#but i'm not gonna ask him because i know they haven't spoken in years either

[elenadoeslife]

your first love hits different

[munsonsprincess11111]

Somethings off

Eddie munson x reader

Summary: Eddie is sat at the lunch table alone with no you in sight. When he goes defensive when yours and his friend's ask where you are they need to get to the bottom of it immediately.

Quiet. Eddie munson was never quiet. But when his friends approached there usual lunch table he was starring off into space. You was no where to be seen so Dustin asked the simple question of "HEY Eddie wheres y/n" Eddie's eyes darted to Dustin like he'd just told him he hates him

"Off sick why should I know." HE answers opening his metal lunch box picking out pieces of popcorn. Usually he'd throw them in the air and attempt to catch them in his mouth. But today he was pushing his food around.

"Usually you know she's your girlfriend was just a question man." Mike answered noticing his annoyance towards Dustin. "It's not my business. I'm noy always stuck up her ass you know." Eddie says to the boys. He closes his lunch box and walks off.

"Were getting to the bottom of thos right?" Dustin askes Mike. "100%"

The next day

"Y/N EXACTLY WHO WE NEED." Dustin yells down the hall at you. Him and Mike running over to you as you switch your books around. You go to say hello but are interrupted by Mike before you can speak.

"Have you seen or spoken to Eddie today?" Mike askes.

"NO I haven't seen or spoken to Eddie today why-"

"What about yesterday?" Dustin askes cutting you off.

"Nope not then either I was off-"

"When was the last time you saw or spoke to Eddie?" Mike interrupts this time

"Uhh last saw him Friday spike to him on the phone on Sunday. What's wrong-" you get cut off by dustin

"How was he-" but you cut him off

"Alright stop cutting me off. What is wrong with you 2 wanna explain what all the questions are about." You ask crossing your arms across your chest.

"Yesterday we asked Eddie where you was and he was pissed when we asked ans said he didn't know cause he's not always stuck up your ass and then stormed off. We tried to talk to him earlier but he ignored us so we wanted to walk to you because Eddie's giving us nothing." Mike says then taking a deep breath

"I was off yesterday cause something happend Saturday and I was hurting. And before you ask. Girl stuff. Eddie was fine then I don't know whats wrong with him." You say closing your locker.

The two boys look at eachother and are thinking. You pick your bag up. "We know where Eddie's parked. Maybe he's in the van and we could go talk to him?" Dustin askes.

You nod and the boys lead the way to where Eddie parked. It was a short walk but the boys blabberd the hole time about whay could've been wrong with Eddie. You decided they should knock incase he was annoyed at you.

Dustin banged on the side door of his van. "Eddie open the door we wanna talk." NO answer. Mike's turn "if you don't open the door were gonna get Gareth and he's way more annoying." Then there's movement from the van

"What the fuck do you two wa-" he cuts himself off when he opens the door snd sees you stood there behind the boys. He stares at you like a 13 year old boy that's just seen his crush up close for the first time.

"I thought-" he tries to speak but you cut him off.

"You thought I was off school for the week so went pissy with everyone?" You ask crossing your arms over your chest.

Eddie nods "that and other stuff but mainly that."

"That's why you didn't answer my calls?"

Eddie nods.

"Your an asshole eds you know that?"

He nods.

"Get your ass out the van."

He jumps out the side door of the van pulling it closed. He pushed Dustin aside using his shoulder and walks the few steps to you. Wrapping his arms around your waist and holding you tight. Your arms go around his neck. "Dads back in town." HE whispers in your ear. You nod your head as you hold Eddie.

"HE wants to see me but I want there when he went to the trailer but he's gonna be after school today." HE whispers again.

"Want me to come to?" You whisper in his ear. His arms tighten around you and he nods burying his face into your neck. "Dustin Mike ill talk to you both tomorrow." The boys get the hint at your words and scurry back off to school.

"WHY didn't you talk to me?" You ask and all you get is a shrug. You let him go and walk to the van. "Wanna go home?" You ask

He walks over opening the door for you tk get in and nods. "Will you take me to the store to get tampons and chocolate first?" You ask smiling up at him.

He let's out a laugh and is smiling. "Ofcourse I will baby." You smile back at him

"There's my boy." You kiss his cheek hoping into the van."

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

Eddie's dad's visit wasn't fun. Eddie's leg was bouncing the hole time. But you kept holding his hand and trying to calm him without words. All his dad wanted was his help. Eddie declined. Even after his dad trying to persuade him. Wayne then stepped in. Eddie's dad was rude to Eddie and Wayne. Told Eddie stuff like he was a failure. He's no son of his. And other horrible things.

Now your laying in Eddie's bed with him. His head on your chest. Your arms wrapped around him. One of his legs over your's while one yours is in-between his. "I am so fucking proud of you." You whisper kissing Eddie's head.

"Thank you. For everything. For being there for me the hole time n now. I'm sorry I was an asshole." HE says kissing your chest.

"You had every right to be." You say kissing his head.

"I love you so much." HE says kissing your chest again

"I love you so much too" you mumble kissing his head.

You begin to drift off but then Eddie starts giggling. You open your eyes to see his face.

"What's so funny babe?" You ask looking at him confused. He sniffles his laugh and looks you in the eyes. "I kissed your boob twice." HE says then burying his face into your chest laughing. You try do your best fake disappointed face but your smirking. "Never change Eddie munson. Life would be so boring if you listened to everyone." You say letting out a laugh.

"Trust me didn't change when my dad left fir the 3rd time definitely won't this time or cause people say I'm weird and besides by being a freak it just brings up my bedroom status. Absolute freak in the sheets." HE laughs kissing you boob again making a loud kissing noise.

-----------------------------------‐--------------------‐-

The next day you and Eddie walk Into lunch hand in hand and Eddie is all smiles again. He pulls your chair out for you and you sit next to him. He pulls your chair next to him and puts his arm around your shoulder. Dustin and Mike High five eachother. Eddie just rolls his eyes and let's the boys think they made all this happen.

Everyone at the table is chattering. "You know.. " You whisper playing eith Eddie's necklace as he throws popcorn in the air. "What?" HE askes.

"I'm off my period...." You look up at him. He looks down at you. "REALLY?!?" HE half yells and his friends look at you both.

You nod. He shrugs you off of him standing up. He closes his lunch box and picks it up. All your friends are watching him. He grabs you hands and pulls you up. Your barely on your feet as he throws you over his shoulder. "Eddie!" You yelp at his unexpected action.

"Eddie where are you going." Mike askes.

"To have My lunch." HE says turning back to the table.

"You just was sit down." Dustin says looking at Eddie confused.

"NO. My lunch." HE says playfully biting your thigh. You slap his ass as he does this. "Your disgusting." Gareth says as Eddie walks off.

"What's that loner? Couldn't here you over all the sex I'm about to get." Eddie shouts back to Gareth giving him the middle finger still gold you on his shoulder and his tin lunch box.

All your friends gag and groan some even shouting his name at him. You just keep starting at Eddie back refusing eye contact.

"Embarrased?" Eddie askes as you exit the cafeteria.

"Sorry what was that couldn't hear Any of that over all the sex I'm about to get." You say quoting Eddie slapping his ass. He puts you down to look you in the eyes. "I love you so fucking much. Your awesome." HE says kissing you sweetly. He hands you his lunch box.

"I love you so fucking much too." You say smiling at him. Before you know it your back over his shoulder but holding his lunch box on the way to his van so he can drive you both to the trailer for that amazing sex that you both promised eachother.

[two-white-butterflies]

Taco Truck x VB | O. Hightower

Description: Otto Hightower begins dating Viserys Targaryen's youngest daughter. Social media goes crazy because of the age-gap. Pairing: COO!otto hightower/actress-socialite!reader

"Is there a man in your life?" James Corden raises an eyebrow, and the entire audience erupts into laughter. "I mean - it would be weird if I didn't have a man in my life, because how would I be born?" you try to change to topic, but your friend was already suspicious.

"Okay for the record, Henry Cavill is hot?" he asked, and you laugh nervously. Otto was most definitely watching from home. "He's a respectable man, and I'm sure that he treats ladies properly, but personally I think he's too young for me." you shrug, and a sarcastic chuckle escapes the host's mouth.

"Okay," he rolled his eyes and the audience laughs again.

"Now let's move into your new movie with Cate Blanchett,"

(your name)arryn-targaryen: 💚

2,678 comments 971,238 likes

gigihadid: 💚 Hightower_Gwaynie: welcome to the family 💪🏽💚 user12: the green hearts are throwing me off guard

Y/N ARRYN-TARGARYEN, WHO COULD BE HER NEW BOYFRIEND?

The socialite and actress is known for her small indie films in Hollywood, mostly gaining critical acclaim but 'flopping' in box-office. Now, her fans can't stop speculating the identity of her new boyfriend.

Well, here is what we know:

In a cryptic post in instagram, she used a green heart and her friends retaliated with posting the same color. Green is the signature color of 'House Hightower', a family that used to be prominent in Italy during the Renaissance Period. The family comes from a line of bankers that used to dominate medieval Europe.

The patriarch, Otto Hightower, has three sons: Hobert, Toto, and Gwayne.

The actress is yet to confirm the relationship with one of the three.

It was nice being in America, since no one knew about your family. They were all treating you like shit, but that was okay.

"Sometimes I walk around museums and think that these artifacts shouldn't be here," you mused, taking a lazy sip of your espresso.

Otto had the entire museum closed just so you could walk around without fear of the media. It was sweet, but it wasn't anything out of the ordinary for you - you were used to luxury.

"Buy it and give them back." he replied, holding your other hand tightly. Smiling while his cold palms were defrosted by your warm ones. He had doubts about the relationship - figured that he was too old to be your boyfriend, but you assured him.

This was what you wanted - and there was nothing wrong with it.

"I guess," you hum - walking past the Asia section.

arryn.family.updates: Y/N Arryn-Targaryen (Aemma's daughter) with Otto Hightower.

167 comments 200 likes

fabyrtestar: The power she holds, if they get married her last name is literally gonna be Y/N Targaryen-Hightower antonio_fuoci2: She's so lana del rey vinyl

OTTO HIGHTOWER DENIES BEING IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH BOSS' YOUNGEST DAUGHTER.

"She's a nice girl, but we're not [uhh] together. Honestly, when you're at this age - all you worry about is work and making work better. I mean the new Targaryen 291 Adventure Edition is a wonderful car for a family, and we've been working on it for the past decade now - to make sure that everything is fine and safe."

Y/N ARRYN-TARGARYEN DENIES BEING IN A RELATIONSHIP WITH OLDER MAN.

"I don't think that the rumors should be taken as truth, I've spoken to Otto a few times and it's all business between us - he's my father's COO. I haven't been out actually, I was really shocked when the rumors came out. I've been so busy on my film with A24, and processing the Arryn Hotel Chain, [super] busy."

(5 years later)

(your name)arryn-targaryen: look at him. i'd die for him. i'd kill for him, but either way what bliss?

pictures for our wedding in may.

future mrs. hightower

credits to @jace_strong_photography

34,238 comments 244,779 likes

RhaenyraArryn-Targaryen: Congratulations dear! leaving the nest already, even though you swore to be here til 30. 😊 - (your name)arryn-targaryen: I didn't pinky swear 🤷🏻‍♀️

benjamineur29: IT'S ALL BUSINESS BETWEEN US 😭😭 bitch u lied

[mitochondriaandbunnies]

This is a re-post/archiving of a twitter thread from Oct 16, 2021, edited slightly for clarity.

Know what I haven't done for a while? Waxed philosophical about Miami Vice.

I'm currently stuck in traffic bad enough that people have turned off their cars and are chilling outside, so here goes.

So we have a houseguest who actually ASKED to be subjected to Vice, and Dan immediately suggested we watch Bushido, because let's face it, he's a Castillo Guy, and the "Vice Squad's Lieutenant is a Weird Weeb" episodes are some of his favorites. 

I expressed some hesitation— Bushido is an episode that is very slowly paced (purposefully) and works best when you know the characters and know what the stakes are. We watched it anyway, and it didn't really land the way it should've (although the guest appreciated the Battlestar Galactica connections).

(Traffic cleared. In line for donuts now.) I tried to explain the fact that while Vice is technically an episodic show, it's a precursor to arc based shows in the ways it handles all the characters and their *emotional* arcs— case in point, in Bushido Sonny and Rico both seem *happy.* Castillo earnestly smiles for the first time in the show, and we learn the depths to which duty and honor matter to him (and yet, how much actual RULES really do not— his own code of honor supersedes the law even if he finds ways to pay lip service to it.)

This got me thinking about how Season Two of Miami Vice telegraphs an enormous amount about the characters' eventual arcs and the decisions they'll make throughout the series; practically half of S2 is episodes about Sonny Parallels crashing and burning and how that predicts his own eventual crash. Of course, those are the OBVIOUS things the show tells us about its cast. The thing I find fascinating about S2 is that a LOT of information is broadcast through music and images rather than the script, and Vice expects you to be smart enough to pick up on this and how it will come to fruition later in the series. So much of who Sonny and Rico are isn't spoken, and a lot of the things they say and do later in the series make a lot more sense if you pay attention to music and visual cues early on.

(Gonna drive again, will finish this thought in a bit…)

This, on top of a friend on the Vice Discord asking for a listing of all the music in Vice got me thinking (aloud) about the music in S1&2, and Dan mentioned there were 14 licensed songs in Prodigal Son alone. That reminded me that a few weeks back I'd had a revelation: I had realized something about You Belong to the City, a song specifically written specifically for Vice (I.E., it's a significant piece of music thematically and lyrically), and which plays in Prodigal Son over a sequence of Sonny being distraught in NYC at night. 

I wrote about Prodigal Son last year (2020) and didn't mention that sequence at all except to talk about the weird aggressive roller skater who chases Sonny on a darkened road. At the time, I frankly thought it was a song that was chosen for its sound more than its lyrics, because the lyrics don't really fit with what we're seeing on screen.

The song starts playing about halfway through the first Prodigal Son episode, right after Tubbs reunites with Valerie and leaves Sonny alone in a city he doesn't know and doesn't have any connection to. I've mentioned before that I think, as the opener for S2, Prodigal Son is very much about home and belonging. And the thing is: Sonny doesn't belong in New York. The end of the episode confirms that, at least at that point in the series, it isn't really home for Tubbs either.

Sonny's a Southern Boy, most at home on a boat. You could argue there's some kind of ominous irony in the first 1/2 of the chorus:

Cause you belong to the city You belong to the night Living in a river of darkness Beneath the neon light

But it's not objectively TRUE.

When you start picking apart the rest of the lyrics:

You can feel it Starting all over again The moon comes up And the music calls You're getting tired of Staring at the same four walls

It really starts to fall apart. Sonny isn't *tired* of anything, he didn't choose to go out wandering or to be in the city at all, Tubbs just left him alone to be with his ex-girlfriend. This isn't wanderlust, like the song implies, it's aimlessness. The second half of the chorus and the second verse make it clear that this isn't an accident.

You were born in the city Concrete under your feet It's in your moves It's in your blood You're a man of the street

This... isn't a song about Sonny Crockett. 

You Belong to the City *is about Rico.*

The second verse says:

When you said goodbye You were on the run Trying to get away From the things you've done Now you're back again And you're feeling strange So much has happened But nothing has changed

These are exactly the circumstances Rico is in in this episode—he's the titular Prodigal Son, returned home after a long time to discover things are in some ways exactly as they were, and yet he doesn't fit anymore. It doesn't describe Sonny— Sonny isn't "back," he didn't leave NY "on the run." Rico did!

So, why, then, is a song about Rico playing when Sonny is wandering the city alone? 

Because the idea that Rico *belongs here in NYC* is Sonny's driving fear at this point in the episode. From his perspective, he's been abandoned. He's unmoored. (And I think this is what leaves his guard so far down with Maggie. He is painfully lonely at the best of times throughout the series; alone in NY he's bereft. First port in a storm and all that.) That the episode ends with Take Me Home is a repudiation of that fear—especially considering the more-or-less-overt flirting that occurs when they meet again.

Why is any of this important? Because Vice is a series that often takes Show Don't Tell as far as you can go without becoming French New Wave: Now on TV! I argued last year that Prodigal Son intended for a savvy audience to read Sonny as bisexual; the seemingly incongruous lyrical use of You Belong to the City both confirms that and adds the extra wrinkle that *Tubbs needs to be considered in that equation.* 

Which is to say: the first episode of Season Two decides to make a statement about where the season is going, and that statement is that *the relationship between Sonny and Rico is import\ant and vital and that they both have a concept of home that involves each other.* Considering where the rest of the series goes, that makes the eventual unraveling of their relationship as Sonny falls apart just about the closest thing the  series has to a full overarching plot. 

THEIR PARTNERSHIP IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING, FOLKS

GLENN FREY WROTE A SONG ABOUT IT

(and I'm done)

[tathrin]

If Finrod is Legolas's other dad, explain Lorien.

Reference is to this post, and also I'm tagging @z-h-i-e because this is their ship-baby, I just popped in to sprinkle some additional inspiration because my brain went "ooh hey!" when their post crossed my dash because that's the kind of supportive community fandom is supposed to be made of fyi.

Right, so. There's no sense of tone in straight-text communication on the internet, so I know that it's entirely possible that this ask was sent in the spirit of giggling-with-popcorn delight while you eagerly await the resulting explanation. It's equally possible that you're playing at being The Ship Police and challenging me in the expectation that I won't be able to make this Just For Funsies ship sail without floundering on the rocks of canon.

Either way: buckle up. Because the boats of Lórien don't sink.

