#bc of that we had to drop them as our guest speaker and be just a participant in our research

[sxthee]

Why did you block meeee!!!!!!! 😭

[writing-mlm]

Something angsty with Abbot

They had something going on in the army (they didn't label it) and it was pretty serious,robby knew about (they were an inseparable trio) and thought they would last forever

Until something happend and the reader didn't leave with them and continued to advace in ranks

They (all 3) meet again in the pitt to find out reader got married and had a child (the reason for the hospital visit ) and treats abbot and robby as just friends like nothing is wrong

You can continue it how you like cause this is getting long

The wounds of our parents (that I refuse to carry over)

Summary: You couldn’t be strong enough for yourself, but you’d be damned if you let your daughter feel the way you did. Pairing: Jack Abbot x Male reader Word Count: 3.4k Tags/warning: reader is married to a woman, sort of implied religious trauma, homophobia, medical talk, sick child, I headcanon Jack was in the Marines, italics is a flashback, wounds physical and emotional, not terribly angsty but still hurt/comfort imo A/n: I changed the prompt a little bc I don’t think Robby was in the military, also. while editing I learned its Abbot not Abbott...

Stolen kisses and secret glances, if that’s how Jack could remember his time in the Marines, he would’ve been a happy man. He’s reminded of you every day, sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. 

He remembers you when he ties his laces in the quick way you taught him, he remembers you when the sun warms his face, he remembers you when the silence of his apartment is so loud against his ears he can't think. He can’t breathe and— fuck he can’t even see anything. Then his phone lights up, a call. 

It reminds him of you again. You would sneak out from your barracks to meet him, a flashlight placed on the floor so you could at least see him a little. It was never much, but it was always enough. 

“My arms are killing me,” You grumble, climbing into his bed. He welcomes you, arms outstretched and a lopsided grin. It’s well past any normal guest time in the barracks, but neither of you cared. 

“No one told you to carry everyone’s bags up the hill,” He laughs as you drop into his open embrace. Immediately, he starts massaging your arms, loving the way you relax instantly. Your head drops onto his chest, sure you’re about to be lulled into a nice sleep.

“I was being nice,” You murmur. “And I was showing off,” 

“For who?” He teases. Cracking an eye open, you laugh into his shirt. Leaning forward, you kiss the underside of his jaw. 

“You,” 

His hands trail up from his neck, settling on his ears as he tries to fill the silence. His phone rings again, and he pulls himself from the memory before answering it. It’s Robby. It’s never you. 

—

Abbot’s driving into work, annoyed that he’d accidentally taken the long route, and now he’s fighting the morning traffic. It’s one of those rare occasions when he was needed for the morning shift. And he couldn’t say no. He’s about ten minutes out, waiting at a red light, when the next song starts up. The guitar strings start, and he inhales slowly, his eyes closing. 

The squad was inside of a tent, passing the time until there was something to do. Thankfully, someone had brought along a speaker, and everyone was taking turns playing music. It eventually turned into a lip-syncing competition and you were up. 

It didn’t take long before the song could start up, two of the guys laugh as they know the song, while Jack leans back. You step into the middle of the tent, using a water bottle as a microphone. You rock with the beat, each guitar string pluck is a new rock. 

“I used to think that I wasn’t fine enough, and I used to think that I wasn’t wild enough. But I won’t waste my time tryna figure out why you playing games, what’s this all about?” Everyone catches as your eyes drift to Jack’s. You continue, fake singing your heart out until you look at Jack again. 

“Oh, love! Never knew what I was missing. But I knew once we start kissin’ I found… love!” Your eyes meet, and you point at him before desperately clutching your chest. 

“Abbot’s blushin’!” One of the men laughs, smacking his arm. Jack shakes his head but doesn’t look away from you, still lip-singing. 

A car honks and he opens his eyes, the light is now green. Another honk. Smacking the wheel, he pushes forward, trying to push the memories backwards. 

It was never a relationship, at least in concrete boyfriend-boyfriend terms. But it was. It fucking was. You’d both said I love you, you both had imagined lives together, you were each other's person, and you were his and he was yours. 

And then Abbot got discharged, and you didn’t. You stayed in the Marines, something had scared you. He knows it. He knows it in his bones. He knows it like he knows the human body. 

“Hey, brother!” Robby gives Abbot a high five as he walks into the ED. Abbot blinked, his body moving on autopilot, he hadn’t realized he was at work already. “Thank you so much,” He’s almost desperate, the ED is more packed than usual. Apparently, an entire school grade had come down with random spouts of dizziness, weird vision, and vomiting. 

“Where am I needed?” He asks, glancing around the room. There are a lot of parents talking outside the on-call rooms with doctors. 

“Uh, room eleven.” Abbot nods and gets himself ready, grabbing Mohan on his way to the room. Mohan has the kids' chart and tells him the basics while he nods, still looking around. She has to leave, though— everyone has one patient. There’s not enough doctors to double up today. 

He glances at the patient's chart and stops for a small laugh, pushing into the on-call room. Jackie Maria (L/n). 

“Is your full name Jack or Jackson?” You asked, it’s the first thing you’d ever said to him. First day at boot camp and that’s what his barrack roommates says to him.

“Jack,” He responds and you nod, carefully setting your bag on your bed. 

“That’s crazy, cause I’ve always wanted to name my kid Jackie. What do you think, would he get bullied?” Jack laughs, shaking his head. He’d never been bullied for the name, and he relays as much to you. “That’s good to know.” Your smile reaches your eyes and you scan him up and down. Your heart flutters a bit and you force yourself to look away. 

You stare at him, your hand in a woman's— your wife’s hand while holding your daughter's head. Jackie. Your daughter, Jackie. She’s clutching a bucket that already has bile inside of it. She’s about twelve. Abbot checks the chart and licks the inside of his mouth. Thirteen. 

You’re in civvies, which checks out because you always hated the uniform. Hated the attention it brought when you were off base. He looks down at your wedding band, it’s simple, a thin silver ring nestled on your finger. It’s old and worn, Abbot guesses it’s older than ten years old. You preferred gold, or at least a darker silver than that. And you always wanted something a little different than the basic silver band. 

For a moment, you relax and smile. It’s the first time you’ve seen him since he left the Marines. The first time in fourteen years that you’ve honestly felt at peace. Well, mostly. Jackie throws up again and you move to rub her back. 

“I’m Doctor Abbot,” He stiffly says, closing the door behind him. He needs to be professional, there’s a sick child he needs to attend to. 

“I’m glad it’s you,” You admit, your voice is more mature than the last time he heard it. There’s a bigger bass to it and he just knows if Jackie was in Little League your voice was drowning out the crowds. He wonders if his voice would’ve done the same. 

“He usually doesn’t like doctors,” Your wife says, a little confused, and Jack nods. He knows this. He’s known this long before she was ever in the picture. 

“Jack,” You whimper, clutching his hand as you hold your bleeding leg. “It’s too high for a tourniquet.” There’s a shudder to your voice that he doesn’t like, a sort of finality that puts his stomach through the ringer. Which is odd, considering you’re on an active battlefield and something explodes in the background. 

“I got you, sweetheart,” He grunts, pulling you into a more covered area. “This is gonna hurt but do you trust me?”

“Hmm,” You nod, eyes closed tight and lips tucked into your mouth. “With my fuckin’ life, baby.”

“We were in the Marines together,” You softly explain and she hums. She’s not delighted to hear that, but she doesn’t show any outward distaste in it either. There’s some history behind that, he has a sneaking suspicion he knows what it’s about. 

“Can you give me a rundown of your symptoms, Jackie?” Abbot asks while putting on a pair of gloves on. Jackie just groans, looking for relief and finds it in you. You smile, rubbing her sweat-soaked forehead. 

“She texted me, she was in science class and was feeling lightheaded. You know diabetes runs in my family so I assumed she was starting to show signs. I told her to eat some of the snacks and drink something. She said it didn’t help. Then she said she was having trouble breathing but she felt better after class. I knew she was having a test, so I assumed it was anxiety.” You hurriedly explain, recounting her day. “And then she had lunch, she called me. She was throwing up and seeing spots. Apparently, other kids were, too.” 

“Were these kids in your science class?” 

“Some,” Jackie croaks. Abbot nods, considering most students have a similar experience, it’s probably something in the science room. 

“I want to have your blood sent in for a tox screen. It could possibly be something in the classroom. It’s sounding a bit like the flu, maybe someone was sick and spread it around the school and then maybe some food poisoning. Did you eat the school lunch?” Jackie nods but she looks at you for support. 

“It’s pizza Friday. She loves it,” You add, watching as Jackie throws up again. “Once you’re done, sit up, bud. Dr. Abbot needs you to be steady.” 

“The mess hall is serving us the good food,” You whisper, staring down at your lobster, mac and cheese, and the good mashed potatoes. “We’re getting shipped off, ain’t we?” 

“Sure are,” Jack laughs. The two of you sit side by side, not even a millimeter of space between the two of you. You drop your head, ready to succumb to your inevitable fate. 

“I would’ve preferred pizza as my final meal.”

Abbot finishes drawing Jackie’s blood and leaves the room for a moment. You watch as the doors close and sigh, knowing what’s about to come and just continue to rub the top of your daughter's head. 

“You never mentioned an Abbot before,” Your wife carefully says, messing with her nails. 

“No, Katy. I didn’t.” You agree. “I also never mentioned Tasso, or Navarro, or Dukarea. Or half of my squad before.” 

“You haven’t,” She stresses. 

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Looking at her, you lace your fingers together before letting your hands hang between your legs. She shrugs and looks at the door. 

“Your mother did.” She said after a beat had passed. 

