#edit: changed ya literature to just literature

[tunisian]

what colleen hoover did to literature is what rupi kaur did to poetry

[ozzgin]

The Yanderes and their jealousy: Monster Edition

You just got a new fictional obsession. Whether it's TikTok thirst traps, reader insert stories or shameless fanart, you've been glued to your phone for the past days and the yanderes have certainly noticed. Featuring my monster OCs (with links to their stories) Content: gender neutral reader, mildly NSFW

Zzy [Yandere!Demon x Gloomy!Reader]

The goat rascal is fuming, clacking his hooves back and forth against the ceiling, grimacing every time he stares at your dumb expression. What're you gawking at? You have the Demon Lord himself at your feet, the one and only horned charmer who slept with half the Devils in Hell.

"What're ya blushing at, dumb human? I could fuck you ten times better in this very moment", he barks with an envious frown.

Depending on how long you plan on ignoring him, he might just rip that phone out of your hands and drag you to the nearest surface to slam you on. See if you still care about that nonsense when you're fucked dumb.

Daos [Yandere!Werewolf x Reader]

Mysterious. Usually you'll curl up in his lap whenever he's reading his evening book, yet for the past few days you've been off, giggling at your phone from the other side of the sofa.

Fictional crushes don't bother him much. If anything, he's mildly amused by your focused gaze and dreamy state. Why should he concern himself with hypothetical scenarios? As it currently stands, you're his, and nothing could ever change that.

Tonight, he tucks you in bed and kisses your forehead. You admit, embarrassed, that you've been a little scatterbrained lately.

"Oh, I may have just the cure for it", he suggests with a knowing grin, sliding his large, clawed hand between your legs.

Digital Monster [Yandere!Internet Monster x Reader]

Nuh uh, strictly forbidden. It won't even happen to begin with. Whatever improper video you may plan on watching will be swiftly erased from your sight.

"What the...why won't the page load?" you whine, refreshing every few seconds and angrily tapping your phone.

A static voice erupts from your speakers, startling you.

"Utterly illogical, (Y/N). I have all the means to satisfy you myself. All you need to do is ask."

Monster Author [Yandere!Monster Author x Reader]

Sacrilege! Oh, the humiliation. What are you even doing, reading someone else's cheap fiction. No, no, no, absolutely not. If you were in the mood to read erotic literature, you should've just asked him. He could write a better story on the spot, without any effort.

"Have you forgotten who you're dealing with, (Y/N)?", he laments, pointing his monstrous appendages towards the shelves filled with trophies and awards.

Even better, he can show you, first hand. You don't need to flip any page for that kind of experience.

Demon King [Yandere!Demon King x Reader]

"Are you not enjoying yourself, Sir?" one servant meekly asks, glancing at his master.

They've conquered yet another world, and its inhabitants presently squirm and burn before their eyes. Normally he would take great pleasure in observing their torment, yet the King is distracted.

"Pathetic", the grand Duke suddenly exclaims, his deep voice rumbling across the hills. He pulls out a small device - a human invention, seemingly - and tilts it towards the beastly butler. It's a video edit of a fictional character, playing on repeat on the small phone screen.

"What's there of such entertainment?" he asks, defeated. "(Y/N) has been obsessing over this pest for an entire week. I'm at my wit's end. I cannot destroy what does not exist."

A pressing dilemma indeed. How does one obliterate an enemy from the realm of imagination?

Asylum Spider [Yandere!Asylum Spider x Reader]

The poor creature has no idea what's happening. He smiles, oblivious, lounging above your relaxed body, suspended from his spider appendages. He cannot see whatever has you squirming in delight.

"Is nice?" he mumbles between the sharp teeth, trying to join your activity.

"Oh, it's..." you stop yourself, glancing up. "...It's just a funny video."

You don't have the heart to be honest. You audibly tap your legs, and the creature lowers itself into your embrace. If you're happy, he's happy.

As long as you don't leave him.

[Monster Masterlist]

[iambecomeabook]

get to know me !

(again) (writelr and booklr edition)

bonjour agus fàilte !

i made this account almost a year ago and then barely touched it, so i'm giving this a second go lmao. i've also changed since my last introduction post, and it no longer fits me.

firstly, my name is ily (eye-lee), my pronouns are she/her, i'm a lesbian, and i'm autistic !

i enjoy writing fantasy, mostly, although i have been trying my hand at literary fiction recently. i plan to write adult fiction, but YA fiction will always have my heart <3 i would love to be friends with anyone who enjoys any genre, but especially if you write fantasy !

i’m always happy to make any friends ! my asks are open, so long as no one says anything derogatory/creepy/etc. i’m more than taglist/game friendly !!

i will hopefully be updating regarding current wips, so follow if you want to join me on my journey ! i am currently working on a novel, but i also write poetry and short stories ! i’ll vaguely introduce my primary wip below (emphasis on the vague):

Project NM:

adult fantasy, set in a vaguely edwardian world, about lesbians, sisterhood, religious trauma, and the moon stealing souls :) i go more into detail in my post dedicated to it !

other things about me: i am currently in university majoring in creative writing (minoring in literature), and i plan to go to grad school for library sciences.

i am also (somewhat) trilingual ! i speak english, français (moderately), and gàidhlig (still a beginner). eventually, i hope to learn spanish and german, as well.

here are other things that i generally like/enjoy:

the colors green, brown, orange, and dark reds

pumpkin, apple, cinnamon, and forest scents

autumn and winter

halloween

aurora aksnes

folk music

singing (i was a hard core choir/theatre kid in high school)

putting together outfits

being a pretentious literature nerd

my dog and my bird

turtlenecks and sweater vests

anything spooky/paranormal/cryptid/witchy

dni is simple: don’t be a bigot (and also if u support israel ur not allowed here bc i very loudly stand with palestine)

also i do primarily write for adults, but my content isn’t necessarily unfriendly to minors. i do deal with darker topics sometimes, so judge for yourself whether or not you can handle them. i don’t mind minors interacting or following, but pls don’t message me if ur under 18 :) if you have a genuine question, you can put it in the asks ! i also try not to follow/be mutuals with minors, so don’t be discouraged if you don’t get a follow back.

my fandom acc is @ilyscactusjuice

if you want to be friends just message me or comment !!

that's all for now ! hopefully i don't abandon this again ! if you think you’ve found a kindred spirit in me then pls feel free to follow or interact !!

[hecckyeah]

#3, 4, 15, 24 for the fic ask game!!

Hii!!! Thanks so much for the ask <3

3. Are there any specific themes you enjoy exploring in your fics?

Ooh, this is such a good question but I feel like my answer is going to be sort of vague. It really really REALLY depends on the themes I'm going with for each individual fic. I do love LOVE playing with the found family trope and all its facets and nuances, but I don't get to it all that often. But a theme that keeps cropping up (and I probably do this subconsciously) is fighting with the unknown, if that makes sense. In which my characters are making peace with something beyond their control. Hmm I wonder if my writing is reflecting my own psyche or something. Weird

4. How do you channel characters' voices and personalities?

HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS OF CONSUMING THEIR CONTENT. Oh my gosh I swear I've single-handedly kept the Youtube scene compilation people in business. I'll literally watch them over and over and over again until I'm thinking in their voices and I can't get rid of it, and that's when my best dialogue happens. I absolutely suck at dialogue unless I've been living and breathing those characters for days on end. If I can't hear the physical voices in my mind's ear (is that a thing?) then I basically can't write them. Same with their personalities and physical quirks. I need to be able to see and visualize each movement, or it feels off and foreign and I end up trashing whatever I write. Basically I have to play out the scene I'm writing in my mind like it's a movie, and if I can imagine that scene in the show/movie/book it came from, then I know I'm probably on the right track.

15. Do you plan your fics or prefer to let the story unfold as you write?

Hah, yeah I'm a write-as-you-go kinda gal. It works out well for one-shots, since the format lends itself to a wandering, thoughtful kind of style, but that's definitely why I struggle with longform multi-chapter fics, since my characters always make decisions they didn't clear with me first, and I'm usually sitting here rolling my eyes and trying to get the story back on track as they go do their own thing. Even the couple of times I did plan the fic out from beginning to end, I still ended up making changes on the fly and it ended in a totally different place than I'd imagined. Basically I just write in a direction that makes sense, and then I edit afterward to make it look like I planned it all from the beginning. Not always, because sometimes my brain cooperates and everything comes together without any need for post-editing, and I love it when that happens :)))

24. What advice would you give to someone who wants to start writing fanfiction?

I would definitely say, try out a few styles of writing and see what sticks!! If you hate longform or can't wrap your mind around first person perspective, then don't push it! Stick to what feels right and then hone that skill. Don't worry about what other fanfiction writers are doing, because having a unique style is a good thing. If you sound like every other author, that's how people will see you -- as just one of the masses. Write in the style you enjoy, and people will notice your passion and love for your craft.

If you haven't written a lot in general and are just starting out with writing altogether, READ A LOT, all the time. Read good literature, like the old classics. Read YA fantasy. Read graphic novels. Read everything. You can't write if you haven't read first, even if what you're writing for is a movie or show. It's like deciding to paint a picture of a shark, even though the only description you've ever heard of it is that it has sharp teeth and is long and bluish-gray with fins. Yeah, you might end up with a blob-type shape that maybe could be interpreted as an abstract shark, but in order to paint a realistic shark you need to have examined all its sides and colors and shapes and movements. You have to know the shark like the back of your hand. You can't learn anything about writing by watching movies. You need to know how stories are structured in a word format before trying to put it all together yourself.

And if you've written a lot before but are just starting out in the fanfiction world, I would just say that fandom is a totally weird and different beast altogether. Post small things, post big projects, and realize that not everything is going to be popular. Find the joy in the craft itself and see the recognition as the cherry on top.

Find a niche and explore it!! Dig into a couple of key moments of the piece of media you're creating for, and really expand and explore the themes there.

And in the end, just write because you love the media, and nothing else. If you fall out of love with the book/movie/show, it's OKAY to stop writing for it. You are NOT a failure for putting a fanfic on hiatus for a long time. You're not getting paid for it, and fans are not entitled to you slapping together a halfhearted ending to something you don't feel passionate about anymore. Leave the door open to finish it the right way in case you come back to the fandom and want to pick up where you left off. We're all just human, and obsessions come and go.

Write because you love to write, and try not to worry about the nitty gritty of it all.

---

questions for fic writers

[booksforthoughtz]

YA Literature- Annotated Bib

Genre: Fiction 

1. Title of Text: Animal Farm By George Orwell 

Orwell, G. (2021). Animal farm. William Collins.

Short Summary of the text: Animal Farm is a political allegory where a group of farm animals overthrow  their human farmer that holds control and power over them. They stage a revolution and then set up their own government under the political belief system of Animalism. What originally felt like a utopia for the animals as the pigs cease control and become corrupted by power their society descends into an authoritarian dictatorship where all other animals are exploited and the original tenets of the revolution are long forgotten. 

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with: Power and Politics 

Appropriate for Grade(s): 9-12 

2. Title of Text: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Steinbeck, J. (2000). Of mice and men. Penguin Classics.

Short Summary of the text: Of Mice and Men follows migrant workers George and Lennie during the Great Depression. They dream of one day owning their own land together. However, Lennie’s mental disability causes a tragedy that threatens their dream and tests the loyalty and bond of friendship between the two.

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with: Friendship and Dreams

Appropriate for Grade(s): 9-12

3.  Title of Text: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 

Lee, H. (2010). To kill A mockingbird. Arrow Books.

Short Summary of the text: Set in a fictional town in Alabama in the 1930s To Kill a Mockingbird follows the narrator Scout Finch as a trial unfolds where her father, Atticus, is defending a black man, Tom Robinson, in court. Despite the evidence pointing to Tom's innocence, the racial prejudice of the town leads to an unjust trial and conviction.The story is Scout's coming of age as she learns about racism, empathy, and injustice as she watches her father stand up for what is morally just. 

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with: Good vs. Evil, Coming of Age, Justice, and Social Issues 

Appropriate for Grade(s): 7-12

Genre: Non-Fiction /Informational

1. Title of Text: Change the Game (A Graphic Novel) by Colin Kaepernick

Kaepernick, C., Ewing, E. L., & Caicedo, O. (2023). Change the game: a graphic novel (First edition.). Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic.

Short Summary of the text: Change the Game is a graphic novel by NFL player Colin Kaepernick inspired by his teen years. The novel takes readers through Colin’s self-discovery as he navigates the crossroads of what sport to pursue (Baseball or Football) as well as uncovering who he is as a person. This story inspires readers to pursue their own path, stay authentic to who they are as individuals, and to use their voice to create change. 

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with: Coming of age, perseverance, and self-discovery 

Appropriate for Grade(s: 7 and up 

2. Title of Text: Free Lunch by Rex Ogle

Ogle, R. (2019). Free Lunch. WW Norton.

Short Summary of the text: Free Lunch is a memoir of the author Rex Ogle’s middle school years. The book recounts Ogle’s experience growing up in poverty while also dealing with bullying, food insecurity, and family problems. He is able to find peace in his books and friendships and as he goes down the path of self-discovery he uncovers his resilience and ability to overcome adversity.  

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with: Resilience, inequality, racism, self-discovery, and friendship 

Appropriate for Grade(s): 6-8

3.  Title of Text: I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai 

Yousafzai, M., & Lamb, C. (2015). I am Malala: the girl who stood up for education and was shot by the Taliban. New York, Back Bay Books, Little Brown and Company.

Short Summary of the text: I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban is the autobiography of Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani girl who stood up for her right to an education and other girls, against the Taliban and was shot for it. The book recounts her early life in Swat Valley through her advocacy work she still continues to do. The book takes the reader through her personal journey, the importance of education, and her advocacy for young girls across the world. 

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with: Social justice, human rights  and power of education

Appropriate for Grade(s): 7 and up 

  Genre: Diversity/Multicultural 

1. Title of Text: The Poet X By Elizabeth Acevedo 

Acevedo, E. (2018). The poet X. HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers.

Short Summary of the text: The Poet X is a coming of age novel written in poem verses and narrated by Xiomara Batista, who goes by X. As a teenage girl Xiomara is traversing the complexities of adolescence, while confronting the cultural and societal expectations of her strict Dominican parents and her own individual identity. Xiomara finds solace in writing poetry which allows her self-expression and a feeling of empowerment. 

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with: Coming-of-Age, family, self-discovery, community, and religion

Appropriate for Grade(s: 8-12

2. Title of Text: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

Sáenz, B. A. (2014). Aristotle and Dante discover the secrets of the universe. Simon & Schuster BFYR. 

Short Summary of the text: Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz follows the friendship of two Mexican-American Teenagers, Aristotle "Ari" Mendoza and Dante Quintana. Set in the 1980s the book explores both of their self discoveries, family dynamics, and cultural identity. As the two develop romantic feelings for one another they face societal expectations until they ultimately reach love and acceptance. 

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with: Identity, friendship, and love 

Appropriate for Grade(s): 7-10

3.  Title of Text: American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang

Yang, G. L., & Pien, L. (2006). American Born Chinese. First Second.

Short Summary of the text: American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang is a graphic novel that follows three different storylines and weaves them together. The first follows Jin Wang, a Chinese-American boy struggling to fit in at his majority white school. The second introduces the Monkey King, a Chinese mythological figure who seeks acceptance from the Gods. The third follows Danny, who has assimilated into American culture and is embarrassed of his Chinese roots. The stories of Jin and Danny intertwin as Danny faces his prejudices and finds cultural acceptance. 

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with: Identity, acceptance, personal struggle 

Appropriate for Grade(s): 7-12

Genre: Social Issues

1. Title of Text: Monster by Walter Dean Myers

Myers, W. D. (2020). Monster. Amistad.

Short Summary of the text: Monster by Walter Dean Myers follows the story of Steve Harmon, who is on trial for his alleged involvement in a robbery that turned into murder. The book is written as a screenplay and journal entries from Steve. Steve grapples with his role in the crime and the racism he is facing on a trial as a young black man. Steve must face the hard realities of the justice system in America as he struggles to maintain his sense of self. 

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with: Justice, race, and identity 

Appropriate for Grade(s: 7-9

2. Title of Text: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas

Thomas, A. (2018). The hate u give. Walker Books.

Short Summary of the text: The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas follows Starr Carter, a 16 year old African American girl who witnessed a fatal shooting of her friend Khalil by a white police officer. The novel explores racial injustice, identity, and activism as Starr struggles with the grief of his death. Starr grows to become an activist in her community and advocates against police brutality. The book explores the complexities of systemic racism in America. 

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with: Identity, racial injustice, family, friendship, and grief

Appropriate for Grade(s): 9-12

3.  Title of Text: Illegal by Bettina Restrepo

Restrepo, B. (2011). Illegal. Katherine Tegen Books.

Short Summary of the text: Illegal by Bettina Restrepo follows Nora, a young boy who is fleeing Mexico with his mother as they escape poverty and violence from the cartel. They two journey across the border into the United States and then face challenges as undocumented immigrants trying to build a new life. As Nora settles into American life, his past begins to catch up with him. The novel sheds light on the experience of immigrants in the United States and the struggles they face. 

