#I'm welcome to come back once I am able to go full time

[zwiebelii]

Hhhnnnggggghghhhh boss told me they're not renewing my contract at work

[cryptidghostgirl]

Yo can you do a part 3 of Cover Up where y/n is introduced to the rest of the members of the hotel.

A/N Yes?? I love me some fluff like that. I also had another request for a part three to this series but yours came in first so I am going to make that one a part four and because you didn't super specify anything you wanted besides intros, I am gonna spin this to line up with that request. I hope that is okay.

Cover Up pt. 3 (Alastor x Reader)

Pairing: Alastor x Reader

Previous Parts:

Cover Up (Human!Alastor x Human!Reader)

Cover Up pt. 2

Warnings: mentions of murder, Angel briefly flirts with you, jealous/minorly possessive Alastor. I think that is it, please correct me if I am wrong.

Word Count: 1,885

Master Lists:

Master Lists 

Hazbin Hotel Master List 

Alastor Master List

Click here and leave a comment if you want to be added to any taglists or send me an ask about it.

Once Alastor had given Y/n the full tour, she had absolutely insisted that she be allowed to meet the rest of the guests. Alastor could never say no to her and so, he had taken her by the arm and walked her back into the lobby. It did not come as a surprise to him that in the short time they had been away from the hotel's central area, Charlie had managed to set up a welcome party for his darling wife. Y/n on the other hand, gasped in shock when everyone jumped out from behind the various couches.

"I literally... okay, I have no clue who any of you are but thank you? This is so sweet? I..."

Before Alastor could do a thing about it, Y/n was whisked away from his gentle grasp by Charlie. The demon Princess brought Y/n to the center of the room, Alastor watching from the sidelines with crossed arms. She seemed to happy, so absolutely filled to the brim with joy. As much as he wanted to take her away from the crowd, to be alone with her, he allowed the party to occur. Her joy had always been his priority, first and foremost. There would be time.

"Everyone!" Charlie excitedly announced, "This is Y/n! She is going to be our newest guest. Our cook? Our newest maybe guest who is going to work as a cook."

Y/n laughed lightly at Charlie's confused words. She took a slight step forward.

"Hi everyone." she waved with a soft smile.

"Oh she's good." Angel Dust muttered and Husk elbowed him in the stomach, catching the glare Alastor had shot the spider demon's way.

"Ow!" Angel exclaimed, rubbing the spot the cat demon had hit as he turned to him, "What was that for?"

Y/n chuckled a bit uneasily, looking over at Alastor and his wide smile. Vaggie quickly stepped in, breaking the tension she felt slowly building in the group.

"I'm Vaggie." she announced in an unfounded and unexpected display of friendship, "Charlie is my girlfriend, we run the hotel together."

Y/n lit up at her words, shaking the hand Vaggie held out to her enthusiastically.

"I didn't realize she had a partner in all this! And in afterlife too, I guess. That's so sweet!"

Vaggie smiled, letting out a light laugh as Charlie stepped up behind her, placing her hands lovingly on her girlfriend's shoulders.

"She is just the best." Charlie warmly noted as Y/n and Vaggie released their clasped hands, "I wouldn't have been able to come this far without her or any of the other sinners we have working with us."

"I thought everyone else here were just guests." Y/n mused aloud and Charlie shook her head.

"No, no! We tried doing it on our own in the beginning... but then Alastor showed up. He brought along some friends and, well, he's really been such a help. We are so grateful to have him and them on our team."

Y/n shot her husband a sidelong glance, smirking mishceviously.

"You really know how to work magic, princess." she hummed, "Getting Al to be a team player? I'm impressed."

"Oh, no!" Charlie frantically waved her hands, desperate that Y/n not get any wrong impressions, "We didn't pressure him or anything, he showed up of his own accord, actually."

"Really." Y/n laughed lightly as she fixed her gaze back on Charlie, "Well, I'd love to meet these alleged 'friends' of his he brought along."

"Of course!" Charlie exclaimed, smiling brightly once again as she stepped to the side with Vaggie, "Husk is our bartender and Nifty is our maid. She was our cook too but, I suppose you'll be taking care of that now."

Husk nodded his head in polite recognition of the introduction Charlie had given him. Nifty on the other hand, was incapable of such restraint and, her curiosity getting the better of her, rushed up to Y/n. In a split second, she had climbed the demoness' body like a ladder and was perched on her shoulder, messing with her hair.

"You smell nice." she hummed, smiling and Y/n's cheeks flushed slightly pink.

"Why, thank you. That is very sweet of you to say."

"Will you help me in the war against the bugs too?"

"Come on, Nift." Angel sighed before Y/n could respond as he walked over to the pair and grabbed the smaller demon, "Don't freak her out."

Nifty made grabby arms towards Y/n as Angel lifted her into the air and Y/n's smile only widened at the sight.

"No, please don't worry. You didn't freak me out, Nifty. I am actually looking forward to working with you, I like your enthusiasm." Y/n sent Nifty a wink and the little demon's smile grew as her feet found solid ground again.

She shot a look up at Angel, nodding her approval as Y/n fixed her gaze on the spider demon as well.

"And you are...?" she prompted and Angel immediately fell into character.

Stepping forward, he leaned down towards her, running a hand through his hair while resting one of his elbows on her shoulder.

"Angel Dust is the name, but you can call me whatever you want."

He expected her to be flustered, to at least blush a bit. He waited for her to take a step back or even to be teased or jabbed the way Husk did when he was like this, but nothing of the sort came. Instead, Y/n's eyes glinted in the light, narrowing with intended mischief.

"Oh yeah?" she asked, taking a step closer to him and batting her eyes oh so prettily.

"I... uh..." Angel stuttered, completely taken aback.

Y/n dissolved into a fit of laughter, hands clutching at her stomach as she doubled over.

"I'm sorry!" she wheezed, "I couldn't help myself. I'm actually taken."

"You are?" Angel asked, growing more confused as she straightened back up, wiping a stray tear from her eye.

In a split second, Alastor was behind Y/n, his claws wrapping around her shoulders.

"She is." he replied and though his voice was calm and even, it sent shivers down Angel's spine.

Angel took a step back, scratching the back of his head as he looked away in discomfort.

"Oh, uh, sorry. Didn't realize you and the strawberry pimp here were an item."

"Strawberry..." Y/n laughed again, craning her neck to look up at Alastor behind her back, "I am not letting you live that one down."

Angel smiled, regaining his composure and placing his hands on his hips.

"Oh yeah? You shoulda heard what that girl who was in here a few days ago called him. 'Tall dark and creepy' was it?"

"And what girl might that be?" Y/n asked after a moment, crossing her arms over her chest as she sidled her way out of Alastor's grip, turning to face him.

"Mimzy." Husk answered before Alastor could reply, "She's just some lowlife who always hangs around when she needs Alastor to take care of some trouble she's caused."

Y/n let out a gasp.

"Mimz is here?" she asked excitedly, bouncing on her toes.

"She's here, darling." Alastor replied, "But she is no longer welcome in the hotel. Caused quite a bit of trouble for us when she visited after all, can't have her ruining my newest project."

"Well, can we go visit her? I miss her so much!"

"You know her?" Charlie asked, her voice laced with confusion.

Y/n turned to face Charlie, nodding intently.

"Yeah, she introduced us actually."

"Introduced certainly is a word for it." Alastor admitted and Y/n chuckled.

"Back when we were alive, she used to throw these 'singles parties.' As it turned out, Al and I both were using them as a hunting ground so to speak. When we met, he offered to walk me home and then pulled a knife on me. Of course, I already had my gun trained on him so we found ourselves in a bit of a sticky situation. It was so romantic." Y/n wistfully replied.

"Uh, yeah." Angel laughed, "Romantic. That's the word."

"So you guys knew each other when you were alive?" Vaggie asked.

"Yeah, we did." Y/n nodded, "You guys can ask whatever but first, I think there is one more person I have yet to meet?"

She turned expectantly towards Sir Pentious who up until this point had been standing quietly near the back of the group. At the redirection of the rooms attention, he felt his cheeks grow warm.

"This, Y/n, is our other guest." Charlie announced, gesturing towards the snake demon with an outstretched hand.

"Sir Pentious." he bowed lightly, "It is an honor to meet a demon as... as stunning as yourself."

There was a heartbeat, a single tense moment of silence. Then Y/n laughed, waving him off cheerily.

"Oh you, what a charmer."

"So you guys knew each other when you were alive? And you're... you're together?" Angel cut in, drawing Y/n's attention back to him as he lead her by her arm over to the bar.

They sat down beside one another, Husk slipping behind the counter and pouring them each a drink.

"Yep." Y/n replied, downing her drink and meeting Angel's eyes.

"How?" he prompted after a moment and Y/n laughed.

By now the rest of the gang had brought themselves over to where the pair sat and were listening intently. Alastor stood near the edge of the group, all the seats near his beloved having been snatched up before he had the chance. He crossed his arms over his chest, his patience beginning to wear thin.

Nearly one hundred years. It had been a lifetime since they had seen one another and the brief tour of the hotel he had given Y/n earlier was not enough to satiate the rabid hunger in his chest. Still, for her, he tried.

"Well, it was a ruse at first. Just a partnership. I watched for cops and he provided me with the brute strength I lacked. We were actually in the middle of chasing down one of his victims when he finally asked me out."

"You were a killer?" Pentious asked, enthralled.

"I was." Y/n nodded, "Until Al died and I was under too much suspicion to do so anymore."

"So you..." Charlie trailed off, counting on her fingers in deep concentration.

"Have been married for a hundred years give or take? Yep."

"Wait, hold on!" Angel exclaimed, "Married?"

"Did Charlie not tell you anything? More importantly, did Al never talk about me?"

Y/n raised her eyebrows, meeting her husband's gaze across the crowd. Alastro looked away, nearly bashful under her persistent gaze. It was Husk's turn to step in now, taking a sip of his own drink as he leaned across the bar.

"Alastor has enjoyed keeping his secrets." he candidly stated, "But there were one or two times he drank a little too much and let your name slip."

Alastor glared at Husk and Y/n grinned at her husbands reaction to the revelation.

"Always the troublemaker, that one but, god, do I love him."

-----

Next Part -> coming soon

Tags:

@willowshadenox @i-love-jafar @elfyeet @reader3 @lazygirlfanfic0-0@kahlan170@wendyphan01203-blog @fairyv-ice @clarakainda @lunaramune @mcueveryday @luxky-aish @peterpankat @corvid007

[joelmillerisapunk]

Beach Daddy III. I can do it with a broken heart

Rich daddy!Joel x F!reader

Series Masterlist • Masterlist

Wordcount: 12,532

Summary: After a day of emotional turmoil, you find solace in a chance encounter with Joel, who invites you to his secret deck.

Warnings: 18+, Joel and reader get closer, Todd does fuckboy things, reader really goes through it in this one, it's like a lil baby soap opera up in here for everyone.

Notes: Welcome, welcome, dear friends. Sorry this is so long. I never know where to end the chapters 😂 so I just add more. Your comments, asks, and reblogs are always so welcome! I appreciate everyone who's in this with me.

You walk out of Amorebelle with light pink clothing bags weighing down each arm, wearing a new outfit. You can't remember a time when you've gotten this many new clothes at once. You also find it hard to wrap your head around the fact that these clothes cost more than you make in an entire year.

The saleswomen Jane and McKenzie won't let you look at the price tags, but as they're ringing up your picks, you catch a glimpse of the total on the computer screen. You can't help but wonder how you'll ever be able to pay Joel back for this shopping trip. 

You also can't help but wonder how often he does this for women.

Jane, who's worked at the shop the longest, had recognized him when you walked in the door. You don't have time to contemplate this because you notice a maid you recognize from the yacht. She makes her way to you and starts relieving you of your bags. You make sure to keep the bag with your dress and shoes for the evening.

"Miss, I was told to take these to your room on the ship while you are at your appointment," the maid tells you.

"What appointment?" you ask her, confused.

"You have an appointment at the salon three stores up.”

"Did Joel set this up for me?" you ask, feeling even more surprised.

"Yes, ma'am," the maid says with a smile.

You're glad that the boutique you've been shopping in has a shower where you're able to rinse off before this appointment. They must be used to sandy beachgoers coming in right before a night out.

You make your way up the street and stop at the salon with floor-to-ceiling glass windows. From the outside, you can see the row of chairs, each in front of its own mirror.

You walk in, and the man at the front desk assures you that you do, in fact, have an appointment, full hair, and makeup, which is all prepaid.

The receptionist walks you back to your stylist, an attractive man whose hair color matches yours. "What do you have in mind today, sweetheart," your stylist asks you.

"I'm honestly not sure. Can I leave it up to you?" you ask.

"That's my favorite request," he says as he runs his fingers through your hair. "Your natural coloring is gorgeous, obviously, I am not going to touch that. So, I'm thinking a quick trim and a blowout."

He has your hair and makeup done within an hour, and you barely recognize yourself in the mirror. You're amazed that your hair is perfectly smooth, with not a single strand of frizz to be found. You gently run your fingers through your hair and can't believe how soft it is.

"What do you think?" the stylist asks you. He hands you a small mirror and turns you in the chair so you can get a better view of the back of your hair.

"Is this really my hair?" you ask, holding up the smaller mirror.

"Of course, sweetheart. You look amazing," he says with a smile.

"I didn't know I could love my hair this much.” You admit.

"So, go enjoy it!" he says with a huge smile.

"I will. I love it. Thank you so much," you say enthusiastically.

You walk out of the salon's front door in your midnight blue silk dress with shining hair, and you feel amazing. For the first time since the breakup, you feel like you can do a whole lot better than Todd.

"All I can say is wow," says Joel. He's been waiting for you outside of the salon.

"I hardly recognize myself," you say with a laugh.

"I wasn't commenting on the dress or your hair. I was impressed by your confidence. It looks good on you darlin," Joel says, looking you up and down unabashedly.

You feel your cheeks get hot. You don't understand how Joel always says exactly what you need to hear.

"But, I do have to admit I was right about that dress; it does look amazing on you," Joel says with a wink.

"I don't know how to thank you–" but Joel cuts you off before you can finish thanking him.

"Please, you don't need to finish what you were about to say. You deserved it. Simple as that."

"Okay," you say with a smile. "Well, then I just want you to know that today has been the best day I have had in a long time." You like that Joel isn't the kind of man who gives gifts because he likes the praise that follows.

"The restaurant is just a few blocks over. I can call for a ride," he says, pulling out his phone.

"Yeah, we could get a ride over," you say and grab his phone. "But, it's such a beautiful night; why don't we walk?" It is a beautiful night, but if you're being honest with yourself, you want to walk to soak up as much time alone with Joel as you can.

Joel smiles and offers you his arm. You notice his new suit jacket goes perfectly with your new dress. You bite your lip to keep yourself from asking if he picked it on purpose, but you secretly hope he had.

"This town is beautiful; I'm surprised that it isn't busier," you say, looking up at the bistro lights strung across the streets in a zig-zag pattern. The light is just barely fading, and the cool breeze catches the slit in your dress, making the end lightly flutter around your ankles as you walk.

"It is a well-kept secret," Joel says.

"For the rich and famous?" you ask.

"Well, kinda, but the locals who live here are what make this place so amazing. The restaurant we’re headed to has some of the best food I've ever eaten. But the chef is just a local man who perfected his art form. Never went to culinary school; just cooked because he loved it."

"How do you know all that about him?" you ask.

"My family has vacationed here for as long as I can remember. When I got tired of listening to my parents argue, I would go exploring the island. I’ve gotten to know a lot of the locals over the years," he explains.

You walk up to a building with a large illuminated sign reading The Coastal Hibiscus. The restaurant has a large deck area with a perfect view of the ocean. As you make your way up the front steps, you drop your hand from Joel's arm, not wanting Sarah to get the wrong idea.

You arrive at the restaurant last, finding the entire party already seated. As you enter, the conversation slows, and Todd's gaze locks onto you, a sense of satisfaction washing over you from the look on his face.

Only two seats remain, so you sit between Alison and Hudson. Joel takes a seat directly across from you, next to his daughter.

"I love that dress on you, by the way." Alison says with a little smile.

"Thanks," you reply as the waiter distributes menus.

"Where did you take off to? I haven't seen you since you went with Sarah's dad to find the dolphins," Alison asks.

"Oh, we never found them, so we just drove around for a long time looking for them," you lie, staring intently at the menu. You don't want to share the details of the intimate day you spent with Joel.

"That's too bad," Alison says, joining the group's conversation about where everyone plans to 'winter' that year.

You continue to look at your menu, overwhelmed by the number of choices. Finally, you look up to see Joel staring at you. You silently mouth 'What should I get?' across the table.

He smiles at you and mouths back 'The lobster.'

When the food arrives, you're grateful for his suggestion. His choice is amazing; the lobster is cooked so well that it feels like it melts in your mouth.

You sit peacefully sipping a glass of wine and listening to the group's conversation, stealing glances at Joel. The waiter brings around dessert menus, and you order a slice of cheesecake, one of your favorites.

