass kicked. Even when he thought he was getting better, he still wasn't as good as her. 

(Y/N) entered the room, excited to tell Warren about her Halloween costume plans. 

Sure, she could have just texted him, but she hadn’t seen him all day. 

“Warren, Angel baby—“ She quickly shut her mouth when she saw him sprawled over his bed, fast asleep. 

She cooed over his sleeping figure, tempted to leave him as he was. 

What if he’s been asleep for hours? Or all morning? It’s still light out, though. I better wake him up anyway.

(Y/N) tapped his shoulder and said his name a few times, trying to get a response from him. 

He slowly stirred in his slumber, waking up from (Y/N)‘s interruption. “Hmm?...”

“Hey, War,” 

“Mmm… what time is it?” 

“3:48.” 

“Join me.” (Y/N) sat on his bed, sitting next to him as he shifted, snuggling next to her, and slowly woke up. “How’d shopping go with Jubilee?” 

“It was alright.” (Y/N) massaged his scalp as she retold her day. “Jessie kept shooting down our ideas and the ones she had Jubilee never really liked, so we didn’t exactly settle on anything…” 

Warren looked up at her. “I thought you guys were going as crayons?” 

“Jessie said no.”

“Why?”

(Y/N) shrugged, “She suggested we go as sexy angels.” 

Warren’s facial expression was piqued with interest, despite him trying not to show it. 

“I said that would be offensive to you, and we’d freeze to death anyway.” 

Warren chuckled, “I’ll be there to keep you warm.”

“Aren’t you gonna be shirtless?” 

“Maybe. I said I might— Roger Taylor didn’t wear a shirt most of the time.” 

Warren was teaming up with Kurt, Scott, and Peter to dress up as Queen, the rock band, for Halloween. 

“You could get sick! It might even rain on Halloween, which will make you even colder!”

“I’ll be fine.” Warren wasn’t too worried. 

“Wear a jacket, please.” 

“I will. I will…”

(Y/N) huffed, “Good… Cause if you don’t, I’ll bring you one, and it will be tacky and ugly and totally ruin your costume.  So you better bring one…” She jokingly threatened. 

Warren chuckled, “Yes, Mom.” (Y/N) laughed at his demeanor. 

Warren looked up at her, lifting his head up, lips puckered. A way of silently asking for a kiss. 

(Y/N) complied, and gave him a peck on the lips. 

“Wanna get some food? I’m kind of hungry.” 

Warren nodded. He finally, and officially, got out of bed since his nap, (Y/N) next to him. 

As they were about to leave his room, a leaf fell from (Y/N)‘s head. 

“You dropped a leaf.” 

She frowned, eyes purple with embarrassment, “That’s the fifth one this week.” 

Warren bent down to pick it up. “It’s fall. I’m surprised you still have a few left.” 

“I’ve still got about a month.” 

The vines wrapped around (Y/N)’s legs and the leaves in her hair were shedding— Just like the trees outside, as the weather dropped and plants prepared for winter. 

Warren took the leaf and set it in a book. He liked to press any of (Y/N)‘s leaves he could get his hands on. 

She thought it was silly, they were just leaves, but Warren liked them. 

(Y/N) rummaged through the fridge for something to eat. 

“I think there’s leftover Chinese from last night,” Warren told her. 

“Yeah, but I don’t want to take those. They aren’t mine.” 

“You can say I ate them. Ororo and Kurt took my pizza after we went to East Village Pizza.” 

“Didn’t you label the box?” 

Warren nodded, “Yeah, but it’s Kurt and Ororo. They ignored it.” 

(Y/N) stifled a laugh as she took out some milk, deciding to make mac and cheese. 

“They’re the only ones who don’t fear me.” He joked. 

“Hey! I’m right here… and besides—“ She turned the stovetop on. “—No one here “fears” you. Not even the little kids. Jamie Donaldson told me he wanted to be you for Halloween.” 

Warren tilted his head slightly in confusion.

The water in the pot had reached a boil and (Y/N) poured the dried noodles into it. “He said you were his hero. That he wanted to be like you when he got older.” 

Warren dismissed it, “His friends are gonna tease him.” 

“I’m sure they already do… he has gills… Deny it all you want, Worthington, but you’re not tough as nails. Underneath the metal, you’re a big softie who cries during The Notebook, and helps Alex teach the second graders.” 

“Babe, everyone cries during the notebook, and I had a free period, and Alex needed help.” 

(Y/N) nodded, “Mmhmm… well, you can’t let Jamie down. It would crush him.” 

“I’m no—“ Warren stopped. 

“You’re no what?” (Y/N) teased nonchalantly. She knew what he was going to say. 

“You’ve trapped me.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“I’m not gonna say it.” 

(Y/N) mixed the milk, butter, and cheese powder in a separate bowl. “Say what?” 

“Oh, so that’s how we’re gonna play it?”

“You’re too hard on yourself! Be honest and caring for once.” (Y/N) pouted. 

“I’m not saying it. It’s dumb and cheesy.” 

“Fine. Then you don’t get any of my mac and cheese.”

“I’ll steal some when you’re not looking.” 

(Y/N) widened her eyes for comical intimidation. “I’m always looking.” 

Warren crossed his arms, “I’m still not going to say it.” 

“Please…” 

“I’m a bad person, (Y/N), I’ve done bad things…”

(Y/N) chuckled lightly, “Isn’t your therapist Brenda helping you not sound like Batman so much?” 

“Yeah.” 

(Y/N) kissed his nose. “Okay, Angel.” 

“(Y/N), I’m not—“

“Yes, you are! Say it.” 

“Fine,” He caved. “I’m an angel.” 

“Say it like you mean it. A positive tone of voice and affirmations improve a plant’s lifestyle and growth.” 

Warren couldn’t deny the small smile on his face, “I’m an angel.” 

(Y/N) squealed and kissed Warren’s lips. His cheeks were red, for he was flustered. 

“Can you get some bowls? Mac and cheese is done.”

“Yeah, sure.” Warren got two bowls and forks for them both and set them on the counter. 

(Y/N) scooped some macaroni into both bowls, then she and Warren sat on the barstools on the other side of the counter and chowed down. 

Jessie entered the kitchen as they ate their food. 

“Hey, (Y/N). Hey, Warren.” 

“Hey, Jessie! I just made some Mac and cheese if you’re hungry.” 

“I’m good, thanks. I don’t really eat carbs.”

“Oh… Okay…” (Y/N) looked down nervously at her bowl, trying to hide her purple eyes.

“Yeah, they just don’t agree with me, ya know?”

(Y/N) nodded, “Yeah, yeah, I don’t really like hot Cheetos.”

“See? We’re practically one and the same.” Jessie smirked.

Warren’s gaze kept shifting between the girls. He was confused at the tone of the conversation. 

“Anyway, I came down here looking for you.” She said to (Y/N). 

“Really? What’s up?” 

“I convinced Jubilee that we should go as pink ladies.” 

“That’s great!” 

Jessie nodded, “We’re gonna get the stuff we need for our costumes tomorrow.” 

“Sounds good to me.” (Y/N) said. 

“Uh, huh… what are you going as for Halloween?” Jessie asked Warren. 

“A few other guys and I are going as Queen.” 

“Ooooo! I love their music.” 

Warren nodded, “Scott’s going as John Deacon, Peter’s going as Brian May, I’m going as Roger Taylor, and Kurt’s going as Freddie Mercury.” 

Her voice shifted to a flawless British accent, “Well, I’m sure you’ll look amazing, darling.”

Warren laughed, “Thanks.” 

“Of course… (Y/N) I’ll talk to you later about Halloween stuff.” 

“Okay. See you later.”

As Jessie sauntered away, Warren was a bit unsettled by Jessie’s attitude but was more worried about his girlfriend.

“You need to eat some carbs…” (Y/N) mumbled. 

“She’s probably just doing some fad diet,” Warren reassured her. 

“I dunno…” 

Warren shrugged and gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze, “There’s no harm in eating macaroni… and no matter what you do, you’ll always be healthier than Peter.”

“Oh god, yeah,” (Y/N) jokingly grimaced. No offense to Pete’s lifestyle, but consuming only twinkies and Diet Pepsi would not go down well for Mother Nature, or anyone else. 

“I’m gonna save the rest for later.” (Y/N) went through a cabinet looking for some Tupperware. 

“Alright. Want me to put what we didn’t touch in another container?” 

“Sure.” 

—

The girls all grabbed pink ladies jackets and paid for them. 

“I was thinking we wear all black— heels, shirt, and leggings or maybe like a skirt or something.” 

“Heels?!” Jubilee shrieked. “You’re crazy if you think I’m gonna wear heels all night on Halloween.” 

“It’s just for pictures,” Jessie reassured her. “And besides, you’ll kick them off at the door anyway.” 

“Why would I wanna roam around barefoot at a party?” 

“(Y/N)‘s barefoot all the time. To feel one with nature.” 

(Y/N) furrowed her brows, eyes orange. “No, I’m not. I rarely ever do that…” 

Jessie held up her hands in surrender, “Well, I heard it from Nancy Robinson…”

“She’s wrong… I told her I connect easily with plants.” 

“She must have misunderstood.” 

(Y/N) nodded, unsettled. 

“Do you guys wanna go to the mall? There’s this cute little black dress at Forever 21 I wanna get for Halloween.” 

“Yeah, sure.” 

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

“I need to get some more foundation at Sephora,” Jessie stated. 

“Good, cause we were going anyway.” Jubilee joked threateningly. Jessie and (Y/N) laughed. 

As they walked around the Sephora, Jubilee scanned the isles for blue eyeshadows in different shades. 

“Kurt asked me to do his makeup for Halloween. He wanted some 70s glam rock.” 

“You’re gonna do a great job!” (Y/N) told her. 

“For sure— I’m also doing Warren’s and Peter’s too.” 

“They’re all going to look great. I hope we can get a group photo of them before they get all sweaty and tired out.” 

Jubilee nodded, smiling, while she placed all her items on the counter to be rung up. 

“Why didn’t Warren ask you to do his makeup?” Jessie asked. 

“Oh, uh… I dunno.” (Y/N) shrugged. “I’m not very good at super dramatic glittery looks.” 

“I’m just surprised he didn’t ask you, is all. I thought he would’ve, considering you’re dating.” 

“I mean, he’ll probably ask to borrow my mascara or something... It’s not a big deal.”

Jessie raised her eyebrows in questioning before paying for her foundation. “If Scott was going to wear makeup, I’m sure he’d ask Jean to do it for him.” 

“Scott would just want an excuse for his face to be inches away from Jean’s face, and for her to constantly be gazing into his eyes and glancing at his lips. Until they finally break the tension and spend the whole time making out, and Scott’s still not even wearing any makeup by the end.” Jubilee states. 

“That’s very specific… Also, don’t they kind of do that already, anyway?” (Y/N) asked. 

“Yeah,” Jubilee chuckled. 

“Still, I don’t know why Warren didn’t ask you.” Jessie interrupted. “Maybe you should ask him.” 

(Y/N) nodded, “Yeah, uh, I— I might.” 

—

Warren was lounged on (Y/N)’s bed, focusing on a textbook assignment. 

“Why didn’t you ask me to do your makeup?” 

Warren looked up. “Hmm?”

“Jubilee said you asked her to do your makeup for Halloween… I could’ve done it.” 

“Oh, uh, I mean Kurt asked her to do his, and then Peter asked her, and we both figured why not do mine too? She’s just going to do some eyeliner and highlighter. It’s no big deal.” 

“Oh…” (Y/N)’s eyes flashed purple. 

“Do you want to do my makeup?” 

(Y/N) shook her head, her eyes slightly red and orange. “Never mind… It was stupid… I’m not even that good at makeup…” 

Warren blinked, no longer focused on his homework. “Are you okay?” 

“What? Yeah, why wouldn’t I be?” 

“I mean, if you wanna do my makeup, go ahead. I don’t care. If it’s that big of an issue—“

“It’s not an issue. I was just wondering why you didn’t ask me.” 

“I didn’t think you’d want to do my makeup.” 

(Y/N) pursed her lips. He was kind of right. She really couldn’t have cared less— Halloween was proving to be so stressful already. 

“Yeah…” She mumbled. 

“See, problem solved.” 

A weird feeling of tension filled the air. 

Warren and (Y/N) never fought, and they rarely argued or bickered over things that weren’t Warren’s low self-esteem. 

Despite him saying, “Problem solved.” It didn’t feel that way. 

—

Warren barged into Peter and Scott’s room. Inside were Scott, Kurt, and another kid. 

“(Y/N) and I had an argument—“ Warren glanced at the short blonde guy sitting on Scott’s bed. “Who is he?”

“Warren, this is Bobby. Bobby, this is Warren,” Scott introduced. “Bobby’s new, he’s a freshman, and we’re kind of the only guys his age, so he’s just hanging out with us.” 

“Hi,” Bobby awkwardly waved at Warren. 

He waved back, “Hey.” 

“Anyway— what happened with you and (Y/N)?”

Warren sat down on Peter’s bed. “We got into an argument about the dumbest thing…”

Kurt squinted his eyes in confusion, “That’s not— you guys don’t do that… Or is that a normal thing for most American couples? All the fighting and yelling.”

“Okay, first off Blue, you need to stop watching sit-coms with Jean and Jubilee where the middle-aged suburban couple’s hate each other’s guts. Second, we weren’t yelling, and it wasn’t really a fight fight, but there was uncomfortable tension.”

The other three boys were focused solely on Warren, waiting for him to explain more. 

“She like got mad I didn’t ask her to do my makeup for Halloween, but then she wasn’t mad and said she didn’t even want to do my makeup. And like we settled it, but I still felt weird afterward. Almost like we didn’t settle it.” 

Kurt was baffled, unsure of what to say. Scott was taking a moment to formulate a good response, but before he could even open his mouth, Bobby spewed some words of… wisdom.

“(Y/N)— I’m assuming you guys are dating, right?” Warren nodded. 

“Okay… (Y/N) doesn’t care about who’s doing your makeup. She’s upset over something else but is using the makeup as a cover-up. She doesn’t want to admit she’s upset over… whatever she’s upset over, but she’s upset, so little things like, you not asking her if she’d do your makeup, are going to make her like, really mad, even if it seems like they shouldn’t or ordinarily wouldn’t.

You have to get her to talk, or find out from one of her girlfriends, what’s really upsetting her.” 

The other boys left their mouths gaping, blinking in shock. 

“You’re like, fourteen, why’d you give such good advice?” 

Bobby shrugged, “My parents fight a lot. They need a divorce, but they’ll never get one.” 

“I was gonna tell you to apologize…” Scott sheepishly admitted.

“Apologize for what?” 

“I— I don’t know…” 

“She said she was stressed out about Halloween…” Warren confessed. 

“There you go—“ Bobby exclaimed. “—She’ll be fine. Don’t even worry about the little lovers’ quarrel you guys had.” 

Warren nodded, feeling a little bit better about the situation.

He still wanted to talk to (Y/N), though. 

—

“Hey, Jubes!” 

“Oh, hey, Jessie. I was just headed to Bio, what’s up?”

“I heard, a few freshmen girls are going as Pink Ladies for Halloween—“

“And?” Jubilee hugged her binder tight in her arms. 

Jessie huffed, “We just can’t go as the same thing as some freshmen girls!” 

“Why not? Halloween is in two days! We can’t just change our costumes at the last minute.” 

“Jubes, we’ll look like freshmen. We can’t have that!” Jubilee opened her mouth to object, but Jessie didn’t let her. 

“(Y/N), and I already agreed we should switch. We’re going to go as the plastics from Mean Girls.” Jessie’s voice had shifted to sound like Rachel McAdams. “I’m gonna be Regina, and (Y/N) will be Karen.” 

“Okay, that’s fine. I can go return my jacket.” 

“Yeah!” Jessie grinned. “Plus you can wear your shirt that says “On Wednesdays we wear pink! Perfect!” 

Jubilee smiled, “Yeah… Well, uh, I gotta go—“ She motioned to the door. 

“Right! Don’t wanna make you tardy. I’ll see you later!” 

“See ya.” 

Weird, Jubilee thought to herself as she took a seat in Dr. McCoy’s classroom. But not unusual for Jessie, always changing her mind… She’s so wishy-washy on things… Oh well.

—

(Y/N) was quickly trying to finish her makeup and get dressed so she could help the little kids trick or treat. 

Older students could volunteer to take the younger one’s trick or treating until 9, and then if they wanted, they could go to whatever house party the locals from the public school in the area were hosting. 

Luckily for the X-Men, Jubilee was extremely popular with the public schoolers, and they were invited to most house parties.

Ororo had already left, for she had just worn a unicorn onesie she borrowed from Peter. 

“I think this is his sister’s, but hey! It’s comfy.” 

“You look great!” (Y/N) only glanced at Ororo, for she was worried about her own look for the night.

“Thanks, I’m sure you’re going to look great too. Don’t sweat it… you have a half-hour left.”

“I’ll meet you downstairs with the others!” 

“Sounds good to me.” 

The others being Scott, Jean, Kurt, and Warren. Jubilee, Peter, and Jessie had decided to skip the trick-or-treat assist and go straight to partying. 

Warren knocked on (Y/N)’s door, asking if she was ready. 

She opened it and stepped out. 

Warren glanced up and down, checking her out. She looked good. Then again, she always looked good. 

(Y/N) did the same, checking her boyfriend out. Maybe I should have gone as a slutty angel to compensate… Warren looks… hot.

Tight leather pants, a sparkly fringed vest with nothing underneath— showing off his toned abs— his classic, worn-out combat boots, and his makeup. Jubilee did an excellent job with it. 

Her eyes were magenta. 

Warren kissed her cheek. “You look great, babe!” 

“Uh… thanks… um… you— you…”

Warren chuckled, “I look stupid, don’t I?”

“No! No— you look, whatever the opposite of stupid is… Stupidly hot, maybe…” (Y/N) felt like a pile of mush. 

And for what? Warren in tight pants, no shirt, and black lines on his face? That was a regular Tuesday look for him. 

“Maybe?” He teased. (Y/N) avoided eye contact, her eyes a vibrant purple.

Warren intertwined one of his hands with her and kissed her cheek again. “You’re adorable.” 

“Thanks…” 

—

The gang made their way to the party a little after 9. It was in full swing by then, with loud music vibrating the outdoors. It just got amplified as they walked in. 

“I’m gonna look for Peter,” Warren told (Y/N). 

“I’m gonna try to find Jubilee and Jessie, get some group photos.” They parted ways, agreeing to meet up again later. 

(Y/N) got distracted along the way— she danced to the Monster Mash with Jean and Kurt, helped with any trick or treaters that came to the door, (despite it not being her house), and she took a few photos with a group of freshmen also dressed up as pink ladies. 

“Where are they?” 

She spotted Jubilee’s big mop of black curls and quickly made her way over.

“Oh my gosh! I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” 

Jubilee and (Y/N) stared at each other, both extremely puzzled.

“Um…”

“Uh…” 

“I thought we were going as pink ladies?”

“I thought we switched to The Plastics.” 

“What?” (Y/N) asked.

Jubilee took a sip from her cup, “Jessie told me you guys agreed on us switching to the plastics cause a bunch of freshmen were going as pink ladies.” 

“She never said anything to me bout going as the plastics. I haven’t seen her in like, two days.”

“What?” Jubilee was beyond confused. 

“Yeah, I thought we were still all going as pink ladies. I even saw the freshmen you’re talking about, and they took photos with me!”

“That’s nice…” 

“Why didn’t you clear this up with me, Jubes?” (Y/N) asked, her eyes slowly turning grey. 

“I thought Jessie did. I was busy trying to scope out a good place to crash and party at.”

(Y/N) crossed her arms, “Where is Jessie, anyway?” 

“I think she’s in the kitchen.” 

—

Warren was trying to have fun at the party. He didn’t drink as he did in Germany, so everything just seemed less exciting… but with his friends, they never failed to disappoint. 

He wanted to find Peter so they could get group pictures before a group of girls swarmed Kurt, fawning over his accent, soft blue fur, and gymnast body. Before Scott gave a little pep talk on safety to whichever friends would listen and then run off to make out with Jean in the nearest bathroom. And then he wanted to spend time with his girlfriend. 

He found Kurt, no problem— but finding their Brian and John was proving much more difficult. 

“Maybe Peter shouldn’t have worn a wig. We usually spot him due to his grey hair.”

“Then it wouldn’t go with the costume,” Kurt pointed out. “And the whole group would look out of place.” 

“I guess so…” Warren spotted Scott as they walked into the kitchen. He was talking to the new kid— Bobby— with Jean next to him. “Let’s get Scott.” 

Kurt waved at the group, and they motioned him over. 

“Hey, guys! This is Bobby,” Jean introduced.

“We already met,” Warren explained. “Have you seen Peter?” 

Jean shook her head. 

“I think I saw him—“ Bobby spoke up while filling up a cup from the “monster mix” punch bowl. “He had on a big curly brown wig…?” 

Kurt nodded, “Ja, that’s him!” 

Bobby handed Kurt and Warren cups. Warren sighed quietly to himself. He didn’t want a drink of some mystery liquid. He knew there was probably alcohol— Bobby probably didn’t, though— the kid was a freshman. Warren didn’t have time to refuse it though, for Bobby told Kurt where he last saw Peter, and then— bamf!

Kurt teleported him and Warren to that same place. The backyard. 

Warren felt a little nauseated— he hadn’t eaten anything all night except for a few pieces of candy, and the smell of sulfur was disgusting. 

Peter ran up to them and quickly noticed Warren’s turmoil. 

“Oh, dude! Here— drink up—“ He quickly put Warren’s cup in his mouth and almost forced him to drink up the “monster mix.” 

“Peter—“ Kurt scolded. “That’s not water!”

Peter’s face paled. “Oh shit. Shit! Dude, I’m sorry— I thought— cause you don’t drink—“

“Bobby gave it to me… He doesn’t know any better. I can handle myself. It’s one drink.” 

Peter almost scoffed at the mention of Bobby. “Who invited him?”

“Probably, Scott.” 

“Why?”

“I dunno… Make him feel included, I guess…”

“You good?” Kurt asked Warren. 

He nodded, “Yeah, I’ll be fine. Let’s get Scott… Come on…”

They decided to walk back to the kitchen, like ordinary people.

Bobby was gone, but Scott was still there, along with Jean, and Ororo was there too this time. 

“Did Bobby give you the monster mix?” Peter asked.

“Yeah.”

“Oh, dude— I had like three cups of it, and I feel a little tipsy— I think— but dude! I’m so sorry—“

“Peter, it’s fine. It just burned a little going down. It was only one drink— I’ll be fine. Stop worrying.” 

“Okay…” 

“Hey! You found him.” Jean smiled. “Photo time!” 

Everyone smiled and got into various poses and huddled little groups to take many silly pictures— many of them not even ending up on the group’s Instagrams— but still fun nonetheless. Jean telekinetically held up her phone so that everyone could be included in the pictures. 

Warren could feel himself getting a little tipsy as they kept taking photos, but he ignored it. 

“Oh my god! Warren!” It was Jessie. Not in a pink ladies costume. 

Weird… 

“(Y/N)’s been looking for you— come on, I’ll take you to her.” She grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the kitchen. 

He squinted his eyes, puzzled as to what was going on. 

They were walking upstairs. 

“Where are we going?” 

“Upstairs.”

It was dark. 

Warren couldn’t see the figure in front of him too well anymore.

The highly spiked drink he had was starting to get to him.

The voice sounded like (Y/N)’s. 

“You— You sounded like, (Y/N).” 

She giggled lightly, “I am (Y/N), silly.” 

“Oh.” 

She led him upstairs into an empty room. The lights were off. He still couldn’t see her very well. 

“Angel, baby,” She cooed. “I missed you.” 

“I missed you too.” He went to go and turn on a light, but she stopped him. 

“Leave them off… I wanna have fun tonight…” 

“Oh?” Is she talking about earlier, before we left the mansion? Has she been drinking? I would like to do stuff but—

“Mmhmm…” She kissed his neck and kept kissing him, leading up to his lips. He kissed her back, hands on her until they got near her neck— he wanted to tug on her hair a little, but upon touching it, he realized something was wrong.

He didn’t have time to figure it out, though, for someone opened the door. 

Warren and the other person turned to see who it was. 

It was Jubilee and (Y/N). 

—

“Have you seen Jessie?” (Y/N) asked. 

Her friends in the kitchen eyed her and Jubilee up, confused— weren’t they supposed to go as the same thing for Halloween? 

“Um, she was just here. She said you were looking for Warren, and then they went upstairs.”

Jubilee glanced at (Y/N) nervously. That wasn’t a good sign. 

“Thanks.” (Y/N) and Jubilee headed upstairs to find the two. 

Once they got to the top of the stairs, they walked around, trying to open every door they could to no prevail. 

“Wait— Shh!” Jubilee whispered. She motioned to a door they hadn’t opened yet. 

