#but anyway can buddie become canon now

[lyricfulloflight]

Maybe this will not be taken well, but I'm going to say it anyway: it bothers my that I keep reading Buddie metas (not always, not everybody, its stupid that I feel I have to say this) about Buck and Eddie both needing to grow and 'be better versions of themselves' in order for their relationship to work.

Really?

Is that the message we want the show to get across?

Is that what people really believe?

That in general you have to be some perfect version of yourself to have a successful relationship? To have long term love?

Cause that's bordering on a message that says you have to be a certain way to "deserve" love. Or that people with baggage can't do the work in the relationship if they are also still working on themselves.

And maybe its because I'm older, or maybe its because of my own experiences in life, but that is absolute bullshit.

I want to see Buddie together and I'm totally fine if they aren't perfect people when they are. I want them to support each other in becoming better. I want them to love each other with all the baggage and the flaws. Because I think they already do! They love each other, flaws and all, they're just friends/partners/platonic soul mates?? now, not romantically involved.

I don't want there to be some arbitrary 'finish line' they have to reach first before they kiss.

I want the mess. I want them to sometimes say the wrong thing and do the wrong thing and love each other anyway!

Because that's what love and relationships look like in real life!

Like Mitchell said, you don't find it, you make it.

Relationships take work not just because relationships themselves are hard, but because the people in them are always changing and growing and getting hurt and healing and sometimes not healing very well.

I don't want Buddie to be rushed. In fact, I would be sad, but fine if Buddie never becomes canon, because I don't need it to be canon to believe in the love between Buck and Eddie.

But, if Buddie does happen, I don't want it to be presented as something that couldn't have happened if Buck and Eddie hadn't worked through every one of their own personal issues.

Clearly, there are some issues (for example Eddie's repression of his sexuality) that have to be addressed, but some of the others...

Buck and Eddie can still be a successful couple while Buck is working through his feelings of abandonment and emotional regulation. Buck and Eddie can still be happily in love as Eddie works through his difficulties opening up to others and his tendency to take on other people's problems and issues and expectations as his own.

Let them be messy. And love each other through the mess.

[project-sekai-facts]

Your recent update made me wonder about something. I don’t know how much you know about this but wanted to try asking anyway. Hopefully this makes sense? Why would the English translation choose to censor things? I assume translations are being done in America where queer things are slowly becoming more accepted but is that a factor? Are the translators themselves changing certain things due to their own biases? I don’t know who they are and don’t want to assume anything about them, but I can’t help wondering if that’s part of the reason? Or is it because of something like, for example, sometimes movies or TV shows have certain content removed based on where it’s being aired, so is it something like that? Is the game being released in regions where queer content is banned or removed? Now that I wrote it, I feel like this is the most likely answer but what do you think? I basically just rambled in your ask my bad. Also, do you know if the Korean and/or Taiwan servers have censorship too?

oh there's more than just the Asahi thing and i have mentioned it in passing before but i'll cover it properly here. "the miles i fell in love with is so cool" -> "it was so cool! i guess that's miles for you" is definitely the biggest example though.

First off, a minor thing. it doesn't really happen anymore but in the earlier translations they quite often use words other than partner, like "pals" and "buds", in the VBS story. Probably one of the best examples of this would be An and Kohane's 3rd kizuna title, which the JP name was often fan-translated as "Making each other better" or "Raising each other up", and is called "Two supportive pals" on EN. Which does have the same meaning but the "pals" seems so unneccesary when they could've used partners. The original text is Takameau futari, the first part means "to raise" or "to lift" and futari means "two people" or "a pair/couple". So it technically is a good enough translation but using pals when partners would be more accurate to canon just seems.. off.

I’m assuming their avoidance of the word partner is because it could easily be misinterpreted as romantic, but they seem to have moved on from that at this point.

There's also THE POWER OF UNITY where they switch out "love" (daisuki) for "cares about a lot" when KAITO is comparing the relationship between Arata and Souma to Akito and Toya. Daisuki literally means "likes a lot" so often you'll see people translate it as love, though likes a lot is still valid. "Cares about" is not a direct translation but definitely can still convey the same meaning, so again instance of valid localisation it just seems like an odd choice when using love would've conveyed the exact same meaning and been more true to the original.

Then you've got another instance of them not translating daisuki correctly in Dear Me, As I Was Back Then (sorry this one is a wiki screenshot my phone died). This is worse. Like I guess if you really want then it does have a close enough meaning to the original. Like I guess daisuki meaning "like a lot" or "love" could be localised as "you're the best" if you really wanted it too. But even then, the line before this is "I'm gonna show just how much I admire her!". Minori's shout of "I LOVE YOUUU" from the original would be way more fitting here. "You're the best" feels too casual and buddy-buddy - even if Minori didn't know Haruka at this point, Haruka still had a big impact on her life and imo "I love you" would be the best to use here.

There’s also this one from Walk on and on that removes one key thing. In the original, Toya says something more along the lines of “I was able to make this track because I want to continue to be a partner who can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with you from now on and always”. This is a bit more similar to the Asahi incident in that they’ve restructured the sentence to make it two, adding in the thing about performing which isn’t even there originally, and replacing “korekara saki mo zutto” with “keep singing with you”. And “keep singing with you” still works, but it’s much more toned down, let’s say. You know what really is odd about this translation though? If the quote I put seems familiar, it’s because it’s also the name of Toya’s event card. Kinda odd they omitted that from the story then, huh? The thing is the translation of the card is very accurate so removing it from the story starts to seem intentional, especially when everything around it is accurately translated like with the Asahi incident. Also doing this removes the fact that the card name references the story so what the hell are you doing EN? It's the same sentence, if you can translate it correctly on the card you can translate it correctly in the story.

And I’m gonna do a massive Dude Trust Me on this one and keep it brief because I don’t have screenshots of it and couldn't find any online, but there’s another example I can think of with Rui’s spring voiceline from 2022. On EN he says "Ah Tsukasa, what a coincidence!" but on JP he says "it must be some sort of fate that we met here". Which admittedly is still pretty much the same meaning, it's just like a way more casual version of it because of course it is. EN is just generally not great at localising a lot of Rui's more poetic speech as well, so I'll let this one slide for now.

There's definitely more than this, this is just what came to mind first and I don't want to make this post too long.

These were certainly... choices. Especially with the ones that translate daisuki wrong because they do translate it correctly on other occasions, most frequently with An and Kohane. I'm assuming the reason they omitted it with the guys is because it's far harder to pass off guys saying that they love each other as platonic because societal expectations or whatever, but I'm actually surprised by the change to Dear Me because normally they're pretty good with Minori and Haruka. Like they've translated daisuki correctly for them before and leave in everything else that indicates Minori has a crush on Haruka, so why not this line?

I'm tempted to say that they just change the things that they think are too hard to safely pass off as platonic, but then again they left all of the unsubtle ship teasing in Buddy Funny Spend Time, which has a lot of focus on Minori and Haruka's relationship (and they even left in Haruka saying that Minori makes her heart tickle in her card story), so I'm genuinely not sure why they left that in but then changed one instance of Minori saying she loves Haruka which doesn't even have to be interpreted romantically. Like what is the limit here? An can say she's going on a date (with Kohane) and the WEG regulars can ask who she's been seeing, but Asahi can say he fell in love with Tsukasa's character and it gets removed. Both of them are explicitly romantic. The only thing I can think of is that An's comes from a whole card story and event, but Asahi's is one line that's easy to remove. Same with Toya saying he wants to stay with Akito forever.

In other words, it's a mess and I don't think any of what I just wrote is coherent either.

Interpret all of this however you will at the end of the day it’s all just ship tease which is up to interpretation anyway. Except the Asahi thing that was explicitly romantic that one is a censor.

Oh and as far as I know the KR and TW servers don’t do this.

[veinsfullofstars]

✨ May I interest you in some Dedede and Meta Knight as childhood friends? ✨

(ID: Kirby series fanart, Childhood Friends AU, of King Dedede and Meta Knight as kids interacting in various cute and wholesome scenarios, such as coloring, cloud-watching, sparring with sticks, overindulging on sweets, protecting each other from bullies, and more. Design-wise, young Dedede is short and chubby with a smaller beak and three feathers sticking up from the top of his head. He wears a pair of red overalls with gold buttons on the straps and a pocket on the front with a white two-finger peace sign. Young Meta Knight is maskless and similar in appearance to Kirby, save for his yellow eyes, dark blue complexion, and a pair of tiny wings on his back. Additional headcanons and worldbuilding for this AU under the cut. END ID.)

UPDATE 03/11/24: Added a scar to Meta's head. | UPDATE 04/24/24: Touched up a few headcanons below.

Started on 10/09/23, finished on 10/11/23. NOTE: This was originally posted on my deleted account on 10/11/23.

—

-This AU primarily takes place within the Kirby gameverse (with a few superficial elements borrowed from external media), the timeline starting decades before the events of KDL and eventually catching up to and following the main games’ canon (with nods to side games and some unique events added here and there for character flavor). I am trying to stay canon-compliant, but I’m also kinda making things up as I go and changing them as needed, so no promises I won’t just go completely off the rails the more I workshop things, haha.

-I'm mostly going to leave ages nebulous in this AU, but - for clarity's sake - we'll say Dedede and Meta are both the equivalent of 7-to-11 years old here, though they first met a little earlier...

-Meta Knight is just called Meta for now - he won’t earn his title until after he starts his overstars military training with the Galaxy Soldier Army (GSA) in his late teens.

-That hammer belongs to Dedede’s mama - a former pro-wrestler - and will someday be passed down to him (once he’s strong enough to actually pick it up).

