#SEACREST YOU ASSHOLE

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Keeping Up With The Camerons

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Keeping up with the Camerons

Episode 2 - A Helping Hand

Previous Episode Here

Episode transcript (/ means cut scene, bold italics means narrator, bold means host)

Word count: 13.5K

Shorter Episodes Here - 3K Words

//

Coming up!

/

“You just know they’re doing it”

/

“He’s a person like the rest of us. Ward just fails to realise it.”

/

“She’s a princess and he’s.. well.. the devil at his finest.”

/

“God just kiss already..”

/

“Your sister! Has been talking to the Pogue down on the south side.”

/

“Bella’s with that asshole today ain’t she! Gonna go check on her be right back.”

/

“You uh you know Sarah?”

“I’ve been speaking to her actually..”

/

“Rafe!! What the hell is wrong with you?”

/

“I wasn’t talking to you was I?”

/

“That’s my job! And it has been for 16 years.”

//

Kooks. And Pogues. Two tribes. One island.

Or in this case..

The Camerons. Kildare. One family. The whole island.

I am your host Ryan Seacrest, and THIS is Keeping up with the Camerons!

This episode includes the bts footage the Camerons don’t know you can see, forgetting that there are cameras in every crevice of their life not just in the hands of my camera crew! (Written in pink)

//

“We have a busy day today! I’m taking Bella down to the docks where we’re going to help out with the boats. That’s what we do around here, we help out, do charity work! It makes you a better person. Me and Bella do it whenever she’s got a free day from the club. Other days it’s just me on my own. She likes to help out, it’s like payback for me letting her into my home. That’s what she says anyways!” Ward chuckles, his hand running through his fluffy strands. Today, Ward’s dressed more casually. A pair of dark blue jeans hugged around his legs with a checkered shirt sat loosely on his torso; the top few buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up. His watch still held around his wrist tightly.

/

“Right! Bella up and attem sweetheart!! Big day ah-“ He claps his hands before pausing in the hall between his office and the living room, frowning at the room infront of him. The boys were all sat around the living room, shouting and swearing as the tv shows their video game. Topper and Callum were playing a heated 1v1.

Ward steps closer as his brow furrows, looking round into the kitchen before his eyes take the back of Rafe’s head, “Where’s Bella?”

Rafe swings his head round, mouth wide as if he realised something horrible; infact he was just shocked to see his dad still here. It was around 10:30 and the sun had filled the room; but Ward had been talking with Ryan all morning. “She’s..” He stands up suddenly, his hands pushing through his hair as his eyes widen. “She’s in my room! I’ll go get her.” He jogs up the stairs, his sneakers squeaking up every step.

Ward goes over to the others, “What’s this your playing?”

“Shh shh, hang on!” Topper waves him away as he sits forward on his knees.

“They’re playing COD!” Kelce explains not taking his eyes off the screen.

“Like the fish?” Ward questions genuinely, confused as to what any of this means.

Kelce gives him a laugh as he shakes his head, an answer hanging from his lips before Callum screams, “Fuck!!” He slams the controller on the table sitting back as his hands run over his face.

Topper laughs at him, high-fiving Kelce. “Aw someone a sore loser?”

Callum doesn’t answer, but only stares at him. Ward laughs away the tension, “You lot here all day?” He leans his hands against the back of the couch behind Toppers head.

Sarah comes downstairs, walking over to Ward and wrapping her arms round his belly as she rests her head on his chest. “Good morning beautiful..” He kisses the top of her head.

Topper looks up at Ward, giving Sarah a smile, “Nah I’m out with Sarah today!”

“I’m staying with Rafe.” Callum spreads his legs, his pink shorts sitting up to his knees as a light t-shirt hangs from his body. His big arms hooked around the back of his head, his fingers fiddling with the small patch of sandy hair at the nape of his neck.

/

“Yeah I don’t mind them letting themselves over. I mean Toppers dating my daughter and Callum’s welcome whenever. It’s just nice to know when and where, you know? If I’m coming home from a stressful day I’d wanna know if I’m going to have to deal with lots of people around my house. Especially with the cameras here at the moment.”

/

Rafe reaches his room, knocking on the door lightly, "Bella?"

"Come in!" Bella exclaims bubbly. He lets himself in, peaking round the door incase she was changing despite her offer to come inside.

"Hey." She smiles softly, pulling her top over her head. Rafe goes over to help her, pulling her hair out her top.

"Hey." The corners of his lips lift as his eyes catch hers for a moment; Bella blushes, giggling nervously as she walks past him; sitting on the edge of the bed to slip her shoes on.

"Wards ready to leave!" Rafe kneels down, taking the laces from her hands and tying them gently.

A smile forms against Bella's lips as she sits back up, "I know. I woke up late. Wheezie came in like five minutes ago saying she's going out."

Rafe laughs along under his breath, tapping her shoe as a 'there you go' before moving to the next. "You out all day? Was hoping to do something with you today. We haven't really seen each other this week. Kinda miss you.." He mutters, almost too quiet but she nods along, a small smile pulling at her cheeks.

She leans down, lifting a bit of hair that had fallen over Rafe's eye, "I'm sure we could do something later! Maybe we could go out on the boat or something?" She reassures, lifting her words near the end to bring his attention up to her.

He nods, a smirk tugging at his lips as he stands up, putting out his hand for her to take,

"Okay. Cant wait." He places a kiss to her head as he wraps his arm around her neck, hand still holding hers as he takes her downstairs.

/

"Me and Rafe rarely ever get time alone really, I mean we don't have any reason to see each other outside of our friend group because what more is there to do? But I can never really tell if he means it or not you know. Like if he really does want to see me or he's just saying it because he feels like he has to!" Bella shrugs, a slight frown crossing her brows as she forces a smile. "It doesn't really matter." She throws her hands up as she lets out a quiet laugh.

//

“You look after her a’ight. Wan’ her back here in one piece.” Callum demands, his eyebrows raising as his eyes lock onto Ward. Wards face scrunches in offence, his words making Ward sound incapable of taking care of someone.

“She’ll be fine Callum.” He answers plainly, fed up with his constant distrust.

“Here you are sir!” Rafe steps down from the stairs, holding his hand out towards Ward as he takes Bella’s hand to help her walk down ahead of him. The others look up as she giggles.

The boys all look at one another and laugh, muttering something the cameras were unable to pick up.

/

“Rafe’s definitely.. different around Bella. When he’s with her too long he gets um..” Topper pauses, his fingers meeting the bridge of his nose as he holds back from laughing again.

Callum places his arm on Topper’s shoulder as he moves into shot, “He turns soft! Thats what happens. He forgets he’s a guy.” Topper snickers, removing himself from the shot to calm himself down. “I mean he just..”

Topper takes a deep breath as he stands back up, Cal’s arm taking his shoulder once again, very evidently showing off his height. “He means that Rafe seems to age down when around her for too long. As if he’s not almost a 20 year old man! He loses his sense of decency.”

“To be honest I don’t even know who he is around her.” Callum grumbles, scratching his brow and Topper nods along.

“Nah you just know they’re doing it.” Toppers obvious lie forces him to laugh despite trying to hold it back. The thought in Callum’s mind causes him to physically gag as he sticks up his middle finger to Toppers face and leaves, back inside.

Topper snickers, looking back at the camera once more, shrugging his shoulders, “I mean we’d never know even if they were, don’t know why I’m the bad guy?” He lets out a menacing laugh before running inside back to annoy Callum.

/

“Ah there you are!” Ward announces, as Sarah takes herself from his hold. She joins Topper on the couch whilst Ward pulls Bella in for a hug.

“You’re welcome..” Rafe mutters to himself, rolling his eyes as he goes back over to the couch and takes the controller for himself. Bella’s eyes follow him heavily.

/

“I see the way Ward treats Rafe. He doesn’t care. Or atleast he doesn’t let on that he cares! It kills to see Rafe the way he gets when Ward doesn’t appreciate him. Like earlier when he expected atleast a ‘thank you’ for something. I don’t know what it was but I knew he was upset over it! He tries so hard for him yet Ward doesn’t notice.” Bella bats her lashes, dabbing the corners of her eyes that teared up by the mere thought of Rafe being treated the wrong way. “Sorry!” She laughs at herself, waving a hand over her face as she sniffles; calming herself back into sanity.

“He um.. he calls me a lot during the night when me and Cal are at home, to ask if I’d stay up with him and just talk. I hate hearing him sniffling and stuff across the phone and not being able to do anything. I do try my best for Rafe, he deserves it from atleast someone!” She smiles softly, looking through the glass doors at Rafe on the couch. With a shrug of her shoulders she speaks up again, “He’s a person like the rest of us. Ward just fails to realise it.”

/

“Well kids we’re off! See you tonight for dinner.” His hand finds Sarah’s head as he squeezes lightly, causing a small laugh to fall from her lips as the others say their goodbyes.

Wards hand meets Bella’s as he guides her to the door, she turns back and waves one last ‘bye’ to the cameras before they make their way out to the car outside.

Ward holds the door for Bella as she lifts herself into the passenger seat. She wore a floral pink skirt and a white tank top as the weather today was a hot one.

“So I’m guessing it’s your episode today?” Bella watches Ward drive, focusing on the road and she glances back at the camera.

“Yep! I’m first. We’re going to the docks today aren’t we?” He turns to her, smiling brightly as he nods his head towards her, his voice soft and calming.

/

“Does he always speak to you like that?”

“Like what sorry?” She tilts her head, confused as Ward hadn’t spoken to her in quite a while. She was sat on the edge of one of the piers, her feet swinging just above the waters surface, next to a friendly face.

“Shit you don’t hear it Bell’?” She looks at him, eyes wide, brows furrowed. Not understanding what exactly she’s missing. “He babies you so hard!”

“He does not??” She watches his expressions as he snickers under his breath, his lips squished shut to try not letting it out. “John B stop!!” She pushes his face to get him to stop but it only makes it worse. He lets out a loud cackle.

“He so does Bella! Like everyone sees it!! But you know.. it’s cos your his favourite ‘n all.” He raises his eyebrows, tilting his head towards her so their noses were touching.

She giggles, forcing a frown on her brows as she sighs. “Shut up..”

He sits up suddenly, holding his chest in his palm, his mouth fallen agape as he stares at her. She giggles once more, “Okay.. maybe he does a- a little?”

“That’s the closest you’re gonna get to a yes so take it!” John B shrugs at Ryan, Bella looks up at him in disbelief as she smacks his chest, “She abuses me! You see that?”

She tuts rolling her eyes to the camera, “I do not!! Tell him I don’t!” She pleads to him, desperation filling her eyes as her kindness is very dear to herself.

He laughs again, pulling her into him, his arm sat round her neck, “Nah she’s nice I guess.” He playfully rolls his eyes, rubbing his fist through her hair. She sits up, pulling away from his grip as she stares at him. He lifts himself from the pier and runs the opposite direction quickly followed by Bella as she shouts for him.

/

“She’s probably the nicest person on the island if I’m being honest. Like if you need her, she’s there you know.” John B laughs, his hand pushing his hair from his face. “It’s why I don’t understand how she’s friends with Rafe?? Like she could’ve been friends with atleast Sarah or something you get what I’m saying. But no. Rafe. They’re like the complete opposites, she’s a princess and he’s.. well.. the devil at his finest. It doesn’t make sense. But I guess when she looks the way she does and she’s as sweet as she is, you don’t really care who you're friends with.”

/

“Yes!” She turns her body back to the cameras, holding that same precious smile she always wears. “We normally just help out with the boats and transport anything the others can’t. It’s an easy day to be fair! Theres alot of people down there to help.”

“You spend your time with that John B kid don’t you!” Ward brings up, trying to keep the conversation going, “Those two are practically siblings. Always messing about and not actually helping.” He takes a moment to look at her, raising an eyebrow.

She giggles, eyes widening at the camera as Ward rats her out, “Umm.. no?” She mutters, rolling her eyes playfully. “I mean we make helping out fun! That.. that counts?”

“Mm..” Ward agrees unconvincingly, letting out a small chuckle before turning the corner to the docks; he places his hand gently against her stomach to urge her to sit back in her chair, “She is a big help nonetheless!” She smiles in the rearview mirror at the camera.

His hand squeezes her knee before stopping the car. “You want to entertain for a moment I have to go sort something out..” he mutters to her and she merely nods, pulling a smile on her lips as she gets out the car.

She guides Ryan and the camera crew down to the piers, waving and saying hello to the men passing by.

“Hey darling! How’re you this morning?”

“Hi Heyward, I’m good thank you! Howre you?”

“I’m alright thanks sweetheart! Just hot is all.”

The sun was high up in the sky; clear of clouds as the temperature grew warmer. The water was reflecting like crystals along the shore and against all the boats as the old wood of the piers creaked with every step of each body that walked over it. The wind picked up and fell, evident in the way Bella’s hair would sway in the wind and her skirt would lift and drop as she skipped.

Ryan’s, and the crew’s, eyes sat proudly on her face. The whole parade Ward threw yesterday caused a slight uneasiness amongst the group. Bella bounced along the docks before stopping infront of a fishing shop more locally known as ‘Hooks and Kooks’.

“So this is where we work!” She holds her hands up to show off the area. “Over there..” she points at the rows of boats, covered in masses of men heaving boxes, “..Is where we put all the fish and equipment to transport! Andddd,” she looks around before pointing her manicured nail at a young boy, “That’s John B! He's currently.. he’s refilling the diving equipment on the boats!”

The camera zooms in on the boy, his hair fluffy and windswept. He wore a grey bandana loosely around his neck with a pair of blue shorts and a washed T-shirt that looked as though it was covered in some sort of substance; blood, water, something or other. He was carrying a large metal tank back into one of the boats, his muscles sweating under the sun.

As the camera pulls back, Bella had begun her way over, “John B!” She waves as he notices her. He drops the tank down before hopping out the boat and a large smile appears on his face. He rubs his sweat-covered hands on his shirt, before running one through his hair, pushing away the strands from his eyes.

She reaches him, opening her arms as he pulls her into his chest deeply.“Long time no see Bells! Thought you were dead.” He laughs against her ear making her pull away and frown, tilting her head as she laughs.

“Thanks for checking up.” She stares at him and he just lets out a laugh, his hand finding his hair once again as the wind took over its movement.

“So uh.. you got caught up in the show then?” He nods his head toward Ryan.

“Mhm!” She nods, following his gaze to the cameras beside them. “Well I kinda walked in on it yesterday and now Wards dragged me along today so.. I guess I have!” She giggles, her cheeks reddening at the realisation. She plays with the hem of her skirt as John B looks back at the cameras.

Ryan nods, lifting a hand to him. “I’m Ryan!” He steps forward giving him a hand. John B takes it and smiles, nodding back, “I’m John B!” He turns back to Bella, “Where’s Ward?”

She shrugs scratching at her eyebrow as she looks around, “He said he had to do something. So we’re in charge now!” She laughs, bouncing up on her toes to hook her arm around his neck; her head rested against his.

“Hm..” he chuckles, looking at her as his hand finds the small of her back, “I’m liking the sound of this.”

//

"Heyward!" Ward announces, open arms and a big grin.

"Hey Mr C! Looking good today as always." He nods, a smile pulling at his lips.

"Same to you Bob. What was the issue?" He looked around, frowning at the lack of problems.

Heyward bends a finger, gesturing him to follow as he leads him out to his boat; pointing to the crates of groceries inside, "It's all gone off! All of it! I left it all in ice over night but it's all mouldy already. We can't give that out to the island like that but it's too late to order in more?" His brows furrow as he turns back to await Wards response.

Ward bites his lip, a brow dipped as he holds his jaw, contemplating the options. He walks back off inside, causing only more confusion to drown Heyward.

"-Yes.. please!" Ward steps back outside, squinting under the sun whilst scanning the groceries. "That'll do thank you!" He nods as he pushes his phone back in his pocket, looking up at Heyward with a grin. "Sorted! More groceries will arrive anytime now." He pats Heywards shoulder.

"What- How? I mean thank you!"

Ward chuckles, "I know a few people."

"Thank you Ward!"

/

“Sorry I had to go speak to Heyward about the transport. He called me earlier to say there was trouble!” Ward readjusted his watch as he steps outside to the cameraman that waited for him. “The kids alright? Doing good work?” He speaks to the man behind the camera as if he was allowed to answer but Ward knew he couldn’t. He just wanted to make conversation for the audience.

He makes his way down to the pier where the two were working.

“Hey Mr Cameron!” A blonde boy tips his cap to Ward as another boy around the same age steers the boat into an empty spot.

“Hi JJ. Call me Ward remember kid?”

“Jayj!!!” Bella shouts, dropping a crate of fish quickly, causing John B to flinch slightly. He looks up and watches as Bella runs off towards the other boy.

“Bella?” He frowns as he opens his arms for her to jump into, spinning her around fast on his feet. He squeezes her tightly, letting her feet feel the ground without letting go. “Shit I’ve missed you..” He mutters as a smile pulls at his lips.

“Yeah I missed you too, J!” She goes in for another hug, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Bella, working remember?” Ward pipes up, almost ordering her as she lifts herself from JJ’s grip with a slight groan.

“Yes ma’am!” She takes JJ’s hat, tipping it to him and placing it to her head before skipping off back to help John B. JJ follows suit, placing himself on a wooden crate beside the boat.

Ward chuckles to himself as he presses a palm to the last boys back, “Pope!”

“Sir!” He nods to him, heading off in the opposite direction.

“So me and Bella are loading up all the boats, these boys here are taking them around the island and John B’s handling the equipment!” Ward recaps despite Bella’s explanation previously. “They’re a great help despite everything my son speaks about them. It’s funny how one persons point of view can be completely different to your own!”

“Ward, helping remember?” Bella looks at him, hands on her hips as she raises an eyebrow. Her foot tapping away at the floor of the pier.

He laughs unknowingly as his eyebrows jerk at her words. He jogs over and before she could react to the realisation of his next move, he had already tackled her; pulling her over his shoulder and spinning her around across the wood. Giggles and struggles left her mouth, causing the boys next to them to smile.

JJ watches, his lips never shifting. “You gotta stop before you bust bro.” John B nudges his side with an elbow.

“Shut up man!” He pushes his arm off him. “Cant be happy to see my best friend again?”

“Little too happy if you ask-” He mutters before getting cut short by the palm of JJ’s hand meeting the back of his head; a groan falling from his lips.

“Boys behave!” Ward had dropped Bella by now, making his way over to the two. “Jesse don’t you have jobs to do?”

JJ shrugs, “Nah I got like 5 minutes bro don’t worry ‘bout me!” He chuckles, enjoying the look on Ward’s face.

“Ward, can I talk to JJ until he leaves? I haven’t seen him all week!” Bella hops over, pulling a sweeter smile than the last if that was somehow possible. She holds her hands behind her back as she sways side to side, trying her absolute best to convince him as if he needed convincing in the first place.

He sighs, knowing the answer before she even asked the question; nodding, causing her to jump up and down like a child. “Five minutes!” He holds up a hand to her face and she giggles.

“Thank youuuu, thank you, thank you!!” Bella sings as she hugs him. He steps out the way and takes John B back to the boat to finish with the crates.

“So Bells, how's your boyfriend?” JJ swings his feet against the wooden crate that held him up, a small grin pulling at his cheeks, already knowing the answer.

Bella groans, her eyes rolling, "He’s not my boyfriend Jayj, you know that." She states firmly, clearly annoyed by the question; JJ mouthing back the words with a smirk as she spoke didn't help the obvious irritation of the subject.

"Yeah well I beg to differ! He’s taking up all your time, I don’t see you no more mama." His face (a small pout and his eyes wide) making it obvious how serious he meant his words.

She notices, reciprocating his expressions as she almost pleads, "No J, I’ve been stuck at work all week I told you that! It’s not his fault."

He scoffs under his breath, his eyebrows jerking as his eyes take the keys in his lap, "Excuses, excuses.."

"Jayj.." She practically begs as her eyes tear up, her eyelashes batting away the urge to cry as her brows knit together through pure frustration.

He laughs at her but couldn't hide the slight lip quiver caused by the sight infront of him; scratching at his brow to distract himself, "I’m just teasing ma, I know!"

Bella's eyes lift as her mouth falls wide, her brows forming into a frown, "Don't do that!" She lifts herself onto her toes to land a smack on his head, forcing a sound of pain to fall from his mouth as he grips his hair, "Making me feel bad J.."

JJ opens his mouth to apologise but before he could, his attentions pulled away, "JJ!" Pope waves to him, shaking the boat keys in the air to tell him it's ready.

"Oh bro I gotta go Pope needs me! See you round?" He jumps off the crate with a ‘thud’, tapping his hand to Bella's arm.

Her eyes fall as another frown takes her face, "What?? But.. JJ! You're so busy all the time I never see you anymore!" She whines mockingly as she pushes her bottom lip out, tilting her head for more sarcasm.

He bites the inside of his cheek, a smirk pulling at the corners of his lips as a small breathy laugh falls from his tongue, "… shut up!" He glares at her, only causing another giggle to fill the painful silence.

She smiles, holding in the laugh as her face tenses, forcing a strong complexion to take her features, “Never!”

JJ can’t help but laugh once more before shaking his head, taking his hat off her head and smoothing back his hair to place the hat ontop. “You’re a funny one Bells!” He flashes her a quick wink before spinning his keys around his finger and heading over toward the other boy.

Her brows wobble at her contemplation that clearly took over her face. Her mouth opens and closes before lifting to a soft smile, “Hey Jayj??” She shouts over the noise of creaking wood and middle-aged men yelling; her hands lifting to surround her mouth, tunnelling the sound.

His head swings back, lifting his hat slightly to block the incoming sun from above, “Yeah??”

“Love you!!” She blushes at her own words, squinting her eyes in the sunlight as her skirt gently swayed against her thighs.

JJ laughs against his breath, “Yeah love you too asshole!!” He steps onto the boat beside him.

They both quickly raise their fists, sticking out their middle fingers; causing them both to drop a throaty laugh at one another before turning away and heading back to their previous intentions.

John B stood with his arms crossed, his eyebrows raised as he fought to keep his hair in place against the wind, “God just kiss already..” He mumbles loud enough that she hears as she walks over. The words finding her focus and her head jolts up.

All that was picked up from the camera was the back of Bella’s head and John B’s widened eyes at her notice; Bella lifts her arms to shove him close to the edge of the pier deck. He stumbles backwards, catching himself on one of the wooden beams holding up the pathway. Bella laughs and he merely watches her from afar, keeping his distance as she snorts, uncontrollably laughing, causing a snicker to fall from his own mouth.

/

“I honestly couldn’t tell you what the hell the thing between them is. I mean half the island thinks she’s with Rafe and the other half JJ. So it’s not only this underlying rivalry between Kooks and Pogues, it’s much deeper than that in the sense that The Cut is team JJ and Figure Eight is team Rafe.” John B laughs to himself, “It’s like twilight in real life. But if I’m being honest..” he whispers, gesturing to the camera to come closer, glancing back at Bella who sat on the boat behind him, “I don’t think she likes either of them. I mean it’s just how she is, she’s the same with me. Unless she’s a- no I won’t say that haha! But you get what I mean.”

//

Back at TannyHill..

“Ha yes!! Eat shit Rafe!” Callum shouts to him as their heads stay facing the tv infront of them. Rafe’s brows knitted and tongue poking out ever so slightly; the concentration very evident, not hearing Callum’s words of discouragement. Or more so, ignoring them.

“Bullshit!! How??” Callum screams once again, Rafe able to land a hit on him without Cal even noticing.

A small chuckle falls from Rafe’s lips, his body leant over his knees.

Callum sat right beside him, back straight, holding the controller in the air as if moving it on its own would do anything at all.

The slam of the front door throws him off, Rafe managing the last final blow before a big defeat screen pops up on his side.

“Ha! Asshole. Teaches you to fucking get all cocky on me.” Rafe drops the controller on the table, relaxing back into the couch with his hands rested behind his head, lips lifted to a cocky smirk despite his previous statement.

Earlier Callum had challenged Rafe to a 1v1 due to the fact that Rafe was certain he’d win after Cal’s performance against Topper that morning; Callum getting all worked up and confident as he’d never seen Rafe even touch the game before.

“Prick..” He mumbles, joining Rafe against the back of the couch.

“Fucking Bull..” A voice loudens coming closer.

The boys both look up to notice their other counterpart, Topper, walking into the room. A frown taking Rafe’s face. “Sarah got bored of you?” Callum snorts at his question earning him a dirty stare from Topper.

“No. She’s out with her friends.”

“Then why the long face for?” Callum snickers, Rafe hitting his arm to get him to stop.

“What’s up?” He frowns, seeing genuine upset in Toppers face as he can’t look at the two of them.

Topper scoffs at his thoughts, shaking his head as he rubs a hand over his face, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Guess what I found out today.” He sighs through his words.

“What did you find out today Topper? Enlighten us!” Rafe speaks calmly, surprisingly.

/

“Being friends with a girl, especially when she’s Bella Brooks, has taught me how to deal with shit like that! She gets upset over the smallest things, gets overwhelmed easily, things like that you know. The way I had to help her and comfort her, I kinda use that with the guys too. I mean it’s very rare, none of us ever get upset unless it’s some girl shit Toppers whining about. But she told me that even if you’re joking about shit like that it probably means it’s hurting more so just be nice. I guess it does kinda work but don’t tell her that. If she finds out I’ve actually taken her advice and been nice to someone other than her she’s never gonna let it go.”

/

“My girlfriend,” He looks up at Rafe, his eyes darken, “Your sister! Has been talking to the Pogue down on the south side. Don’t know when, don’t know how, but a message on her phone came up while she was using the bathroom!”

“Which one??” Rafes brows drop together, his tone more serious now.

