#Josh fiddles with remotes

[changelingsandothernonsense]

playing with a concept...have a "there's like 20 working layers missing here for my sanity" blue sketch.

Or Josh has an interest in suspicious-looking dwemer tech/ reverse engineering DWIFI.

[lost-in-fandoms]

I know maybe you're not in the mood right now but any thoughts about Tarzan!Max? I'd accept thoughts about any of your pics because everything is amazing tbh but there's something about Tarzan!Max discovering a new world through Daniel and discovering how amazing is to fall in love.

Does Daniel take him to his farm? I think Max in Daniel's farm would be hilarious, amazed by everything and finding a family in Daniel's family too.

babe i am always down to talk about my boy in all and any situations! sorry this took a while, i took a little nap and then couldn't think about anything but!!!

(the first thing I thought was like..how do you get a whole person through customs. obviously max doesn't have a passport or any form of id so would they have to go through a sort of immigration procedure? but he's not emigrating from anywhere???? i guess i'll leave that problem to them sdfbdjhbf)

I love the idea of Daniel taking Max to his farm.

I'm imagining like. The jungle is Max's home right? But I imagine he's a little less in contact with his monkey pack. He likes to wander around and he has his own little hidey holes and his own places to sleep. So when he imprints on Daniel, he sees Daniel's "pack" as his new family. (and I am now thinking about Max trying to "groom" Daniel or Josh or whoever, gently raking his fingers through their hair and fiddling with their clothes and cleaning dirt smudges away after licking his thumb).

So when Daniel asks if Max wants to go with them, both because he can't imagine leaving another human being in the jungle and because he can't imagine leaving Max behind, Max goes. And in whatever way they manage to do it, Daniel brings him to his farm.

He understands that Max will probably never be ready to live in a city or close to a lot of people, he needs to be close to nature, and even if the nature in Daniel's farm is different from the jungle, it's still better than most options.

I imagine at first Max will struggle to adapt. He is used to have a lot of space to roam, to have trees to swing from, a whole different climate, a whole different diet. and now Daniel asks he wears at least underwear and a tshirt most of the time, he has to eat different foods, it rains so much less? where is the rain? how is he supposed to be clean if there is no river?

Daniel has to really help him through a lot. it helps that Max is learning to communicate more and more every day, but sometimes they bump into a new roadblock that they weren't expecting, and Daniel is reminded about how different Max's life has been so far. (would love to explore an overstimulated-by-electronic-noises max when i have more energy maybe. or a deeply-sad-because-where-is-my-jungle max)

But I think Max also really enjoys learning new things. He is delighted by some of the simplest things, which makes Daniel look at life in a different way too. How did he never realise how amazing forks and knives are? why does he think so little about how incredible it is to be able to make ice in his own freezer? the wonders of a ceiling fan???

I can picture Max spending long minutes just staring at things. Clocks, the washing machine, the fan, the turned off television, the kitchen sink tap. turning lights on and off. flushing the toilet over and over. And I can also picture him taking apart stuff and then (try to) put it back together, like the toaster (was never the same), the blender (was left with several pieces on the counter), the tv remote (tried to eat the buttons).

Max being terrified of Daniel's phone and then, when he gets used to it, absolutely fascinated by it. Asking so many questions about everything that Daniel doesn't know the answer to and forcing him to look them up because Max will simply not stop asking until he has a satisfying answer.

On the other hand, Max taking care of the vegetable garden and the animals. Being so incredible at it that it becomes mainly his job. They're different from the animals he's used to, but he is amazed by the chickens and loves them so much. Sometimes he likes to just sit with them and pet them softly. He becomes best friends with the donkey and the alpacas. maybe Daniel gets him bunnies and at first he's worried Max will kill them when he's hungry, but Max is so so gentle with them and loves them all so much.

And in all this, Max loves Daniel. He does his best to make Daniel food, gives him little "gifts" (eggs from the chickens, tomatoes from the garden, a clean sweater straight from the drier, a glass of water with clinking ice), curls up around him at night because he always refuses to sleep in his own bed. He's very protective of Daniel and gets upset when Daniel needs to leave the farm for errands or other things.

And Daniel shifts from I am very fond of this weird jungle boy to I would very much love to sleep in your arms for the rest of my life with a side of oh my god when is this beefy jungle guy gonna rail me. He sees how gentle and sweet and smart Max is, how quickly he learns about things and adapt to this new life, how interested he is about everything, how he takes care of Daniel, the farm, the animals, and can't help but fall in love with it all.

And the first time Daniel kisses Max at the farm, they're on the couch, Max watching something on the tv, almost without blinking, and Daniel watching Max. He calls his name and when Max turns (because Daniel will always be more important than anything else, even if the guy in the tv is cooking beef and Max is kind of hungry) Daniel kisses him. Max stays still for a bit and then when Daniel pulls back Max licks his cheek in response. It's not perfect, but Daniel can teach him. and Max always learns.

[heartz4shauna]

You should totally write about👇

Shauna and Jackie’s first kiss because why not??And this did canonically happen just didn’t make the cut because they want us starved….yes? yes.

Girl Stuff

Word count: 898

Warnings: little smooch, jeff is not a factor

a/n: first time writing for a ship so sorry if it’s not exactly what you were hoping for!!!

Shauna was sitting in Jackie’s living room, anxiously fiddling with her thumbs. She sat on the couch, watching whatever daytime show was on. Jackie came back from the kitchen, a bowl of popcorn in her hand and her signature smile plastered across her face. She sat beside Shauna and put the bowl onto the coffee table in front of them.

Jackie picked up the remote and started switching through the channels. Shauna let out a sigh of somewhat relief, glad Jackie had finally turned off that crap. “So,” Jackie started, “my dad bought Clueless on DVD, you wanna watch that?” She grabbed a few pieces of popcorn and started eating. Shauna shrugged, “I dunno, I saw that in the theatre when it came out. I literally saw it with you.” Jackie got up as she munched the popcorn, making her way over to the TV and the rack of DVDS next to it, “And? Did you not like it or something?” She scanned through the DVDS and eventually found the correct one. “Well, no, I did like it. I just,” she groaned, “I don’t see the point in watching something if you’ve already seen it, that’s all.” Jackie took out the DVD from the rack and opened it, “Well, we’re watching it whether you like it or not, Shipman.” She took out the disc and put it into the player.

She walked back over to the couch and grabbed the remote, pressed the play button and the movie started. Shauna reached over to the popcorn bowl and sat it on her lap, taking a few pieces into her mouth as she did so. “I don’t get why you like this movie so much,” Shauna began, “Cher literally ends up dating her ex-step brother. It’s so weird.” Jackie scoffs and glances at her, “Oh, yeah? Who else is she supposed to date? Josh is literally perfect for her, they’re cute together.” Shauna shrugs and mumbles, “Well, if I was the writer, I sure as hell wouldn’t make her date a dude like him. Or any dude.”

Jackie gives her a look as she grabs some popcorn, “Right, right. But, the whole movie is based on dating. It’s a romance, Shauna. If she’s not dating a guy she’s not dating anyone.” “Not necessarily,” the brown eyed girl chimed in. “What are you saying, Shipman?” Jackie asked carefully. Shauna sighed and looked at her, “I’m just saying, she could’ve dated D, or Tai. If this was an ‘all girls school’ situation she’d be dating one of them. I know these things.” “Mhm, and how exactly would you know these things?” Jackie asked her with a chuckle. Shauna answered simply, “I’ve seen enough movies.” Jackie scoffed and turned fully to face her, “You’re such a liar! So it’s totally not because you see yourself in Cher? Because you totally don’t wanna date one of your friends?” Jackie teased as she poked Shauna in the shoulder. “No, Jackie!” Shauna giggled out. “C’mon, you can tell me. You’re the best friend I’ve ever had,” Jackie pryed, looking at her expectantly.

“It’s not like she likes me back anyway, so it doesn’t matter,” Shauna quickly dismissed her. “You don’t know that. If you tried to get her wearing that boob dress I’m sure I’d have to clear my calendar for your wedding,” Jackie smiled at her supportively.

Shauna sighed heavily, her heartbeat quickly rising. “It’s you, Jackie. I like.. you.” She immediately looked away and back at the TV screen, now playing Cher’s breakfast scene. Jackie’s smile dropped and she gave a small nod, “Oh,” was all she said. “I’m sorry, Jackie. Uh, I think I’m gonna go,” She stated as she quickly stood up from the couch. “Thanks for having me over, I won’t call you, if that’s what you want,” she rambled on, picking up her belongings. Jackie stood up after her and grabbed her arm as she started walking away, “Shauna, c’mon. Don’t go.”

Shauna twisted around to meet her face again, “What?” In that second Jackie took her chance and stepped closer to her, forcing their lips to meet. Shauna’s eyes widened in shock, but she felt relieved, really. Jackie moved her hands to cup Shauna’s cheeks, deepening the kiss. Out of instinct, Shauna dropped her things and wrapped her arms around her waist, pulling her impossibly closer.

The girls pulled away from each other, breathing heavy, cheeks flushed. They stared at each other for a moment before Shauna smiled at Jackie. “Sorry, that was kinda embarrassing,” Jackie chuckled out. “No, it’s.. fine,” Shauna responded, unsure what to say. Their loving gaze was broken by the sound of keys jingling. “Shit, that’s my mom.” Jackie said, sounding panicked. “Just, sit down and watch the movie, cool?” Shauna shook her head, “It’s not like we weren’t cool before,” she answered, sitting back down on the couch. Jackie gave her a look, “I mean as if we weren’t eating each others faces just then.” Shauna chuckled, “Barely eating.”

Jackie sat next to her once again, taking the popcorn that was placed onto the coffee table in Shauna’s panicked state. Jackie’s mom walks into the living room, smile on her face. “Hi, girls,” she says to the pair. “Hi, Mrs. Taylor,” Shauna replies. “You two get up to anything? I see you’re watching Clueless.” Jackie calls out to her mom, “Nothing much. Just girl stuff.”

[basiccortez]

Baby Series: Finding out Pt 2

note: low-key thinking of making a poll to have you guys vote on what gender the baby(-ies?) should be. MY REQUESTS ARE OPEN HEHEHEE:)

and now to what y'all really came here for. . .

warnings: cursing, tooth rotting fluffy shit, Greta Van Fleet

Josh:

You paced the same spot in your apartment over and over, you were surprised that there weren’t any tread marks from where you had walked over. You were waiting for Josh, you had contacted him as soon as you read that positive pregnancy test. Monica had promised she would be right back over when Josh was gone.

The doorbell snapped you out of your daze and a small scream left you mouth. You put your hand over your heart and walked over to the door. Josh was dressed in a white long sleeve and khaki pants. He smiled at you and kissed your cheek greeting you.

“Hey,” You said, letting him in. Josh looked around, seeing more paintings and drawing filling your home than the last time he was there.

“Every time I’m here, there’s more art on the walls. I think you're going to run out of room eventually,” He said and ran his fingers gently over one of the paintings, “This me?”

You looked at the painting he was gesturing too. You had painted him while he was filming his ‘MasterClass’ video. You smiled at the pink incense cloud that hung over his head, “It’s actually Doctor J.M.K, I don’t know if you’ve heard of him.”

“Hm, I don’t suppose I have.” He said and walked into your kitchen, “Wine? You still got that Cab from France, I sent you?”

“Actually, Josh, I need to talk to you, it’s kinda serious. . . not kinda, it’s very serious,” You said fiddling with your hands. Josh grabbed your shaking hands and walked you over to your vintage brown couch.

“What’s up, mama, what's running through that beautiful head of yours?” Josh said.

“Josh,” You said taking a deep breath, “I’m pregnant.”

Josh felt his heart stop. The grip on your hands loosened slightly and you could feel the warmth slip a little bit. His voice got caught in his throat, and for once, he was speechless. He shifted in his spot and looked at you, noticing the tears coming from your E/C. Josh moved quickly and wrapped his arms around you, bringing you into his chest.

“Shh, shh,” Josh said, his own voice shaking, “We’re okay. We’re all okay. We’ll figure it out. And whatever you want to do, it’s your body, okay. You decide, and I’ll be there, beside you, the whole time.”

“You mean that?” You asked him.

“Yes, I do,” Josh said, kissing your forehead, “I mean it’s not ideal, but when are babies really ideal or planned, unless you’re actively trying. But, I will be by your side, whatever you choose. And even if you change your mind, I’m still there okay.”

“You’re perfect,” You said and Josh chuckled. He reached forward and grabbed your remote.

“I try to be,” Josh smirked and turned the tv on. You nestled into him as he put on some random movie, making comments the whole time on how the actors could’ve done this and how the director could’ve done that.

“Quick question, if you decide, can I-”

“No. You can’t film me giving birth,”

“Will you think-”

“No.”

--- --- ---

Jake:

Your legs were shaking as you waited for Miranda, the boys manager to come back from the drug store. You had successfully drank every bottle of water that was in your hotel room, and Josh’s. You had agreed to letting Josh come keep Jake some company, knowing the only person other than you he’d want right now, is his twin.

Josh was already jumping the gun, looking up different baby items and adding them to his amazon cart to be sent to his home back in Nashville.

“If she doesn’t hurry up, I’m going to piss myself,” You said standing up and walking around the hotel room.

“Maybe it’s because the baby is sitting on your bladder,” Josh said.

“Josh, if there is even a baby, it’s probably the size of a nickel,”

“Actually about a pea size,” Josh said, “I’m guessing you’re around 6 weeks.”

“Okay!” Miranda said coming into the room, “These are for you, and I have scheduled an appointment at a clinic tomorrow, just for a proper exam. You guys haven’t set the bottle down in weeks,”

“Oh my god,” You said, realization settling in on you, “What if I hurt the baby?”

“Hey,” Jake said coming over to you, “One step at a time okay. We need to see if there is a baby first, and then we can move from there.”

“Okay,” You said and kissed Jake before disappearing into the bathroom.

“Miranda,” Jake said.

“I will do what I can to keep it on the DL, for both your safeties. We go back to the US in 3 weeks to start the tour. She’ll be okay,” Miranda said and Jake thanked the woman before she headed out and back to her room.

Jake sighed and sat down on the bed next to his twin. He ran a hand through his brown hair and stared at the closed bathroom door.

“I call godfather,” Josh said and Jake chuckled, “If she’s pregnant, you guys will be able to work this out, you always work this stuff out.”

“She had a pregnancy scare before we left for tour,” Jake sighed, “I even packed freaking condoms, but. . . it just happened,”

“That’s usually how it happens,” Josh added, “What if its twins?”

“Lord help us,” Jake laughed, “Remember that time I accidentally broke the window and both agreed to blame Sam,”

Josh laughed, “Or the time you stole Sam’s favorite blanket and accidentally set it on fire,”

“In my defense. . . “ Jake started and shook his head, “I really don’t have a defense.”

Josh threw his arm around his younger twin, “You’ll be a great dad, Jake. Whether she walks out of the bathroom and says you got 9 months, or in 5 years from now, you’ll be great,”

“Thanks, you will too Josh,” Jake said.

“Oh hell no,” Josh laughed, “I’m the fun uncle. No kids for me. . . ever.”

“Better be wrapping that shit then, Joshua,” You said as you opened the door, a pregnancy test in your hands.

“So?” Jake asked.

“I’m pregnant,” You said and Jake walked over to you, hugging you tightly and Josh jumped up from the bed, cheering silently behind you two.

--- --- ---

Sam:

“Is it done?”

“No.”

“How much longer?”

“2 minutes.”

“Okay.”

...

“Is it done, now?”

“Samuel,” You said, opening your eyes and looking at the lanky boy sitting across the floor from you, “Still got 2 minutes and 15 seconds left.”

“Jesus, you would think these things are like instant now. It says instant on the box, that’s a bunch of bullshit,” Sam said, reading the box over again, “What if you did it wrong?”

“How hard is it to pee on a stick?”

“I don’t know, but what if you did?”

“Sam,” You said grabbing the box from him and reading the directions, “Yep, did it right,”

After Sam had showered, you both sat down in the bathroom and waited for the results of your pregnancy test. Sam was never one for patience, but telling him he had to wait 3 minutes to know the results of something that would change the rest of his life, had him bouncing off the walls.

