#anyway yeah kiki loves popcorn

[egglands-worst]

she has been denied the Popped Corn

[artificialqueens]

It's Nice to Have a Friend, Chapter Two (Branjie) - Holtzmanns

(read on ao3) (word count: 8307)

Brooke shrugs. “I did a little research a few months ago. Google was useless, not really much on sharing dreams with another person, no pages on Reddit or any Facebook groups or anything like that. Nothing really relevant and recent. But…there were a lot of myths. Legends.”

Vanessa looks down at Brooke, the moments of her hand pausing. “Myths?”

“Yeah. And in all sorts of cultures, stories about people meeting in dreams over and over again and finding each other in the awake world. Soulmates, almost. They’d become close friends, some would even…get together. Find each other outside of their dreams and get married, so they could be together forever.” Brooke whispers the last part, and Vanessa feels her breath hitch in her throat.

“Wow. Falling in love and everything, huh?”

“Something like that.”

AN: Thank you all so much for the love on the first chapter! I’m so glad it was enjoyable to read and hope you enjoy this second chapter just as much. It’s quite a bit longer, but it didn’t feel right to break it up anywhere so here it is, in all of its 8k glory. Enjoy and tell me what you think! Thank you writ for betaing and talking it through with me as always <3

Vanessa had a lot of time to think on her bus ride to see Brooke, with endless buildings and bus stops and intersections passing by through the window. She had wondered what it would be like, finally seeing Brooke in person. Brooke, alive and breathing and in front of her and most importantly, awake.

But now that they’re here, now that Brooke’s in front of her?

It feels normal. It feels like them.

Brooke has twenty five minutes until her lyrical solo and her coach is letting Vanessa sit with the team. How couldn’t she, when Brooke had acted her heart out and explained that Vanessa used to be her next door neighbour, of course, one who had moved away from Toronto and all the way to Miami and now they finally have the chance to reunite?

It had been an easy sell.

Vanessa has to push the rising feelings of inadequacy down in her chest, being surrounded by girls in tracksuits that cover up their sparkly costumes, whose eyes bat with fake lashes. She feels a little underdressed in her jeans and her docs and her backpack, but it’s okay, really, because Brooke’s still looking at her with an aura of awe and wonder.

“I wish I wasn’t in this clown makeup for our first meeting.” Brooke’s cheeks are dusted with red, the bashfulness a rare sight on her but one that makes Vanessa’s heart melt.

Vanessa nudges her arm. “I like it. Makes you look all fancy and like a singer or something.”

“Does not.” Brooke wrinkles her nose, pointing to the glitter that’s spilling onto her tracksuit. “I look like Edward Cullen with these sparkles.”

“So you’re telling me you’ve been a vampire this whole time?” Vanessa’s quip has the intended effect of making Brooke giggle, releasing the tension in her shoulders.

Being around Brooke makes Vanessa expect to see a dragon around the corner, a unicorn down the hall. Because when they’re dreaming anything is possible, all sorts of plot twists that the two of them take in stride. Right now, though, sitting in a convention hall on plastic chairs that squeak whenever they move, Vanessa feels a different kind of magic. The way that Brooke’s head is resting in her lap, the rise and fall of her chest reminds Vanessa that she’s really here. Neither of them are going to wake up in their own beds, countries and hours apart from each other. Vanessa can just reach out and Brooke’s hand is right there, immediately squeezing hers back when she grabs it and the resulting calm that blooms in Vanessa’s chest serves as a reminder that Brooke truly is comfort. Home in a person.

Her best friend.

“I still can’t believe your coach and your team think I’m your ex-neighbour.” Vanessa snickers, because the fact that they’ve pulled this off is still a little surreal.

Brooke grins up at her. “As if they’d believe the actual truth. Would anybody, really?”

“True that.” Vanessa can’t help the sigh that leaves her lips as she looks down at Brooke, running her fingers along the detailing on Brooke’s jacket.

Alexis had been wrong, back in the day. Brooke’s real, Brooke’s here in Miami and she’s a living, breathing, person, not a figment of Vanessa’s imagination. Vanessa knows that Brooke’s had the same problem, getting people to believe her, and now the two of them have gotten to the point that it’s easier just to not mention their connection.

Who else is going to understand exactly what they’re going through, anyway?

“Do you think there’s anyone else? Like us?” Vanessa can’t help the question, because she’s never really thought about it. It’s always just been her and Brooke, but maybe there’s other people with their own dream friends. But if such a thing is more common, wouldn’t they know about it?

Brooke shrugs. “I did a little research a few months ago. Google was useless, not really much on sharing dreams with another person, no pages on Reddit or any Facebook groups or anything like that. Nothing really relevant and recent. But…there were a lot of myths. Legends.”

Vanessa looks down at Brooke, the moments of her hand pausing. “Myths?”

“Yeah. And in all sorts of cultures, stories about people meeting in dreams over and over again and finding each other in the awake world. Soulmates, almost. They’d become close friends, some would even…get together. Find each other outside of their dreams and get married, so they could be together forever.” Brooke whispers the last part, and Vanessa feels her breath hitch in her throat.

“Wow. Falling in love and everything, huh?”

“Something like that.”

Damn. Now that Vanessa thinks about it, her and Brooke would make a cool movie. Even if they’re just best friends, but still. It’s quite a story.

“Does that mean we’ll be cool enough to be a legend or a myth centuries from now?” Vanessa asks, and Brooke grins at the question.

“I gotta say, you are pretty unforgettable.”

“Right answer.”

Vanessa cheers the loudest during Brooke’s solo, because watching her dance is art in motion, a bit of magic. It doesn’t matter that Vanessa’s seen the numbers for the competition a million times because Brooke’s been practicing in their dreams, because there’s always something new that takes Vanessa’s breath away.

“What did you think?” Brooke is breathless, her eyes alight and Vanessa can’t help but pull her into a hug.

“Perfect, as usual.”

“You’re biased.”

“Am not.” Vanessa looks up at Brooke, still nestled in her arms because the hug is comfortable. “I’m an extremely fair judge.”

“I don’t believe that one bit.”

But Brooke’s eyes are twinkling as she says it, and Vanessa’s not sure if she imagines the way Brooke snuggles in for a second before letting go.

The beeping of Vanessa’s watch makes them both jump, and Vanessa’s face falls because it’s the alarm that she’d set this morning, marking the time she has to head for the bus to get home in time without arousing too much suspicion. But she’s not ready to leave, and even though she’s going to see Brooke that night in their dream, it’s still too soon.

She doesn’t want it to end.

“I have to go.” Vanessa doesn’t mean to pout, really, because she’s not a kid anymore, but she can’t help it, not when it feels as if she’s only just gotten here.

Except that Brooke’s face is mirroring hers, and the slump in her shoulders lets Vanessa know that she’s not the only one who’s disappointed.

“I’ll miss you.”

“Miss you, too.”

“But see you tonight?” And Brooke’s smiling again, hopeful and Vanessa can’t help but grin, too.

“Duh.”

Vanessa is fourteen and she wants to learn magic like Willow and Tara on Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

She’s marathoning the show with Silky and Kiki, mostly because Silky wants to watch it for one of the vampire characters. It’s hard not to be sucked in to the show, though, not when Willow and Tara are the only two who are interested in witchcraft and learn spells together and hang out, just the two of them in Tara’s dorm room.

The two characters remind Vanessa of her and Brooke - the friendship, the shared secret bond over something that no one else has. Vanessa almost wishes that she could fast forward the scenes with the other characters, get back to Willow and Tara because they’re the most interesting, after all, at least to her.

The episode that they’re on has Vanessa at the edge of her seat, despite the way Silky is munching on popcorn and Kiki is texting beside her. Because on screen, Willow is upset and Tara is comforting her and…

Oh.

“Woah.” Vanessa barely registers when the word leaves her mouth in a breath, because her eyes are still wide and focused on the way that Willow and Tara are…kissing.

They’re kissing.

Vanessa’s never seen two girls kiss on screen before but she can’t look away, not when Tara is holding Willow’s face so gently and she’s not sure why her cheeks are feeling all warm, her palms sweaty as they grip the bowl of trail mix on her lap for dear life. The characters break apart and the episode continues on but Vanessa has no idea what happens, because the kiss is on a loop in her brain, playing over and over again until it’s all she can see when she closes her eyes.

She bikes home from Kiki’s house that evening in a daze, because Willow and Tara kissed. They’re best friends and they kissed and it was absolutely perfect.

Are they in love? Will they be together? Can they be together? Is that allowed? Willow’s dated boys on the show but now maybe she’s going to date Tara, and somehow the thought makes Vanessa more excited and breathless than any other plot twist has.

She reaches their dream that night before Brooke does, lying down in a pretty meadow covered in flowers and staring up at the clouds, trying to calm her beating heart that’s been fluttering since the episode.

“Boo.”