(Y/N) didn’t waste any time opening the door. 

She wished she did, though.

Because she saw them.

Warren and Jessie, so close together. It looked like they had been kissing moments ago. 

When Warren’s eyes met (Y/N)’s, she felt sick to her stomach. He looked lost, confused even. 

He looked almost terrified. 

—

Warren looked over at the girl who he thought was (Y/N). The light from the open door revealed it was Jessie. 

Warren started internally panicking. He kissed Jessie thinking it was (Y/N)! 

She can change her voice to sound like whoever she wants! How could I think— So stupid of me! 

He looked over at (Y/N), trying to form words to say. Her eyes— they’d turned completely black. He couldn’t tell her iris and pupil apart. They’d never been pitch black before. 

“(Y/N)! Jubilee! Thank goodness! I was looking for you guys—“ 

“No, you weren’t… What’s going on?” 

“Warren’s drunk he thought I was you and he tried to come onto me—“

“No, I didn’t!” (Y/N) glared at Warren meticulously, making him shut up.

“He kissed me! Can you believe it?! He couldn’t tell his own girlfriend apart from me, and he was forceful!” Jessie stepped away from him in “fear.” 

“You’re lying— I would never—“

(Y/N) wasn’t even paying attention anymore. Everyone could see that. 

“I’m going home.” 

“What? (Y/N)—“ 

She glared at Jessie, “Fuck off. I don’t want to talk to you anymore. And you—“ She looked at Warren. She felt her heart breaking, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. She didn’t know what to think, and she was so tired. “We’ll talk about this later. I’m leaving.” 

“(Y/N)—“ 

—

She took a ride home with the freshmen girls. They didn’t ask why she needed one or why her eyes were all black. 

(Y/N) wasn’t in the mood to answer them anyway. 

How could he do this? It doesn’t feel right! But Jessie— Jessie wouldn’t lie to me. Would she?

She was snapped out of her thought when one of the girls gasped. 

“Look! Look at all the plants! They’re all dead! Even the carved pumpkins are rotting.” 

“Yeah, Lily, that’s what plants do—“

“No, look!” Everyone looked through the car window, shocked by what they saw. 

(Y/N) took one look at the dead plants and started shaking. She didn’t have the strength to bring them back to good health. 

It worried her, but her mind kept focusing on Warren…

—

Jubilee dragged her friends outside to the front yard. She had Jean use her powers to keep them from running off anywhere. 

A few people were watching, but she couldn’t have cared less.

“Okay! What the hell happened? And none of the bullshit you told (Y/N) earlier! I know you took Warren upstairs, Jess. I know you didn’t tell (Y/N) we changed our group costume at the last minute, and I usually don’t say this kind of stuff, and I've held it back for (Y/N)’s sake, especially since she felt bad for you! And asked if you could do a group costume with us.” Jubilee was practically fuming, sparks almost igniting in her hands. 

“You’re kind of a bitch.” 

“Jubilee! Warren tried to fuck me! He was drunk and not acting right, and he started kissing me and stuff!”

“Warren doesn’t drink!” 

Kurt glanced at Peter and Scott before speaking up, “Warren had one drink…”

“Okay? That’s not going to get him shitfaced enough to fuck you!” Jubilee stared at Warren, trying to see if he’d finally speak.    

“I was a little tipsy, and Jessie said you and (Y/N) were upstairs. It got dark, and I thought I heard (Y/N) talking to me, but I think it was just Jess. She started kissing me, and it took me a minute, but I realized it wasn’t (Y/N). Then you guys came in.”

Everyone was in shock about Warren’s side of the story. 

“Isn’t it illegal to lie about this kind of stuff… and to kiss someone without consent?” Kurt whispered to Scott.

“Probably.” 

“He’s lying!” Jessie exclaimed. 

“Jean, read my mind. Read Jessie’s. I’m not lying!”

“He’s a monster! Why should you believe him?!” Jessie spat.

Warren was disgusted by her words. “You tried to fuck me!” 

“And with all your weird questions and comments about their sex life, I’m not surprised you kissed Warren,” Jubilee stated angrily.

“He kissed me back!” 

“He thought you were someone else!” 

“Guys! Shut up!” Jean told them. “I’m trying to focus!” 

She dove into Warren’s mind to see the events play out before her. She did the same when in Jessie’s mind. 

“Warren was telling the truth.”

—

As (Y/N) walked into her room, every plant in there withered and died. 

Typically, she’d fall to the ground and sob for accidentally killing what she practically considered her children, but she felt too numb. She kicked off her shoes and flopped onto her bed. The vines around her bed didn’t even move out of her way. They were lifeless and still, just like her.

(Y/N) was restless trying to sleep. She only slept for about fifteen minutes, and when she awoke, she was covered in ivy… poison ivy. 

Most of the time, when she was restless, she’d grow a watermelon or a pumpkin in her sleep, but this was new. She didn’t want to spread it to Ororo or let her see that she killed all the plants in the room. 

She grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, scribbling down a note for Ororo, telling her what happened and for her to not come in until the ivy went away, and it was safe. 

She quickly tapped the note to the door and locked herself inside. 

The rest of the gang quickly headed home. They didn’t notice all the decaying plants outside. 

Scott parked in the garage. 

“Hey, Kurt…”

“Ja, Ororo?”

“I need to check on some of the plants in the attic. I didn’t have enough time to water them all before we went out. Can you take me up there?” 

Kurt nodded, “Yeah, of course.” 

They were gone in the blink of an eye. 

Everyone else was lingering around, deciding on what to do. 

“I’m going to go talk to (Y/N)—“

A blood piercing scream interrupted Warren’s words. 

“Oh my god! Is that Ororo?” 

“I think so!” 

Jean used her telepathic powers to see what was wrong. 

“All the plants… they’re dead!” 

“Jean, check the fridge. See if the fruits and vegetables are alright,” Xavier instructed.

She opened the fridge, and to her horror, the produce rotted.

“But— I went with Sean and Raven to the grocery store two days ago! It shouldn’t have all gone bad.” Peter was puzzled.

“Do you think it was (Y/N)?” Jubilee asked. 

“I’m gonna go talk to her.” Warren head off to her dorm room. 

He felt so guilty and heartbroken. Even though it technically wasn’t his fault, he felt pathetic for not being able to tell his girlfriend apart from a stranger in the dark. 

He kissed Jessie! Nothing was going to undo that. 

Warren stopped at (Y/N)’s door, about to knock, but he was distracted by the note on it. He removed it off the door and read it. 

“I’m not feeling great right now, and I accidentally grew some poison ivy when I took a nap. I’m trying to get it to go away, but for now, people shouldn’t come in. I don’t want it to spread around. Also, I killed all the plants in our room. They’re going to be fine, but for now, I can’t help them.”

Warren knocked on the door, holding the note in his hand. “(Y/N)?” 

“You can’t come in here.” 

“Can you open the door?” He pleaded. 

“No, you can’t get close to me. The ivy came from me. I don’t want it to spread.”

“I won’t come in.” 

“Warren,” She cried. “Can’t you just wait?!” 

“I want— I need you to know what actually happened.”

It was silent from (Y/N)’s side of the door.

“(Y/N)?...” 

She didn’t respond, but Warren heard her unlocking and opening the door. He took a few steps back to respect her boundaries and commands. 

He took in her appearance. She switched from her pink ladies outfit to some pajamas. She didn’t wash her makeup off makeup, so it smeared all over her face.

Her hair was messy and her eyes… her eyes were pitch black. 

“I went to go look for Peter. I looked in the kitchen and didn’t see him. The new kid— Bobby— he gave me a drink, and I didn’t know how to explain I didn’t want it. Kurt teleported me to the back porch when we got word Peter was outside. I hadn’t eaten anything since lunch, so I felt a little sick. Peter came over to us and noticed I looked bad and had me force down whatever was in my cup. He assumed it was water or something else non-alcoholic, cause I don’t drink.”

“I was like, ‘this is fine. It’s one drink of vodka, cranberry sprite, some hooch, and like whatever else was in the monster mix.’ Then we took photos in our Queen costumes and goofed around for an hour. I was getting a little tipsy, but I didn’t think it was that bad. Jessie came in, saying you were looking for me. And she just dragged me upstairs. It was extremely dark, and my brain was getting a little fuzzy, and Jessie shifted her voice to sound like yours… She led me into a dark room and said she wanted to like, hook up, or do stuff. I tried to explain to her I’d been drinking, but she started kissing me before I could.” 

(Y/N) stood on the other side of the door, listening inventively to Warren. 

“I kissed her back. Then I realized it wasn’t you— it didn’t feel right— and then you walked in.” 

(Y/N) sighed. She was sure he was telling the truth. Their friends wouldn’t let him come up and see her otherwise. 

“I am so sorry…” 

“Yeah, um… Jessie’s kind of… kind of mean. But like— I just— I got so upset because of a lot of different things. Um, Jessie had been asking and saying stuff about our relationship— saying like, we should have sex after the party, I should hoe it up more, or trying to get me to accuse you of not trusting me cause you didn’t ask me to do your makeup… and I just thought she was being weird or whatever, cause like, those were the vibes she’d given me almost all the time. I never thought she simply wouldn’t like me. Especially since I asked if she wanted to do a group costume with Jubilee and me… and I just—“ (Y/N) scrunched her nose. “I don’t let stuff like that get to me, but… but I’m so inexperienced, and you’re not. I don’t really care if people talk about whatever they do behind closed doors. I don’t care about that… I just don’t want people interpreting that I’m like the Virgin Mary, or there’s a problem in our relationship, cause there’s not. There’s not!” 

(Y/N) started crying. She was crying and shivering, and poison ivy started growing and wrapping itself around her body. 

“I’m not mad at you. I just…” She sighed. 

“...Am I not enough?”

“What?” Warren was confused.

“Would you leave me for her? Or anyone else?”

“No. Never— I should have done more, I shouldn’t have followed her or let myself believe it was you— I’m so fucking stupid.” 

Her voice was stern. “No. You’re not stupid. I just… I just need some time to think and be alone right now.”

“Whatever you want,” Warren nodded timidly. “I’ll tell Ororo she needs to sleep with Jean and Jubilee for the night… Although I doubt she’ll leave the attic.” 

“What happened in the attic?”

“All the plants in the attic died… She’s extremely torn up about it… (Y/N)?”

(Y/N) zoned out a little, her heart was pounding heavily in her chest, she was sweating, quivering, and all she could focus on was how she killed everything. Everything she loved and touched, she destroyed it. She couldn’t control herself, and she was hurting the world around her. She heard Warren yelling her name, but she couldn’t find herself to respond. Her breath was quick and eradicating. 

Warren was trying his best to respect her wishes by not coming to close, but he had to help her. 

“(Y/N)— (Y/N), baby, look at me, look at me,” Warren stepped closer to her. “Sit down, sit down, okay?” He helped her sit down on the ground. She leaned against the right side of the doorframe. 

“Um, I need you to— I need you to focus on my voice. Focus on me, okay?” 

“I just— my entire life—“ She broke into a sob. 

“Hey, hey, hey, you’re okay. The plants are going to be okay. We’re going to get through this. I need you to breathe. Focus on my breathing, okay?” 

“I can’t!” The ivy from her body was overgrowing rapidly, clinging onto Warren. 

“Yes, you can. Just focus, you’re going to be okay.” He put one of his hands on her arm to stop her from shaking. Her muscles tensed at first, but they slowly relaxed under his touch.

“You’re doing good, just breathe in slowly, okay? Copy me—“ Warren slowly inhaled air. (Y/N) tried to copy him, but it didn’t help her out. The ivy kept growing around the two of them, getting tight as it tangled between them. 

Warren had to move closer to (Y/N), to try and make more space. He wrapped his arms around her body. The out of control vines caused his grip to tighten on her. 

The feelings of his arms pressing against her helped (Y/N) focus in on something.  

“(Y/N)? Hey, it’s going to be okay. You’re going to be okay. Close your eyes and just focus on my voice, okay? Can you do that for me?”  

“I…” (Y/N) felt dizzy and nauseous like it was just piling up inside her. 

Warren coaxed her into slowing her breathing down, but her heart was pounding. Every breath she took felt shaky. 

Yet, the ivy slowed down, wrapping itself around Warren and (Y/N) like old stone walls. 

She was slightly shaking still, but her mind wasn’t getting as overwhelmed anymore.

“Hey, hey… Sweetheart, it’s okay. You’re going to be okay… the ivy stopped. It’s okay.” 

“It— it did?” 

Warren nodded, “Uh, huh. Everything’s going to be alright.” (Y/N) slowly stopped shaking and buried herself into Warren’s chest. 

“Do you want to get some water or maybe take a shower?” 

“Um, yeah, but I can’t— I can’t get rid of the poison ivy… Like I can’t—“

“That’s okay. We can just leave it.”

“Oh, okay…” 

“Let’s go shower in my room, okay?” 

She nodded. 

“Can you walk, okay?” He asked her. 

“Um, I think— I don’t know— I’m sorry.” 

“Hey, no, no, no. It’s okay. I can carry you.” 

Warren carefully scooped her up in his arms. He looked at her once over before heading to his room. 

He set her down on the edge of his bed. “Do you want me to help you get undressed?” 

“I can do it.” She answered in a small voice. 

Warren nodded, “Okay, I’m gonna get undressed too.” 

Warren didn’t face her as he stripped off what little clothing he had on and threw it in a small pile. 

“Is it okay if I take my underwear off?” (Y/N) nervously asked. 

“Yeah, we’re going to shower. It’s okay.” 

(Y/N) left her clothes on Warren’s bed. She slowly got up, and Warren quickly rushed to her aide. She used him for support as they walked into his bathroom. 

He turned the shower on and let it heat up for a minute before stepping in. 

(Y/N) leaned against Warren’s chest as the water rained on them both. 

“Is the water warm enough? Is it too hot?” 

“It’s fine,” She mumbled. 

Warren nodded, understanding she didn’t really want to talk. 

He grabbed his shampoo from the edge of the tub and poured some into his hands. Warren rubbed his hands together before massaging the shampoo into (Y/N)’s hair. It was hard to rake through, her hair was thick and tangled, but he tried his best. 

He applied a little conditioner to her ends. (Y/N) hummed against his chest. 

He chuckled to himself, “You asleep?”

“Mhmm…” She half-heartedly replied.  

“Wanna go to bed?” He asked. (Y/N) nodded, and Warren felt it against his chest.

He washed the conditioner out of her hair and turned the water off. 

He grabbed a towel and helped (Y/N) dry off. When he finished, (Y/N) sat on the edge of the tub and watched Warren dry off. 

His eyes caught (Y/N)’s in the mirror. She looked better than before, a bit more relaxed, but still nervous. 

“I’m really sorry for what happened at the party…”

“I’m sorry about… you know…” 

Warren nodded, “Yeah, um, it’s okay. It’s not your fault. And, and I’m here for you— always. If you want to talk about it, or not.”

“Same goes for you.” 

Warren nodded, “Yeah, yeah, um, let me get us some clothes.” Warren stepped out of the bathroom for a moment. 

He gave (Y/N) one of his much larger sweatshirts without holes in the back and a pair of boxers. “Is this okay?” He asked. 

“Yeah, um, these are fine. Thanks.”

Warren nodded and stepped out of the bathroom again, so (Y/N) could get dressed in private. 

Warren was planning to sleep on the floor for (Y/N)’s sake, as not to make her uncomfortable, but she objected to it.

“I… I don’t want to be alone.” 

“I’m right here,” Warren was quick to wrap (Y/N) up in his arms, having them both get under the blankets on his bed. “I’m not going anywhere, okay? You’re safe…” 

“Promise?” She asked, looking up at him. Her eyes weren’t entirely black anymore, but they were very gray. He could have sworn they were pink for a moment, but they were just grey. 

“I promise.” 

(Y/N) was reassured by his words and snuggled into Warren’s chest. His wings wrapped around them, almost like a cocoon. 

“Can… Can you kiss me, please?” (Y/N) asked. “Just like, my forehead or something…” 

“Of course.” Warren laid a small kiss on the top of her head before whispering, “Goodnight.” 

“Goodnight, Angel.”

[dweetwise]

300 followers gift fic: beach episode

instead of taking a writing break i finally finished the crackfic i promised for 300 followers! it’s a little weird and i,, kind of make fun of frank a little too much but i hope you enjoy the silliness nonetheless!

characters: david, dwight, steve, ace, quentin, frank, julie, susie, joey ship: david x dwight warnings: mild violence, mention of blood word count: 6950 (hELP)

David feels his feet hit the ground as he’s teleported into a trial, the fog of the Entity slowly clearing from his mind. He opens his eyes—

—and promptly has to close them right after because bloody hell it's bright!

“Woah! Look at this!” an awestruck voice exclaims from somewhere nearby, and David thinks it's Steve, finally managing to squint his eyes open enough to try to make out their surroundings.

As soon as he does so, he immediately decides he's hallucinating.

He's on a sunny beach. There's waves slowly rolling onto the fine white sand and the sun is shining bright, high up in the clear blue sky.

The only thing that stops David from being sure that he's dreaming is Steve smacking him on the shoulder and uttering an excited “Dude, are you seeing this?” because if he was dreaming he sure as hell wouldn't be here with Steve.

“Where are we?" a voice that sounds much more fitting for his dream pipes up from behind him, and David turns to find Dwight making his way over. "Did—did we escape…?” their leader's tired eyes are wide with hope, and he rubs his arms nervously and—

Holy shit, he's shirtless.

Steve is shrugging and replying something to Dwight, but David's brain can't comprehend anything that isn't Dwight and his surprisingly well-defined, freckled shoulders and the adorable chub around his waist and fuck, David bets his skin feels so soft—

“What do you think, David?” Dwight asks, and David forces himself to tear his gaze away from Dwight’s torso to his face. But then he has those big, brown eyes looking up at him and searching for guidance, like David is even half of the leader Dwight is.

“Don’t seem like a trial,” David manages to get out through the mess of thoughts that is his feelings for the man. “Should look around—you stay close to me, eh?” he urges their leader, despite knowing full well Dwight is more than enough capable of looking after himself.

He takes some comfort in the fact that despite Dwight being aware of that too, the man responds with a nod and a small, if a little shaky, smile.

“Come on guys, hurry up!” Steve calls from a short distance away, reminding David that they’re not, in fact, alone. They follow the excited teen, walking along the shoreline.

As Steve prattles on about how warm it is and pesters them about whether or not they know how to swim, David tries and fails to focus on their predicament and not let his eyes wander.

He notices Dwight is wearing red board shorts with a pizza slice pattern, and tries not to smile. He wonders if it’s something he owned in the real world, or that the Entity made up just for this occasion. Either way, they’re way cuter than they have any right of being.

“Dude, I like the shorts!” Steve’s voice finally gets through to David, probably because he’s looking a little too intently at Dwight’s neither regions, but then he thankfully turns to give David the same treatment. “Yours are… uh, kinda neat too!”

And for the first time David actually takes a look at his own outfit. He hadn’t even realized he was also in swimwear, so used to going shirtless trial after trial. But sure enough, the Entity has put him in dark blue swim shorts, and he snorts upon spotting the cartoony beer pint pattern. He sure as hell has never owned a pair that looks like this, so apparently the Entity is enjoying playing dress-up with them.

“I think yours are cool too,” Dwight returns the compliment and David goes back to glaring at Steve, who grins and shows off his (really fucking ugly, in David’s opinion) striped shorts with pictures of ice cream cones.

Steve, thankfully, doesn’t have time for what would no doubt be an obnoxious reply, the sounds of an argument drifting over to the trio.

“—you should let me do it! I have Plunderers!” David recognizes Ace’s annoying voice before he spots the man, standing over what looks to be someone searching a chest.

“And I have Pharmacy, so shut it,” Quentin’s messy mop of hair appears over the chest when he offers a half-hearted glare at the gambler.

“Nobody wants a dusty old med-kit!” Ace huffs, hands on his hips. “Who knows what else we could find?”

“Too late,” Quentin snarks and finally rips the lock off, Ace sighing in defeat as he opens the chest. “What the… what’s all this?”

“Oi, what’s going on?” David walks up to the duo. “Did’ya find somethin’?”

“Hey, buddy—” Ace greets before David shoves his way past the man, peering into the chest that has Quentin so confused, coming face to face with…

“Beach equipment?” Quentin summarizes, lifting a water gun and a towel from the chest.

“Cool!” Steve has joined them and, predictably, gets excited, grabbing the toy immediately.

“Have you two seen anyone else?” Dwight asks Quentin and Ace, trailing after Steve to join them.

“Nope!” Ace chirps, grabbing a pair of sunglasses and a beach towel from the box. “Looks like it’s just us, unless the rest are… I don’t know, out at sea?”

“Half expected to run into a killer,” Quentin muses. “Guess we got lucky it’s just the five of us instead.”

“Shame it's just dudes. I bet the girls would've—uh,” Steve says, before seeming to realize how desperate he sounds. “Really enjoyed it too…?” he finishes with a sheepish smile.

“Uh-huh,” Quentin deadpans. “I'm sure that's the reason.”

“It's a tragedy the new guy isn't here," Ace sighs wistfully. “I’d pay good money to see him shirtless.”

David rolls his eyes while Dwight, embarrassed, chokes on nothing.

“Y-you shouldn't talk about Felix like that,” their leader stammers, completely oblivious to how David was ogling him earlier.

“Just saying what half of the camp is thinking,” Ace shrugs.

“I wonder if Jane's coming?” Steve seems to realize, glancing around as if expecting more people to pop up out of thin air.

“You're both disgusting,” Quentin snorts, starting to walk away from the group. “I'm going for a swim."

“But we don't know if it's safe!” Dwight calls after him.

"I mean… if I drown in Entity goo, don't come after me," Quentin merely responds, putting on some swimming goggles and making his way to the shoreline.

“I wonder why Quentin’s in a speedo and the rest of us have trunks?” Steve thinks out loud, and sure enough, David realizes he’s right, noticing Quentin’s swimwear when he swan dives into the ocean.

“Didn’t he use to do competitive swimming?” Dwight points out, because of course he would, because nobody knows any of them quite as well as Dwight, because he’s an amazing leader and friend and—

David’s train of thought comes to a halt when he glances around and notices what has to be a crime against fashion.

“I’d rather a speedo than whatever the fock tha’ is,” David snorts, gesturing to where Ace is laying his beach towel, wearing a pair of hot pink swimming trunks with a banana pattern, along with a trashy, bright yellow aloha shirt. Apparently he’s gotten so used to the man’s questionable style that he didn’t even notice the travesty until now.

“Aww, come on David!” Ace grins, taking his jab in stride. “I know you really wanted some pink shorts too.”

“It’s kinda funny that the Entity gave us shorts with our favorite food!” Steve grins while rummaging through the supplies in the chest. “I love ice cream, Dwight obviously likes pizza, and David beer, and Ace—”

“Cock,” David finishes the sentence, eyeing the banana shorts suspiciously, while Ace bursts out laughing, Steve’s eyes fly wide open and Dwight sputters something unintelligible.

“David!” Dwight finally manages to scold him, face red from embarrassment. “You can’t just say stuff like that—”

“Yeah yeah, sorry luv,” David grins apologetically, immediately cursing himself for letting the pet name slip. “’M goin’ for a swim too,” he decides, making his way to the water to try to get his thoughts in order.

David’s never been much of a beach person, not having enough patience to sunbathe and not a huge fan of swimming, either. But he can’t deny the warmth from the sun, even if fake, feels nice, and the soft sand under his feet is pleasant. When was the last time he even walked barefoot?

His toes touch the water and that’s where the pleasantness ends because goddamn, it’s cold! David can’t remember the last time he felt an actual chill, as the Entity seems determined to make sure they’re never too hot or too cold, even the snowy grounds of Ormond feeling room temperature.

But now, David has to grit his teeth as cold shoots through his system just from dipping his toes in. He glances at Quentin, still swimming around without a care in the world, and can’t imagine how the hell the teen managed to dive right in without going into shock.

David glances over his shoulder, wanting to see if someone’s looking at him freaking out over the water like a scared kitten. Steve is still engrossed in pulling out all the contents of the crate, before he hands a bottle of something to Dwight, who squirts some into his hand and starts—lord have mercy—lathering himself up with the sunscreen.

And David is helpless to do anything but stare, seeing Dwight work the creamy substance into his equally creamy skin, starting with his arms and then working it into his chest. He runs his hands down his torso, covering himself self-consciously when the softness around his belly jiggles slightly with the movement, and god what David wouldn’t give to be able to do that for him. He’d work the lotion into the skin nice and slow, taking his time and making sure to murmur how perfect Dwight looks and how good his body feels—

David’s brain does the equivalent of a record screech when his perfect, half-naked angel walks up to Ace, of all people.

“Ace, can you… uh, give me a hand with my back…?” Dwight asks nervously, holding out the bottle of sunscreen, and David thinks he's going to burst a vein from how much his blood pressure rises upon hearing the request.