YA Universal Theme(s) text is aligned with: Family, identity, and American Dream 

Appropriate for Grade(s): 8-9

[thewriting-corner]

My Unpopular Bookish/Writing Opinions

Since I got to uni I’ve been suffering from really weird burnout, so until I get that fixed a little, you are unfortunately stuck with this kind of posts! Lol, I’m sorry. But I’m getting better by the day, pinky promise.

Anyway, I’ve realized I have tons of unpopular book related opinions so why not start my new theme causing people to fight in my comments, am I right?

Romantic Fluff in Non-Contemporary/Romance

I’ve seen other accounts talk about this BUT, unless romance is the main genre, why do we never get to see the couple get together and interact as a fluffy in love pair???? I would give anything to see a fantasy couple fight monsters together while holding hands. I get slow burn and angst are really popular, but for once I’d love to see a couple get together without any complications. Their world is hard enough, why not let them have one nice thing?

HOWEVER, open endings >>>

Okay no bare with me. I KNOW this is super contradictory buuuuut, there’s just something about an incomplete ending. Now, I don’t mean LAZY, more like... If you’ve ever seen the movie Inception (2010), at the end of the film the MC is wondering if his kids are real or part of the dreamscape, but the camera angle changes before he can get his answer and we’re left with the intrigue. OR, picture, a romance story in which the MC and the LI haven’t seen each other in years, the MC finally gets the courage to seek them out, gets to the coffee shop the LI works at and the story ends before the MC opens the door or the LI turns around. It’s such a disliked ending, but I LOVE that.

Plot is more interesting, but less important

If you know me, you know I LOVE writing plot and analysing characters, but hate analysing plot and writing characters. But the fun thing about storytelling is that plot requires characters, but characters don’t require plot. If you have a strong plot but weak characters, you have a weak story and that is a much larger hole to dig yourself out of than the other way around.

Adult Authors Writing YA Smut is Weird

Enough said. I don’t know how else I can elaborate about this. I just find the thought of a, idk, 35 year old author thinking about seventeen year olds having sex VERY weird. I understand the good intentions behind it in books like Breathless by Jennifer Niven, but I just can’t get behind it at all.

Age Gaps

Vampires, immortal villains, fae... WHY have we made it a point to romanticise these weird-ass age gaps in fiction?????? I’ve heard many people justify it with “but they’re immature so it’s like the immortal is 17 too” and, come on, if someone says that about men in ANY other case I don’t think I need to fill in the gaps of what other contexts that’s used...

The insane power imbalance between a 500+ year old and a teenager is so overlooked and it’s disgusting. If the LI wasn’t hot, we’d be having an entirely different conversation.

Editing >>> Writing

I’m sorry but WRITING?!! No thank you. Creating a story is fun, yes, but actually putting it into words for the first time is SO hard and stressful. But there’s something so magical about cleaning up a story and making it stable that I love so much. Editing is where I think true power lies, tbh.

Sci-Fi and Dystopia Please Come Back

I know we basically live in a George Orwell/Brave New World/2010 YA dystopian hybrid monster baby world right now, but this genre was really the peak of all modern literature. The power to see the world through the eyes of pseudo-sociology and the worst possible scenario cannot be topped, I swear.

And then with sci-fi. Of course, I’m a sci-fi writer so obviously I have this opinion lol but there are SO many amazingly cool inventions and discoveries coming up every single day, how these not used more often in fiction???? There’s so much potential to do cruel, I mean, epic things in fiction using modern science and I’m lowkey disappointed we’re not using it to its true potential. I mean, what other point is there to science.

Marketing Fantasy Novels

Okay, here comes the big one: the current marketing techniques RUINED fantasy for me. WHY has the industry made comp titles such a big deal? It’s understandable from a selling point of view - to a publisher, not so much an audience. Being able to compare your book to another has become such a huge requirement that books are no longer unique, instead they’ve become shadows of one another. I see this so often when querying. So many agents say “please provide two titles that resemble your book - this shows you have studied the market well” dude no, this shows that I’m a well trained parrot and can write my book to be like anything I want it to be. This whole “Hunger Games meets The Witcher idk” concept has made it so that, to me, all fantasy books read the same. They’re all some watered down Percy Jackson or Shadow & Bone or Hunger Games story whose plot has been tainted by this outside information that really wasn’t necessary for me to buy or read the book.

[userholland]

between the lines | frat!tom

finals week is here and you’re an emotional wreck, to say the least. not only is your schedule jam-packed, but there are things going on in your life as well. you need to cram, you need to meet due dates and frankly, you could use a drink to get through it all. the night you go to a frat party, you see a cute and familiar face that you have to see every time you go to the small bookstore and he’s behind the cash register.

PAIRING : frat!tom & college!fem!reader

GENRE : college, book shop, love at first sight, dramatic love confessions, wedding date, & a long (too long tbh) slow burn

WARNINGS : tom being sarcastic but cute, lots of fluff + corny dialogue, toxic parents and divorce, a light/tasteful make-out, cursing, drinking, trust issues, both reader and tom being bibliophiles (annotations & recommendations blah blah), etc.

WORD COUNT : 13.9k

A/N : mostly, inspired by an another great idea @venomsilk gave me <3 🧸🌤 🍰 dedicated to her. this is for her valentine’s celebration (a few months late, oops. but school / mental health checks happened so respectable hiatus on this fic) and i was so happy and excited to write it tbh ! i've been more into the romance ya novels lately so i really wanted to give this fic a lot of love and filled it with inspiration from books i've read. pls rec me some bc this summer i want beach reads. anyways adore and appreciate my venomsilk besthie so much. bear with me in this fic, but hope everyone enjoys ! also this header is originally from here! i just added the shredded border

𑁍 masterlist 𑁍

Books. They were a common comfort you turned toward in times of stress, sadness or simply something to make the time go by on the bus ride to campus.

The small bookstore, that you often went to on the weekends, was unique. Most books were donated or found, then there was a small selection of brand new editions on the circular table when you entered the shop.

From the tall shelves filled with fictional adventures to the big, voluptuous, and green plants decorated around the front window, everything about this place was perfect. But, the dark, curly-haired cashier with a soft smile was a bonus to your shopping experience.

Every time you approached the counter, heat would suddenly radiate from your face and your heart fluttered when the boy rose his head to meet your eyes. Sometimes, you caught him reading a classic novel, other times, he was taking his time to finish homework when the store didn’t have but one or two people browsing.

His name is Tom, once overhearing one of his co-workers call him Tommy. You didn’t know anything about him, but it fit his charming yet approachable appearance. He wore a bunch of flannels with the sleeves rolled up and a solid color tee to match underneath, the occasional baseball tee or henley if the temperature in the store was too warm.

You didn’t mean to giggle the time you walked up to him and his cheeks were bright pink from how hot it was inside compared to the coming winter chill changing the fall weather.

Once or twice, you wondered if he remembered you. It sounded egotistical, questioning your importance to some stranger, but you couldn’t help it. He gave you recommendations or comments on the books you purchased, persuasive enough to burn a bigger hole in your pocket for decent literature.

The way he smiled and giggled when you had small talk, all from asking each other how your days had been. If it was a selling tactic he used; it was working.

Some days, romanticizing simple interactions like this made life less lonely and stressful. Tom was simply a crush; just another cute guy you could think about when you think about your future and the little fantasies in between your daydreams. It was nice for a bit and then you snapped back into reality, concentrating on your studies and looking forward to getting a degree. 

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*

Tom took advantage of the lazy afternoon shift between his classes.

There were little to no customers, free time to study and complete silence unless he turned on the music over the speakers throughout the store. While the minimum wage didn’t seem worth it, Tom much more preferred working at his Aunt and Uncle’s bookstore than to getting ripped off from writing English essays for his “so-called” fraternity brothers. 

As he sat at his post behind the register, comfortably wearing his black Carhartt jacket, with his head lowered so his brown curls hung down. He unknowingly pouted as he made bright-red corrections on his rough draft for one of his final papers. Even though Tom had three to four other final papers of his own to do, he was doing essays for other people. 

His final paper for his Advanced English Romanticism class was way more important and frankly, all he wanted to do was pass with high grades, but earning money for next semester’s tuition by easily bullshitting Shakespeare’s literature theories or creating basic fictional, short stories for people who were barely sober 12 hours out of the day made his eyes wander to the rough drafts in his worn backpack.

The ink imprinted his, sloppy but small, handwriting on the side of his hand, and the end of the pen had a few bites when he was re-thinking his sentences and paraphrasing.

Suddenly, the bell above the entrance door rang, not phasing Tom to look up since people came in and out, but he glanced up when he noticed the familiar color of the jacket you wore. He had seen you a few times, wearing that same navy blue jacket with a red and black stripe going down the sleeves. 

A gloss filmed over his bright-brown eyes but looked away once you walked toward the back, admiring the books placed perfectly around the best-sellers table at the center of the store. You were the same, pretty girl who wandered around the stop for an hour, maybe two, seeking a book and nothing else. 

Each one that came to Tom’s counter was a different genre from a worn-out classic or a fairly used historical fiction– it intrigued him so, he’d list a few recommendations. After a bit of, what he considered, flirting, you left with a big smile until two or three days passed and there you were again, searching and reading in between the numerous aisles.

“Think fast!”

Tom already flinched, but a soccer ball thumped against the side of his head and he immediately pressed his palm on his temple.

“Jesus…” Tom hissed under his breath, his eyes giving a dirty look toward his friend, “A ‘hello’ would have sufficed.”

“What? You’re not happy to see me?” Harrison grinned, holding the ball under his arm.

Tom quickly retorted, “Why are you bothering me at work?” 

Harrison tilted his head.

 “Because I cherish every second we spend together…” He smiled before rolling his eyes, “What do you think? We have a meeting at the house in twenty minutes. C’mon, no one is even here, it’s your family’s store and you can leave when your manager is on his phone in the back office–”

Tom opened his mouth, but no words came out. His eyes shifted to you, past Harrison’s figure, watching as you flipped through another book on the same shelf; a hardcover version of The Picture of Dorian Gray.

Basic, but not a bad read. Tom thought.

“Who’s that?” Harrison asked, “She’s pretty.” He glanced over his shoulder, but you had no idea that the two boys were glaring as you concentrated on the text.

“No one.” Tom said in an annoyed tone, messily pushing his books and paper into his worn-out backpack.

The rosy pink tint of the apples of Tom’s cheeks made Harrison slowly smile, “Oh, Tommy. You’re squirming. Is she an ex? Hookup? Maybe TA?”

Tom sighed, “If we leave now, I’ll still help you with your sports management paper tonight.”

Harrison nodded, “Geez, she must be someone if you make that threat.”

You couldn’t help but lift your head at their commotion, watching Tom lead the way. Harrison trailing behind with his duffle strap on his shoulder and spinning the soccer ball in his hands, but your glances connected as they passed. Being the brother he is, Harrison announces, “He has a thing for you! Big ole crush! Do you have his number-”

Tom pushed on Harrison’s back hard, forceful enough to get him through the door. He wanted to avoid you noticing the bright tint red painted on the apples of his cheeks from the embarrassment he couldn’t escape.

Your heart was in your throat, a warmness spreading throughout your body from the attention. Half-smiling, you looked back down at the book in your shaking hands. While it wasn’t your first choice, this happening made you want to buy it to remember this moment.

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*

The feeling of falling shocked your nerves, jerking your head up to make sure you were still in your seat. You hadn’t noticed you fell into a catatonic state, blankly staring at your laptop with little to no brain function. The brightness of the small screen gleamed against your face, making you blink your eyes a few more times before hearing the multiple cracks break in your back.

This was being a university student. More specifically, an English major.

As much as you loved a hardcover book, money thought differently. Instead of flipping through thick pages with a smell that comforted you, those same texts flashed on whatever device you could afford it on. 

The biggest misconception of being an English major is that you like to read everything and anything. Completely wrong. You liked to read the books that were like a warm hug after a rainy, cold day or made you weep until mascara burned the corners of your eyes. 

The details you paid attention to within the novels you kept close are the reason you loved to read. But, classics and sonnets that you were forced to analyze to write papers about what they mean bored you mindlessly, wondering why picking English was even an option when it’s just reading a language you know.

You turned to your tall bookshelf, perfectly placed in the corner of the room, and books of various sizes overflowed it like a garden. Some rest on the top of it after you ran out of room on your shelves.

Each had their own story as to how they were placed on the old wooden ledges; buying them brand new from bookstores, finding worn-out classics from the thrift store or they were collecting dust in your parent’s attic. But, lately most had come from the Joel & Anne’s bookstore–you blamed Tom.

Just as you wanted to pick up The Picture of Dorian Gray, a notification popped up in the corner of your laptop’s screen. It was a brief email from your professor, granting an extension to the midterm paper due for those who requested it and you couldn’t have been more revealed.

Thank God, you thought.

The pace of your heart slowed down, the cracking of your spine as you straighten your back at your desk.

Falling on top of the fluffy comforter of your bed, your body’s muscles relaxed. The tension disappeared from your chest as your heavy eyes fluttered close. In and out of sleep, the buzz of your phone caused your head to quickly rise. Half-awake, you leaned up to grab it then plummet back into the soft sheets.

“Since there’s an extension for your paper, does that mean I’ll see you at the Delta Epsilon ABC party tomorrow?” Your best friend, Lillian, texted.

“ABC?” You typed with a furrow brow.

“Anything But Clothes.” She replied with a tongue emoji.

Reluctant, you wanted to say “no” and take the extended due date seriously, but from how stressed out the paper was making you, a party didn’t sound like a bad idea.

You sealed your lips while typing, but once you sent “What should I wear?”

After Lillian pitched a few last-minute ideas, you exited from your text messages then placed your phone on the bedside table. Rubbing your dry eyes, you get back up to turn off your lamp and other lights. 

As you stroll to the desk, you trace your finger over the trackpad of the laptop to exit from the email. Surprisingly, you forgot about the already-opened browser of the book you’ve been hunting down for your paper. You were so exhausted, you spaced out in those few minutes to probably forget about it.

Shakespearean plays were the subject of your paper, researching for hours on end about this ancient man’s entire collection and existence. His missing years, his creation of words we still use today, anything that pinpointed a significance in the English language was stored somewhere in the paper your fingers cramped to write for the past week.

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*

Tom downed the last Red Bull from his mini fridge, compressing the aluminum can in his hand then throwing it in trash. There it sat with the other empty cans and overflow of crumbled drafts.

He couldn’t remember the last time he blinked today yet his fingers were typing any of the words coming up in his head. The sixty bucks he was being paid for it was his only motivation to finish the last lines about the rise of the Roman Empire.

Shockingly, it wasn’t as difficult as told to him– but usually, it’s the people who don’t pay attention in their classes that find it hard and in their way. At least if he did it, there were rewards other than a high grade.

As Tom pressed tab to indent, he thought of how you smiled at him. He hoped it was him and not Harrison being cocky from what he said. He pondered what would happen if he stayed, walking back to you and saying that his attraction was true. But, Tom was more confident in his mind and he couldn’t actually imagine seeing you after how embarrassed he felt from Harrison’s announcement.

“Hey!” Harrison said as he knocked on Tom’s open door, expecting nothing but what he saw– Tom’s ass glued to his desk chair and the bright, white screen of his laptop staring back at him.

Tom turned his head, rolling his eyes at the blonde, blue-eyed devil, “Come here to make any of my other of my secrets known to the public?” He continued to jot down any last corrections on the paper he’d been working on for hours.

Harrison chuckled, jumping onto Tom’s bed, “It’s not like you were going to say anything to her if I didn’t, now she knows. ‘You’re welcome’ would be the correct answer, Mr. English smartass.” 

“See, you’re saying ‘you’re welcome’ when I didn’t ask for your help in the first place. She’s just a girl that comes to the store a lot and I just…” Tom shrugged, tossing his pen down, “I happen to notice her.”

“Happen to notice?” Harrison scoffed. “Dude, you were staring at her so hard at her that I thought your eyes were going to pop out. Blink once in a while so if this girl does notice, she doesn’t think you’re creepy.”

Tom rolled his eyes, “She’s not some girl, her name is Y/N.”

Fuck. Tom thought, now realizing how much he corrected Harrison out of habit.

Harrison instantly smirked, “So, you know her name too? What else are you hiding so I can brief her in on it… but more subtle this time.”

“H, why are you in my room at one in the morning?” Tom asked with furrowed his brows.

“You’re going to the ABC party, right? You’ll be there, participating for once, and having fun. Maybe getting high or laid will loosen you up. ”

“I can’t, I have these papers to finish for the guys who will be partying downstairs all night and if I’m lucky, I can get paid double if I ask them for their fee while they’re drunk.” Tom smirked.

“C’mon. One party! It’s a few hours out of the whole semester… Before you have to go back home for the holidays and do nothing but watch Christmas movies and read books for pleasure.” 

Tom replied with silence.

“Maybe you could invite Y/N. It could be a nice romantic gesture that your books talk about, right?”

“So, invite her to a party where everyone is wearing anything but clothes and shit-faced within the first hour.” Tom took a pregnant pause, “Yeah, I’ll pass on that.”

Harrison knew not to pry anymore, not planning to give Tom shit for wanting to do well in school. Unlike most of the trust-fund raised kids, Tom paid his dues from paycheck to paycheck. Maintaining high grades wasn’t only for his pride, but his academic scholarship that discounted his tuition. 

