#It's slowly going back to BAMM now

[welliguessimin]

Saeran has moved from saying BAMM to saying "Die" in a mechanical doll voice,

[zozophoenixxx]

Serotonin Booster :D 🐉

How to train your dragon edition

Here are some things I had forgotten or little details I just noticed on my rewatch, maybe even Unpopular Opinions 🤭👀

✨Race to the Edge ✨

SEASON 4

Tuffnut choked on a stun dart- I think I've seen it all regarding the twins HAHDHSHHA

Fishlegs really had Meatlug opening its mouth WIDE JUST TO SAY ABORT THE VERY LAST SECONDHAHSHGSGG

I love how Hiccup and Astrid can communicate without actually talking 🥺

I love how all dragons are a reflection of each of their owners like even tho Barf and Belch aren't the smartest they can be whenever they actually try

- Snotlout and Hookfang are both hotheaded and never really listen

- Fishlegs and Meatlug both are sweet, smart, resourceful and jealous sometimes hehe

- The twins and Barf and Belch are crazy and dumb but can be smart and strong whenever they need to be

- Astrid and Stormfly are both authoritative and badasses but also caring

- Hiccup and Toothless are both natural born leaders

Astrid built the ballista

Fun fact: Mala means bad in Spanish and it makes sense if you think about it cause Mala is BADASS HAHDHSHAHA😂 sorry I make bad jokes like that

Hiccup referring to Tuffnut as one of his best friends is adorable 🥺

"Flattery has no effect on me, mainly because I never hear any" dudeee ruff that's so saddd🥺😭

JAJDHHSJSJS TUFFNUT REALLY SAID "IT'S TIME FOR BALLISTA-NUT" AND JUMPED RIGHT OFF OF TOOTHLESS

And then him actually fighting Gruffnut is pretty badass I mean they threw actual punches and kicks and everything 😳

Why was Hiccup so cold towards Astrid? When she was just trying to help with his bounty problem

The way Toothless prevented Stoick from killing Savage 🥺🥺🥺

Now that I think abt it Hiccup got kidnapped so many times

Stoick punching Ryker and threatening him is one of the best things I've seen 🤩

Dude poor Snotlout was just insecure in ep4 And I love how Hiccup tried to help him and even then Snotlout still tried his best to show that he can be a leader

- i really loved how he learned that he couldn't just stop covering someone, I mean even when Astrid told him to "peel off and help Hiccup" he was like "no way I'm not leaving your wing" 🥺🥺🥺

Submaripper - tidal class, super powerful, prefer deeper open water and typically very reclusive. Extremely territorial and dangerous.

I LOVE HOW THE SUBMARIPPER SAVED HICCUP, and Toothless's face whenever he couldn't get Hiccup out and Barf and Belch breaking the pod to get him 🥺🥺🥺I can't

𝕃𝕖𝕒𝕣𝕟𝕚𝕟𝕘 𝕤𝕝𝕖𝕖𝕡 𝕕𝕖𝕡𝕣𝕒𝕧𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 𝕤𝕪𝕞𝕡𝕥𝕠𝕞𝕤 𝕨𝕚𝕥𝕙 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕥𝕨𝕚𝕟𝕤

- multifaceted disorder

Uncontrollable euphoria - Astrid

Lack of coordination - Heather

Mood swings - Snotlout

Complete catatonia

Cold ankles

Rash

Paranoia - Fishlegs

I CAN'T LOOKING AT THEM LIKE THIS IS JUST TOO FUNNY. NO ISTG EPISODE 7 IS GOLDDDD AND WHEN THE DRAGONS TOOK OVER 😂

Stoick is so fine 🤩

JAHDHAHSHA HICCUP REALLY OUT HERE FAT-SHAMING HIS DAD when poor Stoick is just trying to tell him that going after Viggo only for revenge is neither safe nor the right thing to do

- "What? What do you mean? You love revenge. Revenge is your thing. Weren't they gonna name you Stoick the Vindictive before... Well you know." *signals to Stoick*

Shadow wings - ep7 they follow, herd and shadow. Big one isn't as fast or maneuverable. Small ones are smart and quick. The big one looks like the submaripper.

AND THE WAY TOOTHLESS DEALT WITH THE LAST OF THEM. It was amazingggg he dived down towards a lil pond but he couldn't see cause of the dust and so HE USED THAT ONE SHOT THAT LETS HIM SEE TO KNOW WHEN TO GO BACK UP AND ALLOW THE BIG SHADOW WING TO CRASH AGAINST THE WATER.

The Flying Shatter-Scatter move with Shattermaster and Windshear was so cool and it's also basically the only thing that has pierced through dragon-proof ships

Bro I really wanted to see Astrid saving Toothless when she saw he was in danger in ep8

I DONT WANT HEATHER TO LEAVE UGHHHH 🥺

HEATHER AND FISHLEGS ARE SO GOALS I CANT 🥺🥺🥺🥺😭 I LOVE THEM TOO MUCH

Everyone's shocked faces whenever Hiccup and Fishlegs weren't thinking the same thing HAHDHSHABA

Toothless's facial expressions whenever he saw Astrid was in danger and the way he grabbed Snotlout and went down the volcano just to try and save her- I love their relationship 🥺

And how Hiccup was so worried when he saw Astrid in the lava and the way he grabbed her 🥺🥺🥺🥺

Dude I shipped Throk and Mala so harddd

And the red night terrors ufff we love them

Tuffnut just killed Macey

Ruffnut is so badass bro I love her she really had a sword to her neck and was like "take your best shot pal"

Project Shellfire: a weaponized dragon, Shellfire - tidal class, Titanwing, bigger than a submaripper, long range firing capabilities.

Hiccup just saved Astrid from falling to the water and the way he looked at her right after he put her down- he seemed so concerned I can't 🥺😭

BLINDSIDED ALSO LOVE THIS EPISODE 🤩🥺

First name Astrid calls out is Hiccup's 🥺

Her eyes omg

The way she started hyperventilating and the way he held her hand with both of his and the way he kneeled down next to her and made sure she knew that he was still there and the way Toothless's facial expression went 🥺😔 and the way he put his wing on her legs to try and cover her or protect her 🥺🥺🥺I can't

I mean Imagine how Astrid must've felt I just can't I'd be so stressed out and desperate and the next day she was just like I'm going to look for my dragon idc

No dude because the way Hiccup grabbed her by the waist to prevent her from falling off of Toothless and how both of their expressions softened whenever he told her not to apologize and whenever she hugged him 🥺

I love how the twins are trying to learn how Astrid feels but Ruffnut takes advantage of "blind" Tuffnut and has him run off of a cliff

AND HOW HE CAUGHT HER AND GOT SO NERVOUS WHEN THEY BOTH FELL DOWN 🥺 wait now that I'm watching it again he actually prevented her from getting hit in the head omg

"Of course she's not gonna hide. What was I thinking? She's Astrid."

MISTAKE whenever Astrid took the dragons out of their pens they weren't wearing their saddles and now that they've found them they have them on.

Them spending time with each other's dragons is so funny

Nonono I can't this is the beginning of it all! The beginning of Hiccstrid dating is HERE!!!! and that scene whenever he tells her that she's strong and they'll get through it and he holds her arm and then slowly moves down to her hand 🥺 I love them too much I can't- I want what they have. HE WAS GOING IN FOR THE KISS TOO I CANTTTTT OK THIS IS TOO MUCH

"There will always be a Hiccup and Astrid. Always."

TOOTHLESS'S FACE 😳

I love how Meatlug got so serious after she heard Toothless's distress call

ASTRID IS SO BADASS I CAN'T SHE'S JUST SUCH A NATURAL AND AUTHORTITAVE I LOVE HER

THE HAND THING WITH ASTRID AND THE TRIPLE STRYKE 😩

Fishlegs riding Hookfang is HILARIOUS

That final scene is gold bro I just can they're too perfect I mean we get Toothless and Stormfly messing around in the background and then we get Hiccup scooting towards Astrid so that their shoulders were touching and also Hiccup asking Astrid if she's really ok and then him telling her that he never stops worrying about her and her saying that she feels the same way AND HER ASKING HIM ABOUT THE ALMOST-TO-BE-FIRST-KISS IN THE FOREST and him getting all nervous and being like "no it wasn't perfect" and telling her that he thinks abt kissing her a lot AND HER BEING LIKE "this seems pretty perfect to me" AND THEN BAMM THE KISS UGHHH IM NOT CRYING OK... yes I am😭

Hiccstrid kiss count: 2😘

I love how Astrid comforts Hiccup and puts her hand on his chest

Wait shit I completely forgot That Snotlout is actually the one that came up with ~Hiccstrid~ hehehehe -> also the first one to notice that they were acting kinda sus (nvm he thought one of them had a gambling problem)

Ruffnut's impression of Viggo is actually pretty accurate

Heather knowing about Hiccup and Astrid and just getting the gang away so that they can have a few seconds alone

OMG THE SUBMARIPPER I LOVE IT!! It is the natural and hated enemy of the Shellfire

The Triple Stryke let Dagur ride him

HICCUP CALLED DAGUR BROTHER I CANT

No and when they kissed IN FRONT OF THE GANG AND THEY WERE ALL LIKE 😳😦 AND "This. Changes. Everything." Iconic

I can't imagine watching this season by season and having to deal with that cliffhanger LIKE WHUT- the whole volcano just exploded and ur telling me that's IT!! Nope nope nope

[babymetaldoll]

Danger Days - Chapter nine: "Where is your boy tonight?

Word count: 16K (wow, shit! it's long!)

Summary: Back touring! back on the road. Gubler met Joey's parents and they loved him (who wouldn't, really) Now it's Joey's bday and the band is decided to make it a special day for her, considering her boyfriend won't make it to the party. Frank wants to top the Amsterdam party, Ray and Mikey just want Joey to be happy. Gerard... is getting weird.

Warnings: Alcohol consumption, cursing, Matthew breaking a promise

A/N: Hi!! I hope. you are enjoying this! this is one of my fav chapters.

Masterlist

Chapter one | Chapter two | Chapter three | Chapter four | Chapter five | Chapter six | Chapter seven | Chapter eight | Chapter nine | Chapter ten | Chapter eleven | Chapter twelve | Chapter thirteen | Chapter fourteen | Chapter fifteen | Chapter sixteen | Chapter seventeen | Chapter eighteen | Chapter nineteen | Chapter twenty | Chapter twenty one | Chapter twenty-two | Chapter twenty-three | Chapter twenty-four |

::: December 3rd, 2010, New York :::

Two hours before the show

Tucker opened his arms and hugged Joey tight. Though she had been in Jersey with Matthew Gray for the last three days, and they had hung out a million times already, he would always greet her with a warm hug when they met, probably 'cos they never got to see each other.

- "Kiddo!!"

- "Bamm Bamm!!"

- "I'm so fucking excited to see you play today!!!"- Tucker put her friend down and shook Matthew's hand hello. He was waiting in the backstage area with a bunch of other friends from the band. Mikey smiled as he walked over too and looked at her friend up and down.

- "Hey Bug! You look too pretty to play today. You really doll up when Matthew is around"- and she laughed.

- "You just don't deserve this"- she joked, and Gubler laughed.

- "When we toured together, you weren't even sober most of the time!"- Tucker added- "Now look at my sweet baby! All grown up and looking cute."

- "Shut up!!"- Joey hit Tucker's arm, blushing- "You've been telling all the embarrassing stories about me this whole time!"

- "I know, that's the fun part of having friends, kiddo. Now you know it."

Joey stuck out her tongue to him and turned to see Jamia next to her, with Frank and Ray. Toro loved having her there with them, especially 'cos she and Christa got along, and double dating with Frank and Jamia was their new favorite thing to do. He thought it was cheesy, Frank agreed; Joey was the one who used the word. But still, cheesy shit was fun for them every once in a while.

- "And what do you do before you get ready for the show?"- Matthew asked after talking with everybody for a while, including Gerard and Lynz.

- "I exercise a little"- Joey walked him to a side of the room where she sat behind a practice pad- "I go through a fifteen minutes warm-up, then stretch, and then that's it. Sometimes Mikey forces us to do a few pushups, but I don't usually do them 'cos I'm a lazy ass"- the girl smiled and felt Matthew's arms around her slowly.

- "Have I told you how proud I am of you?"- Joey looked at the ceiling pretending to be deep in thoughts.

- "I don't think you've said it today"- she whispered and giggled- "No, not today."

- "I have to make it up for it, then."

Gubler smiled and reached her lips slowly. It started as an innocent shy kiss, but it grew up quickly. Joey felt Matthew was hungry for that kiss. Maybe it was the fact she really looked good that night, perhaps the fact the month they had just shared had been amazing, and now that he knew she was going to be gone again, he wanted her to feel how much he loved her. And damn! She felt it.

Joey wrapped her arms around Matthew's neck as his tongue entered her mouth slowly and gently. She bit his lower lip softly, and he chuckled.

- "Hey! That's my sister!!"- Mikey yelled, and Joey laughed, giving him the finger- "Can you do the decent thing and take her to a room? We don't wanna see that!"

And that was true. No one wanted to see that. Frank kept his eyes locked in his babies in their car chairs to avoid the scene. He wasn't a huge fan of Gubler, but he had been the nicest guy ever for the sake of his friendship with Joey and the fact Jamia had the hots for him. Which made him feel so much better for having the hots for Joey. It eased his mind completely.

- "Can you stop looking at them?"- Lynz asked her husband and raised an eyebrow- "What? Are you jealous or something?"

- "No!"- he quickly replied to her, frowning and looking insulted. But mostly busted- "I just remembered the old days, when we were like that."

Lynz knit her brows furrowed staring at Gee, he simply smiled and kissed her.

- "When we would make out everywhere, and we cared shit if anyone saw us."

- "Yeah, those were fun times"

- "Can everybody stop making out, please?"- Mikey frowned- "It's hard for the ones alone here."

- "Sorry, bróðir"- Joey smiled and turned to Matthew- "He is right"

- "Yeah..."- he sighed and let his girlfriend go smiling- "So... show me your warm-up."

- "Yeah, these are my exercises."

It was nerve-wracking playing shows in front of thousands of thousands of kids for Joey. She still wasn't used to that amount of people watching her play. But doing it in front of Matthew, Joey nearly panicked. She knew she had to do better than ever, not because she wanted to impress him, but because Joey wanted to feel like the best drummer in front of him and make him see the kind of incredible chick she was. Which he knew.

Matthew honestly loved Joey, and after meeting her parents, it felt their relationship was better than ever. He just hated her job. She was surrounded by guys. There was no other girl in the whole crew. He thought maybe a girl was there to do their makeup... but it turned out it was Gerard's job.

- "I want you to raise your hands for my brothers and my sister!! We are!! My Chemical!!"- Gerard yelled at the mic, and the audience yelled "Romance" back right away.

- "Are you ready to have your fucking brains blown away?!"- Matthew chuckled at Gerard's words and heard his girlfriend start playing what ended up being Thank you For the Venom.

- "So, had you heard the band before?"- Lynz asked him as both of them, Jamia and Christa, stood by the stage watching the show.

- "Not really, just when Joey was practicing. But they are good!"

- "And how are you handling the distance?"- Matthew sighed and shrugged.

- "Day by day, I guess."

- "You two make a cute couple."

- "Thank you..."

The actor didn't pay any more attention to Lynz, not 'cos he planned to ignore her, but because he felt honestly captivated by his girlfriend. She looked so powerful out there, leading the rhythm in a band. She was awesome. She was honestly incredible. Independent and funny and intelligent... how could he handle a woman like that?

- "What are your intentions with Joey?"- Tucker asked suddenly, standing next to Matthew.

- "Sorry?"- the actor frowned, not getting where that was coming from.

- "I heard you met her parents, are you planning to get serious with her?"- Tucker kept asking, and Gubler still didn't get the paternal tone of voice the drummer had.

- "Why are you asking me this?"

- "You know, just 'cos she seems to be completely all together and independent doesn't mean you can try to break her"- Tucker was serious, and the actor was seriously lost- "No, I'm not in love with her or whatever, life ain't always about that shit. I love her as you love a little sister, or that cousin you had to take care of when you noticed she was lost in a world of men trying to get rid of her, the one you watched going her skin harder and harder to be taking seriously over the years."

Matthew Gray didn't know what to say. He knew Joey was strong and independent. No one- not even her father- had given him a speech like that about her. Then again, he didn't know many friends of his girlfriend. Or any until that point.

- "I love her"- the actor whispered, though Tucker managed to hear him- "And I don't think this whole "I'm protecting my friend" speech is necessary."

- "But it is"- Tucker interrupted him and turned to look right into Matthew's eyes. He knew this was the only chance he had to be alone with his friend's boyfriend, and he wasn't going to let it slip away.

- "She stayed in that shitty city with those shitty jobs 'cos she loves you that much, so you better cherish her devotion and give her what she deserves."

Tucker's eyes were dark and threatening. He stayed looking into Matthew's for a few long seconds until the song ended, and they turned to clap and cheer at his friends. Joey turned to them and cut them a big smile. She had no idea what had just happened. And she would probably never know. Matthew wasn't going to tell her he knew she had decided to stay in L.A because of him. And Tucker was never going to tell her he had basically threatened her boyfriend.

- "Yami, don't go"- Matthew whispered as he laid next to Joey, wrapping his arms around her like a lock- "Please stay with me."

- "Akumu..."- she rubbed her lips on the skin on his neck, making him shiver at the touch- "I have to work. It's only for a few days, we are gonna be in Los Angeles de 11th, and you are gonna get to see your hot girlfriend playing live again."

- "But I miss you so much."

- "You are going to be working too, and this time I'm going to be in the US, I will be near."

- "Yami, I don't want to be apart from you again"- he meant it, he felt he couldn't stand the idea of that girl being away for so long- "I'm gonna go mad."

- "Akumu, you are pretty mad already, that's why I fell in love with you"- he smiled, looking into her eyes in silence- "It's just three weeks. That'll give you enough time to plan my birthday and Christmas."

- "Detroit for your birthday?"- Gubler whispered, and Joey nodded- "Sounds... fun?"- he asked and raised an eyebrow as she smiled and kissed him over and over again.

- "You have to be there."

- "Nothing in the world is going to stop me from being there"- the actor snuggled closed, feeling Joey's naked body next to him- "I already googled all the weird shit we can do there. I thought I could come along with you to Toronto, and then we could take a little vacation together, just you and me..."

- "Really?"- Joey loved that idea. She needed time with her boyfriend, and an adventure together seemed like a great idea. Besides, Gubler would always find the weirdest plans in every place they were at. He had made sure to take her to all the dark tourist sightseeing he could find in those days in Jersey.

- "Of course! You deserve the best birthday ever. What kind of boyfriend would I be if I don't give you everything you deserve and more?"

- "You've always been the best"- Joey smiled again and kept on kissing him slowly, teasing him and making him tremble next to her.

- "See? You shouldn't leave with them. Stay with me, we can be naked the whole time"- the actor moved slowly on top of her, and she gasped immediately, closing her eyes.

- "You are very persuasive, Matthew Gray Gubler."

- "Is it working?"

- "I'm not going anywhere right now... maybe if you try to convince harder..."

- "Harder?"- Matthew rocked slowly upon her, and she bit her lip

- "Yes, and faster..."