“If you can't even wait 3 minutes, how are you going to wait 9 months?” You asked.

“I might have pulled out all my hair by then,” Sam joked.

You laughed and leaned back against the wall. Sam taped on his knee, itching to ask how much time was left when the timer on your phone went off. He jumped up from his spot before you could even stand up, he was wrapping his arms around you.

“Okay, Sam, let me look for myself,” You smiled.

“You’re pregnant!” He smiled and you only caught a glimpse at the bold words on the tiny screen of the pregnancy test as Sam was hugging you tightly. There was no way he was going to be able to have patience to wait 9 months to hold his baby.

--- --- ---

Danny:

Danny whistled as he pulled his golf clubs out of the back of his truck and setting them in their spot in the garage. He walked into the house, setting his keys in the ceramic bowl by the door, toeing off his shoes. He looked around the living room, and noticed the missing ball of light that was usually cooking or reading on the couch.

“Babe?” Danny called out through the quiet house.

“Upstairs,” You called softly. Danny climbed the stairs, taking two at a time, seeing the light on in your bedroom.

“Hey,” Danny smiled seeing you laying in bed. Doctor Collins had recommended you to bedrest while in the waiting stage of IVF, hoping to keep your stress down until you could get an embryo to take, “How was your day?”

“Good,” You said as Danny laid his head in your lap. Your hands went to his hair, taking out the hair tie and letting his brown curls fall into your lap, “How was golfing with Sam?”

“Eventful, like always.” Danny laughed, “Only managed to create a couple new holes in the ground, and lose the ball twice.”

“That’s better than last week,” You said.

“Small improvements,”

You smiled, “Can you go grab me the comb from the bathroom, you got a tangle.”

“Yeah,” Danny said and rolled over, getting off the bed and walked into the bathroom.

He mumbled some words to a song he heard on the radio and flipped on the switch. You bit your lip as you watched him in the mirror, open the drawer that held the comb and freeze, looking at the counter. His jaw fell open slightly as he picked up the item on the counter. He brought his hand up to his mouth, covering it as he looked down at the item in disbelief.

“Baby. . . “ Danny said softly coming out of the bathroom, his big brown eyes looking at you, “Is this. . . is this true?”

“I haven’t gone to Doctor Collins for real confirmation but, I think it is,” You said, “I took like 6 of them,”

“7 actually,” Danny said, “There's 7 positive pregnancy tests,”

“They’re all positive,”

“They’re all fucking positive,” Danny said rushing over to you and hugging you. You both cried, and Danny placed his hand on your flat stomach, “Hi, baby, or babies, I’m your dad,”

[stuckonstarker]

Highschool AU, A/B/O AU | TW: slut shaming

Peter sat in homeroom. It was absurdly early in the morning, in his opinion. He could barely keep his eyes open.

He already knew all the material already, anyways, so he didn't see why he couldn't take a quick nap. But last time he had dozed off in first period his teacher had given him detention for an hour. Talk about unfair.

He was zoning out when he accidentally overheard a conversation two other students at the front of the classroom were having.

"Obviously not!" A voice Peter recognized as Brad's said.

Another kid named Josh said, "Why, though?"

"Don't get me wrong," Brad said with a smug smirk, "I'd definitely fuck him, but who would want to be in a committed relationship with him? He's one of those omegas you fuck for fun."

Peter winced. He was never particularly fond of other alpha's treatment toward their omega and beta counterparts. There was little Peter could do about it, though.

While Peter himself was an alpha, he was also considered lower on the totem pole. He would just be putting himself in needless danger by saying anything. But, if he could eavesdrop and get the name of the omega they were referring to then maybe he'd be able to warn said omega.

Peter continued to subtly tune in on their conversation.

"Totally," Josh agreed.

Brad said, "Tony's hot as hell, definitely. But he's also super fucking easy. He'll sleep with anything that walks. I'm not too keen on dating a slut."

Peter's eyes widened. There was no way that they were talking about that Tony. Brad wouldn't be so bold.

"Is he trying to date you?" Josh asked.

Brad made a indifferent noise, "I don't know and I don't care. I'm gonna take him out then once I get a taste of that omega pussy I'm out."

"That's how you do it," Josh laughed.

Peter's lips formed a tight line.

Then, at that moment, Tony - in tandem with Pepper and Rhodey - entered the room.

Brad hit Josh on the forearm and made a shushing motion and noise. Peter knew then, for certain, that Brad was planning on using Tony Stark.

Tony Stark. A beautiful omega known for his salaciousness and intelligence. Though, people often prioritized the former.

Peter admired him. Tony was the smartest in their school.

That was an opinion few shared, much to Peter's surprise.

Tony's overt sexuality and confidence, along with his irrefutable genius, intimidated most people. And the few who weren't intimidated by Tony were often jealous of his accomplishments.

Peter was also intimidated by the upperclassman, but more in a 'I love everything you do and please stomp on me' way instead of the moral righteousness that inflicted the rest of his alpha classmates.

Peter watched with poorly concealed envy as Tony flirted with Brad the entire class. Brad looked quite smug about the whole situation.

Peter began formulating a plan to tell Tony of what he heard. They didn't have any other shared classes other than this one. But their lockers were actually really close.

Peter had noticed that Tony often used the limited time between classes to fiddle around with stuff in his locker. As such, the upperclassman was often late. It was in stark contrast to Peter's paranoid scramble to get to class - born out of the anxiety of being late. Peter was more often than not the first one to enter class.

However, he worried that Brad would linger around Tony's locker in-between class periods.

That worry was dispelled soon, though, when the bell rang and Brad immediately took off.

Peter's brows furrowed. If he had a chance with the Tony Stark then he'd never leave his side. That was probably why he'd never get a chance with Tony. Tony, who craved independence and freedom, would probably feel stifled by Peter's constant check ins and presence.

It made Peter reconsider for a moment. Maybe he shouldn't meddle where he wasn't meant to. Maybe Tony would only be insulted by Peter's misplaced concern.

Peter bit his lips at those thoughts. He shook his head and rid them from his mind.

No, he decided, he had heard something concerning and he owed it to Tony - as a good person - to, at least, try to warn the omega.

Peter watched with bated breath as Tony stood at his locker. Tony was so popular. He definitely didn't know Peter and if, by some miracle, he did it would only be negative rumors spread by Flash and Brad.

Despite the anxiety churning in his stomach and the cold chills racing through his body, Peter braced himself and hesitantly approached Tony.

Tony looked up curiously at Peter's presence.

"Hi...?" Tony said, amused confusion evident in his voice.

Peter could literally feel his face burning and the embarassing amount of sweat gathering on his hairline. He probably looked like a mess.

He started, "Uh... I-I'm sorry! It's just that, uh, I heard someone - Brad - talking about you and he said some... things."

Tony didn't looked upset or surprised about this. He only gave Peter a small smile.

He said, "I'm assuming that the things he said weren't compliments."

Peter shook his head. It was the only thing he felt truly capable of doing.

"Yeah, I figure. Most alphas like him are like that. It goes both ways, you know? He may see me as merely an easy way to get off but he's even less than that to me." Tony explained with such ease and nonchalance, "I wasn't ever going to give him the chance to fuck me."

Peter could barely breathe as he said, "Alright, I - uh - I... just wanted you to know."

Tony smirked, something knowing in his eyes, as he asked, "Why did you tell me?"

Peter said, "I mean... the things Brad said were real shitty and you're such a great person. I didn't the thought of him acting so smug about treating you badly."

"And that's all?" Tony prompted as he closed his locker. There was a look in his eyes that made Peter swallow hard.

He said, "Yeah, I can't really think of another reason. No one deserves to be discarded so carelessly. Especially not you."

Peter wasn't lying either. In fact, he wasn't sure he could think at all in the presence of Tony.

"You're such a nice guy, Peter," Tony said, a distinctive purr in his voice. He leaned in close - too close! - to Peter.

Peter could literally feel his breath being ripped from his lungs. All he could do was stand there like an idiot with wide eyes in disbelief and his mouth agape like a particularly dull goldfish.

Tony used a nimble pointer finger to move one of Peter's unruly curls out of his flushed face. Tony pouted as he made intense eye contact with Peter.

"What a good alpha you are - coming to my rescue and protecting me from those knotheads," he whispered as he pursed his lips.

Peter audibly gulped. His cock was ridiculously hard in the confines of his jeans.

Tony smiled, "You are so cute, Petey."

"You know me?" Peter managed to squeak out after he regained some of his motor functions.

Tony purred, "Of course I know you! You're so smart and sweet and such a good, helpful alpha. You're nothing like all those other alpha's who just want to use me, are you? You just want to protect my little, omega heart, don't you?"

Peter stuttered and stumbled through his words. Ultimately nothing he managed to say was even remotely comprehensible.

"Keep being an upstanding citizen for me." Tony said, "Okay, Petey?"

Peter nodded furiously.

"Good," Tony said slowly, almost a drawl, and continued, "we should get to class."

With those words, Peter was snapped out of his trance. He nodded and apologized once again before turning to head off to second period.

"One more thing," Tony said, stopping Peter in his tracks.

Peter gave Tony his full attention.

Tony smiled as he said, "Meet me here at the end of the day."

Peter's eyes widened.

"I want to reward you for your good deeds," Tony said.

Peter panicked, "You don't have to do that! Really! It isn't that big of a deal-"

"I want to reward you," Tony cut his rambling off, "I know I don't have to."

Peter opened his mouth, but nothing came out. He only nodded, entirely in a trance, and walked in the other direction toward second period.

He couldn't wait for the end of the day and, for the first time, it wasn't because of his sleep deprivation.

[gretavanfanfic]

Submerged

Pairing: Josh Kiszka x (F) Reader

Word Count: 2000ish

Warnings: None, pure fluff!

Summary: You overhear Josh talking to his mom about you. 

Note: Based on this request I got from @noir-couture11​:  I was wondering if you could write a cute josh fic? Something along the lines of he thinks you’re asleep, but you over hear him on the phone talking to his mom about how he’s really falling in love with you.

Your relationship with Josh has been moving fast. Faster than any other relationship you’d had in the past. Usually, you exercise an extreme amount of caution when dating, never one to dive into something headfirst. You’re more of a dip your toe in the pool, then sit on the edge with your legs submerged, then slowly wade your way in up to your shoulders kind of girl. Never in the past had you even allowed your hair to get wet.

With Josh, everything is different. The day you met him, you dived right into the deep end and you still have yet to come up for air. You’ve been freely swimming in the pool of Josh for a little under three months now, and you’ve never been happier. 

You know without question that you’re in love with him. Josh is undoubtedly the brightest ray of sunshine you’ve ever met. He constantly radiates warmth and light, always bringing a smile to your face and making your belly swirl with emotions you’ve never felt before. You were smitten with him from day one, and your feelings have only grown every day since then.

Though you haven’t told Josh how strongly you feel about him yet, not wanting to move at a pace faster than he’s comfortable with, you can’t help but suspect that he feels just as strongly about you, if his actions are anything to go by.

For one, he spends every possible second he can with you. Being on a break from touring means that Josh has practically moved into your apartment over the past several weeks. Some of his clothes occupy a drawer in your dresser, he has a toothbrush in your bathroom, and he spends most nights sleeping next to you in your bed. He really only ever goes to his own place to check in and grab more stuff to bring to yours. And during the short periods of time that you’re apart, he’s texting you to tell you that he misses you, that he can’t wait until you’re back in each other’s presence.

Then there’s all the little things he does to show you how much you mean to him. Like when he has dinner on the table when you come home from work, and when he picks you up little gifts from the store that remind him of you, and the thoughtful dates that he plans that you always have a blast on. The way he cares for you is exactly the way you crave to be cared for, and you have no idea how you were lucky enough to find him.

Speaking of things Josh does for you to show you that he cares about you, one of your absolute favorites is when he plays with your hair when you’re laying together in your bed. You had briefly mentioned at one point that you find it soothing to have your hair played with, and so now he does it all the time. It feels so good that it usually lulls you to sleep, and on this Friday night after a long day of work, you’re unable to fight the slumber that threatens to overtake you as his fingers comb through your locks and gently scratch your scalp in the most comforting way. That in combination with the heat of his bare skin has you snoozing peacefully on his chest in no time.

You’re not sure how long you’re asleep for, but you’re awakened by Josh wiggling his way out from under you, doing his best to not jostle you too much and disturb you. Unfortunately for him, you’re a light sleeper and even the smallest noises and movements wake you up. In an effort to not make him feel bad for rousing you though, you keep your eyes closed and curl into your sheets, feigning sleep. You faintly hear his phone buzzing on your nightstand before he finally scoots off the mattress and grabs it.

As he exits your bedroom and enters the living room, leaving your door slightly ajar, you hear him mutter a quiet, “Hey, mom,” into the phone. He begins having a conversation with his mother and you try to tune out his talking, not wanting to eavesdrop. But despite the fact that he’s practically whispering and in the next room, you can still hear everything he’s saying clearly. Your ears especially perk up when you catch him saying your name.

“Yeah, sorry. Y/N’s asleep and I don’t want to wake her up,” he says, and you conclude that Karen must have questioned why he’s speaking in a hushed voice.

He further explains to her why you’re asleep at -you check the clock- 8:30 on a Friday night. “She worked all day, so we just grabbed some dinner and hung out at home.” There’s a pause and then he clarifies, “No, no we’re at her place. I’m just here so often that it feels more like home than my apartment.” He chuckles a bit, but quickly cuts himself off, still trying to be conscious of not making too much noise.

Your heart swells in your chest hearing Josh refer to your home as his home. You would let him move in with you in a heartbeat if he told you that he wanted to live with you. There have been countless times in the past that you’ve wanted to tell him to just pack up all of his stuff and bring it to your place, but you had bitten your tongue each time, afraid he would think you were crazy. You figured it would probably be best to tell him that you love him before inviting him to move in.

In the living room, Josh is silent for a few moments, presumably listening to Karen. When he speaks again, you feel like you could die of happiness at his words. Euphoria fills you, and you can’t stop a smile from making its way to your lips.

“She’s amazing, mom. I know its only been, like, three months, but- God, I’m pretty sure I’m in love with her. I can’t wait for you to meet her,” he confesses to Karen, sincerity evident in his tone.

Obviously you can’t hear Karen’s response, but you assume it’s good because Josh shyly thanks her and lets out a small giggle. They chat some more and you briefly hear them discussing plans for the two of you (!!!) to visit his parents in Frankenmuth, but you’re no longer paying attention. 

All you can do is lay in bed and grin wildly at the ceiling, heart too full and brain too wired to even consider falling back asleep. Even though you really already knew that he loved you, words cannot describe how amazing it is to hear him say it out loud. The sense of validation you feel knowing for a fact that your complete and utter adoration of him is returned has you on cloud nine.

Josh and Karen converse for ten more minutes about his brothers, what’s going on in Frankenmuth, and various other topics, and by the time he’s telling her goodnight and that he loves her, he’s speaking at a normal volume. Bless his heart, the boy can’t help that he’s a naturally loud and animated talker. Some people may be annoyed by it, but you find it incredibly endearing.

When Josh finally ends the call and returns to your bedroom, you’ve given up your ruse of being asleep and are sitting up in bed, looking at your phone. Upon noticing that you’re awake, Josh swears, “Shit, I’m sorry. I was trying to be quiet so I wouldn’t wake you up.”

You smile at him as he crawls back into bed and reply, “That’s okay, it’s a little early to go to bed anyway.” You reach over to set your phone back on the nightstand and flick on the lamp. A soft glow illuminates the room and you watch him settle back against your headboard and get comfortable, pulling up the sheets so they’re covering his legs. 

Wanting to touch him, you cuddle up to his side and he instantly wraps his arm around you and pulls you closer. His hand finds its way back to your hair and you sigh contently before you comment, “You know, sometimes I hate being a light sleeper, but other times it’s not so bad…”

Josh looks down at you questioningly. “Oh yeah?” he implores. “Why is that?”