“Don't bring her up,” You glare over at her. “Not now, Katy.” 

“She said something about an Abbot who was tempting—“ She doesn’t get to finish before you stop her. 

“Jackie is sick. We are not going to talk about whatever she told you, Katherine.” She pauses but eventually nods. You look at Jackie as she looks between the two of you, you hate being tense around him. You hate having fights around her, or even being slightly angry around her. It’s not a part of you that you want her to experience. 

“I’m going for a smoke,” She pushes herself from the wall as the door opens again and Abbot walks inside. 

“Okay,” You reply, not sparing her a glance. She leaves using the opposite doors, snatching her purse from the chair with an exaggerated huff. 

“I’ve sent your blood for testing. We should know within an hour,” Abbot explains and you nod, looking between him and Jackie. Your stomach twists as you imagine that this was your family. The three of you. 

“Is there something she can have for the pain?” You ask, looking between the two of them. “She’s not good with pain and I know this is a ten for her.” Weakly, Jackie nods. 

“Alright, I’m going to give you an ibuprofen. It’ll help with the nausea and the pain. If, after an hour, you’re still in pain, I’ll switch it up. Does that sound good?”

“Mhmm,” Jackie winces and then starts gagging. You help her sit up, wincing as she throws up again. 

“What if she can’t keep the pill down?” You ask, looking up at him with worry clearly written all over your face. His chest tightens, and he inhales, looking between you and Jackie. As much as he’d hate to admit it, his mind runs blank for a moment. 

“An IV drip is always an option.” Abbot explains once he composes himself. “Would you be okay with that, Jackie?” Your daughter nods and Abbot nods in response. “We’ll get that started as soon as possible.”

“Would you be a step-dad?” Robby whispers, pulling Jack to the side. They’re about to do a shift change and this is how Robby is planning on spending their small overlap together. 

“Depends,” Jack responds, crossing his arms. “Is the kid bad? Is there an affair that causes the step-parent-ness?”

“No, and no,” Robby squints. “I didn’t— I wouldn’t help someone cheat. But this woman I’m seeing has a son, we haven’t met but she wants us to. I wanted your opinion,” Jack nods, imagining himself as a step-parent. It’s hard because he keeps placing his partner as you and not some random person. 

“Yeah,” He nods. “See if you can handle that dynamic. Every step family is different,” In turn, Robby nods before leaving in a rush. Apparently soon meant tonight. 

“Has there been an update with the others?” You ask. “Jackie’s friend, Charlie. She’s here too,” 

“I can certainly ask, what’s her last name?” Turning to Jackie, she inhales. It’s shaky and it looks like it hurts her but she still tries. 

“Hunt.” She replies. 

“Charlie Hunt, got it.” He leaves again and it’s just the two of you now. 

“It’s not drugs, right?” You whisper, looking up from the door. Jackie feverishly shakes her head and you nod, trusting her. Looking back at the door, you inhale. 

A part of you hates that out of all the places you could’ve settled after the Marines, you picked the one place Jack lived and then out of all of the hospitals, this is the one your daughter is being treated at. But another, bigger, part of yourself loves that. Loves that you’re still connected to him after all these years. It’s like a sign. 

The door opens and you see Abbot return with Charlie. Her parents are not there yet, their jobs are hard to leave from what you remember. 

“How you feeling, Char?” You ask, a small smile on your face. 

“Not horrible, Mr. (L/n),” She replies, looking at you before her eyes lock on Jackie. “How’s Jackie?”

“Could be better,” Jackie croaks and Charlie takes the seat you’d been in. She has a small oxygen mask around her neck but it doesn’t seem like she needs it anymore. 

“I’m going to go for a walk,” You tell them to which they nod. Looking Abbot up and down, he calmly follows you into the hallway. 

“A wife,” He whispers. “How long?”

“Um,” Scratching your eyebrow, you shrug. “About fourteen years. Are you… have you gotten married?” For a moment, you look at his hand. Barren, no tan lines to indicate a ring either. 

“No.” He confirms what you already know. “Are you happy?” The pause that follows the silence is all he needs to know. Although he could’ve guessed that already, he’s seen happily married people but you and Katy? That wasn’t a happy marriage. 

“I always said you’d make a great doctor,” 

“You did,” He nods, a breathless chuckle passing by his lips. “I always said you’d be a girl dad.”

“Light of my life,” You smile. “She had a small interest in medicine, which is crazy cause she’s—“ You pause, stopping yourself. Katy walks back in from her smoke break and you blink. “She gets woozy at the sight of blood.” You finish. 

“Has anyone seen Charlie Hunt?”  A doctor calls, standing in front of an empty on-call room. “I have her lab work,”

“She’s in here, Robby!” Abbot calls. “Is (L/n)’s also done?”

“Uh,” He checks his tablet. “Yes- yup,” 

“Alright, let’s go!” That special request to speed up Jackie’s tox screen worked. Which is a first. The four of you head back to the on-call room and Katy enters without knocking. 

“What the fuck?” She shouts and you see Charlie stand up to her full height. Jackie looks between the two of you, shocked, and her heart monitor is beeping faster. She looks at you, and you know, you just know what Katy saw. “Did you know?” She spins to you, finger pointing. But you don’t see her, you don’t hear her. 

You hear the rapid beeping, you see your daughter's fear, and it’s like you’re her. It’s like you’re your father and Katy is your mother and you’re about to repeat a cycle you could never break. 

“Breathe,” Jack forces you out of the rec room and into the dark outside. The party continues inside but you can feel yourself dying. Your life is in the hands of the letter dropped off earlier in the week that you’d refused to open. “What’s wrong?” Your free hand touches the dewy grass as you sit. 

“Sweetheart,” His hand covers yours, blocking the letter from your vision. 

“Someone told my parents,” You manage out. “My mom she’s asking about why her church is whispering about her ‘faggot’ son. They know us-- they know you.” 

“I thought they knew?” 

“No,” Holding both of his hands, you kiss them softly, grounding yourself. “I never told them. That's why I left.”

You never understood why your parents were such a big part of your life, why you let their hate infect you so much. That your fear wasn’t strong enough to stop you from going to the Marines, but it was for telling your parents no. But it’s not stronger than your love for Jackie. 

“Get out,” You tell Katy. 

“Let’s see what your mother has to say about this.” She hums, digging into her purse for her phone. She’s used that line so many times and so many times you’ve given in at the expense of your peace and sanity. 

“Let’s see what Vincent has to say,” She pauses at the door, her eyes filled with pure hatred. She says fine, along with some colorful words and you sigh, joining the now crying Jackie’s side. 

“I’m sorry, honey,” Doctor Robby takes Charlie back to her room while Abbot stands there, unsure of what to do with himself. 

“I didn’t— I’m sorry,” Her cries turn to gagging and you sit her up, letting her vomit into the bowl. 

“Don’t be sorry. I’m sorry for not doing better,” Holding her tight, you shudder, wishing so desperately you’d been your father all those years ago. “Let’s focus on your health first, honey. And then everything else after.” 

“Alright, your tox screen does show levels of carbon monoxide and it is showing signs of food poisoning,” He turns the screen and points to an assortment of letters and numbers that only he understands. 

“Good news is-“ He turns the screen back to him. “It looks like you won’t have any long-term side effects and the nausea should lessen with time. For now, I’m going to start your IV drip and give you an oxygen mask. That’s to help your body filter out the carbon monoxide faster.” She nods, holding your hand tightly. He gently puts the oxygen mask over her and you watch as she takes a deep breath in. 

He nods to the door and you stand up. Jackie reaches for your hand, shaking her hand but you reassure her that you’ll just be outside the door. She lets go and you meet Abbot in the hallway. 

“We have social workers available,” He starts. “If you or Jackie want to talk to someone.”

“I’m definitely getting a therapist for us,” You huff a laugh. “I know divorces can be rough on kids.”

“Divorce?” He asks. 

“That’s who Vincent is. He’s my friend and a divorce lawyer. I can’t let her grow up the way I did,” 

“That’s good,” He smiles an honest smile. 

“I don’t know if you’d be up to it again, but, could I get your number?” You carefully ask. “I know Pittsburgh has that year waiting period but,” You laugh, looking away from him. “It’s been fourteen years and I’ve missed you like a motherfucker.”

[yoditorian]

okok ignore that i already requested one but since you’ve got all the other triple frontier boys requested i’m here to request will because i love him 🥺 and i couldn’t pick a prompt that i loved most so,,, dealer’s choice?

we decided in the chat on number 14 bc of Personal Headcanon reasons and u know what?? u can pry them out of my cold dead hands

14. when one of them has never had a proper birthday party for whatever reason, and their lover makes it their mission to give them the best day ever, followed by “you didn’t have to do all this for me. just being with you is enough.” “i know. but i thought you deserved ?’’ and their lover smiles, a kiss is shared

word count: 967 // warnings: like 2 swears and a very very brief suggestive implication, otherwise this is Just Vibes

main masterlist // request masterlist

follower celebration requests are now closed

“Can you move that one over there?” 

You direct Benny and the box of decorations to the far corner of the garden, barely missing getting smacked in the face as you duck under the banner that Santiago is hanging over your back porch. Frankie strides past with an oversized speaker in hand, trailed by his three year old almost completely hidden by the bundle of wires she’s carrying. She gives you a beaming smile when you ruffle her hair and check off a few more boxes on the list. 

The cake should be arriving in ten minutes, a giant chocolate orange monstrosity lovingly crafted by Benny’s girlfriend. You’ve ordered enough pizza to feed a small country and, if all goes to plan, the rest of the balloons will turn up at the same time. If there’s one thing that always fucks up your planning strategies, it’s balloons. 