Ace sits up on his elbows, before looking over his sunglasses with a smirk like the disgusting pervert he is, and David swears that if he lays a finger on Dwight's bare skin he's fucking throwing fists—

But then Ace's eyes meet his and a trimmed eyebrow raises in acknowledgement, still with that infuriating smirk on his face, and David's anger gives way to mortification because shit, what if Ace knows about his little crush?

To his relief, Ace just ends up sighing.

“Can you ask someone else? I'm kind of busy,” the gambler says, flopping back down to lay on his towel.

“Oh, okay…” Dwight says, looking so disappointed, and David’s breath catches in his throat because this is his chance!

“What the fuck, Ace?” Quentin emerges from the waves beside him before he can do anything. “Not everyone has your complexion. Some of us burn really easily,” Quentin scolds, walking up to the duo and no doubt glaring at the gambler. “Come on, I’ll help you,” he offers to Dwight, who returns a grateful smile.

Quentin starts rubbing the cream onto Dwight’s back, and then has the nerve to ask if Dwight can return the favor, so David grits his teeth and marches into the ocean to cool off so he doesn’t end up pile driving the teen into the sand.

He only manages to get deep enough for the water to reach his junk before he instantly regrets the decision, the cold making things shrivel up unpleasantly. He ends up just ducking his head into the water and wading back to shore, hoping that Dwight the others didn’t see him chickening out for the second time in a row.

The others are still engrossed in their own activities, Steve filling up the water gun in the shallows and Ace looking to doze off in the sun, Quentin and Dwight chatting nearby.

And nobody sees the strange group approaching from the treeline behind them.

“Oi!” David calls, getting the attention of his friends and picking up the pace to get to Dwight in case the strangers mean bad news. “Hope yer not lookin’ fer trouble,” he addresses the new group, causing the others to finally take notice of their company.

“Who’s that?” Quentin asks with a frown, taking in the sight of four people, two girls and two guys, dressed in swimwear and one of the boys even carrying a large swim ring on his shoulder. The group’s animated chatter dies down as they seem to notice their company.

“Oh my god, this is fucking typical!” one of the group, a young woman with blonde hair and a plaid bikini, scoffs in offense.

“What the fuck are you guys doing here!?” a skinny man with very questionable choice of swimwear, pastel purple board shorts with rubber ducks, demands.

“Fuck me, is the Entity pranking us?” the other man sighs, dressed in much more bland swimwear with black and white skulls.

“Aww,” the final member pouts, twiddling with her bright pink braid over her pink and black bikini. “Frank, you didn’t tell us there’d be others!”

David’s brow furrows upon hearing the name; it sounds familiar, but he can’t quite place it. Luckily, Dwight is much more of a quick thinker than he is.

“L-legion?” Dwight squeaks, his eyes going wide in fear, and David is now back to full alert because he’s right, they group is definitely the killers, David just didn’t connect the dots because of how normal the kids look.

“What, you gonna scream? Cry?” the leader, Frank, taunts obnoxiously, strutting to the front of his posse. “How about you guys go fuck yourselves and leave the beach to us, before someone gets hurt?”

Dwight takes a step back while David takes one forward, anger bubbling up because who the fuck does this prick think he is—

“Nice swimmies, Franky,” Quentin suddenly pipes up, making David stop in his tracks. “Did your mommy pick them out for you?”

“Tch—” Frank balks, his face scrunching up in anger even as redness rises up on his cheeks.

“He might have lost a small bet,” the pink-haired girl, David doesn’t recall her name, quips cheerfully in response.

“Shut up, Susie!” Frank hisses at his friend, before turning back to point at Quentin accusingly. “Of course you had to bring this waste of space, too!” he seems to direct the complaint at Dwight.

“S-sorry—” Dwight starts.

“Don’t,” David orders, placing a large hand on Dwight’s shoulder and stepping between their leader and the Legion’s. “This arsehole don’t deserve yer apology."

“Oh yeah?” the bigger guy, David thinks he remembers hearing his name is Joey, steps forward to back up his friend. Unfortunately, he doesn’t intimidate David in the slightest, especially not with only an inflatable beach toy as his weapon. “Maybe you should think twice about picking a fight.”

“Guys…” the blonde girl starts, sounding exasperated.

“Come on Jules, knives or not, we can take them. Easily,” Frank tells her, and David notices both Dwight and Quentin tense next to him, preparing himself to dodge a swing any second now—

“Ahoy, ladies!” Steve suddenly shoves his way to the front of the group, offering the two girls a cheeky grin and cocking his water gun against a hat he doesn’t have. “Would you like to set sail on an ocean of—” he falters, looking around the beach in thought. “…Water?”

There’s a moment of silence following Steve’s interruption, the tension in the air effectively disappearing as everyone stares at Steve with varying levels of amusement and disbelief.

“Um,” the pink-haired girl—Susie—comments, regarding the teen skeptically.

“Aww, he’s even more of a dork outside of trials,” the one named Jules—for Julie, right?—coos patronizingly. “Look at him with his little toy!”

“Thanks! You wanna have a watergun fight?” Steve is either completely oblivious to the jab or takes it in stride.

“I’ll shove that fucking gun so far down your throat—” Frank threatens.

“Kinky!” Quentin comments cheerily.

“Oh you’ll regret that—” Frank snarls.

“Children!” Ace’s yell snaps them out of the ensuing argument, everyone turning to face the man who has apparently finally decided to grace them with his presence.

“Ugh, it just keeps getting better,” Julie snarks sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

“While apparently you guys had a negotiation with the Entity, we have no idea why it decided to put us here,” Ace explains with a friendly smile, ignoring the snide comment. “So why not try to make the most of it? There’s more than enough room for all of us. We’ll stay out of your hair if you do the same,” he says, giving a pointed stare at David and Quentin.

“Okay!” Susie beams.

“What? No it’s not!” Frank argues.

“Why not?” the girl whines. “I don’t wanna waste time fighting. This was supposed to be our day off.”

“So we gonna beat them up or what?” Joey seems to be getting impatient. “If not, I wanna go swimming.”

“Yeah, same,” Julie agrees. “Let’s just leave them be.”

“Fine,” Frank spits, glaring at each of the survivors in turn. “You’d better stay the fuck outta my sight.”

David wants to argue and he can sense Quentin does too, the teen biting his lip to suppress what would no doubt be a snarky comment. The only thing stopping David from picking a fight is Dwight’s hesitant hand on his arm, a wordless plea to not make the situation worse, and Frank would have to push a whole lot harder for David to ever deny Dwight.

“Looks like we have a deal,” Ace smiles, his shoulders sagging just the tiniest bit from relief.

There’s a silent understanding when the killers start making their way to one side of the beach while Ace motions for them to head back to theirs, and the situation looks to be peacefully resolved.

“Hey, you guys should check out the stuff the Entity gave us!” Steve suggests, inviting them right back over, most likely unintentionally, but it still makes Dwight sigh and David can even hear Ace groan in exasperation.

“I give up,” Ace sighs with a wave of his hand, leaving them to fend for themselves for when another fight inevitably breaks out.

David doesn’t really care if the killers grab some of the items meant for them, but it’s the principle of the thing, and his hands ball into fists while the teens rummage through the chest.

Susie eventually pulls out an inflatable pool toy with a unicorn that says ‘princess’.

“Oh my god, look how cute!” she squeals, holding up the toy.

“I bet it's Dweeb's,” Frank smirks smugly.

That's it, he's going down—

“You take that back!” David snarls, stepping forward aggressively.

“David, please!” Dwight protests.

“Yeah, can you guys not?” Julie sighs, rolling her eyes while procuring a pair of sunglasses from the chest.

“No one's impressed by this alpha male bullshit,” Quentin agrees.

“Not my fault this cocksucker can't take a joke—” Franks starts.

“Yer the one who's too much of a pussy to fight!” David accuses. “Let's go, right now!”

“Guys!” Joey yells. “If you really wanna butt heads, how about we play for it instead?” he asks, grabbing a volley ball from the trunk. “Our team versus yours. Winner gets bragging rights.”

“Oh, we're totally in! Right guys?” Steve, predictably, is all over the game.

David frowns. It's been years since he's played beach volley, but how hard can it be? Especially compared to his scrawny opponent; Frank probably hasn't done a day of sports in his life.

“Fine,” he spits.

“Fine,” Frank smirks.

“I'm in,” Quentin offers.

“Come on, Suz," Julie offers.

“You know I suck at sports!” the girl whines, but obediently goes to stand with the group.

Still missing one member for their teams to be even, everyone looks at Dwight.

“M-m-me!?” he squeaks.

Frank looks like he's about to say something, but is interrupted by Joey shoving the net into his arms.

“Come help me set this shit up,” Joey says with a pointed look and Frank rolls his eyes and complies.

Huh. Maybe that Joey guy isn't so terrible.

“Yeah, who else? Ace?” Steve is doing his best to encourage Dwight. “He’d probably throw his back out or something.”

“I heard that!” the gambler calls from his lazing around spot.

“And I'm sure you're better than you realize!” Steve continues, ignoring the comment.

“But I've never played,” Dwight says, still hesitant.

“You'll pick it up in no time,” Quentin encourages. “You don't even have to do much, we'll cover for you.”

“I don't know…”

“Pleeeaaase?” Steve whines and even pouts, clearly pulling out all the stops. “We really wanna play and if you don't we won't have enough players."

Dwight looks at David, and David does his best to give an encouraging smile.

“Come on, mate,” he says. “You’ll have fun, promise.”

That’s a lie, but David just really wants Dwight to be there to witness him kicking Frank's ass.

“Okay,” Dwight finally relents, looking away from David with a sigh.

Steve cheers loudly and soon enough, they’ve joined the Legion who have finished setting up the net and the game can begin.

It turns out the teams are surprisingly even. Steve and Joey are the best players by far, managing difficult serves, covering for the others and even extending to get shots David didn't even think possible.

Quentin and Julie aren't far behind in skill, not having the precision of their respective team captains but still succeeding in keeping the ball in play.

David likes to think he's better than Frank, but neither of them are doing too well, missing shots that should have hit and even causing the ball to fly out of bounds.

Dwight and Susie are the worst by far, with Dwight landing wet noodle passes at best and mostly just trying to stay out of the way. Susie is nearly actively sabotaging her team, squealing and covering her head if it looks like Steve or Quentin are going for a particularly rough hit.

Steve looks to be enjoying himself thoroughly, and David thinks he tones down some of his shots to prolong the game and give the others a chance. Quentin on the other hand is surprisingly competitive, often aiming for Susie's corner which is their opponent's weak link.

David mostly focuses his efforts on aiming at Frank's face, and from the way the teen keeps snarling and glaring at him, it doesn’t go unnoticed.

The Legion eventually turning against each other is kind of funny.

“Jesus, Frank, you suck ass,” Julie complains, watching the ball fly over the line when Frank hits it at a weird angle.

“I mean I’m not surprised that you guys know how to handle balls,” Frank snarks. “Personally, it’s not something I’d be proud of.”

“Then why did you spend three years practicing basketball?” Susie jokes, making her leader fume.

The survivors' camaraderie on the other hand is high, even as the scores are neck-to neck and adrenaline is running high. Steve takes every opportunity to encourage Dwight when he fails, and Quentin commends him when he makes a good play.

It should maybe make David jealous, but he's just happy to see Dwight smile and enjoy himself. He wishes he had the tact of the two to praise him too, feeling way more comfortable with showing off his athletic skill than actually talking to Dwight.

“Shit—” Steve dives into the sand and barely manages to save the ball after a particularly nasty serve from Julie. He doesn't get a clean hit, and the ball swerves a curve to the left instead of to the right where David was prepared to set it up, narrowly missing Quentin's head.

And then Dwight comes out of nowhere, managing to redirect the ball back into play, and David is so fucking excited he nearly misses the hit, but thankfully manages to get it over the net and Susie doesn't even seem to try to stop it.

“Go Dwight!” she cheers.

“Nice work, dude!" Steve whoops, spitting some sand from his mouth.

“I, uh,” Dwight is clearly flustered.

“That's what I'm talkin' about!” David encourages, smacking Dwight on the back and causing him to stumble forward.

"T-thanks,” Dwight smiles nervously.

“You done kissing ass?” Frank snarks, glaring at Susie.

“Yup, now we're gonna kick yours,” Quentin shoots back.

“Come on guys, 18 to 20! We can do this!” Steve encourages, and everyone gets back into position.

Julie serves again, and Quentin catches it. They get the ball over easily, and Joey raises it. Julie is in position to set it up it, and Frank jumps into the air, and David just hopes he misses the shot—

The ball whizzes past Steve and Quentin in front, and it's going way too hard to land within bounds, so that’s a free point for them—

But then David realizes the trajectory it's on, and time seems to slow down to a crawl as it hits Dwight square in the face with a sickening smack.

And David sees red.

When he comes to, he's on top of a struggling Frank and there are arms trying to restrain him from behind. The voices sound faraway and muddled because of the overwhelming sound of blood rushing in his ears. His arms are held back, so he headbutts Frank instead, and feels a sick sense of glee when he hears the crunch and Frank yelping out a curse.

“That’s enough, man! Cut it out!” a voice he doesn't recognize cuts through the haze, and David snarls, elbowing whoever it is in the gut. The restraint against his left hand gives way, and he's about to shrug out of the hold, ready to beat the living shit out of Frank—

And then he takes a bucketful of sea water to the face and it's fucking cold bloody hell—

“Merda—would you behave for two fucking seconds!?” Ace is yelling at them, angry for being disturbed again, a telling empty bucket in his hands.

The shock from the cold is the only thing that makes David resist the urge to redirect his anger in the form of his fist meeting the gambler's face.

“Steve, take David to cool off and punch a palm tree of something,” Ace commands like a frustrated mother. “And you three, make sure Frank doesn't do something stupid… well, stupider. Quentin, you’re helping me clean Dwight’s face.”

At the mention of Dwight, David snaps out of it and anxiously starts looking around to search for the man in question, soon noticing Quentin crouched by him and Susie anxiously fluttering nearby.

Seeing Dwight's bloody face breaks his heart, but luckily their leader seems to only have a nosebleed, even if the blood running down his face looks kind of gruesome. David hopes he didn't break his nose.

His anger threatens to bubble up again; if Frank ruined that pretty face—

“Okay big guy, let's go!” Steve apparently notices his shift in mood and is quick to drag him off.

David half-heartedly tries to protest but Steve isn’t letting up, and David follows him to the treeline just to get him to shut up.

Steve finds some coconuts and David takes the opportunity to punch one as hard as he can, pretending it’s Frank’s face. His knuckles sting and will probably bruise but it’s worth it, the loud crunch as the shell splits open making him smirk smugly.

When they get back to the others, Steve carrying a lapful of coconuts and David flexing his sprained hand but otherwise successfully calmed down, the others seem to be faring better too. Dwight’s face is a lot less bloody and he’s smiling shakily to something Ace says while holding what has to be a cold towel to his nose. The Legion are huddled near their leader, who’s slowly bruising cheek seems to be making him pout. Even if Joey is holding back snickers, Susie is trying to encourage Frank and Julie is patting him on the back in solidarity, proving that despite their bickering, the group does seem to care for each other.

“Hey, Frank,” David suddenly catches Quentin’s voice and sees a smug smile on the teen’s lips from where he’s approaching the killers. “I bet you can't swim.”

“Can too!” the gang’s leader says, predictably taking the bait and his pout immediately replaced by a defiant smirk. “Wanna race?”

When Quentin just clicks his tongue, pretending to be in thought, David knows Frank is in for a humiliation.

“Sure,” Quentin says, not giving anything away.

David eagerly waits for the two to get in position, a little jealous of how readily they get into the cold ocean water with barely a shiver. Steve gives a countdown, and then they’re off, Quentin effortlessly taking the lead and Frank falling further and further behind.

David doesn't feel the slightest bit bad for laughing, eager for the bastard to get any form of payback. Sadly, it doesn't really have the same impact when the rest of the Legion join in to make fun of their leader.

“You go, Franky!” Julie fake cheers between wheezes.

“Nice doggy paddle!” Joey laughs.

“You can still beat him! …If he drowns?” Susie tries to encourage.

After the race, Steve asks David for his help with cracking the coconuts, and even though David really just wants to talk to Dwight he can’t help but puff up his chest and flex a little from the teen obviously seeing him as the strongest of the group.

Later, the sun is already starting to set and David’s knuckles are even more bruised than before. The pain doesn’t bother him and the physical strain of the day has made him mellow out more than usual. When he notices Dwight sitting by himself by the shoreline, he finally gathers the courage to go talk to the man alone.

It looks like a day in the sun has done wonders for the group, lazy chatter and quiet laughter coming from friend and foe alike, scattered around the beach.

The girls have apparently ended up hanging out with Ace, Susie even wearing the gambler’s ugly shirt to protect herself from the now chilly ocean breeze.

“—and the Oktoberfest outfit, with the undercut? Swoon,” Julie says, doing a fake fainting motion into Susie’s lap, and Ace laughs and Susie giggles and bloody hell, are they still talking about Felix?

A bit further away, Steve and Joey are passing the volley ball in good camaraderie. David catches the end of a silly joke from Steve followed by snorting laughter from Joey, and it does kind of make sense that they’d befriend each other.

In the water, Quentin is still swimming while Frank lounges in the swim ring, taunting him. That is, until Quentin flips the ring and laughs, and Frank splutters and flails and hangs onto it like a lifeline.

David finally reaches Dwight, who doesn’t seem to notice him arriving, staring out over the horizon and looking to be deep in thought.

“Hey,” David makes his presence known, and as soon as those gorgeous brown eyes turn to look at him in surprise, the stupid nerves at the pit of David’s stomach resurface.

“Hi,” Dwight says with a small, tired smile. “Has everyone finally calmed down?”

A pang of guilt shoots through David’s chest at the words, recognizing his own part in creating most of the drama of the day. If he’d behaved himself, maybe Dwight wouldn’t have ended up hurt.

“Yeah,” David says, offering an apologetic grin. “Everyone seems ta be gettin’ along. Never thought I’d see the day we’d be hangin’ out with killers.”

“Hmm,” Dwight hums in though, turning back to watch the sunset. “Some of them are not that different from us.”

Seeing Dwight so calm and rational, David feels even worse for his numerous temper tantrums. He just wanted to protect Dwight.

“’M sorry ‘bout yer nose,” David sighs as he sits down next to the man.

“You didn’t do anything,” Dwight reassures. “I was just… wrong place, wrong time.”

“If I didn’t egg the wank—Frank on, it wouldn’t ‘a happened,” David argues, doing his best to swallow his resentment for the teen in question.

“It’s okay,” Dwight says, offering him a genuine smile. “I know you were just trying to stick up for us.”

David wants to come clean, to say everything he did was for Dwight, even if it only made things worse in the end. But no matter how much of a bravado he usually puts on, David knows he’s a real fucking pussy when it comes to emotions.

“Yeah,” he agrees like an utter coward.

“Thank you,” Dwight says anyway, smiling serenely like the absolute angel that he is, ready to forgive all of David’s dumb mistakes.

It suddenly hits him that Dwight always seems way more calm when they’re alone together, a stark contrast to him fidgeting and tripping over his words when they’re in a group and he’s put on the spot. Conversely, David’s confidence seems to fly out of the window as soon as he’s left alone with Dwight, desperately trying to appear casual while his heart does its best to beat out of his chest.

For some reason, Dwight enjoys and maybe even thrives in his company, and David in turn has never met anyone so understanding of his anger issues. He knows they’d be so good for each other—

Fuck it.

“Actually,” David starts, swallowing a lump in his throat but forcing himself to push through the embarrassment. “I didn’t do it fer them. I wanted to protect you.”

Dwight’s cute face twists in confusion, and David tries his best to keep unwavering eye contact despite wanting nothing more than to run away from the situation and his feelings.

“Oh,” Dwight finally says, and David thinks he catches the beginning of a blush before he averts his eyes. “I guess I am kinda weak, haha.”

“The hell ya are,” David argues. Damn, that’s not what he was going for at all, why is he so fucking bad at this— “Yer smart and determined an’ I really admire that about ya. Yer the best leader we could’a asked for, an’ even though ya don’t need protectin’, I just…”

David falters. He was doing so well, even managing to not put his foot in his mouth, but this is it. If he confesses his feelings, there’s no going back.

He looks up and meets Dwight’s eyes, and as soon as he sees the man who stole his heart look up at him with such blatant hope, he knows he has to try.

“I just care about ya,” he settles on.

Dwight swallows and his eyes search David’s face, and David doesn’t even dare breathe—

“Like… like a friend…?” Dwight croaks out, his voice now unsure and shaky, but he’s not looking away.

“Nah,” David says, shaking his head for emphasis. “Never saw ya as just a mate.”

Dwight’s cheeks flare red and he ducks his head, but David catches the dopey little grin before it disappears from his view.

“I—um, wow,” Dwight chuckles, fidgeting with his hands and not quite seeming to know how to react.

“Whaddaya say, luv?” David pushes, resisting the urge to pull the adorable geek into his arms and snog him silly. “Wanna do this?”

Fuck, hopefully he’s not being too forward. Dwight doesn’t seem like the type to have had plenty of relationship experience, but then again neither has David. Usually, he only had to flex a bit after one of his fights and wait for a bird or bloke to stroll up and make it clear they fancied him.

But those were easier times, and now he’s in a strange world within another dimension with a ragtag group of friends and confessing to a man he’s fallen for harder than he ever thought possible.

“Of course I want to do this,” Dwight mutters, sounding almost offended as he finally looks up at him with a smile. “I just never thought you’d go for someone like me.”

“Wha’, someone as perfect as you?” David smirks, nudging Dwight in the ribs with his elbow and causing a cute chuckle to escape the other’s lips. “Don’t sell yourself short, luv; I got high standards.”

“If you say so,” Dwight relents.

Despite Dwight self-consciously covering the cute rolls on his tummy with his arms, his smile is the brightest David has ever seen. They stare into each other’s eyes in silence, David with a dumb grin and Dwight with a bashful smile, and David feels so stupid that he didn’t see it before.

“Gonna give me a kiss?” David’s mouth says without his permission, the filter between his mouth and brain even more flimsy than usual because of the fluttering in his gut.

“I m-mean, my face is pretty busted up," Dwight stutters and turns his face away. “You probably don’t want to—I look even worse than usual, haha.”

“Bollocks,” David scoffs, leaning to nudge his forehead against Dwight’s temple. “Yer the cutest thing I ever seen.”

Dwight glances at him but still looks unsure, worrying his bottom lip between his teeth in a nervous habit.

“We don’t gotta if ya don’t wanna,” David reassures. “But don’t hold back on my behalf—”

And that’s all he has time to say before a surprisingly eager mouth crashes against his own, the rest of his sentence muffled against Dwight’s lips.

Wholeheartedly on board with the sudden turn of events, David’s arms wrap around Dwight as of their own accord while he hurries to reciprocate. Dwight’s lips are chapped but so incredibly warm, and the enthusiasm with which he goes at it is making David��s heart swell—

“Shit,” there’s a pained hiss against his lips when Dwight tilts his head and bumps their noses together.

“Easy, luv,” David murmurs, tilting his head at more of an angle to avoid Dwight’s injury. He gently coaxes the inviting lips right back in and Dwight makes a sound of approval low in his throat.

Every fantasy David has had about this moment can’t compare to the real deal. Granted, his imagination has always been kind of shit, and there was no way he could have pictured just how amazing it is to kiss Dwight and how perfect he feels in David’s arms. He tastes a tinge of blood when he licks into Dwight’s mouth, but it doesn’t bother him in the slightest, if anything it just eggs him on—

A loud wolf whistle carrying over the beach suddenly reminds him that they’re not alone.

Dwight pulls away much faster than David, turning to face their companions with a sheepish grin and a deep flush, while David lazily turns around to glower at the group.

Steve is still whistling from where he’s joined Ace and the girls, not threatened by David in the slightest. Then, to his annoyance, Julie starts clapping sarcastically and Susie hides her giggles into her friend’s shoulder.

“Ugh, finally!” Ace comments, throwing his hands up in mock exasperation, making David redirect his glare to the gambler.

“What,” David barely hears Quentin’s incredulous voice mutter nearby, still swimming with Frank and with Joey now having joined them.

“Uh. Congrats,” Joey offers, giving them an awkward thumbs up.

Frank, predictably, says nothing, only scoffing in disgust. Which, to be honest, is much more polite than David would have reacted if the roles were reversed.

“What are you—when did you—?” Quentin keeps going, looking so confused it makes even David snort out a half-laugh.

“Well, at least someone didn’t figure it out before these two idiots,” Ace sighs melodramatically.

“Seriously, doesn’t take a genius to notice them eye fucking each other all the time,” Steve grins, and holy hell, David really has been living under a rock if even Steve had figured out Dwight’s feelings before him.