Because when Legolas gets to the woods of Lothlórien with the rest of the Fellowship, he's delighted. He's never actually been here before! He's heard all the stories, and listened avidly, but. well. Thranduil and Galadriel both blame the other a little bit for the nasty way Finrod died (they know it's not the other's fault so they don't say anything, either to each other or anyone else but, well. it feels like it ought to be the other one's fault, somehow).

And there's all that tension re: Doriath still, and why Galadriel couldn't just pick-up where Melian her teacher left off and maintain the Girdle afterwards—because I'm not a maia, Thranduil, you ass! Oh, so you couldn't even TRY?—especially because she then proceeds to do basically that for Lórien just a few thousand years later...and of course Galadriel thinks it's Oropher's fault that so many of Lothlórien's elves died in the Last Alliance, because if only he hadn't been so reckless and pig-headed then surely Amdír would never have thought up that idiotic suicidal charge on his own...and if she'd maybe tried a little harder to rein-in the son/nephew of the Kinslayers, maybe Sauron would never have even made the Rings, and Mirkwood would still be Greenwood, which you'll note she can't be arsed to extend her convenient semi-girdle to either...and if he wasn't so damn prideful maybe somebody could help his precious stupid spider-forest...etc etc.

They aren't like. enemies. but they don't really get along anymore, either. They don't talk. (There's a reason the elves of Green/Mirkwood were moving north even before Sauron took up housekeeping in Dol Guldur.) So even though Lothlórien is like maybe a week's walk away, Legolas hasn't actually been here before. And he is stoked! Because he's always wanted to visit, but he didn't want to hurt his remaining dad's feelings by being like "bye, gonna go visit my aunt whom you haven't spoken to in like three thousand years, nbd!" so he never did — but here they are now, and it's part of the Quest, so it's not like Legolas just popped in for a visit, is it? He's doing something that just happened to bring him here, so Thranduil can't take it personally, and...well, here he is! At last! This is awesome! He's so excited to see his aunt's fabled forest!

And then they want to blindfold him!? He's FINALLY in Lórien, and he's not even allowed to look at the place!? This is his aunt's forest, for fuck's sake — he is an elf and a kinsman here, dammit! No wonder he goes from zero-to-sixty re: "golly Gimli don't be so stubborn" => "hOw dARe yOu!?!?!?" when the blindfold is suggested. He's not just pissed, he's taking it personally. Because he's family.

Okay so far so good, but when the Fellowship comes before Celeborn and Galadriel why doesn't anyone say anything about Legolas literally being their nephew, one might ask? Ah! Well, that's because we have Hobbits for our narrators, and they simply don't know elvish family trees well enough to catch that detail. Which is why when Celeborn says "Welcome son of Thranduil! Too seldom do my kindred journey hither from the North," it's perhaps a little more pointed of a statement than the Hobbits know. Celeborn is saying long time no see nephew, how nice of you to visit FINALLY. But Legolas and Thranduil have called themselves "Wood-elves" since moving to Greenwood, so the fact that he's actually half-Noldor just never gets mentioned, because it's not like it's relevant, is it? He doesn't mention being half-Sindar either. He calls himself a Wood-elf because he is a Wood-elf...by adoption. So why would the Hobbits even think to ask?

And we know that Galadriel uses ósanwë on everybody, so why wouldn't she be using it with her own nephew? What better way to have a private family chat, after all? And she doesn't say anything aloud to anyone while Celeborn is greeting everybody else, and it's not like Galadriel really needs to listen to the "hellos" either; perhaps she and Legolas have a little mental confab just the two of them while everybody else is settling in. You could easily write that in, if you wanted to, without breaking any of the existing canon.

After that, we actually have a perfect textural opening for Legolas to go hang with his aunt and uncle some more: while the rest of the Fellowship doesn't see Galadriel and Celeborn again until the Mirror and then their departure, the book says "Legolas was away much among the Galadhrim, and after the first night he did not sleep with the other companions, though he returned to eat and talk with them." So we know that Legolas is going off to hang-out with the Lórien elves...a.k.a. Aunt Galadriel. Probably sleeping in the guest bedroom and pestering her for embarrassing stories about his dads. And maybe asking her for tips on how to talk to dwarves without putting your foot in your mouth since she's clearly got experience.

And no, none of them went in for stuff like gushing hugs when they meet...but if they haven't spoken to one another in a few thousand years, and probably didn't spend all that much time together even before that (Galadriel and Thranduil weren't much in any of the same places after Doriath fell) then they wouldn't likely be all that cuddly with one another anyway, would they? Distant-but-fond seems like the order of the day to me, and you can definitely read their fleeting interactions in the book that way. (A kickass bow potentially strung with your own hair is a great gift for a nephew you don't know well who's about to go off into danger! I bet he could even shoot-down a Ringwraith with a bow like that!) Tense-and-awkward-but-trying-to-be-polite would work too, of course; depends on what kind of drama you want.

So yeah, actually I think it's perfectly reasonable to posit that Galadriel could potentially be Legolas's aunt; I've seen several fics that present Celeborn and Thranduil as cousins or some other close relative, and nobody gets shirty about the canocity of that kinship re: the Lórien scenes, so why wouldn't the connection be just as acceptable to come via Finrod and Galadriel instead? There's nothing in the text that I know of that says it can't be canon.

Anyway, Finrod-as-Legolas's-other-dad wasn't actually meant to be a serious "look how well canon supports this idea, it's definitely a very plausible thing that people should embrace in a wholly serious and canonical manner" theory to begin with. I was just having fun. Somebody said, "hey check out their weird rare ship, it's a lot of fun!" and my brain had a lightbulb moment and went "ooh what if you took that silly fun ship and leaned-in even harder with it, though?" and here we are.

Does a marriage between Thranduil and Finrod actually fit with all the canon of the Silm? I don't know, probably not; then again it might, simply because so much of the Silm is vague, especially when it comes to the elves of Mirkwood who barely even get mentioned once or twice. Personally I prefer having Legolas be born in Mirkwood and to be relatively young for an elf when Fellowship starts (there's no canon about that either way, I just like the vibes of it). However, this ship is a lot of fun too. In fact, I think it's already my favorite idea for an older-Legolas-with-ties-to-important-people take on the character, if that's how you want to take the character, simply because it is so much fun.

Do I think it's canon? No, of course not. But who cares? We're not writing Academic Articles on Accurate Tolkien Scholarship, we're writing fanfiction. We're having fun. So if you're a giggling-with-popcorn anon: good, awesome, glad to have you here enjoying the fun too. If you're a Ship Police Anon...well, acab and farewell because I frankly just do not have the time to give a shit about what somebody else ships or doesn't. Block the tag and move on.

[hauntedheroines]

How about ♫ for Fuchsia and Steerpike? 💕

Oh you wonderful person <3

I chose to analyse the song below because follows their story in a perfect chronological order.

For my full Fuchsia x Steerpike playlist click the link.

I can analyse other songs for them as well (please please please ask for more)

Say When - The Fray

I see you there, don't know where you come from Unaware of a stare from someone Don't appear to care that I saw you and I want you

And everyone is rising to meet you, to greet you Turn around and you're walking toward me I'm breaking down and you're breathing slowly You say the word and I will be your man, your man

During countless useless rituals which the royal Family is bond to attempt, people remember Fuchsia exists if only to pay respect and proper courtesy to a Goran. Fuchsia tolerates it as she was taught to. Her mind is not on them anyway. It’s on the last minutes of ceremony when deccurum will be less strict and she will be allowed short but exciting moments of talk with a certain kitchen boy, her clown of the clouds. His snaky face would never betray it, but she is the only one in the room he is craving to see as well.

We're coming close and then even closer We bring it in but we go no further We're separate, two ghosts in one mirror, no nearer

He seeks her in her solitude. He finds her mostly in the woods, singing made-up nursery rhymes to herself, spining her wild hair over her exposed shoulders from clothes that are too big for her. They speak, but barely talk. It seens like there is a bridge between them they can never fully cross. Even when she starts to agree to secretly meet him in the castle, the years of neglect or outright abuse and never knowing intimacy makes them both distrustful and cluesless on how to procced. Even Steerpike, who takes the most iniative, acts by-the-book on the rules of romance: flowers, poems, pets. A safe path to trade upon. A shiny garmet to distract Fuchsia from the otherwise lack of grace of her companion and vile nature that she is certain to spurn if she ever sees it.

They came from different worlds and yet were the same. He is a kitchen boy and she is a princess. By convenience they shouldn’t be together, but convenience always seems to work against them. The princess, in the most unpredictable way, is an outcast whom Gormenghast finds no use for and thefore is left to fed for herself. And although Fuchsia has not experience abuse like Steerpike has perse - as her material needs were being met - she was not cared for either. Unable to wear the crown for being a woman, she is worthless in the eyes of Gormenghast, and even her family makes her aware of it.

Say when and my own two hands Will comfort you tonight, tonight Say when and my own two arms Will carry you tonight, tonight

The first time Fuchsia embraces him it's by Nanny's grave. Estelle Daniel, Gormenghast’s producer, described the grave scene as follows:

"I think you understand in this scene that they actually do love each other. You know there is a real chemistry there. In a way, if Fuchsia were to have said, 'Look, let’s just get on a white horse and ride away from the castle together and just be lovers,' I think there are moments where Steerpike might almost have agreed."

Come across you lost and broken You're coming to but you're slow in waking You start to shake, you still haven't spoken, what happened

She asked to see beneath the mask, but turned away from him.

They're coming back and you just don't know when You want to cry but there's nothing coming They're gonna push until you give in or say when

He suffocates a cry after she leaves the room which he spend days decorating for her. Maybe it would feel good to cry, but after sucessfully holding it back for many years, he has forgotten how to. Remembering his purpose renews his resolve: "I'm gonna make them wish they were never born, or at least not born where they were."

Dr. Prunesquallor, Mr Flay, and his little lordship Titus are under his trail and soon everyone will know the real Steerpike and declare him a public enemy.

Now we're here, and it turns to chaos Hurricane, coming all around us Double crack throws you back from the window, you stay low

Everyone is talking about it. Steerpike, the snake - killed her aunts, and now Mister Flay. Steerpike, the runaway, is threatening the monarchy, her mother and brother. Steerpike, the rat - he is hiding in the dirts, in between the walls of Gormenghast. We must find him.

Turns out he is the one who finds her, by the window of her secret attic. This is where their story began and where it ends.

It all began with a man and a country Every plan turns another century Around again, another nation fallen Maybe God can be on both sides Of the gun, never understood why Some of us never get it so good, so good Some of this was here before us All of this will go after us It never stops until we give in

Jonathan Rhys Meyers described Steerpike's presence in Gormenghast akeen to being in The Truman Show: You can't get away. Most of you can do is control it. When Fuchsia and Steerpike dream of shaking these archaic walls or just being free from it, they are talking about fighting a strict unmoavable centuries old system of rigid hierarchy and nonsensical traditions that have made people living under it borderline eschizophrenic.*

*I know the characters over-the-top and theatrical manners can be seeing as such or as an artistic choice by the director, but I think it can be both

Barquentine tells the Queen herself that "even kings come and go - gormenghast remains". Gormenghast is an entity on itself, a giant monster and every character is in it's belly.

Steerpike could be the one to break the social order. He told her once he could not understand how there should be poor and rich. She dreamed of a shinny hero, she saw him now as a villain - he could be both. They can break the wheel together, because he is stronger now. With her, he is. For her, he is.

Thank you for your request <3

SEND ME A ♫ WITH THE NAME OF A SHIP AND I’LL TELL YOU A SONG THAT FITS THEM PERFECTLY

[nightsidewrestling]

D.U.D.E: Part 3 - Shamrocks & Shenanigans (Set in 2020)

Note: This is set in a universe where Men VS Women / Intergender matches can happen.

Chapter 1: here Chapter 2: here

Tags: @piratewithvigor @tantamount-treason @thedollmaker16

Around 2000 Words. 18+ in places (those chapters will be marked as ‘Mature / sexual content’ just to be safe). Please inform me if you wish to be tagged or untagged from posts. If the text is in italics and orange it’s Kirby’s inner monologue. If the text is coloured but not in italics, it’s either dialogue or a P.O.V change (P.O.V changes will be in bold and translated dialogue will appear in square [ ] brackets), Key below. Quick note on Geia’s text colour: Yes I do know that as Greed she should be in yellow but I decided to colour the men’s dialogue yellow so Geia was changed to be pink like the other women in the story outside of the main 8.

The Main 8: Damo - Bio. Vi - Bio. Billie - Bio. Geia - Bio. Kirby - Bio. Honey - Bio. Eli - Bio. Sara - Bio.

Gluttony's P.O.V:

"Nope, just me, Mam and Da."

"Any boyfriend, girlfriend, fiancé?"

"That's very forward of you, Eddie."

"I just want to know if there's anyone, other than the girls and Damien, in your life."

"Nope, as far as I'm concerned, I'm by myself."

Eddie nods as he leans back, breathing out a cloud of smoke as he looks at Kirby.

"I have... had friends, back home, T.J, Mike and Yoshi. Haven't spoken to them since I left Wales, though, two years ago." She mutters.

"You have me," Eddie smiles softly before clearing his throat, "and Mox, if you need us, I'm always just a text or phone call away if you need me."

"You'll protect me?" She jokes, cocking an eyebrow as she looks at Eddie.

"Yeah. Sure on TV we're at war right now, but now I know what your 'Boss' is like, and he's an asshole by the way," Eddie grins, "I'm gonna keep you safe whether you like it or not."

"Don't be an ass, Eddie." She chuckles, struggling to keep a straight face as Eddie sticks his tongue out at her.

"you're stuck with me today, kid, so you better get used to this asshole." He winks.

"I'm stuck with you. As in Mox dropped you off so you'll be with me all day?"

"Exactly, so put up and shut up. Where's your car anyway? We can talk and drive, get you to relax around me, too."

Kirby looks over at Eddie whilst they walk to the car. He glances over at her, smiling as he takes a drag of his cigarette, finishing it before getting into the car. The moment she turns the car on her music comes on, quiet but still loud enough to hear, 'The Have Nots' by House of Pain.

"Oh man, you listen to House of Pain?"

"Yeah, why? Do you want me to turn it off?"

"Nah, how do I turn it up?" Eddie asks, messing with the buttons and dials inside of the car before Kirby can give him an answer.

After an hour of silence from Kirby, Eddie snaps slightly at the lack of conversation.

"I know you can talk, so why the fuck have you given me nothing but silence? Did I offend you somehow? What have I done?" Eddie asks, or rather, demands.

Kirby stays silent, pulling up at a new hotel, or more accurately motel, and parking.

"The fuck are we doin' here?"

"Eddie, if we stayed at the hotel we were at last night Damian would know. If we stay here, no one except us knows." She explains softly, her tone like a mother dealing with an unruly child.

"Oh... smart move," Eddie mumbles, "Well, when we get a room you gotta pretend that ya datin' me."

"Beth y uffern [What the hell]? I'm not... why the fuck would I do that?" Kirby stammers, her eyes wide and her eyebrows raised as far as they can go.

"Beth... what? Because ya have ta, or else people might get suspicious." Eddie shrugs, getting out of the car and opening Kirby's door before she even realises he's on her side of the car.

"But why?"

"But why," Eddie whines mockingly, "Let me put you in my shoes for a second, kid. Guy of my age rolls up at a shady, cheap-lookin', motel with a young, pretty lookin', gal like you, are ya gettin' the picture?"

"Oh," Kirby gasps, "I see... I am not, you know, a red light special, so to speak."

"A red light special? Like the TLC song?"

"Yeah," Kirby whispers as she walks beside Eddie, "I like 'em attentive and I like 'em in control, you know what I mean?" She chuckles softly.

Eddie shakes his head as he chuckles, getting his suitcase out of the trunk, before heading to the front desk, and getting the first available room.

The room's small, bathed in pink light from the sunlight streaming through the, still drawn, curtains. Kirby heads to the bathroom and stops in her tracks, in front of her is a small room, barely lit from the pink lightbulb above her head, she turns around and blocks Eddie's way into the bathroom.

"What's up with you? Need me to leave while ya piss or somethin'?" He grunts, raising an eyebrow as he takes in the bright pink of Kirby's cheeks, her scar almost managing to blend into her skin for once.

"Edward, we have a problem." She manages to squeak out.

"Problem? What sorta problem?"

Kirby moves, allowing Eddie to see the heart-shaped bathtub and the, intentional, pink lighting, he chuckles for a moment, then his brain kicks into gear and stops him mid-laugh.

"Oh fuck, there ain't a shower in there?" He asks, the grin dropping from his face.

She shakes her head, "I like some excitement and I like a man that goes." She teases as she walks over to Eddie, jokingly blowing him a kiss before taking her car keys off him, heading to grab her bags from the trunk.

"Now is not the time to quote that song!" He calls after her.

When Kirby returns, Eddie's outside on the balcony, smoking a cigarette and mumbling, what Kirby can only assume is, either rap lyrics or his thoughts to himself.

"You alright, Eddie?" She asks softly as she walks out onto the balcony next to him, "you don't have to put that out now I'm here, you know."

"You got that song stuck in my head, kid, you've got me mumblin' that shit to myself."

"I've got you mumbling Red Light Special to yourself? I guess there are worse songs to think about having sex to... not that you're thinking of having sex with me or anything. God no, why would you want to, I mean, look at me, I'm no man's first choice." Kirby rambles on quietly, her cheeks gradually getting redder as her brain screams at her to shut up.

"Hey kid, you're as pink as that bathtub," Eddie chuckles, patting her shoulder and pulling her into a side hug, "If I were thinkin' of fuckin' ya, I would at least get to know ya first."

"Don't mess with my head, Eddie." She grumbles.

"Or else you'll?" he teases.

"I'll steal your phone, call your mother and explain to her, that her son's making a young lady very uncomfortable."

"Don't you dare, my mother would destroy me with words alone, she'd take my head off with her teeth."

