#but i also don’t want arizona to win the play-in

[austonwithan-o]

“We’re parents? Like actually parents?”

No warnings really… pregnancy ig if that’s a trigger

You sat on the bathroom floor. The cold tiles sending chills throughout your body, the pregnancy test on the counter sat there. Your period was late. You hadn’t told Auston mostly because you just realized it that day but you also didn’t want to freak him out, he already had so much going on during off season. Training and planning for the season to start, it was a lot and the last thing you wanted to do was stress him out. You were shaking, praying for a good outcome but you didn’t know what a good outcome was. Auston and you always talked about getting married first before having kids. That’s just the way you were raised and how you pictured your future. Starting a family was one of your biggest dreams and you had expressed it many times with him but with his career and everything going on for him, he wanted to wait a few more years. On the other hand you wouldn’t mind having a mini you or a mini him running around playing floor hockey until you were confident enough to get them in skates, imagining Auston as a dad made your heart ache longingly for those days but you had no idea how Auston would react to it being so soon. You looked down at your phone. The 3 minute timer rang loudly in your ears and you slowly stood up. Grabbing the packaging you peeled the wrapper back revealing two pink lines. Your breath was caught in your throat. You felt nauseous and shaky. Quiet sobs left your mouth but you covered your mouth because you knew you wouldn’t be able to stop once the crying really started. Your mind started racing with every outcome, truthfully you were happy but god you were terrified what Auston would think. You put the pregnancy test back in the box and threw it in the trash grabbing a wad of toilet paper and throwing it in to cover it. Auston wasn’t too observant thankfully. You knew he’d never look in the trash can and it bought you some time to think about how you would break the news to him.

You washed your hands and wiped your eye’s making yourself look presentable. It was almost 5 and he’d be home from playing golf with Mitch and Willy. Walking out of the bathroom and making your way downstairs you saw Auston pull into the driveway. You watched as the three piled out of the car grabbing their gear out of the back, you sat at the bar scrolling through instagram trying to distract yourself. The front door opening letting the warm Arizona air drift in.

“Hey baby how did the golfing go?” You asked not looking up from your phone.

“Absolutely crushed these goons.” He said laughing. He walked over lightly grabbing the side of your face, planting a kiss to your temple grabbing a beer from the fridge. Your anxiety was through the roof at this point and he knew something was up.

“Man I don’t even care, I’ve won the last 3 games buddy I just let you win this time.” Mitch said throwing his hat on the dining room table. “Sauce me a beer will ya?” Everyone was gathered around the bar at this point chatting and talking about their game mostly making fun of each other laughing.

“Mitch no one likes a sore loser bud.” Willy said cracking the beer open taking a long sip.

“I’m not a sore loser I’m just saying I won the last 3 times. This one win doesn’t mean anything.” You couldn’t help but laugh at their childish banter.

“Baby you want a drink?” Auston asked grabbing a white claw from your side of the drink fridge.

“Oh I’m okay! I’m not thirsty.” You said giving him a small smile, finally looking at him he gave you a weird look putting the drink back in the fridge. He went on with his conversation with the boys who were completely oblivious to the slight tension between you two.

You got up from the bar area heading back up to your room. Auston’s eyes not leaving your figure walking up the marble stairs, you could feel his eyes burning into the back of your head. You laid in your bed with Felix staring at the ceiling, you were so exhausted you slowly drifted off to sleep.

You woke up to it being pitch dark outside and a warm spot from where Felix was laying beside you. You checked your phone and checked the time, 9:55pm, “holy shit y/n… 5 hours?” You rolled your eyes slightly annoyed with yourself for sleeping so long. You definitely weren’t getting any sleep tonight. You got up from the bed walking into the bathroom to brush your teeth and at least get ready for the night and the trash can was spilled onto the floor. Felix had a tendency to go through the trash can and you were mentally punching yourself for not shutting the door this morning. Horror filled your mind as you realized the pregnancy test was missing.

“Fucking hell Felix!” You whispered under your breath. You were certain Auston was probably taking a night swim or watching tv downstairs. All you had to do was find Felix and get the test before Auston could find it. You tiptoed downstairs and found him sitting on the couch watching TV. His back was facing towards you. Felix’s head perked up from the couch, Auston didn’t move and neither did you.

“You wanna talk about it?” His voice was raspy. You could tell he had been crying and your heart broke at the sound of it.

He finally turned around holding the test. His face showed no emotion. Slowly walking towards him the tears started streaming down your face again.

“Auston I didn’t mean to hide it from you I swear. I - I just needed time to process it, I was going to tell you I swear.” Your voice wash shaky and small, he lightly grabbed your wrists bring you down to his lap. His eyes were glossy and his lips curved into a slight smile.

“Y/n I love you with my whole entire being God I can’t even imagine my life without you. I know we weren’t planning this but I’m ready to be a dad if you’re ready to be a mom. I want to grow old with you, I want to raise a little family, teach our kids how to skate, how to play hockey.” He was crying and his words made you cry as well. His hands travelled from your hips to your tummy. His tattooed hand rested onto your tummy lightly rubbing it. Your cheeks were on fire. The feeling of everything was so surreal.

“Auston we’re gonna be parents now…like actual parents!” Tears still poured out of your eyes but a wide smile spread across your face. He placed a kiss on your forehead placing it against yours. “You know I kind of guessed it earlier.” A cocky grin was plastered on his tear stained face. You rolled your eyes.

“Oh yeah? How’s that?” You asked now playing with the chain around his neck.

“You refused a white claw for starters and I know when you start your period and it’s been a week since you usually start. I put two and two together and when Felix brought the test to me it just confirmed it.”

“I’m mildly impressed that you pieced that together.” He just laughed. Lifting your chin up and kissing you. He scanned your features. He was so lucky and he knew it.

———————

[puckgoss]

not tea but tbh i don’t want the yotes to go to SLC. i don’t follow them but i think they just need help in az and moving them to another stadium not ready for hockey won’t help. also i wonder about the cultural impacts of that….marketing hockey to mormons? no hate to mormons but i don’t think that would make hockey more welcoming 🫠

yeaaahhh i mean i think hockey belongs in the desert and i'd love the yotes to stay there but... the NHLPA has been kicking up a huge fuss about the state of the arena, the locker rooms, the lack of professionalism the players have to deal with... if they get another arena built it's not going to be for 5+ years, and that was just too long for the NHL & NHLPA to wait. i can't say i disagree with that.

however, alex meruelo is an idiot and a con artist and is one of a long line of incompetent coyotes owners... like he wasn't even paying their hotel bills this szn until all the hotels banded together and forced him to pay w a check up front... he's been spending as little money on this franchise as possible, lying to his staff and players and the fans, and is now getting a huge pay day out if it... it's sick (derogatory)

it's rly sad bc hockey has clearly been successful there at a grassroots level - one of the best active players is from there (matthews), and the fans are clearly passionate as they've stuck with the team through decades of incompetence and bullshit. the nhl and the owners they trusted to take care of this franchise really fucked up and it's really sad to watch this go down.

in terms of SLC - i'm skeptical but i think it can work. yes there's a lot of mormons there ofc but it is genuinely a growing tech hub. i know of more than a few people in my circles who have moved there recently bc they can work for a local tech company/work remote/have access to big city amenities/have access to nature - skiing, mountain biking, hiking, etc.

this ryan smith dude seems like a bit of a weirdo. in general i don't trust wealthy culty tech bros (elon musk, anyone?) but he has a track record of purchasing and investing in a pro sports franchise (although purportedly the team hasn't been good underneath him - their STH base is strong). they are going to start off playing in an arena built for basketball, but they have a proper NHL-worthy arena on the way - with full local & state backing from both public and private sectors. they are already 10 steps ahead of arizona with regards to that, and that was one of the most important pieces to the NHLPA.

i do wonder how this is gonna work considering the strict alcohol and gambling laws in utah. sports betting is literally illegal there lol. i think one of the reasons vegas has done so well (besides the team just winning right off the bat, etc) is bc vegas has a party/entertainment culture... and when done right, the NHL is perfect for that. genuinely one of my fave things to do is go watch my local team, drink some beers, and soak in the atmosphere in the crowd. it's so fun. will require some major buy in from the growing corporate/tech crowd in SLC but as i said lots of younger people are moving there from other places so. we'll see how it goes.

they are getting a team with a ton of great young players and prospects (i do think some of the older players will request trades) and the owner seems willing to spend money and make a splash in free agency. if they get it right i think it can go really well.

i feel so, so bad for yotes fans who have lived through this long rebuild and are now having to watch their young players & prospects they were so excited for, grow and develop for a different city. it really sucks.

[mirandamckenni1]

Tea Time Interview: Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil! Gamer, influencer and incredibly talented frontwoman, I got to sit down with the gothic metal legend Cristina Scabbia over some tea, and it was impressively awesome. Not only did we connect on things like Diablo, but how she creates the astounding sounds she does and has dominated the industry for as many decades as she has. This is an interview you do not want to miss! Check out Lacuna Coil's site! https://ift.tt/nt9MQ2X --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WE HAVE MERCH! Check-out the full line-up here: https://ift.tt/4aVkhgj --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🎧 Elizabeth’s favorite headphones 🎧 : https://ift.tt/9wBT6DH Music Gear Questions? 🎤 See my list of recommendations: https://ift.tt/LZbj28T WANT MY CHAIR? I don’t blame you…and here’s a link to make it even sweeter: https://ift.tt/L67iJg8... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 🎙️Podcast: https://ift.tt/p07AJGP 🌐Website: https://ift.tt/TMKyItg 📸Instagram: https://ift.tt/TBfvh0O 🧑‍🤝‍🧑Patreon: https://ift.tt/9PBYLjk 📺Twitch: https://ift.tt/NG6OLcp 📰Our FREE Newsletter: https://ift.tt/jcLifxJ --------------------------------------COURSES------------------------------------------- 🎵MUSIC APPRECIATION COURSE🎵 Want to understand how to listen to and appreciate music more? My Music Appreciation course is now live. Take a look at https://ift.tt/TMKyItg 🎶DEMYSTIFYING SINGING🎶 My intensive 7-week course on vocal foundations includes weekly group sessions and private lessons. Learn more at https://ift.tt/X7Pqnet. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elizabeth Zharoff is an international opera singer and voice coach, with 3 degrees in voice, opera, and music production. She's performed in 18 languages throughout major venues in Europe, America, and Asia. Currently based somewhere between Los Angeles and Tucson, Arizona, Elizabeth spends her days researching voice, singing, teaching, writing music, and recording TONS. She also plays Diablo and Dungeons & Dragons. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Want a free voice lesson? Sign-up to WIN at http://bit.ly/freevocalcoaching --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976, allowance is made for "fair use" for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, scholarship, and research. Fair use is a use permitted by copyright statute that might otherwise be infringing. Non-profit, educational, or personal use tips the balance in favor of fair use. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- #lacunacoil #Interview #TheCharismaticVoice------------- via YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cKno4__CgcY

[bexreadstoomuch]

Magic Man - Chapter 7

After Winning your local Battle of The Bands competition, you don’t realise it’s your old school crush’s band that’ll you’ll be supporting for the next 4 months!

Can you put the past behind you and forgive?

EddiemunsonxReaderHenderson

NSFW — slow burn, fluff, flirting, reader has weight/image issues light angst, 18+ overall for eventual smut, drug/alcohol mention/use/language, angst

Masterlist Part 7/? [wc 1.4k] a/n - this one was hard for me to write, I adore this song but it also makes me cry as I feel a lot of myself in this. please comment, like and share <3

7 - Fat Funny Friend

3 weeks had passed since Halloween, Thanksgiving fast approaching.

The days had started to roll into one for you. Play the show, drive to the next venue, play the show. Day after day.

You had started to change how you dressed on stage, opting for larger shirts that came down to near your knees, thicker tights so no one could see your legs and your Dr Martens boots.

After most shows everyone tries to get together for food at a local diner, but you would try and excuse yourself so no one could watch you eat, feeling it would add more fuel to the fire you had raging in your head after what you heard people say about you.

It would take you straight back to those feelings you get back in High School, when the jocks would make mooing sounds when you walked past them in the halls.

Lula would always try and make you stay but you assured her you were fine and you'd see her later. You had noticed she was getting closer to Gareth and it was so nice to see her happy. You didn't want to ruin that for her.

The past 3 weeks you had travelled through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, and now setting up base in Iowa before the christmas break. You had gained new fans along the way having sell out shows every single night, which you knew was only because of who you were supporting.

Everywhere you went there was a large crowd of girls that would follow Eddie and the rest of Corroded Coffin around like little lost puppies. Their eyes go wide when they see him, wishing that he would just look at them. He would always play to the crowd, always ending most shows in nothing but his tight jeans, sweat glistening down his tattooed chest.

These girls didn't help the thought you had about yourself but you tried to focus your thoughts on your writing.

After another sold out show, the same routine played out. The guys would go outside to meet some fans, then everyone would get together to go head over to a local diner. As usual you stayed behind, knowing they wouldn't be far as the diner was located only next door.

Sitting down at a piano that was located at the back of the stage, you placed your notebook on top. It had been moved as far back as it could as it wouldn't be needed for either of your or Corroded Coffins sets.

Thinking you were alone, you start to play the melody, take a deep breath and start to sing.

“I break the ice, 

so they don't see my size, 

And i have to be nice, 

Or I'll be the next punchline…

I'm just the friend in Hollywood Movies, 

Who only exists to continue the story, 

The girl gets the guy while i'm standing off-screen, 

So I'll wait for my cue to be comedic relief”

You continue playing, closing your eyes tight trying to not let the tears you can feel fall.

Abruptly you stop, trying to compose yourself to carry on. You know you needed to do this, you thought it would make you feel somewhat better. 

“Can't be too loud 

Can't be too busy 

If I don't answer now, are they still gonna need me? 

Can't be too proud Can't think I'm pretty 

Do they keep me around, so their flaws just seem silly?”

You don't hear the footsteps approaching behind you quietly. Eddie had come to try and find where you had gone as he had noticed you didn't hang around everyone so much since halloween. He knew it was no doubt partly his fault, and felt guilty that he hadn't tried to talk to you sooner but he didn't know what to say.

He leaned against the side of the wings of the stage quietly watching you play. 

“Drawn out in Sharpie where I take the scissors 

If that's what it took for me to look in the mirror

I've done every diet to make me look thinner

So why do I still feel so goddamn inferior?

Life of the fat, funny friend

Life of the fat, funny friend

It's funny when I think a guy likes me

And it's funny when I'm the one who says, "Let's go to eat"

It's funny when I'm asked to go out on Halloween

Dresses and thigh highs, while I hide my body”

His face suddenly dropped when he heard those lyrics and heard the crack in your voice. 

“Y/N?” he called out to you from the dark of the wings.

You shot up out of the seat so fast the stool you were sitting on fell behind you. You were grapperling to get your notebook and hide it behind your back.

“Eddie, what the hell? Why are you here?” you ask him questionably, wiping away the tears now hitting your cheeks, trying to hide any evidence of them.

“I was worried about you and wondered where you had gone to and..”  you cut him off quickly before he could finish his sentence

“NO”

“NO! You don't get to do that” you were shaking now.

“You honestly don't believe any of this do you?” he motions to the piano, obviously meaning the song

“How much did you hear?” you ask looking down at your feet sheepishly

“Enough to know that none of that is true” he starts walking towards you but you take a step back. “Please sweetheart, talk to me” he pleads at you

“Why?” was all you could say back to him, still looking at your feet

“Because I….I” Eddie stuttered trying to find the right words “I wanted to tell you back in high school that..”