Debating how to word your response, you drag out, “Welllll…I guess it’s annoying because I can’t sleep anywhere even remotely noisy. Like forget me ever sleeping on a plane. But other times, I suppose it’s nice because I get to hear things that I would have missed if I was asleep.” 

You realize your answer is cryptic, so you’re not surprised when Josh scrunches up his face, looking mildly suspicious. This only lasts for a few seconds, however, because his expression quickly changes to one of recognition. His eyes shut for a moment and he tilts his head back, taking in a breath before looking back to you and asking, “So how much of that did you hear?” 

He doesn’t look angry that you were eavesdropping, quite the opposite of that actually. His eyes are alight and you can see the faintest hint of a smile on his lips. His fingers are still mindlessly running through your tresses, but his other hand is nervously fiddling with the sheet on his lap.

You try to hide the giddiness in your voice, but your attempts are useless. “I may or may not have heard you tell your mom that you think you’re in love with me.” You smile at him bashfully, biting your lip to convey that you feel a little guilty for forcing the words out of him.

The two of you stare at each other for a moment, and you strive to communicate with your eyes how happy the revelation makes you, and how much you love him too.

Catching you off guard, Josh leans down and captures your lips with his, the hand in his lap reaching up to tenderly touch the side of your neck while the one in your hair moves to the back of your head to keep you in place. Your hands both slide up to his cheeks, and you rub your thumbs lazily across the soft skin there as you kiss him with everything you have. He sucks on your bottom lip and then his tongue plays with yours, and it makes your skin tingle and your toes curl in delight.

When your lips eventually part ways, Josh keeps his forehead against yours and shoots you the dazzling smile that you adore so much. Your face is starting to hurt from grinning for so long, but that doesn’t stop you from beaming back at him.

In a low but confident voice he simply says, “Yeah, I do.” Then, with a teasing glint in his eye, he jests, “And what are you gonna do about it?”

A loud giggle escapes your mouth, and, unable to resist the sight of his lips so close to yours, you give him another kiss, intending it to be brief. It lasts longer than you were expecting it to, however, neither of you wanting to put an end to the blatant display of the love you share for one another. 

Finally pulling away, you decide to play along with his joke and retort, “Well Joshua, I think I may just have to love you back.”

To punctuate your point, you swing your leg over his so you’re straddling his lap and wind your arms around his neck. Your eyes lock with Josh’s, and in that moment, everything is perfect. There is nothing else that you could want for when you’re this close to the man that you love. 

You hear him mumble a barely audible, “Good,” and then you’re kissing him for a third time and getting lost in his gentle touches and strokes. Diving into a relationship headfirst can be dangerous, you know, but with Josh, the risk was definitely more than worth it. You’re submerged, and the feeling is better than any other you’ve experienced. 

[icarusbuck]

7. yes i did, what about it?

FOX! 911 | fluff

∞

Eddie put his truck in park and turned the key. After a long day at work, all he wanted to do was unwind and decompress on Buck's couch. It wasn't quite a routine yet, but spending an evening at the loft was swiftly becoming a regular occurrence.

The quiet rumble of his engine faded into quiet. He picked up the case of beer sitting on his passenger seat; a consolation prize for drinking most of what Buck had in his fridge over the last few weeks, and also for showing up unannounced. He made his way to the front door, but pulled up short when he heard multiple voices from inside, talking over each other as much as they seemed to be talking to each other.

Shifting the box under one arm, he knocked. A feeling of unease settled in his chest, and he half convinced himself to just go home in the moments that passed.

Buck's voice drifted closer to the door, and then it opened, revealing him in sweats and a tank top. He had a beer in his hand and it was on the way to his lips when he froze. His shock lasted only for a moment, then he broke into a crooked smile.

"Eddie!" he cried, opening the door wider in invitation. His smile fell when Eddie didn't move; he stood rooted to the spot, drinking in the slight flush that always accompanied a buzz. Buck’s pants hung off his hips, and they were a tempting handhold. He gestured with his beer bottle, breaking Eddie out of his trance. "Are you going to come in?"

"Yeah," Eddie said with a start, shaking himself. He stepped inside and Buck shut the door as he peered around the stairs, trying to get a glimpse of who the voices belonged to. Maddie and Chimney sat together in a wide armchair, and there was a third guest who looked vaguely familiar. The three of them were dressed similarly to Buck - Maddie had on a pink onesie with a hood, Chimney sported grey long johns, and the third was curled up on the couch in royal purple silk pajamas. He looked back at Buck apprehensively. "Sorry, am I interrupting?"

"Interrupting?" Buck's eyes flickered up from the beer under Eddie's arm, his brow furrowed. "Nah, we were just about to watch a movie." He took the box from Eddie and turned, heading into the kitchen.

"Oh," Eddie muttered, mentally kicking himself for just assuming Buck would be free. He followed after Buck and considered bolting. "I guess I should have called."

Buck looked over his shoulder with a confused smile. "Called? Since when do you need to call?" He pulled open the door to the fridge and shoved the beer inside. His movements were loose, and Eddie would have bet money that the bottle in his hand hadn't been the first of the night. He bumped the fridge shut with his hip and turned toward the microwave, taking out a bag of popcorn.

"I didn't realize you had people over," Eddie explained, watching him dump the popcorn into one of two waiting bowls.

Buck tossed another bag into the microwave and turned toward Eddie, the wheels turning almost visibly. He looked from Eddie to the living room. "You're always welcome. You know that," he chided, waving his statement aside. "Do you want to join us?" Buck gave him a once-over, nose wrinkled. "You can borrow some clothes."

Eddie took a moment to examine the way his stomach lurched at how easily Buck always managed to fit people into his life, regardless of how full it already was. He was so caught up in the feeling that he barely noticed Maddie sliding into the kitchen.

"Oh, hey Eddie," she said, slightly breathless from laughing at whatever they'd found so funny. She bumped her hip into Buck's as she arrived and reached for a piece of popcorn. Buck slapped her hand away and slung his arm over her shoulders, smiling innocently when she scowled up at him. She turned her attention back to Eddie, and the Buckley smile was in full force. "I didn't know you'd be joining us," she said, almost in apology.

"I'm not."

Buck rolled his eyes. "Yes he is, he just needs to dress down first; come on," he said, moving away from Maddie. He took Eddie's hand and led him up the stairs, calling over his shoulder for Maddie to leave the popcorn alone.

"Buck," Eddie hissed, once they were out of earshot at the top of the stairs. He pulled his hand free and tried to come up with an adequate reason he should go. "I really don't need to stay, I just -"

"Sweats or shorts?" Buck cut him off, oblivious to how Eddie had lagged behind. He looked over his shoulder and eyed Eddie's button-down critically.

"Sweats," Eddie answered automatically.

Buck nodded, rooting around in his dresser for a few more seconds. He surfaced with a small stack of clothes. "Josh needed some company, so we threw this together at the last minute. Here," he said, dumping the laundry on him.

"Who is Josh," Eddie muttered, barely catching the clothes. There was a pair of sweatpants and one of Buck's workout shirts.

"Uh, Maddie's friend," Buck said, flapping his hand toward the stairs. "You can change up here, just be quick," he said, tossing Eddie a wink as he moved past him and headed down the stairs. His voice sounded the second he hit the last step, accusing Maddie of eating all the popcorn in the two minutes that had passed.

Eddie sighed and started changing. Buck's clothes were slightly too big on him; he had to double check the knot at his waist, and the shirt was extra baggy due to how much material Buck had removed when he cut the sleeves off. They were comfortable though, and he would much rather be in sweats than jeans if he was to sit through a whole movie.

He followed Buck downstairs once he was dressed. Maddie resumed her place on the arm chair, leaning toward the end of the couch where Josh sat leaning toward her. Buck was seated in the center, looking back and forth almost comically as he tried to follow their rapid conversation.

It drifted to a stop when Eddie appeared. He waved awkwardly at Maddie and Josh, and nodded at Chimney.

"Josh, this is Eddie," Buck said, using the remote to point at each of them respectively. "Eddie, this is Josh."

"Nice to meet you," Eddie offered, leaning over to shake Josh's hand.

"Oh, I assure you, the pleasure's mine." Josh smiled warmly at him, and he gave Maddie a look that appeared to speak volumes. She smirked back at him, eyes sparkling.

Buck elbowed Josh in the ribs and looked back at Eddie, patting the seat next to him as if it weren't the only one left. He passed off the bowl of popcorn once Eddie was comfortable and fiddled with the remote to get the movie going.

It was about some blonde lawyer whose hair color was firmly held against her. Eddie wasn't overly interested in the plot, but the others seemed about as interested in watching the movie as they cared to talk about it. They alternated between criticizing the movie and pointing out their favorite parts, but Eddie was certain he'd never seen it before, and had a hard time following anything. He was happy just to be included after a rough shift, especially on a night when Christopher was staying with a friend.

By the end of the movie, he'd had a few beers, and the buzz coursing through his system made it even easier to relax. He draped himself into the corner of the couch, and at some point Buck had slouched down into the space under Eddie's arm and leaned into his side, their calves pressed together. Eddie let his arm curl around Buck's shoulders, his hand resting on Buck's chest. Every time Buck spoke or laughed, it vibrated into Eddie.

Buck's arm rested along Eddie's thigh, his beer bottle balanced just above the knee. He felt good and warm and it took all of Eddie's willpower not to pull Buck just a little closer, just enough to kiss his temple or his cheek. He squashed the impulse by draining the rest of his beer.

As the credits started to roll, Josh gave an exaggerated yawn and stretch. "Well," he sighed, flopping his arms back down to his sides. He looked from Buck and Eddie to Maddie and Chim. "I should probably get going."

"We still have another movie to watch," Maddie protested, sitting up a little straighter. She'd turned into Chimney's side and pulled her legs up and over his.

"This has been great," Josh assured her as he stood. "Exactly what I needed. But I work the early shift tomorrow, and I should really be getting home."

Maddie deflated with a sigh, but pulled herself up out of the chair. "Okay. Well, let us walk you out."

"Deal," Josh said, slinging his arm around her shoulders. He paused before they left the living room entirely, looking down at Buck and Eddie with a knowing smile. "And don't worry. I promise I didn't feel like a fifth wheel."

Maddie laughed, and Eddie stiffened. Chimney followed behind them without a word, and the trio soon made their way out the front door.

The moment it shut, Buck stood. "I'm going to get another beer," he announced, refusing to look at Eddie. The flush rising up the back of his neck was one Eddie knew all too well, and he surged unsteadily to his feet.

"You told them about us," he said, narrowing his eyes with the accusation. He moved in front of Buck, blocking his escape.

Buck squared his shoulders immediately and assumed his full height. "Yes I did, what about it? She's my sister, Chim's her boyfriend, and Josh is - well," Buck swallowed, the pink rising into his cheeks. "He's…"

Eddie shook his head slightly, unable to contain his amusement at Buck's conviction. He wasn't mad or upset, he was… relieved.

"I don't care," he breathed, grabbing the front of Buck's shirt and pulling him into a sound kiss. Buck made a soft noise and his lips parted under Eddie's. His hands found their way to Eddie's waist and pulled, until they were molded together from chest to knee. Eddie wrapped his arm around Buck's neck, holding on as the room spun and his heart pounded.

It ended before it could really begin, and Eddie broke away with a gasp when the front door opened.

"I'm glad he's - oh," Maddie's voice stopped short. Buck glanced over Eddie's shoulder and he grinned, eyes lighting up so bright that Eddie's stomach flipped.

"Well, I can't say I blame him for leaving," Chimney teased. He shook his head in mock disappointment. "Okay, lovebirds, break it up; we have another movie to watch."

"Or, you know, we could go," Maddie offered quickly, putting her hand on Chimney's arm.

"That's not necessary," Buck chuckled, squeezing Eddie's hips. His hands fell away as he turned, searching for the remote he'd discarded earlier. He sat once he found it, leaned forward intently as he searched for the title.

Eddie fell back down to the couch as the others passed, and only hesitated for a moment before putting his hand on Buck's back. The secret was out now, at least to their current company.

Once he got the movie started, Buck shifted closer and leaned into him. He didn't waste any time in pulling Eddie's arm around him, nudging and pulling until he had Eddie where he wanted and he could stretch out along the couch. He took Eddie's hand, twining their fingers together on his chest.

From that position it was easy to feel the steady rhythm of his heart, the rise and fall of his chest. He felt the exact moment Buck drifted off; barely an hour of the movie had passed when he started to snore.

Eddie rubbed his thumb along Buck's. He shifted in his sleep, turning in toward the couch and releasing Eddie's hand so he could curl up on his side. He pressed his face into Eddie's stomach. Eddie ran his freed fingers through Buck's hair, paying more attention to the little twitches and grumbles he made than to the movie.

Maddie leaned over with a knowing smile and picked up the remote to mute the movie. "We're going to go," she whispered, looking fondly at her brother as she stood. "You got him?"

"Yeah," Eddie nodded, his attention shifting to Chimney as he stood. His expression was hard to read, and they locked eyes briefly.

"It looks good on you," Chimney said after a moment. He put his hand on the small of Maddie's back, following her out of the living room.

"What does?" Eddie frowned, turning his head to track them.

Chimney looked over his shoulder with a soft smile, and with one word, made Eddie's chest swell with emotion:

"Happiness."

[minghaocouture]

Pairing: Hong Joshua x Fem!Reader

Genre: Friends to Lovers, fluff, angst

Warning: mentions of a toxic relationship, loneliness, language

WC: 3.6K

A/N: Happy Holidays @yutacrush​!!! You absolutely amazing bean!! ily SO MUUCCCHHH! You are such a joy to be friends with and i hope this fic brings you even half of the joy you bring our group chat <3333 

Age 10

“Sweetheart, this is Joshua. He’s our new neighbor.” The boy across from you stood before you, all smiles and cheer as you cowered behind your mother’s legs. You didn’t have too many friends in school and more often than not, felt isolated from your peers who seemed to almost look down on you. This boy was a stranger, a potential new villain in your life and you wanted nothing to do with him. 

So when your mother left you in the room alone with him, while she and Joshua’s mother went to go have tea in your kitchen. You quickly dashed to the living room and snatched your favorite Whinnie the Pooh plushie off of the couch, and made your escape to the far corner of the room where you crouched down and hid behind the plush bear. As if Pooh bear was the perfect line of defense 

The sound of soft footsteps hitting the hardwood floor had you cowering, covering your eyes as you prayed that he would just leave you alone. When the footsteps stopped you assumed that he had done as you silently wished, left you alone to continue your day in peace despite the wishes of your mothers. So you slowly pulled Pooh bear away from your eyes. Only for your eyes to meet the rich deep brown of Hong Joshua’s, the male who was now crouching down not even a foot away from you.

A small shriek left your lips as you quickly brought your favorite plushie back to cover your face again. Your reaction seemed to prompt a small laugh to leave the male, obviously amused with the situation. 

“I’m Joshua, but my friends call me Josh!” He said, talking to you despite the fact that you were currently trying to disappear into the wall behind you. “You like Winnie the Pooh too? Roo is my best friend!” 

At the mention of baby Roo, you slowly peered out and looked over at him with your eyes barely peeking out from behind the plush bear.

Age 13

“Joshua Hong, I swear if you don’t get out from in front of the tv I’ll make you regret it.” Your threat wasn’t as real as you wanted it to seem. After three years, Joshua knew that you were all talk and no action when it came to him. Which is why he didn’t even flinch at your harsh words, he knew he was safe.

“Your mom asked me to make sure you did your homework while she was gone, so turn off the tv and let’s work!” He was almost too responsible for his own good, at least when someone asked him to do something. Most of the time, he was just a goof ball and you honestly wish that translated over when he had ‘responsibilities’ 

Currently your mother was out on a business trip, so you were left alone in the house so she had asked Josh to keep you ‘in line’ since he lived right next door. Apparently, he was taking that request more seriously than you had expected. 

With an overdramatic groan, you grabbed the remote and shut off the soccer game you were in the middle of watching. At your compliance, Joshua let out a small laugh. 

“You’ll thank me later.”