"Ooh, you've got a fiery mother too? Is she a red-head like mine or is she... What's the thing Billie says, Latina or Hispanic?"

"Puerto Rican, my father's Irish though."

"Fully Irish, or like half Irish half somethin' else?" She asks quietly, "My Da's half Irish, half Welsh."

"Fully Irish, I think, I'm not sure though, fairly sure he's part Hulk sometimes... and not smart Hulk, like first movie dumb Hulk."

"I get that. My Ma's half Scottish, so pissing her off is like pulling the pin on a human grenade."

"Ah, so that's where you get your fire in the ring from, you got both Irish and Scottish fire, so it's like a shotgun blast of 'Don't piss her off'."

"Sure... unless you're Damien, and have control over my career, and drag me away from my friends, just to see if working in America will work out."

"Oh really? You wanna talk about that?"

"Yeah, or at least the friends I, used to have, Mike, Ashkii, and Yoshi. Ash always had this joke that hanging out with me and Yoshi meant he was 'hanging with the video game girls'. Yoshi would always tell him he was an idiot for saying things like that." She smiles faintly.

"And what about Mike?"

"Me and Mike... we were as close as a guy and girl can be without dating. People would joke that he was Viscera's son, and I looked like Mideon's daughter, and we were gonna be the next Ministry of Darkness. I managed him for a while, tried to train him and get him to below three-hundred pounds, but nothing ever worked... in a way it was part of his charm, a guy that didn't care about impressing me with his physique, no rippling abs or striking bodybuilder poses as I walked by in the gym, just... playing Reggae music and singing along as he watched me put together that night's plan for after the show."

"Sounds like a great friend." Eddie mumbles, rubbing her back to reassure her, holding her closer when she starts to tear up.

"And then one day, Damien decided he wanted me to become 'Gluttony' and my uncles agreed, a seven-to-one vote stripped me, and my Da, of power over my career..." she takes a shaky breath in, wiping her eyes with the palms of her hands, "...I never wanted to be 'Gluttony', I thought it was horrible as a concept. Luring men who were considered 'out of shape' with the power of overindulgence in the consumable... I would never harm anyone's feelings intentionally and yet there I was, night after night, making jokes at my former best friend's expense, no wonder he kicked me out of our flat. I ended up moving back in with my parents, because I knew if I got a new place I couldn't pay the rent, I... I fucked up through no fault of my own." She whispers, her voice hoarse.

Eddie finishes his cigarette and leads Kirby inside, sitting her on the bed and holding her close, whispering small attempts at reassuring phrases to her.

"I'm sorry, you probably think I'm a wreck or something." She murmurs, only to be met with a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"You're not a wreck, you're a kid, who grew up in the wrestling world and never learnt how... tough, the business could be because your dad protected you. How about, I go get us lunch in the car, you stay here and rest. I'll be back before you wake up from your nap, I promise."

"You promise you're not just leaving forever?"

Eddie takes her face in his hands, although rough, the feeling is quite gentle, "I promise on my mother's eyes" He whispers.

After Eddie leaves, Kirby undresses down to her underwear, an (unintentionally) sexy black lacy bra with a pair of TMNT boxer shorts, every one of her tattoos and scars on display for only her to see, and potentially any security cameras placed in the room.

True to his word, Eddie returns before Kirby wakes up, setting out the Chinese food and the small table, almost intentionally like a first date, the two seats parallel to each other, he curses under his breath when he hears her let out a gentle yawn.

"I promise you it's not what it looks like!" He blurts out, his cheeks turning pink momentarily.

"It looks like a conversation set up, two chairs opposite each other, food... perhaps a pint of Guinness? Maybe a can of beer?" She shrugs, getting up before her brain catches up to her body.

"Well, it's not everyday I see a sight like that," Eddie chuckles as Kirby reaches for her discarded t-shirt, bending down and unwittingly giving Eddie the 'perfect view' of her cleavage, "If you want me let me know it." He winks.

"Did you just-"

"Quote Red Light Special, yup."

"Oh thank fuck, I thought your dick had made you go on auto-pilot to flirt with me."

"You don't have a lot of experience with men, do ya?"

"Wrestling them, yes. Socialising with them, no." She admits sheepishly.

"Well, usually a guy will tell a girl they like them, either by actually sayin' somethin' or their body will tell the girl, I think you know how that stuff works though."

"Oh trust me, I have seen plenty of jean crotches being adjusted or covered by men."

"See, jeans can hide it. Just get baggy enough jeans and the problem sorts itself out. Sweatpants, however, they give everything away." Eddie explains, sitting on the edge of the bed.

[silentsighs-ffxiv]

if they could hit redo on a single past event in their life what would it be?  would they do it if it meant changing the present?

So, this comes with the extensive caveat that I am breaking my own dang rule here and I know I am, but this involves a canon character and I suppose that we will call this a hilarious crackship but I cannot get it out of my head and I'm gonna run with it.

Quick recap: Nutone (this incarnation) is effectively a vessel crafted from some poor woman that Naunet (Kotone's god) plucked off the beach during a walk and drowned, then offered a new life - and when that was accepted, everything that Naunet knew of Kotone was slammed into the head of the poor woman while rebuilding her body.

Naunet was so disgusted with herself that she has retreated - leaving Nutone without a paddle, because the woman that she was still exists and all her memories are at war with Kotone's. Not only is this having some interesting impact on her aether, but it regularly sets her up for confusion as memories from both filter in and out. /end recap

I haven't spoken very much about her, but I'm going to start doing so - let's talk about Sameera's greatest regret.

Sameera was a refugee that ended up on her own in Radz-at-Han, and during one particularly entertaining night as a teenager, she ran into a young man who showed her a little spot of kindness. They became very fast friends - her the devil on his shoulder, and he the gentle hand trying to guide her to do better in the world. He taught her how to handle a sword, she taught him how to read people better. He taught her to dance, she taught him how to tell a better story.

In time, Sameera grew to love him - and she had no doubt he loved her. They both led impossibly different lives, and after a few unfortunate altercations, Sameera and he were barred from seeing one another. It did not stop either, and they snuck out as often as they could to steal moments on the rooftops just to watch the stars.

During one such night before a very important day for both of them, a question was asked that would have changed both of their lives. It was a question with great weight behind it, especially for Sameera - and she feared the change that would come, and did not think herself worth it. She declined, and for a time the hurt was so deep that the two did not speak.

It was some years before the two crossed paths again, as he encountered her in the markets. Life had not changed them too much - though she jested his scales were whiter than she remembered, and he teased that she claimed she'd never wear her hair long. They fell easily back into friendship and affection, and again came love - though that had never really died. Not for either of them.

He asked her to meet him one night on the beach when the stars were at their brightest, and she arrived before him - and that is the night that Naunet stole her from the shores. It was not just fear that forced Sameera to accept the offer of the goddess - but an intense desire to return to that beach and give the answer she should have given years ago. The answer they both deserved.

... Kotone has no memory of this, but nor has she heard the news. I wonder, so very much, how Sameera's grief will manifest when her vivid dreams of Radz-at-Han and starlit rooftops are mere memories tainted by Ahewann's death.

We'll never know what could have been.

[servin-up-surveys]

survey #152

boyfriend survey

What’s his first name? Donald Jr., but I've only ever known him as Girt.

Does his surname begin with the same letter as yours? No.

How old is he? 29 and thinks he's basically 60 lol dude you are still in the youth of your life

How long have you been together? A year and eight months.

Do you have a casual or serious relationship? Serious.

How often do you see each other? At least once a week, sometimes maybe one more day. In very rare cases it's gotten past a week, and then I'm just miserable lol

Do you live together? Not yet.

Do you have keys to each other’s places? I know I don't, and I don't think Girt does either, but maybe Mom's given him one at some point.

When was the last time you saw him? Uh it's been like... around five days?

What is the age gap between you? Is he older or younger than you? Two or three years, I can't math, like he's gonna be 30 before I turn 28, but right NOW he's two years older.

Have you met his parents? His mom, yes, his dad died before I ever met his family.

Has he met your parents? Yes.

How many siblings does he have? One sister.

Have you met his siblings? Yes, she's fantastic.

Has he met your siblings? Ashley and Nicole, definitely, and I feeeeel like he's actually met Katie once at Nicole's birthday party many many years ago? I know he hasn't met Bobby, and I'm quite sure not Misty either.

What’s his name in your phone? "Girt <3"

Have you talked about marriage? Yeah, it's not an uncomfortable topic for us, we're both very open about being in this for the long run, especially with just how long we've been friends, though being a couple is obviously different.

Does he have any kids? No.

Does he want kids? I don't think so, but since hearing him say he didn't early in our relationship, he's since said "every guy wants a daughter" when talking casually about kids and that he'd prefer one over a son, but I don't know exactly how he meant that, like how relevant it was to his own, actual life.

Do you see a future with him? Yeah.

Are you “Facebook official”? lol not technically, it's stuck on "pending" because he's never been one to pay attention to Facebook at all, dude barely even knows how things work on there, so he missed the notification to verify it at some point, but thankfully it doesn't bother me, he puts no effort into hiding we're together at all, and that's what matters.

How did you meet him? High school band.

Where did you go for your first date? It was actually bowling, the first time we tried dating, but during our current and much more "real" relationship, it was uhhhh... wow I'm not sure I remember.

Who was the first one to make a move? Originally, him; he asked me out the first time, but I asked him out this go, but I only had the guts to because I was pretty confident he felt the same still, lol.

Have you spoken to him today? On Discord, yes; we do that every day. I haven't verbally spoken to him.

What’s his favorite pizza topping? With our history I'm actually amazed I'm not positive on this haha, I wanna just say pepperoni though?

Does he cook? He knows how to cook two things and that's it, lol. Still better than me.

What sort of phone does he have? Some sort of good quality Android, idk the details.

What size is his bed? I literally still haven't seen his room lmfao, I'm not sure.

Does he like to be big spoon or little spoon when you cuddle? Big spoon, but there are definitely times in bed when he faces away I'm cuddling against him, he finds it hard to fall asleep facing/cuddling me.

Is he a good kisser? Yeah.

Does he make you happy? He absolutely does, more than anyone else is able to.

What’s his fashion style? Comfort haha, regular pants and t-shirts, particularly Saikou brand stuff.

Does he drive? If so, what sort of car? Yes, but I forget what it is. It's black.

Has he ever bought you an item of clothing? Haha he's wanted to before actually but I was too reluctant to share my shirt size, regardless of how stupid that is.

Does he have any piercings? No.

Is he more fun or serious? Fun.

What does he do for a living? He's worked at a big tire factory for like, nine years.

When is the next time you’ll see him? Probably within the next few days.

What’s his favorite thing to drink? Water, this man can destroy water.

Does he live alone, with roommates or with parents? Well it's technically her living with him, but his mom. Actually one of his best friends does too because of familial problems.

Does he have any pets? Yeah, he has a super sweet pit/shepherd mix named Charlie.

Is he your first boyfriend? No.

What was the last movie you watched with him? Wow I have no idea, we don't watch movies much, which is fine with me because I have a hard time getting through movies anyway.

Is he an active person? Well his job is physical and he has long shifts so kinda, but he doesn't do much outside of work.

What’s his favorite candy? Good question, he doesn't let himself have candy a lot at all. I do know he loves Sour Patch, though.

Have you ever met his best friend? Yes.

What’s your favorite physical quality of his? He has an adorable smile, and I like his arms/shoulders.

What color is his hair? Black but graying early and he haaates it.

Do you argue with him often? No, that's really rare for us.

Where was the last place you went with him? Red Robin for Mother's Day.

What color is his toothbrush? Don't know actually.

What kind of movies does he like to watch? Also a good question, but I can tell you he's not a horror fan.

Have you celebrated either of your birthdays together? Yeah.

Does he play any instruments? He was the guy who played tuba in band, and briefly the trombone before I started high school, but I'm doubtful he remembers anything by now.

Do you have any mutual friends? Yes.

How often do you talk to him on the phone? Basically never, I've learned that there have been times he's wanted to call me just to talk but doesn't just because he knows I hate talking on the phone haha, like dude you're an exception.

Does he have a beard or is he clean-shaven? He never has a full beard, genetically he doesn't get a lot of facial hair, but sometimes he has a little bit but generally stays shaved.

What was the last compliment he gave you? I'm not sure, even though he gives 'em quite a bit. We call each other cute a whole lot, so there's a good chance it was that, haha.

Does he dance? No, he's told me he can't and bitch same

Is he taller or shorter than you? He's quite a lot taller.

Has he ever bought you flowers? Twice now. :'D

Do you ever borrow his clothes? No, I doubt his shirts would even fit me; I weigh a lot more than him, although with how tall and broad he is, some shirts might but I kinda don't wanna try and find out they don't lol

Is he a clean or messy person? He knows he's messy and it's the reason I haven't seen his room yet lol, he doesn't believe me when I say I don't care.

What color are his eyes? Brown.

What does he wear to bed? Pj pants and a normal shirt or sometimes no shirt, he'll sometimes change into new work clothes the night before and just sleep in them so he can have more time asleep lol, extremely rarely nothing.

Does he keep his fingernails clean? Reasonably, but I mean he works in a tire factory with the tires so they're not like pristine.

Have you ever shared a shower with him? No, I don't want to share a shower with anyone.

How long after your first date did you see him again? I don't remember, but I'm sure it wasn't that long.

What’s his bedroom like? As mentioned earlier, I actually don't know.

Has he ever had braces? Uhhh I don't think so? I know he hasn't while I've known him.

When was the last time you kissed him? The last time he was here, a few nights ago.

Do you celebrate Valentine’s Day with him? Yes.

How long were you together before you said “I love you”? We never did the first time we tried dating years ago, which was around four months, and I can't quite remember how long it was until I said it and he said it back. It was definitely a few months, though.

What sort of shoes does he usually wear? Sneakers of some sort, I don't pay attention to exactly what they are.

Do you know any of his exes? No.

What’s his favourite cuisine? I'm not certain, but I know he likes Mexican quite a bit.

Was he born in the country he now lives in? Yes.

Have you ever been long-distance with him? No.

Does he ever wear any type of jewelry? No.

What was the first present you got for him? I'm not certain, it really might have been the Vitamin Me thing I got for our first anniversary, because I absolutely couldn't NOT get him something so I sucked it up and asked my mom, I'm still the one that made all the little notes, what really made up the gift.

What was the first present he got for you? ugh this is much harder, he's actually gotten a lot, apparently gifts are one of the stronger love languages from him. I want to say it was a Carbuncle from Final Fantasy plush, the first time we dated; I saw a picture of one and freaked out over how cute it was and then he fuckin showed up with it lmao, I still want to get him out of the bags with my other stuffed animals to keep out.

Does he smoke? No.

What TV shows is he watching at the moment? I don't think he's actively watching anything at home; it's usually us watching stuff together, and we've yet to start a new show since we just finished one.

Have you ever visited him at work? Yes, there was one day I brought him lunch.

Does he play video games? Oh yes, that's his "thing," he loves games.

What was the last thing you argued about? Well it wasn't really an argument since he agreed with me immediately, but he made a bad joke that just shouldn't have been made and it upset me.

Is he straight? Yes.

When is his birthday? I don't feel right sharing that on here.

Have you ever shared a bath with him? No.

Does he ride a motorcycle? No.

How long is his hair? Not very long, but it's not suuuuper short either. He has really thick hair like me and it's also curly, so while it doesn't actually like hang down his neck, there's a good deal of it.

Have you ever been overseas with him? No.

Does he have any tattoos? If so, which one is your favorite? Not yet, but he wants some. I know he'd like a big one on his back and he likes the idea of having a sleeve.

What is his favorite alcoholic beverage? He's never drunk and isn't interested.

Does he speak any languages other than English? He took quite a bit of Spanish in school and remembers some of it, but he's definitely not fluent.

Is he college/university educated? Mostly, yes, but he dropped out during his last semester because of his dad's death, it became way too much. He wants to go back eventually.

How long have you known him? Over a decade, I don't know the exact years by this point.

Does he text back quickly? If he's not at work, generally, yes, he messages back quickly. Off work though he will occasionally get distracted and forget to reply, he's one of those people that can read a message and then forget to message back by the time he can, but it doesn't happen a bothersome amount.

Have you ever celebrated Christmas with him? Not Christmas day, we spend it with our own immediate families.

Has he ever been in a physical fight? He's either been in one when younger or none at all, I can't remember which. I know he hit another guy once as a child because he wasn't leaving him alone, but I feel like he may have mentioned fighting with a guy once? I don't remember.

Did you go to the same high school as him? Yes, that's where we met.

[hwajin]

Preettyyy sure you're thinking of the right person🐈

Anyways I'm gonna give you more of lifestory dump now because things have changed and idk it's time to update you👀

First of all, I passed last year. Not with the best grades, but I passed. Meaning I'm in eleventh grade finally and I MUCH prefer it over whatever that was the last few years.

Getting to choose what subjects you wanns focus on and what subjects yoy just wanna dump in the trash (bye bye latin) is a great concept

My focus is on English, German and chemistry :)

I'm a lot more open and, not like the last few years, I don't try to not be seen or not exist anymore. In fact, I try to give myself a presence and just exist in other people's minds. I often casually talk with people I've never spoken to before and it's not weird or forced. I also made some new... friends? Probably wouldn't go that far yet but we're getting there for sure.