A few minutes later, the waiter sets a piece of cheesecake in front of you, and placed delicately in the whipped cream is a stunning cushion cut diamond engagement ring. Your breath catches in your throat, and your heart stops. As you try to make sense of what's happening, you hear Todd whisper angrily to the waiter, "No, not her!"

No one seems to notice the mix-up, and a few seconds later, the engagement ring cheesecake is placed in front of Sarah instead. Her small squeak alerts the rest of the table to what's going on.

"Sarah, will you make me the luckiest man in the world? Will you marry me," Todd says, down on one knee next to Sarah.

"Of course, I will." Sarah immediately answers. She jumps up and hugs Todd, all the while letting out ear-piercing squeals.

You look across the table and see Joel's eyes locked on you. Did he see them place the ring in front of you and your reaction to it? 

The restaurant feels like it's closing in around you. You have to get out. You quietly slide your chair away from the table, leaving your ringless cheesecake untouched, and walk out into the open air. You start walking toward the ocean; the water has turned from a vibrant blue to an ominous black. The glassy surface reflects the light of the moon, which sits alone in the sea of darkness. 

You continue walking, your feet aching in the heels, but to your relief, you recognize the yacht docked in a nearby marina. The crew must have sailed over to this marina to drop off the rest of the group while Joel and you were in the shops. So you make your way towards it. However, even before you reach the docks, the tears have already started falling down your face. You wipe them away quickly, not wanting to stain your new dress. The sound of footsteps behind you has you hurrying to the yacht. Whoever is following you, you do not want to speak to them–not now.

Not even if it's Joel.

—

 "Todd, I'm so glad we finally get to spend some time together. It seems like I barely get to see you anymore. I'm so sorry I've been so busy," you said, smiling at your fantastic boyfriend. You really missed him, but with graduation so close, you had to put all of your efforts into studying.

"I'm glad you finally found some time for me," Todd said in a flat tone. You guessed you deserved that, but the comment still stung.

"Where do you want to go eat? I heard there’s a great new sushi place just a few blocks over," you said, trying to switch the mood to a more positive one.

"Yeah, that works," Todd muttered as he pulled out his phone to send a text.

You started walking over, but you couldn't help but feel like something was off, and you relaxed as Todd's fingers locked with yours.

"So, how’s work going?" you asked. Todd had graduated with his Bachelor's degree the year before and started working for his dad's financial firm after that.

"It's been great. You would not believe some of the people I help with their investments. Every single one of them was a millionaire before they were thirty. That is going to be me; just you wait."

"I know you will be, Todd," you said as the hostess showed you to your table. "If anyone can make it happen, you will."

"It wouldn't hurt to have a rich wife. Then, we'd become millionaires together," Todd said and smiled at you. He had always been so proud of the fact that you were working towards being a lawyer. You were so relieved that he recognized your time studying was for your future together.

The waiter walked over to your table and asked if you were ready to order. Todd ordered multiple plates of sushi, and then the waiter turned to you.

"I'll have an order of the California rolls and a water," you handed the menu back to the waiter and looked up to see Todd with a strange expression on his face.

"California rolls?" Todd asked as the waiter walked away.

"It's the best deal on the menu. I'm saving for my books. I don't know if I’ll be able to qualify for another loan," you said, slightly defensive. You knew Todd hated how cheap you were, but you had to be if you were going to be able to afford to put yourself through school. You knew he didn't understand; his dad paid for his education.

Todd pulled out his phone again and sent another text. You tried not to let it bother you; it was probably something for work.

You spent the rest of dinner talking about the different investments Todd was making on others' behalf and how one of his clients had just purchased their first private island.

"I'm going to run to the restroom before we head out," Todd said and got up, not realizing he had left his phone sitting face up on the table.

As soon as he walked away, his screen lit up with a text message. All you could see from where you sat was the contact name, 'Her.' Your heart sank.

The screen went black, and you took a deep breath. Todd walked back from the restroom, smiling at you.

"You ready to go?" he asked you as he made it to your table.

"Absolutely."

"Why don't we catch a movie?" Todd asked, grabbing your hand again as you walked out of the restaurant.

"Sure. What do you want to go see?”

—

You slam the door of your room and rest your back against it, catching your breath. You had to get away from whoever was following you out of the restaurant. You can't face anyone after witnessing Todd's engagement to someone else. You take a few minutes to catch your breath, and when a soft knock on the door vibrates your back, you ignore it. The person doesn't knock again.

Your dress clings to your sweaty body, and you want nothing more than to take it off. You slip off the midnight blue silk gown and drape it over the chair in front of the vanity. Noticing the pink garment bags already hung neatly in your closet, you secretly wish that you fit in this world, this world of money. But you know deep down that you don't.

You walk past all of the new clothes and throw back on your usual attire of shorts and a T-shirt; you can't get comfortable in the fancy clothes. You make your way over to your bed and throw yourself on the comforter. Burying your face in the pillow and let the tears come. You cry until your eyes burn. You sit up in bed and wonder where everything went wrong with Todd and you. You had truly been in love with him. You had planned a future together, and even though he never spoke directly of marrying you, you always assumed it would happen one day. So when the waiter placed his engagement ring in front of you perched on a pillow of whipped cream, it hurt even more.

Your roommate had been suspicious of Todd cheating on you for months before you read that text. You went on pretending your relationship was stable, even though deep down, you suspected him, too, especially after the incident at the sushi restaurant.

You didn't confront him about the text until weeks later. He denied everything at first, saying it was his father's receptionist. She was a bitter older woman who was not the kind of woman you wanted to cross. He put the receptionist in his phone as 'her' as a joke.

You knew he was lying, but you were okay to keep on pretending. That was until you caught him texting 'her' again, right in front of you. Then, you exploded, and you got into your worst fight. He finally came clean that it was a woman he met at your birthday party. 

He swore he wasn't cheating and that she was just a friend. You promised that you would work it out even if he was cheating on you, but he wasn't interested in that. He was no longer interested in you. He broke up with you the very next day.

With the memories replaying in your mind, you jump out of bed and run to the balcony. You breathe in quick gasps of the cold sea air. You just realized that you had invited Sarah to your birthday party. Todd had met her there, and they had been in contact ever since. Sarah told you that she'd been dating Todd for four months, but your birthday party was eight months ago. So Todd had been pursuing Sarah for eight months while he was still pretending to be faithful to you.

'It wouldn't hurt to have a rich wife; then we'd become millionaires together.' Todd's words ring through your memories. He hadn't been talking about you becoming a lawyer and the two of you becoming wealthy together. He had been talking about marrying Sarah, an heiress. This had been his plan all along. 

This night of realization has your head hammering, and you need to calm down. So you walk back into your room, slip on your shoes, and walk out your door. You’re going to go out to the bar on the deck and make yourself a drink. The lights on the deck are already out, but you quickly realize you’re not there alone.

"Oh, Todd!" Sarah moans.

"You are so damn sexy!"

Two shadowy figures are pressed together in the pool, waves rippling around them, and you quickly realize you have just interrupted Sarah and Todd's after-engagement celebration. You immediately freeze on the spot.

Their moans grow louder, and you try to retreat before either of them sees you. Unfortunately, you don't notice the lounge chair behind you in the dark and topple over it in your rush to get away. You land flat on your back, and all the air is knocked out of your lungs.

"What the hell? Who's there?" Todd's voice yells behind you.

You pray it’s too dark for them to see or recognize you. Then, you start crawling back towards the door, and as soon as you think you are out of sight, you stand up quickly and run. Once you get through the door, you keep running down the hall, the tears stinging your eyes. You are humiliated, heartbroken, and defeated.

You get to a set of stairs and immediately start climbing as many floors as you can. You have to get as far away from the pool as possible. It’s  bad enough knowing Todd is sleeping with Sarah, possibly for eight months, but to see it first hand is too much.

You end up in front of an elevator, and just as you stop to catch your breath, the doors slide open.

"Hey darlin? Are you okay?"

It's Joel. All you want to do is to run into his arms and feel his warmth surround you. But instead, you simply nod and turn to walk away. How could you possibly explain what you just witnessed? Sarah is still his daughter.

"I don't believe you. Somethin’ is wrong. I came to check on you earlier.”

—

Joel hands you a glass of red wine, and you follow him out onto his private deck. The elevator has led up to his room, and Joel, noticing your state, invites you up.

You lean over the railing and swirl the wine in the glass.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Joel asks with a note of concern in his voice.

"Nothing happened; I was just tired," you reply.

"You were so tired that you ran all the way back to the yacht?" Joel asks, clearly not believing you.

You don't say anything and take a small sip of your wine.

"And in the hallway just now? You seemed pretty upset," Joel says.

"I promise, I'm fine, but thank you," you say, trying to muster up a small smile.

Joel does not look convinced, but he lets the topic go. You both stand looking over the ocean for a long time in complete silence. The yacht has left the small island, and so the waves are bubbling lazily behind the propellers.

"When do we make port again?" you ask, finally breaking the silence.

"Tomorrow," Joel replies.

"I’m gonna miss you, Joel," you say quietly.

"What are you talking about, darlin?" Joel says as his eyebrows knit together in concern.

"I'm going to catch a flight back to New York tomorrow.”

Joel stares at you for a long time after saying that you’ll be leaving when you get to port the next day. Or at least you hope you will be. You don't even know where you will be, let alone if there is an airport or a ticket home you can afford.

"I would really hate to see you go, darlin," Joel says with a serious look on his face.

"I think it's for the best," you answer softly.

"The best for you?" he asks. You stay quiet for a long time. Are you deciding what is best for you and/or running from your problems?

"I don't know… " you answer truthfully.

You take another small sip of the wine Joel had poured you and watch the liquid as you swirl it around in your glass.

"You know wine always tastes better in the sauna," Joel says, watching you.

You turn to him, "That does sound nice, but I’m sure the staff who work the spa have already gone to bed."

"Well, good thing the sauna is in my bathroom," he says as the corners of his mouth ease into a smile.

"You have a sauna in your bathroom?" you ask, impressed.

"Of course, so what do you say?"

"I'm not really dressed for a sauna," you gesture down to your shorts and T-shirt.

"I have a robe that you can borrow unless you'd rather go without." Joel winks and starts walking away to grab the robe.

"So what else do you have up here all to yourself?" you ask, liking the distraction from the mess of a night you've been through.

—

You walk through a large sitting room, a bedroom with the biggest bed you've ever seen, and then finally to the bathroom. Joel calling the tub in his bathroom a soaking tub is an understatement; it's more like a small swimming pool sunken in the middle of the floor.

"You can get changed here." Joel leads you into an extravagant walk-in closet, complete with a large vanity table and chaise lounge. He hangs a white cotton robe on a hook next to the door, making it the only garment in the empty closet. You realize Joel's room must include his and her's closets, but Joel has no use for this one.

You undress down to nothing and slip the buttery soft robe over your skin. You could live in this robe. There are definitely some amazing perks to being rich. You walk out of the closet, and Joel is waiting for you in a matching cotton robe.

"See, it's a perfect fit," he says.

"I don't even want to know how much one of these robes costs," you say. 

Joel laughs a little at your comment. "The sauna is through this door here," Joel says and pushes the door next to him open, holding it for you to enter first.

You don't know what you've been expecting when Joel had said he had a sauna in his bathroom, but the sauna you walk into is more than you could have ever imagined.

Every inch of the room is covered in light wood. The benches look as though they conform perfectly to your body and are accented with white pillows. The steam is warm and envelops you as soon as you walk into the room. However, the most breathtaking part of the sauna is the floor-to-ceiling window. It makes it feel like the sauna is open to the ocean itself, and the dark water reflecting the dim light of the room is extremely romantic.

"How do you ever leave?" you ask after a few speechless seconds.

Joel laughs again and takes a seat in the center of the bench, staring out into the dark water. You sit next to him and realize you might be too close, so you try to scoot away subtly.

"I don't bite, darlin."

You laugh awkwardly but remain close enough to feel the heat of his body next to yours. You close your eyes and try to let go of the evening. You think about watching the dolphins swimming in the cove while Joel sits next to you on the jet ski.

"You look like you're feeling a little better," Joel whispers.

"I am. This is exactly what I needed." You pause for a few seconds and add, "You keep saving me today."

"You've saved me on this trip too. Can I tell you a secret?" he asks, leaning in closer to you.

"Of course," you answer, and your heart starts beating faster.

"The rest of Sarah's friends drive me insane."

"That's your secret?" you bump his shoulder with yours. "That’s a really weak secret. They drive me insane too."

"If that’s not a secret, then tell me a better one," he says.

"What kind of secret?"

"Tell me why you’re leaving tomorrow?" he asks and looks into your eyes.

You pause, considering if you should tell him the truth, but he is getting Todd as a son-in-law. So you choose a different path.

"I can't afford to stay," you say finally. Taking Joel's silence as confusion, you elaborate, "I'm completely broke. I've put all of my money into school. I work as a bartender and live off of my tips and ramen noodles."

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand why that means you need to leave tomorrow," Joel says somberly.

That’s a fair point; Sarah and her father have paid for absolutely everything.  It isn't costing you anything to stay on this once-in-a-lifetime vacation. You need to come up with a reason to leave before he sees through the holes in your story.

"I have to get back to New York, get ready to move to Cambridge, and find a job there before the semester starts. I only have a few weeks of living costs saved up." This is partly true; you do need to do all of those things, but going back early would actually complicate things for you. You can't move into your new apartment in Cambridge until two weeks before the semester starts. So going back early would just mean you'd sit in your old apartment with nothing to do. Plus, if you went back early, you would have a few more weeks of expenses to take care of, and you already quit your job.

"What if I could help you find a new position in Cambridge?" Joel asks.

"What do you mean?" you ask, surprised.

"I have some connections in Cambridge; if I helped you get a few interviews, would you be able to stay longer?"

You can't find any words to respond. You've been really worried about what you would do for work when you got to Cambridge. You don't know anyone there and planned on spending the two weeks before the semester handing in resumes at different restaurants.

"You would do that for me?" you ask.

"Absolutely. I’ll make some calls in the morning. You don't have to stay, but I would enjoy your company if you did. The Bahamas are beautiful this time of year. I don't want you to miss it."

"Okay, I'll stay," you say quietly. "Thank you, Joel."

You can't believe this man's kindness to you. If it's important to Joel that you stay on the trip, then you will figure out how to deal with Todd and Sarah for a little while longer.

"I'm glad to hear it," he says with a smile.

The sky starts to lighten in the early morning hours, so you stand and tell him, "I should head back down to my own room and get some rest."

"Probably a good idea," he says and follows you out of the sauna.

You go back into the massive closet and change back into your clothes, hanging the robe back on the hook. You walk back out into the main room, and Joel is waiting for you, still in his robe.

"Let me walk you down."

"That's really okay. You’ve done so much for me already," you say.

"How long will you stay?"

"I'm not sure. At least another week." You smile at Joel and walk out the door.

***

Joel shuts the door behind you as you walk down the hall. He's relieved that he convinced you to stay for at least another week, but he knows there's something else that's the real cause for you being so upset tonight.

He knows that you're not part of Sarah's usual friend group, but after talking to you tonight, he's confused about how you're even friends at all. You clearly have big goals and work hard to see them happen. Sarah doesn't have any goals other than becoming an 'influencer.'

The thought of you working at every spare moment to put yourself through school makes his stomach twist at how badly he's spoiled Sarah. You deserve so much better than to be just scraping by. He would do anything he could to help you find something better. Hell, he would have offered to pay for your tuition, too, if he thought you would accept it.

Joel pulls out his phone and sends an email to the connection he has at a law firm in Cambridge. He's done some business with them in the past and figures it would be a much better fit for you than making people drinks. With how much business he's given the firm, he knows he can at least get you an interview.

On his home screen, there's a notification of a phone call from his financial advisor, Alester, that he missed while he was in the sauna with you. Alester never calls at this hour, so he knows something is wrong. Joel calls him back immediately, waiting impatiently to hear his voice on the other end.

“Joel, I am so sorry for the early hour," Alester says.

“No need to apologize; what's going on?" He asks urgently.

“I am afraid it is not good news.”

“Just tell me, Alester," he says, doing his best not to get impatient with the man. He's worked for Joel for years, and Joel trusts him with his life. There's an infuriatingly long pause on Alester's end. He sighs before he finally responds. “Blaine is back, sir."

***

The sun is streaming through the glass doors of the balcony as you finally open your eyes. Your head is pounding from a lack of sleep and caffeine. You want to order coffee up to your room, but you need to shower too badly to wait. After running all the way to the yacht and then sitting in the sauna with Joel, you are salty with dried sweat. You probably should have showered last night, but, after reaching your room in the early morning hours, you collapsed on the bed and had fallen asleep in your clothes.

You walk into the bathroom, expecting to look like a mess from all the events of the night, your clothes are extremely wrinkled, but you are surprised to see your hair still looks flawless. "I wish I could afford to get a blowout more often," you say to your reflection, pulling on a few strands as you admire the style.