Before he could finish what he was saying your head snapped up looking at him dead in the eye, striding towards him eyes wide.

“You what? Wanted to tell me what you were laughing about with your friends? I heard you Eddie!” you shouted pushing him back with both hands on his chest, having now dropped your notebook to the floor.

“I heard you laughing with them about me that night I came to pick up Dustin! I'm just Dustin's BIG sister, his FAT sister, you wouldn't dare, what was it you said? Oh yeah! 'Not HER, NEVER Y/N HAVE YOU SEEN HER?'” You were now shouting at him, all the rage and upset over the year built up spilling out of you. Your wrists were suddenly grabbed by Eddie as he pulled you into him, encasing you in a tight hug.

“Y/N that's not what I said that night, I would never say that about you” Eddie's use of your name pulled your attention to his face which was etched with something more than concern.

Before you could figure it out, he quickly moved one of his hands to your cheek, wiping away a stray tear. Looking deep into your eyes for a split second he crashed his lips to yours with such ferocity you felt like your lips would bruise.

For a second you melted into his arms, but quickly snapped out of it.

Pushing him back off you with as much force as you could muster, you shout at him through tears “NO EDDIE! NO! You don't just get to do that to me! Pretend that you like me, No! Please leave me alone”

You quickly turn to grab your notebook off the floor and run off the stage making your way back to your bus.

“Y/N PLEASE WAIT!!” Eddie shouts after you but you do not turn leaving him standing alone on the stage cursing to himself, your head spinning from what just happened.

Eddie had kissed you. But it wasn't just any kiss. Yes you had been waiting for him to kiss you since high school, always imagining what he would taste like. You imagined he would be sweet with a hint of smoke. And you weren't far off. The only difference was the hint of Jack Daniels that he had drank that night.

That familiar knot had sprung back into your stomach at the thought of him. You traced your hands over your lips, trying to remember the feeling of his on yours.  Stuffing your notebook back into your bag you strip down out of your clothes into your pjs, crawling into the bottom bunk, hoping to have a dreamless sleep. But your dreams that night were clouded by the memory of a certain long haired metal head.

Taglist: @corrodedcoffincumslut @themrsmunson @emmalee-01 

[grandtheftgoose]

Unfinished warped tour dnf fic

I'm leaving so heres the self indulgent fic i wrote before leaving

The sun has been hot this summer, hotter than normal. Maybe the sun is hotter on Bishop stage than on Volcom. When he repeated these thoughts to George last night he just laughed.

“The sun doesn’t get hotter, idiot” he had scoffed, “it’s been warmer though.” They were on the balcony at the restaurant they were eating at, looking out at the sunset. Well, George was looking at the sunset, Dream was looking at George. 

“I love high fives again. Totally back in love” he had written on his blogpost, maybe it was too early to say but he was a songwriter after all. He wrote his feelings into songs that he sung to thousands, he knew feelings. He also knew he liked George. Looking at George under the hues of pink and orange made him realize how bad he wanted this. He wanted George and all his silly quirks. He loved his passion for music, quips, and silent affection. 

He wanted this so bad, he wouldn’t care about winning an award show ever again if he could have George. But he was scared to fall in love with a boy who wouldn’t love him back, more so he’s scared to fall in love and George stops loving him. So all his unspoken words to George went onto his livejournal page. 

George consumed his thoughts. Watching MCR during a set, it was George George George all the way down. Event in the heat of New Mexico, playing in front of thousands all he could think of was George.

George had kissed his cheek while they walked back to the buses. Blushing slightly before running up ahead to talk to Sylvee. Dream walked in a daze, almost stunlocked. Dammit George, you’ve done it again. 

Sapnap had stopped him before he could climb into the bus. 

“You really like him, huh?” Sapnap questioned, cocking his head.

“Are you gonna give me the shovel talk or something?” He looked out to the night sky, the stars shining above. 

“Well,” Sapnap spluttered, “that depends if you’re going to break my bandmates heart. We can’t lose our bass player.”

Dream scoffed, shaking his head. He wouldn’t even dream of breaking George’s heart.

“No way man. I really like him, "he murmured, his voice going soft.

“Good for you then,” he patted him on the shoulder, “don’t fuck this up.”

He just shook his head, heading into the van. I don’t wanna fuck this up either.

As he fell asleep in the humid van, all he could think of was George.

He woke up slowly, the lingering feeling of sleep leisurely leaving him. Somehow Dream felt even more exhausted than the night before. He grabbed a granola bar from the box, prepared to stay awake and write. Sam had only taken one look at him before ordering him back to bed. He slept the whole way to the next ground-site, the soft voices of his bandmates in the background. 

When he woke up, they were in Arizona. Which was just as hot as New Mexico, and he was just as in love. When he left the van to start soundcheck, it was humid and misty. He was lost in his head as they started sound check. Looking out over the grounds, The fog covered the campsite. It looks like a ghost town, he thought to himself. He strummed his guitar lightly while Sam and Puffy warmed up, and Bad chatted with a stagehand. They went over the set and a tricky part of “I slept with someone”, the sticky feeling left the air and Dream was starting to feel calmer. 

“Okay guys,” Bad exclaimed, clapping his hands together, “we’re gonna kill it like we’ve done all tour! We’ve got a couple hours til we go on, but please stay nearby. I’m looking at you Sam! It’s hot as heck out here, don’t wear yourselves out!”

“Looking at you Dream,” Puffy coughed, raising her eyebrows. 

He rolls his eyes, batting his hand at her. He’s definitely staying close since MCR is warming up after them. He looks out to the side of the stage where George and Sapnap are watching, Gia and Sylvee chatting behind them. He waves at George, smiling softly as George waves back. Sapnap elbows George then cups his hands, yelling “hey idiots, get off our stage!”

“Looks like our time is up,” Sam joked as he packed up his guitar. Dream just chuckles, shaking his head before moving to pack up his bass. After moving their equipment and clearing the stage, he sees George still waiting for him.

 He waves again before walking over, bumping their shoulders together. 

“Hey idiot,” George says smiling up at him, “you guys sounded pretty good out there.”

“Yeah yeah,” he says, batting his hand, “it’s just practice though.”

“Oh yeah?” he wiggles his eyebrows, “you guys sound even better than that? Guess I haven't heard it yet.”

Dream laughs. “Ooh, sick burn. Maybe you should watch our show today, see how good we can get.” 

George rocks backwards on his heels, “Maybe I will,” he hums, tapping his chin,“depends on my schedule. I’m super busy you know.” 

Dream chuckles, turning to look out to where the rest of MCR is setting up. Gia and Sylvee are talking to a stagehand they had made friends with the night before while Sapnap is watching him and George with a knowing look. Bad and Sapnap are going to be the death of me, he thinks t0 himself. Sapnap just wiggles his eyebrows before going back to setting up. When he turns back George is watching him with an emotion he can’t quite place. 

“I guess you should start warming up,” Dream prompts, “I’ll catch you later though.”

“You’ll watch our set right?” George cocks his head, smirking slightly. Watching other bands play on Warped Tour has made Dream realize why he liked music so much in the first place. Also because George looks hot when he plays the bass. 

“Yeah of course man,” Dream says, “after your show and mine we should hang out. I need some quiet, maybe we can take a nap in the van.”

“Wow,” George leers, “the great Dream wants to sleep with me huh? Take me out to dinner first idiot.”

Dream stammers, he can feel his face turning red. He feels so confident up on stage or interviews but everytime he talks to George, he turns into a mess. Like silly putty melting on the ground. 

“Can you two please keep it in your pants for once?” Sapnap shouts, saving him from his word vomit. “George get your ass over here and stop flirting, we need to start sound check!”

“Yeah George! Leave your boyfriend alone,” Sylvee heckles. George walks over to his band, speaking too softly for Dream to hear before looking back over. 

His face must be the color of a tomato now, but he just shakes his head and walks away. He heads down to where his bandmates are standing, grabbing a water from the cooler. 

“You’d think you were about to join my chem with how much you’re with them, man,” Puffy remarks. 

Sam jumped in, “Well, he’s definitely interested in something from George.” 

“Maybe that bass,” Puffy retorts, “when a bass player and a bass player love eachother very much”. She’s not wrong, he’s been spending a lot of time with George lately. It’s definitely not because he’s trying to join MCR though, he doesn’t want to think about what would happen if he and George became a couple. Them becoming exclusive would require them to define what they are, and George doesn’t seem interested in defining anything.

“What are we?” Dream had asked one night, “like everyone thinks we’re something and you’re the only person I’m interested in so like are we anything?”

George had responded “we’re you and me. George and Dream, that’s enough for me.” Before rolling over in the bus bed and falling asleep. 

So, no to switching to MCR or worrying about being a couple in different bands. Because they are not a couple, they’re just themselves. The ambiguity of it all is beginning to get to him, it makes him itch. Instead of voicing this to Puffy and Sam, he just laughs and moves to watch MCR. 

As he watches Sapnap jump around like a maniac, Bad moves to stand next to him. He studies Bad’s face for a moment, contemplating saying something before turning back to the band. They sounded incredible, even during sound check. Watching George play bass is always so incredible to him, he admires George and his music so dearly. He also looks hot playing bass. When he said as much to George, he just smiled. 

“Y’know,” Bad starts, “George isn’t the worst person you could be with. Like, he gets this whole being in a band thing, he’s very charming as well.”

Dream scoffs “thanks Bad.”

“No, I’m serious!” He exclaims, “being with George could be good for you, maybe you could write a love song.”

He thinks of the last pieces of a song he wrote for George. “Hot and miserable but totally in love.” Yeah, he could definitely get used to writing love songs for George.

“I think we’re just friends Bad,” he says, sighing. Good friends who have eachothers hands on belts in the dark and memorize the skin from his shoulder to his ear. 

Bad just smiles and pats his shoulder while heading upstage to talk to Sapnap while he just stands and stares at George. Sylvee catches his eye and waves him over.

“What did you think?” Sylvee rocks forward, “are we rockstar material?”

“Maybe you,” Dream jokes, “definitely not the other idiots.” They look over to where George, Gia, and Sapnap are standing. George and Sapnap are wrestling while Gia eggs them on. He can faintly hear George yell “get off me Stinknap”.

“Any chance you guys are looking for another guitarists?” She jokes, “or are you planning on stealing our bass player?”

He chuckles, shaking his head. “I don’t think he’d want to leave if I’m being honest.”

“Yeah, but you can offer something we can’t,” Sylvee wiggles her eyebrows, looking smug at her joke.

“I wouldn’t steal him from yall, he belongs on my chem.” Dream looks over to George, he and Sapnap have moved from wrestling to bullying Bad. 

“I guess we’ll keep him then”, Sylvee says, “but you’ve gotta stay nearby. He smiles more when you’re here.”

He thinks for a moment, he didn't think he meant much to George. He wants to ask George what he means to him, what they’re doing. He doesn’t want them to end when summer ends, but he’d rather it be a what-if than a heartbreak. 

Before he’s given a chance to answer Sylvee, the rest of MCR and his band have joined them. The eight of them are crowded to the side, way too much eyeliner in one place Dream thinks. While he was talking to Sylvee, Puffy and Sam had made plans to walk the grounds with MCR. 

“Are you walking with us Dream?” Gia asks, cocking her head slightly towards George.

He shakes his head, playing has woken him up more but he craves some time alone. “I think I’m gonna head back to the van and write some.” 

“If you need anything, we’ll be somewhere in here,” Puffy says while Bad starts to lead the rest of them away from the stage. 

“Be back at three!” Bad calls, “we need our bass player!”

“And that ass!” Sapnap yells, Dream walks off shaking his head.

He steps into the van, sighing as he sits at the table. It’s been a long couple of days, Warped Tour has been exhausting in the best way possible. He loves it so much but he’s so tired, his emotions have felt like a whirlwind. 

Pen to paper, right. That is what he needs to do with his emotions. He needs to write sad, emo bangers so they get invited to Warped Tour again, and because it’s the only way he knows how to map out his thoughts. 

Lately he’s been writing more on LiveJournal than he has in his notebook. Maybe one day Dream will be more careful about what he puts on social media, but at this moment he writes "hot and miserable but totally in love". 

[caffeinatedkylie]

You cannot tell me this year’s tournament wasn’t seeded for pure drama.

We (North Carolina) face potential match ups against Caleb Love* in the Elite Eight and either NC State (hated in-state rival**, 2-1 against them this year) or Duke (much more deeply hated, actual in-state rival, 2-0 against them this year, only one prior tournament matchup and we beat that ass***) in the gd title game.

I don’t think either of them is making it to the championship, but all of these possibilities, to be totally clear, make me feel physically ill 🫠

*Caleb is an extremely talented player who was with us for a few years and was part of a CRAZY postseason run in 2022, but then had a very tough, very up-and-down 22/23 season and ultimately transferred to Arizona. It was a hard departure, and a lot of fans were very shitty about it— I personally thought/think that the coaches had a lot more to answer for, but whatever. BUT he and we have had much better 23/24 seasons, it seems to be all love between him and the program/guys and unequivocally the best move for everyone involved, AND a lot of the fans who were shitty have come around and celebrated his successful season in addition to our own. It would be so incredibly stressful to watch him play us/us play him, and it wouldn’t feel good to cheer against him. (And while Caleb and the guys are competitors and made of tougher stuff than I am as it pertains to basketball emotions, it wouldn’t necessarily be easy for any of them either.)

**Kind of. The rivalry is extremely lopsided— 166-81 all time, 21-3 Final Four appearances, and 6-2 national titles, with >40 years since their last and us winning four in the meantime. But they want to be our rivals, and they come out every single time genuinely thinking they’re gonna beat the hell out of us, and we really enjoy reminding them where they stack up, so sure, they’re our rivals. Unfortunately, they did take the most recent matchup (to cap an incredible ACC Tournament run, to their credit) and they are REALLY feeling themselves about it. So while it’s highly unlikely they make it far enough to play us, boy do I not want to see it happen.

***It was an entire thing. Our head coach retired after the season ended in 2021. Theirs later announced that he was retiring after the following season and basically went on a year-long retirement tour; it was incredibly obnoxious. Which made it extra exciting when we beat them in the last game of the regular season, which was his last game on their home court. Then we played them in the Final Four in his last game ever, and it was too sweet for words, but it was also the most stressful night of maybe my entire life, and I am not equipped to play them on an even bigger stage only two years later lol.

[news4usonline]

Ohtani gets acclimated to Dodgers fans

LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Shohei Ohtani now bleeds Dodger blue. The Los Angeles Dodgers hosted their 2024 Fanfest at Dodgers Stadium, which was attended by a sellout crowd of 35,000. After the event, the Dodgers headed down to Arizona for spring training. Fans were excited to see their favorite players at Dodgers Fanfest, but one player in particular, Shohei Ohtani, drew the biggest cheers. Despite not having played a single minute for the Dodgers yet, Ohtani was the biggest star on the team, with fans running throughout the stadium to get pictures, videos, or just a glimpse of him.