He admired Tom for his natural work ethic despite it interfered with his social life. Luckily the other brothers saw Tom as an asset, but it was for their own selfish reasons. Harrison was a month younger than Tom, but still felt protective of him as if he were an older brother.

“Okay, well. I have a ‘Beware of Dog’ sign if you want to use it as shorts tonight.” Harrison winked before leaving to his room.

Tom chuckled, but his smile slowly turned into a frown. The desperate need to earn cash for his two semesters’ tuition consumed him the past four months, realizing that this term was practically done and he had done nothing else but work.

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ* 

You could say that having caution tape wrapped around your body was ironically hazardous. The plastic was constricting, too afraid to bend over or you may fall and never get back up. While it was cute in thought, you looked in the mirror from head to toe and knew this could end in disaster. 

With too many intrusive thoughts, you were about to change back into your grey sweatpants and grab an oversized shirt from the dryer. But, just as you took a last glance at your reflection, Lillian came right through the front door and sported a dress made out of bright green and white condom wrappers fastened together with tape and safety pins. 

It was totally Lillian.

You furrowed your eyebrow, “Did you walk all the way here wearing that?” 

But she ignored your comment from the stun of seeing you actually wearing a costume.

Lillian gasped, “You look hot! That caution tape was a good call.”

“I feel like this tape is going to fall off at any second.” You groaned, grabbing your college t-shirt from the basket on top of the dryer, but Lillian held your wrist.

“What are you doing?” She retorted. 

You sighed, “Changing into something that lets me breathe and walk.”

“Oh, don’t be a party pooper. It’s only a few hours.” She said as she walked to the mirror, fixing her strawberry-blonde waves. She pushed them from the front of her body then behind her shoulders, wondering if the prominence of her collarbones made a difference.

“A few hours of guys asking me what’s underneath this caution tape.” You mumbled under my breath, and she moved you in front of the mirror.

“Y/N, I made a promise to you at the beginning of the semester to make sure you have an amazing last year of college… and I always keep my promises.” She said, her head resting on your shoulder as the two of you glanced at your absurd outfits  in the mirror, “And you look too good to not go out...”

You chuckled, “Are you pouting?”

“Depends, does it guilt trip you want to go to the party more?” Lillian jeered, giving you a light squeeze around your waist.

You scrunch your nose, “Only a little.”

The two of you pre-gamed with a fruity, alcoholic seltzer, which barely gave any buzz, then ventured downstairs to the Uber waiting in front of your apartment building.

As Lillian snapped photos of herself from the lighting of the warm streetlights passing by, you noticed Joel & Ann’s bookstore in the darkness. It made you think of what Tom might have been doing tonight, wondering what his life was like outside the store.

You blushed thinking back at the fond moment of his friend shouting he liked you, keeping your head up for most of the day. As harmless as it was, it lingered in your mind and turned into scenarios of how you would enlighten that comment. 

Would you make the first move? or has he already and you didn’t notice? Overthinking didn’t help, but you needed to come up with something good to respond to it whenever you’d see him again.

Once you arrive on Fraternity Row, the Delta Epsilon house was anything but quiet. Everyone was following the rules of the party, wearing anything but clothes in different and creative ways.

A brunette passing by wore a makeshift dress, the sparkling Christmas wrap tailored with tape to fit around her slim body. Another guy wore paper-mache shorts made from Superman comic book pages— even a couple of girls sporting the same outfit idea as Lillian which didn’t make her happy.

You hold back a laugh, “Well, at least your wrappers are green. Hers are purple… and Trojan.” 

“Ugh, now I’m gonna blend in.” She pouted her glossed lips, “C’mon, let’s go see where the drinks are.”

The music played loud enough that you could feel the bass vibrating your teeth. Lillian hooked your arm around hers as she pulled you toward the bar set up in the corner of the dim lit room.

Everyone managed to commit to the theme of tonight, impressed by the sustainability people reached like wearing a dress made of streamers with your university’s colors or pants made out of cardboard beer boxes. The surprises and creativity seemed limitless tonight, but there was no one who caught your attention.

“Are you looking for someone?” Lillian asked as she poured brown liquor into her plastic cup, spilling a bit on the counter when she shifted the pour into your cup on the counter.

“Kind of.” You mumbled, “You know that guy at the bookstore that I talk about? Tom?”

Lillian giggled, “Oh. The guy you practically stalk.”

“I don’t stalk him.”

“Yeah, right. You’ve just never spoken to him other than giving him money for a book and your literature small talk.” She joked, but it sort of hit a nerve. You almost wanted to prove to her that you could talk to him, you were just nervous as to what to say past your total amount and tax.

“Okay, but you don’t have to put it that way.” You pouted, but she handed you a drink.

“Well, you can forget about bookstore boy, and we can have a little fun tonight. Cheers!” She diverted your attention to your cups, pushing them together before she took a long sip.

You watched her, but didn’t drink with her. Instead your eyes shifted around the excited crowd, but no luck in finding your crush with brown curls and shiny brown eyes to match. You twisted your lips and took a small sip of your bitter beverage, squeezing your eyes shut as it burned the inside of your throat.

“What is that?” You hissed.

“I don’t know, but it gets you loose.” Lillian jokes, hugging you quickly before she pulled you to where everyone was dancing… or what could be described as dancing. It was more like drunken movement between strangers while flashed by neon colors in sequences. 

Trying to dance with Lillian in a restraint costume didn’t help until there were two taps on your shoulder. You quickly turned around, acquainted with Tom’s blonde friend— just dressed in shorts made out of the big cloth from Twister.

“Hey! You’re the cute girl from the bookshop, right?” Harrison chuckled.

“Yeah! And you’re the best friend of the cute guy at the bookstore?” You confidently said, raising your eyebrows.

Harrison shared the same expression, “Cute?” He smirked, “I bet he’d love to hear that if he were down here… Hey, why don’t you do him a favor and try to get him down here to have fun.”

“Why? Where is he?” You asked over the music.

“Upstairs in his room, working on his papers… C’mon, I bet he’d be happy to see you.”

Harrison winked at you before turning back to the girl he was dancing with, tipping his head back to down his beer. When searching for Lillan, you saw her dance with some of your shared friends by the unlit fireplace. 

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*

With the door cracked open, Tom listened to the muffled music below as well as the occasional conversation passing by to find an empty room. The bright light from the lamp on his desk shined against his paper. Although you remained silent, Tom took a quick sip of his to-go coffee and blinked his tired, dry eyes a few times. 

After two light knocks, Tom assumed it was Harrison, once again, asking him to come downstairs, but instead his heart shot up to his throat when he saw you standing in his doorframe. He was even more surprised seeing caution tape wrapped around your body like a tacky, shiny dress.

“Hey! Hey, nice to see you… especially with your new look.” Tom jeered.

You giggled, “I could say the same, never really see the bottom half of you.”

The two of you shared a warm laugh before Tom shyly asked, “What- What are you doing here?” 

“My friend sort of invited me at the last second, then your friend told me that I should come up here and try to urge you to come downstairs… possibly in a costume.” You trailed.

Tom licked his lips, “I appreciate it, but I’m working on some papers tonight. I want to get them done before tomorrow morning”

“A few papers over a party in your own fraternity?”

He hummed, “Well, papers I write for ten dollars a page. Paid in cash or credit… usually.” Tom smirked, crossing his arms as he leaned back in his chair.

“Do I even want to know the other options?” You joked, slowly walking further into the room.

His blush was hard for him to hide, so he lowered his head down to hide the rosiness on his cheeks when he stood up to stretch. As Tom reached his arms over his head, the end of his shirt lifted a bit and you could see his v-line that disappeared past the band of his Calvin Klein boxers. 

Making you blush in return, you rub the back of your neck and look at some of the posters lazily taped on his dull, baby blue-colored walls. Shockingly, not one model from Playboy or Sports Illustrated was staring back at you in a tiny string bikini, rather there were posters of his favorite bands, a few classical authors by his bookcase and distressed movie posters of The Empire Strikes Back and Jaws above his full bed.

“Sorry, it’s kind of a mess.” Tom tossed a few t-shirts on his bed in his hamper by the door.

He said that, but it was probably the cleanest guy’s room you ever saw. Besides the clothes scattered around, the bed was made and his desk was fairly organized. There was even a trash can–with a trash bag to line it.

“Mess? I wish my room looked like this half the time.” You jeered, walking over to his bookcase, “A bookcase says a lot about someone to me.”

Tom chuckled, leaning on his desk, “And what does mine tell you?”

You awkwardly sat down on the end of his bed, trying to cross your leg over the other. You tried not to show that the plastic coiled around your body was uncomfortable, but one wrong move and you thought that you may expose yourself to Tom at any second.

“You okay?” He asked, “I don’t want to assume, but you look very tense.”

“Wow, it’s that noticeable.” You joked back, Tom chuckling in return. “Yeah, it wasn’t my idea to come tonight so, I got stuck wearing this.” You added, running your hand over the material.

He could see the pout on your face, maybe even a bit of embarrassment, so he suggested, “Do you want to change? I can give you something to wear. Not as much plastic, but more comfortable.” He joked.

Your face heated as you stood up, watching him pull clothes from his drawers. He grabbed a dark-blue Tottenham sweatshirt with a faded logo and baggy, gray sweatpants with your university logo embroidered by the hip.

“Here, hope these are okay.”

“Trust me, anything but this dress is fine.” You grinned, taking them from him. Your hand grazed his, making him gulp as you pulled the clothes to you, “Do you mind if I change in here?”

Tom raised his eyebrows, not realizing he wasn’t responding until he nodded, “Yeah! Yeah, I can just turn around.” He reassured, rubbing the back of his neck. His eyes searched around his room, trying to fixate on any small object.

Like the vinyl player in the corner on top of the rack, something he bought out of being impulsive. At the time, his dad had given him some old records that he had found in the attic from spring cleaning, music that was popular when he was Tom’s age. Tom stopped listening to them after–

“Well, I certainly look the part of being a frat dude.” You jeered, turning for him.

“I think you look pretty...”

Way to sound creepy, Tom thought.

“Pretty nice!” He quickly added, trying to save himself from embarrassment.

You smiled at his shy compliment before glancing at the papers scattered around his desk, “So, what are you working on?”

“Uh, themes in Frankenstein. It’s actually my final paper.”

You arched your eyebrow, but admired how he had three different drafts and all of them were marked in red. As you leaned further down to read, Tom quickly shuffled the papers, “It’s not really my best. I’ve been through every book talking about Mary Shelley and her reason for this book... It’s pretty scandalous if you ask me.”

God. He was so dorky, it almost made him charming.

Just as you were going to say your joking comment, the music got louder downstairs and you two could feel the heavy vibration of the bass through the carpet.

“Is your paper the only reason you’re up here by yourself?”

“Well, technically you’re up here with me so, am I really by myself?” Tom shrugged.

You chuckled, “Don’t deflect.”

Tom licked his lips, letting out a long sigh, “I just need enough cash to cover tuitions, and saving up for grad school too. My family has gotten tied up in money and my friend, Harrison, said that he could help me be in a frat and I could make more connections. So, I’m not really here to have fun, more like just doing what I can to make some money and add to my resume.” 

“I know we just met, but… Can I give you some advice?” You sighed.

He naively nodded, his eyes turning glassy.

“You need to have some fun while you’re still in college.” You giggled, not meaning to sound mean, but you didn’t have to touch Tom to know he was a tense guy.

Tom responded with a nervous chuckle, “I’ve had… fun. I have fun. This party theme just isn’t really for me.” He protested.

“Well, I can’t disagree with you there.” You grinned, glancing at your now-cozy outfit, “Then what do you want to do tonight? What’s your fun thing?... other than reading the Mary Shelley scandal.”

His eyes searched around the room, then hummed, “It would be nice to have some peace and quiet… maybe work on my papers–”

You interpreted, “Okay, no, no. You’re not working on any papers, it’s about having fun. So, let’s go somewhere you think is fun.”

He smirked which made you think that he had a good idea, rather he said, “We can go to the bookstore.”

Actually, that wasn’t a bad idea.

You leaned against his desk, “Really? How?”

“My aunt and uncle own it.” He smirked.

“Ah. So, you’re like a bookstore nepotism baby. How lucky.” You grinned, cringing at your own jokes on the inside. But, it’s not like flirting was either of your fortes.

“Some kids get into movie premieres and have luxury cars, I have books and the cat that hangs in the front window until he goes back to his owners across the street.” 

“I always wondered if that was your guys’ cat.” You smiled.

Tom nodded, “His name is Milo and he loves eating our plants and sleeping on the classic novels.” 

You shared another light laugh before you said, “What are we waiting for? Get your jacket on.”

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*

Once you took a step outside the house, the night breeze felt cool against your sweaty skin. The fresh air was a relief to your lungs once you walked out of the humid-filled frat house, like you had forgotten how clean it could smell outside. 

Although the bookstore was a few blocks away from campus, Tom made you comfortable as he made you. Both of you weren’t sure if there were feelings, but there could be since your interaction isn’t ending with you leaving him behind a counter.

Tall street lights guided the way, and the only people passing were stumbling from the few bars lining your college town. There was little small talk between you two on the way, but Tom stopped in front of a convenience store, one he frequently went to if he wanted something to snack on during his shifts.

He walked toward the door, opening it, “You want anything?” He asked.

You nodded, walking in as he held the door open. The two of you walked into the small store with white walls and bright lighting over all the aisles. He walked around the chips and candy, heading to the big freezer with the familiar ice cream brands around the case.

The two of you gazed over it, smiling at the variety of choices like two kids. You couldn’t remember the last time you picked from the freezer– probably before you were even given an allowance. You were seeing another side of Tom, one that was a bit goofy when the stress faded from his character.

“Which one do you want?... I think I’m gonna get a cookie sandwich.” He hummed.

“No way. The strawberry shortcakes with the oats? Or the gelatos? Way better options.” You giggled.

He chuckled at your wit, “Okay, you pick for me. I pick for you. Does that sound fair?”

“Hmm…” You smirked, sticking your hand out, “Deal.”

Tom smiled as he shook yours, both your fingers trailing when you pushed open the glass case.

“Okay. Turn around…” You said, circling your finger to signal him to face back.

The curly brunette rolled his eyes with a small smile on his face, taking a slow turn around with his arms crossed. He stared at the rack of colorful packed snacks, reading the brands and flavors.

You grunted as you shoved the sliding window, then grabbed an ice cream bar of your choice. Putting it behind your back, you tell him, “Okay, your turn.”

Tom smiled to himself, seeing you try to conceal your ice cream bar under the hoodie as you headed toward the counter. He could hear your exchange with the cashier before Tom grabbed an ice cream bar out of the freezer, quickly closing it and hiding his pick behind his back.

“I hope you got me something good.” You teased, facing him and your hands behind your back holding the plastic convenience bag..

He sweetly chuckled again, “I think I did okay… I think you should be worried.”

“Ah, are you hard to please, Tom?” You continued to jeer with him.

All he could do was turn pink, chuckling out of embarrassment like an elementary boy in school. There was a glimmer in his brown eyes and you weren’t sure if it was from the bright lights in the store, but it made your heart pang at how innocent and sweet he appeared.

The two of you walked outside, sitting on the bench under the awning of the convenient store. There was a space between you as the bags crinkled when both of you reached into them. Counting down, you pulled out your ice cream bars for one another and it left you both with smiles and light laughter.

“Great minds think alike.” Tom grinned.

Both of you held the same ice cream bar, still exchanging the treats and opening them. As you ate on the bench, there was silence– but it was comforting silence. Better than surround sound music and drinks being spilled everywhere, preferring the sound of crickets and watching some stray cats walk by the alleys.

You tried to prevent any drops of ice cream getting on the hoodie he let you borrow, leaning out as you bit down and it made him chuckle.

“It’s okay. It’s an old hoodie.”

“Yeah, but, I don’t want to be a slob.” You grinned, trying to ignore how nervous you felt.

“Here, I got it.” He said, leaning over to wipe your chin with a napkin.

You glanced into his eyes again as he came close, holding your breath.

“There, now you are a presentable member of society again.” He jeered, putting the napkin in his wrapper before tossing it in the bin next to the bench.

The two of you stand up together, pulling and adjusting your clothes before continuing the venture to the bookstore. Street lights shined down on the red brick sidewalk, and a few cars passed by as they headed toward the center of town as you both walked further out from the noise of the bars and partying. 

Chirping from the crickets was peaceful and the rest of the way was lit by the full moon, making you glance at the glowing orb high above the clouds and surrounded by the stars. The shine reflected off your eyes, smiling at the breathtaking sight but unknowing to you, Tom was glaring at you.

“Isn’t it beautiful?” You asked.

“Yeah.” He trailed, not taking his eyes off you as he shyly grinned.

Tom wished he had spoken to you sooner, not knowing how to express right then and there how he had some sort of feelings for you. 

You turned back to him, “Are you okay?”

Embarrassed, he quickly nodded, “Yeah, yeah. I’m fine. Great.”

You grinned back at him, “Good.” you said before the two of you continued to walk to the bookstore.

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*

The soft warm glow shined on Tom’s back as his keys jingled when he unlocked the front door.

“You got it?” You ask him, watching him turn the key both ways until there was a click.