“Yeah, seriously doubt that Josh.”

Age 16

“Josh! Seriously, that’s what she said to you?”  You were fuming, pacing around your room while your best friend sat on your bed. You had honestly never seen Joshua so...down. This girl had stepped over so many lines and you were livid.

“Yeah, and then she left. So...guess I’m single again.” Even his voice lacked the usual energy it had. It hurt your heart to hear him this upset. 

You took a second to take a deep breath, calming yourself. Now wasn’t the time to be angry, that could come later. Right now, Joshua needed you more than anything. This was about him and the pain he was currently feeling. Your need to punch that bitch in the face could wait. 

You joined Joshua on the edge of your bed, quickly wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling the male into a tight hug. For a moment he was limp in your arms, just resting his head on your shoulder. It was soon followed by the feeling of his arms wrapping around your waist, his hands gripping tightly at the fabric of your shirt as he clung to you. 

This wasn’t the first time you had seen Joshua cry, and it surely wouldn’t be the last, but it never got any less painful. Your heart ached for your friend, the feeling growing stronger as you felt moisture from his tears seeping into the fabric of your t-shirt. You hated it. 

The only thing you could think was that you never wanted to see Joshua like this ever again. 

A week later you were suspended for breaking his ex girlfriend’s nose.

Age 18

Over the years, your duo had become a trio with the addition of Yoon Jeonghan. He was...fun to be around but if you were being honest, a lot of the time it felt like you were being left in the dust. 

It wasn’t that you disliked Jeonghan, you were just...jealous. You kinda missed it being just you and Joshua. It had just been the two of you for so long that sometimes it felt like an outsider had come in and simply stole your best friend. 

Which is why you were currently sitting alone in your bedroom on a Friday night. Jeonghan had taken Joshua out for a ‘boys night’ as a way for Joshua to get to meet Jeonghan’s other friend group. 

You were lonely, and jealous and that didn’t make for a good combination. 

Your solution? Swimming. 

The pool in your backyard was cold, but the chill was something you needed at the moment. The water encompassing your frame as you delved beneath the surface, the ice cold waters completely chilling your core. It was terrible, but it felt better than being lonely.

Popping back up to the surface for air, you flipped over onto your back and stared up at the stars above you. Counting them as you slowly drifted through the water. Your thoughts began drifting from the stars and back to your friends, it was honestly pathetic how you were acting. You knew that Jeonghan wasn’t ‘stealing’ Joshua from you, he was your friend too! It just so happened that he and Josh were...closer, and yet here you were acting like a child because of it. You felt pathetic.

“Dude, what the hell are you doing?” Your thoughts were quickly stripped from you as you heard the familiar, although muffled, voice of the person who had been running through your mind. Quickly you maneuvered yourself in the water so that you could turn and face the back door of your home where Joshua and Jeonghan had just exited from. Joshua moved quickly to grab the towel that you had brought out with you, while Jeonghan moved to the edge of the pool and knelt down to watch you as you swam over with a look of concern blanketed across his face.

“I think it’s a bit too cold for a swim, don’t you little Piglet?” The nickname hit your heart, it wasn’t a mean one. It was an old childhood nickname that Joshua had given you based off of your first interaction, how scared you had been of him. When Jeonghan had joined your friend group he just adopted it since Josh called you that so frequently. 

You brushed off his question, ignoring it in favor of asking your own. 

“What are you guys even doing here? I thought you guys were hanging out with Seungcheol all night?”

Jeonghan reached out a hand and you got the message, taking it as he helped hoist you out of the pool. He let out a small giggle as he watched you shiver when the cold air hit your skin. He quickly began rubbing your arms gently to try and warm them as Joshua rushed over with the towel. 

“Well, Pooh Bear here said he was worried about you, guess his little hunch was right.” Jeonghan tilted his head to gesture towards Joshua, who surprisingly ignored the male in favor of wrapping the towel around you which thankfully provided some much needed warmth. Though that could also be coming from the feelings in your chest at Jeonghan’s explanation. It made you feel better to know that Joshua...hadn’t forgotten about you. 

“Go inside and get dressed, we’re gonna go out for dinner and we need you to not die of hypothermia before then.” Joshua ordered, a stern look on his face as he spoke. It was rare to see Josh this serious, but you supposed that you did just go for a swim in the middle of a chilly autumn night so...it was to be expected.

“Anything you say Pooh Bear.”

Age 22

“I seriously can’t believe Jeonghan, our little Roo,  of all people is the first to get married.” You laughed happily. Sure this day had been coming for months but it was still just exciting to think about. You were doing your best to contain your excitement, but sitting with the two in Jeonghan’s dressing room as he prepared to stand at the altar and wait for his blushing bride, you couldn’t contain your excitement. 

Jeonghan laughed along with you and Joshua as he straightened his bowtie...for the third time in the past 10 minutes. You could tell he was nervous, though you weren’t sure what for, you had seen the couple together and you could tell just how in love they were. It was quite adorable.

“I mean, I’m surprised too,” He confessed, glancing back at you through the mirror. “I always thought you and Josh would get married first.” 

Across the room you heard Joshua cough loudly as if choking on his own oxygen, you flashed him a look of concern until he calmed down before turning back to Jeonghan. 

“Don’t even joke like that dude. Chan would flip if he heard that.” Chan was your current boyfriend, he was sweet if not a little possessive. Something that both Joshua and Jeonghan had spoken to you about in concern.

At the mention of your boyfriend’s name you saw Hannie roll his eyes before reaching up to fiddle with his perfectly styled hair once again.

“Red flag~” He sang out, causing you to roll your eyes. It was frustrating that they were talking about this today of all days. You didn’t notice Joshua’s face harden in something that could only be described as irritation. 

“If she’s happy with him then just drop it, Roo.” hearing Jeonghan’s familiar nickname warmed your heart. “Besides, this is your day. I thought you’d be happy to focus on yourself today.”

“Oh, you’re absolutely right. I’m going to bask in this. Doesn’t mean I can’t worry about my friends.

Age 24

To no one’s surprise, Joshua and Jeonghan had been right. Chan’s possessiveness had taken a turn for the worst. Asking you to cut off contact with your two best friends so you did the only thing you could do. You broke up with him, decided you would be cutting off contact and now you were driving away from your former shared apartment and making the hour trip to Joshua’s new place, hopefully he and his new roommate would be cool if you crashed on their couch until you found a new place.

Despite the fact that you knew this break up was for the best, it still hurt and you couldn’t stop tears from shedding while you drove. The liquid sadness blurring the road as you sped down the highway.

Once outside the door to his third floor apartment, you gave a firm knock. Eventually the door opened to the familiar face of Joshua’s new roommate, Seungcheol. You knew the guy fairly well as he’d been a mutual friend of Jeonghan’s and Josh’s during high school, you never really hung out with him too much but you knew he was cool. 

Seeing your puffy eyes tear filled eyes, he quickly moved out of the way and gestured you in. With a small mutter about going to grab Joshua. 

You took a seat on the familiar royal blue sofa, the plush fabric sinking down and pulling you in as you sat down. It was almost like the sofa was pulling you into a hug and you were grateful for the soft plush fabric. You had left your old Winnie the Pooh plushie in the car with the rest of the belongings you had been able to quickly pack after Chan had stormed out of the apartment. 

You heard the soft sounds of speech as Seungcheol explained to Joshua what was going on, you couldn’t quite understand the words but it was followed by the slamming of a door and the sound of footsteps rushing to the living room. 

All too soon, Joshua was in front of you and you felt the tears well up once more as you explained to him what had happened...why you had left Chan.

“He didn’t hurt you did he? I swear if he touched you I’ll go kick his ass myself.” You didn’t trust your voice so you simply shook your head, sniffling as you tried your best to keep a strong appearance despite the tears. It didn’t work, and he gently gripped your shoulders giving you a once over, looking for any sign of possible injury and letting out a sigh of relief when he found nothing. 

Just as you had done during his break up in high school, his arms quickly wrapped around you. Pulling you as close to him as he possibly could. It was like whatever had kept your sobs held it was completely broken, and soon you were all out sobbing. A complete blubbering mess as you gripped his shirt and buried your face in his chest. 

His hand lifted and gently patted your head, his other hand rubbing small circles on your back as you let out all your welled up emotions. It was all too much for you, everything was too much. 

"You were r-right," you exclaimed between sobs, your voice muffled as your tears continued to stain his sleep shirt with your tears. "H-He told me...told me that..." Just thinking about it made your heart clench as you tried your best to continue. Joshua shushed you softly, trying to lull you into a sense of security so that you could calm down. He knew that you would get sick if you continued to wail as you did. 

"You can tell me later, just breathe right now okay?" His soft calming voice hit your heart, but it was still quite a little while before your sobs died down. Once they did, you explained to him just what had happened. How Chan had told you that he didn't feel comfortable with you hanging out with Joshua or even Jeonghan anymore, despite you explaining that they were just your best friends and going so far as to remind him that he was AT Jeonghan's wedding. 

Despite you being calm, you hadn't moved out of Joshua's grasp and the two of you had simply...migrated. Now the two of you were laying on his insanely comfortable couch, with you resting on his chest. It was far too hard to look up at him right now, your heart hurt too much and looking up at him was just a reminder. Right now, all you needed was just to be in his arms, the comfort of your best friend flowing through you as he did his best to comfort you. 

"You deserve better than him anyway. Much better. You don't need someone who is gonna try to control you like that." He declared, his voice soft and calming as he rubbed your back. It was nice, it felt right. Maybe it was because it was natural at this point, the two of you had been there for each other through everything. "You can stay here as long as you like, I know Cheol won't mind. Hell, we'll even grab Hannie and go to help you grab the rest of your stuff." 

You heard Seungcheol rummaging in the kitchen for something for a minute before joining the two of you in the living room and plopping a tub of ice cream onto their coffee table, along with two sets of spoons. He smiled down at the two of you as he did.

"Just think of us as your own personal bodyguards. I've got a few friends too that could help move stuff. My friend's Hyunwoo and Hoseok are built like they lift boulders for a living. They'd probably be enough to scare away any evil exes." 

Joshua laughed softly at the mention of Cheol's two friends, glancing down at you with that soft smile of his. The same one that always warmed your heart in a way you couldn't describe. 

"We're here for whatever you need little Piglet." 

Age 25

"I am...so sorry, I didn’t mean to- I mean I just...” Trailing off, unable to think of the right words. You couldn’t look Joshua in the eyes, not after you had pressed your lips against his own...after kissing your best friend. You weren’t even completely sure why you did it, yet you had and you had also probably completely ruined the decade old friendship. Guilt welled in your gut. Out of everyone, you couldn’t lose Joshua. He was too important to you. 

As soon as that thought crossed your mind, you seemed to all at once understand the cause of your actions and why you were so scared to lose him. Somewhere along the road, you had fallen in love...with your best friend. Your heart sunk into your stomach, if you felt like this for him then this was even worse than you thought. It wasn’t like Joshua had ever shown any kind of interest in you like that.

“You can do it again if you want.” His words caused your brain to freeze as if someone had frozen you solid. Thoughts raced through your mind as you tried to think of an explanation for why he would say something like that. Confusion etched across your face as your eyes hesitantly lifted from the floor to meet his. “I really don’t mind.” 

“Josh, I just kissed you! I probably broke like, 30 laws of whatever best friend handbook there is!”

Your words simply caused Joshua to laugh, shaking his head lightly as he laughed. It was if you had just told the most hilarious joke. 

“You know I’m in love with you right?” Well it seemed that Joshua was determined to take you off guard today. Though to be fair...you caught him off guard first. 

“Since when? You never acted like it, or like...told me?” 

“I mean, not for Han’s lack of trying. Did you really think he joked about us being a couple for no reason?” Now that he mentioned it, Jeonghan did make...quite a few jokes about the two of you just settling down together and they only got worse after you broke things off with Chan. 

Rubbing the back of your neck in exasperation, your feelings being tugged in so many directions as you tried to comprehend the situation you were in. 

“Okay that explains one thing but like, since when?” You had just realized your feelings but from what he said this had been...a long time thing. A small humorless laugh left your best friend, avoiding your gaze. 

“You remember when we were in High school, and you got suspended for breaking my ex’s nose? Yeeeah.”

“That was...eight years ago Josh!” You were completely struck by this information. He had been secretly in love for that long? It would make sense when you truly thought about it, he hadn’t dated or shown any real interest in anyone after that year. As the pieces connected in your head, you felt Joshua grab your hand and lace his fingers with your own. 

“Yeah, nothing’s changed though. Honestly i’ll probably never stop loving you, even if you don’t love me.” He gave your hand a small squeeze. It felt right, like his hand was made to fit with yours just like it always had. Maybe this was why Chan had felt threatened by Josh, maybe he could tell, maybe he knew where your heart belonged even if you hadn’t known at the time.

“Well, you don’t have to worry about that. I think somehow you’ve always had me.” You began, unable to stop yourself from smiling as you saw his eyes light up at your words. “So now, I’m going to kiss you again and then we have to let Jeonghan know that we’re not being stupid anymore.” 

You didn’t give Joshua a real chance to speak again before you pulled him close and once again connecting your lips once again. Your free hand weaving through his hair and your other gripping his hand tightly. Joshua wasted no time returning the kiss, free hand grabbing your hip and pulling you closer. 

In all your life, you had never imagined making out with your best friend, yet here you were locked in an embrace. You gently nipped his lower lip with your teeth before pulling away and resting your forehead against his own.

“You know, we could always just keep it a secret from Hannie? See how long it takes him.” you couldn’t help but laugh at Joshua’s suggestion. 

“I bet it takes him a whole year.”

“I’ll take you on that, baby.”

[gubes-sweaters]

Mind, Body, and Soul 2

Authors note: This is a Spencer Reid AU started by @subspencer​. I got their permission to use the concept of this AU and all credit for the idea goes to them. I debated on when this story would take place either in 2020 or 2003 when Spencer would’ve actually been 22. I decided it’s going to take place in 2020 but all characters in criminal minds would be the same age in the story that they would’ve been in 2003 (if that makes any sense at all). I’m only mentioning this because the BAU will be a part of this story and besides Cat, Lindsey, Spencer, and Penelope all of the other characters will be canon. 

Content Warning: Drug use(weed), drinking, swearing, kidnapping(not really the reader just gets scared)

Word Count: 2.8K

You can find part one here

Chapter 2: A “Germ Thing”

Does someone ever get on your nerves for literally reason? Like you can’t put a finger on it but for some reason, you could rationalize hitting them. Maybe it’s just a me problem or maybe it’s a Spencer Reid problem. Spencer is one big problem because on one hand I just want to hand over my soul to him and to stare at his puppy dog eyes even though I just met the guy. On the other hand, I can’t help but think I’m just another notch in his bedpost. Despite his all of the sudden sweet demeanor I keep replaying the little make-out session I saw earlier that led to god only knows what. I’m constantly debating either to kiss him or hit him in his stupid but cute smug little face. I decided right here right now that Spencer Reid will be the death of me. I probably look out of my mind thinking about this as Penelope is giving each of us a solo cup and pouring us a drink for never have I ever. 

“(y/n)?” Penelope says while trying to grab my attention by waving her hand in front of my face.

“Y- yeah what’s up?” I stutter back as quickly as possible because now I’m very aware that Spencer is slowly but surely making his way towards my inner thigh.

“You spaced out on us for a minute is everything all right?” Penelope asked being genuinely concerned for me.

“Never better.” I replied before smiling because I know Penelope is just trying to be a good friend.

“Okay, so are we going to play or are we all going to hold hands around a fire while singing kumbaya.” Cat muttered out while giving me a side-eye.

“Yeah that sounds like a great idea Catherine.” Spencer snipes back while squeezing on my thigh. I couldn’t tell if it was a reflex out of anger or if it was to comfort me because Cat clearly has some disdain for me and Spencer.

“Okay, so... I'll go first never have I ever went skinny dipping” One girl out of the group named Layla who was sat on the other side of Spencer chirps up clearly trying to dissolve any tension in the room.