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Mookie Betts. Photo credit: Eduardo Alfaro/News4usonline Ohtani was the last person to talk to the media and go on the main stage in front of everyone on the center field. The anticipation was felt as fans had to wait until the end of the fanfest to get to see the new face of the Dodgers for the next 10 seasons. The Dodgers spent over a billion dollars this offseason to put one of the best baseball teams on the field, with the goal of winning a championship. Freddie Freeman commented on the team’s spending, saying, “I was told they wanted all those guys, with Shohei that’s probably a lot. Then all of a sudden, Yamamoto comes and Glassnow. I was like geez, it’s pretty incredible.” Dodger fans are cheering the ownership for spending money to bring in talent, other fans are not pleased with what the organization is doing. They are now calling the Dodgers the villains of the MLB. Max Muncy responded to this criticism, saying, “If you want to call us the villains that’s fine, it does not change who we are in the clubhouse. It does not change who we are to our fans. We have to go out there and perform at the end of the day.” Mookie Betts added, “I don’t know how we established the villains; I don’t know where it comes from, but hey it is what it is. We have to embrace it. Every team is going to come for the Dodgers.” Betts, who played 70 games at second base in 2023, will be the Dodgers’ second baseman for the 2024 season. He is looking forward to playing second base and winning a gold glove for his defense. Betts has six gold gloves as an outfielder and was nominated last year for both outfielder and a utility role. “If I can get me a gold glove at second base, I will accomplish something,” Betts said. Dodger fans and players received a significant answer on Saturday regarding the team’s lineup. How will the top of the lineup be? Betts is expected to be the lead-off hitter the same as last season, but Dave Roberts has not revealed if he will have Freeman or Ohtani batting second.

Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman. Photo credit: Eduardo Alfaro/News4usonline Roberts took the stage in front of fans at center field and announced that Freeman would indeed be batting second, with Ohtani in the third spot in the lineup. Betts and Freeman should see better pitches batting in front of the reigning AL MVP Ohtani. “It’s going to be a blessing and a lot of fun batting in front of him (Ohtani) and seeing all the things he is going to do,” said Betts. Gavin Lux and Walker Buehler were also at the fanfest. They both missed all of last season with injuries. Lux is healthy and ready for spring training. He is looking forward to being the starting shortstop this year. Buehler coming off his second Tommy John surgery will not start the season as the Dodgers want to limit his workload to be able to keep him healthy and fresh for October. The organization has put together a great team on paper, but will it be enough? Will we see the boys in blue cruising in a parade through Los Angeles in late October for the first time since 1988? Read the full article

[enterenews]

Choo Shin-soo shed tears over his wife's internal affairs

Shin-soo Choo, the ‘problem son of the rooftop room’, showed off his affection for his wife while unveiling the 1,200 pyeong Texas mansion he purchased himself.

In the KBS2TV entertainment program 'Problem Son in the Rooftop Room' (hereinafter referred to as 'Okmun Son'), which aired on the 18th, Choo Shin-soo, the protagonist who set numerous records in the major leagues and returned to Korea after 21 years to win the Korean series, became the 'first baseball player guest'. appeared as

Choo Shin-soo is a player who has set numerous records, including the most home runs by an Asian player, the first cycling hit by an Asian player, the highest WAR by a Korean major leaguer, and the first MLB MVP by a Korean major leaguer. In addition, Choo Shin-soo is considered a legend who led the first integrated championship in Korean professional baseball after returning to Korea after 21 years.

Then, Kim Jong-guk mentioned that American fans cheered for 'Go CHOO' during his days with the Texas Rangers, a major leaguer. In response, Choo Shin-soo said, “Korean fans laugh a lot. In the midst of the noise, I heard ‘ㅋㅋㅋ’, and when I saw it, it was Korean people,” he said, bringing laughter. Then, he asked, “Even Americans don’t know what that means,” and Choo Shin-soo said, “The team members were cheering, but why are you laughing?” So I explained.”

On the other hand, Choo Shin-soo, the first Asian to hit his 200th home run in his career, surprised everyone by being known that he received $130 million in down payment alone in his contract with Texas. Kim Sook reacted to the fact that Texas has no state tax, saying, “Is it deposited into my bank account as it is?” In response, Song Eun-yi asked, “Don’t you pay about 40% (national tax) of what you received?” Shin-soo Choo said, “I pay more. I think I pay about 45%.”

At that, Min Kyung-hoon said, "But you won't give me money, right?" The people around her also wondered, “Because there is interest” and “I don’t think they will pay it?”, and Song Eun-yi laughed, saying, “Isn’t this the first time you’ve asked a question like this?” Then, Kim Sook made a joke, saying, "Isn't that why Shinsoo is not clear?" Jung Hyeong-don also added, "There are no wrinkles."

In addition, Choo Shin-soo was asked, “What was the first thing you bought after receiving 140 billion won?” “I bought a house. I lived in Arizona, and since I moved, I bought a house first.” The house he bought was a 1,200 pyeong mansion. Subsequently, the house where Shin-soo Choo lives was revealed, and from the luxury bathroom to the outdoor swimming pool, the size of the ‘huh’ sound caught the eye.

On the other hand, when asked, "How did you first meet your wife?" Choo Shin-soo said, "We met through introductions after the 2003 American season. The moment I first saw it, it was a bit different. The moment I saw it, I thought ‘this is a woman’. Actually, she didn't bring me there to introduce me, it was a casual meeting. But look, 'Huh? What is it?’ I wanted to.” He continued, “Rather than her wife falling for me, she said she liked what I do at a young age.”

In particular, Choo Shin-soo expressed his regret and gratitude to his wife. Choo Shin-soo's wife took on the role of a dedicated trainer in the poor minor rug life at the time. In response, Choo Shin-soo said, “I have three children. Normally, when I give birth to a child, I can take a three-day maternity leave, but I was in a hurry to play baseball, so I gave up the vacation and returned right away. Her wife drove herself out of the hospital the day after her birth. I was heartbroken to hear that story. I couldn't even afford to take care of her after giving birth."

At the same time, Choo Shin-soo said, “I used to have to go to the daytime game at 1 o’clock. I was worried that if I came in late after playing the game the night before, I would have to sleep, but if the child cried, I would not be able to sleep. I woke up and no matter how many times I called my name. I was living in an apartment at the time, but when I opened the door, her wife was sleeping on the stairs with the child. She said, ‘What are you doing?’ She said, ‘She slept there because she didn’t want to disturb her sleep.’ So as she went to work, she cried the whole time.”

[atlanticcanada]

Bedard shines as Canada preps for New Year's Eve matchup with Sweden at world juniors

Brandt Clarke was manning his position on the blue line early in the second period when the action abruptly stopped.

The Canadian defenceman knew Connor Bedard just had the puck on his stick.

Then he didn't.

There were gasps and cheers moments later Thursday night from the red-clad crowd inside Scotiabank Centre when they -- along with the officials and Bedard's teammates -- realized what happened.

The 17-year-old phenom had perfectly placed a shot from a tight, near-impossible angle under the crossbar on the unsuspecting Austrian netminder for his first of two goals in what would turn into an 11-0 romp.

"Very sudden," Clarke said when asked his perspective following Friday's practice. "Then you look at the replay and you're like, 'What in the world?' It was literally a puck-width of space and he put it in there only like he can.

"Pretty remarkable."

It has, quite frankly, been a remarkable week at the world junior hockey championship for the 2023 NHL draft's presumptive top pick.

Bedard has 14 points to lead the tournament -- linemate Logan Stankoven is second with seven -- and he's tied Jordan Eberle's national record of 14 career goals at the men's under-20 event.

The North Vancouver, B.C., native also knotted a Canadian single-game mark with seven points in Wednesday's 11-2 drubbing of Germany before putting up six more against Austria.

"Pretty special," said forward Dylan Guenther, a member of the Arizona Coyotes loaned to Canada for the tournament.

"You don't see that -- ever."

Except you might when No. 16 is on the ice.

And Clarke, a member of the Los Angeles Kings, believes Bedard could play in the NHL right now.

"He's got the drive, he's got the skill, he's got determination," Clarke said. "There's not exceptional status for the NHL.

"But if there was, he'd be the No. 1 candidate."

The star centre for the Western Hockey League's Regina Pats -- coincidentally where Eberle played -- is also just four points back of the record 31 put up over three world junior tournaments by Eric Lindros.

It's unlikely, however, the event will ever see Bedard again with a straight-line path to the NHL coming after this season.

The world junior records are nice, but what Bedard really craves is a moment like the one Eberle is truly remembered for -- his dramatic tying goal in the dying seconds of the 2009 semifinals in Ottawa against Russia.

"If you ask anyone in the country, they'd want to be scoring that goal," Bedard said. "It would be nice to score a big one like he has."

With the tournament hosts set to meet Sweden on Saturday in a New Year's Eve matchup with massive seeding implications, Canadian head coach Dennis Williams said Bedard would trade each of his points for another gold medal after also winning August's pandemic-delayed showcase.

"Everyone loves scoring goals and being on the scoresheet," Williams said. "But getting to know him deep down, he's here for one thing -- he wants to repeat.

"He'll do whatever it takes."

That drive comes, at least in part, from Bedard's appreciation of his dad's profession.

Tom Bedard is a logger in B.C., often starting his days before dawn and spending hours on the road getting to and from his gruelling job.

"Pretty hard worker," Connor said of his father, whose birthday is Saturday. "His schedule's probably tougher than most. He comes home and he's still the most positive guy.

"Realizing what he does makes me feel so lucky just to play hockey."

And Canada feels lucky to have Bedard.

"First played with him at the under-18 tournament," said defenceman Jack Matier. "He was the quiet kid. Coming back here, I really notice his confidence, but also his humility off the ice.

"And a very special player on the ice with his highlight-reel goals and all the skill in the world."

Clarke was asked what he thinks pushes Bedard, a player already being mentioned in the same breath as Connor McDavid.

"People get motivated in different ways," he said. "A guy that knows his abilities, likes to put on a show for people, likes to make plays with the puck, has the utmost confidence in himself. The drives him. He wants to be better than he was last game.

"Just the kind of person he is."

His country couldn't ask for anything more.

SEEDING SCENES

Canada enters the final day of Group A action with six points from three games. Sweden leads with eight, followed by Czechia with seven.

Canada dropped its opening game to Czechia. A regulation win for the Canadians over the Swedes would guarantee them second place ahead of Monday's quarterfinals.

Czechia -- the country commonly known as the Czech Republic -- takes on Germany in its round-robin finale.

MILIC GETS THE CALL

Williams announced Thomas Milic would start in goal ahead of Benjamin Gaudreau.

The only player not drafted when eligible on the Canadian roster -- Bedard and Adam Fantilli get their turn in June -- the 19-year-old netminder has used that as fuel.

"I'm pretty proud," Milic said of backstopping a star-studded roster. "(Not being drafted) is always something that's in the back of my mind. But right now my top priority is this tournament and helping the team.

"If you're playing good, you're playing good. That's all that matters in tournaments like this."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 30, 2022.

from CTV News - Atlantic https://ift.tt/JtCa9N2

[asktrust]

4peaks brewery

Four Peaks also produces popular limited releases like cask versions of its mainstay beers and its four-time World Beer Cup-medaling Hopsquatch Barleywine. The brewery will continue to brew their award-winning beers, including their flagship beer, Kilt Lifter, a Scottish-Style Ale that accounts for more than 60 percent of the brewery's sales. “We're excited to join the enthusiastic team and tap into their resources to expand our footprint and share our beer with even more people moving forward.”įour Peaks, which opened its doors in 1996, expects to sell approximately 70,000 barrels of beer in 2015. “For 20 years we've had more amazing experiences than I can count doing what we love to do most – brewing great beer and sharing it with a growing craft community in Arizona that has supported us from day one,” said Andy Ingram, Four Peaks co-founder. Four Peaks will represent the sixth operation to join the growing list of innovative and progressive craft breweries within The High End, the company's business unit providing unique craft and import brands. (December 18, 2015) – Today, Anheuser-Busch announced an agreement to acquire Four Peaks Brewing Company, the leading craft brewer in the state of Arizona. For single reservations, please call 60.Leading craft brewery in Arizona brings award-winning beers and brewpubs to the partnership The Draft Room at Chase Field is closed to the public on May 11, 2018. Now through May 31, 2018, 'Iron Horse' is available in a commemorative take-home glass at The Draft Room here at Chase Field, as well as at the Four Peaks 8th Street Brewery in Tempe and at the Scottsdale Grill & Tap. 'Iron Horse' is our small way of helping researchers eradicate ALS - through the power of beer." Someone is diagnosed with ALS every 90 minutes, and there's currently no effective treatment or cure. "From programs that support teachers to those that provide for veterans to those that help puppies get adopted, we do our best to offer help where we think it's needed most. "We at Four Peaks don't just want to sell beer we want to help make our community better," said Four Peaks co-founder Andy Ingram, whose brewery is doing a max donation to ALS Therapy Development Institute of $10,000. Light in body and color, the beer combines a mix of hops with bright flavors of honeydew, coconut, mown grass and mandarin orange. With over 6,000 new cases diagnosed every year, local brewery Four Peaks is doing its part to help combat ALS through a limited-edition beer named in honor of the first Yankees captain, "Iron Horse."ĭeveloped in partnership with Ales for ALS - a nationwide brewery program that that includes donating portions of sales proceeds to the ALS Therapy Development Institute - Four Peaks' "Iron Horse" is a 5.5-percent Alcohol By Volume golden ale infused with a special blend of hops that includes Citra, Loral and four experimental varieties. Sadly, the legendary first baseman's name is also forever linked to the deadly neuromuscular affliction that took his life at age 37 - amyotrophic lateral sclerosis aka Lou Gehrig's disease. 4 was the first jersey number retired in the Major Leagues in an emotional speech that signaled the end of his 17-year playing career. From his 2,130 consecutive games played record that stood for 56 years or hitting fourth behind Babe Ruth in the Yankees' batting order en route to six world championships, the seven-time AL All-Star's No. Even almost 80 years after his death, Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig's name continues to be synonymous with more than his fair share of baseball numbers.

[sanjosenewshq]

Eagles on high 49ers slip after embarrassment

We’ve a brand new new quantity. There should not be any dialogue about that. NFC continues to be a convention able to seize, however it’s good for the Philadelphia Eagles, 3-0, off to an amazing begin. After them, NFC affords a plethora of options. Amongst that group is the San Francisco 49ers, now with Jimmy Garoppolo on the helm. Here is how the convention stacks up: 1. Philadelphia Eagles » Number one. The indeniable. Jalen Hurts is the MVP’s greatest, and the Eagles are essentially the most full staff within the NFC. 2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers » The Bucs are shut. Protection is robust and offense has potential when it’s intact. You may know when that day arrives – the Bucs will rise to the highest of the listing of contenders for the Tremendous Bowl 3. The Los Angeles Rams »The Rams do not care about prep season, so that they all the time begin out a bit gradual. However the protection has seriousness, and the assault is near kind. They have been dominant in something final 12 months, so there isn’t any cause to fake like they’ve fallen this 12 months. 4. Inexperienced Bay Packers »The bundle has extra issues than options, however the protection has improved, and Aaron Rodgers’ man continues to be good. I do not suppose Inexperienced Bay is in the identical class as the highest three NFC groups, however they don’t seem to be within the class of groups behind them. 5. Minnesota Vikings » A gorgeous win from behind in opposition to the Lions highlights the Vikings components more than likely this season: win a ton at residence and steal a pair on the highway in opposition to dangerous opponents. This can be a playoff staff, however it’s not an actual contender. 6. San Francisco 49ers “The protection is just too good to write down off the Niners. That and the truth that Jimmy Garoppolo couldn’t play worse. The perfect is but to return for this staff. Monday ought to come in opposition to the rams. The 1-3 document is sufficient to undermine staff morale. 7. Dallas Cowboys » Cooper Rush has received two fill-in video games with Dak Prescott, and whereas the Cowboys seem like a large number on each degree, you’ll be able to’t argue with the outcomes. 8. Detroit Lions “There’s a lot to love about this Lions staff. They’ve the expertise and id you’ll want to win this league. It’s a disgrace they’re cursed to lose without end. 9. Arizona Cardinals What a large number. Simply to remind you: Head coach Cliff Kingsbury was not employed away from Texas Tech. He was fired from his place as head coach for Texas Tech after he was 35-40 (regardless of having Patrick Mahomes) and agreed to be the offensive coordinator at USC.The Cardinals then employed him to be their head coach. Seems like an amazing transfer guys! 10. New York Giants “Daniel Jones will not be half a nasty midfielder. It is a disgrace he is surrounded by a complete dangerous staff. 11. Washington Leaders »Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio is about to have loads of time to pursue his true ardour: spending time on the Fact Social. 12. New Orleans Saints “You recognize it sucks when James Winston, who has 4 fractures to his again, was nonetheless the Saints’ primary selection within the center. 13. Chicago Bears “They win once more – they’re 2-1 within the season – however why does it seem like everybody besides Justin Fields and Eddie Jackson are taking part in video games? 14. Seattle Seahawks “Seattle will increase its tempo on the offensive. It isn’t a nasty thought – their video games could also be over quickly. 15. Atlanta Falcons » Arthur Smith’s father is the billionaire founding father of FedEx. You’d suppose he might have purchased him a greater staff. 16. Carolina Panthers “The Panthers teaching workers determined it was a nasty thought to throw the ball to Christian McCaffrey. In different information, the Panthers will likely be searching for a brand new teaching workers quickly. Originally published at San Jose News HQ

[christanevspug]

and what if nashville won the draft lottery?