“Yeah, it’s pretty old so-” 

Tom pushed enough of his weight with his shoulder against the door, opening the seal the door created from how cold it was outside. He half-smiled before walking into the dark room and you followed close behind him.

With how many times you’d been in this store, you could bet Tom that you knew the layout better than him. You carefully stepped around the racks of books, leading to the counter before you heard a loud thump.

“Ow!” Tom hissed under his breath, instantly rubbing his knee from cutting the corner too hard.

“Are you okay?” You giggled.

“Lovely.” He groaned, rubbing away against his soon-to-be bruised skin.

He turned on the reading lamp on the counter, the warm glow against his freckled skin. You noticed how he was able to smile with his eyes, the crinkling next to them when he laughed or smiled. Although you didn’t mean to observe that, it was hard to not notice. He radiated some kind of shine in the way he carried himself– at least from what you gathered.

“So, I’m sure you have some weird stuff behind here, huh?” You teased him, squatting down to look at the shelves.

“Nothing weird, but I hoard books… without telling anyone.” He admitted in a low tone, scratching the nape of his neck.

There was a collection of books down here filling up two rows, most of them had bright tabs on the sides to indicate some annotations between pages. The books ranged from recent autobiographies and novels to ones with broken spines and the names of classic writers on the covers.

You came back up, “I think you have a problem.” You jeered, smiling at him.

“As if being interested in literature is a problem.” 

“...Touché.” You nodded, “Do you like working here?”

“Yeah. I guess.” He trailed, “It kills time, it’s quiet.”

“As opposed to going home?” You asked out of curiosity. He was sort of like a guessing game. One clue led to another, intriguing you as you went down this mystery path of a person.

“Uh, I don’t… I don’t go home anymore.” He nervously chuckled, “Haven’t been for a while.”

Heat burned his cheeks and neck, not realizing he was venting in the moment.

“Sorry to hear that.” You gently replied and sensed his discomfort as he looked down.

Tom hummed, “It’s alright. I feel less lonely here.” He shrugged, picking at his fingernails before looking into your eyes.

“Well, now you have me so… it’s a little less lonely than that.” You smiled, scrunching your nose. “...and that may have been the corniest thing I’ve said ever.”

“Yeah, just a little.” Tom nodded, and a sweet chuckle followed, “But, thanks.”

He had a bit of a twinkle in his caramel-toned eyes, and his jaw was incredibly sharp. When he looked away, he’d clench his jaw and you noticed how tense he seemed.

Tom smiled, blushing a bit before he pushed the book on top of the counter toward him. It was an old copy of Pride and Prejudice that he found on a top shelf a few weeks ago. He re-read it three times, and each time felt like a different experience. He rarely annotated, but Tom genuinely loved reading this book and wanted to write down any thought he had about it.

“A favorite?” You asked him.

“Can you tell?” He chuckled, passing it to you.

You skimmed the pages, running your fingers over the different colored post-its sticking out. His handwriting was a bit small, but you could make out what he noted and you found it incredibly cute. You smiled to yourself as you read through them, and Tom hoped there was nothing embarrassing in there– not that there would be but he was already nervous around you.

Just as you got to the last page, a picture fell out and you turned it over to its front. The frame was cardboard with the Disney logo on it and the picture was of Tom and his parents. Sporting a Mickey Mouse baseball cap, he showed a huge smile and held a melting ice cream. His mom and dad were smiling too, his mom with her arm around his small structure and Tom gulped.

“Are these your parents?” You asked.

“Yeah, I was wondering where I left that picture.” He smiled, taking it from you.

You watched him grin at it, but the smile slowly faded the longer he glanced. It didn’t seem so much reminiscing, but feeling more sad. He didn’t want to get down on himself, but he put the picture underneath the counter.

“It’s cute. My parents never took me to those kinds of places growing up, but I was never the Disney princess lover either.” You pouted. 

He chuckled, “What? You didn’t want a Disney prince? Something like Prince Eric?”

You hummed, “You do resemble a bit of Prince Phillip.”

Tom furrowed his eyebrows, crossing his arms, “The boring one?”

“Okay, okay. Maybe Prince Charming… you look like you can treat a girl to a dance,” you teased.

“The one time I slow danced was at my prom in year 13 and I remember stepping on her feet most of the night.” He told, trying to deflect your compliment

You rolled your eyes, “Oh, please. Now you’re being dramatic like a prince.” You grinned at him. 

Hesitantly, you moved your hand toward his face and pushed back the curls laying on his forehead. Your fingers carded to the back of his head, feeling his soft coarse hair and his brown eyes sparkled. It was a bold first move, but you wanted to know if this intense crush was too good to be true.

All this passes through Tom’s head is “do it”, his instincts scream. Kiss her.

You brought your hand back to his cheek, and you brushed your thumb over his bottom lip before leaning in to kiss him. Tom slowly moved his hands up your sides, pulling you closer to him as the two of you continued to makeout. He lightly pushed you against the counter, your bodies pressed together as he tasted your cherry-flavored lip balm.

With your foreheads against one anothers, Tom pulled away to take a breath, but it caused you both to let out this warm giggle. Just as you were about to kiss again, there was a sudden knock on the door along with the doorknob jiggling.

You quickly ducked under the counter while Tom stood there, trying to fix his hair as well as rub the lip balm off his mouth. He saw his uncle walk through the door, turning on the lights and Tom’s embarrassment flooded his body.

“I thought we were getting robbed. The silent alarm went off a few minutes ago.” His uncle told him, pretty light-hearted once he saw it was Tom.

“No, it was just me.” Tom gulped, glancing down at you hiding under the counter.

“Good, good. Why are you here so late? Your mom told me you had some party tonight.” His uncle trailed, shoving his hands in his pockets.

“It was getting… loud and I just left to get some air. Work on some papers.”

You could audibly hear his uncle sigh, then say, “Is this because of… the divorce?”

Tom sealed his lips, it wasn’t what he wanted to talk about right now– especially since you were unknowingly in the room. Although divorce was a common thing, it was different going through when you’re already grown up and that was Tom’s struggle. He knew his parents had underlying issues, but he didn’t think he would get sat down and told his parents would separate their lives then and now.

“I know, it’s hard. But, you have to talk to someone about this. We don’t want you… hiding away, missing out on opportu-”

“I’m not, I just… wanted to be alone.” Tom shrugged, trying to grin and bear it.

His uncle didn’t want to get more into it since Tom was still going through it, but he nodded.

“Alright, make sure to lock up when you’re done. See you tomorrow, kid.” He sweetly said before he walked back out, the bell above the door ringing. Tom was only left with a bright red face, and a sudden racing in his heart. It’s like he realized how lonely he had made himself to be rather than people avoiding him altogether. 

Coming from under the counter, you dusted off your shirt at first. You didn’t want to immediately face Tom, sensing there was a bit of awkwardness created. He rubbed the back of his curls, but you finally broke the silence.

“Sorry, my lip balm kind of… got all over your lips.” You joked, taking your thumb to wipe the smudge of gloss from his chin.

Tom smiled, but nodded, “Well, I’m more sorry you had to hear that, but it’s no big deal. I don’t know why my family has so many issues.”

“I think they’re just genuinely worried about you. I mean, you don’t seem much of the talking type.” You confessed.

“It’s ironic. They don’t ask about any of this stuff until I just don’t say anything at all. Maybe, I just want to be left alone and be able to think about how the only two stable people in my life just choose to not be with each other anymore.” He trailed, trying to humor himself.

You could tell he’d been hurt by people before, but this was something he was expecting. It was still shocking, but he chose to close everyone off. 

Tom thought if he didn’t have to talk about these feelings, they’d go away. But, by telling you, basically a complete stranger, how he felt— his hurt was more on the surface than he thought.

“Well, you don't deserve to feel this way.” You told him with honesty, rubbing his tense shoulder, “If I can promise you one thing.”

There was a bit of comfort in that. At least someone acknowledging his feelings over their own.

“Thanks.” He grinned.

“Please, you’re one cigarette away from being Holden Caulfield. I felt like I needed to step in now… because he was the worst.”

Tom rolled his eyes, “He witnessed worse.”

“Well, luckily he’s a fictional character. Meanwhile, you need to worry about how you feel, and not be so… scared of thinking the world is going to get you.” You trailed, running your hand from your shoulder to the back of his curls.  

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*

A week and a half breezed by and all you did was hang out with Tom at the bookstore, the library, or his room at his fraternity house. Occasionally, Harrison would pop in, trying to tease him, but also try to get to know you since Tom cared about you. It was actually a bit cute the way Harrison would pinch at Tom’s cheek, trying to make him flustered in your presence. You could tell he cared about him too.

Once your finals were finished and Tom was paid for his essays, it was nice to hang around the bookstore without the added tension. You could hang out for hours and read books in the cozy corner of the store, near the cat by the window and the sunlight would kiss against your skin. Sometimes Tom would get lost in the mesmerizing scene–like being with you meant more than fate. Something like he read in novels.

The sun was starting to set when the two of you entered the pizzeria where Harrison worked. Both of you nodded your heads over at him behind the counter before finding a booth by the window.

“Look at him in his cute apron.” You teased, sliding into the booth.

“Trust me, he thinks it’s a magnet for girls. I wouldn’t let him know.” Tom chuckled.

Although you and Tom were having a fun time, you hadn’t talked about the kiss you shared. Not that it wasn’t on both your minds, but felt better left unsaid than having to figure out what’s going on between you two and ruining this blossoming friendship. It already took long enough to talk to each other outside the bookstore, neither of you wanted to taint that.

“So, do you have any plans for the weekend?” You asked him.

Before Tom could answer, Harrison slid next to him already sporting a cheeky smile and wiped some flour on Tom’s cheek from his apron.

“What are you two gossiping about, huh? Or just miss me?” Harrison winked at you, but Tom wiped the flour off his face.

“We just wanted to grab a slice.” Tom cheeks tinted pink, feeling as if he’s being embarrassed by his dad.

“Calm down, Tommy.” Harrison smiled, “You’re too easy to mess with sometimes.” Harrison jokingly retorted.

You giggled, “Don’t worry, I’m gonna go and order.” You tell them before getting up, heading to the counter.

The two boys watched you walk up to the counter, beaming at the cashier as you made small talk before ordering. Tom’s look glistened, sparkling when he kept his eyes on you and Harrison snickered at his doe-like gaze.

“So, you guys made out and nothing happened?” 

It was no lie that Tom regretted venting Harrison–moments like this reminded him of that.

Tom gulped, “I think what’s going on is fine.” He lied.

“Fine?” Harrison asked, “You’ve been crushing on her for weeks and she obviously likes you too.”

“You can’t know that.” Tom trailed.

“She’s been to the bookstore everyday to hang out with you, going out to dinner, spending time at the house and you know no girl likes hanging out there, look at the bathroom for God’s sake, it’s disgusting. No woman willingly stays there unless she’s basically in love.” Harrison explained.

Tom nodded in disagreement, “I don’t think she… likes me. I’m not gonna mess up just talking to her.”

“You’re not. You just need to figure out how to make the right move.” Harrison stated before quickly asking, “Hey, you got invited to Steven’s wedding, right?”

Steven was one of the alumni of the frat house and a close friend of both the guys. Tom was a “baby-faced” freshman when they met and was still teased to this day for looking so young.

“Yeah. I did, but I don’t know if I’m going. It’s kind of far.” Tom trailed, scratching his nail against the table.

Harrison smiled, “No, you should go and Y/N is your plus one. Bam, matchmaking.”

Tom rolled his eyes, “Yeah because a two hour car trip would really make me less awkward and weird.”

“You need to be a little hopeful. It’s not like your strangers anymore. You guys hang out at the store for hours with no problems. C’mon, she’d love it. It’s a nice countryside wedding and lots of our friends will be there so it’s not like you’ll be the odd one out. Introduce her, and maybe find some romantic spot to makeout, huh?”

Tom thought Harrison was a bit in over his head, but trying to make him see the other side of his pessimistic thoughts. Tom liked you, you like Tom. The problem was finding the moment to say that outlook to each other.

He twisted his lips, “How do I even ask that?”

“You’ll know how to say it when the moment comes… which seems like right now.” Harrison smirked.

As you walked back with a table timer in your hand, already wanting it to vibrate with your order since you were starving. You slipped into the booth, noticing both boys getting quiet which made you giggle.

“Am I interrupting something private?” You teased them.

“Actually, we were talking about a wedding we’re going to next weekend.” Harrison immediately said.

Tom wanted to sink into his seat.

“A wedding? Aw, that’s nice.” You smiled, “Who’s wedding?”

“Our friend, Steven, is getting married and I think Tom wanted to ask you something…” Harrison insisted.

Tom’s eyes widened, but Harrison quickly said, “I gotta get back to work. I’ll bring your food right out.” He flashed a cheery smile, something Tom wanted to slap off his face if he could, before leaving you two to talk– more like Tom improving what to say.

The feeling could be compared to dropping a baby into the deep end, trying to teach them how to swim and all Tom could do is internally panic.

You thanked Harrison before facing toward Tom’s pink-tinted face, and you tilted your head with a cheeky smile, “Something to ask me?”

He sighed but nervously smiled, “Not to impose, but… I was wondering if you wanted to… go with me? To the wedding. I know it’s last minute and all, but I would really like you to go… with me.”

You giggled at his shy question, “I’d love to go with you, Tom. It sounds like fun.”

There was a relief in the air for Tom, not thinking you would accept so quickly and with an assuring smile.

“ Really?” He still asked.

“I don’t know why you assume the worst of me. Maybe being your wedding date will change that. Weddings always give people a bit of optimism” You chuckled, tilting your head at his shy expression.

A light chuckle left his lips, “Remember, optimism isn’t my thing. Then our personality equal us out.” He joked.

“Exactly why I’m the perfect wedding date. I make the conversations and you hold your drink and nod. It’ll be adorable.” You grinned back as heat radiated from your cheeks.

Tom can’t hold back his smile once you look out the window. His eyes traced your jaw then up your perfect cheekbones, trailing to your eyes as the streetlight reflected off the irises. He feels that moment again where he could confess everything he felt for you right there in front of everyone at the pizza place, a small amount of courage whispering in his ear to do it. Just to say it out loud.

“Here’s your complimentary garlic bread, love birds.” Harrison interrupted as he placed the plastic basket on the center of the table.

“Thank you for your incredible service.” You jeered at the cheeky blonde.

Tom laughed off his sudden thought, nodding at Harrison before you two started talking about the wedding plan since you were going now. The rest of the night was hanging out and eating together, talking about the future with classic rock playing over the old speakers in the restaurant.

There was a coziness that radiated the more you were vulnerable, even showing through being more relaxed while sitting in the booths. You felt like you could tell him anything and for once not have to think twice about what you revealed or said. No one could compare to Tom and you wish you could tell him that. 

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ* 

A breeze brushed past your face as you waited outside your apartment with your bags. You were sat on the front step, waiting for the two boys to pick you up on this nice summer day. Tempted to text them for a time of arrival, the door opened behind you and you glanced up to see Lillian.

“I went through the back only for your roommates to tell me you’re already waiting outside. I feel like I haven’t seen you in weeks.” She jeered as she sat next to you on the stoop.

You sighed, “Sorry, I’ve been hanging out with Tom.”

She chuckled, “Of course. I’m not surprised. It’s been this way ever since you ditched me at the party-”

“I didn’t mean to di-”

“I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” Lillian giggled, putting her hand on top of your knee, “I know you really like him.”

“I don’t… like him that much.”

“I can’t remember the last time someone could actually get your attention away from books or studying so, I like to call it fate that you met at the party.” She teased and scrunched her nose.

You rolled her eyes before turning your head, seeing the car come down the street and you quickly stand up. As you brush off the back of your pants, Lillian picks up one of your bags and the two of you slowly walk up to the curb. Once the car stopped, the two boys got out and Tom immediately greets you with his pearly smile.

“Hey Tom, Harrison,  this is my friend, Lillian.” You introduced them, gesturing your head.

“Hey there.” She greeted both of them, moving her hair behind her shoulders, “Don’t let anything happen to her.”

“We promise.” Tom grinned, lowly chuckling before he took your bag she gave to him.

After giving a goodbye hug Lillian, you slid into the backseat of the car. You sat on the left side so you could sit diagonally from Tom’s view, already creating terribly awkward scenarios in your head for what this two hour drive may be like.

What if we don’t talk at all? What if I’m in over my head? What if this isn’t real or what I thought? What if this whole trip was going to be a big mistake?

Tom was pondering the same, but he tried his best not to doubt his own feelings. Especially after the, what Harrison would call, pep talk he gave him on the way to your building. Nevertheless, it made Tom especially when he already knew he was being incredibly shy, but knew Harrison meant well.

“Alright so, I found out Cami Bernet was coming and I wanted to stay in her room so… It’s just the two of you sharing the hotel room, yeah?” Harrison announced, making you and Tom share a sudden glance.

“I don’t mind…” You trailed, your eyes shifting.

“Yeah, no problem.” Tom quickly added.

Harrison smiled at your reactions, “Don’t worry, there’s one bed and a pull out couch.”

Tom’s face beamed a light pink, making him turn his head toward the window. But, you did the same by turning your face to see the street passing by as you were leaving town. Harrison couldn’t help but smirk to himself at how antagonizing he could be yet trying to be a perfect matchmaker.

