#also give ben a boyfriend he deserves

[bairdthereader]

Nick gets a lot of (well-deserved) credit for being an amazing boyfriend to Charlie, and we know by now that he's a great friend, too. But what's almost more interesting to me is the underlying core personality trait that enables him to be both of those things--his emotional intuition and intelligence.

You see this in the comics mostly through Nick's facial expressions (no one can look worried like Nick Nelson can), but the show takes it a bit further. He's incredibly in tune with Charlie almost from the get-go. Nick watches him for small emotional cues and recognizes what they could mean, most notably before the confrontation with Ben after rugby practice. He reads between the lines of Charlie's deflections and falsely cheerful texts and pushes (with trademark Nick Nelson sensitivity) for the truth. He notices when Charlie is beset with intrusive thoughts, even if he doesn't know (at least early on) what they're about, and proceeds to interrupt those thoughts. He can read Charlie so well not only because he pays attention, real attention, but because he already has the emotional intuition required to interpret Charlie's inner complexities.

There are many moments throughout the show where we see Nick display this keen insight with everyone in his life, not just Charlie. When Elle, who he barely knows at this point, is upset about being set up with Tao, he immediately seeks to alleviate her distress by offering a true explanation of why she and Tao were invited in the first place--to be part of a triple date. He wants Elle to know that it was important to him (and Charlie, Tara, and Darcy) that she and Tao be there not just to try to set them up, but because they wanted to include them in an important step for both couples (Nick and Charlie just beginning to share their relationship, and Tara and Darcy trying to find acceptance after coming out as a couple). Nick knows that Elle values truth and honesty, and he gives her that so she can feel comfortable with her friends again.

Nick is also incredibly understanding of Tao, who, it has to be said, barely even understands himself for much of the show. There are a lot of scenes where Nick is trying to connect with Tao but maybe oversteps just a tad because he sees more of Tao than Tao is ready to have seen. The moment outside Charlie's house when Tao tells Nick about Elle's art college ambitions, Nick cuts through to the heart of the matter--Tao's concern about missing Elle if she's far away. Nick is the first person in the friend group to connect the dots about what Elle's college acceptance might mean for Tao, and immediately tries to help Tao process those feelings. He's met with anger, but only because he managed to hit a lightning bolt of a nerve in Tao's emotional storm.

And of course there's Imogen, who Nick has known for a long time but begins to understand and appreciate on a deeper level as their relationship moves from superficial connection to true friendship. He sees how sensitive she is, how lonely in some ways, and is always looking out for her, keeping a concerned eye on her. He gives her the space she requests, but also comfort when she lets her walls down enough to ask for it. His innate understanding of what people need--especially when what they need is just someone to be there--is impeccable.

It almost goes without saying, but Nick's emotional wavelength with his mom is similarly strong and nuanced. When Nick comes out to Sarah, he makes sure she understands how important it is to him that she knows--not only that she knows that he's bi, or that Charlie is his boyfriend, but that she knows him. That their relationship is so important to him that he can overcome his fears to share this most vital part of himself. Nick's value of Sarah extends to caring for her when she's dealing with the stress of having his dad and David around. Of course, Nick is still a teenager and there are a lot of scenes that show Sarah's deft handling of Nick's emotions, but it's a two-way street. Nick takes care of her in his own way too.

Nick starts his relationship with Tara and Darcy leaning on them for advice and guidance, but by the end of the show they're leaning on him. Nick sees their struggles, especially Tara's, possibly more clearly than anyone else does because he recognizes some similarities between their situation and his with Charlie. When they're in trouble, he knows Tara needs care and honest advice, even if it's not the most comforting advice. He knows that what they both need is strength and security and tries, in his careful way, to give them those things.

Nick Nelson, always looking out for everyone he loves, keeping them safe as much as he can, hugging them when he can't.

[sourholland]

based off of taylor swift’s song style

a/n → part two!! how this played out was debated for awhile honestly. i hope you guys enjoy and start to understand a little more of the dynamic we’re looking at here. as always, feedback is heavily heavily appreciated and let’s me know you want more. let me know to be added to the taglist! ALSO - a lot of people who commented on part 1 to be added to the taglist don’t have it turned on in settings where i’m able to tag them, so i couldn’t. i won’t be going back through several parts to find your @ so you’ll need to fix it and comment again if you want to be on the taglist in the future.

summary → he’s the quarterback of the cincinnati bengals, a worldwide heartthrob with an ego the size of lake erie—but does he have the heart to match it? you’re the bengals newest cheerleader, desperate to prove how much you deserve your spot on the team. it doesn’t take much to catch the eye of joe burrow, however that isn’t necessarily a good thing when you’re told that any romantic relations between cheerleaders and players is strictly prohibited.

warnings → alcohol use, strong language, nsfw content

word count → 3.3k

remember to reblog and leave a comment if you enjoy!

SERIES MASTERLIST

Chapter 2

Ever since the spontaneous car hookup earlier in the week, things had been a sort of comfortably complicated. Joe had driven you to pick up your car, half hard watching your legs cross so delicately as if he hadn’t just ripped your panties off in the backseat. It was more than a turn on for him.

It was a still silence all the way back to the practice facility. He kissed your cheek and told you to have a goodnight, then you grabbed your cheer bag and had gone home. Joe waited to see if he’d hear from you, wanting to see where you stood on the matter before he pushed his way into your space. He was giving you an out if you wanted it.

You wanted to want it.

It was so wrong. You were breaking the biggest rule imposed on you. Yet, you couldn’t. So you didn’t. It took until mid-afternoon the next day when you texted him to get his actual phone number, the texting exclusively through instagram private message felt a little middle school. He happily obliged, not wanting to pressure you into anything.

The conversation was casual, nothing pertaining to the subject of you fucking in the backseat of his Porsche. The only discussion of that was via Venmo, when he sent you money for a Plan B without question. You hadn’t even requested the money, he just let you know through the transaction that he didn’t want to act entitled to knowing if you were on contraception.

He didn’t know why he was so enamored by you. Joe had a very fuck boy-ish college career, he’d done his fair share of sleeping around and having women throw themselves at him. Some would say this has given him a big ego, he partially agreed. It was never about the hookup culture, though. It was more so just what he thought was right for a college athlete, it was what all his friends had done. He’d broken some hearts, for that he wasn’t proud. It was a time in his life that he was focused on two things: football and partying.

It was pretty obvious that you were the opposite to him. He had done a little social media stalking to find out a little more about the so-called rookie Ben-Gal. Just through instagram he saw that you were a very spirited girl during high school, it seemed like you had a serious boyfriend through most of those four years. He sort of disappeared when you came to the University of Cincinnati.

He wondered if he was your first love. Joe hadn’t ever been able to recall a first love for himself. There had been plenty of girls, he just didn’t ever feel like it was love.

He saw that you had maintained the good girl persona through college too. He was shocked that you’d never joined a sorority. Joe came to realize that you really were just a dedicated student athlete through and through. How you ended up as a Bengals cheerleader? He wasn’t sure.

Joe: What’re you up to tonight?

He typed the message out without thinking much of it, it’d been days since you’d last been together. He hadn’t pushed anything since the car incident. He hung back after practice and watched you rehearse the dance choreography for the preseason that would begin in a few days.

Y/N: Not sure yet

Y/N: Why?

He didn’t really know why. Joe wasn’t so selfish that he wanted to get you in trouble for hanging around him. He just wanted to see you.

Joe: I want to see you.

This was a surprise to you. Not that Joe seemed like the type to sleep with a girl and ghost, but he did kind of seem like the type of guy to do that. He was so charming, though. Everything he said to you sent your stomach into somersaults.

Y/N: Do you?

Joe: I really do

Joe: How do you feel about dive bars?

Y/N: LMAOO

When he didn’t respond to that, you realized he wasn’t kidding when he asked you that. Without thinking much, you laughed and began to type again.

Y/N: Oh shit, you’re serious

Y/N: Can’t say I’m very familiar with the scene lol

Joe: Really?

Y/N: I mean, I just turned 21, I don’t really go to frat parties at school. I really only drink with friends. Haven’t been to many bars.

Joe: Fair enough. I know a spot outside of Cincinnati. It’s pretty small, usually pretty deserted. The crowd is older.

This made you nervous, being in public and easily spotted with Joe made you nervous. It wasn’t the fact that anyone would know who you were, being an NFL cheerleader didn’t make you a celebrity. It was more so the possibility of someone snapping a picture of Joe with you in it, Joe is a celebrity and he’s extremely recognizable.

Y/N: Joe, I really don’t want all this to get back to my coaches. It only takes one person to fuck this all up for me before the season even starts..

Joe: I get that. I’m telling you, nobody here is going to be a problem.

-

In between finishing up your hair and adding a red lip tint, you heard a knock on your apartment door. That would definitely be Joe. He’d insisted on coming up to grab you when picking you up, something about being raised decent.

You’d slipped into a navy blue miniskirt and white ribbed tank top. It seemed like the simplest thing for going out to a hole-in-the-wall bar.

“You’re punctual,” you laughed as you opened the door to reveal Joe in a pair of khakis and t-shirt.

“You look,” Joe began, scanning your figure. “I mean you look really great, Y/N.”

He couldn’t help but think about your reddened lips. He didn’t know where the both of you stood on a lot of things, this made him hold back some of what he wished to say.

“Thank you,” your face flushed at his comments.

Both of you just kinda stood there in the doorway for a moment, grinning like high schoolers after their first kiss. Joe’s cheeks were pink, his hands shoved in his pockets as he watched you retrieve your clutch. His eyes fell to the way your ass looked in that skirt on more than one occasion, or more specifically what it would look like out of that skirt.

“Ready?” You asked.

Joe nodded and you headed down to the complex’s garage. It was a comfortable walk, filled with you having the inability to tear your gaze from his toned arms and back. He definitely noticed you staring, grinning each time he caught you from the corner of his eye.

He opened the passenger side door for you, walking around and getting in himself. He looked so fucking good. There was just something about an attractive guy driving, but Joe took it to a whole different level. He pushed his hand through his hair and backed out seamlessly.

Some A$AP Rocky song was playing in the background as you looked out the window at the lit up city. Joe drummed along the steering wheel. It was obvious every time he attempted to slyly glance at the skirt riding up your thighs.

“How do you think this game in a few days will go?” You said softly.

“Hard to say,” Joe replied. “It’s preseason, so technically it doesn’t matter. To the team it matters, though. Losing these early games give guys like Skip Bayless a reason to rip us apart before the season even starts.”

“You listen to stuff like that?”

“It’s hard not to, they practically shove it down our throats the entire season. Last season was tough, not winning the Super Bowl.”

“You made it, though,” you said. “Counts for something.”

He looked at you, smiling softly and glancing at your lips briefly. Once his eyes were back on the road, you took the opportunity to brush a hand over his arm. He let a deep breath out, chuckling a little. The tension was thick, both of you tiptoeing around the fact that you wanted so desperately to rip the other’s clothes off.

He let you touch him, obviously enjoying it. Maybe he wanted to see how far you’d take it, maybe you wanted to see how far you’d take it. Letting your hand fall to his thigh, you used your thumb to brush over the fabric softly. His breathing became a bit unsteady, eyes flickering to you every few seconds.

When you inched closer to his erection, you gave him a look as if to ask for permission. He nodded, groaning soon after you began to palm him through his pants. He was hard, aching for anything you would give him. You felt yourself heating up, surprised by your own actions when you began to undo the button on his pants, unzipping them and assisting in pulling them down ever so slightly.

He was still driving, eyes very focused on the road now. You let yourself begin to palm him through his briefs now, watching him yearn for your touch more and more.

Joe was driving down a long stretch, the road was deserted and only occupied by him as far as he could see. High beams on, he wondered if he should pull over and fuck you then and there. Or maybe he should see where you were going with this.

“Is this okay?” You asked him, looking up.

“Yeah, more than okay,” he breathed out.

Pulling down his briefs, you tried to maneuver your body into a comfortable position. He was hard in your hand, precum gleaming at the tip. As you let yourself take him in your mouth, he let out a guttural moan. With one hand on the wheel, another found the back of your head and weaved its way into your hair.

This was definitely unsafe.

With your knees bent towards him, your ass was in the air as he started to steadily pace you. He thrusted into your mouth, telling you not to stop. Using your tongue to your advantage, you used your hand to pump where you couldn’t reach.

“Good girl, fuck,” he praised you. “Just like that, I really don’t want to crash this car.”

Trying to push him to the back of your throat, you made sure to take it slow. While this was incredibly hot and sexy, Joe was right. One wrong move, he’s crashing you both into a tree.

Letting yourself release him from your mouth, you used your saliva as a lubricant and pumped your hand over top of his shaft. He was breathing hard, letting you gain composure before your mouth was on him again. He couldn’t take it, the way you swirled your tongue to hit every single nerve. It was only when he began to enter the small downtown area that he realized he’d have to forfeit this without finishing.

Pulling up, you wiped your chin and helped him to get his pants done up. This was a space with a decent number of other cars and stoplights. Last thing either of you needed was someone snapping a picture of Joe receiving a blowjob at a red light or something.

You both laughed a little, Joe still very worked up and giving you the side eye. Pulling down the sun visor, you looking into the tiny mirror and realized your red lip had become all smudged. You went into your clutch and grabbed the tint stick out, applying it evenly.

This only turned Joe on more, watching you as he drove down the tiny street. There seemed to be a lot of brick buildings, some people out and about. It was late, though. He pulled into a small side lot, saying this was it.