Pretty much everyone had a look on their face that said “obviously” except for me. After everyone took a sip of their drink their eyes wandered towards me. I just shrugged and attempted to move on. Growing up going to a catholic school where nuns compare your virginity to objects to scare the shit out of you doesn’t leave you much room to do anything fun like that. We went around the room and everything was just now becoming no longer awkward then we got to Cat.

“Never have I ever hooked up with more than two people in one night” She said while darting her eyes at Spencer.

Spencer sighed and looked at her basically giving her a silent “fuck you” before taking a sip of his drink. After he cringed at the bitter taste of his drink he squeezed my thigh again. Cat spotted it immediately and of course, had to open her loudmouth.

“Looks like you’re really going for a world record there aren't ya Spencie.”

“You know what let’s all take a breather bec-” Penelope cut in before it could get any worse. She’s someone who hates confrontation, especially between her friends.

“That sounds great!” I say cutting her off, so I can get out of this hellhole as fast as possible, before brushing Spencer's hand off of me and hopping up from the couch.

Everyone quickly disperses to get away from the situation as fast as possible. Three people make excuses to go home partly because that was the most awkward yet hostile thing a person could witness and partly because it’s almost four in the morning. I walk off towards the kitchen once again to get water in attempts to sober up as much as possible before going home. Even though everyone else wasn’t really anything more than buzzed because we were taking sips out of a cup instead of taking shots. I’m a huge lightweight and I’d rather not test my ability to drive like this. As I crack open a bottle of water I feel a tap on my shoulder. I was surprised when I turned around and I didn’t see Spencer but instead it was a guy I’ve never met before. He sat next to Layla, but we never talked to each other until now. 

“Hey, I didn’t mean to spook you. I’m Josh by the way.” He introduced himself with a big smile, and then he extended his hand out to me. He was cute not as tall as Spencer, but still taller than me. He had sandy blonde hair and bright blue eyes.

“Hi my name is (y/n)” I say as I reach out my hand to shake his hand, but it didn’t quite get there because the handshake was intercepted by a third hand.

“And I’m Spencer.” He quickly cuts in and shakes Josh’s hand. I have to take a quick step back because he shoved himself between me and Josh. I then step around Spencer to see the interaction between the two of them.

“Um hi?” He says with a confused look on his face. You can tell Spencer had a good grip on his hand and is shaking his hand way longer than necessary. It looks like his grip just keeps getting tighter and tighter until Josh starts to wince. Soon enough Spencer finally lets go of the poor guy’s hand. Josh couldn’t have booked it over to Penelope to say goodbye literally any faster.

“What happened to your little “germ thing?”” I ask while giving him a look of total irritation. Spencer was clearly peeved by me talking to another guy even it’s an innocent little handshake.

“I still have a germ thing but I just thought I’d introduce myself.” He says innocently while he wipes his hands on his pants before stuffing them in his pockets.

I turn around in attempts to ignore him, and when I do realize I’m now trapped in my own personal hell. I turn around and now there's just five of us me, Penelope, Spencer, Cat, and a girl who was sitting next to Cat the entire time. So I can either talk to one of my best friends, but she's sat next to two girls who are looking like they’re about to devour me or I can talk to the guy who is irritating the shit out of me. Looks like I’ll take my chances in the lion’s den. I walk over to Penelope and sit down on the couch. When I sit down I realize that this girl and Cat are holding hands and are acting very cuddly (which you wouldn’t expect from Cat because of her bitchy demeanor). I figured they’re probably dating and my suspicions were confirmed when she introduced herself to me.

“Hi, I’m Lindsey. I’m Cat’s girlfriend” She says while waving at me. It’s odd because it looks like Lindsey looks like a genuinely sweet girl, but Cat is playing her like a fiddle, so she will act in any sort of way that Cat wants. Even it means being stand-offish to people you don’t even know. Shortly after Spencer walks out of the kitchen and sits right next to me and instead of attempting to be subtle in any sort of way he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me so close to him I’m practically on his lap.

“Okay, as much as I love all of my friends It’s now four am and a girl needs a little beauty rest. Is everybody okay to drive home? If not you’re more than welcome to stay the night.” I couldn’t tell if she was serious or if she was trying to end this night before it got any worse. Meanwhile, Spencer and Cat look like they could maul each other any minute. We all agree that it’s okay and say our goodbyes to Pen. Cat and Lindsey leave right away but I loitered around for another minute or two just to make sure I’m good to drive. I hear the front door open and close once more. I figured that it was Spencer deciding he wasn’t getting anywhere with me, so he left. I eventually say goodbye to Penelope and make my way out the door. I suddenly remember I had to park in a parking lot across the street because Penelope only has one visitor parking spot. Most people took a vacant parking spot or parked on the side of the street, but there was absolutely no room for me to do that. I wrap my arms around myself because I’m only wearing a skirt and a thin sweater which in retrospect was absolutely stupid considering its fall in DC. I can’t help but feel like I’m being followed or at least like someone's eyes are on me. I start jogging because I wasn't about to take any chances. My jogging is more like very fastly walking because let’s face it, I have the athletic ability of a sloth. I’m only a little bit away from my car when I hear footsteps. I immediately start to try and unlock my car, so I can hop in as fast as possible. Of course, as luck would have it my car wouldn’t unlock because I was supposed to change the stupid battery a week ago.

“Fuck you shitty car and your shitty remote.” I mutter to myself. I’m only about a foot away from my car when I feel a hand firmly grasp my shoulder and I do the only thing I could think of which was scream bloody murder. As I start to scream whoever is behind me puts their other hand over my mouth.

“Shhh it’s okay. Everything is okay It’s just me.” I immediately recognize the voice. When they let me go I turn around and shove them.

“Fuck you Spencer why did you do that! You nearly gave me a heart attack I thought I was going to die you dick.” I shout at him before turning around and going to stick my key in the car door.

“I’m sorry I called for you when I saw you walking out of Penelope's apartment building but you clearly didn't hear me. I didn’t want you to take off without me, so I tried running to catch up with you.” He apologized, but he was clearly not super sincere because he was trying so hard not to smile or bust out laughing.

“Well, go on then what do you want?” I ask while standing there with my car door cracked while I’m waiting to get in the car.

“My friend who I came here with wanted to take a girl home. I no longer have a ride home and I thought I’d figure it out before I was going to leave but I didn’t I guess.” He says kinda shyly in attempts to ask me for a ride without actually asking me.

“Do want a ride?” I sigh because I know he already has me wrapped around his finger.

“Yes please.” He says while giving me puppy dog eyes obviously to try and make me forget that two minutes ago I thought I was going to be kidnapped.

“Hop in then” I gesture for him to get in the passenger seat. We close the car doors almost in unison then I start my car. I ask him for his address while pulling out my phone, but he insists that he can give me good directions and I don’t need to get directions from my phone.

“Whatever you say Sherlock” I roll my eyes at him while I start to pull out of the parking lot. Spencer starts fiddling with things in my car while he gives directions. He flips on the radio and changes the channels about fifty times before getting bored and turning it back off. Soon enough I pull into the parking lot of his apartment building. Pulling into the parking lot is a bittersweet moment because I’m not sure if I’ll ever see him again, and overall I had a fun time tonight mostly because of him despite all of the awkwardness. On the other hand, somehow this man knows how to push all of my buttons and is able to get on every single last one of my nerves, so I couldn’t be happier to say goodbye. I put the car in park and look at him to say goodbye. I look over, and he’s looking for something but I'm not sure what he’s looking for. He starts to pull everything out of his pockets and places them on my dashboard. Out of his front pockets, he pulls out some pocket change, a money clip, and a plastic bag with a rolled joint in it. Out of his back pockets, he pulls out his wallet then searches through it. After that, he pulls out an iPhone, two lighters, and a condom. Really classy Spencer really really classy.

“Shit” He mutters to himself before patting his front pockets once more and putting everything back in his pockets and I still can’t believe what he is about to say next, but this man looks at me dead ass in my eyes, and says.

“I lost the key to my apartment.” He looks at me with puppy dog eyes and I already know what he’s suggesting.

“Can’t you get one from your landlord or have your roommate let you in?” I suggest in attempts to avoid the inevitable.

“I live alone and my landlord wouldn’t be able to get me a new key until eight in the morning.” He says and I swear to god he intentionally pouts his lips ever so slightly. I would normally say one thousand percent no but it’s almost five in the morning now and I’m so desperate for my head to hit the pillow. I don’t have time to shoot the shit with Spencer for even another minute.

“I can let you stay the night at my place I guess.”

“I’m really sorry this isn’t a normal occurrence I promise. I feel bad because I’m a huge inconvenience right now but I’ll make it up to you, I promise someway somehow.” He says while looking at me with the same guilt as a child who broke something of their parents.

“It’s okay I won’t make you sleep out on the street.” I say before chuckling hoping to lighten the mood and to make him feel less guilty. We both laugh at the ridiculous situation as I make my way to my apartment. Turns out I only live a little bit under ten minutes from him. As I pull into my parking spot I begin to tell him I have a few terms and conditions.

“Firstly my roommates cannot know you’re here, or they’ll never let this situation go. So you can’t sleep out on the couch you’ll have to sleep in my room. Then in the morning once the coast is clear I’ll find a way to sneak you out. Deal?”

“Deal.” He repeats back while stepping out of the car.

I open the door to my apartment, and we both tiptoe to my room to avoid making any noise. Surprisingly we didn’t make any noise at all, so once we cross the threshold of my doorway I close it and lock it before telling Spencer I’ll get him a pillow and blankets to sleep on the floor. I turn around and see Spencer already took his shoes off and is already curled up under the blankets half asleep. I just give in because at this point I’m only thinking about sleep. I get my pajamas and change in my bathroom. I walk back into my room and throw back the covers and let my head hit the pillow. Just as I feel myself slipping into a deep sleep I feel Spencer throw his arm around my waist and pull me flush against his body. This is going to be one interesting morning.

................................................................................................................................Taglist: @rexorangecouny @haylaansmi​

[musicblogwales]

Q&A: Gwenifer Raymond Pre-Tour Interview 

Music Blog Wales are really honoured to have spoken exclusively with Welsh virtuoso guitar player Gwenifer Raymond before she embark’s out on her brand new UK tour, huge thanks to Gwenifer for agreeing to chat with us and all the best with the upcoming tour dates.

Raymond began playing guitar at the age of eight shortly after having been first exposed to punk and grunge. After years of playing around the Welsh valleys in various punk outfits she began listening more to pre-war blues musicians as well as Appalachian folk players, eventually leading into the guitar players of the American Primitive genre.  

She released her sophomore LP ‘Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain’ at the end of 2020 to rapturous response. Her debut ‘You Never Were Much Of A Dancer’ emerged  on Tompkins Square to the same response in 2018. She has found herself equally embraced by fans of old-west and equally, by left field/experimental audiences. Appearances throughout the UK and the EU as well as the US marks her out as one to watch.  

Q: What part of Wales do you hail from and how has it geographically had an effect on your music?

Gwenifer: I'm originally from a village called Taff’s Well, so just north of Cardiff and at the tip of the Rhondda at the foot of the Garth mountain. I do think landscape can shape music quite a lot, and especially instrumental music. I think my own compositions have something of a folk horror element to them,which seems to me to reflect the overgrown, dark and witchy woods that I recall exploring quite a bit when I was growing up. I think perhaps that lends it somewhat more of the enclosed and gothic mood, as opposed to a more open and pastoral scene that you often hear in guitar songs.

Q: Your going on a UK tour this week, are you ready?

Gwenifer: Yeah I think so. It's been a while since playing a lot of shows on the trot, but I'm excited to be getting back to it. I find when I play the same set over a string of nights the music tends to find itself and evolve a little, so it's often where songs really find their feet. Given that I've not really toured this album properly, and a number of those tracks had never been gigged prior to recording it, it'll be really interesting to hear what happens to them. Q: How will you select songs for your live set?

Gwenifer: I usually choose my sets pretty selfishly along the lines of what I want to play. Invariably it'll be mostly the newest stuff with a few older tracks thrown in. Of course I try to pick tracks that will give the set as a whole a natural and engaging pace and dynamic. The big caveat to all of  this of course is tuning: I play in a number of different guitar tunings, and nothing stops a set in its tracks more than spending five minutes tuning your guitar - of course this is unavoidable, but I do try to group tunes together in order to minimise it. Q: Your latest Album is 'Strange Lights......' where and how was it recorded?

Gwenifer: This was recorded in isolation in my basement flat in central Brighton. I was booked in to record in a studio, but of course COVID put a stop to that- so instead I dropped the money I would have spent on the studio on some new mic’s and recorded it myself. I actually did it over a week's worth of evenings (whilst working my day job remotely from home during the day),recording a song or two per night. I spent the following week mixing, so it all came together pretty quickly in the end. Q: Do you have any tips and tricks for the avid home recording artist?

Gwenifer: Learn your neighbours' laundry schedule so you can avoid the rumbling of their washing machine. Beyond that, yeah just find the quietest and most comfortable spot you can in your home, invest in as decent a microphone as you can reasonably afford and just spend time playing with it; placement etc. Also, obviously most people don't have a fully audio-treated room to record in, but you can do a lot by hanging duvets etc. around you in order to absorb reflections. It's just practice really, training your ears to recognise what sounds good,what doesn't and what minor adjustments can be made to turn one into the other.

Q: In your own words how would you describe the music you produce?

Gwenifer: I guess it's just solo compositional guitar, with a gothic folk edge and twinges of early American blues, heavily informed by the alternating thumb technique predominantly used by early folk and Delta blues guitarist players. Q: Do you have any new music in the pipeline?

Gwenifer: I always do, but I'm a very slow writer. I live with a piece a long time before I consider it 'done'. Right now that's as true as ever and I'm working on some stuff which I may even start slipping into sets on upcoming tours. Q: What is your biggest inspiration for writing and staying creatively focused?

Gwenifer: It's listening to other music I suppose - any other sort of music really.To be honest I don't listen to a lot of solo guitar these days so I tend to be inspired by music completely unlike my own. I'm not sure if I'm creatively 'focused' exactly. Perhaps more creatively unfocused but ever so often a song falls out. I don't think there's a solid or consistent methodology that can be relied on for this sort of thing, it's whatever the little devil on your shoulder convinces you to do.

Just about anybody with an interest in the new school of American primitive will tell you that Welsh guitarist Gwenifer Raymond is one of its most promising proponents. “I’ve been blown away by Gwenifer Raymond,” says Jeff Conklin. 

Josh Rosenthal agrees: “She’s just a fascinating person—a great example of somebody taking the raw elements [of the style] and making them more personal.” - BandCamp Daily  

"Its intricate folk melody is Welsh and Celtic in style but American Old West in practice. The rhythmic patterns mimic the swift dynamics of a fiddle with a country twang. Western music was originally influenced by traditional folk music from England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland; Raymond’s seamless crossover grows from these historically intersecting roots." - Stereogum   

UK TOUR DATES 

August 27 - Ara Deg Festival – Bangor 

September 03 – Larmer Tree Festival – Dorset 

September 04 – Maverick Festival – Suffolk 

September 07 – Cathedral Quarter Arts Festival – Belfast 

September 11 – Down At The Abbey Festival – Reading 

September 18 – The Castle Hotel – Manchester 

September 19 – The Continental – Preston 

September 20 – The Musician – Leicester 

September 21 – The Crescent – York 

September 22 – Brudenell Social Club – Leeds 

September 23 – The Old Cinema Launderette – Durham 

September 24 – Café #9 – Sheffield 

October 29 – Toy Museum – Brighton 

November 12 – King’s Place London Jazz Festival 

November 13 – The Wight Bear – Bournemouth 

November 14 – MAST – Southampton   

Watch: Sometimes There's Blood 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PfLJvXNeY-M 

Bleeding Finger Blues 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1pAm0uqkXAI  

Full web & label links Weblinks*  

https://www.facebook.com/gweniferraymondmusic/

https://gweniferraymond.com/

[okmslauren]

taken care of-- p.l. dubois

Your heels clacked against the tile, and the empty echo of the hallway matched your energy as you trudged toward your apartment door. An extra mishap at work meant you left two hours past closing time, and you were ready to kick off your shoes and immediately collapse on the couch with a large glass of wine to soothe your headache. Maybe your roommate would be down to order pizza... your stomach liked that idea, by the sound of it. 