“Aah!” Vanessa shrieks, nearly peeing herself from the scare while Brooke cackles behind her, and she huffs, turning around so that she can reach out and tickle her in revenge. Brooke’s resulting screech is enough to spur Vanessa on, tickling her sides until she’s yelling out for mercy.

Brooke giggles, turning to lie on her side as her hair brushes against the daffodils peeking out between the grass. “What a welcome, huh?”

“You’re ridiculous.” Vanessa snorts, pretending to roll her eyes except that something makes her breath hitch in her throat.

Maybe it’s the way Brooke’s smiling at her. Maybe it’s how close the two of them are laying to each other, close enough that the hand of Brooke’s that is trailing along the grass would be able to reach Vanessa.

“How was your day?” Brooke’s voice is soft now that they’re resting on their sides, her eyes kind and open and waiting, and Vanessa wants to scoot closer to her.

She thinks of Willow and Tara, the way they were friends and hung out together and then they kissed and-

No, she can’t think of kissing Brooke, because they’re not like that, they can’t do that, and-

“Nessa?”

“Huh? What?” Vanessa lets out a breath, and Brooke’s staring at her with her brow furrowing in concern and she has to calm her beating heart, because Brooke’s going to think that something’s up.

But nothing is up, not at all. It can’t be.

They’re Vanessa and Brooke, that’s it. Nothing more.

She tries to take the butterflies that are rising up in her chest and tuck them into a little box, push them away into a corner of her mind that she can think about later. Because she doesn’t want Brooke to think she’s acting weird, because she’s not , but she also can’t focus on thoughts like those right now, not when they leave her unable to think of anything else.

Part of Vanessa feels guilty, for thinking of Brooke like that. Imagining what it would be like to kiss her, wrapping her arms around Brooke’s waist and maybe tucking her hair behind her ear. It doesn’t feel wrong, per se, but would Brooke be disgusted and hate her for it? Would she not want to hang out with Vanessa anymore as a result?

Vanessa needs to get a grip. Even if her best friend is as beautiful as always and her lips look soft, if she were to kiss them.

But she needs to stop.

She closes the box on the butterflies, trying to clear her brain and focus on telling Brooke about how she almost got caught passing notes to Kiki in science today.

Vanessa is fifteen and the only one out of her friends who hasn’t had her first kiss, and she can’t help but feel a little behind.

It’s Monique’s birthday and she’s invited them all over but also some of the boys, too, and Kiki and Silky are hell bent on getting Vanessa to have her first kiss tonight.

Not that she wants it, really. Not with any of these guys.

“We’re playing spin the bottle, c’mon Vanj!” Silky drums on Vanessa’s shoulders before grabbing her hand, dragging her to the circle that their friends are beginning to form on the floor.

“I really don’t know if-”

“C’mon, it’ll be fun.” Kiki’s wiggling her eyebrows and Vanessa knows it’s because she’s gunning to kiss Marcus, after having a crush on him for the entire term.

The bottle on the floor makes Vanessa wrinkle her nose every time it gets close to landing on her, though it’s entertaining to watch her friends go at it. Monique and Monet screech for approximately five minutes before kissing each other on the cheek, while Silky kisses Kiki’s crush and makes her sulk for the next twenty minutes until she gets a turn, too. It’s actually kind of fun, until the bottle lands on a boy named Sebastian and then the bottle gets spun again and it lands on…her.

Monique lets out an ooooh and Silky is cheering and the rest of the boys are clapping Sebastian on the back and Vanessa wants to sink into the floor. When she looks at Sebastian’s face, he’s looking a little apologetic and like he doesn’t want to be here, either.

Vanessa had always expected her first kiss to be a magical moment. One where there’s butterflies in her stomach and her head feels all floaty, but this?

This feels a little silly.

The kiss is over in two seconds, and at least Sebastian’s lips don’t feel that gross, but Vanessa can still taste the Mountain Dew that he’s just had a swig from. She shrugs when she sits down again in between Silky and Kiki, making a face when they start to wiggle their eyebrows because really, this can’t be what they’ve all been hyping up for so long.

A tiny part of Vanessa knows, deep down, that she isn’t interested in boys like Sebastian. Though there must be some boy out there that will give her butterflies.

There’s gotta be, right?

Vanessa tells Brooke about it that night in their dream, when they’re on a faraway planet and there’s flying cats in the sky.

“It just felt like we were smashing our faces together.” Vanessa doesn’t intend for her words to come out so grumpy as she reaches out to pet one of the animals, but Brooke cracks up beside her nonetheless.

“That’s pretty much exactly what you were doing.” Brooke plucks one of the kittens out of the sky, cuddling it in her arms and the sight really shouldn’t be as adorable as it is. “Pressing your lips together. Wrestling with your tongues.”

Vanessa shrieks, shaking her head as hard as she can. “Ew! First of all, we did not do that. Second, I think I would barf.”

She doesn’t want to imagine doing that with Sebastian. Gross. No offense to him, but Vanessa’s going to leave him for that girl in their English class who never stops staring at him when they’re all reading Shakespeare out loud as a group.

Brooke shrugs. “I mean, it doesn’t seem all that bad. Some people look like they actually like it.”

“That’s true. Kiki made out with Marcus for like five minutes straight before we had to pull them apart.” Vanessa snorts, shaking her head. “I bet they’ll end up dating in a week or two.”

“I guess it’s fun when it’s with the right person.” Brooke’s voice is uncharacteristically soft, and it makes Vanessa’s gaze linger on her for a second more than usual, and the familiar flip flop in her chest starts to rise again, the feeling that she’s normally so good at pushing away to think about at a later time.

Vanessa wouldn’t say that it’s a crush. It’s not. Because Brooke is her best friend, and she can’t have a crush on her best friend. She’s known Brooke since their dreams consisted of eating cotton candy and talking about their elementary school problems, and it’s not right. She can’t like Brooke that way.

Maybe if Vanessa tells herself that enough, her heart will start to believe it, too.

“Have you had a kiss like that before?”

Vanessa’s a sucker for punishment, because she can’t help herself from asking. Not when there’s a chance that maybe Brooke has, maybe she even has a crush on someone in her life. But she’d tell Vanessa if she did, right?

“Me? Nah.” Brooke shrugs, letting go of the cat in her arms so that it can climb onto a nearby tree branch. “I’ve only kissed two boys and both were…”

Vanessa leans in closer, raising an eyebrow when Brooke trails off. “Both were what?”

“Mediocre? Not that great? I don’t know.”

“I guess they weren’t the right ones, then.” Vanessa mumbles, because what else can she say, really?

She can’t say how much she really wants to kiss Brooke. How she wants to see if the butterflies in her stomach will increase tenfold if she did. If wrapping her arms around Brooke is going to make her feel giddy inside.

Vanessa feels like she’s speaking in code, having to disguise the subtext that threatens to spill out and it’s hard, because part of her just wants to blurt it out, let it be known but the other half of her is terrified. Because telling Brooke how she feels could maybe ruin their friendship, all of their memories and their dreams and how does she even know that Brooke feels the same way? Maybe Brooke would be uncomfortable, not even know how to properly reject her and then it would make their dreams awkward and Brooke would have to avoid her for the rest of their lives?

It’s too much of a risk, no matter how much Vanessa’s heart is aching for it.

Vanessa’s sixteen and has just gotten her learner’s permit and she’s excited to tell Brooke about it.

Except that Brooke’s news is bigger.

Brooke has a boyfriend.

It’s okay, it really is, because Brooke is happy and telling her about their first date and about how they saw a movie and how he kissed her cheek when he dropped her off at the end.

“His name is Paul.” Brooke says, and Vanessa sincerely hopes that she is imagining the dreamy look that’s taking over her face.

What kind of name is Paul, anyway? It sounds like the name of a middle-aged man who’s an accountant and plays golf every weekend before coming home to his wife, Susan, and their two kids.

Paul sounds stupid.

“That’s nice.”

Vanessa doesn’t mean to sound so glum, and she tries to plaster an encouraging smile on her face, because good for Brooke, really. She hasn’t dated anyone before and maybe she’s happy in this new relationship and that’s a good thing, right? At least Brooke is happy.

Doesn’t mean Vanessa is any less grumpy about it, though. And the shitty thing is that she can’t even explain why, not to her mom or to Kiki and Silky because how can she even explain Brooke without sounding like a lunatic? Her mom still thinks that Brooke is her imaginary friend from childhood, and Vanessa knows that telling her friends that her best friend lives in her dreams is not exactly going to be believable.

So all she can do is sulk to herself.

It’s annoying, though, seeing all the happy couples in the cafeteria holding hands and even Kiki texting Marcus all the time, because it feels like Vanessa just can’t get away from it. It’s nauseating, especially when the couples kiss against the lockers and Vanessa has to see tongue and honestly? She hates romance.