“Uh John B!”

“Shit!!” Rafe yells as he pushes himself off the couch, picking up his phone from the table and walking away to the front door without a second thought.

“Woah where you going??”

“Got a date or something?” The boys both look at one another and laugh before stopping at the sound of Rafe sighing.

“Bella’s with that asshole today ain’t she! Gonna go check on her be right back.” He scratched his head, running out the door before hopping on his bike and riding off to where the cameras could no longer see.

/

"What's all the noise?" Rose struts into the living room, glass of champagne in hand. She glares at the two boys on the couch.

"Uh yep we're going!" Callum drops the controller.

"Sorry ma'am!!" Kelce gets up hastily, avoiding eye contact.

They mumble as they run out the front door, avoiding any slight conversation with her.

"Those kids have issues.." She rolls her eyes, going out to the boat.

//

The three of them sat on Ward's boat, sharing a cooler full of ready-made sandwiches and packets of chips. Cans of coca-cola and beer spread beneath. The temperature only grew warmer as the day went on, the skies clear and wind come to a halt, the water still.

The cameramen left them to it for a while, enjoying their own lunch whilst a camera sat on the boat, picking up the footage for them.

"So Bella after this we'll go home and sort out the housing okay?" Ward spits out between bites of his sandwich.

Bella only nods, mouth full of food. John B turns to her, a frown pulling at his brows, "You still gotta pay for that shit? I thought you said Callum agreed to moving in?"

She laughs as she tries clearing her throat, covering her mouth as she spoke, "Nah he was drunk, apparently when he's drunk it's like he's in Vegas. Anything goes and nothing will change. It's his stupid rule but it's the most idiotic thing i've ever heard. So according to him, nope. And we never will!" Bella shrugs, an obvious look of disappointment taking her face but was quickly covered by a forced smile.

"I have tried reasoning with him John, but with a boy like him you'll never get through to him. His mind is set and nothings changing it unfortunately. I even mentioned just taking in Bella again and he flipped."

"What he hurt you??"

"Almost..” Bella sighs at the thought, “It's why I agreed to just drop the idea as a whole. I don't care as long as he's okay and no ones hurt you know.." She smiles lightly, keeping her eyes down as John B watches with slight concern in his eyes.

"Well she's got work tomorrow haven't you? And Rafe's gonna check up on her throughout the day. Keep Cal at bay I suppose." He chuckles, easing the moment slightly as he takes a sip of his beer.

"Thats good.." John B replies calmly, the air becoming tense and the awkwardness growing.

Bella looks up and notices the two glance at one another, wanting to move the conversation on quickly, "So who's episode is it tomorrow?"

"Uhh.. Pretty sure they said it was Sarah's. Rafe's is the one after I'm sure of that! He keeps saying how he's sticking with you all day."

She snorts, choking on her food, "Emotional support type thing."

"Exactly that!" Ward laughs, the previous conversation long gone as the air once again filled with joy.

"Shit.." John B mutters, frowning down at his can as he swirled the liquid around the metal.

Bella looks up, her clear motherly instincts kicking in as the upset reaches her eyes quickly, "Whats wrong??"

"Nah! Nothing just, kinda forgot about the camera's!" He laughs, her body relaxing as her shoulders release and eyes soften, "Are we meant to of like, entertained or something?"

Ward laughs at the concerned tone in John B's voice, enjoying the thought for the show despite his lack of cooperation. "No thats the point of the show! If they want you to talk about something or explain something they usually do it later on, let you do your thing first. It wouldn't be a reality show otherwise. It'd be a.." He takes a moment, the kids waiting patiently for him to think of a punchline, looking back at one another with a smirk, "A.. Fake-ality show!"

The kids snicker, the obvious seriousness and proudness to his words making the sentence 10x funnier. He starts laughing, nodding over his embarrassment as the realisation sinks in, "Couldve been better huh.." Bella and John B nod before the hold on their laughs break, letting out these loud cackles as they hold themselves back from falling over; Silence hitting when the laughs hit so deep, arms swinging around holding stomachs.

Ward stops laughing and watches, his lips tucked, admitting defeat. "I don't think it was that bad.."

/

“What do you two think about Ward? About the Camerons? You both seem to be quite close with them!”

The two of them take a moment to think, brows furrowed as the glance at one another. Bella lifts her eyes to Ryan, a small smile tugging at her lips, “The Cameron’s are literal lifesavers. They’re practically my adopted family so they mean everything to me!” She giggles, a shrug assisting her words. “He’s always been there for me and they do treat me like family so I have nothing to complain about!” Her smile softens, another shrug following before turning to John B to hear his opinion.

“Well I mean they’ve really helped me out money wise! Without them I’d be living on the streets. So if anything I owe them a lifetime! I couldn’t tell you how grateful I am for Ward if I’m being honest.” He smiles to Bella, them both nodding, content with their answers as they look back up at the camera.

//

"You know JJ’s actually not shut up about you since you last came over." John B stretches out on the boat chair, legs spread as he leans his head back to enjoy the sun.

Ward occupies himself, looking out over the water with a grin, enjoying the view and the company.

Bella sighs, nodding as she leans her head against John B's shoulder, tucking her legs up to her chest. "I'm not surprised.. but I told him to come see me at work!"

"You think he'd survive that Bells? Rafe would kill him." He laughs looking down at her as his fingers graze the little patch of skin between her skirt and top. His words caused Bella to look up, a small smile tugging at her lips.

"Okay yeah true.. Well no! He's been really good with JJ recently actually. It's Callum who'd have a problem with it but I can usually calm him down." She shrugs, resting her head back to its previous position.

John B watches a moment, rolling his eyes with a smirk, "Yeah sure."

"What??" She looks up; clearly picked up on the smile that accompanied his comment.

"Nothing just.. you don't see it do you?"

"See what exactly?" She frowns, hand pushing at his chest to lift herself up slightly.

"Nah just.. in what universe would Rafe willingly be nice to JJ?"

"Well I asked him to?" She tilts her head, not picking up on the hints.

He shakes his head, not wanting to point out what he's thinking as he doesn't want to ruin anything, "Nah sorry nevermind!" Bella's brows furrow, her mouth agape as she tries to read his mind.

"Ward are you ready?" The camera crew walk back onto the boat and take Ward inside, distracting Bella and John B away from the conversation.

/

The camera crew let them finish before joining them back on the boat, Ward sat with them inside whilst John B and Bella enjoyed the sun outside. Bella sat on one of the chairs, her legs up on the glass table as John B rested his head against her lap, his hair splayed out and hands behind his head. She fiddled with his loose strands whilst he kept his eyes up on hers, deep in conversation with one another.

“They are a funny coupling. I think it’s sweet though. How close they are just from heaving fish around.” He laughs, “But she’s like that with everyone and I find it very relieving, knowing her struggle with friends in the past. With Sarah.” His hand finds the back of his head, scratching an itch caused by the heat from the sun.

“I mean she’s practically the islands mum. Looks after my children, the Pogues, everyone really! Even me sometimes,” he chuckles, almost sounding surprised by his own words. “She’s good like that yeah..”

He smiles softly, looking back to watch her talk to John B for a moment.

“You really do see her like your own don’t you!” Ryan states, watching him.

“I mean how couldn’t I. Shes so special to me. I wouldn’t have had it any other way; raising her and all that. And I sure as hell know Rafe and the other boys wouldn’t either. They all see her how I do, with just pure happiness, relief in a way. She calms us all: Me, Rafe, John B, JJ. Everyone who’s close enough with her. It’s something no words could describe. We all just have so much love for her. It’s why I dont understand how people like Rose can’t try to like her. Why she accepts my children and not her. Bella was living with us at the time, she just doesn’t like her. She even likes Callum! That must say something atleast..” Ward spoke, his eyes fixated on the pairing outside, never shifting. A smile held perfectly still on his lips through every word.

“Ward?”

“Hm?” He turns back around, as if nothing had happened.

“Can we get onto the topic now?”

“Yes sorry!” He clears his throat, straightening himself up as he readjusts his watch on his wrist, pulling down his collar to flatten it.

/

“You know Sarah?” John B raises his brows, watching Bella’s expressions contort.

“Hm..” Bella frowns, tilting her head as she bites her lip, taking a moment, “I don’t think I do no..” She shakes her head, holding back a small smile.

John B gives her a stare causing her to laugh as she shrugs, “Sorry yeah sure.”

“I uh.. I’ve been talking to her actually!”

Bella’s eyebrows furrow, eyes widening as her mouth falls open, “What..” She pauses processing what he’s saying, “I- She.. She’s with Topper, John B!” She states informatively, making sure he understands the situation like she does.

“Yeah I know that! But he’s a dick Bells. She deserves better than that.”

“You don’t know the other half of it. He loves her John B, and even if he was a ‘dick’, condoning cheating is still not okay?”

“I’m not? I’m just saying that if she ever did end things with her, I’d.. you know.. I..”

“Do you have a little crush John B..??” She teases, poking his face all over until he has enough and pushes her off, making her giggle at his antics. “Aww there’s nothing to be embarrassed about, it’s cuuuuute.” She sings the last word, a big grin on her face as she watches his expressions change because of her words.

“Shut up, you like Rafe..” He closes his eyes, arms crossed over his chest like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

Her eyebrows dip, her lips quivering trying to hold back a laugh but failing, “Okay? But I don’t?” She snorts at the pure lie that left his mouth knowing how he’s trying to switch the subject around onto her.

“Mm.. guess we both have things we don’t wanna admit huh..”

She sighs, a breathy laugh accompanying; slapping his bare stomach from where his shirt lifted up, pulling a groan from his throat, “Shut up!”

Bzzz

“Was that you or me?” John B lifted his head slightly, looking around for any sight of a phone.

“I think it was me!” She lifts her bum to pull the phone from under her thigh. The boy watches her face frown as she reads the name and the message.

“Who is it? Cal?”

She shakes her head, moving her phone slightly to see his face, “Rafe..”

His eyes widen and fall again, the mention of Rafe’s name following a frown is the rarest of rare for Bella. He couldn’t comprehend the issue.

/

“She never mentioned they had issues. We were joking about him seconds before I didn’t understand. Its Rafe. And Bella. Like there’s never been a problem there.” He speaks with a constant dip in his brow, still confused even after knowing the truth.

/

“So Ward you help out? Does that mean you don’t get paid?”

“No of course we don’t! We volunteer. Thats the whole point is to not get paid. It’d be stupid to volunteer and expect something back!” He laughs at Ryan like his question was stupid, a big grin sat across his face.

“Right..” Ryan laughs awkwardly, feeling slightly idiotic. “So all you do is fill and carry crates?”

“Well no.. I mean it depends on so much! The weather, the day, the jobs available etcetera. Today Heyward had his son transport the necessary goods, and there was a lack of help in fish duty! So we helped out.”

“Oh okay. So what else do you do? Could you explain that for us?”

“Yes of course. A lot of the time we bring our boat down and do peoples food deliveries, and sometimes end up doing some more chores for those houses too like mowing the lawn. Other times like today when those jobs are already being done, we can fish, fill and move crates, or anything in that area. Sometimes we work at the store fronts, so we can sell boards, hooks, rods and stuff like that! It all depends on what’s free and what is needed that day!”

/

Bella had sent in a screenshot of the messages to put into the episode, we will show them to you in the next few minutes.

Bella shows John B the message, the tone coming from him very different to the usual Rafe Bella deals with. Evident by the previous texts seen in the screenshots.

He can’t help but scoff at the sentence, “Does he mean me?”

She shrugs, a sigh leaving her mouth as her brows knit together, “I’d say JJ, but.. why would he even care? I don’t.. I..”

John B takes the phone, typing something out so she would stop panicking. “There! Just gotta ask.” He hands it back to her, watching her squeeze the phone in her palm as she awaited Rafe’s response.

When a second buzz rings out, she takes a moment to read the message before her head jerks up, eyes scanning the area as her brows fall closer together. John B lifts himself to look over her hand at her phone, reading off the message before joining her in the search.

Ignore the time stamps ^

He lifts himself from her lap, cautious of both of their own wellbeing’s if he really did see.

She sighs again, leaning back on her chair, “Whatever, he’s probably just messing with us.”

/

“It’s not that I was scared of him- God no! I’d never be scared of Rafe that’s one thing I’m sure of! But it’s that I’m scared of what he can do. What I know Cal will do if he tells him I had a ‘Pogue’ laying on my thighs. Not to me. But to anyone else in the vicinity, aka JJ or John B depending on where and when. He’d never hurt me, never! But I know what he’s capable of.. and it’s not something I like to get myself involved in.”

“What exactly do you mean by that? Could you-”

“I mentioned it in the last episode, well.. yesterday! I don’t need to talk about it again. I don’t want to. I’m done.” She smiles before finding her way back to Ward.

/

“Bella!” John B exclaims, turning to the side of the boat. Before Bella could comprehend John B had fallen back into the boat.

“Woah woah woah hey hey Rafe stop!! What’re you doing??” She jumps up, holding her hand out to kind of ease him away.

Rafe doesn’t listen, stepping closer, his eyes not leaving John B as he stands up, “I hear your speaking to my sister and now your trying to steal my girl too is that it??”

John B chokes through a laugh, “Your girl?? She isn’t your girl Rafe cmon. No one would wanna be your girl!”

Rafe lunges himself forward, fist raised; Bella steps in the way, causing Rafe to pull back immediately, eyes wide as he realises he almost hit her. She pushes her palm to his chest, urging him to step back.

He watches her face contort into a mix of anger and upset, “Rafe, what the hell is wrong with you? He’s not talking to Sarah and we’re just friends okay? Calm down.” Her voice was soft but anyone could’ve picked up how irritated she was from the wobble in her words.

Those words, from her, ‘what the hell is wrong with you’ caused tears to well in his eyes. The one person he holds dearest to himself, sees the bad in him. The one thing he’s tried to keep from her since the day his father told him to look after her.

Ward steps out, holding the door with a hand as he frowns, “Rafe we’re trying to film here? Could you..” Ward gestures for him to leave waving his hand at him, Rafe scoffs but obliges, turning away with a nod of agreement.

John B took a sigh of relief as he falls into the seat beside him, taking a breath. Bella watches Rafe walk away, his previous expression held in her mind. Her eyes fall as they begin to glisten; she bites her lip, holding back but not for long.

“Hey Rafe wait! Please!” She jogs over, avoiding the small puddles of water that could make her slip if she wasn’t careful.

She catches up to him and quickly pulls him into a hug, resting his head onto her shoulder. She takes a moment to just hold him, the heat making it hard but she didn’t care. His arms hesitate but soon wrap around her, pulling her in tightly. The action caused her to suck in a breath, realising how needed this hug was for him.

/

Rafe watches Ryan, his eyes tired and bothered. He stands there, no words leaving his mouth before he frowns, walking away and flipping the camera off on the way.

/

“I don’t know what’s going on with you but..” Bella lifts his head, her hands rested against his cheeks as she takes his eyes in hers, “But I’m fine okay? You don’t have to worry about me.” She assures him, her eyes deep in his trying to get him to understand. She rubs her thumbs against his skin as he leans into her touch.

He catches a camera in the corner of his eyes and lifts his head out of her grasp, causing a slight dip in her brow, “Do you like him more than me?” He spits out without realising, his eyes widen at the realisation.

Bella steps back, brows furrowed and mouth agape; like he just stabbed her in the heart. “Why would I- What.. Why would I like him more than you Rafe?” She whines, confused why he’d ever assume that.

He shrugs ignoring her obvious upset by his own question, “Nah just.. you know, making sure. You’re my best friend, you remember that?”

She shakes her head, raising an eyebrow through disbelief, “Is that what this is all about?” He watches her, feeling ashamed he even brought up the question. “Rafe you are MY best friend! No one else!! Nothing’s gonna ever change that okay? But I’m allowed other friends too.. I promise there’s nothing between us okay we were just having a chat. It wasn’t anything special!”

He nods along, believing her every word of course but still not liking it. The thought of her liking someone other than him cutting deep into his mind, feeling like an effort to rid of him. He taps her hand with his, grazing her fingers in his own, “See you round.”

She looks down at his hand, a frown taking over her face once again. Looking back up at him, “No love you or anything? Thought I was your girl asshole!”

He chokes out in a laugh, smirking as he rolls his eyes, a slight blush taking his cheeks, “Yeah fine love you Bee.”

She laughs unbelieving, “Good enough I guess.” She jokingly rolls her eyes, “Love you too idiot.” She places a kiss to his cheek before running back to the boat.

He stands there a moment, smiling to himself before his hand finds his hair, pushing it out of his face. He looks over at the camera, pointing a finger at it, “Better fucking cut that shit out.. you won’t wanna know what happens if you don’t.”

/

"What the hell was all of that about??" Ward spits, glancing at the two kids infront of him.

They both fall silent, John B looking up at Bella who stood guiltily, hands behind her back.

Ward follows his gaze, taking Bella's eyes in his own as he raises a brow, "What's Rafe's deal?Does he not realise we won't have a show if he's crashing it?"

His words cause a wince on Bella's face, her eyes widen and mouth fallen open, "He was just asking a question." Her voice was quiet and soft.

"He was shouting at you!" Ward yells, throwing a hand towards where Rafe was.

She stares at him, realising trying to defend Rafe isn't going to work. Her mouth sits open as she watches him look between them. He shrugs at John B, "Wasn't he?"

"Yeah.. it was my fault sir I-"

"No it wasn't please don't take the blame!" She pleads, shaking her hand at him before stepping closer to Ward. "It was my fault!! I swear, he was upset and I made it worse I didn't mean to-"

"I don't have time for this. Make sure he doesn't come back here! I'll speak to him later, he can't be speaking to you like that." He frowns, pulling Bella into his chest tightly.

"I'm going to finish the interview then we'll go home okay?" Bella merely nods, stepping back; placing herself next to John B.

/

“Sorry about that!” Ward sits back down, his smile still stuck on tightly. “Where were we?”

“Did you not think to invite Rafe onto the boat?”

Ward laughs, eyebrows furrowed as he looks for the punchline in Ryan’s eyes. When he realised there isn’t one his eye twitches slightly, “Rafe? You think he’d want to spend his time with all the fish? I’m sure he was just trying to cause some sort of trouble! Boys right.” He chuckles rolling his eyes, pushing the conversation away with it.

“But anyways-“

“The kids have all mentioned how you clearly favour certain people over the rest. I’m assuming Rafe isn’t one of them?”

Wards eyes widen, his brows pushing down against them as a lump begins to form in his throat, “Why the hell would I dislike my own son for? Where’s this come from? Who said that?”

“All of them really. I only brought it up because you seem to heavily favour-”

“I won’t stand for this type of nonsense Ryan! On a show, about my own family, my own children!! And you’re accusing me of picking favourites?? They are all my kids and I love them all equally with every piece of me! So do not, and I mean do not EVER tell me what I’m doing is wrong or how I’m raising my children is wrong! Do your job and stay out of it. This is ridiculous!” He doesn’t even look in Ryan’s direction as he pulls himself from the chair and rips open the glass door that divided the outside from the inside; followed by a breathy grunt.

Ward reached for Bella’s wrist, yanking her up off the chair, “Ow Ward you’re hurting me..!” She whines, looking back at John B for assurance but he didn’t have time to help as Ward had already dragged her off the boat.

“Sorry honey but we’re getting out of here! Away from that silly man.”

“Why? Did something happen?” She stops, watching Ward gently rub his thumb to her wrist where a small red mark was left behind; his brows dipping at the sight.

“Ward? Did he say something to you?”

Her words caught his attention, his eyes springing to hers as a quick shake to his head was enough for her to understand. “He just needs to learn that just because we’re on a show, it doesn’t mean he can make shit up to make it interesting.”

“What did he say?” She frowns, concern coating her face as she tilts her head slightly.

“Don’t worry about it sweetheart let’s just get home and sort this house out shall we?” He lifts his arm, his elbow touching her own as he plants a smile to his lips, reassuring her that it’s okay.

She looks back to where John B was packing away; catching a glimpse of her, he waves a ‘goodbye’ as she does too. Hesitantly, she takes Wards arm in her own, he guides her back down to the car where they take a silent but peaceful and well deserved drive home.

/

“Yeah I’d say Wards like a dad to me! I mean I barely knew mine so he’s the closest I’ll get to one. So yeah I’d say so! He helps out a lot with literally anything and everything. It’s why I offer to do jobs and stuff with him when I can because it’s like payback in a way you know.” She giggles, her smile warm and eyes soft.

/

It was now around 4:30. It had been a long, hot, stressful day and the two of them were ready to go back home and just relax. The sun had already begun to drop, as the wind had picked back up; cooling the once humid air.

The two of them reach the estate, getting out the car and heading inside.

Walking back into the house, Ward stops Bella at the entrance, turning her body so she'd face him. He rested his hands on her shoulders, "I want to apologise for earlier.. I wasn't mad at you. Rafe was getting me worried about the show.."

She shakes her head, taking Wards hands from her shoulders and holding them tightly, "It's okay I know.. it's just.. he didn't do anything wrong?"

"It might not seem like it honey, but when it's constant disobedience it just gets too much and slightly upsetting. I gave him specific rules before starting the show, and so far? He's broken two of them!"

"Rules? What rules?" Bella frowns, tilting her head as she lets go of his hands, placing them by her side.

"There's three! 'Don't start pointless arguments, 'Behave and save the attitude for his room, and three, 'Don't say things that aren't about himself.' The shows about everyone yes, but talking bad about the other people on the show isn't what I wanted it for. I'm glad he hasn't broken it yet but I'm not counting on the thought that he won't."

"But telling the truth is better for the show is it not? You want the show to be a real depiction of your life! Telling Rafe to behave and not be rude is like telling him to not be himself!" Her tone was serious but her words only caused a chuckle from Wards lips.

"I don't think you want him hearing that."

She snorts realising what she said before shrugging it off, "I mean I said to tell the truth!" She giggles.

Ward smirks, taking her hand again, "Come on, he's not following them anyways so l guess you don't have much to worry about."

Hand in hand, Ward pulls Bella through to his office. "Take a seat sweetheart." He gestures his hand to the seat opposite his desk as he places himself in his chair.

Bella sits, crossing her legs on the chair but making sure to pull at the hem of her skirt to cover everything necessary. Ward pulls out some documents from a drawer in his desk, tapping them against the table.

He looks up at the camera beside them that was placed by the window in the corner of the office, "Basically, every month me and Bella add up every dollar she's made over the four weeks, take off anything that 'goes missing' aka Callum has taken for God knows what, work out the average time she's spent actually in the house, and thats how we work out how much she pays for her half of the rent money. It seems confusing-"

"It is confusing! It's why I let you do it and I just sit here." Bella laughs awkwardly, a small wobble in her words causing Ward to chuckle lightly.

"Right yes. I do all of that and her job is to send the money over." They both laugh, Bella's cheeks reddening; Ward fiddles with the paper in his hand. "Because she stays here most of the time but also takes all the responsibilities for her and Callum, I don't feel as though it’s very fair for her to pay the whole chunk, so we work it out to down to the time"

Bella nods, a half smile pulling at her lip, "See, confusing!" She looks into the camera, her complexion blank at the effort of processing Wards explanation.

Knock Knock

The sound made Bella’s body jolt as they both turn to the door to the office, their faces lifting again once they see the familiar face walk in, "Wheezie!" Bella exclaims joyfully, swinging her arms out to gesture a hug. Wheezie skips over with a quiet 'hi" to Ward, falling effortlessy into Bella's arms, slowly making her way onto her lap.

"Everything okay? We sort of have a thing Wheezie." Wards tone stiffened, more forced now. She seemed to shrug it off, not as bothered as Bella clearly was, a sign that Wheezie was most likely used to this behaviour.

/

"She doesnt seem to care but everyone sees it! He's sooo different with everyone. It's actually crazy and it makes me feel really bad. He's so nice with me but when he starts randomly bursting out on Rafe or getting irritated by Wheezie that's when it really bothers me. Its either be nice to everyone or don't bother because thats horrible you know! its mostly when Rafe's trying to talk to me about something Wards said or done to him but then brings up how id never understand because hes so different with me. It physically hurts because ive seen it, i know it happens, yet everyone holds this grudge against me because i get it easy: its not my fault, its not like i want him to be this nice with me i never asked him to be. I dont get why i get the hate?"

/

"Just, Sarah seems upset and Rose is in a mood again, and I'm just concerned about Rafe because he's not here right now and-"

"Hey hey shh." Ward stands up, crouching down infront of the girls and taking Wheezie's hands in his own. "Slow down, what's going on with Sarah?"

She shrugs, a sniffle escaping her nose as she pushes at the bridge of her glasses, "I don't know! I mean I think it might be to do with Topper? Because he seemed mad earlier and Rafe was on about some Pogue she was with or something? And Rose is just mad because of the cameras and also all of us were apparently annoying her and she was getting really stressed I think? I don't know! But I can't deal with it on my own, what do I do?"

Ward looks up at Bella who gives him a reassuring nod, accompanied by a soft smile. He looks back at Wheezie as he stands up, tugging at her hand to pull her from Bella's lap,

"Come on, you go upstairs I'll deal with them okay? Where are they?" He tilts his head down to her level.

Her eyes wander as she tries to think under pressure, "Uhm.. I think.. I know Sarah's on the boat! Rose is in the kitchen I think but I don't think Rafe's in the house?"

"What do you mean you don't think he's in the house where did he go?"

Her face contorts, her shoulders shrugging as she throws her hands up in the air, "I have no idea! Last I was told, he went to go see Bella. But he's not with her so l'm not sure. Sorry." Her eyes fall, Wards hand finds her chin as he guides her face to look at him.

"I’ll find him okay! You go relax, I'll talk to them."