Yesterday, I met in the library with some friends so they can study for their biology exam tomorrow and I can get some books on one of the topics for my gfs

Btw, I got the best topics for my gfs's

In psychology I got schizophrenia and did, two things I've been interested in for years

I history I got something with Japan lol

And in English I got hamilton and I get to compare the musical to the real world history

My teachers are great for the most part and I haven't skipped class once yet and am not planning to do so either

I'm among the people with the most additional classes and on Wednesday, I'll get to go to the best university for psychology nearby and even get to attend one psychology and one jura lesson

My grades have gotten better. They're not the best yet, but I don't have to fear about passing anymore

Last Monday, we started a new topic in German class and our teacher made us play out a theatre script. We got to film each other. I decided to get revenge and wrote a script myself, following the same topic to ask him to play it for us. He did :)

He even said it was a prime example of that kind of text and that it was quite fitting for the topic pf that specific lesson. We were allowed to film him and he decided to make the text I wrote public to everyone in class

He actually puts effort into teaching and always gives us some great feedback for our homework and texts. I asked him if I could send him a poem I've written last year, simply because I want to know what I can do better. It's not about our current topic at all, but he still told me to go for it and even said on Friday that I will get feedback soon

And I'll go to London with the seminar course in February and might even get to see the Hamilton musical with some people :)

I still have depression and getting up everyday is an impossible seeming task... But I do it anyway and greet my peers. I don't expect them to say good morning back, but when they do, I do, in fact, have a good morning

when i tell you this made me tear up a bit i'm so proud of you bb!! legit thank you sm for like updating me this much, we barely talk lately which is mad sad jfjeifne but the fact you thought of me enough to tell MAKES ME SUPER HAPPY!!! i'm so glad you found some ppl that are somewhat close to you, even if you're not yet friends with em! also- having chemistry as your focus is CRAZY you smart smart. but english and german sounds mad fun!! i remember those two subjects being super fun as well, also defo update me about the london trip!! i didn't get to do a trip before graduation due to covid SO TELL ME HOW YOURS WENT 😤😤. again bub i'm mad proud of you for coming so far, i'm so so happy omg <333

[itsadamcole]

graduation day pt. 4

fem!reader x finn balor

one month has passed since Finn asked reader to marry him. Reader and Finn haven’t spoken because his question freaked her out a little bit. She called her mom to come visit, and reader confesses everything that’s happened since graduation day to seek advice from her mother ... “all i know is that i love him”

word count: 5.4k+

warnings: fluffy, smut, sad!finn, a long imagine because yeah

— next part will be the final part of the series .... i spent about a week or so working on this for y’ all so i hope you like it —

masterlist || part 1 || part 2 || part 3 | part 5 || request an imagine here

~ 18+ content below - read at your own risk ~

You sit in your apartment, waiting for the knock on your door that says that your mother is here.

You didn’t know what to do about Finn so you called her, asking her to come visit. You’re going to tell her everything. Why you didn’t come home after graduation and the real reason you never came home for Christmas. You’re going to tell her everything that’s happened between you and Finn, including the marriage proposal.

***

“Marry me, Y/N,” Finn says to you.

Your eyes are wide and on the ring that Finn is holding out to you.

His words hang in the air for a moment before you say, “Finn, I-”

Finn interrupts, saying, “I know it’s probably too soon but the past seven months or so have been the best of my life. I’ve loved the past seven months with ya.”

“I have too,” you say. “It’s just that my parents don’t even know you exist, your parents don’t know I exist. The teachers and everyone at school probably know now because of Veronica’s loud mouth. I think we should deal with that before we get engaged, Finn.”

His facial expression changes from happy and hopeful to upset and worried. “Yeah,” he says. “That’s true.” Sadness is laced in his voice.

You take his face in your hands and say, “It’s not a no, Finn. I’m not saying no. I’m saying just wait a little bit. Introduce me to your parents and I’ll introduce you to mine. Let’s deal with whatever comes our way after winter break. Once all of that is taken care of then yes, I’ll marry you.”

Finn nods and a small smile forms on his lips. “Okay,” he says.

You smile and peck his lips before you fell asleep in his arms.

***

When you woke up that morning, you overthought everything. You overthought meeting his parents and you overthought him meeting yours. Your anxiety was so high about going back to work after winter break, which is tomorrow.

It freaked you out so you left before Finn woke, locking your apartment door and not speaking to Finn. Last week, that’s when you called your mom and asked her to come to Florida for a few days. She arrives today.

You’re curled up on your couch with a cup of warm coffee in your hands and a blanket on your body. You’re watching The Vampire Diaries on Netflix. It’s about nine in the morning.

The knock you’ve been waiting for comes at 9:30. You walk to the door, looking through the peep hole to see your mother.

You open the door, putting the coffee down on the little table by the entrance. Your mother says, “Hi, Y/N.” She smiles. “I’m so happy that you called.”

Tears immediately prick your eyes and you hug your mom. Tight. “I missed you, Mom,” you say, almost crying into her shoulder.

“Sweetheart, what’s wrong?” she asks, looking over at you and seeing the tears on your cheeks. “Why are you crying?”

You wipe the tears and say, “A lot has happened and I haven’t been able to get it all out.”

Your mom walks inside your apartment and says, “Come talk to me.” You nod, grabbing your coffee and shutting the apartment door, locking it again.

After setting her things down in your extra bedroom, your mother joins you and sits on the couch.

“Tell me what’s wrong, Y/N,” she says to you.

You sigh and say, “I, uh, I’m in a relationship. Well, I think I’m in a relationship. I don’t know anymore. Um, he proposed and it kind of freaked me out.”

Your mom tilts her head on confusion and she asks, “In a relationship with who?”

“Finn Balor,” you say quietly.

She blinks and says, “That name sounds familiar.”

You mumble, “He was my English professor in my senior year.”

Your mother blinks at you and asks, “You’re dating your English professor? Y/N L/N!”

“In my defense, he’s my former professor,” you say. “Former as in nothing happened until after I graduated.”

Your mom says, “You said he proposed.”

Nodding, you say, “He did. Last month. It freaked me out and I haven’t talked to him since.”

“Why did it freak you out?” your mom asks.

You sigh, “Because he’s seventeen years older than me, almost eighteen. He has an established career and I’m fresh out of college. I haven’t met his parents because they’re in Ireland, he hasn’t met you and Dad. There’s so much I don’t know about him.”

Your mother listens to every word. She waits until you’re done talking to say something. “What do you know about him? What kind of person is he?”

After thinking for a second, you say, “I know that I love him. I know he loves me too. I know that he’s a nice person that cares deeply for me. I know that I do want to spend the rest of my life with him, even though it's only been about seven months. He's so nice, Mom. Aside from the fact he's almost twenty years older than me, and my former teacher, you'd love him."

She says, "I'd like to meet him, Y/N. I would."

You blink at her and say, "You actually want to meet him?"

Your mom nods and says, "Honey, if you love someone as much as you love Finn, and you think that you'll spend the rest of your life with him, then you don't let them go. I'd love to meet Finn. It's nice to see you in a solid relationship even though it's only been a little bit. I never expected to see you with your teacher but I can tell he makes you happy, sweetheart."

"He makes me so happy, Mom," you say. "I've never been happier and I'm happiest when I'm with him."

She grabs her things and stands up, saying, "Let's go so I can meet him."

You look up at your mother and say, "I am not dressed to go see Finn, Mom."

Your mother says, "So get your butt up and into your room to get dressed. We leave in fifteen minutes."

Sighing, you get off the couch and walk down to your bedroom. You raid your closet to find something to wear. You find a cream-colored sweater dress that falls about halfway down your thighs. You pair that with a pair of light grey knee high heeled boots. They give you an extra three inches. You brush out your long Y/H/C colored hair before tying it into a messy bun on top of your head.

Once you're dressed, you put on some natural makeup before leaving the room. Your mom looks up at you and says, "Look at you. It's been a little bit since I've been you and you look beautiful."

You say, "Yeah, yeah. Let's just please get this done." You grab your car keys and look at your mom. She smiles at you and both of you leave your apartment.

Your mom sits in the passenger's seat while you get in the driver's seat.

Finn's house isn't that far away from your apartment. It's a five minute drive, tops. That's too short of a drive. You haven't spoken to Finn in a month. You haven't spoken to him since he proposed.

It's been too long, and you don't know if he'll even be willing to have you back in his life when you can just up and disappear like this.

You park on the street outside of Finn's house. Your mom gasps, "Wow. What a nice house. He must be paid really well at Full Sail."

"Yeah," you sigh, turning off the engine. "I get paid decently well as an assistant so I can't imagine what his salary is. I never asked."

As you get out, you notice a car you don't recognize in the driveway and your heart drops into your stomach as you think about who's car that could possibly be. You let out a little sigh as you walk up the walkway to the front door. You close your eyes for a second and hope it's Finn that opens the door.

After a very long minute, you knock three times. "I'll get it," a female voice calls from inside the house.

Your worst nightmare is coming true. You know who's probably inside the house.

The door opens and it's not who you thought it was. It's an older woman who looks a little bit like Finn. A wide smile forms on her lips and she says, "Oh my goodness. Ya must be Y/N!" Your eyes widen when you realize that you're standing in front of Finn's mother.

"Yeah," you stammer. "That's me. I'm Y/N. And this is my mother, Y/M/N."

Finn's mother says, "It's nice to finally meet ya, Y/N and Y/M/N. She turns and yells into the house. "Finn! There's someone here for ya! I didn't know that ya invited Y/N and her mother over!"

Finn's voice says, "That's because I-" He cuts himself off when he sees you. He stands in the foyer and he stares at you.

You look back at him and say, "Hi, uh, Finn."

He approaches the door. He's in a black t-shirt and loose black and white gym shorts. His hair is longer than it was when you last saw him.

"I, um, didn't know ya were coming over," Finn says as he stands behind his mom.

You look at Finn, trying to come back to reality, as you say, "She was in town and she wanted to meet you. I didn't know your mom was in town either."

Finn says, "My parents came in for New Years and are leaving next week. I thought I told ya."

He raises his eyebrows, trying to get you to catch on to what he's trying to say. You realize it and say, "Oh, right. I completely forgot."

His mom says, "Well, now that we're all here, how about we all eat some lunch? I know it's a little early but I make the best macaroni and cheese dish."

Your mom says, "I'd love to help." She walks into the house, walking away with Finn's mother. You're face-to-face alone with Finn for the first time since Christmas Eve.

"I didn't know your parents were in town," you say, starting to explain and apologize. "My mom wanted to meet you after I told her about what's been happening. I'm so sorry."

Finn says, "It's okay. I was hoping to see ya while they were in town. I was actually gonna stop by your apartment after classes tomorrow so ya could meet them."

You stare up at him and say, "Finn, I just wanted to explain why I just disappeared for the past month. I woke up beside you the next morning and just began to think. I started overthinking everything and it really freaked me out."

"Ya could have talked to me instead of disappearing," he says. You can hear the shakiness in his voice as he talks. "Maybe I could have eased everything that freaked ya out."

Knowing that Finn's about to possibly cry is enough to get you to tear up. "I know," you say. "I just didn't want you to think that it was about you. I wasn't freaking out about you."

Finn looks down at you and says, "That's all I've been thinking about since I woke up and saw ya weren't with me. I've been thinking about what I did wrong or what I did that chased ya away."

"It wasn't you, Finn," you say, starting to breakdown. "I promise it wasn't you. It's all me. You have done nothing wrong."

He looks at you and says, "Then tell me what I can do so ya can come back to me. I need ya, Y/N. I love ya. I love ya so much. I haven't been able to focus on what I've been needing to do because I spent the past few weeks trying to figure out what I did wrong."

You notice the tears that are starting to fall down his face. You cup his face in your hands and say, "I am so in love with you, Finn. So in love with you. You haven't done anything wrong. I was overthinking about meeting your parents and then what could happen tomorrow since it's the first day back at school since the party. It just really freaked me out. I love you, Finn."

Finn listens to every word you say and he leans into your touch. His eyes meet yours and he says, "I told my parents about ya at Thanksgiving. They've been excited to meet ya and when they do, we haven't spoken for a month."

"My timing isn't the best, is it?" you ask, trying to make a little light of the situation.

He shakes his head and he says, "Definitely not, but it's not impossible to work with either, Y/N."

You smile and say, "Let's go officially introduce me to your parents and I can introduce you to my mom."

Finn nods and says, "I want to do one thing before ya meet my parents." You raise your eyebrows at him in question as he leans down into you. He presses a long kiss to your lips. You smile against Finn's lips before you kiss him back.

He laces his fingers with yours and pulls back. "Come on," Finn says. "It's about time that ya met my parents."

You nod and walk into the house, holding Finn's hand. He closes the door behind you.

The two of you walk into the kitchen, where his parents and your mom stand. The sound of your heels on the wooden floor announces yours and Finn's arrival into the room.

"Mum," Finn says, clearing his throat. "Dad." His parents both look at him. You stand close to Finn. "I wanted to officially introduce ya both to my girlfriend, Y/N L/N. Y/N, my parents, Leonie and Fintan Devitt."

Finn's parents both smile as you look at your mom. "Mom," you say. "I wanted to officially introduce you to my boyfriend, Finn Balor. Finn, my mom, Y/M/N."

Your mother smiles at you before looking at Finn's parents. Finn's mom says, "It's wonderful to finally meet ya, Y/N. Officially, of course."

You smile and your mom says, "It's good to meet you too, Finn. I wish that Y/D/N was here to meet you too but maybe you and Y/N can come and visit us someday."

"I'd like that, Mrs. L/N," Finn says. You look up at Finn and he looks down at you.

Finn's mom says, "They're so cute together."

Your mom agrees as she helps Finn's mom cook the mac n' cheese dish.

He leans down and whispers in your ear, "Ya had nothing to worry about. They don't care about the age difference and they don't care that ya are a former student. They never have."

You look up at Finn and say, "You could have told me that."

Finn smiles and says, "I'm starting to get that."

After lunch is ready, the five of you sit at the dining room table. Finn's mom serves everyone. You take the first bite of the meal and you say, "This is amazing, Mrs. Devitt."

"Thank ya, sweetheart," she says.

You eat and make small talk with everyone at the table. The afternoon into the evening is full of laugher and conversation.

Finn's forgiven you for leaving and disappearing on him, but you still want to make up for it.

That night, you're sitting on the couch with your legs thrown across Finn's lap. You've also taken off the heeled boots you were wearing when you arrived. You're playing with Finn's fingers. He has a smile on his face as he watches you play with his fingers.

Your mom looks at the time and says, "Y/N. It's late. Do you want to head back to your apartment?"

Finn looks down at you and you glance up at him, saying, "It's a little late to drive home. I know it's only five minutes but I'm exhausted."

You look up at Finn and he says, "You're welcome to stay here for the night, Mrs. L/N. I have plenty of rooms in the house. Make yourself at home in one of the extra guest rooms."

Your mom says, "Thank you, Finn. That's very nice of you."

He smiles and nods at her before looking down at you. You yawn and Finn says, "Come on. Let's get ya to bed. Ya have to be up early tomorrow morning anyway so it's okay if ya go to bed early tonight."

You nod and start to get up, smoothing out your dress. You look at Finn's parents and say, "It was good to meet you both again. I'm sorry it didn't happen sooner."

"No problem, dear," Finn's mom says. "Have a good night."

You smile and say, "You too. Goodnight, Mom."

Your mom says, "Sleep tight, sweetheart."

Finn takes your hand and the two of you walk up to the third-floor bedroom that Finn sleeps in. You walk into the room and fall face first onto Finn's bed. He laughs and closes the door.

"Are ya that tired?" he asks.

You turn your head and look at Finn. "I just really missed your bed," you say, smiling. "It's more comfortable than mine."

Finn sits next to you and says, "I'm starting to think we broke your bed or something because it hasn't been comfortable for a while."

You sit up and look at Finn. "That's not a lie," you say. "Now you owe me a bed."

He laughs and says, "Or ya could just come and stay in my bed, with me. Just a suggestion." He smiles.

You giggle and say, "I'll think about it. Sometimes I just like to use your bed for things other than sleeping."

Finn raises his eyebrows and asks, "Like what?"

"Like," you say, pausing for a second before crawling onto Finn's lap. "This." You lean in and kiss him gently.

He laughs against your lips and pulls back, saying, "My parents are right downstairs and your mom could be anywhere."

You glance at the clock and it says that it's half past nine. You say, "It's not even ten yet. Your parents are probably still in the living room and we're two floors above them."

Finn stares up at you and says, "Ya haven't seen me in a month and ya already want to get in my pants."

"Who wouldn't want to get in your pants?" you giggle. "There are lots of things I've missed and being in your pants is one of them."

He smiles and asks, "What else did ya miss?"

You think for a second before you say, "That accent, your jokes, your smile. I missed being in your presence. I missed sleeping in your t-shirts or in your bed." Your hands slide to Finn's cheeks. "I missed sometimes falling asleep and waking up beside you."

Finn looks up at you as you speak and the smile on his lips gets bigger. His hands slip to your waist and he says, "So ya actually did miss me and didn't just miss getting in my pants."

You giggle and say, "The last thing I missed was getting in your pants. I liked you long before I ever got in your pants."

Finn leans up and says, "That's enough for me." You smile and close the space between your lips.

Immediately, the kiss is intense. Your hands roam from Finn's cheeks and down his chest. His hands slip under your dress and rest on your thighs.

Your hands slide under his t-shirt and you push up the fabric until his abs are exposed. You pull back from his lips and attach your lips to his neck. He sighs softly. You run your fingers over his abs before you push him back and prop yourself up on your arms.

Finn sighs, "Y/N"

"Hm?" you ask, pulling back from his neck and looking down at him.

He says, "You've met my parents. I've met your mom."

You raise your eyebrows and say, "That's a true fact."

Finn traces circles into your thighs as he says, "When I proposed on Christmas Eve, ya told me that ya would marry me once I met your parents and ya met mine."

You say, "I did say that." You smile.

He smiles when he realizes that you know where this conversation is going.

"Ya gonna make me get down on one knee to ask ya again?" he teases.

You lean down and kiss him. As he kisses you back, you say against his lips, "Yes, I'll marry you, Finn."