- "You are dirty, Yami"

- "You are hard down there, Akumu, I can't help it"- he smiled, blushing as Joey bit her lips and kissed him.

- "I'm gonna miss you so fucking much"- he murmured, losing the ability to speak.

- "Let me show you how much you are gonna miss me, daddy, 'cos I am sure it's gonna be unbearable."

::: December 4th, 2010. New York :::

Gerard hated everything about that day. His wife had left early in the morning, his brother looked miserable the whole time, and Joey kept sucking Matthew's face right in front of him. He saw them at breakfast, in the lobby, now at the airport. They were stuck to each other, both of them with tears in their eyes. It was sad and upsetting. He didn't want to watch, but he couldn't help it.

- "Hey, can I talk to you for a second?"- Ray asked and stood next to him after getting himself a cup of fresh coffee.

- "Yeah?"

- "You are gonna have to stop that"- and Gerard frowned

- "Stop what?"

- "Whatever it is that's happening in your head with Joey, stop it."

Gerard was busted. He felt how his cheeks turned blood red in a second, so he avoided looking at his friend and knit his eyebrows.

- "Deny!! Deny!!" Ray, I don't know what you are talking about."

- "I told you after Frank's birthday, you've got a crush on her, and it's fucking easy to see."

- "I don't!"- the singer answered immediately, almost insulted- "You have to stop saying that! someone might hear you and get the wrong idea!"

- "I know you, dude. I know you"- Ray repeated and landed a hand on his friend's shoulder- "And I can recognize that look your eyes, the yearning and the denial, I've seen you like that before"

- "You are wronged!!"

- "Fine!"- Ray smiled and tapped on Gee's shoulder- "Keep denying it. I don't care!"- Toro looked right into his friend's eyes and whispered seriously- "But maintain whatever it is that's happening with you under control, 'cos I don't want it to affect our work, or her as a matter of fact."

- "Why do you care about her so much? Maybe you are the one crushed on her"- Ray smirked and sipped his coffee

- "Sure, dude."

- "Akumu"- Joey hid her face and tears on Matthew's neck. She wasn't able to say anything else. It was time to say goodbye. She was the last one to board, and Mikey waited for her a few steps away.

- "Call me when you get to Tampa, Yami."

- "Call me when you get home, Akumu"- he kissed her fiercely, holding her face with both hands, and as soon as they stopped gasping for air, he looked into her eyes, tears filling his.

- "I love you so much, so much"

- "I love you more"- they kissed once more.

- "Miss, you have to board now"- the air host said as the couple stood outside her gate.

- "Yes, sorry..."- Joey tried to smile and kissed Matthew's lips one last time, then slowly walked away, still looking at her boyfriend.

- "Come on, Bug"- Mikey held her hand as they started walking down the jetbridge. Matthew looked at them waving and sighed as he blew his girl a kiss, trying to smile. A part of him hated the fact she was leaving with that band, and a little tiny part of him was glad she had a friend to be with. That friend being Mikey, the guy he was jealous of the most. "Damn it!".

- "Are you ok?"- Frank asked her. He sat right next to Joey, by the window. The girl nodded in silence- "Here"- Iero whispered and gave her a bar of chocolate.

- "Thanks, Jersey"- Joey managed to murmur as she kept wiping off more tears from her cheeks.

- "Come on, Bug, last time wasn't so hard"- Mikey said as he sat next to her too and wrapped an arm around her shoulder- "And we are gonna play in Los Angeles in... what? A week?"

- "I know"- she whispered and cut him a smile- "But back then, I didn't know I was gonna miss him so much, I guess"- he caressed her hair and kissed her forehead.

- "Well, back then, you didn't know you were going to have so much fun with us either. So instead of thinking about how much you are gonna miss that hot actor"- Joey chuckled at Mikey's words- "Why don't you better think about all the fun you are gonna have with these two average handsome guys?"

- "Talk for yourself, I am way hotter than any average guy"- Frank said and winked at the girl- "Right?"

- "Yes, Jersey, you are way hotter"- Joey smiled, though she wasn't lying, 'cos she thought Frank was very hot, though she didn't mean it in any sexual way.

Ray kept his eyes on Gerard the whole time, ever since they saw Joey crying while she said goodbye to Matthew. Way looked worried, sad, even mortified. It seemed he wanted to comfort the girl, but instead, he just stared at her with his brother, who was shushing her.

- "Are you ok?"- Ray asked as he turned to his friend

- "Yeah..."- Gerard quickly answered and looked down at his bag, reaching out for a book to hide his face for most of the trip.

- "Sure."

Mikey hated Florida. Frank hated Florida. Gerard hated Florida. Ray was ok with Florida. Joey had been there so many times, she didn't care about the weather, humidity, or the fact back in New York was snowing. The Way brothers turned into ogres as soon as they stepped out of the plane, and everybody decided to ignore them. Ray was the one who reminded everybody they had two interviews starting at two. They all grunted, except for Joey, who sighed, relieved to know she had a long afternoon on her own.

She wasn't just sad cos she was going to be apart from Matthew for a few days. She was also very upset about how exciting it felt to be able to hang out with Gerard again. It made her want to cry, feeling like a liar and easy whore. Gubler would never do such a thing to her! She couldn't just have a crush on Gerard!

But she did. So she locked in her room and didn't do a thing for the rest of the afternoon. Until Mikey knocked on her door with candies, and the two of them watched a movie.

Joey made a promise to herself to stay as cold-headed and professional as she could. She loved Matthew, and she wasn't going to let some random crush on the hottest guy on earth ruin it for her.

And so the days passed, and Joey managed it quite alright. It was more complicated when they were on stage. That was when Joey had to make her biggest effort to avoid making eye contact with him. Gerard was the most charming and hypnotizing frontman she had ever seen. Every movement he made and every smile he sent her was like a drug she had to get immune to.

But that leg of the tour let her go home for a day and see Matthew again. He invited his friends to the show, and Joey enjoyed how supportive he was with her. She knew he was jealous, but she also knew he was doing his best to keep his head cold and trust her. That's why Joey wasn't going to let Gerard ruin it for her. She loved her boyfriend. No matter what.

Gerard hated how cold and distant Joey had gotten. She was still very nice, but he also felt she was cold. Every day he tried to make conversation. Every day he had a tiny success, followed by her words to anyone else around them. It was more challenging this time 'cos they weren't traveling by bus. It was just by plane. They were never alone again, and every time he tried to be on his own with her, she had an excuse to run away from him.

That until...

::: December 17th :::

- "Shut up!"- Mikey whispered as Frank and Ray kept chuckling right behind him, and Gerard stood in the deepest silence. The bassist lit the candles on the cake and knocked on the door.

It was Joey's birthday, and he wanted to surprise her early in the morning to start the celebration. The short celebration 'cos they had to be at a radio station in an hour or so.

- "What is it?"

Joey asked and slowly walked to the door. Her eyes were puffed from all the crying she had done the night before. Matthew didn't spend her birthday with her 'cos he was called into the set that day. He had promised he'd be there, but he failed. It was the first time he had ever failed her. And it hurt her deeper than she imagined.

- "Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to dear Joey! Happy birthday to you!"

The band sang as soon as the drummer opened the door and blew the candles on her chocolate truffle cake.

- "Thank you, kids"- she quickly answered with a smile and invited them in. Each one hugged her friendly, except Gerard. That hug didn't feel friendly at all. When he held her close, he didn't want to let her go, and it took a massive effort from the two of them to act normal and just smile.

- "She's so close..."- but they had to part.

- "Bug, you are going to take a shower and dress as hot as fuck"- Ray said and kissed her cheek- "'Cos today, you are coming with us!!"

- "Why?"- she frowned

- "'Cos we are not going to leave you alone on your birthday"- the guitarist simply answered- "We are doing a radio interview. We are having lunch, then we have soundcheck, nap, play a show, and go fucking crazy celebrating your birthday!!"

- "Shit, you have it all planned"- Joey smiled- "But I don't want to go out... just leave me here."

- "We are not leaving you here, Iceland"- Frank cut her off and reached a plastic spoon for her- "We are getting full of sugar. Then, we'll get some caffeine, and we fucking celebrate your birthday, ok?"

- "There's no way I'm gonna get out of this, right?"

- "Nop"- Mikey answered with a smile- "And here is your present."

- "Mikkel, that wasn't necessary! You already gave me the best present on earth"- Joey said, hugging her friend.

- "My friendship?"

- "A fucking bass, you asshole!"- she interrupted him, laughing.

- "Fuck it, now open that amazing present"- the girl did so to find a set of customized drumsticks set with her name, the name of the tour, and an engraved bug on one side.

- "This is awesome!!! Thank you!"- Joey wrapped his arms around Mikey and kissed his cheek- "I love it!"

- "Of course, you do. I am the master of presents!"

- "Yeah, I kind of improvised"- Frank excused himself and offered Joey his hand- "I've got nothing to give you right now, but we are getting tattooed tonight after the show, so think about what you are getting"- Joey chuckled and nodded

- "It sounds like an amazing present Jersey, thank you for adding more hate from my parents."

- "My pleasure"

- "Can we eat cake now?"- Joey asked, raising her spoon, feeling so much better than when she had woken up. Her friends were able to make her smile. She was still feeling sad, but at least they made her smile.

- "Open my present first"- Ray said and smiled as he watched the girl unwrap a special edition of Pride and Prejudice.

- "Dad!! You are awesome!! Thank you so much!!"

- "I'm happy you like it"

- "I love it"- Joey hung from her neck and let go only to skip through the pages- "I can't believe you remembered it"

- "Bug, you talked two hours about this book when I was trying to sleep. I couldn't forget it even if I tried"- the girl chuckled and kiss his cheek again

- "I love you, Rayray, and I love you all. Thank you for cheering me up! Now let's get fucking sugar rushed!!"

- "Dude, you didn't get her anything?"- Mikey whispered to his brother as Joey, Ray, and Frank literally sank into the cake.

- "I... forgot to bring it..."- Gerard whispered and looked down- "I didn't know we were doing this right now. I thought we were going to wait until the night."

- "She is pretty sad. I'd step up my game to cheer her up if I was you."

- "Because of Gubler?"

- "Yeah, she cried herself to sleep last night, she called me after she talked with him..."

- "He is an asshole. I can't believe he can't be here."

Gee locked his eyes on Joey. She was laughing at something Frank had just said that he didn't get, in her pajamas, pretty geek star wars pajamas that he loved, messed up hair, and sleepy eyes. Fuck, she was beautiful.

- "How on fucking earth could that guy ditch her on her birthday?"- he thought to keep a safe distance as he stared at her with his friends- "If she was my girlfriend, I would have prepared the biggest celebration ever..."- Gee made a pause and rearranged his thoughts- "But you've got a wife, and you are not doing anything for this girl today, heard me?"

- "Gerard, if you don't grab a spoon right now, you are not going to get any"- Joey said, smiling. He stared at her in silence, not moving an inch for a few seconds, enjoying how his heart skipped a beat when she talked to him. He could enjoy it 'cos she hadn't addressed to him directly in a while now.

- "Thanks"- he answered and smiled back at her, making her shiver.

That wasn't meant to end up well for either of them.

My Chem plus Worm and Joey stepped out of the van to meet a bunch of fans outside the radio station. The drummer quickly walked inside the building, escorted by Mikey, though all the guys kept a close eye on her, making sure no one would hurt her.

- "Bróðir, it's ok, I'm ok, go there and sign some autographs, make people happy, I'll wait right here"- she smiled and walked to the lobby of the building.

- "Sure?"

- "If you don't go, they are gonna hate me more"- he knew she had a point.

- "We'll be right here."

- "Go!"- Joey smiled and watched her friend run back out to meet some fans. She looked around and smiled at the receptionist, who kept a close eye on her.

- "Are you part of the crew?"- she asked, and Joey nodded.

- "I'm their drummer for the tour."

- "You can have a seat if you want, coffee?"- the girl smiled, appreciating how friendly the stranger was with her.

- "Yes, thank you"- her phone rang that second. She knew it was a facetime from Matthew; her parents had already called her. She read his number on the screen and sighed. She was so mad and sad he hadn't been there with her for her birthday, but she had to understand it, it was his job. What else could she do?

- "Hi"- she whispered as she picked up the video call.

- "Til hamingju með afmælið, Yami"- he said and smiled at her, knowing the girl was sad. He had asked her dad to teach him how to say "Happy birthday" in Icelandic to surprise her, and he had practiced ever since to get it right. She cut him a short smile as she saw his face, feeling her heart melt- "I'm so sorry, Yami."

- "I know, it's ok"- she murmured and sighed, making her best not to cry. He just stared at her feeling his eyes watering up too, longing to be there with her.

- "The guys wanted to say hello"- Matthew said, making his best to stay strong- "Say hello, guys!"- he pointed the camera, and the rest of the cast waved at Joey.

- "Happy birthday, Yami!!"- they all said, and the birthday girl chuckled.

- "Thank you, guys!!"

- "Sorry Matthew couldn't be there"- Paget said, standing right behind him.

- "It's ok, you better make an amazing episode, make it worthy of this distance."

- "We'll see you at the Christmas party!!"- Kirsten kind of shouted from the back, and Joey smiled.

- "I won't miss it for the world!!"- Gubler walked from the rest of the people to talk alone with his girlfriend.

- "I swear I'm going to make it up to you, Yami."

- "You better"- Joey answered and smiled.

- "I can tell you how much I love you all day long."

- "I could hear you saying how much you love me all day long"- he stared at her through the screen in silence for a second and sighed.

- "Yami, I don't know how I got so lucky to have you, but I'm not going to let you go."

The band walked into the radio building that moment, and Gerard got to hear that, making his heart ache.

- "Why should that affect me so? I'm just crushed on her 'cos she is hot, that's it"

- "Ég elska þig, Akumu (I love you, Akumu)"

- "Ég elska þig, Yami (I love you, Yami)"- he made a pause and stared at her again, not saying a word until someone called his name and forced him to wake up- I have to go, I'll call you later, ok?

- "Ok"

- "What are you doing, by the way? How are you spending your day? Sorry, I never asked. I was just asking for forgiveness this whole time."

- "The guys are taking me all over today. Right now, we are on WLLZ radio, 'cos they have to give an interview. Then we are going out for lunch, and tonight we are celebrating my birthday with, I'm guessing, pizza and video games as usual."

- "No, we not"- Frank said and appeared out of nowhere next to Joey- "Hey Matthew! Sorry you couldn't come, but we will make sure Joey has the time of her life tonight. We are going out clubbing big time. We've got a lot of surprises prepared to cheer her up!"

Frank wasn't nice at all. He was mad at Gubler for making his friend, his completely doable friend, cry.

- "He is just kidding"- Joey said, laughing.

- "No, really, we have it all planned. You gave me the best birthday ever, so I am doing the same for you!." Frank kissed her cheek and walked away. He knew he had done enough to make Matthew regret not being there with his girlfriend. Mikey tapped on his back and chuckled.

- "You are evil"

- "I know, that's the point."

Joey looked around and made her best to stay quiet. She was in a radio interview. Not watching it from the outside, but actually sitting at the table in front of a microphone. The good thing was, Gerard was answering all of the questions. Mikey and Frank were next to her and kept making her smile.

- "So this tour is different"- the host said- "You've got a female drummer, how has that been like?"- the whole band looked at each other with a big grin on their faces.

- "It's been amazing"- Frank quickly answered and tapped on Joey's back, making her giggle- "I think we all have to recognize the talent of women in music. It's a scene completely dominated by guys right now, and historically, rock and roll has had amazing women that should get more recognition than they've had."

- "Yeah, I think having Joey on board with us is going to inspire a lot of girls out there to follow that dream of being in music, 'cos if guys can do it, girls can do it better"- Mikey added and smiled at his friend, who felt her cheeks burning red.

Gerard looked at her from the other side of the table and giggled, noticing how nervous she was. He found it very cute.

- "And how has it been for you, Joey?"- the host asked her, and she closed her eyes, chuckling for a second

- "At first, it was nerve-wracking. It's my first time on tour with a band this big, and I needed to prove girls can kick ass in front of an immense crowd."

- "And you did"- Gerard interrupted her, and she blushed even more.

- "And being the only girl of the band..."- the host said and looked directly into her eyes- "How is that?"

- "Like having four older brothers taking way too much care of me the whole time"- the whole band laughed, including the host.

- "And do you have a boyfriend?"

- "Are you asking her out?"- Frank quickly answered- "'Cos her boyfriend is gonna kill you if you do"- Joey giggled and shook her head- "And he is huge! he is taller than Mikey, how tall is Gubs?"

- "He is 6ft"- Joey whispered and blushed, thinking how big Matthew was.

- "I looked ridiculous standing next to him"- Frank chuckled, and the band laughed. Iero looked shorter next to Gubler. Pictures were taken to remember that moment.

- "And what does your boyfriend think of you touring with a bunch of hot guys in a hot band? Is he jealous?"

- "I guess he was nervous at first, 'cos he didn't know if everybody was going to be nice to me. Now he is totally jealous 'cos he found out they are trying to get me into Dungeons and Dragons, and he never made it"- everybody burst out laughing, even Matthew, who was listening to the interview on the set with some of his friends and crew.

- "Your girl is so funny"- Shemar said, tapping on Matthew's back- "If you ask me, she is a keeper"- and Gubler blushed, nodding.

The interview continued, and Joey didn't talk much more. She preferred to keep a low profile and let the band answer most of the questions. Mikey kept texting her jokes, making her bit her lips not to laugh more than once during the whole time. Gerard noticed it and hated it. But he knew there was nothing he could do to stop his brother from being her friend.

There was a present waiting for Joey when they reached back to the hotel after the soundcheck. It was from Matthew. Joey's eyes opened wide as soon as she saw it. She locked herself alone in her room to open it 'cos she knew she was going to cry. And she did, as soon as she unwrapped it. There was a card and a small velvety box.

- "When we are together, darling, every night is Halloween,"- the girl read out loud, tears already filling her eyes. And at the back of it said: "Call me when you get this." And so she did.

- "Yami"- Matthew answered in his FBI outfit.

- "I got your present."

- "Did you open it already?"

- "No, it said I had to call you."

- "Good, you had to 'cos there's a speech coming with my present"- Joey smiled, her eyes glued at the screen.

- "Wait, can you take that outfit back home?"- he smiled and winked.

- "You are gonna make me carry all of my set outfits home."

- "Not my fault you look so hot in that! I need you to arrest me and tell me my rights, Dr. Reid"- Matthew laughed and blushed.

- "You are dirty, Yami"

- "You are too hot, Akumu. Deal with it."

- "I'm not hot, you are smoking hot... now open your present"- and so the girl held the box and opened it. Inside she found a handmade silver locket necklace. It was in the shape of an anatomic heart.

- "Matthew"- she whispered, watered up eyes- "It's gorgeous!"

- "I had it made in the real shape of my heart"- he confessed- "I had a chest x-ray a few weeks ago, so now I know, I literally know, you carry my heart when I'm not with you."

Joey was speechless as she heard those words. It was the most romantic thing she had ever heard. Gubler smiled, watching her as tears fell from her eyes.

- "I wanted to give it to you in person, but... shit, I failed you. Yami, I am so sorry."