You couldn’t help but flit your glance to the apartment two doors down as you walked past. At this point, it was a habit — a sad, depraved habit. Behind that door lived a man with whom you were absolutely hopelessly in like, and with whom you also had absolutely no chance. 

Pierre-Luc Dubois, wunderkind of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and his roommate Josh Anderson, were the first ones to run into you when you moved into the building. You remembered it with startling clarity, even though you were no hockey fan before meeting them. Your roommate hadn’t planned on moving in for another two weeks, so you were handling the boxes all on your own that day. At some point between the kitchen gadgets and your winter coats, the two had stuck their heads out of their doorway in curiosity (probably from all your frustrated swearing): 

“You look like you need some help.”

Immediately you were drawn to the younger of the two, with his kind face and sparkling eyes, and he offered to carry the box you were nearly dropping so you could open your apartment door. One look at his stunning biceps and of course you accepted. He then proceeded to make ten more trips up and down the elevator with Josh in tow, doing most of the work for you. It wasn’t every day you could get two professional athletes to do manual labor for you and you were determined to make the most of it. You chatted in between trips, and his easy-going personality and witty joy had you wishing he could just stay forever after your bribe of pizza was demolished and you faced the daunting task of unpacking and organizing solo. 

“If you ever need any more boxes carried, just knock at 2B,” Pierre said, his crooked grin charming you, until you realized your heart was most definitely in trouble.

In the months following, you and your roommate had taken to the two teammates, especially when you found out they were hopeless when it came to cooking for themselves. Many a time you arrived home to the two men lounging at your bar counter, chirping your roommate as she made dinner. They had even gotten you tickets to a few home games as a thank you, along with jerseys to wear. 

Your roommate chose Josh’s suspiciously fast, but you let it slide as you knew all along whose name you wanted across your back.

Regardless of how close you were, or how good of friends you had become with Pierre, you knew you didn’t stand a chance — not when the few times you went out to the bars together he was immediately swarmed by beautiful girls who gave him all the attention he could drink in. You would gladly perch on your bar stool and watch from afar, even if it felt like someone was sticking pins in your chest. You could play the friend role as long as it meant you could keep him in your life. 

Twisting your key in the lock and stepping into your apartment, you could immediately feel the energy was off. The only light came from above the stove, but you knew your roommate should have been home at this time of night. You took a few tentative steps inside, dodging the pair of men’s tennis shoes near the rug. Hmm...

You went to the kitchen to grab a soda from the fridge when you saw someone’s keys on the counter. Looking closer, you recognized them as Josh’s, with its cheesily endearing photo keychain of his family you had teased him about endlessly. Something wasn’t adding up, but then you heard the noises. 

Muffled moans and giggles echoed from the hallway that led to your and your roommate’s rooms, and immediately the pieces assembled in your brain, sounding the alert that you should not be here and you needed to leave as soon as possible. The last thing you needed on this day (or any day) was to hear your roommate and your friend having sex, so you booked it as quietly as possible to your room, hastily grabbing a pair of sweats and a t-shirt, your phone charger, and your book. Then it was right back out the front door and you found yourself standing at Pierre’s door and knocking.

“Hi, I need to come in right now.” Your words tumbled out in a rush, still just a bit traumatized that you had walked in on your roommate and your neighbor getting it on and you wanted to stop thinking about it immediately.

Of course Pierre looked absolutely devastating leaning against the doorframe, even with the bemused expression on his face. “You know you’re welcome anytime, but I’m gonna need an explanation.” 

“I will as soon as I’m in these sweatpants and we have ordered food,” you offered, and his toothy smile invited you inside without another question. 

His apartment was always surprisingly tidy for two men living there, and you dropped your other things on the counter. “How does pizza sound?” Pierre asks, typing into his phone and looking at you. “It’s my cheat day.” He winks and you suddenly feel a bit parched, soda forgotten in your fridge down the hall. 

“Sounds perfect,” you rasp, and collect the articles you brought to change into. Your work clothes were not remotely comfortable, but Pierre’s eyes raked over you as you finally kicked the heels off your feet and you couldn’t help but feel a bit regretful that you were going to look like a bum in a matter of five minutes. 

In the bathroom, however, you ran into a bit of a conundrum. Your sweats and t-shirt were perfectly fine, but you forgot to grab a more comfortable bra. You would rather die than wear your work bra another minute, but you also didn’t want to give this man too much of a show. After some internal debate, you sucked it up and came shuffling back into the kitchen with a plan and your arms crossed.

“Hey Luc, can I borrow a hoodie?” You asked, and he eyed your arms suspiciously, like he knew exactly what you were trying to hide. You shifted uncomfortably as he retreated to his room, and then tried to hide your glee as he handed over your favorite hoodie of his, an old CBJ one he received when he’d first arrived in Columbus. He’d worn it the day you met, and you always had a soft spot for the faded navy and red colors.

You didn’t waste any time before pulling it over your head. It smelled delicious, a mixture of cologne and a scent that was just... Pierre. You buried your nose in it, and said man just smiled gently, coming over to push the hood back from your face. He tugged on the strings playfully and you stuck your tongue out, trying desperately to ignore the way your heartbeat was trying to escape your chest. 

“Alright, spill,” Pierre demanded, tugging you over to the sectional and muting the television, so now a silent coverage of some golf tourney cast colored shadows on your faces. “Not that I don’t enjoy the unexpected visit, but…”

You sighed. “Do you know where Josh is right now?” You questioned, fiddling with the sleeves that dwarfed your hands. Pierre’s eyebrows knit in confusion.

“No...” He said slowly. “He just said he was going out, that was a couple hours ago.”

“Well, he didn’t exactly make it out, because he is at my apartment. With my roommate,” you stated matter-of-factly. It took him a minute before you watched the realization wash over his expression and his cheeks tinged pink. 

“So they’re-” 

“Yep.”

“Right now?”

“Uh huh.”

“And you... heard them?”

“Unfortunately.”

His eyes went comically wide and the two of you sat in a thoughtful silence before bursting in a fit of giggles. Who knew how long the two of them had been sneaking around and now they had absolutely no deniability. Pierre’s large hand came to rest heavily on your leg, and as your laughter died down you couldn’t help but fixate on the warmth on your thigh and the broad forearm leading your gaze up to his smiling face.

“Oh, I can’t wait to tell the boys about this, this is too good,” he smirked, tugging you into his side and grabbing the remote. He changed it to a random cooking show and you allowed yourself to snuggle into him, just this once.

It was a rare luxury to be alone with Pierre. Though you knew the close physical proximity would only lead your heart on, the feel of his body against yours and the safety his arms brought was worth it, even for only a few hours. It didn't take long for your attention to be drawn away from Guy Fieri trying new restaurants and up to his face. His muscles were relaxed, eyes half-lidded, and a lazy grin peeked out as the man on TV said something outrageous. He was so beautiful, and you wished it wouldn't be weird to tell him that. 

Eventually he noticed your gaze and looked down at you, amused. Your cheeks flushed, suddenly too aware of his focus all on you and you had to tear your eyes from his visage back to the television. 

“So while you were in the bathroom I ordered pizza from that place down the block,” Pierre said, breaking the silence. It felt volumes too loud in the quiet, but you hummed in response. “Sausage, bacon and pepperoni with green peppers- that’s your order, right?”

“You nailed it!” you exclaimed, tapping his chest gently and grinning. It meant a ridiculously huge amount that he remembered some silly little detail about you, and you felt like the Grinch with your heart growing like this. “You’re taking care of me better than my roommate ever does.”

“What?!” Pierre almost sounded angry on your behalf in his fake indignation. “What is she doing to you over there, you deserve to be treated like a queen!”

“I don’t know, but not what she’s doing now.”

If there were record scratches in real life and not just on your favorite sitcom, there would have been one echoing through the room as you both froze. Guy just kept going on about some sandwich on the screen, and it was all you could to not slide right off the couch in a gooey puddle of regret. You did not need to discuss your sex life or lack thereof with Pierre. 

Coughing awkwardly you both decidedly kept facing forward at the television, but you were so mortifying your eyes glazed over. You couldn’t help but start overanalyzing the last thirty seconds of conversation: the joy of Pierre remembering your favorite pizza, the flushed secret enjoyment of him saying you deserve the best treatment, the absolute embarrassment of admitting your recent sexual exploits were dryer than the Sahara-

“I still can’t believe those two,” Pierre extrapolated again, gesturing wildly with his hands. “Who knows how long they’ve been fucking without even telling us!” You had never felt more relieved for a change in subject and you were going to cling to it for dear life.

“I know right? They are so sneaky, although knowing you and Josh, he was probably afraid of whatever shitstorm you’re going to start with the rest of the team.” You threw him a knowing look, and to his credit, he had the decency to look bashful. 

“But whatever,” you continued breezily. “At least some of us are getting some.” Again, you didn’t know why your filter was just non-existent this evening. Pierre turned and looked at you, a curiously neutral expression meeting your tomato-red face. 

“Are you telling me you’re not being taken care of like you deserve?” He said, pulling his arm away and turning his large body to completely face you. You were trapped; there was no getting out of this conversation now.

“I mean,” you hemmed and hawed, trying to buy yourself time to avoid looking like more of a lovestruck idiot. “It’s been a while since I’ve been with someone. While I haven’t really been looking, you start to miss it, you know?” Your sweater paws were suddenly extremely interesting in your lap until Pierre called your name softly. He smiled gently down at you, and you felt so exposed but you couldn’t tear away from his eyes. 

“Can I...can I take care of you? Like you deserve?” He asked, hand weighing your knee down on the couch and you thought you were almost hearing things. “But,” he continued. “I don’t want this to be a one time thing. I really like you and honestly I was too scared to say anything, but you deserve the best and I want to be the one to give you that.” 

You thought you might float right through the ceiling at his admission. The man of your dreams actually liking you back? Is this an alternate dimension? You couldn’t wipe the smile off your face if you tried.

“I mean, you already know my favorite kind of pizza so you’re batting a thousand so far,” you smirked, and a relieved grin to match yours washed across his face. 

“I’m gonna kiss you now.” His other hand came up to your cheek, and the moment your lips met, it just felt right. It felt like home. As his lips caressed yours, you wander your hands up his toned arms and around his shoulders, tightening as he nibbled along your bottom lip. You always imagined what kissing Pierre would be like, but of course reality is infinity times better. You wanted to forever ingrain the feeling of his large hands at your waist and his stubble brushing across your chin in your mind, to fuel your fantasies for the next year at least.

Pierre suddenly drew you into his lap, a squeak from you followed by a giggle from him interjecting the relative silence. “Let me take care of you,” he whispered again, licking his lips and looking up at you with a fire you had only seen before on the ice. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t intrigued.

“How long until the pizza comes?” You half-teased, running your nails through the hairs on the back of his neck. Pierre groaned, but an irresistible smirk cresting on his lips knowing he had you.

“We’ve got plenty of time, don’t you worry.”

a/n: hope you enjoyed this! pld is quickly becoming one of my faves. let me know what you think and who I should write for next!

[dustedmagazine]

The Fruit Bats — The Pet Parade (Merge Records)

Photo by Annie Beedy

The Pet Parade by Fruit Bats

Pet Parade was made in pieces and assembled on site, like a complicated kind of IKEA furnishing. Eric Johnson, fresh off winning a couple of Grammys for his lovely Bonny Light Horseman project with Anais Mitchell and Josh Kaufman, had written a batch of songs when the pandemic hit. Recording in person with likeminded souls—Kaufman on a slew of instruments, drummers Matt Barrick, Joe Russo and Brian Cantor, Jim Becker from Califone on fiddle—was no longer possible. Instead, the players worked remotely, sent in files and Johnson and Kaufman fit them together. All of which makes it even more remarkable how effortless and streamlined this album sounds, how its sounds swirl around the listener like warm currents, and how carefully Johnson kept the balance between letting the songs speak for themselves and enveloping them in luminous arrangements.

The music has a pandemic-like bemusement, as Johnson contemplates the way the world has changed. The album’s very first words, from the title track, emerge out of a mesh of slow strumming, “Hello from in here to all you out there/it feels like it’s been years.” Indeed. But as the song gets going, it picks up heft in luminous, shifting layers—arcs and shivers of plaintive slide, whirling waltz-time percussion, bloops and bumps of bass, the handspun country swagger of Becker on violin. Johnson is in particularly good voice on this opening track, his high reedy tenor sounding full and true and resonant with none of the nasal strain that sometimes bedevils him. And, maybe it’s the 3/4 time, but the song seems to circle, moving but not going anywhere in particular. Johnson finds a still, serene stasis in a music that spread out from the center rather than plunging ahead.

“Holy Rose” has more of a swagger, Johnson rolling out the melody like an old gospel tune. Big thundering bars of distorted electric guitar bang out the shape of the song, while torrid runs of blues notes erupt from this foundation. It’s the most forceful song on the disc, the one that would undoubtedly get the people swaying at the live show, if there were a live show. Maybe there will be one day.

Still to my ears, the prettiest moments come in “Gullwing Doors,” a paean to the beauty of high end sports cars which is, itself, as sleek and aerodynamic as the vehicles it wonders at. It’s a road song, romanticizing the rush of rural scenery, the darkening skies, the stray bits of literature heard in books on tape, and of course, it’s also metaphorically about other types of journeys as well. But there’s something about the way that Johnson croons, “And anyone’s heart can open up/Open up like gull wing doors,” that distills a certain kind of 70-miles-an-hour longing, as if the road could take us somewhere different, somewhere free and self-determined and meaningful. Perhaps this summer or fall or sometime in the future, we’ll get back on that road, but for now, Pet Parade is a comfort.

  Jennifer Kelly  

[thinkaboutdobrik]

First Kiss → David Dobrik

Requested by Anon: After a few weeks of meeting the reader (usc student?) and she’s hanging w the vs and slowly people go home until it’s just them and they end up talking all night and after a couple weeks of casually hanging and making excuses to see each other he tells her he likes her it’s Readers first kiss ever and David’s really sweet and understands her qualms about moving too fast and it’s just fluffffyyyyyyyy :)) love your work smmmm❤️❤️

a/n: i hope you like it! I switched it up a little bit, but not much. This was sooooo fun to write. thank you for requesting, dear anon. <3

-

It was finally friday night and you were hanging out at Davids house after he invited you to hang out with everybody, which you gladly accepted after being being exhausted from all the stuff you had been doing the past week.

Hanging out with him and the rest of the group was always fun. You felt so lucky to know them and enjoyed every single second spent with them. They were your best friends, and honestly, the best of friends you had ever had.

"We gotta get going. Trisha has an early glam session in the morning." Jason announced and turned his wrist to look at the time.

“K, see ya.” David replied before they headed out the door.

You, David, Josh and Jonah were laying on the couch. The muffled sound of a tv series you previously had been watching played in the background as you and the guys were chitchatting.

You laid on your side, cuddled up next to David with one hand on his chest and one leg tossed over him. He was laying on his back, relaxing as he held your hand on his chest, rubbing small circles with his thumb. His other hand was wrapped around your neck, allowing you to rest your head on it, as he played with your hair.

"I'm gonna fall asleeep.." you mumbled into David's sweater, feeling his fingers moving up and down your scalp.

David chuckled and smiled. "You could just stay the night if you want."

You closed your eyes and smiled. "I'd love that."

Your eyes closed slowly, making your eyelids feel heavier by the second. Unable to keep your eyes open, you felt yourself falling asleep to David's heartbeat and his slow, relaxed breathing as you felt his warm hand on top of yours.

Falling asleep next to David always made the best sleeping spot. You felt safe next to him. Calm. Loved.

