#but seriously though australia always does this. why are you like this australia. would it hurt just to have the same release date as- | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

xoteajays · 11 months

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I don't know why I thought Australia's time was a day after America or at least hours behind. Don't know why I didn't talk you were just a day ahead of us. Well.. That does answers some questions for me anyway.

No offence. But me and my character think it's weird that she really is superstitious about spiritualty. But, unlike me, most of my characters would be mostly accommodating towards her. Especially Orange too.

But me on the other hand would tease her for being any superstitious way about these stories, days and events. I would tease her over this.

If I ever drank alone at home.. Maybe wine. But if I decide to drink any wine, it has to be specific brands because I don't actually ever like the same wine as my mother. Her brands are too light for me to enjoy any wine. Surprisingly, when I drink wine, I tend to prefer stronger flavors. But I don't drink wine that often though. And my mother's completely different than me. I won't get into that though. But I can't tolerate her.

Any time someone in my family (especially my grandmother) makes a homemade cocktail for birthdays, holidays, any celebratory event you can think of... That drinks are actually too strong. They would add just way too much alcohol that you only taste the alcohol, nothing else. I'd say that those drinks are too disgusting to drink that I'd never drink it.

I'm going to say this vulgar comment in the nicest way I can. If you've ever seen how most women and girls in my town dresses, I would just have to say that prostitutes seem to have more class than the women and girls in this town do. Seriously. That's not a joke either. Ironic with how I mainly stuck to the dress code yet I was the only one would just got constantly bitched at, while girls who should have even been sent home for actual dress code violations never did. That made no sense.

And the worst part was the colder seasons like winter. It's winter. Like cold weather, icy weather, snowy weather, blizzard weather.. The cold weathers. Yet girls would walk to school either one of three outfits; so one - tight lowcut shorts with a lot of cleavage, either short shorts (or short skirts) that basically showed their underwear while wearing ugg boots. Ugg boots won't ever protect you from the cold! Two - just any overly sized sweat clothes. Three - pajamas.. Like they just got out of bed. They don't ever attempt to dress themselves when that happens either. I hated going to school but I still dress myself for public places though, so seeing so many people even lazier than me says so a lot of these people. And this town has gotten worse throughout the years.

I was diagnosed with some conditions at a young age. But diagnosed again when I was a really younger teenager, around thirteen years old.

The anemia didn't happen until middle school, or was it high school.. I can't remember. Either way, I only known about being diagnosed with anemia because of puberty. When I first started menstruating when, I couldn't stop bleeding so I had to take birth control to regulate cycles for a while until my bleeding was stable. I actually knew that I had this anemia condition when I was in school, but I felt that I never even had to justify myself to any teachers over my conditions. But if they might know about my conditions, then it was on personal paperwork I could have about myself. And I've never participated in gym. Since I was an outcast, the "weird" person, I sat in the bleachers drawing in my book since I used to be the artistic person (but I've quit creating artworks).

Because my cousin might have stolen my costume rings - plural as in three costume rings that I still never got back, which is why I really do hate children, so maybe I should try getting new custom rings that do actually fit me. I do not know why... I've always thought rose gold was just a bizarre shade of pink. Obviously rose gold is a pinker gold color.

I've had my fair share of injures since I'm clumsy.. Many broken bones happened in my lifetime. Actually I sprained my limbs a lot too, pulled muscles a lot. I've had just about every injury. And whenever it comes to spraining my ankle, I've actually sprained my ankle by falling down the stairs multiple times in a day while falling the exact same way too.

When I was a child, can't remember which age, I broke my own bones before.. I broke my own collarbone just from tripping over the carpets in my house. That happened in the summer, right before my birthday.

Since I suffer from frequent migraines, or when any sleep schedule is me sleeping during the day... Sometimes I wear an eyemask. Because the darkness does help me sleep. And also helps my eyes any time I'd have a migraine. Lavender scents tend to worse my migraine. But any scent, most scents, tend to be heightened whenever I have migraines though. So I really can't only blame lavender scents in this situation.

Well.. What I'd consider as an eccentric flower would be really unusual plants like; the bat flower, cymbidium flower (the black flower), devil's hand flower, grevillea flower, silver vase flower, asian chrysanthemum flower are some examples of eccentric flowers that I like. Oh! And you mention that bees are your favorite insect and orchids are your flower too, then search the bee orchid. And also the beehive ginger plants.

But for traditional flowers.. I would have to say basically any flowers if the flower has multiple colors; like hybrid flowers. I don't mind hybrid roses. Dahlias - especially any variation to black widow dahlias (since the colors are black, red, maroon and burgundy). Spider lilies are also another flower. So either eccentric flowers. Or flowers with more than one color to the plant, especially darker (nearly black) colors to any of these plants too. Also blossoms. I'm trying to think of any flowers I do like but my mind is blank right now. I don't know why I'm blanking out over this. Either way, you might have some ideas what flowers I'd like.

I still think Keiji Kuroki would be a perfect Nanami Kento from Jujutsu Kaisen. So that is another reason why I'm a bit upset he retired from a career as an entertainer. He's the only person I would accept as Kento in every way, based on the pictures I'd sent you. That should happen.

I'm torn about that situation. Because on one hand, I respect that this mafia boss does removed people who betrayed him - apparently with this guy working on the side for extra money, with drugs that he even stole from the mafia boss. But on the other hand, he warned him that the two cops he was close to who really gathered information on him. But mafia guy isn't listening to him though. Why is he so stupid now?

What do you think the ending would be? Who do you think would die?

I'm trying to think of any other horror shows and movies if you would probably watch. But I don't know.. My mind is blank at the moment.

So the violent scenes with violent in Talk To Me? At least a possession scenes. Unless the movie was violent? Was the movie violent though?

- 💋

nope! a day ahead! or, like, 10 hours ahead where i am iirc.

yui used to tease shizuka over it and hiroto does think it’s kinda dumb, but he can keep his thoughts to himself. but then they also both love shizuka, quirks and all. even if her quirks are slapping nail clippers out of yui’s hands at night (japanese bad luck superstition to cut nails at night) or diving across the room to stop hiroto from killing a spider during the day (spiders are good luck in the day but bad luck at night).

i think the only ones who would get her are maybe kato and hyuga, since they’re more traditional. shizuka breaks the strap of her geta one time and freaks out and hyuga’s the only one who gets that it’s an omen of misfortune.

i’m not a wine drinker at all. it just all tastes the same to me. or the white wines at least, because that’s what my mum drinks. i don’t like darker wines either tho. i don’t mind being able to taste the liquor in cocktails, but i do prefer fruitier cocktails. i like having the lil burn from whiskey or rum when i mix it with colas tho. and i’ll sip shots of rum/whiskey like how most people tastetest wine.

i had a friend who wore track pants every day at school. i had no idea how she did it because it was so hot all the time. it barely gets cold in winter. i wanted to be one of those girly girls who wore the skirts, but i hated them and ended up wearing the basketball-y type shorts instead because they were comfier. cannot do the girly thing, even tho i love dresses and skirts.

i got diagnosed with pcos when i was about 20. before then, i got my period at random and it never came regularly. my mum didn’t even want to believe me when i first suggested it because i stupidly mentioned how it messes with losing weight and my mum accused me of just being fat and lazy. i got a bloodtest tho and i was right. pcos. so now i’m on birth control to regulate it, and an anti-inflammatory pain killer to help with the totally awful cramps i get. i also used to take a blood clotting medication but i’m off that one currently. i’m also being treated for hypothyroidism and a heart issue.

i was also diagnosed with depression but that’s currently going untreated.

i have a lot of clumsy injuries that have left me with some lasting issues. scars on my knees from tripping, my elbows is a bit arthritic from where i broke it, i broke my front two teeth and they have permanent caps, i’ve got a scar on the inside of my top lip where i was shoved face-first into pebble tec. i’ve also got a scar high on my forehead from when i ran into a pole. well. walked hard into a pole. which my father literally just watched me do and then laughed about until he realised i was heavily bleeding. i was a lil kid, under ten.

my mum grows bat plants! black ones. those suckers have lasted for years and my mum’s given away cuts from. i think it’s a second generation bat plant from my grandma. devil’s hands are so cool!

i LOVE bee orchids!!! i might need to add it onto my tattoo list. they’re so neat looking! it’s so weird to imagine the bee species this flower outlived.

bossman’s really ruling with his heart instead of his head here. should be listening a lil more, looking a lil deeper into those coincidences, but i think he doesn’t want to believe it. that this guy who’s saved his life twice and been his friend, and the girl he’s been in love with for years could be lying to him. so i guess i understand. but it’s also so dumb of him. please pretty boy. use your brain! you’re a gang leader! and a drug dealer! get away from the cop!!!

at least he’s starting to question stuff now, since there’s holes being poked in the cop’s story and his informant isn’t getting back to him.

if someone was going to die, i imagine probably the boss, if he fights against getting arrested. or gets into a dramatic shootout with the cop. i’m not sure about how it’ll end yet. still a good handful of episodes left tho! there’s lots that could happen!

the possession scenes are pretty violent, especially the kid’s. the movie does open with a guy stabbing his brother in the back and then killing himself, so there’s no shortness of violent stuff happening across the film. the visual effects for the gory parts are very good too tho.

#💋 anon #tj answers #long post //

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royal-confessions · 2 years

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“Seriously though the Buckingham palace balcony is probably the whitest place in all of London. I don't think anyone who's a shade darker than Meghan Markle's blessed-with-a-perfect-year-round-tan golden complexion has ever stepped foot on it (and as we all know even she isn't allowed on it anymore). Nice to know that if you're in the 40% of Londoners that aren't white you're deemed unworthy and shunned. Oh and nothing quite like those BP balcony shots to make you feel represented, included & seen.” - Submitted by Anonymous

“The royal palace balcony photos for this jubilee thing are perfect to text to all of my friends and family along with a reminder to write to our politicians to push them to finally hold the referendum that will abolish the monarchy. The reckoning is here. Free Jamaica!” - Submitted by Anonymous

“The problem with royal families nowadays is that they do not accurately reflect/represent the people that they serve. If I take a stroll in London I'll be presented with a different picture than royals present from balconies (ofc there was 1 notable exception but that didn't work out,both sides are to blame but it does much more damage to the Firm that it didn't work out than it does the Sussexes) & in commonwealth countries the separation/difference between people there & royals is even more evident.” - Submitted by Anonymous

“You know the British monarchy and Elizabeth Windsor are a symbol of white supremacy when western countries, particularly european countries, celebrate and cover the platinum jubilee more than all the non-majority white commonwealth countries, including the ones -mind you- in which Elizabeth is still head of state in.” - Submitted by Anonymous

“Britain's royal institution is entrenched in anti-blackness today like it was yesterday.” - Submitted by Anonymous

“Why are UK royals so determined to force Caribbeans to "celebrate" Elizabeth II's jubilee? WE DO NOT WANT TO CELEBRATE ANYTHING. Now leave us alone and go to Canada or Australia or wherever there's white people who love white racist institutions and feel like celebrating royal colonialist oppression.” - Submitted by Anonymous

“Friendly reminder to the British royal family and its officials that Mixed race people are the fastest growing ethnic group in the UK. Given this fact this race based propaganda war against the one branch of their family that represents such growing demographic is not exactly very wise.” - Submitted by Anonymous

“News panels discussing whether or not the British Royal Family is racist is as useless as wondering if the Pope is a Catholic.” - Submitted by Anonymous

“We know Britain never made it easy for anyone seeking independence, why would it be different for Harry and Meghan?” - Submitted by Anonymous

“One thing's for sure: white people who've never had her as their queen are celebrating Elizabeth II's 70 year reign more than her former and current non-white subjects around the world.” - Submitted by Anonymous

“I want to like the British royals but I honestly don't trust a family that is all white. It is sus.” - Submitted by Anonymous

“The population of the Commonwealth is 70% non-white but the head of the Commonwealth has always been a white UK monarch: this is why most POC activists view the Commonwealth as a problematic neocolonialist entity. It's simply not sustainable in the long run for the head of the Commonwealth to forever coincide with the always white UK queen or king: either they start putting some POC in charge or I don't see this clearly still excessively obsequious to the UK organisation surviving much longer.” - Submitted by Anonymous

“It's tradition for UK royalty to make life difficult for those seeking independence+freedom. Harry+Meghan are the latest victims,before them there were former colonies that during negotiations had to agree to keep the UK monarch as head of state and that today, even though the vast majority of their population wants the monarchy gone, have to spend time+money on a formal referendum to make it happen so politicians keep pushing it back and UK royals keep showing up as if they own those countries.” - Submitted by Anonymous

#british royal family #British monarchy #queen elizabeth ii #Prince Harry #Meghan Markle #meghan duchess of sussex

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f1united · 3 years

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Secret - DR3 Imagine

Part 4 to Zoo!