- "I love it, Akumu, and I love you so much."

- "I love you too..."- he made a pause and sighed- "Now open it"- and so she did, to find an inscription inside "Be creepy with me." She chuckled as she read it and looked at her boyfriend on the screen.

- "I'm gonna have to get you another Christmas present now, 'cos what I got you is crap compared to this"- he burst out laughing as soon as he heard her- "And you just won the best blowjob ever"- and he continued laughing, especially when Shemar walked behind Matthew and wide opened his eyes- "Oh shit!!"- she sort of yelled blushed.

- "Keep walking!!"- Gubler quickly said, blushing as well.

- "Sorry"- the girl whispered, giggling.

- "I don't care... I'm gonna remember that promise, by the way"- the actor looked at his girlfriend with eyes filled with love

- "I'm counting on it"- she answered immediately and sent a kiss to the screen- "I could stare at you all day long."

- "I feel the same"- and so they stared at each other in silence for a couple of seconds until Matthew was called back to the set.

- "I'm sorry, Yami."

- "Don't worry, Akumu. Go to work. I'm gonna nap before the show."

- "I'll call you later"

- "See you later then."

- "Sleep tight."

- "Work hard."

- "I love you."

- "I love you more, Akumu. See you in two days."

- "Sounds like an awful amount of time. I want you here now."- she waved and sighed. Matthew sent her another kiss and hung down.

Joey stared at the silver heart in her hand and suspired. Shaped by his real heart, as a present for her. It was too much. She felt her own heart swollen with love. With that thought and a smile on her lips, the girl fell asleep.

Gerard looked at the present he had for Joey and sighed. He hated it. It wasn't good enough. Maybe he should get rid of it and get her a box of chocolates or whatever. Everybody had given her such good presents, he didn't want to give her his.

- "You had a whole fucking month to think about this! And what did you get? This! Just this!"- he was honestly mad at himself. He felt he was wasting an amazing opportunity to be close to her, be a better friend, and enjoy proximity with her body. He didn't want to kiss her. He wanted to hold her tight. He was so confused, and yet, he couldn't stop. He didn't know how to.

- "Get your shit together and give her the present. You don't have to change her life, you just have this for her birthday, and you wanted to share it with her,"- he said to himself and sighed. He grabbed the present, took a look at himself in the mirror, and fixed his red hair a little before stepping out of the room.

- "Hi, I just wanted to bring you your present"- he practiced as he walked to her room, two floors down- "Hey, I got you this"- Gerard Way was nervous. When he reached her floor and walked to her door, he had to take a deep breath before knocking. After a few seconds, Joey opened the door and smiled.

- "Hey Gerard"

- "Hi"- he answered and smiled. They stared at each other in silence for a few seconds until Joey reacted and invited him in.

- "Sorry, I'm a mess, I was napping"- she excused herself and sat on her bed again

- "I just woke up too, don't worry"- he stood in front of her holding the present he wanted to give her, but her necklace caught his eyes- "That is gorgeous, I hadn't seen you wearing jewelry before."

- "Thanks"- Joey blushed and touched the locket- "Matthew sent it to me today"- Gerard thought right away the necklace wasn't really that pretty, it was very cliche as a matter of fact- "He had it hand made in the exact same shape of his heart, he got a chest x-ray just for this"- the girl looked honestly happy, she even blushed as she told him the story.

- "Fucking asshole! That's the best present ever!!" Sounds like he is a very romantic guy"- Gerard whispered and smiled, acting cool.

- "Yeah, he is incredibly romantic, in the weirdest way, which I love. It has an inscription, it says "Let's be creepy together"- the girl was proud- "He is perfect!"

And Gerard just wanted to grab his present and disappear from her room. But he knew he had to give it to her, he didn't want to be the only one not giving her a present. But so far, everyone has done great.

- "I also got you something"- he murmured and blushed immediately, sitting down next to her- "I'm sorry I didn't bring it in the morning, I was... embarrassed to share it with everybody."

- "Gerard, that's so sweet"- Joey said, surprised- "And I never thought the guy who touches himself on stage could be embarrassed to give a present"- he chuckled and closed his eyes for a second.

- "Yeah... it happens a lot more than you can imagine"- he made a pause and stared at her. She was smiling. She looked happy, was it because of Matthew's present? Was it 'cos he was there with her? Gerard couldn't tell.

- "Thank you"- the girl blushed and received the package

- "I think compared to the guy's presents, I really fucked it up."

- "Don't be stupid, Gerard, you didn't even have to get me anything, neither did the guys"- Joey answered as she opened the present- "Shit!"- the exclamation came out of her lips the second she realized Gerard had drawn her playing drums. It was amazing. She looked like a comic heroine.

- "I'm not really good at coloring my works, but..."- Gerard could speak anymore; Joey wrapped her arms around him tight and didn't let go.

- "Shut up, it's awesome!"

- "You like it?"

- "It kicked Mikey's present ass"- the singer chuckled and moved slowly to look at her

- "I'm glad you like it."

They were inches apart, Joey sighed, staring into his eyes, losing herself into them. He was there, holding her. It was everything she had managed to avoid during the whole leg of the tour.

- "I love it so much I'm gonna hang it in my room so I can see it when I wake up"- she whispered as her cheeks turned blood red.

- "Really?"- he asked with a low voice, his hands still on her waist

- "Sure..."- she couldn't say anything else. It felt like their lips were longing to touch. He was on the edge of moving closer to her and kiss her. The atmosphere between them was so sexy and sweet at the same time, he didn't know how to handle it.

- "Besides,"- Joey suddenly reacted and moved away from him- "If I'm ever low on cash, I can make a lot of money with Gerard Way original"- she said with a sassy attitude and chuckled- "I'm kidding, by the way."

- "I know, though it's a pretty good idea"- he answered laughing and stood up, remembering he had to keep a distance- "Anyway... I have to go"- he didn't have anything to do.

- "And I should..."- she had nothing to do.

- "Do you really want to spend your birthday alone in your room?"- Gerard asked her and frowned.

- "What else could I do before the show?"

- "Wanna go get coffee or something?"- Joey looked at him and honestly didn't know what to answer. Gerard had never asked her out to do anything together before.

- "Sure"- and after she delivered that line, she realized she hadn't even thought it through. She just accepted. And she was glad she had.

- "Great, let me google the closest Starbucks, oh! we should try to get you free coffee"- Gerard was excited. Joey nodded and smiled, still in shock. Then, she put on her combat boots, fixed her dress, and walked to the bathroom to do her makeup.

Mikey, Ray, and Frank were playing video games. Shocking. Though they were also planning Joey's birthday night out. Since they were sure Matthew would be there that day, they hadn't really planned much but their presents. Now they had to step up the game and give her a great celebration, not only to cheer her up but also because they wanted to make her happy. And Frank still felt he owed her for making out with a stripper at his birthday party.

- "So? What do we've got?"- Ray asked, eyes glued at the screen as he played with Mikey

- "So far... an arcade bar and a karaoke bar"- Frank answered- "Mikey, what does she like the most?"

- "Arguing"- the bassist quickly replied and laughed at his own joke- "I don't think she is going to be so into karaoke, dude. Arcades would be the brightest idea."

- "Arcade will be, reservations at ten?"- Iero grabbed the phone and looked at his friends. Both of them were stuck at the game- "Guys?"

- "Ten sounds great"- Ray stayed in silence for a second and then asked- "She looked too depressed because of Gubler, right?"

- "Yeah"- the two other guys said at the same time.

Ray thought about it for a while before asking, mostly 'cos for a few days now, he had been wondering if he should share what was in his mind with his friends. He waited until the game was over to looked at them and simply say

- "I think he hates us."

- "He does"- Mikey simply replied- "Me the most"

- "That's 'cos you spent like a month at her house when you were in L.A"- Frank said and nodded, not really thinking about the subject too much- "So he doesn't like Joey traveling with a bunch of guys, I can understand it, I mean, I would be jealous too... if Jamia did that"- he quickly added and stood up to grabbed the bottle of ice tea he was drinking when he reached the room.

- "No, I think it's more than that..."- Ray tried to explain- "I feel he is too possessive of Joey."

- "Dude, you are overthinking it"- Frank snorted and chuckled- "He is jealous, period."

- "Yeah"- Mikey whispered and made a long pause- "I know he is jealous of me, but why do you think he is possessive with her?"

- "'Cos every time we were out together, it felt like he was trying to contain her, sure, he is fun and wild, just like her, but it feels like Joey is way more independent than him and he is..."

Toro stopped talking. He remembered when Joey told him she didn't want Matthew to know about the stripper 'cos she felt he wanted her to be more... was it fragile the word she used? Like a lady in distress? It was weird for Ray 'cos it took only a minute to realize Joey was never going to be like that. Why would Gubler even treat her like that? Was he trying to change her? Could he ever get to change her?

- "Ray! Ray!"- Mikey snapped his fingers in front of him a couple of times to wake him up- "Dude, you spaced out, what were you going to say?"

- "Never mind, it has to be my imagination. You are right, Frank. I'm overthinking it 'cos he didn't come and I got mad, that's it."

- "I'm mad too"- Iero said as he grabbed a joystick and started the game again- "You don't ditch your girlfriend like that."

- "And it was the first birthday Joey was going to spend with a boyfriend, ever"- Mikey didn't notice he had said too much until it was too late.

- "What the fuck?"- Ray paused the game as he and Frank looked at him, surprised

- "Shit! I wasn't supposed to say that to anyone"- Mikey closed his eyes with his head down, embarrassed- "Please, don't tell her you know, she would kill me."

- "We won't, but... really? Now I honestly have a reason to kill that asshole"- Frank left the joystick aside and walked around the room- "Bug deserves better than an arcade bar"- he grabbed his phone and called their tour manager- "Dude, can you help me out with something important?"

Gerard walked smoking, as the conversation flowed naturally, at last. Joey was laughing at Gerard's stories of his old days in art school and how he felt like an outcast most of his life in high school.

- "Dude, you weren't the only girl in drum lessons. I was! you've got nothing on me!"- she joked and punched his arm softly.

- "You weren't the only girl there! Cut the crap!"- he teased her and chuckled ironically

- "We were three, and that doesn't mean it was easier. It meant three girls were being bullied by a bunch of assholes, who thought having a dick meant having more rhythm"- Joey answered quickly and raised an eyebrow looking at Gerard- "Spoiler alert, it doesn't." "Good, Joey!! You are actually having fun with this guy, and it's not weird or awkward or anything!! Maybe you can actually be friends!!"

- "Fuck!"- Gerard looked at her and smiled, as the girl sipped her coffee and walked happily, at last, both followed closely by Worm- "You are never going to be friends with her. You are gonna have to deal with the fact this crush might actually be worse than you can manage."

- "Oh my god!!"- a girl hyperventilated as she stood in front of Gerard. Worm walked and stood behind him and Joey quickly, as he put a hand on the girl's shoulder, making her feel protected in case any crazy psycho fan would try to hurt her again. Gerard signed the autograph and took the selfie as fast as possible to draw less attention, mainly to keep Joey safe.

- "Calm down, you two"- she said and looked at her friends- "Nothing bad is going to..."- but her words were interrupted by the same girl, who now stood next to her with shaking hands.

- "Hi, it's such an honor to meet you."

- "What?"- Joey asked out loud, confused

- "Can I take a picture with you?"

- "Sure"- the girl snapped a selfie with the drummer and smiled.

- "You've been such an inspiration for my sister and me! Now she started taking drum lessons, and I decided to try playing bass."

- "I'm so happy!"- Joey wide opened her eyes, surprised and mostly pleased- "We need more women kicking ass on stages all over!"- the girl blushed and giggled, obviously nervous. After a little more conversation and signing the girl's journal, Joey said goodbye and started walking.

- "That was so sweet!"- Gerard chuckled and looked at her. She was still blushing.

- "That had never happened before!! "No one had ever asked me for a picture!"

Joey made her biggest effort not to scream, in a very hard attempt to look cool, though she was freaking out.

- "Wait!"- she frowned and looked at Gerard- "Did you set this up for my birthday?"

- "What?!"- he was shocked at the idea, though it seemed like a good one- "No! I gave you a drawing, not a fan"

- "She is not my fan! She just wanted to..."- Joey spaced out for a second as Gerard laughed.

- "Yeah, she's your fan"

- "I've got a fan?!"- the girl shrieked, and even Worm laughed at her- "Fuck! Best birthday ever!! I'm gonna text Matthew!!"- Gerard smiled and felt tempted to hold her hand, but he couldn't. Instead, he lit another cigarette and walked around Detroit with Joey, trying to know more about her.

- "So how come you don't have more friends in Los Angeles?"- he asked after a few minutes of silence, which strangely didn't feel awkward at all.

- "Why should I?"- she answered as if Gerard's question was unnecessary.

- "Well, people have friends..."

- "Do you?"

- "Sure! Not a lot, but I've got"

- "Outside the band?"- Joey raised an eyebrow and looked right into his eyes

- "Yes"

- "Wow"

- "Why so surprised?"- Gerard knit his brows, almost insulted

- "'Cos... I have no idea, I just... you are not really that outgoing."

- "You are way outgoing and you don't have any friends, according to you."

- "And I am fine on my own."

- "You've got Mikey now"- Joey smiled sweetly, making the oldest Way slightly jealous

- "Yeah, I guess I do"

- "And Matthew hates him"- that wasn't a question, Gerard made a statement. Joey remained silent, though she giggled at those words- "You don't have to deny it"

- "Why do you always ask me something about Matthew?"

- "I don't!"

- "Well, we don't talk that much, I guess it's not that hard to ask the polite questions..."- the girl was more rambling on her own than answering Gerard.

- "If we don't talk that much, maybe you should tell me more about you now."

- "Why don't you tell me something about you I don't know?"- the girl requested and took another sip of her coffee. Gerard smiled and thought pretty good about the answer.

- "When I was in middle school, I was Peter Pan in a play."

- "Something I don't know, Gerard"- and he frowned.

- "I never told you that."

- "It's on your fucking DVD!"

- "You watched it?!"- the singer was both surprised and also intrigued by what had made her do such a thing.

- "Of course! I knew nothing but what Tucker told me about you, and though we shared a few days at practice together, I needed more info, so Matthew suggested it, and we watched it."

- "With him?"- Gerard was now in shock.

- "Of course, he needed to know what I was getting into, and with who"- he smiled, they were close to the hotel, and he felt frustrated that conversation might come to an end soon.

- "And what did he say?"- the drummer looked at him ironically- "You brought him up! Not me!"

- "But you are asking about his opinion!"

- "'Cos you brought it up!!"- Joey laughed and remembered that night. They didn't watch the whole thing 'cos her boyfriend had gotten too loving and romantic, thinking she would be away from him for a month. The whole evening ended up in dirty hot sex on her couch, the carpet, and on the bed. She shivered at the memory of his hands on her, and the frustration of not having him close on her birthday filled her head for a second. Until Gerard demanded to know what he had thought, again, and she caved in.

- "He was very into the whole thing about you all being outsiders, 'cos it's something he can relate."

- "Really?"

- "Yes"- Gerard nodded and sipped his coffee again. Joey looked at him and raised an eyebrow- "You are trying not to ask why right?"

- "No! Of course not!"- he answered, laughing

- "Bullshit!"- the girl cracked up, and Gerard smiled.

- "Fine!"

- "He was an outsider in school. He was bullied. He did magic for birthday parties. He was the weird guy in the class, like... the guy singing Peter Pan in a school play."

- "Really?"- and Gerard was now in shock- "I always thought he was the hot and popular guy getting all the chicks."

- "Nah... he was the geek guy I would have fallen in love with from day one in school"- she simply answered and blushed

- "I would have been the guy never talking with anyone sitting at the back."

- "We could have all been friends"- Joey smiled and finished her coffee.

- "Definitely", "Not! I would have been the guy in love with you, and never telling you, while I torture myself watching making out with Matthew".

The girl was happy she had a nice talk with Gerard for the first time, not thinking about kissing him. It felt like they could actually be friends. She might actually be over that silly crush. She felt so calmed, carrying Matthew's heart with her like she could do anything knowing he was close. Maybe that was what he meant with it.

The band was particularly excited that day. Frank was nearly jumping in the van on their way to the arena. He kept talking about the celebration they had planned and the tattoo he was going to give her.

- "It can be anything you wanted, as long it can be done in one session."

- "And before our reservations"- Mikey added

- "Shit, it's gonna be a short session then. I don't wanna end up with a shitty tattoo!"- the girl whined, and Frank gave it a little thinking

- "Wanna wait? We've got some time in London in February after Japan, maybe we can go to the guy that gave you your first tattoo, send him some references, you'd have more time to think of a design."

- "You wouldn't mind?"- Joey asked and gave him a shy smile, the one that Frank reciprocated with a huge grin

- "Bug, it's your birthday, it's your gift! You can have it whenever, and wherever you want"- he made a pause and looked at her blushing, and burst out laughing in a matter of seconds- "That didn't come out right, did it?"

- "Nop!"- Joey answered, laughing too- "But it's so good to know you are gonna give it to me whenever and wherever I want"- the girl made an innuendo joking and winked at her friend, who blushed even more. At that conversation, Gerard could only roll his eyes and look over the window. At least he had shared a special moment with her that day. The first in weeks.

- "At least we were alone, and we could talk... and she looked so happy when that girl asked for her autograph..."

- "So it's shaped like his heart? That bastard nailed it!"- Mikey nearly yelled as he heard Joey's story of Matthew's present. Gerard rolled his eyes again and put on his headphones. Right, he shared a perfect conversation with her about how perfect her boyfriend is for her.

- "Fucking Matthew"- it was all the singer could repeat over and over in his mind.

- "Oh my god!!!"- Joey yelled when she walked into their dressing room. It was filled with balloons, more cake, drinks, and a giant "Happy Birthday Bug" sign- How the fuck did you do this?!

- "We've got a guy, a "birthday signs" guy"- Frank simply said and smiled- "His name is Worm"- Joey turned to the bodyguard and hugged him tightly.

- "Thank you so much!!"

- "It's really nothing Joey, you deserve the happiest birthday!"

- "You guys are way too nice!"- Joey's voice shook, and felt Mikey's arms around her

- "Come here, Bug. Don't cry"

- "I'm not crying!"- the girl answered, wiping off the tears from her eyes- "I'm just so happy you guys are so nice to me. I mean, look at this! I'm gonna send mom a picture, oh! I'm gonna facetime Akumu!"- the girl quickly looked for her phone and opened the camera- "Ok, kids! Gather around!"

Everybody stood behind her, making sure the balloons and sign were showing- "Digan whiskey!"

- "What?"- Mikey asked, frowning

- "Just say whiskey!"

- "Whiskey!"- the girl shoot a bunch of pictures and ended up making funny faces with Frank.

- "Can we have one for the band's Twitter?"- Gerard asked and took a look at the pictures- "Worm, can you take us a picture?"

- "A very subtle way to tell me my picture sucks"- the girl teased him, and he chuckled.

- "I've got something different in mind"- Gerard gave Worm his phone and directed the band to stand right underneath the sign.

- "Ok, so where do I stand?"- Joey asked and walked over.

