#ar first i got a cute blue box

[mrmushroom1031]

I have this lobster that I won at a white elephant gift exchange last year and I named him Gerry and after listening to The Magnus Archives I can't see him the same w/o thinking of Gerard

[wormstacheangel]

Tangled up in Words

For @misha-moose-dean-burger-lover cause you’re awesome. Thanks for the inspo post :)

Dean doesn’t know how he ended up getting talked into playing twister. Maybe it was seeing how Jack and Eileen were both laughing so hard they ended up falling on each other. Or when it was Sam’s turn to join with Jack, he was so tall that Jack called him out for cheating. Sam ended up laughing and falling which ended with Jack winning. Maybe it was seeing how happy Cas looked spinning the board and calling out the colors.

He looked so cute and human - because he was - as he doubled over laughing, his feet lifting just a little off the floor when he fell back into the recliner. 

So when Jack told him it was his turn Dean didn’t argue but now he wished he did. Because maybe if he fought it a little more or agreed to spin the dumb board instead then he wouldn’t be trying to balance himself in a weird twisted push-up position while Cas’s face was right under his because he was in a weird crab position. Everything was going fine and Dean thought for sure he was going to win until Cas tilted his head just a little and playfully stuck his tongue out at him to get his attention. 

Shock to nobody, it worked. 

“If I win I get to pick the next movie.” Cas grins at him and then that bastard had the audacity to wink at him. 

Gosh, he looked like such a dork doing it too but Dean went blank. There might as well be a dial-up noise coming out of his ears because he couldn’t register what he just saw. His heart pounded against his chest and he could hear himself loudly swallow before he slowly -or quickly, he didn’t know, time didn’t mean shit at that moment - leaned down to kiss Cas. 

Kiss is a generous term because Dean never remembered kissing someone like that. Just a soft glide of his lips because he wanted to - no he finally needed to - just know how they felt against his skin. 

Then everything went in fast forward and he saw Cas fall, eyes wide before he winced in pain when his head fell on the concrete floor. 

“Dean won!” He heard Jack called out but Dean couldn’t take his eyes off of Cas’s shocked expression that stared right back up at him.

“He sure did.” He heard Sam say but his voice started to sound further away and then the slam of the door made both of them blink. 

The magic freeze-frame of swimming in blue eyes was gone now when they both scrambled up to sit on either side of the plastic tarp. Dean didn’t turn to look at Cas, he instead grabbed his boots so he could quickly put them on and give himself something to do. 

The silence carried on until Dean saw movement from the corner of his eyes. He turned to see Cas get up, rubbing the back of his head, and go to sit back on the recliner. He looked up to meet Dean’s gaze and he should have looked away when green met blue but he couldn’t because Cas looked so… sad.

“I’m sorry.” The words came out automatically and he knew they were the wrong ones before he saw Cas’s gaze turn cold. He looked away from Dean and reached down to put his shoes on. “Cas.”

“I’m fine.” Clearly he wasn’t by that tone. 

“You’re mad.” Dean sighed as he finished lacing up his boots and looked back up at Cas who was tying up his laces, something he just learned because apparently on his first trip as a human he would just bundle it up and tuck them inside his shoe.

“You’re a genius.” The ex-angel has become much more sarcastic since becoming human because Dean could hear him roll his eyes now. Then he groaned in frustration while he fumbled with the laces. 

Dean crawled over to him and sat at his feet. “Dude, let me help.”

“I’m fine.” Cas doesn’t look at him but the hurt was now starting to come through the anger. 

“Stop stealing my line.” Dean pushed Cas’s hands away and slowly started to tie his sneakers. When he was done he tapped the foot away and tapped his knee so Cas can put his other foot on Dean’s knee. He slowly tied the next shoe. “I’m sorry I kissed you.”

“Me too.” Cas quickly said and yeah...Yeah, Dean deserves that. “I’m waiting for you to be comfortable with my feelings for you, Dean, but that… you can’t do that.”

“I know. I know.” Dean finished tying his shoe but didn’t look up from it. “I was being selfish and I wasn’t thinking.”

“Shocker.” 

Cas took his foot back and Dean knew that if they don’t talk about it now then they won’t talk about it for weeks or maybe months later. Hell, if things go the way they’re going it could be years. So Dean quickly boxes Cas into the recliner, standing up and placing his hands on either side of the armrest. Cas falls back into the recliner with wide eyes as he searches for something in Dean’s face but doesn’t fight him on it.

“You said you loved me.” Dean starts and Cas’s only response was a silent nod. Looking at him with curious eyes even as his body stiffened up. “And when we got you back I um...I said it back.”

“I know. I was there, Dean.”

Dean ignored him and continued. “I told you I needed time to sort my shit out but honestly I don’t think I’m ever going to do that, Cas.”

“Oh.” Cas looked down and away from Dean. “So there is no reason to hope for us then.”

“That’s not what I’m saying.” Cas looked back up, eyes narrowed in confusion. 

“Then what are you-”

“I love you, Cas.” Dean quickly breaths out. His shoulders fall as relief washes over him. “Fuck, I’ve been wanting to say that again so many times.”

“You have?” 

“Yeah.” Dean chuckles as he lifts one of his hands to hesitantly brush Cas’s curling hair back and make sure Cas could see him. “I love you. And...and I’m never going to be ready for this but just like everything I’ve done, I’ll figure it out as I go.”

“I’ve never done this before either.” Cas reminded him and then he leaned into Dean’s hand, making Dean suck in a breath by how cute that was. 

This is what he was afraid of? Touching Cas without death or danger lingering behind them? This is what he has been praying for and now that he has it...he was afraid?

Dean slowly leaned down and froze when meeting those blue eyes again but Cas nodded once before he closed his eyes. He tilted his head up and stretched his neck to meet the kiss halfway.

Tag List Below:

@galaxycastiel @superduckbatrebel @slipper007 @ar-bi-trary @winchestcas

@imlivingliferightnow @bi-bi-marie @nguyenxtrang @dancerdovegirl

@chocolatecakecas @trasherasswood @celestialcastiel @castiel-is-a-cat

@readeroftheimmortalbooks @marichankitty @confusedisaster @wigglebox

@castiels-bitch @destiel-bitches @tearsofgrace @queen-rowenas

[bothcreativitybois]

The Mayors Sweet Treat Chapter 6

Ao3 link Wordcount: 2428 Ship: Intruality TW: Food, scars, unhealthy family relationships (mentioned), swearing, sexual references   Chapters: 1 2 3 4 5 Taglist: @crazydemigod666 @star-crossed-shipper @newtnotfound @idont-freaking-know @someoneiwasnt @crownofrats (love the new name) @the-sympathetic-villain @cute-and-angsty-princess @lonelymuffin @bloodymari-0666 @im-an-anxious-wreck @fantasticallytired @obsessive-fallen-angel 

It was a snug fit in the back seat of Remus' truck, especially since Patton was sitting between Roman and Virgil. All three of them had large containers on their laps holding decadent sweets made for the event they were headed to. “I think this is the best Remus has ever driven.” Janus joked from the front seat, the group laughed. Supplies rattled in the tray of the truck. “Oh please, I’m the best driver here!” Remus defended. Roman rolled their eyes and leant forward. “Do you not remember crashing the paddock basher so bad that the passenger door wouldn’t open and I was stuck?” Roman recalled. Remus looked back for a moment. “We were twelve.” Remus reminded them. They all laughed. Patton wasn’t quite sure what they were talking about but it seemed amusing. “And you had to pull me out with a arm full’a shrapnel.” Roman said as they poked their twin’s shoulder before they turned back to Patton. “All this just fifteen minutes after we got it.” “What’s a paddock basher?” Patton asked dumbly. It sounded like some big important farming tool, not something you’d let kids play in. “A cheap old car that barely works.” Remus explained, catching Patton’s eyes in the rear view mirror. “You can use them to learn how to drive, or to get around the farm or just fuck around in.” Roman smirked. “Emphisis on the fuck for you.” Roman joked as they fell back into their seat. Remus raised a middle finger to Roman as the group laughed again. They pulled off the tarmac and onto a dirt road, Patton had never been on a dirt road. He immediately grabbed Virgil’s arm in shock of the sudden bumps and jolts. “What is that?!” Patton shouted. Remus looked back with concern, the others laughed. “Where’d you find this guy?” Roman asked Remus with a laugh, Virgil gently removed Patton’s hand. Patton looked around and blushed with embarrassment as the others laughed. Remus caught the look and felt bad for him. “Cut him some slack.” Remus said in a stern voice as he looked back at the road, the others stopped laughing. Remus knew Patton wasn’t as tough as them, he didn’t grow up climbing fences to drench sheep and having knife fights in paddocks. Patton was scared by Remus’ tone and it seemed the rest of them were too. Virgil was practically shaking from it. Remus was being soft on him again, but he was so harsh with the others. He remembered what Janus said yesterday at the bakery.

Set up your boundaries or he’ll tear right through you.                   Patton put a hand on Virgil’s arm, this time it was less a desperate grab and more comforting. Virgil quickly looked down at Patton’s hand then at his questioning face. Patton gave a little sweet smile, Virgil was surprised. He smiled back weakly. Remus watched in the rear view mirror. “Sorry Virge.” Remus apologised. Virgil nodded slightly. “S'alright.” Virgil responded weakly as he looked vacantly out the window. “It’s not about you.” He eyed the large house they were pulling up to. Remus pulled up in front of the house and turned to face Virgil. “You can still back out.” Remus assured him. Virgil shook his head. “I’d rather now with y’all here than later.” Virgil admitted. Patton looked out the window. The house was large and looked expensive, the perfectly cut shrubs and lawn were much greener than anything else he’d seen around. Yet something about it seemed to make Virgil nervous. Remus knew what it was. Roman and Janus knew what it was. “Remus!” A lady shouted. “Around the back dear!” The lady had the same black hair and pale skin as Virgil. Their noses had the same pronounced bridge. Patton thought they were related, but the way Virgil looked at her said otherwise. That look was full of… fear, not love. Remus started the car and pulled around the house. The air in the car was tense with worry, everyone concerned for Virgil. Remus and Janus got out, Janus folded down his seat so the others could get out. Roman and Patton climbed out quickly but Virgil hesitated. Remus leaned back in. “Do you want me to drive you home?” He asked Virgil, he responded by shaking his head.

“He can watch the food while we unload.” Roman said, collecting one of the boxes from Patton. Virgil nodded. Roman leaned in and put the boxes next to Virgil with a smile. The men went around the truck and started unloading the tents and tables. Remus and Janus carried them with ease while Patton helped Roman carry some so they weren’t left out. Remus kept a close eye on the car as they unloaded. Virgil had a habit of bottling it all up until it was too late, he has always been too stubborn to admit when he was scared. Remus was first to notice when Virgil stepped out. He gave Virgil a quick smile and closed up the tray. Everyone looked at Patton. “What?” Patton asked. “What do you mean what?” Janus responded. “You’re the boss. What do we do?” Patton suddenly felt anxious. He’d never been in charge, he didn’t know what to do. He frantically looked at Remus for help, surely he’d know what to do. He was a mayor, they know leader stuff. Remus caught the look and clapped his hands. “Janus and Virgil get changed. Roman go sort out your business stuff. Me and Patton will start setting up.” Remus commanded, everyone nodded and started heading out. Patton sighed in relief. The way Remus could take control was impressive to him, a skill he’d always envied in people. He was always too scared he’d blow past commanding leader and straight to bossy and rude. Patton and Remus walked over to the tents they unloaded. “Thanks for the save back there.” Patton smiled at Remus. “S’all good babe.” Remus said with a smirk. Patton poured out the contents of one of the canopy bags. He picked up a set of instructions. “Looks simple enough. The frame is already put together, we just need to put on the awning and unfold it all.” Patton explained. He looked up to see Remus wasn’t paying attention, he was staring across at Virgil with a concerned look. “Remus?” Patton pushed Remus’ shoulder and he snapped back. “Uh yeah got it.” Remus stammered, unaware of whatever Patton just said. Patton reached up and clicked his fingers in front of Remus' face. Remus shook his head. 

"What's wrong?" Patton asked immediately. He looked back at the truck then at Remus. "It's Virgil, isn't it?" 

"Uh I guess." Remus shifted awkwardly and scratched the back of his neck. "That lady from earlier is Virgil's nan. His family is… not the best for him. Or anyone really." Remus explained keeping the details veuge to respect Virgil's privacy. Patton tensed up. No matter how much he tried to convince himself otherwise he kept thinking it was his fault. That he was being a nuisance.  "He can leave, I'm sure we can make do." Patton reasoned but Remus shook his head.  "He won't. He hides it behind schedules but he is just as much a stubborn farm boy as the rest of us." Remus chuckled. Patton looked down at the bags.  "Okay…" Patton agreed half heartedly. Remus and Patton began setting up the tents and placed some fold-out tables beneath them. Janus and Virgil joined them eventually, each wearing a white button-up and jeans with light teal suspenders and a matching bowtie. Patton looked at them proudly. “Howdaya know to tie a bowtie?” Remus teased. Roman joined them and fussed with the outfits. “They don’t.” Roman winked. They plucked the clipboard from Virgil’s hands. “Remus get changed, people will start arriving soon. Janus and Virgil start setting up the food.” Roman talked as they dodged Virgil trying to take back the clipboard. It seemed the leader gene ran through both the twins. Patton looked around as everyone began doing things. “What about me?” Patton asked. Roman dusted the shoulders of his blue check shirt and straightened his white tie. “Be your charming little self.” Roman chirped. They began to walk away but stopped. “Oh and please please keep Remus out of trouble.” Patton nodded, from what he’d learned that would be a task in itself. Patton looked around, Remus was changing shirts at the car. As he got closer he noticed Remus had a lot of marks and scars on his skin. Patton’s eyes lingered on Remus’ shoulder up until the moment he pulled a shirt over them. Remus looked over his shoulder to see Patton staring with pink cheeks, he shot a cocky grin. “Sorry- I wasn’t-” Patton stammered. Remus chuckled. “Want to see the most impressive one?” Remus turned around and pulled back the open shirt slightly. A gathering of large scars ran from his bottom rib to behind his hip. Patton inspected them closer. “I was thirteen and it was my first time breaking in a horse. I was quite a lot scrawnier then. Got bucked off into a broken wire fence and got caught on the way down.” Remus made a ripping noise and scratched above the skin. Patton was enthralled, he traced the scars all the way around Remus’ hip. “Took Roman and Ma ten minutes to untangle me.” Remus blushed as Patton trailed his hands around him. He wasn’t gonna stop him. Eventually Patton realised what he was doing and jolted back. The moment hung between them for a moment. “T-that sounds painful.” Patton stuttered as he hid his face. Remus began buttoning up his shirt. “Oh it was.” Remus joked. He took out the bowtie and began fiddling with it. Patton giggled, it was clear Remus had no clue what he was doing. Remus tried his best but couldn’t figure it out. Patton put his hand on Remus’, signalling to let him take over. Remus allowed him to do so. “What about you?” Remus asked as Patton messed with the tie. “What about me?” Patton laughed back. “Got any scars?” “A few burns on my arms but they’re barely visible. One on my waist.” Patton explained. Remus looked down and caught Patton’s eyes. Usually he’d make some cocky remark about being excited to see them, but with Patton it was different. It felt different to his usual relationships. “What?” Patton looked back down. “Everything about you is just so…” He tried to find the right word, he was never really good at that. Cute? Soft? Buttery? Sweet? It was more than that. It wasn’t just who Patton was, it was how Remus felt about him. He’d never felt this before. The way his heart was skipping and the tingles as Patton’s hands brushed against the skin of his neck. It wasn’t something he had felt, let alone put to words. Remus looked down at Patton’s hands. “You don’t know how to tie a bowtie do you?” Remus teased as he saw Patton’s sloppy work. Patton stepped back and looked down. “No I really don’t.” Patton admitted. “We should go find Roman.” 

The picnic was in full swing and Remus was questioning why they called it a ‘picnic’. No one was sitting on the ground or on picnic rugs, there were no baskets and no fun. Just rich people sitting at tables and drinking champagne. He walked around with a tray of… something sweet, offering some to everyone he passed. Roman walked around with Patton, showing him off like a prize winning ewe. Middle aged women gracefully walked around in light dresses with champagne flutes hanging from their fingers. Which is why it was striking to Remus when he spotted someone in a dark blue knitted jumper. “Shit!” Remus breathed. He quickly rushed over to Roman, but hesitated when Patton came into view. The two were next to each other, chatting to a group of ladies with modest smiles. He needed to get Roman’s attention without worrying Patton. Thankfully it wasn’t the twins’ first rodeo. “Romy, I need you for a second.” Remus asserted as he joined the group. ‘Romy’ and the counterpart ‘Rems’ were nicknames only used when something was extremely wrong, that way the twins would know immediately that they needed to ditch whatever was happening. Roman politely excused themselves, much to Patton’s dismay, and Remus pulled them a few metres away. “What’s the story?” Roman asked when they were far enough away. Remus pointed into the crowd where Logan was calmly waiting around. “Code moneybags.” Remus whispered. Roman laughed slightly. “I invited them.” Roman clarified as they fussed with their skirt and departed from their brother to greet Logan. What are you planning? Remus thought as he watched Roman walk up and greet Logan warmly. Janus appeared by Remus’ side. They looked at Roman suspiciously then back at each other. “Where’s Virge?” Janus asked. Living in a small town Remus knew all those cliché country sayings, he’d hear them non-stop when talking to the older people in town. One specific saying came to mind right now. When it rains, it pours. “You were meant to watch him!” Remus answered loudly. “Why are you shouting?” Patton asked sweetly. Both the men retracted and Remus plastered on a fake smile. Any good politician knows how to hide the shit spewing from the fan. “We’re just excited because you’re doing so fucking good!” Remus shouted and got a few dirty looks from nearby ladies. Janus quickly moved to block the view of Logan. They had run enough hustles together to know what to do. Patton beamed. “Get your fine looking ass out there and shmooze the shit outta these rich ladies.” Remus turned Patton around and shoved him towards a group of ladies before turning back to Janus. “You swear more when you’re trying to hide something.” Janus stated. Remus stammered for a second from the out of place addition. “Well he doesn’t know that yet!” Remus threatened. Hopefully he’d never know. “Now, you go look for Virgil and I’ll deal with my twin’s unexpected invite.” They both nodded. Janus headed off and Remus looked back at Patton. He was already so nervous for all this, and he was stressed with the entire situation he was in. Usually Remus would throw him towards Logan and just hope Patton ended up on top, but Patton was different to his friends. He wanted to protect him. To keep him happy no matter what.   Don’t stress, Patty Cake. I got your back.

[mythologyfolklore]

Trouble Earth-Born

(A/N: This fic is about the birth of Erikhthonios, one of the legendary kings of Athens. Contains mention of past attempted rape and attempt of indirect murder and insanity)

.

Athena wasn't quite sure of what to think, as out of nowhere a Protogenos manifested in front of her as a middle-aged woman holding a baby in her arms.

“Venerated Foremother”, she greeted the person in front of her.

“Daughter of Zeus and Metis”, the other returned.

To a mortal she would have seemed like your average chubby matron. But she radiated such raw and incomprehensible power, such cosmic and primeval might, that to a goddess like Athena there was no doubt, who she was.

Gaia, the Earth Mother.

The generous and the terrible.

The nurturing and the destructive.

The mother of the sky, the sea, the mountains, islands and the fair spirits of nature, also of the Titanes, the Hekatonkheires, the Elder Kyklopes … and the monstrous Typhon.

“What gives me the honour?”, Athena questioned the Protogenos.

The dubious honour. That she didn't say.

Gaia held out the baby she had been holding. “This is yours now.”

Athena's bright blue eyes grew to the size of saucers. “I beg your pardon?!”

“Do you remember that little non-consensual almost-tryst you had with the blacksmith god?”

Athena frowned. “As if a woman could forget something like that.”