Stepping out of the car was a breath of fresh air, it had been very hot and sticky after you decided to blow him. Joe adjusted himself, rolling his eyes when you smirked at him. He held a hand out to you, making your cheeks heat up ever so slightly. Then he pulled you down some cellar like set of steps, pushing a heavy green door open to reveal a dimly lit bar. It was a room of purple hues, lights strung up with music playing. There were a few older people, like three or four. All of the bar seats were empty.

“Come sit,” Joe brought you over.

The bartender was easily seventy, she had red hair that was pulled back tightly and an apron tied to her waist. She smiled at you, the tag on her shirt read ‘Jenny’.

“What can I get you tonight?” She asked, looking at the two of you.

“I’ll have a Blue Moon,” he told her.

“I’ll just have a vodka tonic.”

The woman didn’t ask for any ID, she just nodded and smiled. Joe glanced at you, looking around the space and chuckling. You leaned against the bar, taking a sip of your drink as she placed it down. Joe followed suit, talking to you mindlessly about practice.

“Oh my god, it’s Maggie May!” You said over the music, eyes wide when you grabbed Joe and pulled him to the empty space at the middle of the bar.

“What’re you doing?” He laughed.

“We’re dancing!” You smiled, letting him take you by the waist.

He was laughing as you swayed around, spinning in his arms and singing the lyrics as if you were performing them for him. He eventually gained the courage to take your hands and go back and forth a little. The few people occupying the bar watched and whistled, clearly not used to the display.

Taking you in his arms, Joe kissed you sweetly. Watching as you gallivanted him around a little, trying very hard to spin him yourself. Didn’t work very easily when your dance partner was 6’4.

“Oh Maggie I couldn’t have tried anymore! You led me away from home, ‘cause you didn’t want to be alone! You stole my heart, I couldn’t leave you if I tried,” you sang the 70s ballad at him with a large smile.

“You’re beautiful!” He told you over the music.

You both swayed for a moment or so, flustered and laughing at yourselves. Once the song ended, the three or four people watching chuckled with you. Talking about how they remembered when that song had come out.

When you returned to you seats at the bar, you both drank for awhile and made small talk about life. Joe brushed a piece of hair that had fallen in your face back, making you smile and lean in to press a chaste kiss on his lips.

“I like hanging out with you,” you confessed.

It felt like such a small statement, something a sixteen year old would utter to her crush. It was how you felt, though. Joe lit up some suppressed youth within you, he made you feel like a young girl just coming into herself. He was older than you, more mature, well established. It made you question what he saw in you in the first place.

“I like hanging out with you too,” he said in almost a whisper. “I’ll be right back, I’ve gotta use the bathroom.”

Nodding, he walked to the back of the bar. He left his phone face up. His wallpaper was a photo of him and Ja’Marr Chase at the Super Bowl last season. It was sweet, they seemed very close.

A minute or so passed and his phone went off with two texts, one after the other. It felt disrespectful to glance and read them, but anyone would’ve. He left his phone when he could’ve easily grabbed it.

Ava: Missing you.

Ava: Come over?

There was a sudden lurching in your stomach, like you were going to be sick or something. The feeling lasted for a few seconds, leaving you to pull out your own phone and open the Uber app.

“How much was the tab?” You asked the woman, handing her your card and signing all within the span of about a minute.

“You alright, honey?” She asked, watching you grab your clutch to leave.

No.

“Yes, I’m alright.”

Walking out the same way you came in was easy enough, the Uber would be a few minutes so you’d have to wait outside. You were angry, of course, but more so just hurt and upset over the fact that you thought he was actually interested in you.

This was your fault. Your own naive stupidity. This was a twenty five year old NFL quarterback, what the fuck would he want with you? Sex, clearly. That much was obvious. In the end, Joe wasn’t your boyfriend. Not at all, not even a little bit. He was some guy who you barely knew, some guy you’d maybe even misjudged a little bit.

Leaning against the brick of the building, you felt the tears begin to well up. How could you be so fucking stupid?

“Y/N?” Joe came up the steps. “What’s wrong? What’re you doing?”

“Fuck you, Joe,” you sighed into your hands. “I mean seriously, what the fuck do you get out of stringing me along while you’ve already clearly got a girlfriend or a fuck buddy at least!”

He looked confused, a line forming between his eyebrows when suddenly realization washed over him. He got sort of pale all of sudden, embarrassment flushing his face.

“Y/N, it’s not like that. I promise you, it’s not like that with her. There’s more to the situation—”

“Go to hell, Joe,” you sniffled. “Or better, go see Ava. She misses you.”

He stood there silent for a moment, unable to find the words to express how sorry he was for how he made you feel. He could see through the yellow hue of the streetlight that you were crying. His fingernails dug into the flesh of his palm, cursing himself for not bringing his phone into the bathroom.

“I’m sorry, Y/N.”

“No, you’re sorry I saw,” you spit back. “Get the fuck away from me, Joe. I’m taking an Uber home.”

“Let me drive you home, at least. If you never want to speak to me again after that, okay. Just let me take you home.”

When you said nothing, he knew that was it. He’d have to accept defeat there. Anything he said would make it worse, seeing as there really wasn’t a way to make the situation better. There was no excuse, no way to make you see his point of view.

The silence between you was hard and rigid, the only sound being the ambiance of the outside and your occasional sniffling. The worst part was that he’d led you to believe he liked you. That was why it hurt so badly.

The sleek black SUV pulled up and you pushed off the wall you’d been leaning against. Not being able to bear giving Joe a second glance, you went straight to opening the door and hopping inside.

Joe didn’t try and stop you. It wasn’t his place. He only stood there under the streetlight, watching the car drive off and eventually disappear. He felt horrible, running a hand through his hair and walking towards the brick you’d just leaned against. Pressing his forehead to the cold structure, he tried to bring himself to some conclusion.

“Fuck,” was all he muttered.

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[chelseachilly]

how deep is your love

pairing: reader x ben chilwell summary: ben's drunk and can't stop telling you how much he loves you 🩵 warnings: none :) word count: 1.4k

author’s note: written based on this post from @benchilwellx bc it was such a cute concept, just a quick fluffy little one-shot to get the writing juices flowing :) sorry i haven't updated this love in a couple weeks but life has been crazy! hoping to get the next chapter posted in the next week but enjoy this in the meantime 💗

also for the sake of this fic let's pretend chelsea didn't have a game this weekend, tbh would rather forget the one they did play lol

-

In the two years you’ve known Ben, and just over a year since you’ve been a couple, you could count on one hand the number of times you’ve seen him truly drunk. 

With the football season preventing him from indulging too much for most of the year, and fitness at the top of his mind even in the off-season, he rarely gets the opportunity. Usually, when you go out, he either drives or makes sure to get you home safely in an Uber, and if you’ve had a really fun night, he’ll help you take off your makeup or even hold your hair back if necessary. 

So it’s an interesting turn of events when you show up a bit late to his best mate Harvey’s birthday celebration at a fancy club in Soho and find your boyfriend clearly tipsy already. 

He’s sitting in a booth next to Tom and Harvey singing along to some 90s R&B song, a drink in hand that is definitely not his first, or even his second or third. He’s a bit of a sight to behold, as he so rarely drinks this much, but you can’t help but smile at the sight of him letting loose - you know how much pressure he’s been under lately with the captain duties. 

“Babe!” Ben exclaims with wide eyes and an even wider grin as soon as he sees you, stumbling a bit as he gets up from the booth. “You’re here!”

He quickly makes his way to you and pulls you in for a sloppy kiss, and you can taste the liquor on his tongue. You sink into him nonetheless, enjoying the feeling of being in his arms after a long day of work.

As soon as you pull back, he rests his forehead against yours and takes a deep breath, his thumbs drawing circles on your waistline.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, babe,“ you smile back at him warmly, enjoying this affection, no matter how much tequila is playing a part. “You pretty drunk?”

“Mhm,” Ben says with a slightly dazed expression, his eyes still focused on your lips. “The boys were making me take shots since there’s no game this week.”

You chuckle slightly, rolling your eyes at Ben’s - and by extension, your - good friends at the booth behind him, dancing and ordering another round of shots. You’re glad Harvey’s having a good birthday.

“I’m happy you’re having fun, baby, you deserve it,” you say sincerely, cupping his face with both hands before leaning in to kiss him again. “Now, it seems I’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

“Go sit with the boys, I’ll get you a drink,” Ben offers, pressing another quick kiss to your cheek before heading to the bar.

You nod with a smile and go to sit next to Harvey, pulling him into a quick hug and wishing him a happy birthday.

“Now, which one of you is responsible for my drunk boyfriend?” you inquire, raising an eyebrow as you glance back at Ben, who is still smiling lovingly at you from the bar. 

“That would be the birthday boy,” Tom chuckles. “He’s bloody entertaining though, isn’t he?”

“Yes, but I’m the one who’s going to have to deal with him hungover tomorrow,” you joke.

The last time he was hungover, after one fun night on the yacht in Italy this summer, Ben had forced you to spend the whole day in bed cuddling with him. You pretended to be annoyed for about five minutes before giving in - partly because you can never turn down his cuddles, and partly because you were pretty hungover too. 

Speaking of how adorable your boyfriend is, within minutes he’s headed back over to you with that same dopey grin on his face and two vodka sodas. It’s your favourite, and his go-to during the season when he’s watching his calories.

“For you, my darling,” Ben says in an overly posh accent as he hands you the glass, making you giggle.

He then practically shoves Tom over to make room for himself to sit next to you, wrapping an arm around your shoulders protectively and kissing your cheek. You can feel yourself blushing from the unusually overt PDA, as he typically reserves this kind of affection for home, but you don’t mind.

“I love you,” Ben whispers once again against your temple, burying his nose in your hair. “So, so much. Missed you today.”

It’s amazing the way those three words still give you the same butterflies as the first time you heard them, making you smile like a lovestruck fool.

“I missed you too, baby,” you murmur, “I’m sorry I couldn’t make dinner. You know how crazy work has been.”

Ben and the boys had been a bit disappointed when you weren’t able to join them for dinner earlier, mainly because you’ve been so busy at work lately due to a recent promotion that your friends have hardly seen you. Even Ben’s time with you has been limited, especially with him also putting in extra time at Cobham as captain while Reece is out. 

It’s been an exciting time for both of you career-wise, but it’s also meant spending less time together, which is probably why Ben is being so clingy right now and why you’re welcoming his clinginess.

“S’okay, I’m just glad you’re here now,” Ben says, kissing your cheek a few more times before returning the conversation with the boys.

You contently settle into Ben’s side, his arm still firmly wrapped around you, and sip your drink while they talk about football and the girl Anish is seeing. When Ben interrupts the other guys’ suggestions of playing it cool and waiting to text her back by telling his friend to be honest and just tell her how he feels, your heart swells with pride that your boyfriend is the most emotionally intelligent guy you know.

“Since Ben’s the only one successfully in a relationship, I’m gonna take his advice,” Anish laughs, raising his drink to you. “Unless he just got lucky with Y/N.”

“Nah, he won me over fair and square,” you say, turning your face to meet Ben’s eyes and smiling lovingly at him. “I’m the lucky one.”

The way Ben’s eyes shine and his lip quivers slightly at your words makes it impossible for you to resist leaning in to press a quick peck to his mouth. It’s not your fault he’s so adorable, nor is it your fault that Ben deepens the kiss and pulls you closer.

“Alright, we’re going to get more drinks, we’ll leave you to it,” Harvey says with an eye-roll as the rest of your group gets up and starts to walk over to the bar.

You pull back from Ben’s kisses, feeling a bit embarrassed by how touchy you’re being, but he only takes the opportunity to grab your waist and hoist you into his lap.

“Baby,” you sigh, really enjoying the warmth of his arms and the little kisses he’s leaving on your neck. “Don’t you think we should cool it a bit? It’s Harvey’s birthday, doubt he wants to watch us do this all night.”

“Can’t help it,” Ben mumbles into your neck, sending a shiver up your spine. “I just love you so much.”

Ben never shies away from reminding you of this fact, often the last three words he says to you before bed or when you’re leaving the house, but he tends to tell you how much he loves you even more than normal when he’s drinking. You’re not sure if he forgets that he already told you multiple times or just that he feels particularly lovey when intoxicated. Either way, you love it.

“I love you so much too, Benji,” you smile, kissing his forehead and adorning the way his eyes flutter shut in contentment. “Why don’t we stay for one more drink and then go home and have sex on the couch and fall asleep watching Love Island?”

His eyes light up like a child who’s just been offered ice cream before bed, and he nods eagerly.

“Alright, but you’re gonna have to let me off your lap, babe,” you chuckle, ruffling his hair. “Unless you wanna get roasted mercilessly.”

“Don’t care,” Ben grumbles into your hair, but when you pull back and give him a warning look, he sighs and gives in. “Fine, but we’re dancing.”

You squeal slightly as you’re lifted off your feet, Ben dragging you to the dance floor. You might be exhausted and ready to go home at this point, but you’re content to spend the next few minutes dancing to some Calvin Harris song in the arms of your drunk boyfriend, him whispering how much he loves you between the choruses.

[sobbingstars]

SEASON 4 UMBRELLA ACADEMY SPOILERS!!!

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Hi! WHAT THE FUCK! My hot takes on this latest season bc if I don’t say these I’m gonna go insane.

Luthor: becoming a dancer was really funny. It was also kinda nice bc he was so ashamed of his body b4 when he was part monkey, so it’s good to see him being more comfortable in his own skin. And speaking of him being part monkey, that had NOTHING TO DO WITH HIS POWERS. His powers are SUPER STRENGTH, his father INJECTED HIM WITH MONKEY DNA OR SMT TO SAVE HIS LIFE. Made NO SENSE!