[trivalentlinks]

Highway from Hell

[Demon invasion crack-fic inspired by various demon stories, primarily Unsong.]

Notes:

- this crack-fic is really weird and maybe darker than canon. (Hardison kills some demons (not directly, per se, but still)) - I've lived in Christian places, but I'm not Christian, by culture or religion. Apologies in advance if parts of the mythology are wrong.  - Tagged OT3, in that they're "married", but it's not depicted as sexual or romantic.

Hell had been preparing for this day since the Divine Light started to shine in the universe once again. The day the prince of the demons would emerge from the Hellmouth with all his armies behind him, to take back what he believed to be his.

The humans had predicted this. Even as their laws of physics stopped working and their technology was dying, they had figured out where the Hellmouth would open just outside of Las Vegas. The entire southern half of Nevada had been evacuated, along with surrounding areas in California and Arizona.

However, while the humans may have been preparing for weeks, the demons had spent years setting this up--infiltrating the most powerful human organizations, debasing all the holy water reserves, and corrupting or abducting the clergy from the Pope down to the newest street pastor, anyone who could make more.

Then, the armies of hell ran into Eliot Spencer.

Facing the prince and his armies behind him, Eliot stood alone in the middle of the interstate, right where it crossed the Colorado river. The demons standing around their prince drew their weapons as they approached.

"Come now," the prince said to them. "Is that any way to treat an old friend?"

The demons put their weapons away.

"Leave this world, Damien," Eliot said, crossing his arms. "And don't come back."

The prince laughed. "You're not serious.

"You have sixty seconds to turn your forces back."

"Or what, Eliot? Can you even touch your powers anymore?"

"There are older forms of magic than ours--than yours, even."

Damien stared at Eliot in disbelief. "Love? Really, Eliot? You know better than that."

"The universe runs on magic, now, since the Divine Light returned. The magic of love, but also the magic of stories," Eliot said. "I love this world. It's my home. So tell me. If this were a story, and you marched in with all of hell's armies, while I stood here alone, who d'ya think would win?"

"Good thing this isn't a story," Damien said.

"Good thing I'm not alone," Eliot said.

To their north there was a series of explosions and then floodwater started to flow towards them.

"Seriously? That's your strategy? Blowing up a dam? You know we can't drown."

A moment later, though, he heard the screams of agony of the demons upstream, running away or, the ones who could, taking flight to avoid it.

"That's not possible," Damien said. "We destroyed all the holy water and corrupted or abducted every priest who could make more."

"The magic of stories," Eliot said. "I know a con man who learned enough about priesthood--still has enough of it in his soul--to play one, and a grifter who could weave his story convincingly enough to sway the universe itself."

"You'll die, too, when the water gets here. You can't even fly."

The demons who could were already taking flight and hovering some distance off the ground.

"Maybe," Eliot said. Then he added, "Clouds, now."

Dark and ominous rainclouds rose up over Lake Mead and advanced towards them.

"Want to guess what those are made of?" Eliot asked.

"How--That. Not possible."

"I also know a hacker with enough angel in him that when technology stopped working, he took to hacking the code of the universe itself. Starting with cloud formation."

"How are you signalling him? When technology stopped--even the code of the universe doesn't allow--"

"Like I said," Eliot said. "There's older magic than ours. The rituals were there. We just had to decode them, and, well. Hacker."

There was a beat of silence. Eliot could see the moment it clicked for Damien.

"Ritual marriage? You married a human for this? To use a soul bond as a comm unit?"

"I wouldn't call it married--"

"You need real love for that to work. Human love."

"Yes," Eliot said. "You do."

"Wait. You married an angel?" Damien spat, his disbelief turning to fury.

"Part angel. But yes."[1]

Damien reached for his bident in his pocket dimension, only to find it was not there.

Eliot smiled. "I also married a thief."

"You'll die, too, when the water comes. You made that choice when you joined us. Throwing your lot in with the mortals won't be enough to--"

He was cut off when a man flew in out of nowhere and barrelled right into him.

"We were talking, Quinn," Eliot said, rolling his eyes.

"You were taking too long," Quinn said, while he pummelled the prince of hell.

Some of the other demons tried to reach for their weapons from the pocket dimension, only to find that theirs were also gone.

"Like I said," Eliot told them. "I married a thief."

"Did you marry this guy, too?" Damien gasped.

"No, he's just a friend," Eliot said. Quinn landed a few more punches. "Acquaintance." More punches. "Person."

"The rest of you," Eliot said, addressing the crowd, again. "You can leave if you want. Don't hurt any humans, and I won't pursue you."

"And be a traitor, like you?" Most of the demons spat, but a few of them sheepishly started to fly away.

[Rain,] Eliot thought towards Hardison in his mind, when the demons who wanted to leave were gone.

It started to rain, and more of the demons tried to flee as they screamed.

"That really is holy water," Damien said between gasps, clearly feeling the sting. "You'll die, too!"

Suddenly, Eliot started to glow with an angelic light that Hardison projected through their bond. The rain and oncoming floodwaters flowed right off of him.

When Eliot spoke, the voice wasn't his own. "C'mon, really? Are you serious? Is this guy serious? As if I would just let my husband die."

[Dammit, Hardison, I'm not your husband,] Eliot thought furiously, while Quinn held Damien down in the holy water flooding up around them and Damien struggled furiously as he finally started to breathe the water into his lungs.

[You know, you shouldn't curse so much now that you've joined souls with a part-angel,] Hardison replied in Eliot's mind, and Eliot hated that with their new connection he could now feel Hardison's smirk.

[Hardison--]

[Also, it was a marriage ritual, man. Nate called it that. Even your old boss called it that.]

[It was a marriage of convenience.]

[Still needs actual love, so. Still counts. We're husbands.]

"Whatever," Eliot said out loud, taking back control of his own voice as Damien stopped struggling. "Come on, Quinn. That's enough. Let's go."

"But he's not dead," Quinn whined. Still, he let go of Damien's unconscious body and stood up to follow a still angelically glowing Eliot out of the floodplain.

"I know. But you won't fix that by drowning with him. Besides, lungful of holy water will put him out for a while, and when he wakes up, he'll have no home to return to."

Quinn frowned at that for a moment. Then he laughed. "Really? He opened the Hellmouth in a floodplain? He's more of an idiot than I thought."

"I don't think he got to choose that," Eliot said. "The universe determines where the Hellmouth opens."

"Still."

"Still," Eliot agreed with a smile.

End.

[1] Hardison inherited the angel part from his foster mom. Because genetics also work on story logic. After all, this is a story.

PS: If you’re still here, uh, sorry, but I warned you that it was a weird one. Have no idea what came over me but I just woke up with this idea in my brain of “the OT3 save the world from demon apocalypse with the power of magical polyamory” and also “why only Nate got a gloat scene at the end of TSLJ?? why not Eliot?” so here’s those two ideas combined.

[anagentinwriting]

Lifeline - Part 15

Summary: (First Responders!AU) Moving to Los Angeles and living with your brother, Thor, was never part of your plan nor was being a 9-1-1 dispatcher, but plans change when you are faced with your own emergencies. In your case, it was leaving behind a relationship that wasn’t as perfect as it seemed. Will this be the fresh start you were hoping for or will your past find a way to catch up with you?

Pairing: Steve Rogers x Odinson!Sister Reader

Word Count: 4800+

Warnings: Fluff, angst, language, fighting

Lifeline Masterlist / Main Masterlist

“Okay, girl. Let’s move onto your two-three combo, and then you are going to come at me with a right hook as if it was your ex’s face,” Val instructed, holding up her mitts.

You dropped your hands, looking at her. “I’m not doing this because I want to kick his abusive ass. I am doing this for me. To build up my confidence and get stronger.”

“Yeah, yeah. You just want to look good naked for Rogers.” She wiggled her eyebrows, and you started punching the mitts. “Thata girl, I knew I could hit a nerve,” she chuckled to herself. 

You completed a few more rounds, then Val decided it was time for a cool down. You nodded, breathing heavy, and stepped out of the ring. You wiped the sweat from your brow with your forearm while Val came over to help get you out of the gloves. 

“You’re killing it, YN. Like, if someone ever decided to jump you, well, I think they would lose a hand.”

You chuckled at Val’s compliment. “Thanks, I do feel more confident in my movements, and my punches feel like they have more power behind them.”

“They do,” she agreed, “but it’s not hard enough to make me need to ice my hands or anything, like some of the coaches have to do when M’Baku is practicing.” She raised her eyebrows, shaking her head. “Men always have to be the strongest, but they’re not always the smartest.” She let out an annoyed sigh, rolling her eyes. “How are things with Rogers?”

You smiled as she started to untie your other glove. “He’s good. I think we’re good. Why, what’s the gossip at the station?”

“There’s not much. He tends to keep to himself about you, but there are times when he does get all flustered, blushy, and red when we pick on him about you. It’s cute,” Val smirked, eyeing you over, feeling yourself have the same reaction as him. “Have you two kindled the flame yet?” She wiggled her eyebrows, making your face heat up even more. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” you chuckled, shaking your head. 

“Don’t tell me then,” she winked. “When Carol and I talk about you two, we think you two look good together, and from what you both have been through, you both deserve a win, and I’m happy you two found each other.”

You smiled, undoing the hand wraps. “Thanks, Val. Speaking of Carol--” you peeked up at her, watching her closely “--how are things? Have you told the crew yet?”

“Not yet, but I am sure most of them already suspect something is going on?” Val shrugged, taking a sip out of her water bottle. 

“I wouldn’t be so sure. I mean, they’re men,” you chuckled, rotating your wrists back and forth.

“Good point,” she laughed, tilting her water bottle at you. “They can be a little slower at picking up hints.”

____________

You sat on the couch folding laundry, following a developing armed robbery happening downtown at the Ideal Federal Saving Bank. 

“Christine, how are things looking there? Have any of the robbers been identified?” Megan Henderson asked from the KTLA studio to Christine Everheart at the scene. 

“Yes, Megan. We know two of the assailants at this time, Jack Rollins and Jasper Sitwell. They are two notorious criminals who have been involved in numerous robberies throughout the state of California, Nevada, and Arizona. We are still unsure about the three other associates assisting with this robbery at this time…”

The monitor by the front door started buzzing, pulling you away from the screen to see who was there. You smiled at the screen, seeing Thor waving at the camera with his hands full of groceries, and you buzzed him in. 

You walked over to grab the remote, seeing the film crew circling the bank in a helicopter, and switched off the tv. You would need Thor's full attention when he helps you make your mom's chocolate chip cookies for fire safety at the station tomorrow. 

“Sister, I come bearing gifts,” Thor shouted, somehow being able to open the front door with his hands full. “And did you see that robbery hostage situation--” he pointed in the direction to downtown LA “--Nat and Clint have their hands full with this one.”

“Yeah, they do,” you agreed, leading Thor to the kitchen to drop off the bags on the counter. You furrowed your brows at the multiple bags of groceries. “What did you all get? All I needed was flour, chocolate chips, and eggs.”

“They were having a sale, and I couldn’t resist.” He lifted up a six-pack of beer, smiling like a child on their birthday.

“Well, that’s not going to take you long to finish,” you smirked at him, pulling groceries from the bags.

“No, I got this for us to drink while we bake mom’s cookies,” Thor added with a sincere smile, scratching his beard. “You know brother-sister bonding. I also grabbed snacks, so we are less tempted to eat all the cookies.” 

You grinned, staring at him in awe. “Sounds like fun, let’s get these cookies started.”

“And I’ll open a beer for you and supervise,” Thor added, going into the drawer to get the bottle opener, and you narrowed your eyes at him.

___________

“Are you sure you’re doing it right?” Thor watched over your shoulders while you started creaming the butter and sugar together. “I don’t remember mom using one of these fancy mixers. She did it with one of those hand mixer thingies.”

“It just makes it go quicker,” you replied, rolling your eyes. “And you can do a bigger batch.”

“They’re not going to taste the same.”

“This is how I’ve always made them. You have literally watched me make these cookies with this machine before.”

“Oh well, I noticed they tasted different.”

“You’re insufferable, Thor,” you stated, turning around and pushing him to the other side of the counter. He laughed, taking a seat on the stool across from you.  “Do you want to find my cookie scoop? You’re scooping once I have everything mixed.”

“Finnneee,” he dragged out, complaining. He went over to the drawer and pulled out the scoop, and returned to the stool. “How have things been going with Steve?”

“It’s been fun,” you smiled, adding the eggs to the mixer bowl and turning it on.

“I’m glad. I’m the one who told Steve he could date you.”

“Wait,” you narrowed your eyes at him, “did he ask for permission?”

“No, I just told him that if I had to choose someone from the station to date you, I’d pick him.”

“Oooooh, so you picked him for me?” You scoffed, eyeing him while you added the dries in a little at a time.

“No, no, nothing like that. You can make your own decisions, but you’re a good person, and I wanted you to be with a good man. Besides, Steve is an old fashion guy, and with Dad not around anymore to ask, I figured I was the next best choice since I am the eldest.”

“And Loki was okay with your decision.” You scraped the bowl, adding in the chocolate chips and turning the mixer back on. 

“Well...I didn't ask him per se, but I think he would agree with me on this,” Thor stated, taking a sip of his beer.

“But, when have either of you agreed on anything...ever?” You turned off the machine, taking the bowl off, and started scraping the dough off the paddle. “Besides, you know I can make my own decisions right. I’m an adult.”

“Yes, of course,” he chuckled, playing around with the cookie scoop until it flew out of his hand and skimmed across the kitchen island. “Of course.” He nodded. 

“Says the man child, playing with a cookie scoop,” you snorted, shaking your head.

The last batch of cookies was in the oven, and the rest were cooling on sheets of newspaper. It wasn’t uncommon for you to get a few stares when you made cookies with an audience, but every time you made them with your mom, she’d use a spatula to get them off the pan and then place them on newspaper. You didn’t want to break that little tradition you got from her. 