“And do you remember, how you threw the cloth, which was soiled with his seed, onto the ground?”

“Oh … oh, holy shit, did I accidentally knock you up?! I'm so sorry!”

“I'm Mother Earth”, Gaia pointed out. “Do you have the faintest idea just how many children I have? I mothered half of the Kosmos, Ouranos included! That fucking arsehole”, she added, muttering. “Either way, this happens all the time. I'm used to it and I can't even say, that I mind. However, this baby here has a little of your essence within him. So congratulations, Pallas Athena, head-born daughter of Zeus – you are now a virgin mother.”

And before the goddess could protest, the Protogenos pressed the child into her arms.

Then Gaia sank into the ground and once more became one with … well, herself. Leaving a very flabbergasted Athena holding a godsdamn baby.

“Sooo …”, Athena sighed and regarded the child. It was a boy and he had jet black hair and big brown eyes, just like his father – but despite him being a baby, she could tell he had her aristocratic nose and her high cheekbones. “I guess you are my son now, huh?”

Whelp.

She might have been the goddess of knowledge and good counsel, but she was also a virgin goddess; she had no idea how to do this kind of stuff! This was something for … pretty much any other of the Olympians.

Oh well … she would just have to take responsibility and try to raise this child. After all, it wasn't his fault, that he had been conceived like that and there was no way she would approach the god, who had tried to rape her in his drunk delirium.

Somehow this troubling memory gave her the idea for a suitable name for the earth-born baby.

The baby cooed and stretched out his chubby little arms. Okay, that was cute.

Athena smiled: “Well, I suppose I will have to raise you in secret, so no one can find and tell the world about a virgin goddess having a child.”

And with the child in her arms, she flew away and off to her new city, the one that now bore her name: Athens.

.

“You want us to take care of this chest, Potnia¹?”, Pandrosos asked.

Athena, who was holding a small chest in her arms, confirmed: “That's right. I want you to take this wooden chest here to the chamber behind my altar and watch over it, until I come back in a few days. You don't have to do much, but always remember this: Do. Not. Open. This. Chest. Is that clear?”

“Yes, Glaukopis²”, the three daughters of Kekrops, king of Athens, replied in unison.

The bright-eyed goddess nodded: “Good. Now I need to tend to my other duties. See you in a few days. And I warn you, if I find out that you disobeyed my order to not look inside this chest, you will suffer a fate worse than death. Keep that in mind. Toodles!”

Then she returned to Olympos, before anyone there would question her absence.

.

A few days later, Athena was carrying a whole-ass mountain across Attica (how? Goddess strength, that's how!) for the Akropolis, when a crow joined her in flight.

“Oh, hello, Koronis!”, the goddess greeted the bird.

“Hello!”, the crow replied. “I'm sad to say, that I come with bad news.”

Athena stopped short. “What happened?”

“Well, you asked me to keep an eye on the Kekropides, if they would do as you told them, right? They didn't.”

Promptly the goddess dropped the mountain.

“They opened the chest”, she said blankly.

“Yes, but only Aglauros and Herse. Pandrosos doesn't know. I'm so sorry!”, the crow cried, “I tried to talk them out of it, but they wouldn't listen!”

“It's not your fault, Koronis!”, Athena hissed, suddenly seized by wrath. “Oh, when I get my hands on those little bitches, they're going to get it! As for you, don't tell anyone of what you have seen, do you hear me?”

“My lips- I mean, my beak is sealed.”

“Good.”³

The wrathful goddess teleported herself to her temple in Athens, where she found Herse and Aglauros screaming hysterically on the floor.

With measured steps, Athena approached the chest. In it lay a baby, obviously none other than her earth baby, who was crying softly. A snake was coiled around him protectively and hissing aggressively, though it calmed down as soon as it saw Athena. The baby's upper body was normal, but from the hip downwards, his body was that of a serpent. As soon as he saw his adoptive mother, he stopped crying, bubbled happily and lifted his tiny arms.

“Hello, sweetie”, Athena cooed, completely ignoring the hysterical screaming behind herself. “Sorry for being away so long. But now I'm back.”

She picked him up and cradled him in her arms and he fell asleep in no time, while she was crying on the inside and desperately prayed to Khaos, Ananke and the Moirai, that she would be spared the shame of having to explain, why she was raising a child.

With blazing eyes and fury in her heart the war goddess turned to the mortal women, who were still having a mental breakdown on the floor.

And with a mighty, divine voice, she bellowed: “Go to the cliff behind my temple … and jump!”

The women, completely out of their minds, scrambled to blindly follow the goddess's order.

Athena followed them. She craved the satisfaction of seeing the ones who had dared to cross her fall to their deaths.

Imagine her surprise, when they jumped and she saw two flashes (one bronze, the other crimson) descend from the sky – and a second later, the two madwomen were caught in their fall.

“Hermes! Ares!”, Athena exclaimed.

“Hi, Athena!”, Hermes chirped, while struggling with a raving Herse in his arms.

“What's the meanin' of this?”, Ares demanded to know, as he was holding Aglauros in a vice-like grip (for a second Athena marvelled at his impressive pair of crimson wings, which he was beating to keep his stability against the wind and his struggling, screaming captive). “Why'd ya drive these two insane and make 'em jump off the Akropolis?”

Hermes nodded. “Yeah, we'd like an explanation. For that and for why you're holding a baby in your arms.”

Oh shit. She was still holding the little one in her arms and now her two half-brothers had seen him! Ares hated her and would be all too happy to rat her out, while Hermes was a notorious chatter box.

By Ananke, this really wasn't her day.

Athena forced herself to calm down and step back, so the two could land.

“Come inside my temple”, she sighed. “And I'll explain everything. And while we're at it, you could tell me, what you're doing here and why their worthless lives matter to you enough to save them.”

With a scowl she pointed at Aglauros and Herse, who were still winding themselves in the gods' arms.

“It's a deal”, Hermes accommodated her and he and Ares landed carefully.

“But first we gotta restrain these two”, Ares stated. “They're gonna hurt themselves otherwise.”

.

“So, lemme get that straight”, Ares said, as he nibbled at his ambrosia. “My brother Heph tried to assault ya, while he was drunk. You kicked his arse, because obviously. Then some of his cum got on your thigh, you wiped it off and threw it away, also because obviously. And then Gaia thought it would be hilarious to turn this soiled cloth into a baby and push it onto you, even though she knows, that you have sworn to remain virginal and childless forever.”

Athena nodded.

The older god scowled: “Yeah, that sounds like something that fucking arsehole Protogenos would do.”

The wisdom goddess almost chortled at that.

“And then”, Hermes jumped back to the original topic, “you put him in a box, asked the daughters of Kekrops to take care of the box and not open it. But they opened it anyway and went cuckoo. And you were mad at their disobedience, so you told them to jump off the Akropolis.”

“Correct”, Athena confirmed. Then her face darkened again. “And now it's your turn. How are you related to those two? Don't tell me you've slept with my servants!”

It was Ares, who answered: “Slept with them – no. Courted them – yeah.”

“Good”, Athena nodded. “Only virgins like myself are allowed to serve me.”

“Speaking of the two”, Hermes piped up, “can you please give them their sanity back?”

The warrior goddess's eyes narrowed. “Why? They had it coming! That's what you get for snooping and disobeying my orders.”

“Pleeeease”, Hermes begged. “We'll carry them far away from Athens and you'll never have to deal with them again! How are we supposed to get lucky with them, if they're insane?”

“Get yourself mistresses that aren't deal-breaking bitches?”, Athena deadpanned.

In that moment the baby kicked in his wrappings and began to whine. She sighed and picked him up.

“I was going to give him nectar and ambrosia, once he became immortal, because that's what I was planning to do. But now that he's mortal like any other human, I don't know what to do!”, the goddess lamented. “I'm the goddess of wisdom, but I'm also a virgin and I can't handle babies for crap!”

Ares frowned: “Yeah, that much is clear. Well, Daddy's Owl, how 'bout ya take some advice from an actual parent, who's got experience in bringin' up kids. First off: you're holdin' him all wrong. Do ya think the baby can hold its big head up by itself?”

Athena cringed and hurried to rearrange her hold.

But the war god just shook his head, came over and guided her arms to show her how to do it right, until she managed to do it to his satisfaction.

“Better. Secondly: he's hungry. He needs mother's milk. I suggest ya find him a nurse, 'cuz the way I see it, you're not the kinda woman to breastfeed a baby.”

“Right!”, Athena huffed. “You two don't happen to know someone, who won't go insane at the sight of him and his snake guardian and who can keep her mouth shut?”

“I could ask my mother”, Hermes proposed, albeit reluctantly. “She is silent, a recluse and has adamantine nerves. And once the nursing period is over, she'll just give him back to you.”

Athena thought for a moment, ere she consented.

“Alright, thank you. Now that this is settled, there is one more thing I have to ask of you, before I cure these two women of their insanity and let you take them away.”

“Whatever ya want”, Ares promised. “If it's in our power, we'll do it.”

Hermes nodded affirmatively.

Athena's face became stern. “I demand the most sacred oath. Ares. Hermes. Swear to me by Gaia, Ouranos and the freezing water that drips from Styx, that you will never tell anyone about this child. And Hermes, I want you to let Maia know, that I expect the same from her.”

The two gods didn't hesitate to swear this solemn oath.

The goddess of wisdom sighed: “I still don't understand what you see in those two. But whatever. A promise is a promise.”

She snapped her finger and the two mortal girls passed out. Really, the things she did for her family!

“There. When they wake up, they'll be sane again. I suppose this is your lucky day, because these two are so fired from my service! So, if they consent to it, couple with them as much as you want. I literally don't care what you do to them, as long as it isn't rape.”

“Of course not. Thank you, Athena”, Hermes smiled politely.

“One more thing!”, Ares requested. “Before we proceed any further, can I hold my nephew?”

Athena tilted her head. “Huh? Uhm, sure.”

With great care the god of terrible war took the baby from his half-sister's arms.

The infant didn't seem frightened of Ares at all, quite the contrary: it giggled and coiled its serpentine lower body around his wrist, when he made silly faces.

“Awww, you're such a big softie! I wish I had a camera!”, Hermes teased.

Athena smirked: “Yes, I never thought I would see that day! Look at that, the little one really likes you!”

“Don't make me stuff you two into the next best volute krater⁴”, Ares warned without turning his gaze from the little one. “I'm sure, I can find one big enough for you both.”

The other two chuckled, but ceased their teasing; they couldn't fight with a baby in the room.

Hermes addressed Athena: “By the way, what's the little one's name? You gave him one, right?”

“But of course”, she confirmed. “His name is Erikhthonios.”

.

---

.

1) Potnia - "Lady/Queen/Mistress" 2) Glaukopis - "Bright-eyed/Owl-eyed", an epithet of Athena referring to her bright eyes (which depending on the translation are either grey or blue). 3) In some accounts Athena punishes the crow - which up to that point is her familiar - for either telling the girls what was in the chest or for being an overzealous tell-tale, by turning its feathers black, giving it a croaking voice and banishing it from her company. That doesn't really make sense to me, so I didn't include that version. 4) Volute krater - a big ancient Greek jar, used for wine.

[suffering-and-happy-about-it]

I want to tell you... (Part 7.)

Description: Nathan Drake is not the exact definition of an unhappy man. His job is steady, his friends still see him from time to time, he plays football, but his marriage is his main problem. Many things will change when a special person comes to his life.

Part Summary: It was becoming more and more obvious that something isn’t right between Nate and Elena, just as he was discovering how much of an amazing person you were.

A/N: A lot has changed ever since I started this damn series... It is MORE than a year old. And I still do love Nathan, he deserves all the love and cuteness, smut and attention his brother gets. Like... I love Sam too, and y’all know that, but sometimes you need the softness and love in your life. ♥

A/N: Just a quick reminder that this Nate is in his early 30s’ and Sully is in his early 40s’. It takes place after Honor Among Thieves, where Nate and Elena and Nate got married, but didn’t found the way to work the things out.

Word counter: 2.8 K

Tagging: @missdictatorme​, @peakymarvels​, @nemodoren​, @flavorishy​

Series master list: H E R E

Nathan’s car sing-along playlist: H E R E

Nathan couldn't believe what he had just done. His blue eyes were scanning the phone, his lungs weren't getting the amount of air they needed and his heart was racing. He had just called you. Asked you if you'd like to hang out with him. And you said yes. Nate breathed out steadily, and before he could stop himself, he was doing his happy dance.

Nathan, being a grown-up he seemed to be with his muscles and 5'11 height was a small kid inside an adult's man body. For starters, he was always singing and dancing when he was happy, or when he tried to kill some time in his car - and he wasn't a good singer at all. He had his happy dances when no-one could see him dancing. Another thing was that this man adored the movie Notting Hill with Julia Roberts and he cried every damn time he saw the movie. He loved to buy himself an ice-cream, was loud, and loved to laugh. He was dorky in his own, irresistible way as Elena often put it.

Oh, Nathan stopped. What would've Elena think about this? She would be most probably cool with him seeing a friend, right? Like, he went with Frazer for beers and stuff, why would be Elena worried about him going to play some Scrabble with another friend? A girl he had just met? A girl he was all over his heels for? Nathan shook his head as he stood in front of half-emptied wardrobe since El had taken most of her things with her, already dialing her number. She answered after a small while.

"Hey, hey, did something happened?" - She mumbled sleepily, having Nathan curse under his breath. He forgot about the time difference thingy. He was creating various looks on the bed, thinking about what is most suitable for the occasion.

"No, I'm fine, I don't have anything broken just yet, the flat didn't catch on fire, everything's fine here." - The man named every horror scenario he could think of, finishing it with a slight chuckle. Elena on the other side didn't find it funny at all, leaving a frustrated sigh to make her husband realize she isn't in the mood for his jests. - "But Sully has a girlfriend." - He mentioned just, by the way, settling on a dark blue t-shirt and khaki pants that made his ass popping as Chloe told him many times. These pants were old, but they were still presentable.

"And you're calling me at three a.m. to tell me that Victor found himself a girlfriend? Nate... I have to wake up early today." - Elena sighed, doing something in the background. She knew that once Nate had woken her up, she won't be able to fall asleep again, so she went to make her a cup of coffee.

"I am not calling you at three a.m. just to tell you that Sully has a girlfriend, who is at least fifteen younger, by the way. I'm calling you because a friend asked me if I wouldn't mind hanging out with her because her boyfriend is at work, so..." - He left out a small pause, rolling his eyes around, walking around the flat like a little boy.

"Nathan, let me remind you that you're thirty-and-something years old man who has the right to decide who he wants to hang out with." - "And won't you be mad ar me, or jealous, or something?" - "Do you want me to?" - Elena asked with a dry chuckle. Nathan didn't expect that Elena would be so cool about this. He expected a lot, but not such a calm attitude. Nathan had quite a time while trying to come up with an answer for Elena.

"Listen, I just wanted to let you know." - Nate sighed in the end, waiting for a moment before hearing Elena chuckle on the other side of the phone. - "Yeah, but you still woke me up this early. Unforgivable." - The woman joked and for a moment, Nate felt seriously bad about himself and the whole situation around you. - "I love you." - Nate whispered after a moment, waiting for her answer. But, just like the last time, there was no I love you said back.

"Enjoy the hangout and don't drink too much. You know how much you love Notting Hill when you're drunk. Bye." - His wife whispered in the end, ending the call. The man felt hurt for a reason he couldn't exactly name. Nathan was an endless romantic with his whole soul - he loved to cook surprise dinner for Elena when they were together, he brought her flowers at least once a week, bought her some sweets when he felt like the needs to sweeten her life a bit and he once even did the cliché thing with petals leading to the bed. This man needed to feel he's being loved, that he's being appreciated and cared for.

Yet Elena seemed to be super-distant even if she knew about it. But Nathan wasn't the type to pressure into doing things, he was too sweet for that. He cared for the woman and wanted nothing more than seeing her contained. And so far, it seemed she's more or less feeling happy in some way.

After ten minutes of preparations, like styling his hair with water and finding the best was to style his t-shirt, he set to go to the market, as he promised you. This man loved ratatouille with his whole heart. It was somehow reminding him of the days when everything was way simpler. When he was younger and he and Sam were traveling through the states, he was the one doing the cooking when they didn't have enough money for picking something at a Chinese restaurant. And ratatouille was simple and quick, not that much expansive. And his lemon cake? Jesus, you'll love it.

Nate was just arguing about the cost of the zucchinis when you texted him your address, telling him you somehow managed to clean the place up. Which filled Nate with new energy - so much that he paid a horrendous amount of money for a couple of fresh zucchinis. It wasn't too far from the market, so maybe, if you'd like to know where to get the best fresh goods, he could take you there. Nathan caught himself grinning and humming a song when he finally walked through your street - you lived in the modern, yet indie-feeling one. The houses were small, almost as if in a Mexican village and each of them had a different color. There was a bright, yellow one, then one with a blood-red facade, grass-green one, and your house had a color of the sky. It could be known that you're a student, as you told him because bands and independent artists were playing on the streets until the deep night, so the rant was significantly reduced and this was a part of the city young people lived in.

Yet it filled Nate with this sort of energy and it made him grin as he watched a guitarist serenading for some tourist, who was giggling. It made him feel a bit younger than he was... Well, he wasn't old by any means, but he still was a dude in his thirties, so he wasn't the youngest in the game either. But soon enough, he was calling you as he stood in front of the door, tapping his feet around nervously. Suddenly, he heard someone calling his name, and before he could say something, he saw you leaning down from your balcony, waving your hands wildly.

"Watch out for the keys!" - You cried out, pulling your hand out so he would see them. First, he chuckled and then nodded, so you let them fall. It was the first time you've seen someone catch the keys to their palm. It took him barely a minute to run the stairs up and dear Lord, he had this grin as soon as he saw you. You had this jean overall with one of the suspenders fallen off your shoulder, a white t-shirt and messy hair. Jesus, you were looking even better than Nate remembered you.

"Hey there." - You smiled goofily, stepping aside from the door, finding the man in. - "And welcome to my kingdom. Please, we hope you don't mind a bit of mess." - You giggled and stopped him when he wanted to take his shoes off.

"I don't mind a mess since I am a bit of one myself." - Nathan answered back playfully, finding this new sense of confidence inside of him. It made him feel good when you laughed out loud at the statement, shaking your head with an unbelieving smile. Your place was really cute and as far as Nate could tell, it suited you... And your boyfriend. Most of the things was still in the boxes, the furniture was unassembled and... - "Why didn't you tell me that you need help with painting the walls?" - Nate asked you.

Jesus, that didn't even cross your mind. Nathan was still a stranger to you, even if you called him a friend already. You met for this one afternoon a week or so ago during the storm, but you hadn't talked since that day. He didn't even text you or anything. So, naturally, it didn't come across that you could ask Nate to help you with accommodating the new household. The only thing you've had fully equipped was a kitchen - and that was because you already bought the flat with an equipped kitchen and bathroom.

"Calm your horses, I've had enough of a hard time to make sure the water is running so you can cook me the damn lunch. I'm starving." - A joke left you as you opened up the living room windows. Nate's expression was enough for you to start explaining. - "Mike usually does this stuff, I'm the worst technician you could befriend, so, don't ask me to repair stuff for you, okay?" - Oh shit, Mike. Your boyfriend. Right. Don't let your feelings get the best of you, Nate, the man spoke with himself.

"So, what does lunch, Scrabble, and painting your living room sound like?" - Nate asked and put all the vegetables on the table, smiling at you daringly.

"Oh, no, no, no. I asked you to hang out with me, not to slave work for me." - You marched right next to him, pulling out some knives, pans, and pots for him. - "And you'd ruin your t-shirt and I don't want to buy you a whole new one. I'll manage on my own." - This made the man chuckle as you still kept talking to him while chaotically running around, assembling the dishes for him. You were going through various boxes on the ground, having a slight furrow on your face.