“We brought extra blankets!” Your next door neighbours, Pat and Angela, appear by the back gate with several different patterned picnic blankets under their arms. You thank them, leaving Benny to explain the setup as the doorbell goes again and you run up the back steps into the house. 

Things hadn’t always been easy for Will and Benny growing up. Their parents never had much, but worked their asses off at every opportunity to provide for their boys. Will had told you once,  late one night way back when you first got together, that he’d more or less raised his brother. Their parents just weren’t around as much as they’d have liked to be, working two or three jobs each more often than not simply to make ends meet. There was never anything spare to go around when they were kids. As such, sometimes things like birthdays weren’t always the priority. 

You’ve never gone all out for his birthday yourself, he’d always stressed that he liked to keep things low key. Just you and the boys, maybe a visit to his parents out of state. Nothing flashy. And you’d agreed for a while, but this is his first birthday after your wedding. He’ll forgive you if you go a little crazy, just this once. 

His mother kisses your cheeks in a brief greeting and breezes past you to the garden, a blur of bright pink and gift bags. You laugh when his father gives you an exasperated look, a hug, and follows his wife through the house. Savannah pulls up in the driveway just as you’re about to close the door, a little early, and you rush down the front steps to give her a hand. 

“You’re an angel, oh my god.” You squeeze her shoulder as she laughs and opens the back door, revealing the birthday cake to end all birthday cakes. Layers upon layers of chocolate and orange cake, it’s about as tall as Frankie’s daughter. Probably weighs about the same too, by the looks of it. 

“You say that now, she’s heavy as all fuck.” Savannah grins and grabs a corner of the box as you do the same. God, she’s not lying. 

It takes a few minutes for the two of you to shuffle up the drive with the cake, pausing every time it begins to wobble precariously. But you manage it, settling it safely on the kitchen island and you both breathe a sigh of relief. The doorbell goes again almost the moment your ass hits the seat of the barstool to take a break, for just a minute. 

“I’ll go help set up the projector.” Savannah pats your shoulder and heads on out back. It’s a good idea, it almost ended up launched into the pond in Pat and Angela’s yard the last time that the boys tried to work it out. Thank god for American architecture, while the front of your house is picture perfect, the back is a conveniently blank space. Exactly the right size for outdoor movie nights in the summer. 

“You know, you didn’t have to send me the next town over if you needed me out of the house for a couple hours.” 

Your stomach drops to the bottom of your shoes when the voice calls out from behind the stack of pizza boxes. He’s amused, at least. So you don’t have to worry about that. You take a few of the boxes off the top of the pile to reveal his face, grinning at you. 

“I stopped the kid in the drive, it was kind of hard not to miss every single one of our friends’ cars parked in the street.” Will slides the boxes onto the island beside the cake and cups your face the moment his hands are free. 

“Happy birthday, baby.” You mumble, unable to keep up your frown when he’s looking at you like that. Like you put the stars in the sky. He presses a soft kiss to your lips and takes the remaining pizzas from you. 

“Thank you, sweetheart.” 

It’s later, when the sun has set and the fireflies come out, when everybody is lounging on cushions and beanbags in your backyard. Savannah and Benny are barely distinguishable tangled in their blankets, Frankie’s daughter snoozes on his shoulder, laughter echoes as Ferris Bueller hops fences in an effort to get home first. 

“You didn’t have to do all this for me,” Will’s low voice in your ear makes you shudder, “Just being with you is enough.”

“I know. I thought you deserved it.” You smile and nestle into his arms a little further, fiddling with the ring on your left hand. He readjusts, just enough to lean over and kiss you. It’s mostly smiles, the barest touch of his tongue on your lips hints at what’s to come once your guests are gone. He’s happy, and that’s all you could ask for.

TAGLIST (add yourself here):

@bee-dameron @keeper0fthestars @thevoiceinyourheadx @firstofficerwiggles @1800-fight-me @ew-erin @chatterbean @darnitdraco @greeneyedblondie44

[lavenderlattaes]

i love you. | bts

⇒ summary: you said you love him in the most casual way.

⇒ [ idolverse! au ]

⇒ pairing: bts x reader

⇒ word count: 2.6k words (in total)

⇒ genre: fluff

⇒ warnings: i think a few swear words

⇒ note: this was requested ages ago sksks im sorry anon, i was lost on how i should write this bc I’ve never tried writing reactions before and i think it’s supposed to be in bullet(proof)form but I found myself writing it like this lol. and since we’re celebrating mots:7 and i am absolutely LOVING the new tracks rn, here’s the reaction you request years ago he he. I’ll have to add dividers and other stuff for this later on bc it’s too long but im on mobile rn. ANYWAY ENOUGH TALKING,, ignore mistakes bc im a bit of a blind bat and enjoy!＼ʕ •ᴥ•ʔ／

kim seokjin:

You’ve been dating Seokjin for a few months now and you can’t help but fall for him completely. It was hard not to — he made you laugh, he was so selfless, and he fed you with his amazing cooking skills.

The thing is, you haven’t said the three words yet. The three, special words that could — no matter how sweet it may be — either make or break you both.

The boys had just gotten back from recording and you were at their dorms, Jin coming up to you as soon as they entered to plant a gentle kiss to your cheek.

“Hey, love. Let me go wash up then I’ll help you,” he greets, and you smile at him, going back to cleaning the vegetables for dinner.

“Hey, Y/N,” Hoseok greets chirpily and you greet him, as he jumps onto a chair to watch you work.

“How are things with hyung?” He casually starts, placing his head in the palm of his hands as he grins at you. You’re closest to Hoseok, since you grew up with him and he was the one who introduced you to the boys.

“Oh, we’re doing great, he makes me happy,” you admit genuinely and Hoseok smiles. “He makes great food, doesn’t he?” Hoseok asks you and you giggle, nodding.

“Yeah, I love him, he feeds me well,” you sigh happily and Hoseok laughs.

You turn around to grab a bowl from the upper cupboard but groan when you realize you can’t reach it. You’re about to call Hoseok for help when a familiar arm snakes around your waist. You look up and see Jin, a smile on his face as he reaches up to get the bowl for you.

“I love you too, baby.” He replies to your statement earlier, pressing a soft kiss to your forehead.

min yoongi:

Instead of locking himself up in the studio to work on more songs or in his room to sleep, Yoongi found himself sitting on the couch, tuned in to a show where you were currently guesting on.

You were a famous producer and idol as well, and that’s how the two of you met in the first place. You’ve been dating for quite some time now, and you even went public with your relationship just a month back. The public surprisingly took the news very well, and no wars or issues had happened between your fans.

“So, Y/N, you and Yoongi just went public with your relationship last month, right?” The interviewer begins and you nod, sipping on your water bottle, a soft smile on your face.

Yoongi found himself smiling, turning the volume up just a tad bit. “How are things between you and the fans? Any fan wars going on?” You laugh and shake your head. “There’s definitely none of that,” you begin, “our fans are very nice and have even become friends. Most of my fans started listening to BTS’ music — if they didn’t already —” Yoongi chuckles at the comment, “and Yoongi’s fans have popped up in my feed to comment on how much they love my songs.” You finished.

Yoongi’s smile got wider and he made himself more comfortable as the interview went on. “It’s nice to know that everything’s going well for you both.” The interviewer gushes and you giggle, your laugh, making Yoongi blush from his seat on the couch.

You sure have him wrapped around your finger, huh?

“Yeah, I’m sure my fans love him too,” the words slip out from your lips too soon and Yoongi’s eyes widen. It’s the first time you’ve said you love him, and even if it’s indirect, it still makes his heart race.

“And I love you too, Y/N. So much, baby.” Yoongi whispers, his eyes trained on you until the interview ends, a loving smile on his face.

jung hoseok:

You love dancing, just as much as Hoseok does and that’s how you both met. You’ve been going to the same dance academy since you were a kid, and when you were graduated college, you chose to work at your dance academy.

Hoseok somehow found himself inside your dance academy, where he was supposed to teach a master class for the students there for the next three days. At the time, your artistic director was out of the country to be with some of the ballerinas of your academy who were competing. You were left in charge so you had to attend to Hoseok for the entire time. Somehow, the two of you clicked because of your passion for dance and the rest is history.

“Y/N, where’s Hoseok?” One of the little girls in your class tugged on your sweatpants while you were having a break in the middle of their class. It was no secret to the entire academy that you’re dating the “cool and sunshine teacher” they had a few months back. Everyone absolutely adored him, especially the younger kids who wanted to be like him.

“He has practice too, sweetie. Why do you ask?” You crouch down to her height and she sits down cross legged. At the mention of Hoseok, the other kids join in and form a circle around you.

“Isn’t he coming over?” One kid asks, and they all start nodding and talking over the other. You laugh and get them to settle down. “He’s busy, so I’m not sure,” you tell them and they groan.

“I miss Hoseok hyung. He’s so cool, and I love how he teaches class,” one of the younger boys sigh, hands crossed over his chest. You chuckle at the adorable sight, beckoning him over to give you a hug.

“Yeah, me too, bud.” You reply and the kids gasp. “YOU LOVE HOSEOK?!” They start shouting and running around, repeating the same thing over and over. “Y/N loves Hoseok.”

You shrug and stand up, gathering them back to the center of the studio to continue the class. “Come on, kids. Back to class. If you do well, today, maybe we can have Hoseok teach another class soon,” you say, going over to the speaker to play their song.

“I love you too!” A familiar voice shouts from the back and all of you turn around to see the one and only, Jung Hoseok.

kim namjoon:

You didn’t know how you managed to get yourself strapped to an outdoor rollercoaster, but here you were, with a small camera placed in front of your seat to record the entire ride.