- "You won't stand"- Gerard answered with a huge smile

- "So I won't be in my birthday picture with the band... sounds right"- the girl answered ironically as the guys smiled

- "Fine, come here"- Frank pointed to a spot between him and Gerard. She walked over with a dorky smile, only to feel Ray and James grabbing her feet and Mikey her arms.

- "What the..."

- "Just stay still"- Gerard's hands held her waist and made her shiver as Frank held her thighs, his hands way too close to her ass.

- "And try to look hot"- Mikey added, making her laugh immediately

- "Shit, it's too complicated!"- she argued, still laughing until she made her best effort and smiled at the camera

- "You've got it, Worm?"- Gerard asked though he refused to let her go for at least a few more seconds

- "One more, smile!"- Worm said, and the whole gang grinned at the same time- "Perfect!"

- "Let me see!"- Joey nearly jumped from the guy's arms and ran to see the pictures- "Shit!! This is so awesome!! I wanna send it to Matthew too!!!"

Mikey and Ray smiled sweetly as they stared at her, hyperventilating over a simple picture. Gerard kept rolling his eyes every single time she mentioned her boyfriend. And Frank kept doing his best to remember he shouldn't be thinking about Joey's ass in his hands.

- "Baby poop, Mikey's armpit, Gerard's armpit... shit! That's gross"- he thought and did his best to hide his boner. Gerard grabbed the phone and uploaded the picture to the band's Twitter account.

- "Akumu!!"- Joey sort of yelled, jumping around the room, face-timing her boyfriend to show her everything around the dressing room. Gerard sighed and walked out to smoke a cigarette. He really didn't like Matthew, not even a little bit. And that day, he didn't feel like pretending.

That night the show was terrific. The band was blissed, jumping and making their best performance. Gerard made the crowd sing Joey "happy birthday," and the girl blushed, embarrassed, and excited. She was happy, she felt amongst friends. Even with Gerard. Their walk had made her feel so much more relaxed around him. He was hot, he was hypnotizing, he was a temptation, but she carried Matthew's heart around her neck, and that was enough. She loved her boyfriend enormously, and she wasn't going to let a crush get in her way.

- "Ok, kids! go get pretty!"- Ray said as the band stepped out of the van in the hotel parking lot after the show- "And please take a fucking shower!" Joey chuckled and walked slowly to the elevator. Mikey's arms around her shoulder made her smile as she met his eyes staring at her.

- "Are you ok, Bug?"

- "Yeah, I'm just tired."

- "You can't be tired, we've got you a huge celebration planned."

- "Please tell me it's video games and pizza, 'cos that's all I need."

- "Oh hell no!"- Frank jumped next to Joey and wrapped an arm around her waist, cutting off into the conversation laughing- "We have reservations at ten, so go, get a shower and get fucking hot, let's rock Detroit and take a million pictures to show Matthew what he is missing!"- the girl raised an eyebrow and looked at Frank- "Sorry Iceland, I am not going to pretend I'm cool with your boyfriend, he fucked it up big time with me, and I am gonna be a pain in the ass with him until I forgive him for standing you up on your birthday."

- "Shouldn't I be the one upset? And also the one to forgive him for not being here?"

- "Bug, it's time for you to know you are one of us now, which means if someone hurts you, we are gonna get mad and defensive. And mostly, vengeful."

Joey frowned. The whole gang got in the elevator together. They all got quiet at the same time, hearing what Frank had just said.

- "Iero, get this through your head, and this goes to all of you... except for Worm"- Joey shared a glance with him, and he cut her a big smile- "I don't need you to take care of me. I don't need you to get all "We have to defend the only woman in this band" because there is no need for that. The woman in this band can fucking look out for herself, and she had done it ever since she can remember, ok?"

Joey was serious and pretty emphatic. Too bad for her, the band wasn't going to do whatever she wanted to.

- "I'm sorry, Bug"- Frank started- "But I don't give a shit. I know you can defend yourself, I know you've done it, I know you'll keep doing it your whole life, but you are my friend now. And I will be there to break the face of whoever makes you upset from now on, so fucking deal with it."

Iero simply answered and smiled innocently. The kind of smile Joey couldn't be mad at. Maybe no one could be mad at that smile. He looked too sweet and adorable to upset anybody.

- "And I am your fucking dad, so you are doomed"- Ray added and rubbed Joey's shoulder's as he stood right behind her- "We don't really care what you say. We are gonna protect you anyway, not because you can't do it, 'cos we all know you are very good at it, but because we want to and love you, so stop arguing about it and deal with it."

- "I'm not gonna win this one, am I?"- Joey whispered and blushed

- "Nope"- Frank kissed her cheek and chuckled- "But if you want, you can protect Mikey from... well himself, I guess."

- "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?"- the bassist asked and punched his friend

- "I'm just saying, if we were in high school, Joey would be the one helping you get rid of bullies"- the girl laughed at Frank's words, imagining the whole scene in her mind.

- "What makes you think I wouldn't be one of the bullies?"- she added and raised an eyebrow looking at Iero.

- "Damn! I didn't think of that."

Gerard didn't even open his mouth the whole elevator ride. He hadn't said a word since they left the arena. He just stared at the girl and did his best to look away every once in a while, knowing anyone could notice he was in trouble with her. Ray might have been right, and he had to fight against his feelings as badly as he could. Things weren't getting easy. He was glad there was just one more day of the tour, and then they wouldn't see each other until the end of January. He needed to be away from Joey to clear his head. But at the same time, he needed to be closer to her. Too close to her. He wanted to be so close he could actually be inside of her. But all those thoughts were the ones he had to fight against the most. He was doomed but didn't want to face it yet.

- "I'm so fucking cold!!"- Mikey whined as he stepped outside the van when they reached the bar.

- "Damn it, Mikey! I can't control the weather!"- Joey joked as she stood next to her friend and stuck out her tongue at him. She was freezing cold too, but she wasn't going to tell. She had three layers of clothing, but underneath it all, she made her best to look cute and put on her favorite dress.

- "It's gonna fucking snow"- Frank frowned and looked up at the sky- "I hate snow."

- "You can't fucking hate snow"- Joey argued and looked at him in awe- "You are not human!"- she made a pause and looked at him with a silly smile to then start singing- "You're not human, you're a miracle, a preacher with an animal's face!"- and Frank Iero looked at her with a blank stare- "Mr. Bungle, no?"- and he shook his head- "Damn it Jersey! The deception! the betrayal!"- Joey's laughter was so loud after delivering that line, people around them turned to see what was going on.

- "Are you drunk already?"- Ray asked, raising an eyebrow- "Did you drink the whole mini-bar before we left?"

- "No, dad!"- she quickly answered and chuckled- "I'm just happy, and I honestly didn't think I was going to be happy after Matthew told me he wasn't coming, so... thank you for making this day special for me."

Ray wrapped an arm around her and kissed her temple.

- "And now we are gonna get you wasted, Bug."

The bar was amazing. It had craft drinks and lots of games, including a mini football table, bowling, and arcade games. Joey was in heaven.

- "Shit! And I took you to a shitty strip club!"- she said to Frank as they sat down on a booth and a waitress walked quickly to them.

- "Yeah, but it was in Amsterdam, Bug! It wasn't really that shitty. And we all know what happened there."

- "Are you going to top it all and do some live Frerard for me?"- Ray chuckled, and Mikey burst out laughing, watching Frank and Gerard's unhappy faces- "I'm sorry, you don't forget that kind of thing after you find it online... and read the fanfictions."

- "You read fanfictions?!"- Gerard freaked out, wide opened his eyes, and blushed.

- "A little... not a lot, shit is disturbing..."

- "Please stop!"- Frank begged as Mikey kept laughing- "I don't want to know, I never want to know."

- "Fine, I won't tell you a thing about it, just make sure your kids never ever google you"- Mikey had tears in his eyes at that point, and Gerard's cheeks were about to explode.

- "Fuck!!"- Frank covered his face with both hands, embarrassed- "I'm gonna have to wipe off the whole web before they can use a phone."

- "You can always put those parental control things online and pray they don't hack them"- Joey grinned, and Frank raised an eyebrow

- "Enough Frerard"- Gerard quickly said and looked at the menu- "Grab your drinks, let's make a toast, and let's get this party started."

- "We have a private karaoke room booked too"- Ray smiled proudly- "Mikey said you'd hate it, but we imagined you'd love it when you are drunk"- Joey wide opened her eyes. She hated karaoke. Mikey was right.

- "Do we really have to?"

- "Yes"

- "I'm not gonna sing in front of you. It's too embarrassing"- she said and looked at Gerard- "I mean..."

- "You already did, and you are a great singer."

- "You are too nice. I don't sing, I just try not to sound like nails against a blackboard as I play"- Gee chuckled, and Mikey said

- "I've heard you sing Bug. You are not bad; you are better than me."

- "Now that I think about it, I've never heard you sing"- she said, frowning. They had played a lot of times together, but she was always the one singing. He had never opened his mouth.

- "Well, tonight is going to be the first time you do"- the two of them smiled, and Gerard tried to think of anything to say to stop his brother to stare so sweetly at the girl he was crushed on. The phone helped him ruin their moment, though it was even worse when he heard

- "Akumu!!"

- "Yami! How are you? How was the show?"

- "It was awesome, everybody sang happy birthday"

- "I saw the guys posted a picture to celebrate you"

- "Yes! And we are out at my party celebration"- the girl tried to stand up from the booth, but Frank, who was on her way, didn't stand up- "Please, I need to talk with Matthew"- she looked at Iero's serious stare. She suddenly got a little nervous her friend might be rude to her boyfriend after saying all those things to her in the elevator.

- "Hey Mikey!"- Gubler said as the youngest Way peeked on the screen

- "Hey!"- he simply replied and nodded

- "Thank you for taking Joey out tonight."

- "It's the least we could do for her, you know"- Frank said- "Being here for her on her special day of the year."

- "Ok, excuse me"- Joey simply stood up and passed upon Frank, her dress not helping her moving and not helping neither Frank nor Gerard not to look at her ass in the way. It was too tight, too short, and too hot for both of them. Gerard only stopped staring when Ray smacked his head.

- "Hey!"- the singer whined, but Ray frowned so seriously he couldn't say anything else.

- "What was that about?"- Matthew asked Joey as soon as he was sure she was far from the band

- "They are mad at you for not coming"

- "Why? It's not their birthday. You forgave me. Why do they even bother?"- Joey made a pause and took a deep breath.

- "I guess 'cos they care about me, which is nice..."- the girl locked into the bathroom and rested her back on the wall in front of a mirror- "I asked them not to act like this, but I guess they just..."

- "Come on, Joey"- Matthew said, staring at her face on his cellphone screen- "You know why they are like this, 'cos they are crushed on you."

- "Yeah, Gub, a whole band is crushed on me, and they are being nice 'cos they want to make a gang bang with me"- she raised an eyebrow and looked at her boyfriend's face getting serious- "They just got mad 'cos they saw me depressed."

- "I don't buy it."

- "Why? 'Cos you wouldn't act like this if one of your friends was hurt?"- he didn't answer, he knew Joey was right, and Gubler knew he was just acting like that 'cos he was madly jealous.

- "I would... you know I would..."

- "Then?"- he sighed and tried to calm down.

- "Then... I guess... I don't want to face the... the fact... I hurt you"- he whispered, and Joey softened her face immediately- "I made you cry, I promised to myself the day we started dating I was never going to make you cry, and I did..."

- "Come on, Matthew"- she whispered- "It's not like you wanted to hurt me... it's just a birthday"- she said softly, with a small smile on her lips- "And we are going to be together in two days, just two days."

- "And I'm gonna make it up to you."

- "You already did with this necklace"- he smiled, watching his girlfriend wearing it.

- "You've got my heart with you forever"- she blushed and touched it.

- "And I am never letting it go"- Matthew sighed and looked at his girlfriend in silence for a few seconds.

- "I am sorry I freaked out with jealousy again, it's stupid, and I know it."

- "I'm glad you know it."

- "Those guys are nice at you 'cos you deserve it, and I keep making it something wrong... I'm sorry."

- "As long as you stop being jealous, I forgive you."

- "I promise... and what's your party like?"

- "You would love it!"- Joey felt calmed and happy again, after fixing everything with her boyfriend- "They took me to an amazing bar, there are arcade games, and bowling, and drinks, and fries and..."- Gubler chuckled, watching Joey all excited- "They want to force me to do karaoke, but I'll fight against it until I win."

- "You are going to sing, Yami, you know it"- the actor chuckled, imagining the whole scene.

- "I'm not! I hate karaoke!"

- "You are gonna sing, and I'm gonna need videos of that moment"

- "I won't"

- "Make sure Mikey makes some videos... I know he hates me now, but..."

- "He doesn't hate you"- Joey and Matthew stayed in silence, neither of them swallowing that lie- "Ok, you are not his favorite person at the moment, but he is going to get past this. I forgave you. You are not his boyfriend, so he is gonna come around eventually."

- "Yeah... you know, maybe we could do something with him when you come back"- Joey raised an eyebrow.

- "What's the catch?"

- "There isn't, he is your friend, and he takes care of you when I'm not there. I shouldn't hate him, I should be glad he is there with you, we should invite him for dinner one day to my place, I'll cook."

- "Ok..."- the girl answered excited Matthew wanted to be friends with Mikey- "I should have recorded that in case you forget it."

- "I won't, I swear"- he smiled and sighed

- "I should go back to my party"

- "Go, hey, you look stunning tonight"- the girl chuckled and gave Matthew Gray a better look of her outfit- "Damn it! I love that dress."

- "I know, I packed it for tonight..."- she sighed and smiled- "Anyway, what are you doing?"

- "I'm home already"

- "I can see that Matthew Gray. You are in your living room... alone?"

- "I've got a script to memorize"

- "You would be having fun if you were here"

- "I know... but we are gonna have fun in two days when you are here"- Joey grinned and nodded

- "It's a date"

- "It's a promise"- Gubler sent her a kiss, and so did she

- "I love you, Akumu"

- "I love you more, Yami"- she waved and hung down. Matthew stayed still, sitting all alone in his living room, holding the phone in his hand. He missed her. He missed her more than he thought he would. They hadn't been together for a year yet, and he was in love like he had never been before. That's why he was so jealous, so concerned. Joey was so independent, so wild, so tuff. He had never met anyone like that before. He knew he wouldn't meet anyone like that again. That's why he didn't want to lose her.

The young man stared at the little box on his coffee table and moved slowly to grab it, leaving the phone aside. He gently opened it and stared at the ring inside it, feeling his heart beating faster inside his chest.

- "She doesn't know it yet, but I can't wait to call her my wife"- he whispered to himself with a smile.

Joey hated how easily she forgave her friends. Mainly 'cos after talking with Matthew and seeing he understood why the band acted like that, she realized she understood them too. That didn't mean she didn't yell at them, but after a drink, things were back to normal. Well, not for Frank 'cos after seeing her in that dress, he had to keep himself from wrapping an arm around her waist. Not to mention Gerard, who was struggling to control his hard-on.

By the second drink, Joey and Ray were playing table football, laughing like maniacs. Some fans saw them and took a few pictures, which meant Worm had to work for a while. It didn't last long, but it made Gerard uneasy. What if someone took a picture that gave him away? He wasn't keeping his crush very secretly if Ray had noticed.

- "Goal!!!"- the girl yelled and raised her arms in victory- "Eat the ground, Raymond Manuel!"

- "Fuck! That's not fair!"

- "Why? 'Cos I'm fucking better than you are?"- she asked, sipping her drink, feeling already a little drunk.

- "Ok, kids, now or never"- Frank held Joey's shoulder and smiled

- "What?"- Joey frowned, confused.

- "Come on"- he held her hand and walked her to the back of the bar, followed by everybody else- "I know you said you hated this, but we also said we don't give a shit"- Joey walked into a private karaoke room and whine immediately

- "But it's my birthday, we should do something I like... like Call of Duty!"

- "And it's gonna be fun, I swear"- the girl frowned and looked around- "Come on, I got you another Long Iceland"

- "Island"

- "Not when you drink it"- Frank stuck out his tongue at her trying to look as cute as possible. Frank knew how to flirt and how to be hot, he said he hated when people, especially the media, called him a pretty boy, but he also knew how to use it to his advantage when the right time came. This was one of those moments. Joey felt her brain had turned off for a few seconds staring at those hazel eyes until Mikey appeared and smiled.

- "So, who's gonna start?"

- "Jersey!"- Joey quickly answered and looked at her friend- "He is the most excited with this, so let's give him a chance to break the ice while I get drunk enough to see if I can actually do this."

The girl grabbed her drink and looked at the table filled with food and booze. Her friends had taken care of everything. Maybe they could provide the entertainment too.

- "Well, if the birthday girl wants me to sing, and if I'm five beers in already, let's do this."

And Frank Iero did it. He sang Beastie boys Sabotage, and Joey sang along from her couch. He stood in front of her and sang, eyes closed, enjoying his moment on the spot. Followed Ray, who gave an amazing interpretation of Bohemian Rhapsody Joey even recorded. Gerard overshadowed everybody singing Lust for Life, and Mikey Way, obviously drunk, grabbed the mic after his brother and smiled.

- "Bug, this song is for you"- a silence filled the air as Joey grabbed her phone and took a picture of her friend, grinning like a maniac.

"Where is your boy tonight?

I hope he is a gentleman

And maybe he won't find out what I know

You were the last good thing about this part of town."

A song Joey didn't recognize started, and the band burst out laughing. Frank especially was nearly in tears laughing as Mikey jumped around while the instrumental part of the song continued, and Joey looked at him, not getting what was so funny.

"When I wake up

I'm willing to take my chances on

The hope I forget that you hate him more than you notice

I wrote this for you, for you, so

You need him, I could be him

I could be an accident but I'm still tryin'

And that's more than I can say for him"

Mikey Way was giving everything he had into that performance, and the song was exactly how the band felt, especially Gerard. Frank stood up and grabbed another mic.

"Where is your boy tonight?

I hope he is a gentleman

And maybe he won't find out what I know

You were the last good thing about this part of town."

Joey burst out laughing, paying attention to the lyrics while Ray jumped off the couch and started singing with his friends. She recorded them as Gerard kept thinking if she should join them or not. He wanted to, and it was just a fun moment. Who cared if he actually wanted to be Matthew? And so, he did.

"Someday I'll appreciate in value

Get off my ass and call you

The meantime, I'll sport my brand new fashion

Of waking up with pants on at four in the afternoon

You need him, I could be him

I could be an accident but I'm still tryin'

And that's more than I can say for him"

The girl didn't recall having that amount of fun ever on her birthday. She wasn't much of a celebration person, and though her parents always encouraged her to bring friends over and have a party on her special day, she would always prefer to have a quiet day on her own. She was really used to be on her own. She liked being on her own. But now, having a boyfriend and having friends seemed to be fun too.

"Where is your boy tonight

I hope he is a gentleman

And maybe he won't find out what I know

You were the last good thing about this part of town."

The band finished their performance, and Joey clapped like a maniac. She stood up, drunk, making sure not to show her ass with that dress.

- "Shit!! That was so cool!!"- she said and gave each one a big kiss on the cheek- "You are the best bunch of brothers I had ever asked for or dream of having."

Joey looked at them. They were smiling and sweating 'cos they really had delivered everything there was left in the after playing a major concert.