She nods and mutters a quiet 'thank you' before skipping out the office and up the stairs.

Ward lets out a deep breath, his hand running over his face as his brows knit together. He sits himself back down on the black leather seat.

"I thought-?" Bella points to the door, confusion clearly masking her face.

"I'll sort it later. Let's just get this done please!" He sounded irritated, pissed off even. Nothing had happened yet he seemed to switch like that.

/

"How'd it go bro?" Kelce passes Rafe a beer as they walk over the grass to Tanny Hill.

"Don't ask.." Rafe spits, rolling his eyes as he takes a big mouthful, finishing the drink in one.

"Woah slow down man!" Callum catches up, snatching the can from his grasp but it was too late. "Whats up? John B talking up my sister too?"

He groans, running a hand through his strands as he opens the door, "What do you think?"

"She still at the dock? Forgot she was working today."

"No idea. Don't really care." He shrugs, helping himself to another beer from the refrigerator on the way through the kitchen.

"Dude watch your mouth that's my sister you're talking about! Thought you were all obsessed with her or some shit?" Callum grimaces at his own words but also very serious about his question.

"Gross man. I ain't obsessed with her bro!" Rafe spits as if Callum's words were absurd. "I gotta take care of her a'ight? What my old man told me to do."

"So you're using her?"

"Just shut up Cal!! You know that's not what I meant. Why do you care anyways? You hate her!"

Callum's head swings round, gripping Rafes collar in an instant, "Say that shit again and your dead you understand me??"

"Get the fuck off me Callum.." He stares at him, holding his ground whilst also slowly trying to wriggle out of Callum's grasp.

His grip loosens when he hears Bella's voice through the door behind them; he turns around, forgetting about his hold on Rafe.

"Guess she's in there!" Rafe shrugs, brushing himself off; earning him a glare from Callum.

/

"Where were we?" He searches through the papers on the desk. Bella watches intently, her eyes full of concern as her eyebrows form a v shape. She doesn't say anything however, just watches him.

"Okay so you've earned a total of-" A loud bang and a mass of voices erupts through the halls, made out through the crack in the door. Wards face meets his palms as he groans. The noises in the other room only growing louder causing Wards expressions to deepen.

He lifts his head, looking back down at the papers, "A total of-" He's cut off once again by the door creaking open slowly, the sounds coming to a halt. He bites the inside of his cheek as he chuckles away the clear pain this situation is causing him.

Despite opening the door, a small knock is still made out before three figures walk into the room. "May we help you?" Ward spat, his eyes piercing into each of their own.

"There you are Bells!" Her eyes widen at the familiar voice, her back raising as a shiver takes over her body; hesitating before turning to become face to face with her brother. "You been with Ward all day?"

"Yeah!" She frowns, confused about his calm tone.

Callum nods a second, biting his lip as his eyes squint. He gives Bella his hand, squeezing his fingers to his palm and letting go again to gesture for her to take it. "Come!"

"Cal l'm-" She points at Ward and the papers, Callum's face dropping with pure uninterest.

"We're in the middle of something Callum she can speak with you soon!"

He frowns at Ward, quickly turning back to Bella, trying again with his hand. "Well we're going out. Your coming. I haven't seen you all day!"

"Callum!" Wards hand meets the desk with a hard smack, he takes a deep breath, "Callum, just let us finish and she'll-"

"I wasn't talking to you was I? Old man." He heaves, rolling his eyes; not even fazed by the raise in his voice, unlike Bella who looks too terrified to move.

"Cal..??" She whisper-shouts, her brows furrowing at his antics, shaking her head as if to get him to stop.

He ignores her, nodding his head to the door, "Bella let's go." His eyebrows raise, face more serious now as his tone had hardened. His jaw clenched.

The two remaining boys at the door, Rafe and Kelce, both give each other a look of concern, a small word passed between them followed by a shake of Kelce's head before looking back at the event.

Bella looks up at Ward, her eyes full of plea. He merely watches her, his face blank as if he'd switched off part way into the conversation. Her focus follows back to the camera before blinking and nodding lightly, lifting herself from the chair and placing her hand into Callum's.

He guides her to the exit, following the others outside; she pulls herself back into the doorway, giving Ward a small smile, “I’ll send you half!”

“No no don’t worry, we’ll sort it tomorrow!” His eyes widen as he pushes himself up. She nods but didn’t quite catch what he said as Callum had dragged her away from the room.

/

“Would you say you like the Camerons? We haven’t had the chance to speak yet!”

Callum’s face drops, his brows tighten as his expression tenses; scoffing at Ryan’s words, “No why would I?? They think they can control me like I’m their kid or something. But I’m not! And neither is Bella so I don’t know why he’s treating her like she is. She’s MY sister. Not Rafes, not Wheezie’s. Mine!! He doesn’t need to get involved in all her shit, that’s my job now! And it has been for 16 years!” He spits aggressively, shoving past Ryan almost pushing him to the floor.

/

Ward finds himself in the living room, “Rafe? Let me speak to you!” He calls him over from the couch, leading him into the kitchen.

“What’s wrong?” He frowns, “We’re leaving in like ten minutes!”

“Watch your attitude I just want to talk.”

Rafe roles his eyes, sitting himself on one of the stools beside the island.

“Wheezie mentioned you and Topper were involved in something earlier. To do with Sarah and a Pogue?”

“Of course she did..” He curses under his breath, his hand finding his hair, “Yeah what about it?” He slams his hand on the marble.

“I want to know what happened. I mean you stormed our boat earlier.”

“Yeah OUR boat? I was checking on Bella what’s the problem?”

“The problem is you were arguing with her. I was trying to film for the show and you come and start something. Do you not want to act normal for two seconds when the cameras are on you? Are you incapable of that or something Rafe?” He waits for a response but Rafe simply just stares at him, speechless at his sudden switch in attitude since this morning. “Hello? Rafe I’m speaking to you! What is wrong with you?”

The words hit Rafe like a brick, causing a sudden tense in his muscles as he stands up, the force throwing the stool to the ground. “I was making sure she’s okay?? And your-“

“Why wouldn’t she be??”

“And you’re making it out like it’s a bad thing!! Im sorry I give a fuck about someone for once! I’m sorry I’m ACTUALLY doing something you asked for once! But you know MY bad for actually doing what I’m told. Jesus yeah what the hell’s wrong with me??” He smacks Wards water bottle out his hand, covering the counter and his lap in liquid as he leaves.

“We’re not done Rafe!!!” Ward yells through the room, Rafe flipping him off on his way out.

He cleans himself up before going upstairs to find Sarah.

/

“Hello honey..” Ward slowly opens the door to Sarah’s room, keeping his tone calm because Wheezie mentioned her feeling upset.

“Hi daddy.” She smiles, placing her colouring book on her bed as she gives him her full attention.

He sits himself infront of her on the edge of her bed, placing his hand against her leg; stroking his thumb against her skin ever so slightly. “Are you okay sweetheart?”

She frowns, tilting her head slightly, “Yeah of course. Why?”

He nods lightly, “Just because Wheezie was worried about you! Said something about Topper?”

Her eyes widen and fall as her fingers find a pencil to fiddle with, “Um.. yeah no everything’s fine. He just seemed mad earlier and left me while we were out.”

“What do you mean he left you? Alone?”

She nods, not looking back up at him as his tone shifts only slightly, “Was he mad at you?” He emphasises the ‘you’ as his face tenses.

“I’m not sure. I don’t know what I did! I just went to the bathroom then when I came back he shouted at me and left? So I went to see Layla.” She looks back up at him, her eyes glassing over.

Wards brows furrow; he pulls Sarah into his chest, his hand stroking the back of her head as he places a kiss to the top of it. “I’m so sorry Sare Bear.. I’ll speak to him okay..” He rests his head against hers.

She shakes her head ‘no’ as she lifts herself from his hold, “No it’s okay.” She wipes her nose with her sleeve before tucking her hands into them, “He’ll be fine tomorrow!” She reassures.

“Okay honey..” He strokes the side of her head, his thumb rubbing against her cheek, pulling her head closer to give her another kiss to her forehead. “I love you..”

“Love you too dad..” She smiles softly, picking up her colouring book again. He nods as he leaves to the door, turning back once more to blow a kiss before shutting it behind him.

“That boy is pissing me off..” He mutters to himself as he walks past one of the cameras to go back downstairs; head in his hands.

/

"Hey Rafe?" Bella runs over, catching up outside the gate, her hand slipping into his.

He doesn't fight it but also doesnt reciprocate, not turning his head to look at her, "Mhm?"

She hesitates at his lack of touch, "Hey look I'm sorry about earlier!" The other boys turn back to watch as they kept walking, looking at one another with a slight snicker.

He looks up at the boys, looking back down at his and Bella’s hands before pulling away, "Yeah look it's fine a'ight? You already said sorry."

Again, he didn't look at her once, meaning he didn't notice the way she very obviously noticed his intent behind his hand pulling away as her eyes began to tear up. Holding back a whimper she takes a deep breath, "I mean.. You could've stayed? W- we weren't doing anything." She looks up at him with her forced doe eyes, hoping for atleast a small reaction.

He shrugs, "Yeah well you looked busy with that Pogue so.. didn't wanna bother you." His eyes squint as he scratches the back of his head; a small 'tut' falling from his lips.

Her eyes widen, a frown forcing onto her brows as a tear falls down her flustered cheeks, "I.. I told you that it didn't m- mean anything?" She choked through her tears, causing a slight eye twitch from Rafe as he fights back from looking at her.

"Look Bells I-“

Callum interrupts, turning back and grabbing Bella's arm, "What he means, Bella, is that us Kooks don't hang around those Pogues a'ight? Don't listen to Rafe, he's being a prick." He spits at Rafe, giving him a dirty glare as he wraps an arm round Bella and pulls her infront to walk with him instead.

Turning back, Callum's brows furrow at Rafe, a small 'what's your fucking problem' falling from his lips silently. Rafe feels himself tense; his fist scrunching as his face contorts into a mix of anger and upset. He hits himself in the head, "Stop it.. Stop it." He scolds himself, blinking back the evident tears that glassed his eyes.

We did end up asking Rafe about the situation but it didn't end the way we wanted so for his sake we can't show the footage, we’re truly sorry but it’s confidential.

/

The lights were out, the room lit by only the few yellow flames surrounding the couple. The moonlight through the glass doors, filled the room with a slight warm glow. The small table was covered in plates of salmon and glasses of red wine ontop a white tablecloth.

The two enjoyed the meal, watching the stars whilst midway in a deep conversation about one another. Eyes never left the others, hand in hand, admiring every little detail they had missed about each other in the time they had away.

They join eachother on the couch afterwards, putting on a romantic movie about a pianist and an actress. Bodies glued to the other, heads rested together.

"It's been a long day Rose.. those kids are way too much sometimes.." Ward mumbles as he rests his head against Rose's shoulder.

She lifts her hand to gently caress his cheek, placing a light kiss to the top of his head, "I know baby.. thats why I mentioned finding somewhere else for Rafe to stay.. It's one less person to have to worry about after a busy day.." She leans her head against his as he pulls her hand into his own, his fingers tangling between hers.

"We can't kick him out Rose.. not because im tired sometimes.. Its just difficult with so many things and so many people. I almost snapped at Wheezie earlier.."

"Is it getting bad again..?"

He nods a 'yes' against her chest, causing her to tut as she takes a long breath, placing yet another kiss to his head, "Just take it easy the next few days okay.. The cameras are probably making everything worse than it is.. You have a few days without them so just make the most of it okay baby.."

Ward sighs, digging himself deeper into her body, her warmth radiating onto him causing his eyes to fall shut, "Mhm.. Okay honey.. take it.. take it easy.. got it.." He yawns, resting himself fully as she hushes him to sleep. One last kiss to his head before she turned down the tv volume and pulled a blanket over the two of them.

"Sleep well honey.." She smiles softly, watching his eyes flutter as a quiet snore begins to release from his throat. "We'll figure it all out at some point.."

Thank you for watching yet another episode of Keeping Up With The Camerons! Today was a hard one, but maybe tomorrow we'll have some more answers surrounding this supposed 'Pogue' drama as we join Sarah for her day in the sun. Stay tuned and keep an eye out for the next one!

Next Episode Here

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Do we like Bella? I wanted her to be like y/n except I just can’t write in second person so she’s an OC instead 🤦‍♀️ Please let me know!

Sorry this one took so long I was doubting everything and almost rewrote it all haha

Thank you for reading! See you all for the next oneeee 🩵🦋

Masterlist

Taglist: @viawritesstuff @mymelodylvr @rafeinterlude @cerya @aariahnaa @native2princess @b1mb0slvt

[dvdregionseven]

I need people who hate the same things I do. Hacksaw Ridge. Ryan Seacrest's accent. The National Post. The error of using soundstages where you could get away with a beach and a dozen extras pretending real good instead of blowing millions on green screens and CGI.

THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH HATERS IN MY DAY TO DAY LIFE.

I'm a little buzzed so I don't know if "we should have a vodcast where we fact check Global/CTV/CBC/etc once a week and inevitably shout you evil motherfuckers at the TV" or if that's folly. I think yelling at the TV is a paradigm shifting growth industry that needs to be platformed and distributed to the consumer. We're shiftin' paradigms and disruptin' whatever the fuck sells to angel investors.

The Canaduuuuuugggggggghhhhhhh Podcast. Brought to you by whoever's stupid enough to give us money (not Betterhelp fuck those assholes).

[waywardnerd67]

BTOT Chap 9 - No Goodbyes

Summary: After a few horrible days in Los Angeles, (Y/N) decides to cut her trip short leaving Jensen a note. As she waits for her plane, one of his roommates runs into her and tells her how Jensen has really been.   Main Characters: Jensen Ackles, Reader Other Characters: Ryan Seacrest, Christian Kane, Jason Manns Pairing: No Pairing Rating: M - Mature Warnings: Angst/Fluff/Implied Smut Word Count: 4575 A/N:

Check out: Beneath the Oak Tree Masterlist

(Y/N) groaned as the bongos echoed within her head. Traveling, little food and whiskey was the perfect recipe for a migraine. She went to sit up when something around her waist pulled her back to bed.

“Five ‘ore minutes…” Jensen mumbled against her back.

Her body froze. All night her dreams were filled with falling in a sea of bright lights and flashes. Calling out for Jensen to save her. Lissa’s voice filled her mind as she looked for Jensen and then hit the bottom. Now he was lying behind her, holding her tight against his body with his legs entwined with hers.

“W-Why did you sleep in here?” She cleared her throat staring at the wall in front of her.

She felt him sit up resting his chin on her arm, “Because I’m an asshole who tried to kill two birds with one stone. I should have told you that I had a work engagement and seen if you wanted to go with me. I’m sorry smarty-pants.”

She turned to face him, “Your career is important and I’m so proud of the life you’ve built for yourself out here.”

His fingers trailed down her cheek to under her chin lifting her eyes to his, “You’re important to me.”

(Y/N) saw what was coming and her mind screamed for her to stop him. Push him away. Roll out of the bed. Instead, she closed her eyes and waited for his lips to meet hers. When nothing happened, she opened her eyes once more to see his jaw clenched and eyes shut. At that moment, she knew he was the strongest willed person in the world and appreciated his stubbornness.

“We should get up.” She whispered.

Jensen nodded, pressing his forehead against hers. His lips parted as if he was going to say something. Then he rolled away from her and out of bed. He shut her door behind him and she could hear him entering his room.

Falling face first onto the side he slept in, Jensen's familiar smell overwhelmed her senses. She growled loudly into the mattress before getting out of bed and getting dressed. She waited for Jensen out in the rec room that was covered in beer cans and red solo cups.

(Y/N) searched the cabinets of the bar for trash bags and started cleaning up. When she got to the couch, she rolled her eyes and thanked god that she passed out from exhaustion. Grabbing a handful of napkins from the bar, she picked up the condom and tossed it all in the trash bag quickly.

“So gross…” She mumbled before whirling around hearing Jensen’s voice.

“Yeah, it wasn’t a pretty sight to walk down here and see last night.”

He was dressed in a pair of khaki cargo shorts and white t-shirt. His hair was hidden beneath a backwards ballcap and sneakers on his feet. He never ceased to take her breath away.

“You know you’re the guest. You don’t have to clean up.” He grabbed a few of the empty cups.

She shrugged, “I know, but it takes nothing to be a good person and help out. Plus, I can’t stand to see and smell any of this.”

Jensen chuckled, helping her clean up the rest of the basement. Walking upstairs, they found an even bigger mess.

“Oh for fuck’s sake…” She grumbled, “Go get me some trash bags, cleaner solution and a rag.”

He started laughing until he glanced over at her, “Oh… you’re being serious. Smarty-pants, you don’t need to clean our house for us.”

(Y/N) put her hands on her hips, “I don’t care whose house it is. I’m not eating food or sitting anywhere until I know it’s properly cleaned.”

Seeing him roll his eyes, she walked over to him, “Now trash bags, cleaner solution and a rag.” She smacked his ass to get him moving.

“You’re lucky I like you and you're hot.” He grumbled heading towards the kitchen.

Between the two of them it only took an hour to clean the main level of the house. Afterwards, (Y/N) came up behind Jensen and hugged him.

“Thank you for indulging my quirks. I feel better now that I have accomplished something.”

As she went to step away, he grabbed a hold of her arms and tightened them around his waist, “Your quirks make you special and that is why I love you so much.”

She sucked in a breath hearing the ‘L’ word resting her cheek against his back. He loosened his grip without letting go of her.

“May I be brutally honest?” He asked, turning within her arms.

She smiled, “Yes, you may.”

“Having you here, watching you clean… feels right. Makes me feel like I’m home.”

Her heart skipped before plummeting to her stomach, “I know what you mean. I’ve had this huge void in my chest all year at school. Being here with you has filled that for me.”

He pulled her closer to him, “But. There’s a but coming.”

“But we both agreed that we’re better off as friends with so much distance between us.” She paused, staring up into his beautiful eyes, “However, I see nothing wrong in indulging in a few fun activities together.”

He tilted his head slightly as his lips curled into a mischievous smirk, “Are you saying what I think you’re saying? Please be saying what I think you’re saying because if you’re toying with me then I’m going to pick you up right now and toss you into the pool.”

Slipping her hand under his cap into his hair, (Y/N) pulled his lips close to hers, “I guess you’ll just have to make your move and find out handsome.”

She backed away walking towards the sliding door to the back deck. Looking back, she started chuckling watching Jensen adjust himself to hide the visible reaction he was having.

“Well played smarty-pants, well played. Come on, I owe you a day of sun and fun in L.A.” He stepped behind her, grasping her hips and pulling her ass back against him, “Then we can see how we spend our night together.”

“Wow, this place looks great! Did we hire a maid?”

They turned around seeing Christian smirking and Jason stumbling down the stairs. Jason’s eyes went from her to Jensen and back instantly realizing they walked in the middle of a moment.

“Hey Ackles, sorry if we interrupted something.”

“Nah, we were just leaving to spend the day on the boardwalk. You guys can cook (Y/N) a thank you dinner for cleaning up after y’all’s wild night.” He swung his arm around her shoulders walking towards the garage door.

Jason patted his shoulder, “Sure thing and m’lady what would you like for your grand meal of thanks?”

“I’m a simple kind of girl. Steak, medium, baked potato with butter and salad. Probably some beer as well since I’ll be out in the sun all day. Nice cold one when I get back would be great.”

The three men stared at her as if she had a third eye on her face, “Ackles...” Christian said.

“Yeah?”

“Marry this girl today.” Jason grinned, “Or better yet, let one of us marry her.”

Jensen pushed his friends away from her, “She’s all mine fellas. Get your own smartypants hottie.”

(Y/N) shook her head walking out to Jensen’s truck, waiting for him to come out. Something bright caught her eye beneath her seat. Reaching under, she felt something lacy and pulled it out as he walked out. A small, red, lace bra hung from her fingers. Her heart stopped. Bile shot up from her stomach burning her throat.

“(Y/N)... I-I can explain…” He started, but she held her other hand up.

“No need too, Jensen. You’re a gorgeous, single man in Los Angeles. I would find it harder to believe you hadn’t hooked up or dated someone while living out here last year.” She tossed the bra onto the little work bench and climbed into his truck.

Suddenly, the seat seemed foreign to her. Someone new had replaced her in this spot and (Y/N) shoved the tears and emotions back down into the void they seeped out of. No matter what, Jensen was no longer her Jensen, but just her friend in L.A. now.

He turned the truck on, backing out and made it halfway down the street before pulling over. He killed the engine and faced her.

“Her name was Amber and I met her at a party Ryan held about a month after moving out here. I was wasted and she is known for going after hot, new actors. We ended up talking in my truck drinking a bottle of cheap whiskey and she climbed into my lap. The moment she tossed her bra in the back, I sobered up and said I couldn’t.”

His glossy eyes shined in the sunlight piercing through the window and in heart she believed him, “Why couldn’t you?”

“All I could think was, ‘She’s not (Y/N)’. You know I love you, right?” He asked.

“I mean sure, you always tell me you love me.” She prayed only she could hear her rapidly thumping heart.

He took her hands into his, “No, not like that. I mean I LOVE you. Head over heels, madly, crazy in love with you. I have been for a long time and never wanted to lose you. Last year, when we decided to be friends I wanted nothing more than to fight for us to be an us. I didn’t care about titles or telling anyone because everyone else’s opinions meant nothing. You. Your opinion, your thoughts, your feelings are what matter most. But, I knew you were right about the distance thing and then I further proved your point last night. Damn it, I just want to be good enough for you.”

(Y/N) looked quickly for any people around them. Seeing no one, she unbuckled her seatbelt and climbed over straddling his lap. His body went rigid and his hands gripped her sides to keep her balanced.

“Jensen Ackles, you are more than good enough for me. You’re perfect. You always have been perfect in every way from the moment you punched Mike in the face. I never believed I was meant to be with someone like you. Beautiful…”

She kissed his cheek, “Charming.”

She kissed his other cheek, “Patient.”

She kissed his forehead, “Loving.”

She finally kissed his lips, “I wasn’t meant to fall in love with Prince Charming and now that I am I don’t want to risk losing you.”

“How can we ever know what we could be if we never try?”

(Y/N) chuckled as tears fell down her face, “What if we try and lose what we are?”

Now he was laughing while wiping her tears away, “You and your dumb logic.”

He held her face in his hands before leaning in to kiss her. Feeling his lips on hers sparked a deep need for him that scared her. She needed him like she needed air in her lungs and she was sure if he was not in her life she would simply perish.

“Come on, I want to show you a special spot I found.” He whispered as she nodded carefully moving back to her seat.

She caught him looking down at his shorts and saw the large bulge as he groaned, “Fuck, how am I going to hide that while we walk around?”

She started giggling which brought a brilliant smile on his face. He drove them about thirty minutes to a national park. Taking her hand, she led her down the walking trail until they came upon a small hill with a single tree on it. It was not an oak tree but similar in that it was the only one in a small patch of land. Walking up beneath it they could look down on the city below hustling and bustling.

“This is amazing.” She smiled while taking in the view.

“It’s not our tree, but I found it when I needed it the most. After the whole Amber thing, I went for a run here. I stopped to take a drink and looked up to see it standing here. Like a message from god that I needed to remember where I came from and who I was.”

She slipped her arms around his waist leaning into his side, “Even if you had slept with her, you’re still you.”

His arms wrapped around her, “No, I wouldn’t have been. I don’t want to be some big Hollywood playboy who sleeps around with every girl cause I can. I want to be known for my talent, my patience, my charm.”

She laughed softly, “Don’t forget your beauty.”

“Oh yes, definitely my beauty. I don’t want to be on the cover of tabloids and gossip columns. I want to be on the cover of magazines for my projects and my work. I want the woman I love to know, she’s the only one on my mind when I go to bed at night.”

She looked up to see his dark eyes staring down at her making her knees weak as he continued.

“That when I’m performing a love scene it’s her that gives me the inspiration to make it look real and passionate. Every time I come to this tree to write her a letter, I think about the last time we were at the oak tree and made love.”

“Jensen…” She whispered, as he held a finger to her lips.

“I’m not expecting anything to change between us. I just want you to know how I feel and how you are always with me here even thousands of miles away.”

They stood there in silence, holding one another and watching the busy streets below. When they finally left the park and went for lunch, (Y/N) decided that maybe she had been wrong all along. Maybe, she and Jensen could work out long distance.

The rest of the day was spent walking the boardwalk and going to little shops. When they arrived back at the house the smell of barbeque filled their noses. His housemate, Ryan, had returned from a business trip promoting his new radio show. She soon found out that whenever given the chance to celebrate anything they would invite people over.

Thankfully, she had enjoyed her dinner in peace with Jensen and Jason. They chatted about Jason’s music career and how one day he wanted to move out to the east coast. As she put the last of the clean dishes away, people began showing up. Mostly women of all ages, shapes and sizes.

(Y/N) sat outside by the pool watching people act a fool. She nursed her second beer to not seem like a party pooper but also to not get drunk. Jensen, on the other hand, was being handed drinks left and right from anyone around him. Again, mostly women, who she could not blame for falling for him.

As the party grew rowdier and her patience thinner, she decided to go to her room for the night. Upon opening her door, she found a man with two young women on her bed.

“Alright, alright, get the fuck out of my room!” She shouted as the girls got up revealing who was beneath them.

(Y/N)’s stomach churned so hard she physically hunched over. There was Jensen. Face covered in lipstick and pants completely undone. Her stomach lurched and she ran from the room. The moment she was out the back door and on the side of the house she emptied her stomach. Her wonderful dinner and two beers were now all on the ground in a pile of sick and mush.