“Why are we doing this again?” You choke out, turning to your band member beside you.

She was calm and collected about the entire thing, and she shrugs her shoulders. “Maybe because the fans wanted us to do this for the live?” You throw your head back, dreading the ride that was going to happen shortly.

“Relax, Y/N. You can do this!” Your maknae tells you from the back and you whine. “I’m the leader, why did I let this happen anyway?”

“Again, because the fans wanted us to do this. They’re watching right now, you know.” The eldest member chirps up and you groan as the rest of your members laugh.

“And you guys just had to put me in the front, huh,” you grumble, just as the ride started to move. You squeal, gripping the onto the handles in front of you. Your members let out whoops of cheers and laughter as the car went up.

You could see the buildings from below and the other rides, especially the rides for the kids. Why didn’t you ride that instead? “Y/N, fighting!” Your members cheer as you scream. The car reaches the top and you gulp, bracing yourself for the drop.

You feel the car tip over dangerously and the moment it drops, you throw your fears away and scream as loud as you can. “Kim Namjoon, if I die, you better know how much I love you!” You scream, completely forgetting you’re being filmed in real time and if he was watching, he just heard you say you love him for the very first time. And even if he didn’t, he’d definitely find out about it soon.

Oh, well. It’s true anyway, and you weren’t concerned about that right now. The ride makes another sudden drop but this time it tilted to your side and you let out another scream. “Mom, mom, mom I wanna go home!” You scream and you’re certain you’ll be met with memes the moment you get off the ride.

If you’re somehow still conscious after the ride.

park jimin:

“Y/N, truth or dare?” Jeongguk plops down beside you on the couch and you tear your eyes away from the show you were watching and raise an eyebrow at him.

“What’s this for?” You ask suspiciously. Jeongguk shakes his head innocently, his eyes glancing at his hyung who was sleeping soundly in your lap.

Your hands subconsciously start playing with Jimin’s hair and he cuddles closer to your stomach.

“Come on, truth or dare!” Jeongguk presses and you sigh. “Truth, because Jimin’s sleeping and I don’t want to disturb him.” You give in and Jeongguk grins.

“Okay, let’s play fast talk,” Jeongguk claps his hands excitedly and you choke on your saliva. “I thought we were playing truth or dare?”

“I change my mind. Answer with yes or no,” Jeongguk adjusts himself on the couch, a mischievous smile on his face.

You sigh. “Fine.”

“Are you tired of hyung?”

You glare at him. “No.”

“Is he clingy?”

“Yes, but I love it.”

“Is he adorable?”

“Yes, what’s with these questions Jeon?”

“Don’t ask. Does he make you happy?”

“Yes.”

“Do you love him?”

“Yes.” You stop running your hands through Jimin’s hair when you realize what you said and whip your head to look at Jeongguk. “Y/N, zero. Jeongguk, one.”

You’re about to retort when you’re interrupted. “I love you too,” Jimin mumbles, taking your hand and placing a kiss on your wrist, your cheeks heating up.

“Thanks, Gguk, even though you had to witness us say we love each other for the first time and completely ruin the moment,” Jimin mutters half-asleep.

kim taehyung:

Your eyes scan the comments coming in, looking for a question to answer.

“Where’s Yeontan?” You read. “He’s out with Taehyung right now,” you answer, and your own dog barks up from beside you, making you giggle. You pat your lap and your dog jumps up, appearing in your Vlive as well.

“When’s the next comeback?” You read and laugh, shaking your head. “Can’t tell you that right now, my loves. But expect new music this year,” you wink and your fans go wild in the comments, begging for you to reveal just a little bit more.

“No can do, guys. It’s either I let my love for you prevail or I lose my job,” you say in your most serious tone and your fans start taking back their pleads. Your eyes widen and you wave your hands frantically, giggling at the camera.

“I’m kidding, guys! I’m kidding!” Your dog barks up and you can only assume he’s trying to help you out too.

“Let’s move onto another topic, shall we?” You clear your throat after your laughter dies down and various other questions start filling in.

“Oooh! Yea, let’s play a game!” Your eyes light up and your fans start sending hearts in. “We’ll ask you to list down a number of things in the just twenty seconds,” you read off and grin, nodding.

“Okay, I’ll answer whichever my eyes read first,” you adjust yourself on your chair, stroking your dog’s furry hair as he waggles his tail in content.

“List of things you love,” you read off. “Oh! My family, my dog, my fans, my music, waking up late on my day off, spring, ice cream in the winter,” you pause slightly, and your fans start counting down, making you panic.

5...4...3...2…

“Uh, uh, TAEHYUNG!” You blurt out, just as the number one spams in the comments. For a moment there the comments stop coming in and you’re unsure if the app crashed or your wifi just started to suck.

“THAT’S THE FIRST TIME SHE SAID SHE LOVES TAEHYUNG!” Your eyes land on the comment and everyone starts agreeing.

“Oh, wow, ha ha, look at the time,” your eyes look down to your wrist and you mentally curse to find no watch resting there.

“Bye, guys!” You squeak out and end the live abruptly.

You let out a scream as your cheeks burn with embarrassment. Your dog pokes your hand with his nose and you can only pout at him.

“I’m an idiot, aren’t I?” Your dog stares at you for a moment, before letting out what you assume is a bark of agreement.

jeon jeongguk:

“I have to go on stage now, baby. I’ll see you after our stage, okay? Meet me back here,” Jeongguk kisses your cheek quickly and your cheeks flush, making him giggle.

“Good luck,” you manage to stutter out and he waves cutely, running up to his hyungs who’ve started to head for the stage. Once he turns around the corner, you fan yourself, still not used to his affectionate actions.

“Y/N!” You hear someone call from behind you, and compose yourself before turning around.

You’re met with a camera and some crew, and you assume they’re doing some backstage interview for tonight’s show.

“Hey!” You wave your hand and send hearts toward the camera, knowing how much your fans loved it when you did that.

“How was your stage, tonight?” One of the crew asks and you look up in thought before flashing a bright smile at the camera.

“I had lots of fun, especially because I saw so many of my fans in the crowd today. You guys were especially loud, I hope you didn’t go deaf or something,” you giggle and the crew laugh along with you.

“It must have been tiring, yeah?” They ask and you shrug. “In a sense, yes. But all of that goes away when I see people, not just my fans, enjoying the music I put out for them. I pour my heart into my music so it’s nice to know people appreciate it.” You smile and they nod.

“You love your fans a lot, don’t you?” You nod at the question and they grin. “Who else do you love?” They ask cheekily.

“Oh, that’s easy,” you begin, a surge of confidence coursing through you. You’re sure this is a good enough payback for leaving you flustered earlier.

“Who is it?” They ask innocently and you grin.

“Jeon Jeongguk,” you casually say and the crew whispers excitedly. “Who else would it be anyway?” You add and the crew laughs, nodding.

They ask you to say a few more words about your upcoming album which you happily answer, and they bow in thanks before heading off.

From behind, you can hear the shouts get louder and people congratulating your boyfriend’s group, with special greetings directed towards him.

You turn around and see his confused expression. He sees you and raises an eyebrow and you can only smile back, shrugging as you make your way over to him.

“What was that all about?” He asks after planting a soft kiss to the tip of your nose. You shake your head and grin at him.

“It’s nothing,” you take his hand in yours and you both start walking in the direction you of their dressing room. “Okay,”

He raises an eyebrow at you unsurely.

Oh, he won’t know what’s coming.

[zabdidaddi]

erick brian colon - graduation

A/N: a little something i started writing bc i won’t be able to attend graduation this year so why not experience it vicariously through another means lol (also, shoutout to @tu-sonrisaaa-te-amooo​ for helping me come up w ideas for this fic!)

warnings: kinda angsty but mostly fluff

word count: 1.2k

“Congratulations to the Class of 2019 - you did it.”

Applause erupts in the stadium as your principal gestures to your graduating class with a warm smile on his face. When it dies down a moment later, you wait excitedly to be dismissed so that you can all leave the arena to take photos and celebrate the end of senior year. You feel a twinge of poignancy as you realize what this means for you and for your future, but for now, you’re just happy to be able to share this moment with your friends and your family. The only thing that would make this moment better is if your Erick were here to graduate with you as well, but he had dropped out of high school a few years ago to pursue his dream as a singer. The two of you had grown up as best friends and went to the same school for so many years that it still feels a little weird to be celebrating the end of high school without him.

“Before we conclude today’s ceremony,” your principal suddenly says with an air of mystery. The restless audience quickly settles down again. “I would like to invite our final guest speaker to the stage.” Murmurs fill the stadium as spectators crane their heads to see who it is. You frown a little; this wasn’t part of the ceremony’s rehearsal you and your classmates had attended the other day. The rows of heads before you obscure your view, so all you can hear is gasps of astonishment as - you presume - the guest speaker makes their way to the stage.

“Please welcome, or welcome back, Mr. Erick Brian Colon.”

Everyone in the stadium lets out loud cheers and whoops, but you just sit there, frozen in shock. No way. You’re scared to look, just in case it’s a prank…

A lean, taller-than-you-remember figure walks onto stage, the same goofy grin he always had plastered across his face. “Hi guys!” Erick greets the audience cheerily. Tears well up in your eyes at the sight of your best friend standing up there in front of everyone. A mixture of joy, confusion, and nervousness rages inside of you as you continue to gape at him. As soon as you see his face, a million questions had rushes to your mind - when did he come back? Why is he here? But now, all you can think about is how comfortable he looks up there on the stage, yet still so young and innocent.