"Yeah, I can see how you're managing with these tomcats all over the wall, good job. I mean it, I have a day off anyway." - The man answered you with a soft giggle at the end, already working with the vegetables. What surprised him was that you stood next to him in the next minute, helping him with the cooking.

"Your wife would be angry that you wouldn't be home for dinner. It must've already weirded her out that you're going to cook lunch for this random girl." - The topic of Elena made Nate gulp quietly, letting the playful grin disappear from his face. For a moment, you thought you hit the soft spot, but then the man bumped with his elbow to your upper arm.

"Elena... She's out of the states now. She's working on an article in Thailand, and for your information, she was proud of her hubby doing such a gentleman thing about not letting a girl starve to death." - Oh, crap. Nathan wished for the things to be as he was interpreting them. He wished to talk about with Elena, because maybe if their relationship would've been better, he wouldn't crush on you straightaway. But those were only speculations. What could Nathan know?

"Do you have her picture? I'm kinda curious about what she looks like. If that isn't... Too weird, of course." - You stuttered out. Nathan was caught off guard with your wish, but in the end, he wiped his hands and pulled his phone up, showing you a photo from their most recent vacation in Brazil. She was smiling into the camera, holding a glass of wine and her hair was let down. She was also beautifully tanned at the time. You opened up your mouth, smiling at the sight of Nathan's wife. - "Wow. She's like... Pretty. You're one lucky guy, Nate, I tell you." - As if, Nathan answered, but he did his best to nod and hum in agreement.

When this weird little thingy about Elena was off the table, you both concentrated on your cooking. Nathan could see why you told him that you're not the best cook either, but you were doing his best to help him. But the pie was even more fun to prepare than the ratatouille. First, you shoved the main course into the oven, making the sweet end after that. It was both looking miraculous to you since you would eat anything the man would serve you. And no matter how hot the food was, you had some appetite. Nathan hadn't seen anyone eat his food with such a passion for a long time - not even in the restaurant.

When the lunch was over, you pulled an old box with scrabble out of nowhere, putting on the table. - "Now, now, what you have to understand, Nate, is that this box is a relic. I wouldn't be surprised if it would be older than me... So, naturally, most of the letters are missing and you'll have to have hella imagination playing this game." - You presented him, putting the board down. This was a nice spent time while letting the food settle down inside of you - you were laughing a lot with Nathan and his main tactic. The man was trying to convince you that most of the words he made up were real. Soon, you pulled a dictionary, and Nate knew he's screwed at the moment.

When you proved Nathan you're actually like... Ten times smarter than him, it was the time to paint your living room. The sun was slowly setting down, so you lit up every light you could find and blasted some playlists on your laptop, making the man dance at once song. Which made you laugh from the bottom of your heart.

"What?" - Nate turned to you with the roll in his hand, already having paint on his face.

"This was... So... Terrible. I suppose you hadn't picked Elena on your dancing skills, huh?" - You mumbled, drying the tears off. Then, you stepped forward to take the paint from his face, still chuckling at the memory of him dancing. But Nathan's world just stopped for a moment when he felt your hands running on his face, your fingertips touching him gently. It made his heart jump a bit higher with joy, even if he had to fought the urge to lean into the warm touch.

"Unfortunately not, but, I am just a good dancer and you're jealous." - Nate teased you when he gained his consciousness back, making you stop as you watched his face unbelievably. With a burst of laughter, you smacked his shoulder playfully, leaning away.

"That's how it is?" - You asked, finding a different song in the playlist to show Mr. Drake how real dancers dance-like. - "Yeah, that's how it is." - Nate answered light-heartedly, looking at you already vibing to another song. With one daring look, you turned at him, making the craziest dance creations Nathan had ever seen. After a while of your theatrics, the man finally chuckled, continuing with painting the wall. He was leaving around eight in the evening, just a while before Mike came home from work and listened about your adventurous day.

On his way home, Nathan stopped at one of the artists, listening to the girl playing guitar and singing for someone she was deeply in love with. And instead of Elena, he was thinking about you when he was putting a few dollars to the guitar case. He couldn't wait to see you again.

[salutmonmec]

BOY, WHATCHA GONNA DO, WHATCHA GONNA DO WHEN I SMILE AT YOU

@choupichoups BITCH THIS IS FOR YOU GIRL 

This is a little short oneshot for the ridiculously amazing Percy Jackson AU choups and I have been giddily fleshing out over the last couple days, I apologize in advance guys LMAOO, I COULDN’T RESIST

Eliott feels a bead of sweat slide slowly down his neck, tickling on its way down to the collar of his orange camp t-shirt. He ripped off his white coat an hour ago, throwing it in the corner, unable to bear the extra heat that it insulated against his body. Who the hell needs it anyway. It’s not like he’s an actual trained medical professional. He’s just a boy with a God parent who happens to specialize in medicine, who knows every first aid basic without ever having opened a textbook. Totally normal.

It’s the middle of July, and it’s hot as all hell. So hot, in fact, that some kid of Hermes fried an egg on the basketball court. He came in for a stomach ache, and Eliott sent him off with a bottle of Pepto Bismol. Fucking idiot. It had been a busy morning, with some of the older counselors leading weapons training sessions. He could see the edge of the arena from the open med bay window, and every fifteen minutes some camper would limp or stumble their way out, holding a hand over a bloody cut. Forty-seven stitches this morning alone, and one dislocated shoulder. Just your typical Tuesday. 

He sits on the counter in the back room, eating a warm ham sandwich that tastes like absolute shit. He tries to choke it down, somewhat successfully. He peeks out the window, catching a glimpse of a familiar head of dark brown hair, but it’s gone in an instant. Maybe he’s imagining things. It’s too hot to think straight.

“Eliott!”

His assistant Celia pops her head around the doorframe, scaring the living shit out of him. His hand flings what’s left of his sandwich at the opposite wall, where it slides unceremoniously down, leaving a gross mustard streak. Celia laughs, clutching her stomach. “Gods, I’m sorry.”

Eliott turns to her, pouting. “What’s up?”

“We got another one.”

“Ah fuck me, I’ll grab the gauze.” 

He slumps against the medicine cupboard, lifting the front of his shirt to try and air himself out. It doesn’t work. He’s sure he looks like a melted popsicle. Gods, that sounds good right now. He hops off the counter, hoping it’s not another crier. He doesn’t know how much calming energy he can muster up at this point. He rounds the corner to see who it is, and he can’t help the giant grin that splits across his face. Of course.

Lucas is sitting with his back to him, legs swinging under the padded table, tapping his fingers against the blue vinyl. His camp t-shirt, two sizes too big for him, sticks slightly to his back, soaked with sweat around the collar. Lucas doesn’t just sweat though, he glistens. It just adds to his allure, a fact that Lucas himself would scoff at. He was gifted with his mother’s beauty, like all Aphrodite kids, which makes it slightly difficult to keep your eyes off him, even though Lucas would be more likely to punch you in the face than go on a date with you. He’s quiet, reserved, and grumpy with everyone. Everyone except Eliott, anyway. This doesn’t exactly help the fact that Eliott’s ridiculously in love with him. 

He leans against the back room doorframe, admiring for a tiny bit longer. “What are you in for, lover boy?”

Lucas startles slightly, turning to look at him over his shoulder, a tiny smirk on his face. Eliott’s breath catches in his throat at the sight. Lucas holds up his pointer finger, a tiny red line visible across the pad. He speaks, smooth and surprisingly deep, considering his angelic features and child-like blue eyes. “Fell into a sword. Didn’t want to catch an infection, ya know?”

Eliott raises an eyebrow at him, grinning despite himself. 

“Must have hurt like a bitch.”

“Oh, it did. Almost died, actually.”

“Wow.”

Eliott chuckles as he walks over to one of the cupboards, grabbing an antiseptic wipe and a bandaid. They always fall into an easy banter, like they’ve known each other forever. It makes him smile, the stress of the morning forgotten. It was only Lucas’ second summer at camp, and he stays with his Dad in NYC during the school year, still going to high school. Eliott was a year-rounder, his parents out of the picture for a long time, and at eighteen, he had already earned 6 years worth of camp beads. Lucas picked fights constantly during his first summer, and he ended up in the med bay at least twice a week. He didn’t really talk to Eliott at first, but after a while, he managed to crack through his hard exterior. He would even go as far as to say that they are pretty damn good friends. Lucas had been back at camp for 6 weeks now, and they fell right back into their rhythm.

He had become a much better fighter though over the past year, so he started just showing up at the med bay with random excuses, no matter how ridiculous. It always made Eliott’s day significantly less horrible. 

He rips open the wipe, taking Lucas’ outstretched hand and cleaning around the tip of his finger. Lucas looks down at their touching hands, a piece of his hair falling softly over his forehead. Eliott reaches out absentmindedly to push it back, and Lucas sighs, reaching out with his other hand to poke Eliott gently in the collarbone. 

His big eyes flicker across Eliott’s face, soft despite the slight grimace on his lips. “You look tired.”

Eliott lets out a breathy chuckle, holding the wipe to Luca’s finger with one hand as he reaches over to grab the bandaid off the counter.

“Fourteen bleeders in the morning will do that to you.” Eliott opens the bandaid with his teeth, glancing at Lucas, narrowing his eyes playfully. “I assume you and Yann had something to do with that.”

Lucas shrugs, a tiny smirk pulling up the corner of his lips. “You know how the Ares kids get.”

Eliott snorts, wrapping the band-aid around Lucas’ finger with a flourish. “Ta-da! You’re cured.”

“You’re the best, doc.”

He rolls his eyes as Lucas holds up his finger to examine the bandaid, a hideous yellow with neon pink hearts. He purses his lips, raising a single eyebrow at Eliott, whose leaning against the counter, grinning like a fool. “These new?”

“Let’s call it the ‘Lucas special’.” He holds up the bandaid box, the words “FOR LUCAS USE ONLY” scribbled across the front in sharpie. He wiggles his fingers around the box, like he’s showing off a game show prize. 

Lucas stares, bug-eyed, lips pressed together. Slowly, his whole face lights up with the most beautiful smile Eliott has ever seen in his entire life. It changes his whole face, and Eliott could swear that Lucas is actually glowing.

Before Eliott can return the grin, his vision suddenly goes fuzzy at the edges, the room spinning wildly, Lucas’ gorgeous face at the center, like the eye of a hurricane. What the fuck is happening. Lucas grin is gone as quickly as it came, expression morphing into wide-eyed horror. Eliott tries to grip onto the counter for support, but his palms are slick from the heat of the room. He falls gracelessly to the floor, head slamming into the lower cupboards on the way down. His ears ring, and through his darkening vision he can see Lucas bending down next to him, tugging rough hands through his own hair, making it stick up in tufts.

Eliott thinks he looks adorable.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT!” 

Lucas flutters his hands over him, eventually placing one on his cheek, patting gently. Eliott’s eyes refuse to blink, and he screams internally at himself, trying to figure out what the hell is going on. He can’t speak yet, and his mind is replaying the last 30 seconds over and over again. He keeps seeing Lucas’ devastating grin, and Eliott realizes that he has never seen him smile with his teeth before. Lucas always keeps up a carefully placed indifferent expression, the only hint of amusement showing through tiny smirks and voice inflection. He tries to put two and two together, and he can almost grasp at it, but his neurons feel like they are firing through molasses.

“CELIA, GO GET CHIRON!”

Lucas frantically turns back to Eliott, blue eyes wild and slightly watery. “Shit Eliott I’m so sorry, you caught me off guard. You’re gonna be fine, I promise.”

Something in Eliott’s heart tugs, and he feels a slight tingle in his limbs, finally gaining some movement back. He slowly rolls his body so he’s completely on his back against the cool tile, reaching up to poke a finger into the dimple in Lucas’ cheek, prominent due to his worried frown. His lips feel numb, but they finally move, and all of a sudden he giggles like a 12-year-old girl. 

“Y-you’re so f-fucking cute.” 

Why did I just say that?

“CELIA, HURRYYY THE FUCK UP!!”

[roses-and-lightnings]

Cake

Summary: Nishikage could never have guessed how Nosaka would make that day the happiest and most special of all.

Pairing: NishiYuu (Nishikage x Nosaka)

Word Count: 1655

A/N: Today (February 10th) is Seiya Nishikage’s birthday! Here’s my gift for him and for all of you. This story is also availabe in brazilian portuguese. Rated G for general audiences. 

Warnings: Fluffy, romance

P.S: This story takes place after episode 16 of Orion no Kokuin.

It was certainly a melancholic day. Nishikage was lying on his bed, holding the back of his head and covering his ears with his arms, waiting for time to pass by while feeling the warmth of the sun's rays coming through the bedroom window. Everything had been very quiet lately.

Since the new advisor to the Emperor of Tactics had been appointed, Nosaka spent his time with Ichihoshi, discussing new strategies, devising new plans and having meetings to talk about the opposing team's skills and how to overcome them, and the boy found himself alone in most these days. It was not a very easy feeling to deal with at first, after all it seemed that Nosaka was abandoning him to be with someone else, but Nishikage soon realized that it was not like that.

Nosaka would never forget him that easily. He was the Emperor's knight, after all. Just because he had gotten a new “squire”, it didn't mean he would put his most loyal companion aside. And most important of all, the strategist had been very happy since the international championship started, and Nishikage knew how much soccer had an important role in his life now. Much more than helping him to achieve his goals, the goalkeeper wanted his happiness at all costs and would fight to the end for it. There would be nothing to compare with the value of his smile when he played. If Ichihoshi was also part of that, then Nishikage would be forever grateful. There was no reason for anger or jealousy.

But still, he missed his friend. Especially on days like this. As there was never much to do, he had already hung out with several team members during the week, had already gone to the gym, trained, and now he was just bored. Maybe it would be a good idea to see how his partner was doing, after all.

Suddenly, a slight knock on the door caught his attention. Immediately, he recognized the voice that spoke right away:

- It's me. May I come in?

Nishikage quickly sat on the bed to properly welcome him.

- For sure.

Nosaka Yuuma gently opened the door, warming up his friend's chest as he entered with a smile, something significantly unusual. He carried a medium-sized white box, tied impeccably with a red ribbon, indicating that he had made it himself. In the other hand the redhead boy carried three balloons of different colors: blue, yellow, and another one white, the same colors as the team’s jacket.

The youngest one pulled the chair from the desk and sat near the goalkeeper. Strangely, he hadn't brought his tablet and was way too informal for the occasion. Nishikage wondered what it was all about, while watching him tie the balloons to the chair’s arm. Even if he did not understand, the presence of his admired emperor was very comforting.

- They’re nice, aren't they? - Nosaka's voice got his attention.

- Yes, very nice. - Nishikage replied.

- I tried to find some other colors, but those were all that I could find around here. I hope you like it, in any way.

- Nosaka-san, should I ask... what this is all about?

The redhead looked puzzled at his companion, and then gave him sort of a gracious laugh.

- You don’t know? -  The strategist asked.

- No.

- For real?

Negative. Nosaka kept the smile on his face as he handed him the gift.

- Happy birthday, Nishikage.

...

Before meeting Nosaka, Nishikage had never celebrated his birthday properly. Negligent parents and the fact that he spent most of his time away from home never provided such things. Upon entering the Ares education system, it was taught that birthday parties and other celebrations were nothing special. They were superfluous events and only suited for mediocre people. Gradually, he started to not care about his day. But there was Nosaka, giving him that cute little gift box and holding those balloons as if that date was the most important thing in the world.

There was no way he could describe how surprised Nishikage felt at that moment, taking the gift that his companion had extended to him, with his trembling hands. Putting it on his lap, he swallowed when his heart beating strongly, while staring at the beautiful red ribbon.

- N-nosaka-san...

Nosaka sighed.

- I must admit I was a little uneasy about it. I've never done anything like this before. - He looked at his friend. - I wondered you should be feeling lonely lately, and I thought I could...

He cleared his throat and restored his almost lost composure. At that point, Nishikage did not know what to do other than pay attention to every word coming out of his mouth.

- There are some things I want to say to you. Birthdays are important occasions, right? So it took me a while to plan this. Still, it's not like I have experience in the matter.

He was unexpectedly quiet, so the emperor continued.

- Nishikage.

- Yes?

He kept his gaze serious when saying the following words:

- It really is not like me to do and say such things, but I want you to know that... it is a privilege and a pleasure to be with you. I am grateful for all of your work, and your company is important to me. I offer you my congratulations and I wish your happiness today.

A broad smile took form on the older one's face. Happiness had flown throughout his body when he heard his emperor's kind words. This was, without a trace of doubt, one of the best days of his entire life, and one more time, all thanks to that person. Meanwhile, Nosaka felt as if a load had been lifted from his shoulders when he realized that he had managed to make him happy. He had already admitted being nervous, and the truth is that he would not have known what Nishikage's reaction would be to something so sudden. There were things that not even the great Emperor of Tactics could predict.

- Aren't you going to open it? – Nosaka broke the silence, taking them out of their trance, just looking into each other's eyes.

- Yes, of course! - He replied, awkwardly.

Nosaka watched as the goalkeeper carefully undid the bow and opened the box.

- Chocolate. It's your favorite, isn't it? - Although Seiya never told him that directly, Nosaka never missed any details. - I wanted something we could share, and I thought you would like it.

He did not answer.

- Nishikage?

Nishikage didn’t wish to be too emotional, but after opening that box, he could no longer fight the tears, which ran down his face. His eyes were shining brightly, and his face had taken on a slightly reddish tone, unsettling the redhead in front of him.

- What happened?

The youngest one got up from the chair and sat down next to Nishikage on the bed, trying to find out what was wrong. Nosaka was immediately very surprised to see that the phrase written in red syrup on top of the beautifully decorated with chocolate icing cake was "I love you", instead of "happy birthday".

He knew that asking Asuto and Ichihoshi to bake the cake had been a bad idea.

- N-n-nosaka-san ... - He stammered, incredulous.

It was the emperor's turn to blush. He partially covered his mouth with his fingers trying to look for a way to justify the mess. Meanwhile, Nishikage's heart was racing wildly, wondering if that was true, but without the courage to ask.

Although he did not accurately know the meaning of love, Nosaka dared to say:

- Well, that was not my intention, but there is no lie in those words.

Nishikage's grayish eyes turned to his emperor, not believing what he had just heard.

- It may not seem so, Nishikage, but do I care a lot about you.

Hesitantly, he put his hand over the older one's hand and took a deep breath, something he had never done before, manifesting that there was something very important to be said. He looked up seriously until he met Nishikage's eyes, and said:

- Even if I don’t unveil that... Nishikage, you are the most important person in my life. You were always by my side and changed my world like no one ever did before. If those words can tell you that, Nishikage, I do lov...

He was interrupted when the older one threw his arms around him, pulling his body close to his in a tight hug. The tears that had already dried up fully returned, now in the midst of sobs and the laughter that insisted on coming out, without knowing or caring if he should or was authorized to do so. Since he met him, Nosaka had never seen Nishikage so happy, and he had also never been hugged that way. And feeling that heat was a good and brand-new sensation. Something he could get used to from now on.

Getting carried away, Nosaka put his hands on Nishikage's back and hugged him back, allowing himself to close his eyes and enjoy the funny feeling of being in someone's arms. It didn't take long for the redhead to smile too.

When he was released, Nishikage wiped away his tears and admired once again the beautiful gift that his friend had given him. Nosaka looked at him cornerly, trying to understand the mixture of feelings that ran through his veins at that moment.

- Nosaka-san... Thank you so much! - And that was all he managed to say, in a kind smile.

The emperor put his hand on his knight's shoulder.

- I’m the one to thank you. Happy birthday!

In fact, Nishikage could never have guessed how Nosaka would make that day the happiest and most special of all.

(THIS STORY WILL CONTINUE ON APRIL 2ND, 2020!)