Finn reaches up and cups your face in his hands. The kiss gets more intense. He reaches down and pulls your sweater dress over your head, leaving you in your white bra and matching panties.

You start to grind against Finn's crotch, a sigh leaving your lips. You're still straddling Finn's waist as you grind against his growing bulge.

Soft sighs leave Finn's lips and he mumbles, "Ya better stop that, baby. Ya keep doing that and I'll have to do something about it."

Pulling away, you look down at Finn. You start to sit up, dragging your fingers down his chest. "You won't do anything," you say, smirking. "I'm in charge tonight. I have a little bit of time to make up for."

Finn bites his lip and watches as you reach behind you, unclasping the bra and letting the fabric fall from your body. You toss the piece of clothing to the floor.

"Hey," you say, catching Finn's attention. "My eyes are up here, Balor." He looks up at you and you smile.

He wraps his arms around your bare waist. You start to push up Finn's shirt and you look down at his upper body as he helps you pull the piece of clothing over his head. You move down, straddling his thighs instead of his waist.

You lean down, looking up at Finn with your eyes, and leave kisses on his chest and abs. You kiss down to the waistband of his shorts before you pull the shorts off.

Biting your lip, you trace his semi-erect member over his boxers with your finger.

Finn props himself up and watches you. You start to pull off his boxers and lick your bottom lip. His member pops out of his boxers. You smirk a little bit.

You take him in your hand and start to stroke him. You lick the tip of his member and smirk before you start to take him in your mouth.

A soft groan escapes Finn's lips and he falls onto his back, looking up at the ceiling.

As you start to bob your head up and down, Finn's groans turn into soft moans. His fingers slide into your hair and he helps you move your head.

You swirl your tongue around his member, occasionally sucking.

Finn starts to twitch in your mouth and he sighs, "Baby, keep doing that and I won't last much longer."

With a pop, you release him from your mouth. You smirk at Finn as you get on your knees, pulling off your panties. You crawl back onto Finn's waist. He watches as you position him at your entrance.

Before you lower yourself onto his member, you lean down and press a lingering kiss to his lips. "You relax, baby," you mumble against his lips. "I'll take good care of you."

He looks up at you and smirks as you lower yourself onto him. Finn's hands are on your waist as you slowly begin to bounce up and down on Finn, going further down onto him every bounce.

Soft moans and sighs escape both your lips and Finn's lips. Your hands are on his chest so you can stay balanced.

You try not to move too roughly so the bed doesn't make any noise and make your parents suspicious. You throw your head back and accidentally let out a loud moan.

"Baby," Finn gasps. "Shh. They'll hear us."

You bite your lip and say, "Sorry." You keep moving as Finn sits up. He kisses you so you stay quiet. You moan softly against his lips as you both near your climaxes.

Finn's hands roam your body as your walls clench around Finn. You moan and whine into the rough kiss as you reach your high. You release around Finn and he follows suit, releasing into you a few moments later.

Both of you collapse onto the bed with a sigh. A thin layer of sweat has appeared on both of you as you messily kiss.

You pull yourself away from Finn to lay beside him. He reaches over into the drawer of the bedside table. He pulls out a little box, the same one from Christmas Eve, and presents it to you.

He rolls onto his side to look at you. He opens the box, revealing the same beautiful ring as before. Only this time, it doesn't freak you out.

Finn takes the ring out and takes your left hand. He looks up at you and asks, "Are ya sure ya want to marry me? Ya won't freak out and run off?"

Shaking your head, you say, "Nope. You're stuck with me. I want to marry you, Finn."

Smiling, he slides the ring on your finger and kisses you. You kiss him back before the two of you embrace in a hug. The hug turns into a cuddle session and you're asleep within a few minutes.

***

Finn's alarm going off in the morning wakes you both up. He rolls over and turns it off as you yawn and rub your eyes.

"Good morning, my love," Finn says, kissing your cheek. "Time to get up for school."

You groan and say, "I don't wanna go."

He laughs and says, "Come on. New classes start today. I know for a fact that my schedule is light this semester so I will be able to see ya more often. Don't ya get a new assignment today too?"

Yawning, you nod. "Yeah," you say. Your eyes widen and you look at Finn. "I may not be working with Veronica anymore."

He smiles and shakes his head. "Ya won't be because as a matter of fact, I requested ya be my assistant for the semester. I may have a light schedule but my classes are at least forty students and two hour classes so that means lots of work and assignments that need to be graded."

Immediately, you jump onto Finn and leave kisses on his face. "Thank you," you say, giggling. "Thank you. Thank you."

Finn laughs and says, "We're gonna be late. Just put on what ya wore yesterday and we can leave the school after my noon class."

You smile and nod, getting dressed and fixing your hair.

In the light of the rising sun that is shining through the window, you catch a glimmer of the silver engagement ring on your finger as you rush to get dressed. You stop and look at the pretty ring on your finger.

"Ya having second thought?" Finn asks in your ear.

You shake your head and look up at Finn. "I was just admiring the ring. It's beautiful," you say. "Absolutely stunning."

He smiles and says, "Just like ya."

Giggling, you peck his lips and say, "Alright. Let's go. We don't wanna be late."

Finn nods and gets his things together. The two of you walk downstairs together and smell coffee being made in the kitchen.

Your mom is making coffee when you appear in the kitchen. "Good morning," she says. "I didn't think the two of you would have actually been able to get up this early after last night."

Finn asks, "What happened last night?"

"We were blasting music down here," your mom says. "Having fun and talking. I'm guessing we didn't actually keep you up like we thought."

You shake your head and say, "Nope. We fell asleep pretty quickly last night. Is there coffee for me to take to work?"

Your mom nods and says, "Go to town. You too, Finn."

Finn smiles and says, "Thank ya, Mrs. L/B." He grabs two travel mugs from a cabinet and pours coffee into both of them. You add extra creamer and sugar to yours.

As you close the lid to the travel mug, your mother asks, "Where did you get that?" You look at her and find her eyes fixated on the ring on your finger.

You look at Finn before slowly saying, "I got it after Finn proposed again last night.

She asks, "So its official? The engagement is real this time?"

Finn smiles and says, "It's real this time. Ring and all."

You giggle and your mom says, "Oh, sweetheart. Congratulations." She hugs you. "My baby is all grown up."

Glancing at the time, you say, "Okay, Finn and I have to get to work. Please don't make a big deal out of the engagement. Not until I tell Dad."

She nods and says, "Okay, okay. Go to work. We'll talk after."

Finn takes your hand and you leave the house with him.

In the car on the way to school, Finn says, "I was serious when I said about ya coming and spending every night in my bed with me. We work together now so it would be easier if we just carpooled together from my house."

"Move in with you?" you ask, looking at Finn. "Is there anymore serious conversations you want to have today?"

Finn smiles and says, "No more serious conversations after this. Not until we start planning the wedding at least."

You laugh and say, "Since it is easier to just move in with you then yes, I'll move in with you. I wouldn't mind falling asleep next to you and walking up next to you every day either."

He pulls into the parking lot and says, "I wouldn't mind that either."

Teachers and students mill around campus already. It's close to nine in the morning so classes have definitely already started.

Finn gets out of the car and you get out after him. You meet Finn at the front of the car and he holds his hand out. "People definitely know," he says. "Let's just embrace it at this point."

You smile and take his hand. The two of you begin to walk toward the English building. Teachers look at the two of you and you're suddenly thankful that they probably can't see the engagement ring on your finger since Finn's holding your left hand.

Finn walks up to his office with you. As you walk down the hallway, you can hear Veronica's voice. She's in the head of the department's office.

You eavesdrop a bit.

"I don't care if she's a good assistant, I want her fired," she is yelling. "She's a former student dating her teacher! It's completely inappropriate considering she was just his student less than a year ago!"

You cover your mouth and Finn says, "They can't actually fire ya for that. Nothing happened until I wasn't your teacher anymore."

"Technically, we did sleep together before I got my diploma," you remind him. "It was only by a few hours though."

Finn unlocks his office and walks inside, saying, "Ya were pretty much my former student at that point. Now look at us. A year after we met and now we're engaged to be married."

You sit at Finn's desk and say, "Crazy how things can change in a year."

He leans over his desk to be face to face with you as he says, "Give us another year or two and ya will be Mrs. Balor."

You laugh and Finn kisses you before you head to your first class with him of the semester.

[randomsevans]

Pain of being in love part 3

Original apart of @jtargaryen18 #30daysofchris2020

Two weeks had dragged by as you felt like an empty shell going day by day . You hadn't spoken to anyone apart form Scott ,you haven't left the house unless it was for a good reason. You would constantly forget to eat so Scott became like your own personal chief.

And all this because the time had finally arrived where your love for chris was outshone by his own love for someone else .

Scott had told you that Lisa and Minka have been planning a engagement party much to chris dislike as he sees the announcement as an engagement party .

Chris had tried to call you but you always let it go to voice mail as it was probably an invitation to the party next Saturday. You really didnt want to go . The pain in your heart was begaing you not to as it cant take anymore hurt . But you knew as being the brothers best friend and a family friend you need to go . Because as much as it hurt you . You know that this will make Chris happy and you need to be happy for him even tho you are dying inside .

++++++++++++

It was the day before the party so the Friday and some how Scott had managed to get you out of your bed and house only to be in his house on his couch . Currently eating too much mint chocolate chip ice cream along with this stuiped movie Scott forced you to watch

Love Rosie .

"How fuckin ironic "

You knew that Scott put picked this movie on purpose . Whether it was for the both of you to make fun or the movie like you usual do or let you watch it because it was so fuckin relatable. Either way you too had ended up watching the movie in silence with a few mumbles about food or if one was getting up or not and even a giggle or two when Rosie was struggling with a new born .

It had got to the part of the wedding and oh by god how you related to it . Rosie speech on how she loves him no matter where he is or who hes with .. your heart was yelling someone gets it . You were stuck in your own your head focusing on Rosie words until Scott spoke up.

"How ?" He ask

"What ? " you were confused and faced him as he faced you turning his body as the movie played in the back ground .

"How , when, why ?" He stared directly into your eyes with the soft blue shade he shares with his brother

"What ? " you asked again

"When did you begin to have feeling for my brother and why ... and how much because not to be mean but iv never seen you like this not ever so his engagement clear has affected you " he said softly

You hadn't yet actually spoken the words I love your brother to Scott or I'm in love with him to be more exact but Scott had guest it never asked about it until now .

You were silent for a moment thinking ... well more like your head was empty of thoughts you just liked the silence.

"Who said I have feeling.... "

"Y/n " Scott cut you off

You shift in your seat turning to face Scott legs cross over each other and hands in your lap looking down .

"I .. I had always had a crush on him you know ... who didnt " scott hummed in agreement

"But do you remember that day when I...was ment to have my first date but he never showed up "

Once again Scott hummed

"Well Chris picked me up... and he tried cheering me up .. and it worked "

You glanced up a Scott who looked softly at you as your eyes hot glassy . You looked back down to your hands as there stared nervously fiddling with the ends of the blanket that was wrapped around you.

"Well we were at a dinner ... and do you know in movies it like you have loved someone and you always new . Well it wasnt like that ... "

You took a deep breath.

"I hit me .. like a truck ... he was sitting at the other side of the table... and it hit me everything flooded I... love him but not just that . Because I love you ."

That caused Scott to scoffed as if ' I know you do who doesnt '

"It was more ... well more like a different type of love ... or more like . I was in love in love with him ."

You glance up at the ceiling letting the tears sink back into your eyes as you shake your head .

"I AM in love with him "

You looked at Scott who now had tears in his eyes ..and red showing he was trying to hold them back .

"And I think I always will . "

You were both silent for a seconde

"No matter where he is ... or who hes with a will always love him "

That caused you both to giggle as you made your way into Scotts open arms

"Quoting are we " he chuckled as your head landed on his chest as his arms wrapped around you .

"Well you know me "

You heard him sniff as you felt a tear drop into your hair .

"Oh .. god ... how have you kept it in for so long... that was like ... .... we were 14 or 15 fuck how ? Why ?" He said softly as tears clouded his voice .

"I didnt say anything or do anything because he will never and has never felt the same I'm... im like a sister to him ...in a weird way... and I'd never deserve him ....."

You left your head and looked at Scott .

"And at the same time I realised iam in love with him I also knew nothing would become of it because... " tears bow fell down your eyes .

"Because it was better to have both of you in my life then not to have neither of you ... and I wasnt willing to risk it ..... and I knew ... I knew this time would come .... but it dosnt stop .... it doesn't stop it hurting " you couldn't help but let it all out as you tucked your self back into Scott

He placed a kiss in your hair

"Your a silly one ain't ya ..... I will always be here you know that " he said softly

"You do know that right ?"

You just nodded as your tears drained his shirt .

++++++++++

You stood at Lisa front door with Scott by your side much like that dreaded day three weeks ago . You were in a blue floral dress in small pumps waiting patiently as you heard the party already up and ready with in .

"Its not late to turn back " Scott whisper in your ear just before the door swang open. To reveal Minka at the door with a giant smile and an even bigger diamond on her left hand . That had somehow made your heat beat pain through out your veins.

"It is now " you whisper back before putting a wide fake smile on

"Minka .... contagralations " you tired your best not to sound bitter you really did .

"Y/n right ? " she asked looking you up and down . You just nodded your head

She was about to speak again when Chris practically ripped the door hinges off as he opened the door wider . As his eyes landed on you there grew and his month hung open as he let out a deep sigh . Making your heat beat fast instead of the numb feeling it has had over the last three weeks .

"Y/n " was all he said a small whisper .

You and Chris eyes were locked missing the fallen smile of Minka as she looked between the two of you here eyebrows knitting . While Scott had a small smirked placed on his lips due to Minka reaction

"Chris I thought we agreed I'd do the door " Minka snapped at chris . Breaking his eye contact with you . To glance at Minka for a split seconde

"Um yeah sorry " he said quickly and looked back deep into your eyes , with the softest blue shade "I... I just heard her name ..." he sighed and he said it slowly and softly . He tilted his head almost like a child went there feelings are hurt . "I haven't..... I havnt see you ... heard form you ... I tried calling but ..I always ... "

"I was busy " you cut him off

Before chris could answer or even process what you said , Lisa pops her head at the other side of the door

"What are you all doing out here ! ... come on come in "she took at step back with a wide smile , as you stepped in .

She pulled you in to a tight high as she always does "isn't this amazing.... finally get to celebrate my boy with hes wife to be "

You closed your eyes as your rested your chin on her shoulder and sighed "it sure is "

You took a step back and put on the widest smile .

What you didnt know was as you were facing momma Evan's. Two blue eyed boys looked at you with soften eyes but both for different reasons .

"Come on let's join the others " lisa said to all of us.

"I couldn't agree more Mrs Evan's " minka replied

"How many times Lisa or even better mom " lisa laught her and Minka walked side by side to the garden

"Ma! " chris said .

"What she will be my daughter in law soon so she better get use it " both lisa and Minka laught and diserperared into the garden . Leaving you , Scott and Chris still in the hall way of the front door .

"How soon exactly ?" Scott asked the fill the uneasy silence .

"Um its gonna be a fall wedding " chris replied

"Oh " was all you said as you felt the pit in your stomach grow and your heart beating fast

"Like .... next year or two ?" Scott said slowly shrugging with his hands in his pockets .

"Uh no " Chris paused and took at quick glance at you and looked at the floor . "This year .... in 3 months " he sighed.

And as if it wasnt possible you felt your heart crack more .

Scott only let out a deep sigh and grab your arm " come on y/n let's get a drink " you nod you head and began to walk to the garden . But you turned your head over your should and with a deep sigh , you dry throat and stinging eyes .

"Contraglation Chris " you sighted, eys watery " I'm... happy for yo... you ... sh ...Minka is a lucky girl " you choked out as Scott pulled you futher away as he tried to save you from futher heart break or for you to continue lying .

"I'm...not " Chris mumbled silently as you were out of earshot .. and took a deep sigh and then finally followed your direction and headed for the back yard.

The never ending growing pit in your soul and tears in your heart was growing more painful as you chuged down your first of many drinks of the night. But what do you expect it's the pain of being in love

Ps I didnt realise that the actress (lily colin)that play Rosie in the movie love Rosie actual dated chris

[xxisxxisxxis]

La fin

Inspired by this ask.

Present day Duff and Vivian reflect on their romantic relationship

I sat down with my best friend to discuss our affair for the first time in 26 years…and gain a final piece of closure the two of us have yet to attain from one another. 

"This is gonna be interesting because both of our spouses are here." I say as I sit down, at my kitchen bar and Duff takes a sip of his water before joining me.

"Nah, Su's as cool as a cucumber. We got this." He replies. "...I don't know about Sixx but me, you and Su can handle it." He teases. 

"If you get war flashbacks, baby, just remember you're sober." I tell Nikki and he chuckles. 

"I'll just go to the bathroom and sing 'Kumbaya'." Nikki adds and Susan laughs. 

"It won't be that bad." She assures him. "I got my waterproof mascara on. I'm ready." 

"I'm getting through this without crying." I state.

"You cry over google commercials, Viv." Duff informs me.

"Because they know how to market. This happened…" I have to do the math. "...thirty-two and a half years ago. I won't cry." 

"Okay, well, just in case, I came prepared." Susan tosses me a pack of Kleenex. 

"Thank you." I say to her, doubting I'll need it.

"I'm about to start the camera." Nikki tells us, going to press start on the camera he's got set up to film this. "Oh, it's already started." He states. 

"It's okay, people won't care." I shrug, taking a sip of my Pepsi. "Okay, Hey, Guys." I say to the camera. "This is a very special occasion because I'm here with my best friend, and the father of my first child, Michael Andrew McKagan a.k.a Duff McKagan a.k.a Daddy McKagan according to some of you nasty, freaky, bastards." I pipe and Duff rubs his face. 