You put your hair up and step into the hot water of the shower, washing off the previous day. You stand under the steaming water until you are getting a little dizzy from the heat. As you stand there, you can't help but think about Joel. He's been so kind to you, and you can't help but wonder if there's a chance he wants more from your relationship than what one would typically expect between a man and a friend of his daughter's. You shake your head. You can't allow yourself to think that way. Joel lives in a world you know nothing about. Not only is he much older than you, he is also Sarah's dad. Besides, he can have any woman he wants. Why would he want you?

Returning your thoughts to reality, you finish rinsing your hair and turn off the water. You wrap a towel around yourself, and make your way back into the bedroom to cool down.

The screen of your phone is illuminated, so you pick it up and lounge back on the bed. You have several notifications from the group chat between you and your roommates, Aubrey and Lin. You know you need to let them know what's going on.

Aubrey: Hey? Are you still alive? We haven't heard from you in days.

Lin: Maybe she finally found herself a rebound, and that’s why she’s too busy for us. My guess is a sexy pool boy!

You: Sorry, you two. Signal has been spotty. A sexy pool boy, Lin? Is that your guess or your fantasy?

Lin: I think a sexy pool boy should be everyone’s fantasy. ‘Pool boy, refresh my drink, and while you are at it, come rub me down with some tanning lotion.’

Aubrey: Lin, you’re the reason I can’t let Gianni read our group messages!

Lin: Sorry, we aren’t as lucky as you to have an amazing boyfriend who kisses the ground we walk on. Some of us have to use our imaginations.

You: I miss you two so much! I wish you were here with me.

Aubrey: How is everything going? Is the boat as big as we are imagining?

You: Honestly, it is probably bigger than you’re imagining. It’s not so much a boat as it is a super yacht. The bathroom in my room is as big as our entire apartment, and I’m just in a guest room. I have my own private balcony! Oh, and yesterday, I got to see a pod of dolphins!

Lin: Dolphins? How cool! I wish I had a rich friend who took me on expensive vacations.

You: Yeah, it sounds good in theory, but in reality, that rich friend was the one sleeping with my boyfriend for months.

Aubrey: Sarah was the one Todd was cheating on you with?! Why didn’t you lead with that?

You: Oh, that’s not even the worst part. Todd is here on the yacht too. We had already left port when I found out, so I’ve been stuck here with him.

Lin: No way! What the hell did that scumbag have to say for himself when he saw you?

You: Well, he pretended not to know who I am, and I went along with it.

Aubrey: I’m so sorry!

Lin: Why didn’t you call him out?

You: I probably should have, but I didn’t want to make things awkward. Like I said before, I am literally stuck on a boat with these people. Plus, Sarah clearly doesn’t know. I didn’t want to hurt her.

Aubrey: That makes sense. Maybe she will dump him before things get too serious.

You: Oh, one more thing, they got engaged at dinner last night. I had a front row seat for the entire thing. And then their after party.

Aubrey: Are you okay? Do you need me to come get you? I don’t know exactly how I would find you, but you know I would figure it out.

You: Thanks Aubrey, but I’m okay.

Lin: Shit, this is really messed up. What do you mean by ‘you had a front row seat to their after party?’

You: I walked out to the pool deck and caught them having sex in the pool. Then I tripped over a deck chair trying to get out of there.

Lin: Did they catch you?

You: I still don’t know. I really hope not. I don’t know how I would show my face in front of either of them again if they did.

Aubrey: How did Todd even meet Sarah? It’s not like your social circles mix very well.

You: I was thinking about that a lot last night. I am pretty sure that they met at my birthday party.

Lin: So you're telling me when we were all celebrating you, Todd was off hitting on someone else?

You: Pretty much. I’m realizing a lot about who Todd really is. I think his whole plan was to find someone rich. I was thinking about it last night. I remember that towards the end of our relationship, he made lots of comments about how poor I am.

Aubrey: You’re not poor! You’re a college student just trying to make it through school.

Lin: Isn’t Sarah the one who dropped out sophomore year to become an influencer?

You: Yes, that is Sarah. She does actually have a big social media following. And as you both know, she comes from a lot of money.

Lin: Well, that’s pretty easy when you can buy whatever you want and post pictures of yourself on your dad’s billion dollar yacht.

Aubrey: So how long until you get back?

You: I think I’m staying another week. We’re sailing to the Bahamas. I was told that we will make port tonight.

Lin: Well, that sounds amazing. Do you know what you’re going to be doing?

You: I’m not sure yet. I’ll have to ask Joel what has been planned.

Lin: Oh, who is Joel?

You: Joel is just a friend.

Aubrey: I’m glad to hear at least you’re making friends. Then you have a way to escape from Sarah and Todd.

Lin: Me too. Any pool boys?

You: Haha Lin! Very funny. No, I have not made friends with any of the pool boys.

Lin: Well, maybe you should. There is no better way to get over someone than getting under someone.

Aubrey: I hate to say it, but I agree with Lin. Go get some! There have to be some island hotties at one of your stops.

You: I can’t believe you two. I have to go. Someone is knocking at my door. I miss you two so much!

Chuckling at the antics of your two best friends, you set your phone down on the bedside table, smiling to yourself. It's good to know that you have at least two friends you can count on for anything.

You wrap your towel tight around you and check the peephole in the door, relieved to see a maid at your door and not someone else since you're not even dressed yet. You open the door and are surprised to see she's holding a tray and a box in her arms.

"Good morning, Miss," the maid says with a friendly smile on her face.

Confused, you return her smile but look suspiciously at the items she's holding. "Good morning. I think there may have been a mix-up. I didn't call down for anything."

"Don't worry. There was no mix-up," she assures you, taking a step through the open door. "Where would you like me to set this?" she asks.

You open the door wider and let her in to set the tray down on the table. She sets the box gently on the bed and turns to exit, still smiling at you.

"Do you know who sent this?" you ask, tracking the woman with your eyes as she steps away from the bed. However, she does not answer your question. Instead, she continues to proceed to the door with a small knowing smile on her face that makes you wonder what she knows that you don't.

"Have a good day, Miss," she says, giving a small head nod as she flashes you one last grin.

"Thank you," you say and close the door behind her.

You make your way over to the tray first. Lifting the cover, you find a stack of pancakes and a side of bacon and eggs. There's also a small pot of coffee and a fluffy pastry. Your mouth is already watering at the sight of the food, and you inhale deeply, closing your eyes and imagining how good it will all taste, but you replace the cover.

The anticipation for what the box could contain is too great.

The box is tied close with a red ribbon, so you untie it and set it to the side. You remove the lid to the box and are surprised to find a white cotton robe. Immediately, a smile crosses your face, and a small giggle of glee escapes your lips. There's a small handwritten note resting on top.

Darlin,

Please meet me on our secret deck later this evening. Enjoy some time to yourself.

P.S. I wanted you to be comfortable.

Sincerely,

Joel.

You set the card down on the nightstand, right next to the little pink seashell, and you slip on the robe. It's even softer than the night before, if that's possible, and it smells like sandalwood - It smells like Joel.

The clock reads 4:30 pm before you finally get out of bed and dress for the day. You pick out a form-fitting sundress with a delicate blue shell pattern along the hemline. It's one of the pieces that Joel purchased for you at Amorebelle. You aren't used to wearing dresses, but you want to look nice when you see him.

You carefully do your makeup at the vanity table in your bathroom. As you step back and look in the mirror, you are impressed with your own appearance; you look like you belong – almost.

You make your way to Joel's secret deck. Your heart pounds against your ribcage as you get closer. You stop as you round the corner to the private location; all you can see is the back of Joel's head as he holds a phone to his ear. The muscles in his shoulders are tense, and you can tell by his low tone that the conversation is not a pleasant one.

"What do you mean he’s threatening to contact members of the family?" You hear Joel say. "He has demands now? What are his demands?"

There is a long pause after what Joel says, and you watch him running a hand through his hair; he seems to be on edge. He listens carefully to whoever he is talking to, and you consider turning around.

"We need to start protecting the family assets. I need you to review my father's will again and ensure it is airtight. He will not get a dime out of me."

You know you should turn around and give Joel privacy, but your curiosity gets the better of you when he starts talking about his family. You lean against the railing to wait, and it squeaks. It squeaks loudly.

Joel turns his head and gives you a small half-smile. He waves his hand, gesturing for you to come to join him. You hesitantly walk over, taking as much time as possible.

"I agree that's a good plan. Lock everything down, and let me know if we get any more calls from him. I'm counting on you, Alester. Don't let me down," Joel says. He hangs up the phone and sets it on the table next to the lounge chair he is sitting in. He sighs, turns to the laptop sitting next to him, and starts typing.

"Hey, I hope I am not interrupting anything," you say and slowly walk up to him.

"Darlin," Joel says as he closes the laptop and turns to face you. "You're not interrupting anything; I was just getting caught up on some work stuff."

"I just noticed you were on the phone, and I didn't want to interrupt a business call or something," you say, trying to explain why you were leaning against the railing and eavesdropping on his phone call.

"Oh, that wasn't business. I just needed to deal with some family issues," he says as he moves a white and blue striped towel and a bottle of tanning lotion off of the lounge chair next to him, gesturing for you to take a seat.

"Are you feeling better?" he asks, and a natural smile finally mirrors in his eyes.

"I am because of you. Thank you so much for sending me breakfast, and that robe was amazing. I honestly can't remember the last time I let myself lay around in bed all day. I really enjoyed it," you say and sit as gracefully as you can manage in the lounge chair next to Joel.

"Good to hear. You deserved a day to relax like that. You don't need to thank me for the robe; after seeing you in it last night, I knew it belonged to you. It looked like it was made for you, so it was only right that I send it down to you," he says.

His words make your heart beat fast again, and your face flushes. You know you are getting too close to your friend's very handsome and single father than is wise. But, when he says things like that, it is hard not to.

You think about telling him the truth about why you were so upset, but you don't want to ruin the fun you're having together by unloading about your ex-boyfriend, who is about to be his son-in-law.

"So, are you excited to walk your daughter down the aisle?" you ask, quickly trying to change the subject, so you don't blurt out your history with Todd.

"Honestly, I'm not sure if I will walk Sarah down the aisle or if she will want her mom to," Joel answers.

His response surprises you, and it must show on your face because Joel continues with his explanation.

"I was only with Marnie, Sarah's mother, for a short time. Marnie got married to someone else shortly after and had Sarah. She believed that Sarah was biologically her husband's and not mine. I didn't even know Sarah existed. She had Sarah take a DNA test when she was ten; she was linked to some of the Miller family members who had also taken the test. Only then did we find out that Sarah was mine."

"I had no idea, Joel. Sarah never said anything about any of this," you say. You feel so sorry for all of them.

"When Marnie's husband died, she told Sarah and me the truth. However, Sarah had grown up with another man as her father, and I never wanted to try and fill his place in her life. So I never really took on that fatherly role with her. Instead, I bought her everything she ever asked me for, and that was the basis of our relationship for a long time."

You sit there staring at the pain in Joel's face for a while. He never takes his eyes off of the ocean but continues to tell you about his past.

"Over the years, we've tried to build our relationship, and I take her on vacation with me every summer, but we still don't have the typical relationship you would expect. At times, Marnie and I have a hard time getting along; we don't see eye to eye on a lot of things. So I stayed back and let Marnie raise Sarah; in a lot of ways, I don't agree with how she raised her," Joel says with a sigh. "That's why you're all here. Sarah and I don't know how to talk to each other because we have nothing in common and barely any memories together. So dinner gets a little awkward without others to fill the silence," Joel says, seeming slightly embarrassed about admitting this.

"I had no idea. Sarah always made it sound like her life was so perfect."

"In all the ways Sarah measures her life, it has been," Joel says, but you aren't quite sure what he means by it.

A maid with a tray of tropical cocktails interrupts your conversation, and she sets the drinks on the table between Joel and you.

"Thank you, Molly, these look wonderful," Joel says.

"Of course, sir," Molly says with a small smile.

"How's your sister doing? I hope she's making a speedy recovery."

"She is, sir. She should be back on her feet again in no time."

"When we get back, you should make some time to go and see her. I'll tell Reggie to add some more PTO for you," Joel says.

"Thank you, sir, I really appreciate that," she says and turnsto leave.

As you observe the interaction between Joel and one of his staff members, you realize you've never seen him treat an employee poorly. However, Sarah snaps at them to get their attention, and you suspect she doesn't even know their names or anything about them. She doesn't even treat them like they're people. This explains why you never felt like you fit in with Sarah and her friends, but you feel comfortable and want to spend all your time with Joel. He doesn't look down on you for being poor, but Sarah does. The irony of it all is that the only one on the ship who knows exactly how poor you are, is Joel.

You stare at Joel, and when he finally meets your gaze, you can't help but smile at him. "Thank you for telling me all of this," you say.

"Thank you for listening," he responds simply.

"It seems like we're making a habit of telling each other all of our secrets," you say with a small giggle.

"I hope that continues."

"Me too," you answer.

"Sarah has another dinner planned on the upper deck. Can I walk you up?" Joel asks you.

"I'm actually feeling a little seasick, I don't think it would be wise for me to eat right now," you answer. You don't feel like spending another evening with Sarah and her new fiance.

"Do you need a doctor? We have a nurse on the yacht, but we'll be making port in just a few hours; I can call and have one meet us at the dock."

"No, I'm okay, really. I just need to go back and lie down."

"Okay, if you're sure. I'll walk you down to your room," Joel said, checking his watch.

"No, no. I'm fine, really."

"Okay," he says reluctantly, "but please use the intercom in your room if you need anything."

"I will, I promise," you say with a small wave and leave to slowly make your way back to your room.

You take your time moving through the ship. You don't want to run into anyone heading to Sarah's dinner, where the topic of conversation is sure to be all about her recent engagement.

You're relieved when you see that most of the hallways are completely empty, so you quickly start toward your room.

"Hey!"

You turn and see Reggie walking up behind you.

"Hey, Reggie. It's been a while," you say with a smile.

"Where are you going?" he asks.

"I'm going back to my room. I wasn't really in the mood to spend dinner with everyone."

"Well, I was on my way to play some cards with some of the crew members. Why don't you come?"

Reggie must have seen the hesitation on your face. "Come on. It's actually fun to hang out with normal people every once in a while."

You laugh. You didn't realise that Reggie thought you were just as wealthy as the rest of Sarah's friends. "Reggie, I am a normal person. Let's go.”

—

Joel makes his way up to dinner alone, silently wishing you would be joining. You're one of the only ones in the group that he actually cares to have a conversation with. However, it might be for the best that you're not coming. Joel found himself always drawn to you, and if he wasn't careful, Sarah would catch on to his interest in her friend. He knows that would not go over well.

Joel's the last one to arrive, and he takes the only seat available next to Sarah's new fiance, Todd.

"I never got the chance to congratulate you on the engagement last night," Joel says as he shakes Todd's hand. "I rushed out because I had an urgent business matter I had to attend to."

Joel hoped that would adequately explain his quick departure the night before. He feels a little guilty that he didnt stay to celebrate and instead took off after you to make sure she was okay.

If he's being honest with himself, his evening spent with you, talking in the sauna, was much more enjoyable. He probably won't be winning any best dad of the year awards, though. He already smoothed things over with Sarah this morning. He showed up to her room with a pair of diamond earrings from Tiffany's. He'd bought them for her birthday, but they were perfect as a stand-in engagement present. Once he brought out the diamond, he didn't think she heard another word that he said. He’s happy to see that she’s wearing them tonight. She truly did look happy, and Joel prayed she would be in her marriage.

"Thank you so much, sir. I hope you approve of our engagement," Todd says.

Joel almost forgot that it was customary for a man to ask for his daughter's hand to get the father's approval of the marriage. "I think you two make a great couple. I'm looking forward to having you as part of the family, Todd," Joel says and then stands up. He taps his wine glass to get the group's attention. Everyone at the table quiets quickly and turns to him.

"I want to congratulate Sarah and Todd on their engagement. May they find happiness in each other and enjoy each other's company for many years to come." Sarah's friends all clap at this statement. Once the quiet returns he starts again. “As my engagement gift to the couple, I would like to throw you two an engagement party at my home here in the Bahamas."

This announcement receives a very excited response from all of Sarah's friends. Sarah's face is beaming at all of the attention she is getting. She smiles and stands up to make an announcement of her own. Joel notices she shakes her head gracefully from side to side, causing the earrings to catch the light. She is an expert at showing off wealth; no wonder she’s doing so well as an influencer.

“Thank you so much, Daddy! I'm so glad you approve, and an engagement party will be the perfect way to announce to the world that I'm about to be married. I am so excited about the upcoming wedding, and I would be honoured if all of you were part of our wedding party." Sarah is met with murmurs of agreement from the men and squeals of excitement from the women present. She sits down with a huge smile, clearly pleased with the group's reactions. “Daddy, can you hire some professional photographers for the engagement party? I need some really good pictures to post."

“Of course," Joel says.