“So, I was invited back here to speak with all of you guys.” He stutters a little through his words, but you can tell how much his English has improved and your heart swells with pride. “I don’t go to school here anymore, obviously, but it has been a huge part of my life.” His gaze rakes the crowd as he speaks, almost as if he’s searching for something - or someone. “I have so many friends here, so many memories, so many interesting - I mean, GREAT teachers.” Your classmates snicker at this, and you can’t help but giggle as well. When he speaks again, the amusement fades from his voice and you can hear the sincerity in it. “It was really fun and I learned a lot. Really.”

Suddenly, his gaze lands on you and your heart stops. Erick, on the other hand, doesn’t falter. He continues with his speech, eyes never leaving yours. “I just want to say that you guys make me so happy.” He swallows, takes a deep breath, then says, “Te extraño todos los días y nunca te olvidaré.” His words bring tears to your eyes, and your heart aches for all the time that the two of you had spent apart in the last few years. Nevertheless, you give him a small thumbs up, which causes him to smile shyly. Then, he turns his attention back to the rest of the class to address them once more. He brings his lips to the microphone, and with a mischievous smirk, shouts, “Congratulations! No more school!” The last few words of his speech are greeted by deafening applause and you leap to your feet along with the rest of your classmates as he gives a dramatic bow and exits the stage.

The moment he vanishes out of sight, your principal grabs the microphone again to officially dismiss everyone, but no one is listening anymore; they’re all in a hurry to welcome their old classmate back. Your heart pounds in your chest as you exit the arena and scan the crowd for Erick. Immediately, you see a small mob beginning to form a few meters away, and your heart sinks a little when you see him hugging each one of his friends one by one and proceeding to talk to them. You know you shouldn’t feel this way but…you’d just thought that since the two of you had been best friends for so long, he might’ve wanted to at least say hi to you first. In fact, you think to yourself, why hadn’t he called or texted you before coming back? Of course, time and distance meant that he had less time to talk over the phone with you, but surely he would’ve told you about something like this? Anger and confusion bubbles up inside you before you can stop it, and you storm away from him to go find your other friends and family.

“Did you see Erick?” Your mom asks after congratulating you.

“No,” you mumble. “Well, I saw him on stage if that even counts.”

“Well let’s go say hi then! I haven’t seen him in a while either,” she suggests cheerily, looking around for him.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” you reply in a monotonous voice. “He’s too busy with his other friends.” But when your mom doesn’t respond, you follow her gaze and see her looking at someone behind you. Turning around warily, you find yourself looking up into Erick’s face. Your heart skips a beat as his eyes meet yours, but you still shoot him a defiant look, which he seems not to notice.

“You look nice,” he comments shyly, his gaze raking you from head to toe. His attempt at a compliment causes a reluctant grin to tug at the corners of your lips. “I’m so proud of you (Y/N).” Without thinking, you fling your arms around him tightly, surprising both Erick and yourself. You want to yell at him because you’re scared that he’ll leave again, scared that you’ll lose him, scared that he’ll forget about you. But when his arms go around you a heartbeat later, you let all that go for just a moment. Yeah, you may still be mad at him for having left you alone for all those years, but deep down inside you know that you’re just as proud of him for pursuing what he loves.

“I’m proud of you too,” you mumble into his chest. Then, not even knowing if he can hear you or not, you murmur, “Erick, please don’t leave.” He doesn’t say anything for a while, but you feel his heartbeat speed up. After a moment, he pulls away a little to look at you.

“Estoy aquí,” he says quietly, eyes searching your face. He places his lips on your forehead, sending a tingle down your spine. But that’s nothing compared to the next words that leave his lips which make your heart soar.

“Te amo, (Y/N). Siempre.” 

[musicaltheatrewannabe]

mistletoe - a seblos oneshot <3

sooo i guess im a fic writer now? lol im really enjoying it so here’s some wholesome seblos being boyfriends around christmas! ft tree decorating and a cow ornament bc i cant ever forget about seb being a farmboy

“So, I’ll meet you at your locker after school?” Carlos asked, holding onto his backpack straps as he stood right outside the doorway to his classroom.

“Yep!” Seb gave Carlos a quick peck and smiled before heading down the hallway toward his English class. Carlos, who still couldn’t believe that he and Seb were really together, embraced the dumb grin that was plastered on his face and wandered into his math class. Now that the musical was over and he and Seb were officially boyfriends, he had invited him to his place after school alone for the first time, and the anticipation was killing him.

Throughout the entire period he paid even less attention than usual to Mr. Mazzara’s ramblings about matrices and whatever other algebra was relevant that day. All he could do was count down until class would end and he would see Seb again. Ashlyn, who was sitting next to him, kept rolling her eyes at his absentmindedness. “Did you get any of that down?” she sighed, the little doodled hearts on Carlos’ otherwise blank page already giving her the answer.

“I’m sorry, can I take a pic of your notes and copy them down later?” Carlos whispered back, earning a glare from their teacher at the front of the room. Ashlyn nodded and Carlos smiled gratefully, taking a discreet picture with his phone.

“Alright, I’ll see you all tomorrow.” Before Mr. Mazzara could even reach the end of his sentence, Carlos had started shoving his notebook and pencil case haphazardly into his backpack.

“Someone’s in a hurry,” Ashlyn chuckled, “let me guess- you’re hanging out with Seb?”

Carlos was too excited to be embarrassed by his enthusiasm. “He’s coming over to help me decorate our tree as a surprise for my mom. She’s been really busy at work these past few weeks, and with Christmas approaching, it’s just adding another thing to her to do list.”

Ashlyn nodded, “ah, so it’s the perfect excuse to have your boyfriend over without supervision, huh?” She wiggled her eyebrows at Carlos, who laughed and gently smacked her arm as they swung their bags over their shoulders.

“No, it’s not like that,” he blushed, “I’m excited because I’m really getting into the Christmas spirit- Seb is just an added bonus!” Oh, who was he kidding, Seb’s entire existence was the definite cause of his excitement, and Ashlyn could see right through to the reality of their honeymoon phase.

Ashlyn smirked as she turned to go down the hallway in the other direction, “whatever you say… have fun!”

Carlos waved and headed off toward Seb’s locker, barreling through the growing crowd of students. When he turned the corner and saw the blonde boy, his face lit up. Seb put some textbooks back in his locker and then turned to see Carlos approaching, a smile instantly appearing on his face. “Hey, how was math?” he asked, shutting his locker with his backpack and leaning against it.

Carlos intertwined his fingers with Seb’s and started subconsciously playing with his hands, “honestly, I was so lost, I couldn’t even tell you.” Seb laughed and raised his eyebrows at Carlos. “But it’s fine, we don’t have any tests until after Christmas, and Ash has basically become my tutor so…” he trailed off, smiling. “How was English?”

“It was great! I got my Gatsby essay back and I got an A!” Seb’s smile grew even wider.

“Oh my God, Sebby!” Carlos squeezed Seb’s hands and pressed a quick kiss to his lips, “I knew you had nothing to worry about!”

The blonde boy beamed with pride and chuckled, “thanks!” Seb moved away from his locker and pulled Carlos after him, their hands still intertwined, saying “we should get going though, we don’t want to miss the bus!”

During the bus ride, Seb was texting his mom about his essay, which made Carlos smile. Carlos leaned his head on Seb’s shoulder and Seb kissed his forehead, both of them filled with the good kind of butterflies that they had been slowly getting used to since their relationship had become official on opening night two weeks earlier.

They got off the bus at Carlos’ stop and Carlos got out his keys to unlock the front door. “Oh, is your mom not home?” Seb asked.

“No, she’ll be at work for a few more hours. I wanted to get started with decorating so she wouldn’t have to worry about it this year,” Carlos replied, opening the door and gesturing for Seb to go inside, “but of course I didn’t want to do it by myself.”

“Hm,” Seb grinned, dropping his backpack and pulling Carlos in after him, “guess this means we’re here alone.”

Carlos didn’t have time to reply before Seb crashed their lips together, wrapping his arms around Carlos’ neck. He had been waiting for this all week- sure, they were fine with small displays of affection at school, but something like this was reserved for when they were alone. Carlos pulled away, too soon for Seb’s liking, and ran off into the living room.

Confused, Seb laughed and said “Carlos, what are you doing?”

“Just a sec, honey!” Carlos shouted from the other room as he rummaged through some bags. Seb swooned at being called ‘honey’ and smiled in disbelief that Carlos was really finally his boyfriend.

Carlos came to stand in the doorway between the living room and entryway, hands behind his back. Seb cocked his head at his boyfriend’s mischievous look, and Carlos responded by whipping a sprig of mistletoe out from behind his back and holding it over his head with a smirk. “Oh my God, you are the cutest,” Seb rolled his eyes and bounced over to Carlos, grabbing his face to kiss him again. Carlos wrapped his free arm around Seb’s back but kept the other one up holding the mistletoe over their heads until his arm got tired and he pulled away.

“Ok, as much as I love kissing you, we need to actually get the Christmas spirit going in this house and decorate! Starting with this mistletoe. Hold it up to the doorframe and I’ll tape it,” Carlos said, and Seb did as instructed.

“Wait, you actually hang mistletoe in your house?” he asked as Carlos ripped a piece of tape off a roll that was in his back pocket.

“How else are we gonna set up the game where all of my extended family gets caught under the mistletoe? It’s kind of a tradition around here…” Carlos smiled as he applied the tape just above the doorframe so the sprig hung down. “Alright, let’s get started with this tree!” Carlos gestured towards the boxes of ornaments and started playing a Glee Christmas playlist over the speakers.

“I love that you’re a gleek,” Seb grinned as he started untangling the Christmas lights. Carlos was about to protest when Seb added, “hey, hey, I am too, no shame here!”