Thor plopped down on a stool at your small island. “Why did I have to scoop them all?” Thor asked, taking a sip of his beer. 

“They’re for your job, I’m not going to do all the work,” you sassed, shaking your head, forcing him to crack a side smile. “Now you wash, and I’ll dry.”

“Do I have to? I just sat down,” he asked with a slight frown.

“Yes,” you stated as he groaned, standing up and making his way to the sink. 

He let out a loud sigh, turning on the faucet, and narrowing his eyes in your direction. You stuck out your tongue at him while you continued to put ingredients away. He sighed loudly again, and you gave him the side-eye as he leaned against the counter, watching the suds magically appear in the water. “I’m happy for you.”

“Okay?” You replied more in a question than a statement. You narrowed your eyes at him, not knowing where that came from. 

“It’s nice to see you smiling and having fun again. You know, putting yourself out there. It’s nice having the sister I grew up with back. I’ve missed her.” He stood up straight, cracking a child-like smile at you. 

“Me too,” you smirked, leaning against the counter. 

He turned back to the sink, placing a few dishes in, and started washing them before placing them on the drying rack. It was weird to watch him do civilized things because he never did them when he was younger. When he left New York, the annoying older brother you grew up with started taking responsibility for his actions. While most actions not involving his nightly escapades. You take a sip of your beer, grabbing a clean cloth to dry, and start putting the dishes away. 

“I filed for divorce yesterday,” you mentioned, hearing Thor drop what he was washing into the sink.

He placed his hands on the edge of the sink, clenching his jaw at the sudsy sink. 

“He’s going to know where you are. Are you okay with taking that risk?” He inquired, scratching at the short beard on his face, turning to you.

“I know it’s a risk, but the only way I am ever gonna feel free of him…is to be free of him.”

He nodded, clearing his throat. “Are you going to feel safe here? Cause I can take the couch and stay for a few days. I can take work off and…”

“Thor, Thor,” you interrupted, placing your hand on his upper arm. “I’ll be okay.”

“I know, I just… I want… I want to make sure you’re safe.” 

“I know, and I will be,” you smiled at him, giving his arm a reassuring squeeze.

“Is Steve gonna come and stay with you?” 

“I don’t know, maybe.” You shrugged, keeping a close eye on your brother; his bottom lip trembled as his eyes darted in all directions. “Is everything alright?”

He nodded his head aggressively. “Yeah, I’m fine. Totally fine,” he stated in a high-pitched voice, laughing it off.  “But um…I think it would be better if someone stayed here with you, so I know… so we--we all know you’re safe,” he stumbled over his words, wringing his hands together. “Have you at least talked to Loki? What does he think? Does he want me to stay with you?” He asked, rambling on in one breath. 

“I was going to call him tonight and let him know,” you informed softly, trying to calm him down. “Thor--” his worried-filled eyes connected with yours “--I’ll be okay. Okay?” You gave him a reassuring nod. “I know after what happened before...that you blame yourself or you feel like you failed, but you didn’t. I don’t blame you for what happened because it wasn’t any of your doing. I put myself in that situation, and I continued to go back.”

“But, I could have gotten you out of that situation. I am the eldest, and I should’ve done a better job at protecting you, or at the very least, listening to you. I shouldn’t have taken Billy’s side, and for that, I blame myself,” he sniffled, clearing his throat. 

“Thor--” you rubbed his arm, making him look at you “--Billy is and will always be a master manipulator. We all fell for it…”

“Loki didn’t. He saw right through the man,” Thor tried to reason, raising his eyebrows. 

“But he didn’t stop me from going back to Billy. I mean, he tried, but Billy already had me wrapped around his finger.” You paused, biting your lip. “There is no sense in playing the blame game when the only person we should be blaming is Billy.” Thor opened his mouth to say something, but you continued. “You’ve helped me more these last few months than you will ever realize. Don’t think about the past and how you could’ve helped me, but think about right now, and how you did help me. I still don’t know how to thank you for it.”

“You can thank me by letting someone stay with you for a couple of weeks.”

“Wow...we’re still on that,” you scoffed, forcing a trembling chuckle out of him. “I know open communication was never our family's forte, but I love you, brother.”

“Love you, too, sis,” he smiled, leaning towards you and pulling you into a hug. 

___________

You walked into the station through the open garage doors, noticing the spotless, shiny red trucks glistening in the sun, bringing a sense of ease over you and a smile to your face. This place felt like a second home that came with a family that you didn’t know you needed. You spotted Steve helping a few guys set up chairs in front of a portable tv while others set up tables for interactive activities for the kids to participate in. There were even goody bags with plastic red firemen hats and the treat table that continued to grow. 

“YN, I see you got talked into making something, too?” You looked over to see Nat, holding a pan of brownies, and you lifted your two containers of cookies. “I swear these boys wouldn't survive without us. I mean, Val and Carol would be safe, but the boys.” She shot you a tight smile, shaking her head. 

“Agreed,” you chuckled.

“And there is my nerd now, I’ll be back,” she winked, walking over to Bucky. She handed him the brownies, and he leaned down and kissed her ever so gently. 

“It’s disgusting, isn't it?” You looked to your right to see Sam with his arms crossed, rolling his eyes. 

“I think it’s kind of sweet,” You chuckled, rubbing your lips together and glancing at them one more time. Steve caught your eye, and a sweet smile broke across his face. “You’ll find someone, Sam. You’re such a catch.”

“Uh-huh,” he grunted.

“Would some cookies help?” You offered, handing him the containers. 

“Yes.” Sam grinned his gap-tooth smile, taking the container. “Thank you, YN. This is why you’re my favorite.” He took a bite out of one of the cookies, walking away, holding it up in the air. “The best batch yet.” 

Steve shook his head at a grinning Sam, walking over to you, and pulled you into a hug. You giggled into his chest, wrapping your arms around your waist, and he started swaying back and forth. You rested your chin on his chest, staring up at him. He leaned down, giving you a quick peck on the lips. 

“How did Bucky and Steve get girls like that?” Sam asked Val at the treat table.

“I guess some people just get lucky.” Val shrugged, and Sam angrily took a bite out of another cookie.  

“Want some ice cream?”

“Yes, I want all the ice cream,” Sam added, following Val to the break room. 

“Question--” Steve stopped swaying and pulled away from you “--do you have any plans for tonight?” 

“No, why do you have something planned,” he teased, shooting you his signature smirk.

“Maybe.”

“What are we doing?”

“I’m afraid that is classified, but I have something for you.” You reached into your purse, pulling out a manila folder, handing it to him. 

Steve narrowed his eyes in curiosity. He opened the folder, his eyes scanning it over. “Divorce papers. This is a big step, YN,” He smiled at you, but it quickly dropped to concern. “Billy is going to know where you are.”

“I know, but I feel like it is time to put the past behind me and move on with my life.”

“Okay, as long as you’re ready, then I’m here for you with whatever you need.” 

“I know,” you smiled shyly.

“Isn’t it amazing?” Thor clasped a hand on Steve’s shoulder. 

“Yeah, I’m proud of her,” Steve winked, making your smile spread wider.

“As am I,” Thor smiled, squeezing Steve’s shoulder. 

You shake your head at them. “I better get to my shift, but Sam has the cookies, and I want my containers back ASAP, or I am going to hurt you, Thor.” You stated, walking backwards.

“I’ll make sure they are in your possession tonight.” Thor saluted, making you shake your head.

“Have a good shift, YN. I’ll see you tonight.”

“Just know this, Steve, if you hurt my little sister, we will have more than words,” Thor stated, squeezing Steve’s shoulder a little harder watching you walk out of the station with Nat by your side.

Steve nodded, turning to him. “I don’t intend to.”

“Good man.” Thor patted him on the shoulder, giving him a closed-mouth smile. “Before she met you, she was lost in her own little world. Fighting the beast, invading her dreams, and trying to tackle her own troubles. She thought she could only rely on herself to make the important choices but soon realized she had supporters, like you and me. So, thank you, Steve, for helping bring my sister back.” 

Steve nodded to Thor as the tall man went back to help the group set up.

“Did he threaten you?” Bucky asked with a breathy laugh, coming over to him.

“Ahh…yeah…sort of….I think.” Steve's eyebrows knit together, trying to figure out what exactly just happened. “But, I’m gonna make a quick call.”

“Do your thing, pal?” Bucky patted him on the shoulder and went over to help the group finish up.

Steve took out his phone until he found the name he was looking for; He brought it to his ear as soon as it started to ring. 

“Hey, Steve. How’s it going?”

“I’m good. Listen, I’m not going to be able to play pool tonight. I got a...I  got a date,” Steve smiled at his own words, scratching at his beard.

“Oh, is this the one you have been kind of seeing?”

“Yeah, YN.”

“Good for you, man.”

“Thanks, but I gotta get back to work. I’ll see you later.”

“I have a feeling we’ll see each other soon. Have a good night, Steve.”

“Bye, Jig,” Steve smiled, sliding the phone back into his pocket, and headed over to finish getting everything ready for fire safety.  

__________

The team stood by one of the open garage doors in anticipation for the first group of young students and their teachers to arrive. The workout room was transformed into a small teaching area, complete with fold-out chairs and a roll-away tv. Snacks and goody bags were also waiting for them with a welcoming banner hanging from the second-story loft. 

Steve let out a deep breath with his hands on his hips, eyeing at what they were able to accomplish.  It looked very welcoming, but he didn’t know what was going to happen. He liked kids but wasn’t always great at talking to them, but Carol reassured them that the first group of students might not go as planned, but they had another six to make up for it. 

“First group approaching,” Sam shouted, going over to the door to greet them. Sam shook the teacher's hand, flashing her his famous gap-tooth smile. 

Bucky scoffed beside Steve, gripping his shoulder. “Don’t be nervous, pal. Just avoid swearing or talking about anything too scary. Kids think we are badasses, and they look up to us. We are heroes to them.”

Steve swallowed, nodding at him. He rubbed his hands together, taking in the twenty little kids, grabbing snacks, and taking their seats while Carol stood in front of them with a huge smile.

“How’s everyone doing today?” Carol asked, earning a group of students shouting while others remained silent. “I’m glad to hear it. My name is Captain Carol Danvers, but you can call me Ace, and I am in charge of Station 107. Those wearing the dark blue shirts around you are my teammates.” She pointed to Sam, who then introduced himself as they went around the room. “Now that you know my team, what are your names?”

The teachers introduced themselves before the kids went around the room saying their names. Steve stood off to the side, nodding his head, trying to remember every kid’s name. His eyes stopped on one familiar little girl, Morgan Stark. She caught his eye, and she waved with an exciting smile on her face. He nodded at her, mimicking her expression on his face. Steve noticed she also waved at Sam. Seeing her brought back the memory of his first encounter with YN and losing his dispatcher cherry while saving Morgan from the electrified pool in the process. 

“Do any of you know the number to call in case someone needs help?” Danvers asked, bringing Steve's attention back to the present. Hands flew into the air, including Morgans. Danvers pointed to one of the students, and he replied with 911. 

Steve zoned out as Danvers continued to talk with the young kids. His eyes traveled around the room, noticing how some of the teachers would catch his eye but then quickly look away. He smirked, realizing Thor and YN weren’t kidding when they said the teachers would flirt with them. Thor winked at one of them, and she blushed, unable to keep the smile off her face. Steve shook his head at them, returning his attention to Danvers.

“....when you dial 911, your call gets directed to a dispatcher, and they use a system called CAD, which is a computer-aided dispatch. They punch the address you give them in, and the dispatcher can figure out what unit is closest for them to send help. Now, how many of you know your address?” A few hands shot up, and Carol nodded. “It’s okay if you don’t just go home and talk to your parents about it. They love to watch you learn and would be more than willing to help.” She nodded, clasping her hands together. “We are going to watch a quick safety video and then break off into groups and do a few different activities and see some cool things. How’s that sound?” She got a few cheers from the students while the others kept quiet. Danvers smiled, switching the tv on and pushing play on the DVD player, before stepping off to the side. 

The kids broke off into four smaller groups; Bucky and Steve took their group around, showing them different trucks, and explained their purpose. Steve couldn’t help but smile when the kids’ faces brightened up upon seeing the inside of the trucks. They did their best to explain what some of the equipment inside was, but most of the kids seemed too excited to listen. According to Bucky, kids like seeing the trucks and could care less about the other activities they had set up.

The first group's time was coming to an end, and the team could see the next class approaching in the distance. The team handed out gift bags, and all the kids were smiling and putting on their red plastic hats. The teachers told the students to say thank you, and they did so in unison before they retreated towards the door.

Steve stood by the entrance waving goodbye to the previous class, awaiting to greet the next class. He felt a tug on his pants, and he looked down to see Morgan smiling up at him.

“Hey, shouldn’t you be up there with your partner?” He leaned down to her eye level, resting a knee on the ground.

“She is waiting,” she pointed to her, and Steve smirked, seeing her waiting impatiently. “Besides, my teacher is still talking to the tall one.”

He glanced over to see the tall one was Thor, and he was doing the thing he always did. “Look at that, you’re right.” He nodded. “What can I do for you, Morgan?”

“I wanted to give you this--” she handed him a homemade card “--the tall one helped me make it at the coloring table.” She rocked back and forth on her feet and blushed.

“Aww, thank you.” He opened the card, reading: Thank you, Fireman Steve, for saving me, and it was an image of her in a pool with him on one side and Sam was on the other. “You’re welcome. I like it. You are quite the artist.”

She smiled. “I gave one to Fireman Sam, too.” She pointed at him with a smile.

“I’m sure he loved it, too.” Steve smiled at it. “I'm going to have to put this on my fridge at home.” He chuckled, and in an instance, the little girl wrapped her little arms around her neck and pulled him close. He patted her on the back and pulled away. “Stay out of trouble, and don’t get into any more electrified pools.” 

She shot him a funny look. “You too,” she smiled, running over to her partner.

Her teacher passed by him, folding a piece of paper and sliding it into her pocket, which Steve could only assume to be Thor's number. He shook his head, looking back at Thor to see him staring at her retreating figure. 

Thor caught Steve's eye, and he shrugged. “What? I like women, but you know, not in a creepy way.”

After the first class came through, the rest of the groups were easy; having got the lay-of-the-land and knowing what to say. Although towards the end of the day, the older kids, the 2nd graders, asked more daring questions, in which Steve tried to keep it G or PG.

“And with that, class is dismissed,” Danvers stated, plopping down in one of the fold-up chairs, sighing loudly. 

“Hear, hear,” Sam nodded, plopping down next to her. “It’s the repetition that gets me. I could go home and fall asleep right now. Who knew kids could be so exhausting. I praise the teachers cause I know I couldn’t put up with their shit all the time.” Everyone murmured in agreement.

“How are you all tired?” Thor asked with his hands on his hips.

“We weren’t at the coloring station. We were explaining and answering questions trying to keep things kid-friendly.”

“Well, you should’ve been. In my opinion, it’s the best station.”

“No, the trucks are, the arts and crafts station is the boring table. The kids were talking about it,” Bucky added, folding up a few chairs. 

“Doesn’t matter, I got a few numbers. And...” he walked over to the snack table, taking the last of YN cookies “--I got the last cookie,” he chuckled, taking a bite.

“Let’s quit complaining about what activity was better and remember it was about teaching the kids,” Danvers stated. “Now, let’s get this cleaned up, so the crew can do their job tonight.” Everyone mumbled, nodding in agreement. 