“I wish we could have gotten some great shots of the actual engagement, but Todd didn't think about that part of it," Sarah says, with a hint of annoyance in her voice.

“I'm sorry, sweetheart, but I told you it wasn't exactly planned. We had such an amazing day, and it just felt like the right time," Todd says defensively.

“I'm marrying a true romantic," Sarah says, resting her chin on Todd's shoulder.

“Is there anything else you two need?" Joel asks, trying his best to be supportive.

“I’ll need to pick one more bridesmaid so we have even numbers," Sarah says to Joel.

“Why not ask your old roomate?" Joel asks, confused as to why Sarah isn't planning on asking her most likable and attractive friend.

“Oh, I didn't notice that she wasn't here for my announcement. That sort of works out for the best, though. I’m going to ask someone different. She doesn't really fit into the vision I have for the wedding," Sarah says, sounding very much like a snob.

“And what exactly is your vision for the wedding?" Joel asks, annoyed with his daughter's uncouth response.

“I want everything to be glamorous," Sarah says as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. “I'll still invite her, but as part of the wedding party, you have to fit the aesthetic."

“That's true; it's not like she would be comfortable with the level of finery at the wedding anyway. It’s very obvious that she’s lower class. I think our guests would be able to sense that. If she can't afford to buy a new dress for her birthday party, it's not likely that she will be able to afford a bridesmaid's dress anyway," Todd says with a smug smile on his face.

Sarah giggles and then turns to talk to the woman next to her about possible venues for the wedding.

“Didn't you just meet her this week?" Joel asks Joel in a low voice.

“Yeah, Sarah told me they went to college together or something," Todd says and takes a bite off his plate.

“Then how would you know she couldn't afford a new dress for her birthday party?" Joel says with quiet suspicion.

Todd's eyes go wide in shock, and he nearly chokes on the food in his mouth. He takes a few moments to recover and then says, “I think Sarah told me that. She went to her birthday, and she had to borrow a dress because she couldn't afford a new one."

Although Joel doesn't doubt that Sarah would gossip about something as petty as not being able to afford a new dress, he finds it odd that Todd would remember something like that. Todd's reaction tells Joel that he is hiding something, and Joel's suspicion is only increased by his quick shift to join Sarah's conversation.

Do you and Todd know each other outside of Sarah?

Joel eats the rest of his meal in silence and makes an excuse about having work to do to get out of the rest of the evening's activities. Instead of heading back to his room, he goes to the captain to tell him about the change of plans. 

After Joel's conversation with the captain, he makes his way to his office, which is located a floor below the guest rooms. He thinks about going and checking on you but decides it is best to let you get some sleep.

Joel's office on the yacht is a carbon copy of his office at home. It has a large wooden desk in the center and a large dark leather armchair. The only difference is the view is spectacularly better on the yacht. A large windowed balcony sits behind the desk, so Joel can watch the ocean as he works.

Joel sinks into his leather chair and opens the laptop on his desk. A notification glows on the screen, informing him of the one hundred and twenty-seven emails waiting in his inbox. He pulls out his phone instead and finds his event planner's phone number in his contacts.

“Hello, this is Jessica of Jessica's events."

“Jessica, this is Joel Miller."

“Mr. Miller, it’s great to hear from you again. To what do I owe this pleasure?"

“I'm calling to see if you can organize a party for me. My daughter just got engaged, and I want to throw her an engagement party at my home in the Bahamas."

“Congratulations, Mr. Miller. I would love to help plan such a happy occasion. When can I pencil in your event?"

“Two days from now," he says, knowing the absurdity of the request.

“Did I hear you right? You want me to plan an entire event in two days?"

“If anyone can do it, it's you, Jessica. I’m willing to pay double."

“You have always known how to close a deal. I will have everything ready for you, Mr. Miller. Does your daughter have a theme in mind?”

Joel hates that he has to say it out loud, “She said the theme of her wedding is…glamor."

He hears a small giggle escape from Jessica on the other end of the phone, and she quickly tries to cover it with a cough.

“I know how it sounds," Joel says, embarrassed. “That’s why I am trusting you with this event. I know you will make it tasteful. After the engagement party, I’ll have Sarah talk with you about wedding plans."

“That sounds great, Mr. Miller. I will see you in two days."

“Thank you very much. Goodbye," Joel says and hangs up the phone. This wedding is going to be expensive, and Joel already expects to foot the bill for everything. Extravagant is one thing, but Sarah's taste is beyond even that.

Joel turns his attention back to his laptop screen and the blinking email notification, but he can't get you out of his head. Instead of working, he pulls up his social media pages and searches for your name. He quickly finds your social media pages. You're not very active; most of your pictures are candid shots of you and your friends, two women that looke kind and a lot more down-to-earth than his own daughter.

Joels slightly disappointed that you don't have more pictures for him to scroll through and very little about your life. He wants to know more about you, but it seems like you're very private with your online presence.

He sighs and closes the social media pages, finally returning to the emails he’s dreading sorting through. The newest email in his inbox makes his heart sink. It's from an unknown sender and contains a single sentence.

I know who I really am, and the whole world will, too, if you don't meet my demands.

—

"I am a normal person," you say again, smiling as you walk with Reggie. He raises an eyebrow skeptically at you.

"You don't believe me?" you ask.

"Right, because us normal people get invited to one of the largest private yachts in the world as guests all the time. You don't have to pretend you're not rich to fit in with the crew. They will like you because you are actually nice," Reggie says.

"I am the furthest thing from rich," you laugh.

"Oh, yeah? Prove it," Reggie says with a teasing smile on his face.

You quickly pull out your phone and find a picture of you and your two roommates in your apartment and show it to Reggie.

"What does this prove?" he asks.

"This is a picture of me and my two roommates, Lin and Aubrey; we are sitting in the living room of our one-bedroom apartment. I’m a bartender at a little dive bar, and I currently have two hundred and thirty dollars in my bank account," you say matter of factly.

Reggie's expression changes from one of teasing to one of shock.

"Are you serious?" he asks.

"I mean, I can pull up a bank statement if you really want," you say with a smile.

"Then how did you end up as one of Sarah's friends?"

"Sarah and I were roommates during our first few years at NYU. I think Sarah was placed in the regular dorm rooms to teach her what it was like to be a regular person or something," you say, only half joking. You still haven't figured that one out. Maybe her dad was trying to teach her a life lesson. "Anyway, she hated it and dropped out her sophomore year, but we remained friends and have been in and out of touch over the years. She randomly invited me on this vacation, and I accepted. I didn't expect the yacht to be quite this big, though."

Once you are done with your explanation, you are on the lowest floor of the yacht. You're surprised at how nice the staff area is. Perhaps you'd been expecting it to be like a scene from the lower decks of the movie 'Titanic,' but the lowest level of the ship looks like walking into a lobby of a four-star hotel.

You make your way into what must be the staff dining room. There’s a large group of people surrounding a circular table in the middle of a game of cards. Music is playing in the background, and snacks and beer litter the table. It looks like this is going to be the most comfortable you've been on your trip so far.

"Everyone be nice; we have a newcomer," Reggie says as he pulls out a chair for you.

The mood changes slightly as you sit down, and Reggie sits next to you. You realize you’re still wearing the sundress that Joel bought you, and you must look like you are made of money.

"Hey, I'm Max," says a man with black hair and olive skin.

"Hey, Max," you stick your hand out to shake his and you introduce yourself. 

"Nice to meet you. Tell us about yourself."

"There isn't much to tell. I'm a bartender at a little hole-in-the-wall in New York, and I'm trying to put myself through law school," you say nonchalantly.

"What bar?" a girl across the table asks.

"It's called McGregor's."

"No way! I've been there before," Max says. “You have the best nachos!"

You laugh. “Yeah, we do. I would eat an entire plate by myself if no one were watching."

You feel the entire table relax as they all realize that you aren't like the rest of the guests on the yacht.

"What are we playing?" you ask, grabbing a handful of popcorn.

"Strip Poker."

Your throat goes dry at the thought of undressing in front of a room full of strangers. You're afraid to swallow the piece of popcorn you just placed in your mouth. You look around, and everyone is still fully clothed, and your heart rate starts to slow. Max smiles, clearly finding enjoyment in your shock.

"Max, don't scare her off already," Reggie chuckles. “Do you want a beer?”

—

“You wouldn't believe what one of the 'Richies' asked me today,” Brenna says

"Oh, this is going to be good. Brenna always has the best stories," Reggie leans over and whispers to you. After a few beers and a hand or two of actual poker, everyone seems completely at ease with you.

"I was cleaning up a wine glass he'd dropped, and he started hitting on me. Obviously, he has no idea what the real world is like, so he starts asking questions as a way to talk to me."

"Oh no," Max says with a laugh.

"He asked me about living on the bottom deck of the yacht, and I tell him how it takes some getting used to because we are below the water down here. Then he asks me how we use our balconies if they're underwater."

You snort into your glass, glad you hadn't been taking a sip of the beer at the moment, or it would be flowing out of your nose. You set your beer down and ask, "Oh, please tell me you had a good comeback."

She smiles brightly, "I told him we could only use them at low tide. Then he nods and says, 'That makes sense.' I swear they are all clueless."

Brenna starts laughing, and the whole table joins in, but by the time you catch your breath, you have tears in the corners of your eyes. You have not laughed like this the entire time you've been on the ship.

"No offense; I know Sarah is your friend and all, but how do you stand spending time with them?" Max asks.

"Oh, trust me, it’s a challenge. I sneak off by myself whenever I get the chance. No one seems to really notice, especially after Sarah's engagement."

"Oh, man, her fiance is a real tool, isn't he?" Brenna adds.

"He's a social climber too, so they are actually a great fit," Charlotte says. Charlotte is one of the older staff members and hasn't said much throughout the night.

"Well, that makes sense about the fiance, but do you mean Sarah is one too?" Max asks.

They seem to have forgotten that you are there, or at least they forget that you know Sarah personally. However, you keep your mouth shut not because you want to know more, but because you are trying to act as if you don't care too much.

"I started working for Mr. Miller when Sarah and the horrible woman she has as a mother first came around. That same day, the staff was all told that Sarah was Mr. Miller's daughter and to make sure she had everything she needed. Marnie, Sarah's mother, spent the whole day ordering the staff around like she was the owner of the house," said Charlotte.

"From my experience with Marnie, that sounds about right," Max offers.

"Sarah was raised by another man by the name of Winston Radcliff. Some of the staff had been around when Mr. Miller first brought Marnie around. The rumor was that Marnie threw Mr. Miller aside for Radcliff right after she found out she was pregnant because Radcliff could offer her a better position in society."

You can't imagine someone who had the chance to be with Joel choosing another person over him. You can't help but ask, "What did Winston offer that Joel couldn't?"

"Radcliff was the next in line for an earldom. It turned out that the earldom came with a shabby little estate that cost Winston his fortune to keep standing. The marriage quickly turned sour, and when the earl died, Marnie was just as quick to get a paternity test for Sarah."

"In my opinion, Mr. Miller was better off not knowing the truth. Marnie always shows up asking for more money. Sarah has always wanted something, even though Mr. Miller buys her more than she could ever need." Charlotte says.

"Was Joel in love with Marnie?" you ask, not knowing if you really want the answer.

"No, I don't think he ever really loved her. Maybe he could have found a woman right for him if Marnie hadn't been around for the last fourteen years, scaring away every decent woman he has dated. She thinks that if she can keep him single long enough, he will fall back in love with her, but Mr. Miller will never forgive her for what she did."

You nod and turn to see Reggie staring at you with a strange, almost hurt look on his face. He turns away from you before you can ask him what's wrong.

"Well, I think I'm going to head to bed," Brenna says, and the others all stand up to follow.

"You should come play cards with us again," Max says.

"Absolutely! We are here every night, and you are welcome to join us," Brenna adds.

"Thank you. I will." You're happy to know they've welcomed you as one of them.

You say a quick goodnight to everyone and head back up the stairs to the upper decks. Reggie's room is on the lower deck, so you walk by yourself. It must be later than you thought because the lights in the pool area are already turned off.

You feel silly rushing across the dark deck, but it makes you sort of nervous being alone on such a big ship. You're careful to avoid the deck chairs this time, and you're relieved to make it to the doors leading into the guestroom corridor.

"Where the hell have you been?"

You stop dead in your tracks and don't want to turn around. You know that tone of voice from countless arguments. It's Todd, the last person on the entire ship that you want to be alone with. You slowly turn, knowing you're going to have to face him eventually.

He stumbles a step towards you, and you back up to avoid a collision if he falls.

"Are you drunk?"

"I believe I asked a question first," Todd stutters.

"I was playing a game of cards with some of the crew."

Todd laughs and rolls his eyes at you. He again stumbles a little closer, and you're trapped between him and your door. He leans forward and places an arm on either side of you, blocking your escape. You can smell the alcohol on his breath as he laughs. He's beyond drunk.

"Just like you. A yacht full of every thing you could want, and you spend your time with the help."

"Get off of me, Todd!"

"You know you still want me," Todd says, lowering his face closer to yours. You push against his chest, trying to get him off.

Todd is suddenly ripped backward, so forcefully you know it wasn't of his own doing. 

You see Joel standing behind Todd with a fist full of his shirt. “Get your ass to bed before I throw you off my ship."

[alotofpockets]

Reunited on the field | Alessia Russo

Pairing: Alessia Russo x Reader

Prompts: "If there is nothing going on between you two, you don't mind if I ask them on a date, do you?" & "I think I'm in love with you, and that scares the crap out of me."

Masterlist | Woso masterlist | words: 1.2k

Since you left college you have played in the United States of America for both club and country. Your transfer to Arsenal was going to be a big change for you with the move to a different continent but you were excited for this opportunity. Luckily there were some familiar faces on the team that you knew would take you under their wing. Both Lotte and Alessia had been your teammates at college, you stayed in contact with most of the Tar Heels girls over the years, and were excited to be sharing the field with them once again. 

Your assumption of your UNC teammates taking you under their wing couldn’t have been more true. You fell back into the close friendship you had with the both of them almost immediately. They showed you around London, introduced you to the rest of the team, and made sure you felt at home at Arsenal. The first month at your new club consisted primarily of training. You were getting to know the team that had welcomed you with open arms better and better. The team had taken you in as their own right away.

Today was another day of training, and you were running drills with a couple of the girls while the rest was still stretching. Unbeknownst to you Lotte was questioning Alessia on the other side of the field, “So, Lessi, how’s the crush on y/n going?” Alessia shoved her friend's shoulder, “Come one, Lotte, how many times do I have to tell you that I don’t have a crush on her anymore?” Lotte laughed, and ran off to join in on the drills.

A few days later you’re at the gym, getting a workout in with the team. You’re about to bench press and look around for someone to spot you, when you see Alessia had just finished one of her own sets. “Hey Less, could you spot me real quick?” The blond moves your way, “Wait, are you going for a new PR?” Alessia says checking out the weights you put on the bar. “Yes, I am, trying for one at least.” She gets ready by standing behind the bench, while you lay down, mentally preparing yourself. “Come on, you’ve got this.” Alessia encourages you, as you reach for the bar and lower it. You start lifting the bar, pushing with all the strength that you’ve got. “Almost, come on. Push, you’ve got it.” Her words push you along, and you’re able to do the full lift. Alessia helps you put the weight back on the rack. You jump up and give her a hug, “Thank you Less, couldn’t have done it without you!” With a kick peck to her cheek, you walk off to tell the trainers about your new PR, leaving Alessia frozen in place.

“Oi, what’s wrong with Russo?” Katie asks Lotte who is actively laughing at Alessia's reaction. “She has had the biggest crush on y/l/n since college and she just kissed her cheek.” Katie smirks at this new information. “And she never acted on it?” Lotte shakes her head. “She claims she hasn’t had a crush on her since she left college but you saw her reaction, proving she’s lying.” The girls both laugh. 

Katie decides to join Lotte in teasing Alessia about her crush and walks up to her teammate. “Hey, Russo, a little birdy told me you have a little crush on our newbie.” Alessia sends Lotte a quick glare, who just smiles back. “Not you too Macca, I do not have a crush on her” The striker did not like the smile that appeared on Katie’s face. "If there is nothing going on between you two, you don't mind if I ask her on a date, do you?" Alessia’s eyes widened, “Don’t you dare.” Katie laughs, “Cool, point proven. You’ve got to tell y/n, Russo, what do you have to lose?” You pop up beside them, “Tell me what?” Alessia’s face turns a dark shade of red, while Katie and Lotte break out in laughter. You’re a bit confused by the laughter, but you decide to put your focus on Alessia. You take her hand and lead her out of the gym, away from the laughing that seemed to make her more uncomfortable.