"Oh my God." He chuckles. 

"Do you read your instagram comments?" I remind him and he nods. 

"It's just so weird to hear it in real time." He explains. "I think that's one of the most odd things you can call a sexual partner. Like…'daddy'..."

We just stare at each other for a moment and I look at the camera. 

"He just single handedly dragged me in the nicest way possible." I say to him as Nikki and Susan try not to laugh. 

"No, I jus--well, you can say whatever the hell you wanna say and call him whatever you wanna call him because you've earned it with the shit you've been through, but it's just odd for me to go online and there's, like, girls 30 years younger than me calling me 'daddy.' Like, I'm not sure if you realize this, sweetie, but I have daughters your age." He points out and I start laughing. "I-I could actually be your dad. Careful now." 

"I think Vince has a higher chance of being these horny girls' father." I state. 

"I know, but it's just food for thought, you know?" He shrugs. 

"I don't even know how to transition from that to the topic--which is a serious topic, but this is just...oh my gosh." I giggle out, not able to stop. 

"Speaking of 'food for thought'," He creates a transition for us to go into what we're talking about and I take the opportunity. 

"Yes, we will be discussing our weird relationship-but-not-really-because-I-was-married-and-confused situationship in honor of my book coming out 'Verbatim: The Truth, The Whole Truth, & Nothing Left Unsaid', which tells everything that happened from 1981, to early 2000s, that people have already read about in everybody else's books." I explain. "I've had this, 'it isn't anybody's business' mindset and now, I feel like I'm in a place where I can tell what happened, including our thing--which is something, believe it or not, we have not talked about as much as people think we have." 

"No, we haven't." 

"I don't know exactly why we haven't spoken about it much, like it happened, it obviously happened because we got a son out of it...we just haven't acknowledged it happened, really. Which is why we're gonna ask the tough questions and hopefully get through some stuff."

"Which is nice because I honestly think the last time we even alluded to it was 1994, right after I got sober, and was advised to resolve things in my friendships, and even then we didn't get everything out there." He replies. "At least I didn't, and I feel like a lot of people have something to say about it, and we spent so many years letting other people define what that time was to us--which it was such a private and personal thing between the two of us that other people's two cent shouldn't have had the impact on us that it did--but we let it get to that point where we lost sight of what it meant to us and let it be defined however the fuck people wanted to call it. And that wasn't good for either of us, and I think that's one of the things that's kept me from bringing it up again. Especially now that, ya know, I'm married, have two grown daughters with Susan, you have Nikki and your children, and I've always thought there's no point in bringing something up that happened--like you said--thirty-two, almost thirty-three--years ago.

"Because you don't want to hear the b.s."

"Because I don't want to hear the b.s." He agrees. "But the more I've thought about it, there are parts of me that feels like I didn't get to say what I wanted to say when we decided to go separate ways, and that just gets fucking heavier and heavier with each year, and I'm sure you might, too." 

"Oh, definitely." I agree completely, able to relate to it. "I feel like one of the main reasons for me, why I haven't tried to talk to you about it is because, like you said, people will automatically start something out of absolutely nothing, but also because I felt like I never had the right to." I state and he furrows his brows a little. "Why did you wait so long to tell me how you really felt about me?

He lets out a breath before thinking a moment. 

"I refused to hinder what little happiness you had left in your relationship with Nikki. I knew you guys were struggling, I knew you were fighting like hell to get your relationship back on track, and I didn't want you to have any more confusion going on than what was already being put on you and if I would have told you how I felt, that would've done that. And then I was with Mandy for a while and that kinda helped me feel like I was over those feelings, but I realized I wasn't when she and I broke up."

"Did anybody else know about how you felt or..?"

"Well, I--yeah, Stevie thought it was just a little, like, I had a crush on you, but Izzy knew I loved you...which is why he wasn't shocked when they found out about us." He says. "...Of course he wasn't surprised because all the Nikki/Vanity stuff happened, so he was kinda expecting you to do something, which--okay, I don't know how to ask this." He admits, thinking of how to word it, glancing at Nikki. 

"What?" I ask him. 

"I just don't want to come across as an asshole for asking this because I'm assuming it's a lot deeper than just...okay, whatever, I'm asking it." He decides. 

"Okay." I prepare for it and he sighs. 

"Why did it take that level of public humiliation for you to realize you weren't in a good marriage?" He asks and it nearly makes the breath leave my body, Nikki and I looking at each other. 

"Because it was public." I confess. "Everything else that had been done, had been done in private. There was no public input on it, there was nobody watching the situation unfold under a microscope, everything that happened up to that point was private. So, he could trip during a crack binge and shoot me and I could stay with him because I didn't have the public watching me, giving their opinions. But when his mistress announces it on TV, I can't just gloss over that because now everybody knows and has an inkling that 'uh oh, they're not this perfect relationship they've made people believe they are' and yes we came out and said it was a lie and tried to undo that damage that Denise caused, so physically I was still in the marriage, mentally I was drawing up divorce papers. And I'm not completely sure it was just the very public aspect of it, I think it was the fact it was her. And I realized, 'I can't compete with a woman who has absolutely everything about her that Nikki is addicted to: she knows how to have a good time, she's equally as wild as him, she's got the sex appeal, she's got all the drugs, she's on the same level as him in terms of entertainment industry' just everything that I wasn't...she was. And I was too exhausted at the point to try to compete with her so I gave up when that came out."

"I remember Izzy ranting, 'she's fucking comparing herself to Vanity and there's no reason to'." He impersonates Izzy and I chuckle. 

"He drilled into my head for years to follow that I was fine the way I was, I didn't need to change anything about my looks, my personality, my hobbies, my sobriety, like it was like 'The Help' when she's constantly reassuring the little girl 'you is smart, you is kind, you is important'." I quote. "Anytime Izzy could see me struggling with myself or not feeling my best he'd be like 'seventeen outta ten, Viv. Seventeen.'" 

Duff looks enlightened, and points to the space behind my right ear. 

"That's why've got '17' right there." He realizes and I nod. "In his writing." He adds. 

"In his writing." I confirm. 

"That's--wow. I didn't know you struggled with that for so long because there was no competition." He assures me.

"Well, I already had shitty self-esteem and then that made it worse, and then even when you and I were together I still had this fear a little bit that you were only with me to help yourself get over Mandy." 

"Abso-fucking-lutely not." He doesn't even think before saying and I feel myself tear up a little. "No way. No freaking way. I loved you, Viv, I really, really did. When you told me that you were filing as soon as the tour was over I started planning out our lives together, as crazy or cheesy that makes me seem, like, I was really going for it." He tells me.

"Duff." I feel guilty, my heart aching a little. 

"I remembered, 'okay, she wants this many kids, she says she likes dogs but really wants a cat, too, she doesn't want to live in the middle of the city, she doesn't want an over-the-top house, she wants to go back to school at some point so I'll put away some savings for that', like, I was planning out everything and fitting Guns N' Roses in wherever there was time in that whole plan. I was ready to be with you and start a life with you. I really, really was." He adds and I see Susan's sympathy for him, only adding to my guilt. 

"Well, just rip my heart out, why don't you?" I ask him to add some relief and Susan giggles, her bright smile coming back to her lips. 

"Right?" She asks. "Geez, babe." 

"I'm just saying." Duff tells us. 

"Nikki didn't even plan his days out when he woke up back then, and then you were there with a calculator adding up how much money you probably needed to put away for my schooling." 

"We wouldn't have had any money to go to school, anyway, Viv, 'cause it was all going to taxes and heroin." Nikki points out and I think for a moment. 

"And house payments." 

"And house payments." He agrees as I look back to Duff, who looks like he's thinking about something. 

"Okay, sorry if this is a weird question, but what did you mean you felt like you had 'no right' to talk about our relationship?" 

"Okay, well, we broke up, I was working on things with Nikki, you married Mandy four months after we broke up...I felt like 'okay, you've already gotten your husband back, he's gotten Mandy back, they're married, who the--' pardon my french ''--fuck are you to bring up your relationship and how it affected your friendship when you're both married to other people and doing your own things? Who are you to be worried with your time with him when you're with Nikki and he's got a wife, now?'." 

"Ohh, yeah. Yeah." He knows what I'm talking about, nodding. "So, you kinda felt like it was disrespectful to dwell on it too long." He adds. 

"Exactly. And I didn't want to disrespect Nikki, or Mandy, or Linda, and now Susan, by trying to work on us again, as friends, because we are exes, whether we want to admit it, we are. We dated. And I feel like it's easy to forget that sometimes because it was so long ago and that freaking sucks because I don't want…" My voice cracks and he looks at me pointedly as tears come to my eyes and I take a deep breath. "...I don't want to forget that time. And I'm not trying to be rude to my marriage or yours or make it seem like I still have those feelings for you, because I don't, but I don't want to forget there was a time in that hellacious cycle my life was in at that moment, that for a few months, I was genuinely happy in the midst of my life falling apart." I explain, sniffling. "And that wouldn't have been the case, if not for you. And I don't want to forget that." 

"Vivian." He says as I grab at a tissue and I see Susan knuckle a tear in her tear duct. 

"I don't know, it just felt like there was never a right time to address what happened fully because everything was happening so fast in our personal lives, for you and Guns, for Nikki and the band, I started having kids, and you got married a second time and your drinking was worse and worse, so it just never happened." 

"Can I ask you something else?" He says and I nod. "When do you think we should have said, 'look, we were together, it happened, and it's okay'. Because we avoided it like the plague for years and still do at times, and that's practically due to--like I said earlier--listening to how people defined it. Like you were called a 'whore' and a 'slut' and just awful shit in public and in papers and tabloids for years after it happened and I feel like because of that, there was that element of 'we should be ashamed of ourselves and just pretend it never fucking happened' surrounding it, even though we had Monroe who's breathing proof of what happened at some point, but we just treated it as if we adopted him together as friends or something like--" I laugh, wiping a tear, and he laughs with me for a few seconds. "--it's the truth, though, we never talked about our relationship. We went on Howard Stern in '88 right after Monroe was born, and he grilled us about it, but we just shut the fuck down after that and didn't speak of anything again for a couple years until we got in that fight over you limiting my time with Monroe, and then again in '94, and that was it--and none of those times really accomplished anything. At all." 

"We should have had that conversation before you got married to Mandy that May." I point out.

"That was so, so soon." He smiles nervously. "That was too soon, way too soon, to get married."

"You proposed to her the day after we broke up." I recall and he nods. 

"I sure did. I sure as hell did. So stupid." He states. "I learned not to make important decisions when I'm in pain. 'Cause I married two different women when I was going through some painful stuff and only made it worse." He explains. 

"And see that's the thing because you had me completely convinced you wanted Mandy. Like I felt so much better when we broke up, knowing you were with who you really wanted to be with, and I was with who I wanted to be with, and then I found out in an argument with you that you were miserable and married Mandy to try to make yourself excited about being back together with her." 

"And that's exactly why I told you that because I needed you to be happy and if I would have told you how I really felt about you, you wouldn't have been happy because you would've felt guilty for staying with Nikki and fixing things with him. And I wouldn't have forgiven myself if I would have put you through that so I married Mandy so fast because I was hurt, and I thought I loved her as much as I loved you, and I held on to that and ran with it." He tells me. "Why wasn't I good enough for you to stay?" 

I go to answer, before the weight of what he's asking really hits me, and several tears topple down my cheeks before I'm wiping them away. 

"I can't begin to put into words how highly you surpassed 'good enough'." I inform him when I finally speak. "Um, my decision to stay with Nikki had absolutely nothing to do with you. That was all me, and issues I thought were resolved within myself that weren't resolved at all, I was just ignoring them." I say. "And something in me was telling me not to stay with you...and I fully believe that was God telling me to back the hell off because he had a plan for you and I had no business accompanying you in that plan as your significant other." I explain. "And I hate to say this, but I really feel like we would have gotten divorced." 

His eyes widen and his brows raise, a knowing smile on his lips as his nods his head. 

"And I hate to think that but we would have made it, maybe, up until '92 because I wasn't even your wife or your girlfriend but just being around you made me so miserable." I admit. "I-It was like--you would get up and start drinking until you passed out that night. I was watching the person who had his shit together the most in my life, fall apart, and that was scary for me because we had a son who was witnessing his dad spiral." 

"Yeah." He rubs his lips together. 

"And getting you to take accountability for what you were doing was like trying to bathe a cat." I add.

"And it took me months after getting sober to evaluate what went wrong in my life with the band, what went wrong in my relationships, what went wrong in my parenting with Monroe, what went wrong in my friendship/co-parentship with you, and own up to what I played a part in because none of it imploded on it's own, or just because of other people, like I played a part in all of it, too, and admitting that took a lot of time to swallow my pride and just accept that I became the very thing I got pissed at Nikki for being, years prior to that, and saying, 'okay, I made all those mistakes, I fucked up, how can I do better and learn from it to better myself, to better my friendships, to better my relationship with my son, and just do what I'm supposed to do?' And I even ended up going to Nikki, and apologizing for what happened between us," he motions between me and him, "because even before you and him were separated over the Vanity thing, knowing you went to me for shit, over him, made him feel less than, made him feel like he wasn't a good enough husband and I kinda felt the same way when he stepped up for Monroe when I was going through my drinking, and it made me feel like I wasn't adequate enough as a father because Monroe was leaning a bit more on him than he was on me, and for the shit I was going through in my life with my alcoholism and drugs, I was doing the best I could do as a dad. And it made me realize that Nikki was doing the best he could do as a husband back when he was in the thick of his heroin addiction, because he was sick and couldn't fucking help himself, just like I was sick and couldn't help myself, and neither of us wanted to hear we had a problem, neither of us wanted help. And I know people are gonna, 'well, Nikki cheated and was mean to her and this and that', I know what you looked like when Nikki was hurting you. I know the look you would get on your face...I know that I hurt you as much as Nikki did through my drinking because you would look at me the way you would look at him when you weren't recognizing the person in front of you due to how royally they had fucked themselves up." 

"Yes." I nod, not even arguing. 

"And that fucking hurt to realize that I was hurting you as bad as he had, and I remembered getting so pissed at him for doing that back in '86/'87 as he got worse, but then I did it, too, and that experience really opened my eyes when I got sober because I wouldn't have been humbled in that way had I not had a drinking addiction and reached that low, and I do think that's one of the reasons that was allowed to happen to me." He finishes and I take a deep breath before asking:

"If Monroe wouldn't have been conceived, if we wouldn't have had a child to come out of our relationship, knowing what we know now, how we ended up not staying together, the public slander and stuff we had to go through...would you still have had a relationship with me, if you could go back and change it?" 

"Without a doubt, yes." He says, matter-of-fact. "It would have been a waste of a blessing to not have taken the opportunity to love someone as recklessly--maybe even stupidly, at times--unconditionally, with the magnitude I loved you with, at such a young age. Like, usually you can expect to find something like what we had when people get a little older, and get through all their bullshit relationships before finding the person that loves them for them fully, but I had the chance of experiencing that when I was, like, in my early twenties...and I didn't experience that again, and so much more, until I met Susan." He says and I nod. "And I don't want you to think that because we haven't spoken about it, maybe as much as we should have, that I'm ashamed of you or us or embarrassed, because I'm not proud that we did what we did in that timing--because it was really shitty timing and we both can agree on that, I think," he raises his brows and I agree, "but I will never be ashamed, or apologetic,  or embarrassed that I ever had that with you. I felt like one of the most fortunate people to even know you, and then to have that relationship we had--even for the few months it lasted--was just...it was such a short time compared to how long you've been with Nikki and how long I've been with Su, but we spent it loving each other the best that we could. And we really did love each other, and we do still love each other--even if it's not in that same way, the spirit of it, I guess, is still there. There's still that 23 year old kid in me that'll kick somebody's ass over you, and wants to see you happy, and is in absolute love with you. And don't get me wrong, there's a 56 year old me that wants to see you happy and that'll still kick somebody's ass over you." He clarifies, making me laugh. "I'm just pointing out that even when those feelings went away, I don't think that bond ever did." 

"Yeah." I nod, sniffling as I press a tissue to under my eye to catch more tears. "Do you, um...do you remember our break up?" 

He exhales and gives me a little smile, nodding, before tears come to his eyes.

"I--yeah, I...I remember it…" He informs me. 

"We had just gotten done messing around, and if we did anything before we went to bed we would just stay in bed and go to sleep, but if we did anything in the afternoon or whatever we'd get up shortly after and clean up and go about the day. And we got done, it was, like, 2:00pm, and it was this odd feeling in the midst of it that 'this is gonna be the last time we ever do this with one another', and neither of us said a word, we just laid there with each other for four hours when we were done, taking in every second that we could. Well I finally got up to go back home and check on Nikki because he had OD'd the night before." I explain. 

"And you went to the door to leave and I stopped you, and was like, 'I know you're going to make things right with Nikki, and I'm going to fix things with Mandy, and I want you to know that I love you, and I'm proud of you, and I always will and always will be'. Of course you can understand me a little better now because I was crying when I choked those out, but, um," he laughs and I smile back more tears. "And you said, 'thank you, I love you, Duff' and gave me a kiss and a hug and then you were gone." 

"And we rarely spoke about it, again."

"And we rarely spoke about it, again." He confirms and I let out a breath, feeling more tears swell in my eyes. "What a fucking way to end a relationship." He adds. 

"This is where I'm really gonna start crying, um…" I start, chuckling nervously. "...I wasn't thanking you for being understanding, I was thanking you for everything that you'd done for me, and it took me a while to understand that that was one of the things I felt like was unresolved because that 'thank you' had a lot of weight behind it." I tell him. 

"Okay." He tells me, listening intently. 