-The Star Warriors/GSA inclusion in this AU is more for flavor than any major role. In this version, they are basically an intergalactic military group fighting various forces of evil and providing relief-aid across the universe, their reputation generally positive thanks to a genuine effort on their part to balance acts of war and defense with acts of philanthropy, community assistance, and compassion, well-known enough to reach even distant Popstar. Any known Star Warriors - Sir Arthur, Sir Dragato, Kit Cosmos, etc. - are either long since passed on or retired somewhere outside of the story. Upon learning of the GSA, Meta becomes enamored with their deeds and longs to be a knight himself (not yet aware of the hardships involved in becoming one).

-The kids like to spar for fun in their free time, but on occasion they get proper training from Dedede’s papa - a retired knight with connections to the GSA who’d settled in Dream Land with his wife just before they had their only son. Meta looks up to him with the same admiration he has for the Star Warriors. Dedede, however, doesn’t always see eye-to-eye with his well-meaning but rather strict father.

-Meta is quite shy around people he doesn’t know well. In overwhelming situations, he tends to either shut down and go non-verbal or quietly slip away to recoup. That said, he is much more expressive around those he trusts, listening eagerly and chatting far more than he would otherwise.

-Dedede has an impulsive streak and likes to make wild plans that tend to put him and his buddies in precarious situations (when he can be bothered to actually follow through with them, that is). Meta is often the first to point out the flaws in his plans (if Para Dee doesn’t do it first) but inevitably ends up tagging along anyway, his wariness easily overturned by his curiosity.

-Meta is sometimes bullied by the bigger kids in the village due to his strange appearance and timid nature. Dedede is quick to step in and defend him, usually getting into scraps in the process. It will be a little while before either of them gain the respect of their peers…

[in1-nutshell]

Third request since you opened them, I just have a lot of ideas. I was rereading the Bee's team meets megatons daughter with the opposite personality Buddy and it got me thinking. You know how Knockout, Breakdown, Steve, and maybe Soundwave? Couldn't tell. But you know how all of them switched side because of Buddy in that one fic you wrote? (Or maybe not, there's a nagging thought in the back of my mind that I dreamed that.) Imagine they all notice that Buddy's missing and there's a slight panic because yeah, Buddy can take care of herself but why wouldn't she tell them? They find out that Buddy's back on earth and now there are a few ex-cons standing at the scrapyard's gate. (Or maybe Knockout never left earth and already knew she was there? Because there's that one episode where Bumblebee and Strongarm are thrown into the car lot with the uhm, wheel cuff things, and it pans out to a very suspicious cherry red Aston Martin. I refuse to believe that's not Knockout. And since Fixit (I think, can't remember.) and the humans had to go and rescue them maybe Buddy tagged along and Knockout saw them? Buddy might've also seen Knockout and decided to get the wheel cuff off of him as well. (Or maybe he didn't have a wheel cuff, can't remember. Jeez, how much have I said that?)) Anyways this was just a really long ramble of an idea that can be taken multiple ways. So do what you wanna do with this.

There's a bit of an explanation on the timeline in here. If it sounds a bit confusing, feel free to let me know so I can explain it better.

Also, added a little extra in here...

Hope you enjoy!

Megatron's daughter with the opposite personality reactions from Knockout, Breakdown, Steve, and Soundwave finding out she went missing

SFW, Platonic, Romance, Familial, Cybertronain reader

RiD 2015

Going through the canon timeline of megs daughter.

Soundwave does get sent to the shadow zone through an altercation.

Buddy never finds out what happened to him.

She believes that he left Megatron during the chaos.

She was a bit sad that he never came back to talk to her or anything, but she also believed that he was taking some time to find himself after being a Decepticon for so long.

Knockout and Breakdown end up having joint stay between earth and Cybertron.

The pair loved driving through Earth scenery and was a place to escape Cybertron for a while.

Most of the Decepticons had started their new lives on Cybertron now that the war was over.

Buddy was no different.

Not only had she started a brand-new life, Buddy and Steve had recently become Conjunx Endura after a while of dating.

Steve had been on an away assignment for his work when Buddy left through the portal of their shared habsuite.

Steve walking into their home.

“Buddy! I’m back!”--Steve

Silence…

“Buddy! I’m back?”--Steve

Silence…

Steve starts looking around the home.

“Buddy? Buddy if this is another joke, I don’t like it!”--Steve

A few minutes later…

Knockout looks at his monitor seeing Steve calling.

“Breakdown its Steve!”--Knockout

“Put him on.”--Breakdown

Steve shows up on the screen.

“Hey Ste—”--Breakdown

“SHE’S GONE!”--Steve

Breakdown and Knockout out jump a bit.

“Gone? Who’s gone?”--Knockout

Steve has his servo on his helm.

“BUDDY! BUDDY’S NOT HERE!”--Steve

“Calm down Steve. Maybe she went out for a walk or something. Or maybe she went to go visit a friend. Remember last time?”--Breakdown

“…Maybe your right…”--Steve

“But if she doesn’t come back in a week then let us know.”--Breakdown

“Steve nods and hangs up.

One week later…

Steve starts calling Knockout and Breakdown.

Breakdown answers.

“Hey—Primus Steve!”--Breakdown

Steve looks tired and on the verge of a literal break down.

“SHE’S STILL NOT HERE!”--Steve

Soundwave, meanwhile, had spent his time looking for Megatron’s signal. He escaped the shadow zone a couple weeks before Buddy showed up, so he didn’t know that she was here.

Soundwave picks up on a frantic link between Knockout, Breakdown and Steve about Buddy disappearing.

He follows the frequency to Breakdown and Knockout which scares them half to death.

“Soundwave!”—Breakdown and Knockout

Soundwave stands there with his arms crossed.

“Breakdown—Knockout—Buddy?”--Soundwave

“We don’t know. Steve just told us she went missing from their home.”--Breakdown

Soundwave clenches his servos a bit.

The sound of a portal gets their attention.

Out pops out Steve.

“I’m here! I’m—SOUNDWAVE?!”--Steve

“Explain.”--Soundwave

“Steve is here to assist us on the search for Buddy.”--Knockout

Soundwave steps to Steve.

Knockout and Breakdown step to Steve’s side.

“He is Buddy’s Conjunx Soundwave. He has the right to be here.”--Breakdown

Soundwave freezes a bit hearing it.

“Buddy—Conjunx?”—Soundwave

Steve gulps a bit but puts on a brave face.

“Yes, I’m her Conjunx. A Conjunx that’s worried for her safety. We’d really appreciate it if you helped us find her.”--Steve

Soundwave pauses a bit and turns to Knockout.

“Continue.”--Soundwave

“As I was saying, a day’s weeks ago I was booted and taken to the yard where I saw this other Autobot get stuck there too, awfully annoying mind you. And then look who shows up but Bumblebee and his new crew.”--Knockout

“He has a new team?”--Steve

“Yes, and I swear I heard him say ‘Buddy’. I thought at the time he was remembering her from Cybertron, but now that she went missing, there is a chance that Bumblebee might know where she is.”--Knockout

“What are we waiting for? Let’s go!”--Steve

“Slow down Steve we don’t even have a trail on where—”--Breakdown

“Signal—found. 30—minutes—east—city. Coordinates on—commlink.”--Soundwave

“Now we go!”--Steve

Steve transforms and speeds down the road.

“…He’s good to Buddy. Their a good match for each other.”--Breakdown

Soundwave looks at Steve’s retreating form.

“Soundwave—will see—about that.”--Soundwave

It’s nighttime when they arrive to the scrapyard.

Knockout thinks about literally knocking on the door.

They hear Buddy yelling.

“Okay we need a good plan—”--Knockout

Steve uses Breakdown like a steppingstone and launches himself over the high wall.

“Or we can go in guns blazing I guess…”--Knockout

“Soundwave—approve.”--Soundwave

Breakdown offers Knockout and Soundwave a way over.

He could wait until they opened the door.

Soundwave and Knockout are now over the wall.

All the scrapyards’ alarms are sounding.

The team is on high alert when Fix-it mentions the Decepticon signals inside the scrapyard.

Bee tells Buddy to get Denny and Russel out of the area.

Buddy grabs her friends and sets on leading them to the other side of the scrapyard with Fix it.

Steve is dodging blasters and staffs like it was his job back in the Decepticons.

He is slightly hurt that Bee didn’t recognize him but then again, he does have a pretty basic frame.

Steve raises his servos in surrender.

“HOLD IT! HOLD IT!”--Steve

“Freeze Decepticon!”--Strongarm

“Hey! I said hold it! Now, I’m not here to hurt anyone—”--Steve

“I am.”--Soundwave

“Soundwave?!”--Bumblebee

The weapons get charged up and ready to attack.

“WE are not here to attack. Listen, Bumblebee, we’re just here to—”--Steve

“Where did everyone go?”--Breakdown

Breakdown and Knockout walk in on the standoff.

“Knockout? Breakdown? What is going on?!”--Bumblebee

Steve face palms.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to explain but everyone here seems to keep on interrupting me!”--Steve

Silence.

“Now. We came here to ask you if you’ve seen Buddy around?”—Steve

“Buddy?”--Bumblebee

The team immediately gets ready to attack.

“If you think we’re about to give her to you, then your sorely mistaken.”--Drift

“So, you do know where she is!”--Steve

Grimlock steps up front.

“And you’re going to have to go through me if you want her.”--Grimlock

“Fine by me.”--Steve

Meanwhile, with Buddy...

“I think we’re safe here.”--Buddy

“Thank the Prime’s.”—Fix-it

“AAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHHHH!”

Buddy freezes.

She quickly looks at Denny Russel and Fix it.

“Stay here.”--Buddy

With that Buddy sprints back.

Grimlock had grabbed Steve and slammed him to the ground when he tried to get past him.

Steve luckily manages to get out of his grip and falls back.