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3

Daniel Ricciardo Imagine

Summary: You share your pregnancy with his family

This contains mentions of pregnancy so please do not read if this is something you may find triggering!

Ever since you and Daniel had taken the digital test, he hadn’t left your side. The confirmation that you were growing a mini Ricciardo inside of you made him smile more than he ever had before, something that you thought was borderline impossible. He had booked a trip for the two of you to spend some time together before he was thrown back into the busy f1 season. It was as though you had just met for the first time, staying up late talking and not being able to keeps your hands off each other wherever you went. When you’d flown back to Australia nothing changed and you felt yourself falling in love with him all over again.

Daniel laid beside you in bed, one arm around your shoulders and the other holding up the precious scan photo of your little baby that had been taken yesterday. Ever since you’d been given it neither one of you could seem to stop looking at it in complete awe. Truth be told there wasn’t too much to see, you weren’t too far along but that didn’t seem to matter.

“Have you thought about how to tell your family today?” you asked, diverting you eyes from the picture to his. Today was the last day Daniel would see his family before you both headed back to Europe to finish preparing for the first race in just two weeks’ time. The annual barbeque had become a tradition and was always a lovely way to say goodbye.

You hadn’t told anyone about your pregnancy yet. You were somewhat scared that if people knew your little secret it would burst this bubble that the two of you had found yourself in. However, you knew that he probably wanted to tell his parents in person, and it was uncertain the next time that would be.

“Not really I just think I’ll know when the times right, they’re going to be so excited” you knew he was right. They would be so excited, and you didn’t have to even doubt for a second that they wouldn’t support the both of you.

“We should probably get up, they’ll be here soon” you didn’t want to move, you could’ve laid like this forever, but you did need to get ready and start the food prep. You slowly lifted yourself up, placing a kiss on Daniel’s forehead as he unwrapped himself from you. It wasn’t until you were on your feet that you caught a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and let out a small gasp.

“Daniel look” his eyes snapped towards you and watched intently as you carefully touched the small bump. You hadn’t started showing much and you were sure that this was just being you hadn’t been to the toilet yet this morning but none the less it all started to feel a bit more real.

“Oh my god” Daniel climbed out of bed and stood behind you, placing his arms and hands over yours to hold the little baby too.

“I suppose I should go and pick out a floaty dress for the day” you smiled. It didn’t take long for everyone to arrive. You had let them all in while Daniel stayed in the garden with his barbeque and his beer. They never came empty handed and you gave them a hand carrying the food through to the dining table outside. His nephew was the first one to greet Daniel, shortly followed by everyone else.

“What does everyone want to drink?” you asked as everyone began to sit down. You figured this way you could pour yourself a soft drink without anyone noticing you weren’t on the alcohol too.

“Another one of these please” Daniel waved his beer can towards you and you nodded in acknowledgement.

“I’ll have a glass of white wine if you’ve got one please” His mum asked, shortly followed with an agreement of his sister while her husband followed suit.

You turned your attention towards his dad.

“I’ll come in and give you a hand” he replied to which you gratefully accepted.

“Isaac what about you?”

“What have you got” he asked as he ran around the garden.

“Oooooo where do I start, fizzy drinks, fruit shoots”

“Why don’t you go with Auntie Y/N and have a look” His mum suggested to which he nodded his head and ran towards the kitchen while you and Joe followed behind.

You opened the fridge stacked with drinks as Isaac held his hands up for up to lift him up. You placed him on your hip as you went through the different options with him until he decided on some lemonade.

“Now can I trust you to give Uncle Daniel his beer without drinking it before you get there?” you asked. “And then I’ll bring out your drink with mine?” The little boy nodded furiously as you handed him the can and put him down on the floor before watching him run off. You grabbed the lemonade and wine from the fridge and placed it next to the glasses Joe had just got out the cupboard. You felt your chest get warm at the site of Isaac passing Daniel the beer and giving him a hug in response.

“How have you been” Joe asked, snapping you out of your little daydream.

“Good actually” you replied, “Really good”.

“I can tell” he laughed slightly at how smiley you were. “I take it you won’t be having one of these” he nodded towards the wine he has cracked open and started distributing between the glasses. Your evident shock made him laugh once more. “Don’t worry, I got you a wine glass for your lemonade, no one needs to know” he gave you a small wink.

“Is it really that obvious?” You asked him as you finished pouring yours and Isaacs drinks.

“Not at all you just have this unmistakable pregnancy glow, Grace had the same thing when she was pregnant with Daniel. I don’t think anyone else has picked up on it” you breathed a sigh of relief at his honesty.

“We were planning on telling you all today” you admitted

“I knew as soon as he sent us those pictures of you away on holiday, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so happy. Grace insisted you’d secretly got engaged or eloped” you couldn’t help but laugh at his comment. You were so grateful for the relationship you had with Joe, and so was Daniel.

“I hadn’t even thought about that if I’m honest. We had the first scan yesterday” You pulled open the drawer to the left of you and placed it on the side. You knew you would have needed it close by to show the others at some point this afternoon, you just didn’t realise it would be so soon. His eyes filled up with tears slightly as he brought you in for a hug.

“Oh Y/N, I’m so happy for the both of you”

“I can’t wait to see him become a dad” you admitted as you buried your head in his shoulder in an attempt to reduce the tears.

“What am I missing out on here?” Daniel voice shocked the both of you as you let go of Joe and looked at the Australian walking through the kitchen towards you.

“We were just talking about how great of a dad you’re going to be” Joe smiled at his son as Daniel looked between the two of you slightly confused. “Oh come on she didn’t tell me I can just tell, I don’t know how your mother can’t. It just takes one look at the two of you to know there’s something going on. Plus, the last few times we’ve seen you, you haven’t been able to keep your hands off her belly. Usually they’re on her arse”. You let out a laugh at his comment as he gave Daniel a hug.

“Now lets go and eat, Dan can you carry some of these out?” Joe asked as you watched Dan slide the scan photo into his back pocket.

It wasn’t long before you all tucked into the food and spent the afternoon chatting about old memories and making new ones. A badminton tournament had broken out at one point, then Isaac had decided he wanted to go swimming so hopped into he pool with Daniel for a while.

It wasn’t until the sun started to set that you remembered you had dessert in the fridge.

“Ill come and grab them with you” Daniel stated as he got up from the table and held your hand as you both walked into the kitchen. The second you were out of sight from the others he pulled you in for a kiss. You giggled slightly at the taste of beer on his lips.

“What was the for Ricciardo?” you asked him as he hugged you tightly.

“What I’m not allowed to kiss my girlfriend anymore? The mother of my child?”

“Keep your voice down” you reminded him as he trailed a few kisses down your neck and collar bone. “Seriously what had gotten into you?” You giggled as he looked up to meet your eye, you could see the tipsiness dancing around them. “Your mum brought over some champagne for a toast to you leaving, I was thinking we could open it with dessert and tell them then?” Daniel nodded in front of you, almost immediately appearing to have sobered up as he planted his hands on your belly.

“I love you so much” he told you as he rested his forehead against yours.

“I love you more” you told him as you shared a kiss once more.

Joe began to fill up the champagne glasses once you’d both returned to the table as you began to cut everyone a slice of the cake you’d brought and it wasn’t long until Grace stood up with her glass in hand.

“I just wanted to raise a toast, to appreciating the time we’ve had with Daniel and to wish him all the best in the new season” Before everyone could cheers, Daniel stood up to and you felt your body become nervous with excitement as he held onto your hand tightly.

“Before we leave we just wanted to say how much we’re going to miss you so we have a picture that we want you to keep while we’re away” Daniel dug into his pocket and handed the image to Isaac first who was sat next to you.

“What is it?” he asked. You point at the small shape in the middle of the image.

“That right there is a picture of Baby Ricciardo” you moved your hands to your stomach and rubbed it slightly. “Who right now is sat in here” Gasps were heard all around the table as Isaac passed the picture to his mum.

“So it’s your baby?” He asked

“Mine and Daniel’s yes, it’s your little cousin” you told him.

“Oh my!” you looked over to Grace who was making her way towards you both with her arms wide open as you got up from your chair to embrace her.

“I’m going to be a nanny again” she cried as the rest of the table got up to congratulate you. “Joe get up your sons going to be a dad”

“Oh I know, she’s been on the lemonade all day” He chuckled. After the evening had come to an end and everyone had said their goodbyes you climbed into bed with Daniel and you both just smiled at one another as you realised that nothing was going to stop the love you both shared and that your baby might just be the most loved person in the entire world.

#daniel ricciardo imagine #daniel ricciardo #daniel ricciardo one shot #f1 imagine #f1 masterlist #lando norris #charles leclerc #george russell #max verstappen #lewis hamilton #valteri bottas #pierre gasly

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cosmicfurby · 2 years

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Judging the songs that made it into the final #2 because I'm a pissed off little cockroach*

*not to be taken seriously

Belgium - meh. literally meh. don't get me wrong i love his voice but this is literally the most generic pop song I've heard tonight (plus Ireland, but as a hibernophile i literally can't admit Ireland does anything wrong ever). bit bland. the performance didn't add anything to it, it was,,,, there. you ever feel like something made it because of jury votes? yeah. definitely this case. i love jérémie though, and I'm sure he'll do a great job. shame that the song is so bland

Czech Republic - why. whyyy. this song sounds like it would play as ambiance music in an h&m and i don't mean this as a compliment. it's generic oontz-oontz it's so boring!! sleep inducing!! I'll give them something, at least it's sort of different to what we usually see and they performed very well, save the deadly stroboscopic lights that made me have to take my eyes off the screen. BOring.

Azerbaijan - i thought there was NO way this was going to make it into the final, but it seems i underestimated the power of national juries. it's giving mans zelmenlow: the sweater, the dance. i love the idea of the stairs, though, one of the most elaborate things we've seen tonight. his voice is dreamy. but I've said it once and I'll say it a million times: BALLADS NEED TO DIE. no one wants to tune in to watch a group of people standing and crying, Eurovision is for fun and escapism. at least they did a good job making the performance a lot more dynamic than other ballads this year, so kudos to them for that.