- "Are you gonna sing now, Bug?"- Frank asked and passed her the mic

- "I don't know... let me see..."

- "Yes!! She is drunk enough!!"- the guitarist clapped, and the girl turned, frowning at him.

- "Dude, that sounds like you wanna take advantage of me."

- "Never!"- and he meant it- "I just wanna see you make a fool out of yourself drunk as a skunk, like we have all done for you"- he answered chuckling, and Joey smiled.

- "Don't worry Francoholic, I fucking trust you, I don't know why, but I do... just stop staring at my ass when I'm talking to you!"- Iero quickly closed his eyes shut and blushed- "I'm never wearing this dress around you ever again."

- "Oh, come on! You know you look hot!"- he answered, still eyes wide shot- "I can't help looking at you, but in a friendly way" Gerard sipped his coke and closed his eyes too. He felt busted. And he was. Joey knew he had been staring at her. She wasn't stupid, but being drunk didn't make her smarter either, and a part of her wanted him to want her. Even if she knew she wasn't going to do a thing about it.

- "I don't wanna break your nose, so cut it."

- "How many noses have you broken?"- Mikey asked, honestly curious. He knew Joey wasn't bluffing.

- "I'd say about... five, maybe four, I think one was just cracked"- she thought about it for a moment before she added- "Anyway, neither of those noses was broken just 'cos I felt like it, they all had a reason to bleed."

- "Which was?"- Mikey asked, sipping his vodka

- "Kids needed to know being bullies was a bad idea."

- "You got bullied at school?"- Gerard asked, remembering their earlier conversations

- "Hell no! I was an outcast, sure, I wasn't popular, I didn't really have many friends either, but shit! I knew how to defend myself from all the asshole"

- "Your dad taught you how to fight?"- Joey frowned at Frank's questions and sighed. She had said too much already. She hated sharing about her in school or why she wasn't a people person.

- "Yes, he did"- she simply replied and finished what was left of her Long Iceland- "Now let me see what I'm gonna delight you with... oh! my song!"- she got really excited all of a sudden and pressed a number.

- "Which is your song, Bug?"- Mikey asked, and Nirvana's Breed started. Joey jumped right away, going nuts. Yes, that was her song, ever since she first heard Nirvana when she was nine.

"I don't care, I don't care, I don't care, I don't care, I don't care

Care if it's old

I don't mind, I don't mind, I don't mind, I don't mind, mind

Don't have a mind

Getaway, getaway, getaway, getaway, away

Away from your home

I'm afraid, I'm afraid, I'm afraid, I'm afraid

Afraid ghost

Even if you have, even if you need

I don't mean to stare, we don't have to breed

We could plant a house, we could build a tree

I don't even care, we could have all three

She said"

She sang at the top of her lungs, jumping, losing her breath, and putting every inch of energy left in her body. She hadn't sung like that ever. She hadn't been that happy on her birthday. She kind of hated her birthday. For a long while, she hated being born. She wiped away those thoughts quickly, as the song ended and the band clapped, Mikey recording everything.

- "Matthew asked if you can send him those videos"- she said out of breath and dip on the couch next to Mikey.

- "Matt hates me"

- "No, he doesn't. He appreciates everything you've done for me. He asked me to tell you he invites you to his house for dinner. Also, don't call him "Matt." He hates it."

- "Dude, go and take pictures of his underwear drawer. I need an anniversary present of Jamia."

- "What?"- Joey frowned- "Jamia has the hots for Matthew?"

- "I thought you noticed she was drooling all over him each time we met"- Joey burst out laughing and nodded

- "I never noticed!! That's so weird!"

- "Come on, keep on singing Bug, I know you want to"- Ray said and took a look at the songbook with her

- "Can you sing with me?"

- "A duo? Hell yeah! Anything in mind?"

- "Megadeth!"- she cut him off with the answer and made him grin

- "Fuck yeah!"

Gerard smiled at Joey and covered her with his jacket as she sat half asleep next to him on the couch. Ray and Frank were paying, and Mikey was in the bathroom. It was almost four in the morning, the girl was wasted. Well, everybody was pretty drunk, to be fair. Except for Gerard, again. He was used to anyway. Being an alcoholic and staying sober for his friends wasn't really torture for him at that point. He knew he had a problem with alcohol, and he wasn't going to relapse. Besides, he wanted to be the sober one looking after Joey again. Just like he had done in Amsterdam.

- "Hey, are you awake?"- he whispered and moved some hair carefully from her face.

- "Yeah... but... not for much longer, I guess"- he smiled and felt her moving closer, snuggling on his chest- "Thank you, Gerard."

- "Happy birthday, Joey"

- "It's no longer my birthday..."

- "I don't care, we are still at your party"- he smiled and smelled her shampoo all over him as she was so close.

- "It was the best party ever"- she whispered and smiled

- "I'm glad you liked it"- Gerard couldn't control himself and landed a small peck on her head as he felt her sigh.

- "Way better than last year"

- "What did you do last year?"

- "I was home alone"

- "And your friends?"

- "I don't have friends in Los Angeles"- she simply replied and moved from his chest, sitting down correctly on the couch and fixing her dress- "Where's Mikey?"

- "In the bathroom"

- "Mikey drunken Way"- she whispered and chuckled- "I bet he is puking"

- "Yeah, he is wasted"

- "He is a functional drunk"

- "Like you"

- "Yeah"- she smiled pleased- "I do my best"

- "You really are close with Mikey"- Gerard said, thinking maybe with Joey intoxicated, he could know a little more about their friendship. He was still jealous.

- "Yes, he is my bróðir"- Joey smiled at him and sighed- "I always wanted an older bróðir."

- "Are you an only child?"- she nodded and sighed- "Do you feel ok?"

- "Yes, I just don't like talking about me."

- "Why? Sometimes I feel I don't know anything about you."

- "You know enough"- she simply replied

- "But I want to know more"- Gerard whispered and moved closer to her. His words made her shiver as he murmured them very close to her ear. That guy was trouble in tight pants, and he knew what to do to get a girl where he wanted. Just that this time, it wasn't going to work so easily.

- "You don't get to know more, Gerard"- she whispered and stood up the second Ray walked over.

- "Ok, kid, let's go... are you ok?"

- "I'm drunk, but I'm ok"

- "Can you walk?"- Joey raised an eyebrow and looked at her friend.

- "Bitch, please! I could pretend I'm sober if necessary."

- "It ain't, don't worry, come on, let's get you to the van"- Gerard frowned at the sigh of Ray walking away with the girl he wanted to take care of.

- "Can you stop doing this?! You have to stay away from her!! You keep thinking about it, but you end up the other way around every single fucking time!!"- he held his jacket and followed Ray and Joey- "Why can you just forget about this crush and live your happy life with your wife! You love your wife! You are happy with her! Why is this girl affecting you so much?"

Ray had to go to the bathroom before leaving the bar, so Gerard walked Joey out and got into the van with her, sitting next to her and feeling her resting her head on his shoulder in a matter of seconds.

- "You can sleep all the way back, Sugar, I'll take care of you"- he whispered in her ear, and she nodded, feeling the singer wrap an arm around her slowly and sweetly. They were alone in the van, and he was glad no one would see him for a few seconds, staring at her. Things were so mixed up inside his brain at that moment, but yet, he was so content to hold Joey in his arms. He didn't want to let her go.

- "Ok, how are we doing this?"- Ray asked as they reached the hotel's parking lot, and everybody was pretty much asleep and worn out. Parting after a concert was harder than they remembered. They weren't twenty anymore.

- "Can we sleep here?"- Mikey asked, not opening his eyes

- "Come on, let's go"- Gerard said and woke Joey sweetly- "Hey... time to go to bed- she opened her eyes and looked at him, confused."

- "Why?"

- "'Cos we are in the van."

- "Right, ok, let's go"

The girl wasn't drunk enough to need assistance walking, but she was so tired she felt she was walking asleep. Gerard wrapped an arm around her waist as soon as she stepped out of the van, in his mind, to keep her from falling, but he knew he just wanted to keep her close for a little longer. Mikey yawned, the elevator door closed, and everybody pushed their floor numbers. Everybody was on a different floor.

- "Are you gonna take her to her room?"- Ray asked Gerard and raised an eyebrow.

- "Yeah, don't worry"- the singer answered and smiled to calm his friend down- "Go to sleep, I'll let her in her room"

- "Do you need help?"- Mikey asked and yawned again.

- "Nah, she is awake, right, birthday girl?"

- "I'm so awake I might need a sleeping pill"- she answered, eyes wide shut

- "That's the spirit!"- Frank joked, and the door opened on his floor- "Please, somebody, wake me up tomorrow. I don't wanna miss the flight."

- "I don't wanna close my eyes"- Joey started singing, and everybody laughed- "I don't wanna fall asleep 'cos I'd miss you baby, and I don't wanna miss the flight."

- "Good night, party girl"- Frank kissed her forehead and got out of the elevator. Ray did the same a few seconds later, on his floor, not without raising an eyebrow at Gerard for one last time. Way nodded in response and smiled, trying to tell his friend he wouldn't do anything bad to the girl. He would never, taking advantage of a drunk girl had never crossed his mind, and that wasn't the night that could change.

- "Night, Mikey"- Gerard said when the door opened on Joey's floor.

- "Need help?"- he asked his brother

- "I don't need help to get into my room, just so you know"- Joey said, still eyes wide shut.

- "I'll be ok"- Gerard answered his brother and smiled.

- "Good night Bug"

- "I love you, Mikey drunken Way"- she answered, chuckling, and walked out the elevator with Gerard.

- "You are going to open the door for her, put her in her bed and leave, open the door, leave her in her bed, leave"- he repeated in his mind as Joey rested her weight against the wall next to her door. Gerard unlocked it and helped her in. She kicked out her combat boots and let loose her hair right away.

- "Not matching socks?"- he asked with a smile, and she chuckled

- "Yeah, it's a thing Matthew, and I've got"- she made a pause and looked around the room- "Thank you, Gerard, I think I can take it from here"- he nodded and stood in front of her in silence.

- "I'm happy your birthday was better than last year"- he said, and she smiled, yawning.

- "The bar was pretty cool Gerard, even pizza and Call of Duty would have been better than last year"- he stared at her in silence for a few seconds before asking.

- "Why don't you have friends in Los Angeles"- she looked into his eyes and sighed, knowing he wasn't going to give up asking.

- "'Cos I don't have friends Gerard"- she simply answered- "Not many"

- "You've got us"

- "Let's say you don't exist"- Joey said and sat on her bed, looking for the pajama she had left under the pillow earlier that day. It was one of Matthew's shirts- "My friends would be Tucker, who I see once every six months if lucky, and my neighbor Tabitha, who still lives in Seattle and I get to see... only when I'm home for the holidays."

- "Friends from school?"- she shook her head- "College?"- no again- "No one?"

- "No"

- "Why?"'

- "'Cos I don't trust people"- she simply answered and shrugged.

- "Bullshit, you've got a boyfriend. You wouldn't be able to keep a normal relationship if you don't trust people."

- "Fine, I trust Matthew, 'cos he is special, he is different, he understands."

- "What is so hard for the rest of the world to understand?"- Gerard moved closer and sat next to her, just like he had done earlier that day when he gave her his present.

- "I really don't want to talk about this, Gerard, not now. I'm happy right now."

- "I'm sorry I've been too pushy with you about this"- she smiled and nodded

- "Don't worry, I'm not mad, just drunk and tired."

- "I'll let you sleep"- she nodded and watched him not move an inch.

There was such a part of him that desperately wanted to stay here with her and hold her close, and he still didn't know why. It felt he couldn't think straight around her. And it was only getting worse over time.

Joey kept her eyes on his, knowing that was a bad idea, 'cos she could get easily lost in the hazel eyes that kept staring at her, with such sweetness she nearly trembled. It seemed he was leaning over her, but she didn't know if she imagined it or if it was real. She just stayed still. He felt his body was being attracted to her so intensely he wasn't going to be able to stop himself much longer.

- "I'm going to..."- Joey mumbled and grabbed Matthew's t-shirt tight- "I'm going to change..."- Gerard stayed still, waking from his reverie, and nodded.

- "Yes, sorry, I zoned out"- he excused himself and stood up quickly- "See you tomorrow Joey."

- "Bye"- she replied and watched him disappear through the door. The only thing she could do was hold her necklace with Matthew's heart and close her eyes.

- "Two more days, and I'll be with you, Akumu."

**

taglist @all-tings-diego @worryd0ll

Do you wanna talk about this story, or be added to the taglist? send me a message here

[jjk-anime-horray]

I'm The Real Getou!!!

Suguru Getou x Reader (Jujutsu Kaisen Au)

18 year old Y/N, a not evil but registered curse user knows to stay out of Jujutsu business. However, what can someone do when they stumble across a Jujutsu sorcerer stripped of their powers, and have a ancient spirit imposter of themselves running around murdering people under there name. Let's just say things get messy very quickly.

Warnings: Strong language, Suggestive themes, and Kenjaku/Psuedo. Reader is Fem! Reader (Sorry).

Premiere/Part One: (Hope you like it)

Waitressing fucking sucks sometimes. You have to work late nights, odd hours, and deal with all sorts of crazy people that you honestly sometimes want to stab with the pen you write down there orders with. However, there was one sole reason why you worked at a late night restaurant/bar, have to deal with perverted men that don't get the point that being friendly is part of your god damn job, and occasionally having to watch drunk people start fist fights with each other:

Tips, and lots of them.

Currently slipping out of the pretty heels you wore to also help with you making said tips you changed out of your work clothes into some joggers, a sweatshirt, and sneakers because honestly who doesn't like comfy clothes.

You know that walking alone at night is usually pretty stupid, however, you also weren't like other girls. But not like pick me bitch I'm not other of girls type "I don't wear make", "I only hang with the bro's", casual misogyny shit. You go on tiktok, cry when any dog dies in movies, and watch whatever the hell you want just like almost anyone else on the planet. The difference between you and the next person over is that if someone tries to mug you, they're getting a black flash or maybe some curse energy embedded keys to the face.

You weren't a jujutsu sorcerer per se, but you did have cursed energy. You were just able to hide it from everyone else because you innate. technique nulls out anyone else's technique activated, and hides your cursed energy because it kind of nulls itself. You don't have a name for it, but it's really useful if you just want to mind your own business.

Street lights completely illuminated the way to your comfy apartment, so you didn't even have to worry about people popping out of dark corners.

But the "AUGHHHGG......HMPH......YOU MOTHER FUCKER!!! BOOM." that you heard followed by completely inhuman noises followed by more cusses, and blasts of cursed energy. That is something you might have to worry about.

And while you would normally just mind your own business and stay clear of the sight like anyone else with common sense, you couldn't in this situation because the obvious signs of conflict were coming out of your apartment building. Great, what could be better than dealing with curses after a brutal shift?

"Oh fuck me why is it always the perfect fucking time" You grumble to yourself.

You quickly run towards the building holding all of your possessions, wanting to prevent the most property damage that was yours as much as you could.

Dashing up the stairs with your backpack bouncing with each step taken.

With more booms coming from even closer to your complex, you dash faster down the walls, and were surprised that more people didn't notice the commotion.

But finally when you made it to your home sweet home, you calmed down as you unlocked your door and flung it open to find it completely as how you left it.

"Phew, at least is wasn't my stuff being smashed."

But before you could even settle in two bodies crashed through the sealing above you down to your apartment. Causing you to have to dive out of the way to avoid being completely crushed, but unfortunately you weren't in complete luck as your legs got partially. trapped under a beam.

The sight in front of you was something to behold. A faceless curse pinned down a raven haired man, and started to morph him?

Getou's POV:

When I felt a surge of cursed energy being release about a half hour ago I had no Idea it would spiral into this madness.

Now currently I was in a full fist fight with a faceless curse? that was so strong it put my special grade status to shame.

Why a fist fight you may ask? Well that's because it's technique stole my cursed energy, the second it emerged from it's boxed seal that got broken, it latched onto me and drained my powers and became more human.

White, faceless, sexless, with stitches and a tongue on it's forehead it was complexly ugly, but I shouldn't really be thinking about why it's ugly considering that it may have me dead. The weirdest thing was that after it got my cursed energy, and technique. It decided to talk to me. It even fucking introduced itself as Kenjaku. It spoke from the forehead on it's mouth, and proceeded to say this:

"Before you die, I should have you know that your abilities will be sacrificed and used for a great cause. Japan will rule them all."

It lunged at me, throwing the two of us through the floor down a level, as it tried to kill be by absorbing the rest of me. I don't know how he was going to do it, but I knew that I was currently choking the bastard with all of my might trying to get him off me.

But in this position all I can to is pray that I can pry him off of my neck, but when the being transformed it self into me. I couldn't get myself to not look in shock.

Y/N's POV:

You couldn't help but watch in complete utter shock when the white being took the form of the raven haired man underneath him. Everything about it was unnatural. But one thing's for certain, that thing was wrong, and you couldn't just let this happen in your damn apartment.

Looking down to the beam on your leg. Not completely crushing it, but making it stuck, you look around you to find anything you could use as leverage. Scoping the area you see something metallic, a part of a metal pipe! Quickly you use it to pry the wood off of your leg as quickly as you can, relieving some of the pain.

You scrabble from out under the debrie, pushing off all of the pebbles and splinted that adorned your sweatpants. You look over to see the thing and the man still in a stuggle, and the guy clearly losing.

Quickly you rush in with the lead pipe in. hand, and start to use your anger to conjure your cursed energy to imbue it in it.

"Time to die." The now duplicate said over the initial man. "Once I absorb your body, you'll become a complete part of my-"BAMM

The make shift weapon collided with the imposter, sending him across the room, tumbling into the white's wall of the room now covered in dust. Leaving you in-between the man and the thing with the pipe in hand embedded with your energy.

You watched to see the completely formed thing, started to make it's way back to it's feet. Shifting its weight it slowly made its way to i's knees. Unnerving you in the process as it replicated joints that got moved in tumble.

"What sort of low life are you to try to interfere with my--" The imposter stopped itself mid sentence. While speaking it tried to ready an attack (most likely a cursed energy blast of some sort) , but fell short as it realized that it couldn't.

"What did you do to me?!?" The spirit raged angrily in, at its now nulled abilities.

"That's none of your business, and what makes you think I would tell you anyway?"

You knew exactly what you did to him. You see the thing is with your cursed energy, anyone who comes in contact with it cannot activate there own cursed energy until your nulling wears off which varies form person to person. On top of that anyone who touches your body also gets there abilities deactivated as well.

"Well that doesn't matter anyway because I have a back up plan anyway."

"Wait what?"

"GET DOWN"

With that the intial black haired man tackled you to the ground, getting you out of the way as giant vines came crashing through the exterior walls into the heart of the building. Pulling the curse away in a grovey wake, and causing the two of you too crash into the far wall, and small pieces of debris to fall on the both of you.

Shakily you got to move after the crash, but then you immediately halted. Your body being pinned in place by not wood and rock, but muscle and flesh. Quickly your eyes snap to readjust so that you can interpret the sight.

Long muscular legs adorned with baggy pants were wound in-between yours, a solid stomach covered in a black rodlike shirt flung next too yours, and a god like upper body entrapped the rest of your body, and there was no denying that the man was tall and built. The icing on the cake however was the angular, slender eyed, gorgeous face that you finally get to have a good look at panting into your ear from exhaustion.