Buddy is sprinting back to the main part of the scrap yard ready for whatever she was going to face.

She hides behind some used oil barrel and takes a peek at who the trouble was.

Buddy spots Steve on his knees, holding his side a bit.

She runs out of her hiding place.

“HOLD YOUR FIRE! HOLD YOURE FIRE!”--Buddy

Most of Team Bee looks in shock that Buddy starts running past them.

“Buddy! Don’t—”--Grimlock

“HOLD YOURE FIRE!”--Buddy

The team hesitantly puts some of their weapons down.

Buddy rushes over to Steve, who was frozen seeing Buddy there.

“Primus Steve are you okay? That denting doesn’t look too—Oof!”--Buddy

Steve fights the shooting pain on his side and flings his arms around Buddy pulling her incredibly close.

“Oh, Thank the Allspark you’re okay!”--Steve

He lets go to look her over.

“Are you hurt? Where did you go? Were you kidnapped? What’s—“--Buddy hugs him tight making him go quiet.

He just wraps his arms around her and stifles a sob in his throat.

“I’m sorry… I didn’t know this was going to be such a long mission, but when Prime calls you, you gotta go.”--Buddy

“Excuse me when Prime what?”--Steve

“CAN SOMEONE PLEASE EXPLAIN WHAT IS GOING ON?!”—Sideswipe

Team Bee is extremely confused.

Soundwave takes a few steps forward and Buddy launches at her uncle he hugs back surprising everyone.

Then she goes to Knockout and Breakdown.

There is a lot to explain.

Steve stays by Buddy’s side the entire time.

“Hey Buddy, who is… Steve exactly?”--Denny

“He’s my Conjunx.”--Buddy

Steve feels a swell of pride and love hearing those words.

Steve grabs Buddy’s servo.

“That’s still sounds nice, you know.”--Steve

Buddy smiles shyly at him.

“Your Conjunx!”—Team Bee

“How come you never told us?!”--Sideswipe

“It never came up?”--Buddy

“What’s a Conjunx?”--Russel

“The Earth equivalent of a significant other.”--Breakdown

“You’re married?!”--Russel

“How?!”--Sideswipe

Buddy looks at Steve.

“That’s a story for another time.”--Buddy

“No, that’s a story for now.”--Sideswipe

“Another time.”--Buddy

“Now!”--Sideswipe

In the end Knockout and Breakdown end up going back to their home on earth. They do offer their services in case something bad does happen in their area.

Soundwave decides to take some time for himself not knowing what to do with everything now that the war is over.

Steve decides to stay in the scrapyard with Buddy and Team Bee.

[neverevan]

Unfortunately true because there are so many 1000+ notes from popular blogs 'explaining' that buck needed to be with at least one other man before he could be with eddie. Like.. what?? And a lot of them are buddie shippers. I didn't expect buck to wait around for eddie (who knows if they'll ever act on buddie anyway) but people 'justifying' bucktommy to themselves by saying buck needed to get ready is crazy

Same with people who expect buck to be 'perfect' representation when no, actually he should still be allowed to make mistakes even when he's dating tommy

mm the thing is for me... I don't see why it needs to be justified to begin with. Buck found someone attractive, who in turn found him attractive and now they're dating.

I just think it's very telling how differently fandom treats a male love interest that they see as an actual competition to Eddie, rather than the women that we just all expect to be gone at some point. Tommy is the most fleshed out love interest to come on the show since Maddie; he has connections to the main characters, a backstory we're familiar with and a personality that complements Buck's really well.

now I'm not saying that people must ship it, but anyone can ship whatever the hell they want and don't owe jackshit to anyone about it — I think these blogs with the 1000+ notes justification posts are just afraid that it'll decrease their engagement, if they didn't defend their opinions and didn't clarify that they are still rooting for buddie... which, okay, whatever calms your mind, you know?

but personally, I just think it's ridiculous to put such emphasis on who I imagine fucking my favourite fictional character. maybe that's just me.

and in the case of bucktommy... ship it or don't, it's currently canon. plus, it is definitely a good thing for Buck.

he's finally in a relationship (or getting into one) with someone he can rely on, someone who understands the risks of his job and someone who reassures him about his affections — Buck needed this, not necessarily to be "ready" to be with Eddie, but to grow as a person and heal emotionally, so he could become a better partner in general.

[emilybahu]

I love 9-1-1 so much!

I have fallen in love with tv shows before, watching episodes religiously as they aired weekly. 9-1-1 has been different for me though, it’s become more like an obsession. In some ways that’s bad, it’s consuming my mind a lot of times and it’s distracting me from other things I need to get done. However, really getting into the fandom of this show has also been wonderful for me, it’s made me so happy, actually getting involved with other fans and talking to people the last couple months has been so fun! You all are amazing, funny, talented people and I’m truly grateful that I’ve been able to interact with you!

Now, I’ve heard about some toxicity within the fandom, Buddie and BuckTommy shippers turning against each other and fighting about what’s best for the characters. (Which btw, isn’t really up to us anyway)

I personally haven’t seen a lot of that, who knows, maybe I’m just ignoring it because I don’t want to see it. Either way I always try to keep a very open and and neutral stance when it comes to shipping. I let myself enjoy the stories, the edits, the fan art, and the speculation. However, I also try to stay grounded in the reality of what’s happening in the movie/book/tv show.

When it comes to 9-1-1 right now, between Buddie and BuckTommy I’m not picking sides. I like both ships the same, and I don’t think that’s gonna change any time soon. I really, really enjoy both ships! (Plus the fan fiction for both are amazing, so I’m LIVING)

Buddie is part of the reason that I started watching in the first place, Buck and Eddie are my favorite characters. I love them both to death, and regardless of their relationship status they have something special, no one can deny that! Their friendship is beautiful and deep, they do truly love each other, they’re family, they will always be there for each other whether or not they end up in a romantic relationship. I’m honestly just happy to see them together in any capacity. And yes, I will happy, overjoyed even, if they decide to make Buddie cannon, but I’ll also be happy if their relationship remains as it is.

As far as Buck and Tommy go I was surprised when the kiss happened, but OH MY GOD… I was totally there for it! I’m actually really happy with this storyline so far, (even if the second hand embarrassment nearly killed me during the first date)I think that they’ll be great together, I really can’t wait to see them getting to know each other more! Wherever this goes, I’m here for it! I’m excited to see Buck explore his bisexuality with Tommy, and learn about himself through this relationship. I’m also excited to learn more about Tommy! And if they don’t end up being very long term, I really hope that they stay friends.

I’m really enjoying being into a ship that’s canon for once, it makes me really happy. I don’t think there’s ever been a ship (apart from these ones) that I’ve been into that have even had a remote chance of becoming cannon (Stucky… my first love!)

Anyway, I digress, the writers and the actors KNOW these characters, we know that if something felt off it the story, they’d want to do right by the characters. We know for a fact how much Oliver and Ryan love Buck and Eddie, and if it feels right and true to them Buddie will happen. If it doesn’t feel right to put them in a romantic relationship, to me, it’s fine because regardless we have these two men with an absolutely beautiful and meaningful friendship, and I’m always here for that!

All of this to say, all this fighting about “who’s right for who” isn’t doing anyone any good. I mean we’re all in this fandom because we love this show RIGHT!? Being on platforms like this is meant to bring us TOGETHER!

SO WHY THE HELL ARE SOME OF US TRYING TO RIP EACH OTHER APART BECAUSE WE HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON A DAMN SHIP!?

Everyone is entitled to their own opinions after all… so yeah, share your opinion, just don’t be rude about it. Putting someone down because they disagree with you doesn’t make you right… it just makes you mean. It scares people away, maybe makes them feel like they’re not safe in this community. I’ve seen it a couple times too, with myself and others, being afraid to make a post because of the possibility of hate.

In my experience you’re meant to feel safe in a fandom, in a community because you’re sharing your love for something with others who love it just as much as you do! We should love each other like we love these characters!

To conclude, all I need is for our boys to be happy, that’s really all we should care about here anyway. It shouldn’t necessarily matter who’s dating who, as long as they’re HAPPY! I’m really just along for the ride, I’m here for whatever they decide to do with Buddie and/or BuckTommy in the future. Buck and Eddie are my loves, and we barely know Tommy, but I’m starting to like him already, as long as they’re happy, I am too!

Thank you for reading my TedTalk…

Sorry if it doesn’t sound completely coherent, stringing words together isn’t always my strong suit…🫠

[mazzystar24]

this episode really burnt any last hope i had of buddie actually becoming canon

i just knew they were gonna force bucktommy and then have eddie just be ‘supportive best friend’ but now that it’s actually out there i’m so disappointed

just completely ignoring the past 6 years of buildup between buck and eddie

anyway ig it was fun while it lasted

I wouldn’t lose hope AT ALL

Like yeah they’re pushing buck and Tommy and Eddie and Marisol a little bit but there are SO MANY things that warrant buddie optimism:

• the fact that they gave us bi buck in the first place

• THE INTERVIEWS bro I only saw snippets so far of the newest because travelling and yada yada but in one when asked about Tommy and buck, lou flat out said we should be happy abt bucktommy and that it can be a trial run to work out the kinks if buddie were to go canon and also Ryan saying that as far as Eddie’s sexuality goes, Eddie is very catholic and grew up a certain way but is learning he can explore a little more (aka unlearning comphet🫡) and something about how there is/will be the amount of queer rep expected in a Ryan Murphy/tim minear show (a lot) - I love Ryan sm cos he FEEDS us

• they saw ratings stay HIGH (I think they rose even??) with the Tommy and buck kiss so now all the issues Tim described as being factors to consider when deciding whether to make buddie canon are now non issues- actors= on board, Network and higher ups= love queer rep, Ratings = staying high (and I think rose from the kiss but i don’t wanna misinform)

• Eddie’s whole storyline this episode is just confirming the existence of his catholic guilt, like it’s the most ridiculous stupid storyline they could’ve chose but maybe this was its purpose cos that’s the only thing that makes sense to me

• the parallels and POINTED lines this season are off the charts- as a general rule in film EVERYTHING IS INTENTIONAL think checkovs gun type thing SO MANY LINES just have to mean something

• it seems the leaked script was legit and the fact they scrapped the “brother” line is VERY telling, this means either the script was a draft and they didn’t like it and it didn’t feel right orrr that they edited the line out in post production which could be recent and could mean they waited to see the ratings for the bucktommy kiss before either confirming buddie platonic to please whatever homophobes that popped up or to roll with buddie and not confirm or deny yet

•also we knew Tommy is here briefly

Look maybe I am just delusional and enjoying it but seriously I do NOT think anyone should lose hope at all

Love ya guys and stay delulu comrades🤝🫡🫡

[mastercherry]

Okay so... I either just had this idea or I'm remembering reading a story like this because it feels like something I could have read before but either way, it needs to be shared. We need a hundred different versions of this. How about we all just write one?