You and David had gotten along very well recently. He had been texting you alot and made random phonecalls here and there whenever he could just to chat with you. Most of the time you’d end up talking for hours on the phone. He’d often call you at night just to ask about your day, which resulted in falling asleep to his voice everytime. He was always caring, doing whatever he could to make you feel better.  Whenever you had your down days he'd be the first you'd reach out to

It worked both ways. Whenever he was exhausted from all of his work, he’d often end up at your place. Your place was calm and quiet allowing him to really focus on his editing when he needed to. You didn’t mind. You always offered to help, whether it was with the editing or running out for a snack. It wasn’t rare that he ended up crashing at your place. You shared beds, and he'd always curl up to you to cuddle you at night.

This wasn’t new to his friends either. Everybody knew you and David had a thing going on. Both of you cared immensily for eachother and it showed. It showed whenever the two of you were away from eachother. It showed when you hadn't seen eachother in a while. And it showed when you finally got together.

"Hey.." you felt somebody stroking your shoulder. Slowly and carefully you opened up your eyes only to be blinded by the lights coming from the ceiling.

“Wake up.” the voice whispered.

After allowing your eyes to adjust to the sudden brightness they were focused on David’s big brown eyes looking at you.

“Everybody left. Do you wanna just sleep here on the couch, or do you wanna get in bed?” David asked as he sat down next to where you were laying on the couch.

You rubbed your eyes before stretching your arms out as far as you could as you let out a big groan from waking up your body. You were laying on the couch, surrounded by pillows, with a fuzzy blanket that had been thrown over you after you fell asleep.

“Wait, everybody left? When?” you asked in confusion as you sat yourself up.

“Yeah, after Jason and Trisha left Josh left after, like, half an hour, and Jonah just walked out the door.” he explained as he gazed into your tired eyes.

“Oh...” you shrugged. “Well, that sucks 'cuz now I’m not even tired anymore.” you complained and threw your hands in the air.

David let out a small chuckle and ran a hand through his hair.

“Wanna watch a movie or something? Or are you going to sleep?” you asked, now wide awake after your nap. You looked at the time. 01:32 am.

Guessing from the big smile that fell onto David’s face at your suggestion, you figured it wasn’t too late to watch a movie. David was always down to watch a movie. Your iconic comments every now and then, the way you laughed, the way you would curl up to David whenever you watched a scary movie - those were only a few reasons as to why David loved spending time with you, and only you.

Being able to crash at David’s house whenever you felt like it was the best. Not only were you able to show up at the house, unannounced, without him or Natalie caring too much about it, you and David had developed a special relationship. After a few weeks of being around eachother, whether it was during the day time for some filming or randomly showing up at eachothers doorstep in the middle of the night just because you missed eachothers company, a spark had developed between the two of you. You loved being around David, and him you.

“Okay,” David sang as he crashed onto the couch next to you, bringing two bottles of water along with him. “What are we feeling?” he asked, picking up the remote control to scroll trough the different genres on Netflix.

“I don’t know. Comedy?” you suggested.

David started scrolling through several different movie titles, naming a few of them and shrugging. “Grown Ups?” he asked as the title appeared on the screen.

“Ahh, yes. The iconic Grown Ups. I love that movie!” you cheered.

He pressed play and scooted closer to you, shimmying his way under the blanket that covered your body and sunk down into the couch as he rested his head on your shoulders.

“I’m super comfy now.” he smiled. You smiled in return and rested your head lightly on top of his as the TV screen lit up, starting the intro to the movie.

Half an hour passed filled with giggles and silly comments from the two of you. David was now sitting upright on the couch and his hand was draped around your shoulders as you were leaning your full body weight on his side, cuddling up to him, sharing bodyheat underneath the fuzzy blanket.

You felt your eyes drooping down again, lids getting heavier as your were rested up against his chest. A light nudge to your side sent a small wave of shock through your body. “Hey, don’t fall asleep again.” David whispered as he looked down at you.

“I’m not.” you whispered, peering your eyes at the screen.

You felt David’s gaze still on you and turned your head to look up at him.

“Thanks for always being so... nice.” he complimented as your eyes landed on his.

You smiled at him with a slight quizzical expression on your face at his random compliment.

“Y-yeah, you’re welcome?” you chuckled.

“No, but like, you’re by far one of the best people in our friend group.” David assured you.

Your eyes widened as you raised your eyebrows and smiled at him.

“I mean.. you’re so sweet, a-and so kind and just... so great. And I love being around you. You always make my day ten times better, no matter what.” he continued.

His gaze fell down to your lips, looking at them for a few seconds before landing back on to your eyes.

“Thank you, David. That’s really sweet. I love being around you, too.” you smiled, eyes no where near focusing on the movie.

“This might be very random, but I just have to say it. I really like you. Like, I really, really like you, Y/N. And not just as a friend. I mean, I-I like you as a friend too, but.... I don’t know.” he sighed. “You make me feel things nobody else makes me feel.” David confessed shyly, stuttering at almost every sentence, trying to use the right words.

You pulled away from him, sitting more up right, and smiled at him as you felt your cheeks blush. Looking at eachother for many seconds without saying anything you felt your heart beat a little faster, many thoughts running through your head. You leaned forward, eyes still glued to David’s. “I like you too, Dave.” you whispered.

“Would it be weird if I kissed you right now?” David asked while fiddling his thumbs, shocked at his own words.

You let out a small sigh as your eyes darted from David to your hand resting on top of David’s thigh. “I- uh..” you stuttered.

He furrowed his eyebrows as his face turned into confusion, unsure if he had made the right move or not. “Sorry, I-I shouldn’t have. I’m sorry. Forget I asked-” he stuttered.

“No, no. I’ts not that.” you quickly said, placing your hand on his chest. “It’s just that.. You want to be my first kiss?”

“Your first?” David asked in confusion. “Your first kiss? You’ve never kissed anyone before?” he smiled at you as a small giggle escaped from his mouth.

You felt your cheeks blush again and smiled into your palms that were covering your face as you shook your head.

“It’s okay. I just thought I’d ask. We don’t have to do it. Just forget I asked.” he assured you and smiled before returning back to the TV.

“No..” you firmly said. You boldly looked up at David who had turned his face towards the TV again, and placed your palm on his cheek to turn it towards you. “I want to do it.”

David’s eyes widened and a big smile fell onto his lips. He placed both his hands on your cheeks, cupping them. His warm hands felt good against your flushed cheeks as you looked into his beautiful brown eyes. He leaned forward, his nose barely touching yours, as he smiled into your eyes. His eyes wandered from yours and down to your lips as he licked his. Your heart was beating faster by the secound, almost skipping a beat even as you felt a swarm of butterflies in your stomach. Finally, he pulled you closer and placed a soft, warm, loving kiss on your lips. A spark sent shivers up and down your spine as you smiled happily into the kiss.

The kiss lasted a few seconds before David pulled away to look at you, smiling widely from ear to ear. “How was that?” he asked excitedly to hear your response, but more excited knowing he was your first kiss.

“Good.” you smiled and giggled as you looked at him.

You turned back to watch the movie, returning back to the cuddle position you were previously in. You rested your hand on David’s chest before looking up at him, smiling. “I really, really like you, too, Dave.”

[counttotwenty]

TWW Fantasy Season 8:17 Like Being Pecked to Death by a Duck (Teaser)

Title: TWW Fantasy Eight-18 Episodes of a JD-centric season Episode: 8.17-Like Being Pecked To Death By A Duck Author: Shelley Rating: Young Adult Disclaimer: TWW is owned by WB. Lucky them. Author's Notes. Thanks to all of you who have been reading this season and letting me/us know what you think. You guys are the best!! This has been a really fun ride. I'm especially grateful for your patience when real life got in the way of fic life deadlines. Thanks to all the other Fantasy Eight authors for their help and encouragement. Special thanks to Liza for the fantastic beta job on this ep and her generosity all season long in sharing storyline ideas. All her suggestions made this ep better and any problems still remaining are all mine. And now, without further ado... Like Being Pecked to Death by a Duck Teaser Interior-Chief of Staff's Office Wednesday afternoon 2PM

As if she had some special sense of exactly when she was needed, or perhaps because she'd been eavesdropping at the door, Margaret appeared, steno pad in hand, before Josh had a chance to bellow for her. "How do you do that," he asked incredulously as he loosened his tie and tossed two folders onto the pile of things on the corner of his desk that Margaret needed to file. "It's a gift." "It's creepy." "I wouldn't need to do it if you'd learn to use the intercom." "Yeah," Josh tilted his head to the side, "but we both know that's not likely." "I live in hope," Margaret deadpanned as she picked up the files and tucked them under her arm. "Could you please tell Sam I need to see him right away and ask Ronna to let me know as soon as the President gets back from Miranda's Christmas pageant." "Consider it done. Anything else?" "Yeah." Josh tapped his pencil on the desk as he thought. "I need to know if the Russian and Chinese Ambassadors are in town and I need Arnold Vinick on the phone as soon as possible. He's speaking at a dinner in London. Don't pull him out, just make sure he checks in with me immediately after." "Anything else?" "That should do it. Thanks." Margaret turned to leave, still making notes on her pad as she walked, and stumbled directly into Sam who was entering from her office. "Whoa there," he said with a bemused smile as he grabbed her elbows to steady her. "I was just going to call you," Margaret said as she collected herself. "Josh needs to see you." She looked over her shoulder at her boss. "I guess Sam has a gift too." "Don't you have things to do," Josh asked with mock annoyance. Margaret smirked at him and made her way to her desk. "What do you need?" Sam asked. Josh removed his jacket, tossing it haphazardly across the room in the direction of the sofa, and pushed up his sleeves looking for all the world like a man whose relatively quiet day was taking a turn for the worse. "I just got a call from Watkins at State. There was an explosion in an elections office in Kazakhstan." "What kind of explosion?" Sam was immediately concerned. "We don't know yet. We've got people on the way to the site." "Any chance it was just an accident," Sam asked hopefully. "There's always a chance." "But if it's a thing..." "It'll be a big one," Josh sighed. "The new elections are set for January. We can't afford a setback this late in the game. Start working every contact we have. Find out if there have been any threats floating around we may have missed. Check out all the usual suspects who might have an interest in the peace process failing. If this whole thing is gonna start to unravel I don't wanna be blindsided." "I'll get right on it," Sam said. "It's 1am there. We're probably not gonna know anything definite till we get a chance to look at hings in the daylight but let's be as prepared as we can be." "Could be a late night," Sam pointed out. "Looks that way. Is that a problem?" "Not for me." "No plans?" Josh asked. He knew Sam was still hurting from the breakup with Lauren. He and Donna had had Sam over for dinner a couple of times but Josh had no idea what his deputy was doing with the rest of his free time. Josh hoped he wasn't burying himself in work as an escape. "Not really. You?" "Well...actually..." Josh fiddled nervously with his paperweight, his eyes falling a picture of him and Donna at the McBain's clambake. "What?" Sam asked, intrigued by Josh's reaction. "If I get out of here at a decent time tonight I think I'm gonna...I mean I think I might... "What?!" Josh looked up at Sam and his face broke into a full dimpled smile. "Ask Donna to marry me." "Are you serious?!" Sam asked excitedly, his face lighting up like a Christmas tree. "Congratulations, buddy!" "I have to do it soon, Sam," Josh said earnestly. "The ring is burning a hole in my pocket." "That's great!" Sam was truly happy for both of them. "Where are you taking her?" "Taking her?" The look on Josh's face changed to mild panic. "I wasn't planning on taking her anywhere. I thought I'd do it at our place." "On a random Wednesday?" Sam crinkled his nose. "Is that bad?" "Well, not bad necessarily bad," Sam tried to find the right words. "Just kind of...ordinary." "And ordinary is bad." It was more of a statement than a question. "You only get one chance to do this right, you want to make it special." Sam hesitated. "Well, YOU only get one chance, I'm taking a few practice swings." "I'm sorry, Sam. I know this is probably the last thing you want to talk about right now." "No, it's fine. Really. I'm just saying....doesn't Donna deserve something really special?" "She's getting me," Josh smirked. Sam rolled his eyes. "I mean proposal-wise." "I guess so," Josh was trying to figure out how the plan which seemed so good this morning in the shower had managed to fall apart so fast. "I mean definitely. Yes. Absolutely." "You know what you need? The great outdoors. The magic and wonder of nature." Sam's face brightened as inspiration struck. "I know. You need to wait till the cherry blossoms are in bloom." "Sa-am," Josh whined, "that'll be months. I don't want to wait months." "Wait months for what?" Matt Santos asked as he entered through the door connecting to the Oval.

"Ronna said you needed to see me." Josh scrambled to his feet but Matt waved him off. "How was Miranda's pageant, Sir," Sam asked. "It was absolutely beautiful. Miranda was by far the best angel, or elf, or whatever it is she was supposed to be. Though keep in mind I may be biased." "I wish I'd been there," Sam said, secure in the knowledge he'd already dodged that particular bullet. "Well then it's lucky for you Helen had one of her staffers record the whole thing. You just may get to see it after all. It'll be like movie night only with home videos instead." Matt's eyes twinkled. He was realistic enough to know Sam was only being polite with his comments and really had no desire to see an elementary school pageant. He just couldn't help playing with his staffers a little from time to time. "Can't wait, Sir," Sam said with a half smile. "So...Ronna said you needed to see me?" "There was an explosion at an elections office in Aktobe," Josh said. "We don't have any details yet. We have people on the way but it's the middle of the night there so we may not have anything concrete till the sun comes up." "I don't like the sound of that," Matt replied uneasily. "We're too close to have this all fall apart now. Any reaction from Russia or China yet?" "Not so far. We're getting a location on their Ambassadors so we can pull them in if needed. I think maybe you should make a few pre-emptive phone calls just to try to keep everyone calm till we find out exactly what's going on." "Good idea." "I'm gonna get Secretary Vinick working the phones too," Josh added. "As soon as he gets off the dais in London." "How did that go," Matt asked. "I know he wasn't looking forward to two days of meetings with Humphries capped off by a rubber chicken dinner." "We haven't heard anything yet but I'll ask him when he calls in." "Good. I'll get Ronna to place those calls." Matt took a few steps back towards the Oval then turned to face Josh again. "You never answered my question. What don't you want to wait months for?" "To propose to Donna," Sam offered helpfully. "He's thinking about doing it tonight. Over dinner. At home. Their home." Sam shook his head in disbelief. "Really?" Matt asked incredulously. "You don't think you need a little...more?" "Like what?" Josh's asked almost desperately. "I've been trying to figure this out for weeks and it's starting to make me crazy." "Women like grand gestures," Matt said assuredly. "They like pomp and circumstance." "Really? Because Sam thinks they like cherry blossoms." "Turn on the TV!" Lou demanded as she barreled into Josh's office with Lester right behind her. It took her a few seconds to register that the President was standing there as well. "I'm sorry, Sir." "Don't worry about it," Matt smiled at her somewhat frazzled demeanor. "What's up," Josh asked as he grabbed the remote and flipped to CNN. He turned the sound up and heard the anchor talking about Arnold Vinick's London speech. "What was wrong with the speech?" Matt asked, eyes suddenly glued to the TV. "Nothing," Lou huffed. "It was what he said afterward, when he forgot his mic was hot." "What did he say?" Sam asked, almost afraid to hear the answer. "Listen for yourself," Lou said as the piece of tape she had seen just minutes earlier in her office began to run yet again. "Humphries wouldn't know an original idea if it bit him on the nose, the crotchety old coot." Arnold's voice rang out, every syllable enunciated with perfect clarity. "He called the British Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State....??" Matt could barely conceal his smile. "A crotchety old coot. Yes." Lou said. "We need to get him on the phone." "He's calling in as soon as he gets off the dais," Josh said as he watched the words play again right in front of his eyes. "How did this get on the air so fast?" "One of the military channels was carrying it live," Lester shrugged. "How do you want me to handle this at the 3pm briefing?" "Tell them the President has no comment till he talks to Secretary Vinick," Josh said. "Besides, we have bigger things to worry about. Get with Sam about an explosion at an elections office in Kazakhstan. We don't have many details and we don't want anyone panicking before we do." "Got it," Lester said. "Hey, Lou, you're a girl," the President said, his mind snapping back to what they had been discussing when Lou and Lester arrived. Lou arched an eyebrow. "Yes, I am." "If you were getting proposed to, would you want a little nature or some good old fashioned pomp and circumstance?" "Is this still about Josh?" Lou snorted then turned to smirk at the Chief of Staff. "You haven't managed to pop the question yet? Haven't you had the ring for like...months?" "It's been three weeks," Josh said defensively. "You've waited this long. You might as well wait another few days and do a Christmas Eve proposal," Lou shrugged. "Isn't that a little cliché-d?" Sam asked skeptically. "Definitely." The President nodded in agreement. "Why did you ask me if you didn't want to hear my opinion?" Lou huffed. "A little champagne, some chocolate covered strawberries..." "Donna's allergic to strawberries," Margaret said as she breezed into the now crowded office. "Ron Butterfield is here to see you." "We'll all clear out..." Sam started. "Actually it's probably better if you all stay." Ron said from the doorway. "You'll all need to hear this. Mr. President, an unidentified white powder was discovered twenty minutes ago at the post office sub-station that handles White House mail. We've locked the building down and we're testing the powder now. Preliminary results are negative for anthrax but it'll take several hours to get a handle on what the substance actually is. We need to confiscate all unopened mail, as well as any opened mail received within the last 48 hours, for testing." "Do you think.." Matt began worriedly. "Just a precaution," Ron replied calmly. "We'll bring in some air monitors and run some swab tests. We have no reason to believe the White House has been contaminated but we have to follow procedure." Just as Lester was about to ask if the press had the 'suspicious white powder' story yet the Breaking News logo appeared on the screen. "We have another piece of breaking news coming in to the CNN newsroom. A suspicious white powder...." "I think that's my cue to get back to work," Matt said as he headed for the Oval. "I haven't looked at the mail Ronna left on my desk this morning yet, Ron, so if you'd like to start with that..." "Yes, Sir," Ron said as he followed Matt into the Oval, closing the door behind him. "Lester," Josh said, "tell them we'll get them information as fast as we can. Everybody else.....back to work. Except Lou. I need you to stay for a minute." "If this is another proposal question so help me..." "It's not," Josh said, as the others filtered out. "What's the status on the State of the Union speech?" "Otto and I are working on it. It's a little slow going right now but we should have something on paper for you to look at by the end of the week." "Great. And can you help Lester out, make sure has everything he needs for the afternoon briefing? They're gonna be relentless with three things breaking at once." "I'm on it." "If we're lucky, we won't have anything else go wrong today." Just as the sentence was out of his moth the unmistakable sound of electrical equipment powering down filled the air. Josh's TV and computer went black as his desk lamp extinguished. "MARGARET!!" Smash Cut to Titles