“(Y/N)!” He called out, but she said nothing praying he would not find her, “Hey… whoa, (Y/N)... I…”

“Don’t. Just, don’t.” She said pushing him away from her and walking back inside.

Pushing her way through the crowd, she grabbed her purse and walked out the front door. Faintly over the laughter of others and the music, she could hear Jensen shouting her name. She made it to the end of their street before he caught up to her.

“Damn it (Y/N), stop!” He yelled.

She whirled around shoving him as hard as she could, “What! What the fuck do you want from me, Jensen? You say we’re going out to dinner together and then forget I’m with you at a work dinner. You tell me you love me and then I find you with two chicks on my bed. So tell me, what is it Jay? Do you actually love me? Are we just friends? Or am I just a girl you know you can fuck whenever you lay on the charm?”

His eyes burned into hers as his jaw clenched. The next thing she knew everything was upside down as he slung her over his shoulder.

“Put me down Jensen Ackles!” She yelled, smacking his back and butt.

He walked back to his house and placed her in the passenger side of his truck, “Buckle up.”

“You’re drunk and shouldn’t drive.” She crossed her arms over her chest.

Her breath hitched as he leaned over her and buckled her seatbelt, “Trust me, I’m more sober than I have ever been in my entire life. We’re getting out of here.”

She watched him run back inside the house and considered bolting once more. However, what she saw in his eyes just a moment before kept her locked in place. His eyes were burning with anger but most of all with fear. He returned moments later with her bag and one of his. He had wiped most of the lipstick off his face and neck, she noticed as he peeled out of the driveway.

It was a short drive to a part of downtown Los Angeles. Her eyes widened as the Ritz-Carlton came into view and flashes of prom night played out in her head. Grabbing their bags and handing the keys to the valet, they walked into the lavish lobby. (Y/N) watched Jensen as he spoke with the clerk at the front desk. Taking her hand, they went up to nearly the top floor and entered into one of the Ritz-Carlton suites similar to the one they had at prom.

“Now, we’re going to spend the rest of your trip right here…”

“You can’t afford this room for that long.” She said, looking out over the city from one of the large windows.

He scoffed, “I can when one of your best friends’ dad works for them.”

“Zack.” She muttered.

“Amazing what favors I can call in when it’s life or death.”

Now it was her turn to scoff, “This is nowhere close to being life or…”

He held up his finger to her, “Shhh, you. Now, I’m going to run you a bath so you can soak and relax from what just happened. All the while, I’m going to take a shower and wash off the stank from me. No arguments. No fighting. No smarty-pants logic or remarks.”

As he spoke, Jensen stepped closer to her until he was right in front of her. The cheap floral perfume from one of the ladies filled her noses making her stomach roll.

“Well you definitely have some skank,” (Y/N) faked cough a couple of times, “Excuse me, stank on you.”

His eyes narrowed and lips curled into a smirk, “I’m going to get your bath ready now.”

He turned on his heels heading towards the bathroom. (Y/N) stared out the window once more. This game of avoidance would only last so long until they imploded. She no longer fit into his world and it was not fair to keep him balancing on the thin rope he was.

“Get your fine ass in here.” He called out.

She walked in the bathroom seeing the bubbles in the bathtub and steam rising from it. Jensen stepped out so she could get undressed and in the tub. The hot water stung her skin like little needles sending a tingling sensation down her body. Once she was submerged in the water, she closed her eyes and allowed the warmth to relax her body. Her muscles decompressed and her mind emptied.

For about thirty seconds, then she heard the shower head turn on from the standing shower beside the tub. The glass door closed and she peeked open one eye to see Jensen glorious, naked backside. Water trickled down his shoulders and back highlighting every defined line he had. Droplets rolled down his perfectly round ass and continued over his bowlegs.  

She watched his hands slick back his hair before running over his face. The desperate need for him that had been in the pit of her stomach dropped to between her legs. Chewing on her bottom lip as gripping her thighs, she could not tear her eyes away from him.

“You’re staring.” He mentioned turning around and showing her everything.

He had a washcloth and bar of soap lavering it up. Watching him drag the cloth down his arms then over his chest. Completely mesmerized by him as he purposely slowed his hand over his stomach and down his legs, skipping over the part demanding attention.

“You’re showing off.” She stated barely keeping her from joining him.

Her mouth gaped open as he ran the cloth over his hard cock letting out a small grunt, “Maybe, just a little.”

She could not hold back any longer because simply she did not want to. Carefully standing up in the tub, she stepped out onto the small stairs and stepped behind him. The hot water stung her back as she wrapped her arms around his waist pressing her body against his.

He let out a satisfied sigh as her fingers wrapped around his length slowly stroking him, “God that feels good…”

“I want to be yours Jensen. I can’t just be friends anymore. I don’t want to be some fuck buddy whenever we see each other.” She slowed her pace until releasing him and turning him to face her, “We’re either all in or all out.”

Jensen reached behind her, turning the water off and pressing her back against the tile wall. His hands on either side of her head caged her in. Droplets falling down on her face from his hair as he leaned in towards her.

“All. In.” He whispered before his lips crashed to hers.

In the early hours of the morning, (Y/N) woke up to find she was the only one in bed. Gathering the sheet from the bed, she wrapped it around herself in search of Jensen. Hearing his voice, she walked out into the living room area.

“No.” He paused, “No, Chris, you have it all wrong.”

He was pacing in front of the couch in his boxers, “You don’t understand. She is the most important thing in my life. She always has been and I was  dumbass for moving out here in the first place.”

He let out a frustrated sigh nearly growling at his friend on the phone, “My mind is made up. As soon as my contract is up with Days then I’m moving back to Dallas. I will get a job, go to school and be whatever I need to be to keep her in my life.”

There was a long pause before he yelled, “You know what, you’re never going to get because you bang every girl within thirty miles of here. I’m done acting. I’m done with L.A. and I’m done with you.”

Peeking around the corner, she saw his cell on the table in front of him as he sat with his head in his hands. Walking over, she stood in front of him running her fingers through his soft hair.

“I’m sorry.”

He looked up before pulling her down onto his lap. The sheet broke free and the cool air hit her blistering skin. He shook his head before kissing her.

“You have nothing to be sorry for. Once again, you brought clarity into my life when I had none. Thank you.” She went to speak but he picked her up walking back into the bedroom where they made love again.

As the sun began to rise over the ocean, (Y/N) stood at the foot of the bed watching Jensen sleep. She was dressed and their notebook in her hands. Tears fell onto the cover of it as she placed it on her pillow. Taking one last long look at the man who changed her life, she picked up her bag and left the hotel heading to the airport.

She sat at her terminal waiting for her plane to be called when a familiar voice called out her name, “(Y/N)?”

“Ryan? W-What are you… did Jensen send you?”

He sat beside her, shaking his head, “No. Last I heard he was holding you hostage at the Ritz.”

She scoffed softly, “Yeah that’s one way of putting it.”

“May I ask, what are you doing here?”

She chuckled, “I’m flying back home.”

He leaned back in his seat, “I know my housemates can be a lot to handle, but don’t let them ruin what you and Jensen have.”

“It’s not… It’s not that. I heard him talking to Christian about moving back to Dallas after his contract with Days is up. Giving up his career in acting so we can have a normal relationship back home. I can’t be responsible for that. I won’t have him look back in ten years and resent me for the career he could have had.”

“So, you’re walking away in order for him to live out his dream.” Ryan stared out the window as a plane took off.

“Exactly. He’s meant to be an actor. I believe he will change the world one character at a time. I won’t stand in the way of that. Everyone should know Jensen Ackles.” She looked down at her feet, “Even if it means that he’ll never speak to me again.”

Ryan turned towards, “I think you know that something like this won’t keep him from talking to you. He loves you more than anything. We tease him all the time about it whenever your notebook comes in the mail. Or whenever he has that stupid, cheesy grin on his face after talking to you on the phone. You two are the ones poets and songwriters write about. I bet you five bucks that you’ll receive that notebook back within the month.”

The announcer came over the intercom calling her plane. She stood up shaking Ryan’s hand with a smile.

“You’re on and thank you.”

“Have a safe flight, (Y/N).” He walked her to the gate waving goodbye to her.

Ten days later at home, she received a package in the mail. Opening the box, she found a small collection of shells from the beach she had collected. A picture frame with a picture of her and Jensen on the boardwalk sharing a milkshake that a photographer snapped and promised to send them each a copy. Finally, their notebook with only two sentences on the page after her goodbye letter.

I still love you. -J

P.S. Ryan says you owe him five bucks.

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[out-of-control]

LUCK

words: 1480

warnings: alcohol

summary: new year’s eve 2013.

Comfortably wasted, Jax watches Macklemore throw his sneakers into Times Square.

I hate this, he thinks, contemplatively, and continues gazing at the TV as it broadcasts the forty-second annual Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve, which Jax has always thought should be called Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve. Macklemore's bright red poncho follows the sneakers, for no apparent reason.   

Reflexively, he turns to Jim to say, Get a load of this asshole, but Jim isn't there. Right. 

Jax actually hasn’t seen Jim in a while. They walked here together, he remembers clearly. They both took their first drinks of the night together, arms linked together like Europeans or something, knocking back a pair of godawful jello shots in unison. They watched a little bit of the Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve together, early on in the night before anything interesting was happening. But somewhere along the line they split up, and now it’s hours later and Jax is standing against a wall, cradling a Solo cup full of warm beer, watching Macklemore be a douchebag on the host’s flatscreen, and feeling bizarrely lonely for a guy in a room packed with people. 

He wants to find Jim. 

He continues numbly watching the TV until Robin Thicke appears, and then he just can’t take it anymore. He pushes himself off the wall and starts weaving his way through the crowd, stumbling slightly as he goes.

Jim’s not in the den, socializing with everyone. Jim’s not in the kitchen, mixing drinks. Jim’s not in the front hallway greeting newcomers, the dining room picking at the snacks, or the linen closet folding towels. Jax hopes Jim isn’t upstairs banging headboards against the walls. Though, of course, he has no right to hope that. 

Just when he thinks he’s exhausted all other options, he happens to look out the back door window and see the dull orange light of a cigarette, low to the ground. 

“Hey,” he says, letting the screen door slap shut behind him. “Not into Ryan Seacrest?”

Jim– because of course it’s Jim, who else would be lurking outside in twenty-six degree weather during a New Year’s Eve rager– gives him a confused look, and Jax continues, “Not into Jenny McCarthy, either? I get that. I know it’s ABC, but she’s a little too Fox News for me, somehow. Maybe it’s the blonde. Probably it’s the soldier thing.” He sits down on the edge of the patio, next to Jim, only spilling his drink a little.

Jim stares at him, blowing smoke out the side of his mouth. “Uh huh.”

“So what are you hiding out here for,” Jax goes on, tilting his head to the side and knocking Jim with a shoulder. “I don’t know if you heard, but there’s a party going on.”

Jim shrugs, ashing his cigarette onto the dead grass. “Just needed a bit of a breather.”

Jax considers him. “Yeah. Get that,” he says, quietly. He really does. Jax likes parties, but sometimes it fucks him up when they’re too respectable, fucks him up to be surrounded by so many people and expected to act like a real person with his shit together. After a beat, he nods at Jim’s cigarette. “Hey, can I bum one?”

“Oh, yeah,” Jim says, digging into his pocket for the pack and picking one out for him. “What are you doing out here?” he asks, offering it to him, along with his lighter.

“Looking for you,” Jax says, because he’s too drunk to lie. He sets his cup down, tries to work the lighter, but his fingers fail to obey him; he can’t tell if it’s because of his inebriation or the cold. 

Jim gives Jax a look at his response, but gets distracted by his struggle. “Here,” he says, gesturing for Jax to give him the lighter, and lights it for him. Jax wraps a hand around Jim’s on the lighter to steady himself as he leans in and inhales, making the end of the cigarette glow bright. He forgets to let go once it ignites, eyes half-lidded as he watches the flame dance at the end of his nose. When he realizes, he removes his hand and shoves it into his jacket pocket, vaguely embarrassed even through his drunkenness. 

“I was– I dunno, I was thinking,” he says carelessly, pinching the cigarette between the thumb and forefinger of his other hand, “About how you can be in a room full of people and no one– no one knows what’s going on. No one can see inside your head.” He takes another drag and exhales. The smoke gets in his eyes. He isn’t making sense, he feels, and tries to slur less. “You know. You can stand right next to someone, you can be talking to them– and they can’t hear you. And it’s not their fault. It’s just–” He cranes his neck back, frowns at the stars. “–the way things are.”

Jim looks Jax over for a moment. He blows a cloud of smoke away from him, and nods slowly, thoughtfully. “More often than not,” he says, turning back to the ground.

Jax feels relieved. Jim gets it. Jim gets him. He keeps gazing upwards. 

“Hey,” Jax says, after a moment. “Hey. Show me Pegasus again.”

Jim blinks up at him, and then leans back on his hand and stares up. “It’s uh,” he clears his throat, tilting his head. He points, almost straight up, cigarette delicately hanging between his fingers. “Starts there now,” and then traces his finger almost all the way down to the horizon- from this spot sitting on the porch, at least. “Goes way down there. He’s right up center now, you could barely see it in the summer.”

Jax follows Jim’s line with his eyes, and, amazingly, he sees it. Not a fucking flying horse, of course, but a rectangle, for sure. With three wonky tails leading off one edge. Smile spreading across his face, he turns his head towards Jim and says, “Yeah. I fucking see it, man, thank you.”

Jim gives him a small smile, cigarette smoke curling up towards the stars. Jax considers him, all elbows and sharp teeth, all green eyes and delicate movements, all harsh laughs and languid spine, all spit and sunshine and blood and broken glass. 

Jax opens his mouth to say something.

From inside the house, he hears a cheer go up. 

He’d forgotten. Flipping his phone open, he reads: 11:59. 

“Shit,” he says. “Dude, it’s almost midnight. I swear a minute ago it wasn’t even ten P.M.” He shakes his head, clearing stupid impulses. “Time fucking flies when you’re having fun, huh.”

Jim snorts, hunching back over. “You wanna run back inside?”

“Nah,” Jax says, lifting his cigarette to his mouth, and then seeing that it’s gone out. “Shit.” He drops it on the patio. “Nah, I’m good out here.” He stares at Jim for a few seconds, feeling his 2013 ticking away. A wisp of hair is stuck to Jim’s cheek, cigarette loosely held between his fingers.

Through the door, another cheer. 

“Hey,” he says slowly. “You know it’s, uh. It’s good luck.”

Jim raises an eyebrow at him. “...To?”

“To kiss someone when the ball drops,” Jax says, heart beating fast. As if on cue, a chant strikes up from within the house. “Ten, nine–”

Jim’s eyes cut to the house, and then back to Jax. “Well, fuck,” he says, and smirks a little. “I’d better take it where I can get it.”

“–six, five, four–”

Jax swallows, and turns more fully towards Jim. 

“–three, two–” 

He places a hand on the side of Jim’s face and presses their lips together, as the loudest cheer yet erupts from the party inside. His heart feels like it’s about to smash through his ribcage, as Jim winds a hand around his wrist and opens his mouth ever so slightly, so that Jax’s lower lip is caught between his, just for a few aching seconds.

Then they pull apart. 

“Happy New Year,” Jim says casually, and takes a drag from his smoke, faint smirk dissipating as he looks back to the grass.

Someone sets off a firework a few blocks away, and Jax jumps a little. “Happy New Year,” he replies, as golden sparks spatter across the sky and stream back down to Earth. He stands up, swaying. “It’s freezing out here. I’m gonna head back inside,” he says, and hesitates, looking down at Jim. 

“I’ll head back in a minute,” Jim says, flicking the cigarette away and looking up to the fireworks, absently rubbing his wrist.

“Okay,” Jax tries to say, but it doesn’t come out at all. He clears his throat and tries again. “Okay. See you then.” He puts a hand on the door handle. And then he pulls it open, and steps into the new year. 

—

[softest-cinnamon-roll]

#4 for the drabble challenge!

4. “I’m too sober for this.”

* * * * *

Richie glared at the ceiling as he was woken up by his alarm blaring ‘Auld Lang Syne’ in honour of New Year’s Eve. Out of all the holidays that America celebrated, this one had to be the worst in Richie’s eyes. He hated how people who he hadn’t spoken to all year would send him messages wishing him a ‘Happy New Year’ and all that other garbage.

It was just another year in his eyes, and there was really no need to be celebrating so…enthusiastically.

Which was why when Richie stepped out into the hallway of his apartment building on the way to get the mail only to be slapped in the face with New Year’s decorations, he quickly tore them down. He grabbed a bin liner from his kitchen and stuffed the sparkly tinsel and ‘Happy New Year’ banners into it, tying it tight with a grunt.

It was against policy to decorate the hallway. Everyone knew that so why were there fucking decorations in his way?

With a grumble, Richie grabbed all of the bags, including the ones from his own apartment and trudged towards the elevator. He pulled open the gate and stepped inside, ready to close the gate and press the button when a voice called out for him to hold the elevator.

Great, company. Just what Richie wanted to deal with on New Years Eve. Not. Instead of holding the elevator, he continued to push the gate in the hopes that whoever it was trying to join him would just catch the next one or take the stairs. Unfortunately, luck was not on his side as a young man, probably about his age, stopped him from closing the gate and slipped into the elevator.

“I said hold the elevator,” the man grumbled and Richie caught him eyeing up the decorations that he had bagged up.

“Yes. I did take down all the decorations. They were in my way and apartment policy says you're not allowed to decorate the hallways.”

The man blinked at him and gave him a slight eye roll. “Not my decorations.” The doors closed and the elevator began its descent to the lobby floor. Richie let out a few annoying whistles, earning him glares from his companion but it only encouraged him to whistle just that little bit louder.

About half way down, the elevator jolted, causing Richie to stumble into the guy as he fell against the doors. Richie wasn’t worried, this sometimes happened and in a few moments, it would continue its descent. However, this time, the whole thing came to a halt and the lights above them turned off, signalling that it had indeed, broken down with the two of them trapped inside. Great.

“What- what was that? Why aren’t we moving?” The guy gasped, his eyes wide with panic. “No, no this can’t be happening. I have somewhere to be!” He grabbed the phone, which Richie and everyone else who lived here knew was bust, and started screaming down the dead line. “5B, this is 5B can you hear me? We’re stuck!”

That was when it clicked for Richie. This guy was his new neighbour who had moved in just last week. He snorted and took a seat on the bench that was installed in the elevator. Probably for this exact reason. “Doesn’t work. Sorry.”

5B turns around, his eyes wide with horror, “Then call the super! We need to get out of here or I’m going to be late for work!” He returns to banging the palms of his hands on the gate as he called for help. Not that anyone was going to be able to hear him from there. “Why aren’t you more worried?”

Richie shrugged, a smirk playing on his lips, “I guess I don’t have anywhere to be.” He leaned back on the bench, staring down 5B with his eyebrows raised. “You’re the newbie, aren’t you? What a welcome this is, huh?”

“My name is Eddie, actually,” 5B, Eddie, muttered and crossed his arms over his chest, rapping his foot. “How long will it take to fix?”

Another shrug, damn Richie was enjoying this way too much than he should be. “Dunno, could be minutes or hours. You really never know with the super here. He hardly works.” He started up another whistle, staring at the ceiling as Eddie continued to scream for help.

Eventually they fell into a silence, sitting on either side of the elevator from one another. Richie’s attention was drawn when Eddie cleared his throat, looking up at him from his place on the floor. “Why do you hate New Year’s Eve so much?” Richie raised an eyebrow and Eddie pointed to the bags. “You can’t tell me that you tore them down because it’s ‘against policy’ can you?”

“New Year is a show.” Richie eventually settled for. “It’s all fake. People drink a years’ worth of alcohol in one night and call up people they haven’t spoken to since last New Year’s, being all overly cheerful about it. It’s just another year, what’s with all the fuss?”

Eddie scoffed, “Maybe they have something to be excited about? Maybe these people that they haven’t spoken too all year live far away and this is the only time they can reconnect? Did you ever think about that?”

“I’m too sober for this,” Richie muttered, running a hand through his unruly curls. “Why does it matter to you anyway? I’m not bothering anyone with my hatred for the holiday, and you are probably just some…wannabe star who thinks if you get in the right crowd on New Year’s Eve you’ll be noticed by the big stars on the show with Ryan Seacrest.”

“Oh my god, you are such an asshole,” Eddie breathed after a moment. “I can’t- what the hell is your problem?” He shook his head in a way to ask Richie not to answer that question and he stood up, looking at the overhead crate above him. “I need to get out of here. Like right now.”

Richie watched with a bemused look on his face as Eddie jumped up, trying to reach the handle to pull the crate open. However he was just not tall enough. Unable to sit and watch Eddie suffer, Richie stood up and wrapped his arms around Eddie’s waist and lifted him up, only for the two of them to freeze.

Eddie looked down and their eyes met, Richie flashing him a grin. Eddie wasn’t grinning though, his eyes were narrow and he was glaring. “Put me down. Right now.” He spat out, and Richie obliged, letting Eddie fall back to the ground and they moved back to the other end of the elevator from each other.

It was going to be a long, long day.

* * * * * 

@richietoaster @tozier-boy @eds-trashmouth @bitchbrak @sloppybitchreddie @its-stranger-than-you-think @maximusfraker @jem-carstairs-is-perfection @thejadeazalea @halfway-happy353 @tinyarmedtrex @inthebreadbinwrites @kat-ships-everything @takeourpure @lo-v-ers @studpuffin @s-s-georgie @reddie-for-anything @trashmouthtozierr @richietoizer @girasol-eddie @bi-bi-richie @honeybeehanlon @mars-14 @reddiesetandgo @marsisaplanetyall @xandertheundead @sedanleystanley @hawkinsbabe @beepbeeprichiellc @stellarbisexual @oldguybones @stanleuyris @eduardoandale  @purplepoisonedgem @reddie-to-cryy @pink-psychic @violetreddie @toziesque @queen-sock @appojoos @moonlightrichie @rreddies @disneyfan567 @annxmatron @lifesucksheres20bucks @anellope @roobarrtrashmouth @are-you-reddie-for-it @callmechee @nancynwheeler @reddieforlove @twoidiotsinl0ve @madi-artist @tozierking @s-onora @atownofeggs  @wilding-throught-thehallways @no-she-wasnt-reddie @dadbodrichie @thorn-harvester-ven @eddiekasbpark @sparklingrainbowdragon @ransonelovebot @gloire-celeste @derrylosers @3tothe1 @virgo-luthie @sashadrowned @spirited-marvel @losers-gotta-stick-together @rebecca-the-queen @ultrapaninibred

[yeetusthatmemeus]

Code MENT Sentence Starters (Part 1)

Sentences taken from episodes 1-5

Episode 1

“Hey (y/n), remind me again what we’re doing here?”

“Think we’ll be friends forever?”

“You’re not even listening to me, are you?”

“Hey look, no hands! OH SHIT!”

“Yeah, I think I broke your door.”

“(y/n)...die in a fire.”

“Somebody needs to put that guy out of my misery.”

“This may be a bad time to tell you, but I can’t drive stick.”

“Come on, let’s go steal their shit!”

“Twinkies!”

“We are 93% sure that that is illegal.”

“Sweet mamma jamma! This thing gets Tetris!”

“I’m bleeding!”

“Hey (y/n), buddy!”

“I still haven’t figured out how to turn off night vision.”

“I’m gonna make like Seacrest & get out.”

Episode 2

“WOAH! Watch the hair!”

“I implore you to reconsider.”

“Mmm...candy.”

“Is this the pizza guy?”

“Oh great, as if this wasn’t confusing enough.”

“TEAM DEATHMATCH!”

“Stop it!”

“Yeah, those guys had it coming.”

“How did you get in here?”

“Oh hey, you got something on your face, lemme get that.”

“Oops.”

“I am in BIG trouble...”

Episode 3

“Sorry, I’m a little on edge.”

“(y/n), that’s disgusting!”

“Oh God, I’m gonna be sick!”

“Audible gasp!”

“There’s nothing quite like a post-kill sandwich.”

“You’re just fucking with me, aren’t you?”

“Oh yeah, we’re doing this thing.”

“I can’t hear you over the sound of how MAD I am right now!”

“Look, we need to talk. I’m coming in & there’s nothing you can do about it.”

“Don’t play games with me. I WILL CUT YOU!”

“That still doesn’t explain what happened to my pizza!”

“Just calm down, psycho bitch.”

“I have killed before, and I WILL kill again!”

“Please send help!”

“Don’t be a dick, (y/n).”

“I didn’t do anything, I swear!”

“Oh, you just made my SHIT LIST!”

Episode 4

“Shut up, this is what we’re doing.”

“By the way, if I’m back here, and you’re back here...who the hell is driving this car?”

“Eat shit n’ die!”

“Bite me, banana man!”

“[monotone robotic screaming]”

“Oh my God, how is he even DOING that?!”

“I just realized something. I can’t read!”

“I’m surrounded by idiots.”

“...burn everything to the ground, that’s what I’ll do.”

“Aw, dammit. I’m on the wrong train.”

“Well, maybe if your BABY wasn’t in my WAY-”

“You’re totally boned!”

“I don’t even know why I invited you in here.”

“Insert awesome metaphor here!”

“Batman, eat your heart out.”

“Wow, did NOT see that coming.”

Episode 5

“Shut up down there, I’m trying to be EPIC!”

“I NEVER know what’s going on.”

“I’m tripping balls right now!”

“I’m not even sure what I’m supposed to be doing.”

“Ugh...one too many Jack & Cokes...”

“I told you to lock up before I left. This is exactly the reason why our shit gets stolen all the time.”

“UHH, ANGER!”

“I just broke a $2,000 teacup!”