Thor snapped the container to your Tupperware shut, shoving the last bite of cookie in his mouth. “I could drop off the Tupperware tonight if you’d like. I’m meeting up with her after her shift,” Steve offered, packing up the leftover snacks. 

“Yes, I suppose you could, but if they go missing and she doesn’t get them. This all comes back to me, and I don’t need that on my conscience right now.” 

“Probably a good idea you do it then,” Steve chuckled. 

____________

Standing in front of the mirror, you try to get your hair to do a thing, but it isn’t doing the thing, so you decide to leave it as is. A buzzing sound at the front door brings an excited smile to your face. You trotted down the stairs, seeing Steve and Cosmo at the gate. You buzzed them in and went into the kitchen to grab two wine glasses and a bottle from your stash. You set them on the kitchen island, hearing Cosmo barking on the other side of the door. You smirked to yourself, walking over to the front door, remembering Steve mentioning how much Cosmo missed you. It was utter nonsense, but you couldn’t help but smile. You opened the front door, and your smile quickly disappeared.

“Billy.”

“Hi, honey. Did you miss me?”

_________

AN: Thanks for reading part 15! Those pesky cliffhangers! Where did Billy come from? Has he been watching her this whole time? Hmmmm....any theories?! And of course, all of this had to happen when things between her and Steve were finally going forward. It's almost like I planned it! Muwahaha! And speaking of Steve...what could’ve happened to him and Cosmo? Besides the ending, did you like Thor and her little chitchat, the brother-sister bonding sesh. We did learn that Thor clearly still blames himself for what happened way back then, but maybe now after their little chat, he will finally start forgiving himself, but who knows with the current revelation happening! 😬 And Val and Carol, did anyone guess that happening?! Also, did you enjoy fire safety day?! I thought it would be a good throwback to the first chapter and bring Morgan back, and I thought it would just be cute seeing the team trying to keep things G/PG when talking about their job. Haha! Better prepare yourself for the next couple chapters, cause things are going get deep! As always thanks for reading, comments always welcome! 

[alphadaddyderek]

Dude, just get out! (we both live here dumbass!) (sterek fic, smut, college au)

Stiles was initially excited to go to college. The freedom aspect of it in particular is what Stiles was the most excited about. Don’t get him wrong, he loves his dad, of course, he does. He didn’t mind living with him, he liked seeing him on a daily basis. He’s all Stiles has. Well, Stiles has Scott, but Scott is attending university in Arizona of all places. Meanwhile, Stiles is going to NYU, so, there’s not a lot of opportunities to see Scott or his father in person.

Not to fret though! Stiles was ready like Freddy to meet new people and, hopefully, make new friends along the way. That’s what college is all about. Supposedly, Stiles wouldn’t know but if all the movies are to be believed then that’s what college is all about.

He and his dad spent days driving up to NYU and then spent hours moving Stiles’ belongings into his off-campus apartment and unpacking. Stiles got a full-ride —thank god— so there’s extra money for him to be able to live in an actual, nice apartment instead of the dorms. His roommate was nowhere to be seen at the time, but that was fine with Stiles. He’d have plenty of opportunities to get to know him. Stiles’ dad left to stay in a hotel for the night because there was no way he was starting the trek back to Beacon Hills this late in the day. So, Stiles was left to his own devices in his new apartment.

Well, he was for about twenty minutes, then his roommate came back and...he’s kind of a dick.

He has a resting bitch face and he hardly likes to talk. Stiles doesn’t know if it’s because the guy doesn’t like him or if he’s just the quiet type. He’s starting to think that the guy doesn’t like him because every time Stiles starts talking he looks annoyed. The dick’s name is Derek and coincidentally, he also goes to NYU. He did tell Stiles his major, but wouldn’t tell Stiles what his favorite color was, which is just plain rude.

Anyway, Stiles isn’t going to let this Debbie downer ruin his college experience, no way!

Stiles decides the best thing to do is to just ignore him. Which is hard to do because the guy takes up so much space, like, he’s actually huge. And he always seems to be in the apartment when Stiles comes back from classes. Which is weird because, dude, don’t you have classes to go to? Nonetheless, he’s always there which means Stiles has to see him all the time and Derek can continue being an asswipe for no reason.

For example, Stiles sometimes forgets to wash the dishes —sue him!— and Derek will chew him out for it. Stiles didn’t know Derek was such a neat freak, but now that he knows he’ll leave more things laying around because Stiles can also be a dick when he wants to be. Maybe Derek should learn to be more personable, then Stiles wouldn’t have to go out of his character by doing such petty things. They’ve only been living together for about a week and a half and there’s already a turf battle going on. Stiles isn’t sure who’s going to win this battle, however, the sight of Derek tripping over one of Stiles’ shoes and the subsequent curse that flies out of his mouth makes Stiles not even care in the end.

--------------

After about a month, it's way more than just a battle. The turf battle has evolved into a war and now, no one is safe.

Derek continues being yucky and Stiles continues to do things to intentionally annoy him, except, now Derek is doing things to annoy Stiles. Like, eating all of Stiles’ Pop-Tarts or, and this is a cruel one, flushing the toilet while Stiles is in the shower. Unfortunately for Stiles, Derek buys gross ass healthy food for himself, and Stiles couldn’t choke down that food to save his life. So, what can one do to even the playing field?

Derek is sitting on the couch in the living room, watching some show about underwater caves. Stiles normally wouldn’t stick around because, despite what Derek might think, Stiles really doesn’t enjoy being talked down to by an abnormally grumpy man. This time though, Stiles sits down beside him. He can see Derek watching him from the corner of his eye, probably waiting to see what Stiles is going to do. Stiles likes to instill fear in Derek. Normally he acts like Stiles is nothing more than a bug he wants to squish under his overly expensive boot, but now? He’s worried. He should be. Stiles is going to pull out his ultimate weapon.

“So, whatcha watchin’?” Stiles asks, plastering a smile onto his face.

Derek gives him a suspicious look. “Why do you want to know?”

Stiles shrugs, smile still present. “I’m curious. This show seems interesting.”

Derek gives him an incredulous eyebrow raise, which is super insulting. Derek thinks all Stiles watches is Harry Potter, Star Wars, and superhero movies. Which is just wrong. But that’s okay. Stiles thinks all Derek watches are documentaries about how to be a functioning human in society, which, newsflash Derek, still needs working on.

A few minutes go by before Stiles decides to speak again. “So, you haven’t told me about your family.”

“That’s intentional.”

Stiles laughs. Derek thinks he can scare Stiles into leaving him alone. Unfortunately for Derek, Stiles has zero self-preservation skills.

“Come on Derek. We’re roommates. Don’t you want us to get along?”

Derek didn’t dignify that with a response —rude!— so Stiles speaks again.

“My dad is the sheriff of my hometown. Been that way for as long as I can remember. My best friend, his name is Scott, wants to be a vet. He goes to The University of Arizona. After that he’s not sure where he’ll go to get his DVM but he’s open to anything.”

Derek turns the volume up on the tv and Stiles bites his lip to stifle his laughter.

Ah, Derek. That won’t help.

“At first I was kinda skeptical about Scott becoming a vet. I mean, he’s a puppy himself, and I love him to death, but sometimes he’s ditzy. He’s a ditzy brunette. But after working at Deaton’s, Deaton is the town vet, for years he’s proved me wrong,” Stiles risks a glance at Derek and he’s scowling so hard Stiles is kind of afraid it’ll get stuck that way forever. “He and his girlfriend, Allison, are kind of having issues with long-distance but they’re high school sweethearts so I’m confident that they’ll work through it. They’re so cute together that it’s actually kinda nauseating. Like, sometimes their sappiness makes me sick to my stomach. I wonder when they’ll get ma-”

Derek abruptly stands up and walks out the room, slamming and locking his bedroom door, as if Stiles is the boogeyman who he’s trying to keep out.

Stiles snickers and grabs the remote to change the channel. Derek gets annoyed when Stiles talks, well, he shouldn’t have started this war then (it doesn’t matter that technically Stiles started it). Stiles has weaponized his ability to talk people’s ears off. So, Derek better watch out.

Hopefully, Derek won’t murder Stiles in his sleep.

--------------

Okay, so, Stiles thinks maybe this whole turf war thing is getting out of hand.

It’s been a total of 3 and a half months since they’ve been living together and Derek and Stiles are on edge around each other 24/7. Stiles has to shower around eleven o’clock at night so that Derek won’t burn him alive by flushing the toilet. Derek doesn’t have access to Stiles��� snacks anymore because Stiles hid them in the back of his closet. Derek stays in his room all day just so that Stiles won't have any opportunities to talk to him. They’re at an impasse, but Stiles has a feeling that the worst has yet to come.

A really bad feeling.

Stiles comes back from a particularly grueling day of classes to see Derek sitting on the couch...and he’s smirking.

That doesn’t bode well for Stiles.

“Hello, Stiles.”

“Uh, hey dude. Why do you look like a supervillain?”

“‘Cause I have a surprise for you.”

Yeah, that definitely didn’t sound good.

“Actually, I am a-okay. I really don’t need the surprise. I appreciate it though,” Stiles tries to make his way towards his room but Derek keeps talking.

“I normally don’t snoop through people’s things, it’s really not in my character, but after you left to go out last night, I heard some weird noises coming from your room. I was trying to ignore it at first, but after a while I went to see what it was. I was going to mention it this morning but you woke up before I did and by the time I had woken up you were already in class.”

Stiles had stopped in his tracks but he still hasn’t turned around to face Derek, because if Derek is going where Stiles thinks he’s going, Stiles is going to need to be able to book it into his bedroom as soon as possible.

Derek didn’t seem too perturbed by Stiles’ silence since he continues with his story. “Imagine my surprise when I found out that it was your laptop making that noise. Now, I wasn’t surprised by the fact that porn was playing, but what I was surprised at-”

Oh god.

“-was that the video you were watching was titled ‘bear fucks twink with huge cock’. And now I can’t help but question your hatred towards me.”

Stiles’ face is burning. He’s never been so embarrassed in his life, which is really a great feat because Stiles doesn’t get embarrassed by much. It’s not that Stiles didn’t notice Derek was hot, like, come on now, Derek is gorgeous. He’s not that much taller than Stiles but the size of his biceps? They’re easily the size of Stiles’ thigh. Derek is bigger than Stiles in every aspect.

Well, he’s not sure about every aspect. Stiles has never seen Derek’s dick outright, but he’s seen him wear sweatpants, and ooh boy, that bulge gives Stiles the impression that Derek is hung like a horse.

Stiles still hates Derek because Derek still has his asshole-ish ways. Case in point: right the fuck now. But, you can hate someone and still want to fuck them, right? Hate sex exists.

Derek is patiently waiting for Stiles to respond, and Stiles has never been good at staying silent, so it’s only a matter of time.

Stiles finally turns around to face Derek and clears his throat. “That- that means nothing. People watch shit like that all the time. Plus, you hardly qualify as a bear.”

It’s a weak excuse but, hey, Stiles is grasping at straws here.

Derek tilts his head to the side in agreement. “True, but if that was the case, why do you seem so nervous?”

Stiles can’t think of a reasonable response in time and Derek knows it.

Derek smirks again and Stiles really wants to knee him in the dick.

“Do you wanna fuck me?”

Stiles narrows his eyes at Derek. What the fuck is his endgame here? Why is he being such a dick?

Oh yeah, because Derek is a fucking asshole.

“Fine,” Stiles says through gritted teeth. “I find you attractive. I watch porn about big, hairy men fucking twinks because I want you to fuck me. Are you happy now? Jackass.”

Stiles storms into his room and slams the door. That’s a perfect example of why people can’t be pretty and nice. It’s genetically impossible.

Stiles lets out a sigh and dumps his backpack on his bed before stripping out of his clothes and getting into the shower. He stands under the spray for ten minutes, just praying to the cosmic gods out there that a black hole will appear and suck the whole human race into nothingness. After waiting for a few more minutes, and his prayers going unanswered, he washes himself then gets out to dry off. He wraps the towel around his waist and opens the door to find Derek standing outside his bathroom door. He shrieks (a very manly shriek by the way) and covers his chest with his arms, not that that’ll hide much.

“Derek, what the fuck are you doing?”

Derek’s eyes do the slowest sweep in fucking existence down Stiles’ body and Stiles feels his cheeks flush. Ugh, why are the cutest guys always assholes?

“I came to apologize. I was being a dick-”

“What else is new?” Stiles interrupts. Stiles is rewarded with another smirk.

“-and I took it too far. I’m sorry I embarrassed you.”

Stiles looks at Derek for a second. They’ve never apologized to each other when they did shit, and even though Stiles didn’t take it as far as Derek did, Stiles can’t stand here and act like he wasn’t also an asshole.

Stiles sighs. “I’m sorry too. I was also kind of a dick. Not as much as you, but still.”

Derek laughs a little, and Jesus H. Christ, how is a laugh sexy? “Apology accepted.”

Stiles holds his hand out for a handshake. Derek puts his hand in Stiles’ and they shake on their newfound not-friendship-but-also-maybe-not-complete-dicks-to-each-other-ship.

“So,” Derek starts after they drop their hands. “wanna have sex?”

Stiles might’ve actually choked on his own fucking spit, because what?

“What?”

“I asked if you wanted to have sex.”

“Where is this even coming from? You hate my guts. Every time I talk you look like you’re going in for a root canal.”

Stiles is so confused, he’s also getting hornier by the minute, but right now, the confusion is outweighing the horniness.

“I don’t hate you. Yeah you talk a lot, and it was so annoying at first, sometimes it still is, but I got used to your incessant chatter.”

Stiles knows he looks dumb, his mouth is gaping and everything. “I think maybe there was something in the water because I must be high. We’ve lived together for over 3 months and you’re telling me that you actually want to have sex with me?”

Derek shrugs. “Yeah. Just because you can be kinda annoying that doesn’t mean you’re not cute. Plus, people have sex all the time, that doesn’t mean we have to, like, date or whatever.”

Stiles rolls his eyes. Derek’s so romantic, how has Stiles been able to resist jumping his bones for this long?

“You just embarrassed the hell out of me, why would I ever want to have sex with you?” Never mind the fact that Stiles definitely does want to have sex with him.

“Maybe you don’t. If not, then fine. We can just go back to how things were. If you do, then we’ll have a great time.”

Stiles is still struggling to wrap his mind around all of this. Derek wants to have sex with him? In what universe does that make sense?

Apparently in this one.

Stiles does this sort of shrug that basically portrays well, what the fuck? Okay then. “Okay. I guess this is happening then.”

Derek smirks for like the fiftieth time in thirty seconds and if Stiles was a stronger man he definitely would’ve kneed Derek in the dick, but clearly, Stiles is weak.

Very, very weak.

“My room or yours?” Derek asks.

“Mine. Since it’s right there,” Stiles points behind Derek and, lo and behold, there’s Stiles’ bed.

Grabbing Stiles’ hand in a surprisingly gentle gesture, Derek walks the three feet from the bathroom to the bed to lay Stiles down.

Derek gets on top of the bed and is sitting on his knees by Stiles’ feet. He pulls his shirt off like he’s in Magic Mike or something before throwing it onto the floor without a care in the world. Jesus, it’s like his muscles have muscles. Stiles starts feeling a little insecure about his body. He’s got muscles, but, he’s not, like, ripped like Derek is. Stiles likes to think he has somewhat of a swimmer’s body.

Looming over him like a fucking creeper, Derek stares down at Stiles. “You know, you’re very pretty.”