Diego: Diego being an absent/emotionally neglectful/bad father made NO SENSE! We saw him with Stan, he learned to be a father. Plus, he had his own issues with his dad, of course he would mentally do everything he could to avoid being his father. And also, him and Lila being in an unhappy marriage was so weird. Like, man was literally obsessed w/ her in season 3. What???

Alison: So we decided to not address any of her wrongs and just forgive her. She ASSAULTED LUTHOR. She tried to KILL VICTOR. SHE KILLED HARLAN. SHR TEAMED UP WITH REGGIE. Nothing??? Just forgive her for reasons??? That being said, Claire bear you were STUNNING thank you for being here and thank you Millie Davis, you were my childhood. But also, girl??? Show some support for your uncle. He needs help sometimes, just bc he’s immortal doesn’t mean he doesn’t have feelings :(

Klaus: I actually think they didn’t go super wrong with Klaus. Him becoming super paranoid after losing his powers made sense bc he died like every other day and just didn’t notice bc he just kept coming back, so I’d be afraid of everything too. And I think him being scared to have his powers again bc he was afraid he’d relapse is honestly so in character. That being said, fake that he didn’t even consider talking to Dave once he was sober and had his powers and wasn’t actively trying to stop the end of the world. And yall don’t even know how upset I was when he started levitating with his SHOES ON. NOT COMIC ACCURATE.

Five: WORDS DONT DESCRIBE MY RAGE. BECOMING A CIA AGENT? WHEN THE WORLD WASN’T ACTIVELY ENDING AND HE COULD JUST RETIRE? YOU KNOW AT LEAST ON OF HIS SIBLINGS WOULD LET HIM STAY. AND FALLING IN LOVE WITH LILA?? IT MADE NO SENSE, WAS SO OUT OF CHARACTER EHRN HE LITERALLY WAS LIKE ‘Lila would be stupid to throw away her happy life’ AND PROCEEDED TO WRECK HER HAPPY LIFE? I GET THAT IT WAS SEVEN YEARS BUT GOD DAMN FIVE, YOU WERE MARRIED TO DOLORES FOR THIRTY! AND THEY DIDNT EVEN BRING HER UP! NOT ONCE! AND JUST GIVING UP AND LETTING THE WORLD END? FOR FUNSIES? ABANDONING HIS FAMILY? NOT GIVING TWO SHITS? MAN ENDED THE WORLD THREE TIMES TRYING TO SAVE HIS FAMILY! HIS FAMILY IS ONE OF THE ONLY THINGS HE CARES ABT AND HE WOULD NEVER EVEN CONSIDER GOING AFTER HIS BROTHERS WIFE! Five Hargreeves, they could never make me hate you, but what the FUCK!

Ben: So unrealistic that he didn’t break down any his siblings all being dead once. We deserved a heart between him and Five where Ben was like ‘All my family is dead’ and Fives like ‘I know how that feels’ bc his siblings were dead for 40+ years. Instead, he just had no character development at all and just died bc of a girl he met once. The only reason I was a little sad when he died was bc of season one and two Ben who was so sweet and amazing and season three Ben who just wanted to be loved and accepted. They didn’t even have any relationship development between him and Jennifer.

Victor: I’m sorry, he owns a BAR and was an awful boyfriend?? WHAT!? I was hoping we were gonna have this emotional scene where he plays the Violin again bc he hasn’t played it since he ENDED THE WORLD in season one, and he would be happy bc Violin was a genuine passion of his and he was gonna no longer be afraid. And being a bad boyfriend?? Unrealistic, he was so kind and good with kids??? Are you kidding??? That being said I really liked when he stood up to Reggie. That was rlly funny.

Lila: Yall know what I’m gonna say. You just KNOW. I GET that transitioning from full time assassin to full time mom would be a hard switch but you’re telling me she WOULDN’T have ANY sort of job? NONE??? With all her family being back in her life? She’d just sit in the house? And she wouldn’t sit in the house and be unhappy. She would absolutely call Diego out on his shit and complaining problem and he’d be like ‘Yes ma’am.’ Bc their relationship was so fun in season two and three and then they made it into a no-fun, unhappy marriage, and Lila just had so little of her original personality. And her liking Five was so weird. She sees him as a KID. He LOOKS like a kid. Made no sense.

Reggie: Actually wasn’t a total ass this season. Got into a malewife/girlboss relationship. Managed to actually have feelings. That being said, why how the fuck was he an ALIEN IN SEASON TWO??? I get that his wife was the one with the weird power things, but they just??? Never explained it??? What was going on??? I was so confused this ENTIRE SEASON.

[weixuldo]

Enigma// ch 24 pt 2

anakin x reader

A/N: HELLO MY LOVES!! i am so so sooo sorry for my long ass break- school has been insane; im taking 19 credit hours and have three labs on dif days 😭/ last week my grandpa died and then my car broke down… so it’s been a time. anyways!! im back now for the time being!! i hope you all have been doing well and are excited for the stories to progress!! thank you all for the support and for being so patient w me :)) i love u all

Unexpected guests, a tedious day… how will anakin react?

warnings: cursing, ani is a disabled veteran, ptsd

_____________________________

There was a knock on the door and Anakin begrudgingly hoisted himself up to go see who it was. 

He opened the door and was met with Ben, Satine, Ash, and their other friend Rex. 

“Surprise!” they said in unison.

You felt a wave of anxiety- you knew Anakin wasn’t fond of surprises (look how he reacted to your pregnancy!) But you also understood the gesture everyone wanted to make. 

“Happy Birthday Skyguy!” Ahsoka exclaimed once Anakin stepped aside to allow them inside. 

“It was Ahsoka’s idea by the way” Ben said to Anakin as he patted him on the shoulder.

“Look, you wouldn’t have let us celebrate if we asked- and if we planned something you wouldn’t come. So this was the only choice!” Ahsoka defended in a mock-sad voice. 

Anakin seemed perplexed- almost frustrated, so you were ready to be on damage control once he finally responded. 

“Thanks guys, I really appreciate it”

Huh?

“Not what I was expecting, but I'll take it!” Ash exclaimed. 

“Wow Anakin, that's some real character development” Rex joked as he placed the chocolate cake on the counter. 

“Yea” Anakin blushed. 

“y/n” Ben greeted, “how are you doing my dear? Is the baby doing well?”.

“Hey Ben! We’re both doing just fine, except that this little one has decided that around midnight is the best time to start kicking” you joked (it really was a pain though; you weren’t getting good sleep at all). 

“And is Skyguy tending to your needs kindly?” Ahsoka added with an arched brow. 

“Yes, Ani has been so sweet; making me weird combinations to satisfy my cravings” you laughed, rubbing his back. 

“Of course,” he said back, eyes full of sincerity. 

“Damn, y/n. He must really like you because he hates cooking. When we bunked together, I had to bribe him to make me a PB & J” Rex added with a boisterous laugh. 

“I never said I didn’t like to cook, maybe I just didn’t like to cook when it was for you” Anakin quipped back. 

“Look at you Sky guy! Being a good boyfriend and all '' Ahsoka joked. 

You and Anakin hadn’t really talked about what the relationship officially was since the fight; it just never really came up. But hearing him being referred to as your boyfriend again made your heart skip a beat. 

“Is this everyone?” you asked Ben as Ahsoka and Rex continued joking with anakin.

“Yes, we didn’t want to overwhelm him, plus the last time we did a surprise thing with a bunch of our friends, he wasn’t thrilled” Ben chuckled. 

You, Ben, and Satine stayed on the side line and observed the other’s banter. You couldn’t help the soft smile that found its way onto your face as you watched his eyes crinkled when he laughed. 

Satine noticed your adoring gaze and nudged Ben’s shoulder; she nodded her head towards you and the pair smiled. 

Ben gave his Fiance a look and she nodded. 

“You really do care for him, don't you?” 

Ben’s voice grabbed your attention from Anakin.

Of course you did, but you didn't want to sound childish and too forgiving to Satine and Ben. 

“Yea” you tilted your head to the side and sighed, “I do. I know he has his flaws but so do I”.

The pair listened intently, “I know some may see me as too forgiving, but I believe Anakin is a good man. A man deserving of love; love that I want to give him.”

“Maybe some of my optimism is the baby, but I wholeheartedly believe that we would still be as happy as how we were before, if I never got pregnant”. You explained, placing a gentle hand over your stomach. 

“Do you think that’s naive of me?” you asked worriedly.

Ben scratched his beard in contemplation and Satine shook her head. 

“I do not think you are naive for having hope in the person you love.” her smooth voice assured you. 

“I have known Anakin for many years and rarely have I witnessed him care for another as he does for you.” Ben added.

“Of course, he loved Padme at a time, but even when they were in the prime of their relationship, he never really actively bettered himself. They would get into little spats over repetitive things that Anakin promised he would fix, but his resolutions never really stuck.”

“Though…” Satine interjected, “I do see a change in his nature since you’ve been with him”. 

In that moment you locked eyes with Anakin across the room and he winked at you; no matter how long you’d been together, he never failed to make you blush. 

You turned back around and smiled to the couple, “Thank you, that really means the world”. 

________________________________

“Alright, everyone! We’re gonna light the candles!” Ahsoka shouted with a jovial tone. 

Everyone headed towards the kitchen and gathered around the counter; Anakin was already standing by the cake (which looked quite scrumptious), so you walked up beside him and gave him a small side hug. 

“Hey princess” he smiled as he leaned in to kiss your forehead.

Everyone was still chatting amongst themselves and Ahsoka was looking for the lighter she unfortunately misplaced, so no one noticed Anakin wrap around a gloved hand to lightly squeeze your ass. Your eyes widened and you pinched his side lightly, making him let out a small laugh. 

“Found it!” Ahsoka exclaimed, excitedly holding her beat up lighter. 

“You coulda, just asked me for mine, y’know?” Rex offered.

“Why didn’t you offer it when I was ripping my bag apart?” Ahsoka sighed, fakely annoyed.

Everyone laughed before Ahsoka opened the cake box and lit the lighter. 

“Alright, Skyguy! This is your moment, better wish for something good“.

“Don’t worry Snipps, I’ve got it ready” he joked, pointing to his head. 

“Alrighty” she said with a sing-songy voice before lighting the candles.

Rex started the “happy birthday” song and everyone joined in to celebrate the man in the middle. 

Anakin blushed ever so slightly before giving his cunning smirk and gently blowing out the candles in single blow. 

Everyone cheered and Ben handed him a knife to make the first slice. Anakin’s hand slowly gripped around the hilt of the knife before he brought it down into the soft top layer of icing. After the pieces were distributed, everyone found somewhere to sit and began conversing with whoever was close by.

Anakin sat in his normal spot on his sofa and you invited yourself to the seat beside him after he nodded you over. 

You sighed as you sat on the plush couch; the weight of the baby was really getting to you so it felt nice to be off of your feet for a moment. Anakin set his plate down onto the end table to his left, then promptly draped his stiff arm over your shoulders to draw you closer. 

“Hi” you smiled, looking into his beautiful blue eyes.

“Hi” he smiled back, leaning in to gently kiss you. 

The two of you sat quietly for a moment just observing the others.

“What did you wish for?” you eventually said.

Anakin sighed and began to speak, “Well, I-”

You gently (but quickly) placed your hand over his mouth, making him confused.

“wha-?”

“Shh, shh It was a test!” you giggled. “Don’t ya know that if you tell your wishes, they won’t come true” you smiled.

He rolled his blue eyes with a smile and playfully obliged, “alright, if you say so. But it better come true, now that you said that” he winked.

“I’m sure it will, the birthday wish is a sacred tradition” you joked as you batted your lashes at him. 

“Of course it is,” he playfully responded. 

___________________________________

The party continued until Rex realized he had to be at work in 5 hours; Anakin thanked everyone and they all left with wide smiles. THankfully there wasn’t much of a mess, so all you had to do was put the leftover cake in the fridge. 

Once everything was taken care of, you took a seat on the couch next to Anakin once again. You leaned into his chest and ran your fingers through his sandy locks. 

“I didn’t think you would be this thrilled by a surprise” you said after a few moments of silence.. 

He grabbed his soda and drank some before speaking, “Well with all that’s going on- who’s to say I’ll get another one of these?”.

His grim reminder made your stomach drop. The macabre threat of Anakin’s eventual death always hung over your head, but the joyous events and lifted spirits of the evening must have kicked it to the back burner for a moment. 

You bit your lip and leaned over to embrace him. 

The two of you sat there for a while until you felt droplets landing on your shoulder. You pulled away to see Anakin’s blue eyes filled with a sea of sorrow. 

“Oh, Ani…” you sighed, pulling him into your chest.

“I’m scared, y/n”.

You had nothing to say because you were just as scared; so instead you held him as tightly as you could. 

***

a/n: RAHH sorry again for being gone for so long 😭😭 but i hope this chapter still is as enticing as the others!!

taglist : @dnamht @sxoulohvn @angeelcoree @wtf-andys @httpeachesblog @katsukiswrld @jetiikote @poisonedsultana @imarimone12 @fallinlovewithevil @sythe-skywalker

[canyonmooncreations]

One Call Away

Summary: Y/n calls her best friend, Eddie, when her boyfriend finally pushes things too far.

Exert: You didn’t deserve this pain. You deserved a life of nothing but love and joy. A life he intended to give to you, if you let him. 

Characters: BestFriend!Eddie x reader

Word Count: 1.6k

Author’s Note: I have never written for Eddie! But I am debating breaking up with my sometimes mean boyfriend and I wish I had Eddie to call :( I am thinking of making this a series of Eddie and Reader navigating a friends to lovers relationship after what happens here. But we all know I start series and never finish them ahahah anyways let me know your thoughts and send in some requests!! 