A/N: This is it! I hope you liked it! I’m proud to bring my first fanfiction to this blog. Thank you all, and happy birthday, Nishikage Seiya! 💞💕🎉✨🎂

Edit: I’d like to tag some of my friends and inspiration. @sn-u @misutorekun @krimkl @shawn-and-aiden-frost-9 and @peachesandglitter. Their lovely art, good work and support helped me a lot 💗 I would be honored to dedicate this fic to them. Thank you all a lot 🌺

[cruddyborderlandstheories]

That behind closed doors vid eh? I took the time to change the angle/darkness on them for my own viewing so by comparing them to the other videos, my screengrabs might seem a little different, but that’s just bc i changed the pitch and yaw settings and adjusted the brightness.

spoilers technically bc this wasn’t released to the public by gearbox, so venture forth at your own risk. nothing story-wise, as far as i’m aware, though.

alright it took me a while to get things settled as i had to keep adjusting the saturation and stuff for different scenes but i am here and i am ready to ANALYZE

as we pop into sanctuary-III we notice a new quest which I am like 40% sure is named “Going Rogue” which... is a pretty interesting name. “Being Reguo” is what I actually see but I don’t think that’s it.

we also have a couple of guns in the vending machine

+3- Weapon Charge Speed so we know Maliwan guns have charge time so I’m glad there are perks to reduce that.

a sniper sold by Amara

more reduced charge speed + melee damage

Jakobs Assault Rifle! Bonus crit damage (hoping ARs are actually viable this time around), weapon accuracy, melee. 

I can’t read it, but I am assuming this is the rare spawn notification

this seems like a hub for the rare enemy missions! that is so awesome

2 of the rare enemies we can fight i am assuming

some more. i actually thought the far left, 2nd over was zer0

“I know it sounds impossible, but you’re going to have to stop the Unstoppable”.

In-Game friend’s list

5 tabs, one of them looks like a key, maybe there are friend codes across consoles? Idk what the first tab is named, but they have 7 friends online. I believe the bottom one (Moze) is you and the top one is the person you’ll be joining? It shows what quest you’re on under your name. And for some reason there’s an icon of claptrap at the top, that very well may be the current player’s icon (as it’s also above Moze and it says gunner in the box). You can edit your status apparently, but idk what status means. there’s also a button for View Inventory.

viewing the inventory rn

edit group button below ur icon/profile

new area

the unstoppable man goliath himself

more of the new area

1 (one) fear: The Unstoppable

he can apparently throw shit at us like Bullymongs did

F in chat for Zane

You can also shoot them out of the air

“Don’t leave empty [handed?]”

zoomer is so fucking cute

he threw the tire thing and it flew behind him instead of forwards

lmao

also i 100% just noticed this but zoomer is red instead of the normal yellowish, might be bc of a perk or maybe zoomer conforms to zane’s skin as well? could’ve sworn he was wearing the basic bitch outfit tho

moze and ib

can’t tell if this is a skin or not lmao the quality is too terrible

the quest called Sanctuary

i think that is a new skin? it looks black instead of blue but again that may be the quality of the video

oooo that’s different!!!! QUEST TO CUSTOMIZE SANCTUARY FOR THE INHABITANTS PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE 

THIS IS ALSO DIFFERENT!!!!

vs the sanctuary-iii demo below

the behind the doors demo ^

the sanctuary-iii demo v

that’s a different list on the floor!!

the mail menu/tab!!!!!!

New legendary pangolin shield gives nova, storage, and health. does more weapon damage while shields are depleted

“I said bitttttttcccchhhhhh”

Also, those fucking names are brilliant. “Amara (as Amara), CalypsoKilla86 (as Zane), Fl4k (as Moze), MC Hammerlock (as unlisted), Moze (as Moze), SkagLord9000 (as Moze), Captain_Fuzz_Lipp (Offline - picture is Rhys), and Maya (Offline - I think the picture is Maya)

Maxxed-Out Sureshot++

“Thrown weapon MIRVs into 3 projectiles”

“Are you sure? Are you sure you want to send this item? Sent mail cannot be returned.”

EDGELORD ZANE FLYNT AHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

GRANDPA NEVER GREW OUT OF HIS HOT TOPIC PHASE TGSHDTJYRUKJETHYRWTEQ

Moze heads! cool top hat skull

Moze skins

spooky scary. reminds me of Zer0′s pirate skin from captain scarlett

MOZE COLORS AND IT’S REAL WE GET TO PICK OUR COLOR SCHEMES THANK YOU OMG

GEARBOX ACTUALLY LET ME BE GAY IM YELLING

Moze emotes

it looks like there is a wheel for emotes!!!

so far we see finger guns and a little heart. we also know there’s a wave and we’ve seen amara do the chicken dance.

Amara, and some of her heads

birb

her hair holy shit that’s gorgeous

is that a crimson raider helmet? that’s badass as fuck goddamn

marcuS?

oh no Amara’s a furry now

drop from the rare enemy we see in the moze gameplay, maybe?

psycho cultist mask

warfstache?

Amara skins

spooky. guessing there will be a halloween skin event?

Fl4k!

i think this is their VIP reward head

Fl4k skins that change patterns

looks like a hawaiian shirt pattern on their jacket

camo

glow?

idk but it looks awesome

looks wintery to me, idk, maybe a floral print?

Zane heads

Soldier 76 reference i am guessing? I don’t play overwatch, im talking about the gay soldier guy with the visor lmao

space dandy fucked dirk im-

there are also gun charms

amara’s arm

buttstallion’s tail iirc

claptrap charm!

... eye of the destroyer? i think? needs more teeth

i have no idea lmao

fl4k’s doggy bowl!

helios hmmm

jack’s mask D:

moxxi’s hat

psycho mask

RHYS’S MOUSTACHE LMFAO

?????

tina’s bunny

a toaster? finally i can go swimming with my guns-

gearbox logo

weapon skins:

more eden 6:

is that is that an atlas building i see? or maybe thats SUPAMAX MFG!! they said we’d find a lot of crashed ships on Eden-6 (hey shoutout to my one post that said that the ship with bugs in it was gonna be the B-Team’s crashed ship that stranded them there, I WAS SO CLOSE)

may be supamax mfg

TINA AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

looks they they’ve been living in the abandoned center (Jakobs? is it actually?)

Jakobs manor in the background

“Issarians” “Sarians” I dunno but they’re lil dinosaur thingies

more jakobs manor

i like the mix of old-timey shit and holograms/neon lights

this place is fucking huge omg

there’s like a library and everything holy shit

and it all goes to shit when the CoV get in there and hang people with TVs for heads (3rd trailer)

looks like its a basement or smth

volcano?  volcano? volcano? volcano?

(also from the third trailer ^) ARE WE GONNA BLOW UP THE VOLCANO? FUCK YEAH

Jabbers! cat monkey things. they are smart and can use guns

dome - reminds me of the atlas biodome of which cassius is from

(from TFTBL ^)

but it's just empty :|

some of the abandoned ships!

definitely thinking that abandoned factory like area we see (Tina Brick and Mordy in) is SUPAMAX MFG. these ships are SUPER similar to Sanctuary-III

THAT’S SO COOL??? this is straight outta skyrim holy shit. that giant skeleton on the tree holy fuck

looks like some sort of factory area? pump/mining maybe?

omfg lmao

this looks awful lmao but they said there is a gas giant in the sky so i gotta believe them

moze standing in what looks like the main menu

“[Iron Bear] is a little bit scuffed up - she’s seen some action”

they go on to talk about stuff we’ve already seen: about Moze’s action skills (hardpoints) and her skill trees

a better look at Amara’s phasegrasp

The quest is

“Bandit Jabber Hunter Spy”

Zane and Amara running ahead

You can target your missiles to one or multiple enemies at once. that’s fuckin awesome

more of Amara’s phasegrasp

Zane’s clone in action

“Lair of the Harpy”

And that’s it so far. That’s all we got. but holy shit was it a wild ride. I’m soooooo happy we get to pick our own colors for our skin designs. Seriously. So fucking happy. 

[floggingink]

Riverdale, “Chapter Thirty-Eight: As Above, So Below”

Day At Least Seven Solitary Coif: struggling

Alice’s thigh: stunning

Sexy, aesthetic Southside: FP’s jellybean tattoo: incredibly, tenderly sad

Certified pedigree: “I’m glad the Farm opened you up to the possibility of us”: either Alice thought about this to herself, or she (absolutely) asked the rest of her cult what they thought. what they THOUGHT about her sleeping with FP again. “What d’you think, girls?” Alice wine clubbed FP Jones’s dick!

who has more game, FP or Jughead? FP a) is a grown man, b) is oftentimes gainfully employed (I’ve forgotten if he’s employed right now), c) is strong enough to carry a high school boy out of the woods, d) was VERY smooth with his seemingly instinctual “Then don’t. Tell him,” e) did that thing where he took the gum out of his mouth when Alice came to his trailer, and f) looked pretty good in his crisp Pop’s uniform when he was employed at Pop’s. however FP also a) tends to drink when not employed and b) is fucking obsessed with Toledo, a town I will burn to the ground if I ever set foot in it. meanwhile, Jughead a) climbed up a fucking ladder to Betty’s bedroom, b) ABSOLUTELY KILLED IT when he and Betty almost fucked each other in the kitchen, c) KILLED IT AND BURIED IT in the moments before fucking her on the couch when he was all, “Or you could stay,” and fucking touched her dress like she was an angel of the Lord and he was just a humble shepherd boy whose eyes were not worthy to gaze upon her countenance, d) only strategically removes his hat, and e) rides a motorcycle. the hat is not a con, necessarily, and being a writer in high school is a cross some of us simply have to bear, but he is like, kind of a pain sometimes and a little squirrelly, but w/r/t the love of his life, he has tailored himself to her every need almost perfectly

OH AND I FORGOT WHEN HE KISSED HER SCABBY BLOOD KNUCKLES! OH SHIT!

Veronica has the most game on the entire show

I like when they have Jughead use words like “modicum”

“Ben’s death haunts me, Jug. He didn’t scream. Why not, I wonder?”: writing credits this episode go to Daphne de Maurier

YYEEEAAAAAHHH THE BLUE & GOLD CRIME BOARD BABY

I would almost expect something more from the warden’s tie, except that I know plain clothing is, in and of itself, a warning sign

anything that gets Veronica in her reading glasses is okay by me, and this includes Pop’s hemorrhaging money

Jughead can wear just a T-shirt sans jacket or flannel any old time he wants, I’m just putting that vibe out there

“Of course we’re calling it a speakeasy.”

Jug’s suspender game is strong, so really Betty should know she has nothing to worry about

his stupid dumb round face looking at her when she pulls him aside is pretty. remember when he kissed her hands? fucking Jughead sometimes, dude

“Evelyn...creeps me out.”

I like Betty’s overalls and Evelyn’s romper thing

what I expected when Kevin dialed the phone was for the whole booth to sink into the basement like a surprise elevator

Kander and Ebb wrote the music to, among much else, Cabaret and Chicago, those being some of their most gay

I LOVE VERONICA’S WHITE SHIRT. IT’S JUST A FUCKING PLAIN WHITE SHIRT, SHE IS SO BEAUTIFUL

Every triangle has three corners, every triangle has three sides: is there some heat between Veronica and Reggie? am I crazy?

the foursome of Reg, Ronnie, Josie, and Kev is basically just as strong as the cour four strictly in terms of hair

I don’t know that I like Penny’s sleeveless Ghoulies vest more than her leather Serpents jacket but I do know I like it at least the same amount (oodles)

Fwoopy hair is the best hair: Day One Lifted Bag Off Head Hair: GREAT

OH MY GOD, JOAQUIN!!!! WHEN WILL JOAQUIN REST. DOES EVERY TERRIBLE THING HAVE TO HAPPEN TO JOAQUIN BEFORE IT HAPPENS TO SOMEONE ELSE. IS JOAQUIN IN THE FARM

does Archie have a scar on his head? is it KJ’s? have I lost track of something?

Gay?!: BABY TEETH is an absolute twink and he was tapped to save his life

I’m suspicious of Peter because his name is, simply, “Peter”

Gay.: Cheryl and Toni are just like lounging in a single chair together and that’s the bisexual agenda

Veronica was rich: Veronica’s heavy card stock IS very nice

Ethel’s cute yellow cardigan is back, which matches her thermos and lunchbox

I enjoyed when Betty sits down and you think she’s going to apologize for being there at Ben’s death but instead she just fucking grills Ethel some more

“...G&G.”

OOOOOOHHHHHHH JUGHEAD’S TURNING IT ON WITH THAT PRINCESS SHIT

Please protect Betty: Betty’s entire expression at being told she’s “not worthy,” God bless her

The female gaze: I don’t know why Reggie’s shirt is off. probably Reggie doesn’t even know

Reggie’s panicked JJ face is one of the top five panicked faces of all time. he’s tied at least with the girl in Jurassic Park when she sees the raptor shadow and her hand holding that green Jell-O starts shaking

Minetta doesn’t even pretend he’s looking for something other than whatever was in those boxes. cold, Minetta

REGGIE’S SALUTE

Reg simply being aware that Minetta and the Ghoulies work for Hiram almost brings me to tears. not only is he a walking sculpture with a pair of lips that would make Sarah Steller throw herself off the Hoover Dam, but he is also a genius

VERONICA IS SO BEAUTIFUL. “Not until I’m properly armed.” just look at her!

Ethel didn’t even come to the first meeting of the Farm Club? cold, Ethel

Evelyn offering Betty a pizza slice comes off as her genuinely wanting Betty to have a piece of pizza if she wants, which is the first non-creepy thing she’s done (Jughead would take the pizza)

she of course follows this up with “that darn medication”

Archie looks like a corpse in the blue light

tell me “wakey, wakey” is a Kill Bill reference. TELL ME IT IS

the guy they have fighting Archie looks just enough like Khabib Nurmagomedov that I was like, is this an unconscious wish on someone’s part to do a rematch of red-haired McGregor vs. Khabib except it’s on Riverdale so it’s in something called “the Pit” which is a drained swimming pool and they’re in juvie? (it’d have to be a fantasy in that Conor McGregor would get his ass beaten by Khabib Nurmagomedov in any rematch in any universe, in the universe)

dude does his best but, as Sweet Pea and Vintage Reggie can tell you, you cannot let Archie land a) a right hook or b) an uppercut or he will end this fight

who’re the rando white women watching? their fucking wives? goddammit, white women

I think Baby Teeth could take Reggie jawline-to-jawline

Veronica’s kittenish heels sinking into the dirt as opposed to her striding effortlessly as Moses parting the Red Sea

Cheryl’s a chaos angel from hell: “THAT VIPER BITCH”

Antoinette Topaz is fluent in many languages, including Veronica’s

God bless jingle-jangle: the fucking cat burglar sequence set to “Jingle Jangle” just about fucking did it

Ethel’s candle game is reaching midnight mass-levels of mastery

so did Betty and Jughead get their ad hoc sex den (good band name) out of the bunker before Ethel got there? or was it there the whole time but for Ben and Ethel?

I feel I want to write down that Ben abandoned Ethel to ascend prematurely with Dilton otherwise I’ll forget and will be tricked by something later on

POLLY’S KNITTED HALTER

closed captioning capitalized the Shady Man, the second strangest Riverdale skull

Alice really just did Betty like that! maybe Betty DOES need to live in a bunker

50 Shades of Betty: “The wig. The webcaming.”

I love how Betty always gets very sarcastically OH, OKAY THEN when she decides to start laying out some truths

Alice stands up and her dress has some sort of insane asymmetrical hemline and she’s also got an ankle bracelet!!!!!!

Dilton Doiley Ethel Muggs is a canonically great dancer the DM: Ethel’s little crush on Jughead circa his birthday party has not abated. even when he was being insane about the Serpents I bet she entertained sweet fantasies of buying a pleather jacket off ModCloth and Jughead “inducting” her. so she found herself a coterie of pliable boys who were also gangly and weird and obsessed with details and pacts and she became their princess. so THERE. you fucking bet she’s gonna get a kiss out of Jughead before she fucking poisons herself

Ethel’s dungeon master voice is giving me a sort of ASMR vibe

I don’t want to veer too wildly but she is wearing a crown, her character has “a crown”

dog, was she about to kill Jughead right then and there? Ethel goes hard. Ethel might go harder than Jughead

“You’re asking me to play Russian roulette!” “I’m asking you to play Gryphons and Gargoyles.” THIS BITCH (in context it’s very smooth and bitchy)

GOD BUT JUGHEAD DID DRINK IT. VERY WELL KNOWINGLY, HE DID IT

Jughead eats: Salud is just the sort of thing I’d expect Jug to say before maybe drinking cyanide (or skol, if he had been watching Ingmar Bergman)

I don’t know if I could drink that much Kool-Aid that fast. Kool-Aid and Sunny D always made my teeth feel filmy. I could definitely down that much Capri Sun, if it were in a pouch the size of my shin

anyway Ethel’s sick move telling Jughead he has to kiss her first got an emotional reaction from me at almost the level of when Cheryl came down to Jason’s wake in that white dress

Jughead and Ethel are almost of a height, which is weirdly lovely

These students are legally children: maybe Ethel put the poison in after Jughead had chosen. I maybe doubt she would’ve just fucking assassinated Jughead

Jughead was reading next to her when she woke up, which is just a specific kind of daydream you have, sometimes

Sixth period is Intro to Film: HEISENBURG

Toni’s pictures are certainly shot with a mind to lighting, depth

is blue light the light of evil? Hiram’s study, the warden’s office?

Archie > Dawson: of course Archie imagines talking to his father and of course he imagines his father telling him to “take one.” I love Self-Sacrificial Lamb Archie (or just momentarily self-sacrificing). better than Fascist Archie!

well, Betty’s room has blue light too. fucking forget it then

although she is SURROUNDED BY EVIL at all times

Mädchen Amick, MÄDCHEN AMICK: “I trust them more than I trust you” is season one-level Alice-shade

Cheryl’s sheaths: I like very much Cheryl’s bosomy sequin thing and Toni’s back jewelry

I also like the RROTC boys in their like WWII uniforms, which may be anachronistic but still hard vintage, and the cigar girls

Jughead doubts it: there’s so much going on when Betty goes all melty and wipes some of the Fresh-Aid off Jug’s lips and Jug, who is not smiling, looks at Sweet Pea helping Veronica

Best costume bit: Veronica is in magenta, because I deserve it

I can’t wholly endorse Reggie’s non-black plaid trousers paired with a solid black blazer but I CAN endorse Reggie as a whole

Cheryl’s Hiram’s pins: I think Hiram has a fucking octopus pin! I think it is!!!!!!!!

the wallpaper behind Hiram downstairs is...interesting. it’s like a cutout from that Disney cartoon for “Winter Wonderland”

we stay on Veronica’s face for sort of an extra beat, so I can confirm a) she’s still beautiful and b) she has a sparkly thing in her hair

The 2001 Josie and the Pussycats movie was a masterpiece: Josie’s got that thing going on where you gem up the part in your hair

God I love a good Riverdale music/mayhem montage. like what were they playing when Jughead ran the gauntlet? fuck sometimes this stuff is just still so good (“Mess Around” when Reggie lunged for Jughead also counts, though not performed live somewhere else in Riverdale at the same moment)

“Anything Goes” is in fact not Kander and Ebb but Cole Porter

I’ve seen Brick like thirty times: I love a good bead of bloody spit dangling from someone’s mouth during a slow-mo fight sequence

I’m writing a scene where it’s gay.: “THAT KID…..IS A STAR.”

that fucking rum, can you believe it? the fucking shade of it all

Fifth period is AP English: OH MY GOD. THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO. OH MY GOD, THE FUCKING HAMMER. THE COUNT OF MONTE MOTHERFUCKING GODDAMN YES GOD HOLY BITCH

“Damn good coffee”: the goddamn shot of FP and Alice standing together flanked by the flames of their righteous destruction of the G&G manual

Summer + Blair = Veronica: Veronica is pretty fucking brave to still be living in Hiram Lodge’s HOUSE. and of course that’s what her dressing gown looks like

oh my god, Joaquin is still alive? Joaquin’s STILL HERE?