“I knew you had taste,” Carlos laughed, helping Seb wrap the lights around the tree.

They spent the next hour hanging up all the ornaments, singing along to the songs and even pausing to dance to a few together. When they had emptied all of the boxes Carlos put his arm around Seb and said, “thanks for helping with this, it looks great!”

“You don’t need to thank me, it’s been so much fun!” Seb went over to his backpack and reached inside. “I actually have a little something for you…” he smiled as Carlos gasped and clapped in excitement.

“It’s not even Christmas yet…” Carlos said as Seb handed him a small gift-wrapped package.

“Just open it!” Seb urged him, grinning expectantly.

Carlos unwrapped the present carefully, grinning when he saw that Seb had given him an ornament. And not just any ornament, but a little cow with a wreath and cowbell around its neck as well as “xmas 2019 - sms<3” written on its side. Carlos just looked back and forth between the gift and his boyfriend in awe.

“Well, do you like it?” Seb started to look a little worried before Carlos finally recovered his words.

“Sebby, it’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen- you’re the cutest thing I’ve ever seen!” Still holding the ornament, he wrapped Seb into a hug, “thank you so much!”

“I’m glad you like it,” Seb laughed. “I painted the text on by hand,” he added with a sheepish smile.

“Oh my God, stop…” Carlos’ smile grew even wider and he turned to hang the ornament on the tree, “there we go, front and center, as it should be. Now the tree’s done.” Carlos held Seb’s hand and the blonde boy beamed at him. “Oh wait!” Carlos let go of Seb’s hand and ran over to the last unopened box, “I almost forgot…” He pulled out a golden star and gave it to Seb. “As the guest of honor, you should be the one to put this on top of the tree.”

“Yay!” Seb exclaimed and Carlos laughed. The blonde boy stood on his tiptoes and just barely managed to place the star on top of the tree, proud when he did.

Carlos lit up the tree and took a step back, taking Seb’s hand and looking at him smiling next to him. “Now it’s done…” he whispered, taking in the moment and placing a kiss on the back of Seb’s hand.

“Now it really feels like Christmas,” Seb replied. He closed his eyes and leaned in, but his eyes shot back open when he felt Carlos pulling him away again. After the initial shock, he laughed as he realized what Carlos was doing and followed him back to the doorway where they had hung the mistletoe. Seb pushed Carlos against the side of the doorframe and kissed him, pouring all of his feelings up to that point into the action. Carlos couldn’t believe that this was his new reality as he ran his hands through Seb’s hair, pulling him closer. Neither of them had the words to express what they were feeling, so they channeled it into every kiss, every touch, every sound, and in that moment, they both knew it would be a great Christmas.

[steves-legs]

My Brother’s Best Friend (Chris Evans x Reader)

Masterlist | Requests

Summary: Back home in Boston after your final year at Columbia University, you expect an easygoing and relaxed summer. But those plans go right out the window when your childhood crush, Chris, comes back home after filming a big movie, you see it as a chance to maybe have the summer fling you’d always hoped for. But the fact that he’s your older brother’s best friend may complicate that just a bit.

Warnings: swearing, drinking, fluff!!!, & some angst bc im feeling angsty

...

You tap your index finger against the steering wheel to the beat of the song playing off your phone. You can’t help but feel a sense of contentment as you drive down the street you grew up on. Your music cuts out just before the chorus and your ringer goes off over your car’s speakers. You jump at the sound, letting out a soft gasp before you move to turn down the obnoxiously loud ringtone. You glance over at the screen for a moment. ‘Danny’. You tap the “Answer” button and rest your hands back on the steering wheel.

“What’s up?” “Hey, Y/N. You almost here?” your brother calls from his end. “Just pulling up. Why?” you ask as you turn into your parents’ driveway. There are a suspicious number of cars parked on the road in front of your parents’ house. “Oh, thank God. Mom's been buggin’ me about whether you were close or not. Dinner’s soon,” Danny says. You can hear your mother’s annoyed gasp from the other line. “Love you, mom,” he calls, hushing his voice to a whisper. “She’s gonna kill me.” “You’re damn right she is.” You slow to a halt right behind... Mr. Evans’ car. What the fuck? “You guys havin’ a party or something? A lot of, uh, cars on the street, Danny,” you ask, somewhat annoyed. You really just wanted to bring your bags in, say hi to everyone, eat dinner, and go the fuck to sleep immediately. You groan, shutting your car off and pulling your keys out of the ignition. You unplug and cradle your phone between your ear and your shoulder as you pack your things into your purse. You’ll get your other bags later. “Fuuuuuuck, the cars,” he groans. His voice hushes down into a whisper as he continues, “Yes. It was supposed to be a surprise.” You can hear him smack a hand over his forehead.

You can hear the sounds of laughter and chit-chat, as well as music from the backyard as you climb out of the car. You shut the door with a sharp snap and as if on cue, the voices and music die down almost immediately. “I’ll do my best to act surprised, don’t worry,” you snicker, not bothering to wait for a response before you hang up and make your way up to the front door. Of course, only the outer glass door is shut. The red front door is wide open, so you let yourself right in. You play the role of the unknowing surprise party victim and call out to your family members. “Mom? Dad? Danny? Red?” You even throw your dog’s name into the mix for maximum effect. “Y/N?” a voice that, though familiar, you know definitely doesn’t belong to any of your family members calls. You tilt your head to the left slightly, dropping your purse on the table in the front hall, and make your way towards the source. You head right through the doorway leading into the kitchen and see none other than Chris standing there, a beer in his hand. You can feel your heart rate increase almost immediately. That flimsy red shirt’s doing its absolute best to hold itself together under the strain of his muscles. The collar is frayed slightly, probably from being washed over and over. The little nicks in the fabric allow the thin chain round his neck to show. Did he somehow get even more ripped since the last time you’d seen him? He has the sleeves rolled up to just below his elbows. He gives you an excited smile when he has visual confirmation that it is, in fact, you.

“Oh my God, Y/N! Hey!” he exclaims, setting his drink down and moving around the island counter to give you a hug. You take a few steps forward as well, wrapping your arms around his neck as his slide around your waist. “It’s been too long,” you hum, beginning to pull away from the hug. Chris lets his hands linger on your hips for a few seconds before he takes a step back to grab his beer. “I know, I haven’t seen you since, what, two Christmases ago? How have you been, miss college graduate?” he asks, beaming with pride. “Really great. I’m glad to be home for a bit,” you reply.

Chris nods along. “It is nice being home,” he agrees thoughtfully, taking a sip of his beer. “So what’s the plan after your time off? You gonna be producing my next big movie?” He smirks at you, a brow cocked. “We’ll see,” you sigh. “I actually scored an internship at some obscure film company in the city.” “Are you serious? That’s awesome,” he comments excitedly. “It’s alright, nothing too amazing yet but we’ll get there,” you sigh. Chris shrugs, taking another swig of his beer. “We all start somewhere. Who knows? Soon, maybe you’ll be head of Columbia Pictures or something.” “You flatter me, Christopher,” you say, letting out a soft laugh as you make your way past Chris and over to the fridge for your own ice-cold beer. You crack it open with the bottle opener on the counter. “But I think you think too much of me.” Chris is already turned to face you, his elbow propped against the marble countertop. “It’s not flattery, it’s the truth,” he replies sweetly. “You were always writing those insanely good scripts for your school plays... Writing scenes just for Scott and me to perform, for no reason other than so you could feel for the fluidity of the story. You’re talented, Y/N, whether you think so or not.” You raise your brows at Chris, a delicate smile crossing your lips. “Thank you,” you say softly. He only nods. “Don’t thank me, I’m just giving you a reality check, Y/N,” he teases. You roll your eyes, but before you can open your mouth to speak, the sound of the sliding door being thrown open distracts you.

You glance over as your brother storms right in, without closing the door behind him, and he stops dead in his tracks, turning his head to glare directly at you. “Y/N, serious question for you: do you know how old half of the people here are? Because they’ve been crouched real low behind the bushes for, like, quite a bit, just waitin’ to surprise you!” Danny exclaims, glaring down at you. He turns to fire at Chris, who can’t help but let out a short snort at your brother’s over-the-top attitude. “And you! You’re nothing but a little enabler! Get your ass outside!” Danny hikes his thumb towards the back door and Chris, a massively goofy grin plastered on his face, suppresses a laugh as he waves you off and heads towards the door. “Sorry...” You can’t help the lingering grin on your face, though you truly are a tad sorry. “Don’t say sorry to me, say sorry to our arthritic grandfather,” he bites back, squinting at you as he ushers you around the island and out through the sliding door right after Chris. He keeps walking through the crowd of people and back over by where Dodger had chosen to lounge, in the shade under the oak tree with the swing tied to it.