Warnings: mean/potentially abusive boyfriend, tears, mentions of violence, 

You and your boyfriend, Ben, had been on and off for over a year. It was always up and down, happy and sad. He was a little controlling but was always sweet after. He was angry but also super patient. So hard to predict, it was draining. The only person you can really talk to is your best friend Eddie. He was always supportive and always listening no matter what time you called. He supported you rather he agreed with your decision to go back to your boyfriend or not. And you were always in touch with Eddie even if your boyfriend was not a fan of “that freak”.

You had recently just graduated from the college where you met Ben and moved to a town that was in the middle of him, Eddie, and your family. You had finally gotten your own space and had started the big girl job of your dreams. You couldn’t be happier…. Until it started. 

Your boyfriend was an hour and a half away and with this new space it felt like he had grown a whole new confidence. He was always starting fights and nothing you did was good enough for him. You tried to be happy, but it just seemed like you couldn’t win. Eddie knew about what was happening, you called him often to talk about it all. Eddie was so supportive and validating your feelings when you needed him most. You used to have the biggest crush on Eddie, but you knew you never had a chance with a guy as cool as him. You settled on being friends and then you met Ben. But Eddie was the only person you wanted right now.

What you didn’t know was that every time you called him his heart skipped a beat. Eddie knew you were just friends and he would never have a chance with a girl like you so he settled for being your best friend. Every time you mentioned Ben, his blood boiled. He wanted nothing but for you to be happy. Ben was so bad for you. Eddie knew Ben read through all of your text messages, so he encouraged you to call him just to be safe. Ben was not typically violent, but Eddie knew the patterns and knew it was coming. Of course he couldn’t tell you this because he knew you wouldn’t listen until you were ready for it on your own time. 

What Eddie also knew was that your freshman year of college was nothing but depression and alcohol. He was hopeful but knew something bad with Ben could send you down the spiral. He was always waiting for that call to come. The call where you would need him the most. That call finally came. 

Eddie was in his bed strumming some music trying to put together next week’s set when his phone started to ring. It was y/n. The picture he had chosen for you was a picture he had taken at an arcade with you smiling silly holding up the bear you had won (with his tickets). 

“Hey sweet cheeks, what's up?”

“Eddie, I- I-”

“Woah woah, are you crying?”

“Eddie, we got in a big fight and he said he was coming over and I am really scared that he --”

“I am on my way.”

“Eddie, no. I live like an hour away from you.”

“I do not care darling. I will be there in 45 minutes.”

“EDDIE! It is an hour drive.”

“Fine. I’ll be there in 30.” 

He hung up at that as you giggled and sniffled. You knew you shouldn’t call him. He probably gets so annoyed hearing all of your problems. But, he was your support system. You decided you would wait for him, right where you were, the bathroom floor. Eddie has an apartment key, he can let himself in.

Your head kept racing with thoughts. Was Ben worth it? Was it worth the heartache? What would you tell your friend if they were in your shoes? Did you deserve this? You didn’t think you were the best girlfriend. 

Before you knew it you were sobbing and curling into a towel on your bathroom floor. Too busy crying, you didn’t hear the door open. It was a pitiful sight really and Eddie was saddened by what he saw. The world’s most beautiful girl sobbing on her bathroom floor over a boy who didn’t deserve her at all. 

‘“Oh, honey.” Eddie lowered himself to the floor right beside you. He pulled your head into his lap and ran his fingers through your hair. This was the most soft, innocent touch you had felt in a while. You only cried harder at the thought of someone loving you like they should. You both stayed on the floor until the sobbing subsided after some time had passed. 

“Y/n, can we move this to your bed? This floor can’t be comfy.”

“It is comfier than walking to my bed.” You sniffled as you spoke and this broke his heart. 

“Okay, then….” you felt him set your head back on the towel and his body raise off the floor. You looked at him with confusion as he bent down to pick you up. You giggled as he carried you to your bed. You loved being carried but Ben refused to because it was “childish”. You smacked Eddie’s arm as he put you in bed.

“Eds, why did you do that?”

“A pretty girl like you should not be crying on the bathroom floor! You will cry in a comfy pillow castle.” He situated your pillows just the way he knew you loved them.

You only smiled at him. You got cozy in bed as Eddie walked into the kitchen. The thoughts started racing and the tears started to fall. What if Ben was really coming to “settle this in person and show you who is in charge”. It felt like such a threat, your worst fear coming true. Eddie rushed into the bedroom with a juice box and some animal crackers, your favorite.

“What’s the matter?” Eddie approached the bed slowly, not sure where your mental state was and how frightened you could be.

“What if he shows up tonight? What if he tries to come inside?”

“Does he have a key?”

“No.”

“Good. I will be sleeping on the couch if you don’t mind. So nothing to worry about. You’ll be all safe here, princess.”

You only smiled at him as you took the snacks softly. Eddie always calls you nicknames, but never this one. You ate your snacks in silence as Eddie started to put away your laundry. He knew you hated doing laundry, it was your least favorite chore. It is actually his least favorite too, but he told you it was his favorite and for you, it was. Ben always called you lazy and gross for not putting your laundry away right as it came out of the dryer.

“I can do that.”

“I know.” Eddie gave you a reassuring smile. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“Not really. It’s stupid. I am probably overreacting.”

“Your feelings are valid y/n, no matter what you are feeling. I will listen if you want me to. If not, we can talk about anything else.”

“Do you want to watch a movie?”

“Uhhh absolutely?”  You could see that Eddie was so excited and you knew he would even let you pick the movie. (Ben would never)

“We can watch… hmmm… I can’t pick.”

“Slasher…”

“EDDIE! No! You know I hate scary movies. Let’s watch Zootopia.”

“Yes!! You know I love that movie!”

You got the movie set up as Eddie grabbed some more snacks. You loved these simple moments with Eddie. You knew he wouldn’t get angry with you for moving the wrong way, or eating too many snacks. He was simply there in peace. You felt yourself getting tired as the movie played and the tears were about to come back. 

“Eddie?”

“Yes, sweetheart.”

“Will you… hold me? No, that’s silly. I’m sorry. Forget I even asked.” You buried your face in your hands and the tears just started flowing. 

“Y/n. Please look at me.” He guided your head out of your hands as he wiped your tears. “I would love to hold you. You are not alone in this and I promise you are safe.”

Eddie moved so you could comfortably be little spoon, which he knows you love because you always talk about it. He helped move your pillows and got you comfy. He never thought this moment would come. Of course, you had hugged and sat close together, but not like this. You were so vulnerable with all the raw emotions, and you chose him to hold you. With you in his arms, he wanted nothing more than to protect you from the world, and especially from Ben. 

“Thank you, Eds.”

“No need to thank me. You just get some rest and we can talk about everything in the morning. I promise you’ll be safe tonight.” 

He rubbed your side and you cuddled in closer to him. You felt so safe.

He felt at home, a feeling he has never felt before. He glanced at you as slept in his arms and couldn’t help but smile and be sad at the same time. You didn’t deserve this pain. You deserved a life of nothing but love and joy. A life he intended to give to you, if you let him. 

[musings-of-a-rose]

More Like Home

Pairing: Benny Miller x f!reader

Word Count: 1300+

Rating: Mature - 18+ ONLY!

Warnings: Fluff. Pure Benny fluff. Just like ao3, “creator chooses not to use warnings.” If you click Keep Reading, that means you agree that you’re the age to handle mature themes. Also by clicking Keep Reading, you understand warnings may not be complete in order to avoid spoilers for the story. 

Notes: This is entirely @wyn-n-tonic ‘s fault. I told her I was in the mood to write fluffy Benny spurred on by a picture posted by Garrett himself (I’ll share below) and she came up with this prompt. 

The song is a legit song, performed by Garrett Hedlund himself. “More Like Home” is on Spotify and iTunes and I’m sure YouTube!

**If you want to be added to the taglist, join here or let me know!

Main Masterlist

Benny Miller Masterlist

Benny had met his girl nearly 1 year ago at a New Year’s Eve party. No one thought it would work out, considering they met on a holiday where typically people already have someone or it’s just a quick thing.

Yet here he is, December of the following year, with the same girl that spilled her drink all down the front of him and proceeded to unknowingly feel him up while desperately trying to dry off the alcohol from the front of his pants. Benny loves her. Completely head over heels and can’t believe she feels the same way, even after learning about all the shit he’s done or been ordered to do in his life. She strong willed, smart, hot as hell, the total package. There’s just one problem.

Benny has no idea what to get her for their first Christmas. 

She’s the kind of person who buys it if she really wants something, which makes her impossible to shop for. Of course when he asks what she wants, she waves him off saying he doesn’t have to get her anything. And she truly means it - means it when she says that Benny is all she wants for Christmas. But Benny can’t accept that. 

She deserves the world.

Benny sits across from his best friend, Frankie, at the bar that night, always the first two to show up for their regular hangout night with the group. Frankie watches his friend from over the top of his frosted mug, taking a swig of beer before setting it down, crossing his arms in front of his broad shoulders, and giving Benny a look.

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh?” Benny was completely distracted thinking about the gift debacle.

Frankie shifts in his seat, his dark eyes taking in his friend. “You’ve barely said 2 words to me this entire time and normally I can’t shut you up.”

Benny gives a dry chuckle. “Nothin’ man. Just…got a lot on my mind.”

“Your girl giving you trouble?”

Benny shakes his head. “Not in the traditional sense.”

Frankie uncrosses his arms and sits straighter, leaning his arms on the table. “The traditional sense? Ben, what’s up?”

Benny traces patterns in the condensation on his beer glass with the pad of his pointer finger. “Nothin’.”

“Ben.”

Benny sighs. He knows that tone. Frankie won’t let it rest.

“I don’t know what to get her for Christmas.”

He mumbles it, nearly embarrassed to admit to his friend that he has zero clue what to get this girl that he hasn’t shut up about in nearly a year. 

Frankie chuckles, turning it into a fake cough when Benny looks at him. “I uh…sorry man. That’s gotta be…hard?”

Benny laughs this time too. “I suppose there’s worse things in a relationship.”

Frankie takes another sip, scoffing. “You got that right.”

“It’s just…she has everything she wants. Says she doesn’t want anythin’.”

“She doesn’t mean that.”

“Actually, she does. But that’s not the point. I have to get her something. What the fuck do I get the woman who has everything?”

“A new boyfriend?”

Benny throws some peanuts from the bowl on the table at his friend, pelting him in the face with a couple that Frankie couldn’t dodge. “Ha-ha. I’m serious, man.”

Frankie pauses for a moment, thinking. “I don’t know, man. Sing to her or some shit.”

Benny looks at his friend, trying to see if he was joking. “You’re..serious?”

“She know you sing and play?”

“A bit but nothing major.”

Frankie smirks. “Write her a song and play it for her. Chicks love that shit.”

“She’s not just some chick, Frankie.”

“I know. Which is why you gotta write a good one.”

Just then, Will and Santi walk up to join the group and the conversation shifts to sports and which girl they bet Santi will take home that night.

-------

He’s been quiet for a few weeks and his girl has definitely noticed. She keeps asking if he’s ok and while he assures her he is, she looks at him as if she doesn’t believe it. But how can he tell her he’s preoccupied writing the perfect song for her in time for Christmas?

Finally, Christmas arrives and she’s there, all dressed up and ready to head to his parent’s house for Christmas. He wouldn’t have cared if she simply wore sweat pants, and he told her as such, earning himself a smirk and a look. 

“I can’t wear sweatpants to your parent’s house, Benjamin.”

He loved when she used his full first name teasingly. Or in bed.

They had agreed to exchange gifts when they got back, but Benny couldn’t wait. There was no way he would make it through dinner and presents with Will’s kids there. It would take forever.

Shoes on, but as she goes to open the door, he gently takes her arm, pulling slightly back to get her attention. She pauses, hand hovering above the handle as she turns towards him.

“Everything ok?”

He’s sweaty, nervous. Blood pumping through him so fast it’s making his head spin slightly. 

“I..I am. I just…I have to give you your gift before we go-”

“Ben. I told you you didn’t have to get me anything. I have all I need right here.”

She turns fully and closes the distance between them, touching her lips to his while she stands on her tiptoes, fingers twisted slightly in the front of his shirt, just enough to pull him down to her. Benny wraps one arm around her, holding her to him while the other comes up to cradle her face. When the kiss breaks, his eyes, full of love, meet hers, seeing the same in her eyes.

“Please, sweetheart? I don’t think I can wait.”

She sighs playfully. “Oh alright. But if we’re late, don’t blame it on me.”

He smiles as she moves to sit on the couch. He disappears down the hall, grabbing his guitar and heading back out to the living room, sitting next to her on the couch as he picks at the strings for a moment, adjusting and making sure it’s in tune.

He clears his throat, suddenly unable to meet her curious gaze. “I..I wasn’t sure what to get you. So I wrote you somethin’.”

Taking a deep breath, he starts to play, a light melody for a few measures before he starts to sing, his eyes closing so he could feel the music, pouring himself into it.

But you feel more like freedom

Than barefeet in my backyard

You feel more like heaven

Than my bedroom window stars

And I guess it doesn't matter

If you can't go back again

'Cause you feel more like home

Than the house I grew up in

The song ends, his eyes opening slowly as his guitar becomes quiet. He finally looks at her, finally gathers the courage, and to his surprise, he sees tears streaming down her face, her makeup smudging as she tries to wipe them away.

“Sweetheart?”

“That…that was the best gift I’ve ever gotten. I…I don’t even…” Tears fall harder now and he’s not sure what to do. He expected her to just say thanks or a small smile and a hug. But this? Did he hurt her feelings or?

She gently takes his guitar from him, setting it on the coffee table in front of them. She shifts her body towards him, taking his large, warm hands in hers, her thumbs immediately rubbing the back of his on instinct. She takes a few breaths before looking up at him through wet eyelashes, black circles appearing under her eyes from her makeup. 