Well, that’s a lie, because Vanessa’s watched Titanic approximately forty seven times, but when it comes to real life and something she’ll never be able to have? Romance can suck it.

Vanessa tries not to think about Paul when Marcus buys Kiki’s lunch for her, and when the girls at the table beside theirs in the cafeteria start talking about their weekend plans with their boyfriends. The fact that Paul gets to do all of it with Brooke?

It sucks.

Maybe if Vanessa had said something to Brooke earlier, mentioned the fact that hey, she has a big fat crush which is getting more and more impossible to ignore, maybe Paul wouldn’t be in the picture. Maybe Brooke would be interested in Vanessa, too, and want to date her.

Or maybe Brooke would be understandably freaked out and never want to hang out with her or be her friend anymore. Could go either way.

Vanessa knows that the risk is too high, that she can��t lose her friendship with Brooke because it’s the most important thing in the world, but this alternative? Watching as Brooke dates other people and lives her best life while being hopelessly single and across the continent? It’s hard. Real freaking hard.

The end of the day is almost a blessing, because at least it’s Friday and Vanessa can sulk at home for two days, free of the nauseating couples that line the hallways and away from the faux sympathetic looks from Kiki and Silky when they tell her that she’ll find a boyfriend, too, she’ll see. The slam of her locker before as she hoists her backpack over her shoulder is cathartic, the noise barely heard over the noise filling the corridor.

The expectant face on the other side of the locker door, though, nearly makes Vanessa jump out of her skin.

“What the fuck?”

Sebastian’s expression goes from charming to apologetic, his face sheepish as he scratches the back of his head. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

“What do you want?” Vanessa really doesn’t care what Sebastian has to say, not when her couch is waiting for her with a bag of Cheetos and Gilmore Girls reruns.

But Sebastian is undeterred, keeping pace with Vanessa as she pushes through the hallway. “So. The spin the bottle kiss.”

Vanessa stops, nearly bumping into him. Cold dread sinks down onto her shoulders as possibilities for what Sebastian’s about to say circle through her mind. Does he want to date her? Is he going to say that he wants to kiss her again? Worst of all, is he going to say that she’s a bad kisser?

She’s only kissed one person so far, but she hopes that she isn’t.

“We did some great teamwork there.” Sebastian shoots finger guns, actual finger guns at her and Vanessa snorts, starting to walk once more.

“I’m not interested in repeating that performance.”

Though Sebastian’s reply is quick. “Not what I’m here to ask.”

“Oh?” It’s enough to make Vanessa stop again, and let Sebastian catch up with her.

“Listen. My friends won’t stop trying to set me up with people. Doesn’t matter if I tell them I’m not interested right now. They just want us all to have girlfriends and don’t really care that I don’t.”

Vanessa raises an eyebrow. “How is that my problem?”

“You telling me your friends aren’t doing the same thing?” Sebastian asks, and Vanessa sighs, because he’s right. “I know you’re not interested in me, which is great. I’m not interested in you either.”

“Okay?” Vanessa’s about to walk again again, because the conversation truly feels as if it’s going nowhere.

“It’s easy to see that you’re watching the cheerleaders rather than the football players on game nights.” Sebastian continues, and Vanessa freezes, because what?

“I am not!” So maybe Vanessa crosses her arms a little too soon, and her voice is a bit indignant, because Sebastian’s shooting her a look and how the fuck does he even know? “Does anyone else know?”

Sebastian shrugs. “Not my secret to tell, that’s yours. I got shit to hide too. But one way we can both keep things under wraps for a little while longer? Working together.”

“What does that even mean?” Vanessa can feel her cheeks heat up, because the fact that Sebastian can tell, the fact that he knows means that maybe others can tell and what if they already know and-

“We pretend to date. No funny business, promise. I don’t want that either. But then my friends won’t bother me about getting a girlfriend and your friends won’t bother you about a boyfriend, and we can look straighter than the meter stick in Mrs. Sanchez’s math room.” Sebastian shrugs. “Think about it. Let me know. And don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone. As long as you don’t either.”

Sebastian’s a good twenty yards away from her before Vanessa’s able to move her legs from where they’re rooted to the spot, her grip on her backpack straps a little sweaty. The pounding of her heart only spurs her thoughts faster, because Sebastian knows. Someone in her school knows that she’s not straight, and she hasn’t even told anyone on purpose yet.

Fuck.

But Sebastian had said that he has something to hide, too. Does that mean…he’s not straight, either?

Vanessa’s still not sure if she wants to do it, though. Pretend to date someone for the sake of their friends. How will it even work, anyway? Will they have to hold hands and do fake PDA and will Vanessa have to pretend to be obsessed with him?

She’s torn about it that evening, throwing the options back and forth because maybe it could be good, having a fake boyfriend. Not having to worry about anyone bothering her about dating someone.

It could also keep people from realizing that she’s…

Well. Realizing exactly what Sebastian has realized about her.

But if she does say yes, it’ll be a true test of her acting abilities. Trying not to roll her eyes every five minutes when they have to pretend to be as nauseatingly adorable as the rest of the couples in their grade.

Vanessa’s dream that night is in her kitchen, of all places, flipping pancakes at the stove while Brooke cuts up fruit and arranges it on their plates in the shape of smiley faces. Maybe she should tell Brooke about what Sebastian’s proposed. Maybe she’ll get a kick out of it.

“So Paul wants to take me to the fair this weekend, y’know, those ones with the ferris wheel and those games that you play to win prizes. He said he’ll win me one of the giant stuffed animals.”

Gross.

In that instant, Vanessa’s decided what she wants to do. What she’s going to say to Sebastian.

“That’ll be fun. Speaking of boys,” Vanessa keeps her tone light as she piles another pancake on the stack beside her, before pouring more batter into the pan, “guess who has a boyfriend?”

The way Brooke’s jaw goes slack almost makes it worth it. “What? Who?”

Vanessa shrugs, trying to contain the satisfaction rising in her chest because Brooke looks like she’s about to combust. “Sebastian wore me down.”

“I thought you said the spin the bottle kiss wasn’t that great?” Brooke’s tone is suspicious and Vanessa makes a noncommittal noise, as if Brooke isn’t absolutely right.  

“Gotta say, the butterflies are definitely there when we kiss now.” It’s a lie, a bold-faced lie, and Vanessa knows it.

Brooke’s nose wrinkles as if she’s smelled something terrible. “Really?”

“Really.” Not really, but Brooke doesn’t need to know that. “I get why you’re so excited about Paul now.”

Brooke pauses, and it seems as if Vanessa’s truly left her speechless. Excellent.

Now Vanessa has the chance to really put the icing on the cake. “Imagine if we lived closer to each other. We could double date!”

Brooke turns positively green. “Yeah, I guess we could.”

The pancakes they eat in the dream are truly delicious, something Vanessa wishes she could have the next morning for breakfast when she wakes up. Except that the satisfaction of the dream fades, a little, as she tries to think about what everything actually means.

Sure, Vanessa’s doing exactly what Brooke’s doing. Not exactly, because she’s not really dating Sebastian, but now she doesn’t have to feel weird when Brooke starts waxing on about Paul, because then she can bring up Sebastian.

Which leads her to another factor - Brooke’s reaction. Brooke had looked stricken at the news, rather than happy for her, the way Vanessa was trying to be when Brooke had told her about Paul. Vanessa had hidden her true feelings.

Does it mean something that Brooke couldn’t? What does the reaction she had even mean?

If Brooke is jealous the way that Vanessa knows that she herself is, then she wouldn’t be straight up dating a guy. She wouldn’t already have a boyfriend. Except that Brooke does, which means that she likes Paul. Not Vanessa.

Maybe Brooke just thinks that Vanessa can do better, which she’d be right about. The only problem is, the only ‘better’ that Vanessa wants is Brooke.

Vanessa really enjoys making things harder for herself, she truly does.

Vanessa’s only sixteen, but the weird vibes between her and Brooke make her feel as if she’s aged a few decades in the last week or so.

It’s mostly fine and dandy. The two of them are still exploring and having adventures and doing the fun things in their dreams that they always do, but then Brooke mentions Paul, and Vanessa mentions Sebastian, and Brooke gets all short and snippy and none of it really makes sense at all.

If Vanessa’s being honest, she doesn’t mind spending time with Sebastian. He likes watching The Bachelorette too and is always ready to talk about it with her, and tells her about his best friend’s brother who he may or may not have a crush on but can’t do anything about.

Vanessa tells him a little bit about Brooke, too. She keeps it vague at first, mentioning Brooke as a friend of hers who doesn’t live in their city anymore, but then it just slips out when Vanessa accidentally mentions a dream where they explored a jungle. But Sebastian surprisingly takes it in stride.

“That’s totally out of a movie. Damn. I want a dream boyfriend. My dreams usually just consist of me being unable to find my clothes in the morning and having to come to school in my boxers.” Sebastian makes a face. “Never that well received in the dream.”