Poland - fork spotted in kitchen, ochman spotted in the final. I'm not surprised, the first time I heard the song i instantly knew it was going to be a hit with the juries. i actually kind of like it if i squint, his voice is very impressive and he sells it very well. the performance though,,,,, i hate it with a passion. not because of anything ochman or his backup dancers do, that's good, because of the realization. i don't know who is behind it but they need to be STOPPED. i get that the song is called 'river', we've got a water theme going on... but there's a moment where they put this water drop filter and that did not, i repeat it did NOT look like water. you get what I'm saying right. (cum. it looked like cum.) there's also a moment where the camera like shakes and a lot of thunder comes on screen and like. i know i said that it's very important for a ballad-ey song to have something compelling going on on the stage for it to be engaging, but this may perhaps be a bit much. the song doesn't bother me in the finally at all, so i wish the best for ochman actually

Finland - i cannot believe this made it into the final. i actually can't. they came out 1st! there's NO way someone who performs 1st in a semifinal makes it. look at ronela last Tuesday. i disliked the song and just assumed they'd go straight home after seeing they were 1st in the running order. in any case, kudos to the rasmus for selling that drag of a song so well, you could tell they're used to a stage and seasoned performers. the singer did an incredible job. i may not like the song, but I'll give them that. i think they earned their spot in the final, despite the song being atrocious. maybe less balloons next time

Estonia - haha cowboy go brr. what can I say, i love stefan's voice, the performance on his part was great and the lyrics of the song give me a lot of working class proletarian euphoria. i think it's fair he's in the final, he's worked hard and it shows. also the MV for his song was filmed in Spain so i have a contractual obligation to cheer for him. jokes aside i love his voice and i think he has a lot of magnetism on the stage, he deserves to be in the final. good job as mostly always, estonia

Australia - okay i know i said ballads need to die but. we can allow ourselves a little sad song to wave our lighters at from time to time, and that may be just that. sheldon has a voice for the ages and the lyrics get me in my autistic little heart. the song is actually one of my favorites, just maybe not for Eurovision, because repeat with me: ballads have to die. the performance was lacking, though, so they might want to take a look at that if they want to place well in the final. in any case sheldon is pretty deserving of this spot and, if any ballad is going to be in the final, I'd rather it being this one. idk something about a ballad that appeals to my childhood experience and realizing you'll never be like the other kids despite you're all playing the same games,,,,, that appeals to me I'm sorry but it's true

Sweden - SAD GIRLS RISE of course Sweden made it. Sweden always fucking makes it. this song is great actually, a ballad but with rhythm and spice. i love her voice, she's giving Bonnie Tyler in the best sense. idk maybe it's because I'm gay and sad and very much in love that this hits me like a knife thrown to my chest. i really really like this song. also for all the ace attorney brainrot affected people out there: this is asoryuu-core, klapollo-core and narumitsu-core all at the same time. how can that be. it's about the yearning innit. in any case as a Sad Girl™ this song has me on a chokehold and it definitely should be in the final

Romania - the scream of joy that came out if my throat when they said wrs had advanced,,,, i don't think you understand. is the song insufferable and earwormy? yes. have i been complaining when my friend played it since it came out? also yes. do i listen to it on my free time and dance the whole "hola mi bebebe"? perhaps. you have no evidence for that. but it has something that i think makes a Eurovision song what it is: it's FUN. Eurovision is committed to diversity and FUN. wrs ate that stage as soon as he stepped on it and performed absolutely excellently he did it for the girls and the gays. oh I'm so happy he made it. that way we won't have to sleep through a big chunk of the final. I'm genuinely so happy for him and will have a blast singing llámame on the final, thank you very much

Serbia - GODSTRAKTA GODSTRAKTA GODSTRAKTA GODSTRAKTA i could go on for ages SHE MADE IT. Y'ALL. i assumed we'd lose her when she came on third in the running order but. the way people clapped during the biti zdrava with her,,,,,, the performance was so unsettling i have watched it a million times since yesterday. I'm SO happy. oh I'm elated. i get it's not for everyone, it's a little weird, but it's performance art! it's supposed to make you a bit uncomfortable! also the lyrics are so ironic and funny, the way she just stared at the camera deadpan 'i don't have health insurance' I'd die for konstrakta and i will be cheering like a monster for her at the final. now if you don't mind *yells*

Bonus: Big Five songs part 2

Spain - you know what? i think "the Spanish national selection was rigged and fraudulent" and "chanel is a spectacular entry that's going to make us all proud" are statements that can and SHOULD coexist. i had NO faith in her whatsoever at first: generic song, generic voice, boring act. that has changed. chanel has won me over because she's working very very hard and it shows in how the quality of her performance has improved since the national selection. she doesn't choke while singing anymore, which she used to and she did in benidorm. as much as I love Tanxugueiras and Rigo, they wouldn't have been as good as chanel is proving to be. the dance is spectacular, she has a lot of energy and charisma, and it's not boring!! i have to say that i don't like the new arrangement they did: those stereotypically Spanish-sounding trumpets at the beginning make me want to throw my entire stomach up. very tired of exporting this image that Andalusian culture and sounds are all of Spanish culture and sounds, but anyway. that's literally the one and only complaint i can make. my biggest congratulations to the Spanish delegation for putting in an effort for once. i know chanel will place well and it's thanks to how hard she's worked and rehearsed. chanelazo is incoming 👀

United Kingdom - the UK sending a GOOD song to Eurovision???? what's next? the UK sending someone with CHARISMA- oh. they did just that. the song is not one of my favorites but it's so fun and good and the singer (James? Sam? it's Sam) is SO nice he's adorable!! i only wish the best for him and his voice made in heaven. he's literally the last nice person in England (/j), they found him and sent it to Eurovision. this song is giving Elton John and i know i don't like Elton John that much but i mean it as a compliment. it's fun! i like it! it's sure to be a blast at the final

Germany - there had to be a bad one in the big five this year, isn't it. sigh. Malik does very well, but. something about the song is so DATED. like, it sounds 2010s. 2010s inspirational christian pop about growing old. i don't need to be reminded that I'm growing old!! I'm turning 20 this year i already know my best years are behind me MALIK. MALIK YOU'RE GIVING ME EXISTENTIAL DREAD- in any case, not that good of a song. i haven't watched the entire performance, but i hope Malik can bring something else to the stage because if he doesn't this is going to follow Germany's steps these past few years and crash and burn. it's sad, but you know I'm right.

anyway justice for san marino

#eurovision song contest #eurovision 2022 #eurovision #im actually so upset achille lauro didn't make it through #it was the gay kiss on stage innit #anyway he's my winner i love him #so excited for the final~

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ms-demeanor · 4 years

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Hi! Will you explain why you are pro-gun ownership? I am genuinely wanting to learn, and you seem like the right person to ask!

Short answer: I don’t think that the cops and their shitty fascist fanboys should be the only people who own guns.

Longer answer: It is genuinely difficult to remove firearms from the US population in a way that it isn’t in other places so when you see people giving examples of stuff like “but they do buybacks in australia” that’s overlooking the fact that those were kind of mandatory buybacks that are functionally impossible in the US because there is very specifically NOT a big list somewhere of everyone who owns guns and I’m actually kind of okay with that the same way I’m okay with there NOT being a big list somewhere of everyone who has ever downloaded Signal and if you DID try a buyback like that you’d just have the prepper response of “cool plan, I’m going to bury my guns in a waterproof locker in the forest” and who would know because, again, it’s not like there’s a big list somewhere, to track down who a gun was sold to you have to find the store that sold it to them and then go through the physical records and even then there are a shitload of rifles that’s going to miss SO I’m sort of going “well if they have them I want them too” because I actually *DO* think it’s useful to say “I’m not a pacifist and I’m not an easy target” - when I was getting a lot of threats online from MRAs that all stopped nearly instantly when I made it very clear that my home is full of guns and you’re perfectly welcome to come try to intimidate me here because I’m probably a better shot than you are - and that was especially revealing because other than going “try it motherfucker, I can take you” or “UwU violence isn’t the answer” I didn’t have a lot of recourse because the cops sure didn’t care about targeted harassment or violent threats and I’m not a huge supporter of the “you need a firearm for home defense” because home invasions are actually really rare and violence almost always tends to be between people who know each other and you’re not going to use your shotgun to warn your brother out of the house during a 3am break-in, probably, but a sibling or family member or ex is the person most likely to do violence to you and honestly most concealed carry proponents get an eyeroll and a jackoff motion from me because most concealed carry proponents are like “CITIES ARE SCARY BECAUSE OF DIVERSITY” and that’s incredibly stupid but also if you look at a lot of mass shootings, which is what people tend to use as evidence that semiautomatic rifles should be banned, there’s some really weird stuff that tends to go unspoken or unexamined, which is mainly that a huge number of mass shootings are actually instances of domestic violence and honestly I kind of think that mass shootings that can be considered domestic terrorism (so they’re not targeting coworkers or family/partners) kind of need to be in a completely different category because we have seen ample evidence that terrorist attacks continue to happen globally in spite of varying gun laws (Norway, New Zealand, and France all have much stricter gun laws than the US does) and that terrorists will happily weaponize non-weapons to kill people and it will be seen as similarly non-terroristic as US terrorists using guns (white supremacists sure seem to want to drive cars into protestors right now) like I understand the urge to look at the US’s culture of mass shootings and to look at the US culture of gun ownership and go “these two are related” and they ARE and I DO think there are some things that could/should be done to reduce the incidence of mass shootings in the US on the gun ownership side of things but I am also completely perplexed at the way that white supremacy and domestic violence are continually erased from the mass shooting discussion in spite of being HUGE parts of that discussion so BASICALLY my thoughts on the matter are complicated and scattered but

Simply saying “I own guns” ended a targeted harassment campaign against me in a way that ignoring it or talking to the police couldn’t and I think “a hundred strangers are trying to find out where I live and are sending me rape threats” is a reasonable reason to want to have firearms

SERIOUSLY there are so many awful people who own guns, shooting ranges are a nightmare and that side of the aisle certainly isn’t letting go of any advantage so I might as well grab on too

are probably my personal strongest reasons for wanting to own firearms *aside* from the “under no pretext” thing, which honestly frequently comes off as a LARP or very Timothy McVeigh when people talk about fending off the FBI or whatever, though I do believe in the validity of the idea that workers should be able to resist violence - just look at the history of Pinkertons as strikebreakers, holy shit, if your boss can pay someone to shoot you you should be able to shoot back good lord (I’m aware that’s not anywhere near as common now as it was a hundred years ago but I maintain that the principle is similar at protests; the open carry crew is mostly on the right, they’re not giving up their guns, and even if the guns were illegal they wouldn’t give up their guns).

And generally I consider rifle ownership fairly uncontroversial aside from the interminable discussions of ARs because once you get about fifty miles outside of a major metropolitan area rifle ownership is the norm and the US is huge and full of rattlesnakes and charismatic megafauna with huge teeth and/or antlers and sometimes you do legitimately need to have a plan for dealing with 30-40 feral hogs or at least one unexpected moose.

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something-tofightfor · 3 years

Text

Christmas in July #3: This Gift

Pairing: Frankie ‘Catfish’ Morales x female reader, Santiago ‘Pope’ Garcia x Yovanna

Word Count: 4,704

Rating: M? There’s language, it mentions sex and other various sexual acts, Frankie’s hands are involved, Tom is still very much dead (but does anyone really care?)

Request #3 for this event goes out to @the-blind-assassin-12 - and it’s for Frankie ... who I’ve never written before. This isn’t the MAIN Frankie story I mentioned before - I still intend to make that one very long and much more detailed, but this one is still a lot of fun and is based on a VERY SERIOUS opinion I have about this specific song.

It is in no way connected to anything else I’ve ever written (but I might be convinced to continue it after the Christmas event ends if that’s something people want).

Enjoy!