“I fucking love you, Benjamin Miller.”

He pulls his hands from hers, placing them on either side of her cheeks, using his thumbs to wipe away the mascara and makeup that have settled under her eyes. She’s the most beautiful anything he’s ever seen.

“I fucking love you, sweetheart. Merry Christmas.”

“Merry Christmas, Ben.”

They ended up being late to dinner, showing up with smiles on their faces.

--------

General Taglist:

@frankie-catfish-morales @chaoticgeminate @janebby @astoryisaloveaffair @balekanemohafe @greeneyedblondie44 @hoeforthefictional @marvelousmermaid @Hauntedmama @giuliarogers-blog @icanbeyourjedi @diaryofkali @sunnshineeexoxo @livingmydreams13 @adventures-of-a-noodle @sara-alonso @theewokingdead @punkerthanpascal @giggly-otter @f0rever15elf @phandoz @dirtytissuebox @jadore-andor @gallowsjoker @lovesbiggerthanpride @sarahmilesbendrix @booksarekindaneat @mrsudontknowme @swol-bear @charlispersonallyhell @xoxabs88xox @amneris21 @gooddaykate @alindeluce @avengers-fixation @paintballkid711 @harriedandharassed   @ladykatakuri @marrianena  @practicalghost @withakindheartx @batdarkladyvampir @justanotherkpopstanlol   @mermaidxatxheart @alexxavicry @ichigodjarin

[pinchofhoney]

my own worst enemy

gif is not mine, credit to the owner

ben barnes x celebrity!reader

word count: 3.1k

warning: mental illnes (depression), mention of drinking alcohol, language, angst, comfort

summary: Sometimes all you need is to lie in silence as your person holds you together. Especially when the world is once again flooded with gray and you see nothing on the horizon to herald a uncloud.

requested by: @wolfmoonmusic​

a/n: the moment i read this request, the idea immediately began to sprout in my head. i hope i succeeded in the challenge even if the mentioned topic is not easy. i was a little bit guided by my own emotions transferring them to the reader, so i hope it came out authentically. i borrowed the title from this robert pettersson song. every like and reblog is very much appreciated!!<33 the next thing i’d like to post will be a little valentine's surprise, so stay tuned!!

english is not my first language, excuse me for any mistakes

“Still no answer?”

“No” Ben replied, nervously walking around his trailer, when the call was again switched to voicemail. He was in Yorkshire, England working on his new film The Critic and a cell phone at the moment was the only medium to contact you as you stayed in your apartment in Los Angeles. But why was he desperately trying to reach you in the first place, having previously asked for a break during the shoot?

One of your best friends was the reason why.

Amita Suman called him.

You two met in the first year of London acting and drama school – Academy of Live and Recorded Arts. On the very first day of class, you felt a certain thread of communication between you and from then on you were almost inseparable. For this reason, she knew everything about you, or at least the great majority. She even knew more than your boyfriend, which in most cases was a huge advantage. Sometimes, however, it was the complete opposite, and the fact that Amita knew Ben very well didn't improve the situation at all. And this was also the case this time.

This was one of those weeks.

Weeks? It was one of those months.

Months in which, despite systematically taking medication, you again felt as if you deserved nothing and no one. You have been heavily overstimulated in recent months, which has only made things worse for you. As a result of taking a job with Pedro Pascal on the newly announced HBO series, My Dentist's Murder Trial, you've been working more than sleeping. As a newly prosperous actress, new to the world of movies in a serious way, you wanted to please every producer who offered you a job. You wanted to be the best version of yourself, the one who doesn't let others down and who can be trusted because no matter the project, she gives one hundred per cent of herself. That's the way you were raised, and despite being told over and over again in therapy that the world won't collapse if you allow yourself some rest, you haven't been able to change that.

But usually you were able to handle it. Years of strict treatment from your mother have allowed you to master adopting a fake mask to perfection, but it never reflected well on you.

This was also the same this time.

After long hours on set, you were sick of everything. But it wasn't the usual exhaustion that affects every adult having a hard day at work. You felt like isolating yourself from everyone. You didn't answer the phone or reply to any messages, unless they were related to your dream job, for which you had worked for a long time and which had recently turned into a nightmare. Every day, when you got home, you locked the door of your place and, without turning on any light, immediately headed for the kitchen. More and more often, you took larger doses of medication than you should have, and also reached for alcohol immediately afterwards, thinking that this was the only thing that would keep your thoughts occupied and allow you to get up again the next day and make it to the set on time.

Earlier this month, Ben flew to England, where he was supposed to start work on a new film. Given your recent condition, it was very much to your advantage that he was over eight thousand kilometres away from you. He knew about your problems, but still, you didn't like to show that something was wrong. This was also closely related to your childhood, when your mother would marginalise and belittle your problems, telling you to go to your room and stop ‘complaining’.

Still, when Ben was in the city and you could meet him at your spare time, you felt better. Much better. He was one of the two people you let into your chaos.

The other person was Amita.

The evening before Ben's flight to his homeland, you were on a date. You managed to get back from work sooner that day, as you only had a script reading scheduled with the rest of the cast. Your relationship was no secret, however, you valued your privacy. Occasionally, you added photos of you together to your social media profiles, but these often didn't portray you as a couple. You didn't like it when you were only mentioned when talking about Ben. You didn't go to the London School of Acting for so long that now your name was only mentioned when Barnes' name is brought up.

Unfortunately, the large majority of people didn't seem to share your perspective on your relationship, and the biggest problem was Ben's fans. You knew how much they meant to him and how much they mean to him. After all, it was also thanks to them that his career had flourished so much. But you were hurt by the comments you received from them, and they came every time you appeared in the media together. There have been times when you've been forced to turn off the ability to comment on your photos on Instagram because the amount of negative comments was starting to weigh you down. The profiles from which these comments were coming usually had a picture of Ben in the profile picture, and the name was either about Ben or about any of his characters. You didn't understand why the people who should theoretically be enjoying his happiness were dragging you down.

Ben, on the other hand, did not read any comments. He didn't bother with them. Sometimes he wasn't even the one to add posts to his social media – he had people for that. For this reason, he was not fully aware of what you were facing. When you mentioned to him that, again, benbarnswife claims that you two are not a good match he would only tell you not to pay attention to it, because, after all, it doesn't really matter anyway.

But for you it meant a lot.

You were sitting in your apartment, and the only source of light was a standing lamp in the corner of the living room. You were sitting on the couch with your dog's head on your thigh. In one hand you held a glass half-full of wine, while in the other you held your phone, where you read the comments under a photo of Ben, you added a few days ago. The photo was taken on the day before his flight, while walking through one of the larger bookstores in the city.

forbarnes lmaooooo she added his photo without her on itttttt she knows she’s ugly & fat juliebvrnes she really think she deserves him 🤣 biIlyrss0 he looks so done with her 💀 inlovewithdarkling SO IN LOVE WITH THIS!!!! bennn__ my husband barneswife kys<33333 lmao

You locked your phone screen and tossed it to the side, which scared your dog. You took a big sip of wine and, wiping your mouth with the sleeve of Ben's sweatshirt you were wearing, got up from the couch.

“I’m done of this shit, Rocky…” you said to your dog and dragging your feet walked to the kitchen to fill your glass with drink.

This was the first time you stopped answering calls even from your best friend. You just watched as the number of missed calls and unread messages from Amita had been growing for three days. Normally, she would have barged into your apartment after the first few rejected calls, regardless of whether you were inside or not. She had extra keys. Unfortunately, she was also several hundred kilometers away from you, busy with her work.

After pouring wine into your glass, you turned off all the lights and headed straight to the bathroom, where you began filling the tub with warm water. You needed a rest, and the alcohol seemed to have stopped working. So you reached for the traditional ways of relaxation – a bath in hot water full of foam. You took off your clothes, tossing Ben's sweatshirt into the washing machine, and looked in the mirror stretched on the wall in front of you. You ran your hand over your stomach, then looked into your tired face. You had the thought that you had lost a few pounds recently, but you couldn't find that one reason for your weight loss. A return of bad mood? Constant work-related stress? Maybe something else you didn't even realize? You sighed and took a check-up look at the water level in the bathtub. You reached for a brush and combed your hair, then tied it into a messy bun on top of your head.

You slowly entered the bathtub and after just a moment turned off the tap, deciding that there was already enough water. You dipped down to your chin and breathed deeply. You tilted your head back slightly, closing your eyes. It was pleasant, you felt the warmth of the water wrap around your entire body, and your tense muscles began to relax.

You didn't even notice when the alcohol in your veins combined with the temperature of the water made you feel breathless. Nor did you register the moment you lost consciousness.

When you opened your eyes again you were completely underwater. Panicked, you immediately wanted to take a breath in, which only caused pain in your respiratory tract. Without any hesitation, you emerged from the water and, pushing away the hair stuck to your face, you started coughing, leaning out of the tub.

When you felt all the water leave your throat and windpipe leading to your lungs, you began to take nervous gulps of air. Confused, you looked around the still-foggy bathroom. You didn't know what had really happened, or how long you had been under that water. You didn't even know if what had just happened was even possible. After all, it was not once said that people drowned after falling asleep while bathing. You were very lucky.

Helping yourself with trembling hands, you lifted yourself out of the tub. You reached for your towel and, wrapping yourself in it, sat down on the bathroom rug, beginning to cry hysterically. You were terrified by the situation, and the fact that no one was by your side didn't make you feel any better at all. When you finally calmed down, you felt that the temperature in the room decreased and goosebumps began to appear on your skin. You got up from the floor and quickly put on your pajamas. After what had happened, you felt as if all the alcohol had evaporated from your body. You opened the bathtub drain so that the water could flow out of it, and on your still shaking legs you left the bathroom.

“Rocky?” you called out to your dog with a weak voice. Fortunately, he heard you well and after just a moment you saw a young dalmatian walking towards you. “Come on, it's bedtime, baby” you pet the dog's head and went with him to the bedroom. When Ben wasn't with you for the night, Rocky was happy to take his place, occupying the great majority of the bed in the meantime. You didn't mind though, you liked to feel someone's presence at night, even if it was just your dog.

The next day you didn't show up at the location where you were supposed to shoot the next few scenes. That night you didn't sleep at all. Not only did you not have the strength to do anything, but the headache caused by an excess of wine and antidepressants made its presence known. First thing in the morning you called the producer, saying that you were feeling terrible and that you must have caught some kind of illness. He wasn't happy, but what else could he do? After all, he wouldn't forcibly drag you out of the apartment, and anyway he had no reason to be angry, because you had never failed him before.

You spent the whole day in bed. You had no appetite, so despite the audible burbling in your stomach and the accompanying feeling of hunger, you didn't eat anything. The only times you left the bedroom were your trips to the toilet, or quick walks with Rocky.

Late in the evening you heard someone banging on the door. It started out as knocking on the door and waiting patiently for an answer, but it quickly turned into a nervous pulling on the handle. Your dog reacted immediately. After just a few knocks he was at the door, barking. You weren't expecting any visitors, mainly because the only two people who could pay you a visit were in another state, or even – country. Reluctantly, you rose from the bed, realizing that the intruder on the other side of the door was not going to let go.

“I'm coming!” you called out to calm the unannounced visitor. You sighed deeply as you walked through the apartment and saw all the mess inside.

You finally turned the key in the lock, and to your eyes was seen none other than your boyfriend, who at that very moment should have been in Yorkshire. Seeing him, you only furrowed your eyebrows, not knowing what he was doing here. Did you miss some message? Possibly. You took a few steps back the moment the man, with concern painted on his face, entered the apartment. Being already inside, he closed the door behind him and immediately took you into his arms.

“Ben? What are you doing here?” you muttered into the fabric of his coat which he was wearing, embracing him with your arms after a while.

“I was so worried…” he said, stroking your hair as if he didn't believe you were safe and sound.

“W-why?” you asked confused. What could he be worried about? After all, no one knew about the events of the previous night. You didn't let anyone know about them, and your dog, of course, couldn't pass on the information.

Ben pulled away from you at arm's length. All the while holding you by the shoulders he looked at you carefully. “Amita said she has had no contact with you for three days. She told me that things haven't been very good with you lately… Why didn't you say anything?”

“I-” you didn't know what to answer him. You saw concern in his dark eyes. On top of that, he held you as if he was about to lose you forever.

You haven't even noticed that Rocky is persistently trying to get your attention. He loved Ben and didn't understand why the man was ignoring him.

“I didn't want to worry you…” you finally stutter out.

“Worry me? Love, I tried to reach you yesterday. You don't even know how it worried me. What's happening with you?”

“What are you even doing here?” you answered with a question to a question, not wanting to tell him about what you've been going through lately. “You should-”

“Don't change the topic” he said more harshly than he intended. However, he quickly recanted and muttered an apology under his breath. He took your hand and led you to the living room, where you both sat on the couch. He didn't even take off the coat he came in. “I arrived on the first plane I could”

Hearing his words made you even more stunned. What did he meant, he got away from the set? You saw him looking around the interior of the apartment, he must have noticed the chaos inside already at the entrance. After all, he had never seen anything like this at your place before.

“Is this one of those episodes?” he asked, unsure of the words he was choosing.

“I've been feeling worse lately” you finally started. Ben slipped his outerwear off his shoulders and threw it over the back of the couch, then focused all his attention on you again. “I don't know if it's the medications that stopped working or if I'm just exhausted from everything… I didn't want to worry you, I've always handled things on my own. It would be fine eventually”

“Eventually? Y/N, who am I to you?”

“What?” you asked, being surprised by the question Ben put to you.

“Just answer – who am I to you?”