ARCHIE’S GONNA BREAK OUT OF PRISON AND I MUST CLEANSE MYSELF OF SIN TO BE WORTHY OF ITS GLORY (I trust Riverdale a lot more again at the moment)

so wait, Jughead put the cot BACK? are these two different bunkers? is it the same effing bunker???

“It’s over”: you fucking fool

yes, it’s the same goddamn bunker. the candles are still there! I guess I thought the wicked juju from Ethel’s ~SUICIDE ATTEMPT~ would deter the two of them from FUCKING IN THE EXACT SAME BUNKER but Betty and Jughead literally do not give a single damn where they do it

Jug’s headphones!!!!!!!!!

Cheryl’s expression at reading the G&G manual is appropriately be-Blossomed

The Blossom spawn: she still has a photo of Jason in her locker and I think a sticker that says “Literally no one cares”

What damn high school in America: those manuals have a QR code on the back, so you can play on your phone! GIVE ME THE APP, RAS

who unsheathed Ethel? LORD, WHO LET HER LOOSE?

GEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

NEXT WEEK: Camila Mendes wears glasses the entire time

[inkytealeaf]

Milo’s story

Part 3 - New beginning

Part 1 - Part 2

Milo pressed ‘send’ as he watched his father’s car turn left at the end of the street. He stayed at the front door for a little while, squeezing his phone nervously in his hand and shifting from one foot to the other, icy-blue eyes burning the spot where his father’s car had been a few seconds ago. They hadn’t exchanged a single word during breakfast, his father’s rage still palpable, and Milo too scared he might provoke him by only asking him to hand him the bottle of milk. The last few days had been a real nightmare for Milo. Never had he seen his father with such hatred in his eyes, not even when he came back home with a fresh new piercing. During these days, Milo had learned to know another side of his father. Darker. Scarier.

His body shivered as the cold morning breeze licked his naked feet. He sighed, louder than he had expected to, and closed the door behind him. Pressing his forehead against the cool glass, he let his thoughts wander far away from this place, to his friends, but the pain on his ribs brought him back to reality. Each breath he took in sent a stabbing pain to this area and he hoped he hadn’t broken anything. Milo had absolutely no will to go to the hospital right now to check his body. It would only anger his father even more.

Milo gritted his teeth at the thought. He has been lucky enough to not get punched this morning and he swore to himself that it would be the last time his father would lay a hand on him. Of course, he had sent a text to Maeva the first time, but she hadn’t been able to give him more than a few pieces of advice and promises of killing his father with her gay bare hands.

Speak of the devil, his phone buzzed in his hand.

We’re on the road, sweetie. I have the cardboard boxes, and yes you have the time to take a shower. Let the door open <3

A smile stretched his lips, making him wince a little. ‘We’ meant that she had dragged her girlfriend with her and Milo couldn’t wait to see her again.

Maeva and Adeline had been dating for nearly three years now despite the fact that Adeline had had to move to the other side of the country for her studies. He remembered the first time he had seen her, anxious and not knowing what to tell him as if Maeva had introduced her to a family member. He was her best friend, she considered him as her little brother. He had only seen her a few couples of times, and he loved her as much as he loved Maeva. Adeline was making her happy, and that was everything Milo wished for his best friend.

Milo rushed upstairs, trying to not pay too much attention to his body screaming for some rest, and locked himself in the bathroom. A warm shower would do the greatest good to him.

He might have spent too much time under the water because when he left the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his hips, he heard Maeva let out a loud ‘Finally!’ from downstairs. Smiling, he opened his wardrobe and took some clothes he put on. A pair of too large jeans, a burgundy sweater that had a hole in one of the sleeves, and his favourite – and only – cardigan.

As he walked down the stairs, he heard two new voices. Men’s voices. Milo stopped just before walking in the kitchen where they were, anxiety seizing his stomach. He never did well with meeting new people, and the only thing reassuring him was that they were with Maeva. They had to be good people if they came with her.

“Sorry I took so long.” He said, his eyes searching for Maeva. Sitting at the table, she had her arms wrapped around Adeline’s waist, twirling the end of her long braid around her fingers.

“They’ll forgive you if you pay – Oh shit,” Maeva exclaimed when she saw his face, the black eye and the split bottom lip. She rushed to him and cupped his face, carefully not to hurt him more. “You weren’t kidding. I am so sorry Milo.”

“It’s okay, Maeva,” He said hugging her back. “They’re only bruises.”

“Sorry to interrupt that sweet moment but,” One of the guys who was leaning against the sink started, “maybe you could introduce us to your pretty friend?”

Maeva rolled her eyes. “Milo, the Don Juan over there is Damien, Adeline’s brother.” She pointed to the tallest of them, and Milo only noticed now the resemblance with Adeline. The same snub nose, the same big blue eyes, the same round face.

“Hello!” Damien winked at him, a smirk on his lips.

“And this is Akela, my cousin,” Adeline said as she walked to her cousin and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

“Yo.” Was the only thing he said.

Standing side by side, Milo found them so different from one another. Tanned skin compared to Adeline’s porcelain white. Hazelnut eyes compared to blue. Black hair compared to light brown. If she hadn’t told him he was her cousin, Milo would have never been able to tell they were related.

“We thought, well, Adeline thought,” Damien said without tearing his eyes off Milo, “that you might need more hands to help you move out.”

“Oh, uhm, I don’t have a lot of stuff you know.”

“Not a lot of stuff sure. That includes your whole wardrobe which is bigger than mine,” Maeva started counting on her fingers as she sat back at the table, “your shoes, your dozens of books, the huge panda and koala plushies you’re hiding in your wardrobe, and your bed. Did I forget something?”

“Why would I bring my bed with me?”

“To sleep on it, duh.”

“Wait, you didn’t tell him, honey?”

“Tell me what?”

“Oh look at him. He’s so cute when he doesn’t know what’s happening.”

Maeva rolled her eyes at Damien’s comment and sighed, deeply, against Adeline’s neck when she sat back on her lap. “You’re living with us now. I inherited the house from our parents.”

“You mean… Oh, I am so sorry for your loss.” They all chuckled. “What? I didn’t even know you decided to live together, you could have told me, Maeva.”

“They’re not dead,” Damien said crossing his arms on his chest. “They’re both retired and travelling around the world. They’re in Spain right now.”

“But, why isn’t it you who inherited it?”

“I already have a place of my own,” He winked again.

Milo arched an eyebrow. “How old exactly are you? If I can ask.”

As Damien pointed a finger towards him, the other started to laugh. “No, you can’t ask this.”

“He’s 29,” Akela said.

They all laughed as Damien whined, telling him he thought he was his favourite cousin, and couldn’t believe he had betrayed him like that. In other circumstances, Milo would have loved to talk and laugh with them more, getting to know them better, but they only had a few hours to move his things out before his father would come back home. Milo only hoped that by the time his father would, his room would be empty, and him far away. Safe with the girls.

It took them three hours to pack all of his stuff into cardboard boxes, four round trips with Damien’s van, and three more hours to unpack everything before they could all collapse on the couch.

His head resting on Maeva’s thighs, Milo thanked them for their hard work – and help – to which they responded that he should pay for the pizzas tonight. Damien though, said he would prefer a kiss, but the only thing he got was a slap on the back of his head by Akela.

Milo shivered at his words. He had thought Damien would be like his sister; nice, funny and a little goofy, but the day had proved him the contrary. He hadn’t mind answering his inappropriate questions, hoping he would leave him alone once he’d get an answer, but the nicknames, the soft touches on his arm or neck, the way he had been looking at him or his lewd innuendos had ended up making him feel uncomfortable in his presence. But he had said nothing. Damien would already stop.

“Who’s calling for the pizzas?” Maeva asked, eyes closed and fingers playing with Milo’s hair. “And who’s going to buy beer?”

“Damien you buy the beer,” Akela said, half-sleeping on Adeline’s shoulder. “I order the food.”

“Why me? You’re all adults.”

“Yeah, but you’re the oldest big bro.”

“What are you still doing here?” Akela asked as he stood up and stretched his back. “We’re all thirsty, hurry!”

They bickered for a few minutes before Adeline dragged them both out of the house. She came back inside soon after and made the order instead.

“You’re okay sweetie?” Maeva asked him, playing with his fingers. “Not in too much pain?”

“I’m fine,” He told her as he rolled on his back. At one point during the afternoon, Maeva had taken him aside to ask him how he was feeling, if his father had done something else than hitting him, and that was when he showed her the bruises on his chest and ribs.

“Did he try to call you?”

“Not yet, he’s still working. Later tonight, maybe. I won’t answer.”

“And no one will force you,” She told him, her thumb rubbing soothing circles on his cheek. “You’re safe with us. He doesn’t know where we live.”

“Are you sure it doesn’t bother you that I live with you?”

“Adeline suggested it when you texted me after he… you know.”

“I’ll help pay the bills, and the groceries, and–”

“Don’t worry about that now. There are more important kinds of stuff.”

Milo sat up straight and without warning, wrapped his arms around Maeva’s neck and hugged her tightly hiding his face against her shoulder. He whispered many ‘thank you’s to her, more when Adeline came back in the living room and joined them in their hug.

Not even ten minutes after, Damien and Akela came back to a coffee table full of crisps and appetizers to sustain them until the delivery guy would come with their pizzas, and the three of them dancing to a groovy music. They stayed in the doorway watching them making strange dance moves – each crazier than the next – until Milo turned around and saw them.

“Oh,” He let out, his face flushed to his neck, and scratched the back of his head. “You’re back!”

“Do not stop because of us,” Damien said as he put a full plastic bag on the couch then leaned on his elbows, watching him intensely. “We’re enjoying the view. Right, Akela?”

“I’m more concerned about Maeva’s body. Didn’t know you were that flexible. Are you even made of bones?”

“Who knows?” She said as she looked in the bag and took a bottle of vodka among five other bottles. “Guys, I said beer. Not strong alcohols.”

“Hey don’t look at me, it was his idea!”

“Well,” Akela started, embarrassed. “I thought maybe we could celebrate Milo’s move and do a house-warming party, just the five of us. Tomorrow’s Saturday anyway, and no one works or has classes. And I don’t want to go home.” He whispered that last sentence, but they all understood what he meant. All, except Milo.

“I’m always ready for a party, Maeva needs to relax a bit so, what do you think Milo. You’re in?”

“Sure, it could be fun.”

“Let’s do this then! Baby, could you bring fruit juices and cola here?” Adeline asked before turning her attention to her brother. “Text your girlfriend and tell her you’re staying here for the night. No one is leaving this house wasted!”

Then, without warning, she rushed to Akela – already digging in the bag of crisps – and trapped him in a tight embrace.

Milo watched the scene with a smile on his lips as he sat on the couch. He saw her whisper something in his ear, something that brought a smile back on his lips. His curiosity was telling him to ask what they were talking about, but he kept his mouth shut. He didn’t know Akela enough for that. Seeing them so close reminded him of the relationship he had with his own cousins. Would he see them again? Would he be able to hang out with them without fearing his father might be with them only to try to take him back home? He couldn’t. Milo was an adult now and could make his own decisions alone. No one would tell him how he should live his life anymore. No one would tell him what kind of people he should surround himself with.

He started as cold fingers brushed his neck. When he turned his head, Damien’s bright smile was facing him.

“Sorry,” He said, his fingers still on Milo’s neck. “I didn’t want to scare you. Are you okay?”

Milo nodded. “I didn’t hear you come, that’s all.”

“Really?” Damien bend over a little, and whispered in his ear, “Are you scared of me, pretty boy?”

“Back off Damien, or I’ll kick you so hard your whole family won’t recognize you,” Maeva warned him as she came back from the kitchen, arms full of bottles of fruit juice and cola.  

“I only was teasing him,” He said as he straightened his back, but his fingers were still moving on his neck, tickling his shoulders.

A long shiver of disgust ran down his spine as Milo moved to the side, and he thanked whatever god could be watching over him when Adeline and Akela sat on each of his sides.

“My buddy,” Adeline said as she wrapped her arms around him, scowling at her brother. “Not yours. You’re too old anyway.”

“Hey!”

They all laughed until they were interrupted by the doorbell. As Maeva brought their food inside, Milo took the opportunity to thank Adeline for the umpteenth time this day. Adeline knew her brother could make people uncomfortable, and as she told him, it was her duty to protect him from that old creepy man.

They spent their dinner time with joy and good humour, the music loud and their glass never empty.

Milo felt dizzy. Dizzy but good. He was giggling more than usual, talked more – way more – and couldn’t even tell who was poking his thigh under the coffee table. Thanks to the quantity he had already drunk, he didn’t mind being alone with Damien when the others went outside for a smoke. He didn’t mind the attention that man gave him, the sweet words, the soft caresses, the kisses on his neck. His phone buzzing and ringing.

Damien had cold hands and tasted like whiskey.

Milo laughed again when his teeth nibbled his earlobe, a soft warmth blooming in his stomach. His head hit the couch behind him. Wrapping an arm across his eyes, his grin widened for no reason as the ice cubes in Damien’s glass tingled, the only sound he could focus on.

“Can you keep a secret?” Damien asked as he straddled his hips and pinned his hands on the couch.

He nodded. “What’s your secret?”

“You won’t tell anyone what just happened. Can you do that for me, pretty boy?”

He kissed him again, a hand around his throat, and got off his lap just in time as Akela, Adeline and Maeva came back inside.

As Maeva slouched beside him, his phone rang again. Milo didn’t move though, and kept his eyes focused on his glass. Sometime, he would look just a little higher and meet Akela’s gaze.

“You should maybe answer,” Damien said once the tune stopped. “It’s the third time someone’s trying to reach you.”

“No. I don’t want to talk to him.” Because who else could call him at nearly midnight the same day he had left his house?

“And no one is going to force you,” Adeline said as she patted the top of his head. “Turn it off!”

That was the best thing to do. He reached for his phone in his pocket and pressed the button, but before the screen turned black, he could decipher the beginning of a text his dad had sent him. A nice text with nicer words, as always. Milo closed his eyes and took deep breaths. He was far away now, he would never hurt him again psychologically or physically. Those times were over. Milo was with friends, people who cared about him – at least he was sure Maeva and Adeline did – and it wasn’t his father who would destroy this happiness.

“Refill my glass, please.” Eyebrows furrowed, he handed his glass to Akela, head bowed. He didn’t want anyone to see how a few incomplete words had managed to shatter his good mood.

He drank it down in one, his throat on fire, but immediately asked him for another one. And another.

“I think you drank enough for tonight,” Maeva took his glass from his hand and put it on the table. “We all drank enough.”

She helped him get up, and without a single word to the others, she helped him go upstairs, to his room. There, she made him sit on his bed and sat in front of him, putting his long legs on each side of her hips. She brought him closer to her and hugged him tightly as he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hid his face in the crook of her neck. She smelled like cigarettes and alcohol, but Milo didn’t care. He had to reek worse.

They didn’t talk for a long, long time, only listening to their breath and the ruckus – a karaoke with three wasted people – the others were doing in the living-room. From time to time, Maeva would run her hand up and down his back, kiss his shoulder or even make a comment about how none of them could sing.

“What happened,” She asked as the first notes of ‘Let it go’ started. “Where’s the bright Milo who danced on the couch, laughing his ass off?”

“Far away. Won’t come back tonight. Sleepy.”

“Sure. We’ll talk about it tomorrow if you want. Or remember.”

Maeva helped him change then tucked him in bed. She stayed with him a little more, her fingers threading his hair, telling him everything he needed to hear to feel better, promising him that they wouldn’t make too much noise.

Her reassuring words lulled him to sleep and just before she closed the door behind her, he called her.

“Yes? What is it, sweetie?”

“You’re the best big sister I could ever wish for.”

With these last words, he fell asleep without seeing the surprise on her face. Without seeing her smile, nor hearing her say how much she loved him.

[fereality-indy]

In The Mail

This story was written as a celebration of my finally getting a new tablet of my own. I now no longer have to borrow my roommates to do my writing. A special shout out to those who made donations to my Ko-Fi account that allowed me to purchase my lil Blue Ares. 

 Mystery Shack                                                         Gravity Falls, OR                                                     July 18th, 2016

“It’s here!”  Dipper called as he rushed up to the attic carrying a Daintree.com Delivery Service box.

Slipping into the room he still shares with his sister he remembered that she was out spending time with Pacifica before she had to go visit her aunt in New York. Pulling out his pocket knife he carefully slit the tape. Opening the box he finds styrofoam packing peanuts covering another box, brushing them off he pulls out the smaller box. Some fall to the floor as it pulls clear.

“You know you’re going to need to get rid of those things before Mabel get’s home and brings Waddles in from his enclosure.” He heard from the door he left open. Turning around he saw Wendy standing in the door.

“Yeah, we don’t need to have another trip to the vet.” Dipper said as he looked over at the Shack’s resident handywoman. Even four years later just the sight of her get’s his heart to skip. Though this year it’s for a different reason. “So to what do I owe this visit?”

“Well my shift just ended and I thought I’d see what had you so excited that you just ran right by me man.” She said as she walked in and sat down next to him and slid an arm around his shoulder as she looked at the box he was holding in his hands.

“Oh, shoot. I’m so sorry.” Dipper said before quickly setting the box to the side and taking her hand in his.

“Don’t worry, I’m just messing with you dork.” She said as she ruffle his hair with her free hand.

“Well at least I’m your dork,” he said as he leaned his head onto her shoulder.

“You better believe it.” She said before she tipped his face upwards and kissed him

After they separated  he leaned back for a moment before saying “I still feel bad about passing you up like that, so how about I make it up to you.”

He placed a hand behind her head and pulled her into another kiss.

When they broke apart the second time she scooted back till she was leaning against the wall. “Now as nice as that distraction was, you haven’t answered my question.”

“Well  technically you didn’t ask me anything, you just said you thought you’d come see what I got.” Dipper said with a smirk.

“Alright smart alec.” Wendy said as she playfully nudged him with her boot. “So what is it?”

“One moment,” he said as he reached back into the packing peanuts and then pulled out a small manila envelope. Taking a peek into it to satisfy himself before setting it done to he side. He picked up the smaller box and then shifted around so that he was sitting cross legged up against the headboard. Once he was settled he placed the box in between them.

“Is that?” Wendy asked as she recognized the company name.

“Yep, an Intrabook 4E tablet. 12 in screen. 1 terabyte of memory and  Wifi enabled.” Dipper said with a little bit of pride as he picked his knife back up from where he had placed it on the end table. He slit open the tape on this box and then slid out the internal packaging out.

“So did something happen to the tablet that you came up with?” She asked as she watched him as he peeked into proctective wrap that was inside the cardboard insert. She heard him say "Perfect.” In the same tones he used to use back when he thought she couldn’t hear him that first summer.

When he processed what she had asked he looked over at the chester drawers on his side of the room. “Nah, it’s fine. It’s over there waiting for tonight’s movie night.”

“Then why’d you get a new one?” She asked as she wondered to herself why he hadn’t pulled it on out.

A cute little grin appeared on his face as he saw that she hadn’t figured it out yet, “Well mostly it’s cause I got my quarterly residuals checks from the patents that Grunkle Ford and I filed. This one was a free one as that I could spend however I wanted and since I already had a car I figured I’d make it up to someone for missing your birthday and Christmas last year.”

With that he slide the cardboard insert on over to her. “And don’t think this is just cause we started dating, I had this ordered before we had decided to start dating. It just took longer to get here cause I ordered a special skin for it.”

“Wait a minute,” Wendy said as she was getting over the shock of what she was hearing, “It’s mine?”

“Yeah, I mean if you want it. I know how much trouble you had with the old laptop you were using for your classes and what not. You certainly complained to me about ‘the od relic’ enough during our facechats. So when I got some money to blow I decided I would do something for my best friend, one of the most important people in my life.” Dipper said as he suddenly felt like he was reverting back to the him from the first summer.