He tunes out the others’ teasing as soon as a warm hand gently grabs his.

“Come on,” Dwight encourages with a playful smile. “Let’s go get it over with.”

His mood instantly elevating, David pulls them to their feet and rejoins their friends with his hand still clasped in Dwight’s. There’s some good-natured banter on their expense but that’s to be expected, and even though David half-heartedly threatens to clock Ace in the face for a questionable joke, he feels calmer than he has in years.

Dwight doesn’t leave his side for the entirety of their remaining time on the beach or when they’re teleported back to the campfire. And even if they have to go through the playful teasing and looks of disbelief a second time, David takes it in stride because he has the person he always wanted right by his side.

It takes way too long to get a moment alone from their nosy friends, but eventually, David manages to pull Dwight away from the camp to pick up where they left off at the beach, this time uninterrupted.

When Dwight breaks the kiss only to look up at David, with his bruised nose and some wetness in his eyes, murmuring that this is the best day of his life, David can’t help but agree.

[curlybitch]

Bakugou x American Exchange student Reader

You are the top of your class back at HiT (Hero industrial Teachings) also Known as Hit similar to how U.A is known as Yūei 

HiT is U.A’s sister school so they are more or less governed the same.

During your first year at your hero work studies, an older sidekick had taken interest in you

Hero student and Officially Licensed Hero relationships were banned. You could both get your licenses revoked.

You knew this of course and you had no interest in the sidekick anyway so you’d continued about your merry way.

Until the advances of said sidekick increased and rumors were spread about your relationship. Well, more specifically you. America is a pretty Toxic place to be at as well. With the abortion rights and women's rights in general. LGBTQA+ rights, Black lives matter movement. This along with the fact that they saw the Sidekicks potential is why they ruled in his favor.

The agency releases you because of this and sends a warning to the school

Your parent(s) are/is outraged and pull you out of school.

They file a lawsuit and win

They win a fuckton of money

From there the school board had extended an offer for you to join UA.

So you do

two weeks Later your boarding a plane. One way ticket to Japan

With the lawsuit money, your parents pay for your apartment as you seek to finish out your first year as a UA Student.

When you do arrive you're in awe

The campus is beautiful and your nothing short of astounded.

You meet a tall man who looks like a hobo who hasn’t slept in a hot minute and ask him if he’s okay in shaky Japanese.

He smiles at you, a deranged thing really and introduces himself as Class 1-A’s Homeroom teacher. The underground Hero Eraser Head.

You sweatdrop

Maybe UA’s Standards are lower than what you initially thought...

Inside the classroom

Word had gotten out about a new student joining them needless to say they were excited

The rat baby was practically frothing at the mouth to the thought of a hot American exchange student.

Most of them were just excited at the prospect of a new student

Bakugou though

Well he’s the reason I said most

He knows what it means for you to have left your school and then be SENT a letter from UA before even signing up

It means your powerful

And that means your competition

He hates you before you even walk through that door.

When you finally do walk in everyone is

Well

DAMN

Like yeah, they didn't really expect ugly and since you didn't have a uniform yet you were casually dressed. They were kind of confused

Halfway expected you to walk into that bitch in a cowboy outfit

SAD YEEHAW IN THE CHAT FOR A MOMENT ( ´･･)ﾉ(._.`)

Anyway you're just

You

They expected blonde hair and blue eyes. (And hey maybe they got it but...) Someone who fits into what The US marketed as their perfect.

And they got you

(EW)

Time Skipppppp

You've been part of 1-A for a while now and they’ve become a \great company

They're all just so sweet to you

Well maybe not rat baby but semantics

You like your classmates

There is one who's caught your attention though

His name is Bakuguo Katsuki and he's an Asshole

That's just your type though apparently

He's...Powerful

He'd pinned you in Training and you'd had all the breath knocked out of you because fuck he's beautiful

He Doesn't see Race, Gender, Age, or Sexuality. 

He sees opponents and he's never going easy on someone because of any of those things.

Maybe you love him

What if you do?

Your spiraling now

It's only been 2 months 1 week 3 days and 6 hours since you landed in Japan.

He's no better though

The power he hated before is...Captivating to him now

You're so fucking gorgeous and humble even when you deserve to brag

He just has one question

Who the fuck do you think you are? Stealing his heart like that...

Yeah thats all I got Teehee~

Send a bitch a request 🥺 promise I don't bite 

[helenalikesbtsnow]

The Ongoing Struggles of Being A Mall Gay (Part 2/3)

Read on ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN or here on tumblr below the cut!

Summary: Hoseok works at Build-A-Bear and Yoongi works at the Orange Julius that gives them discounts. Warning for gratuitous overuse of American mall culture.

Part 1 (Tumblr Link)

***

Yoongi listens to rap music. He also really loves Slam Dunk. Hoseok doesn’t watch a lot of anime, or any at all really, but he adores the idea of Yoongi watching a basketball anime. He’ll watch it with him anytime he wants.

Hoseok doesn’t dare ask how old he is, because it’ll shatter the illusion. If he knows how old he is, it’ll only fuck things up. He doesn’t want to saddle anyone with the burden of dating him. Still, he just wants to sit on a couch with him and maybe cuddle him and watch Slam Dunk with him. Is that so much to ask?

Yoongi has started responding to texts in the group chat. This is more progress than they’ve made with anyone else they’ve tried to add to it. People always just remove themselves after a few weeks, so it’s beyond exciting for Yoongi to engage with them. It’s starting to seem like he might stick around and that is the best news ever. No longer six of them, they’ll have a seventh. That’s a perfect number for playing board games. Hoseok has been trying to host a board game night for months, but they all have busy schedules. It’s something that they have to plan for two weeks in advance so that Seokjin and Namjoon, the two who make the schedules, can coordinate.

“Do you like mafia?”

“The… the mafia?” Yoongi asks.

“No, like the game mafia. Not the actual mafia.”

Yoongi blinks at him a few times. “I don’t know what that is.”

Hoseok smiles. “Don’t worry, I’ll teach you how to play.”

“Are you going to order something or are you just harassing my coworker?” Jimin asks him teasingly. Hoseok shrugs. He supposes he could go for a smoothie right now.

“Sure, just make me whatever,” he says. Hoseok likes pretty much all of the smoothies at Orange Julius so he’s not picky.

“Yup,” Jimin says turning around to make him whatever. “Extra fruity because you’re gay.”

“That’s homophobic,” Hoseok says. Yoongi’s ears or heart or face or something turn a violent red. Hoseok is… gay? Which means that he… has the capacity… to like Yoongi? In a gay way? Well this isn’t going to be good for his poor little heartstrings.

Jimin gives him a glare. Yoongi starts to feel like an idiot in this moment. Namjoon and Seokjin: married. Jimin: openly gay. Taehyung: has that personality. Jungkook is… Jungkook. Jesus Christ. All of them are gay. Why didn’t that occur to him? Is he literally a victim to heteronormativity? He was so caught up in the fact that most people are usually straight that it didn’t even process in his brain that they all gravitated towards each other to form a mall family. Because they’re all gay. Wait… if they wanted Yoongi to join their ranks does that mean…?

“Wait – so all of you are gay,” Yoongi states. He doesn’t think that he means for the words to come out of his mouth. They just tumble out of him without his consent.

“Uh, yeah,” Hoseok nods. “Was that not clear?” Now he’s trying to determine what tone of voice Yoongi is saying that with. Please oh please don’t let this beautiful boy be a piece of shit. Hoseok will be heartbroken if someone as pretty as him is an asshole. It’ll break his heart in two. Now obviously, Namjoon isn’t allowed to fire anyone for their moral beliefs or complete lack thereof, but it will make things a little uncomfortable. But then again, Yoongi does work under Namjoon, a very transparently gay man, so if he was a homophobe, you’d expect that to have come out by now.

“Is that why you invited me to the group chat?” he asks. Hoseok makes an “oh” sound. That makes sense. He doesn’t give off any energy at all that suggests towards anything, gay, straight, or something outside or in between. But now that he’s looking at Yoongi, he understands the confusion.

“Oh,” Hoseok draws out the word for a long moment. “You too?”

“I keep telling you!” Jimin bursts out. “We’re magnets for the gays! I don’t know how this keeps happening!” Jimin has noted a few times how peculiar it is that the six of them gravitated together, completely ignorant of each other’s sexualities at the time until they had already been assimilated.

“This just means that Yoongi will stay, right? You’re not going to leave our family, right Yoongi?” Hoseok asks, looking brightly at him. Yoongi blushes and shakes his head. He’s pretty sure he looks like a strawberry right now from how embarrassed he is. Of course he isn’t going to leave their circle, he thinks they’re the most charming people he’s ever met. Especially Hoseok with his cute nose and energetic personality. “Oh my god, is this why we drive away everyone else? Why did that never occur to me, holy shit. Straight people think we’re weird!”

Read on ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN

“I think it’s because you’re you,” Jimin says brightly. “I wouldn’t want to be friends with you.”

“I think you’re alright,” Yoongi says, and then has a look of sheer panic, which looks good on him in a bizarre way.

Hoseok’s not going to be okay. He’s going to combust from how much he likes Yoongi. Every little thing, ever last tiny thing, it’s perfect. If Hoseok were to create a boyfriend in a laboratory, not only would that boyfriend look a lot like Yoongi, but he’d also act the same. He doesn’t want a boyfriend who’s loud like him, because they’d annoy everyone and drive people away. He wants someone who can get invigorated when talking about the things he’s passionate for but is soft spoken and wise in casual conversation. He wants someone doesn’t sugarcoat their feelings and opinions. He wants someone who’s sarcastic and too smart for his own good. He wants someone exactly like Yoongi.

Also, Yoongi’s got those holes in his ears where piercings go when he’s not at work, and Hoseok is unreasonably turned on by that. Literally everyone he knows has a slew of earrings, but it’s way more attractive on Yoongi than anyone else. He wonders what Yoongi looks like when he’s not at work. Does he look like Jungkook, all black outfits and stomping boots? Or maybe like Seokjin where everything is three sizes too big? He can’t possibly dress like Taehyung who wears prints and styles that can’t ever look good on anyone except – miraculously – him. Call him vapid, but Hoseok cares a lot about fashion, and he just knows that Yoongi must look good in anything. He can make an ugly Orange Julius uniform look good, because he’s got that face, so surely, he must look like a million dollars in street clothes.

Hoseok absently looks over the counter, he tries to be subtle about it, but he checks Yoongi out. His pants don’t flatter him, but he must have toothpicks for legs based on what Hoseok can see. Hoseok could probably lift him, and he isn’t that strong. Jungkook could probably lift him with one hand.

The only problem is that Yoongi is too young. Why couldn’t he just be a few years older? Maybe if Hoseok were in his thirties and Yoongi was in his late twenties it wouldn’t be so bad, but he’d feel like a creep to date someone who’s barely out of their teens or still in college.

Yoongi catches his eye. Maybe he knows that Hoseok is looking. Maybe Yoongi can sense the change in the atmosphere now that Hoseok knows he’s gay. Maybe that’s why the look they share is so heavy. Yoongi shouldn’t be allowed to be that beautiful, yet there he is.

“Oh my god, I have a job,” Hoseok’s eyes bulge and then he turns around to run back to his store, not even bothering to take the smoothie that Jimin sets on the counter for him.

***

Hoseok walks through the definitely not haunted employee entrance of the mall. He has his apron over one arm, because it’s been a little too long since he last washed it. In his defense, he hates supporting the evil capitalism that is coin laundry machines.

He can’t prevent himself from thinking about Yoongi from earlier. This isn’t good news for him. Yoongi is gay, which means that hypothetically speaking, Hoseok could date him. Hoseok isn’t going to be able to scrub his brain of thoughts of Yoongi now. Yoongi might actually let Hoseok cuddle him to watch Slam Dunk if he were to ask, which he is not going to do because then he’d have to face the terror of being in a relationship.

As awful as it makes him sound as a person, he doesn’t want his first relationship in seven years to be with someone who he likes and respects so much. He’d rather get practice on someone who will be inconsequential to him. Then again, he doesn’t want to date someone that he’s not interested in, so he’s come to a standstill. Maybe he’ll just die alone. Ugh, that won’t work, because Hoseok really does need someone to sleep next to him at night, be his best friend, go on vacations with him, fuck him, cook dinner with him, watch movies with him, and have arguments over the dishes with.

He pushes the door open and is exposed to the summer night. The night is chillier than the day was, but it’s nothing you’d need to put on a layer for. The streetlamps lining the mall parking lot wash the world in a calm, yellow light. Someone nearby is having a bonfire or cookout, because the smell of wood burning is in the air, and it makes Hoseok hungry. Maybe he’ll stop by the store and get a nice cut of meat for dinner.

He considers this when he sees a familiar figure standing on the sidewalk a little way down from him. Hoseok approaches him, his face lit up with a faint blue light from his phone.

“Yoongi?” Hoseok asks.

Yoongi turns to looks at him and gives him a half-there smile. “Hey, Hoseok.”

“What are you standing there for?”

“Oh, my Uber is like twenty minutes away still,” he says with a shrug. He turns to look back at his phone like he expects that to be the end of the conversation.

“What? No, fuck that. I’m your Uber driver now. But you don’t need to pay me,” Hoseok says, assuredly.

“No, it’s fine,” Yoongi says, waving off the suggestion.

“Um, yeah. I’m going to drive you. Cancel your driver so that you don’t get charged for it, come on.”

“Hoseok, you really don’t need to-”

“Yoongi, remember when I told you that we’re a family? That wasn’t for show, we really are like a family. I’m not going to have you paying for a ride when I have a car that will take you places. Now come on, I’m not going to argue with you about this.”

“It’s just… we barely even know each other.” At this point in their friendship, that doesn’t even seem like a very accurate statement. They’ve eaten lunch together a few times, and even if it only has been about a month and a half, that doesn’t mean that Hoseok doesn’t trust and care for him. Especially since he’s possibly crazy about him.

“Then we can get to know each other when I drive you home,” Hoseok says. “Are you scared of me? I promise I’m not scary, but if it seriously would make you uncomfortable, I’ll leave you alone. I just hate the idea of you standing out here by yourself, and I also hate making you pay for a ride when I’m here and I’m free.”

Yoongi sighs and looks down at his phone. “Alright.”

“Awesome!” Hoseok says, excitedly. He watches as Yoongi opens the app and cancels his driver, before he gestures for him to follow. “We’re going to become best friends, Yoongi. It’s a requirement. I’m pretty likeable, though, so it won’t be too difficult.”

He turns to look at Yoongi and sees the briefest of smiles on his face, this one genuine rather than put on. Hoseok’s smile is a thousand times wider and brighter than his which makes Yoongi self-conscious.

“We’ve got to go all the way out to the far ends of the earth to get to my car,” Hoseok says, pointing at one of only a few cars left in the lot, which is at the very outer reaches of the mall parking lot. “I can’t even begin to tell you how many parking tickets I got when I first started working here.” He tried bribing mall security, but they weren’t into that, so now he parks where he’s supposed to very dejectedly.

“How long have you worked at the mall?”

“I started when I was in high school, 16 actually. And then I just never left. My first job, believe it or not, was at the Orange Julius with Namjoon. He and I were both just crew members back then like you are now.  But then, when they put the Build-A-Bear in, I knew that was where I belonged. Had to work up the ladder, but me and Jin got the store to ourselves a little over five years ago.”

“So, you’re a lifer?”

“Probably,” Hoseok says, nodding. “I really like my job. I get to stuff bears and make people’s lives a little better every day. There’s nothing in the world like watching a little kid hug the teddy bear you made them for the first time. It just gets my heart beating.” Hoseok is content at this point in his life. He’s not sure if content is really what he wants, but he’s at least happy. Sure, he did basically give up his one true love in this life, dancing, but at least he’s making money and has his best friends around him. That’s enough, right?

“That’s sweet,” Yoongi says. He thinks about Hoseok making him his bear, who has kept his name of ‘Little Hoseok’. The way energy and joy radiated off of Hoseok that day is still just as vibrant now as it was when he was on the clock. He doesn’t stop looking at Hoseok until they finally arrive at his car. It’s a beat-up old thing Hoseok bought secondhand from someone else who bought it secondhand which has somehow lasted all these years despite being old enough to get a license and drive itself.

“What about you, Yoongi?” Hoseok says unlocking the car, which he has to do the old-fashioned way, with a key that you put into the lock instead of one of those magical buttons. Also, the passenger’s side door doesn’t unlock automatically so Hoseok has to climb into the car and stretch across the seat in order to unlock the other side manually.

Read on ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN

“Um I’ve worked at Orange Julius for about a month now,” he says when he’s able to open the door, and Hoseok smiles, realizing that Yoongi just made an honest to god joke. He’s obviously shy because he doesn’t know Hoseok very well, but he’s happy that maybe he’s coming out of his cocoon a little bit. Usually, Hoseok finds people to immediately fall in with him, but if they’re shy like Yoongi or Jungkook, it can take a little while.

“You’re cute,” Hoseok says casually, and since he’s the one who’s getting the car ready to drive, he doesn’t notice how Yoongi blushes magnificently at that. “Where were you at before you landed here? Tell me your life story.”

“I work at Applebee’s too,” he says. “But they cut my hours, so I had to get a second job.” Yoongi instructs him on where to go as they pull out of the parking lot. He lives right next to Applebee’s, about fifteen minutes away.

“That’s a bummer,” Hoseok sighs, and then looks over at Yoongi. He’s got his seat belt on, which is always what Hoseok checks whenever someone new enters his car, because you can never be too cautious. “But at least you chose the second-best place to work. Build-A-Bear is the best, of course.”

“Yeah,” Yoongi blushes again, and Hoseok notices it this time. “Namjoon is really nice.”

“He’s the best in the world,” Hoseok corrects him. Ever since his crippling crush on Namjoon, he tries never to feel things for his friends. It’s mostly been easy, because none of his friends are really his type. There’s something different about Yoongi, though, which makes him feel a little weird around him. Yoongi has a vibe to him that makes Hoseok’s heart go boom.

“I think the job just takes getting used to,” Yoongi says.

“You’ll be fine. We’re all amazing and I can tell you’re already fitting in. You already have one thing in common with all of us,” Hoseok says. “Jimin is pretty great to work with. He’s my roommate, I would know.”

“Oh? So, you’ve all known each other for a while it sounds like.” Yoongi is desperately intimidated walking into a circle where there are already deep bonds. Seokjin and Namjoon are literally married, Hoseok has known Namjoon for years. Now Jimin is his roommate, he feels like he should’ve known that already. He doesn’t think there’s going to be anyway for him to ever fit in with people who have all known each other for that long.

“Some of us, yeah. I’m always open to meeting new people, but my personality can be a bit much, so people don’t always want to keep me,” he shrugs. Yoongi wants to scoff and tell him that can’t be true, but he hasn’t known Hoseok for very long. He likes how extra Hoseok is, but he doesn’t actually know what other people might think.

“How did you and Jimin meet?”

“Well, I met Jimin in college. We both studied dance and we also conveniently both needed a roommate at about the same time. There was a little while where we literally and figuratively danced around the idea of dating, but we chose not to,” Hoseok shrugs.

“Oh, okay,” Yoongi says, clearly processing his thoughts. What it is he’s processing, Hoseok doesn’t know. He smiles a little bit at the way that Yoongi’s face is so soft. He looks delicate, like if you were to poke him, he’d just fall apart. “You dance?” Yoongi is intoxicated by the idea of Hoseok dancing. He barely knows this man but Hoseok is the most alluring man he’s met in years. Hoseok’s got his hand on the wheel and eyes on the road which means that Yoongi pretty much gets to look at him all he wants. He’s very pretty to look at. It’s very nice being up close to him and this is the closest he’s ever been to him.

“I do!” Hoseok says, laughing. “Jimin’s the successful one, though. His job at the mall is only part time, he teaches at the community center.”

“Do you still dance?” Yoongi looks all doe eyed and cute when he asks. Hoseok looks over at him briefly and wants to just pinch his goddamn cheeks.

“Here and there,” he shrugs.

“You miss it though,” Yoongi says with total confidence.

“I do?”

“You don’t give up things like that,” Yoongi says. “When I left college, I never thought I’d get stuck still working at fucking Applebee’s. I thought I’d be the biggest rapper in the world by now.”

“When you left college?” Hoseok asks, more than a little caught off guard. Yoongi carries a backpack around everywhere. Maybe Yoongi graduated from college really early?

Then again, if Yoongi is working two jobs, where would he even have found the time to have a college career anyway? Does this mean…?

He’s been sure that Yoongi is like 19 tops. Any more than 19 will require a lot of reorganizing in his brain. If he’s out of college that means he’s got to be at least 22? 23? More? “Wait, how old are you?”

“I’m 27.”

“Whoa, what the fuck! Seriously?” Hoseok asks, nearly screeching the car to a halt in surprise. This guy? The guy that Hoseok thought was a teenager? The guy who he was absolutely positive he was older than? Who he thought was definitely too young for him to flirt with? That guy?

“Yeah… how old did you think I was?” Yoongi looks over at him, eyebrows furrowed together. Sure, he’s younger than he looks, but no one has ever had a reaction like this before.

“I definitely didn’t think you were older than me.” It would be embarrassing if he told Yoongi that he thought he was nearly a decade younger than he actually is.

“I think that’s a compliment.”

“You’re actually 27?” Hoseok asks looking at Yoongi again trying to detect a lie. He really doesn’t look like he could possibly be that old. Not that Hoseok should complain. 27 is the perfect age. No, Hoseok, stop thinking like that. His age isn’t the only reason why you haven’t asked him out yet.

“I am,” Yoongi says with a laugh, “Do you want to see my ID?” Now that Hoseok knows he’s not like 6 years older than this guy he looks at Yoongi sitting beside him a lot differently than he had before. He likes the way that Yoongi laughs. A lot. He decides he likes a whole bunch of things about Yoongi now that he’s 27 and not 19. He likes his cheeks, his smile, his eyes, his thighs.

“I thought you knew that,” Yoongi says. When Hoseok glances between him and the road several times, he sees Yoongi blushing.

“You carry a backpack everywhere!” he responds. “I just assumed you were a college student.” It’s entirely possible that he projected what age he wanted Yoongi to be in order to prevent himself from feeling things. He’s not going to let himself think about any of that.

“Well, I’m not,” he says. Christ, Yoongi wonders if this is why Hoseok hasn’t made a move on him yet. Not that he expects him to, but it’s felt like there’s been something there since the day Hoseok stuffed his bear.

Yoongi’s liked him for a lot long than that. Hoseok is beautiful. All of the people he works with are beautiful, but there’s something about Hoseok that just gets to him more than anyone else. It’s probably because of how vibrant and smiley Hoseok is. He’s completely irresistible.

Yoongi bites his lip and only realizes now that they’re on his street. He points to his house and Hoseok, who’s oddly silent, follows his instructions until he pulls into a driveway.

Man, he can’t believe Yoongi has his own little house. He probably rents the place, but it’s still cool to think about living in a house, not sharing your walls with three other apartments. Damn. Namjoon and Seokjin have a house, but that’s because they’re a married couple and married couples are allowed to live in houses. Yoongi living in a house makes Hoseok feel like an even bigger idiot for thinking that Yoongi was so young.

“Thank you for the ride, Hoseok.”

He takes a deep breath and reminds himself that he’s a normal person who’s just talking with his friend. He can do this. “Yeah, any time, honestly. I can also pick you up before work if we have similar schedules too, Yoongi. I don’t like thinking that you have to call an Uber just to get to work.”

“Well, I usually take the bus,” he says. “But it doesn’t run this late, so…” Yoongi isn’t sure why he’s not getting out of the car. Maybe he’s waiting for Hoseok to lean over the gear stick to kiss him goodnight. He knows it isn’t going to happen even as he daydreams about it.

“Thanks again,” Yoongi says after a silence fills the car for way too long. Hoseok smiles at him, and for some reason, his smile doesn’t seem entirely genuine. Yoongi wonders why that is. He doesn’t think he did anything wrong, and yet he feels as though he must have. Hoseok is always so alive and bright. Maybe he’s just tired, Yoongi assures himself.

Whatever the case, he pulls his backpack up from the floor by his feet and opens the car door. If he can’t spend the night with Hoseok than he might as well go spend the night with Little Hoseok.

***

Jimin is beating the shit out of him at Mario Kart. Hoseok can usually beat him with one hand behind his back, but he’s been very much off his game the past few days. He’s too distracted by the bag of chips resting against his thigh to look at the screen for too long. He’s also distracted by the fact that the excuse he made for why he can’t like Yoongi has fallen apart. It’s been very inconvenient for him to recognize the fact that there are no barriers between him liking Yoongi anymore.

Honestly, it was so easy to just assume Yoongi was too young for him. Assuming he can’t is a whole lot simpler than wondering if he can.  

“Did you break your hand and not tell me about it?” Jimin asks, looking over at him.

“Hmm?”