Here it is. Another Buddie prompt.

They are not dating right now. But they're close. Best friends. Canon relationship.

But one day in a "quiet" spell at the station, the team ends up finding out that one of Buck's odd jobs before becoming a firefighter was being an exotic dancer. It's a fun conversation, he takes the teasing with a smile on his face. It's not something he regrets doing. And he made good money. Not to brag.

Anyways, fast forward a couple days. Buck and Eddie are sitting on Eddie's couch, they each have a beer, they're watching an adult movie they can finally watch since Christopher is at a sleepover, it's chill, it's nice, it's them. It's perfect. Even if Eddie has been acting a little weird.

The credits have started to roll, Buck wants to start their usual post-movie discussion, when Eddie suddenly sets his almost full beer on the coffee table with a clang and says, "Show me."

Buck is very confused. "Show you what? Am I missing something?" He sets his own bottle down and turns to look at him. He notices that there's a slight pink to Eddie's cheeks. He gets distracted watching the man lick his lips.

Eddie straightens in his seat. "You used to dance, right? Show me."

And basically Buck gives Eddie a lap dance and they end up doing stuff. Ya know.

🔥🔥🔥

[canonicallyobserving911]

“I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Fanonwriter2023 on AO3

Where CANON and FANON collide!

Season 7 FANON Speculation: Buddie Multi-Chapter Fanfic - Hiatus Reading: “I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Chapter 19 is now available on AO3.

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

“I’m still in love with you but... I needed to learn how to love myself too!”

Currently 19 chapters completed: 718.8K Words; Rated: Mature

One chapter will be posted at a time.

___________

Here are two emotionally angsty snippets from Chapter 19 of a conversation Buck has with Margaret and Phillip and a separate one Eddie has with Helena and Ramon. 👀

___________

Buck

Buck can tell Margaret’s on the verge of losing it and in a matter of moments, he’s sure he’ll see the remnants of her becoming completely unglued.

In true Phillip fashion, he tries to prevent it from happening when he says, “Yes Evan, please answer your mother.  How do you even know who he is because we never told you about him?”

Buck’s not surprised by his actions at all especially since he witnessed their dynamic the entire time he was growing up in Hershey.

“I know you didn’t but I found him anyway.  I have two dads and he’s one of them!”  He says a little louder than he intends to but he really doesn’t give a rat’s ass if they’re offended by it or not because it had to be said.