“I don’t know how I’m gonna repay you for this,”  she said as she opened up the wrapping and pulled out a green plaid tablet that had an ax handle design on the front with Corduroy emblazoned across it. “Dude, it’s awesome.”

"I already told you that you don’t have to repay me, this was to make up for all the birthdays I’ve missed. And last Christmas too.” He said as he grabbed the manila envelope and worked his way over to sit next to her, moving the cardboard insert out of the way. “You do like it?”

“Dude, I love it! Thank you.” She said as she set the tablet on her lap and pulled him into hug.

After they broke from the hug he pulled the envelope up and said “That’s not all of it, I did get me something too.”

He reached into the envelope and she saw him pull out what looked like a gift card, no make that two gift cards. He lifted them up to show her. They had a stereo typical cartoon vampire on the front of them.

“Here are two one year subscriptions to Count Medown’s Shlock-Fest-O-Rama, the absolute best of the worst B and lower movies. This way we will always have something to watch when we do movie night’s. Even when we’re watching them through facechat.” He said with a grin that would have made the Cheshire Cat proud.

“Sounds good. What did I ever do to deserve you dork?” She said as she pulled him back into another hug.

"You just had to be you.” He said as he hugged her back, “But isn’t that usually my question?”    

“Well maybe I’m feeling like I won a lottery here for once.” Wendy said as they released the hug. She looked into his chocolate hued eyes, “I love you Dip.”

“I love you too,” Dipper responded before he leaned  into her as they kissed once more.

[altheaselmaisadoradarsey]

My thoughts on Hamilton West End

Thoughts on Hamilton West End 21/12/17 (night after opening!)

(This is long as shit and very messy it's full of first impressions and random things I've remembered (mainly the funny bits ngl) all mixed up together I apologise but I needed to get it out somehow cos I'm not good at expressing emotions lol, also the words funny, excited and hyper are prolly overused i apologise)

Bearing in mind I have not seen the bway show and the creative team is largely the same so I'm sure I'll talk a Talk about thinks that are similar in both

Vic pal theatre is stunning it's just been renovated our seats were sick even though we were about half way up the upper circle we had a brilliant view of the stage and the stage still felt really close

On a vaguely related note I wore my 'AND PEGGY' baseball cap and 3 of the stewards said they liked it it was cute

Act 1

FIRST THINGS FIRST THE CHOREOGRAPHY WAS STUNNING. A mash up of hip hop, modern and ballet. How you even think if that I don't know. There was always SO MUCH going on and the energy was constant - wether they were synchronised doing the same thing or all doing something different from the Schuyler sisters on the high walkway or the ensemble doing lifts in pairs even or whatever it just made me wanna dance (lol bc I can't) I can't talk about it enough but I'll stop now because I'm not eloquent enough.

Burr - voice is really unique and it was kinda weird at first (may be due to being used to Leslie) but you got used to it and I think reall suited the character? His mannerisms and physicality were SO BURR. Also was really funny! All his little one liners were done really funny-ly and well thought out.

Before they had King George to do a little announcement about phones and I love it also meant I was ready for the dum dum dumdum bc I was super nervous (in a good way?)

A.ham (song) - ahh it's such a good intro. when burr first came on there was an orange yellow light behind him and it made a super long shadow onto the stage and it was p o w e r f u l.

When they all came to the front of the stage in a line I was so excited because I've been waiting for that moment for 2 years

I LOVED Jamel Westman as Ham he was sick. He's just come out of RADA how do you deal with taking on a part like that with such little experience whoa . I must say that I think I liked him a lot more in act 2 than act 1 he seemed a bit stiff in act 1 but that may have been be I'm used to Lin who I think played him more nerdy and hyper? Kinda. I love both but Westman was insane. Also had a really nice singing voice.

Angelica slated my entire being Rachel John is perfect for that part

George Washington had a husky singing voice and it suited him so well

KING GEORGE III is possibly my favourite character ever he's so funny and extra.

I don't think Michael Jibson had the best singing I've heard in that role (but like who can even sing that it's high to kudos to him for hitting those notes) his 'kill your friends and family' was hilarious he sang the up until 'and family' which he said really seriously and then he left a massive pause where he just stared at the audience. I giggled. On the last da da dadadaaa's he did a little shoulder wiggle which was funny too! There was a couple of points over the three songs where he held long notes for even longer than necessary which was good too

Now my friends went and saw it in previews a couple of weeks ago and said they didn't really like Rachel Ann Go as Eliza so I did go in expecting to not like her as much ( I trust my friends opinions) which obviously wasn't great and I tried to go in with an open mind but I kinda understand why you might not like her however overall I thought she was good and I liked her a lot more in act 2 than act 1. At first I felt she was almost too excitable and hyper which more of a Peggy thing (speaking of, Peggy was really grumpy and cute which was funny) although Eliza did become a lot more restrained throughout the show which I think was a good choice as it helped show age and I think was more Eliza anyway. I thought her Best of Wives and Best of Women was perfect though. He American ACCENT though was not great I hate to say it but it was very British a lot of the time and in the 'ohhh I do I do I do I dooo' bit in helpless she sounded cockney? I'm sorry how

AWE IN HELPLESS ANGELICA COULDN'T GET ELIZA'S VEIL ON IN TIME SHE TRIED LIKE TWICE AND IT JUST SLID RIGHT IFF I FELT SO BAD It wasn't super noticeable though and things are bound to go wrong

In story of tonight reprise when Lauren's goes I've seen wonders great and small they all looked at Laf bc he was really short it was funny

Most of Wait for it was really still which was nice as it gave a rest from the crazy continual movement and action from the last few scenes. Also Burr has a peng voice

Ten duel commandments was super intense ahh

YORKTOWN WAS SO EXCITING IVE SEEEN ALL GHE PROMOS FOR THAT SONG AND TO ACTUALLY SEE IT LIVE SO EXHILARATING Westman was a stern leader and it worked really well

You could just tell that the audience thought it was the end of act one but NOPE SIT DOWN WE STILL GOT MORE

Also cheer on "immigrants: we get the job done" was British and polite but still there and I was READY FOR IT

on 'I'm so blue' in What Comes Next? Kings George did a little frustrated stamp and the red light he was standing snapped to blue it was good

Dear theodosia was super cute Burr and Ham were in matching costumes but Burr's waistcoat was purple and Ham's was green

Laurens' death was SAD but Cleve September is PERFECT for that role

Felt the transition from Laurens' death to not stop was bit quick, like I needed to feel sad for longer, it just sort of went straight into not stop

NON-STOP DAMN after the treasury or state bit Ham's 'lEtS gO' was so exciteable loved it.

On angelicas as it about her husband they got to the don't forget to writteee part and Angelica got taken away on the revolve Eliza was put into her place it was SO CLEVER near the end the staircase came into the middle and Washington was on the top and it was I N T E N S E

Clapped a freaking lot at the end of act one

Act 2

Dad called jeferson 'purple rain prince guy'

Seriously though the purple velvet was A Look

SUCH AN CRAZY Jefferson! Did loads of dancing and jumping and twirls is was so funny how he would just suddenly go into it

Ham snaked Washington when going in for a handshake he fully cut him off

I'm Take A Break they changed "John Adams doesn't have a real job anyway" to "the Vice President is not a real job anyway" which I think was changed so it's clearer to the audience who they're talking about

The cabinet battles were fab like I said before Westman was a calmer Hamilton but was more realistic 'We will reconvene after a brief reset' was said really sweetly to the audience like nothing was going wrong it was funny

Before Say No To This my friend just whispered Owh Dear really quietly and honestly? Mood

Christine Allado did a super sultry voice which was strong but deffo works for Maria.

The room where it happens was sick!!!

At one point the whole stage was in red lighting except for a bright white box that Burr was in it was so cool. Also VOCALS in this were amazing The Riffs!!!!

Cleve September as Phillip was cute you could really see the age difference between 9 and 19

The vocals in One Last Time we great "George Washington's going homeeeee" had me shook

In I Know Him King George seemed really crazy and manically smiled on 'that poor man their going to eat him alive'

And the crazy laughs at the end was brilliantly MANIC

He didn't leave at the end of his song just sat lower stage right and danced to the beginning of The Adams Administration which was funny but what was even better was that half way through his little introduction Burr noticed the king watching a gave him a odd look and the king just did a hand wave to tell him to continue and kept shimmying

WESTMAN'S VOICE IN HURRICANE WAS BEAUTIFUL

REYNOLDS PAMPHLET WAS FUNNY RVEN THOUGH I FELT BAD JEFFERSON LOOKED SO HAPPY AMD THE SET LOOKED REALLY COOL WITH ALL THE PAPERD FLYINV AROUND HAM BUT I COULDN'T EVEN FOCUS ON ANGELICAS BiT BECAUSE I WAS BUSY LAUGHING AT KING GEORGE DANCING WITH THE CHORUS AND ADDING HIS ONE SHEET IF PAPER TO THE MESS

oh but I loved was when Angelica arrived and the ensemble too way her bags in one motion it was slick and I enjoyed it

Burn was nice but I think Rachelle Ann Go made it a bit too vibrato-y which became kind of annoying (also I kinda felt though the entire thing she was forcing a really classical voice which was nice but didn't really work) her voice is amazing though apart from that and I really felt the reserved sorta anger in the performance

Blow Is All Away was SAD I COULD HEAR EVERYONE ONE CRYING AROUND ME, good dying (lol) on September's part

I wasn't a fan of Eliza's scream/cry when Phillip died I'm not sure what it was I didn't like but her counting WITH him was PErFECT

It's Quiet Uptown is the saddest thing ever lemme tell you. I don't cry. I cannot remember the last time I cried, particularly not at normal sad things. I saw Les Mis two weeks ago and didn't even get tear-y, so you can imagine how freaking sad this song has to be to get me to almost cry. I had pretty watery eyes and one hell of a snotty nose. It was bad. The lines like 'the unimaginable' were the worst. If you thing the cast recording is sad just wait until you see it live

After Jefferson came in with "can we get back to politics" he said it like he was tired of all the sad personal stuff which was funny and the Madison came on saying please and his voice broke like he had been crying at It's Quiet Uptown as well which was funny and it provided some well needed comic relief

When ham said he was voting for Jefferson Jeff did his twirls and dances again which was great and burr looked SO MAD

Your Obedient Servant was passive aggressive af it was great. And the ensemble was doing like lighthearted ballet and around them which actually worked really well Line change from "weehawkin, dawn" to "New Jersey, dawn" I'm assuming cos they've mentioned New Jersey more so it was clearer? Idk

Like I already said Best if Wives And Best of Women was 10/10 perfect

Ok so the world was wide enough Giles Terra (Burr) didn't do The Line™ in a really emotional way he did IT angry bc let's be honest you don't wanna compete yourself to Leslie on that so I enjoyed the change. HAMS SPEACH WHEN HE GEST SHOT IS SO GOOD I COULD NOT DEAL WITH IT

Also the choreo when Burr says "they row job back across the Hudson" they did this cool rowing move next to Ham and with the revolve it looked like they were on a boat!

I thought Eliza was quite good in WLWDWTYS "the orphanage" is such a nice bit

The gasp at the end was not made clear however. I understand it as Eliza seeing the audience and realising that her work has come true and that the legacy continues right? I only know that bc I read it beforehand, I think it could have been made clearer by the house lights come if up slightly so the audience knows Eliza seeing us. Also the way the gasp/hand move was done it made it seam Eliza was about to go into some really stereotypical opera singing? I just think she could have referenced the audience more but it's a really cute idea that I like.

All the cast bowed at the same time it was so cute and important bc everyone put in so much effort and they all deserved to be together

Straight up standing ovation oc

The play out music at the end was a really jazzy mashup of the songs and if my brain had been fully functioning after the show I would remember what songs but it was sick and they did the classic bum bumbumbum bum bum bum! At the end and the red and white bulls eye lighting they had for the duels flashed it was sick

SPEAKING OF LIGHTING IT WAS INCREDIBLE

THERE WAS LIKE A LIGHTING CUE EVERY 3 SECONDS I DINT KNOW HOW THAY MANAGED IT BUT IT WAS ALL SO WELL THOUGHT OUT AND CLEVER LIKE THERE WAS LITTLE LIGHTS AROUND THE EDGES LIKE STREET GRATES THAT IF LIKE BURR WAS IN ONE SIDE IF THE STAGE AND HAM ON OTHER THE GRATES WOULD BE ORANGE ON ONE SIDE AND BLUE ON THE OTHER. EVERY. SINGLE. DETAIL. Yes I'm gonna rant bc techies don't get enough respect

I've definitely missed so many things I wanted to put here but I was quite overwhelmed which I think is understandable when I've been waiting for over two years for it but it was so so worth it.

Ok I'm done I might add more if I remember goodnight folks

[thegoddamnwordsmith]

My Top Ten Marvel Legends of 2017!

10 - Colossus Starting our list off, we have the guy that a lot of people were waiting to see updated, and is he ever an update. Colossus premiers a new body mold, clocking in at eight inches of Russian organic steel. His sculpting is great, combining detailed boots and gauntlets with his classic banded arms and an otherwise smooth costumed body. His face sculpt is solid, with his alternate bearded head lending a little more character to the figure. Alas, he's not without some issues - some additional hands (for fisticuffs, or properly tossing Canadian teammates) would have gone a long way, and while I have no issue with the more recent costume choice, the paint work could be a lot sharper. But he towers with power, which is required for any good Colossus figure, giving him his slot on the list. 9 - Singularity When we first read A-Force, my wife and I fell in love with Singularity. Funny, cute, and endearingly new to the world, she was a breath of fresh air among the jaded heroes in the 'verse. We hoped, one day, that she'd get the plastic treatment... and then the A-Force boxed set did just that, and did it well. Cast in translucent blue glittery plastic, Hasbro's deco team did a great job of throwing a purple-indigo face across her body to cement the cosmic look of this living pocket dimension, with a spot of white paint to define her eyes. However, one of the most notable things about her is also left out of the figure - Singularity is almost always smiling, being a joyous character who loves life and her friends. The figure has a vaguely pleasant neutral expression, and this minor detail goes a long way to keep this figure so low on the list. But even the fact that she got made in the first place is worth celebrating, so here we are - a fantastic figure that's just a bit shy of being incredible. 8 - Lady Loki Another 'niche' character (and, thus, great for the A-Force boxed set), Lady Loki gets on the list for two reasons - one, because she's a figure that wasn't likely to be made any time soon, and two, her paint work is amazing. The dark metallic green used across her body is sharp, accented with equally-clean applications of a light green scale pattern on her arms, legs, and abdomen, with a nice fade effect between the greens. A more subtle, but just as impressive, example of paint apps would be her face paint - two-toned lipstick, metallic green eyes, and a clean fade application of green eye shadow give her a striking appearance. Topped off with a fur-lined cape, a custom loincloth, and hair outfitted with gold accent pieces and Loki's trademark horn headdress, Lady Loki is much more than one might expect from a lesser-demand character. 7 - Invisible Woman (with HERBIE) The return of the Fantastic Four to the Marvel Legends line starts with a bang. Sue's got a fantastic (d'oh) paint job, sharp black paired with a medium-dark blue, with a clean '4' chest emblem proudly displayed. While I'd prefer a full alternate invisibility arm, rather than just an alternate hand, the fade on the clear plastic is very well done, showing the barest differentiation between her costume pieces as they fade into nothingness. On top of it all, a very nice face sculpt (with spot-on paint application and a great hair piece) gives her a pleasant look, fitting for the world's most fantastic woman. Plus, a cleanly-sculpted and painted HERBIE is included, and while they could have made him a static piece, he even has a ball-jointed neck, allowing him enough poseability to express some character. And I just love the sculpted outlet in his back. 6 - Ms. Marvel (Kamala Khan) One of Marvel's newer best-selling characters, it was only a matter of time before Kamala joined the ranks of Legends. For being released on a body-type we've seen quite a bit (Teen Girl), she has enough unique parts to bring her above the standard rank-and-file. Of course, there's her head sculpt, which gives her a bit of a smile, but that's not where the big difference lies. It's actually the dress layer over her body (from the ab-swivel down) that sells it, changing her silhouette just enough to catch the eye and reproduce her costume from the comics without any shortcuts. On top of that, she has flared sleeve caps, her trademark scarf, and the heirloom bangle on her left wrist, to make her more unique. Hasbro didn't stop there, though, and included two alternate forearm pieces to replicate her 'embiggening' powers from the comics, and while they could be tweaked a bit better (giving them any kind of wrist articulation, for instance), the fact that they're included, and are very well-sculpted to boot, just make her all that bit more perfect. 5 - Ares The original BAF Ares was before my time as a collector, and long before I had any interest in Ares as a character. Between then and the Ragnarok wave, Ares hit my radar hard. So when I first saw the figure in person, I knew I had to get him. And I don't regret it. Despite being only slightly altered from his original 2008 release, the alterations are nothing but good for this nine-year-old (!) mold. Ares is a massive chunk of plastic, with no small amount of sculpted detail or paint apps. His metal boots and leather wraps are given a darker wash, and his altered face-up gives him a more ethereal, godly look that the original release lacks. The use of gold plastic over paint in his helm is a good choice, as the original looks a bit more slopped on, while here the black paint is nice and clean. And I'm a sucker for figures that come with big weapons, of which Ares comes with three - his original long and short swords, as well as the axe meant for him, but usually included with Thor figures instead. Given that the original Ares goes for a high price on the aftermarket, this figure does a good job of filling the god of war-shaped hole. 4 - Moon Knight I know a lot of people don't like the costume used for this iteration of Moon Knight, but it's hard to argue with the simple elegance of a high-contrast scheme, especially when so many of the pieces are molded in their color, rather than painted. The result is a nearly universally clean deco, with paint apps being limited to the hands, feet, chest emblem, and face. the individual armor pieces help break up his shape more, making him stand out from the crowd of 'heroic male build' figures just a bit, as does his iconic cape and hood. The eyes have a thin rimming of blue, helping them 'pop' a bit more from the rest of the deco. His cape stays loose due to having a short peg, but it's not as big of an issue as one might think. Marc's accessories are a mixed bag - the billy clubs should have been a proper staff, but alternate hands and multiple throwing crescents help ease that, even if some of them are small and easy to lose. However, the figure boasts one other advantage over his fellows - instead of the ubiquitous mid-calf swivel, he features a new ankle joint, allowing for an increased range of motion. Hopefully we'll see more of this type of joint going forward, because Moon Knight makes great use of it. 3 - Elsa Bloodstone Another slam-dunk character from the A-Force boxed set, Elsa makes good use of recycled parts. Aside from her head (brand new sculpt with an incredibly striking face and amazing hair) and knee pieces, Elsa is a successful combination of Misty Knight and MCU Scarlet Witch, blending pieces from both into a trenchcoated, knee-high-booted monster-hunting badass. Clean paint apps across the board (including her Bloodstone Gem choker) help polish off the look, as do her accessories - a revolver (conveniently tucked into her hip holster) and twin shotguns, the weapons of choice for Miss Bloodstone. A little bit of altered articulation would put her on another level entirely, but it's hard to argue with just how **** amazing the end result already is. 2 - The Beetle (Abner Jenkins) Sometimes, it's the little things that make a figure great. They don't necessarily need to be an all-new sculpt, or have twenty-million paint apps, or come with an arsenal of accessories. Sometimes, it's just a smart combination of details that do the job. Ol' Abner has that combination. The right number of new pieces (head which captures the classic Beetle mask, new torso and shoulders, and a new belt), accessories (reused wings from Wasp and Louise Lincoln Beetle, along with new wing-cover pieces above those), and paint choices (metallic violet and dark green, natch) come together to create an iconic villain from Marvel history in a hard-to-beat figure. Just like Eel from last year, sometimes it doesn't take a whole lot to rank high on the list. 1 - Angela On the other hand, Angela is almost the opposite. From head to toe, she features an all-new sculpt that gives her the impressive build of an Asgardian warrior (topping off at seven inches), with additional armor pieces across her body, few of which impede her articulation (which includes a fencing joint worthy of the swordswoman). Numerous paint apps cover the figure, including fine detailing on her gauntlets, shoulderpad, and face (which is crisp as hell). And, of course, she's outfitted with unique accessory pieces, including a sword, twin axe weapons, a belt (with sheath for the sword), and her iconic ribbons - all featuring detailed sculpting and/or unique paint work. All of this comes together to be the best figure for 2017, no contest whatsoever. BAF: Warlock Once again, the X-Men wave delivers with the BAF, because Warlock is fan-friggin-tastic! He's a looming giant, standing at ten inches tall, and his lanky frame makes him as striking as any bulky goliath (looking at you, Juggernaut). He's got as wide a range of articulation as he could get, even if there's a few pieces hindered by sculpted details. And that's one of the best parts - the sculpting. This sculpt is 100% Warlock - it will take a lot of retooling, new pieces, and paint to make this into anyone other than the techno-organic New Mutant. Every inch of him is covered in metalwork and circuitry detailing, given life through a fantastic gold paint wash over black plastic. His face, a less stylized interpretation of Bill Sienkiewicz' art of the character, is nonetheless spot-on and even gives the illusion of different expressions based on the angle at which it's viewed. Hell, he even comes with an alternate buzz-saw hand, a rare accessory for BAFs. He might not be perfect (the hoses can't stay connected without hampering articulation, and the joints like to be a bit loose), but he's such a standout that it really doesn't hold him back from the top slot. Honorable Mentions: Human Torch - While not much of a standout sculpt-wise, the use of translucent plastic is excellent. And while some people balk at the 'mismatched' colors across his body, I dig that they outline the details of his costume when not 'enflamed,' a trait shared by fellow FF figure Invisible Woman's translucent arm. Thor (Jane Foster) - Long awaited, Jane hits all the right notes for her debut figure, and really has no drawbacks - the paint work, sculpting, and accessories are all great. She just doesn't have the right amount of oomph to make it into the top ten. (NOTE: Only speaking of the mainline release - never got the SDCC version) Monica Rambeau - Another solid figure and a long-awaited addition, Monica has a fantastic head sculpt and a great deco, and is only hampered by minor engineering issues (she uses the arms and coat of MCU Scarlet Witch again), and the lack of any 'energy burst' accessory, which really would've gone a long way with her. Dazzler - Like Jane, she doesn't have enough to edge into the top ten, but Alison is no slouch as a figure. The pearlescent white used for her disco-era costume, the sharp apps for her stage makeup, the Farrah Fawcett hair, and the accessories (rainbow energy burst, microphone, disco ball necklace) are all tip-top. And the roller skates! Even if posing her with them can be a pain. Mary Jane Watson - We haven't picked up MJ yet, but she's getting a mention due to the sheer fact that she was made. The Legends line isn't known for getting civilians, so to see one of the most prominent ones get the plastic treatment is just an event worth celebrating. Vulture w/ Wing Pack (MCU) - While not the BAF buffet that Warlock is, Vulture is still a worthwhile figure, featuring an incredibly detailed sculpt and clean paint apps across the board, as well as being an interesting take on the BAF formula - he's an enjoyable, if basic, figure on his own, but the moment you get all the pieces for his wings, he makes a menacing display piece. I'm not looking for Hasbro to do more Build-a-Vehicle figures in the future, but as the primary villain of Homecoming, I'm glad they didn't shortchange his figure release. Disappointments: She-Hulk - We've gone for years without an update to our favorite green lady, and when we finally get one... she left a lot to be desired. I have no personal problem with the body itself, but something about this figure highlights the flaws - limbs, torso, and head are all ill-proportioned to one another. If the arms had been lengthened and the head enlarged just a tiny bit, it would have made a world of difference. Also, I'm just not a big fan of 'stoic' Jen - she's generally a lighter character, and needs a face that shows it. Until then, my Blob-wave Shulkie will continue to be the go-to. X-Men Wave - An interesting case, because while the wave has a bunch of updates or first-time Legends, so many of them have something that holds them back from greatness. Last year's wave was a strong return of the X-Men, and this year... gives us what we needed, and what we wanted, but not quite what we could've gotten. Cyclops reusing the Bucky Cap body and being covered with ill-fitting straps (would sharing Sunfire's body have been better, I wonder?). Polaris looked fantastic, but dull at the same time. Shatterstar is a great sculpt, but there's a lot of QC problems with his paint and joints, and really, no fencing joint in the wrist for the career swordsman? Sunfire is great, but he's also just kinda... there. Old Man Logan... feels tacked on, like they needed a Wolverine in the wave but didn't want to immediately turn around and release the Tiger Stripe right after the 80s costume. And honestly, none of these figures are bad, they just didn't quite live up to the expectations. Overall, this year has been an odd one for me, since while there's been a lot of good figures released, there haven't been a ton of outstanding ones. Almost all have been servicable figures, to be sure, and there's a lot of welcome faces among them, both remakes and first-time Legends. But there's not as many this year (compared to last year) that just slap you upside the head with their very existence. All that said, however, this has been a solid year, with few actual missteps, in my opinion.