Stiles refuses to admit that he blushes at that because he’s not pretty. If anything he’s handsome, some may even say gorgeous.

“Can you just get on with it?” Stiles throwing a scowl in Derek’s direction.

“Bossy. I kinda like that,” he strips his sweatpants off and throws them down too. Now he’s only in a pair of gray boxer briefs and, god, Stiles wants to suck his dick so badly. Which is weird because he’s really not all that experienced with blowjobs, he’s given maybe two blowjobs in his life. Whatever, Derek has a great dick okay?

Derek tugs at the towel around Stiles’ waist. “Is this okay?”

Stiles nods and then the towel is gone, and Stiles is laid bare for Derek to gaze at his leisure. And boy does Derek gaze. He does another slow sweep down Stiles’ body, except this time it’s even more intense because now Stiles is naked.

“You’re not a virgin right?” Derek asks while rummaging through Stiles’ bedside drawer and pulling out the lube. First of all, it’s rude to go through people’s stuff! Second of all, how the hell did Derek know his lube was there? Although, where else would lube be?

“Nope. There will be no deflowering of the Stiles today. Sorry to disappoint.”

Derek shrugs before popping open the lube. “I’m not one of those weirdos who pops a boner at the thought of popping someone’s cherry.”

Stiles chuckles, like actually chuckles. Who knew Derek was even capable of being funny?

Stiles pulls his legs up and hooks his hands behind his knees. The position exposes Stiles’ hole to the extreme and it makes Stiles blush. Just because he’s not a virgin doesn’t mean that he doesn’t get nervous or embarrassed during sex.

Derek knee-walks closer to Stiles and squirts some lube onto his fingers. He puts one hand on Stiles’ right thigh while the other one gently and slowly breaches his entrance. Fuck, his fingers are thick. Thicker than Stiles’ that’s for sure. Stiles definitely isn’t shy about fingering. He fingers himself all the time, but it’s been a while since someone else’s fingers were up there. Stiles is nervous and excited about it all.

Derek doesn’t spend too much time with the one finger, quickly adding a second one and that’s when it starts feeling good. Derek’s fingers are about an inch away from his prostate and Stiles is about to curse him out until Derek presses both fingers against his prostate and Stiles has to bite his lip to stop the loud ass moan that almost escaped his mouth. Judging by the look on Derek’s face, he knows he touched Stiles’ prostate, and being the asshole that he is, he has a cocky smile on his face.

After scissoring those two fingers inside Stiles for a few minutes, Derek adds a third finger. The stretch is definitely there, but hey, Stiles likes a little pain with sex. He can be kinky sometimes.

“Okay. I’m ready, come on,” Stiles says. He was starting to get impatient. He just wants to get dicked down already, damn.

Derek gently removes his fingers and gets off the bed to pick up his sweatpants. He reaches into the pocket and retrieves a condom out. Stiles’ mouth drops.

“So you just knew I’d have sex with you?”

“I didn’t know. I just hoped.”

That smarmy little bastard.

Derek gets back in bed and, finally, removes his briefs and...

Holy mother of god.

Well, maybe not the mother of god. That’s blasphemous as fuck. But! The sentiment is the same because wow. Stiles is glad he didn’t knee him in the dick because that dick is too gorgeous to cause serious injury to. He’s not like porn star big, but it is big and long too. And it’s uncut, which Stiles has a weird sort of kink about. He loves uncut cocks. Yeah, that’s a good-looking cock right there.

Derek unwraps the condom and rolls it onto his cock. He then grabs the bottle of lube that he placed on the bed and squirts more out before slathering a generous amount onto said cock. He makes Stiles move his hands before replacing them with one of his own, the other is at the base of his cock, lining it up to Stiles’ hole.

“You ready baby?” Derek asks.

“Call me baby again and I’ll dropkick you in the throa- oh fuck.”

Of course, Derek chose when Stiles was mid-threat to start pushing his cock inside. Geez, that is seriously a big cock, even the fingering didn’t make it burn any less. Derek gently pushes his cock in deeper before pulling it out, then he pushes it in a little deeper than he did at first before pulling it back out again. He repeats that until his cock is seated all the way inside, his balls to Stiles’ ass. Then he stops and waits. There’s sweat gathering above Derek’s eyebrow and some is even rolling down his temple. Needless to say, Derek isn’t as unaffected as he’s trying to be. Which makes Stiles feel kind of great actually.

“Okay, you can move now,” Stiles informs Derek. And when Stiles says Derek goes to town, he really means that.

Derek puts his other hand behind Stiles’ left knee and pulls out all the way, not even the tip is inside, before thrusting back in. Hard.

Stiles’ breath gets forced out of him at the movement. This truly is hate sex, kinda. Derek said he didn’t hate Stiles, but he certainly doesn’t like him all that much. At least, not yet. Who knows what will stem from this. That’s something to think about when Derek isn’t pounding him into the mattress.

Derek delivers a thrust that nails Stiles’ prostate dead on and Stiles makes this super embarrassing sound, like a high-pitched keen. He knows he’s not going to live that down after this.

After that, Derek is consistent with the hard abuse on Stiles’ prostate, and Stiles is getting close to orgasm embarrassingly fast. He isn’t too sure he’ll be able to last much longer. Although, Derek doesn’t seem like he’s going to be able to either. If the grunts and groans he’s letting out are anything to go by.

“Unh, fuck. Derek-!”

“Yeah, you’re gonna come?”

Stiles frantically nods his head and grabs his own cock to start stroking himself. Derek thrusts harder if that’s even possible, and within a few seconds, Stiles is coming all over his stomach.

“Fuck, Stiles,” Derek groans and thrusts one, two, three more times before stopping with a deep, guttural moan. He almost sounds like an actual bear and Stiles can’t help the giggle that escapes him.

Derek gives him a weird look but his lip quirks up in a maybe sort of smile. “What’s so funny?”

“Oh nothing,” Stiles gives him a shit-eating grin.

And since it’s already been established that Derek is an asshole, he grinds and his cock brushes against Stiles’ oversensitive prostate causing Stiles’ whole body to convulse. He slaps Derek’s arm.

Derek pulls out and lets go of Stiles’ legs. They’re sore from being in the same position for so long but Stiles can’t even care. He’s sated and all he wants to do now is take a nap. Stiles stretches his whole body like a cat while Derek disposes of the condom.

“Okay, that was fun. If you want to annoy me, I’ll be in my room.” And with that, Derek walks out of Stiles’ room to go to his own.

Derek was definitely a dick, but Stiles could deal with him. Especially if they continue to fuck like that.

Holy (not) mother of god indeed.

[slafkovskys]

the way you do / t. emberson

☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★☆★

my masterlist!

title from fireproof by one direction

warning(s): swear words, mentions of a concussion, jealousy, accusations of cheating, also written in a no covid world :)

word count: 5.8k

-

you cheer along with only a portion of the crowd as the goal horn sounds, signaling what you knew was the first and last point of the night for wisconsin. while david gets to work on updating the instagram account from his spot beside you, your fingers rapidly type out a tweet to send out that would update the people who were following along there.

badgers are on the board thanks to tyler inamoto! the score is 3-1 arizona state with 0:10 left in the third period

“what are you doing after this?” david asks, looking back out onto the ice while you start a new tweet, just in case something were to happen in the next ten seconds. “i’m sure we can find some bar to sneak into. are you up for it?”

“i don’t know,” you sigh, focusing on the opposing team’s player as he takes the puck and shoots down the ice, attempting to beat the buzzer. you frown when the horn sounds, signaling the end of the game and a win for arizona, which you quickly update on. “it’s my turn to do the interviews and i don’t know how long that’s gonna take. i always have to chase someone down and i also said that i would help cole with his biology, but i think that’s going to be a plane ride home priority.”

“well, at least they’re all going to be in the same place for at least the next twelve hours or so. it shouldn’t be that hard to find who you want,” david stands up and you follow suit, making sure that you have your phone in your back pocket before following him towards the locker room. “besides, they like you more than they like me. you’ve got that midwestern charm and i’ve got an annoying southern accent.”

“your accent is not annoying. tell me who told you that it was and i will gladly humble them,” you look at the younger boy who smiles.

it was no secret that the boys were more acquainted with you rather than david as you had two years on him. while you were a senior, david was only a sophomore starting out with the team. this was your third year with them and you had taken him under your wing because he was going to be taking over for you next year when you were gone.

you make your way through the arena, taking a route that was closed off to the general public to make it back to the locker room to catch the boys before they got caught up in granato’s post-game speech.

“who am i talking to tonight?” you mumble to yourself as you tug at your bottom lip. you look up at david who was leaning against the wall across from you, “do you remember who i talked to last week? don’t look at me like that. so much has happened between now and then…”

“trouble in paradise?” he’s quick to joke, but the look that you send him causes the smile to drop from his face. his eyes widen, “please tell me-”

“we haven’t broken up, if that’s what you were going to say,” you look back down at your computer screen and shrug, “it’s just- he’s been acting weird since we landed. he’s so touchy and, yeah, we’ve had our moments. hell, we were long distance for two years, but this is- it’s just weird.”

“i mean, i’ve never been in a serious relationship, but you definitely need to talk to him. you’ve been together too long to let it fizzle out. you’re the only couple that i can tolerate,” he rolls his eyes and you send him a grin. “it’s true. you and ty are, like, royalty at wisconsin. i’m pretty sure that you’re the couple that has been together the longest.”

“maybe second longest. i met a girl last year who had been with her boyfriend for six years and we’ve only been together for five, so they have us beat,” you leave out the fact that both of them graduated last summer.

the boys trickle back quietly. you give them a moment to get settled before taking a deep breath and walking towards the entrance. you peek your head in and granato spots you immediately, waving you inside. “you’ve been spared for two minutes, boys. listen to the lady and don’t give her a hard time.”

you send him a nod in thanks before looking out over the room. you had all of their attention except for one and it was the person who you cared the most for. you send a soft smile as your eyes scan the room, “i don’t love any of you any less. you played a great game boys and you’re going to kill it tomorrow.”

“did you get any more stickers?” owen asks and you turn to look at him.

“i did, actually, but you can blame your captain for stealing them all before i could distribute them,” you look back at ty who looks at you with a cold look. you swallow the lump in your throat and quickly look towards the other ty who speaks up.

“do you think you could find those dinosaur ones again? those were badass.”

“i still have mine on my water bottle!”

“i missed the dinosaur pack.”

“that’s why you have to score, mike.”

yes, you were aware of how childish the stickers were. you used them as an incentive so that when they came to talk to you, they got to pick a sticker. the boys enjoyed them and even stuck them on their equipment sometimes when they could get away with it.  

“okay, back on track,” you look down at your computer. you tap your nails on the keypad before clicking your tongue, “i need to see tyler, roman, and brock’s brother-”

“hey!” cole shouts from beside you while your joke provokes some of the boys to laugh.

“just keeping you humble, caufield,” you wink and he rolls his eyes, sinking back into his stall. you shake your head, “i’m not going to make you talk to me tonight because honestly, i’m drained and i know all of you are too. but please do come find me during breakfast tomorrow because i do have deadlines that i have to meet and that’s stretching it far enough. if you decide that you want to be mean and not come, i will be even meaner and snitch and you can find yourself being worked overtime in practice. are we clear, gentlemen?”

“yes ma’am!”

“thank you and good night,” you wave your hand around as you exit the room, shaking your head at the claps that followed you out. you and david gather your things and head toward the bus, knowing very well that it would be a while before the boys would begin to file out. you flop down in your seat and sigh, “one down, one to go.”

even though it wasn’t often, you loved when you got the opportunity to go on road trips. you usually got to go on the ones that were just bus trips, but it was a rare occasion when you got to go on trips that had to be made by plane. once or twice during the season, however, you got to pick a trip that you wanted to come on and this year you had picked arizona. before ty had gotten drafted, you had never been nor had you ever really wanted to go to the state. after coming to see ty during his first development camp, you had pretty much fallen in love with it and had taken every opportunity to come and visit since.

“your future home,” david chuckles and you roll your eyes. “what? do you know something that i don’t?”

“there’s a lot of things that i can’t talk about, david and those that pertain to my boyfriend’s future career are ones that are at the top of the list. you aren’t getting any insider news from me, buddy,” you point an accusatory finger and he holds his hands up in surrender.  

“you could be my anonymous source?” he suggests, smirking when you flip him off.

it’s relatively quiet for the next half hour until the doors of the bus open and the boys start stumbling on. you close your laptop and leave it on the empty seat that ty usually occupied and stand up, pushing your way to the front. brock pats your head as he passes and you shove an elbow into his side, “dick.”

“he’s in a mood, princess. tread lightly.”

his warning makes you raise an eyebrow. you don’t have time to ask what he meant before ty rounds the corner. shay moves to the side to let you step off of the bus and you send him a grin. you meet ty in the middle, wrapping your arms around his neck, “i‘m proud of you.”

“are you?” he spits. his hands stay glued to his sides and you pull away, dropping your own. “cole’s on his way. wouldn’t you rather see him instead?”

“what are you talking about?”

“you seem to be real fucking close these days. you’re with him more than you’re with me, so is it wrong for me to just assume that you’re fucking him too?” your mouth gapes at his words.

“are you accusing me of cheating on you?” you lower your voice, very aware of his teammates that could definitely hear your conversation. he shrugs his shoulders, crossing his arms over his chest. “i know how you get after losses, but for you to go as far as to accuse me of cheating on you with a member of your team-”

“it’s fucking obvious, y/n. you’re so flirty with each other, sitting next to each other on the plane, and that shit in the locker room. i’m not oblivious.”

“fuck you, dude. i have given up so much for you and the fact that you can stand there and accuse me of doing that to you after everything that we’ve been through over the last five years, makes me wonder if it was even worth it.” you turn on your heel and march towards the bus, leaving him standing there looking shocked. you make your way up the stairs and the bus goes quiet as they stare at you, obviously having heard what happened outside. you swallow, “i’m sorry about that.”

you make your way back to your seat and grab your computer, propping your feet on the empty seat and shrinking against the window. the tears threaten to spill out from your eyes, but you don’t let them. once everyone is accounted for, the bus pulls away from the arena and heads for the hotel.

you run your fingers against your temples, trying to soothe the headache that had developed in the last five minutes. you could feel eyes on you and you look up to find jack sitting in the row of seats beside you. he opens his mouth to speak, but you shake your head, “please don’t.”

you grab your phone and quickly go to your messages, finding david’s contact and shooting your fingers across the screen quickly:

do you still feel like going out??

we have curfew

and after what just happened it doesn’t seem like a good idea

curfew is midnight and it’s not even ten yet. we’ll have a couple hours and after what just happened, going out seems like a great idea

are you in or not? because i’m going even if i have to go alone

let me go to my room first and i’ll meet you in the lobby

-

when you woke up the next morning, you were still tired. you had barely slept and the last thing you remembered before you were able to slip into unconsciousness was the sun slowly starting to peek through the window of your hotel room.

it took a few seconds for it to register that someone was pounding on your door. with a grunt, you throw the sheets away from your body and stumble towards the door. you look out of the peephole and your stomach sinks at who is standing on the other side. you undo the deadbolt and pull it open, “you should not be here.”

“don’t worry, he’s the one who sent me here. he also sent this and,” he pulls out a bouquet from behind his back, “these.”

“that’s not going to make me forgive him,” you shake your head and accept the flowers and the coffee cup from cole anyway, gesturing for him to come inside.