“Hey, you owe me! We’re doing something & you’re paying!”

“God, you’re an idiot!”

“Oh yeah! Breakfast of champions!”

“Thanks a lot, asshole!”

“I’ll stop this violence the only way I know how. WITH MORE VIOLENCE!”

“Let’s hug it out, bitch.”

[greensconnor]

How abt bsc?? Scott seems interesting 👀👀

RIVER thank u for this thank u for saying cowboy rights i owe u my life

big sky country mc: scott seacrest

how tall are they?

scott is 5′8″! he’s never really liked being his height until he met sawyer because he’s the perfect size for cuddling and always getting to be the little spoon #adapt #improvise #overcome

how do they tend to dress?

scott has a VERY edgy aesthetic but not like. emo edgy. like refined edgy. sophisticated edgy. cliff takes the piss out of him for wearing ripped jeans all the time but u know like. all his family members do that anyway, but he wears a lot of dark colours and owns a lot of leather/denim jackets with pins and patches and stuff! very alternative.

do they like how they look?

yes! scott has more self confidence than literally any person on the planet should have he’s such a little asshole but in like. a fun way. confident KING!

are they an only child or do they have any siblings?

scott’s the youngest of four boys and he’s quite a bit younger too. the older three were born with 1-2 years difference between them, but there’s five years between scott and the second youngest. it’s partially how he’s so confident because he spent his whole childhood scrapping to be included with his brothers! in order of birth it’s ben, matt, sean and then scott.

are they a morning person or night owl?

night owl, definitely. if you wake scott up before 10 am and you don’t have an insanely strong cup of coffee already wafting under his nose he’ll lose all sense of domesticity like the bacchae in thebes 

are they a cat person or a dog person?

dog person! scott never had a pet growing up, but one of his boyfriends had a dog and he adored it, but he doesn’t mind cats either, and he dotes on the barn cats on the oakleys farm like they’re his own children.

got any favourite foods?

scott’s a big fan of thai food, especially stir-fries with nut bases like cashew-nut stir fries or peanut-sauce stir fries. he also really likes curries because he’s used to spicy food from his childhood, but it’s nice to branch out and he likes the vibrancy of the colours. other than that he’ll eat pretty much anything with walnuts in it. he LOVES walnuts.

how about favourite drinks?

peach iced tea! he also LOVES coffee, especially extremely bitter black coffee since his family was INSISTENT growing up that cuban coffee is the best coffee and he kind of just... carried on that tradition. he started drinking it black to one-up his brother matt who previously had been the only member of the family to drink it without creamer, but still has sugar with it while scott has neither.

what are their favourite movies/tv shows?

scott LOVES the get down. in this house we love and stan the get down and will always resent stranger things for getting priority marketing but i can put that grudge aside to admit scott probably heavily fucks with stranger things, too. he really likes 70′s/80′s films especially and is a big fan of science fiction!

do they have any hidden talents?

according to big sky country he can tie a cherry stem in a knot with just his tongue which is... on brand for him. he also has really good hand/eye coordination and has an excellent shot when throwing stuff, plus he’s seriously scarily good at arcade claw machines.

do they believe in love at first sight?

no, his parents didn’t have a very happy marriage and got divorced shortly after they had scott, and he’s grown up kind of jaded about love. he’s not really much of a romantic, he just doesn’t like being alone. he likes to believe he’ll find love one day, but he doesn’t think he’ll ever fall in love at first sight, although others might.

who is their love interest?

sawyer which ik is unexpected for me but listen.... he’s cute. plus it’s fun because sawyer is sort of the last person that scott ever thought he’d end up with. he’s very stable and sweet and scott has had this cynical idea that he’d never really find someone that dependable, but he and sawyer just work and he really likes him! potentially even loves him! only big sky country 2 and my craving for domesticity will tell!

what are they afraid of?

scott’s not afraid of ANYTHING he does NOT fear god

what are their guilty pleasures?

he LOVES splurging on expensive ice cream... he knows he’s not worth it but the artisan flavours.... the fact that it doesn’t look bad when you’re eating out of the carton in front of the tv..... the fact that it doesn’t bend your spoon out of shape.... gourmet! that and he still secretly enjoys a taylor swift song or two from time to time but he’d never admit it

what was their dream job as a kid? is it still their dream?

he wanted to be a tree because he played a tree in a elementary school play and he thought it was a viable life option. after that he wanted to be a novelist but he kind of gave up on that dream, but now that he’s in the middle of nowhere doing nothing... maybe he’ll pick it up again!

have they ever broken a bone?

yes! he broke his leg when he was 10 jumping out of a tree, and he broke a toe showing off for his friends when he was 15.

have they ever been in trouble with the law?

yes lmao. he’s never been charged with anything but aside from what the mc brings up if you play never have i ever with the gang he also got caught spraying graffiti and trespassing (not at the same time). 

+ three other random facts about them!

he’s a libra (very off brand for me but i figured i should branch out to air signs beyond gemini), he has a minimalist wave tattoo on the back of his neck as a s/o to his surname, and he’s cousins with my bloodbound mc, pen! their mothers are sisters and they stay in touch since they’re good friends who were around the same age lmao

ask me about my choices mcs!

[figofswords]

Let’s play a game tell me which of my dnd characters is your fave here are your options

Camryd Flamesbane (dragonborn sorcerer, chaotic neutral, anger issues which she resolves by setting things on fire, kind of an asshole, really cagey about backstory but has definite issues with authority and people telling her what to do or control her in any way)

Apollo Kane (drow bard, neutral good, very sweet and likeable, glow in the dark freckles, eldest of six siblings, left home after pissing off a mob boss, best friends with a tiefling sorcerer named Radish who she met when they fell out of a tree in front of her and just sort of stuck around)

Persephone Seacrest (tiefling fighter, chaotic good, pirate captain and ex naval officer, has a druid wife named Hades, sort of a Robin Hood of the sea situation, definitely cooler than you)

Lith Silvergrass (tiefling warlock, neutral good, accidentally entered into a pact with a chaotic evil fiend that uses her for its evil purposes, just wants to gain knowledge and collect stories like her bard mother but has to fight against her patron’s evil desires pretty much constantly, has to roll wisdom saves at the end of combat to see if she goes dark!lith or if she beats her patron)

Pica (tiefling wizard, chaotic neutral/good, school of necromancy, likes to collect things like buttons and feathers and shells and rocks, turned to necromancy because when she was eight her cat died and she wants to resurrect it, has a tiny black cat familiar named Butter)

This is partially for fun and partially info gathering for the draw this in your style contest I’m planning to hold soonish

[bubblewrapjunkie]

Losing an idol who’s still alive

This text has been a week in the making, and I’ve hesitated several times if I should post it or not. But I think I need this to be out there, so here we go.

Last weekend, for various reasons, I was in a complete media blackout, save for the World Cup (being European, not knowing everything going on about the games is decidedly Not An Option). So it wasn’t until Sunday morning (Saturday night back in the US) that I learned about Chris Hardwick and what he had done to Chloe Dykstra. Ironically, it was because I woke up really early from a bad dream and decided to open Twitter on my phone to distract myself for a minute or two and then go back to sleep. Needless to say, that didn’t happen.

Now, I hear you all asking, why the fuck do I care so much about Chris Hardwick being outed as yet another disappointment of a man? I mean, he hardly does anything revolutionary. He’s just a middle-of-the-road podcaster, a Ryan Seacrest with some extra salt for flavour. There are other people who does all of the separate things he does, but better. Valid points throughout. So, some backstory and context then, if I may.

The Nerdist Podcast has been a trusty companion of mine since 2013. For those of you who know me, you know that that wasn’t a swell time in my life. I was stuck at a job with a boss who tormented me relentlessly, and made me believe that I deserved it. I took that job when I was at a real low-point in my life, and I had virtually no self esteem or sense of self worth when he started picking at me. Little by little, he established behaviors that if they’d been there on the first day, I would have just quit and left. He was very charming during our interview and towards clients. After a year of me working there it was standard procedure to aggressively call me stupid at least a couple of times a week. Frog, meet boiling water.

I slowly regained my sense of self at home, but I’ve always been a master compartmentalizer, and work was like a different world. It was during this time that I discovered the Nerdist podcast, and it became my best friend at work. As long as I was able to listen to it, I could endure, and even experience something akin to hope. I had an invisible friend. Needless to say, before long, my employer found a reason to forbid me to listen to it during work hours. But some sort of seed had been planted. I felt... wronged. And like I deserved better. So, through twists and turns and a backlash with me for real getting back to work for them again after being yelled at in my face so hard that I cried for twenty minutes in the bathroom before going home, I quit. And got fired. It was a mutual thing. And in my ears on my way home, there was Chris and Matt and Jonah, laughing and somehow assuring me that things were gonna be okay.

That’s what the Nerdist podcast was to me. An ally, in a place where I had none. Cut to Sunday morning and me reading a cryptic tweet and then finding Chloe’s essay and wanting to vomit the whole time. Because my ally was her abuser. And I felt so damn dumb, because I thought I would recognize that shit anywhere after what happened to me. Just goes to show, I guess.

I want to make this crystal clear before I go on - I believe and support Chloe Dykstra. The things I am about to write does nothing to challenge that, I assure you. This is not about facts, but about feelings. Feelings that I am trying to come to grips with and understand and, to a large extent, get rid off.

You see, I keep imagining ways to forgive him for it. Elaborate scenarios in which he becomes better and it all makes sense and doesn’t have to feel so goddamn gross anymore. I keep thinking about what I knew about him and Chloe before this, how they were probably never any good for each other but got caught up in this crazy attraction and.... You see where I’m going with this? How badly we want to cling to what we think a person was if we’ve idolized them?

Feelings don’t go away just because you want them to. It takes a bit of time. My instinct to protect this asshole needs reprogramming. When Rachel Bloom retweets someone scathing him for using leaked texts as evidence that Chloe wanted him back after their breakup, my gut feeling is “But you were just on his show and it was such a nice episode, why are you so mean?”. And then I snap out of it, and feel extra shitty, both about the situation and that first thought. That first feeling.

Where am I going with this? I guess my point is, I’m just a person who really fucking liked his podcast and generally what I saw of him as a person. He seemed little needy at times for sure, and never able to be critical about anything to someone’s face, but I figured it was just his insecurities from childhood popping up and that self-confessed need to be liked. And I have this much trouble letting him go (I almost cried when I unsubscribed from his podcast, which I know sounds both lame and insane, but it’s the truth). Imagine then, to be his girlfriend, loving him, wanting so desperately to believe that the good will outweigh the bad, trying to make it work. Of course it’s a bloody war with yourself, trying to get out. So if nothing else, this whole ordeal has been a reminder to myself of how easy it is to get lost within toxic relationships and their fucked up power dynamics.

I do sincerely hope that Hardwick takes a long hard look into his soul and tries to fix whatever the fuck it is that’s broken in there. Or for starters, that he at the very least realizes that something is broken in there. Because the fucked up thing about this is, I think he genuinely was blindsided by Chloe’s story. He for sure knew that he was a bad excuse of a boyfriend a lot of the time, but he probably doesn’t fully understand what he’s done and how disgusting his behavior has been. He, like many a white male nerd before him, is so wrapped up in this narrative of the Good Nerdy Overlooked Guy, that he can’t phantom that his insecurities come out as vile and abusive. He was bullied, so he can’t possibly be a bully - right? None of this excuses anything that he’s done - once again, I believe and support Chloe fully - but it might be an explanation as to why he’s done what he’s done. And explanations (NOT EXCUSES) is something that needs to be found for these abusive men, so society can spot them easier, and maybe, just maybe, find a way to make sure that there are less of them in the future.

[reprisedpiece]

Theatre Nerd

Pairing: Connor Murphy x Broadway!Reader

Warning: curse words (as usual) 

Request: “do a broadwaystar!reader where Connor have a celeb crush on her and somehow they’re dating”

Word Count: 2074

Note: idrk where the plot of deh is set?? i dont think it was ever mentioned but idk. just pretend deh was set in new york. i dont really know but hey i love theatre nerd connor let’s focus on that 

MASTERLIST

If people had to give three words to associate Connor Murphy with, it would be the following – weird, freak, weed. That was how people saw Connor. He has always been confined within the bounds of those three words ever since high school started.

But what they didn’t know about Connor Murphy, the world-class freak from who allegedly threw a printer at a teacher, was a huge theatre fan.

Everyone saw him in the same outfit. It was always the same thing. Black jacket, black jeans, black combat boots, and black earphones. 

Teachers and students always assumed that he was listening to metal songs. Some students even thought that he was listening to all sorts of Satanic songs. All because that’s how they stereotyped him.

Well, they were all wrong. In reality, Connor was simply listening to different Broadway recordings. Sure, he listened to other kinds of songs but Broadway recordings have always been his favorite.

No one would expect a boy like him to listen to such genre, let alone smoke weed to Sante Fe from Newsies when he felt sad.

What’s even more shocking was that he was dating you, a renowned Broadway star since birth.

Actually, he wasn’t even sure if he should classify what the two of you had as “dating”. He didn’t know if you see him the same way he sees you, which is full of adoration. All he knew for sure was that he had a massive crush on you.

Sure, you’ve shared a kiss or two. You also have kissed him on the cheek whenever he was feeling too enraged with his father. But the two of you haven’t explicitly told each other how you felt for one another.

Despite not knowing the label for your relationship, you were definitely very close friends. 

The two of you met when you were still part of the ensemble for Hamilton. You were standing on the side during a Ham4Ham show when someone bumped your shoulder.

“Fuck, sorry. Some asshole is forcing his way in front and it’s annoying.” He apologized, mumbling the last part to himself.

You smiled. “No worries,” You looked at the tall boy beside you. You giggled at the sight of a tall boy with black-painted nails and a leather jacket standing amidst a crowd. “So, are you watching the show?”

“My sister is. Her annoying friends invited her.” He responded, taking sneaky glances at your direction.

You didn’t think he knew you but you were wrong. Connor had admired you since before your chance encounter. Of course, you didn’t know that. If he was forced to name a famous or celebrity crush, he’d say your name in a heartbeat.

“Oh, I see. You should come see it. It’s pretty amazing.”

He cracked a small grin. “I’m sure it is.”

It started there. It was no denying that the two of you are incredibly close.

And by close, that included a Connor Murphy lying down on your bed.

Despite knowing each other for a year now, you didn’t know much about him. He knew all kinds of stories about you but he still remained to be a very closed person. You didn’t want to pry too much as you didn’t want him to be upset.

So here you were. You still remained clueless on his love for you for Broadway.

That all ended today.

He was softly singing “Four Jews in a Room Bitching” from Falsettos. You were in the bathroom, taking a shower and oblivious to what was happening in your room.

Connor has been listening to the album for a week now. He enjoyed the kind of humor that was observed in the musical.

He was staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars that you stuck up your ceiling from before as he continued.

“Bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch, bitch, all the time.” He sang, his fingers tapping on his beat to the rhythm of the song. 

“Oooh, whadda they do for love?” You suddenly singing back. Connor immediately shut his mouth, snapping his head towards your direction. 

 You got out of the shower, still drying your hair with a towel. He stared at you with awe as he saw you walk out with your baggy “Annie” merchandise shirt and some shorts. He still couldn’t believe he got to meet someone like you, a person whose personality didn’t exactly match his own.

“I didn’t know you knew Falsettos,” You giggled, plopping down beside him. “Are you a closeted musical nerd?” 

 Connor grew defensive. “Fuck, no. Why would I?” He scoffed, standing up and leaving you alone on your bed.

“Uhm, you’re in a room of a Broadway performer?” You pointed out, laughing quietly.

He glared at you. “Tell me, please.” You begged, pouting your lips a bit for the puppy-dog eye effect. That made Connor’s knees weak.

“Okay, maybe I am.” He sat back down in defeat. “But don’t you fucking dare tell Zoe. She’s never going to let that shit down.” He grumbled.

“I would never!” You acted with fake shock, pushing your own hand against your chest. “I say we put your musical knowledge to the test.”

He groaned. “C'mon! Just to really know how big of a nerd you are.” You say, punching his shoulder lightly.

He began leaning back, attempting to lie back down on the bed. He was expecting to feel the soft bedsheets but instead, his head hit the edge of your knee. He mumbled an apology, trying to scoot down. Instead, you got a hold of his head and softly pulled him towards you so he can prop his head on your lap.

Connor scooted up to do just that, blushing a bit. “Fine. But you owe me.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, whatever you want.” You said quickly. “I’ll sing a song and you can sing the next part!”

“What the fuck, no. This is not ‘American Idol’ and you’re not Ryan Seacrest. You didn’t say anything about singing,” He tried getting up before pushing him back onto your lap. 

“Jeez, fine. Just give me the title then.” 

“Argh, okay. Let’s get this over with.” You said, running your fingers through his locks.

“Let’s start with easy ones.” He simply hummed in response. 

“Whenever I see someone less fortunate than I, and let’s face it, who isn’t? Less fortunate than I. My tender heart tends to start to bleed. And when someone needs-” 

Connor mumbled a response. 

“What was that?” You asked, leaning the side of your head towards him so you can hear him. It took a lot for Connor to not kiss your cheek right then and there.

“It’s Popular from Wicked, right?” He said, letting his lips ghost over your cheek. You only hoped for him to kiss you there.

“Ding, ding ding! Okay, how about this?“ You sat up straight. ”One day more. Another day, another destiny.” You sang, channeling your inner Valjean. 

His eyebrows furrowed. “You literally just said the title, Y/N. It’s One Day More. Damn, that was easy.” You let one of your hands move to his face, pinching his nose. 

“Ouch!” He exclaimed, removing your hand from his face. 

“Alright, I’ll make it harder.” 

Still holding your hand, he couldn’t help but press a kiss onto your knuckles. “Sure, whatever.” You let a grin spread on your face. 

“Pop, Six, Squish, Uh-Uh, Cicero, Lipschitz! He had it coming, he had it coming, he only had himself to bl-” You sang, each word rolling off your tongue with ease.

“It’s the Cell Block Tango.” Your eyes widened because you didn’t expect him to know such song. 

When he saw your stare, he let go of your hand and his eyes widened. “I mean, I think so? That’s just a guess.” 

“Mhmm, sure.” You hummed, braiding Connor’s hair.

He started chipping off some of the black polish on his nails. “Are we done?”

“Definitely not! Next song.“ You looked up, trying to think of another song.

"I got it! You gotta buy her rose, compliment her on her clothes. Say you appreciate that she’s smart. Nah man, you tell her that she excites you sexually. And that’s the way you get to her heart.”

 “Voices in My Head?” He slowly crept his hand towards his hair, nudging it against one of your own.

You interlocked your fingers together. “You are impressing me, Connor. Okay, how about this? Meet me halfway. A touch and go of don’t know what to say, do we talk? Don’t expect too much, just walk.”

“Obviously it’s the one from Dogfight? First Date slash Last Night. Everyone knows that.” He answers. 

“Actually, not everyone knows that.”

“Really? I though they did. It’s a wonderful song.” He mumbled to himself.

“Last one. Have no fear! You know we got your back from way back.” You sang loudly as that was probably one of your favorite songs. 

 You were surprised to hear Connor unconsciously sing the next part. “Brooklyn’s here! We’ll get your pay back and some payback.”

It was quiet but you definitely heard it.

Your jaw dropped. “Oh my god, I’m dating a theatre nerd.” You confirmed.

Connor suddenly sat up. “Dating?” Your eyes widened. 

“I mean, I kind of thought we were. If we aren’t, that’s totally okay. I just-” You started rambling, waving your hands around in front of you as you tried to take back what you said.

"Shut up,” He spoke, making you silence yourself. “You’re starting to act like Evan for fuck’s sake.”

You tilted your head in confusion. “Evan who?”

“Doesn’t matter.” He squeezed your hand. “I like the idea of us dating. I’ve already liked you for a long ass time.” He mumbled the last part to himself. 

“You did?” You exclaimed a bit too excitedly as you caught what he said. “Since when?”

He blushed. “From one of your performances.”

“Which one?”

He groaned. “Do I really have to tell y-”

“Was it from Spring Awakening?” You cut him off.

“No.”

“What is when I was an ensemble for Hamilton?”

“Not exactly.”

You sighed in defeat. “Well, where then? Because those are the musicals I know you have watched, the ones where Cynthia dragged you to.“

You leaned against Connor’s shoulder, feeling him tense up at first before relaxing. "Unless, you know, you’ve watched Annie and never told me. ” You continued, pointing at your shirt. 

You were expecting a snarky remark from Connor but he just stayed silent.

You felt your mouth curl into a smile. “You did not.”

"Shut up.”

“From there?” You giggled.

“Shut the fuck up, Y/N.”

“You really liked me since I played Annie?”  You spoke, chucking as you do.

He turned his body away from you. “I’m sorry if a little kid like me watched and actually liked the show.’ He spoke loudly, taking your laughter the wrong way. “I’ll go, okay. Fuck, I have to pick up Zoe anyways-”

“Connor, relax! I find it sweet,” You grabbed his shoulder before he stood up, facing him towards you. “I just couldn’t believe you waited for so long.” 

He held your hand once more. “I couldn’t believe you would date a freak like me. Have you even heard what people say about me in school?”

You shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I don’t give a damn about that. I care about this,” You said with a gentle voice, looking at your intertwined hands.

“I care about you.”

Looking down on his feet, he spoke. “You wouldn’t leave me for some handsome broadway guy? Someone less messed up?”

“Of course, not. I would never pass up the chance to be with the one and only Connor Murphy!” You answer, kissing the corner of his mouth.

He bit his lower lip yet a smile still managed to form on his face. “You’re cheesy as hell.”

“I am. But hey, let’s talk about how you sang that line from Newsies.“ You started.

“No.”

You stared at him, wiggling your eyebrows. “You’re a big fan, aren’t you?”

He scoffed. “No.”

“No, my ass. I bet Tommy Bracco is your goddamn idol.”

He stared at you. “Don’t get me started.”

[powertobehandsome]

The Way I See It || Matt and Seth

Part one of many. I love this game; everything is so happy in the beginning. || @blindlyburning 

“I think I chipped a tooth,” Seth looked at the weary and battered Ryan to his left as Ryan leaned against the filthy jail cell wall. The party, whatever party they’d been dragged to, had ended roughly four hours ago, and they were both on the steep decline intoxication. And this night? Sobriety was more of a bitch than that asshole’s girlfriend. Or had it been his sister? Seth couldn’t remember now. All he knew was as he ran his tongue along the upper teeth on the right side of his face, one felt a little more jagged than he ever remembered it being.

“Excuse me, sir? Look, I’m sure you have more important guys to deal with. My father is a public defender. And I have a spotless record. So, if you’d be so kind as to just let us go home. I need to go to a dentist. I’m tired. And, honestly, this place smells a little too much like urine for me to be interested in lingering within this cage.”

As the police officer stalked forward, Seth couldn’t believe his luck. It was actually working.

“You, blondie, come with me.”

Ryan stood, frowning, and moved hesitantly toward the police officer.

“I’m tired of listening to your friend talk, so I’m separating you.”

“If you think being alone will get him to be quiet…” Ryan started, but was cut off soon after.

“You don’t understand who it is you two messed with. You’ll be here for a while. And we have all the charges to lock you up. Drunk and disorderly. Public intoxication. Assault. And your friend? Well, let’s just say assaulting a police officer is certainly not going to work in his favor. Now. Both of you need to just shut your mouths.”

“Excuse me!” Seth called out, his face resting between the bars before he realized how much that might be a bad idea. “Hi. But when do I get a phone call to a lawyer?”

"Kid, you got any idea where you are?" Another cop asked, walking up. "What do you think this is, California? Shut it."

“No. No, but listen. I at least know I have the right to an attorney. And sure, my dad isn’t here to come to my rescue and bail me out today, but that doesn’t mean I can’t pay.”

“Seth. Shut up,” Ryan called from his own cell, begging his brother to please, please stop talking before these cops thought he was trying to bribe them.

Seth moved back to the far wall, slid down until he sat roughly on the bench, and then in one movement, laid across the cold, unsterile metal. “I hate New York.”

It wasn't until about five in the morning that a couple of lawyers showed up. Both men were young and in unfortunately cheap suits, but they wore them well, without any shame. They talked with the cops for a while before coming down to the cells.

"Pretty sure these guys won't be able to pay," Foggy murmured, leading Matt down. "They never can."

"And one of the guys they got in a fight with has connections that can get them killed in here."

"You actually hate me, don't you?"

"Only sometimes." Matt smiled and shook his head.

"Okay. We're looking for uh. Ryan... Seacrest? Reynolds? Whatever. And Seth Cohen. Any takers?" Foggy looked around at the sleepy, irritable cell occupants on the hall, feeling a certain kinship.

 "Atwood," Ryan's called in a too unamused voice. "Seth, wake up. Our layers are here."

"Huh? Dad? That was a quick..." when his blurry vision cleared enough that he could see that these men definitely weren't his father, and he definitely wasn't in California, Seth groaned, cursing the headache gods. But this felt worse than typical hangovers. He hurt in his ribs. Every time he looked to the left, his head throbbed in that temple. And the memories of what had landed him in this cell were a blur.

"Yes, hello. I... I am Ryan At... no. He is Ryan Atwood. I'm Seth Cohen. How can we help you gentlemen?"

Ryan's face was buried in his palms, and he shook his head. "What he means is, can you at least get us out of here tonight?"

"You mean this morning?" Foggy asked, going over to Ryan's cell. "Probably. We're awesome like that. As long as you consent to hire us? By the way, anyone ever tell you that you look a heck of a lot like a really young Jim Gordon?"

As for Matt, he stepped closer to Seth's cell, expression turning to one of concern. "You okay, Seth?" He asked softly.