Slowly with a low grown of discomfort the body connected to yours shifted so that his eyes could meet your gaze head on.

"Are you alright Miss?" He said in a tone as if he wasn't talking to you with both (beefy) arms next to both sides of you head.

"Am I alright? Of course I'm fucking not!!!!"

[tsauergrass]

Light as a Feather (and it went just like this)

I am late, I am soooo late...but in honor of Draco’s birthday here is some fluff, because boy deserves some fluff 💗 Thank you @rockmarina for the last little tweak! Title taken from 2002 by Anne-Marie, a great song for summer

TW: Light banter about taking advantages towards the end, Implied eating disorder

Harry Birthday Draco 🎂

***

 It’s already late into the night when Harry feels a gentle, dull hit on his shoulders. The lights in the living room are still on, the windows ajar; the midnight breeze, warm with the scent of jasmine, wafts into the room. For a fleeting second Harry is reminded of his mother. The left-over lasagna sits on the kitchen counter, lukewarm.

 Draco has fallen asleep.

 Harry’s breath hitches. Draco’s hair tickles his chin. This close, he can count every soft strand of platinum, can see where it’s ruffled, can smell—dear Merlin—Draco’s shampoo. Peaches and Vanilla Milk with Orange Blossoms. Pretentious git, Harry’s seen the bottle in the shower, but now, now all he can think of is the milky scent of peaches and orange blossoms, sweet and overwhelming.

 Oh dear Merlin.

 It’s alright. It’s nothing, friends fall asleep platonically on each other’s shoulders all the time. Not to mention they’re more than friends—they’re flat mates. He just needs to breathe very, very slowly so his shoulders don’t heave. Can’t wake Draco up or else the git will lock him out of his own flat. Try not to buckle his bones. Try not to feel them moving in his body like mismatched blocks protruding. Try to stop his fingers from trembling and dropping the book and BAMM and wake Draco up—

 Draco sighs softly and snuggles closer.

 Harry stifles a yelp. Draco’s head fits into the crook of his neck seamlessly, and something soft wells in Harry’s chest. He holds it back the way he’s held it back for the past three months and, carefully, smuggles his arms underneath Draco’s body. A gentle lift, and Draco is in Harry’s arms.

 Oh. Oh no. Bad idea, really bad idea. Harry’s face heats. Draco’s face buried into his chest, where his heart beats so obnoxiously he can feel it against his rib cage like a wild animal; Draco’s body, warm and lithe and surprisingly light, pressed close against his. Harry frowns at the lasagna on the kitchen counter. He’ll need to make sure Draco eats, again.

 Draco snuggles. Harry’s breath stops.

 He quickly adjusts his arms to hold Draco tighter—tries not to think too much in the process—and heads to the stairs. Carefully lifts one leg to the first one, then the other. Levitates himself onto the level. Pauses to make sure it’s not too bumpy…then the next. And the next. His hands become slippery with sweat, his arms numb with the grip. Peaches and milk and blossoms suffuses the sweltering air in the tiny space between the stairs, suffuses his nose, and it’s all he can think of, burying his nose into Draco’s hair and inhale, filling his lungs with the scent until it brims his memories, until the rest of the world fades and this is the only thing left, Draco’s sweet shampoo and soft blond hair—

 Draco nuzzles his nose against Harry’s collarbone.

 Harry inhales sharply, face burning, and quickens his pace as much as he can without making it violently rocky. Yet Draco wouldn’t move, and the tip of his nose grazes Harry’s neck with every step of stairs, with every soft breath, every exhale like a deliberate accident…

 Harry is sweating and out of breath when he finally reaches the second floor. Draco’s bedroom is at the end of the corridor. Harry pushes the door open with his back and mutters a spell to pull back the bed covers. Sets Draco down, and watches as Draco sinks into the soft mattress, buries his face into the pillow with a sigh.

 Harry smiles. He pulls the covers back up and tucks Draco in. He doesn’t know much about Draco’s sleeping habits, but he has seen the covers kicked off in the middle of the night and bed sheets a tangled mess at Draco’s feet in the morning. He pauses, face inches away from Draco’s.

 And he looks.

 It’s not rare to see Draco’s face unguarded now—they have come a long way—but it’s not exactly often, either. Small, fleeting moments that Harry catches accidentally, like a fluttering butterfly—but now, now. Draco isn’t watching him. So he can look, as much as he longs to. Draco’s brows, smoothly stretched out. His eyelashes, a shade darker than his hair, think and long, fanned out. The freckles spread across the bridge of his nose like a constellation. His smooth cheeks, his sharp jaw, his lips, pink and soft.

 Harry almost reaches out and traces his face. Draco’s eyelashes flutter, and Harry holds his breath. Draco shifts in the bed, and when he settles again, Harry lets out a sigh.

 Draco blearily blinks his eyes open.

 Harry freezes.

 They stare at each other, Harry stiff like a stone and Draco muzzy. Finally Draco mutters, “Is this a dream?”

 “Yeah,” Harry says rigidly. He pats Draco’s hair to be reliable. “Go back to sleep.”

 Draco hums, wraps his arms around Harry’s neck and pulls Harry close. Harry yelps, and before he knows it he is pressed against Draco’s body. The duvets are much softer than his, and Draco smells like freshly-showered skin, warm and welcoming.

 “Stay,” Draco mumbled.

 Harry’s breath comes out of him in short puffs. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Draco.”

 Draco hums again and does nothing.

 Harry’s arms start to tremble from trying to hold himself up. His lips almost graze Draco’s cheek. “Draco,” he warns, though it comes out trembling, too.

 “Mm, stay here.”

 “You don’t mean it.”

 “I mean it,” Draco mumbles. “I mean it.”

 It hurts, hearing those words in Draco’s dreamy voice as if he actually means them. Hurts to decline Draco’s warm body pressed against his for the night and tomorrow morning, warm and tousled, the first thing he sees when he wakes up. Milky peaches and orange blossoms fill Harry’s head, his thoughts a jumbled mess.

 “Draco,” Harry pleads.

 Draco mumbles and lets Harry go. Harry straightens himself, takes a deep breath—and notices Draco shifting back so there is a tiny space at the edge of the bed.

 Harry’s heart skips a beat. He watches uncertainly. He really shouldn’t, Draco isn’t exactly in his right mind—though they’re not doing anything, so he supposes…? Harry bites his lip. It is, um, a really tiny space though. Really tiny. He’ll probably get kicked off bed at three in the morning.

 “Harry?” Draco half-opens his eyes and murmurs.

 And he looks like he murmurs Harry’s name every morning, still half in his dreams, as if it’s instinctive for him to look for Harry, to want him—as if Draco wants him, even if he himself doesn’t know it just yet. Harry sucks in a breath and takes off his glasses and climbs into bed. Pulls the covers tight around him, his back to Draco and feet over the edge, heart beating violently.

 Draco suddenly wraps his arm around Harry’s waist, and Harry freezes. Feels Draco’s chest pressed tight against his back, the warmth of his body radiating off underneath the covers. His breath ghosting at his nape, faint but steady. Almost like a tease.

 Oh, fuck it, Harry thought, and covers Draco’s hand with his own. Draco’s slim fingers and bony hand under his, skin soft. Harry can’t help but caresses it with his thumb.

 He spells the lights off and closes his eyes.

*

 The first thing he sees is a pair of grey eyes.

 Harry closes his eyes again. He is clearly dreaming.

 “Morning,” a voice says, deep and familiar—and too close. Way too close. Last night’s memories flood back to Harry’s mind and he shoots his eyes open.

 Draco’s face is half an inch close to his.

 Harry, head still foggy, just looks at him. Draco’s grey eyes, every color clear in the morning light. Like silver. Like storms. Like…

 “You didn’t brush your teeth,” Draco says.

 Harry’s face burns.

 Draco lets out a sigh that’s almost affectionate. “It’s not the first time anyway.”

 “Hey,” Harry protests. “I do brush my teeth.”

 “You think.” Draco stretches, and his hand hits the headboard with a dull thump. “I should kill you for going to bed with me without brushing your teeth.”

 “Normal people would focus the other way around,” Harry mumbles.

 Draco shrugs. His t-shirt hangs loosely around his shoulders, bare skin peeking out. “For a second I was mortified, but then I remembered.”

 “You remember the whole thing?” Harry asks, scandalized. Horrified. “I thought you were asleep?”

 “Well, the stairs were quite bumpy.” Draco smiles lopsidedly. “But I remember you tucking me into bed.”

 The smile softens. Harry swallows.

 “And anything else?”

 “No,” Draco says, and closes his eyes. The smile lingers. “Oh, and I invited you to bed.”

 Harry’s cheeks flame. “That does not sound right when you put it like that.”

 “But aside from that, no.” Draco opens one eye to peek at Harry. “Did anything else happen?”

 “Merlin, no!” Harry nearly jumps out of bed. “Who do you think I am? I didn’t take advantage of you!”

 “But you’d want to?”

 Harry swallows and thinks back to the stairs, the sweltering air, the milky peaches and flowers. Restraining himself from burying his nose into Draco’s hair. But surely that doesn’t count. Right?

 Draco’s shampoo lingers in the air still, faint.

 “No.” Harry swallows. “No, I wouldn’t.”

 “But you’d want to go to bed with me.”

 “Stop putting it like that!”

 Draco sighs softly. “Harry, when are you going to stop lying to yourself?”

 “Not to myself,” Harry mumbles.

 Draco grins, brimming with affection. The covers rustle, and a second later Harry is tucked in Draco’s arms again. Heart pounding, Harry looks up. Draco holds his gaze, warm and serious.

 “You’re a stubborn git, you know that?” Draco asks, and bends down and kisses Harry.

 On the forehead.

 “Hey!” Harry complains when he realizes that’s it. “What was that supposed to mean?”

 “It means, ‘Harry James Potter, I’d like to take advantage of you,’” Draco says slowly. “And you?”

 Harry takes in a breath. “I’d like to take advantage of you, too.”

 Draco laughs. “Make up your mind, won’t you?”

 Harry pushes himself up and kisses Draco. Draco hums and kisses back, lips soft. Their noses bump, but Harry cannot think of any of it; everything he’s ever wanted fills him to the brim as he opens his mouth, as Draco touches him, fingers gentle on his jaw. He chases Draco’s mouth when Draco pulls back, blinks his eyes open when Draco chuckles.

 “Your breath is awful.”

 “Shut up.”

 Draco smiles faintly and touches Harry’s jaw again. His eyes soften. “It’s taken us quite some time, hasn’t it?”

 “Quite some time,” Harry agrees in a murmur. He can’t look away from Draco’s eyes. From Draco’s face, soft and open, like it almost never had before. “I didn’t know—”

 “Of course you didn’t know.” Draco caresses his cheek. “You’re so oblivious you never realize how fascinating you are.”

 Harry smiles and drops his face into the pillow, close to Draco’s chest. The sheets are tangled between their legs, the mattress soft. The two of them, tangled together also. It feels so natural, as if they have been waking up to a morning like this for twenty years. It feels like they will, for the next twenty years.

 “We should stay in bed the whole day,” Harry decides.

 Draco chuckles. “Maybe you should go brush your teeth first.”

 Harry growls. “Stop ruining the mood.”

 “No, but seriously. At least use a spell—”

 Harry smashes Draco with a pillow. Draco’s muffled laughter vibrates through, brighter than the morning sun, and Harry laughs, too, heart soaring high.

*

 Draco laughs. He can’t help it anymore, the laughter bubbling up. Harry smashes him with pillows, one after another, their laughter loud and pillows and duvets everywhere.

 Harry’s eyes, every time they look at Draco. Green so vibrant and full of life, full of joy. They melt him, along with that stupid grin of Harry’s, make him want to kiss Harry silly like he just did.

 Harry jumps onto him and tackles him. Draco yelps, and before he can laugh some more Harry rolls them over and kisses him again. Draco smiles into it, fingers on the curly strands at Harry’s nape.

 If he’d fallen asleep on Harry’s shoulder deliberately last night, no one needs to know.

[livingotter]

Chapter 1:

Are We Finally Out?

" Ok, I'll count to three then pull the door open." (old man)

" we only have one chance, not one mistake is allowed. We just have to snapped the guy's neck, that's it"

(big guy)

"why are you all looking at me...? Yes, I understand" (Kyle)

Muttered Kyle after getting glared by everybody. Finally it's time for Kyle to escape this place, so he definitely won't screw this up. After transferring to different places(as if getting a promotion) where electricity was needed but too hard to procure and working his ass off to receive a meal, he had enough.

'but what's this? I'm getting nervous that it felt like I'll faint! Wait... What was the plan again?'

The old man sigh. It is as if he knew this would happened at this crucial moment.

"ill repeat the plan just once more for whoever that forgotten it"

Kyle shrugged his shoulder and had an expression as if he was innocent.

The old man and big walked back to the turbine, helping Harry out while explaining the plan.

"first, Harry and Hachiman is going to continue turning the turbine while using as little mana as possible. Then when I opened the door, you'll have to drag the guard down and keep him silent."(old man)

" then the rest of the plan will definitely come back to you" (Hachiman)

Added Hachiman with a low baritone voice. Without much time to waste, the old man went back to the door while Harry and Hachiman do what they had to. Kyle too went to the door, warming up his nimble body.

'just like before, don't mess it up Kyle! You can do it'. Kyle thought as he was nervous to the point of having cold sweat and forgetting reality.

"1....2....3.... NOW!"

Old man pull with all his might at the door that we broke a while ago, looking like he was not even old. As soon as the door broke opened, Kyle focused on finding the guard. Finding the guard standing guard on the right of the door, Kyle reach out his arms and wrapped it around his neck tightly to prevent him from making any voice. Simultaneously, he jumped a little and stick his right knee in the guard's abdomen and leaning back. The guard ended up falling forward and had his face smashed to the ground.

"ARGHH!.."

groaned the guard while still in Kyle's embrace... 'Sh*t!' Hachiman ran out at the same moment and kicked the guard's face and he fainted on the spot.

"sigh... I knew this would happen" (old man)

"Eheh.. Hehe.."

Kyle made an awkward laugh and quickly got up from the spot. There was no time to waste when all are placed on the line. The rest did the same with Hachiman in the front, old man as the first runner up and Harry as the 2nd runner up.

"it's sad to be the last"

"Oh shut up, you know very well its for the plan"

chuckled Harry while he retorted Kyle. Kyle also let out a similar chuckle. They all ran along the right hall at a speed where Usain bolt might be shocked of. Well he really would as this was an era where all of mankind would look like a superhuman to the previous.

As they ran along the narrow hall, old man shout out the direction and the hall to go through as if he knew this place like the back of his hand and Hachiman did as he told. Then after who knows how long, the sound of people catching up resounded. Running footstep sound came closer and closer till it reaches a point.

"right at the hall at the left, get ready there!" (old man)

Hachiman did as he told without a word again while the ither three continue to run straight. Hachiman hid at the corridor and got ready for an ambush. While everything was happening, ringing sound echoed in Kyle's ear. He was nervous. It always happens when he was about to do something scary. His eyesight became a little blurry and time seems to have slowed down a lot. It was better than before when they were waiting to tackle the guard as the time had passed and he got less nervous.

*dupdup....... dupdup*

The sound of his heart beating right in his mouth resounded until

*BAMM! *

"ARGHH!!"

"ERGHHHH!"

Hearing the sound of collision Kyle turned around quickly and started rushing back. In his field of view was

Two guard smashed inches into the wall. They had been crashed into the wall by Hachiman after slipping on the wet floor Hachiman prepared. With their head still intact but hands twisted in an unsightly manner, they were probably still alive.... Probably. With the weight of Hachiman added into the crash, it makes people wonder if he was an elephant's descendent.

"Wow Hachiman! So that is why we each feed you a quarter of out meal!"

While saying that, Kyle ran in with his hands behind his back and plams opened as if holding a raseng*n, and water droplets sipped out of his palm and form a small baseball sized water ball. He swung it down towards the floor with his hands sliding the floor and arcing upwards, the ball of water touched the floor and created a small water wall that seems to spike up. The water that spikes up in high velocity contain a huge force that typically isn't seen from a 15 years old. All the work he did the pass few years had paid off!

"OOFHH... ERH!!"

"Hahaha!!! I guess I won't sue you for child labour abuse!"

The water spikes, albeit looking thin and small, smack exactly at the balls, abdomen and chin of a guard that was running towards them. He was momentarily shocked and stunned. Kyle did not miss this opportunity and did a jump and kneed the guard in the face. As everyone was like a superhuman, such little kick won't knockout a fire soldier, even though these were one of the weakest.

The nervousness from before was nowhere to be found in Kyle as he was slowly getting the vibe. He sat on the guard after the guard fall and creates a layer of water over his palm while slapping the guard in the face.

"Engg! Kyakk.... Harder daddy!"

The guard moaned.... Wait, what? The guard moaned?! Kyle's eyes widened for a moment and looked at the guard with shock. Everyone there, even Hachiman and the guards who were fighting an intense 2v1 battle was stunned and look at the situation with Jaws dropped. But that only happened for a quick second as the guard who woke up after having his.... Instinct.... No, his trauma triggered grabbed Kyle's wrists and swung him to the wall.

The guard stood up in embarrassment and swung his fist that cought on fire into Kyle with great speed. Having noticed it, Kyle turned and rolled away from the punch. His fire fist barely missed Kyle and smashed an inch into the wall. But he didn't stop there and turned a 180 degree and smashed his heel towards Kyle who was on the floor and repeated the spinning and smashing as Kyle continued to roll away.

'shit, I can't keep this up'

In the end, having reach a dead end with his back facing a wall, Kyle felt despair for a moment.

"Ehehehe!" (guard)

The guard smirk and made a short and sneaky laugh.

"Ehe... ehe?"

Kyle awkwardly laugh back while tilting his head and had his palm together as if begging.

"No" (guard)

"OHHHHH! F*CK! F*CK! F*CK! F*CK!" (Kyle)

As if finnaly getting his revenge for embarrassing him, the guard got into a firm stand, fire covering his whole right arm and he swung it with a big arc into Kyle.

But just before his fist reach Kyle, Hachiman had reach behind him and kick his long gigantic leg upwards into the guards balls... Oof... Damn...

" KYAAAAKK! (guard)

"OH DAMN! OOF! But thanks Hachi" (Kyle)

"you're welcome, but he didn't seems to dislike it"

Hachiman said with a bitter smile. Without forgetting to help Hachiman out, Kyle stood up and ran pass him to meet one of the guard who was left behind when Hachiman rush for Kyle's rescue. As the guard swung his fire fist towards him, Kyle catch it with two hands that was covered with a larger water sphere. Even while needing to move back a few step to catch the fist with less impact, the water evaporated, leaving a small steam burnt mark.

"Hiik!" (guard)

The guard was shocked with eyes widened but Kyle didn't lose the momentum and spin 180 degree and elbowed the guard in the neck. This time, the guard was unlucky and a vital was hit. He was knocked out on the spot.

"Wohoho! That was cool Kyle!" (Harry)

"Eherm... Water bloods should move like flowing water... And call me brother, show some respect!"