"This is so freaking stupid and unhealthy but I wrote suicide notes for when Nikki finally OD'd and died, because I knew if he were to go, I'd have to go with him, I couldn't live without him." I tell him and he looks a shocked. "You taught me that I could live without him when I didn't think that I could, and you brought me so much peace and rest in a time when I couldn't remember the last time I was at peace, and I sure as hell couldn't get any rest. And I felt, and still feel, so indebted to you for those months that you spent trying your hardest to fix what you didn't break--you risked your career over me, you protected me, you defended me, you supported me, you loved me--and that's what I was thanking you for that day, and I feel like I've got a weight off my shoulders now because I have never told you that and I've always wanted to but didn't think it was a good time." 

"Holy shit, Viv." He wipes a stray tear, and I see Susan doing the same, Nikki just smiling at me like he's glad I've gotten that weight off of me, because he knows I've been wanting to say it for years.

"And I'm sorry it was such a shitty breakup that kind of came out of nowhere." 

"The way you were screaming and crying and begging God whenever we were trying to get Nikki to wake up, I knew if he lived you were gonna fix things. I was prepared for it, I promise." He assures me. "And I'm really glad we got to do this and get this out there with each other and I really hope you were able to get some closure with this, because I really did." 

"I did, too." I nod, wiping more tears. 

"I love you." He tells me as we get out of our chairs, giving me a quick, innocent, peck on the lips, before hugging me tightly.  

"I love you, too." 

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[naturalswifty89]

Klaus Hargreeves X reader

I'm really gonna try for you

---------

I just got this idea out of no where so, you know oh well!

Warnings: I wouldn't say anything, but if you do let me know!fluff, fluff, fluffy

Sorry for any errors! Remember requests are open, so just ask if you want one!

Sorry, now enjoy your reading!

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

You were much too shy to say anything, but Vanya and Allison saw the way you looked at him. They saw the way you blushed when he sat next to you. Finally the two girls got you alone, of course Vanya is quite soft spoken and Allison is not afraid to speak her mind. But they both knew that they had to say something to you. 

"Ok (y/n), spill. You love Klaus don't you?" Allison questioned you with a smug smile on her face. Your eyes widened and you became quite flustered. Vanya just gave you an encouraging yet sympathetic smile. 

Quickly you stood up and shut your bedroom door. "Guys, no I don't. Why do you even think that?" You tried to sound as serious as possible through your nerves. "Well, we just see the way you look at him and you blush whenever he's around you." Vanya said, her voice quiet but loud enough to hear her clearly. Allison nodded eagerly before adding to what her sister had just said. "Really, you don't hide it very well. Not from us at least." She smiled at you. 

Your jaw dropped slightly and you opened and closed your mouth like a fish out of water. You tried to come up with the right words to say, trying to deny what they said. The smug smile on Allison's face, and the soft look of encouragement on Vanya's made you break. 

"Ok,ok I do.. I love Klaus.. I know-i know that it's stupid but I can't help it. He's so funny, and if you really hung out with him and just talked you would see how sweet he is. His eyes, gosh his eyes are this beautiful candy apple green. You know sort of like a caramel apple..." you trailed off thinking about how beautiful his eyes really are. 

Your two sisters looked at each other knowingly, and snapped you out of your trance. "Hey (y/n), come back to the ground please." Allison said. Hearing her voice you snapped your head up to look over at them. Immediately you blushed, and played with your fingers. "There's no reason to be embarrassed (y/n) it's just me and Allison." Her statement caused you to look at them shyly and sigh. "I'm sorry, I just I don't know what to do.. I'm scared that he won't see me the way I see him. Or that maybe I'm just not enough for him.. I'm just scared." Your voice softly broke through the silence in the room. 

Sitting down criss cross on the floor in front of your bed, you picked at the rug. "No way, you have nothing to be scared of. I completely understand why, but you would never not be enough for him. Plus, you don't notice the way he looks at you." Allison spoke up playfully nudging your knee with her foot. "Really, it's sort of annoying how much he looks at you. He just stops and stares for a while." 

You look at them with wide eyes, "you have got to be kidding me, are you serious?" They both nod at you with big smiles. You smile at them excitedly. 

"Be sure to pay attention to him (y/n), we'll be here keeping an eye on things." Allison winks, Vanya smiles and gives a small laugh. You blush again and say goodbye as they walk out the door. 

Throughout the next few days you began to pay more attention to your best friend. You caught his glances at you whenever you laughed at something he said or did. 

A few days later, the girls were in your room once again and you were telling them all about how you've caught his stares at you. You were so happy, and Allison and Vanya couldn't have been more excited for you. Until you heard a knock at your door, then Klaus walked in "Now (y/n) I'm stealing you away!" He exclaimed loudly while scooping you up and walking out of the room.``klaus what on earth are you doing?!" You laughed and clung onto him so you wouldn't fall. He smiled at you "well I wanted to spend time with my best friend because she's been taken away from me by our two sisters. I do not appreciate it." He says with a pout. Walking into his room he plops you on the bed and gently flops down with you, laying his head on your tummy. You blushed and smiled down at him softly. His eyes were closed and his arms were around your waist. You ran your fingers through his messy curls, and he sighed. "(Y/n), you know I've really been trying.." Klaus' voice was softer than usual and slightly muffled due to his face being nuzzled into your shirt. You looked down at him slightly confused, until it dawned on you. Klaus is trying to get sober. "Oh you have, haven't you love.." you said using the nickname you called him only when alone. He looked up at you with those beautiful green eyes, and those long dark lashes. "I really have (y/n), for you.. i want to be enough for you.." his voice is soft, but serious. 

You had an incredulous look on your face.

Sitting up quickly, he sat up too. You pulled him towards you so he had one leg on either side of yours. Your hands on both of his cheeks. "What do you mean Klaus.. you're more than enough for me. I'm so incredibly proud of you for doing this." His eyes were wide as they darted around your face. "What?.." Klaus was so close you could feel his breath fan against your lips. "You're more than enough for me, am I enough for you?" Your voice was soft as your thumb traced his cheek softly. 

All of sudden he rolled over and took you with him so you were in the same position he was. You looked away shyly, and your hands moved to play with the fabric of his shirt. You've always loved the way he dressed...

"Look at me (y/n).. please.." he said in a pleading voice. His hand came up to hold your cheek. Bringing your face up to have you look at him. "You know, I've always wondered if I was enough for you.. I look at you and I see a beautiful, smart woman..." "this doesn't sound like the Klaus i know.. are you ok?" You ask, stopping your fiddling with his shirt and resting your palms against his chest. "No, Ben I'm not gonna say that.. ok just no.. ugh Ben stop." He complains and tries to shoo away his brother. You just smiled and chuckled softly leaning your head against his shoulder. "That's my Klaus." You whispered into his neck. "I just want you to know that... you're the most beautiful and kind person I know... I want to be good enough for you, I want to be able to love you right.. like you deserve.." you lifted your head up and looked at him with those kind eyes he loved oh so much. "You know, even if Ben did ruin this little moment... I can't even to begin to tell you how much I want you to love me... you're more than good enough for me.. I want you, just you..." his hand moved to the back of your head and gently pulled you forward. His lips met yours, this is what you've wanted for so long.. it is so much better than you ever thought it would be. His hands drifted to your hips and tugged you closer, your hands wound in his curls. His scruff scratched at your skin softly, a feeling you've been dying to know... he pulled away and kept his forehead against yours, both of you breathing quite heavily. Your eyes remained closed as a smile placed itself on your kiss swollen lips. In this time Klaus decided to really look at you from so close up. He's never been this close to you before... his eyes wander over your features and he smiles and gently nudges your nose with his. Opening your eyes you sigh and press a small peck on his lips.. "(y/n) Darling... you're more than enough for me. I'd do anything for you. I'll get sober for you I'll try I swear it." He said his voice was sincere. "I know you will love.. I know you will."

He pulled you down next to him on the bed and held you close.. "finally, I've been watching you pine over each other for years.. just don't make me need to bleach my eyes." Ben said, and Klaus just gave a playful glare. "We'll make sure to make you bleach your eyes Ben." He said in a snarky tone, playfully blowing him a kiss. You laughed. "We love you too Ben." 

Klaus watched Ben leave, and placed a kiss on your head. "Now I can steal you whenever I want." "Of course you can my love."

[savysavannah]

Challenge 1

Special thanks to @damian-schreave and @hadleyjaneharper for the rps.

Also the last section is not in fic format because its 2am, im lazy, and you get the gyst from the RP. Apperantly this is too long so part 2 soon.

    The Prince was off in Paloma for a bit so we were of little use in the Palace, no idea why they had us move in so early. Therefore, I’d spent most of the day with some books I’d grabbed from the library. Primarily they were legal books since it never hurts to brush up. But every once in a while, such as now I’d need to go and grab some food. 

I brought my notepad and a book on contract law with me and walked into the kitchen. There was another girl also in the kitchen. We haven't spoken to each other, she didn’t seem unfriendly or particularly awful company, just hadn’t really had the moment to. I grabbed a plate of fruit and wondered if she would say anything. After a moment I sat down and resumed reading. 

Then a small sad sigh came from the young woman who was looking down at her phone with a sad face. It wouldn’t be too bad if I took a break for some conversation. However, the young woman looked troubled, she may not be in the mood. I yawned and stretched then mumbled, but loud enough for her to hear, “God, I could use a drink.” and wondered if the other would take the bait. 

There was a beat before the other spoke, “Long day?”

“More or less. Lots of reading, missing work. How about yourself?”

She shrugged “Its...different than what I’m used to. Lots of sitting still when I’m used to spending my days moving around.” SHe grimaces then sighed, “The adjustment period is always the toughest, though.”

I thought for a moment trying to remember the occupations of the selected, “The dancer?” I asked. 

She grinned “Yeah. Hadley.” She raised an eyebrow, “And you?”

“Lawyer.” I said and stood from the table, walked over to Hadley and held her hand out, “Savannah Mars, Labrador, three.”

She shook my hand, “Nice to meet you.” then thought for a moment, “You said you were missing work? Do you work at a law firm?”

“Kinda. I work for the Illean Civil Liberties Union in their legal division. It's a non-profit which focuses on civil rights and for me civil legal cases. Lgbt+ rights defense, domestic defense, that sort of thing.”

“Oh, that’s really cool.” She said, seeming actually interested in my work. “Are you missing the casework, or something else?”

“It's pretty hard for me to step back from my work. Since I'm kind of left worrying about my clients. A new guy took over my cases but I'm trying to still work in my own way by studying up on some legal sections I work in less frequently but still may come up. Such as contract law.” I explained not fully hearing her other question. 

She nodded, “I understand, sort of. I’m left worrying about how my ballet company is going to perform, with somebody else taking over the role in the Nutcracker that I’ve had the past few years.”

“Yeah the transition really is nerve wracking. Have you seen them perform though?” I asked hoping that could at least provide some solace. 

“I’ve seen pictures on Instagram, but no videos yet. We were just finishing up our performance of Cinderella when I left. Nutcracker rehearsal started a few days after, but it’s a show we do each year, so... “ She sighed “ It /should/ be fine.”

I nodded, “well if they assigned them the role try and have faith in their qualifications. That's what I'm keeping in mind for mine. They did go to law school so it's fine. They got the role so it’s fine.” I said partially for her and partially for me. 

She sighed a little hesitant, “Yeah, you’re probably right. Competition is just gonna be a bitch and a half when I’m sent back.” She chuckled wryly.  

“Well maybe you'll win and then you won't have too. Who’s gonna take a role away from the future queen of Illea.”

“That’s extremely unlikely to happen.” She then almost smirked “What about you? If you win, nobody’s going to tell you no in a courtroom.”

I laughed, “If I win I'll kill myself.” Then I realized how dark that sounded, though it didn’t seem to phase her.

“I hate to say that I feel the same way, but…” She shrugged and nodded, “I feel the same way” For a moment I was confused, why would she join if she felt the same way? Then it clicked, a dancer would be a five, lower class, need the money.

“You're a five right? Did you apply for the money? If you don't mind my asking that is. It would just make sense why you'd dislike to win.” 

“It…” She bit her lip, “Kind of? It’s a long story involving a deadbeat mom, a shitty health care system, two starving artists, and a kid with leukemia.” She said with an apologetic smile. Whatever she’d be apologizing for I can’t say. 

“Well shit man, I'm glad you got in then. Both for the money and for a break from that. I know this society fucking sucks and we've got a likely shit for brains hier, but if you ever need a lawyer I'm here to help. Hopefully, being a three now will provide some help for you too.” I said then caught myself making a mental note to not be so vulgar with my language. 

She gave me a small smile, “Thanks. Now I just have to figure out what I’m doing with the rest of my life, after throwing my career into dance, only to become a Three.” She laughed, “What about you? Why did you enter? It sounds like you had a pretty cushy gig going on.”

It wouldn’t be smart to tell the truth, but lying when Hadley had been so open felt wrong, I sighed and said, “My brother. Basically he forged my entry and I didn't want him to get into legal troubles for that. He's a fucking idiot.” I sighed and let that last cuss word slide as he is a fucking idiot. 

She snorted, “Men really do only have two brain cells.” She gave a small smile, “I’m sorry that you ended up in that situation, though. That’s rough.”

“Yeah. I tried to beat him up but my other brothers stopped me. It was really a mess. Had to find out from a waitress asking for a photo with me.” 

She shook her head, “My best friend told me that he was so upset to see me, “throwing my life away,” as if I hadn’t entered to help him and his brother.” Sounds like an ungrateful ass. She sighed and looked down at her fruit, “When did life get this messed up?”

A question with too big of an answer. A bit panicked and not knowing what to say I took a strawberry off my plate and held it out to her, “Fruit?” 

She chuckled and took the strawberry, “Thanks.” She takes a bit, chews, and then pauses, looking at Savannah, “You know what I could really go for right now, though? A good gin and tonic.”

“God that'd be great. You know what, let's make some. One glass can't hurt.”

She shrugged, “Sure, sounds fun. I’m down.” She looks around, “I know they keep the wine in that cabinet, but I haven’t found the liquor yet.”

After gathering our ingredients we get to work making the glasses, “so, what's your plan in all this?”

“In the selection?” She raises an eyebrow and then shrugs, she starts pouring things into the mixer bottle, “Stay here for as long as I can so I keep making stimulus checks, and then get sent home before I’m stuck spending the rest of my life here.” She finishes pouring and looks at Savannah, “You?”

I sighed, “about the same. Give the money to the non-profit I work for. I was hoping I could root for you to win, you seem like you have a good head on your shoulders to influence him, but the more I think about it the more I realize that's like damning to hell.

She snorts, “Well, I still appreciate the compliment, and I would’ve said the same about you.” Then she sighs, “I’ve always known that it’s been like this, though. He gets to squander every penny he has on luxury shit, whereas my paychecks…” another sigh, “But life isn’t fair.”

“Yeah. And then waste the money on useless shit and trying to pass dumb laws like making 'cats' illegal instead of actually fixing the problems in this country.” I said and poured myself a glass of the drink.

She poured some for herself and then shook her head with an eye roll, “Don’t even get me started on that debacle. Why even joke about things like that?”

“Because he doesn't comprehend how the people of his own country are suffering. He's just so blind with privilege. Not that I have much to speak on but at least I freaking try to think about others in the country and their situations.”

She gave me a small smile, “You didn’t seem like the type to blow your money on worthless things to me, at all. I don’t even know what I’m going to say to him when we have that interview in a few days.”

“Yeah I think im just gonna be polite for the sake of not causing a scene that'll haunt me my whole life” I said and took a sip, then clarified, “polite though, not kind.”

She nodded then drank too, “I really went from putting on one type of show for Twos to another.” 

“Any idea what you're gonna do as a three?” I asked.

She pursed her lips and shook her head, “I haven’t taken a science or maths class since I was eleven, and I don’t have the money for university. I guess I could work as a translator, or if that doesn’t work out, marry a five and go back to dancing.” She took another sip of her drink, “Hopefully I’ll be here long enough to figure it out.”

“Do they not have like threes who are dance teachers? I haven't really looked much into the area myself but it may make sense.”

She shook her head, “For me, at least, it was mostly Russian immigrants who were former dancers themselves, so Fives.”

I thought for a moment, “Well if you ever need history lessons, english, or legal aid I'm around. I dug into my pocket and pulled out a business card, since it’s not like either of us plan to be here long,  “Just all the way up in Labrador. Where are you from again?”

“Allens. So, not too far. Thanks.” She replied and looked at the card.

“Welcome.” I replied, finished off my drink then wrote down another idea. 

Hadley narrowed her eyes curiously, “What are you writing?”

“Just an idea for a proposition with the ICLU. There are probably other girls in a similar situation as you being lower caste now upper be it through marriage or selection, it may be helpful to talk about implementing a caste readjustment program.”

She lifted her head, smiling just a little, “That sounds like a great idea.” Then a little quieter she added,  “I'd appreciate it.” 

“Hopefully my boss will agree and pass it onto the innovation department. I'll write a quick memo about it to her later.” I smiled happy to have something to do.

“You really love your job, don't you?” She asked. 

I nodded, “It makes me feel like I have some kinda purpose. As cheesy as that is to say.” Making actual change in Illea instead of just prancing around doing whatever else I could have grown up to do. 

“No, I get that.” She looked down, “As a kid, I never really felt like I belonged, but on the stage, dancing?” She looked a little distant, “Standing out was a good thing.”

I nodded,  “Mhm. Have you thought of ways you could continue working while at the palace?”

She smiled, “Actually, I had a conversation with Prince Eaton about that, and I’ve been able to work out a schedule that allows me to still practice, even though I have to do a little more work to catch up on lessons.”

“That'll be good. If you wanted too you could put on a performance and donate the profits. That way you could be working towards a goal too instead of general practice.”