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ* 

Toward the end of the drive, you laid down in the backseat wearing the cozy hoodie Tom stuffed in his backpack. With your head sunk into your pillow and your legs curled up, you looked as comfortable as someone could on a road trip. A few times, Tom glanced over his shoulder to make sure you were okay when there was a sudden bump in the road, but you also looked cute nuzzling your face into your pillow. 

Once you arrived to the hotel, you stirred in your daze as Harrison pulled in front of the huge front doors. Two valets walked up to the car, one on Harrison’s side then another by the trunk. As Tom got out, he quickly opened the back door and lightly shook your leg.

“Hey Y/N, we’re here.” He softly spoke, giving his hand for you to hold.

You blinked a few times, but lazily smiled as you wrapped your hand around his and pulled yourself up from the comfortable position you lied in. You pulled down your hoodie when you got out of the car, grabbing your bag on the floor while watching the valets take the rest of them to put on a luggage cart.

“Jesus, Tom. What’s in this?” Harrison asked as he gave Tom his duffle.

“A few books, some shoes…” He trailed.

“You brought books to a vacation wedding? How adorable.” Harrison teased him as he gave the valet his keys before entering the hotel doors.

You giggled, “What literary fix did you bring on a two day trip? Romantic novels, I bet.”

“Oh, yeah. That’s just my genre.” Tom chuckled, his eyebrows raised at his comment.

The entrance to the hotel was grand, to say the least. There were two large, revolving glass doors trimmed with gold that entered into the main lobby with renaissance art against the woven wallpaper. Both your heads tilted up toward the ceiling, admiring the pale murals along the lavish lights.

You could only hope to get married at such a beautiful place in the future, and you were pretty optimistic that you would find someone for that to happen.

Harrison faced the two of you walking toward him, noticing the way you glared at Tom and your eyes looking so bright. Although he was still looking at the scenery, your eyes were just on him. It made Harrison smirk, but turn back to the hotel front desk manager.

“Thanks.” Harrison grinned, taking the key card. He turned to Tom, “Here’s your key. Don’t be too loud and rowdy. This is a classy place.” He teased, seeing Tom already turn a tomato red.

You snickered, “Thanks, Harrison. You guys planned doing anything?”

Harrison nodded, “I’m meeting Cami by the pool then we’re gonna go back to her room before the rehearsal dinner. What about you guys?”

“I actually saw on their website that there’s a historical library on the second floor, a bunch of old collections.” You turned, “Tom? Interested?” You asked him with a beaming smile across your face.

Tom glanced at Harrison, who also was smiling, then back at you, “Yeah, of course. Sounds fun.”

“Wow, you guys really know how to get out of your comfort zone. Have fun with that.” Harrison, obviously sarcastic, stated before leaving to meet Cami.

Quickly, the two of you took the large, carpeted staircase on the second floor and followed the signs that directed toward the library. It wasn’t as fancy as the hotel, but it did look pretty old from the traditional style of the room.

You looked up at the high ceiling before heading toward the back shelves of familiar British authors. Although most of these titles triggered him back to all the essays he was paid to do his last year of college, he glared back at you completely mesmerized by the complete collections.

“Look, Williams works. All his romanticism in one set. I bet that’s like a dream to you.” You smiled to yourself, flashing back to your late night ramblings over the phone about literature. You never thought you’d meet anyone with a bigger opinion on themes of romance– and Tom was pretty convincing in his arguments. Truly adorable when you he went on his tangents, just wanting to listen to his soft voice all day.

Tom traced his fingers along the spines of the books before selecting one to read. He breezed through the pages, noticing the pictures within the text before he glanced up and didn’t see you straight on.

“Y/N?” 

“Over here!” Your voice echoed.

He followed the sound of your tone then seeing you sitting in a comfortable nook that overlooked the beach and pool area.

“I found the best seat in the house.” You jeered, pulling your legs to your chest with your back against the wall of the nook.

Tom joined you, sitting down on the cushion within the space and facing you from the opposite side. The natural sunlight came through the window beautifully, so much so that he was already in the reading mood.

You grin, “I bet a bunch of writers came here and just wrote their hearts out.” You said as you looked out to the calm ocean.

“Or where a lot of people hid from their brides.” Tom jeered.

You rolled your eyes, then crawled over to his side. You instantly curled up next to him, your head against his chest as the two of you glanced at the page of the book together. Tom didn’t expect you to get so close, but he wasn’t complaining. 

Within that time, you learned that Tom is the fast reader between you two. Dorky enough, you were a bit envious of that. Everytime he tried to turn the page to tease you, you’d quickly put your hand up to stop him and plea that he stop moving his eyes so fast. 

About thirty pages in, Tom hadn’t realized he was flying through the pages with how in depth he was of the text. He turned his head and saw you fell asleep, smiling down at you and not knowing the short car ride really tired you out. He didn’t move though, he wouldn’t dare to with how peaceful you appeared. He chuckled at your light breaths, napping against him with your hand at the center of his chest.

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ* 

A few minutes later, you woke up in Tom’s arms and almost sprung up from the embarrassment.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize I passed out.” You chuckled, lifting out of his arms.

“No, it’s okay. I was just reading away.” He shrugged, showing that boyish smile that made your heart race.

The two of you came to the conclusion that you were starved, so you thought of the only bougie thing to do on a wedding weekend– ordering room service. Giddy and smiling, both of you went one of the three huge elevators in the hall and headed to the eleventh floor.

When you entered your room, your luggage was lined up by the door. Neither of you wanted to gawk, but it was probably one of the more fancier places either of you stayed in your lives.

There was a deep tub in the bathroom and robes hanging on the door as well as a king-size bed with an incredible ocean view and balcony. The sofa was in the corner with the mini-fridge next to it, making you curious as to what else they could offer.

“Do you think if we take from here Harrison will kill us?” You asked Tom, opening the small fridge door.

“Kill, no. Strangle? Maybe.”

You giggled, but saw a few sodas and healthy snacks. As you checked out the selection, Tom walked back to the bathroom and turned on the light. His eyes widened to a bottle of champagne on ice set on the counter. There was a tiny card next to the bucket that said: Happy Wedding Everyone! From us, to you! XO The Bride and Groom.

Holy shit, how much was Steven paying for this. Tom thought.

“Wow, that’s for us?” You asked peaking from the doorway.

“I say that we toast. It only seems right.” Tom trailed as he checked the label on the bottle.

Maybe this wouldn’t be as awkward of a night as the two of you dread. Thank God.

Tom already popped the cork, making you hurry back with a bit of a pout on your lip.

“Well, couldn’t find wine glasses but I did find hotel coffee mugs. Much more sophisticated.”

After pouring both cups at least half, the two of you sat on the balcony to admire the scene. The view from your hotel room was beautiful, as if it was a green screen. The sun perfectly setting below the shorelines and the winds blowing the tall grass in the dunes. It reminded you both that it was the summertime; a period of time to relax and destress from the fast pace environment of school and warm up from the previous harsh winters.

There was a freedom in the air, almost confusing from how much time you suddenly had.

“This is definitely the kind of view I want for my wedding.” You trailed, a bit mesmerized.

Tom nodded, “Really?”

“Yeah. A beach wedding is romantic… well, until it gets windy, but I know I’ll get my planning down.” You said before turning to him, “Where do you want to get married?”

His heart skipped a beat, “I’ve never thought about it.”

You scoffed, “Never?”

He nodded, “Never ever. My dad sort of said that it’s what the woman does and the man just nods and agrees.”

“God, your dad sounds like a joy… No offense.” You quickly corrected yourself.

“He’s always been like that. Then I wonder why they didn’t work out.” Tom tried to humor himself.

Your lips went to the side before saying, “Hey, that’s their issues. It doesn’t fall on you or anything. I personally think they did do a great job at raising their son. He turned out pretty okay.” You grinned, holding your cup with both hands.

Tom smirked, “I can agree with okay.”

When he looked at you, it’s like he had this crush on you for years. He thought for a moment that maybe if he believed in his gut feeling, there could be a chance with you. He couldn’t keep backing out each time he wanted to ask you that simple question.

You wondered the same just a few feet away from him. You didn’t want to think so highly of yourself in his perspective, but the thought of getting over this crush would make you feel nothing but regret.

Something was there. The word for it was unknown at the moment. Ultimately, it was now or never. 

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ* 

In the early hours of the day, you and Tom found yourselves in a rush to get ready. As you tried to do your makeup in the bathroom, Tom was in the main room looking in the long mirror while trying to perfect his black tie. He wore a nice navy blue suit with a white button up, feeling like he was playing dress up since he never went to many fancy occasions other than important fraternity meetings.

“How are you doing in there?” You asked him, contorting your face to make sure there were no creases in your concealer.

“I remember why I wear clip-on ties.” He mumbled as he pulled at the end of the tie, but the knot was too crooked by his collar.

As you put down the brush, you grabbed one of your earrings and tried putting it on as you walked out to see where he was at. You saw how he struggled to figure out what shirt to where, seeing the two other unbuttoned ones on the pull-out coach he slept on last night.

“Here, let me try.” You trailed, standing right in front of him so you could align the tie. Tom glanced at you, your eyes focused on the centering as your fingers moved the knot around to get it just right. He gulped with how close you were to him– the last time being when you two had a short make-out before being interrupted. If he kept thinking about it, the more red his cheeks would get and he tried to let his mind go somewhere else.

“There, that’s better. A wedding date has never looked so handsome.” You teased, patting down his tie on top of his shirt. He nervously chuckled, both of you sharing a shy smile before you touched his gelled curls to fix the stray strand of hair by his forehead.

“Now, how do I look?” You asked him, dramatically posing with your hands on your hips. You wore a knee high dress, a pale blue that complimented Tom’s shade of blue where it still matched.

“You look beautiful.” Tom complimented in complete awe.

Heat rose your face, genuinely flustered, “Good, we should probably head down there… before Harrison can think of any comments to throw our way.”

“You’re right.” Tom groaned.

Well, Harrison’s insinuated comments were well in his head anyways so, you two got a few of those before the three of you headed to the wedding venue outside by the beach. Harrison briefly mentioned Cami, not getting into too many details which was for the best (at the moment). 

The three of you took your white fold-out seats toward the middle of the left side, Tom and Harrison pointing out Steven’s family in the front row. You picked up the pamphlet that sat on the chair, the cover showing a professionally taken picture of the couple.

Smiling, you read through the brief summary of the ceremony and Tom kept giving you short glares. He really couldn’t believe how beautiful you looked, especially in the warm sun and beautiful setting around you all.

Once everyone gathered, the wedding started and eventually everyone stood up for the bride’s entrance. You saw her already tearing up, almost making you want to shed tears as well, but you held it together. It was nice to see this woman so happy and you didn’t even know her– you just knew she was happy.

All went well and thorough, everyone awing at the ring bearer and flower girls, but then the vows came and there was nothing but silence.

“I promise to love you today as much as I did yesterday, as much as I will tomorrow and years to come.”

Both you and Tom got shivers up your spine, relating those words. You glance down at Tom’s hand resting between his legs, watching him pick at his nails, and you carefully placed your hand on top of his wrist. He didn’t even realize he was doing it, a shy smile to show his bit of embarrassment. You quietly giggled, squeezing his hand before bringing your hand back to your own lap.

Tom let out a shaky sigh, gulping and thinking his tie was now strangling his throat.

The ceremony would end in a beautiful kiss before the bride and groom left back down the aisle. Everyone slowly moved over to the reception which was only a few feet away under a huge white tent. The cake was set as well as the food and free bar, everyone, including Tom, able to loosen their ties and even take off their shoes to dance.

“That was really nice. Anything like you want at your non-thought of wedding?” You jeered at Tom, walking next to him.

He nodded, “I took a few mental notes. But, my eyes may have been concentrating too much at what color pink the bridesmaid dresses were.” 

“I was thinking between a light flamingo or cotton candy.” You scrunched your nose.

With booze and food being passed around, all the wedding guests were having a great time. With the sun set and the fairy lights beaming around the tent, everyone was having fun and embracing the bride and groom’s special day. Their first dance together was sweet, applauded and wooed before the real party started. 

Hooked on A Feeling by Blue Swede began mid-verse, making everyone laugh at how random the song was. People linked together, swinging back and forth with happiness painted on every face.

“Do you want to dance?” You asked Tom, getting up from your seat and giving your hand out to him.

He nodded, “I’m good right now.”

“C’mon. One dance.” You pouted, “Don’t leave me hanging here.”

“Maybe later.” Tom chuckled, turning a bit pink. 

That was one thing he forgot before the trip– how to dance with rhythm in his step.

“I’ll warm you up and maybe makeTom realize he’s missing out.” Harrison jeered, stepping in to take your hand.

Tom dazed in pure awe of you sway back and forth with Harrison. He wasn’t envious, confident knowing that his bestfriend wouldn’t do that to him, but just being able to see you gracefully dance was like seeing an floating angel glide on clouds. Harrison spun you a few times, throwing your hand back in laughter just from the positive atmosphere.

A minute or two passed in the song, and Tom leaned his arm on the back of his seat, grinning at your smile, but you suddenly made eye contact across the room.

He blushed as you and Harrison walked back over, hoping he wouldn’t be making a fool of himself.

“It’s your turn.” You smiled, taking his hand and Tom got out of his seat. Harrison purposely cheered for both of you loudly, making a scene to tease Tom, but he was happy that Tom was happy. Brown Eyed Girl started playing when you both planted your feet and instantly grooved to the fast beat. Sure, the songs were kind-of cheesy, but it’s expected at a wedding and all you could do was embrace it.

You two merged into the dancing crowd, everyone happy and spinning around as well as kids jumping around between their parents. You wrapped your arms around Tom’s neck, both of you moving and swaying and people passed by singing some of the lyrics. Even Steven and his bride cut in, making everyone cheer for them and laugh.

Once the night calmed down, with kids and older folks heading to their rooms, slower songs played for the guests still enjoying their time. As nice of a night it was, you looked out at the beach from afar and Tom was nursing his drink next to you.

“Do you want to… go see if we can sit on the beach?” You hesitantly asked, wondering if it was cheesy.

Tom nodded, “Sure. Yeah.” He half-smiled.

You both walked together from the wedding tent, heading down the unlit path. Tom grabbed one of the folded blankets displayed in a bin for people who wanted to sit on the beach any time of the day. 

As you two got closer to the beach, Tom couldn’t help but notice everything going on. The moonlight, the leftover pink petals and rice in the sand, even dolphins fins going by within the waves.

No one could make this up as the most perfect moment to ask someone out. Tom cracked his knuckles, the two of you listening to the crash of the waves against the shore, before he stuttered out his words.

“D-Did you have fun tonight?” He shyly asked, not looking at you.

“Yeah, I had a lot of fun. I’m glad you invited me…” You trailed.

Okay, this was the moment. Tom thought, This is when you tell her.

He gulped, but you spoke before him.

“Are you okay?” You furrowed your brow.

Tom cleared his throat, “Yeah! Yeah, I just… I want to tell you something.”

You giggled at his sudden shyness, getting closer to him, “What’s going on?” You grinned, but a bit concerned. You couldn’t gauge if his tone was happy or upset.

He didn’t want to take a completely dramatic pause, but there wasn’t enough air in the world for his lungs to feel like they were working. His tongue felt dry, his skin felt cold, holding his breath until it just all slipped out.

“I really like you and… I haven’t been able to figure out how to say it. I read these books about love and what it is but, I couldn’t think of anything to say for shit.” Tom chuckled, his neck and cheeks heated, “But, now I know that I want to be with you and I’ve known that ever since you came into my life wearing some caution tape and gave you my hoodie… I think that you’re the most amazing person I’ve ever met.”

He couldn’t believe he admitted it out loud, feeling a bit faint from letting it all out at once.

You chuckled in relief, “I like you too, Tom. We’ve spent so much time together and you’re so fun to be with that I’ve been tripping over myself wondering if you felt the same.” You thought your heart was in your throat and butterflies bursted in your stomach, “I didn’t want to be that weird girl who just thinks she’s in love with the cute guy at the bookstore she spends too much time at during the day.” 

Tom gulped, surprised by your response, but he had to catch his breath again when your eyes met again. The moment was still a bit awkward, not knowing what to say next, but you bite your bottom lip, “I think this is the part in books and movies where we kiss and ride into the sunrise on your beautiful steed.” 

He cracked a smile and leaned in, his hand against your cheek before your lips met. You would be lying if you said you weren’t dying for this kiss to happen. Like that end at any sappy romance novel you read for pleasure, they always ended in these kind of passionate and satisfying kisses. Although you didn’t think those type of scenarios were real, this was enough to make you start believing.

*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ*✭˚·ﾟ✧*·ﾟ* 

Your eyes fluttered open, surprised by the sound of the waves still crashing onto the shore and salty but gentle breeze brushing across your face. You two must have fallen asleep from how tired the night made you between the dancing and drinking, but you weren’t complaining instead smiling at the coincidence.

A few moments later, Tom would stir from his sleep. He didn’t believe how loud and close the waves were, but his eyes fluttered open to you sat up and looking out at dawn. The wedding arch still stood between the soft sand of the beach, both of you watching the glowing sunset begin its descent under the horizon. 