“What’s going on, Less? Is everything alright?” You ask once you have made your way outside. She was quiet for a moment, before she just started rambling. “I like you, y/n. Like not as friends, though I like you as a friend too of course. I like you for real, and I have since college. I’ve had a crush on you for the longest time and I know that is stupid because we’ve been apart for a couple of years but I still do. And Katie just joked about asking you out, I think she was joking but I know that I need to share this with you because someone will come and make you fall in love with them and then I will lose my shot.” She takes a deep breath before continuing, not leaving room for you to respond just yet. “Actually, to be totally honest, I think I'm in love with you, and that scares the crap out of me. You are such a good friend, and we are teammates of course. I don’t want to lose the connection that we have, and..” That’s when you put your hands on her shoulders and stop her. “Hey Less, look at me, please.” Her eyes nervously meet yours. She was met with eyes filled with adoration. “I feel the same way. I had a crush on you in college, and I thought that I had moved on from it when we graduated but none of my relationships ever felt right. It didn’t click until I saw you here on my first day at Arsenal, I have been in love with you since our college years too, Less.” 

Alessia’s smile grew wider the longer you spoke, until finally you were done with your sentence and she crashed her lips onto yours. It was an eager kiss at first, both having wanted to kiss the other for such a long time but the kiss quickly turned softer, wanting this long awaited moment last. When you pulled away from the kiss, cheers and whistles were heard from the entrance of the gym, you looked over your shoulder to see a group of Arsenal girls had formed in front of the door. You roll your eyes at them, before taking Alessia’s hand and heading back to the gym. The girls started patting the both of you on the back, “Seriously?” You laugh at their antics. 

During the rest of your gym session you keep letting your eyes trail over to Alessia, smiling when your eyes meet hers. Your cheeks warm at the thought of her lips on yours, luckily your cheeks were already red from training, otherwise the team would for sure tease you for it. Not that you would really mind the teasing though, you were just happy to finally have your feelings for Alessia out in the open and reciprocated, and couldn’t wait to get out of training. 

💗 If you enjoyed this fic, please consider leaving a tip 💗

[lokideservesahug]

For How Long!?!

Chapter 11: The Future

-°•°•°•°•--•°•°•°•°--°•°•°•°•--•°•°•°•°-

Pairings: Logan Sargeant x fem!driver!Reader

Warnings: Mentions od marriage and one mention of a child in a single sentence but that's it I think.

Summary: So what exactly happened after Y/N and Logan told the world of their relationship?

-°•°•°•°•--•°•°•°•°--°•°•°•°•--•°•°•°•°-

☆-☆-☆-☆-☆

☆-☆-☆-☆

☆-☆-☆-☆-☆

☆-☆-☆-☆-☆

Yourusername

Yourusername: The Greatest day of my life. Not only did I manage to secure the thing I've been dreaming of since I qas a kid, but also the love of my life asked me one of the most important questions ever.

I want to thank everyone at the Aston Martin Aramco F1 team from the analysts to the paint engineers to the assistants to the PR team. Thank you all for helping me reach the championship and letting me work with you. Well done on your amazing and ever zo hard work that without, I never would have be able to be remembered in the history books. 💚

And Logan, I have loved you ever since I met you all those years ago. You are the light of my life, the reason I keep going and truly the only reason I was able to stand up on that top step. I love you more than anything and thank you for further making me the happiest woman alive when you asked me the question with the easiest awnser in the world.

Liked by Logansargeant, Astonmartinf1, Oscarpiastri and 3,890,213 others

View all 213,674 comments

Logansargeant: I love you more than anything in the world. I love you so much and thank you for making me the happiest man alive by saying yes 💙

Oscarpiastri: Well done Y/N. Your skills on the track are truly amazing and I'm so proud of how far you've come from the tiny Y/L/N girl I first met years ago. And of course @Logansargeant, well done on finally getting the nerves to ask her. You two are great together and Good luck for a prosperous future.

↳ Yourusername: Thank you for everything Osc💚

↳ Logansargeant: Thank you man, it means a lot (and thanks for all your help in the proposal build up)

↳ User1: I am literally sobbing omd

↳ User2: Please I can't do this😭 My heart is so full

Astonmartinf1: Well done on everything Y/N, our hero 💚

↳ Yourusername: ILY admin!! 💚

↳ User3: AWWWW

User 4: I think I fainted ngl

↳ User 5: Literally same omd

Liamlawson: Well done mate. You had a great performance in the championship and put on an even better show at the LVGP. And well done to the both of you for finally getting closer to tying the knot.

↳ Yourusername: Thank you and shush Liam. There's no better time than both good things at once

↳ User 6: AYO🤨😏

User 7: Literally speechless

↳ User 8: Ikr. I can't even process this let alone fathom how to respond...

User 9: aiaoanznbsuzuz just woah. What a great way to end the Las Vegas GP

↳ User 10: IKR. LIKE I AM LOSONG IT

User 11: Romance but make it "the reason I keep going and truly the only reason I was able to stand up on that top step". YOIRE NEVER HESRIMG DROM ME BECAUSE I'M TO BUSY SOBBING MY HEART OUT

↳ User 12: Forget Romeo and Juliet, I wanst what these two have

↳ Yourusername: Yeah I'm ot a poet but Logan desreve she's form of appreciation from at least someone.

User 13: Awwww. Please stop. My heart can't take it!!!

User 14: So baby Sargeant coming when?

Liked by Oscarpiastri

↳ User 15: Captain of the Y/Ngan ship, Oscar is back again!!! Boy how I've missed you!

-°•°•°•°•--•°•°•°•°--°•°•°•°•--•°•°•°•°-

And with that, the series comes to an end :(. Now it is likely that I'll post a few extras but thank you all so much for the support on my first ever fan fiction!!

As always, likes, reblogs and especially feedback are always welcome!!

Taglist: @nikfigueiredo @mysoulispainted @leclercings @d3kstar @hiireadstuff @a-beaverhausen @nichmeddar @lozzamez3 @stinkyjax @littlesatanicassholebitch @insanedeathwish @a-disturbing-self-reflection @ems-alexandra @marymustdie @mehrmonga

[slayfics]

Super Smash Bros Tournament in the MHA dorms.

You grabbed the popcorn from the microwave while still having your nose pressed into your book. You’d been obsessed with a recent series lately and not able to set it down. You walked through the common room making your way to the elevators to go back to your room and continue reading.

You were so involved in the book that you hardly noticed your other classmates until,

“Hey! You’re joining the tournament tonight with us right?” Denki called out to you.

“Hu?” You finally looked up from your book.

Since moving into the dorms Denki had convinced almost everyone to play him at Super Smash Brothers. Now he hosted tournaments in his room from time to time

“Nah, I’m super into this book Kaminari. Maybe next time!” You called, continuing to read and walk to the elevator.

“Are you sure?” He said teasingly. “I had you playing Bakugo in the first round. Guess I’ll just have to move the bracket around.” He said, eyeing you mischievously.

You stopped walking and picked your head up from your book.

“Does that mean you’ll play?” Denki asked with a sly smile.

“Fine, I’ll be there. But only because I don’t want to ruin your bracket.” You replied

“Yeah sure sure,” Denki winked at you knowing full well you were only coming because of Bakugo.

Bakugo only joined you all once. He rage quit after one match when losing to Denki and stated video games were a waste of time and didn’t have anything to do with real-life skills. You were surprised Denki had convinced him to try again. Or maybe it was Eijiro who wore him down.

You reluctantly placed your book down in your room and made your way over to Denki’s dorm when it was time.

Denki opened the door as soon as you knocked.

“Hey! Come on in! Everyone’s already here. So we can get started soon,” he smiled and welcomed you in.

You scanned the room seeing Eijiro, Sero, Fumikage, and Katsuki packed into Denki's dorm room.

You made your way in and playfully pushed Eijiro to the side, "Make some room," you teased as you sat down in between him and Katsuki.

"Oh excuse meee~," Eijiro said playfully.

Katsuki just rolled his eyes, his disdain for being here all too obvious.

"Can't believe I let you talk me into this again, shitty hair," He grumbled.

"Awe come on Bakugo, at least try to have some fun," Eijiro replied, trying to lighten his friend's mood.

"Alright," Denki exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "As you can see I have the bracket written out here on my whiteboard. With me as the first seed of course," he spoke, pointing to the whiteboard boastfully. "A six-person turnout tonight not bad, not bad. We'll get started with the first match now. Come you two," He waved at you and Katsuki to sit and get started.

"Why the hell am I first?" Katsuki grumbled.

"It's because you are ranked the lo-" Fumikage began to explain the bracket rules honestly before you cut him off.

"It's random!" You said eyeing everyone in the room and silently begging them to shut up. You knew Katsuki would rage right out of the room if he was told it was because out of all of them, he was ranked lowest.

"Yeah... just have fun, ok man!" Eijiro said encouragingly.

"Whatever," Katsuki said, falling into his chair and picking his character.

"Still sticking with Fox?" You asked as you picked your usual main.

"Just start the damn thing so I can get out of here faster," He complained.

Beginning your match it quickly became clear to you that you were much more skilled at this than Katsuki. It made you feel conflicted about trying to go easy on him or not. However, you knew if Katsuki thought you were holding back it would only piss him off more. It didn't take long for you to beat Katsuki 2-0.

"Whatever this shit is a waste of fucking time anyway," Katsuki said raging out of the room.

Eijiro let out a loud sigh at his friend's behavior and you quickly followed after him.

"Bakugo are you seriously leaving already?" You said following him out into the hallway.

"Why wouldn't I, I'm out right?" He asked.

"Yeah but... You could stay to watch the rest of the matches," You suggested.

Katsuki let out an amused huff. "No thanks, I don't know why you extras get so involved in that game. If that dumb-ass spark plug spent half the time training his quirk as he does video games he might actually be a pro hero someday."

"Come on, I know it's not fun to lose but-" you began to say before Katsuki cut you off.

"Be very careful with your next words," He said through gritted teeth, causing you to let out a sigh.

"Bakugo, listen, everyone in that room knows you're the best at anything having to do with being a hero. Your quirk is the best, you train the hardest, and you beat all of our scores in the last exam. So... can't you give them this? Can't you let your friends have their moment to shine and boast about being good at something?" You tried to reason with him.

Katsuki crossed his arms and averted his gaze from yours.

"Look, don't tell any of the boys I told you this but- they all really look up to you, ya know? So I think it means a lot to them that you finally came to one of these again, and it probably makes them feel really good to be good at something in front of you."

"I'm not sticking around to be made fun of just to make those damn idiots feel good about themselves." Katsuki barked.

"Oh believe me they know better than to make fun of you," You spoke letting out a giggle. "Like I said, they look up to you. Besides, you don't want to stick around and see me beat Kaminari? I'll be sure to wipe that smug look off his face and be the top seed next time," You said, finishing your attempt at reasoning with Katsuki.

"Tch-," Katsuki looked at the floor for a moment before a devious smile spread on his face. "Fine, I'll go back. But you better fucking beat his dumb Pikachu. I'll set off my quirk a bit during your match to throw him off so don't get startled and be ready!" He yelled and started to walk back to Denki's dorm.

"Pretty sure that's against tournament rules but sure let's do it," You laughed following him back into the room.

Tags: @unofficialmuilover @maddietries

[daisykihannie]

I would really really love to see you pick a member and a number. Just one you’d really want to do together🥺

omg! you’re my favorite person ever! I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS ONE!!

85.) Body Swapped Besties

Pairing: Jeongin x Reader

Warnings: Crack

A/N: im kind of sad that i can’t make a full fic out of this but i ended up accidentally making it 2k words anyways and now im exhausted.

Your alarm was blaring loudly, signaling that it was 8 am and time for you to get up. You let out a groan and rolled from your back onto your left side, grabbing your phone and swiping the off button. Once the incessant screaming of your phone quit and your room fell back into a comfortable silence, you rolled back onto your back. You let out a yawn and stretching your limbs as far as humanly possible, ridding the sore muscles of their sleepy coated stiffness.

After a few moments of laying there, trying to keep yourself from falling back to sleep, you opened your eyes for the first time. The morning sun was shining through your sheer curtains, adding a soft green hue to your bedroom. The familiar sight of your white ceiling welcomed you back to the land of the living. Your body was aching and sore, more than usual. It felt like you’d spent the last week training for a triathalon when the most physical activity you did was walking to run errands and go to work. Maybe you slept wrong? Somehow you were able to sleep incorrectly on every bone, joint, muscle, and tendon?

Finally forcing your aching body to sit up, swinging your legs over the side of the bed before standing and letting out a his of pain as your muscles screamed at you to give them a break. You stumbled to the bathroom, struggling to move your body yet feeling quite a few inches taller than normal despite being slightly hunched over from pain. Flicking the light switch on in the bathroom, you walked straight to the toilet with a painfully full bladder. You sat down like normal but it felt different somehow. What was between your legs, keeping them from closing completely? You looked down and let out the loudest sheik your sore throat could muster. It was a lot deeper than your normal morning voice too, like 5 octaves lower.

You had a penis. You’re a woman in your twenties who suddenly grew a penis overnight. What was going on? You were panicking now, but you couldn’t stop the stream that was coming from your body that actually wasn’t YOUR body. Once you finished your morning pee, you pulled up your pants and ran to look in the mirror. Why the fuck was your best friend staring back at you? You- no, Jeongin’s body was what you saw and not your own. This has to be a dream right? You slapped yourself in the face, hard, a red handprint forming on the honey colored skin and stinging from impact. Okay, not a dream.

You ran out of the bathroom, grabbing your phone with trembling hands and immediately dialed your best friend’s number. You went to voicemail the first time, the second, the third, and finally on the fourth call he answered.

“Y/nnie?” He grumbled out, obviously still half asleep but instead of hearing your best friend, you heard yourself. “Jeongin!” you shouted, successfully waking up the younger man. “What is- why do I sound like you? WHY DO I HAVE TITS!? OH MY GOD! AND I'M SHORT! WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING!?” Now Jeongin was panicking too. You could hear his door click open softly in the background and another man’s voice hit your ears. “Jeong- wait. Y/N? What are you doing here and- where’s jeongin? Why were you screaming?”

“Channie Hyung!” you could hear the others voice crack, probably crying considering that’s exactly what your body would do in this situation. “Why are you calling me Hyung Y/N? That’s weird.” Chan’s voice was still thick with sleep as he spoke and you listened to the interaction through the phone. “No, it’s not Y/N. It’s- why am I crying? Y/N, why the hell are you such a cry baby?” Jeongin asked you, probably confusing Chan in the process.

“It’s not like I can help it! It’s the estrogen and other hormones coursing through my body! Why the hell are you so hot headed!? I almost punched my mirror when I looked in it!” you retorted, anger filling your tone. “Do you really wanna punch me that bad y/nnie?” He asked and you were about to respond when he spoke again. “Wait- mirror? Y/nnie you dirty dog. Checking out my incredible body was the first thing you thought to do?” you could practically hear the smirk in his- well your- voice.

“No, the first thing I did was go to take a piss when I noticed a cock between my legs. Then I freaked out.” the words left your mouth before you could think and you heard a fit of giggles break out on the other side. You scrambled to fix your words, “I DIDN'T LOOK BECAUSE I WANTED TO! I DIDN'T KNOW IT WAS THERE!” you screamed and Jeongin only laughed harder. You were pissed again, the testosterone severely influencing your emotions.

“Okay- what the actual fuck is going on here!?” Chan shouted and shortly after you heard the other guys’ voices mixing into the mess on the other line. “Fuck it. I'm coming over.” you groaned and hung up the phone. You opened your wardrobe and began to pick out your normal clothes and started getting dressed before realizing they didn’t fit Jeongin’s body. “FUCKING TALL MUSCULAR BASTARD!” you shouted and shucked off the clothes. Luckily you had a few articles of his clothes he’d abandoned at your place over the years. Slipping on a hoodie and a pair of sweats, resorting to wear the house slippers you kept for him at your place considering his feet were a few sizes larger than your shoes.

It took you 15 minutes to drive to the dorms. You had to push the seat in your car all the way back for his lanky legs to actually fit and it was incredible how much of the road you could see in his body, his height creating a better vantage point. You trudged up to the door annoyed, not bothering to knock and swinging the door open. Stupid men and their lack of self preservation skills, just keeping their front door unlocked. “YAND JEONGIN!” you shouted and suddenly a stampede of 7 men and well, you, came running towards you from one of the back rooms.

“Okay that’s fucking weird. It’s like you’re talking in third person.” Changbin mumbled and then Jeongin was in front of you, just in your body. You had to look down slightly instead of up this time which was really strange. “Is that what I look like to you?” you gasped. You two didn’t have a huge height difference but apparently just 5 inches was a drastic change that neither of you were used to. “Damn. I’m even hot from this angle.” he quipped in response and you had to resist every urge to slap him considering you’d be slapping yourself instead.

“Okay, we have got to fix this now. Before your stupid boy brain does anything foul to my body.” you snarled, the thought making you angry again. “Don’t worry, having to see my best friend’s tits isn’t that bad but god are they annoying. I’ve ran them into shit probably 6 times already.” he grumbled and moved his hand to rub the sore area of your breast. You were able to grab his wrist, the strength of your grip causing a yelp to ring through the dorm. “OW FUCK! Letgoletgoletgo!” he whines and you released the wrist, it immediately began to swell and turn red. “Fuck that hurt!” he shouted and Minho began to inspect it.