“You-you know you’re the most important person in my life”

“Am I? Because lately I don't feel that way at all. How many times did you call me during this month while I was in England? Zero, Y/N, not even on-”

“O-okay, if you are going to get angry with me then just get out of here” you interrupted him, getting up from your seat. Tears began to gather in your eyes. Ben's words made you feel worse instead of feeling better around him. You stood in front of him, looking at him the whole time, fighting with yourself not to cry.

“No. No, I’m sorry. I didn't mean to sound like that, sorry” he replied, also getting up from the couch. “My point is that I would like you to be honest with me. That you wouldn't be afraid to tell me how you feel. I am here for you, Y/N. Even being thousands of miles away, you can count on me, love” he grabbed your hands, taking a step closer to you.

“It's not that easy, Ben…” you replied, slightly hanging your head and sticking your eyes on your hands.

“I know. I know, love” he let go of one of your hands and lifted your chin with his thumb so you could look at him. With his other thumb, he began to smooth the skin on your hand. “Just try to do it, okay?” he asked while looking straight into your eyes. You felt like running away with your eyes to the side, as the weight of his dark gaze began to make you shy. You swallowed your saliva, then nodded in agreement with his words.

“I am glad you are safe. Amita had such a frightened voice on the phone that I began to think of only black scenarios myself” he snorted a quiet laugh, resting his forehead on the one belonging to you.

“I'm sorry, I will never worry you again. I promise…” you promised, remembering the fear that accompanied you yesterday. No matter how bad you felt, you needed both Amita and Ben, because they were the only ones who could help you, in case you didn't have the strength to fight on your own.

[respectthepetty]

I'd like to thank everyone for watching the ninth episode of Never Let Me Go live and posting about it, so I knew exactly what I was getting into before I even pressed play.

But I'm also going to apologize to all of you, because I am over the moon with excitement because I'm hoping Jojo is giving me a redemption for 3 Will Be Free's Shin who (spoiler) DID NOT KILL HIS FATHER WHEN HE SHOULD HAVE!

Please, Jojo, let us have the ending Thana Kit deserves -

Shin Remixed - The Rise of Nuengdiao

Hold on. That doesn't feel right.

Shin Rebooted - The Fall of Kit

Why did Nueng AND Chopper take shooting lessons if they aren't going to put them to good use?!

As much as both boys have wanted to avoid the family business, the past few episodes have shown us they are actually good at it:

Nueng had no issue hitting the guy in the alleyway.

He was very comfortable taking the money to the baddies. He mentioned if he couldn't do that, he didn't deserve to inherit the family business, something he has never wanted before.

And he called the man's bluff by basically telling him that he didn't want this smoke.

Nueng is a man of words, not actions, so he tried to lie to Palm about not loving him. When that didn't work, he jumped into action! He drugged Palm, left him with his credit card and necklace, and took his ass back to claim the throne. *That's growth*

His cousin, Chopper, has looked away from violence, yet had no issue with beating up Phum and some rando to protect Ben.

He also was fine intimidating An in the bathroom.

Now that Ben knows what Kit has done, Ben is in danger of being Kit's next victim.

While Kit is motivated by power, Chopper and Nueng are motivated by love. Kit has already killed two parents while one rots in prison and another is in a coma. If one more person dies due to Kit's actions (Tanya! Only because Nueng is so sure she is going to wake up), these two cousins are going to make like Mario and Luigi and fuck up an entire kingdom.

3 Will Be Free's Shin ended up taking over the family business after his father's death (THANK YOU, MAE!), but occasionally met his girlfriend, Miw, and boyfriend, Neo, on the beach where they had a business (THROUPLE SUPREMACY!).

Nueng already mentioned several times that he wants to see Palm on the beach and has suggested that they run a business there.

Nueng assures Palm he WILL be alive and hopes to see Palm happy with someone else in the future.

But he should already know that Palm is ride or die for HIM.

Palm has already killed for him (KILL KIT DAMN IT!) and is willing to put his life on the line to protect Nueng. Palm is going to inform Nueng that they either stay together forever and meet at the beach once a year or they die together right now and see each other in heaven all the time because Palm is not going to love another.

The only thing standing in our boys' way is the tension coming from Nueng not being able to trust Chopper.

But, if there is one thing our boy Chopper is capable of, it's winning over a tough crowd.

I have high hopes that they will come together to take down Kit even though this show has surprised me multiple times (Chopper not being the culprit, Chanon not being the killer, Ben knowing Chopper liked him, Palm not believing Nueng didn't love him, etc.).

However, I haven't forgotten it gave me one thing I truly desired:

Someone pointed out the tattoo IS in Mandarin, so if Nueng gets one too, I'm going on a budget for Lent @wen-kexing-apologist!

Sorry this episode made you scream @grapejuicegay, but...

Kill Kit.

[sky-neverending]

Finally doing my heartstopper note taking/ analyzing!! starting with season 2 episode 1, bites under the cut bc it’s long boy. strap in for me squealing a bunch and occasionally getting deep

Episode One Rewatch

Starting with the opening scene, and possibly one of my favorite songs on the soundtrack. The song parallels too, with last season starting with a song that is basically saying how someone wants to be enough for the person I like, and how this one is about how he’d give the world to be with Nick. Maybe that’s just something i’m overthinking but idk.

S1: “I wish I thought that I was pretty so that i could turn you on….”

S2: “Sweeter than the best you ever had…. I’d do anything just to feel with you.”

I love how it’s calm and then immediately jumps into the action with Nick texting Charlie. I also like how it parallels the first scene of episode one, but this time Charlie is happy. Love Tori sipping her drink. All of that scene really shows “Hey, we’re happy for once with what is going on in life,” and I enjoy that. Also Charlie being obsessed with Nick and texting him 24/7 is cute.

Then we get to the classic ‘Hi’ that Nick and Charlie are known for, which is the perfect first interaction for them this season.

Nick pulling Charlie into an empty room and telling him he came out to his mom and Charlie immediately asking how it went, and then basically jumping on Nick when he heard it went well is so good. and then “Want a well done kiss?” Is such a cute line.

And then boom we’re making out. Also Nick pulling away and saying “Kissing at school is a terrible idea” and then going back to kissing is so iconic.

And then theres the whole montage of them being cute and making out, which i could go on and on about but I’ll spare you bc this is getting long already oops.

Nick and Charlie at the door, the hands touching and the sparks, the little waves goodbye, the soft smiles, all of it makes me so eeeeeeee.

The “I have a boyfriend!” scene is so cute, with Tao admitting Nick is “okay” after Issac gives him a look lmao. and then them talking about him coming out, and Tao being concerned as always lmao

also that shop they go to is really aesthetically pleasing idk

And Tao’s rrrrrude is awesome. Also him and Elle fighting over the apple juice is adorable. I love how they interact, the way they play off each other so nicely. Of course, Tao gets all awkward and runs, but he means well. I’m glad we get to see their dynamic more, because it truly is such a good time.

I’m also glad Nick and Imogen are still friends, because Imogen deserves platonic love. And Nick’s friends calling out to him, trying to make amends, shows that they mean well, and I’m glad for it. We just Ignore Harry being a dick. Anyway Imogen immediately running up to him with her little “Nicholas!!” and being so excited about her dog. and her wanting to move to brooklyn makes so much sense. i'm so glad they had a talk and want to be friends.

Nick’s little pause when she asks about his romantic developments is smth that makes me go awww bc its so obvious he *wants* to tell her, but its hard and he can’t, which I understand completely.

I also don’t understand British schools but Nick having to do studying next to Ben makes me gag bc Ben makes me gag. but the top down shot is so cool

also the “QUIET” from Mr. Farouk is what i've been waiting for yesss. He’s so… i just love him.

Nick texting Charlie right after seeing Ben is so sweet of him, and the “I miss you” is adorable. I love him.

Bash does such a good job making me despise Ben. Like actually I hate him. And Nick shutting down Ben and telling him not to talk about Charlie like hello supportive bf!!

Nick being worried about Charlie not wanting to be there is so sweet. and the line “I need you.” ugh my heart. Nick being vulnerable like that is so sweet and something I love. and then Nick not playing well because he’s at odds with the team and it’s causing a rift between him and his performance!! and charlie’s face, you can really tell he’s worried for him.

tara and darcy teasing elle is such a thing my old friends would do, and it’s a very accurate portrayal of teenage romances. (the way tara and darcy hold each other in this scene tho)

“Your hair is cute long. but it would look cute short too” *plays with his hair and then leaves him alone to panic.

okay can we talk about Charlie getting Nick his favorite chocolate bar for their two month anniversary and then getting all embarrassed about it and how cute it is that he remembers such a little thing. and you can tell Nick really appreciates it, the way he thanks him and does the little forehead press. (and then they just start going at it like bro give your lips a break)

Charlie reassuring Nick that he doesn’t need to tell anyone is so important, and i’m glad it’s touched on multiple times this season. because. it’s something that everyone needs to hear.

tori appears!!! her lines are always either so witty or so sweet. also charlie getting so many snacks is so like real of him bc i know what it’s like to want to make a good impression and provide for everyone. and then the cute little scene of all of them interacting and nick and charlie touching with the little sparks, getting more and more confident being themselves around each other. and issac’s little glances at everyone!!

also imogen being invited is so sweet. and the “she’s an ally” line makes me fucking laugh.

i want to talk about how well kit does at playing the nervousness of coming out to someone, even someone you trust. it’s scary, and it’s hard to say. and then charlie telling him that it’s okay. because it is.

more taoelle moments too! the garden scene is so cute. and elles hand hovering on taos face and the sparks and then it being all awkward is so ansjjsjsj.

i also wanna talk about how tara always tries to include issac like it’s incredibly just awww. it’s nice that he’s integrated into the group more because he’s always in his little book shell. like boy you are watching a movie get your head out of the books!!

imogen really tries and i love her for it. like she’s supportive in the best way she can be, even if she doesn’t know what to do. but girl you can do better than ben!!!

i love the girls supporting elle when she’s upset, the three of them have such a good dynamic. and then nick and charlie texting about telling imogen <3 you can tell how happy charlie is, and how much he cares.

love how charlie gives all his friends hugs as they leave bc that’s so in character for him honestly. and then nick turning around and kissing him in front of everyone makes me go eeeee like go Nick go!! slay king!!! i’m so proud of him. and of course Tao being Tao coughing and interrupting the moment lmao

Charlie telling his parents is such a funny scene because of the ‘hanky panky’ bits. tori is great in that scene.

“i can protect him” charlie baby that’s sweet, especially knowing what you went through. but i think you need to realize that not everything is going to go perfect 100% of the time. love the optimism tho!! it does show he really wants everything to be perfect for nick, which i think is so meaningful and deep when you take a look at charlie’s own background.

anyway, that’s all for episode one!! i’m doing these slowly, so episode two should be up in a few days!!

[reanbowful]

“not prince charming”

if you married someone else

I saw a tiktok about this type of prompt and it reminded me of Taylor’s songs (any swifties here?) AND I WANNA MAKE U GUYS CRY WITH ME AHAHAHA

*I highly suggest reading this slowly and queuing the songs for each characters because it’s soo fitting

(gray, ben, alex, gerard, jake, donald, wolf)

gray yeon / yeon sieun

coney island - taylor swift, the national

You and Gray’s relationship were never really rough. Or particularly filled with fights.

In fact, you guys barely ever fought. Never actually.

Which was why everyone was in complete shock when you two broke up.

Gray never told anyone the reason of your break up. Well, it’s quite hard to do so without invading the other person’s privacy so he kept it to himself.

It was a mutual breakup. You guys fell out of love with each other and meeting up to date began to feel like a chore than actual love.

The breakup went well and smoothly. And you and Gray moved on with your life well after that.

When he received the invite, he thought he was going to be fine.

Sure you popped up in his mind once in a while whenever a picture perfect scenario reminded him of you in his day to day life. But it wasn’t like he was still in love with you.

He just.. sort of misses having you.

Seeing him in the mirror with a suit gives him off putting feelings, so he didn’t check his appearance for long before heading straight to the venue.

When the door opened, and you walked in. Your bright, beautiful smile. And the white ballgown you’ve always talked about when you were still his.

Gray felt his eyes began to sting, tears threatening to fall.

You were not his bride at that moment. He wondered if things had been different would he be standing at the altar instead right now?

Nonetheless, he clapped his hands, watching you and the person you chose place the wedding bands on each other’s fingers.

You deserve to be happy. Even if it’s not with him.

ben park / park humin

the 1 - taylor swift

High school sweethearts. You and Ben.

You did everything together. He has all of your firsts, as so do you.

You were also each other’s first boyfriend/girlfriend.

All throughout high school and university, even with the distance between you guys, you kept strong.

Everyone thought you were going to end up marrying each other.

But everyone only saw the good part.

You guys never told anyone about the break up. It was a messy, tearful, and toxic situation. Not even Alex knows.

It’s been a year since.

And now you’re here.

Ben gulped nervously looking at his figure in the mirror.

“Hi, y/n. Congratulations. No.. Y/N! Hey! Congratulations! Is it too friendly..?”

He’s been practicing for 30 minutes now to get his smile just right. For you. And in a way, for him as well.

Perhaps with this, he can finally make peace with the situation.

All thought left his body when he saw you walk down the aisle, though. The way your bright smile lit up the room as you giggled, watching your groom from across the room.

He smiled, you look so excited to be married. To have finally found someone you want to spend the rest of your life with.

Without even noticing, a stray tear left his eye.

After the ceremony, Ben left to sit by the bar. He planned to leave, but then remembered his goal of congratulating you himself.

“Ben! You made it!”

Ben turned, you look radiant as always.

“Hey! Yeah, of course I would. Couldn’t have miss it if I want to.”