A mess of family members, family friends, and your own hometown friends all leap out from behind the bushes, trees, and fence and scream collectively, “SURPRISE!” with a few stray “WELCOME HOME”‘s. You don’t even have to feign your look of surprise; you’re honestly shocked this many people missed you enough to come to your homecoming party. You let out a scream, laughing into your hands as you recover from your glee. “Oh my God!” you cry out. You glance back at your brother, who has an eyebrow cocked at you. You throw your arms around him happily, turning to wave to everyone as they shout hello’s and ‘we missed you’s. Your parents enter your line of vision with arms open for a hug and, of course, you hug them back. You snuggle between your mother and father in a sea of ‘I missed you’s and ‘I’m so glad you’re home’s. You finally pull away from them and, a soft grin on your face, begin to speak. “God, okay, I will talk to you guys later. I gotta talk to some of the guests,” you say softly. “Thank you... for doing this. It’s nice.” “Of course, of course. Go be a good host,” your mother teases pushing you out towards the party. Everyone had already gone back to their own personal conversations. Well, all except your childhood best friend, Talia. She’s standing there, audibly squealing and therefore effectively alerting you of her presence mere moments before her arms shoot around your shoulders. She’s got you trapped in one of her world-famous hugs. “Y/N!” she exclaims happily. You giggle, returning the gesture. “I missed you so much, Talia,” you exclaim. “I have a lot of juicy college-grade party shit to talk to you about.” “Shit, I... Shit... Can’t wait to....” she trails off. You cock an eyebrow at her, obviously perplexed by her out-of-character behavior. Talia has her eyes darting past you, though. She can’t stop glancing over your shoulder. “Did... did something happen with you and Chris recently?” she asks suspiciously. You eye your best friend with an equal amount of skepticism. “Uh, nothing I’m not aware of. Why?” “On your six... But don’t look too quickly. Make it look nonchalant!” she orders, rather loudly. You roll your eyes, peeking over your shoulder to see Chris eyeing you. His eyes are fixated on you in a way you’d never seen from him before- especially not directed at you. He gives you a soft, flirtatious smirk and, like the cherry on fucking top, winks. You give him a small smile before whirling your head back around to glare at Talia, brows furrowed. “What about him?” you ask. Talia slaps a hand over her forehead. “He’s been watching you this whole time, Danny had to come in to collect you because you were so enthralled in whatever conversation you two were having, he more-than-triple-checked the time of this party just to be sure he’d be here when you got here. He just fucking winked at you, Y/N, and he--” She’s counting each reason on her fingers as she goes. You hold a hand up, cutting her off before she can continue. “Talia, I know Chris more than anyone. He’s one of my best friends and I promise that he’s just a big flirt. He likes to flirt.” “I’m just saying, you two have always had such amazing chemistry that I’d be surprised if I didn’t get a Save the Date for your wedding in the next two years,” she snickers, taking a sip of whatever concoction she’d stirred up in her solo cup. “I still have that sketchbook where we drew up our own personal wedding plans. I could dust it off and hand it to Chris; he’d get the hint.”

You open your mouth to speak, but immediately bite your tongue as your brother’s arm slings around your shoulder. He leans against you, forcing you to lean a bit more to the right to keep straight. “We gossipin’?” he teases. Your roll your eyes, pushing his arm off of you. “Mind your business, Daniel,” Talia interjects. Danny feigns a look of pain, a hand to his chest.  “But I’m sooo nosey... Please share?” You give Talia a pleading look and she takes the reigns, understanding fully. “She’s just pissed that her parents invited the Robinsons,” she snickers. You have to hand it to her, it’s believable.

Back in elementary school, you unashamedly beat up the eldest Robinson boy when he wouldn’t stop teasing you about your braces (yes, you had braces). He deserved it, yes, but you had broken the poor guy’s nose.

You nod along with Talia’s story, eyes darting over towards Chris once again. Danny eyes you suspiciously, fully aware of where your eyes are, but doesn’t comment on it. “Okaaaaaay,” he murmurs. “Well, I’m sure Eli Robinson isn’t planning on bullying you anymore, so buck up and talk to the rest of our guests!” “You never know. He might notice some teensy, tiny flaw, somehow, and start throwing hands,” Talia snickers. Danny rolls his eyes. He lets his arm drop from around your shoulders and calls Chris over. You glance over your shoulder as he gets up from the blue lawn chair slowly and starts heading over. Dodger pads up behind his master as he nears you. You whip your head back around to give Talia a pleading look, but she’s got her expectant eyes on Chris as he nears. ”Yes! Yes! Yes!” she squeals. “We haven’t gotten a chance to catch up with him yet!” No. No. No. No. No.

“Yeah?” Chris’s soft voice asks as he plants himself on your left. Your so-called best friend grins up at him like a fool as Danny, turning to Chris, begins to speak. “Can you babysit? Y/N’s afraid she’ll fistfight Eli if not properly supervised.” “Uh,” the blond glances down at you, a brow cocked as he takes a swig of his beer. “Yeah, I mean, any excuse to hang out with Y/N.” You shudder. Danny cocks an eyebrow. “This was supposed to be a punishment. I’m supposed to be killing two birds with one stone.” “What did I do?” Chris demands, raising his voice with a laugh. Talia still has that idiotic grin plastered on her face. It tells you that she remembers Chris and Danny’s banter just as vividly as you. “You’re sittin’ over there, obviously hung up on some mystery chick, and you won’t even tell me anything about her. You’ve been dropping vague comments about her for the past week and it’s getting annoying! Even Dodge’s pissed! Right?” You feel your heart drop as Danny glances down at Dodger and receives a sharp bark in response. “He said no,” Chris replies, obviously tense.  “Well, Dodger is a compulsive liar. I don’t know why I looked to him in the first place,” Danny retorts. Chris rolls his eyes, easing back into a comfortable posture as your brother continues on. “If you’re not gonna tell me anything about the girl, drop any hints about Age of Ultron, or do sports with me, what’s the point of being bro’s with a famous guy?” he sneers teasingly, his voice dropping into his frat boy impression when he says ‘bro’.

They joked like this all the time, especially since Chris got launched into stardom. Really, they loved each other. They were best friends. Danny was one of the many people outside of his family that Chris felt kept him grounded. And, well, Danny joked that Chris was just another guy to slowly schmooze into buying him a car, ‘like those YouTuber kids do’.

“God, where would you be if I hadn’t made it big?” “Playing Captain America, probably,” “That right?” Chris quips. You sigh. “Yeah. And probably gettin’ the girl, unlike you.”

Chris shakes his head. “No, trust me, you wouldn’t want her.” Danny narrows his eyes at Chris, an uncomfortable silence hovering over the four of you. Dodger whines impatiently before he nuzzles up to your leg. You reach down to pat him gently before he prances off, probably to attend a more... jovial conversation.

“D-Danny’s just being an asshole, Chris,” you stammer, trying to smooth over how uncomfortable this encounter had become. Talia sees this and speaks up, “... And this asshole is gonna drive me to get more alcohol since I’m sorta drunk and he is not.” Before Danny can come up with any defense, Talia grabs him by the forearm and yanks him towards the side gate. You glance up at Chris. “Sorry,” you say softly. “You’re his baby sister. I get it. Remember how much I used to mess with Scotty back in the day?” He shrugs. You let out a soft laugh. “I don’t remember anything as vividly as I remember when you convinced him to pee his pants on the front lawn,” you tease. Chris groans audibly. “It was so mean,” he says, trying to remain serious despite his laughter.

He points down to your half-empty beer. “Want another?” he asks. You chug down the remainder of your drink and reply with a short, soft-spoken ‘yes’. He grins. “Attagirl.” You follow him through the crowd, weaving between conversation circles, and up onto the patio, both of you dropping your empty bottles into the recycling bin as you make your way over to the oversized cooler. Chris kneels down and peels it open. You follow suit and the two of you gaze into the ‘Adults-Only’ red cooler expectantly. “Pick your poison,” he says softly, reaching for another beer. You shake your head. “Nothing’s jumping out at me,” you sigh, shaking your head. Chris lets the cooler close with a soft thud. “Well, now we have some thinkin’ to do. What would you want to drink for your last meal?” You lean back slightly, taken aback by how quickly he’d turned the conversation into a hypothetical in which you were on death row. “Uhm,” you ponder this for a moment before responding. “Somethin’ much stronger than a measly 8% beer.” You run your fingertips along the circular curvature of the bottom of his beer bottle. You don’t mean for the gesture to be so... obscene, somehow, but it is. Chris’s cheeks flush red. He stumbles over his words for a moment. “Wh-W-Wh... What do you have in mind?” he asks, swallowing hard. You cock an eyebrow. The man who can’t be moved is running full-speed into whatever he thinks you have planned. “Whiskey,” you reply, taking a step back. You make your way past him, shoulders brushing as you head through the sliding door and into the kitchen. Chris follows, like a lost puppy.

You sashay around the island counter and find yourself a glass. “Want some?” you ask, glancing over at Chris as he closes the sliding door behind him. He nods, setting his beer down on the counter absentmindedly. You reach up for a second identical glass and make your way over to the small alcohol tray and peruse for the exact whiskey you're looking for. You pour Chris’s first and hand it to him before pouring your own. “Thank you,” he says softly, holding his glass up. You give him a lopsided smile as you clink your glass with his and you both down your drinks. You pour another for each of you. The combination of your first beer and a glass of whiskey sends a familiar warmth through your veins. You let out a shaky breath. “Can I ask you something without it coming off strange?” he asks softly. You gaze up at him as you lean forward on your elbows over the island counter. He stands still on the opposite side, between two of the barstools. “Maybe. Ask away.” “Do you have a boyfriend down in New York?” he asks. You feel your body tense up, but you don’t let your being caught off-guard show through. “No, I don’t,” you purr, doing your best to keep a poker face. “Is this... mystery gal anything serious?” Chris watches you for a long time, throwing back his second drink. “She could be,” he replies, swallowing rather hard. You shake your head. “Crying shame,” you reply, straightening out and finishing off your drink. You can hear the soft sounds of the Teskey Brothers playing even from inside the house. “Why’s that?” You ignore his question, moving right ahead with yours. “Do I know her?” “Who?” “The girl,” you reply suspiciously. Chris shakes his head. “If I won’t tell Danny, what makes you think that I’d tell you?” “Because I love my bother, but he’s an idiot and you know it.” Chris lets out a hearty laugh. “Yeah, I guess you’re right. Yeah, you know her,” he says softly. You shake your head, smiling despite your heart aching. “Oh my God, just tell me already,” you practically beg. Chris sighs, setting down his glass with resignation. “She... I don’t think I should...” he says softly. “I don’t know if I’m ready for everyone to know about it yet. I’m not sure it’ll happen.” You gaze up at Chris with resignation. You know you’re not gonna get an answer out of him, so you yield. “I bet. Well, I’m gonna head back out, okay? I really don’t want a babysitter all day,” you reply sharply, not really listening when Chris retorts with some silly comment.