[universal-kitty]

would it be possible to get a Watch_Dogs Wrench x nonbinary reader where they're going out and causing some havoc? explosions optional. many thanks~!

   Mmmm, delicious anarchy... Let’s cause some mayhem~!

   “You want to what?” You heard him just fine, but it doesn’t stop you from pretending like you didn’t, a grin slowly growing over your face. Wrench was known for his chaos- you loved it- but an actual invitation to hop on that explosive ride for the night? A rare opportunity from “Mister Works-Alone” and with such a rare offer...you had to ask again. Gotta make sure you’re not dreaming, right?

   “C’mon, baby... Don’t make me say it again,” he purrs, arms extending in his usual dramatic fashion. He’s in such a good mood and the knowledge of it makes you giddier than normal. That’s just Wrench, though; infectious.

   “Won’t you please~?” You flutter your lashes right back as his mask flickers into a playful, downward double slash before flicking back to carrots.

   “...You’re lucky that you’re the hottest thing since switchblades... As I said! I’m planning on ruining a few files with a virus Josh cooked up and then blowing up a new summer estate for some shitty rich dude up on the hills... Could be a fireworks show. Wanna join?” The low rumble of his voice at the end question had shivers rolling up your spine, suggestive in his playful way, and with the notion of waggling brows under the mask. (Some things you don’t need to see to know they’re happening.)

   A deep sigh from you, but a grin on your face regardless. “Well, I suppose I don’t have anything better to do... Give me a moment to grab my shit and let’s do this~” Wording it that way? Worth it for the offended down slashes it got you, laughing softly as you went to grab your stuff.

   “Who’s truck even is this?” You asked later, feet kicked up on the dash and eyeing the cushy interior. Definitely not Wrench’s, but did he own a ride or...?

   “Don’t know, don’t care!” Was his cheerful reply, weaving through traffic with a practiced hand that made you nervous and a little flustered. Something, something, adrenaline...and the pure fact that- even without seeing his face- Wrench was hot as hell. He’s a teasing shit, an annoyance, and with an anger that makes you cringe on occasion, but DAMN if he doesn’t know what he’s about, down from the distracting roll of tattoos on his arms, the anarchy tatt that bobs on his neck when he swallows, or the energetic way he moves.

   Wrench is a living distraction that’s only competed by his taste in music (which is as equally loud and distracting) and... Yeah, you still love it. Even as a song about....something blasts through. You haven’t been paying attention, but knowing Wrench, it’s either about dismantling the system, weird shit, or perversions. Maybe a mix of the two, any two.

   It makes you smile a bit, staring out the window to catch a glimpse of the moonlit bay as Wrench catches a glance at you- unseen- and his display momentarily flickers to hearts.

   You both left the house wheezing from laughter, stumbling to the truck in a rush. “H-Holy shit,” you whisper-yelled, wiping a tear from your eye. “The computer! Smoking!! How long do you think before the smoke alarm goes off?!”

   “I don’t know, but MAN I wish I could see his fa-” Wrench’s own whispers were cut off by blaring alarms and a muffled shout. You both choked on laughter, hopping into the truck and racing off, laughing into the night as some poor asshole now had to deal with his shit being fried to hell and back.

   That’s what you get for treating your employees like shit!

   Final stop, the framework of “some rich asshole’s” getaway. Such a shame...that DedSec is gonna bring up some just desserts for this one. You wanna be a shitty person in San Fran? DedSec coming after you! You don’t make money off the broken backs of the struggling middle and homeless population without getting cooked for it!!! And they’ve got all the fires and best seasoning...

   ...Fuck. Does this make any sense? Maybe.

   Anyways, you assisted in getting most of the security down while Wrench did a bit of his own work...and still did enough- just in time- to help out with rigging the explosives. Getting them placed and even getting a more...hands-on approach when it came to setting them up in a way that Wrench needed to blow this place sky-high.

   ...Safely, of course. Can’t exactly take down the powers that be and hurt the average citizen in the process. What would be the point, then??

   “Alright... We’re good. C’mon! We’ve gotta watch the show!” Who knows why Wrench thinks it’s important to whisper, but you shrug to yourself and follow him out, cautious the whole way to the truck, where he proceeds to drive off a little ways more and check something, fiddling with the remote.

   Remote detonation, the safest way to blow, as he said before...and then made it more perverted. Because that’s just how Wrench do.

   “Everything alright?”

   “Yeah, yeah,” he mumbles, looking down again before focusing on the road. “Just making sure it’s been set at the right time. Don’t want it to be too short or that could be a taaaad risky. Too long, and not only is it a little boring, but it might’ve gotten out of range... Just making sure things are good to go.” He hums pleasantly and you settle on it being a good sign, delighting quietly in the way your boots shake dirt onto the dash.

   Joyriding in a stolen car... It makes moments like this more delicious.

   The rise is perfect when you hop out of the truck, a perfect view of the in-progress mansion and what’s about to be the fireworks show of the century. Lighting up and blocking off a shithead if even for a few more years... Mm, glorious.

   “T-minus....4 minutes,” Wrench hums, checking his phone for the time, then clicking it off to flop his butt onto the grass. Watching him a moment, you hesitantly step over and flop down yourself, watching the opposing hill with sharp eyes.

   ...Man. It’s a shame nobody brought snacks. It’d be a good way to pass by some time with chips or maybe some candy and a drink... Classic popcorn, maybe? You snort at the thought of 3D glasses and a bowl of popcorn, drawing Wrench’s attention and the appearance of question marks on his mask.

   “What?”

   “Trying to imagine you wearing 3D glasses over your mask,” you admit, laying back. Quick thoughts of bugs rise up, but your wrists and shoulders would surely thank the lack of pressure on them. “Shoulda brought popcorn.”

   “....Damn,” he mutters, looking back to the hill, downward slashes appearing on his display. “You’re right... Ah, well. Too late now. I guess we could get Chinese after this, though.” You hum in thought, tilting your head a little.

   “...I guess?”

   “Never such thing as too much Chinese food!” He suddenly gives a firm pat to your stomach, making you squawk in alarm as he loses it laughing. Squinting at him with a huff, shaking your head...but a smile growing regardless.

   “You’re...sure something.”

   “Oh, I know. No need to compliment me,” he assures, double carrots flickering to a single tilde; a winking face. You shake your head again, groaning, but you’re still grinning. “See? You’re smiling! It’s proof!”

   “That is not pro-” Any further playful debate is put on pause as something starts beeping, Wrench’s display lighting up in double stars as he looks up to the hill, you shooting up to follow his gaze-

   --and watch that bitch not only light up like a bonfire, but for literal fireworks to shoot into the air.

   “....You glorious bastard,” you murmur, watching blues and whites and the whistling of fireworks blaze into the sky. It lasts a bit longer than the explosion does, as to be expected of fireworks, but by the time they simmer down and you can look away...your eyes meet the enchanted screen that is Wrench’s own vision.

   Heart eyes on display, softening your look.

   “...Hey.”

   “Huh- Yeah?” You lean over, watching the mask rapid fire through question marks, stars, the @ symbol, and hearts, until you very gently kiss the spikes of his mask. A start, at least. Another roll of the @ symbols, then settling back to hearts.

   “...Thanks.” The display flickers for a second, but ultimately doesn’t change, Wrench giving a shaky laugh in response, sounding a little breathless.

   “Heh, yeah, uh... No problem. Glad I could do this with ya...” He gets up slowly, shifting a little before he steadies himself and offers a hand to help you up. One you accept, smiling a little brighter at how much something so simply threw him off so much... “So... Chinese? Food? Yes, no, maybe so?”

   “Yeah,” you say through a laugh, beaming more when you notice his hand hasn’t quite let go of yours. “Let’s get some fuckin’ rice.”

[hey-its-ellice]

Josh Anderson- Heart-to-heart

Summary: Josh Anderson asks you out and his best friend gives you a little clarity and gets to see what you really think about love and relationships. But, Josh has always fought for what he loves....

A/n: Kinda angst-y and fluffy. 

Warnings: Sad Josh. Sad reader. Heart-to-heart stuff.

“I thought he was joking with me.” I mumble closing the cabinet door, a cookie hanging out of my mouth.

“Why would you think that?” Zack questions taking beers out of the fridge.

“I’m not the type of girl guys date” I reply grabbing a beer and popping the top off, rubbing the cookie crumbs on my jeans.

“What makes you say that?” He follows me to the couch.

“Have you met me? You know I can’t open up and be vulnerable.” I reply flopping onto the couch, beer in hand.

“Why not?” He questions mirroring my motions.

“Because I know better. I know what happens when you wear your heart on your sleeve.” I avert my eyes fiddling with the remote till the game is on.

“Oh Really, then please do tell, What happens?” He comments snarkily propping his feet up.

“It get torn to shreds and your left to pick up the pieces by yourself. And guess what it’s never gonna be the same. There will always be a shadow of a doubt about everyone. Because guess what you trusted the person that hurt you, so letting people in and letting people get close to you, it doesn’t happen.” I reply, my gaze locked on the hockey game.

“Not everyone is the same, Josh isn’t the same.” he says softly finishing his beer.

“Really? because everyone says that, they can all talk but they can’t keep there word. Everyone makes promises they can’t keep, and from my experience, that’s one of them.” I finally turn my head to look at him.

“Maybe you just need better people around you. People that care, like I don’t know...maybe Josh? Just for an example. He gave up guys night and even invited you to lunch with the guys. Hell he invited you to his Family cabin. He really cares.”

“I wish I could believe you.”

“You don’t have to believe me sweetheart, you need to believe in him.” He says patting my shoulder and getting up, heading for the kitchen.

“It’s not that I don’t trust him, heck it isn’t even cause I don’t want to date him.” I reply as I follow Zack into the kitchen grabbing us both anther beer.

“Then what is it?” He asks leaning against the counter beer bottle in hand, arms crossed over his chest.

“I-I.....you know what, forget I said anything, I already confided in you a little too much. I’m gonna head to bed. I’ll see you tomorrow.” I hurry upstairs, and quickly close my door, changing and getting into bed. I can’t fall asleep though all I can think about is Josh, about the butterfly's I get when he is around and how I can’t help but blush when he smiles at me or hugs me or- I sound like a damn teenager. 

I eventually fall asleep the last thing on my mind is Josh, his smile, his laugh, his sense of humor, his corny jokes, his-

I wake up in the middle of the night when the hall way light turns on and seeps under my door. 

5:10AM

“Well, guess I might as well stay up.” I mumble to myself sitting up, and scrolling through the news feed on my phone.

I hear the door creek open.

“Hey (Y/N) you awake?” I hear Josh whisper.

“Um- yeah.”

“Do you mind if we talk?” He asks as he cautiously steps into my room

“Go for it.” I shrug nervously.

“Is it alright if I turn on the light?” he asks motioning to my lamp.

“Y-yeah, that’s fine.” I stutter sitting up.

“So what do you wanna talk about?” I ask as he sits on the end of my bed by my feet, looking at his hand in his lap, his face covered by his hood.

“Why did you laugh when I asked you if you would go out with me?” He whispers, his shoulders slumped.

“I thought you were joking, but apparently not.” I mumble playing with my own hands.

“Zack told me that but, why would you think I was joking?” He questions, his gaze still not meeting mine, he sounds hurt and a part of my heart aches.

“I just thought you were.” I reply hoping he will just accept that answer.

“Please, give me a reason. Please just-... please tell me why. And if you want I promise I will leave you alone just please.” He whispers running a hand through his hair knocking his hood off in the process, his voice cracking I see a tear fall from his eye.

“Because you are way out of my league.” I mutter playing with my fingers.

“That’s not why. Please (y/n) just give me the truth, that’s all I want.” He begs, he shoot me a glace from the side of his eye though he quickly averts his attention back at his hands.

‘Fine. It’s because I would never be able to trust you and that is something a relationship needs.”

“what did I do to make you not trust me?” He asks the tears falling down his face, his eyes red, and his voice cracking.

“It’s not necessarily that I don’t trust you it’s just that, I don’t want to.” I attempt to explain, holding back my own tears. It ills me to see him like this.

“Why? why do you not want to trust me?” He asks his voice sounding croaky and laced in sadness.

“Will you please come up here?” I ask motioning to the spot beside me on the bed, I pull back the covers and wait as he slowly and cautiously makes his way to me. Once he is settled he slowly lays his head onto my stomach, like he did after a bad game. I start to run my fingers through his hair, rubbing his scalp.

“Please answer my question” he whispers, his hand resting lightly on my rib..

“Because everyone I have ever trusted has hurt me, and I don’t want you to hurt me too” I reply my own tears falling.

“I would never do that, please (Y/N) believe me.” He says his eyes sincere, as he is looking up his face falls even more.

“I didn’t mean to make you cry” he hurries out, his voice still croaky bu he quickly sits up and gently pulls me into his chest, his free hand gingerly wiping my tears.

“I-I am so so sorry I hurt you Josh I never meant to, I hate seeing you hurt,but still I-I just I don’t want to be hurt again.”

“Please for me just take a leap of faith, if this doesn’t work out I will never ask you about it again.” He promises.

“Okay, I will leap, but you have to too.”

“Deal, now is this the part where I kiss you or fall asleep holding you?” He asks cheekily, attempting to lighten the mood.

“Why not do both.” I reply as I lean up to kiss him, his hand cupping my cheek, the kiss soft and slow but so full of emotion. Josh breaks the kiss and reaches over and turns off the lamp, gently pulling me onto his chest, I fall asleep to the sound of his heartbeat, and with happiness filling my heart.