“You suck,” Jimin says, pointing to the screen. “It’s no fun when you let me win. I’d rather you beat me fair and square.”

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“Oh,” he says, and blinks a few times, trying to invest himself in the game. It’s pushing one in the morning and all he can think about is how Yoongi spent his lunchbreak at Build-A-Bear today. He’s starting to melt into their circle like butter. Even though the store had been busy as all hell, Yoongi still sat by. Hoseok offered to let him sit on the floor in the store, and he sheepishly accepted, just so that he could escape being around people for a little while. Hoseok stood in the middle of the concourse helping to stitch up animals while Yoongi looked up at him eating his food. He looked like a goddamn dumpling and all Hoseok could think of was squishing his little cheeks. Also, he admitted to liking Daily Dog Digest and that’s the most Hoseok could ever ask for in a man.

“Did you know that Yoongi is 27?”

“Yeah,” Jimin says, unfazed.

“What? Really? You knew?”

“Uh, yeah,” he says, like it’s obvious. “Did you not know? Wait, how old did you think he was?”

“I thought… I don’t really want to admit,” he says.

“So does you thinking he was younger have anything to do with why you haven’t asked him out yet?”

“Please don’t do this to me again,” he sighs, putting the controller down because he simply cannot think with all of this Yoongi in his head. “It’s just… I haven’t dated anyone in so long. The last time I had a boyfriend was in college, Jimin. We talked about this a few weeks ago, and it’s starting to fester rather inconveniently for me. You were the last date I went on. You! You and I went on one date and gave up halfway through. Hell, we split the goddamn bill! You don’t split the bill on a date. I don’t even know what it’s like being in a relationship as an adult; I don’t know how to do it.”

Jimin blinks. “So… you see yourself wanting a relationship with Yoongi?” Is that really all Jimin got out of that?

“I’m just terrified of disappointing someone since I don’t know how to be in a couple. I don’t know what to, what to say. I just don’t know.”

“It’s not that hard, you know. Treating someone well is the easiest thing in the world, and you’re already my best friend so I know you can do that part,” Jimin says. “Dating is just like having a best friend, except closer, physically and emotionally.”

“You can call it easy because you’ve done it!” Hoseok says. “My longest relationship lasted for a month.”

“Bottom of the line, Hoseok. Do you like him? Do you want a relationship with Yoongi?”

“That’s what I think about whenever I see him, yeah. He’s completely my type, and he’s so goddamn pretty,” Hoseok thinks about Yoongi’s pretty lips and his neck and his goddamn hands. Also, the small smile and embarrassed laugh he does when you say something nice about him, and the fact that it’s hard to catch him not sneaking sips of iced coffee when he’s at work. “But Jimin, I don’t think you understand how scared I am that I feel this way. I thought I liked being single. But now, here I am, and all I can think about is him. I don’t even know how to ask someone out.”

Jimin makes a thoughtful face. “You could try just asking him?”

Hoseok’s eyes bulge out in terror. “But what if he doesn’t like me back! What if I ruin our friendship and then he leaves the group chat, and then he quits his job all because I made things awkward between us and we never see him again?”

“Did that happen when you and I dated?” Jimin says, giving him an eyebrow.

“Well, no, but-”

“Just ask him,” Jimin says. “Here’s what happens if he doesn’t like you back: you ask me him out, and he says no. You’re both adults who can be mature about it. We went on a date, it didn’t work out, now we’re best friends. You’re literally the friendliest person I know, you’ll be fine. Just ask him out.”

“I don’t know how!”

“Do you want me to do it for you?”

“I’ll cut your balls off in your sleep,” Hoseok says. Jimin just blinks at him, not particularly surprised by this threat.

“I could at least make sure he’s single for you?”

Hoseok considers that. He really is terrified. The feelings he has inside of him are new. College boyfriends aren’t real boyfriends, just like Jimin said. Or at least, they weren’t for Hoseok. Most of his boyfriends were stress relievers between tests when he just needed to fuck something, or he’d pull his hair out. He’s moved on from that life, thank god. His stress levels are actually minimal which is an amazing feeling that he never thought he’d achieve. Yoongi’s presence has made his stress levels heighten back to the days when he had projects and tests due.

What would dating him be like? Does he pay for meals, open car doors, hold hands? The most important of all questions: does he like to cuddle? Christ, he wants to cuddle someone so much. That’s what he most wants in a relationship actually, someone to cuddle him. He wants to be a big spoon and hide under a blanket when it’s cold outside and hold his boyfriend like a teddy bear. Maybe that’s why he has such an addiction to buying bears; he just wants to hold someone.

“Only if you do it subtly.”

“How about ‘when was the last time you got laid?’” Jimin asks. Hoseok blinks at him. “Alright, I’ll workshop it.”

“I will kill you if you fuck this up for me, Jimin.” Hoseok is saying things without consulting his brain first. Caution is being thrown at the wind. Right now, he just needs to get the ball rolling with Jimin before he chickens out and tries to pretend he doesn’t have feelings for Yoongi. Besides, if Jimin finds out he’s not single, maybe that will put his crush to rest. Or even if he is single, that doesn’t mean that Hoseok has to go for it, right?

“So, you are going to try with him? You’re not just going to say you will and then chicken out?”

Hoseok makes a face. Jimin’s words are deserved, but he feels a little like a child, and he’s supposed to be the older one. “We’ll see.”

“I just want you to be happy, Hoseokie. You’ve never acted this way before. You’ve never had an actual crush since I’ve known you. I think it would be awesome for you to have someone in your life. Maybe I’ll even get a boyfriend too, so we can go on double dates. Oh, or triple dates if we invite Jin and Joon.”

Hoseok rolls his eyes. If Jimin just opened his eyes a little bit, he’d realize there’s someone who would trip over his own tongue in order to date him. If Hoseok were to date Yoongi, wouldn’t that mean Jimin has to open up about Taehyung?

Maybe they’re both hopeless.

***

Yoongi rests his head on his hand, bending over the counter with the most bored expression conceivably possible. Across the hallway, Seokjin is helping a family with three kids while one of Seokjin’s high school employees is spraying and wiping down the store. It’s almost closing time, but since it’s a Tuesday, the mall is completely dead. Namjoon is the kind of manager, god bless him, who doesn’t start closing the store down until 8:01. The other two managers get ready to shut things down ten minutes before close, but Namjoon is very by the book.

Nevertheless, he has started counting the register while Yoongi daydreams about his bed. He misses his bed, but Yoongi missing his bed is the baseline of his existence.

Yoongi looks over at Namjoon who’s trying to get work done but can’t seem to tear his eyes away from his husband across the hall. It must be hard seeing him all day and not getting to be with him. He supposes that he understands both Namjoon and Seokjin’s perspectives in how easy it would be to fall in love with either of them. They make a lot of sense; you just can’t tell until they’re stood beside each other. Namjoon is a great person when Seokjin isn’t around, but once Seokjin is around him, they both lose most of their braincells and resort to jokes, giggles, and helpless ease. Namjoon is less serious around Seokjin, who is never serious to begin with. Seokjin only gets louder and more confident. They’re the love story that you don’t believe is possible until you see it.

He wonders what Hoseok is like in a relationship. He’s already at a level 100, he might make people go blind if he were to be in a relationship, but Yoongi would like it. He wants someone who’s personality is that bright to counterbalance his tendencies toward laziness. Yoongi’s hand would probably fit very nicely into Hoseok’s. He wouldn’t be the cute one in the relationship, but that’s okay. He’d be able to show off his boyfriend to everyone and they would be jealous of him.

“Can you count this for me?” Namjoon asks him, pointing at coins in the register. He nods and focuses on the coins instead of on the very real hollowness in his chest that soars through him every time he thinks about Hoseok. Yoongi confirms the number with Namjoon and double checks all of his other counting when he asks.

Namjoon starts closing down the register once everything’s counted and Yoongi turns to look around. He already cleaned up everything because they’ve been so slow. Now it’s just a matter of waiting out the clock.

“Namjoon, you’ve been friends with Hoseok for a while, haven’t you?”

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“Nearly a decade,” he nods, not really looking up from what he’s doing. “Why do you ask?”

“No reason,” he shrugs. Then he starts to doubt himself. He could just ask… he could just be honest and ask Namjoon what he thinks. Namjoon seems like the kind of guy who can keep a secret. And yeah, he is Yoongi’s boss, but only during work hours. With the number of times he’s seen Namjoon use memes in the group chat, it’s very difficult for him not to think of him as a friend.

“Actually, maybe I do have a reason.”

Namjoon looks up at him. Instead of asking a question, he just gives him an inquisitive look. Namjoon has too much control over his eyebrows.

“Is he single?” Yoongi asks, not bothering to decorate the question.

Namjoon is taken aback. He blinks at Yoongi like he’s a new species of animal that has never been seen before. “He’s very single.”

“What does ‘very single’ mean?”

“That he hasn’t dated in over five years. His life sort of revolves around his job,” Namjoon says. “Do you… well, I guess I mean obviously you do or you wouldn’t have asked. You like him?”

Yoongi nods. “Yeah.”

“Well…” Namjoon considers it. He likes Yoongi, he’s a very nice guy, but Hoseok is obviously his best friend in the world besides Seokjin. But he could see it. Actually, he can see it easily. He can picture a way too loud Hoseok clinging to a quiet, concise Yoongi. They’d be a perfect balance of calm and energy. “You’d certainly be taking on an interesting case. He’s certainly out of practice when it comes to dating.”

Yoongi’s mouth forms a straight line. “I don’t think I care.”

“Well then,” he nods. “You don’t need my blessing or anything, but I think you two would make senses. He’s my best friend, Yoongi. I would do anything for that guy, literally anything in the entire world.”

“So, you’ll kill me if I broke his heart, basically?”

“Something like that, yeah.”

Yoongi laughs. “You’re not very threatening, Namjoon.”

“Fair,” he shrugs. Namjoon looks at him with a pleased expression. Maybe Namjoon actually really does want him to go after Hoseok? Everyone wants their friends to find love, though, right? And if Namjoon says they would make a good pair, well that’s the best he could possibly ask for.

“You’re not going to tell anyone, right?” he asks.

“Of course not,” Namjoon looks almost offended. “Not even Jin. You have my word.”

“Good,” Yoongi nods. “Then I also have another question.”

“Yeah?”

“A little while ago, Jimin asked me if I was single. You don’t think he likes me, do you? Because it’s not that I don’t like Jimin, but I just, like I really like Hoseok, and-”

“Jimin is definitely not interested in you,” Namjoon says. “But in just the same way that I won’t tell anyone your secret, I can’t give you any more information than that.”

Yoongi nods. “I see.” So, if Jimin, the roommate of Hoseok, wants to know if Yoongi’s single that might mean that Hoseok asked him to find out, right? In which case, Hoseok likes him back? Not like that part isn’t obvious. Yoongi scrunches up his face. What is he going to do with this information?

***

“You’re still making music?” Hoseok asks excitedly. They’re sitting at the food court, Yoongi with his Panda Express which Taehyung turned him onto, and Hoseok with a packed lunch, because he’s thrifty.

“Well, it’s not… it’s not good music.”

“Are you a SoundCloud rapper, Yoongi?”

“What? No!” He gets very defensive at the thought of it. Not that there’s anything inherently wrong with people who are, but he has big plans. He has big, big plans. He’s not going to be a lifer at Applebee’s or Orange Julius. He’s going to be the next big thing. Well, he’s going to be the next big thing after the next big thing who’s after the next big thing. It’s a work in progress. It’s hard to become a famous rapper when you haven’t even finished a demo tape yet.

“I don’t need to ask you if you’re any good,” Hoseok says, taking a bite out of his food. “I already know you are.”

He blushes, “how could you possibly know that?”

“Because you’re Yoongi.”

Yoongi doesn’t bite his lip. He absolutely does not bite his lip. He looks at his food, messing around with the chopsticks and trying to calm his heartbeat. Why does Hoseok look into him like that?

It’s very unclear why neither of them has made a move on the other. How many months have they known each other? Two? Three? They’re both too stupid to know how to deal with their feelings for each other. Yoongi is a hard person to read, so Hoseok truly doesn’t know if Yoongi feels anything for him. Hoseok’s heart is on his sleeve, there’s no getting around that. Everyone who knows probably knows that he likes Yoongi. But Yoongi talks way more to Hoseok than he does to anyone else in the group so it’s more difficult for him to figure out if it’s mutual. Now Yoongi does of course suspect that Hoseok likes him, but there’s a whole lot of tumblers that need to move into place before you can tell someone you like them. Unless you’re Seokjin in which case balls to the wall.

“I haven’t finished anything yet. I’ve been working on demos for years now. They’re either never right or they’re never finished.”

“Hm, but see,” Hoseok says, “the more time you spend on something, the more you see what’s wrong with it. If you take a step back or let someone else see it – or hear it, as the case may be – they won’t see all the problems that you see.”

“Are you trying to tell me that you want to hear my music?”

Hoseok gives him a look that is almost annoyed. “Um… duh.”

“It’s really not polished or perfect or anything like that.”

“You’re selling yourself short. Have you ever played your music for anyone before?”

“No… or I mean, I guess I played it for a few professors in college, but that was really rough stuff. I’ve kind of tried to erase that from my memory. And computer.” Yoongi went to school for sound design and a hodge-podge of various music production minors. All this is something they’ve discussed before, but he’s never told Hoseok that he’s actually still making music. Hoseok might have guessed it, but there’s something special about Yoongi saying it out loud. Like he trusts him.

“When are you going to become famous and forget me, Yoongi?” he says wistfully.

“Oh, I’ll never forget you.” Well that sounds a little gay.

Hoseok doesn’t notice it, he just grins.

“You’re going to play your music for me someday. Right, Yoongi?” Usually, it’s Yoongi who likes to say Hoseok’s name too much. He can’t help it, Hoseok’s name tastes just right on his tongue.

“Maybe someday…”

***

Hoseok hates waking up before eight in the morning, but here he is, sitting across from Seokjin on a phone call with their district manager. They didn’t meet their sales goal the last month and every time that happens, they have to have a meeting with her, but thankfully, she’s far too lazy to travel to them.

Hoseok is running on a cup of coffee which tastes like the dredges of the old coffee maker that he and Jimin refuse to replace. Seokjin looks like he was pulled out of a sewer recently, because if there’s anyone who is less of a morning person than him, it’s Jin. It’s a mercy that the store doesn’t open before 11 or they probably would have killed each other by now.

“We’ve been working on our DPT, but no matter what bait I throw into the sea, I can’t force the fish to bite it,” Seokjin explains. “We’ve been working with all our associates on this, and I’ve been seeing a subtle increase the first week of this month.”

Hoseok doesn’t speak the same language that Seokjin does. Hoseok makes bears, asks customers if they want to put things in the bears, and gets them all dressed up. Sure, he can define retail terms for you, but that’s not where his expertise lies.

This phone call is a lot of Seokjin talking and Hoseok nodding in agreement which she can’t see over the phone. The district manager complains and they both roll their eyes at each other, because she’s never even worked in a store before. Both of them have literally worked at Build-A-Bear for longer than she has, it’s just that they’ve both turned down any promotions that would land them into her spot. What’s the point of working at Build-A-Bear if you don’t get to literally build bears? That’s like working at a zoo to water the grass.

“What upselling techniques are we using?” she asks like she’s talking to two children. Hoseok is just glad it’s a phone call and she’s not here personally, because she and Seokjin do not get along very well. People that don’t get along with Seokjin are a very rare breed, but it’s happened a few times.

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They give her the answers she wants to hear. She talks at them rather than to them for another several minutes, detailing the metrics for specific days like they’re both supposed to remember what happened on the sixteenth of last month that made them miss goal. She also tries to single out individual employees which they don’t stand for. Even if their high school employees aren’t their best pals and refused to join the group chat, they are still their hires and their people. Unsurprisingly, she praises Taehyung’s numbers because Taehyung could sell water to a fish.

Eventually they get off the call with her and Seokjin makes an exasperated sound and then puts his head face down on the table. The mall is empty right now and it will be for another hour or so, which is good because Seokjin’s sound echoes throughout the lonely hallway.

“I can’t with that woman,” he shakes his head. “It’s not my fault that the Kang family doesn’t want to spend sixty bucks on scents and accessories.”

“It’s fine. It’s whatever,” Hoseok says. Seokjin has a spreadsheet in front of him looking down at things he’s highlighted. The store isn’t any actual danger. It’s not like missing a month is going to shut them down, but the iron grip of the higher ups gets tight whenever they’re even a few dollars off. They only missed their monthly goal by less than three thousand, which is almost nothing at all. Bureaucracy needs to understand that they don’t have complete control over what customers want.

Seokjin puts his hands to his temples and tries to rub sleep out of his eyes before shaking his head like a dog. “The children have exams coming up.” He often calls their high school employee’s children, because why not? He still sometimes still calls Jungkook a child too. “I got a whole bunch of availability changes which are going to fuck with our hours.”

“It’s not like I have much of a life outside of here anyway,” Hoseok laughs. He doesn’t have a boyfriend, so what’s he really missing out on by being at work? He’d rather be at the store doing something and getting paid for it than to be in his apartment doing nothing and making nothing. Also, whenever he has free time, Jimin pesters him for not coming to the community center to practice dancing.

Seokjin on the other hand has a husband. They coordinate their schedules so that they can see each other as much as possible. Changes in scheduling are always tough on him because of that. This means that Hoseok usually takes on more hours than he probably should, but as has been well established, he doesn’t have much of a life anyway.

“We’re going to need to start hiring for the holidays,” Seokjin says. “I’d like to get four or five seasonal and keep on three of them.”

“Got it,” Hoseok nods. Between the two of them, Hoseok is the one who would better be termed as the ‘hiring manager.’ He’s a good judge of character and tends to see the potential in everyone. It’s a lot easier to hire at Build-A-Bear than it is at Orange Julius, because there aren’t two assholes scaring people so much that they quit.

“I also think I’d like to hire on Yoongi. See if we can’t steal him from Applebee’s.”

“No!” Hoseok says so quickly that he surprises himself. “You can’t do that.”

Seokjin raises his eyebrow. “Why not?”

“Don’t make me say it.” Is Seokjin playing dumb or is he actually dumb?

The two of them look at each other for several seconds. Seokjin’s tired, puffy eyes meet Hoseok’s more alert ones.

“Say what?” Seokjin asks, and it occurs to Hoseok that he might genuinely have no clue. Jimin sees right through him, but that’s because he lives with the guy. Jungkook can also tell, because Jungkook is kind of superhuman.

Hoseok groans, knowing that there’s nothing he can do to avoid admitting it at this point. Yoongi is obviously a perfect candidate for the job. He hates working at Applebee’s, he’s already a part of the family, he has great work ethic, and he’s easy to get along with. He’s a hiring manager’s dream.

He wishes he didn’t have to tell Seokjin, because he’ll give Hoseok endless shit for falling for one of their friends. Now, to be fair, he’ll give Hoseok endless shit for dating anyone since he’s had one boyfriend in the time Seokjin has known him, but that was too many years ago to count on one hand.

Hoseok sighs and looks at a spot behind him. “It would be totally inappropriate for a manager to date one of his employees.”

Seokjin’s eyes open wide. He’s normally a much smarter person than this, Hoseok honestly can’t believe he didn’t figure this out. “You and Yoongi are-”

“No, we’re not. But if he works for us, we won’t be able to, and I need… I need…”

“Okay, absolutely. No hiring Yoongi,” Seokjin says, resolutely, but only because he wants all the dirt now. “How long have you liked him? When are you going to ask him out? When are you getting married?”

“I don’t know, I don’t know, and I don’t know. Maybe I’ve liked him since I met him? I just think he’s pretty and funny and sweet and serious in all the right ways.” It’s been well over a month since Jimin reported back to him of Yoongi’s singleness, and Hoseok has done absolutely nothing at all to change that fact. Yoongi should not be single. But also, no one should ever be allowed to date Yoongi besides Hoseok.

“How did I not know about this?” he asks. Seokjin looks fully devastated. How could he, the man who prides himself in being in everyone’s business, not have realized that his own friend, his own coworker, his own godfather to the adopted children he doesn’t even have yet, is in love with one of his other friends? This is just unbelievable. He needs to step up his game. If he doesn’t have gossip to fling, then what is the real purpose of his life?

“Are you in love?” he asks. Seokjin tries to use a tone that sounds teasing to cover up the mild panic he has over that fact that he didn’t see straight through Hoseok in the first place.

“No, of course not!” Hoseok says. “We haven’t even gone on a date. I don’t even know if he likes me. I mean, I think he might like me, but I can’t know for certain. All I know is that my feelings are super legit. Like, I feel serious about this.”

“You having a crush on my husband serious or…?”

“Okay first of all, I knew Namjoon first, and second, no, it’s not like that at all. This feeling I have is so serious it hurts. It’s ‘I feel like I’m going to die whenever I’m around him but I kind of like it’ serious. ‘He makes my ears blush whenever I even think about his name’ serious. ‘I think about him in the shower’ serious.” All of those statements hit home, but probably the shower one goes the furthest for Seokjin.

“Whoa.”

“Yeah.”

“Whoa.”

“Yeah!”

“You’re not just going to sit on your tail and do nothing, are you?” Seokjin asks. “You’ve got to make a move. What are you waiting for?”

This is why he didn’t want to tell Seokjin. He doesn’t want to deal with both Jimin and Seokjin knowing at the same time. He could easily take care of their constant pestering him if he were to just go and make a move on Yoongi, but making a move requires confidence and balls, and he’s not sure if he has either.

“It’s scary! What if he doesn’t feel the same way and I ruin our friendship? I’m terrified! I haven’t dated anyone in years. It’s just nerve wracking.”

Seokjin shakes his head. “I asked Joon out like two weeks after meeting him.” Hoseok remembers that. He was gutted. He was even more gutted when he saw how much they were made for each other, in a way that he never was made for Namjoon. He feels differently about Yoongi, because he can look back on the way he felt about Namjoon and it feels very juvenile. It feels like a little kid had that crush on Namjoon. He was basically a kid back then, he was still in high school and had had one boyfriend in his life, which lasted about two weeks.

Yoongi is different. A lot different. His hunger for Yoongi’s words, body, voice – his everything rampages through Hoseok’s entire body. He forgets how to breathe around him.

“I’m not you, Jin! I’m not as confident!”

“Well, obviously. No one is. No one has the right to be, I’m perfect,” Seokjin loves talking about himself and his sentence drifts off until he remembers that they’re discussing Hoseok, not him. “You have to rip the band aid off, Hoseok. Just ask him out. Tell him he’s pretty. Buy him chocolate. You know how I asked Joon out for the first time? I marched on over to Orange Julius, told him how pretty he is, and we went on a date as soon as his shift was over. That’s how you’ve got to do it.”

“Okay, but I’ve already known Yoongi for a few months, so I think it’s a bit late for that.”

Seokjin is more aggravated now than he was on the phone call with their district manager. Seokjin is a punch-you-in-the-face-“that’s life” kind of a guy.

“You just have to do it,” he says eventually. “There’s no pomp and circumstance. Just tell him you like him. Do it however you want. You’ll probably be a fumbling mess and it’ll be cringey as all hell, but you have to. What if Yoongi is your Namjoon? If I was you and I thought even for a second that I could feel the way I do about someone that Seokjin does about his husband, I don’t think I could waste a minute. That’s how I landed the best man in the world, Hoseok.”

“You’re probably right,” Hoseok says, shaking his head. “Yeah. You probably are right.”

***

Hoseok is waiting for Jungkook’s shift to be over so that they can go get noodles. It’s Jungkook’s turn to buy and Hoseok has been waiting literally all day to get some goddamn food in his face. All he’s had so far is a very sad packed lunch and smoothie that Jimin may or may not have spit in because Hoseok ate his leftovers last night. He certainly threatened to spit in the smoothie, but whether he did or didn’t is largely dependent on where Namjoon’s eyes were at the time.

Hoseok is hiding in the back of Hot Topic next to the socks, pretending like he works here which anyone would be able to tell is not true because he isn’t wearing a black T-shirt with a band logo on it. Jungkook, who actually does work here, is ringing up two white girls who very clearly have a thing for him, so Hoseok crouches down because he doesn’t want to deal with them seeing that he is also a very pretty boy. He has girls like that at his store all the time, and it’s very weird being flirted with by girls when you’re building a teddy bear for them. Jimin has the worst of it, because he’s Instagram famous and sometimes gets recognized. Hoseok needs a boy to hold hands with to scare off girls whenever the situation arises. Jimin will do that for him anytime he asks because of their shared problem, but Hoseok also wants to be able to kiss whoever’s hand he holds, and he doesn’t want to kiss Jimin ever.

Staring at the wall of clothes, he wonders vacantly if he would look good in fishnets when a voice from behind him says his name. Hoseok’s entire body clenches and he turns around to see the prettiest boy of them all. He constantly thinks about Yoongi when they’re not near each other. It’s hard not to. He still doesn’t know if he’s going to attempt anything with him, but he knows that he certainly wants to.