You smiled knowingly.

“I’m glad you’re here. Really.”

Ben nodded, “I’m very happy for you.”

Before you could continue saying anything, someone called you for the first dance.

“Oh! I gotta go, I’ll see you later!”

Feeling a bit urgent, Ben grabbed onto your hand.

“Wait, y/n!”

“Congratulations.”

Well, that was perfectly just right.

alex go / go hyuntak

maroon - taylor swift

Ngl, I feel like Alex would have an entire breakdown when he received the invitation.

Your relationship with Alex was the definition of toxic.

Your situation was similar to Gray’s. But with more.. screaming and fighting involved.

In any case, it was a more difficult situation.

Don’t get me wrong, Alex loves you. He loves you so much. He feels so lucky to be able to have you. But sometimes he just can’t help but feel like he’s not good enough, you know.

For context, you were a premed student. And he didn’t go to college.

Being a med student, you were bound to be so busy. And Alex supported you with everything he’s got.

He stayed up late to accompany you, brought you food, and was just overall a supportive boyfriend.

But college doesn’t get easier, does it?

When you were stationed at a small hospital outside of Yeongdeungpo, communications got less and less frequent. So does the time that you get to see him.

When you guys do meet each other, you will either be too tired or would only talk about stuffs that happened during your shifts.

It was at these times that you guys would begin to argue. Small arguments at first, then it would just escalate into full blown screaming at each other.

By the three months mark, you told him.

“I don’t love you anymore, Alex. Let’s just stop.”

I feel like what really crushed him from the invite was that, you kept being happy. You moved on and continued being happy, he’s just no longer a part of your happiness.

And he would wonder. Whether it was all his fault. Did he drove you away? But he had only wanted to fix the situation. Or was it inevitable in the first place.

These thoughts would run through his mind in a daze as he drove towards your wedding venue.

A certain anger bubbled inside him when he saw your groom. A doctor. Just like you.

He would never be good enough for you. If that’s the kind of guy you chose, then he really had no chance, did he?

(I feel like this situation could really happen to Alex where his ‘insecurities’ ruined the relationship between him and his partner)

gerard jin / jin gayool

back to december - taylor swift

Honestly, Gerard would be the most civil person here.

He’s quite mature, so I feel like he would accept that some situations happens just because it’s meant or not meant to be.

And if your 6 years of relationship ended with you marrying another person within a year, then I feel like he would be the one person who could genuinely accept it without much drama.

If you ask, he would even gladly sing at your wedding.

Tbh, you would be the one nervous about inviting Gerard.

But anyways.

When he received the invitation, Gerard would immediately call you to congratulate you himself.

“Y/N! I received the invitation, thank you for inviting me. I’m really happy for you and your husband.”

“…you’re not mad?”

“Uh.. why would I be?”

When he arrived at the venue, he would be the absolute sweetest too. He would bring you a thoughtful wedding gift and volunteered to stay and help you with cleaning afterwards.

He just wants to, you see. Gerard still think of you as one of the most important people in his life.

So, he definitely still loves you.

Just no longer in a romantic sense.

jake ji / ji hakho

the moment I knew - taylor swift

Jake is the guy who lost the girl because he never confessed. And then it’s too late.

It was really the ‘what could’ve been’ scenario came to life.

Those who know about his situation would be heartbroken along with him honestly.

Like Eunchan and Timothy are both literally bawling their eyes out, making sure once again if Jake really doesn’t want to confess.

Because they will risk it all for him to do it.

“It’s okay. I’m just happy for them.”

As they walk in to the reception hall, Jake begin to regulate his breathing to prevent him from crying just being in the room.

Dean, noticing this, pats his back to try and console him a little.

“You idiot. Why don’t you just let us do this for you? You’ll never have your peace like this, you know.”

“I can’t. I just love them too much for that, Dean. It’s better like this.”

He doesn’t want you to bear the burden with him. Of what could’ve been.

When the bells starts ringing, and everyone rise from their seats. Jake gulped nervously.

The doors opened, and there you are.

The most beautiful bride he has ever seen. You eyed your families and friends. A sheepish smile when you meet eyes with the groom.

Can’t contain it anymore, tears started free falling from his eyes. Oh how you were so perfect.

Inhaling shaky breaths, Jake tries his hardest to keep his smile.

This is for you. As have everything he’s sacrificed. This shall also be one of the many.

donald na / na baekjin

getaway car - taylor swift

No matter how nice of he is to you. I feel like it would be hard for any parents to feel okay handing over their kid to a guy like Donald.

(I mean.. I would be fucking worried for my child too)

So, you and Donald’s relationship was not approved by your parents.

In a sense you understand. Donald deals with dangerous people, and might not exactly be the best person to settle down with.

Your parents are people from the high society. They have been since the old generations. You’re a bit of an old money let’s say. Your family is no longer as glorious at they are back in the day, but your name is still prestigious.

And they want to keep that prestige for as long as they can uphold.

For you to marry someone like Donald would be a huge blow on their family name.

So they did everything they could to break the two of you apart.

Donald fought with everything he’s got, no matter what happened to him. He stuck with you through all times.

Even as they strip him off of his tiny empire, Donald kept his head up.

He was strong. But you don’t know how much longer you can see him get ruined just for staying close with you.

“Donald.”

“We have to leave. I bought tickets to get out of here. We’ll stay in Busan for a while, and I-I’ll borrow some money-“

“Donald..”

“We can get married there, I’ll register our-“

“Baby, please.. This isn’t going to work. They’re not going to stop, and I can’t watch you get ruined because of me.”

Your eyes were filled with glassy tears when Donald came over to hug you tight.

“I’m sorry. I’m so sorry that this all happened..”

You sobbed into his shirt. How are you supposed tell him?

“Donald. My parents called today.”

He tensed, but didn’t say anything.

“They said they found a good man. They told me that if I.. if I do it, if I signed the registration then everything will stop. You will also get all of your assets back.”

Donald let you go, and you feel so defeated you want to vomit.

“Please tell me you didn’t. God.. Y/N, tell me you didn’t-“

“Why…?”

All you could do was shake your head. You’re just so so tired of everything.

When the day of the wedding comes, a spark of blonde was seen from the very end seat of the church seat.

No one dare to speak to him. Nor did anyone dare to escort him out of the place.

(he has the getaway car ready. author dislike sad endings)

wolf keum / keum seongje

death by a thousand cuts - taylor swift

Wolf wanted to punch someone when the envelope came.

You decided to go with the teddy bear theme Wolf was so insistent not to do back when.. well, when you guys were still together.

The reason you guys broke up was not because of toxicity or constant fighting. It was due to his immaturity.

You were studying for two years in Europe to get your masters degree. And Wolf was proud of you. You really wanted to get into the program and you succeeded and he was very proud of you.

What he failed to think about back then was just how much the time difference would affect your time together.

You two settled on a designated time to call each other every single day. 8pm for you, and 4am for him. Because that’s the only time you have any ounce of free time. (I’ve gotta say, Wolf really put in a lott of effort for you)

So anyways. There was this one time when your friends invited you over to a party, and you agreed. You did let Wolf know through text already.

BUT. Because your calls were always at 4am. He set his alarm on that time and would go to bed quite early to catch some sleep for school the next day. So, you guessed it. He was still asleep.

And boy when he saw those texts. He was not happy.

He sent you multiple missed calls and what felt like a thousand texts for you not to go and reply to him. But oh well, you’re passed out on your friend’s sofa. Who the hell even knows where your phone is. (spoiler alert: it’s broken beyond repair)

A lot of things happened since then.

He couldn’t be contacted. Nor did he contact you. In a sense, you thought he broke up with you. And Wolf officially fucked up.

So, now he’s sneaking around your waiting room. Ready to knock out anyone that dare interfere.

He saw some girls walking out, getting some drinks maybe. He didn’t hear them quite that clear. Hard to do when he’s looking at you ngl.

“Wolf?”

He jumped, turning to see your shocked face.

“Uh.. hey.”

He really doesn’t know what to say. What can he say?

“How have you been?”

I miss you. I don’t want to see you get married.

“Great. I’m doing quite well. How are you? You seem very happy, noona.”

You chuckled.

“Yeah.. things have been quite rough actually. But then I meet someone and I.. I’m getting married! Crazy, huh..”

I wanted it to be me. It should’ve been me.

“Well, noona. I just- I wanted to apologise-“

“Wolf. It’s okay. We were young and stupid, and it didn’t work out. It’s not your fault.”

It was my dream to marry you though.

Wolf wouldn’t cry seeing the woman he loved, still loves about to go and marry someone else in a few hours.

“I suppose you wouldn’t be crazy enough to leave right now, would you?”

You smiled at him sadly, shaking your head.

“Not even if I beg you and say sorry?”

You reached out to him, taking his hand into yours.

“I’m sorry, Wolf.”

“I love you, noona. I promise to marry you in my next life.”

[petermaximoffsrealwife]

Choices

Ben Chilwell x gn!reader x Mason Mount (2.1k)

“Hi, can I make a request? I was hoping for a fic about Mason mount and Ben Chilwell, but if not Chilwell Christian Pulisic would be great. Was thinking of a storyline of a blinddate from talking on an app, and then it get awkwardly but they realize they are knky in the mess because they like each other” @afstory1988

Quick disclaimer: English is not my first language so please keep that in mind when judging!

“Ben, I'm totally over him. It's been three years, how could I not be?” you told Ben. He was over at your house for your weekly movie night whenever he was in London. He was your best friend and nothing more.

“You say that but you still haven't taken down the picture you two took with Taylor Swift.” Ben retaliated.

“That was a historical moment don't even.”

“Okay, not the point. What I'm trying to say is that you never really moved on from him.” He was right. You had dated many people before but your last relationship was by far the longest and most meaningful. When he broke up with you out of nowhere, you really didn’t know how to react; hence the reason why he was bringing it up. Truth was, Ben never really liked any of your previous boyfriends, you would say it’s because he's being an overprotective friend wanting to keep you safe and preventing you from getting hurt, but, Ben would say it because he's irrevocably in love with you and even though he's famous and has many girls at his feet he only wants you. Of course, he would never say that out of the fear he has of losing you, and in his mind; never being able to have you is much better than losing you.

“Wait,” you say, pulling him out of his thoughts “I know you can be… iffy when it comes to me with your teammates but, what if you set me up with one of them? Like a blindate! Think about it, you know me and my type so you know what I like and you also know your teammates and their types. So… what if you set me up randomly with one of them and then we'll see how it goes from there?”

Ben had always encouraged you to stay away from his teammates but your recent relationships had been with average men living average lives and maybe it was time to step away from that and try new things. “I totally understand if you won't but if you really want your best friend and the most amazing, wonderful, and meaningful person in your life to not suffer, then you should set me up with someone completely different than what I’m used to.”

Ben was not happy. If you wanted someone with a different lifestyle, why couldn’t it have been him and not one of his teammates? His first thought was to immediately tell you off and make you forget you even brought it up but one look into your eyes had him melting on the spot. He could never deny you your chance at happiness, even if it wasn't with him and instead with one of his teammates. Begrudgingly, he agreed to set you up with one of them and he knew just who.

“Heyyy Mason, how are you mate? Seeing anyone? Free to casually pursue a wonderful person this Friday evening at 8?” Very subtle right? Ben knew that Mason had one of the worst reputations with women and men in the whole Chelsea and England teams so, obviously setting him up with you would make you realize that the only one who would treat you as well as you deserve was Ben himself.

“Hey Chilwell, can you… repeat all of that again?” Mason asked, the man was very confused. The only time the two had interacted outside of training was when Ben came up to him very drunk on a night out with the team sobbing about the unrequited love he shared with his best friend.

“Listen, I need you to do me a favor, my friend is very clearly still hung up on their ex and they don’t need that kind of pain at all. They suggested I set them up with one of you lads with whomever I thought was most compatible with them. You are my choice. So if you could just show up and give them a nice night, then I will do anything in return because they deserve the best and I believe you can give them that.” He was lying, he knew Mason would most likely flake or ignore you leaving you to go over to Ben’s house to cry once again in which he would finally be honest with you and tell you how he feels.

“Oh of course mate I'll take them out, just send me the address and I'll be there,” Mason replied honestly; and shocked. Out of all the people on the team that Ben could've chosen for this situation, he chose him.

Feeling good about himself Mason arrived at the restaurant he has supposed to meet you at. He was nervous, he had no idea what to expect. He had no background information, no knowledge of anything about you except for the fact that you were “absolutely stunning you'll know when you see them. Their name is Y/N if you get it wrong ill kick you off the team”; the last part scared him, so he made sure to remember your name. To be fair it wasn't hard, it was a beautiful name that he guessed would most likely be fitting.

On the other side of the street, you were in your car talking to Ben over the phone attempting to get a hint about who you were meeting up with. It would calm you down and give you at least five minutes to do a quick background search on him. However, Ben was refusing to tell you, so with one last “, I hate you” you hung up and finally found the courage to get out of your car and go into the restaurant. You were nervous, as anyone would be if they were in your situation, but you were also excited. You didn't really know who Ben chose and you were excited to find out. To your surprise, the infamous Mason Mount was standing right outside the restaurant looking at his watch nervously and glancing around.

When Mason first laid eyes on you he politely stared and looked the other way, not for one moment thinking that the most beautiful person he had ever laid eyes on was there for him. So imagine to his surprise when you came up to him and asked him if Ben had asked him to come here.

“Uh-uh, yes! Ben did in fact ask me to escort you on this beautiful Friday evening.” Mason replied very nervously. He could tell you were enjoying this, a small smirk appearing on your face upon hearing stutter.