Another cold breeze set the relaxed mood even more as you two sat there admiring the start of the morning. Tom stretched his back, both of you comfortable with the silence between you two. Feeling refreshed and happy, you turned your head to Tom and the orange light made his brown eyes shine.

“Yesterday happened, right? It wasn’t just an amazing dream I had.” Tom joked, turning to smile at you.

“Truly real. Nothing fictional about it.” You smiled.

Tom placed his hand on your cheek, cupping your skin softly before placing his lips on yours. Your smile faded as your noses brushed together, your heart fluttering as you paced your sweet kiss. It was your happy ending that no book could write.

[chezzywezzy]

Yandere Henry Bowers (1/5)

Word count ; 4.0k

*Edited.

I was anxious. And because I was anxious, I hyper-focused on every shoulder that I grazed, every group I squeezed past. I knew it was silly to be so overwhelmed from moving schools, but the notion was new to me. And poorly timed.

People usually sob about divorces, but my parents’ separation was downright annoying and inconvenient; if they’d waited just one more year, I could’ve graduated from the same school I started kindergarten in and things wouldn’t have been difficult. Yet, here I was, in the Middle Of Nowhere; also known as Derry.

So, here I was, clutching my bag to my chest as I weaved through a crowd of strangers. My heart thudded on my chest. I wasn’t quite sure where I was going, but I was early so I had plenty of time to wander the halls in hope of finding the student office.

I migrated to the left side of the hall, slightly more comfortable now that I wasn’t going against the tide. However, my shoulders scrunched together as I passed a group of boys leaning against the lockers. I brushed shoulders with one of them, and I was momentarily terrified, speeding up. I think I heard a scoff.

Luckily, only a hallway away, was a clear room with a front desk. I scurried toward it, relaxing the moment I entered the zone. A middle-aged woman was at the desk, glasses also sliding off her nose. She seemed tired; there were at least three coffee cups next to her.

“Hi, hello, um —“

“Yes?”

My eyes widened slightly. “Well, I’m new here, and I need my schedule…? If you don’t mind helping.”

The woman eased up. If even the office staff were this apprehensive, the students here must’ve been hell spawns. She started typing furiously on her computer. “Name?”

“Y/n L/n.”

“Spell it, please.”

I complied, and after she finished typing it in, rose to her feet and disappeared into an off-limit room. I stepped back from the counter, exhaling. Everything would be fine, after the first day everything would ed up being normal —

“Oh, hello. Are you a new student?”

I jumped and turned, my anxiety skyrocketing when I came face to face with a beautiful red-headed woman. “Wh - yes, I am, yeah, hi.”

The girl tilted her head. “I’m Beverly. And you are?”

“Y/n. I, uh, like your name. And your hair. Well, I mean, not just your hair, you’re just really pretty in general. Oh god, I’m rambling.”

Beverly giggled. “Thank you. I’m here to sign up for the library community service. Are you going to do any?”

“Well, maybe. I think I need to get used to this place first. I’ve never moved before,” I admitted.

Beverly nodded, and the office lady came back, a large paper in her grasp. Her firm frown changed, and I assumed it was due to Beverly. The girl definitely set me at ease, so I wasn’t surprised she had this effect on everyone else. God, I needed to stop simping, I just met the woman.

“Here’s you schedule,” the woman mumbled. “Are ya here to sign up for library work again, Beverly?”

“Yes!”

“Thank you,” I muttered.

“Alright, I’ll let Miss Shapher know.”

“Lovely, thank you! Have a great day, Miss Copper,” Beverly said, suddenly clasping my upper arm.

“You too, Beverly.”

Beverly pulled me out of the office, and luckily, since it was almost class time, the hallway was emptier. She grabbed my schedule and bit her lip. I analyzed it from over her shoulder. AP Biology. A good start to the new school year, although I was a nerd for almost any subject.

“Wow, you’re one of the smart students, huh? A senior, too. I’m in tenth grade,” she mentioned.

“Uh, yeah. I love the sciences and literature. I’d appreciate it if you showed me where the library was sometime.”

Beverly handed me the schedule back, a small, gorgeous smile gracing her plump lips. “I’d love to. I, uh, don’t really have many friends… Anyways, I’ll walk you to your locker and point in the direction of the lab.”

“Thanks, you’ve gotta be kidding about the friend thing, though. You’re, like, such a nice person,” I admitted, falling in line beside her as we walked down the hallway. The five-minute bell rang, making me a bit nervous. I’d only been late a few times, and that wasn’t going to change at a new school.

Beverly sighed. “Well, uh, the girls here don’t really like me, and the boys pretend that I sleep around. But I don’t like to think negatively. I like school, my teachers are nice, and reading is fun. What’s your favorite book?”

“I forget what it’s called, but recently I read a fabulous book. It was about a man and an escort in the old times - it’s an old book - and they fall in love. The guy risks everything to be with her, but the woman withdraws,” I rambled. “They end up breaking up, but a few months later, the guy returns to France to find that the woman died and left everything to him. She refused to begin a life with him, not because she was a gold digger, but because she knew she was going to die soon and didn’t want him to lose everything. It really touched me. I actually lost cried.”

“…Wow. If you remember the title, I’d like to read it,” Beverly gasped, coming to a halt. “Here’s your locker. I need to get to class, but the lab is that direction.” Beverly motioned down the hallway.

“Okay, great, thanks. I hope you don’t mind me asking, but… can I sit with you at lunch?” I requested anxiously.

Beverly giggled. “I was just about to ask you the same thing. I’ll meet you here!” With that, she turned tail, and made her way through the hallway. My eyes couldn’t help but trail after her.

I eventually knocked myself out of the stupor and turned to the locker. I opened it and withdrew a flimsy lock. I took a minute to organize and relieve my bag of several textbooks. I smiled to myself as I unloaded a few novels. I knew it would’ve been a bad idea to bring so many books, but I thought I’d be spending my first day - and potentially entire year - alone.

I finished organizing and clutched the books to my chest. I went to shut my locker, but it was suddenly slammed shut. I let out a surprised gasp and went to step away, but instead I collided with someone’s chest.

A pale hand leaned against my locker, and I turned to find myself surrounded by a group of boys. The one who had assaulted my locker had shoulder length, black hair and a cunning, violating smirk. To the sides, there was a blonde boy who seemed rather elfish as though he didn’t want to be here, along with a sturdy, thickly built boy with a grin. My attention, however, landed on the teen with a messy brown mullet and an intimidating scowl.

“Uh… hello?” I greeted unsurely, glancing at the group.

“Looks like we have a new school slut, boys,” the brown-haired male stated. “Where the fuck are you from, whore?”

I was taken aback by the strong language; one might think that because I had terrible social anxiety, school bullies would terrify the hell out of me. I mean, they did, but people like that were easier to deal with because I didn’t care enough to impress or shy away from them. Because the fact is, they probably all had daddy issues.

I refrained from sighing. “Y/t. And who do I have the pleasure of meeting?” I made sure not to give any reaction to their crudeness, even if I was internally shuddering from the lanky boy’s perverse stares.

“Maybe we’ll tell ya when you’re done sucking our dicks,” the black-haired pervert hissed in my ear.

My eye twitched, but I made sure to keep my stern, unwavering gaze on the obvious leader.

“What he said. A sweater slut like you don’t deserve to know our names. Give us your fucking lunch money, whore. We know you got some,” the boy growled, which resulted in some cruel cackles from his minions.

“…Well fine. I was just trying to be polite,” I grumbled. “I don’t have fucking money dudes, I make my own lunch. Now if you’ll excuse me, I don’t want to be late on the first day.”

Stirring any residual confidence, - as I was attempting to run away - I tried shoving through the blonde and the bulk. However, I found myself being forced back into the lockers. I let out a painful groan and some of my school supplies slipped from my bag. My head rang from the sheer force and I squinted my features.

“Don’t fucking sass us, sweater slut,” mullet man sneered, burning into me with an intimidating glower.

“Boys! Either go to class or get the hell out,” a teacher shouted from down the hallway, amidst the clamor of classmates.

The gang threw the teacher a glance and distanced themselves. “We aren’t done here, sweater slut,” the lanky creep whispered in my ear as they disappeared into the crowd; I noted that they were generally feared, as everyone made room for them as they went past.

I finally released a breath that I didn’t realize I was holding in, my anxieties melting away. They were scarier than anticipated - I didn’t like that they were fine with using physical force. But, even if I was a coward, I refused to be one in front of assholes like them.

Sighing and picking up my stuff, I decided to head to class.

~~~

“Oh, they’re the Bowers Gang. I forgot to warn you about those dickheads. They torment every new kid,” Beverly sighed.

Me and my new friend had just exited the school building. She insisted that the cafeteria was ugly and crowded, and that she’d always spent her lunches out in the courtyard outskirts, where all the nerds or sport kids ate. The area we were walking to was verdant and luscious, right by the school’s edges where it was gated off. We were by the basketball court, too, and instead of eating, there were a bunch of jocks shooting hoops.

Beverly took me to a tree and we sat at the base, happily hiding underneath the shade as we took out our lunches. Her red hair glistened attractively, and I couldn’t help but adore her small, lovely smile. Oh god, I was simping too hard too fast —

“How were your classes?” she inquired with the tilt of her head. I noticed that she had a rather small packed lunch.

“Great, actually. I haven’t had a teacher I hate yet. A nice start to my Monday,” I answered, pulling out my sandwich. “Want a slice? I’m a great sandwich chef.”

“Oh! It’s alright, I have enough,” she declined humbly. “I make my lunches, too. Maybe tomorrow we can trade, don’t you think? I’ve never had a friend to try it with before.”

I grinned. “Oh my god, me neither. We have to do that. Consider it a challenge, though, because I make some mean cut-up apple slices,” I joked.

Beverly chuckled and we fell into a comfortable silence as we ate. I figured Beverly did the same, but I spent my meal watching boys play basketball in the court. However, my gaze expanded further, where I noticed in the parking lot, the dreaded ‘Bowers Gang.’ I couldn’t help but stare; when they weren’t terrorizing their classmates, they looked just like a normal group of friends. At least, when you ignored the aloof, menacing glares they sent to random areas.

I took another bite of my sandwich, and that’s when I froze. The leader of the gang was looking my way. I averted my gaze, just as Beverly spoke up.

“So why did you move here?”

“Oh - ! Well, my parents got a divorce, so my mom wanted a new start. I mean, my dad’s cool, but I preferred here to wherever the hell he moved to. Still annoying, especially with those wanna-be bad boys in the parking lot, but you’ve certainly made moving here be worthwhile,” I explained.

“Ah… If you ever need to talk about it, I know we just met, but I’m here for you,” she offered up kindly.

I couldn’t help it. I let out an ‘aw’ as my heart absolutely melted. “Gosh, you’re literally the nicest person ever! I would literally die for you. But, uh, I’m good for now.”

Beverly giggled, but it was suddenly stifled as she stared at something else. I followed her line of sight and ended up coughing from shock. Approaching us, cutting across the basketball court, was the Bowers Gang. Coming right towards us.

“We should leave,” Beverly squeaked.

“Wh - No way, I bet they’re just hungry. I mean, you can go, but I’m lazy as hell,” I said. “My fat ass ain’t moving.”

Beverly halted her movements and sighed. “You’re kidding, right? I - well, too late to run now.” She hugged her lunch box to her chest and had a permanent, frightened pout.

I stared at the approaching gang. All four of them were glaring at us. But I just took a bite out of my sandwich. I hummed to myself. Damn, I was a good chef.

And just like that, we were surrounded.

“Well, well, well, should’ve known sweater slut would become friends with the resident dick-sucker,” mullet man taunted.

I spared him but a glance. “…Uh huh. What I’m hearing is, not even the sexual harasser of your boy band has been laid,” I retorted. “You boys look hungry. Want some apple slices?” I handed some to the bulky teenager and blonde bimbo.

The boy with the shaved head reached his grubby hands towards the food, but mullet man slapped it onto the ground. Afterwards, he stomped on it, along with the rest of my lunch box. Beverly let out a tearful gasp, and god I wanted to cry - not to mention pass out from a panic attack - but I stood (or sat) my ground.

I could always have a snack after school.

“Man, what the hell, I wanted to eat that!” blondie complained, but his annoyance went ignored.

The boys were clearly looking from a reaction, and they snickered when Beverly grasped my arm in a suffocating fashion.

“Dude, you seriously just destroyed free food. I don’t even know y’alls’ names and you’re acting like I fucked your moms. If you have one,” I sassed, mostly towards the leader. “Can you, like, leave us alone? I don’t really care if you pick on me, but Beverly’s literally an angel so treat her like one.”

“Oh yeah, an angel in the fucking bedroom,” the pervert snickered.

The mullet kid was staring at me intensely, with an unreadable expression. I figured that maybe, maybe he was about to back off, but then I recognized a fire in his eyes. Oh no.

The boy growled further and gripped my collar, strongly pulling me to my feet and shoving me into the tree. Beverly also stood up in order to avoid me, and she grabbed my hand. I let out a hiss of pain, but tried my best to recover, meeting his furious gaze. The boys closed in on us, and even if I was utterly terrified, I refused to show it.

“Listen here, sweater slut, watch your fucking back. You’re really getting on my nerves, and I ain’t afraid of beating the shit out of a girl,” he threatened.

In that moment, I pitied him. I could just tell. I sighed. “I hope you can learn to be happy in the future. I have a feeling you’d look much better if you smiled more often,” I stuttered.

Beverly gawked at me as though I was absolutely insane, and the entire gang was caught off guard. The pervert even halted his catcalling to watch mullet man’s reaction intently.

His grasp on my collar loosened. Even though his scowl deepened, he dropped me completely. I stumbled to my feet.

“These whores ain’t worth our time, boys,” he conceded. “Those fucking losers look like they got sticks up their ass. Let’s go.”

I didn’t deflate until the gang sufficiently disappeared. Beverly enveloped me in a warm hug, and I could’ve sworn a few tears fell on my shoulders. I reciprocated eagerly, even though I wasn’t sure what I’d done to deserve the act of affection.

“Y/n, I can’t believe you did that! And I can’t believe that worked,” she rambled. “Like, I’ve never seen Henry Bowers back down from people. He usually clocks people in the nose for trying to be nice.”

I pulled away. “God, I almost shat myself. Like, seriously, that black-haired bitch made me feel violated,” I cringed, jokingly shivering even though I wanted to hyperventilate like crazy.

Beverly turned her attention to the destroyed meal. “Oh… A shame what happened to your lunch,” she acknowledged, nudging the remains with her foot. “How about we share? And maybe… we can stop by seven-eleven after school?”

~~~

Despite the riveting first day, the passing weeks went by without a hitch, and eventually, my first month at a new school concluded. Somehow, I’d gotten on Henry Bower’s good side just enough to make me invisible to the tyrant bullies, so I spent most of my time either studying or hanging out with my bestie, Bev.

It was a normal Friday afternoon, but instead of rushing right home to spend the weekend in bed, I was heading to the library. I had taken up Bev’s recommendation and signed up for volunteer work, so I’d be meeting the girl there for an afternoon surrounded by books.

The weather was lovely, which was strange in the generally downcast Derry. It must’ve been matching my mood. There was a noticeable pep in my step as I continued along the cement sidewalk. I was about to pass by an ancient stone building when suddenly, my collar was snatched and I was thrown onto the grass.

Without thought, I aimed to get back on my feet, but a hard shoe kicked my shoulder and pinned me to the ground. I let out a small scream of panic, but when I realized who the attacker was, I forced myself to steel up.

Henry Bowers, the one and only, with a crude cigarette loosely hanging from his mouth. He adorned a deep scowl, eyes boring into me.

“Where the hell do you think you’re going, sweater slut? Think you got it easy just ‘cause you’re some worthless goody two-shoes?” he sneered, towering over me.

For the first time, I had difficulty finding the courage to sass back. The only reply I could muster was,” You know smoking’s a bad habit, right?”

I let out an ‘oof’ when he dug his heel further into my shoulder blade. He towered our me, a jeer on his expression. “What do you care, dipshit? Do you really think that nice-girl act’s gonna get you anywhere?”

“Well, uh,” I started,” not particularly, but you just seem like the type of person who needs a real friend from time to time. No offense, bud.”

His eyes widened slightly and he leaned closer. He grabbed my jaw and forced it open, promptly spitting his cigarette into my mouth. I coughed and tried to get it out, but he closed my mouth and wouldn’t allow me to do so. Tears sprung to my eyes and I started struggling beneath him, pawing at his strong grip.

Fir the first time, a sadistic smile grew on his visage. “Suck my dick, slut, and maybe then you’ll get some special treatment. Got it?”

He stepped off me and I was quick to scramble to my feet. I keeled over and threw up the nicotine stick along with tar spit. My mouth had a vile aftertaste. I felt even worse when I felt Bower’s dirty paws smack my behind harshly.

I recovered just enough to wipe my mouth. Henry had returned to his spot, leaning against the building, although his eyes were glued to my figure. I decided it would be best to leave it at that, so I scurried off to the library.

I was relieved when the oak doors closed behind me and I was exposed to shelf after shelf. I didn’t intend for it to seem like I was running away, but god, I almost fainted. I mean, I knew that he was a school bully, but I didn’t think that he was that… violent. I assumed he picked up the habit from home.