Vanessa can’t even laugh at his statement, not when Sebastian is munching on his fries as if the information doesn’t surprise him at all. “Wait. You actually believe me? You don’t think I’m lying?”

Sebastian shrugs. “I dunno, seems like it would be a weird thing to lie about. So it’s gotta be true. Also I want it to be true and I want a dream soulmate, so there’s that. Now tell me about more of your dreams.”

It’s nice, having a friend that Vanessa can talk about it with. She tells him about the dreams from when they were kids and how they’ve changed but also stayed the same as they’ve grown older. She shows him the pictures that they’d taken on Brooke’s disposable camera back when Brooke had come for her competition, the ones that she keeps in her school binder so that she doesn’t ever lose them.  

Sebastian lets out a whistle. “Geez. You gotta move to Canada or something and be with her. Even if our fake relationship ends? That’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.”

Vanessa snorts. “So noble. I can’t date her, though.”

“What?! Why?” Sebastian almost looks offended, and Vanessa has to hold back a sigh.

“‘Cause she has a boyfriend. Named Paul.”

“Gross, what is he, an insurance salesman?” Sebastian makes a face and Vanessa nods frantically because dang, he gets it.

“I’m saying! But ‘cause of that, we ain’t together. Also ‘cause she doesn’t like me like that.”

Vanessa doesn’t mean to sound so glum as she says it, but the truth of it feels like a brick in her stomach. There’s always been a tiny part of her that hopes, wants Brooke to feel the same way. The part of her that wonders if there’s a reason that Brooke always grabs her hand, and if Brooke looks at all of her friends with such a soft expression.

But Brooke has a boyfriend, so she can’t like Vanessa, and it’s something that Vanessa has to come to terms with, no matter how much she doesn’t want to.

“Maybe Paul is her beard, too.” Sebastian snickers. “Maybe both of you are playing chicken.”

Vanessa scoffs. “Why does she rave about him, then?”

“What, you don’t rave about me? I’m hurt.” Sebastian pretends to pout, and Vanessa rolls her eyes.

“You wish.”

Brooke is acting differently though, and it’s something that Vanessa can’t deny anymore. Not when she stops bringing up Paul, which is a nice reprieve in itself, but Vanessa becomes more hesitant to bring up Sebastian, too, even when he ate an entire hot dog in two bites at lunch which in Vanessa’s opinion was absolutely hilarious. But some things don’t seem worth sharing, not when they’ll make Brooke huff, and it feels easier to just enjoy her time with Brooke in their dreams focused on just the two of them.

Vanessa is confused one night, though when Brooke is on edge as soon as she reaches their dream, not even paying attention to the giant flowers that seem to be growing from the sky.

“What’s got you all grumpy?” Vanessa tries to climb the stem of the flower above her, swinging herself up onto one of the giant leaves.

Brooke scoffs from her position on the ground, not even trying to climb the stems even though her height would definitely make it easier for her. “I’m not grumpy. What would make me grumpy?”

“You look mighty grumpy to me from up here, all huffing and puffing and crossing your arms as if you’re…wait for it…grumpy.”

Vanessa knows she’s pushing Brooke’s buttons - after all, knowing Brooke for most of her life means that she knows exactly how to do it, too. Brooke’s quick to set off today, though, already beginning to scowl.

“I broke up with Paul.”

The five words made Vanessa’s brain stop working for approximately half a second, the gears coming to a halt. “Wait, you did what?”

“I just said it. I broke up with him.” Brooke looks everywhere except towards her, turning her gaze towards the flowers as if she hasn’t dropped the biggest bombshell possible.

Brooke’s not with Paul anymore. She’s not dating a boy whose name is the equivalent of a paperclip. What’s more, she broke up with him , which has to mean something, right? Except….why?

“But why? I thought you liked him.” Vanessa can’t help it, it’s a genuine question because Brooke seemed happy and seemed to like their stupid dates. What possible reason would she have to break up with Paul?

Why doesn’t she want the guy with the world’s most boring name to date her anymore?

Brooke’a still not looking at her, instead paying attention to the soil underneath her feet. “I don’t know, I just did.”

“That’s not a reason.”

“Why does everything have to have a reason? I can’t get tired of being tied down to a guy?” Brooke starts to climb the stem of the flower next to the one Vanessa’s on, her attention directed towards reaching for the giant leaves.

Tied down. Interesting. Vanessa’s never heard that from Brooke before. She’s seemed weirdly happy with Paul the entire time. But hey, maybe she hasn’t been. What does Vanessa know about their relationship, anyway, when she tries her best to tune it out?

“Is that it? You don’t want to be chained to someone, even if it’s Paul?” Vanessa raises an eyebrow, because the explanation sounds flimsy once she says it out loud.

“Since when do you care about Paul?”

The question makes Vanessa wrinkle her nose. She most definitely does not, although Brooke doesn’t know that. “Just curious. And you’re being weirdly touchy about it.”

Brooke’s not necessarily an open book of a person, but she’s always been willing to share her pages with Vanessa, talking about her hopes and dreams and all the little details of her life that Vanessa feels privileged to hear. It’s nice, to have a sense of familiarity with someone who just gets it because they always have, because they’ve been around for everything since the beginning. Vanessa feels like she barely keeps anything from Brooke because there’s no reason to, and that Brooke’s the same. Except now, it’s like the two of them are on opposite ends of a river that Vanessa doesn’t exactly know how to cross.

“I’m not touchy.” Brooke’s huff and crossing of her arms reminds Vanessa of when they were younger, back in grade school, and has to resist the urge to roll her eyes.

But she drops it, because maybe it doesn’t mean anything. Maybe it’ll come out with time when Brooke is done being pissed about it.

“Whatever you say, grumpy pants.”

Vanessa brings it up to Sebastian when they’re studying in the library one day, whispering over their calculus questions that Vanessa’s only gotten a quarter of the way through.

“Brooke broke up with him. But she didn’t tell me why, even though she seemed weirdly happy dating him. None of this makes sense.” Vanessa drops her head onto her notebook but her brain continues to spin because everything is too confusing when it comes to Brooke.

Sebastian, though, looks at her as if she has two heads. “Doesn’t make sense? It makes perfect sense.”

“How?”

“It’s because Brooke likes you. You said she gets annoyed if you talk about me, right?” Sebastian asks, his fingers tapping on the table with excitement.

Vanessa raises an eyebrow. “Yeah, so?”

“She’s jealous. It’s so clear.” Sebastian says it as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world. “She thinks that we’re dating, ‘cause she has no idea that there’s a million people I’d rather date first-”

“Bitch, me too, you ain’t special-”

“-And now she’s stuck between a rock and a hard place ‘cause she’s realizing that Peter isn’t all that and that she would rather be with you, except now you’re taken.” Sebastian claps his hands together, grinning. “My god. This drama is the best thing that’s happened all term.”

Vanessa scoffs. “There’s no drama. It’s just your overactive imagination coming up with a story. There’s no proof Brooke even likes me like that.”

“Okay, I haven’t been in your dreams and even I know that that’s full of shit.” Sebastian rubs his temples, closing his eyes before continuing. “Who else has saved your life a million times and in a million different scenarios?”

“Those were during dreams, it doesn’t count-”

“Who else grabs your hand and plays with your hair and kisses your forehead, which, by the way, sounds nauseating?”

“Okay, she does that, yeah, but she could just be doing that as a friend.” Vanessa squeaks out the words because Sebastian looks like he’s about to lose his mind.

“Jesus Christ. I’m infiltrating the next dream and just making you two kiss already.”

Sebastian’s convinced of his words and Vanessa wants to believe them, she really does. There’s nothing she wants more for Brooke to like her, too, for Brooke to feel the same way. Except…what if Brooke doesn’t? What if Vanessa saying something to her makes everything fall to pieces because Brooke is on a completely different wavelength, and finds it weird that Vanessa likes her and never wants to see her again, and-

Vanessa can’t lose Brooke. She can’t.

She needs to wait for more proof.

Vanessa’s turning seventeen tomorrow but she doesn’t feel grown up, not quite yet.

She can drive and she’s starting college next year but she still can’t vote, and she’s technically not an adult for another year. But still, there’s a certain feeling to seventeen. Maybe because it’s the year of being a dancing queen, maybe because it’s one step closer to eighteen. But so far, Vanessa’s a fan of it.

Brooke’s arranged their dream for the night with everything Vanessa likes for her birthday, from life sized Pokémon and a herd of fluffy cats and even conjuring up a dream Rihanna to put on a private concert just for her. Brooke wraps her arms around her as they watch, her chin against Vanessa’s head and Vanessa’s never felt so safe and warm and happy.

“Thank you.” Vanessa mumbles the words, turning around so that she can hug Brooke, bury her face against her.