She tilted her head, “That's an interesting idea. I’ll keep that in mind.”

I nodded, “Well it was nice meeting you, Lady Hadley. But it is probably time for me to get back to work.” Then held out my hand to shake goodbye.

She took it, giving it a shake. “Nice to meet you too.”

It was pretty late in the afternoon by the time I was escorted to the interview room. Damian was in a navy blue suit jacket, dress pants, and a white button up shirt. He smiled at me as I got closer.  His eyes flicker to my nametag for a second before he speaks, “Hello, Lady Savannah. It’s a pleasure to meet you in person.”

I smiled trying to stay polite, then gave a small curtsy, “The same to you, your highness.”

He smiled back, taking a few steps back and gestured for me to go into the interview room. In the room is a sofa, surrounded by stage lights and a few cameras, what a romantic first meeting. There is one camera on a swivel stand, that is currently focused on Damian and I. He starts walking into the room, looking at me as he talks, "How have you found your first few days here, so far?"

I debated giving him a short one word answer of 'fine' but Danny's words of 'don't ruin your own happiness" slipped into my head. "They've been fine. I've enjoyed your library. It's helped me feel like I can in some ways continue working by catching up on legal matters normally outside of my areas of expertise."

He nodded while smiling then took a seat on the sofa, "So you're a lawyer, then? What kind of law do you practice?"

Reluctantly I sat next to him, hopefully I wouldn't catch an STD from proximity alone, "Yes, I practice primarily civil and criminal law with the Illean Civil Librities Union. So primarily defending people who are in bad situations due to outdated laws which need amending." My tone came out more passive aggressive than intended, but it was slightly justified as he should have been working to amend said laws and help people instead of partying.

"That's a great thing, to be doing. What got you into law?"

"Well I was at the University of Labrador. My best friend I'm the sorority I was in decided to go to a protest over women's rights in illea. We went, someone man came and antagonized some women, she defended herself verbally, got arrested, felt up by the officer, then was unable to do anything legally about it. I felt that was unfair so I decided to look into being a lawyer, liked the process, graduated in 2 years, went to Yale and here I am." 

He lets out a low whistle, looking down for a second. I couldn't help but be a but prideful at my accomplishment, then looks back up at me, more serious than before, his jaw tense, "I'm really sorry that happened to your friend." He said and fell silent. What a conversation killer. 

"It's fine." I said trying not to dwell on it, "How was your time in undergrad? Partied a lot, I saw." I said the passive agressiveness coming out again. 

He smiled, a little more relaxed than before, but not as relaxed as he was when he first entered the room, "I enjoyed my last few years of freedom before entering the real world, yes." He then raised his eyebrows, grinning a little wider, kind of teasing, "And what about you? Being in a sorority and all, I doubt you were much of a homebody yourself." 

I couldn't help but completely flush and bit down my urge to absolutely smack him upside the head. "It was a brief phase. It was fun. But also a waste of time." I chuckled a bit remembering my airheaded behavior in that year, "had I already been working harder I may have been able to finish faster and help more people."

He grinned a little at how flustered I was, which just made me want to punch him more, then smiled a little more genuinely towards the end, "We're still young. We have our whole lives to keep fixing things."

i frowned, "That isn't true. We never know when we're going to die. Something could always happen so we should be trying to help as much as we can. Not to mention while we" I paused after my slip of the tongue, but didn't correct it "partied in undergrad people were suffering who could have been helped."

There's a flicker of a frown on his face when I mentioned how short life is, but he lets it go, tilting his head when he looks at me, "We can't save everyone. That's impossible. We can try to do as much as we can, but there will always be more people in need of help.

"Partying isn't trying."

He raised his eyebrows, "You didn't even know you wanted to be a lawyer, back when you were partying in college."

I got kinda flustered again, he's right, there's no logically sound way to win. Yeah but I should have, I wish I had. Would have made the time a lot less regrettable." I said then cleared my throat, "Though, this is a bit of a heavy topic for our first meeting, don't you agree? Your- Damian." I barely corrected myself from saying Your Highness.

He chuckled, "A bit, but it's different from the surface level talk about work and provinces." He inclined his head, "Though, if you think about it, you never would have discovered your passion for law if you hadn't joined your sorority." He shrugged and gave a stupid grin which made me blush even more. 

Finally I snapped and turned to point a finger at him, "You won okay. I can't regret something if I didn't know to do something better, but that doesn't make topless jello shots any less of an embarrassing memory." I exclaimed then heard what I said and wished to curl into a ball and die. 

He chuckled a little, "We all have our moments. It's okay."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door then, and a guard pokes his head in. Damian nods at him, then turns and looks at me, "Unfortunately, we'll have to exchange stories another time. It appears our time today is up."

I sighed in relief at my rescue, then mumbled under my breath, "Thank God." I stood to curtsy, "Your-" I cringed a bit at the error, "Damian."

He chuckled again, "It was a pleasure to meet you Savannah. Until next time." He smiled at me when we got to the door, and stopped in the doorway.

I smiled back politely, "Thank you for the conversation. Till next time." 

*savy was taking a break from her work and decided to out for a walk in the gardens. She had always been a fan of taking runs when stressed snd the gardens were providing a peaceful alternative. She was walking around when she thought she saw a bunny in the bushes. Being the gal she is she wanted to see it closer so she stepped off the path and walked into the gravel. Immediately her heel sank in the gravel. She lost her balance for a moment but didnt fall. Instead she panicked. She debated stepping out of her shoes to get it out but she didnt wanna hurt her skin on the gravel. Instead she tried to wiggle it loose and hopped no one was near*

*rip savannah, but Damian is out distressing by playing basketball at that point in time, and from where he's standing as he shoots this basket, he can see someone clearly struggling with something in the gardens. he can't see who it is, or what the problem is, but he figures he should go check it out. he tucks the basketball under one arm, jogging towards the person he can see, calling out* Hey, everything okay?

*savannah hears him call out an knows immediately it's the last person in the world she'd want to find her like this* Absolutely peachy! *calls back and debates ditching the shoes*

*he slows to a stop when he gets closer, his eyes going from savannah's face to her foot* Mmm, looks like you've got yourself in a bit of a sticky situation, there.

*is extremely flustered* no situation at all. I said I'm fine. *aggressively wiggles the heel and almost trips so she squeaks but manages to catch herself*

*when he sees her almost trip, he lunges forwards to catch her before she hits the ground, but then she catches herself, so he's like "oh was that for nothing?" he looks down at the shoe, furrowing his brows, thinking* Here, let me help with that, before you actually fall.

I'm not going to fall and I don't need your help. I'm perfectly capable of defeating some gravel on my own

*he takes a step back* Alright... if you insist... *hes not going anywhere, just watching her, waiting to see what she'll do*

*huffs when she doesnt hear him walk away and continues to wiggle then huffs when shes not getting anywhere* Fine. If you're just going to stand there anyways you may as well help.

*he chuckles, setting the basketball down on the ground, kneeling down to look at the gravel and the heel, before beginning to dig the heel out with his fingers* Not the best shoes to walk off the path in.

*rolls her eyes* I didn't think about that. I thought I saw a bunny and got distracted

*he can't help but raise his eyebrows at that, grinning, twisting the heel a little to unscrew it from the gravel* Was it at least a cute bunny?

*his tone is a little teasing*

It was cute, be careful with your tone though when your face is near my foot. *once its free she steps back on the path so she doesn't sink again*

*he chuckles, joking* What, are you planning on giving me a royal nose job with your shoe?

You could probably use one. *offers a hand to help him stand back up*

*he picks up his basketball, taking her hand, still grinning at her, teasing* Maybe it's just the angle you've been looking at it from.

*stands on her tiptoes looking at his nose* Nope. It's a little off. Nose job it is.

*she pinches his nose* its a big flaw. Doubt you'll be able to get a wife like that

*he chuckles* I don’t know, my nose has never gotten in my way before

*considers* You're right, I'm sure that was just your sense of responsibility that got in the way.

*he raises his eyebrows* You know, I’ve never turned in an assignment late, or anything for work late. Never asked for an extension.

I somehow find that doubtful. Your reputation of being a loose partier precedds that of a responsible duitiful person.

Well, it’s the truth. *he shrugs* If you’re really curious, you could email my professors. It’s all about finding a balance. *he smiles*

*grumbles because he seems to be honest about it* What did you even study?

I dual majored in political science and marketing. You?

*sighs in relief* at least you werent a buisness major. Political Science and History for me on a prelaw track.

*he nods, smiling, genuinely curious* Did you prefer one over the other?

Probably political science. I mean I love history it's why I added it. For fun since it's just like learning stories and seeing the modern day impact of said stories. But political science felt more efficient. Like it helped me have a better understanding of the philosophy of political thinking which has helped me a lot in law. Plus I just liked the professors more.

*he smiles* Understandable. Good professors make it so much easier to learn the content

*smiles* yeah and lots and lots of highlighters. Did you have a favorite topic in political science?

*grinning* I took a really cool course on comparative political economies - I really like the economic side of things. That, and the classes I had to take on international politics. *he looks over at savannah* What about you?

Probably civil politics. I've always been a fan of civil work. I honestly thought about working for the AFEI instead of the ICLU but decided I wanted to do more personal legal work than policy legal work. But it's always been the work that has interested me more since it's important to bring up civil conflicts within the country and try to help as much as possible. But learning about where we came from in terms of The United States vs the civil policies of Illea was an interesting course for me, especially because of the overlap of History and Political Science.

*he nods as she talks, thinking that all over* I think work guided what classes I liked as well. Because beyond national politics, I also have to think about international politics, trade agreements, and maintaining Illéa’s position in the world.

*seems slightly surprised* so you actually liked your major? I assumed you just were kinda forced to pick it

I was kind of forced to, but I could still pick the classes that interested me more. *He shrugs* Plus I really enjoyed my marketing major.

*thinks for a moment* Can I ask you something and have an honest answer? No bullshit PR answer. I'm just trying to figure out if we can trust you to be our future king through this, at the very least.

Sure *he nods, pursing his lips a little* Ask away.

Do you actually want to be the king of this country? Like aside from the perks you have from it, do you care about the work?

I do care. *he pauses, swallowing* I really do. It’s just...it’s a lot of pressure to accept from a young age.

*she thinks for a moment* Noted. Thank you for your honesty. *Looks at the basketball* Do you play much?

*he smiles kind of sadly* Not as much as I used to. I’ve gotten a little busy helping to run the country, and such.

*gets an idea* Do you wanna make a bet with me?

*he grins* Depends on what it is

Basketball. I'm working on a program right now with the ICLU, a coworker wants to come visit me and discuss about it but appreantly work visits aren't allowed during this. If I can get more hoops in you'll arrange that?

*he furrows his brows* Better yet, I could just organize for your coworker to visit under the guise of another event going on. Just give me a few weeks to work out the details.

*kinda chuckles because shes competitive* oh? Youre scared you'll lose? But if that's what you prefer

*he laughs* No, I just know I’d win, and I’d hate to deny you the ability to see your coworker

Fine. You'll set up the meeting, then I'll just prove to you that I would win had their beem stakes.

*he narrows his eyes at her, extending a hand to shake, still grinning* Deal

*shakes it firmly then kicks off her heels planning to walk to the court barefoot.* Would be an unfair advantage for me to still be in them

*he raises his eyebrows* Why, they helped square up the height difference between us, at the very least *he chuckles*

*almost elbows him over that but barely stops herself* I don't need that help. I'm perfectly capable of crushing you independent of my shoes

*he laughs* I played basketball in uni, you know?

As did I. Well- not in a club. A guy who I was *ponders for a moment* acquainted with, played it therefore I played with him and his friends fairly often

*he raises his eyebrows* And how tall was your acquaintance? Because I’m used to playing with people my height, but also my mom and sister, who are - *he puts his hand somewhere around his shoulder because they’re 5’4” and 5’5”* - about this tall

He was around 6'3. His friends the same or more. Don't worry I'm well aware of the disadvantage of my height and very prepared to utilize it

*he chuckles* Oh, I’ve got to see this. *when they get to the court he starts dribbling the ball casually, walking towards the middle of the court* Do you want to start with the ball, or should I?

*thinks for a moment and puts her shoes down on the edge of the court and rolls up the bottoms of her dress pants a bit* You can start with it.

*he raises his eyebrows at her rolling up her dress pants, but he nods* Okay, if you insist. *he waits until he’s ready before starting the play*

*she walks up prepared to steal since she cant block*

*he starts dribbling more seriously, quickly maneuvering around her, taking three large steps with the ball, and then shoots a basket, and it goes in*

*she kinda huffs about that dislikes. But once he has the ball again she tries again, this time getting it and doing her UNDER THE LEGS MOVE AND SHOOTS*

*he turns around, a little in shock* That is not a legal move!

Hmmm *puts her finger to her chin very smug* I dont think it explicitly says in the rules that you're not allowed too. You use your height I'll use mine *VERY SMUG*

*he narrows his eyes* Fine, best 2 out of 3? Whoever gets this next shot wins, then

*SHES BEING COCKY NOW* Aw is the wittle princey calling it quits so soon? His fragile ego damaged? *bats her eyes teasingly*

*he narrows his eyes* Fine, best three out of five, then. *he starts dribbling the ball right from here he is, and it’s a long shot to his basket from there, but he’s pretty confident, so he goes for it, and somehow it actually goes in. he raises his eyebrows at her* Still think you’re gonna win?

*crosses her arms* That was luck. *goes to get the ball since shes closer*

Or just sheer skill. *he smirks a little*

*turns to face him just to roll her eyes and gets the ball. She then dribbles it back to the middle or something idk how basketball works*

*he follows her to the middle, standing in front of her, knees bent in that “ready” position idk wtf it’s called lmao*

*that position makes knees wide so she dribbles and goes to do her fast under the leg move again*

*he sees it coming this time, and takes a few steps back, keeps his arm in front of him to reach for the ball, which he gets, and then dribbles across to the the hoop he has to score in, taking the shot, and watching it go in again. he grabs the ball as it bounces back up, raising his brows at savannah* One more, or are you good? *he grins a little*

*huffs again and crosses her arm* Fine we'll call it at 3 to 1. But in my defense it's been awhile.

*he grins* Well, you’re always welcome to practice out here with me, if you want.

I can't tell if you're being taunting or not *rolls her eyes and walks up to him then holds out her hand to shake for the end of the game*

*he takes her hand and shakes, then gives her a genuine smile* No taunting. I mean it. I’d love to have someone new to play with.

I'll consider it then. I am getting slightly bored of your homes running path for exercise.

*smiles back even tho she doesnt wanna because it was a nice offer*

*he tilts his head from side to side* Yeah, the running trail through the gardens is kind of short. There are better ones /in/ Angeles, if you ever want to check them out

Not sure I'm allowed to just waltz on out of here, but I'd love the names of any you know. My grandmother lives near her so I'm sure I'll be visiting soon enough after this if not immediately so.

*he shrugs* I could also drive you sometime, if you want. I /do/ have a car.

*seems a bit surprised* You know how to drive?

*he furrows his brows* Of course! I got my license as soon as I was legally allowed to.

But its not like you need too? Don't you have like drivers?

*he looks a little confused and taken aback* I’m sure some exist, but why would I want someone else to drive me when I could be free and drive myself?

I'm not sure. I just know rich people, like for example my cousin *mumbles for a moment to find the phrasing* So my grandmother is in charge of the Mars Candy Corporation. My mom's older brother Nathaniel will be taking over it, his kids also my cousins all have drivers. They're like twenty something now but Jackson is always bragging about how he doesn't have to take the effort to drive himself places. I just assumed other people who could afford them would have them, especially busy people who could work instead of drive.

*he blinks* Wow, I never even would have considered that. *he shakes his head* No, I like driving. Being able to roll the windows down and blast the music...it’s like a few moments of freedom. *he shrugs, smiling a little sadly*

*she noticed the smile then something clicks* so freedom is your vice. You act out to feel free, thus the partying. You mentioned earlier the responsibility of being a prince being am influence on the partying. A lack of freedom makes sense. *she knows shes getting too personal but her curiosity and worry for the future gets the best of her* But what does that mean you're going to do when you're king? You'll have even less. How do you plan to maintain that restriction without bursting and needing freedom?

*he stiffens a little at her analysis because damn it’s spot on, but sighs towards the end* Getting as much out of life as I can now. I always knew what my future held for me. So I can plan accordingly. *he forces a small grin, trying to joke* Besides, with any luck, I’ll be old and almost out of energy by the time I’m king.

*furrows her eyebrows concerned* That doesn't work. *sighs* Believe me I'd know. But we aren't wired to run off memories. Instead we develop habits and coping mechanisms. Everyone snaps from time to time, you'll go back to what made you happy last. For you I assume that'll be partying. Which is something you can't do as king, and assuming it wont be till your old isn't right either, regardless of if that was a joke it's not something that you can lean on since millions of people could be relying on you and you'd be unprepared. You are going to be king, You are not going to have freedom, you are going to be under immense pressure and responsibility, honest answer, what are you going to do when you need to snap?

*he narrows his eyes at her, this time more out of irritation than anything else, and he’s a little sarcastic* Gee, thanks for the reminder. Though, for the record, I /haven’t/ partied since uni, and I have no plans to in the near future. So perhaps I’ll rely on my other coping mechanism, such as basketball, or taking a drive.

Yeah well it's the truth and uni wasn't that long ago. It's hard to break habits. I mean I partied like 4 times a month in undergrad and I still use it. That was forever ago but that's not how humans work. You're gonna lean on what you've leaned on. You're going to get shitfaced, you're going to want what you used to have, you're gonna idolize those times in uni and want them back. But you're not going to have it and it's going to be hard and shitty but you have to tough it out because of the country that relies on you and this is proving to me that you're not going to be a reliable King for the people who need you.