"Yeah. I haven't been in a fight since I first met him," he nodded in the direction of the other cell and then groaned at the movement. "And the cops in this city are dicks who have to hate their jobs. Can you get us out of here? The smell is making me nauseous."

Not that they had anywhere to go. They hadn't gotten a hotel. And the guys who'd kicked their asses had also been swell enough to loot their wallets while they were on the ground, throwing them back at them with nothing but their IDs and for Seth, a membership card to his local (i.e. his) comic book store. 

Ryan looked up at Foggy with a certain amount of distrust. "A young who?"

Seth rolled his eyes. "He's been told that. I've told him that. He refuses to even look up who I'm talking about."

"Right. So. Can you get us out? Will you? So we can find a hotel or something?"

"Just hang tight," Foggy said. "I'll go get someone." He wandered away to find a cop.

Meanwhile, Matt was still focused on Seth. "How badly are you hurt?" He asked. "And where are your injuries? You'll have to forgive me, I can't see them." Although he had his dark red sunglasses on, he didn't have his cane with him and knew that his blindness might not be abundantly clear.

Ryan nodded in response, never having been one for a lot of words. This was typical, but they'd get through this. Seth was pretty beat up, he'd taken the brunt of the abuse, the rest thinking it hilarious to hold Ryan off and make him watch, calling them "Cali Queers". Which. Whatever. They were. But they also weren't together anymore. So what did that matter?

"Wh-- oh. Oh. Yeah. It's really..." Seth sat up and suppressed a grunt. He didn't think any ribs were cracked. But there would be some definite bruising there. He lifted an arm over his head and made a face. Nope. One was definitely cracked. It must have been those last few kicks. "It's really nothing," he said on an exhale. He looked like shit. Cheekbone was cut, as well as the brow just at the end. His eye was trying to close from swelling. And his lip was busted. There was a deep bruise across his forearm. But that last one had been thanks to a cop and her baton. "So why are you helping us?"

"Because we're a fairly new firm with next to no clients is what Foggy would tell you -- and because you need help is what I'd say." Foggy came back with a cop then and they took the two men to a private room. Once there, they were left alone.

"Okay, we need to know what happened..." Foggy hesitated at glanced over at Matt. "But my partner wants to know about your injuries first, Mr. Cohen."

"Do you feel nauseated or dizzy?" Matt asked. "And can I have permission to touch your abdomen? I want to make sure you don't have any internal bleeding."

"Don't creep him out, Matt. But he has good hands, Seth. He's not a doctor or anything, but he's freaky accurate."

“That’s… a little much? Don’t you think? For an attorney? To be like… assessing my injuries? I told you I was okay.” Though even as he said it, he spoke like a man who had a fat lip.

“It’s no stranger than your dad bringing me home.”

“Please, Ryan. That was in California. This is New York. It’s a whole new ball game out here.”

“Sports reference? I’m kind of proud.”

“Yeah, well. Some part of you had to rub off on me over the years. And since I look terrible in a wife beater…”

“Seth, just let the man examine your injuries so we can get out of here and then go back home.”

“Fine. He can take a look.”

“SETH.”

“You know what I mean. Sorry. He can examine them.”

"In the meantime..." Foggy looked at Ryan. "Tell us what happened?"

Matt quietly and carefully started running his fingers over Seth's abdomen, seeking the signs of internal bleeding -- heat where there shouldn’t be any, bunching muscles, the feeling of something hard inside, like pebbles or rocks or even eggs. He'd have to check his head out after that, although heads were a little trickier.. either way, he thought, this kid might well need to go to the hospital. 

Seth winced as he was touched, but otherwise tried not to make a sound. The man’s fingers were chilly and though he was gentle, every little movement hurt, let alone any touch from prodding fingers. But at least he seemed to be conscious of the need to be careful. For the most part, it felt more like he was just brushing fingertips over his skin — touches which gave Seth a brief wash of goosebumps.

“There was a girl. And her boyfriend.”

“Dude, I think it was just her brother.”

“Okay, there was a guy and a girl. And Seth and I were both… pretty drunk. And Seth has a tendency of thinking he’s invincible when he’s drinking. He hit on the girl. The guy told her to back off. Seth tried to casually imply that the guy was a moron and that he needed to back off. The man took him by the shoulder. Seth tried to shove the hand off, then pushed when the guy got in his face. The girl egged it on. I tried to get between them. Three of his friends held me off while he and another kicked the shit out of Seth. Apparently the man was in well with the bartender, probably someone important, considering our luck, because the bartender called the cops on us. Which, of course Seth tried to argue with them. And then when he reached out for one of the cops, trying to be charming or something. I don’t know. She struck his arms with her baton. Right across the backs of his forearms. The other cop claimed he assaulted her, said we both were drunk and disorderly, public intoxication, which… is what happens when you go to a bar, I’ve never understood that charge. And somehow we got charged with assaulting both the woman and her… whoever he was. I don’t know. As we walked by, the guy spit on me, called us Cali Queers, and here we are. Sober. Miserable. And the cops had no interest in taking him in to be checked on.”

“Ryan, I’m fine. It’s just a black eye. Being your friend has given me plenty of those.”

Ryan looked at Foggy with a you-see-what-I-have-to-deal-with glance, rolling his eyes and shrugging. “Any chance we can just get out of here with a minimal fine to pay?”

"If there was a chance, it went out the window when he reached for a cop," Foggy sighed, and rubbed a hand against his face. He'd been warm and happy in bed not all that long ago, but then Matt just had to wake him up with this shit. "Not to mention, one of the guys is an enforcer for a guy named Ramirez. Real upstanding guy on the outside, pretty rotten mob boss on the inside. He's trying to be the new Fisk."

Matt made a quiet sound of derision, then smoothed Seth's shirt down and ran his fingertips even more gently over his skull. "Cop aside," he said, "it sounds more like you were victims than perpetrators." It wasn't their job to judge the way these two conducted themselves; just because they were entitled jackasses was no reason for them to be assaulted. "And you need to be checked over by a professional." He helped Seth sit down, then stepped away and folded his arms. "If we can get you released, they're probably not going to want to drop it right away. They'll want you to stay in the city. Are you prepared to do that?" 

"Matt, try being reassuring." Foggy shook his head and turned to them. "It'll be fine. As long as you guys are willing to cooperate, Nelson and Murdock will have your backs. Right, Matt? This is the part where you agree with me and reassure the clients."

Matt nodded once.

Seth shrugged. “We can stay, sure. And I wasn’t trying to… I wasn’t…” His shoulders slumped, and he stayed standing. One of the kicks had landed to the back of his thigh and the pressure of sitting was uncomfortable. Head dropped, Seth moved to pinch the bridge of his nose, remembered why that was a bad idea, and just sighed. “I wasn’t thinking clearly. I was just going to reach out to touch her shoulder or something. Try to reason with her, to give her the full story. It’s… how I connect with people, I guess. It was dumb. New Yorkers don’t like to be touched. I got it now.”

“We’ll stick around as much as we need to. We just want this to go away. And you… I know we’re probably not ideal clients. But we’ll make sure you get paid. Even if we… I mean, if we end up serving some kind of time.

“No. Ryan. We can’t serve time. I’m not prepared to face harden criminals just because I tried to…”

“Because you got drunk and forgot oh hey, you’re not actually that charming.”

“I’m pretty charming. Don’t lie to these nice gentlemen.”

Neither one of them wanted to admit to their attorneys that they didn’t technically know how they were going to find a hotel to stay in. Without credit cards or cash, the chances of any of these places letting them stay with the reassurance of ‘I’ll have the money in the morning. It just has to be wired.’ Was slim. So they bickered and they distracted.

“Right. The charming guy is the one beat to hell. Meanwhile, will you just go to the hospital and at least get your face glued back together?”

“Sure, and show them what insurance card? Or pay with which of my credit cards? Oh that’s right, Ryan. All that has been taken to prove some kind of point.”

Ryan hung his head. “Thank you, guys, for your help. We will follow whatever council you offer. Seth will stop being a pain in the ass sometime after he’s slept a little and given a pain pill. Then he’ll want to be your best friend and tell you stories of his favorite superheroes. He’s a bit of a fanboy.”

"Worst case scenario, you can stay with me," Matt started. 

Before he could go any farther though, Foggy held his hand up and dragged Matt aside. "Matt, no. You're not letting strangers in."

"They're not strangers. They're clients. And you heard them. Their things were taken. They're tourists. He was bashed. Where are they supposed to go?"

Foggy could sense the rage just under the surface, under Matt's calm voice. "Maybe they have friends here."

"If they don't, I'm not putting them on the goddamn street."

"Matt, what if they rob you? Or worse?"

Matt shook his head at Foggy and came back over. "If you have nowhere else to go, you'll stay with me. We're taking you to the hospital first. You'll receive emergency assessments without being charged right away. This kind of thing happens. Right now, I'm going to go get you out. In the meantime, go over the details with Foggy again. Every detail. Everything."

"You good to get back out, man?"

Matt snorted at the gentle teasing, which helped knock his anger down a bit, then turned and left.

It took almost two hours before anything happened after that. An officer drove them to the hospital and their assessments were done. Matt stayed near, protective, and let Foggy handle the administrative details this time.

After that? They were turned loose, once the boys received the all-clear, and Matt took them home, against Foggy's better judgment. Foggy was too tired to argue by that point though, and by the time they got there it was almost noon. He left them and went to the office, but warned Matt to be careful.

"You guys can take the bed if you need to sleep," Matt said, going into the kitchen. He poured them both some water and set the glasses out. "Or if you're hungry... I can make something. Just -- try not to be too stressed. You'll be okay."

Ryan, for the most part, kept quiet through the whole ordeal. He spoke when he had to, but mostly his comments were a series of shrugs and glances that spoke more than any string of sentences could do for him. He followed along as Seth was ushered between doctors. He made a call to Sandy to let him know what had happened, and to ask for some money transferred to them to at least be able to pay for these attorneys. He’d assured Sandy that there was no need to come down himself. That he was certain these guys would do just fine. They seemed competent enough.

When they got back to Matt’s place, Ryan nodded and instead of taking a bed, he stretched out across the couch and he was asleep in less than fifteen minutes. 

Seth, meanwhile, was high on pain killers, and while they should have made him sleepy, he was instead a little hyper and starving. But he’d imposed enough on Matt, or so Ryan had informed him… he thought. Did they actually have that conversation?

“You don’t have to cook for us.” Seth looked back at Ryan. “For me. Do you have crackers? I can snack on a box of them.” His face itched where the glue had been applied. A tube had been stuck in his chest to drain some of the blood, and that spot had stitches now, which were bandaged. And the oxycodone was the strongest they could prescribe. Sandy had had to come to the rescue by paying over the phone. Thank god Seth had a license, or he would have never been allowed to pick them up.

“So… I’m sure I’ll ask you this again. Or maybe I already have. But are you Murdock or Nelson. And what is it about attorneys that make them give up too much for their clients?”

"Murdock," he said. "Matt Murdock. My partner is Foggy Nelson. And I guess... it's just the right thing to do. A lot of the time, when someone needs an advocate, they need more than -- just someone to fight their legal battles. You've been through something that... for most people, it can be pretty traumatic. It's just.. not human, not decent, to -- ignore the person behind the victim."

Matt made up a bowl of crackers and some sliced cheese for him, then brought it over and handed it to Seth. He listened to Ryan for a moment, then walked into the bedroom and came back out with a blanket, which he draped over the sleeping guy before he came back over to join Seth. 

Seth ate happily, smiling, the expression scrunching his face just enough that he could not see at all out of his right eye.

“How did you… Your touches were nice… I mean they were soft, careful. And you… How did you know how bad off I was just by brushing your fingertips over…” Seth stuffed his mouth with crackers and cheese just to keep quiet for a while. He smiled awkwardly, and then realized that his smile wasn’t seen. “I’m really sorry in advance if I get awkward or weird or if I talk so much I find a way to make you uncomfortable. I know I’ll crash before long. Potentially right in my food, which is why I didn’t ask for a bowl of cereal. But I do appreciate your help. You have a good heart. And, I appreciate you deeming your partner’s concerns about us as unfounded. We’re not… I’m… I’ve never been in trouble before.”

Matt smiled and shook his head, then went and took his jacket off. Coming back over, he said, "My dad was a boxer. He got hurt -- all the time. I guess my hands just.. got used to feeling injuries from a pretty early age. A little extra tension, rigidity, heat.. it's -- sort of like reading braille, just a lot more important, because people are important."

“A boxer? That’s really interesting, actually. Ryan dabbled in the caged, bare knuckle illegal kind of boxing just after our last year of high school. An old girlfriend of his died in a car accident. So… Anyway. My point was me saying that I’ve never met a boxer before. OR a professional fighter of any kind. I’m kind of… I read more than anything, I suppose. Which is why I got my ass handed to me last night. I’m going to pull the cliche criminal line and say we’re really not bad guys. I don’t drink that much. And, if it’s any consolation, I likely won’t drink again for a very very long time.” He sighed heavily. “Right. So. Gritty details. You’re an attorney who had a boxer dad. You went into business with your best friend. I’m Seth Cohen. I am a bit of a nerd with no athletic ability. And, it seems, I owe you more than just money. You’re a nice man, Matt Nelson.” Seth smiled at himself for remembering the right name. Wait. No. “Murdock. I’m a dick. God, these pills are the worst. You wanna just… hit me over the head so I pass out. Or turn on the… Right… You wouldn’t have a television. I’m gonna stop talking now. Hopefully.”

"How about," Matt suggested, "I help you over to bed and you get some sleep somewhere that you can't hurt yourself?"

“I shouldn’t take your bed from you. You’ve been up all night like we have. And you didn’t even get the really good numbing shit like I did while they stuck a tube in my chest. You sleep. I’ll stretch on the floor. It’ll be fine.”

"Right. Come on." He helped Seth to the bed anyway, tucked him in, then went and picked Ryan up and carried him over. He tucked Ryan in as well, then slid the panel door most of the way shut before going and taking up Ryan's still-warm place on the couch. In just a few minutes, Matt was out.

Seth had sat up when Matt brought Ryan in, impressed with how easily he’d managed it. Ryan wasn’t that light. Seth knew. But he collapsed back, groaned, and then stared at the ceiling until he crashed. 

When Seth woke again, his bladder was full. He struggled to sit up, leaving himself breathless when he’d finally managed. Ryan was still sleeping, snoring lightly, and completely oblivious as Seth moved from the bed, shuffling in socked feet until he found the bathroom. When he made it back out, Ryan had stretched an arm and a leg across the bed. It would be easy for Seth to push him back over, but it was easier to grab the top blanket and move to go back to sleep in the living room floor.

Matt was already awake again, exercising. He was shirtless, in sweatpants, shadowboxing and framed by the light coming in from a light-up billboard across the street. Matt had been making an effort to be quiet, but when Seth came out, he turned towards him.

"Sorry if I woke you... how are you doing?" Quickly, hoping to cover up his scars, Matt pulled his t-shirt on.

Seth’s gaze drifted over the moving form, but he didn’t comment on the scars. It seemed inappropriate. “You didn’t wake me, my bladder did. And Ryan… has never been good about sharing a bed. Do we… I mean…” He reached for the bottle of pills sitting on the counter. “How do we start working on this? What do you need me to do?”

"Foggy and I have been working on it over the phone. For now, we just need to wait. He's taken down the photographs of your injuries and treatments that we got at the hospital, using them to argue that you were the victim. If they won't throw it out -- which they probably won't, but there's still a shot -- we'll go from there. Tonight, all you need to do is rest. Tomorrow... we'll have more information and go from there.

"How do you feel?" 

"Like I've been hit by a truck. My side hurts. My face hurts. And it's probably a good thing you're. I mean. I'm usually much prettier to look at. Not that... you would be looking. Of course." Seth groaned and poured water from the faucet into a glass. He tossed his head back to take the pills, and groaned again. He stuttered a step, and balanced himself against the counter. "Fuck. I'm not sure I like New York."

Matt smiled and shook his head. "Sometimes, I feel the same way. But Hell's Kitchen is home." He folded his arms and walked over to lean opposite Seth, on the island. 

"How long were you originally planning to stay here?"

"A week or so." The palms of his hands were pressed against the counter while his hips pushed away, his head hanging between his arms. The room was spinning and Seth felt a little nauseous. But he'd handle it.

"I'll have to call my bank at some point and tell them my card was taken. And my singular credit card. My cash... whatever. So tell me about this guy? And who the hell is Fisk? Some crime lord?"

"He was. Not anymore -- as far as I know. But people have been...rushing to take his place." Matt shrugged, then listened to Seth's body for a moment. "Maybe you should sit down. Here, let me help you over?" He offered Seth his arm.

Maybe he took it at first because it made him feel taken care of. Maybe because he liked the irony of the literal blind leading the half blind.

"You're more observant than I would have given you credit for. And that's a compliment. Because my dad never misses a damn thing." Seth watched Matt for a long minute. Then decided to let it go as he held his breath to prepare for his shift down to the couch. "And I hit on the sister-girlfriend of one of the wannabes?"

"I think so." He helped him get comfortable. "Which is why I've got to warn you that -- things might get ugly. Violent, ugly. This.. isn't the most forgiving place. But we'll get you through it, no matter what. Running away isn't an option."

"Well, if you aren't mister sunshine..." Seth stayed at the end in case Matt wanted to sit, and then his eyes rested on the bare windows. "She wasn't even that pretty. And I'm not... I mean I haven't tried to hook up with a girl since high school. Or early college, I suppose." Seth sighed. "IDK."

"IDK?" Matt sounded confused. 

"Yeah. IDK. It stands for I don't know. It's... well, it's text talk, but so is BFF and ILY. I'm just shy of being a millennial. Using full sentences can cost you valuable seconds."

"Oh.. huh. Alright then. Um. Tee why." Matt settled in on the other end of the couch.

Seth laughed, groaned, held his side, and looked over. His gaze was only diverted when Ryan sucked in a deep, gurgling, almost choking snore, before audibly rolling over.

"Charming, isn't he?

It seemed Matt wasn't overly ready to share details about the enemy in all this, so maybe Seth could get to know him. "How long have you and Foggy been friends?"

"Just since college. We were dorm-mates.. but we hit it off.. pretty well. He was just so -- normal and charming and good. Becoming best friends just sort of... felt so natural."

"It's good to have that person. Are you..." he continued on in a single breath, looking to Matt again. "Are you sure we're not cramping any plans?"

"Plans?" Matt raised an eyebrow. 

"Yeah. Like other clients. Or going out to the gym. Crime fighting, that kinda thing?"

Matt's jaw dropped and for a moment, everything in his world went silent. 

When he took another breath, he managed to find his voice again. "Uh.. crime... crime fighting? Why did you... why... mention that?"

"It... I... was just rattling off things. Did Ryan not mention my fondness for superheroes? Did I dream that? Why? Are you an undercover cop? Is the blindness a ruse? I already believe you could kick my ass after seeing you box that little bit. It's kinda hot. But that's just me. You're a ninja, aren't you? Man, I always wanted to be one. The slimming black and the stealth. That would be the best."

Oh fuck. Okay. Okay. Seth didn't know. It took Matt another moment to remember what words were.

"No. I. Um. I'm not. A ninja. Or a cop. I'm blind. For real. Ninja are...usually not. I mean. So far as I -- not that I know a lot of them. Uh. So." He cleared his throat. "I guess I should... um. Call... and check in with Foggy."

Seth moved suddenly, gasped at the way such a movement took his breath away with pain. And gripped Matt carefully by the hand. "First off, god save you from ever having to be put on the stand in a trial. Second, your secret is safe with me." He winked, didn't care that it wasn't seen, and then moved back to his spot on the couch. "Is there a grocery store nearby? Or something. I... have no money to get a book. Shit."

"I'll... go get you one... but how... how did you... you know? You -- how -- how?" Seth might be feeling conversational already, but Matt was still flatlining. 

Seth smiled. "Don't spend more money on me. I get less chatty when I'm reading, is all. And I figured you wanted me to be quiet. And just... I don't know.

“It was a joke. And you panicked. 

"But I figure one of two things are true. The first is that you've kept your secret bottled up for too long and you are dying to be able to talk to someone about the truth. Or someone knowing makes you nauseous. In which case I'll totally forget everything. I'm probably just high on pills anyway."

But yesterday his high had been more morphine and a light sedative mixed with the oxycodone which gave him the buzz.

"Either way, you're safe." 

Matt's heart was racing and he shifted uncomfortably on the couch. "How did you... even... no. Sorry. I um. This.. is part of why I wanted you two here.. because if things get bad, I can probably, uh, protect you."

"You are blind. But you're hearing is... fuck are you... no. Batman isn't in New York." He pursed his lips. Thinking. "There are more deserving people to be saved, I'm sure." But Seth wasn't sure that they would have been safe in jail. Or in a hospital. And he imagined there would be a hit out for his or Ryan's names around the city. If this guy was as dangerous as Matt believed.

"Do you wanna talk about it? Do you have a patio, though? Because Ryan has a tendency to sneak up on people like a ninja. You get it."

"No, uh, no patio, but we can go to the roof if you're -- sure you're up for it. But... we probably shouldn't move you too much. When he wakes, I'll know. Trust me. I can uh. I can hear his heart. And breathing. From here." 

Seth was beaming with the little truths. "What else."

"What... um. I. What do you... want to know?" 

"Dude, as much as you'll share. I'm sorry. I know I'm geeking out on you a little, but I'm also kind of just in awe. I didn't know... I mean. You're great."

"I'm not great. I'm just... they call me the Devil of Hell's Kitchen. But I'm just a vigilante, just -- I want people safe. That's... that's it." Matt sounded embarrassed. 

Seth reeled his comments in, but his eyes were wide. He'd heard of the Devil. Argued with his Dad for an hour about why he was, in fact, a hero, just a couple months ago. Fuck. 

Fuck.

"Does your partner know?"

"Yeah. He... it wasn't pretty. When he found out. We fought.. but he's accepting it. Slowly, but... it means a lot that he's, you know, he's trying."

"Sure. Listen, do you want me to stop asking? Because I will." Or he'd at least try. "But man. If you're going to be a... a hero. You've gotta get better at lying."

Matt hesitated, then shook his head. "No, you uh, you don't have to stop. And... you're... probably right. I.. I'll find a way to..work on that.."

"Start with your assertiveness. I know you can do it. I think I heard you be that way with Foggy last night. Or I dreamed it. Who knows. But if someone says 'crime fighter' or 'super hero' or 'vigilante' or even 'ninja' your immediate reaction should be to scoff. Always assume people are joking. And even if they aren't joking, they'll think that you think what they said is so preposterous, that it can't be true."

Matt nodded, but he stayed quiet. Thank God Seth understood, and thank God he was willing to keep his secret -- and to help him keep it, for that matter. 

"Thank you. I know you're a vigilante, and you keep to the shadows and keep anonymous for a reason. But you took us in. And you save people's lives. And whether you like it or not, you deserve to be thanked. At fucking least once."

Matt still couldn't talk. He hunched over a little, arms wrapped over his chest. He didn't even know what he was thinking or feeling, he didn't know how to react. On some level he was grateful that this had happened with Seth. He had to learn to scoff it all away, Seth was right, but still...

Fuck.

"I'm... Maybe I should go get me more water." He could sense the tension, and didn’t want to make it worse. But a trip up to a balcony? There was no way Seth could manage stairs today. He already had a limp, and the slightest extension on his left side left his ribs screaming. So, water and apparently freaking this guy out by accidentally guessing right -- that was today's game plan. 

"Stay. I'll get it." He took Seth's glass and patted his knee once, extremely gently, then got up. "Is Ryan... would you trust him with -- this?" 

"I could trust him with it. He's incredibly loyal. But. It is not my secret to tell."

Okay, honestly, Seth was shit at keeping secrets. But he would. He would do this. After all, how often did he get the chance to know a secret identity? 

"Speaking of. I'm impressed he's still asleep. He must have not slept on the flight over."

Matt didn't like the idea of asking someone to lie to their best friend, but for now he kept quiet on it. After getting Seth more water, he went back to the kitchen to start making some breakfast for all of them.

"It sounds like he's coming out of it... slowly. Do you guys eat pancakes in California?"

"Do we ever. Pancakes are a life source." Though he hurt, he didn't know how to stay still when he was this excited. So he carefully worked to stand up -- the couch kinda swallowed you -- and then walked over to the kitchen island, carefully sitting on a stool.

"Can I help?"

"The company is nice," Matt replied as he got started. "Just... talking, it's nice. I like your voice."

Seth blushed and looked down. "This old thing?" He chuckled and smiled wide enough that his dimples showed. 

I like your arms...

"So what do you do when you're not being an attorney or sleeping or being a ninja?"

"Eat. Shower. Exercise. Sometimes go drinking with Foggy. And... that's... about it. Which... pretty boring, I know. What about you? Tell me about yourself?"

And so Seth did. He told Matt a little about his parents and what they did. He talked about his hometown and the jocks who beat him up and peed in his shoes. He talked about Ryan's arrival, about Marissa and Summer. And then talked about where he was now. No solid job -- just doing art concepts of.... super heroes, and selling them. He wrote stories, offered commissions where he could turn people into super heroes and give them their own, single issue, story with graphics included. Seth talked about sailing, and how he'd sailed to Oregon once when Ryan had left to go back home for a summer because of a baby scare. And how he still wanted to sail to Tahiti on his little boat. He talked about life in general. How Ryan had just parted ways with his off-again girlfriend Taylor who talked too much and was a bit obsessed with being the center of attention. And his parents again, their move to Berkeley. Seth talked until breakfast was ready. 

Ryan, lead by his nose, dragged out of the bedroom, rubbing an eye. "I thought I heard the endless white noise of Seth's life story. Did I sleep walk?"