Brooke kisses the top of Vanessa’s head, squeezes her a little bit tighter. “Anything for you. Not sure if it tops all the magical creatures we met during the dream on my birthday, though. You killed that one.”

“You’re very easy to plan a birthday surprise for. You cry at seeing literally any animal ever.” Vanessa grins, starting to giggle when Brooke flushes crimson.

“They’re all so cute! I can’t help it.”

“You’re cute.”

“Nah, you.”

It’s wild to Vanessa, how easily the words fall from both of their lips. Vanessa still hasn’t said anything to Brooke about wanting anything more because she doesn’t want to ruin anything, but it’s easy to avoid the topic and just hold her hand instead. Brooke allows it, seeking it out herself. She tells Vanessa how much she means to her, as if it’s normal best friend behaviour. Between the two of them? It certainly is. And it’s driving Vanessa crazy.

The dream that night feels like it goes by faster than normal, and maybe it’s because Vanessa doesn’t ever want time like this with Brooke to end. It’s nice to pretend for a little, that maybe they’re together and that’s why they’re holding hands and close to each other, even though she knows the truth. Being on the receiving end of Brooke’s soft gazes is something that Vanessa’s never going to tire of, not when they make her feel so loved.

Vanessa wants to pet the Pokémon before the dream ends and she wakes up but she feels a tug on her hand, and Brooke’s pulling her close before she has a chance to walk away.

“What?”

Vanessa usually prides herself on being able to read Brooke and figure out what she’s going to say before she says it, but right now she’s not so sure. Brooke looks like she’s holding something back, her eyes wide and her breath caught in her throat, and she’s still as beautiful as ever. Vanessa never wants to look away.

“I…” Brooke trails off, biting her lip, and Vanessa takes a slight step forward, as if it’ll make Brooke spit out what she wants to say. “Are you happy?”

What? That’s what Brooke’s asking her?

“Right now, in this dream? I just met Rihanna and we dreamed up some life sized Pokémon, ‘course I’m happy.” Brooke knows what she loves and fiddled with the dream for her birthday, and Vanessa doesn’t want to wake up from it. She’s plenty happy.

Brooke shakes her head, her grip tightening on Vanessa’s hand. “No, not right now. In general. With…Sebastian. With him. Are you happy with him?”

Vanessa can feel her own heart pounding against her ribcage, threatening to escape, and she tucks a lock of hair behind her ear as if it’ll calm her down. “Plenty happy. He’s fun.”

As a friend. He’s fun as a friend who wants nothing more than for her to get together with Brooke. But how does Vanessa tell her that?

“Oh.” Brooke almost seems to deflate, her grip loosening and Vanessa can see the way her expression drops. “Okay.”

Except this is not the way things are supposed to be, she’s not even with Sebastian but Brooke doesn’t know that and she looks like she’s about to pull away. So Vanessa squeezes her hand once, twice, until Brooke’s looking back up at her and she has to ask, she has to know. “Why did you break up with Paul?”

“Ness-”

“Tell me this time.”

It’s hard for Vanessa to keep herself from pleading, because she doesn’t want to put herself and their friendship on the line until she’s absolutely sure and there’s no chance for her to be interpreting this wrong.

She needs proof.

“You already know.” Brooke whispers as she says it, not looking at her but rather at the grass beneath them and Vanessa wants to scream.

“I don’t, I really don’t know ‘cause we keep dancing around it and you know that-”

And just like that, Vanessa’s train of thought stops.

Because Brooke is kissing her, Brooke has her face cradled in her hands and she’s kissing her.  

And it’s more than she felt the one time that she kissed Sebastian during spin the bottle. It’s the butterflies that only Brooke can give her but they’re tenfold, about to take flight in her stomach and give her wings of her own because it’s too much, it’s too perfect.

Vanessa goes on her tiptoes so that she can get even closer to Brooke, wrapping her arms around her neck and she gasps into the kiss when Brooke’s arm brackets her waist, because she knows now.

And it’s everything.

When they break the kiss, Brooke’s eyes are wide and her cheeks are pink and her chest is heaving because they’re both trying to catch their breath, and Vanessa can’t stop looking at her. Because Brooke is hers, her person and her soulmate and maybe not just her best friend and Vanessa never wants to have to let her go.

“I know you’re happy with Sebastian, and that’s cool and I’m sorry for kissing you when you’re dating someone else but I had to, and you need to know because I really like you, Ness, I like you more than I can say and our dreams are my favourite part of the day because I get to see you and I hope this doesn’t ruin anything but I couldn’t hold back any longer because it’s torture-”

Vanessa’s the one to kiss Brooke this time, pulling her face close and trying to convey everything that she can’t say with words. When they pull apart she smiles, and Brooke is smiling back and not looking so anxious and maybe, the knots in Vanessa’s chest are undoing themselves, too.

“Sebastian and I aren’t dating.”

The words hang in the air for two, three seconds while Brooke’s brows furrow together. Vanessa can almost see the gears turning in Brooke’s brain and it makes her want to laugh.

“Wait, what?”

“See, having a significant other means that neither of our friends suspect anything. Y’know, the fact that I like girls and he likes guys, and that I actually have a crush on my best friend. Who lives in a different country.”

Vanessa’s heart picks up speed because it’s the first time that she’s said those words out loud, that she likes girls and she’s said them to Brooke, and she’s said that she has a crush on her, and shit. Her mouth really does go faster than her brain. Except Brooke’s sucking a breath in, and there’s a sparkle in her eyes that has to mean that things are going to be okay even though she’s said too much.

“You do?” Brooke’s voice is laced with hope and wonder and part of Vanessa is amazed that Brooke is surprised by it. That she hasn’t already known.

“Wait.” Brooke makes a face, her bottom lip protruding slightly in a frown. “Why didn’t you tell me that you guys weren’t dating?”

“Well, you were dating Paul! What was I supposed to do?” Vanessa huffs, frowning a little when it makes Brooke giggle.

“I didn’t like him that much, anyway. Every time I kissed him, I just pictured you.” Brooke’s tone is sheepish but Vanessa can feel her cheeks warming up.

Brooke’s thought about kissing her, too.

Brooke likes her.

Brooke actually likes her.

“Now you can kiss me for real.” Vanessa grins, and she feels like she’s about to lift off the ground and take flight because she can actually say these words to Brooke now. Because now she knows, has the proof.

Except that Brooke’s wiggling her eyebrows as she grins right back. “Is that your way of asking me for another kiss?”

“Two minutes into me saying I like you and you already have a big head about it-”

When Brooke kisses her, it feels right. Brooke’s arms are home, in the way that she holds her close and the warmth that radiates off of her as both of their hearts beat faster and faster. Vanessa never wants to come up for air because it means that they have to separate, even just for a second, when all she wants is to have Brooke in her grasp forever and ever.

Vanessa’s pulled from the dream in the middle of the kiss when her alarm blares like a siren and she’s not in Brooke’s arms anymore, her hands aren’t in Brooke’s hair but in reality it’s a Thursday morning at seven a.m. and she has school today and now she’s finally seventeen.

Her phone buzzes, and the message makes her face break out into a smile.

Brooke: Happy birthday. Miss you already.  

It’s followed by a picture of Brooke in her pyjamas blowing a kiss towards the camera, and Vanessa gets it, the meaning of a soulmate.

For her, it’s a girl in Toronto that knows her better than anyone else in the world ever could.

[httphopewrld]

netflix and chill | (f)

Surprisingly, some people don’t understand some modern code words. Sadly, you were one of them. 

 Pairing: boyfriend!namjoon x reader

Rating: no rating! welp, if you don’t like swearing, then skip over them, or skip over the fic

Genre: Fluff, no smut

Warnings: a couple of swears?

Word count:1k+

⊱ ────── {.⋅ ✯ ⋅.} ────── ⊰

Ever since Namjoon got into BTS, you both have changed- for the better? 

 To be honest, you were happy for him- of course, you were. Your long-term boyfriend had been training for God knows how long, and he finally achieved his goal. The members became his brothers, and he loved his fans with all his heart- possibly the only thing he hasn't broken.

 There was always this pit in your stomach, though. His practices were frequent, recordings for their album became a priority; and soon, your apartment for two became an apartment for one. 

 Both of you kept in contact. His personality could cheer you up on any day, and vice versa. You still called him your boyfriend, and he still called you his girlfriend. You see each other every week, at least once, and you were okay with that- because you knew he was trying his best.

 Then one week was skipped, after another. Not only was success becoming more frequent in Namjoon's life, but you had been accepted into your dream University. 

 Soon you both only exchanged texts and short calls.

   You heard Namjoon choke on water through the phone, "Pardon me?" And the sound of glass breaking in the background.

 People found it impossible, but somehow you had missed the meaning behind, 'Netflix and Chill'. It was practically everywhere in modern society: shirts, texts, phone calls, and the internet. To you, this saying was taken literally, and not as a sexual code.