Kyle replied with a boastful voice, looking dignified with his chest up. Although they might not be from the same mother, Kyle was still one year older than Harry. He was taken care by the old man when he was left out few years ago just like Harry. So they could be said to be siblings after spending so much time together.

"come, we have to go now" (old man)

After having dealt with the guards up front with Harry a while ago, old man came to receive them and continue on the journey out side. While running out, Harry asked old man as he was curious.

"old man, how come you know all the route and how come there are so little guards? (Harry)

" it's because I have some deep connection within the guards and it took a long time to planned this escape out. Today was chosen as the escape day because most of the guards are receiving important people to the city and had to ensure their safety and public order"

(old man)

Then the door leading out side cam e into their view. A rusted metal door that seems to have been abandoned. It took the elephant descendant and the old man to push open the door and walah!

*KRUNG... KRUNG... *

The door slowly open and light shined though the gap. Bright, orange, warm sunlight. When the door opened, a beautiful sunset could be seen. The light shone onto their skin, and made everyone teary.

*inhale deeply*

"Ah.... The warm breeze" (old man)

"Ahaha... Hahahhaha! We're free! We're finally free!" (Harry)

"*sob* ohh what's this? *sob* is this grass? How can air be so cheap!" (Kyle)

"you want to say because it's freedom?" (Hachiman)

Kyle ignored him and only focus on taking in the feeling of freedom. Although there's still a way to freedom, Oldman did not want to spoil the mood and kept quiet.

This was the new start of the four.

[oliverprescott]

The Zombie Apocalypse and other stories

Oone

‘APOCALYPSE!’ I shouted.

‘What’s a pocalyps?’ Chris said.

‘Seriously? Where’ve you been living, in a cave? Have you not watched Deep Impact?’ I said.

‘Duuude,’ he said, ‘isn’t that a nineties reference?’

‘No, noughties.’

‘It was the nineties.’ Chris was getting a little red.

‘Noughties.’ I argued back.

‘Nineties! No-one even uses the word noughties anymore you donut.’

I clapped his head earwise. It was probably a bit too far to be fair, the second clap too. By the third I really thought I should stop, and the fourth didn’t help matters. On the fifth clap I actually started believing it was the right thing to do again. I couldn’t get in a sixth though as he’d started fighting back, and then he stopped talking to me for a few hours.

Later on, he said, ‘I was just joking about the a pocalyps thing. I know what an apocalypse is.’

‘I forgive you.’ It was the tenderest moment so far. ‘A pocalyps indeed…’ We both started laughing, and we continued for nigh on ten minutes. Really, there is bugger all to do in apocoli. Yup, that’s the plural.

It was all pretty quick really. I remember working away in the office, and asking, ‘Anyone getting an apocalypsy feeling? I am.’

‘That’s the fifth time you’ve said this in the last week, Toby.’ Sandra said.

‘Well, it’s still true.’

‘Do those reports,’ she said.

Truly, I’d been waiting for an apocalypse for a few years. One day, I was sat in the café area with Felicity.

‘I’ll say this about the apocalypse, if there’s no zombies I’ll be disappointed. Really, wouldn't it be disappointing if there was an apocalypse but it was just a regular one with no zombies. NO ZOMBIES. Because we only want a zombie apocalypse don't we. No other apocalypse will cut it. If we get a robot apocalypse we'll be like, mm, ok, I see your point. It'll be like getting socks for Christmas. If we get a biscuit apocalypse then bite me.’

‘I’m not paying any attention Toby, it’s getting really tired. I mean you’re right, we better get zombies, but really now, I’m getting fed up of all this,’ she said.

‘Did you say, apocalypse?’

‘I said fed up of all this.’ She said it through gritted teeth. Or maybe not gritted, maybe they were just tarmaced. I’ve never written ‘tarmac’ as an adjective and I’m fairly sure that’s not right, but I’ll be damned if I’m googling it.

‘Seriously, I’m telling you, there’s an apocalypse a-coming.’ I actually had no idea today.

‘Really?’ She looked genuinely interested.

‘Nah, aw I just feel a bit apocalypsy, like always.’

‘Oh for God’s sake, I’m not engaging in these conversations anymore with you Toby. I have the end of month reports to finish off.’

‘Oh, let me help you with those!’ She didn’t like that, because I said it really sarcastically, even though I genuinely wanted to help. I’ve got to learn to tone the sarcasm down. She stormed off, much as a storm might do. Martin came in and sat down next to me.

‘Hey Martin. This bloody apocalypse is taking its goddamn time, ey? Ey?’

He exhaled deeply, which might have been an expression of, oh, that again, but I like to think was more, oh! That again! (it wasn’t).

‘Martin, I said, this apocalypse is taking it’s time, eh? Eh?’

‘Yes, I heard you Toby. Don’t you have any work to do?’

‘Why bother, apocalypse is due any second!’ And I stood up, just as the meteor shower flew over and piled into the buildings around!

At least I wish that’d happened. Martin shuffled out, keen to get on with his finance reports no doubt. I felt a little red-faced, which leads wonderfully on to, not chapter two, but the next part of this chapter…

Even when it was Christmas I was saying, ‘It’s beginning to look a lot like apocalypse…’

Finally, finally it came. Not meteorites, or a virus, or any nuclear thing.

In fact, it was Felicity who came in and said, ‘Hm, feels a bit apocalypsy today.’ Then Martin came in and said, ‘There’s an apocalypse!’

I didn’t react that quickly because I was more surprised they were in my house.

‘Goddamnit,’ I said, disgruntled, ‘this has really taken my gruntle right away. I had no idea,’ as they stood in front of me, doing a jig.

‘Nice jig,’ I grumbled. It really was a terrific jig, but I was feeling a little piqued. I really wanted to be the first one to notice the apocalypse, but if I’m honest I had no idea that day.

They didn’t even stick around, so I had to start my apocalypse on my own. I walked out. It seemed a normal day. It crossed my mind that they had made it up…but no. It was so silent. No people. No cars. Hm, I thought, this apocalypse isn’t so bad.

And Chris was the first person I met. He was walking down the street, and that’s when I yelled APOCALYPSE at him. Looking back, I imagine I could have approached him a little calmer. Live and learn.

Well, we started talking again after those first few hours. It was he who said, ‘So, it’s an apocalypse. Oh my God. An apocalypse.’

‘A…pocalyps?’ I said.

We both cracked up again, and it really brought us together.

‘I must say, you’re taking this really well,’ I commented.

‘To tell the truth, I already felt like I was in an apocalypse.’

‘Tell me about it,’ I replied, ‘all these idiots around, environmental destruction, nuclear war.’

‘Yeah I was more talking about how hot it had gotten today.’

Much later, much much later, we’d lost all track of time. It could have been twenty twenty, could have been twenty twenty-five, we really had no idea. It was definitely sometime after eight pm though.

For a long time we thought it was just a regular apocalypse. We walked around for weeks, not seeing anyone else, or anything. There was relatively little danger. Not as bad as we thought. Then one day, we saw a man coming towards us, walking very slowly. We yelled to him.

‘Hey!’

He slowly moved his head up, seeing us.

‘Hey! Are you ok?’

‘Braaaaaains!’

‘Yesss,’ we said, ‘get in, it’s a zombie apocalypse.’

And that was how it was. I mean, we only saw that one zombie for a while. We didn’t even do anything, just walked away. He didn’t chase us. Honestly he was probably the dullest zombie you could imagine. And he had a tie. You could imagine in his normal life he wasn’t much more interesting. Bet you can guess the colour of the tie? Brown? No, guess again. Yellow? No, guess again. Cornflower blue? No, guess again. Bl- look, this is going to take forever. Beige, it was a beige tie.

We even shouted at him, saying provocative words like, ‘hey’, and ‘hello! Zombie!’ Nothing. Also we knew it was a zombie because of all those films. We didn’t even take a moment to call him anything else, it was just BAMM zombie. He may possibly have not been a zombie and was just a man who was a little dazed and confused, but we really preferred a zombie. If there was ever a moment to call zombie, this was it.

Anyway, we got our zombie apocalypse so we were pretty excited after that. It was another four days before we saw another, so that cemented it. We were overrun. Destroyed the world but at least we got these zombies.

[shawnjacksonsbs]

The love day is also the gratitude day.  2-14-21

"The nation's foremost marmot weather expert saw his shadow Tuesday morning after scurrying out of a burrow at Gobbler's Knob in Punxsutawney. As the legend goes, that means the country can expect below-average temperatures for the next six weeks." - the internet

So it seems to me, a fuck you is in order for good old Mr. Groundhog. Of course, I'm kidding. First of all, that's not how real life works, but also . . .yeah. The weather is terrible though and has been for about a week or so now. Plus it's not supposed to get out of these extreme lows until the latter part of our workweek. The things I know I need to focus on, are not the things my mind wants me to think or feel. Then again the mind alone isn't enough of a driving force. The heart is where the balance lies in wait, for me to be done wrestling with myself and ready for my resolve to fire up. Fire, as it were . . .along with our oven has had to be a supplemental source of heat here lately. I'm fortunate enough that I have an oven, with no shut-off notice coming or looming overhead. My apartment, as ghetto as it might be, does have a working fireplace. That has helped immensely with restoring heat each morning. Then there's the case of being home each morning, and of course most of each of the days as well. With employment the requires its share of fair weather or at least cooperative weather, which it hasn't been doing lately, means several more missed days. My gratitude rests with knowing that I have a job and one where I've made some vacation time that I can use to make up lost days and wages. Not to mention I have several irons in the fire elsewhere currently getting hotter as we speak. Preparing for all sorts of weather in the future . . .kinda. Writing in here, and reminding myself and others out loud how very fortunate we are, are some of the tools I get to use to keep myself and my mental and emotional health up. It's already a difficult time of the year for those that can easily slip into depressive states. Throw in some overweightness, mixed with the trapped feeling of isolation with limited sunlight and bamm, it's easier to talk yourself into rather than out of the negative static in our heads. Persistence, and out loud commentary to myself and those I care about helps. It also helps knowing that it isn't going to last forever. Soon the temperature will pick up and slowly I'll be back on track. My heart goes out to all those dealing with all this since covid started, and those losing their mental illness battles long before that. My gratitude is not to sound grandiose. It is, in fact, to keep me from drowning. And, I did get out for a few hours yesterday and got to see some family. It was awesome, as it usually is. I also get to get out a little later today. Pick up some last-minute Valentine's for my girl, and pick up a trunkload of firewood from a guy in Raytown. Trunk load, by the way, is not a typo. I don't own a truck. I own a Volvo. Lol no lol It's sensible . . .sort of. This afternoon/evening will once again be spent in-house, watching some awesome t.v., eating a good dinner, and having quality time with quality people, where it's warm and dry and where we're not getting into trouble. What more could a guy ask for? So Happy Valentine's Day to my girlfriend, my grandkids, my kids, my momma, and all the rest of my family and friends, and to you reading. A holiday about love, please is there even a better reason to have a good day? I think not, love is going to save the world one day. Watch n learn. And remember to tell those you love, "I love you". Say it often. To as many as possible. Make it weird!

Until next week; "The ear is the avenue to the heart." - Voltaire

[maturemenoftvandfilms]

Meeting Len Cariou

Featuring Len Cariou

I work at the Coconut Grove Playhouse in Miami, Florida, acting in their Education Tour. Not a big deal in the grand scheme but for me this is a dream come true. I'm 26, so to be performing at a paying job with real professionals with a legitimate, well-respected and renowned theatre is wonderful. Anyway, we had a Meet and Greet, where we meet the people involved in the theatre and in the main stage production, the musical 'Passin' It On.' One of those actors was Tony Award-winning Canadian actor Len Cariou.

I had always liked Mr. Cariou as an actor, was energetic and with that classic, old time Broadway voice, delivered his songs with conviction. He seemed like such a powerful and sexy man to me and, although he never outwardly appeared so in public, I had a feeling that he was a red-blooded ladies' man as well, a real lady charmer. And he would certainly be able to charm the pants off of me. I laughed to myself as I thought just how true that was!

We're going around the room, "So and So, blah blah blah" and all of a sudden I hear "Len Cariou, actor, Passin' It On" and was so star struck. I quickly spun around and the gray haired old man got my full attention. He was dressed casually in dark trousers with a sky blue jacket, and a loose collared shirt. God, he's sexy for man of 70, burly, at 5'10" with blond, grey hair. In a word, gorgeous. I restrained myself from running to him and telling him how much I admire and respect his talent, what an honor it was, because I seemed to be the only one who was going all fan boy over him (though everyone applauded when he introduced himself). I even moved closer to him in order to get a better view of him.

As he came near me, he looked directly at me. Caught gawking at him, I blushed. His weathered, tan face broke into a faint smile as the stage manager lead Len around the room. Feeling like my erection might be seen; I decided to head to the stage area to adjust myself. Once there, I decided to take it all in with me acting in a big play, in a grand theater, with big names actors to work. Then I was absorbing it all in when BAMM! I ran into someone. I automatically raised my arms up around them to keep from knocking them down, which caused their bodies to be crushed up against each other. I nearly gasped out loud as I felt the bulge of his dick pressed against my abdomen, causing my already hard dick to leak.

"Excuse me, young man" and I turn and Len Cariou standing right there!

My eyes flew to his face as he keep his balanced by grabbing my shoulder, insignificant little me! I had to force myself from doing a fan boy "squeal", at least for the moment (I have to be a Big Boy about this). I quickly stepped back from him, dragging in deep breaths, trying to calm down and willing the erection to go away. All we could do was stare at each other, as I tried to deal with the overwhelming feelings of lust. I spoke first, with my voice shaking from the torrent of emotions coursing through my body.

"Oh, I'm sorry, was I in your way?" I said.

"Oh no, you're fine. I just want to get the feel of the theater before I perform." He said.

"Don't let me bother you, go right ahead." I responded.

I watched Len for fifteen minutes or so, as he walked around the stage, admiring how handsome the old man was. I thought, how many chances do I get to talk to an accomplished, Tony Award-winning singer/actor, let alone someone famous I wanted to fuck. Would he hate me if I shook his hand and just told him how in awe of him I am? I finally gained enough courage to walk over to him.

“I'm sorry to bother you, Mr. Cariou. But do you have any advice for a young actor getting started in the business?” I asked him speaking fast as his presence made me nervous.

"It was just tough getting there, that's all, 'cause you rehearse and rehearse, and you change and change. That's the exhausting part. Once you're up and running, it's just a piece of cake to me. You know exactly how much energy you need; you know what it costs you. It's in your body and in your voice, and you can do it forever." He said stepping towards me.

“It's plenty of work, but with the right woman you'll be fine. Are you married?” He suddenly said, catching me off guard.

“No . . . my friend share and I . . . the apartment. He’s visiting friends in New York.” I said before I could catch myself.

“Oh! I see.” The old man said. Suddenly he was looking at me differently. His eyes seemed to stare at me as thought he was looking at me through a magnifying glass.

“I see you walk the stage before a show too.” I said to change the subject.

"Yeah, I guess it helps me get a feeling for the show, if I walk the stage before hand." The old man said as he started walking around the stage.

I was following behind him watching every move of his shapely body, and I couldn't find any way to get the images of what I wanted to do to his body out of my mind. I was so caught up in an image at that moment that he didn't realize Len had stopped and turned around to face me. I noticed the patch of gray hair sticking out of the top of his blue knit shirt. I must have stared at his gray chest hair a little too long.

"What are you doing?" The old man asked.

"I was just checking your junk out." I blurted out without thinking.

Len’s eyebrows narrowed as he looked at me.

"Sorry. It's a thing I do, but I'm kinda disappointed."

"I thought a handsome man like like you would have something huge." I suddenly found myself telling the old man.

"Of course I do." Len answered in a defensive tone.

"Well that's what any guy would say." I added, tensing up not knowing what his response would be.

“Hell, I can prove it! Len said then shocked me by starting to unbuckle his belt. I watched in growing excitement as he pulled down his beige shorts and exposed his white jockey shorts.

My breath became suddenly rapid as I watched him jerked down his jockey shorts exposing his full crotch to my view. And what a view it was! He was correct in claiming to have a big one as he had a nice, thick uncut dick resting on top of a set of huge bull sized balls.

“See!” The old man said in a loud voice. “Nice big cock for an old man.”

I couldn’t stop myself from stepping closer to him as I stared intently at his thick soft dick and big balls.

“Beautiful!” I mumbled as I found myself dropping to my knees in front of the old man.

“Wow, I bet your wife loves to get some of that.” I said as I glanced from his thick soft dick up to his stern face.

“You’ve got a big dick. Can you still get a hard on?”

“Hell yea!” Len said in a thundering voice.

“I still jack-off every now and then. The damn thing stays hard half the time.” He answered without making an effort to pull his shorts up.

As he spoke, I slowly moved my face toward his crotch expecting him to stop me at any second but loving the moment anyway. And sure enough when my lips came within an inch of his big limp foreskin draped dick he suddenly jerked back slightly.

“What are you doing?” He demanded. “Hell, I’m not gay.”

I glanced up into his big blue eyes.

“Let me suck it” I said.

Len stared down at me without answering, as though he was thinking over my request.

“Please.” I said, trembling with excitement.

“I am not gay.” He repeated but this time his voice was soft and carried a sexual charge. Then he reached down at grabbed his thick dick and started waving it back and forth.

“This is a big dick for an old man, isn’t it?” He said with a hint of pride in his voice.

“Huge!” I told him. In truth I've had bigger but he truly had nice thick cock and if I was going to get a chance to suck it. I had to jack-off his ego first.

“Just let me kiss it.” I pleaded as I leaned forward.

I expected Len to protest but as my lips moved closer and closer to his huge dick head he held his position. Then my moist lips touched the big head of his dick. Len moaned. I opened my mouth as wide as I could and took his big dick head entirely inside my mouth.

“Oh! GOD!” He exclaimed when I started sucking gently on the head of his dick.

“Hell that feels wonderful.” He added as he suddenly reached down and grabbed me behind the head with his huge, weathered hands.

Then he was suddenly pulling my face toward his crotch and forcing his swelling dick down my throat.

“Take it. You wanted it. Now take that whole damn thing!” He said in an almost angry voice.

I had no choice. It was swallow the old man’s dick or choke. My desire to please the Tony Award-winning performer cause me to a swallow inch after inch of his thick dick down my throat until my lips were pressed against his pubic hairs. He held my face to his crotch until I gagged before he pulled my head back. Then he started moving my mouth up and down his thick dick shaft as he fucked my mouth like he was fucking his wife’s pussy. I took his plunging dick and made love to it with my tongue as the old man repeatedly shoved it down my throat and pulled it quickly back out.

“Damn, this is hot!” Len called out excitedly as he fucked my mouth faster and faster. “Get ready. I’m going to unload! Damn! Here it comes!”

Then suddenly the old man pulled his dick out of my mouth and shot his huge load of white cum onto my face as he held my head in front of his squirting dick. His load of cum was dripping down my chin when he released me and stepped back. He glanced down at me and wasn’t smiling as he quickly pulled his jockey shorts up and followed that motion by putting back on his black slacks. I quickly reached into my back pocket of my shorts and pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the cum off my face as I got to my feet.

“Guess I should be going.” I said as I cleaned the last drops of cum from my chin.