How will Buck's conversation with Margaret and Phillip end? 👀

~~~

Eddie

Eddie shakes his head in disbelief but he remains determined to speak his piece.  “Mom, I’m sorry you feel that way and I want you to know that I didn’t want this.  Based on your response, it seems like you believe it is but who wants to go “no contact” with their mother?  Certainly not me and I don’t believe Soph and Adri do either but you’ve left me no choice.  I’m hoping it’ll be temporary but I’ve said what I’m about to say so many times that I sound like a broken record to myself.”

He pauses when he hears her gasp.

After a few seconds he admits, “You don’t listen to me; you disregard everything I say because everything either has to be your way or the highway but unfortunately for you… my life is not yours to control.  I’m a 34-year-old adult man with a 13-year-old son and a fiancé.  Buck and I are getting married but you did nothing but dismiss and disrespect him while you were here.  You treated Chris like he was a baby and I’ve repeatedly reminded you that he’s not 7 years old anymore.”

“You should be trying to find Christopher a mother.”  Helena snaps back.

“Mom!  Whether you believe it or not my son has two dads!  Me and Buck!”

How will Eddie's conversation with Helena and Ramon end? 👀

___________

This is an EPIC LOVE STORY!

Fic Summary: Months after Buck and Eddie were hit by the same lightning strike; they’re still struggling with the aftermath of it.  But before they make their love confessions, they’ll spend time getting to know themselves as individuals first. Eddie learns to enjoy the simple things in life as he participates in activities on his own and with new friends while Buck learns the rest of the 31-year-old deep dark family secret about his conception and birth. Their journey to forever is still a work in progress but once they finally admit they’re in love with each other, everything that follows their love confessions will be cataclysmic.

__________

Chapter Summaries

Chapter 1 - Eddie makes a new friend while Buck receives devastating news regarding the sperm donation he made for Connor and Kameron.

Chapter 2 - Buck does a lot of research to learn more about the abnormalities found in his red blood cells and Eddie starts a new therapy journey that’s all about him and not the traumas he’s experienced.

Chapter 3 - After more than a month, Buck and Eddie finally spend time together outside of work but it doesn’t end well and they part with a lot of uncertainty regarding their places in each other’s lives.

Chapter 4 - Eddie has a few realizations about his life which causes him to consider moving back to El Paso, TX while Buck continues to be reminded of his past which causes him to take an impromptu road trip across America.

Chapter 5 - Both Buck and Eddie have difficult conversations with their parents and Buck finally learns the truth behind the reason why his mother despised him while Eddie finally tells his mother about the way she tries to control him.

Chapter 6 - More than two weeks after Buck pushed Eddie away after suggesting they needed a break; Eddie decides to try again. Eddie’s there for Buck when he’s at his worst just like Buck was there for him when he was at his worst and he won’t let Buck give up.

Chapter 7 - After Buck’s mental breakdown, Eddie has his back the same way Buck had his when he had his own breakdown more than a year ago.  They share several vulnerable and emotionally intimate moments with one another and they begin to realize their small, sweet and caring gestures matter just as much if not more than any grand gesture ever could because these are the foundations of a long-lasting love relationship.

Chapter 8 - Buck, Eddie and Chris all have their own therapists and during their sessions, they reflect on their pasts while they’re in the present so they can prepare for their future together as a family.

Chapter 9 - Buck and Eddie are there for each other when Buck has to testify as a witness during the trial.  But by the end of it, they’ll both realize their individual and shared traumas are going to keep resurfacing until they talk about them, deal with the fact that they’re in love with one another and face the fact that they can’t live without each other.

Chapter 10 - As Buck and Eddie finally begin to confront their past traumas, they realize how much they need each other to fill in the gaps of their memories.  Additionally, the universe screams at them for what appears to be the one hundredth time so Buck can realize he doesn’t have to ‘find it’ because he already ‘made it’ and Eddie’s reminded tomorrow isn’t promised and he doesn’t have to die alone if he doesn’t want to.

Chapter 11 - A “virga” or dry thunderstorm is in the forecast but once the rain starts, the thunderstorm happening outside won’t be able to match the storm brewing inside between Buck and Eddie.  It’s the universe’s final scream and when the tumultuous winds begin to blow, they’ll have one last chance to hold onto everything they’ve built over the last six years or they’ll lose it all forever.

Chapter 12 - Buck and Eddie have always shared a deep physical attraction and an emotional intimacy that’s unmatched but now that they’re in a relationship, they’re learning how to navigate the romantic intimacy they’ve been waiting for six years to explore. The love they have for each other is a once in a lifetime, soulmate, love of their lives type of love that transcends space and time.

Chapter 13 - While navigating the newness of their romantic relationship, Buck and Eddie take advantage of every moment they spend together. As their individual lives, people from their pasts, time constraints and the possibility of losing each other again make attempts to interrupt and interfere with their journey to forever, they love, care for, support and hold onto each other even tighter to withstand it all.

Chapter 14 - Buck and Eddie can see the lights at the end of the tunnels regarding the results of Buck’s Cancer Screening along with everything else they’re dealing with. But are the lights they see exits to the tunnels or are they headlights on different runaway trains that are speeding towards them in an effort to interrupt their forever?

Chapter 15 - Buck and Eddie have known they were exactly who the other one wanted in a partner since they met six years ago when they agreed to have each other’s backs. They’re in a romantic relationship, they’re both preparing to ask the other one to spend forever with them and by the end of the seventh week into their relationship, together they will plan their most important and greatest adventure for their future.

Chapter 16 - As Buck and Eddie begin to prepare for their marriage ceremony that will take place in Rome, Italy in December 2023, they start planning their first international adventure as a romantic couple. Even though Chris is still the only person they’ve told about their relationship, several people who know them have already witnessed the love they share and as the days continue, others will witness it too.

Chapter 17 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to departing Los Angeles for their international adventure, a moment in time will remind them; life is fragile, tomorrow isn’t promised and every second of everyday should be cherished because everything can change in an instant. The result of that realization will cause them to hold onto each other even more.

Chapter 18 - As Buck, Eddie and Chris prepare for family gatherings before and during the Thanksgiving holiday, the “Santa Ana Winds” start to blow and all sorts of expected and unexpected familial drama ensues.

Chapter 19 - As Buck and Eddie get closer to their wedding day, the universe begins to align everything so that some of their parent and children's relationships are strengthened while others come to an abrupt end.

Chapter 20 - Will be posted soon.

__________

Read chapters 1-19 are available on AO3.

Continue reading on AO3

[applesontheground]

thanks a lot, partner! 📞

i teased this awhile back, and as a resident mickey altieri enjoyer i once again come to you guys with an idea about him.

i feel a bit cheated his ghostface partner wasn’t a peer; it was mrs. loomis with her own separate agenda. not a bad plot point at all, just not my favorite per se.

so, i wanted to give him a real partner, and then make them get nasty. hope you guys like it. all i can say is that he’s my pick of the ghostface litter through and through, and i also want to practice writing more fleshed out smut...pun vaguely intended. let me know how i did. 🤗

NSFW | Word Count: 3,522 | Mickey Altieri x GN Ghostface!Reader (no gendered pronouns used)

contains canon typical/mentions of murder & gore, injury/mentioned eye trauma, reader’s roommate is gn too, masochism, fluff, teasing, dirty talk, oral (m recieving), manhandling

🎼: x, x

There was no way this wasn’t going to get worse come the morning.

You had caught a glimpse of yourself unmasked in the window, left unlocked long before you had gone out that evening – and what you had just barreled through while the police hadn’t even gotten to the street where your latest party crashing had just come to a perfectly timed wrap.

Everything from the second you left to the second you returned to the dingy house that you were renting with two other students had been on the dot – but one thing that hadn’t been anticipated was the victim, well, fighting back. It had been caught in the reflection of the window at first, but now you were leaning into the dollar store mirror that had been lovingly stuck on the fridge. Sure enough, the beginnings of a red spot were forming under and around your eye socket, hot blood rushing to the surface from a decently timed elbow and turning a more stark shade of purple with every passing hour.

“Fuckin-!” You swatted the closest thing to you sitting on the counter, stress from the visible mark making panic set in along with the quiet throb that had drummed up along your cheekbone. The plastic spray bottle clattered across an otherwise bare surface, toppling over the haunting mask sitting on its edge, paling in comparison to the tiled countertop.

Your ear was pointed towards the door, anticipating that your roommate was still out for the night. When word of what you had done got out – what Ghostface had done – [he’d/she’d/they’d] be home in a heartbeat, confiding all that worry about a possible murder to you. You couldn’t blame [him/her/them], feeling like you’re standing idly by, practically waiting to be picked off, is terrifying. Isn’t it?

You turned away from the window, backside pressed into the edge of the counter as you took both the physical and the mental load off your mind for a second. It was as short as the deep breath passing through, staring at the ceiling through the good eye. A harsh scratch of one of the trees against the side of the house made you freeze, then leap to act from pure reflex. You dove for the mask and the cloak it sat with, throwing it under the sink behind the trash bags without a second thought.

For good measure, you even began stuffing more mundane bottles and cans around it in a haphazard fortress. No one cleans this dump unless the landlord shows up, anyways.

“You really gotta be a little sick to do it like that,” He spoke as he stepped through the back door, halfway through the conversation before it had started. Black gloves and the jagged ribs of a hunting knife are still in his hands. The cloak was under an arm, but somehow, he was being careful not to smear any dirt or blood on the terribly plain T-shirt he had worn underneath.

It had started as a study buddy situation, then it got so screwed up as you two started seeing each other outside of school, becoming partners in more ways than just a means to survive classes. From sophomore to senior year, you were ending the collegiate cord with the beginning of a whole new type of work. Carnage, dismemberment, and the drama of being picture perfect copycat killers. It was like touching a stove when you knew very well it would hurt you, and there was something so utterly frayed within both you and your partner that loved to feel it despite this knowledge.

Mickey Altieri looked at you just as eagerly as he had been admiring the path which he came from, but you had turned away before he could catch an eyeful of your face. Gathering the cleaner you had just slapped into oblivion, you spat, “So fucking nuts, I need to take a breather before you congratulate me, Mick-“

“Well, first of all, let’s run back the blueprint. I’m the one that’s primed to fly off the handle in this equation, [Y/N], so why are you going nuts?” He cornered you fast, making your swimming vision slow to a wade, peripherals noting his arms had come out to brace the counter. He had boxed you in, hip to hip with you in a brief shuffle. Nudging you to face him and seeing what had gotten you so worked up, his voice returned to something more casual – maddeningly casual considering the scene before him – and gasped, “Oh my god, look at baby’s shiner.”

“I fucked up, Mickey.” You hissed, hands anxiously gripping and releasing the counter behind you, “He got a fucking whack on me, I didn’t-“

“Excuse me, I thought we were going to take a breath. Can you manage that before anything else?” He pulled his gloves off, tucking them and the knife under his arm along with the cloak. His bare, clammy hands went instinctively for your neck, then smoothed along your collarbone when he saw it had snapped you to reality, settling on your shoulders as he repeated himself, “Relax. He’s already on the fast track to old news, [Y/N]. Who’s gonna know he got a hit in before being fucking slaughtered?”