EDIT:

The song mentioned is “This Gift” by 98*. Lyrics here, video here

“We’re going to be late.” Your arms were crossed over your chest, the fingers of your left hand tapping on your right bicep as you leaned against the railing at the bottom of the steps. “Frankie, I swear if -” “I’m coming.” He began to walk down the stairs, arms hanging by his sides. “We’re not gonna be late, I promise.” He was right, but you’d never admit it. “We’re just meetin’ Pope and his girl, it’s not -” “I’ve never met her before.” You moved backward by two steps, giving him a chance to pass you. “I want to make a good impression.” He said your name at the same time as he reached for you, the man’s fingers finding the curve at the base of your neck and shoulder. Even after more than a year of being with him, when he touched you, you felt it, warmth spreading through your body, a sense of calm that you hadn’t thought possible following it.

“You know Pope, an’ he likes you. Yovanna will, too.” There was certainty in both his eyes and tone, and you felt yourself nod. “And it’s just a couple hours, maybe less.” He was right again; the four of you were meeting to go ice skating - the two of them back in town for the holiday for the first time in two years. “How about this,” he continued, ducking his head down to speak into your ear. “You wanna leave? Tell me, and we’ll -” With a laugh, you shoved him away, rolling your eyes. “That’s too simple, Fish.” You watched the look in his eyes change as you addressed him by the nickname you were only beginning to get comfortable with using. I know you like it, but it feels weird because I wasn’t… part of the group. “How about, if I want to leave, I’ll make an excuse about your bad back, and -” He groaned at that, but you watched him fighting back a smile. “Might not be too far from the truth.” He sighed. “I bet that Pope won’t even want to stay too long, either. I think he’s just tryin’ to impress her, you know? She grew up in Colombia, moved to Australia… she’s never really seen an American Christmas, and he wants to make sure it’s a good one.”

It was your turn to reach up, the ends of your fingers carefully combing through the curls at the nape of his neck before they traveled up to the ones that hung over his ears. “He’s proposing, isn’t he.” Frankie blinked, surprise in his eyes. Knew it. “You said she has no family except her brother, but his entire family is here. Why else would -” “You can’t say anything. He’d kill me if he thought I told you.” You watched as he pressed his lips together. “He’s doin’ it Christmas Eve. I told him it’s a bad idea, that it’s distracting, but he’s … they do this big party at his parents’, and -” Tugging on his hair, you waited until he went quiet. “I won’t say a word. And you know what, Frankie? If that’s when he wants to do it, let him. He knows what she wants better than anyone else, so…” It didn’t surprise you at all to know that that was the plan; the times he’d talked about Yovanna, you could feel how in love the man was, even if it was through a screen. “Besides,” you continued as you stepped back, brushing his curls behind one ear. “It’s not like him proposing is gonna change anything for you, right?: “Actually, about that…” He grinned, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes getting much deeper. “He’s positive she’s gonna say yes, so... “ He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck, head tilted to one side. “You know anything about bein’ a Best Man?” At that, you laughed, Frankie joining you a few seconds later and then pulling you to his chest in a tight hug. “Give me any fuckin’ mission and I can do it without a problem, but the thought of me havin’ to plan a bachelor party? Tryin’ to make sure all of his friends have a good time? Figurin’ out what we should -” “Frankie.” You held his face between both hands, forcing him to look at you. “After what you guys went through in Colombia and all that time overseas?” He blinked slowly, letting you speak. “Planning a guy’s trip to Miami or Mexico or Vegas is gonna feel like nothing after getting yourselves out of that bullshit.” You were right about that, but he wasn’t slow to admit it. Good. “Now.” Rising onto your toes, you kissed him briefly, not letting yourself get caught up in it like you so often did. “We need to leave, because I want to go ice skating with you.”

“Yes, ma’am.” With Frankie, it was better to get straight to the point. That was something that you’d learned quickly after meeting him - Francisco Morales had no time for people that wasted his time. I never would, though. He turned away from you, grabbing the tan jacket and hat from the pegs next to the door. He settled the hat atop his head with the same familiar motion he always did, the coat following, and by the time he’d straightened it over his broad chest, you were zipping your own jacket, adjusting the hood. “C’mon.” Less than two minutes later, you were out the door and in his truck, one of Frankie’s hands on the steering wheel, the other firmly settled against your denim-clad thigh.

---

“I swear I’m not usually this hopeless.” You looked back and over your shoulder, watching as Frankie skated a few feet behind you. “There’s just too many damn - Hey!” You yelped the last word, tucking your arm as close to your side as possible as a group of kids sped by. Little shits. “I can’t get going, and -” “You’re doin’ fine.” He called out to you, and only a few seconds later, the man was next to you, an arm curled around your waist. “It is busy, though.” It is.

That was one of the problems with living in Florida during the Christmas season. There was plenty to do, but when it came to typical winter activities, options were limited. Indoor ice skating rinks were plentiful, but Pope had wanted Yovanna to get the full experience - outdoors, bright lights, decorated trees. Those factors meant that there were a ton of other people there trying to enjoy the same things as the four of you. “Where’d they go?” The two of you were leaning against the wall, and you scanned the crowd, looking for the woman’s brightly colored hat and Pope’s silver-accented curls. “I can’t find ‘em.”

“Over there.” Frankie lifted an arm, pointing. “She’s good at this shit, look at him trying to keep up with her.” You followed the motion, finally seeing the two of them, and had to smile at the pair. She was skating smoothly, weaving in and out of other couples and people, her long hair flying behind her. To his credit, Pope wasn’t far behind, mouth open as he called out to the woman, face set in a look of determination. “You know, the first time I met her, she didn’t say a damn word to me, except to say thank you.” You looked up, watching his eyes as he followed their movement on the ice. “Talked to Tom, though. Benny, too. I don’t think she trusted any of us except for him.”

You knew most of what had happened during that trip to Colombia; knew that the only reason Frankie and Pope had been able to go back to claim what they’d lost had been because of Yovanna’s involvement - and the money she’d taken when she and her brother fled. “It’s a good thing she did. Trust him, I mean.” He looked down at you, eyes dark under the curved brim of his hat. “From what you said, the five of you had to make some really tough decisions, so I’m glad you got the chance to make it right.”

“He didn’t wanna ask her.” Frankie’s arm was around your shoulders, pulling you closer. “And I don’t blame him. That was their money, but Pope’s a good guy, and he felt like he’d fucked us all the first time. Wouldn’t have worked with all four of us the second, so -” “So that’s why it was only you two.” He nodded, his eyes narrowing for a few seconds before they widened again, his lips curving up into a smile that you’d been seeing more often as you got to know him. “That’s all you needed, though. Better that way. Fewer problems.” You reached up as you shifted, the blades of your skates scraping through the ice as you turned to face him. “You came home safe.” Thumb pressed to the patchy area on the side of his face, you met his eyes, holding nothing back. “To me.”

The two of you were seriously involved, and you’d never had a relationship quite like the one you had with Frankie - but you were still cautious with him, aware of his past and the nightmares he still had about his time enlisted and after. “I did.” He swallowed, the motion of the action one you could feel beneath your hand, and then he said your name. “And you were waiting for me when I got there.” There was double meaning to that, but it wasn’t something that you wanted to get into while standing underneath the multicolored lights and with Jingle Bell Rock blaring in the background.

“I would have been there even if you’d come back with nothing, and you know it.” You didn’t look away, stroking softly over his skin. “This isn’t the right place or time for that conversation, though. We’re supposed to be having a good time, and I’m not gonna let you get st-” He moved before you could get the sentence out, swiping the hat off of his head with one hand as he ducked down to kiss you, your open mouth giving him the perfect opportunity to slide his tongue past your lips and against your own.

Forgetting that you were on ice skates, you shifted again to put your other arm around him as you sighed, the rest of yout thought completely forgotten, the hand against his cheek moving back and into his hair, strands soft against your palm. It didn’t matter how many times he kissed you - or in how many different ways; Frankie Morales was good at it, and even better at making you forget whatever it was that you’d been saying or doing in the moments before. And he knows it, you thought, even as he pulled you closer to him, the kiss growing more intense as he licked into your mouth, the taste of the coffee you’d shared on the ride down lingering. “C’mon, you two. There are kids.”

It startled you enough that you lost your footing, one skate moving forward and the other back as you jumped, but Frankie didn’t let go of you, and only a few seconds later, the two of you were sprawled out on the ice, limbs tangled together and Frankie letting out a string of words in Spanish that you recognized as him cursing the other man out. But you laughed, and then Yovanna did, one of her arms linked with Pope’s, and finally the two men joined you, Frankie’s laugh stemming from one final grumbled “fuckin’ asshole” as he carefully disentangled himself from you, rising onto one knee before he reached a hand out to take your hand.

“We’re gonna go and sit for a few minutes, Santiago.” He wasn’t really angry, but he still scowled at his friend, the other man biting back a smile.

“Then why’d you get up? You were already sitting down there.” He couldn’t help himself and you laughed again, pushing to your feet and gently shoving Pope’s arm as Yovanna’s jaw dropped. These two.

“Actually I’m going to go use the bathroom.” Frankie stared up at you, eyes wide, the hat from his hand still sitting on the ice next to him. “Get me a hot chocolate before you sit?”

“I’ll come with you.” The woman easily moved next to you, gesturing with one hand. “Leave them alone for a few minutes.” She winked and you winked back, and only a few moments later you were exiting the rink, carefully making your way over the padded ground to the lockers and then to the benches, where you unlaced your skates. “My brother and I used to do that.” She sighed, slipping her shoes back on and standing, both skates in one hand. “Tease each other?”

“He’s younger, right?” She nodded in agreement as you used the key again to unlock the locker, sliding both pairs of skates into it. “Frankie told me that he went with you when you left. Is he still -”

“Still in Australia? Yes. Living with me? No.” You made your way into the line for the bathroom, eyes scanning the crowd and finding that the two men had also removed their skates and were waiting in a concession line. “He’s with a woman now. They live together. I’m … thinking of moving here. To be with Santi.” That’ll make Fish happy. “He’d never ask, but I know he misses his friends. His family. And I love him, so I want to -”

“I met him before I met Frankie, did you know that?” You met her eyes, chewing on the inside corner of your lip. “I think he does miss his family and friends, but I’ve never seen or heard him as happy as he’s been with you. I don’t think it matters where you live, Yovanna. He’d be happy as long as it’s the two of you together.” You’d been friends with the man for a few months before he’d introduced you to the others in the group - Frankie in a serious relationship, Tom’s marriage on the rocks, Will and Benny genuinely nice but nowhere near ready to commit. Pope had also been single, but you could tell he was looking for something good, something lasting, and when he’d gone to Colombia on a long assignment, you’d been sad to see him go, knowing that it was unlikely he’d find what he was looking for there. But I was wrong.

“He told me that.” She waited until you were washing your hands to answer you, the woman meeting your eyes in the mirror. “I worried that he … that you…” You knew what she was getting at, and you were quick to cut her off with a firm shake of your head.

“No. Never. We were all friends. I was dating someone at the time, and he joined the group a lot, so it was never …” You raised an eyebrow. “Don’t get me wrong, Yovanna. I liked him - like all of them, but it’s not like that. It wasn’t anything, and then it was just … always…”

“Francisco.” Yeah. Always him. She said his name quietly as you turned away from the sinks and headed back outside. “He was married?” “No. They’d been together for a couple years. He met her right before he deployed the last time. I met her once or twice, she came out with him, and …” You shrugged. “It was what it was. We were friendly, but as soon as she got pregnant, when he was finally home for good, she changed. And so did he. It was a bad time, but he got it together… and then they went to Colombia, and …” “Espectáculo de mierda.” She smiled at you, the look in her eyes understanding. “A shit show.” She paused. “Santi taught me that.” You had to laugh because there was no better explanation for it. “She didn’t like that he went?” “She didn’t like that he went and that he came home empty handed.” You shrugged. “I understand where she came from, but the way she went about letting him know wasn’t the right way to do it. He did what he thought was best, and she didn’t agree.”