“Well then, let's get started shall we.” You grabbed his hand and politely led him in while you asked for your reservation. Once you two were seated it was quite awkward at first until you spoke up, a little more shy this time.

“Look, I know that Ben asked you to be here and I wouldn't mind if you wanted to just eat and leave I just thought it would be nice to have a date with someone different than usual but if you don't want to be here then I totally respect your wishes, I would never want to impose on someone like that.” you admitted honestly. After your initial suggestion, you realized how forced this sounded so you completely understood if whoever showed up wanted to leave or not pursue anything after the initial dinner.

So it was to your complete surprise when Mason spoke up very confidently stating “No! Don't even worry about that. Honestly, I'm happy for a change of scenery and you seem like a lovely person inside and out so of course, I don't mind being here with you. As for after the dinner, I wouldn't mind a walk around town, this part of Cobham is quite beautiful and I would love to show you my favorite spots.”

“Oh! Well, that sounds quite lovely actually. Although I've lived here most of my life, I have never quite explored this part of town intensely and I would appreciate the tour.”

“Well I’d be very happy to show you around, there's this one ice cream place to die for…”

The dinner went great. After the initial confrontation, conversation flowed smoothly and you found yourself being very charmed by Mason. He was kind and funny, as well as patient and an attentive listener. You had learned that he was a family man and quite kind to others, surprising you since that was the opposite of what everyone said about him.

As the dinner came to an end, he spent quite literally seven minutes trying to convince you to let him pay for the whole meal, not half like you were suggesting. Exclaiming he needed to go to the bathroom, he smoothly grabbed the check without you noticing and managed to pay the whole bill successfully without any trouble from you.

“I'll have to give it to you Mason, that was smooth, can't even complain about that.”

“You were fussing about it so much I had to find a way to stop you, looks like it worked.” You both laughed. He shyly grabbed your hand and started ranting about the town and giving you an exact description of each shop and his rating of it. You both spent the rest of the night just walking and talking, each never wanting to end the night. But alas, the night had to end sometime. When the last shop turned off its lights, you two realized how much time had passed and that maybe you both should start heading back.

Once you two arrived at your car you took both of his hands in yours and looked up at him. He looked down at you and started to lean in. Your lips met and you both swore it was the most magical moment ever. Your lips moved in sync and it was like you two were made for each other. Eventually needing air, you both moved apart and laughed.

“Wow.” was all you said

“Wow is right.” Mason chuckled. “You know, I would really enjoy it if you wanted to go out with me again. Next time I’ll cook you a nice dinner over at my apartment.”

“I would really enjoy that Mase, thank you for such a wonderful night I'm really happy that Ben chose you.”

“I'm really happy Ben chose me too. Goodbye, darling.”

“Goodbye.” and with that, you both parted ways and went home. While driving back you called Ben so that you could tell him about your successful date and to discuss a new potential relationship. After a couple of rings, he answered.

“How did it go? If he did anything I swear I will-”

“Woah, relax. He didn't do anything, actually, I think he was actually the nicest guy I've ever gone out with.” You told ben wondering why that was his immediate reaction.

“Oh… that's great darling. Glad it went well.” Ben said shocked, he had honestly thought hoped that it had gone bad, which would cause you to come over seeking reassurance which would create a comfortable environment for him to finally confess his feelings. So imagine his surprise when you started ranting on and on about how great Mason was and how kind and sweet he was and how he paid for the bill in such a great and sneaky way…

“So then he asked me on a second date and of course, I couldn't turn him down. He has such big brown eyes you know and like great hair so like how could I ever say no, so I didn't, and now I totally have a maybe-boyfriend and I think this will actually work out.”

“You said that last time.” Ben said dryly.

“Yes, but I didn't really believe it so that doesn't count.”

“That's great glad it went so well, listen I have to go, training starts early tomorrow and I need some extra sleep,” Ben said trying to end the conversation. He couldn't stand to hear you talk about Mason for one more second before he would expose his feelings to you.

“Oh okay, well, I hope you sleep well, and thanks again for setting me up with him. I know it must've been hard since you normally shoo me away from them but I appreciate it. Goodnight Ben.”

“Goodnight darling” and with that, he hung up as he realized his mistake was not pursuing you when he had the chance and not after Mason had pulled his charm.

[carewyncromwell]

Hii!! I got a question! What would Carewyns life be like if she wasn't forced to involve herself in the cursed vaults?

Oh gosh! Considering how much searching for Jacob and the Vaults and fighting R defines Carewyn's entire character journey, this is kind of challenging to answer...but I think the single biggest change would've been that Carewyn would have been an active member in the Frog Choir, the Dueling Club, and the Slytherin Quidditch team for her entire time at Hogwarts.

Arguably Carewyn's most passionate core interest has always been music. It's actually kind of a "thing" for Carewyn's entire maternal family (the Cromwell Clan), to both have a talent for and love of music. Carewyn's mother Lane was even a member of the Frog Choir herself when she was at Hogwarts. So Carewyn dreamed of being part of the Choir too ever since she was little, and she worked really hard at her audition with every intention to earn a position on it just like her mum did. Ultimately, though, she sacrificed the position she'd earned to Merula, largely because our poor paragon Slytherin felt she couldn't give the Choir all of the focus it deserved while her brother was still missing. And sadly this thought process also prevented Carewyn from formally joining the Dueling Club or rejoining the Slytherin Quidditch team after her eventful tryout and first match alongside them in her third year. I also reckon, if Carewyn had been allowed to play on the Slytherin Quidditch team from third year onward, everyone in Slytherin house would've shipped the hell out of our favorite Prefect Mama Bear and resident Quidditch Papa Bear Orion, rather than people on the Hogwarts Quidditch scene just questioning now and again if Orion kept inviting Carewyn to rejoin his team because he fancied her.

On a more personal note, though...I could actually see Carewyn not becoming close with Penny, Tonks, Tulip, Jae, Diego, Cedric, Beatrice, or Mad-Eye Moody as she did in her canon, as those friendships were largely built due to circumstance rather than similarities in personality or interests. Carewyn and Merula also would've had less reason to have to work together, which means they probably would've never been given the opportunity to bury the hatchet either. Even Carewyn's friendship with Ben I don't think would've been as close or developed either of them as much as it did, without the Vaults and especially Rakepick's betrayal sparking such dramatic changes in both of them. One constant, though, would definitely be Bill and Charlie Weasley quasi-"adopting" Carewyn as a surrogate sister (hey, a brave redhead girl Charlie's age from a poor family who honestly acts a bit like a Slytherin Molly Weasley? No way are they not claiming her as one of their own!!), and I can't imagine a Hogwarts-related universe where Carewyn wouldn't have befriended Rowan, Talbott, Chiara, Andre, and Barnaby.

The best part about this kind of an AU, though, would've been that Jacob would've been able to support Carewyn all the way through her Hogwarts journey through both visits and frequent letters, with his committed boyfriend/eventual husband Duncan Ashe at his side, playing as Carewyn's just-as-overprotective brother-in-law.

[hollywoodsargeant]

i knew it! i knew they would fuck when you posted that snippet. i LOVED that scene, so breathless with want and SO trusting, they love each other SO MUCH (and somehow they STILL do not get it that fucking each other is NOT A NORMAL FRIEND THING) like come on you WANTED to be each other's firsts GET THE MESSAGE and though i know nothing about american high schools and what they call football i absolutely shrieked when logan was like "yeh oscar is wearing my jersey" like NO. come on logan. THE GIRLFRIEND WEARS THE JERSEY. mia is not cool like grace. you done fucked up man. also POOR KYLE. he was like "you fucking dumbasses". when they do get their shit together kyle is gonna hold th BIGGEST "i fucking told you so" party. he is gonna go to dalton and be like, "we have to celebrate these two IDIOTS finally growing a brain cell". i feel bad bcause i keep being suspicious of ben, even though he has done absolutely nothing to deserve it. he seems chill so far. i am also trying to be forgiving of mia because they're sixteen-seventeen, that's a time when Big Feelings can get even Bigger out of control bc hormones but i do NOT like. grace was cooler. logan your taste in girls sucks. (also 100% oscar's parents are so surprised because the boyfriend is Not Logan) in Conclusion: THEY ARE SO FUCKING DUMB.

when i posted that snippet i was like hehe... i think we all know what i am implying here... no way oscar actually told him to fuck off and go take a cold shower. that was so not in the cards. but they are definitely making some decisions there was a part of me that was like. am i Really gonna have them fuck then the immediate scene After is oscar getting a boyfriend. and yeah. i did do that

yeah logan made an oops. he amended it following. but how could you give your jersey to anyone but your girlfriend for your first varsity game... you fool. i still don't think he actually Gets It but he has submitted to the fact that he will abide by The System. and the system demands mia wears his jersey. this is proving to be a very important piece of fabric isn't it

kyle deserves financial compensation for the shenanigans he's been forced to witness and Boy you do not even know the half of it yet. on one hand he literally just doesn't know certain things but ALSO. yeah. i know things. bc i am writing the fic. and therefore. know things. :) loscar shares one brain cell between them and fucking kyle kirkwood has it. whoops

i'm suspicious of ben but solely bc i binged heartstopper s2 then named him ben anyway. i lit almost changed it just for that but i am already so bad at naming characters i just went with it. if oscar ever ends up with a boyfriend called evan know i have failed fundamentally and all of you should laugh at me. ben is cool though

BUT MIA IS FINE... i will fix her. she has thoughts in her brain and i am the only one with access to them. i have. more scenes in my brain. eventually they will become scenes on the doc. for now. in my brain

but i agree they are stupid. thank you for entertaining me with this ask i love talking about this fic. in case anyone was not yet aware

[gritsandbrits]

What's your most unpopular opinion on Descendants as a whole? The descendants novels included.

The way people hate Prince Ben is rooted in misandry, the entire series wouldn't exist if not for him. To see him get overlooked by the fandom & even canon solely bc he's an attractive guy is sad. He's much more than Mal's boyfriend.

Actually I think the series was misandry incarnate; think of all the other media like Winx, Bratz, MH, Barbie their male characters have personalities and roles but Descendants really failed giving their male characters spotlight (especially Jay and Carlos)

I liked the cartoons better Audrey was vastly better written

Speaking of she was a stupid villain in movie 3. Her plan was so dumn ok so you're motivated by your anger over everyone ignoring u yet you get them back by...putting them to sleep? Girl that won't make people pay you any attention THEY'RE NOT CONSCIOUS; you should've brainwashed them instead! Also her outfit sucks

Mal should not have been the main character, shoulda been Evie

Literally fanfiction handles the concept better than canon I am so serious

I like the aesthetics okay

Doug was honestly the worst

Chad deserved better

Harry was cool but I wished there was more content that explored him as an individual

I wished Uma had more purple in her outfits to make her align more with Ursula

Maleficent x Hades is boring literally because they're both evil and powerful and that's bout it

I actually like JaneLos it was bland but not offensive enough to warrant hate

[catty-words]

hi cori!! you've spoken in the past about how you loved what season 3 did for devi and ben, so i'm wondering if you felt like devi and paxton were done justice too? i've seen that most benvi shippers were satisfied with season 3, but most daxton shippers were really angry, not just because they broke up but because of how it happened. do you think their relationship was given its dues in s3?

oh, i love this question, thank you !

in short, no, i don't think they were done justice. but i also don't think they were done dirty.

the longer answer: i think the broad strokes work and work well, but the bottom line is that the relationship deserved an entire season dedicated to its deconstruction.

i've yet to really lay out my case for this, but something that niggles at my brain when i'm rewatching season three is that it feels like the rightful emotional continuation of season one's story. like, some of season two's fingerprints are on season three - in the obvious places like aneesa, nirmala, and mr. k being prominent figures in the story - but when it comes to devi's story, season two contributed nothing that season three doesn't do more effectively.

so, we should have just skipped to that, right?

i remember when the season two trailer dropped, i was downright elated by "i have two boyfriends." it felt like the perfectly devi response to the season one cliffhanger, and it really is, what i'm about to say next doesn't negate the fact that greedy fits devi like a glove and i'm obsessed with it for her. but -

the objectively correct storytelling response to the season one cliffhanger is to have devi pick paxton.

because paxton is "the dream," right? he is everything season one devi wanted, and devi's not the kind of person who lets go easily - that's, like, her most important character trait throughout season one. expecting that ben exists as an immovable pillar in her life because that's literally always been true to her, devi would pounce on the chance to have something with paxton, who is ephemeral and always just out of her grasp. with devi choosing paxton right away, we'd then get to spend a whole season two slowly unpacking "the dream," and how living her ideal does and does not solve her identity issues.

(benvi has a much better story this way, too, by the way. them trying to navigate what they mean to each other now, the pining, the way ben's uncertainty in relation to devi would mirror devi's uncertainty in her relation to paxton. it'd be delicious.)

having devi and paxton date over a much longer span of time gives us the chance to see devi trying to insert herself in with zoe, shira, and carley, with the hot pocket, and never quite get it right. we could see her navigating around her mom to have a relationship with a guy she knows nalini doesn't approve of and how that strains their tentatively mended relationship. we could see her grapple with why she still feels sad about her dad when she now has the perfect life.

and, perhaps most importantly to my feeling like daxton received their due, we could watch paxton's patience with devi constantly feeling like she doesn't fit with him erode over a reasonable timeline!

that said, i do think it suits them that it would eventually erode, because devi needs to idolize him, have him, lose him, and go through the whole des storyline* to be able to return to paxton with any genuine shot at a long-lasting romantic relationship. which the actual season three teased just enough, in my opinion.

*imagine how much more of a knife twist des being a combo of paxton and ben is to the benvi girlies when, in this timeline, devi hasn't really fucked with the ben of it all yet - you feeling it? hurts so gooood