“Hey, Yoongi, how are you?” he says, trying to act casual. Why is he trying to act casual when Yoongi is his friend and he acts casual around him all the time? That’s what having friends is like. So why does it feel like this all of a sudden? He hasn’t been avoiding Yoongi, but he certainly hasn’t been seeking him out. It’s been a little over a week since he came clean to Seokjin, and he has very much gotten used to Seokjin’s heavy gaze on him. It feels like the clock is ticking now with two people – and also probably Jungkook – knowing about his crush.

It’s not like things have changed. He’s given Yoongi a ride back to his house twice just in the past week and that hasn’t been weird. A little uncomfortable when he looks too closely at his face and feels his insides melt, but he’s living through it.

But right now, well… Yoongi isn’t in his work clothes right now. Hoseok has never seen him outside of work clothes before, because he would remember it if he had. Usually, Yoongi is in baggy black pants that don’t show off his assets, and he has the signature blue shirt – Hoseok has always wondered why it’s not, you know, orange.

This Yoongi is a breed of creature he was not and will never be prepared for. His jeans are black and way too skinny, with giant holes in the knees, and Hoseok confirms that Yoongi has indeed been walking around on chicken legs this entire time. The rest of the look isn’t intimidating in anyway, it’s just very nice seeing him look like a normal human person who is attractive and knows how to dress. Hoseok nearly has a heart attack when he notices that his piercings are in. Hoseok needs a life alert, because he is about to fall and he will not be getting back up. His heart is going to give out. He’s going to die right here in this Hot Topic because of Yoongi, and he doesn’t know what to do.

“Yoongi!” he says, his voice sounds breathy and he hates it.

“You into stockings?” he laughs, pointing at the display directly behind him to a pair of stockings with cats on them.

Hoseok blushes furiously, and shakes his head, “no, no, no. I’m just waiting for Jungkook’s shift to end.” He points over at Jungkook who is trying to bat off the girls as politely as possible without pulling out a spray bottle.

Yoongi gives him a wide smile. “I know, I was just teasing you.” Something is different about Yoongi today. Maybe it’s because he’s in human clothes rather than work clothes. He seems happier, brighter, more excited. Hoseok is barely able to stay sane being around Yoongi when Yoongi is bored out of his mind at work, so how is he going to handle a Yoongi who’s this sexy?

Hoseok is now self-conscious that Yoongi is here looking like an entire buffet while he’s in black dress pants and a dull white T-shirt. No one wants to fuck a guy dressed like this, and he wishes to god that Yoongi knew he has an actual fashion sense when he’s at home. Not like he ever gets to show that off because he works almost every day of the week.

“What, uh, brings you by?” Hoseok asks.

“Well, I actually work just a few stores down,” he says. Hoseok fakes a laugh that is so plastic that it makes Jungkook turn his head as he’s trying to shoo away the girls. Hoseok wants to bury himself in a very deep grave.

“It’s just- you’re not… I mean you’re dressed a little differently,” Hoseok tries to play it cool, but that mission failed several minutes ago before Yoongi even walked up to him.

“Well I had to buy a few things before my shift started, and I hate walking around like a corporate whore,” he says, and then gestures to his backpack. “I’ll change before I actually have to clock in.”

“Oh, okay,” he nods. “When is your shift? Jungkook and I are getting food.”

Yoongi pulls his phone from his pocket to check the time. “An hour. The bus schedule doesn’t really take into account my own schedule.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he nods. In his right mind, he should be far away from Yoongi when he’s looking this dangerous, but he can’t help himself. He wants all the time with Yoongi he can get, even if it means he just looks at his piercings and exposed knees. “So, would you want to get food with us? Me and Jungkook, I mean.”

“Yeah, absolutely!” Yoongi says, because he was waiting for Hoseok to ask him that since he mentioned food. Hoseok smiles sweetly at him and is saved from trying to form words when Jungkook pops up behind Yoongi. Jungkook is too smiley to be too punk rock. Also, he listens to a lot of pop music. He gets made fun of for his music taste a lot at Hot Topic, but he’s still intimidating because he’s Jungkook and you can even see how ripped he is through most of his shirts.

“I’m off the clock!” He says happily. “Hi Yoongi!” Yoongi waves back at him. Hoseok doesn’t see them interact too much because Jungkook doesn’t work down the hall like the rest of them, but they seem to get along just fine whenever they’re together.

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“Jungkook, is it, uh, okay if Yoongi comes to get food with us?”

“Sure,” Jungkook says, unphased. Hoseok doesn’t know why he thought he might say no. “Just give me one second to go grab my things,” he says, and then squeezes past Hoseok in the trademark Hot Topic aisles which are way too narrow. Hoseok looks to see that the two girls have left and one of Jungkook’s coworkers who has more facial piercings than Hoseok has brain cells is now manning the register.

If Yoongi is coming along, they’ll have to eat at the food court. He and Jungkook were going to get black bean noodles at a restaurant on the other side of town, but if they were to do that, they wouldn’t be able to get back in time for Yoongi’s shift, and he desperately needs to be near Yoongi right now so that he can fully drink in this look of his. If for nothing else, he needs to engrave pierced Yoongi into his mind.

“Did you have a good day?” Yoongi asks.

“Yeah, kind of long, though. Glad it’s over. Er, sorry,” he says, remembering that Yoongi’s shift hasn’t started yet, and the poor guy must be closing if he’s going in at this hour.

“Don’t worry about it,” Yoongi says. He can tell what he’s doing to Hoseok. Hoseok is trying to be subtle about it, but he’s very much checking Yoongi out. And Yoongi knows exactly how to drive the nail into Hoseok’s coffin. “Cool if we go over there? I’ve got to go get some earrings, that’s actually why I came in.”

Hoseok gulps physically and audibly. Yeah, Yoongi had a feeling that would work. Hoseok follows after him as Yoongi goes to look at the display case with all the various earrings. Hoseok’s mouth is very dry as Yoongi crouches down to look at them. Hoseok isn’t okay, he wants a pretty boy with piercings and squishy cheeks and who wears jeans with holes in them. Does Yoongi even know how pretty he looks right now? Does Namjoon know what he’s robbing the world of by not letting him have his earrings in? Hoseok doesn’t feel good.

“Ready?” Jungkook again pops up, and Hoseok startles, both because he’s a scaredy cat, and because he was too concentrated on Yoongi to hear him approach.

“Can you open the case for me to get some piercings, Jungkook?” Yoongi asks, standing up straight again.

Jungkook gives an exasperated sigh, “I’ve already clocked out for the day, Yoongi.” Yoongi pouts his bottom lip. Jungkook isn’t bothered but Hoseok’s lifespan reduces by at least a year at the sight.

“Fine, fine,” he says, and then goes over to his heavily pierced coworker to ask for her keys. He returns and Yoongi points to the ones he wants. Hoseok decides that the ceiling looks lovely this time of year. He drifts off to stand near the doors, trying to recover while Yoongi pays for his things and Jungkook stays to let him use his employee discount, which he’s not allowed to do, but Hot Topic employees ain’t snitches.

Hoseok has to breathe deeply. He can do this. He sees hot guys all of the time, they just walk around the mall. But this is a hot guy who also happens to be his friend, so he knows he likes his personality. Hoseok will be fine someday. He just needs hot tea and a fireplace to sit beside while he grapples with existence.

They meet him at the door and Hoseok smiles at Yoongi, completely disregarding Jungkook’s existence.

“All set?”

Yoongi nods, and Jungkook stares at the two of them with a facial expression that doesn’t have a word. He’s judging them both for their very obvious attraction towards each other. Yet neither of them has said anything, because surely, if they had, everyone in the mall would’ve heard about it by now. Inter-mall dating is a serious topic. That time the girl from the Foot Locker started dating the guy from the Go! Calendars store was monumental. Namjoon and Seokjin are sometimes revered as gods amongst men.

“It’s my turn to buy food,” Hoseok says.

“I thought it was my-”

“Nope, it’s mine,” he says, giving Jungkook a pleasant but evil stare. Of all the people who could find out about him having a crush on Yoongi, Jungkook is the least worrying. Jungkook isn’t going to tease him, he’s Jungkook.

Hoseok looks at Yoongi’s hand as they walk out of the store. It looks like it would be nice to hold. It’s either intentional or pure luck that Jungkook decides to walk behind the two of them. Jungkook just wants to see what will happen.

“How is your demo coming along?” Hoseok asks.

“It’s pretty much the same as it was a month or a year ago, I’m just trying to make it more and more perfect,” Yoongi shrugs. He works on his music pretty much every day, but he’s only one person, so it feels as though every second of every song takes an eternity. Someone who has access to support and money would be able to make something of all the effort he’s put into his music, but he’s literally all by himself in his house doing his best. The only reason he lives in a house is so that he can make music at all hours of the night without neighbors complaining about the noise levels, and that means he has to work two jobs. It’s a nightmare. Maybe he’ll date Hoseok and then he’ll move in with Yoongi, and then they have two salaries so he won’t have to work two jobs, and then he’ll release his solo album and everyone in the world will buy it and he’ll be famous and he’ll show off Hoseok as his date on red carpets. He’s getting a little ahead of himself.

“I’m sure it’s better than you think it is. You know, if you spend so much time with something, you begin to find flaws that aren’t there. It’s like looking at your face in the mirror every day. You see your nose and think, ‘huh, I wish I had a better nose’ but then people around you think you have a really great nose. It’s just that you don’t see it, because you have to look at it every day and you get tired.”

“I like your nose,” Yoongi says, and Hoseok rolls his eyes and nudges him. Not wanting to be the only one on the chopping block, he says, “You, Hoseok, should dance more often.”

Jungkook pitches in, “he’s right you know, Hoseokie.”

“Okay, I dance! I dance all the time.”

“You don’t,” Jungkook says, shaking his head. “Jimin said you never stop by the community center anymore, and it’s not like you’re stomping around on your third-floor apartment, are you?”

“It’s just… I mean,” If Hoseok were a computer, he would need a hard-reset right about now. “I didn’t know I was going to get this sort of pressure put on me today.”

“Come on, how do you keep that kind of passion inside?” he asks. “As an artist, it’s hard to keep your creativity down.”

“I just invest my life and soul into that store,” Hoseok says. “I really, really do. I care so much about my job. I know it’s stupid. People who are married to their job are usually in offices or whatever, and here I am, making teddy bears for a living, but I love it.”

“You don’t need to work so much,” Jungkook says. “You never have days off.” Hoseok purses his lips. He has days off! One a week usually, but that still counts! Right?

“It does seem like you work too much,” Yoongi says. Hoseok really didn’t think he was going to get interrogated on his way to the food court. He spares himself from having to talk about it anymore when the smell of food hits them like a wall. Hoseok uses it as an excuse to jog over to the small food court to give a quick survey of his options. Panda Express, arbitrary not Panda Express but wishes they were, arbitrary burger place, arbitrary healthy option, and arbitrary pretzel place. Hoseok’s feet decide on a burger before his brain does.

He doesn’t check but Yoongi follows him while Jungkook aims his sights on the Panda Express wannabe, because they have better noodles. Hoseok said he was buying, but apparently it’s only Yoongi he’s paying for.

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“Is there a reason for why you work as much as you do?” Yoongi asks.

“I think I just work in order to have something to do,” he says. The line to the burger place is a few people long so they have a few minutes to talk. Yoongi doesn’t even know if he wants a burger. He’d probably prefer a pretzel. His biggest preference is being near Hoseok.

“You could spend that time dancing,” he says. “I’ve seen a lot of people do dance covers on the internet. I wish you would do something like that. I think if I were to try to keep my love for creating music inside, I’d probably be just… well honestly, I’d be so depressed. I wonder if you ever feel like something’s missing?”

“I really do just spend all of my time at work. Like, all of it. I don’t think I should even tell you how much overtime I put in, because I think you’d choke.”

“You need to relax, Hoseok,” Yoongi says. Maybe you should find a boyfriend. Someone who’s standing right beside you perhaps. “You know you’re going to burn out eventually if you do that for too long.”

“I guess someday,” he shrugs. “I’ll find a good reason to take a few steps back from work.” Like maybe a boyfriend. Maybe someone who’s standing right beside him.

They order their food and find Jungkook at one of the tables on the edge of the room. They usually sit in the same section of the food court if not at the same table every time. Jungkook is already halfway done with his noodles, watching a video on his phone. Jungkook always looks like a little kid when he’s eating, there’s just something about the way his cheeks puff out and he chews in a pout that makes Hoseok want to give him Werther’s Originals.

“Jimin posts videos of himself dancing to Instagram, Hoseok. You should too,” Jungkook says. Yoongi beams, because he just said the same thing!

“Let me see,” Yoongi asks, gesturing to Jungkook’s phone. Yoongi makes a little aw sound in his throat that he hadn’t planned on when he sees Jimin dancing his goddamn heart out in a big studio with a mirror on the wall. He makes a mental note that he’s going to have to download Instagram now.

Hoseok gets very jealous of Yoongi looking at a video of Jimin, because he’s just as good as Jimin. Yoongi should be watching videos of him dancing. Oh jeez, does he need to download Instagram now?

“He’s good,” Yoongi says, not like it needs to be stated. He is a professional. So is Hoseok, but he doesn’t brag about it, and lift his shirt up for the views.

“Yeah,” Jungkook says looking happy, and taking his phone back.

“Let’s all stop trying to convince Hoseok to drastically change his life today, okay?” Hoseok says.

They nod and move onto other topics such as the woman who came into Hot Topic to ask Jungkook what gauge her nipple piercings were and then proceeded to flash him so that he could give her an answer. He hid in the backroom for like twenty minutes, and hissed at anyone that tried to disturb him, which sounds kind of on brand for Jungkook.

“You know, you could always come back to Build-A-Bear,” Hoseok says. “Jungkook 2 has been keeping your apron clean and ready for you.” Jungkook makes a noise, but it doesn’t sound like he’s brushing him off nearly as much as usual. Wow, nipple lady really got to him.

“The worst thing is that this isn’t the first time this has happened,” Jungkook sighs. “Why do… ugh. These people could just ask when they get pierced, you know? They could ask the piercer what gauge it is before it goes in their body. It’s a Hot Topic, we sell anime and heavy metal shit. I’m not a piercer? I don’t know these things. Why would I know these things? I don’t want to see your nipple. And why do they never ask if it’s okay before they just pull their shirts up? I feel like that’s the kind of thing you need all parties to accept is going to happen before you do it.”

“Ah, the ongoing struggles of being a mall gay,” Hoseok says and holds up his drink as if he’s about to toast to it. Yoongi snorts and covers his face, but Hoseok would probably find it sexy anyway.  

***

“This has come out of nowhere,” Jimin says. He’s very sweaty and out of breath as Hoseok finds a seat on the floor of the studio. It’s Jimin’s room every other weekday from 5 until the community center closes at 10. Perks of working here. Jimin gets to earn money teaching and then has several hours of time where the room is all his, and that’s how he managed to get a few hundreds of thousands of followers on Instagram, posting videos that Yoongi thinks are amazing. That and because of Jimin’s abs which people are into apparently. Hoseok doesn’t have an Instagram because Jimin intimidates him a little bit too much. Jimin is just too good at being perfect. Hoseok has known him for years and still isn’t sure he can name any of his flaws.

“I’m having an emotional crisis,” Hoseok says.

“You’ve been having an emotional crisis ever since I met you. Your whole life is an emotional crisis.”

“I have not! I’m usually never stressed,” Hoseok says.

“Nah, you just think you’re not stressed because you distract yourself with work,” Jimin says. He takes a very long sip of water and then goes to sit beside Hoseok on the floor. Jimin’s the kind of asshole who smells good when he sweats. Piece of shit.

“Christ, did you guys have some sort of summit? Have you all been conspiring to tell me I’m a workaholic who doesn’t have a personal life?”

“Who said that to you? I need to give them a hug.”

“Fuck,” Hoseok says, resting his head on Jimin’s shoulder. He’s sweaty but Hoseok is in distress so he doesn’t care. He could use someone to cuddle; ideally someone with black hair who raps and has cute cheeks and a sweet little smile.

“Alright, low blow. Talk to me, Hoseokie,” Jimin says, putting an arm around him. “What’s got you so panicked?”

“Okay, so Yoongi and Jungkook basically told me that I don’t make enough time for myself, and that I’ve basically given up dancing because I spend too much time at Build-A-Bear,” he says. He dropped Jungkook off at his apartment an hour ago, stewed in the apartment for that hour staring at the TV without turning it on, and then drove directly here. Jimin’s got another class to teach in about thirty minutes, but that’s enough time to vent. It’s enough time to get half of his venting done, at least.  

“I really hate to be an asshole, but you know they’re right, don’t you?”

“I do know they’re right,” Hoseok says, nodding. He hasn’t been here in nearly a year now. He can’t dance in their apartment, because the floors are just too thin, so it’s been about a year since he last did, he always credits dancing as being his favorite thing in the whole world. There’s a saying having to do with a dancer’s true death being when they stop dancing. His excuse is that he’s been working more and more, but he’s the one who keeps choosing to work more and more. He hates confronting this, but it’s about time he starts. How long is he going to be able to be a happy person if he isn’t doing his favorite thing? He spent many thousands of dollars to go to school in order to be the best dancer in the world and he hasn’t even been inside the goddamn community center in a year.

“Does this mean you’re going to dance again, Hoseok?” he asks. Hoseok picks his head off of Jimin’s shoulder to look at him. Jimin notes that he certainly looks like he’s having a hard time. He’s not crying, but the sadness is there on his face anyway. It’s almost like defeat. The dam can only keep the water at bay when the walls are strong.

“Stay for my class, okay?” Jimin says. “Jump in or just sit here, but you’ve got to stay here. And when the class is over, we can just dance for hours, okay? I think you need that. You’ve got to un-rust these joints.” Jimin slaps at Hoseok’s knee and pretends like he’s going to stretch his leg out for him. Hoseok laughs sadly and slouches further against the mirror. It’s heartbreaking, actually. Hoseok is the brightest star in the entire sky, so his light shouldn’t ever flicker. It’s harder to be near a sad Hoseok than it is be around a sad anyone else, because Hoseok is the first person to cheer everyone else up.

“Jimin, Yoongi saw one of those videos you posted to Instagram,” Hoseok says. “He saw it and he was like… ugh, he looked very into what you were doing.”

“Uh oh, that’s why you’re like this,” Jimin says. “It’s not just because you’re finally seeing sense. It’s also because you’re jealous. We both know that I don’t like Yoongi-”

“Yeah, but what if he likes you? What then, Jimin? You asked him if he was single, and now he’s watching a video of you dancing and being all sexy. You’re his coworker so he talks to you more than me, and also you’re… you’re Jimin.”

“But you’re Hoseok,” Jimin says, saying his name back to him like it has the same gravity as his own.

“Jimin,” he whines.

“Maybe he was just trying to make you jealous. I think it’s possible that he already has a crush on you,” Jimin says. Jimin actually doesn’t know Yoongi that well yet. They’re certainly friends, but that doesn’t mean he can read the inner most workings of his mind like he can with Hoseok. Jimin never works at Orange Julius for more than a few hours, and his shifts usually only overlap with Yoongi’s for an hour at the most. Hoseok certainly does spend more time with Yoongi than Jimin does.

“I hate you,” Hoseok pouts, and then puts his head on Jimin’s shoulder again. He’s thankful the mirror is at his back so that he doesn’t have to look at himself right now. He probably looks pitiful. He’s not the crying, balling on the ground kind of depressed right now, it’s more of a dull, sharp feeling that makes him feel like he’s never going to achieve any of his dreams and also, he’ll die cold and alone. He does not need this right now, he really thought his life was going great a few months ago, but now he’s realizing that he’s missing so many things and he doesn’t know what to do about it.

“I’ve got an idea, Hoseokie,” Jimin says, and the very way he says it makes Hoseok know it’s an evil idea.

“What might that be?” Hoseok doesn’t actually want to know. Jimin’s got a very strong, very defined Slytherin streak running through his veins and it’s best to always be careful around him.

“You said Yoongi liked my video,” Jimin says. “Well, what if we were to post a video of you dancing?”

“I don’t even have an Instagram, dipshit,” Hoseok says. Jimin already knows this. Hoseok doesn’t have the time or patience for social media. He stalks celebrities and dog videos on Twitter and that’s the extent of his social media usage.

“Well, but I have several thousands of people who follow me on Instagram. So, what we’ll do is make you an account, and then I’ll take a video of you on my Instagram and tag you in the video. Then I’m going to send it to the group chat to make Yoongi thirsty and voila, you and Yoongi are walking down the aisle. Simple as that.”

“That’s ridiculous.”

Jimin sighs exaggeratedly and then looks at Hoseok for several moments. His head is still against Jimin, and he doesn’t seem to be paying all that much attention. Jimin grabs Hoseok’s phone on his lap. He doesn’t even do it sneakily, Hoseok is just too apathetic to argue. He lets Jimin use his face to unlock the screen and accepts the reality that Jimin is making him an Instagram without fighting him on it. It’s hard to fight Jimin. He’s too cute to be mad at, and also he gets scary when he’s mad.

“Let’s see, password… Yoongisfuturehusband69.”

“I hate you,” Hoseok says, covering his face. “Just because you’re making an account doesn’t mean I’m agreeing to anything.”

“Okay, but we both know that you’re super sexy when you dance. If Yoongi were to see that, I don’t think he could even contain himself anymore. I think he’d fall in love as soon as he saw your bulge, I mean eyes.”

Hoseok punches him in the arm.

“Come on,” Jimin says, standing up. He pulls Hoseok onto his feet which isn’t hard when you’re as lanky and pathetic as Hoseok. “Time to stretch and get ready to make Yoongi fall in love with you.”

“I still haven’t agreed to anything.”

“You will,” Jimin says, sounding sure of himself. When Jimin is sure of himself, it’s best to assume he’s right. Hoseok doesn’t know how he’s going to manage to pull it off, but he’s sure that he will.

***

Jungkook : holy ship

Jungkook : *holy shit

Jungkook : hoLY SHIT

Jungkook : HOLY SHIIIITTTTT

Jungkook’s texts to the group chat come in at about midnight and Yoongi rubs at his temples, sitting in front of his keyboard, looking down at the incoming texts with confusion. He picks up his phone and tries to determine what’s happening. It’s hard to tell if these are good “holy shit”s or bad ones. There are certainly a lot of them.

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Everyone else starts to ask what he’s talking about before Yoongi has to, so he waits as little dots appear under people’s names. Seokjin is first to ask, and then Taehyung. All Jungkook sends is a link. Yoongi clicks it, because Jungkook is being far too mysterious for him not to be intrigued. It sends him to an Instagram video which he can’t open because he doesn’t have an account or the app. He rolls his eyes. Whatever it is, it can’t be that important. He doesn’t really want to create an account just to find out what Jungkook is freaking out about.

Taehyung : IS THAT HOSEOK?!?!?!?!?!

Hoseok : …

Jungkook : HOSEOOOOKKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!!!

Seokjin : Dude

Seokjin : Bruh

Hoseok : …

The dots appear by Hoseok’s name repeatedly, but he doesn’t respond to anything. At the sight of Hoseok’s name, Yoongi immediately goes back to click the link and creates an account so fast that he’s worried he spelled his own name wrong. It takes him the three longest minutes of his entire life to create an account, but he’s finally led to Jimin’s page, the same one where he saw the video that Jungkook showed him. The most recently uploaded video, though…

Yoongi immediately runs out of the spare bedroom he uses as his studio. He doesn’t know why but it’s vitally important that he’s on his bed when he watches this. Once he’s on his bed, lying on his side, trying to mess with the orientation of his screen so that he can see the video as big as it’ll get, he clicks on it and unmutes.

There he is. Beautiful, pretty, sexy, gorgeous Hoseok. Dancing. The music is all beat, no real tune, perfect for dancing to. Yoongi’s mesmerized by it. Hoseok moves like water, but his movements are firm and coordinated. He looks like every bit of a professional dancer as Yoongi knows he is. His clothes are baggy, not at all what he’s normally in at work. There’s no real figure to his body in those clothes, it’s all in the way he dances that shows Yoongi how hot he is.

Yoongi doesn’t even realize the video is over until it starts over again by itself. It’s far too short, because Yoongi could watch this video for hours. He watches it again. And then again and again. Then several more times. It’s probably on his tenth watch that he finally reads the caption. “he hasn’t danced in over a year and he’s still better than me.” Jimin links to another account, which has to be Hoseok’s, only for Yoongi to hurriedly click it to find that it’s a completely empty Instagram. Not a single post, not even a bio. The only thing that gives away it’s Hoseok’s account is the fact that it’s his name and the profile photo of Hoseok which Jimin most definitely took without his permission.