“You love him.” She stopped you, the two of you stepping to the side of the crowd and standing still. “Does he know?” Shit.

“It’s … we’ve never said it. I think it… scares him. He loved her so much, and he’s really afraid to do it again.”

“Hmm.” She was frowning at you, and as you stared at the women, you saw everything that Pope loved about her - strong and stubborn, thoughtful, beautiful - and smart. “Before or after?” “What?” Confused, you shook your head. “What do you -” “Did you fall in love before or after they went back?” That was a question you were unprepared for, but it took you no time to answer. “Before. He and I went out for the first time a couple months after she left him, just to catch up. I wanted to give him someone to talk to that wasn’t … I don’t know. But it went fast, Yovanna. So damn fast after being nothing at all, and it … I finally … when he told me that he and Pope were going to try and make it right, I knew that it meant she might come back, that she might want to be a family again.”

“You let him go.”

“Of course I did. That’s his daughter. He deserved to see if they could make it civil at the very least.” “I loved Santi before we fled Colombia. I trusted him. Even without the money.” She gestured with one hand. “He was willing to let me go as long as it meant I was safe. He wanted me and my brother to be happy. I knew he loved me then, even if he never said it.” You and the woman had a lot more in common than you’d realized, and it was more than just loving Pope and Frankie. We both understood what it would be like to lose them. To watch them walk away. “Did she try to come back?”

You were walking again, heading through the crowd of people and toward the picnic tables. “She did. It started with her letting him spend more time with their daughter. Then she tried to get him to go out with her again. I didn’t stop it, because I … if it made him happy?” You’d never tell anyone - not even Frankie - how hard it had been to know that he was seeing his ex again, that they were spending time alone together, even though it hadn’t been long-term. “I wanted him to make a real decision. I wanted him to have a chance to figure it out.”

“You’re here.” The guys were still standing in line - a different one, for food, and so you and the woman found a table close by, sitting on opposite sides. “So it means that she didn’t -” “All she cared about was the money, and it didn’t take him long to figure it out. I never asked how much they brought back, because it doesn’t matter to me, but she did. She wanted to know, told him she was entitled to know it because she was the mother of his child, and that’s all it took for him to see through it. He told her that his daughter would have whatever she needed, but that was it.” That had been a rough time for the two of you, but despite that fact, you’d never felt like you were his second choice. “He cut it off that time, which surprised her.” “Smart.” She wrinkled her nose, pulling her hat off and running her fingers through her hair. “He tried to tell them it was a bad idea, the first time?” She confirmed what you already knew - that Frankie was the voice of reason in the group - and then continued. “He’s a good man. Troubled, but … a good man.�� “I know.” You didn’t know what else to say, and luckily, you didn’t have to, since she widened her smile and looked over your shoulder, waving. A few seconds later, you felt Frankie lower himself onto the seat next to you, a cup of hot chocolate set onto the table, followed by a basket of fries, one of onion rings, and his own cup. “Long lines?” “Too many people.” He laughed, reaching for one of the fries and stuffing it into his mouth. “Glad you got a table.” The four of you settled into conversation, Frankie and Pope catching up, the two of them telling the two of you about life in Australia, about how relaxing it had been. Frankie’s arm was pressed against yours, and even though in any other instance, the proximity would have bothered you, with him, you craved it.

You wanted the man close all the time, wanted to feel his presence in every way, and you realized that he felt the same. I should tell him. Yovanna’s right. I should … take that step. It wasn’t just Frankie that was afraid to say the words out loud; you were, too - even though you knew he wouldn’t push you away, wouldn’t react poorly to hearing your admission. It changes things. “What is this?” Yovanna’s voice cut in, the woman reaching across the table to settle her fingers against your forearm. “I’ve never heard this song before.” What?

Tilting your head to one side, you listened closely, concentrating. Of course she wouldn’t know. This wasn’t one of the popular ones. “So.” You leaned over the table, eyes on her face, the two men watching intently. “There was a time in the late 1990’s where just about every pop musician released a Christmas album or song.” You pointed up. “This is Britney Spears.” She nodded, waiting. “Fish gives me a hard time about it, and Pope has too, but a lot of the songs are just covers of originals, and they’re … more fun.”

“Like that goddamn Mariah Carey song?” Pope groaned, rubbing his eyes. “I’m surprised that that one hasn’t been on yet.” “It was.” Frankie took a long drink of his hot chocolate. “You just missed it because we were in line and that kid was screaming.” He looked over at you, winking. “Haven’t heard your favorite one yet, though.” Which one’s my favorite? “She always turns the radio way up when it comes on, and -” You laughed, pushing against his arm and then clicking your tongue.

“Because Nsync is the superior boy band, and they were the first to -” You stopped, cocking your head to one side and listening intently. “Oh, this song.” This will be fun. “So.” You turned your attention back to Yovanna, pointing up. “This song is also by a boy band. And at first listen, it’s really romantic, right?” You pulled your phone out, quickly typing in the name of the song and the word ‘lyrics’ into your Google search. “But if you listen closely … this is actually a song about the lead singer’s…” You trailed off, raising an eyebrow and mouthing the word “dick”.

“What?” You heard the bite at the end of the word, Frankie reaching over to take your phone and using one finger to scroll quickly through the page before he slid the device across the table, Yovanna and Pope tilting their heads down to read it. “Are you shittin’ me?” “No.” You scratched the side of your head, turning to stare directly into the man’s eyes. “This song is about Nick Lachey’s dick.” Pope laughed and even Yovanna grinned, a confused look on her face. “I swear to you. All those boy band guys were horny as hell all the damn time, and so they -” “He’s talkin’ about being on his knees and giving the girl something shiny.” Frankie shook his head. “I think you’re wrong.” “Other reasons to be on your knees in front of a woman, Fish. Unless… ” Pope barely held it together to say the words and couldn’t even finish his second sentence. You couldn’t help the look on your face as you realized what he’s said - and what he’d insinuated, your eyes flicking over to Frankie, whose went wide at the implication, too. Definitely no issue there. “Oh, that look, you two.” He cleared his throat. “Wanna tell the class -” Frankie groaned, pulling the bill of his hat down and over his eyes briefly before resituating it on his head.

“No. And I still think -” You cut Frankie off, tapping on the tabletop and motioning for your the woman to hand your phone back. “You guys, look at the lyrics.” You sighed. “He specifically mentions that it’s not a diamond, or something that you can buy.” You held up a finger. “Then says it’s something that’s going to last as long as she lives - which means if he’s talking about going down on her, he intends to do it until they both die, which is unlikely.” Yovanna laughed at that, even as you held up a second finger. “So, logic tells us that when this woman is in his arms and he’s on his knees, he’s talking about finally giving her his -”

The three of them laughed loudly, cutting off the end of your explanation and drawing attention to your table, and you joined them, your point made. I know what I’m talking about. “You’re somethin’ else.” Frankie spoke as he pressed his lips against your temple, beard gently scratching the skin of your cheek. “Onea the reasons I love you so much.” What?

When he pulled away, you saw the fear in his eyes as he waited for your reaction. “Frankie…” His name was all you could manage, and so instead of speaking you leaned in, pulling the hat from his head and staring into his eyes. Here goes nothing. “Love you too.” You murmured the words, closing the distance until you could kiss him properly, the palm of your hand pressed to the back of his head as your lips moved against each other’s. She was right. I was right.

The song had changed again by the time the two of you separated - a newer cover of a classic, but you barely heard it, instead still staring at the man in front of you. “Hey, Pope?” He finally looked away, head turning to face the couple across the table. “We’re leaving.” Your heartbeat increased, but you never looked away from Frankie, even as he sat straight up and groped at your hand, pulling you to your feet.

“Yeah, we…” You sighed, giving Yovanna a look, the woman returning it with a knowing smile. “Frankie’s back hurts or something.”

“Or something.” Pope laughed, waving you off with one hand as Frankie settled the hat back on his head. “We’ll see you guys for the party.” You will.

He pulled you through the crowd and back to where he’d parked the truck, but instead of unlocking it, you found yourself pressed against the passenger door, Frankie’s hips firmly against yours and his hands running over every part of you they found. “We’re in public, Frankie. You’ve gotta -”

“I’ve been waiting months to tell you that, and it just fucking slips out while you’re arguing about some musician’s -” “Does it matter?” Your hands were fisted in the material of his jacket, mouth moving against his throat and jaw. We need to get back to the house. Need to do this right. “It was the truth, wasn’t it?” At that, he stopped, not letting go of you but staring straight into your eyes, the overhead lighting from the parking lot much less bright - and nowhere near as festive - as the multicolored strands around the rink.

“It was. It is.” He swallowed hard and you knew that his nerves were coming back. “I love you.” You pushed onto your toes, lips parted to take his lower one between your teeth and tug it back as you settled, urging him closer with both hands.

“Good. Then take me home and show me, Frankie.”

---

Tag list (Pedro/Frankie): (It’s open, or you can use this link to add yourself to certain things)

@the-blind-assassin-12 @honey-hi @silverwolf319 @raspberrymama @jupiters--moonxx @pretty-brown-eyess @spideysimpossiblegirl @eccentricdreamer45 @cannedsoupsucks @iamskyereads

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leejungchans · 3 years

Text

— new girl.

juliet’s masterlist

word count: 1.5k

set in late 2016

summary: in which juliet makes two new friends on her first day at kq as a trainee.

a/n: uM turns out this is the first predebut scenario for juliet!! as always, let me know what you think and feel free to chat with me in my inbox!! thanks for reading and ily 💕🥺 take care!!

“And here’s the final stop of our mini tour, the practice room,” the company staff tells Juliet kindly as they stop outside said room, which is still dark as no one else had arrived yet. “You’re our only female trainee, so you can train with the boys. They’re sweethearts, but you can always come to us if there’s any trouble, okay?”

“Okay, thank you,” Juliet replies meekly.

The older woman smiles in response as she unlocks the door, stepping inside the room to turn on the lights. “We’re a bit early, so you can just wait here until the others and the instructor arrives. I’ll be at the front desk if you need anything. Good luck on your first day!”

The girl quietly thanks the woman, watching her disappear down the dimly-lit hallway before hesitantly entering the practice room. Truth be told, she never expected herself to be a trainee once again, having thought that her experience at SM was enough for a lifetime. But deep down, she knew that if she didn’t give it a second try—hence why she is now here—she’d spend the rest of her life being regretful and thinking about the what if’s.

Juliet also didn’t expect herself to be so early. She was told to come in a little earlier after school so the staff could give her a quick tour of the building before training starts, but she had expected at least some of the trainees to be here already.

Then again, she’s gotten a lot more introverted ever since moving to Seoul, so perhaps it’s a good thing that she has a few moments to herself.

Still, Juliet has never felt this awkward in her life. Scared? Maybe not. Nothing will ever beat the sheer intimidation and fear she felt on her first day at SM, and though she’s only trained there for two years—much less than most of the friends she met there—she already feels like she’s gone through the wringer. Still, being in a new environment with no idea what to expect is unnerving, especially when it’s so different compared to what she is used to.

Juliet looks around the room tentatively before sitting down on the ground, her back pressing against the cold wall. She takes the time to text her aunt that she’s arrived before shoving her phone back into her bag, not wanting to ruin her first impression on anyone by being on her phone.

She doesn’t know how long she’s being tracing the pattern on the wood flooring with a finger when the door to the practice room bursts open, revealing a tall boy around her age standing in the doorway.