“Yea, someone might come by, I got other things to do and my wife will be looking for me.” Len said still glaring at me with a suddenly unfriendly stare.

“Ok, see you.” I said as I headed toward the back stage.

The old man didn’t respond as he hurried back to the party. As soon as I was back stage, than as I recalled how handsome Len was and I jacked off into my hand. I still can believe I met freaking Len Cariou and I blew him. Lucky me.

[megskywalkerr]

The Piramid of DOOM

Disclaimer: This is the first story I wrote AND finished when I was about 12 (If not younger) Every word and sentence will be written as is shown IN MY STORY BOOK so get ready to cringe. Think of me as a young Stephen King ...A young talent less 12 year old Stephen King =,) Enjoy! 

  Once upon a stormy night, a detective sat on a bench near the park “Another case ha!” he laughed. “Mr hey Mr” “What do you want kid?” the detective said “That guy wont leave us alone” he said. The detective gasped. His fear come to be, it was the lord and master, the mummy of the night. “Stand back kid” the detective said. He went out of the park gate and up to the mummy and BAMM! punched the mummy right in the “Balls get your balls” said a salesmen selling bouncy balls to the children at the park. “Youll never get away with that” the mummy said. They fought and fought and finally the mummy got tired “Ill be back” he said “Ahhhh” the mummy grabbed a little girl “now I dont have to come for you” he said “you have to come for me” “Ahhhh” the little girl screamed. “NOO” the mom yelled. “we can end this now” the detective said “no thanks!” said the mummy “Bye Bye” he added. and the mummy got in his flying coffin with the little girl and flew off. “My baby” the woman cried. “What! your child as taken by the mummy?” asked the detective. “Yes twice” “twice!?” the detective said. “When was the first time?” he asked. “When she was three years old” the woman said. “Well ..its up to me..gotta go!” the man said in an angry but serious manner.

  The man went to the place where all mummys go, The piramid of DOOM. He wasnt scared at all...well maybe a little. “Ahhh” the little girl screamed. The detective snuck past the main mummy hall. “Ahhh” he heard the little girl scream again. He finally found her. “Im so sorry” the man said. “help” she mumbled. The detective took the tape off her mouth. “HELP HELP” she screamed. “shhhh” the man said. he grabbed the girl and ran.”STOP!” the mummy yelled but the man kept running with the little girl in his hands. They went out the piramid and got in the mans van. “Ill get them..or should I say HIM later. but first ill make a plan” the man got the little girl home and everyone was safe..or until next year.

NEXT YEAR 

 “I have to kill that mummy” the detective said. He got in a silverish red car and drove off to the little girl (Who was the one who got kidnapped by the mummy) The detective knocked on the door. The little girls mom answered the door. “Your child is in great danger” he said excitedly. “My little girl?” she asked sadley. “We have to defeat the mummy, your little girls the key for the mummys power” The detective exclaimed “We have to get her out of here” he added. So they went to the Piramid of DOOM..again. “if your daughter gives the mummy a locket” he continued “My locket!?” the little girls mom asked cutting him off. “we have to go through the entrance” They climbed the pramid for about one hour and finally found the secret entrance to the piramid of doom. So they snuck in and walked the great hall which lead to the DOOM ROOM. “Are you sure your second brother is a good babysitter?” the little girls mother asked. ‘Yea” he said “Lets go” he finally said. So they ran as fast as they could and stopped really fast by a door with the words DOOM ROOM carved on it. “lets go in” he said. Before they went inside they dressed in mummy suits and opened the door. They walked up to the desk with a cup with the words ‘Master’ on it and the detective knocked on the desk. 

“WHAT” the mummy yelled. turning around with a locket in his hand. “My locket!!!” the little girls mom screamed. “I mean... It looks like my locket ha” she said real quick. “So I see” the mummy said “Well what are you waiting for...cup?” “Cup?” “Umm..cup? water? ..thirsty?” the mummy said slowly. “ohh yea right.. cup” said the little girls mom. “coming right up” “No actually..strike that�� said the mummy “I think we have” said the man “Check on the girl!” “Where is she again?” the detective asked “ shes in the dungeon are you losing your mind” “Obviously” so the went to find the dungeon. “Ohh no” exclaimed the little girls mom “What?” asked the detective nervously “Were going the wrong way the dungeon is the other way” suddenly two mummies turned the corner to the right and was heading towards them. “What are you doing down here by the main hall” asked one of them. “Nothing” the detective answered “Ummm” said the man “Where can we find the dungeon?” “down there to your left” the other mummy answered. “Ok thanks!” 

  There’s something suspicious going on ..and its not that mummys have a secret dungeon keeping a little girl and beating information out of her “Umm I just gave away too much information didnt I?” The mummy asked. “Yeaaa” the detective said real slow. The mom and detective ran really fast to the secret dungon passing the main mummy hall, and doom room and zoomed right past constructional famous mummy sight museum with the two mummys chasing after them, they made a right an stopped! in front of a big wooden door with the words ‘Secret Dungeon’ on it. “Does it have to be that obvious” asked the detective. “guess so” the mom answered. So they took the keys the detective had swiped in the doom room and opened up the big wooden door “Ahhh” the scream got closer “STOP” “I thought you said your brother was watching my baby!!” the mom cried “I lied” the detective said “PLEASE STOP” the mom screamed They saw two mummys scaring the little girl. “STOP” someone ..or something said? the whole piramid of doom came to silent screech. “someone in here is fake” “Somebody doesn't belong” “Who said that?” whispered the mom to the detective. “Whats going on” and out of the dark came the lord and master of all of Piramid doom of the mummys. “So detective we meet again” I guess we do.. The master mummy pulled out a sword and the detective pulled out a sword ... “Bring it”so they begin to fight. Cry after cry but what to do. “you fight like a girl” the mummy said. “well at least im not a thing” the detective retorted. Suddenly the mummy knocked the detectives sword out of his hand.. “Surrender” said the mummy. “no never!” said the detective. and the mummy lifted his sword slowly in the air and the sword came down fast....

  The detective sprang out of bed!! It was all a dream. “but how?” he asked aloud. The next night he went to the park and sat on the bench. “mr hey mr” “what do you want kid”  “That man wont leave us alone” he looked up suddenly ...it was the lord and master..the mummy of the night! The detective gasped...AGAIN?

[dxqf16]

Friday night

I just turned down my friends’ invitation for hanging out. I just refused to watch a good movie, and stay at my dorm room reading book instead. I don’t give a hell about those guys asking us out like “hey do u have any plan tonight we can come by our room and watch a movie.” I really don’t give any fuck. I just feel guilty with my girlfriends. They know they’ve been working hard for the whole week and Friday night is like TGIF and bamm I just refused to have fun. But I made up my mind anyway. That’s not my type of “fun”. How introvert it may sound but a good book with good music is so much more preferable.

I just went to an Islam mosque, joined the service of a real Muslim. I just heard a story of a Muslim woman who lost her husband and how religious she is. I just felt a sense of sacredness in her eyes and her voice, how she love her Creator in an admirable way. I just had the biggest event of net-working ever, where so many alumna gathered around and talked until my head spin around with advices. I just had a really big interview for CLP, in which I don’t think I reflect myself best for them, but we’ll see. 

I’m reading “The perk of being a wallflower“, which I had seen on screen before. The cover of the book is green - I don’t like, I prefer blue. I just love how things are structured inside, how lines are placed next to lines, how words are linked together. This writing style is kinda similar to Charlie’s. I really like his. 

I laid down slowly in the swamp of blankets and pillows, staring at the ceiling. A song is playing in my head. It’s actually still playing right now. It’s a Vietnamese song. I realize how much I miss home. My dad set his profile picture as a photo of my face. It was just an update selfie I sent him - but my dad still lives in the old time so he sets it as his profile picture, without thinking of how embarrassing that photo is. I miss him - he’s low-tech and I miss him. 

I just called my boo grizzle like 5 minutes ago. We don’t talk much. I send him a photo of me in my suit for interviewing. I did send him a photo of my butt several days ago with only underwear. I even changed out of my pinky undie to put on a black one. I do really wanna send more but it feels like sexting & I’m embarassed. So I called. I just wanna see him. Check on him. Tell him about my day. Ask him about his day. And we didn’t talk much this time. But it’s fine. It’s been a long day and we’re both tired. Anyway I just need to see his face, listen to his voice. And he always tells me goodnight with a heart next to it. But recently he changed to the kiss-face icon. The best thing is I’m coming home. If you ever cross these lines then I’m coming home for you. Don’t worry I won’t be cheesy. And he’ll take me out for dinner. I’ll text him the same old line “don em luc 6h nhe”. And at 5:50 he will parking right in front of my house, on his red motor. He will pass me the helmet. I will hug from behind. And we’ll out for the ride. Just like the very first date. Miss you so so much. I know I said like thousands times but I really do.

I’m truly living in a rat race. I mean going back to Vn is not a failure - I don’t like Texas anyway. And being far away from home reminds of how much I love moving. Like going and moving around and getting bored if I had to settle down. Houston is beautiful, but I wanna see more. I can go to the 3rd country, not necessarily America. I mean, I can’t wait to go. I’m not meant to stay at once. if not for him this time then I won’t be back home for winter break (and had not been for my friends cancelled Cali trip, too). I’m eager to leave, but staying is also sweet. 

1:35 am.

[junker-town]

NWSL Week 17 preview and fixtures: Will a coaching change put Sky Blue back in the win column?

Sky Blue FC head coach Christy Holly shocked everyone by unexpectedly stepping down on Wednesday. But Sky Blue is no stranger to coaching drama and Holly's certainly not the first person to make a surprising late-season departure from the club. 

On Saturday night, swaths of small and presumably sticky children clad in the too-big t-shirts and jerseys of their various club soccer teams will, along with an array of adults there both of their own volition and as chaperones for said sticky screeching small people, clamber up the metal bleachers on Yurcak Field’s south side. Mostly, they won’t notice that anything is different. This, a late-summer Saturday night, things gearing down before they hit the Staples for three ring binders and scientific calculators, will mostly be one last thing to do before school and work and that old routine kicks back in in a few weeks.

Longtime and more astute fans, all those that fill the far corner of the bleachers with both bodies and sound, and the others scattered throughout the sea — or probably, more accurately, large pond — of color coordinated kids, may be more likely to notice the change.

Saturday’s game, a crucial one against Seattle that could have some serious playoff implications for both teams, will be missing one meticulously chosen sweater, and the man who has, since 2016, donned said sweater as he paced the sidelines.

That man, of course, is Christy Holly, Sky Blue’s now-former head coach. Holly stepped down on Wednesday, four days after Sky Blue was blown out by Orlando, and four days before the team is set to take on the Reign in said crucial game.

Holly’s departure from the club came as something of a surprise — though Sky Blue’s been struggling lately, the team is still having one of its best seasons ever. Even with a recent dip in form — Sky Blue is winless in its last four, including three straight losses — it hardly seemed like things had reached the same critical mass that sent Randy Waldrum packing in Houston earlier this season. Mostly, what Sky Blue’s done in the past four games has felt more like a throwback to the team we’ve come to know and…something that’s kinda like love, I guess, over the past four years than anything that would warrant a change. And to be clear, nowhere in either the statement the team released, or in the one Holly tweeted, is there any outright indication that he was fired. There are the words that are familiar in these situations, the “stepping downs” and “mutually agreeds,” but mostly the talk surrounding Holly’s departure from the club seems to frame it more as his decision than one where he was forced out.

Still, whether it was his own decision or that of someone higher up at Sky Blue, the timing is curious. There is, immediately, the game on Saturday. Seattle is currently occupying the fourth spot on the table, but the Reign’s lead over Sky Blue is also only four points, a gap that Sky Blue could do some solid work in closing with a win. Beyond this weekend, everyone except North Carolina and Washington will have just five games remaining, and though Sky Blue’s schedule is about as favorable as you could ask for, with four of those games against either Boston, Washington or Kansas City, there’s also one against the Courage, and then, of course, the possibility of a postseason run. That’s some odd timing for a coach to leave, on his own or not.

Of course, oddly timed and sometimes overly dramatic coaching departures are nothing new for Sky Blue, and there is some historical precedent, however strange, here. Most famously, and apologies to the old people who’ve been around a while and no doubt heard this story 100 times, Sky Blue went through some Days of Our Lives-level coaching drama once upon a time, and at the end, they won the WPS championship. That was in 2009, Women’s Professional Soccer’s inaugural year. Sky Blue (yes, somehow they have existed for that long) started that season with Ian Sawyers at the helm. He lasted all of seven games, guiding Sky Blue into last place, before being suspended and then fired by the club. No one in New Jersey would ever talk about what, exactly, happened that led to Sawyers’ departure, with then-President and CEO Thomas Hofstetter (who’s still listed as one of the team’s owners on Sky Blue’s website), telling NJ.com at the time, “the standings are evident for what was going on behind the scenes, the problems. It might be a symptom, but not the trigger for us to go different ways.” What that “trigger” was specifically is still, apparently, some closely-guarded secret, though the word “inappropriate” gets thrown around a bunch in that NJ.com article.

After Sawyers was gone from New Jersey, Kelly Lindsey, who’d been Sawyers’ assistant, took over and the team climbed the table, with the playoffs a real possibility by the time the season was winding down in August. And then, and again with all the wrong kinds of dramatic flair and just two games remaining, Lindsey suddenly resigned. Again, the club offered little explanation for what may have happened, beyond some complicated story about the suspension of an assistant coach that also happened around the same time. This, of course, is when Christie Pearce, secretly pregnant with her second child, took over as player/coach, Sky Blue ended up as the fourth place team, and then, after navigating WPS’s bizarre playoff format and winning three road games in little more than a week, the last one against the LA Sol, captured the first-ever WPS title.

And if only the coaching drama had stopped there, dayenu. Instead, Sky Blue hired Finnish coach Pauliina Miettinen for the 2010 season, touting her arrival in New Jersey as something that would finally bring stability to the team. Miettinen was fired after 14 games.

After Miettinen, it was Rick Stainton, who’d been an assistant to Miettinen. He made it to the end of the 2010 season, at least, before the team hired Jim Gabarra and Stainton landed back in his original assistant coach position. Gabarra, who managed to make it through not only the entire 2011 season, but also the first two NWSL seasons with Sky Blue, would earn the not particularly difficult to obtain distinction of being the team’s longest tenured coach, before returning to Washington in 2016.

Gabarra’s departure opened the door for Holly, who’d been — take a breath — an assistant to Gabarra — and maybe you can see where this is going now — to take over as head coach prior to the start of the 2016 season. That’s, I don’t know, like, like 75 coaches in eight seasons. My freshman soccer team in high school had seven coaches in the span of three months, but we also tipped over a Porta Potty, smoked cigarettes in the back of a school bus and got in at least one postgame fight where rolls of medical tape were turned into projectiles.

Unlike Gabarra, who’s been coaching professional women’s teams since Fred and Wilma Flintstone were packing Dino and Pebbles into the car, stopping to grab Bamm-Bamm next door and then heading out to WUSA games, Holly taking over the head coaching position at Sky Blue really did signify a change. He was young, and didn’t have much experience in a high level position. Gone were Gabarra’s more serious and stern ways, and the strange kind of “these are the players we have so” shoulder shrugs that came after disappointing games. Holly, instead, brought a certain lightness in the way he conducted himself and coached the team, seemingly more ready to let his players just play.

Holly’s first season with Sky Blue didn't go particularly well. The team finished in seventh, a string of late-season losses and one of the league’s worst goals-against numbers sending them tumbling down the table. But there were also signs that Holly was, however slowly, building something. Maya Hayes’ increasing role with the team, the handful of rookies like Raquel Rodriguez, Erika Skroski and Erin Simon that Holly shepherded through both his and their first pro seasons, the faith he put into both a young defense and that Pearce was there in the center of it.

This year, with a full season under his belt, Holly continued to, mostly, just let his team play. And it’s been under him that Sam Kerr has flourished, Hayes has become a more consistent starter and essential piece of the team, goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan has put herself in the Rookie of the Year conversation, and his team has played some of the wackiest, most drama-filled, straight up fun games we’ve seen from any Sky Blue team, maybe ever. He also brought the team, for the first time in a long time, into the postseason conversation.

For all that, there were, of course, problems. So much of that wacky, drama-filled fun came because Sky Blue spent large portions of games doing what I can only assume were very elaborate and well-choreographed sleepwalking demonstrations. Sky Blue’s minus-eight goal differential is tied with Boston for the worst in the league. They’ve allowed more goals, by a pretty significant margin, than any other team. And the drama’s become more of a requirement than the once-in-a-while moment of amazingness it's supposed to be, with Sky Blue way too frequently having to crawl out of a two- or three-goal holes with some epic late-game stuff.

Two weeks ago, Sky Blue slipped out of the top four for the first time in more than a month. And then came last weekend and a new low point for the team, a 5-0 loss to Orlando dropping Sky Blue even further down the table -- they go into this Saturday's game in sixth. And yeah, there is maybe something to not putting too much into losing to an Orlando team that's suddenly very, very good, but allowing five goals is still approaching WNY Flash-Boston levels of terrible.

The game against the Pride was Sky Blue's third straight loss and fourth consecutive game without a win. Individually, players like Kerr, Kelley O'Hara and Leah Galton are still doing well, but overall the team's been pretty dismal, especially defensively, for a while. The late-game comebacks and solid second halves served as both a bandaid for and distraction from it, but now that Sky Blue's ability to do even that has evaporated, it's become much more glaring.

For right now, the team says they'll go ahead with the coaching staff they've already got, including Paul Greig and former Sky Blue goalkeeper Jill Loyden, both of whom were -- you guessed it -- Holly's assistants. Immediately, they'll be tasked with facing a Seattle team that's also fighting for its playoff life and that beat Sky Blue 5-4 four weeks ago. Seattle did play on Wednesday, but that's probably little consolation -- last week, all four of the teams that played midweek earned at least a point on the weekend (Washington, Kansas City and North Carolina all won, while Boston Breakers'd the thing up best they could and earned only a draw).

Whatever happens over the next six games, and whether Sky Blue ends up making the playoffs or not, Holly's tenure with the club is something that can, overall, be looked at positively. In his 38 total games as head coach, Holly compiled a 14-17-7 record. And if they do make the playoffs, something that hasn't happened since 2013, that will be largely a credit to Holly, too, even if he's not actually there to see it happen.

After all, it wouldn't be the first time the team's used some coaching drama to ignite a postseason run, and though perhaps a strange and not particularly sound strategy for the long-term, it did work out pretty well last time.

All times Eastern

Wednesday

Boston Breakers 1 - 3 Houston Dash

Chicago Red Stars 1 - 2 Seattle Reign FC

FC Kansas City 2 - 1 Portland Thorns FC

Saturday

North Carolina Courage vs. Washington Spirit, 3:30 PM, WakeMed Soccer Park (Lifetime)

Boston Breakers vs. Orlando Pride, 4:00 PM, Jordan Field (go90)

Sky Blue FC vs. Seattle Reign FC, 7:00 PM, Yurcak Field (go90)

Portland Thorns FC vs. Houston Dash, 10:00 PM, Providence Park (go90)

Sunday

Chicago Red Stars vs. FC Kansas City, 6:00 PM, Toyota Park (go90)