He’ll have time to worry about all of that later, right now it’s more important to watch Hoseok dance several more times. He pushes away notifications from the group chat every few seconds as he watches Hoseok over and over again. Oh god, he is not doing okay right now. He is not well. He’s got a fever or an alien virus. Something is wrong and he needs a paper bag to breathe into.

It’s on the twentieth or thirtieth watch of the video that he realizes that Jimin is literally in the background filming Hoseok. He’s sitting on the floor, visible in the mirror. He also appears to laugh excitedly at one point, clearly having the time of his life watching Hoseok be the sexiest man on the planet. Has Jimin been in the video this entire time? Hoseok literally eats the cameras attention so much that there could be a Godzilla attack out the window and you’d still only notice Hoseok.

Yoongi doesn’t know how Instagram works. He clicks like, and then tries to see if there’s a way to download the video to his phone, because he needs this in his life until he dies. He’s not technologically savvy so all he can do is just follow Jimin on Instagram, follow Hoseok, and then send the link to the video to his email in case he ever loses it for any reason.

Then he notices how many people have actually watched the video and his grip tightens. Thousands of people? The video was only posted like an hour ago. How many of those views were Yoongi? He blushes, and then checks to find out that apparently lots of people follow Jimin on Instagram and a quick scroll through his feed makes it easy for him to determine why. Jimin looks alright without a shirt. He looks more than alright.

So, what are people saying about Hoseok then? Yoongi looks at two different comments thirsting over Hoseok before he decides to turn his phone off and lie on his back. He closes his eyes and lets his phone rest on his chest. The phone has stopped vibrating and he wonders when that happened. How long has he actually been in his bed watching that video? Enough to know that Hoseok probably doesn’t have bones and also is probably the sexiest man on the face of the planet. He whimpers softly to himself. He’s not okay right now.

He opens his phone up again after taking a minute to breathe. Lots of people are thirsting over Hoseok. Too many people. Yoongi’s jaw tightens. He knows that most of these are just horny girls scrolling through Instagram before sleep, but he feels himself disliking every single one of them. It’s not like they have a chance when Hoseok is as bent as a boomerang, but he still feels uncontrolled jealousy. If he didn’t already think Hoseok was the prettiest boy in the universe, he certainly thinks so now.

Yoongi opens up the messaging app again to catch up on all the missed texts. Everyone is freaking out over the video. Everyone’s names appear in troves, except Hoseok himself. They’re all ragingly excited that Hoseok has actually danced for the first time in forever. None of them appear to be excited about his body or the way he uses it nearly as much as they are excited for him to have danced at all. Yoongi can’t say anything about how attractive he finds Hoseok in the group chat. That would be inappropriate and embarrassing.

Yoongi thinks about the conversation he had with Hoseok only a few hours ago, which, now that he thinks of it, surely is the cause of this video’s existence. Yoongi and Jungkook maybe put the pressure on him a little too hard, but this is what happens? He goes out and posts a video on Jimin’s account of himself dancing? They must have really gotten through to him. Hoseok wanted to prove to them that he could still dance, and that he hasn’t lost a single one of his skills even in all the time he was away. He certainly achieved his goal.

Yoongi whimpers again. He doesn’t know how to respond to the group chat but he knows that he has to. Everyone else is proud and happy for Hoseok, and yet he’s been radio silence for… fuck, it’s been over an hour since this all started.

He labors over it, trying to contain all the excitement and desire he now feels. He’s going to watch the video for a lot longer and then wait agonizingly hoping that Hoseok posts more videos to his own account. Yoongi’s heart will probably give out, along with thousands of girls, but Yoongi’s broken heart will hurt the most.

Yoongi : Wow. Just wow.

It only takes a few seconds before Hoseok’s dots appear. Yoongi holds his breath. Hoseok responds with a smiling emoji and that’s it. It’s his first correspondence all night. Yoongi wonders if the video was posted specifically for Yoongi to see it. He closes his eyes and puts his hands over his face again. Yoongi scoffs. Jungkook doesn’t even know the meaning of “holy shit.”

IF YOU ENJOYED PART 1 & 2, LEAVE A COMMENT ON ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN AND SUBSCRIBE TO KNOW WHEN I UPDATE. I’D ALSO LOVE IT IF YOU REBLOGGED THIS POST OR FOLLOW ME ON TUMBLR SO THAT MORE PEOPLE WILL GET TO SEE MY FIC. THANK YOU ALL, I LOVE YOU

[kingsofneon]

werewolf ace and reaper sabo? *has been playing treasure cruise and died seeing ace*

OKAY this is not technically headcanons or a prompt but like ill forgive you bc werewolves are pretty great and lik e oh my god what the fuck is that giant-hand design???? ace what the fuck??? fire-ass giant hand cOLLAR WEARING FURRY this is hysterical. and yet! no wolf ears, cowards!

also lmao ok i dont play treasure cruise (i literally have no idea what its abt apart from idk, seasonal outfit shit???) and I GOTTA-- sabo wears ugly-ass clothing in canon yet in this app they’re like AH yes gotta make him BANGIN

like look ace has an excuse bc his outfit is sexy-ugly just like the rest of his clothes but SABO is like “yeah im here to kill you” and you just gotta stand there and take it like “okay sir”

apart from that MASK lmao

anyway in honour of ace’s costume choice have an ace/bo that’s basically crack sorry not sorry you’re welcome

OBVI ace/bo childhood friends look i have a type and that type is them being friends and then forgetting/being taken away from each other, so when mr assassin death squad man rocks up with his mask on and his hood up (bc its a favour for some ppl dragon wants on their side), ace is like YOU’LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE

“yes that is the point?”

and ace gets his cool ass candy-carrying dog to throw shit in sabo’s face and then bc ace is a fuckhead moron he attacks, gets in close so that scythe is a hindrance, not a help, and uses his FUCK BIG HANDS to break Sabo’s mask to pieces

and then ofc: YO WHAT THE FUCK, SABO?

“.......uh what how do you know me”

“BRO it’s ME bro” bc ace has all the brain cell of a college frat boy when trying to explain himself 

“......... uh yeah okay” says sabo, confused and annoyed at his mask being broken but then ace is like MAKE OUT TIME 

“do you remember tHAT! I WAS YOUR FIRST KISS AND I WILL BE YOUR LAST!”

“UH WHAT” goes sabo but uhh idk i guess this world has magic first kiss powers bc i say so, and he’s like WAIT how do i RECOGNISE YOUR MOUTH

“uh bc i was your first kiss i told you that??”

“blasphemy!” goes sabo and knocks ace unconscious

“fuck why did i do that” goes sabo, two minutes later

“okay i AM taking you alive, get dunked”

welcome to: temporary prisoner ace who’s kinda chill with the scenario bc nobody tries to kill him and they’re kinda nice and also SABO!!!!!

ace absoLUTELY tries to keep chill and unaffected by every time sabo is nice to him his tail starts fuckin THUMPING the floor and they both get embarrassed

BUT SABO CANNOT DENY THE MAGIC OF THE FIRST KISS et all et all and can’t help but fall, but be nice, because he’d already fallen once and the thing that’d gotten between them had been amnesia, not heartbreak

ehhhh a little bit of heartbreak on ace’s side

uh idk they start spending time together and sabo chills with ace in his cell and that leads to “oh well uh- I mean- look maybe we were- prove it to me again.” sabo says stubbornly “prove first kiss” and ace is like u H and kinda flustered but then he’s like OH and realises this is sabo’s way of asking for makeouts because he’s SHIT at feelings

welcome to werewolf/reaper makeouts, ace is basically a firefox motherfucker and hot as shit, sabo’s technically a spirit of the dead and a COLD fuckhead, both of them are like wow look at this tension between us HAHAH NO WE’RE NOT GONNA FUCK WE’RE NOT THERE YET

one time after makeouts ace thinks sabo would have Enough memories back to Handle stuff and he’s like oh man i missed you so much i love u so much, GENERAL SAPPY BS that ace says all the time, like an asshole, and sabo panics bc OFC he doesn’t have enough memories back and i need to move this along

blah blah base gets attacked, ace proves he could’ve gotten out any time he wanted using his scarf which is actually imbued with shapeshifting giant-wolf bullshit, ace saves sabo’s life - and probably a couple of other people idc - annNNNND sabo gets more memories triggered by it + head injury he receives at the end of the battle

He comes to a few days later, (memory returning fault, not injury fault), and ace is by his bedside. professes his regained memories, ace beams and his tail wags like HELLA annnnnnd then ace pouncing on him for excited makeouts turn into sabo being like yep we’re gonna fuck

“on this hOSPITAL BED” 

“yep, pants off, let’s go”

they fuck and live happily ever after the end. 

[adamandgrieve]

10/7/2020, 12:42 AM

I’m feeling some kind of deep sadness. Maybe it’s just what comes with it being fall, or maybe it’s because I’m stuck thinking about spring 2018 and meeting Kyle and wondering why he stopped texting me back all those ages ago. I need to get this off my chest. I need to chill out. And I mean, it’s fine, or it should be. Like, I have a partner now and I love him and I genuinely want to be with him for as long as we can. Things have been hard after his mom died, but they’re getting better all the time. They’re going to be okay.

But sometimes I just miss him. Like, man, that was.. A weird time in my life. Going into exam week, have no friends, fly off the handle into a suicidal rage every night. Take too many pills but not enough, because I know I won’t die, I’ll just space out. Laying on the living room carpet, talking to Grant and JoAnne and listening to Gymnopédie No.1 on Pandora. And the months go by and I still have no friends and nothing feels real, or better. And then I post some shit on Whisper of all dumb places, because I was a horny 19-year-old who just wanted to get beat up, maybe because I was a little into it, and maybe because I felt like I deserved it.

And he just, responds. “You mean like, in a sex kind of way?” Yeah, man, in a sex way. But I don’t even remember what I actually said. I was nervous, and probably manic, and feeling like taking that risk. I was going to come out to my parents. I was going to get a haircut. I had exams that week. Why not do something crazy?

So we talked, and he sent me a picture, and honestly? Maybe I should have been more suspicious. But my first thought was, “That’s him?” and my second thought was “Yeah, I don’t think a catfish would use this picture. I’m good.” It sounds rude, but I didn’t think he was ugly. It just wasn’t a very catfish-able photo, ya know?

And he told me something to this day I don’t think I believe, that I was “his type” and that somehow he was into doughy awkward trans guys (and possibly anyone really, because he was pan, but I was his type, miraculously) and we ended up...planning to meet. I remember the picture I sent of me, because it was before I had chopped off all my hair, that I had taken a few weeks (days?) before when my parents and step-sister and I went to the coast. My step-sister and I climbed into these trees and while I was up there I took this stupid photo of me, hair back, wearing a dumbass Hawaiian shirt (that I still own) and stupid round shades that would always get tangled in my hair. I still own the glasses too, actually./ 

Kyle said he thought I was cute. And hey, I didn’t believe him. Why would I? I was that kid who didn’t have any friends from sixth grade onward, aside from my best friend and a group of blonde Christian girls from high school. And Emma, but she honestly was the one who stood out. I was the kid who people laughed at, who boys would ask out as a joke, or insult their friends by saying I liked them (when I didn’t.) I had never been kissed, never been on a date, never even held hands romantically (does Eric count? No. Eric does not count.)

Regardless, I didn’t believe that he thought I was cute. But I thought, hey, fuck it, I’m horny and feeling like dying and just having a really, really weird time. So I agreed to come to his place (really his mom’s townhouse, if I remember) at 10:30 PM, the night before my SOC 300 exam, just to see what would happen.

I remember telling my step-sister about this. And how it wasn’t really sneaking out, because I was 19, and my parents really didn’t care, and that of course I’d be careful and everything, it’s not that sketchy. I was scared and nervous but who wouldn’t be. Kyle wanted to be my first kiss, allegedly

So I went.

I parked on the street, Payton Drive or something (we talked about how it was named after Payton Manning I think. But who knows.) It was warm out, but not too warm, and he lived near a school, in a new-ish housing development. There was a grocery store nearby, and a gas station, and I’d never been there before but I drove past it a few days later while in the car with my mom.

Maybe I’ll drive there tomorrow, just to look.

Anyway, I parked on the street and got out of my truck and just...Stood there for a bit. He was on the porch, if you can call it that, on a chair. And he came up to my car, I think. I was so nervous, this part is all a little fuzzy.

We ended up at the back corner of the building, in the side yard. We sat in the chairs he carried from the porch, and just...talked, for a bit. I barely remember about what. Video games, maybe, and that he worked in the kitchen at a restaurant. At some point he mentioned he was moving soon. I was wearing a stupid outfit, I’m sure, I think a flannel over a t-shirt, and these old jeans that I rolled up because I refused to wear shorts in those days. He was wearing pajama pants, and I thought that was cute, and kind of hot in a weird confident way. 

He wasn’t particularly hot otherwise, by mainstream standards, but there was something about him. He had straight hair to his shoulders, and smelled like cigarettes, and was taller than me but not TALL.

At some point he gave me a hug. I didn’t know how to hug in those days, and these days it’s still hard, usually. But he was warm, and the night was calm, and I was so scared. He asked if I would let him kiss me, I think. 

I wanted to. So I said yet. And it was...

Strange.

It wasn’t really what I was expecting. His lips were soft, and a little cold actually, and he tasted like the cigarette smoke I could smell in his clothes. I didn’t know if he was good, and I sure as hell didn’t think I was (or am) and the whole experience confused me. I felt disappointed, almost.

But when I went home later that night, all I could think about was doing it again, or seeing him again, or just. Feeling something. I felt like dying all the time before this, and then I felt something weird and alive being with Kyle, even though I barely knew him. Maybe because I barely knew him, and he didn’t know me, before. He only knew me as Adam, “Adam Bomb”, and thought I was cute, and didn’t care that I wanted to be punched in the face, and wanted to kiss me, and do more and it was exciting!

I just wanted to see him again. Infatuated with this person I had only just met, and stayed up until 6 AM before my exam for. (I did well on the exam, somehow, even though my mind was both far away and barely conscious.)

Maybe I’ll revisit the second and third (last) time I saw him sometime. I just needed to vent. My emotions are too strong (all the time, in all situations) and I try to push them down and pretend they aren’t there (all the time, with everyone) even when I don’t mean to. I felt so much for him, because he was the first, and he was in my mind a very interesting and confident person. And he moved to not-quite-Dallas,Texas.

(Ryan is moving to Texas too, and my other friend. Who does Texas steal all my friends.)

I miss him. I still have his old number, which I think he doesn’t have anymore. I messaged him on his old Whisper account, which I don’t think he uses either. I even, somehow, found him on Facebook. He has a partner now too, that he met soon after leaving here. I feel like a creep. I’ll leave him be. I want to talk to him, and see how he is, and go into the woods with him again and just. Feel that way. I want to feel the tension and excitement and a life I will never lead.

But I don’t think I would.

It would just be sad and embarrassing.

[fluffy-marshmallow-heart]

20 Seconds of Courage -Part 7

The Elementalist au

Beckett x MC (Oriana)

Words: 2122

Warnings: NSFW. Must be age 18 or over to read. May contain sensitive content

Catch Up Here

Complete Master List

Beckett and Oriana are co-workers and lovers...But can there be more?

In the morning hours, sunlight began filtering through Beckett’s curtains in his bedroom. He blinked his eyes open, immediately looking for Oriana. He smiled softly as he saw her still asleep next to him. He gently brushed some hair out of her face before kissing her forehead. He ran his hand along the curves of her body, admiring how soft her skin feels. She began to stir.

  “Morning, beautiful.”

“Mmmm morning.” She mumbled, the corners of her mouth turning up. He leaned in, brushing his lips across hers gently, feeling how they parted, inviting him to deepen the kiss. He happily obliged. Her arms came around him and a moment later she’d pulled him on top of her, their kisses growing more passionate and heated.

“Beck wait.” She gasped. He pulled back immediately. “As much as I want you, I need to go get something to wear, I don’t have anything here and I need the time to go all the way to my place and then get ready and then…”

He cut her off, capturing her lips with his own. “I have something you can wear.”

“You…have another woman’s clothing here?” She frowned. She didn’t understand, why was he chasing her if there was someone else? Someone who already had personal items here?

His face flushed. “Sort of. It was my sister’s. Katrina. I have a couple things of hers, still.”

“I didn’t know you had a sister. She doesn’t miss them? Are they really ugly?”

He gave her an amused look. “Actually, I think they’re quite fashionable. And I think they will fit you. But it’s up to you. But if you wear it…perhaps we can go shower together.”

She paused, narrowing her eyes. “Alright. Show it to me.”

He smirked and climbed out of bed, making sure to show off his large erection. She laughed, rolling her eyes.

“Listen, I want it as much as you do, but I have a whole day ahead of me, and I need to take care of my own well-being before I take care of yours.”

This time it was Beckett that chuckled, as he walked out of the room, going into one of his storage closets and reaching into the very back, where there were a few untouched garment bags. He very carefully pulled them out, and it took him a moment to realize he was holding his breath. He hasn’t seen them in a very long time, but he could never bring himself to let them go. He has exactly three different dry-cleaned outfits of Katrina’s, but he hasn’t even looked in the bags since he picked them up that fateful day a few years ago.

He never talks about her and has no idea how to bring it up to Oriana. They’re still new, and although he trusts her…Beckett realized, he really just has no idea what to say. He’s never had experience talking about it. If Oriana hadn’t spent the night, he still wouldn’t have told her he even had a sister.

Going back into his room, he held out the bags nervously. She sat up and opened the first one, which was a teal skirt with flowers on it, a teal jacket and white shirt. The second bag was a white blouse, peach coat, and green pants. When she opened the third, she grinned. “This one.”

Beckett gave a tight nod and forced a small smile. He knew Oriana would look absolutely exquisite and he was excited to see it…but part of him was also dreading seeing it. He can’t even figure out why he offered them to her. He guesses it’s because he doesn’t want her to leave. But still…he’s had other girls stay over in the past and he never offered Katrina’s clothing to them.

“You okay?” She asked curiously.

“Yes. Of course. Shower with me?” He didn’t wait for a response, simply walked into his en-suite bathroom and started the shower. She stepped up behind him, wrapping her arms around his chest.

“I can tell when you’re lying.” She murmured quietly.

He chuckled lightly. “Is that right?”

“Mmhmm.” She turned him to face her. “Penny for your thoughts?”

“How about I show you?” He whispered hoarsely, pulling her flush against him, enjoying the feeling of her bare breasts on his chest. He kissed her hungrily, diving his fingers into her hair. Breaking the kiss, he stepped into the glass shower stall, pulling her with him. She moaned as he nipped lightly at her neck, tracing his tongue along the cascading water on her skin. Something about Oriana made him feel like home. It was so much more than just sex to him. He’s never felt this way about anyone before.

She reached down between them, taking his throbbing cock in her hand, slowly beginning to pump him, causing a guttural groan to come from his lips. A moment later she was on her knees. He gasped, grabbing the back of her head, helping her to take him inside her mouth. As she worked him, he threw his head back in pleasure, sputtering on the water. Chuckling, she stood back up.

“Easy tiger. I can’t explain to our boss how you managed to choke in the shower.”

“You mean you don’t want to tell him we’re showering together?” He smirked

She began to laugh but he captured her lips again in a ravenous kiss, and this time it was his hand reaching for her center. “God, you’re soaked.”

“I’m in the shower.” She responded, not missing a beat.

Beckett grinned. “I mean you’re soaked…up here.” He slipped two fingers inside her hole, sliding them in and out easily.

“Beckett…yes, Beck…ohhh…”

He turned her around so her front was placed against the glass. “Ori…?”

“Yes” She breathed

He thrust inside her, enjoying the slickness of her juices as he grasped her hips. Oriana wrapped one arm around his neck, the other keeping balance on the glass door.

“Fuck Beckett…Fuck me hard…harder…fuck, yes!!”

“Ori…” He grunted. “Your pussy is so sweet. Fits me so well.”

“It’s your pussy” she gasped. “All yours.”

“Yeah?” He rammed into her, taking her hard and fast.

“yes, fuck yes!!”

“This is all mine?” He brought fingers to her front, rubbing them on her clit as she started shuddering around him.

“Yes!”

“My cock is yours too.” He whispered darkly as she fell apart around him, finding his own release a moment later. Panting heavily, he planted feather light kisses along her shoulder before his dick slipped out of her, his liquid running down her legs. She turned around, gazing in his eyes.

He smiled gently, brushing wet strands of hair from her face, kissing her softly. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

After the shower, they had another quickie on the bed before finally getting dressed. Beckett in his suit and tie, and when Oriana was finished, she took his breath away in more ways than one.

“Wow”

“Is that a good wow?” She asked, spinning around, showing him the outfit. Katrina’s outfit. It was a simple black pencil skirt with a pink silk V-neck wrap-around top, navy blazer, and a thin gold belt.

“You’re breathtaking” He assured her, not sure what to feel.

“Your sister has amazing taste. I would love to shop in her closet. Do you think she’d let me?” Oriana joked.

Beckett just shook his head. “Doubtful.”

“Well. Can’t blame a girl for trying. You ready?”

He nodded tensely. Why did he think this was a good idea? How could he let her wear something so sacred? How was he going to get any work done today? All these questions he mulled over on their drive to work. Oriana kept talking about the project and Beckett would nod here and there, pretending he was paying attention.

Finally at their destination Beckett opened the car door and got out, not waiting for the driver to open it for him. Oriana stared at him from the backseat.

“Hey, Beck…”

“You don’t want to walk in together.” He rolled his eyes.

“It’s not that.”

He raised an eyebrow as he offered his hand and she stood beside him on the sidewalk. She leaned in, whispering in his hair. “I’m not wearing any panties.”

He sucked in a deep breath as she chuckled and strode towards the door, swaying her ass just so. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. No, he really has no idea how to feel.

When they got in the elevator, her eyebrows were furrowed. “Seriously, Beck, what is wrong? You’ve been acting funny all morning.”

“Really? I have?” He played it off.

She frowned. “Oookay. We don’t have to talk about it. Just know that you can talk to me. About anything.” She reached for his hand and squeezed, just as the door opened on their floor.

“Thank you.” He said briskly, heading straight to their joint office.

Oriana trailed after him, confused. She couldn’t figure out why he’d done a complete 180 since they’d woken up. He convinced her that the two of them were a good idea, and she was starting to get angry that maybe he really was using her for sex, and just doesn’t want her to be with anyone else until he’s done with her. So he’s going to string her along, whispering sweet things to her and then shutting her out completely when it wasn’t convenient for him.

Walking inside their office, she sighed as she turned on her computer. As the day went on, she kept catching Beckett staring at her, but she couldn’t get a read on him. Whatever emotions were floating under his surface, he wasn’t letting her see them. She’d hoped that not wearing any underwear would cause him to want her, cause him to go shut the door, close the blinds, and fuck her senseless on their desk. But there was nothing, only talk about work. Finally, Oriana went and closed the door herself, closed the blinds, and sat on his lap.

“What are you doing?” He asked

“What does it look like I’m doing?” She murmured, kissing his along his neck and his jaw.

“Ori, please stop.”

“That’s not what you said this morning.”

“Ori!” His voice was stern, even a bit cold, and it caused her to freeze before looking into his eyes. She wasn’t sure, but she thought she saw pain there.

“You don’t want me?” She whispered, attempting to keep tears at bay.

“We…we really just have a lot to work on. I don’t think we need a distraction.”

“A distraction. Right.” She got off his lap and went to the door. “I’m going to the bathroom. I need a break.”

“Ori…”

But she left, keeping her head high as she beelined straight to the ladies’ room. Once there, she let a few tears fall before taking a shuddery breath and fixing her makeup. Nodding to herself in the mirror, she went back. The day was almost done anyway.

Beckett just stared at her again as she came back into the room and sat down. They discussed what they needed to and finally it was time to leave. Oriana went to him one more time.

“Um, so…am I coming over?”

He shook his head. “Actually, I have dinner plans. I apologize I did not tell you sooner.”

“Oh…” She trailed off. “What about this outfit? I have to give it back.”

“Just bring it tomorrow.” He shrugged, heading for the exit.

“Ya know what Beckett? Screw you.”

He paused. “What?”

“You’ve been so cold to me today. Again. What did I do?”

“Nothing! You did nothing, I promise. It’s not you, it’s…” He stopped himself, clearing his throat before going back to Oriana and kissing her gently on the cheek. “I promise it has nothing to do with you.” He murmured quietly. “Please believe me. There are just…things you don’t know about me yet.”

He gave a soft smile. “I’ll be better tomorrow. I really need you to trust that.”

She watched in complete confusion as he left. Gathering her things, she made her way home. When she arrived in her little apartment, she stood staring at herself in her full-length mirror. Then it dawned on her.

She quickly turned her computer back on and tapped impatiently on the counter until it loaded. Going to the internet, she looked up “Katrina Harrington.” She gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in shock as she read the first headline…then another…and another. She buried her face in her hands. How did she not know this? No wonder he was completely off his game today. She looked back at her outfit, then back at the screen.