Before Juliet can scramble up to greet who she presumes is her fellow trainee, the boy is already beaming at her as he introduces himself. “Hi! You must be the female trainee the staff told us about! My name’s Jeong Yunho, what’s yours?”

“Baek Minyoung. Or Juliet, whichever you prefer,” she says before bowing to him. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Juliet,” Yunho tries, still smiling brightly. She wonders how someone can be so cheerful after a long day, but his joyful disposition is definitely not unwelcome. “That’s a pretty name! Did you grow up abroad?”

“Yeah, I’m from Australia, but I’ve been living in Seoul since 2014.”

Yunho nods, eyes sparkling with amazement. “That’s cool! I’ve always wanted to go there. Is this your first time being a trainee?” he asks as they sit, ensuring that there’s a reasonable distance between them as to not make her uncomfortable. It doesn’t go unnoticed by Juliet, and she smiles wider to show her gratefulness.

“No, I trained under another company for two years before coming here,” she says quietly, omitting the name of said company to avoid being asked about her time there.

As though sensing her reluctance, Yunho dances around the topic. “Then you’re already a lot more experienced than most of us, so you don’t have anything to worry about! Did they give you a tour of the building yet?”

“Yeah, but it was pretty brief, so I might forget a lot of it after today,” Juliet admits sheepishly.

Yunho giggles. “Don’t stress it, the same happened to me too! But Hongjoong-hyung—he’s another trainee here, but he won’t be here today because he has another class—helped me, so if you need someone to show you around, I’d be more than happy to!”

Juliet smiles shyly. “Thank you, that’d be really great. Speaking of the other trainees, where is everyone?”

“Oh, they’re still probably at school or on the way here! We can keep talking until our trainer arrives—he’s really nice, so you don’t have to be nervous—or we can just... sit, if you don’t really want to talk. Either is fine!”

Now it’s Juliet’s turn to laugh. “No, no, we can totally chat! I don’t know much about anyone or anything here, so that can be a place to start!”

Turns out Yunho was extremely easy to talk to, and Juliet found that the following fifteen minutes or so passed by as though they were nothing.

It was slightly awkward when the trainee arrived with just the two of them in the room, but that remedied itself when a second boy, just as tall as Yunho, burst into the room, mumbling apologies for being late as the trainer simply laughed and told him to get ready.

The atmosphere was definitely more lighthearted than what Juliet was used to at SM, perhaps due to the jarring difference in the number of trainees in the room. Not that the trainer didn’t take them seriously—in fact, quite the opposite—it was just that everyone was less... tense and had more room to joke around.

The change wasn’t unwelcome, and Juliet finally understood what Yunho meant when he told her she didn’t have to be too nervous.

She does find it slightly nerve-wracking that the second boy would occasionally look at her confusedly whenever Yunho talked to her, but she supposes that it’s inevitable whenever a new trainee joins the company. Hell, it happened plenty of times at her former company as so many trainees would come and go, and everyone would be eager to get to know the new trainees. Some because they wanted to make new friends, others because they wanted to assess and intimidate the competition.

Juliet hopes that in this case, it won’t be the latter.

When they’re given a 5-minute break, all three of them walk back to where their bags are to take a sip—or rather, huge gulps—of water.

“You did great!” Yunho tells her, his bright smile never leaving his face despite how tired they all are.

“Thank you, so did you!”

“By the way, this is my friend Mingi,” Yunho introduces, patting his friend’s back to get his attention. “Mingi, this is Juliet. It’s her first day here.”

“Hi,” Mingi rumbles in his deep voice, “I was a bit confused back there because I thought you two were already friends because you seemed so friendly, but I didn’t recall Yunho having mentioned you before. Sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable from the staring.”

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it,” Juliet tells him, smiling to reassure him because of how apologetic he sounded. “Yunho’s just really friendly. I would’ve been an awkward mess if he didn’t talk to me first.” The tips of Yunho’s ears turn pink from her praise. “Did you two meet here too?”

Mingi shakes his head. “Nope, we’ve been friends for a few years before we came here.”

She can’t help but blurt out, “Do you only have tall friends?”

The two boys freeze, taken aback, though they quickly recover after a few seconds and burst into giggles.

“No, because we have you as a friend now,” Yunho says cheekily. Juliet can’t even find it in her to be offended, not when they just called her their friend. “Don’t worry, you’re young, you still have time to grow taller! Wait, when we’re you born?”

“2001.”

Mingi grins. “See? You’re fifteen? Sixteen? You have time! Plus, you’re not even that short now!”

“Easy for you two to say! I feel like I’m gonna strain my neck someday from talking to you guys!”

Yunho and Mingi exchange looks before crouching down to her height, though they don’t last long before they whine about how the position makes their thighs burn, especially from all the dancing they did, making Juliet giggle.

“Do you wanna get food with us later?” the older boy asks as he stands back up to his full height. “There’s this stall around the corner from the building that makes really good tteokbokki! Mingi and I always go there after training. You know, we gotta reward ourselves somehow.”

The girl smiles hesitantly. “I mean... if you don’t mind me tagging along, then I’d love to join.”

“Why would we mind? We’re friends now, aren’t we?”

“We... are?”

“You sound so unsure!” Mingi whines. She doesn’t know how she saw Mingi as scary earlier, because all those feelings of intimidation she felt towards him dissipated into thin air the moment they started talking. “C’mon, say it with more confidence!”

“We are!”

“That’s the spirit!”

a/n: “yunho dances around the topic” haha get it bc he’s a dancer 🤩🤩 i’m so sorry i’ll go show myself out 🚪🚶🏻‍♀️ anyways yungi best boys and i will not accept alternate opinions ✨✨ please feel free to leave feedback and chat with me, and have a good day!! ❤️

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beautifulletdownfics · 4 years

Text

Terrible to Meet You - A Harry Styles One Shot - Act 4, And love blooms in hearts not fields

Harry wants to get out of the house. Alex wants to get home.

Alex meets Harry at at crossroads. Harry meets Alex on a one way street.

A coffee shop OU fic feat. lattes, lamingtons & that Great Unfathomable Feeling.

Story Page Here Terrible to Meet You Playlists My Masterlist Here

7 Minutes 'It doesn't seem like long, but my whole world has changed'

Harry's insides were shaking.

He could feel it vibrating up and down his spine, circling his ribcage and then settling uncomfortably at the back of his throat. The nerves and anxiety sped around his body the closer to the Heathrow they got.

Tears threatened to pierce his eyes each time he looked over at Alex beside him. She was staring out the window saying silent goodbyes to London as they drove.

Harry really didn't understand how this moment came so quickly. He knew that Alex's feelings were as mixed as his. Harry wanted her to go home, she'd been trying all year. Heartsick and homesick, she'd pushed through living on the other side of the world to her family as the world suffered through something horrifying.

After getting the email, her last week in London was bittersweet. It was spent packing up her room and saying goodbyes for the second, third times. Harry helped her organise herself, and then put himself in isolation with Alex for her final 48 hours. She needed to present a negative COVID test to Australian officials before she could fly. Getting tested and locking themselves away together for two days was a special kind of magic, really. They didn't have to share each other.

After Harry, Alex was saddest to say goodbye to The Daily Dose.

She was going to miss Paul. Despite his eccentricities, he somehow managed to always keep the tone light and playful with her, and generally, the days passed quickly. Alex left Sydney for London after a gruelling university course left her feeling unmoored and unsure of herself, her time working for Paul had been an enormous time of discovery and healing for her.

He'd been a source of comfort and support for her, especially in the last year, and he was the shoulder she'd cried on far too often. Alex loved making coffee despite how most people saw the job. There was a satisfaction in the process, even in the daily grind—the cleaning, the busyness, the dead patches—and Alex liked leaving the cafe in the afternoon with the smell of coffee seeping out of her but a clean shop locked up ready for the next day.

She was going to miss that. But at the same time, Alex felt ready to go on and do more with her time now. The university degree hanging in her parent's study didn't feel like a straight-jacket anymore, and she was looking forward to finding work in her field.

London had been home for four years, though. She had many great memories here, not the least of which it was the city she flew the coup and found herself in. And the magic she thought was lost seemed to have redeemed itself in the final months of her being there.

She found herself, and then, she'd found Harry.

&&&

Saying goodbye to Harry was the hardest thing Alex had ever done.

They'd both cried the night before, but when it was time to part at the airport Harry was steadfast in his encouragement of her leaving. (Despite himself) He'd never once said he (seriously) didn't want her to leave, or that she shouldn't. He'd never implied it would spell doom for their relationship. Harry was 100% sure that Alex going back home to Australia was just the next line in their story, and certainly not the last one.

"You get home safely, okay?" Harry told her sternly, holding her face between his hands at the drop-off line. Both their masks were down around their chins, and Harry hated the tears he couldn't stop Alex from shedding, "This is a good thing, Al, you need to be home right now."

"I know," she nodded bravely, frowning as her chin wobbled, "But I don't want to leave—

"Shh, no," Harry shook his head and leaned closer, "You're not leaving me, you're going home.”

"When am I going to see you again though," she cried out, finally giving in to the (slightly) hysterical emotions that were bubbling just below the surface.

Harry's heart rattled watching the wave of doubt hit her. He pressed his lips into her hairline and held her for another long moment.

"You'll see me in Dubai on your stopover," he'd said, rocking her against his chest, his words hurried against the material of her shirt, “You'll land, use the bathrooms, and then FaceTime me. That's when you'll see me next. And then, you'll see me when you get to Sydney and call me again. Okay?

"Okay," Alex parroted quietly.

"Okay … You really have to go now," Harry looked behind her to where the doors to the terminal were.

She nodded and reached up onto her tippy toes, letting Harry press his warm lips against hers once last time. Alex squeezed her eyes shut, trying to hold in tears but also the feel of him. His smell, where his body began and ended, how it measured up next to hers.

Their hearts reached out, trying to feel the other pressing through their chests from the other side. You're mine, you're mine, they said to each other.

"I love you," Harry told her, not for the first time.

Seeing the red wetness around Harry's eyes, Alex threaded her hands through his hair, "I love you, too."

He pressed a quick kiss to her lips again, "Go."

Harry's belief that they were going to be okay was unwavering.

If 2020 taught him anything, the whole world could change in a matter of weeks, so why not the entire outlook of his life as well? Why couldn't his meeting Alex change the course of both their lives moving forward? Something about meeting her felt like a one-time event, like something worth risking everything for. And he would, Harry told her numerous times that last week.

And as she walked away from him and into Heathrow, and Alex believed him.

&&&

Alex cried as her flight landed at Sydney International Airport.

She'd watched the harbour out her window as the plane circled the city, that perfect Sydney turquoise blue gleaming back up at her and it made her chest ache with relief.

Home.

Sydney airport was a stark change from the Heathrow she left behind. Their flight was met by police, abundance and army officers. It wasn't frightening though, Alex found herself swallowing back tears this time because she was so soothed by the fact she was back in Australia. Everyone was friendly and helpful, getting the flight of returning citizens through the airport and onto buses to the quarantine hotels. Alex's drove straight into the city centre and as soon as they started going by familiar places and landmarks she wasn't the only one teary in their seat.

"Well, here it is," Alex said to the phone screen not long after, tilting it around to show off the hotel room around her, "Home for the next fourteen days."

"Snazzy," Harry whistled as she pulled back the sheer curtains to reveal a staggering blue sky and then bright green treetops. He was sitting at his kitchen table with a cup of tea and a drizzly London morning just beginning, "And a view! Is that a balcony? Or a window?"

"A balcony but it's locked. I did get to smell the salty, beautiful harbour in the two-second walk from the bus into the hotel though." Alex settled on the bed in the middle of the room, the bedding crisp and clean underneath her, "I am literally inside this room for two weeks. No outside time. But I can see people outside walking around and having picnics in Hyde Park without masks on, so it'll be worth it."