[impvarjack60]

S’mitten

S'mittens was getting old. She was Kristoff's cat since he was in high school. A stray that he had found underneath his back porch on a rainy fall morning, her mewing was sounding rather pathetic. When he set out to the city to start his own life, his faithful friend went with him.

Just before he set out for work, the sound of the can opener would bring S’mittens from her bed. When she didn’t show Kristoff knew something was amiss, and went looking for her. She was curled up in a ball next to the dryer, and panting heavy. So he made some calls, one to his boss that he’d be late, and the other to the animal clinic at a local strip mall. Personally, he hated the place, but it was close, and would consume the least amount of time. His boss was already fit to be tied, not a really good start to the week.

When he put her in the car, he knew it would be for the last time. In prior visits to the clinic he had been warned that S’mittens was near the end, and surely this time around it was. It was a very painful trip down there, and Kristoff nearly missed a traffic light, horns blazing with some colorful metaphors thrown in for good measure. This is probably going down as the worst day of his life.

_____________________________________

“We’re sorry Mr. Bjorgman, there’s nothing we can do. First you can say goodbye, then give us about thirty minutes.” When the time had come they handed him a cardboard box with his best friend in it. There was nothing left to do but go back to the car and face what would surely be a horrible day. Once S’mittens had been laid gingerly in the trunk, Kristoff turned around to see a very attractive, petite woman with fiery hair in two braids and the biggest greenish blue eyes he had ever seen. She had a strip of freckles across her nose, and a very warm smile. It quickly faded though as the two large breed dogs stepped out of the mini-van. They were quite rambunctious and started to drag the woman across the parking lot, when she and one of the dogs slipped on the ice. Feeling that some sympathy and chivalry was in order, he decided to help her, and his boss could go screw himself.

He held his hand out to her and said; “Looks like you could use a hand.”

“Thanks, but I’m fine, I real…” She never got to finish the sentence before the lab had jerked the leash and she was falling back on her butt, with her lips twisted in a scowl and her arms crossed in front of her in total frustration.

“Pride and independence are both admiral things, but sometimes we all just need a little help, and really, it’s OK. My day is pretty much ruined.” She raised her free hand and Kristoff offered his. She was so light, he barely had to shift his weight to pull her up, then he took both leashes and said;

“Are you headed to the clinic?”

“Yea, they both have some sort of ear thing,… they aren’t even my dogs.”

“Oh?”

“They’re my Ex’s. The rat just left them, and me. But I really shouldn’t be burdening you with my problems. So,… what brought you down here today?”

“My cat S’mittens.”

“Cute name, so where is he?”

“She’s in the trunk.”

“Well, that’s not a very nice place to put a cat, unless…” She saw the dejected look in Kristoff eyes. It was if she could directly feel his pain. Her eyes started to well up, and with a trebling lip she stated;

“Oh, my God! I’m so sorry! I had,… that was so rude of me.” She wished she could’ve just crawled back into the van and slinked away.

“It’s alright; she had a very long and full life. Still,… it’s hard to lose a friend.” The Lab was starting to take quite a liking to Kristoff, hopping up on him, and begging to be petted.

“Sven! Settle down! He normally isn’t like this with strangers.” As soon as it left her lips, she almost regretted using the word ‘stranger’. Kristoff nipped Sven in the neck with two curled up fingers while making this strange hissing noise, and the dog immediately heeled.

“Wow, you’re really good with him. Nobody’s ever got him to behave like that, even my Ex.”

“I’ve just had a lot of experience around animals; I grew up on a farm.”

“Umm, then I got to ask, why the cat?”

“She was a stray I found under my porch, and besides being rather pathetic, there was just something about her, call it a feeling.”

“Well, my appointment is… umm, now.” She looked at her phone. “Could you please help me get these two to the clinic?”

“Sure, I’ve got the time.” Which was a lie, his phone was blowing up in his pocket.

They both took one dog each. “I think introductions are in order. I’m Anna, this is Thor, and Sven you’ve already become familiar with.”

“I’m Kristoff. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” There was a time when he found it hard to look into a woman’s eyes. Not this time, and he held his gaze. It was like a game of ‘chicken’, and she turned away first. In his mind he had won. It seemed like the worst possible time for this to happen, but Kristoff always fantasized about meeting the woman of his dreams by accident, maybe this was it.

As they got about halfway there, Anna did the strangest thing, she turned towards him while trepidatiously attempting to touch his stomach in an attempt to stop him.

“I really don’t know how to thank you for your help, but…umm… oh, screw it!” Her hand shot up from his stomach and she grabbed a fist full of his jacket, while yanking him lower so she could plant a big kiss right on the lips. At first, Kristoff was quite shocked by this sudden change of events, and while it was grossly inappropriate, he didn’t mind too much.

“Well, that seemed like a nice thank you, do you always go around kissing strange men?”

No,… I’m sorry. I’m a ‘spur of the moment’ kinda’ person. You’ve treated me with nothing but kindness, right after you’ve lost a loved one. I just thought you needed a kiss.” He could still taste her, and caught the smell of her hair as she whisked up to meet his lips.

“It’s alright Anna, it wouln’t be the worst thing that’s happened today.” Anna cringed, and bit her lip. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did I do that? I’m always too eager! What if he’s married, or engaged?! Maybe he has a girlfriend, or a boyfriend? She thought to herself, but a smile broke out on his face, maybe this worked?

________________________________

“The vet can see you now, but only one dog at a time.” Anna started to panic, and broke out the eyes with a pleading look for Kristoff.

“It’s not a problem, Anna. Sven and I will be fine.” After about fifteen minutes she came out of the exam room and said;

“I’ll trade ya!”

“I don’t know if that’s a very good deal, I kinda’ like this one.” She had an adorable giggle, like that of a child.

“I really hope you don’t mind the t…”

“It’s OK, seriously. I just texted my boss, said I wouln’t be in today, grieving and all that.”

“Well, they have the same damn problem, this shouldn’t take too long.” Kristoff was starting to notice the high amount of animosity for these two dogs, but it’s not their fault. They can’t help who owned them; maybe she wasn’t the right one.

It only took ten minutes this time. They had the meds in house, and after a ring up and some mild cursing they were headed out the door.  

“Do you have a place to put her?”

“What? Oh, a burial site. Umm,…no. I haven’t thought that far ahead.”

“I have the perfect place if you’re up for a little travel.”

“I’m up for anything at this point.” So he followed her out of the city. She had given him her phone number in case he got separated from her. It was just now occurring to him that she had given him an invitation to more than just a burial plot.

She pulled down a long dirt driveway to what looked like Kristoff called a ‘retirement farm’. It had a small barn, and a few earth working implements around, but no one was going to get rich off of this place. There were even a few chickens. When Anna opened the side door of the van, Sven shot out and was chasing the poultry around, while Thor slowly climbed out. He was a little older and a lot less frisky.

“It’s my parents place; they bought it while I was in college.”

“I like it.” Kristoff felt right at home here, this was similar to the farm in his childhood, just smaller. The house’s rustic appearance was the same, however.

Kristoff went to his trunk, stared at it for a moment, and then slowly opened it. He took the box out like it was filled with wine glasses. “Follow me.” Anna led him to the barn, where she got a shovel. Fortunately, the ground hadn’t frozen solid yet. As they headed out the back of the barn, Kristoff seen it, a lone walnut tree at the top of a grassy meadow, Anna headed straight for it.

“When my parents got this place I thought they were nuts, they really aren’t farm folk.” He gave her a smile.

“I really like this parcel, it seems quite peaceful.”

“My folks are getting tired of it though, it’s too much work, and I don’t really want to take it over by myself.”

“Are you living here?”

“Yes.” Anna admitted with a note of shame. “When Hans left I couldn’t afford the payments on our place, and I was forced to move out.”

“That’s kinda’ sad.”

“I dunno, you’re carrying a box with your deceased cat in it, somehow my story doesn’t seem that tragic.” Kristoff chuckled, well she’s capable of cheering him up, one point for Anna.

“So you’re saying your folks want to move?”

“Yea,… Florida. Go figure. They’ve been looking at retirement villas.” Anna paused for a moment, taking in the tree.

“I like to come up here and read in the summer. One time a walnut fell and hit me on the head.” More chuckles from Kristoff.

Kristoff’s mind raced. Here was this beautiful woman, with this idyllic farm, all for the having. He still had some work in front of him though. He set the box down and took the shovel from Anna, and proceeded to dig a hole. He took S’mittens out of the box and removed her collar, and placed her in it. Shoveling the dirt on top of her was the hardest thing he had ever done. Anna had managed to find a ‘Y’ shaped stick to mark the grave with. He then put the collar on the stick.

Anna moved in close to him and put her arm around his waist, he did the same.

“I suppose I should say something, huh?”

“Yes, you should.”

“We’ve been thru so much together, failed relationships, miserable jobs, and disappointment. But you were always there to give me a snuggle at the end of the work day. I know cats are not great at showing love, but I still felt it, and that meant everything to me. I will miss you, even though I knew it was your time to depart from the mortal coil. Goodbye, S’mittens. I love you.” Kristoff couldn’t help but shed a tear, Anna was a complete mess.

“That was so lovely; I hope someone delivers my eulogy like that.”

“Thanks,… tissue?”

“Sure.” Kristoff had kinda’ seen this coming and grabbed a few from the car. Anna blew her nose. It had to be the least romantic moment is history, but sometimes opportunity presents itself, and you just have to go for it.

“Umm,… Since I already have your phone number, can I give you a call sometime?”

“You just buried your cat, and now you want ask me out on a date?”

“I don’t know when I’d ever see you again. Think of it this way. S’mittens got sick, just in time for me to meet you. What if she would have fell ill tomorrow, would this have happened? I’m a big believer in fate, and I have to believe the stars aligned for this one.” Kristoff played what he just said back in his mind. She got sick, and then he meets the most wonderful woman, what are the odds? Did S’mittens know this would happen, so she could give this amazing gift to Kristoff at the end of her existence?

“Hmm, I never thought of it that way, it’s still sorta’ bizarre, but what the hell.”

“Me asking you out is bizarre? Remember, you kissed me within the first five minutes of us knowing each other. So,… umm,… Friday then?”

“Yes.”  

___________________________________________

One year later;

Anna, Sven, and Kristoff made the trip up the hill to put a stone marker on S’mittens grave. He felt he owed it to her. Tonight they would go out and celebrate their first year together, a year filled with happiness. The ‘rents had moved to ‘Casa del Rio’ and were enjoying the Florida weather. Anna and Kristoff were married. She got a big promotion at work, so he was able to stay on the farm, and make a go of it. Apparently there’s a big demand for things organic, and Kristoff had no trouble reverting to his old life. As they stood before the grave, he put his hands on her belly, where their child was now growing. Kristoff would never forget what S’mittens had done for him,… for them, and the infinite amount of happiness that came from a moment of sorrow.

[cherryaire]

I heard about the prompts for Dan's birthday, so how about either of these choices? 1. All of the Grumps give him a special present each from their own heart 2. Some great Egobang (because why not?)

I pretty much did both! Gotta drop Egobang in there because I’m 100% certified egobang trash!

Brian -

Dan looks at the rectangle package Brian has handed him. It’s wrapped in plain blue paper, and scribbled in the top left corner are the words “Happy birthday, dick.” He knows immediately that it’s a book, and if it’s a professionally bound copy of The Beej, Dan might actually go to jail for second degree murder.

“Of course you got me a book,” Dan says dryly.

“Open it, you idiot,” Brian tells him, and Dan sighs dramatically, if only to annoy Brian a little bit more.

His sass evaporates immediately upon tearing off the wrapping paper, however. Tears immediately well up in his eyes and he has to set the book down next to him on the couch because of how bad his hands are shaking.

It’s a signed, first edition copy of “The Last Unicorn.”  

Brian grunts from the impact of Dan practically tackling him and hugging him tight. “Happy birthday, Danny,” Brian says, petting Dan’s hair.

“Thank you.”

-

Later on in the day, when he sees Audrey, she excitedly gives him a stegosaurus plushie and wetly kisses his cheek before running away, cackling.

Barry/Vernon/Brent -

There’s a large box waiting for him on Barry’s kitchen table. He hasn’t been over too much since he moved, considering how busy they are, so he and Barry have planned to get some take out and watch shitty movies, just like old times. “What’s this?” Dan asks while he hangs his jacket over the back of one of the kitchen chairs. It’s a plain cardboard box, and the only indication that it’s something special is the bow that’s taped to the top.

“Open it,” Barry urges, not looking up from where he’s unpacking their Chinese food. “It’s from me, Brent, and Vernon.”

Dan grabs a paring knife from the block and slices through the tape. He opens it to find several items, and he’s not quite sure what everything is until he begins pulling out shirts. There are six old band tour shirts, plus a Kurt Cobain memorial shirt. There are three Rush ones, a Yes one that he could probably wear as a dress, one from The Cure, and one from Pink Floyd. Dan peeks into the box again to make sure he didn’t miss anything, and sure enough there’s a bubble wrapped parcel in the bottom, which he tears into once he gets his hands on it. Out spills more vintage band merch, this time a Rush patch, three Rush pins, four Def Leppard pins, and an Asia pin. Dan is smiling so hard his face fucking hurts.

“Dude!” he shouts, bouncing up and down on the balls of his feet. “This is so fucking rad!” He waits until he’s sure that Barry’s hands are empty to sweep the shorter man into a tight hug. Barry laughs warmly and pats Dan’s back. “Thank you!”

“Brent and Vern helped me find quite a few of them,” Barry reminds him. Dan whips out his phone and snaps a picture of the pile of merch before sending it and a very enthusiastic thank you text to Brent and Vernon. Barry helps Dan refold the shirts and put everything back in the box so that they can clear off the table to eat. When they’re settled, Barry pipes up with “and now you can wear more than the three t-shirts you cycle through constantly” and Dan chucks a piece of sweet and sour chicken at him.

Suzy -

“Jesus, Scuze,” Dan grunts, taking the large, heavy package from Suzy and resting it on his coffee table. It’s at least two foot long and two foot wide, if not more. He’s glad that he’s got some open space on his walls left, otherwise he’d have to do a fair bit of rearranging.

Suzy is sitting on the couch next to him, curled like a cat. Arin is in his kitchen unpacking their dinner. “Has he opened it yet?” he calls.

“Not yet!” Suzy calls back. She turns to Dan with a childlike excitement on her beautiful face. “Open it!”

“Did Arin want me to wait for him or—”

“Open the fucking present, Dan,” Arin says from where he’s leaned into the living room. As soon as he’s appeared, he’s gone again, and the sound of clinking plates begins as he divvies out the food.

“Demandy Sandy,” Dan mumbles, but obliges. He carefully tears the black wrapping paper (why had he expected anything else from Suzy?) to reveal a gorgeous map of Middle Earth, set deep into a nice black frame. “Whoa.” He leans in close to examine it, finding that it’s incredibly detailed. 