“Damn Jeong- er y/nnie… I think you broke y/n- er um… the wrist? this is so confusing.” he groaned and let go of the possibly broken wrist. “Jesus fuck. What are you, the hulk? how the hell do you not break everything and everyone you touch?” you were shocked by the amount of strength you had, you didn’t even try and you had probably just broken your wrist? How the hell does he hold back his strength all the time? Is that why your muscles hurt so bad?

“Yeah, we’ve gotta get you two switched back before either of you get handsy with each- no, with yourselves? And before Y/nnie ends up breaking anything or anyone else with Jeongin’s body.” Chan stated matter of factly and the others let out exhausted sighs. It wasn’t even 9am yet and today was already the most exhausting day ever.

[justallihere]

Hi there! Welcome - I'm Alli (she/her). I like concerts, books, and science. My favorite color is pink and my favorite band is Fall Out Boy. At this time I'm writing fics for The Empyrean (Fourth Wing) series, but someday in the future I might expand that list. Thanks for joining the chaos!

Most of you probably know me from AO3 by the same username. Below you can find my entire masterlist of fics as well as some frequently asked questions. If there's something you'd like to know that isn't addressed below, my ask box is always open 🫶🏻

✨ masterlist:

storm in the quiet (E)

Xaden/Violet, arranged marriage AU, > 200k words, ongoing

It took only a few minutes for Violet to figure out what purpose she served. No one said it out loud—not yet, but they’d get there—but they kept throwing out words like formalizing alliances and uniting two groups, and she understood. Violet was a sacrificial lamb, and Xaden Riorson was the wolf, and her slaughter would be their marriage.

(find sitq deleted moments here, here, here, and here)

all resistance wearing thin (E)

Imogen/Garrick, one shot set in the sitq world, 7.3k words, complete

It was a dangerous thing to be alone with Imogen Cardulo.

simmer (E)

Xaden/Violet, one shot, 4.1k words, complete

The night that Tairn began channeling to Violet, she didn’t stumble upon Xaden in the snow. She found someone else to take care of her, and when Xaden realized, he was less than amused.

violence in my veins (E)

Xaden/Violet, one shot, 4.1k words, complete

The Riders’ Quadrant had something of an obsession with piercings. The only person Violet Sorrengail knew without any was, of course, Xaden Riorson. Or so she thought.

invisible in a violet sea (E)

Xaden/Violet, one shot, 2k words, complete

“It’s just me here, love. Tell me what you need so badly, Violence.” There was something about the way he said the private nickname in this context, with his voice low and husky, that made it feel entirely different from every other time he called her that. Like it was reverent and special and it, like her, belonged only to him. “You,” she said. “I need you, Xaden.”

void of all composure (E)

Liam/Violet/Cam, one shot, 2.8k words, complete

Liam Mairi figured it couldn’t be that hard to keep Violet Sorrengail out of trouble. Unfortunately, he didn’t account for the fact that her version of trouble was Cam Tauri, and Liam was certainly going to go down with her.

somehow i still love you more (G)

Xaden/Violet, kid fic, one shot, 800 words, complete

Xaden’s favorite time was the middle of the night, when his wife slept peacefully and he got to hold his daughter and watch the snow falling.

come together, come apart (E)

Liam/Violet/Xaden, one shot, 12.4k words, complete

Following the battle at Resson, Violet felt out of control in the wake of so many lies revealed. Xaden and Liam offered her a way to take some of it back.

✨FAQs:

Do you have an update schedule?

Nope. Fanfic is a hobby for me—I have other responsibilities and a full-time job. I write because it’s fun, and in order for it to stay that way I write and post as I’m able, and sometimes I step away for a week or two to maintain my own sanity. Unless I specifically say it, I promise my fics aren’t abandoned just because it’s been a few days or even weeks without a new chapter. Please don’t ask me about updates!

Do you take requests for fics?

I do not. I write things that I love or am inspired by. Trying to conform to specific requests kind of sucks the joy out of writing for me.

Can I write or draw something inspired by/based on/in the same universe as one of your fics?

Yes. Please just let me know once you post and link back to my work in some way!

Can I bind your fics?

Yes, for personal use only. You may not commission any third party that would make a profit off binding the fic to do the work for you. You may not sell bound copies of my fics. Everything I’ve written has been done for free, as my own personal love letter from me to fandom. Keep fanfiction safe and legal. And send me pictures—I’d love to see your finished projects.

Will you ever write your own book?

I'd love to one day! I have lots of ideas floating around at all times, even though I don't talk about them much. I promise if I ever publish any original works, you'll know.

How long will storm in the quiet be?

Right now I’m estimating about 55-60 chapters—that’s just a best guess, if it changes as we get closer to the end, I’ll update this answer.

Will storm in the quiet have a sequel?

Nope.

Are you going to kill Liam?

No. I promise. I know you’re all traumatized, but please read the tags on AO3. There’s one that says “Liam lives!” and it means he lives all the way to the end and it’s not a joke 😅

When will Xaden and Violet fuck?

Read and find out. I’m not going to give you the chapter number to skip ahead past all the good stuff. Be patient.

✨ other info:

Find some of my favorite book recs here

Some great Fourth Wing fic recs here (my own faves and a lot of other good ones that I missed in the comments)

If you’re interested in what I might be currently reading, click here

[thedeviltohisangel]

“Watching in awe as your partner slides their finger into their mouth with your cum on it” for Cass & Bucky please 🤭

LEGS DIVORCING PROMPT ERA

PLOT TWIST. Princess Era is the setting for this one. I am feral for the sex these two have and yes please come talk to me about it.

also. basically a full one shot.

warning: smut

Her gossamer nightgown was thin but there was a layer of sweat over her skin. She had just finished her bath and Mary had disappeared to grab her evening tea when her handsome and brooding knight had come through her bedroom door.

"Your Highness, my apologies, I-"

"Mary went down to the kitchens, John. It's just us." And that is what was nerve-wracking to her. They had developed such a familiarity with each other these last weeks. Had discovered the brush of his hand in the hall made her heart flutter into the sky. That his lips pressed against hers made her forget all her manners. That the way his hands had wrapped around her waist and pulled her close the night before...she had forgotten all her morals.

"Is that always what you wear to sleep?" He swallowed thickly as his eyes raked up and down her form, barely hidden from him by the fabric.

"During the summer months, yes." A new aspect of her to keep him up at night. He took a few steps further into her room, his sword at his side but his armor discarded in favor of a loose tunic. "Here to check for monsters?" she asked with a smile as she took a few tentative steps closer to him. Ever since the display he had put on at the tournament and the actions he had taken the night of the riot, John had been upgraded to her personal protective detail. He spent all day by her side and all night outside her room. The only person he trusted to relieve him was Gale, sneaking off to sleep for a couple hours and steal food from the kitchens before he was right back with his princess.

"Gale will be taking post outside your door. I was ordered to get a full night's sleep before the ball tomorrow." One more function to celebrate her betrothal. One more function that send a murderous desire through his heart.

"And how I am supposed to sleep with you so far away?" He smiled.

"I'm sure you'll manage, Princess." Mary gasped and the tray of tea rattled slightly as she arrived back, Butter yipping softly at John before trotting to Cass' side. The dog always liked a trip to the kitchens where the cooks gave him enough scraps for a week of meals. "I'll be taking my leave. Good night, your Highness." Butter looked up at her with confusion, perturbed the man had been in this room without him to protect her.

"Don't worry, your Majesty," Cass squatted to kiss his nose and welcome the lick of his tongue to her face, "he'll be gone all night."

-

A hand landed on his shoulder and woke him with a start. Interrupting his dream of Princess Cassandra in her nightgown.

"Someone made it over the gate. Need you to relieve Sir Gale." The man was off in a run and John wasted no time, throwing his legs over the side of the bed and pulling on his clothes before he grabbed his sword and was off in a sprint.

"Gale!" he called his name as soon as he saw him down the hall. The blonde man nodded once and took off towards the warning bells, John catching his breath before opening the double wood doors to the Princess' bedroom. Butter barked viciously once before he recognized who it was.

"There, there, my love. We're okay." Cass wrapped him in a hug where she sat by the fire.

"Don't even need a knight with this one." John held his hand out and Butter looked at him blankly before trotting to take a drink of water. "He hates me."

"He's protective. Takes a while for him to trust people." Especially after the incident with Lord Landry. "What's going on out there?" She had peered through the curtains but hadn't been able to see much.

"Someone climbed over the wall. They'll be apprehended soon." Testing his luck, John stroked a finger down the back of her nightgown strap. He could feel her warmth. Feel the way her breath caught before he even made contact with her skin. "Do you know how hard it is to breathe without you, Cassandra?"

"I'm sure it barely scratches the surface of the emptiness I felt when you said you wouldn't be outside my door tonight." She turned and pressed her palm to his chest. "You have introduced my eyes to colors they've never seen. Introduced feelings my soul hadn't uncovered. Spurned a fire in me so smoldering I'm afraid it will catch everything I touch."

"Princess," he groaned as a warning before he captured her lips with his own. She owned him. Mind, body and soul. From the moment he had looked upon her in the village, his body had yearned for her in a way that was unfamiliar to him but not unwanted. "You are to be married soon." It had been the only thing holding him back from fully giving her every inch of himself. From whisking her away from this castle on horseback until they found a land where no one knew who they were.

"I do not want him the way I want you. Do not want him in any way that I could even fathom of." Lord Landry was always too rough with her. His grip too tight and his words too harsh and he looked at her like she was prey to his predator. He was the villain of every nightmare she had. "All he will do is lock me away to bear him children."

"I won't let that happen. I won't let him touch you," he promised as he held her closer. He was already thinking of way to ensure it.

"When you touch me, when you look at me," her back hit the wall and he caged her in protectively, "there is something between my legs I've never felt before. I do not know how to mend it." Clenching her legs together helped slightly. But it was a built up pressure she knew not how to release.

"There is but many ways to mend it, Princess." His hand curled under her knee and lifted it to his waist. "I would like to show you. Will you allow me to?" At their own accord, her fingers curled into the top of his trousers and pulled him forward.

"Please." The friction of his hips against hers offered her a burst of pleasure she would spend the rest of her life chasing as his lips bruised hers with their desire.

"Unless it is pain, do not shy away from what you feel. Embrace it, Princess, let it consume you. When you've learnt to control your own pleasure, you will have learned to control your freedom." Her eyes widened in awe as he dropped to his knees in front of her. He had knelt at the altar of her many times over. Pledged his loyalty to her. Only to her. This instance was no different.

"The way you're looking at me could start a war," she breathed as his eye locked on hers but his lips pressed a path from her ankle to her thigh, the hem of her nightgown rising with it and her leg resting over his shoulder when he was finished. His nose nuzzled against her skin.

"I will answer any call to battle to preserve this feeling, Cassandra. Charge from the front to ensure your skin is unmarred by touches other than love." He was promising her a future she could be happy for by any means necessary.

"My warrior." Her fingers carded through his hair as he finally reached the apex of her thighs. There was no fabric preventing his tongue from flicking across the soft skin. No fabric preventing him from tasting her. No fabric preventing him from learning the sounds of her pleasure. "Oh, John." There was a sensation building in her stomach that scared her at first but he had told her to embrace the feelings and lean into them.

"Does my mending please you, Princess?" His lips shined in the moonlight, his cheeks flushed red and curls wild from the grip of her fingers. His own slowly continued to stroke her as he asked his question.

"This tension...a rope that might snap..." she panted as her hips began to rock into his fingers.

"Let's get it to snap then, shall we? Cure you of this affliction." His mouth was on her with a fervor as he drank from her like it was nectar. Her honey-sweet arousal coating his tongue and spurning his ministrations. Her moans and gasps escalated as she threw her head back with pleasure, nearly riding his tongue as her orgasm worked to its tipping point.

Her first orgasm ripped through her body from her toes to the top of her head. Every muscle in her body flexing and releasing in symphony with the blood rushing from between her legs. Every nerve ending was on fire and consumed by the feeling of the knight knelt before her. It spun her into the stars and then carried her back to earth where he looked at her with love and adoration. And loyalty.

He removed his fingers from her. "I offer you my sword," one wiped clean on his tongue, "my shield," the next made him moan, "and my devotion, your Highness." He took his time savoring the third.

"You have my devotion in kind, John," she whispered in awe. "You have all of me."

And no one would ever be able to take him from her.

She'd rather die.

[roleplay-evil]

Resident Evil 7 Biohazard Starters

"You know what they say—once family, always family."

"You're part of the family now."

"Welcome to the family, [name]."

"That's family business, [name], and not your concern, understand?"

"This is my home. Apparently, I belong here."

"So, why are we in hell this time?"

"They're relying on me. Everyone is relying on me. Everyone!"

"You don't exactly seem like you're playing with a full deck yourself."

"Goddamnit, how am I gonna replace this?"

"Ah, shit! I knew I shouldn't have worn my good shoes."

"You came to the wrong house, [name]."

"I told you to stay out of here."

"Alright, new deal. We-we find [name] and we go."

"You, my friend, you are one lucky son of a bitch."

"I'm sorry... but they're, uh, they're dead now."

"Yeah, it is your fault. But that doesn't mean I'm gonna let you die."

"You kill me, and I just come right on back!"

"I'm going to enjoy watching you die."

"Motherfucker! You were supposed to die!"

"Sure as shit beats the hell outta dying."

"Idiot—you can't kill me."

"Do me a favor and stay dead."

"Leave me to die!"

"Forget that you ever knew me."

"Come on—don't you die on us now. You have work to do."

"You don't understand or is it that you just don't care?"

"Don't worry, I'm still here."

"Now, we got several calls about some missing persons lately."

"[name]! Thank god I found you. It's me. It's [name]!"

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead! It's time for supper."

"Glad I had my shots."

"You better now?"

"Well, come on. Take a chance. You never know."

"That is not groovy."

"What the fuck? That's special."

"You can't hide from me, [name]!"

"Don't you go anywhere!"

"Alright, you little cocksucker, let's get down to business!"

"I know you and [name] are plotting. I know you are scheming."

"Where'd you get yourself to, hm? Where are you?!"

"Thought you'd just slip out before dinner was done?"

"It won't be long before I find you and kill you."

"I'm gonna squash you like a bug."

"You think you can hurt me?"

"You're going to wish you'd never been born."

"I'm gonna take you for a ride!"

"This is going to be fun. Just you wait."

You're gonna die in this hole and you're gonna like it!"

"Fuck it! I'm gonna kill every one of you."

"I will find them and I will make them suffer."

"You better start running, [name]!"

"They're dead! They're all dead!"

"I can't let [name] catch me again!"

"What's wrong? Step on it!"

"You're the first I've ever seen make it this far."

"Gotta say, I'm impressed. Not only are you still alive, you have all your fingers and toes."

"You're gonna have to do better than that, [name]."

"You're wasting your time."

"Here I come."

"You need to go. I won't be able to resist for much longer."

"You gotta give me your gun!"

"Oh! Good news! I'm going to be coming home soon! Yay!"

"Who the hell else was I gonna choose?"

"Are you having fun yet?"

"You got yourself a booboo?"

"I told you, don't you fuck with me."

"Not now. We need to get out of here first."

"You were right. I did lie to you."

"You gotta earn your way, [name]!"

"What is this place? What did they do to you?"

"There's another door here. I'm sure of it."

"You're a son of a bitch!"

"Now look what you've done, motherfucker!"

"Fuck you and the horse you rode in on."

"Kiss my ass."

"Dumb son of bitch wouldn't know good if it hit them!"

"Goddamnit! I bet it's that cop again..."

"I only work with professionals."

"I'm an old man, [name]. You can't take on an old man?"

"Hey! One of those is mine."

"Why are you putting me through this?"

"Well, don't just stand there—do something!"

"I know I can't expect anything from you. Not after what happened. After what I did."

"I am sick and tired over being sick and tired of your bullshit."

"I'm tired of waiting."

"It has taken me weeks to finish this, and it is finally ready." And it's all for you."

"What the fuck are you, [name]?"

"I got the gift running all through me! All through me!"

"I don't understand you at all. This is a gift."

"There are known unknowns here, and you are not paying fucking attention!"

"Do I have your attention, [name]? You're about to see something wonderful."

"We love you... Why can't you see that?!"

"Why does everyone hate me?"

"You see, [name], not everybody wants to turn back the clock."

"This joy? Why, you can't fake this."