"That seems unreal."

"It's like another world here," Alex agreed, yawning and finally feeling her body start to relax. "Anyway, how was your day yesterday? Wait, no, today?"

Harry laughed, "You've lost two days, I think. But it was good. I went and saw Paul, we had a cry together."

"Don't," she warned him, feeling the combination of over-tiredness and emotion simmering in her throat, "I've just travelled thirty-six hours, and I fucking miss you already, I'm not beyond completely losing it right now."

He smiled gently, "Have a shower and get into bed. I'm so glad you're there. Does it feel good to be home?"

"So good," Alex admitted, almost feeling like it was a dirty thing to be admitting to Harry, "Jess is going to come and wave at me from the park tomorrow with Noah. My mum's already sent a bunch of food to my room."

"You're exactly where you need to be," Harry told her.

Alex couldn't hold back her tears any longer, the guilt she felt—the pain of leaving Harry—wasn't any match to finally being where she'd wanted to be all year, "Yeah, I am."

&&&

Figure 8 'Lovers hold on to everything'

Four days into her quarantine, Alex started training herself to do headstands.

"It's harder than it looks! But I'm getting there now," She laughed, propping her phone up against the leg of the bed and crawling to the wall opposite. She was now on Day 11, and Harry had been getting an update daily.

"Please don't injure yourself," Harry moaned, getting a great view of her bum as she crouched down facing the wall and then rose up, kicking her legs up with her palms flat on the floor.

"See?" The blood all rushed to her head, and Alex's hair fell down over her face at the same time her t-shirt moved, revelling her belly and bra to Harry.

"Much better than yesterday," he told her, "Maybe tomorrow we could lose the bra?"

Alex laughed, her arms shaking as she came crashing to the ground. She was still working on the landing.

Just as she was about to reply, she heard a knock on the door, "Oh!"

"Dinner?" Harry guessed, watching her leap to her feet and disappear from view. A moment later, her legs walked across the screen, and Harry rolled over in bed to try to rid his phone screen of the glare coming from his windows open to the new London morning. "Oi!"

"Calm your farm," Alex tutted, retrieving her phone and grinning at Harry, "You'll never guess what I've got today."

"Hmm," Harry hummed in mock thought, "Let me guess, chicken and rice. A cookie and a ridiculous allotment of fruit?"

"Two bananas, an apple and four apricots."

"S'practically a fruit basket!"

"Tomorrow I get a glass of wine," Alex was already chewing, "Friday night drinks!"

"Friday date night?" Harry suggested, his fingers twitching with the want to be feeling her body between his sheets again, "You're fun when you're a little tipsy."

"Excuse me, I'm always fun!"

Harry laughed, "I can't believe you're so upbeat still. I'd been expecting a dip at some point. I would think a lot of people don't do so well in isolation for two weeks."

"I've got Australian daytime TV and a boyfriend who sends fun gifts,” she eyed the collection of books and puzzles Harry had organised, “I am looking forward to Sunday though."

Harry couldn't imagine how much Alex was looking forward to getting to see her family and friends when her time in quarantine ended, "Did you get tested today?"

"Yes," Alex screwed up her face, the memory of the swab up her nose still fresh, "Fucking hurt."

"Last one," he encouraged. "What's the first thing you're going to do with your brother when he picks you up?"

She halted before putting the next mouthful of warm, lacklustre dinner in her mouth, "It's supposed to be sunny and warm on Sunday, but I don't get released until the evening. So I think we'll just go to mum and dads for tea. Jess and Matt are going to be there."

"A large gathering in the home!" Harry looked scandalised, but he was smiling.

"I know, it's all very 2019," Alex joked.

Harry let out a long sigh from his chest, "I'm so happy you're there, but I miss you."

"You too," she said quietly.

"Hey," Harry called out, not having meant to dampen the mood, "Three sleeps until you get to meet Noah."

The mention of her nephew made Alex smile, "I'm gonna squeeze him so hard."

"Will you FaceTime me there?"

"O'course," her mouth was full, but she nodded emphatically. "My mum asked if we were going to have live music at all family events now."

Harry's laugh exploded out of him, he liked Alex's family very much already, "Happy to oblige."

"Because of you she's also back on Nathan about giving up the trombone in Year 8." Alex told him, "He was previously the musical hope for the family, but he stopped when the girl he liked at fourteen said she would only date a rugby player … Consequently, that girl is also responsible for how Nathan broke his nose."

Harry could sympathise with Alex's older brother, "We do crazy things for love."

&&&

"Could you say that again?"

"Were you not listening?"

"No I was, I just like hearing it in your accent."

"Harry," Alex complained, "I'm already shit at this."

"You're not!" He insisted, trying desperately to keep the grin at bay.

Alex frowned at him and pulled the hotel duvet up to her chin, crossing her legs and slipping her free arm across her chest. Harry's heart was racing, hearing her talk about how his words were making her feel was incredible. Almost as good as physically having her. Almost.

"Al," Harry stilled at the defeated look on her face. His smile disappeared, "Sorry, I wasn't teasing."

"I'm no good a phone sex, it feels weird."

"I know it does at first," he tentatively reassured her, hoping not to draw attention to the fact that over the years Harry had become sort of good at phone sex. By virtue of necessity, such was his regular travel schedule. "I promise it can be great, and we can only get better at it. You're not no good. On the contrary, I'm enjoying myself very much."

She was finding it difficult. And even more so, trying to learn Harry and what he liked—how his body responded—without actually having his body physically there felt impossible. Phone sex was awkward and difficult, and Alex was more self-conscious then she'd ever been, trying to navigate intimacy with Harry through a phone screen. There was a divide there. He was right though, the undercurrent to what he said was that they'd have to get better, there was no other choice. It was all they had.

"Show me what you were doing," Harry beckoned gently, sensing Alex relaxing back into the moment. "And just imagine I'm there, don't apologise for angles or lighting. I don't care."

It was her last day in the hotel, and Alex had woken up with an ache between her thighs. Harry Facetimed her the instant he got the photo of her lying in the sheets, her torso exposed and wishing for his touch. He'd been sitting at home on his Saturday night, watching the first five minutes of half a dozen things on Netflix yet not finding his mind was able to focus on any.

Alex he could focus on though.

Her five seconds of bravery felt far away now, but Alex slowly pushed down the bedding again, "I was thinking about you going down on me."

Harry smiled, "Go on."

&&&

Nineteen 'I felt you in my life before I ever thought to'

Three months passed.

The dreaded milestone ticked over which meant Harry and Alex had been separated the same amount of time they'd spent together in London.

It hadn't ever felt like this for Harry before.

He'd never known what this kind of missing someone was. Previously, he'd missed people, but not with a yearning or a longing that made his chest ache. Not with the kind of force that had him lying in bed at night unable to switch off the channel tuned to Alex.

What time was it in Sydney? Had he already sent her that link? Did she say she was spending the day with her dad? What could he say to get her back in that bikini from the day before?

Missing Alex felt like having an itch inside his mind he couldn't scratch.

But in a sense, how much he wanted to be with her only made his consequent decisions easier.

"You're hopeless!" His manager laughed him from LA, the whole team on the weekly check-in Zoom call. Generally there wasn't a lot to report between them, projects were on hold or cancelled. Harry had decided not to go back to the States to work on a few smaller things—a fashion shoot, a TV guest appearance and a small role in a film—giving his legal team some work in getting him out of contracts, but that was mostly sorted now.

If he was going anywhere, it sure as hell wasn't across the Atlantic.

"Not hopeless," Harry replied diplomatically, "It's something else … But it's not hopeless. It almost feels like having the answer and being the little kid jumping up and down on the spot, dying for the teacher to hurry up and ask the question."

A series of blank looks came back at him. Harry sighed. He'd never been bad at explaining his personal life before. It was always so rational, the relationships made sense or happened in a usual way. He just couldn’t shake the notion that all along, people had been right.

When you know you know.

He'd found Alex.

That was as simple as it was to him. But it didn't settle everyone else the way it settled Harry.

Alex.

Did the name not tick a checkbox in their heads too?

"So, you're going to Australia?"

"I just want to know what it could look like," Harry amended the assumption, but yes, he was going to end up wherever Alex did, and if that was Australia then that was that.

"Who's in Australia?"

The question wasn't to Harry, it wasn't about who he was going to Australia for., they all knew who Alex was. The question was about the industry—about Harry's career. It was who was in Australia for him to work with? Frankly, he didn’t see why the same people he worked with now couldn’t also be the people he continued working with either remotely, or with short trips abroad when travel allowed.

"Obviously, it's not like everything can be done there," Harry offered diplomatically, "But at least for the foreseeable future, with the world how it is … Music as the primary focus, I want to write the next album there. Spend some time seeing the country too, I've always wanted to."

He got a collection of nods, and a few spoken agreements, assurances that it could work.

"This isn't a temporary thing," he said of Alex, looking at the faces who helped him run his life, "We're going to be navigating this for the rest of my career. So everyone's going to need to add Sydney time to their Clock app."

&&&

When he met Alex, Harry knew.

When he landed in Sydney, Harry knew again.

It was the right choice, it was the right place for him to be. All he wanted was to be moving in her direction; in the same direction as her.

It was warm despite the late hour, the air was fragrant with it, in stark contrast to the London he left behind.

He tried to think back to the last time he’d been in Australia, to what it felt like back then.

If only he’d know then …

Harry opted not to apply for any special considerations or circumstances. He didn't want anything to jeopardise him being able to enter what was likely the world's most difficult country to get into now—especially seeing as Harry wasn't a resident, much less a citizen. Harry didn't want to hit the news. And despite evidence of people he knew in the industry being able to dictate where they quarantined on arrival, Harry requested nothing. He just wanted to fly in, go to whatever hotel they told him to, do his two weeks quarantine and then be with her.

"Have you landed?" Alex's voice was urgent and tinged with excitement.

Harry laughed, "Yes, how do you think I'm calling."

She squeaked, "You're here!"

"I'm here," he smiled under his mask, following the flow of fellow travellers walking through the empty airport, "Who ever heard of an International Airport having a curfew though? The pilot made the joke that if we were projected to land even a minute after 11pm, he'd have to turn around and go back to London. Which was like, a joke, but also not funny?"

Alex chortled, "You'll have to get used to the sense of humour here."

"Hang on," Harry saw a checkpoint of sorts ahead of him, "I have to go. I'll call you back."

"Call me from the hotel," she said, "I love you."

"I love you, too."

&&&

"Go to the window."

“Hi. What?" Harry could barely move his head off the pillow as his eyes struggled to open.

"Go to your window," Alex repeated, "Were you asleep?"

He sat up, heart thrumming quickly at the possibility of what he was going to see. A second before his mind had only barely been able to scramble together the cognitive function to swipe to answer the call.

When he got to the window, Harry pulled back the curtains—he'd ended up at the same hotel Alex had been in too—his room looked out over Sydney's Hyde Park, the fountain and cathedral framing his window. Although his top floor room with a (locked) balcony was a little bigger than hers had been he still felt as if he was living in their FaceTime calls. He was sure he'd become more acquainted with the trees and greenery out his window as the days passed.

"What am I looking for?" He asked, but Harry knew.

"I'm down here, can you see me? Blue jeans shorts … Yellow top? I've got a sign!"

Harry's eyes scanned the footpath opposite the hotel, there was a main road between him and the park. He'd been in the room less than 12 hours though, so he wasn't familiar with the foot traffic.

"I can't… Wait, I see you," his mouth opened in a huge smile, "Hi!"