“Do you like it?” Suzy asks, hopeful.

Dan wraps his arm around her and pulls her tight to his side before kissing her temple. She giggles and wraps her own arms around his waist and snuggles into his side. She smells like peonies and freesia. “Thank you, Scuzy. It’s beautiful.”

Ross and Holly -

While they wait for everyone to arrive at the office for Dan’s impromptu birthday party, Holly comes bounding up to him. Dan can’t help but smile at her. She’s so radiant and the happiness on her face is contagious. She’s carrying a box that’s wrapped in brown paper and decorated with birds. “Happy birthday!”

He takes the package from her and eyes the wrapping. “It’s almost so pretty I don’t want to open it,” he muses. He knows that she drew the birds on it, and it feels wrong to tear through someone’s artwork. 

“I taped it pretty simplistically so you shouldn’t have to tear it if you don’t want to,” she says, pointing to the sparse amounts of scotch tape on the flaps. Dan grins and slowly undoes the tape, taking care to not rip the paper. He’s gonna hang it up somewhere in his music room.

“Oh my God, Holls, this is awesome!” In his lap sits a Legend of Zelda chess set. He’s been meaning to get a chess set for a long time so that he and Arin can also play when they’re at his house, but he had never gotten around to it. He carefully rolls the wrapping paper and secures it with some of the tape he had peeled off before hugging Holly tight, causing her to squeal when he lifts her slightly off the floor. 

“You’re welcome, Dan,” she says breathlessly when he sets her down. “The only thing I ask though is that you let me play a game with you.”

“Deal.”

-

After everyone has had cupcakes and people have begun to clear out, needing to return to their duties or head out to prior engagements, Ross shuffles up to Dan and places two small boxes on the table in front of him. “Hap birth,” he says dryly.

Dan fixes him with an incredulous look before chuckling and shaking his head. He opens the smallest one first, and he’s greeted with a little blue ceramic stegosaurus. He’s a little goofy lookin’ and Dan is immediately in love. “Aww, he’s so cute!”

“It glows in the dark, too,” Ross says, and Dan gasps.

“It’s like the 80s up in this bitch,” he says, reaching for the second package.

“Yeah, if we’re talking about your age,” Ross quips, and Dan uses his long legs to his advantage, lightly kicking his socked foot into Ross’ shin. 

The second present looks so fragile that Dan’s almost afraid to touch it. It’s a replica of a stegosaurus skeleton crafted out of paper. It’s contained in a glass dome. “Dude,” Dan says, astonished. It’s like having a museum display in his hand! He makes sure to carefully wrap it up before putting it back in the box. He really, really doesn’t want to break it. Before Ross can escape, Dan has captured him in a hug, and even though Ross is grumbling, Dan knows he loves it since he’s hugging him back. “Thanks, man.”

“I mean, I needed to get the dinosaur some dinosaurs, right?”

What an ass.

Arin -

It’s weird that it’s two days past his birthday and Arin hasn’t given him anything. It’s not that he thinks he deserves something, but it’s very out of character for Arin to not give someone a gift of some kind for a holiday. He loves any excuse he can get to give someone something that will make them smile.

Dan has settled himself on the Grump couch while he waits for Arin to finish doing whatever he’s doing out in the main office. He scrolls through the subreddit with a smile on his face upon seeing all of the ‘happy birthday!’ messages. He’s hasn’t been super excited about his birthday since he turned twenty one, since after that there aren’t really any milestones to look forward to until you reach retirement age. Getting so much love from his friends and the fans, however, has made him enjoy his birthday a bit more since it reminds him just how awesome people can be.

Dan puts his phone to sleep when he hears the sound of the door opening behind him, and sure enough, Arin comes around the couch and sits down next to him a moment later. He’s holding one hand behind his back however, and he looks nervous.

“What’s up, Ar?” Dan asks. 

“I uh, I have your present, but before I give it to you I wanted to say sorry for it being late. There was a delay on it getting done for some fuckin’ reason.” Dan furrows his brow, confused.

“Okay.” He nods his head. “It’s not a problem, big cat. I’m just appreciative that you got me something, man.”

Arin smiles, and it lights up the entire room. His cheeks are flushed pink when he removes his hand from behind his back and hands Dan a hardcover children’s book. Dan is confused for a few seconds before he fully reads the cover. It’s the book he wrote a few years ago that Arin was going to illustrate. Dan’s mouth drops open slightly with a gasp, and he cracks the book open so that he can flip through the pages.

It’s professionally printed and bound, and it looks like something he could find in Barnes and Noble. The illustrations are fucking gorgeous. They’re not done in Arin’s usual style. Dan brushes a finger over the page, completely enamored. He doesn’t know jack shit about art, but he’s pretty sure that it’s hard pastels and watercolors. The colors are so vibrant and it’s exactly like he had always imagined. 

He only realizes he’s crying when he tastes salt on his lips.

Carefully, he shuts the book and sets it on the table in front of them before he turns to face Arin, who is watching him with bated breath. Dan doesn’t fully know what possesses him to do it—maybe it’s just because it feels right—but he cradles Arin’s face in his hands and kisses him softly on the mouth. Arin’s sharp intake of breath is loud, but after a second he relaxes and releases the breath. The sensation of facial hair against his upper lip and chin is strange—it’s very different, but it’s not a bad kind of different.

When Dan pulls away, he opens his eyes to see that Arin still has his closed. His cheeks are a lovely rosy pink, and his lips are parted and shiny. Dan can’t help but press a second chaste kiss to them.

Dan leans into Arin’s warmth and presses his face against his neck, winding his arms around the younger man’s waist and holding him tight. “Thank you, baby girl,” he says, and Arin shivers at the feeling of Dan’s breath on his sensitive skin. Arin runs his fingers slowly through Dan’s hair, making sure to not catch his fingers on any possible knots. Dan leans into the touch, a complete opposite of the reaction he would have had four years ago. The thought makes Arin smile.

“You’re welcome. I’m sorry it took me like, three years to get it to you.” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Dan tells him. “It’s perfect.” 

There’s a long swath of silence before either of them speak again. Dan feels the rumble in Arin’s chest before he hears what he says. “Could I kiss you again?”

He pulls back so that he can look at Arin. A smile breaks out across his face.

“Absolutely.”

all of dan’s gifts

[kimvtae]

Can i request a smut fic of jungkook where the reader (the GF) always melts when he calls her with cute nicknames ? Sorry i kinda have a thing for cute nicknames ^^ BTW I LOVE YOUR WRITING OMG I CANT GET ENOUGH !!

I’m sorry this took so long!! But i’ve been listening to Bruno Mars’ That’s What I Like on repeat for three days and it finally inspired me for this!mood music (x)2.7k words

The fire is warm against your cheeks, soft glow casting shadows throughout the room. The sun has already set on the day, disappearing behind the landscape as you’d stood on the porch, shivering after Jeongguk forgot to bring a blanket out with him. He promised he was enough to keep you warm, snuggled against his chest and watching the sky explode in pinks and oranges as night greeted you, but despite his large hands and hot breath on your ear, you really could have used that blanket.

Now you had your blankets, quite a few of them splayed out on the floor of the cabin in front of the fireplace. Jeongguk had pushed the couches towards the walls as you laid down blankets over the ornate wooden floors. Strawberry champagne was chilling on the coffee table in the corner, at least a dozen appetizers and deserts laid out on plates around the ice bucket. It was a perfectly cozy way to end a vacation night, no pressing desire to explore or sightsee until the morning, and no rush to pack or forced enjoyment when there was still at least a week left before you had to return home. It was an overwhelming luxury that you were still getting used to.

“Angel?” Jeongguk calls, poking his head from the kitchen. He always insisted on cleaning up after dinner, absolutely hating seeing any dirty dishes in the sink in the morning. You loved to test it with a spoon or plate when the midnight cravings hit. “Do you need anything?”

“No,” you answer. You tip your flute of champagne to your lips, lipstick a little messy from Jeongguk’s kisses in the woods, as you lounge on the blanket pile, white diamond necklace hanging to the side of your neck. You were still in the dress he had bought you for your last birthday, the softest blue and falling to mid-thigh, the back sheer and lacy and the whole thing pairing well with Jeongguk’s suit. He’d found the most fancy restaurant in the city nearby for dinner tonight, and had carried you back to the cabin on his back when your heel broke, already ordering a new pair on his phone. Again, luxury you certainly weren’t used to, but luxury that the richest heir in the country has known his entire life.

“You sure, baby?”

“Yes.”

Finishing the champagne, you pour yourself another glass and one for Jeongguk as he toes off his shoes at the corner of the blanket. He’d discarded his suit jacket long ago, the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up to his elbows and distracting you as he takes his glass and presses a soft kiss to your temple.

“You look beautiful,” Jeongguk whispers against your hairline.

“So do you.” Jeongguk tips his glass against yours before drinking deeply, one of his hands falling to grip your hip. You don’t have to strain as much to look up at him in your heels, but one was still broken and you really needed to take them off. “I still can’t believe you rented three different cabins for a two week vacation.”

“Gotta ensure our privacy, hm?”

“Three cabins, Guk.”

This time, he kisses the apple of your cheek down to the corner of your mouth, his words making you tremble. “Only the best for my girl.”

Some days you wonder if Jeongguk actually goes to his meetings or if he spends his time researching how to make girls melt because damn. The nicknames he throws at you, the cute little pet names he calls you at the most inopportune times, ranging from so cute and sweet you want to yank your own teeth out to save on the cost of dentistry, to ones so suggestive when whispered against your ear at dinner parties with promises of what he has waiting in his bedroom at home, that, well. You never really stood a chance against Jeon Jeongguk after that art gala, the first time you ever met him and he bought one of your old paintings, and things fell together quite simply after that. You loved him fiercely, and if he wanted to buy you a new pair of diamond earrings after you’d begged to draw him naked one morning, well, he could do that. You didn’t have much to compete with Jeongguk’s wealth, but it was never a competition between the two of you, (until Jeongguk had his video games on and was losing to you, then it was war.)

Of course, you’d questioned his willingness to spend so much on you and on your relationship. Jeongguk had shrugged; bent over the books he was helping you unload onto his bookshelf, the first of several of your boxes in his flat, holding a tattered paperback in hand. “I love you,” he’d said simply. “I love you, Y/N, and I want to see you happy. And I like seeing you in things I buy you.”

(That night may or may not have ended in you revealing the lingerie he’d bought you, worn underneath your dress and Jeongguk rendered so speechless he hadn’t managed to get you to the bed.)

“Fire’s good,” Jeongguk says now, both arms around your waist to hold you close. “You sure you weren’t a lumberman before I got my hands on you?”

You roll your eyes, kissing at Jeongguk’s chin to wipe his smirk away. “Do these look like the hands of someone who chopped wood her entire life?” Holding your hands between your bodies you pretend to inspect them and see a little green paint on your thumb from your earlier work. Inspiration hits at the oddest of times, and the serene forest Jeongguk had brought you to on a surprise trip definitely led to motivation for unfinished and new projects alike.

“They’re very pretty hands, baby.”

“Weirdo.”

Jeongguk hums, touching his nose to yours before he’s kissing you properly, lips parting against yours. You take the initiative this time, running both hands through his thick black hair and tilting your chin to deepen the kiss. Jeongguk’s gripping your hip with his free hand, the other hand juggling both champagne flutes. When he breaks for breath you chase his lips, kissing him again and again before shifting your weight and urging Jeongguk to follow your lead until you were laying on the blankets, Jeongguk’s firm body hovering securely over yours, the empty glasses on the floor to the side.

“You know I don’t like doing it on the floor, sugar,” Jeongguk murmurs against your throat.

You will forever blame the shiver that wracks through your body on the early spring’s chill, and not on the nickname. The fire isn’t hot enough, that’s all.

“It’s not your back,” you reason, your fingers deftly undoing the buttons of Jeongguk’s shirt. He’s frowning against your neck, littering kisses along the skin, but he voices no complaint.

Jeongguk takes his time unzipping your dress, sitting up to better reach the zipper where it’s located on the side of your dress. He straddles your thighs, trailing feather light touches along your collarbones. “Are you sure you don’t want to move to the bed? The sheets are better silk than those back home.”

“Lies,” you say, laughing quietly. “I want you, Jeongguk. Right here by the fire.”

“What my love wants,” Jeongguk says, small smile glowing beautifully in the firelight. “My love gets.” He’s shrugging out of his shirt to let the fabric fall to the side before finally tugging off your dress, pressing warm, wet kisses to your skin each time more of it is revealed to him. The dress hadn’t paired well with any type of bra and Jeongguk uses that to his advantage, kissing all over your chest and leaving tiny marks for you to discover later until you grow impatient, wiggling slightly beneath his touch to urge him forward.

Jeongguk does, of course, tossing your dress behind him without a care, his hands following the path his lips trail down your skin. Arousal brews heavily within you, Jeongguk’s eyes burning into yours as he mouths at your hip, holding you steady with both hands as you squirm, torn between chasing the sensation somewhere lower and pulling him up for more kisses.

“Sweetheart?” Jeongguk murmurs, tilting his head on your thigh.

“Y-Yes?” You’re out of breath, panting slightly and nearly shaking in anticipation. The fire is still soft and warm against your side, but Jeongguk’s firm and warm against your leg and the difference between the two has you dizzy.

“I love you.”

“I love you, too, Jeongguk.”

He’s careful when he removes your panties, following the lace down your legs with his teeth and tongue. You vaguely recall that your heels are still on before Jeongguk deals with that, too. You’re never quiet about your pleasure when you’re with him, whimpering loudly and fighting against heavy lips as Jeongguk takes his time pressing fleeting kisses up and down both of your legs, no sign of a hurry in any his movements. By the time his kisses reach below your navel you’re breathless, drowning and overwhelmed with sensation and need and already a little sweaty beneath his ministrations.

Jeongguk hums his approval when he licks along your folds, only brief flicks of his tongue before he finds you wet already. It’s no surprise, really.

“Ah, Jeongguk,” you whine, when he merely touches his lips to your clit. Desire is a forest fire burning spectacularly hot beneath your skin, and each touch Jeongguk presses to your skin only adds fuel to the flames. But, you think as Jeongguk pushes two fingers into you, there’s no better way to drown.

He stretches his fingers within you, reaching the spots that force your eyes shut, your head back, and your mind to blank on anything that was not a variation of his name. Familiarity between the two of you meant Jeongguk knew how to rile you up in all of the best ways possible, and how to build you up so slowly your lips shook beneath him. You knew the same spots on his body, could return the favor tenfold, but that wasn’t what tonight was about.

“You’re dripping, darling,” Jeongguk hums, three fingers thrusting slowly into your heat. His lips are on your stomach again, kissing and biting along all the skin he can reach. “Am I that good?”

Your voice catches on a moan before you can reply properly. “You’re alright, Guk.”

Jeongguk snorts. “Sure thing, sugar.”

When he’s sure you’re ready, Jeongguk kisses back up your body, ignoring your fingers on his cheeks and requests for kisses until he himself reaches your mouth. You welcome him eagerly, tongue meeting his and kiss turning sloppy as a hint of Jeongguk’s desperation breaks through. He lets you stroke your fingers along his length, painfully hard in your hold once you manage to unclasp his slacks, panting into your mouth between kisses.

The pendant lays hot and solid against your chest. It distracts Jeongguk briefly as he holds it in one hand and grins widely, eyes reflecting the fire. His black hair nearly falls into his eyes now, skin sweaty where it presses against yours. You can’t look much more put together, you reason as Jeongguk pushes your hair from your shoulders.

“I’ll come if you keep doing that, love,” Jeongguk says, breathing heavily against your neck.

“Am I that good?” You tease.

“Yes, love. Always.”

Jeongguk kicks off his slacks, taking more time than necessary by trying to kiss you through the entire ordeal. He curses in victory when they’re finally off, yelling, “Take that Tony Stark!” and you can’t help but laugh.

He pushes into you slowly, forehead pressed to yours to search your face for any signs of discomfort where there never are any. Never with him. The overwhelming sense of fullness you feel when Jeongguk’s sheathed fully within you is intoxicating, mind hazy and warm as you clutch at his shoulders and moan against his lips. Jeongguk doesn’t move at first, peppering kisses along your slick collarbones, one hand planted on the blankets by your head and the other cradling your cheek.

Jeongguk moves slowly at your murmured command to move, the intensity behind each of his slow thrusts knocking you breathless each time he pushes into you. You can’t keep your hands still, running them through his hair and along his shoulders and chest to his back, digging your nails into his shoulder blades to clutch him closer, craving each inch of his skin against yours. Jeongguk is more than happy to comply, sinking deeper into you when your legs spread wider. His mouth is warm against yours, muffling your moans and cries more than kissing. It’s almost too hot in the cabin, your body loose and pliant beneath Jeongguk’s hands.

“You’re so beautiful, my dear,” Jeongguk is whispering against your cheek, your mouth and eyelashes. So much of what he says is lost to the pleasure ringing in your ears, your own cries and moans of his name seeming too loud in the cabin.

Time is lost to you as Jeongguk’s frame curls over yours, his thrusts deep and slow and overwhelmingly good. Praises drip from your lips and echo those he says against the shell of your ear. Your arms loop around Jeongguk’s back, the intimacy of it all sending countless shivers along your spine.

“I’m close,” you whisper, wrenching your eyes open to meet Jeongguk’s. He stares at you, lips in a loving smile, and nods.

Jeongguk trails a finger down your side, watching in delight how you squirm beneath him, and draws patterns against your clit. He sucks hard at your neck before increasing the pressure of his fingers against you, the precipice of release hanging just out of reach. “Come on, princess. Come for me.”

Your world tips as you come; head falling back and Jeongguk’s name falling from your lips like a prayer, nails digging into his shoulders as he works you through your high. It’s as slow of a burn as the rest of the night had been, your entire body locking up in pleasure as Jeongguk comes shortly after you, buried deeply within your walls. He doesn’t make any efforts to move off of you at first and you don’t let him, clutching him close and stroking a hand through his hair as he kisses you lazily, always careful not to drop all of his weight onto you.

“I love you,” Jeongguk says once he finally convinces you to let him move. He’s cleaned you up with his shirt, still naked when you return from the bathroom. The top blanket is bunched up in the corner, and there’s another one wrapped around his shoulders. Jeongguk opens his arms for you when you return, falling to lay back with you on his chest.

“Thought you didn’t like the floor,” you say between kisses.

“I don’t.” The champagne flutes are still abandoned on the floor, the sight making you giggle slightly until Jeongguk collects your hair behind your head and gains your attention again. “But you don’t mind it.”

“No, I don’t.”

You’re dozing off, warm and spent and comfortable on Jeongguk’s chest beneath the blanket, when he speaks again. “This is a good place to raise a family, don’t you think?”

You hum sleepily, opening one eye to glance up at Jeongguk’s face. “What’s wrong with the flat?”

“Nothing. But it’s beautiful here, right? Must be a great place to raise a family.” He’s quiet for a moment. You trace your fingers along his chest, knowing it’s one of Jeongguk’s silences in which he has so much more he wants to say. “Should I buy it to raise my family in? A summer house, perhaps?”

“You need a family first, Jeongguk.”

Jeongguk smiles and tips his chin against his chest to look at you. “We can work on that, right?”

Your heart kicks up a notch, thinking of the ring you’d found in a drawer in the bathroom back home; the ring Jeongguk didn’t know you spotted.

“Yeah,” you whisper. Jeongguk thumbs at the traitorous blush on your cheeks. “Yeah, we can.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to move to the bedroom?” Jeongguk asks, voice bordering on a whine.

“I like it here. With you.” You snuggle against his chest, pressing a quick kiss where you can reach. Despite his grumbling, Jeongguk holds you closer as the fire continues to dwindle in the fireplace. “I love you, Jeongguk.”

“I love you, too, angel.”