[guysgoneexposed]

He's had it Coming

He doesn't remember me, and that's a good thing. He made my life a living hell all those years ago. Now it's my turn. He just started working here, and was assigned to me to be his new employee mentor. I'll mentor him alright, but revenge is going to be sweet. I think a proper introduction to the rest of the guys is in order. All those years ago, he told me the hazing was just how things were done. He wanted me to fit in with the team. I confided in him, and he betrayed that trust. He let the whole school know my deepest secrets in the most humiliating way. So now it's my turn. I think it's time for the entire company to get to know all of his secrets. I told him we had to get him changed into the uniform. I asked him to get out of his clothes after asking him his sizes. As I went to go get "his uniforms". I came back with a blindfold and a pair of handcuffs. The poor schmuck was in his tighty whities and was no match for the strength of pure surprise. I was able to over power him and handcuff him. I added a blindfold so he couldn't see just quite how humiliating his initiation was going to be. I walked him to the training room where I had invited all the guys for lunch and a show. I handcuffed him up on the stage area. So everyone could get a good view of our newest employee in his skivvies.

As they all filtered in, they began to clap, and laugh, and call him names. The tighty whites were a bit big, but they didn't leave much to the imagination. Once everyone was seated, it was time for the real show to begin. I introduced him and it's odd not a single soul stepped up to help him as he squirmed and pleaded. Seems I wasn't the only guy he tormented in school, or maybe secretly everyone enjoyed seeing him squirm. We always did a bit of an initiation, but everyone knew this was much more. Much crueler, yet not a single person spoke up. Everyone was enjoying the humiliation of the new guy. I explained that it was time to take his undies off and he pleaded with me, begged me not to take them. I asked the audience and well it's unanimous... Looks like he's going to lose them. Unless he touches himself... and masterbates. I explain I'll let him keep them, IF he cums for us. And he fucking starts to do it. I let one of his hands go and after giving us all the bird...

he begins to stroke that little cock of his.Then all of a sudden, just as he was about to cum for us all... the door swung open, and the boss walked in!

"What the hell are y'all doing in here!?" I hear, a familiar voice -I think the guy who interviewed me? Oh thank God, this nightmare is over! "Oh please, sir! Help, they've been teasing me relentlessly and were making me touch myself, please please help". I feel a large rough hand grab my jaw, " Like I said what the hell are y'all doing in here? If you're going to welcome the new guy, invite the boss... and do it right!". Within seconds I could feel that hand slide it's way down my chest and belly... and into my waistband... Oh shit... I could feel as my undies were slid off. The fabric slowly getting stuck for a moment on my hard cock before it bounces out with an extra tug. I am fully exposed and I can hear the room erupt with laughter, whistles, and camera clicks! I cried out in horror, begging anyone to help. Then the next thing I knew, my undies were being stuffed into my mouth. "Now that's better, men in this company know when to shut up, that will teach him how things are done here. Looks like you were the perfect mentor to teach this jerk how we run things. Now let's enjoy the view as we eat our lunch". What did I ever do to deserve this? I'm butt naked in a room full of what sounds like my entire company staring and poking fun at me. I can hear cameras click. It sounds like each table is getting to come up and take turns fondling and taking pictures with me. Will this hell ever end? I can't stand it, this has to end! Maybe I can get loose? Someone grabs my cock and I instantly start to get hard, I twist my body just so and manage to swing around shielding my hardening cock from the room, but now... my ass is completely exposed. I could have sworn I heard someone say "he's going to regret that"... and someone bends down and starts using my balls as mini-punching bags. Fuck me! I can't believe this is happening! This is the worst day ever! And just when I thought my humiliation was over I hear the voice of my mentor again "fuck you, you pathetic bully" and as he slides his slicked up fingers into my hole, I remember his voice and it clicks... I remember. Oh fuck! I'm screwed. It's the guy I had the biggest crush on during school and fuck, I did so much worse to him... I deserve this... Just then... He slides his fingers out and all of a sudden I feel something larger enter my hole, I truly am fucked.

[unseededtoast]

Turtle Doves | Joel Miller

Part Twenty Seven

Chapter Directory

Series Summary: In which two broken souls connect so deeply, that if one should perish, the other would surely die of a broken heart. (slow burn, timeline changes. After TLOU1, before TLOU2, assumed knowledge of infected, uses elements from both show and game)

Series Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, death, and sexual content.

Also cross posted on my Wattpad and AO3, if you prefer those formats. Here is a link to my masterlist for everything else I’ve posted.

The amber glow from the fire gives his dark brown eyes a bit of life, like they've been touched with fresh honey. He licks his lips and I find myself unable to focus on anything else except for the man in front of me. My eyes look over the broad expanse of his shoulders, how his shirt bunches up around his biceps, and how he looks at me as if I am the last person on Earth.

Sunlight filters through the boards on the windows, warming the skin of my face. If it weren't for the uncomfortable ground I'm sleeping on, it would be quite peaceful. Keeping my eyes closed I soak in the warmth and relish in the peace while it lasts, for I know shortly things could change drastically.

I shift around on the sleeping bags and feel Joel behind me, pressed up against my back. With the realization of how close we are, my eyes shoot open and my body freezes. Breath catches in my throat as I focus on just how warm and inviting he feels. His broad chest is up against my shoulder blades, and it would be easy for me to lean back into him.

But I don't melt into his touch like I so desperately want to. Instead, I scoot further away from him, knowing he'd likely feel uncomfortable if he woke up and we were that close. Plus, if I did give into my temptation, it would make parting ways that much more difficult.

Sitting up, I go to look out of the window covered with boards to see if anyone is lingering around, alive or infected. My eyes dart back and forth for any sign of movement but there's nothing to be seen out there. Everything is utterly silent.

The silence is welcome after the last few days. My body still feels tired and worn, and I find myself missing my excuse of a mattress back in Boston. But soon I may be back on it once more. I wonder what all has changed in Boston since I left. I wonder if James was able to pick up where I left off and is still running pills, or if he passed it all on to someone else. I know his wife would be more than happy to see him put the pills down.

"Good mornin'" Joel's voice startles me out of my thoughts and I turn to face him. He's sat up and looking at me, an unfamiliar light in his eyes. 

"Good morning." I answer, a small smile on my face. Leaving the window, I sit across from him and wait to see what he says.

Nerves tingle all over as I brace myself for the inevitable "it's time we go our separate ways" speech. Knowing Joel, that speech will likely only be a sentence or two. But in the back of my mind, I can still hear the way he told me I was family. And for a split second I wonder if our paths are not going to diverge after all.

"You ready to get out of here today?" He asks, rubbing his hands together. I nod my head in response.

"More than ready." I say, glancing back at the window knowing that anyone could be lingering out there right now.

"Good. How about we crack open some of these cans and then hit the road? We've still got a ways to go." He says, getting up and moving towards his small food stockpile.

"Where are we going?" I ask, watching as he grabs two cans.

"Jackson, Wyoming." He answers and hands a can to me. I see that he's kept the beans for himself and handed me some tomato soup.

"Wyoming?" I ask, unsure if I heard him correctly. He nods his head.

"Yeah. Unless you don't want to come?" His eyes glance from the can up to my face, where I can tell he's searching for my answer. I take a moment to digest what this means, my heart feels so full like it could just fall out of my body at any given second.

"I would love to." I finally answer. A ghost of a smile finds its way onto Joel's face and he pulls out his knife to open our cans.

"I think you'll like it there." He says and curiosity gets the best of me.

"What's it like?" I ask, having only heard bare minimum of what his family's living conditions are in Wyoming. Throughout this entire journey he's taken specific care to remain vague about his family and now it seems like he's ready to lay it all out in the open.

"The summers are nice, the winters cold. We've got ourselves a compound of sorts. When we get there you'll see what I mean." He answers, still too vague for my liking, but I accept it nonetheless.

It looks like Boston is forever in my rearview mirror. And that is fine by me.

We eat our breakfasts in silence and I prepare myself for the road we still have ahead. Hopefully the worst is behind us and we won't run into any more Tribunals on the way there, or ever again. And as I finish up the soup, I look over at Joel and remind myself that we will be okay as long as we have each other. Wherever he is, is home to me.

-----

"We've got about one day left." Joel breaks the silence.

It's taken us a little over a week to get close to Jackson from Omaha. The road has been surprisingly desolate. Sure, we ran into a few infected here and there and even saw some other people, but we steered clear of them and had no issue.

The only real issue we face is exhaustion. It's become quite clear to us that our bodies are not as forgiving as they once were. Both Joel and I ache all over from the extensive travel. Really, we haven't stopped since we left Boston, not for very long at least.

"This is our last night out here?" I ask, my throat dry from lack of water. He nods,

"Yeah, this is our last night." He says and the evening critters begin singing their songs.

It's bittersweet, to think that this is our last night out here all alone. It really doesn't seem like too long ago we were in Boston. I still remember seeing him for the first time in James' apartment and I still remember our first night together on this journey in the high rise.

From the very beginning Joel has shown me that he will take care of me. It's now clear as day to me that since that first night he's always shown that he cares enough to make sure I was safe. And knowing him like I do now, I realize just how much that meant. I was blind to it, but now my eyes have been opened.

My eyes stay glued to the back of his jacket as we walk towards our nightly destination. His hair has grown out since we started as well, and it's starting to curl towards the nape of his neck. And because it's growing out, I spy the little strands of grey that pepper his otherwise dark brown locks.

The necklace around my neck bounces with each step, but this time, it doesn't carry the weight of guilt around with it. No, instead it offers clarity, assurance, and love. I look down at the locket and for the first time I realize that I no longer feel guilty about my feelings towards Joel. Instead it almost feels like Ryan and Lucas are looking down at me, giving me their approval.

I know that they never would want me to isolate myself like I have for so many years. They would want me to be happy, to thrive and live life to the fullest. And my only regret is that it took me this long to realize that.

As we approach the steps of an abandoned house, I look up at the stars in the sky and say a silent thank you to Ryan and Lucas, who are no doubt with me always.

"Come on, it's gettin' cold out here." Joel urges me inside after opening the door. My eyes break away from the sky and enter the house.

The inside is dust-covered, I don't see any footprints on the floor which means that this is likely completely abandoned. After listening for a few moments and hearing nothing, I'm confident that there are no infected here either.

Joel sets his things down by the old couch and immediately begins clearing out the fireplace. While he does that, I go around and check for anything useful. The kitchen cabinets hold nothing of use much to my dismay. I look around and see the photos hanging from the wall, seeing another once-happy family. My heart aches for them, like it has ached for all the others.

"Fire's going." Joel calls out after a few moments. I rejoin him in the living room and see the fire he started going strong.

"Nothing useful in the kitchen." I say and sit on the worn-down couch. Joel stands from in front of the fire and wipes his hands on his jeans before he sits next to me.

"It's probably already been searched." He states and I nod my head, staring into the flames.

While I'm excited to see Jackson, I can't help but be nervous. What if the people there don't like me? What if his family doesn't like me? Will we get there and Joel leaves me to my own devices? And if he does, what will I do?

"Hey, what's wrong?" Joel asks. With a sigh, I look into his chocolate brown eyes and see nothing but concern within them.

"It's stupid, really." I say with a shrug, hoping he finds this as an acceptable answer. But unfortunately, he does not.

"I doubt it's stupid." He presses further. I bite on the inside of my cheek before I answer, trying to find the right words.

"I'm just worried is all." I say, unsure of how far he's going to push me for answers.

"Worried about what?" He further asks and it's at this time that I almost miss his nonchalant, don't care attitude towards me like he had on our first night. But on the other hand, it's nice to know he actually cares. I know it takes a lot for him to open up to people, and it's for that reason I decide to stop beating around the bush.

"What if they don't accept me there? I mean, if they find out what I've done, I wouldn't blame them for not wanting me there. I did bad things, and I mean seriously bad things, to those people." I try to keep my voice from wavering. I see Joel's shoulders relax, and he reaches a timid hand out to rest it on my thigh.

It feels like electricity courses through my veins where his hand is, and I hold his gaze, never wanting to look away.

"Hon- They will love you. I promise you. If they kicked out everyone who has done something in self-defense, there would be nobody there." He answers, cutting himself off once. His hand on my thigh squeezes slightly, sending butterflies soaring through me.

"What if your family doesn't like me?" I ask, knowing it's a little redundant, but needing the reassurance. I look down to where his hand rests on my lap and he uses a finger to lift my chin up so that I'm looking right at him.

"My family will love you as one of their own." He says with the utmost confidence.

His finger hasn't left my chin and between that and his hand on my thigh, I feel something within me awaken that's been dormant for too long. And I wonder if he feels it too. I place my hand atop of his on my leg, and grab onto his wrist with my other, not wanting him to let go. My heart feels like it's going to beat out of my chest, but I know that this is our last night where it's just the two of us, and I intend to make the most of it.

"Thank you Joel, for everything." My words carry a weight to them that I'm sure he picks up on. I see his eyes dance from my eyes to my lips.

The amber glow from the fire gives his dark brown eyes a bit of life, like they've been touched with fresh honey. He licks his lips and I find myself unable to focus on anything else except for the man in front of me. My eyes look over the broad expanse of his shoulders, how his shirt bunches up around his biceps, and how he looks at me as if I am the last person on Earth.

"You don't have to thank me for anything. I would do it all over again for you, in a heartbeat." He says, his eyes searching mine. My breathing picks up and my adrenaline spikes.

Without giving it a second thought, my hands move from his to cup the sides of his face. His beard is scratchy under my fingertips, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Our lips connect and his hands find their way around my waist, bringing me impossibly closer to him.

Our first kiss is tender, yet holds so much pent up emotion. His fingertips dig into my sides, like he's reminding himself that this isn't just a figment of his imagination. One of my hands moves from the side of his face to his hair, where I grab a handful and tug on it just ever so slightly.

Joel is gentle with me, and he trails one of his hands up my body until it rests on my cheek. He cradles my head like I'm made of porcelain; afraid that one wrong move may break me. His other hand pulls me on top of him, so that I'm straddling his lap.

His hand on my hip holds me in place and a fire within me ignites, not one of anger, but one of love. My lungs begin to burn and I pull away from Joel, leaning my forehead against his. We're both out of breath and as we look into each other's eyes in a way we never have, I admit to myself for the first time,

I am in love with Joel.

He tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear before letting both of his hands rest on my hips. I let my own arms rest on his shoulders and I lean forward, tucking my face into his neck. His familiar smell makes me feel right at home, like this is where I belong.

Joel's hand rubs up and down my back, comforting me in a way I haven't felt in over two decades. It feels so right, to be held by him, to be loved on by him. And though I've seen him kill people with his bare hands on this journey, I've never felt safer than right here in his arms.

He presses a tender kiss to my forehead, and I practically melt into him. I lift my head from the bend of his neck and sit up straight to really look at him. I notice all the small details like the smile lines by his eyes and the faint wrinkles on his forehead. And while others may not find them to be attractive features, they're the most beautiful things I've ever laid eyes on.

I lean forward and press our lips together once more, needing to know that he wants this, and that I didn't just catch him off guard. The way his lips chase mine tells me everything I need to know.

After a while, we move the couch in front of the fireplace and position ourselves comfortably. I lay between Joel's legs, my head resting on his stomach and his head resting on the arm. I'm sure our bodies will protest this positioning in the morning, but for now, there's nowhere else I'd rather be. The pain will be worth it.

-----

"You ready?" Joel asks, turning around to face me.

We had gotten somewhat of a late start this morning. I think both of us were dragging out the limited time we still have together. The two of us had woken up around the same time, the smell of smoke in the air from the fireplace. Joel was keeping me warm, and I could've stayed in his arms for an eternity.

But, after we had procrastinated long enough, I could tell he's ready to be back home with his family. And I couldn't be selfish and try to keep him all by myself any longer. It's time we both go home.

"Ready as I'll ever be." I say, eyeing the tall wooden gates in front of us. One corner of Joel's mouth turns up in a smile, and he steps back to me, putting his arms around my shoulders.

"They're going to love you." He says, kissing the top of my head. I smile up at him and finally move forward.

Joel and I take our final steps of our journey together and we stand side by side in front of the tall, strong, wooden walls of Jackson.

"Joel, is that you?" Someone at the top of the fence yells.

"It's me." Joel calls back and the man hurriedly jumps down from his post. Moments later, the gate opens up.

The man rushes to meet Joel, a wide smile on his face. And while they greet each other I look beyond, into the town. There are lots and lots of people. My chest tightens with anxiety, remembering how big the Tribunals group was.

"And you are?" The man's voice brings me back from my lapse in attention. I clear my throat and smile at the man.

"I'm Noelle, it's nice to meet you." I can only hope my smile is convincing and doesn't show just how nervous I am.

"Beautiful name. I'm sure you'll fit right in here. Tommy's gonna be ecstatic to hear you're back." The man beams at Joel.

"Yeah, I'll find him soon enough. Gonna try to get cleaned up first." Joel says. The man nods.

"By all means." He motions for the two of us to enter the town entirely, and shuts the gate behind us.

I turn and see that we're closed in here, totally surrounded by the walls. And while I know I should feel safe and secure, I feel almost claustrophobic. My palms feel clammy and I remember what it was like being trapped by the Tribunals.

"Hey, hey it's okay." Joel says quietly, stepping in front of me. He tilts my head so that I have no choice but to look at him.

"Come on, follow me." He says, guiding me by the small of my back.

As we walk through town I take in the enormity of the place. There's a child care center, a bar, a school. It's like another world in here, one that I thought was long gone. Here there's order and civility.