Harry waved and pressed his hand to the window as his heart waved down at Alex's. He felt like his insides were being swapped around inside him as he took his first look at her in the flesh in nearly thirteen weeks. She had sunglasses sitting up on top of her head and a The New Yorker tote bag over her shoulder. He bit his lip at all the exposed skin he was looking at, feeling it a cruel injustice in the fact he would be touching his girlfriend for a fortnight.

Alex was squinting up at the hotel, one hand to her forehead, blocking the sun while the other held her phone to her ear, "How high up at you?"

"Next to the yellow and red flag," he said, looking for a distinguishing feature. He'd fallen asleep to the sound of the rope flapping against the building.

Alex's voice took a teasing tone, "Oh, who's that sexy man with his shirt off in the hotel window?"

"I can't read your sign."

"I only had a Biro," she lamented, shoving the makeshift sign under her arm, "It just says Hi."

"Hi," Harry leant his forehead into the window, "You look beautiful."

"So do you."

"You going to stand out there for the next two weeks?"

"Would you like me to?"

"Yes, please."

Harry watched her take a step back and lean against the wall to the park behind her, "I'd better get comfy then."

&&&

There was a couple in the room next door to Harry.

"I'm telling you, it's relentless," he implored Alex with his eyes, pausing for a second to listen to the sound of their bed hitting the wall, "They're at it constantly."

"Embrace it, some people are into that," Alex giggled from her parent's kitchen. She was making dinner for the whole family, with her AirPods in and Harry chatting to her as she chopped vegetables. "Let it get you in the mood, Harry. Is that voyeurism, or exhibitionism? I can never—"

"—Okay," He rolled his eyes, "Thank you, Comedian."

"You're just jealous you're not getting any."

"I really am," Harry said seriously, "If I have to wait, so should they."

Alex's laugh filled his ears, "It's alright, less than a week to go now."

"I cannot wait to be holding you," he said, longing in his voice.

Harry had mixed feelings leaving London. He didn't know when he'd be back, but at the very least he was going to miss his first Christmas with his family. With England in lockdown, it was unlikely that even if he had stayed, he would be able to spend it with them anyway, but Harry would miss them. He already missed them.

It wasn't like he missed Alex, though. And in all the conversations he'd had with his mum, or his sister, or anyone else, they'd all told him to go for her. They saw it in his eyes and heard it in his voice when he spoke about her. Or maybe their hearts knew as well, as though Harry meeting Alex had been locked away in them all and now the light to that room was switched on.

So there he was, in Australia. To be with his love.

&&&

Ten Days 'Time has changed nothing at all, you're still the only one that feels like home'

Harry asked the nurse who took his last COVID swab to help him.

He hadn't requested anything up until that point, but he knew, even behind her protective gear, she was a friendly face. And he also knew that there were rumblings online that he was in Sydney. (All those spare and jet lag hours, he'd tried to stay off the internet, he really had)

The good news was it was just rumblings, because why on earth would Harry Styles be in Sydney.

All it would take was one photo to confirm it though, which in a sense, was fine, he didn't care.

But Harry didn't want that photo to be of any of his first moments back with Alex.

Let someone snap a picture in a couple of weeks, on a random beach or coming out of a cafe somewhere. Just not his first day. Not when he hadn't seen her since the beginning of September almost three months ago.

He asked if the nurse could help him arrange Alex for access to the hotel car park because the discharge information pack he'd received directed him to organise pick up on the street.

The next two days went slowly, those final 48 hours, waiting for a negative result and trying like anything to bat away fears that it wouldn't be the same. That somehow Harry and Alex would've lost the something that lit the spark in London.

He hated that feeling—the doubt—and when he confessed it to his sister, she batted it away as nerves. She said life was always full of uncertainty and risks, the idea was to choose the ones you thought were worth taking.

&&&

Alex stared at her legs as she sat, waiting for Harry in her dad's car.

It hadn't taken long to get the colour back to them, although mostly she was fixated on how she should have dressed a little nicer for the first time seeing Harry in months. She didn't even have proper shoes on, just the thongs that she'd kicked off the night before after coming back from the park with the dogs.

Harry hadn't seen this side of her. This casual, probably more Australian sounding Alex. The one with bare feet and sunglasses holding her hair back. He'd met her family over video calls, but what would Harry think when he was in a room full of them? They were loud and could have distasteful senses of humour. There were family jokes that Alex had never thought twice about before but now worried Harry wouldn't appreciate.

She'd slipped back into the comforting hum of life in Sydney so easily. Her friends, her family, her city. When she left Sydney hadn't felt like home, but as soon as she stepped back into it something in Alex let out a sigh of return. It was strange, leaving London just at the end of the summer months and falling straight into the beginning of a new summer here.

In front of her, Alex sensed movement. The door she'd been instructed to park in front of opened, and a very tall man in an army uniform stepped into the underground car park, propping open the door with his foot. He pointed to Alex in the front seat and said something to Harry, who was the next person to appear, followed by a nurse in full PPE.

Alex felt an explosion in her chest, an electric shock or a bolt of lightning. Two hearts jumping up and down in excitement.

She cracked the car door open and heard Harry thanking the two people escorting him, his hands moved as though they were itching to add a handshake to the gesture.

As soon as Alex was in his eyesight though Harry didn't think about anyone else.

She emerged and hovered by the front of the car, waiting for Harry to approach her, as if unsure what she was allowed to do. The sight of her in an oversized hoodie and small athletic shorts warmed him instantly. She looked perfect, with a tan that evaded her in London and a brightness behind her eyes Harry was addicted to already. He liked the thought that he was an errand, that picking up her boyfriend was on a list of things for her to do that day. The word 'normal' flashed in Harry's mind, and any worry he'd had about her or him or them together being different from how he remembered it disappeared.

"Hi," he smiled wide as he tugged down the mask covering his face and stepped right into her personal space, his bag and suitcase abandoned behind him.

Speechless, Alex breathed Harry in deeply through tears as she was tightly wrapped up in his arms. She couldn't bring any words to the surface, and so they just stood in silence, holding each other.

After a moment Harry turned his face into her neck and pressed a slow, warm kiss below her ear, "Hello, hello, hello," he said between kisses.

It only made Alex's crying increase, and she squeezed him tighter while leveraging herself higher up his body, not yet willing or able to step away.

"Alex," Harry said her name gently, "Let me see you, please."

She leant back but covered her cheeks with her sleeves, peering over at Harry through blurry eyes, "Wait a sec."

He smiled and pulled her hands away by her wrists, "Give me a kiss."

&&&

"You're such a tourist," Alex laughed as she drove, watching Harry lean forward in the passenger seat and try to take a photo through the windscreen of the Sydney Harbour Bridge above them.

"You know bridges are my passion," he said dryly.

She smiled as he sat back and slipped his hand back into hers.

"I quite like you driving," Harry said, eyeing her in the drivers' seat, "Look at you knowing your way around."

Alex grinned under her sunglasses, "We're in my city now, baby."

&&&

Harry's mouth hovered hotly over the skin below Alex's breasts.

"Harry," she ran her fingers through his hair, hating the anticipation.

His lips upturned at the impatience behind her saying his name. He pressed a kiss to the skin there, then another half an inch further down her tummy, "M'not in a hurry."

"I am," Alex urged.

"Oh?" Harry stopped and looked up at her, his elbows on either side of her hips as he held himself over her, "You are?"

"Yes."

"Going somewhere after this?"

She whined, whined, "No, Harry."

Alex hadn't taken him home to her family. Not yet.

She drove an hour out of the city to a beach suburb with what Alex had deemed the nicest Airbnb. It was private, and without Sydney's usual cohort of international tourists, the area was deserted except for locals. They could hear the ocean from the bedroom and see if from the kitchen. She'd booked them two nights; two nights to reconnect and just live in the presence of each other without her family stepping in and inevitably stealing Harry's heart.

(Except, of course, it was Alex's heart who has his, all this time)

"Look at you, fuck," Harry said, tilting back up to take her lips in his, pressing his torso, his thighs, his stomach, his hardened crotch into her. "Fucking gorgeous."

"We can do slow later," she all but begged, her fingers digging into his exposed back, "Please. Just … Just please, Harry."

Alex felt his hand brush over her thigh, deliciously trailing over the sensitive skin just below her hip bone and down between them. His eyes dipped down between them only briefly before Alex was feeling the tip of him pressing into her exactly where she needed it.

"Yes," her body relaxed into the feeling, remembering the London nights, the mornings and that first time in his living room.

"Alex," Harry said her name like he could hardly believe it, and at the same time as wanting to savour the moment he was thinking of their first, hurried time as well. His hips snapped forward, remembering that time the rush came from wanting to taste, to experience something new and to have Alex's body for his own the first time.

The urgency behind Harry's movements this time were for want of something had and sorely missed, something already claimed but given up for a time.

Alex's head was stretched back onto the pillow underneath him while she felt her body shift and squeeze around him. She wrapped her arms around his chest to feel him closer, wanting to hold onto him as he pumped in and out, sighing against her neck, trying to regulate himself.

"God, Al."

"Harry."

&&&

Four nights later, tucked into the spare room at her parent's house, Harry rolled over and took her hand.

"I think we should get a place here."

"A what?"

"A flat, a house, we should rent something in Sydney."

"Sydney?" Alex's tone elevated, almost touching the spinning ceiling fan above them.

"Yes, Sydney," Harry repeated, "You mentioned a job you liked the look of a few weeks ago, did you apply for it? "

"But what about London? That's where you live, God, what about your work, Harry."

"I want to be here, I'm not in any hurry to go back to what normal was. Normal didn't have you," Harry said, throwing out the script he'd built in his head the last month. His heart was doing the talking, extempore, "I've watched you this week, Alex, it's like you're a whole different person here. You're so happy and settled and joyful, which, by the way, I already thought you were but here … Do you really want to go again? Could you leave your family again?"

Alex felt her chest going into overdrive like everything was whirring around too quickly. She felt had to be honest, though, despite the way it made the fear climb further up her throat, "No. I don't want to leave."

Harry brought her knuckles up to kiss, "I don't want you to leave, either. So, what if we stayed? For as long as it's where you need to be?"

"But your family—

"—Doing this means one of us is always going to be away from someone," Harry told her, "I can handle missing my family, Al, I can't handle missing you. You're it."

"It just seems like too much to ask you to do, Harry."

"You're not asking," he insisted. "I can figure out how to work from here. London was my home base, I spent a lot of the year away anyway. And it's not that much further to LA for stuff, I … I'm saying I can make it work here, Alex. I want to make it work with you."

Alex's heart did a cartwheel, "You want to stay in Sydney?"

Harry's somersaulted, "I want to stay with you, yes."

The End. &&&

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Thanks for reading, everyone! x Kate

Tag list: @afterhoursharry @beautifuleclipses @bumbershots @coffee-doodle-doo @decadentdonkeyflowerzonk @elemayox @ficsthatmakemeswoon @finelinesupremacy @greatestview @hatnightin2008 @ifiwereaboy2323 @ihearthemcallingforyou @just-damn-bored @kakaym @kara-246 @lifeandsomethingelse @luminescencefics @micurq27 @miorni @monpetitchouchou16 @morethanamelodyy @piawhat @rubytersteege @staceystoleyourheart @stepping-into-the-light @steppingonoranges @stylesfics-xx @stylishmuser @toalltheboyswhowastedmytime @tpwkhoney @ursamajor603 @veryplatoniccircunstances @wanderlustiing @whatevarandomlygoes

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#fic: terrible to meet you #fic #harry fic #harry styles fic #harry styles smut #1dff #harry styles imagines #harry styles fanfiction #harry styles story #harry styles long #hs fic

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