 "I said: 'Netflix and Chill'. How many times do I have to say it?" You huffed annoyingly. "I haven't seen you in so long. Just come over as soon as possible, okay?" 

 "Y-Yeah. Sure." He replied with a slight crack to his tone. 

 You rolled your eyes and yawned. "Anyways-- I'll see you later." 

 "See you~" Namjoon chimed before hanging up.

 You stared at your phone for a few minutes. 

 What the hell is the matter with Joonie?

 You shook your head and placed a bag of popcorn in the microwave.

 . 

.

 You could feel the bursts of glances burn into your neck. Namjoon was clearly worried about something. He wasn't touching the popcorn on the coffee table, or the lychee drink you poured for the two of you. He was too busy biting his lip, twiddling his thumbs, or nervously glancing at the side of your face. 

 Before the silent war of anxious body language started, both of you decided on the movie “Kiki’s Delivery Service” from Ghibli Studios. You both liked the cute plot, and how aesthetically pleasing the scenery was. 

 Namjoon was chatty at first, answering all the question you asked about his band and whatnot. He even asked how your life was going, and how your studies were coming along. His deep tone made you feel like Jello- with comfort.

 Now, that you guys were halfway through the movie, he seemed stiff. His arms were tightly placed on his thighs, and his chest stuck out- like he was overdoing his posture. He ran distressed hands through his brown hair. 

 He cleared his throat and shifted in his seat. His eyes followed your every movement: the way you ate the popcorn, or how you giggled or commentated on the movie. 

 "Y/N--" 

 "Yes?" You turned your head expecting to hear the reason behind him calling your name. But all you felt were lips on yours. 

 Shock froze your body in place. Namjoon seemed to be too into the moment, from his lip moving against yours, and the hands grazing your thighs. 

 Is this what he wanted this whole time? Is this why he was so nervous? B-Because he wanted to--

 "N-No." You placed your hands on his chest. 

 His lips hovered over yours. You could feel his eyelashes on your cheekbones. He slowly backed away without any words. 

 "Sorry." He mumbled with embarrassment, rubbing the back of his neck. 

 "I- I don't think we're ready for this yet." You replied, looking at your lap.

 You threw your hands over your face. Your cheeks burned as the silence stretched on.

 "Do you know what, 'Netflix and Chill' mean?" Namjoon tried to look between your fingers, scanning your face. 

 "To hang out and watch Netflix?" His jaw was practically on the ground by the end of your sentence. He cleared his throat and closed his mouth. 

 "Ah, fuck." Namjoon rubbed his temples, "What am I going to do with you?" 

 "What does it mean?" You looked worriedly into his eyes, fear growing inside you. 

 This wasn't the first time you have used this phrase. You've asked your friends and family this question at least once, before. Why didn't you catch it? Their awkward chuckles, and hesitant replies. What made this saying so unique, that it made people feel uncomfortable?

 "To put it out bluntly--" Namjoon pressed his index fingers onto his lips, "It's a code to make out, or have sex." 

 You leaped away from him, "WHAT!" 

 "You know... Have the tv on... Block the noises of--" 

 "I get it!" You covered his mouth before he could continue any further. 

 You replayed all the encounters, using this phrase. You shook your head in disbelief.

 "It's not that bad." He gave you an unreliable grin, shrugging. 

 "I'm fucked! You don't know how many people I have said that too!" You rested a hand on your forehead. "That's why Yoongi ignored me for two months." 

 Namjoon laughed. 

 Yes, it was funny. Ha, it was hilarious.

 "What about we forget this ever happened. We can finish this amazing movie," He put his arm around your shoulders, pulling you into his chest, "and then we can transfer you into a different school." 

 "Joonie!" 

 "I'm just saying..." Namjoon pouted, leaning his head onto yours.

[elleberquist6]

Believe in Me - chapter seven

Summary: Dan Howell is living at home while he’s saving money for college, which isn’t easy since his parents don’t understand him. Unlike them, he loves dogs, is a vegetarian, has no interest in the family business, and he despises the supernatural. He struggles to accept things that are illogical, even though he is a kitsune. Kitsune are foxes whose powers involve the ability to cast illusions, but Dan just wants to be normal. Phil Lester has just moved to London, where he works as a dog walker. When his path crosses with Dan, Phil is eager to get to know him. Unfortunately, Phil soon finds that being friends with Dan is far more complicated than he could have imagined.

Rating: Mature Word Count: 1854 Warnings: Slow Burn, Eventual Smut

—

Kitsune fact: Kitsune are notorious for seeing a weakness in someone, and aggravating the weakness, until others see it. To those who are 'immoral', they tend to 'help', making the person more immoral, or guiding the person down the path of self-destruction. To the ones they consider 'moral', they become friendly, and helpful, though they may still play a trick, or show a small flaw in the person, to teach them humility. [https://littlespacefox.weebly.com/kitsune-mythology.html]

        Dan decided to take his grandma’s advice, and he texted Phil, hey do me a favor and tell me if adam shows up again

Phil texted back almost immediately, Sure, but are you okay? Do you need to talk?

Dan wasn’t surprised by Phil’s concern after the way he had broken down the last time they discussed Adam. This wasn’t something he could easily explain in a text – his relationship with his brother was far too complicated for that. His feelings for Adam weren’t even simple enough to be summed up by one word, fondness or loathing. He felt something in between the two, and more than anything he missed the person his brother once was, way back when they were kids. Also, he regretted the fact that his brother would never get a chance to be that person again, now that he was trapped in this awful fate.

Dan replied to Phil, im fine really, i just wanted to try something my grandma suggested

Oh? Phil asked.

yes my grandma thinks i should talk to adam, so tell me if hes at your place please, Dan replied. He was fidgeting in his bed, made uncomfortable by this topic. He still half expected Phil to tell him he was crazy for casually discussing ghosts.

Sure. I’ll call you, Phil responded.

Dan smiled because of course Phil wasn’t going to call him crazy; Phil was amazing. Still, there was no need to push the issue, so Dan decided to shift the topic to something lighter, and in the next moment they could have passed for a pair of normal boys whose lives weren’t complicated by ghosts, aggressive dogs, and the question of whether they were friends or more.

A few days later, Dan was lying on his bed, listening to Muse when his phone rung. He was pleasantly surprised to see that Phil was calling, so he answered, “Hello?”

“Uh, Dan… You told me to call if your brother showed up again?”

Dan bolted upright on his bed. “Adam’s there? What’s he doing? Are you okay?”

“Yeah. He’s just sort of floating around, making sarcastic comments. He’s currently judging my DVD collection. Why? Do you think he’s going to do something? Should I be scared of him?”

As Dan slid his feet into his shoes, he was struck once more by how special Phil was – he was actually asking if he should be scared of a ghost. “Just hang on, I’m on my way. Oh, I need your address.”

“I’ll text it to you.”

This wasn’t how he had been expecting to see the inside of Phil’s apartment. Phil opened his door, his blue-green eyes wide with alarm, and he pointed a finger at his living room. “In there,” he said in a breathy voice.

Dan nodded and headed for the living room. Adam had apparently moved on from looking at Phil’s DVDs, and he was now perusing a shelf full of CDs. Dan took a deep breath to calm himself. He was going to talk to Adam – anything to get him to leave Phil alone. When he knew that he wasn’t going to start shouting at him, he said, “Hey, bro. Whatcha doing?”

Adam looked over his shoulder, one eyebrow arched. “Did you just call me ‘bro’? Is that how we talk now? Okay. Sup, dude?”

Dan sighed. “Hey, I’m sorry I’ve been ignoring you lately. If you want, we can talk. You don’t have to hang around here. Come by the house and I’ll hang out with you.”

“Why would I want to hang out with you? I think I want to stick around here.” Adam flopped himself onto Phil’s sofa, though the cushions didn’t shift beneath him. He gestured behind Dan, and Dan glanced over his shoulder to see Phil standing there, regarding the ghost with wide eyes. Adam said, “He’s funny. He yelps when he sees me, but then he acts all tough and throws water at me. I like him. He’s different from other people.”

Dan felt his blood boiling and his hands fisted at his sides. “Yeah? Well, you’re going to leave him alone. If you want to harass someone, then harass me. I’m talking to you, Adam! I thought this was what you wanted. So, leave Phil alone. Come home with me.”

Adam snorted and shook his head. “I didn’t want to talk to you. I was only hanging around you because unlike Mum and Dad you actually treat me different. They talk to me like they can get their son back if they coat the situation in enough pretty words. But this conversation with you? It’s almost as lame. You don’t give a fuck about me, just your boyfriend. You know what? I’m done with this conversation.”

Before Dan could say anything, Adam had stood up and drifted through the wall and into the next apartment. A woman’s startled scream came through the wall, and Phil winced. “Poor Mrs. Potterfield.” He gave Dan a small smile. “Don’t worry, she’s usually drunk at this time of day, so she probably won’t remember. Hey, thanks for coming to my rescue.”