You closed your eyes – closed one eye to mirror the swelling counterpart. Deep inhale through the nostrils, you whimpered with a pang of uncertainty, “No one.”

“There [he/she is / they are]. Nobody knows but you, and nobody knows but me. Just like the last two we strung out, right?” You looked hard into his eyes again, a realization you were one of the few people that knew precisely what urges and thoughts lay behind them settling in place of the spiraling. Sure, other people could see that Mickey was a bit squirrely underneath the façade he liked to play, a quick moving dude with the camera that was a little too smirky to not tip others off that he was hiding something in his hand.

Although, being the Woodsboro copycat was like an ace up the sleeve, and you? The royal suit that he was keeping in his back pocket. His Stu Macher, but he hated it when you made that comparison.

Mickey then nodded to the floor, eyes cast at your muddy shoes, “Very nice job, by the way. Perfectly severed the lungs from his chest. Didn’t have to do that, but we’ve got a lot of work to outshine. Huh, stud?” You felt a lump in your throat fighting to be swallowed as you merely choked, “Learned from the best.”

The chuckle from him was low and thoroughly pleased at that thought; chin tipped down to give you another good look over now that he had moved past the black eye, gauging what was happening in your head as his eyes trailed back to your face. When he couldn’t quite crack it, though, he caved through the motion of leaning in.

You took the kiss without a second thought all the same, the only sign you were torn being a crumpled brow. He then held your face in his hands, the light scent of hand soap and copper filling your nose as you tried to get some fresh air from the window that was still cracked.

“If it means anything, baby cakes, I still think you’re gorgeous.” He crooned in an almost overtly sweet tone, but you were overwhelmed by the corny nature and responded by blowing a raspberry in his face.

First order of business, prepare the alibi.

Mickey hadn’t been seen at the parties that had been going on tonight (Well, he was seen, but not as Mickey), and neither had you. Maybe that person you had gutted caught a glimpse of a wrist from under the cloak in all the scuffle. Ashes to ashes, severed organs to severed organs. You had put even more cleaning supplies around your stash under the sink for good measure. Your mind was wading the water still, almost falling to something closer to TV static as your roommate spoke on the other end of the phone, ready to hear the hysterics.

“No, no. You’re still out by the campus? What rager’s going on…when it’s…” It was dawning on you as they kept giggling, and the commotion of some party game continued in the background.  Your jaw released, and you began staring at another warped reflection of yourself in the house, this time it had been through a shitty doorknob leading to the garage. All of it seemed to fall to a lull as you realized the news hadn’t even broken out yet, and you had enough wiggle room to keep the mood light.

You looked over at Mickey, who was washing up in the sink, listening along to your phone call. You piped up in reply, “No, it’s quiet out here tonight. Usually, the frat up the street puts on those loud ass parties, but I guess they’re too hungover from the last one.” You laughed, eyeing the chrome flash of the hunting knife coming out of the suds and steam. It was carefully dried with a paper towel and both articles slid into the depths of a pocket kept on the cloak he would wear. Two costumes make two blood trails. Two culprits, and twice the confusion trying to figure out where the masked murderer is. An old trick from the book of Woodsboro, sure – but damn, was it effective.

You took a deep breath and mentioned, “Oh yeah. Mickey’s been with me at the house for the last couple of hours. That’s cool that he’s staying over, right?” Looking at you from over his shoulder now, that fluffed up smile gracing his lips as he mockingly waited for the answer from the other line, you then laughed. “Cool, I assumed it was fine since you weren’t gonna be home until late, so-“

You were cut off, and then you gasped, “Shut up, why the hell do you think he’s here when you aren’t?” He now looked over his shoulder with sharp curiosity, running cold water over the warm pink suds to wash the remnants of what the two of you had done down the drain, out of sight and hard to catch with such a solid head start. You then huffed, “Alright, bye. I’ll remember to wear a condom.”

Hanging up the phone and trailing its cord back to where it sat on a side table in the living room, he quickly turned from the sink to follow close behind. “So, just to be clear, absolutely no truth to that little story?” You rose your eyebrows at the voice coming from over your shoulder, and you answered, “None. Gotta cover our tracks, cut all the ties that might drag us back down the block, but-“

You stopped yourself, feeling his hand start to slide over your hip in a lazy slither, tracing the seam of your jeans. You then ran the lie back in your head, barely able to catch up as he mocked you, “Ooh, why the hell do you think my lovely boyfriend's here when the nosy little roomies aren’t, huh?” Turning to look at him with a raised brow, he then hummed, “You know I’d still screw you with the black eye, right?” You couldn’t help the laugh that took from you despite your attitude growing horns, a hand coming up and clamping around his jaw.

Giving him a playful shake, you hummed, “Glad to hear it, but who says we’re screwing? I didn’t say anything like that on the phone.” He took your hand still around his face, making your grip go soft as he turned into your palm, pressing his lips to the inner pads of your fingers. “Aw, any way I can change your mind?” He asked, “Sure got you under my thumb with the whole…Woodsboro thing. Put me back in the game, coach. Bet I can do it again – better yet, I’ll do you one better.”

Leaning away, you groaned, “Oh, good god. For a killer, you sure like to lay it on thick.” Squinting at him with your good eye, he once again was in sync with your movement, leaning along with you and now peppering the softest but somehow still obnoxious kisses close to the bruise on your face. “Stop squirming already,” He teased, and when you couldn’t lean too much further, he cupped his hand around the back of your neck and went in for a much deeper kiss against your cheek, pulling you back towards him in the process. You naturally found his lips with your own, the dancing around them being too much to act so callous towards.

“Ooh, I bet it hurts.” He mocked you, but your jaw still fell open when he pressed his lips right underneath the bruise again, enjoying the annoyed groan it stirred and knowing it was confused, wanting to be hurt but unable to keep from melting back into a familiar, crawling ecstasy as he started to trail down to your neck, and you started to direct him towards the couch in the living room.

Nearly falling onto the furniture, you turned back towards him with the same blind urgency, hands quivering as they began running over his chest, and the fabric was as soft as it had looked. He gave one final glance towards the door, the heel of his shoe nudging his costume further under the couch, somewhere he would hide it when he stayed over after a rendezvous with your knives. Just like the deeds themselves, it was an intricate and intimate ritual at this point, something you found so much love in despite being so loathsome.

“Whoa, whoa-“ You tried to slow him, but he merely teased you back in a husky puff against your neck, “Whoa, whoa. Please, you’re all over this.” Grinning, you stuck your elbow up and into his chest, making him gasp against your throat but immediately take hold of your wrist. You immediately careened back first into the couch, and shoving the offending hand beside your ear, he shook his head at you, eyes growing cold but on the brink of something rabid. “Fuck, you’re quite the killer yourself tonight. Ghostface, the mood killer.” He gritted, and you only laughed as you finally fell limp under his hold.

Some fires had been stirred up, especially as he now guided your other arm over your head and secured both wrists together. It made it easy for him to free up, holding both in place as his other hand now went down your stomach and slipped under your shirt. It immediately got you groaning a little, his fingertips finding every pressure point and sweet spot and a familiar, worn warmth with his hands still wet from the cleanup job.

Between hand soap and remnants of the dirt – better yet, the blood – was making you press your hips against his, lining up while both of you still had clothes on. It did him in, and he had to let your hands go in certainty they’d fly to the hem of your shirt. He trusted you enough to manage that.

As you rolled the fabric over your head, throwing it behind you to drape over the phone you had just gotten off of, he was feeling all over your torso and chest like he hadn’t seen it before. Like it had been something he was holding out for after such a gruesome night. You whimpered into his ear, knowing the pathetic noises of someone just as capable as he was made him rabid. Sure enough, his movements suddenly grew rougher, nails being involved in his fondling.

“Calm down,” You demanded with a lack of backbone in your words, and he only responded by planting his mouth on your neck, nipping a few times before starting to add another mark to your itinerary. It shut you up; replacing your demands with shivering along your shoulders and breathy whines. He was giving it back, and when you couldn’t take it anymore as he released your neck, the splotch left on your skin glistening with saliva and as ribbed as the knife from teeth marks, you pushed him back and started pulling at his shirt, pushing it up.

“You gotta be a little sick to do it like this,” You murmured, both of you upright on the couch. You wasted no time slipping down his body, being sure to start pressing your own kisses against his skin as you got to his hips. He groaned, half because of the feelings that were spilling like the precum was starting to soak into the fabric of your shirt and half from hearing his own goddamn words slapping him in the face. You weren’t one to waste time unlike him, not necessarily here to ravish and enjoy the leadup to it – a murder, an orgasm, whatever it was – but rather get to what needed to happen, to live in the main event.

It was something you approached with nothing but anticipating confidence, starting from the shaft and licking up along the bottom of his cock. He almost whimpered, for once his hands not wandering too far from where they were settled with one on the back of the couch to keep upright and one on the back of your head. He wasn’t even guiding, rather serving as a marker to keep your mouth where he wanted it.

Mickey let you do the work, hands pressed into his thighs as you focused on doing it well. If it got messy, you’d deal with it afterwards. Spit was running down your jaw, and trickled down your neck as you only focused on the heat against your tongue, the prodding of your throat that was making him need to hold the back of the couch to stay steady.

“[Y/N], you keep it up and I’m gonna be done before we've even started.” He warned, half serious and half holding out to see how you’d respond. You merely groaned against him, a nonchalant sound as you kept going, tilting your head so he could see what you were doing a little better. It was already making you unbelievably hot underneath your clothes, and you were already so deep in the act.

You had to finish it, then figure out where to go after the fact. Just like you had with the guy who punched you while you tore him apart.

The fire suddenly roared alive and broke apart, spreading in all directions as soon as it had sparked. Once again, his hands became rigid as he stopped moving everywhere except in how he snapped his hips against your mouth, fluid in the motion. He almost wondered if he had even cum, because you were already taking care of it. Just like the shiner, you were handling things as they practically hit you in the face. In this case, the back of your twitching throat.

You pulled off of him, the last of it hitting you along the tip of your nose and bottom lip. You rolled your head up, and he chuckled at the sight. “Oh my god, can you knock it off?” He asked, catching his breath as you asked, “What do you mean?”

“Being a stand-up partner, you know what I mean. It’s like you fell from the sky just for me to deal with,” He lamented, but he was still grinning at you. Straightening your back, you glanced at the clock. Figuring you still had time, you didn’t rush to find your shirt quite yet, shifting a little closer to him so you could see the beginnings of him starting to sweat from the exertion. Even his hair was starting to look even more wild, but he cut your train of thought with finding his own shirt.

“How’s this for an alibi-” He hummed, using it to wipe the remnants of spit from your mouth, “I elbowed you in the face because your mouth was go god damn good, you’re so accident prone already.” He bared his teeth in an amused smile as you gasped, a silent motion as you then used your hand to help in cleaning yourself up. He then took your chin between two fingers, wagging your head and making your unfocused stare come back to Earth as he added, “Let’s even play it up, act all embarrassed about it. They’ll eat it up.”