“HEIRESS TO HARRINGTON ENTERPRISE FOUND DEAD; FOUL PLAY SUSPECTED”

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@the-soot-sprite

@emichelle

[the-angry-tired-lesbian-bitch]

Ok so I have an idea for a story/fairy tale

PSA: This is very reminiscent of Cinderella and I was tired when I wrote it

Ok so, there are two girls, let's call them violet and daisy.

Daisy is bisexual, and "open" about it, in the sense that her parents know and she makes no real attempt to hide it. However her parents don't accept her and thus treating her like a slave and pretending that she doesn't exist. But she does have a friend who acts as her sort of fairy god mother in this situation, his name is Greg because why the hell not.

Violet is a lesbian but is 1200000 coats deep in the closet. She is also the princess of the kingdom they all live in. Since she obviously can't marry a girl, she frequently disguises herself and visits what is basically the kingdoms version of a gay bar, where she has met daisy several times but they never really exchanged names, due to violet fear of being outed and shunned.

Anyway on to the story.

The king decides that they should hold a ball for violet in an attempt to find her a suitable husband, but he poses this as a birthday party for violets little sister, Rosa, to the queen, Rosa and violet. Now the queen and violet are very close and the queen would not approve of marrying violet off. So the king invites the rest of the kingdom.

Daisy and Greg hear about this and are really excited. They get all the stuff they need, suit or dress you can decide, but Daisy's parents, the bastards, find a binding spell, or something like that, to make sure that she, or perhaps someone else, would not be able to leave the house. They would check on her every night at exactly midnight to make sure she wasn't off doing something scandalous.

Daisy is devastated but determined to go to that fuckin ball, so she and Greg come up with this plan. Greg takes daisy's place so that the binding spell would effect him instead, because he knows what she goes through on a day to day basis and honestly? She deserves a fucking break from the ugly ass homophobes that are her parents!

So she goes and has and absolute ball ( I am so sorry I saw an opportunity and I took it). Violet however is having an awful and confusing time ( and like girl same, like in life generally) because this is her little sisters birthday party but her dad keeps intruding her to these weird old dudes, and finally (I love this girl but she's a bit of a dumbass) it clicks and she realises her dad is trying to marry her off. Horrified that she would be betrayed in this way by her own dad, she runs away ,like the gay dramatic bitch she is, to the library, because it's kinda her happy place. (If it isn't obvious enough, violet is based off me, I'm the gay dramatic bitch)

Cue our wonderful bisexual

Being the amazing gal she is, Daisy follows her to the library, to make sure she is ok. Now at this point they kinda recognise each other but don't know from where ( Daisy is also a dumb ass and doesn't realise that she is the princess either) so they get to talking and slowly realise that they know each other from the bear in the woods ( that's the gay bar btw I could think of a better name) they spend hours in the library, just talking, and getting to know each other, hands almost touching because there useless wlw. But it gets to like 11:45 and Daisy has to run home. BUT unlike Cinderella, they plan to meet the next day in the town AND daisy give Violet a quick cheek kiss ( violet dissolves into gay panic and again girl same).

Daisy makes it home just in time, not only not getting caught, but in a fucking euphoric state, because she . Met. A. Pretty. Girl. And. They. Have. A . Date. Tomorrow!

Half way through that date, Daisy realises that she is on a date with the fucking heir the the throne. She nearly freaks out but violet pulls her into an alley and explains everything to her, and says that she would understand if she never wants to see her again. Daisy kisses her and says that it changes nothing and they'll just have to be very careful. They have their first and second kiss in that alley

They begin a secret relationship, because they would be shunned from society and violet would be disowned by her dad.

This goes well.

Until it doesn't.

One of the weird old dudes, lets call him Chad because it's the douchest name I can think of (no offense to the chads out there who aren't douches) from the ball sees them kissing and realise the truth. He tells violets family, in an attempt to gain there favour and marry the princess himself. However he makes a big mistake. He only tells the queen because the king has a reputation for being unreasonable and killing the messenger .

Since the queen is the only good parent in this story, she talks to violet, trying to see if it's true. When confronted about it, violet breaks down in tears, saying how it is true and it isn't a phase and she's in love, begging her mother to still love he, which of course she does. But she does tell her that her life is going to be dangerous and she might not be able to protect Daisy. Because when it comes to it, a mob is a mob and no crown is going to protect you from that.

However Chad, the mother fucker, realises that the queen is a good person and instead goes to the king. He somehow manages to convince the king that violet is going through a phase and he is the best person to bring her our of it into the blissful world of heterosexuality (that was sarcasm btw)

When violet goes to her room, she finds her father sitting on her bed. He basically explains to her that she is going to marry Chad, and tell her mother that she wants to and that everything was just a phase. Or he will have Daisy killed. At this point violet is passed questioning her father mortality, and believe him when he says he will kill her.

She breaks up with Daisy, saying how it was doomed to begin with and they were dumb to think it could work in the first place and ends things with her. Both of them leave crying.

Daisy drinks at the bear in the woods questioning whether she is capable of being loved. That's when our friends, Rosa and Greg enter. (Both of them are ace aro. Why you ask? Because I said so) They are the only people in the kingdoms with more then 5 braincells each, so they put two and two together and figured out that violet and Daisy are in love with each other ( their relationship kinda just started with them bitching to each other about how dumb violet and Daisy are, but at this point there really close).

Daisy breaks down and tells them every. There are a lot of tears and a lot of beer. However, Rosa finally manages to get out that, violet does actually love her and that her dad is forcing her into the wedding.

*this scene honestly just reminds me of the princess bride*

Violet is getting ready for her wedding to Chad of douche land, when Daisy knocks on her window (she on like the second floor btw, so daisy is fuckin ripped) Daisy gives this big speech to violet about how she's the best thing that's ever happened to her, how she doesn't need anything else apart from her and how she's willing to risk her life if it means being with her. Violet loves the idea, but knows that they can't stay in the kingdom.

They are faced with a choice. Stay and be miserable or leave and be happy. It was an easy choice.

They run away from the castle, violet still in her wedding dress, to an Abandoned cottage in the forest. However, violet does leave a note for her mother, basically saying that she's safe, with daisy and happy. In the note she also explains what her father said to her about killing daisy.

The queen is destroyed that her daughter had to leave but is ultimately happy that she is not being forced into an unwanted marriage.

She also fuckin pissed at the king.

Fast forward about 2 years

Rosa and Greg are the reigning king and queen (they got married but as friends) because the king died. (The queen killed him the night violet ran away and framed Chad. What can I say, she's a bad bitch)

Suddenly, all 3 of them are told to go to the bear in the woods and not tell anyone. They all go because it was either that or suffering through a memorial for the king and honestly, possible death was better then that.

However, instead of the cold hands of death, they are greeted by violet and daisy. They're both a bit worse for wear physically, but they're happier then Rosa, Greg and the queen have ever seen them. (This isn't important but daisy is butching it up. Like loose white button up under a vest butch and short hair. Also violet has that "oh my god I like girls" hair. You know, the shortish hair that ends half way down the neck. So yeah daisy is super butch and violet is cute as shit)

Daisy and violet break the news that they are going to get married!! And while it will be in secret, in there little cottage in the forest, they want the 3 people they love most to be there.

They all show up, daisy is in the same outfit, but you know classier, and violet is in a lovely dress with a bouquet of violets and daisies. Why, because I said so.

Greg is daisies best man, Rosa is Violets maid of honour (they both walk them down the isle) and the queen conducts the ceremony. It's all happy and gay.

The newly weds have their first dance, and even though they were away from where they lived all there lives, they've never felt more at home.

The end

(please tell me your opinions, improvements casting and things like that in the comments, because I really enjoy reading them)

Also @miss-yiay what do ya think?

[swearronchanel]

8.07

Well, damn

the girls looking so good 😭😍💖 fashion queens

“Sometimes, we simply see each other through fresh eyes and there’s joy it in”

The Turner’s poppin bottles in the house

I still love Mother Mildred she’s wild

Poor sister Frances, literally the new sister Winnifred 🤦🏼‍♀️

Now she’ll have her “first birth experience” and will have the “I’m a midwife, I can do it” epiphany lmao

Sister Hilda has some good lines lol

Hard boiled eggs yum 😂😂 LMAO ew who wants that as an appetizer or hor d’oeuvre

aw there’s baby teddy, the writers remembered his existence this time

small dry sherry pls

Set aside the bottles we are popping birth control pills ladies, on the daily so they work

violet is me in some situations like great idea but who is paying? 😂😂

POSEIDON’S HIPPYCAMP LMAOOO WHAT?

I love sister Monica Joan

Does England have any gold Olympic medals? 😂 no shade I’m just curious

Silver is still good lol but sister MJ ain’t about it

I would like to join the Phyllis Crane fan club thanks

Ofc they were right there’s like single young moms every other episode

So she’s got an STD

Are we guessing her husband is cheating? Cause I am

THE PRIDE OF THE NATION IS AT STAKE LMAOOO SHE’S SCOUTING THE KIDS FOR FUTURE ATHLETES

I want some chips even tho I still can’t used to calling them chips

YAS Mother Mildred Lmaoo tell sister J about it

Sister J has been pushed the side this series and then they give her a time to make a point and nothing lmao, the same lines she said 3 series ago about the pill

I’m offended write sister J better pls

Val spilling family tea

Her poor grandmother tho 💔 so glad a lot has changed in 60 years (even tho more still needs to change )

Miss Higgins and Phyllis is the duo I didn’t realize I wanted to see? Give us more

I knew he was cheating !! Trash

Fountain of all wisdom😂

LMAO Mother Mildred knows Phyllis isn’t down for him

Gonorrhea,,, shit

(chlamydia is the clap tho? do british people call both the clap?)

Not a chartreuse fan but cute coat for shelagh

“Nice to see you kid” pure 😭

PHYLLIS’ CRINGE at the comment I love Lucille tho lmao

“WE’VE ALL HAD A DOSE” SJSJSJ BRO ACTUALLY WE HAVEN’T LMAO

He said he paid for it so casually, why are a lot of men trash?🤦🏼‍♀️

!Courage and humility! We know this, esp humility lmaooo

This other husband seems better

Shelagh’s plaid pants Yass i love

I hope they show the Turner’s talking to the kids, as sad as it is you gotta shed light all the harsher reality side to fostering kids

My best friends’ growing up parents’ fostered so many kids throughout our childhood is was always sad watching kids come and go

“Bribery and corruption?” I love Beatrix 😂 I love when her series 1 playful/jokester self shines through

Ok but not gonna lie I LOVE Bingo LMAO

“Miss Anderson” 😭😍 pure af and she looks so pretty

Where was sister MJ when I was having nervous breakdowns failing all my math courses? 😭

An enema sounds like a nightmare Lmaoo

Aw here comes the talk 😭

Not “the talk” but that would actually be SO funny omg imagine LMAO

Idk why I expected the little kids to say something lol but at least they showed it 😭poor Tim tho

Trixie looks so good serving some mod 60s realness!!

Val’s outfit is cute too

Damn it there was the chance to bring back “children are more resilient than you think” !! (Sister B said that right?)

The fear of God “I’ve already got that” LMAOO sister Frances

My fam loves bingo we play it at my grandma’s I miss it 😂 this caller isn’t that exciting tho

also am an active player of bingo when we go on cruises bc once again YES, I am actually a 60 year old woman

“WAS SHE WORTH IT?” LMAOO

Why didn’t he yell BINGO in confused? LMAO is this british? Who says house??

Why is it hilarious to me that the hookers know Dr Turner?😂

elbow first?? Whatttt the hell

There’s the little fish looking baby 😂

Aww she’s all crusty but reminds me how excited I am to meet my niece when I get back to the states 😭

There’s the new instilled confidence lol predictable af but still sweet

Nosy bitches, I’d be so catty and just start calling people out on their issues lmao

oh yikes that’s a nasty boil

They’re having a whole party 😂

and now the party’s over

Passing the magazine that’s so cute

“What an honor” uhhh

“Hope my Val is like you” pure 😭😭

Omg she wanted to be a nurse my heart stop I’ll tear up

Are we supposed to feel sorry for Mr Pugh? Bc I don’t (am I being insensitive idk tbh)

baby girls are winning tonight

aw she’s so tiny

“You are Artemis” YAS love that greek mythology😂😭 I will scream it everywhere I love sister MJ

Who thought making “Aunt Flo” a character was ok LMAO

IF GRAN IS DEAD IM SUING OMG SJKJKJK

OH SHIT PLOT TWIST

Was not expecting that. what the fuck

And sister Mildred’s leaving aw 😭I’ll miss her

she’s like sister Evangelina but on another level lmaoo 

Why is she leaving mysteriously after her “work” is done like a magical movie nanny?  lollll

I guess this isn’t the best time to say it but this shuts down the speculations that Val had an abortion?

Ok Agnes is an ugly name but do you

this is so so sad 😭😭 this is why safe abortions need to accessible bc this is how it happens when it’s illegal

burning the fucking money, this is so heavy

They both have points tho so you can’t even point fingers at who is right or wrong in this situation. There’s no good or bad, it just is

Honestly the real one in the wrong here is the damn government who fails the state when they don’t give a damn about women and don’t provide access to legal & safe abortions and just overall make women (esp poor women)’s lives so freaking difficult !!

is Val going to call the cops? I know this isn’t the end of it

There’s Britain’s gold tho 😂

“We can never foretell when our fortunes will turn or when the story will change. Sometimes we see each other through fresh eyes and there’s no joy at all. We see what was concealed and what is shameful. We see what is true, and nothing familiar remains...”

Damn this was heartbreaking but also the best episode this weekend.

[totallypathet]

Episode 8

A rusical, okay! We like a rusical. Interesting how they've done it this year though, I don't think they've ever done a rusical where they weren't either singing live or lipsyncing to a pre-arranged track of vocals. Half of me thinks it would have been better if they'd just sung it live, but then I guess they couldn't have done the OTT choreo.

The rusical itself was a little weird, some of the writing was just odd, and the "jokes" really weren't that funny. Anyway, let's talk about it!

1. Denali

I was worried for Denali this week! It happens so often on this show where we see queens say "I don't understand why I've only been safe I have to really up my game this week" and then they promptly get the judges attention in all the wrong ways and get sent home. I also kind of think Rosé did her a massive favour by refusing to give her the role they fought over (I can't even remember the names, they were all bizarre), because I think Denali would have got so in her head about that role and just wouldn't have been able to let go and have fun like she did.

After the Anne Hathaway call though, she just seemed so much happier and more relaxed, and she kind of just went into it with a much better attitude and she killed it! She did an awesome job in the rusical, it was fun to see her play a sort of grungy, messy character because she's so polished usually. She did an amazing job, and she deserved to be in the top this week!

Her look for me was a little bit meh, I just wish the snake headpiece had been bigger and bolder. From a distance it kind of looked like noodles. But it was still good, she still looked great, and I'm proud of her!

2. Elliott

Why is Elliott still there? I don't get it. She should have gone last week, and then this week her performance was just okay, and her look was a worse version of Tina's.

She should have been lipsyncing for me, or at least in the bottom three! I don't get what they see in her.

3. Gottmik

Gottmik was great this week! I loved her performance, again it was fun watching her do something outside her comfort zone, she's not really known for being a dancer, so it was cool to see that. I really like that she really genuinely gave that her absolute best, like she knew she wasn't a great dancer but she worked really hard to get that choreography, and she did it great!

Her look was stunning, obviously! Gottmik and Symone are carrying the runway fashion this season. It was very cool, very conceptual, very Gottmik.

I dont know that I necessarily would have put her in the top this week. I think she was great, but I actually think Tina should have been in the top - which is something I never thought I'd say!

4. Kandy Muse

I feel like Kandy was mostly just unfortunate this week.

I think her recorded track was great - I did think there were to many vocal effects on it, but that's not really her choice, she can't blame her. I also think she's not a bad dancer, but I think she was thrown off to some extent by her wardrobe choices - the wig got in the way too much, and the skirt seemed to be a bit restricting, it just doesn't seem like she thought those choices through very well. It wasn't her best performance, but I also don't think it was a bad performance, which is kind of why I think she was just unfortunate.

Her runway this week I think was stunning. I feel like every week I say she's never looked prettier, but honestly this week she looked so pretty!! I loved the daisy's in her hair, and that long wig was so stunning with all that gorgeous fabric, I just loved it.

I think it's right that she was in the bottom, but again I don't think she did a bad job this week, I think she just delivered an average performance, when most of the other queens had a good performance.

5. Olivia Lux

Another great week for Olivia! She has such a stunning voice I was so excited to hear her do more singing. I kind of think she should have been in the tip three, but again I am biased, as an Olivia Stan 😂

My only real criticism of her this week was her outfit in the rusical? I get that she was a tech student, and I think she was just going for a casual look, it's just kind of unfortunate that it came off boring instead. I kind of wish she'd leaned into a more student look, and done like, stained sweatpants, and a really messy bun. Actually, it would have been really funny if, you know like you see art students with messy buns and a pencil through it? If she'd have done a messy bun and like a computer mouse through it or something! But overall her performance was incredible.

She always brings it on the runway as well, she brings these kind of pageant gowns, but in a really beautiful and modern way? I love it. I loved the big puff sleeve, I loved the fringe, she looked stunning.

6. Rosé

Rosé made me so happy this week! Her voice is so incredible, that Don't Rain on My Parade pastiche literally gave me chills! She is talented as hell, and I'm glad the judges are seeing it.

Her performance was really incredible - she's an incredible singer, and a great dancer - but I have a similar thing as Olivia about her outfit in the rusical? It just seemed like kind of an odd choice. I didn't get until like halfway through that she was meant to be like "the slutty friend", I just didn't really get that from her look. When the dress kept riding up it just looked like a mistake, you know what I mean? Again, it's a nitpick - they probably didn't have a whole lot of outfit choices for this challenge because they didn't know their roles before they came.

I loved her runway look as well! I loved the Mask reference, the only thing I wish is that she'd had a big hat, instead of that tiny fascinator. I'm so nitpick today, honestly! I just sort of wish she'd walked out with a big hat pulled right down and then revealed the green face when she hit the end of the runway. But that's just me! I did think it was stunning. I also don't think it was orange? Like it was the orange side of yellow, but it was definitely still yellow!

I'm really glad she won this challenge, she deserved it so much!

7. Symone

Symone had a bit of a rough week, and I feel for her. She really struggled with her vocals, and look not everyone is a singer, that's okay! But I can see how much she got I her head having seen other queens absolutely kill their vocals, and I think she just felt really insecure about it. I do kind of think it's unfair that they record their vocals in front of everyone else. When it's a team challenge, it makes sense, but when they're competing as individuals it just seems unfair and literally designed to make the queens who aren't singers feel bad!

Also, sidenote, they recors vocals in this huge, wide open runway room, that can't be good acoustics in which to record vocals, surely. In earlier seasons they seemed to use (at least something akin to) a recording studio? I'm confused.

Anyway, it was tough to watch this week, because she really did just get in her head about it, and it affected her whole performance. She wasn't having a good time, and that was rough. I do think part of the problem is that she was wearing sunglasses during the performance? When the audience can't see your eyes it's really difficult for them to connect with you while you're performing. It was just a shame.

Her runway look though! Honestly, her and Gottmik are going to need physio after carrying the whole of the fashion for season 13 on their backs! It was so stunning, that big coat, and the suspenders; she looked so cool and fashionable, I just immediately forgave the rest of her performance!

Unfortunately, I do think she deserved to be in the bottom this week, but I really hope she can pull back up to being the Symone we all know and love next week!

8. Tina Burner

I actually really liked Tina this week! I've been very underwhelmed with Tina this season, but I actually think she did a great job this week! I loved her very Liza Minelli rusical performance (and look), she was giving me that very old Broadway half talking, half singing; and I think it was great! Okay Michelle, she stopped lipsyncing like 2 seconds before the track when she died, but she really performed her track, and she sang it really well!

And then her runway look was great! It was campy, but it was also beautiful! It was fitted beautifully, it was cut beautifully, she looked stunning, the headlights on the tits was hilarious - and I noticed after the lipsync that those were actual lights! They actually lit up! So cute! And finally she wore something other than a red wig, and she looked so beautiful! Her face was gorgeous, the hair was perfect, it was great. So polished.

She did not at all deserve to be bottom three this week - especially not when Elliott with 3 Ks was safe.

9. Utica

I feel like my opinion on Utica goes up and down all the Time. Sometimes I think she's great, and other times I just feel kind of bored by her.

This week I was a little bored. I think she did well delivering that track, that's a tough vocal part. That's it.

Maybe that's not super fair. I just think her actual performance was a bit boring, and her facial expressions are genuinely becoming hard to watch. I am not looking forward to watching her lipsync when she lands in the bottom two.

I also hated hated hated her runway look this week. I know she was going for this medieval thing and she explained the cutout sides and all that, but it was ugly. And not even in a cool way of being ugly but fashionable, or so ugly that it's pretty; it was just fuck ugly.

I think it was right that she was safe, her performance was better than Kandy, Symone and Elliott, but her runway look was definitely the worst.

This week was kind of a weird one, because I really really didn't understand the judging criteria this week. I am still baffled that Elliott was safe, I'm baffled that she's still there at all, honestly. I'm also still shocked about Tina being in the bottom?! I don't get it.

I am kind of glad it was a double shantay this week - I just kind of feel like neither Kandy nor Symone actually did a bad enough job to go home this week.

Having said that, it is getting very tiring that there is still so many queens there! 8 episodes and only 4 queens have gone home? How long is this fucking series going to be???

[curlybitch]

Bakugou With an American Transfer Student Crush

You are the top of your class back at HiT (Hero industrial Teachings) also Known as Hit similar to how U.A is known as Yūei 

HiT is U.A’s sister school so they are more or less governed the same.

During your first year at your hero work studies, an older sidekick had taken interest in you

Hero student and Officially Licensed Hero relationships were banned. You could both get your licenses revoked.

You knew this of course and you had no interest in the sidekick anyway so you’d continued about your merry way.

Until the advances of said sidekick increased and rumors were spread about your relationship. Well, more specifically you. America is a pretty Toxic place to be at as well. With the abortion rights and women's rights in general. LGBTQA+ rights, Black lives matter movement. This along with the fact that they saw the Sidekicks potential is why they ruled in his favor.

The agency releases you because of this and sends a warning to the school

Your parent(s) are/is outraged and pull you out of school.

They file a lawsuit and win

They win a fuckton of money

From there the school board had extended an offer for you to join UA.

So you do

two weeks Later your boarding a plane. One way ticket to Japan

With the lawsuit money, your parents pay for your apartment as you seek to finish out your first year as a UA Student.

When you do arrive you're in awe

The campus is beautiful and your nothing short of astounded.

You meet a tall man who looks like a hobo who hasn’t slept in a hot minute and ask him if he’s okay in shaky Japanese.

He smiles at you, a deranged thing really and introduces himself as Class 1-A’s Homeroom teacher. The underground Hero Eraser Head.

You sweatdrop

Maybe UA’s Standards are lower than what you initially thought...

Inside the classroom

Word had gotten out about a new student joining them needless to say they were excited

The rat baby was practically frothing at the mouth to the thought of a hot American exchange student.

Most of them were just excited at the prospect of a new student

Bakugou though

Well he’s the reason I said most

He knows what it means for you h=to have left your school and then be SENT a letter from UA before even signing up

It means your powerful

And that means your competition

He hates you before you even walk through that door.

When you finally do walk in everyone is

Well

DAMN

Like yeah, they didn't really expect ugly and since you didn't have a uniform yet you were casually dressed. They were kind of confused

Halfway expected you to walk into that bitch in a cowboy outfit

SAD YEEHAW IN THE CHAT FOR A MOMENT ( ´･･)ﾉ(._.`)

Anyway you're just

You

They expected blonde hair and blue eyes. (And hey maybe they got it but...) Someone who fits into what The US marketed as their perfect.

And they got you

(EW)

Time Skipppppp

You've been part of 1-A for a while now and they’ve become a \great company

They're all just so sweet to you

Well maybe not rat baby but semantics

You like your classmates

There is one who's caught your attention though

His name is Bakuguo Katsuki and he's an Asshole

That's just your type though apparently

He's...Powerful

He'd pinned you in Training and you'd had all the breath knocked out of you because fuck he's beautiful

He Doesn't see Race, Gender, Age, or Sexuality. 

He sees opponents and he's never going easy on someone because of any of those things.

Maybe you love him

What if you do?

Your spiraling now

It's only been 2 months 1 week 3 days and 6 hours since you landed in Japan.

He's no better though

The power he hated before is...Captivating to him now

You're so fucking gorgeous and humble even when you deserve to brag

He just has one question

Who the fuck do you think you are? Stealing his heart like that...

Yeah that all I got Teehee~

Send a bitch a request 🥺 promise I don't bite