I wandered deeper into the aisles, my fingers glazing over the spines. I hummed quietly to myself, a smile making its way to my face, even with the previous trauma. I entered the classical fiction aisle. Inspecting several books, I entered a daze.

All until my hand grazed over someone else’s.

I jumped, but was instantly calm when I realized it was only Bev. Oh, how lucky I was, I had touched her hand —

“Oh! There you are. You startled me,” Bev giggled, covering her mouth. “I was just browsing for books while I was waiting for you. It appears we had the same idea.”

“Indeed,” I concurred. “Uh, so do I have certain jobs to do?”

“Well, believe it or not, the library’s usually empty on Friday afternoons. All we have to do is sign in, hide away in a corner and read, and then sign out after a few hours. It’ll be nice to have some company this time around.”

“Man, that’s great. So, to summarize, I’m getting volunteer hours for hanging out?” I chuckled. “Well, let’s get to it, time to pretend to work.”

Bev led me away an to the front desk, where a middle-aged woman sat patiently while reading a book. She had glasses, and when we approached, she pushed them further up the bridge of her nose. “Beverly, and Miss Y/n, our new recruit. Miss Beverly, how about you show her how things work around here? I’d do it myself, but I’m dreadfully tired.” She pulled out a clipboard. “Sign here, both of you.”

I obediently copied Bev’s movements, adding my signature and the current time to the clipboard. I was overjoyed at such an opportunity, because if there was anything I loved more than my current best friend, it would be books.

Beverly grabbed my wrist and eagerly pulled me over to a book cart that was almost completely empty. We started wheeling it over to an aisle, and I was following her lead. We went to the children’s fiction shelf.

“There’s a few books to unload, but other than that, we can go find some books to read until we go home,” Bev explained, motioning to the cart.

“Great! Let’s get to it. By the way, boy, do I have some tea to tell you.”

[towerofsweetedits]

❝ 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦! ❞

HEY HEY EVERYONE!! I'm Mod Red Velvet (Cookie), but you can just call me Red!!

My pronouns are she/him (mostly he/him) + a shitton of neos, which can be found here

I'm genderfluid, abroromantic, aegosexual, and a questioning transmasc!!

Ya so the rest will be under the cut Ig,, Idk what to put here jsjfjdks

About Me

like I said- I'm Mod Red Velvet (Cookie)

My pronouns are she/him, mostly he/him, + neopronouns

I'm a minor, and I have undiagnosed adhd, ocd (like. actual ocd.), autism, depression, and anxiety

Ya so that's enough about me so here's my request info

Sources

Main sources bolded

Cookie Run

Doki Doki Literature Club

All Danganronpa Games

Vocaloid/Utauloid/Fanloid

The Henry Stickmin Collection

Splatoon

Non-Fandom Things (Ex. Queer Identities, Animals, etc.)

What I Can Do

Icons

Gifcons

Wallpapers

Moodboards

Stimboards

Aesthetic Boards

Sprite Edits

Flags picked from Characters

Kin Assignments

Twitter Layouts

Tumblr Layouts

Reaction Icons

Neopronouns

Emoji Pronouns

Whitelist

Espresso Cookie

Madeleine Cookie

Latte Cookie

Chili Pepper Cookie

Black Raisin Cookie

Mint Choco Cookie

Avocado Cookie

Pistachio Cookie

Blackberry Cookie

Raspberry Cookie

Sea Fairy Cookie

Hollyberry Cookie

Pure Vanilla Cookie

Monika

Sayori

Yuri

Sayaka Maizono

Chihiro Fujisaki

Mikan Tsumiki

Chiaki Nanami

Kaede Akamatsu

Miu Iruma

Maki Harukawa

Korekiyo Shinguji

Hatsune Miku

Snow Miku

Haruno Sora

Sanitized Octolings

Octolings

EspresseLeine

SparklingHerb

SeaMoon

NatSuri

SayoNika

NanaMiki

SaiRuma

SaiMota

KaeMugi

KaeMaki

KiruMaki

MikuRin

PearLina

Coffeecore

Rosecore

Dazecore

Citycore

Liminalcore

Matchacore

Coffee Stims

Cake Stims

Marshmallow Stims

Matcha Stims

Ice Cream Stims

Clay Cracking

Stimboards

Twitter Layouts

Blacklist

Devil Cookie

Strawberry Crepe Cookie

Cocoa Cookie

Beet Cookie

MC

Nekomaru Nidai

Haiji Towa

Any form of TogaFuka

Any form of SaiOuma

Any form of KiibOuma

Any form of OuMota

Kyoko Kirigiri × Shuichi Saihara

Tenko Chabashira × Kaito Momota

Kazuichi Souda × Miu Iruma

Kaede Akamatsu × Men

Angie Yonaga × Anyone

Weirdcore

Traumacore

Glitchcore

Overly Complicated Moodboards/Stimboards

Complicated Sprite Edits

Tags

♥️🍰;; red velvet

♥️🍰;; chatting

♥️🍰;; not an edit

♥️🍰;; accepted

♥️🍰;; pending

♥️🍰;; denied

♥️🍰;; for me

♥️🍰;; important

♥️🍰;; promo

♥️🍰;; reblog

♥️🍰;; misc

Triggers

Needles

Heights

Slushies

Being talked over

Romantic SaiiBo

Romantic MintCocoa

OCD Triggering things

The Topic of Pr//gnancy

The Song "Sayo-nara"

Prolonged Talk about Sexual Abuse

Any Mentions of Climate Change

Realistic Yellow Jackets, Wasps, and/or Hornets (Bees are fine)

Ya that's about it,, go read the rest of the pinned post if you haven't already!!

[starlitheaven]

𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨’𝐬 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐣𝐨𝐲𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠♡

♡ Brief headcanons on what he likes, how he feels about your tastes (I chose YA because it’s a genre that’s seen as childish or immature. I wanted to show that he isn’t a judgmental person), and how he’d enjoy it with you!

edit: I got carried away once again wow good thing this man isn’t real. I'd lose my mind

He personally enjoys philosophy, classic literature, nen theory, non-fiction, and mythology. He’ll literally read anything though. This guy doesn’t judge books by their cover. 

Due to his childhood in a harsh place like Meteor City, he appreciates being able to retain any knowledge or type of book. 

Surprisingly, the only thing he’s picky about is manga. (I think it’s canon that he reads manga, I just can’t remember where I read it lmao). Manga involves commitment, and he won’t pursue this unless it’s worth it!!

Now, when it comes to you, most of your first date would be discussing your book preferences. 

Even though this man has refined taste and is clearly well read, he won’t judge what types of books you like to read. 

You have many favorite genres in common, but some stick out to him.

YA novels? He’d ask you what makes this genre specific to young adults and how it’d compare to “adult” books. 

It’d kind of throw you off to be asked something like that, because it seems obvious to you. Yet you’ve read this genre since you were, well, a young adult. How to explain it?

He often tends to have this small teasing smirk that’s intimidating yet playful enough to lure you in. So you think he’s joking, but…

You look up from your contemplation and he’s looking at you with his eyebrows slightly raised, head tilted like a puppy, and eyes wide with curiosity. 

You explain to him how the topics aren’t usually heavy and if they are they’re subtle enough to sell while being understood to those who soak it in. The main character is also often going through some sort of change that is personal but specific to adolescents. Then, there’s almost always romance, but it’s a slow build and never graphic which is what you appreciate. 

At this, that small teasing smirk would appear on Chrollo’s face, “So no plastic covered gas station books for you? Those are quite graphic.” 

It doesn’t occur to you until later how he would even know that. 

In an established relationship, he’d enjoy reading to you and having you read to him. You both love hearing the others voice read poetry. IMAGINE this mans soft and deep voice reading to you omfg

Let me just paint a picture here:

Your wanderer of a lover has come back to you (early in the relationship you wouldn’t know where he goes, later in the relationship you know it’s a “job”). He doesn’t stay for very long, so you enjoy your time with him.

You’re having a picnic by the lake in a secluded part of Central Park in Yorknew, and sitting on a soft gingham blanket. The sun is setting, an orange halfway dip into the horizon. You’ve both finished your passionfruit panna cotta (you got him an extra one which he appreciated), and now Chrollo is sitting against a large oak tree with your head resting on his lap. 

You’re comfortably full and gazing up at him as the incoming dusk paints him in a warm light. The soft breeze and his calloused fingers delicately brushing your bangs away from your face soothes you into closing your eyes. 

His fingers softly trail from your forehead down to your cheekbones and end at your jaw. They instinctively curl to cradle your face and his thumb draws slow circles over the bottom of your cheek. He lingers like that for a moment, and before you can feel self conscious about it, he lets go and you hear him pick up a book of poetry. 

He only reads one poem to you that day and its transparency makes your heart swell:

𝘐 𝘤𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘩, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘷𝘰𝘪𝘤𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘪𝘳. 𝘚𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘐 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘴. 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘯𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘩 𝘮𝘦, 𝘥𝘢𝘸𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘳𝘶𝘱𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘦, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘐 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘲𝘶𝘪𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘴.

𝘐 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘭𝘢𝘶𝘨𝘩, 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘭𝘰𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵, 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘴, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘥.

𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘶𝘯𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘮 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘰𝘥𝘺, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘪𝘨𝘯 𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘨𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘤𝘦, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘩𝘦𝘴,

𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘐 𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘳𝘺, 𝘴𝘯𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘩𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘰𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵, 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘱𝘶𝘮𝘢 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘘𝘶𝘪𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘶𝘦.

Love Sonnet XI - Pablo Neruda

[the-sappho-of-lesbos]

Hey! got any good book recommendations?

Hello! Im so sorry it’s taken me a while to get to this. But thank you for the question!! Im not too sure what book in particular you are looking for so I’ll give you a few for different things!

- Western/historical/farmer lesbian stories : these are ones I have reviewed on here so it might not be a surprise ahaha (I just love them so much!) ; Galveston 1900: Swept Away by Linda Crist / The Grass Widow by Nanci Little

- fantasy : The Rifter Series by Ginn Hale (literally anything by this woman is AMAZING! If you like the fantasy boarding school sort of story too I’d recommend Lord Of The White Hall by her) / Sword Of The Guardian by Merry Shannon (again one I gave reviewed lol. But it’s just a fun fantasy series. If you are someone who is intimidated by fantasy or big worlds/info dumping I think this is a good place to start. It’s just a fun and easy read :) )

- Manga: Fruits Basket by Nastuki Takaya (I’m sure this is a surprise to no one lol ) / Wake Up Sleeping Beauty by Megumi Morino/ Nana by Ai Yazawa (this is incomplete and been on hiatus for years but it’s still worth it in my opinion!) / A Cruel God Reigns by Moto Hagio (extremely triggering series so please look up TW lists before reading )

- lesbian urban fantasy romcom : A Knight To Remember by Bridget Essex (also goes by the pen name S . E Diemer - the lady who wrote The Dark Wife). She has heaps of fun lesbian romances. I recommend this one specifically because I first read it in high school and it was the first of its kind Id ever read and I loved it so much.

- YA : The Switched Trilogy by Amanda Hocking. I have read this series since I was about 13/14/15 so I have no idea how it holds up. But I was OBSESSED with it when I read it. For the longest time it was my favourite book series. So surely there must be something good in it aha. Though I don’t really read much YA these days , especially YA fantasy so I can’t say how well it holds up.

- LGBT History : Teleny by Oscar Wilde and presumed other men, This is fiction but it’s interesting to read it to see how gay literature has changed and it’s a cool insight into underground gay writing/ Truly Wilde by Joan Schrnkar (a biography about Oscar Wilde’s lesbian/ bi niece) / A Black Gay Anthology; In The Life edited by Joseph Beam/ The Great Mirror Of Male Love by Saikaku (TW for predatory relationships- this is an anthology of very old Japanese writings by gay and bisexual men)

- Sci-Fi : The Warchild trilogy by Karin Lowachee (this is a series that deals with the traumas of war so maybe look up some TW list it you need it) / The Abyss Surrounds Us by Emily Skrutskie / Passing Strange by Ellen Klages

- Horror/thriller: Confessions by Kanae Minato ( this book is severely messed up so please be warned about that if you want to read it. I would just TW it as everything to be honest)

That’s all I can really think of off the top of my head right now, but I’ll add something if I think of it !

Thank you for the ask and I hope you have an absolutely beautiful day! 💕💕✨

[stories-by-rie]

writing bucket list

Rules: list wips you would like to finish in your lifetime and optionally reasons what's holding you off them and how far you want to get them (publish/post etc)

I got tagged by the @thewalkingnerdx, thank you so much!!

Alright here we go!! I’m making a difference between solid projects (that I am actively working on and have real plans with) and wish projects (that I am not actively working on).

The Assassination Project

This started out from a short story, moved to a standalone and is now a potential series of seven books. Ya know, like these things go. This series is so, so close to my heart because it is everything I love in literature, the magic system is by far my favourite, not just what I created but of all magic systems I know. (I am aware this sounds super arrogant but I just really like it.) I would love to trad-pub this, but I am aware that this is super niche, so I highly doubt it will happen. I think I would still self-pub this, though, if I managed to finish this. Holding me back from finishing this is 1. there’s a lot of representation in this for which I need to do more research and need sensitivity readers who I currently can’t afford, and 2. the whole series of seven (7!!!) books is simply above my current skill-level to finish in a way that would be satisfying to me, and do the whole story justice.

In the Land of Twilight

This is another project that is super close to me. I would say that this is on the exact opposite side of TAP from its themes and tone. It’s also my only MG project! Once it’s written, it’ll probably be too long for a standalone, so this is also a series. I’m always working on this when I am feeling down and it never fails to make me happier. Dunno when I’ll finish this but the draft is looking good so far, and I hope I can query this one day!

The Five Senses

Ah yes my troubled child. This also has a neat magic system, I am also happy with side-plots and characters and setting but the main-plot T-T I am soooo unhappy with the main-plot T-T But all the good things are tied to it so I just don’t know how to change it. This WIP is the greatest challenge in plotting which makes drafting near impossible. Once it’s done, I think it would be a strong project for a debut, though.

A Guide to Liminal Matters and Ghastly Kinds

This is just a project for fun, just that it’s also a bit dark every now and then. Just a tiny bit. It’s going well? Currently drafting the second part which I will post on here like the first one, once I am done!

also

I want to write a romance featuring an aro/ace protagonist, I had a solid idea for it a while ago >.> Still toying with that every now and then and hope I can do it justice one day.

Invincible. Uh yes. This is... uh... still a thing. I still kinda like it? But it also needs editing which I simply don’t have time & motivation for. Technically, I would like to edit it and post it, since it’s just a for-fun-project. Maybe post it on here in bigger chapters. Maybe one day.

TIME LOOP I so badly want to write a good time loop story, there is nothing I would rather write than a time loop story I cannot put into words how much I want to write one, but all ideas are so unoriginal and aaaahdskfhkshf

just time travel. so bad.

one of my first WIPs is on ice and I want to recycle it. I have some ideas and images but nothing solid to work with yet

a friend asked me why I don’t write sci-fi since I dab into it slightly and idk good question? I may have an idea for something sci-fi-esque

also siren/mermaid and/or pirates because it slaps

that’s it! now I am seriously super curious about other people’s bucket lists, so I will tag a bunch of people, but feel free to ignore this ofc! and if you see this and want to do this, consider yourself tagged!! I’m honestly looking forward to all your bucket lists!  @cilly-the-writer @the-orangeauthor @soul-write @somealienquill @viskafrer and @pheita

[achoo-tagawa]

Akutagawa's Potential Response

Everytime I think about the new chapter, I always wonder what Akutagawa's response would be to Higuchi's confession if he actually heard it.

I mean that was what she was trying to do, right? Before she got bit by him instead of sharing a vulnerable moment?

Would he accept them or reject them?

You see my heart says... ' of course he loves her and they're gonna get married and be happy together bluh bluh bluh'

But my brain, who is little bit more reasonable, would notice that Akutagawa doesn't seem to have any romantic interest towards her (or anyone really) throughout the manga. There's no hints of it at all. It would be quite abrupt if he did. It's not really part of his character arc either.

But maybe that's not a bad thing.

This might be biased since I don't really ship akuhigu at all as a romantic pairing and you have every right to disagree with me.

However, I'm really happy that higuchi gained the confidence to try and tell Akutagawa her feelings. It's a step in the right direction.

It reminds me of a time when I fell in love with this girl once and I thought we were really close but I refrained from saying anything in case I break the friendship. Then a few months past by and at the first time I saw her again, I was so overwhelmed with emotion, I just sprouted out things that were kept hidden behind a door for so long. She politely rejected me and of course I was devastated but tbh our friendship is better than it ever was now because I didn't feel the urge to impress her anymore. I didn't rely on her attention all the time and began to accept the person I was.

Maybe that's what Higuchi needs as well.

If Akutagawa rejects her feelings, then that would be great opportunity to move on forward, to gain more confidence and independence for herself, not needing to be put on Akutagawa's good list all the time, just doing her best because she's absolutely brilliant when she can be.

This might be a stretch but it can link back to irl Higuchi as well. Her mentor didn't reciprocate the feelings she had for him but she used that pain of rejection, to write amazing stories and look! She ended up being one of the founding faces of Japanese Literature!

Furthermore, maybe Akutagawa would change his attitude towards Higuchi after seeing her be open with him because let's be honest, it could be better. Their whole dynamic has so much potential and I really think they could be a formidable team if there wasn't any of this unrequited love business.