“…For the partner who flies off the handle, you’re still good at thinking fast.” You croaked, both of you smiling at each other. He threw the shirt over the cloak peeking from underneath the couch. “Gotta be when you’re living up to some pretty sick shit.” He murmured, and as you pulled yourself to stand with your hands on his thighs, he was sure to take your shirt and hold you in a half crouch to get another kiss.

Sick, sick fuck, you thought as he hummed into your mouth, realizing he was tasting himself along with you. Better yet, he was relishing it.

I’m in love with a sick fuck.

[shkika]

[RECORDED BROADCAST : 1681.662] - PRIVATE Seven Red Suns, Chasing Wind

CW: Have you had any contact with Five Pebbles recently?

SRS: Not in a long while actually! Unless worrying about him counts.

CW: One of his neighbors, Unparalleled Innocence, sent an overseer to his can and got some images. They were made public in the local group, in an effort to be mean I suppose. There's no other way of putting it he looks awful.

SRS: Tell me.

CW: He's got the rot, very badly. Big cysts have become mobile and are scattering down the west and middle legs. He does listen to you, and few others by now, so you should talk to him.

SRS: I will try to contact him. Does Moon know?

CW: Moon has been unavailable for some time.

[Pending upload to local group records by dispatched Overseer. Unit will enter read only state in 432 cycles.]

UI leaked pebbles rot images in the local group, but suns didn't know until CW told them, which might imply that they are not part of the local group

THIS DISCUSSION IS GOING!! I've gotten a bunch of asks about this along with tags and replies oh my. Just gonna state that Suns to me and in my ask-blog is part of the local group and honestly at this point even if James himself came up to told me I'm wrong I can't change that cause I set it up already ..? SO UHH hm

ANYWAY LET'S RAMBLE!!

I honestly think the strongest pointer to the implication that SRS isn't part of the local group is the fact they didn't know about Pebbles' situation first. So Chasing Wind had to tell them!

I see it! I've always made the assumption they just weren't active in the local group messages (just like how we haven't seen a single word about Innocence in the game even if she's canonically closest to Moon and Pebbles out of the others)

^ Especially, because I assumed this meant that UI spread the information further than just the local group. Which! I don't know!

I don't think my assumption is FULLY baseless, just because of how the approach the conversation with NSH is?

They're being vague about hurting someone. If the chats were in the local group, which NSH has access to, but SRS doesn't it feels so bizarre to me they'd try to vague point at it as if there's any chance NSH wouldn't have already seen. Like what hopes do you have buddy?? The fact that Pebbles has the rot and is in such a terrible condition is like uhm... well yeah.

Still they've never been active in a local group chat and it was through Chasing that they found out about the rot situation so I don't know!

Also a good point!! Once again I read it differently! I thought the "She's very close to Five Pebbles" wasn't a descriptor, but more so a reason on why he's worried about her. "She's close to him (rot infested doofus) and I'm her friend man"

Them not knowing Moon very well isn't too much of evidence for either statement. What they did not understand about Moon is why she wouldn't force Pebbles to stop dead in his tracks and save her life. Which is an extremely valid question, because as his administrator she had the power to do so. NSH is a close friend of hers group or not and explains.

They do still call her Big Sis Moon which is rather weird if you're not part of her local group? Aside also shortening her name to just Moon. (which could be either familiarity or convenience, no solid evidence)

They also got into contact with Five Pebbles VERY soon after he was put online according to SRS themselves which is possible both ways! Just felt more likely if they were part of the local group.

AND SPEARMASTER.

We don't know what "local group" means, but I always assumed, because of the name it partly meant distance.

Iterators are VERY far from each other, usually. Like quite far even local group wise. I assumed that for a slug cat like Spearmaster to have been capable to make the journey to Pebbles and back... and then do the same AGAIN, it meant that SM made a long journey, but one that was like... y'know not from one part of the continent to the other big.

I assume distance plays a role, because in a cream pearls..

The implication is that Local groups held out together the longest.

I can't imagine this poor creature covering a such a massive worth of land on foot..!

SM was given the pearl inside their chest mainly for it to be hidden, but also as an instinct that's true! So they know where to go.

Hunter doesn't have that not because it isn't needed, but because NSH was rushing. As implied by these lines.

NSH was rushing them so much they ended up with the rot, I doubt there was any time left to perfect a homing instinct or do much of anything really. I think NSH is probably closer than SRS (just for poor Hunter's sake honestly), but I don't know by how much really- iterators seem to be built PRETTY far from each other. The only other closest neighbor is UI. Which means NSH is farther than her.

But either way yeah. I've dug info for a WHILE now I can't seem to find any super solid evidence for either. I'm just sharing my interpretation as always. You can headcanon either one of these and call them canon in my book really.

[sybeez]

theres magic in splatoon?

oh HELL YES i get to rant about splatoon on here instead of on discord :]

@anemonequeen hey u can add on too 👀

So what i call magic in splatoon is less 'high fantasy bullshit' and more 'its all around and you don't notice it' like the post said (my example was electricity irl and how we use it rn for mundane stuff). It's all headcanon also btw but very supported by stuff from the games themself

List of stuff thats magic in splatoon in no particular order (ill go over these after): music, technology (human made especially), DNA, ink maybe?, salmonids migration, probably more but thats all i got (infodump under the cut)

SO music has been canon magic since splatoon 1 and actually its linked to the DNA part!! ,,,I probably need to explain human technology part first to understand that but it's basically all the Alterna logs basically.

Quick recap tho: the earth is fucked > some humans go live underground in giant domes all over the globe(unsure) > in one of them they devellop crystals out of molluscs like squids n octopus ability to change color based on emotions and use those to make giant LCD screens to line the dome > fast forward 2 generations of underground humans > the next gen scientists who want to go out even if thats a fucked up idea > rocket go poof n destroys the screen > the squid LCD crystals seep into the ocean n evolution happens for every creature to turn into anthros

also most impportantly the crystals retained the hopes of dreams of all of humanity down there* (important)

now fast forward 10 000 years and we find this scroll in splatoon 1

and that melody famously created a revolution by every single octarian realising they actually have free will at once (it did NOT break any kind of mind control they just lived all their live in an authoritarian society) so already we can tell theres something up with.

another time we find that melody thats important is the end credit for splatoon 3 (wave goodbye) at around the 3:00 mark

,,,now im realizing this isnt exactly what i had in mind but the first time i heard it i thought the voice had no gargling like inkfish voices n instead it was the voices of all humanitys ghosts coming together to sing that part. But if we still go with that then (my headcannon) that means that melody thats been etched into sea life DNA was actually a human anthem that was kept in the memories of the LCD crystal

Now in splatoon 3 theres a lot of magic anyway lol but idk how to even explain that (the 3 lights, lil buddy becoming a kaiju, big man making ink) so use ur imagination for that lol but its there.

other human technology that's also magic: the machine to keep judd alive that somehow made him immortal AND clone him

There's more magic hidden in the game (like however the ink from the ink tanks fuels our weapon via bluetooth and how some non-inkfish characters can somehow use ink for turf wars) but thats why i tagged sasha lol

oh yea for the salmon migration bit i'm specifically talking about the 7 rings when a big run happens. idk how to explain that so therefore its magic

[calekinnieplus]

This looks like a fun idea, so here goes! :

What do you think of this guy🙃?

Oh wow! Good character you chose there ahahaha! Roselle Gustav aka Huang Tao!

First impression

Honestly, I was floating in confusion at the start a bit, considering it was my first Chinese webnovel, so I had a period of readjustment to the writing style (or the translation ig?), so I didn't immediately connect the dots that Roselle was a transmigrator or that he's... kinda "dead" lol

Buuuut, once the dots connected, I did find him quite amusing! Bro's self-confidence gave me second-hand embarrassment, but not That bad. But also, Klein was bashing on him so hard, it was kinda hilarious.

I don't fully remember what impression I had of him, since I was reading pretty slow in the beginning and some ideas were lost, but overall, fun guy lmao

Impression now

Hilarious guy, a meme, a legend.

Yet...

Quite unfortunate that his end was just endless suffering (which will hopefully not be endless haha...). Bro made small mistakes in the beginning when he didn't know Anything, when he was transported to a world he didn't know anything about, forced to adapt and live a new life. I don't know, I find him tragic, just like Klein.

At least he had some good times along the road (especially with a demoness heh). The funny stories were nice to read.

Favorite moment

Basic, but his first talk with Klein. I mean, him meeting a fellow transmigrater and quickly having faith in him was sweet. I really wish to see more of them :>

If we're talking about the diary entries, I'd probably choose when... uhhh the corruption thing. Roselle going to the moon. And when he gazed into the Abyss. I remember how the diary entry abruptly cut off after dumping a lot of info and both Klein and I were Flabbergasted. What did it MEAN-!!

(I have a feeling I'm mixing up the moments, but the feelings remain. The confusion, the anticipation and the wonder from some diary entries were Amazing)

OH, and the last diary entry of course. It was so chill-inducing! It was one of those moments that answered a lot of questions while also bringing even MORE questions. It was just- the atmosphere full of fear and uncertainty, putting into question what that fellow transmigrator went through, wowie~

Idea for a story

Well, let me shuffle in the corner of my brain...

I've always been a fan of Time Travel AUs. So the idea of Klein (at a higher sequence but not Saint Level, maybe? Idk, a lot of possibilities here) travelling to Roselle’s time period and the two of them becoming best buddies (Roselle’s words, not Klein's. Klein's facepalming in the background at Roselle’s shenanigans).

Maybe! It could be a young god Mr Fool using his domain over Space and Time and having a misplaced adventure during Roselle’s time.

(We're pretending the Outer Gods and CW isn't as dauting of a problem as they are in canon, aye?)

Anyway, doesn't matter which version of Klein or during what time he's visiting, it's mandatory that he facepalms at least once :))

Unpopular opinion

Well, I don't know the popular opinions, so I'll guess I'll just go with an opinion.

I mean, he totally could've treated his wife better. I can understand feeling a disconnect with this world and humanity in general, but at least don't bring shame to her name by being a known womanizer, mm? At least divorce or smth, man. You overthrew the government, you could definitely do that.

Unless he actually did divorce her and we just don't know. But otherwise, yeah. Kinda dick move there, Emperor.

Favorite relationship

(Platonic, right?)

Again, basic but. Roselle and Bernadette.

The fact that Bernadette spent so much time searching for a father she was on dubious terms with and how much faith she had that he persevered against all odds.

The fact that Roselle’s one and only tie with this new world was his daughter, his beloved child that he loved with all his might. A child he shared a piece of his old world with. A child he remodeled this entire world's structure for. Absolutely heart-warming.

Favorite headcannon

Hmm let's see...

Huang Tao, as a young individual who surfs the internet, would know a lot of memes or jokes. After becoming Roselle Gustav, those memes aren't easily forgotten.

I mean, is it canon, actually? Maybe he made several Chinese meme references and I missed them lmao. That would be funny

Bonus: imagine Huang Tao and Zhou Mingrui bumped into each other one day, unaware that the next time they'll meet each other, it will be after more than 10 000 years, give or take. ...what's the timeline here?

[bunthebreadboy]