Dan shook his head. “No problem. You wouldn’t have to deal with him at all if you didn’t know me.”

“Yeah, but then I wouldn’t know you. You’re worth some ghost drama.” Phil looked at the wall that Adam had walked through. “I wasn’t seeing things the first time. Your brother has a tail. What is up with that?”

Dan shrugged since he didn’t trust his voice.

Phil shook his head, but he let it go. He looked at Dan and the warm smile returned to his face. “Since you’re here, did you want to stay for a while?”

Dan felt his heart skip a beat. “And do what?”

“Whatever you want. Videogames maybe? I’m tired of hearing you brag about how great you are at Mario Kart. It’s time for you to prove it.”

After Dan spent the next few hours beating Phil at videogames, they decided to take a break. It was too early to think about dinner, so Phil made a bowl of popcorn and pulled something from the shelf. “Your brother wasn’t a big fan of my anime collection.”

“My brother is an asshole. What’s that?” he asked, gesturing to the box in Phil’s hands,

Phil showed him the DVD set that contained several Studio Ghibli movies. “Have you seen any of these?”

Dan flipped through the DVDs. “I love My Neighbor Totoro. And Spirited Away. What’s Kiki’s Delivery Service? I’m not sure I’ve seen this one.”

Phil grinned. “Let me show it to you.”

As the movie started, parts of it seemed a bit familiar and Dan thought he might have seen it years ago, but he didn’t tell Phil, who was sitting beside him on the sofa with a smile that showed no signs of fading.

Dan’s chest filled with a feeling of warmth. This was a sensation that happened whenever he was around Phil – he was happy. Phil made him happy. The concept was so novel to him that he wanted to examine it closer, but he was afraid that the feeling would vanish like a shimmering mirage if he looked too closely at it.

His eyes were tired anyway, so he shut them.

Someone nudged his shoulder. There was fabric under his cheek. The fabric was damp. Dan blinked and he realized that he must have fallen asleep. He sat up slightly since he had fallen asleep against Phil’s chest. Oh God. Phil’s t-shirt was damp with his drool.

Dan’s cheeks flushed crimson and he flicked his eyes too Phil’s face, but he couldn’t make eye contact for long. He was mortified, and he knew that Phil could tell – Phil’s body was twitching with barely-contained laughter. Dan looked at the TV, which was now displaying the menu screen of the movie he fell asleep during. Dan mopped at his damp cheek with his sleeve. “Um… sorry. About your shirt.”

Phil had his hand over his mouth to muffle his laughter. When he had himself under control, he removed his hand and reached out to brush the curls back from Dan’s forehead. Dan’s cheeks were still hot, but he looked at Phil, who beamed at him. “I don’t care about my shirt. You’re adorable, you know that?”

Dan shook his head.

“I really like you.” Phil was staring at Dan’s mouth. He didn’t lean in though Dan could tell that he really wanted to, but after the last time Phil wasn't going to try that again without permission. He didn’t ask anything now. Phil was waiting.

Dan couldn’t move. It felt like time had stopped. The apartment had fallen silent. Then Dan realized that he had been holding his breath, and he couldn’t hold it any longer, so he inhaled sharply. That seemed to break the spell that had fallen over them, and Phil looked away. Phil’s bright smile was gone and he sagged against the back of the sofa – he was staring at nothing, and the disappointment was clear on his face.

“Phil…” Dan said in a soft voice. Phil didn’t even twitch in response, so Dan tried again in a louder voice. “Phil, I do care. I really like you, too. You’re my favorite person in the whole world, but I don’t think I can be more than your friend. It wouldn’t be fair to you.”

Phil looked at him, and then he shook his head. “I don’t understand.”

Dan bit his lip and looked away. “I like you, but it can never be more than that. I don’t want to fall for anyone. I can’t fall for anyone.” He tried to read Phil’s expression, but Phil’s face seemed to be carefully cleared of emotion. “I’m sorry, but please say something. Do you… do you hate me?”

Phil shook his head, and finally the smile was back on his face again, making Dan’s heart skip a beat. “Of course not. I could never hate you. I told you – I like you. You still want to be friends, right?”

“Yes, please,” Dan whispered. There was another silent still moment as they stared at each other. Dan was getting the sense that everything inside of him was rushing towards Phil, but that he was holding it all back with a white-knuckled grip. He felt his grip slipping, so he stood up suddenly and looked at the time on his phone. He started talking very quickly. “Um, I think my mum wanted me home for dinner. I should go.”

“Oh,” Phil said, his blue-green eyes widening. “Okay… I guess I’ll see you later.”

[sacred-arrow-writes]

Twelve Days of Christmas. On the Eighth Day of Christmas-

A/N: In which each day, Kagome gives Inuyasha a gift signed by his Secret Santa in hopes of bringing back his Christmas Spirit.

I got the idea from Hallmark as a prompt. Im just using the idea for the story, the only thing I kept the same from the movie is the newspaper and some of the S.S. notes, so don’t sue. I do not own Hallmark or Inuyasha and Co. So, enjoy! I’ll post a ficlet a day until December 25th. Enjoy everyone!

Last chapter I posted said chapter Eight, but I mistyped. It was chapter SEVEN and this is the real chapter EIGHT. I went back and changed it, but whatever. Anyway, this is a cliffy -YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED- but I did it for a reason. 

Anyway, to my main squeezes once more. This is for you.

@keichanz @mmhinman @inunanna @kagomeforever @akiza-hades-rose @purekagome @grapefruitwannabe @adorableears7 

Day Eight December 19, 2016:

---IK---

The bedroom door creaked open as two different kinds of footsteps padded across the hardwood floor. The large bed positioned in the middle of the master bedroom, dipped as the invading parties jumped on the slumbering half-demon in the center. "Wake up!"

Inuyasha nearly had a heart attack as his golden orbs flew open. Gasping for breath and clutching his chest, he came face to face with his niece and his dog. As much as he wanted to say what he was really feeling, he took a deep breath before opening his mouth. "Rin, you scared the hell outta me. What are you doing here?"

Rin rolled her eyes and giggled. "Daddy and mommy are down stairs making breakfast and I was told to come wake ya up!" Bang barked happily next to his owner.

Groaning, Inuyasha threw the duvet off, swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up. He pulled on a tee-shirt to go with his sweats before he made his way back to Rin. "Come on squirt." He bent down and let the giddy little girl jump on his back as she rode piggy-back down the stairs.

Inuyasha turned the corner to his kitchen, Bang hot on his heels, and placed Rin on a bar stool. "What the hell are y'all doin' here so early on a Monday? I have things to do before I go into work."

Kagura smirked, placing a bowl of dog food on the floor for Bang, whom ran as fast as he could to gobble it up. "We know what you have planned. I wish you would just ask her out and stop pussy-footing around."

Inuyasha cut his eyes at her and growled. "Mind your own, wind wit-." When a large hand made contact with the back of his head, Inuyasha squeaked and turned to see his brother leaning against the counter.

"What your tone, little brother. I'd hate to kill you so close to Christmas." Rin made an audible gasp at her father. He cut his golden eyes to her. "Oh fine. I hate to maim you so close to Christmas."

"That ain't much better, daddy."

The daiyoukai shrugged. "To answer your crude question, Kagura has some things to do in town today and since Rin is out of school for the holidays, she is tagging along to do some shopping."

"I closed the shop up today so I could get everything we need for Christmas day. Besides, since this year your heart seems to have grown three sizes, -thanks to a one Miss. Kagome Higurashi-, you'll be spending Christmas with us. We came by to see how you're doing is all."

Inuyasha snarled and flopped down on a bar stool next to Rin. "I don't get why you didn't cook breakfast at your own home."

Kagura's crimson gaze lifted from the bowl of pancake mix and settled on his face and unruly hair. "Well, would you like for me to take my famous pancake batter and leave?" His ears rotated in her direction.

Inuyasha gulped. "Um- no. No, you, Rin and the pancakes can stay, but can he leave?" A clawed thumb was tossed up in Sesshomaru's direction.

Kagura laughed. "So plans for today? I know with who, but what are you two going to do?"

"I haven't made it to get my parcel yet, but its-"

"Right here." Sesshomaru slid the familiar brown package across the counter. "I stopped by to sign some paperwork this morning and Sango met me at the front door. Said to give you this and it would save her a trip out here."

"Thanks." Inuyasha mumbled.

Finishing the last of the pancakes in the skillet, the wind sorceress wiped her hands on the red apron she sported and leaned against the counter on her forearms. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"Open it stupid." The words held no venom or hate as she slid the package to her brother-in-law.