...

The homecoming party goes on for a few more hours before people start saying their goodbyes. You try not to make it obvious, but you are overjoyed that you get to sleep in your old bed again. You see Talia chatting with Danny in the hallway by the bathroom and you, without another word, shut the door behind Mrs. Robinson and make your way upstairs. You drag your feet somewhat as you make your way down the familiar hallway and finally stop in front of your old bedroom door. It’s cracked open slightly and your bedside lamp is on, to your surprise, so you push the door open a little further to see Chris gazing down into one of your photo albums. “You lost?” you singsong. Chris jumps about ten feet into the air, spinning around to face you. “S-Sorry, Y/N, I just... I remembered you had these. I should’ve asked, I know, but--” You hold a hand up to cut him off as you move to sit on your bed. “You’re acting so jumpy, Chris...” you comment. He sighs, shutting the dark blue photo album and pushing it back into its spot on the shelf. “I guess I am,” he agrees, sitting on the bed beside you. He’s silent for some time after that, gazing at his shoes as though they were the most interesting things in the world. You nudge his shoulder with yours to get his attention. He glances up at you and gives you a soft smile. “What’s up? C’mon, talk to me,” you say. “What do you mean?” “Don’t play stupid. I’ve known you my whole life.”

He nods. “Yeah...” “So tell me what’s been on your mind,” you say, laying a head on his shoulder. “I’m a really good listener, I promise.” Chris gives you a look, his breath hitching in his throat for a moment. “This girl, I’ve known her forever. Hell, I’ve liked her like this for a few years now. I’m just afraid it’ll--” “Ruin it if she doesn’t feel the same,” you sigh. Chris nods as his fingers lace in yours. It surprises you, but you don’t comment on it. You don’t want to spoil the moment. “Exactly...” he breathes. You watch his chest rise and fall rhythmically. Your heart rate rises steadily. “She probably does,” you say simply. Chris glances down at you. “What do you mean?” “There’s no reason she wouldn’t like you, Chris. You’re a sweet, funny, talented mama’s boy who believes in equality. Also, you’ve got a great ass and you play Captain America. If Tumblr loves you, then chances are she will, too,” you say thoughtfully, doing your best not to stumble over your words. Chris doesn’t say anything for a long time. He turns to face you a little more, one leg folded on the bed and the other over the edge of the bed. “Y/N,” he says softly. You mirror his position, your knee pressed against his. “Yes?” “Can I do something stupid right now?” he asks. He’s nervous. You’d never seen him this way before. “Maybe,” you reply, a sly grin on your face. Chris leans forward, eyes fluttering shut. You close yours as well, leaning in for a moment you’d only admitted to Talia about dreaming of. Your lips inches from one another’s, he pauses. ”You’re okay with this?” he asks. You nod. “I’m gonna need you to use your words, little lady.” ”Yes,” you reply firmly. Chris’s hand is on your cheek in an instant, steadying himself as he presses a kiss to your lips. Your arms shoot around his neck, his scruff scaping gently at your soft skin as you kiss him back, your entire body heating up. You feel Chris’s heart pounding against his skin as you press your chest flush against his. Just when his hands slide down to your waist, you begin to feel his innate dominance take over. He pushes you down onto your back, onto the bed. His hands slowly make their way up from your hips to your hair, which he tugs rather aggressively. But you’re no sooner pried apart by the sound of Danny’s voice echoing down the hall, Talia’s giggling along. Chris sits up straight, hands folded on his lap. You reel back into reality and leap forward for the photo album. You flip it open to a random page as you sit back down beside Chris, feigning a laugh. Chris understands and relaxes, pointing to a picture and asking some dumb question. Talia and Danny make their way over to your bedroom and stand in the doorway like proud parents. “Wouldja look at ‘em?” she hums. “Seems like just yesterday he was spraying her with a hose while she was wearing a white t-shirt.” “That was her to him, Daniel,” Talia snickers. “God, you’re the worst,” you glower, narrowing your eyes at Dennis the Menace as an all-powerful duo. “We can hear you,” Chris comments. “No dip, doofus,” Talia giggles. “Get out of my room, Danny!” you exclaim, getting to your feet. “I’m not in your room, Y/N!” Danny shouts back in a mocking tone, pointing down at the floor around your doorframe. “This is your room.” “Mooooom!” you roar, stomping your foot. “Daniel!” your mother calls from somewhere in the house. “I’m not in her room!?” “Danny, listen to your mother!” Mr. (Y/L/N) shouts from his bedroom, just down the hall. “Alright! Alright! I yield!” Danny cries, taking another step back. “Talia and I were just wondering if you guys wanted to go out back and start a bonfire. There are a lot of people from high school who couldn’t make it to dinner that wanted to see you today.”

You glance over at Chris and he shrugs. “You gonna stay?” “Yeah, sure. I’ll get Scott and Carly to come back,” he says, pulling his phone from his back pocket. You glance up at your brother, slamming the photo album shut. “Sure,” you reply. Danny nods and heads out down the hall, already sending out a mass text. But Talia doesn’t move. “Holy fucking shit,” she says softly. You cock an eyebrow at her before following her line of sight to Chris’s... ahem... prominent erection. Chris glances up, confused at first, but soon a realization washes over him. He yanks the photo album from you and presses it over his crotch sheepishly. “Please don’t tell Danny,” he begs.

[austininafrica]

First Thoughts from South Africa

I originally wrote this for a shared private journal my friends and I are using to keep in touch while abroad. That being said, this isn't my best writing sample but let's say it's more authentic this way. Enjoy! ----------------------------------------------- I’m coming to you live from the SIT offices in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Basically there’s a classroom, a little library and some offices IN A MALL in the middle of Durban and this is where we have all of our lecture type things and Zulu classes. We’re only a few days in and I’m still getting used to everything but it seems like more than half of our time will be spent on excursions around Durban and some longer trips out of the city (like to Mozambique) and then the rest will be spent in the office listening to guest speakers, taking Zulu, and working on assignments. Honestly SA is a lot different than I thought it would be. They talk a lot about the “two countries” phenomenon here, meaning that the developed (mostly white) and developing (mostly black/colored/Indian – all official terms, btw) populations have such different experiences that they may as well be two separate countries. When I thought of SA before coming I definitely only thought of the white experience bc that’s what’s mostly in the media and all that, so the developing aspects are definitely a little shocking. For example, there are a LOT of beggars including children and a ton of shantytowns where families live in like 200 square foot shacks with no water or electricity. Like, I knew that existed but I didn’t think I would be so close to it. Not a bad thing either, just interesting. We did this activity yesterday where they dropped us off around the city in small groups and we had instructions about stuff to see and we had to figure out how to get around by ourselves. I learned later that the point was to send us to areas not frequented by tourists but basically that meant that everywhere we went we were the only white people around (like actually…the only ones) and we stuck out like sore thumbs. Funny story: we saw all these people standing around outside laughing and we were really confused until we realized that it was basically this huge thing where a group of guys just straight roast people (in Zulu) that walk by. Ww were hardcore avoiding walking over by them but we accidentally walked through another one and they were like “hey white ladies” etc. etc. it was p funny. There are clearly areas of the city/suburbs where there are more or mostly white people but we haven’t spent much time in them yet. It’s all hard to describe and I’m feeling a lot of things that are too complicated to really convey in writing, but being here is making me think a lot about things like race, class, and development and it’s really really cool. We were supposed to start our first homestay today (8/22) but there have been ongoing protests in the area where out families live so we should be moving in on Friday. Our first homestay is with a Zulu speaking family so we had a lesson in Zulu culture today and…omg. Pretty much everything about the culture like customs and manners and family relations and stuff is so foreign, its kind of freaking me out that I might do something that’s considered rude but it’s also SO COOL learning all these things that I would have never learned otherwise. From like an anthropological standpoint it makes me think a lot about colonialism and what it means to be a westerner in a totally non-western culture. Also Zulu language is going to FUCK ME UP there’s literally clicks and sounds that my mouth was not made to make everywhere like one of out teachers’ last names is just *click**click**click* spelled Quoquaquo no lie. There are only 20 other kids (15 girls, 5 guys) on my trip and other than one girl from Portland who goes to school in SoCal I’m the only person not from like Connecticut or New York. There are three kids from Wesleyan and three from Northwestern and two from Villanova (one who knows Liza’s friend Olivia!!). So far no one seems totally crazy or anything but a lot of them—girls especially—don’t seem super friendly. Like I had to really drive the conversation to get to know them, but it’s getting better. We’re def getting more group cohesion or whatever but I wouldn’t really say we’re like ≈friends≈ yet. There are two or three girls who seem kind of funky and similar to me so that’s promising I guess. So yeah, it’s still early days but it’s definitely going well so far! I said this in a text but this isn’t really an easy place to be but it’s so interesting and I’m learning and thinking about so much that it’s worth it. It’s kind of hard like going for a really long run is hard; it might be kind of shitty at times but it’s totally worth it and you know it’s really the best thing you could be doing. Until next time, Austin P.s. my internet SUUUUUUUUUUCKS so don’t be mad if you don’t hear from me for a while