“believe me, we all told him that,” cole takes a seat on the spare bed and you look at him with a confused gaze. he raises an eyebrow, “y/n, you have the entire hockey team behind you. we’ve been giving him hell all night. dom even bunked with brock and jack in protest. also, i’m pretty sure that coach found out and brought him back down to earth, but you didn’t hear that from me.”

“did he-” you can’t even say it.

“no, he didn’t lose the c, but coach was very adamant that what happened was not captain behavior and that he’s on very thin ice,” he pauses for a minute and then grins, “ha, thin ice.”

you shake your head and lean against the desk in the corner of the room, “that’s good then.”

“he accused you of cheating on him and you’re worried about his letter status?”

“you don’t understand, cole,” he looks at you in a way that says ‘well, help me understand.’ you sigh, “we’ve been together since we were sixteen and seventeen years old. we’ve known each other even longer. i’ve watched him work his ass off and sacrifice so much to get where he is. the thought of him losing that over him saying some dumbass thing because he was pissed off breaks my heart in more ways than one. do i think that he’s an absolute asshole right now? absolutely. do i want to look at him? not really. but i still love him, cole. and i always will.”

he looks at you for a second before he pretends to wipe a tear from his eye, “really tugged on the heartstrings there, y/n. love is a crazy thing.”

“indeed it is. now get out of my room. i need to get ready for the day and i’m slightly hungover and hotel breakfast food sounds amazing right now,” you follow him towards the door.

“oh and just so we’re clear,” he shoves his hands in the pockets of his jacket as he faces you, “i made it very clear that you are way too old for me.”

you shove his shoulder, “considering that he’s the only exception for dating someone younger than me, you are way too young for me, cole caufield.”

“glad that we have an understanding,” he holds up his hand and you smack yours against it. with a grin, he makes his way towards the elevator and you close the door behind him.

you take your time getting ready, trying to hide the fact that you were recovering from a little too much alcohol you had practically inhaled at some bar downtown the night before that you couldn’t even remember the name of. you make sure all of your things are gathered and together because you knew that you wouldn’t want to do it when you returned.

you grab the things that you would need for the game and head downstairs. you walk into the conference room that had been set aside for the team and immediately head to grab your food. once your plate was piled high, you turn to find an empty and immediately your eyes lock with his. just by looking at him, you can tell that he hadn’t slept and even if he did, it wasn’t much.

your attention is pulled away from him by a shout of your name. owen is waving you over and shay is pointing at an empty seat, “we called dibs on you this morning.”

“too soon, lindy,” robbie shakes his head as you take the seat between owen and dylan. he looks at you concerned, “you good?”

“don’t worry about me boys. you have a game to win today and that’s what you should be focused on,” you try and distract them but none of them are buying what you’re trying to sell. you twist the cap off your water and take a sip before grabbing your fork, “seriously boys, i appreciate your concern, but i’m okay. i promise.”

“if you want us to beat him up for you, just say the word,” dylan offers and the table agrees. you raise an eyebrow, “we discussed it last night and we also have first dibs on defending your honor if you asked us to.”

“his roommates are next in line,” ryder points his fork at you and you smile.

“i’m glad to know that you would beat up your captain for me, boys.”

“he may be captain, but no one disrespects our y/n and gets away with it. who would give us stickers then?”

“we can’t have anything because of you, shay. she’s more than just the damn stickers.”

three o’clock comes quick and before you know it, you’re making your way down the tunnel to cheer for them as they come out, just as you always did. you clap as they line up in front of you. you avoid looking at him until you feel a tap on your ankle. you look down just in time to see a hockey stick being pulled away. you look up to find its owner staring right back at you, apologetically.

he nods his head, “i love you.”

“i love you too, twenty-one. don’t do anything stupid,” you cross your arms over your chest and give him your best ‘i’m not joking look.’ it was part of the routine that you two had developed over the last couple of years, and even though there was still some obvious tension between the two of you that had yet to be resolved, he hadn’t missed his chance to continue it.

he chuckles right as the announcer booms to the crowd to welcome them to the ice, “no promises.”

you watch as they file out, the cheers for them were not as loud as they were when you were on home ice, but you made sure to scream as loud as always. you and david make quick work of getting to your seats and he wasted no time in sending you a look, “are you-”

“we haven’t talked yet, no. we probably won’t even have time until we’re back home, but just because he’s being an asshole doesn’t mean i love him any less,” you defend yourself and he hums, looking out onto the ice.

when they get in position for puck drop, an uneasy feeling develops in your stomach. you try not to think about it as the puck hits the ice and the game begins, but unfortunately, it didn’t last long.

it was some freshman lineman known for being a menace. he’d been practically on top of ty every time that he got on the ice, shoving him when he didn’t have the puck, almost tripping him once, and of course, the refs were in their own little worlds and hadn’t called a penalty for anything.

eight minutes into the game was when it happened and when it happened, it happened quickly. you barely had time to blink before their gloves were off and their hands were tangled in each other’s jerseys. you stand up, watching as your boyfriend loses the upper hand quickly. in a matter of seconds, his helmet is somehow knocked off and he’s hitting the ice and-

he’s not moving.

“get the fuck up ty,” your hand covers your mouth as the trainers rush out onto the ice after they pull the guy off of him. you can see on the screen that he’s smirking as he’s led off the ice and down their tunnel. david grabs onto your arm as you stumble, “please get up baby.”

“y/n,” he says, but you don’t respond.

you let out a breath that you didn’t know you were holding when ty moves, taking a minute before he gets up with a lot of help from the trainers. you watch as he’s led off the ice and you swallow at the blood on his jersey. you turn towards david, “i have to-”

“go, babe. i can cover this. go check on him,” that was all that you needed before you scoot out of your row and quickly make your way down the stairs.

you wind up outside the locker room where you're stopped by a security guard. you hold up your badge that showed that you had permission to be there, but he gave you a disapproving look as he shakes his head. you pull out your phone, but anna walks out just in time, “anna!”

“i was just coming to get you,” she sighs, glaring at the security guard as he finally lets you pass. she wraps a hand around your arm as she leads you back to the room, “we’re pretty sure he has a minor concussion at least. paul’s giving him a check-up now and he’s going to decide what to do from there.”

“has he said anything?” you ask, mind running wild as it thinks of the worst.

“the only thing he asked for, even when he came to, was he wanted to see his wife. i told him that you weren’t married, but he wouldn’t hear it. it was just ‘my wife, my wife, my wife’ and that’s why i was coming to get you. he said if he has to go to the hospital or anything, he’s not going if you’re not there with him,” she says and you take a deep breath. she squeezes your arm as you stop outside of the closed door, “just don’t be too loud. he’s very sensitive to light and noise right now.”

“of course,” you nod and she opens the door. the lights were dimmed just a little, but you still easily spot him in the middle of the bed. paul stands beside him, checking on him while he sits up. he pulls away from paul’s hands and moves to get up, but you quickly get to his side, placing your hand on his shoulder and grabbing his hand, “don’t move, ty. let him do what he needs to do.”

“baby,” he whimpers and you squeeze his hand, pulling it up to your mouth and pressing a kiss to the skin. throughout the entire process, he doesn’t let go. he answers what he’s asked and when paul moves away, he pulls you close, “baby.”

“i know. i’m sorry,” you wrap your arm around his neck and press a soft kiss to the side of his head when he tucks his face into your neck.

“the good news is that i don’t think that you need to go to the emergency room,” paul announces, leaning against a table backed against the wall. he looks at the two of you, “but i don’t feel comfortable sending you back out there. you’ve got a minor concussion and if they aren’t treated right, they can go bad quick.”

“i know,” he says, squeezing your hip.

“so, what do we need to do?” you ask.

“i’m gonna see if i can get the bus to drop you guys back off at the hotel. he needs rest right now and it’ll be hard to get that in this environment,” he shakes his head, “who are you rooming with, ty?”

he winces at the sound of a muffled goal horn and you answer for him, “mersch.”

“if i give you a list of what to do, do you think that you can watch over him?”

“of course,” you nod and ty shifts.

“great. i know that he’s not supposed to be in your room after certain hours, but i think that coach will agree with me that in these circumstances, it’s necessary,” he says and you hum.

after he tells you the basics and makes sure that you have his phone number if you need something, you pull away from ty, “i’m gonna go and grab you some clothes, okay? i know you don’t want to be in that on the bus.”

“please don’t go,” he pleads, holding onto your hand as you go to step away. “you’re gonna leave me because of what i said.”

you look at paul briefly who looks concerned. at least there was someone who was out of the loop.

you shake your head and rub at his cheek, “no, baby. i’m coming back i promise. i’m just gonna go get your clothes from the locker room that’s right across the hall.”

“i’ll come with you,” he insists, moving to stand up.

both you and paul are quick to push him back down as gently as possible. paul pats his chest, “you can stay here with me big guy. i still have a couple of questions for you.”

hesitantly, he lets your hand go as you promise him once more that you were coming back. you make your way across the hall and find his stall, digging through his things to find some clothes for him that were not his suit.

once you find some sweats and a hoodie, you turn on your heel just as the boys start to file in. jack is the first to speak up, “is he okay?”

“minor concussion and as of right now, he doesn’t need to go to the emergency room, but paul’s pulling him for the game. i think we’re getting sent to the hotel where he’s going to be on mandatory rest until he gets checked on again before we leave tomorrow. so, please, i love you all so much and he does too, but just let him sleep. we don’t want this to turn into something major,” you give them all pleading eyes and they all nod.

you walk back across the hall to find coach talking with paul and ty laying back on the bed. instantly, he reaches out for you. granato looks at you, “you’re going to make sure he’s okay?”

“i’m going to try my best,” you assure him and he nods.

“i trust you a hell of a lot more than i trust mersch when it comes to these types of things,” he looks over to ty and pats his leg, “the bus is taking you two back to the hotel where you’re going to rest, got it?”

“yes sir,” he mumbles, eyes closed.

granato and paul leave the room as ty gets dressed. he does need some assistance and when he’s finally out of his gear, he sighs, “i never realized how extensive all of that was.”

“tell me about it,” you mumble. you look at him, “are you ready? do you think that you can get to the bus?”

“if you’ll go slow. you always walk so fast,” he complains and you grin. he throws an arm over your shoulder and you wrap an arm around his waist. you walk out of the door and he pauses, looking into the locker room, “can i-”

“you’ve probably got a minute or two before they have to go back,” you say and he nods. with help from you, he limps over to the doorway and the room goes quiet.

“boys,” he says, standing in front of you, but reaching out behind him for your hand. you take it and squeeze, “what’s the score?”

“we’re leading with one,” the other ty says and he nods. “you good, cap?”

“minor concussion, nothing i can’t handle. plus, i’ve got a good babysitter for tonight,” he turns to look at you with a grin and you send a small smile back. “win it, boys. don’t worry about me, just win.”

“tough speech, eh?” dom calls and some of the boys chuckle.

“did you miss the part about the concussion?” ty asks and dom rolls his eyes. “love you boys.”

there’s an echo of his admission before you finally began the trek to the bus. you take up a row in the middle, ty taking the seat by the window and resting his head on your shoulder. you trace the veins on his hand as the bus takes you back to the hotel, the entire trip spent in silence.

once you get him inside your hotel room, he wastes no time crawling into bed. he looks at you hopefully, “will you lay with me?”

“let me get out of these jeans,” you find a pair of shorts and a too-big t-shirt that belonged to him at some point before you slip in beside him.

he presses himself to your chest and you card your fingers through his hair, “i’m sorry about what i said, y/n.”

“not now, ty. you need to rest.”

he sighs, but he doesn’t argue. it wasn’t long before his breathing evens out and he goes limp against you, leaving you to your thoughts.

-

“rise and shine,” you mumble, poking at his cheek. he groans, curling his fingers in the fabric of your t-shirt as he shakes his head. “baby, you have to get up every few hours. aren’t you hungry?”

“do you have food?” he asks, not opening his eyes.

“i can order some, but you have to tell me what you want. i can’t read your mind,” he rolls over then, stretching his arms out over his head. “how do you feel?”

“my head hurts and my body’s sore,” he says. “i didn’t break anything, did i?”

“do you think that you did?” you raise your eyebrows, ready to reach for your phone to call paul.

“no, no, i just- i remember hitting the ice and not much else after. i remember when i came to that anna was standing over me and i wanted you, but you weren’t there. i was looking for you in the stands, but i couldn’t find you. i- i thought that you were gone.”

“i was there ty. they just moved our seats tonight because someone had those already. i’m not leaving, i would never leave,” you assure him, running your hand along his cheek. “we don’t need to talk about this right now. you need to eat and rest-”

“i want to talk about it though. it’s been eating me up inside ever since i said it,” he looks at you pleadingly and you sigh. “i was an ass.”

“you were,” you agree and he chuckles. “the thing is, it’s not even really so much that you think that i would do that to you. yes, it obviously hurt, but it’s more so the fact that you would do it in public. the entire team heard you.”

“i know and believe me, i’ve already had my ass chewed out about it by everyone in that locker room, and i mean everyone. you have an entire hockey team behind your back on this one.”

“they told me. they’re also forming a line to beat you up if i needed them to which is nice,” you smile. it’s quiet for a moment before you speak again, “why did you do it? that’s what i want to know.”

“because i was angry. i was angry about the game last night and i saw you and cole. i know you’re just friends and that you’ve been helping him with his school stuff or whatever, but when you were on the plane, you were just so giggly or whatever. than that in the locker room-”

“we were just playing around, ty. he’s literally like my little brother.”

“and i know that. he made it very clear last night that you are too old for him.”

“we have an understanding,” ty presses his lips to your shoulder and you swallow. “i’m still mad at you. i forgive you, but i’m still mad.”

“you have every right to be. what i said was out of line and uncalled for, i’m surprised that you’re talking to me right now,” he chuckles, wincing as he presses his fingers to the side of his head. “oh yeah, that’s why.”

“i can’t give you anything for another couple of hours. ‘m sorry, love,” you push his hair away from his face.

“can i ask you something?” he asks and you hum. “last night, you said that you’ve given up so much to be with me and i don’t doubt that you have, i know that you have, but is there something that you’re not telling me.”

“it’s not important,” you shake your head.

he sits up then, staring down at you, “what is it, y/n?”

“do you- um, do you remember when i applied for that internship for digital marketing the summer after you graduated? after my freshman year?” you ask, pushing yourself up and scooting back against the headboard.

“yeah, you didn’t get it,” he looks at you confused. you look down at your hands and he takes a deep breath, “y/n, you didn’t-”

“they wanted me to fly to new york on draft weekend and i explained that i couldn’t then, but i could on monday. i wasn’t going to miss hearing your name being called or watching you put on that jersey, ty. they told me if i couldn’t be there on that saturday to just not bother,” you explain, “and instead of getting on a plane to new york, i got on one for dallas with you.”

“that would’ve given you so many opportunities, y/n. why would you do that?”

“because i love you and we’d been talking about it for years, you getting drafted. there was no way in hell i was going to miss it,” you shrug. “it’s fine though. i got the hockey gig and now we spend an almost unhealthy amount of time together so-”

“but that would’ve been so much better for you. you could’ve gone anywhere with that. europe, australia, anywhere. working for a college hockey team won’t look as good on job applications as that internship would have.”

“it’s in the past now. don’t worry about it. i’m happy where i am,” he reaches out for your hand and you curl your fingers around his. “wherever you are, that’s where i’m happy. fuck new york, europe, australia, or wherever. wisconsin is good for me right now. me and you, that’s all that matters.”

“it’s me and you, baby,” he mumbles and you smile, “me and you against the world, just like we’ve always said.”