Kids run around playing and others walk around talking and joking. My eyes scan over everyone looking for something out of place. And I'm acutely aware of people's eyes on us as we move through the town.

Eventually Joel leads us to a two story brown house. We go up the stairs and enter, and it's a lot cozier inside than it looks from the outside.

"This is my house, I've got some spare clothes you can have until we get you settled, if that's okay?" Joel asks, slinging his bag on the floor without a care in the world. My aching shoulders rejoice as I place my own bag on the ground.

"Yeah, yeah that would be nice. Thank you." I say, appreciative of him taking care of me.

All this time I've been hoping for somewhere safe and I've finally found it. I just didn't think it would feel this weird, this foreign. Instead of being able to relax and assimilate, all my mind can ponder is when shit is going to hit the fan. Places like this just don't exist anymore. Places like this are usually homing groups like the Tribunals or other groups that do vile things to newcomers. What if I just walked into one big trap?

As Joel moves around to find what he's looking for, my heart hammers in my chest and my palms still feel slick with sweat. My chest feels heavy and I wonder if I'll be able to do this. I wonder if I've come all this way just to realize that I don't fit in anywhere anymore. The thought constricts my airways and I feel myself beginning to spiral. 

"Hey, hey it's okay. I'm here. I've got you, you're okay." I hear Joel say but his voice sounds muffled. I feel his hands on my shoulders and I feel my feet moving, but it doesn't feel real. It's like I'm trapped within a twilight zone inside of my own mind. 

Joel puts me down on something soft and the edges of my vision blur. My chest hurts and I can't get enough air. I can't breathe and I can't focus. The thoughts in my mind don't make sense. And I can't even ask for help, it's like my tongue tied itself in a knot. 

What did I just walk into?

[breathlessmorro]

Hi, I love your destinyshipping content I discovered this ship thx to your content and I am obsessed with this ship now. Is it possible you could share some more of the au's and or headcanons you have for it?

Yoinks you into my hive mind

Happy to have you here!! Our little corner of the fandom may be small, but the Destiny is STRONG! And of course I've got tons of au's and head canons for these idiots! They own a fraction of my brain!

My au's for them; your generic, "Morro Returns During the Day of the Departed," AU, where he has to earn everyone's trust and slowly realizes that he is a good ninja, and he always was.

My, "Morro and Kai take over Skybound" AU, where Morro and Kai play the roles of Jay and Nya in Skybound respectively.

My Morro's Teas AU, which has Morro come back during the DoTD, but he works at Wu's Tea Shop instead of being a ninja.

My Samurai Morro AU, which is where Morro secretly teams up with Pixal and becomes Samurai X.

Then there's the SCP AU, which I... Haven't totally abandoned but also haven't spoken about in forever lol. Kai is a Security Guard turned Class-D, and Morro is an SCP that's basically a sentient gust of wind.

NOW ONTO THE HEADCANONS BABEY

Destinyshipping Headcanons part I lost track years ago and I'm not counting anymore.

Kai is the one to teach Morro Spinjitzu. Seriously, anyone else who tries just can't seem to help him get it down. Kai however? Instead of making Morro run the training course, he forces him to go through the motions during a sparring session. Morro eventually realizes the movements are the same, and spins himself right into Kai's arms on purpose on accident

They race on their elemental dragons all the time, but Kai never wins against him. After all, Morro is the master of Wind for fuck's sake, he was born to be in the sky. Kai doesn't mind losing to him though, because it's also the happiest he's ever seen Morro since he reached his true potential.

Speaking of - Kai was essential in helping Morro unlock his full powers. Even if he redeems himself, it takes ages for Morro to realize that he never needed to become the green ninja. It isn't until he hears Kai's story, how he realized he needed to protect the Green Ninja instead of becoming him, that he's able to accept it. After all, if Kai of all people could come to terms with being ordinary, surely he can as well.

Oh. My. God. The yelling these two do. Every day they're "arguing" over something new. Either Kai's breath smells, or Morro's hair is messy, or the room is a mess. These petty ass hoes fight about EVERYTHING! It's all harmless, but the main reason these two may end up moving into their own place is absolutely because of the yelling.

Kai's parents absolutely LOVE Morro! Maya is a little more wary at first, because she knows Morro's past and only wants what's best for her boy, but Ray is the most supportive thing in existence. He's happy that Kai has someone, and he welcomes Morro into the family with open arms.

Bonus: Garmadon teasingly called Kai his nephew once because of the relationship and Kai has since not been allowed to be alone in a room with him again for both of their safety.

[milkovichrules]

sorry to come into your ask box but i just rewatched mickey’s coming out scene and i just… i get choked up every time. i love ian but i also feel like he pressured mickey into coming out. of course he had to set his own boundaries but he KNEW how badly mickey was treated when it came to his sexuality, it’s almost seemed cruel to give him that ultimatum in some way. but then mickey comes out and all he could do was look at ian and ask if he was happy!!!! like i cant even explain all the emotions noel was able to put into his voice in that moment, it literally break me just thinking about it! he knew what was coming and he still only wanted ian to be happy.. thats really just something. i dont even have words for it but i wanna let out the loudest scream about it

hello sweet thing!! you're always welcome here💕

tbh the coming out scene always reminds me of noel's fucking beautiful ig post about Ian's character but especially 'the truly remarkable thing about Ian's inner courage is that it's infectious. to put it simply, he's brave and an undeniable reminder to those around him; they can be brave too.'

I used to absolutely not be at all but I am definitely an Ian defender about this to a certain extent.

like do we enjoy ultimatums? fuck no. it's a shitty way to go about it. BUT I have to think about what's probably going through Ian's head, right? keeping in mind he's in/just coming down from what we can only assume is his first ever manic episode.

mickey came to find him, literally carried him home and protected him from creeps. gave him a place to stay and didn't just plonk him on the Gallagher's doorstep, actively chose him over his marriage. went to the Gallagher's when Svetlana kicked him out and asked him to come back, agreed to do whatever he wanted to get him to stay with him. slept next to his tiny bed on the floor.

mickey kissed him, full on made out with him in public!! that's so huge!! he accepted an invitation to a little gay party with ian's new friends. he slept in the same bed with him without fear in a house full of strangers!! he doesn't even know that mickey told that guy that they were together 😭

we all know mickey is an acts of service girlie but Ian is the kind of person that needs to hear it too. and when Ian DOES ask it's 'of course we are'. like it's a given. mickey doesn't need to have the conversation, but Ian does. and as far as mickey's concerned 'it's working out so far so good' to be a couple that hides.

there's a million reasons mickey might want to still keep them a bit of a secret (though its a pretty open secret at that point). sure I think some of it is to protect his reputation, to not have any sort of weakness, and to some extent I think he feels a lot of pressure in protecting the reputation of the Milkovich name, no matter how infamous it is. maybe because of how infamous it is.

but I also think it's because what he has with Ian is theirs. and its something in both of their lives that's genuinely really beautiful.

like not to bring up 3x666 but that's obviously the moment that the bubble really burst. he had built up this little secret life with Ian behind closed doors and he was opening up! he was falling in love! and once people (Terry) found out it was just ripped open completely. ruined. I think there's some element of mickey wanting them to be back at that place before it all went to shit. which of course, they never can be.

just like when Ian starts heading for the door in the alibi. he doesn't think mickey's going to do it. Ian's going to walk out and not see Mickey for a while and then in a few weeks it'll be 'just cuz I've got a wife and kid doesn't mean we can't still bang' like it was back then.

but now mickey knows what it's like to lose him and he doesn't ever want to do it again (which 🥲 but anyway)

the fact that when Ian tells mickey he's sick of living a lie mickey's immediate response is 'I'm not lying to you' somebody fucking sedate me

and of course Ian wants mickey to come out so that they can be together but 'you're not free' absolutely kills me because he just wants mickey to be okay with being himself openly. and 'what you and I have makes me free' and ian's FAAAACE but then Terry shows up and he has to watch mickey tear himself away and go straight back in the cage and it hurts. of course it hurts.

so Ian drinks a little and lets himself stew and shoves mickey toward the edge of the cliff.

mickey's voice when Ian tells him not to bother coming back and he says 'what the fuck are you talking about?' breaks my heart every time because they're fine, aren't they? they just have to get through this bad thing and then they can go back to their little bubble.

mickey's always in survival mode, just varying degrees of severity. you can see him, literally see it on his face, weighing the options.

what's gonna happen if he does nothing? he's going to watch Ian leave. again. he's going to get blackout drunk and go home with his wife and his son and his fucking dad and wake up like that every morning for however long he can stand it. he's going to be walking on the eggshells of his own broken heart.

what's gonna happen if he says something? he's going to be physically hurt. he's going to bleed. he's going to have to bite and scratch his way out of that bar unless he's arrested or knocked out first. there's hopefully enough people around to keep Terry from straight up killing him. and what else? Ian stays. Ian stays and they get to go home together. take care of each other. sickness, health, all that shit.

so he does it. he shouts and he bangs on that table and he says it and hes fucking brave!! because he might think he's fucked for life but he has one beautiful thing that's worth fighting for!!

oh my god and him asking 'you happy now?' I fucking knooowwwwww honestly it makes me a little bit? insane? there is SO much going on there.

fucking getting everyone's attention to announce he's fucking gay and 'I just thought everyone should know that' and then looking at the only other openly gay person in the room and going 'you happy now?' jEEEEEsus like?????????

the eyebrow raise as well like 'you know exactly what's gonna happen now' and of course it does.

but Ian absolutely no hesitation gets stuck right into the fight!! and he says 'I've wanted to do this forever' which, same babe. I too would take a chair to the back wrestlemania style to defend mickey milkovich.

all my blorbos shitty dads I would be in your walls but you're all dead so✌️

[aisa-newaccount]

waiting for your readings aisa. But why do you keep on deletin ur accs?

Hi! Great question! This will be a long post, so please only read if you have the time to read it.

For context, I joined Tumblr as @/aisabts and did readings continuously for bts tarot. But it felt unfulfilling after a bit and the community was overwhelmingly full of negativity so I decided to leave. I made a lot of great friends on Tumblr both readers and nonreaders alike, so I contacted them separately on a non-tarot account, and they encouraged me to come back as a reader. I thought why not after some time and came back some time in 2022 or 2023 (can not remember).

I started doing readings again as @/aisanakismet then settled down to @/aisaariel. In case anyone was wondering, "Kismet" because it's an Arabic/Persian/Turkish term for fate and destiny. I was hoping my blog would be a place where a lot of people can interact and heal with one another. I also wanted to offer guidance to those who wanted to reach out and chat with me. "Ariel" from The Little Mermaid because I was thinking about changing my username once and for all and had "Under the Sea" play in my head a bunch. I also liked how Ariel got her voice back from Ursula in the end. Lots and lots of powerful symbolism that I loved.

I deleted @/aisaariel due to personal life circumstances. Some of you all may remember my posts about going on hiatus or taking breaks due to things that kept happening in my life. I was not lying at all. Truly, so many different things happened during 2023 and 2024 that I would have never expected, and I was almost never logged in to Tumblr except a couple times I visited to chat with friends, do a couple readings here and there, and catch up on what was going on in the Tumblr community. I felt there was really no point in keeping the blog going because I would not have been able to consistently fulfill my responsibilities as a reader.

I deleted my blog and I lingered. I saw some anons mentioning me and how they were upset about how I left and I never thought that anyone would necessarily care or notice! The goal was to quietly delete my blog. At that point, a lot of my long-time tarot friends were inactive or deleting their blogs too so I no longer felt called to stay either. I came back and even announced myself in bts tarot since a lot of you all found me through bts tarot because I thought it would be nice to still continue aisaariel but do general readings for you anons specifically rather than any kpop readings.

But, alas, I'm sad to say that I think it's really time for me to go. I deleted @/aisaariel for a reason and I do not think I should start this blog only to not be able to commit to it and possibly delete it again in the future after doing readings.

Thank you to all of you all that reached out to me with such warm welcomes and I am really sorry that I am letting some of you down by leaving again. Whether you liked me or not, were rude to me or not, thought/think I'm just seeking attention with this blog/post or not, I will really miss every single one of you. You all are really really really special people who deserve lots of love, happiness, and blessings in this world. I cannot imagine how my life would have been without interacting with you lovely life fighters and warriors! (This is a compliment. I was always so impressed by how you all were so resilient no matter what happened in your lives.) Please know that any and all "Aisa" readings were done solely through the guidance of my tarot cards, intuition (checked so many times to make sure it was not my personal bias or opinion affecting the reading), and spiritual guides. All readings were completely authentic and each post was a virtual manifestation of my love, time, energy, and efforts.

If I ever hurt anyone's feelings throughout my time here, please know that I did not intend on that at all. I have always genuinely wanted to have a good time here with everyone and to share and stand for love and positivity. I can confidently swear that I have never partaken in any form of online bullying, hating, or fighting. Whenever/If I had an issue with someone, I specifically reached out via Tumblr messages to talk about it, not harass or attack someone. I do not know if there was/is anyone (hopefully not), but if someone said/says I partook in any form of "hatred" or "drama" for whatever reason, please know that they are lying and spreading false rumors about me.

I trust that above all, I Aisa am known and remembered for my integrity and credibility as a tarot reader and my love for the readings I have done in this tarot community. From today and on, there will be no return of Aisa (me) as a tarot reader in the community ever again. I will only linger and see what is going on in the community from time to time whenever life allows me to do so.

Thank you so much for the support you all have shown me, and I love you all endlessly.

"The vision of your true destiny does not reside within the blinkered outlook of the naysayers and the doom prophets." Don't ever let anyone discourage you from embracing yourself, your dreams, and your future.

Live on, shine on, love on.

Love, 愛sa

[mcytblraufest]

Question, I am thinking of making a mcyt event myself, and I would just like to know if there is anyway you seem to be able to reach out and gain an audience so well? How do you suggest one would reach out to the demographic they're looking for?

Honestly I think the holiday exchange gets a decent audience because of

a) Already having an audience. This is the third major event that we've run through this blog, and we have over six hundred followers to it, just slowly gained over almost two years. This mod team has a record of events that have run majority successfully, so when we start up an event, people already know that like— this is a mod team who's fairly organized and will get pinch hits for drops, for example.

b) Deliberately designing events to be as broad-interest as possible. Holiday exchanges run in every fandom in this time of year, and we are deliberately open to all of mcyt, despite the matching difficulties that presents, to try and make sure everybody can be included if they want to be. And this is a decently long creation period with a low minimum. We only saw ⅔ of the signup for aufest, which has a higher minimum for creation, and when some of the same mod team did 48 hour exchange (which was still pan-mcyt and a low minimum, just an insane turnaround for gifts), we had about a ⅓ of the signup for the holiday exchange. So any sort of demographic tightening— focusing on a single smp, a single ship, a larger minimum, no art, etc— you're gonna see much fewer people.

So some of what we do to get the word out is just not replicable to every event. HOWEVER, what we do do is:

Tag our promo posts with every tag that seems appropriate for our theme— so like we tag our initial posts with every mcyt fandom over 1000 works on the archive— and also mcyt and mcytblr, and also fandom exchange and holiday exchange. Make sure that if people have followed tags, the post will show up in them.

A new promo post once a week during the promo period, tagged appropriately. It's the same information as last time, just in a new format, and reminding people of the deadline. You don't want to be annoying, so make posts as fun and polite as possible, but it's just a like "hey, this is happening, you're welcome to join!" thing. Things drop out of the tag fast, so you want to come back like hey! Here is a thing!

Reblog the promo post to our own blog once a day, at different times of day so you hit different time zones. One day you reblog it at 11pm, the next day it's going out at 7am. If people have followed the blog (and this is particularly because we have followers of the blog from old events), the odds that they see the promo post goes up.

This one is a bit more wibbly wobbly but try and sure that your promo posts have something actionable on them. If you have a discord, it has a join the discord link on it. If you have a google form, it has the google form on it. If you have prompts the prompts are either listed or teased in such a way that people click through. You CAN have hype-building promo posts that the thing people can do is follow the blog, but in that case you fill it full of teasers or info so people are like "well I gotta see what happens next".

Images are good? Either an image (id described) or as snappy as you can make it ad copy. You have like a second and a half to catch someone's attention in the tag, and you want that initial impression to get as much information across as possible, and also lure people to read more. So if you can communicate either "this person has a graphic designer/artist on the team" or (honestly what I'm usually communicating) "this person knows how to use canva", it helps bump the overall impression of your event as slightly more professional/organized, which increases the likelihood that people click through.

Promo posts are basically advertising, so you want to be informative, clear, interesting, funny if possible, and hook your viewer in some way. With that said, we got a decent amount of notes off of the recursive exchange "this is how you sign up" post because people were just like "you gotta take a look at this shit" so sometimes it just works if you have something worth sharing.

I am NOT professional at advertising this is just basically me having been on tumblr for a decade, so feel free to look at other events to see how they do it. But I hope this helps! And message me your event when it's ready to go, I'd love to signal boost it!