Azutara Ask Au/scenario could take place during book 2 or 3 or perhaps even a few years after the war.

So what if Azula and Katara are in a battle. While they’re fighting they get interrupted by an annoyed spirit. The displeased spirit with his rest disturbed, decides to curse Azula and Katara.

This curse did not remove either of their bending abilities. Instead the spirit switched them. Or rather forcefully gave Azula and Katara each other’s bending powers. Rendering Azula a Water bender, and Katara a Fire bender.

What happens from there? Do Azula and Katara continue to fight? Do they freak out? Do they decide to stay together and teach each other? How/when does a relationship form?

oh i love this. ok so in my head this happens in book two. in the catacombs maybe? after katara revives aang because i want him to survive and there’s no way azula as a freshly minted waterbender could do that.

anyways. both of them flip when they realize their bending switched. katara is a natural with firebending because she’s a super passionate person. azula can’t waterbend for shit.

they end up teaching each other basics because katara is like “ok i hate her but i can’t just leave her defenseless” (having a lapse in judgement and forgetting that azula can do hand-to-hand combat) and azula’s somewhat worried that angry katara would set her on fire if she refused to help.

canon stuff proceeds as normally but with random katara and azula fights thrown in there for “training”.

somehow (i haven’t decided how) azula shows up at the same time the combustion bender shows up and their bending goes back to normal. this is mostly because i refuse to not include a bloodbending arc for katara.

once again proceed with canon until the final agni kai. katara, being the prodigy she is, has figured out azula’s technique by experiencing it herself. she manages to take down azula quicker than in canon, but the azula reaction is the same (absolutely gut wrenching).

zuko does the asylum thing but katara is 100% against it and fully decides to break azula out (i’m thinking painted lady style since that episode wouldn’t happen in this au??) and they become travel buddies! azula still hates katara but also finds her attractive (although she’d never admit it) and they get along like a house on fire for awhile but we do get an azula redemption arc cause i said so!

i’d have to think about how that happens, but for a while the katara/azula dynamic is murder buddies without the murder (katara says no). so basically vigilante stuff. that’s legal because zuko and aang are too scared of katara to say no to her medically advised azula therapy program (azula in a rage room, basically).

but yeah it’s definitely super slow burn. katara falls first, azula falls harder type of beat. i don’t think they’d get together until they were at least 18, azula definitely wouldn’t be in the headspace for a healthy romantic relationship for years.

i am now considering writing this.

[sugartitstownley]

HC’s for Post Option C Trikey

Hey, everyone! This is nothing too formal or well written— just some thoughts put down. All mistakes are mine because I didn’t reread this at all. Trigger warnings for mentions of violence and canon compliant themes. Here’s some Trikey + a bit of Amanda/Mike/T friendship.

Michael and Amanda’s divorce is rather amicable despite years of prior arguing.

Neither want to admit their marriage is over—both worried about the kids’ reactions. But they know it’s in everyone’s best interest.

Amanda moves out of the house, opting for a beach front property like she once asked Michael for months before.

Mike decides to stay at the house for now, even if it reminds him of what a lonely, washed-up jock he really is.

It doesn’t matter, though, because he’s never home. Instead, he spends his time at the movie studio, threatening actors and crew alike (because old habits die hard, right?).

If he accidentally hits too hard and the actor just doesn’t wake up…well, who can blame him?

The rest of his time is spent in the company of Franklin, Trevor, and Lamar.

“Jesus, sugar tits. You finally have time for us outside of kissing Solomon Richards’ ass.”

“Oh, bite me, T,” Michael says, rolling his eyes as he slides into the backseat of Franklin’s car. “I’ve been busy doing my job on set.”

“Well, sorry! I didn’t realize I was in the presence of a huge celebrity.”

Franklin slams on the brakes, the car coming to a halt in front of the stoplight. “Man, if y’all two don’t shut the fuck up, I’m dropping you both off.”

In hindsight, maybe things don’t seem that different between him and Trevor after The Big One. But he knows something has changed.

Trevor’s insults and quips don’t pack as much punch; they don’t leave a bitter taste in your mouth.

And Michael? Well, he stops regulates how many times he calls his former running buddy a psycho.

Their tentative friendship rebuilds for the most part, but there’s still an added component that neither party wants to speak aloud. That, or maybe it was a returning feeling resurfacing from their youth.

Either way, Michael tries to let it go and focus on making himself semi-happy for once. However, he doesn’t factor in until later that maybe he’s been so damn unhappy for the last 10 years because of a certain murderous, incest-loving hipster.

Michael feels his heart jump out of his skin as he turns around to see Trevor leaning against the glass outside of his house. He watches Trevor give a small salute before walking over to let the taller man in.

“You can’t knock on the front door like a normal human being?” Michael asks, his voice dripping with mild annoyance. “What am I saying? Of course you can’t.”

“For your information, pork chop,” Trevor starts, walking straight past Michael to look through his fridge, “I do this to keep you young— keep you on your toes.”

He watches Trevor pull out the soup container they made a few days prior while hanging out. Like a reflex, he opens the drawer and pulls out two spoons while they wait for it to heat up in the microwave.

“Yeah, whatever. What are you even doing here anyway?”

“Can’t a guy come see his best friend without there being a reason? Not all of us are looking to gain something from their relationships, sugar.”

Michael sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “God, T. When are you going to let it go? Just once I’d like to spend time with you without thinking of our past. I said I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

Trevor’s eyes find his, and surprisingly, there’s nothing but understanding in them. They hold each other’s gaze a moment too long until the microwave’s beeps fill the quiet room.

Their companionship settles into a routine that even surprises Michael himself. Food will be cooked together, movies will be watched, bikers will be shot (you can’t blame Mike for getting involved sometimes most times— it’s in his blood).

The taller man’s presence becomes so normal in Michael’s life that even Jimmy and Tracey aren’t surprised to see Trevor walking throughout the house when they’re visiting.

If Michael didn’t know any better, he’d say the kids even missed their uncle— enough to visit the Rockford Hills house even when Mike himself wasn’t there.

“Argh! This game fucking sucks!”

Michael’s lips twitch into a small smile as he heads up the stairs towards Jimmy’s room. The sight in front of him doesn’t surprise him all that much considering Trevor’s cursing could likely be heard from across the street.

Michael stops at his son’s doorway, watching him and Trevor furiously tapping on controllers to try and shoot the on-screen targets.

“Uncle T,” Jimmy pipes up, cringing at the screen. “You’re standing too close to the bomb, you’re going die if you don’t—”

The blood of Trevor’s character splatters across the screen before Jimmy starts laughing uncontrollably.

“Shut the fuck up, kid! C’mon, Mikey. Let’s go do something actually worth our time.”

Michael chuckles, reaching over to fist bump Jimmy, before leaving the room with Trevor.

He’s not sure when it happened—or why— but every time he looks at Trevor and his kids while they’re together, he can’t help but think of them as a family.

Sure, Trevor is already family. His kids call him Uncle T for a reason. But that’s not what Michael means. He sees them as his family. Trevor, Michael, Jimmy, and Tracey— a family.

It could be the people of Los Santos getting inside his brain with their comments and assumptions. Every time the pair go out with the kids, there’s at least one person who calls them a “two-dad family.”

For some reason, though, it doesn’t bother Michael like it used to. He doesn’t feel guilty anymore, like he’s cheating on Amanda.

After realizing that, it hit him harder than Martin Madrazo’s baseball bat. He loves Trevor. He’s in love with Trevor, and he probably always has been. Why else would he feel like he’s doing something wrong to Mandy every time he’s with him?

He doesn’t want to even think about telling his friend, but he also knows he wants to be done keeping secrets from him forever. And apparently, he’s done keeping secrets from everyone.

“Dad,” Jimmy starts off nervously from his side of the couch. “So, like, can I ask you something?”

Michael shoots him a weary look. “If this is about me buying you that new game, I already told you no Jim.”

“No, no. Nothing like that. It’s more, ya know, personal.”

The silence drags on as Michael waits for Jimmy to continue, but he never does. “Spit it out already.”

“Look, are you and Uncle T, like, closer than you were before the divorce? You know, closer. Because, like, that’s totally cool with me. I have gay friends now, and I guess it’s better than you staying with mom and cheating. Maybe you and uncle T can, ya know, keep each other alive and shit but—”

“What? Jim! No! Trevor and I aren’t…”

Jimmy interrupts him. “But you want to be?”

“When did you get so observant all of a sudden? You sound like a fuckin’ psychologist.”

“Well, pop, you raised me in Los Santos.”

Jimmy, much to Michael’s embarrassment, prodded at him until he agreed to talk to Trevor about the “issue.”

It takes Michael another month, plus one more terribly uncomfortable conversation with Jimmy, to confess to Trevor.

“Christ, T. I think it’s possible that maybe…”

“I’ll be dead by the time you finish your sentence, sugar.”

Michael sighs. “Have you ever thought that there might be more to this?”

“More—” Trevor groans. “Can you just say what you mean for once in your life?”

“I love you, you asshole.”

Horns honking and police sirens can be heard from outside as the room becomes eerily quiet. Before Michael can truly panic, Trevor leans forward so fast that Mike’s sure he’s about to slam his head into his nose, but the searing pain never comes.

Instead, Trevor’s lips push against his while his hands tug Michael’s hair to bring him closer.

It’s cliché. It’s really fucking cliché. But, for once, Michael feels like he’s doing something right for a change.

“I love you, Mikey.”

After that, not much changes really. The only difference is that, now, when Trevor comes over after a long day of doing God knows what, Michael gets to sit on the couch wasting away with his boyfriend’s head lazily rested on his shoulder.

Or, sometimes, between his legs.

Telling Franklin and Lamar ended up being easy. Neither was all that surprised. In fact, Lamar even tried to start a bet once about when they’d “stop sucking as people and start sucking each other,” but Franklin put a stop to that real quick.

Other than that, Frank was supportive.

“I’m happy for you, dog. Maybe now you’ll stop being so miserable.”

Michael smirks. “I don’t know, but I think this is a good start.”

Telling Amanda and the kids was…interesting.

Jimmy, of course, knew already. But he was surprised that his dad actually grew the balls to do it.

Tracey was a little more shocked; she always thought the jokes about her dad and Uncle T were just that— jokes. Plus, she worried that her dad had been cheating before with him, but they assured her that wasn’t the case.

Tracey tried to act a little stubborn just in case her mom wasn’t okay with the relationship, but she was secretly happy for them.

Amanda, having found her own happiness outside of Michael, took it rather well too.

“This just started, right? You weren’t…together…during our marriage?”

“No, Mand,” Michael reassures her before sparing a glance at Trevor who is across the room talking to Tracey and Jim. “I only just realized it.”

“Well, I always wondered why on Earth you would stick by his side through some of the shit he has done,” Amanda says, her voice growing softer. “And now I know.”

Michael lets his gaze move back to his ex-wife’s. “I’m sorry I was such a prick to you.”

“I wasn’t perfect either.”

He’s about to respond when he feels a hand land on his shoulder. He looks up to see Trevor hovering above him while looking at Amanda.

“Hey,” Trevor points a finger at her. “You better accept his apology or I’ll be hearing about it for the rest of the year.”

Michael watches Amanda actually crack a smile towards Trevor. “He was always really miserable. But, lucky for me, he’s your problem now.”

Michael scoffs. “Hello, I’m right here!”

“Yeah, we know. It’s hard to miss you, pork chop.”

Despite Trevor’s remarks, Michael can hear the man’s smile as he walks back over to join Tracey and Jim, and that makes the sides of his lips curl into a small smile too.

“I’m not going to say I understand it completely,” Amanda admits. “But if you’re happy, then I’m glad.”

“I am. I think I finally am.”