"Do you usually?" Matt asked. He served up breakfast for all of them. "And I don't know what you mean, Seth hasn't said a word all night..." he smiled, and for a moment, it was the warmest and the happiest Matt had ever looked. 

Seth's returned smile was full of adoration and Ryan rolled his eyes as he caught sight of it. "No... N-Not that I know of. But I thought I fell asleep on the couch."

Seth beamed, pointed to Matt, and half-whispered "He's strong," as if that explained everything.

It didn't. 

"You did," Matt said. "But I'm a secret ninja and I carried you to the bed. It's more comfortable."

Ryan laughed, scoffed, almost, as if the idea of a secret ninja was a bit absurd. It wasn't an insulting sound, just as if he were responding to a joke Matt was telling. 

It was the exact sound Seth had been trying to explain to Matt earlier. 

"So," Seth said, looking back at Matt, allowing himself to look for a moment with a soft, appreciative gaze. "Thank you for breakfast. You've been a very gracious host. Let alone a defense attorney.”

"You're welcome for breakfast," Matt answered, although he also blushed a little and, now that Ryan was up, went to get his glasses. "So how are you feeling, Ryan?" He sat on the couch, giving them the kitchen space to themselves, and thinking about the lesson Seth had just given him and that Ryan had unknowingly finished.

 Seth ate in near silence while Ryan shrugged, clearly not thinking twice about the joke Matt had delivered, figuring the man had just already spent too much time with Seth.

"Well enough. I'm a little sore from the few punches they delivered. But it's nothing." He gestured at Seth. "I look a hell of a lot better than this kid with his black and busted up eye and cheek. It's a shame. You used to be so handsome. Now who's gonna love you."

"My mother will always love me. Dick. But you're right. I look like Quasimodo."

"Here's hoping you fare better than he did." Matt smiled again.

"Ha!" Seth pointed again at Matt and looked at Ryan, and the latter knew that there was some kind of infatuation on Seth's part. Which could only stand to complicate things. Especially because this guy didn't exactly read as being one who was open to dating males.

"Any word on the case?"

"No." Matt shook his head and told him what he'd told Seth. After, he said, "I'll have to abandon you two tomorrow during the day to go work on it, unless you want to come to the office. We won't hear anything until after ten -- but from there, we'll know the next step."

"Take your clients to work day. Your office sounds swell."

"I'm gonna stick around here and make some calls. All the banks are closed today, obviously. So I'll make calls about canceling cards and having money transferred and hopefully getting us a hotel tomorrow. That way, maybe, we can get out of your hair." Ryan wiped syrup from his lip as he finally looked at Seth. "How are you feeling?"

Seth pouted. He didn't want to go. But he told Ryan what he wanted to know. It was easier to humor him. 

Ryan casually ignored the look of pleading.  They couldn't stay.

"You know, you're safer here than at a hotel," Matt said quietly. "I know that may sound... tough to believe, but it's true."

"It's true, Ryan. What if they come looking for us. They have our names."

"Seth, this isn't one of your graphic novels. There aren't evil crime lords who look to destroy people for hitting on a girl."

Seth's brow raised and Ryan faltered.

"Wh-- No. Seth. No. You did not get us mixed up with an evil crime lord."

Seth pursed his lips and shrugged, taking a bite of pancake.

"Damnit, Seth."

"Listen, I know your mad now. But think of how exciting this is."

"We're hiding out in our attorney's apartment. Of course you're excited."

"Adventure, Ryan. We'll be safe here. And we can just pay them a little extra when it comes time to pay our bill. That way we make up for the inconvenience."

Ryan finally looked back at Matt. "You're sure this is okay? We're not putting you in danger, are we?"

[oxpogues4lifexo]

Keeping up with the Camerons

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Keeping up with the Camerons

Episode 2 - A Helping Hand - Part 1

Episode transcript (/ means cut scene, bold italics means narrator, bold means host)

Word Count: 4.5 K

Full Episode Here - 13.5K Words

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Coming up!

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“You just know they’re doing it”

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“He’s a person like the rest of us. Ward just fails to realise it.”

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“She’s a princess and he’s.. well.. the devil at his finest.”

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“God just kiss already..”

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“Your sister! Has been talking to the Pogue down on the south side.”

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“Bella’s with that asshole today ain’t she! Gonna go check on her be right back.”

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“You uh you know Sarah?”

“I’ve been speaking to her actually..”

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“Rafe!! What the hell is wrong with you?”

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“I wasn’t talking to you was I?”

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“That’s my job! And it has been for 16 years.”

//

Kooks. And Pogues. Two tribes. One island.

Or in this case..

The Camerons. Kildare. One family. The whole island.

I am your host Ryan Seacrest, and THIS is Keeping up with the Camerons!

This episode includes the bts footage the Camerons don’t know you can see, forgetting that there are cameras in every crevice of their life not just in the hands of my camera crew! (Written in pink)

//

“We have a busy day today! I’m taking Bella down to the docks where we’re going to help out with the boats. That’s what we do around here, we help out, do charity work! It makes you a better person. Me and Bella do it whenever she’s got a free day from the club. Other days it’s just me on my own. She likes to help out, it’s like payback for me letting her into my home. That’s what she says anyways!” Ward chuckles, his hand running through his fluffy strands. Today, Ward’s dressed more casually. A pair of dark blue jeans hugged around his legs with a checkered shirt sat loosely on his torso; the top few buttons undone and the sleeves rolled up. His watch still held around his wrist tightly.

/

“Right! Bella up and attem sweetheart!! Big day ah-“ He claps his hands before pausing in the hall between his office and the living room, frowning at the room infront of him. The boys were all sat around the living room, shouting and swearing as the tv shows their video game. Topper and Callum were playing a heated 1v1.

Ward steps closer as his brow furrows, looking round into the kitchen before his eyes take the back of Rafe’s head, “Where’s Bella?”

Rafe swings his head round, mouth wide as if he realised something horrible; infact he was just shocked to see his dad still here. It was around 10:30 and the sun had filled the room; but Ward had been talking with Ryan all morning. “She’s..” He stands up suddenly, his hands pushing through his hair as his eyes widen. “She’s in my room! I’ll go get her.” He jogs up the stairs, his sneakers squeaking up every step.

Ward goes over to the others, “What’s this your playing?”

“Shh shh, hang on!” Topper waves him away as he sits forward on his knees.

“They’re playing COD!” Kelce explains not taking his eyes off the screen.

“Like the fish?” Ward questions genuinely, confused as to what any of this means.

Kelce gives him a laugh as he shakes his head, an answer hanging from his lips before Callum screams, “Fuck!!” He slams the controller on the table sitting back as his hands run over his face.

Topper laughs at him, high-fiving Kelce. “Aw someone a sore loser?”

Callum doesn’t answer, but only stares at him. Ward laughs away the tension, “You lot here all day?” He leans his hands against the back of the couch behind Toppers head.

Sarah comes downstairs, walking over to Ward and wrapping her arms round his belly as she rests her head on his chest. “Good morning beautiful..” He kisses the top of her head.

Topper looks up at Ward, giving Sarah a smile, “Nah I’m out with Sarah today!”

“I’m staying with Rafe.” Callum spreads his legs, his pink shorts sitting up to his knees as a light t-shirt hangs from his body. His big arms hooked around the back of his head, his fingers fiddling with the small patch of sandy hair at the nape of his neck.

/

“Yeah I don’t mind them letting themselves over. I mean Toppers dating my daughter and Callum’s welcome whenever. It’s just nice to know when and where, you know? If I’m coming home from a stressful day I’d wanna know if I’m going to have to deal with lots of people around my house. Especially with the cameras here at the moment.”

/

Rafe reaches his room, knocking on the door lightly, "Bella?"

"Come in!" Bella exclaims bubbly. He lets himself in, peaking round the door incase she was changing despite her offer to come inside.

"Hey." She smiles softly, pulling her top over her head. Rafe goes over to help her, pulling her hair out her top.

"Hey." The corners of his lips lift as his eyes catch hers for a moment; Bella blushes, giggling nervously as she walks past him; sitting on the edge of the bed to slip her shoes on.

"Wards ready to leave!" Rafe kneels down, taking the laces from her hands and tying them gently.

A smile forms against Bella's lips as she sits back up, "I know. I woke up late. Wheezie came in like five minutes ago saying she's going out."

Rafe laughs along under his breath, tapping her shoe as a 'there you go' before moving to the next. "You out all day? Was hoping to do something with you today. We haven't really seen each other this week. Kinda miss you.." He mutters, almost too quiet but she nods along, a small smile pulling at her cheeks.

She leans down, lifting a bit of hair that had fallen over Rafe's eye, "I'm sure we could do something later! Maybe we could go out on the boat or something?" She reassures, lifting her words near the end to bring his attention up to her.

He nods, a smirk tugging at his lips as he stands up, putting out his hand for her to take,

"Okay. Cant wait." He places a kiss to her head as he wraps his arm around her neck, hand still holding hers as he takes her downstairs.

/

"Me and Rafe rarely ever get time alone really, I mean we don't have any reason to see each other outside of our friend group because what more is there to do? But I can never really tell if he means it or not you know. Like if he really does want to see me or he's just saying it because he feels like he has to!" Bella shrugs, a slight frown crossing her brows as she forces a smile. "It doesn't really matter." She throws her hands up as she lets out a quiet laugh.

//

“You look after her a’ight. Wan’ her back here in one piece.” Callum demands, his eyebrows raising as his eyes lock onto Ward. Wards face scrunches in offence, his words making Ward sound incapable of taking care of someone.

“She’ll be fine Callum.” He answers plainly, fed up with his constant distrust.

“Here you are sir!” Rafe steps down from the stairs, holding his hand out towards Ward as he takes Bella’s hand to help her walk down ahead of him. The others look up as she giggles.

The boys all look at one another and laugh, muttering something the cameras were unable to pick up.

/

“Rafe’s definitely.. different around Bella. When he’s with her too long he gets um..” Topper pauses, his fingers meeting the bridge of his nose as he holds back from laughing again.

Callum places his arm on Topper’s shoulder as he moves into shot, “He turns soft! Thats what happens. He forgets he’s a guy.” Topper snickers, removing himself from the shot to calm himself down. “I mean he just..”

Topper takes a deep breath as he stands back up, Cal’s arm taking his shoulder once again, very evidently showing off his height. “He means that Rafe seems to age down when around her for too long. As if he’s not almost a 20 year old man! He loses his sense of decency.”

“To be honest I don’t even know who he is around her.” Callum grumbles, scratching his brow and Topper nods along.

“Nah you just know they’re doing it.” Toppers obvious lie forces him to laugh despite trying to hold it back. The thought in Callum’s mind causes him to physically gag as he sticks up his middle finger to Toppers face and leaves, back inside.

Topper snickers, looking back at the camera once more, shrugging his shoulders, “I mean we’d never know even if they were, don’t know why I’m the bad guy?” He lets out a menacing laugh before running inside back to annoy Callum.

/

“Ah there you are!” Ward announces, as Sarah takes herself from his hold. She joins Topper on the couch whilst Ward pulls Bella in for a hug.

“You’re welcome..” Rafe mutters to himself, rolling his eyes as he goes back over to the couch and takes the controller for himself. Bella’s eyes follow him heavily.

/

“I see the way Ward treats Rafe. He doesn’t care. Or atleast he doesn’t let on that he cares! It kills to see Rafe the way he gets when Ward doesn’t appreciate him. Like earlier when he expected atleast a ‘thank you’ for something. I don’t know what it was but I knew he was upset over it! He tries so hard for him yet Ward doesn’t notice.” Bella bats her lashes, dabbing the corners of her eyes that teared up by the mere thought of Rafe being treated the wrong way. “Sorry!” She laughs at herself, waving a hand over her face as she sniffles; calming herself back into sanity.

“He um.. he calls me a lot during the night when me and Cal are at home, to ask if I’d stay up with him and just talk. I hate hearing him sniffling and stuff across the phone and not being able to do anything. I do try my best for Rafe, he deserves it from atleast someone!” She smiles softly, looking through the glass doors at Rafe on the couch. With a shrug of her shoulders she speaks up again, “He’s a person like the rest of us. Ward just fails to realise it.”

/

“Well kids we’re off! See you tonight for dinner.” His hand finds Sarah’s head as he squeezes lightly, causing a small laugh to fall from her lips as the others say their goodbyes.

Wards hand meets Bella’s as he guides her to the door, she turns back and waves one last ‘bye’ to the cameras before they make their way out to the car outside.

Ward holds the door for Bella as she lifts herself into the passenger seat. She wore a floral pink skirt and a white tank top as the weather today was a hot one.

“So I’m guessing it’s your episode today?” Bella watches Ward drive, focusing on the road and she glances back at the camera.

“Yep! I’m first. We’re going to the docks today aren’t we?” He turns to her, smiling brightly as he nods his head towards her, his voice soft and calming.

/

“Does he always speak to you like that?”

“Like what sorry?” She tilts her head, confused as Ward hadn’t spoken to her in quite a while. She was sat on the edge of one of the piers, her feet swinging just above the waters surface, next to a friendly face.

“Shit you don’t hear it Bell’?” She looks at him, eyes wide, brows furrowed. Not understanding what exactly she’s missing. “He babies you so hard!”

“He does not??” She watches his expressions as he snickers under his breath, his lips squished shut to try not letting it out. “John B stop!!” She pushes his face to get him to stop but it only makes it worse. He lets out a loud cackle.

“He so does Bella! Like everyone sees it!! But you know.. it’s cos your his favourite ‘n all.” He raises his eyebrows, tilting his head towards her so their noses were touching.

She giggles, forcing a frown on her brows as she sighs. “Shut up..”

He sits up suddenly, holding his chest in his palm, his mouth fallen agape as he stares at her. She giggles once more, “Okay.. maybe he does a- a little?”

“That’s the closest you’re gonna get to a yes so take it!” John B shrugs at Ryan, Bella looks up at him in disbelief as she smacks his chest, “She abuses me! You see that?”

She tuts rolling her eyes to the camera, “I do not!! Tell him I don’t!” She pleads to him, desperation filling her eyes as her kindness is very dear to herself.

He laughs again, pulling her into him, his arm sat round her neck, “Nah she’s nice I guess.” He playfully rolls his eyes, rubbing his fist through her hair. She sits up, pulling away from his grip as she stares at him. He lifts himself from the pier and runs the opposite direction quickly followed by Bella as she shouts for him.

/

“She’s probably the nicest person on the island if I’m being honest. Like if you need her, she’s there you know.” John B laughs, his hand pushing his hair from his face. “It’s why I don’t understand how she’s friends with Rafe?? Like she could’ve been friends with atleast Sarah or something you get what I’m saying. But no. Rafe. They’re like the complete opposites, she’s a princess and he’s.. well.. the devil at his finest. It doesn’t make sense. But I guess when she looks the way she does and she’s as sweet as she is, you don’t really care who you're friends with.”

/

“Yes!” She turns her body back to the cameras, holding that same precious smile she always wears. “We normally just help out with the boats and transport anything the others can’t. It’s an easy day to be fair! Theres alot of people down there to help.”

“You spend your time with that John B kid don’t you!” Ward brings up, trying to keep the conversation going, “Those two are practically siblings. Always messing about and not actually helping.” He takes a moment to look at her, raising an eyebrow.

She giggles, eyes widening at the camera as Ward rats her out, “Umm.. no?” She mutters, rolling her eyes playfully. “I mean we make helping out fun! That.. that counts?”

“Mm..” Ward agrees unconvincingly, letting out a small chuckle before turning the corner to the docks; he places his hand gently against her stomach to urge her to sit back in her chair, “She is a big help nonetheless!” She smiles in the rearview mirror at the camera.

His hand squeezes her knee before stopping the car. “You want to entertain for a moment I have to go sort something out..” he mutters to her and she merely nods, pulling a smile on her lips as she gets out the car.

She guides Ryan and the camera crew down to the piers, waving and saying hello to the men passing by.

“Hey darling! How’re you this morning?”

“Hi Heyward, I’m good thank you! Howre you?”

“I’m alright thanks sweetheart! Just hot is all.”

The sun was high up in the sky; clear of clouds as the temperature grew warmer. The water was reflecting like crystals along the shore and against all the boats as the old wood of the piers creaked with every step of each body that walked over it. The wind picked up and fell, evident in the way Bella’s hair would sway in the wind and her skirt would lift and drop as she skipped.

Ryan’s, and the crew’s, eyes sat proudly on her face. The whole parade Ward threw yesterday caused a slight uneasiness amongst the group. Bella bounced along the docks before stopping infront of a fishing shop more locally known as ‘Hooks and Kooks’.

“So this is where we work!” She holds her hands up to show off the area. “Over there..” she points at the rows of boats, covered in masses of men heaving boxes, “..Is where we put all the fish and equipment to transport! Andddd,” she looks around before pointing her manicured nail at a young boy, “That’s John B! He's currently.. he’s refilling the diving equipment on the boats!”

The camera zooms in on the boy, his hair fluffy and windswept. He wore a grey bandana loosely around his neck with a pair of blue shorts and a washed T-shirt that looked as though it was covered in some sort of substance; blood, water, something or other. He was carrying a large metal tank back into one of the boats, his muscles sweating under the sun.

As the camera pulls back, Bella had begun her way over, “John B!” She waves as he notices her. He drops the tank down before hopping out the boat and a large smile appears on his face. He rubs his sweat-covered hands on his shirt, before running one through his hair, pushing away the strands from his eyes.

She reaches him, opening her arms as he pulls her into his chest deeply.“Long time no see Bells! Thought you were dead.” He laughs against her ear making her pull away and frown, tilting her head as she laughs.

“Thanks for checking up.” She stares at him and he just lets out a laugh, his hand finding his hair once again as the wind took over its movement.

“So uh.. you got caught up in the show then?” He nods his head toward Ryan.

“Mhm!” She nods, following his gaze to the cameras beside them. “Well I kinda walked in on it yesterday and now Wards dragged me along today so.. I guess I have!” She giggles, her cheeks reddening at the realisation. She plays with the hem of her skirt as John B looks back at the cameras.

Ryan nods, lifting a hand to him. “I’m Ryan!” He steps forward giving him a hand. John B takes it and smiles, nodding back, “I’m John B!” He turns back to Bella, “Where’s Ward?”

She shrugs scratching at her eyebrow as she looks around, “He said he had to do something. So we’re in charge now!” She laughs, bouncing up on her toes to hook her arm around his neck; her head rested against his.

“Hm..” he chuckles, looking at her as his hand finds the small of her back, “I’m liking the sound of this.”

//

"Heyward!" Ward announces, open arms and a big grin.

"Hey Mr C! Looking good today as always." He nods, a smile pulling at his lips.

"Same to you Bob. What was the issue?" He looked around, frowning at the lack of problems.

Heyward bends a finger, gesturing him to follow as he leads him out to his boat; pointing to the crates of groceries inside, "It's all gone off! All of it! I left it all in ice over night but it's all mouldy already. We can't give that out to the island like that but it's too late to order in more?" His brows furrow as he turns back to await Wards response.

Ward bites his lip, a brow dipped as he holds his jaw, contemplating the options. He walks back off inside, causing only more confusion to drown Heyward.

"-Yes.. please!" Ward steps back outside, squinting under the sun whilst scanning the groceries. "That'll do thank you!" He nods as he pushes his phone back in his pocket, looking up at Heyward with a grin. "Sorted! More groceries will arrive anytime now." He pats Heywards shoulder.

"What- How? I mean thank you!"

Ward chuckles, "I know a few people."

"Thank you Ward!"

/

“Sorry I had to go speak to Heyward about the transport. He called me earlier to say there was trouble!” Ward readjusted his watch as he steps outside to the cameraman that waited for him. “The kids alright? Doing good work?” He speaks to the man behind the camera as if he was allowed to answer but Ward knew he couldn’t. He just wanted to make conversation for the audience.

He makes his way down to the pier where the two were working.

“Hey Mr Cameron!” A blonde boy tips his cap to Ward as another boy around the same age steers the boat into an empty spot.

“Hi JJ. Call me Ward remember kid?”

“Jayj!!!” Bella shouts, dropping a crate of fish quickly, causing John B to flinch slightly. He looks up and watches as Bella runs off towards the other boy.

“Bella?” He frowns as he opens his arms for her to jump into, spinning her around fast on his feet. He squeezes her tightly, letting her feet feel the ground without letting go. “Shit I’ve missed you..” He mutters as a smile pulls at his lips.

“Yeah I missed you too, J!” She goes in for another hug, resting her head on his shoulder.

“Bella, working remember?” Ward pipes up, almost ordering her as she lifts herself from JJ’s grip with a slight groan.

“Yes ma’am!” She takes JJ’s hat, tipping it to him and placing it to her head before skipping off back to help John B. JJ follows suit, placing himself on a wooden crate beside the boat.

Ward chuckles to himself as he presses a palm to the last boys back, “Pope!”

“Sir!” He nods to him, heading off in the opposite direction.

“So me and Bella are loading up all the boats, these boys here are taking them around the island and John B’s handling the equipment!” Ward recaps despite Bella’s explanation previously. “They’re a great help despite everything my son speaks about them. It’s funny how one persons point of view can be completely different to your own!”

“Ward, helping remember?” Bella looks at him, hands on her hips as she raises an eyebrow. Her foot tapping away at the floor of the pier.

He laughs unknowingly as his eyebrows jerk at her words. He jogs over and before she could react to the realisation of his next move, he had already tackled her; pulling her over his shoulder and spinning her around across the wood. Giggles and struggles left her mouth, causing the boys next to them to smile.

JJ watches, his lips never shifting. “You gotta stop before you bust bro.” John B nudges his side with an elbow.

“Shut up man!” He pushes his arm off him. “Cant be happy to see my best friend again?”

“Little too happy if you ask-” He mutters before getting cut short by the palm of JJ’s hand meeting the back of his head; a groan falling from his lips.

“Boys behave!” Ward had dropped Bella by now, making his way over to the two. “Jesse don’t you have jobs to do?”

JJ shrugs, “Nah I got like 5 minutes bro don’t worry ‘bout me!” He chuckles, enjoying the look on Ward’s face.

“Ward, can I talk to JJ until he leaves? I haven’t seen him all week!” Bella hops over, pulling a sweeter smile than the last if that was somehow possible. She holds her hands behind her back as she sways side to side, trying her absolute best to convince him as if he needed convincing in the first place.

He sighs, knowing the answer before she even asked the question; nodding, causing her to jump up and down like a child. “Five minutes!” He holds up a hand to her face and she giggles.

“Thank youuuu, thank you, thank you!!” Bella sings as she hugs him. He steps out the way and takes John B back to the boat to finish with the crates.

“So Bells, how's your boyfriend?” JJ swings his feet against the wooden crate that held him up, a small grin pulling at his cheeks, already knowing the answer.

Bella groans, her eyes rolling, "He’s not my boyfriend Jayj, you know that." She states firmly, clearly annoyed by the question; JJ mouthing back the words with a smirk as she spoke didn't help the obvious irritation of the subject.

"Yeah well I beg to differ! He’s taking up all your time, I don’t see you no more mama." His face (a small pout and his eyes wide) making it obvious how serious he meant his words.

She notices, reciprocating his expressions as she almost pleads, "No J, I’ve been stuck at work all week I told you that! It’s not his fault."

He scoffs under his breath, his eyebrows jerking as his eyes take the keys in his lap, "Excuses, excuses.."

"Jayj.." She practically begs as her eyes tear up, her eyelashes batting away the urge to cry as her brows knit together through pure frustration.

He laughs at her but couldn't hide the slight lip quiver caused by the sight infront of him; scratching at his brow to distract himself, "I’m just teasing ma, I know!"

Bella's eyes lift as her mouth falls wide, her brows forming into a frown, "Don't do that!" She lifts herself onto her toes to land a smack on his head, forcing a sound of pain to fall from his mouth as he grips his hair, "Making me feel bad J.."

JJ opens his mouth to apologise but before he could, his attentions pulled away, "JJ!" Pope waves to him, shaking the boat keys in the air to tell him it's ready.

"Oh bro I gotta go Pope needs me! See you round?" He jumps off the crate with a ‘thud’, tapping his hand to Bella's arm.

Her eyes fall as another frown takes her face, "What?? But.. JJ! You're so busy all the time I never see you anymore!" She whines mockingly as she pushes her bottom lip out, tilting her head for more sarcasm.

He bites the inside of his cheek, a smirk pulling at the corners of his lips as a small breathy laugh falls from his tongue, "… shut up!" He glares at her, only causing another giggle to fill the painful silence.

She smiles, holding in the laugh as her face tenses, forcing a strong complexion to take her features, “Never!”

JJ can’t help but laugh once more before shaking his head, taking his hat off her head and smoothing back his hair to place the hat ontop. “You’re a funny one Bells!” He flashes her a quick wink before spinning his keys around his finger and heading over toward the other boy.

Her brows wobble at her contemplation that clearly took over her face. Her mouth opens and closes before lifting to a soft smile, “Hey Jayj??” She shouts over the noise of creaking wood and middle-aged men yelling; her hands lifting to surround her mouth, tunnelling the sound.

His head swings back, lifting his hat slightly to block the incoming sun from above, “Yeah??”

“Love you!!” She blushes at her own words, squinting her eyes in the sunlight as her skirt gently swayed against her thighs.

JJ laughs against his breath, “Yeah love you too asshole!!” He steps onto the boat beside him.

They both quickly raise their fists, sticking out their middle fingers; causing them both to drop a throaty laugh at one another before turning away and heading back to their previous intentions.

John B stood with his arms crossed, his eyebrows raised as he fought to keep his hair in place against the wind, “God just kiss already..” He mumbles loud enough that she hears as she walks over. The words finding her focus and her head jolts up.