Edit: Although, who knows! Maybe they do become canon.

I think we can all realise after chapter 88 dropped that Asagiri has no fecking boundaries.

I am quite cynical when it comes to romance too and though Akuhigu is really cute in a fanon sense, I genuinely don't think an actual relationship in canon will benefit these two at all. Akutagawa gets most of his development from Atsushi anyway and well Higuchi ... she would just stay the same which isn't really what I want from her.

Even if Akutagawa doesn't reciprocate the same feelings, I want him to at least notice how much she's done for him and be grateful for once for the people who generally care about him like Gin and Chuuya etc.

As Akutagawa will slowly get over Dazai, I think Higuchi should stop her obsession over Akutagawa too, ya know?

Whatever solution Asagiri thinks of for the final climax, I hope Akutagawa and higuchi's companionship changes for good because they are both amazing characters who deserve the best outcome!

But of course people are allowed to ship whoever they want and everyone is entitled to their own opinions. This is just mine.

To anyone who managed to read all of my rambling , thank you. It means a lot. I keep adding on to this so I apologise if this is very jumbled and inconsistent. I just have a lot on my mind :')

[rain-river-writing]

Introduction to Moi

Hey, I'm Kendal! I am a college student studying English and Creative Writing (hoping to minor either in some kind of cultural study or psychology). Doing online my first year to save up for the University of my dreams!! Here are a few facts about me:

📖 Birthday is November 8

📖 Winter and Autumn are where I thrive

📖 I plan to pursue a Masters Workshop in Iowa

📖 Hoping to make writing novels and/or editing my career

📖 Currently drafting three major stories: a YA fantasy trilogy (dubbed "the Corin project", a YA Sci-Fi novel (working title "A Flame in Space") , and a YA science fiction thriller ("It Appeared in the Night").

📖 Avid reader of fantasy and classic literature, trying to incorporate some adult fiction into my collection of young adult haha

📖 favorite food is mashed potatoes

📖 tea > coffee, change my mind

And if you're a visual learner, you can just look at this pinterest board below!! 🖤🖤🖤

[aspenflower17]

Finding You (Part Fourteen of ??)

Hey everyone! I hope you’re all having a good New Year so far! I have a bit of an update after the chapter for y’all.

Edit: Oop! I forgot the link to Part One for any new people! My bad!

Tags (ily all!):  @simpingforsatan @naimena @hachimochi @wrathandgreed @magi-minminxiii @rensphilia @a-dream-at-night @chloelikesobeyme @getbehindme-satan @theuglypugling @oofthelazyweeb @mammonismyfirstman (as always, if you’d like to be put on the tags list, juust let me know in a comment down below, or a DM)

Word Count: 1,961

TW: None? I’m pretty sure?

Mc didn’t know what she was expecting from the song Satan’s brothers pressured him to play, but a gorgeous melancholic love song was not it, though she should have guessed it was a love song from the title. She was entranced from the first couple notes, and the lyrics pulled her in further. They spoke of someone experiencing love for the first time, though they were afraid of their Love fading away and leaving them. She smiled at the cat lyrics, finding herself not surprised Satan would write about them. He seemed like a cat lover, though she had no real basis for the belief.

 Satan’s singing voice was just as nice as his speaking voice and she found herself impressed. It also held a lot of emotion, enough that she was surprised it didn’t affect his singing. Though she had never heard the song before, it seemed extremely familiar. Though, it was a fairly universal concept, so it probably just seemed she’d heard it before. She hadn’t realized she was crying until Mammon offered her a handkerchief. When he finished, everyone clapped, and he started on another song.

“I never thought I’d hear tha’ song again,” Mammon spoke to Mc in a low voice.

“Why?” she asked.

“Oh… Uhhh… Well, it’s about a lost love of his. Once she… disappeared… He played it one more time and then said he’d never play it again.” 

Mc felt her throat constrict a bit at the revelation, “He must be doing better then. When he got his next… lover, he probably started feeling better.”

“He… Uhhh... '' Mammon floundered for words, and Mc found herself eagerly awaiting his next words, “I don’ think he’s dated anyone before or since her. If nothin’ else, she is his firs’ and only love.”

“Did she hurt him?”

“Huh?”

“I just ask because I’ve seen a lot of people, well, humans, who had relationships go sour and closed themselves off emotionally. I was just wondering if that’s what happened to him.”

“Not… Not exactly… She was human and she… died…” Mammon seemed really anxious at this point, and Mc decided not to push the subject further.

A human? Really? Well, that adds another layer to the song. It’s the most permanent level of “leave” there is. He knew going into the relationship it would end. But… If she had been corrupted enough by him, wouldn’t she have gone to the Devildom? Then they could’ve been together… Does that mean she went to the Celestial Realm? Do I know her? Or… Did she get stuck as a wanderer? Either way, why would he play it now? Mammon said he’d sworn off playing it ever again… The questions swirled around in her head as she watched Satan play.

“Ooooo! Ooooo! My turn!”

“Asmo, you can’t play piano,” Satan sighed, already getting up.

“But I can play music off of my DDD now can’t I?” Asmodeus said, waltzing up to what had become a stage.

As Asmo scrolled through what Mc could only assume was his list of songs, Satan came and stood next to her. Mammon even moved over so he could. Mc gave him a small smile and then turned her attention back to Asmodeus, who was gushing about the song he’d found to sing. She was still thinking about all the unanswered questions she had when she felt a breath next to her ear “What did you think?”

Mc almost jumped, but instead found herself glued to her chair, “Of the song? Or your singing?”

“Hmmm… Both.”

“You play and sing wonderfully. The song was beautiful. I could really feel your emotions.”

“Thank you,” Mc felt Satan retreat back to a standing position, and she found she missed his presence.

A huff from the other side of the room caught her attention. Looking over, she caught the tailend of Michael watching Satan with narrowed eyes before turning back to Asmodeus. How strange.

When Asmodeus finished, Lucifer was both begged and forced to play by those in the room. While Mc had to admit he was definitely in a league all his own, she found herself preferring Satan’s playing to Lucifer’s. She cocked her head slightly at the realization.

“Excellent Lucifer! Just exquisite!” Diavolo boomed, giving the Avatar of Pride a standing ovation, “I can’t remember the last time I heard you play!”

“Well, it has been awhile,” Lucifer smiled. His pride seemed to have recovered enough he could properly interact with people again. Mc was happy she was able to avert a crisis, not interested in finding out how a brawl between Michael and Lucifer would go. Though… Would either of them actually get into a physical altercation?...

Mc was so caught up in her thoughts, she didn’t realize the brothers were leaving until they were all asking if she would come to the House of Lamentation at some point.

“... And I would love to paint your nails,” Asmo prattled on, grabbing her hands, “And I know the Devildom’s lack of light can make your skin lose some of its radiance, but I have a moisturizer that can help with that. Oh and-”

“Asmo, come on! Ya want Mc to come visit or not?” Mammon interrupted,

“Mammon, you don’t understand the nuances of keeping yourself looking perfect.”

“Uh, yes. I do. I’m a model. Ya been smellin’ too many of ya fancy products and it’s melted ya brain?”

“I think you’re thinking of yourself, though it was probably when you were trying to con those witches into buying acid, and you drank some.”

“Oi! How do ya know about that?”

“Ugh, there they go again,” a head rested itself on Mc’s shoulder, and she almost jumped until she saw who it was, “Seriously though Mc. You should come over.”

“Yeah. You’re even welcome to bring Luke,” the one brother who she hadn’t talked to added, “Barbatos told me he’s gotten even better at baking.”

“Of course I’ve gotten better at baking! I’m also very good at cooking too,” Luke said, having joined the conversation.

Mc watched at Beelzebub, which is who she figured he must be through the process of elimination, actually started drooling, “Does that mean you’re actually going to come over then?”

Luke smiled fondly, a look Mc wasn’t sure she’d have ever thought he could have for a demon, “If you’d like Beel, I could probably make that happen.”

Beel rushed over to Luke and pulled him into a huge hug. Belphegor removed himself from Mc, walking over to Beelzebub, “Beel, you need to let go of the chihuahua or he’s going to suffocate. Luke can’t make you food if he’s been squished.”

“I’m sorry. I hope these idiots haven’t been bothering you too much.”

“Not at all Lucifer. They were just inviting me over sometime.”

“Well, I suppose it’s time for us to head out,” Lucifer said, starting to gather his brothers.

“You are welcome anytime you want to come over,” Satan’s voice came from behind her.

“I… Thanks. I would really like that.”

“Satan! We’re leaving.”

“I’m coming Lucifer,” Satan called, rolling his eyes, then back to Mc with a smile, “Bye.”

“Bye,” Mc called after him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mc sat in her room hours later, the events of the evening still running through her head. Though she knew Michael wouldn’t approve, she found herself much more at ease and even happier around them than she did around most angels. There was a non-judgmental kindness they all exuded (well, all except Lucifer) that made her feel like she belonged. She found herself excited about the prospect of spending more time with them at the House of Lamentation. She had to laugh a bit, the fact she didn’t fit in with the rest of the angels never more clear than it was now. 

Simeon had told her his time in the Devildom had been extremely enjoyable, the less structured lifestyles if the Devildom a welcome change from the Celestial Realm. She had read his work from that time and it was obvious he had felt a lot more creative in the Devildom, even though he had school responsibilities at the time. While she hadn’t doubted his words, she had always figured the change was mostly due to the fact he had been able to communicate with his lost brothers again. Now she understood what he had been talking about. 

Simeon generally gets along with the other angels too. What would they all say if they found out I prefer the company of the Fallen to them? Everything is just more natural with them. It’s almost like I already know who they are, as strange as that sounds. Especially Satan, though I’ve felt connected to him since I got his letter. Speaking of which, who was it that he mentioned? Lil… Lilly? Lillah? Lillian? Hmmm… I can’t remember. I do know I’ve never heard that name before. Whoever it was seemed to have a great impact on all of the brothers. It can’t be someone they Fell with. I’ve read all the literature about the Fall and I don’t recognize the name. Though there’s a lot about the Fall the Celestial Realm doesn’t talk about. But... Simeon’s also never mentioned anyone with that name before… Maybe it’s time for me to do some more research.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Mc stretched, and checked the time on her DDD. She had been in Diavolo’s personal library for over three hours, and she still hadn’t found any mention of the mysterious “L” person. She found plenty of references to Lucifer though. It seemed he and his brothers had been instrumental in helping Diavolo establish order when the old King had started his slumber. What caused this slumber, why it happened, or if it would end was not covered. Mc wanted to research the topic further, but she couldn’t get distracted until she had answered her initial question.

There was a knock at the door, and Barbatos came in carrying a teacup on a saucer, “I thought you might be in here.”

“Oh, hello Barbatos.”

The butler entered the room, and set the tea down on the table Mc was studying at, “I thought you might like some tea.”

“I would actually, thank you. If you would like to, you can take a seat.”

“I suppose that’d be alright,” Barbatos smiled, and sat down in a chair. His eyes glided across the books strewn around Mc, “You’ve got some heavy reading here.”

“Well, I’m trying to figure something out,” Mc sighed, sipping her tea.

“Perhaps I can be of assistance?”

“Maybe, though I don’t remember what it is I’m looking for exactly,” Barbatos simply cocked his head slightly until she continued, “Satan was telling about… Well, a personal experience, and he mentioned someone. I don’t remember their name, but it was someone very close to all the brothers and they had passed away. I was just trying to figure out who it was.”

“You seem very interested in this person,” Barbatos’ tone wasn’t accusatory, but he seemed to expect and answer.

“... I guess I’m just trying to understand them better. Him better,” The last part slipped from Mc’s mouth easily, surprising even her.

“I think I may know who you’re talking about. If I’m correct, you won’t find any references to her in these books. It’s not my place to explain the situation to you however. You should probably go speak with the brothers about her…” the butler paused for a second before continuing, “I believe Michael also knows a lot about the situation, though he doesn’t know the full story,” with that, he got up and pushed his chair in, “I must continue with my duties, but I appreciate the short reprieve. Good night.”

“Night,” Mc called after him. Huh. Michael knows?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Part Fifteen

 I wanted to let you all know that as it is January, ever since 2014 the first moth of the year has been terrible for me. So far, we are 3 days into 2021, and I have already gotten a near constant tooth ache meaning I’m going to have to go to the dentist, and have gotten sick. I don’t know what else this month has in store for me, but I just wanted to warn you all, if my updates get sporadic or short, that’s why 😬 

[kinomiakai]

Hey Kinomi I was wondering if you had any tips for writing academic essays. I've always had a bad relationship with writing. I simply hate it so much, especially writing essays but reading about your love of writing made me realize that I want to change the way I feel about writing.. One day I'd like to write my own fanfics but writing academic essays has ruined that for me. Do you have any tips on how you cope with academic writing?

Oh wow, anon, that’s really sweet?? And I hope I can actually help, I really empathize with having that sort of block in something that could have been something you’d enjoy if you’d been introduced to it differently??? I think everyone works differently though, so take everything I say with a grain of salt. You’ll produce the best work when you believe in yourself, so take whatever steps you need to get to that point.

My biggest point about academic writing is probably that all it really boils down to is an explanation. That’s all it is. And when you’ve been researching and learning your topic, it’s been explained to you, but probably not in the best way. You’ve probably had to go to a bunch of different sources and visit a bunch of different things. If you had to explain your topic to you now, where would you start? What would you have appreciated knowing beforehand? What are the main bits that made you go “ohhhhh”? Start there. You’re showing what you’ve learned, so what your prof is probably looking for is how well you explain your subject. If you explain it in a way that makes sense to you, it will probably make sense to everyone else, too.

I’ve got a bunch more messy thoughts - I hope some of this is helpful??? Here you go:

get it down in point form first!! I cannot advocate for messy point form enough, it saves me every day. This is always how I start any writing because it makes the transition from idea in your head to actual concrete thing 10000x easier

get your subheadings, put relevant point forms under the headings. You might not end up having those subheadings in the final thing, but it might help you organize your thoughts & topics by what they’re about as opposed to where they’re from

I don’t know is a right answer; I was not able to find things is a right answer, you just need to know how to phrase it. “There’s a paucity of literature surrounding this topic” / “research regarding this area is limited to X and Y, however Z is yet to be fully understood” there ya go. There’s so many topics that really aren’t well understood or haven’t been researched - but, if you can, find a source to cite that says whatever your topic is is underresearched :>

merge your literature together. With enough sources, your essay is pretty much done. A good academic essay is just someone whose done the research for you and is about to summarize it all, so put it together for your reader. Find the links between articles where people talk about similar things — cite left right and center. I over cite rather than under cite when I can. My academic writing ends up being big summaries of a whole bunch of literature put together to make a point.

if you get ideas on how to end your essay as you’re writing it, jot those down at the end and keep it going.

your first draft is just to get the idea out. This is exactly the same as writing fiction. You’re going to get the urge, as you’re writing, to second guess yourself, to think “this sounds really stupid” and delete it, to just rewrite the same word over and over because it doesn’t sound good but you can’t think of any other way to word it - don’t listen to that. just write. Just get it all out. Editing is SO much easier than writing. Get it all out, sleep on it, come back to it tomorrow.

You might find you get on a roll/distracted as you’re going and you come to info you don’t have. Good! Go back to your research and see if you can find that and add that it. If you were looking for some info as you were writing, it probably means it’s relevant to your topic. If, however, you think it’s not relevant, don’t be afraid to cut it and go back. If you don’t want to cut anything (like me), make a document for your scraps of “deleted” writing so you can go back to it if you want to

Break it down so it’s not so overwhelming for you. Today I’ll take a bunch of notes on a bunch of things I think are relevant. Tomorrow I’ll make a bit of an outline now that I have a better understanding of everything going on, and start organizing some of my info in there. The next day I’ll go back to researching to fill in some of the blanks I have. The day after I’ll probably have a good enough understanding to know what the main point of my essay should be, and we can start organizing the info. The day after we can start writing the different sections, bit by bit - out of order, even, if that works. Whatever is sparking inspiration. The day after we write as much as we possibly can from the info we have. And then we read and edit, and maybe send it to someone to read over because I cannot possibly look at this info any longer and what is an academic essay if it’s not peer-reviewed am I right fellas :’>

That’s kind of how I go about academic writing. That said, though, honestly? fanfic is my break from academic writing. Y’all can probably tell when I have big thesis months because my writing gets really flowery and exaggerated and metaphorical because that doesn’t work in academic writing, so I have to hold it all back :P And then it all sort of explodes out of me. But in my mind they’re sort of separate, even though there are some similarities to doing both.

Also, I just want to say, I’ve worked with a bunch of students as a teaching assistant for so many years now - and they’ve all been brilliant. They’ve all had really great ideas, and they’ve all been so, so full of doubts. None of them have realized how good their ideas are. So my best piece of advice would be that your ideas about what to write about? They’re good. They’re really good. Follow them. The rest of your writing will just be finding the best way to express them properly, and a lot of that comes with experience, too. The more you write, the easier it will become, both for creative & academic writing. 

Is this helpful? Did I answer your question okay? This is a bit varied and wide but I hope there’s something in there that’s helpful to you. You can always shoot me a message if you need any help with anything :> I believe in you anon!!!