Sighing at the three sets of eyes on him, Inuyasha took the package and ripped it open. A red, glossy box met their stares and on the lid was an old-timey movie reel with a box of popcorn decorated with white, black, yellow and red stock paper. He removed the lid and out fell the note. Rin picked it up and smiled. Inside the box was a string of popcorn.

On the Eighth Day of Christmas,

My Secret Santa gave to thee;

The colors of Christmas,

Are oh so Bright.

But nothing beats,

The black and white.

Merry Christmas, your Secret Santa.

"That's clever." Sesshomaru mused. "A traditional black and white movie. I don't think I would have ever thought of that."

"That's because you're an ignoramus." Inuyasha mumbled. Once again a large hand made contact with the back of his head. "Stop doing that!" He growled. The oldest Tashio merely crossed his arms with an eye roll.

Flipping four large pancakes on a plate, Kagura slid it to Inuyasha with a smile. "I take it you're going to invite Kagome?"

"Yeah." No one missed the faint blush that spread across his nose.

Snatching the plate from her Uncle with a smirk, she lifted the canister of syrup. "So, any idea who the real S.S is, Uncle Ash?" Rin asked, pouring a glob of thick, sugary goodness on her pancakes.

"Those were mine!" He whined before Kagura slid another plate to him. He gathered it up and scooted down a seat from his niece. Sticking his tongue out, he poured some syrup on his stack and took a large bite out of the side. "No."

"No?" Rin sighed. "It's romantic right?" The females smiled dreamily as the men rolled their eyes.

"Inuyasha, do you plan to watch this movie tonight?"

Around another mouthful, -which was too much for a human to consume at once- Inuyasha nodded. "Ye'h. W'y?"

"Because tonight is the new moon." The fork clattered against the plate. "I take that as you forgot all about it."

"Ugh! I hate this time of the month. Geeze, it's like having a damn period."

Kagura snorted. "Yeah right. Menstrual cycles are ten times worse than loosing your demonic side for one night. Ours last five to seven days and we actual bleed out of our-"

"AH! Shuddup! Shut the hell up!" Inuyasha shouted as he pinned his ears back. "I'm sorry I brought it up."

"Does Kagome know about it?"

"I guess she'll find out tonight." Inuyasha scarfed down his breakfast and made a beeline for his room. He needed to get out of his house before blood was really shed and no, not the female kind. He shuddered at the thought.

---IK---

Kikyou giggled as Suikotsu kissed her neck as she made omlets for the three of them. "Stop, before Kagome walks in here." Her fiancee smiled against her smooth skin, but the assault did not waver.

"Too late." Kagome gagged as she covered her eyes with a delicate hand. "Get a room."

"I would love to, if your sister would put down the spatula."

Another round of mock gagging noises ensued. "Grosssss."

"Oh shuddup you. If it was Inuyasha you'd be all giddy." Kikyou placed three omlets on three different plates with a side of coffee. "See, that bright, red flush speaks volumes."

Kagome was indeed quite red at the mention of Inuyasha. "Whatever." She took a plate and a cup of coffee. "Anyway, 'Kotsu, are you planning on keeping the house you own in Harperville or are you going to finally move around here? It's a pain to drive an hour just to see you."

"I was thinking the exact same thing. Finish y'all's breakfast. I have a surprise." He wiggled his brows as he took a bite of his omlet and groaned. "Oh gods, Kiki, this is fantastic." He took another big bite.

"Pace yourself." The twins warned.

As soon as the food was eaten, the coffee was drank and the table cleared, the three made their way out the door. "So what's the surprise?"

"Kags, if I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise."

She huffed and puffed out her cheeks. "Meanie."

Kikyou laughed and wrapped her arms around Suikotu's for warmth. "I'm excited!" With a laugh from the man beside her, he bent down and kissed her temple.

Across town near Hilltop, where Inuyasha and Kagome had their fifth day together, black, iron fencing with a large gate, surrounded a beautiful two story, New England-style colonial house. The exterior was white clapboard with dark, gray shutters and front door. The roof was steep-slanted with three triangular, casement windows and narrow eaves. The best feature was the covered, front porch that extended form one end of the house to the other with white pillars and rails. Kikyou and Kagome stared far longer than Suikotsu thought they would as he leaned over to close both of their gaping mouths.

"Well?"

"It's beautiful!" Kagome exclaimed as she leaned against the fence. "I didn't know they remodeled it!"

"Last month they finished. You never noticed?" He asked and all she did was shake her head with stars in her eyes.

Clearing her throat, Kikyou looked up at him. "What are you trying to say by showing us this? Because I know you."

Kagome looked back at the two of them. "Who lives here now?"

Kikyou turned back to the house. "I don-" The sound of jangling keys cut her off.

"You and I do, or we will after the wedding." He placed the keys in her palm.

Tears gathered in her brown orbs as she stared at her hand, her twin's squeals in the background fell on her deaf ears. Kikyou looked up. "Are you serious? Don't mess with me because this is like, the greatest gift ever and if you're pulling my leg, so help me 'Kot-" He bent down, embraced her tightly and planted his lips firmly against hers. Kikyou gasped then kissed back with equal fever.

Kagome pulled out her cell with a quiet awe, and snapped a couple of photos. Kikyou would want to add this to her best-things-to-ever-happen-to-me box. When they pulled apart, tears were falling down her sister's cheeks and both their faces were deep red. When he confirmed that it was indeed their home, Kagome laughed. "Let's go check it out!"

---IK---

It was nearing six o'clock when Kagome was making her way back the Gazette. Inuyasha had sent her a text earlier in the day to ask her to meet him there that night so he could share his latest gift with her. Of course she already knew what it was, but she didn't know what movie it was going to be or where. As soon as the large, brick building came into view, so did a head of black hair and deep brown eyes. Kagome was taken back as she slowed her pace. Who is that? In her defense, he was handsome, very handsome, but nothing compared to Inuyasha.

Kagome hesitated before nearing the door. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, I'm waiting on a beautiful woman to accompany me to a movie. You wouldn't happen to be free would you?" That voice was just so familiar.

Pervert much? Her cheeks flushed as she turned away. "Well- that's great and all, but I actually have a date with someone else, so if you would ex-"

"Kagome, it's me. I'm Inuyasha."

Her heart skipped a beat as she turned around to face him. "Inu- what the crap? You're human?!"

He laughed. "Yeah. I'm half-demon remember? I turn human on the night of the new moon." He gestured up to the sky and she followed his now blunt finger up to the moonless sky. Yup, no moon in sight.

"Oh, I feel stupid. I read that before in one of my grandfather's old books. I can't believe I never even asked. You know I knew your voice sounded familiar."

Inuyasha leaned close to her. "It's nice to know you'd turn down a good-looking stranger for my half-demonic self." His breath fanned against her cold cheeks.

"Yea- wait, who said anything about good-looking?!" She stuttered.

He only laughed and pulled her into his side. "Come on. I have a movie picked out, since my latest gift was to watch a black and white movie with popcorn!"

"Really? That's really cool! I love black and white movies! What did you pick?"

"A classic. A Christmas Carol from 1951. I also have a large box of buttered popcorn. You in?"

"I am so in!" She was getting excited. "Where will we be watching this movie?"

"My house of course. Come on, wench." His brown eyes sparkled in the street lights and Kagome's heart melted once more.

Tucked into his side, Kagome snuggled in a little bit deeper as he guided them to his home. This was a great idea. He seems so much more Christmas-y. She tried to hold in her giggles.

Inuyasha was holding her a bit to tightly, but he blamed the cold, snowy weather. After all, wasn’t he supposed to keep her warm? As they neared his house, -which was now decorated with a ton of christmas lights around the edges of the roof and windows- his only hope was that his family was gone. They ascended the stairs and before they walked in, Inuyasha turned her to him and smiled.

Kagome was about to ask about the delay, until she looked up and noticed a bundle of mistletoe dangling from a red ribbon above the doorway.

"My niece and sister-in-law decorated the house today, including the outside."

Kagome grinned. "Oh really? Well, then I guess we shouldn't waste all their hard work then." She fisted his red scarf and brought him down to her level. As her pink lips pressed against his, he only wished he could smell her scent that usually engulfed him at a time like this. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her waist and deepened the kiss. Her tongue danced with his as they explored the other's moist cavern. Hands moved from body to hair in a matter of seconds and soon the kiss was no longer gentle, but full of raw passion and hunger.

When air became to much, they parted. Inuyasha cursed his human side in that moment when he could no longer hold his breath as long. His eyes focused on her delicate face, swollen lips and her pink tongue that slid along her bottom lip before disappearing back inside. "That was amazing." She whispered.

Inuyasha nodded as he wiped a stray snowflake from her reddened cheek. "It was, but let's get inside, you're freezing."

They shared the same hundred-mega-watt-smile as they crossed the threshold and closed the door with a soft click.

---To Be Continued---

Until tomorrow my loves. Check back and see what day nine has in store for our favorite couple!