All that was picked up from the camera was the back of Bella’s head and John B’s widened eyes at her notice; Bella lifts her arms to shove him close to the edge of the pier deck. He stumbles backwards, catching himself on one of the wooden beams holding up the pathway. Bella laughs and he merely watches her from afar, keeping his distance as she snorts, uncontrollably laughing, causing a snicker to fall from his own mouth.

/

“I honestly couldn’t tell you what the hell the thing between them is. I mean half the island thinks she’s with Rafe and the other half JJ. So it’s not only this underlying rivalry between Kooks and Pogues, it’s much deeper than that in the sense that The Cut is team JJ and Figure Eight is team Rafe.” John B laughs to himself, “It’s like twilight in real life. But if I’m being honest..” he whispers, gesturing to the camera to come closer, glancing back at Bella who sat on the boat behind him, “I don’t think she likes either of them. I mean it’s just how she is, she’s the same with me. Unless she’s a- no I won’t say that haha! But you get what I mean.”

Next Part Here

Short episodes are blue

Full episodes are pink

Short Masterlist

Full Masterlist

[nerds4life]

Why is Ryan secrets an asshole too?

Do you people attempt to answer any of the questions you ask while hiding on anon? If you CLICK ON THE TAG it will lead you to all posts with that tag and you can figure it out, or you can google to see what an asshole Ryan Seacrest has been as he pushes the official narrative around the boys, when he himself has had rumours for years.

[latoyarubalcava3546]

Kathy Griffin Claims She's On A 'Kill List' & That Her Hollywood Peers Aren't Doing Anything To Help In Grim Twitter Update

Life isn't getting any easier for Kathy Griffin.

The My Life on the D-List alum is still trying to claw her way back into mainstream media's good graces after the fallout from her bloody decapitated Donald Trump photoshoot last year. But that's easier said than done when one has enemies left and alt-right!

Kathy shared an update on her dire situation in a Twitter rant on Monday, telling her followers that she's been subjected to constant threats -- and has even been placed on a "kill list"!!!

Related: Kathy Says Her Friendship With Anderson Cooper Is DEAD

Calling the attack from the "alt-right media" a literal "relentless campaign," Kathy alleged she's been hit with "threats of violence... in very specific ways."

Sadly, that's just the tip of the iceberg. The 57-year-old also fired shots at her supposed showbiz allies, revealing she's barely gotten ANY help in booking paid gigs in the past year.

Specifically, she called out Ryan Seacrest for being mad at her over apparently hiring the stylist who accused him of unsavory behavior and someone "in the booking dept." of Stephen Colbert's show for having a "bad taste" about her in their mouth.

Video: Kathy Resurfaces With A Kellyanne Conway Impression!

She also laid into RuPaul's Drag Race for cutting ties with her, despite Kathy appearing on the show "many times for free." And, just for good measure, fired shots at the UNGRATEFUL Michelle Wolf for not reaching out to Kathy after she defended the newcomer's White House Correspondents' Dinner jokes! Woof.

The industry vet ended her tirade on a somewhat positive note, saying she's going back to "doing anything and everything I can to sell out every single show on my tour."

Read an update on Kathy's sad situation (below):

A) I am truly excited and grateful to be able to go back on tour. As you guys know I am honest if nothing else. So, here’s the latest: Things have not gotten better for me. — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 7, 2018

B) In fact, I just found out I’m on a brand new "Kill List." Constant death threats and threats of violence toward me in very specific ways. None of the social media platforms I need to make a living and sell my tour tickets will step in and help at all. — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 7, 2018

C) So these people or robots or whatever feel more empowered. Trump, and his game criminals, and the right leaning alt-right media have not let up on me. You’re probably not aware of this because I’m assuming that if you are reading this you are not part of that group! — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 7, 2018

D) It is literally a relentless campaign.

Here’s some tea: Maybe fun for you to hear, but not fun for me to live. And trust me I’m giving you a couple examples out of many. — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 7, 2018

E) I hear Ryan Seacrest is "mad" at me and spreading the word around. By the way that’s how it works, not just in my industry - trust me. Why? Because I hired the woman who accused him of #MeToo "activity" (a stylist) and I PAID her. Something no one did for me... — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 7, 2018

F) Until I had the opportunity to appear on "The President Show" on Comedy Central a few weeks ago. It was a fantastic experience & I thank everyone there, especially Anthony. Not like all these other folks asking me to do stuff for free and acting like they’re doing me a favor. — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 7, 2018

G) Someone in the booking dept of the Stephen Colbert show has a "bad taste" about me in their mouth. I’m told it’s because my former publicist Cindi Berger, (a real Lisa Bloom type), said something to them that I am not privy to. — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 7, 2018

H) I have never even done the Colbert Report nor have I done the Stephen Colbert show. And of course I do not know this booker. — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 7, 2018

I) RuPaul‘s Drag Race! A show I have done many times for free on LOGO, now I am told that they are on VH1, much larger viewership, as you know, someone over there has a "problem with me." And they’re spreading the word around. — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 7, 2018

J) How else do you think I hear about all of these assholes bitching and moaning about how difficult I am because I’ve had to work myself to the fucking bone my entire career. A show I’ve always done for free. — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 7, 2018

K) Not one but two DIFFERENT award shows had me HOST their events multiple times at the Beverly Hilton or some fancy ball room until they decided to televise these award shows and then of course they hired someone else to host them on television. — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 7, 2018

L) I have eight Emmy award nominations and two Emmys. They just used me to basically learn how to do it for free. That’s my trajectory. — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 7, 2018

M) I wrote probably the most definitive defense of Michelle Wolf out there. It was a thread picked up by the Hill as well as HuffPost. Something no one (and I mean no one) of my stature did for me. Sorry, not sorry for the "of my stature", certainly not in a timely fashion... — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 7, 2018

N) I have not even heard a word from her. I stand by my defense of her because I have to. But you’re welcome everybody. Whew! — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 7, 2018

O) Ok,now, I will get back to work doing anything and everything I can to sell out every single show on my tour. TIMES NOT UP YET Love, KG — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 7, 2018

Wow.

Miz Griffin has certainly never been afraid to burn bridges, but it's starting to look like she has none left to burn.

At least she still has her fans?

[Image via ABC.]

[ralphmorgan-blog1]

Many, many celebrities are standing up for Keaton Jones

By now, you've probably seen the name Keaton Jones or #StandWithKeaton, regarding the Tennessee boy whose video about his terrible bullying experience went pretty viral this weekend. 

The heartbreaking video, in which Jones describes how he's bullied in school, created an instant outpouring of support and love from all corners of the internet. Many, many people shared their own stories, words of encouragement, and his video with others. Celebrities were definitely among them.

Celebrities have reached out on Twitter and Instagram showing Jones their own love and support with invitations to hang out, and simply spreading awareness of how serious and hurtful bullying really is.

SEE ALSO: Chris Evans is a real life superhero in lending his support to bullied kid

Rihanna, Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, T.I., DeAndre Washington, and more have spoken out for Jones.

#KeatonJones Hero!!! Thank you young KING for inspiring us all who have been in your shoes at any capacity! If you have, or currently are going through any form of bullying, my heart and my prayers go out to you! Bullies...y'all corny!

A post shared by badgalriri (@badgalriri) on Dec 11, 2017 at 4:36am PST

Keaton, you have inspired me and many others to now recognize the bravery and courage to speak up. Your video was heartbreaking and yet so true. You really are a superhero and you are inspiring people who are getting bullied to speak up. We will all stand up for you. You're really amazing. Thank you. #endbullying

A post shared by Millie Bobby Brown (@milliebobbybrown) on Dec 11, 2017 at 4:00am PST

Stay strong, Keaton. Don’t let them make you turn cold. I promise it gets better. While those punks at your school are deciding what kind of people they want to be in this world, how would you and your mom like to come to the Avengers premiere in LA next year? https://t.co/s1QwCQ3toi

— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) December 10, 2017

Who ever goes to this boy school ,If you pick on him you not even a bully YOU A STRAIGHT UP PUSSY ASS PUNK ASS BITCH .Like how you pick on somebody who can’t defend them self ? THATS NOT GANGSTA ! If you a parent or somebody big sis or big bro show your kids this video and show them why they should not bully others !!😡😡😡 👊🏽👊🏽👊🏽👊🏽

A post shared by Cardi B Official IG (@iamcardib) on Dec 9, 2017 at 11:28pm PST

Say lil Man U gotta friend in me for life hit me on dm so we can chop it up love is the only way to beat hate 👊🏾☝🏾

A post shared by snoopdogg (@snoopdogg) on Dec 10, 2017 at 7:50am PST

Hi @Lakyn_Jones, could you pass this message along to Keaton? ❤ http://pic.twitter.com/3l8P4fKAqW

— Hailee Steinfeld (@HaileeSteinfeld) December 10, 2017

So I got the chance to spend the day with my new best bud Keaton. It was unbelievable to get to know him and realize that we have a lot in common. This dude is very special and has changed my life forever. Now I have the little brother I always wanted! God bless you my man http://pic.twitter.com/vMHVtnf2rC

— Jarrett Guarantano✞ (@BroadwayJay2) December 11, 2017

I #StandwithKeaton. Keaton baby, just know you’re not alone. There are so many people who come out of bullying so much stronger and you will be one of them!! God bless you sweetheart. https://t.co/LdCAy2lDHu

— Demi Lovato (@ddlovato) December 11, 2017

#StandWithKeaton we love u my friend- we need more of ur kindness.. compassion... bravery.. and honesty in everyone, and the whole world is learning from u- thank u Keaton 💞we all got ur back✊🏼✊🏼

— camila (@Camila_Cabello) December 11, 2017

Keaton, will you’ve my guest at the Premiere of #InfinityWar too? I think you are about one of the coolest kids I have ever seen! Can’t wait to meet you in person, pal. Forget those ignorant kids. One day, very soon, they are going to feel pretty stupid for this. https://t.co/BqJLxu25GN

— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) December 11, 2017

A post shared by Justin Bieber (@justinbieber) on Dec 10, 2017 at 7:20pm PST

Hey kids, teens, adults, people that live on this earth .... how about just don’t be a mean asshole!!!! Open your damn eyes to how hard this world is anyway and don’t make it worst!! Make it better for yourself and for others! #shameonyoubullies #getsomeprofessionalhelp

A post shared by Hilary Duff (@hilaryduff) on Dec 11, 2017 at 12:40pm PST

#Repost @danawhite ・・・ Meet Keaton Jones a very smart little boy who is being bullied at school. This video is heartbreaking!! I want to bring Keaton to Vegas and hang out at UFC Headquarters. If anyone knows how i can reach the family please let me know. Thank u everyone

A post shared by Ricky (@ricky_martin) on Dec 10, 2017 at 9:02am PST

I love this boy and I’ve never met him. You are brave and beautiful just as you are, don’t ever let others define who you are. Bullies are insecure and ignorant. Words create emotional poison, don’t listen to them so that poison doesn’t ever get to your pure heart ❤️ http://pic.twitter.com/SjntR2Pksk

— Eva Longoria Baston (@EvaLongoria) December 10, 2017

As someone who was bullied this hurts and makes me cry.Sending so much love to this brave young man. 🙏🏻 #Bekind #itsoktobedifferent X

A post shared by Victoria Beckham (@victoriabeckham) on Dec 10, 2017 at 12:56pm PST

Dear Keaton Jones, hopefully you see this. Your an amazing soul my man, never let ANYONE tell you otherwise! Keep your head up & chest out. Your a solider, always remember that.

— DeAndre Washington (@dwa5hington) December 10, 2017

To answer your question Lil man... bullies are just cowards who are too weak to address the hurt,pain,&unhappiness in their own miserable lives so they take it out on great people like YOU!!! Just know that YOU ARE GREAT!!! Your differences make you the shit!!! Don't ever let anyone make you feel anything else. When it's all said & done... FU*K THEM!!!! You've got friends in US!!! Don't let their unhappiness get to you. Time has a way of showing bullies how shitty their lives really are. Just remember ALL THE THINGS THEY PICK ON YOU ABOUT MAKE YOU THE SHIT!!!! You're perfect just as you are. FU*K em!!!! Hit me if u need me Lil bro. #Salute

A post shared by TIP (@troubleman31) on Dec 10, 2017 at 11:27am PST

This broke my 💔today. Please be kind to one another. #standwithkeaton

A post shared by KATY PERRY (@katyperry) on Dec 10, 2017 at 2:56pm PST

@DonteStallworth @Lakyn_Jones hopefully my video and the tweets that Keaton have been getting brings awareness to bullying and how serious it is in our school system http://pic.twitter.com/1Dujv3RxA5

— Delanie walker (@delaniewalker82) December 9, 2017

I saw this and it broke my heart... this little boy is suiffering at the hand of bullies like so many other little boys and girls... but you are not alone Keaton we are here. There is no room in this world for bullying or hate of any kind. And we will overcome it with love... As a parent it is my responsibility to make sure my kids know it is ok to go to an adult when someone is treating them in a way that hurts them or makes them uncomfortable or unhappy in anyway. Also to educate and teach them to treat people with kindness, love and respect no matter how different they may be from you!! #loveistheanswer #lovealwayswins #youarenotalone #bulliessuck #teachlove

A post shared by Jennifer Lopez (@jlo) on Dec 10, 2017 at 8:01pm PST

I LOVE YOU BRO! Wanna encourage THE WORLD AND PEOPLE TO SHOW LOVE AND COMPASSION. this video made me wanna do harm to the people who picked on this kid, but then I realized that love works both ways. #FUCKBULLYING

A post shared by 💔🌕🏆 🔥🐐 (@chrisbrownofficial) on Dec 9, 2017 at 10:02pm PST

Keaton you are awesome for sharing like this - you set an example for us all. Just want you to know you are welcome to any @GoodCharlotte show anytime you want, we would love to meet you dude! https://t.co/msQuVfN0DL

— Joel Madden (@JoelMadden) December 10, 2017

This boy is incredibly brave and the video really got to me. @danawhite, If he takes you up on your offer to see UFC Headquarters, I would be honored to host him and his family at our place if they need somewhere to stay. https://t.co/EWx05o0yI0

— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) December 11, 2017

I was bullied. To everyone who is going through this now: I know it’s hard and it seems like it will never get better, like it will never end. But it will. I promise you. Be strong. https://t.co/bnVRNBtblW

— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) December 11, 2017

Keaton I, along with my @CSUFootball and @packers brothers wanted you to know that we stand against bullying. @Lakyn_Jones #StandWithKeaton http://pic.twitter.com/qReeMlDp71

— Bernard Blake (@BamBam_Blake23) December 10, 2017

#StandWithKeaton #StopBullying ✊🏾

— Todd Kelly Jr. (TK) (@ToddKellyJr) December 10, 2017

Keaton Jones- I was bullied for most of my life and I would ask the same questions to my mom. But if you stay close with your family like I

— Charlie Puth (@charlieputh) December 11, 2017

“Courage is fire, and bullying is smoke.” Stay strong Keaton, you’re a very brave young man and a lot of great folks have your back. @Lakyn_Jones if there is anything we can do for Keaton, please let us know. #StandWithKeaton #StopBullying

— Nickelback (@Nickelback) December 11, 2017

Hey, #KeatonJones - you have friends here at the UFC, buddy. Today and everyday. #StandWithKeaton @Lakyn_Jones | @DC_MMA @TWooodley @FelderPaul @SugaRashadEvans @KennyFlorian http://pic.twitter.com/ZxX0cY1bu7

— UFC (@ufc) December 10, 2017

#KeatonJones, your curiosity and kindness will overcome this moment and bring you many better days to come. #StandWithKeaton https://t.co/8t4ojKLs72

— Ryan Seacrest (@RyanSeacrest) December 10, 2017

Keaton jones you are a hero. This extremely raw and real moment has brought hope and truth to so many people. Be you and be forever fearless. Never give up. You are loved!

— kevin jonas (@kevinjonas) December 10, 2017

Hey Keaton Jones, I’d like to invite you to be my guest at any show of mine of your choice. I’ll cover ur flights and accommodation. Big up for speaking up, buddy!!! 👍

— Zedd (@Zedd) December 11, 2017

Heartbreaking to see this. Keaton you’re strong to say these things and care so much for others. #TeamKeaton https://t.co/hgp0ehnn8Y

— Enrique Iglesias (@enriqueiglesias) December 10, 2017

@Lakyn_Jones Hello, Keaton (via your sister)! You may have heard of my parents, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (#MLK) and #CorettaScottKing. I try to honor them and their legacies. I’m so sorry about the pain you’re experiencing because of bullying. You matter. I love you.

— Be A King (@BerniceKing) December 9, 2017

Keaton, my dude- I dealt with this every day in middle school. People don’t know how to handle “Different.” It made them uncomfortable that someone could be original! Guess what? The joke was on them! Hang in there my man- it DOES GET MUCH, MUCH BETTER! https://t.co/gFz1HuPXKy

— Jesse McCartney (@JesseMcCartney) December 11, 2017

It's been awesome to see but I'm starting to worry about Keaton Jones' future grades with all these trips he's going to be taking this year.

— Brandon McCarthy (@BMcCarthy32) December 11, 2017

Hey #KeatonJones Just saw your video about the tough time you're going through. Not sure if you're a Walking Dead fan but if it happens that you are then please be in touch as I would love to see you and your family @WalkrStalkrCon show in Nashville next year. On me. X

— Tom Payne (@justanactor) December 10, 2017

#KeatonJones 💔Now more than ever the tone has been set that it’s ok and even effective to bully😒This ain’t the old school bullying either: it continues at home & on SOCIAL MEDIA. Children👏🏽are 👏🏽committing 👏🏽suicide👏🏽 They need compassion, inclusion & protection🙏🏽 http://pic.twitter.com/iQTzKCCZkZ

— Holly Robinson Peete (@hollyrpeete) December 11, 2017

Hey, @Lakyn_Jones .. bring your brother Keaton by the bus before my show in Knoxville, TN next month if ya want.. would love to say hello and tell him #IStandWithKeaton

— Cole Swindell (@coleswindell) December 10, 2017

What I want for Christmas ? To hang out with the Champ #KeatonJones #StandWithKeaton

— MANNY RAMIREZ (@therealmanny99) December 11, 2017

This makes me so sad, people that bully are just sad insecure people that take their own problems out on other people. STOP THE BULLYING. I #StandWithKeaton don't worry Keaton it does get better just keep pushing through https://t.co/nGBJhoIDVs

— Rachel Levin (@rclbeauty101) December 11, 2017

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[nettvnow-blog]

Joe Menconi | Blurred

Kyle Anderson and Joe Menconi are changing the way men do comedy, especially in the web series world. While the community is flooded with your typical bromance or asshole characters, Joe and Kyle bring humor in their flaws as they take on more exaggerated versions of themselves in Blurred. With season two premiering tonight, jump down below and see what co-creator Menconi has to say in our exclusive chat.

netTVnow: Where did the concept for Blurred come from?

Joe Menconi: Well Kyle and I are roommates. We have been wanting to make something together for a while and had a running Google doc full of bits and situations that kept coming up or that we simply thought were funny. We were going to just try and shoot a few sketches but said screw it and wound up going for the web series. On paper it was over ambitious and we were probably quite stupid for thinking we could pull it off. But we just wanted to make something we liked and that we thought was funny. It’s really just a heightened version of us in the show. We weren’t trying to change the game we just wanted to get out quality content and look to build on it. And also to have a link to send our parents so they knew what the hell we were doing out here.

netTVnow: What led you two, to working together?

JM: We actually both went to the same college (Indiana University) but didn’t know each other too well. I left after two years to do improv in Chicago while Kyle had been making comedy videos. Once I made the move to LA we had a lot of mutual friends telling us to connect. Like I said, we wound up becoming roommates and are basically brothers now. Like Ryan Seacrest and Carson Daly. But we found we had a similar voice comedically. Maybe it was delusional confidence but we felt like we had good chemistry that would hopefully read on camera. 

netTVnow: Is this your first web series, if so what were you surprised to find about working in that medium?

JM: I was in a small web series about a year and a half ago when I first moved to LA and again, Kyle had made digital content as well. I think we were surprised by how many web series were out there. It’s been cool finding this indie film and web series community. People are doing really cool stuff. It’s awesome that anyone can make something and it can be seen at any time. That of course can work the other way because it’s pretty diluted and hard to get your stuff seen. There’s a lot of bad content and a lot of good content. Which I guess is the internet in a nutshell.

netTVnow: All the episodes are great, do you guys have a favorite one? Mine’s definitely the first one when you do the handshake from Parent Trap!

JM: Thanks Michelle we appreciate that. Yeah ‘Double Date’ seemed to be the favorite. I think the first few and the last one were our favorites. But yeah the handshake was kind of an improvised thing on that day of shooting. We had just written down “montage” and when we got to it we felt like we had to do the hand shake. So two grown adult males tried to perfect it in their apartment in about ten minutes. But yeah we both grew up on the Parent Trap, Lohan version of course. Quaid is unbeatable in that.

netTVnow: I love that you guys can poke fun at the stereotypical guys that we often see on television, what was it like writing the script and putting this together?

JM: It probably looks slightly more intentional than it appears. I feel like for whatever reason that is a trend for guys in shows. Especially around our age. The idea that they have to look cool and always get girls. Which is absurd to me because that doesn’t happen ever. It comes off fake and dishonest when you see that stuff on TV. Unless you’re one of those hot LA guys with the jaw line and the dumb angled face, I don’t know who is that cool.

Neither of us play instruments we're not that dope. The thing I do like is we always are the ones that lose. We’re the butt of the jokes. It’s more fun to live in that space as dudes and also is more relatable. When we write, especially more in season two, we had fun trying to push us into looking more lame and failing harder. We really are two giant, harmless, dumb idiots. We’re always in our heads in real life. So we just tried to heighten that and call it out in the show.

netTVnow: If you don’t mind discussing budget, many web series often work with little to no budget, what was it like for you guys and how did that play a role into filming?

JM: We’re an open book, Michelle. See. That was a dumb thing to say right there. Sorry. But I think the biggest thing it does is force you to wear multiple hats and learn quickly. I think we both learned so much about how things are made from the two seasons we’ve done. We often change jokes on the fly and have to be cool with losing scenes or bits but have to know which ones we can afford to lose.

Problems always pop up. No matter what, it’s inevitable. It was a crash course in indie film making. And as stressful as it was at times it’s so cool to figure out how to work like that. We’re all friends. Our small crew is all friends too, so we enjoy that kind of collaborative process and all of us just trying to figure it out. We were working with a much bigger budget on season two. In fact, we had no budget for the first season, which was great but brought on a whole new bag of anxiety.

netTVnow: What’s your favorite part about web series?

JM: Being able to do your own thing and trying to make the type of show you want to see. There are no rules. It’s like recess in grade school. A lot of people think they know what you “should do” or say “this is how you make a web series,” which is kind of bullshit to be honest. Nobody knows exactly what they’re doing and it has to be true to the people making it.

We personally tried to not listen to that stuff. We really only have one rule - if we both think it’s funny, we do it. Again, it’s cool we live in a time where we can do this thing. We don’t have to just audition next to a bunch of people that are better looking, went to a better acting school than us. We can make stuff happen for ourselves. We trust what we’re doing and have a lot of fun trying to make people laugh.

netTVnow: What can audiences expect in the second season?

JM: For the ‘Joe’ character to be heavier. It wasn’t done on purpose but it’s just the truth. We’re very excited for this season. Working with a bigger budget this time around allowed us to shoot at some really cool locations. There’s a lot more meat to the episodes. They’re significantly longer and it allowed us to tell more of a story in each episode. You still get us being stupid we just were able to add cooler stories over that relationship. We also have some really awesome actors/actresses and comedians this season. People that we’re genuinely fans of comedically. In the first episode alone, you’ll see a lot of really talented human beings. And better looking people than us. So if you don’t like looking at our faces there’s more appealing people to watch. 

netTVnow: Will Kyle and Joe finally get girlfriends?

JM: Wow, we have so many threads to our show I don’t know if we can give it away! No, that’s of course not true. But I think you could guess most likely not. Kyle and Joe are still not ready for girlfriends I don’t think. We were able to show a few realer moments relationship wise which was cool. There’s also a lot more stuff about our relationship this season. We get in a confrontation in one of the episodes and it’s really hard hitting dramatic stuff. TNT type stuff. Blurred knows drama. And you can pull quote that.

netTVnow: Do you guys have any upcoming projects you can share?

JM: I am in a really cool short film that I should be able to see by February - March. I’m excited for it. It’s a very sweet and funny story called One More Thing: A Hoard Alone Story. I got to work with an incredibly talented writer/director named Amanda Kinchen. She’s awesome.

Kyle's currently in production on some hilarious sketches that he's been working on with another comedian. They'll be putting content out throughout the upcoming months. Additionally, Kyle and I are also doing a video series for a new nutrition/lifestyle brand called hustle up. We’ll be going into production on those after season two of Blurred is locked. And we have a couple things we’re working on and are hopeful for. But those are ‘maybes’ which of course means absolutely nothing in this industry.

netTVnow: Is there anything else you guys would like to add?

JM: Thanks for this, Michelle. I don’t think I swore once which I’m proud of and will make my mom happy. But yeah, no just watch our show. Please. Validate us. Season two premieres Thursday, February 16th on our YouTube channel, with a new episode every Thursday following that date with five total this season. I think people will really enjoy where we went with it. @blurredseries on all the socials. We will be continuing to put content on that channel following season two so please continue to check that out and subscribe or whatever we’re suppose to say. Alright, I’m done. Did I do okay? I feel like I talked way too much. Thank you again, Michelle!

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